• Wind and Structures
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• v.5 no.2_3_4
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• pp.151-164
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• 2002

Predictions of the pedestrian level wind speeds for the downtown area of Auckland that have been obtained by wind tunnel and computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modelling are presented. The wind tunnel method involves the observation of erosion patterns as the wind speed is progressively increased. The computational solutions are mean flow calculations, which were obtained by using the finite volume code PHOENICS and the $k-{\varepsilon}$ turbulence model. The results for a variety of wind directions are compared, and it is observed that while the patterns are similar there are noticeable differences. A possible explanation for these differences arises because the tunnel prediction technique is sensitivity to gust wind speeds while the CFD method predicts mean wind speeds. It is shown that in many cases the computational model indicates high mean wind speeds near the corner of a building while the erosion patterns are consistent with eddies being shed from the edge of the building and swept downstream.

• Journal of the Korean Operations Research and Management Science Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2001

New information technologies have often been treated as innovations for target users. Although users in recent times have had significantly more opportunities to be socialized with information technologies, the rapid pace of technology development usually means that every new technology represents a fairly major change over the previous one. Although a fairly significant body of research that empirically tests these alternative models and theories is now in existence, some questions with regard to the role of perceptions in innovation adoption remain unanswered. This paper reports the results of a field study examining adoption of an information technology innovation represented by an internet application. Moreover, the study examines the effects of an important moderating influence-personal innovativeness-on this adoption process. Finally, the study seeks to shed further light on the determinants of perceptions by examining the relative efficacy of mass media and interpersonal channels in facilitating perception development.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.5-13
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• 2014

The purpose of this paper is to carry out an empirical analysis of the link that exists between microfinance and poverty alleviation. The analysis is driven by literature searches on empirical works done by different researchers in different contexts. Qualitative research methodology was adopted, following a desktop approach. An empirical literature review took a centre stage in this investigation. An analysis of empirical works shows that microfinance enhances poverty alleviation despite the challenges such as the Indian Andhra Pradesh crisis. The paper is limited to a review of empirical sources of literature. A field survey, supported by an econometric analysis would have helped to generate robust results. This paper attempts to bring together the empirical works that were done in different contexts to shed light on the important relationship between microfinance and poverty. Many research works on microfinance depend upon personal anecdotes, thus this present paper attempts to compile the scattered empirical findings on microfinance and poverty alleviation.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.151-157
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• 2006

In a continuously expanding wireless world, the number of radio systems increases every day and efficient spectrum usage becomes a more significant requirement. Ultra-wideband (UWB) and cognitive radio are two exciting technologies that offer new approaches to the spectrum usage. The main objective of this paper is to shed the first light on the marriage of these two important approaches. The strength of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) based UWB in co-existing with licensed systems is investigated. The opportunity concept is defined, and the requirements of the opportunistic spectrum usage are explained. It is proposed to take the UWB-OFDM from the current underlay implementation, and evolve it to a combined underlay and opportunistic spectrum usage technology, leading to cognitive UWB-OFDM. This way, we aim at making UWB more competitive in the wireless market with extended range, higher capacity, better performance, and a wide variety of applications.

• STI Policy Review
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.24-53
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• 2015

Foresight, a major methodological tool in the STI policy toolbox, has recently featured new directions in methodological development, becoming influenced by progress in information and communication technologies and online tools. However, no overview of these directions has been available so far. Based on a literature review, an interactive workshop, and an international expert survey as well as expert interviews, the research presented here attempts to shed light onto some of the relevant issues by providing a structured overview of recent changes in order to further the debate on the future directions of methodological development in foresight. The paper outlines four clusters of emerging approaches in foresight:Integrated qualitative and quantitative approaches, IT-based and automated foresight, experiential foresight including new forms of communication and interaction such as visualization and gaming, and open and crowd-sourced approaches. The benefits and challenges of the approaches known so far are categorized and summarized, and areas of potential use for each of the clusters in STI contexts are identified.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.25 no.10
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• pp.1048-1054
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• 1992

