bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcific Tendinitis of the Rotator Cuff
Authors: de Witte Pieter Bas , Selten Jasmijn W. , Navas Ana , Nagels Jochem , Visser Cornelis P.J. , Nelissen Rob G.H.H. , Reijnierse Monique
Published: May 2013

Background:

Calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff (RCCT) is frequently diagnosed in patients with shoulder pain, but there is no consensus on its treatment.

Purpose:

To compare 2 regularly applied RCCT treatments: ultrasound (US)–guided needling and lavage (barbotage) combined with a US-guided corticosteroid injection in the subacromial bursa (subacromial bursa injection [SAI]) (group 1) versus an isolated SAI (group 2).

Study Design:

Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1.

Methods:

Patients were randomly assigned to the 2 groups. Shoulder function was assessed before treatment and at regular follow-up intervals (6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months) using the Constant shoulder score (CS, primary outcome), the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC), and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH). Additionally, calcification location, size, and Gärtner classification were assessed on radiographs. Results were analyzed using the t test, linear regression, and a mixed model for repeated measures.

Results:

This study included 48 patients (25 female, 52.1%; mean age, 52.0 ± 7.3 years; 23 patients in group 1) with a mean baseline CS of 68.7 ± 11.9. No patients were lost to follow-up. Four patients in group 1 and 11 in group 2 ( P = .06) had an additional barbotage procedure or surgery during the follow-up period because of persisting symptoms and no resorption. At 1-year follow-up, the mean CS in group 1 was 86.0 (95% CI, 80.3-91.6) versus 73.9 (95% CI, 67.7-80.1) in group 2 ( P = .005). The mean calcification size decreased by 11.6 ± 6.4 mm in group 1 and 5.1 ± 5.7 mm in group 2 ( P = .001). There was total resorption in 13 patients in group 1 and 6 patients in group 2 ( P = .07). With regression analyses, correcting for baseline CS and Gärtner type, the mean treatment effect was 20.5 points ( P = .05) in favor of barbotage. Follow-up scores were significantly influenced by baseline scores. Results for the DASH and WORC were similar.

Conclusion:

On average, there was improvement at 1-year follow-up in both treatment groups, but clinical and radiographic results were significantly better in the barbotage group.
Study of the effect of silica nanofillers on the sea-water diffusion barrier property of unsaturated polyester composites
Authors: Maheshwari Nilesh , Neogi Swati , Kumar M Praveen , Niyogi Debdarsan
Published: May 2013

With successful applications in every other field, composites have been used in making boats, offshore structures and various marine structural applications for past few decades, owing to their superior strength-to-weight ratio and performance-to-cost ratio. Usually, marine environment poses serious challenges to the choice of materials due to the presence of corrosive seawater which significantly decreases their life-time. Slowly, nanocomposites are increasingly becoming popular because of nanoscale effects, large interface area and strong interfacial interactions between nanoparticles and polymer. In the present study, Silicon dioxide nanofillers were used as additive in order to enhance the barrier property of composites against water diffusion and hence to prevent it from mechanical degradation. Being one of the most commonly used resin for making composites, unsaturated polyester was chosen for study. Resistance to sea-water diffusion and water absorption rate was studied while varying parameters like ambient temperature and salinity of water. It was observed that the presence of nanoparticles significantly decreases the maximum water uptake and moisture diffusivity in the composite. It was also found that as the salinity of sea-water increases and temperature decreases, degradation due to water absorption decreases.
Absorption properties of natural fiber-reinforced sandwich structures based on the fabric structures
Authors: Zheng ZY , Li Y , Yang WD
Published: May 2013

Sound absorption properties of natural fiber-reinforced sandwich structures based on the structure of the fabrics were investigated in this work. The sound absorption coefficients of the sandwich structures were measured by the impedance tubes with the aid of the transfer function. Effects of yarn sizes, fiber diameters and hybrid stacking of different fibers on the sound absorption properties were studied. The flow resistance and characteristic impedance of the reinforcing fabrics which were correlated with the fabric structures were calculated and compared. It was concluded that the thicker the fabric yarn and the bigger the fiber diameter were, the better the sound absorption properties were for natural fiber-reinforced sandwich structures.
Results of a Community Translation of the “Women Take PRIDE” Heart Disease Self-Management Program
Authors: Gallant Mary P. , Pettinger Tianna M. , Coyle Cassandra L. , Spokane Linda S.
Published: May 2013

