Household saving

Household decisions on whether to save or spend play a key role in the outlook for aggregate demand. A range of factors could help to explain the fall in the household saving ratio over the period 1995 to 2007. Declines in long-term real interest rates, looser credit conditions, rising asset values and greater macroeconomic stability are all likely to have reduced the incentive or the need to save. Lower household saving was also offset to some extent by higher corporate saving. Since 2007, the financial crisis and subsequent recession have unwound some of these factors and may continue to lead to a rise in household saving.

Photoreactivation of Lethal Damage Induced in Hamster X Xenopus Hybrid Cells and Their Parentals by UV Light

A85 Xenopus cells that exhibited a high level of photoreactivation (PR) and V79B2 hamster cells that exhibited little PR were fused to produce the V79B2 x A85 cell line — a hybrid line which possessed a relatively stable karyotype, with most cells containing the entire V79B2 and A85 genomes. UV and UV plus PR fluence-survival relations were then determined and compared for the hybrid and parental lines in a first attempt to elucidate interactions of the parental PR mechanisms in the hybrid. It was anticipated that the A85 genome in the hybrid would produce PR enzyme in sufficient concentration and of such a nature as to efficiently PR UV-induced lethal damage in both A85 and V79B2 DNA, and little difference would be observed in the levels of PR exhibited by the V79B2 x A85 and A85 lines. To the contrary, the level of PR observed for the hybrid was substantially below that observed for the A85 line. To assist in the interpretation of this unexpected observation, three additional preliminary studies were carried out: 1) Comparison of the optimum PR schemes for the A85 and hybrid lines, 2) examination of relations between the PR and dark UV repair mechanisms possessed by these lines, and 3) comparison of the levels of PR of chromatid deletions induced by UV in selected V79B2 and A85 chromosomes of the hybrid. The results suggested that the relatively low level of PR manifested by the hybrid cells was a consequence of their inability to efficiently PR pyrimidine dimers induced by UV in V79B2 DNA

The influence of selected demographic and biographical characteristics on the level of cultural intelligence among mid-level managers of home health care systems in the United States

Disparities exist in health care quality among racial and ethnic minority groups. Minority Americans receive lower quality health care than non-minorities even after adjustment for insurance status and income. A leading cause of these disparities is the biases and prejudices of health care providers. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if a relationship exists between levels of cultural intelligence (CQ) and selected demographic and biographical characteristics among mid-level managers of home health care systems throughout the United States. This research provides an understanding of factors influencing cultural intelligence among site directors in home health care. An examination of selected characteristics to determine their relationship with CQ revealed 13 variables related to overall cultural intelligence levels. International experience presented the strongest relationship with cultural intelligence, a finding consistent with prior literature. Regional variation was found between cultural intelligence levels of site directors in the East South Central division and the West South Central, South Atlantic, and Pacific divisions. Three clinical specialty areas including case management, general nursing practice, and nurse executive also related to cultural intelligence. Results found five models existed that explain a significant portion of the variance in each of four subscales and overall cultural intelligence levels. Characteristics that positively related in multiple models included prior international work experience and duration of international work and non-work experience. Prior clinical experience in general nursing positively correlated to cultural intelligence in four of the models, and a negative relationship between the East South Central division and cultural intelligence existed in four models. These results provide insight on antecedents of cultural intelligence and allow for greater understanding of cultural intelligence within the context of health care

Development of a true triaxial apparatus for soil testing

This thesis presents the development of a True Triaxial Testing TTT Apparatus. The TTT apparatus developed has the capabilities of applying the three principal stresses to a rectangular prismoidal specimen independently. The minor principal stress is provided by the cell pressure. The major principal stress is provided by a load actuator traveling at a constant velocity. A LabView software program instantaneously reads instrumentation, makes calculations, and commands a second load actuator to induce an intermediate principal stress that maintains a constant b-value; where b-value is equal to the intermediate principal stress minus the minor principal stress divided by the major principal stress minus the minor principal stress. The development of the TTT Apparatus included; creating a robust data acquisition system to facilitate immediate readings of all needed instrumentation, manufacturing a horizontal loading system to transmit the load from the load actuator to the specimen, constructing a pressure control system capable of providing the desired confining pressure, creating a LabView software program to interface with the data acquisition system and the load actuators to record and control the test parameters. Calibration tests were performed to quantify the correction factors for the following: volume change due to volumetric expansion of the pressure jacket and loading rams, the load due to frictional forces and pressure, and the length change due to compression of the rubber cushions. True triaxial test were conducted on F-75 silica sand at various b-values as verification of the developed TTT Apparatus’s capabilities. The results of these tests compared well with the findings of other researchers conducting similar tests

Irad Malkin, Christy Constantakopoulou and Katerina Panagopoulou, eds., 2009: Greek and Roman Networks in the Mediterranean. London/New York: Routledge. Pp. xii + 321. ISBN 978-0-415-45989-1.

Abstract included in text

CHANGE AND IMPLEMENTATION IN A SOCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT

This work is an examination of contemporary public policy implementation. It seeks to isolate those features which need to be incorporated into implementation theory to assist in the analysis of the implementation of public policy The "new right" ideology requires that a particular organisational form be adopted by public implementing agencies. This form must reflect the need to introduce competition, the precepts of the "new managerialism" and to view the user of the public services as a "customer". These three elements will have a bearing on the process of the implementation. In particular, the need to regard the user of the services as a consumer implies that these users have an active part to play in the implementation process. The primary aim of the dissertation is to examine the nature and extent of the users involvement. A secondary aim seeks to develop and test a model of policy implementation which can incorporate the so called "top down" and "bottom up" perspectives of policy implementation. The model incorporates features which facilitate the analysis of contemporary policy implementation. These features include: the need to recognise the large amount of conflict and bargaining which is characteristic of multi - agency implementations, the dynamic and interactive nature of the process and the inclusion of the consumer as part of the process. The research uses the implementation of N.H.S. and Community Care Act (1990) in a shire county in order to examine these issues

Evaluation of pile bearing capacity by use of the wave equation

The wave equation method of evaluating pile bearing capacity is investigated by using data obtained from a comprehensive pile testing program. Modifications which create a more accurate and realistic approach are made to the method proposed by previous investigators. With the use of these modifications, correlation between observed and computed results is more readily obtained. Selected pile formulas in the empirical, static, and dynamic categories are reviewed so that a direct comparison between these and the wave equation method can be made --Abstract, page ii