Higher Withdrawal Research Articles

The dynamic causality model on foreign institutional investments and nifty indices

Post LPG, the Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) Investments, has created a massive impression on the Indian Equity market as well as the Indian economy, contributing toward several financial reforms of the Indian Government, RBI and SEBI, to a major extent, dancing to the tune of, the various Indian and other global economic crisis, to name a few, the US subprime crisis, demonetization in India and the Covid ’19 pandemic lockdown. The recent Covid-19 pandemic triggered fears of global recession due to which, the foreign investors started sculling back to pull out from the equity markets in India, a total net outflow of Rs. 1,12,189 crore (Rs.59,377.1 crore syphoned out from equities and Rs.52,811 crore from the debt segment) the highest withdrawal ever, in March 2020 by the FPIs, had a worst impact on the Indian Equity Market to the extent of a enormous drop of 1203 points of BSE Sensex and the broader NSE Nifty Index tanked 344 points in March 2020. This negative economic effect has prompted to analyze the impact of the FIIs Investments not only on the India’s major Index, i.e., Nifty but also its selected sectoral indices. The impact of FII investments has been specifically analyzed on both bidirectional and uni-directional relationship applying Granger causality model, considered more appropriate and have chosen the VAR framework for suitable outcome of the results of this study.

Financial liberalization and house prices: Evidence from China

I investigate whether financial liberalization can affect house prices. I exploit the 2008 US financial crisis as an exogenous shock that negatively affected foreign banks’ operations in China. Using cross-sectional variation in foreign banks’ establishment and asset value, I document that cities with a higher level of financial openness have more volatile house price movements. I also show that the drops in house price growth rates in 2008 were larger for cities with higher withdrawal or exit rates of overseas banks. I exclude alternative explanations for the negative treatment effect, such as shocks to international trade and local economic conditions in 2008. The evidence suggests a credit supply channel. Further analyses show that the negative effect of financial liberalization on the house price growth rate is more pronounced for more geographically constrained cities.

Balancing smart irrigation and hydropower investments for sustainable water conservation in the Indus basin

Indus River Basin (IRB) region of South Asia is severely water-stressed with irrigation receiving 90–95% of total surface water allocations and depletion of fossil groundwater reserves of more than 30 km3/year. Simultaneously, many supply-driven hydropower reservoirs, are planned in the basin. The reservoirs constructed upstream inflict severe environmental damages and reduce water availability for irrigation downstream. Policymakers promote smart technologies as a demand-based solution to reduce water consumption in irrigation. However, the effects of such technologies are not yet well understood, and unintended consequences (such as irrigation efficiency paradox and other nexus externalities) have recently begun to appear. Therefore, we use an integrated assessment model to analyze the proliferation of smart technologies in the IRB. The analysis suggests that if the Indus countries adopt a demand-based approach and irrigate their land completely using smart technologies, surface and groundwater withdrawals are indeed reduced. However, this reduction comes with a 33% increase in total expenditures, an increase in consumption across water and energy sectors, and higher withdrawals from fossil groundwater reserves. On the other hand, we find that if the countries were to balance their investments between smart and hydropower technologies it would not only reduce the increment in expenditure to 28%, but would also conserve irrigation water while avoiding the increased multi-sectoral consumption and environmental degradation. Thus, balancing investments between smart irrigation and hydropower projects can significantly reduce the economic and environmental (including conservation of water resources, meeting environmental flow targets, among others) costs of multi-sector water conservation in the IRB.

Compensation During Crisis: Understanding the Effects of Bonus Deferral Severity During the COVID-19

In response to financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations have deferred bonus payments to employees. To date, the literature offers little insight into how employees process and react to bonus deferrals, particularly during times of crisis when employees may be more forgiving of employers who do not provide expected compensation. Drawing from signaling theory, we argue that employees use information from two pay-related signals, bonus deferral severity and pay-for-performance perceptions, to determine whether the deferral should be attributed to an external crisis (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic) or company-specific factors. We argue that when bonus deferrals are perceived as more severe, employees will attribute the event to company-specific factors rather than the COVID-19 pandemic. We expect this relationship is qualified by employees’ prior pay-for-performance perceptions, such that when pay-for-performance perceptions are low, employees are more likely to attribute severe deferrals to company specific factors rather than the COVID-19; however, the inverse is true when pay-for-performance perceptions are strong. Finally, we argue that company-related attributions of the deferral will be associated with higher withdrawal and turnover intentions than COVID-19 attributions. We find general support for the proposed model in a two-wave field study of 205 employees that endured bonus deferrals during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Secondary reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture: flexor hallucis longus transfer versus plantaris longus augmentation.