With use of a simple, inexpensive and nonpharmacological program for blood conservation, 24 consecutive patients underwent elective or urgent coronary artery bypass grafting without need of homologous red cell transfusions and /or fresh frozen plasma transfusions in 16 patients[66.7%]. Left internal mammary artery graftings were done in 18 patients[75%], with supplemental saphenous vein grafts in all. Intraoperatively, autologous heparinized blood was removed before bypass and retransfused at the conclusion of ext-racorporeal circulation. The volume remaining in the oxygenator and tubing set was returned without cell processing or hemofiltration. Using the hard-shell cardiotomy reservoir from the oxygenator, autotransfusion of the shed mediastinal blood was continued hourly by the next early;norning. The mean postoperative mediastinal blood loss was 364$\pm$234ml, whereas 553$\pm$383ml was autotransfused. 4 patients [16.7%] received homologous blood and an additional 4 patients[16.7%] fresh frozen plasma. Thus, in total, 16 patients[66.7%] were not exposed to any homologous blood products during the hospital stay. At discharge, the mean hemoglobin concentration was 10.3$\pm$1.6g /dl. Postoperative complications were few and there was no hospital death.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.137-143
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• 2007

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a ubiquitous enzyme that plays a significant role in the clinical diagnosis of pathologic processes. Discovery of the LDH (BmLDH) gene in B. mori may shed light on its role in the biology of Lepidoptera species, and afford further understanding of the function of the enzyme. In this study, we used the bioinformatics tools to identify LDH gene in B. mori. Sequence analysis showed that BmLDH cDNA contains a 996 bp open reading frame, encoding 331 AA proteins, with seven introns. Compared with hHLDH (human heart LDH), BmLDH contained the same key active sites. Domain search and protein fold recognition analyses provide compelling evidences that the deduced protein is a LDH. Using the computer program MEGA3, we conducted a search for homologs of BmLDH among many eukaryotic species and confirmed that the BmLDH was conserved in all organisms investigated. This gene has been registered in GenBank under the accession number EU000385.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.169-183
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• 2013

Egypt has gone through a major metamorphosis following the Egyptian Revolution that began on 25 January 2011. The aim of this article is to analyze the influence of the aforementioned metamorphoses on the Egyptian Arbitration Law and Practice and to shed light on the recent developments of the latter. Whilst positive legislative amendments have been recently achieved with regards to enforcement of arbitral awards, it is crystal clear that the January 2011 Revolution has negatively impacted the jurisprudence of the Administrative Court of the Conseil d'Etat which has annulled several arbitration clauses enshrined in contracts related to privatization. However, save for disputes arising from administrative contracts, Egypt has been and shall remain a friendly seat of Arbitration as it possesses an arbitration-friendly legislation, its Ordinary Judicial Courts are familiarized with international arbitration practice and it has a prominent and famous arbitration Centre.

• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.322-334
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• 2014

In this study, the researcher aimed to increase productive reflection of pre-service elementary teachers through meta-analysis of their own reflective journals. The meta-analysis activities are expected to enhance their learning effectively as a kind of self-assesment. During 8 week simulation teaching, 26 pre-service teachers kept individual journal writing and the meta-analysis activities were implemented twice (after the 3rd and 8th week). Right after the first meta-analysis, the pre-service teachers' productive reflection increased clearly. However this would not guarantee the effect would last long time period. By analyzing 8 week reflective journals, reports on meta-analysis activities and small group interview, this study shed light on practical ways of enhancing reflective teacher education.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.123-136
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• 1988

This study attempts to shed some lights on an effect of consumer education by using the formal education as a proxy variable and measuring the effect of the formal education on consumer behavior. This study utilizes economic theories and develops a theory to analyze the effect. Within the conceptual framework employed in this study, it is hypothesized that education raises productivity in the nonmarket sector and thereby affects consumer behavior in the same manner as money income affects behavior. the data are taken from the self-administered questionnaires among 553 housewives in July 1987. the procedure used is to fit separate engel curves for the expenditures on various goods by the weighted regression technique. The empirical results support the hpothesis. Therefore, this study shows positive effects of education on the productivity of household production functions. This result implies that consumer education would enhance efficiency in consumer behavior significantly.