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PurposeHouse price-to-rent (P-t-R) ratios are among the most widely used measures of housing market conditions. Given the theoretical and apparent bidirectional, causal relationships and imbalances between the housing market, broader economy and financial market determinants, it is important to understand the relationship between macro- and micro-economic characteristics in relation to the P-t-R ratio to enhance the understanding of housing market dynamics. This paper studies the joint dynamics and persistence of house prices and rents and examines the temporal interactions of the P-t-R ratio and economic and financial determinants.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the lead–lag relationships between the P-t-R ratios and a spectrum of macroeconomic variables using cointegration and causality methods, initially at the aggregate position and also across housing types within the Northern Ireland housing market to establish whether there are subtle differences in how various housing segments react to changes in economic activity and market fundamentals.FindingsThe findings reveal price switching dynamics and some very distinct long- and short-run relationships between macroeconomic and financial indicators and the P-t-R ratios across the various housing segments. The results exhibit monetary supply, foreign exchange markets and the stock market to be important drivers of the P-t-R ratio, with P-t-R movements seemingly tied, or are in tandem, with the overall economy, particularly with the construction sector.Practical implicationsThe study shows that the P-t-R ratio can be used as an early measure for establishing the effects of macroprudential policy changes and how these may manifest across housing tiers and quality, which can further act as a signal for preventing or at least mitigating future irrational price cyclicity. These insights serve to inform housing and economic policy and macroprudential policy design, principally within lending policy and the effect of regulatory interventions and further enhance the understanding of the P-t-R ratio on housing market structure and dynamics.Originality/valueThis study is the first in the housing literature that examines the causal relationships between the P-t-R ratio and macroeconomic activity at the sub-market level. It investigates whether and how money supply, inflation, foreign exchange markets, general economic productivity and other important macroeconomic factors interact with the pricing of different property types over time.

The desire for Europe to be less dependent on China and Russia for critical minerals and energy respectively has intensified recently. The natural resources of Europe's thirty-eight (38) sedimentary basins have the potential to provide the required materials for clean energy, energy storage and metals critical for the environmentally sustainable energy transition now underway. This shift to a low-carbon world will provide new opportunities for exploration and production as well as research and development. In addition to the base metals copper, lead and zinc, potential exists for magnesium, uranium, vanadium and rare earth metals discovery to contribute to the clean energy and energy storage sectors in Europe. Europe's carbonaceous deposits coupled with sustainable developments research in gasification, and the increased momentum in carbon capture utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies offer potential opportunities in clean energy generation and critical metal recovery.

With teams becoming a more critical element, tasked to deal with ever changing scenarios, while operating in increasingly complex environments, this research looks at the role of team coaching in the oil and gas industry. Whether it is being used today and how as an intervention it can help with the current and future challenges the industry faces. The research was centred around answering three questions: Where is team coaching being used today in the oil and gas sector and how effective has it been on increasing team performance? What challenges or desires does the industry have, where team coaching could help? How can the industry more widely adopt and implement effective team coaching? Solway (2021) To help answer the questions posed, data was collected from a range of sources including a questionnaire and interviews with Human Resources Leaders, Business Leaders, and Coaches (Solway, 2021). Public third-party data was used from the main coaching bodies. The findings suggested a significant percentage of the participants have used team coaching in some form. However, apart from senior leadership teams, other team-based activities such as team facilitation were found to be the predominate form of intervention, perceived as team coaching (Solway, 2021). Three themes emerged from the findings. These included a need for defining what is team coaching and how it can add value to the oil and gas industry; identification of some of the key challenges where team coaching can potentially help; and a focus on operations and how team-based activities are used today (Solway, 2021). An industry specific definition for Team Coaching was offered, along with a team coaching model, specific to oilfield operations teams.

The drug infliximab has been a key milestone in the treatment of inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis and the seronegative spondyloarthritides. Biosimilar drugs followed the originator, further improving access and diversity of therapy choice. Subcutaneous infliximab (CT-P13) holds potential for greater patient flexibility by self administration, reducing travel and hospital attendance for infusion, particularly relevant at a time of pandemic. We highlight the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic basis of the subcutaneous device, clinical trials in rheumatology and gastroenterology and consider the safety and cost implications. Real-world switching data is required to confirm the efficacy data from clinical trials given the reduction in dosing flexibility compared with intravenous therapy.