Chronic Achilles tendon rupture is primarily caused by degenerative processes of multifactorial origin. In addition to secondary repair (SR) with augmentation of the plantaris longus tendon, the transfer of the flexor hallucis longus tendon (FHL) to the calcaneus is a recognised reconstruction procedure. This paper aims to provide a direct comparison based on clinical scores and objectifiable strength measurements. We analysed data for 60 patients (46 males and 14 females) with chronic Achilles tendon rupture, including 34 (mean age 57years) treated with FHL and 26 (mean age 52years) with SR between 2016 and 2020 (mean follow-up of 49months). The follow-up included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scoring System (AOFAS-AH) and Visual Analogue Scale Foot and Ankle (VAS FA), the 12-item Short Form Survey (SF-12) and the objectifiable strength measurement using the dynamometer BIODEX®. Pre-existing gait disorders and permanent pain therapy led to exclusion. The mean AOFAS-AH was 87.8 points (FHL: 85.6, SR: 90.6), the mean VAS FA was 78.1 points (FHL: 73.7, SR: 83.6), the mean PCS was 48.2 points (FHL: 46.3, SR: 50.7) and the mean MCS was 54.1 points (FHL: 55.0, SR: 53.0). The maximum torque for plantar flexion was 56.7 Nm on average (FHL: 51.0, SR: 63.7). A total of seven (11.7%) wound infections requiring revision occurred (FHL: 4 (11.8%), SR: 3 (11.5%)). All measurements did not differ significantly between the groups (p > 0.05). The results of the study prove the equivalence of FHL and SR based on the clinical scores as well as on the strength measurement using BIODEX®. Nevertheless, a higher withdrawal because of morbidity with a tendency for prolonged incapacity to work in the FHL group has to be taken into account. The present work provides the basis for a prospective comparison in future studies.

Wood screw design: influence of thread parameters on the withdrawal capacity

Self-tapping wood screws are important fasteners in timber construction. A characteristic of these screws is their high axial load-bearing capacity, which also depends on their withdrawal capacity. This is used for structural design and is thus an important optimization parameter for wood screws. To increase the withdrawal capacity, knowledge of the influence of the thread parameters, such as outer diameter, pitch or flank angle, is required. The influences of pitch and flank angle on the withdrawal capacity have not yet been sufficiently subjected to research and are therefore investigated in this study. A total of ten specially developed screw prototypes with pitches in the range of 3.04 mm and 5.9 mm and flank angles in the range of 35° and 45° are used. The screw prototypes are flat ribbed bars with uncoiled screw thread. The effect on the withdrawal capacity is measured using an experimental setup based on test standard EN 1382:2016. The pitch showed a significant influence (p = 0.000, f = 0.37) whereas the influence of flank angle was not significant (p = 0.283). A smaller pitch leads to a higher withdrawal capacity, irrespective of the flank angle. The experimental results are explained based on the theoretical models of bonding mechanisms and conical stress distribution. To optimize the withdrawal capacity of a ø 8 mm screw, a smaller pitch is preferable. The determined influence of the pitch can also be used to improve the accuracies of calculation models for the withdrawal capacity.

Course withdrawal: a comparison of business and engineering students in a private university

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the course withdrawal behavior of business and engineering students in a private university. While previous research has studied such behavior, the literature remains sparse and dated. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a negative binomial model in order to model the total number of course withdrawals for 760 students. The data set includes all courses taken by the students, with a total of 25,160 course outcomes. Findings Among the findings of the study are that males withdraw from courses more than females, engineering courses have the highest withdrawal rates, and male engineering students withdraw more than any other group. Originality/value While dropping out of college has received cross-national interest, the same cannot be said of course withdrawal. Most research to date has been conducted in a community college setting or has used a subset of the courses taken by students at universities in the USA. Thus, this is one of the first studies to investigate course withdrawal in another country.

Effects of Withdrawal Rate on the Microstructure of Directionally Solidified GH4720Li Superalloys.

