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Scientific and technological developments rely strongly on mathematical skills. However, mensuration is a challenging topic in school mathematics, leading to poor performance by many students. Various factors are responsible for the unsatisfactory performance, including inappropriate teaching methods where students passively absorb knowledge transmitted through reading and explanations of textbook contents. Thus, this study examined how a cooperative learning method affected students' performance in mensuration. A quasi-experimental research design was used in the study. The sample comprised two intact classes of 80 students assigned to experimental and control groups selected from one senior secondary school in Ogun State. Data were collected using an adopted standardised mensuration achievement test (MAT), which takes an analytical approach that includes problem-solving, geometric reasoning, formula application, and conceptual comprehension. The results showed a statistically significant difference between the mean score (M=11.18, SD=3.09) of students taught mensuration using the cooperative learning method and the mean score (M=7.66, SD=3.32) of students taught mensuration without using the learning method of teaching (t (78)=9.50, p=0.00). Also, the mean score varied statistically significantly (M=7.66, SD=2.63) of male students taught mensuration using the cooperative learning method and the mean score (M=8.73, SD=3.08) of female students taught mensuration without using the learning method of teaching (t (78) = 6.58, p=0.00). Therefore, cooperative learning in mathematics classrooms fosters students' ability to create and achieve learning objectives.

The separation, purification and determination methods of betaine are mainly reviewed, and the application status of betaine in medicine, aquaculture, agriculture and forestry industries is expounded, and finally a relatively clean membrane filtration separation technology is proposed in view of the shortcomings of current research, which prospects the green and efficient preparation of betaine, which provides a reference for the research of betaine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with knowledge and practices related to menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in urban slums in Jaipur, India. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study among 417 adolescent girls was conducted. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze the data and determine the associated factors. Findings: Only 48.7% of girls had a correct understanding of menstruation. In addition, 55.1% of the menstruating girls had faced health problems related to mensuration in the last 6 months; however, only 47.6% visited a health facility for treatment. Educational status of the girl (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI = 0.88-4.06), mother's education (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.30-3.67) and income (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI = 0.67-3.95), father's income (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.76-2.95), and counseling by field health workers (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.23-3.51) were found to be associated with knowledge about menstruation. Girl's education (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI = 0.74-2.95), mother's education (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.7-2.84) and income (AOR = 1.314, 95% CI = 0.44-2.02), father's education (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.55-3.08) and income (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 0.86-3.28), and counseling by field health workers (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 0.76-2.64) were found to be associated with the type of absorbents used. Conclusion: The findings from the study show that the awareness about mensuration and utilization of health services among adolescent girls is low. There is a need to create an enabling environment for girls to access knowledge and health services related to menstruation by creating awareness at the community level, strengthening outreach by field health workers, and ensuring privacy in healthcare facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with knowledge and practices related to menstrual hygiene management among adolescent girls in urban slums in Jaipur, India. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study among 417 adolescent girls was conducted. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and bivariate and multivariate logistic regression methods were used to analyze the data and determine the associated factors. Findings: Only 48.7% of girls had a correct understanding of menstruation. In addition, 55.1% of the menstruating girls had faced health problems related to mensuration in the last 6 months; however, only 47.6% visited a health facility for treatment. Educational status of the girl (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI = 0.88–4.06), mother's education (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.30–3.67) and income (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI = 0.67–3.95), father's income (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 0.76–2.95), and counseling by field health workers (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.23–3.51) were found to be associated with knowledge about menstruation. Girl's education (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI = 0.74–2.95), mother's education (AOR = 1.46, 95% CI = 0.7–2.84) and income (AOR = 1.314, 95% CI = 0.44–2.02), father's education (AOR = 1.64, 95% CI = 0.55–3.08) and income (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI = 0.86–3.28), and counseling by field health workers (AOR = 1.48, 95% CI = 0.76–2.64) were found to be associated with the type of absorbents used. Conclusion: The findings from the study show that the awareness about mensuration and utilization of health services among adolescent girls is low. There is a need to create an enabling environment for girls to access knowledge and health services related to menstruation by creating awareness at the community level, strengthening outreach by field health workers, and ensuring privacy in healthcare facilities.