Scoping review to summarize the usefulness of communication technologies to improve care for end-of-life patients.

Michael Polanyi es tal vez mejor conocido por su epistemología poscrítica centrada en los coeficientes personales y tácitos de todo conocimiento. Acuña el término poscrítico para describir un planteamiento filosófico que toma como punto de partida la naturaleza fiduciaria de todo conocimiento. Rechaza plenamente el planteamiento crítico, típico de la modernidad, que toma como su fundamento la duda metodológica. Para un pensador poscrítico la creencia metodológica es fundamental y la duda es complementaria y de segunda fila. A pesar de su justa fama por su epistemología, arguyo que su propósito central es metafísico. Siguiendo este hilo, mi proyecto investiga la metafísica de Polanyi más a fondo de lo que se ha hecho hasta la fecha. Propongo que su realismo metafísico debe ser interpretado como un realismo copernicano y lo pongo en conversación con tres realismos contemporáneos: el ontic structural realism de James Ladyman, la object-oriented ontology de Graham Harman, y el neo-aristotelismo/hilemorfismo contemporáneo de Anna Marmodoro, Robert Koons, William Simpson, etc. Desarrollo ciertos conceptos derivados de su epistemología más allá de lo que propuso explícitamente el mismo Polanyi, concluyendo que su planteamiento es platónico. Propongo, entonces, un platonismo poscrítico que afirma una metafísica de tres capas: 1. Una metafísica jerárquica diferenciada por la potencia eleática que ejerce la entidad (la producción de manifestaciones futuras no predecibles). 2. Una ontología plana de entidades comprensivas que están compuestas de particulares subsidiarios, unidos por/en el significado conjunto de la entidad. Dada la intercambiabilidad en la obra de Polanyi de entidad y significado, mantengo que su posición implica que ser es significar. 3. Una mereología jerárquica que describe las relaciones entre los particulares subsidiarios que forman parte de toda entidad comprensiva. Existir, entonces, es formar parte de la estructura descrita por el concepto de la entidad comprensiva y por lo tanto ser comprensible. Este estado se puede analizar más a fondo en términos de la mereología jerárquica. Existir así también es tener un impacto causal, cuya potencia determina el rango de la entidad en la jerarquía metafísica. Desarrollo el concepto de la entidad comprensiva, proponiedo que actúa como un arnés télico que engancha los particulares subsidiarios que se incorporan en su ser para realizar su telos. En su acción de enganche, la entidad comprensiva realiza el papel de una causa formal; en su realización del telos, es una causa final. Investigo el tema de los universales en la obra de Polanyi, concluyendo que son una especie de entidad comprensiva. Arguyo que esto, tomado junto con la afirmación platónica (hecha por Polanyi) de la existencia de universales no instanciados, delinea un planteamiento platónico poscrítico que rechaza teorías de Dos Mundos. Mi análisis incluye una comparación de las teorías del acceso a los universales de Polanyi, Platón, y Aristóteles. Siguiendo a Lloyd Gerson concluyo que el mejor modo de enfrentarnos con nuestra experiencia de sameness-in-difference es postular formas platónicas que son la base metafísica de las naturalezas de las entidades del mundo y a la vez la base de los universales aristotélicos, que son el mecanismo falible por el cual rastreamos las naturalezas basadas en las formas. Todo esto tiene lugar tras un reconocimiento anamnético (propuesto en el Fedón de Platón) que explico en términos de la epistemología de Polanyi. Este planteamiento con respeto a las formas y universales tiene cierta afinidad con la síntesis neo-platónica de Aristóteles con Platón de la antigüedad. Adicionalmente, propongo una subclase de formas que denomino las formas primordiales. Formas primordiales "Límite, por ejemplo" son las que se instanciarán necesariamente en cualquier mundo posible que incluye un estrato material.

