Methodology

Although patient satisfaction has been given considerable attention in health care, analysis of the conceptual and measurement limitations of existing measures indicates that a more elemental approach to obtaining patients' perspectives is warranted. In this investigation we developed and evaluated the psychometric properties of an instrument designed to measure patients' perceptions of the degree to which their needs were met while hospitalized. This 15-item instrument, Patient Perception of Hospital Experience with Nursing (PPHEN), based on Swanson-Kauffman's framework of caring, is internally consistent and represents a single construct best described as feeling cared for. The relationship of PPHEN to other measures demonstrates concurrent validity; moreover, the scale is responsive to differences in care provided, as shown by differences in means for different hospitals. PPHEN offers a brief, theoretically oriented, internally consistent, and valid patient self-report measure of nursing care. It does not require patients to compare their expectations of care with the care received but only to evaluate whether their needs were met. It promises to be useful to clinical and health services researchers.

Two studies were carried out to assess the applicability of echoplanar fMRI at 3.0 T to the analysis of somatosensory mechanisms in humans. Vibrotactile stimulation of the tips of digits two and five reliably generated significant clusters of activation in primary (SI) and secondary (SII) somatosensory cortex, area 43, the pre-central gyrus, posterior insula, posterior parietal cortex and posterior cingulate. Separation of these responses by digit in SI was possible in all subjects and the activation sites reflected the known lateral position of the representation of digit 2 relative to that of digit 5. A second study employed microneurographic techniques in which individual median-nerve mechanoreceptive afferents were isolated, physiologically characterized, and microstimulated in conjunction with fMRI. Hemodynamic responses, observed in every case, were robust, focal, and physiologically orderly. These techniques will enable more detailed studies of the representation of the body surface in human somatosensory cortex, the relationship of that organization to short-term plasticity in responses to natural tactile stimuli, and effects of stimulus patterning and unimodal/cross-modal attentional manipulations. They also present unique opportunities to investigate the basic physiology of the BOLD effect, and to optimize the operating characteristics of two important human functional neuroimaging modalities */highfield fMRI and high-resolution EEG-in an unusually specific and well-characterized neurophysiological setting.

In assessments of the environmental impacts of waste management, life-cycle assessment (LCA) helps expanding the perspective beyond the waste management system. This is important, since the indirect environmental impacts caused by surrounding systems, such as energy and material production, often override the direct impacts of the waste management system itself. However, the applicability of LCA for waste management planning and policy-making is restricted by certain limitations, some of which are characteristics inherent to LCA methodology as such, and some of which are relevant specifically in the context of waste management. Several of them are relevant also for other types of systems analysis. We have identified and discussed such characteristics with regard to how they may restrict the applicability of LCA in the context of waste management. Efforts to improve LCA with regard to these aspects are also described. We also identify what other tools are available for investigating issues that cannot be adequately dealt with by traditional LCA models, and discuss whether LCA methodology should be expanded rather than complemented by other tools to increase its scope and applicability.

In recent discussions of the work of new historicist critics like Stephen Greenblatt and Louis Montrose, it has often been remarked that the theory of history underlying their reading practice closely resembles that of postmodern historiographers like Hayden White and Frank Ankersmit. Taking off from one such remark, the aim of the present article is twofold. First, I intend to provide a theoretical basis from which to substantiate the idea that new historicism can indeed be taken to be the literary-critical variant of what Frank Ankersmit has termed the "new historiography." In the second half of the article, this theoretical foundation will serve as the starting point of a further analysis of both the theory and practice of new historicism in terms of its distinctly postmodern historiographical project. I will argue that in order to fully characterize the new historicist reading method, we do well to distinguish between two variants of postmodern historicism: a narrativist one (best represented in the work of Michel Foucault) and a heterological one (of which Michel de Certeau's writings serve as a supreme example). A brief survey of the two methodological options associated with these variants (discursive versus psychoanalytical) is followed by an analysis of the work of the central representative of new historicism, Stephen Greenblatt. While the significant use of historical anecdotes in his work leaves unresolved the question to which of either approaches Greenblatt belongs, the distinction does serve a clear heuristic purpose. In both cases, it points to the dangerous spot where the new historicism threatens to fall prey to the evils of the traditional historicism against which it defined itself.