This paper delves into the ritualization of menstrual blood within the Indic religious traditions, focusing particularly on the Tantric practices. It further investigates the depiction of Kamakhya, the esteemed Tantric site in Assam, India. The annual menstruation festival at Kamakhya, known as Ambuachi Mela, takes place in June. The "Happy to Bleed" campaign aptly encapsulates the annual menstruation event at Kamakhya, presenting a paradoxical view when compared to the veneration of Lord Ayyappan's shrine in Kerala. This perspective is intertwined with themes of sexual desire and patriarchal views, which manifest to different extents in both contexts. While the patriarchal aspect in Lord Ayyappan's case is evident, in Kamakhya's case, it is perceived as a notion that associates menstrual blood with sacred spaces, supposedly diminishing their sanctity. Such beliefs are labeled as hot, dangerous, and impure. This interpretation of the menstruation paradigm is narrow and flawed, necessitating broader research and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Old Hall Manuscript (OH, c. 1413-1419) is the largest and most complete surviving witness to English music of the early fifteenth century. The extraordinary notational complexity encountered in OH has led to doubt being cast on the performability of some of the repertory copied within this manuscript (Bent 1969, 172). Adopting an approach that places historical theory (Dygon [1510s-1530s] 2006; Willelmus [14th century] 1966) in dialogue with modern theories of musical meter (Cohn 2001; Krebs 1999) reveals that complex proportional changes (anything more complex than a 4:3 or 3:4 proportion) in OH are always introduced incrementally in a process that I term "proportional preparation." From the perspective of performers and scribes who read their own parts sequentially directly from the manuscript, some of the most "virtuosic" (Bent 2022a) notational devices of OH can be seen as serving to make hard proportions easier to sing. The presence of proportional preparations in OH invites further consideration not only of this phenomenon in contemporaneous repertory, but also of the relationships between mensuration, meter, rhythm, notation, and counterpoint. Additionally, it opens a path to further interrogate whether historical composers and theorists possessed an innate or intuitive awareness for the kinds of cognitive constraints that are placed upon musicians during the performance of repertory that is technically demanding from the perspective of rhythm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of oligomenorrhea and anovulation in women referring with infertility. The present study was performed aimed to investigate the effect of combined administration of Onsoli syrup and Samgh capsule on clinical and laboratory symptoms in women with PCOS. Methods: This pilot study is a pre-and post-clinical study without control group which was performed in 2019 on 20 women aged 17-45 years with PCOS complaining of oligomenorrhea in Persian Medicine Clinic of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. Samgh capsule and Tonic Onsoli syrup were used for two months. Anthropometric indexes, endometrial thickness, ovarian size, hormonal evaluation, number of menstruation per month, menstrual duration, and volume of menstruation bleeding were evaluated and compared at the beginning and end of the study. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 23) and paired t-test and Wilcoxon test. P0.05). The size of the right ovary and testosterone levels significantly deceased after treatment (p=0.02). The number of menstruation per month significantly increased from 0.35±0.18 to 0.92±18 (p=0.00). Also, the duration of menstruation significantly decreased from 7.53±2.43 days to 4.05±3.17 days (p=0.00). The volume of mensuration bleeding decreased from 33.40±15.28 ml to 31.07±10.05 ml, which was not significant (p=0.368). Conclusion: Due to the effectiveness of combined administration of Persian medicine products (Onsoli syrup and Samgh capsule), it seems that the use of these products is effective in controlling of the symptoms of PCOS. It is necessary to conduct future studies with a larger sample size and longer evaluation time.

Copyright of African Journal of Reproductive Health is the property of Women's Health & Action Research Centre and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Number preference, i.e., the human tendency to gravitate toward or away from specific numbers, is a potential source of measurement error in forest inventory. Identifying its presence is an important step to ensure unbiased results. This study evaluated U.S. national forest inventory data for number preference and identified factors that influence the proportion of tree cull volume, tree diameter, tree height, and seedling count observations ending with the digit zero or five (ED0,5) and seedling count observations that were multiples of four (M4). Two-sided hypothesis tests determined that ED0,5 occurred significantly more frequently than expected by chance for all metrics tested, though not in every inventory region of the country nor to the same degree. Consistently, tree-level ED0,5 was more likely when metrics were estimated visually rather than measured instrumentally. Logistic regression indicated that the effect of species class, species type, tree status, treetop status, and stem size on tree-level ED0,5 and the effect of plot-level water depth on seedling count ED0,5 also varied by region. Though the effect was small, findings suggest that some inventory regions may be employing an approved multiplicative shortcut that results in a greater-than-expected proportion of M4 observations among seedling counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Menstrual hygiene is a major problem, particularly for rural female adolescents. Most of the time, appropriate information regarding menstrual issues is lacking due various socio-cultural and communication issues. Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent females in two underdeveloped districts of Karnataka, and to trace the relationship between the practice and changing socio-demographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional community based study with 384 adolescent females from the two backward districts of Karnataka using stratified random sampling technique. Findings: According to the study, 66% respondents use the modern pads, while shyness, cost, and other factors prevent 33% of respondents from using pads. Approximately 20% of respondents identified hygiene as their top reason for using disposable pads, while 31% cited cleanliness. Most of the respondents (50%) dispose sanitary pads in the toilet, whereas 21% dump it with other trash. The use of sanitary pads is strongly correlated with mothers' education, income and family structure. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a critical need for widespread education on menstrual hygiene management in rural parts. There must be arrangements for rural women to have easy access to the affordable pads.