The purpose of this study was to expand upon the research with high school principals and leaders of school divisions as they seek to implement the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. Though a significant number of studies have been conducted at the elementary and middle school levels, research at the high school level has lagged (Choi et al., 2019). This study consisted of a survey sent to 251 principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The survey return rate was 17%, with a fully completed survey return rate of 10%. The survey consisted of a principal self-assessment of the MTSS framework and of the four elements necessary for the implementation of MTSS: collaborative culture, Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), and social-emotional learning (SEL). The self-assessment section of the survey was followed by a series of Likert scale statements addressing collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. These statements went into specific detail to create a deeper reflection on the school culture by principals. The statements were divided into two parts. The first part addressed potential obstacles within the school culture and the second addressed potential principal actions. The first phase of analysis consisted of a two-tailed t test to compare the mean of the MTSS framework self-assessment to the means of the self-assessments for collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. The second phase was a series of two-tailed t tests to compare the means of collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL to the means of the Likert scale statements. The p-value for all but one two-tailed t test performed in the study exceeded the accepted 0.05. The one exception was the mean of the principal self-assessment for SEL compared to the mean of the Likert statements for SEL at 0.03 and N = 25. Beyond conducting the mean analysis, Likert scale ratings for each statement were examined to identify trends and outliers. The implications of the results are that the data from the survey or similar surveys can be useful to principals and leaders of other school divisions to inform professional development, prioritize resources, and implement strategies to improve student performance in both academic and social-emotional learning. Doctor of Education Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) was part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015. Originally focused on literacy, MTSS has evolved into a framework designed to eliminate achievement gaps in academics and in social-emotional learning (SEL) for students. This study was designed to add to the research as it applies to the implementation of MTSS at the high school level. The research at the elementary level, and to a lesser degree at the middle school level, is much more robust than at the high school level. The survey used in this study was based on a literature review that showed there are four elements necessary for the implementation of MTSS: collaborative culture, Response to Intervention (RtI), Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), and SEL. The survey was sent to high school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia and consisted of five sections. The first section was a principal self-assessment of the readiness of the culture of their school to support the MTSS framework, as well as for collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL. The following four sections of the survey included a series of Likert scale statements for each element of implementation (i.e., collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL) that addressed obstacles to implementation as well as principal actions to overcome those obstacles. A two-tailed t test was performed to determine whether any of the comparisons of the means were statistically significant. Only one t test, the mean comparison of SEL self-assessment to the mean of the Likert scale statements, was statistically significant with a p-value of 0.03, with the mean of the self-assessment rating higher than the mean of the Likert scale statements. The analysis of the Likert scale statements did show trends and outliers for specific statements for all four elements necessary for the implementation of the MTSS framework (i.e., collaborative culture, RtI, PBIS, and SEL). The data collected along with the literature review, adds to the research on MTSS for high school principals and school division leaders. The data point to implications for principals and leaders of school divisions in terms of professional development, allocation of resources, and areas of focus for closing academic and social-emotional gaps for students.

The year 2020 will be remembered for one thing so obvious to all of us that naming it seems ridiculous. The Covid-19coronavirus pandemic will be a chapter in all of our life-stories. This work was created in February 2020 and premiered at alive in-person concert (harmonic. function) in Edinburgh, Scotland on 5th March [1]. It was created with the context of the developing pandemic - before we knew. It was performed in the context of cognitive dissonance – before we acknowledged. Both the host and audience – containing a large quotient of research biologists – tittered at the suggestion that anyone had not heard of the virus, though all were still out at a concert unmasked. Amid universal uncertainty, the piece was borne of, and reflecting on, that overload of political and scientific opinion. The piece is created using a sonification process of the protein sequence of the replicase polyprotein, the method by which coronaviruses replicate in host cells. This sonification process is then live-mixed alongside vocal samples by a performer to create the audio of the piece. A video demonstrating a similar viral process in a retrovirus accompanies the sound. The piece represents the time before lockdown, mirroring a state of mind of academic (dis-)interest in the unforeseen burgeoning pandemic. It was an attempt to understand what was going on. It is now an artefact of that unique time.

