Lubricant test for punching and blanking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsson, David Dam; Bay, Niels; Andreasen, Jan Lasson

2003-01-01

Punching/blanking is one of the tribologically wise most severe metal forming processes.Insu $cient lubrication leads to heavy pick-up of work piece material on the punch stem,bad tolerances and eventual breakdown of the punch due to excessive backstroke force,especially in case of tribologically...... of alternative lubricants the present paper describes a new lubricant test for punching....

Deep drawing simulations of tailored blanks and experimental verification

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meinders, Vincent T.; van den Berg, Albert; Huetink, Han

2000-01-01

Tailored Blanks are increasingly used in the automotive industry. A combination of different materials, thickness, and coatings can be welded together to form a blank for stamping car body panels. The main advantage of using Tailored Blanks is to have specific characteristics at particular parts of

Tool life equation for blanking 18-8 stainless steel strips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faura, F.; Lopez, J.; Sanes, J.; Garcia, A.

1998-01-01

Hereinafter it is presented a model for the behaviour and life of circular blanking tool used in sheet forming processes of 18-8 stainless steel (sheet thickness: 1 mm). Frostily it has analyzed the different studies that have previously dealt with this problem. Secondly taking into account recently made experiments, it is proposed a simple formulation to predict tool life with enough reliability. to this purpose it has examined different parameters in the wear process, inferring from these the fundamental parameters that regulate them and about which the different equations have been configurated. Blanking tests were performed using a 20 t press at a speed of 150 strokes/min. Punch materials used in these test were AISI A2 and AISI D2 with diameters between 1.5 and 10 mm. The blanking tests were performed at a clearance between 5 and 20% of the work material thickness. (Author) 8 refs

Formability of stainless steel tailored blanks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bagger, Claus; Gong, Hui; Olsen, Flemming Ove

2004-01-01

In a number of systematic tests, the formability of tailored blanks consisting of even and different combinations of AISI304 and AISI316 in thickness of 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm have been investigated. In order to analyse the formability of tailored blanks with different sheet thickness, a method based ...

NDE of ceramic insulator blanks by radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarvanan, S.; Venkatraman, B.; Jayakumar, T.; Baldev Raj

1996-01-01

The production of ceramic insulators in electrical industry involves a number of steps, one of which is the green blank. The defects such as voids and crack can be present in the extruded green blank. One of the best non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technique radiography. This paper deals with the development of methodology based on theoretical modeling for the examination of ceramics by high sensitivity radiography. (author)

Tailor-made blanks for the aircraft industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zad Poor, A.A.

2010-01-01

Tailor-Made Blanks (TMBs) are hybrid assemblies made of sheet metals with different materials and/or thicknesses that are joined together prior to forming. Alternatively, a monolithic sheet can be machined to create required thickness variations (machined TMBs). The possibility of having several

Improving friction stir welding of blanks of different thicknesses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fratini, L. [Dipartimento di Tecnologia Meccanica, Produzione e Ingegneria Gestionale, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy)], E-mail: abaqus@dtpm.unipa.it; Buffa, G. [Dipartimento di Tecnologia Meccanica, Produzione e Ingegneria Gestionale, Universita di Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo (Italy); Shivpuri, R. [Ohio State University, Department of Industrial, Welding and Systems Engineering, 1971 Neil Avenue, 210 Baker Systems, Columbus, Ohio 43210 (United States)

2007-06-25

Friction stir welding (FSW) appears to be a promising process even in the welding of blanks of different thicknesses. Actually, such particular tailor welded blanks (TWBs) are usually characterized by a reduction in ductility due to the utilized fusion welding process. In this paper the authors, starting from a preliminary feasibility study, investigate the possibility to improve the mechanical performances of friction stir welded blanks of aluminum alloy with different thicknesses. Both experiments and a FE analyses are developed for a few case studies with different thickness ratios between the blanks. The numerical investigations are performed with the aim to highlight the material temperature distribution during the process in order to determine process conditions for which an almost symmetric thermal flow is obtained in the two blanks of the joint. In this way, a few simple process design rules are derived and verified through experiments. In particular a thickness ratio up to 2 was considered and a joint resistance of about the 80% of the parent material ultimate tensile strength was observed.

Improving friction stir welding of blanks of different thicknesses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fratini, L.; Buffa, G.; Shivpuri, R.

2007-01-01

Friction stir welding (FSW) appears to be a promising process even in the welding of blanks of different thicknesses. Actually, such particular tailor welded blanks (TWBs) are usually characterized by a reduction in ductility due to the utilized fusion welding process. In this paper the authors, starting from a preliminary feasibility study, investigate the possibility to improve the mechanical performances of friction stir welded blanks of aluminum alloy with different thicknesses. Both experiments and a FE analyses are developed for a few case studies with different thickness ratios between the blanks. The numerical investigations are performed with the aim to highlight the material temperature distribution during the process in order to determine process conditions for which an almost symmetric thermal flow is obtained in the two blanks of the joint. In this way, a few simple process design rules are derived and verified through experiments. In particular a thickness ratio up to 2 was considered and a joint resistance of about the 80% of the parent material ultimate tensile strength was observed

Production of the 4.1-m Zerodur mirror blank for the VISTA Telescope

Science.gov (United States)

Doehring, Thorsten; Jedamzik, Ralf; Wittmer, Volker; Thomas, Armin

2004-09-01

VISTA (Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy) is designed to be the world's largest wide field telescope. After finishing of the construction the telescope will be part of ESO and located in Chile close to the VLT observatory at Cerro Paranal. In November 2001 SCHOTT was selected by the VISTA project office at the Royal Observatory of Edinburgh to deliver the 4.1 m diameter primary mirror blank. The manufacturing of the mirror blank made from the zero expansion material Zerodur was challenging especially due to the f/1 design. Several tons of the glass ceramic material were removed during the grinding operation. A meniscus blank with a diameter of 4100 mm and a thickness of 171.5 mm was generated, having a large central hole of 1200 mm and an aspherical shape of the concave surface. Also the handling and turning operations needed special effort and were performed by a skilled team. This paper presents details and pictures of the corresponding production and inspection sequence at SCHOTT. The geometrical parameters were measured during manufacturing by help of a laser tracker system and the achieved parameters were compared with the initial technical specification. The final quality inspection verified the excellent quality of the mirror blank. The close co-operation between the astronomers and industry resulted in a project management without problems. In April 2003 the VISTA blank was delivered successfully within a ceremony dedicated to the anniversary of "100 years of astronomical mirror blanks from SCHOTT."

Metal flow of a tailor-welded blank in deep drawing process

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Qi; Guo, Ruiquan

2005-01-01

Tailor welded blanks were used in the automotive industry to consolidate parts, reduce weight, and increase safety. In recent years, this technology was developing rapidly in China. In Chinese car models, tailor welded blanks had been applied in a lot of automobile parts such as rail, door inner, bumper, floor panel, etc. Concerns on the properties of tailor welded blanks had become more and more important for automobile industry. A lot of research had shown that the strength of the welded seam was higher than that of the base metal, such that the weld failure in the aspect of strength was not a critical issue. However, formability of tailor welded blanks in the stamping process was complex. Among them, the metal flow of tailor welded blanks in the stamping process must be investigated thoroughly in order to reduce the scrap rate during the stamping process in automobile factories. In this paper, the behavior of metal flow for tailor welded blanks made by the laser welding process with two types of different thickness combinations were studied in the deep drawing process. Simulations and experiment verification of the movement of weld line for tailor welded blanks were discussed in detail. Results showed that the control on the movement of welded seam during stamping process by taking some measures in the aspect of blank holder was effective.

Lithographic qualification of high-transmission mask blank for 10nm node and beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yongan; Faure, Tom; Viswanathan, Ramya; Lobb, Granger; Wistrom, Richard; Burns, Sean; Hu, Lin; Graur, Ioana; Bleiman, Ben; Fischer, Dan; Mignot, Yann; Sakamoto, Yoshifumi; Toda, Yusuke; Bolton, John; Bailey, Todd; Felix, Nelson; Arnold, John; Colburn, Matthew

2016-04-01

In this paper, we discuss the lithographic qualification of high transmission (High T) mask for Via and contact hole applications in 10nm node and beyond. First, the simulated MEEF and depth of focus (DoF) data are compared between the 6% and High T attnPSM masks with the transmission of High T mask blank varying from 12% to 20%. The 12% High T blank shows significantly better MEEF and larger DoF than those of 6% attnPSM mask blank, which are consistent with our wafer data. However, the simulations show no obvious advantage in MEEF and DoF when the blank transmittance is larger than 12%. From our wafer data, it has been seen that the common process window from High T mask is 40nm bigger than that from the 6% attnPSM mask. In the elongated bar structure with smaller aspect ratio, 1.26, the 12% High T mask shows significantly less develop CD pull back in the major direction. Compared to the High T mask, the optimized new illumination condition for 6% attnPSM shows limited improvement in MEEF and the DoF through pitch. In addition, by using the High T mask blank, we have also investigated the SRAF printing, side lobe printing and the resist profile through cross sections, and no patterning risk has been found for manufacturing. As part of this work new 12% High T mask blank materials and processes were developed, and a brief overview of key mask technology development results have been shared. Overall, it is concluded that the High T mask, 12% transmission, provides the most robust and extendable lithographic solution for 10nm node and beyond.

3D finite element modelling of sheet metal blanking process

Science.gov (United States)

Bohdal, Lukasz; Kukielka, Leon; Chodor, Jaroslaw; Kulakowska, Agnieszka; Patyk, Radoslaw; Kaldunski, Pawel

2018-05-01

The shearing process such as the blanking of sheet metals has been used often to prepare workpieces for subsequent forming operations. The use of FEM simulation is increasing for investigation and optimizing the blanking process. In the current literature a blanking FEM simulations for the limited capability and large computational cost of the three dimensional (3D) analysis has been largely limited to two dimensional (2D) plane axis-symmetry problems. However, a significant progress in modelling which takes into account the influence of real material (e.g. microstructure of the material), physical and technological conditions can be obtained by using 3D numerical analysis methods in this area. The objective of this paper is to present 3D finite element analysis of the ductile fracture, strain distribution and stress in blanking process with the assumption geometrical and physical nonlinearities. The physical, mathematical and computer model of the process are elaborated. Dynamic effects, mechanical coupling, constitutive damage law and contact friction are taken into account. The application in ANSYS/LS-DYNA program is elaborated. The effect of the main process parameter a blanking clearance on the deformation of 1018 steel and quality of the blank's sheared edge is analyzed. The results of computer simulations can be used to forecasting quality of the final parts optimization.

75 FR 40842 - Public Health Service Act (PHS), Delegation of Authority

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-14

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Service Act (PHS), Delegation of Authority Notice is hereby given that I have delegated to the Director... Secretary of Health and Human Services under the following section under Title XXVI of the Public Health...

PHS terminal 'TEGACKY' dedicated to e-mailing; Mail senyo PHS tanmatsu 'TEGACKY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-03-01

The e-mail utilization rate at mobile communication terminals is increasing at a remarkable rate, as if to grow above the rate of communication by voice. Under the circumstances, a PHS (Personal Handyphone System) terminal 'TEGACKY' (type name: PM-T101) has been developed, designed exclusively for use for e-mailing. 'TEGACKY' is characterized in that its icons may be activated with pen, that input may be made by handwriting, and that its large screen allows a 48-character message consisting of 4 lines of 12 characters to be displayed at one time despite its compact size. It can also perform communication directly with other terminals or e-mail via center, and is provided with an information service function. 'TEGACKY' having such distinguished features has created a new category of terminals which are at once e-mailing tools. (translated by NEDO)

Blanking Clearance and Punch Velocity Effects on The Sheared Edge Characteristic in Micro-Blanking of Commercially Pure Copper Sheet

OpenAIRE

Didin Zakaria Lubis; Ichsan Ristiawan

2017-01-01

This study aims to identify the influences between clearance and punch velocity on the part edge quality of blanked parts. Experiments have been conducted using material copper, punch-die clearance and punch velocity variations. In order to determine the reachable punch-die clearance and punch velocity required for blanking. The quality of the part-edge characteristics shows that higher punch velocity and decreases clearance value can improve the part-edge quality, resulting in smaller burr h...

Thermo-mechanical simulation and parameters optimization for beam blank continuous casting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.; Zhang, Y.Z.; Zhang, C.J.; Zhu, L.G.; Lu, W.G.; Wang, B.X.; Ma, J.H.

2009-01-01

The objective of this work is to optimize the process parameters of beam blank continuous casting in order to ensure high quality and productivity. A transient thermo-mechanical finite element model is developed to compute the temperature and stress profile in beam blank continuous casting. By comparing the calculated data with the metallurgical constraints, the key factors causing defects of beam blank can be found out. Then based on the subproblem approximation method, an optimization program is developed to search out the optimum cooling parameters. Those optimum parameters can make it possible to run the caster at its maximum productivity, minimum cost and to reduce the defects. Now, online verifying of this optimization project has been put in practice, which can prove that it is very useful to control the actual production

IDMS analysis of blank swipe samples for uranium quantity and isotopic composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryjinski, M.; Donohue, D.

2001-01-01

Since 1996 the IAEA has started routine implementation of environmental sampling. During the last 5 years more than 1700 swipe samples were collected and analyzed in the Network of Analytical Laboratories (NWAL). One sensitive point of analyzing environmental samples is evidence of the presence of enriched U. The U content on swipes is extremely low and therefore there is a relatively high probability of a false positive, e.g. small contamination or a measurement bias. In order to avoid and/or control this the IAEA systematically sends to the laboratories blind blank QC samples. In particular more than 50 blank samples were analyzed during the last two years. A preliminary analysis of blank swipes showed the swipe material itself contains up to 10 ng of NU per swipe. However, about 50% of blind blank swipes analyzed show the presence of enriched uranium. A source of this bias has to be clarified and excluded. This paper presents the results of modeling of IDMS analysis for quantity and isotopic composition of uranium in order to identify the possible contribution of different factors to the final measurement uncertainty. This modeling was carried out based on the IAEA Clean Laboratory measurement data and simulation technique

Blanking and piercing theory, applications and recent experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaid, Adnan l O

2014-01-01

Blanking and piercing are manufacturing processes by which certain geometrical shapes are sheared off a sheet metal. If the sheared off part is the one required, the processes referred to as blanking and if the remaining part in the sheet is the one required, the process is referred to as piercing. In this paper, the theory and practice of these processes are reviewed and discussed The main parameters affecting these processes are presented and discussed. These include: the radial clearance percentage, punch and die geometrical parameters, for example punch and die profile radii. The abovementioned parameters on the force and energy required to effect blanking together with their effect on the quality of the products are also presented and discussed. Recent experimental results together with photomacrographs and photomicrographs are also included and discussed. Finally, the effect of punch and die wear on the quality of the blanks is alsogiven and discussed

Application of field blanks in odour emission research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ogink, Nico W.M.; Klarenbeek, Johannes V.

2016-01-01

In the Netherlands field blanks are mandatory when sampling odour emission. Field blanks are matrices that have negligible or unmeasurable amounts of the substance of interest. They are used to document possible contamination during sampling, transport and storage of samples. Although field

The information gained from witnesses' responses to an initial "blank" lineup.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Matthew A; Brewer, Neil; Weber, Nathan

2012-10-01

Wells ("The psychology of lineup identifications," Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 1984, 14, 89-103) proposed that a blank lineup (an initial lineup of known-to-be-innocent foils) can be used to screen eyewitnesses; witnesses who chose from a blank lineup (initial choosers) were more likely to make an error on a second lineup that contained a suspect than were witnesses who rejected a blank lineup (initial nonchoosers). Recent technological advances (e.g., computer-administered lineups) may overcome many of the practical difficulties cited as a barrier to the use of blank lineups. Our research extended knowledge about the blank lineup procedure by investigating the underlying causes of the difference in identification performance between initial choosers and initial nonchoosers. Studies 1a and 1b (total, N = 303) demonstrated that initial choosers were more likely to reject a second lineup than initial nonchoosers and witnesses who did not view a blank lineup, implying that cognitive biases (e.g., confirmation bias and commitment effects) influenced initial choosers' identification decisions. In Study 2 (N = 200), responses on a forced-choice identification test provided evidence that initial choosers have, on average, poorer memories for the culprit than do initial nonchoosers. We also investigated the usefulness of blank lineups for interpreting identification evidence. Diagnosticity ratios suggested that suspect identifications made by initial nonchoosers (cf. initial choosers) should have a greater impact on estimates of the likely guilt of the suspect. Furthermore, for initial nonchoosers, higher confidence in blank lineup rejections was associated with higher diagnosticity for subsequent suspect identifications. These results have implications for policy to guide the collection and interpretation of identification evidence. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Application of Hard Coatings for Improved Tribological Performance of Blanking and Piercing Tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Podgornik, B.; Zajec, B.; Bay, Niels

2010-01-01

The aim of the present investigation was to examine the possibility of reducing lubrication and replacing expensive tungsten carbide material in blanking/piercing through introduction of hard tool coatings. Results show that hard PVD coatings can be successfully used in blanking/piercing applicat...

Blanking and piercing theory, applications and recent experimental results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaid, A. I. O.

2013-01-01

Blanking and piercing are manufacturing processes by which certain geometrical shapes are sheared off a sheet metal. If the sheared off part is the one required, the processes referred to as blanking and if the remaining part in the sheet is the one required, the process is referred to as piercing. In this paper, the theory and practice of these processes are reviewed and discussed The main parameters affecting these processes are presented and discussed. These include: the radial clearance percentage, punch and die geometrical parameters, for example punch and die profile radii. The above mentioned parameters on the force and energy required to effect blanking together with their effect on the quality of the products are also presented and discussed. Recent experimental results together with photomacrographs and photomicrographs are also included and discussed. Finally, the effect of punch and die wear on the quality of the blanks is also given and discussed. (author)

Finite element analysis of the combined fine blanking and extrusion process

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Peng-Fei

The combined fine blanking and extrusion process is such a metal forming process that fine blanking and forward extrusion are carried out on sheet metal material at the same time. There are two typical characteristics in this process, one is the fine blanking whose deformation mechanism is different from conventional blanking; the other is the sheet metal extrusion, which is different from the conventional extrusion. Even though fine blanking has been used in industry for many years, only limited literature can be found which deals with the theoretical analysis of it. On the other hand, no publications on the theoretical analysis of the sheet metal extrusion have been found. Intensive work should be carried out to reveal the mechanism of both fine blanking process and sheet metal extrusion process, and further the combined fine blanking and extrusion process. The scope of this thesis is to study the mechanics of fine blanking, sheet metal extrusion, and combined fine blanking and extrusion process one by one with the rigid-plastic finite element method. All of above processes are typical unsteady ones, especially the fine blanking process in which extremely severe and localized deformation occurs. Therefore, commercial programs can not be used to solve these problems up till now. Owing to this reason, a rigid-plastic finite element program was developed for simulating these processes where remeshing and mesh tracing techniques as well as the golden section method were adopted according to the characteristics of these processes in this thesis. Moreover, a permissible kinematic velocity field was adopted as the initial velocity field for simulating extrusion process successfully. Results from the simulation included the distorted mesh, the field of material flow, the stress and the strain distributions at various moments of deformation. Results under different deformation conditions such as different blanking clearances, different diameters of the extrusion punch and

Super-Resolution Algorithm in Cumulative Virtual Blanking

Science.gov (United States)

Montillet, J. P.; Meng, X.; Roberts, G. W.; Woolfson, M. S.

2008-11-01

The proliferation of mobile devices and the emergence of wireless location-based services have generated consumer demand for precise location. In this paper, the MUSIC super-resolution algorithm is applied to time delay estimation for positioning purposes in cellular networks. The goal is to position a Mobile Station with UMTS technology. The problem of Base-Stations herability is solved using Cumulative Virtual Blanking. A simple simulator is presented using DS-SS signal. The results show that MUSIC algorithm improves the time delay estimation in both the cases whether or not Cumulative Virtual Blanking was carried out.

Single point incremental forming of tailored blanks produced by friction stir welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Silva, M.B.; Skjødt, Martin; Vilaca, P.

2009-01-01

fromthe rotating single point-forming tool. Formability of the tailor welded blanks (TWB) is evaluated by means of benchmark tests carried out on truncated conical and pyramidal shapes and results are compared with similar tests performed on conventional reference blanks of the same material. Results show......This paper is focused on the single point incremental forming (SPIF) of tailored welded blanks produced by friction stirwelding (FSW). Special emphasis is placed on the know-how for producing the tailored blanks and on the utilization of innovative forming strategies to protect thewelding joint...... that the combination of SPIF with tailored welded blanks produced by FSW seems promising in the manufacture of complex sheet metal parts with high depths....

Haplotype Analysis of the Pre-harvest Sprouting Resistance Locus Phs-A1 Reveals a Causal Role of TaMKK3-A in Global Germplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Shorinola, Oluwaseyi; Balcárková, Barbara; Hyles, Jessica; Tibbits, Josquin F G; Hayden, Matthew J; Holušova, Katarina; Valárik, Miroslav; Distelfeld, Assaf; Torada, Atsushi; Barrero, Jose M; Uauy, Cristobal

2017-01-01

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is an important cause of quality loss in many cereal crops and is particularly prevalent and damaging in wheat. Resistance to PHS is therefore a valuable target trait in many breeding programs. The Phs-A1 locus on wheat chromosome arm 4AL has been consistently shown to account for a significant proportion of natural variation to PHS in diverse mapping populations. However, the deployment of sprouting resistance is confounded by the fact that different candidate genes, including the tandem duplicated Plasma Membrane 19 ( PM19 ) genes and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 ( TaMKK3-A) gene, have been proposed to underlie Phs-A1 . To further define the Phs-A1 locus, we constructed a physical map across this interval in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat. We established close proximity of the proposed candidate genes which are located within a 1.2 Mb interval. Genetic characterization of diverse germplasm used in previous genetic mapping studies suggests that TaMKK3-A , and not PM19 , is the major gene underlying the Phs-A1 effect in European, North American, Australian and Asian germplasm. We identified the non-dormant TaMKK3-A allele at low frequencies within the A-genome diploid progenitor Triticum urartu genepool, and show an increase in the allele frequency in modern varieties. In United Kingdom varieties, the frequency of the dormant TaMKK3-A allele was significantly higher in bread-making quality varieties compared to feed and biscuit-making cultivars. Analysis of exome capture data from 58 diverse hexaploid wheat accessions identified fourteen haplotypes across the extended Phs-A1 locus and four haplotypes for TaMKK3-A . Analysis of these haplotypes in a collection of United Kingdom and Australian cultivars revealed distinct major dormant and non-dormant Phs-A1 haplotypes in each country, which were either rare or absent in the opposing germplasm set. The diagnostic markers and haplotype information reported in the study will

Haplotype Analysis of the Pre-harvest Sprouting Resistance Locus Phs-A1 Reveals a Causal Role of TaMKK3-A in Global Germplasm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oluwaseyi Shorinola

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS is an important cause of quality loss in many cereal crops and is particularly prevalent and damaging in wheat. Resistance to PHS is therefore a valuable target trait in many breeding programs. The Phs-A1 locus on wheat chromosome arm 4AL has been consistently shown to account for a significant proportion of natural variation to PHS in diverse mapping populations. However, the deployment of sprouting resistance is confounded by the fact that different candidate genes, including the tandem duplicated Plasma Membrane 19 (PM19 genes and the mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 3 (TaMKK3-A gene, have been proposed to underlie Phs-A1. To further define the Phs-A1 locus, we constructed a physical map across this interval in hexaploid and tetraploid wheat. We established close proximity of the proposed candidate genes which are located within a 1.2 Mb interval. Genetic characterization of diverse germplasm used in previous genetic mapping studies suggests that TaMKK3-A, and not PM19, is the major gene underlying the Phs-A1 effect in European, North American, Australian and Asian germplasm. We identified the non-dormant TaMKK3-A allele at low frequencies within the A-genome diploid progenitor Triticum urartu genepool, and show an increase in the allele frequency in modern varieties. In United Kingdom varieties, the frequency of the dormant TaMKK3-A allele was significantly higher in bread-making quality varieties compared to feed and biscuit-making cultivars. Analysis of exome capture data from 58 diverse hexaploid wheat accessions identified fourteen haplotypes across the extended Phs-A1 locus and four haplotypes for TaMKK3-A. Analysis of these haplotypes in a collection of United Kingdom and Australian cultivars revealed distinct major dormant and non-dormant Phs-A1 haplotypes in each country, which were either rare or absent in the opposing germplasm set. The diagnostic markers and haplotype information reported in the

Numerical investigation of blanking for metal polymer sandwich sheets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gutknecht Florian

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Metal polymer sandwich sheets consist of materials with drastically different mechanical properties. Due to this fact and because of high local gradients in the cutting zone during the blanking process, traditional process strategies and empirical knowledge are difficult to apply. A finite-element simulation of the shear cutting process is used to predict the necessary force and the geometry of the cutting surface. A fully-coupled ductile damage model is used for the description of the material behaviour. This model considers the influence of shear and compression-dominated stress states on the initiation of damage. Experimental tensile and compression test data is used for the identification of material parameters. The results of the blanking simulation are compared with experimental data. Furthermore, the evolution of the stress state is analysed to gain understanding of the underlying physics. Finally this model enables the prediction of core compression and other quantities such as the acting stresses and corresponding triaxilities, which provide valuable information for the development of analytical models.

When the Ostrich-Algorithm Fails: Blanking Method Affects Spike Train Statistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Kevin; Mottaghi, Soheil; Christ, Olaf; Feuerstein, Thomas J; Hofmann, Ulrich G

2018-01-01

Modern electroceuticals are bound to employ the usage of electrical high frequency (130-180 Hz) stimulation carried out under closed loop control, most prominent in the case of movement disorders. However, particular challenges are faced when electrical recordings of neuronal tissue are carried out during high frequency electrical stimulation, both in-vivo and in-vitro . This stimulation produces undesired artifacts and can render the recorded signal only partially useful. The extent of these artifacts is often reduced by temporarily grounding the recording input during stimulation pulses. In the following study, we quantify the effects of this method, "blanking," on the spike count and spike train statistics. Starting from a theoretical standpoint, we calculate a loss in the absolute number of action potentials, depending on: width of the blanking window, frequency of stimulation, and intrinsic neuronal activity. These calculations were then corroborated by actual high signal to noise ratio (SNR) single cell recordings. We state that, for clinically relevant frequencies of 130 Hz (used for movement disorders) and realistic blanking windows of 2 ms, up to 27% of actual existing spikes are lost. We strongly advice cautioned use of the blanking method when spike rate quantification is attempted. Blanking (artifact removal by temporarily grounding input), depending on recording parameters, can lead to significant spike loss. Very careful use of blanking circuits is advised.

When the Ostrich-Algorithm Fails: Blanking Method Affects Spike Train Statistics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin Joseph

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Modern electroceuticals are bound to employ the usage of electrical high frequency (130–180 Hz stimulation carried out under closed loop control, most prominent in the case of movement disorders. However, particular challenges are faced when electrical recordings of neuronal tissue are carried out during high frequency electrical stimulation, both in-vivo and in-vitro. This stimulation produces undesired artifacts and can render the recorded signal only partially useful. The extent of these artifacts is often reduced by temporarily grounding the recording input during stimulation pulses. In the following study, we quantify the effects of this method, “blanking,” on the spike count and spike train statistics. Starting from a theoretical standpoint, we calculate a loss in the absolute number of action potentials, depending on: width of the blanking window, frequency of stimulation, and intrinsic neuronal activity. These calculations were then corroborated by actual high signal to noise ratio (SNR single cell recordings. We state that, for clinically relevant frequencies of 130 Hz (used for movement disorders and realistic blanking windows of 2 ms, up to 27% of actual existing spikes are lost. We strongly advice cautioned use of the blanking method when spike rate quantification is attempted.Impact statementBlanking (artifact removal by temporarily grounding input, depending on recording parameters, can lead to significant spike loss. Very careful use of blanking circuits is advised.

High-speed blanking of copper alloy sheets: Material modeling and simulation

Science.gov (United States)

Husson, Ch.; Ahzi, S.; Daridon, L.

2006-08-01

To optimize the blanking process of thin copper sheets ( ≈ 1. mm thickness), it is necessary to study the influence of the process parameters such as the punch-die clearance and the wear of the punch and the die. For high stroke rates, the strain rate developed in the work-piece can be very high. Therefore, the material modeling must include the dynamic effects.For the modeling part, we propose an elastic-viscoplastic material model combined with a non-linear isotropic damage evolution law based on the theory of the continuum damage mechanics. Our proposed modeling is valid for a wide range of strain rates and temperatures. Finite Element simulations, using the commercial code ABAQUS/Explicit, of the blanking process are then conducted and the results are compared to the experimental investigations. The predicted cut edge of the blanked part and the punch-force displacement curves are discussed as function of the process parameters. The evolution of the shape errors (roll-over depth, fracture depth, shearing depth, and burr formation) as function of the punch-die clearance, the punch and the die wear, and the contact punch/die/blank-holder are presented. A discussion on the different stages of the blanking process as function of the processing parameters is given. The predicted results of the blanking dependence on strain-rate and temperature using our modeling are presented (for the plasticity and damage). The comparison our model results with the experimental ones shows a good agreement.

Finite Element Simulation of Blanking Process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afzal Ahmed

2012-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: The blanking process can be simulated by ABAQUS v 6.4 to select punch, die and press and ascertain punch wear and bur height. The experimental and the simulation results agree well with rising punch force up to the point of creation of crack. For a 2mm mild steel sheet, the simulation shows that for the punch force of 240 kN, the crack starts at 30% punch penetration depth and punch force suddenly drops to a value of 70 kN and remains steady till the blanking is complete. Comparing simulation and experimental results for a 3mm mild steel sheet, results agree well in the elastic range with the punch force rising up to point of crack creation. However, a discrepancy appears in punch force which increases with punch penetration. At 32% depth of penetration, the discrepancy is 12 % which increases to 60 % at punch penetration of 42%. Punch force for experimental and simulation results remains about 90kN beyond punch penetration of 62%. Also, increase of the thickness of sheet results in reduced crack height and improved quality of blank.ABSTRAK: Proses pengosongan boleh disimulasikan oleh ABAQUS versi 6.4 untuk memilih tebuk, alat dan tekan; dan menentukan haus tebuk dan ketinggian duri. Keputusan ujikaji dan simulasi adalah serupa dengan kenaikan daya tebuk hingga titik retakan diperolehi. Bagi kepingan keluli ringan 2mm simulasi menunjukkan bahawa untuk tenaga tebukan sebanyak 240 kN, retak bermula pada 30% kedalaman penembusan 30% tebukan dan daya tebuk tiba-tiba jatuh kepada 70 kN dan jumplah ini kekal sehingga proses pengosongan selesai.  Apabila hasil simulasi dan eksperimen dibandingkan, keputusan experimen untuk keluli lembut 3mm, bersetuju dengan baik dalam julat anjal dan daya tebukan meningkat sehingga titik penciptaan retak diperolehi. Walau bagaimanapun percanggahan muncul apabila daya tebukan meningkat dengan daya penembusan. Pada kedalaman penembusan 32% percanggahan adalah 12% dan nilai ini meningkat kepada 60% apabila

On the Determination of the Blank Shape Contour for Thin Precision Parts Obtained by Stamping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azaouzi, M.; Delameziere, A.; Naceur, H.; Batoz, J. L.; Sibaud, D.; Belouettar, S.

2007-01-01

The present study deals with the 'automatic' determination of the initial blank shape contour for 3D thin metallic precision parts obtained by stamping, knowing the 3D CAD geometry of the final part (the desired product). The forming process can involve several steps presented in this paper that consists in applying a heuristic method of optimization to find out the initial blank shape of thin precision metallic part in order to obtain a final part, with a required 3D geometry (specified). The purpose of the present approach is to replace the experimental trial and error optimization method used currently, which is expensive and time consuming. The principle of the 'heuristic' optimization method is to first estimate the blank shape using the Inverse Approach, then to compensate the shape error calculated in each node of the blank contour. The 'heuristic' optimization loop is done using a precise incremental code (Abaqus Explicit or Stampack) and, the iterations loop is stopped when the shape errors are within some initially fixed tolerances. The method is tested in the case of a special stamping process where the parts are pressed in one or more steps using a manual press, without blank holder and by the mean of tools having complex shape. The sensitivities of the process parameters regarding the optimal solution are investigated

Production of annular blanks for Mo-99 using natural uranium, LEU uranium, nickel and structural Al-3003 plates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisboa, J.R.; Barrera, M.E.; Marin, J.

2010-01-01

The Tc-99m radioisotope for medical use is the one most used in nuclear medicine worldwide. In Chile the Tc-99m is applied in more than 90% of nuclear medicine studies. In order to supply the whole country with this radioisotope, in 2005-2007 the CCHEN developed its own production of Tc-99m generators from Mo-99 imported from Canada, which are prepared with the activity needed by the Chilean hospitals and clinics. As of 2007 Mo-99 was no longer imported, and since then the Tc-99m is produced only by neutron activation of the Mo. The present challenge is to produce Mo-99 by irradiating blanks that contain enriched uranium foils, with locally produced LEU. The annular blank consists of 2 concentric tubes of A1-3003 structural aluminum that, in an interior annular space, contain a LEU foil, covered on both sides by a nickel foil. This work presents the development of the production technology for annular blanks using natural uranium and U-325 enriched uranium. The structural components are made with A1-3003 aluminum alloy, the foils are 13 grams of uranium measuring 100 x 50 mm and 120-150 μ thick. The blank was assembled using a methodology to control, adapt and assemble the blank's different internal components. A foil of natural uranium and LEU uranium, and a nickel foil are included, used as a barrier for the escape of fission products. During the blank's expansion, for analysis alcohol as lubricant was used, allowing the expander to move smoothly through the inside of the blank. The blank was sealed by TIG welding with a pulsed AC current and a mixture of Ar-5% He gases. Two methods were used for the water tightness test; for high escape levels the temperature was used as a promoter of the ΔP provided by hot water and liquid nitrogen, for low escape levels high vacuum technology was used where the ΔP is provided by a high pressure helium atmosphere. The technology for the production of annular LEU blanks was achieved by applying innovations to technologies

Process Design of Aluminum Tailor Heat Treated Blanks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Kahrimanidis

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In many industrials field, especially in the automotive sector, there is a trend toward lightweight constructions in order to reduce the weight and thereby the CO2 and NOx emissions of the products. An auspicious approach within this context is the substitution of conventional deep drawing steel by precipitation hardenable aluminum alloys. However, based on the low formability, the application for complex stamping parts is challenging. Therefore, at the Institute of Manufacturing Technology, an innovative technology to enhance the forming limit of these lightweight materials was invented. The key idea of the so-called Tailor Heat Treated Blanks (THTB is optimization of the mechanical properties by local heat treatment before the forming operation. An accurate description of material properties is crucial to predict the forming behavior of tailor heat treated blanks by simulation. Therefore, within in this research project, a holistic approach for the design of the THTB process in dependency of the main influencing parameters is presented and discussed in detail. The capability of the approach for the process development of complex forming operations is demonstrated by a comparison of local blank thickness of a tailgate with the corresponding results from simulation.

Theoretical Analysis on Mechanical Deformation of Membrane-Based Photomask Blanks

Science.gov (United States)

Marumoto, Kenji; Aya, Sunao; Yabe, Hedeki; Okada, Tatsunori; Sumitani, Hiroaki

2012-04-01

Membrane-based photomask is used in proximity X-ray lithography including that in LIGA (Lithographie, Galvanoformung und Abformung) process, and near-field photolithography. In this article, out-of-plane deformation (OPD) and in-plane displacement (IPD) of membrane-based photomask blanks are theoretically analyzed to obtain the mask blanks with flat front surface and low stress absorber film. First, we derived the equations of OPD and IPD for the processing steps of membrane-based photomask such as film deposition, back-etching and bonding, using a theory of symmetrical bending of circular plates with a coaxial circular hole and that of deformation of cylinder under hydrostatic pressure. The validity of the equations was proved by comparing the calculation results with experimental ones. Using these equations, we investigated the relation between the geometry of the mask blanks and the distortions generally, and gave the criterion to attain the flat front surface. Moreover, the absorber stress-bias required to obtain zero-stress on finished mask blanks was also calculated and it has been found that only little stress-bias was required for adequate hole size of support plate.

Deep Drawing of High-Strength Tailored Blanks by Using Tailored Tools

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Thomas Mennecart

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In most forming processes based on tailored blanks, the tool material remains the same as that of sheet metal blanks without tailored properties. A novel concept of lightweight construction for deep drawing tools is presented in this work to improve the forming behavior of tailored blanks. The investigations presented here deal with the forming of tailored blanks of dissimilar strengths using tailored dies made of two different materials. In the area of the steel blank with higher strength, typical tool steel is used. In the area of the low-strength steel, a hybrid tool made out of a polymer and a fiber-reinforced surface replaces the steel half. Cylindrical cups of DP600/HX300LAD are formed and analyzed regarding their formability. The use of two different halves of tool materials shows improved blank thickness distribution, weld-line movement and pressure distribution compared to the use of two steel halves. An improvement in strain distribution is also observed by the inclusion of springs in the polymer side of tools, which is implemented to control the material flow in the die. Furthermore, a reduction in tool weight of approximately 75% can be achieved by using this technique. An accurate finite element modeling strategy is developed to analyze the problem numerically and is verified experimentally for the cylindrical cup. This strategy is then applied to investigate the thickness distribution and weld-line movement for a complex geometry, and its transferability is validated. The inclusion of springs in the hybrid tool leads to better material flow, which results in reduction of weld-line movement by around 60%, leading to more uniform thickness distribution.

Experimental verification of a deep drawing tool system for adaptive blank holder pressure distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tommerup, Søren; Endelt, Benny Ørtoft

2012-01-01

In deep drawing, the strain path in the blank during the forming process can be significantly affected by application of temporal and spatial variation of the blank holder force. In this study, an active tool system capable of controlling the distribution of the blank holder force is presented...... which can be integrated into existing stacked deep drawing tools without need for modification of the press. A working system is presented consisting of a controller, designated volume displacement cavity pressure supply units and a shimming plate. It is applied to the deep drawing of a rectangular...... to the conventional shimming method using paper or metal shims between the tool plates. The tool system’s ability to influence the material flow is investigated by performing a series of deep drawing experiments. Eight different cavity pressure schemes are applied during the punch stroke and the scheme’s effects...

Wear of different PVD coatings at industrial fine-blanking field tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liina Lind

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Thin hard physical vapor deposited (PVD coatings play significant role on wear performance of fine-blanking punches in the presence of extremely high contact stresses. Nevertheless it seems that in blanking or fine-blanking the coatings are selected based on coincidence, trial-error-method or latest trends. There is limited information about planning and conducting the fine-blanking industrial field tests and measuring the wear of different coatings. In the present study a set of fine-blanking punches and laboratory specimens were prepared with three coatings – TiCN, nACRo and nACo. As substrate material Böhler S390 Microclean high speed steel was used. Coating mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity and nanohardness were measured and wear rate with alumina ball was determined using the reciprocating sliding test. Wear of coatings was measured from punches after industrial use. All of the tested coatings showed high variance of wear. However coatings nACo and nACRo have better average wear resistance in fine-blanking compared with the well-known TiCN. Industrial field tests show correlation to the ratio elastic strain to failure H/E.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.21.3.7249

Mercury Deposition Network Site Operator Training for the System Blank and Blind Audit Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wetherbee, Gregory A.; Lehmann, Christopher M.B.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey operates the external quality assurance project for the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/Mercury Deposition Network. The project includes the system blank and blind audit programs for assessment of total mercury concentration data quality for wet-deposition samples. This presentation was prepared to train new site operators and to refresh experienced site operators to successfully process and submit system blank and blind audit samples for chemical analysis. Analytical results are used to estimate chemical stability and contamination levels of National Atmospheric Deposition Program/Mercury Deposition Network samples and to evaluate laboratory variability and bias.

Use of Monocrystalline Silicon as Tool Material for Highly Accurate Blanking of Thin Metal Foils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hildering, Sven; Engel, Ulf; Merklein, Marion

2011-01-01

The trend towards miniaturisation of metallic mass production components combined with increased component functionality is still unbroken. Manufacturing these components by forming and blanking offers economical and ecological advantages combined with the needed accuracy. The complexity of producing tools with geometries below 50 μm by conventional manufacturing methods becomes disproportional higher. Expensive serial finishing operations are required to achieve an adequate surface roughness combined with accurate geometry details. A novel approach for producing such tools is the use of advanced etching technologies for monocrystalline silicon that are well-established in the microsystems technology. High-precision vertical geometries with a width down to 5 μm are possible. The present study shows a novel concept using this potential for the blanking of thin copper foils with monocrystallline silicon as a tool material. A self-contained machine-tool with compact outer dimensions was designed to avoid tensile stresses in the brittle silicon punch by an accurate, careful alignment of the punch, die and metal foil. A microscopic analysis of the monocrystalline silicon punch shows appropriate properties regarding flank angle, edge geometry and surface quality for the blanking process. Using a monocrystalline silicon punch with a width of 70 μm blanking experiments on as-rolled copper foils with a thickness of 20 μm demonstrate the general applicability of this material for micro production processes.

ZERODUR 4-m blank surviving up to 20 g acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Westerhoff, Thomas; Werner, Thomas; Gehindy, Thorsten

2017-09-01

The glass ceramic ZERODUR developed as astronomical telescope mirror substrate material has been widely used in many telescopes due to its excellent small coefficient of thermal expansion. Many large and medium sized mirror substrate blanks have been delivered in the almost 50 years of ZERODUR business so far. Packaging and transportation of mirror substrates of 4 to 8 m in diameter with a weight between 3 and 20 tons requires special attention and sophisticated skills to successful deliver the blanks to their destination at polishing shops all over the world. Typically, a combination of road and sea transport needs to be organized. The requirements on the transport container are depending on the transport route and may vary from destination to destination. In any case the container needs to be able to sufficiently support the multi ton ZERODUR blank to avoid breaking under gravity. Additionally, the configuration needs to be able to absorb shocks happening during transport and loading between truck trailer and ship. For insurance reasons the transport container is always equipped with a GPS trackable shock recorder allowing to download the recorded accelerations on the container and the blank throughout the entire journey. This paper reports on the event of a 4 m class ZERODUR blank exposed to shocks up to 20 g during transport. The event will be discussed in detail together with lessons learned to avoid such events for future transports. Additionally, the 20 g acceleration will be discussed in respect to the data on bending strength for ZERODUR ground surfaces reported in numerous papers by Peter Hartmann et.al. in the last couple of years.

The patient's safety - For a dynamics of improvement. Nr 2. The 'blank' first session

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-11-01

This publication addresses the stakes associated with the first radiotherapy session which is commonly called the 'blank' session. After some figures concerning radiotherapy patients and event declarations, it analyses 13 of these events in terms of number of sessions, location, treatment technique, and error detection (when, by whom). It evokes the consequences of events, and identifies the main causes of these events (positioning controls, work organisation, technical tools and devices). It outlines some good practices: a systematic 'blank' first session before any radiotherapy, a rigorous control of positioning, avoidance of patient repositioning errors. Some innovative techniques of imagery-guided radiotherapy are evoked. Members of radiotherapy departments outline the importance of this first 'blank' session, their own role, and successful practices

Dogs can discriminate human smiling faces from blank expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagasawa, Miho; Murai, Kensuke; Mogi, Kazutaka; Kikusui, Takefumi

2011-07-01

Dogs have a unique ability to understand visual cues from humans. We investigated whether dogs can discriminate between human facial expressions. Photographs of human faces were used to test nine pet dogs in two-choice discrimination tasks. The training phases involved each dog learning to discriminate between a set of photographs of their owner's smiling and blank face. Of the nine dogs, five fulfilled these criteria and were selected for test sessions. In the test phase, 10 sets of photographs of the owner's smiling and blank face, which had previously not been seen by the dog, were presented. The dogs selected the owner's smiling face significantly more often than expected by chance. In subsequent tests, 10 sets of smiling and blank face photographs of 20 persons unfamiliar to the dogs were presented (10 males and 10 females). There was no statistical difference between the accuracy in the case of the owners and that in the case of unfamiliar persons with the same gender as the owner. However, the accuracy was significantly lower in the case of unfamiliar persons of the opposite gender to that of the owner, than with the owners themselves. These results suggest that dogs can learn to discriminate human smiling faces from blank faces by looking at photographs. Although it remains unclear whether dogs have human-like systems for visual processing of human facial expressions, the ability to learn to discriminate human facial expressions may have helped dogs adapt to human society.

Enabling high speed friction stir welding of aluminum tailor welded blanks

Science.gov (United States)

Hovanski, Yuri

Current welding technologies for production of aluminum tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) are utilized in low-volume and niche applications, and have yet to be scaled for the high-volume vehicle market. This study targeted further weight reduction, part reduction, and cost savings by enabling tailor-welded blank technology for aluminum alloys at high-volumes. While friction stir welding (FSW) has traditionally been applied at linear velocities less than one meter per minute, high volume production applications demand the process be extended to higher velocities more amenable to cost sensitive production environments. Unfortunately, weld parameters and performance developed and characterized at low to moderate welding velocities do not directly translate to high speed linear friction stir welding. Therefore, in order to facilitate production of high volume aluminum FSW components, parameters were developed with a minimum welding velocity of three meters per minute. With an emphasis on weld quality, welded blanks were evaluated for post-weld formability using a combination of numerical and experimental methods. Evaluation across scales was ultimately validated by stamping full-size production door inner panels made from dissimilar thickness aluminum tailor-welded blanks, which provided validation of the numerical and experimental analysis of laboratory scale tests.

