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The popularity of martial arts in the present times has become apparent, therefore, it is necessary to explore martial artists’ preferences and the schools’ competitiveness. The purpose of this study was to assess martial artists’ preferences concerning the services offered by martial arts schools. Conjoint analysis was utilized to analyze the responses of fifty-five (55) martial artists based on the seven (7) martial arts schools’ attributes. The results showed that the type of martial arts was found to be the most important attribute (30.449%) followed by distance (27.970%), price range (22.706%), social environment (11.097%), class preference (5.080%), goal (1.562%), and schedule (1.135%). Furthermore, Muay Thai or Kickboxing was the most preferred martial art, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was the second priority, next was Taekwondo, then Karate, and finally Boxing. In addition, the martial artists’ preferred distance was less than 8 km, and a monthly training cost of 150,000 to 450,000 IDR (10 to 20 USD). Martial artists liked attending open classes, treated martial arts as a hobby, and favored attending classes once or twice weekly. With the lack of conjoint-related studies in the martial arts industry, the findings contributed to academicians and addressed issues of inadequate studies. Most importantly, the researchers presented managerial implications to leverage marketing techniques and develop the business operations of martial arts schools.

Correlates of behavior associated with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) exposure risk were evaluated using cross-sectional data from 3,839 Royal Thai Army (RTA) recruits whose birthplaces & residences were located away from Thailand's main HIV epicenter. Subjects (Ss) were generally age 21, unmarried, & educated at the primary school level, & previously had been engaged in agriculture or unskilled labor. HIV prevalence in the sample was 1.8%. Condom use with commercial sex workers (CSW) was less than universal, & a small subset of men emerged who had multiple categories of partners. Nonetheless, CSW patronage appeared lower than in early studies in the Thai epicenter of the upper North, & the venues patronized generally were not low-cost, high-turnover brothels. Sexual experience with girlfriends was more frequent than CSW experience, & the rate of condom use with girlfriends was relatively low. Lifetime injection drug use was reported by 4.1% of the total sample & was associated with recent urban residence, CSW patronage, & sexual precocity. Findings suggest gaps in Thailand's condom campaign & the need to better address HIV risk associated with having multiple partners. 5 Tables, 1 Figure, 41 References. Adapted from the source document.

In a report issued in 1994, the Jenkins Committee advocated the integration of managerial statistics, which could be used to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of a firm's management, into financial statements. This study traces the development, and subsequent demise, of similar managerial information within the financial statements of the Quincy Mining Company in the nineteenth century. Two contemporary models for financial disclosure are developed for comparative purposes and it is concluded that the Quincy Mining Company intentionally restricted the information available to shareholders. By clarifying the disclosure practices of a single firm in an unregulated environment, this study provides insights to the origins of modern financial reporting.

It is sometimes said that the most segregated time of the week in the United States is Sunday morning. Even as workplaces and public institutions such as the military have become racially integrated, racial separation in Christian religious congregations is the norm. And yet some congregations remain stubbornly, racially mixed.People of the Dreamis the most complete study of this phenomenon ever undertaken. Author Michael Emerson explores such questions as: how do racially mixed congregations come together? How are they sustained? Who attends them, how did they get there, and what are their experiences? Engagingly written, the book enters the worlds of these congregations through national surveys and in-depth studies of those attending racially mixed churches. Data for the book was collected over seven years by the author and his research team. It includes more than 2,500 telephone interviews, hundreds of written surveys, and extensive visits to mixed-race congregations throughout the United States. People of the Dreamargues that multiracial congregations are bridge organizations that gather and facilitate cross-racial friendships, disproportionately housing people who have substantially more racially diverse social networks than do other Americans. The book concludes that multiracial congregations and the people in them may be harbingers of racial change to come in the United States.