Surveillance technologies have become a normalised aspect of the workplace, and daily life, in England. This is particularly true in schools, where CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) is commonplace, and an audit culture well established. This study explores how teachers feel the atmosphere and culture of a school is influenced by technologized surveillance tools. Three interrelated questions were explored; what effect do surveillance technologies in schools have upon relationships between colleagues and students? What is lost by the application of such surveillance technologies in schools? How can Ivan Illich’s work show us a way to respond? To explore these questions, 13 teachers completed a research diary. Participants recorded their thoughts and experiences regarding technologized surveillance and 8 were then interviewed to explore these issues in greater depth. Analysis of the diaries and interviews demonstrated a high degree of unease, fear and stress amongst the participants generated by surveillance technologies, or by the perception of their use, in the workplace. The responses suggested that surveillance technologies in schools have a distinctly negative impact upon teachers. Five broad areas emerged; questions of privacy, the body and how people are made to feel physically, how we construct shared space and time, questions around a sense of paranoia, and examples of resistance. Clear boundaries between work and home, a feeling of professional autonomy, and a sense of security amongst the participants were all significantly weakened by the application of surveillance technologies in schools. New definition of surveillance is offered, which focusses on the potential to collect, create and retain information on an individual or group, using technical or systematics means, and regarding which that individual or group has no clear right of access or challenge. It is recommended that the placement and use of surveillant technologies in schools be conducted with a greater emphasis on informed consent, proportionality, and a meaningful right of reply. This study also contributes to Illich scholarship by applying his theoretical tools to a contemporary issue and through a wider engagement with his writings. A range of Illich’s work was utilised including published books, conference speeches and interview transcripts. Several essays which have yet to receive formal publication were shared with me by Illich’s colleagues. Future research could build upon this by applying Illich’s theoretical tools to other contemporary questions and engaging with a wider range of his publications. Illich’s work on silence needs to be explored in greater detail and could be used to develop responses to surveillance practices. This study focussed on the experience of classroom teachers. Future research is needed to explore the experience of surveillance practices amongst students and senior management.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the relationships among environmental performance (EP), environmental disclosure (ED), and financial performance (FP) (three corporate constructs) using data from Newsweek’s green rankings. Design/methodology/approach Previous studies document mixed results about the relations among the three constructs. A firm’s overall management strategy may affect the three constructs simultaneously; therefore, the interrelationships among EP, ED, and FP were jointly examined. A simultaneous equations approach was used to test the hypothesis. Findings The three-stage least square (3SLS) estimation results show a negative relationship between EP and FP and a positive relationship between EP and ED, suggesting that financially successful firms are less likely good environmental performers but green firms are more likely to disclose their EP. Research limitations/implications Since the sample firms examined in this study are US large-size companies, the results found in this paper may not apply to small- and/or medium-size firms or to companies in other countries. Practical implications Three corporate constructs are jointly correlated with each one. A firm’s overall strategic plan on environmental engagement is likely reflected in how it engages in each of the constructs that affect costs and benefits. Sustainable efforts, in short term, may put firms at risk. Companies may need to take a long-term perspective when cutting costs is curtailed. Originality/value The research contributes to the ED and EP literature by using a 3SLS simultaneous equation method and analyzing a more recent and comprehensive multi-industry data. By controlling industry effect, the research investigates the interrelationships among three corporate constructs and finds interesting results. An interpretation and discussion are provided.

Verfassungsblog: On Matters Constitutional

BACKGROUND: We present the case of a 6-y-old boy who was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder with developmental language and learning delay. He was treated successfully with diet and high-dose biotin along with other nutrient support that resulted in resolution of abnormal sensory behaviors and improvement in language and learning. CASE/INTERVENTION: The child was diagnosed with a presumed biotin deficiency from organic acids testing which revealed markers that reflected biotin deficiency despite supplementation with 300 mcg daily (AI = 12 mcg/d). Stool markers were also noted for low beneficial biotin producing microbiota. In the course of several months of high-dose biotin supplementation with herbal treatment for dysbiosis, he was able to subsequently transition from special needs classes requiring sensory support into mainstream classes as a neurotypical child with age appropriate language and learning skills and resolution of abnormal sensory behaviors. CONCLUSION: This case illustrates the importance of using functional nutrition labs to rule out nutrient imbalances that could be a cause of improper signaling in the brain, which can translate into delayed language, learning, and behavior disorders. Organic acids may reveal a much higher level of need of nutrients, especially when polymorphisms of enzymes are present that may be responsive, as this case demonstrates, to targeted high-dose nutrient therapy.

Digitisation of this thesis was sponsored by Arcadia Fund, a charitable fund of Lisbet Rausing and Peter Baldwin.

