Individual differences in the use of social information in foraging by captive great tits

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Marchetti, C.M.; Drent, P.J.

2000-01-01

We investigated individual differences in copying behaviour of captive great tits, Parus major, by analysing their response to a tutor indicating a new feeding site. We used two groups, each di seven male birds, labelled 'fast' and 'slow' explorers based on previous studies in which consistent

Fringe benefit: Value of restoring coastal wetlands for Great Lakes fisheries

Science.gov (United States)

Fishery support is recognized as a valuable ecosystem service provided by Great Lakes coastal wetlands, but it is challenging to quantify because multiple species and habitats are involved. Recent studies indicate that coastal wetland area is proportional to fishery harvest among...

Identification of differences in human and great ape phytanic acid metabolism that could influence gene expression profiles and physiological functions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siegmund Kimberly D

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been proposed that anatomical differences in human and great ape guts arose in response to species-specific diets and energy demands. To investigate functional genomic consequences of these differences, we compared their physiological levels of phytanic acid, a branched chain fatty acid that can be derived from the microbial degradation of chlorophyll in ruminant guts. Humans who accumulate large stores of phytanic acid commonly develop cerebellar ataxia, peripheral polyneuropathy, and retinitis pigmentosa in addition to other medical conditions. Furthermore, phytanic acid is an activator of the PPAR-alpha transcription factor that influences the expression of genes relevant to lipid metabolism. Results Despite their trace dietary phytanic acid intake, all great ape species had elevated red blood cell (RBC phytanic acid levels relative to humans on diverse diets. Unlike humans, chimpanzees showed sexual dimorphism in RBC phytanic acid levels, which were higher in males relative to females. Cultured skin fibroblasts from all species had a robust capacity to degrade phytanic acid. We provide indirect evidence that great apes, in contrast to humans, derive significant amounts of phytanic acid from the hindgut fermentation of plant materials. This would represent a novel reduction of metabolic activity in humans relative to the great apes. Conclusion We identified differences in the physiological levels of phytanic acid in humans and great apes and propose this is causally related to their gut anatomies and microbiomes. Phytanic acid levels could contribute to cross-species and sex-specific differences in human and great ape transcriptomes, especially those related to lipid metabolism. Based on the medical conditions caused by phytanic acid accumulation, we suggest that differences in phytanic acid metabolism could influence the functions of human and great ape nervous, cardiovascular, and skeletal systems.

Advance directives in english and French law: different concepts, different values, different societies.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Ruth Judith

2014-03-01

In Western societies advance directives are widely recognised as important means to extend patient self-determination under circumstances of incapacity. Following other countries, England and France have adopted legislation aiming to clarify the legal status of advance directives. In this paper, I will explore similarities and differences in both sets of legislation, the arguments employed in the respective debates and the socio-political structures on which these differences are based. The comparison highlights how different legislations express different concepts emphasising different values accorded to the duty to respect autonomy and to protect life, and how these differences are informed by different socio-political contexts. Furthermore each country associates different ethical concerns with ADs which raise doubts about whether these directives are a theoretical idea which is hardly applicable in practice.

An empirical assessment of generational differences in basic human values.

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Sean T; Duxbury, Linda; Higgins, Christopher

2007-10-01

This study assessed generational differences in human values as measured by the Schwartz Value Survey. It was proposed that the two most recent generations, Millennials and Generation Xers, would value Self-enhancement and Openness to Change more than the two older generations, Baby Boomers and Matures, while the two older generations would value Self-transcendence and Conservation more. The hypotheses were tested with a combined sample of Canadian knowledge workers and undergraduate business students (N = 1,194). Two hypotheses were largely supported, although an unexpectedly large difference was observed between Millennials and Generation Xers with respect to Openness to Change and Self-enhancement. The findings suggest that generation is a useful variable in examining differences in social values.

Different methods of measuring ADC values in normal human brain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Youping; Sheng Junkang; Zhang Caiyuan

2009-01-01

Objective: To investigate better method of measuring ADC values of normal brain, and provide reference for further research. Methods: Twenty healthy people's MR imaging were reviewed. All of them underwent routine MRI scans and echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and ADC maps were reconstructed on work station. Six regions of interest (ROI) were selected for each object, the mean ADC values were obtained for each position on DWI and ADC maps respectively. Results: On the anisotropic DWI map calculated in the hypothalamus, ADC M , ADC P , ADC S values were no significant difference (P>0.05), in the frontal white matter and internal capsule hindlimb, there was a significant difference (P ave value exist significant difference to direct measurement on the anisotropic (isotropic) ADC map (P<0.001). Conclusion: Diffusion of water in the frontal white matter and internal capsule are anisotropic, but it is isotropic in the hypothalamus; different quantitative methods of diffusion measurement of 4ADC values have significant difference, but ADC values calculated through the DWI map is more accurate, quantitative diffusion study of brain tissue should also consider the diffusion measurement method. (authors)

The scapular glenopolar angle: standard values and side differences

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tucek, Michal; Bartonicek, Jan [Charles University and Military University Hospital Prague, Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Nanka, Ondrej [Charles University, Institute of Anatomy, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Prague 2 (Czech Republic); Malik, Jozef [Military University Hospital Prague, Department of Radiology, Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

2014-11-15

The aim of this study is to determine normal glenopolar angle (GPA) values on bone specimens of the scapula and compare them with various radiological views and CT examination. GPA values were measured on 100 mature, dry, non-paired scapulae, 20 pairs of dry scapulae, 50 AP radiographs of the shoulder, 50 Neer I views, 50 AP chest radiographs and 20 3D CT reconstructions of the scapula. Measurements made on bone specimens of the scapula showed an average GPA value of 42.3 ; the mean absolute side-to-side difference was on average 1.6 . The average GPA measured on 50 AP shoulder radiographs was 35.9 , on Neer I views 40.6 and AP chest radiographs 37.1 , with the mean absolute side-to-side difference on average 4.9 ; on 3D CT the average GPA was 43.0 and the mean absolute side-to-side difference on average 1.4 . GPA values depend on the method of measurement used. Measurements made on 3D CT reconstructions and Neer I views showed almost the same values as those measured on bone specimens. The values measured on AP shoulder views and AP chest radiographs were statistically significantly lower. Side-to-side variability (right and left) measured on 3D CT reconstructions was insignificant, and the obtained values corresponded to the values from bone specimens. Therefore, the best method to measure the GPA is a 3D CT reconstruction and an exact Neer I projection. (orig.)

Added value: The differences that count

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Bouchet

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Clinging to a simplistic conceptualization of the concept of added value might impair our capability to develop insights to what really matters today when companies seek to make differences within the global market. Today it is more necessary than ever to take into account the importance of language and culture as competitive factors.

Image Denoising Using Singular Value Difference in the Wavelet Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Min Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Singular value (SV difference is the difference in the singular values between a noisy image and the original image; it varies regularly with noise intensity. This paper proposes an image denoising method using the singular value difference in the wavelet domain. First, the SV difference model is generated for different noise variances in the three directions of the wavelet transform and the noise variance of a new image is used to make the calculation by the diagonal part. Next, the single-level discrete 2-D wavelet transform is used to decompose each noisy image into its low-frequency and high-frequency parts. Then, singular value decomposition (SVD is used to obtain the SVs of the three high-frequency parts. Finally, the three denoised high-frequency parts are reconstructed by SVD from the SV difference, and the final denoised image is obtained using the inverse wavelet transform. Experiments show the effectiveness of this method compared with relevant existing methods.

Ethnic and locational differences in ecosystem service values

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cuni Sanchez, Aida; Pfeifer, Marion; Marchant, Rob

2016-01-01

location. Preferred plant species for food, fodder, medicine resources, poles and firewood followed the same pattern. Our results showed that ethnicity and location affect ecosystem services' identification and importance ranking. This should be taken into account by decision-makers, e.g. as restricted......Understanding cultural preferences toward different ecosystem services is of great importance for conservation and development planning. While cultural preferences toward plant species have been long studied in the field of plant utilisation, the effects of ethnicity on ecosystem services...... identification and valuation has received little attention. We assessed the effects of ethnicity toward different ecosystem services at three similar forest islands in northern Kenya inhabited by Samburu and Boran pastoralists. Twelve focus groups were organised in each mountain, to evaluate the ecosystem...

Estimation of the ancestral effective population sizes of African great apes under different selection regimes.

Science.gov (United States)

Schrago, Carlos G

2014-08-01

Reliable estimates of ancestral effective population sizes are necessary to unveil the population-level phenomena that shaped the phylogeny and molecular evolution of the African great apes. Although several methods have previously been applied to infer ancestral effective population sizes, an analysis of the influence of the selective regime on the estimates of ancestral demography has not been thoroughly conducted. In this study, three independent data sets under different selective regimes were used were composed to tackle this issue. The results showed that selection had a significant impact on the estimates of ancestral effective population sizes of the African great apes. The inference of the ancestral demography of African great apes was affected by the selection regime. The effects, however, were not homogeneous along the ancestral populations of great apes. The effective population size of the ancestor of humans and chimpanzees was more impacted by the selection regime when compared to the same parameter in the ancestor of humans, chimpanzees and gorillas. Because the selection regime influenced the estimates of ancestral effective population size, it is reasonable to assume that a portion of the discrepancy found in previous studies that inferred the ancestral effective population size may be attributable to the differential action of selection on the genes sampled.

"Value"ing Children Differently? Migrant Children in Education

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Devine, Dympna

2013-01-01

This paper considers dilemmas around "value" and the "valuing" of children and childhood(s) in schools. I argue that in neo-liberal contexts, processes of children's identity making become aligned with the idea of the corporate citizen--value and worth derived from the capacity to produce, excel, self-regulate as well as…

The Gender Difference in the Value of Winning

OpenAIRE

Chen, Zhuoqiong; Ong, David; Sheremeta, Roman

2015-01-01

We design an all-pay auction experiment in which we reveal the gender of the opponent. Using this design, we find that women bid higher than men, but only when bidding against other women. These findings, interpreted through a theoretical model incorporating differences in risk attitude and the value of winning, suggest that women have a higher value of winning than men.

Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Claramunt, Randall M.; Madenjian, Charles P.; Clapp, David; Taylor, William W.; Lynch, Abigail J.; Léonard, Nancy J.

2012-01-01

Pacific salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) are a valuable resource, both within their native range in the North Pacific rim and in the Great Lakes basin. Understanding their value from a biological and economic perspective in the Great Lakes, however, requires an understanding of changes in the ecosystem and of management actions that have been taken to promote system stability, integrity, and sustainable fisheries. Pacific salmonine introductions to the Great Lakes are comprised mainly of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead and have accounted for 421, 177, and 247 million fish, respectively, stocked during 1966-2007. Stocking of Pacific salmonines has been effective in substantially reducing exotic prey fish abundances in several of the Great Lakes (e.g., lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario). The goal of our evaluation was to highlight differences in management strategies and perspectives across the basin, and to evaluate policies for Pacific salmonine management in the Great Lakes. Currently, a potential conflict exists between Pacific salmonine management and native fish rehabilitation goals because of the desire to sustain recreational fisheries and to develop self-sustaining populations of stocked Pacific salmonines in the Great Lakes. We provide evidence that suggests Pacific salmonines have not only become naturalized to the food webs of the Great Lakes, but that their populations (specifically Chinook salmon) may be fluctuating in concert with specific prey (i.e., alewives) whose populations are changing relative to environmental conditions and ecosystem disturbances. Remaining questions, however, are whether or not “natural” fluctuations in predator and prey provide enough “stability” in the Great Lakes food webs, and even more importantly, would a choice by managers to attempt to reduce the severity of predator-prey oscillations be antagonistic to native fish restoration efforts. We argue that, on each of the Great Lakes, managers are pursuing

Diagnostic value of different tumor markers, our experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pervez, T.; Anwar, S.

2000-01-01

Variety of tumor markers with varying sensitivity and specificity are used for diagnosis of different malignancies. This study was done to determine the diagnostic value of different tumor markers in our patients with various malignancies. Out of 235 patients studied, 162 were suffering from malignant and 73 from benign diseases. Among these 84 were positive for tumor markers. Out of these positive tumor markers, 75 were suffering from malignancy. Tumor marker analyzed were ca-15-3, ca-125, BETA-HCG, CEA, PSA and alpha-FP depending upon the type of the disease these cases presented. Analysis of the results revealed that different tumor markers had sensitivity varying from 76.9-95.8% and specificity varying form 75-90.9%. CA-125 was observed to be the most specific and sensitive tumor marker for ovarian tumors followed by alpha-FP for hepatocellular tumors and CEA for gastrointestinal tumors. Similarly, PSA for prostate cancers, beta-HCG for choriocarcinoma and CA-15-3 for breast cancer. It is concluded that all the tumor markers have a variable diagnostic value, which cannot be relied upon independently, without other tests added to increase diagnostic value. (author)

Managing water resources infrastructure in the face of different values

Science.gov (United States)

Mostert, Erik

Water resources infrastructure (WRI) plays a key role in water management. It can serve or negatively affect some seven to ten different and sometimes conflicting values. WRI management is therefore not a purely technical issue. Economic analyses can help to some extent, but only for values related to current human use. Multi-criteria analysis can cover all values, but in the end WRI management is not an analytical issue, but a governance issue. Different governance paradigms exist: markets, hierarchies and “third alternatives”, such as common pool resources management and network management. This article presents social learning as the most promising paradigm. Positive experiences with social learning have been described and guidance on putting social learning into practice exists. Nonetheless, there are no magic solutions for managing WRI in the face of different values.

Effects of heavy metal exposure on the condition and health of adult great tits (Parus major)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dauwe, Tom; Janssens, Ellen; Eens, Marcel

2006-01-01

We examined the possible effects of heavy metal exposure on the quality and health of adult great tits (Parus major) at four study sites along a pollution gradient near a non-ferrous smelter in Belgium. Tarsus length, wing length, body mass and condition of great tits were compared with respect to study site, age (first-year and older great tits), sex and season (birds caught in winter and during breeding). Tarsus length did not differ significantly among study sites. The wing length of great tits was larger at the study site furthest from the smelter, especially for older great tits. The length of the outermost tail feathers, however, did not differ significantly among study sites. We found no signs of loss of body mass or condition towards the pollution source. The body mass and condition was lowest for female great tits at the site furthest from the smelter, especially during winter. Haematocrit values did not differ significantly among sites. Overall, we found no clear significant effects of heavy metal pollution on morphological measurements and health parameters of great tits. - Heavy metal pollution had no clear effect on condition and health, but this may have been masked by habitat quality differences and gene flow

On value differences experienced by sector switchers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaf, G.; van der Wal, Z.

2008-01-01

This article examines experienced differences in values between employees in the public and private sector. To elucidate them, the authors interviewed 30 employees of the public sector previously employed in the private sector and 30 employees of the private sector previously employed in the public

Species contributions to single biodiversity values under-estimate whole community contribution to a wider range of values to society.

Science.gov (United States)

Hiron, Matthew; Pärt, Tomas; Siriwardena, Gavin M; Whittingham, Mark J

2018-05-03

A major task for decision makers is deciding how to consider monetary, cultural and conservation values of biodiversity explicitly when planning sustainable land use. Thus, there is a great need to understand just what "valuing" biodiversity or species really means, e.g. regarding how many and which species are important in providing ecosystem services or other values. Constructing ecosystem-level indices, however, requires weighting the relative contribution of species to the different values. Using farmland birds, we illustrate how species contribute to different biodiversity values, namely utilitarian (pest seed predation potential), cultural (species occurrence in poetry), conservational (declines and rarity) and inherent (all species equal) value. Major contributions to each value are often made by a subset of the community and different species are important for different values, leading to no correlations or, in some cases, negative correlations between species' relative contributions to different values. Our results and methods using relative contributions of species to biodiversity values can aid decisions when weighing different values in policies and strategies for natural resource management. We conclude that acknowledging the importance of the range of biodiversity values that are apparent from different perspectives is critical if the full value of biodiversity to society is to be realised.

Organisational values and organisational commitment: do nurses' ethno-cultural differences matter?

Science.gov (United States)

Hendel, Tova; Kagan, Ilya

2014-05-01

To examine the association between perceived organisational values and organisational commitment among Israeli nurses in relation to their ethno-cultural background. Differences and the discrepancy between individuals' organisational values and those of their organisational culture are a potential source of adjustment difficulties. Organisational values are considered to be the bond of the individual to their organisation. In multicultural societies, such as Israel, the differences in perception of organisational values and organisational commitment may be reflected within workgroups. Data were collected using a questionnaire among 106 hospital nurses. About 59.8% of the sample were Israeli-born. A positive correlation was found between organisational values and organisational commitment. Significant differences were found in organisational values and organisational commitment between Israeli-born-, USSR-born- and Ethiopian-born nurses. The socio-demographic profile modified the effect of organisational values on organisational commitment: when the nurse was male, Muslim, religiously orthodox and without academic education, the effect of organisational values on organisational commitment was higher. Findings confirm the role of culture and ethnicity in the perception of organisational values and the level of organisational commitment among nurses. Assessing ethno-cultural differences in organisational values and organisational commitment provides a fuller understanding of nurses' ability to adjust to their work environment and helps nurse managers devise means to increase nurses' commitment. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differences in the early cognitive development of children and great apes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wobber, Victoria; Herrmann, Esther; Hare, Brian; Wrangham, Richard; Tomasello, Michael

2014-04-01

There is very little research comparing great ape and human cognition developmentally. In the current studies we compared a cross-sectional sample of 2- to 4-year-old human children (n=48) with a large sample of chimpanzees and bonobos in the same age range (n=42, hereafter: apes) on a broad array of cognitive tasks. We then followed a group of juvenile apes (n=44) longitudinally over 3 years to track their cognitive development in greater detail. In skills of physical cognition (space, causality, quantities), children and apes performed comparably at 2 years of age, but by 4 years of age children were more advanced (whereas apes stayed at their 2-year-old performance levels). In skills of social cognition (communication, social learning, theory of mind), children out-performed apes already at 2 years, and increased this difference even more by 4 years. Patterns of development differed more between children and apes in the social domain than the physical domain, with support for these patterns present in both the cross-sectional and longitudinal ape data sets. These results indicate key differences in the pattern and pace of cognitive development between humans and other apes, particularly in the early emergence of specific social cognitive capacities in humans. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Great differences in the critical erosion threshold between surface and subsurface sediments: A field investigation of an intertidal mudflat, Jiangsu, China

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Benwei; Wang, Ya Ping; Wang, Li Hua; Li, Peng; Gao, Jianhua; Xing, Fei; Chen, Jing Dong

2018-06-01

Understanding of bottom sediment erodibility is necessary for the sustainable management and protection of coastlines, and is of great importance for numerical models of sediment dynamics and transport. To investigate the dependence of sediment erodibility on degree of consolidation, we measured turbidity, waves, tidal currents, intratidal bed-level changes, and sediment properties on an exposed macrotidal mudflat during a series of tidal cycles. We estimated the water content of surface sediments (in the uppermost 2 cm of sediment) and sub-surface sediments (at 2 cm below the sediment surface). Bed shear stress values due to currents (τc), waves (τw), and combined current-wave action (τcw) were calculated using a hydrodynamic model. In this study, we estimate the critical shear stress for erosion using two approaches and both of them give similar results. We found that the critical shear stress for erosion (τce) was 0.17-0.18 N/m2 in the uppermost 0-2 cm of sediment and 0.29 N/m2 in sub-surface sediment layers (depth, 2 cm), as determined by time series of τcw values and intratidal bed-level changes, and values of τce, obtained using the water content of bottom sediments, were 0.16 N/m2 in the uppermost 2 cm and 0.28 N/m2 in the sub-surface (depth, 2 cm) sediment. These results indicate that the value of τce for sub-surface sediments (depth, 2 cm) is much greater than that for the uppermost sediments (depth, 0-2 cm), and that the τce value is mainly related to the water content, which is determined by the extent of consolidation. Our results have implications for improving the predictive accuracy of models of sediment transport and morphological evolution, by introducing variable τce values for corresponding sediment layers, and can also provide a mechanistic understanding of bottom sediment erodibility at different sediment depths on intertidal mudflats, as related to differences in the consolidation time.

Workplace Engagement and Generational Differences in Values

Science.gov (United States)

Schullery, Nancy M.

2013-01-01

This article summarizes literature on workplace engagement, an issue that affects organizations' financial results and individuals' personal lives. The newest of the four generations in the workplace, Millennials, were recently shown to have different values than the other two prevalent generations. Surveys taken by 16,000 high school seniors of…

Ambient Response Analysis of the Great Belt Bridge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brincker, Rune; Frandsen, Jeanette B.; Andersen, Palle

2000-01-01

In this paper an ambient response analysis of the Great Belt Bridge is presented. The Great Belt Bridge is one of the largest suspension bridges in the world, and the analysis was carried out in order to investigate the possibilities of estimating reliable damping values from the ambient response...

Standardized uptake values of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose: the value of different normalization procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schomburg, A.; Bender, H.; Reichel, C.; Sommer, T.; Ruhlmann, J.; Kozak, B.; Biersack, H.J.

1996-01-01

While the evident advantages of absolute metabolic rate determinations cannot be equalled by static image analysis of fluorine-18 fluorodexyglucose positron emission tomographic (FDG PET) studies, various algorithms for the normalization of static FDG uptake values have been proposed. This study was performed to compare different normalization procedures in terms of dependency on individual patient characteristics. Standardized FDG uptake values (SUVs) were calculated for liver and lung tissue in 126 patients studied with whole-body FDG PET. Uptake values were normalized for total body weight, lean body mass and body surface area. Ranges, means, medians, standard deviations and variation coefficients of these SUV parameters were calculated and their interdependency with total body weight, lean body mass, body surface area, patient height and blood sugar levels was calculated by means of regression analysis. Standardized FDG uptake values normalized for body surface area were clearly superior to SUV parameters normalized for total body weight or lean body mass. Variation and correlation coefficients of body surface area-normalized uptake values were minimal when compared with SUV parameters derived from the other normalization procedures. Normalization for total body weight resulted in uptake values still dependent on body weight and blood sugar levels, while normalization for lean body mass did not eliminate the positive correlation with lean body mass and patient height. It is concluded that normalization of FDG uptake values for body surface area is less dependent on the individual patient characteristics than are FDG uptake values normalized for other parameters, and therefore appears to be preferable for FDG PET studies in oncology. (orig.)

Great magnetic storms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsurutani, B.T.; Yen Te Lee; Tang, F.; Gonzalez, W.D.

1992-01-01

The five largest magnetic storms that occurred between 1971 and 1986 are studied to determine their solar and interplanetary causes. All of the events are found to be associated with high speed solar wind streams led by collisionless shocks. The high speed streams are clearly related to identifiable solar flares. It is found that (1) it is the extreme values of the southward interplanetary magnetic fields rather than solar wind speeds that are the primary causes of great magnetic storms, (2) shocked and draped sheath fields preceding the driver gas (magnetic cloud) are at least as effective in causing the onset of great magnetic storms (3 of 5 events ) as the strong fields within the driver gas itself, and (3) precursor southward fields ahead of the high speed streams allow the shock compression mechanism (item 2) to be particularly geoeffective

Study of apparent diffusion coefficient value in breasts of different ages and different menstrual phases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Ping; Wang Yafei; Huang Hao; Liu Qinfang; Chen Yerong; Tan Jishan

2011-01-01

Objective: To analyze the differences of ADC values in breasts of women of different ages and different menstrual phases, so as to direct the choice of the examination time of MR DWI. Methods: The breasts of 65 healthy volunteers were scanned with the routine MRI plain scan and DWI in the menstrual, proliferative and secretary phases. DWI was conducted with single shot echo planar imaging technique and b value were 0, 1000 s/mm 2 . The women were divided into three groups: Group 1 (aged 20 to 29 years, 21 cases), Group 2 (aged 30 to 39, 21 cases), and Group 3 (aged 40 to 49, 23 cases). The ADC values of all 130 breasts at nipple level in the different phases were measured. The ADC values in the three age groups and in the different menstrual phases were compared using ANOVA. Results: The mean ADC values of Group 1 were (2.14±0.14) × 10 -3 , (2.03±0.18) × 10 -3 and (2.10±0.19) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for left breast, and (2.08±0.17) × 10 -3 . (2.02±0.16) × 10 -3 and (2.09±0.17) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for right breast in the menstrual, proliferative and secretary phases. They were slightly higher than Group 3, which were (2.02±0.27) × 10 -3 (1.97±0.25) × 10 -3 and (2.03±0.22) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for left breast and (1.99±0.29) × 10 -3 , (1.93±0.26) × 10 -3 and (2.03±0.28) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s for right breast. The mean ADC values of Group 2 [left breast: ( 1.94 + 0. 25) × 10-3, (1.91±0.21) × 10 -3 and (1.97±0.21) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s; right breast: (1.97±0.26) × 10 -3 , (1.89± 0.25) × 10 -3 and (1.96±0.22) × 10 -3 mm 2 /s] were the lowest among the three age groups. There were significant differences in different menstrual phases (F=23.600, P 0.05). Conclusions: The mean ADC values of breasts decrease markedly in the proliferative phase. The effects of the menstrual cycle on the breast ADC values should be considered in the evaluation of breast diseases with DWI. (authors)

Reward modulates oculomotor competition between differently valued stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Bucker, Berno; Silvis, Jeroen D; Donk, Mieke; Theeuwes, Jan

2015-03-01

The present work explored the effects of reward in the well-known global effect paradigm in which two objects appear simultaneously in close spatial proximity. The experiment consisted of three phases (i) a pre-training phase that served as a baseline, (ii) a reward-training phase to associate differently colored stimuli with high, low and no reward value, and (iii) a post-training phase in which rewards were no longer delivered, to examine whether objects previously associated with higher reward value attracted the eyes more strongly than those associated with low or no reward value. Unlike previous reward studies, the differently valued objects directly competed with each other on the same trial. The results showed that initially eye movements were not biased towards any particular stimulus, while in the reward-training phase, eye movements started to land progressively closer towards stimuli that were associated with a high reward value. Even though rewards were no longer delivered, this bias remained robustly present in the post-training phase. A time course analysis showed that the effect of reward was present for the fastest saccades (around 170 ms) and increased with increasing latency. Although strategic effects for slower saccades cannot be ruled out, we suggest that fast oculomotor responses became habituated and were no longer under strategic attentional control. Together the results imply that reward affects oculomotor competition in favor of stimuli previously associated high reward, when multiple reward associated objects compete for selection. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Similarities and differences in values between Vietnamese parents and adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Truong Thi Khanh Ha

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Background The purpose of this study was to analyse similarities and differences in the motivational value system of Vietnamese parents and adolescents, in the context of Schwartz’s value theory. Also, the transmission of values between two generations was studied. Participants and procedure The study was performed in three different cities of Vietnam – Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City – on adolescents, their fathers and mothers (N = 2226. The hierarchy of values was measured with a Vietnamese version of the Portrait Value Questionnaire (PVQ-40. Additionally, expectations of parents toward children and preferences of children were measured with a list of 28 features and attitudes prepared for the study. Results The results show that both parents and their adolescent children highly respect universalism, conformity, and benevolence in contrast to power and stimulation, which is still typical for a collectivistic culture. The differences arise in higher-order values: while parents value conservatism (security, conformity and tradition, their children prefer more openness to change (self-direction and hedonism values, which is typical for a more individualistic culture. The results also reveal that parents in Vietnam expect and transfer to children some attitudes and features such as studiousness, filial piety and diligence, but not riskiness, desire or humour. Although adolescents are aware of their parents’ expectations, they do not fully accept them. Conclusions The results provide hints for parents to plan their strategy on appropriate education of their children, in the current context of global integration and cultural changes.

Computing pKa Values in Different Solvents by Electrostatic Transformation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rossini, Emanuele; Netz, Roland R; Knapp, Ernst-Walter

2016-07-12

We introduce a method that requires only moderate computational effort to compute pKa values of small molecules in different solvents with an average accuracy of better than 0.7 pH units. With a known pKa value in one solvent, the electrostatic transform method computes the pKa value in any other solvent if the proton solvation energy is known in both considered solvents. To apply the electrostatic transform method to a molecule, the electrostatic solvation energies of the protonated and deprotonated molecular species are computed in the two considered solvents using a dielectric continuum to describe the solvent. This is demonstrated for 30 molecules belonging to 10 different molecular families by considering 77 measured pKa values in 4 different solvents: water, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methanol. The electrostatic transform method can be applied to any other solvent if the proton solvation energy is known. It is exclusively based on physicochemical principles, not using any empirical fetch factors or explicit solvent molecules, to obtain agreement with measured pKa values and is therefore ready to be generalized to other solute molecules and solvents. From the computed pKa values, we obtained relative proton solvation energies, which agree very well with the proton solvation energies computed recently by ab initio methods, and used these energies in the present study.

The influence of cross-cultural differences on consumer values: a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kostelijk, Erik Jan; Alsem, Karel Jan; Ali, Semra

2017-01-01

Values motivate consumer behaviour. The objective of this research is to show the impact of cultural differences on the consumer value system. The Netherlands and Chile were compared to identify to what extent differences between both cultures have an effect on what consumers value, and how this

The Great Recession and confidence in homeownership

OpenAIRE

Anat Bracha; Julian Jamison

2013-01-01

Confidence in homeownership shifts for those who personally experienced real estate loss during the Great Recession. Older Americans are confident in the value of homeownership. Younger Americans are less confident.

Shared Values?: Measuring Value Differences Between Civilians and Soldiers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Efflandt, Scott

1998-01-01

.... In response to this many within and outside of the military have attributed these problems to the absence of personal values among new service members that are congruent with the military's core values...

Enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth of great apes: do differences in defect prevalence imply differential levels of physiological stress?

Science.gov (United States)

Lukacs, J R

1999-11-01

This paper presents new data on enamel hypoplasia in the deciduous canine teeth of great apes. The enamel defect under consideration is known as localized hypoplasia of primary canines (LHPC), and is characterized by an area of thin or missing enamel on the labial surface of deciduous canine teeth (Skinner [1986a] Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 69:59-69). Goals of this study are: 1) to determine if significant differences in the frequency of LHPC occur among three genera of great apes, and 2) to evaluate variation in LHPC prevalence among great apes as evidence of differential physiological stress. Infant and juvenile apes with deciduous teeth were examined at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History (n = 100) and at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History (n = 36). Deciduous teeth were observed under oblique incandescent light, with the naked eye and with a 10x hand lens. Enamel hypoplasia was scored using Federation Dentaire International (FDI)-Defects of Dental Enamel (DDE) standards. Hypoplasias were recorded by drawing defect location and size on a dental chart, and by measuring defect size and location with Helios needlepoint dial calipers. The prevalence of LHPC is reported by genus and sex, using two approaches: 1) the frequency of affected individuals-those having one or more deciduous canine teeth scored positive for LHPC; and 2) the number of canine teeth scored positive for LHPC as a percentage of all canine teeth observed. Variation in defect size and location will be described elsewhere. Localized hypoplasia of primary canine teeth was found in 62.5% of 128 individual apes, and in 45.5% of 398 great ape deciduous canines. As in humans, LHPC is the most common form of enamel hypoplasia in deciduous teeth of great apes, while LEH is rare or absent. The distribution and pattern of expression of LHPC in great apes is similar to that described in humans: side differences are not significant, but mandibular canines exhibit the defect two to

Moral values are associated with individual differences in regional brain volume.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Gary J; Kanai, Ryota; Bates, Timothy C; Rees, Geraint

2012-08-01

Moral sentiment has been hypothesized to reflect evolved adaptations to social living. If so, individual differences in moral values may relate to regional variation in brain structure. We tested this hypothesis in a sample of 70 young, healthy adults examining whether differences on two major dimensions of moral values were significantly associated with regional gray matter volume. The two clusters of moral values assessed were "individualizing" (values of harm/care and fairness) and "binding" (deference to authority, in-group loyalty, and purity/sanctity). Individualizing was positively associated with left dorsomedial pFC volume and negatively associated with bilateral precuneus volume. For binding, a significant positive association was found for bilateral subcallosal gyrus and a trend to significance for the left anterior insula volume. These findings demonstrate that variation in moral sentiment reflects individual differences in brain structure and suggest a biological basis for moral sentiment, distributed across multiple brain regions.

The GREAT3 challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

2014-01-01

The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

Age, Period, and Cohort Differences in Work Centrality and Work Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gábor Hajdu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we analyze whether work values differ between three dimensions of time (age, birth cohort, period. Using data of five waves of the World Values Survey and the European Values Study from more than forty countries and hierarchical age-period-cohort regression models, we did not find relevant gaps between birth cohorts with respect to the relative importance of work or with respect to work values. Thus, we claim that, in European and Euro-Atlantic countries, birth cohorts, on average, do not differ significantly with regard to their work values. Our results suggest, however, that the relative importance of work is significantly higher in the middle-age groups than among the younger or older groups. Regarding work values, we found that the importance of having an interesting job, good pay, and good hours decreases with age, and that job security is equally important at every age, whereas the importance of having a useful job increases with age.

Capturing the value of design thinking in different innovation practices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kleinsmann, M.S.; Valkenburg, Rianne; Sluijs, Janneke

2017-01-01

Design thinking has become a popular notion in the field of innovation. What is design thinking really and—even more important—what could be its value in applying it in innovation practices? This paper presents four studies that together capture the value of design thinking in different

The impact of Great Cormorants on biogenic pollution of land ecosystems: Stable isotope signatures in small mammals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balčiauskas, Linas; Skipitytė, Raminta; Jasiulionis, Marius; Trakimas, Giedrius; Balčiauskienė, Laima; Remeikis, Vidmantas

2016-01-01

Studying the isotopic composition of the hair of two rodent species trapped in the territories of Great Cormorant colonies, we aimed to show that Great Cormorants transfer biogens from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial ecosystems, and that these substances reach small mammals through the trophic cascade, thus influencing the nutrient balance in the terrestrial ecosystem. Analysis of δ"1"3C and δ"1"5N was performed on two dominant species of small mammals, Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus, inhabiting the territories of the colonies. For both species, the values of δ"1"3C and δ"1"5N were higher in the animals trapped in the territories of the colonies than those in control territories. In the hair of A. flavicollis and M. glareolus, the highest values of δ"1"5N (16.31 ± 3.01‰ and 17.86 ± 2.76‰, respectively) were determined in those animals trapped in the biggest Great Cormorant colony. δ"1"5N values were age dependent, highest in adult A. flavicollis and M. glareolus and lowest in juvenile animals. For δ"1"3C values, age-dependent differences were not registered. δ"1"5N values in both small mammal species from the biggest Great Cormorant colony show direct dependence on the intensity of influence. Biogenic pollution is at its strongest in the territories of the colonies with nests, significantly diminishing in the ecotones of the colonies and further in the control zones, where the influence of birds is negligible. Thus, Great Cormorant colonies alter ecosystem functioning by enrichment with biogens, with stable isotope values in small mammals significantly higher in the affected territories. - Highlights: • Cormorants transport nutrients from water to land ecosystems and pollute biogenically. • We studied stable isotope composition of small mammal hair in 3 cormorant colonies. • δ"1"3C and δ"1"5N were measured using elemental analyzer–isotope ratio mass spectrometer. • δ"1"3C and δ"1"5N values were higher in rodents inhabiting

The impact of Great Cormorants on biogenic pollution of land ecosystems: Stable isotope signatures in small mammals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balčiauskas, Linas, E-mail: linasbal@ekoi.lt [Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412 Vilnius (Lithuania); Skipitytė, Raminta, E-mail: raminta.skipityte@ftmc.lt [Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412 Vilnius (Lithuania); Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanorių 231, LT-02300 Vilnius (Lithuania); Jasiulionis, Marius, E-mail: mjasiulionis@ekoi.lt [Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412 Vilnius (Lithuania); Trakimas, Giedrius, E-mail: giedrius.trakimas@gf.vu.lt [Center for Ecology and Environmental Research, Vilnius University, Vilnius (Lithuania); Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Parades Str. 1a, Daugavpils, LV-5401 (Latvia); Balčiauskienė, Laima, E-mail: laiba@ekoi.lt [Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412 Vilnius (Lithuania); Remeikis, Vidmantas, E-mail: vidrem@fi.lt [Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Savanorių 231, LT-02300 Vilnius (Lithuania)

2016-09-15

Studying the isotopic composition of the hair of two rodent species trapped in the territories of Great Cormorant colonies, we aimed to show that Great Cormorants transfer biogens from aquatic ecosystems to terrestrial ecosystems, and that these substances reach small mammals through the trophic cascade, thus influencing the nutrient balance in the terrestrial ecosystem. Analysis of δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 15}N was performed on two dominant species of small mammals, Apodemus flavicollis and Myodes glareolus, inhabiting the territories of the colonies. For both species, the values of δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 15}N were higher in the animals trapped in the territories of the colonies than those in control territories. In the hair of A. flavicollis and M. glareolus, the highest values of δ{sup 15}N (16.31 ± 3.01‰ and 17.86 ± 2.76‰, respectively) were determined in those animals trapped in the biggest Great Cormorant colony. δ{sup 15}N values were age dependent, highest in adult A. flavicollis and M. glareolus and lowest in juvenile animals. For δ{sup 13}C values, age-dependent differences were not registered. δ{sup 15}N values in both small mammal species from the biggest Great Cormorant colony show direct dependence on the intensity of influence. Biogenic pollution is at its strongest in the territories of the colonies with nests, significantly diminishing in the ecotones of the colonies and further in the control zones, where the influence of birds is negligible. Thus, Great Cormorant colonies alter ecosystem functioning by enrichment with biogens, with stable isotope values in small mammals significantly higher in the affected territories. - Highlights: • Cormorants transport nutrients from water to land ecosystems and pollute biogenically. • We studied stable isotope composition of small mammal hair in 3 cormorant colonies. • δ{sup 13}C and δ{sup 15}N were measured using elemental analyzer–isotope ratio mass spectrometer. • δ{sup 13}C and �

Relational values resonate broadly and differently than intrinsic or instrumental values, or the New Ecological Paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Klain, Sarah C; Olmsted, Paige; Chan, Kai M A; Satterfield, Terre

2017-01-01

Value orientations used to explain or justify conservation have been rooted in arguments about how much and in what context to emphasize the intrinsic versus instrumental value of nature. Equally prominent are characterizations of beliefs known as the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), often used to help explain pro-environmental behaviour. A recent alternative to these positions has been identified as 'relational value'-broadly, values linking people and ecosystems via tangible and intangible relationships to nature as well as the principles, virtues and notions of a good life that may accompany these. This paper examines whether relational values are distinct from other value orientation and have potential to alleviate the intrinsic-instrumental debate. To test this possibility, we sought to operationalize the construct-relational values-by developing six relational statements. We ask: 1) Do the individual statements used to characterize relational values demonstrate internal coherence as either a single or multi-dimensional construct? 2) Do relational value statements (including those strongly stated) resonate with diverse populations? 3) Do people respond to relational value statements in a consistently different way than NEP scale statements? Data for this work is drawn from an online panel of residents of northeastern US (n = 400), as well as a sample of Costa Rican farmers (n = 253) and tourists in Costa Rica (n = 260). Results indicate relational values are distinct as a construct when compared to the NEP.

Youth and the Great Recession: Are values, achievement orientation and outlook to the future affected?

Science.gov (United States)

Schoon, Ingrid; Mortimer, Jeylan

2017-02-01

This special section brings together leading experts in psychology and sociology to examine the consequences of the Great Recession for young people's values, achievement orientation, and outlook to the future. Evidence from Europe and the United States suggests that the impact of the recession varies for distinct outcomes and by age, the latter pointing to potential sensitive periods for interventions. Although the direct effects of the recession are not strong, they accelerate pre-existing trends towards more prolonged and precarious transitions to independence, and are likely to bring with them long-term scarring with respect to health and well-being. While feelings of self-confidence and self-worth have eroded, young people continue to subscribe to the "American Dream," the belief that in principle it is possible to make it - even if limitations to one's own capabilities are recognised. Trust in institutions has declined, but support and concern for others have increased, suggesting that in times of economic hardship and uncertainty social relationships become more salient. Young people's response to the recession appears to be less of a "me-first" reaction than "let's help each other": a form of "collective agency" to counter the inadequacy of social safety nets. © 2016 International Union of Psychological Science.

The Great Recession was not so Great

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Ours, J.C.

2015-01-01

The Great Recession is characterized by a GDP-decline that was unprecedented in the past decades. This paper discusses the implications of the Great Recession analyzing labor market data from 20 OECD countries. Comparing the Great Recession with the 1980s recession it is concluded that there is a

The Value and Feasibility of Farming Differently Than the Local Average

OpenAIRE

Morris, Cooper; Dhuyvetter, Kevin; Yeager, Elizabeth A; Regier, Greg

2018-01-01

The purpose of this research is to quantify the value of being different than the local average and feasibility of distinguishing particular parts of an operation from the local average. Kansas crop farms are broken down by their farm characteristics, production practices, and management performances. An ordinary least squares regression model is used to quantify the value of having different than average characteristics, practices, and management performances. The degree farms have distingui...

What great managers do.

Science.gov (United States)

Buckingham, Marcus

2005-03-01

Much has been written about the qualities that make a great manager, but most of the literature overlooks a fundamental question: What does a great manager actually do? While there are countless management styles, one thing underpins the behavior of all great managers. Above all, an exceptional manager comes to know and value the particular quirks and abilities of her employees. She figures out how to capitalize on her staffers' strengths and tweaks her environment to meet her larger goals. Such a specialized approach may seem like a lot of work. But in fact, capitalizing on each person's uniqueness can save time. Rather than encourage employees to conform to strict job descriptions that may include tasks they don't enjoy and aren't good at, a manager who develops positions for his staff members based on their unique abilities will be rewarded with behaviors that are far more efficient and effective than they would be otherwise. This focus on individuals also makes employees more accountable. Because staffers are evaluated on their particular strengths and weaknesses, they are challenged to take responsibility for their abilities and to hone them. Capitalizing on a person's uniqueness also builds a stronger sense of team. By taking the time to understand what makes each employee tick, a great manager shows that he sees his people for who they are. This personal investment not only motivates individuals but also galvanizes the entire team. Finally, this approach shakes up existing hierarchies, which leads to more creative thinking. To take great managing from theory to practice, the author says, you must know three things about a person: her strengths, the triggers that activate those strengths, and how she learns. By asking the right questions, squeezing the right triggers, and becoming aware of your employees' learning styles, you will discover what motivates each person to excel.

LOOKING AT PERCEIVED VALUE AND EDUCATION MARKETING FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE: PERCEIVED VALUE OF MARKETING EDUCATION

OpenAIRE

Sığırcı, Özge; Gürdal, Sahavet

2012-01-01

The objective of this study is both to see the perceived value of marketing education, and to investigate whether there are any differences among people based on gender, age, marketing education level, and the sacrifices done for the marketing education. Exploratory Factor Analysis and a Reliability Analysis is conducted. Additionally, Independent Samples T-test and One-Way ANOVA is conducted to reveal the differences based on aforementioned differences in sample. Some significant diffe...

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbetts, Yoi; Priniski, Stacy J; Hecht, Cameron A; Borman, Geoffrey D; Harackiewicz, Judith M

2018-01-01

First-generation (FG) college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011) and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or "fitting in" concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a). Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory) in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns) can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched) with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could result in fewer

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoi Tibbetts

2018-04-01

Full Text Available First-generation (FG college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011 and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001 while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or “fitting in” concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a. Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could

Different Institutions and Different Values: Exploring First-Generation Student Fit at 2-Year Colleges

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbetts, Yoi; Priniski, Stacy J.; Hecht, Cameron A.; Borman, Geoffrey D.; Harackiewicz, Judith M.

