Processing Components of Perspective Taking

This is the third in a series of perspective articles (Schalock et al., 2007; Wehmeyer et al., 2008) from the Terminology and Classification Committee of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD). The purpose of these articles is to share our thoughts on critical issues associated with terminology, definition, and classification in the field of intellectual disability and to seek input from the field as we prepare the 11th edition of AAIDD's Diagnosis, Classification, and System of Supports Manual (the working title). In the first article (Schalock et al., 2007), we explained the reasons for shifting from the term mental retardation to intellectual disability. Although the two terms cover the same population of individuals, we concluded that intellectual disability was the better term because itIn the second article (Wehmeyer et al., 2008), we distinguished between operational and constitutive definitions of intellectual disability and discussed their application to understanding the construct underlying the term intellectual disability. The primary function of an operational definition is to assure consistency among diagnosticians by setting parameters for observing and recording evidence of the disability (Wehmeyer et al., 2008). We supported the continued use of the operational definition of intellectual disability (formerly mental retardation) from the 2002 manual (Luckasson et al., p. 1): “[Intellectual disability is] characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical adaptive skills. This disability originates before age 18.”The operational variables included in AAIDD definitions have not changed significantly in 50 years (Schalock et al., 2007). Operational criteria for diagnosis have been generally consistent for the past 35 years, when the IQ criterion was changed from one to two standard deviations (Grossman, 1973). However, the construct underlying the term intellectual disability (and, thus, the constitutive definition of intellectual disability) has changed significantly over the last 2 decades due to the impact of the social–ecological model of disability (Institute of Medicine, 1991; Luckasson et al., 1992, 2002; WHO, 2001). In this model, intellectual disability is understood as a multidimensional state of human functioning in relation to environmental demands.This article focuses on supports and support needs, as they pertain to persons with intellectual disability, and closely related developmental disabilities. Definitions of each are as follows:This article is organized into five sections: (a) distinguishing the concept of supports from the construct of support needs; (b) conceptualizing supports as the bridge between “what is” (i.e., a state of incongruence due to a mismatch between personal competency and environmental demands) and “what can be” (a life with meaningful activities and positive personal outcomes); (c) considering support needs within a model of human functioning; (d) recommending an assessment and planning process to guide planning teams (and organizations) when developing and implementing individualized support plans; and (e) comparing and contrasting support planning with other planning approaches in the field of intellectual disability and related developmental disabilities.Supports are resources and strategies that enhance human functioning (Luckasson et al., 2002). Although this definition was developed with people with intellectual disability in mind, it is clear that everyone uses supports. The 17th-century theologian John Donne wrote, “No man is an island” (as cited in Jokinen, 2006) to convey the fundamental truth that human beings do not thrive in isolation from others. We live in an interdependent world and everyone needs a variety of supports to function on a daily basis. However, the types and intensity of supports needed by people with intellectual disability are different from those needed by most other people.Support needs, as we use it and position it within our understanding of intellectual disability, is a psychological construct referring to the pattern and intensity of support a person requires to participate in activities associated with normative human functioning. Multiple psychological constructs have been identified regarding both “states” and “traits” of humans. For example, anxiety, intelligence, happiness, and morality are all psychological constructs on which there are extreme points (e.g., euphoric vs. depressed) as well as many points in between, just like the construct of support needs. The support needs construct is based on the premise that human functioning is influenced by the extent of congruence between individual capacity and the environments in which that individual is expected to function. Addressing this congruence (i.e., ensuring person–environment fit) involves understanding the multiple factors that shape human performance, determining the profile and intensity of needed supports for a particular person, and providing the supports necessary to enhance human functioning.The concept of need generally refers to a condition characterized by the absence of some requisite necessity. Within professional literature pertaining to health, the concept of need has traditionally referred to a condition characterized as “a disturbance in health and well-being” (Donabedian, 1973, p. 62). Within psychology, need is defined as “what is necessary for an organism's health and well being” (Harré & Lamb, 1988, p. 409) or a motivated state resulting from “a feeling of unfulfillment or deprivation in the biological system…evidenced by a drive to complete such a lack” (Colman, 2001, p. 631). As discussed by Thompson and colleagues (Thompson et al., 2002, 2004b), support needs are identified on the basis of input from the individual and other respondents. Global (i.e., overall) support needs can be understood in at least four distinct ways:We do not see a person's support needs as necessarily or exclusively reflecting a disturbance of human capacity (although disability certainly may result in a disturbance of human capacity); rather, the person's support needs reflect a limitation in human functioning as a result of either personal capacity or the context in which the person is functioning. Like other psychological constructs, the level of a person's support needs (like the level of a person's motivation or shyness) is inferred and not directly observable. Moreover, an individual's support needs can be measured with varying degrees of accuracy by self-report and other report indicators of the intensity of support needs, such as is accomplished using the Supports Intensity Scale (Thompson et al., 2004a). To be clear, we see the support needs construct as reflecting more of an enduring characteristic of the person than simply a point-in-time description of the need for a particular type of support. People with intellectual disability are people who require the provision of ongoing, extraordinary (when compared with their nondisabled peers) patterns of support. Providing supports to people with intellectual disability enables their functioning in typical life activities in mainstream settings but does not eliminate the possibility that they will continue to need ongoing supports. Put another way, if supports were removed, people with intellectual disability would not be able to function as successfully in typical activities and settings.A major implication of conceptualizing intellectual disability as a state of functioning instead of an inherent trait is that the person–environment mismatch is addressed. The focus is not solely on “fixing” the individual. This implication is shown in the supports model depicted in Figure 1. First, in this model, a mismatch between personal competency and environmental demands results in support needs that necessitate particular types and intensities of individualized supports. Second, to the extent that these individualized supports are based on thoughtful planning and application, it is more likely that they will lead to improved human functioning and personal outcomes. As a bridge between “what is” and “what can be,” the focus of educational and habilitation service systems shift to understanding people by their types and intensity of support needs instead of by their deficits. Although there is a reciprocal relationship between impairments and support needs in that greater personal limitations will almost always be associated with more intense support needs, a focus on reducing the mismatch between peoples' competencies and the environmental requirements where they function, rather than a focus on deficits, is more likely to reveal supports that enhance personal outcomes.Figure 1 also illustrates two related global functions of individualized supports. The first function addresses the discrepancy between what a person is not