56 research outputs found
The relationship between phoneme perception and production
No full textTwenty-eight typically developing preschool children were tested in 2 experiments. In a perception experiment, the children heard phonologically minimal quartets of words and chose which of 4 pictures matched the target word (e.g., selecting a picture of a snail from among pictures of snail, sail, nail, and mail). In a production experiment, they repeated the target word (e.g., snail). These experiments revealed evidence of a link between perception and production at age 4 and 5, but not at age 3, suggesting that the link between speech perception and production develops during the preschool years.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Aliza Lichtenstei
Quantifying magnitude of potential phosphorus removal and recovery using plant-wide modeling
No full textMinimizing the release of nutrients from municipal Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF) and runoff is vital to reducing nutrient pollutants in waterways. In the United States, municipal WRRF implement phosphorus (P) removal and recovery processes to limit nutrient releases leading to eutrophication and hypoxic zones. These systems vary in their potential for removal of P versus recovery of P, total P removal, and their cost of implementation at the WRRF. While models do exist for commonly used P removal processes, little work has been done to develop a general heuristic framework aimed at determining what type of P removal process is best fit for WRRFs of varying throughput, influent compositions, and treatment configurations.
This work develops a generalized plantwide process model used to assess the feasibility of operating various types of nutrient recovery systems at a WRRF. The model compares the effectiveness of plant configurations in P removal and potential recovery as struvite. Full-scale WRRFs are modeled and simulated using hydromantis GPS-X software. The nutrient removal configurations considered are activated sludge (AS), activated sludge with ferric chloride chemical precipitation (AS_CP), modified Bardenpho enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR), and side-stream struvite precipitation (EBPR_FBR). State input variables (total P, total nitrogen, Ortho-P, flow rate) were randomly sampled using Monte Carlo Latin Hyper Cube sampling to create potential treatment scenarios. Calculated and operational variables were based on state variables and used as design variables to optimize configurations for P removal. The model outputs supplied data regarding the P removal, sludge production, and uncontrolled struvite production in order to compare the effectiveness and operational functionality.
This plantwide modeling assessment demonstrates a meaningful design space to compare the magnitude of P removal and recovery across configurations and influent characterization. The AS_CP plant demonstrated reliable P removal and TP effluent quality with a sludge production increase of 3.3-5.5 times other configurations. EBPR and EBPR_FBR showed a slight increase in P removal, but require further study regarding the state, calculated, and operational variables intended to optimize the performance. The EBPR P removal demonstrated dependence on influent TP and TKN and a carbon excess in the EBPR train, indicating the need for an alternative approach to optimizing the process. Further work addressing the uncertainties associated with plant wide modeling of the configurations assessed will provide data to best inform decision making regarding P removal technologies. A generalized plantwide process model that considers various types of nutrient recovery schemes allows for cost-effective implementation at municipal WRRFs working to manage P release to the environment.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2021-05-01The student, Aliza Furneaux, accepted the attached license on 2019-04-23 at 10:47.The student, Aliza Furneaux, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2019-04-23 at 11:24.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2019-04-23 at 17:53.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #13837 on 2019-08-22 at 16:23:38Made available in DSpace on 2019-08-23T20:48:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Blood and Belief by Aliza Marcus
No full text“Blood and Belief: the PKK and the Kurdish fight for independence”, authored by the American journalist Aliza Marcus, focuses on the struggle by the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) for independence from Turkey (p.29). Inspired by “Ocalan’s capture (1999) and the split in the movement by his call for disarmament (1997)”, it attributes the Kurdish Problem in Turkey both to Turkey’s reluctance to recognize the ethnic identity of its Kurdish population and to “its exploitation by neighboring countries seeking to either weaken Turkey or the Kurdish movement in all” (p.1).The book is based extensively on interviews with former PKK members presented through a narrative, informative and often literary discourse. Aliza’s journalistic approach