Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Proposed
Terms modified by Proposed Selected AbstractsA seismic retrofit method by connecting viscous dampers for microelectronics factoriesEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 11 2007Jenn-Shin Hwang Abstract The implementation of viscous dampers to microelectronics factories has been previously proved not to affect the micro-vibration of the factories in operation so that the vibration-sensitive manufacturing process will not be interfered. Therefore, a seismic retrofit strategy which employs the viscous dampers installed in between the exterior and interior structures of the ,fab' structure is proposed in the study. The design formulas corresponding to the proposed retrofit method are derived using the non-proportional damping theory. Based on the study, it is found that the added damping ratio to the fab structure depends greatly on the frequency ratio of the two structures in addition to the damping coefficients of the added dampers. Outside the bandwidth of the frequency ratio in which the added damping ratio is very sensitive to the variation of the frequency ratio, the added damping ratio can be well captured using the classical damping theory. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Development and validation of a metallic haunch seismic retrofit solution for existing under-designed RC frame buildingsEARTHQUAKE ENGINEERING AND STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS, Issue 14 2006Stefano Pampanin Abstract The feasibility and efficiency of a seismic retrofit solution for existing reinforced concrete frame systems, designed before the introduction of modern seismic-oriented design codes in the mid 1970s, is conceptually presented and experimentally investigated. A diagonal metallic haunch system is introduced at the beam,column connections to protect the joint panel zone from extensive damage and brittle shear mechanisms, while inverting the hierarchy of strength within the beam,column subassemblies and forming a plastic hinge in the beam. A complete step-by-step design procedure is suggested for the proposed retrofit strategy to achieve the desired reversal of strength hierarchy. Analytical formulations of the internal force flow at the beam,column-joint level are derived for the retrofitted joints. The study is particularly focused on exterior beam,column joints, since it is recognized that they are the most vulnerable, due to their lack of a reliable joint shear transfer mechanism. Results from an experimental program carried out to validate the concept and the design procedure are also presented. The program consisted of quasi-static cyclic tests on four exterior, , scaled, beam,column joint subassemblies, typical of pre-1970 construction practice using plain round bars with end-hooks, with limited joint transverse reinforcement and detailed without capacity design considerations. The first (control specimen) emulated the as-built connection while the three others incorporated the proposed retrofitted configurations. The experimental results demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed solution for upgrading non-seismically designed RC frames and also confirmed the applicability of the proposed design procedure and of the analytical derivations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Gold nanoparticle-enhanced capillary electrophoresis-chemiluminescence assay of trace uric acidELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 15 2009Shulin Zhao Abstract A sensitive method based on gold nanoparticle-enhanced CE-chemiluminescence (CL) detection was developed for quantifying uric acid (UA) in serum. In this work, gold nanoparticles were added into the running buffer of CE to catalyze the post-column CL reaction between luminol and hydrogen peroxide, achieving highly efficient CL emission. Negative peaks were produced due to the inhibitory effects on CL emission from UA eluted from the electrophoretic capillary. The decrease in CL intensity was proportional to the concentration of UA in the range of 2.5×10,7,1.0×10,5,M. Detection limit was 4.6×10,8,M UA. Ten human serum samples were analyzed by the presented method. Serum level of UA was found to be in the range from 204 to 324,,M for healthy subjects (n=5), and from 464 to 497,,M for diabetic patients (n=5). The two groups were significantly different (p<0.05). The results suggested a potential application of the proposed assay in rapid primary diagnosis of diseases such as diabetes. [source] A short-term sublethal in situ toxicity assay with hediste diversicolor (polychaeta) for estuarine sediments based on postexposure feedingENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 8 2005Susana Maria Moreira Abstract This study evaluated a short-term sublethal endpoint for in situ toxicity assays for estuarine sediments, based on postexposure feeding of the polychaete Hediste (Nereis) diversicolor Müller. A method for precisely quantifying postexposure feeding rates of H. diversicolor was established under laboratory conditions using Artemia franciscana Kellog nauplii. The sensitivity of the postexposure feeding response to copper was investigated by comparing postexposure feeding rates to growth and lethality. The 48-h and 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) of copper were 241 and 125 ,g/L, respectively, whereas the 48-h median inhibitory concentration (IC50) for postexposure feeding and the 20-d IC50 for growth were 52 and 25 ,g/L of copper, respectively. The influence of different