able to do in different settings and activities and what changes–additions make that person's participation possible (e.g., promote human functioning). The second function of individualized supports focuses on enhancing personal outcomes by improving human functioning. Both functions need to be thoughtfully aligned.Sometimes, planning teams focus solely on what individuals can and cannot do in a variety of settings and, thus, arrange supports to empower individuals to do more things. Although this type of planning may lead to an individual's improved functioning, that individual's personal outcomes may not be significantly enhanced. Such planning may expand the activities available to the person and may even increase participation by the individual, but if these activities are not based on the person's preferences and priorities, any improvement in personal outcomes may be negligible. Equally misguided would be a focus only on personal priorities and preferences without thoughtfully considering the gaps between a person's competence and his or her environmental demands. This approach to planning increases the risk that supports will be arbitrarily applied. For example, an individual may want to live in his or her own home in the community, but may need some support that peers without disabilities will not need due to specific safety related concerns. A “throw in everything plus the kitchen sink” approach to supporting the individual might involve supplying staff inside the home 24 hr a day, 7 days a week who do all the cooking, cleaning, transporting, and so forth. Such excessive support provisions will not enhance the life experiences of the individual and will certainly result in wasting finite resources. Therefore, it is important to thoughtfully analyze and align both personal priorities and areas of need when planning and delivering supports.Supports are resources and strategies that enhance human functioning (Luckasson et al., 2002). Human functioning is enhanced when the person–environmental mismatch is reduced and personal outcomes are improved. Because human functioning is multidimensional, considering supports as a means to improve human functioning provides a structure for thinking about more specific functions of support provision.Human performance technology (HPT) theorists posit that human functioning results from interactions between a person's behavior and his or her environment (Gilbert, 1978). For example, Wile (1996), who created an HPT model by synthesizing five other leading HPT models, suggested that human performance is influenced by the following seven elements: organizational systems, incentives, cognitive supports, tools, physical environment, skills–knowledge, and inherent ability. Examples of support that correspond to each of Wile's human performance elements are listed in Table 1. Wile noted that some of these elements are external to the person (Elements 1–5), whereas others (Elements 6–7) are internal.Wile's (1996) seven elements are interdependent in terms of human performance and, more accurately, should be thought of as being cumulative. Therefore, from a supports perspective, solving a problem for any single element may be of limited value if problems with the other elements are ignored. As Edyburn (2000) pointed out when relating Wile's model to decision making in the area of assistive technology, getting a tool (Element 4) to improve performance would have a negligible impact if the person lacked motivation (Element 2) to be productive on the task for which the tool was to be used. Based on Wile's HTP model, supports should not be delivered to address discrete life activities or separate events, or be based on specific support individuals (e.g., job coaches, teachers). Rather, systems of support should be conceptualized where multiple aspects of human performance are considered in regard to multiple settings.It is not difficult to envision what a system of support would entail when considering the human performance elements in Table 1. Take the case of a man with intellectual disability working on a community job. The man in our hypothetical example was hired through an on-the-job-training (OJT) program offered by a state vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency (Element 1: Organizational Systems). This person was motivated to do well on the job because of opportunities for recognition and advancement (Element 2: Incentives), but he required assistance from coworkers on specific job tasks that he found to be difficult (Element 3: Cognitive Supports). In addition, this employee used assistive technologies to work more efficiently (Element 4: Tools) and needed to have the physical environment modified slightly to complete certain job assignments (Element 5: Physical Environment). Last, task analyses of aspects of the job were developed and then taught to him (Element 6: Skills–Knowledge), and he was matched to a job that was reasonably consistent with his unique talents (relative strengths) and personal interests (intrinsic motivation; Element 7: Inherent Ability). This example illustrates how each element of human performance was addressed through a system of supports, giving the worker a good opportunity to be successful on his job.An interesting implication of Wile's (1996) model is the role supports play at the organizational level. Although legislation is not considered an individualized support, it is evident that laws and regulations can have tremendous influence on people's lives. Consider the passing and subsequent reauthorization of the Individual With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and its effect on opportunities provided to children with disabilities in the nation's schools. Prior to 1975, it was legal in many states to deny a child with special needs access to a public education. Although federal and state legislation, as well as local policies, would never be listed as distinct supports on individualized plans, it is important to acknowledge the influence that policymakers and advocacy organizations have had on the quality and quantity of supports that are available.Supports are a universe of resources and strategies that enhance human functioning. No individual will need all of the types of supports that are available. People's support needs differ both quantitatively (in number) and qualitatively (in nature). Planning teams are in the best position to identify the types of supports that people need. As shown in Figure 2, we propose a five-component sequential process for (a) identifying what the person most wants and needs to do, (b) assessing the nature of support a person will require to accomplish what he or she most wants and needs to do, (c) developing an action plan to garner and deliver supports, (d) initiating and monitoring the plan, and (e) evaluating personal outcomes. This support planning and implementation process has evolved from a planning process originally provided by Thompson et al. (2002, 2004b).The first component of this support process requires the use of person-centered planning (PCP) processes. A hallmark of PCP is the focus is on the individual's dreams, personal preferences, and interests. The primary purpose of a PCP process is to find out what is important to a person, and it is essential that discussions are not constrained by available services or by perceived barriers such as fiscal restrictions or limitations in a person's skills (O'Brien & O'Brien, 2002). As a team-planning method, PCP has been shown to yield better outcomes for adults with intellectual disability than do traditional methods of service planning (Holburn, Jacobson, Schwartz, Flory, & Vietze, 2004; Robertson et al., 2006). PCP processes involve the person with the disability and people important to that person. The desired outcome of PCP is a unified vision of a person's life going forward. This vision takes into account those aspects of the individual's current life that are favorable (i.e., aspects to maintain) and adds elements that will enhance his or her life in the future (i.e., aspects to change).The second component of the support process involves assessing the person's support needs. As one example, the Supports Intensity Scale (Thompson et al., 2004a) is a standardized measure used to evaluate an individual's support needs across seven life activity domains as well as to identify exceptional medical and behavioral support needs. However, any method that a planning team finds useful to assess support needs could be used, including direct observation of the person in variety of life activities and structured interviews with the person and his or her family members. The critical information to gather is the nature of the extraordinary support that a person would require to engage successfully in an array of those associated with the life priorities identified through support needs assessment and