On the vorticity cycle of the Loop Current

The inrushing/retraction behavior of the Loop Current (LC) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico can be represented by a recurrent cycle of vorticity input/output with a time scale of 0 to 16 months. This cycle is brought about as a balance between the accumulation of absolute vorticity in the LC and deep advection of vorticity to the Caribbean Sea. The vorticity time scale is directly proportional to the change in circulation around the LC and 2πH/Q0(f0 + ζ0); where H (∼800 m) is the thickness of the LC, Q0 is the amplitude of the deep outflow, and (f0 + ζ0) is the absolute vorticity at Yucatan. It is proposed that the vorticity time scale is related to the eddy-shedding period, and this relation suggests that the LC adjusts itself in such a way as to keep 2πH/Q0(f0 + ζ) constant. This parameter captures all relevant processes: thickness of the current, inflow through ζ0 = ∂VI∂x; the deep outflow; and the planetary vorticity (f0)

Cross-Cultural Communication for Teaching English as a Second Language in Ukraine

У статті розглянуто питання щодо потреби поєднання лінгвістичних і соціологічних досліджень у навчанні англійської мови і крос-культурної комунікації. Особлива увага приділяється тому, що дослідження позицій та переконань у глобальних і національних культурах допомагає зосередитися на відмінностях та прогнозувати вербальну поведінку партнера, який представляє іншу культуру. Одним із факторів, що допомагає перемогти культурні розбіжності, є трансформація глобальних культур у бік індивідуалізму, який розглядається як полярна культура щодо інших глобальних культур: трайбалізму, колективізму та квазі-колективізму. Культури висококонтекстуальні та значно дистанційовані від влади є важливими характеристиками у передбачуваності вербальної поведінки, тому вони повинні знайти своє місце і в крос-культурних дослідженнях, і в методиках навчання англійської мови. Таким чином, фокус уваги має бути зосередженим також на соціологічних дослідженнях національних культур. The paper deals with the necessity of bridging linguistic and sociological studies in English Teaching and Cross-Cultural communication. Specifically, the study of attitudes and beliefs within global and national cultures helps concentrate on the differences and predict verbal behavior of a counterpart from a different culture. One factor in support of overcoming the cultural differences is the transition to individualistic culture which is viewed as polar to the rest of global cultures: tribalistic, collectivistic and quasi-collectivistic. High-context and high power-distance cultures are important features in predicting verbal behavior and thus should find their rightful place in cross-cultural communication studies as well as English language teaching methods

Bridging the Cultural gap in English language teaching

Розглянуто важливість вивчення крос-культурних відмінностей американського та сучасного українського стилів комунікації. Наголошено на потребі знати окремі комунікативні камені спотикання для правильних мовленнєвих моделей. The paper deals with the importance of teaching cross-cultural differences of American and present-day Ukrainian communication styles. For this matter the knowledge of particular stumbling-blocks is crucial for teaching correct patterns in the target language

Faktor – Faktor Yang Mempengaruhi Profitabilitas Bank Yang Terdaftar Di Bursa Efek Indonesia

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhi profitabilitas bank.Sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah bank-bank yang terdaftar di Bursa EfekIndonesia (BEI) periode 2009 hingga 2013 berjumlah 29 bank.Variabel independen dalampenelitian ini adalah asset size, credit risk, total deposits, dan interest rate sedangkan variabelkontrol yang digunakan adalah operating efficiency, total loan, gross domestic product (GDP) danconsumer price inflation rate (CPI). Variabel dependen dalam penelitian ini adalah profitabilitas.Hasil analisis regresi menunjukkan adanya pengaruh positif yang signifikan antara asset size, totaldeposits, interest rate, gross domestic product (GDP) terhadap ROE dan credit risk memilikipengaruh negatif yang signifikan terhadap ROE. Hasil regresi menunjukkan adanya pengaruhpositif yang signifikan antara asset size, interest rate, gross domestic product (GDP) terhadapROA, dan credit risk memiliki pengaruh negatif yang signifikan terhadap ROA. Namun, variabeloperating efficiency, total loan dan consumer price inflation rate (CPI) memiliki pengaruh yang tidaksignifikan terhadap ROE dan total deposits, operating efficiency, total loan dan consumer priceinflation rate (CPI) memiliki pengaruh yang tidak signifikan terhadap ROA. Hasil penelitian inidiharapkan dapat dijadikan acuan bagi Perusahaan dan nasabah dalam melihat faktor-faktor yangmempengaruhi profitabilitas pada bank umum

