Evolution of mylonitic microfabrics (EMM), a computer application for educational purposes

`Evolution of mylonitic microfabrics' (EMM) is an interactive Filemaker Pro 3.0 application that documents a series of see-through deformation experiments on polycrystalline norcamphor. The application comprises computer animations, graphics and text explanations designed to give students and researchers insight into the interaction and dynamic nature of small-scale, mylonitic processes like intracrystalline glide, dynamic recrystallization and strain localization (microshearing). EMM shows how mylonitic steady state is achieved at different strain rates and temperatures. First, rotational mechanisms like glide-induced vorticity, subgrain rotation recrystallization and rigid-body rotation bring grains' crystal lattices into orientations that are favorable for intracrystalline glide. In a second stage, selective elimination of grains whose lattices are poorly oriented for glide involves grain boundary migration. This strengthens the texture. Temperature and strain rate affect both the relative activity of different strain accommodation mechanisms and the rate of microfabric change. Steady-state microfabrics are characterized by stable texture, grain size and shape-preferred orientations of grains and domains. This involves the cyclical generation and elimination of dynamically recrystallized grains and microshear zones.

The development of the accounting professional in a postcolonial context: evidence from Sierra Leone

Despite increasing interest in the development of the accountancy profession and constitutive professional bodies in ex-colonies, little is known about the development of professional accountants as individuals. Similarly, although the continuing influence of the legacies of colonialism and imperialism on the accounting professionalisation trajectory in ex-colonies has been recognised, little attempt has been made to theorise such continuing colonial intervention as a postcolonial condition of accommodation and resistance, with implications for the development of professional accountants. This thesis fills this vacuum by employing four aspects of the critical lens of postcolonial theory – local-global nexus, psycho-existential complex, postcolonial hybridity and diaspora - to gain an insight into the development of accounting professionals in ex-colonies with specific reference to Sierra Leone. Specifically, it examines the current model of accounting professionalisation adopted in Sierra Leone and implications for the development of professional accountants in the country; investigates the historical and ideological legacies of colonialism that shaped and continue to influence the professionalisation trajectory in Sierra Leone; explores the perceptions of Sierra Leonean chartered and aspiring accountants of their professional identity in terms of their professional development within Sierra Leone; and explores the lived experiences of Sierra Leonean chartered and aspiring accountants in the diaspora and the diaspora effect on accountancy in Sierra Leone. The empirical evidence presented here emanated from two sources: a web-based survey and semi-structured interviews with Sierra Leonean chartered and aspiring accountants both within and outside the country at the time of the study. The model for developing professional accountants in Sierra Leone comprises a partnership between the local professional body, ICASL, and the British-based global body, the ACCA. A postcolonial analysis of the empirical evidence reveals that an unintended consequence of this model is that the local is co-opted within the global while the global becomes increasingly localised. The analysis also shows that the presence of a perceived global body ‘inferiorises’ the local body to the point of undesirability among local chartered and aspiring accountants. Thus the partnership has to date done little by way of developing ICASL’s capacity to ensure the development of a localised profession and professionals. Instead, it produces, within the Sierra Leone accountancy space, professional hybrids that at once pose as global as well as local accountants. This has significant implications for the local profession because many of the hybrid professional accountants who could potentially drive the local profession forward end up in the diaspora, which leaves the local profession in a weaker state. Also, given the established link between a robust accountancy profession and sustainable economic development, such professional diasporisation could negatively impact on the country’s economic development. In sum, Sierra Leone has failed to establish an accounting professionalisation model that develops professional accountants (through contextualised professional education and training) that meets the specific accounting needs of its growing economy.