Introduction: Menstrual hygiene is a major problem, particularly for rural female adolescents. Most of the time, appropriate information regarding menstrual issues is lacking due various socio-cultural and communication issues. Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent females in two underdeveloped districts of Karnataka, and to trace the relationship between the practice and changing sociodemographic variables. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study with 384 adolescent females from the two backward districts of Karnataka using stratified random sampling technique. Findings: According to the study, 66% respondents use the modern pads, while shyness, cost, and other factors prevent 33% of respondents from using pads. Approximately 20% of respondents identified hygiene as their top reason for using disposable pads, while 31% cited cleanliness. Most of the respondents (50%) dispose sanitary pads in the toilet, whereas 21% dump it with other trash. The use of sanitary pads is strongly correlated with mothers' education, income and family structure. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a critical need for widespread education on menstrual hygiene management in rural parts. There must be arrangements for rural women to have easy access to the affordable pads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenotyping has been a reality for aiding the selection of optimal crops for specific environments for decades in various horticultural industries. However, until recently, phenotyping was less accessible to tree breeders due to the size of the crop, the length of the rotation and the difficulty in acquiring detailed measurements. With the advent of affordable and non-destructive technologies, such as mobile laser scanners (MLS), phenotyping of mature forests is now becoming practical. Despite the potential of MLS technology, few studies included detailed assessments of its accuracy in mature plantations. In this study, we assessed a novel, high-density MLS operated below canopy for its ability to derive phenotypic measurements from mature Pinus radiata. MLS data were co-registered with above-canopy UAV laser scanner (ULS) data and imported to a pipeline that segments individual trees from the point cloud before extracting tree-level metrics. The metrics studied include tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH), stem volume and whorl characteristics. MLS-derived tree metrics were compared to field measurements and metrics derived from ULS alone. Our pipeline was able to segment individual trees with a success rate of 90.3%. We also observed strong agreement between field measurements and MLS-derived DBH (R2 = 0.99, RMSE = 5.4%) and stem volume (R2 = 0.99, RMSE = 10.16%). Additionally, we proposed a new variable height method for deriving DBH to avoid swelling, with an overall accuracy of 52% for identifying the correct method for where to take the diameter measurement. A key finding of this study was that MLS data acquired from below the canopy was able to derive canopy heights with a level of accuracy comparable to a high-end ULS scanner (R2 = 0.94, RMSE = 3.02%), negating the need for capturing above-canopy data to obtain accurate canopy height models. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrate that even in mature forests, MLS technology holds strong potential for advancing forest phenotyping and tree measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mensural notation, certain combinations of notes could be notated either individually or bound together as ligatures. The choice of whether or not to use a ligature provided an opportunity for composers and scribes to encode different types of musical meaning. It has long been accepted that ligatures could help to show text underlay, and scholars have also proposed that ligatures could clarify aspects of musical structure, such as melodic and rhythmic patterns, phrasing, and articulation. It is difficult to prove wide applicability of these proposals, not least because they tend to rely primarily on the evidence of practical sources. Fortunately, there is more theoretical evidence about the purpose and function of ligatures than has been heretofore recognized. While much of the evidence unsurprisingly points toward the textual significance of ligatures, a substantial amount of theory from the early fifteenth century to the midsixteenth century shows that ligatures were also important for clarifying aspects of mensural context, sometimes forcing perfection and alteration. The evidence leads us to reconsider widely held assumptions about the significance of ligatures and to look beyond text underlay as the primary meaning that may (or may not) be signified. Drawing on these insights, contextual analysis of notation can provide a clearer window into the concerns and priorities of composers and scribes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reverse projection photogrammetry has long been used to estimate the height of an individual in forensic video examinations. A natural extrapolation would be to apply