Steroid radioimmunoassay: contribution of standards to blank values, ch. 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froelich, M.; Termorshuizen, W.; Kenter, E.; Molenaar, A.J.

1977-01-01

The sensitivity of the radioimmunoassay of steroids is considerably reduced by high blank values which may be derived in part from co-chromatographed standards. Blank levels approach the detection limit of the radioimmunoassay of aldosterone, testosterone and androstenedione when 10,000 dpm (30-35 pg) labelled steroids are used as reference standard. When 20 μg aldosterone, testosterone, or androstenedione is used as standard, blank levels of up to 12,800 pg were measured in the radioimmunoassay. Application of the standards on a separate strip does not improve the results. From the experiments it appeared that contamination took place by transport by the solvent

Investigation into high-frequency-vibration assisted micro-blanking of pure copper foils

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wang Chunju

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The difficulties encountered during the manufacture of microparts are often associated with size effects relating to material, process and tooling. Utilizing acoustoplastic softening, achieved through a high-frequency vibration assisted micro-blanking process, was introduced to improve the surface finish in micro-blanking. A frequency of 1.0 kHz was chosen to activate the longitudinal vibration mode of the horn tip, using a piezoelectric actuator. A square hole with dimensions of 0.5 mm × 0.5 mm was made, successfully, from a commercial rolled T2 copper foil with 100 μm in thickness. It was found that the maximum blanking force could be reduced by 5% through utilizing the high-frequency vibration. Proportion of the smooth, burnished area in the cut cross-section increases with an increase of the plasticity to fracture, under the high-frequency vibration, which suggests that the vibration introduced is helpful for inhibiting evolution of the crack due to its acoustoplastic softening effect. During blanking, roughness of the burnished surface could be reduced by increasing the vibration amplitude of the punch, which played a role as surface polishing. The results obtained suggest that the high-frequency vibration can be adopted in micro-blanking in order to improve quality of the microparts.

Technique for rapid at-wavelength inspection of extreme ultraviolet mask blanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spector, S. J.; White, D. L.; Tennant, D. M.; Ocola, L. E.; Novembre, A. E.; Peabody, M. L.; Wood, O. R. II

1999-01-01

We have developed two new methods for at-wavelength inspection of mask blanks for extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. In one method an EUV photoresist is applied directly to a mask blank which is then flood exposed with EUV light and partially developed. In the second method, the photoresist is applied to an EUV transparent membrane that is placed in close proximity to the mask and then exposed and developed. Both reflectivity defects and phase defects alter the exposure of the resist, resulting in mounds of resist at defect sites that can then be located by visual inspection. In the direct application method, a higher contrast resist was shown to increase the height of the mounds, thereby improving the sensitivity of the technique. In the membrane method, a holographic technique was used to reconstruct an image of the mask, revealing the presence of very small defects, approximately 0.2 μm in size. The demonstrated clean transfer of phase and amplitude defects to resist features on a membrane will be important when flagging defects in an automatic inspection tool. (c) 1999 American Vacuum Society

On the Effect of Thermophysical Properties of Clothing on the Heat Strain Predicted by PHS Model.

Science.gov (United States)

d'Ambrosio Alfano, Francesca Romana; Palella, Boris Igor; Riccio, Giuseppe; Malchaire, Jacques

2016-03-01

Procedures and equations reported in ISO 9920 for the correction of basic thermophysical clothing properties taking into account pumping effect and air movement are very different from those used by the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) model in ISO 7933. To study the effect of these differences on the assessment of hot environments using the PHS model, an analysis focusing on the modelling of the dynamic thermal insulation and the vapour resistance of the clothing reported in ISO 9920 and ISO 7933 standards will be discussed in this paper. The results are useful evidence to start a discussion on the best practice for dealing with clothing thermophysical properties and underline the need to harmonize the entire set of standards in the field of the Ergonomics of the Thermal Environment. ISO 7933 is presently under revision. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Tool life equation for blanking 18-8 stainless steel strips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faura, F.

1998-08-01

Full Text Available Hereinafter it is presented a model for the behaviour and life of circular blanking tool used in sheet forming processes of 18-8 stainless steel (sheet thickness: 1 mm. Firstly it has analyzed the different studies that have previously delt with this problem. Secondly taking into account recently made experiments, it is proposed a simple formulation to predict tool life with enough reliability. To this purpose it has examined different parameters in the wear process, inferring from these the fundamental parameters that regulate them and about which the different equations have been configurated. Blanking tests were performed using a 20 t press at a speed of 150 strokes/min. Punch materials used in these tests were AISI A2 and AISI D2 with diameters between 1.5 and 10 mm. The blanking tests were performed at a clearance between 5 and 20 % of the work material thickness.

En el presente artículo se presenta un modelo de ecuación de vida de herramientas para punzonado circular de chapa de acero inoxidable 18-8 (1 mm de espesor. Se han analizado inicialmente los diferentes estudios que previamente han abordado este problema. Posteriormente, teniendo en cuenta los experimentos realizados recientemente, se propone una formulación simple para predecir con Habilidad suficiente la vida de la herramienta. Para este propósito se han examinado los diferentes parámetros que afectan al proceso de desgaste, infiriendo a partir de estos, los parámetros fundamentales que lo regulan y sobre los cuales se han configurado las diferentes ecuaciones. Los ensayos fueron realizados en una prensa de 20 t y una velocidad de punzonado de 150 golpes/min. Los materiales de los punzones usados en los ensayos fueron AISI A2 y AISI D2 con diámetros comprendidos entre 1,5 y 10 mm. Los ensayos se realizaron para juegos de corte comprendidos entre un 5 y 20 % del espesor de la chapa.

Topical erythromycin vs blank vehicle in a multiclinic acne study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, E L; Crumley, A F

1981-09-01

A stable solution of erythromycin was developed using a vehicle of ethanol, propylene glycol, and citric acid buffer. In a controlled, randomized, double-blind comparison, a 2% solution of erythromycin applied to moderately severe facial acne was found to be superior to the blank vehicle in reducing the number of inflamed papules. During a period of 12 weeks, such papules were reduced by 56% in the erythromycin group, compared with 33% in the blank vehicle group. In the erythromycin group, 62% of the subjects had a good or excellent response, compared with 27% of those in the blank vehicle group. Adverse effects were similar in type in both groups and included redness, scaling, dryness, oiliness, burning, itching, and irritation of the eyes. No allergic reactions or skin infections were encountered.

Optimization of blanking process using neural network simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hambli, R.

2005-01-01

The present work describes a methodology using the finite element method and neural network simulation in order to predict the optimum punch-die clearance during sheet metal blanking processes. A damage model is used in order to describe crack initiation and propagation into the sheet. The proposed approach combines predictive finite element and neural network modeling of the leading blanking parameters. Numerical results obtained by finite element computation including damage and fracture modeling were utilized to train the developed simulation environment based on back propagation neural network modeling. The comparative study between the numerical results and the experimental ones shows the good agreement. (author)

Die rol van die blanke werker in die motivering van die swart werker

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. J. Oosthuizen

1980-11-01

Opsomming Die motivering van die Swart werker kan nie in die huidige situasie in isolasie bestudeer word nie, omdat die Blanke werker steeds in die bestuursposisie is en daarom die motivering van die Swart werker kan beïnvloed. Hierdie ondersoek was daarop gerig om die rol van die Blanke werker in die motivering van die Swart werker nader te ondersoek. Die houding en die leierskapsbenadering van die Blanke werker teenoor die Swart werker is gemeet, asook die behoeftes wat volgens die Blanke werker by die Swart werker bestaan, bevredig is, of nie bestaan nie. Die behoeftes van Swart werkers, soos deur hulleself gesien, is ook ondersoek. Ten opsigte van sekere aspekte is beduidende verskille gevind.

Review of Trace-Element Field-Blank Data Collected for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program, May 2004-January 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, Lisa D.; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2010-01-01

Trace-element quality-control samples (for example, source-solution blanks, field blanks, and field replicates) were collected as part of a statewide investigation of groundwater quality in California, known as the Priority Basins Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basins Project is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to assess and monitor the quality of groundwater resources used for drinking-water supply and to improve public knowledge of groundwater quality in California. Trace-element field blanks were collected to evaluate potential bias in the corresponding environmental data. Bias in the environmental data could result from contamination in the field during sample collection, from the groundwater coming into contact with contaminants on equipment surfaces or from other sources, or from processing, shipping, or analyzing the samples. Bias affects the interpretation of environmental data, particularly if any constituents are present solely as a result of extrinsic contamination that would have otherwise been absent from the groundwater that was sampled. Field blanks were collected, analyzed, and reviewed to identify and quantify extrinsic contamination bias. Data derived from source-solution blanks and laboratory quality-control samples also were considered in evaluating potential contamination bias. Eighty-six field-blank samples collected from May 2004 to January 2008 were analyzed for the concentrations of 25 trace elements. Results from these field blanks were used to interpret the data for the 816 samples of untreated groundwater collected over the same period. Constituents analyzed were aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), barium (Ba), beryllium (Be), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), lead (Pb), lithium (Li), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), molybdenum

Exploring Valued-Added Options - Edge-Glued Panels and Blanks Offer Value-Added Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Bob Smith; Philip A. Araman

1997-01-01

As sawmills search for new opportunities to add value to rough sawn lumber, many consider producing dimension parts as one solution. Assembling dimension parts into edge-glued panels or standard blanks can add even further value. Blanks are defined as pieces of solid wood (which may be edge-glued) that are manufactured to a predetermined size. This article discusses...

Setup of a Parameterized FE Model for the Die Roll Prediction in Fine Blanking using Artificial Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Stanke, J.; Trauth, D.; Feuerhack, A.; Klocke, F.

2017-09-01

Die roll is a morphological feature of fine blanked sheared edges. The die roll reduces the functional part of the sheared edge. To compensate for the die roll thicker sheet metal strips and secondary machining must be used. However, in order to avoid this, the influence of various fine blanking process parameters on the die roll has been experimentally and numerically studied, but there is still a lack of knowledge on the effects of some factors and especially factor interactions on the die roll. Recent changes in the field of artificial intelligence motivate the hybrid use of the finite element method and artificial neural networks to account for these non-considered parameters. Therefore, a set of simulations using a validated finite element model of fine blanking is firstly used to train an artificial neural network. Then the artificial neural network is trained with thousands of experimental trials. Thus, the objective of this contribution is to develop an artificial neural network that reliably predicts the die roll. Therefore, in this contribution, the setup of a fully parameterized 2D FE model is presented that will be used for batch training of an artificial neural network. The FE model enables an automatic variation of the edge radii of blank punch and die plate, the counter and blank holder force, the sheet metal thickness and part diameter, V-ring height and position, cutting velocity as well as material parameters covered by the Hensel-Spittel model for 16MnCr5 (1.7131, AISI/SAE 5115). The FE model is validated using experimental trails. The results of this contribution is a FE model suitable to perform 9.623 simulations and to pass the simulated die roll width and height automatically to an artificial neural network.

High-Speed Friction-Stir Welding to Enable Aluminum Tailor-Welded Blanks

Science.gov (United States)

Hovanski, Yuri; Upadhyay, Piyush; Carsley, John; Luzanski, Tom; Carlson, Blair; Eisenmenger, Mark; Soulami, Ayoub; Marshall, Dustin; Landino, Brandon; Hartfield-Wunsch, Susan

2015-05-01

Current welding technologies for production of aluminum tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) are utilized in low-volume and niche applications, and they have yet to be scaled for the high-volume vehicle market. This study targeted further weight reduction, part reduction, and cost savings by enabling tailor-welded blank technology for aluminum alloys at high volumes. While friction-stir welding (FSW) has been traditionally applied at linear velocities less than 1 m/min, high-volume production applications demand the process be extended to higher velocities more amenable to cost-sensitive production environments. Unfortunately, weld parameters and performance developed and characterized at low-to-moderate welding velocities do not directly translate to high-speed linear FSW. Therefore, to facilitate production of high-volume aluminum FSW components, parameters were developed with a minimum welding velocity of 3 m/min. With an emphasis on weld quality, welded blanks were evaluated for postweld formability using a combination of numerical and experimental methods. An evaluation across scales was ultimately validated by stamping full-size production door inner panels made from dissimilar thickness aluminum TWBs, which provided validation of the numerical and experimental analysis of laboratory-scale tests.

Attentional Lapses in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Blank Rather Than Wandering Thoughts.

Science.gov (United States)

Van den Driessche, Charlotte; Bastian, Mikaël; Peyre, Hugo; Stordeur, Coline; Acquaviva, Éric; Bahadori, Sara; Delorme, Richard; Sackur, Jérôme

2017-10-01

People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have difficulties sustaining their attention on external tasks. Such attentional lapses have often been characterized as the simple opposite of external sustained attention, but the different types of attentional lapses, and the subjective experiences to which they correspond, remain unspecified. In this study, we showed that unmedicated children (ages 6-12) with ADHD, when probed during a standard go/no-go task, reported more mind blanking (a mental state characterized by the absence of reportable content) than did control participants. This increase in mind blanking happened at the expense of both focused and wandering thoughts. We also found that methylphenidate reverted the level of mind blanking to baseline (i.e., the level of mind blanking reported by control children without ADHD). However, this restoration led to mind wandering more than to focused attention. In a second experiment, we extended these findings to adults who had subclinical ADHD. These results suggest that executive functions impaired in ADHD are required not only to sustain external attention but also to maintain an internal train of thought.

A novel strategy for preparing calibration standards for the analysis of plant materials by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: A case study with pellets of sugar cane leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva Gomes, Marcos da [Universidade de São Paulo, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Laboratório de Química Analítica, Caixa Postal 96, CEP 13416-000, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Departamento de Química, Rodovia Washington Luiz km 235, São Carlos, SP (Brazil); Gustinelli Arantes de Carvalho, Gabriel [Universidade de São Paulo, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Laboratório de Química Analítica, Caixa Postal 96, CEP 13416-000, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil); Santos, Dário [Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Departamento de Ciências Exatas e da Terra, Rua Professor Arthur Riedel 275, Diadema, SP (Brazil); Krug, Francisco José, E-mail: fjkrug@cena.usp.br [Universidade de São Paulo, Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA), Laboratório de Química Analítica, Caixa Postal 96, CEP 13416-000, Piracicaba, SP (Brazil)

2013-08-01

Calibration is still a challenging task when dealing with the direct analysis of solids. This is particularly true for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry, when the calibrations are matrix-dependent and/or appropriate certified reference materials are generally not available. Looking at the analysis of plant materials in the form of pressed pellets by LIBS, a new method to overcome and/or minimize this difficulty is proposed by keeping the matrix constant in order to produce matrix-matched calibration pellets. To achieve this goal and to test this novel approach, ground sugar cane leaves were chosen and submitted to acid extractions for obtaining the corresponding blank or a material containing very low concentrations of the analytes. The resulting dried solid material was used either as a blank or a low concentration standard, and also homogeneously mixed with the original plant material at appropriate ratios as well. The corresponding pellets were used as calibration standards and ablated at 30 different sites by applying 25 laser pulses per site with a Q-switched Nd:YAG at 1064 nm. The plasma emission collected by lenses was directed through an optical fiber towards a spectrometer equipped with Echelle optics and intensified charge-coupled device. Delay time and integration time gate were fixed at 2.0 and 5.0 μs, respectively. This calibration strategy was tested for the determination of Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn, and Zn by LIBS in pellets of leaves from 17 varieties of sugar cane and good correlations were obtained with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry results in the corresponding acid digests. The proposed approach was also useful to estimate the limits of detection based on measurements of blanks, as recommended by IUPAC, or with the aid of a low concentration standard. - Highlights: • Blanks and/or low concentration standards of plant

FSW of Aluminum Tailor Welded Blanks across Machine Platforms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hovanski, Yuri; Upadhyay, Piyush; Carlson, Blair; Szymanski, Robert; Luzanski, Tom; Marshall, Dustin

2015-02-16

Development and characterization of friction stir welded aluminum tailor welded blanks was successfully carried out on three separate machine platforms. Each was a commercially available, gantry style, multi-axis machine designed specifically for friction stir welding. Weld parameters were developed to support high volume production of dissimilar thickness aluminum tailor welded blanks at speeds of 3 m/min and greater. Parameters originally developed on an ultra-high stiffness servo driven machine where first transferred to a high stiffness servo-hydraulic friction stir welding machine, and subsequently transferred to a purpose built machine designed to accommodate thin sheet aluminum welding. The inherent beam stiffness, bearing compliance, and control system for each machine were distinctly unique, which posed specific challenges in transferring welding parameters across machine platforms. This work documents the challenges imposed by successfully transferring weld parameters from machine to machine, produced from different manufacturers and with unique control systems and interfaces.

Failure Analysis of a Sheet Metal Blanking Process Based on Damage Coupling Model

Science.gov (United States)

Wen, Y.; Chen, Z. H.; Zang, Y.

2013-11-01

In this paper, a blanking process of sheet metal is studied by the methods of numerical simulation and experimental observation. The effects of varying technological parameters related to the quality of products are investigated. An elastoplastic constitutive equation accounting for isotropic ductile damage is implemented into the finite element code ABAQUS with a user-defined material subroutine UMAT. The simulations of the damage evolution and ductile fracture in a sheet metal blanking process have been carried out by the FEM. In order to guarantee computation accuracy and avoid numerical divergence during large plastic deformation, a specified remeshing technique is successively applied when severe element distortion occurs. In the simulation, the evolutions of damage at different stage of the blanking process have been evaluated and the distributions of damage obtained from simulation are in proper agreement with the experimental results.

High Speed Blanking: An Experimental Method to Measure Induced Cutting Forces

OpenAIRE

GAUDILLIERE , Camille; Ranc , Nicolas; LARUE , Arnaud; MAILLARD , A; Lorong , Philippe

2013-01-01

Lien vers la version éditeur: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11340-013-9738-1; International audience; A new blanking process that involves punch speed up to 10 ms −1 has obvious advantages in increased productivity. However, the inherent dynamics of such a process makes it difficult to develop a practical high speed punch press. The fracture phenomenon governing the blanking process has to be well understood to correctly design the machine support and the tooling. To observe this ...

Three-dimensional characterization of extreme ultraviolet mask blank defects by interference contrast photoemission electron microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Jingquan; Weber, Nils; Escher, Matthias; Maul, Jochen; Han, Hak-Seung; Merkel, Michael; Wurm, Stefan; Schönhense, Gerd; Kleineberg, Ulf

2008-09-29

A photoemission electron microscope based on a new contrast mechanism "interference contrast" is applied to characterize extreme ultraviolet lithography mask blank defects. Inspection results show that positioning of interference destructive condition (node of standing wave field) on surface of multilayer in the local region of a phase defect is necessary to obtain best visibility of the defect on mask blank. A comparative experiment reveals superiority of the interference contrast photoemission electron microscope (Extreme UV illumination) over a topographic contrast one (UV illumination with Hg discharge lamp) in detecting extreme ultraviolet mask blank phase defects. A depth-resolved detection of a mask blank defect, either by measuring anti-node peak shift in the EUV-PEEM image under varying inspection wavelength condition or by counting interference fringes with a fixed illumination wavelength, is discussed.

Evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) blank data and application of study reporting levels to groundwater data collected for the California GAMA Priority Basin Project, May 2004 through September 2010

Science.gov (United States)

Fram, Miranda S.; Olsen, Lisa D.; Belitz, Kenneth

2012-01-01

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in quality-control samples collected for the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program Priority Basin Project. From May 2004 through September 2010, a total of 2,026 groundwater samples, 211 field blanks, and 109 source-solution blanks were collected and analyzed for concentrations of 85 VOCs. Results from analyses of these field and source-solution blanks and of 2,411 laboratory instrument blanks during the same time period were used to assess the quality of data for the 2,026 groundwater samples. Eighteen VOCs were detected in field blanks or source-solution blanks: acetone, benzene, bromodichloromethane, 2-butanone, carbon disulfide, chloroform, 1,1-dichloroethene, dichloromethane, ethylbenzene, tetrachloroethene, styrene, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, trichloroethene, trichlorofluoromethane, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, m- and p-xylenes, and o-xylene. The objective of the evaluation of the VOC-blank data was to determine if study reporting levels (SRLs) were needed for any of the VOCs detected in blanks to ensure the quality of the data from groundwater samples. An SRL is equivalent to a raised reporting level that is used in place of the reporting level used by the analyzing laboratory [long‑term method detection level (LT-MDL) or laboratory reporting level (LRL)] to reduce the probability of reporting false-positive detections. Evaluation of VOC-blank data was done in three stages: (1) identification of a set of representative quality‑control field blanks (QCFBs) to be used for calculation of SRLs and identification of VOCs amenable to the SRL approach, (2) evaluation of potential sources of contamination to blanks and groundwater samples by VOCs detected in field blanks, and (3) selection of appropriate SRLs from among four potential SRLs for VOCs detected in field blanks and application of those SRLs to the groundwater data. An important conclusion from this study is that to ensure the

Radiotherapy of the periarthritis humeroscapularis. Indication, technique and radiation results; Periarthritis humeroscapularis (PHS). Indikation, Technik und Bestrahlungsergebnisse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Keilholz, L. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Strahlentherapeutische Klinik; Seegenschmiedt, M.H. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Strahlentherapeutische Klinik; Kutzki, D. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Strahlentherapeutische Klinik; Sauer, R. [Erlangen-Nuernberg Univ., Erlangen (Germany). Strahlentherapeutische Klinik

1995-07-01

106 patients with clinically evident disease of PHS were treated between January 1987 and May 1991. 73/106 patients had a continuous follow-up. 16/73 patients showed typical symptoms on both shoulders; therefore a total of 89 shoulders were examined in this investigation. A daily dose of 0.5 Gy was given for 3 times a week and a total dose of 3.0 Gy. After 8 weeks a second treatment course was performed. In follow-up the subjective (pain) and objective (limitation of abduction) symptoms were classified in 3 grade scales. A marked pain reduction and an improved mobility (abduction of at least 20 degrees more than before radiation) could be observed in 72/89 shoulders (81%). 44/89 shoulders (49%) showed an excellent response and were competely free of pain and impairment of motion. Radiotherapy of acute or subacute Periarthritis humeroscapularis is a very effective treatment if radiation starts within the first year of symptoms and if it is supported by physiotherapy. (orig.) [Deutsch] Im Zeitraum vom 1.1.1987 bis 1.5.1991 wurden an der Klinik fuer Strahlentherapie, Erlangen, 106 Patienten wegen einer Periarthritis humeroscapularis (PHS) behandelt. 73 Patienten konnten regelmaessig nachuntersucht werden. Von diesen litten 16 an einer beidseitigen PHS, so dass insgesamt 89 Lokalisationen untersucht wurden. Es wurden zwei Bestrahlungsserien (im Abstand von acht Wochen) mit einer Referenzdosis von 3 Gy pro Seite, bei einer Einzeldosis von 0,5 Gy, dreimal woechentlich verabreicht. Die Beurteilung des Therapieerfolges erfolgte nach drei subjektiven Beschwerdegraden und drei objektiven Graden. Eine Besserung der subjektiven Beschwerden um einen Grad und er Schultergelekbeweglichkeit (Abduktion) um mindestens 20 Grad trat bei 72 behandelten Schultergelenken (81%) auf. Bei 44 Schultergelenken (49%) erreichten wir eine komplette Beschwerdefreiheit. Die Radiotherapie der akuten wie subakuten Periarthritis humeroscapularis ist hocheffektiv, insbesondere dann, wenn Bestrahlung

Laser welding of tailored blanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecas, P.; Gouveia, H.; Quintino, L.; Olsen, F.O.

1998-01-01

Laser welding has an increasing role in the automotive industry, namely on the sub-assemblies manufacturing. Several sheet-shape parts are laser welded, on a dissimilar combination of thicknesses and materials, and are afterwards formed (stamped) being transformed in a vehicle body component. In this paper low carbon CO 2 laser welding, on the thicknesses of 1,25 and 0.75 mm, formability investigation is described. There will be a description of how the laser welded blanks behave in different forming tests, and the influence of misalignment and undercut on the formability. The quality is evaluated by measuring the limit strain and limit effective strain for the laser welded sheets and the base material, which will be presented in a forming limit diagram. (Author) 14 refs

Centrifugal vacuum casting for fuel cladding tube blanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zelenskii, V.F.; Neklyudov, I.M.; Chernyi, B.P.; Zeidlits, M.P.; Vanzha, A.F.; Rubashko, V.G.; Ryabchikov, L.N.; Smirnov, Y.K.; Bespalova, V.R.; Mashkarova, V.T.; Rybal'chenko, N.D.

1990-01-01

An advanced technique for making tube blanks with an acceptable level of nonmetallic inclusions is vacuum induction melting combined with centrifugal casting, as the latter gives a cylindrical casting having an axial hole, while the cast metal has elevated density and contains fewer nonmetallic inclusions than does the metal cast in a stationary mold. The reduction in the nonmetallic inclusions occurs because of increased rates of floating up in the rotating mold on account of the centrifugal force and the rejection to the inner surface. One can choose the parameters such as the pouring speed, rotational speed, mold cooling, and liquid-metal temperature and can introduce a deoxidizer to remove the nonmetallic inclusions or reduce the grain size of them and produce an appropriate cast structure and obtain a metal whose quality is the same as that on vacuum induction melting with secondary arc remelting. For these purposes, the authors have developed centrifugal-casting machines for use under vacuum or in inert gases with horizontal and vertical mold rotation axes

Studies of an application of a mobile communication system to the private telecommunication network. Part 1. Present condition of mobile communication system and proposal of the customer information network by PHS; Idotai tsushin system no denryoku tsushinmo eno tekiyo. 1. Idotai tsushin system no genjo to PHS ni yoru juyo kakei network no teian

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iwasaki, H. [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Tokyo (Japan)

1996-03-01

An application of various mobile communication systems to the electric power telecommunication network has been investigated. Among these, the customer information network by PHS (personal handy-phone system) has been proposed. Although great numbers of base stations are required for PHS, it can be applied as the customer information network by connecting to the power controller developed by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry. The geostationary satellite telecommunication has been positively utilized by the electric power industry since the Hanshin-Awaji Great Earthquake. It can be used as the customer information network in the future. Since the radio access is a one-way communication, it cannot be applied to the electric power telecommunication network at present. It can be applied to the simple message communication or relatively low-speed data communication through the two-way communication. Public ground mobile telecommunication in the future includes various mobile telecommunication systems. To start the operation in 2000, the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is making specifications common in the world. It is required to investigate the utilization as multipurpose systems. The network for PHS can be applied to the telecommunication network without optical cable. 20 refs., 5 figs., 3 tabs.

Development of high sensitivity and high speed large size blank inspection system LBIS

Science.gov (United States)

Ohara, Shinobu; Yoshida, Akinori; Hirai, Mitsuo; Kato, Takenori; Moriizumi, Koichi; Kusunose, Haruhiko

2017-07-01

The production of high-resolution flat panel displays (FPDs) for mobile phones today requires the use of high-quality large-size photomasks (LSPMs). Organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays use several transistors on each pixel for precise current control and, as such, the mask patterns for OLED displays are denser and finer than the patterns for the previous generation displays throughout the entire mask surface. It is therefore strongly demanded that mask patterns be produced with high fidelity and free of defect. To enable the production of a high quality LSPM in a short lead time, the manufacturers need a high-sensitivity high-speed mask blank inspection system that meets the requirement of advanced LSPMs. Lasertec has developed a large-size blank inspection system called LBIS, which achieves high sensitivity based on a laser-scattering technique. LBIS employs a high power laser as its inspection light source. LBIS's delivery optics, including a scanner and F-Theta scan lens, focus the light from the source linearly on the surface of the blank. Its specially-designed optics collect the light scattered by particles and defects generated during the manufacturing process, such as scratches, on the surface and guide it to photo multiplier tubes (PMTs) with high efficiency. Multiple PMTs are used on LBIS for the stable detection of scattered light, which may be distributed at various angles due to irregular shapes of defects. LBIS captures 0.3mμ PSL at a detection rate of over 99.5% with uniform sensitivity. Its inspection time is 20 minutes for a G8 blank and 35 minutes for G10. The differential interference contrast (DIC) microscope on the inspection head of LBIS captures high-contrast review images after inspection. The images are classified automatically.

High speed phototimer and biplane II blanking method in 105 mm RSC photographing of circulatory system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaga, Yuji; Kiuchi, Shigeo; Sato, Masami; Komatsuda, Yasushi; Nishio, Kosaku.

1979-01-01

A high speed phototimer as an autoexposure mechanism was developed for 105 mm II indirect continuous photographing of circulatory system. The phototimer can give repeated response of 12 times/sec and the shortest X-ray shut out of 1 m sec. The proper lighting field for the phototimer is 7 mm diameter (12%) of the II input area, equivalent to 80 mm in diameter), and the tube voltage, object property and the focus-II distance characteristics are all well corrected to give good photographs of optimal density. The mutual fog in biplane photographing can be removed by adopting II blanking method. As blanking can respond quite rapidly, photographing time plus 2 m sec is enough for blanking time. That means the positive phase can be brought close to 3 m sec. This mechanism can be applied for biplane cine-photographing. (Kobatake, H.)

High Laccase Expression by Trametes versicolor in a Simulated Textile Effluent with Different Carbon Sources and PHs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane Ottoni

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Textile effluents are highly polluting and have variable and complex compositions. They can be extremely complex, with high salt concentrations and alkaline pHs. A fixed-bed bioreactor was used in the present study to simulate a textile effluent treatment, where the white-rot fungus, Trametes versicolor, efficiently decolourised the azo dye Reactive Black 5 over 28 days. This occurred under high alkaline conditions, which is unusual, but advantageous, for successful decolourisation processes. Active dye decolourisation was maintained by operation in continuous culture. Colour was eliminated during the course of operation and maximum laccase (Lcc activity (80.2 U∙L−1 was detected after glycerol addition to the bioreactor. Lcc2 gene expression was evaluated with different carbon sources and pH values based on reverse transcriptase-PCR (polymerase chain reaction. Glycerol was shown to promote the highest lcc2 expression at pH 5.5, followed by sucrose and then glucose. The highest levels of expression occurred between three and four days, which corroborate the maximum Lcc activity observed for sucrose and glycerol on the bioreactor. These results give new insights into the use of T. versicolor in textile dye wastewater treatment with high pHs.

Epicondylopathia humeri (EPH) and peritendinitis humeroscapularis (PHS): evaluation of radiation therapy long-term results and literature review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seegenschmiedt, M.H.; Keilholz, L.

1998-01-01

Background: The effectiveness of radiotherapy (RT) for degenerative inflammatory disorders has been clinically documented in historical studies, but long-term follow-up and assessment with objective criteria are still not available. Patients and methods: From 1986 to 1991, 200 consecutive patients with symptomatic epicondylopathia humeri (EPH, n=104) and peritendinitis humeroscapularis (PHS, n=96) were referred to our clinic. All patients were refractory to conventional therapy prior to irradiation. One hundred fifty-six patients with 192 sites (due to bilateral symptoms) received a full treatment course and were available for long-term follow-up, i.e. 83 patients with 93 elbows and 73 patients with 89 shoulders. The treatment response was evaluated with regard to pain symptoms grouped into five categories (pain at strain, pain at night, persistent pain during daytime, pain at rest and morning stiffness) and four grades (none, mild, moderate and severe) and with regard to established orthopedic scores (Morrey score and Constant and Murley score). The analysis was performed before and 6 weeks after RT and at last follow-up. All joints received two RT series applied in three weekly fractions (EPH, 6x1 Gy (total 12 Gy); PHS, 6x0.5 Gy (total 6 Gy)). The second RT series started 6 weeks after the first RT series. The minimum follow-up was 1 year for both groups and the mean follow-up reached 4 years (range 1-8 years). Results: Fifty elbows (43 patients) and 44 shoulders (39 patients) achieved complete pain relief in all pain categories; 24 elbows and 28 shoulders substantially improved, i.e. had only minor symptoms. Thus, 74 elbows and 72 shoulders responded to RT. Nineteen elbows (17 patients) had surgery after RT due to persisting symptoms or subjective dissatisfaction; 17 shoulders (12 patients) were non-responders and five of those were operated on; seven elbows and one shoulder were completely free of pain after surgery. The mean Morrey score improved by 18 points

17 CFR 230.419 - Offerings by blank check companies.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... derivative securities relating to securities held in the escrow or trust account may be exercised or... other derivative securities issued in the initial offering are exercisable, there is a continuous... 17 Commodity and Securities Exchanges 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Offerings by blank check...

Warm Deep Drawing of Rectangular Parts of AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Sheet Adopting Variable Blank Holder Force

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Yinghong; Chang Qunfeng; Li Dayong; Zeng Xiaoqin

2007-01-01

AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet with good shape and formability is fabricated by warm cross rolling. Uniaxial tensile tests are conducted using a Gleeble 3500 thermal - mechanical simulator, and the mechanical properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet are analyzed. A warm deep drawing process of square part is also simulated by the finite element method. The influences of blank holder force on the formability are numerically investigated. A double-action hydraulic press that can realize adjustable blank holder forces is developed and its working principle and control system are introduced. Some warm deep drawing experiments of square parts of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet are also performed. Different variation schemes of the blank holder force with the stroke of the punch are tested, and the experiment results are compared. Results show that the suitable blank holder force variation scheme is a ladder curve with the punch stroke. Adopting the variable blank holder force technique can improve 13.2% of the drawing depth of square parts of AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet

Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Simplified procedure for the transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

CERN Multimedia

HR Division

2001-01-01

As part of the process of streamlining procedures, the HR and AS Divisions have jointly developed a system whereby annual and compensatory leave will henceforth be automatically transferred1) to saved leave accounts. Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'2) annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No. 22 B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). Previously, every person taking part in the scheme has been individually issued with a form for the purposes of requesting the transfer of leave to the leave account and the transfer has then had to be done manually by HR Division. To streamline the procedure, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of of the leave-year accounts will henceforth be transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. This simplification is in the ...

Proposal for the award of two contracts for the supply of fine-blanked austenitic steel collars for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

This document concerns the award of two contracts for the supply of 12 500 000 fine-blanked austenitic steel collars in three different shapes and of two different types for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets. Following a market survey carried out among 70 firms in fourteen Member States and one firm in Japan, a call for tenders (IT-2469/LHC/LHC) was sent on 3 June 1999 to eleven firms in five Member States and one firm in Japan. By the closing date, CERN had received five tenders. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of two contracts with: - MALVESTITI (IT) for the supply of up to 7 812 500 fine-blanked austenitic steel collars, which represents 5/8 of the total quantity required for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets, for a total amount of up to 6 908 509 Swiss francs, subject to revision for contractual deliveries after 31 December 2001, with an option for the supply of up to 4 687 500 additional fine-blanked austenitic steel collars, wh...

47 CFR 73.646 - Telecommunications Service on the Vertical Blanking Interval and in the Visual Signal.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Blanking Interval and in the Visual Signal. 73.646 Section 73.646 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS... transmission of data, processed information, or any other communication in either a digital or analog mode. (b....646 Telecommunications Service on the Vertical Blanking Interval and in the Visual Signal. (a...

Study on the process of calibration and deep centring of blanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potapov, I.N.; Romantsev, B.A.; Popov, V.A.; Volodin, V.V.; Goncharuk, A.V.

1985-01-01

Process of calibration and deep centring of blanks before broaching is developed and studied. Investigations are performed at a semi-industrial screw rolling mill MISiS-100 T. Blanks made of 40Kh, 60, 50, 45KhN2MFA, 30KhGSNA steels 80, 85, and 90 mm in diameter and 300 mm long were calibrated and centered after heating in a furnace to a depth of 200 mm at shafts and faces with different calibration. 30KhN2MFA steel is chosen for face material; heat treatment is conducted under the following conditions: heating up to 950-1000 deg C and hold-up during 30-35 min with the following cooling in the air. The above experimental investigations reveal that the process of calibration and deep centring accomplished at a three-shaft screw rolling mill is rather stable and provides a high accuracy of centering hollow marking

Interactions with combined chemical cues inform harvester ant foragers' decisions to leave the nest in search of food.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J Greene

Full Text Available Social insect colonies operate without central control or any global assessment of what needs to be done by workers. Colony organization arises from the responses of individuals to local cues. Red harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex barbatus regulate foraging using interactions between returning and outgoing foragers. The rate at which foragers return with seeds, a measure of food availability, sets the rate at which outgoing foragers leave the nest on foraging trips. We used mimics to test whether outgoing foragers inside the nest respond to the odor of food, oleic acid, the odor of the forager itself, cuticular hydrocarbons, or a combination of both with increased foraging activity. We compared foraging activity, the rate at which foragers passed a line on a trail, before and after the addition of mimics. The combination of both odors, those of food and of foragers, is required to stimulate foraging. The addition of blank mimics, mimics coated with food odor alone, or mimics coated with forager odor alone did not increase foraging activity. We compared the rates at which foragers inside the nest interacted with other ants, blank mimics, and mimics coated with a combination of food and forager odor. Foragers inside the nest interacted more with mimics coated with combined forager/seed odors than with blank mimics, and these interactions had the same effect as those with other foragers. Outgoing foragers inside the nest entrance are stimulated to leave the nest in search of food by interacting with foragers returning with seeds. By using the combined odors of forager cuticular hydrocarbons and of seeds, the colony captures precise information, on the timescale of seconds, about the current availability of food.

Study on synthesizing Mg/Al layered double hydroxides at different pHs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E Otgonjargal

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Mg/Al layered double hydroxide (LDH was successfully synthesized at different pHs values. The Mg/AL LDH was well characterized by X-Ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared analysis. The morphology of the LDH was observed using Scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The influence of pH values on the morphology of the Mg/Al LDHs were studied. The result showed that the well-synthesized Mg/Al LDHs could be obtained when the pH value was about 10.0 at room temperature.DOI: http://doi.dx.org/10.5564/mjc.v15i0.319 Mongolian Journal of Chemistry 15 (41, 2014, p36-39

Application of the diode laser for welding in tairoled blanks; Aplicaciond el lase de diodo para la soldadura en tailored blanks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bocos, J. L.; Zubiri, F.; Garciandia, F.; Pena, J.; Cortiella, A.; Berrueta, J. M.; Zapirain, F.

2004-07-01

During the last years, one of the most interesting subjects in the automotive industry is the weight reduction of the automobile, and so to diminish the fuel consumption. Among other performance, the use in the body car of materials which have high mechanical resistance must be considered for the weight reduction of the automobile and maintaining high benefits. In this work, it has been studied the utilization of the diode laser for high resistance steel sheets welding, concretely microalloying steels (ZStE), DP dual phase and TRIP transformation induced plasticity. These steels can be employed in tailored blanks, which are defined as two or more separate pieces of flat material of dissimilar thickness and/or physical properties joined together before forming, to provide superior qualities in the finished stamped part. In this study, the metallographic characterization has been realised in the welding seams, and the mechanical behaviour has been analysed employing the following tests: microhardenss, drawing, tensile and fatigue. (Author) 15 refs.

Blank evaluation in nitrogen determination in seed grains by 14 MeV neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasek, M.; Sterlinski, S.

1987-01-01

In this work the term 'blank' signifies total radiation of the sample analyzed except that the element to be determined (analyte) is absent. On the basis of the evaluation of the blank components (nuclear and spectral interferences, air-nitrogen between grains, etc.), a semiempirical formula for calculating the nitrogen content in plant grain samples is proposed. The reliability of the results obtained with the use of this formula was demonstrated for five sorts of seeds (rye, wheat, barley, broad bean and soybean) which were analyzed by the Kjeldahl method and 14 MeV neutron activation analysis, respectively. (author)

Correction to the count-rate detection limit and sample/blank time-allocation methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, Joseph L.

2013-01-01

A common form of count-rate detection limits contains a propagation of uncertainty error. This error originated in methods to minimize uncertainty in the subtraction of the blank counts from the gross sample counts by allocation of blank and sample counting times. Correct uncertainty propagation showed that the time allocation equations have no solution. This publication presents the correct form of count-rate detection limits. -- Highlights: •The paper demonstrated a proper method of propagating uncertainty of count rate differences. •The standard count-rate detection limits were in error. •Count-time allocation methods for minimum uncertainty were in error. •The paper presented the correct form of the count-rate detection limit. •The paper discussed the confusion between count-rate uncertainty and count uncertainty

REMINDER Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Simplified procedure for the transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

CERN Multimedia

HR Division

2001-01-01

As part of the process of streamlining procedures, the HR and AS Divisions have jointly developed a system whereby annual and compensatory leave will henceforth be automatically transferred1) to saved leave accounts. Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'2)Previously, every person taking part in the scheme has been individually issued with a form for the purposes of requesting the transfer of leave to the leave account and the transfer has then had to be done manually by HR Division. To streamline the procedure, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave-year accounts will henceforth be transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. This simplification is in the interest of all parties concerned. This automatic transfer procedure has a number of advantages for participants in the SLS scheme. First, staff members will no longer have to take any administrative steps. Secondly, the new proced...

Survivability and growth kinetics of methanogenic archaea at various pHs and pressures: Implications for deep subsurface life on Mars

Science.gov (United States)

Sinha, Navita; Nepal, Sudip; Kral, Timothy; Kumar, Pradeep

2017-02-01

Life as we know it requires liquid water and sufficient liquid water is highly unlikely on the surface of present-day Mars. However, according to thermal models there is a possibility of liquid water in the deep subsurface of Mars. Thus, the martian subsurface, where the pressure and temperature is higher, could potentially provide a hospitable environment for a biosphere. Also, methane has been detected in the Mars' atmosphere. Analogous to Earth's atmospheric methane, martian methane could also be biological in origin. The carbon and energy sources for methanogenesis in the subsurface of Mars could be available by downwelling of atmospheric CO2 into the regolith and water-rock reactions such as serpentinization, respectively. Corresponding analogs of the martian subsurface on Earth might be the active sites of serpentinization at depths where methanogenic thermophilic archaea are the dominant species. Methanogens residing in Earth's hydrothermal environments are usually exposed to a variety of physiological stresses including a wide range of pressures, temperatures, and pHs. Martian geochemical models imply that the pH of probable groundwater varies from 4.96 to 9.13. In this work, we used the thermophilic methanogen, Methanothermobacter wolfeii, which grows optimally at 55oC. Therefore, a temperature of 55oC was chosen for these experiments, possibly simulating Mars' subsurface temperature. A martian geophysical model suggests depth and pressure corresponding to a temperature of 55 °C would be between 1-30 km and 100-3,000 atm respectively. Here, we have simulated Mars deep subsurface pH, pressure, and temperature conditions and have investigated the survivability, growth rate, and morphology of M. wolfeii after exposure to a wide range of pH 5-9) and pressure (1-1200 atm) at a temperature of 55 °C. Interestingly, in this study we have found that M. wolfeii was able to survive at all the pressures and pHs tested at 55 °C. In order to understand the effect of

Cold pressure welding of aluminium-steel blanks: Manufacturing process and electrochemical surface preparation

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Hans Christian; Homberg, Werner; Orive, Alejandro Gonzalez; Grundmeier, Guido; Hordych, Illia; Maier, Hans Jürgen

2018-05-01

In this study the manufacture of aluminium-steel blanks by cold pressure welding and their preparation for a welding process through electrochemical surface treatment are investigated and discussed. The cold pressure welding process was done with an incremental rolling tool that allows for the partial pressure welding of two blanks along a prepared path. The influence of the surface preparation by electrochemical deposition of bond promoting organosilane-based agents and roughening on a nano-scale is investigated and compared to conventional surface treatments. Coating the surfaces with a thin organosilane-based film incorporating specific functional groups should promote additional bonding between the mating oxide layers; its influence on the total weld strength is studied. Pressure welding requires suitable process strategies, and the current advances in the proposed incremental rolling process for the combination of mild steel and aluminium are presented.

Development of backward equations T(p,h), T(p,s) and p(h,s) for heavy water liquid and vapor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nick P Petropoulos; Simos E Simopoulos

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Backward equations for heavy water (a) temperature as a function of pressure and enthalpy T(p,h), (b) temperature as a function of pressure and entropy T(p,s) and (c) pressure as a function of enthalpy and entropy p(h,s) presented in this work, are based on the 'IAPS Formulation 1984 for the Thermodynamic Properties of Heavy Water Substance' [1], and also on the respective equations for the ordinary water substance as presented in 'The IAPWS Industrial Formulation 1997 for the Thermodynamic Properties of Water and Steam' [2]. Heavy water and steam thermodynamic properties can be calculated using the basic equations and saturation equations that are included in [1]. However, [1] does not contain any backward functions T(p,h), T(p,s) and p(h,s), which are needed for heavy water thermodynamic process modeling. The development of the two temperature backward functions efficiently increases computational speed for temperature calculations more than three times as pointed out in the similar case problem for ordinary water, addressed successfully in [2]. Without these temperature backward functions calculations may be performed only iteratively using the heavy water state equations at a much greater computing cost. Moreover, the development of the pressure backward function saves even more computing time in modeling problems since two-dimensional iterations from the h(p,T) and s(p,T) heavy water functions may by effectively avoided. In addition, given the pressure function p(h,s), the heavy water temperature T(h,s) can be calculated by the temperature function T(p,h). The numerical consistencies of calculated T and p to the state equations included in [1] are sufficient for most applications in the heavy water nuclear reactors heat cycles. For applications, where the demands on numerical consistency and accuracy are rather high, iterations with the approved state equations may be necessary. In these cases both temperature and pressure

Application of the diode laser for welding in tairoled blanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocos, J. L.; Zubiri, F.; Garciandia, F.; Pena, J.; Cortiella, A.; Berrueta, J. M.; Zapirain, F.

