bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Loading Rate-Dependent Fracture Properties and Electrical Resistance-Based Crack Growth Monitoring of Polycarbonate Reinforced with Carbon Nanotubes Under Tension
Authors: Narita Fumio , Shindo Yasuhide , Takeda Tomo , Kuronuma Yu , Sanada Kazuaki
Published: October 2014

This paper presents a combined numerical-experimental study on the loading rate-dependent fracture behavior of cracked carbon nanotube (CNT)-based polymer composites under tension. Tensile tests at various loading rates were conducted on single-edge cracked plate specimens of CNT/polycarbonate composites. The electrical resistance change of the composite specimens was utilized to capture the crack behavior during the tests. An elastic-plastic finite element analysis was also employed to determine the fracture properties by means of the J-integral. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation was implemented to assess the fracture mechanisms of the CNT-based polymer composites under the different loading rates.
Experimental Study on the Seismic Behaviors of HRBF400 RC Columns
Authors: Ge Wenjie , Zhang Jiwen , Cao Dafu , Wang Biyuan , Pan Linglong
Published: October 2014

In order to investigate the seismic behaviors of RC columns reinforced with HRBF400 steel bar (HRBF-high strength hot rolled bars of fine grains), four rectangle cross-section HRBF400 RC columns' bending low-cycle reversed loading experiments were made. Influences of reinforcement ratio, axial compression ratio, and stirrup ratio on the seismic behaviors of HRBF400 RC columns were analyzed. Characteristic of hysteretic curve and skeleton curve are studied, and characteristic value and displacement ductility of each specimen was calculated. The results show HRBF400 RC columns have good seismic behavior. Yield load, peak load, and ductility improve with the increasing of reinforcement ratio. Columns of high compression ratio have high peak load and yield load, but their skeleton curves decrease quickly after peak load and have low ductility. Columns of low compression ratio have low peak load and yield load, but decrease gentlly after peak load and also have good ductility. Seismic behaviors and ductility of RC columns improve with the increasing of stirrup ratio.
Convenient Ratio Approach for Industrial Implementation in Estimating and Testing Process Yield
Authors: Pearn W. L. , Tai Y. T. , Kao C. M.
Published: October 2014

In recent years, since portable devices with thin and light designs are essential, the applications of the thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT–LCD) have been applied extensively. Process yield is the most common criterion used in the TFT–LCD manufacturing industry for measuring process performance. The measurement index Spk establishes the relationship between the manufacturing specifications and the actual process performance, which provides an exact measure on process yield. In this paper, we provide two convenient ratio approaches to calculate the lower confidence bounds and critical values extensively for various values of α-risk, capability requirements, and sample sizes. Practitioners can use the proposed ratio approaches and procedures to determine whether their process meets the preset capability requirement and make reliable decisions. The convenient ratio approaches can bridge the gap between the theoretical development and factory applications for evaluation of process yields.
A Newly Advanced Anti-Vibration Pad With a Phase Balancer Designed by Analysis of Washing Machine Behaviors
Authors: Kim Jin-Su , Jeong Jae-Eun , Jeong Un-Chang , Oh Jae-Eung
Published: October 2014

This study proposed an anti-vibration pad with a phase balancer that helps reduce wood floor vibrations from a washing machine as well as the vibrations of the machine itself. When a washing machine is installed just on anti-vibration pads, the floor vibrations can be reduced, but consequently the machine’s left–right vibrations become more violent. Accordingly, in order to identify the mechanism by which anti-vibration pads generate left-right vibrations in washing machines, the present study proposed a two-point measurement method that can determine vertical washing machine vibrations and phase differences. In addition, we proposed an optimal phase balancer designed by a finite element analysis-based response surface method for reducing vibrations using a phase difference. As a result, the anti-vibration pad with a phase balancer, when applied to washing machines, greatly contributed to simultaneously reducing the actual vibrations of washing machines and the vibration transfer to the floor.
Assessment of Process Variables that Can Impact Results of Soluble Sulfate Evaluated by the Tex-145E Method
Authors: Freese Kevin , Abbas Ala , Senko John , Cutright Teresa J.
Published: October 2014

Sulfate-induced heave has become an expensive problem in many states when expansive soils containing high levels of sulfate are stabilized with calcium based stabilizers such as lime or cement. Colorimetric assessment of soluble sulfate concentrations (SSC) is the most accepted indicator to predict the degree of risk associated with using chemical stabilization to treat expansive soils. Questions surrounding the effects of sulfate source, water to soil ratio, contact time, and separation methods were investigated. Samples of a soil from northeastern Ohio were spiked with ferrous sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO4·7H2O) to yield 300 and 3000mg sulfate/kg soil and with gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) to yield 300, 3000, 6000, and 12 000mg sulfate/kg soil. Subsamples of the spiked soil were then mixed with water at a 1:20 ratio of soil:water, shaken, and allowed to rest from 12 to 24h. A sample of the soil solution from each mixture was obtained by four different methods and analyzed for sulfate by colorimetric method. There was no significant difference for the contact time used; however, a 24h contact time is recommended. Results of colorimetric testing indicated use of partial and full filtration provided the most accurate SSC readings.
Design and Evaluation of Bayesian Dependent State Sampling Inspection Plans
Authors: Vijayaraghavan R. , Sakthivel K. M.
Published: October 2014