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A dispetto della sua ampia diffusione, la ricerca qualitativa continua a essere bersaglio di critiche sulla solidità dei suoi risultati e sulla loro generalizzabilità. Tutti questi addebiti sono solitamente ricondotti a una contestazione più generale, la mancanza di rigore. Questo libro sostiene le ragioni della ricerca qualitativa, proponendo una versione alternativa di rigore, modellata attingendo agli strumenti della teoria dell’argomentazione. L’autore concentra l’attenzione sulle tappe della ricerca qualitativa che precedono e seguono il lavoro sul campo, il disegno della ricerca, l’analisi dei dati e la scrittura. Corredato da un ricco repertorio di esempi, il volume tratteggia un insieme di principi teorici ed epistemologici utili a guidare la pratica della ricerca qualitativa.

Individual tree mortality models were developed for the six major forest species of Austria: Norway spruce (Picea abies), white ®r (Abies alba), European larch (Larix decidua), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), European beech (Fagus silvatica), and oak (Quercus spp.); a joint model for the remaining broadleaf species was also developed. Data came from 5-year remeasurements of the permanent plot network of the Austrian National Forest Inventory. Parameters of the logistic equation were estimated using maximum likelihood methods. For all species, we found the hyperbolic transformation of diameter (D À1) to be highly signi®cant in predicting the high mortality rates for small diameter trees and decreasing mortality rates for larger diameters. For spruce, a quadratic transformation in D was needed to accurately model the increase in mortality observed for large, low-vigor trees with diameter >70 cm, which resulted in a U-shaped distribution. Crown ratio was also consistently signi®cant, except for oak. We likewise found basal-area-in-larger-trees (BAL) to be a highly signi®cant predictor of mortality rate for all species except ®r and oak. Predicted mortality rate increases as the basal area in larger trees increases and as crown ratio decreases. The resulting logistic mortality model had the same general form for all species, with the signs of all parameters conforming to expectations. In general, chi-square statistics indicate that the most important variable is D À1 , the second most important is crown ratio, and the third most important predictor is BAL. The relative importance of crown ratio appears to be greater for shade tolerant species (®r, beech, spruce) than for shade intolerant species (larch, Scots pine, oak). Examination of graphs of observed vs. predicted mortality rates reveals that the species-speci®c mortality models are all well behaved, and match the observed mortality rates quite well. The D À1 transformation is¯exible, as can be seen by comparing the rather different mortality rates of larch and Scots pine. Predicted and observed mortality rates with respect to crown ratio are quite close to the observed mortality rates for all but the smallest crown ratios (CR<20%), a class with very few observations. Finally, the logistic mortality models passed a validation test on independent data not used in parameter estimation. The key ingredient for obtaining a good mortality model is a data set that is both large and representative of the population under study, and the Austrian National Forest Inventory data satisfy both requirements.

The Oldowan was the term first coined by Louis Leakey to describe the world's earliest stone industries, named after the famous site of Olduvai (formerly Oldoway) Gorge in Tanzania. The Oldowan Industrial Complex documents the first definitive evidence of early hominin culture as well as the earliest known archaeological record. This review examines our state of knowledge about the Oldowan and the hominin tool makers who produced this archaeological record and compares and contrasts these patterns with the technological and cultural patterns of modern apes, especially chimpanzees and bonobos. Of special interest are methodological approaches that can attempt to make direct comparisons between the early archaeological record and modern ape material culture, including a long-term collaborative experimental program in teaching modern apes to make and use stone tools.

Research Paradigms: Researchers’ Worldviews, Theoretical Frameworks and Study Designs


Sayyed Rashid Shah
Faculty of Engineering
King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia

Abdullah Al-Bargi
English Language Institute
King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia




Abstract
For novice researchers, in the fields of educational and social research, the choice of an appropriate research paradigm and relevant methodology is an uphill task. The vast amount of literature on this subject further exacerbates the confusion of early-career researchers. Hence, the current paper introduces them to the philosophical underpinnings of three major research paradigms in research. It delineates the positivistic, interpretive, and critical paradigms with an aim to seek a connexion among the ontology, epistemology, methodology and methods of each paradigm. In addition, it explores various underlying assumptions in educational research that have an impact on researchers’ world views, theoretical frameworks and study designs. 

