Synthesis And Liquid Crystalline Properties Of New Twin Diglycidyl Ethers Based On Azomethine Groups Cured By Aromatic Diamines

Duajenis bisfenol yang mengandungi kumpulan azometina iaitu 3,3'-dimetoksi-4,4'dihidroksi- N-benzilidina-o-tolidina (I) dan 4,4' -dihidroksi-N-benzilidina-o-tolidina (II) telah disintesis melalui tindakbalas o-tolidina bersama vanillin dan phidroksibenzaldehid. Two bisphenols containing azomethine groups namely, 3,3'-dimethoxy-4,4'dihydroxy- N-benzylidene-o-tolidine (I) and 4,4' -dihydroxy-N-benzylidene-o-tolidine (II) were synthesized by reaction of o-tolidine with vanillin and phydroxybenzaldehyde

Optical Spectral Variability of the Very-High-Energy Gamma-Ray Blazar 1ES 1011+496

We present results of five years of optical (UBVRI) observations of the very-high-energy gamma-ray blazar 1ES 1011+496 at the MDM Observatory. We calibrated UBVRI magnitudes of five comparison stars in the field of the object. Most of our observations were done during moderately faint states of 1ES 1011+496 with R > 15.0. The light curves exhibit moderate, closely correlated variability in all optical wavebands on time scales of a few days. A cross-correlation analysis between optical bands does not show significant evidence for time lags. We find a positive correlation (Pearson's r = 0.57; probability of non-correlation P(>r) ~ 4e-8) between the R-band magnitude and the B - R color index, indicating a bluer-when-brighter trend. Snap-shot optical spectral energy distributions (SEDs) exhibit a peak within the optical regime, typically between the V and B bands. We find a strong (r = 0.78; probability of non-correlation P (>r) ~ 1e-15) positive correlation between the peak flux and the peak frequency, best fit by a relation $\nu F_{\nu}^{\rm pk} \propto \nu_{\rm pk}^k$ with k = 2.05 +/- 0.17. Such a correlation is consistent with the optical (synchrotron) variability of 1ES 1011+496 being primarily driven by changes in the magnetic field.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 16 pages, including 7 figure

Nature of Intra-night Optical Variability of BL Lacertae

We present the results of extensive multi-band intra-night optical monitoring of BL Lacertae during 2010--2012. BL Lacertae was very active in this period and showed intense variability in almost all wavelengths. We extensively observed it for a total for 38 nights; on 26 of them observations were done quasi-simultaneously in B, V, R and I bands (totaling 113 light curves), with an average sampling interval of around 8 minutes. BL Lacertae showed significant variations on hour-like timescales in a total of 19 nights in different optical bands. We did not find any evidence for periodicities or characteristic variability time-scales in the light curves. The intranight variability amplitude is generally greater at higher frequencies and decreases as the source flux increases. We found spectral variations in BL Lacertae in the sense that the optical spectrum becomes flatter as the flux increases but in several flaring states deviates from the linear trend suggesting different jet components contributing to the emission at different times.Comment: 12 Pages, 5 figures, 3 Tables, Accepted for Publication in MNRA

The dynamics of auditory stream segregation for tone sequences with gradually and abruptly varying stimulus properties

The nine experiments presented within this thesis explored the dynamics of stream segregation in repeating ABA tone sequences with gradual or abrupt changes in their acoustic properties. Experiments 1-6 used a continuous monitoring method to investigate the effect of these changes on the number of streams perceived (1 or 2). Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that abrupt and gradual changes in sequence base frequency had a much stronger effect on the build-up of streaming over time than those in interaural time difference (ITD), an outcome consistent with either functional or neural accounts of the build-up of segregation. Experiments 3 and 4 demonstrated that abrupt changes either in timbre (using pure tones and narrowly spaced tone dyads) or level could produce resetting (partial loss of build-up) but that the direction of the transition was important. Notably, an overshoot in stream segregation followed the tone-to-dyad transition, despite no significant change in the pattern of peripheral excitation. Experiments 6 and 7 demonstrated that resetting was not a result of correlated changes in A and B tone subsets. In both experiments, anti-correlated level changes tended to produce resetting (B"A#) and overshoot (B#A"), respectively. This outcome favours a neural mechanism of build-up based on subtractive adaptation. Experiments 7-9 investigated the influence of an induction sequence on the perception of a subsequent test sequence. Experiments 7 and 8 achieved capture of a tone subset in the test sequence by adjusting the difference in frequency or level between inducer tone subsets, such that only one subset matched its test-sequence counterpart. This resulted in greater stream segregation. Experiment 9 attempted capture using a harmonic complex synchronous with the lower subset. However, the fusion of the synchronous complex with the corresponding tone subset failed to disrupt capture, presumably because it did not change the rhythm of the sequence. Overall, these experiments demonstrate that abrupt changes in stimulus properties can cause resetting of build-up or overshoot, depending on the nature of the transitions, and stream capture can be achieved by manipulating the difference between tone subsets in an inducer

The Norwegian government pension fund global : "the cost of ethical exclusions"

Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Science in Business, Finance - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2017Our thesis contributes to the literature on SRI by measuring the financial impact of ethical exclusion for the GPFG. We do this by creating a portfolio of excluded companies from the GPFG, and measure its performance against a constructed benchmark. We find that the portfolio of all exclusions has higher cumulative return, and a $ 1 414 648 901 higher total dollar value than benchmark. By splitting the portfolio to one without tobacco companies, and one with only tobacco companies, we find that the portfolio underperforms the benchmark without the tobacco companies. Although we find economical significant evidence for the portfolio of exclusion outperforming the benchmark, we only find statistically significant evidence for the portfolio of tobacco outperforming the benchmark

The impact of COVID-19 on provision of UK audiology services & on attitudes towards delivery of telehealth services

Objective To (i) identify the impact of COVID-19 on provision of UK audiology services across sectors (ii) compare teleaudiology service provision between private and public sectors before and after the introduction of restrictions and (iii) identify barriers to teleaudiology delivery amongst UK hearing care professionals in both sectors. Design A mixed-methods cross-sectional survey study design. Responses to the structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric statistics. Study Sample UK based hearing care professionals (HCP) (n = 323) completed the survey (218 public sector; 89 private sector). Results Changes in working patterns varied greatly between different sectors, with 61% of national employed and 26% of independent HCPs being furloughed, compared with 1% in the public sector. Use of telehealth was under-utilised across all sectors and groups in UK hearing healthcare, despite 92% of public and 75% of private HCPs reporting feeling comfortable conducting remote consultations. Conclusion This study highlights a variation in teleaudiology adoption and key barriers across sector in the UK. A collaborative approach between hearing device manufacturers, research centres, HCPs and professional bodies is required for the creation of targeted guidance and training materials according to sector, to support clinicians in effective teleaudiology provision

Grasping The Mind of a Shopaholic

This paper attempts at studying the phenomenon of excessive indulgence in shopping. While the act of shopping might be considered a normal activity, being a shopaholic tr ansgresses what can be understood as ‘normal’. Our research begins by defining shopaholics and contrasts their behaviour with regular shoppers by studying differences in the utilities each type of consumer gains from the act of shopping. Opportunity costs of shopping between those two groups of shoppers are also discussed followed by a brief examination of how sh opaholic behaviour might play in role in the practice of price discrimination by retailers. We end our paper with a di scussion of the market failure caused by shopaholics, and some possible interventions by government. Defining Shopaholics Shopaholics are compulsive shoppers who derive a significant amou nt of utility from engaging in the act of shopping. This behaviour is a form of addiction because shopaholics have a compulsion to shop, they are unable to stop and are prone to continue even if it brings about adverse consequences such as debts, hoarding and failed relationships. According to Koob & Moal (2008), the motivation that changes regular consumption to addiction is the temporary happiness gained as a result of certain hormones produced. Be cker & Murphy (1988) also showed increased possibilities for addiction when rise in past cons umptions has a positive correlation with current consumption. At the same time, they conclude that addictions also involv e interaction between an addict and the goods. Regular shoppers will transfor m into shopaholics when they derive additional utility from the momentary lift in their mood and then become comp elled to replicate that feeling in the longer term. DPIBE, July 2011 Shopaholic Chhavniwala et. al. 2 Motivation Utility is the benefit or fulfilment that a person receives from consuming goods or services. The assumption in consumer theory is that rational consumers seek to seek to maximise their utility and are constrained by scar city of their resources. We shall assume that regular shoppers derive utility from the consumption of the goods and services they desire but do not add to their utility by engaging in the act of shopping. Further, we assume that a shopper’s opportunity cost relies on two variables – posted price and search cost

Design, Synthesis and Fabrication of Phenolic Thin Films

We present the synthesis and characterization of novel phenolic surfactants 12,12'-disulfanediylbis(dodecane-12,1-diyl) bis(3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoate) and 12-mercaptododecyl 4-hydroxybenzoate. These molecules combine the phenolic functionality of tannins found in nature with self-assembly and organizational properties of surfactants. The surfactants consist of a (C12) hydrophobic, ω-thiol or disulphide functionality: both commonly used anchors in self-assembly onto gold surfaces. Our modular synthetic route addressed the purification challenges often encountered by using acetyl protecting. Our synthetic strategy unraveled sodium thiomethoxide’s ability of unmasking the thiol moiety and simultaneously deprotecting acetyl protecting groups in the presence of an internal ester. This provides an efficient procedure that can be used to synthesize similar surfactants. The synthesized surfactants were studied at the air-water interface by plotting isotherms that showed the thiol and disulfide group had a significant effect at air-water interface. Lower collapse pressure was obtained for thiolated or disulfide surfactant in comparison with the surfactant to its non-thiolated equivalent. We present Langmuir-Schaefer deposition and mixed monolayer as to produce films with varied density by depositing at different pressure. Controlling monolayer density and optimizing the spacing requirement for the interaction of phenol head group with for example proline rich proteins

Composing Through the Transformation Technique

This project paper is an investigation of how language teachers can effectively utilise transformations of stories to motivate students to generate ideas, and write creatively a story of their own using what they have read as a guide or model. Twenty form one volunteers wrote two transformations based on the original story, "The Silkie". The transformations were then compared with the original story in terms of changes made. This study indicates that transformations can be used in Malaysia as a means to motivate ESL students to generate ideas and increase their fluency in writing as students wrote interesting stories of their own using culturally familiar ideas. This study also reveals that students can be trained to write, if fluency and not correctness is emphasised in the writing classroom