2018-01-01

First-generation (FG) college students (students for whom neither parent has a 4-year degree) face a number of challenges as they attempt to obtain a post-secondary degree. They are more likely to come from working-class backgrounds or poverty (Reardon, 2011) and attend lower quality high schools (Warburton et al., 2001) while not benefiting from the guidance of a parent who successfully navigated the path to higher education. FG college students also contend with belonging or “fitting in” concerns due a perceived mismatch between their own values and the values implicit in institutions of higher education (Stephens et al., 2012a). Specifically, prior research has demonstrated that FG college students face an unseen disadvantage that can be attributed to the fact that middle-class norms of independence reflected in American institutions of higher education can be experienced as threatening by many FG students who have been socialized with more interdependent values commonly espoused in working-class populations. The present research examines this theory (cultural mismatch theory) in the understudied context of 2-year colleges and tests if a values-affirmation intervention (i.e., an intervention that has shown promise in addressing identity threats and belonging concerns) can be effective for FG college students at these 2-year campuses. By considering the tenets of cultural mismatch theory in the creation of the values-affirmation interventions we were able to vary different aspects of the intervention in order to examine how its effectiveness may depend on the nature and magnitude of a perceived cultural mismatch. Results from surveying faculty and students at 2-year colleges indicated that compared to traditional 4-year institutions, the norms of 2-year colleges and the motivations of FG students may be different. That is, FG student motives may be more consistent (and thus less mismatched) with the cultural context of 2-year colleges which could result in

The great intimidators.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Roderick M

2006-02-01

After Disney's Michael Eisner, Miramax's Harvey Weinstein, and Hewlett-Packard's Carly Fiorina fell from their heights of power, the business media quickly proclaimed thatthe reign of abrasive, intimidating leaders was over. However, it's premature to proclaim their extinction. Many great intimidators have done fine for a long time and continue to thrive. Their modus operandi runs counter to a lot of preconceptions about what it takes to be a good leader. They're rough, loud, and in your face. Their tactics include invading others' personal space, staging tantrums, keeping people guessing, and possessing an indisputable command of facts. But make no mistake--great intimidators are not your typical bullies. They're driven by vision, not by sheer ego or malice. Beneath their tough exteriors and sharp edges are some genuine, deep insights into human motivation and organizational behavior. Indeed, these leaders possess political intelligence, which can make the difference between paralysis and successful--if sometimes wrenching--organizational change. Like socially intelligent leaders, politically intelligent leaders are adept at sizing up others, but they notice different things. Those with social intelligence assess people's strengths and figure out how to leverage them; those with political intelligence exploit people's weaknesses and insecurities. Despite all the obvious drawbacks of working under them, great intimidators often attract the best and brightest. And their appeal goes beyond their ability to inspire high performance. Many accomplished professionals who gravitate toward these leaders want to cultivate a little "inner intimidator" of their own. In the author's research, quite a few individuals reported having positive relationships with intimidating leaders. In fact, some described these relationships as profoundly educational and even transformational. So before we throw out all the great intimidators, the author argues, we should stop to consider what

Comparison of ADC values in different malignancies of the skeletal musculature: a multicentric analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surov, Alexey; Nagata, Shuji; Razek, Ahmed A. Abd; Tirumani, Sree Harsha; Wienke, Andreas; Kahn, Thomas

2015-01-01

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides essential information regarding tumor composition, such as cellularity and/or perfusion. DWI is helpful in distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions. Malignant intramuscular/soft tissue lesions consist of a wide spectrum of tumors that have different cell counts and matrix. It is presumed that these different tumors have different DWI findings and have different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The aim of this study was to analyze DWI findings of different intramuscular malignancies in a multicentric study by using a standardized DWI protocol, and to compare the ADC values acquired. The data banks of four radiology departments were screened retrospectively for malignant intramuscular tumors. Only lesions that were investigated by MRI (with a 1.5-T scanner) using DWI (multishot EPI sequence with b values of 0 and 1,000 s/mm 2 ) were included in the study. Overall, 51 patients (28 women, 23 men; mean age 58.8 ± 16.1 years) with 57 different malignant intramuscular lesions were collected. In every case apparent diffusion constant (ADC) maps were calculated. In 14 patients muscle lymphoma, 11 patients intramuscular metastases from different primary tumors, and in 26 cases several muscle sarcomas were identified. The mean ADC value of the estimated lesions was 1.24 ± 0.53 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 , median value, 1.11 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 , range, 0.54-2.9 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 . The mean ADC value in muscle metastases was 1.28 ± 0.24 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 , in muscle lymphoma 0.76 ± 0.14 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 , and in muscle sarcomas 1.82 ± 0.63 x 10 -3 mm 2 s -1 . Muscle lymphoma showed statistically significant lower ADC values in comparison to muscle metastases (p = 0.01) and muscle sarcoma (p = 0.001). There was no significant differences between ADC values in muscle metastases and sarcomas (p = 0.48). ADC values in muscle lymphoma were homogeneous with less inter-patient variability and were within a relatively close

Comparison of ADC values in different malignancies of the skeletal musculature: a multicentric analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Surov, Alexey [Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Department of Radiology, Halle (Germany); University of Leipzig, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Leipzig (Germany); Nagata, Shuji [Kurume University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Kurume (Japan); Razek, Ahmed A. Abd [Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mansoura (Egypt); Tirumani, Sree Harsha [Harvard Medical School, Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Wienke, Andreas [Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Medical Epidemiology, Biometry, and Statistics, Halle (Germany); Kahn, Thomas [University of Leipzig, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Leipzig (Germany)

2015-04-28

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) provides essential information regarding tumor composition, such as cellularity and/or perfusion. DWI is helpful in distinguishing between malignant and benign lesions. Malignant intramuscular/soft tissue lesions consist of a wide spectrum of tumors that have different cell counts and matrix. It is presumed that these different tumors have different DWI findings and have different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. The aim of this study was to analyze DWI findings of different intramuscular malignancies in a multicentric study by using a standardized DWI protocol, and to compare the ADC values acquired. The data banks of four radiology departments were screened retrospectively for malignant intramuscular tumors. Only lesions that were investigated by MRI (with a 1.5-T scanner) using DWI (multishot EPI sequence with b values of 0 and 1,000 s/mm{sup 2}) were included in the study. Overall, 51 patients (28 women, 23 men; mean age 58.8 ± 16.1 years) with 57 different malignant intramuscular lesions were collected. In every case apparent diffusion constant (ADC) maps were calculated. In 14 patients muscle lymphoma, 11 patients intramuscular metastases from different primary tumors, and in 26 cases several muscle sarcomas were identified. The mean ADC value of the estimated lesions was 1.24 ± 0.53 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}, median value, 1.11 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}, range, 0.54-2.9 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}. The mean ADC value in muscle metastases was 1.28 ± 0.24 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}, in muscle lymphoma 0.76 ± 0.14 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}, and in muscle sarcomas 1.82 ± 0.63 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}s{sup -1}. Muscle lymphoma showed statistically significant lower ADC values in comparison to muscle metastases (p = 0.01) and muscle sarcoma (p = 0.001). There was no significant differences between ADC values in muscle metastases and sarcomas (p = 0.48). ADC values in muscle lymphoma were

Neglected grass species of Southern Africa: Nutritive value of conserved Hyperthelia dissoluta harvested at different growth stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob Gusha

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Native species like Hyperthelia dissoluta have great potential in livestock production but not much has been done to improve their contribution to that sector.  This study examined 2 conservation methods (drying and ensiling and 3 different growth stages, namely: elongation stage (January, early flowering (February and late flowering stage (March of H. dissoluta in terms of nutritional composition and digestibility.  The method of conservation had a significant effect (P<0.05 on nutritive value, with silage having more P and CP than hay.  Stage of growth had an effect (P<0.05 on all nutritional properties of both hay and silage:  Phosphorus, Ca and CP concentrations and digestibility of hay and silage decreased with maturity, while NDF and ADF concentrations increased.  Silage pH value was significantly higher at elongation (5.2 and late flowering growth stages (5.7 than at early flowering (4.4.  Dry matter digestibility of the conserved material reached levels as high as 82% for silage made at the elongation stage with all values at least 60%.  We conclude that H. dissoluta can be conserved as both silage and hay to produce a good quality feed.  Harvesting at the early flowering stage would seem to provide a good compromise between quantity (not measured in this study and quality of harvested forage.  Further studies seem warranted to determine the acceptability and intake of the material by livestock, the advantages of adding fermentable carbohydrates during ensiling and DM yields in different areas and a range of seasonal conditions. Keywords: Air drying, hay, perennial native grasses, plastic bag silo, quality silage.DOI: 10.17138/TGFT(4179-184

Gender and Personality Differences in Response to Social Stressors in Great Tits (Parus major.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esther van der Meer

Full Text Available In response to stressors, animals can increase the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis, resulting in elevated glucocorticoid concentrations. An increase in glucocorticoids results in an increase in heterophils and a decrease in lymphocytes, which ratio (H/L-ratio is an indicator of stress in birds. The physiological response to a stressor can depend on individual characteristics, like dominance rank, sex and personality. Although the isolated effects of these characteristics on the response to a stressor have been well studied, little is known about the response in relation to a combination of these characteristics. In this study we investigate the relationship between social stress, dominance rank, sex and exploratory behaviour as a validated operational measure of personality in great tits (Parus major. Great tits show consistent individual differences in behaviour and physiology in response to stressors, and exploratory behaviour can be classified as fast or slow exploring. We group-housed four birds, two fast and two slow explorers, of the same sex that were previously singly housed, in an aviary and compared the H/L-ratio, lymphocyte and heterophil count before and after group housing. After experiencing the social context all birds increased their H/L-ratio and heterophil count. Females showed a stronger increase in H/L-ratio and heterophil count than males, which seemed to be related to a higher number of agonistic interactions compared to males. Dominance rank and exploration type did not affect the H/L-ratio or heterophil count. Contrary to our expectations, all birds increased their lymphocyte count. However, this increase was slower for fast than for slow explorers. Our study suggests that personality and sex related differences, but not dominance rank, are associated with changes in an individual's physiological response due to a social context.

Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Goot, M. H.; Tomasello, Michael; Liszkowski, Ulf

2014-01-01

This study investigated how great apes and human infants use imperative pointing to request objects. In a series of three experiments (infants, N = 44; apes, N = 12), subjects were given the opportunity to either point to a desired object from a distance or else to approach closer and request it

Great Importance Attached to Intangible Cultural Heritage

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2005-01-01

@@ Intangible Cultural Heritage on Verge of Extinction? With the acceleration of globalization and modernization, dramatic changes have taken place in China's cultural ecology: intangible cultural heritage is confronted with great challenges and a lot of orally and behaviorally transmitted cultural heritage disappear one after another; a great deal of traditional craftsmanship is on the verge of extinction; a large number of precious objects and materials of historical and cultural values are destroyed,deserted or lost in foreign countries; arbitrary misuse and excessive exploitation of intangible cultural heritage occur from time to time. Therefore, the protection of intangible cultural heritage brooks no delay.

Simulating the production and dispersion of environmental pollutants in aerosol phase in an urban area of great historical and cultural value.

Science.gov (United States)

Librando, Vito; Tringali, Giuseppe; Calastrini, Francesca; Gualtieri, Giovanni

2009-11-01

Mathematical models were developed to simulate the production and dispersion of aerosol phase atmospheric pollutants which are the main cause of the deterioration of monuments of great historical and cultural value. This work focuses on Particulate Matter (PM) considered the primary cause of monument darkening. Road traffic is the greatest contributor to PM in urban areas. Specific emission and dispersion models were used to study typical urban configurations. The area selected for this study was the city of Florence, a suitable test bench considering the magnitude of architectural heritage together with the remarkable effect of the PM pollution from road traffic. The COPERT model, to calculate emissions, and the street canyon model coupled with the CALINE model, to simulate pollutant dispersion, were used. The PM concentrations estimated by the models were compared to actual PM concentration measurements, as well as related to the trend of some meteorological variables. The results obtained may be defined as very encouraging even the models correlated poorly: the estimated concentration trends as daily averages moderately reproduce the same trends of the measured values.

Chebyshev Finite Difference Method for Fractional Boundary Value Problems

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Boundary

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a numerical method for fractional differential equations using Chebyshev finite difference method. The fractional derivatives are described in the Caputo sense. Numerical results show that this method is of high accuracy and is more convenient and efficient for solving boundary value problems involving fractional ordinary differential equations. AMS Subject Classification: 34A08 Keywords and Phrases: Chebyshev polynomials, Gauss-Lobatto points, fractional differential equation, finite difference 1. Introduction The idea of a derivative which interpolates between the familiar integer order derivatives was introduced many years ago and has gained increasing importance only in recent years due to the development of mathematical models of a certain situations in engineering, materials science, control theory, polymer modelling etc. For example see [20, 22, 25, 26]. Most fractional order differential equations describing real life situations, in general do not have exact analytical solutions. Several numerical and approximate analytical methods for ordinary differential equation Received: December 2014; Accepted: March 2015 57 Journal of Mathematical Extension Vol. 9, No. 3, (2015, 57-71 ISSN: 1735-8299 URL: http://www.ijmex.com Chebyshev Finite Difference Method for Fractional Boundary Value Problems H. Azizi Taft Branch, Islamic Azad University Abstract. This paper presents a numerical method for fractional differential equations using Chebyshev finite difference method. The fractional derivative

State Government Revenue Recovery from the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

James Alm; David L. Sjoquist

2014-01-01

The "Great Recession" lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, and it wreaked havoc on the revenues of state (and local) governments. While the U.S. economy has improved since the end of the Great Recession, state government revenues have in most cases still not completely recovered. We use various indicators to measure how different states have -- or have not -- recovered in the aftermath of the Great Recession, and we also attempt to explain why these different patterns of recovery have emer...

Individual differences in valuing mates' physical attractiveness.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathes, Eugene W; Bielser, Abby; Cassell, Ticcarra; Summers, Sarah; Witowski, Aggie

2006-10-01

To investigate correlates of valuing physical attractiveness in a mate, it was hypothesized that valuing physical attractiveness in a mate would correlate with sex and valuing promiscuous sex, status, personal physical attractiveness, beauty, and order. Men and women college students completed measures of the extent to which they valued physical attractiveness in a mate and other variables. Valuing physical attractiveness in a mate was correlated with sex (men valued physical attractiveness in a mate more than did women) and valuing promiscuous sex and status, and, for women, valuing personal physical attractiveness. The results were explained in terms of evolutionary theory.

Gender Differences in the Personal Value Systems of Small ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Researchers have suggested that the type of women and men who become entrepreneurs are psychologically distinguishable from each other. Thus the main aim of this study was to examine how these differences are manifested in the personal values systems of male and female owner-managers in Ghana. Six hundred ...

'Great Power Style' in China's Economic Policy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jiang, Yang

2011-01-01

China’s ascendance attracts concern, even though Beijing claims to be a responsible great power and tries to demonstrate its ‘great power style’ in economic diplomacy. This article therefore discusses the following questions: to what extent does the current notion and practice of Chinese ‘great...... power style’ in economic diplomacy comply with, or differ from, the criteria of benign hegemony; and what are the major constraining factors? Conceptually, China’s ‘great power style’ is rooted in ancient Chinese political philosophy and institution, but it highly resembles the Western notion of benign...

Soil Erosion Research Based on USLE in Great Khinggan

OpenAIRE

Wei Li; Wenyi Fan; Xuegang Mao

2014-01-01

Based on the amended model of USLE universal soil loss equation and GIS technology, combined with the natural geographical features of Great Khinggan area, it has conducted quantitative analysis of the factor in Soil loss equation. Uses 2011 years TM/ETM images classification are land uses/cover type figure, combination Great Khinggan area Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and soil type distribution figure and research regional rainfall information, we gets all factors values of space distributio...

Between-mode-differences in the value of travel time: Self-selection or strategic behaviour?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fosgerau, Mogens; Hjorth, Katrine; Lyk-Jensen, Stéphanie Vincent

2010-01-01

Using stated preference survey data, we measure the value of travel time for several transport modes. We find, like many before us, that the value of travel time varies across modes in the opposite direction of what would be the consequence of differences in comfort. We examine three candidate...... causes for the observed differences: Comfort effects, self-selection and strategic behaviour of respondents. Using experiments with both the current and an alternative mode we find that the differences in the value of travel time are consistent with self-selection and comfort effects. Moreover......, respondents having bus as the current or the alternative mode seem not to value comfort differently across modes. Strategic behaviour seems to play no role....

Decomposing cross-country differences in quality adjusted life expectancy: the impact of value sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Heijink, Richard; van Baal, Pieter; Oppe, Mark; Koolman, Xander; Westert, Gert

2011-06-23

The validity, reliability and cross-country comparability of summary measures of population health (SMPH) have been persistently debated. In this debate, the measurement and valuation of nonfatal health outcomes have been defined as key issues. Our goal was to quantify and decompose international differences in health expectancy based on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We focused on the impact of value set choice on cross-country variation. We calculated Quality Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE) at age 20 for 15 countries in which EQ-5D population surveys had been conducted. We applied the Sullivan approach to combine the EQ-5D based HRQoL data with life tables from the Human Mortality Database. Mean HRQoL by country-gender-age was estimated using a parametric model. We used nonparametric bootstrap techniques to compute confidence intervals. QALE was then compared across the six country-specific time trade-off value sets that were available. Finally, three counterfactual estimates were generated in order to assess the contribution of mortality, health states and health-state values to cross-country differences in QALE. QALE at age 20 ranged from 33 years in Armenia to almost 61 years in Japan, using the UK value set. The value sets of the other five countries generated different estimates, up to seven years higher. The relative impact of choosing a different value set differed across country-gender strata between 2% and 20%. In 50% of the country-gender strata the ranking changed by two or more positions across value sets. The decomposition demonstrated a varying impact of health states, health-state values, and mortality on QALE differences across countries. The choice of the value set in SMPH may seriously affect cross-country comparisons of health expectancy, even across populations of similar levels of wealth and education. In our opinion, it is essential to get more insight into the drivers of differences in health-state values across populations. This

Decomposing cross-country differences in quality adjusted life expectancy: the impact of value sets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oppe Mark

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The validity, reliability and cross-country comparability of summary measures of population health (SMPH have been persistently debated. In this debate, the measurement and valuation of nonfatal health outcomes have been defined as key issues. Our goal was to quantify and decompose international differences in health expectancy based on health-related quality of life (HRQoL. We focused on the impact of value set choice on cross-country variation. Methods We calculated Quality Adjusted Life Expectancy (QALE at age 20 for 15 countries in which EQ-5D population surveys had been conducted. We applied the Sullivan approach to combine the EQ-5D based HRQoL data with life tables from the Human Mortality Database. Mean HRQoL by country-gender-age was estimated using a parametric model. We used nonparametric bootstrap techniques to compute confidence intervals. QALE was then compared across the six country-specific time trade-off value sets that were available. Finally, three counterfactual estimates were generated in order to assess the contribution of mortality, health states and health-state values to cross-country differences in QALE. Results QALE at age 20 ranged from 33 years in Armenia to almost 61 years in Japan, using the UK value set. The value sets of the other five countries generated different estimates, up to seven years higher. The relative impact of choosing a different value set differed across country-gender strata between 2% and 20%. In 50% of the country-gender strata the ranking changed by two or more positions across value sets. The decomposition demonstrated a varying impact of health states, health-state values, and mortality on QALE differences across countries. Conclusions The choice of the value set in SMPH may seriously affect cross-country comparisons of health expectancy, even across populations of similar levels of wealth and education. In our opinion, it is essential to get more insight into the drivers

Yogurt made from milk heated at different pH values.

Science.gov (United States)

Ozcan, Tulay; Horne, David S; Lucey, John A

2015-10-01

Milk for yogurt manufacture is subjected to high heat treatment to denature whey proteins. Low milk pH values (≤ 6.5) at heating result in most denatured whey proteins becoming associated with casein micelles, whereas high milk pH values (≥ 7.0) at heating result in the formation of mostly soluble (nonmicellar) denatured whey protein complexes. There are conflicting reports on the relative importance of soluble and casein-bound whey protein aggregates on the properties of acid gels. Prior studies investigating the effect of pH of milk at heating used model gels in which milk was acidified by glucono-δ-lactone; in this study, we prepared yogurt gels using commercial starter cultures. Model acid gels can have very different texture and physical properties from those made by fermentation with starter cultures. In this study, we investigated the effects of different pH values of milk at heating on the rheological, light backscatter, and microstructural properties of yogurt gels. Reconstituted skim milk was adjusted to pH values 6.2, 6.7, and 7.2 and heated at 85°C for 30 min. A portion of the heated milk samples was readjusted back to pH 6.7 after heating. Milks were inoculated with 3% (wt/wt) yogurt starter culture and incubated at 40°C until pH 4.6. Gel formation was monitored using dynamic oscillatory rheology, and parameters measured included the storage modulus (G') and loss tangent (LT) values. Light-backscattering properties, such as the backscatter ratio (R) and the first derivative of light backscatter ratio (R'), were also monitored during fermentation. Fluorescence microscopy was used to observe gel microstructure. The G' values at pH 4.6 were highest in gels made from milk heated at pH 6.7 and lowest in milk heated at pH 6.2, with or without pH adjustment after heating. The G' values at pH 4.6 were lower in samples after adjustment back to pH 6.7 after heating. No maximum in the LT parameter was observed during gelation for yogurts made from milk

How To Become a Great Public Space.

Science.gov (United States)

Block, Marylaine

2003-01-01

Presents interviews with Fred Kent, founder of the Project for Public Spaces (PPS) and Phil Myrick, PPS's assistant vice president, about transforming libraries into desirable public spaces. Discusses qualities people value in public spaces; great library buildings and what they are doing right; the first thing library directors should do when…

Differences in the Nonverbal Requests of Great Apes and Human Infants

Science.gov (United States)

van der Goot, Marloes H.; Tomasello, Michael; Liszkowski, Ulf

2014-01-01

This study investigated how great apes and human infants use imperative pointing to request objects. In a series of three experiments (infants, N = 44; apes, N = 12), subjects were given the opportunity to either point to a desired object from a distance or else to approach closer and request it proximally. The apes always approached close to the…

Gender differences in personal values of national and local Italian politicians, activists and voters.

Science.gov (United States)

Francescato, Donata; Mebane, Minou E; Vecchione, Michele

2017-10-01

Theorists of politics of presence postulate that women elected to political office would still hold values similar to ordinary women and therefore represent them better than male politicians. Gender differences in personal values, which underline and give coherence to core political values, have been found among voters: males score higher on self-enhancement values (power and achievement) and females higher on self-transcendence values (universalism and benevolence). Our study aims to explore if gender differences in personal values are still present among activists, local and national politicians. We administer a shortened version of the Portrait Values Questionnaire to 233 Italian national politicians (46% females), 425 local politicians (56% females), 626 political activists (44% females), and 3249 ordinary citizens (49% females). Our results confirm only partially politics of presence theory: females at all levels of political involvement score higher in self-transcendent values that emphasise concern for the welfare of others, but no significant gender differences emerge for self-enhancement, which favour the pursuit of self-interest. Our findings support ethical struggles for more balanced gender representation: a higher proportion of women in politics could strengthen the political representation of self-transcendence values. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Crowdfunding for the co-financing of projects to enhance complexes of great historical and architectural value: the case of Torino Esposizioni - pdf

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Marinò

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This article deals with the financing required to restore and reuse the great architecture of the 1900s, in a time in history when public financial resources are becoming increasingly low and difficult to find. The research addresses the possibility of using crowdfunding through the case study of the reuse project of Torino Esposizioni, an architectural work from the '900, partially used, in a state of decay, despite being recognized by international critics as a work of exceptional value. After the Master Plan had been developed by the Turin Polytechnic in collaboration with the City of Turin, the applicability of crowdfunding was analyzed by a survey to evaluate the willingness of the potential users to contribute to the Torino Esposizioni reuse project. In addition to this, the interest of citizens in the historical value of the Torino Esposizioni and the reuse project that would enhance it has been understood. The survey results have highlighted unexpected unwillingness to contribute to the collective funding of the project. Furthermore, they have revealed not only the lack of knowledge of crowdfunding as a means of financing, but also the lack of awareness of the value of Turin’s historical and modern architectural heritage, of which Torino Esposizioni is an outstanding example, although not the only one.

Assessing community values for reducing agricultural emissions to improve water quality and protect coral health in the Great Barrier Reef

Science.gov (United States)

Rolfe, John; Windle, Jill

2011-12-01

Policymakers wanting to increase protection of the Great Barrier Reef from pollutants generated by agriculture need to identify when measures to improve water quality generate benefits to society that outweigh the costs involved. The research reported in this paper makes a contribution in several ways. First, it uses the improved science understanding about the links between management changes and reef health to bring together the analysis of costs and benefits of marginal changes, helping to demonstrate the appropriate way of addressing policy questions relating to reef protection. Second, it uses the scientific relationships to frame a choice experiment to value the benefits of improved reef health, with the results of mixed logit (random parameter) models linking improvements explicitly to changes in "water quality units." Third, the research demonstrates how protection values are consistent across a broader population, with some limited evidence of distance effects. Fourth, the information on marginal costs and benefits that are reported provide policymakers with information to help improve management decisions. The results indicate that while there is potential for water quality improvements to generate net benefits, high cost water quality improvements are generally uneconomic. A major policy implication is that cost thresholds for key pollutants should be set to avoid more expensive water quality proposals being selected.

Cultural Differences in Values as Self-Guides.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheung, Wing-Yee; Maio, Gregory R; Rees, Kerry J; Kamble, Shanmukh; Mane, Sangeetha

2016-06-01

Three studies tested whether individualism-collectivism moderates the extent to which values are endorsed as ideal self-guides and ought self-guides, and the consequences for regulatory focus and emotion. Across Studies 1 and 2, individualists endorsed values that are relatively central to the self as stronger ideals than oughts, whereas collectivists endorsed them as ideals and oughts to a similar degree. Study 2 found that individualists justified central values using reasons that were more promotion focused than prevention focused, whereas collectivists used similar amount of prevention-focused and promotion-focused reasons. In Study 3, individualists felt more dejected after violating a central (vs. peripheral) value and more agitated after violating a peripheral (vs. central) value. Collectivists felt a similar amount of dejection regardless of values centrality and more agitation after violating central (vs. peripheral) values. Overall, culture has important implications for how we regulate values that are central or peripheral to our self-concept. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Great Ellipse Route Planning Based on Space Vector

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LIU Wenchao

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aiming at the problem of navigation error caused by unified earth model in great circle route planning using sphere model and modern navigation equipment using ellipsoid mode, a method of great ellipse route planning based on space vector is studied. By using space vector algebra method, the vertex of great ellipse is solved directly, and description of great ellipse based on major-axis vector and minor-axis vector is presented. Then calculation formulas of great ellipse azimuth and distance are deduced using two basic vectors. Finally, algorithms of great ellipse route planning are studied, especially equal distance route planning algorithm based on Newton-Raphson(N-R method. Comparative examples show that the difference of route planning between great circle and great ellipse is significant, using algorithms of great ellipse route planning can eliminate the navigation error caused by the great circle route planning, and effectively improve the accuracy of navigation calculation.

Personality Profiles, Values and Empathy: Differences between Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians and Vegans.

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Kessler, Christian S; Holler, Sophie; Joy, Sebastian; Dhruva, Anand; Michalsen, Andreas; Dobos, Gustav; Cramer, Holger

2016-01-01

Vegetarian nutrition is gaining increasing public attention worldwide. While some studies have examined differences in motivations and personality traits between vegetarians and omnivores, only few studies have considered differences in motivations and personality traits between the 2 largest vegetarian subgroups: lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans. To examine differences between lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans in the distribution patterns of motives, values, empathy, and personality profiles. An anonymous online survey was performed in January 2014. Group differences between vegetarians and vegans in their initial motives for the choice of nutritional approaches, health-related quality of life (World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF)), personality traits (Big Five Inventory-SOEP (BFI-S)), values (Portraits Value Questionnaire (PVQ)), and empathy (Empathizing Scale) were analyzed by univariate analyses of covariance; P values were adjusted for multiple testing. 10,184 individuals completed the survey; 4,427 (43.5%) were vegetarians and 4,822 (47.3%) were vegans. Regarding the initial motives for the choice of nutritional approaches, vegans rated food taste, love of animals, and global/humanitarian reasons as more important, and the influence of their social environment as less important than did vegetarians. Compared to vegetarians, vegans had higher values on physical, psychological, and social quality of life on the WHOQOL-BREF, and scored lower on neuroticism and higher on openness on the BFI-S. In the PVQ, vegans scored lower than vegetarians on power/might, achievement, safety, conformity, and tradition and higher on self-determination and universalism. Vegans had higher empathy than vegetarians (all p < 0.001). This survey suggests that vegans have more open and compatible personality traits, are more universalistic, empathic, and ethically oriented, and have a slightly higher quality of life when compared to vegetarians. Given the small

Different meaning of the p-value in exploratory and confirmatory hypothesis testing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gerke, Oke; Høilund-Carlsen, Poul Flemming; Vach, Werner

2011-01-01

The outcome of clinical studies is often reduced to the statistical significance of results by indicating a p-value below the 5% significance level. Hypothesis testing and, through that, the p-value is commonly used, but their meaning is frequently misinterpreted in clinical research. The concept...... of hypothesis testing is explained and some pitfalls including those of multiple testing are given. The conceptual difference between exploratory and confirmatory hypothesis testing is discussed, and a better use of p-values, which includes presenting p-values with two or three decimals, is suggested....

Age-specific differences between conventional and ambulatory daytime blood pressure values

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conen, David; Aeschbacher, Stefanie; Thijs, Lutgarde

2014-01-01

Mean daytime ambulatory blood pressure (BP) values are considered to be lower than conventional BP values, but data on this relation among younger individuals ... population-based cohorts. We compared individual differences between daytime ambulatory and conventional BP according to 10-year age categories. Age-specific prevalences of white coat and masked hypertension were calculated. Among individuals aged 18 to 30, 30 to 40, and 40 to 50 years, mean daytime BP...

Cross-national variation in the size of sex differences in values: effects of gender equality.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Shalom H; Rubel-Lifschitz, Tammy

2009-07-01

How does gender equality relate to men's and women's value priorities? It is hypothesized that, for both sexes, the importance of benevolence, universalism, stimulation, hedonism, and self-direction values increases with greater gender equality, whereas the importance of power, achievement, security, and tradition values decreases. Of particular relevance to the present study, increased gender equality should also permit both sexes to pursue more freely the values they inherently care about more. Drawing on evolutionary and role theories, the authors postulate that women inherently value benevolence and universalism more than men do, whereas men inherently value power, achievement, and stimulation more than women do. Thus, as gender equality increases, sex differences in these values should increase, whereas sex differences in other values should not be affected by increases in gender equality. Studies of 25 representative national samples and of students from 68 countries confirmed the hypotheses except for tradition values. Implications for cross-cultural research on sex differences in values and traits are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Generational differences in employee work values : an explorative study in a Norwegian work context

OpenAIRE

Sillerud, Henriette

2012-01-01

In an increasingly knowledge intensive economy, it is essential to determine what drives knowledge workers into action and motivate them to excel. According to the value- based view on motivation, work values underlie these mechanisms and work value differences are therefore important to consider where they appear. In the present research, the potential effect of generation was examined. While previous research suggests that generational differences exists, there have been conflicting finding...

Intergenerational family solidarity: value differences between immigrant groups and generations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Merz, Eva-Maria; Ozeke-Kocabas, Ezgi; Oort, Frans J.; Schuengel, Carlo

2009-01-01

Although immigrants may be more dependent on their immediate family for support, they may also experience a wider generation-gap in values regarding intergenerational solidarity, because of processes of acculturation. Based on large scale survey data (N = 2,028), differences between first and second

What Great Teachers Do Differently: Seventeen Things That Matter Most. Second Edition

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, Todd

2012-01-01

In the second edition of this renowned book, you will find pearls of wisdom, heartfelt advice, and inspiration from one of the nation's leading authorities on staff motivation, teacher leadership, and principal effectiveness. With wit and understanding, Todd Whitaker describes the beliefs, behaviors, attitudes, and interactions of great teachers…

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo [Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Shouwa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo [Department of Radiology, First Kamiida General Hospital (Japan)

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean{+-}standard deviation 2.3{+-}1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean±standard deviation 2.3±1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

A National Trial on Differences in Cerebral Perfusion Pressure Values by Measurement Location.

Science.gov (United States)

McNett, Molly M; Bader, Mary Kay; Livesay, Sarah; Yeager, Susan; Moran, Cristina; Barnes, Arianna; Harrison, Kimberly R; Olson, DaiWai M

2018-04-01

Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) is a key parameter in management of brain injury with suspected impaired cerebral autoregulation. CPP is calculated by subtracting intracranial pressure (ICP) from mean arterial pressure (MAP). Despite consensus on importance of CPP monitoring, substantial variations exist on anatomical reference points used to measure arterial MAP when calculating CPP. This study aimed to identify differences in CPP values based on measurement location when using phlebostatic axis (PA) or tragus (Tg) as anatomical reference points. The secondary study aim was to determine impact of differences on patient outcomes at discharge. This was a prospective, repeated measures, multi-site national trial. Adult ICU patients with neurological injury necessitating ICP and CPP monitoring were consecutively enrolled from seven sites. Daily MAP/ICP/CPP values were gathered with the arterial transducer at the PA, followed by the Tg as anatomical reference points. A total of 136 subjects were enrolled, resulting in 324 paired observations. There were significant differences for CPP when comparing values obtained at PA and Tg reference points (p Differences remained significant in repeated measures model when controlling for clinical factors (mean CPP-PA = 80.77, mean CPP-Tg = 70.61, p identified as adequate with PA values, yet inadequate with CPP values measured at the Tg. Findings identify numerical differences for CPP based on anatomical reference location and highlight importance of a standard reference point for both clinical practice and future trials to limit practice variations and heterogeneity of findings.

Forecasting Value-at-Risk under Different Distributional Assumptions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuela Braione

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Financial asset returns are known to be conditionally heteroskedastic and generally non-normally distributed, fat-tailed and often skewed. These features must be taken into account to produce accurate forecasts of Value-at-Risk (VaR. We provide a comprehensive look at the problem by considering the impact that different distributional assumptions have on the accuracy of both univariate and multivariate GARCH models in out-of-sample VaR prediction. The set of analyzed distributions comprises the normal, Student, Multivariate Exponential Power and their corresponding skewed counterparts. The accuracy of the VaR forecasts is assessed by implementing standard statistical backtesting procedures used to rank the different specifications. The results show the importance of allowing for heavy-tails and skewness in the distributional assumption with the skew-Student outperforming the others across all tests and confidence levels.

Internet usage purposes and gender differences in the effects of perceived utilitarian and hedonic value.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Edward Shih-Tse

2010-04-01

Previous research on both hedonic and utilitarian value has focused considerable effort on outcomes. Few studies compare the impact of Internet usage purposes and gender differences on perceived value effect. The current study explores whether differences in the relative influence of hedonic and utilitarian value affect consumer information search and shopping intentions on the Internet. This study also compares perceived value impact on behavioral intention among respondents in regard to gender. This research uses structural equation modeling of survey data (N = 341). Results show that perceived hedonic and utilitarian value have significantly different effect on information search and shopping intention through the Internet. Hedonic values have positively higher association with customer intention to buy than with intent to search information. Findings also show that hedonic values influence male user intentions to search information but do not influence females. This work presents a theoretical discussion and implications based on the results for the benefit of online practitioners.

Soil fertility in the Great Konya Basin, Turkey

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssen, B.H.

1970-01-01

Soil fertility was studied in the Great Konya Basin, as part of the study carried out by the Department of Tropical Soil Science of the Agricultural University at Wageningen.

The purpose was to find the agricultural value of the soils, to learn about the main factors governing soil fertility,

[Study the impacts of diagnosis on occupational noise-induced deafness after bring into the different high frequency hearing threshold weighted value].

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, L J; Yang, A C; Chen, H; Huang, W X; Guo, J J; Liang, X Y; Chen, Z Q; Zheng, Q L

2017-11-20

)=4.054, P =0.032) , high frequency weighted 4 kHz+6 kHz (A group χ(2)=6.362, P =0.012; B group χ(2)=4.054, P =0.032) than those of speech frequency average value in the same group on oc-cupational noise-induced deafness diagnosis rate, the difference was statistically significant. There was no sig-nificant difference between age groups (χ(2)=2.265, P =0.944) . 4. The better ear's mean value of pure speech fre-quency and the weighted values into different high frequency of working years on each group were compared, working years more than 10 years group was significantly higher than that of average thresholds of each frequen-cy band in 3-5 group ( F =2.271, P =0.001) , 6-10 group ( F =1.563, P =0.046) , the difference was statistically significant. The different high frequency weighted values were higher than those of the mean value of pure speech frequency, and the high frequency weighted 4 kHz+6 kHz had the highest frequency difference, with an average increase of 2.83 dB. 5. The diagnostic rate into weighted different high frequency was higher in the mild, moderate and severe grades than in the pure speech frequency. In the comparison of diagnosis for mild occupational noise-induced deafness, in addition to the weighted 3 kHz high frequency (χ(2)=3.117, P =0.077) had no significant difference, the weighted 4 kHz (χ(2)=10.835, P =0.001) , 6 kHz (χ(2)=9.985, P =0.002) , 3 kHz+4 kHz (χ(2)=6.315, P =0.012) , 3 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=6.315, P =0.012) , 4 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=9.985, P =0.002) , 3 kHz+4 kHz+6 kHz (χ(2)=7.667, P =0.002) were significantly higher than the diagnosis rate of the mean value of pure speech frequency. There was no significant difference between the two groups in the moderate and se-vere grades ( P >0.05) . Conclusion: Bring into different high frequency hearing threshold weighted value in-creases the diagnostic rate of occupational noise-induced deafness, the weighted 4 kHz, 6 kHz and 4 kHz+ 6 kHz high frequency value affects the result greatly, and the

Composition of physiologically important fatty acids in great tits differs between urban and rural populations on a seasonal basis

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Martin N Andersson

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Fatty acids (FA have crucial functions in animals, affecting e.g. inflammatory responses, thermoregulation, and cell membrane fluidity. Diet and ambient temperature affect animals’ FA composition, which, in turn, may influence these physiological processes. Great tits (Parus major −common in both urban and rural habitats− are mainly granivorous during winter and insectivorous during summer. These diets show pronounced differences in FA composition. Such variation has context-dependent effects on physiology, because the thermal environment, food availability, and levels of pro-inflammatory environmental stressors differ between urban and rural areas. Thus, we investigated how great tit plasma FA composition varied between urban and rural habitats and across seasons. Eight FAs differed between urban and rural birds. Among these, arachidonic acid (omega (ω-6 polyunsaturated FA with thermoregulatory and pro-inflammatory properties was more abundant in urban than rural birds in winter, whereas ω-3 FAs with anti-inflammatory properties were more abundant in rural birds. The difference in pro- and anti-inflammatory FAs suggest that the negative health effects that urban birds suffer from being exposed to higher levels of pollutants might be enhanced by an elevated inflammatory response. Eight FAs differed between winter and summer birds. This variation reflected the diet change: FAs common in seeds, e.g. oleic- and linoleic acid, were present in higher amounts in winter birds, whereas ω-3 polyunsaturated FAs that are common in caterpillars were more abundant in summer birds. Overall, a larger seasonal variation was seen among the urban birds. This study is the first to reveal a difference in FA composition between urban and rural populations for all animals studied to date. Future experiments should unravel the physiological implications of this variation, and ultimately, link its effects to fitness of animals with different physiological and

A comparison of seismicity in world's subduction zones: Implication by the difference of b-values

Science.gov (United States)

Nishikawa, T.; Ide, S.

2013-12-01

Since the pioneering study of Uyeda and Kanamori (1979), it has been thought that world's subduction zones can be classified into two types: Chile and Mariana types. Ruff and Kanamori (1980) suggested that the maximum earthquake size within each subduction zone correlates with convergence rate and age of subducting lithosphere. Subduction zones with younger lithosphere and larger convergence rates are associated with great earthquakes (Chile), while subduction zones with older lithosphere and smaller convergence rates have low seismicity (Mariana). However, these correlations are obscured after the 2004 Sumatra earthquake and the 2009 Tohoku earthquake. Furthermore, McCaffrey (2008) pointed out that the history of observation is much shorter than the recurrence times of very large earthquakes, suggesting a possibility that any subduction zone may produce earthquakes larger than magnitude 9. In the present study, we compare world's subduction zones in terms of b-values in the Gutenberg-Richer relation. We divided world's subduction zones into 146 regions, each of which is bordered by a trench section of about 500 km and extends for 200 km from the trench section in the direction of relative plate motion. In each region, earthquakes equal to or larger than M4.5 occurring during 1988-2009 were extracted from ISC catalog. We find a positive correlation between b-values and ages of subducting lithosphere, which is one of the two important variables discussed in Ruff and Kanamori (1980). Subduction zones with younger lithosphere are associated with high b-values and vice versa, while we cannot find a correlation between b-values and convergence rates. We used the ages determined by Müller et al. (2008) and convergence rate calculated using PB2002 (Bird, 2003) for convergence rate. We also found a negative correlation between b-values and the estimates of seismic coupling, which is defined as the ratio of the observed seismic moment release rate to the rate calculated

The effect of default values in regulation matters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Seung-cheol; Jung, Won-dea; Ha, Jae-joo; Jin, Young-ho

1998-01-01

Both performing and validating a detailed risk analysis of a complex system are costly and time-consuming undertakings. With the increased use of probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) in regulatory decision making, both PRA practitioners (usually, licensees) and regulators have generally favored the use of defaults because they can greatly facilitate the process of performing a PRA in the first place as well as the process of reviewing and verifying the PRA. The use of defaults can also ensure more uniform standards of PRA quality. However, different regulatory agencies differ in their approaches to the use of default values, and the implications of these differences are not yet widely understood. Moreover, large heterogeneity among licensees makes it difficult to set suitable defaults. This paper will focus on the effect of default values on estimates of risk. In particular, the following questions will be explored: ''How should defaults be set?''; and ''What are the implications of choosing different default values?'' Some insights on the effects of different levels of conservatism in setting defaults will be provided. This can help decision makers evaluate the levels of safety likely to result from regulatory decisions

Cuttability Assessment of Selected Rocks Through Different Brittleness Values

Science.gov (United States)

Dursun, Arif Emre; Gokay, M. Kemal

2016-04-01

Prediction of cuttability is a critical issue for successful execution of tunnel or mining excavation projects. Rock cuttability is also used to determine specific energy, which is defined as the work done by the cutting force to excavate a unit volume of yield. Specific energy is a meaningful inverse measure of cutting efficiency, since it simply states how much energy must be expended to excavate a unit volume of rock. Brittleness is a fundamental rock property and applied in drilling and rock excavation. Brittleness is one of the most crucial rock features for rock excavation. For this reason, determination of relations between cuttability and brittleness will help rock engineers. This study aims to estimate the specific energy from different brittleness values of rocks by means of simple and multiple regression analyses. In this study, rock cutting, rock property, and brittleness index tests were carried out on 24 different rock samples with different strength values, including marble, travertine, and tuff, collected from sites around Konya Province, Turkey. Four previously used brittleness concepts were evaluated in this study, denoted as B 1 (ratio of compressive to tensile strength), B 2 (ratio of the difference between compressive and tensile strength to the sum of compressive and tensile strength), B 3 (area under the stress-strain line in relation to compressive and tensile strength), and B 9 = S 20, the percentage of fines (point load strengths of rocks using multiple regression analysis). The results suggest that the proposed simple regression-based prediction models including B 3, B 9, and B 9p outperform the other models including B 1 and B 2 and can be used for more accurate and reliable estimation of specific energy.

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality.

Science.gov (United States)

Naganawa, Shinji; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo; Ishigaki, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean+/-standard deviation 2.3+/-1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (pright frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (pbrain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference.

Ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of Parkia biglobosa in Northern Benin

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Koura Kourouma

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background African locust bean tree (Parkia biglobosa is a multipurpose species used widely in arid Africa by local communities. The present study focused on ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of P. biglobosa in Northern Benin, where the species widely grows. The use values according to the various ethnic groups in the study area have been evaluated in detail for P. biglobosa. Methods From 13 ethnic groups, 1587 people were interviewed in the study area using semi-structured questionnaires. Principal Component Analysis was applied to analyze the use value and the use patterns of P. biglobosa for the different ethnic groups. Results All interviewees in the study area knew at least one use of P. biglobosa. The various uses identified were medicinal (47%, handicraft and domestic (3%, medico-magic (1%, veterinary (1%, cultural (1%, food (25% and commercial (22%. The various parts involved in these types of uses were: fruits [shell (2%, pulp (22% and seeds (36%], bark (17%, leaves (9%, roots (3%, flowers (1% and branches (10%. The ethnic group consensus values for P. biglobosa parts showed that the seeds are used the most. The interviewees diversity value (ID and equitability value (IE indicated that knowledge concerning P. biglobosa use was distributed homogeneously among the ethnic groups. Conclusions P. biglobosa is well-known and used in different ways by the local populations in the study area. Local knowledge on the species is diversified and influenced by ethnic group. Ethnic differences in use values and use patterns of the species were evident in this study.

Thirty years of great ape gestures.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomasello, Michael; Call, Josep

2018-02-21

We and our colleagues have been doing studies of great ape gestural communication for more than 30 years. Here we attempt to spell out what we have learned. Some aspects of the process have been reliably established by multiple researchers, for example, its intentional structure and its sensitivity to the attentional state of the recipient. Other aspects are more controversial. We argue here that it is a mistake to assimilate great ape gestures to the species-typical displays of other mammals by claiming that they are fixed action patterns, as there are many differences, including the use of attention-getters. It is also a mistake, we argue, to assimilate great ape gestures to human gestures by claiming that they are used referentially and declaratively in a human-like manner, as apes' "pointing" gesture has many limitations and they do not gesture iconically. Great ape gestures constitute a unique form of primate communication with their own unique qualities.

COMPARATIVE EFFICIENCY OF DIFFERENT ANTIOXIDANTS ON FAT STABILITY IN BROILER RATIONS: THIOBARBITURIC ACID VALUES

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Ghulam Mustafa, Fawad Ahmad, Arfan Yousaf and Asad Ullah Hyder

2002-04-01

Full Text Available Thiobarbituric acid (TBA value was significantly (P< 0.05 affected by storage period, fat levels and antioxidants but the interaction of these factors was non significant. TBA value increased with the increase in storage period, however, the increase was relatively less during first 14 days of storage then a significant increase in TBA was observed as the storage period prolonged. Rations containing 4% fat have greater TBA value than the rations containing 2 or 3% fat. There was also a significant difference on TBA value due to antioxidant and their levels. TBA value was lower in the rations containing ethoxyquin than BHT containing rations and the rations supplemented with oxistat had greater TBA value. At higher level of any antioxidant, TBA value decreased, however, the difference between TBA values at both levels is non significant. With the increase in storage period there was increase in TBA value at both the antioxidant level. Antioxidant had a significant effect on fat stability in TBA test. Antioxidant level at 2 and 3% fat had a non significant effect but at 4% fat level. Antioxidant level had a significant effect. However, TBA values increased significantly at both levels of antioxidant with the increase in fat levels.

The Specific Value of Freedom

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hees, Martin

2010-01-01

Freedom is among the most important values in political life, yet there has always been a great deal of disagreement about what this value demands from us. Libertarians argue that it requires that we protect each person's right to own and exchange private property. Liberals argue that it requires

Ecological investigations on plant associations in differently disturbed heavy-metal contaminated soils of Great Britain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ernst, W

1968-01-01

In different areas of Great Britain comparing ecological studies have been made on disturbed and undisturbed heavy metal contaminated soils. In Grizedale (Pennine), sampling of an undisturbed transect having high levels of major nutrients showed marked differentiation within a small area, only related to the plant available levels of zinc, copper, and lead. However, studies on disturbed heavy metal soils and spoil-heaps revealed a low water capacity and a low supply of major nutrients, particularly of N and P. These suggest that here both the enrichment of heavy metals and the considerable decrease of other nutrients are important in determining the heavy metal vegetation, and in maintaining it against other species. The quantity of zinc in plants is not related to the total or plant-available amount of zinc in soil, but confirmed physiological experiments on the influence of phosphorus and different zinc compounds (complexed or inorganic) on the uptake and distribution of zinc in Thlaspi alpestre and Minnartia rerum. Also an antagonism between lead and copper was revealed. 24 references.

Imaging of pediatric great vessel stents: Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging?

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A M den Harder

Full Text Available Complications might occur after great vessel stent implantation in children. Therefore follow-up using imaging is warranted.To determine the optimal imaging modality for the assessment of stents used to treat great vessel obstructions in children.Five different large vessel stents were evaluated in an in-vitro setting. All stents were expanded to the maximal vendor recommended diameter (20mm; n = 4 or 10mm; n = 1, placed in an anthropomorphic chest phantom and imaged with a 256-slice CT-scanner. MRI images were acquired at 1.5T using a multi-slice T2-weighted turbo spin echo, an RF-spoiled three-dimensional T1-weighted Fast Field Echo and a balanced turbo field echo 3D sequence. Two blinded observers assessed stent lumen visibility (measured diameter/true diameter *100% in the center and at the outlets of the stent. Reproducibility of diameter measurements was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient for reliability and 95% limits of agreement for agreement analysis.Median stent lumen visibility was 88 (IQR 86-90% with CT for all stents at both the center and outlets. With MRI, the T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence was preferred which resulted in 82 (78-84% stent lumen visibility. Interobserver reliability and agreement was good for both CT (ICC 0.997, mean difference -0.51 [-1.07-0.05] mm and MRI measurements (ICC 0.951, mean difference -0.05 [-2.52 --2.41] mm.Good in-stent lumen visibility was achievable in this in-vitro study with both CT and MRI in different great vessel stents. Overall reliability was good with clinical acceptable limits of agreement for both CT and MRI. However, common conditions such as in-stent stenosis and associated aneurysms were not tested in this in-vitro study, limiting the value of the in-vitro study.