The theory of sampling inspection procedures by attributes is built upon the general assumptions that the manufacturing process from which lots are formed is stable and that the lot or process fraction nonconforming is a constant. However, in practice, the lots formed from any production process will have quality variations, which occur due to random fluctuations. When quality variations are present in a process, the proportion of nonconforming units in the lots will vary continually. In such cases, Bayesian acceptance sampling plans (BASP), which use prior information on the process variation for taking decisions about the submitted lots, can be employed as an alternative to conventional plans. This paper focuses on the concept of dependent state sampling inspection plans by attributes for continuous production with small acceptance numbers under Bayesian perspective and highlights the properties of its characteristic curves with reference to various parameters. A procedure for determining the parameters of such plans for two specified points on the operating characteristic curves under the conditions of gamma-Poisson distribution is discussed with illustrations. The closed form expressions for the parameters of the plans are also derived.
Mix Proportion Design and Mechanical Properties of Recycled PET Concrete
Authors: Yao Zhanyong , Zhang Xiaomeng , Ge Zhi , Jin Zhuang , Han Jie , Pan Xianghong
Published: October 2014

The mix proportion and mechanical properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) concrete were studied by orthogonal test. PET concrete was produced by mixing melted PET with aggregate and mineral admixtures. The effects of several factors on the properties of PET concrete were investigated. These factors included: (1) coarse aggregate type, (2) mineral materials, (3) PET and mineral/aggregate (PETAM/AG) ratio, (4) sand ratio, (5) PET/mineral (PET/MA) ratio, and (6) maximum particle size of coarse aggregate. The results showed that the most important factor was PETAM/AG, followed by sand ratio and PET/MA. Samples with 10 mm coarse aggregate had the highest compressive strength of 36 MPa. The compressive strength decreased 8.6 and 37 % as the coarse aggregate maximum particle sizes changed from 10 to 4.75 and 13 mm, respectively. There was no significant difference in flexural strength when the sand ratio changed from 35 to 68 %. The strength of PET concrete with basalt was higher than that of concrete with limestone. The concrete containing fly ash and 5 % talc had the highest strength followed by concrete with fly ash, Portland cement (PC), fly ash with 5 % asphalt, without any mineral. The best mix proportion of PET concrete was PETAM/AG of 1:3, sand ratio of 35 % and PET/fly ash of 2:1.
Effect of Crack Front Curvature on Experimental Evaluation of J-Integral for Single-Edge Bend Specimens
Authors: Yan Zijian , Zhou Wenxing
Published: October 2014

This paper presents three-dimensional (3D) finite element analyses of plane-sided single-edge bend specimens to investigate the effect of the crack front curvature on the accuracy of the average J-integral (J) evaluated over the crack front using the plastic eta-factor-based approach specified in ASTM E1820-11. Specimens with average crack lengths of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 and thickness-to-width ratios of 1, 0.5, and 0.25 were analyzed. The analysis was based on the J2 deformation theory of plasticity and assumed stationary cracks with sharp crack tips. The curved crack front was characterized by a power-law expression proposed by Nikishikov et al. that was validated using crack front data collected in this study. The plastic eta factors specified in ASTM E1820-11 and proposed by Zhu et al. were employed. The analysis results indicate that the errors in the plastic eta-factor-based J were generally between −7 % (i.e., underestimation) and 6 % (i.e., overestimation) for the specimens that had curved crack fronts with crack front curvature equal to the maximum allowable value specified in ASTM E1820-11. Based on the analysis results, crack front straightness criteria that are in most cases less stringent than those specified in ASTM E1820-11 are recommended. The suggested criteria could potentially lead to reduced specimen rejection rates and cost savings.
New Experimental Setup for Seismic Testing of Exterior RC Beam–Column Joints
Authors: Aykac Sabahattin , Kalkan Ilker
Published: October 2014

Exterior beam–column joints are commonly tested to investigate the influence of different strengthening and repair techniques on the seismic performances of RC structures. All of the internal forces developing at the ends of the beams and columns need to be applied to the test specimens and these forces need to be proportioned similar to the proportions of the forces in a structure to simulate the conditions of an actual structure during an earthquake. This paper presents a new experimental setup developed to realistically represent the seismic response and behavior of an exterior RC beam–column joint under earthquake excitations. This setup offers a quite economical alternative to the available loading and testing assemblies, made up of several costly loading devices and support fixtures to approximate the conditions of a joint in an earthquake. The present setup was established by using widely-available and inexpensive components to make seismic testing of joints more feasible considering the financial and space limitations of the researchers, particularly in developing countries. The setup also takes into account the influence of the presence of the slab and transverse beams framing into the planar beam–column connection. Three-dimensional exterior RC beam–column connections were successfully tested using this setup.
Experimental Study of Geobagged Reservoir Siltations for Backfill Applications
Authors: Wu Jason Y. , Lin Yijian
Published: October 2014

