Adult attachment styles, children\u27s self-competence, and children\u27s cognitive ability: an ecological study

This study investigated children\u27s perceived self-competence and its relationship to the social antecedent of adult attachment and the outcome of children\u27s cognitive ability. Utilizing a predominantly African American sample, 154 mothers, 80 fathers and 205 children were included in this cross-sectional study of second and fourth grade children. Regression analyses indicated that the exploratory relationship between adult attachment as a predictor of children\u27s self-competence was upheld with both second and fourth grade children of participating mothers and fathers. More specifically, maternal attachment was a significant predictor of second grade children\u27s perceived physical competence, social acceptance, and maternal acceptance. Maternal attachment was a significant predictor of fourth grade children\u27s perceived social acceptance. Paternal attachment was a significant predictor of fourth grade children\u27s perceived athletic competence. Regression analyses also indicated that second and fourth grade children\u27s perceived self-competence was a significant predictor of cognitive ability as measured by a standardized test of cognitive ability. In addition, fourth grade children\u27s perceived cognitive competence was a significant positive predictor of cognitive ability while perceived social acceptance was a significant negative predictor of cognitive ability. This exploratory study found relationships between adult attachment and children\u27s perceived self-competence in middle childhood. Further research is necessary to investigate whether these relationships are upheld over time and with larger and more diverse samples

Structural and Mechanical Properties of Hot Rolled CuAlBe Non-Spark Alloy Explosion

Explosion protection is of particular importance for safety as explosions also endanger the health of workers due to the uncontrolled effects of flames and pressure, the presence of harmful reaction products and the consumption of oxygen in the ambient air breathed by workers. CuAlBe alloy is proposed as a solution for mechanical actuators such as gears that work in environments with possible explosive atmosphere. Made of CuBe master alloy and pure aluminum in a induction furnace the material present large grains in melted state. After the hot rolling (heated 600s at 900°C) of the ingots small variation of chemical composition was observed based on the oxidation of the material, appearance of small cracks on the edges and a preferential orientation of the grains along the lamination direction. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the microstructural states of CuAlBe as laminated and heat treated states

Rebuilding the Arab Economies: New Regional and Global Strategies

The Arab countries are facing one of their most difficult periods of the modern history. The popular uprisings which broke out at the beginning of 2011 in Tunisia and then spread to Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain and Syria, reflect profound economic and social hardships, but also major uncertainties regarding the political perspectives of these countries. The political transition carried out by several Arab countries could represent an incentive for profound economic reorganization and structural change all over the region. The aim of this paper is to assess the structural economic challenges the Arab countries had been confronted with over many decades and to identify possible regional and global strategies for economic development

Experimental investigation of noise characteristics for HVAC silencers

Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems represent a major source of inside buildings noise with a negative effect on the acoustical environment. Therefore, it is necessary to add attenuation to the system. This is provided by sound attenuators or silencers manufactured in different geometrical configurations and with various absorptive lining materials. The paper deals with the insertion loss, as a performance criterion for in-duct noise, of some dissipative silencers types. The measured data are compared in order to establish the efficiency of every tested silencer type. Third-octave band analysis of random noise of an air handling unit (AHU) from a HVAC system is realized without and with silencers (ducts fitted). Insertion loss measurements are made in an anechoic room using a test facility that agrees the requirements of ISO 7235:2009. The results highlight the effects of the silencers geometry, pressure-air flow and loading relations upon the sound attenuation level. The silencers selection could be a difficult task for the designers which have to consider all these parameters

Experimental investigation of noise characteristics for HVAC silencers

Heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems represent a major source of inside buildings noise with a negative effect on the acoustical environment. Therefore, it is necessary to add attenuation to the system. This is provided by sound attenuators or silencers manufactured in different geometrical configurations and with various absorptive lining materials. The paper deals with the insertion loss, as a performance criterion for in-duct noise, of some dissipative silencers types. The measured data are compared in order to establish the efficiency of every tested silencer type. Third-octave band analysis of random noise of an air handling unit (AHU) from a HVAC system is realized without and with silencers (ducts fitted). Insertion loss measurements are made in an anechoic room using a test facility that agrees the requirements of ISO 7235:2009. The results highlight the effects of the silencers geometry, pressure-air flow and loading relations upon the sound attenuation level. The silencers selection could be a difficult task for the designers which have to consider all these parameters

The European model of development faced with the quaternary sector emergence test

The European Union must identify and internalize the most acute challenges, prepare appropriate solutions to them, capitalize on its strengths, and avoid threats. The strategic philosophy can no longer be just rhetorical but must be found at the level of all European sectoral policies, national macroeconomic policies but also of the programs and projects launched by the actors operating in the business environment. The research is phenomenological in nature, with an emphasis on qualitative issues related to the most relevant paradigm changes at the level of European sectoral policies, national macroeconomic policies, as well as programs and projects launched by actors operating in the business environment. The topic that plays an important role in this research is the one related to the most appropriate structure of a modern economy, the emphasis being placed on the correlations and the causalities between them. The hypotheses from which it was started, the epistemological perspectives taken as the basis, the analytical drivers used, the research methodologies that were called upon but also the variables used took into account the change of the techno-industrial paradigm, the factors that influence the efficiency and sustainability of the new economic development models, the threats but also the opportunities that must be identified and encountered by those who decide at the macro, mezzo and microeconomic levels. The most important transformations that take place at the level of the macroeconomic and business development models were analyzed, updating them and offering some recommendations on how some systemic vulnerabilities can be treated. The paper ends by surprising the way in which Romania is positioned at the level of the switching process from an economy in which the primary and secondary sectors are prevalent to one in which the weight of the tertiary and quaternary sectors increases

Ni-Cr Alloys Assessment for Dental Implants Suitability

The performance of the field and the condition of success in oral implantology today require the review and reevaluation of the means that contribute essentially to ensuring the stability and durability of the implant, starting from the nature of the biomaterial and continuing with the characteristics of the optimally designed biosurface. This paper proposes a comparative analysis of three commercial alloys, VeraBond, Kera N, and VeraSoft, compared to a modified dental alloy, with the aim of improving some mechanical properties. They have been studied structurally and mechanically. The microstructural structure shows that the alloys crystallize in the face-centered cube system, and the cast alloy has a dendritic structure with large grains. XRD diffractograms highlight that alloys exhibit three compounds Cr156.00 Al596.00: 9013031, Ni4.00, and Cr30.00Al48.00. The hardness measurements showed values between 203 HV and 430 HV. As the percentage of silicon increases, the hardness decreases. The modulus of elasticity obtained by the indentation method for the dental alloys was in the range of 46–153 GPa. The results showed that the hardness and elastic modulus of the new alloy was significantly minimized compared to the classical alloys used