Imaging of pediatric great vessel stents: Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging?

Science.gov (United States)

den Harder, A M; Suchá, D; van Hamersvelt, R W; Budde, R P J; de Jong, P A; Schilham, A M R; Bos, C; Breur, J M P J; Leiner, T

2017-01-01

Complications might occur after great vessel stent implantation in children. Therefore follow-up using imaging is warranted. To determine the optimal imaging modality for the assessment of stents used to treat great vessel obstructions in children. Five different large vessel stents were evaluated in an in-vitro setting. All stents were expanded to the maximal vendor recommended diameter (20mm; n = 4 or 10mm; n = 1), placed in an anthropomorphic chest phantom and imaged with a 256-slice CT-scanner. MRI images were acquired at 1.5T using a multi-slice T2-weighted turbo spin echo, an RF-spoiled three-dimensional T1-weighted Fast Field Echo and a balanced turbo field echo 3D sequence. Two blinded observers assessed stent lumen visibility (measured diameter/true diameter *100%) in the center and at the outlets of the stent. Reproducibility of diameter measurements was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient for reliability and 95% limits of agreement for agreement analysis. Median stent lumen visibility was 88 (IQR 86-90)% with CT for all stents at both the center and outlets. With MRI, the T2-weighted turbo spin echo sequence was preferred which resulted in 82 (78-84%) stent lumen visibility. Interobserver reliability and agreement was good for both CT (ICC 0.997, mean difference -0.51 [-1.07-0.05] mm) and MRI measurements (ICC 0.951, mean difference -0.05 [-2.52 --2.41] mm). Good in-stent lumen visibility was achievable in this in-vitro study with both CT and MRI in different great vessel stents. Overall reliability was good with clinical acceptable limits of agreement for both CT and MRI. However, common conditions such as in-stent stenosis and associated aneurysms were not tested in this in-vitro study, limiting the value of the in-vitro study.

Precipitation Dynamical Downscaling Over the Great Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Xiao-Ming; Xue, Ming; McPherson, Renee A.; Martin, Elinor; Rosendahl, Derek H.; Qiao, Lei

2018-02-01

Detailed, regional climate projections, particularly for precipitation, are critical for many applications. Accurate precipitation downscaling in the United States Great Plains remains a great challenge for most Regional Climate Models, particularly for warm months. Most previous dynamic downscaling simulations significantly underestimate warm-season precipitation in the region. This study aims to achieve a better precipitation downscaling in the Great Plains with the Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model. To this end, WRF simulations with different physics schemes and nudging strategies are first conducted for a representative warm season. Results show that different cumulus schemes lead to more pronounced difference in simulated precipitation than other tested physics schemes. Simply choosing different physics schemes is not enough to alleviate the dry bias over the southern Great Plains, which is related to an anticyclonic circulation anomaly over the central and western parts of continental U.S. in the simulations. Spectral nudging emerges as an effective solution for alleviating the precipitation bias. Spectral nudging ensures that large and synoptic-scale circulations are faithfully reproduced while still allowing WRF to develop small-scale dynamics, thus effectively suppressing the large-scale circulation anomaly in the downscaling. As a result, a better precipitation downscaling is achieved. With the carefully validated configurations, WRF downscaling is conducted for 1980-2015. The downscaling captures well the spatial distribution of monthly climatology precipitation and the monthly/yearly variability, showing improvement over at least two previously published precipitation downscaling studies. With the improved precipitation downscaling, a better hydrological simulation over the trans-state Oologah watershed is also achieved.

Quantitation in planar renal scintigraphy: which μ value should be used?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hindie, E.; Jeanguillaume, C.; Galle, P.; Prigent, A.

1999-01-01

The attenuation coefficient value μ used by different authors for quantitation in planar renal scintigraphy varies greatly, from the theoretical value of 0.153 cm -1 (appropriate for scatter-free data) down to 0.099 cm -1 (empirical value assumed to compensate for both scatter and attenuation). For a 6-cm-deep kidney, such variations introduce up to 30% differences in absolute measurement of kidney activity. Using technetium-99m phantom studies, we determined the μ values that would yield accurate kidney activity quantitation for different energy windows corresponding to different amounts of scatter, and when using different image analysis approaches similar to those used in renal quantitation. With the 20% energy window, it was found that the μ value was strongly dependent on the size of the region of interest (ROI) and on whether background subtraction was performed: the μ value thus varied from 0.119 cm -1 (loose ROI, no background subtraction) to 0.150 cm -1 (kidney ROI and background subtraction). When using data from an energy window that could be considered scatter-free, the μ value became almost independent of the image analysis scheme. It is concluded that: (1) when performing background subtraction, which implicitly reduces the effect of scatter, the μ value to be used for accurate quantitation is close to the theoretical μ value; (2) if the acquired data were initially corrected for scatter, the appropriate μ value would then be the theoretical μ value, whatever the image analysis scheme. (orig.)

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN WORK VALUES IN THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

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Maria-Cristina IORGULESCU

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In the present working environment there are three different active generations, generally known as: Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y. For the first time in history, three different generations have to cooperate in the workplace and are in direct competition for a job or a new managerial position. This situation creates new challenges in managing human resources in the hotel industry, where an excellent communication between all functional and operational departments is mandatory in order to deliver quality services. The paper aims to address these issues by presenting the main work values of employees in the Romanian hotel industry. The implications of the findings are discussed, considering the limitations of the empirical study presented and the future research directions.

Great Lakes rivermouths: a primer for managers

Science.gov (United States)

Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul; Pebbles, Victoria; Larson, James; Seelbach, Paul

2013-01-01

Between the North American Great Lakes and their tributaries are the places where the confluence of river and lake waters creates a distinct ecosystem: the rivermouth ecosystem. Human development has often centered around these rivermouths, in part, because they provide a rich array of ecosystem services. Not surprisingly, centuries of intense human activity have led to substantial pressures on, and alterations to, these ecosystems, often diminishing or degrading their ecological functions and associated ecological services. Many Great Lakes rivermouths are the focus of intense restoration efforts. For example, 36 of the active Great Lakes Areas of Concern (AOCs) are rivermouths or areas that include one or more rivermouths. Historically, research of rivermouth ecosystems has been piecemeal, focused on the Great Lakes proper or on the upper reaches of tributaries, with little direct study of the rivermouth itself. Researchers have been divided among disciplines, agencies and institutions; and they often work independently and use disparate venues to communicate their work. Management has also been fragmented with a focus on smaller, localized, sub-habitat units and socio-political or economic elements, rather than system-level consideration. This Primer presents the case for a more holistic approach to rivermouth science and management that can enable restoration of ecosystem services with multiple benefits to humans and the Great Lakes ecosystem. A conceptual model is presented with supporting text that describes the structures and processes common to all rivermouths, substantiating the case for treating these ecosystems as an identifiable class.1 Ecological services provided by rivermouths and changes in how humans value those services over time are illustrated through case studies of two Great Lakes rivermouths—the St. Louis River and the Maumee River. Specific ecosystem services are identified in italics throughout this Primer and follow definitions described

Great Apes

Science.gov (United States)

Sleeman, Jonathan M.; Cerveny, Shannon

2014-01-01

Anesthesia of great apes is often necessary to conduct diagnostic analysis, provide therapeutics, facilitate surgical procedures, and enable transport and translocation for conservation purposes. Due to the stress of remote delivery injection of anesthetic agents, recent studies have focused on oral delivery and/or transmucosal absorption of preanesthetic and anesthetic agents. Maintenance of the airway and provision of oxygen is an important aspect of anesthesia in great ape species. The provision of analgesia is an important aspect of the anesthesia protocol for any procedure involving painful stimuli. Opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often administered alone, or in combination to provide multi-modal analgesia. There is increasing conservation management of in situ great ape populations, which has resulted in the development of field anesthesia techniques for free-living great apes for the purposes of translocation, reintroduction into the wild, and clinical interventions.

Evaluation of different mathematical models and different b-value ranges of diffusion-weighted imaging in peripheral zone prostate cancer detection using b-value up to 4500 s/mm2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhaoyan Feng

Full Text Available To evaluate the diagnostic performance of different mathematical models and different b-value ranges of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI in peripheral zone prostate cancer (PZ PCa detection.Fifty-six patients with histologically proven PZ PCa who underwent DWI-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI using 21 b-values (0-4500 s/mm2 were included. The mean signal intensities of the regions of interest (ROIs placed in benign PZs and cancerous tissues on DWI images were fitted using mono-exponential, bi-exponential, stretched-exponential, and kurtosis models. The b-values were divided into four ranges: 0-1000, 0-2000, 0-3200, and 0-4500 s/mm2, grouped as A, B, C, and D, respectively. ADC, , D*, f, DDC, α, Dapp, and Kapp were estimated for each group. The adjusted coefficient of determination (R2 was calculated to measure goodness-of-fit. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the parameters.All parameters except D* showed significant differences between cancerous tissues and benign PZs in each group. The area under the curve values (AUCs of ADC were comparable in groups C and D (p = 0.980 and were significantly higher than those in groups A and B (p< 0.05 for all. The AUCs of ADC and Kapp in groups B and C were similar (p = 0.07 and p = 0.954, and were significantly higher than the other parameters (p< 0.001 for all. The AUCs of ADC in group D was slightly higher than Kapp (p = 0.002, and both were significantly higher than the other parameters (p< 0.001 for all.ADC derived from conventional mono-exponential high b-value (3200 s/mm2 models is an optimal parameter for PZ PCa detection.

Great Lakes prey fish populations: A cross-basin overview of status and trends in 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman, Owen T.; Bunnell, David B.

2009-01-01

Assessments of prey fishes in the Great Lakes have been conducted annually since the 1970s by the Great Lakes Science Center, sometimes assisted by partner agencies. Prey fish assessments differ among lakes in the proportion of a lake covered, seasonal timing, bottom trawl gear used, sampling design, and the manner in which the trawl is towed (across or along bottom contours). Because each assessment is unique in one or more important aspects, a direct comparison of prey fish catches among lakes is problematic. All of the assessments, however, produce indices of abundance or biomass that can be standardized to facilitate comparisons of trends among lakes and to illustrate present status of the populations. We present indices of abundance for important prey fishes in the Great Lakes standardized to the highest value for a time series within each lake: cisco (Coregonus artedi), bloater (C. hoyi), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), and alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). We also provide indices for round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an invasive fish presently spreading throughout the basin. Our intent is to provide a short, informal report emphasizing data presentation rather than synthesis; for this reason we intentionally avoid use of tables and cited references.For each lake, standardized relative indices for annual biomass and density estimates of important prey fishes were calculated as the fraction relative to the largest value observed in the times series. To determine whether basin-wide trends were apparent for each species, we first ranked standardized index values within each lake. When comparing ranked index values from three or more lakes, we calculated the Kendall coefficient of concordance (W), which can range from 0 (complete discordance or disagreement among trends) to 1 (complete concordance or agreement among trends). The P-value for W provides the probability of agreement across the lakes. When comparing ranked index values from two lakes, we calculated

Using Music to Teach about the Great Depression

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Robert L.; Fogel, Jared A.

2007-01-01

The Great Depression is typically taught through history textbooks, but the music of this time allows students to learn about this era through different perspectives. The Great Depression witnessed many musical styles--from the light heartedness of popular music to the sadness of the blues, gospel, which offered inspiration, to the tension between…

Why Did People Move During the Great Recession? The Role of Economics in Migration Decisions

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Brian L. Levy

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Labor migration offers an important mechanism to reallocate workers when there are regional differences in employment conditions. Whereas conventional wisdom suggests migration rates should increase during recessions as workers move out of areas that are hit hardest, initial evidence suggested that overall migration rates declined during the Great Recession, despite large regional differences in unemployment and growth rates. In this paper we use data from the American Community Survey to analyze internal migration trends before and during the economic downturn. First, we find only a modest decline in the odds of adults leaving distressed labor market areas during the Great Recession, which may result in part from challenges related to the housing price crash. Second, we estimate conditional logit models of destination choice for individuals who migrate across labor market areas; we find a substantial effect of economic factors such as labor demand, unemployment, and housing values. We also estimate latent class conditional logit models that test whether there is heterogeneity in preferences for destination characteristics among migrants. Over all, the latent class models suggest that roughly equal percentages of migrants were motivated by economic factors before and during the Great Recession. We conclude that fears of dramatic declines in labor migration seem to be unsubstantiated.

Age- and gender-associated differences in electrical impedance values of skeletal muscle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kortman, Hans G J; Wilder, Sarah C; Geisbush, Tom R; Narayanaswami, Pushpa; Rutkove, Seward B

2013-01-01

Electrical impedance measurements of skeletal muscle may be sensitive to age-associated declines in muscle health. In an effort to evaluate this concept further, we performed electrical impedance myography (EIM) using a handheld array on 38 individuals aged 19–50 years and 41 individuals aged 60–85 years. Individuals either had seven upper extremity or seven lower extremity muscles measured. The 50 kHz reactance, resistance and phase were used as the major outcome variables. Although the phase values were similar in both groups, both reactance and resistance values were lower in the lower extremities of the older individuals as compared to the younger (−23 ± 6%, p = 0.001 for reactance and −27 ± 7%, p = 0.005 for resistance), whereas changes in upper extremity values were not significantly different (−9 ± 5%, p = 0.096 for reactance and +5 ± 9%, p = 0.55 for resistance). When analyzing the genders separately, it became clear that this reduction in lower extremity values was most pronounced in men and less consistently present in women. These findings suggest that age- and gender-associated differences in muscle condition are detectable using EIM. The relationship of these easily obtained parameters to standard functional, imaging, and pathological markers of sarcopenia deserves further study. (paper)

VALUES AND ATTITUDES TO INNOVATIONS : INTERCULTURAL DIFFERENCES

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lebedeva, N. M.

2009-01-01

The results of study of interrelations between values and attitudes to innovations of Canadian and Russian students (Russians and representatives of Northern Caucasia), n = 426 per. are presented. Correlation between individuals' values and their attitudes to innovations are determined. Significant

Values and love styles in Turkey and Great Britain: an intercultural and intracultural comparison.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanrı, Çağla; Goodwin, Robin

2013-01-01

Little previous research has examined the relationship between values and love styles, and none has done so across cultures or intracultural regions. This research was the first attempt to explore the correlation between individual-level values and love styles, and examined both within- and between-cultural variations in love styles. In this study 224 participants from Turkey and Britain, from urban or rural locations, completed the Portrait Values Questionnaire and the Love Attitudes Scale measure of love styles. Pancultural analyses demonstrated significant correlations between certain value dimensions and love styles. In particular, agape (selfless love) was positively correlated with self-transcendence, ludus (game-playing love) was positively correlated with self-enhancement, and pragma (realistic love) was positively correlated with conservation. The inclusion of location and nationality and their interactions with values in the multiple regression analyses significantly increased the variance explained by values for five of the six love styles. Multivariate analyses indicated that ludus, storge, mania, and pragma were all significantly higher among Turkish respondents; pragma, mania, and agape all higher amongst rural respondents. Eros was highest among rural British respondents; storge, pragma, and agape highest among rural Turks. When these culture effects were explored, conservation significantly mediated the relationship between the groups of more conservative rural Turks (versus other participants) and both pragmatic and storgic love styles. Findings are discussed in the light of disparities in values and relationship styles within cultures, and the need to include both intracultural and intercultural variations in cross cultural research.

Changes and Differences in Poles’ Hierarchy of Values – on Basis of the European Social Survey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Błoński Krzysztof

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to present the changes that have place with regard to Poles’ value system over the last 12 years, as well as to demonstrate differences based on sex, level of education and household income level. The analysis was based on the results of the European Social Survey (ESS. The research results indicate that the hierarchy of values cherished by Poles does not undergo significant changes. The most important values are security, universalism and benevolence. The least significant values include hedonism, stimulation and power. There are no identifiable differences in the hierarchies of values of women and men. However, there are noticeable differences depending on the level of education, household income level and age of surveyed respondents.

Great ape origins of personality maturation and sex differences: a study of orangutans and chimpanzees.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiss, Alexander; King, James E

2015-04-01

Human personality development evinces increased emotional stability, prosocial tendencies, and responsibility. One hypothesis offered to explain this pattern is Social-Investment Theory, which posits that culturally defined social roles, including marriage and employment, are responsible for the increased maturity. Alternatively, Five-Factor Theory emphasizes the role of biological factors, such as those governing physical development, which may predate the emergence of humans. Five-Factor Theory, unlike Social-Investment Theory, predicts that all or some of the human personality developmental trends should be present in great apes, our closest evolutionary relatives. To test this prediction and to better understand the evolutionary origins of sex differences, we examined age and sex differences in the chimpanzee and orangutan personality domains Extraversion, Dominance, Neuroticism, and Agreeableness. We also examined the Activity and Gregariousness facets of Extraversion and the orangutan Intellect domain. Extraversion and Neuroticism declined across age groups in both species, in common with humans. A significant interaction indicated that Agreeableness declined in orangutans but increased in chimpanzees, as it does in humans, though this may reflect differences in how Agreeableness was defined in each species. Significant interactions indicated that male chimpanzees, unlike male orangutans, displayed higher Neuroticism scores than females and maintained higher levels of Activity and Dominance into old age than female chimpanzees, male orangutans, and female orangutans. Personality-age correlations were comparable across orangutans and chimpanzees and were similar to those reported in human studies. Sex differences were stronger in chimpanzees than in humans or orangutans. These findings support Five-Factor Theory, suggest the role of gene-culture coevolution in shaping personality development, and suggest that sex differences evolved independently in different

Fusing MODIS with Landsat 8 data to downscale weekly normalized difference vegetation index estimates for central Great Basin rangelands, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Boyte, Stephen; Wylie, Bruce K.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Dahal, Devendra

2018-01-01

Data fused from distinct but complementary satellite sensors mitigate tradeoffs that researchers make when selecting between spatial and temporal resolutions of remotely sensed data. We integrated data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor aboard the Terra satellite and the Operational Land Imager sensor aboard the Landsat 8 satellite into four regression-tree models and applied those data to a mapping application. This application produced downscaled maps that utilize the 30-m spatial resolution of Landsat in conjunction with daily acquisitions of MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) that are composited and temporally smoothed. We produced four weekly, atmospherically corrected, and nearly cloud-free, downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions (maps) built from these models. Model results were strong with R2 values ranging from 0.74 to 0.85. The correlation coefficients (r ≥ 0.89) were strong for all predictions when compared to corresponding original MODIS NDVI data. Downscaled products incorporated into independently developed sagebrush ecosystem models yielded mixed results. The visual quality of the downscaled 30-m synthetic MODIS NDVI predictions were remarkable when compared to the original 250-m MODIS NDVI. These 30-m maps improve knowledge of dynamic rangeland seasonal processes in the central Great Basin, United States, and provide land managers improved resource maps.

On the solvability of initial-value problems for nonlinear implicit difference equations

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Ha Thi Ngoc Yen

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Our aim is twofold. First, we propose a natural definition of index for linear nonautonomous implicit difference equations, which is similar to that of linear differential-algebraic equations. Then we extend this index notion to a class of nonlinear implicit difference equations and prove some existence theorems for their initial-value problems.

Generational Differences of Personal Values of Business Students

Science.gov (United States)

Giacomino, Don E.; Brown, Jill; Akers, Michael D.

2011-01-01

This paper examines the values and value systems of business students from a private mid-western university using the Rokeach Value Survey and the Musser and Orke Typology of Personal Values. The findings of this study are compared with the results of studies in the latter part of the 1990's and early 2000 in order to provide some insights…

Determination of Slake Durability Index (Sdi) Values on Different Shape of Laminated Marl Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Ankara, Hüseyin; Çiçek, Fatma; Talha Deniz, İsmail; Uçak, Emre; Yerel Kandemir, Süheyla

2016-10-01

The slake durability index (SDI) test is widely used to determine the disintegration characteristic of the weak and clay-bearing rocks in geo-engineering problems. However, due to the different shapes of sample pieces, such as, irregular shapes displayed mechanical breakages in the slaking process, the SDI test has some limitations that affect the index values. In addition, shape and surface roughness of laminated marl samples have a severe influence on the SDI. In this study, a new sample preparation method called Pasha Method was used to prepare spherical specimens from the laminated marl collected from Seyitomer collar (SLI). Moreover the SDI tests were performed on equal size and weight specimens: three sets with different shapes were used. The three different sets were prepared as the test samples which had sphere shape, parallel to the layers in irregular shape, and vertical to the layers in irregular shape. Index values were determined for the three different sets subjected to the SDI test for 4 cycles. The index values at the end of fourth cycle were found to be 98.43, 98.39 and 97.20 %, respectively. As seen, the index values of the sphere sample set were found to be higher than irregular sample sets.

Food and value motivation: Linking consumer affinities to different types of food products.

Science.gov (United States)

de Boer, Joop; Schösler, Hanna

2016-08-01

This study uses the consumer affinity concept to examine the multiple motives that may shape consumers' relationships with food. The concept was applied in a study on four broad product types in the Netherlands, which cover a wide range of the market and may each appeal to consumers with different affinities towards foods. These product types may be denoted as 'conventional', 'efficient', 'gourmet' and 'pure'. A comparative analysis, based on Higgins' Regulatory Focus Theory, was performed to examine whether food-related value motivations could explain different consumer affinities for these product types. The affinities of consumers were measured by means of a non-verbal, visual presentation of four samples of food products in a nationwide survey (n = 742) among consumers who were all involved in food purchasing and/or cooking. The affinities found could be predicted fairly well from a number of self-descriptions relating to food and eating, which expressed different combinations of type of value motivation and involvement with food. The analysis demonstrated the contrasting role of high and low involvement as well as the potential complementarity of promotion- and prevention-focused value motivation. It is suggested that knowledge of the relationships between product types, consumer affinities and value motivation can help improve the effectiveness of interventions that seek to promote healthy and sustainable diets in developed countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Current and Historical Antecedents of Individual Value Differences Across 195 Regions in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Herk, H.; Poortinga, Y.H.

2012-01-01

This study analyzes differences on two value dimensions, conservation and self-enhancement, at both the individual and regional level across Europe. Within-country regions represent "cultunits" that often have belonged to different nation-states in history. Eight antecedent variables are explored.

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Great Lakes Mussel Watch(2009-2014)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Following the inception of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) to address the significant environmental issues plaguing the Great Lakes region, the...

Reasoning about the value of cultural awareness in international collaboration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Bernáld

Full Text Available As international collaborations become a part of everyday life, cultural awareness becomes crucial for our ability to work with people from other countries. People see, evaluate, and interpret things differently depending on their cultural background and cultural awareness. This includes aspects such as appreciation of different communication patterns, the awareness of different value systems and, not least, to become aware of our own cultural values, beliefs and perceptions. This paper addresses the value of cultural awareness in general through describing how it was introduced in two computer science courses with a joint collaboration between students from the US and Sweden. The cultural seminars provided to the students are presented, as well as a discussion of the students\\' reflections and the teachers\\' experiences. The cultural awareness seminars provided students with a new understanding of cultural differences which greatly improved the international collaboration. Cultural awareness may be especially important for small countries like New Zealand and Sweden, since it could provide an essential edge in collaborations with representatives from more \\'powerful\\' countries.

Addressing Issues of Religious Difference through Values Education: An Islam Instance

Science.gov (United States)

Lovat, Terence; Clement, Neville; Dally, Kerry; Toomey, Ron

2010-01-01

The article's main focus is on exploring ways in which modern forms of values education are being utilized to address major issues of social dissonance, with special focus on dissonance related to religious difference between students of Islamic and non-Islamic backgrounds. The article begins by appraising philosophical and neuroscientific…

The great scientific revolutions of the 20. century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parrochia, D.

1997-01-01

Three great physical revolutions are studied here: the theory of relativity (general and restricted); the quantum mechanics (and its different interpretations); the theory of the determinist chaos (its pre-history as its applications). These three theories contribute to modify the answers that it is possible to bring to great metaphysical questions and to give a hint of a new philosophical landscape. (N.C.)

Valuing diversity in energy supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skea, Jim

2010-01-01

There is renewed interest in the role of supply diversity in promoting energy security. This paper explores ways of valuing diversity. A possible incentive mechanism for promoting diversity which takes account of underlying 'disparities' between different technology options is developed. The mechanism provides a way of trading off cost and diversity and results in an 'efficient' cost-diversity frontier by analogy with financial portfolio theory. If all technologies are believed to be equally disparate, the appropriate mechanism is a 'levy' imposed on market share. If the technologies are not equally disparate, the levy needs to be adjusted by technology-specific multipliers that take account of levels of disparity and patterns of market share. The analysis is applied to two stylised situations. In the long-run equilibrium case, the implications of both different patterns of disparity and different values attached to diversity are investigated. The paper also explores the implications of applying such a mechanism to the current Great Britain electricity system. The implications in terms of financial flows, for both the market as a whole and for individual operators, are investigated. Finally, the appropriateness of such a mechanism in the light of other policy goals, and possible future research directions, is discussed. (author)

Great software debates

CERN Document Server

Davis, A

2004-01-01

The industry’s most outspoken and insightful critic explains how the software industry REALLY works. In Great Software Debates, Al Davis, shares what he has learned about the difference between the theory and the realities of business and encourages you to question and think about software engineering in ways that will help you succeed where others fail. In short, provocative essays, Davis fearlessly reveals the truth about process improvement, productivity, software quality, metrics, agile development, requirements documentation, modeling, software marketing and sales, empiricism, start-up financing, software research, requirements triage, software estimation, and entrepreneurship.

Hepatopancreaticobiliary Values after Thoracoabdominal Aneurysm Repair

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Darrell; Coselli, Joseph S.; Johnson, Michael L.; LeMaire, Scott A.

2014-01-01

Background: After thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair, blood tests assessing hepatopancreaticobiliary (HPB) organs commonly have abnormal results. The clinical significance of such abnormalities is difficult to determine because the expected postoperative levels have not been characterized. Therefore, we sought to establish expected trends in HPB laboratory values after TAAA repair. Methods: This 5-year study comprised 155 patients undergoing elective Crawford extent II TAAA repair. In accordance with a prospective study protocol, all repairs involved left-sided heart bypass, selective visceral perfusion, and cold renal perfusion. Blood levels of aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), γ-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total bilirubin, amylase, and lipase were measured before TAAA repair and for 7 days afterward. Ratios between postoperative and baseline levels were compared for each time point with 95% confidence intervals. Results: Temporal patterns for the laboratory values varied greatly. Amylase, lipase, and AST underwent significant early increases before decreasing to preoperative levels. LDH increased immediately and remained significantly elevated, whereas ALT increased more gradually. GGT remained near baseline through postoperative day 4, and then increased to more than twice baseline. Total bilirubin never differed significantly from baseline. After adjusted analysis, the ischemic time predicted the maximum AST, lipase, GGT, and LDH values. Conclusions: Although most HPB laboratory values increase significantly after elective TAAA repair, the temporal trends for different values vary substantially. The ischemic time predicts the maximum AST, lipase, GGT, and LDH levels. These trends should be considered when laboratory values are assessed after TAAA repair. PMID:26798731

Cultural differences in family, marital, and gender-role values among immigrants and majority members in the Netherlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Arends-Tóth, Judit; van de Vijver, Fons J R

2009-06-01

This study examined the size of differences in self-reported family, marital, and gender-role values in five cultural groups in the Netherlands (6338 Dutch mainstreamers and 422 Turkish, 369 Moroccan, 429 Surinamese, and 394 Antillean first- and second-generation immigrants). It was found that the three value scales were neither completely independent, nor could they be merged into a single value scale. The factor structures of all scales were identical for the five cultural groups, implying that the concepts can be compared. Age, sex, and notably education accounted for a substantial part of the cultural differences in all values. Cultural differences were larger for marital and family values than for gender-role values. Family and marital values yielded the same rank order of mean scores in the five cultural groups: Turks and Moroccans scored the lowest (having the most traditional values), followed by Surinamers, Antilleans, and Dutch mainstreamers. This rank order corresponds with the ethnic hierarchy of cultural groups that is based on the evaluation of ethnic groups by mainstreamers according to their liking of and likeness to ethnic groups. Generational differences were not found for family and gender-role values but first-generation immigrants in all groups had more traditional marital values than had second-generation immigrants. It was concluded that the theoretical framework based on a combination of three Hofstede dimensions (individualism-collectivism, power-distance, and femininity-masculinity), a model of the hierarchy of the ethnic groups in the Dutch society, and acculturation theory provided an adequate way to address family, marital, and gender-role value differences in the five cultural groups.

Black-white differences in the economic value of improving health.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Kevin M; Topel, Robert H

2005-01-01

This article examines how differences in longevity over time and across groups add to the typical measures of economic progress and intergroup differentials. We focus on gains for and differences between groups defined both by race (black and white) and by gender, relying on willingness to pay as our measure of the economic value of gains in longevity. Measured at birth, the gains for white males between 1968 and 1998 were about 245,000 dollars per person, while the gains for black males were far larger, about 390,000 dollars per person. The gains for women were somewhat smaller, with white females gaining about 150,000 dollars per person and black females gaining about 305,000 dollars per person. Our estimates suggest that differences in income explain about 1/3 to 1/2 of the current black-white gap in longevity.

Assessing urban forest effects and values of the Great Plains: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota

Science.gov (United States)

David J. Nowak; Robert E. III Hoehn; Daniel E. Crane; Allison R. Bodine

2012-01-01

This report details the evaluation of the urban tree resources of the north-central Great Plains region of the United States. Specifically this report provides a more comprehensive understanding of the species composition and structural and functional benefits of the urban forests in the states of Kansas (33.1 million urban trees), Nebraska (13.3 million urban trees),...

Reflections on the value concept in accounting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Buys

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The recent meltdown in global finances and the reasons for it may make people doubtful about the stewardship function of accounting. In the global financial markets, there is a great fascination with the reality that accounting values intend to reflect. However, what many people considered valuable is now suddenly of no value. The question can therefore be asked what is meant by the value concept as a foundation to modern-day accountancy. “Value” is a concept that is open to different interpretations, based on the needs, perspectives and personal values of the interpreter. This article aims to reflect on the value concept from an accounting perspective in analysing the fundamental quali-tative perspectives and how these perspectives might affect the quantitative value measurements, as reported in the financial statements. From a quantitative perspective, accounttancy aims to measure and report the monetary values of items. However, there is a move towards a mixed valuation model with many financial statements, including both historical cost and value-based accounting information. The article concludes that this questionable development opens up many additional and subjective interpretations of accounting value measurement and reporting. Both valuation measurement methods have merit when considered in the overall purpose of accounting information. However, subjective value-based mea-surements may cast a shadow of doubt on the reliability and comparability requirements of accounting value information.

Changes in children's self-competence and values: gender and domain differences across grades one through twelve.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Janis E; Lanza, Stephanie; Osgood, D Wayne; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Wigfield, Allan

2002-01-01

This study extended previous research on changes in children's self-beliefs by documenting domain-specific growth trajectories for 761 children across grades 1 through 12 in a longitudinal study of perceptions of self-competence and task values. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to (1) describe changes in beliefs across childhood and adolescence within the domains of mathematics, language arts, and sports; (2) examine the impact of changes in competence beliefs on changes in values over time in the same domains; and (3) describe gender differences in mean levels and trajectories of change in competence beliefs and values. The most striking finding across all domains was that self-perceptions of competence and subjective task values declined as children got older, although the extent and rate of decline varied across domains. For example, in language arts, competence beliefs declined rapidly during the elementary school years, but then leveled off or increased to some extent; whereas the decline in self-competence beliefs in sports accelerated during the high school years. Significant gender differences in beliefs were found in most domains; however, the gender differences in developmental trajectories appeared to be domain specific rather than global. Importantly, the gender differences between boys and girls did not systematically increase with age, as predicted by some socialization perspectives. Adding competence beliefs as an explanatory variable to the model for task values revealed that changes in competence beliefs accounted for much of the age-related decline in task values. In addition, competence beliefs accounted for most of the gender differences in task values for language arts and sports.

Water clarity of the Upper Great Lakes: tracking changes between 1998-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Yousef, F.; Shuchman, R. A.; Sayers, M.; Fahnenstiel, G.; Henareh Khalyani, A.

2016-12-01

Water clarity trends in three upper Great Lakes, Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron, were assessed via satellite imagery from 1998 to 2012. Water attenuation coefficients (Kd490) from SeaWiFS and Aqua MODIS satellites compared favorably with in situ measurements. Significant temporal and spatial trends and differences in Kd490 were noted within all three of the lakes. Lake-wide average Kd490 for Lake Superior did not exhibited any changes between 1998 and 2012. Annual Kd490 values for Lake Huron, however, showed a significant negative trend during the study period using both SeaWiFS and MODIS datasets. Similarly, annual Kd490 values of Lake Michigan declined between 1998 and 2010. Additionally, Kd490 trend for depths >90m in northern Lake Michigan reversed (increased) after 2007. Photic depth increased significantly in both Lake Michigan (≃5m), and Lake Huron (≃10m) when comparing annual Kd490 for pre- (1998-2001) and post-mussel (2006-2010). At seasonal level, significant decreases in Kd490 in lakes Michigan and Huron were mainly noted for the spring/fall/winter mixing periods. After current changes in water clarity, lake-wide photic depths in lakes Michigan and Huron superseded Lake Superior; thus, making Lake Superior no longer the clearest Great Lake. Combination of several factors (filtering activities of quagga mussels [Dreissena bugensis rostriformis], phosphorus abatement, climate change, etc.) are likely responsible for these large changes.

Value Similarities among Fathers, Mothers, and Adolescents and the Role of a Cultural Stereotype: Different Measurement Strategies Reconsidered

Science.gov (United States)

Roest, Annette M. C.; Dubas, Judith Semon; Gerris, Jan R. M.; Engels, Rutger C. M. E.

2009-01-01

In research on value similarity and transmission between parents and adolescents, no consensus exists on the level of value similarity. Reports of high-value similarities coexist with reports of low-value similarities within the family. The present study shows that different conclusions may be explained by the use of different measurement…

Estimating Spring Condensation on the Great Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, A.; Welp, L.

2017-12-01

The Laurentian Great Lakes region provides opportunities for shipping, recreation, and consumptive water use to a large part of the United States and Canada. Water levels in the lakes fluctuate yearly, but attempts to model the system are inadequate because the water and energy budgets are still not fully understood. For example, water levels in the Great Lakes experienced a 15-year low period ending in 2013, the recovery of which has been attributed partially to decreased evaporation and increased precipitation and runoff. Unlike precipitation, the exchange of water vapor between the lake and the atmosphere through evaporation or condensation is difficult to measure directly. However, estimates have been constructed using off-shore eddy covariance direct measurements of latent heat fluxes, remote sensing observations, and a small network of monitoring buoys. When the lake surface temperature is colder than air temperature as it is in spring, condensation is larger than evaporation. This is a relatively small component of the net annual water budget of the lakes, but the total amount of condensation may be important for seasonal energy fluxes and atmospheric deposition of pollutants and nutrients to the lakes. Seasonal energy fluxes determine, and are influenced by, ice cover, water and air temperatures, and evaporation in the Great Lakes. We aim to quantify the amount of spring condensation on the Great Lakes using the National Center for Atmospheric Prediction North American Regional Reanalysis (NCEP NARR) Data for Winter 2013 to Spring 2017 and compare the condensation values of spring seasons following high volume, high duration and low volume, low duration ice cover.

The Value of RFID Benefits vs Costs

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

RFID technology presents a great potential for creating competitive advantage. By automating and simplifying data collection, it lets users more accurately track assets and monitor key indicators, which in turn gives greater visibility to the operations. However, the benefits received from this technology will be determined by how well it is integrated with the business processes and overall information flow. Because of the fact that the decision to deploy RFID technology in an enterprise is a business decision instead of a technology decision, cost-benefit analysis is a key component of this decision. If an RFID deployment cannot be justified in terms of its economic value to the company, it is not likely to help the company; and consequently, it is not likely to remain a viable deployment over the long term.   The Value of RFID describes the business value of RFID and explains the costs and benefits of this technology comprehensively. Different investment evaluation models are proposed to use in various ap...

Consumo e valor nutritivo de alimentos utilizados para Bicudo-verdadeiro (“Sporophila maximiliani” Consumption and nutritive value of feedstuffs used for great-billed seed finch (“Sporophila maximiliani”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elis Regina de Moraes Garcia

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Foi conduzido um estudo para determinar o consumo e o valor nutritivo do alpiste comum (Phalaris Canariensis L., arroz (Oryza Sativa L., painço verde (Panicum Miliaceum L. e capim-arroz (Echinochloa Spp para Bicudo-verdadeiro (Sporophila maximiliani. Foram utilizadas 24 fêmeas adultas com idade média de dois anos, distribuídas em um delineamento inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro tratamentos, três repetições e duas aves por unidade experimental. Foi utilizado o método de coleta total de excretas para determinar os coeficientes de metabolização aparente da matéria seca, proteína e energia, assim como os valores de energia metabolizável aparente e corrigida para o balanço de nitrogênio. Não houve diferença nos consumos, com média de 3,55±0,11 gramas de alimento/ave/dia. O arroz apresentou os melhores valores para os coeficientes de metabolização da matéria seca (90,57% e da energia (90,55%. Os coeficientes de metabolização da proteína não diferiram entre os alimentos. Os melhores valores de energia metabolizável foram obtidos para o alpiste (3.612kcal/EM kg e o capim-arroz (3.509kcal/EM kg.An experiment was carried out to determinate the nutritive value and consumption of canary grass (Phalaris canariensis L., rice (Oryza sativa L., proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L. and barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp for the Great-billed Seed Finch (Sporophila maximiliani. Twenty four adult females averaging two years of age were assigned to a completely randomized design with four treatments, three replicates and two birds per pen. Fecal output was used to determine dry matter, protein and energy metabolizable coefficients, and also the values of apparent metabolizable energy and corrected by nitrogen. No differences were observed in consumption, with 3.55±0.11g of feedstuff/birds/day. Rice provided the best values for metabolization coefficients of dry matter (90.57% and energy (90.55%. No differences were observed for protein

Task completion report for investigating why output signal-variable values differ from their output component-parameter values in test problem MST2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinke, R.G.

1997-01-01

Signal-variable values and their component-parameter values differ in an end-of-timestep edit to the TRCOUT and TRCGRF files because signal variables have beginning-of-timestep values, and component parameters have end-of-timestep values. Oscillatory divergence in the MST2 standard test problem after 9000 s occurs because of TRAC-P's numerical evaluation at a 1000 material Courant number. The magnitude of that divergence has diminished by a factor of 3.5 from Version 5.3.01 to 5.4.15 and by a factor of 25 from Version 5.4.15 to 5.4.28. That divergence can be eliminated by evaluating MST2 with a maximum material Courant number of 500

Net energy value of maize ethanol as a response to different climate and soil conditions in the southeastern USA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Persson, Tomas; Garcia y Garcia, Axel; Paz, Joel O.; Hoogenboom, Gerrit [Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, 1109 Experiment Street, The University of Georgia, Griffin, GA 30223 (United States); Jones, James W. [Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Frazier Rogers Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

2009-08-15

A recent increase in the demand for bio-ethanol has sparked maize production in the USA and other countries across the world. The net energy value (NEV), i.e. the energy output in ethanol and co-products after accounting for energy input requirements in the production chain of ethanol, is a measure of its sustainability. Grain yield of maize, which varies substantially across different climate and soil conditions, greatly impacts the ethanol NEV. The objectives of this study were to determine i) the NEV of ethanol produced from maize grown in four production regions in the southeastern USA and, ii) the specific impact of local soil variability under the same climate conditions within the four regions on the NEV of maize-ethanol. Maize yield was simulated with the Cropping System Model (CSM)-CERES-Maize model for soil and weather conditions, and management practices representing Bulloch, Floyd, Laurens and Mitchell counties, Georgia, USA. The calculation of ethanol NEV took into account the energy inputs and outputs of the entire ethanol production chain, and was based on the crop simulations. There were statistically significant differences in ethanol NEV among the counties, and within counties due to local soil variability. Differences in ethanol NEV among counties were partially due to different transportation distances. Based on the results of this study, it was concluded that maize-ethanol NEV can be increased by accounting for the soil and climate factors in the feedstock production and by locating ethanol-processing facilities in regions with soil and climate conditions that are favorable for ethanol-maize production. (author)

The cultural differences in perceived value of disclosure and cognition: Spain and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Fainsinger, Robin L; Núñez-Olarte, Juan M; Demoissac, Donna M

2003-01-01

A previous multicentre international study on sedation at the end of life has detected major differences between Canadian and Spanish patients. This was particularly evident in the need to sedate Spanish patients for psychological/existential distress. This study was designed to explore the hypothesis that marked differences in the value patients and families attach to disclosure and cognition were a factor. The study population included patients referred to two palliative care consulting services based in acute care hospitals in Madrid, Spain (M), and in Edmonton, Canada (E). Questions addressed the issue of clear thinking, pain/nausea-medication-induced somnolence/confusion, anxiety/antidepressant-medication-induced somnolence/confusion, details of diagnosis. One hundred patients were evaluated on each site. Patients and families in E placed a higher value on clear thinking, change in medication causing somnolence/confusion, and wanting full disclosure. Patients and families in E agreed almost 100% of the time, while agreement in M varied from 42% to 67%. These results suggest major differences in the perceived value of clear cognition and disclosure of information between patients and families in E and M. The lack of agreement between patients and families in M is a further significant factor that may complicate communication with patients and families, as well as medical management.

Great Lakes Literacy Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Fortner, Rosanne W.; Manzo, Lyndsey

2011-03-01

Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Erie together form North America's Great Lakes, a region that contains 20% of the world's fresh surface water and is home to roughly one quarter of the U.S. population (Figure 1). Supporting a $4 billion sport fishing industry, plus $16 billion annually in boating, 1.5 million U.S. jobs, and $62 billion in annual wages directly, the Great Lakes form the backbone of a regional economy that is vital to the United States as a whole (see http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/downloads/economy/11-708-Great-Lakes-Jobs.pdf). Yet the grandeur and importance of this freshwater resource are little understood, not only by people in the rest of the country but also by many in the region itself. To help address this lack of knowledge, the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Great Lakes, supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, developed literacy principles for the Great Lakes to serve as a guide for education of students and the public. These “Great Lakes Literacy Principles” represent an understanding of the Great Lakes' influences on society and society's influences on the Great Lakes.

Microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones in Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks: how do these features relate to differences in flight and hunting behavior?

Science.gov (United States)

Marelli, Crystal A; Simons, Erin L R

2014-01-01

The Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl are two species of raptor that are similar in body size, diet, and habitat. Both species use their hindlimbs during hunting, but differ in foot morphology, how they approach and immobilize prey, and the average size of prey captured. They also differ in primary flight style: the Red-tailed Hawk uses static soaring and the Great Horned Owl uses flap-gliding. The objectives of this study were to characterize the microstructure and cross-sectional shape of limb bones of these species and examine the relationship with flight and hunting behaviors. The mid-shaft of six limb bones from six individuals of each species was sampled. The degree of bone laminarity (proportion of circular primary vascular canals) and cross-sectional geometric parameters were calculated. In both species, the humerus and femur exhibited features that suggest high resistance to torsional loading, whereas the tibiotarsus and phalanges had a shape more likely to resist compression and bending in a specific plane. The femur of the Red-tailed Hawk exhibited higher laminarity and larger polar moment of area than that of the Great Horned Owl. The tibiotarsus was more elliptical than that of the Great Horned Owl. The hawk approaches prey from a more horizontal axis, takes prey of greater mass, and is more likely to pursue prey on the ground, which could potentially be causing more torsional loads on the femur and bending loads on the tibiotarsus. In addition, differences in polar moment of area of the phalanges between the species could relate to differences in foot morphology or digit length. The humerus and ulna of the flap-gliding Great Horned Owl are more elliptical than the static soaring Red-tailed Hawk, a shape that may better resist the bending loads associated with a larger amount of flapping.

Moral reasoning about great apes in research

Science.gov (United States)

Okamoto, Carol Midori

2006-04-01

This study explored how individuals (biomedical scientists, Great Ape Project activists, lay adults, undergraduate biology and environmental studies students, and Grade 12 and 9 biology students) morally judge and reason about using great apes in biomedical and language research. How these groups perceived great apes' mental capacities (e.g., pain, logical thinking) and how these perceptions related to their judgments were investigated through two scenarios. In addition, the kinds of informational statements (e.g., biology, economics) that may affect individuals' scenario judgments were investigated. A negative correlation was found between mental attributions and scenario judgments while no clear pattern occurred for the informational statements. For the biomedical scenario, all groups significantly differed in mean judgment ratings except for the biomedical scientists, GAP activists and Grade 9 students. For the language scenario, all groups differed except for the GAP activists, and undergraduate environmental studies and Grade 9 students. An in-depth qualitative analysis showed that although the biomedical scientists, GAP activists and Grade 9 students had similar judgments, they produced different mean percentages of justifications under four moral frameworks (virtue, utilitarianism, deontology, and welfare). The GAP activists used more virtue reasoning while the biomedical scientists and Grade 9 students used more utilitarian and welfare reasoning, respectively. The results are discussed in terms of developing environmental/humane education curricula.

An interactive algorithm for identifying multiattribute measurable value functions based on finite-order independence of structural difference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamura, Hiroyuki; Hikita, Shiro

1985-01-01

In this paper, we develop an interactive algorithm for identifying multiattribute measurable value functions based on the concept of finite-order independence of structural difference. This concept includes Dyer and Sarin's weak difference independence as special cases. The algorithm developed is composed of four major parts: 1) formulation of the problem 2) assessment of normalized conditional value functions and structural difference functions 3) assessment of corner values 4) assessment of the order of independence of structural difference and selection of the model. A hypothetical numerical example of a trade-off analysis for siting a nuclear power plant is included. (author)

Similarities and differences in imperial administration Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina 1878-1903

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić Anja

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the similarities and differences of the position of Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the age of New Imperialism. Comparative approach will allow us to put both situations in their historical context. Austria-Hungary’s absorption of Bosnia-Herzegovina was part of colonial involvement throughout the world. Egypt and Bosnia-Herzegovina were formally parts of the Ottoman Empire, although occupied and administrated by European Powers. Two administrators, Evelyn Baring as consul-general in Egypt and Benjamin von Kállay as civil administrator of Bosnia-Herzegovina, believed that it was their duty to bring “civilization”, prosperity and western culture to these lands - a classic argumentation found in the New Imperialism discourse. One of the most important tasks for both administrators was fighting the national movements, which led to the suppression of political freedoms and the introduction of a large administrative apparatus to govern the newly-occupied lands. Complete control over political life and the educational system was also one of the major features of both administrations. Both Great Britain in Egypt and Austria-Hungary in Bosnia-Herzegovina never tackled the agrarian question for their own political reasons. British rule in Egypt and Austro-Hungarian in Bosnia-Herzegovina bore striking resemblances.

