bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sport Sociology in New Zealand
Authors: Thompson Shona M.
Published: March 2007

While there is a great deal of popular social commentary on sport in New Zealand, there is relatively little serious sport sociology. As a subject it is taught to students in Physical Education at the University of Otago, although individuals from other universities also contribute to sociology of sport and leisure research. Sport has a strong influence on social life in New Zealand, especially events of international significance such as rugby exchanges with South Africa. This has been a predominant topic of sociological analysis. Another area of developmentrecently has been that concerning women in recreation and sport:
Competitive Sport and Sport Success in the Olympic Games: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Value Systems
Authors: Seppänen Paavo
Published: March 2007

Any culture provides activities which can be identified as a kind of play, game, contest or sport. Equally obvious is the fact that the types of play, games and sport as well as the emphasis put on competition vary greatly from time to time and society to society. For a sociologist the variation is a "why".

Numerous studies suggest that particular kinds of games and plays are more characteristic than some others of any culture. Similarly it is obvious that the variation, the emphasis put on competition and success in modern sport is based on cultural values and social order.

The records of medal winners of all the Olympic Games since 1896 suggest that sports achievements and sports success are highly characteristic of Western civilization, which, in the wider sense of the word, covers all the societies whose culture is primarily based on Hellenic-Roman heritage on the one hand and Judaic-Christianity on the other.

An essential element in Western culture explaining high sports achievements is considered to be a more or less fundamental belief in progress - not only in sports but also in science, technology and economy. The variation of achievements within Western culture is thought to be due to varying nuances of values in various branches of Western heritage and the type of liberties allowed by the existing social order.
Theoretical Dilemmas in the Sociology of Sport
Authors: Krawczyk Zibgniew
Published: March 2007

The article presents an overview on the development of the sociology of sport and the importance of the ICSS, describes the relationship of the sociology of sport to kindred disciplines and presents three different models of the sociology of sport. Finally the theoretical orientation and the relationship of theoretical and applied dimensions of sport sociology are discussed.
Group Dynamics in the Himalayas
Authors: Allison Maria T. , Duda Joan L. , Beuter Anne
Published: March 2007

Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data, this study analyzes the nature of group formation and development during a trekking expedition through the Himalayas. Data indicated that the group went through six stages which were similar to those described in previous literature. Despite the similarity in the nature of stages, the sequencing of stages was different. Specifically, group conflict developed much later than that which is experienced in most groups. Reasons for this discrepancy are explored.
The Specificity of Status Crystallization and its Meaning in Sport
Authors: Lüschen Günther , Rütten Alfred
Published: March 2007

Sport appears to be particularly geared to test out contradictory results in status crystallization research as it allows the identification of conditioning variables with a high level of specificity (Malewski). The potentials of extending crystallization theory and research to rank crystallization, i.e. within group/team ranks, is outlined but not followed in the present analysis. Results based on samples of adults and of athletes in 6 different individual and team sports show that participants in sport up to age 32 are lower in status crystallization with a tendency of lower crystallization by level of sport (recreational, competitive, top sport). Regression analysis for the age group of 27-32 shows that the low status crystallization of athletes, of and those at the top in particular, is mainly to be explained by the interaction of and not the singularly tested major effects, although the latter show some power of explanation as well.
Use of Social Reference Groups in Sport Policy Making
Authors: Olin Kalevi , Piri Ilpo
Published: March 2007

Based on reference group theory the purpose of the present study was to determine how sport political decision-makers acted while making decisions, and which reference groups and backgrounds they selected for supporting their behavior. Furthermore, the aim was to find out how the reference group strategy of decision-makers had changed since the middle of the 1970's (Olin, 1982). A sample of 1788 officials and appointed representatives from 167 cities in Finland were selected for the study. The results indicated that the reference groups and backgrounds the majority of the decision-makers chose as bases for their decision behavior in order of descending importance were: the city officials preparing the decision issues, the former decisions of the city, colleagues at one's place of work, top athletes, decision issues of the neighbouring city, participants in sport for all, members of the city council belonging to one's own political party, leaders of the SVUL-sport clubs contributing to top sports, members of the city cabinet belonging to one's own political party, members of one's family and the school physical educators. Changes were found in terms of the reference group strategy since the middle of the 1970's. Political affiliation and the decision-maker's role in the process of decision-making explained most of the variance found.
Family Planning: Football Style. The Relative Age Effect in Football
Authors: Barnsley Roger H. , Thompson A.H. , Legault Philipe
Published: March 2007