Infrastructure sustainability has become a major global concern. Massive reservoir siltations (RS) have seriously disrupted the service of many reservoirs worldwide. The dredged siltations are difficult to stockpile, or dispose of, because of their high water content and soft nature. This study explores a novel approach using RS to produce controlled low-strength materials (CLSM), reinforced with geobags that are used for storage and backfill applications. Test results have shown that, initially, geobags provided a significant contribution to the strength improvement of an RS-based CLSM. However, effective reinforcement appears to be highly dependent upon the type of geotextile and the original strength of the RS-CLSM. The results show a promising solution for reusing reservoir siltations and ensuring a sustainable approach for the mitigation of a silted reservoir.
Apply TRIZ to Improve the Molten Zinc Corrosion Tester in Steel Manufacturing
Authors: Wang Chia-Nan , Lin Wen-Ching , Huang Tsai-Shang , Chen Hsun-Jung , Phan Van-Thanh
Published: October 2014

In order to study the mechanism of molten zinc corrosion on specific materials, a molten zinc corrosion tester was developed to simulate the working condition in a zinc pot. However, the tester may cause severe oxidation of zinc, which becomes dross floating on the surface. Once the dross accumulated to a certain level, the molten zinc became viscous and affected the movement of the samples. Based on the Teoriya Resheniya Izobretatelskikh Zadatch (TRIZ) methodology and heuristic technique, this study improved the design of the tester so as to solve the oxidation problem. The objective of this study is to minimize the formation of zinc dross to be less than 2 kg in 2 days. After several attempts, the tester reduced oxidation of molten zinc successfully from 2.6 kg of zinc oxide every day down to 2.52 kg every three days. The improvement is 68 %, which is a very outstanding achievement.
The Effects of Sieving and Paste Content on the Setting Behavior of Mortars as Measured by ASTM C403
Authors: Lee Chang Hoon , Hover Kenneth Clark , Lee Anna
Published: October 2014

Setting of concrete is measured by ASTM C403 via penetration resistance of mortar extracted from concrete by removing coarse aggregates larger than the 4.75 mm (#4) sieve. However, C403 is sometimes performed on mortar prepared to represent the mortar fraction of the concrete in question; thus avoiding the time-and-labor intensive sieving operation. As noted in STM C403, “… it has been shown that the initial and final setting times may be increased when using the prepared mortar.” The authors previously reported this difference quantitatively, having observed or discovered in the literature prepared mortars with an initial setting time up to 8 %–14 % greater than that of sieved mortar, and final setting time 5 %–16 % greater than that of sieved mortar. These differences are 1 to 3 times greater than the single operator precision for acceptable range of test results, and are thus significant in the context of C403. The authors propose that this difference is associated with the reduction in paste content in the mortar that accompanies the sieving operation, having observed a 3 to 8 % paste volume reduction in sieved mortar. The authors suggest a general correlation between changes in setting time as a function of changes in paste content.
Research on Malachite Green Wastewater by Flocculation and Co-Precipitation
Authors: Wang YanHua , Gao ChanJuan , Yang ShengKe
Published: October 2014

Wastewater from industrial dyeing has become a major problem in modern water treatment, owing to their complex structures, bio-refractory, anti-oxidation, anti-photolysis, and strong heat stability. Thus, treatment of dye wastewater has attracted the attention of researchers. The focus of this work is the removal effect of 2,4,6-trimercaptotriazine (TMT) and polyacrylamide (PAM) independent action and synergistic effect on malachite green (MG). The removal effect with different factors, such as the dosage of TMT or PAM, pH value, and temperature, were investigated, and the removal mechanism is discussed. The results show that the decolour treatment of MG dye wastewater can achieve the ideal effect by the synergy of TMT and PAM.
Sensitivity Analysis for a Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus: A Methodology Based on Orthogonal Experiment Designs
Authors: Zarr Robert R. , Filliben James J.
Published: October 2014