exposure conditions (substrate, temperature, salinity, food availability, and light) on H. diversicolor postexposure feeding was assessed; temperature and salinity were found to influence significantly postexposure feeding. The effectiveness of the proposed in situ assay was investigated by deploying it at two reference and six contaminated Portuguese estuaries. A 48-h exposure period was followed by a 1-h postexposure feeding period. High organism recoveries (89,100%) were obtained. Postexposure feeding was depressed significantly (17,90%) at all contaminated sites relatively to reference sites. The proposed in situ assay with H. diversicolor was shown to be a potential useful tool for estuarine sediment toxicity testing. [source] Enhanced process monitoring for wastewater treatment systemsENVIRONMETRICS, Issue 6 2008Chang Kyoo Yoo Abstract Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) remain notorious for poor data quality and sensor reliability problems due to the hostile environment, missing data problems and more. Many sensors in WWTP are prone to malfunctions in harsh environments. If a WWTP contains any redundancy between sensors, monitoring methods with sensor reconstruction such as the proposed one can yield a better monitoring efficiency than without a reconstruction scheme. An enhanced robust process monitoring method combined with a sensor reconstruction scheme to tackle the sensor failure problems is proposed for biological wastewater treatment systems. The proposed method is applied to a single reactor for high activity ammonia removal over nitrite (SHARON) process. It shows robust monitoring performance in the presence of sensor faults and produces few false alarms. Moreover, it enables us to keep the monitoring system running in the case of sensor failures. This guaranteed continuity of the monitoring scheme is a necessary development in view of real-time applications in full-scale WWTPs. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Female-Biased Helping in a Cooperatively Breeding Bird: Female Benefits or Male Costs?ETHOLOGY, Issue 6 2007Dean A. Williams There is often a sex bias in helping effort in cooperatively breeding species with both male and female helpers, and yet this phenomenon is still poorly understood. Although sex-biased helping is often assumed to be correlated with sex-specific benefits, sex-specific costs could also be responsible for sex-biased helping. Cooperatively breeding brown jays (Cyanocorax morio) in Monteverde, Costa Rica have helpers of both sexes and dispersal is male-biased, a rare reversal of the female-biased dispersal pattern often seen in birds. We quantified helper contributions to nestling care and analyzed whether there was sex-biased helping and if so, whether it was correlated with known benefits derived via helping. Brown jay helpers provided over 70% of all nestling feedings, but they did not appear to decrease the workload of breeders across the range of observed group sizes. Female helpers fed nestlings and engaged in vigilance at significantly higher levels than male helpers. Nonetheless, female helpers did not appear to gain direct benefits, either through current reproduction or group augmentation, or indirect fitness benefits from helping during the nestling stage. While it is possible that females could be accruing subtle future direct benefits such as breeding experience or alliance formation from helping, future studies should focus on whether the observed sex bias in helping is because males decrease their care relative to females in order to pursue extra-territorial forays. Explanations for sex-biased helping in cooperative breeders are proving to be as varied as those proposed for helping behavior in general, suggesting that it will often be necessary to quantify a wide range of benefits and costs when seeking explanations for sex-biased helping. [source] Decomposing the construct of ambivalence over emotional expression in a Chinese cultural contextEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 3 2005Sylvia Xiaohua Chen The present study examined the construct of ambivalence over emotional expression proposed by King and Emmons (1990) in the Chinese context, and identified a factor structure different from those proposed in previous Western studies. The results of this study provided discriminant validity for this newly extracted two-factor structure of ambivalence, viz., Emotional Rumination and Emotional Suppression. Emotional Rumination was significantly predicted by the personality scales of introversion and inferiority, and the belief dimension of fate control, whereas Emotional Suppression was predicted by the personality scales of diversity, face, and harmony, and the belief dimension of social complexity. The different effects of Emotional Rumination and Emotional Suppression in predicting life satisfaction showed that emotional experience has its own specific characteristics in Chinese culture, and that responding to its emic characteristics will yield a more culturally responsive understanding of emotional experience and expression. