bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tribological studies on effect of mixture of fillers in polystyrene matrix composites
Authors: Keshavanarayana Gopalakrishna , Divakar Canchi , Venkatesh Krishna , Mohan C Bhoganarasimhaiah , Bhatta KG Lakshminarayana , Murali Lakshminarayana
Published: February 2013

Addition of measured amounts of fillers into a polymer matrix is expected to improve the desired properties of the composites. Also the ease of processability of the matrix and reinforcement is always desired. Use of powder fillers in the polymer matrix at ambient conditions would make the processing much easier. This will help in in situ applications. In the present work, polymer–matrix composites are prepared with polystyrene as the matrix using metal (copper/aluminum/steel) and ceramic (alumina) fillers at ambient conditions. The composites with metallic and ceramic fillers in the ratio of 50:25:25 wt% (polymer:filler 1:filler 2) designated as three-phase composites were investigated for tribological applications. Both copper and aluminum fillers were considered for comparison in terms of their contribution to tribological behavior because of their thermal conductivity, specific heat and density.

Polystyrene is filled with metal powder (copper, aluminum or steel) and alumina in equal proportion and subjected to wear and friction tests. The polymer steel–ceramic composite has the least with the other two composites having almost the same values of friction coefficient. The polymer aluminum–ceramic composite has the least wear at all operating conditions. Polymer aluminum–ceramic composite was found to have better wear behavior among the three-phase composites. This may be attributed to the favorable value of density of aluminum, moderate thermal conductivity and excellent specific heat.
The effect of PTFE on the mechanical, friction, and wear properties of CF/PMMA composites
Authors: Wang Xuejun , Chi Yilin , Cao Yongsheng
Published: February 2013

The effects of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) on the tensile and tribological properties of carbon fiber–reinforced poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) composites were studied. Tribological tests were conducted on an Amsler friction and wear tester using a block-on-ring arrangement. It was observed that the PTFE played a main role in the tensile-resistant and wear-resistant properties of the PMMA composites. The tensile properties were ruled by the fiber–matrix adhesion. And the excellent tribological performance of the PTFE fillers improved the tribological properties of PMMA composites.
Optimizing synthesis of PET oligomers end capped with phthalic/maleic anhydride via recycling of off grade PET using design of experiments
Authors: Zahedi Ali Reza , Rafizadeh Mehdi , Taromi Faramarz Afshar
Published: February 2013

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) from off grades of industrial manufacturer was partially and thoroughly depolymerized using excess glycol to synthesize PET oligomers and bis(hydroxyethyl) terephthalate (BHET), respectively. Design of experiments and analysis of variance were applied for optimization of samples. Effects of reaction time, volume of glycol, catalyst concentrations and particle size of off grade PET on the yield of products were investigated based on the design of experiments. Thermal analysis of glycolyzed products is performed by differential scanning calorimetry. The optimum samples were also well characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy). The optimal conditions to synthesize PET oligomers were glycol/PET molar ratio of 2 with no catalyst using granule-shape PET for a 120-min glycolysis reaction time. Desired oligomer repeating units were 3–8. On the other hand, a reaction time of 180 min, weight ratio (catalyst to PET) of 0.25 wt% and glycol/PET molar ratio of 5 were obtained as the suitable conditions of BHET production. Then, end capped PET oligomers, as a compatiblizer for preparing PET nanocomposites, were produced via reaction between maleic anhydride and phthalic anhydride (MA/PhA) composition. The combination of reaction time of 106 min and PhA/MA molar ratio of 0.85 produced the best results based on d-spacing and peak intensity of nanocomposite samples. Moreover, the reaction of MA and BHET from glycolyzation of PET was successfully performed at 160°C and 190°C for 8 h.
The impact properties of poly-p-phenyle nebenzobisoxazole fibers reinforced with polytetrafluoroethylene composite
Authors: Chunhua Cao , Di Yang , Gang Xie , Rongxing Li , Xiaohua Yu
Published: February 2013

Poly- p-phenylenebenzobisoxazole (PBO)-filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has been successfully prepared at different compositions in a corotating twin-screw extruder, where PTFE acts as the polymer matrix and PBO as the dispersed phase. The morphology and impact properties of these blends were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. The presence of PBO particles dispersed in the PTFE continuous phase exhibited a coarse morphology. Increasing PBO contents in the blend improved the impact properties at weak deformation. It was found that the interfacial adhesion played an important role in the creation of an interphase that was formed by the interaction between the PTFE and the PBO. This induced an improvement in impact properties. In addition, the optimum impact properties were obtained when the content of PBO is 30 vol%.
Managing Boundaries Through Identity Work
Authors: Knapp Joshua R. , Smith Brett R. , Kreiner Glen E. , Sundaramurthy Chamu , Barton Sidney L.
Published: February 2013