CMR Cooperative web database: Clinical Outcomes. Common cardiovascular outcomes and their recurrent statuses can be collected. All dates are encrypted by a siteâ s own created encryption key. (PDF 99Â kb)

Supersonic gas jets have been used in transverse beam profile monitoring as Ionization Profile Monitors (IPMs) and Beam Induced Fluorescence (BIF) monitors. The former method images ions generated by the projectile beam, whilst the latter is based on the detection of photons. This is a promising technology for use in high energy accelerators, such as the High Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HLLHC). In this paper, the suitability of a supersonic gas jet in combination with a BIF detection system for the measurement of the transverse beam profile of a low energy electron beam is discussed. The technical layout and experimental results from measurements at a test installation at the Cockcroft Institute are also presented., Proceedings of the 8th Int. Particle Accelerator Conf., IPAC2017, Copenhagen, Denmark

List of current GCMR Steering Committee Members. (PDF 306Â kb)

CMR Cooperative web database: User Access Management. Each participating site will assign its own site account administrator(s), who will administer the siteâ s usersâ levels and durations of account access. (PDF 75 kb)

CMR Cooperative web database: Segmental Myocardial Viability. Collection of segmental myocardial viability according to the AHA 17-segmental model. (PDF 110Â kb)

Superficially, electronic business appears to be a simple way of rendering national borders irrelevant, reaching a vastly increased number of potential customers, and conducting transactions that are "frictionless" i.e. for which transaction costs such as those of identifying customers and the administrative procedures associated with a sale are an order of magnitude lower than those of conventional, "over-the-counter", transactions. This is a misconception; there are many obstacles. Different national financial systems may hamper payment. A web advertisement that is perfectly acceptable in one culture may offend people of a different culture. Language differences and imperfect translations May cause offence or confusion. Nations regulate electronic business differently and have different attitudes to civil liberties; authoritarian countries may restrict and supervise their citizens' web activities. The most serious impediment to business to consumer activity is fulfilment: Reliably delivering web-ordered goods to consumers is expensive and may be problematic in countries with unsophisticated infrastructures.

CMR Cooperative web database: A Sample Cardiac Computed Tomography (CCT) Page. (PDF 195Â kb)

CMR Cooperative web database: Quantitative CMR Data. Data entry for left and right ventricular measurements. “White” fields are data that need to be entered whereas “grey” fields are automatically calculated. (PDF 135 kb)

CMR Cooperative web database: Patient Medical History. (PDF 175Â kb)

The development of synthetic routes to atorvastatin, probably the most commercially successful small molecule drug ever launched, has spanned some 25 years. The changing requirements of synthetic routes and the reagents encompassed by these have paralleled the life-cycle of the drug. These requirements have shifted from flexibility, reliability and speed in the medicinal chemistry phase to suitability for scale-up and overall yield in the development phase. Emphasis on routes that exhibit low cost and reduced environmental impact has come to the forefront in manufacturing. The desire for increasingly efficient and low-hazard chemistry in the development and manufacture of this drug has been both accompanied by and provided a stimulus to the rise of asymmetric catalysis, especially biocatalysis. The implementation of asymmetric catalysis, and its integration into the overall route alongside other improvements has had a major impact in increased efficiency and minimisation of hazards in production of this drug.

CMR Cooperative web database: Medications. A medication dictionary allows searching using either brand or generic drug names and automated entry of drug names into the database. In addition, medications are automatically categorized into specific drug classes for the ease of pooling multicenter data. (PDF 153Â kb)

CMR Cooperative web database: Segmental Myocardial Perfusion by CMR. Collection of segmental perfusion defects according to the AHA 17-segmental model, during stress and rest hemodynamic states. (PDF 173Â kb)

Thermal plasma sprayed coatings are designed to improve both the biocompatibility and durability of implantable medical devices, and include pure titanium, cobalt/chrome alloy and hydroxyapatite. Coated joint replacements have now been in continuous clinical use for thirty years and are applied to products manufactured or used in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia. Prostheses incorporating such coatings have been successfully implanted into several million of patients worldwide and to date there have been very few reports of any failure of an implant which could be attributed to problems with, or failure of, the coating. This paper summarises the early history of cementless prostheses and subsequent development, specification, validation, regulatory requirements and clinical performance of thermal plasma spray coatings provided by Accentus Medical.

