Apollo Saturn V Height Comparison to Statue of Liberty

Science.gov (United States)

1967-01-01

This 1967 illustration compares the Apollo Saturn V Spacecraft of the Moon Landing era to the Statue of Liberty located on Ellis Island in New York City. The Apollo Saturn V, at 363 feet towers above Lady Liberty, as the statue is called, standing at 305 feet.

Mises’s Defense of Liberty: A Critique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Parr

2010-11-01

Full Text Available What this paper attempts to demonstrate is that, in his treatise Liberalism, Mises’s defense of liberty is incomplete because his reasoning in favor of liberty for all is–not of a moral, but–exclusively of an economic kind. Without a moral justification, Mises’s defense–once the aim of productivity has been abandoned–is forced to affirm with cold indifference that a society of slaves is no better or worse than one of free men. There exists a more comprehensive defense

Liberty and Higher Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Dennis F.

1989-01-01

John Stuart Mill's principle of liberty is discussed with the view that it needs to be revised to guide moral judgments in higher education. Three key elements need to be modified: the action that is constrained; the constraint on the action; and the agent whose action is constrained. (MLW)

[Implications of psychoactive substances on the health of men deprived of liberty].

Science.gov (United States)

Caravaca-Sánchez, Francisco; Sánchez-Alcaraz Martínez, Cristóbal; Osuna, Eduardo; Falcón Romero, María; Luna, Aurelio

2015-01-01

To describe the frequency of the use of alcohol and other drugs, as well as different types of victimization in men deprived of liberty in the prisons of Castile-La Mancha (Spain). A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of men deprived of liberty in four prisons in Castile-La Mancha. An anonymous questionnaire on victimization was distributed among a total of 425 prisoners, with a confidence interval of 95%. The most commonly reported assaults were verbal, affecting 41.4% of the prisoners (n=176) and the least common were sexual, affecting 7.8% (n=33). The most commonly consumed substance was cannabis, with 40.2% (n=171) of prisoners consuming it in the previous month. Victimization and substance use is a reality in prisons, and there is a statistically significant association between the two phenomena. This association should be further studied to design preventive measures and improve prison life. Copyright © 2014 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Breaking the circle: The definition of individual liberty

OpenAIRE

Bouillon, Hardy

2003-01-01

The definition of individual liberty as the absence of coercion or violence (threatened or actual) includes a circularity problem. A look at prominent representatives of classical liberalism and libertarianism (Hayek, Rothbard, Hoppe, Jasay) reveals that this is typical of classical liberals as well as of libertarians, though the latter avoid a confusion of power and freedom. However, the respective definitions of individual liberty analysed here rest on the assumption that coerci...

Reproductive autonomy as self-making: procreative liberty and the practice of ethical subjectivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, Catherine

2013-12-01

In this article, I consider recent debates on the notion of procreative liberty, to argue that reproductive freedom can be understood as a form of positive freedom-that is, the freedom to make oneself according to various ethical and aesthetic principles or values. To make this argument, I draw on Michel Foucault's later work on ethics. Both adopting and adapting Foucault's notion of ethics as a practice of the self and of liberty, I argue that reproductive autonomy requires enactment to gain meaning within the life contexts of prospective parents. Thus, I propose a shift away from the standard negative model of freedom that sees it solely as a matter of noninterference or nonimpedance, a view advocated by major commentators such as John Harris and John Robertson. Instead, reproduction should be understood as a deeply personal project of self-making that integrates both negative and positive freedom.

McCullough to Liberty fiber optics project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-05-01

The US Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to replace an existing overhead static wire with a shield wire that contains optical fibers (OPGW) on transmission lines from McCullough Substation, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, to Liberty Substation near Phoenix, Arizona. The replacement will occur on the McCullough-Davis, Davis-Parker No. 2, and Parker-Liberty No. 1 230-kV transmission lines. Western is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the lines. Western prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled ``McCullough to Liberty Fiber Optics Project`` (DOE/EA-1202). The EA contains the analysis of the proposed construction, operation, and maintenance of the OPGW. Based on the analysis in the EA, Western finds that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and therefore, Western is issuing this Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

McCullough to Liberty fiber optics project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-05-01

The US Department of Energy, Western Area Power Administration (Western) proposes to replace an existing overhead static wire with a shield wire that contains optical fibers (OPGW) on transmission lines from McCullough Substation, south of Las Vegas, Nevada, to Liberty Substation near Phoenix, Arizona. The replacement will occur on the McCullough-Davis, Davis-Parker No. 2, and Parker-Liberty No. 1 230-kV transmission lines. Western is responsible for the operation and maintenance of the lines. Western prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) entitled ''McCullough to Liberty Fiber Optics Project'' (DOE/EA-1202). The EA contains the analysis of the proposed construction, operation, and maintenance of the OPGW. Based on the analysis in the EA, Western finds that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. The preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and therefore, Western is issuing this Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Librarians, Civil Liberties and Privacy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fielding, Derek

1978-01-01

A comparison of current civil liberties issues in Australia with the status of similar issues in Britain and the United States. Included are political affiliation of government employees, censorship, rights of the individual, privacy, and freedom of information. (JAB)

Canadian Constitutional Guarantee of "Liberty" as It Affects Education and Children.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Anwar N.

1993-01-01

The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution stipulates that no person is to be deprived of liberty without due process of law. Examines the Canadian courts' interpretations of "liberty" as it applies to education and children. (MLF)

Mortality of persons deprived of liberty in the penal system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jovanić Goran

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this research is to determine the scope, dynamics, and structure of deaths of persons deprived of their liberty who resided in the penal system due to custody, security measures, serving a prison sentence or an alternative sanction, with regard to their demographic, criminological, penal, and psychological characteristics. Article 111, paragraph b of the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (1990 determines that deprivation of liberty refers to any kind of detention, imprisonment, i.e. placement in a public or private institution which the imprisoned person cannot leave, by order of judicial, administrative or other public authority. The data used included information on persons deprived of their liberty who died in the territory of the Republic of Serbia in the period from 2008 to 2012. The data was obtained from The Directorate for Execution of Criminal Sanctions of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Serbia. In the past, researches mainly focused on violence in prisons, death penalty, prison riots, auto-aggressive behavior, i.e. certain forms of mortality such as a suicide. This paper aims to point out the characteristics of deaths which occur while persons deprived of their liberty are under the authority of judicial institutions, both before and after passing a criminal sanction.

77 FR 28373 - Liberty Energy (Midstates) Corp.; Notice of Baseline Filing

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-14

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR12-24-000] Liberty Energy (Midstates) Corp.; Notice of Baseline Filing Take notice that on April 30, 2012, Liberty Energy (Midstates) Corp. submitted a baseline filing of their Statement of Operating Conditions for services provided...

Liberty Centennial Student Campaign Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, New York, NY.

Background readings and project ideas to involve elementary and secondary school students in fundraising for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty are provided. Materials can be divided into two sections. The first section, background readings, contains President Ronald Reagan's opening remarks at the ceremony introducing the Statue of…

Reexamining the Statue of Liberty: Different Perspectives on History and the Promise of America

Science.gov (United States)

Maguth, Brad M.; Dustman, Josh; Kerr, Megan

2013-01-01

The Statue of Liberty has traditionally served as a symbol of freedom and liberty for citizens in the United States and around the world. Lady Liberty was often the first symbol European immigrants saw as they arrived in New York Harbor. Many of them were escaping dire conditions back home and seeking a better future for themselves and their…

Policing plutonium: the civil liberties fallout

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayres, R.W.

1975-01-01

The most significant social cost of plutonium may be the legal problem of adjusting public safety with individual civil liberties. Safeguards to keep plutonium from criminals and terrorists will require a sacrifice of personal liberties and basic changes in the legal framework. Individuals will be denied many of the rights of privacy, expression, and association they have taken for granted. There will be a division between people associated with the nuclear industry and those outside it. Protective measures could result in a general feeling of suspicion, persecution, and distrust. If an incident should occur, the public would be caught between the perpetrators and the government, with search and seizure conditions similar to a civil war. Significant reduction of energy consumption should be imposed and all other sources of energy fully exploited or proven unworkable before undertaking a program with such consequences

[Feeling of Liberty and Internalized Stigma: Comparison of Inpatient and Outpatient Cases Receiving Psychiatric Treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Kamışlı, Songül; Dil, Satı; Daştan, Leyla; Eni, Nurhayat

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated whether liberty-restricting and other factors can predict internalized stigma among psychiatric inpatients and outpatients. The study sample comprised of 129 inpatients, admitted at least once to psychiatry ward, and 100 outpatients who have never been hospitalized, receiving psychiatric treatment. In addition to demographic and clinical features, patients were evaluated for perceived deprivation of liberty and internalized stigma levels. Patients stated that their liberty was restrained mostly due to involuntary treatment, communication problems, side effects of medical treatment and inability to choose their treatment team. Regression analysis showed that internalized stigma was predicted by perceived deprivation of liberty, marital status and number of admissions to ward. Stigma was related to marital status and admissions to the psychiatry ward. Perceived deprivation of liberty predicts stigma regardless of the disease severity CONCLUSION: Perception of stigma leads to self-isolation, behavioral avoidance and refusal of aid-seeking. Our study indicated that perceived deprivation of liberty is one of the most important factors that lead to increased stigma. Based on our findings, we can say that as patients experience less perceived deprivation of liberty, they would have less stigma and thus, their compliance would increase.

75 FR 20265 - Airworthiness Directives; Liberty Aerospace Incorporated Model XL-2 Airplanes

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-19

... Office, 1701 Columbia Avenue, College Park, Georgia 30337; telephone: (404) 474-5524; facsimile: (404... Airworthiness Directives; Liberty Aerospace Incorporated Model XL-2 Airplanes AGENCY: Federal Aviation...-08- 05, which applies to certain Liberty Aerospace Incorporated Model XL-2 airplanes. AD 2009-08-05...

78 FR 58273 - Approval for Manufacturing (Production) Authority, Foreign-Trade Zone 284, Liberty Pumps, Inc...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-23

... (Production) Authority, Foreign-Trade Zone 284, Liberty Pumps, Inc. (Submersible and Water Pumps), Bergen, New... (production) authority on behalf of Liberty Pumps, Inc., within FTZ 284 in Bergen, New York (FTZ Docket 5-2012... manufacturing (production) authority under zone procedures within FTZ 284 on behalf of Liberty Pumps, Inc., as...

On the economics of basic liberties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Weikard, H.P.

2004-01-01

The paper discusses the problem of initial assignments of rights. An attempt is made to characterise a system of rights in the spirit of Rawls's first principle of justice according to which society should adopt the most extensive system of equal basic liberties.

Dissent, revolution and liberty beyond Earth

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This volume provides an in-depth discussion on the central question – how can people express and survive dissent and disagreement in confined habitats in space? The discussion is an important one because it could be that the systems of inter-dependence required to survive in space are so strong that dissent becomes impossible. John Locke originally said that people have a right to use revolution to overthrow a despotic regime. But if revolution causes violence and damage that causes depressurisation with the risk of killing many people, is it even permissible to have a revolution? How then are people to express their liberty or dissatisfaction with their rulers? The emergence of structures of dissent and disagreement is an essential part of the construction of a framework of liberty in space (revolution is just the extreme example) and thus the topic deserves in-depth and immediate attention. Even today, the way in which we assemble organisations and corporations for the government and private exploration o...

NRC Information Notice No. 93-01: Accuracy of motor-operated valve diagnostic equipment manufactured by Liberty Technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grimes, B.K.

1993-01-01

Most licensees rely on MOV diagnostic equipment to provide information on the thrust delivered by the motor actuator in opening or closing its valve. The various types of MOV diagnostic equipment estimate valve stem thrust using different parameters, such as displacement of the spring pack or strain in the stem, mounting bolts, or yoke. Liberty Technologies has developed MOV diagnostic equipment, referred to as the Valve Operation Test and Evaluation System (VOTES), that estimates the thrust needed to open or close a valve based on strain of the valve yoke. The VOTES equipment derives thrust from yoke strain that has been calibrated to stem thrust using measured diametral strain of the valve stem and nominal engineering material properties. On October 2, 1992, Liberty Technologies notified the NRC that it had determined that two new factors can affect the thrust values obtained with its equipment. Those factors involve (1) the possible use of improper stem material constants and (2) the failure to account for a torque effect when the VOTES equipment is calibrated by measuring strain in the threaded portion of the valve stem. Liberty Technologies provided information on performing manual calculations to address these factors and stated that its new software, Version 2.3, assists in performing corrections to the thrust data

Conflict between civil liberties and nuclear energy safeguards: an analysis of current and prospective Federal regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, J.N.

1977-01-01

The high regard that the U.S. has traditionally placed on individual rights and liberties makes it imperative that nuclear-safeguards measures currently in use or suggested by evaluated in terms of their social costs. A nuclear-safeguards strategy that minimizes civil-liberties impacts as a social cost and allows adequate protection against the threats of nuclear theft and sabotage in the rapidly developing nuclear energy industry must be arrived at. This study explores the possible civil-liberties impacts and the effectiveness of nuclear-safeguards measures which may be or are being used. Case law and statutory law are extensively analyzed to classify the type of civil-liberties impacts that particular nuclear-safeguards measures may impose. Literature addressing the effectiveness of safeguards measures is examined in various contexts often completely outside of the ''security'' disciplines. A comparison of both the civil liberties impact and effectiveness of each nuclear safeguards measure reveals a cost/benefit factor from which conclusions may be drawn. The real issue is whether or not a nuclear safeguards system will interfere with historic respect governmental institutions have given rights and liberties guaranteed in the U.S. It is concluded that physical access controls present only minor civil liberties costs while providing substantial protection against theft and sabotage. Recommendations are made in the form of suggested statutes, regulations, and regulatory guides. Certain inter-agency relationships and methods for establishing those relationships are also suggested

District nursing practice for the death of patients subject to deprivation of liberty safeguards.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Richard

2015-02-01

The Chief Coroner of England and Wales has issued guidance to coroners on whether the death of a person subject to a deprivation of liberty safeguard should be subject to an inquest. The guidance was issued in response to the tenfold increase in people being made subject to the safeguards since the Supreme Court's decision in Cheshire West and Chester Council v P [2014]. It is the Chief Coroner's view that all deaths where a person is subject to a deprivation of liberty safeguard or Court of Protection welfare order allowing a deprivation of liberty must be investigated by the coroner with an inquest held. This article considers the impact of the Chief Coroner's guidance on district nurse practice. It discusses whether a person subject to a deprivation of liberty safeguard is in state detention and whether an inquest is necessary in every case.

The Struggle Between Liberties and Authorities in the Information Age.

Science.gov (United States)

Taddeo, Mariarosaria

2015-10-01

The "struggle between liberties and authorities", as described by Mill, refers to the tension between individual rights and the rules restricting them that are imposed by public authorities exerting their power over civil society. In this paper I argue that contemporary information societies are experiencing a new form of such a struggle, which now involves liberties and authorities in the cyber-sphere and, more specifically, refers to the tension between cyber-security measures and individual liberties. Ethicists, political philosophers and political scientists have long debated how to strike an ethically sound balance between security measures and individual rights. I argue that such a balance can only be reached once individual rights are clearly defined, and that such a definition cannot prescind from an analysis of individual well-being in the information age. Hence, I propose an analysis of individual well-being which rests on the capability approach, and I then identify a set of rights that individuals should claim for themselves. Finally, I consider a criterion for balancing the proposed set of individual rights with cyber-security measures in the information age.

Adolescents' and young adults' conceptions of civil liberties: freedom of speech and religion.

Science.gov (United States)

Helwig, C C

1995-02-01

This study examined adolescents' and young adults' conceptions of freedom of speech and religion (civil liberties). 48 adolescents and young adults in 3 grade levels (mean ages 12-8, 16-10, and 19-6) were administered a structured interview containing assessments of civil liberties in general, in straightforward (unconflicted) applications, and in conflict with other social and moral concerns, including law, physical and psychological harm, and equality of opportunity. Freedom of speech and religion were conceptualized as universal rights and applied to social events in unconflicted contexts at all ages. A diverse array of rationales, differentiated according to type of freedom, were used at all ages to ground conceptions of universal freedoms. Judgments of civil liberties in conflicts exhibited several sources of variation, including developmental differences, situational or contextual variation determined by the particular types of issues in conflict, and individual differences. Results are consistent with the proposition that judgments of civil liberties reflect age-related patterns of coordination of delimited social and moral concepts rather than general orientations.

Human reproductive cloning: a conflict of liberties.

Science.gov (United States)

Havstad, Joyce C

2010-02-01

Proponents of human reproductive cloning do not dispute that cloning may lead to violations of clones' right to self-determination, or that these violations could cause psychological harms. But they proceed with their endorsement of human reproductive cloning by dismissing these psychological harms, mainly in two ways. The first tactic is to point out that to commit the genetic fallacy is indeed a mistake; the second is to invoke Parfit's non-identity problem. The argument of this paper is that neither approach succeeds in removing our moral responsibility to consider and to prevent psychological harms to cloned individuals. In fact, the same commitment to personal liberty that generates the right to reproduce by means of cloning also creates the need to limit that right appropriately. Discussion of human reproductive cloning ought to involve a careful and balanced consideration of both the relevant aspects of personal liberty - the parents' right to reproductive freedom and the cloned child's right to self-determination.

Resolving the dilemma between equality and liberty: the Swedish political system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nathalie BLANC-NOEL

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Swedish democracy ranks very high in international democracy indexes. It fascinates political scientists from all over the world because it seems to have resolved a fundamental political dilemma: the choice between equality and liberty, without the historical inconvenient of regimes which favoured too much equality - but killed liberty, or regimes which favoured liberty - but failed to make citizens equal... The "'egalitarian pluralism" practiced in Swedish political system is rooted in a specific political culture. This culture has opted for popular sovereignty and comes from the ancient peasant society. Lutheran values and the absence of feudalism paved the way to the search for equality and the edification of a strong State. In the 20th century, the Social-democrats endorsed the traditional Swedish values and prolonged them in the so-called Swedish model, with social policies allowing more equality along with more individual autonomy. Nowadays, the model is evolving, coping with globalization, and the definition of equality is under discussion.

Sobre libertad y tolerancia (a propósito del On liberty de J. S. Mill

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Montoya Saenz

2012-03-01

Full Text Available En la actualidad somos afortunados de vivir en sociedades donde las libertades de pensamiento y de expresión se dan por supuestas y son amparadas por la constitución y por la leyes; e incluso fuera del marco legal, por determinadas instituciones y por la opinión pública. En este sentido, el objetivo del presente artículo es tratar críticamente los dos conceptos fundamentales en la obra On liberty de J .S. Mill, a saber, "tolerancia" y "libertad". Especialmente se aborda su justificación a partir del segundo capítulo de dicha obra, titulado "of the liberty of thought and discussion".Nowadays we are fortunate to live in societies where freedom of thought and expression are taken for granted and protected by constitutions and laws, and even outside the legal framework, by certain institutions and public opinion. In this vein, the present paper aims to critically address thetwo essential concepts in on liberty by J.S. Mill, namely, "tolerance" and "liberty". In particular, the second chapter of this work, "of the liberty of thought and discussion" provides the starting point for discussion of its justification.

The Statue of Liberty Deed of Presentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Schamel, Wynell Burroughs; Blondo, Richard A.

1992-01-01

Presents a history lesson based on the deed of presentation for the Statue of Liberty. Discusses the conception and history of the statue and its presentation to the United States as a gift from the people of France. Includes a copy of the document, topics for class discussion, and research, writing, and design activities. (DK)

To be (or not to be) conceived in liberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurrild-Klitgaard, Peter

2010-01-01

Revised and expanded version of an autobiographical essay contributed to the volume "I Chose Liberty: Autobiographies of Contemporary Libertarians" (ed., Walter Block, 2010), collecting autobiographical notes from classical liberal / libertarian academics within economics, political science, law...

'Greater good' versus civil liberties in the United States: Tuberculosis and Seattle's Firland Sanatorium.

Science.gov (United States)

Blackburn, Christine Crudo

2017-11-01

As far back as the late 1700s, peoples in the United States were developing ways to control infectious disease without infringing on Constitutional rights. Despite acknowledgement that an infected person has certain civil liberties, the history of public health law shows that, in many instances, infectious disease isolation and quarantine proved to be scientifically questionable at best. I examine an historical example of such questionable relationship between public health and civil liberties: the locked ward at Firland Sanatorium in Seattle, Washington. Mandatory quarantine at Firland began in the late 1940s and lasted until the facility closed in the early 1970s. Can examining this history enhance understanding of the relationship between "the greater good" and an individual's civil liberties?

Reproductive Liberty and Overpopulation: A Response

OpenAIRE

Stanley Warner

2004-01-01

This appraisal of Carol A. Kates' 'Reproductive Liberty and Overpopulation' challenges her call for world-wide population control measures - using compulsory methods if necessary - to save the world's environment. The most successful part of Kates' paper is her argument that reproductive rights are not indefeasible and nonnegotiable, but that like many rights, they are conditional and open to a balancing of individual freedom against collective community interests. But her advocacy of mandato...

A Resource Guide for Celebrating the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, 1986. Bulletin 1783.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerr, Myrtle; Cookston, James S.

Compiled to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, this selection of books, periodicals, audiovisuals, and other educational resources was intended to help stimulate discussion, promote projects, and create awareness of the Statue of Liberty Centennial. Listed are 24 books, 18 magazine articles, and 3 films about the Statue…

The Statue of Liberty Peter Max Style!

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Kathy

2012-01-01

The author's school is only 30 minutes from New York City, so every year when second-graders study towns and cities, the students do a project based on New York City landmarks. This year was the Statue of Liberty. The author introduced Peter Max's famous Pop art to her students, and explained that, as the art world kept changing, artists decided…

Procreative liberty, enhancement and commodification in the human cloning debate.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapshay, Sandra

2012-12-01

The aim of this paper is to scrutinize a contemporary standoff in the American debate over the moral permissibility of human reproductive cloning in its prospective use as a eugenic enhancement technology. I shall argue that there is some significant and under-appreciated common ground between the defenders and opponents of human cloning. Champions of the moral and legal permissibility of cloning support the technology based on the right to procreative liberty provided it were to become as safe as in vitro fertilization and that it be used only by adults who seek to rear their clone children. However, even champions of procreative liberty oppose the commodification of cloned embryos, and, by extension, the resulting commodification of the cloned children who would be produced via such embryos. I suggest that a Kantian moral argument against the use of cloning as an enhancement technology can be shown to be already implicitly accepted to some extent by champions of procreative liberty on the matter of commodification of cloned embryos. It is in this argument against commodification that the most vocal critics of cloning such as Leon Kass and defenders of cloning such as John Robertson can find greater common ground. Thus, I endeavor to advance the debate by revealing a greater degree of moral agreement on some fundamental premises than hitherto recognized.

Commodification and privacy: a Lockean perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Volkman, Richard

2010-09-01

This paper defends the thesis that privacy as a right is derived from fundamental rights to life, liberty, and property and does not permit restricting the commodification of bodily material; however, privacy as life, liberty, property does require conventions that ensure a robust and just market in bodily material. The analysis proceeds by defending a general commitment to liberty and markets, but not in the manner one might expect from a 'doctrinaire' libertarian. Ethical concerns about commodification are legitimate in the context of new medical and information technologies, but these concerns are not sufficiently well defined to justify political conclusions, since not every ethical concern is in itself a political concern, and the best way to resolve certain ethical difficulties is to draw up political boundaries that facilitate the discovery and testing of various solutions to our ethical puzzles. To illustrate the point, I will indicate how privacy as life, liberty, property defines such a dynamic solution to the problems of commodification of human bodily material and slippery information in insurance markets.

A Gift for the Giver: Helping Miss Liberty.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Corinne

1986-01-01

This article describes the activities of a secondary social studies teacher as she involved her class--and eventually the entire school--in activities to support the restoration of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The students raised over $1,000 by producing an ethnic foods cookbook, holding a raffle, and selling buttons. (JDH)

78 FR 9573 - Delegation of Authority To Suspend the Provisions of Title III of the Cuban Liberty and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-08

... Authority To Suspend the Provisions of Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD... Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-114; 22 U.S.C. 6021-6091), as...

Aerial Photography and Imagery, Ortho-Corrected - 2013 Digital Orthophotos - Liberty County

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Education | GIS Inventory — This metadata describes the digital ortho imagery covering Liberty County, FL. This 1"=200' scale imagery is comprised of 24 bit natural color orthophotography with...

Liberty of Word Order in Esperanto. Lektos: Interdisciplinary Working Papers in Language Sciences, Vol. 3, No. 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Verloren van Themaat, W. A.

The liberty of deviation from the dominant word order in Esperanto and the natural languages is considered. Greenberg's classification of the languages according to four criteria, the liberty of word order in Sanskrit, and the norm of grammaticality in a constructed language are considered. Objection is made to St. Clair's argument that word order…

The Statue of Liberty: Double Stories Provide Historical Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Britt, Judy

2013-01-01

Standing tall in New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty is an enduring symbol of America. Layers of historical content and symbolism are uncovered in books that tell various parts of her story. By reading one or more of these books, students can begin to see that the experience of immigration is complex--it's not one narrative, but many that…

Business plan for a national ''Hellas liberty'' ship memorial museum

OpenAIRE

Μόρφη, Ξανθή

2012-01-01

Το παρόν Επιχειρηματικό Σχέδιο επικεντρώνεται στο εγχείρημα της μετατροπής του πλοίου liberty με όνομα 'SS Arthur M. Huddell' (γνωστού ως Liberty Hellas) σε πλωτό μουσείο, το οποίο θα ονομαστεί Εθνικό Μουσείο Μνήμης Πλοίου Liberty. Στο επιχειρησιακό πλάνο περιλαμβάνονται τα ακόλουθα στοιχεία: αποστολή, βασικές αρχές, στρατηγικοί στόχοι, κόστος εκκίνησης, περιγραφή της επιχείρησης, σύντομη ιστορία των πλοίων liberty, ανάλυση επιχειρηματικού περιβάλλοντος, ανάλυση αγοράς, στρατηγική προώθησης, ...

The Third Axiom, or A Logic of Liberty: On the Structure of Ethics and Economics as One Unified Aprioristic Science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter J. Preusse

2010-05-01

Full Text Available In this paper, the logical structure of ethics and economics as one unified science is investigated and found to be inhomogeneously represented in Austroliberal literature. This structure is here built from axioms, deductions, and definitions: It is first established in its self-supportive bareness, secondly represented by pivotal passages of libertarian literature, and then widened by a third axiom in addition to the classical first axiom of action and the second axiom of variety. This third axiom and the deduction that follows deal with supra-individual risks for the core of self-ownership and reflect on equality of inalienable, as opposed to alienable, property.Liberty is found to be a dispensable term. Instead, self-ownership is the pivotal notion on which civilized, contractual society is founded: the rock bottom of is propositions as opposed to ought propositions. Alienable property is identified as the only effective, coessential, and congeneric protective mantle around inalienable self-ownership. Equality, with respect to this core of self-ownership, could possibly turn out to be the philosophical foundation for the claim by any ethical norm to hold true for all equally.It is the present author’s hope that, by reinforcing and emphasizing the idea of self-ownership rather than the idea of liberty, this article will foster a greater acceptance for the libertarian desire for contractual solutions to social problems.

Current situation of sexual and reproductive health of men deprived of liberty in the Institutional Care Center of San Jose

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorita Rivas Fonseca

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to determine the current status of the issue of sexual and reproductive health ofthe prisoners Institutional Care Center (CAI of San Jose. It is a descriptive study. Through a strategic samplingdetermined the participation of 102 men. The information was obtained by applying a self-administeredquestionnaire with closed and open questions. As a result relevant to your socio-demographic profile, it appearsthat deprived of their liberty is a very heterogeneous group. As regards sexual and reproductive health, the firstconcept they relate to the prevention of disease and the second reproductive aspects, this shows limitations inknowledge on the topics, something that affects the daily life activities and self-care. It is concluded that researchby nurses Gyneco-obstetric in the deprived of liberty is almost null not only in the country but in the world,especially if it comes with the male population. In the case of CAI Prison, health care is not enough for thenumber of inmates who inhabit (overpopulation of almost 50%, this implies a deterioration in health and physicalcondition of these people, as well as sexual and reproductive health

The Statue of Liberty: Books for Kindergarten through Grade 8.

Science.gov (United States)

San Diego County Office of Education, CA.

This short annotated bibliography of books for students in kindergarten through grade 8 contains information on the history of the Statue of Liberty and its renovation that will enable students to learn more about this important American symbol. In addition to the eight books listed, information is provided on a photograph collection, a teacher's…

Surveillance and Liberty in Céline's New York, the City That Doesn't Sleep (Around

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Willging

2005-06-01

Full Text Available This essay focuses on Ferdinand Bardamu's account of his stay in New York City in Louis-Ferdinand Céline's bleak bildungsroman, Journey to the End of the Night (1932. In it I explore the rather surprising absence of reference to the Statue of Liberty in a text narrated by a French immigrant of sorts who spends weeks on Ellis Island and who immediately personifies the city as an androgynous, steely, and indeed statue-like woman. Applying to the text Foucault's theories on the disciplinary nature of modern western society, I suggest that it is Bardamu's suspicion that he is under unobtrusive yet constant surveillance while in the Big Apple that explains his deliberate erasure of Liberty/liberty from the skyline he paints in his narrative. I further argue that Bardamu tends to see the implacable surveillance he undergoes throughout his American adventure as feminine. That is, he identifies it as emanating principally from those cold, impenetrable, but impossibly beautiful creatures—les Américaines—that this vertical and imposing mother-city has birthed.

Aerial Photography and Imagery, Ortho-Corrected - 2007 Digital Orthophotos - Franklin, Gadsden, Liberty Counties

Data.gov (United States)

NSGIC Education | GIS Inventory — RGB digital orthophotos covering Franklin, Liberty and Gadsden Counties, Florida Tiles were cut to pre-determined 5000' x 5000' windows as supplied by the Florida...

Access to abortion and secular liberties

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Roberto Arriada Lorea

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In Brazil, facing an issue like abortion requires a secular perspective since the freedom of conscience assured by the Federal Constitution places upon the State the need to regard not only different viewpoints of different religions, but more specifically assure the right to diversity existing within a same religion, as well as the right to exercise different views from those of the hierarchy of his/her own religion. As such, there is no legal barrier for the decriminalization of abortion in the country. It is up to legislators to reform the present law and decriminalize abortion, assuming the commitments Brazil has assumed with international human-rights organizations, thus assuring the efficacy of civil liberties.

Optimization Evaluation: Lee Chemical Superfund Site, City Of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri

Science.gov (United States)

The Lee Chemical Superfund Site (site) is located along Missouri Highway 210 in Liberty, Missouri, approximately 15 miles east of Kansas City, Missouri. Currently, the site is a vacant lot of approximately2.5 acres in a flat alluvial plain.

Review of Los nuevos amos de la tierra. Land Grabbing (Liberti, 2015

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Germán Ignacio Ochoa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Stefano Liberti. 2015. Los nuevos amos de la tierra. Land Grabbing. Bogotá: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial. 250 pp. ISBN: 9788430616886. [Título original en italiano: Land Grabbing. Come il mercato delle terre crea il nuovo colonialismo].

Hume, liberty and the object of moral evaluation

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André Klaudat

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Hume's project concerning the conflict between liberty and necessity is ";reconciliatory";. But what is the nature of Hume's project? Does he solve a problem in metaphysics only? And when Hume says that the dispute between the doctrines of liberty and necessity is merely verbal, does he mean that there is no genuine metaphysical dispute between the doctrines? In the present essay I argue for: (1 there is room for liberty in Hume's philosophy, and not only because the position is pro forma compatibilist, even though this has importance for the recognition that Hume's main concern when discussing the matter is with practice; (2 the position does not involve a ";subjectivization"; of every form of necessity: it is not compatibilist because it creates a space for the claim that the operations of the will are non-problematically necessary through a weakning of the notion of necessity as it applies to external objects; (3 Hume holds that the ordinary phenomena of mental causation do not preempt the atribuition of moral responsibility, which combines perfectly with his identification of the object of moral evaluation: the whole of the character of a person, in relation to which there is, nonetheless, liberty. I intend to support my assertions by a close reading of what Hume states in section 8 of the first Enquiry.O projeto de Hume em relação ao conflito entre liberdade e necessidade é ";reconciliatório";. Mas qual é a natureza do projeto de Hume? Resolve ele um problema que diz respeito à metafísica somente? E quando Hume afirma que a disputa entre as doutrinas da liberdade e da necessidade é meramente verbal, quer ele dizer que não há nenhuma disputa metafísica genuína entre as doutrinas? No presente trabalho eu argumento a favor de (1 que há lugar para a liberdade na filosofia de Hume, e não somente porque a posição é pro forma compatibilista, mesmo que isto tenha importância para o reconhecimento de que a preocupação maior de

Privacy-invading technologies : safeguarding privacy, liberty & security in the 21st century

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klitou, Demetrius

2012-01-01

With a focus on the growing development and deployment of the latest technologies that threaten privacy, the PhD dissertation argues that the US and UK legal frameworks, in their present form, are inadequate to defend privacy and other civil liberties against the intrusive capabilities of body

Ukrainian Topics in the Radio Liberty Programs (1950s-1970s (Based on M. Demkovych-Dobrianskyi’s archive

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D. M. Kravets

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with Radio Liberty programs devoted to Ukrainian topics: history, culture, policy etc. Presented paper is based on the Mykhaylo Demkovych-Dobrianskyi personal archive. M. Dobrianskyi (1905–2004 was one of the first chief-editors of the Ukrainian edition of Radio Liberty in Munich. The paper describes his biography and intellectual heritage. He studied jurisprudence in Lviv, Vienna and Berlin. Worked as an editor in different Ukrainian newspapers and journals. During 1956–1972 M. Dobrianskyi was professionally affiliated with Radio Liberty. After retirement, he lived in London. M. Dobrianskyi was an author of hundreds of radio programs dedicated to: Ukrainian-Russian relations (especially huge influence of Ukrainian scholars on Russian history, problems of Ukrainian culture in the Soviet Union (russification, lack of dictionaries and audio types with Ukrainian songs etc., role of Ukrainian dissidents in the USSR (series of programs devoted to V. Chornovil, I. Dziuba etc., situation in Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Metabolomic profiling and sensorial quality of 'Golden Delicious', 'Liberty', 'Santana', and 'Topaz' apples grown using organic and integrated production systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanzo, Andreja; Jenko, Mojca; Vrhovsek, Urska; Stopar, Matej

2013-07-03

Apple quality was investigated in the scab-resistant 'Liberty', 'Santana', and 'Topaz' cultivars and the scab-susceptible 'Golden Delicious' cultivar. Trees subjected to the same crop load were cultivated using either an organic (ORG) or an integrated production (IP) system. Physicochemical properties, phenolic content, and sensorial quality of fruit from both systems were compared. There were no significant differences in fruit mass, starch, and total soluble solid content (the latter was higher in ORG 'Liberty') between ORG and IP fruit, whereas significantly higher flesh firmness was found in ORG fruit (except no difference in 'Golden Delicious'). Significantly higher total phenolic content in ORG fruit was found in 'Golden Delicious', whereas differences in other cultivars were not significant. Targeted metabolomic profiling of multiple classes of phenolics confirmed the impact of the production system on the 'Golden Delicious' phenolic profile as higher levels of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, neo- and chlorogenic acids, phloridzin, procyanidin B2+B4, -3-O-glucoside and -3-O-galactoside of quercetin, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, and rutin being found in ORG fruit. The results obtained suggested that scab resistance influenced the phenolic biosynthesis in relation to the agricultural system. Sensorial evaluation indicated significantly better flavor (except for 'Topaz') and better appearance of IP fruit.

77 FR 69789 - Foreign-Trade Zone 171-Liberty County, TX; Application for Reorganization/Expansion Under...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-11-21

... zones and can permit significantly greater flexibility in the designation of new subzones or ``usage..., Highway FM 787, Liberty; Site 5 (583.081 acres)--Sjolander Plastics Storage Railyard facility, adjacent to...

The Daily Me: A Response to "Tocqueville on Democracy and Inclusive Education--A More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty"

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Anne

2009-01-01

This article presents the author's response to "Tocqueville on Democracy and Inclusive Education: A More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty" written by Steven Connolley and Rune Sarromaa Hausstatter. Connolley and Hausstatter frame their critique of inclusive education and its relationship to democracy, liberty and equality using…

Tribespeople, Idiots, or Citizens? Religious Liberty and the Reforging of American Public Philosophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Guiness, Os

1990-01-01

Examines the current relationship between religious liberty and U.S. democracy. Presents a proposal to reforge the U.S. public philosophy according to the notion of chartered pluralism that celebrates the diversity embodied in the First Amendment. Ties this to the conflict between communitarianism and libertarianism. (DB)

Dis/Graceful Liberties: Textual Libertinism/ Libertine Texts in J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace

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Driss Hager Ben

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This essay addresses J.M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, a Booker Prize winner in 1999. The novel captures South African political and cultural turmoil attending the post-apartheid transitional period. Far from overlooking the political allegory, I propose instead to expand on a topic only cursorily developed elsewhere, namely liberty and license. The two terms foreground the textual dynamics of the novel as they compete and/or negotiate meaning and ascendency. I argue that Disgrace is energized by Coetzee’s belief in a total liberty of artistic production. Sex is philosophically problematized in the text and advocated as a serious issue that deserves artistic investigation without restriction or censorship. This essay looks into the subtle libertinism in Coetzee’s text, which displays pornographic overtones without exhibiting a flamboyant libertinage. Disgrace acquires its libertine gesture from its dialogue with several literary works steeped in libertinism. The troubled relationship between the aesthetic and the ethical yields an ambiguous text that invites a responsible act of reading.

Eliminating mental disability as a legal criterion in deprivation of liberty cases: The impact of the Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities on the insanity defense, civil commitment, and competency law.

Science.gov (United States)

Slobogin, Christopher

2015-01-01

A number of laws that are associated with deprivations of liberty, including the insanity defense, civil commitment, guardianship of the person and numerous competency doctrines in the criminal context, require proof of mental disability as a predicate. The Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities commands signatory states to eliminate that predicate. Summarizing principles set out in my book Minding Justice: Laws That Deprive People With Mental Disability of Life and Liberty, I explain how this seemingly radical stance can be implemented. Specifically, this article proposes adoption of an "integrationist defense" in the criminal context, an "undeterrability requirement" when the state seeks preventive detention outside of the criminal process, and a "basic rationality and self-regard test" for incompetency determinations. None of these proposals requires proof of a mental disorder as a predicate condition. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Threat to Religious Liberties and the European Institutions

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Roger Kiska

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The following article analyzes the 3 chief threats facing religious liberty today in Europe, namely: (1 hate speech legislation; (2 anti-discrimination laws; (3 attacks on parental rights. Concrete examples are given of offenses to religious freedom. Additionally, the black letter law is set out in each section with suggested action points for national governments. The Article also discusses the Lautsi v. Italy judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, explaining its importance and using it as evidence to establish the political nature of the Strasbourg based court.

Understanding the copper of the Statue of Liberty

Science.gov (United States)

Welter, Jean-Marie

2006-05-01

Pierre-Eugène Secrétan, a French copper industrialist, donated the copper sheets for the construction of the skin of the Statue of Liberty when it was built in 1875 1876. It can be inferred from the history of Secrétan's activities that the sheets were rolled in his plant of Sérifontaine. The impurities found in two samples obtained from the U.S. National Park Service show that different qualities of copper were used. They indicate, by taking also into account the commercial relations of Secrétan, that the copper may possibly have come from Spanish or South/North American ore.

Why new tools were developed for the 'GeoPortalNetwork : Liberty United" project

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vanmeulebrouk, B.; Van Swol, R.; Kuyper, M.; Bulens, J.; Zevenbergen, J.A.

2009-01-01

As part of the national innovation co-funding scheme “Space for Geo-information” the project “GeoPortal Network: Liberty United” ran from late 2005 till the end of 2008. Purpose of the project was to promote access to geo-spatial information via web services. To achieve this goal, a network of

The Consitituion as a Bill of Rights: Separation of Powers and Individual Liberty.

Science.gov (United States)

Meese, Edwin, III

One of the basic principles of the Constitution--the separation of powers--and its contribution to the preservation and perpetuation of individual liberty is discussed. To renew public appreciation of the Constitution, our fundamental law and the philosophical foundation of our political order, is the most fitting bicentennial celebration U.S.…

Two Views of Liberty, Occidental and Oriental(?

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Bruno Leoni

2009-02-01

Full Text Available This paper, by the late Bruno Leoni, was originally presented at a special meeting of the Mont Pèlerin Society (Tokyo, Sept. 5–10, 1966, and was originally published in the Italian journal Il Politico in 1966. The paper displays Leoni’s fondness for Chinese culture, and is essentially a defense of the unity of mankind. Westerners are often of the belief that the Occidental, or Western, individual freedom-based view of liberty is distinct from the Oriental (Eastern view of liberty. Leoni challenges this perspective. Mill believed that disregard for custom was what made the West both free and different from the rest of the world, while the Oriental approach is more backward and based on blind respect for customs. However, custom has often been invoked both in the East and in the West to oppose and limit the power of tyrants, and to defend or to secure civil or political liberty. Mill argued that disregard of custom accounts for novelty, novelty for diversity of character and culture, and the latter for freedom and progress, but there was an unsurpassed diversity of character and culture when Oriental and Occidental people were put together under the rule of the Roman emperors. Furthermore, the “Orient” was not monotonous, dull, and homogeneous, as Mill presumed; to the contrary, Europe cannot show in any period of its history a variety of races, languages, cultures, philosophies and religions even slightly comparable to those of India or China. In fact, Buddha and Confucius were both concerned mainly with individual freedom. Confucius’s theory of society, in particular, was very individualistic; he clearly formulated for the first time in recorded history that principle of “reciprocity,” the “golden rule” for any liberal society. He maintained that the very fundamental principle for a happy society is “Not doing to others what one does not wish them do to one’s self.” Confucius shared, along with the greatest masters of

77 FR 2957 - Application for Manufacturing Authority, Liberty Pumps, Inc. (Submersible and Water Pumps...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-20

... formally filed on January 12, 2012. The Liberty Pumps, Inc., facility (108 employees, 9.1 acres, production... from abroad (representing 30 to 40% of the value of the finished pumps) include: Plastic (polyamide) resins, plastic boxes/cases/tanks, articles of plastic, rubber gaskets/seals, labels, wood pallets...

Forging the bonds of sympathy: Spirituality, individualism and empiricism in the ecological thought of Liberty Hyde Bailey and its implications for environmental education

Science.gov (United States)

Azelvandre, John Paul

Through an examination of the life and work of Liberty Hyde Bailey, this study examines the possibility of an alternate ontological and epistemological foundation for environmental ethics and education that can adequately address the twin concerns of the status of the individual and of the social or biological whole of which the individual is a part. The thesis presented in this study is that a holistic approach that is conceived in terms of monistic idealism will not serve as well as a pluralistic approach that recognizes distinct individuals causally interconnected to form an ecological whole. The term "spirituality" is proposed as indicative of the mode of connection between individuals and wholes conceived in a pluralistic rather than monistic sense. Beginning with a critique of modern environmental philosophy as primarily oriented toward a holistic or monistic ontology, the study proceeds to an intellectual biography of Liberty Hyde Bailey (1858--1954), an important early thinker in environmental ethics and environmental education. The analysis of Bailey's life and work reveals his indebtedness both to Darwinian science, to certain strands of eighteenth century thought passed on through the agency of Freemasonry and to the liberal Protestant Christianity of the late 19th century. His mature philosophy was strongly individualistic, empirical and spiritual, where the "spiritual" is the mode of connection between self and other. Positive connections are drawn between Bailey's contemporaries John Dewey and Alfred North Whitehead, bolstering claims that the distinctly American philosophy exhibited by all three thinkers has important ramifications for environmental philosophy today. Recommendations for environmental ethics and environmental education for the twenty-first century conclude the study.

John Stuart Mill on the liberty of the mentally ill: a historical note.

Science.gov (United States)

Monahan, J

1977-12-01

The author discusses the quote from Mill's On Liberty that is often cited by libertarians in opposition to involuntary commitment of the mentally ill. This quote has been taken out of context; other statements in the document indicate that Mill excluded from his libertarian credo those "without the ordinary amount of understanding," i.e., those people who would now be considered mentally ill.

Explaining Post-Communist Respect for Civil Liberty: A Multi-Methods Test

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skaaning, Svend Erik

2007-01-01

This article explains the level of respect for civil liberty in post-communist countries. The methodological triangulation employs both QCA methods and OLS-regression to test the influence of structural conditions, the democratization literature emphasizes. The results show that the political leg...... the results of the methods applied diverge. Expect a lack of congruence given their different assumptions and logics. As to the QCA methods in specific, they are apparently valuable supplements, and at times even plausible alternatives, to standard statistical tests....

The Statue of Liberty: The Meaning and Use of a National Symbol. [Lesson Plan].

Science.gov (United States)

2001

The Statue of Liberty, which stands in Upper New York Bay, is a universal symbol of freedom. A gift from France, it originally was conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the people of France and the United States. It has become much more, symbolizing the Mother of Exiles, greeting the millions of immigrants and embodying hope and…

Psychedelics and cognitive liberty: Reimagining drug policy through the prism of human rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Charlotte

2016-03-01

This paper reimagines drug policy--specifically psychedelic drug policy--through the prism of human rights. Challenges to the incumbent prohibitionist paradigm that have been brought from this perspective to date--namely by calling for exemptions from criminalisation on therapeutic or religious grounds--are considered, before the assertion is made that there is a need to go beyond such reified constructs, calling for an end to psychedelic drug prohibitions on the basis of the more fundamental right to cognitive liberty. This central concept is explicated, asserted as being a crucial component of freedom of thought, as enshrined within Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). It is argued that the right to cognitive liberty is routinely breached by the existence of the system of drug prohibition in the United Kingdom (UK), as encoded within the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (MDA). On this basis, it is proposed that Article 9 could be wielded to challenge the prohibitive system in the courts. This legal argument is supported by a parallel and entwined argument grounded in the political philosophy of classical liberalism: namely, that the state should only deploy the criminal law where an individual's actions demonstrably run a high risk of causing harm to others. Beyond the courts, it is recommended that this liberal, rights-based approach also inform psychedelic drug policy activism, moving past the current predominant focus on harm reduction, towards a prioritization of benefit maximization. How this might translate in to a different regulatory model for psychedelic drugs, a third way, distinct from the traditional criminal and medical systems of control, is tentatively considered. However, given the dominant political climate in the UK--with its move away from rights and towards a more authoritarian drug policy--the possibility that it is only through underground movements that cognitive liberty will be assured in the foreseeable future is

Linking Health System Responsiveness to Political Rights and Civil Liberties: A Multilevel Analysis Using Data From 44 Countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Witvliet, Margot I; Stronks, Karien; Kunst, Anton E; Mahapatra, Tanmay; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2015-01-01

Responsiveness is a dimension of health system functioning and might be dependent upon contextual factors related to politics. Given this, we performed cross-national comparisons with the aim of investigating: 1) the associations of political factors with patients' reports of health system responsiveness and 2) the extent to which health input and output might explain these associations. World Health Survey data were analyzed for 44 countries (n = 103 541). Main outcomes included, respectively, 8 and 7 responsiveness domains for inpatient and outpatient care. Linear multilevel regressions were used to assess the associations of politics (namely, civil liberties and political rights), socioeconomic development, health system input, and health system output (measured by maternal mortality) with responsiveness domains, adjusted for demographic factors. Political rights showed positive associations with dignity (regression coefficient = 0.086 [standard error = 0.039]), quality (0.092 [0.049]), and support (0.113 [0.048]) for inpatient care and with dignity (0.075 [0.040]), confidentiality (0.089 [0.043]), and quality (0.124 [0.053]) for outpatient care. Positive associations were observed for civil liberties as well. Health system input and output reduced observed associations. Results tentatively suggest that strengthening political rights and, to a certain extent, civil liberties might improve health system responsiveness, in part through their effect on health system input and output. © The Author(s) 2015.

Support for Homosexuals' Civil Liberties: The Influence of Familial Gender Role Attitudes across Religious Denominations

Science.gov (United States)

Kenneavy, Kristin

2012-01-01

Religious denominations vary in both their approach to the roles that men and women play in familial contexts, as well as their approach to homosexuality. This research investigates whether gender attitudes, informed by religious tradition, predict a person's support for civil liberties extended to gays and lesbians. Using data from the 1996 and…

Liberty Challenge or Dangers of Liberal Democracy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dalia Eidukienė

2011-03-01

Full Text Available The article analyses dialectics of a modern democracy and liberalism through the new (from the quality point of view subsistence of liberty, the priority element of democracy, in liberal democracies. The significance of such discourse is determined by the existing social inequality and its conversion into political domain. Particular attention is paid to the social issue, which was treated by Max Weber already as the reason of death of the old, fanatic German “national liberalism”, since it has not managed to belong to the German environment. Even today, it still lies in the principles of life and reality of “young” democratic post­soviet states. Conversion of a social issue into political domain disorganises the society, and it is hardly capable to socialise its norms and values in order to be obligated with regard to civic goals. In other words, the social issue significantly adjusts the pace and direction of transformation of the society. Therefore, an immature “young” liberal democracy may become “less liberal” or no longer conform to the “strict” definition of liberal democracy. Referring to the above, we conclude that social composition should become the medium of political reconstruction for “young” democracies. This does not mean, however, the change of the genetic code of liberalism. This is a striving to vest it, as an ideology, additional powers for rationalisation of democracy by delivering to it the content and the meaning, which would answer the challenges and problems of the time. Liberalism should create a new, from the quality point of view, hierarchy of values and become a new context for both political thinking and democracy. This would render new impulses to economic and public politics, meanwhile developing new premises for a new, from the quality point of view, democracy that would help to consolidate the society for the becoming of liberal democracy.  

76 FR 79145 - Drawbridge Operation Regulations; Bayou Liberty, Mile 2.0, St. Tammany Parish, Slidell, LA

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-21

... proposed rule concerning the regulation governing the operation of the SR 433 Bridge over Bayou Liberty... comments expressing concern with the impact the proposed changes would have on public access to the... on the Internet by going to http://www.regulations.gov , inserting USCG-2010-0972 in the ``Keyword...

The Right to Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Varvara Coman

2012-05-01

Full Text Available In the present study, we set ourselves to analyze a subject, which, due to its importance andextreme complexity, generated many discussions and controversies both at national and international level:the right to life. The great evolution of the contemporary society and the progress registered in various fieldsbrought into the attention of the states, international organizations, specialists in the field and public opinionthe pressing problem of interpreting the content and limits of the human fundamental rights and liberties. Weset ourselves to analyze the main international instruments regulating the right to life and to identify thesituations where determining the content of this fundamental right in necessary. Without the intent of acomplete work, we understand, throughout this study, to highline the great importance of the right to liferespecting for the entire humanity.

