1,026 research outputs found
Crossflow vorticity sensor
A crossflow vorticity sensor for the detection of crossflow vorticity characteristics is described. The sensor is comprised of crossflow sensors which are noninvasively adhered to a swept wing laminar surface either singularly, in multi-element strips, in polar patterns, or in orthogonal patterns. These crossflow sensors are comprised of hot-film sensor elements which operate as a constant temperature anemometer circuit to detect heat transfer rate changes. Accordingly, crossflow vorticity characteristics are determined via cross-correlation. In addition, the crossflow sensors have a thickness which does not exceed a maximum value h in order to avoid contamination of downstream crossflow sensors
Information Use by PhD Students in Agriculture and Biology: A Dissertation Citation Analysis
This article reports the findings of a study conducted to examine the types of information used by graduate students in the fields of biological and agricultural sciences at Iowa State University (ISU). The citations of doctoral dissertations submitted in nine agriculture and biological science subject fields (crop production and physiology; molecular, cellular, and developmental biology; entomology; genetics; microbiology; plant breeding; plant pathology; plant physiology; and soil science) at ISU from 1997–2006 were analyzed. The article discusses the types and ages of resources cited in the different subject fields studied. The most cited journals in each discipline were identified, and the journal title dispersion was examined
Does Jewish Philanthropy Differ by Sex and Type of Giving?
Little has been written on the role of gender in Jewish philanthropy,
and there is even less empirical research on gender differences between
Jewish men and women, or between Jews and non-Jews by gender. This
study examines Jewish philanthropy by type of giving and gender. Specifically,
we examine the differing amounts given to charity (both religious
and secular) across eight groups, controlling for other factors that
may affect philanthropic giving. These included four groups of married
couples: those consisting of two Jewish spouses, of a Jewish man and a
non-Jewish woman, of a non-Jewish man and a Jewish woman, and of
two non-Jewish spouses; and four groups of singles: Jewish men, Jewish
women, non-Jewish men and non-Jewish women. Using three waves of
data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we used regression
methods to examine the differences among the groups. Results
indicated that the probability of giving and the amount given among
Jewish women married to non-Jewish men are significantly less than
among all other groups
Universality, family allowance and the closing federal door.
The historical development of federal activity in the income security system up to the early 1990s is examined in this thesis. The main argument of this thesis is that the federal government has slowly undermined the dominance of the welfare state by eroding the concept of social rights that is fundamental principle of the Canadian welfare state. The attack on the family allowance program by both the Trudeau government, from 1973 to 1978, and the Mulroney government, from 1984 to 1992, serves as the primary example of this circumstance. The influence of neo-conservatism is believed to have shaped the direction of the social welfare policy reform, which has resulted in an ideological shift of the liberal interpretation of the purpose of the Canadian welfare state.Dept. of History, Philosophy, and Political Science. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1995 .M66. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 34-06, page: 2227. Adviser: Joan Boase. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1995
Gender differences in charitable giving
This paper examines the mechanisms for giving by investigating the psychological and values differences between men and women’s motivations for giving. We explored two of the eight mechanisms for giving developed by Bekkers and Wiepking as a framework for why people give—principle of care and empathic concern. Are there differences in these motives for giving by gender, and can these differences in values and the psychological benefits that people receive when making donations explain gender
differences in charitable giving? Are women more likely to give and give more than men because of their higher levels of empathic concern and principle of care? We used two US national data sets to test our hypotheses. Our results for both data sets indicate significant differences in motives by gender, as well as differences in the probability of giving and amount given by gender, even after controlling for empathic concern and principle of care measures. Our findings are discussed in terms of the importance
of viewing charitable giving through a gender lens as well as practical implications for practitioners
Unidimensional Vertical Scaling of Mixed Format Tests in the Presence of Item Format Effect
The purpose of this study was to contribute to the existing body of evidence on vertically scaling mixed format tests by examining the impact of item format effect in conjunction with specific configurations of common item sets on two of the most popular calibration methods under test specification and scaling scenarios likely to exist in practice. In addition to advice for practical application provided by the investigation, this study also explored the impact of explicitly modeling the vertical scale factor when simulating data compared to a traditional model for in which the underlying vertical scale is implied.
Using a CINEG data collection design, six grade level tests, consisting of 61 items, were created with a 9:1 ratio of multiple-choice to constructed-response items and two different sets of 14 mixed format items designated as common items. Ability distributions for 2000 students per grade level were generated with the mean ability for successive grade levels increasing at varying increments to simulate grade level separation along with four covariance structures that reflected varying degrees of correlation to simulate item format effects.