Increasing the ingot size of GH4720Li superalloys makes it difficult to control their microstructure, and the withdrawal rate is an important factor in controlling and refining the microstructure of GH4720Li superalloys. In this study, GH4720Li superalloy samples were prepared via Bridgman-type directional solidification with different withdrawal rates. The morphology and average size of the dendrites in the stable growth zone during directional solidification in each sample, morphology and average size of the γ’ phases, and microsegregation of each alloying element were analyzed using optical microscopy, Photoshop, Image Pro Plus, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and electron probe microanalysis. Increasing the withdrawal rate significantly helped in refining the superalloy microstructure; the average secondary dendrite arm spacing decreased from 133 to 79 µm, whereas the average sizes of the γ’ phases in the dendrite arms and the interdendritic regions decreased from 1.02 and 2.15 µm to 0.69 and 1.26 µm, respectively. Moreover, the γ’ phase distribution became more uniform. The microsegregation of Al, Ti, Cr, and Co decreased with the increase in the withdrawal rate; the segregation coefficients of Al, Cr, and Co approached 1 at higher withdrawal rates, whereas that of Ti remained above 2.2 at all the withdrawal rates.

Dip-Coating perfluoropolyether lubricants on rigid magnetic disks

Abstract Dip-coating is used to apply a boundary lubricant film of perfluoropolyether (PFPE) on rigid magnetic disks. At lower solute concentration and lower withdrawal speeds, solvent evaporation is faster than the motion of the drying line leading to capillary feeding during film formation. At higher solute concentrations and higher withdrawal speeds, film formation is described by the Landau-Levich drainage model modified for evaporation. The minimum in the deposited film thickness versus withdrawal speed is attributed to a mixed regime corresponding to a crossover between the capillarity and drainage regimes. The solute concentration and therefore solvent type is a strong determinant of which regimes are observed. The dip-coating process is well-described by semi-experimental equations. The relationship between solute concentration and solvent compatibility, a determinant in the dip-coating process, is explained on the basis of solvent power and solubility parameters.

Identification of Distinct Latent Classes Related to Sleep, PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety in Individuals Diagnosed With Severe Alcohol Use Disorder

ABSTRACT Objective/Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are often accompanied by comorbid physiologic and psychosocial conditions, including sleep disturbances. Sleep disturbances in these individuals may be associated with increased risk of relapse to drinking following detoxification and rehabilitation. Participants: The sample of inpatient treatment-seeking individuals with AUDs (N = 164) was 70.1% male and 47.6% African American with a mean age of 45.6 years (±9.5 years). Methods: Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify unmeasured class membership based on seven indicators: maximum Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment (CIWA) scores; sleep efficiency (actigraphy); sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index-PSQI); anxiety or depression (Comprehensive Psychopathological Rating Scale [CPRS]); and current and lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results: The average number of drinking days in the 90 days preceding admission was 72.0 (±22.0 days), with an average of 13.16 drinks per day (±5.70 drinks). Nearly one quarter (24.4%) of respondents reported lifetime PTSD. Three latent classes were identified: Sleep Disturbance (SD); Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety and Depression (SD/AD); and Sleep Disturbance, Anxiety and Depression, and PTSD (SD/AD/PTSD). Members of the SD/AD/PTSD group were more likely to be female and had the highest withdrawal and sleep disturbance scores of all three groups. Conclusion: Findings support the use of LCA to identify subgroups of individuals with AUDs and accompanying sleep disturbances. Class identification may provide clinicians with insight into the integrative tailoring of interventions that meet the varied needs of individuals with AUDs, accompanying comorbidities, and sleep disturbances.

Ethanol withdrawal-induced dysregulation of neurosteroid levels in plasma, cortex, and hippocampus in genetic animal models of high and low withdrawal.

Endogenous γ-aminobutyric acidA receptor (GABAAR)-active neurosteroids (e.g., allopregnanolone) regulate central nervous system excitability and many physiological functions, so fluctuations are implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Pertinently, evidence supports an inverse relationship between endogenous GABAAR-active neurosteroid levels and behavioral changes in excitability during ethanol withdrawal (WD). The present studies determined mouse genotype differences in ten neurosteroid levels in plasma, cortex, and hippocampus over the time course of ethanol WD in the WD Seizure-Prone (WSP) and WD Seizure-Resistant (WSR) selected lines and in the DBA/2J (DBA) inbred strain. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was utilized to simultaneously quantify neurosteroid levels from control-treated male WSP-1, WSR-1, and DBA mice and during 8 and 48h of WD. Combined with our prior work, there was a consistent decrease in plasma allopregnanolone levels at 8h WD in all three genotypes, an effect that persisted at 48h WD only in DBA mice. WSR-1 and WSP-1 mice exhibited unexpected divergent changes in cortical neurosteroids at 8h WD, with the majority of neurosteroids (including allopregnanolone) being significantly decreased in WSR-1 mice, but unaffected or significantly increased in WSP-1 mice. In DBA mice, hippocampal allopregnanolone and tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone were significantly decreased at 8h WD. The pattern of significant correlations between allopregnanolone and other GABAAR-active neurosteroid levels differed between controls and withdrawing mice. Ethanol WD dysregulated neurosteroid synthesis. Results in WSP-1 mice suggest that diminished GABAAR function is more important for their high WD phenotype than fluctuations in neurosteroid levels.