Keywords: methods; methodology; research paradigms; study designs; worldviews

Ziel dieses Artikels ist es zum einen, mit dem Begriff der diskursiven Exklusion eine Konzeptualisierung von Exklusion zu unterbreiten, welche den theoretischen Anforderungen an einen soziologisch-analytischen Begriff gewachsen ist und zum anderen, methodische Hinweise zur Erforschung von Exklusionsprozessen zu bieten. Ich werde hierzu die drei emergenten Forschungsperspektiven der Diskursanalyse &quot;nach dem Strukturalismus&quot;, der Dispositivanalyse, und der wissenssoziologischen Diskursanalyse vorstellen und jeweils danach fragen, welches Analysepotenzial von ihnen ausgeht, um soziale Exklusion soziologisch zu fassen. Dabei wird sich zeigen, dass jede dieser Perspektiven bestimmte Aspekte in den Vordergrund ruckt, dabei aber wiederum andere vernachlassigt. Am Ende des Artikels werden Moglichkeiten einer Kombination der Ansatze diskutiert. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1302199

The aim was to evaluate the relative importance of an established battery of five function tests used in the assessment of cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) in diabetes employing spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) as the reference test. In a populationbased sample of 178 diabetic persons and 194 non-diabetic controls, five function tests (E/I ratio, Valsalva, 30:15 ratio, Orthostatic-BP, and sustained Handgrip) and power spectral analysis of a 24-h Holter recording were carried out. The high-frequency power during nighttime (LnHF NIGHT) was taken to express the parasympathetic function and the daytime low-frequency power (LnLF DAY) to express the sympathetic function. The readings were log transformation when appropriate, age-corrected, and standardized to units of standard deviation. Combinations of the three mainly parasympathetic tests and the two mainly sympathetic tests were computed by averaging the standardized readings. A high value of the mean sum of squares in LnHF NIGHT or LnLF DAY Ð explained in regression analysis Ð was assumed to represent the better test or combination of tests. The three parasympathetic function tests each correlated significantly to LnHF NIGHT. The E/I ratio had a correlation to LnHF NIGHT similar to the combination of the three parasympathetic tests and the combination of all five function tests, whereas Valsalva and 30:15 ratio had a significantly poorer association. Sustained Handgrip-correlated significantly poorer to LnLF DAY compared to Orthostatic BP and the combination of the two sympathetic tests explained a significantly smaller part of the variation in LnLF DAY and LnHF NIGHT than did the combination of all five tests. This study indicates that: (1) no information is gained by adding the sympathetic function tests to the parasympathetic tests, (2) the most informative test is the E/I ratio, (3) and knowledge about the degree of CAN as defined by reduced HRV is not significantly increased when the four other function tests assessed are added to the E/I ratio.

Locked within our genetic code are the histories of our genes and the genes of our ancestors. Deciphering a population's history from genetic data often involves lengthy investigations of many loci for many individuals. We test hypothetical population histories of the Thule expansion using a new coalescent simulation method that uses little more than mitochondrial haplogroup data. This new methodology rejects a severe bottleneck at expansion and reveals the range of probable population histories on which to focus future research.

Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.