deprives the book of an academic or political analysis, presenting facts as perceived by PKK members and leaving readers to draw their own conclusions. The presentation of her empirical work and her knowledge of the PKK in an easily comprehensible language renders the book attractive to a wide audience, including non-experts. Thus, the use of primary sources about the role of the PKK in the Kurdish struggle, a subject rarely dealt within the current literature, provides readers with original insights into the matter. Aliza’s assertion of Kurdish trans-regional cooperation probes the Kurd’s status as ‘non-state’ actors. However, her constant use of the term “Turkish Kurds” is questionable as it stands contrary to the PKK’s nationalist claims for independence as a distinctive ethnicity. The four parts of the book tackle the PKK’s formation- stigmatized by Ocalan’s authoritarian rule- its declaration of armed struggle against Turkey since 1984, and its aim from 1990s onwards to control the South in order to force “Turkey into political negotiations over Kurdish demands” (p. 151). Yet in the aftermath of Ocalan’s arrest and the PKK’s decline the question of “what does the Kurdish problem in Turkey mean now” still remains unanswered (p.299). The author’s success in expounding the PKK’s activities in connection with those of other Kurds and regional developments would have been enriched and balanced if she had included interviews with other non-PKK Kurds or Turkish officials. Still, she presents Kurdish claims for independence via a study of the PKK which “forced Turkey to at least admit that it has a problem” (p. 276). The author argues that “the PKK is key to understand the challenges the US faces in formulating stable polities in the Middle East” since “the 28 million Kurds … will long remain a source of instability for the governments that rule them and the Western powers that try to influence events there” (p. 3).</p
Blood and Belief by Aliza Marcus
No full text“Blood and Belief: the PKK and the Kurdish fight for independence”, authored by the American journalist Aliza Marcus, focuses on the struggle by the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) for independence from Turkey (p.29). Inspired by “Ocalan’s capture (1999) and the split in the movement by his call for disarmament (1997)”, it attributes the Kurdish Problem in Turkey both to Turkey’s reluctance to recognize the ethnic identity of its Kurdish population and to “its exploitation by neighboring countries seeking to either weaken Turkey or the Kurdish movement in all” (p.1).The book is based extensively on interviews with former PKK members presented through a narrative, informative and often literary discourse. Aliza’s journalistic approach deprives the book of an academic or political analysis, presenting facts as perceived by PKK members and leaving readers to draw their own conclusions. The presentation of her empirical work and her knowledge of the PKK in an easily comprehensible language renders the book attractive to a wide audience, including non-experts. Thus, the use of primary sources about the role of the PKK in the Kurdish struggle, a subject rarely dealt within the current literature, provides readers with original insights into the matter. Aliza’s assertion of Kurdish trans-regional cooperation probes the Kurd’s status as ‘non-state’ actors. However, her constant use of the term “Turkish Kurds” is questionable as it stands contrary to the PKK’s nationalist claims for independence as a distinctive ethnicity. The four parts of the book tackle the PKK’s formation- stigmatized by Ocalan’s authoritarian rule- its declaration of armed struggle against Turkey since 1984, and its aim from 1990s onwards to control the South in order to force “Turkey into political negotiations over Kurdish demands” (p. 151). Yet in the aftermath of Ocalan’s arrest and the PKK’s decline the question of “what does the Kurdish problem in Turkey mean now” still remains unanswered (p.299). The author’s success in expounding the PKK’s activities in connection with those of other Kurds and regional developments would have been enriched and balanced if she had included interviews with other non-PKK Kurds or Turkish officials. Still, she presents Kurdish claims for independence via a study of the PKK which “forced Turkey to at least admit that it has a problem” (p. 276). The author argues that “the PKK is key to understand the challenges the US faces in formulating stable polities in the Middle East” since “the 28 million Kurds … will long remain a source of instability for the governments that rule them and the Western powers that try to influence events there” (p. 3).</p
EVALUASI KINERJA PROGRAM KEMITRAAN DAN BINA LINGKUNGAN (PKBL) DITINJAU DARI ASPEK KEUANGAN PADA PT PELABUHAN INDONESIA II CABANG JAMBI
No full textALIZA PUSPITA DEWI. 2010. 8323108382. Performance Evaluation of Patnerships and Community Development Program in Term of Financial aspect of Pelindo II Cabang Jambi. Study Diploma of Accounting program. Majoring in Accounting.Faculty of
Economics. State University of Jakarta.
