Pigment analysis by Raman microscopy and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) of thirteenth to fourteenth century illuminations and cuttings from Bologna

Non-destructive pigment analysis by Raman microscopy (RM) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) has been carried out on some Bolognese illuminations and cuttings chosen to represent the beginnings, evolution and height of Bolognese illuminated manuscript production. Dating to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries and held in a private collection, the study provides evidence for the pigments generally used in this period. The results, which are compared with those obtained for other north Italian artwork, show the developments in usage of artistic materials and technique. Also addressed in this study is an examination of the respective roles of RM and pXRF analysis in this area of technical art history

Analysis of fluid/mechanical systems using EASY5

This paper illustrates how the use of a general analysis package can simplify modeling and analyzing fluid/mechanical systems. One such package is EASY5, a Boeing Computer Services product. The basic transmission line equations for modeling piped fluid systems are presented, as well as methods of incorporating these equations into the EASY5 environment. The paper describes how this analysis tool has been used to model several fluid subsystems of the Space Shuttle Orbiter

Acoustic modes in fluid networks

Pressure and flow rate eigenvalue problems for one-dimensional flow of a fluid in a network of pipes are derived from the familiar transmission line equations. These equations are linearized by assuming small velocity and pressure oscillations about mean flow conditions. It is shown that the flow rate eigenvalues are the same as the pressure eigenvalues and the relationship between line pressure modes and flow rate modes is established. A volume at the end of each branch is employed which allows any combination of boundary conditions, from open to closed, to be used. The Jacobi iterative method is used to compute undamped natural frequencies and associated pressure/flow modes. Several numerical examples are presented which include acoustic modes for the Helium Supply System of the Space Shuttle Orbiter Main Propulsion System. It should be noted that the method presented herein can be applied to any one-dimensional acoustic system involving an arbitrary number of branches

A COMPARISON OF HYPOTHETICAL PHONE AND MAIL CONTINGENT VALUATION RESPONSES FOR GREEN PRICING ELECTRICITY PROGRAMS

To date, much of the policy and research debate on contingent valuation mode effects has relied on experiences drawn from other research disciplines. This study provides the first contingent valuation phone-mail comparison that meets current standards for response rates, draws from a general population, is relevant to the valuation of general environmental goods, and allows comparisons with actual sign-ups. Consistent with previous research in other disciplines, social desirability bias is found in responses to subjective questions --thus leading to more environmentally favorable responses on the phone. However, this effect does not carry over to hypothetical participation decisions. Hypothetical bias is found in both modes. Yet, application of calibration methods using debriefing questions provided nearly identical values across modes. As such, neither mode appears to dominate from the perspective of providing more valid estimates of actual participation decisions. The selection of survey mode must be based on other criteria.Environmental Economics and Policy,

Institute of Archaeology & Horn Archaeological Museum Newsletter Volume 22.4

Triennial Conference, Douglas R. Clark Hoffmeier at Andrews, Robert D. Bates NEH-Funded Summer Institute for School Teachers Madaba Plains Project Tall Al - \u27Umayri, Jordan: June 19 - July 31, 2002 Random Surveyhttps://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/iaham-news/1008/thumbnail.jp

'A Better Way to Measure Choices' Discrete Choice Experiment and Conjoint Analysis Studies in Nephrology: A Literature Review

Discrete choice experiments (DCE) and conjoint analysis (CA) are increasingly used to address health policy issues. This is because the DCE and CA approaches have theoretical foundations in the characteristics theory of demand, which assumes goods, services, or healthcare provision, can be valued in terms of their characteristics (or attributes). As a result, such analysis is grounded in economic theory, lending theoretical validity to this approach. With DCEs, respondents are also assumed to act in a utility-maximising manner and make choices contingent upon the levels of attributes in DCE scenarios. Therefore, choice data can be analysed using econometric methods compatible with random utility theory (RUT) or random regret minimisation (RRM) theory. This means they have additional foundations in economic theory. In contrast, analyses described as CAs are sometimes compatible with RUT or RRM, but by definition they do not have to be. In this paper we review the CA/DCE evidence relating to nephrology. The CA/DCE approach is then compared with other approaches used to provide either quality of life information or preference information relating to nephrology. We conclude by providing an assessment of the value of undertaking CA or DCE analysis in nephrology, comparing the application of CA/DCEs in nephrology with other methodological approaches.</p

Development of a suitable detection method for silver nanoparticles in fish tissue using single particle ICP-MS

A strong alkali extraction technique and suitable single particle ICP-MS method is described for the routine quantifying of particle number concentration, particle size and particle mass concentration for silver nanomaterials in fish tissue.</p

An Informal Analysis of Career and Technical Student Organization Competitive Event Competencies via Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory

In an effort to provide Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) advisors with additional insight on enhancing the educational experience for students, this paper examined the national contest competencies of the Health Occupations Society of America (HOSA) Veterinary Assisting Career Development Event, the national FFA Organization Floriculture Career Development Event and the SkillsUSA Automotive Service Technology Career Development Event to determine if potential exists for a holistic approach to competition preparation via the alignment with the four modes of Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle. The results indicated that preparation for competitive events in each of the respective CTSOs lend themselves to using Kolb’s model as a method of preparing students for these competitions

So near and yet so far: Harmonic radar reveals reduced homing ability of nosema infected honeybees

Pathogens may gain a fitness advantage through manipulation of the behaviour of their hosts. Likewise, host behavioural changes can be a defence mechanism, counteracting the impact of pathogens on host fitness. We apply harmonic radar technology to characterize the impact of an emerging pathogen - Nosema ceranae (Microsporidia) - on honeybee (Apis mellifera) flight and orientation performance in the field. Honeybees are the most important commercial pollinators. Emerging diseases have been proposed to play a prominent role in colony decline, partly through sub-lethal behavioural manipulation of their hosts. We found that homing success was significantly reduced in diseased (65.8%) versus healthy foragers (92.5%). Although lost bees had significantly reduced continuous flight times and prolonged resting times, other flight characteristics and navigational abilities showed no significant difference between infected and non-infected bees. Our results suggest that infected bees express normal flight characteristics but are constrained in their homing ability, potentially compromising the colony by reducing its resource inputs, but also counteracting the intra-colony spread of infection. We provide the first high-resolution analysis of sub-lethal effects of an emerging disease on insect flight behaviour. The potential causes and the implications for both host and parasite are discussed