Acoustic emission signals resulting from the drying induced fractures of Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo, Evidence of scale free phenomena

I have performed experimental measurements of acoustic emission signals resulting from the drying process of Phyllostachys Pubescens bamboo. The emphasis was on identifying individual events, and characterize them according to their time span and energy release. My results show a histogram of experimental squared voltage distributions nicely fit into a power law with exponent of $-1.16$, reminiscent of scale free phenomena. I have also calculated the average signal shape, for different time spans of the system, and found an asymmetrical form. The experimental evidence points to the system having an isolated large crack at the beginning of the simulation.Comment: 9 Figures, 9 page

The State of Organic Coffee: 2007 US Update

In 2006 imports of Organic coffee from most origins showed a considerable increase – likely the greatest of the decade so far - while premiums declined only slightly from healthy 2005 levels. Double and even triple certified coffees are becoming more common as other certified coffees also showed strong growth. Projections for 2007 indicate continued growth – likely into double digits – but much more moderate than in 2006. Having realistic data and trends is important for both coffee farmers and policymakers in producing countries to help determine their strategies and investments. Although the US is the world's single largest market for Organic coffees, there is no formal tracking of organic imports. This annual survey is conducted independently with the cooperation of nearly all of the industry’s significant importers and is provided as a public service (at no cost) for developing country producers

Research Summary No. 73

This publication is mostly about electricity in Alaska: how it’s generated, how much fuel is used to produce it, how fuel sources have shifted over time, and how prices vary. An inside foldout map shows how individual communities throughout the state generate electricity. But besides looking in detail at electricity, it also reports more broadly on energy in Alaska. It includes our estimates of all the types of energy produced and consumed in Alaska, and summarizes changes over time in the prices and amounts of energy Alaskans use

All-Alaska Rate Electric Power Pricing Structure

Economists at the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage were asked to research the potential options and impacts of establishing an All-Alaska Rate as an alternative to the current Power Cost Equalization (PCE) program funding formula. We were asked to provide a history of the PCE program and information on electricity rates and patterns of consumption across regions of Alaska. This report provides the results of this analysis. Alaska is unique in many ways, including its consumption and pricing of electricity. There are large regional differences in consumption and prices that result from proximity to different types and quantities of resources. Differences in remoteness and population size also influence costs. Urban areas in the southern Railbelt benefit from larger economies of scale and access to natural gas and hydroelectric resources; the majority of hydroelectric facilities are located in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. Most communities in rural Alaska depend on volatile and high price fossil fuels for the generation of electricity. The Alaska statewide weighted average residential rate for electricity (17.6 cents per kilowatt (kWh) in CY2011) is higher than the U.S. average of 11.8 cents per kWh (U.S. EIA, 2012). Alaska now trails behind Hawaii (34.5 cents), New York (18.4 cents) and Connecticut (18.1 cents) based on ranking of average residential price per kWh. Hidden in the Alaska statewide average is considerable variation with some communities paying less than the national average and some paying considerably more.Senate Finance Committee, Alaska State Legislature.Executive Summary / Introduction / Review of Current Residential Consumption and Price of Electricity / Power Cost Equalization History / Electricity Rates and Levels of Consumption / Customer responsiveness to price changes / All-Alaska Rate / References / Appendix A. Price elasticity of demand in PCE communities / Appendix B. PCE funding levels per year / Appendix C. PCe appropriations and disbursements over time / Appendix D. Communities/Locations in the Railbeld region / Appendix E. Residential and effective rates of PCE communities, 2001-2010 / Appendix F. Effective residential rates and consumption of electricity in PCE communities, 2008-2010 / Appendix G. PCE communities characteristics of importance as factors of electricity production and deman

Alaska Fuel Price Projections 2014-2040

The Alaska Fuel Price Projections are developed annually for the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) for the purpose of estimating the potential costs and benefits of renewable energy projects. Project developers submit applications to AEA for grants awarded under the Alaska Renewable Energy Fund (REF) program. These fuel price projections are used to evaluate the economic feasibility of project applications; economic feasibility is only one of many factors of the project evaluation process. Economists at the Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER), University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) have completed seven previous Alaska Fuel Price Projections since 2008 (all available at: http://www.iser.uaa.alaska.edu/). In this report we present the methodology for the most recent fuel prices projection. In addition to their use for the REF review, ISER researchers use the projections for other economic research and energy project evaluations. The fuel price projections also fulfill an important need for price information and are used by many stakeholders in addition to AEA. As a result of their broad use among the public, we expanded what used to be cursory notes on methodology. Our intent is to provide more detailed information to the report’s readers and users of the fuel price projections.Alaska Energy AuthorityBackground / Projection vs. Forecast / Data Sources / Projections / References / Appendix A. Projection methodolog

Transcultural adaptation of the who oral health questionnaire and its validation in chilean children

Indexación: Scopus.Introduction: The last edition of the WHO "Oral Health Questionnaire for Children" was published in 2013. This is an only-English version, and as such it requires linguistic adaptation and validation to be applied in the Chilean population. Objectives: To translate and adapt the WHO Oral Health Questionnaire for Children to Spanish and validate it in a Chilean population. Methods: A translation and back translation of the original instrument from English to Spanish was carried out by four translators. The questionnaire was self-reported as a pilot test in ten individuals. A sample was subsequently selected for convenience taking into account the population distribution, resulting in a final sample of 103 individuals. The internal consistency was calculated with Cronbach's alpha, criterion validity with Pearson's correlation coefficient and construct validity with Exploratory Factor Analysis. Results: A conceptual and semantic equivalence of the instrument was obtained. Women and men accounted for 43.69% and 56.31% of the sample, respectively. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.62, while criterion validity was slightly positive between the total dimensions and the DMFT (r=0.13, p-value= 0.20). The Exploratory Factor Analysis yielded a total of 11 factors that explain 70% of the variability in the data. Conclusions: The oral health questionnaire has been appropriately adapted to Spanish, having conceptual as well as semantic equivalence to the original version, being reliable and valid to be used in a population of 12-year-old Chilean children. © 2018, Universidad de Concepcion. All rights reserved.http://joralres.com/index.php/JOR/article/view/432/43

Components of Alaska Fuel Costs: An Analysis of the Market Factors and Characteristics that Influence Rural Fuel Prices

Many Alaskans face extremely high, volatile fuel prices. Little is publicly known about the actual structure of Alaska’s rural fuel markets and what drives prices at the community level. The Alaska State Senate Finance Committee asked economists at the University of Alaska Anchorage, Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER) to investigate rural Alaska fuel markets and identify policy options that could be considered for legislative action to reduce fuel prices. This study is both an update and an evolution of previous ISER Components of Fuel Costs studies.1 It does not include road-accessible communities.Alaska State Legislature Senate Finance CommitteeAcknowledgements / Executive Summary / Introduction / Western Alaska Fuel Market / Ice Free Coastal Alaska Fuel Market / Community Fuel Survey Results / Policy Options / References / Glossary of Terms / Appendix A. Results of Community Fuel Price Survey January 201