Measuring Value-at-Risk and Expected Shortfall of crude oil portfolio using extreme value theory and vine copula

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Wenhua; Yang, Kun; Wei, Yu; Lei, Likun

2018-01-01

Volatilities of crude oil price have important impacts on the steady and sustainable development of world real economy. Thus it is of great academic and practical significance to model and measure the volatility and risk of crude oil markets accurately. This paper aims to measure the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) of a portfolio consists of four crude oil assets by using GARCH-type models, extreme value theory (EVT) and vine copulas. The backtesting results show that the combination of GARCH-type-EVT models and vine copula methods can produce accurate risk measures of the oil portfolio. Mixed R-vine copula is more flexible and superior to other vine copulas. Different GARCH-type models, which can depict the long-memory and/or leverage effect of oil price volatilities, however offer similar marginal distributions of the oil returns.

Homogenization of the lipid profile values.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedro-Botet, Juan; Rodríguez-Padial, Luis; Brotons, Carlos; Esteban-Salán, Margarita; García-Lerín, Aurora; Pintó, Xavier; Lekuona, Iñaki; Ordóñez-Llanos, Jordi

Analytical reports from the clinical laboratory are essential to guide clinicians about what lipid profile values should be considered altered and, therefore, require intervention. Unfortunately, there is a great heterogeneity in the lipid values reported as "normal, desirable, recommended or referenced" by clinical laboratories. This can difficult clinical decisions and be a barrier to achieve the therapeutic goals for cardiovascular prevention. A recent international recommendation has added a new heterogeneity factor for the interpretation of lipid profile, such as the possibility of measuring it without previous fasting. All this justifies the need to develop a document that adapts the existing knowledge to the clinical practice of our health system. In this regard, professionals from different scientific societies involved in the measurement and use of lipid profile data have developed this document to establish recommendations that facilitate their homogenization. Copyright © 2017. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U.

Girls and Mathematics--A "Hopeless" Issue? A Control-Value Approach to Gender Differences in Emotions towards Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Frenzel, Anne C.; Pekrun, Reinhard; Goetz, Thomas

2007-01-01

This study analyzed gender differences in achievement emotions in the domain of mathematics. Based on Pekrun's (2000, 2006) control-value theory of achievement emotions, we hypothesized that there are gender differences in mathematics emotions due to the students' different levels of control and value beliefs in mathematics, even when controlling…

Who profits from innovation in global value chains? A study of the iPod and notebook PCs

OpenAIRE

Jason Dedrick; Kenneth L. Kraemer; Greg Linden

2010-01-01

This article analyzes the distribution of financial value from innovation in the global supply chains of iPods and notebook computers. We find that Apple has captured a great deal of value from the innovation embodied in the iPod, while notebook makers capture a more modest share of the value from PC innovation. In order to understand these differences, we employ concepts from theories of innovation and industrial organization, finding significant roles for industry evolution, complementary a...

The value of electricity distribution networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Paoli, L.

2000-01-01

This article presents the results of a study aimed at evaluating parts of the distribution network of ENEL, in charge of distributing and supplying electricity to its captive market, that could be sold as a separate entity. To determine the asset value of these hypothetical companies, the discounted cash flow method has been used applied to the 147 ENEL's distributing zones. The econometric analysis shows that the relevant variables are the quantity sold to non residential and non big industrial consumers and the length of medium voltage lines. According to the available data and to the methodology chosen, the per client value of the distribution zones of ENEL varies substantially. The maximum value is bout three times the mean value and the minimum value is largely negative. The article maintains that changes in regulation could greatly modify the asset value of distribution networks. The main regulatory risks are linked to the degree of market opening, the introduction of compensation mechanisms between different distributors and the allowed maximum revenue fixed by energy Authority for a given period of time. This point is developed in the appendix where it is shown that the price cap method is decided on the basis of a rate of return which is valid at the moment of the cap fixing but that could be no longer valid if the rate of inflation varies [it

Clutch size and parental effort in the Great Tit Parus major

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhulst, S.; Tinbergen, J.M.

1997-01-01

We experimentally reduced clutch size of Great Tits Parus major to investigate the effects on parental care (including Daily Energy Expenditure, DEE, measured with doubly labelled water), and the relationship between DEE and the residual reproductive value. The length of a working day was not

Nutritional value of sorghum silage of different purposes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arthur Behling Neto

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Sorghum is a crop that stands out as an alternative to corn due to lower soil fertility demand and increased tolerance to drought. Lack of information about the qualitative behaviour of sorghum hinders the recommendation of different purpose sorghum cultivars. The goal was to evaluate the chemical composition and in vitro digestibility of different purpose sorghum cultivar silages, at two cropping seasons. The trial was conducted at the Plant Production Department, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rondônia, Colorado do Oeste campus, and chemical analyses and in vitro incubation were performed at the Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá campus. The experimental design was a randomized block with a split-plot arrangement and four replications. Plot treatments consisted of six different purpose sorghum cultivars (BRS 308 and BRS 310, grain sorghum; BR 655 and BRS 610, forage sorghum; and BRS 506 and CMSXS 647, sweet sorghum. Split-plot treatments consisted of two cropping periods (first crop and second crop. Forage sorghum cultivar BRS 655 demonstrated higher non-fiber carbohydrate content and lower potentially digestible fibre content than the other cultivars did. Sweet sorghum cultivars had higher levels of water soluble carbohydrates and non-protein nitrogen based on protein, lower indigestible neutral detergent fibre content at second crop, and higher in vitro dry matter digestibility than the other cultivars. The silages of sweet sorghum cultivars BRS 506 and CMSXS 647, and forage sorghum cultivar BRS 655 presented higher nutritional values.

Energy and water in the Great Lakes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tidwell, Vincent Carroll

2011-11-01

The nexus between thermoelectric power production and water use is not uniform across the U.S., but rather differs according to regional physiography, demography, power plant fleet composition, and the transmission network. That is, in some regions water demand for thermoelectric production is relatively small while in other regions it represents the dominate use. The later is the case for the Great Lakes region, which has important implications for the water resources and aquatic ecology of the Great Lakes watershed. This is today, but what about the future? Projected demographic trends, shifting lifestyles, and economic growth coupled with the threat of global climate change and mounting pressure for greater U.S. energy security could have profound effects on the region's energy future. Planning for such an uncertain future is further complicated by the fact that energy and environmental planning and regulatory decisionmaking is largely bifurcated in the region, with environmental and water resource concerns generally taken into account after new energy facilities and technologies have been proposed, or practices are already in place. Based on these confounding needs, the objective of this effort is to develop Great Lakes-specific methods and tools to integrate energy and water resource planning and thereby support the dual goals of smarter energy planning and development, and protection of Great Lakes water resources. Guiding policies for this planning are the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact and the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The desired outcome of integrated energy-water-aquatic resource planning is a more sustainable regional energy mix for the Great Lakes basin ecosystem.

Combined apparent diffusion coefficient value (ADC and 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS in breast lesions: Benefits and limitations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enass M. Khattab

2018-06-01

Conclusion: A great advantage of ADC value is the significant difference between benign and malignant lesions, because of this it plays an important role in characterization of breast lesions. MRS is the only in vivo technique which can detect tissue metabolites. In our study combined MRS with ADC value increased sensitivity in detecting lesions, while the specificity remained at lower level than that of the ADC value alone.

Transcutaneous oximetry measurements of the leg: comparing different measuring equipment and establishing values in healthy young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Trinks, Tobias P; Blake, Denise F; Young, Derelle A; Thistlethwaite, Ken; Vangaveti, Venkat N

2017-06-01

Transcutaneous oximetry measurement (TCOM) is a non-invasive method of determining oxygen tension at the skin level using heated electrodes. To compare TCOM values generated by different machines and to establish lower limb TCOM values in a cohort of healthy individuals younger than 40 years of age. Sixteen healthy, non-smoking volunteers aged 18 to 39 years were recruited. TCOM was obtained at six locations on the lower leg and foot using three different Radiometer machines. Measurements were taken with subjects lying supine, breathing air. Except for one sensor site, there were no statistical differences in measurements obtained by the different TCOM machines. There was no statistical difference in measurements comparing left and right legs. Room air TCOM values for the different lower leg sites were (mean (SD) in mmHg): lateral leg 61.5 (9.2); lateral ankle 61.1 (9.7); medial ankle 59.1 (10.8); foot, first and second toe 63.4 (10.6); foot, fifth toe 59.9 (13.2) and plantar foot 74.1 (8.8). The overall mean TCOM value for the lower limb was 61 (10.8; 95% confidence intervals 60.05-62.0) mmHg. Lower-leg TCOM measurements using different Radiometer TCOM machines were comparable. Hypoxia has been defined as lower-leg TCOM values of less than 40 mmHg in non-diabetic patients and this is supported by our measurements. The majority (96.9%) of the lower leg TCOM values in healthy young adults are above the hypoxic threshold.

Cultural differences between East and West Germany after 1991 : Communist values versus economic performance?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoorn, A.A.J.; Maseland, R.K.J.

2010-01-01

Two decades after reunification substantial economic disparities between East and West Germany remain. With formal institutions being equalized, a typical explanation is that the partition of Germany created differences in economic values and attitudes that continue to feed differences in economic

Survey of heavy metals in internal tissues of Great cormorant collected from southern wetlands of Caspian Sea, Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Aazami, Jaber; KianiMehr, Naser

2017-12-29

The level of mercury, iron, copper, and zinc was measured in 18 Great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) collected from Anzali and Gomishan wetlands in the south of the Caspian Sea. The mean level of metals in dried tissues of the muscle, liver, and kidney was 2.26, 5.71, 3.79-Hg; 943.54, 379.97, 348.05-Fe; 42.64, 14.78, 60.79-Cu, and 71.97, 134.63, 77.82-Zn, respectively (mg/kg). There was no significant different between genders in terms of accumulation of metals, except for copper in the kidney. The results of Pearson correlation showed a positive and strong relationship between the fat in the liver and mercury (r = 0.95, R 2  = 0.90). Also, there was a significant difference between the values of all metals with the allowable limits presented in EPA, WHO, and CCME, where all of values were above standard levels. Thus, as the muscles of the bird are sometimes eaten by humans, this result is a serious warning. Nevertheless, the relatively high levels of heavy metals accumulated in different tissues of Great cormorant at that time are a result of their high weight and nourishment they have at the terminal days of their migration due to lack of natural physical activity. Regarding to the importance of heavy metals in birds, we suggest the same study to be conducted on the species in other seasons and wetlands.

Towards accurate T-3He Q-value

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eronen, Tommi; Hoecker, Martin; Ketter, Jochen; Streubel, Sebastian; Blaum, Klaus [Max-Planck Institut fuer Kernphysik, Heidelberg (Germany); Van Dyck, Robert S. Jr. [Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA (United States)

2013-07-01

Great efforts have been put forward to determine the neutrino mass from tritium β decay. The most prominent experimental setup, KATRIN, is expected to deliver an upper limit to the neutrino mass that is one order of magnitude more stringent than the current value by measuring the endpoint and the shape of the β spectrum of the tritium decay. The endpoint energy (assuming zero neutrino mass) can also be deduced from the Q-value of the decay by measuring the mass difference of tritium and the daughter {sup 3}He using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Such a measurement would give an excellent, independent calibration point for the KATRIN experiment to deduce its systematics. Our mass-difference measurement utilizes the Tritium- Helium double Penning trap (THe-Trap) setup. Based on the anharmonic cyclotron frequency determination method pioneered at the University of Washington, Seattle, precision at the level of 1 part in 10{sup 11} in the T/{sup 3}He mass ratio is expected. In this contribution, I describe the motivation, the principle, current status, and expectations of the experiment.

MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN VALUES IN NIGERIA: A ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ways in which they developed and managed people (CIPD, 2003). ... In support of human values as the chief driver of management change and the .... great world religions have a large area of agreement on the basic moral values, ..... the conditions in which individuals may satisfy their motivational needs and in which.

In vitro evaluation of resonance frequency analysis values to different implant contact ratio and stiffness of surrounding material.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Mu-Seung; Kim, Seok-Gyu

2013-11-01

The present study was aimed to evaluate the influence of implant contact ratio and stiffness of implant-surrounding materials on the resonance frequency analysis (RFA) values. Seventy resin blocks that had the different amounts (100, 50, 30, 15%) of resin-implant contact (RIC) were fabricated. Ten silicone putty blocks with 100% silicone-implant contact were also made. The implants with Ø5.0 mm × 13.0 mm were placed on eighty specimen blocks. The RFA value was measured on the transducer that was connected to each implant by Osstell Mentor. Kruskal-Wallis and Scheffe's tests (α=.05) were done for statistical analysis. The control resin group with 100% RIC had the highest RFA value of 83.9, which was significantly different only from the resin group with 15% RIC among the resin groups. The silicone putty group with 100% contact had the lowest RFA value of 36.6 and showed statistically significant differences from the resin groups. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, there was no significant difference in the RFA values among the resin groups with different RIC's except when the RIC difference was more than 85%. A significant increase in the RFA value was observed related to the increase in stiffness of material around implant.

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN EMPLOYEE WORK VALUES AND THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT

OpenAIRE

Matić, Jennifer L.

2008-01-01

Research has clearly established that culture affects the application of management theories and practices. Work values, in particular, are an important part of cross-cultural understanding in that they are themselves measures of cultural dimensions, and also have strong implications for many areas of management, from employee motivation to organizational communication. In order to successfully implement management practices originating in a different culture, it is necessary to first ide...

The method of extraction of subspectra with appreciably different values of hyperfine interaction parameters from Moessbauer spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nemtsova, O.M.

2006-01-01

The task of Moessbauer spectra processing of complex locally inhomogeneous or multi-phase systems is to reveal subspectral contributions with appreciably different values of hyperfine interaction parameters (HFI) in them. A universal method of processing such spectra is suggested which allows to extract the probability density distribution (PDD) of HFI parameters corresponding to the subspectra with essentially different parameters values. The basis of the method is Tikhonov's regularization method with selection for each subspectrum its own value of the regularization parameter. The universal application of the method is demonstrated in the examples of processing real spectra with different sets of subspectral contributions

Assessing effects of military aircraft noise on residential property values near airbases

Science.gov (United States)

Fidell, Sanford; Tabachnick, Barbara; Silvati, Laura; Cook, Brenda

The question, 'Does military aircraft noise exposure affect residential property values in the vicinity of Air Force bases?', can be asked and answered with varying degrees of generality and tolerable errors of inference. Definitive answers are difficult to develop because the question itself may not be meaningful in some circumstances: property values are affected by many factors other than aircraft noise which can fluctuate greatly in different areas and during different time periods; credible attribution of causality for changes in property values uniquely to aircraft noise requires many costly study design measures; and prior findings suggest that if a relationship exists, it is not a large or especially strong one. Thus, evidence of a simple geographic association between aircraft noise exposure and residential property values does not provide a conclusive answer to the question. In an effort to develop more compelling evidence, the US Air Force is planning to compare historical records of sale prices of properties in areas of differential aircraft noise exposure during specific time periods with predictions of sale prices derived from a validated statistical model of residential property values.

Comparing WTP values of different types of QALY gain elicited from the general public.

Science.gov (United States)

Pennington, Mark; Baker, Rachel; Brouwer, Werner; Mason, Helen; Hansen, Dorte Gyrd; Robinson, Angela; Donaldson, Cam

2015-03-01

The appropriate thresholds for decisions on the cost-effectiveness of medical interventions remain controversial, especially in 'end-of-life' situations. Evidence of the values placed on different types of health gain by the general public is limited. Across nine European countries, 17,657 people were presented with different hypothetical health scenarios each involving a gain of one quality adjusted life year (QALY) and asked about their willingness to pay (WTP) for that gain. The questions included quality of life (QoL) enhancing and life extending health gains, and a scenario where respondents faced imminent, premature death. The mean WTP values for a one-QALY gain composed of QoL improvements were modest (PPP$11,000). When comparing QALY gains obtained in the near future, the valuation of life extension exceeded the valuation of QoL enhancing gains (mean WTP PPP$19,000 for a scenario in which a coma is avoided). The mean WTP values were higher still when respondents faced imminent, premature death (PPP$29,000). Evidence from the largest survey on the value of health gains by the general public indicated a higher value for life extending gains compared with QoL enhancing gains. A further modest premium may be indicated for life extension when facing imminent, premature death. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Parent-Youth Differences in Familism Values from Adolescence into Young Adulthood: Developmental Course and Links with Parent-Youth Conflict

Science.gov (United States)

McHale, Susan M.; Rovine, Michael J.; Updegraff, Kimberly A.; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.

2016-01-01

A critical step in capturing family processes is to incorporate the perspectives and experiences of multiple family members toward characterizing how families operate as systems. Although some research has examined differences between parents' and youth's family experiences, most studies have focused on European American families, and we know little about the nature and implications of divergent parent-youth experiences in other ethnic groups. Accordingly, we focused on Mexican-origin families and assessed the links between mother-youth and father-youth differences in familism values and parent-youth conflict from early adolescence into young adulthood. Participants were mothers, fathers, and two siblings (248 female and 244 male; Mage = 14.02 years) from 246 families who were interviewed in their homes on three occasions over eight years. We operationalized parent-youth differences in familism values using difference scores, controlling for mean levels of familism. Multilevel models revealed that mothers' and fathers' familism values remained relatively stable over time, but youth's (51% female) familism values declined until age 17, stabilized, and then increased slightly in young adulthood. Lagged models tested directions of effect by examining whether parent-youth differences in familism values predicted parent-youth conflict or vice versa. The findings revealed that parent-youth conflict predicted greater differences in parent-youth familism values, but differences in familism values did not predict conflict. Our findings align with a family systems perspective in documenting the significance of differences between family members' perspectives and highlighting that such processes are dynamic. Further, by testing bidirectional associations in longitudinal models, we were able to disentangle the temporal ordering of differences in familism values and parent-youth conflict thereby advancing understanding of parent-youth discrepancies in cultural values. PMID

Economic values for production traits for different sheep breeds in Kosovo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hysen Bytyqi

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Generally, all traits of economic importance should be included in the breeding goal of livestock breeding programmes. The main aim of this study was to examine economic values for a combination of dairy and meat traits of the dual purpose Bardhoka (BAR, Balusha (BAL, Sharri (SHA and Kosova (KOS sheep breeds in Kosovo. The underlying herd model is based on a deterministic approach considering a sheep flock with milk production, lamb fattening and replacement stock. In order to examine the economic impact for different sheep breeds, the production traits considered were milk (milk yield and fattening (daily gain. For each lactation cycle among the breeds the main revenues resulted from selling milk (€ 61.82/46.03/26.37/27.22 and fattened lambs (€ 34.06/39.88/35.42/33.92 for BAR/BAL/ SHA/KOS, respectively. For BAR and BAL the economic value per average ewe place and year was € 37.7 for both breeds, while for SHA and KOS it was € 35.1 and € 32.5, respectively. For lamb fattening, daily gain was found to have the highest economic value at € 7.00 for BAL, SHA and KOS, while for BAR it was € 6.67. The relative economic values for milk yield and daily gain for BAR, BAL, SHA and KOS were 84.96:15.04, 84.42:15.58, 83.45:16.55, and 82.36:17.64, respectively.

The Added Value of FM : Different Research Perspectives

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jensen, P; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, C; von Felten, D; Lindholm, A

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to present and compare research perspectives and theoretical reflections from a variety of academic fields on the concept of Added Value of Facilities Management (FM).
Theory: The starting point is the so-called FM Value Map, which was presented in a paper by Jensen

Ritual as Indicative as of code as Values Ritual as Indicative as of code as Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Maria Teixeira

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Undoubtedly, the ritualistic connotation of Hemingway's work, and particularly of his short stories in IN OUR TIME, is very strong and worth analysing. Hemingway has even been criticized for his use of an unvarying code, his action almost always circling about ordeals, with triumphs and defeats in the bullring, the battlefield, the trout stream or other male proving grounds, where great value is placed on raw physical courage. Undoubtedly, the ritualistic connotation of Hemingway's work, and particularly of his short stories in IN OUR TIME, is very strong and worth analysing. Hemingway has even been criticized for his use of an unvarying code, his action almost always circling about ordeals, with triumphs and defeats in the bullring, the battlefield, the trout stream or other male proving grounds, where great value is placed on raw physical courage.

Set-valued optimization an introduction with applications

CERN Document Server

Khan, Akhtar A; Zalinescu, Constantin

2014-01-01

Set-valued optimization is a vibrant and expanding branch of mathematics that deals with optimization problems where the objective map and/or the constraints maps are set-valued maps acting between certain spaces. Since set-valued maps subsumes single valued maps, set-valued optimization provides an important extension and unification of the scalar as well as the vector optimization problems. Therefore this relatively new discipline has justifiably attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. This book presents, in a unified framework, basic properties on ordering relations, solution c

Heating value characteristics of sewage sludge: a comparative study of different sludge types

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young-JU.; Kang, Hae-Ok.; Qureshi, T.I.

2005-01-01

Heating value characteristics of three different types of sludge, i.e. domestic sewage sludge, industrial sludge, and industrial + domestic sewage sludge were investigated. Industrial + domestic sewage sludge (thickened) showed the highest heating value (5040 kcal/kg) than other sludge types. This may be due to increased amount of organic matter presents in thickened sludge than de-watered sludge. A gradual increase in organic matter of the sludge was observed with the increase of the moisture contents. Heating value of the sludge having 60% moisture contents was found in the range between 924-1656 kcal/kg and this amount was higher than the minimum heating value (800 kcal/kg) required sustaining auto thermal combustion in sludge incineration process. Energy consumption requirement for pre drying sludge operations revealed that industrial sludge (de-watered) required the minimum cost (13 $/ton of sludge) to make it a sludge of fuel grade (60% W), while mixed sludge cost the highest amount for its pre-drying operations. (author)

The role of personal values in children's costly sharing and non-costly giving.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramson, Lior; Daniel, Ella; Knafo-Noam, Ariel

2018-01-01

This study examined whether children's values, global and abstract motivations serving as guiding principles, are organized similarly to those of adults, whether values can predict individual differences in children's sharing behaviors, and whether the normative nature of the situation influences the expression of these individual differences. Children (N=243, ages 5-12years) participated in a values ranking task as part of a visit to a science museum. The majority of children (n=150) also participated in a task examining costly sharing (i.e., sharing that results in giving up part of one's own resources) and non-costly giving (i.e., giving that does not influence one's own share). Starting from 5years of age, children showed a structure of values similar to that of adolescents and adults, specifically contrasting preferences for opposing values (i.e., self-transcendence with self-enhancement and openness to change with conservation). Importance given to self-transcendence values related positively to costly sharing but not to non-costly giving, indicating that in situations where it is more normative to share, individual differences in values are less expressed in children's actual sharing. In addition, children's sex and age moderated the relation between values and behavior. Children's values are an important aspect of their developing personalities. Taking them into consideration can greatly promote the research of prosocial and normative development as well as our understanding of individual differences in children's behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Value of life and nuclear design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, R.A.; Matheson, J.E.; Owen, D.L.

1978-01-01

Using the decision analysis framework, an implicit value of life can be determined for design decisions that have death as a possible outcome. A survey of the literature and calculations suggest a great inconsistency in the implied value of life. It is shown that by using a consistent, explicit value of life, the total expected number of deaths from all projects can be reduced without increasing total expenditures or reducing benefits. The explicit value of life directly affects design decisions. Some recent research indicates that the value that an individual places on his own life can be characterized by a few assessments of the individual's circumstances and his preferences

Figuring Somepin 'bout the Great Depression. Learning Page Lesson Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

McElroy, Amy; Pietsch, Chris

These 10th and 11th grade lessons plans related to the Great Depression and the novel "The Grapes of Wrath" help students to: develop research skills and strategies, such as keyword searches, for finding information; recognize and use the different voices of migrants; and understand the politics of migration and the Great Depression. By…

Plutonium and Cs-137 in autopsy tissues in Great Britain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popplewell, D.S.; Ham, G.J.; Dodd, N.J.; Shuttler, S.D.

1988-01-01

Tissues removed at autopsy from members of the general public contain significantly higher concentrations of plutonium and 137 Cs in west Cumbrians than in people from three other regions of Great Britain. Several autopsy cases from Cumbria showed unusually high values of plutonium. Subsequently it was found that the subjects had been former employees of British Nuclear Fuels. 7 refs.; 8 tabs

The Contribution of Different Patterns of Teachers' Interactions to Young Children's Experiences of Democratic Values during Play

Science.gov (United States)

Zachrisen, Berit

2016-01-01

Developing a sense of belonging and experiences about the value of community are important democratic values that children may learn during play in preschool. Through the different ways that teachers' interact with children during play, children can learn about democratic values. This study is part of a Nordic project on values education in early…

Assessing Social Value in Open Data Initiatives: A Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gianluigi Viscusi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Open data initiatives are characterized, in several countries, by a great extension of the number of data sets made available for access by public administrations, constituencies, businesses and other actors, such as journalists, international institutions and academics, to mention a few. However, most of the open data sets rely on selection criteria, based on a technology-driven perspective, rather than a focus on the potential public and social value of data to be published. Several experiences and reports confirm this issue, such as those of the Open Data Census. However, there are also relevant best practices. The goal of this paper is to investigate the different dimensions of a framework suitable to support public administrations, as well as constituencies, in assessing and benchmarking the social value of open data initiatives. The framework is tested on three initiatives, referring to three different countries, Italy, the United Kingdom and Tunisia. The countries have been selected to provide a focus on European and Mediterranean countries, considering also the difference in legal frameworks (civic law vs. common law countries.

Reducing gender differences in performance in introductory college physics through values affirmation

Science.gov (United States)

Kost-Smith, Lauren

2011-04-01

Despite males and females being equally represented at the college level in several STEM disciplines (including biology, chemistry and mathematics), females continue to be under-represented in physics. Our research documents and addresses this participation gender gap in the introductory, calculus-based physics courses at the University of Colorado. We characterize gender differences in performance, psychological factors (including attitudes and beliefs) and retention that exist in Physics 1 and 2 [L. E. Kost, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010101 (2009); L. E. Kost-Smith, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6, 020112 (2010)]. We find that the gender differences in performance can largely be accounted for by measurable differences in the physics and mathematics backgrounds and incoming attitudes and beliefs of males and females. But these background factors do not completely account for the gender gaps. We hypothesize, based on gender differences in responses to survey questions about students' sense of physics identity and confidence levels, that identity threat (the fear of confirming a negative characterization about one's identity) is playing a role in our courses. Working with researchers in psychology, we implemented an intervention where students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the course [A. Miyake, et al., Science, 330, 1234 (2010)]. This ``values affirmation'' activity reduced the male-female performance difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. This brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance.

Evapotranspiration in winter wheat under different grazing and tillage practices in the southern Great Plains

Science.gov (United States)

Precipitation in the Southern Great Plains (SGP) is highly variable both spatially and temporally with recurring periods of severe drought. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) – summer fallow system with conventional tillage is the principal dryland cropping system in this region for both grazing an...

Modelling psychological responses to the Great East Japan earthquake and nuclear incident.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robin Goodwin

Full Text Available The Great East Japan (Tōhoku/Kanto earthquake of March 2011 was followed by a major tsunami and nuclear incident. Several previous studies have suggested a number of psychological responses to such disasters. However, few previous studies have modelled individual differences in the risk perceptions of major events, or the implications of these perceptions for relevant behaviours. We conducted a survey specifically examining responses to the Great Japan earthquake and nuclear incident, with data collected 11-13 weeks following these events. 844 young respondents completed a questionnaire in three regions of Japan; Miyagi (close to the earthquake and leaking nuclear plants, Tokyo/Chiba (approximately 220 km from the nuclear plants, and Western Japan (Yamaguchi and Nagasaki, some 1000 km from the plants. Results indicated significant regional differences in risk perception, with greater concern over earthquake risks in Tokyo than in Miyagi or Western Japan. Structural equation analyses showed that shared normative concerns about earthquake and nuclear risks, conservation values, lack of trust in governmental advice about the nuclear hazard, and poor personal control over the nuclear incident were positively correlated with perceived earthquake and nuclear risks. These risk perceptions further predicted specific outcomes (e.g. modifying homes, avoiding going outside, contemplating leaving Japan. The strength and significance of these pathways varied by region. Mental health and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the continuing uncertainties in Japan following the March 2011 events.

Modelling psychological responses to the Great East Japan earthquake and nuclear incident.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Robin; Takahashi, Masahito; Sun, Shaojing; Gaines, Stanley O

2012-01-01

The Great East Japan (Tōhoku/Kanto) earthquake of March 2011 was followed by a major tsunami and nuclear incident. Several previous studies have suggested a number of psychological responses to such disasters. However, few previous studies have modelled individual differences in the risk perceptions of major events, or the implications of these perceptions for relevant behaviours. We conducted a survey specifically examining responses to the Great Japan earthquake and nuclear incident, with data collected 11-13 weeks following these events. 844 young respondents completed a questionnaire in three regions of Japan; Miyagi (close to the earthquake and leaking nuclear plants), Tokyo/Chiba (approximately 220 km from the nuclear plants), and Western Japan (Yamaguchi and Nagasaki, some 1000 km from the plants). Results indicated significant regional differences in risk perception, with greater concern over earthquake risks in Tokyo than in Miyagi or Western Japan. Structural equation analyses showed that shared normative concerns about earthquake and nuclear risks, conservation values, lack of trust in governmental advice about the nuclear hazard, and poor personal control over the nuclear incident were positively correlated with perceived earthquake and nuclear risks. These risk perceptions further predicted specific outcomes (e.g. modifying homes, avoiding going outside, contemplating leaving Japan). The strength and significance of these pathways varied by region. Mental health and practical implications of these findings are discussed in the light of the continuing uncertainties in Japan following the March 2011 events.

Application of value engineering technique in construction project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Changbing

2003-01-01

The author introduces how to apply the theories and methods of the value engineering in construction project. In the construction of a test device of the thermal hydrodynamic process, the authors have greatly reduced the construction cost and shortened the construction period by using the value engineering analyzing method. The application of value engineering in the project management is innovative. This practice indicates that the value engineering is important in many construction projects

The Great Recession, unemployment and suicide.

Science.gov (United States)

Norström, Thor; Grönqvist, Hans

2015-02-01

How have suicide rates responded to the marked increase in unemployment spurred by the Great Recession? Our paper puts this issue into a wider perspective by assessing (1) whether the unemployment-suicide link is modified by the degree of unemployment protection, and (2) whether the effect on suicide of the present crisis differs from the effects of previous economic downturns. We analysed the unemployment-suicide link using time-series data for 30 countries spanning the period 1960-2012. Separate fixed-effects models were estimated for each of five welfare state regimes with different levels of unemployment protection (Eastern, Southern, Anglo-Saxon, Bismarckian and Scandinavian). We included an interaction term to capture the possible excess effect of unemployment during the Great Recession. The largest unemployment increases occurred in the welfare state regimes with the least generous unemployment protection. The unemployment effect on male suicides was statistically significant in all welfare regimes, except the Scandinavian one. The effect on female suicides was significant only in the eastern European country group. There was a significant gradient in the effects, being stronger the less generous the unemployment protection. The interaction term capturing the possible excess effect of unemployment during the financial crisis was not significant. Our findings suggest that the more generous the unemployment protection the weaker the detrimental impact on suicide of the increasing unemployment during the Great Recession. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Great Lakes Science Center

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — Since 1927, Great Lakes Science Center (GLSC) research has provided critical information for the sound management of Great Lakes fish populations and other important...

Staff perceptions of organisational values in a large South African manufacturing company: exploring socio-demographic differences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nico Martins

2011-11-01

Research purpose: The objective of the study was to explore the perceptions of men and women staff members, as well as members of various race and age groups, in a large South African manufacturing company about the current enactment of organisational values and the importance of these values. Motivation for the study: The challenge of managing multi-cultural work forces from different gender, race and generational backgrounds makes an understanding of how peoples’ values align with those of their organisations, as reflected in their cultures, necessary. Research design, approach and method: Using an organisational values scale, the researchers conducted a quantitative survey on a random sample of 988 participants employed in a large South African manufacturing company. Main findings: ANOVAs and post hoc multiple comparison of means tests revealed that gender, race and age have a significant effect on some of the dimensions of organisational values and that these biographical groups differ significantly in their perceptions of the importance of certain organisational values as well as how their organisations enact them. Practical/mangerial implications: The findings highlight the importance of understanding staff perceptions in creating greater commitment to organisational values as important aspects of an effective organisational culture. Contribution/value-add: This study is original research that contributes new knowledge to the field of organisational psychology and management practices.

Unemployment of Non-western Immigrants in the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Cerveny, J.; Ours, J.C. van

2013-01-01

Abstract: This paper examines whether unemployment of non-western immigrant workers in the Netherlands was disproportionally affected by the Great Recession. We analyze unemployment data covering the period November 2007 to February 2013 finding that the Great Recession affected unemployment rates of non-western immigrant workers in absolute terms more than unemployment rates of native workers. However, in relative terms there is not much of a difference. We also find that the sensitivity of ...

Air pollution and environmental justice in the Great Lakes region

Science.gov (United States)

Comer, Bryan

While it is true that air quality has steadily improved in the Great Lakes region, air pollution remains at unhealthy concentrations in many areas. Research suggests that vulnerable and susceptible groups in society -- e.g., minorities, the poor, children, and poorly educated -- are often disproportionately impacted by exposure to environmental hazards, including air pollution. This dissertation explores the relationship between exposure to ambient air pollution (interpolated concentrations of fine particulate matter, PM2.5) and sociodemographic factors (race, housing value, housing status, education, age, and population density) at the Census block-group level in the Great Lakes region of the United States. A relatively novel approach to quantitative environmental justice analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR), is compared with a simplified approach: ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. While OLS creates one global model to describe the relationship between air pollution exposure and sociodemographic factors, GWR creates many local models (one at each Census block group) that account for local variations in this relationship by allowing the value of regression coefficients to vary over space, overcoming OLS's assumption of homogeneity and spatial independence. Results suggest that GWR can elucidate patterns of potential environmental injustices that OLS models may miss. In fact, GWR results show that the relationship between exposure to ambient air pollution and sociodemographic characteristics is non-stationary and can vary geographically and temporally throughout the Great Lakes region. This suggests that regulators may need to address environmental justice issues at the neighborhood level, while understanding that the severity of environmental injustices can change throughout the year.

Differences in the Effects of the Great Recession on Health Outcomes among Minority Working-Age Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Towne, Samuel D; Probst, Janice C; Hardin, James W; Bell, Bethany A; Glover, Saundra

2015-03-01

We examined the effects of the Great Recession (December 2007-June 2009) among vulnerable adults who may be at high risk of poor health and low access to health care. Our primary outcomes of interest were self-reported health status (fair/poor versus good/very good/excellent), and foregoing needed health care due to cost in the past 12 months. Racial and ethnic minorities, except Asians, experienced higher rates of poor/fair health and higher rates of forgone medical care than did White adults. Hispanic and AIAN adults experienced differential effects of the Great Recession, as compared to White adults. Understanding how vulnerable populations react in times of economic flux will enable policy makers to identify strategies/policies to lessen the burden experienced by vulnerable adults.

Gender and Race/Ethnicity Differences in Mental Health Care Use before and during the Great Recession.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jie; Dagher, Rada

2016-04-01

This study examines the changes in health care utilization for mental health disorders among patients who were diagnosed with depressive and/or anxiety disorders during the Great Recession 2007-2009 in the USA. Negative binomial regressions are used to estimate the association of the economic recession and mental health care use for females and males separately. Results show that prescription drug utilization (e.g., antidepressants, psychotropic medications) increased significantly during the economic recession 2007-2009 for both females and males. Physician visits for mental health disorders decreased during the same period. Results show that racial disparities in mental health care might have increased, while ethnic disparities persisted during the Great Recession. Future research should separately examine mental health care utilization by gender and race/ethnicity.

Bringing China In: International Order and the Role of the Great Powers

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-01

powers. Can China Learn to Behave Like a Great Power: Spoiler, Supporter or Shirker? Realists generally contend that a structural transformation from...abandonment of American values, but for a distinction between the realizable and the absolute.”33 When Washington and Beijing ruminate on how to

Differences in work values : understanding the role of intra- versus inter-country variation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoorn, A.A.J.

2015-01-01

A growing literature emphasizes the need for studies taking a contingency perspective to international HRM to move beyond mean country differences in work values and begin considering intra-country variation (ICV). We use individual-level data on Hofstedeian values—not hitherto available—to infuse

Using virtual reality to estimate aesthetic values of coral reefs

Science.gov (United States)

Clifford, Sam; Caley, M. Julian; Pearse, Alan R.; Brown, Ross; James, Allan; Christensen, Bryce; Bednarz, Tomasz; Anthony, Ken; González-Rivero, Manuel; Mengersen, Kerrie; Peterson, Erin E.

2018-01-01

Aesthetic value, or beauty, is important to the relationship between humans and natural environments and is, therefore, a fundamental socio-economic attribute of conservation alongside other ecosystem services. However, beauty is difficult to quantify and is not estimated well using traditional approaches to monitoring coral-reef aesthetics. To improve the estimation of ecosystem aesthetic values, we developed and implemented a novel framework used to quantify features of coral-reef aesthetics based on people's perceptions of beauty. Three observer groups with different experience to reef environments (Marine Scientist, Experienced Diver and Citizen) were virtually immersed in Australian's Great Barrier Reef (GBR) using 360° images. Perceptions of beauty and observations were used to assess the importance of eight potential attributes of reef-aesthetic value. Among these, heterogeneity, defined by structural complexity and colour diversity, was positively associated with coral-reef-aesthetic values. There were no group-level differences in the way the observer groups perceived reef aesthetics suggesting that past experiences with coral reefs do not necessarily influence the perception of beauty by the observer. The framework developed here provides a generic tool to help identify indicators of aesthetic value applicable to a wide variety of natural systems. The ability to estimate aesthetic values robustly adds an important dimension to the holistic conservation of the GBR, coral reefs worldwide and other natural ecosystems. PMID:29765676

Predictive value of cognition for different domains of outcome in recent-onset schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Holthausen, Esther A E; Wiersma, Durk; Cahn, Wiepke; Kahn, René S; Dingemans, Peter M; Schene, Aart H; van den Bosch, Robert J

2007-01-15

The aim of this study was to see whether and how cognition predicts outcome in recent-onset schizophrenia in a large range of domains such as course of illness, self-care, interpersonal functioning, vocational functioning and need for care. At inclusion, 115 recent-onset patients were tested on a cognitive battery and 103 patients participated in the follow-up 2 years after inclusion. Differences in outcome between cognitively normal and cognitively impaired patients were also analysed. Cognitive measures at inclusion did not predict number of relapses, activities of daily living and interpersonal functioning. Time in psychosis or in full remission, as well as need for care, were partly predicted by specific cognitive measures. Although statistically significant, the predictive value of cognition with regard to clinical outcome was limited. There was a significant difference between patients with and without cognitive deficits in competitive employment status and vocational functioning. The predictive value of cognition for different social outcome domains varies. It seems that cognition most strongly predicts work performance, where having a cognitive deficit, regardless of the nature of the deficit, acts as a rate-limiting factor.

Value Similarities Among Fathers, Mothers, and Adolescents and the Role of a Cultural Stereotype: Different Measurement Strategies Reconsidered

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roest, A.M.C.; Dubas, J.S.; Gerris, J.R.M.; Engels, R.C.M.E.

2009-01-01

In research on value similarity and transmission between parents and adolescents, no consensus exists on the level of value similarity. Reports of high-value similarities coexist with reports of low-value similarities within the family. The present study shows that different conclusions may be

Improved performance of photosynthetic light response equations with unified parameters for rice leaves with different SPAD values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, J.; Peng, S.; Kong, W.

2015-01-01

The rectangular hyperbola (RH), Mitscherlich (M) and YE equation were applied to describe the photosynthetic light response (PLR) curves measured from rice leaves with different SPAD values, to reveal the relationship between SPAD values and parameters in different equations, and to establish the modified PLR equations. The parameters in PLR equations are largely varied. SPAD value, as an indicator of leaf N contents, was highly correlated to the parameter of Pnmax in RH, M and YE equations. Incorporating the factor SPAD into PLR equations, the modified equations (MRH, MM, and MYE) were established which were feasible to describing the PLR curves for leaves with different SPAD values using the identical parameters for the ten PLR curves as a whole, and perform much better than the general PLR equations (GRH, GM, and GYE). It indicated that incorporating easy available indicators of leaf physiological and morphological traits in the PLR equations, such as SPAD as an indicator of leaf N or Chlorophyll contents, is an easy way to overcome the shortcoming of parameters variation in PLR equations between individuals of the same specie growing in different environments. Further validation should be done for different crops with both SPAD and other possible factors. (author)

Great Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

1998-01-01

The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

Added value from 576 years of tree-ring records in the prediction of the Great Salt Lake level

Science.gov (United States)

Robert R. Gillies; Oi-Yu Chung; S.-Y. Simon Wang; R. Justin DeRose; Yan Sun

2015-01-01

Predicting lake level fluctuations of the Great Salt Lake (GSL) in Utah - the largest terminal salt-water lake in the Western Hemisphere - is critical from many perspectives. The GSL integrates both climate and hydrological variations within the region and is particularly sensitive to low-frequency climate cycles. Since most hydroclimate variable records cover...

Neutronic characteristics simulation of LMFBR of great size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.C.

1987-09-01

The CONRAD experimental program to be executed on the critical mockup MASURCA in Cadarache and use all the european plutonium stock. The objectives of this program are to reduce the uncertainties on important project parameters such as the reactivity value of control rods, the flux distribution to valid calcul methods and data to use for new LMFBR conception (heterogeneous axial core by example) and to resolve the neutronic control problems for a LMFBR of great size. The present study has permitted to define this program and its physical characteristics [fr

General Managers' and building managers' different evaluation of building value and quality - as built and over time

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2007-01-01

building. Furthermore, the respondents were asked to prioritize the quality factors. In the analysis the quality factors were grouped into cultural value and use value and into quality as built and over time. The paper presents the general results of the survey with focus on the differences between......This paper is one of the results of a research project on real estate strategies and building values based on a case study of the corporate buildings of DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation). The paper presents some of the results from a questionnaire survey among select groups of managers in DR...... concerning their evaluation of 5 buildings. The overall purpose of the survey was to evaluate the different buildings’ values and quality, both as built and over time. A second purpose was to develop and test a methodology to describe the values and quality of buildings at a general but still differentiated...

Climatic change in the Great Plains region of Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizzo, B.

1991-01-01

Implications of global warming to Canada's Great Plains region are discussed, with reference to the climate predictions of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model under a two times atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration scenario. Two sets of climate variables for a geographic area located in the Great Plains are tabulated, for the current (1951-1980) climate normals and under the doubled carbon dioxide scenario. Simple univariate statistics were calculated for the two areas, for the variables of mean annual temperature, mean summer temperature, mean winter temperature, mean July temperature, mean growing season temperature, total annual precipitation, total summer precipitation, total winter precipitation, and total growing season precipitation. Under the GISS scenario, temperature values are on average 4 degree C higher than 1951-1980 normals, while precipitation remains about the same. Locations of ecoclimatic regions are graphed for the whole of Canada. 1 fig., 1 tab

Personality and information gathering in free-ranging great tits.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thijs van Overveld

Full Text Available One aspect of animal personality that has been well described in captivity, but received only little attention in studies in the wild, is that personality types may vary in their behavioural flexibility towards environmental changes. A fundamental factor underlying such differences is believed to be the degree to which individual behavior is guided by environmental stimuli. We tested this hypothesis in the wild using free-ranging great tits. Personality variation was quantified using exploratory behaviour in a novel environment, which has previously been shown to be repeatable and correlated with other behaviours in this and other populations of the same species. By temporarily removing food at feeding stations we examined whether birds with different personality differed in returning to visit empty feeders as this may provide information on how birds continue to sample their environment after a sudden change in conditions. In two summer experiments, we found that fast-exploring juveniles visited empty feeders less often compared to slow-exploring juveniles. In winter, sampling behaviour was sex dependent but not related to personality. In both seasons, we found that birds who sampled empty feeders more often were more likely to rediscover food after we again re-baited the feeding stations, but there was no effect of personality. Our results show that personality types may indeed differ in ways of collecting environmental information, which is consistent with the view of personalities as different styles of coping with environmental changes. The adaptive value of these alternative behavioural tactics, however, needs to be further explored.

Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: the Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Hylton Hollander; Guangling Liu

2014-01-01

This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

Credit spread variability in U.S. business cycles: The Great Moderation versus the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Hylton Hollander and Guangling Liu

2014-01-01

This paper establishes the prevailing financial factors that influence credit spread variability, and its impact on the U.S. business cycle over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods. To do so, we develop a dynamic general equilibrium framework with a central role of financial intermediation and equity assets. Over the Great Moderation and Great Recession periods, we find an important role for bank market power (sticky rate adjustments and loan rate markups) on credit spread variab...

Food-related life style in Great Britain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grunert, Klaus G.; Brunsø, Karen; Bisp, Søren

1995-01-01

Executive summary 1. This report is about an investigation of food-related lifestyle in Great Britain, based on a representative sample of 1000 households. 2. The British consumers are described by five segments, which differ in how and to which extent they use food and cooking to attain their ce...

The Business Values of American Newspapers: The Nineteenth-Century Watershed.

Science.gov (United States)

Nord, David Paul

The rejection of the "Great Forces" and "Great Man" theories of newspaper history allows a middle-range view that seeks to discover the uniqueness of the newspaper business and to explain how that uniqueness shaped the business values of the editors and proprietors. An examination of three Chicago, Illinois, newspapers--the…

Age differences in women's tendency to gossip are mediated by their mate value

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Massar, K.; Buunk, Abraham (Bram); Rempt, S.