adaptive behavior assessment are both with typical performance in the two can be is important to that assessing a person's support needs is not the same as assessing his or her personal adaptive behavior assess the adaptive skills that a person has (and, thus, measure or performance associated with personal support needs assessment measure an individual's extraordinary supports needed to participate in the activities of daily life (Thompson et al., As discussed by and of the Association of of Developmental Disabilities support needs assessment to be most should have the following (a) be into and used by and with a of (b) consistent results and outcomes when used across service areas and (c) be person (d) and information to a of (e) identify the support needs of people with and results that are to decision making across a of and be to in the support planning process the of individuals support, their and and third component of the process on the first two to an individualized support the from the future to and it is important that an and plan of action be and Because a plan cannot address all priorities at one some personal priorities identified in 1 may need to be and some difficult may need to be However, the result of should be individualized plan that (a) the settings for and activities in which a person is likely to engage a typical and (b) the types and intensity of support that will be provided (and by (Thompson et al., p. component of the monitoring requires that planning teams the outcomes of the teams should a closely the extent to which the person's individual plan was should be ongoing and in terms of to the congruence between what was and what has to is on the extent to which desired life and personal outcomes are being This involves the individual's life experiences through the of personal outcomes. is important to acknowledge that personal preferences and priorities can over and this component of the process will assure that the when they continue to the person's needs. In addition, on personal outcomes can organizations and state systems with information regarding the extent to which systems are the needs of the field of intellectual disability, there are a of that can be used across individuals, and these are based on the assessment of domains and using both self-report and direct observation methods & 2007). Table 2 domains and indicators that can an at the level of the individual through the use of at the or systems level about the and current use of domains and indicators are found in the listed in the and in et al. should be noted there are a variety of terms across systems for the domains listed in Table the domains among the systems are when considering that these were developed by different at different and for different For example, and in the to the on and in the as well as to the and in the as by the Human and the Association of of Developmental Disabilities this five-component process requires a significant of and a planning process is essential to supports that are with individual needs and desired outcomes of people with intellectual disabilities. Planning teams can always to in the process when needed (e.g., if the plan was not due to the planning team would want to to and the In addition, the of should be as individuals and and require support The process always with assessing personal interests and needs for support, to team planning and is by monitoring of and with an of planning terms and differ as in an individualized support plan individualized service plan individualized program plan individualized plan individualized plan individualized rehabilitation plan individualized habilitation plan plan and individualized family service plan The or in between and plan may significant (e.g., age approach to for all practical planning others are structured by whereas others are of past and that have evolved over Although what a planning should is well the of this it is to between different approaches to planning and the need to support planning as a of any individualized considering different approaches to we that planning teams use only one to the of an individual's Multiple planning the risk of being as well as it would be for different organizations that are an individual in different to use a planning However, within an it would be best to use a single that for multiple planning We that a variety of planning approaches can be on individual and supports are resources and strategies that enhance individual functioning (Luckasson et al., we services as organized means for delivering supports, or other of assistance (e.g., For example, advocacy services a means for people to access a variety of advocacy supports, and such supports could from legal assistance to planning team an individual's services that intellectual and provides opportunities to skills. services medical to health problems as well as such as or physical all services will the same or quality of supports. between service might be due to different and or could be result of different of on our definition of service planning should focus on the types of services that need to be as well as the of that a person should have with a service (e.g., how many of service a person might need in a Because services are to supports and other of it is important for to have systems of A service planning component in an individualized plan is necessary to identify service who can deliver the supports or other types of assistance that is service planning is not a for support identifying of service or in which an individual is going to participate is to result in individualized supports or personal outcomes. in our distinguishing between support planning and service planning is not just an of Planning teams need to identify services an individual needs to but this is not the same as planning the patterns and intensities of supports a person needs to function in activities and settings consistent with his or her also differ from are in and planning where the focus is on and skills. Because the purpose of public and vocational rehabilitation (VR) services is to people in a positive way, and of However, support might involve educational settings for of the focus of support planning in such a case would be on participation plans, support are not characterized by and behavioral that for an individual. Rather, the function of support is to identify the resources and strategies that will bridge the between the that a person with intellectual disability experiences in life activities (i.e., person–environment and the life experiences and opportunities (i.e., that the individual the case of children who are teams are to in (e.g., as well as for However, planning and processes should also support For example, planning for the types of that will be to support a child to access the and an in the least environment would be to the of with intellectual disabilities. is important to that we are not that support planning should the focus of all individualized However, we are that the need for support planning should not be in where planning processes are the AAIDD the American Association on Terminology and Classification Committee the concept of supports in the manual (Luckasson et al., the that supports were an but essential In that the focus was on support resources other technology, and support functions (e.g., employee and and community access and support intensity of a supports intensity assessment and desired outcomes. A was between and supports. This to which at that to be to from individualized supports, which are based on the needs of the individual. a of support were offered on the basis of two (a) supports in and (b) support activities are by individuals or in that AAIDD manual (Luckasson et al., a better understanding of the for support provision and the need to supports in the context of an individualized process that and This understanding due to in the field between the and 2002 among these were (a) a greater of the value of PCP as well as implementation of PCP which personal and and (b) an approach to disability that the of person–environmental interactions and the of human functioning through the use of individualized (c) a on personal well quality of and personal and (d) an of support including in assistive we approach the and of the 11th edition of the there is that we can from past as well as In this we distinguished supports from support needs and discussed how on individual support needs can be through understanding of human In addition, we a supports model that illustrates how supports are a bridge between what is and what can be through the of the mismatch among a person's the demands of environment, and the of personal outcomes. We also a five-component process for and evaluating individualized supports 2) and suggested that support planning can other approaches to planning and in an individualized planning