The main issues raised in this paper is how the development of the performance of the Partnership and Community Development (CSR) in the PT. Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Persero) Branch Jambi as one of the state-owned company that served as the executor of the Partnership Program and the Small Business Environmental Assistance Program (CSR) in the last two-year observation period, namely in 2011 and in 2010. The author conducted a study to assess the performance of CSR based on the Decree of the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises No.: KEP-100/MBU/2002 about health assessment state-owned company. CSR performance assessment indicators located on Level Effectiveness and Disbursement Collectible Refund Rate Loans.
To obtain the data in relation to the writing of this paper, the author uses descriptive and comparative analysis methods to analyze the performance of the Partnership with the health assessment indicators that guide state-owned enterprises in the performance appraisal His company.
From the research that has been done was known that the performance of the Partnership and Community Development Program at PT. Pelabuhan Indonesia II (Persero) Branch Jambi Efektibilitas level performance value in the Fund Distribution Partnership Program in 2011 got a score of 1 (one) points, or 80.65%, whereas in 2010 obtained a score of 0 (zero) points from the percentage achieved only 68.21 %. As for the level Efektibilitas Disbursement Community Development Program the past two years to obtain a score of 3 percentage points to 98.53% in 2011 and 94.85% in 2010. Return to Collectible rate loan at 2 (two) points or 58.48% in 2011, whereas in 2010 only reached 23.45% and got a score of 1 point. Total score CSR performance in 2011 to 6 (six) points have increased compared to 2010 which only earned a total score of 4 (four) points, but unfortunately the author saw the rise is more problematic due to the elimination of accounts receivable in 2011 is not due to improved performance in the implementation of CSR
Extreme wave impact on a flexible plate
No full textThesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2016.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 99-102).This thesis describes the use of a combination of various visual techniques to characterize the flow-structure interaction of a breaking wave impacting a flexible vertically mounted plate. Several experiments were conducted on a simulated dam break in which water was rapidly released from a reservoir to generate a wave, which impinged on a cantilevered stainless steel plate downstream. Two high speed cameras collected data on the water and the plate simultaneously. Manual tracking of the wave front and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) were used to gather water height, wave speed, crest speed, vorticity, and particle speed, which were used to determine the pressure exerted by the water on the plate. An algorithm was written to track the edge of the plate to find plate deflection over time. The dynamic beam bending equation was used to find the forces experienced by the plate, which were compared to the pressure results. A series of waves of different heights and breaking locations were tested, controlled by the ratio of the height of water initially in the tank and the height of water in the dam break reservoir, for two different plate locations. The properties of the wave varied depending on these parameters, as did the deflection of the plate. The plate deformed more and the recorded velocities in the wave were higher when the depth ratio decreased and when the plate was moved farther from the reservoir. These results shed light on the effect of breaking wave impacts on offshore structures and ship hulls, taking into account the elasticity of these structures. They also provide a test case for future numerical fluid-structure interaction simulation techniques.by Aliza Opila Abraham.S.M
PROSEDUR PERMOHONAN PENGURANGAN ANGSURAN PAJAK PENGHASILAN PASAL 25 WAJIB PAJAK BADAN DI KANTOR PELAYANAN PAJAK PRATAMA SUKABUMI
No full textThis Final Assignment Report was prepared by Aliza Fahira Shaumi, Student Identification Number 1741211005, with the title "Application Procedures for Reducing Income Tax Installments Article 25 Corporate Taxpayers at Kantor Pelayanan Pajak Pratama Sukabumi" prepared under the guidance of Mr. Rinaldi, SE,. Ak., M.Ak., CA and Mr. Elan Eriswanto, SE., MM. Research conducted by the author is at Kantor Pelayanan Pajak Pratama Sukabumi.