In the current study it was investigated whether age differences in women's tendency to gossip exist, and whether these could be accounted for by self-reported mate value. It was expected that younger women would report a higher tendency to gossip after reading a scenario in which a romantic rival

Career anchors and values from different career management perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Cunha da Silva

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose – To analyze the relationships between career anchors and young Generation Y professionals’ values, from the career concept perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Research concerning the proposed objective was carried out through quantitative research involving 189 Business Administration majors from a Catholic university in São Paulo, Brazil. We used two instruments to identify the career anchors and values of respondents: Schein (1990 and Schwartz (1994, respectively. We used statistical techniques to explore the relationships between career anchors and values. Findings – Among the results, mention should be made to the statistical relationships found between analyzed career anchors and values. It is also important to stress that, although the Lifestyle career anchor was predominantly present in the conglomerate division, this anchor was the predominant characteristic in the differentiation of the smaller group of respondents, the new career group. The General Management Career Anchor, which presents a lower incidence, is the predominant characteristic of the larger group, referring to organizational careers. As well as the Lifestyle career anchor, the Hedonism value was predominant among respondents. Originality/value – The need to consider the following was found: Generation Y presents generational characteristics that drive people management to propose work structures that offer activities to generate learning, pleasure, self-fulfillment and conciliation between work and personal life.

Professional, generational, and gender differences in perception of organisational values among Israeli physicians and nurses: Implications for retention.

Science.gov (United States)

Warshawski, Sigalit; Barnoy, Sivia; Kagan, Ilya

2017-11-01

The global health workforce today is more age diverse than ever before and spans three generations: baby boomers, X and Y generations. Each generation has a distinct set of characteristics, values, and beliefs. This diversity can lead to increased creativity and a greater richness of values and skills, but at the same time it can also lead to value clashes, disrespect, and conflicts. This study aimed to examine professional, generational, and gender differences in the perception of the importance of organisational values among nurses and physicians working in both hospitals and outpatient clinics in Israel. Data were collected from a large sample of nurses and physicians (N = 603) from 11 hospitals and community services across Israel. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire rating the perceived importance of 20 organisational values, such as leadership, risk-taking, competition, power, and collaboration. The five values ranked most important were performance quality, cooperation, commitment, effectiveness, and efficiency. The five values ranked least important were competition, marketing, power, risk-taking, and assertiveness. Significant value differences were found by profession, generation, and gender. Nurses scored efficiency, assertiveness, risk-taking, power, and marketing higher than physicians did. The Y generation scored power higher and marketing lower than the two older generations. Women ranked the values of cooperation, commitment, innovativeness, vision, and marketing significantly higher than men did. Understanding differences between professions, generations, and gender is a useful first step in improving employees' job satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

Novel surveillance of psychological distress during the great recession.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayers, John W; Althouse, Benjamin M; Allem, Jon-Patrick; Childers, Matthew A; Zafar, Waleed; Latkin, Carl; Ribisl, Kurt M; Brownstein, John S

2012-12-15

Economic stressors have been retrospectively associated with net population increases in nonspecific psychological distress (PD). However, no sentinels exist to evaluate contemporaneous associations. Aggregate Internet search query surveillance was used to monitor population changes in PD around the United States' Great Recession. Monthly PD query trends were compared with unemployment, underemployment, homes in delinquency and foreclosure, median home value or sale prices, and S&P 500 trends for 2004-2010. Time series analyses, where economic indicators predicted PD one to seven months into the future, were performed in 2011. PD queries surpassed 1,000,000 per month, of which 300,000 may be attributable to the Great Recession. A one percentage point increase in mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures was associated with a 16% (95%CI, 9-24) increase in PD queries one-month, and 11% (95%CI, 3-18) four months later, in reference to a pre-Great Recession mean. Unemployment and underemployment had similar associations half and one-quarter the intensity. "Anxiety disorder", "what is depression", "signs of depression", "depression symptoms", and "symptoms of depression" were the queries exhibiting the strongest associations with mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures, unemployment or underemployment. Housing prices and S&P 500 trends were not associated with PD queries. A non-traditional measure of PD was used. It is unclear if actual clinically significant depression or anxiety increased during the Great Recession. Alternative explanations for strong associations between the Great Recession and PD queries, such as media, were explored and rejected. Because the economy is constantly changing, this work not only provides a snapshot of recent associations between the economy and PD queries but also a framework and toolkit for real-time surveillance going forward. Health resources, clinician screening patterns, and policy debate may be informed by changes in PD query

One-Step Dynamic Classifier Ensemble Model for Customer Value Segmentation with Missing Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Xiao

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Scientific customer value segmentation (CVS is the base of efficient customer relationship management, and customer credit scoring, fraud detection, and churn prediction all belong to CVS. In real CVS, the customer data usually include lots of missing values, which may affect the performance of CVS model greatly. This study proposes a one-step dynamic classifier ensemble model for missing values (ODCEM model. On the one hand, ODCEM integrates the preprocess of missing values and the classification modeling into one step; on the other hand, it utilizes multiple classifiers ensemble technology in constructing the classification models. The empirical results in credit scoring dataset “German” from UCI and the real customer churn prediction dataset “China churn” show that the ODCEM outperforms four commonly used “two-step” models and the ensemble based model LMF and can provide better decision support for market managers.

Positive solutions of boundary value problem for singular positone and semi-positone third-order difference equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gai Gongqi

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article studies the boundary value problems for the third-order nonlinear singular difference equations Δ 3 u ( i - 2 + λ a ( i f ( i , u ( i = 0 , i ∈ [ 2 , T + 2 ] , satisfying five kinds of different boundary value conditions. This article shows the existence of positive solutions for positone and semi-positone type. The nonlinear term may be singular. Two examples are also given to illustrate the main results. The arguments are based upon fixed point theorems in a cone. MSC [2008]: 34B15; 39A10.

Evaluating and categorizing the reliability of distribution coefficient values in the sorption database

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochs, Michael; Saito, Yoshihiko; Kitamura, Akira; Shibata, Masahiro; Sasamoto, Hiroshi; Yui, Mikazu

2007-03-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has developed the sorption database (JNC-SDB) for bentonite and rocks in order to assess the retardation property of important radioactive elements in natural and engineered barriers in the H12 report. The database includes distribution coefficient (K d ) of important radionuclides. The K d values in the SDB are about 20,000 data. The SDB includes a great variety of K d and additional key information from many different literatures. Accordingly, the classification guideline and classification system were developed in order to evaluate the reliability of each K d value (Th, Pa, U, Np, Pu, Am, Cm, Cs, Ra, Se, Tc on bentonite). The reliability of 3740 K d values are evaluated and categorized. (author)

Albinism in the Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) and other owls

Science.gov (United States)

Pentti Alaja; Heimo Mikkola

1997-01-01

An incomplete albino Great Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa) was observed in Vesanto and Kajaani, Finland, 1994-1995. The literature pertaining to albinism in owls indicates that total and incomplete albinism has only been reported in 13 different owl species, the Great Gray Owl being the only species with more than five records. Thus six to seven incomplete...

Value-based genomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Jun; Pan, Kathy; Fakih, Marwan; Pal, Sumanta; Salgia, Ravi

2018-03-20

Advancements in next-generation sequencing have greatly enhanced the development of biomarker-driven cancer therapies. The affordability and availability of next-generation sequencers have allowed for the commercialization of next-generation sequencing platforms that have found widespread use for clinical-decision making and research purposes. Despite the greater availability of tumor molecular profiling by next-generation sequencing at our doorsteps, the achievement of value-based care, or improving patient outcomes while reducing overall costs or risks, in the era of precision oncology remains a looming challenge. In this review, we highlight available data through a pre-established and conceptualized framework for evaluating value-based medicine to assess the cost (efficiency), clinical benefit (effectiveness), and toxicity (safety) of genomic profiling in cancer care. We also provide perspectives on future directions of next-generation sequencing from targeted panels to whole-exome or whole-genome sequencing and describe potential strategies needed to attain value-based genomics.

77 FR 38803 - Request for Nominations to the Great Lakes Advisory Board (GLAB)

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-29

... affiliations and other considerations); Demonstrated experience with Great Lakes issues; Leadership experience... nominees will include: The background and experiences that would help members contribute to the diversity... the nominee's experience and knowledge will bring value to the work of the GLAB. To help the Agency in...

What Makes a Great Journal Great in Economics? The Singer Not the Song.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

C-L. Chang (Chia-Lin); M.J. McAleer (Michael); L. Oxley (Les)

2010-01-01

textabstractThe paper is concerned with analysing what makes a great journal great in economics, based on quantifiable measures. Alternative Research Assessment Measures (RAM) are discussed, with an emphasis on the Thomson Reuters ISI Web of Science database (hereafter ISI). The various ISI RAM that

Potential for DNA-based ID of Great Lakes fauna: Species inventories vs. barcode libraries

Science.gov (United States)

DNA-based identification of mixed-organism samples offers the potential to greatly reduce the need for resource-intensive morphological identification, which would be of value both to biotic condition assessment and non-native species early-detection monitoring. However the abil...

An Analysis on Cultural Differences in Advertising Translation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

高雅

2014-01-01

Great opportunities together with great challenges are brought to the development of Chinese economy with the glo-balization of the world economy. Foreign businessmen want to share the market of China, while Chinese enterprisers with a broader sight have been thinking about selling products to international markets. Languages and cultures of different nations have their own characteristics. In order to communicate with each other, human beings must make use of the methods of translation. Thus, it shows that translation, which is a social activity of inter-language, inter-culture and inter-community, is linked closely to culture. Meanwhile, the features of translation represent similarly in advertising translation. Generally speaking, when doing ad-vertising translation, it can not only focus on language differences between the two sides, but also pay attention to cultural differ-ences. Or else it would be difficult to translate satisfying advertisements.By taking examples from Chinese-English and English-Chinese, this paper compares the different aspects between Chinese and Western thinking sets, traditional ideas and values in order to reflect differences of advertising translation based on different cultures. Finally, it will sum up some strategies of inter-cultural advertising translation.

Great Basin Experimental Range: Annotated bibliography

Science.gov (United States)

E. Durant McArthur; Bryce A. Richardson; Stanley G. Kitchen

2013-01-01

This annotated bibliography documents the research that has been conducted on the Great Basin Experimental Range (GBER, also known as the Utah Experiment Station, Great Basin Station, the Great Basin Branch Experiment Station, Great Basin Experimental Center, and other similar name variants) over the 102 years of its existence. Entries were drawn from the original...

Differences in cultural beliefs and values among African American and European American men with prostate cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes Halbert, Chanita; Barg, Frances K; Weathers, Benita; Delmoor, Ernestine; Coyne, James; Wileyto, E Paul; Arocho, Justin; Mahler, Brandon; Malkowicz, S Bruce

2007-07-01

Although cultural values are increasingly being recognized as important determinants of psychological and behavioral outcomes following cancer diagnosis and treatment, empirical data are not available on cultural values among men. This study evaluated differences in cultural values related to religiosity, temporal orientation, and collectivism among African American and European American men. Participants were 119 African American and European American men who were newly diagnosed with early-stage and locally advanced prostate cancer. Cultural values were evaluated by self-report using standardized instruments during a structured telephone interview. After controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, African American men reported significantly greater levels of religiosity (Beta = 24.44, P cultural values, clinical experiences with prostate cancer may also be important. This underscores the importance of evaluating the effects of both ethnicity and clinical factors in research on the influence of cultural values on cancer prevention and control.

Culture and values - their relevance for marketing strategies

OpenAIRE

Rewerts, Astrid Lucie; Hanf, Jon Henrich

2006-01-01

Research on consumer behaviour has revealed that the prospect of reaching a personal value is the virtual buying motive. Bearing this in mind, the researcher, as well as the marketer, is not only able to observe whether one product is preferred to another, but also to understand why this product is preferred. Hence, identifying consumers' personal values contributes to explaining consumer preferences and buying motives, which is of great importance for marketing practice. Personal values that...

Genetic structure of the threatened West-Pannonian population of Great Bustard (Otis tarda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose L. Horreo

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow of the Great Bustards (Otis tarda living in Austria-Slovakia-West Hungary (West-Pannonian region, one of the few populations of this globally threatened species that survives across the Palaearctic, has been assessed for the first time in this study. Fourteen recently developed microsatellite loci identified one single population in the study area, with high values of genetic diversity and gene flow between two different genetic subunits. One of these subunits (Heideboden was recognized as a priority for conservation, as it could be crucial to maintain connectivity with the central Hungarian population and thus contribute to keeping contemporary genetic diversity. Current conservation efforts have been successful in saving this threatened population from extinction two decades ago, and should continue to guarantee its future survival.

Trade-Offs in Values Assigned to Ecological Goods and Services Associated with Different Coral Reef Management Strategies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina C. Hicks

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Societies value ecosystems and the services they provide in a number of ways. These values can help inform the management of ecosystems such as coral reefs. However, the trade-offs in ecosystem goods and services associated with different social and management conditions are poorly understood. Consequently, we examined values assigned to the goods and services identified across three types of management on the Kenyan coast: (1 a government-imposed no-take area in the Mombasa Marine National Park; (2 co-management of gear between fishing communities and the government's fisheries department; and (3 community-initiated no-take area management, where a community independently initiated and controlled a small closed area. We compared the ecosystem goods and services and the broader total economic value to explore how the history of these sites, their social conditions, and different management choices were associated with these values. The highest total economic values were associated with government management interventions and were probably due to the government's priority to be involved in the high-value beach tourism destinations. This is, however, associated with losses in a range of local community-level values and the social capital of the resource-user community. For example, resource users near the government marine protected area had the lowest value for measures of biological knowledge. Sites displaying greater community-level values were characterized by high social capital, and users had the most confidence in their ability to manage the resource. This study suggests that trade-offs occur in values associated with the interests and responsibilities of the management. The ability to cope with disturbance and change will depend on these values and responsibilities, and local communities are less likely to respond when government management and interests are strong.

Does mindfulness prepare adolescents for value-behavior concordance? Examining the role of value content.

Science.gov (United States)

Warren, Michael T; Wray-Lake, Laura

2017-07-01

Great thinkers throughout history advocated living one's values, yet little research has examined factors that contribute to adolescents' value-behavior concordance (VBC). Mindfulness may foster VBC via heightened awareness of values, but VBC for intrinsic values may be more adaptive than VBC for extrinsic values. To situate mindfulness in developmental context, we examined age and attachment security as predictors of mindfulness. We collected self- and parent-report data from 299 families (M age-adolescents  = 14.45, SD = 1.68; 51% female) from 42 US states to test these ideas. Results indicated that mindfulness was positively associated with intrinsic VBC but was negatively linked with extrinsic VBC, and both kinds of VBC partially mediated the link from mindfulness to meaning (but not life satisfaction). Attachment security was associated with higher mindfulness. Overall, mindfulness may deliver its benefits by helping young people avoid behaviors that align with extrinsic values. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterizing isotopic variability of primary production and consumers in Great Plains ecosystems during protracted regional drought

Science.gov (United States)

Haveles, A. W.; Fox-Dobbs, K.; Talmadge, K. A.; Fetrow, A.; Fox, D. L.

2012-12-01

result, ecological interactions among consumer groups likely change as available energy sources decrease. In Kansas, neither C3 nor C4 plants have δ13C values that vary in relation to microhabitat. Most abundant arthropod taxa mainly utilize C3 plant resources. Small mammals have mixed diets derived from both C3 and C4 plant resources. Diets include general herbivory, or consumption of both plants and arthropods. Although C4 resources are available in all study areas, C3 resources are the dominant energy source for all consumers in Kansas, and rodents in Nebraska. Plant δ15N values for C3 and C4 plants, and all consumer species in Kansas were variable. High variability in plant δ15N values (hence consumers) complicates our ability to estimate trophic levels of consumers using δ15N values. Differences in δ15N values of consumers among microhabitats are evident in Kansas and Nebraska, which may result from differences in plant communities or foraging habits. Large isotopic variations within plants, arthropods, and mammals illustrate the need to monitor grassland ecosystems seasonally, and at varying spatial scales to characterize patterns of energy flow and trophic dynamics. Identifying how grassland consumers record local and regional environmental variance will help predict future responses of Great Plains ecosystems to anthropogenic climate change.

Value distribution of meromorphic solutions of homogeneous and non-homogeneous complex linear differential-difference equations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luo Li-Qin

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we investigate the value distribution of meromorphic solutions of homogeneous and non-homogeneous complex linear differential-difference equations, and obtain the results on the relations between the order of the solutions and the convergence exponents of the zeros, poles, a-points and small function value points of the solutions, which show the relations in the case of non-homogeneous equations are sharper than the ones in the case of homogeneous equations.

75 FR 6354 - NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes Restoration...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-09

...-04] RIN 0648-ZC10 NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project Grants under the Great Lakes... Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce. ACTION: Notice of funding availability; Date... on January 19, 2010. That notice announced the NOAA Great Lakes Habitat Restoration Program Project...

Geoarchaeology of water management at Great Zimbabwe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sulas, Federica; Pikirayi, Innocent; Sagiya, Munyaradzi Elton

In Africa, research on water management in urban contexts has often focussed rainfall, and the occurrence floods and droughts, whereas small-scale catchment systems and soil moisture regimes have received far less attention. This paper sets out to re-address the issue by examining the occurrence......, distribution and use of multiple water resources at the ancient urban landscape of Great Zimbabwe. Here, the rise and demise of the urban site have been linked to changing rainfall in the 1st mill. AD. Accordingly, rainfall shortages and consequent droughts eventually leading to the decline and abandonment...... of Great Zimbabwe at around 1550 AD. However, new research findings suggest a different scenario. Combining geoarchaeolological investigations, soil micromorphology and geochemistry with the study of historical sources and ethnographic records, new datasets indicate prolonged availability and diversified...

Quantification of competitive value of documents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavel Šimek

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The majority of Internet users use the global network to search for different information using fulltext search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, or Seznam. The web presentation operators are trying, with the help of different optimization techniques, to get to the top places in the results of fulltext search engines. Right there is a great importance of Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing, because normal users usually try links only on the first few pages of the fulltext search engines results on certain keywords and in catalogs they use primarily hierarchically higher placed links in each category. Key to success is the application of optimization methods which deal with the issue of keywords, structure and quality of content, domain names, individual sites and quantity and reliability of backward links. The process is demanding, long-lasting and without a guaranteed outcome. A website operator without advanced analytical tools do not identify the contribution of individual documents from which the entire web site consists. If the web presentation operators want to have an overview of their documents and web site in global, it is appropriate to quantify these positions in a specific way, depending on specific key words. For this purpose serves the quantification of competitive value of documents, which consequently sets global competitive value of a web site. Quantification of competitive values is performed on a specific full-text search engine. For each full-text search engine can be and often are, different results. According to published reports of ClickZ agency or Market Share is according to the number of searches by English-speaking users most widely used Google search engine, which has a market share of more than 80%. The whole procedure of quantification of competitive values is common, however, the initial step which is the analysis of keywords depends on a choice of the fulltext search engine.

The Next Great Generation?

Science.gov (United States)

Brownstein, Andrew

2000-01-01

Discusses ideas from a new book, "Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation," (by Neil Howe and William Strauss) suggesting that youth culture is on the cusp of a radical shift with the generation beginning with this year's college freshmen who are typically team oriented, optimistic, and poised for greatness on a global scale. Includes a…

Differential and Difference Boundary Value Problem for Loaded Third-Order Pseudo-Parabolic Differential Equations and Difference Methods for Their Numerical Solution

Science.gov (United States)

Beshtokov, M. Kh.

2017-12-01

Boundary value problems for loaded third-order pseudo-parabolic equations with variable coefficients are considered. A priori estimates for the solutions of the problems in the differential and difference formulations are obtained. These a priori estimates imply the uniqueness and stability of the solution with respect to the initial data and the right-hand side on a layer, as well as the convergence of the solution of each difference problem to the solution of the corresponding differential problem.

Calibrations between chlorophyll meter values and chlorophyll contents vary as the result of differences in leaf structure

Science.gov (United States)

In order to relate leaf chlorophyll meter values with total leaf chlorophyll contents (µg cm-2), calibration equations are established with measured data on leaves. Many studies have documented differences in calibration equations using different species and using different growing conditions for th...

A New Missing Values Estimation Algorithm in Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Convolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Feng Liu

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, with the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT applications, data missing phenomenon becomes very common in wireless sensor networks. This problem can greatly and directly threaten the stability and usability of the Internet of things applications which are constructed based on wireless sensor networks. How to estimate the missing value has attracted wide interest, and some solutions have been proposed. Different with the previous works, in this paper, we proposed a new convolution based missing value estimation algorithm. The convolution theory, which is usually used in the area of signal and image processing, can also be a practical and efficient way to estimate the missing sensor data. The results show that the proposed algorithm in this paper is practical and effective, and can estimate the missing value accurately.

The Slogan Great Wall from the SDSS Data Release 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Xin-Fa; He Ji-Zhou; Luo Cheng-Hong; Wu Ping; Tang Xiao-Xun; He Cong-Gen

2007-01-01

Using the MAIN galaxy data from the SDSS Data Release 4 (SDSS4), we further study the Sloan Great Wall by three-dimensional cluster analysis. Because the basic properties of Main galaxies change with redshift, we select 50942 Main galaxies having the same redshift region (0.07 ≤ z ≤ 0.09) as the Sloan Great Wall from the Main galaxy sample, and construct our SubMain sample. From the SubMain sample, 2013 isolated galaxies are identified at dimensionless radius r = 1.4. We perform the comparative studies of galaxy properties among the Sloan Great Wall, isolated galaxies and the SubMain sample in different redshift bins. It turns out that the statistical properties of luminosities and sizes of galaxies for the Sloan Great Wall, isolated galaxies and the SubMain sample are almost the same, the proportion of early-type isolated galaxies is relatively low. We also d that mean color of member galaxies of the Sloan Great Wall is redder than that of isolated galaxies. These results indicate that some properties of galaxies may be closely correlated with the environment or clustering. (author)

Managing Client Values in Construction Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thyssen, Mikael Hygum; Emmitt, Stephen; Bonke, Sten

2008-01-01

In construction projects the client will comprise both owner, end-users, and the wider society, representatives of which may have conflicting goals and values; and these may not be fully realized by the stakeholders themselves. Therefore it is a great challenge to capture and manage the values...... for capturing and managing client values within a lean framework. This paper describes the initial findings of a joint research project between academia and industry practitioners that seeks to develop the workshop method to create a state of the art approach in construction design management. This includes...... of the multiple stakeholders that constitutes the “client”. However, seeing client satisfaction as the end-goal of construction it is imperative to make client values explicit in the early project phase and make sure that these values are reflected in all subsequent phases of design and construction...

Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA)

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) houses environmental data on a wide variety of constituents in water, biota, sediment, and air in the Great Lakes area.

Exploring Value-Added Options - Opportunities in Mouldings and Millwork

Science.gov (United States)

Bob Smith; Philip A. Araman

1997-01-01

The millwork industry, which includes manufacture of doors, windows, stair parts, blinds, mouldings, picture frame material, and assorted trim, can be a lucrative value-added opportunity for sawmills. Those entering the value-added millwork market often find that it is a great opportunity to generate greater profits from upper grades and utility species, such as yellow...

Assessment of new limit values for wind turbines. Influence of different limit values on exposure, annoyance and potential development locations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verheijen, E.; Jabben, J.; Schreurs, E.; Koeman, T.; Van Poll, R.; Du Pon, B.

2009-01-01

Approximately 1500 people living in the close vicinity of wind turbines in the Netherlands run the risk of suffering severe annoyance effects due to noise exposure. New guidelines that limit new wind turbines to a maximum noise level of 45 dB can minimize any further increase in noise health effects. Noise levels above 45 dB will likely result in a further increase in annoyance effects and sleep disturbances. Compared to other noise sources, noise emitted from a wind turbine causes annoyance at relatively low noise levels. The amount of available land for the placement of new wind turbines depends on the limit value that is chosen. A limit value of 40 dB would enable an additional 7000 megawatt of renewable energy to be obtained from new turbines. A limit value of 45 dB, however, would enable wind turbines to be constructed on additional land, resulting in the production of approximately 25,000 megawatt. A new noise regulation for wind turbines is currently being prepared that sets limits on the noise levels experienced by residents of nearby dwellings. The regulation aims at limiting the effects of noise annoyance caused by new wind turbines within the framework of policy targets for renewable energy. This new regulation will be in line with existing ones for road- and railway traffic in setting both a preferable and maximum allowable value for the noise level (Lden) in nearby residences. Below the preferred value, there will be no noise restriction; above the maximum value, local authorities will not be allowed to issue building permits. For noise levels that fall in between, the decision for/against construction will be based on the results of a public inquiry process involving the major stakeholders. The National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) has investigated the consequences of different choices for the preferred and maximum noise limits. Aspects of annoyance and health effects, amount of land available for new turbines within the

Dreissenid mussels from the Great Lakes contain elevated thiaminase activity

Science.gov (United States)

Tillitt, D.E.; Riley, S.C.; Evans, A.N.; Nichols, S.J.; Zajicek, J.L.; Rinchard, J.; Richter, C.A.; Krueger, C.C.

2009-01-01

We examined thiaminase activity in dreissenid mussels collected at different depths and seasons, and from various locations in Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Huron. Here we present evidence that two dreissenid mussel species (Dreissena bugensis and D. polymorpha) contain thiaminase activity that is 5-100 fold greater than observed in Great Lakes fishes. Thiaminase activity in zebra mussels ranged from 10,600 to 47,900??pmol g- 1??min- 1 and activities in quagga mussels ranged from 19,500 to 223,800??pmol g- 1??min- 1. Activity in the mussels was greatest in spring, less in summer, and least in fall. Additionally, we observed greater thiaminase activity in dreissenid mussels collected at shallow depths compared to mussels collected at deeper depths. Dreissenids constitute a significant and previously unknown pool of thiaminase in the Great Lakes food web compared to other known sources of this thiamine (vitamin B1)-degrading enzyme. Thiaminase in forage fish of the Great Lakes has been causally linked to thiamine deficiency in salmonines. We currently do not know whether linkages exist between thiaminase activities observed in dreissenids and the thiaminase activities in higher trophic levels of the Great Lakes food web. However, the extreme thiaminase activities observed in dreissenids from the Great Lakes may represent a serious unanticipated negative effect of these exotic species on Great Lakes ecosystems.

Why Different Drought Indexes Show Distinct Future Drought Risk Outcomes in the U.S. Great Plains?

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, S.; Hayes, M. J.; Trnka, M.

2015-12-01

Vigorous discussions and disagreements about the future changes in drought intensity in the US Great Plains have been taking place recently within the literature. These discussions have involved widely varying estimates based on drought indices and model-based projections of the future. To investigate and understand the causes for such a disparity between these previous estimates, we analyzed 10 commonly-used drought indexes using the output from 26 state-of-the-art climate models. These drought indices were computed using potential evapotranspiration estimated by the physically-based Penman-Monteith method (PE_pm) and the empirically-based Thornthwaite method (PE_th). The results showed that the short-term drought indicators are similar to modeled surface soil moisture and show a small but consistent drying trend in the future. The long-term drought indicators and the total column soil moisture, however, are consistent in projecting more intense future drought. When normalized, the drought indices with PE_th all show unprecedented and possibly unrealistic future drying, while the drought indices with PE_pm show comparable dryness with the modeled soil moisture. Additionally, the drought indices with PE_pm are closely related to soil moisture during both the 20th and 21st Centuries. Overall, the drought indices with PE_pm, as well as the modeled total column soil moisture, suggest a widespread and very significant drying of the Great Plains region toward the end of the Century. Our results suggested that the sharp contracts about future drought risk in the Great Plains discussed in previous studies are caused by 1) comparing the projected changes in short-term droughts with that of the long-term droughts, and/or 2) computing the atmospheric evaporative demand using the empirically-based method (e.g., PE_th). Our analysis may be applied for drought projections in other regions across the globe.

The Great Recession and the risk for child maltreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Schneider, William; Waldfogel, Jane

2013-10-01

This study draws on the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=2,032), a birth cohort study of families with children from 20 U.S. cities. Interviews occurred between August 2007, and February 2010, when the children were approximately 9 years old. Macro-economic indicators of the Great Recession such as the Consumer Sentiment Index and unemployment and home foreclosure rates were matched to the data to estimate the links between different measures of the Great Recession and high frequency maternal spanking. We find that the large decline in consumer confidence during the Great Recession, as measured by the Consumer Sentiment Index, was associated with worse parenting behavior. In particular, lower levels of consumer confidence were associated with increased levels of high frequency spanking, a parenting behavior that is associated with greater likelihood of being contacted by child protective services. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains Central Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McFarlane, Sally A.; Gaustad, Krista L.; Mlawer, Eli J.; Long, Charles N.; Delamere, Jennifer

2011-09-01

We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains central facility

Science.gov (United States)

McFarlane, S. A.; Gaustad, K. L.; Mlawer, E. J.; Long, C. N.; Delamere, J.

2011-09-01

We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP) site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs), four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated) can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs) and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

Development of a high spectral resolution surface albedo product for the ARM Southern Great Plains central facility

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Delamere

2011-09-01

Full Text Available We present a method for identifying dominant surface type and estimating high spectral resolution surface albedo at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM facility at the Southern Great Plains (SGP site in Oklahoma for use in radiative transfer calculations. Given a set of 6-channel narrowband visible and near-infrared irradiance measurements from upward and downward looking multi-filter radiometers (MFRs, four different surface types (snow-covered, green vegetation, partial vegetation, non-vegetated can be identified. A normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI is used to distinguish between vegetated and non-vegetated surfaces, and a scaled NDVI index is used to estimate the percentage of green vegetation in partially vegetated surfaces. Based on libraries of spectral albedo measurements, a piecewise continuous function is developed to estimate the high spectral resolution surface albedo for each surface type given the MFR albedo values as input. For partially vegetated surfaces, the albedo is estimated as a linear combination of the green vegetation and non-vegetated surface albedo values. The estimated albedo values are evaluated through comparison to high spectral resolution albedo measurements taken during several Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs and through comparison of the integrated spectral albedo values to observed broadband albedo measurements. The estimated spectral albedo values agree well with observations for the visible wavelengths constrained by the MFR measurements, but have larger biases and variability at longer wavelengths. Additional MFR channels at 1100 nm and/or 1600 nm would help constrain the high resolution spectral albedo in the near infrared region.

Distribution of fallout plutonium in the waters of the lower Great Lakes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberts, J.J.; Wahlgren, M.A.; Nelson, D.M.

1976-01-01

The concentrations of fallout 239 240 Pu in the surface waters from all the Great Lakes were slightly lower in 1976 samples than in those from 1973. The same trend of higher concentrations in the surface waters of the upper lakes as in the surface waters of the lower lakes was observed for both years. In addition, the 239 240 Pu concentration in samples of deep water collected during the summer of 1976 was higher than in the surface waters but was similar to the surface water values of the 1973 spring samples. This observation is significant in that it suggests that the surface waters of all the Great Lakes undergo a seasonal decrease in plutonium concentration similar to that already observed in Lake Michigan

Generational Differences in Work Values between Parents and Children and between Boys and Girls across Grade Levels 6, 9, 10, and 12

Science.gov (United States)

Wijting, Jan P.; And Others

1978-01-01

Cross-sectional comparison of elementary and secondary school children and parents examined changes in work values and relationships between children's and parents' work values as a function of age and sex. Revealed support for hypothesized differences in children's values and for convergence of sex differences in values at later ages. (Author)

Effect of natural West African phosphates on phosphorus uptake by Agrostis and on isotopically dilutable phosphorus (L-value) in five tropical soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichot, J.; Truong, B.; Beunard, P.

1979-01-01

Six natural West African phosphates are compared with a weak Tunisian phosphate and triple superphosphate in five types of tropical soil. The study consists of a pot experiment using Agrostis as the test plant, over several cuttings, in order to evaluate the uptake of phosphorus by plants and the isotopically dilutable phosphorus of the soil (L-value). The results show that there are very great differences between phosphates from the points of view of speed and degree of solubilization and that the L-value is a good criterion for assessing these differences. (author)

33 CFR 100.124 - Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York. 100.124 Section 100.124 Navigation and Navigable... NAVIGABLE WATERS § 100.124 Maggie Fischer Memorial Great South Bay Cross Bay Swim, Great South Bay, New York...

Hand preferences for coordinated bimanual actions in 777 great apes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hopkins, William D; Phillips, Kimberley A; Bania, Amanda

2011-01-01

Whether or not nonhuman primates exhibit population-level handedness remains a topic of considerable scientific debate. Here, we examined handedness for coordinated bimanual actions in a sample of 777 great apes including chimpanzees, bonobos, gorillas, and orangutans. We found population......-level right-handedness in chimpanzees, bonobos and gorillas, but left-handedness in orangutans. Directional biases in handedness were consistent across independent samples of apes within each genus. We suggest that, contrary to previous claims, population-level handedness is evident in great apes but differs...

Fault diagnostics in power transformer model winding for different alpha values

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G.H. Kusumadevi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Transient overvoltages appearing at line terminal of power transformer HV windings can cause failure of winding insulation. The failure can be from winding to ground or between turns or sections of winding. In most of the cases, failure from winding to ground can be detected by changes in the wave shape of surge voltage appearing at line terminal. However, detection of insulation failure between turns may be difficult due to intricacies involved in identifications of faults. In this paper, simulation investigations carried out on a power transformer model winding for identifying faults between turns of winding has been reported. The power transformer HV winding has been represented by 8 sections, 16 sections and 24 sections. Neutral current waveform has been analyzed for same model winding represented by different number of sections. The values of α (‘α’ value is the square root of total ground capacitance to total series capacitance of winding considered for windings are 5, 10 and 20. Standard lightning impulse voltage (1.2/50 μs wave shape have been considered for analysis. Computer simulations have been carried out using software PSPICE version 10.0. Neutral current and frequency response analysis methods have been used for identification of faults within sections of transformer model winding.

Examination of Athletes' Anxiety, Motivation, Imagination Value in Competitions with Different Severity Level

Science.gov (United States)

Sallayici, Mustafa; Eroglu Kolayis, Ipek; Kesilmis, Inci; Kesilmis, Mehmet Melih

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to examine athletes' anxiety, motivation, and imagination value in competitions with different severity level. The research was conducted on swimming athlete in elite level 18 female and 19 male totally 37. To measure the level of imagination, imagine inventory in sports and to measure trait anxiety levels STAI were…

Influence of Different Cut-Off Values on the Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease

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Inga Liepelt-Scarfone

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Comparable to Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease (PD-MCI is associated with an increased risk for dementia. However different definitions of PD-MCI may have varying predictive accuracy for dementia. In a cohort of 101 nondemented Parkinson patients who underwent neuropsychological testing, the frequency of PD-MCI subjects and PD-MCI subtypes (i.e., amnestic/nonamnestic was determined by use of varying healthy population-based cut-off values. We also investigated the association between defined PD-MCI groups and ADL scales. Varying cut-off values for the definition of PD-MCI were found to affect frequency of PD-MCI subjects (9.9%–92.1% and, maybe more important, lead to a “shift” of proportion of detected PD-MCI subtypes especially within the amnestic single-domain subtype. Models using a strict cut-off value were significantly associated with lower ADL scores. Thus, the use of defined cut-off values for the definition of PD-MCI is highly relevant for comparison purposes. Strict cut-off values may have a higher predictive value for dementia.

Relevansi Nilai Selisih Loans Book Value dan Loans Fair Value, Book Value Per Share, Earnings Per Share dan Ukuran Perusahaan

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Dina Bakti Pertiwi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available One of the impacts of IFRS convergence is the tendency to leave historical cost to the fair value primarily for financial instruments, one of which is bank loans. Therefore, the benefit of the use of historical cost and fair value needs to be examined. This study aims to evaluate the relationship of the difference between loan book value and fair value, book value per share, earnings per share and the company size to the stock price of banks that use accounting standard that has been converged to IFRS. The samples used are banks listed in Indonesia Stock Exchange during the period of 2010-2013. The relationship between the difference loans book value and fair value, book value per share, earnings per share and the size with the stock price were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results of this study indicate that the difference between loans book value and fair value, book value per share, earnings per share and the size can be used to predict the stock price of bank. Thus, the difference between loan book value and fair value of financial instruments have a relevant value.

Great Expectations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dickens, Charles

2005-01-01

One of Dickens's most renowned and enjoyable novels, Great Expectations tells the story of Pip, an orphan boy who wishes to transcend his humble origins and finds himself unexpectedly given the opportunity to live a life of wealth and respectability. Over the course of the tale, in which Pip

Book review: The Wilderness Debate Rages On: Continuing the Great New Wilderness Debate

Science.gov (United States)

Peter Landres

2009-01-01

The Wilderness Debate Rages On is a collection of mostly previously published papers about the meaning, value, and role of wilderness and continues the discussion that was propelled by the editors' previous book The Great New Wilderness Debate (also a collection of papers) published in 1998. The editors state that this sequel to their previous book is mandated...

Using Stellarium to cyber-observe the Great American Eclipse

Science.gov (United States)

Prim, Ellie R.; Sitar, David J.

2017-09-01

The Great American Eclipse is over. Somewhat sad, is it not? Individuals who were unable to experience the event on August 21, 2017, can now cyber-observe the eclipse with Stellarium (http://www.stellarium.org). In the authors' opinion, it is fun and has many great applications in the classroom. In addition it is open source and available for Android, iOS, and Linux users. We here at Appalachian use it in our introductory astronomy labs for specific activities such as investigating coordinate systems, discovering differences between solar and sidereal days, as well as determining why your "astrological sign" is most often not your "astronomical sign."

INFLUENCE OF GREAT HYDRAULIC WORKS UPON NATURE AND MANKIND

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Mircea O. POPOVICIU

2011-11-01

Full Text Available The great hydraulic works represent heavy environmental modifications and influence both humans (during the construction and the utilization and nature. The present paper compares these influences for two such works the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. Both are relatively recent, have the same purpose (the increase of the East-West trade and were initiated by Ferdinand de Lesseps. The possibility of realization was analyzed long time before the beginning of the work. Both works are sources of huge incomes and created endless disputes between the great powers. The forecast level increase of the planetary ocean will affect differently these works.

The glycaemic index values of foods containing fructose are affected by metabolic differences between subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wolever, T M S; Jenkins, A L; Vuksan, V; Campbell, J

2009-09-01

Glycaemic responses are influenced by carbohydrate absorption rate, type of monosaccharide absorbed and the presence of fat; the effect of some of these factors may be modulated by metabolic differences between subjects. We hypothesized that glycaemic index (GI) values are affected by the metabolic differences between subjects for foods containing fructose or fat, but not for starchy foods. The GI values of white bread (WB), fruit leather (FL) and chocolate-chip cookies (CCC) (representing starch, fructose and fat, respectively) were determined in subjects (n=77) recruited to represent all 16 possible combinations of age (40 years), sex (male, female), ethnicity (Caucasian, non-Caucasian) and body mass index (BMI) (25 kg/m2) using glucose as the reference. At screening, fasting insulin, lipids, c-reactive protein (CRP), aspartate transaminase (AST) and waist circumference (WC) were measured. There were no significant main effects of age, sex, BMI or ethnicity on GI, but there were several food x subject-factor interactions. Different factors affected each food's area under the curve (AUC) and GI. The AUC after oral glucose was related to ethnicity, age and triglycerides (r 2=0.27); after WB to ethnicity, age, triglycerides, sex and CRP (r 2=0.43); after CCC to age and weight (r 2=0.18); and after FL to age and CRP (r 2=0.12). GI of WB was related to ethnicity (r 2=0.12) and of FL to AST, insulin and WC (r 2=0.23); but there were no significant correlations for CCC. The GI values of foods containing fructose might be influenced by metabolic differences between -subjects, whereas the GI of starchy foods might be affected by ethnicity. However, the proportion of variation explained by subject factors is small.

The Rule of Saint Basil the Great

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Piotr Pietrow

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The rules of monasticism were collected and published in a single work entitled Asketikon by Saint Basil the Great. It is arranged in the form of questions and answers to create one coherent work. It has two different publications.The first publication named The Small Asketikon dates to 370-370. It is the fruit of the Saint’s work among Pontic communities and consists of 203 questions and answers. The orignial Greek manuscript has not survived and it is available only in two translations: the Latin Rufin and fragments in Syrian language. The second publication named The Great Asketikon appeard in about 377 and presents the most mature step of cenobitic monasticismin Basil’s elaboration. The Great Asketikon was created by adding new questions to The Small Asketikon and consists of two parts called the The Longer Rules and The Shorter Rules. The Longer Rules are primarily a set of questions and answers. It includes a wide range of rules and norms of the overall life in community. It refers to the fundamental rules of spirituality, such as love, sacrifice, obedience and rudimental problems connected withcommunity organization, cenobitic monasticism and the role of the superior, work and prayer. The second part of The Great Asketikon consists of shorter rules. Two publications are known: the first one originated in Pont andincludes 286 questions and answers and second arose in Cezarei and includes 318 questions and answers. In this work, the Hierarch explains in detail issues regarding community life and solves difficult problems connected with conscience. He writes about behavior towards brothers and explains the significance of weaknesses and virtues.

Investigation of regional geohydrology south of Great Slave Lake, Canada, utilizing natural sulphur and hydrogen isotope variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weyer, K.U.; Horwood, W.C.; Krouse, H.R.

1979-01-01

The well-defined topographic, geological, and orographic setting in the area south of Great Slave Lake, in Canada's North-West Territory (N.W.T.), is favourable for a meaningful investigation of the local and regional groundwater flow sysems in the area of the Mississippi Valley type lead-zinc deposits at Pine Point. Chemical and isotope (delta 34 S, deltaD) investigations have provided supporting evidence for conceptual models of groundwater flow. The range of the deltaD values encountered (-111 to -205 per mille SMOW) indicates that the hydrodynamic systems convey meteoric waters. Differences in deltaD values of water samples were used to elucidate the hydrological relationship between groundwater and a major river in a karst area. The ore bodies at Pine Point are engulfed in a reducing hydrosphere. Sulphur species, derived from gypsum layers by regional groundwater flow, are instrumental in maintaining the reducing conditions. There is evidence that the reduction of sulphate to sulphide is caused by bacteria. Microbiological sulphate reduction, rather than isotopic exchange processes, is also responsible for shifts of measured delta 34 S values in dissolved sulphates. After correction for those shifts, four different sources for dissolved sulphate were identified. In addition to supporting the conceptual model of regional groundwater flow in this area, the isotopic data also help to delineate hydrological features on a more local scale. (author)

EQ-5D™-derived utility values for different levels of migraine severity from a UK sample of migraineurs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stafford Megan R

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background To estimate utility values for different levels of migraine pain severity from a United Kingdom (UK sample of migraineurs. Methods One hundred and six migraineurs completed the EQ-5D to evaluate their health status for mild, moderate and severe levels of migraine pain severity for a recent migraine attack, and for current health defined as health status within seven days post-migraine attack. Statistical tests were used to evaluate differences in mean utility scores by migraine severity. Results Utility scores for each health state were significantly different from 1.0 (no problems on any EQ-5D dimension (p  Conclusions Results indicate that all levels of migraine pain are associated with significantly reduced utility values. As severity worsened, utility decreased and severe migraine pain was considered a health state worse than death. Results can be used in cost-utility models examining the relative economic value of therapeutic strategies for migraine in the UK.

Great Lakes water quality initiative criteria documents for the protection of wildlife (proposed): DDT, mercury 2,3,7,8-TCDD and PCBs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bradbury, S.; Nolt, C.; Goodman, B.; Stromborg, K.; Sullivan, J.

1993-04-01

The document outlines, for each category of contaminant listed in the title, the relevant literature, the calculation of mammalian wildlife value, the calculation of Avian Wildlife Value, and the Great Lakes Wildlife criterion

The 2009 Samoa-Tonga great earthquake triggered doublet

Science.gov (United States)

Lay, T.; Ammon, C.J.; Kanamori, H.; Rivera, L.; Koper, K.D.; Hutko, Alexander R.

2010-01-01

Great earthquakes (having seismic magnitudes of at least 8) usually involve abrupt sliding of rock masses at a boundary between tectonic plates. Such interplate ruptures produce dynamic and static stress changes that can activate nearby intraplate aftershocks, as is commonly observed in the trench-slope region seaward of a great subduction zone thrust event1-4. The earthquake sequence addressed here involves a rare instance in which a great trench-slope intraplate earthquake triggered extensive interplate faulting, reversing the typical pattern and broadly expanding the seismic and tsunami hazard. On 29 September 2009, within two minutes of the initiation of a normal faulting event with moment magnitude 8.1 in the outer trench-slope at the northern end of the Tonga subduction zone, two major interplate underthrusting subevents (both with moment magnitude 7.8), with total moment equal to a second great earthquake of moment magnitude 8.0, ruptured the nearby subduction zone megathrust. The collective faulting produced tsunami waves with localized regions of about 12metres run-up that claimed 192 lives in Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga. Overlap of the seismic signals obscured the fact that distinct faults separated by more than 50km had ruptured with different geometries, with the triggered thrust faulting only being revealed by detailed seismic wave analyses. Extensive interplate and intraplate aftershock activity was activated over a large region of the northern Tonga subduction zone. ?? 2010 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.

Value Priorities and Behavior: Applying a Theory of Integrated Value Systems

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Shalom Schwartz

2016-02-01

Full Text Available A major goal of research on values has been to relate individual differences in value priorities to differences in attitudes, behavior and background variables. Past research most commonly adopted one of two approaches. Much research has selected a few single target values whose priorities were postulated to associate with the attitude, behavior and background variable of interest and then examined empirical relationships. Other research has been more exploratory.It has related lists of values to various other variables and then discussed the significant associations that emerge. The focus on relationships with single values make both these approaches insatisfying. My work has sought to overcome those approaches.It has derived what may be a nearly comprehensive set of different motivational types of values, recognized across cultures. Each value type is represented by a number of single values that are combined to form relatively reliable indexes of values priorities. Value systems can be treated as integrated wholes in their relations with behaviors and, thereby, encourages researches to abandom the prevailing single-values approaches. 

Cow's milk quality and energy value during different lactation stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Salamończyk, Ewa

2013-01-01

The quality of dairy products, raw milk in particular, depends on many factors. Low bacterial and somatic cell counts are basic determinants of the appropriate raw milk quality. The objective of the work was to assess the effect of selected factors, that is, the age of cows and their daily milk performance, on cytological quality (somatic cell count) and energy value of milk produced at individual stages of lactation. Somatic cell count and energy value of cow's milk were assessed. A total of 229 792 milk samples were examined. Data for analysis were taken from milk records of 350 dairy herds. It was demonstrated that, of all the lactations studied, the fi rst lactation (from calving to the 100th day of lactation) was characterised by the highest daily milk performance (25.1 kg) and the lowest somatic cell count (356 thous./1 ml), fat, protein and dry matter contents (4.06, 2.96 and 12.41%, respectively) and milk calorific value (732 kcal/kg). The highest energy value was recorded in cow's milk produced towards the end of lactation, that is from day 300 till the end of lactation (842 kcal/kg). High milk calorific value in late lactation and high fat and protein contents were accompanied by low raw milk quality.