2004-01-01

During the last years, one of the most interesting subjects in the automotive industry is the weight reduction of the automobile, and so to diminish the fuel consumption. Among other performance, the use in the body car of materials which have high mechanical resistance must be considered for the weight reduction of the automobile and maintaining high benefits. In this work, it has been studied the utilization of the diode laser for high resistance steel sheets welding, concretely microalloying steels (ZStE), DP dual phase and TRIP transformation induced plasticity. These steels can be employed in tailored blanks, which are defined as two or more separate pieces of flat material of dissimilar thickness and/or physical properties joined together before forming, to provide superior qualities in the finished stamped part. In this study, the metallographic characterization has been realised in the welding seams, and the mechanical behaviour has been analysed employing the following tests: microhardenss, drawing, tensile and fatigue. (Author) 15 refs

MATERIAL CHOICE AND BLANKS OPERATION TECHNOLOGY OF AK6 ALUMINIUM ALLOY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. YE. Kalinina

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose. Justification of the material and heat treatment method of aluminum alloy for the manufacturing of parts, type «plate» based on the results of microstructure and mechanical properties research; development of technological process of blanks operation of AK6 aluminum alloy. Methodology. Powdered alloy based on aluminum type AK6 was the research material. Finished forgings with the size 2520×1520×65 mm were obtained as a result of the preparation and forging of the blanks. After mechanical treatment of the blanks they were exposed to thermal processing and milling. Structure of the metal was examined under light microscope MIM-8M. Brinell hardness was used as the strength alloy characteristic. Findings. Influence analysis of alloy elements on the structure of deformable aluminum alloys was carried out. Research of influence of heat treatment modes on structure and properties of the AK6 alloy were performed. The improved technological process, which made it possible to obtain the item with the improved structure and properties and lower costs is offered. Originality. The samples of AK6 powdered alloy on fire resistance were tested. It is established that under heating of an example in the oxidative flame, it does not ignite to a temperature of 705 °C. The cause of high fire resistance of AK6 alloy samples was found, it is connected with the presence in the material the evenly distributed, small oxide inclusions and amorphous oxide film on the surface. Practical value. Hard conditions of work (corrosion in marine and industrial atmosphere, static and shock loads, cyclic temperature allow the use of the item in various designs.

Detection of Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Pig Model Using the SAN-Atrial-AVN-His (SAAH) Electrocardiogram (ECG), Model PHS-A10, an Automated and Integrated Signals Recognition System.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Wenjiao; Lu, Guihua; Liu, Li; Sun, Zhishan; Wu, Mingxin; Yi, Wenyan; Chen, Haiyan; Li, Yanhui; Tang, Lilong; Zeng, Jianping

2018-03-04

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to compare the use of the standard 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) with the SAN-Atrial-AVN-His (SAAH) ECG (Model PHS-A10), a new automated and integrated signals recognition system that detects micro-waveforms within the P, QRS, and T-wave, in a pig model of acute myocardial infarction (MI). MATERIAL AND METHODS Six medium-sized domestic Chinese pigs underwent general anesthesia, and an angioplasty balloon was placed and dilated for 120 minutes in the first diagonal coronary artery arising from the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. A standard ECG and a SAAH ECG (Model PHS-A10) were used to evaluate: 1) the number of wavelets in ST-T segment in lead V5; 2) the duration of the repolarization initial (Ri), or duration of the wavelets starting from the J-point to the endpoint of the wavelets in the ST interval; 3) the duration of the repolarization terminal (Rt), of the wavelets, starting from the endpoint of the wavelets in the ST interval to the cross-point of the T-wave and baseline; 4) the ratio Ri: Rt. RESULTS Following coronary artery occlusion, duration of Ri and Ri/Rt increased, and Rt decreased, which was detected by the SAAH ECG (Model PHS-A10) within 12 seconds, compared with standard ECG that detected ST segment depression at 24 seconds following coronary artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS The findings from this preliminary study in a pig model of acute MI support the need for clinical studies to evaluate the SAAH ECG (Model PHS-A10) for the early detection of acute MI.

Investigation of Hardness Change for Spot Welded Tailored Blank in Hot Stamping Using CCT and Deformation-CCT Diagrams

Science.gov (United States)

Yogo, Yasuhiro; Kurato, Nozomi; Iwata, Noritoshi

2018-04-01

When an outer panel of a B-pillar is manufactured with the hot stamping process, reinforcements are spot welded on its inner side. Before reinforcements are added, the microstructure of the outer panel is martensite. However, reheating during spot welding changes the martensite to ferrite, which has a lower hardness in the heat-affected zone than in other areas. If spot welding is conducted before hot stamping for making a spot welded tailored blank, the microstructure in the spot welded tailored blank after hot stamping is martensite. This sequence of processes avoids hardness reduction due to spot welding. In this study, the hardness and microstructure around spot welded parts of the tailored blank were investigated. The results clearly showed that areas close to the spot welded parts are severely stretched during hot stamping. In addition, stretching suppresses the martensitic phase transformation and reduces the hardness. To characterize this phenomenon, a simulation was conducted that considered the effects of pre-strain on the phase transformation. A continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram and a deformation continuous cooling transformation (DCCT) diagram were made in order to quantify the effect of the cooling rate and pre-strain on the phase transformation and hardness. The hardness was then calculated using the experimentally measured CCT and DCCT diagrams and the finite element analysis results. The calculated hardness was compared with the experimental hardness. Good agreement was found between the calculated and experimental results.

Investigation of Hardness Change for Spot Welded Tailored Blank in Hot Stamping Using CCT and Deformation-CCT Diagrams

Science.gov (United States)

Yogo, Yasuhiro; Kurato, Nozomi; Iwata, Noritoshi

2018-06-01

When an outer panel of a B-pillar is manufactured with the hot stamping process, reinforcements are spot welded on its inner side. Before reinforcements are added, the microstructure of the outer panel is martensite. However, reheating during spot welding changes the martensite to ferrite, which has a lower hardness in the heat-affected zone than in other areas. If spot welding is conducted before hot stamping for making a spot welded tailored blank, the microstructure in the spot welded tailored blank after hot stamping is martensite. This sequence of processes avoids hardness reduction due to spot welding. In this study, the hardness and microstructure around spot welded parts of the tailored blank were investigated. The results clearly showed that areas close to the spot welded parts are severely stretched during hot stamping. In addition, stretching suppresses the martensitic phase transformation and reduces the hardness. To characterize this phenomenon, a simulation was conducted that considered the effects of pre-strain on the phase transformation. A continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram and a deformation continuous cooling transformation (DCCT) diagram were made in order to quantify the effect of the cooling rate and pre-strain on the phase transformation and hardness. The hardness was then calculated using the experimentally measured CCT and DCCT diagrams and the finite element analysis results. The calculated hardness was compared with the experimental hardness. Good agreement was found between the calculated and experimental results.

Enhancing native defect sensitivity for EUV actinic blank inspection: optimized pupil engineering and photon noise study

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yow-Gwo; Neureuther, Andrew; Naulleau, Patrick

2016-03-01

In this paper, we discuss the impact of optimized pupil engineering and photon noise on native defect sensitivity in EUV actinic blank inspection. Native defects include phase-dominated defects, absorber defects, and defects with a combination of phase and absorption behavior. First, we extend the idea of the Zernike phase contrast (ZPC) method and study the impact of optimum phase shift in the pupil plane on native defect sensitivity, showing a 23% signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) enhancement compare to bright field (BF) for a phase defect with 20% absorption. We also describe the possibility to increase target defect SNR on target defect sizes at the price of losing the sensitivity on smaller (non-critical) defects. Moreover, we show the advantage of the optimized phase contrast (OZPC) method over BF EUV actinic blank inspection. A single focus scan from OZPC has better inspection efficiency over BF. Second, we make a detailed comparison between the phase contrast with apodization (AZPC) method and dark field (DF) method based on defect sensitivity in the presence of both photon shot noise and camera noise. Performance is compared for a variety of photon levels, mask roughness conditions, and combinations of defect phase and absorption.

76 FR 14697 - Aleris Blanking and Rim Products, Inc., a Division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute, IN...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-17

... Products, Inc., a Division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute, IN; Notice of Revised Determination... workers of Aleris Blanking and Rim Products, Inc., a division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute... Blanking and Rim Products, Inc., a division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute, Indiana, who became...

On Number of Almost Blank Subframes in Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

OpenAIRE

Cierny, Michal; Wang, Haining; Wichman, Risto; Ding, Zhi; Wijting, Carl

2013-01-01

In heterogeneous cellular scenarios with macrocells, femtocells or picocells users may suffer from significant co-channel cross-tier interference. To manage this interference 3GPP introduced almost blank subframe (ABSF), a subframe in which the interferer tier is not allowed to transmit data. Vulnerable users thus get a chance to be scheduled in ABSFs with reduced cross-tier interference. We analyze downlink scenarios using stochastic geometry and formulate a condition for the required number...

Forming Of Spherical Titanium Cups From Circular Blanks With Cutouts On The Perimeter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lacki P.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Despite substantial demand for drawn parts made of high-strength sheet metal (including titanium alloys observed in the modern industry, particularly automotive and aviation, their application remains insignificant. This results from the fact that such sheet metal shows poor plasticity and its cold-forming is almost impossible. Low drawability makes it impossible to obtain even such simple shapes as spherical cups. The authors of this study developed circular sheet-metal blanks with cutouts on their perimeter. The blanks allow for cold forming of spherical cups from Ti6Al4V titanium alloy sheet metal using conventional rigid tools. The cutouts proposed in the study affect plastic strain distribution, which in turn leads to an increase in forming depth by about 30%. The numerical analysis, performed using the PamStamp 2G System software based on finite element method, was verified experimentally.

Comparison of two analytical models of blanking and proposal of a new model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klingenberg, W; Singh, UP

With the development of accurate Finite Element models of the punching/blanking process by the present authors and other researchers, important possibilities emerged to model and analyse the process in a research environment. However, Finite Element models are less well suited for use in a

Development technique for deep drawing without blank holder to produce circular cup of brass alloy

OpenAIRE

Ali Hassan Saleh; Ammer Khalaf Ali

2015-01-01

Of this technique compared to the conventional deep drawing is that the circular cup can be carried out in single action press with limit In this paper a new mechanism for deep drawing was proposed to produce circular cup from thin plate without blank holder. In this technique the die assembly includes punch, die and die-punch. A 2D axisymmetric finite element model was built using DEFORM software. Effect of die geometry (half- cone angle) on maximum load, thickness distribution, strain distr...

n Vergelykende ondersoek na die werksmotivering van blanke en swart vakmanne in 'n chemiese bedryf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. L. Barnard

1991-06-01

Opsomming Die doel met hierdie ondersoek was om met behulp van Lawler en Porter se verwagtingsmodel, vas te stel in watter mate blanke en swart vakmanne, in 'n chemiese nywerheid, hul werksomgewing as toereikend motiverend van aard beskou. Die resultate dui aan dat daar vir beide groepe nie sprake is van 'n optimaal motiverende werksomgewing nie. Terwyl blanke vakmanne ekstrinsieke faktore meer beklemtoon het, het swart vakmanne beter gebalanseerde voorkeure met betrekking tot ekstrinsieke/intrinsieke faktore getoon. Die motiveringspatrone van die twee groepe het egter nie wesenlik van mekaar verskil nie.

The Psychological Concepts in Taylor Swift's "Blank Space"

OpenAIRE

Anindhita, Novia Putri

2016-01-01

“Blank Space” is a song that is sung by a singer, Taylor Swift. The lyrics tell about the lonely woman who dates a lot but always fails to manage her relationship. However, it does not make her worry to start a new relationship. The purpose of this study is to analyze the elements of the poetry in the lyrics and to show the readers the psychological contents as portrayed in the music video. The study uses intrinsic and extrinsic theories to analyze the data and library research to compile the...

Increasing the Deep Drawability of Al-1050 Aluminum Sheet using Multi-Point Blank Holder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gavas, M.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Aluminum alloys have been widely used in the fields of automobile and aerospace industries. Due to their bad cold-formability in deep drawing, a lot of forming methods have been implemented to increase the drawing height and the limiting drawing rate (LDR. The conventional deep drawing process is limited to a certain limit drawing ratio beyond which failure will ensue. The purpose of this experimental study is to examine the possibilities of increasing this limitation using the multi-point blank holder. The results from the experiments showed that the multi-point blank holder is effective way to promote deep drawability of Al-1050 sheet.

Occupational heat stress and associated productivity loss estimation using the PHS model (ISO 7933): a case study from workplaces in Chennai, India

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, Karin; Kuklane, Kalev; Venugopal, Vidhya

2014-01-01

Background Heat stress is a major occupational problem in India that can cause adverse health effects and reduce work productivity. This paper explores this problem and its impacts in selected workplaces, including industrial, service, and agricultural sectors in Chennai, India. Design Quantitative measurements of heat stress, workload estimations, and clothing testing, and qualitative information on health impacts, productivity loss, etc., were collected. Heat strain and associated impacts on labour productivity between the seasons were assessed using the International Standard ISO 7933:2004, which applies the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) model. Results and conclusions All workplaces surveyed had very high heat exposure in the hot season (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature x¯ =29.7), often reaching the international standard safe work values (ISO 7243:1989). Most workers had moderate to high workloads (170–220 W/m2), with some exposed to direct sun. Clothing was found to be problematic, with high insulation values in relation to the heat exposure. Females were found to be more vulnerable because of the extra insulation added from wearing a protective shirt on top of traditional clothing (0.96 clo) while working. When analysing heat strain – in terms of core temperature and dehydration – and associated productivity loss in the PHS model, the parameters showed significant impacts that affected productivity in all workplaces, apart from the laundry facility, especially during the hot season. For example, in the canteen, the core temperature limit of 38°C predicted by the model was reached in only 64 min for women. With the expected increases in temperature due to climate change, additional preventive actions have to be implemented to prevent further productivity losses and adverse health impacts. Overall, this study presented insight into using a thermo-physiological model to estimate productivity loss due to heat exposure in workplaces. This is the first time the PHS

Occupational heat stress and associated productivity loss estimation using the PHS model (ISO 7933): a case study from workplaces in Chennai, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, Karin; Kuklane, Kalev; Venugopal, Vidhya

2014-01-01

Heat stress is a major occupational problem in India that can cause adverse health effects and reduce work productivity. This paper explores this problem and its impacts in selected workplaces, including industrial, service, and agricultural sectors in Chennai, India. Quantitative measurements of heat stress, workload estimations, and clothing testing, and qualitative information on health impacts, productivity loss, etc., were collected. Heat strain and associated impacts on labour productivity between the seasons were assessed using the International Standard ISO 7933:2004, which applies the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) model. All workplaces surveyed had very high heat exposure in the hot season (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature =29.7), often reaching the international standard safe work values (ISO 7243:1989). Most workers had moderate to high workloads (170-220 W/m2), with some exposed to direct sun. Clothing was found to be problematic, with high insulation values in relation to the heat exposure. Females were found to be more vulnerable because of the extra insulation added from wearing a protective shirt on top of traditional clothing (0.96 clo) while working. When analysing heat strain--in terms of core temperature and dehydration--and associated productivity loss in the PHS model, the parameters showed significant impacts that affected productivity in all workplaces, apart from the laundry facility, especially during the hot season. For example, in the canteen, the core temperature limit of 38°C predicted by the model was reached in only 64 min for women. With the expected increases in temperature due to climate change, additional preventive actions have to be implemented to prevent further productivity losses and adverse health impacts. Overall, this study presented insight into using a thermo-physiological model to estimate productivity loss due to heat exposure in workplaces. This is the first time the PHS model has been used for this purpose. An exploratory

Occupational heat stress and associated productivity loss estimation using the PHS model (ISO 7933: a case study from workplaces in Chennai, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Lundgren

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Heat stress is a major occupational problem in India that can cause adverse health effects and reduce work productivity. This paper explores this problem and its impacts in selected workplaces, including industrial, service, and agricultural sectors in Chennai, India. Design: Quantitative measurements of heat stress, workload estimations, and clothing testing, and qualitative information on health impacts, productivity loss, etc., were collected. Heat strain and associated impacts on labour productivity between the seasons were assessed using the International Standard ISO 7933:2004, which applies the Predicted Heat Strain (PHS model. Results and conclusions: All workplaces surveyed had very high heat exposure in the hot season (Wet Bulb Globe Temperature x¯ =29.7, often reaching the international standard safe work values (ISO 7243:1989. Most workers had moderate to high workloads (170–220 W/m2, with some exposed to direct sun. Clothing was found to be problematic, with high insulation values in relation to the heat exposure. Females were found to be more vulnerable because of the extra insulation added from wearing a protective shirt on top of traditional clothing (0.96 clo while working. When analysing heat strain – in terms of core temperature and dehydration – and associated productivity loss in the PHS model, the parameters showed significant impacts that affected productivity in all workplaces, apart from the laundry facility, especially during the hot season. For example, in the canteen, the core temperature limit of 38°C predicted by the model was reached in only 64 min for women. With the expected increases in temperature due to climate change, additional preventive actions have to be implemented to prevent further productivity losses and adverse health impacts. Overall, this study presented insight into using a thermo-physiological model to estimate productivity loss due to heat exposure in workplaces. This is the

Fill in the Blank: Culture Jamming and the Advertising of Agency

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert-Beatty, Carrie

2010-01-01

This article is a review on billboard liberation and some other projects that develop the idea of talking back or over advertising in a playful and youthful way. In one of them, Ji Lee's Bubble Project, an artist places blank thought-bubble stickers on street advertisements and waits to see what people write on them, completing the work of art and…

Studying of Salinity Stress Effect on Germination, Proline, Sugar, Protein, Lipid and Chlorophyll Content in Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L. Leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parvaneh Rahdari

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Approximately 30% of country regions are under influence of salt and one of the main important methods for increasing of hectare performance in salt soils, using of resistant plant against with salt such as medicinal annual plant of Purslane (Portulaca oleraceae L..Studying of the salt stress effect on germination and some physiological parameters in Purslane was carried out in completely random framework and with three replications and under controlled conditions. In this study, salinity was imposed by sodium chloride (NaCl and in five levels of framework included of Control (distilled water, 50, 100, 150 and 200 Mmol from NaCl. Studied physiological parameters included of proline, sugar, protein, lipid and chlorophyll in Purslane leaves.In relation with observed germination that increasing of salt level, germination rate was reduced that the least germination rate in 200 Mmol and the highest germination was observed in control which in statistical level 0.01 showed meaningful difference. Also, results showed an increasing of leaf proline and sugar that was synchronize with increasing of sodium chloride, this increasing in statistical level of P<0.01 was meaningful, while blank had the least rate and salt level 200 Mmol was observed. Synchronize with increasing of salinity level, lipid and protein concentration decreasing that was meaningful (P<0.01 which highest of leaf lipid and protein content in control level and least concentration was observed in 200 Mmol of salinity level. Also, salinity stress due to increasing of chlorophyll a and b levels in Purslane leaves which this increasing in leaf chlorophyll b concentrations in 0.01 statistical level was meaningful and the least level chlorophyll a and b in blank and the highest level of chlorophyll a and b by order in 150 and 200 Mmol of NaCl was observed. The results showed that plant for resistance against salinity increasing of proline, sugar and chlorophyll content in leaves are useful for

A big blank white canvas? Mapping and modeling human impact in Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Steve Carver; Tina Tin

2015-01-01

Antarctica is certainly what most people would consider being the world's last great wilderness; largely untouched and undeveloped by humans. Yet it is not inviolate - there are scientific bases, tourist operations, expeditions, airstrips and even roads. Although these impacts are by and large limited in extent, their very presence in an otherwise "blank...

Blank Field Sources in the ROSAT HRI Brera Multiscale Wavelet catalog

OpenAIRE

Chieregato, M.; Campana, S.; Treves, A.; Moretti, A.; Mignani, R. P.; Tagliaferri, G.

2005-01-01

The search for Blank Field Sources (BFS), i.e. X-ray sources without optical counterparts, paves the way to the identification of unusual objects in the X-ray sky. Here we present four BFS detected in the Brera Multiscale Wavelet catalog of ROSAT HRI observations. This sample has been selected on the basis of source brightness, distance from possible counterparts at other wavelengths, point-like shape and good estimate of the X-ray flux (f_X). The observed f_X and the limiting magnitude of th...

ULE design considerations for a 3m class light weighted mirror blank for E-ELT M5

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Andrew; Hobbs, Tom; Edwards, Mary; Arnold, Matthew; Sawyer, Kent

2016-07-01

It is expected that the next generation of large ground based astronomical telescopes will need large fast-steering/tip-tilt mirrors made of ultra-lightweight construction. These fast-steering mirrors are used to continuously correct for atmospheric disturbances and telescope vibrations. An example of this is the European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT) M5 lightweight mirror, which is part of the Tip-Tilt/Field-Stabilization Unit. The baseline design for the E-ELT M5 mirror, as presented in the E-ELT Construction Proposal, is a closed-back ULE mirror with a lightweight core using square core cells. Corning Incorporated (Corning) has a long history of manufacturing lightweight mirror blanks using ULE in a closed-back construction, going back to the 1960's, and includes the Hubble Space Telescope primary mirror, Subaru Telescope secondary and tertiary mirrors, the Magellan I and II tertiary mirrors, and Kepler Space Telescope primary mirror, among many others. A parametric study of 1-meter class lightweight mirror designs showed that Corning's capability to seal a continuous back sheet to a light-weighted core structure provides superior mirror rigidity, in a near-zero thermal expansion material, relative to other existing technologies in this design space. Corning has investigated the parametric performance of several design characteristics for a 3-meter class lightweight mirror blank for the E-ELT M5. Finite Element Analysis was performed on several design scenarios to obtain weight, areal density, and first Eigen frequency. This paper presents an overview of Corning ULE and lightweight mirror manufacturing capabilities, the parametric performance of design characteristics for 1-meter class and 3-meter class lightweight mirrors, as well as the manufacturing advantages and disadvantages of those characteristics.

Maternity leave duration and postpartum mental and physical health: implications for leave policies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dagher, Rada K; McGovern, Patricia M; Dowd, Bryan E

2014-04-01

This study examines the association of leave duration with depressive symptoms, mental health, physical health, and maternal symptoms in the first postpartum year, using a prospective cohort design. Eligible employed women, eighteen years or older, were interviewed in person at three Minnesota hospitals while hospitalized for childbirth in 2001. Telephone interviews were conducted at six weeks (N = 716), twelve weeks (N = 661), six months (N = 625), and twelve months (N = 575) after delivery. Depressive symptoms (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), mental and physical health (SF-12 Health Survey), and maternal childbirth-related symptoms were measured at each time period. Two-stage least squares analysis showed that the relationship between leave duration and postpartum depressive symptoms is U-shaped, with a minimum at six months. In the first postpartum year, an increase in leave duration is associated with a decrease in depressive symptoms until six months postpartum. Moreover, ordinary least squares analysis showed a marginally significant linear positive association between leave duration and physical health. Taking leave from work provides time for mothers to rest and recover from pregnancy and childbirth. Findings indicate that the current leave duration provided by the Family and Medical Leave Act, twelve weeks, may not be sufficient for mothers at risk for or experiencing postpartum depression.

29 CFR 825.205 - Increments of FMLA leave for intermittent or reduced schedule leave.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... intermittent leave or working a reduced leave schedule to commence or end work mid-way through a shift, such as... per week, but works only 20 hours a week under a reduced leave schedule, the employee's ten hours of... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Increments of FMLA leave for intermittent or reduced...

Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households.

Science.gov (United States)

Bartel, Anne P; Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J; Stearns, Jenna; Waldfogel, Jane

Using difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference designs, we study California's Paid Family Leave (CA-PFL) program, the first source of government-provided paid parental leave available to fathers in the Unites States. Relative to the pre-treatment mean, fathers of infants in California are 46 percent more likely to be on leave when CA-PFL is available. In households where both parents work, we find suggestive evidence that CA-PFL increases both father-only leave-taking (i.e., father on leave while mother is at work) and joint leave-taking (i.e., both parents on leave at the same time). Effects are larger for fathers of first-born children than for fathers of later-born children.

Minimization of the blank values in the neutron activation analysis of biological samples considering the whole procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lux, F.; Bereznai, T.; Trebert Haeberlin, S.

1987-01-01

During the determination of trace element contents of animal tissue by neutron activation analysis in the course of structure-activity relationship studies on platinum containing cancer drugs and wound healing the authors tried to minimize the blank values that are caused by different sources of contamination during surgery, sampling and the activation analysis procedure. The following topics were investigated: abrasions from scalpels made of stainless steel, titanium or quartz, the type of surgery, the surface contaminations of the quartz ampoules, etc. The measures to be taken to reduce tha blank values are described. (author) 19 refs.; 4 tables

Sugar beet leaves for functional ingredients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamayo Tenorio, Angelica

2017-01-01

Plant leaves are recognised as a potential source for food applications based on their nutritional profile and interesting technological properties of leaf components, and based on the large availability of plant leaves in agricultural waste streams. Besides proteins, leaves have a rich

Some Data Concerning the Vocational Preference Inventory Scales and the Strong Vocational Interest Blank

Science.gov (United States)

Cockriel, Irvin W.

1972-01-01

Occupational scales of the Vocational Preference Inventory were correlated with the Basic Interest scales of the Strong Vocational Interest Blank. The 285 subjects were women freshmen in a College of Education. The results indicate that the scales are not highly correlated. (Author)

REMINDER Saved Leave Scheme (SLS) : Transfer of leave to saved leave accounts

CERN Multimedia

HR Division

2002-01-01

Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'*) annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No. 22B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). We remind you that, since last year, unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave-year accounts is transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. Therefore, staff members have no administrative steps to take. In addition, the transfer, which eliminates the risk of omitting to request leave transfers and rules out calculation errors in transfer requests, will be clearly shown in the list of leave transactions that can be consulted in EDH from October 2002 onwards. Furthermore, this automatic leave transfer optimizes staff members' chances of benefiting from a saved leave bonus provided that they are still participants in the schem...

Low-defect reflective mask blanks for extreme ultraviolet lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkhart, S C; Cerjarn, C; Kearney, P; Mirkarimi, P; Ray-Chaudhuri, A; Walton, C.

1999-01-01

Extreme Ultraviolet Lithgraphy (EUVL) is an emerging technology for fabrication of sub-100 nm feature sizes on silicon, following the SIA road map well into the 21st century. The specific EUVL system described is a scanned, projection lithography system with a 4:1 reduction, using a laser plasma EUV source. The mask and all of the system optics are reflective, multilayer mirrors which function in the extreme ultraviolet at 13.4 nm wavelength. Since the masks are imaged to the wafer exposure plane, mask defects greater than 80% of the exposure plane CD (for 4:1 reduction) will in many cases render the mask useless, whereas intervening optics can have defects which are not a printing problem. For the 100 nm node, we must reduce defects to less than 0.01/cm ampersand sup2; at sign 80nm or larger to obtain acceptable mask production yields. We have succeeded in reducing the defects to less than 0.1/cm ampersand sup2; for defects larger than 130 nm detected by visible light inspection tools, however our program goal is to achieve 0.01/cm ampersand sup2; in the near future. More importantly though, we plan to have a detailed understanding of defect origination and the effect on multilayer growth in order to mitigate defects below the 10 -2 /cm ampersand sup2; level on the next generation of mask blank deposition systems. In this paper we will discuss issues and results from the ion-beam multilayer deposition tool, details of the defect detection and characterization facility, and progress on defect printability modeling

Die betekenis wat geld vir blankes en kleurlinge inhou

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. L. Visagie

1978-11-01

‘n Oorsig van relevante literatuur dui daarop dat die betekenis van geld (wat 'n belangrike plek in sekere motiveringsteorieë inneem van persoon tot persoon kan verskil. Hierdie verskil kan hoofsaaklik aan persoonlike- en agtergrondsfaktore toegeskryf word. Wanneer die genoemde faktore binne groepsverband ooreenstem, ontwikkel en vorm daar unieke “groepsbetekenisse" wat aan sekere begrippe geheg word. Betekenismeting wat in hierdie ondersoek deur middel van die semantiese differensiaal op 128 Blanke- en 109 Kleurlingstudente uitgevoer is, toon egter oor die algemeen geen beduidende verskil ten opsigte van die begrip geld nie. Slegs ten opsigte van twee van 15 semantiese skale is beduidende verskille tussen die twee groepe gevind.

HEATING OF BLANK IN FORM OF PRISM IN ACCORDANCE WITH TECHNOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. B. Kovalevsky

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The paper considers a problem on optimum heating control of a blank in the form of prism under complicated conditions of heat-transfer in accordance with criteria of gas consumption minimization, decarburized layer and scaling. Numerical algorithm of the problem solution and examples are given in the paper. A new technology of the flame furnace operation has been developed in the paper. 

Taking Leave?

CERN Multimedia

2000-01-01

Planning a holiday? Then if you're a member of the personnel, you'll need to use the Laboratory's new leave system that will be put in place on 1 October. Leave allocations don't change - you are entitled to just as much holiday as before - but instead of being credited annually, your leave will be credited on a monthly basis, and this information will be communicated on your salary slip. The reason for the change is that with the various new leave schemes such as Recruitment by Saved Leave (RSL) and the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP), a streamlined procedure was required for dealing with all kinds of leave. In the new system, each member of the personnel will have leave accounts to which leave will be credited monthly from the payroll and debited each time an absence is registered in the CERN Electronic Document Handling system (EDH). Leave balances will appear on monthly pay slips, and full details of leave transactions and balances will be available through EDH at all times. As the leave will be c...

Access to paid parental leave for academic surgeons.

Science.gov (United States)

Itum, Dina S; Oltmann, Sarah C; Choti, Michael A; Piper, Hannah G

2018-01-31

Parental leave is linked to health benefits for both child and parent. It is unclear whether surgeons at academic centers have access to paid parental leave. The aim of this study was to determine parental leave policies at the top academic medical centers in the United States to identify trends among institutions. The top academic medical centers were identified (US News & World Report 2016). Institutional websites were reviewed, or human resource departments were contacted to determine parental leave policies. "Paid leave" was defined as leave without the mandated use of personal time off. Institutions were categorized based on geographical region, funding, and ranking to determine trends regarding availability and duration of paid parental leave. Among the top 91 ranked medical schools, 48 (53%) offer paid parental leave. Availability of a paid leave policy differed based on private versus public institutions (70% versus 38%, P leaves (>6 wk) than public institutions (67% versus 33%; P = 0.02). No difference in paid leave duration was noted based on region (P = 0.60) or rank (P = 0.81). Approximately, 50% of top academic medical centers offer paid parental leave. Private institutions are more likely to offer paid leave and leave of longer duration. There is considerable variability in access to paid parenteral leave for academic surgeons. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aqueous poly(amidoamine) dendrimer G3 and G4 generations with several interior cores at pHs 5 and 7: a molecular dynamics simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kavyani, Sajjad; Amjad-Iranagh, Sepideh; Modarress, Hamid

2014-03-27

Poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers play an important role in drug delivery systems, because the dendrimers are susceptible to gain unique features with modification of their structure such as changing their terminals or improving their interior core. To investigate the core improvement and the effect of core nature on PAMAM dendrimers, we studied two generations G3 and G4 PAMAM dendrimers with the interior cores of commonly used ethylendiamine (EDA), 1,5-diaminohexane (DAH), and bis(3-aminopropyl) ether (BAPE) solvated in water, as an aqueous dendrimer system, by using molecular dynamics simulation and applying a coarse-grained (CG) dendrimer force field. To consider the electrostatic interactions, the simulations were performed at two protonation states, pHs 5 and 7. The results indicated that the core improvement of PAMAM dendrimers with DAH produces the largest size for G3 and G4 dendrimers at both pHs 5 and 7. The increase in the size was also observed for BAPE core but it was not so significant as that for DAH core. By considering the internal structure of dendrimers, it was found that PAMAM dendrimer shell with DAH core had more cavities than with BAPE core at both pHs 5 and 7. Also the moment of inertia calculations showed that the generation G3 is more open-shaped and has higher structural asymmetry than the generation G4. Possessing these properties by G3, specially due to its structural asymmetry, make penetration of water beads into the dendrimer feasible. But for higher generation G4 with its relatively structural symmetry, the encapsulation efficiency for water molecules can be enhanced by changing its core to DAH or BAPE. It is also observed that for the higher generation G4 the effect of core modification is more profound than G3 because the core modification promotes the structural asymmetry development of G4 more significantly. Comparing the number of water beads that penetrate into the PAMAM dendrimers for EDA, DAH, and BAPE cores indicates a

Minimization of the blank values in the neutron activation analysis of biological samples considering the whole procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lux, F.; Bereznai, T.; Haeberlin, T.H.

1986-01-01

In our determination of trace element contents of animal tissue by neutron activation analysis in the course of structure-activity relationship studies on platinum containing cancer drugs and wound healing we have tried to minimize the blank values that are caused by different sources of contamination during surgery, sampling and the activation analysis procedure. The following topics have been investigated: the abrasions from scalpels made of stainless steel, titanium or quartz; the type of surgery; the homogenisation of the samples before irradiation by use of a ball milll; the surface contaminations of the quartz ampoules that pass into the digestion solution of the irradiated samples. The appropriate measures taken in order to reduce the blank values are described. The results of analyses performed under these conditions indicate the effectiveness of the given measures, especially shown by the low values obtained for the chromium contents of the analysed muscle samples. (author)

Watch out for the leaves!

CERN Multimedia

HSE Unit

2013-01-01

Now that autumn is here, dead leaves falling from the trees form a colourful carpet that is pleasing to the eye. However, the reality is less pleasant for pedestrians, since these leaves increase the risk of slipping and falling, especially when the ground is wet.   These conditions are also hazardous for two- and four-wheeled vehicles, whose grip on the ground can be severely reduced, thereby increasing the risk of them skidding out of control. Cyclists are among the most vulnerable road users when faced with these hazards. It is therefore essential to be alert to the dangers, which can be lessened by taking a few simple precautions such as moderating your speed and wearing suitable shoes. We also invite you to notify the Service Desk if you notice a road or pavement where there is a high concentration of dead leaves. The CERN Roads and Drainage Service will then ensure that the leaves are cleared in order to reduce the risk of accidents in the area.

75 FR 9436 - Aleris Blanking and Rim Products, Inc., a Division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute, IN...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-02

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-72,041] Aleris Blanking and Rim Products, Inc., a Division of Aleris International, Inc., Terre Haute, IN; Notice of Affirmative Determination Regarding Application for Reconsideration By application dated January 29, 2010, the petitioner...

Mohelno – A terminal Last Glacial Maximum industry with microlithic tools made on carenoidal blanks

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Škrdla, Petr; Nejman, L.; Bartík, J.; Rychtaříková, Tereza; Nikolajev, Pavel; Eigner, J.; Nývltová Fišáková, Miriam; Novák, J.; Polanská, M.

2016-01-01

Roč. 406, 25 June 2016 (2016), s. 184-194 ISSN 1040-6182 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-19170S Keywords : Moravia * Mohelno * Epi-Gravettian * Epi-Aurignacian * Microlithic tools * Carenoidal blanks Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology Impact factor: 2.199, year: 2016

An evaluation testing technique of single event effect using Beam Blanking SEM

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aoki, J; Hada, T; Pesce, A; Akutsu, T; Matsuda, S [National Space Development Agency of Japan, Tsukuba, Ibaraki (Japan). Tsukuba Space Center; Igarashi, T; Baba, S

1997-03-01

Beam Blanking SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) testing technique has been applied to CMOS SRAM devices to evaluate the occurence of soft errors on memory cells. Cross-section versus beam current and LET curves derived from BBSEM and heavy ion testing technique, respectively, have been compared. A linear relation between BBSEM current and heavy ion LET has been found. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate that the application of focused pulsed electron beam could be a reliable, convenient and inexpensive tool to investigate the effects of heavy ions and high energy particles on memory devices for space application. (author)

EUV blank defect and particle inspection with high throughput immersion AFM with 1nm 3D resolution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Es, M.H. van; Sadeghian Marnani, H.

2016-01-01

Inspection of EUV mask substrates and blanks is demanding. We envision this is a good target application for massively parallel Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). We envision to do a full surface characterization of EUV masks with AFM enabling 1nm true 3D resolution over the entire surface. The limiting

Proposal for the award of two contracts for the supply of fine-blanked austenitic steel yoke laminations and inserts for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

This document concerns the award of two contracts for the total supply of 642 000 fine-blanked austenitic steel yoke laminations, of two different types, and 642 000 inserts for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets. Following a market survey carried out among 70 firms in sixteen Member States and one firm in Japan, a call for tenders (IT-2700/LHC/LHC) was sent on 3 June 1999 to seven firms in four Member States and one firm in Japan. By the closing date, CERN had received five tenders. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of two contracts with: - ELAY INDUSTRIAL (ES) for the supply of 324 000 fine-blanked austenitic steel yoke laminations of the first type and the corresponding number of inserts, which represents the total required quantity of laminations of the first type and of corresponding inserts for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets, for a total amount of 481 814 euros, which at the exchange rate given in the tender correspond to 770 8...

Experimental and numerical analysis of interlocking rib formation at sheet metal blanking

Science.gov (United States)

Bolka, Špela; Bratuš, Vitoslav; Starman, Bojan; Mole, Nikolaj

2018-05-01

Cores for electrical motors are typically produced by blanking of laminations and then stacking them together, with, for instance, interlocking ribs or welding. Strict geometrical tolerances, both on the lamination and on the stack, combined with complex part geometry and harder steel strip material, call for use of predictive methods to optimize the process before actual blanking to reduce the costs and speed up the process. One of the major influences on the final stack geometry is the quality of the interlocking ribs. A rib is formed in one step and joined with the rib of the preceding lamination in the next. The quality of the joint determines the firmness of the stack and also influences its. The geometrical and positional accuracy is thus crucial in rib formation process. In this study, a complex experimental and numerical analysis of interlocking rib formation has been performed. The aim of the analysis is to numerically predict the shape of the rib in order to perform a numerical simulation of the stack formation in the next step of the process. A detailed experimental research has been performed in order to characterize influential parameters on the rib formation and the geometry of the ribs itself, using classical and 3D laser microscopy. The formation of the interlocking rib is then simulated using Abaqus Explicit. The Hilll 48 constitutive material model is based on extensive and novel material characterization process, combining data from in-plane and out-of-plane material tests to perform a 3D analysis of both, rib formation and rib joining. The study shows good correlation between the experimental and numerical results.

Parental leave: the impact of recent legislation on parents' leave taking.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wen-Jui; Waldfogel, Jane

2003-02-01

We use data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine the impact of leave entitlements on unpaid leave usage by men and women after the birth of a child from 1991 to 1999. The results indicate that legislation providing the right to unpaid leave has not affected men's leave usage. The results for women are mixed: in some specifications, leave entitlements are associated with increased leave taking or longer leaves, but the results depend on how we define leave coverage. Our results point to the limited impact of unpaid leave policies and the potential importance of paid-leave policies.

29 CFR 825.202 - Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... leave schedule is a leave schedule that reduces an employee's usual number of working hours per workweek, or hours per workday. A reduced leave schedule is a change in the employee's schedule for a period of... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule. 825.202...

A spectral blanking-out controller for demonstration of information barrier technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Suping; Gong Jian; Hu Guangchun; Zhang Jianhua

2006-01-01

Information barrier technology has become more and more important in the R and D of radiation fingerprint verification associated with classified items such as nuclear warheads, nuclear components and military-used nuclear materials. The function of information barriers is two-fold: one is to prevent the classified information from leaking out; the other is to provide creditable verification. To fulfill these two functions, the information barriers for a viable verification system (including all its hardware and software) must be designed on the basic principles of protecting classified information and the ability to authenticate. The Spectral Blanking-out Controller (SBC) is developed to illustrate the two functions of the information barriers and to explore some practice measures to meet the required design fundamentals. This paper briefs the task assigned to the SBC, the specific design concerns and the practical information barrier measures. The R and D of the SBC embodies the concepts of information barrier technology and has to conform to the basic guidelines: If a verification system is expected to possess strict information barriers, the design of the system must be integrative with due considerations given to the factors such as the efficiency of the verification technique, the possible measures to protect the classified information from directly or indirectly leaking out, the complete openness in all aspects of the system for the inspectors to authenticate the system for the sake of achieving certain degree of confidence on the verification results. (authors)

Parental leave for residents and pediatric training programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is committed to the development of rational, equitable, and effective parental leave policies that are sensitive to the needs of pediatric residents, families, and developing infants and that enable parents to spend adequate and good-quality time with their young children. It is important for each residency program to have a policy for parental leave that is written, that is accessible to residents, and that clearly delineates program practices regarding parental leave. At a minimum, a parental leave policy for residents and fellows should conform legally with the Family Medical Leave Act as well as with respective state laws and should meet institutional requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for accredited programs. Policies should be well formulated and communicated in a culturally sensitive manner. The AAP advocates for extension of benefits consistent with the Family Medical Leave Act to all residents and interns beginning at the time that pediatric residency training begins. The AAP recommends that regardless of gender, residents who become parents should be guaranteed 6 to 8 weeks, at a minimum, of parental leave with pay after the infant's birth. In addition, in conformance with federal law, the resident should be allowed to extend the leave time when necessary by using paid vacation time or leave without pay. Coparenting, adopting, or fostering of a child should entitle the resident, regardless of gender, to the same amount of paid leave (6-8 weeks) as a person who takes maternity/paternity leave. Flexibility, creativity, and advanced planning are necessary to arrange schedules that optimize resident education and experience, cultivate equity in sharing workloads, and protect pregnant residents from overly strenuous work experiences at critical times of their pregnancies.

Electrospun Blank Nanocoating for Improved Sustained Release Profiles from Medicated Gliadin Nanofibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinkuan Liu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Nanomaterials providing sustained release profiles are highly desired for efficacious drug delivery. Advanced nanotechnologies are useful tools for creating elaborate nanostructure-based nanomaterials to achieve the designed functional performances. In this research, a modified coaxial electrospinning was explored to fabricate a novel core-sheath nanostructure (nanofibers F2, in which a sheath drug-free gliadin layer was successfully coated on the core ketoprofen (KET-gliadin nanocomposite. A monolithic nanocomposite (nanofibers F1 that was generated through traditional blending electrospinning of core fluid was utilized as a control. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that both nanofibers F1 and F2 were linear. Transmission electron microscopy verified that nanofibers F2 featured a clear core-sheath nanostructure with a thin sheath layer about 25 nm, whereas their cores and nanofibers F1 were homogeneous KET-gliadin nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction patterns verified that, as a result of fine compatibility, KET was dispersed in gliadin in an amorphous state. In vitro dissolution tests demonstrated that the thin blank nanocoating in nanofibers F2 significantly modified drug release kinetics from a traditional exponential equation of nanofibers F1 to a zero-order controlled release model, linearly freeing 95.7 ± 4.7% of the loaded cargoes over a time period of 16 h.

Electrospun Blank Nanocoating for Improved Sustained Release Profiles from Medicated Gliadin Nanofibers.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xinkuan; Shao, Wenyi; Luo, Mingyi; Bian, Jiayin; Yu, Deng-Guang

2018-03-22

Nanomaterials providing sustained release profiles are highly desired for efficacious drug delivery. Advanced nanotechnologies are useful tools for creating elaborate nanostructure-based nanomaterials to achieve the designed functional performances. In this research, a modified coaxial electrospinning was explored to fabricate a novel core-sheath nanostructure (nanofibers F2), in which a sheath drug-free gliadin layer was successfully coated on the core ketoprofen (KET)-gliadin nanocomposite. A monolithic nanocomposite (nanofibers F1) that was generated through traditional blending electrospinning of core fluid was utilized as a control. Scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that both nanofibers F1 and F2 were linear. Transmission electron microscopy verified that nanofibers F2 featured a clear core-sheath nanostructure with a thin sheath layer about 25 nm, whereas their cores and nanofibers F1 were homogeneous KET-gliadin nanocomposites. X-ray diffraction patterns verified that, as a result of fine compatibility, KET was dispersed in gliadin in an amorphous state. In vitro dissolution tests demonstrated that the thin blank nanocoating in nanofibers F2 significantly modified drug release kinetics from a traditional exponential equation of nanofibers F1 to a zero-order controlled release model, linearly freeing 95.7 ± 4.7% of the loaded cargoes over a time period of 16 h.

Computer simulation of quenching uranium-0.75% titanium penetrator blanks. Final report for FY 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llewellyn, G.H.; Aramayo, G.A.; Childs, K.W.; Ludtka, G.M.; Siman-Tov, M.

1985-02-01

The models developed can be used as a basis to understand, study, and optimize the process. Information obtained from these models can be used to analytically predict temperature distribution, cooling rates, stresses, deformation, phase composition, and possibly the prediction of void formations, all as functions of both position and time. It was demonstrated that nonsymmetrical boundary conditions can lead to bowing of the penetrator blanks and applicable techniques were developed to optimize the quenching process. Experiments for deriving physical and mechanical properties for the uranium-0.75% Ti alloy including data on the heats of transformation have been performed. It is concluded that the contribution of the transformation heat constitutes about 19% of the total heat transfer involved and is, therefore, a significant factor affecting the metallurgical behavior of the alloy during the quenching operation. This behavior is less sensitive to the dependence of the property data on temperature

Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households

OpenAIRE

Bartel, Ann P.; Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J.; Stearns, Jenna; Waldfogel, Jane

2015-01-01

This paper provides quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of paid leave legislation on fathers' leave-taking, as well as on the division of leave between mothers and fathers in dual-earner households. Using difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference designs, we study California's Paid Family Leave (CA-PFL) program, which is the first source of government-provided paid parental leave available to fathers in the United States. Our results show that fathers in Califo...