The impact of social housing on health in Glasgow and Baltimore, 1930-1980

This dissertation seeks to discern the impact of social housing on public health in the cities of Glasgow, Scotland and Baltimore, Maryland in the twentieth century. Additionally, this dissertation seeks to compare the impact of social housing policy implementation in both cities, to determine the efficacy of social housing as a tool of public health betterment. This is accomplished through the exposition and evaluation of the housing and health trends of both cities over the course of the latter half of the twentieth century. Both the cities of Glasgow and Baltimore had long struggled with both overcrowded slum districts and relatively unhealthy populations. Early commentators had noticed the connection between insanitary housing and poor health, and sought a solution to both of these problems. Beginning in the 1940s, housing reform advocates (self-dubbed ‘housers') pressed for the development of social housing, or municipally-controlled housing for low-income persons, to alleviate the problems of overcrowded slum dwellings in both cities. The impetus for social housing was twofold: to provide affordable housing to low-income persons and to provide housing that would facilitate healthy lives for tenants. Whether social housing achieved these goals is the crux of this dissertation. In the immediate years following the Second World War, social housing was built en masse in both cities. Social housing provided a reprieve from slum housing for both working-class Glaswegians and Baltimoreans. In Baltimore specifically, social housing provided accommodation for the city’s Black residents, who found it difficult to occupy housing in White neighbourhoods. As the years progressed, social housing developments in both cities faced unexpected problems. In Glasgow, stable tenant flight (including both middle class and skilled artisan workers)+ resulted in a concentration of poverty in the city’s housing schemes, and in Baltimore, a flight of White tenants of all income levels created a new kind of state subsidized segregated housing stock. The implementation of high-rise tower blocks in both cities, once heralded as a symbol of housing modernity, also faced increased scrutiny in the 1960s and 1970s. During the period of 1940-1980, before policy makers in the United States began to eschew social housing for subsidized private housing vouchers and community based housing associations had truly taken off in Britain, public health professionals conducted academic studies of the impact of social housing tenancy on health. Their findings provide the evidence used to assess the second objective of social housing provision, as outlined above. Put simply, while social housing units were undoubtedly better equipped than slum dwellings in both cities, the public health investigations into the impact of rehousing slum dwellers into social housing revealed that social housing was not a panacea for each city’s social and public health problems.

Reading Performance in Children with Visual Function Anomalies

Aims: To compare reading performance in children with and without visual function anomalies and identify the influence of abnormal visual function and other variables in reading ability. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried in 110 children of school age (6-11 years) with Abnormal Visual Function (AVF) and 562 children with Normal Visual Function (NVF). An orthoptic assessment (visual acuity, ocular alignment, near point of convergence and accommodation, stereopsis and vergences) and autorefraction was carried out. Oral reading was analyzed (list of 34 words). Number of errors, accuracy (percentage of success) and reading speed (words per minute - wpm) were used as reading indicators. Sociodemographic information from parents (n=670) and teachers (n=34) was obtained. Results: Children with AVF had a higher number of errors (AVF=3.00 errors; NVF=1.00 errors; p<0.001), a lower accuracy (AVF=91.18%; NVF=97.06%; p<0.001) and reading speed (AVF=24.71 wpm; NVF=27.39 wpm; p=0.007). Reading speed in the 3rd school grade was not statistically different between the two groups (AVF=31.41 wpm; NVF=32.54 wpm; p=0.113). Children with uncorrected hyperopia (p=0.003) and astigmatism (p=0.019) had worst reading performance. Children in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grades presented a lower risk of having reading impairment when compared with the 1st grade. Conclusion: Children with AVF had reading impairment in the first school grade. It seems that reading abilities have a wide variation and this disparity lessens in older children. The slow reading characteristics of the children with AVF are similar to dyslexic children, which suggest the need for an eye evaluation before classifying the children as dyslexic.