Literature of a Crisis: The Great War in Anglo-American Modernism

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Shadi Neimneh

2012-11-01

Full Text Available This paper looks at the representation of war in fiction as a catastrophic social event. In studying or teaching the Great War as represented in modernist literature, we have to acknowledge that fiction, and despite its overlap with history or historical value, is not mere history. War literature retains a powerful sociological orientation. The novels discussed in this paper push real war action to the background and highlight, instead, the impact of war on the subjective lives of individuals and their social interaction. Modernism is not primarily concerned with accurately reproducing the war, but rather with impressionistic details, i.e. the impact of war on introverted lives. Therefore, the real value of such novels is not documentary or historical but social and psychological.

The predictive value of different infant attachment measures for socioemotional development at age 5 years

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smeekens, S.; Riksen-Walraven, J.M.A.; Bakel, H.J.A. van

2009-01-01

The predictive value of different infant attachment measures was examined in a community-based sample of 111 healthy children (59 boys, 52 girls). Two procedures to assess infant attachment, the Attachment Q-Set (applied on a relatively short observation period) and a shortened version of the

Value transmissions between parents and children: gender and developmental phase as transmission belts.

Science.gov (United States)

Roest, Annette M C; Dubas, Judith Semon; Gerris, Jan R M

2010-02-01

This study applied the gender role model of socialization theory, the developmental aging theory, and the topic salience perspective to the investigation of parent-child value transmissions. Specifically, we examined whether the bi-directionality and selectivity of value transmissions differed as a function of parents' and children's gender and children's developmental phase (adolescence versus emerging adulthood). Transmissions between parents and children from 402 Dutch families on the topics of work as duty and hedonism were studied across a 5-year period using structural equation modeling. As expected, we did not find convincing support for the general models of gender socialization and developmental aging. Instead, parent-child value transmissions appeared to be qualified by value salience. Particularly, high salience of work as duty for fathers was related with great paternal involvement in transmissions on this value orientation and high salience of hedonism for sons and adolescents was linked to transmissions from these groups to parents. Copyright (c) 2009 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Employment services in Great Britain and Turkey

OpenAIRE

ÖZKANLI, Özlem

2001-01-01

This artiele criticaUy compares the institutions and procedures for the employment services of Great Britain (GB) and Turkey. The similarities and differences of two employment organisations, the Department for Education and Employment in GB and the Turkish Employment Organisation, are examined. Data is collected in field study from these organisations, based in London and Ankara, through interviews and observation techniques. Field study in London is financed by the World Bank. After briefly...

Empirical Study of China’s Provincial Carbon Responsibility Sharing: Provincial Value Chain Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rui Xie

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Against the background of global warming, China has vowed to meet a series of carbon emissions reduction targets and plans to launch a national carbon emissions rights trading market by 2017. Therefore, from the provincial value chain perspective, using input-output tables from China in 2002, 2007, and 2010, this study constructs models to calculate the CO2 emissions responsibility of each province under the production, consumption, and value capture principles, respectively. Empirical results indicate that Shandong, Hebei, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Henan bear the most responsibility for CO2 emissions under the three principles in China, while Hainan and Qinghai have the least responsibility. However, there is a great difference in the proportion of carbon emissions responsibility for each province during the same period under different principles or different periods under the same principle. For consumption-oriented areas such as Beijing, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Guangdong, the production principle is more favorable, and the consumption principle is more beneficial for production-oriented provinces such as Hebei, Henan, Liaoning, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi. However, the value capture principle strikes a compromise of the CO2 emissions responsibility of each province between the production and consumption principles, and it shares the CO2 emissions responsibility based on the actual value captured by each province in the provincial value chain. The value capture principle is conducive to the fair and reasonable division of CO2 emissions rights of each province by sectors, as well as the construction of a standardized carbon emissions rights trading market.

Extending Value Logic Thinking to Value Logic Portfolios

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Poul Houman; Ritter, Thomas

2014-01-01

Based on value creation logic theory (Stabell & Fjeldstad, 1998), this paper suggests an extension of the original Stabell & Fjeldstad model by an additional fourth value logic, the value system logic. Furthermore, instead of only allowing one dominant value creation logic for a given firm...... or transaction, an understanding of firms and transactions as a portfolio of value logics (i.e. an interconnected coexistence of different value creation logics) is proposed. These additions to the original value creation logic theory imply interesting avenues for both, strategic decision making in firms...

Comparison of the Value of Nursing Work Environments in Hospitals Across Different Levels of Patient Risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Silber, Jeffrey H; Rosenbaum, Paul R; McHugh, Matthew D; Ludwig, Justin M; Smith, Herbert L; Niknam, Bijan A; Even-Shoshan, Orit; Fleisher, Lee A; Kelz, Rachel R; Aiken, Linda H

2016-06-01

The literature suggests that hospitals with better nursing work environments provide better quality of care. Less is known about value (cost vs quality). To test whether hospitals with better nursing work environments displayed better value than those with worse nursing environments and to determine patient risk groups associated with the greatest value. A retrospective matched-cohort design, comparing the outcomes and cost of patients at focal hospitals recognized nationally as having good nurse working environments and nurse-to-bed ratios of 1 or greater with patients at control group hospitals without such recognition and with nurse-to-bed ratios less than 1. This study included 25 752 elderly Medicare general surgery patients treated at focal hospitals and 62 882 patients treated at control hospitals during 2004-2006 in Illinois, New York, and Texas. The study was conducted between January 1, 2004, and November 30, 2006; this analysis was conducted from April to August 2015. Focal vs control hospitals (better vs worse nursing environment). Thirty-day mortality and costs reflecting resource utilization. This study was conducted at 35 focal hospitals (mean nurse-to-bed ratio, 1.51) and 293 control hospitals (mean nurse-to-bed ratio, 0.69). Focal hospitals were larger and more teaching and technology intensive than control hospitals. Thirty-day mortality in focal hospitals was 4.8% vs 5.8% in control hospitals (P value in the focal group. For the focal vs control hospitals, the greatest mortality benefit (17.3% vs 19.9%; P risk quintile, with a nonsignificant cost difference of $941 per patient ($53 701 vs $52 760; P = .25). The greatest difference in value between focal and control hospitals appeared in patients in the second-highest risk quintile, with mortality of 4.2% vs 5.8% (P value (lower mortality with similar costs) compared with hospitals without nursing environment recognition and with below-average staffing, especially for higher

Multiscale spatial and temporal estimation of the b-value

Science.gov (United States)

García-Hernández, R.; D'Auria, L.; Barrancos, J.; Padilla, G.

2017-12-01

The estimation of the spatial and temporal variations of the Gutenberg-Richter b-value is of great importance in different seismological applications. One of the problems affecting its estimation is the heterogeneous distribution of the seismicity which makes its estimate strongly dependent upon the selected spatial and/or temporal scale. This is especially important in volcanoes where dense clusters of earthquakes often overlap the background seismicity. Proposed solutions for estimating temporal variations of the b-value include considering equally spaced time intervals or variable intervals having an equal number of earthquakes. Similar approaches have been proposed to image the spatial variations of this parameter as well.We propose a novel multiscale approach, based on the method of Ogata and Katsura (1993), allowing a consistent estimation of the b-value regardless of the considered spatial and/or temporal scales. Our method, named MUST-B (MUltiscale Spatial and Temporal characterization of the B-value), basically consists in computing estimates of the b-value at multiple temporal and spatial scales, extracting for a give spatio-temporal point a statistical estimator of the value, as well as and indication of the characteristic spatio-temporal scale. This approach includes also a consistent estimation of the completeness magnitude (Mc) and of the uncertainties over both b and Mc.We applied this method to example datasets for volcanic (Tenerife, El Hierro) and tectonic areas (Central Italy) as well as an example application at global scale.

Why are there no great women chefs?

Science.gov (United States)

Druckman, Charlotte

2010-01-01

This article applies the rhetorical and deliberately provocative approach of the watershed essay art historian Linda Nochlin wrote in 1971—“Why Have there Been No Great Women Artists?”—to today's culinary industry. Nochlin used the question her title posed as a theoretical trap that would draw attention not only to the inherent sexism or prejudice that pervades the way the public perceives art, but also to those same issues' existence within and impact on academia and the other cultural institutions responsible for posing these sorts of questions. Nochlin bypassed the obvious and irrelevant debate over women's being less or differently talented and, in so doing, exposed that debate for being a distraction from the heart of the matter: how, sociologically (media) or institutionally (museums, foundations, etc.), people define a “great artist.” Although it's 40 years later, the polemic is as effective when used to understand the gender divide in the food world.

Generalized Extreme Value's shape parameter and its nature for extreme precipitation using long time series and Bayesian approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ragulina, Galina; Reitan, Trond

2016-04-01

Assessing the probability of extreme precipitation events is of great importance in civil planning. This requires understanding of how return values change with different return periods, which is essentially described by the Generalized Extreme Value distribution's shape parameter. Some works in the field have suggested a constant shape parameter, while our analysis indicates a non-universal value. We first re-analyse an older precipitation dataset (169 stations) extended by Norwegian data (71 stations). We show that while each set seems to have a constant shape parameter, it differs between the two datasets, indicating regional differences. For a more comprehensive analysis of spatial effects, we examine a global dataset (1495 stations). We provide shape parameter maps for two models. We find clear evidence for the shape parameter being dependent on elevation while the effect of latitude remains uncertain. Our results confirm an explanation in terms of dominating precipitation systems based on a proxy derived from the Köppen-Geiger climate classification.

The Influence of Perceived Value on Customer Loyalty in Slovenian Hotel Industry

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Tadeja Krasna

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Perceived value has an enormous influence on customer behavior, because it influences his decisions on product choice, purchase intentions and repeat purchasing. Most frequently it appears in connection with quality and customer satisfaction. The purpose of this article is to present the role of perceived values as marketing tool for assuring customer loyalty in Slovenian hotel industry, where knowing a guest and understanding his wishes and expectations plays an essential part. By means of qualitative marketing research it was ascertained that the offer of Slovenian hoteliers does not differ in general from the offer of other hoteliers; this is why they are trying to expose characteristics which are most appreciated by guests. They are laying great emphasis on culinary art, creation of homelike feeling and integrated experience.

Determinants of residential space heating expenditures in Great Britain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meier, Helena [Department of Economics, University of Hamburg, Von Melle Park 5, 20146 Hamburg (Germany); Rehdanz, Katrin [Department of Economics, University of Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 40, 24118 Kiel (Germany)

2010-09-15

In Great Britain, several policy measures have been implemented in order to increase energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. In the domestic sector, this could, for example, be achieved by improving space heating efficiency and thus decreasing heating expenditure. However, in order to efficiently design and implement such policy measures, a better understanding of the determinants affecting heating expenditure is needed. In this paper we examine the following determinants: socio-economic factors, building characteristics, heating technologies and weather conditions. In contrast to most other studies we use panel data to investigate household demand for heating in Great Britain. Our data sample is the result of an annual set of interviews with more than 5000 households, starting in 1991 and ending in 2005. The sample represents a total of 64,000 observations over the fifteen-year period. Our aim is to derive price and income elasticities both for Britain as a whole and for different types of household. Our results suggest that differences exist between owner-occupied and renter households. These households react differently to changes in income and prices. Our results also imply that a number of socio-economic criteria have a significant influence on heating expenditure, independently of the fuel used for heating. Understanding the impacts of different factors on heating expenditure and impact differences between types of household is helpful in designing target-oriented policy measures. (author)

Short sales, differences of opinion and fundamental value

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brounen, Dirk; Porras Prado, M.; Ling, D.C.

2013-01-01

This study explores the role of short sale constraints in explaining the variation in premiums to Net Asset Value (NAV) in REIT pricing. We use proprietary information on short sales between June 2006 and September 2008 to examine how short sales and short sale constraints affect the variation in

Performance of a Planar Leaky-Wave Slit Antenna for Different Values of Substrate Thickness

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Niamat Hussain

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the performance of a planar, low-profile, and wide-gain-bandwidth leaky-wave slit antenna in different thickness values of high-permittivity gallium arsenide substrates at terahertz frequencies. The proposed antenna designs consisted of a periodic array of 5 × 5 metallic square patches and a planar feeding structure. The patch array was printed on the top side of the substrate, and the feeding structure, which is an open-ended leaky-wave slot line, was etched on the bottom side of the substrate. The antenna performed as a Fabry-Perot cavity antenna at high thickness levels (H = 160 μm and H = 80 μm, thus exhibiting high gain but a narrow gain bandwidth. At low thickness levels (H = 40 μm and H = 20 μm, it performed as a metasurface antenna and showed wide-gain-bandwidth characteristics with a low gain value. Aside from the advantage of achieving useful characteristics for different antennas by just changing the substrate thickness, the proposed antenna design exhibited a low profile, easy integration into circuit boards, and excellent low-cost mass production suitability.

Making America's Schools Great Now: Reclaiming Democracy and Activist Leadership under Trump

Science.gov (United States)

Horsford, Sonya Douglass

2018-01-01

Trump's vow to "make America great again" seeks to usher in a policy agenda reminiscent of an era that served as a boon to the rich while devastating poor, working-class, Americans, particularly people of color. His education policy and budget blueprint prove no exception, signalling troubling priorities for those who value strong public…

Negotiating about Perceived Value Differences in Mathematics Teaching: The Case of Immigrant Teachers in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Seah, Wee Tiong

2005-01-01

This paper reports on a qualitative research study exploring the socialisation experiences of immigrant secondary mathematics teachers practising in Australia. Teacher perception of differences in the ways their respective home and the Australian (host) cultures value aspects of mathematics teaching and learning was observed to lead to dissonance.…

Comparison of conventional renal clearance values with differently evaluated results of radioisotope nephrography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grebe, S.F.; Weise, M.; Berghaeuser, H.; Faengewisch, G.L.; Temme, H.

1981-01-01

81 patients with renal anormalities or renal disorders of different genesis and severity with and without restricted renal functions were investigated by means of the classical PAH- and inulin-clearance. Furthermore a radioisotope nephrography was carried out after application of I 131-Hippuran followed by Cr 51-EDTA. In addition the activity reduction was measured above the shoulder, as well as the activity in serum samples and urine samples gained 30 min after application. A comparison of the clearance values found with those of conventional clearance resulted in poor correlation for I 131-Hippuran (r = 0.54) and no correlation for Cr 51-EDTA. Of the many parameters of the radioisotope nephrogram curves only the following are able to give sufficient quantitative functional results: The parameters connected with the rise of the curve between the 48sup(rh) and 120sup(rh) s and those connected with the slope of the secant. This is also true for the value of activity measured in the urine. (orig.) [de

Evaluation of the entrance skin dose due to paediatric chest X-rays examinations carried out at a great hospital in Rio de Janeiro city

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamadain, K.E.M.; Azevedo, A.C.P.; Rosa, L.A.R. da; Mota, H.C.; Goncalves, O.D.; Guebel, M.R.N.

2001-01-01

A dosimetric survey in paediatric radiology is currently being carried out at the paediatric unit of a great hospital in Rio de Janeiro city, aiming the assessment of patient doses and image quality. The aim of this work was to estimate the entrance skin dose for frontal and lateral chest X-rays exposure to paediatric patients. Three examination techniques were investigated, namely PA, AP and lateral positions. For entrance skin dose evaluation, two different TL dosimeters were used, namely LiF:Mg,Ti and CaSO4:Dy. The age intervals considered were 0-1 year, 1-5 years, 5-10 years and 10-15 years. The results obtained with both dosimeters are similar and the entrance skin dose values evaluated for the different age intervals considered are compared with previous values found in Brazil and also in Europe. (author)

The Fault Feature Extraction of Rolling Bearing Based on EMD and Difference Spectrum of Singular Value

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Te Han

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the fault diagnosis of rolling bearing in aeroengines is based on the vibration signal measured on casing, instead of bearing block. However, the vibration signal of the bearing is often covered by a series of complex components caused by other structures (rotor, gears. Therefore, when bearings cause failure, it is still not certain that the fault feature can be extracted from the vibration signal on casing. In order to solve this problem, a novel fault feature extraction method for rolling bearing based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD and the difference spectrum of singular value is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the vibration signal is decomposed by EMD. Next, the difference spectrum of singular value method is applied. The study finds that each peak on the difference spectrum corresponds to each component in the original signal. According to the peaks on the difference spectrum, the component signal of the bearing fault can be reconstructed. To validate the proposed method, the bearing fault data collected on the casing are analyzed. The results indicate that the proposed rolling bearing diagnosis method can accurately extract the fault feature that is submerged in other component signals and noise.

Nothing Great Is Easy

OpenAIRE

Stansbie, Lisa

2014-01-01

A solo exhibition of 13 pieces of art work.\\ud \\ud Nothing Great is Easy is an exhibition of sculpture, film, drawing and photography that proposes reconstructed narratives using the sport of swimming and in particular the collective interaction and identity of the channel swimmer. The work utilises the processes, rituals/rules, language and the apparatus of sport.\\ud \\ud “Nothing great is easy” are the words on the memorial to Captain Matthew Webb who was the first man to swim the English ch...

Improving Shareholder Value through Corporate Governance Mechanism in Malaysian Listed Companies

OpenAIRE

Ibrahim, Mohammed Yussoff; Ahmad, Ayoib Che; Khan, Muhammad Anees

2016-01-01

This paper proposes to investigate the postulations of renowned agency theory and shareholder value (SHV) in relation to Corporate Governance (CG) attributes. Shareholder value is of a great concern to the shareholders of firms. Shareholder value have been investigated by numerous studies of corporate governance but with inconsistent empirical evidence. This study will focus on investigating the impact of CG attributes on Shareholder value measured by Tobin’s Q or return on both equity and as...

Absorbed dose to the urinary bladder wall for different radiopharmaceuticals using dynamic S-values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, M.; Minarik, D.; Mattsson, S.; Leide-Svegborn; Johansson, L.

2015-01-01

Full text of publication follows. Aim and background: the urinary bladder wall is a radiosensitive organ that can receive a high absorbed dose from radiopharmaceuticals used in diagnostic nuclear medicine. Current dynamic models estimate the photon and electron absorbed dose at the inner surface of the bladder wall. The aim of this work has been to create a more realistic estimation of the mean absorbed dose to the urinary bladder wall from different radiopharmaceuticals. This calculation also uses dynamic specific absorption fractions (SAF) that changes with bladder volume and are gender specific. Materials and Methods: the volume of the urinary bladder content was calculated using a spherical approximation with a urinary inflow of 1.0 ml/min and 0.5 ml/min during day and night time, respectively. The activity in the bladder content was described using a bi-exponential extraction from the body. The absorbed dose to the bladder wall was estimated using linear interpolation of SAF values from different bladder volumes, ranging from 10 ml to 800 ml. Administration of the activity was assumed to start at 09:00 with an initial voiding after 40 minutes and a voiding interval of 3.5 hours during the day. A six hour night gap, starting at midnight, with a voiding right before and after the night period, was used. Calculations were made, with the same assumptions, for an earlier dynamic bladder model and with a static SAF value from the ICRP/ICRU adult reference computational phantoms for a bladder containing 200 ml. Values for the absorbed dose per unit administered activity for 19 commonly used radiopharmaceuticals were calculated, e.g. 18 F-FDG, 99m Tc-pertechnetate, 99m Tc-MAG3 and 123 I-NaI. Results and conclusion: the results of the estimates of the absorbed doses to the inner bladder wall were a factor of ten higher than the estimates mean absorbed doses. The mean absorbed doses to the bladder wall were slightly higher for females than males, due to a smaller female

Detecting plague-host abundance from space: Using a spectral vegetation index to identify occupancy of great gerbil burrows

Science.gov (United States)

Wilschut, Liesbeth I.; Heesterbeek, Johan A. P.; Begon, Mike; de Jong, Steven M.; Ageyev, Vladimir; Laudisoit, Anne; Addink, Elisabeth A.

2018-02-01

In Kazakhstan, plague outbreaks occur when its main host, the great gerbil, exceeds an abundance threshold. These live in family groups in burrows, which can be mapped using remote sensing. Occupancy (percentage of burrows occupied) is a good proxy for abundance and hence the possibility of an outbreak. Here we use time series of satellite images to estimate occupancy remotely. In April and September 2013, 872 burrows were identified in the field as either occupied or empty. For satellite images acquired between April and August, 'burrow objects' were identified and matched to the field burrows. The burrow objects were represented by 25 different polygon types, then classified (using a majority vote from 10 Random Forests) as occupied or empty, using Normalized Difference Vegetation Indices (NDVI) calculated for all images. Throughout the season NDVI values were higher for empty than for occupied burrows. Occupancy status of individual burrows that were continuously occupied or empty, was classified with producer's and user's accuracy values of 63 and 64% for the optimum polygon. Occupancy level was predicted very well and differed 2% from the observed occupancy. This establishes firmly the principle that occupancy can be estimated using satellite images with the potential to predict plague outbreaks over extensive areas with much greater ease and accuracy than previously.

Nutritional value of seed rape meal in relation to different processing conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurang-Zeb; Bibi, N.; Badshah, A.; Sattar, A.; Khan, I.

1990-01-01

Rat bioassays were conducted to study the effects of different processing methods on the nutritive value of rape seed meal. Treatments given to rape seed were irradiation alone, irradiation + autoclaving, irradiation + dry heating and sprouting. Results revealed that feeding rape seed as the sole source of dietary protein resulted in severe weight loss with control as well as all the treated samples. However, replacing half the maintenance level protein with wheat resulted in remarkable improvement in the nutritional quality of meal. There were weigh gains in all the groups. Weight gains were 32.15, 20.06, 17.36, 34.00, 19.93 and 26.27 g/rat in casein, control, sprouting, radiation, radiation + heat and radiation + autoclving groups, respectively. Protein efficiency ratios (PER) when adjusted to casein, were 2.10 for radiation + autoclaving and 2.03 for sprouting. Protein digestibility ranged from 92.68 to 96.79% among all the rape seed groups as compared to 97.77% for casein. Among organs, heart weight was influenced most by different diets (0.43 to 0.48% of body weight), while differences in weights of lungs, liver, spleen and kidney were negligible. (author)

Climate variability and Great Plains agriculture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenberg, N.J.; Katz, L.A.

1991-01-01

The ways in which inhabitants of the Great Plains, including Indians, early settlers, and 20th century farmers, have adapted to climate changes on the Great Plains are explored. The climate of the Great Plains, because of its variability and extremes, can be very stressful to plants, animals and people. It is suggested that agriculture and society on the Great Plains have, during the last century, become less vulnerable to the stresses imposed by climate. Opinions as to the sustainability of agriculture on the Great Plains vary substantially. Lockeretz (1981) suggests that large scale, high cost technologies have stressed farmers by creating surpluses and by requiring large investments. Opie (1989) sees irrigation as a climate substitute, however he stresses that the Ogallala aquifer must inevitably become depleted. Deborah and Frank Popper (1987) believe that farming on the Plains is unsustainable, and destruction of shelterbelts, out-migration of the rural population and environmental problems will lead to total collapse. With global warming, water in the Great Plains is expected to become scarcer, and although improvements in irrigation efficiency may slow depletion of the Ogallala aquifer, ultimately the acreage under irrigation must decrease to levels that can be sustained by natural recharge and reliable surface flows. 23 refs., 2 figs

Gender Differences in Beliefs on the Returns to Effort: Evidence from the World Values Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Fisman, Raymond; O'Neill, Maura

2009-01-01

We study gender differences in attitudes in the role of luck versus hard work in achieving success using data from the World Values Survey. Women are consistently more likely to report that success is a matter of luck. We consider several potential explanations: workplace discrimination, religion, household responsibilities, and political…

Sustainable values for a livable future

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCluney, R.

1995-01-01

Alternative paths to the future which might produce true sustainability involve comprehensive behavior change, not only by government and business leaders but also by ordinary citizens. Individual and societal behavior is guided to a great extent by the values and beliefs underlying that behavior. A growing body of literature deals with this subject, which is called environmental ethics. From the seminal work of Thomas Berry to conference proceedings and journal articles, examinations of the moral and ethical implications of the need for changing values and behavior can be found in both the religious and secular literature. Central to much of that literature is the concept of envisioning a sustainable future. Developing, promoting, and publicizing those visions will be important in overcoming the natural fears one has of changing basic values and beliefs, thereby enabling open and public discussion of the need of a set of sustainable values for a livable future

Religiosity and basic values of Russians (based on the European Social Survey and Orthodox Monitor

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Elena Prutskova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article examines the relationship between religiosity and basic values in Russia. Basic values are measured by the Schwartz's Portrait Value Questionnaire. The analysis is based on the data of the European Social Survey conducted in 2012 and the Orthodox Monitor survey conducted in 2012 as well, which is a representative survey of churched Russian Orthodox Christians. Usually based on the results of mass surveys, the connection of basic values with religiosity in Russia is very weak. One possible reason is the use of inappopriate indicators to measure the degree of religiosity. One of the most important characteristics that distinguish churched Orthodox Christians is regular Communion, which presupposes quite serious preparation, fasting and Confession. People make an attempt to rethink their views, values, and change their behavior. If this happens with a certain regularity, then it can lead to a gradual change in basic values, conditioned by religiosity. Such working out the best of oneself may not occur if a person just attends religious services, but does not receive Communion. Churched Orthodox are much more committed to the values of Conservation and Self-Transcendence, and less to the values of Openness to change and Self-Enhancement. One of the unexpected results was the discovery of significant differences in the values of Universalism, in which the churched Orthodox Christians are noticeably ahead of the average Russians, while in most previous studies the relationship of religiosity to the values of Universalism was either negative or absent, and only rarely was weak positive. Also, despite the general low commitment to the values of Openness to change, the differences are due to the great rejection of the values of Hedonism and Stimulation, while the values of Self Direction differ from the average Russians only slightly.

Role of different negative pressure values in the process of infected wounds treated by vacuum-assisted closure: an experimental study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Min; Yu, Aixi; Wu, Gang; Xia, Chengyan; Hu, Xiang; Qi, Baiwen

2013-10-01

Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) device is widely used to treat infected wounds in clinical work. Although the effect of VAC with different negative pressure values is well established, whether different negative pressures could result in varying modulation of wound relative cytokines was not clear. We hypothesise that instead of the highest negative pressure value the suitable value for VAC is the one which is the most effective on regulating wound relative cytokines. Infected wounds created on pigs' back were used to investigate the effects of varying negative pressure values of VAC devices. Wounds were treated with VAC of different negative pressure values or moist gauze, which was set as control. The VAC foam, semiocclusive dresses and moist gauze were changed on days 3, 5, 7 and 9 after wounds were created. When changing dressings, tissues from wounds were harvested for bacteria count and histology examination including Masson's trichrome stain and immunohistochemistry for microvessels. Western blot was carried out to test the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). Results showed that on days 3 and 5 the number of bacteria in wounds treated by VAC with 75, 150, 225 and 300 mmHg was significantly decreased compared with that in wounds treated by gauze and 0 mmHg pressure value. However, there was no difference in wounds treated with negative pressure values of 75 , 150, 225 and 300 mmHg at any time spot. Immunohistochemistry showed that more microvessels were generated in wounds treated by VAC using 75 and 150 mmHg negative pressure comparing with that using 225 and 300 mmHg on days 3 and 5. However this difference vanished on days 7 and 9. Morphological evaluation by Masson's trichrome staining showed increased collagen deposition in VAC of 75 and 150 mmHg compared with that in VAC of 225 and 300 mmHg. Western blot showed that the expression of VEGF and bFGF significantly increased when the wounds

Reproductive behavior of the great hornbill (Buceros bicornis).

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlowski, Corinne P; Bauman, Karen L; Asa, Cheryl S

2015-01-01

Great hornbills (Buceros bicornis) are a long-lived, monogamous species that forms strong pair-bonds, and mate compatibility is thought to be important for successful reproduction. Within AZA, great hornbills are listed as a red SSP. The population consists of a limited number of individuals that do not breed reliably, and improving reproduction is a top priority for the Coraciiformes TAG. To better understand mating behavior and evaluate mate compatibility, this study documented the behavior of pairs of great hornbills during and immediately after courtship. Using live observations, the study followed one female, an experienced and successful breeder, as she was paired with four successive males over 11 breeding seasons. Initially, males frequently vocalized, investigated the nest, and approached the female. As the female spent more time in the nest, these behaviors were replaced by regurgitation and food offering. The female was most often observed plastering and vocalizing. Behavioral differences between successful and unsuccessful pairs, possibly indicative of pair compatibility, included rates of approaching, billing, and biting. Numerous behaviors occurred more frequently during years that a chick hatched, including pseudoregurgitation, regurgitation, offering food items, and nest investigation. Males also spent more time in proximity to both the female and the nest during years that a chick hatched. Together, these results suggest that the amount of time pairs spend in proximity, the amount of time a male spends near the nest, and the frequency of certain behaviors may help evaluate compatibility and the likelihood of successful reproduction for pairs of great hornbills. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Examination of the embargo hypothesis as an explanation for the Great Silence

Science.gov (United States)

Deardorff, J. W.

1987-08-01

The embargo or quarantine hypothesis for explaining the 'Great Silence' is reviewed and found to be more plausible than the view that, at most, earth might expect to receive radio messages from some distant star. The latter hypothesis is shown to be compatible with extraterrestrial technologies only a few hundred years in advance of those on earth, whereas the embargo hypothesis more reasonably infers that they should be tens of thousands of years in advance and in control of any contact with humanity. Reasons why the embargo hypothesis has received insufficient attention are presented; they involve failure to allow for the application of both greatly advanced technology and high ethical values by maturing societies of extraterrestrial intelligence. The implication of the embargo hypothesis for space development is that planets already harboring diverse biota are ethically off-limits for exploitive colonization.

Dynamic response of the scenic beauty value of different forests to various thinning intensities in central eastern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Songqiu; Yin, Na; Guan, Qingwei; Katoh, Masato

2014-11-01

Forest management has a significant influence on the preferences of people for forest landscapes. This study sought to evaluate the dynamic effects of thinning intensities on the landscape value of forests over time. Five typical stands in Wuxiangsi National Forest Park in Nanjing, China, were subjected to a thinning experiment designed with four intensities: unthinned, light thinning, moderate thinning, and heavy thinning. People's preferences for landscape photographs taken in plots under various thinning intensities were assessed through scenic beauty estimation (SBE) at 2 and 5 years after thinning. The differences in scenic beauty value between different thinning intensities were then analyzed with a paired samples t test for the two periods. The results indicated that the landscape value of all of the thinned plots significantly exceeded that of the unthinned plots 2 years after thinning (p beautiful than the lightly thinned and moderately thinned plots, whereas there was no significant difference between moderate thinning and light thinning. At 5 years after thinning, however, the moderately thinned plots received the highest preference scores among the four intensities, displaying an average improvement of 11.32 % compared with the unthinned plots. A multiple linear regression (MLR) model indicated that landscape value improved with increases in the average diameter at breast height (DBH) and with the improvement of environmental cleanliness in the stand, whereas the value decreased with an increasing stem density, species diversity, litter coverage, and canopy density. In addition, we found that the performance of a neural network model based on a multilayer perception (MLP) algorithm for predicting scenic beauty was slightly better than that of the MLR model. The findings of our study suggest that moderate to heavy thinning should be recommended to manage forests for the improvement of forest landscape value.

Comparison of Boolean analysis and standard phylogenetic methods using artificially evolved and natural mt-tRNA sequences from great apes.

Science.gov (United States)

Ari, Eszter; Ittzés, Péter; Podani, János; Thi, Quynh Chi Le; Jakó, Eena

2012-04-01

Boolean analysis (or BOOL-AN; Jakó et al., 2009. BOOL-AN: A method for comparative sequence analysis and phylogenetic reconstruction. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol. 52, 887-97.), a recently developed method for sequence comparison uses the Iterative Canonical Form of Boolean functions. It considers sequence information in a way entirely different from standard phylogenetic methods (i.e. Maximum Parsimony, Maximum-Likelihood, Neighbor-Joining, and Bayesian analysis). The performance and reliability of Boolean analysis were tested and compared with the standard phylogenetic methods, using artificially evolved - simulated - nucleotide sequences and the 22 mitochondrial tRNA genes of the great apes. At the outset, we assumed that the phylogeny of Hominidae is generally well established, and the guide tree of artificial sequence evolution can also be used as a benchmark. These offer a possibility to compare and test the performance of different phylogenetic methods. Trees were reconstructed by each method from 2500 simulated sequences and 22 mitochondrial tRNA sequences. We also introduced a special re-sampling method for Boolean analysis on permuted sequence sites, the P-BOOL-AN procedure. Considering the reliability values (branch support values of consensus trees and Robinson-Foulds distances) we used for simulated sequence trees produced by different phylogenetic methods, BOOL-AN appeared as the most reliable method. Although the mitochondrial tRNA sequences of great apes are relatively short (59-75 bases long) and the ratio of their constant characters is about 75%, BOOL-AN, P-BOOL-AN and the Bayesian approach produced the same tree-topology as the established phylogeny, while the outcomes of Maximum Parsimony, Maximum-Likelihood and Neighbor-Joining methods were equivocal. We conclude that Boolean analysis is a promising alternative to existing methods of sequence comparison for phylogenetic reconstruction and congruence analysis. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All

Attitudes toward older adults: A matter of cultural values or personal values?

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Xing, Cai; Guan, Yanjun; Song, Xuan; Melloy, Robert; Wang, Fei; Jin, Xiaoyu

2016-02-01

The current research aimed to address the inconsistent findings regarding cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults by differentiating the effects of personal and cultural values. In Study 1, we used data from the sixth wave of the World Values Survey to examine attitudes toward older adults across cultures, and how different personal values (i.e., communal vs. agentic) and cultural values (i.e., individualism) predicted these attitudes. The results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses showed that after controlling for potential covariates, personal communal values positively correlated with positive attitudes toward older adults; however, cultural individualistic values did not. To further examine the causal effects of personal values (vs. cultural values), we conducted an experimental study and confirmed that priming personal values rather than cultural values had significant effects on ageism attitudes. The present studies help to reconcile conflicting results on cultural differences in attitudes toward older adults. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

VENDOR SELECTION AND DETERMINING PROCUREMENT QUOTAS IN CONDITIONS WHEN DISCOUNTS ARE OFFERED ON THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE CONTRACTED PROCUREMENT OF MANY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoran Babic

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Vendor selection is a very significant business problem for ensuring the competitiveness on the market. That is why companies pay great attention to this problem. To solve the vendor selection problems can be applied to a number of quantitative methods. Depending on the goals of the company the vendor selection can be a mono-criterion or multi-criterion programming problem. This paper deals with the problem of vendor selection and determining procurement quotas from selected vendors under conditions where vendors offer discounts to the total order value within a specified period where the buyer buys more products from the vendors. The total value of procurement costs in a given period is taken as an optimization criterion. In this paper the specific flour purchase problem is solved for a company that manufactures bakery products

VENDOR SELECTION AND DETERMINING PROCUREMENT QUOTAS IN CONDITIONS WHEN DISCOUNTS ARE OFFERED ON THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE CONTRACTED PROCUREMENT OF MANY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zoran Babić

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Vendor selection is a very significant business problem for ensuring the competitiveness on the market. That is why companies pay great attention to this problem. To solve the vendor selection problems can be applied to a number of quantitative methods. Depending on the goals of the company the vendor selection can be a mono-criterion or multi-criterion programming problem. This paper deals with the problem of vendor selection and determining procurement quotas from selected vendors under conditions where vendors offer discounts to the total order value within a specified period where the buyer buys more products from the vendors. The total value of procurement costs in a given period is taken as an optimization criterion. In this paper the specific flour purchase problem is solved for a company that manufactures bakery products.

EXPO 2015 as a Laboratory for Neoliberalization. Great Exhibitions, Urban Value Dispossession and New Labor Relations

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Emanuele Leonardi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Great Exhibitions provide analytical lenses whereby capitalist development can be read from material as well as intangible perspectives. Thus, the paper approaches Milan EXPO 2015 through the grid of intelligibility provided by the concept of neoliberalism/neoliberalization, namely as a regulatory experi-ment. EXPO 2015 is first situated against the background of a growing body of literature which interprets mega-events as catalysts of territorial dispossession. Starting from the critical urban theory premise that neoliberalization is necessarily a spatial project, the features of urban space production set in motion by the World Fair are analyzed by paying particular attention to the ways in which social movements framed such transformations and eventually mobilized in reaction to them. Secondly, EXPO 2015 functioned as a laboratory for the implementation of unprecedented labor relations. In particular, the widespread re-course to voluntary or unpaid workforces is in connection with the shift from wage to human capital as the pillar of social mediation between productive subjects

Der Einfluss von personeller Einkommensverteilung auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Trappl

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Der Einfluss gestiegener Einkommensungleichheit auf die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“ wurde mehrfach postuliert (Galbraith 1954/2009; Eccles 1951; Rajan 2010; Stiglitz 2012; Piketty 2014. Konkrete empirische Arbeiten zum Zusammenhang zwischen Einkommensverteilung und dem Entstehen von Wirtschaftskrisen gibt es aber bislang wenige. Kumhof/Ranciere (2010 überprüften die von Rajan (2010 aufgestellte Hypothese, die einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang postuliert, mittels Modellrechnung. Bordo/Meissner (2012 und darauf aufbauend Gu/Huang (2014 verwendeten unterschiedliche Regressionsmodelle in Bezug auf einen entsprechenden Zusammenhang, ohne jedoch eindeutige Ergebnisse zu liefern. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt an diese Arbeiten an, beschränkt die Untersuchung allerdings auf Staaten, für die Daten für die letzten hundert Jahre verfügbar sind, und untersucht zudem explizit die Zeiträume um die beiden größten Krisen der letzten hundert Jahre, die „Great Depression“ und die „Great Recession“. Die Auswertungen zeigen, dass die personelle Einkommensverteilung ein guter Prädiktor für die Kriseneintrittswahrscheinlichkeit ist.

A note on technology shocks and the Great Depression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Inklaar, Robert; de Jong, Harmen; Gouma, Fokke Reitze

2016-01-01

The role of technology shocks as a driver of the Great Depression is the topic of our own earlier work and the paper by Watanabe in this issue. While the two studies differ in their data and assumptions, they complement each other and strengthen the conclusion of both papers: technology shocks were

Adding Production Value Through Application of Value Based Scheduling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindhard, Søren; Wandahl, Søren

2012-01-01

Customer value is a key goal in the Lean philosophy, essentially only actions that adds value should be conducted. In a transformation view, the basic lean approach is to remove waste, which indirectly increases value (or withstand value lose). Lean Construction acknowledges two different types o...... be minimized and management should seek towards democratic leadership....

Great Lakes Bathymetry

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Bathymetry of Lakes Michigan, Erie, Saint Clair, Ontario and Huron has been compiled as a component of a NOAA project to rescue Great Lakes lake floor geological and...

Tissue differences in fragile X mosaics: Mosaicism in blood cells may differ greatly from skin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobkin, C.S.; Nolin, S.L.; Cohen, I. [NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY (United States)] [and others

1996-08-09

The fragile X mutation is diagnosed from the structure of the FMR1 gene in blood cell DNA. An estimated 12 to 41% of affected males are mosaics who carry both a {open_quotes}full mutation{close_quotes} allele from which there is no gene expression and a {open_quotes}premutation{close_quotes} allele which has normal gene expression. We compared the DNA in blood cells and skin fibroblasts from four mosaic fragile X males to see if there was a difference in the relative amounts of premutation and full mutation alleles within the tissues of these individuals. Two of these males showed striking differences in the ratio of premutation to full mutation in different tissues while the other two showed only slight differences. These observations conform with the widely accepted hypothesis that the fragile X CGG repeat is unstable in somatic tissue during early embryogenesis. Accordingly, the mosaicism in brain and skin, which are both ectodermal in origin, may be similar to each other but different from blood which is not ectodermal in origin. Thus, the ratio of full mutation to premutation allele in skin fibroblasts might be a better indicator of psychological impairment than the ratio in blood cells. 24 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

What Caused the Great Depression?

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Jean; O'Driscoll, Timothy G.

2007-01-01

Economists and historians have struggled for almost 80 years to account for the American Great Depression, which began in 1929 and lasted until the early years of World War II. In this article, the authors discuss three major schools of thought on the causes of the Great Depression and the long failure of the American economy to return to full…

The Sixth Great Mass Extinction

Science.gov (United States)

Wagler, Ron

2012-01-01

Five past great mass extinctions have occurred during Earth's history. Humanity is currently in the midst of a sixth, human-induced great mass extinction of plant and animal life (e.g., Alroy 2008; Jackson 2008; Lewis 2006; McDaniel and Borton 2002; Rockstrom et al. 2009; Rohr et al. 2008; Steffen, Crutzen, and McNeill 2007; Thomas et al. 2004;…

The Time Scale of Recombination Rate Evolution in Great Apes

Science.gov (United States)

Stevison, Laurie S.; Woerner, August E.; Kidd, Jeffrey M.; Kelley, Joanna L.; Veeramah, Krishna R.; McManus, Kimberly F.; Bustamante, Carlos D.; Hammer, Michael F.; Wall, Jeffrey D.

2016-01-01

Abstract We present three linkage-disequilibrium (LD)-based recombination maps generated using whole-genome sequence data from 10 Nigerian chimpanzees, 13 bonobos, and 15 western gorillas, collected as part of the Great Ape Genome Project (Prado-Martinez J, et al. 2013. Great ape genetic diversity and population history. Nature 499:471–475). We also identified species-specific recombination hotspots in each group using a modified LDhot framework, which greatly improves statistical power to detect hotspots at varying strengths. We show that fewer hotspots are shared among chimpanzee subspecies than within human populations, further narrowing the time scale of complete hotspot turnover. Further, using species-specific PRDM9 sequences to predict potential binding sites (PBS), we show higher predicted PRDM9 binding in recombination hotspots as compared to matched cold spot regions in multiple great ape species, including at least one chimpanzee subspecies. We found that correlations between broad-scale recombination rates decline more rapidly than nucleotide divergence between species. We also compared the skew of recombination rates at centromeres and telomeres between species and show a skew from chromosome means extending as far as 10–15 Mb from chromosome ends. Further, we examined broad-scale recombination rate changes near a translocation in gorillas and found minimal differences as compared to other great ape species perhaps because the coordinates relative to the chromosome ends were unaffected. Finally, on the basis of multiple linear regression analysis, we found that various correlates of recombination rate persist throughout the African great apes including repeats, diversity, and divergence. Our study is the first to analyze within- and between-species genome-wide recombination rate variation in several close relatives. PMID:26671457

Evaluation of different fracture-mechanical J-integral initiation values with regard to their usability in the safety assessment of components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisele, U.; Roos, E.

1991-01-01

Determining fracture-mechanical material characteristic values on the basis of the J-integral is described and stipulated in a variety of standards and guidelines. The individual specifications differ in terms of procedure when determining the characteristic values and, therefore, also in terms of the meaningfulness of the results. This paper presents the different procedures, suggested in the course of the development of test methods in the field of elastic-plastic fracture mechanics, used to characterize crack initiation behaviour with regard to their features as material characteristic values and their usability in the safety assessment of components. (orig.)

Individual, Country and Societal Cluster Differences on Measures of Personality, Attitudes, Values, and Social Norms

Science.gov (United States)

Stankov, Lazar

2011-01-01

This study investigated cross-cultural differences on 38 subscales from 4 major domains--personality, social attitudes, values, and social norms. These scales were administered to participants who took the Test of English as a Foreign Language[TM] (TOEFL[R], N = 1,600) and U.S. college students (N = 429). Total variability of each subscale was…

Endometrial Receptivity and its Predictive Value for IVF/ICSI-Outcome.

Science.gov (United States)

Heger, A; Sator, M; Pietrowski, D

2012-08-01

Endometrial receptivity plays a crucial role in the establishment of a healthy pregnancy in cycles of assisted reproduction. The endometrium as a key factor during reproduction can be assessed in multiple ways, most commonly through transvaginal grey-scale or 3-D ultrasound. It has been shown that controlled ovarian hyperstimulation has a great impact on the uterine lining, which leads to different study results for the predictive value of endometrial factors measured on different cycle days. There is no clear consensus on whether endometrial factors are appropriate to predict treatment outcome and if so, which one is suited best. The aim of this review is to summarize recent findings of studies about the influence of endometrial thickness, volume and pattern on IVF- and ICSI-treatment outcome and provide an overview of future developments in the field.

Reaching Regional and Local Learners via a Great Lakes MOOC

Science.gov (United States)

Mooney, M. E.; Ackerman, S. A.

2015-12-01

The Cooperative Institute of Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) took a regional approach to climate change education in a 4-week MOOC (Massive Open On-line Course) on the Changing Weather and Climate in the Great Lakes Region launched in February 2015. Featuring a different season each week, this Great Lakes MOOC includes lectures about seasonal weather conditions, observed changes, and societal impacts of regional climate change, as well as actions with co-benefits to slow future climate change. To better connect with learners, CIMSS facilitated 21 discussion groups at public libraries around Wisconsin each week. Participants discussed climate change impacts in their communities as well as strategies to mitigate climate change. Not surprisingly, initial survey results show library participants were more committed, engaged, climate literate, and community minded. This session will share lessons learned and survey results from the Great Lakes MOOC which remains open and accessible on Coursera through February 2016 at https://www.coursera.org/course/greatlakesclimate.

Quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in malignant breast lesions using different b value combinations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nilsen, Line B. [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Radiation Biology, Norwegian Radium Hospital, P.O. Box 4959, Oslo (Norway); University of Oslo, Faculty of Medicine, P.O. Box 1078, Oslo (Norway); Fangberget, Anne [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Division of Diagnostics and Intervention, Norwegian Radium Hospital, P.O. Box 4959, Oslo (Norway); Geier, Oliver [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Physics, The Interventional Centre, Division of Diagnostics and Intervention, P.O. Box 4950, Oslo (Norway); Seierstad, Therese [Oslo University Hospital, Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Division of Diagnostics and Intervention, Norwegian Radium Hospital, P.O. Box 4959, Oslo (Norway); Buskerud University College, Department of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7053, Drammen (Norway)

2013-04-15

To explore how apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) in malignant breast lesions are affected by selection of b values in the monoexponential model and to compare ADCs with diffusion coefficients (Ds) obtained from the biexponential model. Twenty-four women (mean age 51.3 years) with locally advanced breast cancer were included in this study. Pre-treatment diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed using a 1.5-T system with b values of 0, 50, 100, 250 and 800 s/mm{sup 2}. Thirteen different b value combinations were used to derive individual monoexponential ADC maps. All b values were used in the biexponential model. Median ADC (including all b values) and D were 1.04 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s (range 0.82-1.61 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s) and 0.84 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s (range 0.17-1.56 x 10{sup -3} mm{sup 2}/s), respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between ADCs and Ds. For clinically relevant b value combinations, maximum deviation between ADCs including and excluding low b values (<100 s/mm{sup 2}) was 11.8 %. Selection of b values strongly affects ADCs of malignant breast lesions. However, by excluding low b values, ADCs approach biexponential Ds, demonstrating that microperfusion influences the diffusion signal. Thus, care should be taken when ADC calculation includes low b values. (orig.)