Drawing on boundary and identity theories, we examine how individuals manage boundaries in family businesses. Using an inductive, qualitative approach based on interviews of 44 individuals in four family businesses, we find organizational members use 13 identity work tactics, collectively labeled social boundary management, to create and manage boundaries for both individual and organizational identities. We illustrate how individuals use identity work tactics to integrate and segment themselves and others between the domains of family and business. Our findings have implications for family business research, boundary theory, and identity theory.
Facilitators of Home and Community-Based Service Use by Urban African American Elders
Authors: Lehning Amanda J. , Kim Min Hee , Dunkle Ruth E.
Published: February 2013

Objectives: To examine the factors associated with urban African American elders’ utilization of home and community-based services and explore whether these factors differ by category of service. Methods: Data came from a representative sample of 1,099 African American older adults living in Detroit. Logistic regression models were used to explore the predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with any service use and five categories of service use: in-home care, household services, functional care, out-of-home services, and financial/legal services. Results and Discussion: Findings suggest that previous studies using the Andersen model may not be generalizable to an urban African American population. Service use was related primarily to enabling resources, particularly in terms of financial resources, not driving a car, and social resources and support. Future research should further examine the facilitators and barriers to service use by urban African Americans to improve their access to care.
Integrating cylindricity error into tolerance analysis of precision rotary assemblies using Jacobian–Torsor model
Authors: Weihua Ni , Zhenqiang Yao
Published: February 2013

In this study, the cylindricity error was integrated into the tolerance analysis of precision rotary assemblies using Jacobian–Torsor model. The contact method was developed to rapidly determine the actual fitting clearance through the virtual assembling of the mating cylindrical parts using Monte Carlo simulation. By modifying the expressions of small displacement torsors of the cylinder pairs, the actual fitting clearance between the bore and the shaft was taken into account, which overcame the shortage of Jacobian–Torsor model that the form error cannot be processed. The effects of the cylindricity error and the number of lobes on the actual fitting clearance and the functional requirements were analyzed in detail. The results show that the cylindricity error has significant influence on the actual fitting clearance and the final functional requirements, and it should not be ignored in the tolerance analysis for precision rotary assemblies.
European Space Agency intermediate experimental vehicle: Development of an independent aerothermodynamic database tool
Authors: Di Benedetto Sara , Rufolo Giuseppe C , Marini Marco
Published: February 2013

In the frame of the European Space Agency (ESA) Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) project, ESA is coordinating a series of technical assistance activities aimed at verifying and supporting the IXV industrial design and development process. The technical assistance is operated by the Italian Space Agency, by means of the technical support of the Italian Aerospace Research Centre. One of the purposes of the activity is to develop an independent capability for the assessment and verification of the industrial results with respect to the aerothermodynamic characterization of the IXV vehicle. To this aim, CIRA have developed an independent aerothermodynamic database, intended as a tool generating in output the time histories of local quantities for each point of the IXV vehicle surface and for each trajectory, together with an uncertainties model. The whole procedure followed for the definition of the numerical tool and the main results achieved will be presented in this article.
A new pipe routing method for aero-engines based on genetic algorithm
Authors: Ren Tao , Zhu Zhi-Liang , Dimirovski Georgi M , Gao Zhen-Hua , Sun Xiao-Huan , Yu Hai
Published: February 2013

A new pipe-routing method for aero-engines is proposed in this article. Careful consideration of the spatial characteristics and the primary engineering constraints of aero-engines yielded a new space representation method as well as a space diving method for the aero-engine surface, which simplify the searching space. A genetic algorithm, along with certain modified strategies, including the ‘initiation’ and ‘direction guideline’, is also developed for pipe-routing in the sub-spaces. Simulation experiments in the context of various scenes have been carried out to explore the applicability and performance of the propose method. Simulation results showed that this novel method can quickly deliver the optimal routes for any aero-engine of large space and with complex mechanical components while avoiding convergence into local optimal value in comparison with some existing published methods.
The effect of water ingestion on an axial flow compressor performance
Authors: Nikolaidis T , Pilidis P
Published: February 2013