To evaluate how receipt and timing of nursing home (NH) palliative care consults (primarily by nurse practitioners with palliative care expertise) is associated with end-of-life care transitions and acute care use

Bacheloroppgave sykepleie, 2016 Problemstilling: «Hvorfor er det viktig at sykepleiere legger til rette for og motiverer schizofrene pasienter til å ta del i ulike miljøtiltak?» Hensikt: Hensikten med denne oppgaven er å belyse viktigheten av det å legge til rette for og motivasjon for unge pasienter med schizofreni. Vi ønsket å finne ut av hvordan man kan skape motivasjon hos en pasientgruppe som til vanlig sliter med lav motivasjon og lite engasjement. Metode: I denne fordypningsoppgaven har vi brukt litteraturstudium som metode. Vi har benyttet oss av pensumlitteratur, selvvalgt litteratur, forskningsartikler, avhandlinger og egne erfaringer. Konklusjon: Det har vært gjennomgående positive resultater i teorien og forskningen vi har funnet frem til når det gjelder bruk av miljøterapi og miljøtiltak i behandlingen av unge mennesker som lider av schizofreni og er innlagt på psykiatrisk sykehus. Sykepleier – pasient-fellesskapet er sentralt fordi en god allianse, med gjensidig tillit, respekt og åpenhet vil være grunnleggende for å forstå pasienten og hva han trenger hjelp til og deretter kunne tilrettelegge for tiltak. De ulike miljøtiltakene vi har presentert bidrar til økt selvfølelse, mestringsfølelse og en reduksjon av negative symptomer.

There is a need to improve competence of musculoskeletal system (MSS) examination in medical students and junior doctors. Peer-assisted learning (PAL) is a technique whereby students learn from and with each other. This study aimed to determine whether PAL can be integrated into standard undergraduate medical curricula to improve MSS examination using the gait, arms, legs, spine (GALS) screening tool.Fifty final-year students (trainers) were trained using GALS for MSS examination while attending a standard clinical medical attachment at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. These students delivered GALS training to a further 159 students (trainees). Pre/post-confidence questionnaire (100-mm visual analogue scale) and written feedback were obtained. Final Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) scores from an MSS station were compared with a control group of 229 students randomized to other hospitals for the standard MSS training.Analysis of completed trainer questionnaires (30/50) showed increased confidence in all parts of GALS after training [47 (19) cf.88 (12); P0.005]. Similarly, confidence in trainees (136/159) who answered the questionnaire increased [43 (19) cf.85 (15); P0.005]. Written comments highlighted that students would recommend PAL. OSCE results showed 84% (192/229) of students in the control group passed the MSS station, with 87% (139/159) of trainees (P = 0.3) and 100% (50/50) of trainers (P0.01).MSS examination skills are improved by integrating PAL into the undergraduate medical curriculum, with student confidence being increased, and higher OSCE scores.

Americans have increasingly segregated themselves over the last 40 years by wealth and political orientation. I argue that this segregation affects the way communities react to school tax ballot issues, which are ostensibly non-partisan matters. Using a database containing 232 school tax elections that took place during 2011 in 10 states, I show that in affluent communities that favor Democrats, high levels of educational attainment make it more likely that a community will adopt a tax increase. By contrast, in downscale communities that favor Democrats, economic concerns play an important role in election outcome; large percentages of homeowners decrease the likelihood of passage while large percentages of renters and poor people make tax increases more likely. In downscale Republican leaning communities, a sense of attachment to the community, indicated by large percentages of households with members who are at least 60 years of age, small community sizes and long tenures in the same house, make it more likely that the community will adopt a school tax increase. Finally, in affluent Republican oriented communities, school tax increases are extremely difficult to pass and become more so as community size increases. High levels of educational attainment tend to moderate the impact of Republican anti-tax ideology and high population sizes to make school tax increases more likely.

In this paper, technological advances of modulation spectroscopy are presented, exploiting the sensitivity, room-temperature resolution, as well as the rapid and non-contact (non-destructive) nature of laser-induced photoreflectance (PR). A novel method of asynchronous (switching) modulation is presented to overcome laser-induced non-PR background effects, which limit or even obscure the complex (phase) PR response. The solid-state, acousto-optic based method may even be employed for non-uniform samples, and moreover, exhibits evidence for improved signal-to-noise level. Also presented is a novel optical design in order to achieve multiple, independent and simultaneous spectral acquisition, including auto-calibration. Results are demonstrated for heavily doped n-type and p-type GaAs substrates, and also technologically important HBT device structures, with further applications also emphasised for HEMTs, LEDs, etc. The results demonstrate the importance and role of PR as a successful commercial metrology tool for existing state-of-art, as well as next generation semiconductor characterisation and statistical-process-control (SPC) equipment.

