PMR polyimides-review and update

Fiber reinforced PMR polyimides are finding increased acceptance as engineering materials for high performance structural applications. Prepreg materials based on this novel class of highly processable, high temperature resistant polyimides are commercially available and the PMR concept is used by other investigators. The current status of first and second generation PMR polyimides were reviewed. Emphasis is given to the chemistry, processing and applications of the first generation material known as PMR-15

Human Papillomavirus Knowledge And Awareness Among North Carolina College Students

The objective of the present study is to ascertain overall knowledge, attitude and awareness of students at select North Carolina Universities about HPV, the HPV vaccine Gardasil and the connection between HPV and various cancers. Five hundred and two university students (NCAT, NCCU, ECU and UNCG), 303 females and 199 males, ages 18 or older (89.6% were between the ages of 18-22) participated in a cross-sectional study by completing a survey. Students at these universities were randomly selected based on their enrollment in introductory biology courses for non majors. Other students were chosen randomly by face to face contact in heavily populated areas on the campuses, such as the cafeterias, computer labs, libraries, and Student Unions. The survey participants were asked questions about their gender, ethnicity, age, classification, hometown, major, sources from which they receive information on sexually transmitted diseases, sexual activity, sexual partners and date of last physical examination. Participants were then asked a series of knowledge and awareness questions about the human papillomavirus. Questions followed to ascertain if participants had been diagnosed with HPV, their awareness of the HPV vaccine Gardasil, and whether or not participants had been vaccinated with the Gardasil vaccine. A knowledge scale from 0-18 was designed to look at the overall knowledge of college students. The mean knowledge score was 8.79. About 65% of the students scored a nine or less. More than half of the students answered 50% of the questions incorrectly showing poor knowledge of HPV. Close to 75% of the population scored a 14 or less representing an unsatisfactorily level of knowledge. The population was divided into thirds by either wanting to be vaccinated, not being interested in receiving the vaccine, or having been vaccinated with the Gardasil Vaccine. The majority of the students who had not been vaccinated with Gardasil reported that it was due to a lack of information on the vaccine and the disease. More emphasis should go towards the development of educational materials that educate young adults on the benefits of the HPV vaccine Gardasil

Inez T. Alston-Eartha White, January 4, 1927

Correspondence: Letter from Mrs. Inez T. Alston, Worthy Grand Matron, Bethlehem Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star, to Miss Eartha M.M. White regarding notification of the meeting of the Executive Board of Federation. (Written on Bethlehem Chapter Order of Eastern Star letterhead). Date: January 3, 1927

The ghost dance religion of 1890 and the Mormons : a study of comparisons

The goal of this study is to examine the historical circumstances and individuals involved in this narrative as a way to critically reflect on the use of comparison in the production, circulation, and perpetuation of knowledge about religion

Research returns redux: a meta-analysis of the returns to agricultural R&D

A total of 294 studies of returns to agricultural R&D (including extension) were compiled and these studies provide 1,858 separate estimates of rates of return. This includes some extreme values, which are implausible. When the highest and lowest 2.5 percent of the rates of return were set aside, the estimated annual rates of return averaged 73 percent overall–88 percent for research only, 45 percent for research and extension, and 79 percent for extension only. But these averages reveal little meaningful information from a large and diverse body of literature, which provides rate-of-return estimates that are often not directly comparable. The purpose of this study was to go behind the averages, and try to account for the sources of differences, in a meta-analysis of the studies of returns to agricultural R&D. The results conform with the theory and prior beliefs in many ways. Several features of the methods used by research evaluators matter, in particular assumptions about lag lengths and the nature of the research-induced supply shift.Rate of return., Agricultural research.,

Splendide Mendax: False Label Claims about High and Rising Alcohol Content of Wine

Many economists and others are interested in the phenomenon of rising alcohol content of wine and its potential causes. Has the alcohol content of wine risen—and if so, by how much, where, and when? What roles have been played by climate change and other environmental factors compared with evolving consumer preferences and expert ratings? In this paper we explore these questions using international evidence, combining time-series data on the alcohol content of wine from a large number of countries that experienced different patterns of climate change and influences of policy and demand shifts. We also examine the relationship between the actual alcohol content of wine and the alcohol content stated on the label. The systematic patterns here suggest that rising alcohol content of wine may be a nuisance by-product of producer responses to perceived market preferences for wines having riper, more-intense flavors, possibly in conjunction with evolving climate.wine grapes, alcohol percentage, climate change, labeling errors, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Marketing,

A meta-analysis of rates of return to agricultural R & D: ex pede Herculem?

IFPRI has long argued that spending on agricultural research constitutes a sound investment in poverty reduction and agricultural and economic growth, through improvements in productivity. This argument is based partly on the reported evidence of high rates of return to agricultural research, typically believed to be in the range of 40–60 percent per year. Yet there continues to be controversy over whether these figures are to be believed, and over what they actually indicate. This study represents the first attempt to take a comprehensive look at all the available evidence on rates of return to investments in agricultural R&D since 1953, and the only attempt to do so in a formal statistical fashion. This report has compiled and documented the literature in ways that make it more accessible and more useful to other researchers and policymakers, as well as others interested in the evidence. The analysis reveals some systematic patterns and some sources of biases that make it easier to interpret the evidence and draw meaningful conclusions. (Excerpted from Summary by Per Pinstrup-Andersen)Development projects Evaluation., Agricultural research, Statistics., Agricultural economics and policies,

Simulation study of pressure and temperature dependence of the negative thermal expansion in Zn(CN)(2)

12 pages, 16 figures12 pages, 16 figures12 pages, 16 figures12 pages, 16 figure

Must naive realists be relationalists?

Relationalism maintains that perceptual experience involves, as part of its nature, a distinctive kind of conscious perceptual relation between a subject of experience and an object of experience. Together with the claim that perceptual experience is presentational, relationalism is widely believed to be a core aspect of the naive realist outlook on perception. This is a mistake. I argue that naive realism about perception can be upheld without a commitment to relationalism

Anti-Kaon Induced Reactions on the Nucleon

Using a previously established effective Lagrangian model we describe anti-kaon induced reactions on the nucleon. The dominantly contributing channels in the cm-energy region from threshold up to 1.72 GeV are included (K N, \pi \Sigma, \pi \Lambda). We solve the Bethe-Salpeter equation in an unitary $K$-matrix approximation.Comment: 21 pages, 13 figures, minor typos corrected, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.