Background:Osteoarthritis is a common condition in primary care and is often associated with disability and limitation of function requiring holistic care.Aim:The aim of this audit was to assess the quality of care provided by family physicians in the management of osteoarthritis at the General Out-patient Department (GOPD) of Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) as well as ascertain if such care was in line with evidence-based medicine.Methods:This was a retrospective noncomparative study. The recommendations of the Nigerian Standard Treatment Guidelines 2008 and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence 2014 guidelines were used to form standard targets for each of the structural, process and outcome components of the care process. Each of the consultation rooms was inspected for the structure components of the care process. For the process and outcome components of care, the medical records of all patients being managed for osteoarthritis at the GOPD of JUTH over a 1-year period were retrieved and studied.Results:For one aspect of the structural component (i.e. availability of weighing scale for each consultation room), 80% of the standard target was met which was below the standard target of 100%. The highest performance under the process component was for the documentation of risk associated with the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and documentation for NSAID/cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors use with a gastro-protective agent. For both of these, 22.4% of the standard target was met; less than the standard target of 100% and 80% respectively. None of the standard targets for the outcome component were met.Conclusion:The quality of care for patients with osteoarthritis in this practice setting was sub-optimal. More can be done by family physicians with regards provision of comprehensive care for patients suffering from osteoarthritis.

