We use ALLWISE data release W1- and W2-band epoch photometry collected by the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) to determine slopes of the period-luminosity relations for RR Lyrae stars in 15 globular clusters in the corresponding bands. We further combine these results with V- and K-band photometry of Galactic field RR Lyrae stars to determine the metallicity slopes of the log PF - [Fe/H]-MK, log PF - [Fe/H]-MW1, and log PF - [Fe/H]- MW2 period-metallicity-luminosity relations. We infer the zero points of these relations and determine the kinematical parameters of thick-disk and halo RR Lyraes via statistical parallax, and estimate the RR Lyrae-based distances to 18 Local-Group galaxies including the center of the Milky Way.

The magnitude of wear should be at a minimum for numerous automobile and aeronautical components. In the current work, composites were prepared by varying the cenosphere content using the conventional stir casting method. A uniform distribution of particles was ensured with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Three major parameters were chosen from various factors that affect the wear. A wear test was conducted with a pin-on-disc apparatus; the controlling parameters were volume percentages of reinforcement of 5, 10, 15, and 20%, applied loads of 9.8, 29.42, and 49.03 N, and sliding speeds of 1.26, 2.51, and 3.77 m/s. The design of the experiments (DOE) was performed by varying the different influencing parameters using the full factorial method. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the effects of the parameters on the wear rate. Using regression analysis, a response curve was obtained based on the experimental results. The parameters in the resulting curve were optimized using the Genetic Algorithm (GA). The GA results were compared with those of an alternate efficient algorithm called Neural Networks (NNs).

In this empirical study, an attempt is made to show how the Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) can be computed by modeling multiple components of the customer and firm behavior. Specifically, attention will be given to modeling (1) the probability that a customer is likely to buy, (2) the quantity of purchase given that they will buy, and (3) the cost of marketing to each customer. Once the authors compute each of these inputs, they combine them to compute CLV using the net present value concept. The authors will examine multiple ways of computing purchase probabilities depending on the customer’s buying pattern. They will also discuss the estimation challenges in obtaining such inputs for computing CLV. The authors will demonstrate the implementation with a case study for a fashion retailer and what kind of managerial actions can be taken. Finally, a generalizable framework for all fashion retailers to maximize profits will be presented and discussed.

해상수색구조 책임기관인 해양경비안전본부는 해양사고에 대하여 적절히 대응한 것으로 평가되어 왔으나, 최근 발생한 세월호사고 발생 직후 초기단계의 신속 효율적인 대응에 실패함으로 인해 비판을 받게되었다. 이와 관련하여 저자는 향후 발생할 수 있는 해양사고시 인명손실을 최소화하기 위한 방안을 모색하기 위해 우리나라 해역에서 발생하는 해양사고의 특징을 분석하고, 수색구조조정과 인적자원을 중심으로 국가수색구조체계를 검토·분석하였다. 그 결과, 해양경비안전본부는 특히 연안역 해양사고에 신속하게 대응하기 위하여 고속구명정 및 구조헬기를 확충하여야 한다. 그리고 현행 조정체계의 운용상 문제점을 개선하기 위해 IMO 지침에 맞춰 구조조정 본부설치를 재조정하여야 하며, 수색구조요원의 전문성 제고를 위한 의무적 교육 및 자격 제도의 도입이 필요하다.

The breakthrough behaviour of activated charcoal cloth samples against an oxygen analogue (OA) of sulphur mustard has been studied using the modified Wheeler equation. Activated charcoal cloth samples having different surface area values in the range of 481 to 1290 m2/g were used for this purpose. Breakthrough behaviour was found to depend on the properties of the activated charcoal cloth, properties of the OA and the adsorption conditions. Activated charcoal cloth with a high surface area of 1290 m2/g, relatively large surface density of 160 g/m2 and coarser fiber structure exhibited better kinetic saturation capacity value, 0.19 g/g, against OA vapours when compared to others, thus confirming its potential use in foldable masks for protection against chemical warfare agents.

The present research analyzes the influence of positive and negative emotions towards consumer satisfaction and buying intentions of PDO Rioja wine. Results suggest that only positive emotions have a significant effect, in consumer satisfaction but also in future buying intentions because consumers search (positive) pleasure when taste foods and drinks.

The demand for test-taking has become an inevitable element of Korean secondary EFL learners’ academic lives in which learners strive to excel in the high-stakes examoriented milieu. However, current knowledge of practitioners, such as those of teachers and administrators, may be insufficient for ascertaining if the learners actually undergo the test-taking process they anticipate and assess what they aim to test. In contrast to the product-oriented view where the primary interest is on the outcome (i.e., scores or stanine levels), the purpose of the present study was to explore 165 Korean high school learners’ test-taking process via questionnaires with proficiency and item type as the grouping variables. There was avid use of conventional reading strategies among the high proficiency learners and test management strategies among the lower proficiency learners. Results present implications for teaching learners not only to become testwise, but also to work consistently towards building reading skills and adopt long-term learning strategies.

Although reading is part and parcel for the development of L2 literacy skills, such as in reading and writing, the skill has been practiced more often for grammar instruction and literal translation in EFL contexts. While realizing there is less focus on the development of L2 skills through extensive reading (ER) in EFL university contexts,the purpose of the present study was to explore the outcome of an in-class ER approach in English university classrooms. With 249 students, the study reports on the implementation of a university level ER class and the outcome for L2 development via the measures of L2 reading speed, L2 speed reading comprehension, and L2 lexical writing ability. Results indicated positive outcomes for the development of students’ L2reading ability, productive retrieval of academic words and lexical variety. The outcome of the ER program validates the effort and time expended on such programs when graded readers are utilized at matching student Lexile levels.