Results and analyses of a sensitivity study of six controlled variables on the response of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 500 mm guarded-hot-plate apparatus are presented. The effects of four factors held constant as well as three uncontrolled environmental variables were also examined. The goal of the study is to derive a sensitivity analysis ranking of the relative importance of factors and interactions affecting the apparatus. Sixty-six thermal conductivity measurements were conducted across three experiments at a mean temperature of 310 K for a pair of fibrous-glass specimens (120 kg·m−3) having nominal dimensions 500 mm in diameter and 26 mm in thickness. The apparatus response was studied using an orthogonal fractional factorial design, a one-factor-at-a-time design, and a full factorial design for a subset of factors from the fractionated design. The results indicate that most important factor affecting the thermal conductivity measurement was the temperature difference across the air space separating the central meter plate and the surrounding guard plate, described here as the gap temperature difference (ΔTg). The study also revealed an interaction between the gap temperature difference and the temperature difference across the specimen (ΔTavg). An empirical model for the results of the sensitivity study is presented. Results of the gap temperature difference (ΔTg) are similar to published results from another guarded-hot-plate apparatus. Improvements for equipment operation, as well as insights to the sources of experimental uncertainty, are presented.
Introducing Critical Nutrition
Authors: Guthman Julie
Published: October 2014

This introduces a special issue on “Critical Nutrition” in which multiple authors weigh in on various themes related to the origins, character, and consequences of contemporary American nutrition discourses and practices, as well as how nutrition might be known and done differently. In this introduction the author defines critical nutrition and dietetics in relation to hegemonic nutrition. She also emphasizes the popularization of expert knowledge and how that is contributing to contemporary food anxieties.
Mistrust and mastery
Authors: Köllmann Sabine
Published: October 2014

Rejecting rhetoric as a prescriptive system which obstructs creativity is an attitude found in writers from all epochs of literature. This essay looks at three writers from different periods, writing in different languages, whose hostile statements about rhetoric stand in stark contrast to their extensive and original use of its devices as an effective tool of literary creation. Goethe, Victor Hugo, and Mario Vargas Llosa each find innovative ways of integrating the ancient techniques and their described functions into their writing. This article identifies the rhetorical devices that play a crucial role in shaping each author's characteristic tone, and capture the spirit of their epoch.
Emerging treatment strategies for glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Carlsson Steven K , Brothers Shaun P , Wahlestedt Claes
Published: October 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the deadliest form of brain tumor with a more than 90% 5‐year mortality. GBM has a paltry median survival of 12.6 months attributed to the unique treatment limitations such as the high average age of onset, tumor location, and poor current understandings of the tumor pathophysiology. The resection techniques, chemotherapic strategies, and radiation therapy currently used to treat GBM have slowly evolved, but the improvements have not translated to marked increases in patient survival. Here, we will discuss the recent progress in our understanding of GBM pathophysiology, and the diagnostic techniques and treatment options. The discussion will include biomarkers, tumor imaging, novel therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and small‐molecule inhibitors, and the heterogeneity resulting from the GBM cancer stem cell population.
Viewing Protein Fitness Landscapes Through a Next-Gen Lens
Authors: Boucher Jeffrey I , Cote Pamela , Flynn Julia , Jiang Li , Laban Aneth , Mishra Parul , Roscoe Benjamin P , Bolon Daniel N A
Published: October 2014

High-throughput sequencing has enabled many powerful approaches in biological research. Here, we review sequencing approaches to measure frequency changes within engineered mutational libraries subject to selection. These analyses can provide direct estimates of biochemical and fitness effects for all individual mutations across entire genes (and likely compact genomes in the near future) in genetically tractable systems such as microbes, viruses, and mammalian cells. The effects of mutations on experimental fitness can be assessed using sequencing to monitor time-dependent changes in mutant frequency during bulk competitions. The impact of mutations on biochemical functions can be determined using reporters or other means of separating variants based on individual activities (e.g., binding affinity for a partner molecule can be interrogated using surface display of libraries of mutant proteins and isolation of bound and unbound populations). The comprehensive investigation of mutant effects on both biochemical function and experimental fitness provide promising new avenues to investigate the connections between biochemistry, cell physiology, and evolution. We summarize recent findings from systematic mutational analyses; describe how they relate to a field rich in both theory and experimentation; and highlight how they may contribute to ongoing and future research into protein structure–function relationships, systems-level descriptions of cell physiology, and population-genetic inferences on the relative contributions of selection and drift.
Unanticipated Success Stories: An Interview with Angelika Amon
Authors: Amon Angelika B
Published: October 2014

THE Genetics Society of America Medal is awarded to an individual for outstanding contributions to the field of genetics in the past 15 years. Recipients of the GSA Medal are recognized for elegant and highly meaningful contributions to modern genetics. The 2014 recipient, Angelika B. Amon, has uncovered key principles governing the cell cycle and was the first to demonstrate a connection between the physical completion of anaphase and the initiation of mitotic exit. More recently, her research has focused on the consequences of aneuploidy. GENETICS spoke with Dr. Amon about her approach to science and what is next on the horizon.
Survival of the Fittest Tools
Authors: Bellen Hugo J
Published: October 2014

THE Genetics Society of America’s George W. Beadle Award honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the community of genetics researchers and who exemplify the qualities of its namesake as a respected academic, administrator, and public servant. The 2014 recipient, Hugo Bellen, has made seminal contributions to the fields of genetics, developmental biology, and neuroscience. In parallel with his landmark science, he has worked to expand the toolbox available to Drosophila geneticists. He has helped develop technologies now used by the majority of Drosophila labs, advancing almost all fields of biology.
Understanding Rare Disease Pathogenesis: A Grand Challenge for Model Organisms
Authors: Hieter Philip , Boycott Kym M
Published: October 2014