Recent studies indicate that month of birth is related to achievement in a number of sports. Birth dates were collected for all players on teams competing in the 1990 World Cup and the 1989 Under-17s and Under-20s World Tournaments in Football. Results indicated that those born early in the "activity year" (August 1 through July 31 for football) were over- represented, while those born later were under-represented. The effect was particularly strong in the Under-17s and Under-20s tournaments. Results are interpreted in the context of the "relative age effect".
Olympism and Nationalism: Some Preliminary Consideration
Authors: Hargreaves John
Published: March 2007

The link between Olympism and nationalism is an enduring and significant political phenomenon which is likely to continue to exert pertinent political effects, both on international relations and on the internal politics of participant states, in particular, the politics of the host country to the Olympic Games. We need to regard Olympism and nationalism as socio-political constructions with a specific character and dynamics of their own if we are to develop an appropriate model of their relationship. The Barcelona Olympics presents an opportunity for developing a better model: an explanation of how the relationship is constructed in this particular instance would be a major contribution, not only to comparative research in this field, but also to the wider field of political sociology.
The popular Olympic Games, Barcelona 1936: Olympians and Antifascists
Authors: Pujadas Xavier , Santacana Carles
Published: March 2007

The organization of the Olympic Games 1936 by the German Nazis in Berlin have provoked a lot of controversies between different organizations and politicians. For most of them the Olympic spirit seems to be destroyed by the reality of the politc of the Nazis. Especially we can recognize an intensive conflict between the IOC and the Workers's Organization of Sport. For this reason it was intended to celebrate a popular Olympic Game as an antifascistic protest against the Olympic Games in Berlin in July 1936. But due to the fact that the civil war began at that time the popular Olympic Games could not be celebrated. This article give a tension to the origins and organization of popular Olympic Games of Barcelona in 1936 as an antifascist international manifestation.
Sports Facilities as a Revealting of a Society: The Spanish Case
Authors: Puig Núria , Martinez del Castillo Jesús , Pellegrino Pierre , Lambert Cédric
Published: March 2007

The relationship of sport facilities to the social, political, cultural and economic environment in which they are implanted is explored using data collected, via closed questionnaire, in 1986 from sport facilities in the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain, as well as from analyses of secondary statistical data. Results contribute to a theory of the relationship between sport, space and social organisation, as well as suggest new methodological perspectives for research in this field.
Sport and Physical Activity and Subjective Well Being: National Panel Data for the U.S
Authors: Mcteer William , Curtis James
Published: March 2007

This study examines the relationship between participation in sport and physical activity and feelings of well being. Our previous cross-sectional survey research on this topic (McTeer and Curtis, 1990) is extended through the use of data collected at two points in time from the same respondents in a national sample of Americans. We include social involvement levels, along with other social background factors, as controls in the analyses. We expected to find a positive relationship between sport and physical activity and feelings of well being after controls. We expected this relationship to obtain for analyses for Time 1, for Time 2, and for the relationship of sport and physical activity at Time 1 and well being at Time 2. The analyses are conducted separately for males and females. At Time 1 and Time 2, the results sometimes show a modest positive relationship of sport and physical activity and well being for females and no such relationship for males. In the panel data, there is also some support for the hypothesis that involvement in sport and physical activity leads to feelings of well being for females, but none for the data for males. There were comparatively strong positive relationships of social involvement with well being for both males and females. Interpretations of the results are discussed.
Modernizing Effects on Sports and Physical Activities among Korean Adults
Authors: Kim Manshik
Published: March 2007

Many Koreans engage in a variety of sports and physical activities during their leisure time. However, their involvement in certain sports has been largely decided by their material conditions, attitudes, and values. A survey was conducted to determine the relative contributions of class backgrounds and value orientations to two kinds of sports involvement (traditional and modern sports involvements).

The results of analyses of sports participation models prompted three major conclusions:

1. Korean adults living in Seoul valued rationalism and collectivism; there was no preference either for conservatism or progressivism nor for nonmaterialism or materialism.

2. Both social class and a collective orientation are related to participation in modern sports activities among male adults living in Seoul, Korea. In other words, people who are more well off and value collectivism are more likely to participate in modern sports.

3. Analysis suggests that cultural dual structure is present in a Korean society.
Parents' Physical Activity, Socioeconomic Status and Education as Predictors of Physical Activity and Sport among Children and Youths - A 12-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Xiao Lin Yang  , Telama Risto , Laakso Lauri
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine parental influences on children's participation in sport and their later physical activity. The population for the study consisted of a random sample of 1881 9- to 15-year-old boys and girls who were exposed to the extensive research program called "Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns" in 1980. They and their parents have been followed up for twelve years at three-year intervals by means of a short questionnaire concerning physical activity and other factors. The results indicated that the fathers' physical activity in 1980 was related to their children's habitual physical activity in the same year, and gave in boys and girls a significant prediction of PAI values twelve years later when the starting point was the age of 9, and also among boys from 15 years of age to 27. During the three years follow-up period, the extent of participation in sport was higher in families with active parents than in families with passive parents and single parents. The relationship of physical activity and sports participation with fathers' socioeconomic status and education was not so strong as with fathers' physical activity.
Process-Sociological Notes on Sport, Gender Relations and Violence Control
Authors: Dunning Eric , Maguire Joseph
Published: March 2007

