Acceptable Proportions Research Articles

The Universities in Western Europe: A Personal View of Certain Trends

Jacques Robert (President of Paris II), opening the Pont-a-Mousson Round Table on 'Attacks on the University Today', organised by IAUPL last September, distinguished three kinds of external and three of internal threats to the 1ln1versity of today: ideological, political and social; psychological, political and moral. Participants from three continents broadly supported his contention that the external situation was particularly grave and likely to worsen. With the exception of Venezuela, the most worrying attacks were emerging as the darker part of the growing interest taken by the general public and by in higher education; they come in the wake of a welcomed expansion of public funding of teaching and research during the past two decades like a hidden sting in the tail. Professor Walter Metzger's seminal book Dimensions of Acadermc Freedom (I969), had exposed many of the basic forces which had led to the 'delocalisation' of the neutral, isolated 'Ivory Tower' which used to protect its scholars from outside interference. In an 'open' system, the university teacher finds himself torn between two conflicting imperatives: to pursue knowledge for knowledge's sake; and to pursue only socially 'useful' objectives. Presented by M. Robert in dialectic form the Round Table identified this as the principal feature and problem for academe. Companion to it were a number of other features which included awareness that the attitude of the general public to universities had become more and more hostile, parroting a number of groundless beliefs such as that we function for less than six months in a year. For much of the evidence of what has been taking place in Europe one can turn to the Report of the Council of Europe, Changing Tertiary Education in Modern European Societythe de Moor Report. Uttered in December I978, after seven years of work, the Report is a substaniial review undertaken by selected professors on behalf of the Council of Europe. It consists of seven separate country studies and a summary with recommendations. Three 'social goals' of which 'preparation of the labour market' is one, and the 'personal goal' are suggested; it deals with pre-tertiary education (i.e. up to the age of I6 years) briefly, and extensively with aspects of higher and tertiary education. The Report recommends inter alia that governments and institutions clearly define criteria of effectiveness such as maximally acceptable proportions of drop-outs, acceptable length of study, minimum levels of performance of students, desired research activities.... they should pay attention to a balanced allocation of time for teaching, research and administration . . . and to research productivity of teachers. should increase efficiency in the institutions by furthering a democratic governance system which allows the functioning of competent admlnistrators and they should increase cost consciousness by iance systems which allow an efficient use of resources while taking into account both the principle of self-administration and the rule of accountability for public funds. With regard to policy goals generally, Governments should explicitly accept as goals of their

Chamber Systems for Measuring Nitrous Oxide Emission from Soils in the Field

AbstractRecent concern over N2O losses from soils has highlighted the need for new techniques for measuring N2O exchange in the field. Two systems are described, in which nondispersive infrared gas analysis is used to measure the change in N2O concentration of air passing through a cylindrical chamber driven 0.1 m into the ground. When interfering gases are removed from the air stream, the infrared analyzer has a resolution of ± 12 ppb N2O.In one system, air circulates in a closed loop between the chamber air space and the gas analyzer; in the other, open system, outside air is drawn continuously through the chamber space and its N2O enrichment or depletion measured.Two operational problems (common to many emission chambers) were encountered: the development of a low pressure in the chamber when air is withdrawn, which induces a mass flow of N2O from the soil in addition to the diffusive flow; and a readjustment of the N2O concentration in the soil air whenever the N2O concentration in the chamber air changes from ambient. These can lead to incorrect estimates of the flux. The former problem was overcome by chamber design. The latter appeared to be insurmountable in the closed system, but could be reduced to acceptable proportions in the open system by choice of air flow rate.The open system permits relatively rapid equilibration, automatic and continuous operation, a discrimination less than 2 ng N m−2 sec−1, and the maintenance of environmental conditions within the chamber close to those in the field.

Yet Another Digression on Systems Analysis: The Great Spare Parts Fiasco

Top management of a well-known computer manufacturing firm recently became concerned with the growing cost of maintaining, across the country, local stocks of spare parts needed to repair and maintain the computers it typically leased, and sometimes sold, to users. This was obviously an inventory control problem, so the corporate OR/MS group was called in and told to do their thing to bring the inventory picture back into more acceptable proportions.

Compounded two-path variable ratio transmissions with coaxial gear trains

Two families of variable-ratio transmission mechanisms are derived. These mechanisms, utilising two coaxial differential gears, provide variable speed-ratios from a minimum number of geared units and allow transfer between two drive-ranges by means of clutches engaged at zero speed-difference. Acceptable proportions of the differential gear elements are shown to limit the number of practicable solutions.

The Fasciocutaneous Flap: It’s Use In Soft Tissue Defects Of The Lower Leg

DOI = 10.3329/jom.v7i2.1365 J MEDICINE 2006; 7 : 54-57

Influence of soil temperatures on the emergence and initial growth of upland cotton

Growth chambers were used to simulate runs of warm and cold days, to study the effect of various temperature-duration patterns on the emergence of cotton. Statistical evaluation of the results are used to define three temperature-duration regimes: (1) An unfavorable regime in which no emergence can be expected. (2) A borderline regime, in which there will be some emergence, but not in acceptable proportions. (3) A favorable regime, in which an acceptable proportion of the cotton seeds planted will emerge.

Eisenhower and Grass River Lock Models

Models of St. Lawrence Seaway locks were constructed to scale of 1 to 24.24, model to prototype; vortical activity over intake ports and turbulence in lock chamber and lower approach were reduced to acceptable proportions; culvert and gate pressures, emergency gate and tainter valve operating loads, and hawser forces were measured; prototype operation procedures were selected from results of model tests.