In this commentary, Philip Hieter and Kym Boycott discuss the importance of model organisms for understanding pathogenesis of rare human genetic diseases, and highlight the work of Brooks et al., “Dysfunction of 60S ribosomal protein L10 (RPL10) disrupts neurodevelopment and causes X-linked microcephaly in humans,” published in this issue of GENETICS.
Hybrid Incompatibility Despite Pleiotropic Constraint in a Sequence-Based Bioenergetic Model of Transcription Factor Binding
Authors: Tulchinsky Alexander Y , Johnson Norman A , Porter Adam H
Published: October 2014

Hybrid incompatibility can result from gene misregulation produced by divergence in trans-acting regulatory factors and their cis-regulatory targets. However, change in trans-acting factors may be constrained by pleiotropy, which would in turn limit the evolution of incompatibility. We employed a mechanistically explicit bioenergetic model of gene expression wherein parameter combinations (number of transcription factor molecules, energetic properties of binding to the regulatory site, and genomic background size) determine the shape of the genotype–phenotype (G-P) map, and interacting allelic variants of mutable cis and trans sites determine the phenotype along that map. Misregulation occurs when the phenotype differs from its optimal value. We simulated a pleiotropic regulatory pathway involving a positively selected and a conserved trait regulated by a shared transcription factor (TF), with two populations evolving in parallel. Pleiotropic constraints shifted evolution in the positively selected trait to its cis-regulatory locus. We nevertheless found that the TF genotypes often evolved, accompanied by compensatory evolution in the conserved trait, and both traits contributed to hybrid misregulation. Compensatory evolution resulted in “developmental system drift,” whereby the regulatory basis of the conserved phenotype changed although the phenotype itself did not. Pleiotropic constraints became stronger and in some cases prohibitive when the bioenergetic properties of the molecular interaction produced a G-P map that was too steep. Likewise, compensatory evolution slowed and hybrid misregulation was not evident when the G-P map was too shallow. A broad pleiotropic “sweet spot” nevertheless existed where evolutionary constraints were moderate to weak, permitting substantial hybrid misregulation in both traits. None of these pleiotropic constraints manifested when the TF contained nonrecombining domains independently regulating the respective traits.
The Distribution of Pairwise Genetic Distances: A Tool for Investigating Disease Transmission
Authors: Worby Colin J , Chang Hsiao-Han , Hanage William P , Lipsitch Marc
Published: October 2014

Whole-genome sequencing of pathogens has recently been used to investigate disease outbreaks and is likely to play a growing role in real-time epidemiological studies. Methods to analyze high-resolution genomic data in this context are still lacking, and inferring transmission dynamics from such data typically requires many assumptions. While recent studies have proposed methods to infer who infected whom based on genetic distance between isolates from different individuals, the link between epidemiological relationship and genetic distance is still not well understood. In this study, we investigated the distribution of pairwise genetic distances between samples taken from infected hosts during an outbreak. We proposed an analytically tractable approximation to this distribution, which provides a framework to evaluate the likelihood of particular transmission routes. Our method accounts for the transmission of a genetically diverse inoculum, a possibility overlooked in most analyses. We demonstrated that our approximation can provide a robust estimation of the posterior probability of transmission routes in an outbreak and may be used to rule out transmission events at a particular probability threshold. We applied our method to data collected during an outbreak of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ruling out several potential transmission links. Our study sheds light on the accumulation of mutations in a pathogen during an epidemic and provides tools to investigate transmission dynamics, avoiding the intensive computation necessary in many existing methods.
Mutations inSCN4A: A Rare but Treatable Cause of Recurrent Life-Threatening Laryngospasm
Authors: Singh Rahul R. , Tan S. Veronica , Hanna Michael G. , Robb Stephanie A. , Clarke Antonia , Jungbluth Heinz
Published: October 2014

Laryngospasm is a rare but potentially life-threatening occurrence in infants and usually has infective, allergic, metabolic, or anatomic causes. Underlying genetic conditions are rarely considered. Mutations in SCN4A encoding the voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.4 have been implicated in a wide spectrum of neuromuscular disorders with variable onset, ranging from a rare form of congenital myasthenic syndrome to both hypokalemic and hyperkalemic forms of periodic paralysis and paramyotonia congenita. Here we report on 3 unrelated patients without family history presenting with recurrent, life-threatening episodes of laryngospasm from the first months of life. Clinical features more typically associated with SCN4A-related disorders such as generalized muscle hypertrophy with clinical or electrical myotonia evolved later in life. All patients were found to be heterozygous for the same SCN4A mutation, c.3917G>A; p.Gly1306Glu. Treatment with carbamazepine resulted in complete abolition of recurrent laryngospasm and alleviated symptoms associated with myotonia and muscle stiffness. We conclude that SCN4A mutations ought to be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent infantile laryngospasm because timely institution of treatment can be life-saving.
Sociodemographic Differences and Infant Dietary Patterns
Authors: Wen Xiaozhong , Kong Kai Ling , Eiden Rina Das , Sharma Neha Navneet , Xie Chuanbo
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVES:

To identify dietary patterns in US infants at age 6 and 12 months, sociodemographic differences in these patterns, and their associations with infant growth from age 6 to 12 months.