In this working paper, we apply Elias' theory of "civilizing processes" to problems of gender relations, gender identities and, less systematically, to the more deeply embodied level of gender habituses in modem sport. More particularly, we hypothesize that, because it offers an explanation of both male fears of "emasculation/feminization" and the limited growth of equality between males and females which has so far occurred in the more "advanced" urban-industrial-nation-states, Elias' theory can help to account for: (i) the perceived need by males for a "masculinity-validating" enclave as a counter to "emasculation/feminization"; (ii) male opposition to direct female participation in sport; and (iii) the relative empowerment of females to an extent sufficient to enable them to enter sport in growing numbers. Preliminary empirical evidence is cited in support of these hypotheses and some of the contradictions and tensions generated in gender relations by the interrelated processes of "sportization" and "civilization" are explored.
Sport as Symbol
Authors: Krawczyk Zbigniew
Published: March 2007

This paper is an attempt to analyse sport in semiological categories, i.e. of sign and symbol. The author accepts the significative layer of sport is nearest to the nature of a myth. Contemporary sport expresses the industrial society's desire to compete, to reach for perfection, individual fame and riches. It also satisfies the hope for rapid horizontal and vertical mobility, for women to surmount biological and culture barriers and for the abolition of ethnical and racial inequality. It further expresses the longing for universal ethical principles and for escape from the spiritless conditions of a profane world.

In the author's view, the basic forms of symbolizing sporting behaviors have been expressed by: the ideology of sport, utopia of sport, ethics of sport, sporting art, science of sports and a ritual of a sacral nature.
Computer Screen Design Strategies
Authors: Vik Gretchen N.
Published: March 2007

Computer screen design has some features in common with printed page de sign and some very different features as well. Basic communication techniques, such as conciseness, clarity, and consistency, are still important, as are use of short sentences and paragraphs, common diction, itemizing, headings, and white space. The different features of the electronic medium, such as varied color, reverse video, scrolling and other movement, sound, and automatic spacing, can cause some problems for users if not designed effec tively. This paper will discuss strategies for effective computer screen design based on the research on screen format and screen readability, and the use of graphics features and color. Both novice and experienced computer users can benefit from this information.
Using U.S. Government Documents in the Technical-Writing Classroom
Authors: Ellery Celia
Published: March 2007

Technical-writing instructors are often hindered by their lack of understand ing about U.S. government documents. However, U.S. documents are particularly valuable to technical-writing instructors because of the docu ments'ready availability and tremendous diversity. The purpose of this paper is threefold: to explain how to use U.S. documents as models in the classroom, to guide instructors to various indices in documents so that they may better help their students get started on research reports, and to show how one may obtain documents to keep. A good working knowledge of documents is an im portant asset, especially for technical-writing instructors.
Learning Signaling Behaviors and Specialization in Cooperative Agents
Authors: Murciano Antonio , Millán José del R.
Published: March 2007

In this article, we present a learning mechanism that allows a multiagent system to cooperate to achieve a gathering task efficiently in unknown and changing environments. The multiagent system is a team of autonomous behavior-based agents with limited communication capabilities. Cooperation is based on the acquisition of signaling behaviors and on the specialization of the agents into different types. Every agent has the same collection of built-in reactive behaviors. Some of the built-in behaviors are fixed, whereas others can be modified through reinforcement learning. The reinforcement signal is delayed until a trial is completed and assesses the collective performance of the team. Each agent uses this common signal to learn what individual behaviors are more suitable for the team. Simulation results, and the corresponding statistical analysis, show that the multiagent system always achieves near-optimal performances.
Operant Conditioning in Skinnerbots
Authors: Touretzky David S. , Saksida Lisa M.
Published: March 2007

Instrumental (or operant) conditioning, a form of animal learning, is similar to reinforcement learning (Watkins, 1989) in that it allows an agent to adapt its actions to gain maximally from the environment while being rewarded only for correct performance. However, animals learn much more complicated behaviors through instrumental conditioning than robots presently acquire through reinforcement learning. We describe a new computational model of the conditioning process that attempts to capture some of the aspects that are missing from simple reinforcement learning: conditioned reinforcers, shifting reinforcement contingencies, explicit action sequencing, and state space refinement. We apply our model to a task commonly used to study working memory in rats and monkeys—the delayed match-to-sample task. Animals learn this task in stages. In simulation, our model also acquires the task in stages, in a similar manner. We have used the model to train an RWI B21 robot.
Incremental Evolution of Complex General Behavior
Authors: Gomez Faustino , Miikkulainen Risto
Published: March 2007