Adherence to tamoxifen in Mexican young women with breast cancer.

e12003 Background: Young age has been associated with significantly increased risk of breast cancer (BC) death among women with luminal BC. One contributing factor might be the low rate of tamoxifen (TMX) adherence previously reported in this young group. Given that in Mexico a disproportionate rate of BC is diagnosed among YW, information regarding TMX adherence is particularly relevant. Our study's aim was to report TMX adherence in Mexican YW and its associated determinants. Methods: Consecutive patients ≤40y at diagnosis at the National Cancer Institute in Mexico City, under TMX treatment, completed a multiple-choice survey regarding the use and attitudes about hormonal therapy and adherence. Data of TMX disposal was collected from the pharmacy’s records, and the medication possession ratio (MPR) was calculated; an MPR ≥80% was considered adherent. Results: 135 YW with a median age at diagnosis of 35.7y (24-40) were included. 77% were undergraduate, 28% unpaired and 33% childless. Median follow-up was 26 months. 95% of patients reported a regular TMX intake: 70% did not miss any doses, while 25% missed 1-6 doses a month. Only 45% considered that the information received regarding TMX therapy was sufficient and for 37% was incomprehensive. 43% thought TMX significantly reduced their recurrence-risk and 60% strongly believed that they needed to be on TMX treatment. 73% of women reported adverse effects, being menopausal symptoms the most frequent, but only 27% were worried about the treatment long-term effects. From the 99 patients with a pharmacy record, 73% had an MPR > 80%. No significant factor was statistically associated with TMX adherence. Conclusions: Although Mexican YW and pharmacy data surprisingly sustained higher rates of TMX adherence compared to previous data, still a significant proportion of patients were non-adherent. Two-thirds of our patients reported having adverse effects, which might contribute to late TMX discontinuation. Since the newer recommendations of double hormonal blockade could lead to higher withdrawal rates of endocrine therapy in YW, adherence should be emphasized and closely monitored. Accordingly, hormonal treatment adherence should be a key component in the medical assessment of young luminal BC patients.

Severity of Withdrawal Symptoms, Plasma Oxytocin Levels, and Treatment Outcome in Heroin Users Undergoing Acute Withdrawal

ABSTRACTPre-clinical studies show that, following chronic opioid exposure, oxytocin neurons exhibit over-excitation upon withdrawal, causing an increase in oxytocin brain and plasma levels. Relevant clinical data on humans are scarce. This study investigates the opioid withdrawal stress effect on oxytocin plasma levels in humans. We evaluated 57 male chronic heroin users in a residential detoxification program. We determined plasma oxytocin levels by ELISA and measured the stress effects of withdrawal using the COWS scale for opioid withdrawal, the VAS scale for craving, and the Hamilton scales for anxiety and depression on the second day of admission. Out of the 57 patients enrolled in the study, 27 completed the 21-day program, while the remaining 30 dropped out prior to completion. Plasma oxytocin levels were significantly higher in those individuals who dropped out than in those who completed the program. Participants who dropped out at some stage scored higher in the COWS, VAS-Craving, and Hamilton-anxiety scales, indicating a higher stress and explaining the higher oxytocin levels. In addition, plasma oxytocin levels correlated positively with the scores achieved in the COWS and Hamilton-anxiety scales. Higher withdrawal stress levels are associated with higher plasma oxytocin levels and early treatment discharge.

College Success Courses: Success for All

ABSTRACTCollege success courses (CSCs), or orientation courses, are offered by community colleges and universities to facilitate the success of first-time-in-college students. Primarily, these courses are designed to address students’ nonacademic deficiencies, such as weak study habits and poor organizational skills, and to familiarize students with campus resources and support services (Zeidenberg, Jenkins, & Calcagno, 2007). In this descriptive, quantitative study, the pass and withdrawal rates of 19,023 developmental students in a CSC were calculated by gender, ethnicity, and age across and within six community college system campuses located in Texas for four consecutive semesters, Fall 2012 through Fall 2013. Among the findings, women consistently fared better than men, and the youngest followed by the oldest student groups tended to pass at higher rates. Black students held the lowest passing rates and the highest withdrawal rates across all community college campuses reviewed. On the other hand, Hispanic students passed the CSC at higher rates than any other ethnic group at the majority of the community college campuses. Multiple factors may have contributed to students’ success. A discussion of these factors may help administrators enact policies to assist low-performing groups at their community colleges.