This article reports the results of a community demonstration of an evidence-based heart disease self-management program for older women. Women Take PRIDE (WTP) is a group-based education and behavior modification program, based on social cognitive theory, designed to enhance heart disease self-management among older women. We implemented the program in community settings with 129 participants. Evaluation data was collected at baseline and at 4- and 12-month follow-ups. Outcomes included general health status, functional health status, and knowledge. Results showed significant improvements in self-rated health, energy, social functioning, knowledge of community resources, and number, frequency, and bother of cardiac symptoms. These results demonstrate that an evidence-based heart disease self-management program can be effective at improving health and quality of life among older women with heart disease when implemented in community settings.
Neuroprotective effect of EGb761® and low-dose whole-body γ-irradiation in a rat model of Parkinson’s disease
Authors: El-Ghazaly Mona A , Sadik Nermin AH , Rashed Engy R , Abd-El-Fattah Amal A
Published: May 2013

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. The present study was undertaken to investigate the pretreatment effects of standardized Ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761®) and low-dose whole-body γ-irradiation on the neurological dysfunction in the reserpine model of PD. Male Wistar rats were pretreated orally with EGb761 or fractionated low-dose whole-body γ-irradiation or their combination, then subjected to intraperitoneal injection of reserpine (5 mg/kg body weight) 24 h after the final dose of EGb761 or radiation. Reserpine injection resulted in the depletion of striatal dopamine (DA) level, increased catalepsy score, increased oxidative stress indicated via depletion of glutathione (GSH), increased malondialdehyde (MDA) and iron levels, decreased DA metabolites metabolizing enzymes; indicated by inhibition by glutathione- S-transferase, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-quinone oxidoreductase (NQO) activities, mitochondrial dysfunction; indicated by declined complex I activity, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) level and increased apoptosis; indicated by decreased mitochondrial B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) protein level and by transmission electron microscope. EGb761 and low-dose γ-radiation ameliorated the reserpine-induced state of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and apoptosis in brain. It can be concluded that EGb761, a widely used herbal medicine and low dose of γ-irradiation have protective effects for combating Parkinsonism possibly via replenishment of GSH levels.
Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Patients Receiving Oral Anticoagulation Therapy
Authors: da Silva Ivan Rocha Ferreira , Provencio J. Javier
Published: May 2013

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with oral anticoagulation therapy is an increasingly prevalent problem in large part due to the aging population and the increased use of anticoagulants for patients at high risk of thrombosis. Warfarin has been virtually the only outpatient anticoagulant choice until fairly recently. The development of subcutaneously injected heparinoids, and more recently, of direct thrombin inhibitors, has made the treatment and prognostication of ICH in anticoagulated patients more difficult. In this review, we will review the current state of diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment for patients with this often-devastating type of bleeding. We will focus on warfarin therapy, because the preponderance of evidence comes from studies of warfarin treatment. Where there is evidence, we will contrast warfarin with some of the newer treatment modalities. We review the evidence of the 4 major reversal agents for warfarin, vitamin K, prothrombin complex concentrates, activated factor VII, and fresh frozen plasma as well as rational treatment choices. We offer possible treatments for the newer anticoagulants based on the limited evidence available. Finally, we review recommendations from the major societies and studies that support early and aggressive therapies in intensive care units with dedicated neurological specialists.
Diaspora Philanthropy
Authors: Brinkerhoff Jennifer M.
Published: May 2013

Research on diaspora philanthropy is in its infancy, primarily focused on individual country case studies, and often prone to over-generalization. Based on an extensive survey of the Coptic diaspora in three countries of residence (CORs), this article analyzes the experience and potential of a minority and faith-based diaspora. The survey findings inform a nuanced reading of diaspora philanthropy as practiced and understood. Placing this experience in the context of knowledge to date suggests several findings about diaspora philanthropy. Diasporas are extremely heterogeneous. Members of minority diasporas do not necessarily target their giving only to their fellow minorities in the country of origin (COO). COR giving norms may be integrated alongside faith-based and heritage culture giving norms, possibly displacing the latter at least at the margins. Despite integration in the COR, even over long periods of time and across generations, diasporans may retain a strong interest in philanthropy targeted to the COO.
Child as family sponsor: An unforeseen effect of Programa Bolsa Família in northeastern Brazil
Authors: Pires Flávia F
Published: May 2013

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork research conducted in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil and addresses the unexpected role the children came to fulfil in the household as a consequence of the Programa Bolsa Família, a conditional cash transfer programme. In its design, the programme was intended for families and had a clear focus on women, aiming at empowering them. However, the article shows how children became considered the main agents responsible for the family’s continued access to the benefit and as a consequence, how they came to bear the responsibility for the family’s financial survival.
Adaptive fuzzy quasi-continuous high-order sliding mode controller for output feedback tracking control of robot manipulators
Authors: Mien Van , Kang Hee-Jun , Shin Kyoo-Sik
Published: May 2013