New Configuration of the Brazilian State: Liberty and Development in the Evolution of Government in Brazil

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Maya Reyes-Ricon

2010-10-01

Full Text Available The recent events in the global economy have revitalized the debate about the size and functions of the State. The neoliberal discourse was put in check, reopening the discussions concerning Market Liberty and the importance of the State. Since the proclamation of the Republic, the Brazilian government has undergone numerous reforms, sometimes assuming a liberal, external market dependent orientation, while at other times assuming an authoritarian, developmental state-driven orientation. The aim of this article is to develop insights into the evolution of the governmental organization and reflect on the assumptions that lie behind the various reforms that have taken place since the beginning of the Republic. The theoretical framework is divided into three parts: Development and Liberty based on the perspectives of Friedrich Hayek and Amartya Sen; the role of the State and its impact on the economy and; the formats assumed by the Brazilian State throughout the history of the Republic. The latter part of the work returns to the theoretical framework, summarizing all that has been discussed in order to fulfil the aims of the study.

The LIBERTY study: Design of a prospective, observational, multicenter trial to evaluate the acute and long-term clinical and economic outcomes of real-world endovascular device interventions in treating peripheral artery disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, George L; Mustapha, Jihad; Gray, William; Hargus, Nick J; Martinsen, Brad J; Ansel, Gary; Jaff, Michael R

2016-04-01

Most peripheral artery disease (PAD) clinical device trials are supported by commercial manufacturers and designed for regulatory device approval, with extensive inclusion/exclusion criteria to support homogeneous patient populations. High-risk patients with advanced disease, including critical limb ischemia (CLI), are often excluded leading to difficulty in translating trial results into real-world clinical practice. As a result, physicians have no direct guidance regarding the use of endovascular devices. There is a need for objectively assessed studies to evaluate clinical, functional, and economic outcomes in PAD patient populations. LIBERTY is a prospective, observational, multicenter study sponsored by Cardiovascular Systems Inc (St Paul, MN) to evaluate procedural and long-term clinical and economic outcomes of endovascular device interventions in patients with symptomatic lower extremity PAD. Approximately 1,200 patients will be enrolled and followed up to 5 years: 500 patients in the "Claudicant Rutherford 2-3" arm, 600 in the "CLI Rutherford 4-5" arm, and 100 in the "CLI Rutherford 6" arm. The study will use 4 core laboratories for independent analysis and will evaluate the following: procedural and lesion success, rates of major adverse events, duplex ultrasound interpretations, wound status, quality of life, 6-minute walk test, and economic analysis. The LIBERTY Patient Risk Score(s) will be developed as a clinical predictor of outcomes to provide guidance for interventions in this patient population. LIBERTY will investigate real-world PAD patients treated with endovascular revascularization with rigorous study guidelines and independent oversight of outcomes. This study will provide observational, all-comer patient clinical data to guide future endovascular therapy. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

78 FR 62323 - MarkWest Liberty Ethane Pipeline L.L.C.; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-16

... Ethane Pipeline L.L.C.; Notice of Petition for Declaratory Order Take notice that on October 3, 2013...), MarkWest Liberty Ethane Pipeline L.L.C. (MarkWest) filed a petition requesting a declaratory order approving the overall tariff and rate structure for a new ethane pipeline system that will transport ethane...

75 FR 39266 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security/ALL-029 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-08

..., ethnic, or religious profiling related to the Department's activities. The system will also track and... agency for labor and employment relations; to an agency, organization, or individual when there could... civil rights and civil liberties, or to allege racial, ethnic, or religious profiling by DHS, its...

75 FR 38824 - Privacy Act of 1974; Department of Homeland Security/ALL-029 Civil Rights and Civil Liberties...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-06

... civil rights, civil liberties, such as profiling on the basis of race, ethnicity, or religion, by.../ religion (CRCL does not solicit this information, it is tracked if individuals provide it); Allegation... Officer and Chief Freedom of Information Act Officer, Department of Homeland Security, 245 Murray Drive...

American Grand Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Historical Strategy to Balance Liberty and Order

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-15

for $18.25 million in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which successfully ended the occupation and the Mexican-American War. 84 Ultimately...reestablished and the border dispute was resolved between the two nations in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which restored the security of...America’s National Identity. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2005. Ikenberry, G. John, and Anne Marie Slaughter. ―Forging a World of Liberty

Security, at what cost? A stated preference approach toward understanding individuals' privacy and civil liberties trade-offs regarding security measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Robinson, N.; Potoglou, D.

2010-01-01

In the presently heightened security environment there are a number of examples of policy that must strike a delicate balance between strengthening security without jeopardising public liberties and personal privacy. The introduction of national identity cards and biometric passports, the expansion

On The Limits of Free Speech: Towards the Fair Value of Communicative Liberties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Francisquini

2015-04-01

Full Text Available This study addresses, from a theoretically oriented perspective, the relationship between freedom of expression and democracy, trying to assess its implications for the regulation of mass media. Starting with a legal case in which a TV channel and a journalist were prosecuted for hate speech, looking at the reaction of the São Paulo Press Association to the case, I examine three perspectives on the statute and the reach of expressive liberties—the Millian Principle, the collectivist approach, and the participatory view—which connect these liberties to the ideas of moral autonomy and self-determination. For different, but related, reasons, these views present a conception of free speech that would not garner universal agreement in a pluralistic society. Moreover, some of the ideas defended could justify rules (or the absence of them that might harm the social bases of self-respect. In opposition to these lines of thought, I argue for the fair value of communicative liberties; i.e., the idea that everyone should have access to the same rights and effective conditions to exercise communication. This means a fair distribution of opportunities for occupying the mediated public space and the establishment of rules to discourage the dissemination of ideas that fail to acknowledge the equal respect that we owe to each other as members of the political association. Democracy, I shall contend, comprises both private and public autonomy. A fair system of communicative freedom is to be seen as the outcome of and the upholding force in a democratic society.

Ion-adsorption REEs in regolith of the Liberty Hill pluton, South Carolina, USA: An effect of hydrothermal alteration

Science.gov (United States)

Bern, Carleton R.; Yesavage, Tiffany; Foley, Nora K.

2017-01-01

Ion-adsorbed rare earth element (REE) deposits supply the majority of world heavy REE production and substantial light REE production, but relatively little is known of their occurrence outside Southeast Asia. We examined the distribution and forms of REEs on a North American pluton located in the highly weathered and slowly eroding South Carolina Piedmont. The Hercynian Liberty Hill pluton experiences a modern climate that includes ~ 1500 mm annual rainfall and a mean annual temperature of 17 °C. The pluton is medium- to coarse-grained biotite-amphibole granite with minor biotite granite facies. REE-bearing phases are diverse and include monazite, zircon, titanite, allanite, apatite and bastnäsite. Weathered profiles were sampled up to 7 m-deep across the ~ 400 km2 pluton. In one profile, ion-adsorbed REEs plus yttrium (REE + Y) ranged up to 581 mg/kg and accounted for up to 77% of total REE + Y in saprolite. In other profiles, ion-adsorbed REE + Y ranged 12–194 mg/kg and only accounted for 3–37% of totals. The profile most enriched in ion-adsorbed REEs was located along the mapped boundary of two granite facies and contained trioctahedral smectite in the saprolite, evidence suggestive of hydrothermal alteration of biotite at that location. Post-emplacement deuteric alteration can generate easily weathered REE phases, particularly fluorocarbonates. In the case of Liberty Hill, hydrothermal alteration may have converted less soluble to more soluble REE minerals. Additionally, regolith P content was inversely correlated with the fraction ion-adsorbed REEs, and weathering related secondary REE-phosphates were found in some regolith profiles. Both patterns illustrate how low P content aids in the accumulation of ion-adsorbed REEs. The localized occurrence at Liberty Hill sheds light on conditions and processes that generate ion-adsorbed REEs.

Did John Stuart Mill Reconcile Commitment to Liberty with Admittance of a Single Value Utility?

OpenAIRE

Tarrant, I.

2004-01-01

Numerous interpretations of John Stuart Mill´s utilitarianism have been proposed (in response to the above question) to date. The interpretation presented in this paper is distinctive in that it draws heavily upon multiple utility frameworks, a recent development in microeconomic theory. It is argued that such an analytical framework would enable Mill to advocate an absolute right to liberty, without betraying utilitarianism. This conclusion is at variance with Amartya Sen´s key Paretian libe...

Hassan v United Kingdom: The Interaction of Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law with regard to the Deprivation of Liberty in Armed Conflicts

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Cedric De Koker

2015-08-01

Full Text Available In 'Hassan' v 'United Kingdom', the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights reviewed the deprivation of liberty of a young male by British armed forces during the phase of active hostilities in Iraq, which had raised issues relating to extraterritoriality, the right to liberty and security in times of armed conflict and the relationship between international humanitarian law (IHL and human rights law (HRL.1 In its judgment of 16 September 2014, the Court ruled that by reason of the co-existence of the safeguards provided by IHL and by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR in time of armed conflict, the grounds of permitted deprivation of liberty found in both bodies of law should, as far as possible, be accommodated and applied concomitantly. The greatest merit of the judgment is that for the first time it explicitly offered its view on the interaction between IHL and HRL and did not rely on the lex specialis principle, the traditional but flawed method for explaining the relationship between these spheres of law. However, the judgment is also a missed opportunity as the Court limited its analysis to the case at hand and provided limited guidance for the future, leaving a number of questions unaddressed.

Citizenship Education Model: "Piecing It Together: The Statue of Liberty as an American Education Symbol of Citizenship Education."

Science.gov (United States)

Trimboli, Angela

This document argues that the Statue of Liberty has a lot to offer teachers who need to teach citizenship to elementary students. Among the symbols within the statue that have relevance to citizenship are: (1) the tablet; (2) the chains; (3) the step from the chains; () the torch; (5) the crown; (6) the face; and (7) the new infrastructure. The…

Surveillance and Liberty in Céline's New York, the City That Doesn't Sleep (Around)

OpenAIRE

Jennifer Willging

2005-01-01

This essay focuses on Ferdinand Bardamu's account of his stay in New York City in Louis-Ferdinand Céline's bleak bildungsroman, Journey to the End of the Night (1932). In it I explore the rather surprising absence of reference to the Statue of Liberty in a text narrated by a French immigrant of sorts who spends weeks on Ellis Island and who immediately personifies the city as an androgynous, steely, and indeed statue-like woman. Applying to the text Foucault's theories on the disciplinary nat...

The Role of Subscription-Based Patrol and Restitution in the Future of Liberty

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Gil Guillory

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Market anarchists are often keen to know how we might rid ourselves of the twin evils institutionalized in the state: taxation and monopoly. A possible future history for North America is suggested, focusing upon the implications of the establishment of a subscription-based patrol and restitution business sector. We favor Rothbard over Higgs regarding crises and liberty. We favor Barnett over Rothbard regarding vertical integration of security. We examine derived demand for adjudication, mediation and related goods; and we advance the thesis that private adjudication will tend to libertarianly just decisions. We show how firms will actively build civil society, strengthening and coordinating Nisbettian intermediating institutions.

PROPERTY AND FREE INITIATIVE IN ECONOMY

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Viorel CORNESCU

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The property is a subject that has been and it is studied by specialists from the economics, philosophy, law, history fields etc. It is natural to be a subject of attraction since the property is an essential precondition of the human economic activity, activity that provides the basis of his existence and creates the foundation for the other human activities. As between economics and law – how everybody knows – exists a close interdependence, it is necessary to explain this interdependence from the property perspective, as well as the relationship between property - economic liberty - free initiative. A clarification of ideas about these things and theoretical aspects, from economic and legal point of view, we believe that will have a benefic effect for the economical, legal and political practice etc.

Perfect Liberty or Natural Liberty?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen, Stefan Gaarsmand

2012-01-01

The article investigates the concept of natural order as it is used by François Quesnay and Adam Smith in their respective economic writings. While Smith used the concept only after having visited Quesnay and the Physiocrats in France in the 1760s, in The Wealth of Nations he sought to negotiate...... the meaning of what was “natural” about economic life. The Physiocrats believed it possible to identify a model or a perfect regime of natural order – an order that they in fact thought to exist and function in China due to a rigorous system of economic laws. Smith sided with contemporary critics...... of this metaphysical vision of economic perfection (and of Chinese governance), but he suggested that the economic mechanisms of the physiocratic theories would remain intact even with a minimum of control by state laws. However, Smith’s balancing act on these questions remained disputed even by his Scottish...

Peculiarities of the Enforcement of the European Arrest Warrant in the Case of an Illegal Liberty Deprivation

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Minodora Ioana Rusu

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The illegal deprivation of liberty is, under the current context, one of the most serious offenses, being treated differently in the European Union. The need to prevent and combat this violation, it has led the European legislator to include it under different names in the European legislative act that governs the institution of the European arrest warrant. In this context, the European arrest warrant is the most important form of judicial cooperation in penal matters between the Member States of the EU, which is based on mutualrecognition of criminal judgments. The research conducted on how it is regulated the enforcement of the European arrest warrant in the case of illegal liberty deprivation in the European legislative act (the Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA leads to the conclusion that the legislature failed to mention the violation in question in the group of the violation for which it was not necessary the inspection of the double incrimination, but, still, including the offenses as kidnapping, illegal restraint and hostage-taking. Even if theRomanian legislator included this violation in the above mentioned group, this situation is not solved, because it will cause some problems in the request by the Romanian judicial authorities of the enforcement of such warrant. Another criticized issue, observed not only in the European legislative act, but also in the internal law, is related to the lack of stipulations, which can lead to the possibility of issuing and executing a European arrest warrant and for the execution of educational measures for illegal deprivation of liberty and also others. Also, in order to increase the effectiveness of the execution of a European arrest warrant, we consider that it should be granted executive powers of all courts of Romania. The originality of the work consists of the critical observations and the lege ferenda proposal which covers both the European legislativeact and the Romanian Law. At the same time

Celebrating the Immigrant: An Administrative History of the Statue of Liberty National Monument, 1952-1982. Cultural Resource Management Study 10.

Science.gov (United States)

Blumberg, Barbara

This book focuses on the history of the Statue of Liberty National Monument from 1952 through 1982. It describes how the monument has come to symbolize an expanding set of ideals, how the symbolism has produced responses in various groups of people ranging from celebrations to physical attacks upon the Statue, and the manner in which the monument…

Freedom of conscience and health care in the United States of america: the conflict between public health and religious liberty in the patient protection and affordable care act.

Science.gov (United States)

West-Oram, Peter

2013-09-01

The recent confirmation of the constitutionality of the Obama administration's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) by the US Supreme Court has brought to the fore long-standing debates over individual liberty and religious freedom. Advocates of personal liberty are often critical, particularly in the USA, of public health measures which they deem to be overly restrictive of personal choice. In addition to the alleged restrictions of individual freedom of choice when it comes to the question of whether or not to purchase health insurance, opponents to the PPACA also argue that certain requirements of the Act violate the right to freedom of conscience by mandating support for services deemed immoral by religious groups. These issues continue the long running debate surrounding the demands of religious groups for special consideration in the realm of health care provision. In this paper I examine the requirements of the PPACA, and the impacts that religious, and other ideological, exemptions can have on public health, and argue that the exemptions provided for by the PPACA do not in fact impose unreasonable restrictions on religious freedom, but rather concede too much and in so doing endanger public health and some important individual liberties.

THE ECONOMICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE MODIFYING LAW 31/1990 REGARDING THE COMPANIES AND THE NEW CIVIL CODE ON PROPERTY RELATIONS BETWEEN SPOUSES

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OANA RĂVAŞ

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Matrimonial regime is the synthesis of all the rights and obligations of spouses pecuniary valence, having its origins in the institution of marriage, leaving outside their regulatory and other economic issues that may arise property relationships between spouses, as: maintenance obligation, Liberties rights of inheritance. matrimonial regime, considering that it is the synthesis of all the rights and obligations of spouses pecuniary valence, having its origins in the institution of marriage, leaving outside their regulatory and other economic issues that may arise property relationships between spouses, such as: the obligation maintenance, Liberties, rights of Inheritance. Under company law, spouses are not forbidden to own a company, whether it one partnerships, or that they have an association with unlimited in a limited partnership or limited by shares or a company is limited or become shareholders in a joint stock company.

D-Day: The French Jubilee of Liberty Medal and the 60th Anniversary Commemoration on June 6, 2004, and Events for June 6, 2005

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Torreon, Barbara S

2005-01-01

This report details the Jubilee of Liberty Medal awarded to U.S. veterans by the French government to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy by the Allied forces on June 6, 1994 (D-Day...

J.S. Mill and A. de Tocqueville: tow concepts of liberty

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A. V. Tavadova

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of the two concepts of freedom, one of which was developed in line with classical liberalism, the second within the conservative tradition. Individual freedom as the supreme value, good and the goal of social development was considered an English liberal thinker John Stuart Mill. Another approach found expression in the works of the brightest representatives of the French conservative thought of Alexis de Tocqueville. In despite of the similarity of some theses, this polemic initiated the development of the two traditions in understanding the concept of civil liberties, continues to create and maintain the discussion of modern theoretical sociology. The research methodology of these concepts, to better understand the fundamental essence of the dispute between liberals and conservatives, seeking to find a balance between individual freedom in various aspects of its expression and the public interest.

Police Deprivation of Third Parties’ Liberty – A Field of Tension between National Police Law and the European Convention on Human Rights, as illustrated by Austin & Others v the United Kingdom

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Steinar Fredriksen

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In Austin & Others v the United Kingdom The European Court of Human Rights came to the conclusion that the use of a police cordon, also known as “kettling”, where approximately 2000 people were forced to remain inside the cordon for up to eight hours, did not amount to deprivation of liberty under Article 5 (1 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This conclusion was reached by way of restrictive interpretation of the term “deprivation”. Previous case law establishes a set of criteria to be used when deciding if an infringement on the physical liberty to move from place to place constitutes a deprivation of this liberty, or merely a restriction upon it. These criteria were upheld in Austin, but were found to give room for taking into account the context and circumstances in which the police cordon was used. The previous view of the Court that the grounds justifying deprivations of liberty listed in Article 5 (1 (a-f are exhaustive, was also upheld. In this article the starting point is the close relationship between national police law regarding the maintenance of security and public order on one hand, and the principle of necessity on the other. It is emphasised that “necessity”-based norms in national police law can make police measures directed against innocent third parties legal, deprivations of liberty included, but that this possibility would have been absent in Article 5 (1 of the Convention without the aforementioned restrictive interpretation of the term “deprivation”. An attempt is made to show that this interpretation is in fact based on central elements of the principle of necessity. Furthermore, it is attempted to show that the restrictive interpretation can be seen as a reflection of the need acknowledged in national police law, as well as in other articles of the Convention, to direct police measures against innocent third parties.

Fatigue properties of JIS H3300 C1220 copper for strain life prediction

Science.gov (United States)

Harun, Muhammad Faiz; Mohammad, Roslina

2018-05-01

The existing methods for estimating strain life parameters are dependent on the material's monotonic tensile properties. However, a few of these methods yield quite complicated expressions for calculating fatigue parameters, and are specific to certain groups of materials only. The Universal Slopes method, Modified Universal Slopes method, Uniform Material Law, the Hardness method, and Medians method are a few existing methods for predicting strain-life fatigue based on monotonic tensile material properties and hardness of material. In the present study, nine methods for estimating fatigue life and properties are applied on JIS H3300 C1220 copper to determine the best methods for strain life estimation of this ductile material. Experimental strain-life curves are compared to estimations obtained using each method. Muralidharan-Manson's Modified Universal Slopes method and Bäumel-Seeger's method for unalloyed and low-alloy steels are found to yield batter accuracy in estimating fatigue life with a deviation of less than 25%. However, the prediction of both methods only yield much better accuracy for a cycle of less than 1000 or for strain amplitudes of more than 1% and less than 6%. Manson's Original Universal Slopes method and Ong's Modified Four-Point Correlation method are found to predict the strain-life fatigue of copper with better accuracy for a high number of cycles of strain amplitudes of less than 1%. The differences between mechanical behavior during monotonic and cyclic loading and the complexity in deciding the coefficient in an equation are probably the reason for the lack of a reliable method for estimating fatigue behavior using the monotonic properties of a group of materials. It is therefore suggested that a differential approach and new expressions be developed to estimate the strain-life fatigue parameters for ductile materials such as copper.

"Priority of liberty" and the design of a two-tier health care system.

Science.gov (United States)

Breyer, Friedrich; Kliemt, Hartmut

2015-04-01

Libertarian views on rights tend to rule out coercive redistribution for purposes of public health care guarantees, whereas liberal conceptions support coercive funding of potentially unlimited access to medical services in the name of medical needs. Taking the "priority of liberty" seriously as supreme political value, a plausible prudential argument can avoid these extremes by providing systematic reasons for both delivering and limiting publicly financed guarantees. Given impending demographic change and rapid technical progress in medicine, only a two-tier system with explicitly limited public guarantees and optional privately financed health services seems acceptable. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Framing Mass Shootings: Fictional Depictions of Real-life Gun Massacres in American Cinema

OpenAIRE

Tryggeseid, Ane Johannessen

2017-01-01

This thesis examines the concept of real-life mass shootings and its depiction in American fictional cinema. The issue of mass shootings is a highly controversial subject of discussion, both within the public and political sphere, as it necessarily touches upon rigid perceptions of civil liberties – specifically those of the Second Amendment – which further permeates the field of fictional cinema. As opposed to assessing the issue of mass shootings as a product of a prevailing culture of guns...

Detection of land-use and land cover changes in Franklin, Gulf, and Liberty Counties, Florida, with multitemporal landsat thematic mapper images

Science.gov (United States)

Shufen Pan; Guiying Li

2007-01-01

Florida Panhandle region has been experiencing rapid land transformation in the recent decades. To quantify land use and land-cover (LULC) changes and other landscape changes in this area, three counties including Franklin, Liberty and Gulf were taken as a case study and an unsupervised classification approach implemented to Landsat TM images acquired from 1985 to 2005...

Preservation properties for the discrete mean residual life ordering

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Abdulhakim Al-Babtain

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to prove several preservation properties of stochastic comparisons based on the discrete mean residual life ordering d-MRL under the reliability operations of convolutions, mixtures. Fi…nally we introduce a discrete renewal process application

Assisted Suicide in Switzerland: Clarifying Liberties and Claims.

Science.gov (United States)

Hurst, Samia A; Mauron, Alex

2017-03-01

Assisting suicide is legal in Switzerland if it is offered without selfish motive to a person with decision-making capacity. Although the 'Swiss model' for suicide assistance has been extensively described in the literature, the formally and informally protected liberties and claims of assistors and recipients of suicide assistance in Switzerland are incompletely captured in the literature. In this article, we describe the package of rights involved in the 'Swiss model' using the framework of Hohfeldian rights as modified by Wenar. After outlining this framework, we dissect the rights involved in suicide assistance in Switzerland, and compare it with the situation in England and Germany. Based on this approach, we conclude that in Switzerland, claim rights exist for those requesting suicide assistance, and for those who are considering providing such assistance, even though no entitlements exist toward suicide assistance. We then describe the implementation of the 'Swiss model' and difficulties arising within it. Clarifying these issues is important to understand the Swiss situation, to evaluate what features of it may or may not be worth correcting or emulating, and to understand how it can impact requests for suicide assistance in other countries due to 'suicide tourism'. It is also important to understand exactly what sets Switzerland apart from other countries with different legislations regarding suicide assistance. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Psychometric properties of the Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beauchamp, Marla K; Schmidt, Catherine T; Pedersen, Mette M

2014-01-01

The choice of measure for use as a primary outcome in geriatric research is contingent upon the construct of interest and evidence for its psychometric properties. The Late-Life Function and Disability Instrument (LLFDI) has been widely used to assess functional limitations and disability...... in studies with older adults. The primary aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the current available evidence for the psychometric properties of the LLFDI....

Measurement properties of asthma-specific quality-of-life measures: protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Apfelbacher, Christian; Paudyal, Priya; Bülbül, Alpaslan; Smith, Helen

2014-07-24

Asthma is a frequent chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, and the assessment of health-related quality of life (HrQoL) is important in both research and routine care. Various asthma-specific measures of HrQoL exist but there is uncertainty which measures are best suited for use in research and routine care. Therefore, the aim of the proposed research is a comprehensive systematic assessment of the measurement properties of the existing measures that were developed to measure asthma-specific quality of life. This study is a systematic review of the measurement properties of asthma-specific measures of health-related quality of life. PubMed and Embase will be searched using a selection of relevant search terms. Eligible studies will be primary empirical studies evaluating, describing or comparing measurement properties of asthma-specific HRQL tools. Eligibility assessment and data abstraction will be performed independently by two reviewers. Evidence tables will be generated for study characteristics, instrument characteristics, measurement properties and interpretability. The quality of the measurement properties will be assessed using predefined criteria. Methodological quality of studies will be assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. A best evidence synthesis will be undertaken if more than one study have investigated a particular measurement property. The proposed systematic review will produce a comprehensive assessment of measurement properties of existing measures of asthma-specific health-related quality of life. We also aim to derive recommendations in order to help researchers and practitioners alike in the choice of instrument. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42014010491.

Glufosinate herbicide-tolerant (LibertyLink) rice vs. conventional rice in diets for growing-finishing swine.

Science.gov (United States)

Cromwell, G L; Henry, B J; Scott, A L; Gerngross, M F; Dusek, D L; Fletcher, D W

2005-05-01

Genetically modified (GM) rice (LibertyLink, event LLRICE62) that is tolerant to glufosinate ammonium (Liberty) herbicide was compared with a near-isogenic (NI) conventional medium-grain brown rice (cultivar, Bengal) and a commercially milled long-grain brown rice in diets for growing-finishing pigs. The GM and NI rice were grown in 2000. The GM rice was from fields treated (GM+) or not treated (GM-) with glufosinate herbicide. The GM- and NI rice were grown using herbicide regimens typical of southern United States rice production practices. The four rice grains were similar in composition. Growing-finishing pigs (n = 96) were fed fortified rice-soybean meal diets containing the four different rice grains from 25 to 106 kg BW. Diets contained 0.99% lysine initially (growing phase), with lysine decreased to 0.80% (early finishing phase) and 0.65% (late finishing phase), when pigs reached 51 and 77 kg, respectively. The percentage of rice in the four diets was constant during each of the three phases (72.8, 80.0, and 85.8% for the growing, early-finishing, and late-finishing phases, respectively). There were six pen replicates (three pens of barrows and three pens of gilts) and four pigs per pen for each dietary treatment. All pigs were slaughtered at the termination of the study to collect carcass data. At the end of the 98-d experiment, BW gain, feed intake (as-fed basis), and feed:gain ratio did not differ (P > 0.05) for pigs fed the GM+ vs. conventional rice diets, but growth performance traits of pigs fed the GM+ rice diets were superior (P glufosinate herbicide-tolerant rice was similar in composition and nutritional value to conventional rice for growing-finishing pigs.

Conflict and Liberty in the Political Theory of Niccolò Machiavelli and John Stuart Mill

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María Pollitzer

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In conjunction with his concern for preserving liberties in Republics, Machiavelli is known as one of the first modern political thinkers to point out the benefits derived from social unrest and internal conflicts in any society that seeks the vivere libero. Three centuries later and in a context of very different concerns, Mill presented systematic antagonism as the main device by which stability and progress can be reconciled and freedom can be ensured within democratic societies. This article examines the way in which both thinkers theorized the nature of conflict, its limits as well as its effects, and finally, the areas in which they can or should be channeled.

Liberty Bell 7 the suborbital Mercury flight of Virgil I. Grissom

CERN Document Server

Burgess, Colin

2014-01-01

NASA’s Mercury astronauts were seven highly skilled professional test pilots. Each of them seemed to possess the strength of character and commitment necessary to overcome apparently insurmountable obstacles as the United States entered into a Cold War space race with the Soviet Union. This was never more evident than on the epic suborbital MR-4 flight of Liberty Bell 7 with astronaut Virgil (‘Gus’) Grissom piloting the spacecraft to a successful splashdown, followed by the premature blowing of the craft’s explosive hatch. After a hurried exit and struggling to stay afloat, he could only watch helplessly as the recovery helicopter pilot valiantly fought a losing battle to save the sinking capsule.   That day NASA not only lost a spacecraft but came perilously close to losing one of its Mercury astronauts, a decorated Korean fighter pilot from Indiana who might one day have soared to the highest goal of them all, as the first person to set foot on the Moon.   For the first time, many of those closest...

Depressiveness and social relations of juvenile offenders deprived of their liberty

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Hrnčić Jasna

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The article examines the interrelations between depressiveness and social relations of adolescents, deprived of their liberty due to their offences. The model of unipolar depression is proposed, that assumes that basic conditions for occurrence of depression are adversity and insufficiency of current and past, real or internalized affective relations with social environment, and inefficiency of adaptive mechanisms to overcome that state. 191 male juveniles 15 - 22 years of age, in residential and correctional institutions in Serbia, completed three self-rating scales of depression, and 18 self-rating scales of family and peer relations. The correlation between depression and social relations was 0.745 that explains even 55.50% of the variance. It was largely explained by negative and dismissive family and peer relations, and insufficient individuation in a family. Both family and peer variables gave significant mutually independent contribution to the explanation of depressiveness. Both current and past peer relations had significant mutually independent contribution to the explanation of depressiveness. Findings are in favor to proposed model of depression.

GSI and Liberty Alliancd Framework Goals, Architectures and Feasibility Study for Integration

CERN Document Server

Mikkonen, H J

2003-01-01

This paper looks at two ascendant solutions aimed at offering a single sign-on feature for a group of services offered by several, distinct service providers. The central assumption is that the group of service providers do not have neither bilateral agreements to h. each other's user agreements, nor do they have a common umbrella organization who is taking care of the user account management for them. In Grid research a concept of Virtual Organization describes this mapping of single credential to several service provider's resources. Originally the Grid has been developed for scientific computing that may deal with petabytes of data at multiple co-operating computing centers around the world. However, there is a clear call for this kind of distributed computing technology in other areas too. The Liberty Alliance approaches the same goal from different background. The most pressing need is to device a secure way for the end-user him-/herself to bundle into a single, user-controlled entity the existing group ...

December Liberties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Münster-Swendsen, Mia

2016-01-01

centuries after the first millennium. The hypothesis is that these intertextual references played a crucial part in making it possible to engage in very direct and often outrageous satire – which functioned as a clever pedagogical tool to enliven teaching, but also seems to have had a connection...... of historical source material regarding the social life of the high-medieval learned milieus. It is contended that these remarkable and sometimes outrageous texts, as well as being vehicles of the teaching of Latin composition, became a tool for negotiating and defining intimate relationships between people...

47 CFR 74.23 - Interference jeopardizing safety of life or protection of property.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Interference jeopardizing safety of life or... SERVICES General; Rules Applicable to All Services in Part 74 § 74.23 Interference jeopardizing safety of life or protection of property. (a) The licensee of any station authorized under this part that causes...

Psychometric properties of the satisfaction with food-related Life Scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schnettler, Berta; Miranda, Horacio; Sepúlveda, José

2013-01-01

with proportional attachment per city. Results: The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate level of internal consistency and a good fit (root mean square error of approximation ¼ 0.071, goodness-of-fit index ¼ 0.95, adjusted goodness-of-fit index ¼ 0.92) to the SWFL data (1-dimensional......Objective: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Food-related Life (SWFL) scale and its relation to the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in southern Chile. Methods: A survey was applied to a sample of 316 persons in the principal cities of southern Chile distributed...

Physics of Life: A Model for Non-Newtonian Properties of Living Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Zak, Michail

2010-01-01

This innovation proposes the reconciliation of the evolution of life with the second law of thermodynamics via the introduction of the First Principle for modeling behavior of living systems. The structure of the model is quantum-inspired: it acquires the topology of the Madelung equation in which the quantum potential is replaced with the information potential. As a result, the model captures the most fundamental property of life: the progressive evolution; i.e. the ability to evolve from disorder to order without any external interference. The mathematical structure of the model can be obtained from the Newtonian equations of motion (representing the motor dynamics) coupled with the corresponding Liouville equation (representing the mental dynamics) via information forces. All these specific non-Newtonian properties equip the model with the levels of complexity that matches the complexity of life, and that makes the model applicable for description of behaviors of ecological, social, and economical systems. Rather than addressing the six aspects of life (organization, metabolism, growth, adaptation, response to stimuli, and reproduction), this work focuses only on biosignature ; i.e. the mechanical invariants of life, and in particular, the geometry and kinematics of behavior of living things. Living things obey the First Principles of Newtonian mechanics. One main objective of this model is to extend the First Principles of classical physics to include phenomenological behavior on living systems; to develop a new mathematical formalism within the framework of classical dynamics that would allow one to capture the specific properties of natural or artificial living systems such as formation of the collective mind based upon abstract images of the selves and non-selves; exploitation of this collective mind for communications and predictions of future expected characteristics of evolution; and for making decisions and implementing the corresponding corrections if

Adam Smith and the objective use of economy as a way to obtain the fundamental right to liberty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiz Edmundo Celso Borba

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The contribution of Adam Smith for liberalism was great, but it is not limited to bringing an insane and unreasonable quest for freedom, as if all the costs were possible for such purpose. Adam Smith brings the birthplace of fundamental rights, to call for the need for recognition of individual liberties, although predicting problems for the exercise of such powers without limits. The idea of the text is to bring the initial outlook for the construction of fundamental rights in an individual prism and after its weighting in a mass spectrum as well as the subsequent discussion which should prevail.

Patient-Reported Outcomes for Quality of Life Assessment in Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review of Measurement Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotecha, Dipak; Ahmed, Amar; Calvert, Melanie; Lencioni, Mauro; Terwee, Caroline B; Lane, Deirdre A

2016-01-01

Atrial fibrillation is a large and growing burden across all types of healthcare. Both incidence and prevalence are expected to double in the next 20 years, with huge impact on hospital admissions, costs and patient quality of life. Patient wellbeing determines the management strategy for atrial fibrillation, including the use of rhythm control therapy and the clinical success of heart rate control. Hence, evaluation of quality of life is an emerging and important part of the assessment of patients with atrial fibrillation. Although a number of questionnaires to assess quality of life in atrial fibrillation are available, a comprehensive overview of their measurement properties is lacking. We performed a systematic review of the measurement properties of atrial fibrillation-specific health-related quality of life questionnaires. Methodological quality was assessed using the Consensus based Standards for selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) checklist, with measurement properties rated for quality against optimal criteria and levels of evidence. We screened 2,216 articles, of which eight articles describing five questionnaires were eligible for inclusion: Atrial Fibrillation 6 (AF6), Atrial Fibrillation Effect on QualiTy-of-Life (AFEQT), Atrial Fibrillation Quality of Life Questionnaire (AFQLQ), Atrial Fibrillation Quality of Life (AFQoL), and Quality of Life in Atrial Fibrillation (QLAF). Good reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) was demonstrated for AF6, AFEQT, AFQLQ and AFQoL. Content, construct and criterion validity were positively rated only in AFEQT. Responsiveness was positively rated only in AFEQT, but with limited evidence. Overall, AFEQT showed strong positive evidence for 2 of 9 measurement properties, compared to one for AFQoL and none for the remaining questionnaires. Given the low ratings for many measurement properties, no single questionnaire can be recommended, although AFEQT performed strongest. Further

Teaching Children to Live with Diversity: A Response to "Tocqueville on Democracy and Inclusive Education--A More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty"

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Allan, Julie

2009-01-01

This article presents the author's response to "Tocqueville on Democracy and Inclusive Education: A More Ardent and Enduring Love of Equality than of Liberty" written by Steven Connolley and Rune Sarromaa Hausstatter. The author agrees with Connolley and Hausstatter that people need to stop and question the assumptions and values associated with…

Assessment and propagation of mechanical property uncertainties in fatigue life prediction of composite laminates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castro, Oscar; Branner, Kim; Dimitrov, Nikolay Krasimirov

2018-01-01

amplitude loading cycles. Fatigue life predictions of unidirectional and multi-directional glass/epoxy laminates are carried out to validate the proposed model against experimental data. The probabilistic fatigue behavior of laminates is analyzed under constant amplitude loading conditions as well as under......A probabilistic model for estimating the fatigue life of laminated composite materials considering the uncertainty in their mechanical properties is developed. The uncertainty in the material properties is determined from fatigue coupon tests. Based on this uncertainty, probabilistic constant life...... diagrams are developed which can efficiently estimate probabilistic É›-N curves at any load level and stress ratio. The probabilistic É›-N curve information is used in a reliability analysis for fatigue limit state proposed for estimating the probability of failure of composite laminates under variable...

Education and liberty: the habitus formation as a fundamental critical element to the theory of emancipation

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Adreana Dulcina Platt

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The study evaluates the cumulative path traveled by the subject originally submitted to the state of nature (hominization to the condition of ‘human being’ made of instrumental complexity and cognitive (humanization elements. Education becomes the constitution axis from hominization to humanization, through the assumptions of incorporation of habitus of human nature. Through Historical Materialist Theory, we described habitus as the exercise of practices repeated and incorporated into the formation of the subject, thus becoming a ‘second nature’. The Theory of Emancipation described in Kant and Horkheimer and Adorno, we check the status of liberty of the subjects by the incorporation of a practice primarily belonging to the world of reason (ethics and aesthetics or by negative educational action.

Social representations of adolescents on quality of life: structurally-based study

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Ramon Missias Moreira

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This study sought to conduct a comparatively analysis and describe the contents of the structure of the social representations of adolescents on quality of life. It involves descriptive, quantitative research, with the benchmark of a structural approach to social representations. The informants included 316 adolescents from three public schools in Jequié in the State of Bahia. The Spontaneous Word-Choice Eliciting Technique using the key expression "Quality of Life" was used for data collection. The responses were processed using Evoc 2003 software, which generated the Four-House Chart. The results reveal the core nucleus of the terms: healthy eating; physical activity; money; and sex. In the 1st outer circle, the words absence of disease, condoms, liberty, marijuana, housing, work and living well are featured. In the 2nd outer circle, there appeared the words difficulty, family, peace and power, and the contrasting elements of well-being and soccer. The overall consensus is that adolescents associate quality of life with sports and other healthy behavior activities, and are influenced by the desires and curiosities of adolescence.

Psychometric Properties of Quality of Life Assessment Tools in Morbid Obesity: A Review of Literature

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Negar Yazdani

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Since studies have demonstrated that morbid obesity can exponentially impair quality of life, the measurement of quality of life is paramount to monitoring the effects of treatment and influences the development of clinical pathways, service provision, healthcare expenditures, and public health policy. Accordingly, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers must rely on valid instruments. Aim: This study aimed to review and critique the psychometric properties of some specific tools by COSMIN checklist and their application among morbidly obese individuals. Method: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Ovid, Elsevier, and ScienceDirect by using the keywords related to the Quality of Life Questionnaire, namely “morbid obesity”, “tool”, and “scale”, to retrieve articles published during 1989-2017. Then, the psychometric properties of the selected tools were assessed using the COSMIN checklist. Results: Most of the tools had not reported complete and desirable psychometrics properties. Demonstration of responsiveness from independent randomized controlled trials was not available in two of the eight questionnaires. These tools also did not report proper definition of interpretability. However, the data obtained by COSMIN checklist showed that Laval questionnaire is a proper scale for measuring quality of life in obese individuals, which can be recommended to researchers. Implications for Practice: Although Laval questionnaire was found a proper tool for measuring the quality of life among morbid obese patients, developing an instrument suitable for different societies with varied cultural and social characteristics is suggested because socio-cultural factors can influence the quality of life.

Integrating Brain Science and Law: Neuroscientific Evidence and Legal Perspectives on Protecting Individual Liberties

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Calvin J. Kraft

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Advances in neuroscientific techniques have found increasingly broader applications, including in legal neuroscience (or “neurolaw”, where experts in the brain sciences are called to testify in the courtroom. But does the incursion of neuroscience into the legal sphere constitute a threat to individual liberties? And what legal protections are there against such threats? In this paper, we outline individual rights as they interact with neuroscientific methods. We then proceed to examine the current uses of neuroscientific evidence, and ultimately determine whether the rights of the individual are endangered by such approaches. Based on our analysis, we conclude that while federal evidence rules constitute a substantial hurdle for the use of neuroscientific evidence, more ethical safeguards are needed to protect against future violations of fundamental rights. Finally, we assert that it will be increasingly imperative for the legal and neuroscientific communities to work together to better define the limits, capabilities, and intended direction of neuroscientific methods applicable for use in law.

Psychometric properties of the Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument for adults

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Lyrakos GN

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Georgios N Lyrakos,1,2 Demetra Vini,2 Helen Aslani,2 Marouso Drosou-Servou212nd Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Pain Clinic, Attikon University Hospital, 2Thalassemia Unit, General Hospital of Nikaia Ag. Panteleimon, Athens, GreeceBackground: No specific questionnaire has been developed to assess the health-related quality of life of thalassemia patients. Thus, the main objective of this study was to develop, according to psychometric standards, a self-administered Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument (STQOLI for adult patients.Methods: First, a qualitative phase was conducted to generate items and identify domains using the critical analysis incident technique and a literature review. A list of easily comprehensible, non-redundant items was defined using the Delphi technique and a pilot study on ten thalassemia patients. This phase involved both patients and experts. The second step was a quantitative validation phase comprising a study of 128 thalassemia patients in a single hospital. It was designed to select items, identify dimensions, and measure reliability and internal and concurrent validity. The psychometric and scaling properties of the proposed 41-item Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument were then assessed among patients recruited from the Thalassemia Unit at the General Hospital of Nikaia, Greece.Results: The final questionnaire had 41 items comprising four main domains and one global item about general health. The factorial structure was satisfactory (loading > 0.40 on each factor of the four domains for all items. Interscale correlations ranged from 0.06 to 0.78, Cronbach's α-coefficients were 0.78 for the psychosocial domain, 0.77 for the chelation domain, 0.72 for the transfusion domain, 0.81 for the disease and symptoms domain, and 0.840 for the total score of the questionnaire.Conclusion: The 41-item Specific Thalassemia Quality of Life Instrument seems to be a

The Quality of Life and relevant Approaches based on Capabilities and Functionalities

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Matei Șimandan

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Recent research regarding the quality of life developed different approaches concerning the use of objective and subjective indicators, as well as the relevance of hypotheses, propositions and methods of analysis or of evaluation. Starting from the conceptual difficulties regarding the term of ‘quality of life’, this article focuses upon the contributions of Amartya Sen on the relationships between resources, liberties, capabilities, functionalities and human development. A separate section attempts to capture the shift of accent from the approaches of a quantitative type towards those of a qualitative type, founded on capabilities, functionalities, and the factors of conversion of resources into elements of quality of subjective life. The following sections are consecrated to the contributions to the development of the model proposed by Amartya Sen and to the reception of this model by a few specialists in the field, as well as to its relevance within scientific research and the foundation of public policies.

The right to life and criminal-law protection of the human person in the Western Balkans

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Etlon Peppo

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The basic principle for which a democratic governance stands, are expressed in the “Declaration of Independence of the United States of America with the words of Thomas Jefferson: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” The government of a democratic state does not exist to recognize the basic human rights, but to respect and guarantee the protection of these rights that any person possesses and benefits due to his existence starting from the most important right: The right to life, which is faced against the duty of the state for the protection of the human person’s life! In this sense this article analyzes the criminal-law protection of life in the Western Balkans.

Effect of Temperature and Chemical Additives on the Efficacy of the Herbicides Glufosinate and Glyphosate in Weed Management of Liberty-Link and Roundup-Ready Soybeans

OpenAIRE

Pline, Wendy Ann

1999-01-01

The introduction of herbicide resistant crops offers producers many more options for weed control systems. These crops allow environmentally safe, non-selective herbicides to be used as selective herbicides, broadening the spectrum of weeds controlled, while not harming the crop. As these crops are very new on the market, investigation of their performance under various environmental conditions as well as in various weed control programs is needed. Liberty-link ® soybeans are resistant t...

Structure and hot-rolled reinforcement rods properties evolution in the process of long service life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikryukov, V.R.; Syomin, A.P.; Konovalov, S.V.; Ivanov, Yu.F.; Gromov, V.E.

2006-01-01

The physical nature of mechanical properties of hot-rolled reinforcement rods degradation during long-life operation is established by methods of transmission diffraction electron microscopy. It is shown that strength and plasticity properties decrease is due to cementite plates cutting and dissolution, microcracks formation process as a result of interstitial phase inclusions creation in the near-surface layer of material

Structure and hot-rolled reinforcement rods properties evolution in the process of long service life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mikryukov, V R [Siberian State Industrial University, Kirov str., 42. 654007, Novokuznetsk (Russian Federation); Syomin, A P [Siberian State Industrial University, Kirov str., 42. 654007, Novokuznetsk (Russian Federation); Konovalov, S V [Siberian State Industrial University, Kirov str., 42. 654007, Novokuznetsk (Russian Federation); Ivanov, Yu F [Siberian State Industrial University, Kirov str., 42. 654007, Novokuznetsk (Russian Federation); Gromov, V E [Siberian State Industrial University, Kirov str., 42. 654007, Novokuznetsk (Russian Federation)

2006-08-25

The physical nature of mechanical properties of hot-rolled reinforcement rods degradation during long-life operation is established by methods of transmission diffraction electron microscopy. It is shown that strength and plasticity properties decrease is due to cementite plates cutting and dissolution, microcracks formation process as a result of interstitial phase inclusions creation in the near-surface layer of material.

Resistance to glufosinate is proportional to phosphinothricin acetyltransferase expression and activity in LibertyLink(®) and WideStrike(®) cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Carbonari, Caio A; Latorre, Débora O; Gomes, Giovanna L G C; Velini, Edivaldo D; Owens, Daniel K; Pan, Zhiqiang; Dayan, Franck E

2016-04-01

Insertion of the gene encoding phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT) has resulted in cotton plants resistant to the herbicide glufosinate. However, the lower expression and commensurate reduction in PAT activity is a key factor in the low level of injury observed in the WideStrike(®) cotton and relatively high level of resistance observed in LibertyLink(®) cotton. LibertyLink(®) cotton cultivars are engineered for glufosinate resistance by overexpressing the bar gene that encodes phosphinothricin acetyltransferase (PAT), whereas the insect-resistant WideStrike(®) cultivars were obtained using the similar pat gene as a selectable marker. The latter cultivars carry some level of resistance to glufosinate which enticed certain farmers to select this herbicide for weed control with WideStrike(®) cotton. The potency of glufosinate on conventional FM 993, insect-resistant FM 975WS, and glufosinate-resistant IMACD 6001LL cotton cultivars was evaluated and contrasted to the relative levels of PAT expression and activity. Conventional cotton was sensitive to glufosinate. The single copy of the pat gene present in the insect-resistant cultivar resulted in very low RNA expression of the gene and undetectable PAT activity in in vitro assays. Nonetheless, the presence of this gene provided a good level of resistance to glufosinate in terms of visual injury and effect on photosynthetic electron transport. The injury is proportional to the amount of ammonia accumulation. The strong promoter associated with bar expression in the glufosinate-resistant cultivar led to high RNA expression levels and PAT activity which protected this cultivar from glufosinate injury. While the insect-resistant cultivar demonstrated a good level of resistance to glufosinate, its safety margin is lower than that of the glufosinate-resistant cultivar. Therefore, farmers should be extremely careful in using glufosinate on cultivars not expressly designed and commercialized as resistant to this

[Traumatic childhood in a private male population of liberty events: prevalence study].

Science.gov (United States)

Vallejo, Miguel; Bertone, Matias Salvador

2016-01-01

We have observed, in several studies, high rates of psychiatric disorders and traumatic childhood experiences in people who are deprived of their freedom in prison institutions. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of different types of adverse childhood experiences and the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in patient-internal male in a prison psychiatric institution. An epidemiological study was conducted between March and July 2011 in which 59 inmates-patients were evaluated in the observation room and Psychiatric Evaluation (SOEP) of the unit 20 in the Central Psychiatric Service Men, which was located on the campus of J.T. Borda Hospital of the City of Buenos Aires, in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. SCID I and II, and ACE (Adverse Experience Childhood) scales were used. 91% of participants had suffered any adverse experience in childhood. Physical (59%), emotional (54%), sexual (18%) and negligence (66%): a high rate of abuse in its various forms was found At the same time it was observed that all patients had a mental disorder. The most common diagnosis is personality disorder (69.4%). It was observed that most of the abuses were perpetrated by people in your household. high prevalence rates of adverse childhood experiences and psychiatric disorders private individuals of their liberty were observed to coincide with that shown in other studies in similar populations.

27 CFR 70.164 - Surrender of property subject to levy in the case of life insurance and endowment contracts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... the case of life insurance and endowment contracts. (a) In general. This section provides special rules relating to the surrender of property subject to levy in the case of life insurance and endowment... subject to levy in the case of life insurance and endowment contracts. 70.164 Section 70.164 Alcohol...

Liberty Icons: Linguistic and Multimodal Notes on the Cultural Roots of Digital Technologies

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Ilaria Moschini

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Since the famous 1984 Apple Television Ad, personal computers and the Internet have become icons of popular culture that embody libertarian values. Indeed, they have been described as the necessary tools for the empowerment of the individual and the realization of a peer-to-peer decentralized democracy. This libertarian representation has become a frame, perceived as universal and celebrated all over the world, on a daily basis, through the creation of user-generated contents. I believe that both personal computers and the Internet are American cultural products not only because of the very peculiar historical blending out of which they originate – a mixture of Cold War industrial research culture, US counterculture and DIY ethos (Turner 2006 – but, mainly, because of the founding concept that they are associated with, i.e. freedom. Adopting a functional linguistic/multimodal perspective, my article will explore the conceptual/semantic mapping of digital discourse through the analysis of a corpus of texts that goes from 1984 Apple Ad to Hillary Clinton’s Internet Freedom Speech in order to show how the current mainframe global discourse on digital technologies is permeated with a concept of freedom that combines the US founding rhetoric of liberty together with cybernetics, gnosticism and psychedelic narrations.

After Cologne: male circumcision and the law. Parental right, religious liberty or criminal assault?

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Merkel, Reinhard; Putzke, Holm

2013-07-01

Non-therapeutic circumcision violates boys' right to bodily integrity as well as to self-determination. There is neither any verifiable medical advantage connected with the intervention nor is it painless nor without significant risks. Possible negative consequences for the psychosexual development of circumcised boys (due to substantial loss of highly erogenous tissue) have not yet been sufficiently explored, but appear to ensue in a significant number of cases. According to standard legal criteria, these considerations would normally entail that the operation be deemed an 'impermissible risk'-neither justifiable on grounds of parental rights nor of religious liberty: as with any other freedom right, these end where another person's body begins. Nevertheless, after a resounding decision by a Cologne district court that non-therapeutic circumcision constitutes bodily assault, the German legislature responded by enacting a new statute expressly designed to permit male circumcision even outside of medical settings. We first criticise the normative foundations upon which such a legal concession seems to rest, and then analyse two major flaws in the new German law which we consider emblematic of the difficulty that any legal attempt to protect medically irrelevant genital cutting is bound to face.