Income Tax Article 25 is income tax installments that must be paid by the taxpayer himself for each month in the current tax year. Income tax installments are a form of convenience provided to taxpayers in paying the tax payable. But on the other hand there are some taxpayers who under certain conditions experience a decline in business conditions so that they will predict an overpayment at the end of the year. Reduction in Business Conditions can be resolved by submitting an application for reducing Income Tax Article 25 installments to the Tax Service Office where the Taxpayer is registered.
This study aims to determine the procedure for requesting and completing the application for Reducing Income Tax Installments Article 25 and to find out what are the obstacles and factors underlying the acceptance or rejection of an application submitted by the taxpayer. This research was written with a descriptive method that describes a situation that is supported by a variety of data that has been collected in the form of words and images, so it does not emphasize numerical data. Data collection techniques used in this research are through Field Studies and Literature Studies. Field studies used are observations and interviews while the literature study used is through reference books, government regulations, journals, and trusted internet sites.
Based on research that has been done, it can be concluded that the income tax installment reduction facility Article 25 for Corporate Taxpayers is a solution used by taxpayers who are experiencing changes in business conditions or activities in the current year and on the other hand to avoid paying more at the end of the year. Application for reduction of income tax installments Article 25 is regulated in Article 7 of the Decree of the Direktur Jenderal Pajak Number KEP-537 / PJ. / 2000. However, the contents of the decree do not specify in full the requirements or documents that must be given for taxpayers to confirm a taxpayer application.
Taxpayers who wish to submit an application must make a written application addressed to the Head of Office along with the calculation of the amount of income tax payable based on the estimated income to be received or obtained and the amount of Article 25 of income for the remaining months of the tax year concerned. Taxpayers are advised to attach additional documents as projectors
Large-scale protease multispecificity: structure-based prediction and fitness landscape analysis
No full textProteases are ubiquitous and significant to both normal cellular functioning and disease states. They are generally multispecific, cleaving a set of substrates without recognizing other peptides. Computational methods to predict and design protease multispecificity would advance our understanding of the biophysical basis of protease specificity, enable the characterization of novel proteases, allow the identification of novel biological roles for proteases, elucidate protease specificity landscapes and ultimately further the design of custom proteases to serve as therapeutics or protein-level knockout reagents in cell culture. Current methods of computational protease specificity prediction are limited in a variety of ways. Techniques to classify substrates as cleaved or uncleaved are constrained by the quality of the input data, cannot be easily generalized to other proteases, and require large training data sets to learn correlations between substrate positions. Methods that predict specificity profiles are computationally expensive and thus unable to be used directly within design. While fitness landscapes have been explored experimentally and via low-resolution computational models, no methods have yet explored the full fitness landscape using chemically realistic atomic-resolution computations. In this dissertation, we further the understanding of protease multispecificity via a variety of experimental and computational techniques that can be generalized to other proteases. First, we develop a structure-based classifier that distinguishes robustly between cleaved and uncleaved substrates, benchmark the classifier performance for five model proteases, and apply the classifier in a blind test to identify novel substrates. Second, we implement a mean-field structure-based algorithm (MFPred) to rapidly and accurately predict protease specificity profiles, benchmark MFPred performance on a range of protease and protein-recognition domains, and demonstrate that MFPred accurately predicts the impact of receptor-side mutations, thus showing putative utility in protease design. Third, we construct a specificity landscape of hepatitis C virus NS3 protease using both experimental and computational methods and find evidence for a structural basis of mutational robustness. Finally, we compare the Rosetta and Amber energy functions used in the computational prediction of protease multispecificity in a systematic benchmark.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Aliza Rubenstei
Theorizing Moral Cognition: Culture in Action, Situations, and Relationships