Caratterizzazione strutturale e tensionale di acciaio inox austenitico laminato a freddo

Vengono descritti i risultati di indagini tensionali e strutturali su nastro sottile di acciaio inossidabile austenitico AISI 301 laminato a freddo. Le verifiche tensionali, eseguite mediante diffrattometria a raggi X, vengono correlate con variazioni di microdurezza rilevate lungo lo spessore, e con variazioni di rapporto volumetrico tra austenite e fasi prodottesi in conseguenza della sua destabilizzazione, indotta dalla deformazione plastica. Vengono altresì presentate figure polari relative ad analisi di tessitura sulla giacitura parallela al piano di laminazione e ne vengono confrontate le modificazioni in relazione alla distanza dalla superficie

Geostrophy via potential vorticity inversion in the Yucatan Channel

It has become common practice to measure ocean current velocities together with the hydrography by lowering an ADCP on typical CTD casts. The velocities and densities thus observed are considered to consist mostly of a background contribution in geostrophic balance, plus internal waves and tides. A method to infer the geostrophic component by inverting the linearized potential vorticity (Pv) provides plausible geostrophic density and velocity distributions. The method extracts the geostrophic balance closest to the measurements by minimizing the energy involved in the difference, supposed to consist of Pv-free anomalies. The boundary conditions and the retention of Pv by the geostrophic estimates follow directly from the optimization, which is based on simple linear dynamics and avoids both the use of the thermal wind equation on the measured density, and the classical problem of a reference velocity. By construction, the transport in geostrophic balance equals the measured one. Tides are the largest source of error in the calculation. The method is applied to six ADCP/CTD surveys made across the Yucatan Channel in the springs of 1997 and 1998 and in the winter of 1998-1999. Although the time interval between sections is sometimes close to one inertial period, large variations on the order of 10 percent are found from one section to the next. Transports range from 20 to 31 Sv with a net average close to 25 Sv, consisting of 33 Sv of inflow into the Gulf of Mexico and 8 Sv of outflow into the Caribbean Sea. The highest velocities are 2.0 m sec-1 into the Gulf of Mexico near the surface on the western side of the channel, decreasing to 0.1 m sec-1 by 400 to 500 m depth. Beneath the core of the Yucatan Current a countercurrent, with speeds close to 0.2 m sec-1 and an average transport of 2 Sv, hugs the slopes of the channel from 500 to 1500 m depth. Our data show an additional 6 Sv of return flow within the same depth range over the abrupt slope near Cuba, which is likely to be the recirculating fraction of the Yucatan Current deep extention, unable to outflow through the Florida Straits. The most significant southerly flows do not occur in the deepest portion of the channel, but at depths around 1000 m

Caracterización de la composición lignocelulósica y lípidos residuales en racimos de frutos vacíos del procesado de aceite de palma