can reach their maximum self development. The purpose of this study are to describe the context, input, process and product components in guidance career program at SMK Negeri 1 Hiliserangkai Kabupaten Nias. The guidance career at vocational education mean to produces efficient and effective graduate so they have knowledge and skills to develop their selves on job industries. The study is performing by distributing questionares to the student and interview to the guidance tutor. Based on this study, we can find that the context component has been well programmed as what the student describes 84,01%. Input component has not support the implementation scheduled program which shows by student 68,61%. At process component , as student statement 65,64% shows that process component has not been effective. Product component has not been optimum shows by student statement 69,30%. Generally we can have a conclucion that the implementation career guidance program at SMK Negeri 1 Hiliserangkai has not been consistent with input and process component to achieve optimum result.

Goals of this study are to describe the context, input, process and product components in guidance career program at SMK Negeri 5 Padang. The study is performing by distributing questionares to the student and interview to the guidance tutor. The type of this research is evaluative research using descriptive qualitative research methods. Based on this study, we can find that the context component has been well programmed as what the student describes 84,01%. Input component has not support the implementation scheduled program which shows by student 68,61%. At process component , as student statement 65,64% shows that process component has not been effective. Product component has not been optimum shows by student statement 69,30%. Generally we can have a conclucion that the implementation career guidance program at SMK Negeri 5 Padang has not been consistent with input and process component to achieve optimum result.

Mapping regions, framing projects: A comparative analysis on the role of mapping in the region-building process of two European regions

Introduction. The article draws attention to the historically established types of knowledge. It is noted that the development of a technogenic society objectively requires a moral component in the process of acquiring knowledge. The purpose of the article is to substantiate, within the framework of a hierarchically subordinate approach, the connection between theoretical and practical components in the learning process. Materials and Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis is the concepts of Thomists and Neo-Thomists. The matrix is a hierarchically-subordinate approach, which presupposes the formation of both stable knowledge in the corresponding academic discipline in the learning process, and the mechanisms of the formation of a moral personality. Causal-genetic and axiological methods are used as tools. Results. The article argues that the application of the analyzed approach is an effective way to acquire knowledge and transform it for the development of a moral and creative personality. The main conceptual provisions of the considered approach are highlighted, which allows, on the one hand, to form the pedagogical skill of the teacher in the framework of training, on the other hand, to change the student’s value system, developing an interest in knowledge and moral perfection. Discussion and Conclusion. The practical significance of the research focused on the formation of a personal value system is emphasized. The conditions for the practical implementation of the proposed methodology, which occupies an adjacent position between the motivational and educational aspects of the educational process, are indicated.