the same technique on a video to estimate the speed of an object by determining the distance traveled between two points over a set amount of time. To test this theory, five digital video recorders (DVRs) were connected to a single fixed camera to record a vehicle traveling down a track. The vehicle's speed was measured through Doppler radar by a trained operator and the speedometer of the vehicle was also recorded with a video camera. The recorded video was examined and the frames that best depict the beginning and end of the vehicles course were selected. Two reverse projection photogrammetric examinations were performed on the selected frames to establish the position of the vehicle. The distance between the two points was measured, and the time elapsed between the two points was examined. The outcome provided an accurate speed result with a standard degree of uncertainty. This study proves the feasibility of using video data and reverse projection photogrammetry to determine the speed of a vehicle with a limited set of variables. Further research is needed to determine how additional variables would impact the standard degree of uncertainty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individual-tree taper and volume equations are essential for forest management. They provide estimates of volume that are incorporated into plot-level volume equations and also into growth and yield models to estimate volumes per hectare in forest crops. Moreover, taper equations allow forest managers to estimate dimensions of logs that can be cut from stems in their forests when they have measured diameters at breast height and heights of trees in inventories. Compatible taper and volume equations have the property that the same individual tree volume can be estimated either from the tree volume equation or by integrating the taper equation. Durable eucalypt species such as Eucalyptus globoidea Blakely, however, have especially valuable heartwood and so managers require estimates of the volumes and shapes of heartwood zones within trees. Simple overall wood taper and volume equations would therefore be inadequate. Methods: 74 Eucalyptus globoidea trees were destructively sampled in 8 different trial plots throughout New Zealand. Tree ages were 7 to 29 years old, the DBHs were 11 to 67.6 cm and the heights were 7.2 to 35.4 m. All trees were felled and lengths and taper diameters outside bark were measured. To measure taper diameters of heartwood and sapwood, discs were cut at irregular intervals along the stems. Heartwood and sapwood components were identified by applying methyl orange dye and quantified using image analysis. In this study we extended compatibility so that sums of estimated volumes of separate components of stems, bark, sapwood and heartwood, would equal overall tree volume estimates. In addition, taper equations were made for outside bark, inside bark and heartwood that were compatible with their respective volume equations. Parameters of five volume equations for whole stem, whole wood, bark, sapwood, and heartwood were simultaneously estimated. Compatible taper equations for whole stem, stem wood and heartwood were estimated so that they were compatible with the volume equations, thereby creating a fully compatible system. Results: Root mean squared error (RMSE) of volume models were 0.1248298 m³ for heartwood, 0.05496807 m³ for sapwood, 0.1539625 m³ for wood inside bark, 0.1108201 m³ for bark and 0.1439786 m³ for wood including bark. RMSE of taper models was 2.572765 cm for heartwood, 2.348552 cm for wood inside bark and 2.474088 cm for wood including bark. Conclusions: A compatible system of multiple taper and volume equations can be fitted through the simultaneous fitting of parameters with minimal bias and precision levels of ± 0.055-0.154 m³ for volume equations and ± 2.35 to 2.57 cm for taper equations. Leave-one-out cross-validation of the fitted models yielded very similar levels of precision and bias to those encountered when fitting models with the entire dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centroid method with three of the traditional methods used to estimate the volume of logs (Newton`s, Smalien`s, Huber`s) and four species Eucalyptus, Platanus, Cypress and Pine. Different in terms of natural growth had been adopted to determine which of these equations are the best and most accurate in estimating the volume of these species so (30) tree of each species were taken. The measurements taken are the diameter at the breast, height and elevations at various levels began to 0.3, 1.3, 2.3 and up to 6.3 m which represents length of the piece of wood desired in market, and through the use of ordinary models for Newton`s, Smalien`s, Huber`s, Centroid and the real comparing of the volume of the equations and the true volume by using bias, standard error and T-test, we found that equations of comparisons have no-significant effect, but the equation of Newton`s have best estimate for rest of equations in roughly, we recommend using the equation of Newton`s was the best in estimate of volume of the logs of wood.