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Six independent factors of personality variation: a response to SaucierEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 1 2002Michael C. Ashton We address the concerns raised by Saucier about our proposed six-factor structure of personality. First, we dispute Saucier's new interpretation of the Negative Valence factor as a meaningful dimension of personality variation. We explain that Negative Valence terms may distort the structure of personality-descriptive terms, and that the substantive variance of Honesty is weakly correlated with Negative Valence. Also, we point out that our proposed six factors are (like the Big Five) roughly orthogonal, and that the occurrence of rotational variants within this six-dimensional space is not problematic. We argue that in terms of comprehensiveness, parsimony, independence of factors, and replicability across languages, our proposed six-factor model so far seems to be the optimal structure of personality characteristics. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] UNEXPLAINED SPLIT SEX RATIOS IN THE NEOTROPICAL PLANT-ANT, ALLOMERUS OCTOARTICULATUS VAR. DEMERARAE (MYRMICINAE): A TEST OF HYPOTHESESEVOLUTION, Issue 1 2010Gabriel D. G. Debout We investigated sex allocation in the Neotropical ant Allomerus octoarticulatus var. demerarae. Because Allomerus is a plant symbiont, we could make geographically extensive collections of complete colonies and of foundresses in saplings, allowing us to estimate not only population- and colony-level sex allocation but also colony resource levels and the relatednesses of competing ant foundresses. This species exhibits a strongly split sex ratio, with 80% of mature colonies producing ,90% of one sex or the other. Our genetic analyses (DNA microsatellites) reveal that Allomerus has a breeding system characterized by almost complete monogyny and a low frequency of polyandry. Contrary to theoretical explanations, we find no difference in worker relatedness asymmetries between female- and male-specialist colonies. Furthermore, no clear link was found between colony sex allocation and life history traits such as the number of mates per queen, or colony size, resource level, or fecundity. We also failed to find significant support for male production by workers, infection by Wolbachia, local resource competition, or local mate competition. We are left with the possibility that Allomerus exhibits split sex ratios because of the evolution of alternative biasing strategies in queens or workers, as recently proposed in the literature. [source] Bivariate combined linkage and association mapping of quantitative trait lociGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, Issue 5 2008Jeesun Jung Abstract In this paper, bivariate/multivariate variance component models are proposed for high-resolution combined linkage and association mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL), based on combinations of pedigree and population data. Suppose that a quantitative trait locus is located in a chromosome region that exerts pleiotropic effects on multiple quantitative traits. In the region, multiple markers such as single nucleotide polymorphisms are typed. Two regression models, "genotype effect model" and "additive effect model", are proposed to model the association between the markers and the trait locus. The linkage information, i.e., recombination fractions between the QTL and the markers, is modeled in the variance and covariance matrix. By analytical formulae, we show that the "genotype effect model" can be used to model the additive and dominant effects simultaneously; the "additive effect model" only takes care of additive effect. Based on the two models, F -test statistics are proposed to test association between the QTL and markers. By analytical power analysis, we show that bivariate models can be more powerful than univariate models. For moderate-sized samples, the proposed models lead to correct type I error rates; and so the models are reasonably robust. As a practical example, the method is applied to analyze the genetic inheritance of rheumatoid arthritis for the data of The North American Rheumatoid Arthritis Consortium, Problem 2, Genetic Analysis Workshop 15, which confirms the advantage of the proposed bivariate models. Genet. Epidemiol. 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Radon (222Rn) in Ground Water of Fractured Rocks: A Diffusion/Ion Exchange ModelGROUND WATER, Issue 4 2004Warren W. Wood Ground waters from fractured igneous and high-grade sialic metamorphic rocks frequently have elevated activity of dissolved radon (222Rn). A chemically based model is proposed whereby radium (226Ra) from the decay of uranium (238U) diffuses through the primary porosity of the rock to the water-transmitting fracture where it is sorbed on weathering products. Sorption of 226Ra on the fracture surface maintains an activity gradient in the rock matrix, ensuring a continuous supply of 226Ra to fracture surfaces. As a result of the relatively long half-life of 226Ra (1601 years), significant activity can accumulate on fracture surfaces. The proximity of this sorbed 226Ra to the active ground water flow system allows its decay progeny 222Rn to enter directly into the water. Laboratory analyses of primary porosity and diffusion coefficients of the rock matrix, radon emanation, and ion exchange at fracture surfaces are consistent with the requirements of a diffusion/ion-exchange model. A dipole-brine injection/withdrawal experiment conducted between bedrock boreholes in the high-grade metamorphic and granite rocks at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States (42°56,N, 71°43,W) shows a large activity of 226Ra exchanged from fracture surfaces by a magnesium brine. The 226Ra activity removed by the exchange process is 34 times greater than that of 238U activity. These observations are consistent with the diffusion/ion-exchange model. Elutriate isotopic ratios of 223Ra/226Ra