The aero-thermodynamic effects of water ingestion on an axial flow compressor performance are presented in this article. Under adverse weather conditions, gas turbine engine performance deteriorates and in extreme cases, this performance deterioration may result in flameout or shutdown of the engine, which means that serious incidents or possibly accidents may occur. When the water droplets enter into the engine they break up into smaller droplets which may bounce, coalesce or splash onto the compressor blades. They also form a liquid film whose motion is influenced by inertia forces, blade friction, aerodynamic drag and pressure gradient. The water liquid film has considerable effects on blade’s geometric characteristics. Apart from the change in its profile due to thickness increase, air shear force and water droplets momentum cause waves in water film’s surface introducing a kind of ‘roughness’ on blade’s surface. The current work focuses on the aero-thermodynamic effects. Its methodology is based on computational fluid dynamics, which is used to solve the flow field of the computational domain. The model consists of an extended inlet, an inlet guide vane, a rotor and a stator blade. Several cases with water ingestion are solved, varying the parameter of water mass and engine rotational speed, simulating adverse weather conditions. On the rotor blade, the water film height and speed are calculated at the equilibrium condition. This condition is achieved when the water mass which flows out of the blade surface equals with this which impacts on it. Taking into account the film thickness at each computational node of the blade surface, the blade’s geometry is changed. Furthermore, an equivalent roughness is introduced and the effects on compressor’s performance are calculated. It is found that deterioration is more pronounced in low rotational speed. For 4% water/air, compressor’s isentropic efficiency deteriorates 8.5% for idle speed and 1.6% for full speed. For the same water mass, mass flow capacity deteriorates 2.4% at idle speed while the change is small for full speed.
Coupling of air and sea surface temperatures in the eastern Fram Strait during the last 2000 years
Authors: Rueda Gemma , Fietz Susanne , Rosell-Melé Antoni
Published: February 2013

The Arctic has undergone significant changes in the last 20–30 years. The understanding of these changes is limited by the time span or resolution of existing climate records. The main gateway of heat to the Arctic Ocean is the Fram Strait, between Greenland and Svalbard. We have reconstructed past air and sea surface temperatures and relative variations in freshwater extent in a marine core from eastern Fram Strait which spans the last 2000 years. The results show a progressive increase in air temperature and a decrease in the upper mixed water layer temperature, together with an increase in freshwater content during the last 1000 years. Considering the oceanographic features of the eastern Fram Strait, these results suggest that there might have been a progressive increase in the inflow of Atlantic water during the last 1000 years, accompanied by an increase in atmospheric heat transport, causing progressive sea-ice melting and subsequent cooling and freshening of the upper mixed water layer in this area. We suggest that our data show long-scale average changes in the modes of positive and negative Arctic multidecadal variability over the last 2000 years.
Methods to obtain referral criteria in growth monitoring
Authors: van Dommelen Paula , van Buuren Stef
Published: February 2013

An important goal of growth monitoring is to identify genetic disorders, diseases or other conditions that manifest themselves through an abnormal growth. The two main conditions that can be detected by height monitoring are Turner’s syndrome and growth hormone deficiency. Conditions or risk factors that can be detected by monitoring weight or body mass index include hypernatremic dehydration, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis and obesity. Monitoring infant head growth can be used to detect macrocephaly, developmental disorder and ill health in childhood. This paper describes statistical methods to obtain evidence-based referral criteria in growth monitoring. The referral criteria that we discuss are based on either anthropometric measurement(s) at a fixed age using (1) a Centile or a Standard Deviation Score, (2) a Standard Deviation corrected for parental height, (3) a Likelihood Ratio Statistic and (4) an ellipse, or on multiple measurements over time using (5) a growth rate and (6) a growth curve model. We review the potential uses of these methods, and outline their strengths and limitations.
The covariate-adjusted frequency plot
Authors: Holling Heinz , Böhning Walailuck , Böhning Dankmar , Formann Anton K
Published: February 2013

Count data arise in numerous fields of interest. Analysis of these data frequently require distributional assumptions. Although the graphical display of a fitted model is straightforward in the univariate scenario, this becomes more complex if covariate information needs to be included into the model. Stratification is one way to proceed, but has its limitations if the covariate has many levels or the number of covariates is large. The article suggests a marginal method which works even in the case that all possible covariate combinations are different (i.e. no covariate combination occurs more than once). For each covariate combination the fitted model value is computed and then summed over the entire data set. The technique is quite general and works with all count distributional models as well as with all forms of covariate modelling. The article provides illustrations of the method for various situations and also shows that the proposed estimator as well as the empirical count frequency are consistent with respect to the same parameter.
Estimating the prevalence of transmitted HIV drug resistance using pooled samples
Authors: Finucane Mariel M , Rowley Christopher F , Paciorek Christopher J , Essex Max , Pagano Marcello
Published: February 2013