Trypanosome infections in their natural hosts are frequently di.cult to detect by microscopy\ and culture methods are unreliable and not suitable for all species of Trypanosoma[ A nested PCR strategy for detecting and identifying Trypanosoma species\ suitable for detecting both known and unknown trypanosomes\ is presented[ Thirty!two blood samples from 12 species of Australian birds and mammals were screened by a nested PCR for the presence of Trypanosoma sp[ ssrRNA[ Three infections were detected\ one in an eastern grey kangaroo "Macropus giganteus#\ one in a common wombat "Vombatus ursinus# and one in a platypus "Ornithorhynchus anatinus#[ The kangaroo and wombat are new host records for Trypanosoma sp[^the platypus parasite was Trypanosoma binneyi[ The three parasites could be distinguished by restriction fragment length polymorphisms of the ampli_ed fragment of the ssrRNA gene[ The kangaroo and wombat parasites were also isolated in a semi!solid blood agar medium[ The culture forms of the kangaroo trypanosome had an expanded~agellar sheath in which structures similar to hemidesmosomes were detected by EM[ The nested PCR was at least as sensitive as culture\ and analysis of the PCR products gave parasite!speci_c _ngerprints[ Therefore this method could be suitable for rapidly screening host animals for the presence of trypanosomes and identifying the infecting strain[ Þ 0888 Australian Society for Parasitology[ Published by Elsevier Science Ltd[ All rights reserved[ Keywords] Macropus giganteus^Ornithorhynchus anatinus^Ortholfersia macleayi^Trypanosoma binneyi^Trypanosoma cruzi^Vombatus ursinus^Guanidine thiocyanate

We examined two commonly used dichotic listening tests for measuring the degree of hemispheric specialization for language in individuals who had undergone cerebral hemispherectomy: the Consonant-Vowel (CV) nonsense syllables and the Fused Words (FW) tests, using the common laterality indices f and λ. Hemispherectomy on either side resulted in a massive contralateral ear advantage, demonstrating nearly complete ipsilateral suppression of the left ear in the right hemispherectomy group but slightly less complete suppression of the right ear in the left hemispherectomy group. The results are consistent with the anatomical model of the ear advantage . Most syllables or words are reported for the ear contralateral to the remaining hemisphere, while few or none are reported for the ear ipsilateral to the remaining hemisphere. In the presence of competing inputs to the two ears, the stronger contralateral ear-hemisphere connection dominates/suppresses the weaker ipsilateral ear-hemisphere connection. The λ index was similar in the two tests but the index f was higher in the CV than the FW test. Both indices of the CV test were sensitive to side of resection, higher in the right hemispherectomy than in the left hemispherectomy groups.

An improvement methodology is proposed for the design process in construction projects. Based on concepts and principles of lean production, the methodology considers the design process as a set of three different models-conversion, flow, and value. Four stages are necessary to produce improvements and changes-͑1͒ diagnosis/evaluation; ͑2͒ changes implementation; ͑3͒ control; and ͑4͒ standardization. The methodology suggests the application of seven tools in accordance to specific needs ͑detected and desired͒ on five potential areas of improvement-client, administration, project, resources, and information. Results of an application included an increase of 31% in the share of value adding activities, 44% reduction of unit errors in the products, up to 58% decrease of waiting times in the process, and an expansion of the utilization in the cycle times. In this manner, not only did the efficiency and effectiveness of internal engineering products improve, but also the whole project, by improving one of the main suppliers of construction.

Cave diving is one of the most technical and potential dangerous forms of diving done today. It may involve use of multiple tanks, regulators and gas mixtures or rebreathers, in combination with powerful long-range diver propulsion vehicles, to penetrate thousands of meters into submerged cave systems where direct ascent to the surface in the case of emergencies is impossible. In order to carry out scientific studies under such difficult conditions, individuals must be highly competent and experienced cave divers. In spite of these problems, numerous scientific investigations in the fields of biology, ecology, microbiology, geology, hydrology and archaeology have carried out by cave diving scientists. Exploratory cave divers have provided the initial impetus for this research by exploring and mapping underwater caves.

Le present article, consacre a la mesure de competences langagieres, met en evidence les similitudes et les differences entre tests informels (utilises en classe) et tests standardises (utilises entre autres pour la recherche). Afin de concretiser les reflexions d&#39;ordre methodologique, il presente les premiers resultats d&#39;une etude longitudinale sur la maturite bilingue en Suisse. Cette recherche montre que les gymnasiens inscrits a cette filiere obtiennent, des le depart, des resultats de tests significativement superieurs a ceux des eleves des classes paralleles servant de groupe temoin. L&#39;article se termine par des considerations sur le debat actuel en rapport avec une eventuelle introduction de standards de formation dans le domaine des langues etrangeres au niveau gymnasial.

Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the first direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive effects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. There remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors, although further investigation of this possibility using methodologically sophisticated designs is warranted.

The fate of black carbon deposited on the soil surface after burning of harvesting residues is poorly understood. In this study we quantified horizontal as well as vertical transport of total pyrogenic carbon and its chemically most stable part (OREC) during a rainfall experiment after an experimental burn. The aim of the study was to assess the importance of splash erosion versus runoff for the export of total pyrogenic carbon and OREC from soil. Our methodological approach included the comparison of 1 m 2 plots with splash erosion to 1 m 2 plots where splash erosion was prevented by mosquito nets. On these plots, we quantified total pyrogenic carbon and OREC in the soil before and after the rainfall simulation. Additionally, we assessed the amount of total pyrogenic C and OREC exported from the plots and transported vertically into the soil. Our results showed that 7-55% of pyrogenic carbon was subject to horizontal and another 23-46% of initial deposited pyrogenic C subject to vertical transport. The export of total pyrogenic carbon and OREC at least doubled on plots where splash was allowed. OREC was less prone to vertical transport than total pyrogenic C. We explained the contrasting observation for both carbon types by the favourable floating behaviour of OREC compared to higher sedimentation rates of other pyrogenic C types, which may partly lead to redistribution of the latter. The presence or absence of splash erosion was found to determine the magnitude of horizontal versus vertical transport and thereby the fate of black C in soil.

This article presents a preparation methodology for making clear yield pseudoplastic fluids so that repetitive and consistent rheological measurements can be made using two types of Carbopol 980 and Carbopol Ultrez-10. The methodology calls for gentle agitation while dispersing the polymer, leaving it static for 30 minutes for air bubble removal and neutralization while agitating with NaOH followed by 1 hour for the 980 type and 5 hours for the Ultrez-10. Results are presented for the change of rheological parameters with polymer type, polymer concentration, with hydration time, and temperature. Almost all samples exhibited rheological behavior which could be very well described by the Herschel-Bulkley rheological model. Carbopol 980 solutions appear to be very suitable as model clear yield pseudoplastic fluids while Ultrez-10 solutions present some peculiarities rendering them not so suitable as model fluids.

This study explores the use of discrete choice methods for airline passenger cancellation behavior. A discrete time proportional odds model with a prospective time scale is estimated based on the occurrence of cancellations (defined as refund and exchange events) in a sample of tickets provided by the Airline Reporting Corporation. Empirical results based on 2004 data from eight domestic US markets indicate that the intensity of the cancellation process is strongly influenced by both the time from ticket purchase and the time before flight departure. Higher cancellations rates are generally observed for recently purchased tickets, and for tickets whose associated flight departure dates are near. Cancellations rates are influenced by several other covariates, including departure day of week, market, and group size.

The liberalization of electricity markets has forced energy producing companies and traders to calculate costs closer to the profit frontier. Thus, an efficient risk management and risk controlling are needed to ensure the financial survival even during bad times. Using the RAROC methodology we provide a new framework to quantify risks related to wholesale electricity contracts, also called full load contracts. We do not only consider risk of market price fluctuations but also correlation effects between the spot market price and the load curve of a customer. We further conduct an empirical study on whole sale contracts for industry customers and public utility companies of a German energy provider. Our findings support the adequateness of the approach and point out the importance of considering also price-volume correlation effects for electricity whole sale contracts.