A random graph process, G1(n), is a sequence of graphs on n vertices which begins with the edgeless graph, and where at each step a single edge is added according to a uniform distribution on the missing edges. It is well known that in such a process a giant component (of linear size) typically emerges after (1 + o(1))n2 edges (a phenomenon known as “the double jump”), i.e., at time t = 1 when using a timescale of n/2 edges in each step. We consider a generalization of this process, GK(n), proposed by Itai Benjamini in order to model the spreading of an epidemic. This generalized process gives a weight of size 1 to missing edges between pairs of isolated vertices, and a weight of size K ∈ [0,∞) otherwise. This corresponds to a case where links are added between n initially isolated settlements, where the probability of a new link in each step is biased according to whether or not its two endpoint settlements are still isolated. Combining methods of [13] with analytical techniques, we describe the typical emerging time of a giant component in this process, tc(K), as the singularity point of a solution to a set of differential equations. We proceed to analyze these differential equations and obtain properties of GK , and in particular, we show that tc(K) strictly decreases from 32 to 0 as K increases from 0 to ∞, and that tc(K) = 4 √3K (1 + o(1)), where the o(1)-term tends to 0 as K → ∞. Numerical approximations of the differential equations agree both with computer simulations of the process GK(n) and with the analytical results.

Background: A conceptual model is always a suitable way to show the relationship between the different components of a process or among different processes. In the field of incident management, there are several models. However, there is almost no simple, natural, conceptual model to show the relationship between disaster risk management. Methods: Because of the need for the development of a simple model that can quickly and at a glance relate the overall steps and components of the risk management process and various phases of disaster management, this model has been invented based on the evaluation of previous studies and reviewing current literature as well as refining the research and innovation done by the authors. Results: In this article, a new model, which is called the Egg model, including the shell, the white (albumen) and the yellow (yolk) parts, is introduced. In which, risk management includes three steps. The first step is the assignment of a body, either a person, team or organization, as responsible (the resembling the shell). In the second step, the body does the assessment of the risk (resembling the white part). Risk assessment, on its own, includes risk identification, risk analysis, and risk evaluation. Finally, (resembling the yellow part), treatment of the risk(s) is begun which includes, prevention and mitigation, and preparedness before the disaster and, response and recovery after the disaster occurrence. Obviously, without an intact shell, the whole egg (albumen and yolk) will decay and all resources will be lost. Also without assessment of the risks, proper and effective management of the disaster is almost impossible. The third step of the risk management, the risk treatment, is in fact the disaster management. Conclusion: This simple model shows the relationship between risk management and risk treatment. Although this model may have oversimplified the process of Risk Management, it helps to create a unique overview and understanding for almost everyone

In the present paper the use of mathematical programming theory is proposed to define optimization criteria for the deficit irrigation of an area. A first application, which was carried out on a sample farm in the Upper Tiber Valley (Central Italy), gave significant results. By using a multiplicative Stewart’s formula, it was possible to determine, for various crops, the relationships between \Icrop yield and applied water\N, which depend on the deterministic component of the process of water exchange \Isoil-crop-atmosphere\N. The stochastic component of the same process is defined by the hypothesis that the functions are variable from year to year. These relationships were introduced as a constraint in a mathematical programming framework, with the aim of optimizing, in economic terms, the application of available irrigation water taking into account the possibility of varying the crop pattern. Finally, since the optimal solution can be found only on an annual basis, due to the stochastic component of the process, an attempt was made to define a method for determining a single, constant and optimal solution.

The article deals with an important component of the learning process - educational work, in terms of the formation of a moral and patriotic portrait of a graduate, as well as the formation of groups of universal competencies related to intercultural interaction and civic position. The task of improving upbringing work at the university received particular urgency in connection with the implementation of the strategy for the development of education in the Russian Federation. The authors attempt to evaluate and analyze educational work from the point of view of the process approach and system analysis. A hierarchical model of educational work is proposed and the components of the process are highlighted, and a system of indicators for assessing the quality of educational work is developed. The proposed approach can be applied in the formation and evaluation of the strategy for the development of the educational process in higher education and the development of work programs for educational work, as an obligatory element of the main professional educational program.