In many resource-poor countries, hiv-infected patients receive a standardized antiretroviral cocktail. In these settings, population-level surveillance of drug resistance is needed to characterize the prevalence of resistance mutations and to enable antiretroviral therapy programs to select the optimal regimen for their local population. The surveillance strategy currently recommended by the World Health Organization is prohibitively expensive in some settings and may not provide a sufficiently precise rendering of the emergence of drug resistance. By using a novel assay on pooled sera samples, we decrease surveillance costs while simultaneously increasing the accuracy of drug resistance prevalence estimates for an important mutation that impacts first-line antiretroviral therapy. We present a Bayesian model for pooled-testing data that garners more information from each resistance assay conducted, compared with individual testing. We expand on previous pooling methods to account for uncertainty about the population distribution of within-subject resistance levels. In addition, our model accounts for measurement error of the resistance assay, and this added uncertainty naturally propagates through the Bayesian model to our inference on the prevalence parameter. We conduct a simulation study that informs our pool size recommendations and that shows that this model renders the prevalence parameter identifiable in instances when an existing non-model-based estimator fails.
Awareness of costs and individual accountability in health care
Authors: Nunes Sofia RT , Rego Guilhermina , Nunes Rui
Published: February 2013

Questions of social justice and health-care costs are some of the concerns of society. The cost caused by cardiovascular diseases can have an enormous impact, and it is important to know what patients think about illness costs when they are hospitalized. Two interviews were realized in a longitudinal study, in a sample of 106 patients submitted to expensive techniques in Cardiology (Portugal), to understand the patients’ perception about the health costs and behavior changes based on awareness. We can conclude that cardiovascular diseases are a global phenomenon that generally affects all social groups. From those interviewed, 83% of the patients agree about getting information concerning the treatments and intervention costs during hospitalization because the information about costs can bring the necessary tools for improvement in patients and health resources; 70.8% of the patients say that this information could bring awareness to the patient’s life, enhancing responsibility and personal autonomy.
Nurses’ roles in informed consent in a hierarchical and communal context
Authors: Susilo Astrid P , Dalen Jan Van , Scherpbier Albert , Tanto Sugiharto , Yuhanti Patricia , Ekawati Nora
Published: February 2013

Although the main responsibility for informed consent of medical procedures rests with doctors, nurses’ roles are also important, especially as patient advocates. Nurses’ preparation for this role in settings with a hierarchical and communal culture has received little attention. We explored the views of hospital managers and nurses regarding the roles of nurses in informed consent and factors influencing these roles. We conducted a qualitative study in a private, multispecialty hospital in Indonesia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven managers. Two rounds of focus group discussions with nurses (n = 27) were conducted. Constant comparative approach was used in the analysis. Nurses can act as manager, witness, information giver, and advocate in the informed consent process. These roles are influenced by nurses’ preparedness, hospital culture and policy, patients’ understanding, family involvement, and cost-related issues. In preparation for these tasks, nurses should acquire communication skills, clinical knowledge, and legal and ethical knowledge.
Sound Stories for General Music
Authors: Cardany Audrey Berger
Published: February 2013

Language and music literacy share a similar process of understanding that progresses from sensory experience to symbolic representation. The author identifies Bruner’s modes of understanding as they relate to using narrative in the music classroom to enhance music reading at iconic and symbolic levels. Two sound stories are included for preschool-age children and for students in elementary grades.
Measurement Invariance of the Career Indecision Profile
Authors: Abrams Matthew D. , Ómarsdóttir Anna Ó. , Björnsdóttir María D. , Einarsdóttir Sif , Martin Colleen , Carr Andrea , Brown Steven D. , Rector Christopher
Published: February 2013

This study explored the measurement equivalence of a recently developed multiscale measure of career indecision (Career Indecision Profile-65; CIP-65). Previous research had supported a four-factor structure of the CIP-65 in U.S. college students with factors appearing to measure (a) neuroticism/negative affectivity, (b) choice/commitment anxiety, (c) lack of readiness, and (d) interpersonal conflicts. The current study employed multiple groups confirmatory factor analyses to test whether the four CIP-65 factors are measured equivalently in the United States and Iceland. Results revealed that the four-factor structure fit both U.S. and Icelandic samples, but that two of the factors (choice/commitment anxiety and Interpersonal Conflicts might hold different psychological meanings in the two countries (i.e., factor loadings were not invariant). Some explanations for the lack of invariance in factor loadings are offered along with suggestions for future research and implications for practice.
Revisiting the Academic Hardiness Scale
Authors: Creed Peter A. , Conlon Elizabeth G. , Dhaliwal Kamal
Published: February 2013

We used two studies to evaluate, modify, and provide initial validation for a revised Academic Hardiness scale. First, 16 experts rated scale items for content validity and identified two problematic questions. Second, confirmatory factor analyses with 300 Grade 10 students (46% boys, age range 14–17) identified a 17-item version to be the best fit. Construct validity was demonstrated by testing correlations between this revised scale and academic achievement (spelling, reading, and mathematics) and student self-evaluations (competencies, self-efficacy, and self-worth). Predictive validity was supported by showing that the scale differentiated between students who enrolled in academic and nonacademic streams, and differentiated between students who completed their course and those who did not. We failed to identify a second-order factor for hardiness, suggesting (a) that hardiness should be interpreted at the subscale, rather than at the global level, and (b) that the hardiness construct might need to be reconsidered for adolescents.
Incidental vocabulary learning in classroom communication tasks
Authors: Newton Jonathan
Published: February 2013