Under a 3PL-GRM model combination, expected scores were calculated with recovery of expected score used as evaluation criteria. Ability and item parameters were estimated using the MLE proficiency estimator in MULTILOG and transformation constants were calculated in STUIRT using the Stocking-Lord linking method. The performance of separate and pairwise concurrent calibration was then examined by calculating average BIAS and average RMSE values across 100 replications.
While the results of the study provided evidence that item format effects, vertical scaling method, and separation between grade levels significantly impacted the vertical scales, influence of these variables was often in combination with one another. The major findings were (1) pairwise concurrent calibration holistically performed better compared to separate calibration; (2) moderate to large item format effects were more likely to bias resultant vertical scales; (3) a large separation between grade levels resulted in a more biased vertical scale; and (4) explicitly modeling the vertical scaling factor during data generation influenced mean RMSE values more significantly than mean BIAS values
CHIRON - A Fiber Fed Spectrometer for Precise Radial Velocities
The CHIRON optical high-resolution echelle spectrometer was commissioned at
the 1.5m telescope at CTIO in 2011. The instrument was designed for high
throughput and stability, with the goal of monitoring radial velocities of
bright stars with high precision and high cadence for the discovery of low-mass
exoplanets. Spectral resolution of R=79,000 is attained when using a slicer
with a total (including telescope and detector) efficiency of 6% or higher,
while a resolution of R=136,000 is available for bright stars. A fixed spectral
range of 415 to 880 nm is covered. The echelle grating is housed in a vacuum
enclosure and the instrument temperature is stabilized to +-0.2deg. Stable
illumination is provided by an octagonal multimode fiber with excellent
light-scrambling properties. An iodine cell is used for wavelength calibration.
We describe the main optics, fiber feed, detector, exposure-meter, and other
aspects of the instrument, as well as the observing procedure and data
reduction.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. Accepted by PAS
Improving the installation of renewable heating technology in UK social housing properties through user centred design
Social housing organisations are increasingly installing renewable energy technologies, particularly for
the provision of heating and hot water. To meet carbon reduction targets, uptake and installation must
allow occupants to use the technology effectively. This paper describes research which investigated the
service of installing heat pumps into UK social housing properties, from both landlords’ and tenants’
experiences. Adopting a user centred design approach, the research was in three phases: an exploration
study to investigate landlords’ and tenants’ experiences of heat pump installation and use; refinement
and development of the requirements for improved service delivery, primarily technology introduction
and control; and the development and initial evaluation of an information leaflet as a key touchpoint in
the service delivery. Recommendations for improved service delivery, to enable heat pumps to be
accepted and used more effectively, are presented, as well as reflection on the process of applying
user centred design in this context. In a relatively immature area of industry, installations to date
have been heavily focused on technical aspects. This paper provides an insight into the human aspects
of the service delivery of heat pumps in social housing, providing designers and social housing landlords
with insight about how to improve the service
Human Papillomavirus Typing in HIV-Positive Women
Objective: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the major cause of cervical carcinoma and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia worldwide. Certain HPV types have a strong association with and probably a causative role in the pathogenesis of premalignant cervical lesions. Epidemiologic studies in women infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have shown an increased incidence of squamous intraepithelial lesions (SILs), whichwere predominantly high-grade. Six to 30 per cent of women diagnosed with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) on a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear harbor SIL in normal screening populations. This study was undertaken to determine the presence of low- and high-risk HPV types in women infected by HIV and to correlate the results to those of the Pap smear. Study design: HPV DNA typing (low- and high-risk) by Digene™ (Digene Corporation, Gathesburg, MD) hybrid capture methodology was performed on cervical swabs from 209 HIV-positive women. The results of HPV typing were correlated with those of the Pap smear in a retrospective analysis. Results: One hundred and one women (48%) tested positive for HPV subtypes by DNA typing by the hybrid capture method. Of these, 64 patients (63%) had Pap smears whichwere read as being normal, having benign cellular changes, or having ASCUS (favor reactive process). Of these, 19 patients tested positive for both high-risk and low-risk subtypes, 32 patients tested positive only for high-risk subtypes, and 13 patients tested positive only for low-risk subtypes. Conclusion: HPV subtyping identifies a significant group of HIV-positive women who are at risk for developing cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, although they may not show significant abnormalities on their Pap smears
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