Fatigue Pro®le, a new numerical method for characterising fatigue in isokinetic cycle ergometry is presented and compared with the conventional fatigue index (FI). The new method describes the temporal development of muscle fatigue based on the decline of peak power output throughout a whole trial. The advantage of this method is demonstrated by the analysis of two 25 s maximum trials, separated by 90 s recovery, performed by a well-trained athlete at a pedal frequency of 120 revolutions per minute. A fourth degree polynomial was ®tted to model the peak power data. Using the polynomial model coecients the ®rst derivative represented the rate of changing peak power which represented the Fatigue Pro®le. The conventional FI was calculated as A35 Ws A1 and A32 Ws A1 for trials 1 and 2 respectively, indicating minor dierences in fatigue between trials. In contrast the Fatigue Pro®le revealed important numeric and temporal dierences between the trials. For trial 1 a maximum rate of peak power decline of A65 Ws A1 was reached at approximately 6 s into the trial. In marked contrast, in trial 2, maximum rate of peak power decline (A146 Ws A1) occurred immediately. The Fatigue Pro®le approach allows the characterisation of the temporal development of fatigue under dierent experimental conditions and in combination with other techniques may yield further insight into the underlying mechanisms of fatigue.

This paper presents the implementation of the recent methodology called Adaptable Time Warping (ATW) for the automatic identification of mixture of crystallographic phases from powder X-ray diffraction data, inside the framework of a new integrative platform named hITeQ. The methodology is encapsulated into a so-called workflow, and we explore the benefits of such an environment for streamlining discovery in R&D.

Although adaptive applications are increasing in popularity, there are only a few approaches that focus on their generalization or the specification of a reference model. Trying to fill this gap, this paper presents a reference model for adaptive hypermedia applications, similar to AHAM. The main novelty of our approach is an object-oriented specification written in UML (Unified Modeling Language) which integrates both an intuitive visual representation and a formal unambiguous specification in OCL (Object Constraint Language). Our reference model is defined as an extension of the Dexter Hypertext Reference Model including user modeling aspects and rule-based adaptation mechanisms.

Traditional sensitivity and elasticity analyses of matrix population models have been used to inform management decisions, but they ignore the economic costs of manipulating vital rates. For example, the growth rate of a population is often most sensitive to changes in adult survival rate, but this does not mean that increasing that rate is the best option for managing the population because it may be much more expensive than other options. To explore how managers should optimize their manipulation of vital rates, we incorporated the cost of changing those rates into matrix population models. We derived analytic expressions for locations in parameter space where managers should shift between management of fecundity and survival, for the balance between fecundity and survival management at those boundaries, and for the allocation of management resources to sustain that optimal balance. For simple matrices, the optimal budget allocation can often be expressed as simple functions of vital rates and the relative costs of changing them. We applied our method to management of the Helmeted Honeyeater (Lichenostomus melanops cassidix; an endangered Australian bird) and the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) as examples. Our method showed that cost-efficient management of the Helmeted Honeyeater should focus on increasing fecundity via nest protection, whereas optimal koala management should focus on manipulating both fecundity and survival simultaneously. These findings are contrary to the cost-negligent recommendations of elasticity analysis, which would suggest focusing on managing survival in both cases. A further investigation of Helmeted Honeyeater management options, based on an individual-based model incorporating density dependence, spatial structure, and environmental stochasticity, confirmed that fecundity management was the most cost-effective strategy. Our results demonstrate that decisions that ignore economic factors will reduce management efficiency.

In this paper we present and discuss standardized T score systems for neuropsychological test data. Both linear and normalized T scores were calculated for 141 normal subjects and a group of 141 patients with diffuse or focal brain damage. Many standard neuropsychological tests have skewed raw score and linear T score distributions, and we argue that normalized T scores have practical advantages because they permit simple descriptions of both patient groups and individual test score distributions. We also argue that skewness can be partially explained by ceiling effects and other test construction artefacts and that skewed raw score distributions do not necessarily reflect skewed distributions of the underlying mental abilities. Consequently, use of normalized T scores seems appropriate in many research and clinical contexts.