This study investigated the ways in which two groups of four adult learners of English as a second language (ESL) responded to unfamiliar words they encountered in four communication tasks and the effect that different levels of engagement with these words (including negotiation of form and meaning) had on subsequent recall of word meaning. Of the four tasks, two were information gap tasks and two were opinion gap tasks. The results showed a strong task type effect on both the amount and type of negotiation, with more negotiation of the form of words (including spelling and pronunciation) in the information gap tasks and, conversely, more negotiation of meaning in the opinion gap tasks. Through the negotiation process, the learners in the study provided accurate information to each other on word meaning. However, only a small proportion of the total number of unfamiliar words in the tasks were actually negotiated for meaning. The prediction that negotiated words would be more likely to be learnt was confirmed, although the learners also showed improved recall of many words that had not been negotiated. Averaged across learners and tasks, the post-test gains approximated to four instances of word learning per 30 minutes of task work, a gain measured three days after the words were met in the tasks. Seen as a proportion of unfamiliar words in the pre-test these are gains of around one in every three unfamiliar words met in the tasks. The finding that much of the improved recall of word meaning was for words that had not been negotiated indicates that the role of negotiation in learning through communication tasks needs to be viewed from a wider perspective.
A personal touch to diversity: Self-anchoring increases minority members’ identification in a diverse group
Authors: van Veelen Ruth , Otten Sabine , Hansen Nina
Published: February 2013

In diverse groups, minority members often indicate lower levels of identification and perceived acceptance than majority members. To date, we know relatively little about how the cognitive definition of the self may impact on identification with a diverse group. In this research, we argue that when minority members shape a cognitive group bond based on the personal self (i.e., self-anchoring) rather than the social self (i.e., self-stereotyping) this may boost their level of identification and perceived value in diversity. To test this, we assigned participants to a majority or minority position in a diverse group and manipulated self-anchoring and self-stereotyping via mindset priming (plus a control condition). As expected, only minority, but not majority members’ self-anchoring led to higher identification and value in diversity compared to self-stereotyping (and the control condition). Thus, a focus on the personal self in shaping a cognitive relation with a group enables minority members to belong while being different.
Perceiving race relevance in everyday events: Target race matters, perceiver race does not
Authors: Betz Diana E. , Ramsey Laura R. , Sekaquaptewa Denise
Published: February 2013

Perceptions of the relevance of race in everyday situations may matter for intergroup relations. Extending previous research, this work examines Blacks’ and Whites’ perceptions of race relevance in positive versus negative everyday situations affecting Black or White individuals. It also examines whether Black and White participants expect more intergroup disagreement regarding those perceptions than actually exists (i.e., interracial pluralistic ignorance). In Study 1, White participants saw significantly more race relevance in negative situations affecting Black (rather than White) individuals, whereas positive events seemed only marginally more race relevant when they featured Blacks. Study 2 replicated this pattern among White and Black participants. Furthermore, Study 2 uncovered interracial pluralistic ignorance: both Black and White participants expected to agree with their racial ingroup more than their racial outgroup, even though both groups reported similar race relevance perceptions. Participants’ own race relevance ratings and symbolic racist attitudes moderated the degree of expected disagreement.
Sensing violence: An ethnography of mixed martial arts
Authors: Spencer Dale C.
Published: February 2013

This article describes the sensory experiences of fighting through an ethnography of mixed martial arts (MMA). MMA is an emergent sport where competitors in a ring or cage utilize strikes (punches, kicks, elbows, and knees) as well as submission techniques to defeat opponents. This sensory ethnography involves, inter alia, the documentation of the rhythms pertaining to the cadence of drills, the flow of sparring and grappling sessions, the attunement of bodies to other bodies through touch, the beat of music accompanying training sessions, the smell of sweat and flatulence, and the throbbing pain that is registered through taste. This article relies on 45 in-depth interviews with mixed martial art fighters and participant observation over a four-year period.
The art of the weak: Tourist encounters in East Africa
Authors: Régi Tamás
Published: February 2013