Employer Provisions for Parental Leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Meisenheimer, Joseph R., II

1989-01-01

Slightly more than one-third of full-time employees in medium and large firms in private industry were covered by maternity- or paternity-leave policies; days off were usually leave without pay. (Author)

Laser welding of tailored blanks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peças, P.

1998-04-01

Full Text Available Laser welding has an incrising role in the automotive industry, namely on the sub-assemblies manufacturing. Several sheet-shape parts are laser welded, on a dissimilar combination of thicknesses and materials, and are afterwards formed (stamped being transformed in a vehicle body component. In this paper low carbon CO₂ laser welding, on the thicknesses of 1,25 and 0,75 mm, formability investigation is described. There will be a description of how the laser welded blanks behave in different forming tests, and the influence of misalignment and undercut on the formibility. The quality is evaluated by measuring the limit strain and limit effective strain for the laser welded sheets and the base material, which will be presented in a forming limit diagram.

A soldadura laser assume um papel cada vez mais importante na indústria automóvel, principalmente para a fabricação de sub-conjuntos constituídos por varias partes de chapa de diferentes espessuras (e diferentes materiais, que depois de estampados constituem um componente para integrar num veículo. Descreve-se neste artigo o trabalho de investigação de enformabilidade de chapa de ac.o de baixo carbono soldada por laser de CO₂, nas espessuras de 1,25 e 0,75 mm. Apresenta-se uma descrição do comportamento das chapas soldadas por laser em diferentes testes de enformação, e a influência dos defeitos das soldaduras (desalinhamento e queda do banho-undercut no comportamento à enformação. A qualidade é avaliada pela medição da extensão limite e da extensão limite efectiva no material base e no material soldado, que serão representadas num diagrama de limite de enformabilidade.

Positive and negative consequences of sick leave for the individual, with special focus on part-time sick leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Sieurin, Leif; Josephson, Malin; Vingård, Eva

2009-01-01

To describe the consequences of long-term sick leave (>28 days) on working situation, health and lifestyle among employees from the public sector in Sweden. Employees in four county councils and two municipalities on long term sick leave on 1 November 2005 (n = 1,128) answered a questionnaire in February 2006. The response rate was 71.7%. Eighty seven per cent were still on sick leave when the questionnaire was answered: 54% part time and 33% full time. Reporting positive consequences was rare but reporting negative consequences, such as effects on the development of salary, the possibilities of pursuing a career or to change to another job were common. Sick leave seemed to lead to a considerable loss of zest for work, even if the respondents were back in work full time. Regardless of the negative consequences at work, 92% of those on part-time sick leave believed that the part-time sick leave was good for them even if many thought it had negative consequences for employer and colleagues. Long-term sick leave has negative consequences for the individual in work situations, even for those back at work full time. The development of salary and career seem to be most affected. The attitude towards part-time sick leave was positive and this result indicates that there is a potential for an increased degree of partial return to work in the group of people on long-term sick leave.

Properties of leaves particleboard for sheathing application

Science.gov (United States)

Nuryawan, Arif; Rahmawaty

2018-03-01

Manufacturing particleboard (PB) made of leaves was carried out to make non-structural building components, such as insulation, partition, wall, and sheathing. Raw materials used dry leaves originated from plantation (palm oil leaves) and forest plantation (magahony leaves). The adhesive used was interior type thermosetting commercial resins, namely 10% urea-formaldehyde (UF) based on oven dry leaves. Hardener used for UF resin was 1% and 3% ammonium chloride (NH4Cl) 20% (w/w), respectively. Technically, the target density of PB was 0.8 g/cm3 with the dimension’s size of (250 x 250 x 10) mm3. The pressure, temperature, and time of pressing of the hot press were 25 kgf/cm2, 120C, and 10 minutes, respectively. After conditioning for one week, the PB then was evaluated their physical and mechanical properties according to Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) A 5908 (2003). Results of this work showed: 1) Both types of PB (palm oil and mahagony leaves) were feasible to be produced for non-structural applications; 2) Addition of hardener enhanced the physical and mechanical properties of PB; 3) It was recommended to enhance the performance of the PB by manipulation of the raw materials and the design.

Zinc Finger Takes on a Whole New Meaning: Reducing and Monitoring Zinc Blanks in the Isotope Lab

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkes, E. B.; Wasylenki, L. E.; Anbar, A. D.

2010-12-01

In terms of avoiding contamination, zinc is one of the most difficult elements to study isotopically. The reason for this is that zinc stearate is a very common mold release agent in the production of plastics, including those most often used in isotope geochemistry clean labs. While polyethylene bottles, polypropylene centrifuge tubes, pipette tips, and Kimwipes are all potential sources of contaminant zinc, by far the largest amount of zinc is introduced to the laboratory by gloves. Most items can be effectively rid of zinc by soaking in dilute hydrochloric acid, but gloves cannot be cleaned easily, and use of gloves can quickly lead to contamination on many surfaces throughout the lab. We recently conducted several experiments in which dissolved zinc was partly adsorbed onto synthetic Mn oxyhydroxide particles. The dissolved and adsorbed pools were separated by filtration, purified with ion exchange chemistry, and analyzed for isotope composition by MC-ICP-MS. We used a commercially purchased ICP standard solution both as our standard (delta66/64Zn = 0) and as the source of the zinc in the experiments. Whenever gloves were worn during purification, process blanks contained as much as 150 ng Zn, and both the dissolved and adsorbed pools of zinc came out enriched in heavy isotopes relative to the starting pool, contrary to our expectation of mass balance. When gloves were not worn, blanks were brands of vinyl gloves, including one brand recommended to us for being “low” in zinc, measured +10‰ relative to our standard. We therefore concluded that glove zinc contaminated most of our experimental samples. We were only able to see such clear evidence of contamination because (1) we were doing an experiment in which we expected one light and one heavy pool of zinc compared to our standard, and (2) we happened to use an ICP standard solution for delta = 0 that is strongly enriched in light isotopes relative to both brands of gloves. We caution others who measure

Application of Finite Element Method to Analyze the Influences of Process Parameters on the Cut Surface in Fine Blanking Processes by Using Clearance-Dependent Critical Fracture Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Phyo Wai Myint

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The correct choice of process parameters is important in predicting the cut surface and obtaining a fully-fine sheared surface in the fine blanking process. The researchers used the value of the critical fracture criterion obtained by long duration experiments to predict the conditions of cut surfaces in the fine blanking process. In this study, the clearance-dependent critical ductile fracture criteria obtained by the Cockcroft-Latham and Oyane criteria were used to reduce the time and cost of experiments to obtain the value of the critical fracture criterion. The Finite Element Method (FEM was applied to fine blanking processes to study the influences of process parameters such as the initial compression, the punch and die corner radii and the shape and size of the V-ring indenter on the length of the sheared surface. The effects of stress triaxiality and punch diameters on the cut surface produced by the fine blanking process are also discussed. The verified process parameters and tool geometry for obtaining a fully-fine sheared SPCC surface are described. The results showed that the accurate and stable prediction of ductile fracture initiation can be achieved using the Oyane criterion.

Summary and evaluation of pesticides in field blanks collected for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program, 1992-95

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Jeffrey D.; Gilliom, Robert J.; Schertz, Terry L.

1999-01-01

Field blanks are quality-control samples used to assess contamination in environmental water samples. Contamination is the unintentional introduction of a chemical (pesticides in this instance) into an environmental water sample from sources such as inadequately cleaned equipment, dirty hands, dust, rain, or fumes. Contamination causes a positive bias in analytical measurements that may need to be considered in the analysis and interpretation of the environmental data. Estimates of pesticide contamination in environmental water samples collected for the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program are used to qualify, where needed, interpretations of the occurrence and distribution of pesticides in the surface and ground waters of the United States.

The Use of Application Blanks as Pre-Screening Devices in Employee Selection: An Assessment of Practices in Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Bredeson, Paul V.

1988-01-01

Reports on a study of the use of employment application blanks as prescreening devices in public school employee selection. Findings suggest two major areas for further research. The first relates to legal compliance with Equal Opportunity Employment guidelines. The second concerns information relevancy to personnel selection. (JAM)

29 CFR 825.120 - Leave for pregnancy or birth.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) WAGE AND HOUR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OTHER LAWS THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 Coverage Under the Family and Medical Leave Act § 825.120 Leave for... of a child as follows: (1) Both the mother and father are entitled to FMLA leave for the birth of...

5 CFR 630.1204 - Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... insurance, health benefits, retirement coverage, and leave accrual). (e) The agency shall determine the... REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Family and Medical Leave § 630.1204 Intermittent leave or reduced leave schedule... reduced leave schedule unless the employee and the agency agree to do so. (b) Leave under § 630.1203(a) (3...

Negative leave balances

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Department

2005-01-01

Members of the personnel entitled to annual leave and, where appropriate, saved leave and/or compensatory leave are requested to take note of the new arrangements described below, which were recommended by the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) at its meeting on 1Â September 2005 and subsequently approved by the Director-General. The changes do not apply to members of the personnel participating in the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP) or the Part-time Work as a pre-retirement measure, for whom the specific provisions communicated at the time of joining will continue to apply. Â Negative balances in annual leave, saved leave and/or compensatory leave accounts at the end of the leave year (30th September) and on the date on which bonuses are credited to the saved leave account (31st December): Where members of the personnel have a leave account with a negative balance on 30Â September and/or 31Â December, leave will automatically be transferred from one account to another on the relevant dates i...

Negative leave balances

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Department

2005-01-01

Members of the personnel entitled to annual leave and, where appropriate, saved leave and/or compensatory leave are requested to take note of the new arrangements described below, which were recommended by the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) at its meeting on 1 September 2005 and subsequently approved by the Director-General. The changes do not apply to members of the personnel participating in the Progressive Retirement Programme (PRP) or the Part-time Work as a pre-retirement measure, for whom the specific provisions communicated at the time of joining will continue to apply.  Negative balances in annual leave, saved leave and/or compensatory leave accounts at the end of the leave year (30th September) and on the date on which bonuses are credited to the saved leave account (31st December): Where members of the personnel have a leave account with a negative balance on 30 September and/or 31 December, leave will automatically be transferred from one account to another on the relevant dates in or...

Design study of the geometry of the blanking tool to predict the burr formation of Zircaloy-4 sheet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ha, Jisun, E-mail: nskim@sogang.ac.kr; Lee, Hyungyil, E-mail: nskim@sogang.ac.kr; Kim, Dongchul, E-mail: nskim@sogang.ac.kr; Kim, Naksoo, E-mail: nskim@sogang.ac.kr [Sogang University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seoul, 121-742 (Korea, Republic of)

2013-12-16

In this work, we investigated factors that influence burr formation for zircaloy-4 sheet used for spacer grids of nuclear fuel roads. Factors we considered are geometric factors of punch. We changed clearance and velocity in order to consider the failure parameters, and we changed shearing angle and corner radius of L-shaped punch in order to consider geometric factors of punch. First, we carried out blanking test with failure parameter of GTN model using L-shaped punch. The tendency of failure parameters and geometric factors that affect burr formation by analyzing sheared edges is investigated. Consequently, geometric factor's influencing on the burr formation is also high as failure parameters. Then, the sheared edges and burr formation with failure parameters and geometric factors is investigated using FE analysis model. As a result of analyzing sheared edges with the variables, we checked geometric factors more affect burr formation than failure parameters. To check the reliability of the FE model, the blanking force and the sheared edges obtained from experiments are compared with the computations considering heat transfer.

Proposal for the award of two contracts for the supply of fine-blanked low-carbon steel yoke laminations and inserts for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets

CERN Document Server

1999-01-01

This document concerns the award of two contracts for the supply of 5 812 000 fine-blanked low-carbon steel yoke laminations, of two different types, and 5 800 000 inserts for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets. Following a market survey carried out among 70 firms in sixteen Member States and one firm in Japan, a call for tenders (IT-2467/LHC/LHC) was sent on 3 June 1999 to seven firms in four Member States. By the closing date, CERN had received five tenders. The Finance Committee is invited to agree to the negotiation of two contracts with: - FUG (DE) for the supply of 3 632 000 fine-blanked low-carbon steel yoke laminations and 3 625 000 inserts, which represents 5/8 of the total quantity required for the cold masses of the LHC superconducting dipole magnets, for a total amount of 2 525 563 euros, which at the exchange rate given in the tender correspond to 4 019 038 Swiss francs, subject to revision for contractual deliveries after 31 December 2001, with an option for the supply of ...

BLANK SHAPE OPTIMIZATION ON DEEP DRAWING OF A TWIN ELLIPTICAL CUP USING THE REDUCED BASIS TECHNIQUE METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahdi Hasanzadeh Golshani

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this project thesis, initial blank shape optimization of a twin elliptical cup to reduce earring phenomenon in anisotropic sheet deep drawing process was studied .The purpose of this study is optimization of initial blank for reduction of the ears height value. The optimization process carried out using finite element method approach, which is coupled with Taguchi design of experiments and reduced basis technique methods. The deep drawing process was simulated in FEM software ABAQUS 6.12. The results of optimization show earring height and, in addition, a number of design variables and time of process can be reduced by using this methods. After optimization process with the proposed method, the maximum reduction of the earring height would be from 21.08 mm to 0.07 mm and also it could be reduced to 0 in some of the directions. The proposed optimization design in this article allows the designers to select the practical basis shapes. This leads to obtain better results at the end of the optimization process, to reduce design variables, and also to prevent repeating the optimization steps for indirect shapes.

Discontinuation of approval of modifications in notes, guaranteed under Title VI or VII of the Public Health Service Act, proposed to permit use of the notes as collateral for tax-exempt financings--PHS. Final rule.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-09-21

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) adds a new section to regulations for making and guaranteeing loans for construction and modernization of hospitals and medical facilities and to regulations for guaranteeing loans for the construction of teaching facilities for health professions personnel. Under these regulations HHS will not approve the modification of the terms of an existing loan guaranteed under Title VI or Title VII of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act if the modification would permit use of the guarantee (or guaranteed loan) as collateral for tax-exempt financing.

Blank book on energy: priority to renewable energies and energy savings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2003-01-01

The British minister of industry and trade has presented a blank book on energy. This report has in view to curb the emission of greenhouse gases by 60 % before 2050 and to double the contribution of renewable energies by 2020 with an intermediate objective of 10 % in 2010. Today this contribution reaches 3 %. New nuclear power plants are not expected to be built. This report recalls that the United-Kingdom (UK) imports half the coal it needs and states that by 2006 UK will become a net gas importing country and by 2010 a net oil importing country. The solution promoted by the report is to rely on diverse energy sources and on diverse supplying countries. (A.C.)

Testing the Reliability of Delay Discounting of Ten Commodities Using the Fill-in-the-Blank Method

Science.gov (United States)

Weatherly, Jeffrey N.; Derenne, Adam; Terrell, Heather K.

2011-01-01

Several measures of delay discounting have been shown to be reliable over periods of up to 3 months. In the present study, 115 participants completed a fill-in-the-blank (FITB) delay-discounting task on sets of 5 different commodities, 12 weeks apart. Results showed that discounting rates were not well described by a hyperbolic function but were…

Leaving home in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Rikke Skovgaard

2015-01-01

The paper focuses on ethnic differences in the timing and patterns of leaving the parental home. Leaving home is a key transition in the life course of the individual, and extensive research has been conducted on the timing and patterns of leaving it. However, ethnic differences in these patterns...... of leaving home. Results showed that while some differences disappeared when controlling for covariates, others persisted, thus indicating ethnic differences in home-leaving patterns. A strong link between leaving home and marriage was substantiated for Turks, but not for Somalis. The home-leaving patterns...... of Somalis were much more similar to those of Danes. Overall, Turkish descendants were similar to Turkish immigrants but with some differentiation. The analyses identified the existence of ethnic differences in home-leaving patterns but also found evidence of a shift towards less traditional patterns, i...

Candidate isolated neutron stars and other optically blank x-ray fields identified from the rosat all-sky and sloan digital sky surveys

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agueros, Marcel A.; Anderson, Scott F.; /Washington U., Seattle, Astron. Dept.; Margon, Bruce; /Baltimore, Space Telescope Sci.; Haberl, Frank; Voges, Wolfgang; /Garching,; Annis, James; /Fermilab; Schneider, Donald P.; /Penn State U., Astron. Astrophys.; Brinkmann, Jonathan; /Apache Point Observ.

2005-11-01

Only seven radio-quiet isolated neutron stars (INSs) emitting thermal X rays are known, a sample that has yet to definitively address such fundamental issues as the equation of state of degenerate neutron matter. We describe a selection algorithm based on a cross-correlation of the ROSAT All-Sky Survey (RASS) and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) that identifies X-ray error circles devoid of plausible optical counterparts to the SDSS g {approx} 22 magnitudes limit. We quantitatively characterize these error circles as optically blank; they may host INSs or other similarly exotic X-ray sources such as radio-quiet BL Lacs, obscured AGN, etc. Our search is an order of magnitude more selective than previous searches for optically blank RASS error circles, and excludes the 99.9% of error circles that contain more common X-ray-emitting subclasses. We find 11 candidates, nine of which are new. While our search is designed to find the best INS candidates and not to produce a complete list of INSs in the RASS, it is reassuring that our number of candidates is consistent with predictions from INS population models. Further X-ray observations will obtain pinpoint positions and determine whether these sources are entirely optically blank at g {approx} 22, supporting the presence of likely isolated neutron stars and perhaps enabling detailed follow-up studies of neutron star physics.

Time On Station Requirements: Costs, Policy Change, and Perceptions

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-01

also reviews existing programs used to increase TOS (i.e. Assignment Incentive Pay [AIP] that is governed for all services by DOD Financial Management ... Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE December 2016...LEFT BLANK vii TABLE OF CONTENTS I.  INTRODUCTION

Parental Leave in Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostgaard, Tine; Christoffersen, Mogens; Weise, Hanne

This artcle considders the political aims for different leave schemes and reviews studies af these schemes. The use of parental leave is sensitive to the financial loss involved in taking leave: a decrease in the benefit payments has had a significant influence on take-up, while, in general, fami......, families'' loss of income is less if leave is taken up by the mothers. Only few fathers participate in parental leave....

Women's Reasons for Leaving the Engineering Field.

Science.gov (United States)

Fouad, Nadya A; Chang, Wen-Hsin; Wan, Min; Singh, Romila

2017-01-01

Among the different Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields, engineering continues to have one of the highest rates of attrition (Hewlett et al., 2008). The turnover rate for women engineers from engineering fields is even higher than for men (Frehill, 2010). Despite increased efforts from researchers, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the reasons that women leave engineering. This study aims to address this gap by examining the reasons why women leave engineering. Specifically, we analyze the reasons for departure given by national sample of 1,464 women engineers who left the profession after having worked in the engineering field. We applied a person-environment fit theoretical lens, in particular, the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) (Dawis and Lofquist, 1984) to understand and categorize the reasons for leaving the engineering field. According to the TWA, occupations have different "reinforcer patterns," reflected in six occupational values, and a mismatch between the reinforcers provided by the work environment and individuals' needs may trigger departure from the environment. Given the paucity of literature in this area, we posed research questions to explore the reinforcer pattern of values implicated in women's decisions to leave the engineering field. We used qualitative analyses to understand, categorize, and code the 1,863 statements that offered a glimpse into the myriad reasons that women offered in describing their decisions to leave the engineering profession. Our results revealed the top three sets of reasons underlying women's decision to leave the jobs and engineering field were related to: first, poor and/or inequitable compensation, poor working conditions, inflexible and demanding work environment that made work-family balance difficult; second, unmet achievement needs that reflected a dissatisfaction with effective utilization of their math and science skills, and third, unmet needs with regard to lack of recognition

Privacy Act of 1974; system of records--PHS. Waiver of advance notice period for a new system of records.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-08-30

FR Doc. 83-18581, appearing at page 31738 in the issue of Monday, July 11, 1983, provided notification of a new system of records proposed by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). That system is 09-15-0045, "Health Resources and Services Administration Loan Repayment/Debt Management Records System, HHS/HRSA/OA." The document stated that the Public Health Service had requested that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) grant a waiver of the usual requirement that a system of records not be put into effect until 60 days after the report is sent to OMB and the Congress OMB granted the requested waiver on August 3, 1983. Accordingly, the new system of records, 09-15-0045, became effective upon the date of the waiver except for the routine uses established for the system. They became effective August 11, 1983, following the public comment period. However, in response to a comment received from the responsible oversight committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, we are adding a routine use to permit disclosure of information from these records to the General Accounting Office (GAO) and OMB for auditing financial obligations. We are also modifying one of the existing routine uses. PHS invites interested parties to submit comments on the proposed new routine use on or before September 29, 1983. In accordance with the Debt Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97-365), we are also adding the "special disclosure" statement. This statement does not require a public comment period.

Effect of external pH on the cytoplasmic and vacuolar pHs in Mung bean root-tip cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torimitsu, Keiichi; Yazaki, Yoshiaki; Nagasuka, Kinuyo; Ohta, Eiji; Sakata, Makoto

1984-01-01

The effect of the external pH on the intracellular pH in mung bean (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) root-tip cells was investigated with the 31 P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method. The 31 P NMR spectra showed three peaks caused by cytoplasmic G-6-P, cytoplasmic Psub(i) and vacuolar Psub(i). The cytoplasmic and vacuolar pHs could be determined by comparing the Psub(i) chemical shifts with the titration curve. When the external pH was changed over a range from pH 3 to 10, the cytoplasmic pH showed smaller changes than the vacuolar pH, suggesting that the former is regulated more strictly than the latter. The H + -ATPase inhibitor, DCCD, caused the breakdown of the mechanism that regulates the intracellular pH. H + -ATPase appears to have an important part in the regulation of the intracellular pH. (author)

Application Of CO2 Lasers To High Speed Blanking

Science.gov (United States)

Grenier, L. E.

1986-11-01

While laser cutting of sheetmetal has attained wide acceptance in the automotive industry for the purposes of prototyping and very limited preproduction work, the production rates possible with currently available systems have precluded the use of this technique in a production environment. The device design to be described embodies a high speed X-Y positioner carrying a cutting head with limited Z-axis capability. This approach confers two main benefits, first, production rate is limited only by laser power, since the positioner technology selected will permit movement at rates up to 1.5 m/s (60 in/s), second, the use of a high speed non-contact surface follower to control the Z-axis movement reduces the need to clamp the workpiece rigidly to a precision reference surface. The realized reduction of the clamping requirement permits some latitude in the feed methods that can be employed, allowing the use of coil or sheet feeding as appropriate. The author will provide estimated production rates for the proposed design and demonstrate that a suitable choice of laser source and material feed will permit the production of parts at a rate and cost comparable to conventional blanking with the advantage of much greater flexibility and reduced retooling time.

["Paternity leave"? Retrospective view on a delayed reform of maternity leave in Austria].

Science.gov (United States)

Munz, R

1984-01-01

Only 1 of 3 Austrian fathers involves himself daily in child rearing, and the younger the children, the less likely he is to be involved. Austria is among those European countries with the greatest pregnancy benefits. New mothers may take up to 1 year of paid maternity leave without fear of losing their jobs. This article uses 1982 Institute of Demography survey data to determine support for similar paternity leave for fathers. In the last few years, both Social Democrat and Conservative women have worked for this leave, although the movement has also found opposition by women in trade unions, as well as from conservative groups. Survey results show that 46% of married Austrian women, under age 40, favor paternity leave; 1 or 4 women can imagine their husbands taking such leave. Among husbands, 34% favored the leave option, and 1 of 4 could imagine taking the leave for a least part of the baby's first year. The study attempts to identify those husbands most likely to take advantage of paternity leave. At present, most men will not choose to stay with their children at the expense of earnings reduction. Compensation reforms for both mothers and fathers must first occur before men and women in a position to make real decisions on maternity and paternity leave.

The Temporary Leave Dilemma -

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amilon, Anna

2010-01-01

Lone mothers have to take care of a sick child with little or no help from the child’s other parent and have to carry all costs connected to leave-taking. This paper empirically tests whether lone mothers take more temporary parental leave to care for sick children than partnered mothers...... and whether parental leave is associated with a signaling cost. The results from this study of Swedish mothers show that lone mothers use more temporary parental leave than partnered mothers. Further, within the group of lone mothers, those with higher socioeconomic status take less temporary parental leave...... than those with lower socioeconomic status, whereas no such differences are found within the group of partnered mothers. One possible interpretation is that signaling costs negatively influence the utilization of temporary parental leave for lone mothers....

29 CFR 825.119 - Leave for treatment of substance abuse.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Leave for treatment of substance abuse. 825.119 Section 825... Leave for treatment of substance abuse. (a) Substance abuse may be a serious health condition if the conditions of §§ 825.113 through 825.115 are met. However, FMLA leave may only be taken for treatment for...

Family medical leave as a resilience resource for family caregivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Swanke, Jayme; Zeman, Laura Dreuth

2009-01-01

Case managers mobilize family networks to care for patients. Family medical leave can be a resource for case managers who seek to enhance resilience among family caregivers. The Family Medical Leave Act, passed in 1993, was the first U.S. policy to regulate employee leaves from work for family care purposes (29 CFR 825.102). This policy offers family caregivers increased flexibility and equality. Current and emerging policies also can reduce financial strain. The discussion examines how case managers can integrate family medical leave into best-practice models to support patients and family caregivers.

29 CFR 825.112 - Qualifying reasons for leave, general rule.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... employees. A father, as well as a mother, can take family leave for the birth, placement for adoption, or foster care of a child. (c) Active employee. In situations where the employer/employee relationship has... OTHER LAWS THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 Coverage Under the Family and Medical Leave Act...

Maternity Leave Provisions for Classroom Teachers in Larger School Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Educational Research Service Circular, 1966

1966-01-01

Maternity leave provisions for classroom teachers in 129 school systems having enrollments of 25,000 or more are reported for 1965-66 in this national survey. Tables contain information on compulsory absence prior to anticipated date of birth and earliest permissible return from maternity leaves. Brief descriptions of maternity leave practices are…

Maternity Leave Policies

Science.gov (United States)

Strang, Lucy; Broeks, Miriam

2017-01-01

Abstract Over recent years many European Union countries have made changes to the design of the maternity leave provision. These policy developments reflect calls for greater gender equality in the workforce and more equal share of childcare responsibilities. However, while research shows that long period of leave can have negative effects on women's labour market attachment and career advancements, early return to work can be seen as a factor preventing exclusive breastfeeding, and therefore, potentially having negative health impacts for babies. Indeed, the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age to provide babies with the nutrition for healthy growth and brain development, protection from life-threatening ailments, obesity and non-communicable diseases such as asthma and diabetes. Therefore, labour market demands on women may be at odds with the health benefits for children gained by longer periods of maternity leave. The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between leave provision and health benefits for children. We examine maternity and parental leave provision across European countries and its potential impact on the breastfeeding of very young babies (up to 6-months of age). We also consider economic factors of potential extension of maternity leave provision to 6 months, such as costs to businesses, effects on the female labour market attachment, and wider consequences (benefits and costs) for individuals, families, employers and the wider society. PMID:28983432

A coupled analysis of fluid flow, heat transfer and deformation behavior of solidifying shell in continuously cast beam blank

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Eui; Yeo, Tae Jung; Oh, Kyu Hwan; Yoon, Jong Kyu [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul Nat` l Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Heung Nam [Oxford Center for Advanced Materials and Composites, Department of Materials, Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom)

1998-12-31

A mathematical model for a coupled analysis of fluid flow, heat transfer and deformation behavior in the continuously cast beam blank has been developed. The fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification in the mold region were analyzed with 3-dimensional finite difference method (FDM) based on control volume method. A body fitted coordinate system was introduced for the complex geometry of the beam blank. The effects of turbulence and natural convection of molten steel were taken into account in determining the fluid flow in the strand. The thermo-elasto-plastic deformation behavior in the cast strand and the formation of air gap between the solidifying shell and the mold were analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) using the 2-dimensional slice temperature profile calculated by the FDM. The heat flow between the strand and the mold was evaluated by the coupled analysis between the fluid flow-heat transfer analysis and the thermo-elasto-plastic stress analysis. In order to determine the solid fraction in the mushy zone, the microsegregation of solute element was assessed. The effects of fluid flow on the heat transfer, the solidification of steel and the distribution of shell thickness during the casting of the beam blank were simulated. The deformation behavior of the solidifying shell and the possibility of cracking of the strand were also investigated. The recirculating flows were developed in the regions of the web and the flange tip. The impinging of the inlet flow from the nozzle retarded the growing of solidifying shell in the regions of the fillet and the flange. The air gap between the strand and the mold was formed near the region of the corner of the flange tip. At the initial stage of casting, the probability of the surface cracking was high in the regions of the fillet and the flange tip. After the middle stage of casting, the internal cracking was predicted in the regions of the flange tip, and between the fillet and the flange tip. (author) 38

A coupled analysis of fluid flow, heat transfer and deformation behavior of solidifying shell in continuously cast beam blank

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Eui; Yeo, Tae Jung; Oh, Kyu Hwan; Yoon, Jong Kyu [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul Nat`l Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Heung Nam [Oxford Center for Advanced Materials and Composites, Department of Materials, Univ. of Oxford (United Kingdom)

1997-12-31

A mathematical model for a coupled analysis of fluid flow, heat transfer and deformation behavior in the continuously cast beam blank has been developed. The fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification in the mold region were analyzed with 3-dimensional finite difference method (FDM) based on control volume method. A body fitted coordinate system was introduced for the complex geometry of the beam blank. The effects of turbulence and natural convection of molten steel were taken into account in determining the fluid flow in the strand. The thermo-elasto-plastic deformation behavior in the cast strand and the formation of air gap between the solidifying shell and the mold were analyzed by the finite element method (FEM) using the 2-dimensional slice temperature profile calculated by the FDM. The heat flow between the strand and the mold was evaluated by the coupled analysis between the fluid flow-heat transfer analysis and the thermo-elasto-plastic stress analysis. In order to determine the solid fraction in the mushy zone, the microsegregation of solute element was assessed. The effects of fluid flow on the heat transfer, the solidification of steel and the distribution of shell thickness during the casting of the beam blank were simulated. The deformation behavior of the solidifying shell and the possibility of cracking of the strand were also investigated. The recirculating flows were developed in the regions of the web and the flange tip. The impinging of the inlet flow from the nozzle retarded the growing of solidifying shell in the regions of the fillet and the flange. The air gap between the strand and the mold was formed near the region of the corner of the flange tip. At the initial stage of casting, the probability of the surface cracking was high in the regions of the fillet and the flange tip. After the middle stage of casting, the internal cracking was predicted in the regions of the flange tip, and between the fillet and the flange tip. (author) 38

Filling in the Blank:a Postmodern Experiment on Fiction and Human Existence

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

沈冬欢

2014-01-01

In his short story collection Lost in the Funhouse, John Barth attempts to deal with the existential plights that fictional writing and human beings are faced with.“Title”, the most postmodern story in the collection, centers on the issue of“filling in the blank,”in which Barth leads readers to solve the problem and create the story with him. To examine Barth’s postmodern ex-periment in“Title”, this paper mainly focuses on the following three questions:what is the“blank”? How to fill in it? Why to fill in it in that way? By answering them, we may see how Barth reconciles the conflict between the urgency of“filling in the blank”and the failure of filling them.

Improving the Quality of Cast Ingot for the Production of Defect-Free Rolled and Polished Blanks of Silver-Copper Coinage Alloy

Science.gov (United States)

Chakrabarti, Debalay; Chakrabarti, Ajit Kumar; Roy, Sanat Kumar

2018-05-01

The causes of defect generation in Ag-7.5 wt% Cu coinage alloy billets and in rolled and polished blanks were evaluated in this paper. Microstructural and compositional study of the as-cast billets indicated that excessive formation of gas-porosity and shrinkage cavity was responsible for crack formation during rolling. Carbon pick-up from charcoal flux cover used during melting, formation of CuS inclusions due to high-S content and rapid work-hardening also contributed to cracking during rolling. In order to prevent the defect generation, several measures were adopted. Those measures significantly reduced the defect generation and improved the surface luster of the trial rolled strips.

Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C

2014-09-01

Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration.

The use of bead beating to prepare suspensions of nuclei for flow cytometry from fresh leaves, herbarium leaves, petals and pollen.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Andy V

2007-12-01

"Bead beating" is commonly used to release DNA from cells for genomic studies but it was used here to prepare suspensions of plant nuclei for measurement of DNA amounts by flow cytometry. Plant material was placed in 2-ml screw-capped tubes containing beads of zirconia/silica (2.5 mm diameter) or glass (2.5 or 1.0 mm diameter) and 1 ml of lysis buffer. The tubes were mechanically shaken with an FP120 FastPrep Cell Disrupter to release intact nuclei from plant tissue by the impact of the beads. The nuclei were then stained with propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The method was tested using fresh leaves, fresh petals and herbarium leaves of Rosa canina, leaves and pollen of R. rugosa, and fresh leaves of Petroselinum crispum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Allium cepa. Batches of 12 samples of fresh leaves were prepared, simultaneously, in 45 s by bead beating in the Cell Disrupter. In flow cytometry histograms, nuclei of fresh leaves gave G(1)/G(0) peaks with CVs of less than 3.0% and nuclei from fresh petals and herbarium leaves of R. canina, and pollen of the generative nuclei of R. rugosa gave peaks with coefficients of variation (CVs) of less than 4.0%. DNA amounts estimated from 24-month-old herbarium leaves, using P. crispum as an internal standard, were less than those of fresh leaves by a small but significant amount. Suspensions of nuclei can be prepared rapidly and conveniently from a diversity of tissues by bead beating. Exposure of laboratory workers to harmful substances in the lysis buffer is minimized. (c) 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology

Turning palm leaves into wood: Opportunities for Egypt's rural ...

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

2016-04-27

Apr 27, 2016 ... Bedouin women weave handmade baskets, hats, and lamps using dried palm leaves. ... palm tree leaves into hardwood and high-quality wooden products, ... of wood and open doors to job opportunities for rural communities.

Preparation of Samples for Leaf Architecture Studies, A Method for Mounting Cleared Leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandra Vasco

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration.

Women’s Reasons for Leaving the Engineering Field

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadya A. Fouad

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Among the different Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields, engineering continues to have one of the highest rates of attrition (Hewlett et al., 2008. The turnover rate for women engineers from engineering fields is even higher than for men (Frehill, 2010. Despite increased efforts from researchers, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the reasons that women leave engineering. This study aims to address this gap by examining the reasons why women leave engineering. Specifically, we analyze the reasons for departure given by national sample of 1,464 women engineers who left the profession after having worked in the engineering field. We applied a person-environment fit theoretical lens, in particular, the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA (Dawis and Lofquist, 1984 to understand and categorize the reasons for leaving the engineering field. According to the TWA, occupations have different “reinforcer patterns,” reflected in six occupational values, and a mismatch between the reinforcers provided by the work environment and individuals’ needs may trigger departure from the environment. Given the paucity of literature in this area, we posed research questions to explore the reinforcer pattern of values implicated in women’s decisions to leave the engineering field. We used qualitative analyses to understand, categorize, and code the 1,863 statements that offered a glimpse into the myriad reasons that women offered in describing their decisions to leave the engineering profession. Our results revealed the top three sets of reasons underlying women’s decision to leave the jobs and engineering field were related to: first, poor and/or inequitable compensation, poor working conditions, inflexible and demanding work environment that made work-family balance difficult; second, unmet achievement needs that reflected a dissatisfaction with effective utilization of their math and science skills, and third, unmet needs with

Women’s Reasons for Leaving the Engineering Field

Science.gov (United States)

Fouad, Nadya A.; Chang, Wen-Hsin; Wan, Min; Singh, Romila

2017-01-01

Among the different Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields, engineering continues to have one of the highest rates of attrition (Hewlett et al., 2008). The turnover rate for women engineers from engineering fields is even higher than for men (Frehill, 2010). Despite increased efforts from researchers, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the reasons that women leave engineering. This study aims to address this gap by examining the reasons why women leave engineering. Specifically, we analyze the reasons for departure given by national sample of 1,464 women engineers who left the profession after having worked in the engineering field. We applied a person-environment fit theoretical lens, in particular, the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA) (Dawis and Lofquist, 1984) to understand and categorize the reasons for leaving the engineering field. According to the TWA, occupations have different “reinforcer patterns,” reflected in six occupational values, and a mismatch between the reinforcers provided by the work environment and individuals’ needs may trigger departure from the environment. Given the paucity of literature in this area, we posed research questions to explore the reinforcer pattern of values implicated in women’s decisions to leave the engineering field. We used qualitative analyses to understand, categorize, and code the 1,863 statements that offered a glimpse into the myriad reasons that women offered in describing their decisions to leave the engineering profession. Our results revealed the top three sets of reasons underlying women’s decision to leave the jobs and engineering field were related to: first, poor and/or inequitable compensation, poor working conditions, inflexible and demanding work environment that made work-family balance difficult; second, unmet achievement needs that reflected a dissatisfaction with effective utilization of their math and science skills, and third, unmet needs with regard to lack of

Procedure for independently estimating blanks and uncertainties for measured values of 90Sr and 137Cs concentrations in the Atlantic Ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kupferman, S.L.; Livingston, H.D.

1979-01-01

A procedure has been developed for independently estimating blanks and measurement uncertainties for measured values of 90 Sr and 137 CS concentrations in the Atlantic Ocean. The procedure depends on delineation of a region in the Atlantic Ocean which has never contained measurable quantities of these fission products. Such a region is defined. A simple model, with supporting data, is used to show that reported 137 Cs inventories in deep ocean sediments could have accumulated without ever raising concentrations of 137 Cs in this tracer-free volume above minimum detectable limits. Several examples are presented to show that the use of the procedure results in a substantial improvement in the quality of 90 Sr and 137 Cs data. The method is applicable to any laboratory that has determined 9 πSr and 137 Cs concentrations in samples collected from within the tracer-free volume. 10 refs

Falling for Clay Leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Kernan, Christine

2002-01-01

Describes an art project that integrated science and art education. Explains that students create ceramic bowls by using real leaves. Discusses the process of creating the ceramic bowls, including how to glaze the bowls. Includes a list of materials. (CMK)

Work-family balance after childbirth: the association between employer-offered leave characteristics and maternity leave duration.

Science.gov (United States)

Guendelman, Sylvia; Goodman, Julia; Kharrazi, Martin; Lahiff, Maureen

2014-01-01

Early return to work after childbirth has been increasing among working mothers in the US. We assessed the relationship between access to employer-offered maternity leave (EOML) (both paid and unpaid) and uptake and duration of maternity leave following childbirth in a socio-economically diverse sample of full-time working women. We focus on California, a state that has long provided more generous maternity leave benefits than those offered by federal maternity leave policies through the State Disability Insurance program. The sample included 691 mothers who gave birth in Southern California in 2002-2003. Using weighted logistic regression, we examined the EOML-maternity leave duration relationship, controlling for whether the leave was paid, as well as other occupational, personality and health-related covariates. Compared with mothers who were offered more than 12 weeks of maternity leave, mothers with leave had six times higher odds of an early return. These relationships were similar after controlling for whether the leave was paid and after controlling for other occupational and health characteristics. Access to and duration of employer-offered maternity leave significantly determine timing of return to work following childbirth, potentially affecting work-family balance. Policy makers should recognize the pivotal role of employers in offering job security during and after maternity leave and consider widening the eligibility criteria of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Assessment of Annona reticulata Linn. leaves fractions for invitro ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Since from long time the plant, Annona reticulata Linn. is known for its beneficial effects. Leaves of A. reticulata were screened for phytochemicals and in vitro antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal activity. The shade dried leaves were extracted with methanol and aqueous methanolic extract was partitioned successively ...

Paid Educational Leave and Self-Directed Learning: Implications for Legislation on the Learning Leave Scheme in South Korea

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Jeong Rok; Park, Cho Hyun; Jo, Sung Jun

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to explore paid educational leave (PEL), self-directed learning (SDL) and the relationship between them; and to identify the implications for legislation on the learning leave scheme in South Korea. Design/Methodology/Approach: The research method of the study is a literature review. Articles were identified…

[Disability leave and sick leave in Spain. 2016 legislative update].

Science.gov (United States)

Vicente-Herrero, María Teófila; Terradillos-García, María Jesús; Capdevila-García, Luisa M; Ramírez-Íñiguez de la Torre, María Victoria; Aguilar-Jiménez, Encarna; Aguado-Benedí, María José; López-González, Angel Arturo; Torres-Alberich, José Ignacio

2018-01-01

In Spanish, the concepts of discapacidad (disability leave) and incapacidad (sick leave) jointly refer to the impairment of a person due to injuries, diseases or deficiencies that limit their activity in a social, personal or occupational field. However, this common link does not imply that both concepts are the same. Statistical data from INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística: Statistic National Institute) show that Spain had in 2015 3.85 million persons with a disability (59.8% were women). Statistical data from 2015 from INSS (Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social: Social Security National Institute) show high levels in the number of processes and in workers affected by temporary sick leave, with social costs to the social security system. Both concepts have been updated: about disability leave, Law 39/2006 adjusted terminology by avoiding the use of concepts with discriminating or pejorative connotation. Regarding sick leave, the Ley General de Seguridad Social (General Social Security Law)has been amended and came into effect in January, 2016. It is necessary to know and distinguish these aspects for a better administrative management, and a more oriented information to the affected patient.

REMINDER: Saved Leave Scheme (SLS)

CERN Multimedia

2003-01-01

Transfer of leave to saved leave accounts Under the provisions of the voluntary saved leave scheme (SLS), a maximum total of 10 days'* annual and compensatory leave (excluding saved leave accumulated in accordance with the provisions of Administrative Circular No 22B) can be transferred to the saved leave account at the end of the leave year (30 September). We remind you that unused leave of all those taking part in the saved leave scheme at the closure of the leave year accounts is transferred automatically to the saved leave account on that date. Therefore, staff members have no administrative steps to take. In addition, the transfer, which eliminates the risk of omitting to request leave transfers and rules out calculation errors in transfer requests, will be clearly shown in the list of leave transactions that can be consulted in EDH from October 2003 onwards. Furthermore, this automatic leave transfer optimizes staff members' chances of benefiting from a saved leave bonus provided that they ar...

Parental leave and child health.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruhm, C J

2000-11-01

This study investigates whether rights to parental leave improve pediatric health. Aggregate data are used for 16 European countries over the 1969 through 1994 period. More generous paid leave is found to reduce deaths of infants and young children. The magnitudes of the estimated effects are substantial, especially where a causal effect of leave is most plausible. In particular, there is a much stronger negative relationship between leave durations and post-neonatal or child fatalities than for perinatal mortality, neonatal deaths, or low birth weight. The evidence further suggests that parental leave may be a cost-effective method of bettering child health.

Towards automatic recognition of irregular, short-open answers in Fill-in-the-blank tests

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergio A. Rojas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Assessment of student knowledge in Learning Management Systems such as Moodle is mostly conducted using close-ended questions (e.g. multiple-choice whose answers are straightforward to grade without human intervention. FILL-IN-THE-BLANK tests are usually more challenging since they require test-takers to recall concepts and associations not available in the statement of the question itself (no choices or hints are given. Automatic assessment of the latter currently requires the test-taker to give a verbatim answer, that is, free of spelling or typographical mistakes. In this paper, we consider an adapted version of a classical text-matching algorithm that may prevent wrong grading in automatic assessment of FILL-IN-THE-BLANK questions whenever irregular (similar but not exact answers occur due to such types of error. The technique was tested in two scenarios. In the first scenario, misspelled single-word answers to an Internet security questionnaire were correctly recognized within a two letter editing tolerance (achieving 99 % accuracy. The second scenario involved short-open answers to computer programming quizzes (i.e. small blocks of code requiring a structure that conforms to the syntactic rules of the programming language. Twenty-one real-world answers written up by students, taking a computer programming course, were assessed by the method. This assessment addressed the lack of precision in terms of programmer-style artifacts (such as unfamiliar variable or function nomenclature and uses an admissible tolerance of up to 20 % letter-level typos. These scores were satisfactory corroborated by a human expert. Additional findings and potential enhancements to the technique are also discussed.

[Precautionary maternity leave in Tirol].

Science.gov (United States)

Ludescher, K; Baumgartner, E; Roner, A; Brezinka, C

1998-01-01

Under Austrian law, precautionary maternity leave is a decree issued by the district public health physician. It forbids a pregnant woman to work and mandates immediate maternity leave. Regular maternity leave for all women employed in all jobs begins at 32 weeks of gestation. Women who work in workplaces deemed dangerous and women with a history of obstetric problems such as premature or growth-retarded babies from previous pregnancies are regularly 'sent' into precautionary maternity leave. The public health physicians of Tirol's nine administrative districts were interviewed and supplied data on precautionary maternity leave from their districts. In 100 women who attended the clinic for pregnancies at risk of the Obstetrics/Gynecology Department of Innsbruck University Hospital and who had already obtained precautionary maternity leave, the medical/administrative procedure was studied in each case and correlated with pregnancy outcome. The town district of Innsbruck and the district that comprises the suburbs of the provincial capital had the highest rates of precautionary maternity leave. The town district of Innsbruck had a rate of 24.3% of all pregnant women (employed and not employed) in precautionary maternity leave in 1997, whereas the whole province of Tirol had 13.4%. More than 80% of decrees for precautionary maternity leave are issued by district public health physicians on the basis of written recommendations from gynecologists. One third of women who are sent into precautionary maternity leave are issued the decree prior to 12 weeks of gestation - mostly cases of multiple pregnancies and women with previous miscarriages. The present system of precautionary maternity leave appears to work in the sense that most working pregnant women with risk factors are correctly identified - with most errors on the side of caution. As the system also helps employers - the employee's pay is paid from the federal family support fund and state insurance once she is in

Caring for elder parents: a comparative evaluation of family leave laws.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Y Tony; Gimm, Gilbert

2013-01-01

As the baby boomer generation ages, the need for laws to enhance quality of life for the elderly and meet the increasing demand for family caregivers will continue to grow. This paper reviews the national family leave laws of nine major OECD countries (Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and provides a state-by-state analysis within the U.S. We find that the U.S. has the least generous family leave laws among the nine OECD countries. With the exception of two states (California and New Jersey), the U.S. federal Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 provides no right to paid family leave for eldercare. We survey the current evidence from the literature on how paid leave can impact family caregivers' employment and health outcomes, gender equality, and economic arguments for and against such laws. We argue that a generous and flexible family leave law, financed through social insurance, would not only be equitable, but also financially sustainable. © 2013 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

25 CFR 38.12 - Leave system for education personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Leave system for education personnel. 38.12 Section 38.12 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR EDUCATION EDUCATION PERSONNEL § 38.12 Leave system for education personnel. (a) Full-time school-term employees. Employees on a full-time school-term...