No full textDual-process theories of morality are approaches to moral cognition that stress the varying significance of emotion and deliberation in shaping judgments of action. Sociological research that builds on these ideas considers how cross-cultural variation alters judgments, with important consequences for what is and is not considered moral behavior. Yet lacking from these approaches is the notion that, depending on the situation and relationship, the same behavior by the same person can be considered more or less moral. The author reviews recent trends in sociological theorizing about morality and calls attention to the neglect of situational variations and social perceptions as mediating influences on judgment. She then analyzes the moral machine experiment to demonstrate how situations and relationships inform moral cognition. Finally, the author suggests that we can extend contemporary trends in the sociology of morality by connecting culture in thinking about action to culture in thinking about people
Dun & Bradstreet: Unlocking Advisory Opportunities Amidst Pakistan’s Privatization Efforts
No full textThe following executive summary is an integrated overview of the findings, insights, and strategic implications from the MBA Capstone Project Dun & Bradstreet: Unlocking Advisory Opportunities During Pakistan’s Privatization. The study delves exhaustively into Pakistan\u27s changing privatization scenario and the viability of Dun & Bradstreet Consulting (DBC) to build a robust advisory presence. Based on primary sources such as expert interviews and substantial secondary research, the report considers the structural character of Pakistan\u27s privatization, stakeholder complexity, competitive market dynamics, and the inner readiness of DBC to compete in this high-risk area. Privatization in Pakistan has seen dramatic transformation over the past thirty years. From the politically directed, ad hoc privatizations of the 1990s, it has become an increasingly formal and institutionally structured process shaped primarily by the conditionality of international finance institutions such as the IMF and World Bank. These have the same underlying imperatives, i.e., to improve efficiency in operations, lighten the fiscal load of inefficient state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and contribute to growth for the economy through the private sector. The transition has not been smooth nonetheless with political push back, court challenges and inefficient institutions slowing the process down. The new 2024-2029 privatization master plan is the promise of action again. The plan outlines the future through sectors such as aviation, finance, energy, and real estate where milestone organizations such as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), First Women Bank Limited (FWBL), and electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) have been included as highpriority organizations. The drive for privatization in Pakistan is prompted by both domestic fiscal needs and international policy requirements. SOEs\u27 chronic losses have put heavy pressure on the federal budget, calling for their divestment to release funds for key sectors such as healthcare and infrastructure development. At the same time, IMF-led adjustment programs call for transparent and substantial privatization to qualify for economic assistance. Both pressures have prompted policymakers to use privatization not just as a relief to the budget but also as structural reform to improve the sectoral performance and to lure foreign direct investment.
Privatization transaction process in Pakistan has a systematic value chain involving phases such as asset identification, financial and legal appraisal, structuring the transaction, ix bidding by the investors, sale completion, and post-transaction monitoring. All of them require technical assistance and advisory services, especially with regard to regulatory compliance, stakeholder interaction, financial modelling, and risk analysis. Consulting firms have an active role across the life cycle of a privatization transaction, helping the government to carry out the due diligence, develop material for investors, monitor bidding processes, and ensure the structuring of the transaction is compatible with strategic vision and the law. Their contribution is not procedural but goes to the core of transaction integrity and credibility of institutions.
Pakistan\u27s privatization experience has been mixed. There has been success with the banking sector where organizations such as UBL and HBL saw substantial post-privatization improvements in profitability and service levels. In the cement and telecom sectors, the privatized companies have shown strength, response to need, and competitiveness. However, failed attempts like those relating to Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) and the Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC) show the dangers of weak regulation, unclear transaction structures, and poor post-sale monitoring. These differing instances highlight the need for strong advisory engagement and good regulatory frameworks to guarantee that privatization results create longterm value. Pakistan\u27s advisory marketplace is competitive with high-profile international firms such as PwC, EY, JP Morgan, Alvarez & Marsal, and Citigroup, and regional players such as BDO. The firms tend to compete on sectoral expertise, understanding of Pakistan\u27s regulatory requirements, and their capacity to deliver pricing models to suit the government’s limitations. The allocation of around PKR 7.73 billion for transactional advisory service for the next few years demonstrates the scale of the opportunity. Big-ticket privatization deals such as those of PIA, Roosevelt Hotel, FWBL, and several DISCOs are likely to fetch hefty advisory charges, presenting lucrative opportunities for both local and international firms. The consulting fee arrangements generally involve milestone payments and success fees tied to performance, which encourage high-quality results.