Several researchers have demonstrated how complex action sequences can be learned through neuroevolution (i.e., evolving neural networks with genetic algorithms). However, complex general behavior such as evading predators or avoiding obstacles, which is not tied to specific environments, turns out to be very difficult to evolve. Often the system discovers mechanical strategies, such as moving back and forth, that help the agent cope but are not very effective, do not appear believable, and do not generalize to new environments. The problem is that a general strategy is too difficult for the evolution system to discover directly. This article proposes an approach wherein such complex general behavior is learned incrementally, by starting with simpler behavior and gradually making the task more challenging and general. The task transitions are implemented through successive stages of Delta coding (i.e., evolving modifications), which allows even converged populations to adapt to the new task. The method is tested in the stochastic, dynamic task of prey capture and is compared with direct evolution. The incremental approach evolves more effective and more general behavior and should also scale up to harder tasks.
The Conditions That May Favor Avunculocal Residence
Authors: Ember Melvin
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a theory that may account for avunculocal resi dence. It is suggested that only those previously matrilocal and matri lineal societies which are subject to a high male mortality rate when they switch to fighting internally will develop avunculocality. There is some cross-cultural evidence consistent with the sequence suggested.
Growth Functions and Culture History: A Perspective on Classic Maya Cultural Development
Authors: Erickson Edwin E.
Published: March 2007

Using two kinds of asymptotic growth functions, the logistic and the Gompertz curves, the author argues that growth in the absolute numbers of Classic Maya temple centers in the lowlands was probably a process with built-in self-limitations. The logic of the two mathematical functions and the argument from the data provide a growth model embodying a simultaneous acceleration of growth and resistance to growth. After a statistical fitting of Sylvanus G. Morley's site data (drawn from The Ancient Maya, 1946), the model is compared against growth-limiting processes posited by the participants in a recent symposium on the collapse of Classic Maya civilization (Gordon R. Willey and Demitri B. Shimkin, "The Collapse of Classical Maya Civilization in the Southern Lowland: A Sym posium Summary Statement," Southwestern Journal of Anthropology 27: 1-18, 1971).
HRAFLIB: A Computer Program Library for Hologeistic Research
Authors: Naroll Raoul , Michik Gary L.
Published: March 2007

The Human Relations Area Files has a number of computer programs specifically designed for cross-cultural survey ( hologeistic) research. The programs can deal with many of the methodological problems routinely encountered in such research, greatly simplifying the task of data analysis. These HRAFLIB programs are being made available to the general pub lic. People who want to use them can either obtain the programs from HRAF (and adapt them to their own computer systems) or send their data to HRAF for analysis and have the output mailed back.
HABS, The HRAF Automated Bibliographic System Today
Authors: Hesung Chun Koh
Published: March 2007

HABS (HRAF Automated Bibliographic System) which began in 1965 is now reaching its maturity. HABS is laying a foundation for an integrated system of all existing information components at HRAF. This new super- system-the HRAF Cultural Information System (HACIS)-is a powerful research tool. HABS now consists of (1) thirteen books of analytical bib liographies and indexes published by the method; (2) over 70,000 entries of computerized bibliographies and various retrieval capabilities; and (3) special features of its information system principles, analysis approaches and computer programs. Three intellectual tasks in which HABS aids its users-culture unit identification, description and comparison, and data quality control-are also elaborated in teims of specific types of HABS bibliographic profiles and table-form and analytical indexes.
Causality among Cross-Cultural Correlations: A Psychological Interpretation
Authors: Reis Janet
Published: March 2007

Cross-cultural research has produced a number of problematical cor relations between personality and cultural variables Efforts to explain these correlational relationships have been hampered by the old causality dif ficulty—that association does not yield knowledge of cause. Interpretation of these statistical relationships requires access to other kinds of information. Evidence is gathered here from psychological research to support certain explanations of perceptual illusions, infant growth, and initiation ceremonies. The cross-disciplinary analyses provide a broader empirical base for ac ceptance or rejection of cross-cultural theories.
A Comparative Study of Human Sacrifice
Authors: Sheils Dean
Published: March 2007