Part-time sick leave as a treatment method for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrén, Daniela; Svensson, Mikael

2012-09-01

There is increasing evidence that staying active is an important part of a recovery process for individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It has been suggested that using part-time sick-leave rather than full-time sick leave will enhance the possibility of full recovery to the workforce, and several countries actively favor this policy. The aim of this paper is to examine if it is beneficial for individuals on sick leave due to MSDs to be on part-time sick leave compared to full-time sick leave. A sample of 1,170 employees from the RFV-LS (register) database of the Social Insurance Agency of Sweden is used. The effect of being on part-time sick leave compared to full-time sick leave is estimated for the probability of returning to work with full recovery of lost work capacity. A two-stage recursive bivariate probit model is used to deal with the endogeneity problem. The results indicate that employees assigned to part-time sick leave do recover to full work capacity with a higher probability than those assigned to full-time sick leave. The average treatment effect of part-time sick leave is 25 percentage points. Considering that part-time sick leave may also be less expensive than assigning individuals to full-time sick leave, this would imply efficiency improvements from assigning individuals, when possible, to part-time sick leave.

GPs' negotiation strategies regarding sick leave for subjective health complaints.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsen, Stein; Malterud, Kirsti; Werner, Erik L; Maeland, Silje; Magnussen, Liv Heide

2015-03-01

To explore general practitioners' (GPs') specific negotiation strategies regarding sick-leave issues with patients suffering from subjective health complaints. Focus-group study. Nine focus-group interviews in three cities in different regions of Norway. 48 GPs (31 men, 17 women; age 32-65), participating in a course dealing with diagnostic practice and assessment of sickness certificates related to patients with subjective health complaints. The GPs identified some specific strategies that they claimed to apply when dealing with the question of sick leave for patients with subjective health complaints. The first step would be to build an alliance with the patient by complying with the wish for sick leave, and at the same time searching for information to acquire the patient's perspective. This position would become the basis for the main goal: motivating the patient for a rapid return to work by pointing out the positive effects of staying at work, making legal and moral arguments, and warning against long-term sick leave. Additional solutions might also be applied, such as involving other stakeholders in this process to provide alternatives to sick leave. GPs seem to have a conscious approach to negotiations of sickness certification, as they report applying specific strategies to limit the duration of sick leave due to subjective health complaints. This give-and-take way of handling sick-leave negotiations has been suggested by others to enhance return to work, and should be further encouraged. However, specific effectiveness of this strategy is yet to be proven, and further investigation into the actual dealings between doctor and patients in these complex encounters is needed.

Women?s Reasons for Leaving the Engineering Field

OpenAIRE

Fouad, Nadya A.; Chang, Wen-Hsin; Wan, Min; Singh, Romila

2017-01-01

Among the different Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields, engineering continues to have one of the highest rates of attrition (Hewlett et al., 2008). The turnover rate for women engineers from engineering fields is even higher than for men (Frehill, 2010). Despite increased efforts from researchers, there are still large gaps in our understanding of the reasons that women leave engineering. This study aims to address this gap by examining the reasons why women leave engineering. ...

78 FR 52777 - Implementation of the Revised International Guiding Principles for Biomedical Research Involving...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-26

... for Medical Science (CIOMS) and the International Council for Laboratory Animal Science (ICLAS). PHS.../references/hrea1985.htm ) and the PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy; http://grants.nih.gov/grants/olaw/references/phspol.htm ). The PHS Policy requires that institutions have an...

Determinants of sick-leave duration : A tool for managers?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flach, P.A.; Krol, B.; Groothoff, J.W.

AIMS: To provide managers with tools to manage episodes of sick-leave of their employees, the influence of factors such as age, gender, duration of tenure, working full-time or part-time, cause and history of sick-leave, salary and education on sick-leave duration was studied. METHOD: In a

Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves1

Science.gov (United States)

Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C.

2014-01-01

• Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration. PMID:25225627

The prevalence of sick leave

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Backhausen, Mette; Damm, Peter; Bendix, Jane

2018-01-01

of long-term sick leave. Method Data from 508 employed pregnant women seeking antenatal care was collected by questionnaires from August 2015 to March 2016. The questionnaires, which were filled in at 20 and 32 weeks of gestation, provided information on maternal characteristics, the number of days spent...... on sick leave and the associated reasons. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were applied. Results The prevalence of sick leave was 56% of employed pregnant women in the first 32 weeks of gestation and more than one in four reported long-term sick leave (>20 days, continuous...... was a negative predictor. Conclusions The prevalence of sick leave was 56% in the first 32 weeks of gestation and more than one in four women reported long-term sick leave. The majority of reasons for sick leave were pregnancy-related and low back pain was the most frequently given reason....

5 CFR 630.1015 - Movement between voluntary leave bank and leave transfer programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Movement between voluntary leave bank and leave transfer programs. 630.1015 Section 630.1015 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Voluntary Leave Bank Program § 630.1015 Movement...

U.S. Policy in the Israeli-Palestinian Dispute

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE September 2017 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s...policy, Israel, Palestine, peace process, Oslo Accords, qualitative military edge, Middle East, strategic interests, U.S. strategy, Hamas, Palestinian...role. vi THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vii TABLE OF CONTENTS I. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION

What Provisions Do Orthopaedic Programs Make for Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave?

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Jennifer; Teuscher, David

2016-09-01

The process of choosing medical specialty and residency programs is multifaceted. Today's generation of medical students may have an increased interest in work-life balance and time with their families. In considering this factor, medical students may be influenced by policy regarding maternity, paternity, and adoption leave during residency and fellowship training. Current policy among orthopaedic programs regarding maternity, paternity, and adoption leave is not well described. To understand the influence these policies may have on the choices that medical students make in choosing their specialty, the policies must first be better understood. (1) What proportion of orthopaedic programs have formal or unwritten policies regarding maternity, paternity, and adoptive leave? (2) What are the provisions for time away, allotment of time, and makeup options for trainees who take leave? (3) What proportion of orthopaedic programs report utilization of leave, and what proportions of leave are for maternity, paternity, or adoptive reasons? Accredited programs in orthopaedic surgery were identified through the Council of Orthopedic Residency Directors within the American Orthopaedic Association. Current program directors of these accredited programs were surveyed. The survey was emailed to 144 program directors, of which 141 emails were delivered. Responses were received from 45 program directors, representing 31% of programs. The survey focused on maternity, paternity, and adoptive leave, and it consisted of questions designed to explore program policies (formal, unwritten, no policy, or in development), time considerations (amount allowed, allocation of time away, and makeup requirements), and utilization (trainees who took leave and type of leave used). Most respondents have maternity leave policy (formal: 36 of 45 [80%]; unwritten: 17 of 45 [38%]). Sixteen programs (16 of 45 [36%]) reported having both a formal and an unwritten maternity leave policy. Less than half of

RECRUITMENT FINANCED BY SAVED LEAVE (RSL PROGRAMME)

CERN Multimedia

Division du Personnel; Tel. 73903

1999-01-01

Transfer to the saved leave account and saved leave bonusStaff members participating in the RSL programme may opt to transfer up to 10 days of unused annual leave or unused compensatory leave into their saved leave account, at the end of the leave year, i.e. 30 September (as set out in the implementation procedure dated 27 August 1997).A leave transfer request form, which you should complete, sign and return, if you wish to use this possibility, has been addressed you. To allow the necessary time for the processing of your request, you should return it without delay.As foreseen in the implementation procedure, an additional day of saved leave will be granted for each full period of 20 days remaining in the saved leave account on 31 December 1999, for any staff member participating in the RSL programme until that date.For part-time staff members participating in the RSL programme, the above-mentioned days of leave (annual, compensatory and saved) are adjusted proportionally to their contractual working week as...

The effect of Beetle leaves (Piper Betle Linn for dental caries formation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adi Kurniawan

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Dental caries is still the main problem in dental and oral health. Caries is caused by several factors working simultaneously. The main principle of management caries is by prioritizing preventive action and avoiding invasive action. Beetle leaves are medicamentous plant which are widely cultivated and very beneficial for Indonesian people. Its active content enable beetle leaves to be used as antimicrobial, antiseptic, antifungal, antioxidant, and disinfectant. The government of Indonesia and WHO greatly support the utilization of natural resources as medical cure. Currently we can find a lot of toothpaste and mouthwash products which use beetle leaves as additional ingredient. Various researches have proved that the use of beetle leaves extract as mouthwash, toothpaste and chewing beetle leaves may decrease plaque score. Chavicol and chavibetol content enable beetle leaves to function as very good antimicrobial. Beetle leaves also contain charvacrol, eugenol, methyl eugenol, cadinene, and seskuiterpene, which can function as antiseptic. Beetle leaves may effect salivary function and secretion and also impede the forming of dental caries.

Symmetric Link Key Management for Secure Neighbor Discovery in a Decentralized Wireless Sensor Network

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

KEY MANAGEMENT FOR SECURE NEIGHBOR DISCOVERY IN A DECENTRALIZED WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK by Kelvin T. Chew September 2017 Thesis Advisor...and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT...DATE September 2017 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE SYMMETRIC LINK KEY MANAGEMENT FOR SECURE NEIGHBOR

Bioinspired leaves-on-branchlet hybrid carbon nanostructure for supercapacitors

OpenAIRE

Xiong, Guoping; He, Pingge; Lyu, Zhipeng; Chen, Tengfei; Huang, Boyun; Chen, Lei; Fisher, Timothy S.

2018-01-01

Designing electrodes in a highly ordered structure simultaneously with appropriate orientation, outstanding mechanical robustness, and high electrical conductivity to achieve excellent electrochemical performance remains a daunting challenge. Inspired by the phenomenon in nature that leaves significantly increase exposed tree surface area to absorb carbon dioxide (like ions) from the environments (like electrolyte) for photosynthesis, we report a design of micro-conduits in a bioinspired leav...

29 CFR 825.310 - Certification for leave taken to care for a covered servicemember (military caregiver leave).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) of the health care provider, the type of medical practice, the medical specialty, and whether the... illness for which the current need for leave exists. An employer may seek authentication and/or... authentication and clarification of the ITO or ITA under § 825.307. An employer may not utilize the second or...

Part-time sick leave as a treatment method for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders

OpenAIRE

Andrén, Daniela; Svensson, Mikael

2009-01-01

There is increasing evidence that staying active is an important part of a recovery process for individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). It has been suggested that using part-time sick-leave rather than full-time sick leave will enhance the possibility of full recovery to the workforce, and several countries actively favor this policy. However, to date only few studies have estimated the effect of using part-time sick leave in contrast to full-time sick leave. In thi...

Parental Leave Policies and Parents' Employment and Leave-Taking

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Wen-Jui; Ruhm, Christopher; Waldfogel, Jane

2009-01-01

We describe trends in maternal employment and leave-taking after birth of a newborn and analyze the extent to which these behaviors are influenced by parental leave policies. Data are from the June Current Population Survey (CPS) Fertility Supplements, merged with other months of the CPS, and cover the period 1987 to 1994. This time span is one…

Examining the Evolution of Paid Parental Leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Sladek, Carol

While the United States continues to be the only developed nation without mandated paid maternity leave, U.S. employers are blazing their own trail for new parents. This article defines parental leave, explains what's driving the increased interest in paid parental leave among employers offering it and discusses how paid parental leave can benefit employers and employees alike. Finally, the author discusses why not all employers are offering these benefits as well as considerations for employers contemplating whether paid parental leave is right for them.

Immunogenicity and safety of high-dose hepatitis B vaccine among drug users: A randomized, open-labeled, blank-controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yongliang; Shi, Jing; Gao, Linying; Yao, Tian; Feng, Dan; Luo, Dan; Li, Zhansheng; Zhang, Yawei; Wang, Fuzhen; Cui, Fuqiang; Li, Li; Liang, Xiaofeng; Wang, Suping

2017-06-03

Due to the low uptake, adherence, and completion of vaccination among drug users, and their compromised immune responses to hepatitis B vaccination, the current practice of hepatitis B vaccination may not provide optimal protection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of 60 µg and 20 µg hepatitis B vaccines among drug users. A randomized, open-labeled, blank-controlled trial was conducted among drug users at 2 drug rehabilitation centers in China. The eligible participants were drug users who were serologically negative for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and the hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs). Participants were randomized in a ratio of 1:1:1 to receive 20 µg (IM20 group) or 60 µg (IM60 group) of hepatitis B vaccine or blank control at months 0, 1, and 6, and followed at months 6, 7, and 12. Seroconversion rates of 94.7% and 92.6% were observed in IM20 and IM60 groups at month 7, and correspondingly decreased to 89.5% and 91.7% respectively at month 12. The IM60 group showed significantly higher geometric mean concentrations (GMCs) of anti-HBs (2022.5 and 676.7 mIU mL-1) than the IM20 group did (909.6 and 470.5 mIU mL-1) at months 7 and 12 (P B vaccines showed good immunogenicity among the drug users.

Paternity leave experiences of NHS doctors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Hannah; Szram, Joanna

2013-10-01

This study assesses NHS doctors' experiences of paternity leave and evaluates whether practices have changed since the introduction of additional paternity leave (APL) in April 2011. An anonymised online survey designed to discover experiences and uptake of APL and ordinary paternity leave (OPL) was distributed to all members of the London Deanery Synapse® network. In total, 364 fathers responded. Their seniority ranged from foundation trainees to consultants. Following the formal introduction of OPL in 2003, the number of fathers taking any paternity leave increased (from 50% to 95.6%). The majority of respondents (76.7%) felt well supported by their employer. Since the introduction of APL, 3% of respondents took additional leave. Reasons for the low uptake of APL included the impracticalities of the law, poor awareness and perceived attitudes and implications for training. Problems with OPL included the inadequate provision of cover and difficulties in timing the leave appropriately.

5 CFR 630.1104 - Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Donations from a leave bank to an emergency leave transfer program. 630.1104 Section 630.1104 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS ABSENCE AND LEAVE Emergency Leave Transfer Program § 630.1104 Donations...

Paid Maternity Leave and Breastfeeding Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirkovic, Kelsey R; Perrine, Cria G; Scanlon, Kelley S

2016-09-01

Despite the benefits of breastfeeding, rates in the United States are low. Shorter maternity leave is associated with lower initiation and shorter durations of breastfeeding; however, little is known about how paid maternity leave may influence breastfeeding rates. We used data from the 2006-2010 U.S. National Survey of Family Growth on the most recent birth to employed women who delivered a child within the previous 5 years. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were used to describe the associations between paid leave duration (0, 1-5, 6-11, ≥ 12 weeks, maternity leave not taken) and three outcomes: 1) breastfeeding initiation, 2) 6-month duration, and 3) 6-month duration among initiators. Twenty-eight percent of prenatally employed women received no paid leave. Women who received 12 or more weeks of paid leave were more likely to initiate breastfeeding compared to women with no paid leave (87.3% vs 66.7%, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.83 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.23-6.48]). Similarly, women with 12 or more weeks of paid leave were more likely to breastfeed at 6 months, compared to women with no paid leave (24.9% vs 50.1%, aOR 2.26 [95% CI 1.20-4.26]). Among women who initiated breastfeeding, having received 12 or more weeks' paid leave increased the odds of breastfeeding for 6 or more months; however, the association was not statistically significant in the adjusted model (aOR 1.81 [95% CI 0.93-3.52]). Employed women who received 12 or more weeks of paid maternity leave were more likely to initiate breastfeeding and be breastfeeding their child at 6 months than those without paid leave. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

An Approach for Detecting Malicious Emails Using Runtime Monitoring with Hidden Data

Science.gov (United States)

2016-09-01

Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE September 2016...awareness of conditions, a quality mentioned in the Fiskiran and Lee’s paper [3]. In addition, by using temporal assertions, we demonstrate the detection of...requirements [18]. For example, we give a generalization of how natural language can be ambiguous. No restaurants will allow smoking inside. Here no

Bioinspired leaves-on-branchlet hybrid carbon nanostructure for supercapacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Guoping; He, Pingge; Lyu, Zhipeng; Chen, Tengfei; Huang, Boyun; Chen, Lei; Fisher, Timothy S

2018-02-23

Designing electrodes in a highly ordered structure simultaneously with appropriate orientation, outstanding mechanical robustness, and high electrical conductivity to achieve excellent electrochemical performance remains a daunting challenge. Inspired by the phenomenon in nature that leaves significantly increase exposed tree surface area to absorb carbon dioxide (like ions) from the environments (like electrolyte) for photosynthesis, we report a design of micro-conduits in a bioinspired leaves-on-branchlet structure consisting of carbon nanotube arrays serving as branchlets and graphene petals as leaves for such electrodes. The hierarchical all-carbon micro-conduit electrodes with hollow channels exhibit high areal capacitance of 2.35 F cm -2 (~500 F g -1 based on active material mass), high rate capability and outstanding cyclic stability (capacitance retention of ~95% over 10,000 cycles). Furthermore, Nernst-Planck-Poisson calculations elucidate the underlying mechanism of charge transfer and storage governed by sharp graphene petal edges, and thus provides insights into their outstanding electrochemical performance.

On the construction of a 2-metre mirror blank for the universal reflecting telescope in Tautenburg (German Title: Über die Fertigung eines 2-Meter-Spiegelträgers für das Universal-Spiegelteleskop in Tautenburg )

Science.gov (United States)

Lödel, Wolfgang

The astronomers' desire to penetrate deeper into space transforms into a demand for larger telescopes. The primary mirror constitutes the main part of a reflecting telescope, and it determines all subsequent activities. Already in the 1930s activities existed in the Schott company to manufacture mirror blanks up to diameters of 2 metres, which could not be pursued because of political constraints. This ambitious goal was again picked up a few years after the war. At a time when the procurement of raw materials was extremely difficult, the glass workers of Schott in Jena attacked this large project. After some failures, a good mirror blank could be delivered to the Carl Zeiss Company in 1951 for further processing and for the construction of the first 2-metre reflecting telescope. From 1960 to 1986, this mirror made from optical glass ZK7 served its purpose at the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in Tautenburg. lt was then replaced by a zero expansion glass ceramics mirror.

The Effect of Part-time Sick Leave for Employees with Mental Disorders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anders; Høgelund, Jan; Eplov, Lene Falgaard

2012-01-01

. Without this control, PTSL significantly reduces the duration until returning to regular working hours. When we control for unobserved characteristics, this effect decreases, and for employees with mental disorders the effect vanishes entirely. DISCUSSION AND LIMITATIONS: The lack of an effect of PTSL...... instrument for reducing sick leave durations for employees with musculoskeletal disorders and for employees on sick leave in general. This is the first published article to document how PTSL affects sick leave durations for employees with mental disorders. AIM: The aim is to estimate the effect of PTSL...... on the duration until returning to regular working hours for employees with mental disorders. We compare this effect to that of PTSL for employees with non-mental disorders ('other disorders'). METHODS: We use combined survey and register data about 226 employees on long-term sick leave with mental disorders...

THE EFFECT OF HARVESTING TIME AND DEGREE OF LEAVES MATURATION ON VITEKSIKARPIN LEVEL IN LEGUNDI LEAVES (Vitex trifolia L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yosi Bayu Murti

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Legundi (Vitex trifolia L. is one of Indonesia’s traditional crops that have not been studied and developed into fitofarmaka. Legundi leaves can be used for therapy in asthmatics with optimum level. Therefore it is necessary for optimization of harvesting Legundi leaves which includes time and degree of maturation of the leaves. Harvesting time optimization by means of harvesting the leaves at the different times i.e. morning, noon, and evening, while the leaf maturation level optimization by way of harvesting leaves numbered one through five of the youngest end, then the time of harvesting and leaves that provide optimum levels of viteksikarpin were assigned. Measurements of viteksikarpin assigned using TLCdensitometry then analyzed using Wincats software and Microsoft Office Excel 2007. The highest viteksikarpin levels in Legundi leaves harvested in the afternoon, then during the day, and the lowest in the morning. The highest viteksikarpin levels of Legundi leaves were on second leaf, first leaf, third leaf, fourth leaf, and the lowest on fifth leaf. Optimum levels of viteksikarpin in Legundi leaves was harvested in the afternoon by picking the first until the third leaf.

[Risk factors for absenteeism due to sick leave in the petroleum industry].

Science.gov (United States)

Oenning, Nágila Soares Xavier; Carvalho, Fernando Martins; Lima, Veronica Maria Cadena

2014-02-01

To identify risk factors for absenteeism among workers with sick leave in an oil company. A case-control study (120 cases and 656 controls) nested in a retrospective cohort study following up all employees of an oil company in the North-Northeast of Brazil from 2007 to 2009. The response variable used to represent absenteeism with sick leave was the average incidence of sick leave, defined as the ratio between total sick days and potential working days in the period. Logistic regression techniques were used to investigate the association between average incidence of sick leave > 5.0% over the period and the variables sex, position, age, time at work, shift work, smoking, arterial hypertension, body mass index, physical activity, coronary risk, sleep, glycemia, non-managed diabetes, cardiovascular, digestive, musculoskeletal, neurological and neoplastic diseases, straining body positioning during work, satisfaction at work, relationship with management, and concentrated attention at work. Average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% in the cohort period was 15.5%. The logistic model revealed that workers with average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% were 2.6 times more likely to be female; 2.0 time more likely to be smokers; 1.8 time more likely to be former smokers; 2.2 times more likely to report abnormal sleep and 10.5 times more likely to report dissatisfaction with their than workers with average incidence of sick leave ≤ 5.0% in the period. In this population, female gender, being a smoker or a former smoker, reporting dissatisfaction with the job and reporting abnormal sleep are good predictors of occupational absenteeism with sick leave. To identify risk factors for absenteeism among workers with sick leave in an oil company. A case-control study (120 cases and 656 controls) nested in a retrospective cohort study following up all employees of an oil company in the North-Northeast of Brazil from 2007 to 2009. The response variable used to

Leaves of Absence. School Law Summary.

Science.gov (United States)

National Education Association, Washington, DC. Research Div.

This report contains State-by-State statutory summaries on three types of leaves of absence relating to teachers -- sick leave, maternity leave, and sabbatical leave. Only State laws that have specific reference to one of these three types of leaves of absence are included. Not included are those statutes granting boards of education the general…

Maternity and family leave policies in rural family practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Mainguy, S; Crouse, B J

1998-09-01

To help recruit and retain physicians, especially women, rural family practice groups need to establish policies regarding maternity and other family leaves. Also important are policies regarding paternity leave, adoptive leave, and leave to care for elderly parents. We surveyed members of the American Academy of Family Physicians in rural practice in 1995 to assess the prevalence of leave policies, the degree to which physicians are taking family leave, and the characteristics of ideal policies. Currently, both men and women physicians are taking family leaves of absence, which indicates a need for leave policies. Furthermore, a lack of family leave policies may deter women from entering rural practice.

Grass leaves as potential hominin dietary resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Paine, Oliver C C; Koppa, Abigale; Henry, Amanda G; Leichliter, Jennifer N; Codron, Daryl; Codron, Jacqueline; Lambert, Joanna E; Sponheimer, Matt

2018-04-01

Discussions about early hominin diets have generally excluded grass leaves as a staple food resource, despite their ubiquity in most early hominin habitats. In particular, stable carbon isotope studies have shown a prevalent C 4 component in the diets of most taxa, and grass leaves are the single most abundant C 4 resource in African savannas. Grass leaves are typically portrayed as having little nutritional value (e.g., low in protein and high in fiber) for hominins lacking specialized digestive systems. It has also been argued that they present mechanical challenges (i.e., high toughness) for hominins with bunodont dentition. Here, we compare the nutritional and mechanical properties of grass leaves with the plants growing alongside them in African savanna habitats. We also compare grass leaves to the leaves consumed by other hominoids and demonstrate that many, though by no means all, compare favorably with the nutritional and mechanical properties of known primate foods. Our data reveal that grass leaves exhibit tremendous variation and suggest that future reconstructions of hominin dietary ecology take a more nuanced approach when considering grass leaves as a potential hominin dietary resource. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Paid maternity and paternity leave: rights and choices.

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Claire

2007-01-01

From April 2007 onwards, maternity leave will be raised to nine months Paid maternity leave is associated with significant health benefits for babies, including reduced infant mortality The Government proposes to increase paid maternity leave to one year and introduce additional paternity leave by around 2009 The U.K's provision for maternity leave and child care is more generous than the U.S.A. or Australia but less than in the Scandinavian countries

Detection of QTLs for traits associated with pre-harvest sprouting resistance in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Liangzi; Hayashi, Kazuki; Tokui, Mayumi; Mori, Masahiko; Miura, Hideho; Onishi, Kazumitsu

2016-03-01

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) is one of the serious problems for wheat production, especially in rainy regions. Although seed dormancy is the most critical trait for PHS resistance, the control of heading time should also be considered to prevent seed maturation during unfavorable conditions. In addition, awning is known to enhance water absorption by the spike, causing PHS. In this study, we conducted QTL analysis for three PHS resistant related traits, seed dormancy, heading time and awn length, by using recombinant inbred lines from 'Zenkouji-komugi' (high PHS resistance) × 'Chinese Spring' (weak PHS resistance). QTLs for seed dormancy were detected on chromosomes 1B (QDor-1B) and 4A (QDor-4A), in addition to a QTL on chromosome 3A, which was recently cloned as TaMFT-3A. In addition, the accumulation of the QTLs and their epistatic interactions contributed significantly to a higher level of dormancy. QDor-4A is co-located with the Hooded locus for awn development. Furthermore, an effective QTL, which confers early heading by the Zenkouji-komugi allele, was detected on the short arm of chromosome 7B, where the Vrn-B3 locus is located. Understanding the genetic architecture of traits associated with PHS resistance will facilitate the marker assisted selection to breed new varieties with higher PHS resistance.

Childcare and the division of parental leave

OpenAIRE

Norén, Anna

2015-01-01

Despite several policies aimed at increasing fathers' participation in the caring of children, Swedish mothers still use the bulk of the paid parental leave which may have several negative consequences for the family e.g. in terms of weaker labor market attachment for the mother. Division of parental leave is likely affected by how parents value the costs associated with parental leave. I investigate whether a reduction in the care burden, or a decreased non-monetary cost, of parental leave t...

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapelfeldt, Christina Malmose; Jensen, Chris; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Fleten, Nils; Nielsen, Claus Vinther

2012-08-15

-related sick leave should be excluded in studies planning to use DREAM data on sickness benefit. Self-reported sick leave became more imprecise when number of absence days increased, but the sensitivity and specificity were acceptable for lengths not exceeding one week.

Validation of sick leave measures: self-reported sick leave and sickness benefit data from a Danish national register compared to multiple workplace-registered sick leave spells in a Danish municipality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stapelfeldt Christina Malmose

2012-08-01

leave spells of at least 15 days among eldercare employees. Pregnancy-related sick leave should be excluded in studies planning to use DREAM data on sickness benefit. Self-reported sick leave became more imprecise when number of absence days increased, but the sensitivity and specificity were acceptable for lengths not exceeding one week.

The effect of part-time sick leave for employees with mental disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Høgelund, Jan; Holm, Anders; Eplov, Lene Falgaard

2012-12-01

Part-time sick leave (PTSL) allows employees on full-time sick leave (FTSL) to resume work at reduced hours. When the partly absent employee's health improves, working hours are increased until the employee is able to work regular hours. Studies have found that PTSL is an effective instrument for reducing sick leave durations for employees with musculoskeletal disorders and for employees on sick leave in general. This is the first published article to document how PTSL affects sick leave durations for employees with mental disorders. The aim is to estimate the effect of PTSL on the duration until returning to regular working hours for employees with mental disorders. We compare this effect to that of PTSL for employees with non-mental disorders ('other disorders'). We use combined survey and register data about 226 employees on long-term sick leave with mental disorders and 638 employees with other disorders. These data contain information about type of disorder, PTSL and FTSL (full-time sick leave) durations, and various background characteristics. We use a mixed proportional hazard regression model that allows us to control for unobserved differences between employees on PTSL and those on FTSL. Our analyses show that PTSL has no effect on the duration until returning to regular working hours for employees with mental disorders. Furthermore, looking at specific disorders such as depression and stress-related conditions, we find no significant effects of PTSL. In contrast, in line with previous research, we find that PTSL significantly reduces the duration until returning to regular working hours for employees with other disorders. The analyses also illustrate the importance of controlling for unobserved differences between employees on PTSL and those on FTSL. Without this control, PTSL significantly reduces the duration until returning to regular working hours. When we control for unobserved characteristics, this effect decreases, and for employees with mental

The Length of Maternity Leave and Family Health

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beuchert-Pedersen, Louise Voldby; Humlum, Maria Knoth; Vejlin, Rune Majlund

We study the relationship between the length of maternity leave and the physical and psychological health of the family. Using a reform of the parental leave scheme in Denmark that increased the number of weeks of leave with full benefit compensation, we estimate the effect of the lenght...... of maternity leave on a range of health indicators including the number of hospital admissions for both mother and child and the probability of the mother receiving antidepressants. The reform led to an increase in average post-birth maternity leave matters for child or maternal health outcomes and thus we...... complement the existing evidence on maternity leave expansions that tends to find limited effects on children's later deveopmental, educational, and labor market outcomes. Our results suggest that any beneficial effects of increasing the lenght of maternity leave are greater for low-resource families....

TRAVEL AND HOME LEAVE

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Division

2002-01-01

Administrative procedures for : Travel to the home station and home leave (hl) Additional travel to the home station (at) Travel to the home station and home leave for family reasons (hlf) As part of the process of simplifying administrative procedures, HR and AS Divisions have devised a new, virtually automatic procedure for payment of travel expenses to the home station. The changes are aimed at rationalising administrative procedures and not at reducing benefits. The conditions of eligibility are unchanged. The new procedure, which will be operational with effect from 1st June 2002, will greatly simplify the administrative processing of claims for travel expenses and the recording of home leaves. Currently, requests for payment are introduced manually into the Advances and Claims system (AVCL) by divisional secretariats. All travel to the home station starting prior to 1st June 2002 will be processed according to the existing system whereas that starting on 1st June and after will be processed accordi...

GPs' negotiation strategies regarding sick leave for subjective health complaints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nilsen, Stein Tore; Malterud, Kirsti; Werner, Erik L.

2015-01-01

Objectives: To explore general practitioners ’(GPs’) specific negotiation strategies regarding sick-leave issues with patientssuffering from subjective health complaints. Design: Focus-group study. Setting: Nine focus-group interviews in three citiesin different regions of Norway. Participants: 48...... GPs (31 men, 17 women; age 32–65), participating in a course dealing with diagnostic practice and assessment of sickness certifi cates related to patients with subjective health complaints. Results: TheGPs identified some specific strategies that they claimed to apply when dealing with the question...... to sick leave. Conclusions and implications: GPs seem to have a conscious approach to negotiations of sickness certification, as they report applying specific strategies to limit the duration of sick leave due to subjective health complaints. This give-and-take way of handling sick leave negotiations has...

Risk factors for absenteeism due to sick leave in the petroleum industry

Science.gov (United States)

Oenning, Nágila Soares Xavier; Carvalho, Fernando Martins; Lima, Veronica Maria Cadena

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To identify risk factors for absenteeism among workers with sick leave in an oil company. METHODS A case-control study (120 cases and 656 controls) nested in a retrospective cohort study following up all employees of an oil company in the North-Northeast of Brazil from 2007 to 2009. The response variable used to represent absenteeism with sick leave was the average incidence of sick leave, defined as the ratio between total sick days and potential working days in the period. Logistic regression techniques were used to investigate the association between average incidence of sick leave > 5.0% over the period and the variables sex, position, age, time at work, shift work, smoking, arterial hypertension, body mass index, physical activity, coronary risk, sleep, glycemia, non-managed diabetes, cardiovascular, digestive, musculoskeletal, neurological and neoplastic diseases, straining body positioning during work, satisfaction at work, relationship with management, and concentrated attention at work. RESULTS Average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% in the cohort period was 15.5%. The logistic model revealed that workers with average incidence of sick leave higher than 5.0% were 2.6 times more likely to be female; 2.0 time more likely to be smokers; 1.8 time more likely to be former smokers; 2.2 times more likely to report abnormal sleep and 10.5 times more likely to report dissatisfaction with their than workers with average incidence of sick leave ≤ 5.0% in the period. CONCLUSIONS In this population, female gender, being a smoker or a former smoker, reporting dissatisfaction with the job and reporting abnormal sleep are good predictors of occupational absenteeism with sick leave. PMID:24789643

Need for and use of family leave among parents of children with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Paul J; Garfield, Craig F; Elliott, Marc N; Carey, Colleen; Eriksson, Carl; Schuster, Mark A

2007-05-01

Parents of children with special health care needs are especially vulnerable to work-family conflicts that family leave benefits might help resolve. We examined leave-taking among full-time-employed parents of children with special health care needs. We identified all children with special health care needs in 2 large inpatient/outpatient systems in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, and randomly selected 800 per site. From November 2003 to January 2004, we conducted telephone interviews with 1105 (87% of eligible and successfully contacted) parents. Among the sample's 574 full-time-employed parents, we examined whether leave benefits predicted missing any work for child illness, missing >4 weeks for child illness, and ability to miss work whenever their child needed them. Forty-eight percent of full-time-employed parents qualified for federal Family and Medical Leave Act benefits; 30% reported employer-provided leave benefits (not including sick leave/vacation). In the previous year, their children averaged 20 missed school/child care days, 12 doctor/emergency department visits, and 1.7 hospitalizations. Although 81% of parents missed work for child illness, 41% reported not always missing work when their child needed them, and 40% of leave-takers reported returning to work too soon. In multivariate regressions, parents who were eligible for Family and Medical Leave Act benefits and aware of their eligibility had 3.0 times greater odds of missing work for child illness than ineligible parents. Parents with >4 weeks of employer-provided leave benefits had 4.7 times greater odds of missing >4 weeks than parents without benefits. Parents with paid leave benefits had 2.8 times greater odds than other parents of missing work whenever their child needed them. Full-time-employed parents of children with special health care needs experience severe work-family conflicts. Although most have leave benefits, many report unmet need for leave. Access to Family and

Proof-of-Concept Part-Task Trainer to Enhance Situation Awareness for Instrument Approach Procedures in Aviation Domain

Science.gov (United States)

2017-06-01

publications, SME interviews, and SME evaluations conducted for this thesis enabled us to understand these cues and translate them into the KC-130J...20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE June 2017 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE PROOF-OF...exceptional job of training their pilots in this environment. However, the emergence of new technologies affords the opportunity to address

Short-Term Saved Leave Scheme

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

As announced at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) on 26 June 2007 and in http://Bulletin No. 28/2007, the existing Saved Leave Scheme will be discontinued as of 31 December 2007. Staff participating in the Scheme will shortly receive a contract amendment stipulating the end of financial contributions compensated by save leave. Leave already accumulated on saved leave accounts can continue to be taken in accordance with the rules applicable to the current scheme. A new system of saved leave will enter into force on 1 January 2008 and will be the subject of a new implementation procedure entitled "Short-term saved leave scheme" dated 1 January 2008. At its meeting on 4 December 2007, the SCC agreed to recommend the Director-General to approve this procedure, which can be consulted on the HR Department’s website at the following address: https://cern.ch/hr-services/services-Ben/sls_shortterm.asp All staff wishing to participate in the new scheme a...

Short-Term Saved Leave Scheme

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2007-01-01

As announced at the meeting of the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC) on 26 June 2007 and in http://Bulletin No. 28/2007, the existing Saved Leave Scheme will be discontinued as of 31 December 2007. Staff participating in the Scheme will shortly receive a contract amendment stipulating the end of financial contributions compensated by save leave. Leave already accumulated on saved leave accounts can continue to be taken in accordance with the rules applicable to the current scheme. A new system of saved leave will enter into force on 1 January 2008 and will be the subject of a new im-plementation procedure entitled "Short-term saved leave scheme" dated 1 January 2008. At its meeting on 4 December 2007, the SCC agreed to recommend the Director-General to approve this procedure, which can be consulted on the HR Department’s website at the following address: https://cern.ch/hr-services/services-Ben/sls_shortterm.asp All staff wishing to participate in the new scheme ...

5 CFR 630.1111 - Limitation on the amount of donated annual leave received by an emergency leave recipient.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... needs of individual emergency leave recipients, an employing agency may allow an employee to receive... annual leave received by an emergency leave recipient. 630.1111 Section 630.1111 Administrative Personnel... recipient. An emergency leave recipient may receive a maximum of 240 hours of donated annual leave at any...

A prediction rule for shoulder pain related sick leave: a prospective cohort study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van der Heijden Geert JMG

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shoulder pain is common in primary care, and has an unfavourable outcome in many patients. Information about predictors of shoulder pain related sick leave in workers is scarce and inconsistent. The objective was to develop a clinical prediction rule for calculating the risk of shoulder pain related sick leave for individual workers, during the 6 months following first consultation in general practice. Methods A prospective cohort study with 6 months follow-up was conducted among 350 workers with a new episode of shoulder pain. Potential predictors included the results of a physical examination, sociodemographic variables, disease characteristics (duration of symptoms, sick leave in the 2 months prior to consultation, pain intensity, disability, comorbidity, physical activity, physical work load, psychological factors, and the psychosocial work environment. The main outcome measure was sick leave during 6 months following first consultation in general practice. Results Response rate to the follow-up questionnaire at 6 months was 85%. During the 6 months after first consultation 30% (89/298 of the workers reported sick leave. 16% (47 reported 10 days sick leave or more. Sick leave during this period was predicted in a multivariable model by a longer duration of sick leave prior to consultation, more shoulder pain, a perceived cause of strain or overuse during regular activities, and co-existing psychological complaints. The discriminative ability of the prediction model was satisfactory with an area under the curve of 0.70 (95% CI 0.64–0.76. Conclusion Although 30% of all workers with shoulder pain reported sick leave during follow-up, the duration of sick leave was limited to a few days in most workers. We developed a prediction rule and a score chart that can be used by general practitioners and occupational health care providers to calculate the absolute risk of sick leave in individual workers with shoulder pain, which

Self-Funded Leave and Life Role Development

Science.gov (United States)

Furbish, Dale S.

2009-01-01

Self-funded leave is an employee benefit that provides a time resource to those who wish to develop interests and other life roles. Semistructured interviews were used for this qualitative study to explore the motivations for enrolling in the self-funded leave program, how the leave contributed to work-life balance through development of other…

Can we still dream when the mind is blank? Sleep and dream mentations in auto-activation deficit.

Science.gov (United States)

Leu-Semenescu, Smaranda; Uguccioni, Ginevra; Golmard, Jean-Louis; Czernecki, Virginie; Yelnik, Jerome; Dubois, Bruno; Forgeot d'Arc, Baudouin; Grabli, David; Levy, Richard; Arnulf, Isabelle

2013-10-01

Bilateral damage to the basal ganglia causes auto-activation deficit, a neuropsychological syndrome characterized by striking apathy, with a loss of self-driven behaviour that is partially reversible with external stimulation. Some patients with auto-activation deficit also experience a mental emptiness, which is defined as an absence of any self-reported thoughts. We asked whether this deficit in spontaneous activation of mental processing may be reversed during REM sleep, when dreaming activity is potentially elicited by bottom-up brainstem stimulation on the cortex. Sleep and video monitoring over two nights and cognitive tests were performed on 13 patients with auto-activation deficit secondary to bilateral striato-pallidal lesions and 13 healthy subjects. Dream mentations were collected from home diaries and after forced awakenings in non-REM and REM sleep. The home diaries were blindly analysed for length, complexity and bizarreness. A mental blank during wakefulness was complete in six patients and partial in one patient. Four (31%) patients with auto-activation deficit (versus 92% of control subjects) reported mentations when awakened from REM sleep, even when they demonstrated a mental blank during the daytime (n = 2). However, the patients' dream reports were infrequent, short, devoid of any bizarre or emotional elements and tended to be less complex than the dream mentations of control subjects. The sleep duration, continuity and stages were similar between the groups, except for a striking absence of sleep spindles in 6 of 13 patients with auto-activation deficit, despite an intact thalamus. The presence of spontaneous dreams in REM sleep in the absence of thoughts during wakefulness in patients with auto-activation deficit supports the idea that simple dream imagery is generated by brainstem stimulation and is sent to the sensory cortex. However, the lack of complexity in these dream mentations suggests that the full dreaming process (scenario

Why Teachers Are Leaving Special Education: Implications for Preservice and Inservice Educators.

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, Jennifer M.; Olson, Judy

1990-01-01

A survey was administered to 76 special education teachers to determine reasons for their leaving the special education classroom. Significant factors in leaving special education were excessive paperwork, pupil load, inadequate resources, and lack of recognition and support. (Author/JDD)

The Effect of Reading Involvement through Open-Ended Strategy vs. Fill-in- the- Blanks Strategy on Young EFL Learners’ Reading Comprehension Ability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rita Salehi Sepehr

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The present study investigated the extent to which an instructional framework of integrating strategy instruction (open-ended strategy and fill-in-the blanks strategy with motivation- support affected on reading result for young EFL learners. The central area of exploration included a comparison among three approaches to reading instruction: First, fill-in-the blanks strategy intervention; second, open-ended strategy intervention; and last, a control group which received the conventional reading strategies. The participants were sampled from amongst a group of seventy-seven pre-intermediate EFL learners in a language school in Tehran- Iran based on convenient sampling technique. For the sake of measurement, the researchers administered PET and CELT along with reading strategy based-test to quantify the participants’ current level of knowledge as well as the degree of achievement after treatment. For measurement’s sake, different types of tests such as PET, reading comprehension test (CELT, and reading strategy based- test were employed to quantify the participants’ current level of knowledge as well as the degree of achievement before and after instruction. The result of the present study indicated that the experimental groups had a significant improvement over the control group. Also, the level of learners’ reading engagement during classroom work mediated the instructional effects on reading outcomes. The results of this study can be to the benefit of both EFL and ESL teachers to teach reading comprehension using the student's critical mind as well as critical involvement in the reading tasks.

On the Need for Paid Maternity Leave in the U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, C. L.

2007-12-01

Maternity leave policies in the U.S. are among the worst in the world. The 12 weeks of un-paid family leave that the U.S. grants are only surpassed by South Korea's 8 un-paid weeks as the worst treatment to mothers and newborns in the developed world. California is the only state in the U.S. where two programs exist, the State Disability Insurance (SDI) and Paid Family Leave (PFL), which cover up to $840/week for up to 12 weeks (excluding a waiting period of 7 un-paid days combined for both SDI and PFL). Even with these State contributions, the average parent of a newborn in California receives less than the 100% paid 6 weeks of Portugal and the 100% paid 12 weeks of Mexico, with all other countries providing better treatment. For mothers and fathers, time at home during the first precious months after birth or adoption is critical to getting to know their babies. It can provide long-term benefits that improve a child's brain development, social development and overall well being. Parental leave results in better prenatal and postnatal care and more intense parental bonding over a child's life. It also improves the chance that a child will be immunized; as a result, it is associated with lower death rates for infants. But lawmakers and employers are denying those benefits to most families by refusing to provide paid parental leave. For some families, the economic burden of caring for a newborn alone results in financial hardship or ruin. Fortunately, about 12% of companies in the U.S. voluntarily choose to offer some sort of paid and/or longer maternity and family care leaves. Some companies offer on-site child care as a way to facilitate breastfeeding and bonding between new mothers and their babies. Other companies allow new parents to reduce their work schedule temporarily and to telecommute from their homes, both effective ways to guarantee work productivity without requiring the sacrifice of a newborn's right to better health through breastfeeding and bonding

A novel feedback control system – Controlling the material flow in deep drawing using distributed blank-holder force

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Endelt, Benny Ørtoft; Tommerup, Søren; Danckert, Joachim

2013-01-01

The performance of a feedback control system is often limited by the quality of the model on which it is based, and often the controller design is based on trial and error due to insufficient modeling capabilities. A framework is proposed where the controller design is based on classical state...... on a deep drawing operation where the objective was to control material flow throughout the part using only spatial information regarding flange draw-in. The control system controls both the magnitude and distribution of the blank-holder force. The methodology proved stable and flexible with respect...

