Introduction to total- and partial-pressure measurements in vacuum systems

An introduction to the fundamentals of total and partial pressure measurement in the vacuum regime (760 x 10 to the -16th power Torr) is presented. The instrument most often used in scientific fields requiring vacuum measurement are discussed with special emphasis on ionization type gauges and quadrupole mass spectrometers. Some attention is also given to potential errors in measurement as well as calibration techniques

The midwife factor in obstetric procedures and neonatal outcome

Aims. In the face of major tendency towards midwiferyled-care it was our purpose to investigate the extent of the influence of the midwife on the rates of obstetric procedures and perinatal outcome. Methods. 5384 consecutive deliveries at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. University of Graz, were enrolled in the study. The following data were collected: mode of delivery, pH of umbilical artery, Apgar score. Firstly, data were investigated for interindividual differences and, secondly, for relationship with age of the midwife as a measure of experience. Results. Interindividual differences were significant for episiotomy rates (minimum: 31.6%; maximum 76.9%; p<0.001), forceps rates (minimum: 1.7%; maximum 11.1%;p=0.002) and pH of umbilical arteries (minimum: 7.21:maxinium: 7.28 p=0.001) but not for cesarean section rates and Apgar scores. Linear regression analysis was significant between age of midwives and pH of umbilical arteries (p<0.001: r=0.055) and for one-minute Apgar score (p=0.009; r=0.050) but not for episiotomy rates, cesarean section rates, forceps rates and five-minutes Apgar score. Conclusions. There are large interindividual differences in obstetric intervention rates which cannot be explained by the midwives' age. Provision of health care should be primarily determined by need and not by the personal characteristics of the health care provider, thus interindividual differences should be reduced and more often taken into account when analyzing any kind of data

Phase closure nulling of HD 59717 with AMBER/VLTI . Detection of the close faint companion

Aims: The detection of close and faint companions is an essential step in many astrophysical fields, including the search for planetary companions. A new method called "phase closure nulling" has been proposed for the detection of such faint and close companions based on interferometric observations when the system visibility amplitude is close to zero due to the large diameter of the primary star. We aim at demonstrating this method by analyzing observations obtained on the spectroscopic binary HD 59717. Methods: Using the AMBER/VLTI instrument in the K-band with ~1500 spectral resolution, we record the spectrally dispersed closures phases of the SB1 binary HD 59717 with a three-baseline combination adequate for applying phase closure methods. After a careful data reduction, we fit the primary diameter, the binary flux ratio, and the separation using the phase closure data. Results: We detect the 5-mag fainter companion of HD 59717 at a distance of 4 stellar radii from the primary. We determine the diameter of the primary, infer the secondary's spectral type and determine the masses and sizes of the stars in the binary system. This is one of the highest contrasts detected by interferometry between a companion and its parent star. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, Paranal, Chile, within the commissioning programme 60.A-9054(A)

Report of the Committee on the Foundation Fund

At your last convention you passed a motion and resolution calling upon the Board of Governors to take such action as it seemed best to result either in this Association or a State Bar Foundation owning its own headquarters buildin

Report of the President

I was reading an article in the American Law Review and that article told about the Bar Associations in the United States, that had taken steps to own their own headquarters building, and told about those that had already reached their goal, and had their own home. After I read that article it occurred to me what a wonderful thing it would be, if we here in the State of Washington put up our own home; to not have to go from pillar to post and rent a place and then stay there for a few years and then to move on, and I decided I would just find out what the states had done that adopted such a program and how they had gone about raising money to build their own headquarters building, and I asked our very efficient secretarial force to contact the secretaries and the presidents in all the other states, and let us know just what had been done

NTF model pressure measurements

Pressure measurements on the National Transonic Facility models will be made using electronically scanned pressure instrumentation. The system consists of pressure modules, a pressure calibration standard, and a system controller. The pressure modules, which must be operated above -18 C, will be housed in model-integrated designed thermally controlled containers. The Pathfinder 1 192-channel pressure package is described. Recent and planned developments to reduce the pressure module's volume per channel ratio are discussed, including the 48-channel module and a proposed 32-channel module that would be 2.54 by 2.54 by 8.13 cm. Pressure transducers capable of operating at cryogenic temperatures for dynamic and static pressure measurements are discussed

Shuttle flight pressure instrumentation: Experience and lessons for the future

Flight data obtained from the Space Transportation System orbiter entries are processed and analyzed to assess the accuracy and performance of the Development Flight Instrumentation (DFI) pressure measurement system. Selected pressure measurements are compared with available wind tunnel and computational data and are further used to perform air data analyses using the Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS) computation technique. The results are compared to air data from other sources. These comparisons isolate and demonstrate the effects of the various limitations of the DFI pressure measurement system. The effects of these limitations on orbiter performance analyses are addressed, and instrumentation modifications are recommended to improve the accuracy of similar fight data systems in the future

NASA metrology information system: A NEMS subsystem

the NASA Metrology Information Systems (NMIS) is being developed as a standardized tool in managing the NASA field Center's instrument calibration programs. This system, as defined by the NASA Metrology and Calibration Workshop, will function as a subsystem of the newly developed NASA Equipment Management System (NEMS). The Metrology Information System is designed to utilize and update applicable NEMS data fields for controlled property and to function as a stand alone system for noncontrolled property. The NMIS provides automatic instrument calibration recall control, instrument historical performance data storage and analysis, calibration and repair labor and parts cost data, and instrument user and location data. Nineteen standardized reports were developed to analyze calibration system operations

Comparative analysis of sustainable development environmental indicators between worldwide, Portugal and Brasil and between two universities within these countries

Measuring the environmental performances by indicators is considered as a crucial step to keep track of progress towards sustainability. This study compares trends in environmental sustainability indicators worldwide, Portugal, Brazil and two universities in these countries. The data collection is done based on findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 2007 and 2017, and reports from both universities between 2010 and 2018. As a result, it can be seen that global Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions decreased (10.6 to 9 ton/capita). Portugal also reduced its CO2 till 2014 (5.2 to 4.6 ton/capita) but experienced a raise in its rates in the following years. Brazil experienced a growth in its CO2 (1.7 to 2 ton/capita), as did the Portuguese university (0.85 to 0.87ton/alumnus). World municipal waste decreased (541.8 to 524.4 kg/capita), as well as in Portugal until 2013 (513.7 to 436.7 kg/capita), but in the following years increased. Similarly, Brazil reduced the indexes until 2011 (271.9 to 266.8 kg/capita) and increased in 2012. In the Portuguese university, the rates increased until 2014 (4.02 to 9.02 kg/student) and reduced in 2015, as in the Brazilian university that increased until 2018 (19.53 to 25.08kg/student). Portugal, Brazil, and the two universities pointed out a trend of increasing emissions and waste while the world data a reduction. The Brazilian university had higher municipal waste rates than Portugal. The consumption of water and energy in the Portuguese university decreased while it increased the Brazilian university. Actions have already been undertaken at universities to lower the environmental burden by improving the energy efficiency of buildings through the use of cleaner energy, setting up mobility studies, and campaigns to reduce consumption and cut down waste generation.The authors acknowledge the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior) for its financial support for this study