Family nonuniversal Z-prime and b to s Gamma decay

We have calculated the branching ratio and CP asymmetry of B-->X_s +gamma decay within the family--nonuniversal Z' models. We have established certain bounds on the model parameters using the present experimental bounds. We also comment on the role of family--nonuniversality in the hadronic decay modes of the B meson.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figure

Release Management with Continuous Delivery: A Case Study

We present our approach on using continuous delivery pattern for release management. One of the key practices of agile and lean teams is the continuous delivery of new features to stakeholders. The main benefits of this approach lie in the ability to release new applications rapidly which has real strategic impact on the competitive advantage of an organization. Organizations that successfully implement Continuous Delivery have the ability to evolve rapidly to support innovation, provide stable and reliable software in more efficient ways, decrease the amount of resources need for maintenance, and lower the software delivery time and costs. One of the objectives of this paper is to elaborate a case study where IT division of Central Securities Depository Institution (MKK) of Turkey apply Continuous Delivery pattern to improve release management process

Release Management with Continuous Delivery: A Case Study

We present our approach on using continuous delivery pattern for release management. One of the key practices of agile and lean teams is the continuous delivery of new features to stakeholders. The main benefits of this approach lie in the ability to release new applications rapidly which has real strategic impact on the competitive advantage of an organization. Organizations that successfully implement Continuous Delivery have the ability to evolve rapidly to support innovation, provide stable and reliable software in more efficient ways, decrease the amount of resources need for maintenance, and lower the software delivery time and costs. One of the objectives of this paper is to elaborate a case study where IT division of Central Securities Depository Institution (MKK) of Turkey apply Continuous Delivery pattern to improve release management process

Release Management with Continuous Delivery: A Case Study

We present our approach on using continuous delivery pattern for release management. One of the key practices of agile and lean teams is the continuous delivery of new features to stakeholders. The main benefits of this approach lie in the ability to release new applications rapidly which has real strategic impact on the competitive advantage of an organization. Organizations that successfully implement Continuous Delivery have the ability to evolve rapidly to support innovation, provide stable and reliable software in more efficient ways, decrease the amount of resources need for maintenance, and lower the software delivery time and costs. One of the objectives of this paper is to elaborate a case study where IT division of Central Securities Depository Institution (MKK) of Turkey apply Continuous Delivery pattern to improve release management process

Trap levels in layered semiconductor Ga2SeS

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Trap levels in nominally undoped Ga2SeS layered crystals have been characterized by thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements. During the measurements, current was allowed to flow along the c-axis of the crystals in the temperature range of 10-300 K. Two distinct TSC peaks were observed in the spectra, deconvolution of which yielded three peaks. The results are analyzed by curve fitting, peak shape and initial rise methods. They all seem to be in good agreement with each other. The activation energies of three trapping centers in Ga2SeS are found to be 72, 100 and 150 meV. The capture cross section of these traps are 6.7 x 10(-23), 1.8 x 10(-23) and 2.8 x 10(-22) cm(2) with concentrations of 1.3 x 10(12), 5.4 x 10(12) and 4.2 x 10(12) cm(-3), respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Morphological variation of carotid artery bifurcation level in digital angiography

Knowing of the level of carotid artery bifurcation (CB) is important for vascular surgery in the neck, radical neck dissections, carotid sinus baroreceptor stimulation, catheterisations, and aneurysms. The aim of this study was to determine the CB level in relation with the cervical vertebral levels, compare them on the right and the left sides, and investigate the relation of CB level with the length of neck. In this study, 100 conventional carotid angiographies were performed. The CB level was determined in relation with 10 different levels which were the levels of the cervical vertebrae and intervertebral disks, and the relation of CB level with the length of neck was investigated. The right and left CB levels of the patients were also determined, and compared. The highest level of CB was at the level of C2 vertebra, and the lowest level of CB was at the level of C6–C7 intervertebral disk in both male and female. When all patients were taken into consideration, CB level was most frequently seen at the level of C4–C5 (29%) on the right side, and at the level of C4 (26%) on the left side. The CB levels were not symmetrical in 10 female and 23 male. Knowing of the anatomical variations of CB level is important in surgical procedures. The anatomical differences must be taken into consideration since the neighbouring structures of CB change in case of variations. We believe that the results of this study will shed light to planning of all interventional methods concerning common carotid artery and its branches as well as surgery in the neck, and will help to minimise the complications

Consumption, consumer culture and consumer society

This paper mainly deals with the concepts and issues surrounding the contemporary notion of consumption. Consumption is a complex social phenomenon in which people consume goods or services for reasons beyond their basic use-value. Conspicuous Consumption, Symbolic Consumption, Addictive Consumption, Compulsive Consumption and Sacred Consumption are five main categories defining distinctive consumption styles. Basic characteristics of consumer culture can be summarized in the transforming of needs to desires, utilitarian/hedonic needs-values, commodity fetishism, conspicuous leisure and consumption, cultural values, aestheticization, alienation, differentiation and speed. A consumer society is one in which the entire society is organized around the consumption and display of commodities through which individuals gain prestige, identity, and standing. The paper explores the main factors fueling the engine of consumer society that has over the past few decades gained a global perspective

Improving thermoelectric properties of Ca 3 Co 4 O 9+d through both Na doping and K addition at optimal values

Ca 2.93 Na 0.07 Co 4 O y /x wt% K 2 CO 3 (x = 0.00, 0.01, and 0.03) polycrystalline ceramics were prepared by conventional solid-state method. XRD results have shown that all samples predominantly include Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 phase together with small amounts of secondary phases. SEM images show that all samples have randomly oriented plate-like grains in different sizes. The electrical resistivity measurement showed that electrical properties of Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 ceramics can be improved significantly by both, Na doping and K addition at their optimal values. The effect of dopants on thermoelectric properties of Ca 3 Co 4 O 9 was examined by both, Seebeck coefficient and power factor, being higher in K-added than in the pure samples, indicating that thermoelectric properties of samples are positively affected when alkaline elements enter into their structure

Thermally stimulated currents in layered Ga4SeS3 semiconductor

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Thermally stimulated current (TSC) measurements are carried out on nominally undoped Ga4SeS3 layered semiconductor samples with the cur-rent flowing along the c-axis in the temperature range of 10 to 150 K. The results are analyzed according to various methods, such as curve fitting, initial rise and Chen's methods, which seem to be in good agreement with each other. Experimental evidence is found for the presence of three trapping centers in Ga4SeS3 with activation energies of 70, 210 and 357 meV. The calculation yielded 7.9 x 10(-21), 7.0 x 10(-19) and 1.5 x 10(-13) cm(2) for the capture cross section, and 1.6 x 10(10), 6.5 x 10(10) and 1.2 x 10(11) cm(-3) for the concentration of the traps studied. (C) 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim