Advanced concentrator panels

The prototype fabrication of a lightweight, high-quality cellular glass substrate reflective panel for use in an advanced point-focusing solar concentrator was completed. The reflective panel is a gore shaped segment of an 11-m paraboloidal dish. The overall concentrator design and the design of the reflective panels are described. prototype-specific panel design modifications are discussed and the fabrication approach and procedure outlined

PTTI applications at Hydro-Quebec

As a power utility, Hydro-Quebec used the PTTI techniques. The time dissemination system in the Hydro-Quebec Network (11th PTTI) is now installed in several points. A portable clock was built using a rubidium standard and associated circuitry which are necessary for the measurements. The apparatus and the experimental results obtained are described. The use of GOES synchronized clocks for making precise voltage angle measurement on the Hydro-Quebec Network is discussed. Some modifications were made on a commercial unit. Applications and results are presented

The Thane of Glamis Had a Wife

The role of Lady Macbeth frequently appears more significant in dramatic performances than the text warrants. To consider the character of Lady Macbeth at a conference whose emphasis is upon performance should be to attempt to recapture the dramatic traditions of this often performed play. Every production incorporates an interpretation of Lady Macbeth. Many major English and American Shakespearean actresses have essayed the role: Mrs. Betterton, Mrs. Barry, Mrs. Pritchard, Sarah Siddons, Ellen Terry, Fanny Kremble, Charlotte Cushman, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, Judith Anderson, Vivian Leigh. The play was particularly a favorite vehicle for noted husband-and-wife acting teams. Playgoers like Pepys and Hazlitt continue the dramatic records that began with Simon Forman\u27s account of the 1610 performance of Macbeth he saw. Mrs. Siddons and other actresses have left memoirs. The Sargent portraits of Ellen Terry in her role, photographs and recordings of modern productions, reviews and criticisms, prompt books, costumes, and other memorabilia have helped to preserve past stage performances, but unlike the film performances, we can never capture the full nuances of these stage interpretations. The early years are particularly elusive. After eighty years of the Davenant text, Garrick on January 7, 1744, partially restored the folio text to the stage. It is to that full text and its sources that we must ultimately come if we are to comprehend the basis for the character of Lady Macbeth as it has been interpreted in so many different performances. Despite the attempts of L.C. Knights and others to discredit character study, Harry Levin acknowledges in the recent Riverside edition that character remains the central factor in our apprehension of Shakespeare. It is now possible to resist the temptation of character extraction and to accept the limitation of our knowledge of a character like Lady Macbeth to what she says, what she does, and what others in the play say about her

Online Worship and the Autism Community

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many faith communities to move their services online. This may have been a pragmatic decision to adapt to health regulations but it also provided an accessible option for autistic worshipers to participate in their faith community. Although there are some challenges to online worship services, they remain an important option for autistic members of faith communities

Laboratory scale experiments with water surface waves

The thesis presents the development, implementation and results of two series of experiments, at large and small scale, for the study of surface gravity waves. A number of measurement techniques are developed and implemented to capture space and time evolution of waves on a water surface in gravity, gravity-capillary and capillary ranges with the purpose to study the statistics of wave turbulence in terms of frequency and wave number spectra.The first series of experiments was conducted in a large wave tank of size 12 m x 6 m x 1.6 m filled with water to a depth of 0.9 m. A wave maker comprised of eight panels is controlled by a computer to generate waves at typically two frequencies; these waves are directed at different angles. Surface elevation of the resulting turbulent wave field is measured via capacitance wire probes and a fluorescent laser technique that is capable of capturing wave profiles at sufficient frame rate to access both wavenumber and frequency statistics. Following the processing of these data a comprehensive set of results describe characteristics of the life cycle of the experiment including the rise of the wave field to its statistically stationary state and the decay of the regime after energy pumped into the system from the wave maker has ceased.The first series of experiments was conducted in a large wave tank of size 12 m x 6 m x 1.6 m filled with water to a depth of 0.9 m. A wave maker comprised of eight panels is controlled by a computer to generate waves at typically two frequencies; these waves are directed at different angles. Surface elevation of the resulting turbulent wave field is measured via capacitance wire probes and a fluorescent laser technique that is capable of capturing wave profiles at sufficient frame rate to access both wavenumber and frequency statistics. Following the processing of these data a comprehensive set of results describe characteristics of the life cycle of the experiment including the rise of the wave field to its statistically stationary state and the decay of the regime after energy pumped into the system from the wave maker has ceased.Across both series of experiments the implementation of data acquisition techniques forms a significant contribution to the work undertaken and a comprehensive set of tools for measurement and analysis of data from surface waves is developed

DNA methylation-based age prediction and telomere length in white blood cells and cumulus cells of infertile women with normal or poor response to ovarian stimulation.

An algorithm assessing the methylation levels of 353 informative CpG sites in the human genome permits accurate prediction of the chronologic age of a subject. Interestingly, when there is discrepancy between the predicted age and chronologic age (age acceleration or AgeAccel ), patients are at risk for morbidity and mortality. Identification of infertile patients at risk for accelerated reproductive senescence may permit preventative action. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of the epigenetic clock concept in reproductive age women undergoing fertility treatment by applying the age prediction algorithm in peripheral (white blood cells [WBCs]) and follicular somatic cells (cumulus cells [CCs]), and to identify whether women with premature reproductive aging (diminished ovarian reserve) were at risk of AgeAccel in their age prediction. Results indicated that the epigenetic algorithm accurately predicts age when applied to WBCs but not to CCs. The age prediction of CCs was substantially younger than chronologic age regardless of the patient\u27s age or response to stimulation. In addition, telomeres of CCs were significantly longer than that of WBCs. Our findings suggest that CCs do not demonstrate changes in methylome-predicted age or telomere-length in association with increasing female age or ovarian response to stimulation

Study on the neuronal circuits implicated in postural tremor and hypokinesia

The effect of various tegmentary lesions at the level of the pontomesenchphalon in monkeys on motor function was observed. The importance of the monoaminergic mechanisms of the brainstem is discussed. The results also show the importance of the descending tegmentary rubral system and the rubroolivocerebellar circuit in controlling peripheral motor activity. The destruction of the sensory motor cortex proves to be a more effective way of eliminating spontaneous or harmaline induced tremor than the complete interruption of the pyramidal system on the level of the cerebral peduncle

Identifying A Profile Of Key Competencies For Financial Planners

In order to provide quality professional education programs to advance knowledge, skills and competencies of individuals in the financial services industry and in continuing education courses, there is a need to identify a professional’s key competencies profile. In recent years, many financial planning associations worldwide have become interested in establishing competency-based requirements for certifying professionals and have adopted competency-based approaches for continuing education. The purpose of this paper is to identify a profile of key competencies for financial planners.  The empirical study is carried out through a stratified survey of financial planners within insurance companies, commercial banks, consulting firms, credit unions, security dealers and brokers, trusts and independent professionals.  More than individual knowledge or skills, this research views professional competence as result-oriented, expressing an optimal mobilization and use of resources available in the multidisciplinary areas of financial planning, according to professional standards and in harmony with best practices to achieve customer satisfaction. The research design presents an innovative conceptual framework which facilitates the identification of a profile of key competencies for financial planners. Findings enable an advance in knowledge, both at an academic and a professional level, by identifying a profile of twelve specific dimensions of key competencies for financial planners within the financial services industry