The stabilization of sandy and loamy surfaces in semiarid and arid areas by topsoil crusts protecting the soil against wind or runoff erosion is well known. Destruction of such crusts, often by overgrazing, can enhance erosion and desertification. Crust recovery does not depend purely on biotic components of the crust and vegetation. Mineral components in the initial surface stabilization process are often overlooked. The present study focuses on the relative importance of the biotic and mineral components in the process of topsoil crust recovery in a sandy desert area located in the northwestern Negev Desert of Israel. Observations of the initial crust and of the disturbed surface, in the field and under the scanning electron microscope, showed that the mineral components of the crust recovered more quickly than its biotic elements. The implications for the rehabilitation of the disturbed ecosystem are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Easy cutting vibration of Titanium alloy thin-walled structural components in processing process directly influences the quality of part machining surface. So, the chatter prediction has become a research hotspot. The milling process of Ti-6Al-4V framework parts for hard alloy cutter is researched and chatter prediction methods are proposed to solve the chatter problem generated in milling process. The signals in milling process are comprehensively considered to work out the stability boundary and the chatter prediction model based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Support Vector Machine (SVM). The stability lobe diagram is utilized to select experiment parameter for experiment, in which the 1/3-2/3 position of framework parts chatters easily in processing. The model training in experiment aims to monitor the time of chatter, with the recognition precision of 97.50%.

The hydrogen production method applying thermo-chemical Iodine-Sulfur process (IS process) which uses a nuclear high temperature gas cooled reactor is world widely greatly concerned from the view point of a combination as a clean method, free carbon dioxide in essence. In this process, it is essential a using ceramic material, especially SiC because a operation condition of this process is very corrosive due to a sulfuric acid atmosphere with high temperature and high pressure. In the IS process, a sulfuric acid decomposer is the key component which performs evaporating of sulfuric acid from liquid to gas and disassembling to SO2 gas. SiC was selected as ceramic material to apply for the sulfuric acid decomposer and a new type of binding material was also developed for SiC junction. This technology is expected to wide application not only for a sulfuric acid decomposer but also for various type components in this process. Process parameters were provided as design condition for the decomposer. The configuration of the sulfuric acid decomposer was studied, and a cylindrical tubes assembling type was selected. The advantage of this type is applicable for various type of components in the IS process due to manufacturing with using only simple shape part. A sulfuric acid decomposer was divided into two regions of the liquid and the gaseous phase of sulfuric acid. The thermal structural integrity analysis was studied for the liquid phase part. From the result of this analysis, it was investigated that the stress was below the strength of the breakdown probability 1/100,000 at any position, base material or junction part. The prototype model was manufactured, which was a ceramic portion in the liquid phase part, comparatively complicated configuration, of a sulfuric acid decomposer. The size of model was about 1.9m in height, 1.0m in width. Thirty-six cylinders including inlet and outlet nozzles were combined and each part article was joined using the new binder (slurry binder) and calcinated. Final polishing of the flange faces established in the entrance nozzles was also satisfactory. Many parts were joinable using new technology (new binder). For this reason, new technology is applicable to manufacture of not only a sulfuric acid decomposer but the instruments in the IS process, or other chemical processes.

Relationship between causality of stochastic processes and zero blocks of their joint innovation transfer matrices

ABSTRACTThe evaporation process in raw sugar manufacturing consists of juice heater, multiple-effect evaporator, and crystallizer. Two performance parameters of the evaporation process are the rate of processed sugar juice and the steam economy, defined as the ratio between water content of sugar juice entering the process to the amount of steam required to run the process. If the total surface area of the multiple-effect evaporator is fixed, the performance parameters are affected by the distribution of the surface area among the effects of the evaporator. Although the optimization of evaporator surface area distribution has been investigated in previous studies, they have considered only the multiple-effect evaporator, and overlooked interactions between the three components of the evaporation process. The current investigation proposes a model of the evaporation process that takes into account interactions between the three components of the process through mass and energy balances. The model is used to find the optimum surface area distribution that maximizes the rate of sugar juice processed by the system and the optimum surface area distribution that maximizes the steam economy are different.