A practical method for identifying intermetallic phase particles in aluminium alloys by electron probe microanalysis

Aluminium alloys that contain Si, Mg, Fe, Mn and/or Cu usually contain one or more types of intermetallic phases that are not readily distinguishable in the microstructure by conventional microscopy methods. It has thus been a challenge to develop a method that will unambiguously identify them. A practical approach has been developed that is based on an inherent linear relationship revealed for the overall distribution of any two elements in a precipitate/matrix geometry and the first-order approximation of electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) results. Application of this approach to a direct chill cast 6082 alloy is demonstrated, and its major limitations are discussed.

The relevance to firm valuation of capitalising intangible assets in total and by category

Debate about the appropriate treatment of intangible assets can benefit from knowledge about the relevance of their financial statement capitalisation to valuation of firms. With rules permitting or requiring intangible asset capitalisation, Australia provides an ideal setting to obtain this evidence. This paper reports findings that indicate that capitalisation of intangibles is value-relevant for Australia's largest firms. Results indicate that investors place greater value on capitalised goodwill than on other categories of capitalised balance sheet items. Similarly, capitalisation of identifiable intangible assets adds value to large firms. However, research and development capitalisation does not affect the value of firms in our study.

Environmental regulation of land use and public compensation: principles, and Swiss and Australian examples

The authors discuss the regulation of rural land use and compensation for property-rights restrictions, both of which appear to have become more commonplace in recent years but also more contested. The implications of contemporary theories in relation to this matter are examined, including: the applicability of new welfare economics; the relevance of the neoclassical theory of politics; and the implications of contemporary theories of social conflict resolution and communication. Examination of examples of Swiss and Australian regulation of the use of rural properties, and the ensuing conflicts, reveals that many decisions reflect a mixture of these elements. Rarely, if ever, are social decisions in this area made solely on the basis of welfare economics, for instance social cost-benefit analysis. Only some aspects of such decisions can be explained by the neoclassical theory of politics. Theories of social conflict resolution suggest why, and in what way, approaches of discourse and participation may resolve conflicts regarding regulation and compensation. These theories and their practical application seem to gain in importance as opposition to government decisions increases. The high degree of complexity of most conflicts concerning regulation and compensation cannot be tackled with narrow economic theories. Moreover, the Swiss and Australian examples show that approaches involving conflict resolution may favour environmental standards.

Chest pain in the dental surgery: A brief review and practical points in diagnosis and management

If a dental patient develops chest pain it must always be managed promptly and properly, i.e., the practitioner immediately stops the procedure and, being aware of the patients's medical history, questions the patient regarding the nature of the pain to help determine the likely diagnosis. It will most likely be a manifestation of coronary artery disease (synonymous with ischaemic heart disease), i.e., angina pectoris or acute myocardial infarction, most usually the former. Angina will usually resolve with proper intervention whereas up to about one-half of myocardial infarction cases will develop cardiac arrest, mostly in the first few hours, and this will be fatal in up to two-thirds of cases. As health care professions, dental practitioners have an inherent duty of care to be able to initiate appropriate care if such a medical emergency occurs.

Marx as a Critical Discourse Analyst: The genesis of a critical method and its relevance to the critique of global capital

In this paper we identify elements in Marx´s economic and political writings that are relevant to contemporary critical discourse analysis (CDA). We argue that Marx can be seen to be e n gaging in a form of discourse analysis. We identify the elements in Marx´s historical materialist method that support such a perspective, and exemplify these in a longitudinal comparison of Marx´s texts.

Practical scheme for quantum computation with any two-qubit entangling gate

Which gates are universal for quantum computation? Although it is well known that certain gates on two-level quantum systems (qubits), such as the controlled-NOT, are universal when assisted by arbitrary one-qubit gates, it has only recently become clear precisely what class of two-qubit gates is universal in this sense. We present an elementary proof that any entangling two-qubit gate is universal for quantum computation, when assisted by one-qubit gates. A proof of this result for systems of arbitrary finite dimension has been provided by Brylinski and Brylinski; however, their proof relies on a long argument using advanced mathematics. In contrast, our proof provides a simple constructive procedure which is close to optimal and experimentally practical.

The intuitive basis of implicature: relevance theoretic implicitness versus gricean implying

The notion of implicature was first introduced by Paul Grice (1967, 1989), who defined it essentially as what is communicated less what is said. This definition contributed in part to the proliferation of a large number of different species of implicature by neo-Griceans. Relevance theorists have responded to this by proposing a shift back to the distinction between "explicit" & "implicit" meaning (corresponding to "explicature" & "implicature," respectively). However, they appear to have pared down the concept of implicature too much, ignoring phenomena that may be better treated as implicatures in their overgeneralization of the concept of explicature. These problems have their roots in the fact that explicit & implicit meaning intuitively overlap & thus do not provide a suitable basis for distinguishing implicature from other types of pragmatic phenomena. An alternative conceptualization of implicature based on the concept of "implying" with which Grice originally associated his notion of implicature is thus proposed. From this definition, it emerges that implicature constitutes something else inferred by the addressee that is not literally said by the speaker. Instead, it is meant in addition to what the speaker literally says & is consequently defeasible like all other types of pragmatic phenomena. 1 Figure, 60 References. Adapted from the source document

Practical and economic advantages of choice feeding systems for laying poultry

Poultry can be managed under different feeding systems, depending on the husbandry skills and the feed available. These systems include the following: (1) a complete dry feed offered as a mash ad libitum; (2) the same feed offered as pellets or crumbles ad libitum; (3) a complete feed with added whole grain; (4) a complete wet feed given once or twice a day; (5) a complete feed offered on a restricted basis; (6) choice feeding. Of all these, an interesting alternative to offering complete diets is choice feeding which can be applied on both a small or large commercial scale. Under choice feeding or free-choice feeding birds are usually offered a choice between three types of feedstuffs: (a) an energy source (e.g. maize, rice bran, sorghum or wheat); (b) a protein source (e.g. soyabean meal, meat meal, fish meal or coconut meal) plus vitamins and minerals and (c), in the case of laying hens, calcium in granular form (i.e. oyster-shell grit). This system differs from the modern commercial practice of offering a complete diet comprising energy and protein sources, ground and mixed together. Under the complete diet system, birds are mainly only able to exercise their appetite for energy. When the environmental temperature varies, the birds either over- or under-consume protein and calcium. The basic principle behind practising choice feeding with laying hens is that individual hens are able to select from the various feed ingredients on offer and compose their own diet, according to their actual needs and production capacity. A choice-feeding system is of particular importance to small poultry producers in developing countries, such as Indonesia, because it can substantially reduce the cost of feed. The system is flexible and can be constructed in such a way that the various needs of a flock of different breeds, including village chickens, under different climates can be met. The system also offers a more effective way to use home-produced grain, such as maize, and by-products, such as rice bran, in developing countries. Because oyster-shell grit is readily available in developing countries at lower cost than limestone, the use of cheaper oyster-shell grit can further benefit small-holders in these countries. These benefits apart, simpler equipment suffices when designing and building a feed mixer on the farm, and transport costs are lower. If whole (unground) grain is used, the intake of which is accompanied by increased efficiency of feed utilisation, the costs of grinding, mixing and many of the handling procedures associated with mash and pellet preparation are eliminated. The choice feedstuffs can all be offered in the current feed distribution systems, either by mixing the ingredients first or by using a bulk bin divided into three compartments.