Fatores de longevidade do programa Central do Cidadão no Rio Grande do Norte

The public management reform in Brazil, since 1995, provoked new experiences in public administration. Among the new models of public service the one-stop shopping has distinguished and was adopted at Rio Grande do Norte with the Citizens Center Program. The one-stop shopping assembles in the same place many public services with appropriate structure, enabled human resources and citizens focus processes. The goal of this research was understand how citizens focus processes help to explain Citizens Center Program s longevity. It was made a case study and the research tools were applied with Citizen Center Programs workers and citizen-users at South Unit of Citizen Center Program placed at Via Direta Mall, Natal. The major contributions for Citizen Center Program s longevity were imputed to Basic Operation Processes. The most spoken features in Citizen Center Program mentioned were quality, efficiency, celerity e personal appearance, what demonstrate concern and care with citizen-users. Worker s personal appearance, accommodation, celerity, politeness and attending capacity planning were high evaluated by citizen-users revealing the wisely choice of use a large quality concept and citizenship concept in public administration. Citizen-users also pointed the necessity of refine and enlarge the communication ways that form an essential mechanism to public citizen focus administration. Not ignoring the policy aspect citizen focus processes were noticed like especial management actions that make easier citizen s activities and public service access, what generate satisfaction to citizen-users. It s possible to conclude that the high level approving evaluation of Citizen Center Program consolidates it an especial public policy that serves citizen s necessities e create appropriate legitimacy conditions of the public policy making harder the choice of ending the policy even in more fragile moments strongly contributing for its longevity

A house, not a home? Examining the use of the private rented sector to resolve homelessness in Scotland

Changes to homelessness legislation in post-devolution Scotland have resulted in an expansion of rights for homeless households seeking formal assistance from local authorities. These changes have led to Scotland’s homelessness arrangements being considered among the most progressive in Europe. In recent years, however, the Scottish Government has increasingly promoted homelessness prevention and Housing Options approaches as a means by which homelessness might be avoided or resolved without recourse to statutory rights. As part of that, they have promoted greater use of the private rented sector (PRS) as a key housing option, with the potential to meet the needs of homeless households. The arguments made to support use of the PRS have much in common with arguments for privatisation in other areas of social policy, notably greater choice for the individual promoting better welfare outcomes, and competition among providers encouraging improvements in quality of service provision. Critics have argued that such benefits may not be realised and that, on the contrary, privatisation may lead to exclusion or act to worsen households’ outcomes. This thesis considers the extent to which the PRS has been utilised in Scotland to accommodate homeless households, and the consequences of this for their welfare. The thesis uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. To examine trends in the use of the PRS, it presents quantitative analysis of the data on the operation of the statutory system and Housing Options arrangements, and of data from a survey of local authority homelessness strategy officers. To examine the consequences of this for homeless households, the thesis uses qualitative research involving face-to-face interviews with 35 homeless households across three local authority areas. This research considers the extent to which households’ experiences of homelessness, housing need and the PRS reflect the arguments presented in the literature, and how settled accommodation has impacted on households’ ability to participate fully in society. The research found an increasing but still limited role for the PRS in resolving statutory homelessness in Scotland, with indications that the PRS is being increasingly used as part of the Housing Options approach and as a means of resolving homelessness outside the statutory system. The PRS is being utilised to varying degrees across different local authority areas, and a variety of methods are being used to do so. While local authorities saw clear advantages to making greater use of the sector, a number of significant barriers including affordability, available stock and landlord preferences - made this difficult in practice. Research with previously homeless households in the PRS similarly found broadly positive experiences and views of the sector, particularly with regard to enabling households to access good quality accommodation in desirable areas of their choosing, with many households highlighting improvements relating to social inclusion and participation. Nevertheless, concerns around the security of tenure offered by the sector, repairs, service standards and unequal power relations between landlord and tenant persisted. As such, homeless households frequently expressed their decision to enter the sector in terms of a trade-off between choice and security.

Training patterns of German companies in India, China, Japan and the USA: What really works?

The transfer of vocational education and training (VET) systems is currently the subject of lively international debate, but there has so far been very little documentation of the process or analysis of how such transfers are achieved in practical terms. This paper therefore considers the potential for transferring Germany’s ‘dual’ vocational training system to German subsidiaries abroad, specifically in China, India, Japan and the USA. Using the EPRG typology as a theoretical framework, the paper systematises the range of training strategies deployed by German subsidiaries. It analyses the findings of interviews with training officers and Directors of Human Resources in more than 40 German subsidiaries abroad. These interviews show clearly that local factors in the host country exert such a strong influence that it is not possible completely to transfer the German VET system to another country. What is more likely is that an accommodation is reached with local VET structures, local labour market conditions and other socio-cultural features. The findings suggest that policy borrowing in the area of VET is likely to be only partial and will be strongly influenced by the national characteristics of the host country. (DIPF/Orig.)