The Philosophy of Error and Liberty of Thought: J.S. Mill on Logical Fallacies

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Frederick Rosen

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Most recent discussions of John Stuart Mill’s System of Logic (1843 neglect the fifth book concerned with logical fallacies. Mill not only follows the revival of interest in the traditional Aristotelian doctrine of fallacies in Richard Whately and Augustus De Morgan, but he also develops new categories and an original analysis which enhance the study of fallacies within the context of what he calls ‘the philosophy of error’. After an exploration of this approach, the essay relates the philosophy of error to the discussion of truth and error in chapter two of On Liberty (1859 concerned with freedom of thought and discussion. Drawing on Socratic and Baconian perspectives, Mill defends both the traditional study of logic against Jevons, Boole, De Morgan, and others, as well as the study of fallacies as the key to maintaining truth and its dissemination in numerous fields, such as science, morality, politics, and religion. In Mill’s view the study of fallacies also liberates ordinary people to explore the truth and falsity of ideas and, as such, to participate in society and politics and develop themselves as progressive beings.

Measuring Adolescent Life Satisfaction: Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in a Sample of Italian Adolescents and Young Adults

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Di Fabio, Annamaria; Gori, Alessio

2016-01-01

This study examined the factor structure and the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) in a sample of 1,515 Italian (females = 60.26%, males = 39.74%) adolescents and young adults (M[subscript age] = 17.6 years, SD = 1.21). Results confirmed the unidimensionality, good reliability, and concurrent validity of the…

Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale among Turkish University Students, Correctional Officers, and Elderly Adults

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Durak, Mithat; Senol-Durak, Emre; Gencoz, Tulin

2010-01-01

This study aims to extensively examine the psychometric properties of adapted version of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in different Turkish samples. In order to test the psychometric properties of the SWLS three separate and independent samples are utilized in this study, namely university students (n = 547), correctional officers (n =…

Measurement properties of adult quality-of-life measurement instruments for eczema: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinl, D; Prinsen, C A C; Deckert, S; Chalmers, J R; Drucker, A M; Ofenloch, R; Humphreys, R; Sach, T; Chamlin, S L; Schmitt, J; Apfelbacher, C

2016-03-01

The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has identified quality of life (QoL) as a core outcome domain to be evaluated in every eczema trial. It is unclear which of the existing QoL instruments is most appropriate for this domain. Thus, the aim of this review was to systematically assess the measurement properties of existing measurement instruments developed and/or validated for the measurement of QoL in adult eczema. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase identifying studies on measurement properties of adult eczema QoL instruments. For all eligible studies, we assessed the adequacy of the measurement properties and the methodological quality with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. A best evidence synthesis summarizing findings from different studies was the basis to assign four degrees of recommendation (A-D). A total of 15 articles reporting on 17 instruments were included. No instrument fulfilled the criteria for category A. Six instruments were placed in category B, meaning that they have the potential to be recommended depending on the results of further validation studies. Three instruments had poor adequacy in at least one required adequacy criterion and were therefore put in category C. The remaining eight instruments were minimally validated and were thus placed in category D. Currently, no QoL instrument can be recommended for use in adult eczema. The Quality of Life Index for Atopic Dermatitis (QoLIAD) and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) are recommended for further validation research. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Re-Individualizing the Criminal Sanctions of Deprivation of Liberty in the European Union

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Ion Rusu

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The recognition and subsequently the execution of criminal penalties of deprivation of liberty byanother Member State, other than the one of the conviction, is an act of mutual trust between Member Statesof the European Union. However, the differences between criminal legal norms, particularly regarding theminimum and maximum limits of some punishment prescribed for the same offense, require a differentapproach in the sense that a member can not recognize and then enforce a sentence of deprivation of libertywith the maximum limits greater than its own legislation, for the same offense. This very sensitive issue wasresolved by adopting the Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA of the Council from 27 November 2008, wherethe European legislative act allows the executing Member State the re-individualization of the deprivation ofliberty sentence, the goal being that the penalty imposed is compatible with the internal law of theenforcement state. In the implementation of European legislative act depositions, any member State whichhas recognized such a court order, based on a legal decision ordered by a competent judicial body may stillre-individualize the penalty regarding its maximum limit. The examination of the European legislative acthighlights also some flaws that must be corrected, taking into account the possibility for the executingMember States to fully modify the applied punishment, as regards both its nature and its proportion applied inthe sentencing State.

Creep-fatigue life property of FBR high-temperature structural materials under tension-torsion loading and life evaluation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogata, Takashi; Nitta, Akito

1994-01-01

Creep-fatigue damage in high temperature structural components in a FBR progress under multiaxial stress condition depending on their operating conditions and configuration. Therefore, multiaxial stress effects on creep-fatigue damage evolution must be clarified to make precise creep-fatigue damage evaluation of these components. In this study, creep-fatigue tests in FBR high temperature materials such as SUS304, 316FR stainless steels and a modified 9Cr steel were conducted under biaxial stress subjecting tension-compression and torsion loading, in order to examine biaxial stress effects on failure mechanism and life property, and to discuss creep-fatigue life evaluation methods under biaxial stress. Main results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: 1. The main cracks under cyclic torsion loading propagated by shear mode in three materials. But intergranular failure was occurred in SUS304 and 316FR, and transgranular failure was observed in Mod.9Cr steel. 2. Nonlinear damage accumulation model proposed based on uniaxial creep-fatigue test results was extended to apply for creep-fatigue damage evaluation under biaxial stress state by considering the biaxial stress effects on fatigue and creep damage evolution. 3. It was confirmed that creep-fatigue life under biaxial stress could be predicted by the extended evaluation method with higher accuracy than existing methods. (author)

Measurement properties of rheumatoid arthritis-specific quality-of-life questionnaires: systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jiyeon; Kim, Soo Hyun; Moon, Seung Hei; Lee, Eun-Hyun

2014-12-01

This study conducted a systematic review of the methodological quality of the psychometric evaluation process and the quality of measurement properties of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-specific health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) questionnaires with the purpose of obtaining the best evidence to help in the selection of the most appropriate instrument for measuring HRQOL in RA patients. A systematic literature search was performed to identify RA-specific HRQOL questionnaires in databases. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments checklist. The quality of the measurement properties was assessed using quality criteria. The evidence regarding the measurement properties was pooled using best-evidence synthesis, with considerations of the number and methodological quality of the studies, and the consistency of their findings in terms of the quality of the measurement properties. The search identified 37 studies describing 9 instruments. Best-evidence synthesis suggested that the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL) questionnaire had the strongest positive evidence, especially with respect to reliability, measurement error, and content validity, and moderate positive evidence with respect to hypothesis testing and responsiveness. The current evidence suggests that the best-validated instrument among the RA-specific HRQOL measures is the RAQoL questionnaire in terms of both methodological quality in the process of psychometric evaluation and the quality of the measurement properties. However, there is limited evidence regarding internal consistency and structural validity of the RAQoL. Further efforts are warranted to establish the psychometric quality of this questionnaire.

Evaluation of cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties of breast cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaires: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Indiara Soares; da Cunha Menezes Costa, Lucíola; Fagundes, Felipe Ribeiro Cabral; Cabral, Cristina Maria Nunes

2015-05-01

To assess the procedures of translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of breast cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaires. Searches were conducted in the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and SciELO using the keywords: "Questionnaires," "Quality of life," and "Breast cancer." The studies were analyzed in terms of methodological quality according to the guidelines for the procedure of cross-cultural adaptation and the quality criteria for measurement properties of questionnaires. We found 24 eligible studies. Most of the articles assessed the translation and measurement properties of the instrument EORTC QLQ-BR23. Description about translation and cross-cultural adaptation was incomplete in 11 studies. Translation and back translation were the most tested phases, and synthesis of the translation was the most omitted phase in the articles. Information on assessing measurement properties was provided incompletely in 23 articles. Internal consistency was the most tested property in all of the eligible articles, but none of them provided information on agreement. Construct validity was adequately tested in only three studies that used the FACT-B and QLQ-BR23. Eight articles provided information on reliability; however, only four found positive classification. Responsiveness was tested in four articles, and ceiling and floor effects were tested in only three articles. None of the instruments showed fully adequate quality. There is limited evidence on cross-cultural adaptations and measurement properties; therefore, it is recommended that caution be exercised when using breast cancer-specific quality-of-life questionnaires that have been translated, adapted, and tested.

Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a sample of Chilean university students

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Berta Schnettler

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale is an instrument to assess life satisfaction in children and adolescents in five life domains. However, research on multidimensional life satisfaction in older students, such as those attending university, is still scarce. This paper undertook to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale in a sample of university students from five state universities in Chile. The Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were applied to 369 participants. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to evaluate the expected correlated five-factor model of the long version (40 items and the abbreviated version (30 items of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale. The goodness-of-fit values obtained from confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the data fit better to the 30-items and five-factor structure than to the 40-item structure. The convergent, concurrent and discriminant validity of the 30-item version was demonstrated. The 30-item version of the Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale may be a promising alternative to measure satisfaction in different life domains in university students, and a valuable tool for differential assessments that guide research and intervention on this population.

A study of measurement properties of the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Isabel Fialho Fontenele; Tiuganji, Carina Tiemi; Simões, Maria do Socorro Morais Pereira; Lunardi, Adriana Claudia

2018-06-01

To test the measurement properties (reliability, interpretability, and validity) of the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire for older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clinimetric study. Pneumology service, ambulatory care, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Consecutive sample of older adults ( n = 62; 38 (61%) men, 24 (39%) women) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Not applicable. Life-Space Assessment questionnaire assesses five space levels visited by the older adult in four weeks prior to the assessment. We tested the following measurement properties of this questionnaire: reliability (reproducibility assessed by a type-2,1 intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC 2,1 ); internal consistency assessed by the Cronbach's alpha; measurement error by determining the standard error of measurement (SEM)), interpretability (minimum detectable change with 90% confidence (MDC 90 ); ceiling and floor effects by calculating the proportion of participants who achieved the minimum and maximum scores), and validity by Pearson's correlation test between the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire scores and number of daily steps assessed by accelerometry. Reproducibility (ICC 2,1 ) was 0.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.94), and internal consistency (Cronbach's α) was 0.80 (range = 0.76-0.80 for each item deleted). SEM was 3.65 points (3%), the MDC 90 was 0.20 points, and we observed no ceiling (2%) or floor (6%) effects. We observed an association between the score of the Life-Space Assessment questionnaire and daily steps ( r = 0.43; P = 0.01). Life-Space Assessment questionnaire shows adequate measurement properties for the assessment of life-space mobility in older adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Health-related quality of life questionnaire for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOSQ-50): development and psychometric properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Nasiri-Amiri, Fatemeh; Ramezani Tehrani, Fahimeh; Simbar, Masoumeh; Montazeri, Ali; Mohammadpour, Reza Ali

2016-07-01

The determinants of the health-related quality of life of women with polycystic ovary syndrome are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive instrument to assess the health-related quality of life of Iranian women with PCOS and to assess its psychometric properties. We used a mixed-method, sequential, exploratory design including both qualitative [in-depth interview to define the components of health-related quality of life questionnaire (PCOSQ)] and quantitative approaches (to assess the psychometric properties of PCOSQ). A preliminary questionnaire was developed including 147 items which emerged from the qualitative phase of the study. Considering the optimum cutoff points for content validity ratio (CVR), content validity index (CVI), and impact score, items of the preliminary questionnaire were reduced from 147 to 88 items. Finally, by excluding highly correlated items using the exploratory factor analysis, a 50-item questionnaire was obtained. The Kaiser criteria (eigenvalues >1) and Scree plot tests demonstrated that six factors were optimum with an estimated 47.3 % of variance. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the questionnaire demonstrated a mean CVI = 0.92, CVR = 0.91, Cronbach's alpha for whole questionnaire = 0.88 (0.61-0.88 for subscales), Spearman's correlation coefficients of test-retest = 0.75, and the intra-class correlation coefficient for the PCOS questionnaire subscales ranging from 0.57 to 0.88. Eventually the final questionnaire included 50 items in six domains, 'psychosocial and emotional,' 'fertility,' 'sexual function,' 'obesity and menstrual disorders,' 'hirsutism,' and 'coping' and rated on a 5-point Likert scale. The PCOSQ-50 is a valid and reliable instrument for the assessment of quality of life of women with PCOS, capable of assessing some obscure aspects overlooked by previous HRQL questionnaires.

God’s gifts to humankind: a legal- philosophical interpretation of Luther’s views on ownership and the natural right to property

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. W.G. Raath

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The collapse of the medieval political and social order, the rise of the nation state and the emergent absolutism of civil rulers, meant that the early Reformers had to make a clearer demar- cation between the natural right to private property and the moral conditions giving rise to such a right, and a clearer de- lineation of the duties of civil authorities in dealing with private property in civil society. Luther’s view that natural right presup- poses the existence of moral duty and is intricately connected with the moral uprightness of the owner’s activities, produces a number of important perspectives still relevant for the debate concerning the natural rights of individuals to own property and to have the sphere of liberty attached to this right adequately protected.

Psychometric properties of the Chinese-version Quality of Nursing Work Life Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Ya-Wen; Dai, Yu-Tzu; McCreary, Linda L; Yao, Grace; Brooks, Beth A

2014-09-01

In this study, we developed and tested the psychometric properties of the Chinese-version Quality of Nursing Work Life Scale along seven subscales: supportive milieu with security and professional recognition, work arrangement and workload, work/home life balance, head nurse's/supervisor's management style, teamwork and communication, nursing staffing and patient care, and milieu of respect and autonomy. An instrument-development procedure with three phases was conducted in seven hospitals in 2010-2011. Phase I comprised translation and the cultural-adaptation process, phase II comprised a pilot study, and phase III comprised a field-testing process. Purposive sampling was used in the pilot study (n = 150) and the large field study (n = 1254). Five new items were added, and 85.7% of the original items were retained in the 41 item Chinese version. Principal component analysis revealed that a model accounted for 56.6% of the variance with acceptable internal consistency, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. This study gave evidence of reliability and validity of the 41 item Chinese-version Quality of Nursing Work Life Scale. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Emerging properties of financial time series in the ``Game of Life''

Science.gov (United States)

Hernández-Montoya, A. R.; Coronel-Brizio, H. F.; Stevens-Ramírez, G. A.; Rodríguez-Achach, M.; Politi, M.; Scalas, E.

2011-12-01

We explore the spatial complexity of Conway’s “Game of Life,” a prototypical cellular automaton by means of a geometrical procedure generating a two-dimensional random walk from a bidimensional lattice with periodical boundaries. The one-dimensional projection of this process is analyzed and it turns out that some of its statistical properties resemble the so-called stylized facts observed in financial time series. The scope and meaning of this result are discussed from the viewpoint of complex systems. In particular, we stress how the supposed peculiarities of financial time series are, often, overrated in their importance.

Social network properties and self-rated health in later life: comparisons from the Korean social life, health, and aging project and the national social life, health and aging project.

Science.gov (United States)

Youm, Yoosik; Laumann, Edward O; Ferraro, Kenneth F; Waite, Linda J; Kim, Hyeon Chang; Park, Yeong-Ran; Chu, Sang Hui; Joo, Won-Tak; Lee, Jin A

2014-09-14

This paper has two objectives. Firstly, it provides an overview of the social network module, data collection procedures, and measurement of ego-centric and complete-network properties in the Korean Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (KSHAP). Secondly, it directly compares the KSHAP structure and results to the ego-centric network structure and results of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), which conducted in-home interviews with 3,005 persons 57 to 85 years of age in the United States. The structure of the complete social network of 814 KSHAP respondents living in Township K was measured and examined at two levels of networks. Ego-centric network properties include network size, composition, volume of contact with network members, density, and bridging potential. Complete-network properties are degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, and brokerage role. We found that KSHAP respondents with a smaller number of social network members were more likely to be older and tended to have poorer self-rated health. Compared to the NSHAP, the KSHAP respondents maintained a smaller network size with a greater network density among their members and lower bridging potential. Further analysis of the complete network properties of KSHAP respondents revealed that more brokerage roles inside the same neighborhood (Ri) were significantly associated with better self-rated health. Socially isolated respondents identified by network components had the worst self-rated health. The findings demonstrate the importance of social network analysis for the study of older adults' health status in Korea. The study also highlights the importance of complete-network data and its ability to reveal mechanisms beyond ego-centric network data.

Big Data and Intellectual Property Rights in the Health and Life Sciences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minssen, Timo

The vast prospects of Big Data and the shift to more “personalized”, “open” and “transparent” innovation models highlight the importance of an effective governance, regulation and stimulation of high-quality data-uses in the health and life sciences. Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and related...... rights come into play when research is translated into safe and efficient “real world” uses. While the need of recalibrating IPRs to fully support Big Data advances is being intensely debated among multiple stakeholders, there seems to be much confusion about the availability of IPRs and their legal...... effects. In this very brief presentation I intend to provide a very brief overview on the most relevant IPRs for data-based life science research. Realizing that the choice of how to address, use and interact with IPRs differs among various areas of applications, I also intend to sketch out and discuss...

Enforcing the Right to Family Life in Hong Kong Courts: The Case of Dependant Policy

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Matthew Chuen Ngai Tang

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Despite the Hong Kong courts’ seemingly robust protection of fundamental rights and civil liberties, enforcing family rights remains extremely difficult. While the right to family life is safeguarded by both domestic and international human right instruments, applicants in judicial review cases are usually not able to rely on it to challenge the decisions made by the immigration authority. This paper examines the challenges in enforcing the right to family life in Hong Kong’s Dependant Policy with a particular focus on the Hong Kong Court of Appeal’s recent decision in BI v Director of Immigration. The immigration reservation, entered into by the United Kingdom when ratifying the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, has become a justification for a restrictive immigration regime even after the transfer of sovereignty. The Hong Kong courts also repeatedly accord wide discretion to immigration authority. The courts’ reluctance to scrutinize socio-economic policies reveals one of the key weaknesses in enforcing fundamental rights in Hong Kong by the way of judicial review.

Emancipating Intellectual Property from Proprietarianism: Drahos, Foucault, and a Quasi-Genealogy of IP

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Wendyl Luna

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper argues that Peter Drahos undertakes a partial Foucauldian genealogy by emancipating intellectual property (IP from proprietarianism. He demonstrates the dominance of proprietarianism in IP by drawing sample practices from trademark, copyright, and patent laws, and then seeks to displace the proprietarian dominance with instrumentalism, which reconstitutes IP as a “liberty-intruding privilege.” Ironically, despite doing a genealogy, Drahos does not eradicate sovereignty altogether as Michel Foucault insists, but instead determines IP as a “sovereignty mechanism” that has a “sovereignty effect.” After explaining what Foucauldian genealogy is, the paper will explain how Drahos undertakes a genealogy of IP, while highlighting the limitations of Drahos’ analysis from a Foucauldian perspective.

Quality-of-life measures for use within care homes: a systematic review of their measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Aspden, Trefor; Bradshaw, Siobhan A; Playford, E Diane; Riazi, Afsane

2014-09-01

the aims of this review were (i) to identify quality-of-life (QoL) measures which have had their measurement properties validated in people residing in care homes or nursing homes, and to critically compare and summarise these instruments and (ii) to make recommendations for measurement instruments. bibliographic databases PsycINFO, PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL and Embase were searched for articles evaluating measurement properties of QoL instruments in people residing in care homes. Methodological quality of studies was assessed using the consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments checklist. Measurement properties of instruments were appraised using a systematic checklist. the search strategy resulted in 3252 unique citations, of which 15 articles were included in this review. These articles assessed 13 instruments, 8 of which were dementia or Alzheimer specific instruments. The QUALIDEM, a dementia-specific observational instrument, had the widest array of information available on its measurement properties, which were mostly satisfactory. Most measurement instruments lacked information on hypotheses testing and content validity. Information on responsiveness and measurement error was not available for any instrument. for people with dementia living in care homes, the QUALIDEM is recommended for measuring QoL. For residents without dementia, we recommend Kane et al.'s Psychosocial Quality of Life Domains questionnaire. Studies of higher methodological quality, assessing a wider range of measurement properties are needed to allow a more fully informed choice of QoL instrument. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Influences of cyclic deformation on creep property and creep-fatigue life prediction considering them

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Yukio

2009-01-01

Evaluation of creep-fatigue is essential in design and life management of high-temperature components in power generation plants. Cyclic deformation may alter creep property of the materials and its consideration may improve predictability of creep-fatigue failure life. To understand them, creep tests were conducted for the materials subjected to cyclic loading and their creep rupture and deformation behaviors were compared with those of as-received materials. Both 316FR and modified 9Cr-1Mo steel were tested. (1) Creep rupture time and elongation generally tend to decrease with cyclic loading in both materials, and especially elongation of 316FR drastically decreases by being cyclically deformed. (2) Amount of primary creep deformation decreases by cyclic loading and the ways to improve its predictability were developed. (3) Use of creep rupture ductility after cyclic deformation, instead of that of as-received material, brought about clear improvement of life prediction in a modified ductility exhaustion approach. (author)

Psychometric properties of the Satisfaction With Life Scale in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosengren, L; Jonasson, S B; Brogårdh, C; Lexell, J

2015-09-01

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is a global measure of life satisfaction (LS). The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties (data completeness, scaling assumptions, targeting and reliability) of the SWLS in a sample of people with Parkinson's disease (PD). A postal survey including a Swedish version of the SWLS and demographic information was administered to 174 persons with PD; 97 responded and received a second survey after 2 weeks. The mean (SD) age and PD duration of the 97 responders were 73 (8) and 7 (6) years, respectively. Data completeness was 92% to 97% for the five items in the SWLS and 92% for the total score (5-35 points). The mean score of the SWLS was 24.2 points (7.7), indicating that this group had an average LS. The items' means and SDs were roughly parallel and the score distribution was even. The internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.90. The test-retest reliability, assessed by the intraclass correlation coefficient, was 0.78. The scale showed no systematic difference between the first and second response. The standard error of measurement was 3.6 points, and the smallest detectable difference was 10.0 points. This evaluation of the psychometric properties of the SWLS shows that the scale has good data completeness, scaling assumptions and targeting and that the internal consistency reliability and the test-retest reliability are acceptable. Thus, the SWLS is a psychometrically sound and suitable tool to asses LS in people with PD. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Liberty vindicated against slavery (1646. Un écrit de prison contre la prison attribué à John Lilburne

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Pierre Cavaillé

2011-12-01

Full Text Available à travers l’étude contextuelle de l’un des pamphlets de John Lilburne, Liberty vindicated, le leader sans doute le plus charismatique de ceux que l’on a appelé les Levellers, nous nous intéressons à ce que l’on peut appeler l’invention de l’écrit de prison proprement politique. Le prisonnier n’y dénonce pas seulement l’iniquité de sa propre incarcération, mais met en accusation le système judiciaire et politique qui l’a conduit derrière les barreaux pour son activisme politique. Cette dénonciation s’appuie essentiellement sur le socle juridique qui protège les citoyens « libres », tel qu’il est possible de le dégager de la Magna Carta et de la longue jurisprudence de la Common Law. Cette base strictement légale permet à Lilburne de dénoncer toute forme de détention arbitraire ou abusive (tribunaux d’exception, prison pour dettes, etc., mais aussi les conditions de détention auxquelles sont soumis les prisonniers. Elle lui permet enfin de pousser jusqu’à remettre en cause la prison pénale elle-même et même, au nom du droit fondamental des citoyens à la liberté, toute forme d’incarcération prolongée, c’est-à-dire, foncièrement, l’institution carcérale elle-même.Through the contextual study of one of the pamphlets, Liberty vindicated, due to John Lilburne, the most charismatic leader of the so-called Levellers, we are interested in what we may call the invention of the prison’s political writing. The prisoner not only denounces the iniquity of his own imprisonment, but the juridical and political system that led him in jail for his political activism. This denunciation is based primarily on the legal basis which protects “free” citizens, which one can drawn from the Magna Carta and the common law jurisprudence. This strictly legal basis allows Lilburne to denounce all forms of arbitrary and abusive detention (special courts, imprisonment for debt, etc., but also the bad

Changes in Properties of Cement and Lime Mortars When Incorporating Fibers from End-of-Life Tires

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lluís Gil

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the addition of fibers from end-of-life tires to commercial mortar mixtures. Two different types of mortar, one lime-plastic and other cement-fluid, are mixed with different percentage of fibers ranging from 0% to 1%. The changes in bulk density, consistency, compressive and flexural strength, dynamic Young modulus and water absorption are studied. According to the results, consistency is the property that shows more relevant changes for an addition of 0.25% fibers. Consistency is related to workability and affects the water absorption and the Young modulus values. On the contrary, bulk density and mechanical properties did not change with the addition of fibers. The results prove that this fiber, considered a waste from recycling of end-of-life tires, can be used in commercial mixtures without losing strength. On the other hand, mortar workability limits the amount of fibers that can be included in the mixture and this parameter determines the performance of the mortar.

Improving the psychological evaluation of exercise referral: Psychometric properties of the Exercise Referral Quality of Life Scale

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Charlotte Hilton

2015-07-01

Full Text Available There is a growing need to assess the psychological outcomes of exercise referral and the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence has called for the routine assessment of life-quality. However, a quality of life scale specific to the requirements of exercise referral is currently unavailable. Therefore, the aim of this study was to produce a quality of life measure for this purpose. The Exercise Referral Quality of Life Scale is a 22-item measure comprising three domains: mental and physical health, injury pain and illness and physical activity facilitators. Exploratory factor analysis determined the initial factor structure and was subsequently confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis. Additional scale properties were also assessed. The scale contributes to the global need for improved consistent psychological outcome assessment of exercise referral.

[FORCE-FEEDING OR LIFE-SAVING? - DEALING WITH HUNGER STRIKES IN ISRAEL].

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal, Gil; Glick, Shimon; Offer-Stark, Irit; Steinberg, Avraham

2018-01-01

Force feeding of fasting hunger-striking prisoners is the subject of considerable controversy in Israel and elsewhere, posing a direct conflict between two basic ethical values: that of human life and respect for autonomy. The Israel Medical Association, as well as the World Medical Association, has taken the position that force feeding of such prisoners is an act of torture and is therefore unethical. However this paper presents an opposing view, which recently became the law in Israel, that, whereas the rights of prisoners to decree a hunger strike as a form of protest should be respected, if the prolongation of the strike reaches a stage of clear and present danger to the life and health of a prisoner, the saving of the prisoner's life must take precedence over considerations of autonomy. The paper present the steps that should be taken, including extensive and empathic efforts to persuade the prisoner to end his/her fast; gaining the approval of a hospital's ethics committee; and gaining the approval of a district court judge; the feeding is to be carried out in the most humane and sensitive manner as befitting a lifesaving procedure for any patient. This position is consistent with Israel's Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty, Israel's Patient Rights Law, Israel's "Do not stand idly by your fellow man's blood" Law, with several Israeli court decisions and in keeping with the dominant Israeli culture. Finally, instructions for physicians who object to such measures are discussed, ascertaining the freedom of conscience as well as preserving the life of the hunger-strikers.

Self-reported health-related quality of life in kindergarten children : psychometric properties of the Kiddy-KINDL

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Villalonga-Olives, E.; Kiese-Himmel, C.; Witte, C.; Almansa, J.; Dusilova, I.; Hacker, K.; von Steinbuechel, N.

Objectives: To assess the psychometric properties of the German self-reported version of the Kiddy-KINDL that measures Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in 3 to 5 year old kindergarten children. Study design: The population of the study comprised baseline data of a longitudinal study whose main

The associations between work-life balance behaviours, teamwork climate and safety climate: cross-sectional survey introducing the work-life climate scale, psychometric properties, benchmarking data and future directions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sexton, J Bryan; Schwartz, Stephanie P; Chadwick, Whitney A; Rehder, Kyle J; Bae, Jonathan; Bokovoy, Joanna; Doram, Keith; Sotile, Wayne; Adair, Kathryn C; Profit, Jochen

2017-08-01

Improving the resiliency of healthcare workers is a national imperative, driven in part by healthcare workers having minimal exposure to the skills and culture to achieve work-life balance (WLB). Regardless of current policies, healthcare workers feel compelled to work more and take less time to recover from work. Satisfaction with WLB has been measured, as has work-life conflict, but how frequently healthcare workers engage in specific WLB behaviours is rarely assessed. Measurement of behaviours may have advantages over measurement of perceptions; behaviours more accurately reflect WLB and can be targeted by leaders for improvement. 1. To describe a novel survey scale for evaluating work-life climate based on specific behavioural frequencies in healthcare workers.2. To evaluate the scale's psychometric properties and provide benchmarking data from a large healthcare system.3. To investigate associations between work-life climate, teamwork climate and safety climate. Cross-sectional survey study of US healthcare workers within a large healthcare system. 7923 of 9199 eligible healthcare workers across 325 work settings within 16 hospitals completed the survey in 2009 (86% response rate). The overall work-life climate scale internal consistency was Cronbach α=0.790. t-Tests of top versus bottom quartile work settings revealed that positive work-life climate was associated with better teamwork climate, safety climate and increased participation in safety leadership WalkRounds with feedback (pwork setting. The work-life climate scale exhibits strong psychometric properties, elicits results that vary widely by work setting, discriminates between positive and negative workplace norms, and aligns well with other culture constructs that have been found to correlate with clinical outcomes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Embryonic Properties and Fetal Frontiers: Potential Life in U.S. Property Law(Proprietăţi embrionice şi frontiere fetale: viaţa potenţială în Legea proprietăţii a SUA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RISA CROMER

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Within the English common law tradition, there is a principle which prohibits property of the human body. Taking property to be a protean concept, this paper examines how property is defined and applied in recent legal disputes in the United States over "potential life" entities, such as embryos and fetuses. A brief genealogy of theoretical and common law approaches with respect to property of the body highlights an analysis of six U.S. legal cases in which sperm, zygotes, embryos and fetuses have become new legal subjects of property against the background of assisted reproductive technologies. This paper concludes that property can operate not just in order to privatize, commodify and circulate, but in order to bring "potential life" entities closer to people and deeper into relational networks.

Life-Space Assessment questionnaire: Novel measurement properties for Brazilian community-dwelling older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Simões, Maria do Socorro Mp; Garcia, Isabel Ff; Costa, Lucíola da Cm; Lunardi, Adriana C

2018-05-01

The Life-Space Assessment (LSA) assesses mobility from the spaces that older adults go, and how often and how independent they move. Despite its increased use, LSA measurement properties remain unclear. The aim of the present study was to analyze the content validity, reliability, construct validity and interpretability of the LSA for Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. In this clinimetric study we analyzed the measurement properties (content validity, reliability, construct validity and interpretability) of the LSA administered to 80 Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. Reliability was analyzed by Cronbach's alpha (internal consistency), intraclass correlation coefficients and 95% confidence interval (reproducibility), and standard error of measurement (measurement error). Construct validity was analyzed by Pearson's correlations between the LSA and accelerometry (time in inactivity and moderate-to-vigorous activities), and interpretability was analyzed by determination of the minimal detectable change, and floor and ceiling effects. The LSA met the criteria for content validity. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.92, intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.97 (95% confidence interval 0.95-0.98) and standard error of measurement was 4.12. The LSA showed convergence with accelerometry (negative correlation with time in inactivity and positive correlation with time in moderate to vigorous activities), the minimal detectable change was 0.36 and we observed no floor or ceiling effects. The LSA showed adequate reliability, validity and interpretability for life-space mobility assessment of Brazilian community-dwelling older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 783-789. © 2018 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Health-related quality of life questionnaires in individuals with haemophilia: a systematic review of their measurement properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Limperg, P. F.; Terwee, C. B.; Young, N. L.; Price, V. E.; Gouw, S. C.; Peters, M.; Grootenhuis, M. A.; Blanchette, V.; Haverman, L.

2017-01-01

Background: The evaluation of health related quality of life (HRQOL) is essential for a full assessment of the influence of an illness on patients' lives. The aim of this paper is to critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of HRQOL questionnaires studied in haemophilia. Methods:

Trust, life satisfaction and opinions on immigration in 15 European countries

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jeroen Boelhouwer; Gerbert Kraaykamp; Ineke Stoop

2016-01-01

Europa is going through an eventful period. The economic crisis, large migration flows and terrorist attacks are cross-border events that put pressure on international solidarity and attitudes towards civil liberties such as freedom of movement. To what extent are the inhabitants of European

78 FR 62339 - Blind Americans Equality Day, 2013

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-18

... visually impaired persons have always played an important role in American life and culture, and today we... persons and other persons with print disabilities to information, culture, and education. By facilitating.... We must fulfill the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and expand the freedom to...

Gencat Psychometric Properties of Scale of Quality of Life in a Sample of Homeless

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva María BENITO HERRÁEZ

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The main aim of this research is to analyse the psychometric properties of the Scale Gencat of Quality of Life in a sample of 72 people users of the Municipal Office of Attention for homeless people in the city of Lleida. The analysis of the 69 items was based on Classical Test Theory and in the Item Response Theory. The results obtained with Cronbach’s alpha show appropiate values ranging between .749 and .853. According to the Rating Scale Model reliability is high, with values higher than .95 in all dimensions. The majority of items fit the model. The most important limitation in the study is the sample size, which reduced its reliability. Despite this, it can be concluded that the scale has sufficient evidence of reliability to evaluate the quality of life for homeless.

[Quality of life of older women with dependency and abuse experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, G; Enzenhofer, E

2013-01-01

Quality of life is largely determined by changing biographical contexts of a person's behavioural action. In later age, health and social relationships are major determinants for a "good life". A decline in health status may lead to the need for support which may result in further dependency; thus, social relations play an even more important role for older people. Relationships characterised by strain and tension may increase the risk of exposure to force and violence. This article investigates the influence of dependency and abuse on the subjective quality of life of older people. The dataset was drawn from an Austrian survey of 593 home-dwelling older women aged 60 and over (71.0 ± 8.1 years). Quality of life was assessed by the EUROHIS-QOL Scale, dependency by the degree of need for support with respect to activities of daily living and by the levels of care allowance received by this cohort. Following the Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS), six different types of abuse have been operationalised by 34 indicators. The data were analysed by descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. With increasing dependency the subjective quality of life of older women decreases. At the same time it is reduced by the experience of abuse in the close social environment. Neglect, psychological abuse and the violation of personal liberties and rights can be identified as factors which have a negative impact on quality of life. It is also noted that neglect can be found particularly among women with a greater need for support and a higher level of care allowance, which is a particularly problematic situation. Dependency and abuse are major risk factors for low quality of life in old age. The results stress the importance of raising general awareness on violence and highlight the social taboos around the issue of abuse against older people, especially in the case of increasing dependency. In addition, the results point to an increasing

75 FR 17766 - National Register of Historic Places; Weekly Listing of Historic Properties

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-07

.... Paul Loether, Chief, National Register of Historic Places/National Historic Landmarks Program. KEY..., LISTED, 1/21/10 (World War II Home Front Efforts in Arkansas, MPS) Logan County Liberty Schoolhouse...

Psychometric properties of the assessment of quality of working life scale in the urban transport sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hernán Alberto Figueroa-Chaves

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The Quality of Working Life (QWL is the degree of satisfaction, physical, mental and social well-being experienced by people in their working environment; it contains the objective and subjective dimensions. For this study, the subjective dimension of the QWL was addressed, which is formed by occupational health, labor welfare and perception of the work. Objective: To determine the psychometric properties of the assessment of quality of life scale at work in the transport sector. Materials and methods: A quantitative descriptive-instrumental study of the scale was made, which consists of 108 items and was applied to 468 drivers of the strategic system of public transport in the city of San Juan de Pasto. The evidence of Kaiser Meyer Olkin and roundness of Bartlett, the factorial analysis and Cronbach Alpha were calculated. Results: The scale presented appropriate features of validity and reliability. It evaluates two factors: labor welfare and healthy life styles, and the respective scales to be applied are presented. Conclusions: The factorial analysis allows us to affirm that the Scale of Quality of Working Life in the transport sector can be applied in subsequent studies.

[Psychometric properties of the Activities Daily Life Scale (ADL)].

Science.gov (United States)

Boyer, L; Murcia, A; Belzeaux, R; Loundou, A; Azorin, J-M; Chabannes, J-M; Dassa, D; Naudin, J; Samuelian, J-C; Lancon, C

2010-10-01

Deficits in social functioning are an important core feature of mental health. Recently in France, the Activities Daily Life (ADL) scale has been proposed by the French authorities to assess social functioning for all hospitalized patients in a psychiatric ward. The perspective is to use this scale in the financing and organization of mental health services in France. The ADL scale is a 6-item (dressing/undressing, walking/mobility, eating/drinking, using toilets, behaviour, relationships/communication) heteroquestionnaire completed by a health care professional at the beginning of each hospitalization, assessing functioning of patients suffering from mental health diseases. However, limited consensus exists on this scale. The psychometric properties of the ADL scale have not been assessed. There is a pressing need for detailed examination of its performance. The aim of this study was to explore ADL psychometric properties in a sample of hospitalized patients in a psychiatric ward. We retrospectively analyzed data for all episodes of care delivered to hospitalized patients in a psychiatric ward in our French Public Hospital from January 1, 2008 to June 30, 2008. The study involved retrospective review of administrative and medical databases. The following data were collected: age, gender, diagnoses based on the International Classification of Diseases - 10th version, ADL scale and Assessment of Social Self-Sufficiency scale (ASSS). The psychometric properties were examined using construct validity, reliability, external validity, reproducibility and sensitivity to change. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0 and WINSTEP software. A total of 1066 patients completed the ADL scale. Among them, 49.7% were male, mean age was 36.5 ± 10.8, and 83.5% were single. Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (40.0%), mood disorders (27.9%) and mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (12%) were the most common diagnoses. Factor

Quality of Life among Turkish Immigrants in Sweden: a Study for Assessing the Measurement Properties of the World Health Organization’s Quality of Life 100 Instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nazan Bilgel

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Many instruments have been developed to measure the multidimensional construct of quality of life. One of them has been developed by the World Health Organization (WHOQOL-100 and adapted into different languages and cultures around the world. The authors of this study wanted to assess the measurement properties of the Turkish version of WHOQOL-100, to find out the latent factors underlying quality of life, and to determine the direction and magnitude of the interdependent effects among these factors by using structural equation modeling (SEM. The measurement properties of the Turkish version of WHOQOL-100 scale were assessed on 520 voluntary participants who were immigrants in Stockholm/Sweden. SEM gave us one second-order factor QOL and the five correlated first-order factors labelled: physical, social relations, psychological, environment and independence. In the model for total participants, all the factor loadings were high (ranging from 0.60 to 0.92 except for “sexuality” which was 0.47, indicating a strong association between each of the latent factors and their respective items. In the models which were separately constructed regarding birthplace, the authors found a strong association between each of the latent factors and their respective items. The most substantial possible effect on QOL was psychological domain (0.93, which was larger than physical health (0.84, social relations (0.82, level of independence (0.91 and environment (0.73. The effect of psychological domain on the overall quality of life is greater than those of other domains.

Psychometric properties of a specific quality of life questionnaire in angina pectoris patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Marquis, P; Fayol, C; Joire, J E; Leplège, A

1995-12-01

This paper describes the psychometric properties of the French version of the APQLQ (Angina Pectoris Quality of Life Questionnaire), that is to say, scaling assumptions, reliability and validity. This disease-specific Swedish questionnaire provides a global score as well as four subscores measuring physical activities, somatic symptoms, emotional distress, and life satisfaction. The French version was produced according to the forward-backward translation methodology. In a cross-sectional study, 183 coronary patients filled out the APQLQ and the MOS (Medical Outcomes Study) SF-36; 170 sent it back; the rate of missing data was low (1.3%). The factorial structure and the high level of inter-scale correlations (> 0.60) suggested that the APQLQ measured one global concept rather than separate domains. The multitrait analysis identified one problematic item correlated strongly with all domains. The internal consistency was good (alpha Cronbach > 0.70). The correlations with the SF-36 scales were consistent with what was expected. The distribution of the scores of the APQLQ according to the clinical severity of Angina Pectoris (AP) was as hypothesized: the more severe the AP, the more impaired the Quality of Life. The score significantly discriminated between symptomatic (n = 110) and asymptomatic patients (n = 60) except for the emotional distress scale (p = 0.14). We recommend to analyze the French APQLQ as an index rather than as a profile. Its reliability, concurrent and clinical validity allowed its use in clinical trials.

Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire.

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Gava, Eveline Coutinho Baldoto; Miguel, José Augusto Mendes; de Araújo, Adriana Monteiro; de Oliveira, Branca Heloisa

2013-10-01

To assess the construct validity and reliability of the Brazilian version of the Orthognathic Quality of Life Questionnaire (B-OQLQ). A cross-sectional study was performed, and 101 patients in need of orthodontic-surgical treatment were recruited at a public hospital (Hospital Universitário Pedro Ernesto) and a public dental school (Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro). The B-OQLQ was self-completed. The mean age of the participants was 26.51 ± 9.25 years, and most were female (58.42%; n = 59). The construct validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient between the B-OQLQ and the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) scores and between the B-OQLQ and subjective health indicators' scores. The reliability was assessed in terms of internal consistency and stability (test-retest) using Cronbach's alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), respectively. Significant correlations were found between the B-OQLQ scores and the following: OHIP-14 total score (rs = 0.70, P < .001), perception of oral health (rs = -0.24, P = .02), single-item evaluation of quality of life (rs = -0.29, P = .03), satisfaction with physical appearance (rs = -0.40, P < .001), and satisfaction with facial appearance (rs = -0.39, P = .0001). Cronbach's alpha and the ICC was 0.95 and 0.90, respectively. The domains of B-OQLQ causing the most effect on the quality of life included "social aspects of deformity" (13.0 ± 10.54) and "facial aesthetics" (11.81 ± 6.23). The Brazilian version of the OQLQ was shown to be valid and reliable with good psychometric properties and might thus be considered an appropriate tool to assess the effect of dentofacial deformities on the quality of life of individuals with this condition. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The quantum life

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Paul

2009-07-01

To a physicist, life seems little short of miraculous-all those stupid atoms getting together to perform such clever tricks! For centuries, living organisms were regarded as some sort of magic matter. Today, we know that no special "life force" is at work in biology; there is just ordinary matter doing extraordinary things, all the while obeying the familiar laws of physics. What, then, is the secret of life's remarkable properties?

Health-related quality-of-life outcome measures in paediatric palliative care: A systematic review of psychometric properties and feasibility of use

Science.gov (United States)

Coombes, Lucy H; Wiseman, Theresa; Lucas, Grace; Sangha, Amrit; Murtagh, Fliss EM

2016-01-01

Background: The number of children worldwide requiring palliative care services is increasing due to advances in medical care and technology. The use of outcome measures is important to improve the quality and effectiveness of care. Aim: To systematically identify health-related quality-of-life outcome measures that could be used in paediatric palliative care and examine their feasibility of use and psychometric properties. Design: A systematic literature review and analysis of psychometric properties. Data sources: PsychInfo, Medline and EMBASE were searched from 1 January 1990 to 10 December 2014. Hand searches of the reference list of included studies and relevant reviews were also performed. Results: From 3460 articles, 125 papers were selected for full-text assessment. A total of 41 articles met the eligibility criteria and examined the psychometric properties of 22 health-related quality-of-life measures. Evidence was limited as at least half of the information on psychometric properties per instrument was missing. Measurement error was not analysed in any of the included articles and responsiveness was only analysed in one study. The methodological quality of included studies varied greatly. Conclusion: There is currently no ‘ideal’ outcome assessment measure for use in paediatric palliative care. The domains of generic health-related quality-of-life measures are not relevant to all children receiving palliative care and some domains within disease-specific measures are only relevant for that specific population. Potential solutions include adapting an existing measure or developing more individualized patient-centred outcome and experience measures. Either way, it is important to continue work on outcome measurement in this field. PMID:27247087

Game 'life' with anticipation property

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Makarenko, A.; Goldengorin, B.; Krushynskyi, D.; Umeo, H.; Morishita, S.; Nishinari, K.; Komatsuzaki, T.; Bandini, S.

2008-01-01

Mechanisms of endowing cellular automata (CA) models with anticipation property are considered. As a background for investigation a widely known Conway’s game of ‘Life’ was chosen. Even within this simple model, introduction of anticipation has a crucial impact on the behavior of the system,

41 CFR 101-27.206 - Procurement of shelf-life materials.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Procurement of shelf-life materials. 101-27.206 Section 101-27.206 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property... MANAGEMENT 27.2-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.206 Procurement of shelf-life materials. ...

The origami of life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lezon, Timothy R [Department of Physics, 104 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Banavar, Jayanth R [Department of Physics, 104 Davey Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Maritan, Amos [Dipartimento di Fisica ' G Galilei' and INFN, Universita di Padova, Via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2006-01-25

All living organisms rely upon networks of molecular interactions to carry out their vital processes. In order for a molecular system to display the properties of life, its constituent molecules must themselves be endowed with several features: stability, specificity, self-organization, functionality, sensitivity, robustness, diversity and adaptability. We argue that these are the emergent properties of a unique phase of matter, and we demonstrate that proteins, the functional molecules of terrestrial life, are perfectly suited to this phase. We explore, through an understanding of this phase of matter, the physical principles that govern the operation of living matter. Our work has implications for the design of functionally useful nanoscale devices and the ultimate development of physically based artificial life.

The origami of life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lezon, Timothy R; Banavar, Jayanth R; Maritan, Amos

2006-01-01

All living organisms rely upon networks of molecular interactions to carry out their vital processes. In order for a molecular system to display the properties of life, its constituent molecules must themselves be endowed with several features: stability, specificity, self-organization, functionality, sensitivity, robustness, diversity and adaptability. We argue that these are the emergent properties of a unique phase of matter, and we demonstrate that proteins, the functional molecules of terrestrial life, are perfectly suited to this phase. We explore, through an understanding of this phase of matter, the physical principles that govern the operation of living matter. Our work has implications for the design of functionally useful nanoscale devices and the ultimate development of physically based artificial life

Description and Psychometric Properties of the CP QOL-Teen: A Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Elise; Mackinnon, Andrew; Davern, Melanie; Boyd, Roslyn; Bohanna, India; Waters, Elizabeth; Graham, H. Kerr; Reid, Susan; Reddihough, Dinah

2013-01-01

To assess the measurement properties of a new QOL instrument, the Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life Questionnaire-Teen (CP QOL-Teen), in adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 13-18 years, examining domain structure, reliability, validity and adolescent-caregiver concordance. Based on age, 695 eligible families were invited to participate by mail.…

Optimization of Life Cycle Extension of Asphalt Concrete Mixtures in regard to Material Properties, Structural Design, and Economic Implications

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Jan Mikolaj

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Design of ACM life cycle is defined with respect to traffic load acting on the pavement and road class for a period of about 20 years. In practice, reconstruction is usually pending until the end of the life cycle after which the reconstruction takes place and the original materials are replaced by new materials. Life cycle of the pavement construction in road structure is significantly longer than that of the ACM; it is therefore necessary to consider ACM from a long term viewpoint, that is, exceeding their life expectancy. This paper describes a methodology which consists of analytical calculations, experimental measurements, and optimization of the ACM life cycle with the use of a rehabilitation action to provide new physical properties of pavement surfacing in different periods of the original life cycle. The aim is to attain maximal economic effectiveness, by minimizing financial costs for rehabilitation and maintenance and economic costs of road user. Presented method allows deriving optimal life cycle from various rehabilitation alternatives for particular ACM with the fact that all the necessary parameters are derived from specific experimental measurements and calculations. The method is applicable to all types of ACM materials; however, for each material, it is necessary to carry out the necessary measurements and tests. The article describes the methodology and case study results for a particular type of ACM material.

OSCAR WILDE OU A IDENTIDADE POÉTICA ENCARCERADA

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Latuf Isais Mucci

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This article aims to expose the dandy soul of Oscar Wilde. His life proves extravagance events, liberty claims, and homoafects tolerance. The Picture of Dorian Gray's author even suffered a criminal process in reason of his relation with Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas, called Bosie, despite Wilde being married. Other biographical issues can demonstrate the fantastic experience in the flamboyant life.

Psychometric Properties of Newly Translated Spanish Life Events Inventory and Daily Hassles Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannan, Jean; Youngblut, JoAnne M; Brooten, Dorothy; Bazzani, Dianne; Romero, Norma R; Chavez, Blanca; Picanes, Joann

2015-01-01

Measuring stress in Hispanic Americans, the fastest growing U.S. minority, is problematic. The Life Events Inventory (LEI) and the Daily Hassles Scale (DHS), widely used stress instruments, are not available in Spanish. To test the psychometric properties of the translated Spanish versions of the LEI and DHS. A convenience sample of 63 Hispanic women completed both instruments in Spanish and English 2 weeks apart. Internal consistency reliability and stability were strong for both instruments (.85-.97). Reliability and validity evidence for the translated Spanish versions were strong and similar to the English version. Psychometric findings suggest that the newly translated Spanish versions are good representations of the English versions and that these newly translated instruments are ready for use.

Psychometric properties of the Purpose-In-Life Test and age-related differences among women diagnosed with eating disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Alandete, Joaquín; Ros, Montserrat Cañabate; Salvador, José Heliodoro Marco; Rodríguez, Sandra Pérez

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the Purpose-In-Life Test (PIL), as well as the age-related differences in meaning in life in women diagnosed with eating disorders. Participants were 250 Spanish women diagnosed with eating disorders who ranged from 12 to 60 years old. Confirmatory Factor Analysis, descriptive analyses, estimation of the internal consistency of the PIL, correlations between the PIL and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), Overweight Preoccupation Scale (OPS), and Body Investment Scale (BIS), and age differences were calculated. A 19-item model that showed a good fit and internal consistency, a negative correlation between the PIL and both the BHS and OPS, and a positive correlation with the BIS, as well as significant differences between the adolescents and the mature adults, were found. It would be advisable to increase the inclusion of meaning in life in psychotherapeutic interventions with women diagnosed with eating disorders. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Empowerment and Self-Determination on Health Outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Garces-Ozanne, Arlene; Kalu, Edna Ikechi; Audas, Richard

2016-12-01

There remains a persistent gap in health outcomes between wealthy and poor countries. Basic measures such as life expectancy and infant and under-five mortality remain divergent, with preventable deaths being unacceptably high, despite significant efforts to reduce these disparities. We examine the impact of empowerment, measured by Freedom House's ratings of country's political rights and civil liberties, while controlling for per capita gross domestic product, secondary school enrollment, and income inequality, on national health outcomes. Using data from 1970 to 2013 across 149 countries, our results suggest, quite strongly, that higher levels of empowerment have a significant positive association with life expectancy, particularly for females, and lower rates of infant and under-five mortality. Our results point to the need for efforts to stimulate economic growth be accompanied with reforms to increase the levels empowerment through increasing political rights and civil liberties. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

Inflammatory bowel disease-specific health-related quality of life instruments: a systematic review of measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xin-Lin; Zhong, Liang-Huan; Wen, Yi; Liu, Tian-Wen; Li, Xiao-Ying; Hou, Zheng-Kun; Hu, Yue; Mo, Chuan-Wei; Liu, Feng-Bin

2017-09-15

This review aims to critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific health-related quality of life instruments. Medline, EMBASE and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched from their inception to May 2016. IBD-specific instruments for patients with Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis or IBD were enrolled. The basic characteristics and domains of the instruments were collected. The methodological quality of measurement properties and measurement properties of the instruments were assessed. Fifteen IBD-specific instruments were included, which included twelve instruments for adult IBD patients and three for paediatric IBD patients. All of the instruments were developed in North American and European countries. The following common domains were identified: IBD-related symptoms, physical, emotional and social domain. The methodological quality was satisfactory for content validity; fair in internal consistency, reliability, structural validity, hypotheses testing and criterion validity; and poor in measurement error, cross-cultural validity and responsiveness. For adult IBD patients, the IBDQ-32 and its short version (SIBDQ) had good measurement properties and were the most widely used worldwide. For paediatric IBD patients, the IMPACT-III had good measurement properties and had more translated versions. Most methodological quality should be promoted, especially measurement error, cross-cultural validity and responsiveness. The IBDQ-32 was the most widely used instrument with good reliability and validity, followed by the SIBDQ and IMPACT-III. Further validation studies are necessary to support the use of other instruments.

