Abstract In this paper, we study the nature of phase transition of the two-dimensional six-state Potts model under the external random magnetic field. The six-state Potts model exist temperature-dependent first-order phase transition. When the external random field is applied, the nature of phase can be altered from first-order to second-order.By employing the Monte Carlo simulation method, we inspected the energy histogram and Binder parameter of the six-state Potts model under the external random magnetic field. According to our analyses, the evidences reveal that the phase transition does not change until the external magnetic field is greater then 0.02

Triaxial extension experiments on Carrara Marble demonstrate that there is a continuous transition from extension to shear fracture on the basis of mechanical behavior, macroscopic fracture orientation and fracture morphology where hybrid fractures with extension and shear fracture characteristics are formed at the intermediate stress conditions. Extension fracture surfaces display discrete, highly reflective cleavage planes and shear fracture surfaces are covered with calcite gouge and display grooves and striations that are aligned parallel to slip. This study uses the fractured samples that were formed under triaxial extension experiments to characterize 1) microscopic surface features using scanning electron microscopy, 2) fracture surface morphology using laser profilometry, and 3) off-fracture damage using optical microscopy. These data are used to test the step-crack model of fracture development for the formation of hybrid fractures. Spectral analysis of the profiles demonstrates that microscopic roughness decreases gradually across the extension-to-shear fracture transition in both the orientations parallel and perpendicular to slip. However, macroscopic roughness gradually increases then decreases across the transition in the direction parallel to slip. The greatest macroscopic roughness occurs at the transition from extension fractures to tensile-hybrid fractures and is attributed to the presence of macroscopic steps in hybrid fractures surfaces. The treads of the steps in the hybrid fracture surfaces have characteristics of extension fracture surfaces and the risers have characteristics of shear fracture surfaces. The treads have a right-stepping left lateral geometry that is consistent with the step-crack model. Thin sections of hybrid fractures display systematically spaced, pinnate, microfractures that emanate from both sides of the macroscopic fracture surface. The pinnate fractures on both sides correlate across the macroscopic fracture, suggesting that they are precursory to the formation of the macroscopic fracture surface. The spacing to length ratio of the pinnate fractures and the macroscopic orientation of the fracture surface are also consistent the relationship dictated by the step-crack model of fault formation.

The purpose of this study was to examine four variables that impact African American male students’ perceptions of their transition from elementary school to middle school. This study determined what role social, emotional, physical, and academic variables have in the transition process from elementary school to middle school for African American males. The two guiding questions for this mixed methods study were: 1. What are African American male students’ perceptions of personal development variables on their transition from elementary school to middle school? 2. How do African American male students describe their transitional experience from elementary school to middle school? Participants in this study were 149 African American male students from five middle schools in southeast Texas. Findings of the study were derived from the use of a self-developed 52-item questionnaire (Student Transition Perception Survey) with one free-response question and interviews of ten students (two from each school). The major findings in this study were: 1. Social variable –African American male students felt that schools did not provide a positive school climate, teachers did not treat them with respect, and their parents were supportive of their education. 2. Emotional variable –African American male students felt that schools did not make them feel successful, and they did not feel equal to their peers. 3. Physical variable –African American male students were equally divided in the acceptance of their physical appearance and when they compared themselves to others. 4. Academic variable –African American male students felt that teachers did not give them valuable attention in class. 5. When looking at the trend of student responses among the five schools, African American male students shared similar feelings about the social, emotional, physical, and academic variables. 6. African American male students expressed their feelings about being unsafe, experiencing differentiated teacher treatment, declining grades, and difficulty in their middle school transition.