This article develops a new output feedback tracking control scheme for uncertain robot manipulators with only position measurements. Unlike the conventional sliding mode controller, a quasi-continuous second-order sliding mode controller (QC2C) is first designed. Although the QC2C produces continuous control and less chattering than conventional sliding mode and other high-order sliding mode controllers, chattering exists when the sliding manifold is defined by the equation [Formula: see text]. To alleviate the chattering, an adaptive fuzzy QC2C (FQC2C) is designed, in which the fuzzy system is used to adaptively tune the sliding mode controller gain. Furthermore, in order to eliminate chattering and achieve higher tracking accuracy, quasi-continuous third-order sliding mode controller (QC3C) and fuzzy QC3C (FQC3C) are investigated. These controllers incorporate a super-twisting second-order sliding mode observer for estimating the joint velocities, and a robust exact differentiator to estimate the sliding manifold derivative; therefore, the velocity measurement is not required. Finally, computer simulation results for a PUMA560 industrial robot are also shown to verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Simulator integration in the rail industry: the Robocop problem
Authors: Naweed Anjum
Published: May 2013

Despite the increasing trend for high-fidelity train simulator procurement in the rail industry, current research suggests that simulators are extremely underutilised, which points to ineffective integration arising from one or more disconnects in the management layers. This paper presents a study that set out to: profile the design of driver learning frameworks; investigate how simulators were being integrated; and determine key criteria for simulator acceptance. Data were collected from 61 industry end-users, mostly train drivers, in six rail organisations, and analysed thematically. The findings revealed three Rs that reflected perceptions of poor integration and comprised the dominant end-user evaluation criteria for simulator utility; these were: (i) Reality; (ii) Relevancy; and (iii) Reliability. This paper explores the problem of ineffective integration by using and applying a Robocop allegory, in order to disentangle the dynamic shared between the systemic and cultural influences of the organisation, when new technology is introduced in a highly regulated environment. The paper concludes by presenting three prime directives, triangulated from the study and current literature, to transcend the issues impeding the path of effective simulator integration in rail, and overcome the ‘Robocop problem’ as it applies to this industry.
Influence of Branding on Preference-Based Decision Making
Authors: Philiastides Marios G. , Ratcliff Roger
Published: May 2013

Branding has become one of the most important determinants of consumer choices. Intriguingly, the psychological mechanisms of how branding influences decision making remain elusive. In the research reported here, we used a preference-based decision-making task and computational modeling to identify which internal components of processing are affected by branding. We found that a process of noisy temporal integration of subjective value information can model preference-based choices reliably and that branding biases are explained by changes in the rate of the integration process itself. This result suggests that branding information and subjective preference are integrated into a single source of evidence in the decision-making process, thereby altering choice behavior.
Features of Planned Hand Actions Influence Identification of Graspable Objects
Authors: Bub Daniel N. , Masson Michael E. J. , Lin Terry
Published: May 2013

We demonstrate that constituents of motor actions associated with handled objects play a role in identifying such objects. Subjects held in working memory action plans for reaching movements; these action plans specified both the hand to be used (left or right) and a wrist orientation (vertical or horizontal). Speeded object identification was impaired when a pictured object matched the action on only one of these two categorical dimensions (e.g., a beer mug with its handle facing left, an action plan involving the right hand and vertical wrist orientation), relative to when the object matched the action on both dimensions or neither dimension. This result implies that identification of a manipulable object leads to automatic retrieval of matching features of a planned action along with nonmatching features to which they are bound. These discrepant features conflict with those of the target object, which results in delayed identification.
Exploration of a new-type grooved casing treatment configuration for a high-speed small-size centrifugal compressor
Authors: Xi G , Ma Y , Wu G-K , Zhang K-Y , Xiao W , Mou Z-J
Published: May 2013

The main design target for a casing treatment device is to increase the stall margin of a given compressor without sacrificing efficiency. In this article, numerical and experimental investigations about a new-type grooved casing treatment configuration are presented for a high-speed small-size centrifugal compressor. Different from traditional grooved casing treatments, in which the grooves are always placed over the rotor (for both axial and radial compressors), one or several circumferential casing grooves are placed along the shroud side of the diffuser passage in this configuration, to enhance the stall margin of the compressor. Computational fluid dynamics analysis is performed under stage environment in order to find the optimum location of the circumferential casing groove for the subsequent experiments in consideration of stall margin enhancement and peak efficiency gain, and the impact of groove number to the effect of this new-type grooved casing treatment configuration in enhancing the stall margin of the compressor stage is studied. It is found that stall margin gain due to the existence of circumferential casing grooves arises from the suction–reinjection effect of the low momentum fluid and its transportation along the circumferential and streamwise directions in the grooves and the grooves located at the middle and rear part of the diffuser casing wall have more pronounced effect in expanding the stall margin of the centrifugal compressor. In order to verify the effectiveness of this new-type grooved casing treatment configuration, the solid casing compressor and the compressors with circumferential casing grooves are tested in our test rig. The results indicate that this new-type grooved casing treatment configuration can obtain obvious improvement in the stall margin without sacrificing peak efficiency. Also, the numerical investigation is conducted for the entire compressor with circumferential casing grooves and the result is compared with the experimental data.
Why undergraduate students choose to use e-books
Authors: Walton Edward W.
Published: May 2013