Advances in the application of non-contact photoreflectance (PR) spectroscopy to the characterisation of epiwafer device materials are presented. The study examines both vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBTs) device structures. Emphasis is placed on the technologically important applications of VCSEL device material characterisation, for which PR offers the only true non-destructive testing capability, as well as upon the measurement of electric fields in device epiwafers for rf application transistors such as HBTs. This paper demonstrates the application of non-destructive and rapid techniques for evaluation and control of compound semiconductor materials for both VCSEL and HBT technology.

In this study, optical and structural properties of InGaP/GaAs epitaxial heterostructures are investigated as a function of growth temperature and substrate orientation (2 and 108). Both ordered and disordered InGaP layers were grown by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy (MOVPE). The complex refractive index both above and below the fundamental band gap has been determined using spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). In particular an InGaP/GaAs intermixing layer, in addition to the InGaP oxide overlayer was identified and introduced in order to improve the accuracy of the extracted refractive index. Variations in Raman TOm mode and photoluminescence (PL) emission efficiencies show different degrees of ordering, which are correlated to different PL peak energies or bandgaps extracted from SE data. Misfit strain and lattice mismatch are also investigated. q 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

A novel class of compounds with high affinity (IC50 = 3.4 – 500 nM) for the central nicotinic cholinergic receptor was synthesized. The compounds were characterized in vitro and in vivo and compared to ABT 418 and nicotine. The new ligands are effective nicotinic compounds with biological profiles distinguishable from reference compounds.

Continuous wave rf plasma polymerization of 2-iodothiophene has been studied using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The variation in plasma polymer stoichiometry and the extent of monomer fragmentation are found to be critically dependent upon the electrical discharge power.

This paper summarises the application of the laser-based electro-absorptive technique of photoreflectance (PR) for the study of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). PR results are shown to reveal the technologically important cavity mode and ground state quantum well exciton structures. AlGaAs/GaAs based quantum well VCSELs were examined with and without top mirror layers as a function of laser pump excitation conditions, with results compared with angle-dependent PR data. Cavity mode and quantum well alignments were also studied with reference to the un-modulated reflectance signal as well as correlated with photoluminescence data. The results demonstrate the importance of PR metrology for state-of-art VCSEL characterisation.

A series of land-use exercises, culminating in a team project and oral presentation, has been successfully incorporated into a large, introductory, environmental-geology lecture course for non-science majors. A sequence of four interrelated homework exercises are completed along with five similar, ungraded, in-class exercises. The final, in-class exercise is a comprehensive, environmental problem on which the students work in teams for several class meetings. Each team prepares a land-use plan of the same real area for which they have geologic information (maps and a data table), and a consulting budget that permits teams to ask the consultant/instructor up to four questions each. The class is also taken on a slideshow “field trip” of the study area. Upon completion, each team gives an oral presentation, after which questions are fielded from the class. The class is then shown the zoning map of the area along with a more idealized version prepared by the instructor. The exercises enhance learning by havin...

Plasma polymerization of sputtered poly(tetrafluoroethy1ene) (F'TFE) using nonequilibrium helium, neon, argon, nitrogen, and hydrogen glow discharges has been followed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy ( X P S ) , infrared spectroscopy, and UV emission spectroscopy. The chemical character of the resultant fluoropolymer deposits is found to be strongly influenced by the type of carrier gas employed.

We provide a high throughput method of performing optical modulation spectroscopy, such as photoreflectance or other spectroscopy techniques which include photoluminescence on a micrometric resolution scale of the order of 10 μm. The spectroscopic technique is designed for strain induced by process in silicon wafers. The optical system is optimized using a polarizing beamsplitter in conjunction with a single Fresnel rhomb for the provision of an optimum separation of the reflected probe beam with minimal optical losses. In addition, a rapid detection system is used that allows the spectrum to be acquired within few seconds.