The effects of spark plasma sintering (SPS), WC starting particle size (0.1-0.8 μm), NbC, TiC and Mo2C additions on the microstructure and mechanical properties of WC-Co and WC-Ni alloys were investigated. Spark plasma sintering has the main advantage of very high degrees of densification obtainable at low temperatures within short sintering times, preventing Ostwald ripening. Spark plasma sintered WC-0.5Cr3C2-10Co (wt%) and WC-9.3Ni (wt%) samples had finer WC grains with poorly distributed binder pools than similar liquid phase sintered (LPS) samples, resulting in higher hardness, lower fracture toughness (K1C) and transverse rupture strength (TRS). Although the SPS samples had smaller WC grains than the LPS samples, WC grains of up to 1μm occurred in the nano and ultrafine grades, due to coalescence of fine particles. High NbC additions (≥20 wt%) to WC-10Co (wt%) reduced the WC grain size, hardness, K1C, TRS and modulus of elasticity in all grades. The poor mechanical properties were attributed to the reduction of WC volume fraction, formation of the (Nb,W) solid solution and poor wetting of NbC by Co. Additions of 6.25 wt% TiC and 0.5-5 wt% Mo2C to the WC-9.3Ni (wt%) nano and ultrafine samples gave the finest WC grain sizes, due to good grain growth inhibition. Molybdenum carbide also improved the Ni binder distribution due to better wetting of WC by the Ni. The refined microstructure and improved Ni binder distribution, together with reduced binder amount (7 wt%) gave >20 GPa hardness, slight reduction in K1C, good modulus of elasticity and lower TRS.The abrasion wear resistance increased with reduced WC grain size and binder amount, explaining the significantly higher abrasion resistance of the SPS WC-5Mo2C-6.25TiC-7Ni (wt%) ultrafine and nano grades than the LPS samples. The LPS WC-9.3Ni sample, had higher abrasion wear resistance than the LPS WC-0.5Cr3C2-10Co (wt%) sample, because of the slightly lower binder content and the Ni binder’s better wear properties. The LPS samples had the highest thermal shock and impact resistance (higher TRS and K1C). The WC-0.5Cr3C2-5NbC-10Co (wt%) sample had a good hardness, from SPS and the addition of NbC and Cr3C2grain growth inhibitors, as well as good K1Cand TRS, from its high binder amount and good wetting of WC by Co. These resulted in a good combination of abrasion wear, thermal shock and impact resistance in the WC-0.5Cr3C2-5NbC-10Co (wt%) sample. The WC-5Mo2C-6.25TiC-7Ni (wt%) ultrafine grade sample had the lowest thermal shock and impact resistance because of its poor K1Cand TRS.

This mixed method study examined the use of repeated reading with eighteen, eighth grade special education and regular education students. The purpose was to study use of repeated reading's structured, systematic, oral reading intervention while also seeking to further analyze LaBerge and Samuels' Theory of Automaticity (1974). Using repeated reading within the daily parameters of reading instruction, this intervention analyzed potential differences in reading fluency skills between special education and regular education students. This study also examined a hypothesized connection between improved oral reading fluency and reading comprehension skills. Independent sample and paired sample t-tests analyzing oral reading fluency scores (WCPM) and word recognition in context (WR) indicated no significant differences between special education and regular education students' pre- and post-intervention scores; nor within groups when comparing pre- and post- intervention scores. Comparison of prosody scores showed each group demonstrated significant increases on post- intervention scores over pre- intervention. In addition, regular education students exhibited significantly higher prosody scores over special education students on both pre- and post- intervention scores. Evaluation of comprehension scores within and between groups indicated significant differences or increases. Paired sample t-tests comparing pre- to post-intervention scores indicated each group significantly improved their post- intervention Maze comprehension scores over pre- intervention. Comparison between groups showed regular education students scored significantly higher than special education students on post- intervention Maze assessment. Each group demonstrated significant improvements between pre- and post- intervention silent reading comprehension assessments. Regular education students scored significantly higher than special education students on pre- and post-intervention assessments. Independent sample t-test comparison of instructional oral reading comprehension assessment scores signified regular education students scored significantly higher than special education students on pre- and post- intervention tests. Analysis of pre- versus post- intervention instructional oral reading comprehension scores revealed regular education students showed a borderline difference between their pre-and post- intervention scores. No significant differences existed for special education students between their pre- and post- intervention scores. This study provided valuable information to be used when developing, implementing, and evaluating instructional reading/ language arts practices in both regular and special education classrooms.

This study examines the use and functionality of laser depositing alloys from mixes of elemental metallic powders. Through the use of laser-based additive manufacturing (LAM), near net-shaped 3-Dimensional metallic parts can be produced in a layer-by-layer fashion. It is customary for pre-alloyed powders to be used in this process. However, mixes of elemental powders can be used to produce alloys that are formed during the deposition process. This alternative technique requires that the elemental powders adequately mix during deposition for a homogeneous deposit to be produced. Cost savings and versatility are among several of the advantages to using elemental powder mixes in LAM. Representative alloys of 316 and 430 Stainless Steel (SS) and Ti-6Al-4V were produced with elemental powder mixes during this research. These deposits were then compared to deposits of the same material manufactured with pre-alloyed powder. Comparison between the two types of samples included; EDS analysis to examine chemical homogeneity, metallography techniques to compare microstructures, and finally hardness testing to observe mechanical properties. The enthalpy of mixing is also discussed as this can impact the resulting homogeneity of deposits produced with mixes of elemental powders. Some differences were observed between the two types of deposits for 430 SS and Ti-6Al-4V. Results indicate that deposits fabricated with mixes of elemental powders can be produced to an equivalent quality of pre-alloyed powder deposits for 316 SS. This research also proposes potential alloys that could be considered for use in an elemental powder mixing technique.

In 1888, the Quincy Mining Company changed its payroll accounting practices. Although efficiency was almost certainly a contributing factor, the nature and timing of this accounting innovation cannot be fully explained by efficiency alone. Instead, this paper attributes the new procedures to the transformation of American labor that characterized the last part of the 19th century. It is argued that the accounting changes reflect a realignment of the organizational relationship between management and labor. Through a contextual examination of a 19th century accounting innovation, this paper provides insights to the social and cultural influences upon accounting processes.