Fluid, heat and mass transfer in a Venlo type greenhouse with variable boundary conditions

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Hamilton’s Principle with Variable Order Fractional Derivatives

MSC 2010: 26A33, 70H25, 46F12, 34K37 Dedicated to 80-th birthday of Prof. Rudolf Gorenflo

Raman laser based on a fiber with variable mode structure

A Raman converter based on an active fiber with variable mode structure is experimentally and theoretically studied. It is demonstrated that a conventional telecommunication fiber with variable mode structure can be used to construct Raman converters © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2011.

Factors associated with social work student satisfaction with field placements in child welfare

This study was conducted during the 1994-1995 academic year. Seven social work education programs in the state of Florida, all accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, participated in this study. Graduate and undergraduate social work students in child welfare field placements, and their field instructors, were surveyed during the Spring 1995 semester to assess their satisfaction with field placements in this area and the relationship of this satisfaction to employment interests and field placement recommendations.^ The majority of social work students responding to this survey were generally satisfied with several aspects of their field placements--the learning, field work program, field instructor, child welfare agency, and overall field experience. The field instructors were generally more satisfied than the students, but only statistically different from the students in the areas of satisfaction with the field work program and the child welfare agency. Multiple regression analysis revealed that learning assignment opportunities, field instructor relationship characteristics, placement preference, and pre-placement interview contributed to the prediction of student satisfaction.^ Student satisfaction in field placement was significantly related to the acceptance of employment, if offered, and the recommendation of the field placement to other students. Logistic regression analysis revealed that satisfaction with the child welfare agency was the greatest contributor to the prediction of acceptance of employment, and satisfaction with the field work program was the greatest contributor to the prediction of field placement recommendation. ^

GENIAL Design: A System for Improving Guest Satisfaction with Hospitality Design

Over the past decades, hospitality design has lost sight of its basic goals of providing the guest with safe, pleasant, convenient accommodations and providing the owner with a facility which can be operated efficiently and profitably over the life of the structure. The author offers the acronym GE- NIAL, Guest, Environment, Needs, Interiors, Accessibility, and Long-term, as a means of keeping owners, developers, managers, and designers aware of the desired goals of the facility throughout its design and development. The author believes that the use of this acronym will promulgate de- signs more attuned to guest and owner/operator needs, resulting in in- creased guest satisfaction and increased profitability.

Factors associated with social work student satisfaction with field placements in child welfare by Diane Elias Alperin.

This study was conducted during the 1994-1995 academic year. Seven social work education programs in the state of Florida, all accredited by the Council on Social Work Education, participated in this study. Graduate and undergraduate social work students in child welfare field placements, and their field instructors, were surveyed during the Spring 1995 semester to assess their satisfaction with field placements ii this area and the relationship of this satisfaction to employment interests and field placement recommendations. The majority of social work students responding to this survey were generally satisfied with several aspects of their field placements--the learning, field work program, field instructor, child welfare agency, and overall field experience. The field instructors were generally more satisfied than the students, but only statistically different from the students in the areas of satisfaction with the field work program and the child welfare agency. Multiple regression analysis revealed that learning assignment opportunities, field instructor relationship characteristics, placement preference, and pre-placement interview contributed to the prediction of student satisfaction. Student satisfaction in field placement was significantly related to the acceptance of employment, if offered, and the recommendation of the field placement to other students. Logistic regression analysis revealed that satisfaction with the child welfare agency was the greatest contributor to the prediction of acceptance of employment, and satisfaction with the field work program was the greatest contributor to the prediction of field placement recommendation.