Desarrollo de un sistema constructivo para su aplicación en vivienda social en sectores marginales de la ciudad de Cuenca

Las alternativas de vivienda en la ciudad de Cuenca evi¬dencian su preferencia hacia ciertos grupos sociales, es de¬cir no existen planes de vivienda dirigidos a los sectores marginales de la ciudad. Es necesario que se implementen alternativas coherentes en la parte de diseño así como en su construcción. Las viviendas se deben construir en menor tiempo, deben suplir las necesidades reales de las personas y los planes de financiamiento deben ir acorde a los ingre¬sos de los usuarios. El primer paso a tener en cuenta es, realizar un diagnóstico y localizar los sectores de la ciudad que presenten deficien¬cias en su diseño y construcción, el resultado a las dife¬rentes variables analizadas será para desarrollar un núcleo básico de vivienda con su respectivo sistema constructivo. El núcleo básico de vivienda debe ser flexible y progre¬sivo, para que pueda suplir las necesidades reales de las personas, además de esto para su análisis constructivo se utilizara alternativas de sistemas constructivos que puedan generar comparaciones reales en costo y tiempos de ejecución en obra.

Crisis de las instituciones sociales y sistema de valores de menores en conflicto con la Ley Penal del Distrito Nacional, República Dominicana

313 p.

A perspectiva do utilizador do Facebook relativamente à escolha de alojamento turístico

Atualmente assistimos a um aumento exponencial do uso dos social media como meio para planear as viagens lazer, bem como procurar por informações relativas a hotéis, restaurantes e outras empresas na indústria de turismo e viagens. Os social media criaram um novo canal de distribuição, tendo este influenciado e alterado a forma como os viajantes determinam o local onde vão ficar alojados. É importante que as empresas hoteleiras compreendam o comportamento dos consumidores face aos social media e, assim, determinar qual a forma de comunicação e que informações deverão disponibilizar nos seus sites. A título de exemplo, os hotéis conseguem interagir com os clientes através das redes sociais, como o Facebook, Instagram ou Youtube, partilhar diversos tipos de conteúdos informativos e prestar assistência a questões. O presente estudo tem como objetivo compreender o uso das redes sociais, apresentando-se um maior foco na rede social Facebook, na promoção de um estabelecimento hoteleiro e, com isto, determinar se a promoção dos serviços hoteleiros através deste meio, apresenta influência na tomada de decisão de escolha de alojamento turístico. Por outro lado, pretendese analisar o impacto das avaliações/recomendações realizadas pelos consumidores presentes no Facebook. Adotou-se uma metodologia quantitativa, através de um questionário online. Para analisar as hipóteses de estudo recorreu-se a diversos testes estatísticos. Os principais resultados demonstraram que são diversos os meios online e offline em que os consumidores se baseiam para fazer a sua decisão de escolha de alojamento, sendo um destes o Facebook, que apresenta uma grande representatividade. O word-of-mouth, contabilizado através das opiniões dos antigos clientes presentes em sites de avaliações e em redes sociais revela-se uma componente determinante no processo de recolha de informação sobre determinado alojamento e consequentemente influenciador na escolha de alojamento. Por último, verificou-se que o Facebook apresenta ter um papel decisivo no processo de decisão de escolha de alojamento turístico.