This article is based on long-term anthropological fieldwork among the semi-nomad Mursi people of South-Western Ethiopia. I have investigated different underlying meanings of local performances for tourist audience. Here, my aim is to demonstrate the need to pay attention to the complexity of these local performances in small-scale African communities. I argue that the different acts that local people put on for their visitors are not cognitively homogeneous performances but carry complex cultural meanings. I propose that anthropological studies of ‘tribal’, ‘cultural’ or ‘ethnic’ tourism should pay more attention to the different tactics that local people apply in order to control tourist consumption and performance.
An Exploratory Study of “Quantitative Linguistic Feedback”
Authors: Suskind Dana , Leffel Kristin R. , Hernandez Marc W. , Sapolich Shannon G. , Suskind Elizabeth , Kirkham Erin , Meehan Patrick
Published: February 2013

A child’s early language environment is critical to his or her life-course trajectory. Quantitative linguistic feedback utilizes the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) technology as a tool to analyze verbal interactions and reinforce behavior change. This exploratory pilot study evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of a novel behavior-change strategy, quantitative linguistic feedback, to influence adult linguistic behavior and, as a result, a child’s early language environment. Baseline LENA outcome measures (i.e., adult word count [AWC] and conversational turn count [CTC]) were obtained from a diverse sample of 17 nonparental caregivers and their typically developing children (charges) ages 10 to 40 months. Caregivers participated in a one-time educational intervention focusing on enriching a child’s home language environment, interpreting feedback from the baseline LENA recordings, and setting language goals for the following session. Post-intervention, six additional LENA recordings were obtained weekly to measure linguistic behavior. Caregivers showed a significant and prolonged increase from mean baseline to mean postintervention AWC and CTC as measured by LENA–AWC: mean difference = 395 words per hour, 31.6% increase, t = 3.29, p < .01; CTC: mean difference = 14 turns per hour, 24.9% increase, t = 3.54, p < .01. Preliminary results indicate that a one-time educational intervention combined with quantitative linguistic feedback may have a positive effect on caregiver language output, thus enhancing the child’s language environment. This study represents an initial step in the development and evaluation of a novel behavior-change strategy. We propose that quantitative linguistic feedback will add significantly to the arsenal of clinical and research tools used to evaluate and enrich a child’s early language environment.
Social Media as Collaborative Media in Workplace Learning
Authors: Thomas Kristopher J. , Akdere Mesut
Published: February 2013

As a result of rapid changes in technology, much is discussed about the use of social media in branding, marketing, and in general corporate communications. The intensity with which social media tools—blogs, wikis, Twitter, instant messaging (IM) and Facebook, among others—have proliferated is staggering. Increasingly important is the role of social media tools as a way to enhance and advance workplace learning and knowledge management. To more accurately describe the purposes for which social media tools are utilized within organizations, we propose the term collaborative media. The clarity brought by this term serves to help HRD professionals within organizations adopt collaborative media tools as a workplace learning and knowledge management strategy and to attain organizational support for such tools at the highest level and capacity. Also discussed is the need for future research by HRD scholars that facilitates the role of collaborative media tools in workplace learning and knowledge management.
Wireless Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Castana Ourania , Dimitrouli Aekaterini , Argyrakos Theodoros , Theodorakopoulou Emilia , Stampolidis Nektarios , Papadopoulos Emmanouil , Pallantzas Athanasios , Stasinopoulos Ioannis , Poulas Konstantinos
Published: February 2013

High-voltage electrical stimulation has been long proposed as a method of accelerating the wound healing process. Its beneficial effect has been successfully evaluated in the treatment of a number of chronic ulcers and burns. We present here the implementation of a new wireless electrical stimulation technique for the treatment of a complicated chronic ulcer of the lower limb. The device is transferring charges to the wound, without any contact with it, creating a microcurrent that is able to generate the current of injury. The results suggest that this easy-to-use method is an effective therapeutic option for chronic ulcers.
Wishing Upon a Star
Authors: Taft Chloe
Published: February 2013

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a steel town north of Philadelphia, declared itself “Christmas City, U.S.A.” in 1937 as part of an effort to unite the city’s North and South sides and draw visitors to downtown retailers. Postwar, the Christmas City branding increasingly focused on Bethlehem’s eighteenth-century Moravian history. These efforts to diversify the city’s steel economy through heritage tourism reflect an early convergence of urban renewal and historic preservation that local leaders termed historic renewal. With the closure of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation’s headquarter plant in 1998, the city’s tourism potential gained new relevance as efforts recommenced to shape Bethlehem’s identity apart from manufacturing. Exploring the ways a small city merged redevelopment efforts and heritage attractions years before the proliferation of festival marketplaces adds local variation and new insight to studies of urban renewal that often focus on big-city clearance projects.
Assessment of Protective Effects of Pheniramine Maleate on Reperfusion Injury in Lung After Distant Organ Ischemia
Authors: Gokalp Orhan , Yurekli Ismail , Kiray Muge , Bagriyanik Alper , Yetkin Ufuk , Yurekli Banu Sarer , Gur Serkan , Aksun Murat , Satoglu Ismail Safa , Gokalp Gamze , Gurbuz Ali
Published: February 2013

Objective:

The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effects of methylprednisolone (MP) and pheniramine maleate (PM) on reperfusion injury of lungs developing after ischemia of the left lower extremity of rats.

