Gender conflict amongst adolescents at the Rossburgh High School, Durban.

Thesis (M.Cur.)-University of Natal, 2000.In 1998 the Faculty of Community and Development Disciplines (CADD) embarked on a project to prevent and reduce crime involving school children. A needs assessment was conducted in the three schools where the project was to have its main focus. One of the problems that came out of the Rossburgh High School was the conflict that appeared to exist between male and female learners at the school. Male learners were observed to 'bully' their female counterparts. Given the high statistic of violence against women in South Africa, this seemingly 'small' problem could have relevance later on in the lives of these adolescents. In order to intervene successfully it was first necessary to understand the problem that existed. By means of focus groups male and female adolescents provided information around the phenomenon. From data obtained, it appeared that fighting was predominantly due to boyfriend/girlfriend relationships. The problem was explored in depth and recommendations were made with regards to intervention programmes and future research

Determination of Aggregate Elastic Properties of Powder-Beds in Additive Manufacturing Using Convolutional Neural Networks

The most popular strategy for the estimation of effective elastic properties of powder-beds in Additively Manufactured structures (AM structures) is through either the Finite Element Method (FEM) or the Discrete Element Method (DEM). Both of these techniques, however, are computationally expensive for practical applications. This paper presents a novel Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) regression approach to estimate the effective elastic properties of powder-beds in AM structures. In this approach, the time-consuming DEM is used for CNN training purposes and not at run time. The DEM is used to model the interactions of powder particles and to evaluate the macro-level continuum-mechanical state variables (volume average of stress and strain). For the Neural Network training purposes, the DEM code creates a dataset, including hundreds of AM structures with their corresponding mechanical properties. The approach utilizes methods from deep learning to train a CNN capable of reducing the computational time needed to predict the effective elastic properties of the aggregate. The saving in computational time could reach 99.9995% compared to DEM, and on average, the difference in predicted effective elastic properties between the DEM code and trained CNN is less than 4%. The resulting sub-second level computational time can be considered as a step towards the development of a near real-time process control system capable of predicting the effective elastic properties of the aggregate at any given stage of the manufacturing process

Induction of phenolics in black cherry in response to herbivory: does it occur and, if so, does it matter?

All plants contain secondary compounds that can be used for chemical defense. Some of these compounds, such as phenolics, can induce in response to damage while others remain at constitutive levels in the plant. Phenolic content in leaves of Prunus serotina, black cherry, was assayed using the Folin-Denis technique to determine if induction occurs in response to mechanical damage both above and below the damaged leaf. Leaves from the next closest and a distant shoot were also assayed to examine if induction was localized or systemic. We found no evidence for induction in P. serotina. Malacosoma americanum, eastern tent caterpillar, the specialist feeder on P. serotina, was used to study the interaction of a host plant and its primary herbivore. M. americanum were fed leaves from trees of different damage levels to study the effects of damage level on larval performance. The feeding trial showed that P. serotina tree damage had no effect on M. americanum larval performance. Induction may be favored against a generalist feeder over a specialist herbivore because of the intricate relationship between a specialist feeder and its host plant.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/54887/1/3328.pd

Physics Simulation of Material Flows: Effects on the Performance of a Production System

In cyber-physical production systems, material flows show complexity due to varying physical aspects of transported work pieces and autonomously selected transport routes. As a result, physically induced disturbances that may lead to delays or damages are hard to predict. The on-line usage of a physics engine offers potential to derive material flow parameters that enable safe transports with optimized accelerations. Previous work showed the feasibility of this approach and potential operational benefits through faster material flows. In consequence, the scope of this paper is to apply discrete-event simulation to investigate whether physics simulation of material flows leads to positive impacts on production system performance indicators such as throughput times and capacity utilization. The results indicate that increased velocity and acceleration of material flows can positively influence these indicators. In consequence, applying physics simulation to ensure safe transports with such high velocities and accelerations can improve the overall performance of a production system

Midwives' perceptions of being 'with woman': A phenomenological study

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Being 'with woman' is a central construct of the midwifery profession however, minimal research has been undertaken to explore the phenomenon from the perspective of midwives. The aim of this study was to describe Western Australian midwives' perceptions of the phenomenon of being 'with woman' during the intrapartum period. Methods: Descriptive phenomenology was selected as the methodology for this study. Thirty one midwives working across a variety of care models participated in individual interviews. Giorgi's four stage phenomenological approach was employed to analyse data. Results: Three themes were extracted 1) Essential to professional identity; 2) Partnership with women; and 3) Woman-Centred Practice. Midwives described the importance of being 'with woman' to the work and identification of midwifery practice. Developing a connection with the woman and providing woman-centred care inclusive of the woman's support people was highlighted. Conclusions: For the first time, we are able to offer evidence of how midwives understand and perceive the phenomenon of being 'with woman' which has theoretical and practical utility. Findings from this study provide evidence that supports expert commentary and confirms that midwives conceptualise the phenomenon of being 'with woman' as essential to the identity and practice of the profession. Some previously identified 'good midwifery practices' were revealed as practical manifestations of the phenomenon. This new knowledge facilitates clarity and provides evidence to support statements of professional identity, which is useful for the development of educational curricula as well as supporting graduate and professional midwives. The findings emphasise the importance of the development of language around this important philosophical construct which permeates midwifery practice, enhances professional agency and supports the continued emphasis of being 'with woman' with new understanding of its applied practices in a variety of care models