As an innovation, the e-book purports to replace the printed book. However, students continue to indicate a preference for using printed books. Nevertheless, many academic libraries report e-book use rates equal to or greater than that of the printed book. In this study, eight factors were investigated as potential reasons undergraduate students chose to use an e-book. A quantitative research design using a convenience sampling method and chi-square analyses was employed in the study. The population of interest was undergraduate students attending a small, traditional, liberal arts institution. Participants indicated leisure reading, conducting research, forced adoption, and convenience were positive factors in their choice to use an e-book. In-class reading was a negative factor in their choice to use an e-book. The availability of the printed book also proved to be a negative factor in the use of e-books. Textbook use and reading assigned readings were unrelated to their choice to use an e-book. When available, students chose to use the printed book; however, when the e-book was the only format available, they used it.
Contraceptive Practice in China
Authors: Wang Cuntong
Published: May 2013

Using large-scale data from the national conventional statistics and nationally representative sample surveys, the current study aims to assess the level, mode, and determinants of modern contraceptive use from 1970 to 2004 among married couples aged 20 to 49 years in China. A relatively stable Chinese mode of contraception has been established and maintained since the 1980s, characterized by prominent, long-acting contraceptive use and the highest overall prevalence in the world during the past 3 decades. In recent years, the composition of contraceptive use has changed, characterized by the increasing use of the intrauterine device and short-acting methods and a drastic decrease in male and female sterilization. However, the dominance of the long-acting methods has not undergone substantial change. The results from a multinomial logit model employed in this study indicate that family planning policy and socioeconomic and demographic factors jointly influence contraceptive choice. In particular, contraceptive choice is closely associated with the strength of family planning policy in China.
A Longitudinal Study on the Catch-Up Growth of Preterm and Term Infants of Low, Appropriate, and High Birth Weight
Authors: Gong Yu-Hua , Ji Cheng-Ye , Shan Jin-Ping
Published: May 2013

The purpose of present study was to explore the trajectories of growth of preterm and term infants of low, high, and appropriate birth weight. A total of 2465 infants were recruited from 2005 to 2007. Infants’ length and weight were measured at 12 points: birth, 42 days, and monthly from 3 to 12 months. The catch-up growth of preterm infants, measured by weight or length of chronological age, occurred from 10th or 12th month of their lives. After adjusted gestational age, preterm infants’ weight and length were caught-up from the adjusted birthday, overweight/over-length even occurred from 10th/11th month. For low birth weight term infants, catch-up growth was not found when using single weight or length. The ponderal index catch-up growth occurred earlier than measured by single weight or length. The catch-down growth of high birth weight term infants was not found in the first year of their lives.
Experiential Learning in an Undergraduate Course in Group Communication and Decision Making
Authors: McLeod Poppy Lauretta
Published: May 2013

The innovative structure of an undergraduate course on communication and decision making in small groups, based on the framework of Kolb’s experiential learning theory, is described. The course involves doing in-class exercises that replicate published research about a given topic. Exercises involve completion of a group task, the manipulation of variables, and collection and analysis of data. Following each exercise, the students read the original research and other relevant materials. In the subsequent class, the students are debriefed through an examination of the class data and a discussion of the reading materials and potential practical applications. This sequence of experiment replication and discussion is repeated with a different exercise each week. The in-class activities are supplemented with written analysis assignments. Variations on the basic course module and other course components are described, and factors guiding design choices are discussed. Evidence of student learning relevant to course objectives is presented.
Music Educators’ Perceptions of Preparation and Supports Available for Inclusion
Authors: VanWeelden Kimberly , Whipple Jennifer
Published: May 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate music educators’ perceptions of their educational preparation and the availability of instructional supports to work with students with disabilities in their classrooms/ensembles. Music educators ( N = 1,128) representing all 50 United States responded to a survey fashioned after a similar instrument used by Gfeller, Darrow, and Hedden. Results indicated slight positive increases over the past two decades in regards to types of course offerings, in-service attendance and availability, involvement in the Individualized Education Program process, placement decisions, consultation with special education experts, and provision of adequate preparation time and resource materials/adaptive devices. Results also indicated that current music education practices (e.g., music-specific coursework, workshops, and in-services) created greater feelings of preparedness to work with students with disabilities and increased attendance at additional educational opportunities. The discussion includes further results and educational implications.
Elevation of Plasma Milrinone Concentrations in Stage D Heart Failure Associated With Renal Dysfunction
Authors: Cox Zachary L. , Calcutt Marion W. , Morrison Thomas B. , Akers Wendell S. , Davis Mary Beth , Lenihan Daniel J.
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