Identifying employees at risk for job loss during sick leave

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Flach, Peter A.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Bultmann, Ute

2013-01-01

Purpose: To examine the associations between medical, work-related, organizational and sociodemographic factors and job loss during sick leave in a Dutch population of 4132 employees on sick leave. Methods: Data were assessed by occupational health physicians (OHPs) on sociodemographic, medical,

Goodbye, Mandatory Maternity Leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Nation's Schools, 1972

1972-01-01

In precedent-setting decrees, courts and federal and State authorities have branded compulsory maternity leaves either unconstitutional or illegal. School administrators are urged to prod boards of education to adopt more lenient maternity leave policies -- now. (Author)

Causes and Consequences of a Father's Child Leave: Evidence from a Reform of Leave Schemes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Helena Skyt

are the most progressive when it comes to family-friendly policies. An extensive reform of child leave schemes in Denmark affected couples differently depending on whether the parents where employed in the same or in different parts of the public sector. Based on a difference-in-differences strategy, I find...... that economic incentives are very important for intra-household leave-sharing. Increasing the couples' after tax income by $9 per day of leave which is transferred from the mother to the father is found to lead to a one day transfer. This corresponds to a supply elasticity close to unity....

A Market Analysis of Publications, Trade Conferences, and Key Events for Fleet Readiness Center Southwest

Science.gov (United States)

2007-12-01

Win and Keep Big Customers. Austin: Bard Press, 2005. Kotler , Philip and Kevin Lane Keller. Marketing Management. Upper Saddle River, NJ...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA MBA PROFESSIONAL REPORT A Market Analysis of Publications, Trade Conferences...AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE December 2007 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED MBA Professional Report 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: A Market

Compassionate Care Leave & Benefits. CAUT Briefing Note

Science.gov (United States)

Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2016

2016-01-01

Compassionate care leave and benefits were introduced in 2003/04 to help employees cope with this difficult work-life balance challenge. Employment Standards legislation and the Employment Insurance program (EI) were amended to provide leave without pay, with payment of EI benefits for compassionate care leave. Collective agreements have been…

78 FR 8833 - The Family and Medical Leave Act

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-06

... creates a new qualifying exigency leave category for parental care. In military caregiver leave, the Final... covered employers to take job- protected, unpaid leave, or to substitute appropriate accrued paid leave... CFR Part 825 The Family and Medical Leave Act; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 25...

Why People Leave Their Jobs?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis R. Domínguez A.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This article aims to show the results of the review of literature of relevant studies of the causal elements of intention to leave in the last five years (2009-2013. The method used to evaluate the literature was based on the seven steps for research synthesis: problem formulation, literature search, obtaining information from studies, quality assessment studies, analysis and integration of results, interpretation of evidence and presentation of results. 48 studies from 15 different countries with a sample of 35804 employees of different companies were evaluated. The findings suggest the existence of 89 different variables influencing the intention to leave of employees in an organization. The results of this study will allow researchers to better understand the variables that can be studied to verify the impact of variables such as causal elements, but also see those that have a mediating effect between them for predicting intention to leave as an element of employee turnover. This study makes three important contributions to literature of turnover. First, in this study all the parameters associated with the intention to leave were checked. Second, this study categorizes and displays in proportion relevant interests to the scientific community whom studying employee turnover across the intention to leave. And thirdly provides clues organizations to improve some of its structural and contextual features to control turnover.

Late adolescents' conceptualizations of home-leaving.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, D; Hotch, D F

1981-02-01

Separation from the family, a key developmental task, has received scant attention from developmentalists. In this study, college students' dissimilarity ratings and ratings on 22 bipolar adjective scales were obtained for a set of 20 definitions of home-leaving. Results of a cluster analysis revealed that conceptualizations of the definitions are organized in terms of eight clusters. Ratings on the 22 adjective scales provided an empirical means for interpreting the typological structure of the home-leaving definitions. Convergence the results of this inductive study of home-leaving and elements of ego development theory was noted.

The unintended consequences of maternity leaves: How agency interventions mitigate the negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hideg, Ivona; Krstic, Anja; Trau, Raymond N C; Zarina, Tanya

2018-06-07

To support women in the workplace, longer legislated maternity leaves have been encouraged in Scandinavian countries and recently in Canada. Yet, past research shows that longer legislated maternity leaves (i.e., 1 year and longer) may unintentionally harm women's career progress. To address this issue, we first sought to identify one potential mechanism underlying negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves: others' lower perceptions of women's agency. Second, we utilize this knowledge to test interventions that boost others' perceptions of women's agency and thus mitigate negative effects of longer legislated maternity leaves. We test our hypotheses in three studies in the context of Canadian maternity leave policies. Specifically, in Study 1, we found that others' lower perceptions of women's agency mediated the negative effects of a longer legislated maternity leave, that is, 1 year (vs. shorter, i.e., 1 month maternity leave) on job commitment. In Study 2, we found that providing information about a woman's agency mitigates the unintended negative effects of a longer legislated maternity leave on job commitment and hireability. In Study 3, we showed that use of a corporate program that enables women to stay in touch with the workplace while on maternity leave (compared to conditions in which no such program was offered; a program was offered but not used by the applicant; and the program was offered, but there was no information about its usage by the applicant) enhances agency perceptions and perceptions of job commitment and hireability. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Sick Leave and Factors Influencing Sick Leave in Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Appelman-Noordermeer, Simone; Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Carla; de Bruin-Weller, Marjolein

2015-03-27

Little is known about the prevalence of sick leave due to atopic dermatitis (AD). The current literature on factors influencing sick leave is mostly derived from other chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sick leave due to AD and to identify influencing factors. A cross-sectional study was carried out in adult patients with AD. sick leave during the two-week and one-year periods, socio-demographic characteristics, disease severity, quality of life and socio-occupational factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine influencing factors on sick leave over the two-week period. In total, 253 patients were included; 12% of the patients had to take sick leave in the last two weeks due to AD and 42% in the past year. A higher level of symptom interference (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.13-1.40) or perfectionism/diligence (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83-0.96) may respectively increase or decrease the number of sick leave days. Sick leave in patients with AD is a common problem and symptom interference and perfectionism/diligence appeared to influence it. Novel approaches are needed to deal with symptoms at work or school to reduce the amount of sick leave due to AD.

The Problems of Parental Leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Sean

2017-10-01

The United States is the only major industrialized country in the world to not require paid parental leave. Numerous studies have shown that allowing parents time with a newborn makes the child and the parents healthier, both physically and mentally. Many physicians, especially those who work in practices with five or fewer doctors, worry about how to pay for parental leave for themselves and their staff.

A new bed-exiting alarm system for welfare facility residents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogawa, Hidekuni; Yonezawa, Yoshiharu; Maki, Hiromichi; Caldwell, W

2009-01-01

A newly developed alarm system detects welfare facility residents leaving their beds, and does not respond to the care staff, who wear shoes or slippers. It employs a stainless steel tape electrode, several linear integrated circuits and a low-power 8-bit single chip microcomputer. The electrode, which is used as a bed-exiting detection sensor, is attached to the floor mat to record changes in the always-present AC (alternating current) voltage induced on the patient's body by electrostatic coupling from the standard 100 volt, 60 Hz AC utility power wiring in the room walls and ceiling. The resident's body movements, before trying to get out of bed and after leaving the bed, are detected by the microcomputer from changes in the induced AC voltage. The microcomputer alerts the care staff station, via a power line communication system or PHS (personal handy phone System).

[Beneficial effect of maternity leave on delivery].

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Qian; Séguin, Louise; Goulet, Lise

2002-01-01

To identify the contribution of the duration of the prenatal maternity leave on term delivery. Characteristics of the prenatal maternity leave and delivery among 363 working women who had delivered a full-term infant at 1 of 4 hospitals in Montreal during 1996 were studied. The presence of an intervention or complication during delivery was observed in 68.9% of the participants. The average duration of the prenatal maternity leave was about 8 weeks (SD = 7). The adjusted risk of a difficult delivery decreased significantly with the duration of the prenatal maternity leave (OR = 0.96; 95% CI: 0.93-0.99). The duration of the maternity leave before delivery is associated with an easier term delivery for working women.

Office design's impact on sick leave rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Bodin Danielsson, Christina; Chungkham, Holendro Singh; Wulff, Cornelia; Westerlund, Hugo

2014-01-01

The effect of office type on sickness absence among office employees was studied prospectively in 1852 employees working in (1) cell-offices; (2) shared-room offices; (3) small, (4) medium-sized and (5) large open-plan offices; (6) flex-offices and (7) combi-offices. Sick leaves were self-reported two years later as number of (a) short and (b) long (medically certified) sick leave spells as well as (c) total number of sick leave days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used, with adjustment for background factors. A significant excess risk for sickness absence was found only in terms of short sick leave spells in the three open-plan offices. In the gender separate analysis, this remained for women, whereas men had a significantly increased risk in flex-offices. For long sick leave spells, a significantly higher risk was found among women in large open-plan offices and for total number of sick days among men in flex-offices. A prospective study of the office environment's effect on employees is motivated by the high rates of sick leaves in the workforce. The results indicate differences between office types, depending on the number of people sharing workspace and the opportunity to exert personal control as influenced by the features that define the office types.

The impact of paternity leave on fathers' future earnings.

Science.gov (United States)

Rege, Mari; Solli, Ingeborg F

2013-12-01

Using Norwegian registry data, we investigate the effect of paternity leave on fathers' long-term earnings. If the paternity leave increased long-term father involvement, then we should expect a reduction in fathers' long-term earnings as they shift time and effort from market to home production. For identification, we use the Norwegian introduction of a paternity-leave quota in 1993, reserving four weeks of the total of 42 weeks of paid parental leave exclusively for the father. The introduction of the paternity-leave quota led to a sharp increase in rates of leave-taking for fathers. We estimate a difference-in-differences model that exploits differences in fathers' exposure to the paternity-leave quota by the child's age and year of observation. Our analysis suggests that four weeks of paternity leave during the child's first year decreases fathers' future earnings, an effect that persists through our last point of observation, when the child is 5 years old. A battery of robustness tests supports our results.

Sick Leave and Factors Influencing Sick Leave in Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis: A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harmieke van Os-Medendorp

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Background: Little is known about the prevalence of sick leave due to atopic dermatitis (AD. The current literature on factors influencing sick leave is mostly derived from other chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sick leave due to AD and to identify influencing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in adult patients with AD. Outcome measures: sick leave during the two-week and one-year periods, socio-demographic characteristics, disease severity, quality of life and socio-occupational factors. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine influencing factors on sick leave over the two-week period. Results: In total, 253 patients were included; 12% of the patients had to take sick leave in the last two weeks due to AD and 42% in the past year. A higher level of symptom interference (OR 1.26; 95% CI 1.13–1.40 or perfectionism/diligence (OR 0.90; 95% CI 0.83–0.96 may respectively increase or decrease the number of sick leave days. Conclusion: Sick leave in patients with AD is a common problem and symptom interference and perfectionism/diligence appeared to influence it. Novel approaches are needed to deal with symptoms at work or school to reduce the amount of sick leave due to AD.

Reflectance measurements of leaves for detecting visible and non-visible ozon damage to crops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraft, M.; Weigel, H.-J.; Mejer, G.-J.; Brandes, F.

1996-01-01

Spring wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Turbo), white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Karina) and maize (Zea mays cv. Bonny) plants were exposed for 20–30 days in open top chambers to charcoal-filtered air (CF, control) and CF air supplied with O 3 for 8–12 h/per day in the concentration range of 180–240 μg O 3 /m 3 (8–12 h/day treatment mean). At the end of the O 3 treatment spectral reflectance measurements were made on single leaves of all 3 species and on canopies of wheat and clover using a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) camera and wavelength filters with 11 wavelength bands ranging from 450 nm to 950 nm. Different vegetation indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the ≪main inflection point≫ (MIP) were calculated. Based on these results it was shown that visible O 3 damages were correlated to the spectral reflectance changes: Both leaves and canopies showed an increased reflectance of visible light after ozone treatment. While clover and maize leaves as well as clover and wheat canopies showed a decreased near infrared (NIR) reflectance, the NIR reflectance of wheat leaves did not change, even if the leaves had visible symptoms. A decreased infrared reflectance was detectable for all clover leaves after O 3 treatment although for part of the leaves no visible foliar damage symptoms could be observed

Shadows of Stuxnet: Recommendations for U.S. Policy on Critical Infrastructure Cyber Defense Derived from the Stuxnet Attack

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

wastewater, oil and natural gas, chemical, transportation, pharmaceutical, pulp and paper, food and beverage , and discrete manufacturing (e.g...4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington, DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2... Management xiv PDD presidential decision directive PPD 21 Presidential Policy Directive 21 PLC programmable logic controller SCADA supervisory

An Internatioal Comparison and Assessment of Maternity Leave Regulation

OpenAIRE

Dorothea Alewell, Kerstin Pull

2001-01-01

Provisions for maternity leave are common among industrialized countries, but their institutional design varies distinctly from country to country. Developing our theory on the impact on maternity leave regulations on women's labor market situation, we argue that a woman on leave creates a re-organization problem for her employer. The costs of re-organization will not simply increase with the duration of maternity leave, but display a hump-shaped curvature which peeks at medium-leave duration...

Processing concepts for the use of green leaves as raw materials for the food industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamayo Tenorio, A.; Schreuders, F.K.G.; Zisopoulos, F.K.; Boom, R.M.; Goot, van der A.J.

2017-01-01

Large-scale processing of leaves for food applications requires quick processing or stabilisation to avoid perishability, due to the high moisture content in this biomass. Leaf perishability is compounded by the seasonal availability of crops, like sugar beet plants, of which the leaves are regarded

The dewetting properties of lotus leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jihua; Sheng, Xianliang; Jiang, Lei

2009-02-03

The high dewetting abilities of lotus leaves can be transited to a complete wetting state by soaking the leaves in water at a depth of 50 cm for 2 h. However, after being dried by N2 gas, the high dewetting behavior of lotus leaves may be mostly restored. This indicates that experimental procedure might considerably affect the dewetting abilities of lotus leaves. To discover the mechanism underlying this interesting dewetting phenomena, the dewetting force was used to characterize the dewetting abilities of surfaces, and model studies to mimic the papillae were done. Surface hydrophobicity, sizes, rise angles, and secondary structures of the models' sides affected their dewetting force with water. So we suggested that the dewetting states, Cassie or Wenzel's state, of lotus surfaces depend much on the depth of water, i.e., the hydraulic pressure. On the other hand, the primary structures of papillae in Cassie's state led to a high receding angle with respect to the plane of the leaf during the dewetting measurement. The secondary structures and micro/nano arrays of papillae increased the dewetting abilities of lotus leaves, since no water intruded between papillae. However, the structures of papillae in Wenzle's state significantly reduced the dewetting abilities of lotus leaves after being soaked at a depth of 50 cm for 2 h. Therefore, as for novel designs of microdevices floating on water, including the use of the high dewetting properties of suphydrophobic materials, surface (primary or secondary) microstructure and external pressure, such as static hydraulic pressure, must be taken into account.

Maternity leave, women's employment, and marital incompatibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyde, J S; Essex, M J; Clark, R; Klein, M H

2001-09-01

This research investigated the relationship between the length of women's maternity leave and marital incompatibility, in the context of other variables including the woman's employment, her dissatisfaction with the division of household labor, and her sense of role overload. Length of leave, work hours, and family salience were associated with several forms of dissatisfaction, which in turn predicted role overload. Role overload predicted increased marital incompatibility for experienced mothers but did not for first-time mothers, for whom discrepancies between preferred and actual child care were more important. Length of maternity leave showed significant interactions with other variables, supporting the hypothesis that a short leave is a risk factor that, when combined with another risk factor, contributes to personal and marital distress.

Maternity Leave Policies: Trade-Offs Between Labour Market Demands and Health Benefits for Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Strang, Lucy; Broeks, Miriam

2017-01-01

Over recent years many European Union countries have made changes to the design of the maternity leave provision. These policy developments reflect calls for greater gender equality in the workforce and more equal share of childcare responsibilities. However, while research shows that long period of leave can have negative effects on women's labour market attachment and career advancements, early return to work can be seen as a factor preventing exclusive breastfeeding, and therefore, potentially having negative health impacts for babies. Indeed, the World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age to provide babies with the nutrition for healthy growth and brain development, protection from life-threatening ailments, obesity and non-communicable diseases such as asthma and diabetes. Therefore, labour market demands on women may be at odds with the health benefits for children gained by longer periods of maternity leave. The aim of this article is to examine the relationship between leave provision and health benefits for children. We examine maternity and parental leave provision across European countries and its potential impact on the breastfeeding of very young babies (up to 6-months of age). We also consider economic factors of potential extension of maternity leave provision to 6 months, such as costs to businesses, effects on the female labour market attachment, and wider consequences (benefits and costs) for individuals, families, employers and the wider society.

Father's Rights to Paid Parental Leave in the Nordic Countries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rostgaard, Tine; Haas, L.

2011-01-01

to what extent government-provided, paid parental leave and quotas for fathers could bring about equality in the division of leave between men and women by focusing on the pioneers in the field, the Nordic countries – the first nations to offer fathers parental leave and introduce quotas. First, we......European Union policy encourages men and women to share parental leave to balance work and family life and promote gender equality in the labor market. A new directive extends parental leave to four months and introduces a quota, so one month is reserved for each parent. This article explores...... describe the extent to which parental leave policies have been established and implemented in a way that is likely to promote equal sharing of leave. Next, we evaluate the impact of particular configurations of gender equality incentives in present parental leave policies for the actual division of leave...

Influenza in workplaces: transmission, workers' adherence to sick leave advice and European sick leave recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Christina Hansen; Tomba, Gianpaolo Scalia; de Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben

2016-06-01

Knowledge about influenza transmission in the workplace and whether staying home from work when experiencing influenza-like illness can reduce the spread of influenza is crucial for the design of efficient public health initiatives. This review synthesizes current literature on sickness presenteeism and influenza transmission in the workplace and provides an overview of sick leave recommendations in Europe for influenza. A search was performed on Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus and SweMed to identify studies related to workplace contacts, -transmission, -interventions and compliance with recommendations to take sick leave. A web-based survey on national recommendations and policies for sick leave during influenza was issued to 31 European countries. Twenty-two articles (9 surveys; 13 modelling articles) were eligible for this review. Results from social mixing studies suggest that 20-25% of weekly contacts are made in the workplace, while modelling studies suggest that on average 16% (range 9-33%) of influenza transmission occurs in the workplace. The effectiveness of interventions to reduce workplace presenteeism is largely unknown. Finally, estimates from studies reporting expected compliance with sick leave recommendations ranged from 71 to 95%. Overall, 18 countries participated in the survey of which nine (50%) had issued recommendations encouraging sick employees to stay at home during the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, while only one country had official recommendations for seasonal influenza. During the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, many European countries recommended ill employees to take sick leave. Further research is warranted to quantify the effect of reduced presenteeism during influenza illness. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association.

Influenza in workplaces: transmission, workers’ adherence to sick leave advice and European sick leave recommendations

Science.gov (United States)

Tomba, Gianpaolo Scalia; de Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben

2016-01-01

Background: Knowledge about influenza transmission in the workplace and whether staying home from work when experiencing influenza-like illness can reduce the spread of influenza is crucial for the design of efficient public health initiatives. Aim: This review synthesizes current literature on sickness presenteeism and influenza transmission in the workplace and provides an overview of sick leave recommendations in Europe for influenza. Methods: A search was performed on Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Cinahl, Web of Science, Scopus and SweMed to identify studies related to workplace contacts, -transmission, -interventions and compliance with recommendations to take sick leave. A web-based survey on national recommendations and policies for sick leave during influenza was issued to 31 European countries. Results: Twenty-two articles (9 surveys; 13 modelling articles) were eligible for this review. Results from social mixing studies suggest that 20–25% of weekly contacts are made in the workplace, while modelling studies suggest that on average 16% (range 9–33%) of influenza transmission occurs in the workplace. The effectiveness of interventions to reduce workplace presenteeism is largely unknown. Finally, estimates from studies reporting expected compliance with sick leave recommendations ranged from 71 to 95%. Overall, 18 countries participated in the survey of which nine (50%) had issued recommendations encouraging sick employees to stay at home during the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, while only one country had official recommendations for seasonal influenza. Conclusions: During the 2009 A(H1N1) pandemic, many European countries recommended ill employees to take sick leave. Further research is warranted to quantify the effect of reduced presenteeism during influenza illness. PMID:27060594

[Teacher sick leave: Prevalence, duration, reasons and covariates].

Science.gov (United States)

Vercambre-Jacquot, M-N; Gilbert, F; Billaudeau, N

2018-02-01

Absences from work have considerable social and economic impact. In the education sector, the phenomenon is particularly worrying since teacher sick leave has an impact on the overall performance of the education system. Yet, available data are scarce. In April-June 2013, 2653 teachers responded to a population-based postal survey on their quality of life (enquête Qualité de vie des enseignants, MGEN Foundation/Ministry of education, response rate 53 %). Besides questions on work environment and health, teachers were asked to describe their eventual sick leave(s) since the beginning of the school year: duration, type and medical reasons. Self-reported information was reinforced by administrative data from ministerial databases and weighted to be extrapolated to all French teachers. Tobit models adjusted for individual factors of a private nature were used to investigate different occupational risk factors of teacher sick leave, taking into account both the estimated effect on the probability of sick leave and the length of it. More than one in three teachers (36 %) reported having had at least one day of sick leave since the beginning of the school year. Respiratory/ENT diseases were the leading reason for sick leave (37 %). However, and because sick leave duration depended on the underlying health problem, such diseases came in third place among justifications of sick leave days (14 %), far behind musculoskeletal problems (27 %) and neurological and psychological disorders (25 %). Tobit models suggested that some occupational factors significantly associated with the risk of sick leave may represent promising preventive targets, including high psychological demand, workplace violence and unfavorable socio-environmental context. Our study provides objective evidence about the issue of sick leave among French teachers, highlighting the usefulness of implementing actions to minimize its weight. To this end, the study findings point-out the importance of

Japanese tea leaves: a possible biological standard reference material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuwa, Keiichiro; Notsu, Kenji; Tsunoda, Kin-ichi; Kato, Hideaki; Yamamoto, Yuko.

1978-01-01

Japanese Tea Leaves, prepared by pulverizing with an agate ball mill and sieving with a Saran fiber sieve (50 mesh) were assessed as a possible biological standard reference material for elemental analysis. The metal content of the tea leaves was determined independently at two laboratories using atomic absorption and flame emission spectrometry. Neutron activation analysis was also performed to determine the content (21 elements) of Tea Leaves. For some elements the result from the various methods were compared. The characteristics of Tea Leaves are discussed and the elemental composition is compared to that of Orchard Leaves (NBS SRM, 1571). The most significant characteristic of Tea Leaves was the high manganese content. (auth.)

INTRODUCTION OF A NEW LEAVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CERN Document Server

HR Division

2000-01-01

The introduction of new leave rules (arising from the RSL, PRP and other programmes) has made the present leave management system rather complicated and difficult to manage. It has therefore been decided to replace it with a more flexible and adaptable system, which will come into force on 1st October 2000. Henceforth, days of leave will be credited monthly instead of annually. Members of the personnel will have round-the-clock direct access to more detailed, confidential information regarding their various kinds of leave.They will also receive a personal monthly statement with their pay slips. The new system does not require any amendment of the regulations, except with respect to the frequency of leave calculations (monthly instead of annual). I. Main characteristics of the new leave system 1. The main feature of the new system is the creation of accounts to which leave will be credited or debited as appropriate. Depending on their circumstances, members of the personnel may have up to four individual leave...

Irradiation application for color removal and purification of green tea leaves extract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jo, Cheorun; Son, J.H.; Lee, H.J.; Byun, M.W.

2003-01-01

Gamma irradiation was introduced to develop a new processing method for brighter-colored green tea leaves extract without changes of physiological activities. Dried green tea leaves were purchased and extracted by 70% ethanol solution and irradiated at 0, 5, 10, and 20 kGy with gamma rays. Hunter color L-value increased and a- and b-value decreased by irradiation, resulting in bright yellow from dark brown. There was no difference in radical scavenging and tyrosinase inhibition effect by irradiation. The irradiation effect in the solution disappeared during storage for 3 weeks at room temperature but vitamin C addition was effective in reducing the color change. Results indicated that irradiation may be a good technology to remove undesirable color in green tea leaves extract

Genotoxicity of Nicotiana tabacum leaves on Helix aspersa.

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Fernanda R; Erdtmann, Bernardo; Dalpiaz, Tiago; Nunes, Emilene; Ferraz, Alexandre; Martins, Tales L C; Dias, Johny F; da Rosa, Darlan P; Porawskie, Marilene; Bona, Silvia; da Silva, Juliana

2013-07-01

Tobacco farmers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of inorganic and organic chemicals present in tobacco leaves. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of tobacco leaves in the snail Helix aspersa as a measure of the risk to human health. DNA damage was evaluated using the micronucleus test and the Comet assay and the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes was estimated. Two groups of snails were studied: one fed on tobacco leaves and one fed on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) leaves (control group). All of the snails received leaves (tobacco and lettuce leaves were the only food provided) and water ad libitum. Hemolymph cells were collected after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The Comet assay and micronucleus test showed that exposure to tobacco leaves for different periods of time caused significant DNA damage. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes occurred only in the tobacco group. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, coumarins, saponins, flavonoids and various metals. These results show that tobacco leaves are genotoxic in H. aspersa and inhibit cytochrome P450 activity, probably through the action of the complex chemical mixture present in the plant.

Genotoxicity of Nicotiana tabacum leaves on Helix aspersa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda R. da Silva

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Tobacco farmers are routinely exposed to complex mixtures of inorganic and organic chemicals present in tobacco leaves. In this study, we examined the genotoxicity of tobacco leaves in the snail Helix aspersa as a measure of the risk to human health. DNA damage was evaluated using the micronucleus test and the Comet assay and the concentration of cytochrome P450 enzymes was estimated. Two groups of snails were studied: one fed on tobacco leaves and one fed on lettuce (Lactuca sativa L leaves (control group. All of the snails received leaves (tobacco and lettuce leaves were the only food provided and water ad libitum. Hemolymph cells were collected after 0, 24, 48 and 72 h. The Comet assay and micronucleus test showed that exposure to tobacco leaves for different periods of time caused significant DNA damage. Inhibition of cytochrome P450 enzymes occurred only in the tobacco group. Chemical analysis indicated the presence of the alkaloid nicotine, coumarins, saponins, flavonoids and various metals. These results show that tobacco leaves are genotoxic in H. aspersa and inhibit cytochrome P450 activity, probably through the action of the complex chemical mixture present in the plant.

The neglected shadow: European perspectives on emotional supports for early school leaving prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Downes

2011-11-01

Full Text Available OECD reports emphasise ten key steps to equity in education, with concrete targets related to low attainment and early school leaving. Such steps, however, neglect the importance of emotional dimensions to early school leaving and the consequent need for system level emotional supports. The current study involves qualitative research interviews with senior government officials and secondary school management representatives across eight European countries, with a particular focus on school climate and emotional support issues. Issues raised by interviewees for students at risk of early school leaving include supports for withdrawn children, for those at risk of suicide and those being bullied at school affecting their nonattendance. Other emerging themes include alternatives to suspension and teacher education for improving their conflict resolution skills. Some interviewees explicitly observe the dearth of emotional support services available in practice in their countries. The pervasive policy gaps across national levels for a mental health and emotional support strategy, as part of an early school leaving prevention strategy, requires serious and immediate attention.

38 CFR 21.342 - Leave accounting policy.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Leave accounting policy. 21.342 Section 21.342 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.... Chapter 31 Leaves of Absence § 21.342 Leave accounting policy. (a) Amount of leave. A veteran pursuing one...

Aplicación del láser de diodo para la soldadura en tailored blanks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bocos, J. L.

2004-04-01

Full Text Available During the last years, one of the most interesting subjects in the automotive industry is the weight reduction of the automobile, and so to diminish the fuel consumption. Among other performances, the use in the body car of materials which have high mechanical resistance must be considered for the weight reduction of the automobile and maintaining high benefits. In this work, it has been studied the utilization of the diode laser for high resistance steel sheets welding, concretely microalloying steels (ZStE, DP "dual phase" and TRIP "transformation induced plasticity". These steels can be employed in "tailored blanks", which are defined as two or more separate pieces of flat material of dissimilar thickness and/or physical properties joined together before forming, to provide superior qualities in the finished stamped part. In this study, the metallographic characterization has been realised in the welding seams; and the mechanical behaviour has been analysed employing the following tests: microhardness, drawing, tensile and fatigue.

Uno de los puntos de mayor interés para la industria de la automoción, en los últimos años, es la reducción en peso del automóvil y conseguir, con ello, rebajar el consumo de combustible. Disminuir el peso del automóvil y mantener unas elevadas prestaciones implica, entre otras actuaciones, la utilización de materiales en la carrocería que posean una elevada resistencia mecánica. En este trabajo se presenta el estudio de la viabilidad de la utilización del láser de diodo para la soldadura de chapas de acero de alta resistencia; concretamente de aceros ferríticos microaleados (ZStE, DP (dual phase y TRIP (transformation induced plasticity. Todos ellos, son materiales que pueden formar parte de tailored blanks que se definen como piezas constituidas por la unión, mediante soldadura, de chapas de acero de distintas calidades y espesores. En este estudio se ha profundizado en

Targeting Protein O-GlcNAc Modifications In Breast Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-30

AD_________________ ( Leave blank) Award Number: W81XWH...distribution was determined using Guava Cytosoft Software (Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA). (b, c) Cell lysates were collected from MCF-10A-ErbB2 cells 48 h

Reducing sick leave of Dutch vocational school students: adaptation of a sick leave protocol using the intervention mapping process.

Science.gov (United States)

de Kroon, Marlou L A; Bulthuis, Jozien; Mulder, Wico; Schaafsma, Frederieke G; Anema, Johannes R

2016-12-01

Since the extent of sick leave and the problems of vocational school students are relatively large, we aimed to tailor a sick leave protocol at Dutch lower secondary education schools to the particular context of vocational schools. Four steps of the iterative process of Intervention Mapping (IM) to adapt this protocol were carried out: (1) performing a needs assessment and defining a program objective, (2) determining the performance and change objectives, (3) identifying theory-based methods and practical strategies and (4) developing a program plan. Interviews with students using structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews with relevant stakeholders, a literature research and, finally, a pilot implementation were carried out. A sick leave protocol was developed that was feasible and acceptable for all stakeholders. The main barriers for widespread implementation are time constraints in both monitoring and acting upon sick leave by school and youth health care. The iterative process of IM has shown its merits in the adaptation of the manual 'A quick return to school is much better' to a sick leave protocol for vocational school students.

Sick Leave and Factors Influencing Sick Leave in Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis : A Cross-Sectional Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Os-Medendorp, Harmieke; Appelman-Noordermeer, Simone; Bruijnzeel-Koomen, Carla A.F.M.; de Bruin-Weller, MS

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence of sick leave due to atopic dermatitis (AD). The current literature on factors influencing sick leave is mostly derived from other chronic inflammatory diseases. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of sick leave due to AD and to identify

Constituents from Maytenus ilicifolia leaves and bioguided fractionation for gastroprotective activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leite, Joao Paulo V. [Universidade Federal de Vicosa (UFV), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Bioquimica e Biologia Molecular; Braga, Fernao C.; Oliveira, Alaide B. [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil). Faculdade de Farmacia. Dept. de Produtos Farmaceuticos; Romussi, Giovanni [Universita degli Studi di Genova (Italy). Dipt. di Chimica e Tecnologie Farmaceutiche; Persoli, Rita M.; Tabach, Ricardo; Carlini, Elisaldo A. [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM), SP (Brazil). Dept. de Psicobiologia

2010-07-01

Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek is traditionally used in Brazil for treatment of gastric ulcers. Here we report the phytochemical investigation of an ethanol extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (EEMIL) aiming at the isolation of constituents which were used as chemical markers to monitor an activity-guided fractionation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (LAEMIL). From EEMIL, four flavonoids were isolated, namely the tri-flavonoid glycosides mauritianin (1), trifolin, (2) hyperin (4), and epi-catechin (5). Fractionation of LAEMIL led to 5 fractions which afforded the tetra-glycoside kaempferol derivative (3), and galactitol (6). LAEMIL and its fractions were evaluated in rats for their effects on gastric secretion volume and pH. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) analysis revealed that only fractions containing the tri- and tetra-flavonoid glycosides 1 and 3 caused significant increase of gastric volume and pH, thus indicating that these glycosides play an important role on the gastroprotective effect of M.ilicifolia leaves. (author)

Constituents from Maytenus ilicifolia leaves and bioguided fractionation for gastroprotective activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leite, Joao Paulo V.; Braga, Fernao C.; Oliveira, Alaide B.; Romussi, Giovanni; Persoli, Rita M.; Tabach, Ricardo; Carlini, Elisaldo A.

2010-01-01

Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek is traditionally used in Brazil for treatment of gastric ulcers. Here we report the phytochemical investigation of an ethanol extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (EEMIL) aiming at the isolation of constituents which were used as chemical markers to monitor an activity-guided fractionation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of M. ilicifolia leaves (LAEMIL). From EEMIL, four flavonoids were isolated, namely the tri-flavonoid glycosides mauritianin (1), trifolin, (2) hyperin (4), and epi-catechin (5). Fractionation of LAEMIL led to 5 fractions which afforded the tetra-glycoside kaempferol derivative (3), and galactitol (6). LAEMIL and its fractions were evaluated in rats for their effects on gastric secretion volume and pH. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) analysis revealed that only fractions containing the tri- and tetra-flavonoid glycosides 1 and 3 caused significant increase of gastric volume and pH, thus indicating that these glycosides play an important role on the gastroprotective effect of M.ilicifolia leaves. (author)

Part-Time Sick Leave as a Treatment Method?

OpenAIRE

Andrén D; Andrén T

2009-01-01

This paper analyzes the effects of being on part-time sick leave compared to full-time sick leave on the probability of recovering (i.e., returning to work with full recovery of lost work capacity). Using a discrete choice one-factor model, we estimate mean treatment parameters and distributional treatment parameters from a common set of structural parameters. Our results show that part-time sick leave increases the likelihood of recovering and dominates full-time sick leave for sickness spel...

The Length of Maternity Leave and Family Health

OpenAIRE

Beuchert, Louise Voldby; Humlum, Maria Knoth; Vejlin, Rune Majlund

2014-01-01

We study the relationship between the length of maternity leave and the physical and psychological health of the family. Using a reform of the parental leave scheme in Denmark that increased the number of weeks of leave with full benefit compensation,we estimate the effect of the length of maternity leave on a range of health indicators including the number of hospital admissions for both mother and child and the probability of the mother receiving antidepressants. The reform led to an increa...

Child-Care in Norway: Use of Parental Leave by Fathers

OpenAIRE

Naz, Ghazala

2011-01-01

An important feature of parental leave in Norway is that it allows significant sharing of leave between parents. Parents may take 54 weeks of leave and receive 80 per cent of previous earnings or 44 weeks of leave with 100 per cent of earnings, up to a ceiling amount. Nine weeks of total leave are, however, reserved for the mother and six weeks for the father and, as a general rule, these weeks cannot be transferred to the other parent. The remaining parental leave can be shared between paren...

The linear accumulation of atmospheric mercury by vegetable and grass leaves: Potential biomonitors for atmospheric mercury pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Niu, Zhenchuan; Zhang, Xiaoshan; Wang, Sen; Ci, Zhijia; Kong, Xiangrui; Wang, Zhangwei

2013-09-01

One question in the use of plants as biomonitors for atmospheric mercury (Hg) is to confirm the linear relationships of Hg concentrations between air and leaves. To explore the origin of Hg in the vegetable and grass leaves, open top chambers (OTCs) experiment was conducted to study the relationships of Hg concentrations between air and leaves of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). The influence of Hg in soil on Hg accumulation in leaves was studied simultaneously by soil Hg-enriched experiment. Hg concentrations in grass and vegetable leaves and roots were measured in both experiments. Results from OTCs experiment showed that Hg concentrations in leaves of the four species were significantly positively correlated with those in air during the growth time (p  0.05). Thus, Hg in grass leaves is mainly originated from the atmosphere, and grass leaves are more suitable as potential biomonitors for atmospheric Hg pollution. The effect detection limits (EDLs) for the leaves of alfalfa and ryegrass were 15.1 and 22.2 ng g(-1), respectively, and the biological detection limit (BDL) for alfalfa and ryegrass was 3.4 ng m(-3).

INTRODUCTION OF A NEW LEAVE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

CERN Multimedia

DIVISION HR

2000-01-01

The introduction of new leave rules (arising from the RSL, PRP and other programs) has made the present leave management system rather complicated and difficult to manage. It has therefore been decided to replace it with a more flexible and adaptable system, which will come into force on 1st October 2000. Henceforth, days of leave will be credited monthly instead of annually. Members of the personnel will have round-the-clock direct access to more detailed, confidential information regarding their various kinds of leave. They will also receive a personal monthly statement with their pay slips. The new system does not require any amendment of the regulations, except with respect to the frequency of leave calculations (monthly instead of annual). I. Main characteristics of the new leave system1. The main feature of the new system is the creation of accounts to which leave will be credited or debited as appropriate. Depending on their circumstances, members of the personnel may have up to four individual leave a...

Labour Supply Responses to Paid Parental Leave

OpenAIRE

Karimi, Arizo; Lindahl, Erica; Skogman Thoursie, Peter

2012-01-01

Women account for the majority of parental leave take-up, which is likely one of the major reasons for the gender gap in income and wages. Consequently, many countries exert effort to promote a more gender equal division of parental leave. Indeed, the last decades have seen an increase in fathers' take-up of parental leave benefits, but the gender earnings gap has remained fairly constant. In this paper we re-evaluate the labour supply responses of both mothers and fathers to three major refo...

41 CFR 61-250.11 - On what form must the data required by this part be submitted?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... headquarters location and all other hiring locations for each company should be mailed in one package to the... headquarters location, COMPLETE the name and address for the parent company headquarters, LEAVE BLANK the name..., must file (A) one form covering the principal or headquarters office: (B) A separate form for each...

Characterization of untreated and treated male and female date palm leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

AlMaadeed, M.A.; Kahraman, Ramazan; Noorunnisa Khanam, P.; Al-Maadeed, Somaya

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Sheshi female and male date palm leaves were treated with NaOH concentrations. ► Male leaves have lower mechanical properties and improved when treated by NaOH 2%. ► Female leaves have higher thermal stability. ► There are different properties for different types of date leaves. ► Leaves can be used as reinforcements for thermoplastic materials. -- Abstract: This paper describes the characterization of male and female date palm leaves from two different cultivars, Sheshi female and unknown male leaves. Characterization was done for both untreated and NaOH treated date palm leaves by infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and scanning electron microscopic techniques. To our knowledge, the difference in specious reaction to the treatment type of date palm fiber has not been investigated earlier. These leaves were treated with different concentrations of NaOH, 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 5% (w/w). The results from this investigation indicate that female leaves have better tensile properties which deteriorate with the increase of the alkali. The male leaves have lower tensile properties than female leaves and their mechanical properties are improved slightly by NaOH treatment. Female leaves have more pores than male leaves, this was proved and calculated by image analysis. Untreated female leaves have higher thermal stability (353 °C) than male leaves (343 °C). Both can be used as reinforcements in thermoplastic matrix materials whose processing temperatures are below 300 °C.

Development and First Phase Evaluation of a Maternity Leave Educational Tool for Pregnant, Working Women in California.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtovich, Elaine; Guendelman, Sylvia; Neuhauser, Linda; Edelman, Dana; Georges, Maura; Mason-Marti, Peyton

2015-01-01

Despite the provision of maternity leave offered to mothers, many American women fail to take leave. We developed an evidence-based maternity leave educational tool for working women in California using participatory design. We tested its short-term efficacy with a randomized controlled trial of pregnant English-speakers (n=155). Among intervention participants exposed to the tool, 65% reported that they learned something new; 38% were motivated to seek more information; and 49% said it helped them plan their maternity leave. Among participants who delivered at ≥ 37 weeks gestation and said the tool helped them plan their leave, 89% took more than one week of prenatal leave, a significantly higher proportion than among controls who did not receive the tool (64%, p=0.049). Other findings favored trial participants, but were not statistically significant in this small sample. More intervention participants took some prenatal leave (80%) vs. controls (74%, p=0.44). Among participants who had returned to work when surveyed (n=50), mean postnatal leave uptake was on average 1 week longer for intervention participants vs. controls (13.3 vs. 12.2 weeks, p=0.54). The first-phase evaluation of this tool shows that it successfully informed women about maternity leave options, clarified complex regulations, encouraged women to seek further information and helped plan maternity leave. Compared to controls, trial participants who used the tool to plan their leave were far more likely to take prenatal leave close to term. Future evaluation of the tool when mediated by a health provider or employer is warranted.

Development and First Phase Evaluation of a Maternity Leave Educational Tool for Pregnant, Working Women in California.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Kurtovich

Full Text Available Despite the provision of maternity leave offered to mothers, many American women fail to take leave.We developed an evidence-based maternity leave educational tool for working women in California using participatory design. We tested its short-term efficacy with a randomized controlled trial of pregnant English-speakers (n=155.Among intervention participants exposed to the tool, 65% reported that they learned something new; 38% were motivated to seek more information; and 49% said it helped them plan their maternity leave. Among participants who delivered at ≥ 37 weeks gestation and said the tool helped them plan their leave, 89% took more than one week of prenatal leave, a significantly higher proportion than among controls who did not receive the tool (64%, p=0.049. Other findings favored trial participants, but were not statistically significant in this small sample. More intervention participants took some prenatal leave (80% vs. controls (74%, p=0.44. Among participants who had returned to work when surveyed (n=50, mean postnatal leave uptake was on average 1 week longer for intervention participants vs. controls (13.3 vs. 12.2 weeks, p=0.54.The first-phase evaluation of this tool shows that it successfully informed women about maternity leave options, clarified complex regulations, encouraged women to seek further information and helped plan maternity leave. Compared to controls, trial participants who used the tool to plan their leave were far more likely to take prenatal leave close to term. Future evaluation of the tool when mediated by a health provider or employer is warranted.

Efficiency of Dry (Psidium guava) Leaves for The Removal of Cesium-137 from Aqueous Solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omar, H.A.; Abu-Kharda, S.A.; Abd El -Baset, L.A.; Abu-Shohba, R.M.

2012-01-01

Batch experiments for the removal of cesium-137 from aqueous solution onto guava leaves (psidium guava) and carbonized guava leaves were studied as a function of contact time, dosage, ph value and initial concentration ion. The sorption process was described by pseudo first-order, pseudo second-order, Morris and Elovich kinetic models. Cesium concentrations were ranged between 2x10 -5 - 1x10 -3 M. Sorption data have been interpreted in terms of Langmuir, Freundlich and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms. The maximum sorption capacity of carbonized guava leaves adsorbent for cesium removal was 8.02 mgg -1 . The results of the present study suggest that carbonized guava leaves can be used beneficially for cesium removal from aqueous solution.

5 CFR 630.906 - Transfer of annual leave.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... employing agency may not be sufficient to meet the needs of the leave recipient; or (3) In the judgment of... specified leave recipient. Except as provided in paragraph (f) of this section, annual leave may be transferred only to a leave recipient employed by the leave donor's employing agency. (b) Except as provided...

Antioxidant activity of Arbutus unedo leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Pabuçcuoğlu, A; Kivçak, B; Baş, M; Mert, T

2003-09-01

The ethanol and methanol extracts of Arbutus unedo leaves were screened for antioxidant activity. The antioxidant activity was determined by an improved assay based on the decolorization of the radical monocation of [2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] (ABTS). The ethanol and methanol extract of A. unedo leaves displayed potent antioxidant activity.

Nurses' leaving intentions: antecedents and mediating factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Takase, Miyuki; Yamashita, Noriko; Oba, Keiko

2008-05-01

This paper is a report of a study to investigate how nurses' work values, perceptions of environmental characteristics, and organizational commitment are related to their leaving intentions. Nurse leaving is a serious international problem as it contributes to the nursing shortage that threatens the welfare of society. The characteristics of nurses, the work environment and nurses' feelings towards their jobs (or organizations) have an impact on their leaving intentions. A convenience sample of 849 Registered Nurses was recruited from three public hospitals in the central-west region of Japan during 2006 and 319 completed questionnaires were returned (response rate 39%). Data were analysed using regression analysis. Nurses' work values and their perceptions of their workplace environment interacted to influence leaving intentions. When there was a match between the importance nurses placed on being able to challenge current clinical practices and the number of the actual opportunities to do so, leaving intentions were low. When there was a mismatch, intention to quit the job became stronger. In addition, organizational commitment intervened between nurses' perceptions of the match in clinical challenges and leaving intention. Nurses' leaving intentions, deserve extensive exploration of their causes. Such exploration should include attending to both nurses' needs and organizational characteristics, investigating how the match between them could affect nurses' leaving intention, and exploring factors that intervene between nurses' perceptions of the match and leaving intention.

[Modeling polarimetric BRDF of leaves surfaces].

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Dong-Hui; Wang, Pei-Juan; Zhu, Qi-Jiang; Zhou, Hong-Min

2010-12-01

The purpose of the present paper is to model a physical polarimetric bidirectional reflectance distribution function (pBRDF), which can character not only the non-Lambertian but also the polarized features in order that the pBRDF can be applied to analyze the relationship between the degree of polarization and the physiological and biochemical parameters of leaves quantitatively later. Firstly, the bidirectional polarized reflectance distributions from several leaves surfaces were measured by the polarized goniometer developed by Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The samples of leaves include two pieces of zea mays L. leaves (young leaf and mature leaf) and a piece of E. palcherrima wild leaf. Non-Lambertian characteristics of directional reflectance from the surfaces of these three leaves are obvious. A Cook-Torrance model was modified by coupling the polarized Fresnel equations to simulate the bidirectional polarized reflectance properties of leaves surfaces. The three parameters in the modified pBRDF model, such as diffuse reflectivity, refractive index and roughness of leaf surface were inversed with genetic algorithm (GA). It was found that the pBRDF model can fit with the measured data well. In addition, these parameters in the model are related with both the physiological and biochemical properties and the polarized characteristics of leaves, therefore it is possible to build the relationships between them later.