The woman, partner and midwife: An integration of three perspectives of labour when intrapartum transfer from a birth centre to a tertiary obstetric unit occurs

Background: When transfer in labour takes place from a birth centre to a tertiary maternity hospital the woman, her partner and the midwife (the triad) are involved, representing three different perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore the integration of these intrapartum transfer experiences for the birth triad. Methods: Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological method of analysis was used to explore the 'lived' experiences of Western Australian women, their partners and midwives across the birth journey. Forty-five interviews were conducted. Findings: Findings revealed that experiences of intrapartum transfer were unique to each member of the triad (woman, partner and midwife) and yet there were also shared experiences. All three had three themes in common: 'The same journey through three different lenses'; 'In my own world' and 'Talking about the birth'. The woman and partner shared two themes: 'Lost birth dream' and 'Grateful to return to a familiar environment'. The woman and midwife both had: 'Gratitude for continuity of care model' and the partner and midwife both found they were: 'Struggling to adapt to a changing care model' and their 'Inside knowledge was not appreciated'. Conclusion: Insight into the unique integrated experiences during a birth centre intrapartum transfer can inform midwives, empowering them to better support parents through antenatal education before and by offering discussion about the birth and transfer after. Translation of findings to practice also reinforces how midwives can support their colleagues by recognising the accompanying midwife's role and knowledge of the woman

FOCUS ON NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIERS AND MONOOLEIN AQUEOUS DISPERSIONS

Nowadays, everyone feels the impact of nanotechnology in his life. There is a trend that urges people to revisit many research areas with a nano-view, in order to understand how the same thing can work at nano- level. This phenomenon is revolutionizing pharmaceutical sciences and many drugs are being reformulated for possibilities of delivering as a nanosystem. In recent years, a particular attention has been focused on new generations of lipid nanoparticles such as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC), a second generation of solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), and monoolein aqueous dispersions (MAD), derived from the mesophases originated from the system monoolein/water/poloxamer. In this thesis different NLC, SLN or MAD formulations were developed as drug delivery systems specifically for antiparkinson or antimycotic drugs, in order to prolong their action and reduce the side effects. Bromocriptine (BC), new synthetized L-DOPA derivatives (Der-A, Der-B, Der-C and Der-D) or Clotrimazole (CLO) have been alternatively chosen as model drugs. Physical and chemical characterizations have been performed on the obtained formulations. In vitro and in vivo studies permitted to obtain release kinetics and evaluate the effectiveness of nanoparticulate systems. BC containing NLC and MAD showed high entrapment efficiency and X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that the presence of BC did not affect the scattering profile. In this case, different in vitro experimental approaches were evaluated, showing that the in vitro release of poorly water soluble drugs (as BC) is more affected by the composition of the receiving phase (i.e. in term of presence of water miscible polar organic solvents) rather than by the experi modality adopted for the in vitro determinations. In vivo studies demonstrated that only BC-NLC were able to markedly attenuate motor deficit in 6-OHDA hemilesioned rats, suggesting that NLC represent a more effective carrier to prolong the half-life of BC in vivo. All L-DOPA derivatives were successfully incorporated in NLC. The produced formulations resulted homogeneous in terms of size and remain stable until two months from the preparation. Morphological characterization highlighted that no substantial difference characterized empty and derivatives containing NLC. In vitro kinetics release highlighted that NLC were able to release the contained derivatives in a controlled manner and permit to select Der-A for in vivo tests. In vivo tests demonstrated that the Der-A possess antiparkinson activity. The inclusion of Der-A in SLN, performed using three different concentrations of prodrug, showed different entrapment efficiencies depending on the quantity of active employed. Calorimetric test evidenced an effective interaction between lipid phase and the prodrug. In vitro studies demonstrated a controlled release of Der-A from SLN, also thanks to the extension of the half-life of the prodrug. CLO was incorporated both in MAD and in NLC with high recovery. Shelf life stability evidenced that the solid matrix of NLC enabled to control drug degradation better than MAD. In vitro experiments on candida cells demonstrated that CLO-MAD and CLO-NLC exhibit a higher activity than the free drug. The gelification of CLO containing nanoparticles permitted to obtain formulations able to remain on the mucosa surface. Micro calorimetric assays confirmed that poloxamer formulated gels are able to change their structure, with a rapid passage from liquid to solid (crystalline) form at a temperature lower than vaginal temperature, allowing a selective action in the site of application. Finally it is noteworthy that the production of CLO-NLC poloxamer gel is simple and suitable for industry scaling up