41 CFR 102-36.455 - How do we report excess shelf-life items?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... shelf-life items? 102-36.455 Section 102-36.455 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal...-DISPOSITION OF EXCESS PERSONAL PROPERTY Personal Property Whose Disposal Requires Special Handling Shelf-Life Items § 102-36.455 How do we report excess shelf-life items? You must identify the property as shelf...

Making Democracy Safe for the World: A Game Theory Analysis of the Impact of Elites on the Democratization Process

Science.gov (United States)

2008-12-01

restrictions exist regarding foreign travel, residency, and employment. Individuals may pursue a life of their choosing to include selecting both their...p. 590). Social capital can serve as an antidote. It helps temper the spread of egoism , and upholds the protection of civil liberties. Most

41 CFR 102-36.450 - Do we report excess shelf-life items?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... shelf-life items? 102-36.450 Section 102-36.450 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal...-DISPOSITION OF EXCESS PERSONAL PROPERTY Personal Property Whose Disposal Requires Special Handling Shelf-Life Items § 102-36.450 Do we report excess shelf-life items? (a) When there are quantities on hand, that...

Digital force : disrupting life, liberty and livelihood in the information age

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keulen, van R.J.F.

2018-01-01

This disseration explored the question whether or not the philosophical underpinnings of the international order can still be used to provide the appropriate incentives to guide society in the information age. The disseration consists of three parts: 1. a factual background detailing the natural

Criminal policy of the Colombian State and the rights of persons deprived of liberty: Legislative Analysis and Constitutional Court jurisprudence

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Omar Huertas Díaz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available With the entry into force of the 1991 Constitution, Colombia entered the era of fundamental rights as they catalog the Superior text is large and that the Constitutional Court has given scope beyond the simple meaning of the sentences that make each of these fundamental rights. In turn, it started the legislation has couple that were in effect prior to the new Charter and new rules are enacted. In this legislative development, the Colombian State has issued numerous rules that allow the restriction of personal freedom of the people living in the Colombian territory, whether of a temporary (security measures or has permanent level (custodial sentences. In that future legislation, the crisis within jails and prisons in the country worsened, today introduced massive violations of fundamental rights of persons deprived of liberty by court order. Overcrowding, lack of information necessary to meet the basic needs of prisoners, the absence of a criminal policy consonant with the reality of these detention centers are just some of the issues that shape the aforementioned rights violations. With the research carried seeks to make recommendations to the criminal policies in jail and prison, to enable the State to overcome this crisis.

Psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS): secondary analysis of the Mexican Health and Aging Study.

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López-Ortega, Mariana; Torres-Castro, Sara; Rosas-Carrasco, Oscar

2016-12-09

The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) has been widely used and has proven to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing satisfaction with life in diverse population groups, however, research on satisfaction with life and validation of different measuring instruments in Mexican adults is still lacking. The objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in a representative sample of Mexican adults. This is a methodological study to evaluate a satisfaction with life scale in a sample of 13,220 Mexican adults 50 years of age or older from the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study. The scale's reliability (internal consistency) was analysed using Cronbach's alpha and inter-item correlations. An exploratory factor analysis was also performed. Known-groups validity was evaluated comparing good-health and bad-health participants. Comorbidity, perceived financial situation, self-reported general health, depression symptoms, and social support were included to evaluate the validity between these measures and the total score of the scale using Spearman's correlations. The analysis of the scale's reliability showed good internal consistency (α = 0.74). The exploratory factor analysis confirmed the existence of a unique factor structure that explained 54% of the variance. SWLS was related to depression, perceived health, financial situation, and social support, and these relations were all statistically significant (P life satisfaction between the good- and bad-health groups. Results show good internal consistency and construct validity of the SWLS. These results are comparable with results from previous studies. Meeting the study's objective to validate the scale, the results show that the Spanish version of the SWLS is a reliable and valid measure of satisfaction with life in the Mexican context.

The Virtue of Freedom in Capitalism.

Science.gov (United States)

Machan, Tibor R.

1986-01-01

Argues that the sort of liberty associated with a capitalist economic system is of particular value because it ensures moral self-responsibility. Two conceptions of freedom are developed and related to private property and public virtue. (Author/JDH)

Rights and Responsibilities in the Light of Social Contract Theory

Science.gov (United States)

La Morte, Michael W.

1977-01-01

Discusses the influence of the social contract on American institutions, due process when liberty and property are involved, the nature of an individual's responsibility to the government, and the application of social contract theory to education. (Author/IRT)

Health-related quality of life questionnaires in individuals with haemophilia: a systematic review of their measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Limperg, P F; Terwee, C B; Young, N L; Price, V E; Gouw, S C; Peters, M; Grootenhuis, M A; Blanchette, V; Haverman, L

2017-07-01

The evaluation of health related quality of life (HRQOL) is essential for a full assessment of the influence of an illness on patients' lives. The aim of this paper is to critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of HRQOL questionnaires studied in haemophilia. Bibliographic databases (Embase, Medline, Cinahl and PsycInfo) were searched for articles evaluating measurement properties of HRQOL questionnaires in haemophilia. Articles were excluded that did not report HRQOL measurement properties, or when questionnaires were rated as 'positive', 'indeterminate' or 'negative', accompanied by levels of evidence. The search resulted in 1597 unique hits, of which 22 studies were included. These articles evaluated three questionnaires for children (CHO-KLAT, Haemo-QoL and one unnamed measure) and five for adults (Hemofilia-QoL, Haemophilia Well-Being Index, HAEMO-QoL-A, Haem-A-QoL, and SF-36). The CHO-KLAT was the paediatric measure that showed the strongest measurement properties in high-quality studies. The Haemophilia Well-Being Index and HAEMO-QoL-A performed best among the adult measures. None of the studies reported measurement error and responsiveness. Our findings suggest that there is no need for new disease-specific HRQOL questionnaires for haemophilia, but rather that additional research is necessary to document the measurement properties of the currently available questionnaires, specifically focusing on the structural validity, measurement error and responsiveness of these questionnaires. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Love of Life Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Vahid, Mohammad Kazem Atef; Dadfar, Mahboubeh; Abdel-Khalek, Ahmed M; Lester, David

2016-10-01

A love of life is defined as an overall positive attitude toward life and a liking for life. The present study was designed to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of a Persian version of the Love of Life Scale using a convenience sample of 145 Iranian female volunteer college students (M age = 23.0 years, SD = 3.4). The mean score on the Love of Life Scale was 61.08 (SD = 11.40). A principal component analysis with a Varimax rotation yielded two factors labeled (a) Positive Attitude Towards Life and Happy Consequences of Love of Life and (b) Meaningfulness of Life. Cronbach's alpha was .94 and the one-week test-retest reliability was .85. Love of Life Scale scores had significant positive correlations with scores on the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Adult Hope Scale. The scale displayed negative correlations with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale and the Wish to be Dead Scale. It was concluded that the Persian form of the Love of Life Scale can be recommended for future research on positive psychology. © The Author(s) 2016.

Library associations and social responsibilities: the cases of ALA ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Library associations should not only promote traditional library activities such as the promotion of reading and literacy, but also serve as progressive forces for change. They can serve to protect and enhance civil liberties and freedom of expression, and can promote community organization for enhancing the quality of life.

Emotional intelligence in older adults: psychometric properties of the TMMS-24 and relationship with psychological well-being and life satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Delhom, I; Gutierrez, M; Lucas-Molina, B; Meléndez, J C

2017-08-01

Aging is a process during which important changes occur in different areas of development and emotional intelligence plays an essential role. The objective of this study was twofold: first, to validate the TMMS-24 in an older population; and second, to examine the mediating role of life satisfaction in the relationship between emotional intelligence and psychological well-being. The sample consisted of 215 older adults (60.15% women) with a mean age of 69.56 (SD = 6.42), without cognitive impairment. Data on emotional intelligence, satisfaction with life, and psychological well-being were obtained through the TMMS-24, the SWLS, and Ryff's psychological well-being scales, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were conducted. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the three-dimensional structure of the TMMS-24. The total scale showed an internal consistency of 0.90, ranging from 0.84 to 0.85 for the subscales. Structural equation modeling indicated that emotional intelligence exerted an influence on psychological well-being both directly and indirectly through life satisfaction. These findings show that the TMMS-24 has adequate psychometric properties for assessing emotional intelligence in elderly participants, and they indicate that emotional intelligence influences cognitive and affective judgments of life satisfaction, with these judgments of life satisfaction predicting psychological well-being.

Measurement properties of adult quality-of-life measurement instruments for eczema: protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Apfelbacher, Christian J; Heinl, Daniel; Prinsen, Cecilia A C; Deckert, Stefanie; Chalmers, Joanne; Ofenloch, Robert; Humphreys, Rosemary; Sach, Tracey; Chamlin, Sarah; Schmitt, Jochen

2015-04-16

Eczema is a common chronic or chronically relapsing skin disease that has a substantial impact on quality of life (QoL). By means of a consensus-based process, the Harmonising Outcome Measures in Eczema (HOME) initiative has identified QoL as one of the four core outcome domains to be assessed in all eczema trials (Allergy 67(9):1111-7, 2012). Various measurement instruments exist to measure QoL in adults with eczema, but there is a great variability in both content and quality (for example, reliability and validity) of the instruments used, and it is not always clear if the best instrument is being used. Therefore, the aim of the proposed research is a comprehensive systematic assessment of the measurement properties of the existing measurement instruments that were developed and/or validated for the measurement of patient-reported QoL in adults with eczema. This study is a systematic review of the measurement properties of patient-reported measures of QoL developed and/or validated for adults with eczema. Medline via PubMed and EMBASE will be searched using a selection of relevant search terms. Eligible studies will be primary empirical studies evaluating, describing, or comparing measurement properties of QoL instruments for adult patients with eczema. Eligibility assessment and data abstraction will be performed independently by two reviewers. Evidence tables will be generated for study characteristics, instrument characteristics, measurement properties, and interpretability. The quality of the measurement properties will be assessed using predefined criteria. Methodological quality of studies will be assessed using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. A best evidence synthesis will be undertaken if more than one study has investigated a particular measurement property. The proposed systematic review will produce a comprehensive assessment of measurement properties of existing QoL instruments in

Dysphagia-related quality of life in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy: Psychometric properties of the SWAL-QOL instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Youssof, Sarah; Romero-Clark, Carol; Warner, Teddy; Plowman, Emily

2017-07-01

The Swallowing Quality of Life instrument (SWAL-QOL) is a patient-reported outcome measure of swallowing-related quality of life (SR-QoL). Its psychometric properties in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) are not known. We administered the SWAL-QOL to U.S. OPMD Registry participants. We described SR-QoL profiles and assessed reliability and validity. The mean composite score in 113 individuals with OPMD was 54.4 ± 20.7, indicating moderate impairment. Severe impairments were observed in eating duration, burden, and fatigue scales. Internal consistency reliability of all scales was found to be satisfactory, and 9 of 10 scales demonstrated adequate test-retest reliability. Data confirmed 86% of hypotheses, supporting construct validity. The SWAL-QOL limitations in OPMD include: floor/ceiling effects in 7 of 10 scales and low specificity of sleep, fatigue, and communication scales for dysphagia. SR-QoL is reduced in OPMD. Given several limitations of the SWAL-QOL, development of an improved dysphagia-specific QoL instrument for OPMD is warranted. Muscle Nerve 56: 28-35, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Civil rights between legal provisions and political reality in Albania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doris Koliqi Malaj

2018-03-01

Full Text Available One of the basic principles of civil rights is that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The life protection, liberty and property should be equally guaranteed to citizens to exclude discrimination of minorities or other parts of the population. These rights are an important part of civil liberties and are considered as an essential element for effective citizenship. Arbitrary arrest, terror, torture or other serious and unlawful interference, both by state and private actors, significantly affect the well-being of democracy as it affects the very essence of it. In liberal democracies, leaders legitimized by the people must be involved within the norms and principles of the rule of law in order to establish a healthy relationship between the state and the citizen. This relationship is considered to be damaged in non-liberal democracies as it is affected by the suspension of individual freedoms and rights. This paper aims to analyze whether these individual rights are guaranteed and protected in Albania, considering from the perspective of the legal framework as well as in the political reality. This study aims to analyze the development of human rights, judicial rights and their implementation in our country to come to the conclusion, whether our system is that of a liberal democracy or not.

41 CFR 101-27.205 - Shelf-life codes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Shelf-life codes. 101-27...-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.205 Shelf-life codes. Shelf-life items shall be identified by use of a one-digit code to provide for uniform coding of shelf-life materials by all agencies. (a) The...

The Relationships Between Microstructure, Tensile Properties and Fatigue Life in Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr-0.4Fe (Ti-5553)

Science.gov (United States)

Foltz, John W., IV

beta-titanium alloys are being increasingly used in airframes as a way to decrease the weight of the aircraft. As a result of this movement, Ti-5Al-5V-5Mo-3Cr-0.4Fe (Timetal 555), a high-strength beta titanium alloy, is being used on the current generation of landing gear. This alloy features good combinations of strength, ductility, toughness and fatigue life in alpha+beta processed conditions, but little is known about beta-processed conditions. Recent work by the Center for the Accelerated Maturation of Materials (CAMM) research group at The Ohio State University has improved the tensile property knowledge base for beta-processed conditions in this alloy, and this thesis augments the aforementioned development with description of how microstructure affects fatigue life. In this work, beta-processed microstructures have been produced in a Gleeble(TM) thermomechanical simulator and subsequently characterized with a combination of electron and optical microscopy techniques. Four-point bending fatigue tests have been carried out on the material to characterize fatigue life. All the microstructural conditions have been fatigue tested with the maximum test stress equal to 90% of the measured yield strength. The subsequent results from tensile tests, fatigue tests, and microstructural quantification have been analyzed using Bayesian neural networks in an attempt to predict fatigue life using microstructural and tensile inputs. Good correlation has been developed between lifetime predictions and experimental results using microstructure and tensile inputs. Trained Bayesian neural networks have also been used in a predictive fashion to explore functional dependencies between these inputs and fatigue life. In this work, one section discusses the thermal treatments that led to the observed microstructures, and the possible sequence of precipitation that led to these microstructures. The thesis then describes the implications of microstructure on fatigue life and

Comparison of Models for Ball Bearing Dynamic Capacity and Life

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Pradeep K.; Oswald, Fred B.; Zaretsky, Erwin V.

2015-01-01

Generalized formulations for dynamic capacity and life of ball bearings, based on the models introduced by Lundberg and Palmgren and Zaretsky, have been developed and implemented in the bearing dynamics computer code, ADORE. Unlike the original Lundberg-Palmgren dynamic capacity equation, where the elastic properties are part of the life constant, the generalized formulations permit variation of elastic properties of the interacting materials. The newly updated Lundberg-Palmgren model allows prediction of life as a function of elastic properties. For elastic properties similar to those of AISI 52100 bearing steel, both the original and updated Lundberg-Palmgren models provide identical results. A comparison between the Lundberg-Palmgren and the Zaretsky models shows that at relatively light loads the Zaretsky model predicts a much higher life than the Lundberg-Palmgren model. As the load increases, the Zaretsky model provides a much faster drop off in life. This is because the Zaretsky model is much more sensitive to load than the Lundberg-Palmgren model. The generalized implementation where all model parameters can be varied provides an effective tool for future model validation and enhancement in bearing life prediction capabilities.

Health related quality of life measures in Arabic speaking populations: a systematic review on cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Al Sayah, Fatima; Ishaque, Sana; Lau, Darren; Johnson, Jeffrey A

2013-02-01

This systematic review was conducted to identify generic health related quality of life (HRQL) measures translated into Arabic, and evaluate their cross-cultural adaptation and measurement properties. Six databases were searched, relevant journals were hand searched, and reference lists of included studies were reviewed. Previously established criteria were used to evaluate the cross-cultural adaptation of the identified instruments and their measurement properties. Twenty studies that reported the Arabic translations and adaptations of HRQL measures and/or their measurement properties were included in this review. The identified instruments were SF-36, RAND-36, WHOQOL-Bref, COOP/WONCA charts, EQ-5D, and QLI. Cross-cultural adaptations of all measures were of moderate to good quality, and evaluation of measurement properties was limited due to insufficiency of evidence. Based on cross-cultural adaptation evaluation, each instrument is more applicable to the population for whom it was adapted, and to other Arabic populations of similar culture and language specific idioms. This review facilitates the selection among existing Arabic versions of generic HRQL for use in particular Arabic countries. However, each of the translated versions requires further investigation of measurement properties before more concrete recommendations could be made.

Life Satisfaction in Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas-Carrasco, Ramona; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2012-01-01

We appraised life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and analysed its psychometric properties in persons with intellectual disability (ID). Ninety-nine persons with ID from four services in Spain participated. A battery of subjective assessments was used, including the SWLS, a Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-BREF), and…

STUDY ON THE POLICY FRAMEWORK TOWARDS WORK LIFE BALANCE IN INDIA

OpenAIRE

Sonia Delrose Noronha; P. S. Aithal; M. D. Pradeep

2017-01-01

Women constitute half of total population in India. The roles played by men and women in the society are not biologically determined but socially justified through the culture or religion. Indian history has exposed instances of discrimination against women infringing their rights for equality, liberty and freedom. It diluted their status in the society and made them a ‘weaker sex’. Indian Constitution forced the social system to divert from the discriminatory ideologies towards equity.Women...

Right to life, right to die and assisted suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Chetwynd, S B

2004-01-01

In 2002 Diane Pretty went to the European Court of Human Rights to gain a ruling about assisted suicide. In the course of this she argued that the right to life implied a right to die. This paper will consider, from an ethical rather than a legal point of view, how the right to life might imply (or not) a right to die, and whether this includes either a right that others shall help us die, or a right against non-interference if others are willing to help us. It does this by comparing the right to life to conceptions of property rights. This is not because I think human life is property, but because some of our ways of talking and thinking about our control over our own lives seem to be similar to our thoughts about our control over our own property. The right to life has traditionally been taken as a negative right, that is a right that others not deprive us of life. Pretty's argument, however, seems to be moving towards a positive right, not just to remain alive, but to be enabled in doing what we want to with our lives, and thus disposing of them if we so choose. The comparison with property rights suggests that the right to die only applies if our lives are ours absolutely, and may itself be modified by the suggestion that suicide harms all of us by devaluing human life in general.

PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTY OF FATIGUE SEVERITY SCALE AND CORRELATION WITH DEPRESSION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN CIRRHOTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danusa ROSSI

2017-10-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a common complaint in cirrhotic patients and may be considered a debilitating symptom with negative impact on quality of life. Research on its etiology and treatment has been hampered by the lack of relevant and reproducible measures of fatigue. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS in cirrhotic patients and to correlate with depressive symptomatology and quality of life. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 106 cirrhotic patients, aged between 18 and 70 years, both genders, literate, pre and post liver transplantation in outpatient follow-up. Internal consistency, reproducibility, discriminant validity, criterion validity, construct validity, responsiveness criterion, depressive symptomatology and quality of life were evaluated through questionnaires between January and October 2015. RESULTS: The mean age was 54.75±9.9 years, 65.1% male and 32.1% of the sample had cirrhosis due to hepatitis C virus. The mean FSS score was 4.74±1.64. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.93, and the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.905 (95% CI: 0.813-0.952. For discriminant validity, FSS differentiated scores from different groups (P=0.009 and presented a correlation with the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (r=0.606, P=0.002. FSS correlated significantly and positively with depressive symptomatology and correlated negatively with the SF-36 domains for construct validity. For responsiveness, no significant changes were observed in the fatigue scores in the pre and post-liver transplantation periods (P=0.327. CONCLUSION: FSS showed good psychometric performance in the evaluation of fatigue in patients with cirrhosis. Fatigue presented a strong correlation with depressive symptomatology and quality of life.

Application of annealing for WWER vessels life extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badanin, V.I.; Gorynin, I.V.; Nickolaev, V.A.; Dragunov, Y.G.; Fedorov, V.G.

1989-01-01

Safe operation of NPP is greatly dependent on the guarantee of reactor vessel brittle failure strength with account for the effect of radiation embrittlement of vessel material. Recovery of irradiated material properties is principally important way to extend radiation life of reactor vessel. The aim of this report is to demonstrate the efficiency of annealing for recovery of vessel material properties and extension of its service-life

George Morrison: Anishinaabe Expressionist Artist

Science.gov (United States)

Vizenor, Gerald

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses the life and works of an Anishinaabe expressionist artist George Morrison. Morrison was an eminent expressionist painter with a singular romantic vision and an erudite sense of natural reason and liberty. He created an elusive shimmer of "endless space," the color and eternal motion of nature. The…

The psychology of corporate rights: Perception of corporate versus individual rights to religious liberty, privacy, and free speech.

Science.gov (United States)

Mentovich, Avital; Huq, Aziz; Cerf, Moran

2016-04-01

The U.S. Supreme Court has increasingly expanded the scope of constitutional rights granted to corporations and other collective entities. Although this tendency receives widespread public and media attention, little empirical research examines how people ascribe rights, commonly thought to belong to natural persons, to corporations. This article explores this issue in 3 studies focusing on different rights (religious liberty, privacy, and free speech). We examined participants' willingness to grant a given right while manipulating the type of entity at stake (from small businesses, to larger corporations, to for-profit and nonprofit companies), and the identity of the right holder (from employees, to owners, to the company itself as a separate entity). We further examined the role of political ideology in perceptions of rights. Results indicated a significant decline in the degree of recognition of entities' rights (the company itself) in comparison to natural persons' rights (owners and employees). Results also demonstrated an effect of the type of entity at stake: Larger, for-profit businesses were less likely to be viewed as rights holders compared with nonprofit entities. Although both tendencies persisted across the ideological spectrum, ideological differences emerged in the relations between corporate and individual rights: these were positively related among conservatives but negatively related among liberals. Finally, we found that the desire to protect citizens (compared with businesses) underlies individuals' willingness to grant rights to companies. These findings show that people (rather than corporations) are more appropriate recipients of rights, and can explain public backlash to judicial expansions of corporate rights. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of chemistry variations on the short-term rupture life and tensile properties of 20% cold-worked type 316 stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duncan, D.R.; Paxton, M.M.

1977-01-01

The effects of compositional variations on the rupture life of 20% cold-worked Type 316 stainless steel were investigated at 19-ksi (131-MPa) uniaxial tensile stress and at 1400 0 F (1033 K). Forty-nine different alloys were studied, with compositional variations from nominal in carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, boron, manganese, copper, silicon, molybdenum, cobalt, chromium and nickel. This alloy and cold-work level represents the duct and fuel cladding material choice for the first four core loadings of the Fast Flux Test Facility, a key element in the Liquid-Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. Tensile properties of four of the alloys were studied at temperatures from room temperature to 1600 0 F (1144 K). Boron, nitrogen, and molybdenum plus silicon additions significantly increased rupture life, while chromium and carbon additions decreased rupture life. Molybdenum plus silicon additions increased yield and ultimate strength and ductility at 1200 0 F (922 K) and below

Shelf life prediction of radiation sterilized polymeric materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandford, Craig; Woo, Lecon

1988-01-01

The functional properties of many polymers employed in medical disposables are unaffected by sterilizing doses of ionizing radiation. However, some materials (PVC, polypropylene, cellulosics, etc.) undergo undesirable changes which continue to occur for the shelf life of the product. In many cases, conventional accelerated aging techniques do not accurately predict the real time properties of the materials. As real time aging is not generally practical, it has become necessary to develop accelerated aging techniques which can predict the functional properties of a material for the shelf life of the product. This presentation will address issues involved in developing these tests. Real time physical property data is compared to data generated by various acceleration methods. (author)

The Origins of Agrarianism and the Development of the Self.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson, Victor Davis

1998-01-01

Describes the history of agrarianism and its connection with Western cultural values of private property, civil liberties, constitutional government, separation of power, individualism, and self-reliance. Argues that agrarian history has vast implications beyond just farming, affecting the language, values, and foundations of culture. Discusses…

Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Menopause-Specific Quality-of-Life questionnaire.

Science.gov (United States)

Nie, Guangning; Yang, Hongyan; Liu, Jian; Zhao, ChunMei; Wang, Xiaoyun

2017-05-01

The Menopause-Specific Quality-of-Life (MENQOL) questionnaire was developed as a specific tool to measure the health-related quality-of-life of postmenopausal women. Thus far, the Chinese version questionnaire has not been subjected to psychometric assessment with a large sample. This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of the MENQOL specific to postmenopausal women in China. A total of 1,137 menopausal symptomatic and 491 menopausal asymptomatic women from eight cities in China were recruited using a convenience sampling method. Psychometric properties were evaluated by descriptive statistics, validity, and reliability. Reliability was assessed for each subscale of the MENQOL through internal consistency reliability with Cronbach's α and intersubscale correlations. Item-domain correlations, principal components analysis (PCA), and confirmatory factor analysis were performed to determine construct validity. t tests were used to compare the differences between the menopausal symptomatic and asymptomatic women and to evaluate the discriminate validity. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between MENQOL scores and the Kupperman index to assess criterion-related validity. The most common symptoms in Chinese menopausal symptomatic women were "experiencing poor memory" (94.4%), "feeling tired or worn out" (93.8%), "aching in muscle and joints" (89.4%), "low backache" (86.9%), "decrease in physical strength" (86.6%), "aches in back of neck or head" (86.2%), "difficulty sleeping" (83.6%), "accomplishing less than I used to" (83.4%), "feeling a lack of energy" (83.3%), "change in your sexual desire" (81%), and "hot flash" (80.7%) among others. The symptoms of "increased facial hair" were rarely seen (9.9%). The vasomotor domain, as well as psychosocial, physical, and sexual domains showed high reliability (Cronbach's α 0.84, 0.87, 0.89, and 0.86, respectively). Item-domain correlation analysis showed that all items

AFRREV IJAH, Vol.1 (1) Feb., 2012

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

and trail within a reasonable time by an legislation is prohibited and only the offender may be personally punished . Other rights are qualified. Thus the right to life, liberty, freedom of conscience, freedom of derogated from by law. There is no express derogation rather the phraseology used is one of the following: ―except.

The right of property and its social function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erida Pejo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Rights of property are the main prerequisites for the existence of any political society, as it is an objective necessity for their normal functioning and continuity. Property and right of property are the constituent of autonomous life in the realization of the world of individual or collective goals, without the protection and guarantee of which, it is oft en stated that the respect and enjoyment of the entirety of other constitutional rights cannot be imagined. Rights of property are presented and considered as one of the most important issues of legal and political doctrines, and it represents one of the fundamental issues of national and international policy. The classic liberal property concept has dominated the modern legal and political debates and imagination. The property institution is oft en conceived as a quasi absolute subjective right, a concept that, in the modern era, competes with alternative concepts that have influenced both state policies and modern legal culture and consciousness, the consequences of which are reflected in legal systems. One of the most influential alternative concepts is the social function of property,1 of course in modern legal culture the property is understood as an individual right, limited not only by the rights of others, but also by the public interest. Thus, modern legal thinking, although it regards it as a basic element of the normal functioning of the Rule of Law, the private property institution has given a new emphasis to this right, altering the basis for the attribution of property power by the fact that, the relation of the individual to his/ her personality in a social organization, is considered as substantive to the juridical order, therefore the volume of ownership power may not be more unconditional. The social function cannot be identified with the external limitation of ownership which is reserved to collectivity, but it is presented as an elitist, unifying expression of the

Life management of Zr 2.5% Nb pressure tube through estimation of fracture properties by cyclic ball indentation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chatterjee, S.; Madhusoodanan, K.; Rama Rao, A.

2015-01-01

In Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) fuel bundles are located inside horizontal pressure tubes. Pressure tubes made up of Zr 2.5 wt% Nb undergo degradation during in-service environmental conditions. Measurement of mechanical properties of degraded pressure tubes is important for assessing its fitness for further service in the reactor. The only way to accomplish this important objective is to develop a system based on insitu measurement technique. Considering the importance of such measurement, an In-situ Property Measurement System (IProMS) based on cyclic ball indentation technique has been designed and developed indigenously. The remotely operable system is capable of carrying out indentation trial on the inside surface of the pressure tube and to estimate important mechanical properties like yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, hardness etc. It is known that fracture toughness is one of the important life limiting parameters of the pressure tube. Hence, five spool pieces of Zr 2.5 wt% Nb pressure tube of different mechanical properties have been used for estimation of fracture toughness by ball indentation method. Curved Compact Tension (CCT) specimens were also prepared from the five spool pieces for measurement of fracture toughness from conventional tests. The conventional fracture toughness values were used as reference data. A methodology has been developed to estimate the fracture properties of Zr 2.5 wt% Nb pressure tube material from the analysis of the ball indentation test data. This paper highlights the comparison between tensile properties measured from conventional tests and IProMS trials and relates the fracture toughness parameters measured from conventional tests with the IProMS estimated fracture properties like Indentation Energy to Fracture. (author)

Seasonal variations of agar extracted from different life stages of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Seasonality in yield, physical and chemical properties of the native agar from different life stages of Gracilaria cliftonii was investigated over a period of six seasons (autumn 2008–winter 2009). Agar yield and its properties varied as a function of seasons and life stages but there was no significant correlation between ...

The Polish version of Skindex-29: psychometric properties of an instrument to measure quality of life in dermatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Janowski, Konrad; Steuden, Stanisława; Bereza, Bernarda

2014-02-01

Skin conditions have a negative impact on quality of life and it is necessary to quantify this impact. Skindex-29 is a self-report questionnaire developed to measure dermatology-specific quality of life. The objective of this study is to adapt this questionnaire to Polish conditions. The adaptation procedure involved the works on the linguistic content of the items and testing psychometric properties of the Polish version of Skindex-29, including item characteristics, factorial structure, aspects of reliability and validity. Two-hundred and ninety patients (63.4% women and 35.2% men) suffering from a range of skin conditions were recruited from several dermatological out-patient and in-patient clinics in Poland. Quality of life was measured using Skindex-29 and appropriate clinical data were collected. The global score of Skindex-29 showed the normal distribution. Cronbach's α reliability coefficients were found to be high to very high for all Skindex-29 indexes. Factor analysis yielded four factors, in contrast to the original version of the questionnaire, for which a three-factor solution had been reported. Skindex-29 validity was demonstrated by showing the differences in the quality of life scores across different diagnostic categories, and between in-patients and out-patients. Skindex-29 global scores were found to be significantly predicted by the localization of the skin lesions on legs, anogenital areas and palms. The findings of this study support reliability and validity of the Polish version of Skindex-29, but they also raise questions to its three-factor structure.

Product Life Design: Notes for course 41627

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAloone, Timothy Charles; Andreasen, Mogens Myrup

2003-01-01

- and ecological specifications, life cycle-oriented quality, whole life costs. - Product life systems, "the meeting", relational properties, the role of the human operator. - Modelling of the product and the product life cycle, computer modelling. - The score model, Integrated Product Development, Life Cycle...... Engineering, Concurrent Engineering. - The importance of the product concept, explicit life phase concepts. - Modelling of meetings, "universal virtues", simulation. - Product modelling, Product Data Management, life cycle databases, design history, documentation. - The structure and the content of the DFX......The course in product life design is designed to give an understanding of the phenomena of life cycle and product life thinking, the role of product design in fitting to product life systems and thus achieving sound product life perspectives. The course aims at developing an ability in the student...

Recognizing a fundamental liberty interest protecting the right to die: an analysis of statutes which criminalize or legalize physician-assisted suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarnow, W J

1996-01-01

Physician-assisted suicide is one of the most controversial issues in society today. We live in an age where medical technology has developed so fast and so far that those who would have swiftly succumbed to deadly diseases in the not too distant past are now living, or, rather, being kept alive long past the point of meaningful existence. Although everyone sympathizes with the painful plight of the terminally ill, the specter of physician-assisted suicide gives many pause, and rightfully so: one need only think of the carbon monoxide contraption in the back of Dr. Death's infamous van to realize that society must address the issue of the right to die. Is there any solution to this great debate? In this note, Mr. William Tarnow passionately answers in the affirmative. Mr. Tarnow analyzes the constitutionality of state statutes which either criminalize or legalize physician-assisted suicide under both the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Constitution of the United States. The note also considers the case law, largely from the federal Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, invalidating and upholding such statutes under the Constitution. Arguing that there is indeed a constitutional liberty interest in physician-assisted suicide, Mr. Tarnow concludes by suggesting that state legislatures can and must create legislation that legalizes physician-assisted suicide and passes constitutional muster.

Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness : Cyberhate, Cybercrime, and Cyberterrorism in Burma

Science.gov (United States)

2014-10-30

the Global System for Mobile Communications standard. The biggest difference between 2G and 3G is that 2G data rates allow users only voice calls...citizens onto the 3G network, and thereby onto the Internet, in short order. 17 The explosion of mobile phone and Internet availability and the...2011, Burma ranked next to last in mobile phone penetration rates, behind even notoriously reclusive North Korea, with less than 1% of the population

BWR internals life assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrera, M.L.; Stancavage, P.P.

1988-01-01

Boiling water reactor (BWR) internal components play an important role in power plant life extension. Many important internals were not designed for easy removal and changes in material properties and local environmental effects due to high radiation makes stress corrosion cracking more likely and more difficult to correct. Over the past several years, operating experience has shown that inspection, monitoring and refurbishment can be accomplished for internal structures with existing technology. In addition, mitigation techniques which address the causes of degradation are available to assure that life extension targets can be met. This paper describes the many considerations and aspects when evaluating life extension for reactor vessel internals

Rethinking Some Cultural Practices that Affect the Rights of Women ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Human Rights have been identified as encompassing and embracing the rights of all humans which are entitled to. These rights, amongst others, include civil and political rights such as the right to life and liberty, dignity, equality before the law and freedom of expression. Others are those of the right to work, the right to ...

Politicizing Pedagogy: Teaching for Liberty and Justice at Urban Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Kolluri, Suneal

2018-01-01

Recent scholarship on civic education has introduced some useful ways to engage students in learning about controversial topics, debating them, and participating in democratic life. However, while those are valuable tools for active citizenship, they're not sufficient. Democratic education should focus on issues that matter intensely to students'…

State of health of persons deprived of their liberty when entering the Uruguayan Penitentiary System between January and June 2016

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gimena Calero

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In Uruguay, there are no studies that keep a record of the state of health of persons deprived of their liberty (PDL when entering the prison system. We carried out a descriptive cross sectional study in a population of 1959 persons of male sex that entered the Diagnosis and Referral of Prosecuted Persons Center (CDDPP, for its Spanish acronym in the period comprising 1 January and 30 June 2016. The objective was to characterize said population according to the following variables: age, communicable diseases and prophylactic measures, substance abuse, homelessness, recidivism, chronic diseases and vaccination schedule. The methodology applied consisted of the analysis of data gathered by the health team of the CDDPP when PDL entered said institution. The studied population is mainly young: more than 90 % are younger than 45 years old. Homelessness accounts for 11.8 % and 34 % reentered the penitentiary system. Chronic carriers represent 9.6 % of said population and 63.3 % are smokers. The cases of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency virus, syphilis and tuberculosis (BK represent 1.32 %; 1.53 % and 0.66 % respectively; 65 % of PDL suffer from substance abuse (pasta base de cocaína -cocaine paste-, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol and others. Conclusions: there exist deficiencies in DPL´s heath when entering the penitentiary system. The healthcare system has the opportunity to act, improve and respect the right to health of this vulnerable population. Improving the health of this population would also benefit general population.

Occurrence of herbicides and pharmaceutical and personal care products in surface water and groundwater around Liberty Bay, Puget Sound, Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

Dougherty, Jennifer A; Swarzenski, Peter W; Dinicola, Richard S; Reinhard, Martin

2010-01-01

Organic contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), pose a risk to water quality and the health of ecosystems. This study was designed to determine if a coastal community lacking point sources, such as waste water treatment plant effluent, could release PPCPs, herbicides, and plasticizers at detectable levels to their surface water and groundwater. Research was conducted in Liberty Bay, an embayment within Puget Sound, where 70% of the population (-10,000) uses septic systems. Sampling included collection of groundwater and surface water with grab samples and the use of polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS). We analyzed for a broad spectrum of 25 commonly used compounds, including PPCPs, herbicides, and a flame retardant. Twelve contaminants were detected at least once; only N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide, caffeine, and mecoprop, a herbicide not attributed to septic systems, were detected in more than one grab sample. The use of POCIS was essential because contaminants were present at very low levels (nanograms), which is common for PPCPs in general, but particularly so in such a small community. The use of POCIS allowed the detection of five compounds that were not present in grab samples. Data suggest that the community is contaminating local water with PPCPs; this effect is likely to increase as the population and product usage increase. The results presented here are a first step toward assessing the transport of herbicides and PPCPs into this coastal system.

Shelf life of anchovy products (Engraulis encrasicolus: evaluation of sensory, microbiological and chemical properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea Ariano

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Fishery products have always been an important food in Italy. In the past, increased consumption was mainly due to the good quality of the products, easiness of use and their beneficial effects on health. Recently, owing to the national financial crisis, there has been a decline in the consumption of fish. In fact, in 2013, according to data from ISMEA, the consumption of fresh fish suffered a sharp contraction (-5%. This decline also concerns anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus. This species, partly because of its low price, is a mainstay of traditional Italian food. The aim of this study was to evaluate sensorial, chemical and microbiological properties of anchovy-based (Engraulis encrasicolus products during storage at 4 and -20°C. Fresh anchovies, obtained from the wholesale fish market of Pozzuoli (Southern Italy were cut into small pieces and hand-prepared using bread, eggs, cheese and lemon juice. Samples were analysed after 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days of storage at 4°C. An aliquot was quickly frozen and analysed after 34 days at -20°C. Sensory assessment, microbiological (specific spoilage organisms, Listeria spp. and Salmonella spp. and chemical (histamine, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, thiobarbituric acid, pH and aw analyses were performed. Results showed that the shelf life of anchovy products was less than 5 days for the samples stored at 4°C. At -20°C, all anchovies preparations showed good sensory, microbiological and chemical properties for 34 days.

41 CFR 101-27.204 - Types of shelf-life items.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Types of shelf-life items...-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.204 Types of shelf-life items. Shelf-life items are classified as nonextendable (Type I) and extendable (Type II). Type I items have a definite storage life after which the item...

Assessments of Mechanical and Life Limiting Properties of Two Candidate Silicon Nitrides for Stirling Convertor Heater Head Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sung R.; Krause, David L.

2006-01-01

NASA Glenn Research Center is developing advanced technology for Stirling convertors with a target of significantly improving the specific power and efficiency of the convertor and overall generator for Mars rovers and deep space missions. One specific approach to the target has been recognized as the use of appropriate high-temperature materials. As a series of ceramic material approaches in Advanced Stirling Convertor Development Program in fiscal year 2005, two commercial, structural silicon nitrides AS800 (Honeywell, Torrence, California) and SN282 (Kyocera, Vancouver, Washington) were selected and their mechanical and life limiting properties were characterized at 1050 C in air. AS800 exhibited both strength and Weibull modulus greater than SN282. A life limiting phenomenon was apparent in AS800 with a low slow crack growth parameter n = 15; whereas, a much increased resistance to slow crack growth was found in SN282 with n greater than 100. Difference in elastic modulus and thermal conductivity was negligible up to 1200 C between the two silicon nitrides. The same was true for the coefficient of thermal expansion up to 1400 C.

Tidal day organic and inorganic material flux of ponds in the Liberty Island freshwater tidal wetland.

Science.gov (United States)

Lehman, Peggy W; Mayr, Shawn; Liu, Leji; Tang, Alison

2015-01-01

The loss of inorganic and organic material export and habitat produced by freshwater tidal wetlands is hypothesized to be an important contributing factor to the long-term decline in fishery production in San Francisco Estuary. However, due to the absence of freshwater tidal wetlands in the estuary, there is little information on the export of inorganic and organic carbon, nutrient or phytoplankton community biomass and the associated mechanisms. A single-day study was conducted to assess the potential contribution of two small vegetated ponds and one large open-water pond to the inorganic and organic material flux within the freshwater tidal wetland Liberty Island in San Francisco Estuary. The study consisted of an intensive tidal day (25.5 h) sampling program that measured the flux of inorganic and organic material at three ponds using continuous monitoring of flow, chlorophyll a, turbidity and salt combined with discrete measurements of phytoplankton community carbon, total and dissolved organic carbon and nutrient concentration at 1.5 h intervals. Vegetated ponds had greater material concentrations than the open water pond and, despite their small area, contributed up to 81% of the organic and 61% of the inorganic material flux of the wetland. Exchange between ponds was important to wetland flux. The small vegetated pond in the interior of the wetland contributed as much as 72-87% of the total organic carbon and chlorophyll a and 10% of the diatom flux of the wetland. Export of inorganic and organic material from the small vegetated ponds was facilitated by small-scale topography and tidal asymmetry that produced a 40% greater material export on ebb tide. The small vegetated ponds contrasted with the large open water pond, which imported 29-96% of the inorganic and 4-81% of the organic material into the wetland from the adjacent river. This study identified small vegetated ponds as an important source of inorganic and organic material to the wetland and the

Contested Property Claims

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Property relations are such a common feature of social life that we can sometimes forget the immense complexity of the web of laws, practices, and ideas that allow a property regime to function smoothly. But we are quickly reminded of this complexity when social conflict over property erupts. When...... social actors confront a property regime – for example by squatting – they enact what can be called ‘contested property claims’. These confrontations raise crucial issues of social justice and show the ways in which property conflicts often reflect wider social conflicts. Through a series of case studies...... from across the globe, this multidisciplinary anthology exploring contested property claims brings together works from anthropologists, legal scholars, and geographers, who show how disagreements give us a privileged window onto how property regimes function and illustrates the many ways...

Contested Property Claims

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Property relations are such a common feature of social life that the complexity of the web of laws, practices, and ideas that allow a property regime to function smoothly are often forgotten. But we are quickly reminded of this complexity when conflict over property erupts. When social actors...... confront a property regime – for example by squatting – they enact what can be called ‘contested property claims’. As this book demonstrates, these confrontations raise crucial issues of social justice and show the ways in which property conflicts often reflect wider social conflicts. Through a series...... of case studies from across the globe, this multidisciplinary anthology brings together works from anthropologists, legal scholars, and geographers, who show how exploring contested property claims offers a privileged window onto how property regimes function, as well as an illustration of the many ways...

Synergistic effect of Aspergillus tubingensis CTM 507 glucose oxidase in presence of ascorbic acid and alpha amylase on dough properties, baking quality and shelf life of bread

OpenAIRE

Kriaa, Mouna; Ouhibi, Rabeb; Graba, Héla; Besbes, Souhail; Jardak, Mohamed; Kammoun, Radhouane

2015-01-01

The impact of Aspergillus tubingensis glucose oxidase (GOD) in combination with α-amylase and ascorbic acid on dough properties, qualities and shelf life of bread was investigated. Regression models of alveograph and texture parameters of dough and bread were adjusted. Indeed, the mixture of GOD (44 %) and ascorbic acid (56 %) on flour containing basal improver showed its potential as a corrective action to get better functional and rheological properties of dough and bread texture. Furthermo...

Free Markets, Property Rights and Climate Change: How to Privatize Climate Policy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham Dawson

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The goal has been to devise a strategy that protects as much as possible the rights and liberties of all agents, both users of fossil fuels and people whose livelihoods and territories are at risk if the anthropogenic global warming (AGW hypothesis is true. To achieve this goal the standard climate policy instruments, taxes and emissions trading, should be discontinued. There are weaknesses in the theoretical perspectives used to justify these policy instruments and climate science cannot provide the knowledge that would be needed to justify their implementation. In their place I propose a privatised policy, based on Austrian and libertarian frameworks of thought, which share an interpretation of climate change as a putative interpersonal conflict rather than market failure. The use of fossil fuels, like any other economic activity, should be subject to side-constraints designed to avoid the infringement of other people’s property rights. Tort litigation on the basis of strict liability would protect these rights, insofar as they need protecting. By providing a public arena for the competitive testing of scientific hypotheses concerning climate change, such litigation would also promote the public understanding and even the advancement of climate science.

CRIMINAL PROTECTION OF PRIVATE LIFE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RADU SLAVOIU

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This study is meant, first of all, to analyze the incriminations that the new Romanian Criminal Code sets for the protection of a person’s private life as a social value of maximum significance both for the human being and for any democratic society as a whole.There are two criminal offences treated in this study that are not to be found in the current criminal legislation: violation of private life and criminal trespassing of a legal person’s property. Likewise, the study will bring forth the novelties and the differences regarding the offences of criminal trespassing of a natural person’s property, disclosure of professional secret, violation of secret correspondence, illegal access to computerized system and illegal interception of electronic data transfer – acts that when, directly or indirectly, committed can cause harm to the intimacy of a person’s life.As an expression of the interdisciplinary nature of this subject, the study also sets out, as a subsidiary aspect, an evaluation of the circumstances under which the new criminal proceeding legislation allows public authorities to interfere with an individual’s private life. Thus, the emphasis is on the analysis of the circumstances under which special surveillance and investigation techniques can be used as evidence proceedings regulated by the new Romanian Criminal Procedure Code.

The general entity of life: a cybernetic approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Bielecki, Andrzej

2015-06-01

Life, not only in the well-known context of biochemical metabolism but also in the context of hypothetical life synthesized laboratorially or possibly found on other planets, is considered in this paper. The three-component information-energetic-structural irreducible processing in autonomous systems is the core of the proposed approach. The cybernetic organization of a general entity of life--the alivon--is postulated. The crucial properties of life and evolution are derived from the proposed approach. Information encoded in biological structures is also studied.

Examining the Psychometric Properties of the Pediatric Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire in Two Samples of Youth with OCD.

Science.gov (United States)

Wellen, B; Skriner, L C; Freeman, J; Stewart, E; Garcia, A; Sapyta, J; Franklin, M

2017-02-01

Researchers have demonstrated that quality of life (QOL) is an important construct to measure in individuals with mental health disorders, yet only a small amount of research has been dedicated to examining QOL and its response to treatment in children and adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The current study explored the psychometric properties of a measure of QOL, the Pediatric Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (PQ-LES-Q), by examining the reliability, validity, and treatment sensitivity of this measure delivered in two separate RCTs for OCD (total N = 251 across both studies). Our results provide evidence for the reliability and validity of the PQ-LES-Q in adolescents with OCD (all Cronbach's alphas >.89, convergent validity correlations significant at the p < .05 level), but that an adaptation of the measure many be necessary for valid use in younger children with OCD.

41 CFR 60-741.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. 60-741.25 Section 60-741.25 Public Contracts and Property Management... Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service...

Optical Detection of Life on Exoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Heap, Sara

2009-01-01

We describe what is known about the atmospheric properties (Teff, lob g, [FelH]) and fundamental properties (mass, age, and metal content) of nearby stars and how they influence the habitable zones and habitable eras of these stars. We then take an observer's point of view to assess the ability of optical telescopes to detect photosynthetic or methanogenic life on planets orbiting these stars.

Economic Freedom and Life Satisfaction : A Cross Country Analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Graafland, J.J.; Compen, B.

2012-01-01

Abstract: This paper estimates the relationship between various sub-indicators of economic freedom and life satisfaction for 122 countries. The estimation results show that life satisfaction is positively related to the quality of the legal system and protection of property rights. For poor

Life Cycle Assessment and Risk Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Stig Irving

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool for environmental assessment of product and systems – over the whole life cycle from acquisition of raw materials to the end-of-life of the product – and encompassing all environmental impacts of emissions and resource usage, e.g. global warming, acidification...... cycle. The models for assessing toxic impacts in LCA are to a large extent based on those developed for RA, e.g. EUSES, and require basic information about the inherent properties of the emissions like solubility, LogKow,ED50 etc. Additionally, it is a prerequisite to know how to characterize...

The Satisfaction With Life Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Diener, E; Emmons, R A; Larsen, R J; Griffin, S

1985-02-01

This article reports the development and validation of a scale to measure global life satisfaction, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS). Among the various components of subjective well-being, the SWLS is narrowly focused to assess global life satisfaction and does not tap related constructs such as positive affect or loneliness. The SWLS is shown to have favorable psychometric properties, including high internal consistency and high temporal reliability. Scores on the SWLS correlate moderately to highly with other measures of subjective well-being, and correlate predictably with specific personality characteristics. It is noted that the SWLS is Suited for use with different age groups, and other potential uses of the scale are discussed.

Life prediction of l6 steel using strain-life curve and cyclic stress-strain curve by means of low cycle fatigue testing

Science.gov (United States)

Inamdar, Sanket; Ukhande, Manoj; Date, Prashant; Lomate, Dattaprasad; Takale, Shyam; Singh, RKP

2017-05-01

L6 Steel is used as die material in closed die hot forging process. This material is having some unique properties. These properties are due to its composition. Strain softening is the noticeable property of this material. Due to this in spite of cracking at high stress this material gets plastically deformed and encounters loss in time as well as money. Studies of these properties are necessary to nurture this material at fullest extent. In this paper, numerous experiments have been carried on L6 material to evaluate cyclic Stress - strain behavior as swell as strain-life behavior of the material. Low cycle fatigue test is carried out on MTS fatigue test machine at fully reverse loading condition R=-1. Also strain softening effect on forging metal forming process is explained in detail. The failed samples during low cycle fatigue test further investigated metallurgically on scanning electron microscopy. Based on this study, life estimation of hot forging die is carried out and it’s correlation with actual shop floor data is found out. This work also concludes about effect of pre-treatments like nitro-carburizing and surface coating on L6 steel material, to enhance its fatigue life to certain extent.

Psychometric properties of HeartQoL, a core heart disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in Danish implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zangger, Graziella; Zwisler, Ann-Dorthe; Kikkenborg Berg, Selina

2017-01-01

Background Patient-reported health-related quality of life is increasingly used as an outcome measure in clinical trials and as a performance measure to evaluate quality of care. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Danish HeartQoL questionnaire, a core heart...... disease-specific health-related quality of life questionnaire, in implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients. Design This study involved cross-sectional and test-retest study designs. Method Implantable cardioverter defibrillator recipients in the cross-sectional study completed the Heart......QoL, the Short-Form 36 Health Survey, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The HeartQoL structure, construct-related validity (convergent and discriminative) and reliability (internal consistency) were assessed. HeartQoL reproducibility (test-retest) was assessed in an independent sample of implantable...