Elucidating causes of Diporeia decline in the Great Lakes via metabolomics: physiological responses after exposure to different stressors.

Science.gov (United States)

Maity, Suman; Jannasch, Amber; Adamec, Jiri; Watkins, James M; Nalepa, Thomas; Höök, Tomas O; Sepúlveda, Maria S

2013-01-01

The benthic macroinvertebrate Diporeia spp. have been extirpated from many areas of the Laurentian Great Lakes, but the mechanisms underlying such declines are not fully understood. Diporeia declines coinciding with the invasion of exotic dreissenid mussels (zebra and quagga) have led to the hypothesis that Diporeia declines are a result of decreased food availability from increasing competition with dreissenids for diatoms. There is additional evidence that Diporeia are negatively affected when in close proximity to dreissenids, probably because of exposure to toxins present in the mussels' pseudofeces. Diporeia are also known to be sensitive to anthropogenic contaminants (such as polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs]) present in Great Lakes sediments. To better understand the physiological responses of Diporeia to diverse stressors, we conducted three 28-d experiments evaluating changes in the metabolomes of Diporeia (1) fed diatoms (Cyclotella meneghiniana) versus starved, (2) exposed (from Lake Michigan and Cayuga Lake) to quagga mussels (Dreissena bugensis), and (3) exposed to sediments contaminated with PCBs. The metabolomes of samples were examined using both two-dimensional gas and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Each stressor elicited a unique metabolome response characterized by enhanced citric acid cycle, fatty acid biosynthesis, and protein metabolism in diatom-fed Diporeia; impaired glycolysis, protein catabolism, and folate metabolism in Diporeia from Lake Michigan irrespective of quagga mussel exposure, suggesting lake-specific adaptation mechanisms; and altered cysteine and phospholipid metabolism during PCB exposure. Subsequent comparisons of these stressor-specific metabolic responses with metabolomes of a feral Diporeia population would help identify stressors affecting Diporeia populations throughout the Great Lakes.

Digestibility coefficient and true digestible amino acid values of different cultivars of maize for poultry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcia Antonia Bartolomeu Agustini

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The digestibility and true digestible amino acid content of eight cultivars of maize was determined using the method of force-feeding roosters cecectomized. The experimental design was completely randomized, represented by eight cultivars, five replicates and a rooster each. Five roosters were kept fasting for corrections corresponding to metabolic and endogenous losses of amino acids. Significant differences (P <0.05 among maize cultivars for the true digestibility of amino acids, methionine, threonine, arginine, cystine and serine were observed. The values of true digestibility coefficients for essential amino acids, for methionine, threonine and arginine ranged from 85.61 to 93.57%, from 66.27 to 84.97% and 83.39 to 93.10% respectively. For the other essential amino acids, the average values were: 72.84% for lysine, 85.64% for methionine+cystine, 87.29% for histidine, 85.33% for valine, 87.11% for isoleucine, 94.04% for leucine and 90.65% for phenylalanine. The true digestibility coefficients of nonessential amino acids cystine and serine that showed significant difference ranged from 73.97 to 89.21% and from 77.31 to 92.68%, respectively. For other non-essential amino acids, average values were 88.28% for alanine, 82.68% for aspartic acid, 92.19% for glutamic acid and 87.84% for tyrosine. Due to the variations observed, it is recommended periodic analyzes of maize cultivars used to formulate diets, to ensure the feed quality and the performance of the animals.

Thermodynamic and Turbulence Characteristics of the Southern Great Plains Nocturnal Boundary Layer Under Differing Turbulent Regimes

Science.gov (United States)

Bonin, Timothy A.; Blumberg, William G.; Klein, Petra M.; Chilson, Phillip B.

2015-12-01

The nocturnal stable boundary layer (SBL) can generally be classified into the weakly stable boundary layer (wSBL) and very stable boundary layer (vSBL). Within the wSBL, turbulence is relatively continuous, whereas in the vSBL, turbulence is intermittent and not well characterized. Differentiating characteristics of each type of SBL are still unknown. Herein, thermodynamic and kinematic data collected by a suite of instruments in north central Oklahoma in autumn 2012 are analyzed to better understand both SBL regimes and their differentiating characteristics. Many low-level jets were observed during the experiment, as it took place near a climatological maximum. A threshold wind speed, above which bulk shear-generated turbulence develops, is found to exist up to 300 m. The threshold wind speed must also be exceeded at lower heights (down to the surface) in order for strong turbulence to develop. Composite profiles, which are normalized using low-level jet scaling, of potential temperature, wind speed, vertical velocity variance, and the third-order moment of vertical velocity (overline{w'^3}) are produced for weak and moderate/strong turbulence regimes, which exhibit features of the vSBL and wSBL, respectively. Within the wSBL, turbulence is generated at the surface and transported upward. In the vSBL, values of vertical velocity variance are small throughout the entire boundary layer, likely due to the fact that a strong surface inversion typically forms after sunset. The temperature profile tends to be approximately isothermal in the lowest portions of the wSBL, and it did not substantially change over the night. Within both types of SBL, stability in the residual layer tends to increase as the night progresses. It is thought that this stability increase is due to differential warm air advection, which frequently occurs in the southern Great Plains when southerly low-level jets and a typical north-south temperature gradient are present. Differential radiative

Application of the Variational Iteration Method to the Initial Value Problems of Q-difference Equations-Some Examples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Xiang Zeng

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The q-difference equations are a class of important models both in q-calculus and applied sciences. The variational iteration method is extended to approximately solve the initial value problems of q-difference equations. A q-analogue of the Lagrange multiplier is presented and three examples are illustrated to show the method's efficiency.

Decreased runoff response to precipitation, Little Missouri River Basin, northern Great Plains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Eleanor R.; Friedman, Jonathan M.

2017-01-01

High variability in precipitation and streamflow in the semiarid northern Great Plains causes large uncertainty in water availability. This uncertainty is compounded by potential effects of future climate change. We examined historical variability in annual and growing season precipitation, temperature, and streamflow within the Little Missouri River Basin and identified differences in the runoff response to precipitation for the period 1976-2012 compared to 1939-1975 (n = 37 years in both cases). Computed mean values for the second half of the record showed little change (precipitation, but average annual runoff at the basin outlet decreased by 22%, with 66% of the reduction in flow occurring during the growing season. Our results show a statistically significant (p runoff response to precipitation (runoff ratio). Surface-water withdrawals for various uses appear to account for 1°C increases in January through March, are the dominant driver of the observed decrease in runoff response to precipitation in the Little Missouri River Basin.

Contrasting results from GWAS and QTL mapping on wing length in great reed warblers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hansson, Bengt; Sigeman, Hanna; Stervander, Martin; Tarka, Maja; Ponnikas, Suvi; Strandh, Maria; Westerdahl, Helena; Hasselquist, Dennis

2018-04-15

A major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the genetic basis of adaptive traits. In migratory birds, wing morphology is such a trait. Our previous work on the great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) shows that wing length is highly heritable and under sexually antagonistic selection. Moreover, a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping analysis detected a pronounced QTL for wing length on chromosome 2, suggesting that wing morphology is partly controlled by genes with large effects. Here, we re-evaluate the genetic basis of wing length in great reed warblers using a genomewide association study (GWAS) approach based on restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) data. We use GWAS models that account for relatedness between individuals and include covariates (sex, age and tarsus length). The resulting association landscape was flat with no peaks on chromosome 2 or elsewhere, which is in line with expectations for polygenic traits. Analysis of the distribution of p-values did not reveal biases, and the inflation factor was low. Effect sizes were however not uniformly distributed on some chromosomes, and the Z chromosome had weaker associations than autosomes. The level of linkage disequilibrium (LD) in the population decayed to background levels within c. 1 kbp. There could be several reasons to why our QTL study and GWAS gave contrasting results including differences in how associations are modelled (cosegregation in pedigree vs. LD associations), how covariates are accounted for in the models, type of marker used (multi- vs. biallelic), difference in power or a combination of these. Our study highlights that the genetic architecture even of highly heritable traits is difficult to characterize in wild populations. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Differences between “exploration” and “exploitation” of cross-border mergers & acquisitions and its value creation effect

OpenAIRE

Yang Xingrui

2016-01-01

This paper adopts the case study method to respectively research the value creation in the exploration and exploitation type of China’s four cross-border mergers & acquisitions, and discusses the similarities and differences between the value creation in the utilization and exploration type of mergers & acquisitions, and finds that the former type of mergers and acquisitions is suitable for a medium or higher level of integration in the aspect of the organization structure, culture, human res...

Managing authenticity: the paradox of great leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Goffee, Rob; Jones, Gareth

2005-12-01

Leaders and followers both associate authenticity with sincerity, honesty, and integrity. It's the real thing--the attribute that uniquely defines great managers. But while the expression of a genuine self is necessary for great leadership, the concept of authenticity is often misunderstood, not least by leaders themselves. They often assume that authenticity is an innate quality--that a person is either genuine or not. In fact, the authors say, authenticity is largely defined by what other people see in you and, as such, can to a great extent be controlled by you. In this article, the authors explore the qualities of authentic leadership. To illustrate their points, they recount the experiences of some of the authentic leaders they have known and studied, including the BBC's Greg Dyke, Nestlé's Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, and Marks & Spencer's Jean Tomlin. Establishing your authenticity as a leader is a two-part challenge. You have to consistently match your words and deeds; otherwise, followers will never accept you as authentic. But it is not enough just to practice what you preach. To get people to follow you, you also have to get them to relate to you. This means presenting different faces to different audiences--a requirement that many people find hard to square with authenticity. But authenticity is not the product of manipulation. It accurately reflects aspects of the leader's inner self, so it can't be an act. Authentic leaders seem to know which personality traits they should reveal to whom, and when. Highly attuned to their environments, authentic leaders rely on an intuition born of formative, sometimes harsh experiences to understand the expectations and concerns of the people they seek to influence. They retain their distinctiveness as individuals, yet they know how to win acceptance in strong corporate and social cultures and how to use elements of those cultures as a basis for radical change.

Differences between “exploration” and “exploitation” of cross-border mergers & acquisitions and its value creation effect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Xingrui

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper adopts the case study method to respectively research the value creation in the exploration and exploitation type of China’s four cross-border mergers & acquisitions, and discusses the similarities and differences between the value creation in the utilization and exploration type of mergers & acquisitions, and finds that the former type of mergers and acquisitions is suitable for a medium or higher level of integration in the aspect of the organization structure, culture, human resources and supply chain, so as to realize the value creation through the improvement of synergies and market forces; the latter type of mergers and acquisitions is suitable for higher level of integration in the aspect of the supply chain, research & development, brand and channel, so as to create value by broadening the marketing channel and enhancing innovation capability.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN THE FORMATION OF VALUES AND VALUE ORIENTATIONS AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aneta Barakoska

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper is reviewed the concept of values and value orientations, as to the role of education in the process of their forming among adolescents from middle and late adolescence. Presented and discussed are the results of a larger research regarding the differences in values and value orientations in adolescents with different kind of education and: а adolescents learning religious subjects and ethics b adolescents learning ethics and c adolescents learning neither religious subjects, nor ethics.The findings obtained testify for the presence of differences in the system of values in adolescents with different education type as regarding to the following instrumental values: cooperation, honesty, determination, capability, assistance, clarity, generosity, logics and competing. There are also differences regarding the terminal values: exciting life, peace in the world, self-respecting, peace of mind, equality, economic welfare, pleasure and social justice. As regarding to the examined life styles, differences are found between the examined groups of adolescents in the following value orientations: family, altruistic, utilitary, popular and individual, as to religious, hedonism and power.

Spatial distribution and ecological environment analysis of great gerbil in Xinjiang Plague epidemic foci based on remote sensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Mengxu; Wang, Juanle; Li, Qun; Cao, Chunxiang

2014-01-01

Yersinia pestis (Plague bacterium) from great gerbil was isolated in 2005 in Xinjiang Dzungarian Basin, which confirmed the presence of the plague epidemic foci. This study analysed the spatial distribution and suitable habitat of great gerbil based on the monitoring data of great gerbil from Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the ecological environment elements obtained from remote sensing products. The results showed that: (1) 88.5% (277/313) of great gerbil distributed in the area of elevation between 200 and 600 meters. (2) All the positive points located in the area with a slope of 0–3 degree, and the sunny tendency on aspect was not obvious. (3) All 313 positive points of great gerbil distributed in the area with an average annual temperature from 5 to 11 °C, and 165 points with an average annual temperature from 7 to 9 °C. (4) 72.8% (228/313) of great gerbil survived in the area with an annual precipitation of 120–200mm. (5) The positive points of great gerbil increased correspondingly with the increasing of NDVI value, but there is no positive point when NDVI is higher than 0.521, indicating the suitability of vegetation for great gerbil. This study explored a broad and important application for the monitoring and prevention of plague using remote sensing and geographic information system

Analysis of Location Quotient index of poplar wood processing value chain in Iran

OpenAIRE

omid hosseinzadeh; Marzieh Hajjarian; Samira Porbar

2016-01-01

Value added in the poplar wood value chain has great economic effects for poplar farmers and have a fundamental role in sustainable supplying of required cellulosic materials of industries in long-term. The purpose of this study was to analyze the value chain of poplar and use the results to improve it. In order to determine the poplar value chain, Porter's value chain analysis framework was used. The statistical society consists of 76 experts to identify poplar wood value who were active in ...

Diagnostic value of virtual touch tissue imaging quantification for benign and malignant breast lesions with different sizes

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Hui; Zhao, Li-Xia; Xu, Guang; Yao, Ming-Hua; Zhang, Ai-Hong; Xu, Hui-Xiong; Wu, Rong

2015-01-01

The study was to explore diagnostic value of the virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ) in distinguishing benign and malignant breast lesions of variable sizes. We performed conventional ultrasound and VTIQ in 139 breast lesions. The lesions were categorized into three groups according to size (group 1, ≤ 10 mm; group 2, 10-20 mm; and group 3, > 20 mm), and their mean, min, and max shear wave velocities (SWVs) were measured. Diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examination after surgery or needle biopsy. Receiver-operating characteristic curves (ROC) were constructed to determine the optimum cut-off values, calculate the area under curve (AUC), the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for each velocity. For all groups, the mean, min, and max SWVs of malignant lesions were significantly higher than those of benign lesions (P < 0.05). The cut-off values of mean, min, and max SWVs were not significantly different among the three groups. In addition, the diagnostic performance of mean, min, and max SWV values is analogous, regardless of lesion size. In conclusion, VTIQ is a strong complement to conventional ultrasound, which is a promising method in the differential diagnosis of the breast lesions with different sizes. Further studies validate our results as well as reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies, regardless of size is warranted. PMID:26550234

What Is the Value of Value-Based Purchasing?

Science.gov (United States)

Tanenbaum, Sandra J

2016-10-01

Value-based purchasing (VBP) is a widely favored strategy for improving the US health care system. The meaning of value that predominates in VBP schemes is (1) conformance to selected process and/or outcome metrics, and sometimes (2) such conformance at the lowest possible cost. In other words, VBP schemes choose some number of "quality indicators" and financially incent providers to meet them (and not others). Process measures are usually based on clinical science that cannot determine the effects of a process on individual patients or patients with comorbidities, and do not necessarily measure effects that patients value; additionally, there is no provision for different patients valuing different things. Proximate outcome measures may or may not predict distal ones, and the more distal the outcome, the less reliably it can be attributed to health care. Outcome measures may be quite rudimentary, such as mortality rates, or highly contestable: survival or function after prostate surgery? When cost is an element of value-based purchasing, it is the cost to the value-based payer and not to other payers or patients' families. The greatest value of value-based purchasing may not be to patients or even payers, but to policy makers seeking a morally justifiable alternative to politically contested regulatory policies. Copyright © 2016 by Duke University Press.

Evaluate prevailing climate change on Great Lakes water levels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Islam, M.

2009-01-01

'Full text:'In this paper, results of a comprehensive water mass balance modeling for the Great Lakes against prevailing and different anticipated climate change scenarios would be presented. Modeling is done in evaluating the changes in the lake storages and then changes in the lake's water level considering present condition, uncertainty and variability of climate and hydrologic conditions in the future. Inflow-outflow and consequent changes in the five Great Lake's storages are simulated for the last 30 years and then projected to evaluate the changes in the lake storages for the next 50 years. From the predicted changes in the lake storage data, water level is calculated using mass to linear conversion equation. Modeling and analysis results are expected to be helpful in understanding the possible impacts of the climate change on the Great Lakes water environment and preparing strategic plan for the sustainable management of lake's water resources. From the recent past, it is observed that there is a depleting trend in the lakes water level and hence there is a potential threat to lake's water environment and uncertainty of the availability of quality and quantity of water for the future generations, especially against prevailing and anticipated climate changes. For this reason, it is an urgent issue of understanding and quantifying the potential impacts of climate change on the Great Lake's water levels and storages. (author)

Practical differences in business valuation using the market value, value in use and the value for price negotiations

OpenAIRE

Vlček, Michal

2010-01-01

This thesis aims to explain the basic characteristics of valuation method in practice use. The first chapter is about basic character of each method of valuation and factors which influence its applicability. The second chapter mentions estimation of market value/appraisal, includes affecting factors. Then, the third and fourth parts aim to comparing these appraisals (market. vs. price bargaining, subjective and objective, complex appraisal) and price formation for price bargaining in the Cze...

Fatty acid profiles of great tit ( Parus major) eggs differ between urban and rural habitats, but not between coniferous and deciduous forests

Science.gov (United States)

Toledo, Alejandra; Andersson, Martin N.; Wang, Hong-Lei; Salmón, Pablo; Watson, Hannah; Burdge, Graham C.; Isaksson, Caroline

2016-08-01

Early-life nutrition is an important determinant of both short- and long-term performance and fitness. The avian embryo develops within an enclosed package of nutrients, of which fatty acids (FA) are essential for many aspects of development. The FA composition of yolk depends on maternal nutrition and condition prior to egg formation, which may be affected by the external environment. To test if maternal environment affects yolk FA composition, we investigated whether the FA composition of great tit ( Parus major) egg yolks differed between urban and rural habitats, and between deciduous and coniferous habitats. The results reveal differences in FA composition between eggs laid in urban and rural habitats, but not between eggs from the coniferous and deciduous habitats. To a large extent, this difference likely reflects dietary differences associated with urban habitats rather than dominating vegetation type. Specifically, urban yolks contained lower proportions of both ω-3 and ω-6 polyunsaturated FAs (PUFA), which are important for chick development. We also found a positive association between the proportion of saturated fatty acids and laying date, and a negative association between the proportion of ω-6 PUFA and clutch size. Given that urbanization is expanding rapidly, future studies should investigate whether factors such as anthropogenic food in the urban environment underlie these differences and whether they impair chick development.

Exposures to Conditioned Flavours with Different Hedonic Values Induce Contrasted Behavioural and Brain Responses in Pigs

OpenAIRE

Clouard, Caroline; Jouhanneau, Mélanie; Meunier-Salaün, Marie-Christine; Malbert, Charles-Henri; Val-Laillet, David

2012-01-01

This study investigated the behavioural and brain responses towards conditioned flavours with different hedonic values in juvenile pigs. Twelve 30-kg pigs were given four three-day conditioning sessions: they received three different flavoured meals paired with intraduodenal (i.d.) infusions of 15% glucose (F(Glu)), lithium chloride (F(LiCl)), or saline (control treatment, F(NaCl)). One and five weeks later, the animals were subjected to three two-choice feeding tests without reinforcement to...

Autonomy, religious values, and refusal of lifesaving medical treatment.

OpenAIRE

Wreen, M J

1991-01-01

The principal question of this paper is: Why are religious values special in refusal of lifesaving medical treatment? This question is approached through a critical examination of a common kind of refusal of treatment case, one involving a rational adult. The central value cited in defence of honouring such a patient's refusal is autonomy. Once autonomy is isolated from other justificatory factors, however, possible cases can be imagined which cast doubt on the great valuational weight assign...

The current contribution of diagnostic radiology to the population dose in Great Britain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wall, B.F.; Rae, S.; Kendall, G.M.; Darby, S.C.; Fischer, E.S.; Harries, S.V.

1980-01-01

The National Radiological Protection Board of the UK has just completed a national survey to determine the genetically significant dose (GSD) to the population of Great Britain from diagnostic radiology. A statistically selected sample of about 80 hospitals spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales has supplied information on the numbers of patients examined in their X-ray departments during a week in June 1977, together with details of age, sex and examination technique. This sample is sufficient to make a reliable estimate of the total diagnostic work-load in all National Health Service Hospitals throughout Great Britain for a year. Gonadal doses from 16 examination types that are likely to be the main contributors to the GSD have been measured on nearly 5000 patients at 20 hospitals throug'out the country using specially developed thermoluminescent dosemeters. These gonadal doses are combined with the examination frequency figures and current values for child expectancy derived from data supplied by tthe registrar general, to estimate the GSD. Those changes in practice which have occurred since the late 1950's which may have influenced the new value for the GSD are discussed, as well as the progress that has been made in estimating population somatic doses from diagnostic radiology using clinical measurements that are currently underway. (H.K.)

Dynamics of DNA methylation in recent human and great ape evolution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Hernando-Herraez

Full Text Available DNA methylation is an epigenetic modification involved in regulatory processes such as cell differentiation during development, X-chromosome inactivation, genomic imprinting and susceptibility to complex disease. However, the dynamics of DNA methylation changes between humans and their closest relatives are still poorly understood. We performed a comparative analysis of CpG methylation patterns between 9 humans and 23 primate samples including all species of great apes (chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla and orangutan using Illumina Methylation450 bead arrays. Our analysis identified ∼800 genes with significantly altered methylation patterns among the great apes, including ∼170 genes with a methylation pattern unique to human. Some of these are known to be involved in developmental and neurological features, suggesting that epigenetic changes have been frequent during recent human and primate evolution. We identified a significant positive relationship between the rate of coding variation and alterations of methylation at the promoter level, indicative of co-occurrence between evolution of protein sequence and gene regulation. In contrast, and supporting the idea that many phenotypic differences between humans and great apes are not due to amino acid differences, our analysis also identified 184 genes that are perfectly conserved at protein level between human and chimpanzee, yet show significant epigenetic differences between these two species. We conclude that epigenetic alterations are an important force during primate evolution and have been under-explored in evolutionary comparative genomics.

APPLICATION OF THE GREAT CORMORANT'S (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis DAILY MEAL IN THE STIMATION OF DAMAGES AT FISHPONDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anđelko Opačak

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Daily meal of the Great Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis, joined with the number of birds and composition of fish in the meal, has high importance in total calculation of damage-costs on fish stock. The weight of fish in daily meal is regarding as the world-wide indicator for the estimation of damages. Various methods are being developed for the reliable estimation of daily fish quantity that Cormorant consummate. Diversity of the applied methods lead to variability of the results. This paper presents the estimation results from 24 studies. Daily meal of the Great Cormorant determined by the stomach content analysis is 359.5 g in average per bird (n=3 study reports; by the pellets analysis 347 g (n=10 is determined, and mean weight values of regurgitated fish was 384 g (n=2. Analyses of the nourished, captured birds (n=4 show 371 g mean value of daily meal while the stomach temperature method show 336 g (n=1 study. The energy requirement methods determined daily meal of 596 g (n=1, a study dealing on the empirical basal metabolism measurements, and 751 g (n=3, studies dealing on daily energetic requirements of the Great Cormorant.

Has Culture Fulled the Great Fertility Decline in Developing Countries since 1960?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Cong; Madsen, Jakob; Moslehi, Solmaz

This paper suggests that secularization is one of the driving forces behind the great fertility decline that developing countries are currently undergoing. While large families are valued in gender-stratified and collectivist societies, individualistic and secular societies emphasize gender...... equality and low fertility. Standard fertility models extended with culture are estimated using data for 92 developing countries over the period 1960-2010. External instruments are used to deal with endogeneity. It is found that secularization and reduced infant mortality can explain the bulk...

Alignment between values of dryland pastoralists and conservation needs for small mammals.

Science.gov (United States)

Addison, Jane; Pavey, Chris R

2017-04-01

Policies for conservation outside protected areas, such as those designed to address the decline in Australian mammals, will not result in net improvements unless they address barriers to proenvironmental behavior. We used a mixed-methods approach to explore potential value-action gaps (disconnects between values and subsequent action) for small mammal conservation behaviors among pastoralists in dryland Australia. Using semistructured surveys and open-ended interviews (n = 43), we explored values toward small mammals; uptake of a range of current and intended actions that may provide benefit to small mammals; and potential perceived barriers to their uptake. Pastoralists assigned great conservation value to small mammals; over 80% (n = 36) agreed to strongly agreed that small mammals on their property were important. These values did not translate into stated willingness to engage in voluntary cessation of wild-dog control (r 2 = 0.187, p = 0.142, n = 43). However, assigning great conservation value to small mammals was strongly related to stated voluntary willingness to engage in the proenvironmental behavior most likely to result in benefits to small mammals: cat and fox control (r 2 = 0.558, p = 0.000, n = 43). There was no significant difference between stated voluntarily and incentivized willingness to engage in cat and fox control (p = 0.862, n = 43). The high levels of willingness to engage in voluntary cat and fox control highlight a potential entry point for addressing Australia's mammal declines because the engagement of pastoralists in conservation programs targeting cat and fox control is unlikely to be prevented by attitudinal constraints. Qualitative data suggest there is likely a subpopulation of pastoralists who value small mammals but do not wish to engage in formal conservation programs due to relational barriers with potential implementers. A long-term commitment to engagement with pastoralists by implementers will thus be necessary for

Personal values and value systems of humanities students and workers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucie Křeménková

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Problem: The aim of this paper is to analyze the value orientation of university students and workers in humanities and then determine possible differences between these groups in the context of branches of occupation, school results and gender. Methods: The sample consisted of 158 university students aged 19-24 years (mean age = 20.8 and 170 humanities workers aged 29-48 years (mean age=36.8. Respondents were divided into following groups: men (N = 72, women (N = 256, students’ school results A (N = 43, B (N = 47, C (N = 35, D (N = 29, E (N = 4 and worker´s branch of occupation: teachers in the kindergarten (N = 34, special education teachers (N = 32, high school teachers (N = 47, educational workers (N = 31 and civil servants (N = 26. We used a Rokeach Value Survey (RVS which is designed to measure two sets of values. One set is composed of 18 terminal values or desired end states of existence (e.g., an exciting life, national security, and the other set is composed of 18 instrumental values, or preferable modes of behavior (e.g., being ambitious, independent. Then, subjects are asked to rank order each value as to its importance as a guiding principle in their life. A 1 indicates the most important value and an 18 the least important. Scale responses are considered ordinal.Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: We analyzed the preference of values depending on the gender. Pearson’s ?2 analyses indicated that men are significantly more (often „Effective Crusaders“ than women and women are significantly more (often „Virtuous Advocates“ than men, ?2 (3 = 13.817, p= .003, ?c = .205. After that we analyzed the preference of values depending on depending on the type of employment. Pearson’s ?2analyses indicated that students are significantly more (often „Virtuous Advocates“ than workers and workers are significantly more (often „Effective Crusaders“ and „Independent Maximizers“ than students, ?2 (3 = 61.414, p= .000, ?c

Single-Family Housing Value Resilience of Walkable Versus Unwalkable Neighborhoods During a Market Downturn: Causal Evidence and Policy Implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Minjie; Yu, Chia-Yuan; Lee, Chanam; Frank, Lawrence D

2018-01-01

This study investigated the resilience of single-family housing values in walkable versus unwalkable neighborhoods during the economic downturn from 2008 to 2012 in Dallas, Texas. Using propensity score matching and difference in differences methods, this study established a natural experimental design to compare before-and-after value changes of single-family (SF) homes in walkable neighborhoods with unwalkable neighborhoods during the Great Recession. Two thousand seven hundred ninety-nine SF homes within 18 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts were categorized into walkable (Walk Score ≥50) and unwalkable (economic benefit. Increased awareness of the sustained value of walkable communities can be used by lenders who finance and by policy makers who regulate placemaking. Results from this study can be integrated with research that demonstrates health-care cost savings of walkable environments to create an even more comprehensive set of evidence-based interventions to increase their supply.

Recensie "The Great Reset" : Richard Florida

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roy van Dalm

2010-01-01

Like the Great Depression and the Long Depression before it, experts have viewed prolonged economic downturns as crises. In The Great Reset , bestselling author Richard Florida argues that we should instead see the recent recession as an opportunity to create entirely new ways of working and living

Biochemical composition and nutritional value of Balanites aegyptiaca

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Balanites aegyptiaca, a forest species of socio-economic interest for rural people, was chosen to be planted in the frame-work of the Great Green Wall project in Senegal. Although in vastly demand during food scarcity period before crops harvest, the species' fruit is poorly valued despite its important production. In this study ...

Effects of different cooking methods on fatty acid profiles in four freshwater fishes from the Laurentian Great Lakes region.

Science.gov (United States)

Neff, Margaret R; Bhavsar, Satyendra P; Braekevelt, Eric; Arts, Michael T

2014-12-01

Fish is often promoted as a healthy part of the human diet due its high content of long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA). Previous studies have shown that cooked fish can have different fatty acid profiles than raw fillets, depending on the cooking method and fish species. In this study, the fatty acid content of broiled, baked or fried skinless, boneless fillets of four fish species from the tributaries of the Great Lakes, or connecting rivers, was compared to fatty acid profiles in raw sections from the same fillet. Cooking treatments had little effect on n-3 fatty acid content; however, fried treatments generally had higher n-6 and MUFA content, which is likely a result of the cooking oil used (canola). Broiling or baking is generally the most healthy option presented in this study, as these methods result in lower levels of less-favourable fatty acids; however, the choice of cooking oil may also influence the overall fatty acid content in cooked fish. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of differences between patient and general population EQ-5D-3L values on the mean tariff scores of different patient groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Matthew H R; Reitmeir, Peter; Peters, Annette; Leidl, Reiner

2014-06-01

Health states can be valued by those who currently experience a health state (experienced health states [EHS]) or by the general public, who value a set of given health states (GHS) described to them. There has been debate over which method is more appropriate when making resource allocation decisions. This article informs this debate by assessing whether differences between these methods have an effect on the mean EQ-5D-3L tariff scores of different patient groups. The European tariff based on GHS valuations was compared with a German EHS tariff. Comparison was made in the context of EQ-5D-3L health states describing a number of diagnosed chronic diseases (stroke, diabetes, myocardial infarction, and cancer) taken from the Cooperative Health Research in the Augsburg Region population surveys. Comparison was made of both the difference in weighting of the dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L and differences in mean tariff scores for patient groups. Weighting of the dimensions of the EQ-5D-3L were found to be systematically different. The EHS tariff gave significantly lower mean scores for most, but not all, patient groups despite tariff scores being lower for 213 of 243 EQ-5D-3L health states using the GHS tariff. Differences were found to vary between groups, with the largest change in difference being 5.45 in the multiple stoke group. The two tariffs have systematic differences that in certain patient groups could drive the results of an economic evaluation. Therefore, the choice as to which is used may be critical when making resource allocation decisions. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Work, specimen, witness: How different perspectives on museum objects alter the way they are perceived and the values attributed to them

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Thiemeyer

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The generic term ‘museum objects’ suggests that a uniform category is involved. But museums in various disciplines have exhibited objects according to quite different rules and have assigned values to them that depend on the standards of the field of inquiry concerned: aesthetic quality, value as a historical source, as a relic or as a representative item. Over time, various display conventions have become established, which appear to us today to be natural and that assign the objects to specific stimulus values. The aim of this essay is to achieve a better understanding of these exhibition practices and discipline-specific value standards. The study aims to discover why we have become accustomed to using objects in exhibitions in different ways, and it distinguishes between three types of object: work, specimen and witness. The hypothesis here is that each of these follows its own display conventions, forms of perception and standards of value. The present essay aims to situate these three types of object – work, specimen and witness – historically and in this way to articulate the differences in status that exist between them.

Cultural diversity in organizations : Enhancing identification by valuing differences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Luijters, Kyra; van der Zee, Karen I.; Otten, Sabine

The present research investigated the role of perceived similarity in cultural values (associated with diversity in cultural backgrounds) and an intercultural group climate in predicting identification with both the organization and the work team. The relevance of perceived similarity in cultural

["Great jobs"-also in psychiatry?].

Science.gov (United States)

Spiessl, H; Hübner-Liebermann, B

2003-09-01

Against the background of a beginning shortage of psychiatrists, results from interviews with 112 employees of an automotive company with the topic "Great Job" are presented to discuss their relevance to psychiatry. The interviews were analysed by means of a qualitative content analysis. Most employees assigned importance to great pay, constructive collaboration with colleagues, and work appealing to personal interests. Further statements particularly relevant to psychiatry were: successful career, flexible working hours, manageable job, work-life balance, well-founded training, no bureaucracy within the company, and personal status in society. The well-known economic restrictions in health care and the still negative attitude towards psychiatry currently reduce the attraction of psychiatry as a profession. From the viewpoint of personnel management, the attractors of a great job revealed in this study are proposed as important clues for the recruitment of medical students for psychiatry and the development of psychiatric staff.

The Inventory System Management under Uncertain Conditions and Time Value of Money

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehri Nasrabadi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This study develops a inventory model to determine ordering policy for deteriorating items with shortages under markovian inflationary conditions. Markov processes include process whose future behavior cannot be accurately predicted from its past behavior (except the current or present behavior and which involves random chance or probability. Behavior of business or economy, flow of traffic, progress of an epidemic, all are examples of Markov processes. Since the far previous inflation rate don’t have a great impact on the current inflation rate, so, It is logical to consider changes of the inflation rate as a markov process. In addition, It is assumed that the cost of the items changes as a Continuous – Time - Markov Process too. The inventory model is described by differential equations over the time horizon along with the present value method. The objective is minimization of the expected present value of costs over the time horizon. The numerical example and a sensitivity analysis are provided to analyze the effect of changes in the values of the different parameters on the optimal solution.

The Great Firewall of China: A Critical Analysis

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Whiting, Michael D

2008-01-01

Censorship has a great impact on society as we enter the cyber environment. The Chinese "Great Firewall", as it is commonly called, brings great attention to China as they enter into the global economy...

[Characteristics of foliar delta13C values of common shrub species in various microhabitats with different karst rocky desertification degrees].

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Xue-Lian; Wang, Shi-Jie; Rong, Li

2011-12-01

By measuring the foliar delta13C values of 5 common shrub species (Rhamnus davurica, Pyracantha fortuneana, Rubus biflorus, Zanthoxylum planispinum, and Viburnum utile) growing in various microhabitats in Wangjiazhai catchment, a typical karst desertification area in Guizhou Province, this paper studied the spatial heterogeneity of plant water use at niche scale and the response of the heterogeneity to different karst rocky desertification degrees. The foliar delta13C values of the shrub species in the microhabitats followed the order of stony surface > stony gully > stony crevice > soil surface, and those of the majority of the species were more negative in the microhabitat soil surface than in the others. The foliar delta13C values decreased in the sequence of V. utile > R. biflorus > Z. planispinum > P. fortuneana > R. davurica, and the mean foliar delta13C value of the shrubs and that of typical species in various microhabitats all increased with increasing karst rocky desertification degree, differed significantly among different microhabitats. It was suggested that with the increasing degree of karst rocky desertification, the structure and functions of karst habitats were impaired, microhabitats differentiated gradually, and drought degree increased.

Comparison of Absolute Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) Values in ADC Maps Generated Across Different Postprocessing Software: Reproducibility in Endometrial Carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Adarsh; Singh, Tulika; Singla, Veenu; Bagga, Rashmi; Khandelwal, Niranjan

2017-12-01

Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps are usually generated by builtin software provided by the MRI scanner vendors; however, various open-source postprocessing software packages are available for image manipulation and parametric map generation. The purpose of this study is to establish the reproducibility of absolute ADC values obtained using different postprocessing software programs. DW images with three b values were obtained with a 1.5-T MRI scanner, and the trace images were obtained. ADC maps were automatically generated by the in-line software provided by the vendor during image generation and were also separately generated on postprocessing software. These ADC maps were compared on the basis of ROIs using paired t test, Bland-Altman plot, mountain plot, and Passing-Bablok regression plot. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean ADC values obtained from the different postprocessing software programs when the same baseline trace DW images were used for the ADC map generation. For using ADC values as a quantitative cutoff for histologic characterization of tissues, standardization of the postprocessing algorithm is essential across processing software packages, especially in view of the implementation of vendor-neutral archiving.

Differences in Multitask Resource Reallocation After Change in Task Values.

Science.gov (United States)

Matton, Nadine; Paubel, Pierre; Cegarra, Julien; Raufaste, Eric

2016-12-01

The objective was to characterize multitask resource reallocation strategies when managing subtasks with various assigned values. When solving a resource conflict in multitasking, Salvucci and Taatgen predict a globally rational strategy will be followed that favors the most urgent subtask and optimizes global performance. However, Katidioti and Taatgen identified a locally rational strategy that optimizes only a subcomponent of the whole task, leading to detrimental consequences on global performance. Moreover, the question remains open whether expertise would have an impact on the choice of the strategy. We adopted a multitask environment used for pilot selection with a change in emphasis on two out of four subtasks while all subtasks had to be maintained over a minimum performance. A laboratory eye-tracking study contrasted 20 recently selected pilot students considered as experienced with this task and 15 university students considered as novices. When two subtasks were emphasized, novices focused their resources particularly on one high-value subtask and failed to prevent both low-value subtasks falling below minimum performance. On the contrary, experienced people delayed the processing of one low-value subtask but managed to optimize global performance. In a multitasking environment where some subtasks are emphasized, novices follow a locally rational strategy whereas experienced participants follow a globally rational strategy. During complex training, trainees are only able to adjust their resource allocation strategy to subtask emphasis changes once they are familiar with the multitasking environment. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Differences of standard values of Supersonic shear imaging and ARFI technique - in vivo study of testicular tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Trottmann, M; Rübenthaler, J; Marcon, J; Stief, C G; Reiser, M F; Clevert, D A

2016-01-01

To investigate the difference of standard values of Supersonic shear imaging (SSI) and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technique in the evaluation of testicular tissue stiffness in vivo. 58 healthy male testes were examined using B-mode sonography and ARFI and SSI. B-mode sonography was performed in order to scan the testis for pathologies followed by performance of real-time elastography in three predefined areas (upper pole, central portion and lower pole) using the SuperSonic® Aixplorer ultrasound device (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France). Afterwards a second assessment of the same testicular regions by elastography followed using the ARFI technique of the Siemens Acuson 2000™ ultrasound device (Siemens Health Care, Germany). Values of shear wave velocity were described in m/s. Parameters of elastography techniques were compared using paired sample t-test. The values of SSI were all significantly higher in all measured areas compared to ARFI (p < 0.001 to p = 0.015). Quantitatively there was a higher mean SSI wave velocity value of 1,1 compared to 0.8 m/s measured by ARFI. SSI values are significantly higher than ARFI values when measuring the stiffness of testicular tissue and should only be compared with caution.

The education in values on professionals´ formation from a cuban perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bárbara del C. Roba Lazo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The education in values has been a topic broadly approached in the last decades by authors of different latitudes. In the social development, this constitutes a great problem in the formation of the individuals to who, the social relationships allow them to value, to transform the reality and to be educated, what leads to the formation of the personality. The Cuban universities, as entities open to the society, win more and more partisans in the conception that their purpose is not only to transmit knowledge in its closed environment, but on the contrary, they represent a main socialized agent of education in values aware of the social mission that has given to it by the society that is built, like a formative institution able to solve the necessities of the society. For that reason, it is demanded the integral formation of the professionals. In the work it is approached the education in values from the perspective o the current Cuban society necessities that demands the development of a humanist pedagogy sustained in axiological bases that defend a new pedagogic ethics. It is carried out an analysis of the socialized agencies and the agents in charge of this process, as well as the historical antecedents of the education in values from the Cuban point of view in the different contexts the topic has been studied, as well as the contributions from the Cuban pedagogy to the development of it, indispensable from the integral formation of the Physical Culture professionals.

Sweets, sex, or self-esteem? Comparing the value of self-esteem boosts with other pleasant rewards

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bushman, B.J.; Moeller, S.J.; Crocker, J.

2011-01-01

Many people ascribe great value to self-esteem, but how much value? Do people value self-esteem more than other pleasant activities, such as eating sweets and having sex? Two studies of college students (Study 1: N=130; Study 2: N=152) showed that people valued boosts to their self-esteem more than

THE THIRD GRAVITATIONAL LENSING ACCURACY TESTING (GREAT3) CHALLENGE HANDBOOK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandelbaum, Rachel; Kannawadi, Arun; Simet, Melanie; Rowe, Barnaby; Kacprzak, Tomasz; Bosch, James; Miyatake, Hironao; Chang, Chihway; Gill, Mandeep; Courbin, Frederic; Jarvis, Mike; Armstrong, Bob; Lackner, Claire; Leauthaud, Alexie; Nakajima, Reiko; Rhodes, Jason; Zuntz, Joe; Bridle, Sarah; Coupon, Jean; Dietrich, Jörg P.

2014-01-01

The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is the third in a series of image analysis challenges, with a goal of testing and facilitating the development of methods for analyzing astronomical images that will be used to measure weak gravitational lensing. This measurement requires extremely precise estimation of very small galaxy shape distortions, in the presence of far larger intrinsic galaxy shapes and distortions due to the blurring kernel caused by the atmosphere, telescope optics, and instrumental effects. The GREAT3 challenge is posed to the astronomy, machine learning, and statistics communities, and includes tests of three specific effects that are of immediate relevance to upcoming weak lensing surveys, two of which have never been tested in a community challenge before. These effects include many novel aspects including realistically complex galaxy models based on high-resolution imaging from space; a spatially varying, physically motivated blurring kernel; and a combination of multiple different exposures. To facilitate entry by people new to the field, and for use as a diagnostic tool, the simulation software for the challenge is publicly available, though the exact parameters used for the challenge are blinded. Sample scripts to analyze the challenge data using existing methods will also be provided. See http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/ for more information

Wheat bran reduces concentrations of digestible, metabolizable, and net energy in diets fed to pigs, but energy values in wheat bran determined by the difference procedure are not different from values estimated from a linear regression procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworski, N W; Liu, D W; Li, D F; Stein, H H

2016-07-01

An experiment was conducted to determine effects on DE, ME, and NE for growing pigs of adding 15 or 30% wheat bran to a corn-soybean meal diet and to compare values for DE, ME, and NE calculated using the difference procedure with values obtained using linear regression. Eighteen barrows (54.4 ± 4.3 kg initial BW) were individually housed in metabolism crates. The experiment had 3 diets and 6 replicate pigs per diet. The control diet contained corn, soybean meal, and no wheat bran. Two additional diets were formulated by mixing 15 or 30% wheat bran with 85 or 70% of the control diet, respectively. The experimental period lasted 15 d. During the initial 7 d, pigs were adapted to their experimental diets and housed in metabolism crates and fed 573 kcal ME/kg BW per day. On d 8, metabolism crates with the pigs were moved into open-circuit respiration chambers for measurement of O consumption and CO and CH production. The feeding level was the same as in the adaptation period, and feces and urine were collected during this period. On d 13 and 14, pigs were fed 225 kcal ME/kg BW per day, and pigs were then fasted for 24 h to obtain fasting heat production. Results of the experiment indicated that the apparent total tract digestibility of DM, GE, crude fiber, ADF, and NDF linearly decreased ( ≤ 0.05) as wheat bran inclusion increased in the diets. The daily O consumption and CO and CH production by pigs fed increasing concentrations of wheat bran linearly decreased ( ≤ 0.05), resulting in a linear decrease ( ≤ 0.05) in heat production. The DE (3,454, 3,257, and 3,161 kcal/kg for diets containing 0, 15, and 30% wheat bran, respectively for diets containing 0, 15, and 30% wheat bran, respectively), ME (3,400, 3,209, and 3,091 kcal/kg for diets containing 0, 15, and 30% wheat bran, respectively), and NE (1,808, 1,575, and 1,458 kcal/kg for diets containing 0, 15, and 30% wheat bran, respectively) of diets decreased (linear, ≤ 0.05) as wheat bran inclusion increased

Characterization of film-forming solutions and films incorporating free and nanoencapsulated tea polyphenol prepared by gelatins with different Bloom values

Science.gov (United States)

Gelatin film-forming solutions and their films incorporating tea polyphenol (TP) and chitosan nanoparticles (CSNs) were prepared from gelatins with different Bloom values (100, 150 and 225). Blank gelatin film-forming solutions and films were prepared as controls. Gelatins with higher Bloom values h...

Revival of the Moral Traditions in Red Army During the Great Patriotic War

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugene G. Guzhva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, it is important to analyze the moral factors that contributed to the uplift in the Red Army and the manifestation of mass heroism to defend the Fatherland. During the ordeal, when the fate of the country hung in the balance, the Soviet leadership was forced to revert to the heroic pages of national history and raise the patriotic spirit and the offensive of the armed forces on the front and high productivity at home. Since the 40s of the 19th century in the Russian army it was considered a holy tradition to start the evening roll call from the heroes. During the Great Patriotic War, the tradition was revived. Thus, according to the order of People's Commissar of Defense of the September 8,1943 the hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matrosov was enlisted in the lists of the 1st company of 254-th Guards Rifle Regiment. Thus, the traditions of the Russian army, revived during the Great Patriotic War, testifies to their eternal spiritual values in matters of moral and patriotic education of servicemen of the Russian armed forces. This historical and pedagogical analysis is of great importance for the spiritual, moral and patriotic education of youth and soldiers of the Russian army at the present stage of development of society.