To determine steady state milrinone concentrations in patients with stage D heart failure (HF) with and without renal dysfunction

Methods:

We retrospectively identified patients with stage D HF at a single medical center on continuous milrinone infusion at the time of plasma collection for entry into a research registry database. Milrinone was prescribed and titrated to improve hemodynamic and clinical status by a cardiologist. Plasma samples were obtained at steady state milrinone concentrations. Patients were stratified by creatinine clearance (CrCl) into 4 groups: group 1 (CrCl >60 mL/min), group 2 (CrCl 60-30 mL/min), group 3 (CrCl <30 mL/min), and group 4 (intermittent hemodialysis). Retrospective chart review was performed to quantify the postmilrinone hemodynamic changes by cardiac catheterization and electrophysiologic changes by implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) interrogation.

Results:

A total of 29 patients were identified: group 1 (n = 14), group 2 (n = 10), group 3 (n = 3), and group 4 (n = 2). The mean infusion rate (0.391 ± 0.08 µg/kg/min) did not differ between groups ( P = 0.14). The mean milrinone concentration was 451± 243 ng/mL in group 1, 591 ± 293 ng/mL in group 2, 1575 ± 962 ng/mL in group 3, and 6252 ± 4409 ng/mL in group 4 ( P<0.05 compared to groups 1). There was no difference in postmilrinone hemodynamic improvements between the groups ( P=0.41). The ICD interrogation revealed limited comparisons, but 6 of the 8 postmilrinone ventricular tachycardia episodes requiring defibrillation occurred in group 4 patients.

Conclusion:

Patients with stage D HF having severe renal dysfunction have elevated milrinone concentrations. Future studies of milrinone concentrations are warranted to investigate the potential risk of life-threatening arrhythmias and potential dosing regimens in renal dysfunction.
Acute Dermal Irritation, Sensitization, and Acute Toxicity Studies of a Transdermal Patch for Prophylaxis Against (±) Anatoxin-A Poisoning
Authors: Banerjee Subham , Chattopadhyay Pronobesh , Ghosh Animesh , Pathak Manash Pratim , Singh Shweta , Veer Vijay
Published: May 2013

The skin irritating, sensitizing, and acute dermal toxicity potential of a novel combinational prophylactic transdermal patch, mainly composed of eserine and pralidoxime chloride as active pharmaceutical ingredients, against (±) anatoxin-a poisoning were investigated in rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats in compliance with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development guidelines. In primary skin irritation test, rabbits were dermally attached with the therapeutically active transdermal patch or with a placebo patch for 72 hours. The transdermal patches did not induce any adverse reactions such as erythema and edema on intact skin sites. The active patch was classified as a practically nonirritating material based on the score in the primary irritation index. In the Buehler test, guinea pigs were sensitized by the active or placebo transdermal patches attached for 24 hours. The patches did not induce any sensitization reactions in contrast to a severe sensitization reaction that occurred in the positive control. Therefore, the active patch and placebo patch were both graded as weak in sensitization score and rate. Acute dermal toxicity test in rats did not produce any overt signs of toxicity following a 14-day treatment period. Taken together, these findings suggest that the transdermal patch does not cause skin irritation, skin sensitization, or dermal toxic effects following dermal application.
Interface fatigue crack propagation in sandwich X-joints – Part II: Finite element modeling
Authors: Moslemian Ramin , Berggreen Christian
Published: May 2013

The aim of the second and final part of this study is to simulate fatigue crack growth in the tested Sandwich Tear Test specimens, described in Part I, using the finite element method. To accelerate the simulation, a cycle jump method is utilized and implemented in the finite element routine. The proposed method is based on conducting finite element analysis for a set of cycles to establish a trend line, extrapolating the trend line spanning many cycles, and use the extrapolated state as initial state for additional finite element simulations. The measured da/ dN relations of the face/core interface in Part I are used as input to the fatigue crack growth simulation routine. A fair accuracy with 99% saving in computation time is achieved in the simulation of the Sandwich Tear Test specimens with H100 core. However, for the Sandwich Tear Test specimens with H45 core a large deviation between the numerical and experimental results is seen due to a partial unstable fatigue crack growth which was not taken into account in the simulations.
Free vibration of unidirectional sandwich panels, Part I: Compressible core
Authors: Frostig Y , Phan CN , Kardomateas GA
Published: May 2013