In this instance, Dun & Bradstreet Consulting, although not yet pre-qualified to be a transaction adviser in Pakistan, has strong potential. The firm\u27s strengths are anchored in its integrated advice model blending strategy, operational restructuring, and finance advice. DBC has an excellent reputation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and South Asia, primarily through mandates including public-private partnerships, utility efficiency, and x investment preparation. Its capacity to handle transactions along the entire value chain—with initial valuation through post-deal integration—makes it a strong candidate for advice positions in Pakistan\u27s privatization drive. Nevertheless, there are limitations to capitalize on this potential to the fullest. DBC\u27s model is well-suited to the Government of Pakistan\u27s strategic needs, including the introduction of turnaround solutions, rehabilitation of underperforming SOEs, and creation of transparency-led results. Its sectoral strengths in power and finance only increase the aptness. Nevertheless, DBC\u27s pricing model—largely success-fee based between 2%—does not match the GoP\u27s existing preference for milestone-designed fee structures and 1% plus-capped success incentives. Correct adjustment of its commercial model would become critical to compete.
A SWOT analysis of DBC identifies strong strengths and weaknesses. Among strengths is the firm\u27s provision of integrated advisory services involving strategic planning, operational transformation, financial modelling, and restructuring of the organization. It taps global expertise with local understanding, the result of its history working in comparable markets. Leadership is composed of professionals with track records of work in regulated sectors, allowing the firm to handle public-sector challenges well. Nevertheless, it is not yet listed among prequalified advisers, nor is it well-known enough to have strong brand presence in the public sector of Pakistan. Additionally, the existing business model is not optimized for public-sector procurement teams. These areas of weakness can be corrected by entering the marketplace through strategic alliances, reframing fee structures, and establishing local presence through focused pilot projects. DBC has significant opportunities. The pipeline of privatization offers more than 24 highvalue state-owned enterprises across the 2024-2029 horizon, spanning energy, finance, and infrastructure sectors. Also, firms with active engagement strategies can shape future initial public offer listings, particularly through channels such as the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). The IMF and World Bank\u27s active presence guarantees increased transparency and systematic appraisal, raising the likelihood of qualified selection of advisors. However, dangers loom large. Political uncertainty, the intricacies of regulations, and uncertain timeframes have the power to sabotage transactions. Also, excessive price sensitivity in selection processes means technically superior firms can lose the bid even if their price proposals are competitive.
In order to maximize this moment, DBC would need to undertake various strategies. To start with, it needs to undertake consortium-level market entrance through collaboration with prequalified domestic or foreign firms. This would enhance its technical score and ensure conformity to GoP procurement standards. Second, it needs to reshape its pricing strategy through the introduction of hybrid structures combining milestone payments with capped success fees. Third, DBC needs to engage all the key stakeholders across the Privatization Commission, multilateral donors, and sectoral ministries to gain their trust and establish itself as a credible long-term business associate. Fourth, it should start with comparatively smaller mandates in the finance sector—like FWBL or HBFCL—to develop a track record. Fifth, the establishment of a public finance specific unit within the firm would increase the level of institutional readiness for current and future public-sector transactions. In conclusion, the Pakistan privatization agenda provides a distinctive but challenging chance for consulting firms such as DBC. The payoffs are high, but so are the challenges— everything from political risk to price restrictions and stakeholder imperatives. With the technical strength, strategic vision, and regional understanding, there is no reason DBC can’t succeed. But it’s going to take the firm’s ability to adjust, to get involved enthusiastically, and to gain credibility operating in a competitive, dynamic marketplace. If it can proceed pragmatically to market, develop strategic partnerships, and match commercial frameworks to state imperatives, there is no reason why DBC can’t become the preeminent participant on Pakistan’s public-sector IT transformation journey
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