Root growth during molar eruption in extant great apes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Jay; Dean, Christopher; Ross, Sasha

2009-01-01

While there is gradually accumulating knowledge about molar crown formation and the timing of molar eruption in extant great apes, very little is known about root formation during the eruption process. We measured mandibular first and second molar root lengths in extant great ape osteological specimens that died while either the first or second molars were in the process of erupting. For most specimens, teeth were removed so that root lengths could be measured directly. When this was not possible, roots were measured radiographically. We were particularly interested in the variation in the lengths of first molar roots near the point of gingival emergence, so specimens were divided into early, middle and late phases of eruption based on the number of cusps that showed protein staining, with one or two cusps stained equated with immediate post-gingival emergence. For first molars at this stage, Gorilla has the longest roots, followed by Pongo and Pan. Variation in first molar mesial root lengths at this stage in Gorilla and Pan, which comprise the largest samples, is relatively low and represents no more than a few months of growth in both taxa. Knowledge of root length at first molar emergence permits an assessment of the contribution of root growth toward differences between great apes and humans in the age at first molar emergence. Root growth makes up a greater percentage of the time between birth and first molar emergence in humans than it does in any of the great apes. Copyright (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Anticoagulant rodenticides in red-tailed hawks, Buteo jamaicensis, and great horned owls, Bubo virginianus, from New Jersey, USA, 2008-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Stansley, William; Cummings, Margaret; Vudathala, Daljit; Murphy, Lisa A

2014-01-01

Liver samples from red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) were analyzed for anticoagulant rodenticides. Residues of one or more second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) were detected in 81 % of red-tailed hawks and 82 % of great horned owls. The most frequently detected SGAR was brodifacoum, which was detected in 76 % of red-tailed hawks and 73 % of great horned owls. Bromadiolone was detected in 20 % of red-tailed hawks and 27 % of great horned owls. Difenacoum was detected in one great horned owl. No other ARs were detected. There were no significant differences between species in the frequency of detection or concentration of brodifacoum or bromadiolone. There was a marginally significant difference (p = 0.0497) between total SGAR residues in red-tailed hawks (0.117 mg/kg) and great horned owls (0.070 mg/kg). There were no seasonal differences in the frequency of detection or concentration of brodifacoum in red-tailed hawks. The data suggest that SGARs pose a significant risk of poisoning to predatory birds in New Jersey.

Social media use and goals after the Great East Japan Earthquake

OpenAIRE

Jung, Joo-Young

2012-01-01

This paper examines the use of social media after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Based on media system dependency theory, the study focuses on the ways in which people used different types of social media to cope with a highly ambiguous situation created by the earthquake. A survey of Japanese university students revealed that the respondents used different forms of social media with different goals. Moreover, use of a particular social media type influenced the relative importance of ...

Values in Serbia in second age of modernity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pavlović Zoran

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The starting point for this article were the implications of Inglehart’s theory of post-materialism and the revised modernization theory, as well as the data from the fourth wave of World Values Study. On the basis of these, the aim of this article was to compare the values which were characteristic for Serbia at the end of the last millennium with the values of the majority of European countries. Using the methodology practiced in the analysis of the same type, it was shown where we should place Serbia among these European countries. The main characteristics of values in Serbia are the following: the great amount of risk and uncertainty, low levels of trust in others and institutions and widespread "materialistic" values. The combination of these indicators puts Serbia in the group of under-developed ex-comminist countries undergoing the process of transition and early democratization.

The non-consumptive value of selected marine species at Table Mountain National Park: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melville Saayman

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This exploratory study aimed to determine firstly the non-consumptive value of five marine species (whales, the Great White shark, penguins, dolphins and seals and secondly the socio-demographic and behavioural variables that influence willingness to pay to see these species. This was achieved by means of a structured questionnaire survey conducted at Table Mountain National Park, the largest urban national park in South Africa. The data consisted of 319 fully-completed questionnaires. These were analysed using factor analyses and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS regression analysis. The results showed that the variables influencing willingness to pay differed from species to species, with the largest differences being found in behavioural rather than socio-demographic variables. In showing how much respondents were willing to pay to see the various species and which species they preferred, the results also highlighted the non-consumptive value of the species.

The Indian Stock Market and the Great Recession

OpenAIRE

Arindam MANDAL; Prasun BHATTACHARJEE

2012-01-01

This study analyzes the impact of the outbreak of the Great Recession of 2007 on the behavior of the Indian stock market. The SENSEX index of the Bombay Stock Exchange is analyzed for the prerecession period of January 2002 – November 2007 and the postrecession outbreak period of December 2007 – July 2010. Substantial increase in SENSEX return volatility observed during the post-recession outbreak period, whereas no substantial difference in returns between two periods is...

Value representations: a value based dialogue tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Marianne Graves; Rasmussen, Majken Kirkegaard

2011-01-01

Stereotypic presumptions about gender affect the design process, both in relation to how users are understood and how products are designed. As a way to decrease the influence of stereotypic presumptions in design process, we propose not to disregard the aspect of gender in the design process......, as the perspective brings valuable insights on different approaches to technology, but instead to view gender through a value lens. Contributing to this perspective, we have developed Value Representations as a design-oriented instrument for staging a reflective dialogue with users. Value Representations...

INNOVATION AND THE VALUE OF FAILURE

OpenAIRE

William Townsend

2010-01-01

Innovation is a difficult phenomenon to evaluate. Innovation impacts the firm in a variety of ways. It is difficult to analyze the full impact of innovation because there is no single set of metrics that can capture its full significance. The metrics that have been traditionally used only capture a fraction of the true benefit derived by the firm. In addition, since the circumstances, values, structure and strategies vary greatly between industries and firms within industries, the efficacy of...

Nursing values and a changing nurse workforce: values, age, and job stages.

Science.gov (United States)

McNeese-Smith, Donna K; Crook, Mary

2003-05-01

To identify the extent values are associated with age group and job stage; job satisfaction, productivity, and organizational commitment; as well as education, generation, ethnicity, gender, and role. Values direct the priorities we live by and are related to employee loyalty and commitment. Lack of congruency between a nurse's personal values and those of the organization decrease satisfaction and effectiveness and may lead to burnout and turnover. Little research has been done on whether values differ by age, generations, or job stages. Nurses in all roles (N = 412) in three hospitals in Los Angeles County were randomly surveyed, using valid and reliable instruments to measure the variables of interest. Nurses in the top third for job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and productivity showed higher scores for many values including their associates, creativity, esthetics, and management, while those in the bottom third scored higher in economic returns only. Nurses in different generations differed little; younger generations placed higher values on economic returns and variety. Management strategies to meet nurses' values and increase their satisfaction and retention are presented.

Racial/ethnic differences in the influence of cultural values, alcohol resistance self-efficacy, and alcohol expectancies on risk for alcohol initiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Regina A; Miles, Jeremy N V; Tucker, Joan S; Zhou, Annie J; D'Amico, Elizabeth J

2012-09-01

Prior research has reported racial/ethnic differences in the early initiation of alcohol use, suggesting that cultural values that are central to specific racial/ethnic groups may be influencing these differences. This 1-year longitudinal study examines associations between two types of cultural values, parental respect (honor for one's parents) and familism (connectedness with family), both measured at baseline, and subsequent alcohol initiation in a sample of 6,054 (approximately 49% male, 57% Hispanic, 22% Asian, 18% non-Hispanic White, and 4% non-Hispanic Black) middle school students in Southern California. We tested whether the associations of cultural values with alcohol initiation could be explained by baseline measures of alcohol resistance self-efficacy (RSE) and alcohol expectancies. We also explored whether these pathways differed by race/ethnicity. In the full sample, adolescents with higher parental respect were less likely to initiate alcohol use, an association that was partially explained by higher RSE and fewer positive alcohol expectancies. Familism was not significantly related to alcohol initiation. Comparing racial/ethnic groups, higher parental respect was protective against alcohol initiation for Whites and Asians, but not Blacks or Hispanics. There were no racial/ethnic differences in the association between familism and alcohol initiation. Results suggest that cultural values are important factors in the decision to use alcohol and these values appear to operate in part, by influencing alcohol positive expectancies and RSE. Interventions that focus on maintaining strong cultural values and building strong bonds between adolescents and their families may help reduce the risk of alcohol initiation. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Famous puzzles of great mathematicians

CERN Document Server

Petković, Miodrag S

2009-01-01

This entertaining book presents a collection of 180 famous mathematical puzzles and intriguing elementary problems that great mathematicians have posed, discussed, and/or solved. The selected problems do not require advanced mathematics, making this book accessible to a variety of readers. Mathematical recreations offer a rich playground for both amateur and professional mathematicians. Believing that creative stimuli and aesthetic considerations are closely related, great mathematicians from ancient times to the present have always taken an interest in puzzles and diversions. The goal of this

WRF model sensitivity to land surface model and cumulus parameterization under short-term climate extremes over the southern Great Plains of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Lisi Pei; Nathan Moore; Shiyuan Zhong; Lifeng Luo; David W. Hyndman; Warren E. Heilman; Zhiqiu. Gao

2014-01-01

Extreme weather and climate events, especially short-term excessive drought and wet periods over agricultural areas, have received increased attention. The Southern Great Plains (SGP) is one of the largest agricultural regions in North America and features the underlying Ogallala-High Plains Aquifer system worth great economic value in large part due to production...

Photovoltaic electricity generation: Value for residential and commercial sectors

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharjee, Ujjwal

The photovoltaic (PV) industry in the US has seen an upsurge in recent years, and PV holds great promise as a renewable technology with no greenhouse gas emissions with its use. We aim to assess the value of PV based electricity for users in the residential and commercial sectors focusing on the financial impacts it has, which may not be greatly recognized. Specifically, we pursue two goals. First, the emerging 'renewable portfolio standard (RPS)' adopted in several states in the country has been a driving force for large scale PV deployment, but financial incentives offered to PV in different RPS states differ considerably. We use life cycle cost model to estimate the cost of PV based electricity for thirty-two RPS states in the country. Results indicate that the levelized cost of PV electricity is high (40 to 60 Cents/kWh). When the contribution of the financial incentives (along with the cost of energy saved) is taken into account, the cost of PV based electricity is negative in some RPS states such as California, New Jersey, New York, while for most of the RPS states the cost of PV electricity continues to remain high. In addition, the states with negative or low cost of PV electricity have been driving the PV diffusion in the residential sector. Therefore, a need to adjust the financial incentive structure in different RPS states is recommended for homogenous development of the residential PV market in the country. Second, we assess the value of the PV in reducing the highest peak load demand in commercial buildings and hence the high value demand charge. The Time-of-Use (TOU) based electricity tariff is widely used by electric utilities in the commercial sector. Energy and peak load are two important facets of the TOU tariff regime. Tools are well established to estimate the energy contribution from a PV system (installed in a commercial building), but not power output on a short time interval. A joint conditional probability model has been developed that

Uranium fate in wetland mesocosms: Effects of plants at two iron loadings with different pH values

Science.gov (United States)

Small-scale continuous flow wetland mesocosms (~0.8 L) were used to evaluate how plant roots under different iron loadings affect uranium (U) mobility. When significant concentrations of ferrous iron (Fe) were present at circumneutral pH values, U concentrations in root exposed ...

Rating impacts in a multi-stressor world: a quantitative assessment of 50 stressors affecting the Great Lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Sigrid D P; Mcintyre, Peter B; Halpern, Benjamin S; Cooke, Roger M; Marino, Adrienne L; Boyer, Gregory L; Buchsbaum, Andy; Burton, G A; Campbell, Linda M; Ciborowski, Jan J H; Doran, Patrick J; Infante, Dana M; Johnson, Lucinda B; Read, Jennifer G; Rose, Joan B; Rutherford, Edward S; Steinman, Alan D; Allan, J David

2015-04-01

Ecosystems often experience multiple environmental stressors simultaneously that can differ widely in their pathways and strengths of impact. Differences in the relative impact of environmental stressors can guide restoration and management prioritization, but few studies have empirically assessed a comprehensive suite of stressors acting on a given ecosystem. To fill this gap in the Laurentian Great Lakes, where considerable restoration investments are currently underway, we used expert elicitation via a detailed online survey to develop ratings of the relative impacts of 50 potential stressors. Highlighting the multiplicity of stressors in this system, experts assessed all 50 stressors as having some impact on ecosystem condition, but ratings differed greatly among stressors. Individual stressors related to invasive and nuisance species (e.g., dreissenid mussels and ballast invasion risk) and climate change were assessed as having the greatest potential impacts. These results mark a shift away from the longstanding emphasis on nonpoint phosphorus and persistent bioaccumulative toxic substances in the Great Lakes. Differences in impact ratings among lakes and ecosystem zones were weak, and experts exhibited surprisingly high levels of agreement on the relative impacts of most stressors. Our results provide a basin-wide, quantitative summary of expert opinion on the present-day influence of all major Great Lakes stressors. The resulting ratings can facilitate prioritizing stressors to achieve management objectives in a given location, as well as providing a baseline for future stressor impact assessments in the Great Lakes and elsewhere.

The Great London Smog of 1952.

Science.gov (United States)

Polivka, Barbara J

2018-04-01

: The Great London Smog of December 1952 lasted five days and killed up to 12,000 people. The smog developed primarily because of extensive burning of high-sulfur coal. The health effects were both immediate and long lasting, with a recent study revealing an increased likelihood of childhood asthma development in those exposed to the Great Smog while in utero or during their first year of life. Subsequent pollution legislation-including the U.S. Clean Air Act and its amendments-have demonstrably reduced air pollution and positively impacted health outcomes. With poor air quality events like the Great Smog continuing to occur today, nurses need to be aware of the impact such environmental disasters can have on human health.

Bearing Capacity Analyses for the Great Belt East Bridge Anchor Blocks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Carsten Steen; Clausen, Carl J. Frimann; Andersen, Henrik

1993-01-01

This paper presents a comparison between different methods of bearing capacity analyses: Upper Bound Method. Limit Equilibrium Analysis and Finite Element Analysis. For the Great Belt East Bridge anchor blocks it was concluded that these methods of calculation agree within 5%. However, for cases ...

The application of the fair value concept in accounting

OpenAIRE

Venelin Georgiev

2011-01-01

In the article there are discussed the advantages and disadvantages of fair value as a measurement basis for a great number of accounting objects and above all for financial instruments. This is done on the basis of a study of the experience of Bulgarian and foreign experts. The concept of fair value has been laid down in the treatments of the International Accounting Standards, but it has given ground for sceptics to be doubtful about its merits. Some of those go to extreme evaluations of it...

Evaluating different interrow distance between corn and soybean for optimum growth, production and nutritive value of intercropped forages.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jeongtae; Song, Yowook; Kim, Dong Woo; Fiaz, Muhammad; Kwon, Chan Ho

2018-01-01

Maize fodder is being used as staple feed for livestock but it lacks protein and essential amino acids; lysine and tryptophan. Intercropping maize with leguminous soybean crop is promising technique under limited land resources of South Korea but it can only give considerable advantages when adequate distance is provided between corn and soybean rows. Main aim of present study was to find-out adequate distance between corn and soybean seeding rows for optimum growth, yield and nutritive value of intercropped forage. Different interrow distances between corn and soybean were evaluated under four treatments, viz. 1) Corn sole as positive control treatment 2) Zero cm between corn and soybean (control); 2) Five cm between corn and soybean; 3) 10 cm between corn and soybean, with three replicates under randomized block design. Findings depicted that height and number of corn stalks and ears were similar ( P  > 0.05) among different treatments. Numerically average corn ear height was decreased at zero cm distance. Dry matter percentage in all components; corn stalk, corn ear and soybean was also found not different ( P  > 0.05) but dry matter yield in component of corn ear was lower ( P  value, total digestible nutrient yield in intercropped corn was also found lower ( P  value of forage at wider interrow distance i.e. 5 cm between corn and soybean might be due to adequate interseed distance. Conclusively, pattern of corn and soybean seeding in rows at 5 cm distance was found suitable which provided adequate interrow distance to maintain enough mutual cooperation and decreased competition between both species for optimum production performance and nutritive value of intercropped forage.

Genius [corrected] without the "Great Man": new possibilities for the historian of psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Ball, Laura C

2012-02-01

The Carlylian style of history, more commonly known as the "Great Man" approach, presented the "genius" as an individual worthy of celebration: history as hero worship. This style, which characterized the first wave of the history of psychology, has gone out of historiographic fashion. In its place is the "new history," which is marked by its external focus and privileging of social factors and cultural context in its explanations. This shift in historiographic sensibilities has also led to a revision in the appropriate subject matter for psychologist-historians. This article argues, in contrast, that it is possible to study eminent individuals without resorting to hagiography, and it presents various methods that could be used for this purpose. The aim of such an endeavor is to create a space for critically and historically informed perspectives on greatness and to suggest a reconsideration of the value of an "historical psychology".

Great Expectations for Middle School Counselors

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Robert J.

2012-01-01

During the Great Recession, 2008 to 2010, school systems scrambled to balance budgets, and the ratio of counselors to students became even larger. To make matters worse, the Great Recession had a major impact on cuts in educational funding. Budget cutbacks tend to occur where the public will be least likely to notice. The loss of teachers and the…

Electrochemical Effect of Different Modified Glassy Carbon Electrodes on the Values of Diffusion Coefficient for Some Heavy Metal Ions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Radhi, M M; Alwan, S H; Amir, Y K A; Tee, T W

2013-01-01

Glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was modified with carbon nanotubes (CNT), C 60 and activated carbon (AC) by mechanical attachment method and solution evaporation technique to preparation CNT/GCE, C 60 /GCE and AC/GCE, these electrodes were modified in Li + solution via cyclic voltammetry (CV) potential cycling to preparing CNT/Li + /GCE, C 60 /Li + /GCE and AC/Li + /GCE. The sensing characteristics of the modified film electrodes, demonstrated in the application study for different heavy metal ions such as Hg 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Mn 2+ . Cyclic voltammetric effect by chronoamperometry (CA) technique was investigated to determination the diffusion coefficient (D f ) values from Cottrell equation at these ions. Based on Cottrell equation (diffusion coefficient) of the redox current peaks of different heavy metal ions at different modified electrodes were studied to evaluate the sensing of these electrodes by the diffusion coefficient values. The modification of GCE with nano materials and Li + act an enhancement for the redox current peaks to observe that the diffusion process are high at CNT/Li + /GCE, C 60 /Li + /GCE and AC/Li+/GCE, but it has low values at unmodified GCE.

Vocal neighbour-mate discrimination in female great tits despite high song similarity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blumenrath, Sandra H.; Dabelsteen, Torben; Pedersen, Simon Boel

2007-01-01

Discrimination between conspecifics is important in mediating social interactions between several individuals in a network environment. In great tits, Parus major, females readily distinguish between the songs of their mate and those of a stranger. The high degree of song sharing among neighbouring...... males, however, raises the question of whether females are also able to perceive differences between songs shared by their mate and a neighbour. The great tit is a socially monogamous, hole-nesting species with biparental care. Pair bond maintenance and coordination of the pair's reproductive efforts...... are important, and the female's ability to recognize her mate's song should therefore be adaptive. In a neighbour-mate discrimination playback experiment, we presented 13 incubating great tit females situated inside nestboxes with a song of their mate and the same song type from a neighbour. Each female...

The impact of perceived brand value on consumer attitude and purchase intention

OpenAIRE

Lindartaitė, Grėtė

2017-01-01

The authors affirm, that a consumer‘s apprehensible brand value has a great influence on consumer‘s purchase intention. It was established, that consumer‘s point of view starts to develop gradually and outward factors decide an purchase intention. Consumer‘s purchase intention is desribed as a very important factor which appears from a consumer and a specific brand value, their interrelations, believes, attitude to it and consumer‘s cherished values and emotions. The results of analysed empir...

Discussion about different cut-off values of conventional hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio used in hamstring injury prediction among professional male football players.

Science.gov (United States)

Grygorowicz, Monika; Michałowska, Martyna; Walczak, Tomasz; Owen, Adam; Grabski, Jakub Krzysztof; Pyda, Andrzej; Piontek, Tomasz; Kotwicki, Tomasz

2017-01-01

To measure the sensitivity and specificity of differences cut-off values for isokinetic Hcon/Qcon ratio in order to improve the capacity to evaluate (retrospectively) the injury of hamstring muscles in professional soccer screened with knee isokinetic tests. Retrospective study. Medical and biomechanical data of professional football players playing for the same team for at least one season between 2010 and 2016 were analysed. Hamstring strain injury cases and the reports generated via isokinetic testing were investigated. Isokinetic concentric(con) hamstring(H) and quadriceps(Q) absolute strength in addition with Hcon/Qcon ratio were examined for the injured versus uninjured limbs among injured players, and for the injured and non-injured players. 2 x 2 contingency table was used for comparing variables: predicted injured or predicted uninjured with actual injured or actual uninjured. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values, and positive and negative likelihood ratio were calculated for three different cut-off values (0.47 vs. 0.6 vs. 0.658) to compare the discriminative power of an isokinetic test, whilst examining the key value of Hcon/Qcon ratio which may indicate the highest level of ability to predispose a player to injury. McNemar's chi2 test with Yates's correction was used to determine agreement between the tests. PQStat software was used for all statistical analysis, and an alpha level of p hamstring injuries during the analysed period. None of these players sustained recurrence of hamstring injury. One player sustained hamstring strain injury on both legs, thus the total number of injuries was 12. Application of different cut-off values for Hcon/Qcon significantly affected the sensitivity and specificity of isokinetic test used as a tool for muscle injury detection. The use of 0.47 of Hcon/Qcon as a discriminate value resulted in significantly lower sensitivity when compared to 0.658 threshold (sensitivity of 16.7% vs

Reflecting on future research concerning the added value of FM

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker; van der Voordt, Theo; Coenen, Christian

2014-01-01

on contributions to the recently published book “The Added Value of Facilities Management” and related future studies, as well as further exploration of five main themes. Findings – Added value is expected to be central in the future development of FM, which is confirmed by recent foresight studies....... There is a need for a better understanding of alignment between FM and core business, performance measurement methods and how models such as the FM Value Map can be of value to the involved stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability and branding have great potential to add value......Purpose – This paper aims to summarize recent research findings and reflections on The Added Value of Facilities Management (FM) and to outline perspectives for future research and development of the added value of FM. Design/methodology/approach – The article is based on reflections...

Valuing Differences: Neurodiversity in the Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Rentenbach, Barb; Prislovsky, Lois; Gabriel, Rachael

2017-01-01

K-12 educators often overlook the needs, talents, and skills of neurodiverse learners, including students with autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. However, while such human differences tend to be misunderstood and even pathologized, there are distinct strengths associated with each unique neurological design. Drawing on their own experiences as students,…

A Mental Value Perspective in Risk Decision Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru Trifu

2006-09-01

Full Text Available This work is based on Prospect theory, which was developed by D. Kahneman and A. Tversky in 1979. This is one the most quoted and best-documented point of view in economic psychology. First of all, it replaces, once again, the notion of utility with value. But value is defined in terms of gains and losses and this, according with an irrational human tendency to be less willing to gamble with profits than with losses. So, we discover the great importance of these assumptions in the field of risk decision-making, especially for firms’ activity in the marketplace.

A Mental Value Perspective in Risk Decision Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roxana Davidescu

2006-07-01

Full Text Available This work is based on Prospect theory, which was developed by D. Kahneman and A. Tversky in 1979. This is one the most quoted and best-documented point of view in economic psychology. First of all, it replaces, once again, the notion of utility with value. But value is defined in terms of gains and losses and this, according with an irrational human tendency to be less willing to gamble with profits than with losses. So, we discover the great importance of these assumptions in the field of risk decision-making, especially for firms’ activity in the marketplace.

Traces of the Great War. Architecture and restoration a century on

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gian Paolo Treccani

2014-06-01

Full Text Available One hundred years after the First World War, the essay intends to review the systems adopted for protection of historic buil- dings, along with the damage suffered, and reconstruction after the war. The two wars which, in the 20th century, involved Italy, and severely damaged its historical patrimony, had different outcomes and gave rise to very different memories. Damage caused by the Second World War (1939-45 was much more serious, and the memories which historians of art, architects and restorers produced, in the form of documents and popular essays, are vast. However, the Great War, especially in the North-East of Italy, produced profound changes, not only due to the complete ruin of entire villages (Asiago, Conegliano and others, but, as it is known, also due to the serious damage which Venice, Verona, Treviso suffered through bombings. Unlike the Second World War, which was in every way destructive, the Great War, also because of specific strategies and military techniques, was in some way a “constructive” war: it led to the construction of huge military buildings (barracks, fortress, infrastructures, etc.. For this reason, the Great War was probably the last conflictin human history which, paradoxically, produced new buildings and new landscapes. These inheritances, which very often show high technical and aesthetic qualities, have had little recogni- tion, and even less investment for conservation and re-use.

Differences between two strains of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora on improving the nutritive value of wheat straw for ruminants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nayan, N.; Sonnenberg, A.S.M.; Hendriks, W.H.; Cone, J.W.

2017-01-01

Aim: This study evaluated differences between two strains of Ceriporiopsis subvermispora on improving the nutritive value and in vitro degradability of wheat straw. Methods and Results: Wheat straw was treated with the fungi for 7 weeks. Weekly samples were analysed for ergosterol content, in vitro

Great Indoors Awards 2007

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2007-01-01

Hollandis Maastrichtis jagati 17. XI esimest korda rahvusvahelist auhinda The Great Indoors Award. Aasta sisekujundusfirmaks valiti Masamichi Katayama asutatud Wonderwall. Auhinna said veel Zaha Hadid, Heatherwick Studio, Ryui Nakamura Architects ja Item Idem

Problem- and case-based learning in science: an introduction to distinctions, values, and outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Allchin, Douglas

2013-01-01

Case-based learning and problem-based learning have demonstrated great promise in reforming science education. Yet an instructor, in newly considering this suite of interrelated pedagogical strategies, faces a number of important instructional choices. Different features and their related values and learning outcomes are profiled here, including: the level of student autonomy; instructional focus on content, skills development, or nature-of-science understanding; the role of history, or known outcomes; scope, clarity, and authenticity of problems provided to students; extent of collaboration; complexity, in terms of number of interpretive perspectives; and, perhaps most importantly, the role of applying versus generating knowledge.

SU-F-I-58: Image Quality Comparisons of Different Motion Magnitudes and TR Values in MR-PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patrick, J; Thompson, R; Tavallaei, M; Drangova, M; Stodilka, R; Gaede, S

2016-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate the accuracy and sensitivity of a respiratory-triggered MR-PET protocol in detecting four different sized lesions at two different magnitudes of motion, with two different TR values, using a novel PET-MR-CT compatible respiratory motion phantom. Methods: The eight-compartment torso phantom was setup adjacent to the motion stage, which moved four spherical compartments (28, 22, 17, 10 mm diameter) in two separate (1 and 2 cm) linear motion profiles, simulating a 3.5 second respiratory cycle. Scans were acquired on a 3T MR-PET system (Biograph mMR; Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany). MR measurements were taken with: 1) Respiratory-triggered T2-weighted turbo spin echo (BLADE) sequence in coronal orientation, and 2) Real-time balanced steady-state gradient echo sequence (TrueFISP) in coronal and sagittal planes. PET was acquired simultaneously with MR. Sphere geometries and motion profiles were measured and compared with ground truths for T2 BLADE-TSE acquisitions and real time TrueFISP images. PET quantification and geometry measurements were taken using standardized uptake values, voxel intensity plots and were compared with known values, and examined alongside MR-based attenuation maps. Contrast and signal-to-noise ratios were also compared for each of the acquisitions as functions of motion range and TR. Results: Comparison of lesion diameters indicate the respiratory triggered T2 BLADE-TSE was able to maintain geometry within −2 mm for 1 cm motion for both TR values, and within −3.1 mm for TR = 2000 ms at 2 cm motion. Sphere measurements in respiratory triggered PET images were accurate within +/− 5 mm for both ranges of motion for 28, 22, and 17 mm diameter spheres. Conclusion: Hybrid MR-PET systems show promise in imaging lung cancer in non-compliant patients, with their ability to acquire both modalities simultaneously. However, MR-based attenuation maps are still susceptible to motion derived artifacts and

SU-F-I-58: Image Quality Comparisons of Different Motion Magnitudes and TR Values in MR-PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patrick, J; Thompson, R [Lawson Health Research Institute, London, Ontario (Canada); Tavallaei, M; Drangova, M [Robarts Research Institute, London, Canada, London, Ontario (Canada); Stodilka, R [Western University, Canada, London, Ontario (Canada); Gaede, S [London Regional Cancer Program, London, Ontario (Canada)

2016-06-15

Purpose: The aim of this work is to evaluate the accuracy and sensitivity of a respiratory-triggered MR-PET protocol in detecting four different sized lesions at two different magnitudes of motion, with two different TR values, using a novel PET-MR-CT compatible respiratory motion phantom. Methods: The eight-compartment torso phantom was setup adjacent to the motion stage, which moved four spherical compartments (28, 22, 17, 10 mm diameter) in two separate (1 and 2 cm) linear motion profiles, simulating a 3.5 second respiratory cycle. Scans were acquired on a 3T MR-PET system (Biograph mMR; Siemens Medical Solutions, Germany). MR measurements were taken with: 1) Respiratory-triggered T2-weighted turbo spin echo (BLADE) sequence in coronal orientation, and 2) Real-time balanced steady-state gradient echo sequence (TrueFISP) in coronal and sagittal planes. PET was acquired simultaneously with MR. Sphere geometries and motion profiles were measured and compared with ground truths for T2 BLADE-TSE acquisitions and real time TrueFISP images. PET quantification and geometry measurements were taken using standardized uptake values, voxel intensity plots and were compared with known values, and examined alongside MR-based attenuation maps. Contrast and signal-to-noise ratios were also compared for each of the acquisitions as functions of motion range and TR. Results: Comparison of lesion diameters indicate the respiratory triggered T2 BLADE-TSE was able to maintain geometry within −2 mm for 1 cm motion for both TR values, and within −3.1 mm for TR = 2000 ms at 2 cm motion. Sphere measurements in respiratory triggered PET images were accurate within +/− 5 mm for both ranges of motion for 28, 22, and 17 mm diameter spheres. Conclusion: Hybrid MR-PET systems show promise in imaging lung cancer in non-compliant patients, with their ability to acquire both modalities simultaneously. However, MR-based attenuation maps are still susceptible to motion derived artifacts and

Morphophysiology and nutritive value of signalgrass in silvipastoral system with different tree arrangements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joysiene Sanguinete Coelho

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The study was carried out with the aim to evaluate the effect of different special arrangements in forage yield, nutritive value and structure of the understory of signalgrass (Brachiaria decumbens in silvipastoral system with different regrowth times. The design was in complete randomized block with tree replicates in a factorial scheme with split-plots 2 × 2 × 5 consisting two spatial arrangements [Double lines 9 × (2 × 2m and simple lines (9 × 2m] in two sampling places (in the middle of the intercropping and under the three canopy in the plot and five regrowth times (35, 42, 49, 56 e 63 days in the split-plot. It was used a silvipastoral system established since June, 2008 in degraded pasture with signalgrass predominance. The pasture was homogenized by grazing at 15 cm from the soil level. Were evaluated the dry matter yield leaf:stem ratio, light interception and leaf area index. In addition were evaluated the nutritive value characteristics dry matter content, neutral and acid detergent fiber, crude protein and lignin. The photosynthetic active radiation was monitored. The use of simple or double lines did not influence the leaf area index, light interception and dry mass yield. The leaf:stem ratio was influenced by the sampling place only in the double line arrangement. The neutral detergent fiber was substantially high in the double line arrangement. Therefore, the use of double lines reduces the photosynthetic active radiation amount incident in the understory, but does not reduce the forage yield in relation to simple line arrangements. These results indicate the use of double lines arrangement may allow the harvest of more threes without reduce the pasture production.

Potential for DNA-based identification of Great Lakes fauna: Match and mismatch between taxa inventories and DNA barcode libraries

Science.gov (United States)

DNA-based identification of mixed-organism samples offers the potential to greatly reduce the need for resource-intensive morphological identification, which would be of value both to biotic condition assessment and non-native species early-detection monitoring. However, the abi...

Stochastic samples versus vacuum expectation values in cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsamis, N.C.; Tzetzias, Aggelos; Woodard, R.P.

2010-01-01

Particle theorists typically use expectation values to study the quantum back-reaction on inflation, whereas many cosmologists stress the stochastic nature of the process. While expectation values certainly give misleading results for some things, such as the stress tensor, we argue that operators exist for which there is no essential problem. We quantify this by examining the stochastic properties of a noninteracting, massless, minimally coupled scalar on a locally de Sitter background. The square of the stochastic realization of this field seems to provide an example of great relevance for which expectation values are not misleading. We also examine the frequently expressed concern that significant back-reaction from expectation values necessarily implies large stochastic fluctuations between nearby spatial points. Rather than viewing the stochastic formalism in opposition to expectation values, we argue that it provides a marvelously simple way of capturing the leading infrared logarithm corrections to the latter, as advocated by Starobinsky

The great scientific revolutions of the 20. century; Les grandes revolutions scientifiques du 20. siecle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Parrochia, D. [Universite Paul Valery, Montpellier 3, 34 - Montpellier (France)

1997-12-31

Three great physical revolutions are studied here: the theory of relativity (general and restricted); the quantum mechanics (and its different interpretations); the theory of the determinist chaos (its pre-history as its applications). These three theories contribute to modify the answers that it is possible to bring to great metaphysical questions and to give a hint of a new philosophical landscape. (N.C.)

The most important parameters of life quality of the Great Patriotic War veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuanov A.A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the study was to estimate current state of quality of life of Great Patriotic War veterans. Materials and methods. The study included 368 veterans of the Great Patriotic War according to Federal State "Concerning veterans" #5, 1995. Protocol of the study included adapted fragments of WHOQOL, WHOQOL-Old, SF-36, SIP questioners as well as visually-analog scale of self-assessment of quality of life with further going quality of life index calculations. Re-sults. In the studied sample of the Great Patriotic War (GPW veterans including long-livers comparably was detected high level of quality of life (QOL by physical criteria and independence level. It was revealed that QOL by self-service criteria in the GPW veterans was low and extremely variable by other criteria groups. Both ageing and gender influenced upon physical activity, self-service and QOL self-assessment. Women were outstanding by psychological criteria and independence with no association with age group. Conclusion. QOL indication in the GPW veterans of studied sample elucidated a satisfactory level of healthcare in the region, which allows veterans in certain way preserve both physical and psychological health, as well as grounds positive self-assessment of personal position in society and values system according to their life-goals and expectations.

Simulating the Evolution of Fluid Underpressures in the Great Plains, by Incorporation of Tectonic Uplift and Tilting, with a Groundwater Flow Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amjad M. J. Umari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Underpressures (subhydrostatic heads in the Paleozoic units underlying the Great Plains of North America are a consequence of Cenozoic uplift of the area. Based on tectonostratigraphic data, we have developed a cumulative uplift history with superimposed periods of deposition and erosion for the Great Plains for the period from 40 Ma to the present. Uplift, deposition, and erosion on an 800 km geologic cross-section extending from northeast Colorado to eastern Kansas is represented in nine time-stepped geohydrologic models. Sequential solution of the two-dimensional diffusion equation reveals the evolution of hydraulic head and underpressure in a changing structural environment after 40 Ma, culminating in an approximate match with the measured present-day values. The modeled and measured hydraulic head values indicate that underpressures increase to the west. The 2 to 0 Ma model indicates that the present-day hydraulic head values of the Paleozoic units have not reached steady state. This result is significant because it indicates that present-day hydraulic heads are not at equilibrium, and underpressures will increase in the future. The pattern uncovered by the series of nine MODFLOW models is of increased underpressures with time. Overall, the models indicate that tectonic uplift explains the development of underpressures in the Great Plains.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIFFERENT BUSINESS VALUE COMPONENTS WITHIN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja Brlečić Valčić

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The oil and gas industry is characterized by many complexities and specificities of business operations. The above is also reflected in the identification of value components, and the understanding of their interrelationships. In order to have an effective value management, it is especially important to follow up on the movements in key financial indicators and qualitative factors which impact the creation of financial results. This paper presents the theoretical basis in order to identify the most important qualitative value components in oil and gas companies. Therefore, the specificities of all sectors within this industry are highlighted in order for them to be related to the key financial factors influencing the creation of stable cash flows. For this purpose, a cluster analysis of selected key financial factors has been performed using self-organizing neural networks. Connecting identified qualitative value components affecting cash flows with the financial parameters through which they are reflected, creates a framework for developing an effective value management model.

Population health concerns during the United States' Great Recession.

Science.gov (United States)

Althouse, Benjamin M; Allem, Jon-Patrick; Childers, Matthew A; Dredze, Mark; Ayers, John W

2014-02-01

Associations between economic conditions and health are usually derived from cost-intensive surveys that are intermittently collected with nonspecific measures (i.e., self-rated health). This study identified how precise health concerns changed during the U.S. Great Recession analyzing Google search queries to identify the concern by the query content and their prevalence by the query volume. Excess health concerns were estimated during the Great Recession (December 2008 through 2011) by comparing the cumulative difference between observed and expected (based on linear projections from pre-existing trends) query volume for hundreds of individual terms. As performed in 2013, the 100 queries with the greatest excess were ranked and then clustered into themes based on query content. The specific queries with the greatest relative excess were stomach ulcer symptoms and headache symptoms, respectively, 228% (95% CI=35, 363) and 193% (95% CI=60, 275) greater than expected. Queries typically involved symptomology (i.e., gas symptoms) and diagnostics (i.e., heart monitor) naturally coalescing into themes. Among top themes, headache queries were 41% (95% CI=3, 148); hernia 37% (95% CI=16, 142); chest pain 35% (95% CI=6, 313); and arrhythmia 32% (95% CI=3, 149) greater than expected. Pain was common with back, gastric, joint, and tooth foci, with the latter 19% (95% CI=4, 46) higher. Among just the top 100, there were roughly 205 million excess health concern queries during the Great Recession. Google queries indicate that the Great Recession coincided with substantial increases in health concerns, hinting at how population health specifically changed during that time. © 2013 Published by American Journal of Preventive Medicine on behalf of American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Value-informed pricing in its organizational context: literature review, conceptual framework, and directions for future research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ingenbleek, P.T.M.

2007-01-01

Purpose ¿ In the face of increased pricing pressure, managerial attention for value-informed pricing (in which a price is based on the customer¿s value perception) is on the rise. Although value-informed pricing in its organizational context received a great deal of attention, the body of literature

Existence and Uniqueness of Solutions for a Discrete Fractional Mixed Type Sum-Difference Equation Boundary Value Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weidong Lv

2015-01-01

Full Text Available By means of Schauder’s fixed point theorem and contraction mapping principle, we establish the existence and uniqueness of solutions to a boundary value problem for a discrete fractional mixed type sum-difference equation with the nonlinear term dependent on a fractional difference of lower order. Moreover, a suitable choice of a Banach space allows the solutions to be unbounded and two representative examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the main results.

What's valued most? Similarities and differences between the organizational values of the public and private sector

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Wal, Z.; de Graaf, G.; Lasthuizen, K.M.

2008-01-01

In recent administrative and organizational literature much attention has been paid to values that guide organizational and managerial behaviour in the public and private domain. Comparative empirical research efforts, however, are sparse. This article reports the results of a comparative empirical

Photoelectrical measurements of the local value of the contact potential difference in the metal-insulator semiconductor (MIS) structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kudla, A.; Przewlocki, H.M.; Borowicz, L.; Brzezinska, D.; Rzodkiewicz, W

2004-02-22

In this work the local values of contact potential difference (CPD) and their distributions in the plane of the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure's gate have been determined for the first time. This has been achieved by application of a focused beam of UV radiation from a laser source. The less than 20-{mu}m diameter of UV radiation beam allows determination of distributions of local CPD values in the plane of the gate. The CPD distribution is such that its values are highest far away from the gate edge regions, lower in the vicinity of gate edges and still lower in the vicinity of gate corners. In this paper the method and the optical setup used to determine local values of CPD are described and example measurement results are given. The CPD distributions obtained have been confirmed by a series of independent measurements by other methods. It is believed that the CPD distributions obtained (as well as distributions of local values of other parameters) are due to the mechanical stress distributions under the gate of a MIS system.

Value concepts and value based collaboration in building projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2005-01-01

Value has in recent years become a popular term in management theory and practice in general as well as in economic theory and architectural management. This paper attempts to clarify the various uses and meanings of concepts of value/values. Six different value concepts are identified. The ori......-gin and use of value concepts in classic and modern economic theory and in management theory is outlined. The question of objectivity and subjectivity is discussed in relation to economic value and customer value. Value creation is put in relation to development in products and processes and a number...... of design strategies are identified. The concept and methods of value based management and collaboration is discussed in this context. The paper is mainly theoretical and based on work during a MBA study in 2002-04 as well as many years of experience as building client and facilities manager....

The value transmitted by woman in Disney animated films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verónica Marín Díaz

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The animated films, has taken in the last decade of great relevance. This study aims to analyse the values that the female of the films from Disney. Through a descriptive and correlational study, we have proceeded to consult a group of teachers (N = 27 of said educational level, through a questionnaire of Marin and Sanchez (2015. The main result achieved has been the realization of the development of women and their role in society. It has also been confirmed that all transmit at least one traditional socially accepted value.

Great lakes prey fish populations: a cross-basin overview of status and trends based on bottom trawl surveys, 1978-2012

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman, Owen T.

2012-01-01

The assessment of prey fish stocks in the Great Lakes have been conducted annually with bottom trawls since the 1970s by the Great Lakes Science Center, sometimes assisted by partner agencies. These stock assessments provide data on the status and trends of prey fish that are consumed by important commercial and recreational fishes. Although all these annual surveys are conducted using bottom trawls, they differ among the lakes in the proportion of the lake covered, seasonal timing, bottom trawl gear used, and the manner in which the trawl is towed (across or along bottom contours). Because each assessment is unique in one or more important aspects, direct comparison of prey fish catches among lakes is not straightforward. However, all of the assessments produce indices of abundance or biomass that can be standardized to facilitate comparisons of status and trends across all the Great Lakes. In this report, population indices were standardized to the highest value for a time series within each lake for the following principal prey species: cisco (Coregonus artedi), bloater (C. hoyi), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), and alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus). Indices were also provided for round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), an invasive fish that has proliferated throughout the basin over the past 18 years. These standardized indices represent the best available long-term indices of relative abundance for these fishes across all of the Great Lakes. In this report, standardized indices are presented in graphical form along with synopses to provide a short, informal cross-basin summary of the status and trends of principal prey fishes. In keeping with this intent, tables, references, and a detailed discussion were omitted.

The Potential Cost Effectiveness of Different Dengue Vaccination Programmes in Malaysia: A Value-Based Pricing Assessment Using Dynamic Transmission Mathematical Modelling.

Science.gov (United States)

Shafie, Asrul Akmal; Yeo, Hui Yee; Coudeville, Laurent; Steinberg, Lucas; Gill, Balvinder Singh; Jahis, Rohani; Amar-Singh Hss

2017-05-01

Dengue disease poses a great economic burden in Malaysia. This study evaluated the cost effectiveness and impact of dengue vaccination in Malaysia from both provider and societal perspectives using a dynamic transmission mathematical model. The model incorporated sensitivity analyses, Malaysia-specific data, evidence from recent phase III studies and pooled efficacy and long-term safety data to refine the estimates from previous published studies. Unit costs were valued in $US, year 2013 values. Six vaccination programmes employing a three-dose schedule were identified as the most likely programmes to be implemented. In all programmes, vaccination produced positive benefits expressed as reductions in dengue cases, dengue-related deaths, life-years lost, disability-adjusted life-years and dengue treatment costs. Instead of incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs), we evaluated the cost effectiveness of the programmes by calculating the threshold prices for a highly cost-effective strategy [ICER price of $US32.39 for programme 6 (highly cost effective up to $US14.15) and up to a price of $US100.59 for programme 1 (highly cost effective up to $US47.96) from the provider perspective. The cost-effectiveness analysis is sensitive to under-reporting, vaccine protection duration and model time horizon. Routine vaccination for a population aged 13 years with a catch-up cohort aged 14-30 years in targeted hotspot areas appears to be the best-value strategy among those investigated. Dengue vaccination is a potentially good investment if the purchaser can negotiate a price at or below the cost-effective threshold price.

THE VALUE-BASED MANAGEMENT APPROACH: FROM THE SHAREHOLDER VALUE TO THE STAKEHOLDER VALUE

OpenAIRE

VALENTIN MUNTEANU; DOINA DANAIATA; LUMINITA HURBEAN; ALICE BERGLER

2012-01-01

The ongoing discussion about the adequate management form and the purpose of organizations in the contemporary postmodern society have once again gained in importance and interest after the financial crises of 2008. Different management concepts have been developed throughout the time, which propose objectives for organizations and thus managerial goals, activities and decision making. Considering the value based management approach and the stakeholder theory, we propose a shift in the value ...

Comparative habitat use of sympatric Mexican spotted and great horned owls

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph L. Ganey; William M. Block; Jeffrey S. Jenness; Randolph A. Wilson

1997-01-01

To provide information on comparative habitat use, we studied radiotagged Mexican spotted owls (Strix occidentalis lucida: n = 13) and great horned owls (Bubo virginianus: n = 4) in northern Arizona. Home-range size (95% adaptive kernel estimate) did not differ significantly between species during either the breeding or nonbreeding...

The Great War and German Memory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leese, Peter

2012-01-01

Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)......Review essay on Jason Crouthamel, The Great War and German Memory. Society, Politics and Psychological Trauma, 1914-18 (2009) and Anton Kaes, Shell Shock Cinema: Weimar Culture and the Wounds of War (2009)...

The genetically significant dose from diagnostic radiology in Great Britain in 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darby, S.C.; Kendall, G.M.; Rae, S.; Wall, B.F.

1980-09-01

This report is the third in a series concerned with the annual genetically significant dose to the population of Great Britain from diagnostic radiology. It combines information from a frequency survey of diagnostic radiological examinations carried out in Great Britain in 1977 and estimates of gonadal doses for different examination types, together with population and child expectancy data. The annual genetically significant dose from diagnostic radiology carried out in Great Britain in 1977, is estimated to 118 μGy (11.8 millirad) of which 113 μGy (11.3 millirad) is contributed by diagnostic radiology carried out in National Health Service hospitals. There has been a sharp fall in the contribution from obstetric examinations since 1957 when the last national survey was carried out. The contribution from most other examination types is broadly similar and there is little evidence of a change in the overall level of genetically significant dose. This is in spite of an increase in the frequency of radiological examinations per thousand of the population of about 50 per cent. No significant differences were found as between England, Scotland and Wales. The British figure compares favourably with the levels of GSD reported from other countries with developed radiological services. (author)

Differences in demographic traits of four butterflyfish species between two reefs of the Great Barrier Reef separated by 1,200 km

KAUST Repository