Understanding the productivity of forestland is essential in sustainable management of forest ecosystems. The most common measure of site productivity is breast height–age site index (BHASI). BHASI has limitations as a productivity measure and can compound error in predictive models. We explored the accuracy of productivity predictions using an alternative productivity measure (10-meter site index) and a nonparametric approach. An orthogonal sampling design ensured samples were collected across the range of conditions known to influence Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) height-growth rates. Using climate, soil, and topographic data along with 10-meter site index measurements, we compared five possible models to estimate forest productivity. Model parameters, performance, and predictions were compared. Twelve validation sites were used to test the accuracy of model predictions. Model performance was significantly improved when smoothing span values were optimized and elevation was added as a predictor. A four-predictor nonparametric model with a bias-corrected Akaike information criterion–optimized smoothing span value produced the most accurate results and was used to produce forest productivity maps for the study area. The low resolution of currently available climatic data and the complex nature of the study area landscape necessitate a topographic variable for accurate productivity predictions. Study Implications Defining and understanding forest productivity is of interest to a wide variety of natural resource professionals including ecologists, climate change experts, forest biometricians, and forest managers. A new method of defining forest productivity using multipoint height-age pairs at 10 and 20 meters and calculated growth rates combined with an appropriate landscape-scale stratification and a nonparametric approach provides accurate productivity estimates. This method is more widely applicable and more precise for specific locations than previous productivity estimation methods. Better productivity and tree growth information will provide more accurate estimates of future forest condition and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Johannes Ockeghem's Missa Prolationum is a well-known specimen of fifteenth-century notational complexity. As it is notated in the Chigi Codex, it consists entirely of mensuration canons. However, the other complete manuscript copy of the piece, in the manuscript Vienna 11883, eschews this complexity in favor of resolved notations (resolutiones) with uniform mensurations. Reexamining these resolutiones in light of generic mensural norms, statistical analysis of the work's metrical structure, and subtle notational correspondences between the two manuscript copies suggests that the resolved notations in the Vienna manuscript are the result of a productive, formalist music-analytic encounter between their creator and the Missa Prolationum. Seen in this light, these resolutiones offer a new perspective on the early reception of this music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Menarche is an important issue for teenagers and dysmenorrhea is a common problem in adolescence. This study aimed to determine the menstruation pattern and prevalence of dysmenorrhea in second high school students in the city of Ardabil. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional study. The study population included all second high school girls in districts one and two of Ardabil in 1394. A sample of 1,600 girls was selected by a two-stage cluster sampling method from 5 schools in district one and 7 schools in district two. A researcher- made questionnaire and a visual analogue scale were used for data collection. Results: According to the results, the mean age at the first menstruation was 12.88 years. The prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 91.9% (95% CI: %90 - %92). Dysmenorrhea was severe in 25% of the girls. The pattern of menstrual characteristics in students showed that 61.2%, 88%, and 93.2% had regular menstrual cycles, normal menstrual bleeding days, and normal duration of the menstrual cycle, respectively. In this research, 84.8% of the girls stated that their activities were affected by menstruation and 29.7% of the girls were absent due to menstrual pain. Conclusion: The prevalence of dysmenorrhea is high. It is a common problem in adolescent girls which affects their activities and school attendance. Therefore, it is necessary to educate students regarding menstrual hygiene, and menarche pain control methods.

Introduction: Dysmenorrhea is one of the common problem among women which is associated with negative impact on social, academic, and sports activities of young women. Different chemical and herbal drugs are used for treatment that they have different effectiveness. Mefenemic acid is of common chemical drugs for dysmenorrhea. This study was performed with aim to compare the effectiveness of fennel with mefenamic acid on severity of dysmenorrhea in young girls. Methods: This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 120 female students with severe and moderate dysmenorrhea. The students were randomly divided into two groups which received the fennel and mefenamic acid. The groups received 30 mg soft capsules of fennel and 250 mg capsules of mefenamic acid every six hours for two consecutive periods, from two days before menstruation until three days after menstruation. Two groups were homogenous in terms of pain severity and individual characteristics before the interventions. Severity of pain was measured by the verbal multidimensional scoring. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 16) and variance analysis and Compare couple Bonferroni. P0.001). Conclusion: Fennel and mefenamic acid were effective on severity of dysmenorrhea, but considering less complications of fennel on gastrointestinal tract, it can be used as a suitable drug for dysmenorrhea.