METHODS:

We analyzed a subsample (760 boys and 795 girls) of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II (2005–2007). Mothers reported their infants’ intakes of 18 types of foods in the past 7 days, which were used to derive dietary patterns at ages 6 and 12 months by principal component analysis.

RESULTS:

Similar dietary patterns were identified at ages 6 and 12 months. At 12 months, infants of mothers who had low education or non-Hispanic African American mothers (vs non-Hispanic white) had a higher score on “High sugar/fat/protein” dietary pattern. Both “High sugar/fat/protein” and “High dairy/regular cereal” patterns at 6 months were associated with a smaller increase in length-for-age z score (adjusted β per 1 unit dietary pattern score, −1.36 [95% confidence interval (CI), −2.35 to −0.37] and −0.30 [−0.54 to −0.06], respectively), while with greater increase in BMI z score (1.00 [0.11 to 1.89] and 0.32 [0.10 to 0.53], respectively) from age 6 to 12 months. The “Formula” pattern was associated with greater increase in BMI z score (0.25 [0.09 to 0.40]). The “Infant guideline solids” pattern (vegetables, fruits, baby cereal, and meat) was not associated with change in length-for-age or BMI z score.

CONCLUSIONS:

Distinct dietary patterns exist among US infants, vary by maternal race/ethnicity and education, and have differential influences on infant growth. Use of “Infant guideline solids” with prolonged breastfeeding is a promising healthy diet for infants after age 6 months.
Sofas and Infant Mortality
Authors: Rechtman Lauren R. , Colvin Jeffrey D. , Blair Peter S. , Moon Rachel Y.
Published: October 2014

OBJECTIVE:

Sleeping on sofas increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome and other sleep-related deaths. We sought to describe factors associated with infant deaths on sofas.

METHODS:

We analyzed data for infant deaths on sofas from 24 states in 2004 to 2012 in the National Center for the Review and Prevention of Child Deaths Case Reporting System database. Demographic and environmental data for deaths on sofas were compared with data for sleep-related infant deaths in other locations, using bivariate and multivariable, multinomial logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS:

A total of 1024 deaths on sofas made up 12.9% of sleep-related infant deaths. They were more likely than deaths in other locations to be classified as accidental suffocation or strangulation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6–2.3) or ill-defined cause of death (aOR 1.2; 95% CI, 1.0–1.5). Infants who died on sofas were less likely to be Hispanic (aOR 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6–0.9) compared with non-Hispanic white infants or to have objects in the environment (aOR 0.6; 95% CI, 0.5–0.7) and more likely to be sharing the surface with another person (aOR 2.4; 95% CI, 1.9–3.0), to be found on the side (aOR 1.9; 95% CI, 1.4–2.4), to be found in a new sleep location (aOR 6.5; 95% CI, 5.2–8.2), and to have had prenatal smoke exposure (aOR 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2–1.6). Data on recent parental alcohol and drug consumption were not available.

CONCLUSIONS:

The sofa is an extremely hazardous sleep surface for infants. Deaths on sofas are associated with surface sharing, being found on the side, changing sleep location, and experiencing prenatal tobacco exposure, which are all risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome and sleep-related deaths.
Engineered bamboo: state of the art
Authors: Sharma Bhavna , Gatoo Ana , Bock Maximilian , Mulligan Helen , Ramage Michael
Published: October 2014

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable material that is available globally and comparable in strength to modern structural materials. The widespread use of bamboo in construction is limited by the inherent variability in its geometric and mechanical properties, and the lack of standardisation. Engineered bamboo aims to reduce the variability of the natural material and is processed and manufactured into laminated composites. Although the composites have mechanical properties similar to other structural materials, the products are currently limited to architectural applications. A field of research on engineering bamboo is emerging with the aim to demonstrate and expand its use to structural applications. To summarise the state of the art, a review of published research is presented with the focus on two types of engineered bamboo: bamboo scrimber and laminated bamboo. The materials are compared with structural timber and laminated veneer lumber to demonstrate the potential applications and practical use.
Healthy Birth Practice #4: Avoid Interventions Unless They Are Medically Necessary
Authors: Lothian Judith A.
Published: October 2014