The free vibration response of a unidirectional sandwich panel with a compressible and incompressible core using the various computational models is presented and compared with closed-form elasticity solutions and finite element results. The mathematical formulations for various models along with the numerical investigation are presented in two parts. In the first part compressible core are considered using the elasticity closed-form solution and various high-order computational models such as the high-order sandwich panel theory (HSAPT) and the extended HSAPT model (EHSAPT). The second part is dedicated to incompressible cores and includes classical models, first-order and high-order shear deformable models, and zig-zag displacement pattern model, ordinary sandwich panel theory. The elasticity-based model serving as the benchmark solution (in first part) assumes isotropic, orthotropic, as well as layered core types. The mathematical formulation utilizes Hamilton’s principle to derive the general equations of motion. A closed-form solution of the elasticity model is available only for a simply-supported panel and it is compared with all various models numerically. The numerical investigation includes: eigenfrequencies, displacement modes along the length and through the depth of panel, as well as stress modes through the depth of panel. The results of the various models are compared with the 2D elasticity solution and finite element results of ADINA. In general, the lower mode correlates well for all models while for the higher modes only the EHSAPT and the HSAPT with displacement formulation compared well.
Optimal mechanical design of tetrahedral truss cores for sandwich constructions
Authors: Dragoni Eugenio
Published: May 2013

Lattice truss cores are an emerging family of synthetic periodic materials that can add multifunctional capabilities to lightweight sandwich constructions while maintaining high standards of strength and stiffness. Recent strides in prototyping technologies allow efficient monolithic truss cores to be built from advanced metals without the nuisances of assembled constructions. Based on published models for these materials, this paper tackles the optimal design of tetrahedral truss cores for minimum density under prescribed constraints on strength and stiffness. A closed-form, single-pass algorithm is developed, which finds the optimum after a finite number of steps. The method shows that the best tetrahedral truss core depends on the initial conditions, though 45° orientations are most likely to occur and squatter shapes are rarely convenient. A numerical example demonstrates that optimized aluminium tetrahedral cores outperform high-profile polymer foams and compete favourably with commercial-grade aluminium honeycombs of equal density. The general approach disclosed can be applied to the mechanical optimization of other types of truss core (e.g. pyramidal or kagome, single- or multilayered) and classical periodic design (e.g. corrugated cores), which so far have been analyzed in a less general way.
Picture perfect? Exploring the use of smartphone photography in a distributed work practice
Authors: Pritchard Katrina , Symon Gillian
Published: May 2013

Our research extends debates regarding technology use for knowledge sharing through examining how smartphone photography mediates a complex, unpredictable distributed work practice: responding to operational problems within a transport system. We offer a narrative analysis examining how smartphone photography may (partially) bridge physical distance between managers and engineers, and how sharing images establishes ‘truths’ and provides ‘evidence’. We further explore the challenges engineers face as the demand for images impacts the acceptance of their verbal accounts. We conclude that smartphone photography prompts the negotiation of new narratives of knowledge sharing, narratives that highlight tensions around the role and status of the digital image. With the increasing availability of smartphones at work, and an emerging interest in the visual in organisational studies, this research offers both practical and theoretical insights.
Habit Today: Ravaisson, Bergson, Deleuze and Us
Authors: Grosz Elizabeth
Published: May 2013

Habit has been understood, through the work of Descartes, Kant and Sartre, as a form of mechanism that arrests and inhibits consciousness, thought and freedom. This article addresses the concept of habit through a different tradition that links it instead to an ever-moving world. In a world of constant change, habits are not so much forms of fixity and repetition as they are modes of encounter materiality and life. Habit is the point of transition between living beings and matter, enabling each to be transformed through its engagement with the other. The article focuses on the work of Ravaisson, Bergson and Deleuze, who understand habit as fundamentally creative and addressed to the future rather than consolidating the past. Habit, within this tradition, is the opening of materiality to the forms of engagement required by life, and the modification of life imposed by the requirements of a material universe. It is open-ended plasticity.
Habit and Affect: Revitalizing a Forgotten History
Authors: Blackman Lisa
Published: May 2013

Habit is an integral concept for body studies, a hybrid concept and one that has provided the bedrock across the humanities for considering the interrelationships between movement and stasis, being and becoming, and process and fixity. Habits are seen to provide relay points between what is taken to be inside and outside, disrupting any clear and distinct boundary between nature and culture, self and other, the psychological and social, and even mind and matter. Habit thus discloses a paradox. It takes up a unique position in affect modulation, which encompasses both regulation (in the form of discipline) and also extends the body’s potential for engaging the new, change and creativity. In order to understand the basis of the ambivalent duality governing understandings of habit it is argued that a genealogical approach to this question is necessary. This will be located within the recent ‘turn to affect’ and histories of conation within the psychological sciences, particularly taking the writings of William McDougall as a focus.
The Question of Habit in Theology and Philosophy: From Hexis to Plasticity
Authors: Carlisle Clare
Published: May 2013

This article examines medieval and early modern theologies of habit (those of Augustine, Aquinas and Luther), and traces a theme of appropriation through the discourse on habit and grace. It is argued that the question of habit is central to theological debates about human freedom, and about the nature of the God-relationship. Continuities are then highlighted with modern philosophical accounts of habit, in particular those of Ravaisson and Hegel. The article ends by considering some of the philosophical and political implications of the preceding analysis of habit.
Habit, the Criminal Body and the Body Politic in England, c. 1700–1800
Authors: Dodsworth Francis Martin
Published: May 2013