Quality of Work Life, Nurses' Intention to Leave the Profession, and Nurses Leaving the Profession: A One-Year Prospective Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ya-Wen; Dai, Yu-Tzu; Chang, Mei Yeh; Chang, Yue-Cune; Yao, Kaiping Grace; Liu, Mei-Chun

2017-07-01

To examine the associations among quality of work life, nurses' intention to leave the profession, and nurses leaving the profession. A prospective study design was used. Participants were 1,283 hospital nurses with a purposive sampling in Taiwan. The self-reported questionnaire consisted of three questionnaires: the Chinese version of the Quality of Nursing Work Life scale, an intention-to-leave profession questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Records of nurses leaving the profession were surveyed 1 year later. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. As many as 720 nurses (56.1%) had tendencies to leave their profession. However, only 31 nurses (2.5%) left their profession 1 year later. Nurses' intention to leave the profession mediated the relationship between the milieu of respect and autonomy, quality of work life, and nurses leaving the profession. The milieu of respect and autonomy describing the quality of work life predicts the nurses' intention to leave the profession, and together these predict nurses leaving the profession. This study illustrates that nurse managers could provide effective interventions to ameliorate the milieu of respect and autonomy aspect of quality of work life to prevent nurses from leaving their profession. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Optimum design for effective water transport through a double-layered porous hydrogel inspired by plant leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyejeong; Kim, Hyeonjeong; Huh, Hyungkyu; Hwang, Hyung Ju; Lee, Sang Joon

2014-11-01

Plant leaves are generally known to have optimized morphological structure in response to environmental changes for efficient water usage. However, the advantageous features of plant leaves are not fully utilized in engineering fields yet, since the optimum design in internal structure of plant leaves is unclear. In this study, the tissue organization of the hydraulic pathways inside plant leaves was investigated. Water transport through double-layered porous hydrogel models analogous to mesophyll cells was experimentally observed. In addition, computational experiment and theoretical analysis were applied to the model systems to find the optimal design for efficient water transport. As a result, the models with lower porosity or with pores distributed widely in the structure exhibit efficient mass transport. Our theoretical prediction supports that structural features of plant leaves guarantee sufficient water supply as survival strategy. This study may provide a new framework for investigating the biophysical principles governing the morphological optimization of plant leaves and for designing microfluidic devices to enhance mass transport ability. This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea and funded by the Korean government.

Development and First Phase Evaluation of a Maternity Leave Educational Tool for Pregnant, Working Women in California

Science.gov (United States)

Kurtovich, Elaine; Guendelman, Sylvia; Neuhauser, Linda; Edelman, Dana; Georges, Maura; Mason-Marti, Peyton

2015-01-01

Background Despite the provision of maternity leave offered to mothers, many American women fail to take leave. Methods We developed an evidence-based maternity leave educational tool for working women in California using participatory design. We tested its short-term efficacy with a randomized controlled trial of pregnant English-speakers (n=155). Results Among intervention participants exposed to the tool, 65% reported that they learned something new; 38% were motivated to seek more information; and 49% said it helped them plan their maternity leave. Among participants who delivered at ≥ 37 weeks gestation and said the tool helped them plan their leave, 89% took more than one week of prenatal leave, a significantly higher proportion than among controls who did not receive the tool (64%, p=0.049). Other findings favored trial participants, but were not statistically significant in this small sample. More intervention participants took some prenatal leave (80%) vs. controls (74%, p=0.44). Among participants who had returned to work when surveyed (n=50), mean postnatal leave uptake was on average 1 week longer for intervention participants vs. controls (13.3 vs. 12.2 weeks, p=0.54). Conclusions The first-phase evaluation of this tool shows that it successfully informed women about maternity leave options, clarified complex regulations, encouraged women to seek further information and helped plan maternity leave. Compared to controls, trial participants who used the tool to plan their leave were far more likely to take prenatal leave close to term. Future evaluation of the tool when mediated by a health provider or employer is warranted. PMID:26107519

Parental leave: comparing children's hospitals with Fortune 500 companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, A H; Gordon, E J; O'Connor, M E

1998-07-01

To identify parental leave policies and availability of support systems for new parents employed by children's hospitals and compare these benefits with those offered by Fortune 500 companies. Telephone or facsimile survey of all (n=118) children's hospitals and pediatric medical centers in the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions 1995 Directory of Members, and 118 geographically matched Fortune 500 companies. Policies for maternity and paternity leave, adoption benefits, and support services for new parents were compared. Ninety-four children's hospitals (80%) and 82 Fortune 500 companies (69%) responded to the survey. No difference in duration of maternity (P>.30) or paternity (P=.12) leave was found. Sixty-two companies (77%) classified maternity leave as short-term disability while 47 hospitals (50%) classified it as sick time (Pleave as short-term disability generally gives better benefits to employees with short duration of service, whereas classifying maternity leave as sick time usually favors employees with longer employment. Companies provided more financial support for adoption expenses (Ppaid or unpaid leave for adoption (P=.14). Hospitals provided more on-site day care (69% vs 42%; Pparental leave benefits than Fortune 500 companies; however, they offer better support systems for parents returning to work after the birth of a child.

Chemical Utilization of Albizia lebbeck Leaves for Developing Protein Concentrates as a Dietary Supplement.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Lutful Haque; Varshney, V K

2017-08-17

In search of nonconventional sources of protein to combat widespread malnutrition, the possibility of developing a protein concentrate as an alternative dietary supplement from abundantly available yet poorly valorized leaves of Albizia lebbeck (siris) was examined. A process for recovery of leaf protein concentrate (LPC) from these leaves was optimized and applied for isolation of LPCs from lower, middle, and upper canopies of the tree. The optimized conditions (leaves to water 1:9, coagulation at pH 4.0 using 1 N citric acid at 90°C for 11 minutes) afforded LPCs containing protein 37.15%, 37.57%, and 37.76% in 5.99%, 5.97%, and 6.07% yield, respectively. The proximate nutritional composition, pigments, minerals, in vitro digestibility, and antinutritional factors of these LPCs were determined. Analysis of variance of these data revealed no significant difference with respect to canopy. Use of Albizia lebbeck leaves for development of LPC as a food/feed supplement was revealed.

Parental Leave Policies and Pediatric Trainees in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Dixit, Avika; Feldman-Winter, Lori; Szucs, Kinga A

2015-08-01

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that each residency program should have a clearly delineated, written policy for parental leave. Parental leave has important implications for trainees' ability to achieve their breastfeeding goals. This study aimed to measure the knowledge and awareness among members of the AAP Section on Medical Students, Residents, and Fellowship Trainees (SOMSRFT) regarding parental leave. An online survey was emailed to SOMSRFT members in June 2013. Quantitative data are presented as percentage of respondents. Awareness of leave policies was analyzed based on having children and the sex of respondents. Nine hundred twenty-seven members responded to the survey. Among those with children, 40% needed to extend the duration of their training in order to have longer maternity leave, 44% of whom did so in order to breastfeed longer. Thirty percent of respondents did not know if their program had a written, accessible policy for parental leave. Trainees without children and men were more unaware of specific aspects of parental leave such as eligibility for the Family Medical Leave Act as compared to women and those with children. Despite the fact that United States national policies support parental leave during pediatrics training, and a majority of programs comply, trainees' awareness regarding these policies needs improvement. © The Author(s) 2015.

JavaScript for Absolute Beginners

CERN Document Server

McNavage, T

2010-01-01

If you are new to both JavaScript and programming, this hands-on book is for you. Rather than staring blankly at gobbledygook, you'll explore JavaScript by entering and running hundreds of code samples in Firebug, a free JavaScript debugger. Then in the last two chapters, you'll leave the safety of Firebug and hand-code an uber cool JavaScript application in your preferred text editor. Written in a friendly, engaging narrative style, this innovative JavaScript tutorial covers the following essentials: * Core JavaScript syntax, such as value types, operators, expressions, and statements provide

Novel concept for measurement of global blank draw-in when deep drawing outer skin automotive components

Science.gov (United States)

Kraft, M.; Bürgel, U.

2017-09-01

Modern press shops in the automotive industry have to deal with many challenges. One challenge is to achieve a consistent part quality. In order to reach this target, modern press systems and tools are equipped with several types of sensors. For example, there are sensors to measure characteristic values of blanks or sensors to measure the temperature in the tools. Often several sensors are used simultaneously. A significant parameter for determining the quality of draw panels is the draw-in amount. Previously, it was only possible to measure selective points of the draw-in amount due to sensors in the tools. All the known sensors have disadvantages, for example, they are exposed to wearing or susceptible to contamination. In this paper, a sensor system will be introduced that allows the measurement of the global draw-in amount of a drawn panel. Here, the draw-in amount is not measured in the draw die, it is measured during the transportation of the part to the following operation. Within the short transport time the part can be fully covered by an optical system. This leads to a multitude of advantages compared with previously known systems. For example, it is no longer necessary to equip every tool with sensor technology to measure the draw-in amount. Now it is sufficient to equip every press line with a single system to measure the draw-in. This fact leads not only to lower costs, it also simplifies the tool design. In addition, the risk of contamination of the sensor system is greatly reduced. The paper will also introduce an actuator that was built to locally vary the blankholder forces for a sheet metal forming process. Furthermore, an FEM model is presented that allows the determination of the effective range of these actuators. With the knowledge from the FEM simulation, an approach for an open loop control is presented. With this approach, the press shops at Opel are developing a control procedure in order to influence the stamping process positively.

Maternity leave policies in academic and private radiology practices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spirt, B.A.; Rauth, V.; Price, A.P.F.; Pagani, A.H.

1988-01-01

In 1987, the American Association of Women Radiologists surveyed both academic and private radiology departments regarding pregnancy and maternity leave policies. One hundred academic institutions (70% response), 30 radiotherapy departments (38% response), and 31 private practices responded. Details were obtained regarding maternity leave policy for residents and attending physicians; availability of paternity leave; policies regarding on-call time, fluoroscopy time and intracavitary/interstitial applications during pregnancy; and problems that occurred during resident or attending physician pregnancies. There was a wide range of responses regarding paid leave time, availability of additional time, and the use of vacation time during maternity leave

The effects of California's paid family leave program on mothers' leave-taking and subsequent labor market outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J; Waldfogel, Jane

2013-01-01

This analysis uses March Current Population Survey data from 1999 to 2010 and a differences-in-differences approach to examine how California's first in the nation paid family leave (PFL) program affected leave-taking by mothers following childbirth, as well as subsequent labor market outcomes. We obtain robust evidence that the California program doubled the overall use of maternity leave, increasing it from an average of three to six weeks for new mothers--with some evidence of particularly large growth for less advantaged groups. We also provide evidence that PFL increased the usual weekly work hours of employed mothers of 1- to 3-year-old children by 10 to 17 percent and that their wage incomes may have risen by a similar amount.

Implementing a Paid Leave Policy for Graduate Students at UW-Madison: The Department Chair Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Mathieu, Robert D.

2013-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy Department developed and implemented a departmental paid leave policy for our graduate students, even though the university lacks a campus-wide policy and cannot provide institutional funding for such programs. This policy includes 12 weeks of paid leave in event of a medical emergency or chronic medical condition, as well as paid parental leave for both male and female graduate research assistants. Building on the graduate student perspective of Gosnell (2012), I will discuss the process of this successful development of a departmental family and medical leave policy for graduate students from the perspective of a faculty member and chair. In particular I will discuss implications of university policies, the importance of faculty and staff support, the role of private funds, and issues of effort certification.

Negotiating leave in the workplace

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bloksgaard, Lotte

In Denmark leave entitlement is not only regulated by law but is also part of the various collective agreements established in the respective occupational sectors and at the local workplace level. Consequently, Danish fathers have very different leave entitlements, depending on the sector, branch...

Negotiating leave in the workplace

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bloksgaard, Lotte

2014-01-01

In Denmark leave entitlement is not only regulated by law but is also part of the various collective agreements established in the respective occupational sectors and at the local workplace level. Consequently, Danish fathers have very different leave entitlements, depending on the sector, branch...

New statement of leave format

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2009-01-01

Following the communication of the Standing Concertation Committee published in Weekly Bulletin No. 18-19 of 27 April 2009, the current statement of leave on monthly pay slips has been replaced with the EDH Leave Transactions report that displays the up-to-date situation of individual leave balances at all times. The report is available on EDH. Additionally, the layout of the pay slip has been modernised. The new version of the pay slip will be send out from September 2009 onwards. Finance and Purchasing Department, Personnel Accounting Human Resources Department, Organisation and Procedures General Infrastructure Services Department, Administrative Information Services

Putting Parenting First: Why It's Time for Universal Paid Leave. PPI Policy Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Robert D.

Although the Family and Medical Leave Act enabled some parents to take unpaid parental leave in order to fulfill family responsibilities, it did not cover all workers and did not provide workers the financial support to do so. This policy report calls for Congress to: require states to allow new parents who have been working to collect…

Fathers’ Experience of Shared Parental Leave in Sweden

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anders Chronholm

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Since the introduction of the Swedish parental leave reform in 1974, fathers have had the same rights to use parental leave as mothers. Between 2000 and 2003, a research project at the Department of Sociology, University of Gothenburg, focused on fathers who had taken more than four months of paid parental leave. The approach of the study was mainly qualitative, based upon a combination of a survey and interviews. A majority of the fathers who answered the questionnaire had been the main caregivers for their children during their parental leave. During the interviews many of the men described their mothers as role models for their fatherhood. The men also described their own partner as both anxious to get back to her work after her own parental leave period and convinced of the importance of a nurturing father. An early decision to take part of the parental leave probably made it easier for the men to reach workplace agreements. Most of the men described themselves as both nurturing fathers and as sharing housework equally. They stressed the importance of being alone with their child during a long period, to be able to develop a deep relationship with their child.

Nurse manager job satisfaction and intent to leave

Science.gov (United States)

Warshawsky, Nora E.; Havens, Donna S.

2015-01-01

Background The nurse manager role is critical to staff nurse retention and often the portal to senior nursing leadership, yet little is known about nurse managers' job satisfaction and career plans. The purpose of this study was to describe nurse managers' job satisfaction and intent to leave. Methods An electronic survey was used to collect data from 291 nurse managers working in U.S. hospitals. Findings Seventy percent were satisfied or very satisfied with their jobs and 68% were either likely or very likely to recommend nursing management as a career choice. Seventy-two percent of these nurse managers were also planning to leave their positions in the next five years. The four most common reasons reported for intent to leave included burnout, career change, retirement, and promotion. Burnout was the most common reason cited by the entire sample but the fourth most common reason for leaving cited by those nurse managers who were planning to leave and also satisfied or very satisfied with their positions. Conclusions Recommendations for nursing leaders include evaluating the workload of nurse managers, providing career counseling, and developing succession plans. Additional research is needed to understand the determinants and consequences of nurse manager job satisfaction, intent to leave, and turnover. PMID:24689156

Parental Leave and Children's Schooling Outcomes: Quasi-Experimental Evidence from a Large Parental Leave Reform

OpenAIRE

Natalia Danzer; Victor Lavy

2013-01-01

This paper investigates the question whether long-term human capital outcomes are affected by the duration of maternity leave, i.e. by the time mothers spend at home with their newborn before returning to work. Employing RD and difference-in-difference approaches, this paper exploits an unanticipated reform in Austria which extended the maximum duration of paid and job protected parental leave from 12 to 24 months for children born on July 1, 1990 or later. We use test scores from the Austria...

29 CFR 825.203 - Scheduling of intermittent or reduced schedule leave.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... leave intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule for planned medical treatment, then the employee... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Scheduling of intermittent or reduced schedule leave. 825... OF LABOR OTHER LAWS THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993 Employee Leave Entitlements Under the...

Is part-time sick leave helping the unemployed?

OpenAIRE

Andrén, Daniela

2011-01-01

Using a discrete choice one-factor model, we estimate mean treatment parameters and distributional treatment parameters to analyze the effects of degree of sick leave on the probability of full recovery of lost work capacity for employed and unemployed individuals, respectively. Our results indicate that one year after the sick leave spell started, the average potential impact of part-time sick listing on an individual randomly chosen from the population on sick leave was positive for both gr...

Efficient network-matrix architecture for general flow transport inspired by natural pinnate leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Liguo; Zhou, Han; Zhu, Hanxing; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

2014-11-14

Networks embedded in three dimensional matrices are beneficial to deliver physical flows to the matrices. Leaf architectures, pervasive natural network-matrix architectures, endow leaves with high transpiration rates and low water pressure drops, providing inspiration for efficient network-matrix architectures. In this study, the network-matrix model for general flow transport inspired by natural pinnate leaves is investigated analytically. The results indicate that the optimal network structure inspired by natural pinnate leaves can greatly reduce the maximum potential drop and the total potential drop caused by the flow through the network while maximizing the total flow rate through the matrix. These results can be used to design efficient networks in network-matrix architectures for a variety of practical applications, such as tissue engineering, cell culture, photovoltaic devices and heat transfer.

40 CFR 267.151 - Wording of the instruments.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Obligations Covered by a Financial Test or Corporate Guarantee.] [If this firm qualifies for the financial... Financial Test or Corporate Guarantee [On the following lines list all obligations that are covered by a financial test or a corporate guarantee extended by your firm. You may add additional lines and leave blank...

Don’t Leave U.S. Behind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janice Arellano

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This article examines the pace at which Federal and State legislation were implemented to provide working parents and caregivers the ability to take time off for the birth or adoption of a child, to care for the elderly, sick or disabled family members, and others in need of care. Compared with many industrialized nations, the United States ranks alongside the least generous countries in terms of providing a balanced lifestyle between work and family life. For instance, the United States does not even provide national paid family leave. This article provides the history, purpose, and scope of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and later implementations of State programs. Furthermore, this article will present a brief survey of the paternal, maternal, and parental leave policies of other countries and will provide suggestions for changing existing federal policies to provide a more conducive family and work balance for employees.

Influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding.

Science.gov (United States)

Monteiro, Fernanda R; Buccini, Gabriela Dos S; Venâncio, Sônia I; da Costa, Teresa H M

To describe the profile of women with children aged under 4 months living in the Brazilian state capitals and in the Federal District according to their working status and to analyze the influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) among working women. This was a cross-sectional study with data extracted from the II National Maternal Breastfeeding Prevalence Survey carried out in 2008. Initially, a descriptive analysis of the profile of 12,794 women was performed, according to their working status and maternity leave and the frequency of maternity leave in the Brazilian regions and capitals. The study used a multiple model to identify the influence of maternity leave on EBF interruption, including 3766 women who declared they were working and were on maternity leave at the time of the interview. The outcome assessed in the study was the interruption of the EBF, classified by the WHO. Regarding the working status of the mothers, 63.4% did not work outside of their homes and among those who worked, 69.8% were on maternity leave. The largest prevalence among workers was of women older than 35 years of age, with more than 12 years of schooling, primiparous and from the Southeast and South regions. The lack of maternity leave increased by 23% the chance of EBF interruption. Maternity leave contributed to increase the prevalence of EBF in the Brazilian states capitals, supporting the importance of increasing the maternity leave period from four to six months. Copyright © 2017 Sociedade Brasileira de Pediatria. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda R. Monteiro

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives: To describe the profile of women with children aged under 4 months living in the Brazilian state capitals and in the Federal District according to their working status and to analyze the influence of maternity leave on exclusive breastfeeding (EBF among working women. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with data extracted from the II National Maternal Breastfeeding Prevalence Survey carried out in 2008. Initially, a descriptive analysis of the profile of 12,794 women was performed, according to their working status and maternity leave and the frequency of maternity leave in the Brazilian regions and capitals. The study used a multiple model to identify the influence of maternity leave on EBF interruption, including 3766 women who declared they were working and were on maternity leave at the time of the interview. The outcome assessed in the study was the interruption of the EBF, classified by the WHO. Results: Regarding the working status of the mothers, 63.4% did not work outside of their homes and among those who worked, 69.8% were on maternity leave. The largest prevalence among workers was of women older than 35 years of age, with more than 12 years of schooling, primiparous and from the Southeast and South regions. The lack of maternity leave increased by 23% the chance of EBF interruption. Conclusion: Maternity leave contributed to increase the prevalence of EBF in the Brazilian states capitals, supporting the importance of increasing the maternity leave period from four to six months.

A National Survey of Parental Leave and Childcare Policies for Graduate Students in Departments of Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Charbonneau, David; Women in Astronomy, AAS Committee on Status of

2013-01-01

The AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy conducted a national survey to determine current policies regarding parental leave and childcare for graduate student parents. We sent a letter to the Chair of each U.S. department of astronomy and/or astrophysics that offers the PhD degree. The letter inquired both about leave following the birth or adoption of a child (including questions about eligibility, whether the leave was paid or unpaid, and whether benefits including health care and housing were retained during leave), as well as childcare (including questions about eligibility, access, and financial assistance). The letter sought to determine the official departmental policies, but also inquired about any unofficial policies. We also inquired as to mechanisms to cover costs associated with both parental leave and childcare, and the means by which graduate students were informed about the policies. The response rate was 100%. We will present the results at this special session, and then lead a discussion of the changing landscape of parental leave for graduate students in our field.

RNs and LPNs: emotional exhaustion and intention to leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Havaei, Farinaz; MacPhee, Maura; Dahinten, V Susan

2016-04-01

To describe and compare registered nurse (RN) and licensed practical nurse (LPN) emotional exhaustion, intention to leave and reasons for leaving. Different skill mix/care delivery models are being used to address nurse shortages and rising health-care costs. Skill mix may include RNs and LPNs. More LPNs are being employed in areas, such as acute care, that have been previously staffed by all RNs. Little is known about nurse outcomes since the introduction of LPNs to acute care settings. This study was a cross-sectional correlational design. A stratified, random sample of acute care nurses completed surveys via Fluidsurveys. The survey was modelled after the RN4CAST nursing workforce survey. For both groups of nurses higher levels of emotional exhaustion were associated with intention to leave and workload was the most frequent reason cited for intention to leave. More RNs than LPNs cited career advancement as a reason to leave, and more LPNs than RNs identified poor salary as a reason to leave. Emotional exhaustion is linked to intention to leave health care. Nurse managers should address work environment factors associated with turnover intentions, such as professional development opportunities and shared decision-making. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In Situ 3D Segmentation of Individual Plant Leaves Using a RGB-D Camera for Agricultural Automation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chunlei Xia

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a challenging task of 3D segmentation of individual plant leaves from occlusions in the complicated natural scene. Depth data of plant leaves is introduced to improve the robustness of plant leaf segmentation. The low cost RGB-D camera is utilized to capture depth and color image in fields. Mean shift clustering is applied to segment plant leaves in depth image. Plant leaves are extracted from the natural background by examining vegetation of the candidate segments produced by mean shift. Subsequently, individual leaves are segmented from occlusions by active contour models. Automatic initialization of the active contour models is implemented by calculating the center of divergence from the gradient vector field of depth image. The proposed segmentation scheme is tested through experiments under greenhouse conditions. The overall segmentation rate is 87.97% while segmentation rates for single and occluded leaves are 92.10% and 86.67%, respectively. Approximately half of the experimental results show segmentation rates of individual leaves higher than 90%. Nevertheless, the proposed method is able to segment individual leaves from heavy occlusions.

Prognostic factors for duration of sick leave due to low-back pain in dutch health care professionals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenstra, I.A.; Koopman, F.S.; Knol, D.L.; de Kat, E.; Bongers, P.M.; de Vet, H.C.W.; van Mechelen, W.

2005-01-01

Background: Information on prognostic factors for duration of sick leave due to low-back pain (LBP) is growing. In this prospective cohort study prognostic factors for duration of sick leave and course of disability were identified in a very early stage of sick leave due to LBP in an occupational

Prognostic factors for duration of sick leave due to low-back pain in dutch health care professionals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Steenstra, Ivan A.; Koopman, Fieke S.; Knol, Dirk L.; Kat, Eric; Bongers, Paulien M.; de Vet, Henrica C. W.; van Mechelen, Willem

2005-01-01

Information on prognostic factors for duration of sick leave due to low-back pain (LBP) is growing. In this prospective cohort study prognostic factors for duration of sick leave and course of disability were identified in a very early stage of sick leave due to LBP in an occupational health care

The CCCTB Rules on Leaving a Group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Streek, J.

2012-01-01

The consolidation system proposed in the draft of the CCCTB Directive puts relationships between Member States on edge. This is clearly apparent in the rules that apply when a company leaves a group. In this article the leaving rules are examined. Although the leaving rules are claimed to be

On the Sharing of Temporary Parental Leave

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Amilon, Anna

2007-01-01

This paper views temporary parental leave (leave from work to take care of a sick child) as a household public good, produced with time inputs of the parents as the only input. Assuming equal productivities in the production of temporary parental leave and equal utility functions of the spouses...

Assessment of four different cathode materials at different initial pHs using unbuffered catholytes in microbial electrolysis cells

KAUST Repository

Ribot-Llobet, Edgar; Nam, Joo-Youn; Tokash, Justin C.; Guisasola, Albert; Logan, Bruce E.

2013-01-01

Nickel foam (NF), stainless steel wool (SSW), platinum coated stainless steel mesh (Pt), and molybdenum disulfide coated stainless steel mesh (MoS 2) electrodes have been proposed as catalysts for hydrogen gas production, but previous tests have primarily examined their performance in well buffered solutions. These materials were compared using two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in unbuffered saline solutions at two different initial pHs (7 and 12). There was generally no appreciable effect of initial pH on production rates or total gas production. NF produced hydrogen gas at a rate of 1.1 m3 H2/m 3·d, which was only slightly less than that using Pt (1.4 m3 H2/m3·d), but larger than that obtained with SSW (0.52 m3 H2/m3·d) or MoS2 (0.67 m3 H2/m3·d). Overall hydrogen gas recoveries with SSW (29.7 ± 0.5 mL), MoS2 (28.6 ± 1.3 mL) and NF (32.4 ± 2 mL) were only slightly less than that of Pt (37.9 ± 0.5 mL). Total energy recoveries, based on the gas produced versus electrical energy input, ranged from 0.75 ± 0.02 for Pt, to 0.55 ± 0.02 for SSW. An LSV analysis showed no effect of pH for NF and Pt, but overpotentials were reduced for MoS2 and SSW by using an initial lower pH. At cathode potentials more negative than -0.85 V (vs Ag/AgCl), NF had lower overpotentials than the MoS2. These results provide the first assessment of these materials under practical conditions of high pH in unbuffered saline catholytes, and position NF as the most promising inexpensive alternative to Pt.

Assessment of four different cathode materials at different initial pHs using unbuffered catholytes in microbial electrolysis cells

KAUST Repository

Ribot-Llobet, Edgar

2013-03-01

Nickel foam (NF), stainless steel wool (SSW), platinum coated stainless steel mesh (Pt), and molybdenum disulfide coated stainless steel mesh (MoS 2) electrodes have been proposed as catalysts for hydrogen gas production, but previous tests have primarily examined their performance in well buffered solutions. These materials were compared using two-chamber microbial electrolysis cells (MECs), and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) in unbuffered saline solutions at two different initial pHs (7 and 12). There was generally no appreciable effect of initial pH on production rates or total gas production. NF produced hydrogen gas at a rate of 1.1 m3 H2/m 3·d, which was only slightly less than that using Pt (1.4 m3 H2/m3·d), but larger than that obtained with SSW (0.52 m3 H2/m3·d) or MoS2 (0.67 m3 H2/m3·d). Overall hydrogen gas recoveries with SSW (29.7 ± 0.5 mL), MoS2 (28.6 ± 1.3 mL) and NF (32.4 ± 2 mL) were only slightly less than that of Pt (37.9 ± 0.5 mL). Total energy recoveries, based on the gas produced versus electrical energy input, ranged from 0.75 ± 0.02 for Pt, to 0.55 ± 0.02 for SSW. An LSV analysis showed no effect of pH for NF and Pt, but overpotentials were reduced for MoS2 and SSW by using an initial lower pH. At cathode potentials more negative than -0.85 V (vs Ag/AgCl), NF had lower overpotentials than the MoS2. These results provide the first assessment of these materials under practical conditions of high pH in unbuffered saline catholytes, and position NF as the most promising inexpensive alternative to Pt.

An experimental study on drying kinetics of some herbal leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaya, Ahmet; Aydin, Orhan

2009-01-01

In this study, thin-layer drying characteristics of some herbal leaves, mainly nettle and mint leaves, are investigated experimentally in a convective drier. Effects of the drying air parameters including temperature, velocity and relative humidity on the total drying time are determined. Initially, sorption isotherms of the dried leaves are determined for different temperatures and equilibrium relative humidity (e.r.h.). Experiments are conducted for air temperatures at 35, 45 and 55 deg. C, velocities at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 m/s and, relative humidity values at 40%, 55% and 70%. In the ranges that covered, the values of the moisture diffusivity D eff are obtained between 1.744 x 10 -9 and 4.992 x 10 -9 m 2 /s for nettle leaves and 1.975 x 10 -9 and 6.172 x 10 -9 m 2 /s for mint leaves from the Fick's diffusion model. Using D eff , the value of E a is determined assuming the Arrhenius-type temperature relationship, which varies from 79.873 to 109.003 kJ/mol for nettle leaves and 66.873 to 71.987 kJ/mol for mint leaves

The Family and Medical Leave Act: Questions and Answers for Faculty.

Science.gov (United States)

Euben, Donna R.; Thornton, Saranna R.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) entitles many faculty members to 12 weeks of job-protected unpaid leave each year to take care of a serious health condition or a family obligation such as the birth of a child, the arrival of an adoptive or foster child, or the serious health condition of a spouse, child, or parent. This guidebook is a…

[New cerebroside from leaves of pineapple].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jin-Ping; Wang, Hong-Ying; Du, Li-Jun; Ding, Yi; Xing, Dong-Ming; Wang, Wei

2007-03-01

To study the chemical constituents of the leaves of pineapple. Chromatographic methods were used to isolate compounds from the leaves of pineapple and spectral methods were used to identify the structures of the isolated compounds. Compound 1 was isolated from the leaves of pineapple. It was identified as 1-O-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S, 3R, 4E, 11E)-2-[(2(R)-hydroxydocosanoyl) amido]-4, 11-hexadecanediene-1, 3-diol. Compound 1 was a new compound.

48 CFR 752.7031 - Leave and holidays.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... States (less language training) and the actual days overseas beginning on the date of departure from the.... (e) Military leave. Military leave of not more than 15 calendar days in any calendar year may be... such military leave has been approved in advance by the cognizant Mission Director or Assistant...

Phloem unloading in developing leaves of sugar beet

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmalstig, J.G.

1985-01-01

Physiological and transport data support a symplastic pathway for phloem unloading in developing leaves of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. Klein E, multigerm). The sulfhydryl inhibitor parachloromercuribenzene sulfonic acid (PCMBS) inhibited uptake of [ 14 C]-sucrose added to the free space of developing leaves, but did not affect import of [ 14 C]-sucrose during steady-state 14 CO 2 labeling of a source leaf. The passively-transported xenobiotic sugar, [ 14 C]-L-glucose did not readily enter mesophyll cells when supplied through the cut end of the petiole of a sink leaf as determined by whole leaf autoradiography. In contrast, [ 14 C]-L-glucose translocated through the phloem from a mature leaf, rapidly entered mesophyll cells, and was evenly distributed between mesophyll and veins. Autoradiographs of developing leaves following a pulse of 14 CO 2 to a source leaf revealed rapid passage of phloem translocated into progressively higher order veins as the leaf developed. Entry into V order veins occurred during the last stage of import through the phloem. Import into developing leaves was inhibited by glyphosate (N-phosphomethylglycine), a herbicide which inhibits the aromatic amino acid pathway and hence protein synthesis. Glyphosate also stopped net starch accumulation in sprayed mature leaves, but did not affect export of carbon from treated leaves during the time period that import into developed leaves was inhibited

The Effects of California’s Paid Family Leave Program on Mothers’ Leave-Taking and Subsequent Labor Market Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher; Waldfogel, Jane

2013-01-01

This analysis uses March Current Population Survey data from 1999–2010 and a differences-in-differences approach to examine how California’s first in the nation paid family leave (PFL) program affected leave-taking by mothers following childbirth, as well as subsequent labor market outcomes. We obtain robust evidence that the California program doubled the overall use of maternity leave, increasing it from an average of three to six weeks for new mothers – with some evidence of particularly large growth for less advantaged groups. We also provide evidence that PFL increased the usual weekly work hours of employed mothers of one-to-three year-old children by 10 to 17% and that their wage incomes may have risen by a similar amount. PMID:23547324

Interactions between payments for hydrologic services, landowner decisions, and ecohydrological consequences: synergies and disconnection in the cloud forest zone of central Veracruz, Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heidi Asbjornsen

2017-06-01

hydrologic services and people's decisions, behavior, and knowledge regarding forest conservation and water. Using central Veracruz as our case study, we identify areas of both synchrony and disconnection between PHS goals and outcomes. Mature and regenerating cloud forests (targeted by PHS were found to produce enhanced hydrologic services relative to areas converted to pasture, including reduced peak flows during large rain events and maintenance of dry-season base flows. However, unexpectedly, these hydrologic benefits from cloud forests were not necessarily greater than those from other vegetation types. Consequently, the location of forests in strategic watershed positions (e.g., where deforestation risk or hydrologic recharge are high may be more critical than forest type in promoting hydrologic functions within watersheds and should be considered when targeting PHS payments. While our results suggest that participation in PHS improved the level of knowledge among watershed inhabitants about forest-water relationships, a mismatch existed between payment amounts and landowner opportunity costs, which may contribute to the modest success in targeting priority areas within watersheds. Combined, these findings underscore the complexity of factors that influence motivations for PHS participation and land use decisions and behavior, and the importance of integrating understanding of both ecohydrological and socioeconomic dynamics into PHS design and implementation. We conclude by identifying opportunities for improving the design of PHS programs and recommending priority areas for future research and monitoring, both in Mexico and globally.

5 CFR 630.1206 - Notice of leave.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... medical treatment, the employee shall provide notice to the agency of his or her intention to take leave... placement or planned medical treatment requires leave to begin within 30 calendar days, the employee shall... 5 Administrative Personnel 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice of leave. 630.1206 Section 630...

Changes in sick leave among Swedish dental patients after treatment for dental fear.

Science.gov (United States)

Hakeberg, M; Berggren, U

1993-03-01

The most obvious consequence of a genuine dental phobic reaction is the avoidance of necessary dental care. Previous research has indicated that such avoidance results in deterioration of the oral status, which subsequently worsens patients' well-being and quality of life. The authors' previous investigations have shown overt behavioural and social effects by an increased time spent on sick leave compared with the public experience. Self-reports by patients also indicated that the time spent on sick leave was reduced after successful treatment for dental fear. The present investigation assessed the frequency of sick leave days among patients with dental fear and avoidance with regard to successful or unsuccessful treatment for dental fear (subsequent regular dental visit habits). A sub-sample of the fear group was compared with a group of matched controls. Data were collected from the official register of the National Health Insurance Board. It was revealed that the number of sick leave days was significantly reduced after treatment for dental fear among treated patients. This effect was also confirmed by a significant post-treatment difference between treated patients and those who discontinued or never started treatment. When compared with a matched control group, the positive change was further supported by a significant pre-treatment difference and a non-significant post-treatment difference.

Paid health and family leave: the Canadian experience in the global context.

Science.gov (United States)

Heymann, S Jody; Gerecke, Megan; Chaussard, Martine

2010-01-01

Two thirds of Canadian adults participate in the workforce. Their health and that of their families can be markedly affected by the availability of paid sick leave, paid leave to care for family members' health and paid parental leave. We gathered data from all Canadian provinces and territories on these essential leave policies and compared Canadian policies with data collected on 186 United Nations (UN) countries. While Canada pays sickness benefits for 15 weeks for serious illnesses, globally at least 90 countries provide benefits for at least 26 weeks or until recovery. Moreover, within Canada only Saskatchewan and Quebec guarantee job protection if sick leave lasts over 12 days. The federal government guarantees Canadian workers six weeks of paid leave to provide care or support to gravely ill family members. Only 39 countries guarantee such leave with pay. Most, but not all, provinces guarantee workers' job protection during compassionate care leave. Eligibility for job protection during parental leave varies across the country from having no restrictions to requiring at least one year of service. Compared with Canada, many countries offer a longer duration of paid sick leave for employees and replace a higher percentage of wages lost. Internationally, Canada performs well in having policies that guarantee paid leave to care for dependants with serious illnesses, but it lags behind in the provision of paid leave to address the health needs of children or family members' with non-life-threatening conditions. Finally, while paid parental leave is of adequate duration, the wage replacement rate lowers its accessibility to families with limited means.

[Chemical components from essential oil of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiao-Kai; Ge, Fa-Huan

2014-04-01

To analyze the chemical compositions of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves essential oil extracted by steam distillation. The essential oil of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrum, and the relative content of each component was determined by area normalization method. 128 peaks were separated and 95 compounds were identified, which weighed 97.75%. The main chemical components of the essential oil were phytol (42.15%), squalene (16.81%), what's more pentadecanal (6.17%), pentadecanoic acid (4.49%), 3, 7, 11, 15-tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (3.83%), phytone (2.05%) and the other 74 chemical compositions were firstly identified from the essential oil of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves. The chemical compositions of Pandanu samaryllifolius leaves essential oil was systematically, deeply isolated and identified for the first time. This experiment has provided scientific foundation for further utilization of Pandanus amaryllifolius leaves.

10 CFR 2.308 - Treatment of requests for hearing or petitions for leave to intervene by the Secretary.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Treatment of requests for hearing or petitions for leave..., Presiding Officer Powers, and General Hearing Management for NRC Adjudicatory Hearings § 2.308 Treatment of requests for hearing or petitions for leave to intervene by the Secretary. Upon receipt of a request for...

Leaving the hospital - your discharge plan

Science.gov (United States)

... patientinstructions/000867.htm Leaving the hospital - your discharge plan To use the sharing features on this page, ... once you leave. This is called a discharge plan. Your health care providers at the hospital will ...

When and Why Dropouts Leave High School

Science.gov (United States)

Stearns, Elizabeth; Glennie, Elizabeth J.

2006-01-01

Teens may leave school because of academic failure, disciplinary problems, or employment opportunities. In this article, the authors test whether the reasons dropouts leave school differ by grade level and age. We compare dropout rates and reasons across grade levels and ages for all high school students, ethnic groups, and gender groups. Across…

Sick leave patterns as predictors of disability pension or long-term sick leave: a 6.75-year follow-up study in municipal eldercare workers

Science.gov (United States)

Stapelfeldt, Christina Malmose; Nielsen, Claus Vinther; Andersen, Niels Trolle; Krane, Line; Borg, Vilhelm; Fleten, Nils; Jensen, Chris

2014-01-01

Objectives The aim was to study whether a workplace-registered frequent short-term sick leave spell pattern was an early indicator of future disability pension or future long-term sick leave among municipal eldercare workers. Setting The municipal healthcare sector in the city of Aarhus, which is the second largest city in Denmark. Participants All elder care employees who worked the entire year of 2004 in the municipality of Aarhus, Denmark (N=2774). The employees’ sick leave days during 2004 were categorised into: 0–2 and 3–17 short (1–7 days) spells, 2–13 mixed short and long (8+ days) spells and long spells only. Student workers (n=180), employees who were absent due to maternal/paternal leave (n=536) and employees who did not work the entire year of 2004 (n=1218) were not included. Primary outcome Disability pension and long-term sick leave (≥8 weeks) were subsequently identified in a National register. The cumulative incidence proportion as a function of follow-up weeks was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier curve. The relative cumulative incidence (RR) of experiencing events within 352 weeks was analysed in a generalised linear regression model using the pseudo values method adjusted for age, occupation, unfavourable work factors and sick leave length. Results A frequent short-term and a mixed sick leave pattern showed RRs of being granted a disability pension of 2.08 (95% CI 1.00 to 4.35) and 2.61 (95% CI 1.33 to 5.12) compared with 0–2 short spells. The risk of long-term sick leave was significantly increased for all sick leave patterns compared with 0–2 short spells. Adding sick leave length to the models attenuated all RRs and they became non-significant. Conclusions Sick leave length was a better indicator of future workability than spell frequency. Preventive actions should target employees engaged in homecare. The more sick leave days the greater the preventive potential seems, irrespective of spell frequency. PMID:24508850

University Students Leaving Relationships (USLR): Scale Development and Gender Differences in Decisions to Leave Romantic Relationships

Science.gov (United States)

Hendy, Helen M.; Can, S. Hakan; Joseph, Lauren J.; Scherer, Cory R.

2013-01-01

The University Students Leaving Relationships scale was developed to identify student concerns when contemplating dissolution of romantic relationships. Participants included 1,106 students who rated the importance of issues when deciding to leave relationships. Factor analysis produced three dimensions: Missing the Relationship, Social…

Divergent Trends in US Maternity and Paternity Leave, 1994-2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Zagorsky, Jay L

2017-03-01

To determine the number and type of US workers taking maternity or paternity leave. We created a publicly available ecological long-term series for measuring parental leave from 1994 to 2015 by using the Current Population Survey, which interviews about 60 000 randomly selected households monthly. The average month from 1994 to 2015 saw 273 000 women and 13 000 men on maternity or paternity leave. Maternity leave rates per 10 000 births showed no trend over 22 years (mean = 677.6). Paternity figures increased by a factor of 3, but started from a small base (14.7-54.6). We observed no national impact on maternity or paternity leave after implementation of state laws that provided paid leave. About half (51.1%) of employees on maternity or paternity leave during 2015 received paid time off. The typical woman on maternity leave was older, more likely married, more likely non-Hispanic White, and more educated than the typical woman who gave birth. Although the US economy has expanded dramatically since 1994, this improvement does not appear to have translated into more women taking maternity leave.

Exploring the Link between Maternity Leave and Postpartum Depression.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornfeind, Katelin R; Sipsma, Heather L

2018-05-02

Postpartum depression affects a substantial proportion of new mothers in the United States. Although most employed women return to paid work after birth, the association between duration of maternity leave and postpartum depression is unclear. We therefore aimed to explore this relationship among mothers in the United States. Data included 177 mothers from a national survey who had returned to work full time after having a baby. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore the independent association between duration of maternity leave and experiencing of postpartum depressive symptoms in the 2 weeks preceding the postpartum survey completion. Overall, duration of maternity leave was not significantly associated with experiencing postpartum depression symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 0.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.80-1.01). This effect, however, varied by duration of maternity leave. Among women who took maternity leaves of 12 weeks or less, every additional week of leave was associated with a lesser odds of experiencing postpartum depressive symptoms (OR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.40-0.84). Among women who took maternity leaves longer than 12 weeks, leave duration was not associated with postpartum depression symptoms (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.73-1.29). Maternity leaves equaling 12 weeks or less may contribute additional risk for postpartum depressive symptoms, possibly because mothers are juggling employment alongside of important physical and emotional changes during this period. This association underscores the importance of ensuring that mothers have at least 12 weeks of leave from full-time employment after the birth of a baby. Copyright © 2018 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of pawpaw leaves extract as anti-corrosion agent for ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pawpaw leaves extract was examined as anti-corrosion agent for aluminium in hydrochloric acid medium. The extract and corrosion product were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). Thermometric, gravimetric, potentiodynamic polarization and scanning electron microscopic methods were ...

An experimental study on drying kinetics of some herbal leaves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaya, Ahmet; Aydin, Orhan [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey)

2009-01-15

In this study, thin-layer drying characteristics of some herbal leaves, mainly nettle and mint leaves, are investigated experimentally in a convective drier. Effects of the drying air parameters including temperature, velocity and relative humidity on the total drying time are determined. Initially, sorption isotherms of the dried leaves are determined for different temperatures and equilibrium relative humidity (e.r.h.). Experiments are conducted for air temperatures at 35, 45 and 55 C, velocities at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 m/s and, relative humidity values at 40%, 55% and 70%. In the ranges that covered, the values of the moisture diffusivity D{sub eff} are obtained between 1.744 x 10{sup -9} and 4.992 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s for nettle leaves and 1.975 x 10{sup -9} and 6.172 x 10{sup -9} m{sup 2}/s for mint leaves from the Fick's diffusion model. Using D{sub eff}, the value of E{sub a} is determined assuming the Arrhenius-type temperature relationship, which varies from 79.873 to 109.003 kJ/mol for nettle leaves and 66.873 to 71.987 kJ/mol for mint leaves. (author)

The impact of the Canterbury earthquakes on successful school leaving for adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Beaglehole, Ben; Bell, Caroline; Frampton, Christopher; Moor, Stephanie

2017-02-01

To examine the impact of the Canterbury earthquakes on the important adolescent transition period of school leaving. Local and national data on school leaving age, attainment of National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) standards, and school rolls (total registered students for schools) were examined to clarify long-term trends and delineate these from any impacts of the Canterbury earthquakes.  Results: Despite concerns about negative impacts, there was no evidence for increased school disengagement or poorer academic performance by students as a consequence of the earthquakes. Although there may have been negative effects for a minority, the possibility of post-disaster growth and resilience being the norm for the majority meant that negative effects on school leaving were not observed following the earthquakes. A range of post-disaster responses may have mitigated adverse effects on the adolescent population. Implications for Public Health: Overall long-term negative effects are unlikely for the affected adolescent population. The results also indicate that similar populations exposed to disasters in other settings are likely to do well in the presence of a comprehensive post-disaster response. © 2016 The Authors.