Materials and methods:

A total of 28 randomly selected male rats were divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 7 rats. Group 1 was the control group. Group 2 was the sham group (ischemia/reperfusion [I/R]). Rats in group 3 were subjected to I/R and given PM (Ph group) and rats in group 4 were subjected to I/R and given MP (Pn group).

Results:

Malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower in Ph group than in I/R group ( P < .05). Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase enzyme activities were found to be significantly higher in Ph group than in the I/R group ( P < .05). Histological examination demonstrated that PM had protective effects against I/R injury. Conclusions: The PM has a protective effect against I/R injury in rat lung.
Monitoring futility in a two-by-two factorial design: The SPS3 experience
Authors: McClure Leslie A , Coffey Christopher S , Howard George
Published: February 2013

Background

For studies with two-by-two factorial designs, the complexity of determining an appropriate futility analysis plan is increased as compared to studies where patients are randomized to one treatment. Issues that must be addressed include the possibility of a significant interaction and the need to determine how to proceed given evidence of futility in one arm. Suggested approaches include a two-stage plan, which first assesses futility of the interaction term and proceeds to examine the main effects, given sufficient evidence that no interaction is present, and variations on one-stage plans, which assume the trial will not be stopped for futility in the interaction.

Purpose

To discuss different approaches to monitoring futility in two-by-two factorial clinical trials and compare their properties.

Methods

We utilized a simulation study, designed to mimic the Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes (SPS3) Study, to determine which approach to monitoring futility in two-by-two factorial studies had the most desirable statistical properties.

Results

We found that in most scenarios typical of clinical trials, monitoring futility in each arm simultaneously was superior to or as good as monitoring the interaction and then assessing futility in each arm only when the interaction was deemed futile. Monitoring each arm simultaneously lead to early stopping more often when no treatment effect was present, and lower average sample numbers (ASNs). The exception to this was the unlikely case when a qualitative interaction was present.

Limitations

We assumed that one-sided tests were to be performed, and only assessed some of the possible methods for monitoring futility under the study design.

Conclusions

Futility monitoring in two-by-two factorial studies should proceed by assessing each arm simultaneously, rather than monitoring the interaction first. If sizeable interactions are anticipated, study design, rather than study monitoring, should account for this.
Uptake of novel statistical methods for early-phase clinical studies in the UK public sector
Authors: Jaki Thomas
Published: February 2013

Background

In recent years, the success rate of confirmatory studies has been poor resulting in more emphasis on the conduct of exploratory studies. As one possibility to improve decision-making during the early stages of development, adaptive and Bayesian methods have been recommended.

Purpose

To investigate the current practice in designing early-phase studies in UK public sector research institutions and the use of adaptive and Bayesian methods in particular and to determine factors that hinder the penetration of methodological advances into practice.

Methods

A questionnaire was sent to all UK clinical trials units (CTUs) to gauge their involvement in early-phase studies and to learn about the designs used in these studies. Follow-up visits to units conducting early-phase studies with round-table discussions around the methods used and the obstacles faced when using adaptive methods were undertaken.

Results

More than half of the CTUs are involved in early-phase studies, but conservatism in the methods used in these studies is present. Reasons for novel methodology not being used include a lack of expertise, incompatible funding and unit structure, and a lack of software.

Limitations

Information is collected from UK CTUs, which undertake a large portion (but not all) publicly funded trials.

Conclusions

The use of adaptive and Bayesian methods for early-phase clinical studies in the UK public sector is at present limited. Various different initiatives aim to support and facilitate the use of these methods, however, so that an increased use of these methods can be anticipated in the future.
School Leaders Leading
Authors: Cranston Neil
Published: February 2013

The last decade or so has seen an emerging literature supporting the position that school leaders and school leadership are important. This article argues, however, that recent developments in the area of school leadership have led to an orthodoxy that needs to be challenged and tested. It is an orthodoxy that has been driven essentially by those outside the school leadership profession and is one constrained by external accountability demands. The arguments here are that school leaders should be the ones driving a critical examination of their profession whereby the shackles of accountability on them are replaced by a new liberating professionalism for school leaders framed around notions of professional responsibility. To this end, three propositions are considered to stimulate debate among the school leadership profession. The first is that we need to frame school leadership by critically examining the question: school leadership for what and about what? Second, we need to shift the debate about school leadership from one dominated by accountability to one grounded in notions of professional responsibility. And finally, that the profession needs to be leading the debates and setting the agendas about school leadership, not simply responding and reacting to externally determined agendas.
Leadership for Inter-service Practice
Authors: Morrison Marlene , Arthur Linet
Published: February 2013