Specific humoral response of hosts with variable schistosomiasis susceptibility

The schistosome blood flukes are some of the largest global causes of parasitic morbidity. Further study of the specific antibody response during schistosomiasis may yield the vaccines and diagnostics needed to combat this disease. Therefore, for the purposes of antigen discovery, sera and antibody-secreting cell (ASC) probes from semi-permissive rats and sera from susceptible mice were used to screen a schistosome protein microarray. Following Schistosoma japonicum infection, rats had reduced pathology, increased antibody responses and broader antigen recognition profiles compared with mice. With successive infections, rat global serological reactivity and the number of recognized antigens increased. The local antibody response in rat skin and lung, measured with ASC probes, increased after parasite migration and contributed antigen-specific antibodies to the multivalent serological response. In addition, the temporal variation of anti-parasite serum antibodies after infection and reinfection followed patterns that appear related to the antigen driving the response. Among the 29 antigens differentially recognized by the infected hosts were numerous known vaccine candidates, drug targets and several S. japonicum homologs of human schistosomiasis resistance markers-the tegument allergen-like proteins. From this set, we prioritized eight proteins that may prove to be novel schistosome vaccine and diagnostic antigens.

Mothers’ perception of recovery and satisfaction with patent medicine dealers’ treatment of childhood febrile conditions in rural communities

Background Infant mortality in rural areas of Nigeria can be minimized if childhood febrile conditions are treated by trained health personnel, deployed to primary healthcare centres (PHCs) rather than the observed preference of mothers for patent medicine dealers (PMDs). However, health service utilization/patronage is driven by consumer satisfaction and perception of services/product value. The objective of this study was to determine ‘mothers’ perception of recovery’ and ‘mothers’ satisfaction’ after PMD treatment of childhood febrile conditions, as likely drivers of mothers’ health-seeking behaviour, which must be targeted to reverse the trend. Methods Ugwuogo-Nike, in Enugu, Nigeria, has many PMDs/PHCs, and was selected based on high prevalence of childhood febrile conditions. In total, 385 consenting mothers (aged 15–45 years) were consecutively recruited at PMD shops, after purchasing drugs for childhood febrile conditions, in a cross-sectional observational study using a pre-tested instrument; 33 of them (aged 21–47 years) participated in focus group discussions (FGDs). Qualitative data were thematically analysed while a quantitative study was analysed with Z score and Chi square statistics, at p < 0.05. Results Most participants in FGDs perceived that their child had delayed recovery, but were satisfied with PMDs’ treatment of childhood febrile conditions, for reasons that included politeness, caring attitude, drug availability, easy accessibility, flexibility in pricing, shorter waiting time, their God-fearing nature, and disposition as good listeners. Mothers’ satisfaction with PMDs’ treatment is significantly (p < 0.05) associated with mothers’ perception of recovery of their child (χ2 = 192.94, df = 4; p < 0.0001; Cramer’s V = 0.7079). However, predicting mothers’ satisfaction with PMDs’ treatment from a knowledge of mothers’ perception of recovery shows a high accord (lambda[A from B] = 0.8727), unlike when predicting mothers’ perception of recovery based on knowledge of mothers’ satisfaction with PMDs’ treatment (lambda[A from B] = 0.4727). Conclusions Mothers’ satisfaction could be the key ‘driver’ of mothers’ health-seeking behaviour and is less likely to be influenced by mothers’ perception of recovery of their child. Therefore, mothers’ negative perception of their child’s recovery may not induce proportionate decline in mothers’ health-seeking behaviour (patronage of PMDs), which might be influenced mainly by mothers’ satisfaction with the positive attributes of PMDs’ personality/practice and sets an important agenda for PHC reforms.

Effects of the frequency and satisfaction with leisure profile ondementia caregivers distress