Maternity care in the United States is intervention intensive. The routine use of intravenous fluids, restrictions on eating and drinking, continuous electronic fetal monitoring, epidural analgesia, and augmentation of labor characterize most U.S. births. The use of episiotomy is far from restrictive. These interventions disturb the normal physiology of labor and birth and restrict women’s ability to cope with labor. The result is a cascade of interventions that increase risk, including the risk of cesarean surgery, for women and babies. This article is an updated evidence-based review of the “Lamaze International Care Practices That Promote Normal Birth, Care Practice #4: No Routine Interventions,” published in The Journal of Perinatal Education, 16(3), 2007.
A Paradigm of Normal Birth: Teaching Through the Healthy Birth Practices
Authors: McAllister Debra
Published: October 2014

Debra McAllister, a childbirth educator with 9 years of experience as a labor and delivery nurse, provides commentary on how she teaches through the Six Healthy Birth Practices as a paradigm for normal birth.
Uncertainty in Prediction of Radionuclide Gas Migration from Underground Nuclear Explosions
Authors: Jordan Amy B. , Stauffer Philip H. , Zyvoloski George A. , Person Mark A. , MacCarthy Jonathan K. , Anderson Dale N.
Published: October 2014

Underground nuclear explosions (UNEs) produce radionuclide gases that may seep to the surface over weeks to months. The objective of this research was to quantify the impact of uncertainties in hydrologic parameters (fracture aperture, matrix permeability, porosity, and saturation) and season of detonation on the timing of gas breakthrough. Numerical sensitivity analyses were performed, with barometric pumping providing the primary driving force for gas migration, for the case of a 1 kt UNE at 400‐m depth of burial. Gas arrival time was most affected by matrix permeability and fracture aperture. Gases having higher diffusivity were more sensitive to uncertainty in the rock properties. The effect of seasonality in the barometric pressure forcing was found to be important, with detonations in March the least likely to be detectable based on barometric data for Rainier Mesa, Nevada. Monte Carlo realizations were performed with all four parameters varying simultaneously to determine their interrelated effects. The Monte Carlo method was also used to predict the window of opportunity for 133Xe detection from a 1 kt UNE at Rainier Mesa, with and without matching the model to SF6 and 3He data from the 1993 Non‐Proliferation Experiment. Results from the data‐blind Monte Carlo simulations were similar but were biased toward earlier arrival time and less likely to show detectable 133Xe. The estimated timing of gas arrival may be used to deploy personnel and equipment to the site of a suspected UNE, if allowed under the terms of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test‐Ban Treaty.
Extracting business vocabularies from business process models: SBVR and BPNM standards-based approach
Authors: Skersys Tomas , Kapocius Kestutis , Butleris Rimantas , Danikauskas Tomas
Published: October 2014

Approaches for the analysis and specification of business vocabularies and
rules are relevant topics in both Business Process Management and
Information Systems Development disciplines. However, in common practice of
Information Systems Development, the Business modeling activities still are
of mostly empiric nature. In this paper, aspects of the approach for
semi-automatic extraction of business vocabularies (BV) from business
process models (BPM) are presented. The approach is based on novel business
modeling-level OMG standards ?Business Process Model and Notation? (BPMN)
and ?Semantics for Business Vocabularies and Business Rules? (SBVR), thus
contributing to OMG?s vision of Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) and to
model-driven development in general. The discussed extraction approach is
evaluated against fully-automatic BPMN BPM ? SBVR BV transformation that has
been developed in parallel to the presented work.
Self-Regulated and Technology-Enhanced Learning: A European Perspective
Authors: Mooij Ton , Steffens Karl , Andrade Maureen Snow
Published: October 2014

Self-regulation of learning, learning to learn, and their potential stimulation by specific information and communication technologies (ICTs) are main topics in European policy. This issue of the European Educational Research Journal (EERJ) focuses on research to develop, integrate and evaluate self-regulation of learning and the potential and actual uses of ICTs in educational practice. In this issue, the authors introduce five articles on self-regulated and technology-enhanced learning representing development and research conducted in preschools, primary and secondary schools, and universities of various countries. This research was presented at two symposia of the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) in Cádiz (2012). The symposia were part of the ECER network 16 ‘ICT in Education and Training’. The research exemplifies three different models of ICT-based learning, ranging from ‘traditional’ via ‘more flexible’ to ‘optimal’ learning. The authors discuss the main characteristics and outcomes of the five articles. They conclude with theoretical and methodological aspects that may promote further development and research of self-regulated and technology-enhanced learning in a European perspective.
Towards Optimal Education Including Self-Regulated Learning in Technology-Enhanced Preschools and Primary Schools
Authors: Mooij Ton , Dijkstra Elma M. , Walraven Amber , Kirschner Paul A.
Published: October 2014

