bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solution of an Ill-Conditioned Fast Decoupled Load Flow Problem Using Acceleration
Authors: Lucas J. Rohan
Published: May 2015

Acceleration is used for monotonic form and oscillatory form of convergence of individual voltage magnitudes and angles of the fast decoupled Newton Raphson Load Flow Problem. This causes the otherwise slowly converging solutions to rapidly converge. The technique is illustrated by considering a particular ill-conditioned system configuration in an expansion study.
Application of Learning Theory to a Computer Assisted Instruction Package
Authors: Wong Yiu-Kwong , Chan S. P. , Cheung Suk-Ying
Published: May 2015

In this paper, learning theories and the theory of instruction will be described because they are fundamental and useful to computer aided instruction. These theories have been integrated into a computer aided instruction package which is presently used in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic.
A Versatile BBC Microcomputer-Based Optical Sensing System
Authors: Booth W. , Ipson S. S. , Micklethwaite B.
Published: May 2015

A low-cost system is described which allows light levels to be measured to 12 bit resolution with exposure times between 5 ms and 1280 ms using a 256-element CCD line sensor. The system has the flexibility necessary to meet the widely varying demands made by applications in photometry, spectroscopy, imaging and physical optics.
Real Time Simulation of a Model Power System with Induction Generator as a Member
Authors: Bhattacharya J. L.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes a model power system which simulates a minihydro, a thermal and a hydro station. The system uses computer controlled models of generators with the computers simulating the power plant behaviour. Performance of induction generator and a hydrothermal scheduling problem were studied and a controller was developed.
Microcomputer Applications in an Electrical Machines Laboratory
Authors: Babu T. K. M. , Wing Wong Tak
Published: May 2015

A microcomputer-based testing system has been developed as a teaching aid in the electrical machines laboratory. As an illustration, a three phase induction motor is tested automatically in which starting, loading, taking in readings, doing calculations, and drawing graphs are done by a microcomputer.
Cosmology and the Magnetical Philosophy, 1640–1680
Authors: Bennett J. A.
Published: May 2015

… there is not to be wished a more generall liberty in point of judgment or debate, then what is here allowed. So that there is scarce any Hypothesis, which hath been formerly or lately entertained by Judicious men, and seems to have in it any clearenesse or consistency, but hath here its strenuous Assertours, as the Atomicall and Magneticall in Philosophy, the Copernican in Astronomy &c. (John Wilkins on Oxford University, 1654.)
An Aesthetic Appreciation of Alan Watts
Authors: Garrett-Farb Bryan
Published: May 2015

Alan Watts has been accused of never seriously practicing any of the spiritual disciplines that were central to the Eastern philosophies that he popularized in the West. This article puts forward a view of Alan Watts as practicing his general philosophical outlook through the “aesthetics” of his life—his possessions, friends, habits, and general lifestyle. Particularly in the second half of this essay, I explain that Watts built his life around people, places, and things that could not neatly fit into those three categories. For instance, he valued objects that had some humanity to them, while at the same time were deeply rooted in nature. This general example and many others that follow support the argument that the aesthetics of Watts’ lifestyle enacted the mystical blurring of lines between individuals and between individuals and their environments. In preparation for that point, this article offers a discussion of the complexities that important criticisms of Watts bring out, as well as the responses to those criticisms that are built into Watts’ work. Put together, the two strokes of this article offer a qualified defense of Watts as an important and interesting philosopher worthy of more credit than simply introducing many beatniks, counterculturalists, and new-agers to Zen, Daoism, and Hinduism.
The Effect of Contextual Consonants on Voiced Stop Lenition: Evidence from Catalan
Authors: Recasens Daniel
Published: May 2015

This study uses acoustic energy measures for /b, d, g/ after /f, s, ʃ, l, r/ in Catalan in order to test whether postconsonantal voiced stop lenition is ruled by minimization of articulatory effort, acoustico-perceptual continuity of an ongoing prosodic constituent or some other principle of articulatory organization. Data for eight speakers reveal that lenition is more prone to operate on /g/ than on /b, d/, after a sonorant than after a fricative, and when the two cluster consonants are heterorganic than when they are (quasi)-homorganic. Moreover, a positive correlation was found to hold between the degrees of stop lenition and stop voicing. The /fC/ sequences had an exceptional behaviour since, in comparison to other consonants appearing in C1 position, /f/ was at the same time less intense and triggered more stop-like realizations of /b, d, g/. These results indicate that, while regularly treated as a phonological process, postconsonantal voiced stop lenition in Catalan is subject to much contextual variability, and should be dealt with by a production-based model which takes into consideration several articulatory and aerodynamic factors such as constriction degree and intraoral pressure level for C1 and C2, as well as homorganicity degree between the two consecutive consonants.
Use of the calibration approach in confidence intervals for mean response times of an open queueing network with feedback
Authors: Gedam Vinayak K , Pathare Suresh B
Published: May 2015