River Mileages and Drainage Areas for Illinois Streams. Volume 2. Illinois River Basin.

Science.gov (United States)

1979-12-01

52.2 WALNUT FORK L LIBERTY 53.1 WALKER BRANCH P LIBERTY 53.3 ROAn S06,TO?S,R05W LIBERTY 54.0 CURL CREEK L LIBERTY 54.4 ROAn S06,T02SR05W LIBERTY 34 QI...33TOI01N 5OW AUGUSTA T13.3 US HWY 24 AUGUSTA 14.4 TOPOGRAPHIC DIVIDE AUGUSTA WALKER BRANCH (MOUTH AT MCKEE CREEK MILE 53.1) ADAMS COUNTY 1.0 ROAD S07T2SRO5W...VERMILION R TRIR L LA SALLE 10.5 (ISGS GAGF 05555500 LOWELL 1278 411519 0A90044 LA SALLE 10.5 IL kT 178 LA SALLE 17.2 USGS GAGE 05555300 NEAR LEONORE

Interdisciplinary approach to concept of the property

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Massunov, S.L.

1996-01-01

A new system of treatment of safety property is suggested. In general, property of ecological safety is determined as property of technical system (object) not to influence or allow no influence on length of life of living natural objects (people, flora, fauna) on account of health aggravation or increase of mortality

Measurement properties of quality of life measurement instruments for infants, children and adolescents with eczema: protocol for a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinl, Daniel; Prinsen, Cecilia A C; Drucker, Aaron M; Ofenloch, Robert; Humphreys, Rosemary; Sach, Tracey; Flohr, Carsten; Apfelbacher, Christian

2016-02-09

Eczema is a common chronic or chronically relapsing, inflammatory skin disease that exerts a substantial negative impact on quality of life (QoL). The Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative has used a consensus-based process which identified QoL as one of the four core outcome domains to be assessed in all eczema clinical trials. A number of measurement instruments exist to measure QoL in infants, children, and adolescents with eczema, and there is a great variability in both content and quality of the instruments used. Therefore, the objective of the proposed research is to comprehensively and systematically assess the measurement properties of the existing measurement instruments that were developed and/or validated for the measurement of patient-reported QoL in infants, children, and adolescents with eczema. This study is a systematic review of the measurement properties of patient-reported measures of QoL developed and/or validated for infants, children, and adolescents with eczema. A systematic literature search will be carried out in MEDLINE via PubMed and EMBASE using a selection of relevant search terms. Eligible studies will be primary empirical studies evaluating, describing, or comparing measurement properties of QoL instruments for infants, children, and adolescents with eczema. Two reviewers will independently perform eligibility assessment and data abstraction. Evidence tables will be used to record study characteristics, instrument characteristics, measurement properties, and interpretability. The adequacy of the measurement properties will be assessed using predefined criteria. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist will be used to evaluate the methodological quality of included studies. A best evidence synthesis will be undertaken if more than one study has examined a particular measurement property. The proposed systematic review will yield a comprehensive assessment

Hydrogen Bonds and Life in the Universe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Vladilo

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The scientific community is allocating more and more resources to space missions and astronomical observations dedicated to the search for life beyond Earth. This experimental endeavor needs to be backed by a theoretical framework aimed at defining universal criteria for the existence of life. With this aim in mind, we have explored which chemical and physical properties should be expected for life possibly different from the terrestrial one, but similarly sustained by genetic and catalytic molecules. We show that functional molecules performing genetic and catalytic tasks must feature a hierarchy of chemical interactions operating in distinct energy bands. Of all known chemical bonds and forces, only hydrogen bonds are able to mediate the directional interactions of lower energy that are needed for the operation of genetic and catalytic tasks. For this reason and because of the unique quantum properties of hydrogen bonding, the functional molecules involved in life processes are predicted to have extensive hydrogen-bonding capabilities. A molecular medium generating a hydrogen-bond network is probably essential to support the activity of the functional molecules. These hydrogen-bond requirements constrain the viability of hypothetical biochemistries alternative to the terrestrial one, provide thermal limits to life molecular processes, and offer a conceptual framework to define a transition from a “covalent-bond stage” to a “hydrogen-bond stage” in prebiotic chemistry.

Hydrogen Bonds and Life in the Universe

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

The scientific community is allocating more and more resources to space missions and astronomical observations dedicated to the search for life beyond Earth. This experimental endeavor needs to be backed by a theoretical framework aimed at defining universal criteria for the existence of life. With this aim in mind, we have explored which chemical and physical properties should be expected for life possibly different from the terrestrial one, but similarly sustained by genetic and catalytic molecules. We show that functional molecules performing genetic and catalytic tasks must feature a hierarchy of chemical interactions operating in distinct energy bands. Of all known chemical bonds and forces, only hydrogen bonds are able to mediate the directional interactions of lower energy that are needed for the operation of genetic and catalytic tasks. For this reason and because of the unique quantum properties of hydrogen bonding, the functional molecules involved in life processes are predicted to have extensive hydrogen-bonding capabilities. A molecular medium generating a hydrogen-bond network is probably essential to support the activity of the functional molecules. These hydrogen-bond requirements constrain the viability of hypothetical biochemistries alternative to the terrestrial one, provide thermal limits to life molecular processes, and offer a conceptual framework to define a transition from a “covalent-bond stage” to a “hydrogen-bond stage” in prebiotic chemistry. PMID:29301382

Hydrogen Bonds and Life in the Universe.

Science.gov (United States)

Vladilo, Giovanni; Hassanali, Ali

2018-01-03

The scientific community is allocating more and more resources to space missions and astronomical observations dedicated to the search for life beyond Earth. This experimental endeavor needs to be backed by a theoretical framework aimed at defining universal criteria for the existence of life. With this aim in mind, we have explored which chemical and physical properties should be expected for life possibly different from the terrestrial one, but similarly sustained by genetic and catalytic molecules. We show that functional molecules performing genetic and catalytic tasks must feature a hierarchy of chemical interactions operating in distinct energy bands. Of all known chemical bonds and forces, only hydrogen bonds are able to mediate the directional interactions of lower energy that are needed for the operation of genetic and catalytic tasks. For this reason and because of the unique quantum properties of hydrogen bonding, the functional molecules involved in life processes are predicted to have extensive hydrogen-bonding capabilities. A molecular medium generating a hydrogen-bond network is probably essential to support the activity of the functional molecules. These hydrogen-bond requirements constrain the viability of hypothetical biochemistries alternative to the terrestrial one, provide thermal limits to life molecular processes, and offer a conceptual framework to define a transition from a "covalent-bond stage" to a "hydrogen-bond stage" in prebiotic chemistry.

Creep-fatigue life prediction method using Diercks equation for Cr-Mo steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonoya, Keiji; Nonaka, Isamu; Kitagawa, Masaki

1990-01-01

For dealing with the situation that creep-fatigue life properties of materials do not exist, a development of the simple method to predict creep-fatigue life properties is necessary. A method to predict the creep-fatigue life properties of Cr-Mo steels is proposed on the basis of D. Diercks equation which correlates the creep-fatigue lifes of SUS 304 steels under various temperatures, strain ranges, strain rates and hold times. The accuracy of the proposed method was compared with that of the existing methods. The following results were obtained. (1) Fatigue strength and creep rupture strength of Cr-Mo steel are different from those of SUS 304 steel. Therefore in order to apply Diercks equation to creep-fatigue prediction for Cr-Mo steel, the difference of fatigue strength was found to be corrected by fatigue life ratio of both steels and the difference of creep rupture strength was found to be corrected by the equivalent temperature corresponding to equal strength of both steels. (2) Creep-fatigue life can be predicted by the modified Diercks equation within a factor of 2 which is nearly as precise as the accuracy of strain range partitioning method. Required test and analysis procedure of this method are not so complicated as strain range partitioning method. (author)

Dynamic heterogeneity in life histories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tuljapurkar, Shripad; Steiner, Uli; Orzack, Steven Hecht

2009-01-01

or no fixed heterogeneity influences this trait. We propose that dynamic heterogeneity provides a 'neutral' model for assessing the possible role of unobserved 'quality' differences between individuals. We discuss fitness for dynamic life histories, and the implications of dynamic heterogeneity...... generate dynamic heterogeneity: life-history differences produced by stochastic stratum dynamics. We characterize dynamic heterogeneity in a range of species across taxa by properties of the Markov chain: the entropy, which describes the extent of heterogeneity, and the subdominant eigenvalue, which...... distributions of lifetime reproductive success. Dynamic heterogeneity contrasts with fixed heterogeneity: unobserved differences that generate variation between life histories. We show by an example that observed distributions of lifetime reproductive success are often consistent with the claim that little...

Consistent creep and rupture properties for creep-fatigue evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, C.C.

1978-01-01

The currently accepted practice of using inconsistent representations of creep and rupture behaviors in the prediction of creep-fatigue life is shown to introduce a factor of safety beyond that specified in current ASME Code design rules for 304 stainless steel Class 1 nuclear components. Accurate predictions of creep-fatigue life for uniaxial tests on a given heat of material are obtained by using creep and rupture properties for that same heat of material. The use of a consistent representation of creep and rupture properties for a mininum strength heat is also shown to provide adequate predictions. The viability of using consistent properties (either actual or those of a minimum heat) to predict creep-fatigue life thus identifies significant design uses for the results of characterization tests and improved creep and rupture correlations

An Analysis of Relation Between Economic Growth and Democratization: An Empiric Application (A Sample of Turkey (Ekonomik Büyüme ve Demokratikleşme Arasındaki İlişkinin Analizi: Ampirik Bir Uygulama (Türkiye Örneği

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Veysel KAYA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study is to analyze the relation between democratization and economic growth in Turkey, using time series data from 1980 to 2006. In the scope of this aim, an econometric application was held by using co-integration analyses and causality test in which the civil rights and liberties, politic liberties, and growth of population are added the model as an independent variables, and Gross Domestic Production (GDP as a dependent variable. Results show that there is a long run relationship between civil rights liberties, political liberties, population growth rate and GDP growth rate. It is also found out that there is a unidirectional causality from civil rights and political liberties to GDP growth rate.

Otitis Media and Caregiver Quality of Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heidemann, Christian Hamilton; Godballe, Christian; Kjeldsen, Anette Drøhse

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Otitis media in children may have a considerable impact on caregiver quality of life. The disease-specific Caregiver Impact Questionnaire is designed to assess caregiver quality of life in relation to child otitis media. Assessment of the psychometric properties of this instrument...... is limited. This study assesses the psychometric properties of this instrument including validity, reproducibility, responsiveness, and interpretability. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal validation study. SETTING: Secondary care units. METHODS: Analyses were based on data from 435 families. Validity was assessed...... Danish version of the Caregiver Impact Questionnaire is a valid and reproducible measurement tool that is also sensitive to measuring change in the current setting. A change score representing minimal important change as perceived by the respondent is proposed. Results of this study support the use...

Estimating residual life of alloy 600 RPV penetrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, E.S.; White, G.A.; Pathania, R.; Arey, M.L.; Whitaker, D.E.

1996-01-01

Primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC) of Alloy 600 penetrations PWR in reactor pressure vessel (RPV) heads has become a significant economic concern worldwide. PWSCC of these penetrations has led to extended maintenance outages, expensive inspections and repairs, and in some cases, replacement of the entire vessel head. This paper describes methodology developed to predict the remaining life of Alloy 600 penetrations in reactor vessel heads. Predictions of remaining life are an important input to planning models used by utilities to select a strategy for responding to the PWSCC issue at the lowest life cycle cost with an acceptably low risk of leakage. The remaining life of RPV penetrations is determined using the results of inspections of penetrations and statistical methods to predict future degradation. The analysis takes into account the effects of material properties, welding residual stresses, and operating temperature on PWSCC initiation and growth. The probability of developing cracks of various depths is assessed using Monte Carlo methods which provide for uncertainties in the input assumptions. For plants which have not yet performed inspections, remaining life predictions are based on inspection results from similar plants which have performed inspections with corrections made for known differences in design details, material properties and operating conditions

Henry Adams’s Life of George Cabot Lodge: A Portrait of the Artist as an Alienated Man

Science.gov (United States)

1994-07-20

conceived, because anarchy, by definition, must be chaos and this law of contradiction was itself agreement, a restriction of personal liberty inconsistent...state, [the hero] may appear inhuman by earthly standards" (Lodge 65). Moreover, as Crowley also states, not only did Lodge not " restrict transcendence...background of the genteel tradition," Conner argues, this "outspoken egoism " is the most "startling" aspect of Lodge’s poetry (306). Support for

Mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in sodium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lloyd, G.J.

1978-03-01

A detailed review of the mechanical properties of austenitic stainless steels in liquid sodium is presented. Consideration has been given to the influence of the of the impurities in reactor sodium and metallurgical variables upon the stress rupture life, the low cycle fatigue and combined creep/fatigue resistance, elastic-plastic crack propagation rates, the high cycle fatigue life, tensile properties and fracture toughness. The effects of exposure to contaminated sodium prior to testing are also discussed. Examples of the success of mechanistic interpretations of materials behaviour in sodium are given and additionally, the extent to which mechanical properties in sodium may be predicted with the use of appropriate data. (author)

The importance of values in predicting Turkish youth's opinions about the European Union in light of the Copenhagen Political Criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuşdil, M Ersin; Simşek, Sefa

2008-12-01

The enlargement process of the European Union may be regarded as one of the most important social projects of human history in that it is trying to unite several nation-states under a "European identity." As a historically and culturally "distant" candidate, Turkey has been asked to meet a set of expectations referred to as the "Copenhagen Criteria," requiring a series of large-scale reforms to the infrastructure and superstructure of the country. Taking advantage of the unique opportunity to relate Turkish people's opinions on the criteria to their values, hypotheses based on Schwartz's model of values were tested. Schwartz's Personal Values Questionnaire and a questionnaire measuring opinions on the criteria and the Union were completed by 368 Turkish university students. Factor analysis of the opinion items yielded five factors: reduction of military influence in civil life, scepticism towards Europe and the European Union, improvement of human rights and liberties, improvement of minority rights, and lack of transparency in public institutions. Regression analyses showed that values and nationalism were powerful predictors of opinions whereas the effect of religiosity was limited only to the prediction of a preference for the reduction of military influence in civil life. Preference for openness to change values were successful in predicting variance in three of the five criteria: The more the participants favoured these values, the more they supported the improvement of human rights and liberties, the improvement of minority rights, and regretted the lack of transparency. Self-transcendence values were also positively related to support for the same three criteria together with a preference for reduction of military influence. As for nationalism, the results showed that this variable was related negatively to reduction of the military influence, improvement of human rights and liberties, improvement of minority rights; and positively to scepticism.

Distinctiveness of Initial Preform Properties in Renovation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. M. Yaroslavtsev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Technologies of renovation form a special group of resource-and energy saving technological processes as they are, by definition, already aimed either at increasing resource of the objects satisfying needs of the society life support and practical activities in different spheres, or at extension of their life cycle including a reuse of material from which they are made. Renovation is used where there is a material object, which does not meet requirements of standard or technical documentation.A characteristic feature of the renovation technologies is lack of procedure for a choice of the preform as in all cases an initial preform is the renovation object itself. Thus each object, acting as an initial preform, has the exclusively individual properties, including technological ones.Distinctiveness of renovation object properties is correlated, first of all, with the personified conditions of formation and (or change of condition of their properties in time at all stages of life cycle (production – transportation – warehousing – operation starting with a preform material when manufacturing under all types of loadings (technological and operational. As a result each object forms its "history" of loading and damages and, therefore, its information base which has to consider the phenomenon of “heredity of life cycle”. The term "heredity of life cycle" characterizes information support of object at any moment under review, including both information of technological inheritance, and data of operational heredity.As a result at every moment of time we have a product with a set of new, uncertain properties caused by the phenomena of heredity of life cycle. These properties are individual for each object to be renovated, which changed its status for the status of initial preform for different types of renovation technologies. This is one of the most important distinctions of renovation technology from the technology used to manufacture a new

Quality of life of elderly cancer patients under radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peres de Oliveira, Patricia; Corte Pereira, Beltrina da Purificacao

2004-01-01

This research analyzed the effects of radiotherapy in the quality of life of elderly patients suffering from prostatic cancer. Our aim was to verify the psychometric properties of the Quality of Life Index (QLI), by Ferrans and Powers, describing the social-demographic characteristics that affect the quality of life; and patients concept of quality of life and their perception of how radiotherapy interferes with the quality of life. Interviews were carried out with a sample of seven elderly patients suffering from prostatic cancer. Two different approaches were utilized: descriptive and qualitative statistics. The results show that the QLI may have useful application in our field in the identification of those aspects of quality of life affected by cancer. (author)

Life: An Introduction to Complex Systems Biology

CERN Document Server

Kaneko, Kunihiko

2006-01-01

What is life? Has molecular biology given us a satisfactory answer to this question? And if not, why, and how to carry on from there? This book examines life not from the reductionist point of view, but rather asks the question: what are the universal properties of living systems and how can one construct from there a phenomenological theory of life that leads naturally to complex processes such as reproductive cellular systems, evolution and differentiation? The presentation has been deliberately kept fairly non-technical so as to address a broad spectrum of students and researchers from the natural sciences and informatics.

Planets and Life

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Woodruff T., III; Baross, John

2007-09-01

Foreword; Preface; Contributors; Prologue; Part I. History: 1. History of astrobiological ideas W. T. Sullivan and D. Carney; 2. From exobiology to astrobiology S. J. Dick; Part II. The Physical Stage: 3. Formation of Earth-like habitable planets D. E. Brownlee and M. Kress; 4. Planetary atmospheres and life D. Catling and J. F. Kasting; Part III. The Origin of Life on Earth: 5. Does 'life' have a definition? C.E. Cleland and C. F. Chyba; 6. Origin of life: crucial issues R. Shapiro; 7. Origin of proteins and nucleic acids A. Ricardo and S. A. Benner; 8. The roots of metabolism G.D. Cody and J. H. Scott; 9. Origin of cellular life D. W. Deamer; Part IV. Life on Earth: 10. Evolution: a defining feature of life J. A. Baross; 11. Evolution of metabolism and early microbial communities J. A. Leigh, D. A. Stahl and J. T. Staley; 12. The earliest records of life on Earth R. Buick; 13. The origin and diversification of eukaryotes M. L. Sogin, D. J. Patterson and A. McArthur; 14. Limits of carbon life on Earth and elsewhere J. A. Baross, J. Huber and M. Schrenk; 15. Life in ice J. W. Deming and H. Eicken; 16. The evolution and diversification of life S. Awramik and K. J. McNamara; 17. Mass extinctions P. D. Ward; Part V. Potentially Habitable Worlds: 18. Mars B. M. Jakosky, F. Westall and A. Brack; 19. Europa C. F. Chyba and C. B. Phillips; 20. Titan J. I. Lunine and B. Rizk; 21. Extrasolar planets P. Butler; Part VI. Searching for Extraterrestrial Life: 22. How to search for life on other worlds C. P. McKay; 23. Instruments and strategies for detecting extraterrestrial life P. G. Conrad; 24. Societial and ethical concerns M. S. Race; 25. Planetary protection J. D. Rummel; 26. Searching for extraterrestrial intelligence J. C. Tarter; 27. Alien biochemistries P. D. Ward and S. A. Benner; Part VII. Future of the Field: 28. Disciplinary and educational opportunities L. Wells, J. Armstrong and J. Huber; Epilogue C. F. Chyba; Appendixes: A. Units and usages; B. Planetary

Analytical evaluation of the roller bearing service life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antsupov Aleksey

2017-01-01

Full Text Available An analytical method has been developed for the design evaluation of the service life of roller bearings by the criterion of contact endurance of elements that does not require carrying out the experimental studies. It is based on the kinetic approach to the description of the solids destruction process and the theory of parametric reliability of machine parts. In contradistinction to the standard empirical dependence, which is currently used, the method allows one to take into account the effect of the material properties, and basic design and operational parameters on the service life. The results of the theoretical studies of the service life of roller bearing No. 212 (DIN 5412 T1 are presented for the quantitative assessment of this effect. They showed that the temperature-force loading conditions or material properties that were not taken into account might result in the prediction error of 1.5 or more times.

Consistent creep and rupture properties for creep-fatigue evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schultz, C.C.

1979-01-01

The currently accepted practice of using inconsistent representations of creep and rupture behaviors in the prediction of creep-fatigue life is shown to introduce a factor of safety beyond that specified in current ASME Code design rules for 304 stainless steel Class 1 nuclear components. Accurate predictions of creep-fatigue life for uniaxial tests on a given heat of material are obtained by using creep and rupture properties for that same heat of material. The use of a consistent representation of creep and rupture properties for a minimum strength heat is also shown to provide reasonable predictions. The viability of using consistent properties (either actual or those of a minimum strength heat) to predict creep-fatigue life thus identifies significant design uses for the results of characterization tests and improved creep and rupture correlations. 12 refs

As razões do laissez-faire: uma análise do ataque ao mercantilismo e da defesa da liberdade econômica na Riqueza das Nações

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laura Valladão de Mattos

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The reasons of the laissez-faire: an analysis of the attack to mercantilism and of the defense of economic liberty in The Wealth of Nations. The main reasons presented in The Wealth of Nations to advocate the system of economic liberty and reject mercantilism are analyzed. These two systems are evaluated considering basically their impact on the annual product, and the degree of liberty and justice they engender. Based on his views of man and of capital hierarchy, Smith defends the superiority of economic liberty in what concerns the growth of the annual product. This system is also considered superior to mercantilism in terms of justice since it does not privilege any sector of society and allows a great level of liberty to the individuals.

Profiling property criminals in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Içli, Tülin Günsen; Seydioğullari, Ibrahim; Tatlidil, Hüseyin; Coban, Sevgi; Sever, Hanifi; Süeroğlu, Unal

2010-08-01

The main aim of this research is to develop a profile of a thief. Through a comprehensive survey of property crime suspects arrested in the city of Ankara between 2004 and 2005, the authors have attempted to determine the socioeconomic qualities of those involved in these forms of property crimes. Results of the study show that property crimes are a consequence of low education, lack of occupational skills, and alcohol and drug addiction on the part of the offenders. Because of these factors, theft becomes a way of life for offenders after their first act of property crime.

41 CFR 101-27.207-3 - Marking material to show extended shelf life.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... extended shelf life. 101-27.207-3 Section 101-27.207-3 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal...-INVENTORY MANAGEMENT 27.2-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.207-3 Marking material to show extended shelf life. When the shelf-life period of Type II material (except for critical end-use items as...

AL-KAFA’AH FI AL-NIKAH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najmah Sayuti

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Kafa'ah in marriage is basically equality, suitability and proportionality between the prospective couples getting married. Humans are required to kafa'ah in religion and religiosity. Non-Muslims can't kafa'ah with Muslims because of inequalities in beliefe. Some kafa'ah that should be considered in marriage is nasab, religion, belief or religiosity, profession, liberty and property.

Freedom and the Collective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Straume, Ingerid S.

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Since Isaiah Berlin’s epitomizing Cold War-essay, "Two Concepts of Liberty, " thinkers who emphasize collective concepts of social life have carried the burden of proof against charges of totalitarian tendencies. The background is a ground figure in contemporary political thought that sets notions of collectivity against individual freedom, in a zero sum game: Either one is in favour of the individual, or one is in favour of the collective, and hence, so the bias has it, willing to sacrifice the rights and liberties of individuals. Since it is impossible to favour the latter position and remain liberal, in the wide sense of the term, this dichotomy serves to rob contemporary political thought of both its classical and revolutionary connotations, leaving only individual initiatives like lobbying and voting. Cornelius Castoriadis offers a way around this – arguably false – dichotomy, by regarding individual and collective freedom as two sides of the same coin.

Is Water a Universal Solvent for Life?

Science.gov (United States)

Pohorill, Andrew

2012-01-01

There are strong reasons to believe that the laws, principles and constraints of physics and chemistry are universal. It is much less clear how this universality translates into our understanding of the origins of life. Conventionally, discussions of this topic focus on chemistry that must be sufficiently rich to seed life. Although this is clearly a prerequisite for the emergence of living systems, I propose to focus instead on self-organization of matter into functional structures capable of reproduction, evolution and responding to environmental changes. In biology, most essential functions are largely mediated by noncovalent interactions (interactions that do not involve making or breaking chemical bonds). Forming chemical bonds is only a small part of what living systems do. There are specific implications of this point of view for universality. I will concentrate on one of these implications. Strength of non-covalent interactions must be properly tuned. If they were too weak, the system would exhibit undesired, uncontrolled response to natural fluctuations of physical and chemical parameters. If they were too strong kinetics of biological processes would be slow and energetics costly. This balance, however, is not a natural property of complex chemical systems. Instead, it has to be achieved with the aid of an appropriate solvent for life. In particular, potential solvents for life must be characterized by a high dielectric constant to ensure solubility of polar species and sufficient flexibility of biological structures stabilized by electrostatic interactions. Among these solvents, water exhibits a remarkable trait that it also promotes solvophobic (hydrophobic) interactions between non-polar species, typically manifested by a tendency of these species to aggregate and minimize their contacts with the aqueous solvent. Hydrophobic interactions are responsible, at least in part, for many self-organization phenomena in biological systems, such as the formation

An Additive-Multiplicative Restricted Mean Residual Life Model

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansourvar, Zahra; Martinussen, Torben; Scheike, Thomas H.

2016-01-01

mean residual life model to study the association between the restricted mean residual life function and potential regression covariates in the presence of right censoring. This model extends the proportional mean residual life model using an additive model as its covariate dependent baseline....... For the suggested model, some covariate effects are allowed to be time-varying. To estimate the model parameters, martingale estimating equations are developed, and the large sample properties of the resulting estimators are established. In addition, to assess the adequacy of the model, we investigate a goodness...

The effects of superchilling with modified atmosphere packaging on the physicochemical properties and shelf life of swimming crab.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Bowen; Zhao, Yuanhui; Ling, Jiangang; Yu, Jingfen; Shang, Haitao; Liu, Zunying

2017-06-01

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of superchilling with modified atmosphere packaging on the physicochemical properties and shelf life of swimming crab. As the storage time increased, the rates at which the total aerobic plate count, total volatile basic nitrogen, pH, peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances value increase were significantly lower for the superchilling with modified atmosphere packaging (SCS + MAP) treatment compared to superchilling storage (SCS) and chilling storage (CS). With increasing storage time, the carbonyl content of the proteins increased from 1.21 nmol/mg of protein (0 day) to 2.03, 1.87, 1.66 nmol carbonyl/mg protein on the 6th day for CS, SCS and SCS + MAP, respectively. The disulfide bonds increased in a similar manner, and the total sulfhydryl content, salt extractable protein and Ca-ATPase stability decreased. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel elcetrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and microstructure analysis also indicated that SCS + MAP could reduce the degree of protein degradation. These results suggested that superchilling with modified atmosphere packaging offers an effective approach to slowdown protein and lipid oxidation, and extends the shelf life of swimming crab. However, superchilling with high-CO 2 packaging had a negative effect on the surface hydrophobicity and drip loss of swimming crab.

Effect of radiation processing on shelf life and antioxidant properties of minimally processed ready to cook (RTC) cauliflower and ash gourd

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vaishnav, Jasraj; Tripathi, Jyoti; Variyar, Prasad S.

2017-01-01

The demand for minimally processed vegetables are increasing because consumers now spend less time for cooking every day due to their busy life style, while insisting on more hygienic premium quality products with minimal change in nutritional and sensory properties. Minimally processed cauliflower and ash gourd products were developed using radiation processing. Products were irradiated with different doses of gamma radiation (0.5-2.5kGy), and stored at different temperatures (4,10 and 15 °C). At optimum processing conditions (0.5 kGy; 4 °C) RTC cauliflower was analyzed for their microbial and nutritional qualities (DPPH radical scavenging activity, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and total ascorbic acid content) during a storage period of 21 days. An irradiation dose of 0.5 kGy extended the shelf life by 7 days as compared to the control which has shelf life of 14 days, along with significant increase in DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content. While in case of RTC ash gourd, optimum processing condition (2kGy;10 ° C) improved the shelf life by 7 days in comparison to control samples which have shelflife of 5 days. Irradiated samples had total phenolic content of 103.3 ± 5.2 mg kg"-"1 and total antioxidant activity of 384.2 ± 9.7 mg kg"-"1 while corresponding values for control samples were 67.8 ± 5.4 and 115.5 ± 7.0 mg kg"-1 at the end of storage period. However no significant effect was observed in total ascorbic acid content in both the products due to radiation processing. (author)

The Effect of Epoxy Molding Compound Floor Life to Reliability Performance and mold ability for QFN Package

Science.gov (United States)

Peanpunga, Udom; Ugsornrat, Kessararat; Thorlor, Panakamol; Sumithpibul, Chalermsak

2017-09-01

This research studied about an epoxy molding compound (EMC) floor life to reliability performance of integrated circuit (IC) package. Molding is the process for protecting the die of IC package form mechanical and chemical reaction from external environment by shaping EMC. From normal manufacturing process, the EMC is stored in the frozen at 5oC and left at around room temperature for aging time or floor life before molding process. The EMC floor life effect to its properties and reliability performance of IC package. Therefore, this work interested in varied the floor life of EMC before molding process to analyze properties of EMC such as spiral flow length, gelation time, and viscosity. In experiment, the floor life of EMC was varied to check the effect of its property to reliability performance. The EMC floor life were varied from 0 hours to 60 hours with a step of 12 hours and observed wire sweep, incomplete EMC, and delamination inside the packages for 3x3, 5x5 and 8x8 mm2 of QFN packages. The evaluation showed about clearly effect of EMC floor life to IC packaging reliability. EMC floor life is not any concern for EMC property, moldabilty, and reliability from 0 hours to 48 hours for molding process of 3x3,5x5 and 8x8 mm2 QFN packaging manufacturing

41 CFR 101-27.209 - Utilization and distribution of shelf-life items.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... distribution of shelf-life items. 101-27.209 Section 101-27.209 Public Contracts and Property Management... PROCUREMENT 27-INVENTORY MANAGEMENT 27.2-Management of Shelf-Life Materials § 101-27.209 Utilization and distribution of shelf-life items. Where it is determined that specified quantities of both Type I and Type II...

Psychometric evaluation of the Danish and Swedish Satisfaction with Life Scale in first episode psychosis patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hochwälder, Jacek; Mattsson, Maria; Holmqvist, Ragnhild

2012-01-01

PURPOSE: To psychometrically evaluate the Satisfaction with Life Scale in two cohorts of first-episode psychosis patients in the Danish National Schizophrenia Project and in the Swedish Parachute Project. METHOD: Four properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale were examined in the Danish cohort....... The dimensions were confirmed in the Swedish sample. CONCLUSION: The Satisfaction with Life Scale shows satisfactory psychometric properties and seems valid and useful among first-episode psychosis patients....

A Review of the Brief Multidimensional Students' Life Satisfaction Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Huebner, E. Scott; Seligson, Julie L.; Valois, Robert F.; Suldo, Shannon M.

2006-01-01

There are few psychometrically sound measures of life satisfaction suitable for children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to describe the rationale, development, and psychometric properties of a brief multidimensional life satisfaction scale appropriate for use with children of ages 8-18. The paper summarizes extant studies of its…

Universal biology and the statistical mechanics of early life

Science.gov (United States)

Goldenfeld, Nigel; Biancalani, Tommaso; Jafarpour, Farshid

2017-11-01

All known life on the Earth exhibits at least two non-trivial common features: the canonical genetic code and biological homochirality, both of which emerged prior to the Last Universal Common Ancestor state. This article describes recent efforts to provide a narrative of this epoch using tools from statistical mechanics. During the emergence of self-replicating life far from equilibrium in a period of chemical evolution, minimal models of autocatalysis show that homochirality would have necessarily co-evolved along with the efficiency of early-life self-replicators. Dynamical system models of the evolution of the genetic code must explain its universality and its highly refined error-minimization properties. These have both been accounted for in a scenario where life arose from a collective, networked phase where there was no notion of species and perhaps even individuality itself. We show how this phase ultimately terminated during an event sometimes known as the Darwinian transition, leading to the present epoch of tree-like vertical descent of organismal lineages. These examples illustrate concrete examples of universal biology: the quest for a fundamental understanding of the basic properties of living systems, independent of precise instantiation in chemistry or other media. This article is part of the themed issue 'Reconceptualizing the origins of life'.

An Approach to Searching for Life on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus

Science.gov (United States)

McKay, Christopher P.

2008-03-01

Near-term missions may be able to access samples of organic material from Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. The challenge for astrobiology will be to determine if this material is the remains of dead microorganisms or merely abiotic organic material. The remains of life that shares a common origin with life on Earth will be straightforward to detect using sophisticated methods such as DNA amplification. These methods are extremely sensitive but specific to Earth-like life. Detecting the remains of alien life—that does not have a genetic or biochemical commonality with Earth life—will be much more difficult. There is a general property of life that can be used to determine if organic material is of biological origin. This general property is the repeated use of a few specific organic molecules for the construction of biopolymers. For example, Earth-like life uses 20 amino acids to construct proteins, 5 nucleotide bases to construct DNA and RNA, and a few sugars to construct polysaccharides. This selectivity will result in a statistically anomalous distribution of organic molecules distinct from organic material of non-biological origin. Such a distinctive pattern, different from the pattern of Earth-like life, will be persuasive evidence for a second genesis of life.

Ethical perspectives on combating sex trafficking in Nepal

OpenAIRE

Rijal, Anupa; Adhikari,Tara Ballav; Aro,Arja R

2016-01-01

Anupa Rijal, Tara Ballav Adhikari, Arja R Aro Unit for Health Promotion Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark Abstract: Sex trafficking, where individuals are traded for sex purposes and abused sexually, physically, mentally, and economically leading to repercussions in individual liberty, social life, and health and well-being, is one of the worst forms of infringement of human rights. Despite the growing global concern again...

The Satisfaction with Love Life Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, Felix

2005-01-01

The purpose of this article was to develop the Satisfaction With Love Life Scale (SWLLS). Scores from the SWLLS have favorable psychometric properties. Evidence based on relations to other variables was examined. Suggestions concerning the use of the SWLLS for research and clinical purposes are offered.

Designing of peptides with desired half-life in intestine-like environment

KAUST Repository

Sharma, Arun

2014-08-20

Background: In past, a number of peptides have been reported to possess highly diverse properties ranging from cell penetrating, tumor homing, anticancer, anti-hypertensive, antiviral to antimicrobials. Owing to their excellent specificity, low-toxicity, rich chemical diversity and availability from natural sources, FDA has successfully approved a number of peptide-based drugs and several are in various stages of drug development. Though peptides are proven good drug candidates, their usage is still hindered mainly because of their high susceptibility towards proteases degradation. We have developed an in silico method to predict the half-life of peptides in intestine-like environment and to design better peptides having optimized physicochemical properties and half-life.Results: In this study, we have used 10mer (HL10) and 16mer (HL16) peptides dataset to develop prediction models for peptide half-life in intestine-like environment. First, SVM based models were developed on HL10 dataset which achieved maximum correlation R/R2 of 0.57/0.32, 0.68/0.46, and 0.69/0.47 using amino acid, dipeptide and tripeptide composition, respectively. Secondly, models developed on HL16 dataset showed maximum R/R2 of 0.91/0.82, 0.90/0.39, and 0.90/0.31 using amino acid, dipeptide and tripeptide composition, respectively. Furthermore, models that were developed on selected features, achieved a correlation (R) of 0.70 and 0.98 on HL10 and HL16 dataset, respectively. Preliminary analysis suggests the role of charged residue and amino acid size in peptide half-life/stability. Based on above models, we have developed a web server named HLP (Half Life Prediction), for predicting and designing peptides with desired half-life. The web server provides three facilities; i) half-life prediction, ii) physicochemical properties calculation and iii) designing mutant peptides.Conclusion: In summary, this study describes a web server \\'HLP\\' that has been developed for assisting scientific

Psychometric Analysis of the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Cantrell, Mary Ann; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C; Heverly, Mary Ann; Jenkinson, Amanda; Nthenge, Serah

2016-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale among nurse faculty involved in doctoral education. A national random sample of 554 respondents completed the Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale, which addresses 3 factors: work interference with personal life (WIPL), personal life interference with work (PLIW), and work/personal life enhancement (WPLE). A principal components analysis with varimax rotation revealed 3 internally consistent aspects of work-life balance, explaining 40.5% of the variance. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for reliability of the scale were .88 for the total scale and for the subscales, .93 (WIPL), .85 (PLIW), and .69 (WPLE). The Work/Life Balance Self-Assessment scale appears to be a reliable and valid instrument to examine work-life balance among nurse faculty.

Improvement of the Antioxidant Properties and Postharvest Life of Three Exotic Andean Fruits by UV-C Treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María J. Andrade-Cuvi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Three Andean fruits naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lam., uvilla (Physalis peruviana L., and mortiño (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth were subjected to prestorage UV-C treatments (0, 8, or 12.5 kJ m−2 and evaluated weekly to select the most suitable dose for fruit quality maintenance during storage (21 days at 6°C. The highest dose retains quality through lower deterioration index for all three fruits and was selected to further analyze the effects on physicochemical and antioxidant properties during storage. UV-C exposure delayed softening in naranjilla and increased soluble solid content in uvilla. UV-C also improved the maintenance of antioxidant capacity (AC in mortiño and uvilla. Overall, results indicate that short prestorage UV-C exposure may be an effective nonchemical approach to supplement low temperature storage, maintain quality, and extend the postharvest life of Andean naranjilla, uvilla, and mortiño fruit.

Classifying and explaining democracy in the Muslim world

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rohaizan Baharuddin

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to classify and explain democracies in the 47 Muslim countries between the years 1998 and 2008 by using liberties and elections as independent variables. Specifically focusing on the context of the Muslim world, this study examines the performance of civil liberties and elections, variation of democracy practised the most, the elections, civil liberties and democratic transitions and patterns that followed. Based on the quantitative data primarily collected from Freedom House, this study demonstrates the following aggregate findings: first, the “not free not fair” elections, the “limited” civil liberties and the “Illiberal Partial Democracy” were the dominant feature of elections, civil liberties and democracy practised in the Muslim world; second, a total of 413 Muslim regimes out of 470 (47 regimes x 10 years remained the same as their democratic origin points, without any transitions to a better or worse level of democracy, throughout these 10 years; and third, a slow, yet steady positive transition of both elections and civil liberties occurred in the Muslim world with changes in the nature of elections becoming much more progressive compared to the civil liberties’ transitions.

Origin and evolution of life on terrestrial planets.

Science.gov (United States)

Brack, A; Horneck, G; Cockell, C S; Bérces, A; Belisheva, N K; Eiroa, Carlos; Henning, Thomas; Herbst, Tom; Kaltenegger, Lisa; Léger, Alain; Liseau, Réne; Lammer, Helmut; Selsis, Franck; Beichman, Charles; Danchi, William; Fridlund, Malcolm; Lunine, Jonathan; Paresce, Francesco; Penny, Alan; Quirrenbach, Andreas; Röttgering, Huub; Schneider, Jean; Stam, Daphne; Tinetti, Giovanna; White, Glenn J

2010-01-01

The ultimate goal of terrestrial planet-finding missions is not only to discover terrestrial exoplanets inside the habitable zone (HZ) of their host stars but also to address the major question as to whether life may have evolved on a habitable Earth-like exoplanet outside our Solar System. We note that the chemical evolution that finally led to the origin of life on Earth must be studied if we hope to understand the principles of how life might evolve on other terrestrial planets in the Universe. This is not just an anthropocentric point of view: the basic ingredients of terrestrial life, that is, reduced carbon-based molecules and liquid H(2)O, have very specific properties. We discuss the origin of life from the chemical evolution of its precursors to the earliest life-forms and the biological implications of the stellar radiation and energetic particle environments. Likewise, the study of the biological evolution that has generated the various life-forms on Earth provides clues toward the understanding of the interconnectedness of life with its environment.

Gamma-Gompertz life expectancy at birth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Trifon I. Missov

2013-02-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND The gamma-Gompertz multiplicative frailty model is the most common parametric modelapplied to human mortality data at adult and old ages. The resulting life expectancy hasbeen calculated so far only numerically. OBJECTIVE Properties of the gamma-Gompertz distribution have not been thoroughly studied. The focusof the paper is to shed light onto its first moment or, demographically speaking, characterizelife expectancy resulting from a gamma-Gompertz force of mortality. The paperprovides an exact formula for gamma-Gompertz life expectancy at birth and a simplerhigh-accuracy approximation that can be used in practice for computational convenience.In addition, the article compares actual (life-table to model-based (gamma-Gompertzlife expectancy to assess on aggregate how many years of life expectancy are not captured(or overestimated by the gamma-Gompertz mortality mechanism. COMMENTS A closed-form expression for gamma-Gomeprtz life expectancy at birth contains a special(the hypergeometric function. It aids assessing the impact of gamma-Gompertz parameterson life expectancy values. The paper shows that a high-accuracy approximation canbe constructed by assuming an integer value for the shape parameter of the gamma distribution.A historical comparison between model-based and actual life expectancy forSwedish females reveals a gap that is decreasing to around 2 years from 1950 onwards.Looking at remaining life expectancies at ages 30 and 50, we see this gap almost disappearing.

The social life of genes: privacy, property and the new genetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Everett, Margaret

2003-01-01

With the advent of the Human Genome Project and widespread fears over human cloning and medical privacy, a number of states have moved to protect genetic privacy. Oregon's unique Genetic Privacy Act of 1995, which declared that an individual had property rights to their DNA, has provoked national and international interest and controversy. This paper critically reviews the literature on genetic privacy and gene patenting from law, philosophy, science and anthropology. The debate in Oregon, from 1995 to 2001, illustrates many of the key issues in this emerging area. Both sides of the debate invoke the property metaphor, reinforcing deterministic assumptions and avoiding more fundamental questions about the integrity of the body and self-identity. The anthropological critique of the commodification of the body, and the concept of 'embodiment' are useful in analyzing the debate over DNA as property.

From the individual isolate to the cohesive community Limits on freedom on Rawls and Aron

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan Garzón Vallejo

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The theoretical development of John Rawls and Raymond Aron highlights a liberalism that acknowledges as its starting point the individual being free and isolated, which, because of the influence of internal and external constraints on individual liberties, encourages the construction of a cohesive political community. With such a perspective challenges the modern version of liberty as an absence of coercion and, at the same time, highlights the validity of the discussion about the limits of liberty in contemporary societies. This phenomenon can be described as the transition from liberalism to social democracy, or as revision of the negative conception of individual liberties.

Attitude toward euthanasia scale: psychometric properties and relations with religious orientation, personality, and life satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Aghababaei, Naser; Wasserman, Jason Adam

2013-12-01

End-of-life decisions (ELDs) represent a controversial subject, with ethical dilemmas and empirical ambiguities that stand at the intersection of ethics and medicine. In a non-Western population, we examined individual differences in perceiving ELDs that end the life of a patient as acceptable and found that an attitude toward euthanasia (ATE) scale consists of 2 factors representing voluntary and nonvoluntary euthanasia. Also, acceptance of ELDs that end the life of a patient negatively correlated with life satisfaction, honesty-humility, conscientiousness, and intrinsic and extrinsic personal motivation toward religion. These findings provided additional construct validity of the ATE scale.

Measurement properties of quality-of-life measurement instruments for infants, children and adolescents with eczema: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinl, D; Prinsen, C A C; Sach, T; Drucker, A M; Ofenloch, R; Flohr, C; Apfelbacher, C

2017-04-01

Quality of life (QoL) is one of the core outcome domains identified by the Harmonising Outcome Measures for Eczema (HOME) initiative to be assessed in every eczema trial. There is uncertainty about the most appropriate QoL instrument to measure this domain in infants, children and adolescents. To systematically evaluate the measurement properties of existing measurement instruments developed and/or validated for the measurement of QoL in infants, children and adolescents with eczema. A systematic literature search in PubMed and Embase, complemented by a thorough hand search of reference lists, retrieved studies on measurement properties of eczema QoL instruments for infants, children and adolescents. For all eligible studies, we judged the adequacy of the measurement properties and the methodological study quality with the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Results from different studies were summarized in a best-evidence synthesis and formed the basis to assign four degrees of recommendation. Seventeen articles, three of which were found by hand search, were included. These 17 articles reported on 24 instruments. No instrument can be recommended for use in all eczema trials because none fulfilled all required adequacy criteria. With adequate internal consistency, reliability and hypothesis testing, the U.S. version of the Childhood Atopic Dermatitis Impact Scale (CADIS), a proxy-reported instrument, has the potential to be recommended depending on the results of further validation studies. All other instruments, including all self-reported ones, lacked significant validation data. Currently, no QoL instrument for infants, children and adolescents with eczema can be highly recommended. Future validation research should primarily focus on the CADIS, but also attempt to broaden the evidence base for the validity of self-reported instruments. © 2016 British Association of Dermatologists.

Optimum amount of an insurance sum in life insurance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janez Balkovec

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Personal insurance represents one of the sources of personal social security as a category of personal property. How to get a proper life insurance is a frequently asked question. When insuring material objects (car, house..., the problem is usually not in the amount of the taken insurance. With life insurance (abstract goods, problems as such occur. In this paper, we wish to present a model that, according to the financial situation and the anticipated future, makes it possible to calculate the optimum insurance sum in life insurance.

Stress-induced hypermutation as a physical property of life, a force of natural selection and its role in four thought experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hilbert, Lennart

2013-01-01

The independence of genetic mutation rate from selection is central to neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory. However, it has been continuously challenged for more than 30 years by experimental evidence of genetic mutation rate transiently increasing in response to stress (stress-induced hypermutation, SIH). The prominent concept of evolved evolvability (EE) explains that natural selection for strategies more competitive at evolutionary adaptation itself gives rise to mechanisms dynamically adjusting mutation rates to environmental stress. Here, we theoretically investigate the alternative (not mutually exclusive) hypothesis that SIH is an inherent physical property of all genetically reproducing life. We define stress as any condition lowering the capability of utilizing metabolic resources for genome storage and replication. This thermodynamical analysis indicates stress-induced increases in the genetic mutation rate in genome storage and in genome replication as inherent physical properties of genetically reproducing life. Further integrating SIH into an overall organismic thermodynamic budget identifies SIH as a force of natural selection, alongside death rate, replication rate and constitutive mutation rate differences. We execute four thought experiments with a non-recombinant lesion mutant strain to predict experimental observations due to SIH in response to different stresses and stress combinations. We find (1) acceleration of adaptation over models without SIH, (2) possibility of adaptation at high stresses which are not explicable by mutation in genome replication alone and (3) different adaptive potential under high growth-inhibiting versus high lethal stresses. The predictions are directly comparable to culture experiments (colony size time courses, antibacterial resistance assay and occurrence of lesion-reversion mutant colonies) and genome sequence analysis. Considering suggestions of drug-mediated disruption of SIH and attempts to target mutation

Property Outlaws in Cyberspace and Meatspace? Examining the Relationship between Online Peer Production and Support for Private Property Violations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Timothy Gibson

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Marxian theory has long viewed the institution of private property as central to labour exploitation. After all, private property laws allow those who control the means of production to expropriate surplus value from the dispossessed. An analogous relationship arguably defines life on the Internet, where users are forced to venture onto privately owned digital enclosures to access key services. Yet these online property relationships are anything but settled and uncontested. Outside the digital enclosures of Apple and Google, the Internet has fostered the development of “commons-based peer production”, where key resources (e.g. software are produced without anyone claiming exclusive property rights. In fact, some scholars have argued that the rise of peer production on the web has begun to re-shape popular attitudes concerning the legitimacy of property exclusions more broadly. In short, as we become “property outlaws” on the web, we come to question the inevitability and legitimacy of private property elsewhere in life. This paper explores this hypothesis by reporting data from a survey of Internet users at an East Coast university. Are users who engage in more peer production activities on the web also more likely to approve of “property outlaw” behaviours not just in the online context, but in the offline world as well (e.g. squatting? The data provide only partial support for the hypothesis: active online peer producers were indeed more likely to support violations of intangible (intellectual properties, but not violations of tangible or “real-world” properties.

Mechanical Properties and Tensile Fatigue of Graphene Nanoplatelets Reinforced Polymer Nanocomposites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming-Yuan Shen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs are novel nanofillers possessing attractive characteristics, including robust compatibility with most polymers, high absolute strength, and cost effectiveness. In this study, GNPs were used to reinforce epoxy composite and epoxy/carbon fiber composite laminates to enhance their mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of GNPs/epoxy nanocomposite, such as ultimate tensile strength and flexure properties, were investigated. The fatigue life of epoxy/carbon fiber composite laminate with GPs-added 0.25 wt% was increased over that of neat laminates at all levels of cyclic stress. Consequently, significant improvement in the mechanical properties of ultimate tensile strength, flexure, and fatigue life was attained for these epoxy resin composites and carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composite laminates.

Exoplanets Detection, Formation, Properties, Habitability

CERN Document Server

Mason, John W

2008-01-01

This edited, multi-author volume will be an invaluable introduction and reference to all key aspects in the field of exoplanet research. The reviews cover: Detection methods and properties of known exoplanets, Detection of extrasolar planets by gravitational microlensing. The formation and evolution of terrestrial planets in protoplanetary and debris disks. The brown dwarf-exoplanet connection. Formation, migration mechanisms and properties of hot Jupiters. Dynamics of multiple exoplanet systems. Doppler exoplanet surveys. Searching for exoplanets in the stellar graveyard. Formation and habitability of extra solar planets in multiple star systems. Exoplanet habitats and the possibilities for life. Moons of exoplanets: habitats for life. Contributing authors: •Rory Barnes •David P. Bennett •Jian Ge •Nader Haghighipour •Patrick Irwin •Hugh Jones •Victoria Meadows •Stanimir Metchev •I. Neill Reid •George Rieke •Caleb Scharf •Steinn Sigurdsson

Psychometric evaluation of the Danish and Swedish Satisfaction with Life Scale in first episode psychosis patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hochwälder, Jacek; Mattsson, Maria; Holmqvist, Ragnhild; Cullberg, Johan; Rosenbaum, Bent

2013-04-01

To psychometrically evaluate the Satisfaction with Life Scale in two cohorts of first-episode psychosis patients in the Danish National Schizophrenia Project and in the Swedish Parachute Project. Four properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale were examined in the Danish cohort (explorative investigation) and then confirmed in the Swedish cohort: (1) the factor structure; (2) correlations between subscales; (3) internal consistencies of subscales; and (4) main tendencies (arithmetic means) and variations (standard deviations) of subscales. The relations between the Satisfaction with Life Scale and various life conditions were investigated in the Swedish cohort. For both samples, the analysis indicated that the obtained four-dimensional 11-item scale had satisfactory properties. Moderately high scores were obtained in the four subscales: "living," "social relationships," "self and present life" and "work." They correlated positively with each other, the internal consistencies of the subscales were acceptable and the means for the subscales indicated no apparent floor or ceiling effects. The four dimensions obtained seem relevant and presented good face validity. The dimensions were confirmed in the Swedish sample. The Satisfaction with Life Scale shows satisfactory psychometric properties and seems valid and useful among first-episode psychosis patients.