Few social scientists have attempted to develop cross-cultural explana tions of human sacrifice, even though it has been found to occur in every area of the world. I argue here that human sacrifice occurs only in those societies in which human life takes on exceptional economic value. Many of the world's cultures are dependent solely upon human energy for their survival, but some of them organize human energy intensively in the forms of a craft division of labor, corvee, and slavery. Thus, human life comes to have high economic value because it represents energy potential; it therefore may be viewed by such cultures as a fitting gift for the spirits. I drew from 107 societies (most of which are included in the Human Re lations Area Files) to test the hypothesis. I used Murdock's (1967) three degree rule to correct for the influence of diffusion. The results generally support the hypothesis that human sacrifice is selective of cultures with a craft division of labor, corvee and slavery. Furthermore, human sacrifice is more frequently practiced in those societies in which slavery and crafts make particularly substantial contributions to the economy. The data were not clear in this respect with regard to corvee labor.
Societal Complexity and Lexical Growth
Authors: Witkowski Stanley R. , Burris Harold W.
Published: March 2007

In this paper we report a high positive association between societal complexity and size of a language's lexicon in terms of total number of dictionary entries. Small-scale societies have many fewer lexical items than large-scale societies. However, when specialist terms are ex cluded, the correlation between societal complexity and size of lexi con falls off, probably to zero. We also show that languages spoken in societies of varying complexity contain radically different constel lations of lexical items.
An Annotated Ethnographic Bibliography of Trinidad
Authors: Glazier Stephen D.
Published: March 2007

In this annoted bibliograhy of articles, books, and Ph.D. dissertations on the ethnographic literature of Trinidad, I give special attention to the ethnic diversity on the island.
A Holocultural Bibliography: Update Number One
Authors: Levinson David , O'Leary Timothy J.
Published: March 2007

This bibliographic update lists 73 holocultural studies not cited in earlier holocultural bibliographies .
An Investigation of the Relationship between the Physical Organization of Religious Shrines and the Perceived Malevolence or Benevolence of the Gods
Authors: Ferguson Evan A.
Published: March 2007

A cross-cultural study of the characteristic physical surroundings (cf. Barker's Behaviour Settings Theory, 1971) of sacred sites, using the HRAF files. Cultures with benevolent gods are found to have fewer, better defined and more accessible, but less visible shrines than cultures with primarily malevolent gods.
Cultural Variations in Motivational Satisfactions for Men and Women1
Authors: Barry Herbert , Child Irvin L.
Published: March 2007

Quantitative ratings are presented, separately for men and women, on the degree to which each of seven motivations are satisfied in 70 societies. The motivations are Obedience and Responsibility (measuring high Compliance), Achievement and Self-reliance (measuring low Compliance), Emotional depen dence, Instrumental dependence, and Nurturance. A factor analysis demonstrated that Accumulation of food resources (agriculture and animal husbandry) was associated with high Compliance in adult motivations and to a lesser degree in child training.
Are Norwegian Voluntary Organizations Homogeneous Moralnets? Reflections on Naroll's Selection of Norway as a Model Society
Authors: Caulkins Douglas
Published: March 2007

In The Moral Order, Raoul Naroll outlines five steps in the development of socionomics, a discipline for guiding human affairs. After establishing a set of core values, Naroll shows that Norway does better than other countries in achieving goals based on those values. He also details the theory and evidence for the importance of moralnets in preventing or ameliorating social problems. One inference untested by Naroll is that Norway, a model society with the highest score for social well-being, has strong moralnets (moral networks). This article argues that Norway's numerous voluntary organizations and clusters of ideologically homogeneous organizations are often linked in networks that have all of the characteristics that Naroll attributed to moralnets. Data from community case studies in Norway fit Naroll's moralnet theory better than they fit the competing theory of structural limitation of conflicts through crosscutting ties.
Bone Art in the Upper Paleolithic: Regional, Temporal, and Art Class Comparisons
Authors: Rice Patricia C. , Paterson Ann L.
Published: March 2007

Using data that range temporally from 35, 000 to 10, 000 years ago and spatially from Britain to Russia, this article examines 2,010 images of large animals engraved on bone-"bone art." Variations in the prevalence and distribution of bone art are identified and patterns sought to help explain the purpose of the art. The relation ship of bone art to the more prevalent cave-wall art is explored. The data suggest that bone art served more individualistic, secular purposes than cave-wall art and probably developed later. Other comparative data suggest parallels between animal engravings done on bone with those on cave walls and stone plaquettes.
REGIONAL REPORT Colombia/Venezuela
Authors: Sanchez Carlos A.
Published: March 2007

This report examines the impact that the petroleum industry has had on the Colombian-Venezuelan border region. It provides an outline of the various environmental issues raised by the petroleum industry's presence along the border. The report explores both unilateral and bilateral attempts to confront the negative environmental impacts posed by the petroleum indus try. These efforts include public policy measures such as bilateral agreements on protecting the border environment, domestic environmental protection plans, and legal provisions. It shows how current attempts to curtail the environmental impact may be expanded, both on a unilateral and bilateral basis, in order to establish a better framework for environmental protection. Finally, the report provides a list of feasible recommendations that may be implemented to provide for more effective environmental protection.
Galen and the Squealing Pig
Authors: Gross Charles G.
Published: March 2007