Empty fruit bunches (EFBs) are an agro-industrial residue discarded in the environment when the fresh palm fruits are removed for oil extraction. EFBs are abundant in palm-oil-producing countries and cause environmental problems. Besides their content in lignocellulosic, EFBs also contain amounts of residual lipids from the separation process. Because the palm fruit has two main types of oil from the pulp (palm oil) or the seeds (kernal oil), the residual EFBs lipids may have different compositions. Thus, this work aimed at characterizing the lignocellulosic content and the residual lipids in two EFBs from different palm oil producers. The EFBs were classified as Type 1 and Type 2 according to their source. The results showed that Type 1 EFBs had higher lignocellulosic and fatty acid compositions, similar to palm and kernel oils, while Type 2 EFBs had lower lignocellulosic content and fatty acid composition, similar to palm oil.Los racimos de fruta vacíos (EFBs, por sus siglas en inglés) son un residuo agroindustrial que se desecha cuando se extraen las frutas frescas de palma para extraer el aceite. Los EFBs abundan en los países productores de aceite de palma, lo que genera problemas ambientales. Además de su contenido lignocelulósicos, EFBs también contiene una cantidad de lípidos residuales del proceso de separación. Debido a que la fruta de la palma tiene dos tipos principales de aceite, los de la pulpa (aceite de palma) o de las semillas (aceite de grano), los lípidos residuales de EFBs pueden tener diferentes composiciones. Por lo tanto, este trabajo tuvo como objetivo caracterizar el contenido lignocelulósico y los lípidos residuales en EFBs de diferentes productores de aceite de palma. Los EFBs se clasificaron como Tipo 1 y Tipo 2 según su fuente. Los resultados mostraron que el EFBs tipo 1 tenía una mayor composición lignocelulósica y de ácidos grasos similar a los aceites de palma y de grano, mientras que el EFBs tipo 2 tenía un contenido lignocelulósico inferior y una composición de ácidos grasos similar al aceite de palma

Remarkable enhancement in crystalline perfection, second harmonic generation efficiency, optical transparency, and laser damage threshold in potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals by L-threonine doping

Effect of L-threonine (LT) doping on crystalline perfection, second harmonic generation (SHG) efficiency, optical transparency, and laser damage threshold (LDT) in potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) crystals grown by slow evaporation solution technique (SEST) has been investigated. The influence of doping on growth rate and morphology of the grown crystals has also been studied. Powder x-ray diffraction data confirms the crystal structure of KDP and shows a systematic variation in intensity of diffraction peaks in correlation with morphology due to varying LT concentration. No extra phase formation was observed which is further confirmed by Fourier transform Raman (FT-Raman) studies. High-resolution x-ray diffraction curves indicate that crystalline perfection has been improved to a great extent at low concentrations with a maximum perfection at 1 mol % doping. At higher concentrations (5 to 10 mol %), it is slightly reduced due to excess incorporation of dopants at the interstitial sites of the crystalline matrix. LDT has been increased considerably with increase in doping concentration, whereas SHG efficiency was found to be maximum at 1 mol % in correlation with crystalline. The optical transparency for doped crystals has been increased as compared to that of pure KDP with a maximum value at 1 mol % doping

Magnetic resonance imaging correlates of first-episode psychosis in young adult male patients: combined analysis of grey and white matter.

Background: Several patterns of grey and white matter changes have been separately described in young adults with first-episode psychosis. Concomitant investigation of grey and white matter densities in patients with first-episode psychosis without other psychiatric comorbidities that include all relevant imaging markers could provide clues to the neurodevelopmental hypothesis in schizophrenia. Methods: We recruited patients with first-episode psychosis diagnosed according to the DSM-IV-TR and matched controls. All participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis and mean diffusivity voxel-based analysis (VBA) were used for grey matter data. Fractional anisotropy and axial, radial and mean diffusivity were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for white matter data. Results: We included 15 patients and 16 controls. The mean diffusivity VBA showed significantly greater mean diffusivity in the first-episode psychosis than in the control group in the lingual gyrus bilaterally, the occipital fusiform gyrus bilaterally, the right lateral occipital gyrus and the right inferior temporal gyrus. Moreover, the TBSS analysis revealed a lower fractional anisotropy in the first-episode psychosis than in the control group in the genu of the corpus callosum, minor forceps, corticospinal tract, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, left middle cerebellar peduncle, left inferior longitudinal fasciculus and the posterior part of the fronto-occipital fasciculus. This analysis also revealed greater radial diffusivity in the first-episode psychosis than in the control group in the right corticospinal tract, right superior longitudinal fasciculus and left middle cerebellar peduncle. Limitations: The modest sample size and the absence of women in our series could limit the impact of our results. Conclusion: Our results highlight the structural vulnerability of grey matter in posterior areas of the brain among young adult male patients with first-episode psychosis. Moreover, the concomitant greater radial diffusivity within several regions already revealed by the fractional anisotropy analysis supports the idea of a late myelination in patients with first-episode psychosis