During high speed sewing, the needle thread is exposed to dynamic loading, short strike loading, inertia forces, friction, rubbing, force of check spring, bending, pressure, friction, impact, shock and thermal influence. The dynamic thread loading/tension alters throughout the stitch formation cycle and along its passage through the machine. The greatest tensile force occurs at the moment of stitch stretching, when the take up lever pulls for required thread length through the tension regulator. These stresses act on the thread repeatedly and the thread passes 50-80 times through the fabric, the needle eye and the bobbin case mechanism, before getting incorporated into the seam, which result in upto 40% loss in tensile strength of the sewing thread. This damage in the sewing thread adversely affects its processing and functional performance. In this paper, the contribution of dynamic loading, passage through needle and fabric, and bobbin thread interaction in the loss in tensile properties has been studied. It is observed that the loss in tensile properties occurs mainly due to the bobbin thread interaction. Dynamic loading due to the action of take up lever also causes substantial loss in tenacity and breaking elongation of cotton threads.

Effects of the amount of nickel powder (Ni) in Ni-carbon fiber (CF) hybrid filler systems on the conductivity(or resistivity) and thermal coefficient of resistance (TCR) of filled high density polyethylene were studied. Increases of the resistivity and TCR with increasing Ni concentration at a given hybrid filler content were observed. Using the fiber contact model, we showed that the main role of Ni in the hybrid filler system is to decrease the interfiber contact resistance when Ni concentration is less than the threshold point. The formation of structural defects leading to reduced reinforcing effect resulted in both a reduction of strength and an increase of the coefficient of thermal expansion in the composite film; these changes are responsible for the increases of both resistivity and TCR with increasing Ni concentration in the hybrid filler system.

Understanding how researchers are tackling globally important issues, such as climate change, is crucial to identify whether current research is comprehensive enough to make substantive predictions about general responses to climate change. We assessed the type of studies being conducted by researchers to understand the impacts of climate change on insects, published. Most published research is generated from Europe and North America and being dedicated to core data analysis, with reviews being highly produced. Temperature – only is the main climate change factor being analysed, with most researchers are assessing changes in abundance or distribution/range shifts. Of most concern is the number of studies which do not specifically identify a climate change factor (ie just arm wave), the lack of studies on Hemimetabolous insects and the need for more studies to assess specific mechanistic responses to climate change.

Starting from an infrared selected GALEX-SDSS-2MASS-AKARI sample of local star forming galaxies, we built mock samples from redshift 0 to 2.5 to investigate star formation rate (SFR) calibrations using WISE luminosities. We find W3 and W4 band fluxes can indicate SFRs with small scatters when the rest-frame wavelengths are longer than ∼6μm . When the wavelength becomes shorter, the observed luminosities are more tightly connected to the emission of old stellar populations than dust, therefore lose the reliability to trace the SFR. The current SFR calibrations are consistent with previous studies.

A sample of nearby galaxies was built from the AKARI/FIS all sky survey cross-correlated with the SDSS and GALEX surveys. The spectral energy distributions from 0.15 to 160 microns of these galaxies are analysed to study dust attenuation and star formation properties. The calibrations of the amount of dust attenuation as a function of the IR-to-UV flux ratio and the FUV-NUV colour are re-investigated: the former one is confirmed to be robust and accurate whereas the use of the FUV-NUV colour to measure dust attenuation is found highly uncertain. The current star formation rate given by the SED fitting process is compared to that directly obtained from the UV and total IR luminosities. It leads to an accurate estimate of dust heating by old stars. We emphasize the importance of such a sample as a reference for IR selected star forming galaxies in the nearby universe.

We present the results of Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) fitting of far-infrared galaxies detected in the AKARI Deep Field-South (ADF-S) Survey and discuss their physical properties. Additionally, we perform a comparison between photometric redshifts estimated using only optical and both optical and infrared data. We conclude that our sample consists mostly of nearby galaxies rich in dust and young stars. We observe an improvement in the estimation of photometric redshifts when the IR data are included, comparing to a standard approach based mainly on the optical to UV photometry.

Lexical knowledge is an important predictor of second language learning. The present study focuses on aspects of lexical knowledge of Korean elementary (6'h grade) and middle school learners (9'h grade) in connection to learni ng strategies, that is, with regard to vocabulary learning and by investigating the learners' preferred English medium of interest. The learners were asked to complete questionnaires for information on vocabu lary learni ng strategies, and were tested with receptive and prod uctive vocabulalY levels test to assess their vocabulary knowledge. One-way ANOVA was conducted to note differences between the different vocabulary learning strategy groups, and multiple regression was employed to select predictors of learners' receptive and vocabulary knowledge. While the learners did not favor public education (school lessons), private lessons indicated to be the dominant means of learning English among the 6th graders with larger vocabu lalY sizes; the use of the vocabu lary workbook indicated to be a useful resource for the 9th graders. Although movies were popularly viewed by most of the learners, it was tile learners who had been reading books in Engli sh that seemed t.o have obtained larger vocabulary sizes. The findings provide guidelines for vocabulalY instruction in Korean elementary and middle school contexts .