Galen, who lived in the Roman Empire in the 2nd century, was the greatest experimental physiologist and anatomist of classical antiquity. His ideas about biology and medicine were dominant in Europe for more than 1500 years. In one of his most famous experi ments, he demonstrated loss of vocalization after section of the recurrent laryngeal nerves in the pig. This may have been the first experimental evidence that the brain controls behavior and thought. NEUROSCIENTIST 4:216-221, 1998
Review : The Vicious Circle of Stress and Anticholinesterase Responses
Authors: Kaufer Daniela , Friedman Alon , Soreq Hermona
Published: March 2007

After either acute psychological stress or exposure to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors, long-lasting deleterious changes of a similar nature occur in the mammalian brain. We explored the molecular and neurophysiological mechanisms preceding these convergent delayed consequences in vivo and in perfused hippocampal brain slices. In stressed mice, we observed a disruption of the blood-brain barrier, which leads to efficient brain penetrance of anti-AChEs. This increase in penetrance of anti-AChEs, and consequently in acetylcholine (ACh) levels, induces a cascade of c-fos-mediated transcriptional responses dependent on intracellular Ca2+ accumulation. Consequently, the capacity for synthesis and vesicle packaging of ACh is suppressed simultaneously with enhanced AChE production that potentiates ACh hydrolysis. This bimodal decrease in ACh bioavailability, which is independent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, then ter minates the initial neurophysiological excitation. In vivo, this AChE overexpression leads to enzyme accu mulation that is evident for more than 80 hr. The overexpressed enzyme can protect the brain from sustained hyperexcitability and from increased susceptibility to seizure activity and neuronal toxicity. However, exper imental accumulation of AChE in brain neurons through transgenic manipulations leads to a slowly pro gressive deterioration in cognitive and neuromotor faculties. The transcriptional consequences of stress and anti-AChEs may therefore be beneficial in the short term but deleterious in the long term. NEURO SCIENTIST 5:173-183, 1999
Calculation of Free Vibration of Multistep Shear Plates
Authors: Li Q.S. , Fang J.Q. , Jeary A.P.
Published: March 2007

The governing differential equations for free vibration of a one-step shear plate and a multistep shear plate are established. It is shown that a shear plate can be divided into two independent shear bars to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of the plate. The jkth natural frequency of a shear plate is equal to the square root of the square sum of the jth natural frequency of a shear bar and the kth natural frequency of another shear bar. The jkth mode shape of the shear plate is the product of the jth mode shape of a shear bar and the kth mode shape of another shear bar. In this paper, two methods—transfer matrix method and recurrence formula method—are proposed to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes of multistep shear plates. A numerical example shows that the present methods are easy to implement and are efficient.
Entropy-Based Optimal Sensor Location for Structural Model Updating
Authors: Papadimitriou Costas , Beck James L. , Au Siu-Kui
Published: March 2007

A statistical methodology is presented for optimally locating the sensors in a structure for the purpose of extracting from the measured data the most information about the parameters of the model used to represent structural behavior. The methodology can be used in model updating and in damage detection and localization applications. It properly handles the unavoidable uncertainties in the measured data as well as the model uncertainties. The optimality criterion for the sensor locations is based on information entropy, which is a unique measure of the uncertainty in the model parameters. The uncertainty in these parameters is computed by a Bayesian statistical methodology, and then the entropy measure is minimized over the set of possible sensor configurations using a genetic algorithm. The information entropy measure is also extended to handle large uncertainties expected in the pretest nominal model of a structure. In experimental design, the proposed entropy-based measure of uncertainty is also well-suited for making quantitative evaluations and comparisons of the quality of the parameter estimates that can be achieved using sensor configurations with different numbers of sensors in each configuration. Simplified models for a shear building and a truss structure are used to illustrate the methodology.
Analysis and Application of a Nonlinear Vibration Absorber
Authors: Oueini Shafic S. , Nayfeh Ali H.
Published: March 2007

The authors investigate theoretically and experimentally the performance of a recently developed quadratic vibration absorber that is based on the saturation phenomenon. They consider the problem of con trolling the vibrations of a single-degree-of-freedom plant, develop the equations governing the response of the closed-loop system, and obtain an approximate solution. They investigate the strategy by studying its steady-state characteristics and comparing its performance with that of a linear tuned absorber. Then, they implement both techniques experimentally using a digital signal processing device. The authors develop a software algorithm that allows for automatic real-time tracking of the system response. They use both tech niques to control high-amplitude responses of a cantilever beam fitted with piezoceramic actuators. When each absorber's frequency is tuned properly, they show that both schemes possess similar suppression band widths. In addition, they demonstrate that the power requirement of the quadratic absorber can be reduced by judicially modifying its control signal.
Response of Two Quadratically-Coupled Oscillators to a Principal Parametric Excitation
Authors: Oueini Shafic S. , Chin Char-Ming , Nayfeh Ali H.
Published: March 2007