MVVC - Museu virtual Viana do Castelo: Um guia turístico para a cidade

A UE tem manifestado em matéria de turismo, a necessidade de serem criados novos produtos turísticos, com base na oferta total e única de cada uma das localidades. Se existirem recursos naturais, recursos culturais, bem como uma oferta de serviços complementares que incluam uma rede viária de fácil acesso e aeroporto nas imediações, alojamento e restauração existem as condições necessárias para desenvolver (novos) produtos locais. Viana do Castelo, cidade do nordeste português localizada no topo do país, reúne os recursos naturais, culturais e os serviços descritos atrás, razão pela qual foi alvo da concepção de um guia turístico virtual, com o objectivo de desenvolver e promover os seus produtos (turísticos) na comunidade local. Denominado "MWC", Museu Virtual Viana do Castelo, o guia turístico virtual estará escrito em português. Pretende ser traduzido noutros idiomas, inclusive para língua gestual e Braille. ABSTRACT; EU defends the creation of new touristic products, underlining each country has its own potentialities. To create new touristic products, mean to develop the local opportunities there are to be worked out. If there are natural resources, cultural resources, as well services supported by a good road network including airport nearby, several kind of accommodation and catering services it is possible to create new (local) products. Viana do Castelo is a Portuguese city, located in the Norwest top of Portugal. It meets all the resources mentioned above and other more, the reason why it is being conceived a virtual touristic guide, to develop and to promete its products among its local community. Named "MWC”, the Viana do Castelo Virtual Museum will be written in Portuguese language and later on in another language, sign languages and Braille.

Comentários online nos websites de comparação de hotéis

Com o rápido aumento da utilização da internet no mundo, os consumidores utilizam cada vez mais os websites para comparação, compra e venda de produtos. Atualmente os utilizadores da internet deixaram de procurar exclusivamente informação e tornaram-se eles próprios fornecedores de experiências através de comunidades online, que continuam em grande crescimento. Seguindo essa tendência, muitas indústrias escolheram a internet como canal de comunicação preferido e a indústria hoteleira não foge à regra. Assim a presente dissertação resulta numa pesquisa, em que o principal objetivo é entender de que forma os diversos fatores de informação presentes nos comentários online realizados nos websites de comparação de hotéis influenciam a utilização da informação pelo consumidor. Na presente metodologia é utilizado o modelo de Filieri e McLeay (2014), o tipo de inquérito utilizado é um questionário online para analisar quais os fatores que mais influenciam os consumidores a utilizarem a informação disponível nos comentários online. Os principais resultados obtidos neste estudo indicam que a precisão da informação, a consistência da informação e o ranking do alojamento influenciam a utilização da informação presente nos comentários online.

Cow, farm, and management factors during the dry period that determine the rate of clinical mastitis after calving

The purpose of the research was to investigate cow characteristics, farm facilities, and herd management strategies during the dry period to examine their joint influence on the rate of clinical mastitis after calving. Data were collected over a 2-yr period from 52 commercial dairy farms throughout England and Wales. Cows were separated for analysis into those housed for the dry period (8,710 cow-dry periods) and those at pasture (9,964 cow-dry periods). Multilevel models were used within a Bayesian framework with 2 response variables, the occurrence of a first case of clinical mastitis within the first 30 d of lactation and time to the first case of clinical mastitis during lactation. A variety of cow and herd management factors were identified as being associated with an increased rate of clinical mastitis and these were found to occur throughout the dry period. Significant cow factors were increased parity and at least one somatic cell count ≥200,000 cells/mL in the 90 d before drying off. A number of management factors related to hygiene were significantly associated with an increased rate of clinical mastitis. These included measures linked to the administration of dry-cow treatments and management of the early and late dry-period accommodation and calving areas. Other farm factors associated with a reduced rate of clinical mastitis were vaccination with a leptospirosis vaccine, selection of dry-cow treatments for individual cows within a herd rather than for the herd as a whole, routine body condition scoring of cows at drying off, and a pasture rotation policy of grazing dry cows for a maximum of 2 wk before allowing the pasture to remain nongrazed for a period of 4 wk. Models demonstrated a good ability to predict the farm incidence rate of clinical mastitis in a given year, with model predictions explaining over 85% of the variability in the observed data. The research indicates that specific dry-period management strategies have an important influence on the rate of clinical mastitis during the next lactation.