At the start of preschool, four-year-old pupils differ in their development, including in their capacity to self-regulate their playing and learning. In preschool and primary school, educational processes are generally adapted to the mean age of the pupils in the class. The same may apply to pupil-monitoring systems based on information and communication technology (ICT). This norm-based factor undermines the potential of ICT to support the educational differentiation needed for pupils and increases the amount of daily work for teachers. A theoretical framework is sketched in which pedagogical-didactical, organisational and ICT guidelines enhance differentiated, self-regulated playing and learning for each pupil within preschool and primary school. To develop and check such optimal education and ICT conditions in practice, a pilot and a randomised intervention study are carried out in integrated Dutch preschools/primary schools for pupils aged 4–12. Pilot results support the use of a procedure to screen each child's characteristics at the start of preschool by parents and preschool teachers, and also the immediate relevance of criterion-based and norm-based ordering (‘double diagnostics’) of playing and learning materials. Final attention is given to the intervention study and further development of optimal education in a European research context.
Dialogue and Structure: Enabling Learner Self-Regulation in Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments
Authors: Andrade Maureen Snow
Published: October 2014

Distance learning that incorporates technology-enhanced learning environments provides a solution to the ever-increasing global demand for higher education. To be successful in these contexts, learners must be self-regulated, or have the ability to control the factors affecting their learning. Based on the theories of transactional distance, self-regulated learning (SRL) and language acquisition, the model of self-regulated distance learning has been shown to increase learner self-regulation and success. The current exploratory study examined the role of dialogue and structure on the effectiveness of SRL activities in an English language course based on this model. The study examined student responses and related teacher feedback to SRL activities as well as course structural components to determine how dialogue (i.e. teacher feedback) and structure helped or hindered learners in gaining full benefit from the SRL course component. Findings indicated that a lack of dialogue and missing structural elements were related to students completing the activities superficially, with inappropriate sequencing, or not doing them at all. Across the two semesters studied, the teachers varied in the extent and quality of their feedback, and structural problems undermined the value of the activities. Consequently, changes were made in course set-up and teacher training provided.
Federated eRubric Service to Facilitate Self-Regulated Learning in the European University Model
Authors: Robles Daniel Cebrián , Angulo José Serrano , De La Serna Manuel Cebrián
Published: October 2014

The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is a political programme for higher education in Europe that was developed in the context of the Bologna process. It highlights the importance of focusing education on students' learning. It also claims that students should achieve certain skills in a self-study process supported by their teachers. This approach demands that students reflect upon and self-assess their learning. It therefore requires that research is conducted on new technologies that require a greater involvement of students in their own education. The technologies require a higher commitment from students regarding their own assessment. eRubric evaluation is part of this conception of technology-enhanced learning and formative assessment. It is an evaluation method, a technique and an assessment management tool to support self-regulation of the learning process. Information is given about a research project to construct the use of eRubrics.
Electronic Rubrics to Assess Competences in ICT Subjects
Authors: Rivasy Manuela Raposo , De La Serna Manuel Cebrián , Martínez-Figueira Esther
Published: October 2014

Helping students to acquire specific competences is nowadays one of the basic pillars of university teaching; therefore its evaluation and accreditation is of key importance. As of late, rubrics and in particular electronic rubrics (e-rubrics) have become an important resource to assess competences and guide students in their learning processes. In this contribution, the authors present a quasi-experimental study that was conducted to explore and evaluate the use of the e-rubrics in subjects related to information and communication technology (ICT). Data were collected on how students viewed their use of e-rubrics in self-evaluation and peer evaluation. They show that the experimental groups using e-rubrics were better evaluated by their professors than the control groups who did not engage in self-evaluation using e-rubrics. The students see e-rubrics as a positive resource because they feel e-rubrics allow for a truly objective evaluation. Additionally, e-rubrics are considered to be helpful in improving learning and self-regulation.
Reflexivity and Self-development of Competencies as Key Drivers in Individuals' Learning and Career Paths: Cases from Italy
Authors: Tomassini Massimo , Zanazzi Silvia
Published: October 2014

The article is aimed at analysing the qualitative interviews (in the form of short life stories) carried out within the Learning and Career Paths (LCP) project in Italy. Theories, such as those of reflexivity, agency, self-construction, competencies, and transformation put forward by relevant authors in the sociological and educational field, are used as a conceptual framework to review a limited but significant number of individual experiences. In particular, Archer's model of reflexive types helps in going through the conducts of interviewed subjects (which were 21 in total), guided by reflexive stances. Such behaviours are very individual-specific, but they are all converging towards a more or less successful self-identity construction that allows an employment status, as well as kinds of satisfaction and social recognition. Such a construction seems reinforced in the different cases by an active, intentional, self-development of competencies whose specific, practice-based components are underpinned by fundamental cognitive, social and emotional components (according to Boyatzis' scheme), continuously nurtured by formal and experiential learning. The research outcomes illustrated in the article mainly regard the subjective, ‘agentic’, sides of individual behaviours. They are intended as having some relevance for new development hypotheses in the field of lifelong career guidance (LLCG), whose policies and practices should be increasingly focused on the specificities of individual trajectories.