and 238U/226Ra are also consistent with the proposed chemically based diffusion/ion-exchange model. [source] Pandemic influenza communication: views from a deliberative forumHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 3 2009Wendy A. Rogers BA (Hons) BM.BS PhD MRCGP FRACGP Abstract Objective, To use a deliberative forum to elicit community perspectives on communication about pandemic influenza planning, and to compare these findings with the current Australian national communication strategy. Design, Deliberative forum of 12 persons randomly selected from urban South Australia. Forum members were briefed by experts in infection control, virology, ethics and public policy before deliberating on four key questions: what, how and when should the community be told about pandemic influenza and by whom? Results, The forum recommended provision of detailed and comprehensive information by credible experts, rather than politicians, using a variety of media including television and internet. Recommendations included cumulative communication to build expertise in the community, and specific strategies to include groups such as young people, people with physical or mental disabilities, and rural and remote communities. Information provided should be practical, accurate, and timely, with no ,holding back' about the seriousness of a pandemic. The forum expressed confidence in the expert witnesses, despite the acknowledged uncertainty of many of the predictions. Discussion and Conclusion, The deliberative forum's recommendations were largely consistent with the Australian national pandemic influenza communication strategy and the relevant literature. However, the forum recommended: release of more detailed information than currently proposed in the national strategy; use of non-political spokespersons; and use of novel communication methods. Their acceptance of uncertainty suggests that policy makers should be open about the limits of knowledge in potentially threatening situations. Our findings show that deliberative forums can provide community perspectives on topics such as communication about pandemic influenza. [source] Using personality tests in leadership development: Test format effects and the mitigating impact of explanations and feedbackHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2003Lynn K. Harland Organizations using personality tests in management development programs must choose from an array of personality tests and formats. The most common formats are normative (for example, Likert type) and forced choice. Although there are some potential advantages to using the forced-choice format for development, it is possible that participants may view the forced-choice format more negatively than the normative format. Hypothesis 1 proposed that participants would initially view the forced-choice format as less accurate, less respectful, less useful, and providing less test taker control. Hypothesis 2 proposed that an explanation of forced-choice format benefits would mitigate initial negative reactions. Finally, hypothesis 3 proposed that receiving test feedback would mitigate negative perceptions of forced-choice format accuracy and usefulness. The participants, 255 part-time M.B.A. students in a leadership development course, were randomly assigned to three experimental conditions: normative, forced choice with an explanation, and forced choice with no explanation. [source] Image reconstruction with a shift-variant filtration in circular cone-beam CT,INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF IMAGING SYSTEMS AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 5 2004Lifeng Yu Abstract It is well known that cone-beam data acquired with a circular orbit are insufficient for exact image reconstruction. Despite this, because a cone-beam scanning configuration with a circular orbit is easy to implement in practice, it has been widely employed for data acquisition in, e.g., micro-CT and CT imaging in radiation therapy. The algorithm developed by Feldkamp, Davis, and Kress (FDK) and its modifications, such as the Tent,FDK (T-FDK) algorithm, have been used for image reconstruction from circular cone-beam data. In this work, we present an algorithm with spatially shift-variant filtration for image reconstruction in circular cone-beam CT. We performed computer-simulation studies to compare the proposed and existing algorithms. Numerical results in these studies demonstrated that the proposed algorithm has resolution properties comparable to, and noise properties better than, the FDK algorithm. As compared to the T-FDK algorithm, our proposed algorithm reconstructs images with an improved in-plane spatial resolution. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Imaging Syst Technol, 14, 213,221, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ima.20026 [source] Public sector training participation: an empirical investigationINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2001Reid A Bates This study tests a mediated model of employee participation in training activities in a public sector highway department. Results showed the combined predictor sets accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in an objective measure of training attended, a self-report measure of training attended, and intentions to participate in future training. Although the proposed mediated model was not supported, the findings suggest that previous transfer success and motivation play a significant role in intentions to participate in training. [source] The EU