Collaborative leadership is increasingly cited as the key framework for leadership in the 21st century. Yet its meaning remains complex, contested and frequently school-centric. This article examines understandings and applications in developing inter-service and inter-professional practices for children and young people. Drawing upon desk research from the fields of education, health, social care, and social work, base-line literary analysis is used to interrogate leadership. In addressing the implications for ELM theory and practice when engagement beyond single organizations and services becomes the ‘norm’, the article looks towards more futures-orientated leadership theory and research that both define and develop the capabilities needed to lead learning in inter-professional, inter-agency environments, including schools.
Recruit for Attitude, Train for Skills
Authors: Goodall Janet
Published: February 2013

This article reports on research investigating the factors which impact on the recruitment and support of high performing leadership teams, funded by the National College. The research involved a comprehensive literature review and case studies of nine English schools. The results show that four themes emerged in relation to high performing teams: the need to create and sustain a team ethos, the need for clarity, for flexibility, and the value placed on the experience of team members. The study found that these teams had not been involved in training aimed at working as a team, challenging the previous literature which highlights the importance of such training. The article concludes by offering suggestions for further research.
The role of water in the behavior of wood
Authors: Derome Dominique , Rafsanjani Ahmad , Hering Stefan , Dressler Martin , Patera Alessandra , Lanvermann Christian , Sedighi-Gilani Marjan , Wittel Falk K , Niemz Peter , Carmeliet Jan
Published: February 2013

Wood, due to its biological origin, has the capacity to interact with water. Sorption/desorption of moisture is accompanied with swelling/shrinkage and softening/hardening of its stiffness. The correct prediction of the behavior of wood components undergoing environmental loading requires that the moisture behavior and mechanical behavior of wood are considered in a coupled manner. We propose a comprehensive framework using a fully coupled poromechanical approach, where its multiscale implementation provides the capacity to take into account, directly, the exact geometry of the wood cellular structure, using computational homogenization. A hierarchical model is used to take into account the subcellular composite-like organization of the material. Such advanced modeling requires high-resolution experimental data for the appropriate determination of inputs and for its validation. High-resolution x-ray tomography, digital image correlation, and neutron imaging are presented as valuable methods to provide the required information.
Rhetoric and the cultural trauma: An analysis of Jan T Gross’ book Fear. Anti-Semitism in Poland after Auschwitz
Authors: Törnquist-Plewa Barbara
Published: February 2013

This study deals with the historian Jan T Gross’ book Fear, published in 2006 in the United States and in 2008 in Poland. The book deserves special attention because it became one of the most discussed historical works in post-Communist Poland. In Fear, just as in his previous book Neighbors (2000), Gross challenged the Poles’ view of themselves as solely innocent victims of German Nazism and argued that anti-Semitism could and did lead them to kill Jews, both during and after the war. The author of the article seeks to answer the question as to what made the Poles react so strongly to Fear. She argues that the reasons are not only to be found in the book’s message and the political context in which it appeared but also in the mode of historical representation applied by Gross. The specific rhetoric of Fear has been noted by its critics, but no one analysed it closely. This study intends to fill that gap. The present author’s thesis is that in Fear, Gross uses the rhetorical design of a deliberative speech, and by so doing, anchors his narrative in the present and demands future action by his readers. This combination of telling about past events and pointing to their present relevance makes his narrative performance very different from conventional historiography. The value of Gross’ work lies not primarily in his contribution to the body of existing knowledge but in its functionality and performativity.
The Domestic Development Experience of a Hotel Firm with Chinese Characteristics
Authors: Gross Michael J. , Huang Songshan (Sam)
Published: February 2013

China’s hotel industry has been at the forefront of the country’s reform and open-door endeavors since 1978. The process of reform blends free-market concepts with historical Chinese approaches, as demonstrated by the case of Jin Jiang Hotel Group, a state-owned enterprise (SOE), which is China’s largest hotel firm. Through a landmark series of interviews with Jin Jiang executives, this case study identifies and analyzes the domestic expansion processes that have influenced the firm’s development. The themes informing this domestic development process include developing core competencies (brand building, networks, and core standards), corporate restructuring, human resources development, and regional domestic market penetration. Of the many legacy issues that Jin Jiang must address, human resources is perhaps foremost, given its responsibility for existing employees, even as it upgrades its workforce with both local residents and expatriates. The firm’s brand building efforts likewise move forward as it integrates two other brands from a government-encouraged merger.