In the past, due to the duplication technology and mass production, the industries in Taiwan had the chance to grow rapidly. But because of the high strength at a low cost, China has become a world factory in recent years and Taiwan can no longer keep the leading position in manufacturing. The shortened product lifespan certainly plays an important role. Taiwan is now facing a challenge of maintaining the competitiveness and sustainability. Each enterprise faces different threats in business environment, and the solutions they carried out would make a great impact on the applied strategies. The quantitative and SWOT methods were used in this study in order to analyze the advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and threats they faced in period of transition; how they reacted under influence of company culture and resources was also explored and it is hoped that the correct transforming timing, direction and strategy can then be made. HY Company was the subject of the case study. Their investment was doubled after the transformation because the expensive components and equipments are required for aerospace applications and safety is the main concern for production. Special quality control and production process both have to be well monitored. Staff trainings are conducted constantly. However, the cost structure or management system is facing huge challenge. According to the analysis of Boeing, aerospace industry will keep on growing in the coming 15 years. It undoubtedly is the best opportunity to transform the local traditional machining business into the international aerospace industry. It is hoped that the systematic assessment method can help the business owner to make the correct decisions and possess the unique competitive advantage, such as applying the high efficient management system to manufacture products that cannot be reproduced and the reliable quality as well as the stable delivery can provide an un-replaceable value, hence. this is the key factors of making a successful transformation.

1987, Taiwan government announced the lifting of martial law. After that, it provides the open space for media industry with free market mechanism. Therefore, it was a popular job working in medium for fresh man. "Management magazine" finishing 1992-2001 ideal corporate ranks, TVBS found on the top 10 three times, but they found that journalists intended to have a career transition was up to 90% in the 2006 survey by "1111 Manpower Bank". These studies were aimed at local journalist career planning process and business model. It has tried to depict a background of journalist in other workplace on the advantages and disadvantages with purposive sampling from depth interviews with ten journalists about their career transition. Ten interviewees indicated that the reason for them to be journalists is due to personal interests. However, in terms of the motive for career transition, "interests" is considered less important and "life stability", "family" and "dissatisfaction with wider social contexts" are instead highlighted. Six of the above interviewees took advantages of "interpersonal network" to seek for new jobs. Three factors make their working performance distinguished from other new colleagues, namely, "interpersonal network", "previous working experiences as journalists", "a sense of responsibility towards the society as a whole and insistence on fulfilling tasks". However, three of the interviewees had returned to the original occupation and one is actively seeking for such a chance. Reasons for that are that working as non-journalists was not as good as they had expected or they simply started again another circle of career transition. In addition, this study also suggests that journalists may be less objective and over-optimistic when evaluating the adequacy of personal capacity for a career transition. This also happens when they need to infer or express viewpoints regarding the world. All above is due to the fact that being a journalist is constantly involved with all sorts of people, occurrences and circumstances. This statement can be supported by Krumboltz's third determinant of career development, which is the possession of "task approach skills". Furthermore, the review of previous studies with respect to summaries of news in southern Taiwan as well as reasons why journalists resign may be of use for future research.

La doped HoMn2O5 in studying the influence of the local structure distortion on the magnetic transition has been investigated systematically. It is found that by doping of La ions in a proper percentage, 0.1≤x≤0.2, the formation of the possible impurity RMnO3 (113) phase could be suppressed; single phases of LaxHo1-xMn2O5 (0.1≤x≤0.2) can be formed in one atmosphere of flowing oxygen. For x=0.2, an weak ferromagnetic transition on top of the paramagnetic background appears at 150K and saturated at 75K, which implies that the compound undergoes a ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic transition. In addition, the lattice didn¡¦t appear a huge phase transition at low temperature, it¡¦s observed local distortion behavior within 100~150K, and back to normal structure as high temperature ones. It¡¦s convinced that will be associated with the magnetic properties, which need further examination and experiment.

A twin-buck converter with zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) is proposed in this thesis. The converter comprises two identical buck conversion units connected in parallel by an interleaved inductor. The ZVT is accomplished by the resonating the currents between the interleaved inductor and the parasitic capacitances of the power MOSFETs. The circuit efficiency can be further improved by introducing synchronous rectification to reduce the condition loss on the diodes. The detailed circuit analysis and operation characteristics are provided. A laboratory circuit rated at 300 W is designed and tested. Experimental results show that the switching losses can be effectively reduced by smoothly transiting the currents of the active power switches.

Texte remanié de: Th. Master of science--Agron.--Montpellier--CIHEAM, 2001. / Bibliogr. p. 119-126. Résumé en français et en anglais.

Résumé d'une: Thèse de doctorat--Physique et chimie non organique--Uppsala, 2000. / Notes bibliogr.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 179-189).