El modelo PEAR (“Actividades Agradables Restricción Conductual”) ha sido propuesto como una manera de entender los efectos del ocio sobre el malestar de cuidadores de personas con demencia. En base al modelo PEAR y al de estrés y afrontamiento, el objetivo de este estudio fue analizar de forma conjunta el papel de la frecuencia y la satisfacción con la activación conductual en la explicación del malestar del cuidador (depresión, ansiedad, salud percibida), el riesgo de institucionalización de la persona cuidada, los estresores y recursos del cuidador (rumiación y reevaluación cognitiva) en una muestra de 275 cuidadores. Se dividió a la muestra en cuatro grupos en función de sus niveles en la frecuencia y la satisfacción con la activación conductual: BFBS = Baja frecuencia + baja satisfacción; BFAS = Baja frecuencia + alta satisfacción; AFBS = Alta frecuencia + baja satisfacción; y AFAS = Alta frecuencia + alta satisfacción. Mientras que los cuidadores del grupo AFAS mostraron un perfil más positivo en variables relacionadas con los recursos y de salud, y menores puntuaciones en riesgo de institucionalización en comparación con el resto de los grupos, los cuidadores del grupo BFBS utilizaron en mayor medida estrategias de regulación emocional desadaptativas y mostraron peores consecuencias sobre variables de resultado de salud. Los resultados sugieren la importancia de considerar el perfil de frecuencia y satisfacción con el ocio a la hora de entender el malestar del cuidador.

Three dimensional circulation of water with variable wind in the Caspian Sea

This research is based on a numerical model for forecasting the three-dimensional behavior of (sea) water motion due to the effect of a variable wind velocity. The results obtained are then analyzed and compared with observation. This model is based on the equations that overcome the current and distribution of temperature by applying the method of finite difference with assuming Δx, Δy as constant and Δz, variable. The model is based on the momentum equation, continuity equation and thermodynamic energy equation and tension at the surface and middle layers and bottom stress. The horizontal and vertical eddy viscosity and thermal diffusivity coefficients we used in accordance with that of the Bennet on Outario Lake (1977). Considering the Caspian Sea dimension in numerical model the Coriolis parameter used with β effects and the approximation Boussines have been used. For the program controlling some simple experiment with boundary condition similar to that of the Caspian Sea have been done. For modeling the Caspian Sea the grid of the field was done as follows: At horizontal surface grid size is 10×10km extension and at vertical in 10 layers with varying thickness from surface to bed respectively as: 5, 10, 20, 3, 50, 100, 150, 200, 25, 500 and higher. The data of wind as velocity، direction and temperature of water related to 15th September 1995 at 6،12 and 18 o’clock were obtained from synoptic station at the Caspian Sea shore and the research marine of Haji Alief. The information concerning shore wind was measured and by the method of SPM (shore protection manual) was transferred to far shore winds through interpolation and by use of inverse square distance of position distribution of the wind velocity at the Caspian surface field was obtained. The model has been evaluated according to the reports and observations. Through studying the position of the current in different layers، the velocity in the cross section in the northern، southern and the middle layers، will be discussed. The results reveal the presence of the circulation cells in the three above mentioned areas. The circulation with depth is reduced too. The results obtained through the numerical solution of the temperature equation have been compared with the observation. The temperature change in different layers in cross section illustrates the relative accordance of the model mentioned.

A Multidimensional Approach to Social Support: the Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS)

The Questionnaire on the Frequency of and Satisfaction with Social Support (QFSSS) was designed to assess the frequency of and the degree of satisfaction with perceived social support received from different sources in relation to three types of support: emotional, informational, and instrumental. This study tested the reliability of the questionnaire scores and its criterion and structural validity. The data were drawn from survey interviews of 2042 Spanish people. The results show high internal consistency (values of Cronbach's alpha ranged from .763 to .952). The correlational analysis showed significant positive associations between QFSSS scores and measures of subjective well-being and perceived social support, as well as significant negative associations with measures of loneliness (values of Pearson's r correlation ranged from .11 to .97). Confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modelling verified an internal 4-factor structure that corresponds to the sources of support analysed: partner, family, friends, and community (values ranged from .93 to .95 for the Goodness of Fit Index (GFI); from .95 to .98 for the Comparative Fit Index (CFI); and from .10 to .07 for the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)). These results confirm the validity of the QFSSS as a versatile tool which is suitable for the multidimensional assessment of social support.