This article explores the role that ‘habit’ played in discourses on crime in the 18th century, a subject which forms an important part of the history of ‘the social’. It seeks to bridge the division between ‘liberal’ positions which see crime as a product of social circumstance, and the conservative position which stresses the role of will and individual responsibility, by drawing attention to the role habit played in uniting these conceptions in the 18th century. It argues that the Lockean idea that the mind was a tabula rasa, and that the character was thereby formed through impression and habit, was used as a device to explain the ways in which certain individuals rather than others happened to fall into a life of crime, a temptation to which all were susceptible. This allowed commentators to define individuals as responsible for their actions, while accepting the significance of environmental factors in their transgressions. Further, the notion that the character was formed through habit enabled reformers to promote the idea that crime could be combated through mechanisms of prevention and reformation, which both targeted the individual criminal and sought more generally to reduce the likelihood of crime.
Habit: Time, Freedom, Governance
Authors: Bennett Tony
Published: May 2013

This article investigates the place that habit occupies in different ‘architectures of the person’, focusing particularly on constructions of the relations between habit and other components of personhood that are marked by time. Three such positions are examined: first, the relations between thought, will, memory, habit and instinct proposed by post-Darwinian accounts of ‘organic memory’; second, Henri Bergson’s account of the relations between habit, memory and becoming; and, third, the temporal aspects of Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus understood as a set of hereditable dispositions. These different ‘architectures of the person’ are considered with regard to the role they accord habit in trans-generational mechanisms of inheritance; the historicised forms of embodied personhood that they propose; and the manner in which they account for the emergence of a capacity for freedom that can (partially) offset the weight of the inherited past. It is argued that the imputation of such a capacity to some forms of personhood, but not others, is both shaped by and provides the conditions for the operation of liberal forms of government. The manner in which the conduct of those who exhibit such a capacity for freedom is brought under the direction of varied ‘authorities of freedom’ is given particular consideration.
Antipodean fields
Authors: Bennett Tony , Frow John , Hage Ghassan , Noble Greg
Published: May 2013

The papers collected in this special issue of the Journal of Sociology seek both to develop a sense of the cumulative impact of Bourdieu’s work on Australasian (‘antipodean’) debates, and to get a sense of how these debates might raise questions regarding the portability of Bourdieu’s categories. We discuss the distinctive disciplinary orientations of the uptake of Bourdieu’s work both here and internationally, and propose some explanations of the ways in which the antipodean uptake has modified its focus and conceptual force. These have to do, first, with the salience of different and more fluid models of the structural variables of class, gender and ethnicity; second, with a questioning of the nation-state as the ‘natural’ border of cultural fields; and third, with the way Indigeneity, in both Australia and New Zealand, is seen to transform the ‘mainstream’ culture and thereby to challenge many of the conventional ways of thinking about such things as cultural artefacts, cultural markets, and the ‘rules of art’.
Disturbances in the field: Exhibiting Aboriginal art in the US
Authors: Myers Fred
Published: May 2013

This article considers the role of varied agents in the circulation of Papunya art across the relations between the Australian and the international art fields. My analysis follows an exhibition that took place at New York University’s Grey Gallery in 2009, tracing in particular the international circulation of the highly valued ‘early Papunya boards’. By focusing on the unsettled nature of Aboriginal art’s circulation and the problem of producing its value socially in a world that is not consolidated, I consider Bourdieu’s ‘field of cultural production’ as still becoming. Finally, my argument should caution against assuming that ‘antipodean fields’ might be addressed as autonomous from international agents, circuits of distribution and so on. It also questions Bourdieu’s tendency to treat national art fields as independent.
The rules of (Maori) art: Bourdieu’s cultural sociology and Maori visitors in New Zealand museums
Authors: McCarthy Conal
Published: May 2013

Bourdieu wrote that the sacralisation of art serves to consecrate the social order by ‘enabling educated people to believe in barbarism’ and persuading ‘the barbarians of their own barbarity’. But what about the ‘primitive’ art now accepted within the canon of western art? Do the ‘rules of art’ apply to the recent success of Maori art or do Maori artists play by their own rules? This article draws on field theory to examine indigenous culture in New Zealand museums, which occupies an ambiguous position in a post-settler nation. It explores the production of ‘Maori art’ in its various forms through its display in museums: from the ‘discovery’ of traditional Maori carving in the 1980s to the ‘triumph’ of contemporary Maori art in the 1990s, before considering the reception of this art by both majority Pakeha (European) and indigenous Maori visitors. The results of research at Te Papa (the national museum) simultaneously echo and depart from the prevailing patterns of social stratification seen in Bourdieu-inspired visitor studies worldwide. On the one hand we see the emergence of a new Maori museum audience as part of a social inclusion agenda, and, on the other, the persistent elitism of fine art, which eschews the new museology’s agenda of audience development. Despite paradoxical findings which question Bourdieu’s original concepts, such as the problematic absence of a Maori audience for contemporary Maori art, the article argues that we still need a ‘social critique’ of taste and distinction. While ‘Maori art’ has made gains in the museum world, the research has equally shown that indigenous art and artists are constrained within Antipodean artistic fields because the rules of the game are stacked against them, and success for their work comes at the expense of the continued exclusion of a broad Maori audience.
Kai or Kiwi? Māori and ‘Kiwi’ cookbooks, and the struggle for the field of New Zealand cuisine
Authors: Morris Carolyn
Published: May 2013