Sperm morphometry is the tool that confers objectivity to the morphological evaluation by accurately measuring the dimensions of the gamete and its structures. Thus, the aim of the study was to perform a morphometric characterization of the domestic cat sperm. Therefore, sperm samples were collected from twenty pairs of epididymis in a TRIS extender at 37ºC. An aliquot of the sample was used to make a smear with Rose Bengal solution, and afterwards, the morphology and morphometry were analysed. In the morphology, were quantified the percentage of normal sperm cells, morphological changes of head, midpiece and tail. In morphometry, each normal sperm cell was measured for length, width, area and perimeter of head and midpiece, tail length and total length. The parameters ellipticity, elongation, regularity and rugosity were also determined. The percentage of normal sperm was 67.21%. Of the abnormalities, the curled/folded tail, followed by the curved midpiece, abnormal shaped head and detached head were the most quantified. The sperm head presented 5.56 ± 0.01 μm and 3.10 ± 0.01 μm of length and width, respectively. The head area was 16.94 ± 0.05 μm2, while the perimeter was 16.16 ± 0.03 μm. In the derived parameters, the values were as follows: ellipticity of 1.81 ± 0.00; elongation of 21.39 ± 0.12; regularity of 0.81 ± 0.00; and rugosity of 0.14 ± 0.00. The midpiece presented length and width of 7.96 ± 0.01 μm and 0.76 ± 0.01 μm, respectively. The mean length of the sperm tail was 45.12 ± 0.06 μm, and the total cell size was 58.67 ± 0.06 μm. Thus, it was concluded that the cat sperm is an elongated cell, with high rugosity and regularity. The spermatic tail represents more than ¾ of the total length of the cell and the midpiece exceeds the length of the head. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guillaume Du Fay's Nuper rosarum flores (1436) has been subject to symbolic interpretation ever since Charles Warren suggested that the structure of the motet reflects the architectural proportions of the cathedral of Florence. More recent analyses have accepted the premise that the motet's form has extramusical meaning, in particular, that mensural and architectural proportions can be directly analogized. These tantalizing connections have led scholars to canonize this motet, now a mainstay of music history textbooks. The extent and specificity of the extramusical associations Nuper rosarum flores enjoys--an occasion, a place, and a secure attribution--are rare in the fifteenth century. This fact alone makes the motet appear to be exceptional. But reading Nuper rosarum flores alongside the norms of genre and notation and against the grain of the work's modern historiography suggests that it isn't all that special--or at least that it is no more special than Du Fay's other ceremonial motets. The interpretive history of Nuper rosarum flores exemplifies what I call "false exceptionalism," which relates to a more general problem in music studies--the alluring but often elusive relationship between musical form and social meaning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precision and bias of a model designed to predict site index of Scots pine (P. sylvestrisL.) from site variables in Sweden were tested using data from 1985 inventory plots. The model was biased and relatively imprecise (standard error = 3.7 m). A new model was constructed using a fitting subset of data, employing sums of mean monthly estimates of photosynthetically active radiation modified by local monthly climatic conditions as a primary independent variable. The best model used day-time temperature modifiers to calculate potential radiation-use efficiency. Modifiers for vapour pressure deficit and soil water did not improve the model. Elevation, distance to the sea, and phytometer indicators of nutritional fertility added small but significant improvements to the predictions. The final model had a standard error of 2.06 m for predictions of site index that ranged from 18 to 30 m at age 100. When applied to a validation subset of plots the model displayed a standard error of 2.09 m and very similar residual patterns to those observed during fitting. The new model represents a significant improvement over the older model, and further improvements may be feasible when historical climatic estimates and a higher resolution digital elevation model become available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Centroid method with three of the traditional methods used to estimate the volume of logs (Newton`s, Smalien`s, Huber`s) and four species Eucalyptus, Platanus, Cypress and Pine. Different in terms of natural growth had been adopted to determine which of these equations are the best and most accurate in estimating the volume of these species so (30) tree of each species were taken. The measurements taken are the diameter at the breast, height and elevations at various levels began to 0.3, 1.3, 2.3 and up to 6.3 m which represents length of the piece of wood desired in market, and through the use of ordinary models for Newton`s, Smalien`s, Huber`s, Centroid and the real comparing of the volume of the equations and the true volume by using bias, standard error and T-test, we found that equations of comparisons have no-significant effect, but the equation of Newton`s have best estimate for rest of equations in roughly, we recommend using the equation of Newton`s was the best in estimate of volume of the logs of wood [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Gestão e Regionalidade is the property of Universidade Municipal de Sao Caetano do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)