Community satisfaction with indoor residue spraying for Malaria control in Karonga, Northern Malawi

Background The Malawi National Malaria Control Program conducted Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) in 2010 and 2013 in selected hot districts along the valleys including Karonga, but no study has been done to measure community satisfaction levels in these areas. Aim To assess satisfaction levels of community with IRS in both rural and urban settings, in Karonga district. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban village of Mwahimba and rural village of Fundi. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from households’ representatives through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) using De Wets’s Schutte tool. Qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis while numbers and percentages were generated using Microsoft excel. Results Overall level of satisfaction in Fundi was estimated at 69% while that of Mwahimba was at 60.9%. In Fundi village, 66.1 % (37) of the household representatives were satisfied while in Mwahimba village, 60.7 % (34) were satisfied with the IRS programme. Factors that led to satisfaction were minimal adverse effects of the chemical on people after spraying, killing of other insects, sprayer’ courtesy and good communication. Factors behind dissatisfaction include: short residual effect of the chemical used, over-dilution of the chemical and minimal community involvement. Conclusion Despite finding high satisfaction levels in rural village than in an urban village, overall all the villages reported low levels of satisfaction with IRS due to various factors some of which common to both villages. Karonga District Health Office needs to involve the community in the process of spraying by recruiting sprayers from the target area and also explaining the purpose of dilution and the dilution factor to community members.

Oral health quality of the workers of a telemarketing company and their satisfaction with the treatments provided by the corporative dental insurance plan

Aim: To evaluate the oral health quality of the workers of a telemarketing company and their satisfaction with the dental treatments provided by the corporative dental insurance plan. Methods: Data collection was by an online intranet questionnaire on dental service providers from Uberlândia/MG and Campinas/SP. It was addressed to 6000 associates, with objective and subjective questions, comprising the level of the telemarketing operators’ oral health, dental needs, satisfaction with dental care providers and the importance of having the laboral dental services provided by the company. Results: After analysis of the results, we observed that: 57.52% of the workers required improvement in their oral health and 56.03% mentioned prevention as the largest need, 66.70% use the dental providers’ services, but only 31.34% were satisfied with them. Conclusions: The results underscore that the workers have an intermediate level of dental needs, with prevention as top importance. Additionally, establishment of a basic attention program inside the company would increase the satisfaction and adhesion indexes of providers and the workers’ oral health.

ENGINEERING HIERARCHICAL MESO-/MICROPOROUS LAMELLAR ZEOLITES WITH VARIABLE TEXTURAL AND CATALYTIC PROPERTIES

Meso-/microporous zeolites combine the charactersitics of well-defined micropores of zeolite with efficient mass transfer consequences of mesopores to increase the efficiency of the catalysts in reactions involving bulky molecules. Different methods such as demetallation and templating have been explored for the synthesis of meso-/microporous zeolites. However, they all have limitations in production of meso-/microporous zeolites with tunable textural and catalytic properties using few synthesis steps. To address this challenge, a simple one-step dual template synthesis approach has been developed in this work to engineer lamellar meso-/microporous zeolites structures with tunable textural and catalytic properties. First, one-step dual template synthesis of meso-/microporous mordenite framework inverted (MFI) zeolite structures was investigated. Tetrapropyl ammonium hydroxide (TPAOH) and diquaternary ammonium surfactant ([C22H45-N+(CH3)2-C6H12-N+(CH3)2-C6H13]Br2, C22-6-6) were used as templates to produce micropores and mesopores, respectively. The variation in concentration ratios of dual templates and hydrothermal synthesis conditions resulted in production of multi-lamellar MFI and the hybrid lamellar-bulk MFI (HLBM) zeolite structures. The relationship between the morphology, porosity, acidity, and catalytic properties of these catalysts was systematically studied. Then, the validity of the proposed synthesis approach for production of other types of zeolites composites was examined by creating a meso-/microporous bulk polymorph A (BEA)-lamellar MFI (BBLM) composite. The resulted composite samples showed higher catalytic stability compared to their single component zeolites. The studies demonstrated the high potential of the one-step dual template synthesis procedure for engineering the textural and catalytic properties of the synthesized zeolites.