Annual Budgetary Procedure: The Existing Rules and Proposed Reforms of the Convention and Intergovernmental Conference 2002,04,JCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 3 2007GIACOMO BENEDETTO This article analyses the proposed reform of the annual budgetary procedure of the European Union (EU) during the 2002,04 Convention and Intergovernmental Conference (IGC). We offer two findings. First, the European Parliament already has the power to reduce agricultural and fisheries spending subject to support from a blocking minority in the Council. Hence, a reduction of the Union's spending on agriculture and other areas of compulsory expenditure is not dependent on a reform of the budgetary procedure. Second, the proposal from the Convention would have increased EP budgetary powers while the procedure adopted by the IGC strengthens the hand of the Council, removing Parliament's right to overrule it. In constitutional bargaining, we see that Parliament gains in a deliberative forum where unanimity is not required, while it loses in a closed IGC. [source] Pollinex® Quattro Ragweed: safety evaluation of a new allergy vaccine adjuvanted with monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL®) for the treatment of ragweed pollen allergyJOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Paul Baldrick Abstract A novel allergy vaccine (Pollinex® Quattro Ragweed) has been developed for the prevention or relief of allergic symptoms caused by pollen from Ambrosia spp. (ragweed). An extract from the pollen (chemically modified by glutaraldehyde) is adsorbed onto l -tyrosine with addition of the immunostimulatory adjuvant, monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL®). A specific preclinical safety testing strategy was developed to support clinical use and comprised reference to preclinical data available for the marketed non-MPL® adjuvanted form of the ragweed vaccine (Pollinex® R) and a new repeat dose toxicity study in the rat. Studies with Pollinex® R comprised single dose subcutaneous toxicity studies in mice and rats, repeat dose (10 injections over 20 days) parenteral toxicity studies in rats and dogs, an in vitro gene mutation assay along with single and multiple injection local tolerance studies in rats and dogs. The repeat dose subcutaneous toxicity study with Pollinex® Quattro Ragweed involved seven injections over 3 weeks (which was more aggressive than the four weekly doses used in the clinic) with dose levels of up to 0.5 ml per animal used. Overall, the product showed no toxicological findings of significance at levels greatly in excess of those proposed for clinical use. As is a feature with vaccination, some dose site irritation was seen. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Analysis of stirred tanks with two-zone modelsAICHE JOURNAL, Issue 10 2009Ville Alopaeus Abstract Stirred tank turbulence and fluid flow characteristics are analyzed based on a two-zone model. Instead of using the zonal model for stirred tank performance prediction as often proposed in the literature, the zoning is used here as a tool for mixing analysis. A systematic zoning approach is proposed, where the tank is divided into two nested regions. By gradually increasing the inner zone volume, continuous curves can be obtained for turbulent energy dissipation distribution and pumping numbers between the zones as functions of the zone sizes. It is shown here that these curves can be used as a powerful tool for visualizing stirred tank performance. They can be used, e.g., in impeller performance comparisons and analysis of mixing characteristics with changing rheology, or to examine various numerical aspects related to stirred tank CFD modeling. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2009 [source] Correlation of relative rates of chromyl chloride oxidation and chromic acid oxidation of acyclic alkenes versus alkene IPs and HOMOsJOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 11 2004Donna J. Nelson Abstract Plots of logarithms of relative reaction rates of chromyl chloride oxidation and of chromic acid oxidation of alkenes (log,krel values) versus alkene ionization potentials (IPs) and versus their highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels (HOMOs) demonstrate excellent correlations. Each plot has a similar appearance and shows a single line with a positive slope. The results indicate that the rate-determining step of each title reaction involves an electrophilic attack on the alkene ,-bond without significant steric effects; this supports a proposed 2,+,3 cycloaddition mechanism and disfavors a proposed stepwise 2,+,2 cycloaddition mechanism. Comparison is made with other d0 transition metal complexes that oxidize alkenes. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Delineating the "Ease of Doing Business" Construct within the Supplier,Customer InterfaceJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 2 2007Gary Stading SUMMARY The current research provides insight into the "ease of doing business" construct. Factor analysis of survey responses of supply managers in the electronics industry was used to test the proposed "ease of doing business" construct, which includes the three dimensions , information and material services, financial contract services and personal relations services. Results support a link between a customer's assessment of a supplier's "ease of doing business" and the amount of business conducted with that supplier. The attributes supported by this research provide the means for managers to improve and grow business with customers. [source] An Efficient Taper for Potentially Overdifferenced Long-memory Time SeriesJOURNAL OF TIME SERIES ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2000Clifford M. Hurvich We propose a new complex-valued taper and derive the properties of a tapered Gaussian semiparametric estimator of the long-memory parameter d, (,0.5, 1.5). The estimator and its accompanying theory can be applied to generalized unit root testing. In the proposed method, the data are differenced once before the taper is applied. This guarantees that the tapered estimator is invariant with respect to deterministic linear trends in the original series. Any detrimental leakage effects due to the potential noninvertibility of the differenced series are strongly mitigated by the taper. The proposed estimator is shown to be more efficient than existing invariant tapered estimators. Invariance to kth order polynomial trends can be attained by differencing the data k times and then applying a stronger taper, which is given by the kth power of the proposed taper. We show that this new family of tapers enjoys strong efficiency gains over comparable existing tapers. Analysis of both simulated and actual data highlights potential advantages of the tapered estimator of d compared with the nontapered estimator. [source] From Welfare to Work: Evaluating a Tax and Benefit Reform Targeted at Single Mothers in SwedenLABOUR, Issue 3 2007Lennart Flood We formulate and estimate simultaneously a structural static model of labor supply and welfare participation. The results suggest that labor supply among single mother households in Sweden is quite elastic, and that there is self-selection into welfare. We also find that the proposed reform would generate welfare gains for virtually everyone in the sample, benefit low-income households, and would at the same time generate a small revenue surplus. [source] Transplantation for transition , discussion on a concept around Russian reform of the law on reorganisationLEGAL STUDIES, Issue 2 2003Frederique Dahan This paper drawls on the experience of the authors during a TACIS project in Russia. Part of the project involved assisting Russian legal experts in drafting a law on the reorganisation of companies. The methodology adopted was split into three stages: identification of the concepts of reorganisation in different jurisdictions, the policy and economic context of the proposed reform and examination of the institutional background. At each of these stages it was necessary to discover the underlying cultural, economic and philosophical issues which were formative of laws in each of the five jurisdictions that were examined and offer a menu of possible solutions to the risk-balancing exercise which this area of law presents. [source] A 57-GHz CMOS VCO with 185.3% tuning-range enhancement using tunable LC source-degenerationMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 11 2009Chuan-Wei Tsou Abstract A 57-GHz CMOS voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) using tunable LC source-degeneration for operation frequency and tuning-range enhancement is demonstrated. The tunable LC source-degeneration is made by adding two tunable LC tanks, where varactors are used as the needed capacitors, to the source terminals of the cross-coupled transistor pair of the VCO. Compared with the traditional cross-coupled transistor pair, the proposed one significantly decreases the equivalent parallel capacitance (CEQ). This in turn results in the increase of both the operation frequency and the tuning range of the VCO. The measurement result shows the tunable LC source-degeneration achieved a 185.3% enhancement [from 1.36 GHz (53.36,54.72 GHz) to 3.88 GHz (53.36,57.24 GHz)] in tuning range by tuning the varactors of the proposed cross-coupled transistor pair. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 51: 2682,2685, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.24706 [source] Active integrated antenna for mobile TV signal receptionMICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 12 2007Ick-Jae Yoon Abstract This paper proposes a small-sized field-effect transistor (FET) based active integrated antenna (AIA) for terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (T-DMB) signal reception, which is one of the mobile TV services allocated to 200 MHz band. The commercially used T-DMB antenna is a 120 mm long monopole, but the size of the proposed one is reduced to 50 mm by the method of active device integration. The active device integrated to the radiator influences not only on the current distribution at the radiator but also the input impedance, results in an antenna size reduction with an enhanced gain. In addition to this, a band-pass filter is designed at the input port of the radiator. This plays a role as a matching circuit between a radiator and an active device as well as provides a band-selection function simultaneously to be free of other high intensity signals existing around the T-DMB band. The antenna effective length related to the same-sized monopole and noise figure are measured to verify the validity of the proposed antenna. The performance of the proposed FET based AIA shows the feasibility of designing absolutely small-sized antenna with active devices integrated compared to an operating frequency band. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 49: 2998,3001, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.22968 [source] The Banzhaf value and communication situationsNAVAL RESEARCH LOGISTICS: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006J.M. Alonso-Meijide Abstract Myerson 3 and 4 proposed and characterized a modification of the Shapley value in the context of communication situations. In this paper we propose several characterizations of the extension of the Banzhaf value proposed by Owen 7 to communication situations. In particular we characterize this value with the properties of fairness, isolation, and pairwise merging. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006 [source] Testing high SPF sunscreens: a demonstration of the accuracy and reproducibility of the results of testing high SPF formulations by two methods and at different testing sitesPHOTODERMATOLOGY, PHOTOIMMUNOLOGY & PHOTOMEDICINE, Issue 4 2002Patricia Poh Agin Background/Purpose: The goals of this study were (i) to demonstrate that existing and widely used sun protection factor (SPF) test methodologies can produce accurate and reproducible results for high SPF formulations and (ii) to provide data on the number of test-subjects needed, the variability of the data, and the appropriate exposure increments needed for testing high SPF formulations. Methods: Three high SPF formulations were tested, according to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) 1993 tentative final monograph (TFM) ,very water resistant' test method and/or the 1978 proposed monograph ,waterproof' test method, within one laboratory. A fourth high SPF formulation was tested at four independent SPF testing laboratories, using the 1978 waterproof SPF test method. All laboratories utilized xenon arc solar simulators. Results: The data illustrate that the testing conducted within one laboratory, following either the 1978 proposed or the 1993 TFM SPF test method, was able to reproducibly determine the SPFs of the formulations tested, using either the statistical analysis method in the proposed monograph or the statistical method described in the TFM. When one formulation was tested at four different laboratories, the anticipated variation in the data owing to the equipment and other operational differences was minimized through the use of the statistical method described in the 1993 monograph. Conclusions: The data illustrate that either the 1978 proposed monograph SPF test method or the 1993 TFM SPF test method can provide accurate and reproducible results for high SPF formulations. Further, these results can be achieved with panels of 20,25 subjects with an acceptable level of variability. Utilization of the statistical controls from the 1993 sunscreen monograph can help to minimize lab-to-lab variability for well-formulated products. [source] Electoral Reform: A Vote for Change?POLITICAL INSIGHT, Issue 2 2010Simon Hix The Con,Lib coalition has put voting reform firmly on the agenda but will this really change how the House of Commons and the House of Lords work?Simon Hix, Ron Johnston and Iain McLean explore the proposed reforms and predict their likely impact on the British political scene. [source] Capturing Government Policy on the Left,Right Scale: Evidence from the United Kingdom, 1956,2006POLITICAL STUDIES, Issue 4 2009Armèn Hakhverdian The left,right scheme is the most widely used and parsimonious representation of political competition. Yet, long time series of the left,right position of governments are sparse. Existing methods are of limited use in dynamic settings due to insufficient time points which hinders the proper specification of time-series regressions. This article analyses legislative speeches in order to construct an annual left,right policy variable for Britain from 1956 to 2006. Using a recently developed content analysis tool, known as Wordscores, it is shown that speeches yield valid and reliable estimates for the left,right position of British government policy. Long time series such as the one proposed in this article are vital to building dynamic macro-level models of politics. This measure is cross-validated with four independent sources: (1) it compares well to expert surveys; (2) a rightward trend is found in post-war British government policy; (3) Conservative governments are found to be more right wing in their policy outputs than Labour governments; (4) conventional accounts of British post-war politics support the pattern of government policy movement on the left,right scale. [source] Institutions and Development: A Conceptual ReanalysisPOPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 2 2006Alejandro Portes This essay reviews the concept of "institutions" as used in the recent economic literatures on firms and national development and notes its limitations. An alternative framework is proposed that draws on classic and contemporary sociological theory to position the concept of institutions in relation to other basic elements of culture and social structure. The framework is used to analyze (1) the failure of attempts to transplant institutions of developed countries into the global South and (2) the dynamics of massive privatization in Mexico. The bearing of this framework on current institutional theories of social change is examined, leading to the identification of sources of change at different levels of causal significance and scope. This modified theory of change is applied to the longstanding demographic debates on historical and institutional determinants of fertility transitions. The bearing of the proposed "thick institutionalist" framework on social theory and future development policies is discussed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||