Extractability of radiocesium from processed green tea leaves with hot water. The first emergent tea leaves harvested after the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tagami, K.; Uchida, S.; Ishii, N.

2012-01-01

In some tea tree planting areas within 300 km from the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP), it was found that newly emerged tea plant leaves for green tea contained two radiocesium species (cesium-134 and cesium-137). In this study, using processed green tea leaves for drinking, extraction ratios of radiocesium under several brew conditions were observed. When 90 deg C water was used, 50-70% of radiocesium was extracted into the water, while 54-60% of radiocesium was extracted with 60 deg C water. A part of radiocesium would be removed from leaves if the leaves were washed with 20 and 60 deg C water before brewing, and the efficiencies were 11 and 32%, respectively. Newly emerged camellia leaves were used to simulate the radiocesium removal ratio from raw tea leaves by washing and boiling; radioactivity concentration was decreased to 60% of the original concentration with washing and 10 min boiling. From these results, it was found that almost half of the radiocesium would not be removed from raw or processed tea leaves. The values obtained in the present study could be used for internal radiation dose estimation from tea leaves. (author)

Leave-two-out stability of ontology learning algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Jianzhang; Yu, Xiao; Zhu, Linli; Gao, Wei

2016-01-01

Ontology is a semantic analysis and calculation model, which has been applied to many subjects. Ontology similarity calculation and ontology mapping are employed as machine learning approaches. The purpose of this paper is to study the leave-two-out stability of ontology learning algorithm. Several leave-two-out stabilities are defined in ontology learning setting and the relationship among these stabilities are presented. Furthermore, the results manifested reveal that leave-two-out stability is a sufficient and necessary condition for ontology learning algorithm.

Laser induced fluorescence of some plant leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helmi, M.S.; Mohamed, M.M.; Amer, R.; Elshazly, O.; Elraey, M.

1992-01-01

Laser induced fluorescence (LIF) is successfully used as a technique for remote detection of spectral characteristics of some plants. A pulsed nitrogen laser at 337.1 nm is used to excite cotton, corn and rice leaves. The fluorescence spectrum is detected in the range from 340 nm to 820 nm. It is found that, these plant leaves have common fluorescence maxima at 440 nm, 685 nm and 740 nm. plant leaves are also found to be identifiable by the ratio of the fluorescence intensity at 440 nm to that at 685 nm. The present technique can be further used as a means of assessing, remotely, plant stresses. 5 fig

Maternity leave: existing policies in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, J L; Baillie, S; Hodgson, C S; Vontver, L; Platt, L D

2001-12-01

To survey program directors in obstetrics and gynecology regarding maternity leave and to determine how programs are dealing with maternity leave coverage. Questionnaires regarding impact and policy on maternity leave were mailed to accredited obstetrics and gynecology residency programs. A total of 188 of 274 (69%) questionnaires were returned completed. Respectively, 80% and 69% of respondents indicated that they have a formal maternity (maximum mean 8.7 weeks) and paternity (mean 5.27 days) leave policy. Approximately 75% of programs require residents to make up time if their leave exceeds 8 weeks during the first 3 years. Eighty-five percent of programs require residents to make up time if their leave exceeds 6 weeks during the fourth year. Ninety-three percent of programs require residents to make up time if their leave exceeds 20 weeks over the 4 years. Seventy-seven percent of respondents have other residents in their program cover for the absent resident. Thirty-seven percent of programs have schedules flexible enough to allow rearrangement so that some rotations go uncovered. Eighty-three percent of programs surveyed stated that maternity leave has a somewhat to very significant impact on the residents' schedules. Most residency programs have written maternity/paternity leave policies. A more flexible curriculum may help to accommodate the residents on leave without overburdening the residents who are left to cover.

A prospective study of prognostic factors for duration of sick leave after endoscopic carpal tunnel release

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalsgaard Jesper

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Endoscopic carpal tunnel release with a single portal technique has been shown to reduce sick leave compared to open carpal tunnel release, claiming to be a less invasive procedure and reducing scar tenderness leading to a more rapid return to work, and the purpose of this study was to identify prognostic factors for prolonged sick leave after endoscopic carpal tunnel release in a group of employed Danish patients. Methods The design was a prospective study including 75 employed patients with carpal tunnel syndrome operated with ECTR at two hospitals. The mean age was 46 years (SD 10.1, the male/female ratio was 0.42, and the mean preoperative duration of symptoms 10 months (range 6-12. Only 21 (28% were unable to work preoperatively and mean sick leave was 4 weeks (range 1-4. At base-line and at the 3-month follow-up, a self-administered questionnaire was collected concerning physical, psychological, and social circumstances in relation to the hand problem. Data from a nerve conduction examination were collected at baseline and at the 3-month follow-up. Significant prognostic factors were identified through multiple logistic regression analysis. Results After the operation, the mean functional score was reduced from 2.3 to 1.4 (SD 0.8 and the mean symptom score from 2.9 to 1.5 (SD 0.7. The mean sick leave from work after the operation was 19.8 days (SD 14.3. Eighteen patients (24% had more than 21 days of sick leave. Two patients (3% were still unable to work after 3 months. Significant prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis for more than 21 days of postoperative sick leave were preoperative sick leave, blaming oneself for the hand problem and a preoperative distal motor latency. Conclusion Preoperative sick leave, blaming oneself for the hand problem, and a preoperative distal nerve conduction motor latency were prognostic factors for postoperative work absence of more than 21 days. Other factors may be important

Hilly grasses and leaves: a promising unconventional feed resource for livestock.

OpenAIRE

Hossain M.E.; Karim M.H.; Ahmed M.I.; Sultana S.A.

2016-01-01

The study was undertaken to find out the chemical composition of different hilly grasses and leaves available in Bandarban areas of Bangladesh. Total 10 different hilly grasses and leaves such as Bottle gourd leaf (Lagenaria siceraria), Castor bean leaf (Ricinus communis), Cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica), Dhol kolmi (Ipomoea carnea), Giant reed leaf (Arundo donax), Hilly grass (Cynodon dactylon), Pithraj leaf (Aphanamixis polystachya), Sal leaf (Shorea robusta), Shegun leaf (Tectona grandis...

Dangerous dads? Ecological and longitudinal analyses of paternity leave and risk for child injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Laflamme, Lucie; Månsdotter, Anna; Lundberg, Michael; Magnusson, Cecilia

2012-11-01

In 1974, Sweden became the first country to permit fathers to take paid parental leave. Other countries are currently following suit issuing similar laws. While this reform supports the principles of the United Nations convention of the right for children to be with both parents and enshrines the ethos of gender equality, there has been little systematic examination of its potential impact on child health. Instead, there is uninformed debate that fathers may expose their children to greater risks of injury than mothers. In this Swedish national study, the authors therefore assess whether fathers' parental leave can be regarded as a more serious risk factor for child injuries than that of mothers. Nationwide register-based ecological and longitudinal studies of hospitalisation due to injury (and intoxication) in early childhood, involving the Swedish population in 1973-2009 (ecological design), and children born in 1988 and 1989 (n=118 278) (longitudinal design). An increase in fathers' share of parental leave over time was parallelled by a downward trend in child injury rates (age 0-4 years). At the individual level, the crude incidence of child injury (age 0-2 years) was lower during paternity as compared with maternity leave. This association was, however, explained by parental socio-demographic characteristics (multivariate HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.74 to 1.2). There is no support for the notion that paternity leave increases the risk of child injury.

The Best Extraction Technique for Kaempferol and Quercetin Isolation from Guava Leaves (Psidium guajava)

Science.gov (United States)

Batubara, I.; Suparto, I. H.; Wulandari, N. S.

2017-03-01

Guava leaves contain various compounds that have biological activity such as kaempferol and quercetin as anticancer. Twelve extraction techniques were performed to obtain the best extraction technique to isolate kaempferol and quercetin from the guava leaves. Toxicity of extracts was tested against Artemia salina larvae. All extracts were toxic (LC50 value less than 1000 ppm) except extract of direct soxhletation on guava leaves, and extract of sonication and soxhletation using n-hexane. The extract with high content of total phenols and total flavonoids, low content of tannins, intense color of spot on thin layer chromatogram was selected for high performance liquid chromatography analysis. Direct sonication of guava leaves was chosen as the best extraction technique with kampferol and quercetin content of 0.02% and 2.15%, respectively. In addition to high content of kaempferol and quercetin, direct sonication was chosen due to the shortest extraction time, lesser impurities and high toxicity.

Precipitation characteristics of uranyl ions at different pHs depending on the presence of carbonate ions and hydrogen peroxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwang-Wook; Kim, Yeon-Hwa; Lee, Se-yoon; Lee, Jae-Won; Joe, Kih-Soo; Lee, Eil-Hee; Kim, Jong-Seung; Song, Kyuseok; Song, Kee-Chan

2009-04-01

This work studied the dissolution of uranium dioxide and precipitation characteristics of uranyl ions in alkaline and acidic solutions depending on the presence of carbonate ions and H2O2 in the solutions at different pHs controlled by adding HNO3 or NaOH in the solution. The chemical structures of the precipitates generated in different conditions were evaluated and compared by using XRD, SEM, TG-DT, and IR analyses together. The sizes and forms of the precipitates in the solutions were evaluated, as well. The uranyl ions were precipitated in the various forms, depending on the solution pH and the presences of hydrogen peroxide and carbonate ions in the solution. In a 0.5 M Na2CO3 solution with H2O2, where the uranyl ions formed mixed uranyl peroxy-carbonato complexes, the uranyl ions were precipitated as a uranium peroxide of UO4(H20)4 at pH 3-4, and precipitated as a clarkeite of Na2U2Ox(OH)y(H2O)z above pH 13. In the same carbonate solution without H2O2, where the uranyl ions formed uranyl tris-carbonato complex, the uranyl ions were observed to be precipitated as a different form of clarkeite above pH 13. The precipitate of uranyl ions in a nitrate solution without carbonate ions and H2O2 at a high pH were studied together to compare the precipitate forms in the carbonate solutions.

Juggling work and breastfeeding: effects of maternity leave and occupational characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Guendelman, Sylvia; Kosa, Jessica Lang; Pearl, Michelle; Graham, Steve; Goodman, Julia; Kharrazi, Martin

2009-01-01

Juggling breastfeeding and paid work can challenge breastfeeding success. We examined the relationship between breastfeeding and maternity leave before and after delivery among working mothers in Southern California. California is 1 of only 5 states in the United States providing paid pregnancy leave that can be extended for infant bonding. Drawing from a case-control study of preterm birth and low birth weight, 770 full-time working mothers were compared on whether they established breastfeeding in the first month. For those who established breastfeeding, we examined duration. Eligible women participated in California's Prenatal Screening Program; delivered live births between July 2002 and December 2003; were > or =18 years old; had a singleton birth without congenital anomalies; and had a US mailing address. We assessed whether maternity leave and other occupational characteristics predicted breastfeeding cessation and used multivariate regression models weighted for probability of sampling to calculate odds ratios for breastfeeding establishment and hazards ratios for breastfeeding cessation. A maternity leave of leave on breastfeeding cessation was stronger among nonmanagers, women with inflexible jobs, and with high psychosocial distress. Antenatal leave in the last month of pregnancy was not associated with breastfeeding establishment or duration. Postpartum maternity leave may have a positive effect on breastfeeding among full-time workers, particularly those who hold nonmanagerial positions, lack job flexibility, or experience psychosocial distress. Pediatricians should encourage patients to take maternity leave and advocate for extending paid postpartum leave and flexibility in working conditions for breastfeeding women.

Are environmental characteristics in the municipal eldercare, more closely associated with frequent short sick leave spells among employees than with total sick leave: a cross-sectional study

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background It has been suggested that frequent-, short-term sick leave is associated with work environment factors, whereas long-term sick leave is associated mainly with health factors. However, studies of the hypothesis of an association between a poor working environment and frequent short spells of sick leave are few and results are inconsistent. Therefore, we aimed to explore associations between self-reported psychosocial work factors and workplace-registered frequency and length of sick leave in the eldercare sector. Methods Employees from the municipal eldercare in Aarhus (N = 2,534) were included. In 2005, they responded to a work environment questionnaire. Sick leave records from 2005 were dichotomised into total sick leave days (0–14 and above 14 days) and into spell patterns (0–2 short, 3–9 short, and mixed spells and 1–3 long spells). Logistic regression models were used to analyse associations; adjusted for age, gender, occupation, and number of spells or sick leave length. Results The response rate was 76%; 96% of the respondents were women. Unfavourable mean scores in work pace, demands for hiding emotions, poor quality of leadership and bullying were best indicated by more than 14 sick leave days compared with 0–14 sick leave days. For work pace, the best indicator was a long-term sick leave pattern compared with a non-frequent short-term pattern. A frequent short-term sick leave pattern was a better indicator of emotional demands (1.62; 95% CI: 1.1-2.5) and role conflict (1.50; 95% CI: 1.2-1.9) than a short-term non-frequent pattern. Age (= 40 years) statistically significantly modified the association between the 1–3 long-term sick leave spell pattern and commitment to the workplace compared with the 3–9 frequent short-term pattern. Conclusions Total sick leave length and a long-term sick leave spell pattern were just as good or even better indicators of unfavourable work factor scores than a frequent short-term sick leave

Microarray Data Analysis of Space Grown Arabidopsis Leaves for Genes Important in Vascular Patterning

Science.gov (United States)

Weitzeal, A. J.; Wyatt, S. E.; Parsons-Wingerter, P.

2016-01-01

Venation patterning in leaves is a major determinant of photosynthesis efficiency because of its dependency on vascular transport of photoassimilates, water, and minerals. Arabidopsis thaliana grown in microgravity show delayed growth and leaf maturation. Gene expression data from the roots, hypocotyl, and leaves of A. thaliana grown during spaceflight vs. ground control analyzed by Affymetrix microarray are available through NASAs GeneLab (GLDS-7). We analyzed the data for differential expression of genes in leaves resulting from the effects of spaceflight on vascular patterning. Two genes were found by preliminary analysis to be upregulated during spaceflight that may be related to vascular formation. The genes are responsible for coding an ARGOS like protein (potentially affecting cell elongation in the leaves), and an F-boxkelch-repeat protein (possibly contributing to protoxylem specification). Further analysis that will focus on raw data quality assessment and a moderated t-test may further confirm upregulation of the two genes and/or identify other gene candidates. Plants defective in these genes will then be assessed for phenotype by the mapping and quantification of leaf vascular patterning by NASAs VESsel GENeration (VESGEN) software to model specific vascular differences of plants grown in spaceflight.

Effectiveness of early part-time sick leave in musculoskeletal disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Martimo, Kari-Pekka; Kaila-Kangas, Leena; Kausto, Johanna; Takala, Esa-Pekka; Ketola, Ritva; Riihimäki, Hilkka; Luukkonen, Ritva; Karppinen, Jaro; Miranda, Helena; Viikari-Juntura, Eira

2008-02-25

The importance of staying active instead of bed rest has been acknowledged in the management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This emphasizes the potential benefits of adjusting work to fit the employee's remaining work ability. Despite part-time sick leave being an official option in many countries, its effectiveness has not been studied yet. We have designed a randomized controlled study to assess the health effects of early part-time sick leave compared to conventional full-day sick leave. Our hypothesis is that if work time is temporarily reduced and work load adjusted at the early stages of disability, employees with MSDs will have less disability days and faster return to regular work duties than employees on a conventional sick leave. The study population will consist of 600 employees, who seek medical advice from an occupational physician due to musculoskeletal pain. The inclusion requires that they have not been on a sick leave for longer than 14 days prior to the visit. Based on the physician's judgement, the severity of the symptoms must indicate a need for conventional sick leave, but the employee is considered to be able to work part-time without any additional risk. Half of the employees are randomly allocated to part-time sick leave group and their work time is reduced by 40-60%, whereas in the control group work load is totally eliminated with conventional sick leave. The main outcomes are the number of days from the initial visit to return to regular work activities, and the total number of sick leave days during 12 and 24 months of follow-up. The costs and benefits as well as the feasibility of early part-time sick leave will also be evaluated. This is the first randomised trial to our knowledge on the effectiveness of early part-time sick leave compared to conventional full-time sick leave in the management of MSDs. The data collection continues until 2011, but preliminary results on the feasibility of part-time sick leave will be available

Perceived effects of leave from work and the role of paid leave among parents of children with special health care needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuster, Mark A; Chung, Paul J; Elliott, Marc N; Garfield, Craig F; Vestal, Katherine D; Klein, David J

2009-04-01

We examined the perceived effects of leave from work among employed parents of children with special health care needs. Telephone interviews were conducted from November 2003 to January 2004 with 585 parents who had missed 1 or more workdays for their child's illness in the previous year. Most parents reported positive effects of leave on their child's physical (81%) and emotional (85%) health; 57% reported a positive effect on their own emotional health, although 24% reported a negative effect. Most parents reported no effect (44%) or a negative effect (42%) on job performance; 73% reported leave-related financial problems. In multivariate analyses, parents receiving full pay during leave were more likely than were parents receiving no pay to report positive effects on child physical (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85) and emotional (OR = 1.68) health and parent emotional health (OR = 1.70), and were less likely to report financial problems (OR = 0.20). Employed parents believed that leave-taking benefited the health of their children with special health care needs and their own emotional health, but compromised their job performance and finances. Parents who received full pay reported better consequences across the board. Access to paid leave, particularly with full pay, may improve parent and child outcomes.

Utilization of pay-in antenatal leave among working women in Southern California.

Science.gov (United States)

Guendelman, Sylvia; Pearl, Michelle; Graham, Steve; Angulo, Veronica; Kharrazi, Martin

2006-01-01

Examine antenatal leave arrangements among pregnant workers in California, and the occupational, demographic and well-being characteristics associated with leave taking. Unlike most states, California provides paid pregnancy leave up to 4 weeks antenatally and 6-8 weeks postnatally. Weighted data from postpartum telephone interviews conducted between July 2002 and November 2003 were analyzed for 1214 women participating in a case-control study of birth outcomes in Southern California. Eligible women worked at least 20 h/week during the first two trimesters of pregnancy or through the date of prenatal screening. The overall response rate was 73%. Fifty-two percent of women took no leave, 32% took antenatal leave expecting to return to their job or employer sometime after giving birth, and 9% quit their jobs during pregnancy. For leave-takers with paid leave (69%), the state was the main source of pay (74%). Medical problems (52%) rather than maternity leave benefits (25%) were the most common stated reasons for taking leave. The strongest predictors of leave taking versus working through pregnancy were feeling stressed and tired (adjusted OR = 4.3, 95% CI [2.2-8.2]) and having young children (adjusted OR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.2-3.7]), followed by occupational factors (night shift, unfulfilling and inflexible work, short work tenure). Lack of employer-offered maternity leave benefits was associated with increased quitting relative to both leave taking and working through pregnancy. Maternity benefits influence quitting, but alone do not determine antenatal leave taking. Working pregnant women in California utilize leave cautiously and predominantly to cope with health problems, work dissatisfaction and fatigue.

International policies toward parental leave and child care.

Science.gov (United States)

Waldfogel, J

2001-01-01

The pleasures and pressures of parenting a newborn are universal, but the supports surrounding parents vary widely from country to country. In many nations, decades of attention to benefits and services for new parents offer lessons worthy of attention in this country. This article describes policies regarding parental leave, child care, and early childhood benefits here and in 10 industrial nations in North America and Europe. The sharpest contrast separates the United States from the other countries, although differences among the others also are instructive: The right to parental leave is new to American workers; it covers one-half of the private-sector workforce and is relatively short and unpaid. By contrast, other nations offer universal, paid leaves of 10 months or more. Child care assistance in Europe is usually provided through publicly funded programs, whereas the United States relies more on subsidies and tax credits to reimburse parents for part of their child care expenses. Nations vary in the emphasis they place on parental leave versus child care supports for families with children under age three. Each approach creates incentives that influence parents' decisions about employment and child care. Several European nations, seeking flexible solutions for parents, are testing "early childhood benefits" that can be used to supplement income or pay for private child care. Based on this review, the author urges that the United States adopt universal, paid parental leave of at least 10 months; help parents cover more child care costs; and improve the quality of child care. She finds policy packages that support different parental choices promising, because the right mix of leave and care will vary from family to family, and child to child.

Mechanical Behaviour Investigation Of Aluminium Alloy Tailor Welded Blank Developed By Using Friction Stir Welding Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Dwi Anggono, Agus; Sugito, Bibit; Hariyanto, Agus; Subroto; Sarjito

2017-10-01

The objective on the research was to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructure of tailor welded blank (TWB) made from AA6061-T6 and AA1100 using friction stir welding (FSW) process. Due to the dissimilar mechanical properties of the two aluminium alloys, microhardness test was conducted to measure the hardness distribution across the weld nugget. The mixing of two distinct materials was influenced by tool rotation speed. Therefore, microstructure analysis was carried out to investigate the grain size and shape. The grain size of AA6061-T6 has increased in the heat affected zone (HAZ) while for AA1100 has decreased. In the weld nugget, it has found a hook defects in the dissimilar aluminium joining. By using monotonic tensile load, the different weld line direction was observed with the expansion in tool rotation. The joints failure were consistently on the area of AA1100 series. Furthermore, two specimens were investigated, one through the dissimilar aluminium and the other through similiar material. Inspection of the weld nugget hardness was shown that nonhomogen material intermixing during the stiring process as confirmed by microhardness measurement.

The work ability index and single-item question: associations with sick leave, symptoms, and health--a prospective study of women on long-term sick leave.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahlstrom, Linda; Grimby-Ekman, Anna; Hagberg, Mats; Dellve, Lotta

2010-09-01

This study investigated the association between the work ability index (WAI) and the single-item question on work ability among women working in human service organizations (HSO) currently on long-term sick leave. It also examined the association between the WAI and the single-item question in relation to sick leave, symptoms, and health. Predictive values of the WAI, the changed WAI, the single-item question and the changed single-item question were investigated for degree of sick leave, symptoms, and health. This cohort study comprised 324 HSO female workers on long-term (>60 days) sick leave, with follow-ups at 6 and 12 months. Participants responded to questionnaires. Data on work ability, sick leave, health, and symptoms were analyzed with regard to associations and predictability. Spearman correlation and mixed-model analysis were performed for repeated measurements over time. The study showed a very strong association between the WAI and the single-item question among all participants. Both the WAI and the single-item question showed similar patterns of associations with sick leave, health, and symptoms. The predictive value for the degree of sick leave and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was strong for both the WAI and the single-item question, and slightly less strong for vitality, neck pain, both self-rated general and mental health, and behavioral and current stress. This study suggests that the single-item question on work ability could be used as a simple indicator for assessing the status and progress of work ability among women on long-term sick leave.

Longevity of guard cell chloroplasts in falling leaves: implication for stomatal function and cellular aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeiger, E; Schwartz, A

1982-11-12

Guard cell chloroplasts in senescing leaves from 12 species of perennial trees and three species of annual plants survived considerably longer than their mesophyll counterparts. In Ginkgo biloba, stomata from yellow leaves opened during the day and closed at night; guard cell chloroplasts from these leaves showed fluorescence transients associated with electron transport and photophosphorylation. These findings indicate that guard cell chloroplasts are highly conserved throughout the life-span of the leaf and that leaves retain stomatal control during senescence.

Movement of Water from Old to Young Leaves in Three Species of Succulents

Science.gov (United States)

RABAS, A. R.; MARTIN, C. E.

2003-01-01

A hypothetical adaptive response of succulent plants to drought‐stress is the redistribution of water from old to young leaves. We examined the effects of possible movement of water from old to young leaves in three succulent species, Carpobrotus edulis (weak CAM‐inducible), Kalanchoe tubiflora (CAM) and Sedum spectabile (possibly a CAM‐cycler or CAM‐inducible). Old leaves were removed from plants, and photosynthesis, transpiration, f. wt : d. wt ratios, diurnal acid fluctuations, stomatal conductance and internal CO2 concentrations of the remaining young leaves were measured during drought‐stress. Comparison was made with plants retaining old leaves. There was no evidence that water moved from old to young leaves during drought‐stress as previously hypothesized. Only in drought‐stressed plants of K. tubiflora, were photosynthetic and transpiration rates of young leaves greater on shoots with old leaves removed compared with attached. There was a trend in all species for greater fluctuations in acidity in young leaves on shoots that lacked older leaves. For two of the three species studied, the f. wt : d. wt ratios of young leaves were greater under drought‐stress, on shoots with old leaves removed than with them attached. Absence of old leaves may reduce competition for water with young leaves, which consequently have higher water content and greater photosynthetic rates. PMID:12907468

77 FR 8959 - The Family and Medical Leave Act

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

...; and extends FMLA military caregiver leave to family members of certain veterans with serious injuries... Medical Leave Act of 1993, Final Rule on November 17, 2008 (2008 final rule). 73 FR 67934. A. What the... covered servicemember (referred to as ``military caregiver leave''). These two leave entitlements are...

State Maternity/Parental Leave Laws. Facts on Working Women No. 90-1.

Science.gov (United States)

Women's Bureau (DOL), Washington, DC.

The status of state maternity/parental leave laws throughout the United States is depicted in eight figures and three tables. Information is reported by state for maternity/parental leave laws, months of available leave, maternity/family illness laws, days of leave for family illness, temporary disability insurance laws, temporary disability…

Method Development for Extraction and Quantification of Glycosides in Leaves of Stevia Rebaudiana

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmah Moosa; Hazlina Ahmad Hassali; Norazlina Noordin

2015-01-01

A solid-liquid extraction and an UHPLC method for determination of glycosides from the leave parts of Stevia rebaudiana were developed. Steviol glycosides found in the leaves of Stevia are natural sweetener and commercially sold as sugar substitutes. Extraction of the glycosides consisted of solvent extraction of leaf powder using various solvents followed by its concentration using rotary evaporator and analysis using Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC). Existing analytical methods are mainly focused on the quantification of either rebaudioside A or stevioside, whereas other glycosides, such as rebaudioside B and rebaudioside D present in the leaves also contribute to sweetness or its biological activity. Therefore, we developed an improved method by changing the UHPLC conditions to enable a rapid and reliable determination of four steviol glycosides rather than just two using an isocratic UHPLC method. (author)

Extraction of radioactive cesium from tea leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yano, Yukiko; Kubo, M. Kenya; Higaki, Shogo; Hirota, Masahiro; Nomura, Kiyoshi

2011-01-01

Radioactive contamination of foodstuffs attributed to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster has become a social problem. This study investigated the extraction of radioactive cesium from the contaminated leaves to the tea. The green tea was brewed twice reusing the same leaves to study the difference in extraction of cesium between the first and second brew. Moreover, the extraction of cesium was studied in correlation to brewing time. The concentration of radioactive cesium was determined with gamma spectrometry, and the concentration of caffeine was determined with absorption spectrometry. About 40% of cesium was extracted from leaves in the first brew, and about 80% was extracted in the second brew. The extraction of cesium increased over time, and it reached about 80% after 10 minutes brew. The ratio of radioactive cesium to caffeine decreased linearly over time. This study revealed that the extraction of cesium was higher for the second brew, and a rapid increase in extraction was seen as the tea was brewed for 6 minutes and more. Therefore, the first brew of green tea, which was brewed within 5 minutes, contained the least extraction of radioactive cesium from the contaminated leaves. (author)

Engineering Resilience Into The Marine Expeditionary Units Resupply System Through Military Foraging

Science.gov (United States)

2017-09-01

NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited. ENGINEERING ...ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE September 2017 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE ENGINEERING RESILIENCE...to the resilience of the MEU platoons and squads. 14. SUBJECT TERMS systems engineering , modeling, foraging, energy, water, resupply, ExtendSim

Pharmacognostic Investigation of the Leaves and Stems of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: Some pharmacognostical investigations were carried out on the leaves and stems of Viburnum erubescens Wall.ex DC to record parameters for identifying and differentiating various species of Viburnum. Methods: The research specimens were authenticated and preserved both in fresh and dry forms. The leaves ...

Carbon partitioning and export from mature cotton leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hendrix, D.L.; Grange, R.I.

1991-01-01

The partitioning of carbon in intact, mature cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaves was examined by steady-state 14 CO 2 labeling. Plants were exposed to dark periods of varying lengths, followed by similar illuminated labeling periods. These treatments produced leaves with a range of starch and soluble sugar contents, carbon exchange, and carbon export rates. Export during the illuminated periods was neither highly correlated with photosynthesis nor was export during the illuminated periods significantly different among the treatments. In contrast, the rate of subsequent nocturnal carbon export from these leaves varied widely and was found to be highly correlated with leaf starch content at the end of the illumination period and with nocturnal leaf respiration. Leaves which had accumulated the highest levels of starch (about 275 micrograms per square centimeter) by the end of the illumination period exhibited nocturnal export rates very similar to those during the daylight hours. Leaves which accumulated starch to only 50 to 75 micrograms per square centimeter virtually ceased nocturnal carbon export. For leaves with starch accumulations of between 50 and 275 micrograms per square centimeter, nocturnal export was directly proportional to leaf starch at the end of the illumination period. After the nocturnal export rate was established, it continued at a constant rate throughout the night even though leaf starch and sucrose contents declined

Carbon partitioning and export from mature cotton leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Hendrix, D L; Grange, R I

1991-01-01

The partitioning of carbon in intact, mature cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) leaves was examined by steady-state (14)CO(2) labeling. Plants were exposed to dark periods of varying lengths, followed by similar illuminated labeling periods. These treatments produced leaves with a range of starch and soluble sugar contents, carbon exchange, and carbon export rates. Export during the illuminated periods was neither highly correlated with photosynthesis nor was export during the illuminated periods significantly different among the treatments. In contrast, the rate of subsequent nocturnal carbon export from these leaves varied widely and was found to be highly correlated with leaf starch content at the end of the illumination period (r = 0.934) and with nocturnal leaf respiration (r = 0.954). Leaves which had accumulated the highest levels of starch (about 275 micrograms per square centimeter) by the end of the illumination period exhibited nocturnal export rates very similar to those during the daylight hours. Leaves which accumulated starch to only 50 to 75 micrograms per square centimeter virtually ceased nocturnal carbon export. For leaves with starch accumulations of between 50 and 275 micrograms per square centimeter, nocturnal export was directly proportional to leaf starch at the end of the illumination period. After the nocturnal export rate was established, it continued at a constant rate throughout the night even though leaf starch and sucrose contents declined.

Sick leave and depression - determining factors and clinical effect in outpatient care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bermejo, Isaac; Kriston, Levente; Schneider, Frank; Gaebel, Wolfgang; Hegerl, Ulrich; Berger, Mathias; Härter, Martin

2010-12-30

Sickness leave is a major source of societal costs in depression treatment. However, very little is known about the rationale behind sick leave and their effects on depressive symptoms. Aim of the paper is to evaluate the effect of sick leave on treatment outcome and the association of sick leave with patient, depression and treatment-related factors. For this we compared patients with sick leave and non-sick leave regarding symptom reduction following 6 weeks of treatment. A total of 118 patients of 41 physicians in a controlled clinical trial with a naturalistic prospective design were analysed. After 8 weeks of treatment no significant differences were found between patients who had or did not have sick leave, in terms of improvement of depressive symptoms. The analyses of physician, patient and illness-related variables regarding their predictive value showed no significant effect. No systematic effect of sick leave and no clear criteria were found that were related to receiving a sick leave certificate. It can be assumed that physicians do not only base the decision of whether to sign a depressive patient off sick on illness-specific factors. For a targeted implementation of sick leave as therapeutic measure predictors for effectiveness should be defined. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investigating and modeling the pyrolysis kinetic of leaves and stems of pistachio trees for biofuel production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Ostad Hoseini

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction The lignocelluloses materials have high potential for producing various types of biofuels. These materials include various parts of plants, especially leaves and stems that are left without a specific usage after annual pruning. These residues can be used through slow or fast pyrolysis process for production of liquid and gaseous biofuels. The slow pyrolysis is taking place at temperatures below 500°C while fast pyrolysis process takes place at a temperature above 700°C. Various studies on production of biofuels from plant residues have shown that the temperature, heating rate and the resident time of pyrolysis process are the main factors that affect the final product quality. At present time, in Iran, there are more than 360 thousands hectares of pistachio growing fields which annually produce over 215 thousands metric tons residues which are mainly leaves and stems. The main objective of this study was to measure the heating properties of the powders prepared from the leaves and the stem of pistachio trees. These properties include higher heating value (HHV, lower heating value (LHV and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA of the powders. Then the powders were separately pyrolysed and the kinetic of the pyrolysis process for producing charcoal from them was investigated. Materials and Methods In this research, leaves and stems of pistachio trees were initially analyzed to determine their chemical constituents including moisture content, volatile compounds, carbon (C, hydrogen (H, nitrogen (N, sulfur (S and oxygen (O content. Using these constituents the height heating value and low heating value for the leaves and the stems were determined. The thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA of the powders was made to select a proper heating temperature for pyrolysis of the powders. In each experiment about 10 g of powder powders were pyrolyzed to produce char. Based on TGA results, the pyrolysis experiments were performed at 350, 400, 450 and

Green leaves as indicator for air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abd Alla, A. A. M.

2004-02-01

Green leaves of Ficus (Ficus penegalensis) and Neem (Azadirachta indica) were analyzed for their trace metals (Pb, Zn and Cd) contents. The samples were collected and washed according to metal analysis standardization. Solutions of the samples for analysis were obtained by wet-digestion method using nitric perchloric acid mixture. The trace elements lead, zinc and cadmium were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopic technique (AAS) for the 18 samples collected from Khartoum (Sharia elneel), Omdurman (Ombadda) and Khartoum North (Kadaro) as heavy-traffic, low-traffic areas and distal area, respectively. The species Ficus and Neem samples were collected each randomly from such areas. The samples were taken from the tips, mids and bottoms of each tree. (Author)

Green leaves as indicator for air pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abd Alla, A. A. M. [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Juba, Khartoum (Sudan)

2004-02-15

Green leaves of Ficus (Ficus penegalensis) and Neem (Azadirachta indica) were analyzed for their trace metals (Pb, Zn and Cd) contents. The samples were collected and washed according to metal analysis standardization. Solutions of the samples for analysis were obtained by wet-digestion method using nitric perchloric acid mixture. The trace elements lead, zinc and cadmium were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopic technique (AAS) for the 18 samples collected from Khartoum (Sharia elneel), Omdurman (Ombadda) and Khartoum North (Kadaro) as heavy-traffic, low-traffic areas and distal area, respectively. The species Ficus and Neem samples were collected each randomly from such areas. The samples were taken from the tips, mids and bottoms of each tree. (Author)

Weldability of Advanced High Strength Steels using Ytterbium:Yttrium Aluminium Garnet high power laser for Tailor-Welded Blank applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Rajashekhar Shivaram

Use of a high power Yb:YAG laser is investigated for joining advanced high strength steel materials for use in tailor-welded blank (TWB) applications. TWB's are materials of different chemistry, coating or thicknesses that are joined before metal forming and other operations such as trimming, assembly and painting are carried out. TWB is becoming an important design tool in the automotive industry for reducing weight, improving fuel economy and passenger safety, while reducing the overall costs for the customer. Three advanced high strength steels, TRIP780, DP980 and USIBOR, which have many unique properties that are conducive to achieving these objectives, along with mild steel, are used in this work. The objective of this work is to ensure that high quality welds can be obtained using Yb:YAG lasers which are also becoming popular for metal joining operations, since they produce high quality laser beams that suffer minimal distortion when transported via fiber optic cables. Various power levels and speeds for the laser beam were used during the investigation. Argon gas was consistently used for shielding purposes during the welding process. After the samples were welded, metallographic examination of the fusion and heat-affected zones using optical and scanning electron microscopes were carried out to determine the microstructures as well as weld defects. Optical and scanning electron microscopes were also used to examine the top of welds as well as fracture surfaces. Additionally, cross-weld microhardness evaluations, tensile tests using Instron tester, limited fatigue tests as well as formability evaluations using OSU plane strain evaluation were carried out. The examinations included a 2-factor full factorial design of experiments to determine the impact of coatings on the surface roughness on the top of the welds. Tensile strengths of DP980, TRIP780 and mild steel materials as well as DP980 welded to TRIP780 and mild steel in the rolling direction as well as

Effectiveness of early part-time sick leave in musculoskeletal disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karppinen Jaro

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The importance of staying active instead of bed rest has been acknowledged in the management of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs. This emphasizes the potential benefits of adjusting work to fit the employee's remaining work ability. Despite part-time sick leave being an official option in many countries, its effectiveness has not been studied yet. We have designed a randomized controlled study to assess the health effects of early part-time sick leave compared to conventional full-day sick leave. Our hypothesis is that if work time is temporarily reduced and work load adjusted at the early stages of disability, employees with MSDs will have less disability days and faster return to regular work duties than employees on a conventional sick leave. Methods/Design The study population will consist of 600 employees, who seek medical advice from an occupational physician due to musculoskeletal pain. The inclusion requires that they have not been on a sick leave for longer than 14 days prior to the visit. Based on the physician's judgement, the severity of the symptoms must indicate a need for conventional sick leave, but the employee is considered to be able to work part-time without any additional risk. Half of the employees are randomly allocated to part-time sick leave group and their work time is reduced by 40–60%, whereas in the control group work load is totally eliminated with conventional sick leave. The main outcomes are the number of days from the initial visit to return to regular work activities, and the total number of sick leave days during 12 and 24 months of follow-up. The costs and benefits as well as the feasibility of early part-time sick leave will also be evaluated. Conclusion This is the first randomised trial to our knowledge on the effectiveness of early part-time sick leave compared to conventional full-time sick leave in the management of MSDs. The data collection continues until 2011, but preliminary

The accumulation and elimination of 89Sr in tea leaves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Yongxi; Wang Shouxiang; Chen Chuanqun; Sun Zhiming; Hu Bingmin; Huang Dan

1995-01-01

The 89 Sr was added to the tea tree-soil system by different ways. The 89 Sr in the system through the over-ground part of tea tree, was much more than that through soil. The 89 Sr concentration in older leaves was higher than in shoot for a definite treatment. The accumulation elimination law of 89 Sr in leaves varied with the treatments. For the treatment through the over-ground part, the 89 Sr concentration in older leaves and shoot was monotonously decreased with time increasing. But for the treatment through soil the 89 Sr concentration in shoot was increased to reach a peak value, and then decreased slowly; while the 89 Sr concentration in older leaves increased quickly in a period, then increased slowly to attain a saturated value. In addition, the concentration factor of 89 Sr in older leaves and shoot were determined

Implementing a Paid Leave Policy for Graduate Students at UW - Madison: The Student Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Gosnell, Natalie M.

2013-01-01

In 2010 the University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy Department developed and implemented a departmental paid leave policy for our graduate students, even though the university lacks a campus-wide policy and cannot provide institutional funding for such programs. This policy includes 12 weeks of paid leave in event of a medical emergency or chronic medical condition, as well as paid parental leave for both male and female graduate research assistants. (The policy in its entirety can be found at http://www.astro.wisc.edu/grad-students/policies-procedures/medical-and-family-leave-policy.) This is the first of two presentations describing our policy implementation using a "bottom-up" approach, beginning with the graduate students. I will present the perspective of the graduate students who led the effort and will discuss the steps we took to put our policy in place, from the conception of the plan to the full implementation. These steps included identifying faculty allies, becoming knowledgeable about university policies and resources, involving department staff, and anticipating procedural and bureaucratic hurdles in order to come up with creative solutions in advance. Although each individual institution and department's path to implementing a similar plan will be unique, we hope the methods used to implement our policy at UW - Madison may serve as an example.

Morus nigra plant leaves as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Waheed, S.; Wasim, M.; Arif, M.; Zaidi, J.H. [Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Chemistry Div.

2011-07-01

The present paper deals with the determination of 36 elements in 120 leaf samples of Morus nigra plant to assess their potential as biomonitor for elemental air pollution monitoring. The elemental quantification was made by employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in spring, summer and winter seasons from various sites in Islamabad with different types of anthropogenic activities as well as from a reference site with minimum of such activities. Twenty four soil samples from the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the adopted procedures was established by analyzing the certified reference materials, i.e., citrus leaves-1572 and soil-7, from NIST and IAEA, respectively, under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values which are in quite good agreement with each other. The enrichment values and Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements were computed and discussed accordingly. The elemental translocation from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been studied by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results indicated that the leaves of Morus nigra plant have promising potential to monitor the extent of air pollution in the vicinity of industrial as well as in high traffic areas. (orig.)

A MODELING METHOD OF FLUTTERING LEAVES BASED ON POINT CLOUD

OpenAIRE

J. Tang; Y. Wang; Y. Zhao; Y. Zhao; W. Hao; X. Ning; K. Lv; Z. Shi; M. Zhao

2017-01-01

Leaves falling gently or fluttering are common phenomenon in nature scenes. The authenticity of leaves falling plays an important part in the dynamic modeling of natural scenes. The leaves falling model has a widely applications in the field of animation and virtual reality. We propose a novel modeling method of fluttering leaves based on point cloud in this paper. According to the shape, the weight of leaves and the wind speed, three basic trajectories of leaves falling are defined, which ar...

Some determinants of sick leave for respiratory disease : Occupation, asthma, obesity, smoking and rehabilitation

OpenAIRE

Nathell, Lennart

2002-01-01

The cost to society of sick leave and disability pensions is currently the most urgent economic problem in Sweden. The availability of a large sick-listing database, Collective Group Health Insurance, AGS (in Swedish: Avtalsgruppsjukförsäkring) provides a rare opportunity to study sick leave in Sweden. Periods of sick leave exceeding 14 days are recorded together with a mandatory diagnosis by a physician, gender, age, residential area, name of the employer, and occupation. ...

Konference Fathers and Paternity Leave: Men Do It

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Maříková, Hana

2006-01-01

Roč. 42, č. 14 (2006), s. 833-835 ISSN 0038-0288. [Fathers and Paternity Leave: Men Do It] R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA700280504 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z70280505 Keywords : parental leave * paternity leave * fathering Subject RIV: AO - Sociology, Demography Impact factor: 0.128, year: 2006

Gravity effects on wind-induced flutter of leaves

Science.gov (United States)

Clemmer, Nickalaus; Kopperstad, Karsten; Solano, Tomas; Shoele, Kourosh; Ordonez, Juan

2017-11-01

Wind-Induced flutter of leaves depends on both wind velocity and the gravity. To study the gravitational effects on the oscillatory behavior of leaves in the wind, a wind tunnel that can be tilted about the center of the test section is created. This unique rotation capability allows systematic investigation of gravitational effects on the fluttering response of leaves. The flow-induced vibration will be studied for three different leaves at several different tilting angles including the wind travels horizontally, vertically downward and vertically upward. In each situation, the long axis of a leaf is placed parallel to the wind direction and its response is studied at different flow speed. Oscillation of the leaf is recorded via high-speed camera at each of setup, and the effect of the gravity on stabilizing or destabilizing the fluttering response is investigated. Summer REU student at Florida State University.

Leadership skills for nursing unit managers to decrease intention to leave

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roche MA

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Michael A Roche,1 Christine Duffield,1,2 Sofia Dimitrelis,1 Belinda Frew1 1Centre for Health Services Management, Faculty of Health, University of Technology, Sydney, NSW, 2Clinical Nursing and Midwifery Research Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia Aim: To examine specific elements of nursing leadership linked to intention to leave, in public acute care hospitals. Background: Nurse turnover is a global issue receiving widespread attention due to prolonged and projected workforce shortages. Nurse management and leadership qualities have been associated with intention to leave and turnover of nurses. The role of the nurse unit managers in the retention of nurses is becoming increasingly important, particularly because of their strong influence on the quality and stability of the work environment. Methods: Data were collected from 62 medical, surgical, and mixed units across eleven public acute care hospitals in three Australian states (September 2008 to August 2010. A total of 1,673 nurses completed a nurse survey that included measures of intention to leave and leadership aspects of the practice environment. Analyses explored specific leadership characteristics that were associated with turnover intent. Results: The role of nursing unit managers was confirmed to be a major factor in nurses’ intention to remain or leave their current workplace. Nurses valued “human” skills more highly than other leadership characteristics, including their manager’s connection with nurses’ concerns, clarity, participation in decisions, and encouragement. Conclusion: Strong leadership qualities in the nursing unit manager have been associated with greater job satisfaction, reduced turnover intention among nursing staff, and improved patient outcomes. Nurse leaders need to be supported in an effort to retain nurses given ongoing workforce issues and to ensure high-quality patient care. Keywords: nurse

Biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles using lemon leaves extract and its application for antimicrobial finish on fabric

Science.gov (United States)

Vankar, Padma S.; Shukla, Dhara

2012-06-01

Preparation of silver nanoparticles have been carried out using aqueous extract of lemon leaves ( Citrus limon) which acts as reducing agent and encapsulating cage for the silver nanoparticles. These silver nanoparticles have been used for durable textile finish on cotton and silk fabrics. Remarkable antifungal activity has been observed in the treated fabrics. The antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles derived from lemon leaves showed enhancement in activity due to synergistic effect of silver and essential oil components of lemon leaves. The present investigation shows the extracellular synthesis of highly stable silver nanoparticles by biotransformation using the extract of lemon leaves by controlled reduction of the Ag+ ion to Ag0. Further the silver nanoparticles were used for antifungal treatment of fabrics which was tested by antifungal activity assessment of textile material by Agar diffusion method against Fusarium oxysporum and Alternaria brassicicola. Formation of the metallic nanoparticles was established by FT-IR, UV-Visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy.

Work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors for sick leave in patients with neck or upper extremity complaints.