Pengaruh beban pokok penjualan dan beban pajak terhadap laba bersih di PT Yang terdaftar di Index Saham Syariah Indonesia (ISSI) : Studi di PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk periode 2012-2021

Penelitian ini mengenai Pengaruh Beban Pokok Penjualan dan Beban Pajak terhadap Laba Bersih pada PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk. Periode 2012-2021. Beban Pokok Penjualan merupakan harga atau nilai barang dagang yang telah dijual oleh perusahaan yang melihat sejauh mana keuntungan ataupun kerugian dari perusahaan. Sedangkan Beban Pajak merupakan jumlah gabungan pajak yang diperhitungkan untuk menentukan laba rugi pada suatu perusahaan. Dan Laba Bersih merupakan keuntungan yang didapat dari jumlah selisih pendapatan dan biaya-biaya yang sudah di kurangi pajak untuk menentukan tingkat kestabilan keuangan suatu perusahaan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui besarnya pengaruh Beban Pokok Penjualan secara Parsial terhadap Laba Bersih pada PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk Periode 2012-2021; untuk mengetahui besarnya pengaruh Beban Pajak secara Parsial terhadap Laba Bersih pada PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk Periode 2012-2021; Untuk mengetahui besarnya pengaruh Beban Pokok Penjualan dan Beban Pajak terhadap Laba Bersih secara Simultan pada PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk Periode 2012-2021. Kerangka pemikiran pada penelitian ini yaitu Beban Pokok Penjualan dan Beban Pajak berpengaruh negatif terhadap Laba Bersih, sebab apabila keduanya dalam perusahaan mengalami kenaikan maka dapat menurunkan tingkat Laba Bersih yang diperoleh, begitupun sebaliknya. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu analisis deskriptif dengan pendekatan kuantitatif. Data yang digunakan yaitu data sekunder rutunan waktu (time series) data yang diambil dari laporan keuangan PT. Indo Acidatama Tbk. Periode 2012-2021. Analisis data yang digunakan analisis deskriptif, analisis uji asumsi klasik (uji normalitas, uji multikolinieritas, uji heteroskedastisitas, uji autokorelasi), analisis uji asosiatif (uji regresi linier, uji korelasi, uji koefisiensi determinasi), dan analisis uji hipotesis (uji t dan uji f). pengolahan data menggunakan SPSS For windows 25.0 dan Microsoft excel 2019 sebagai penunjang dalam pengolahan data. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa secara parsial berpengaruh signifikan antara Beban Pokok Penjualan terhadap Laba Bersih yang dibuktikan oleh hasil uji thitung > ttabel (2,482 > 2,306) dengan besar koefisiensi determinasi 43,5%. Secara parsial tidak berpengaruh signifikan antara Beban Pajak terhadap Laba Bersih yang di buktikan oleh hasil uji thitung > ttabel (1,211 Ftabel (5.017 > 4,74) dengan koefisiensi determinasi sebesar 58,9% pada PT Indo Acidatama Rbk. Periode 2012-2021

Per la lingua del Breve di Villa di Chiesa: gli influssi del sardo

Che il Breve di Villa di Chiesa (l’odierna Iglesias), importante statuto medievale anteriore al 1327,1 non fosse redatto in un pisano ‘schietto’ come ebbe a definirlo Francesco Bonaini,2 si è rivelato più di un sospetto alla luce delle considerazioni linguistiche che hanno consentito di accertare, nell’ambito del mio lavoro di tesi di dottorato,3 la presenza di tratti peculiari estranei al tipo toscano occidentale e riconducibili all’influsso del sardo

Clickstream Data Mining and Market Segmentation

Clickstream data is one of the most important sources of information in websites USAge and customers\u27 behavior in Banks e-services. A number of web USAge mining scenarios are possible depending on the available information. While simple traffic analysis based on clickstream data may easily be performed to improve the e-banks services. The banks need data mining techniques to substantially improve Banks e-services activities. The relationships between data mining techniques and the Web USAge mining are studied. Web structure mining has three types of these types are web USAge structure, mining data streams, and web content. The integration between the Web USAge mining and data mining techniques are presented for processes at different stages, including the pattern discovery phases, and introduces banks cases, that have analytical mining technique. A general framework for fully integrating domain Web USAge mining and data mining techniques are represented for processes at different stages. Data Mining techniques can be very helpful to the banks for better performance, acquiring new customers, fraud detection in real time, providing segment based products, and analysis of the customers purchase patterns over time. And in Market Segmentation The importance of data mining techniques for market segmentation is becoming indispensable in the field of marketing research. This is the first identified academic literature review of the available data mining techniques related to market segmentation. This research paper provides surveys of the available literature on data mining techniques in market segmentation. Eight online journal databases were used for searching, and finally, 103 articles were selected and categorized into 13 groups based on data mining techniques. The utility of data mining techniques and suggestions are also discussed. The findings of this study show that neural networks is the most used method, and kernel-based method is the most promising data mining techniques. Our research work provides a comprehensive understanding of past, present as well as future research trend on data mining techniques in market segmentation