The authors study the dynamics of two oscillators coupled with quadratic nonlinearities in the case of two-to-one internal resonance when the higher mode is subjected to a principal parametric excitation. They use the method of multiple scales to obtain an approximate solution to the equations of motion and investigate theoretically its stability. Then, they verify the analysis experimentally. The authors use a cantilever steel beam and an analog second-order circuit to represent the two oscillators. The interaction between the two systems is achieved by fitting the beam with piezoceramic actuators and a strain gage and coupling the beam with the circuit through electronically generated quadratic nonlinearities. They subject the first mode of the beam to a principal parametric excitation and tune the frequency of the circuit to approximately one-half the frequency of the first mode of the beam. The theoretical and experimental results indicate that the system exhibits complicated responses, such as jumps, the saturation phenomenon, types I and II intermittency, as well as periodic, periodically, and chaotically modulated motions.
A Modified Gradient-Search Training Technique for Neural-Network Structural Control
Authors: Liut D.A. , Matheu E.E. , Singh M.P. , Mook D.T.
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses a neural-network controller used to reduce the seismic response of building structures. The training process is carried out through a novel gradient-search technique that minimizes a desired cost function defined in terms of a set of structural response quantities. The proposed training approach does not require an additional neural network for the identification of the structural system. The training method is quite flexible with regard to the choice of the cost function to be minimized. A series of earthquake, base-acceleration time histories are considered to train the network. The effectiveness of the controller is demonstrated through several sets of numerical results obtained for a multistory building equipped with an active tuned mass damper.
Modal Analysis of Steel-Framed Residential Structures for Application to Seismic Design
Authors: Gad Emad F. , Chandler Adrian M. , Duffield Colin F.
Published: March 2007

There has been a significant worldwide increase in the use of cold-formed steel in low-rise resi dential structures as an alternative to timber. A major research project to assess the performance under lateral loading of cold-formed steel frames commenced more than 7 years ago at The University of Melbourne, Australia, in collaboration with industry and other research organizations. This paper reports key findings from an extensive experimental program. It details a particular aspect of the program that uses nondestruc tive dynamic testing to identify the basic dynamic properties of such structures. Laboratory tests, employing a shaking table, have been conducted on unclad wall panels and a model test house to study the influence of different framing connection types and to assess the influence of nonstructural components, namely, plas terboard interior lining and brick-veneer exterior cladding. The findings from these tests were verified and further extended by testing a full-scale prototype house at various stages of construction. This paper presents information concerning typical natural frequencies and mode shapes for such structures. It also details the contribution of nonstructural components to the lateral stiffness, which was found to be significant. The re sults have important implications for seismic design and performance of such structures, even in regions of low to moderate seismicity.
Extended Transfer Matrix Method with Complex Numbers for Branched Torsional Systems
Authors: Yuang Mao Huang  , Horng C.D.
Published: March 2007

The extended transfer matrix method with complex numbers and the Newton-Raphson technique is used to analyze torsional vibration for branched systems. The relationship between the first station and the last station is established. Equivalent contact disks of the power train with a contact transfer matrix are used to simplify a branched torsional system into a single shaft system. This method reduces calculation of some elements in the complicated procedures of matrix multiplication. A system with three free-end boundaries is analyzed. The calculated results of the eigenvalues and eigenvectors of an undamped branched system are compared and show good agreement with the data obtained by the MATLAB software program. The eigensolutions of a damped branched system are calculated and the results are acceptable. Therefore, the methodology used is feasible for the torsional vibration analysis of damped branched systems.
Vibration Control of Periodically Excited Nonlinear Dynamic Multi-dof Systems
Authors: Van de Vorst E.L.B. , Van Campen D.H. , De Kraker A. , Kok J.J. , Fey R.H.B.
Published: March 2007

For nonlinear mechanical systems, which have stable subharmonic resonance peaks and one or more coexisting unstable harmonic solutions, a large reduction of maximum subharmonic, quasi-periodic, or chaotic displacement can be established if the coexisting unstable harmonic solution could be made stable. The control effort to obtain this goal can be very small in that case. In this article, a method for controlling nonlinear multi-degree-of-freedom (multi-dof) systems to unstable periodic solutions is developed. This is established by putting a single control force somewhere on the system. Because the selected control method uses the full state of the system and because only measured displacements and accelerations of a very limited number of dofs are assumed to be available, a reconstruction method has to be used for estimating the full state on-line. Simulations are done using a beam system supported by a one-sided spring that is control led to the unstable harmonic solution. The robustness of the method with respect to model errors, system disturbance, and measurement errors is examined. Further, the performance of the method in case of a varying excitation frequency during the control is investigated.
Control of Nonlinear Vibrations of Foundations Built in Sandy Soil
Authors: Abdel-Rohman Mohamed , Al-Sanad Hasan
Published: March 2007

