Using the Delphi Technique to Search for Empirical Measures of Local Planning Agency Power

This paper shows how the Delphi technique was used to conceptualize and operationalize local planning agency power. In the first of two Delphi studies, twelve scholars suggested four dimensions of agency power: legal authority, degree of control, relative autonomy, and capacity. In the second Delphi study, sixteen professional planners operationalized power dimensions proposed by the first Delphi study. The dimensions were operationalized in the context of Florida’s planning system. The proposed measures were tested empirically by reviewing Florida statutes, surveying municipal planning agencies, and conducting statistical analysis. This research presents important lessons learned for researchers interested in Delphi studies and proposes valid empirical measures of local planning agency power

Fuzzy Laplace Transforms for Derivatives of Higher Orders

In this paper, we find the formula of fuzzy derivative of the third order and fourth order  and  find the fuzzy Laplace transforms for the fuzzy derivative of the above mentioned orders by using generalized H-differentiability. Keywords: Fuzzy numbers, generalized H-differentiability, Fuzzy Laplace transform

Early functional outcome of two surgical protocols used in the repair of complete unilateral cleft lip palate: a comparative study

Background and objective The outcome of different treatment protocols for primary management of patients with complete unilateral cleft lip palate (UCLP) may vary considerably. This study aimed to compare the results of quality of speech and velopharyngeal sphincter mechanism between two surgical protocols used in the repair of complete UCLP.Patients and methods This study was conducted in Zagazig University Hospitals from February 2009 to April 2012 on 30 patients. The patients were categorized into two groups: group A, which consisted of 15 patients who underwent cleft lip repair and cleft hard palate repair with a vomer flap in same sitting; and group B, which consisted of 15 patients who underwent only cleft lip repair at first sitting. At the age of 12 months in both groups, repair of the remaining cleft palate was performed.Results A significant difference between groups A and B at all postoperative comparisons was found in terms of grade of nasality, grade of closure of the velopharyngeal valve, and nasal emission of air.Conclusion Early repair of the hard palate with simultaneous cleft lip repair can be considered as a reliable alternative procedure to one-stage palatoplasty and appeared to have better early functional results in the treatment of complete UCLP

Forecasting Monthly Maximum Temperatures in Kerbala Using Seasonal ARIMA Models.

يعتبر التنبؤ بالعوامل الجوية مسالة مهمة في مجال الأرصاد الجوي والبحث العلمي. في هذا البحث، تم اعتماد نموذج الانحدار الذاتي المتكامل والمتوسط المتحرك الفصلي (ARIMA) والذي يستند على نظرية Box- Jenkins. استخدمت البيانات الشهرية لمعدل درجة الحرارة العظمى لمدينة كربلاء للفترة (من يناير 1980 إلى ديسمبر 2016). تم اقتراح عدة نماذج للتنبؤ اعتمادا على دالة الارتباط الذاتي ودالة الارتباط الذاتي الجزئي لبيانات السلسلة الزمنية للسنوات من 1980 الى 2015. تم اختبار النماذج المقترحة باستخدام درجات الحرارة الشهرية العظمى لسنة 2016. من اجل اختبار دقة النماذج والمقارنة بينها استخدمت المعلمات الاحصائية مثل معدل الخطأ المطلق MAE، الجذر التربيعي لمتوسط مربعات الخطأ RMSE، المتوسط المطلق للخطأ النسبي   MAPEومعامل التحديد R2. بينت النتائج ان النموذج (2, 1, 2) × (1, 1, 1)12 كان الاكثر دقة واستخدم للتنبؤ بمعدل درجات الحرارة الشهرية العظمى لمنطقة الدراسة للفترة من 2017 الى 2021.Weather forecasting is an important issue in meteorology and scientific research.In this research, the Seasonal Auto Regressive.Integrated Moving Average.(ARIMA) model which is based on Box-Jenkins method was adopted to build the forecasting model. The max. Monthly temperature data for Kerbala city for the period (Jan.1980 to Dec.2016) was employed. The autocorrelation and partial autocorrelation functions for time series data from years 1980 to 2015 were used to identify the most appropriate orders of the ARIMA models. The validation test of these models were performed using the monthly max. Temperature of the year 2016. To calculate the model's accuracy and compare among them, statistical criteria such as MAE, RMSE, MAPE, and R2 were used. The model (2, 1, 2) × (1, 1, 1)12 gave the most accurate results and used to forecast the monthly max. Temperature for the period (2017 to 2021) for study region

Effect of coating method on release of Glimepiride from porosity osmotic pump tablets (POPTs)

In this study, once-daily porosity osmotic pump tablets (POPTs) of Glimepiride were prepared using HPMC K100M (61%), osmotic agent (30% NaCl) coated using two different coating techniques spraying and dipping methods. The coating solution composed of ethyl   cellulose (7.5%) w\w in ethanol (90%), castor oil (2%) as water-insoluble plasticizer and Gingo red color (0.5% w\w). In both techniques, the coating level was adjusted to give a 10% increase in the weight of the tablets. The effect of the coating by dipping technique with an increase in the weight of tablet (10 %, 20% & 50%) was also investigated to see the effect coating level on the percentage of drug release from POPTs. The results of the in vitro release of Glimepiride from tablets coated by the spraying method showed longer release time (24 hrs) than those coated with dipping method. On the other hand, increasing the coating level by dipping method retarded the release of the drug from tablets. However, the same retardation effect on release as shown with the spraying technique was only obtained by increasing the coating level with a 50% increase in the weight of the tablet. Thus, coating by spraying is more efficient to prepare POPTs to give a continuous release of Glimepiride from once daily table with the lowest increase in the total weight of the tablet. 

Development and physicochemical evaluation of bilayered floating tablet of diltiazem hydrochloride prepared from Plantago ovata seed husk

The aim of the present study is to prepare bilayered floating tablets of diltiazem with different ratios of polymers like HPMC K4M, carbopol 934 P, sodium alginate, Plantago ovata seed husk (psyllium) and to carry out evaluation of the physicochemical parameters of tablets like hardness, friability, content uniformity, weight variation, in vitro buoyancy and in vitro dissolution profiles. In vivo X-ray study was done in human volunteers to determine the floating characteristics of the placebo tablets for a period of 12 h.Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aire

Effect of Tilted Electric Field and Magnetic Field on the Energy Levels, Binding Energies and Heat Capacity of Donor Impurity in GaAs Quantum Dot

365-371The Hamiltonian of an electron confined in a parabolic quantum dot in the presence of perpendicular magnetic field, donor impurity, and tilted electric field, has been solved by employing an exact diagonalization method. All the energy matrix elements have been derived in analytical forms. We have displayed the variation of the computed energy levels, binding energy and heat capacity of the quantum dot with the physical Hamiltonian parameters like: external magnetic and electric fields, confining strength, tilt angle and temperature. It’s found that the binding energy increases as the magnetic field increases. However, it decreases as the electric field increases. The dependence of the heat capacity on the electric field and magnetic fields and impurity has also been investigated. The calculated results show that heat capacity increases as the electric field increases, while it decreases with the enhancement of the magnetic field. In addition, the presence of the donor impurity is found to enhance the heat capacity. The present results are consistent with those reported in the literature

3,4-Dibromo-2,5-dimethyl-1-phenyl­sulfonyl-1H-pyrrole

In the title compound, C12H11Br2NO2S, the dihedral angle between the two rings is 78.79 (12)°. The crystal packing features C—H⋯π inter­actions