Human Rights in Times of Social Insecurity: Canadian Experience and Inter-American Perspectives

OpenAIRE

Provost, René

2017-01-01

Canada’s experience in the war against terrorism goes back to the seventies, and continues to develop nowadays, with the last direct terrorist activity in 2017. The Canadian Government reacted to these terrorist attacks by enacting a number of statutes that reflect a changing international paradigm in relation to the fight against terrorism. Fundamental rights and liberties such as the freedom of expression, the right to private life and to personal freedom have been curtailed by these legisl...

Dreaming America: Middle Eastern Diaspora and Cultural Conflicts

OpenAIRE

Ahmet BESE; Nazila HEİDARZADEGAN

2016-01-01

This article attempts to examine how Middle Eastern Americans settled in America in pursuit of happiness, a better life, and liberty, and the results of their expectations. Culture and religion play a significant role in lives of Middle Eastern Americans and actively effect people's attempts to be Americanized and forfeit their authenticity. Such cultural conflicts cause them to feel fragmented, split, or sometimes yearn for the days back in their homelands. People in diaspora, mostly fled fr...

JAGMAN Investigations Handbook

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

e.g., Regular, Reserve, or retired; active duty, inactive duty, inactive duty training; TAD , TDY, leave, liberty. Type, model, and bureau...military status at the time of the accident (e.g., active duty, TAD , leave, liberty, etc.), their grade/rank, and the name, address, location and Unit...status. Military: Regular or Reserve, on active duty, TAD , leave, liberty, etc., at the time of the incident. Civilians: Federal employee

International symposium on nuclear power plant life management. Book of extended synopses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

A number of nuclear power plants in operation are meeting the problems of aging. Besides maintaining safety and reliability many NPP owners are concerned with service life extension, life management policy, and reactor maintenance procedures. The topics covered in this report are devoted to: NPP life management, economics and technical aspects of service life extension, reactor licensing procedures; aging of reactor components; physical radiation effects on reactor materials; corrosion; mechanical properties of reactor materials; reactor control systems; reactor safety systems.

International symposium on nuclear power plant life management. Book of extended synopses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

A number of nuclear power plants in operation are meeting the problems of aging. Besides maintaining safety and reliability many NPP owners are concerned with service life extension, life management policy, and reactor maintenance procedures. The topics covered in this report are devoted to: NPP life management, economics and technical aspects of service life extension, reactor licensing procedures; aging of reactor components; physical radiation effects on reactor materials; corrosion; mechanical properties of reactor materials; reactor control systems; reactor safety systems

Quality of life profile and psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L in HIV/AIDS patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tran Bach

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objectives We assessed health-related quality of life (HRQOL, its associated factors, and examined measurement properties of the EuroQol - 5 Dimensions - 5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L in HIV/AIDS patients. Methods A cross-sectional multi-site survey was conducted in 1016 patients (age: 35.4 ± 7.0 years; 63.8% male in three epicenters of Vietnam. Internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and discriminative validity of the EQ-5D-5L and a visual analogue scale (VAS were evaluated. Tobit censored regression models were used to identify predictors of HRQOL in HIV/AIDS patients. Results The mean EQ-5D-5L single index and VAS were 0.65 (95% Confidence Interval (CI = 0.63; 0.67 and 70.3 (95% CI = 69.2; 71.5. Cronbach’s alpha of five dimensions was 0.85. EQ-5D-5L has a good convergent validity with VAS (0.73. It discriminated patients at different HIV/AIDS stages, duration of ART, and CD4 cell count. Predictors of poorer HRQOL included being female, lower education level, unemployment, alcohol and drug use, CD4 Conclusion The EQ-5D-5L has good measurement properties in HIV/AIDS patients and holds potentials for monitoring ART outcomes. Integration of HRQOL measurement using EQ-5D-5L in HIV/AIDS clinical practice could be helpful for economic evaluation of HIV/AIDS interventions.

76 FR 2117 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-12

... Liberty Entertainment, Inc. 29-JUN-09........ 20090492........ G Liberty Entertainment, Inc. 02-JUL-09........... 20090517........ C Axsys Technologies, Inc. 07-AUG-09........ 20090517........ G Axsys Technologies, Inc...

The Satisfaction with Sex Life Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Neto, Felix

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article was to develop the Satisfaction With Sex Life Scale (SWSLS). Scores from the SWSLS have favorable psychometric properties. Cronbach's alpha was 0.92. Evidence based on relations to other variables was examined. Suggestions concerning the use of the SWSLS for research and clinical purposes are offered. (Contains 2…

Revised analysis of the Transition Joint Life Test

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sartory, W K

1984-07-01

The Transition Joint Life Test was performed by General Electric and the Energy Technology Engineering Center and was analyzed earlier by General Electric. Because of later developments in analysis techniques and in our understanding of the stress behavior near a dissimilar metal weldment, agreement was reached between General Electric and Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s High-Temperature Structural Design program that a more up-to-date analysis was needed. This report presents results of a new analysis incorporating modified mechanical properties, revised constitutive equations, and a more refined finite element grid. The structural life prediction of the present report is quite conservative (approximately 3 cycles of predicted life compared to 12 to 25 cycles of measured life), whereas the earlier General Electric analysis was underconservative by a similar factor.

Building a better world: the ecosystemic approach to quality of life - doi:10.5020/18061230.2006.p100

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Francisco Pilon

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Quality of life, natural and man-made environments and physical, social and mental well-being are presently undermined by all kinds of hazards and injuries, in a context of dehumanisation, depersonalisation and reification. Instead of accepting the “bubbles in the surface” and define actual problems in terms of fragmented representations of reality, the proposed ecosystemic approach works with the dynamic and complex configuration “inside the boiling pot”. Events are defined as configurations intertwining four dimensions of being-in-the-world: intimate, interactive, social and biophysical (subject’s cognitive and affective processes; group mutual support and values; political, economical and cultural systems; natural and man-made environments and contexts. Diagnosis and prognosis take into account the four dimensions as donors and receptors, inducing the events (deficits and assets; coping with effects (desired or undesired and contributing for change. Instead of projecting into the future of today trends, it proposes a previous definition of desirable goals and exploration of new paths to reach them. Heuristic-hermeneutic communication processes in the socio-cultural learning niches unveil cultural and epistemic paradigms which orient subject-object relationships, “enhancing” and “up-grading”, instead of “repairing” situations to make them “straight”. Accountability, equity, sustainability and empowerment, capacitating events in ethics, culture, environment, health and quality of life are associated to the development of an ecosystemic model of culture, having in mind new concepts of knowledge, wealth, power, growth, work and liberty. The proposal unites the developmental areas, ecological politics, psychology and anthropology, giving people the opportunity to reflect on their own realities engaging themselves in crucial experiences for finding new ways of living better in a better world.

Measuring attachment to life in old age: the Portuguese version of the Positive Valuation of Life Scale (Positive VOL).

Science.gov (United States)

Araújo, Lia; Ribeiro, Oscar; Teixeira, Laetitia; Azevedo, Maria João; Jopp, Daniela S; Rott, Christoph; Paúl, Constança

2015-10-01

This study aims to present the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the Positive Valuation of Life Scale (Lawton et al. in J Aging Ment Healt 13:3-31, 2001). Sample included 207 community-dwelling elders (129 women; M Age = 77.2 years, SD = 7.5). The data collection included the translated and adapted Portuguese version of Positive Valuation of Life Scale, Life Satisfaction Index Z, Meaning in Life Questionnaire and Geriatric Depression Scale. From exploratory factor analysis, two factors emerged, existential beliefs and perceived control, explaining 49 % of the total variance. Both factors were positively related with meaning in life and life satisfaction and negatively related with depression (p 0.75). The Portuguese version of Positive VOL Scale represents a reliable and valid measure to capture the subjective experience of attachment to one's life. The two-factor structure is an update to Lawton's previous work and in line with findings obtained in the USA (Dennis et al. in What is valuation of life for frail community-dwelling older adults: factor structure and criterion validity of the VOL, Thomas Jefferson University, Center for Applied Research on Aging and Health Research, 2005) and Japan (Nakagawa et al. in Shinrigaku Kenkyu 84:37-46, 2013). Future research is required to investigate VOL predictors and the potential changes toward the end of the life span.

The deeper life bible church and the issues of human rights ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Such rights include; right to life, right to educate and be educated, right to own property, right to marry and be married, etcetera. These rights are guaranteed by the United Nations Organization (UNO) and constitutions of various countries of the world. These rights, as being practiced in the Deeper Life Bible Church, are the ...

Environmental indicators for evaluating properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Grosso

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Property evaluation for tax purposes has traditionally relied on urban and building criteria, mostly resulting from concepts driven by the commercial attractiveness of the property under evaluation, its building and the site itself. Due to the world climate and ecological crisis, awareness has risen about the need for other indicators, which can evaluate the quality of a property, even referring to its potential environmental impact. Technical standards for the evaluation of buildings’ environmental sustainability, which have been developed since the first years of this century, both nationally and internationally, take into account the impact of the building and its relevance for the life-cycle of materials and elements, with reference to the three sectors of sustainability: environmental, economic and social. The social sector includes indicators referring to the user’s health and comfort, which also interact with the morphological and spatial characteristics of the building. However, there is a lack of methodological tools for the evaluation of said indicators and existing ones are mainly of a qualitative type. This paper suggests a methodological approach for the quantitative evaluation of sustainability indicators, relying on the accessibility of a site’s climate resources by the property, as a criterion to evaluate the potential for the reduction of negative environmental impact, as well as a criterion to improve users’ life quality.

Management Academy LANL Business Systems: Property Management, Course #31036

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shepherd, Michael J. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Rinke, Helen Mae [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hanson, Todd [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Wolfe, Randy P. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-07-08

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is responsible for the efficient economical management of all government property in its stewardship. This training explains the role LANL managers have in managing, controlling, and disposing of government property. The Laboratory's goal is good asset management. By properly managing property across the facility, Laboratory managers can help ASM improve government property utilization and extend asset life, while reducing asset-related operating costs and expenditures.

Induction of micronuclei and nuclear abnormalities in tadpoles of the common toad (Rhinella arenarum) treated with the herbicides Liberty® and glufosinate-ammonium.

Science.gov (United States)

Lajmanovich, Rafael C; Cabagna-Zenklusen, Mariana C; Attademo, Andrés M; Junges, Celina M; Peltzer, Paola M; Bassó, Agustín; Lorenzatti, Eduardo

2014-07-15

The assessment of micronucleated erythrocytes (ME) in blood represents a widely used method for the detection of chromosomal damage by chemical agents, such as herbicides that may occur as water contaminants. We investigated the changes in some circulating blood-cell parameters of tadpoles of the common toad (Rhinella arenarum) that were exposed during 48 or 96 h to three sub-lethal concentrations (3.75, 7.5, and 15 mg/L) of a commercial formulation of a glufosinate-ammonium (GLA)-based herbicide (Liberty(®), LY(®)) as well as to the corresponding active ingredient GLA. The frequency of ME and other erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENA, i.e., lobed nuclei, binucleates or segmented nuclei, kidney-shaped nuclei, notched nuclei, and picnotic nuclei) were evaluated and compared with positive (cyclophosphamide, CP, 40 mg/L) and negative (de-chlorinated tap water) controls. The results indicate that the exposure of R. arenarum tadpoles to LY(®) induces a concentration-dependent increase in ME frequency. The ENA frequency at 48 h was also significantly higher than that in the negative control group for all the chemicals assayed (CP, LY(®) and GLA) whereas at 96 h, increases in ENA over the negative control group were found only for CP and GLA (7.5 mg/L). Our study demonstrates that the commercial formulation of a GLA-based herbicide induces micronucleus formation in R. arenarum tadpoles, in contrast to the active ingredient. According to these results, the inert ingredients of the commercial formulation played an important role in the production of genotoxic damage in erythrocytes of amphibian tadpoles. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Political freedom and the response to economic incentives: labor migration in Africa, 1972-1987.

Science.gov (United States)

Barkley, A P; Mcmillan, J

1994-12-01

This study examines the thesis that political institutions and the freedoms and civil rights generated by these institutions affect migration decisions. The hypothesis is based on one stated by Adam Smith in 1776, that economic conditions that reflect greater political freedoms and civil liberties harbor higher levels of resource mobility in response to economic incentives. Pooled cross-sectional and time-series analysis is based on data from the World Bank for 32 African countries during 1972-87. Findings support the hypothesis that migration rate is more affected by the expected returns ratio to labor in countries where civil liberties are greater than in nations with fewer civil liberties. The implication, from the inclusion of institutional factors in the model, is that civil liberties have an indirect impact on the rate of labor migration out of agriculture in Africa. The impact is a mix of economic incentives and civil liberties. In the political rights model, the most free countries had the largest migration elasticity. The findings on political rights impacts support findings by Friedman and McMillan that civil liberties are a more important determinant of economic growth than political rights. Further testing for measurement error confirmed that the data were flawed, but not so greatly that the basic findings were overturned. The migration out of African agriculture was found to be sensitive to the effect of price signals, which were conditioned by the degree of political rights and civil liberties. Policy makers are urged to consider both changes in pricing and institutions.

Rapeseed with tolerance to the non selective herbicide glufosinate ammonium

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rasche, E. [Hoechst Schering AgrEvo GmbH, Frankfurt am Main (Germany)

1998-12-31

Weed control with herbicides is essential to grow rapeseed. Glufosinate Ammonium is used as a non selective herbicide successfully in many countries for over 10 years. It conforms well with ever increasing safety standards for human beings, animals and the environment. The tolerance of rapeseed and other crop plants was achieved by genetic modification. A resistance gene (PAT or BAR) was transfered into previously susceptible rapeseed plants. This new approach allowed the development of Glufosinate Ammonium as an almost ideal selective herbicide. In cooperation with major seed companies and by own breeding programmes new Glufosinate tolerant rapeseed varieties and hybrids are developed. Data on metabolism, toxicity, residues, efficacy etc. were generated to get registration for the selective herbicide use. In addition various studies were done for safety assessments of the PAT gene and the modified rapeseed. In spring 1995 Canadian authorities granted worldwide the first approvals for the selective use of Glufosinate Ammonium (trademark Liberty) and Glufosinate tolerant (trademark and logo Liberty Link) spring rapeseed (Canola). After a successful launch in 1995 about 150.000 ha of Liberty Link Canola were grown and treated with Liberty in 1996. The Liberty Link Canola growers were very well satisfied. In a grower survey 84% stated that they will definitely use the Liberty Link System again. In Europe registrations for Glufosinate Ammonium as a selective herbicide and for the first Glufosinate tolerant rapeseed varieties are expected in the course of 1997. The Liberty Link System will be launched in rapeseed most probably in 1998. (orig.)

Kevorkian v. Thompson.

Science.gov (United States)

1997-01-01

Court Decision: 947 Federal Supplement 1152; 1997 Jan 6 (date of decision). The United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan held that a mentally competent patient who is terminally ill or intractably suffering does not have a liberty interest in assisted suicide under the due process clause of the Fourth Amendment and is not denied equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Plaintiff Jack Kevorkian is a physician who advocates the right to die and assisted patients to commit suicide. Plaintiff Janet Good, the former president of the Michigan Hemlock Society, suffers from terminal pancreatic cancer. The plaintiffs claimed that Michigan's statute prohibiting physician-assisted suicide is unconstitutional. The District Court held that there is no cognizable constitutional right to assisted suicide because the right to suicide or assisted suicide is not deeply rooted in the nation's history and traditions, and because the statute does not infringe on any fundamental right or liberty. The court noted a difference between the withdrawal of life support and acts to hasten death by assisted suicide. The court also held that the law against physician-assisted suicide furthered legitimate state interests in denying to physicians "the role of killers of their patients," in regulating circumstances under which life may be ended, and in protecting the vulnerable but viable from "self-interested importuning of third parties."

Life prediction of different commercial dental implants as influence by uncertainties in their fatigue material properties and loading conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, M A

2012-12-01

Probabilistic analyses allow the effect of uncertainty in system parameters to be determined. In the literature, many researchers have investigated static loading effects on dental implants. However, the intrinsic variability and uncertainty of most of the main problem parameters are not accounted for. The objective of this research was to apply a probabilistic computational approach to predict the fatigue life of three different commercial dental implants considering the variability and uncertainty in their fatigue material properties and loading conditions. For one of the commercial dental implants, the influence of its diameter in the fatigue life performance was also studied. This stochastic technique was based on the combination of a probabilistic finite element method (PFEM) and a cumulative damage approach known as B-model. After 6 million of loading cycles, local failure probabilities of 0.3, 0.4 and 0.91 were predicted for the Lifecore, Avinent and GMI implants, respectively (diameter of 3.75mm). The influence of the diameter for the GMI implant was studied and the results predicted a local failure probability of 0.91 and 0.1 for the 3.75mm and 5mm, respectively. In all cases the highest failure probability was located at the upper screw-threads. Therefore, the probabilistic methodology proposed herein may be a useful tool for performing a qualitative comparison between different commercial dental implants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spectral Uncertainties: A Review of Precarity and Loss: On Certain and Uncertain Properties of Life and Work by Tadeusz Rachwał

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edyta Lorek-Jezińska

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Precarity and uncertainty recur in numerous critical accounts of the present to stress the sense of social and personal insecurity resulting from global changes and increasing inequalities. This review discusses Precarity and Loss: On Certain and Uncertain Properties of Life and Work by Tadeusz Rachwał (2017 as an examination of the major philosophical and social uncertainties of the present and their indebtedness to the (uncertainties of the past. The article situates Rachwał’s book in the context of Judith Butler’s reflections on precariousness, Guy Standing’s study on the precariat, and Zygmunt Bauman’s concept of liquidity in order to unravel some of the answers it offers to the overpowering sense of vulnerability.

The coherence of life: A new physiology challenging (neo)Darwinism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaeken, Laurent

2009-01-01

Schroedinger argued that coherent behaviour is one of the most remarkable properties of life. Despite this, it is one of the most neglected properties, studied only by a few groups of rather independent scientists in the domains of physiology but also of fundamental physics. In contrast, classical cell physiology, built on membrane theory, does not take coherent behaviour into account. Recently several independent approaches to the problem of coherence have been unified yielding a new paradigm for cell physiology, which can be derived from a non-linear Schroedinger equation. The new paradigm replaces outdated membrane theory. Similarly (neo)Darwinism is not firmly grounded on fundamental physics. However, during the eighties (neo)Darwinism was taken up in a broader theory of evolution, based on the non-linear equations of fundamental physics. It is argued here that life's coherent behaviour and the new physiology built on these coherent properties is directly compatible with the modern view on evolution, since both are based on the same principles of non-linearity.

Service life prediction and fibre reinforced cementitious composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stoklund Larsen, E.

The present Ph.D.thesis addresses the service life concept on the fibre reinforced cementitious composites. The advantages and problems of adding fibre to a cementitious matrix and the influence on service life are described. In SBI Report 221, Service life prediction and cementitious somposites......, the factors affecting the pure cementitious composite are described. Different sizes and types of fibre reinforced crmentitious composites have been chosen to illustrate different ageing and deterioration mechanisms. Some ageing mechanisms can be accelerated and others cannot which is demonstrated in a test...... programme. Moisture, micro structural and mechanical properties were measured before, during and after ageing, with the purpose of giving a detailed "picture" of the materials during ageing....

Clinical Utility and Psychometric Properties of the Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life Scale (TBI-QOL) in US Military Service Members.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Rael T; Brickell, Tracey A; Bailie, Jason M; Tulsky, David S; French, Louis M

2016-01-01

To examine the clinical utility and psychometric properties of the Traumatic Brain Injury Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) scale in a US military population. One hundred fifty-two US military service members (age: M = 34.3, SD = 9.4; 89.5% men) prospectively enrolled from the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and other nationwide community outreach initiatives. Participants included 99 service members who had sustained a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 53 injured or noninjured controls without TBI (n = 29 and n = 24, respectively). Participants completed the TBI-QOL scale and 5 other behavioral measures, on average, 33.8 months postinjury (SD = 37.9). Fourteen TBI-QOL subscales; Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian version; Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test; Combat Exposure Scale. The internal consistency reliability of the TBI-QOL scales ranged from α = .91 to α = .98. The convergent and discriminant validity of the 14 TBI-QOL subscales was high. The mild TBI group had significantly worse scores on 10 of the 14 TBI-QOL subscales than the control group (range, P quality of life in a mild TBI military sample. Additional research is recommended to further evaluate the clinical utility of the TBI-QOL scale in both military and civilian settings.

Comparison of Sensory Properties, Shelf-Life and Microbiological Safety of Industrial Sausages Produced with Autochthonous and Commercial Starter Cultures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jadranka Frece

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to use isolated and characterized autochthonous functional starter cultures from traditional Croatian dry sausages and to evaluate their capacity for industrial production of five sausages (Čajna sausage, Zimska sausage, Bečka sausage, Srijemska sausage and Slavonski kulen. These defined autochthonous functional starter cultures (combination of Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus strains were used to produce five different industrial sausages which were compared by a panel. The viability of introduced autochthonous Lactobacillus and Staphylococcus strains and their effect on the final product characteristics, namely microbiological, physicochemical and sensory properties were monitored. The obtained results indicate that autochthonous starter cultures survived industrial production of sausages and can be used for production of sausages under controlled conditions. Autochthonous starter cultures obtained better results in the organoleptic evaluation, microbial safety and prolonged shelf-life in comparison with commercial starter cultures.

ON THE PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE LIFE REGARD INDEX (LRI) - A MEASURE OF MEANINGFUL LIFE - AN EVALUATION IN 3 INDEPENDENT SAMPLES BASED ON THE DUTCH VERSION

NARCIS (Netherlands)

DEBATS, DL; VANDERLUBBE, PM; WEZEMAN, FRA

The current study presents data on the reliability and validity of the Life Regard Index (LRI), a 28-item scale which was designed to assess positive life regard, degree of experienced meaningfulness of one's life. The theoretical LRI structure, distinguishing two dimensions framework and

The fuel cell model of abiogenesis: a new approach to origin-of-life simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Barge, Laura M; Kee, Terence P; Doloboff, Ivria J; Hampton, Joshua M P; Ismail, Mohammed; Pourkashanian, Mohamed; Zeytounian, John; Baum, Marc M; Moss, John A; Lin, Chung-Kuang; Kidd, Richard D; Kanik, Isik

2014-03-01

In this paper, we discuss how prebiotic geo-electrochemical systems can be modeled as a fuel cell and how laboratory simulations of the origin of life in general can benefit from this systems-led approach. As a specific example, the components of what we have termed the "prebiotic fuel cell" (PFC) that operates at a putative Hadean hydrothermal vent are detailed, and we used electrochemical analysis techniques and proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell components to test the properties of this PFC and other geo-electrochemical systems, the results of which are reported here. The modular nature of fuel cells makes them ideal for creating geo-electrochemical reactors with which to simulate hydrothermal systems on wet rocky planets and characterize the energetic properties of the seafloor/hydrothermal interface. That electrochemical techniques should be applied to simulating the origin of life follows from the recognition of the fuel cell-like properties of prebiotic chemical systems and the earliest metabolisms. Conducting this type of laboratory simulation of the emergence of bioenergetics will not only be informative in the context of the origin of life on Earth but may help in understanding whether life might emerge in similar environments on other worlds.

Bentonite. Geotechnical barrier and source for microbial life

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matschiavelli, Nicole; Kluge, Sindy; Cherkouk, Andrea; Steglich, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Due to their properties, namely a high swelling capacity and a low hydraulic conductivity, Bentonites fulfil as geotechnical barrier a sealing and buffering function in the nuclear waste repository. Depending on the mineral composition Bentonites contain many suitable electron-donors and -acceptors, enabling potential microbial life. For the potential repository of highly radioactive waste the microbial mediated transformation of Bentonite could influence its properties as a barrier material. Microcosms were set up containing Bentonite and anaerobic synthetic Opalinus-clay-pore water solution under an N_2/CO_2-atmosphere to elucidate the microbial potential within selected Bentonites. Substrates like acetate and lactate were supplemented to stimulate potential microbial activity. First results show that bentonites represent a source for microbial life, demonstrated by the consumption of lactate and the formation of pyruvate. Furthermore, microbial iron-reduction was determined, which plays a crucial role in Betonite-transformation.

Bentonite. Geotechnical barrier and source for microbial life

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matschiavelli, Nicole; Kluge, Sindy; Cherkouk, Andrea [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf e.V., Dresden (Germany). HZDR Young Investigator Group; Steglich, Jennifer

2017-06-01

Due to their properties, namely a high swelling capacity and a low hydraulic conductivity, Bentonites fulfil as geotechnical barrier a sealing and buffering function in the nuclear waste repository. Depending on the mineral composition Bentonites contain many suitable electron-donors and -acceptors, enabling potential microbial life. For the potential repository of highly radioactive waste the microbial mediated transformation of Bentonite could influence its properties as a barrier material. Microcosms were set up containing Bentonite and anaerobic synthetic Opalinus-clay-pore water solution under an N{sub 2}/CO{sub 2}-atmosphere to elucidate the microbial potential within selected Bentonites. Substrates like acetate and lactate were supplemented to stimulate potential microbial activity. First results show that bentonites represent a source for microbial life, demonstrated by the consumption of lactate and the formation of pyruvate. Furthermore, microbial iron-reduction was determined, which plays a crucial role in Betonite-transformation.

Big Data and Intellectual Property Rights in the Health and Life Sciences

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minssen, Timo; Pierce, Justin

2018-01-01

, especially in the life science sectors where competitive innovation and research and development (R&D) resources are persistent considerations. For private actors, the like of pharmaceutical companies, health care providers, laboratories and insurance companies, it is becoming common practice to accumulate R......Undeniably “Big Data” plays a crucial role in the ongoing evolution of health care and life science sector innovations. In recent years U.S. and European authorities have developed public platforms and infrastructures providing access to vast stores of health-care knowledge, including data from......&D data making it searchable through medical databases. This trend is advanced and supported by recent initiatives and legislation that are increasing the transparency of various forms of data, such as clinical trials data. As a result, researchers, companies, patients and health care providers gain...

From the children's point of view : power, pragmatism and rights in children's lives in Buganda

OpenAIRE

Baarøy, Jan Olav

1999-01-01

I left for Uganda in 1996 with two issues I wanted to consider: One, people's comprehension of children's rights; and two, children's perspective of their daily life. As Redd Barna had been working in this particular area of Uganda since the early 1990's I had heard that almost everybody knew about children's rights - or eddembe ly'abaana in Luganda (a translation which literally could mean, and often understood as children's freedom or liberty, and even children's peace). Now, when sumarizin...

"DET ÖMSINTA ANSANDET" SJUKSKÖTERSKORS UPPLEVELSE AV VAD SOM ÄR VÅRDANDE INOM RÄTTSPSYKIATRIN

OpenAIRE

Arvidsson, Alexander

2015-01-01

Forensic psychiatric care is a complex business. Patients who are cared for in forensic psychiatry are usually in need of care for a long time. The forensic care is a major intrusion into a person's life and the nurses and caregivers are the people who spend the most time with patients. They have a difficult mission providing a good and personalized care while patients are deprived of their liberty. Previous research demonstrates that patients experience forensic care as uncertain, insecure a...

The Importance of Water for Life

Science.gov (United States)

Westall, Frances; Brack, André

2018-03-01

Liquid water is essential for life as we know it, i.e. carbon-based life. Although other compound-solvent pairs that could exist in very specific physical environments could be envisaged, the elements essential to carbon and water-based life are among the most common in the universe. Carbon molecules and liquid water have physical and chemical properties that make them optimised compound-solvent pairs. Liquid water is essential for important prebiotic reactions. But equally important for the emergence of life is the contact of carbon molecules in liquid water with hot rocks and minerals. We here review the environmental conditions of the early Earth, as soon as it had liquid water at its surface and was habitable. Basing our approach to life as a "cosmic phenomenon" (de Duve 1995), i.e. a chemical continuum, we briefly address the various hypotheses for the origin of life, noting their relevance with respect to early environmental conditions. It appears that hydrothermal environments were important in this respect. We continue with the record of early life noting that, by 3.5 Ga, when the sedimentary environment started being well-preserved, anaerobic life forms had colonised all habitable microenvironments from the sea floor to exposed beach environments and, possibly, in the photic planktonic zone of the sea. Life on Earth had also evolved to the relatively sophisticated stage of anoxygenic photosynthesis. We conclude with an evaluation of the potential for habitability and colonisation of other planets and satellites in the Solar System, noting that the most common life forms in the Solar System and probably in the Universe would be similar to terrestrial chemotrophs whose carbon source is either reduced carbon or CO2 dissolved in water and whose energy would be sourced from oxidized carbon, H2, or other transition elements.

Sovereignty and Liberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lev, Amnon

, including Marsilius of Padua, Hobbes, Hegel, Kelsen, and Schmitt, it identifies the conceptual operations that created sovereignty and shows how subjection to an absolute and undivided power came to be a source of meaning. At the heart of the analysis is the idea that sovereignty made reference...... to and relied upon a form of faith which aligned man’s political existence on law. Offering new and often controversial insights into the grounds of our attachment to sovereign power and into the crisis that is currently affecting its institutions, this book will appeal to students and scholars of law, politics...

Sovereignty and Liberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lev, Amnon

, including Marsilius of Padua, Hobbes, Hegel, Kelsen, and Schmitt, it identifies the conceptual operations that created sovereignty and shows how subjection to an absolute and undivided power came to be a source of meaning. At the heart of the analysis is the idea that sovereignty made reference...

Kommunismiohvrite ausamba rajamise plaan esitati rahvusgruppidele / foto: Alide Forstmanis

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2008-01-01

Toronto Ülikoolis 10. dets. Tribute to Liberty peakomitee ja Kanada erinevate rahvusgruppide kohtumisest jõulupeo raames, Tribute to Liberty algatusest püstitada ausammas kommunismikuritegude ohvrite mälestuseks Ottawa piirkonda

41 CFR 60-300.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life... VETERANS, AND ARMED FORCES SERVICE MEDAL VETERANS Discrimination Prohibited § 60-300.25 Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service company, health...

41 CFR 60-250.25 - Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Health insurance, life... SEPARATED VETERANS, AND OTHER PROTECTED VETERANS Discrimination Prohibited § 60-250.25 Health insurance, life insurance and other benefit plans. (a) An insurer, hospital, or medical service company, health...

Evaluation of Service Life of Polystyrene in Tropical Marine Environment by Principal Component Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dongdong Song

2015-01-01

Full Text Available To predict the service life of polystyrene (PS under an aggressive environment, the nondimensional expression Z was established from a data set of multiple properties of PS by principal component analysis (PCA. In this study, PS specimens were exposed to the tropical environment on Xisha Islands in China for two years. Chromatic aberration, gloss, tensile strength, elongation at break, flexural strength, and impact strength were tested to evaluate the aging behavior of PS. Based on different needs of industries, each of the multiple properties could be used to evaluate the service life of PS. However, selecting a single performance variation will inevitably hide some information about the entire aging process. Therefore, finding a comprehensive measure representing the overall aging performance of PS can be highly significant. Herein, PCA was applied to obtain a specific property (Z which can represent all properties of PS. Z of PS degradation showed a slight decrease for the initial two months of exposure after which it increased rapidly in the next eight months. Subsequently, a slower increase of Z value was observed. From the three different stages shown as Z value increases, three stages have been identified for PS service life.

Origin of life and living matter in hot mineral water

OpenAIRE

Ignatov, Ignat; Mosin, Oleg

2013-01-01

In this review the composition of water and isotopic structure of water during a process of origin of life is submitted. The data obtained testify that life maintenance depends on physical-chemical properties of water and external factors – temperature and рН. Hot mineral alkaline water, which interacts with CaCO 3 is closest to these conditions. Next in line with regard to quality is sea and mountain water.

Testing fungistatic properties of soil-like substrate for growing plants in bioregenerative life support systems

Science.gov (United States)

Enzhu, Hu; Nesterenko, Elena; Liu, Professor Hong; Manukovsky, N. S.; Kovalev, Vladimir; Gurevich, Yu.; Kozlov, Vladimir; Khizhnyak, Serge; Xing, Yidong; Hu, Enzhu; Enzhu, Hu

There are two ways of getting vegetable food in BLSS: in hydroponic culture and on soil substrates. In any case there is a chance that the plants will be affected by plant pathogenic microorganisms. The subject of the research was a soil-like substrate (SLS) for growing plants in a Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS). We estimated the fungistatic properties of SLS using test cultures of Bipolaris and Alternaria plant pathogenic fungi. Experiments were made with the samples of SLS, natural soil and sand (as control). We tested 2 samples of SLS produced by way of bioconversion of wheat and rice straw. We measured the disease severity of wheat seedlings and the incidence of common root rot in natural (non-infectious) background and man-made (infectious) conditions. The severity of disease on the SLS was considerably smaller both in non-infectious and infectious background conditions (8 and 12%) than on the natural soil (18 and 32%) and sand. It was the soil-like substrate that had the minimal value among the variants being compared (20% in non-infectious and 40% in infectious background conditions). This index in respect of the soil was 55 and 78%, correspondingly, and in respect of the sand - 60%, regardless of the background. It was found that SLS significantly suppressed conidia germination of Bipolaris soroikiniana (pwheat and rice straw.

THE RIGHTS OF A PERSON DEPRIVED OF LIBERTY OF MAINTAINING FAMILY TIES IN 5 EUROPEAN COUNTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iulia POPESCU

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A prisoner's life can often be a scary way of life for many people, which is why many individuals don’t want to be close to people who have been imprisoned, for obvious reasons. But the reality is that those who execute prison sentences, sooner or later, are liberated from prison and re-enter en society. Resocialization is a hard and difficult process to be fulfilled, but obviously not impossible. In trying to redress the behaviours of those who have chosen the wrong way of life, family involvement is essential, especially in terms of maintaining mental health, and in the hope that at the end of the punishment, at the exit of the penitentiary there will be someone waiting there for them. The present paper aims to analyze the rights of inmates to keep in touch with their families, stipulated in the legislation of 5 European countries, the similarities and possible differences of their approach in the desire to identify the best regulations in this field, with best results in re-socialization. However, it is known that permanent contact with the family increases the confidence in the person self-esteem so that he / she overcomes the bad moments of life, as well as in the case of the prisoners the existence of more rights to maintain contact with the family is a desire

The effect of combination treatment of gamma irradiation with refrigeration or with hot water treatment on the storage life and organoleptic properties of carabao mangoes and lacatan bananas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barruel, D.S.

1976-03-01

This study aims to determine the best combination of irradiation-hot water and irradiation-low temperature storage as treatments to help achieve longer shelf-life extension of fruits with export value such as bananas and mangoes. Results have shown the combined irradiation and hot water treatment as a better treatment for mangoes over that of combined irradiation (50kr) and low temperature storage (15 0 C) or of single treatments with irradiation, refrigeration or hot water. A much lower dose of 30 krad was found to give the longest extension in shelf-life in mangoes subjected to irradiation and hot (55 0 C) water treatment. No significant differences in the organoleptic properties were found in the samples given the combination treatment when compared to samples given no treatment at all. The extension in shelf-life may be attributed to the synergistic effect of the treatments, which could have affected the senescence of the fruit and likewise controlled the growth of rot-causing microorganisms. Similar work was also done on bananas but the results are still preliminary

Discussion: Must We Choose between Chandran Kukathas's 'Two Constructions of Libertarianism'?

OpenAIRE

Ian Narveson

2009-01-01

Kukathas, in “Two Constructions of Libertarianism,” concludes that “the choice confronting libertarians is an invidious one. … The Federation of Liberty can, in principle, turn out to contain no communities of that federation which actually value or respect liberty; and even slavery might have a lawful place within it. The Union of Liberty, on the other hand, can, in principle turn out to be society ruled by a strong authority with little respect for dissenting moral traditions, including som...

Semiparametric regression for restricted mean residual life under right censoring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansourvar, Zahra; Martinussen, Torben; Scheike, Thomas H.

2015-01-01

is not observed, the restricted mean residual life must be considered. In this paper, we propose the proportional restricted mean residual life model for fitting survival data under right censoring. For inference on the model parameters, martingale estimating equations are developed, and the asymptotic properties...... of the proposed estimators are established. In addition, a class of goodness-of-fit test is presented to assess the adequacy of the model. The finite sample behavior of the proposed estimators is evaluated through simulation studies, and the approach is applied to a set of real life data collected from...

Improved methods of creep-fatigue life assessment of components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholz, Alfred; Berger, Christina [Inst. fuer Werkstoffkunde (IfW), Technische Univ. Darmstadt (Germany)

2009-07-01

The improvement of life assessment methods contributes to a reduction of efforts at design and an effective long term operation of high temperature components, reduces technical risk and increases high economical advantages. Creep-fatigue at multi-stage loading, covering cold start, warm start and hot start cycles in typical loading sequences e.g. for medium loaded power plants, was investigated here. At hold times creep and stress relaxation, respectively, lead to an acceleration of crack initiation. Creep fatigue life time can be calculated by a modified damage accumulation rule, which considers the fatigue fraction rule for fatigue damage and the life fraction rule for creep damage. Mean stress effects, internal stress and interaction effects of creep and fatigue are considered. Along with the generation of advanced creep data, fatigue data and creep fatigue data as well scatter band analyses are necessary in order to generate design curves and lower bound properties inclusive. Besides, in order to improve lifing methods the enhancement of modelling activities for deformation and life time are important. For verification purposes, complex experiments at variable creep conditions as well as at creep fatigue interaction under multi-stage loading are of interest. Generally, the development of methods to transfer uniaxial material properties to multiaxial loading situations is a current challenge. For specific design purposes, a constitutive material model is introduced which is implemented as an user subroutine for Finite Element applications due to start-up and shut-down phases of components. Identification of material parameters have been performed by Neural Networks. (orig.)

NOTE ABOUT THE MORALS CONCEIVED IN DIRTY HANDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Humberto Pereira da Silva

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Sartre’s philosophy and the existentialism were very important to the thought in the last century. Besides being a philosopher, Sartre was also a great writer and, in his play, Dirty hands, one can see many of his ideas. Tthis paper indicates the moral question, thus, the problem of liberty, presented in this Sartre’s specific work. Tthe matter of Dirty hands, when the characters are inside of the “border-situation”, is the liberty of choice. is the moment of affirmation of liberty, to Sartre. Iin this paper it is not the objective to contest Sartre’s concepts, as the one about “border-situation” or the other about liberty, because the purpose is only to show as Sartre use them in the play Dirty hands.

Coasian and Modern Property Rights Economics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Foss, Kirsten; Foss, Nicolai

2015-01-01

Laying the foundations of property rights economics stands out among Ronald Coase's many seminal contributions. This approach had an impact on a number of fields in economics in, particularly, the 1960s and 1970s. The modern body of property rights economics mainly originates in the work Oliver...... Hart and is quite different in style, scope, and implications from the original property rights economics of Coase, Demsetz, Alchian, Cheung, Umbeck, Barzel, etc. Based on our earlier work on the subject (Foss and Foss, 2001), we argue that the change from Mark I to Mark II property rights economics...... led to a substantial narrowing of the scope of property rights economics, somewhat akin to a Kuhnian loss of content. In particular, Mark II property rights economics make strong assumptions concerning the definition and enforcement of ownership rights made which lead to many real life institutions...

Studies of Life on Earth are Important for Mars Exploration

Science.gov (United States)

DesMarais, D. J.

1998-01-01

The search for evidence of the early martian environment and a martian biosphere is benefitted by diverse studies of life on Earth. Most fundamentally, origin-of-life research highlights the challenge in formulating a rigorous definition of life. Because such definitions typically list several of life's most basic properties, they also help to define those observable features that distinguish life and thus might be sought through telescopes, spacecraft, and analyses of extraterrestrial samples. Studies of prebiotic chemistry also help by defining the range of environments and processes that sustain prebiotic organic synthesis. These studies might indicate if and where prebiotic processes occur today on Earth and elsewhere. Such studies should also help to identify which localities are good candidates for the origin of life. A better understanding of the most fundamental principles by which molecules are assembled into living systems will help us to appreciate possible alternatives to the path followed by life on Earth. These perspectives will sharpen our ability to recognize exotic life and/or those environments that can sustain it.

Quantum evolution life in the multiverse

CERN Document Server

McFadden, Johnjoe

2000-01-01

Quantum Evolution presents a revolutionary new scientific theory by asking: is there a force of will behind evolution? In his astonishing first book, Johnjoe McFadden shows that there is. 'McFadden's bold hypothesis that quantum physics plays a key role in the origin and evolution of life looks increasingly plausible. The weird behaviour of matter and information at the quantum level could be just what is needed to explain life's astonishing properties. If these ideas are right, they will transform our understanding of the relationship between physics and biology.' PAUL DAVIES In this brilliant debut, Johnjoe McFadden puts forward a theory of quantum evolution. He shows how living organisms have the ability to will themselves into action. Indeed, such an ability may be life's most fundamental attribute. This has radical implications. Evolution may not be random at all, as recent evolutionary theories have taught: rather, cells may, in certain circumstances, be able to choose to mutate particular genes that pr...

Life Satisfaction in Brazil: Testing the Psychometric Properties of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in Five Brazilian Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Gouveia, Valdiney V.; Milfont, Taciano L.; da Fonseca, Patricia Nunes; Coelho, Jorge Artur Pecanha de Miranda

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper was to validate the Brazilian-Portuguese version of the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), presenting evidence of its reliability and construct and criterion-related validity. A large Brazilian sample (2,180 participants), from five different populations (undergraduate and high school students, general population,…

The Psychometric Properties of English and Spanish Versions of the Life Orientation Test-Revised in Hispanic Americans.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Tonya M; Mills, Sarah D; Fox, Rina S; Baik, Sharon H; Harry, Kadie M; Roesch, Scott C; Sadler, Georgia Robins; Malcarne, Vanessa L

2017-12-01

The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) is a widely used measure of optimism and pessimism, with three positively worded and three negatively worded content items. This study examined the structural validity and invariance, internal consistency reliability, and convergent and divergent validity of the English and Spanish versions of the LOT-R among Hispanic Americans. A community sample of Hispanic Americans ( N = 422) completed self-report measures, including the LOT-R, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, in their preferred language of English or Spanish. Based on the literature, four structural models were tested: one-factor , oblique two-factor , orthogonal two-factor method effects with positive specific factor , and orthogonal two-factor method effects with negative specific factor . Baseline support for both of the English and Spanish versions was not achieved for any model; in all models, the negatively worded items in Spanish had non-significant factor loadings. Therefore, the positively worded three-item optimism subscale of the LOT-R was examined separately and fit the data, with factor loadings equivalent across language-preference groups. Coefficient alphas for the optimism subscale were consistent across both language-preference groups (αs = .61 [English] and .66 [Spanish]). In contrast, the six-item total score and three-item pessimism subscale demonstrated extremely low or inconsistent alphas. Convergent and divergent validity were established for the optimism subscale in both languages. In sum, the optimism subscale of the LOT-R demonstrated minimally acceptable to good psychometric properties across English and Spanish language-preference groups. However, neither the total score nor the pessimism subscale showed adequate psychometric properties for Spanish-speaking Hispanic Americans, likely due to translation and cultural adaptation issues, and thus are not supported for use with this population.

THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE MEDICAL ACT IN THE DEPRIVATION OF LIBERTY ENVIRONMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laurenţia Florentina GĂIŞTEANU (ŞTEFAN

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Respecting the medical secrecy is one of the essential conditions underlying the protection of private life. Medical information obtained from patients in the context of a physician - patient relationship should be protected by confidentiality. Disclosure of personal health care data without the agreement of the person is a touch brought to private life. One particular feature of the health care system is the healthcare provided to patients in detention. Even though the doctor-patient relationship in the penitentiary environment has a number of peculiarities, it is coordinated according to the same ethical principles as in the public one. The penitentiary physician's duty is not limited to consultation and treatment, he often becomes the prisoner's personal physician, and the means of relationship must respect the fundamental rights of the patient, regardless of his or her status. In the penitentiary system, there are also many dilemmas arising from the duties of the medical staff, the first of the detainee's personal physician and the second of the penitentiary administration's counselor. The medical specialist in a penitentiary must take into account that communicating with the patient is essential in the doctor-patient relationship and she must be sincere. In determining the attitude of the patient towards the doctor and the medical act, the context of the first contact with the doctor, the way in which the first medical consultation takes place, is of great importance. Trust is gradually gaining, and medical staff must strive to demonstrate that they can ensure the protection of prisoners' medical records.

Biocybrid systems and the re-engineering of life

Science.gov (United States)

Domingues, Diana; Ferreira da Rocha, Adson; Hamdan, Camila; Augusto, Leci; Miosso, Cristiano Jacques

2011-03-01

The reengineering of life expanded by perceptual experiences in the sense of presence in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality is the theme of our investigation in collaborative practices confirming the artistś creativity close to the inventivity of scientists and mutual capacity for the generation of biocybrid systems. We consider the enactive bodily interfaces for human existence being co-located in the continuum and symbiotic zone between body and flesh - cyberspace and data - and the hybrid properties of physical world. That continuum generates a biocybrid zone (Bio+cyber+hybrid) and the life is reinvented. Results reaffirm the creative reality of coupled body and mutual influences with environment information, enhancing James Gibson's ecological perception theory. The ecosystem life in its dynamical relations between human, animal, plants, landscapes, urban life and objects, bring questions and challenges for artworks and the reengineering of life discussed in our artworks in technoscience. Finally, we describe an implementation in which the immersion experience is enhanced by the datavisualization of biological audio signals and by using wearable miniaturized devices for biofeedback.

The coherence of life: A new physiology challenging (neo)Darwinism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaeken, Laurent [Laboratory of Biochemistry, Department of Industrial Sciences and Technology, Karel de Grote-Hogeschool University College, Salesianenlaan 30, B-2660 Hoboken (Belgium)], E-mail: laurent.jaeken@Kdg.be

2009-10-15

Schroedinger argued that coherent behaviour is one of the most remarkable properties of life. Despite this, it is one of the most neglected properties, studied only by a few groups of rather independent scientists in the domains of physiology but also of fundamental physics. In contrast, classical cell physiology, built on membrane theory, does not take coherent behaviour into account. Recently several independent approaches to the problem of coherence have been unified yielding a new paradigm for cell physiology, which can be derived from a non-linear Schroedinger equation. The new paradigm replaces outdated membrane theory. Similarly (neo)Darwinism is not firmly grounded on fundamental physics. However, during the eighties (neo)Darwinism was taken up in a broader theory of evolution, based on the non-linear equations of fundamental physics. It is argued here that life's coherent behaviour and the new physiology built on these coherent properties is directly compatible with the modern view on evolution, since both are based on the same principles of non-linearity.

Human rights of persons with mental disabilities. The European Convention of Human Rights.

Science.gov (United States)

Gostin, L O

2000-01-01

It is not necessary to recount the numerous charters and declarations ... to understand human rights.... All persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights. Everyone ... is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in the international human rights instruments without discrimination, such as the rights to life, liberty, security of the person, privacy, health, education, work, social security, and to marry and found a family. Yet, violations of human rights are a reality to be found in every corner of the globe.

Trafficking of women in Mexico and their health risk: issues and problems

OpenAIRE

Acharya, Arun Kumar

2015-01-01

Trafficking in women is one of the most corrosive forms of human rights violation. It results in the gradual destruction of a woman’s personal identity and her right to live as a free human. The victim is subjected to violence, humiliation and violation of her personal integrity, which may result in life threatening diseases like HIV/AIDS, STDs or lifelong trauma, drug addiction or personality disintegration. It can also be seen as denial of the right to liberty and security of the person, an...

Interrelation of melatonin with quality of life and personality properties of patients with endometrial pathology in the late reproductive and premenopausal period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. M. Korniyenko

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the work is to investigate the relationship of melatonin with the quality of life and the profile of the personality of women of late reproductive and premenopausal age with the pathology of the endometrium. Materials and methods. 45 women aged 36-55 years with endometrial diseases were examined. All patients underwent hysteroscopy. The personality profile was assessed using the FPI test. To study the quality of life, the SF-36 questionnaire was used. The data was processed using the Spearman rank correlation. Results. As a result of the correlation analysis of data on melatonin concentration and SF-36 scales, our study found that the value of melatonin did not affect the quality of life associated with health. However, if we evaluate trends, then the highest of the reduced correlation coefficients is of some interest. It's about role physical functioning. The correlation coefficients of the melatonin index and the scales of the FPI questionnaire looked as follows: all significant correlation coefficients had a negative sign, that is, the personality properties corresponding to these coefficients were associated with a low concentration of melatonin. The ordering of the FPI scales by decreasing the significance of the correlation coefficients helped to identify the personal profile of hypomelatoninemia in the examined women. First of all, he was characterized by high levels of depressiveness and emotional lability. Conclusions. In the psychopathological structure of the personality of women of late reproductive and pre-menopausal age with endometrial pathology burdened with hypomelatoninemia, depressive and emotional lability is predominate. Reducing the secretion of melatonin is also associated with increased spontaneous aggressiveness, neuroticism and irritability.

Psychometric properties of an instrument to measure nursing students' quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu, Yanxiang; Xu, Min; Li, Xiuyun

2015-07-01

It is important for clinical nursing teachers and managers to recognize the importance of nursing students' quality of life (QOL) since they are the source of future nurses. As yet, there is no quality of life evaluation scale (QOLES) specific to them. This study designed a quantitative instrument for evaluating QOL of nursing students. The study design was a descriptive survey with mixed methods including literature review, panel discussion, Delphi method, and statistical analysis. The data were collected from 880 nursing students from four teaching hospitals in Wuhan, China. The reliability and validity of the scale were tested through completion of the QOLES in a cluster sampling method. The total scale included 18 items in three domains: physical, psychological, and social functional. The cumulative contributing rate of the three common factors was 65.23%. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.82. This scale had good reliability and validity to evaluate nursing students' QOL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Basis of property limits for inflatable seal fluoroelastomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinha, N.K.; Raj, Baldev

2012-01-01

Identification of a set of governing physico-mechanical properties for inflatable seals of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and specification of their limits is described based on operating requirements, design practices and results from seal development. The limits of tensile strength, elongation at break, hardness, tear strength, fluid compatibility, compression set and specific gravity defined for the Viton GBL 200S/600S based inflatable seal formulation provide a standardized framework for regular production of reactor seals and a streamlined approach for compounding, design, manufacture and quality control. This assures significant reduction of efforts during the envisaged unification of Fast Breeder Reactor sealing based on four variations of inflatable seal compound which could result in a universal design code apart from significant gains in safety, reliability and life. The property set has potential use in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor and Advanced Heavy Water Reactor. Inclusion of factors such as batch-to-batch variations of compound properties and their reproducibility during laboratory measurements, hot tensile behavior of fluoroelastomer, long term ageing effects and the margin of safety at the end of seal design life ensures the utility of property set in attaining its intended objective.