Māori food has minimal presence in the New Zealand public culinascape, though that presence is growing. There are a few restaurants, a range of condiments made Māori by particular culinary herbs, and a number of Māori food festivals. Moreover, since 2008 four Māori cookbooks have been published and three of them were distributed through mainstream book shops. The question this article addresses is the significance of the almost-simultaneous publication of these cookbooks. It is suggested that the cookbooks are part of a tale of struggle between Māori and Pākehā for their relative places in the nation; of Māori efforts to improve their position, and Pākehā efforts to maintain their position. This strategy seems to be leading to a restructuring of the field of cuisine through a reordering of the values of the capitals that constitute the field.
Bourdieu and the fields of art in Australia: On the functioning of art worlds
Authors: Herd Nick
Published: May 2013

The study of the arts in Australia has paid insufficient attention to the structure of markets for art and the functioning of art worlds. This is despite the attention given by cultural economics to questions of artists employment and their welfare. The article starts from the concept of an ‘art world’ deployed by Becker, then considers the work of Bourdieu in the context of his place in the field of economic sociology. It mobilises the idea of markets as fields of structured exchange between agents in the field. It argues that the arts can be considered as an institutional field constituted as a series of markets. It proposes a framework for the study of these fields drawn from Van Maanen and considers how this could be applied to the performing arts in Australia.
Bourdieu, the boom and cashed-up Bogans
Authors: Pini Barbara , Previte Josephine
Published: May 2013

For a number of years the social and cultural landscape of Australia has been haunted by the figure of ‘the Bogan’, which, although malleable, has typically been deployed as a negative descriptor of the white working-class poor. The nation’s most recent resource boom has, however, seen the emergence of a new classed figure that of the ‘CUB’ (cashed-up Bogan). In examining the figure of the CUB, this article draws on Bourdieu’s notions of capital, distinction and taste in light of Skeggs’ claim that Bourdieu may not be as useful in the Australian context. Her point of departure is that class involves more a ‘display of money rather than the display of culture’. We demonstrate the importance of cultural capital in defining and disparaging the CUB and in asserting the legitimacy of elite cultural dispositions, while pointing to the emergence of spiritual capital and environmental capital as part of this process.
Distinction by proxy: The democratization of fine wine
Authors: Howland Peter J.
Published: May 2013

In the 17th-century wine was transformed from a simple, bulk commodity to one distinguished by vineyard, vintage, grape varietals and the ephemerality of cellaring, and increasingly consumed in public theatres of consumption. This laid the foundations for the emergence of wine connoisseurship and a conspicuous link with elite social distinction. In the 1970s the New World wine industries democratized the cultural and social capitals of appreciative wine consumption, while retaining its capacity to stratify. Democratization enables connoisseurship by proxy and for middle-class individuals with variable wine tastes and aspirations to readily transform their economic capital into cultural capital and thus enact distinction-signifying performances. This is significant in Martinborough, a boutique wine village renowned for high-quality wines and an objectified, performative site of middle-class distinction. In consuming fine wines Martinborough’s tourists are structurally validated in middle-class distinction, personalized tastes and reflexive individuality.
To drink or not to drink? Young Australians negotiating the social imperative to drink to intoxication
Authors: Advocat Jenny , Lindsay Jo
Published: May 2013

It is commonly argued that many young people in Australia inhabit a culture of intoxication. There has been little research on how young people find resistances within this culture. In this article we document how young people above the legal drinking age negotiate the dominant cultural logic of drinking to intoxication and explore how they conceptualise options of not drinking. The analysis draws from 60 semi-structured, mixed-method interviews about alcohol use conducted in 2007–8 in Victoria, Australia. We document the strong social imperative for young people to drink to intoxication at social events. Our results suggest that choosing not to drink carries the risk of social exclusion. To manage these pressures young people adopt specific socially legitimate subject positions for not drinking. Understanding the limited social possibilities and modes of resistance to intoxication is important for understanding the apparent hegemony of the culture of intoxication in mainstream youth cultures.