Reduced withdrawal and failure rates of accelerated nursing students enrolled in pharmacology is associated with a supportive intervention.

BackgroundTo reduce nursing shortages, accelerated nursing programs are available for domestic and international students. However, the withdrawal and failure rates from these programs may be different than for the traditional programs. The main aim of our study was to improve the retention and experience of accelerated nursing students.MethodsThe academic background, age, withdrawal and failure rates of the accelerated and traditional students were determined. Data from 2009 and 2010 were collected prior to intervention. In an attempt to reduce the withdrawal of accelerated students, we set up an intervention, which was available to all students. The assessment of the intervention was a pre-post-test design with non-equivalent groups (the traditional and the accelerated students). The elements of the intervention were a) a formative website activity of some basic concepts in anatomy, physiology and pharmacology, b) a workshop addressing study skills and online resources, and c) resource lectures in anatomy/physiology and microbiology. The formative website and workshop was evaluated using questionnaires.ResultsThe accelerated nursing students were five years older than the traditional students (p < 0.0001). The withdrawal rates from a pharmacology course are higher for accelerated nursing students, than for traditional students who have undertaken first year courses in anatomy and physiology (p = 0.04 in 2010). The withdrawing students were predominantly the domestic students with non-university qualifications or equivalent experience. The failure rates were also higher for this group, compared to the traditional students (p = 0.05 in 2009 and 0.03 in 2010). In contrast, the withdrawal rates for the international and domestic graduate accelerated students were very low. After the intervention, the withdrawal and failure rates in pharmacology for domestic accelerated students with non-university qualifications were not significantly different than those of traditional students.ConclusionsThe accelerated international and domestic graduate nursing students have low withdrawal rates and high success rates in a pharmacology course. However, domestic students with non-university qualifications have higher withdrawal and failure rates than other nursing students and may be underprepared for university study in pharmacology in nursing programs. The introduction of an intervention was associated with reduced withdrawal and failure rates for these students in the pharmacology course.

A Novel Strategy for Attenuating Opioid Withdrawal in Neonates.

The rate of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) has drastically increased over the past decade. The average hospital expense per NAS patient has tripled, while the number of babies born to opioid-dependent mothers has increased to 5 in 1000 births. Current treatment options are limited to opioid replacement and tapering. Consequently, we examined the efficacy of prenatal, low-dose and short-term vigabatrin (γ-vinyl GABA, GVG) exposure for attenuating these symptoms as well as the metabolic changes observed in the brains of these animals upon reaching adolescence. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were treated in one of four ways: 1) saline; 2) morphine alone; 3) morphine+GVG at 25 mg/kg; 4) morphine+GVG at 50 mg/kg. Morphine was administered throughout gestation, while GVG administration occurred only during the last 5 days of gestation. On post-natal day 1, naloxone-induced withdrawal behaviours were recorded in order to obtain a gross behaviour score. Approximately 28 days following birth, 18FDG microPET scans were obtained on these same animals (Groups 1, 2, and 4). Morphine-treated neonates demonstrated significantly higher withdrawal scores than saline controls. However, GVG at 50 but not 25 mg/kg/day significantly attenuated them. Upon reaching adolescence, morphine treated animals showed regionally specific changes in 18FDG uptake. Again, prenatal GVG exposure blocked them. These data demonstrate that low-dose, short-term prenatal GVG administration blocks naloxone-induced withdrawal in neonates. Taken together, these preliminary findings suggest that GVG may provide an alternative and long-lasting pharmacologic approach for the management of neonatal and adolescent symptoms associated with NAS.

Failure Analysis of the Longitudinal Cracking in the Medium Carbon–Manganese Tube Billet Used in the Petroleum Industry

In this case study, longitudinal cracking of the 37Mn5 continuous casting tube billets was investigated. The coarse columnar grains, ferrite nets, and ferritic WidmanStatten structures were observed by optically metallurgical microscope (OMM). The main crack was covered by a layer of oxidation products in dark black color, and the oxidation products were mainly composed of FeO and Fe3O4. The intergranular features were observed by OMM and field emission scanning electron microscope. By analyzing the experimental results, the failure cause of 37Mn5 tube billets was attributed to rapid cooling in the cooling bed after ejection. Higher superheat and higher withdrawal speed promoted the cracking of the continuous casting billets.

NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFIED MICROSTRUCTURE OF WIDE-CHORD AERO BLADE BY BRIDGEMAN PROCESS

The aero turbine is spun by high-temperature and high-pressure burning gases. The practice has proven that the directional solidification(DS) turbine blade with perfect column grains has still excellent high-temperature performance in this kind of working environment. This means that the size and orientation of column grains have great influence on the high-temperature property and performance of turbine blades. On the other hand,the high-quality blade is not easy to be produced in DS process due to the difficulty of obtaining the desired temperature field needed to produce the grains with ideal morphology. In addition, the growth of columnar grains in the wide- chord hollow guide blade is obstructed by the complex camber and the platform. How to produce turbine blades with desired microstructures is the key problem in the DS process. Numerical simulation of the DS process is an effective way to investigate the growth and the morphology of the grains and hence to optimize the process.In this work, a mathematical- physical model for simulating the DS process of wide- chord blade is established in which nucleation and grain growth in the blade in the DS process are modeled by the cellular automation(CA)method with multi-scale dynamic bidirectional coupling technology. Some general analytic indicators are proposed to assess the morphology of mushy zone and grains in a blade quantitatively. Based on the simulated results by using the usual starter blocks 1, 2 and 3, a new starter block is designed considering numerically controlled cutting.Temperature fields and grains in DS processes and corresponding indicators at different withdrawal rates for above4 starter blocks are numerically predicted to investigate the influences of varying these technological parameters,and hence to determine the influence mechanism to the DS process. For comparison, the DS validation experiments by using starter blocks 1, 2 and 3 have been carried out. The numerical and experimental results agree well, their morphologies including those faulty grains are similar. It is found that higher withdrawal rate leads to larger concavation of mushy zone, but the effect of chill is stronger than that of withdrawal rate if the contact area between casting and chill plate is large enough. Better grain structure in a blade is achieved by starter block 3 than by starter blocks 1 and 2. By starter block 4, the amount of column grains is larger and the amount of lateral grain boundaries is smaller, compared with that of starter blocks 1, 2 and 3. Therefore higher withdrawal rate could be adoptable without excessive concavation of mushy zone, resulting in parallel column grains, finer dendrites in the blade, and much higher blade productivity. Optimum withdrawal rates are also determined for starter blocks 3 and 4.

Microstructure and Element Segregation of Ni-Base Superalloy Casting with Radiation and Liquid-Metal Cooling

A Re-containing single-crystal superalloy was processed with conventional radiation high rate solidification (HRS) and liquid-metal cooling (LMC) techniques, respectively. Compared with the HRS castings, LMC castings exhibited the greatly refined dendrite structures and lower segregation. At the withdrawal rate of 50 μm/s, the primary and secondary dendrite arm spacing of LMC casting was 103 and 19 μm, which were reduced by 60 % and 53 % compared to the counterpart of HRS castings. Moreover, higher withdrawal rates significantly shortened the characteristic diffusion distance and reduced the residual segregation of refractory elements after homogenization-solution treatments, which is beneficial for improving the local phase stability of Re-containing superalloys.

Bullying Predicts Reported Dating Violence and Observed Qualities in Adolescent Dating Relationships.

The relationship between reported bullying, reported dating violence, and dating relationship quality measured through couple observations was examined. Given past research demonstrating similarity between peer and dating contexts, we expected that bullying would predict negative dating experiences. Participants with dating experience (n = 585; 238 males, M(age) = 15.06) completed self-report assessments of bullying and dating violence perpetration and victimization. One month later, 44 opposite-sex dyads (M(age) = 15.19) participated in behavioral observations. In 10-min sessions, couples were asked to rank and discuss areas of relationship conflict while being video-recorded. Qualities of the relationship were later coded by trained observers. Regression analysis revealed that bullying positively predicted dating violence perpetration and victimization. Self-reported bullying also predicted observations of lower relationship support and higher withdrawal. Age and gender interactions further qualified these findings. The bullying of boys, but not girls, was significantly related to dating violence perpetration. Age interactions showed that bullying was positively predictive of dating violence perpetration and victimization for older, but not younger adolescents. Positive affect was also negatively predicted by bullying, but only for girls. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that adolescents carry forward strategies learned in the peer context to their dating relationships.