The unbearable lightness of diff�rance: The ethos of deconstruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johann-Albrecht Meylahn

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The unbearable lightness of diff�rance is in reference to Milan Kundera�s famous book, The unbearable lightness of being. Being is unbearably light, if interpreted as Heidegger did as either the meaning of Being or the truth of Being, yet in Derrida�s response to Heidegger he argues that diff�rance is �older� than the meaning of Being, even older than the truth of Being, and thus one could argue that diff�rance is even lighter than Being and thus even more unbearable. What possibilities does such an unbearable lightness of diff�rance offer to human being-with (Mitsein in a global village faced with so many socio-economic and environmental challenges? The unbearable lightness could be absolute relativism and particularism as Rawls has interpreted it or it could be the unbearable lightness of auto-deconstruction. The unbearable lightness of diff�rance opens a socio-political space with an ethos of deconstruction and thereby response or ibility towards the other. This lightness of diff�rance can be interpreted as a difficult liberty (difficult liberty as Levinas interprets it or even an unbearable liberty of infinite broken chains of signifiers and yet a freedom that is held to account (that responds to the other. This liberty is an infinite responsibility towards the other and therefore infinite responsibility towards justice (dik�. Diff�rance is liberty as all there is, is text, but this liberty is not licentiousness of absolute disconnection, but the difficult liberty of being only responsible towards the other. The question this article will grapple with is: what ethical implications can be gathered from this state of being-with, this unbearable lightness of diff�rance in the global village?Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Philosophy and philosophy of religion. The article focusses on the conversation between Heidegger and Derrida, with regards to diff�rance and Austrag.

People, Plants, and Patents: The Impact of Intellectual Property on ...

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

Decisions about intellectual property, particularly for plant life,have major implications for food security, agriculture, rural development,and the environment for every country in the South and the North. For the South, in particular, the impact of intellectual property on farmers, rural societies, and biological diversity will be ...

The reality of life safety consequence classification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartford, D.N.D.; Assaf, H.; Kerr, I.R.

1999-01-01

Because empirical methods of consequence estimation were not designed for application in risk analysis for dam safety, BC Hydro developed its own method for determining loss of life due to dam failures as part of the development of the risk analysis process. Because loss of life estimation for consequence classification entails the generation of essentially the same information, the method can also be used to determine the consequence category of the dam for life safety considerations, and the model can be extended to third party property damage. The methodology adopted for dealing with life safety differs considerably from the empirical approach by modelling the response of the downstream population to a dam failure flood. The algorithm simulates the response of various groups of populations to the warnings of dam failure and the physical process of fleeing from the areas of potential innundation. Assessing the life safety consequences of dam failure is a first step in estimating dam safety in terms of CDA Guidelines, and empirical methods in use are not suitable for determining loss of life due to dam failures. The process described herein is the only physically based method available for estimating loss of life due to dam failures required by the Dam Safety Guidelines. The model is transparent, logically sound, and has been peer reviewed. The method provides a rational basis for the first step in performing safety assessments of dams in terms of the Guidelines, particularly high consequence dams. 8 refs., 3 figs

Assessing health-related quality of life in adolescents: some psychometric properties of the first Norwegian version of KINDL.

Science.gov (United States)

Helseth, Sølvi; Lund, Thorleif

2005-06-01

The study presented in this paper is part of a larger Norwegian investigation among adolescents, where the overall aim is to develop methods to promote their quality of life (QoL), to discover risk factors or threats to adolescents' well-being, and finally to prevent the negative effects of such factors. An adequate generic health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) measure is therefore needed. However, only a limited number of well validated instruments that measure HR-QoL in adolescents exist, and to date only a few has been translated into Norwegian. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine some psychometric properties of the first Norwegian version of a simple, generic, German HR-QoL questionnaire for adolescents, KINDL. The instrument consists of 24-items, distributed in six subscales, which correspond to six domains of adolescents' HR-QoL. Based on a sample of 239 healthy adolescents, the internal consistency reliability is satisfactory for both the total scale and the subscales of 'Self-esteem and Family', fairly good for the 'Emotional' subscale, but lower for the subscales 'Physical', 'Friends' and 'School'. Factor analyses, which concerns construct validity, yielded interpretable solutions. The factor solutions at item level were interpreted to be in line with the original subscales, while factor analysis at subscale level indicated that a common QoL core is involved. To conclude, the Norwegian version of KINDL appears, in general, to be a psychometrically acceptable method of measuring HR-QoL in healthy adolescents. However, the alpha-values of some of the subscales are not optimal, and these scales should be used with caution in research and profession. Still KINDL-N is considered suitable for screening purposes in the public health area and especially within school-health care.

Changes in chemical composition and antioxidative properties of rye ginger cakes during their shelf-life.

Science.gov (United States)

Zieliński, Henryk; del Castillo, Maria Dolores; Przygodzka, Małgorzata; Ciesarova, Zuzana; Kukurova, Kristina; Zielińska, Danuta

2012-12-15

Changes in chemical composition and antioxidative properties of rye ginger cakes during their shelf-life were investigated in this study. In particular, the changes in antioxidants content, antioxidative and reducing capacity, and Maillard reaction development in rye ginger cakes after long-term storage were addressed. Ginger cakes produced according to the traditional and current recipe were stored for 5 years at room temperature in a dark place. The total phenolic compounds (TPC), inositol hexaphosphate (IP6), reduced (GSH) and oxidised glutathione (GSSG) contents, antioxidant and reducing capacity and Maillard reaction products (MRPs) were determined in ginger cakes after storage and then compared to those measured after baking. After long-term storage a decrease in TPC and IP6 contents in cakes was noted. In contrast, an increase in antioxidative and reducing capacity of stored cakes was observed. Long-term storage induced formation of furosine, advanced and final Maillard reaction products and caused changes in both reduced and oxidised forms of glutathione. After long-term storage the modest changes in furosine, FAST index and browning in ginger cake formulated with dark rye flour may suggest that this product is the healthiest among others. Therefore, traditional rye ginger cakes can be considered as an example of a healthy food that is also relatively stable during long term storage as noted by the small chemical changes observed in its composition. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final Environmental Assessment/Overseas Environmental Assessment: East Coast Testing of the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile

Science.gov (United States)

2004-12-01

Liberty Washington Walton Croomia pauciflora Croomia E Liberty Gadsden Cuphea aspera Tropical waxweed c E Calhoun Oesmodium ochroleucum Creamflower...tick-trefoil E Jackson Echinacea purpurea eastern purple coneflower E Gadsden Jackson Eriocaulon nigrobracteatum Dark-headed hatpins E Calhoun Bay

Gamma-Gompertz life expectancy at birth

OpenAIRE

Trifon I. Missov

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND The gamma-Gompertz multiplicative frailty model is the most common parametric modelapplied to human mortality data at adult and old ages. The resulting life expectancy hasbeen calculated so far only numerically. OBJECTIVE Properties of the gamma-Gompertz distribution have not been thoroughly studied. The focusof the paper is to shed light onto its first moment or, demographically speaking, characterizelife expectancy resulting from a gamma-Gompertz force of mortality. The paperprov...

Bayesian inference model for fatigue life of laminated composites

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimitrov, Nikolay Krasimirov; Kiureghian, Armen Der; Berggreen, Christian

2016-01-01

A probabilistic model for estimating the fatigue life of laminated composite plates is developed. The model is based on lamina-level input data, making it possible to predict fatigue properties for a wide range of laminate configurations. Model parameters are estimated by Bayesian inference. The ...

CHAPTER FOUR LİBERTY AND TURKISH CONSTITUTIONS:

OpenAIRE

FENDOĞLU, Doç.Dr.Hasan Tahsin

2002-01-01

CHAPTER FOUR LIBERTY AND TURKISH CONSTITUTIONS: Doç.Dr.Hasan Tahsin FENDOĞLU ABSTRACT: Turkish Constitution of 1982 is the first and only Turkish Constitution that has a main purpose on strengthening the political power not the liberty or democr...

Books to Expand and Enrich Experiences.

Science.gov (United States)

Winfield, Evelyn T.

1983-01-01

Books are briefly described that parents can read and discuss with their children to enrich travel and cultural activities. Books on the nation's capital city, the Liberty Bell, the Statue of Liberty, architecture, zoos, dinosaurs, and other subjects are included. (PP)

Can Life Begin on Enceladus? A Perspective from Hydrothermal Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Deamer, David; Damer, Bruce

2017-09-01

Enceladus is a target of future missions designed to search for existing life or its precursors. Recent flybys of Enceladus by the Cassini probe have confirmed the existence of a long-lived global ocean laced with organic compounds and biologically available nitrogen. This immediately suggests the possibility that life could have begun and may still exist on Enceladus. Here we will compare the properties of two proposed sites for the origin of life on Earth-hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor and hydrothermal volcanic fields at the surface-and ask whether similar conditions could have fostered the origin of life on Enceladus. The answer depends on which of the two sites would be more conducive for the chemical evolution leading to life's origin. A hydrothermal vent origin would allow life to begin in the Enceladus ocean, but if the origin of life requires freshwater hydrothermal pools undergoing wet-dry cycles, the Enceladus ocean could be habitable but lifeless. These arguments also apply directly to Europa and indirectly to early Mars. Key Words: Enceladus-Hydrothermal vents-Hydrothermal fields-Origin of life. Astrobiology 17, 834-839.

Sources of Life Strengths Appraisal Scale: A Multidimensional Approach to Assessing Older Adults’ Perceived Sources of Life Strengths

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prem S. Fry

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Both cognitive and psychosocial theories of adult development stress the fundamental role of older adults’ appraisals of the diverse sources of cognitive and social-emotional strengths. This study reports the development of a new self-appraisal measure that incorporates key theoretical dimensions of internal and external sources of life strengths, as identified in the gerontological literature. Using a pilot study sample and three other independent samples to examine older adults’ appraisals of their sources of life strengths which helped them in their daily functioning and to combat life challenges, adversity, and losses, a psychometric instrument having appropriate reliability and validity properties was developed. A 24-month followup of a randomly selected sample confirmed that the nine-scale appraisal measure (SLSAS is a promising instrument for appraising older adults’ sources of life strengths in dealing with stresses of daily life’s functioning and also a robust measure for predicting outcomes of resilience, autonomy, and well-being for this age group. A unique strength of the appraisal instrument is its critically relevant features of brevity, simplicity of language, and ease of administration to frail older adults.

Asphalt Concrete Mixtures: Requirements with regard to Life Cycle Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Mikolaj

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Design of asphalt concrete, required properties of constituent materials and their mixing ratios, is of tremendous significance and should be implemented with consideration given to the whole life cycle of those materials and the final construction. Conformity with requirements for long term performance of embedded materials is the general objective of the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA. Therefore, within the assessment, material properties need to be evaluated with consideration given to the whole service life—from the point of embedding in the construction until their disposal or recycling. The evaluation focuses on verification of conformity with criteria set for these materials and should guarantee serviceability and performance during their whole service life. Recycling and reuse of asphalt concrete should be preferred over disposal of the material. This paper presents methodology for LCA of asphalt concrete. It was created to ensure not only applicability of the materials in the initial stage, at the point of their embedding, but their suitability in terms of normatively prescribed service performance of the final construction. Methods described and results are presented in a case study for asphalt mixture AC 11; I design.

Luminescence properties of a nanoporous freshwater diatom.

Science.gov (United States)

Goswami, Bondita; Choudhury, Amarjyoti; Buragohain, Alak K

2012-01-01

Freshwater diatom frustules show special optical properties. In this paper we observed luminescence properties of the freshwater diatom Cyclotella meneghiniana. To confirm the morphological properties we present scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies were carried out to visualize the structural properties of the frustules, confirming that silica present in diatom frustules crystallizes in an α-quartz structure. Study of the optical properties of the silica frustules of diatoms using ultra-violet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy confirmed that the diatom C. meneghiniana shows luminescence in the blue region of the electromagnetic spectrum when irradiated with UV light. This property of diatoms can be exploited to obtain many applications in day-to-day life. Also, using time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (TRPL) it was confirmed that this species of diatom shows bi-exponential decay. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Exploring constructs of well-being, happiness and quality of life.

Science.gov (United States)

Medvedev, Oleg N; Landhuis, C Erik

2018-01-01

Existing definitions of happiness, subjective well-being, and quality of life suggest conceptual overlap between these constructs. This study explored the relationship between these well-being constructs by applying widely used measures with satisfactory psychometric properties. University students ( n = 180) completed widely used well-being measures including the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. We analyzed the data using correlation, regression, and exploratory factor analysis. All included well-being measures demonstrated high loadings on the global well-being construct that explains about 80% of the variance in the OHQ, the psychological domain of Quality of Life and subjective well-being. The results show high positive correlations between happiness, psychological and health domains of quality of life, life satisfaction, and positive affect. Social and environmental domains of quality of life were poor predictors of happiness and subjective well-being after controlling for psychological quality of life. Together, these data provide support for a global well-being dimension and interchangeable use of terms happiness, subjective well-being, and psychological quality of life with the current sample and measures. Further investigation with larger heterogeneous samples and other well-being measures is warranted.

The Tree of Life on Earth

Science.gov (United States)

Stahl, D. A.

2002-12-01

Similar biochemistry and a common genetic code unite all life on earth and speak to a common origin. However, the nature of the "family tree," encompassing all life forms in a single genealogy, has only recently begun to be understood. It was only with the advent of molecular biology and methods for sequencing proteins and nucleic acids that ancient patterns of relationship could be discerned. The basis for establishing evolutionary relationships was found in the DNA, RNA, and proteins that determine each organism's biochemistry. Common sequence patterns in today's organisms - either in the order of amino acids in proteins or the four bases making up DNA or RNA - was recognized to derive from features of ancestral molecules preserved over evolutionary time. This approach to genealogical reconstruction, called molecular phylogeny, has led to the construction of a single "Tree of Life," and revealed that all of today's life (bacteria, protozoa, plants, animals, fungi) has emerged from three primary lines of descent. Properties of the most "deeply rooted" organisms then yield important clues about conditions on the early Earth. These analyses have also revealed that the greater part of the evolutionary diversity of our planet, represented by the microorganisms, has yet to be characterized.

America, guns and freedom: Part II - An international perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Miguel A

2012-01-01

The need for reducing gun violence is discussed along with the necessity for citizens to assume some responsibility for protecting themselves, their families, and their property from criminal elements because the police cannot physically be everywhere to protect us all of the time. The problem of sensationalization of gun crimes by the media, multiple shootings by deranged individuals, accidents with firearms, suicide rates, and children with guns are discussed.The relationship of civilian disarmament in the context of tyrannical governments and genocide are also explored. Incidents in which liberty has been extinguished because firearms have been banned and citizens have been disarmed by increasingly oppressive governments, and the converse, countries where freedom has been preserved by armed citizens are also described. We conclude that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens deter crimes, and nations that trust their citizens with firearms have governments that sustain liberty and affirm individual freedom. Governments that do not trust their citizens with firearms tend to be despotic and tyrannical, and are a potential danger to good citizens - and a peril to humanity.

America, guns and freedom: Part II — An international perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Faria, Miguel A.

2012-01-01

The need for reducing gun violence is discussed along with the necessity for citizens to assume some responsibility for protecting themselves, their families, and their property from criminal elements because the police cannot physically be everywhere to protect us all of the time. The problem of sensationalization of gun crimes by the media, multiple shootings by deranged individuals, accidents with firearms, suicide rates, and children with guns are discussed. The relationship of civilian disarmament in the context of tyrannical governments and genocide are also explored. Incidents in which liberty has been extinguished because firearms have been banned and citizens have been disarmed by increasingly oppressive governments, and the converse, countries where freedom has been preserved by armed citizens are also described. We conclude that guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens deter crimes, and nations that trust their citizens with firearms have governments that sustain liberty and affirm individual freedom. Governments that do not trust their citizens with firearms tend to be despotic and tyrannical, and are a potential danger to good citizens — and a peril to humanity. PMID:23227440

Preliminary psychometric properties of the chinese version of the work-related quality of life scale-2 in the nursing profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shike; Chaiear, Naesinee; Khiewyoo, Jiraporn; Wu, Bin; Johns, Nutjaree Pratheepawanit

2013-03-01

As quality of work-life (QWL) among nurses affects both patient care and institutional standards, assessment regarding QWL for the profession is important. Work-related Quality of Life Scale (WRQOLS) is a reliable QWL assessment tool for the nursing profession. To develop a Chinese version of the WRQOLS-2 and to examine its psychometric properties as an instrument to assess QWL for the nursing profession in China. Forward and back translating procedures were used to develop the Chinese version of WRQOLS-2. Six nursing experts participated in content validity evaluation and 352 registered nurses (RNs) participated in the tests. After a two-week interval, 70 of the RNs were retested. Structural validity was examined by principal components analysis and the Cronbach's alphas calculated. The respective independent sample t-test and intra-class correlation coefficient were used to analyze known-group validity and test-retest reliability. One item was rephrased for adaptation to Chinese organizational cultures. The content validity index of the scale was 0.98. Principal components analysis resulted in a seven-factor model, accounting for 62% of total variance, with Cronbach's alphas for subscales ranging from 0.71 to 0.88. Known-group validity was established in the assessment results of the participants in permanent employment vs. contract employment (t = 2.895, p < 0.01). Good test-retest reliability was observed (r = 0.88, p < 0.01). The translated Chinese version of the WRQOLS-2 has sufficient validity and reliability so that it can be used to evaluate the QWL among nurses in mainland China.

An albumin-oligonucleotide assembly for potential combinatorial drug delivery and half-life extension applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kuhlmann, Matthias; Hamming, Jonas Bohn Refslund; Voldum, Anders

2017-01-01

The long blood circulatory property of human serum albumin, due to engagement with the cellular recycling neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), is an attractive drug half-life extension enabling technology. This work describes a novel site-specific albumin double-stranded (ds) DNA assembly approach, in wh...... technology platform that offers potential combinatorial drug delivery and half-life extension applications.......The long blood circulatory property of human serum albumin, due to engagement with the cellular recycling neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), is an attractive drug half-life extension enabling technology. This work describes a novel site-specific albumin double-stranded (ds) DNA assembly approach......, in which the 3' or 5' end maleimide-derivatized oligodeoxynucleotides are conjugated to albumin cysteine at position 34 (cys34) and annealed with complementary strands to allow single site-specific protein modification with functionalized ds oligodeoxynucleotides. Electrophoretic gel shift assays...

Shelf life characteristics of bread produced from ozonated wheat flour.

Science.gov (United States)

Obadi, Mohammed; Zhu, Ke-Xue; Peng, Wei; Sulieman, Abdellatif A; Mahdi, Amer Ali; Mohammed, Khalid; Zhou, Hui-Ming

2017-11-13

The objective of this work was to study the effect of ozone treatment on the quality of bread and its shelf life. Flour was treated with ozone gas a rate of 5 L/min for 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 min. Baking studies showed that bread made from flour treated with ozone for 15 min exhibited improved quality properties (in terms of specific volume, bread color, and crumb cell numbers). Exposure to ozone for shorter times did not cause obvious changes in the major volatile compounds of bread. A shelf life tests showed that ozone gas treatment influenced the extent of starch crystallinity. The relative starch crystallinity of bread made from flour treated with ozone for 15 min was lower than the control value, as were the hardness, springiness, and cohesiveness. Microscopic examination of crumb structure revealed remarkable differences between control and treated breads. Although ozone is a naturally occurring substance found in the atmosphere, ozone can also be produced synthetically. Recently, ozone has come to be regarded as a new treatment for flour. Especially in countries where the chlorination is forbidden, ozone treatment may be of a great interest if it were associated with significant and reliable changes in flour. Ozone treatment of wheat flour tends to improve bread shelf life and quality in terms of physiochemical, baking properties, X-ray diffraction data, volatile compound levels, crumb structure, and textural characteristics. Given such findings, desirable shelf life and bread qualities may be achieved when ozone is used as a flour oxidant prior to bread baking. Analyses of the effects of ozone gas on treatment of flour on bread shelf life and quality would aid the production of high quality and extend the shelf life of bread. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Body image and quality of life in a Spanish population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ignacio Jáuregui Lobera

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Ignacio Jáuregui Lobera1, Patricia Bolaños Ríos21Department of Nutrition and Bromatology, Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain; 2Behavior Science Institute, Seville, SpainPurpose: The aim of the current study was to analyze the psychometric properties, factor structure, and internal consistency of the Spanish version of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI-SP as well as its test–retest reliability. Further objectives were to analyze different relationships with key dimensions of psychosocial functioning (ie, self-esteem, presence of psychopathological symptoms, eating and body image-related problems, and perceived stress and to evaluate differences in body image quality of life due to gender.Patients and methods: The sample comprised 417 students without any psychiatric history, recruited from the Pablo de Olavide University and the University of Seville. There were 140 men (33.57% and 277 women (66.43%, and the mean age was 21.62 years (standard deviation = 5.12. After obtaining informed consent from all participants, the following questionnaires were administered: BIQLI, Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2, Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ, Self-Esteem Scale (SES, and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R.Results: The BIQLI-SP shows adequate psychometric properties, and it may be useful to determine the body image quality of life in different physical conditions. A more positive body image quality of life is associated with better self-esteem, better psychological wellbeing, and fewer eating-related dysfunctional attitudes, this being more evident among women.Conclusion: The BIQLI-SP may be useful to determine the body image quality of life in different contexts with regard to dermatology, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery, and endocrinology, among others. In these fields of study, a new trend has emerged to assess body image-related quality of life.Keywords: body appreciation, wellbeing, self-esteem, social

Svobodná povolání v právu EU

OpenAIRE

Veverová, Jana

2011-01-01

Free-lance professions under the law of the EU The free-lance professions under the law of the EU serve for the topic of the present thesis. They represent a special category of occupations playing though a significant role in the daily life of the society and in the economic events of both the state and the European Union. They distinguish from other forms of businesses by the "liberty" of carrying out, i.e. the independence on the direct state supervision. It is impossible to find among EU ...

CONVERTING THE 'RIGHT TO LIFE' TO THE 'RIGHT TO PHYSICIAN-ASSISTED SUICIDE AND EUTHANASIA': AN ANALYSIS OF CARTER V CANADA (ATTORNEY GENERAL), SUPREME COURT OF CANADA.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Benny; Somerville, Margaret

2016-01-01

In its landmark decision Carter v Canada (Attorney General), the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that the criminal prohibition on physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia for certain persons in certain circumstances violated their rights to life, liberty, and security of the person in sec. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and thus was unconstitutional. The Supreme Court in effect overruled its earlier decision, Rodriguez v British Columbia (Attorney General), which upheld the prohibition as constitutionally valid, on the basis of changes in Charter jurisprudence and in the social facts since Rodriguez was decided. We argue that the Supreme Court's Carter decision shows conceptual disagreements with its Rodriguez decision concerning the nature and scope of the sec. 7-protected interests and the accompanying principles of fundamental justice. Not only do these conceptual differences have little to do with the changes that the Court in Carter invoked for 'revisiting' Rodriguez, the Court's articulation of the sec. 7 interests, particularly the right to life, and the principles of fundamental justice, especially the principle of over breadth, are problematic on their own terms. Furthermore, the way in which the Court dealt with evidence regarding abuses in permissive jurisdictions is also subject to criticism. We recommend that if, as now seems inevitable, legislation is introduced, it should mandate that assisted suicide and euthanasia be performed by specially licensed non-medical personnel and only on the authorization of a Superior Court judge. We also reject the key recommendations recently issued by the Provincial-Territorial Expert Advisory Group on Physician-Assisted Dying. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Fatigue crack initiation and growth life prediction with statistical consideration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, J.D.; Choi, S.H.; Kwak, S.G.; Chun, K.O.

1991-01-01

Life prediction or residual life prediction of structures or machines is one of the most strongly world wide needed problems as requirement in the stage of slowly developing economy which comes after rapidly and highly developing stage. For the purpose of statistical life prediction, fatigue test was conducted under the 3 stress levels, and for each stress level, 20 specimens are used. The statistical properties of the crack growth parameter m and C in the fatigue crack growth law of da/dN = C(ΔK) m , and the relationship between m and C, and the statistical distribution pattern of fatigue crack initiation, growth and fracture lives can be obtained by experimental results

[Health of adolescents restricted under court order: self-esteem, perceived parental support, projects].

Science.gov (United States)

Laure, P; Meyer, C

2014-10-01

To describe certain aspects of the physical and mental health of adolescents with restricted or deprived liberty as ordered by the court within the Youth Judicial Protection Service (YJP), and their ability to project themselves into the future. Survey by on-line self-administered questionnaires. Among the adolescents, 373 were randomly selected with restricted or deprived liberty, in the Lorraine region (eastern France). The data were managed and analyzed using the Modalisa(®) 7.0 (Kynos, Paris, France) survey processing software. Depending on the type of variable, comparisons were made using the chi-square test or analysis of variance. The significance threshold used was Psuicide (boys, 3.8%; Pself-esteem score was 32.4±6.4, roughly the same as their peers in the general population (girls, 28.2; boys, 33.2; P<0.05). They said that they had projects for the future and nearly eight out of ten stated that they were confident in their own ability to succeed in their life, especially those who felt supported by their parents. To our knowledge, these facts had never been explored among adolescents with restricted or deprived liberty. This study shows results that do not match the usual representation of these adolescents by healthcare or education professionals. The quality of the work during the educational support given by the YJP Service could help explain these results. These findings need to be explored further by additional studies, which could also aim to measure the impact on physical and mental health of the educational support given by Youth Judicial Protection Service. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Influence of Storage on Briquettes Mechanical Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brožek M.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The effects of the storage place, placing manner, and storage time on mechanical properties of briquettes made from birch chips were laboratorily tested. A unique methodology developed by the present author enabling a relatively easy assessment of mechanical properties of the briquettes is described. The briquettes properties were evaluated by their density and rupture force determination. From the test results it follows that if the briquettes are stored in a well closed plastic bag, neither the place nor the storage time influence significantly their life time. When stored in a net plastic bag, the briquettes get seriously damaged, namely depending on their storage place and storage time.

Applications of majorization and Schur functions in reliability and life testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Proschan, F.

1975-01-01

This is an expository paper presenting basic definitions and properties of majorization and Schur functions, and displaying a variety of applications of these concepts in reliability prediction and modelling, and in reliability inference and life testing

Early Stages of the Evolution of Life: a Cybernetic Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Melkikh, Alexey V.; Seleznev, Vladimir D.

2008-08-01

Early stages of the evolution of life are considered in terms of control theory. A model is proposed for the transport of substances in a protocell possessing the property of robustness with regard to changes in the environmental concentration of a substance.

75 FR 32740 - Action Affecting Export Privileges; Aaron Robert Henderson and Valhalla Tactical Supply

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-09

... Robert Henderson and Valhalla Tactical Supply In the Matter of: Aaron Robert Henderson, 740 Jessie St., North Liberty, IA 52317. Respondent and Valhalla Tactical Supply, 740 Jessie Street, North Liberty, IA... is the owner, operator and president of Valhalla Tactical Supply (``Valhalla''), Valhalla is related...

Not to be sneezed at. On the possibility of justifying infectious disease control by appealing to a mid-level harm principle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krom, A.

2014-01-01

To protect population health against infection risks it may be necessary to restrict the liberty of individuals, e.g. by mandating quarantine or by imposing work restrictions. This study examines whether common measures in infectious disease control – including restrictions of liberty – can be

The Harm Principle as a Mid-level Principle? Three Problems from the Context of Infectious Disease Control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krom, A.

2011-01-01

Effective infectious disease control may require states to restrict the liberty of individuals. Since preventing harm to others is almost universally accepted as a legitimate (prima facie) reason for restricting the liberty of individuals, it seems plausible to employ a mid-level harm principle in

Two Liberal Trajectories of Civic Education: The Political and Educational Thought of Hobbes and Winstanley.

Science.gov (United States)

Snauwaert, Dale T.; Theobald, Paul

1994-01-01

Compares the political and educational alternatives offered by Thomas Hobbes and Gerrard Winstanley. Sees Hobbes's educational approach, based on negative liberty and state sovereignty, in tension between demands of liberty and conformity. Considers Winstanley's educational approach devoted to independent civic judgment, premised upon positive…

78 FR 64037 - Notice of Hearing

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-25

... No. 7] Notice of Hearing AGENCY: Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). ACTION: Notice of a hearing. SUMMARY: The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB) will conduct a public hearing with current and former government officials and others to address the activities and...

Recording Village Life

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cromwell, Jennifer Adele

and economic changes happening at both the community and country-wide levels during the early years of Islamic rule in Egypt. Additionally, they offer a fascinating picture of the scribe’s role within this world, illuminating both the practical aspects of his work and the social and professional connections......Recording Village Life presents a close study of over 140 Coptic texts written between 724–756 CE by a single scribe, Aristophanes son of Johannes, of the village Djeme in western Thebes. These texts, which focus primarily on taxation and property concerns, yield a wealth of knowledge about social...... of late antique studies, papyrology, philology, early Islamic history, social and economic history, and Egyptology....

The Principles of Proportionality, Legal Argumentation and the Discretionary Power of the Public Administration: An Analysis from the Limits on Fundamental Rights and Guarantees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yezid Carrillo-de la Rosa

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the implications of the principle of proportionality with regards to administrative decisions that limit civil liberties and fundamental rights. The hypothesis we intend to demonstrate is that a discretionary power of the Public Administration for issuing measures that restricts individual rights and liberties is just apparent, since the reach of agency discretion for choosing time, means and place conditions is very narrow. As the following research shows, the principle of proportionality obliges administrative agencies to implement effective means to attain the purposes of their intervention, but minimizing its impacts on constitutionally protected rights and liberties.

TOOLS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT OF A HOLDING COMPANY AND ITS SUB-SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolai N. Samoilenko

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The concept and essence of intellectual property management are considered in the article, as well as the models, the methods and the tools of intellectual property management of holding structures. In particular, the life cycle of object of intellectual property is described, the concept "intellectual property management" is created, the most effective models of intellectual property management are revealed, and also the instruments of intellectual property management of a holding company and its sub-systems are defined.

Evaluating Current Practices in Shelf Life Estimation.

Science.gov (United States)

Capen, Robert; Christopher, David; Forenzo, Patrick; Huynh-Ba, Kim; LeBlond, David; Liu, Oscar; O'Neill, John; Patterson, Nate; Quinlan, Michelle; Rajagopalan, Radhika; Schwenke, James; Stroup, Walter

2018-02-01

The current International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) methods for determining the supported shelf life of a drug product, described in ICH guidance documents Q1A and Q1E, are evaluated in this paper. To support this evaluation, an industry data set is used which is comprised of 26 individual stability batches of a common drug product where most batches are measured over a 24 month storage period. Using randomly sampled sets of 3 or 6 batches from the industry data set, the current ICH methods are assessed from three perspectives. First, the distributional properties of the supported shelf lives are summarized and compared to the distributional properties of the true shelf lives associated with the industry data set, assuming the industry data set represents a finite population of drug product batches for discussion purposes. Second, the results of the ICH "poolability" tests for model selection are summarized and the separate shelf life distributions from the possible alternative models are compared. Finally, the ICH methods are evaluated in terms of their ability to manage risk. Shelf life estimates that are too long result in an unacceptable percentage of nonconforming batches at expiry while those that are too short put the manufacturer at risk of possibly having to prematurely discard safe and efficacious drug product. Based on the analysis of the industry data set, the ICH-recommended approach did not produce supported shelf lives that effectively managed risk. Alternative approaches are required.

Kant and the nature of matter: Mechanics, chemistry, and the life sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Gaukroger, Stephen

2016-08-01

Kant believed that the ultimate processes that regulate the behavior of material bodies can be characterized exclusively in terms of mechanics. In 1790, turning his attention to the life sciences, he raised a potential problem for his mechanically-based account, namely that many of the operations described in the life sciences seemed to operate teleologically. He argued that the life sciences do indeed require us to think in teleological terms, but that this is a fact about us, not about the processes themselves. Nevertheless, even were we to concede his account of the life sciences, this would not secure the credentials of mechanics as a general theory of matter. Hardly any material properties studied in the second half of the eighteenth century were, or could have been, conceived in mechanical terms. Kant's concern with teleology is tangential to the problems facing a general matter theory grounded in mechanics, for the most pressing issues have nothing to do with teleology. They derive rather from a lack of any connection between mechanical forces and material properties. This is evident in chemistry, which Kant dismisses as being unscientific on the grounds that it cannot be formulated in mechanical terms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"Tom Byers: The New Colossus"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dalsgaard, Inger Hunnerup

2013-01-01

Educational and social welcome strategies to American Society and Culture: SUSI director Tom Byers, The Statue of Liberty and Emma Lazarus' "New Colossus"......Educational and social welcome strategies to American Society and Culture: SUSI director Tom Byers, The Statue of Liberty and Emma Lazarus' "New Colossus"...

78 FR 5179 - Granting of Request for Early Termination of the Waiting Period Under the Premerger Notification...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-24

... Healthcare Corporation; Lakewood IPA, Inc.; Tenet Healthcare Corporation. 20130401 G Apax VIII-A L.P.; Nike.... Lucas; The Walt Disney Company. 20130208 G Liberty Interactive Corporation; TripAdvisor, Inc.; Liberty... Investment Management Corp. 20130258 G U.S. Bancorp; FSV Payment Systems, Inc.; U.S. Bancorp. 20130260 G...

Issues of Mental Competency in the Military (and Mock Sanity Board)

Science.gov (United States)

1980-01-01

H. : Psychiatry and the Law . W.W. Norton & i Co., Inc., New York, 1952. 3. SZASZ , T.S.: LAW , LIBERTY AND PSYCHIATRY. The Macmillan Co., New York...not, is entitled to due process of law . In order to be tried for a criminal offense, to enter into a contract, to make a will, to be a parent, etc., an...hold property, etc. Because these are legal areas, representative tests have arisen in English common law and have been incorporated into the statutory

Effect of shelf life on compressive strength of type iv gypsum

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumastuti, K. S.; Irawan, B.; Damiyanti, M.

2017-08-01

Type IV gypsum, as a dental material for an indirect restoration’s working model, should have strength and abrasive-resistant properties. These properties depend on the product’s shelf life and its proper storage, which sometimes are easily missed by sellers. The aim of this research was to observe the effect of shelf life on the compressive strength of type IV gypsum with different production dates. Twenty cylindrical specimens were separated into two groups with different production dates and tested with a universal testing with the crosshead speed of 1 mm per minute and a load of 2,500 kgf. The data were analyzed with independent t-tests. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in the compressive strength between the two groups with an increase in compressive strength seen in the gypsum that was stored longer.

Rotary bending fatigue properties of Inconel 718 alloys by ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jun-Hyong Kim

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the influence of ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM technique on fatigue properties of SAE AMS 5662 (solution treatment of Inconel 718 alloys. The fatigue properties of the specimens were investigated using a rotary bending fatigue tester. Results revealed that the UNSM-treated specimens showed longer fatigue life in comparison with those of the untreated specimens. The improvement in fatigue life of the UNSM-treated specimens is attributed mainly to the induced compressive residual stress, increased hardness, reduced roughness and refined grains at the top surface. Fractured surfaces were analysed using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM in order to give insight into the effectiveness of UNSM technique on fracture mechanisms and fatigue life.

Application and measurement properties of EQ-5D to measure quality of life in patients with upper extremity orthopaedic disorders: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Grobet, Cécile; Marks, Miriam; Tecklenburg, Linda; Audigé, Laurent

2018-04-13

The EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D) is the most widely used generic instrument to measure quality of life (QoL), yet its application in upper extremity orthopaedics as well as its measurement properties remain largely undefined. We implemented a systematic literature review to provide an overview of the application of EQ-5D in patients with upper extremity disorders and analyse its measurement properties. We searched Medline, EMBASE, Cochrane and Scopus databases for clinical studies including orthopaedic patients with surgical interventions of the upper extremity who completed the EQ-5D. For all included studies, the use of EQ-5D and quantitative QoL data were described. Validation studies of EQ-5D were assessed according to COSMIN guidelines and standard measurement properties were examined. Twenty-three studies were included in the review, 19 of which investigated patients with an intervention carried out at the shoulder region. In 15 studies, EQ-5D assessed QoL as the primary outcome. Utility index scores in non-trauma patients generally improved postoperatively, whereas trauma patients did not regain their recalled pre-injury QoL levels. EQ-5D measurement properties were reported in three articles on proximal humerus fractures and carpal tunnel syndrome. Positive ratings were seen for construct validity (Spearman correlation coefficient ≥ 0.70 with the Short Form (SF)-12 or SF-6D health surveys) and reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ 0.77) with intermediate responsiveness (standardised response means: 0.5-0.9). However, ceiling effects were identified with 16-48% of the patients scoring the maximum QoL. The methodological quality of the three articles varied from fair to good. For surgical interventions of the upper extremity, EQ-5D was mostly applied to assess QoL as a primary outcome in patients with shoulder disorders. Investigations of the measurement properties were rare, but indicate good reliability and validity as well as

A Comparison of Online Social Networks and Real-Life Social Networks: A Study of Sina Microblogging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dayong Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Online social networks appear to enrich our social life, which raises the question whether they remove cognitive constraints on human communication and improve human social capabilities. In this paper, we analyze the users' following and followed relationships based on the data of Sina Microblogging and reveal several structural properties of Sina Microblogging. Compared with real-life social networks, our results confirm some similar features. However, Sina Microblogging also shows its own specialties, such as hierarchical structure and degree disassortativity, which all mark a deviation from real-life social networks. The low cost of the online network forms a broader perspective, and the one-way link relationships make it easy to spread information, but the online social network does not make too much difference in the creation of strong interpersonal relationships. Finally, we describe the mechanisms for the formation of these characteristics and discuss the implications of these structural properties for the real-life social networks.

Functional unit, technological dynamics, and scaling properties for the life cycle energy of residences.

Science.gov (United States)

Frijia, Stephane; Guhathakurta, Subhrajit; Williams, Eric

2012-02-07

Prior LCA studies take the operational phase to include all energy use within a residence, implying a functional unit of all household activities, but then exclude related supply chains such as production of food, appliances, and household chemicals. We argue that bounding the functional unit to provision of a climate controlled space better focuses the LCA on the building, rather than activities that occur within a building. The second issue explored in this article is how technological change in the operational phase affects life cycle energy. Heating and cooling equipment is replaced at least several times over the lifetime of a residence; improved efficiency of newer equipment affects life cycle energy use. The third objective is to construct parametric models to describe LCA results for a family of related products. We explore these three issues through a case study of energy use of residences: one-story and two-story detached homes, 1,500-3,500 square feet in area, located in Phoenix, Arizona, built in 2002 and retired in 2051. With a restricted functional unit and accounting for technological progress, approximately 30% of a building's life cycle energy can be attributed to materials and construction, compared to 0.4-11% in previous studies.

Microscopic Void Detection for Predicting Remaining Life in Electric Cable Insulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvath, David A.; Avila, Steven M.

2003-01-01

A reliable method of testing for remaining life in electric cable insulation has continued to elude the nuclear industry as it seeks to extend the life and license of its nuclear stations. Until recently, a trendable, measurable electrical property has not been found, and unexpected cable failures continue to be reported. Most reliable approaches to date rely on monitoring mechanical properties, which are assumed to degrade faster than the insulation's electrical properties. This paper introduces a promising technique based on void characterization, which is dependent on an electrical property related to dielectric strength. A relationship between insulation void characteristics (size and density) and the onset of partial discharge is known to exist. A similar relationship can be shown between void characteristics and unacceptable leakage currents (another typical cable failure criterion). For low-voltage cables, it is believed void content can be correlated to mechanical property degradation.This paper will report on an approach for using void information, research results showing the existence of trendable void characteristics in commonly used electric insulation materials, and techniques for detecting the voids (both laboratory- and field-based techniques). Acoustical microscopy was found to be potentially more suitable than conventional ultrasound for nondestructive in situ detection and monitoring of void characteristics in jacketed multiconductor insulation while ignoring the jacket. Also, optical and scanning electron microscope techniques will play an essential role in establishing the database necessary for continued development and implementation of this promising technique

Werner Heisenberg - Life and Work

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

Werner Heisenberg (centre) with Wolfgang Pauli and Enrico Fermi, 1927. An exhibition on the life and work of Werner Heisenberg will be on display in the Main Building (Mezzanine) at CERN from 1 - 30 July*. German theoretical physicist Werner Karl Heisenberg (1901 - 1976) was one of the leading scientists of the 20th century. Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932, his most significant contribution was to the development of quantum mechanics. He is best known for his uncertainty principle, which restricts the accuracy with which some properties of atoms and particles can be determined simultaneously. Heisenberg was a keen supporter of CERN, and was as the first chairman of CERN's Scientific Policy Committee in October 1954. A related celebration will take place in the TH Amphitheatre (4/3-006), on Thursday 18 July at 16:00. After an introduction from the Director-General Luciano Maiani, his daughter, Barbara Blum, his last postgraduate, Helmut Rechenberg and Valentin Telegdi will evoke memories of the life and work ...

Modelling `Life' against `heat death'

Science.gov (United States)

Zak, Michail

2018-01-01

This work is inspired by the discovery of a new class of dynamical system described by ordinary differential equations coupled with their Liouville equation. These systems called self-controlled since the role of actuators is played by the probability produced by the Liouville equation. Following the Madelung equation that belongs to this class, non-Newtonian properties such as randomness, entanglement and probability interference typical for quantum systems have been described. Special attention was paid to the capability to violate the second law of thermodynamics, which makes these systems neither Newtonian, nor quantum. It has been shown that self-controlled dynamical systems can be linked to mathematical models of living systems. The discovery of isolated dynamical systems that can decrease entropy in violation of the second law of thermodynamics, and resemblances of these systems to livings suggests that `Life' can slow down the `heat death' of the Universe and that can be associated with the Purpose of Life.

Psychometric Properties of the Beach Center Family Quality of Life in French-Speaking Families With a Preschool-Aged Child Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivard, Mélina; Mercier, Céline; Mestari, Zakaria; Terroux, Amélie; Mello, Catherine; Bégin, Jean

2017-09-01

The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale (Beach Center FQOL) is used to evaluate and develop family-centered intervention services. However, its use with families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in non-English speaking populations requires further investigation. The present study sought to assess the psychometric properties of a French translation of this scale on 452 parents of children aged 5 and under who were recently diagnosed with ASD. The resulting Satisfaction and Importance scales presented excellent internal consistency at the scale level and acceptable internal consistency at the subscale level. Theoretical model positing 5 dimensions of FQOL generally fit the data acceptably. Satisfaction ratings were found to be sensitive to changes and were negatively correlated with parenting stress.

Psychometric properties of the Spanish form of the Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation (SMiLE).

Science.gov (United States)

Monforte-Royo, Cristina; Tomás-Sábado, Joaquín; Villavicencio-Chávez, Christian; Balaguer, Albert

2011-06-01

The objective of this study was to validate the Spanish version of the SMiLE (Schedule for Meaning in Life Evaluation). The SMiLE is a respondent-generated instrument: respondents are first asked to list three to seven areas, which provide meaning to their lives, and then to rate their current satisfaction with the listed areas, as well as the individual importance of each one. Indices of total weighting (IoW), total satisfaction (IoS), and total weighted satisfaction (IoWS) are calculated. Two hundred and fifty University students responded to the Spanish version of the SMiLE, as well as to instruments for measuring self-esteem, quality of life, depression, and anxiety. The Cronbach alphas (α = 0.61 for IoS and α = 0.41 for IoW) and test-retest correlations were comparable to those found in the initial validation of the instrument (IoS: r = 0.55; IoW: r = 0.61). The SMiLE showed positive correlations with self-esteem (r = 0.28, P life scale (r = 0.31, P depression (r = -0.23, P life.

Reliability residual-life prediction method for thermal aging based on performance degradation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Shuhong; Xue Fei; Yu Weiwei; Ti Wenxin; Liu Xiaotian

2013-01-01

The paper makes the study of the nuclear power plant main pipeline. The residual-life of the main pipeline that failed due to thermal aging has been studied by the use of performance degradation theory and Bayesian updating methods. Firstly, the thermal aging impact property degradation process of the main pipeline austenitic stainless steel has been analyzed by the accelerated thermal aging test data. Then, the thermal aging residual-life prediction model based on the impact property degradation data is built by Bayesian updating methods. Finally, these models are applied in practical situations. It is shown that the proposed methods are feasible and the prediction accuracy meets the needs of the project. Also, it provides a foundation for the scientific management of aging management of the main pipeline. (authors)

Radiation damage and life-time evaluation of RBMK graphite stack

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platonov, P A; Chugunov, O K; Manevsky, V N; Karpukhin, V I [Russian Research Centre Kurchatov Inst., Moscow (Russian Federation). Reactor Material Div.

1996-08-01

At the present time there are 11 NPP units with RBMK reactors in operation in Russia, with the oldest now in operation 22 years. Design life-time of the RBMK-1000 reactor is 30 years. This paper addresses the evaluation of RBMK graphite stack life-time. It is the practice in Russia to evaluate the reliability of the channel reactor graphite stack using at least three criteria: degradation of physical-mechanical properties of graphite, preservation of the graphite brick integrity, and degradation of the graphite stack as a structure. Stack life-time evaluation by different criteria indicates that the most realistic approach may be realized on the basis of the criteria of brick cracking and degradation of the graphite stack as a structure. The RBMK reactor graphite stack life-time depends on its temperature and for different units it may be different. (author). 2 refs, 10 figs.

Chinese version of Impact of Weight on Quality of Life for Kids: psychometric properties in a large school-based sample.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jinbo; Zhu, Hong; Luo, Xingwei; Cai, Taisheng; Wu, Siyao; Lu, Yao

2016-06-01

The Impact of Weight on Quality of Life for Kids (IWQOL-Kids) is the first self-report questionnaire for assessing weight-related quality of life for youth. However, there is no Chinese version of IWQOL-Kids. Thus, the objective of this research was to translate IWQOL-Kids into Mandarin and evaluate its psychometric properties in a large school-based sample. The total sample included 2282 participants aged 11-18 years old, including 1703 non-overweight, 386 overweight and 193 obese students. IWQOL-Kids was translated and culturally adapted by following the international guidelines for instrument linguistic validation procedures. The psychometric evaluation included internal consistency, test-retest reliability, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergent validity and discriminant validity. Cronbach's α for the Chinese version of IWQOL-Kids (IWQOL-Kids-C) was 0.956 and ranged from 0.891 to 0.927 for subscales. IWQOL-Kids-C showed a test-retest coefficient of 0.937 after 2 weeks and ranged from 0.847 to 0.903 for subscales. The original four-factor model was reproduced by EFA after seven iterations, accounting for 69.28% of the total variance. CFA demonstrated that the four-factor model had good fit indices with comparative fit index = 0.92, normed fit index = 0.91, goodness of fit index = 0.86, root mean square error of approximation = 0.07 and root mean square residual = 0.03. Convergent validity and discriminant validity were demonstrated with higher correlations between similar constructs and lower correlations between dissimilar constructs of IWQOL-Kids-C and PedsQL™ 4.0. The significant differences were found across the body mass index groups, and IWQOL-Kids-C had higher effect sizes than PedsQL™4.0 when comparing non-overweight and obese groups, supporting the sensitivity of IWQOL-Kids-C. IWQOL-Kids-C is a satisfactory, valid and reliable instrument to assess weight-related quality of life for Chinese children and

Polymer optical fiber sensors in human life safety

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, C. A. F.; Webb, D. J.; Andre, P.

2017-07-01

The current state of research into polymer optical fiber (POF) sensors linked to safety in human life is summarized in this paper. This topic is directly related with new solutions for civil aircraft, structural health monitoring, healthcare and biomedicine fields. In the last years, the properties of polymers have been explored to identify situations offering potential advantages over conventional silica fiber sensing technology, replacing, in some cases, problematic electronic technology used in these mentioned fields, where there are some issues to overcome. POFs could preferably replace their silica counterparts, with improved performance and biocompatibility. Finally, new developments are reported which use the unique properties of POF.

Different Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging Properties of Flavonoids Determine Their Abilities to Extend the Shelf Life of Tomato.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; De Stefano, Rosalba; Robine, Marie; Butelli, Eugenio; Bulling, Katharina; Hill, Lionel; Rejzek, Martin; Martin, Cathie; Schoonbeek, Henk-jan

2015-11-01

The shelf life of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit is determined by the processes of overripening and susceptibility to pathogens. Postharvest shelf life is one of the most important traits for commercially grown tomatoes. We compared the shelf life of tomato fruit that accumulate different flavonoids and found that delayed overripening is associated with increased total antioxidant capacity caused by the accumulation of flavonoids in the fruit. However, reduced susceptibility to Botrytis cinerea, a major postharvest fungal pathogen of tomato, is conferred by specific flavonoids only. We demonstrate an association between flavonoid structure, selective scavenging ability for different free radicals, and reduced susceptibility to B. cinerea. Our study provides mechanistic insight into how flavonoids influence the shelf life, information that could be used to improve the shelf life of tomato and, potentially, other soft fruit. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

The Youth Daily Life Before Fulfilling Socio-educational Measures of Deprivation of Liberty in Brazil: Ordinary Experiences That Are Tangent to the Inclusion in Drug Trafficking.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Luciana Assis; Rocha, Daniete Fernandes; Vieira, Gabriela; Reis, Adriene

2016-09-01

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate some understanding of the daily lives of young people facing socio-educational measures of incarceration, especially regarding the predisposing factors that may explain their involvement in criminal occupations and activities (Although the socio-educational measures applicable to adolescents configures as a response to committing of an offence, it has a mostly educational and not punitive character.). This is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach. The data collection instrument used was semi-structured interviews with 22 young men aged between 12 and 17 years, on condition of deprivation of freedom in four youth centres in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The results showed that these adolescents had a way of life associated with a scarcity of resources owned by households (including little control over them, despite the efforts of their mothers); low adherence to school; limited institutional access to activities in their free time; exposure to predisposing factors to crime, such as early contact with crime through neighbourhood and family relationships; and profiting from crime. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of aging materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liaw, P.K.; Viswanathan, R.; Murty, K.L.; Simonen, E.P.; Frear, D.

1993-01-01

This book contains a collection of papers presented at the symposium on ''Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Aging Materials,'' that was held in Chicago, IL. November 2-5, 1992 in conjunction with the Fall Meeting of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS). The subjects of interest in the symposium included: (1) mechanisms of microstructural degradation, (2) effects of microstructural degradation on mechanical behavior, (3) development of life prediction methodology for in-service structural and electronic components, (4) experimental techniques to monitor degradation of microstructures and mechanical properties, and (5) effects of environment on microstructural degradation and mechanical properties. Individual papers have been processed separately for inclusion in the appropriate data bases

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Psychosocial Quality-of-Life Questionnaire for Individuals with Autism and Related Developmental Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Markowitz, Leslie A.; Reyes, Charina; Embacher, Rebecca A.; Speer, Leslie L.; Roizen, Nancy; Frazier, Thomas W.