Les avancées scientifiques et techniques des sciences de la vie ouvrent de nouvelles perspectives d’application à l’homme. Or, ces perspectives semblent défier l’analyse et la représentation, par la multitude des possibilités offertes, ce qui fait problème. Pour remédier autant que possible à cette difficulté, nous avons proposé, dans un premier temps, de procéder à une analyse de la structure anthropologique de l’imaginaire humain pour discerner les grands types de réalisations auxquels l’humanité aspire. En effet, ces motivations profondes sont les plus puissants moteurs de l’histoire envisageables. En un second temps, il s’agissait de passer quelques unes de ces grandes motivations au crible de ce qui paraît scientifiquement et techniquement possible, afin de cerner assez rigoureusement quelques perspectives plausibles. Ainsi peut-on espérer formuler un essai de prospective philosophique raisonné, permettant pour partie d’éclairer la façon dont le développement des sciences de la vie va s’incarner en l’homme.

h i g h l i g h t s " A purification step of the methyl acetate is needed to remove contaminants. " Adsorption isotherms of methyl acetate mixtures correlated with a Langmuir model. " Breakthrough curves showed the feasibility of the adsorption on zeolite 5A.

The design of the supply chain, and in particular of the distribution phase, for fresh-food products, such as fresh and fresh-cut produce, fruit or meat, cannot be achieved without considering the perishable nature and the variability of the products entering the chain.

The beam-column joint is measured as the most important zone in a reinforced concrete moment resisting frame. It is subjected to large forces during earthquake and its behaviour has a major influence on the response of the entire structure. As a result, a great attention has to be paid for good detailing of such joint. The absence of transverse reinforcement in the joint, insufficient development length for the beam reinforcement and the inadequately spliced reinforcement for the column just above the joint can be considered as the most important causes for the failure of the beam-column joint under any unexpected transverse loading on the building. The recent earthquakes revealed the importance of the design of reinforced concrete (RC) structures with ductile behaviour. Ductility can be described as the ability of reinforced concrete cross sections, elements and structures to absorb the large energy released during earthquakes without losing their strength under large amplitude and reversible deformations.

is state of the art review aims at discussing the potential relevance of Finno-Ugric languages in the larger context of second language research. Key results received in the studies conducted in the eld of Finno-Ugric languages as second languages are introduced, and some interim conclusions based on them are made. e main areas in focus are cross-linguistic in uence, forms and constructions, second language interaction, and motivation, identities and integration. Furthermore, some future lines of investigation are suggested for the researchers of the eld. e research activities are recommended to get more closely bound to the internationally established or emerging paradigms, and research activities involving several Finno-Ugric languages are strongly encouraged. To promote international co-operation, some existing gaps or obvious needs for research are pointed out, and preliminary research initiatives are made.

Ready-to-eat potato-soy snacks were developed with high temperature short time air puffing process followed by oven toasting for increasing crispness. Oven toasting experiments were conducted with varying temperature (85.86-114.14°C) and time (12.69-35.31 min) based on central composite rotatable design. The final product was evaluated in terms of quality attributes such as crispness, moisture content, ascorbic acid loss, colour (L and DE) values and overall acceptability. The optimum product qualities in terms of crispness (38.7), moisture content (3.35%, db), ascorbic acid loss (20.87%, db), L value (52.03), DE (8.60) and overall acceptability (7.8) were obtained at temperature of 104.4°C and time of 27.9 min.

Multicore embedded systems introduce new opportunities and challenges. Scaling of computational power is one of the main reasons for a transition to a multicore environment. Parallel design patterns, such as Map Reduce, Task Graph, Thread Pool, Task Parallelism assist to derive a parallel approach for calculating the Fast Fourier Transform. By combining these design patterns, a robust application can be obtained. The key issues for concurrent calculation of a Fast Fourier Transform are determined at a higher level avoiding low-level patch-ups.

Online interviews are deemed an effective and appropriate approach for accessing discourse about the online experiences of people with disabilities. Some of the central arguments in support of conducting discursive research online, a type of qualitative approach, are delineated. Various practical benefits are considered for researchers, as well as participants—especially those with disabilities. Ethical issues surrounding access to, and the analysis of, readily available data in online communities are brought to the fore. In light of ethical dilemmas surrounding naturalistic data collection online, an alternative approach is offered, which utilizes online interviews with people with disabilities about their online experiences. A description of the data-collection process is given, including participants and recruitment, materials and procedures, rapport building, and security and ethics. Reflections on the process highlight how methodological pitfalls were managed and, in some cases...