Evaluación del bienestar equino en el centro militar de cría caballar de Écija (Sevilla)

El bienestar animal surge del conocimiento de los animales como seres que experimentan dolor, sufrimiento o estrés, la importancia del impacto en su salud, su comportamiento y también en su eficiencia reproductiva. La evaluación del bienestar incluye el comportamiento, la salud y la forma en la que los animales responden al manejo y a la gestión de sus condiciones de vida (alojamiento y alimentación). Bajo este estudio se desarrolla e implementa la evaluación del bienestar de los sementales y yeguas de cría de un centro de reproducción estatal, así como los potros de recría, futuros reproductores, mediante el estudio del efecto de las condiciones de manejo, para determinar cómo influyen las condiciones de vida sobre los indicadores de bienestar basados en el animal. Se utilizó un protocolo de evaluación según el modelo Welfare Quality® adaptado a la especie equina que incluye un total de 45 indicadores basados en el animal y basados en el ambiente, de una población total conformada por 196 animales del Centro Militar de Cría Caballar de Écija (Sevilla). Se evaluaron y compararon inicialmente las dos subpoblaciones de equinos adultos con aptitud reproductora constituida por 49 sementales estabulados y 43 yeguas de cría en semilibertad. Posteriormente, se realizó la evaluación de bienestar de 104 potros de recría futuros reproductores que vivían en libertad. Los resultados revelaron diferencias significativas en el estado de bienestar de los animales adultos sometidos a distintas condiciones de manejo. La evaluación del alojamiento y la alimentación puso de manifiesto que en los animales estabulados el área disponible para cada animal en las instalaciones era insuficiente y existía riesgo de lesión, dejaban restos de alimento y la condición corporal estaba aumentada. Se observaron sólo comportamientos anormales en los animales estabulados. También fueron más propensos a mostrar curiosidad en los test de comportamiento y también desviaciones de salud como el rascado en la crin y la cola, cojera, heridas en la región de las extremidades y problemas dentales, como los más destacados. Por el contrario, en las yeguas que vivían en semilibertad, se dieron reacciones de temor en los test de comportamiento, heridas distribuidas fundamentalmente por el cuello, tronco, grupa y regiones genitales, así como escalas de condición corporal disminuida. El análisis de los factores de riesgo usando un modelo de regresión, demostró cómo el manejo en semilibertad se asociaba a la aparición de ciertos trastornos de salud y desviaciones de comportamiento. En la población joven, destacaron las respuestas de curiosidad en los test de comportamiento, la presencia de heridas en las extremidades, descarga nasal, dolor en el dorso, pelos rotos en crin y cola y problemas generalizados de piel, entre otros. La metodología seguida para la evaluación del bienestar mediante la selección de un panel adecuado de indicadores permite determinar la incidencia de problemas de salud y comportamiento de la población reproductora y cómo influye el sistema de manejo, base para intervenciones futuras en la mejora del bienestar animal y su productividad como reproductores.

Turismo em Espaço Rural

O turismo é uma das principais atividades geradoras de emprego e riqueza em todo o mundo, Portugal não é exceção à regra, este setor de atividade é o que mais contribui para a revitalização do espaço rural, consistindo em oportunidades de empreendedorismo, numa vertente de recuperação de espaços que tradicionalmente eram agrícolas, numa ótica de novo negócio, para um segmento de mercado específico. O Turismo em Espaço Rural em Portugal surge no final da década de 70 do século passado, consistindo no aproveitamento e na adaptação de património construído para fins de alojamento em zonas rurais envolvendo, principalmente, casas rústicas, quintas com atividades agrícolas e hotéis rurais. Na sua essência o Turismo em Espaço Rural satisfaz as necessidades de um grupo crescente de consumidores citadinos que procura romper com o quotidiano e obter uma experiência revigorante, através da procura do "autêntico", a nostalgia pelo passado, em perfeita integração com a natureza, atividades ao ar livre em contextos naturais, relaxamento num ambiente calmo e tranquilo, atributos que não encontram no meio urbano ao mesmo tempo que constituem um fator de valorização do meio rural e de reequilíbrio económico-social.