2016-01-01

This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Child and Family Quality of Life scale, a measure of psychosocial quality of life in those with autism and related developmental disorders. Parents of 212 children suspected of autism spectrum disorder completed the Child and Family Quality of Life prior to a diagnostic evaluation. Results…

2. Aphrodisiac Properties of Mutimba Vula and Mwana Apeluke ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

uSchool of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, P.O. Box 6009 ... work was to determine aphrodisiac properties of MTV ... various walks of life purchase these substances. ... beam balance. .... Asian Journal of Biomedical and.

Temperament and character properties of primary focal hyperhidrosis patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ak Mehmet

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Primary focal hyperhidrosis is a health problem, which has negative effects on the patient's quality of life and significantly affects the patients’ daily activities, social and business life. The aim of this study is to evaluate temperament and character properties of patients diagnosed with primary focal hyperhidrosis. Methods Fifty-six primary focal hyperhidrosis (22.42 ± 7.80 and 49 control subjects (24.48 ± 5.17 participated in the study. Patients who met the diagnostic criteria for PFH were referred to psychiatry clinic where the subjects were evaluated through Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders-I and Temperament and Character Inventory. Results In order to examine the difference between the PFH and control group in terms of temperament and character properties, one-way Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA was conducted. In terms of temperament properties, PFH group took significantly higher scores than control group in Fatigability and asthenia dimension. In terms of character properties, PFH group scored significantly lower than control group in Purposefulness , Resourcefulness , Self-Directedness and scored significantly higher than control group in Self-forgetfulness and Self-Transcendence. Conclusion Temperament and character features of PFH patients were different from healthy group and it was considered that these features were affected by many factors including genetic, biological, environmental, socio-cultural elements. During the follow-up of PFH cases, psychiatric evaluation is important and interventions, especially psychotherapeutic interventions can increase the chances of success of the dermatological treatments and can have a positive impact on the quality of life and social cohesion of chronic cases.

Fatigue life assessment for pipeline welds by x-ray diffraction technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Guk; Yoo, Keun Bong

2006-01-01

The objective of this study is to estimate the feasibility of X-ray diffraction method application for fatigue life assessment of the high-temperature pipeline steel such as main steam pipe, re-heater pipe and header etc. in power plant. In this study, X-ray diffraction tests using various types of specimen simulated low cycle fatigue damage were performed in order to analyze fatigue properties when fatigue damage conditions become various stages such as 1/4, l/2 and 3/4 of fatigue life, respectively. As a result off-ray diffraction tests for specimens simulated fatigue damages, we conformed that the variation of the full width at half maximum intensity decreased in proportion to the increase of fatigue life ratio. And also, He ratio of the full width at half maximum intensity due to fatigue damage has linear relationship with fatigue life ratio algebraically. From this relationship, it was suggested that direct expectation of the life consumption rate was feasible.

Origins of life: a problem for physics, a key issues review

Science.gov (United States)

Imari Walker, Sara

2017-09-01

The origins of life stands among the great open scientific questions of our time. While a number of proposals exist for possible starting points in the pathway from non-living to living matter, these have so far not achieved states of complexity that are anywhere near that of even the simplest living systems. A key challenge is identifying the properties of living matter that might distinguish living and non-living physical systems such that we might build new life in the lab. This review is geared towards covering major viewpoints on the origin of life for those new to the origin of life field, with a forward look towards considering what it might take for a physical theory that universally explains the phenomenon of life to arise from the seemingly disconnected array of ideas proposed thus far. The hope is that a theory akin to our other theories in fundamental physics might one day emerge to explain the phenomenon of life, and in turn finally permit solving its origins.

Functional linkages for the pace of life, life-history, and environment in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joseph B; Miller, Richard A; Harper, James M; Wiersma, Popko

2010-11-01

For vertebrates, body mass underlies much of the variation in metabolism, but among animals of the same body mass, metabolism varies six-fold. Understanding how natural selection can influence variation in metabolism remains a central focus of Physiological Ecologists. Life-history theory postulates that many physiological traits, such as metabolism, may be understood in terms of key maturational and reproductive characteristics over an organism's life-span. Although it is widely acknowledged that physiological processes serve as a foundation for life-history trade-offs, the physiological mechanisms that underlie the diversification of life-histories remain elusive. Data show that tropical birds have a reduced basal metabolism (BMR), field metabolic rate, and peak metabolic rate compared with temperate counterparts, results consistent with the idea that a low mortality, and therefore increased longevity, and low productivity is associated with low mass-specific metabolic rate. Mass-adjusted BMR of tropical and temperate birds was associated with survival rate, in accordance with the view that animals with a slow pace of life tend to have increased life spans. To understand the mechanisms responsible for a reduced rate of metabolism in tropical birds compared with temperate species, we summarized an unpublished study, based on data from the literature, on organ masses for both groups. Tropical birds had smaller hearts, kidneys, livers, and pectoral muscles than did temperate species of the same body size, but they had a relatively larger skeletal mass. Direct measurements of organ masses for tropical and temperate birds showed that the heart, kidneys, and lungs were significantly smaller in tropical birds, although sample sizes were small. Also from an ongoing study, we summarized results to date on connections between whole-organism metabolism in tropical and temperate birds and attributes of their dermal fibroblasts grown in cell culture. Cells derived from

The Icebreaker Life Mission to Mars: A Search for Biomolecular Evidence for Life

Science.gov (United States)

Mckay, Christopher P.; Stoker, Carol R.; Glass, Brian J.; Dave, Arwen I.; Davila, Alfonso F.; Heldmann, Jennifer L.; Marinova, Margarita M.; Fairen, Alberto G; Quinn, Richard C; Zacny, Kris A.;

The Icebreaker Life Mission to Mars: a search for biomolecular evidence for life.

Science.gov (United States)

McKay, Christopher P; Stoker, Carol R; Glass, Brian J; Davé, Arwen I; Davila, Alfonso F; Heldmann, Jennifer L; Marinova, Margarita M; Fairen, Alberto G; Quinn, Richard C; Zacny, Kris A; Paulsen, Gale; Smith, Peter H; Parro, Victor; Andersen, Dale T; Hecht, Michael H; Lacelle, Denis; Pollard, Wayne H

2013-04-01

The search for evidence of life on Mars is the primary motivation for the exploration of that planet. The results from previous missions, and the Phoenix mission in particular, indicate that the ice-cemented ground in the north polar plains is likely to be the most recently habitable place that is currently known on Mars. The near-surface ice likely provided adequate water activity during periods of high obliquity, ≈ 5 Myr ago. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are present in the atmosphere, and nitrates may be present in the soil. Perchlorate in the soil together with iron in basaltic rock provides a possible energy source for life. Furthermore, the presence of organics must once again be considered, as the results of the Viking GCMS are now suspect given the discovery of the thermally reactive perchlorate. Ground ice may provide a way to preserve organic molecules for extended periods of time, especially organic biomarkers. The Mars Icebreaker Life mission focuses on the following science goals: (1) Search for specific biomolecules that would be conclusive evidence of life. (2) Perform a general search for organic molecules in the ground ice. (3) Determine the processes of ground ice formation and the role of liquid water. (4) Understand the mechanical properties of the martian polar ice-cemented soil. (5) Assess the recent habitability of the environment with respect to required elements to support life, energy sources, and possible toxic elements. (6) Compare the elemental composition of the northern plains with midlatitude sites. The Icebreaker Life payload has been designed around the Phoenix spacecraft and is targeted to a site near the Phoenix landing site. However, the Icebreaker payload could be supported on other Mars landing systems. Preliminary studies of the SpaceX Dragon lander show that it could support the Icebreaker payload for a landing either at the Phoenix site or at midlatitudes. Duplicate samples could be cached as a target for possible return by

76 FR 57713 - Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Results of...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-16

... appearance on behalf of Liberty Furniture Industries Inc. (``Liberty'') on August 17, 2011. The law firm also... Department: (1) Left out the word ``Dongguan'' when it listed the entity ``Dongguan Cambridge Furniture Co., Ltd., Glory Oceanic Co., Ltd.'' (``Cambridge'') in the rate table of the Final Results; (2) did not...

Psychometric Evaluation of the Malay Satisfaction with Life Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Swami, Viren; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas

2009-01-01

The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) is one of the most widely used scales for the measurement of subjective well-being across the globe, but no satisfactory version exists for use among Malay-speaking populations. The present study reports on the translation of a new Malay SWLS and examines its psychometric properties in a community sample of…

The Greenlandic Life Script and Life Stories

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zaragoza Scherman, Alejandra; Berntsen, Dorthe

Adults older than 40 years remember a significantly greater amount of personal life events from their 15 - 30 years of age. This phenomenon is known as the reminiscence bump (Rubin, Rahal, & Poon, 1998). The reminiscence bump is highly populated by emotionally positive events (Rubin & Berntsen......, 2003), when cued by requests for important events. This dominance of positive events is not seen when cued by random words. Berntsen and Rubin (2004) presented a cultural explanation for the bump: cultural life script theory. Their theory claims that the bump for the life story can be explained...... by the life script; that is, culturally shared expectations about the order and timing of life events in an typical, idealized life course. According to the cultural life script theory, the life script is used as a guideline for the recall of autobiographical memories, which help construct personal life...

Symposium on extension of life time of atomic energy facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

This symposium was held on November 18, 1987 in University of Tokyo under the sponsorship of Japan Welding Engineering Society. The papers were presented on the various problems on the examination of the extension of life time and the deterioration with the lapse of years of nuclear power plants, the data of corrosion fatigue strength in high temperature water and the controlling factors, the trend of the research on corrosion fatigue crack development in high temperature, high pressure water and future problems, long life corrosion fatigue characteristics and the method of estimating remaining life, the trend of the research on the neutron irradiation embrittlement of pressure vessels, the results of the property confirmation test on the strain aging of reactor pressure vessel materials, the evaluation of life time by probabilistic fracture mechanics, the radiation deterioration of electric wire coating and insulation materials, the deterioration of concrete structures with the lapse of years, and the detection of the deterioration with the lapse of years. (K.I.)

Analytical and Mathematical Determination of Shelf-life of Fresh-cut Red Cabbage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fulya Şimşek

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Fresh-cut fruits and vegetables have longer shelf lives when appropriate packaging materials having proper permeability properties are used. For this reason eight different packaging materials having different permeability properties were used and it was aimed to determine the appropriate packaging material and analytical and mathematical shelf lives of fresh cut red cabbage. Head space analysis, microbiological and sensorial analysis together with pH, weight loss (% and colour analysis were performed. As a result of the study, it was determined that low density polyethylene (LDPE film having 20 µm of thickness and 12276 cc/m2-day of oxygen permeability was determined as the most suitable packaging material for packaging of fresh-cut red cabbage. Mathematical microbiological shelf life was determined as 12.33 days and both analytical microbiological and sensorial shelf lives were determined as 12 days. It was shown that Gompertz equation can be used in determination of microbiological shelf life of fresh-cut red cabbage since the analytical and mathematical shelf life results fit to each other. Also, the equation that can be used in calculation of shelf life of fresh-cut red cabbage when packaged with AYPE film having 12276 cc/m2-day oxygen permeability was determined as log(Nt/N0 = 6,83 × exp{-exp{[(0,80*e(6,83-t/6,83]+1}}.

Positive rights, negative rights and health care.

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, Andrew

2010-12-01

In the current debate about healthcare reform in the USA, advocates for government-ensured universal coverage assume that health care is a right. Although this position is politically popular, it is sometimes challenged by a restricted view of rights popular with libertarians and individualists. The restricted view of rights only accepts 'negative' rights as legitimate rights. Negative rights, the argument goes, place no obligations on you to provide goods to other people and thus respect your right to keep the fruits of your labour. A classic enumeration of negative rights includes life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Positive rights, by contrast, obligate you either to provide goods to others, or pay taxes that are used for redistributive purposes. Health care falls into the category of positive rights since its provision by the government requires taxation and therefore redistribution. Therefore, the libertarian or individualist might argue that health care cannot be a true right. This paper rejects the distinction between positive and negative rights. In fact, the protection of both positive and negative rights can place obligations on others. Furthermore, because of its role in helping protect equality of opportunity, health care can be tied to the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. There is, therefore, good reason to believe that health care is a human right and that universal access should be guaranteed. The practical application, by governments and non-governmental organisations, of several of the arguments presented in this paper is also discussed.

Probabilistic Modelling of Fatigue Life of Composite Laminates Using Bayesian Inference

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dimitrov, Nikolay Krasimirov; Kiureghian, Armen Der

2014-01-01

A probabilistic model for estimating the fatigue life of laminated composite plates subjected to constant-amplitude or variable-amplitude loading is developed. The model is based on lamina-level input data, making it possible to predict fatigue properties for a wide range of laminate configuratio...

Fatigue Life Prediction in Rapid Die Casting - Preliminary Work in View of Current Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chuan Huat Ng; Grote, Karl-Heinrich; Baehr, Ruediger

2007-01-01

Numerical simulation technique as a prediction tool is slowly adopted in metal casting industry for predicting design modelling solidification analysis. The reasons for this activity is found in the need to further enhance the geometrical design and mechanical properties of the tool design and the correct prediction methodology to fulfil industrial needs. The present state of numerical simulation capabilities in rapid die casting technologies is reviewed and the failure mode mechanisms of thermal fatigue, aimed at developing a numerical simulation with a systematic design guidance for predicting the thermal cyclic loading analysis and improvement is presented along with several other methods. The economic benefits of a numerical simulation technique in die casting are limited to tool life time, mechanical properties and design guidance. The extensive computer capabilities of a numerical simulation with a systematic design guidance methodology are exploited to provide a solution for flexible design, mechanical properties and mould life time. Related research carried out worldwide by different organisations and academic institutions are discussed

FLOODPLAIN, LIBERTY COUNTY, USA

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Homeland Security — The Floodplain Mapping/Redelineation study deliverables depict and quantify the flood risks for the study area. The primary risk classifications used are the...

The Phantom of Liberty

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

One of the few things we have in common in contemporary society is the future of our children. But it seems that even the “we” of childhood, of learning and free play, has turned into a common ground for instrumentalization and competition. Today, the pedagogical paradox—Kant’s meditation...

Toleration, Liberty and Privileges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonton, Deborah

2017-01-01

Guilds are usually seen as the epitome of economic regulation and organization in early modern European towns. As organisations closely tied to the nominal male lifecycle, historians of women have tended to be chary of them and identified guilds as a key mechanism for restricting women’s access...... there were shifts in how the companies operated, who they could maintain control over and the effectiveness of these essentially mercantilist organisations in the face of growing pressures from population growth after the seventeenth–century wars, the rise in laissez faire ideas and increasing local...... and international commerce. Much of these battles and skirmishes were about gender: ‘outsider’ men encroaching on the privileges of guildsmen, and women encroaching on the worlds of men. This is a many-faceted discussion, but one that is fundamental to the urban world of eighteenth-century Europe where permission...

The Importance of Christian Thought for the American Libertarian Movement: Christian Libertarianism, 1950–71

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Haddigan

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Murray N. Rothbard argued that there are many philosophic and non-philosophic arguments that provide a satisfactory basis for individual liberty. Rarely, however, did he discuss the claims of Christianity to be a suitable foundation for individual freedom. By looking at the Christian libertarians of the Old Right, between 1950 and 1971, the article contends that religious values were the most important reason for libertarians pursuing a society composed of free individuals during that period. By examining the journals Faith and Freedom, Christian Economics, and the Freeman, and the positive views of Rev. Carl McIntire, the author explains the philosophy of Christian libertarianism. It is the belief that individual freedom is only the highest political end; the necessary means for God’s Creation to develop unhindered their conscience and the full ‘sacredness of their personality.’ Christian libertarians maintain that individuals cannot be coerced by government to lead a virtuous life. They must instead be persuaded, by a true understanding of the life of Jesus especially, to choose to follow the moral life sanctioned by the Bible. The desire to follow the Golden Rule voluntarily, Christian libertarians explain, is the God-given template that allows a society of individuals to live in freedom. It was this Christian ethic, Christian libertarians insist, couched in terms of the Natural Law, that inspired the founding fathers to establish a system of government where the individual is free to enjoy their ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ The article concludes by discussing Frank S. Meyer’s ‘fusionist’ attempt to find a uniting theme for traditionalists and libertarians, and suggests that it was the Christian libertarian philosophy in all but name. It also suggests that if America has any valid claim to be ‘Exceptional,’ then it is based on the nation’s traditional defence of individual freedom as a God-given grant.

Quality of life in patients with benign thyroid disorders. A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Watt, Torquil; Groenvold, Mogens; Rasmussen, Ase Krogh

2006-01-01

The importance of patient-reported outcomes such as health-related quality of life (HRQL) in clinical research is increasingly acknowledged. In order to yield valid results, the measurement properties of HRQL questionnaires must be thoroughly investigated. One aspect of such a validation process...... identified. Generally, data supporting the validity of these questionnaires were sparse. According to the available literature, the quality of life of thyroid patients is substantially impaired over a wide range of aspects of HRQL in the untreated phase and continues to be so in many patients also...

Preliminary validation study of the Spanish version of the satisfaction with life scale in persons with multiple sclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lucas-Carrasco, Ramona; Sastre-Garriga, Jaume; Galan, Ingrid; Den Oudsten, Brenda L.; Power, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Purpose: To assess Life Satisfaction, using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and to analyze its psychometric properties in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Method: Persons with MS (n = 84) recruited at the MS Centre of Catalonia (Spain) completed a battery of subjective assessments including the

Quality of life and psychological health indicators in the national social life, health, and aging project.

Science.gov (United States)

Shiovitz-Ezra, Sharon; Leitsch, Sara; Graber, Jessica; Karraker, Amelia

2009-11-01

The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) measures seven indicators of quality of life (QoL) and psychological health. The measures used for happiness, self-esteem, depression, and loneliness are well established in the literature. Conversely, measures of anxiety, stress, and self-reported emotional health were modified for their use in this unique project. The purpose of this paper is to provide (a) an overview of NSHAP's QoL assessment and (b) evidence for the adequacy of the modified measures. First, we examined the psychometric properties of the modified measures. Second, the established QoL measures were used to examine the concurrent validity of the modified measures. Finally, gender- and age-group differences were examined for each modified measure. The anxiety index exhibited good internal reliability and concurrent validity. Consistent with the literature, a single-factor structure best fit the data. Stress was satisfactory in terms of concurrent validity but with only fair internal consistency. Self-reported emotional health exhibited good concurrent validity and moderate external validity. The modified indices used in NSHAP tended to exhibit good internal reliability and concurrent validity. These measures can confidently be used in the exploration of QoL and psychological health in later life and its many correlates.

Factors affecting marsh vegetation at the Liberty Island Conservation Bank in the Cache Slough region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California

Science.gov (United States)

Orlando, James L.; Drexler, Judith Z.

2017-07-07

The Liberty Island Conservation Bank (LICB) is a tidal freshwater marsh restored for the purpose of mitigating adverse effects on sensitive fish populations elsewhere in the region. The LICB was completed in 2012 and is in the northern Cache Slough region of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. The wetland vegetation at the LICB is stunted and yellow-green in color (chlorotic) compared to nearby wetlands. A study was done to investigate three potential causes of the stunted and chlorotic vegetation: (1) improper grading of the marsh plain, (2) pesticide contamination from agricultural and urban inputs upstream from the site, (3) nitrogen-deficient soil, or some combination of these. Water samples were collected from channels at five sites, and soil samples were collected from four wetlands, including the LICB, during the summer of 2015. Real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS) elevation surveys were completed at the LICB and north Little Holland Tract, a closely situated natural marsh that has similar hydrodynamics as the LICB, but contains healthy marsh vegetation.The results showed no significant differences in carbon or nitrogen content in the surface soils or in pesticides in water among the sites. The elevation survey indicated that the mean elevation of the LICB was about 26 centimeters higher than that of the north Little Holland Tract marsh. Because marsh plain elevation largely determines the hydroperiod of a marsh, these results indicated that the LICB has a hydroperiod that differs from that of neighboring north Little Holland Tract marsh. This difference in hydroperiod contributed to the lower stature and decreased vigor of wetland vegetation at the LICB. Although the LICB cannot be regraded without great expense, it could be possible to reduce the sharp angle of the marsh edge to facilitate deeper and more frequent tidal flooding along the marsh periphery. Establishing optimal elevations for restored wetlands is necessary for obtaining

Quality of life philosophy I. Quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life.

Science.gov (United States)

Ventegodt, Søren; Andersen, Niels Jørgen; Merrick, Joav

2003-12-01

In the Danish Quality of Life Survey, we asked 10,000 people about their quality of life with the validated SEQOL questionnaire with more than 300 questions on their quality of life. How did they feel? How content were they with their lives? How happy were they? Did they feel their needs were fulfilled? And many more questions. We asked the questions we believed to be important for their quality of life (QOL). The results were quite surprising and forced us to recontemplate the following philosophical questions: What is quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life? What is a human being? Do we need a new biology? Is the brain the seat of consciousness? How do we seize the meaning of life and by doing so, will we become well again? What are the key concepts of quality of life? The meaning of life is connectedness and development. It is about realizing every opportunity and potential in one"s existence. The opportunities must be found and acknowledged. What do you find when you find yourself deep down? You find your real self and your purpose in life. You realize that you are already a part of a larger totality. Antonovsky called it "coherence". Maslow called it "transcendence". Frankl called it "meaning of life". We call it simply "being". To test if these philosophical questions are actually relevant for medicine, we looked at the consequences for patients being taught the quality of life philosophy. Quite surprisingly we learned from our pilot studies with "quality of life as medicine" that just by assimilating the basic concepts of the quality of life philosophy presented in this series of papers, patients felt better and saw their lives as more meaningful. The improvement of the patient"s personal philosophy of life seems to be the essence of holistic medicine, helping the patient to assume more responsibility for his or her own existence.

78 FR 20559 - Safety Zones; Swim Events in the Captain of the Port New York Zone; Hudson River, East River...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-05

... Liberty to Freedom Swim: Waters of the Upper New York Bay, from Liberty Island, NJ to North Cove, New York... security of people, places or vessels. 7. Unfunded Mandates Reform Act The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of..., local, or tribal government, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for...

Unauthorized Immigrant Students in the United States: Educational Policies, Practices, and the Role of School Psychology

Science.gov (United States)

Sulkowski, Michael L.

2017-01-01

Overlooking Ellis Island, the famous port of entry for millions of U.S. immigrants, is the Statue of Liberty. Miss Liberty's lamp has welcomed millions of immigrants to the United States. However, in light of recent executive orders against immigration as well as efforts to detain and deport millions of unauthorized immigrants, one might wonder…

Efficiency and competition in the Dutch non-life insurance industry: Effects of the 2006 health care reform

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bikker, Jaap; Popescu, Adelina

This paper investigates the cost efficiency and competitive behaviour of the non-life – or property and casualty – insurance market in the Netherlands over the period 1995-2012. We focus on the 2006 health care reform, where public health care insurance has been included in the non-life insurance

Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) in caregivers of clinically-referred youth: psychometric properties and mediation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Athay, M Michele

2012-03-01

This paper presents the psychometric evaluation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al. in J Personal Assess 49:71-75, 1985) used with a large sample (N = 610) of caregivers for youth receiving mental health services. Methods from classical test theory, factor analysis, and item response theory were utilized. Additionally, this paper investigated whether caregiver strain mediates the effect of youth symptom severity on caregiver life satisfaction (N = 356). Bootstrapped confidence intervals were used to determine the significance of the mediated effects. Results indicated that the SWLS is a psychometrically sound instrument to be used with caregivers of clinically-referred youth. Mediation analyses found that the effect of youth symptom severity on caregiver life satisfaction was mediated by caregiver strain but that the mediation effect differed based on the type of youth symptoms: caregiver strain was a partial mediator when externalizing symptoms were measured and a full mediator when internalizing symptoms were measured. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

Mechanical property evaluations of an amorphous metallic/ceramic multilayer and its role in improving fatigue properties of 316L stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Cheng-Min [Nano Technology Center, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Jeng, R.J.; Yu, Chia-Chi; Chang, Chia-Hao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Li, Chia-Lin [Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Chu, Jinn P., E-mail: jpchu@mail.ntust.edu.tw [Nano Technology Center, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan (China)

2016-08-01

We have used nanoindentation to investigate mechanical properties of 200-nm-thick amorphous multilayer consisting of alternating layers of Zr-based thin film metallic glass (TFMG) and holmium scandium oxide (HSO). Nanoindentation results show that TFMG/HSO multilayer exhibits the high hardness and Young's modulus. Owing to its high hardness, smooth surface, and good adhesion properties, TFMG/HSO multilayer is then employed as a protective coating to improve the four-point bending fatigue properties of 316L stainless steel. With coating, the fatigue life is increased from 2.4×10{sup 5} to 4.9×10{sup 6} cycles, at the stress of 700 MPa. A crack retardation mechanism has been proposed to explain the role of TFMG/HSO multilayer in improving fatigue properties of 316L stainless steel substrate.

Radiation modification of the properties of polypropylene ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Research and Technology, Atomic Energy Authority, P.O. Box 29, Nasr City, Egypt. 2Radiation ... tions such as radiation sterilized medical and pharmaceutical ... extensively studied to extend the shelf life of food prod- ucts. ..... ond step is in the range of 210–305 ... effect of radiation on the thermal properties of PP/15wt%.

Al menos, un poco de aire fresco. Contribución a una relectura de la paz y la libertad religiosa desde la encíclica Pacem in terris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Echeverri

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of the Pacem in terris of John XXIII, contemporary to the beginning of the II Vatican Council, the text makes emphasis on the interrelationship between peace and religious liberty as a result of the opening allowed by the encyclical that was determinant to overcome the tolerance attitude in religious issues that was promoted by the Roman Catholic Church in the last century. The conciliation assembly highlights the contributions made by two specific documents: the Religious Liberty Decree and the Declaration regarding Non-Christian Religions. The assembly also suggests some lines to reflect about religious liberty in a discussion among diverse religious organizations.

Life prediction of advanced materials for gas turbine application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zamrik, S.Y.; Ray, A.; Koss, D.A. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

1995-10-01

Most of the studies on the low cycle fatigue life prediction have been reported under isothermal conditions where the deformation of the material is strain dependent. In the development of gas turbines, components such as blades and vanes are exposed to temperature variations in addition to strain cycling. As a result, the deformation process becomes temperature and strain dependent. Therefore, the life of the component becomes sensitive to temperature-strain cycling which produces a process known as {open_quotes}thermomechanical fatigue, or TMF{close_quotes}. The TMF fatigue failure phenomenon has been modeled using conventional fatigue life prediction methods, which are not sufficiently accurate to quantitatively establish an allowable design procedure. To add to the complexity of TMF life prediction, blade and vane substrates are normally coated with aluminide, overlay or thermal barrier type coatings (TBC) where the durability of the component is dominated by the coating/substrate constitutive response and by the fatigue behavior of the coating. A number of issues arise from TMF depending on the type of temperature/strain phase cycle: (1) time-dependent inelastic behavior can significantly affect the stress response. For example, creep relaxation during a tensile or compressive loading at elevated temperatures leads to a progressive increase in the mean stress level under cyclic loading. (2) the mismatch in elastic and thermal expansion properties between the coating and the substrate can lead to significant deviations in the coating stress levels due to changes in the elastic modulii. (3) the {open_quotes}dry{close_quotes} corrosion resistance coatings applied to the substrate may act as primary crack initiation sites. Crack initiation in the coating is a function of the coating composition, its mechanical properties, creep relaxation behavior, thermal strain range and the strain/temperature phase relationship.

INFLUENCE OF THE BRONCHIAL ASTHMA, ALLERGIC RHINITIS AND ATOPIC DERMATITIS ON THE QUALITY OF THE CHILDREN'S LIFE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.A. Dzhumagaziev

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This article is devoted to the study of the life quality of the children, suffering from bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis. The authors identified that children with atopic dermatitis have the lowest level of the life quality, while children, suffering from allergic rhinitis, have the highest values of the given property. It is typical that children and their parents evaluate the life at school extremely low against rather high figures of the physical and emotional functioning.Key words: bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, children, life quality.

Quality of Life Philosophy I. Quality of Life, Happiness, and Meaning in Life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In the Danish Quality of Life Survey, we asked 10,000 people about their quality of life with the validated SEQOL questionnaire with more than 300 questions on their quality of life. How did they feel? How content were they with their lives? How happy were they? Did they feel their needs were fulfilled? And many more questions. We asked the questions we believed to be important for their quality of life (QOL. The results were quite surprising and forced us to recontemplate the following philosophical questions: What is quality of life, happiness, and meaning in life? What is a human being? Do we need a new biology? Is the brain the seat of consciousness? How do we seize the meaning of life and by doing so, will we become well again? What are the key concepts of quality of life? The meaning of life is connectedness and development. It is about realizing every opportunity and potential in one’s existence. The opportunities must be found and acknowledged. What do you find when you find yourself deep down? You find your real self and your purpose in life. You realize that you are already a part of a larger totality. Antonovsky called it “coherence”. Maslow called it “transcendence”. Frankl called it “meaning of life”. We call it simply “being”.To test if these philosophical questions are actually relevant for medicine, we looked at the consequences for patients being taught the quality of life philosophy. Quite surprisingly we learned from our pilot studies with “quality of life as medicine” that just by assimilating the basic concepts of the quality of life philosophy presented in this series of papers, patients felt better and saw their lives as more meaningful. The improvement of the patient’s personal philosophy of life seems to be the essence of holistic medicine, helping the patient to assume more responsibility for his or her own existence.

Health-related quality of life in polycystic ovary syndrome patients: A systematic review

OpenAIRE

Taghavi, Seyed Abdolvahab; Bazarganipour, Fatemeh; Montazeri, Ali; Kazemnejad, Anoshirvan; Chaman, Reza; Khosravi, Ahmad

2015-01-01

Background: Increasing attention to the concept of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) health-related quality of life has led to the development of tool that aims to measure this concept. Objective: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of psychometric properties of the PCOS health-related quality of life questionnaire. Materials and Methods: A search of database (Pubmed, PsychInfo, CINAHL, CENTRAL, Scopus and SID) from January1998 to December 2013 yielded 6152 refe...

Life Cycle Assessment of Functionally Enhanced Polymers-Engineered Nanomaterials or Conventional Additives?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Miseljic, Mirko; Olsen, Stig Irving

2016-01-01

used to enhance material properties. The aim of this study is to perform life cycle assessments (LCAs) on 5 polymer products (polypropylene air-conditioner part for cars, polypropylene garden chair, polypropylene small electrical box for houses, polyvinylchloride-wood outdoor flooring and polystyrene...

Fatigue life prediction for pressure cast transmission housings using the strain life approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Varenkamp, M. [ZF Friedrichshafen AG, Abteilung TB-1, 88038 Friedrichshafen (Germany); Schoen, M.

2011-04-15

Pressure cast transmission housings are structural components of complex shape, which have to fulfil, amongst others, the requirements of structural durability, saving as much weight as possible. The numerical proof of structural durability is carried out using the local strain approach. One challenge is to consider the inhomogeneous material properties, as a consequence of the casting process. It shows, that local porosity is the determining factor for the components fatigue life. Coming from the experiences made using the basic version of the local strain approach the methods used to successfully adjust the procedure for calculating pressure cast components under constant and variable amplitudes are described. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Penal Policies In Bulgaria And Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simona Mihaiu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The contemporary european studies underline the necessity of adoption of an european model, in order to assure the compliance with the fundamental rights and liberties of people deprived of liberty. But the visions of the model favour one of the two opposite tendencies, which are invariable present in theoretical debates and penal politics

"Oh, Say Can You See?" Visualizing American Symbols in the Fifth Grade

Science.gov (United States)

Brugar, Kristy A.; Dickman, Andrew H.

2013-01-01

Symbols have always had an important role in shaping our identity as a nation. The American flag, the Statue of Liberty, the White House, and the bald eagle all help to convey American values such as liberty, freedom, democracy, and independence. But how do elementary students understand these symbols and the values behind them? In this article,…

"You Have Come a Long Way Woman": A Sparkle Slogan without Realistic Meaning for Woman Status in Jordan

Science.gov (United States)

Khudeir, Dua'a Ibrahim

2017-01-01

This research paper discusses woman status in the country of Jordan in terms of rights, equality and personal liberties, freedom of choice in particular. It argues that, although Jordan is working hard to be open to Western values and civilization; however, it lags behind when it comes to woman liberty and equality. Jordan is a patriarchal…

Lifelong modelling of properties for materials with technological memory

Science.gov (United States)

Falaleev, AP; Meshkov, VV; Vetrogon, AA; Ogrizkov, SV; Shymchenko, AV

2016-10-01

An investigation of real automobile parts produced from dual phase steel during standard periods of life cycle is presented, which considers such processes as stamping, exploitation, automobile accident, and further repair. The development of the phenomenological model of the mechanical properties of such parts was based on the two surface plastic theory of Chaboche. As a consequence of the composite structure of dual phase steel, it was shown that local mechanical properties of parts produced from this material change significantly their during their life cycle, depending on accumulated plastic deformations and thermal treatments. Such mechanical property changes have a considerable impact on the accuracy of the computer modelling of automobile behaviour. The most significant errors of modelling were obtained at the critical operating conditions, such as crashes and accidents. The model developed takes into account the kinematics (Bauschinger effect), isotropic hardening, non-linear elastic steel behaviour and changes caused by the thermal treatment. Using finite element analysis, the model allows the evaluation of the passive safety of a repaired car body, and enables increased restoration accuracy following an accident. The model was confirmed experimentally for parts produced from dual phase steel DP780.

Shelf life modelling for first-expired-first-out warehouse management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hertog, Maarten L A T M; Uysal, Ismail; McCarthy, Ultan; Verlinden, Bert M; Nicolaï, Bart M

2014-06-13

In the supply chain of perishable food products, large losses are incurred between farm and fork. Given the limited land resources and an ever-growing population, the food supply chain is faced with the challenge of increasing its handling efficiency and minimizing post-harvest food losses. Huge value can be added by optimizing warehouse management systems, taking into account the estimated remaining shelf life of the product, and matching it to the requirements of the subsequent part of the handling chain. This contribution focuses on how model approaches estimating quality changes and remaining shelf life can be combined in optimizing first-expired-first-out cold chain management strategies for perishable products. To this end, shelf-life-related performance indicators are used to introduce remaining shelf life and product quality in the cost function when optimizing the supply chain. A combinatorial exhaustive-search algorithm is shown to be feasible as the complexity of the optimization problem is sufficiently low for the size and properties of a typical commercial cold chain. The estimated shelf life distances for a particular batch can thus be taken as a guide to optimize logistics.

Shelf life modelling for first-expired-first-out warehouse management

Science.gov (United States)

Hertog, Maarten L. A. T. M.; Uysal, Ismail; McCarthy, Ultan; Verlinden, Bert M.; Nicolaï, Bart M.

2014-01-01

In the supply chain of perishable food products, large losses are incurred between farm and fork. Given the limited land resources and an ever-growing population, the food supply chain is faced with the challenge of increasing its handling efficiency and minimizing post-harvest food losses. Huge value can be added by optimizing warehouse management systems, taking into account the estimated remaining shelf life of the product, and matching it to the requirements of the subsequent part of the handling chain. This contribution focuses on how model approaches estimating quality changes and remaining shelf life can be combined in optimizing first-expired-first-out cold chain management strategies for perishable products. To this end, shelf-life-related performance indicators are used to introduce remaining shelf life and product quality in the cost function when optimizing the supply chain. A combinatorial exhaustive-search algorithm is shown to be feasible as the complexity of the optimization problem is sufficiently low for the size and properties of a typical commercial cold chain. The estimated shelf life distances for a particular batch can thus be taken as a guide to optimize logistics. PMID:24797134

Information Fluxes as Concept for Categorizations of Life

Science.gov (United States)

Hildenbrand, Georg; Hausmann, M.

2012-05-01

Definitions of life are controversially discussed; however, they are mostly depending on bio- evolutionary driven arguments. Here, we propose a systematic, theoretical approach to the question what life is, by categorization and classification of different levels of life. This approach is mainly based on the analysis of information flux occurring in systems being suspicious to be alive, and on the analysis of their power of environmental control. In a first step, we show that all biological definitions of life can be derived from basic physical principles of entropy (number of possible states of a thermodynamic system) and of the energy needed for controlling entropic development. In a next step we discuss how any process where information flux is generated, regardless of its materialization is defined and related to classical definitions of life. In a third step we resume the proposed classification scheme in its most basic way, looking only for existence of data storage, its processing, and its environmental control. We join inhere a short discussion how the materialization of information fluxes can take place depending on the special properties of the four basic physical forces. Having done all this we are able to give everybody a classification catalogue at hand that one can categorize the kind of life one is talking about, thus overcoming the obstacles deriving from the simple appearing question whether something is alive or not. On its most basic level as presented here, our scheme offers a categorization for fire, crystals, prions, viruses, spores, up to cells and even tardigrada and cryostases.

Improvement of Shelf Life and Sensory Quality of Pears Using a Specialized Edible Coating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virgilio Cruz

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An edible coating functionalized with pomegranate polyphenols was designed. Different blends of candelilla wax, gum arabic, jojoba oil, and pomegranate polyphenols were formulated in order to improve the shelf life quality of pears (variety Bartlett, and all formulations were applied by immersion onto the fruit surface. Coated pears with and without polyphenols and uncoated pears (control were stored under the same conditions. Fruits were analyzed to evaluate changes in their physicochemical, microbiological, and sensorial properties during 30 days of storage at room temperature. Coated pears coded as T13 (candelilla wax 3%, gum arabic 4%, jojoba oil 0.15%, and pomegranate polyphenols 0.015% extended and improved their shelf life quality due to the minimization of the physic-chemical changes and sensorial properties. Therefore, the results indicated that the formulated edible coating has potential to extend the shelf life and maintain quality of pears. It was probed that coated pears were accepted for consumers as a good product. Edible coating application represents a good alternative to keep pears freshness for longer periods.

Psychometric validation of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Endometrial Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-EN24)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Greimel, Elfriede; Nordin, Andy; Lanceley, Anne

2011-01-01

A validation study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Endometrial Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-EN24). This module was designed to assess disease and treatment specific aspects of...... of the quality of life (QoL) of patients with endometrial cancer.......A validation study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire-Endometrial Cancer Module (EORTC QLQ-EN24). This module was designed to assess disease and treatment specific aspects...

Prescribing methadone for pain management in end-of-life care.

Science.gov (United States)

Manfredonia, John F

2005-03-01

Methadone hydrochloride is an effective, inexpensive, and relatively safe opioid to use in the treatment of patients with chronic pain. It is especially effective in management of pain during the final stages of life, as it is the only long-acting analgesic available in liquid form. However, because methadone has a long half-life, individual wide variations, and potential for accumulation and overdosage, physicians must judiciously and conscientiously prescribe it. Also, they should closely monitor patients during the titration phase and educate them with regard to basic pharmacologic properties and potential side effects. A plan to start at low doses and proceed slowly is applicable to methadone.

Investigating the Properties of Asphalt Concrete Containing Glass Fibers and Nanoclay

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hasan Taherkhani

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The performance of asphaltic pavements during their service life is highly dependent on the mechanical properties of the asphaltic layers. Therefore, in order to extend their service life, scientists and engineers are constantly trying to improve the mechanical properties of the asphaltic mixtures. One common method of improving the performance of asphaltic mixtures is using different types of additives. This research investigated the effects of reinforcement by randomly distributed glass fibers and the simultaneous addition of nanoclayon some engineering properties of asphalt concrete have been investigated. The properties of a typical asphalt concrete reinforced by different percentages of glass fibers were compared with those containing both the fibers and nanoclay. Engineering properties, including Marshall stability, flow, Marshall quotient, volumetric properties and indirect tensile strength were studied. Glass fibers were used in different percentages of 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6% (by weight of total mixture, and nanoclay was used in 2, 4 and 6% (by the weight of bitumen. It was found that the addition of fibers proved to be more effective than the nanoclay in increasing the indirect tensile strength. However, nanoclay improved the resistance of the mixture against permanent deformation better than the glass fibers. The results also showed that the mixture reinforced by 0.2% of glass fiber and containing 6% nanoclay possessed the highest Marshall quotient, and the mixture containing 0.6% glass fibers and 2% nanoclay possessedthe highest indirect tensile strength.

Corrosion engineering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fontana, M.G.

1986-01-01

This book emphasizes the engineering approach to handling corrosion. It presents corrosion data by corrosives or environments rather than by materials. It discusses the corrosion engineering of noble metals, ''exotic'' metals, non-metallics, coatings, mechanical properties, and corrosion testing, as well as modern concepts. New sections have been added on fracture mechanics, laser alloying, nuclear waste isolation, solar energy, geothermal energy, and the Statue of Liberty. Special isocorrosion charts, developed by the author, are introduced as a quick way to look at candidates for a particular corrosive.

Gini coefficient as a life table function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2003-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a toolkit for measuring and analyzing inter-individual inequality in length of life by Gini coefficient. Gini coefficient and four other inequality measures are defined on the length-of-life distribution. Properties of these measures and their empirical testing on mortality data suggest a possibility for different judgements about the direction of changes in the degree of inequality by using different measures. A new computational procedure for the estimation of Gini coefficient from life tables is developed and tested on about four hundred real life tables. The estimates of Gini coefficient are precise enough even for abridged life tables with the final age group of 85+. New formulae have been developed for the decomposition of differences between Gini coefficients by age and cause of death. A new method for decomposition of age-components into effects of mortality and composition of population by group is developed. Temporal changes in the effects of elimination of causes of death on Gini coefficient are analyzed. Numerous empirical examples show: Lorenz curves for Sweden, Russia and Bangladesh in 1995, proportional changes in Gini coefficient and four other measures of inequality for the USA in 1950-1995 and for Russia in 1959-2000. Further shown are errors of estimates of Gini coefficient when computed from various types of mortality data of France, Japan, Sweden and the USA in 1900-95, decompositions of the USA-UK difference in life expectancies and Gini coefficients by age and cause of death in 1997. As well, effects of elimination of major causes of death in the UK in 1951-96 on Gini coefficient, age-specific effects of mortality and educational composition of the Russian population on changes in life expectancy and Gini coefficient between 1979 and 1989. Illustrated as well are variations in life expectancy and Gini coefficient across 32 countries in 1996-1999 and associated changes in life expectancy and Gini

Piezoelectric multilayer actuator life test.

Science.gov (United States)

Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Jones, Christopher M; Aldrich, Jack B; Blodget, Chad J; Moore, James D; Carson, John W; Goullioud, Renaud

2011-04-01

Potential NASA optical missions such as the Space Interferometer Mission require actuators for precision positioning to accuracies of the order of nanometers. Commercially available multilayer piezoelectric stack actuators are being considered for driving these precision mirror positioning mechanisms. These mechanisms have potential mission operational requirements that exceed 5 years for one mission life. To test the feasibility of using these commercial actuators for these applications and to determine their reliability and the redundancy requirements, a life test study was undertaken. The nominal actuator requirements for the most critical actuators on the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) in terms of number of cycles was estimated from the Modulation Optics Mechanism (MOM) and Pathlength control Optics Mechanism (POM) and these requirements were used to define the study. At a nominal drive frequency of 250 Hz, one mission life is calculated to be 40 billion cycles. In this study, a set of commercial PZT stacks configured in a potential flight actuator configuration (pre-stressed to 18 MPa and bonded in flexures) were tested for up to 100 billion cycles. Each test flexure allowed for two sets of primary and redundant stacks to be mechanically connected in series. The tests were controlled using an automated software control and data acquisition system that set up the test parameters and monitored the waveform of the stack electrical current and voltage. The samples were driven between 0 and 20 V at 2000 Hz to accelerate the life test and mimic the voltage amplitude that is expected to be applied to the stacks during operation. During the life test, 10 primary stacks were driven and 10 redundant stacks, mechanically in series with the driven stacks, were open-circuited. The stroke determined from a strain gauge, the temperature and humidity in the chamber, and the temperature of each individual stack were recorded. Other properties of the stacks, including the

Evaluation of the late life disability instrument in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, Fang-Chi; Rejeski, W Jack; Ip, Edward H; Katula, Jeff A; Fielding, Roger; Jette, Alan M; Studenski, Stephanie A; Blair, Steven N; Miller, Michael E

2010-10-06

The late life disability instrument (LLDI) was developed to assess limitations in instrumental and management roles using a small and restricted sample. In this paper we examine the measurement properties of the LLDI using data from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) study. LIFE-P participants, aged 70-89 years, were at elevated risk of disability. The 424 participants were enrolled at the Cooper Institute, Stanford University, University of Pittsburgh, and Wake Forest University. Physical activity and successful aging health education interventions were compared after 12-months of follow-up. Using factor analysis, we determined whether the LLDI's factor structure was comparable with that reported previously. We further examined how each item related to measured disability using item response theory (IRT). The factor structure for the limitation domain within the LLDI in the LIFE-P study did not corroborate previous findings. However, the factor structure using the abbreviated version was supported. Social and personal role factors were identified. IRT analysis revealed that each item in the social role factor provided a similar level of information, whereas the items in the personal role factor tended to provide different levels of information. Within the context of community-based clinical intervention research in aged populations, an abbreviated version of the LLDI performed better than the full 16-item version. In addition, the personal subscale would benefit from additional research using IRT. The protocol of LIFE-P is consistent with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and is registered at http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov (registration # NCT00116194).

The early Earth atmosphere and early life catalysts.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramírez Jiménez, Sandra Ignacia

2014-01-01

Homochirality is a property of living systems on Earth. The time, the place, and the way in which it appeared are uncertain. In a prebiotic scenario two situations are of interest: either an initial small bias for handedness of some biomolecules arouse and progressed with life, or an initial slight excess led to the actual complete dominance of the known chiral molecules. A definitive answer can probably never be given, neither from the fields of physics and chemistry nor biology. Some arguments can be advanced to understand if homochirality is necessary for the initiation of a prebiotic homochiral polymer chemistry, if this homochirality is suggesting a unique origin of life, or if a chiral template such as a mineral surface is always required to result in an enantiomeric excess. A general description of the early Earth scenario will be presented in this chapter, followed by a general description of some clays, and their role as substrates to allow the concentration and amplification of some of the building blocks of life.

Spanish cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life short-version questionnaire (SQoL18) in 3 middle-income countries: Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Caqueo-Urízar, Alejandra; Boyer, Laurent; Boucekine, Mohamed; Auquier, Pascal

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to adapt the Schizophrenia - Quality of Life short-version questionnaire (SQoL18) for use in three middle-income countries in Latin America and to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and external validity of this questionnaire. The SQoL18 was translated into Spanish using a well-validated forward-backward process. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the SQoL18 in a sample of 253 patients with schizophrenia attending outpatient mental health services in three Latin American countries. For participants in each country (Bolivia, N=83; Chile, N=85; Peru, N=85), psychometric properties were compared to those reported from the reference population (507 patients with schizophrenia) assessed in the validation study. In addition, differential item functioning (DIF) analyses were performed to see whether all items behave in the same way in each country. Factor analysis performed in the 3 countries showed that the questionnaire's structure adequately matched the initial structure of the SQoL18. The unidimensionality of the dimensions was preserved, and the internal/external validity indices were close to those of the reference population. However, one dimension of the SQoL18 (resilience) presented some unsatisfactory properties including low Cronbach's alpha coefficients, one INFIT value higher than 1.2, and one item showing DIF between the 3 countries. These results demonstrate the satisfactory acceptability and psychometric properties of the SQoL18, suggesting the relevance of this questionnaire among patients with schizophrenia in these 3 Latin American countries. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extending shelf life of poultry and red meat by irradiation processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thayer, D.W.

1993-01-01

Research has demonstrated that ionizing radiation can inactivate parasites, eliminate or greatly reduce the populations of microbial pathogens, and extend the shelf life while preserving the desired nutritional and sensory properties of refrigerated poultry and red meats. Foodborne pathogens can be greatly reduced in population and sometimes completely eliminated from foods by low doses of ionizing radiation. The shelf life of poultry, pork, and beef can be significantly extended by treatment with ionizing radiation. Combination treatments with vacuum packaging or modified atmosphere packaging and ionizing radiation have produced better than predicted results. Additional research is needed on the combined processes

Mechanical properties of modified low cobalt powder metallurgy Udimet 700 type alloys

Science.gov (United States)

Harf, Fredric H.

1989-01-01

Eight superalloys derived from Udimet 700 were prepared by powder metallurgy, hot isostatically pressed, heat treated and their tensile and creep rupture properties determined. Several of these alloys displayed properties superior to those of Udimet 700 similarly prepared, in one case exceeding the creep rupture life tenfold. Filter clogging by extracted gamma prime, its measurement and significance are discussed in an appendix.

Influence of shelf life on the setting time of type IV gypsum

Science.gov (United States)

Hapsari, M. L.; Irawan, B.; Damiyanti, M.

2017-08-01

Although expired materials can exhibit a deterioration in their properties, expired type IV gypsum can still be found on the market. In order to evaluate the influence of the shelf life on its setting time, two groups of type IV gypsum (GC Fuji rock EP) with different expiration dates were used in this research. The setting time tests were done in a mold using a Vicat Needle apparatus. The results of the statistical analysis showed a significant difference (pshelf life did influence the setting time of the type IV gypsum.

Legally Human? 'Novel Beings' and English Law.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, David R; Brazier, Margaret

2018-04-17

Novel beings-intelligent, conscious life-forms sapient in the same way or greater than are human beings-are no longer the preserve of science fiction. Through technologies such as artificial general intelligence, synthetic genomics, gene printing, cognitive enhancement, advanced neuroscience, and more, they are becoming ever more likely and by some definitions may already be emerging. Consideration of the nature of intelligent, conscious novel beings such as those that may result from these technologies requires analysis of the concept of the 'reasonable creature in being' in English law, as well as of the right to life as founded in the European Convention on Human Rights and the attempts to endow human status on animals in recent years. Our exploration of these issues leads us to conclude that there is a strong case to recognize such 'novel' beings as entitled to the same fundamental rights to life, freedom from inhumane treatment, and liberty as we are.

Chemical Evolution and the Evolutionary Definition of Life.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgs, Paul G

2017-06-01

Darwinian evolution requires a mechanism for generation of diversity in a population, and selective differences between individuals that influence reproduction. In biology, diversity is generated by mutations and selective differences arise because of the encoded functions of the sequences (e.g., ribozymes or proteins). Here, I draw attention to a process that I will call chemical evolution, in which the diversity is generated by random chemical synthesis instead of (or in addition to) mutation, and selection acts on physicochemical properties, such as hydrolysis, photolysis, solubility, or surface binding. Chemical evolution applies to short oligonucleotides that can be generated by random polymerization, as well as by template-directed replication, and which may be too short to encode a specific function. Chemical evolution is an important stage on the pathway to life, between the stage of "just chemistry" and the stage of full biological evolution. A mathematical model is presented here that illustrates the differences between these three stages. Chemical evolution leads to much larger differences in molecular concentrations than can be achieved by selection without replication. However, chemical evolution is not open-ended, unlike biological evolution. The ability to undergo Darwinian evolution is often considered to be a defining feature of life. Here, I argue that chemical evolution, although Darwinian, does not quite constitute life, and that a good place to put the conceptual boundary between non-life and life is between chemical and biological evolution.