Sandy soils behave nonlinearly at stress levels below the peak stress. This influences the dynamic response of the foundations built on sandy soil. This paper shows first the nonlinear vibration response of a block-type foundation due to the vertical, horizontal, and rocking excitations. The nonlinear vibration responses are compared with the linear response assuming linear soil behavior. The second part of the paper shows how to control the harmful effects due to the nonlinear vibrations using passive and active control mechanisms attached to the foundation.
Theoretical and Numerical Validation of the Stochastic Interrogation Experimental Method
Authors: Kimble Bart W. , Cusumano Joseph P.
Published: March 2007

Stochastic interrogation is an experimental method that uses transient trajectories starting at nu merous pseudo-random initial conditions to obtain detailed information about the flow of a dynamical system in phase space. From this flow information, various global dynamical phenomena can be studied, such as the transition to complex basin boundaries, chaotic transients, and strange non-attracting sets. The existence of these features in turn allows the occurrence of a homoclinic bifurcation to be inferred, even when all attractors in a system are nonchaotic. In this paper, the validity of inferences made using the stochastic in terrogation experimental method is checked with the aid of a numerical model, using theoretical predictions from Melnikov theory and direct computations of invariant manifolds.
Methods to Compute Probabilistic Measures of Robustness for Structural Systems
Authors: Field R.V. , Voulgaris P.G. , Bergman L.A.
Published: March 2007

Model uncertainty, if ignored, can seriously degrade the performance of an otherwise well-designed control system. If the level of this uncertainty is extreme, the system may even be driven to instability. In the context of structural control, performance degradation and instability imply excessive vibration or even structural failure. Robust control has typically been applied to the issue of model uncertainty through worst- case analyses. These traditional methods include the use of the structured singular value (μ-analysis), as applied to the small gain condition, to provide estimates of controller robustness. However, this emphasis on the worst-case scenario has not allowed a probabilistic understanding of robust control. Because of this, an attempt to view controller robustness as a probability measure is presented. As a result, a much more intuitive insight into controller robustness can be obtained. In this context, the joint probability distribution is of dimension equal to the number of uncertain parameters, and the failure hypersurface is defined by the onset of instability of the closed-loop system in the eigenspace. A first-order reliability measure (FORM) of the system is computed and used to estimate controller robustness. It is demonstrated via an example that this FORM method can provide accurate results on the probability of failure despite the potential complexity of the closed-loop. In addition to the FORM method, a probabilistic measure of robustness is developed based on the fundamentals of μ-analysis. It is shown that the μ-analysis based method is inferior to the FORM method and can only have qualitative value when assessing control system robustness in a probabilistic framework.
Machinery Diagnosis Based on Wavelet Packets
Authors: Bao Liu  , Ling Shih-Fu , Qingfeng Meng
Published: March 2007

This paper proposes a machinery diagnosis method based on the wavelet packet theory to deal with the nonstationary contents of vibration signals generated in machinery owing to mechanical faults. The authors introduce a fault dependent wavelet packet basis to decompose and analyze the signals. The coefficients of the decomposed signals are exploited as pattern features for recognizing faults in machinery. Because of its fault dependent property, the basis does not change from record to record for a specific fault, and this greatly facilitates the effectiveness of pattern recognition. An application of the proposed approach for fault detection in ball bearings is presented. The results show that both the sensitivity and reliability of the proposed method are good.
Perturbation Analysis of Spindle Speed Variation in Machine Tool Chatter
Authors: Pakdemirli M. , Ulsoy A.G.
Published: March 2007

Spindle speed variation has been shown to be an effective method for chatter control. In this paper, a single-degree-of-freedom regenerative type chatter equation is treated using perturbation methods. Rather than using the time coordinate, the angle of revolution is taken as the independent coordinate for maintaining a constant delay in the equations. The spindle speed is taken to be harmonically varying about a constant mean speed. Approximate analytical solutions are sought using the method of strained parameters, a perturbation technique. The amplitude of speed fluctuations (ε) is assumed to be small, and solutions are constructed using this parameter as the perturbation parameter. The stability lobes for constant spindle speeds are calculated exactly. By using the approximate perturbation analysis, the gain in stability is calculated for variable spindle speeds. The analysis is valid for (ε) values up to 0.02 (i.e., 2% of the constant mean speed). Solutions are verified using numerical simulations of the original equation.