To construct various confidence intervals of mean response times for an open queueing network model with feedback, the calibration approach is used. In this paper, a data-based recurrence relation is used to compute a sequence of response times. Sample means from those response times are used to estimate true mean response times. With the help of numerical simulation study, we investigate the accuracy of the different calibrated confidence intervals of mean response times by calculating the coverage percentage and average length.
Living on Site: Health Experiences of Migrant Female Construction Workers in North India
Authors: Jatrana Santosh , Sangwan Suresh Kumar
Published: May 2015

This study examines the health experiences of migrant female workers in the construction industry in North India by addressing the following four broad categories of issues: what do these women think about their health in general? Where do these women go for treatment when they are ill? What are their perceptions about the utilization of trained medical personnel or hospitals for childbirth? Does migration improve women's health and their utilization of health facilities and if yes, does duration of stay in an urban area matter? Based on focus group discussions (FGDs), the results suggest that while the health status of these women have improved after migration, they have not started using modern health facilities either for childbirth or general illnesses. The study recommends that in order to understand the impact of migration on migrant women working in the informal sector, we need to address the broader social environment within which their health behavior occurs. We also need to look at the geographical dimension of exposure to urban lifestyles and ideas besides exposure over time (i.e., whether longer or shorter duration of stay in urban areas) and age (i.e., whether they migrated at younger ages or older ages).
Meeting at the Crossroads: Myanmar Migrants and Their Use of Thai Health Care Services
Authors: Isarabhakdi Pimonpan
Published: May 2015

This study assesses the use of health services among cross-border migrants from Myanmar who are now living in Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. The migrants comprise three main ethnic groups, namely the Burmese, Karen and Mon, most of whom have no formal education and are agricultural workers. Results indicate that although the migrants can access government health facilities, they are still more likely to buy drugs or use herbal medicines for treating themselves when they have minor illnesses, while the Thais are more likely to seek medical care from government facilities. The main difficulties for migrants in accessing health services are their legal status, financial constraints, and an inability to speak Thai. Moreover, health beliefs also determine the health-seeking behaviors of migrants, particularly among the Karen who believe in spirits and herbal medicine, while very few of the Burmese and the Mon do so. This leads to the conclusion that ethnicity is an important determinant of the utilization of health services by migrants from Myanmar in Kanchanaburi.
Indian Student Migration to Australia
Authors: Voigt-Graf Carmen , Khoo Siew-Ean
Published: May 2015

There has been a marked increase in the migration of students worldwide, particularly from developing countries to developed countries. This article examines the migration of students from India to Australia. The number of Indians arriving in Australia on student visas has shown an increasing trend though numbers have fluctuated from year to year. The article examines the role of Australia's education export market, analyzes the main reasons for Australia's attractiveness for Indian students, discusses the characteristics pf Indians arriving on student visas and points to some recent controversies surrounding Indian student migration to Australia.
Filipino Women in Australia: Practising Citizenship at Work
Authors: Tibe-Bonifacio Glenda Lynna Anne
Published: May 2015

Filipino women comprise more than half of the Philippine-born population in Australia. They adopt Australian citizenship readily and have high labor force participation. In this article, I examined Filipino women's practice of Australian citizenship in the world of work. Based on in-depth interviews with 36 Filipino women, I adopted feminist conception of citizenship which considers paid work as well as caring work in the domestic sphere. Findings from the study suggest that becoming an Australian citizenship not only provides Filipino women membership in the political community. More importantly, it empowers them to negotiate their subject position as racialized immigrant women in the labor market. Negotiating gender roles in the family, however, is a different arena.
Life Satisfaction of the Families of Migrants in the Philippines
Authors: Oh Yoon Ah
Published: May 2015

Although remittance income is likely to increase the level of financial resources in the household, such a contribution should be assessed against the disruptive effect of migration on other aspects of family life. Using individual-level data from the Philippines, this article explores the impact of international migration on the life satisfaction of the families of migrants in the home country. The analysis compares happiness outcomes across non-migrant households, the households reliant on remittances as a primary source of household income, and the households that receive remittances but do not rely on them. The findings suggest that migration is positively associated with higher levels of life satisfaction only when remittances are large enough to compensate for the psychological distress caused by the migration. The results confirm the importance of remittances as a source of human improvement but, at the same time, highlight the fact that international migration is not a costless enterprise.
Immigrant Labor and Industrial Upgrading in Malaysia
Authors: Narayanan Suresh , Lai Yew-Wah
Published: May 2015

The New Economic Model, launched in 2010, affirmed that employing immigrant labor has delayed the upgrading of Malaysian manufacturing. We found that evidence based on the share of skilled workers, wage rate growth, capital use and productivity growth is consistent with this assertion. The way forward should embrace, among other factors, two thrusts: better regulation of foreign workers and the cost of using them in order to pressure firms to upgrade and increasing the talent pool to support the transformation. The latter thrust should include measures to raise the skills of natives, retain skilled natives, attract native talent residing abroad and enticing non-native talent to help the upgrading process.
Diaspora Knowledge Transfer as a Development Strategy for Capturing the Gains of Skilled Migration
Authors: Siar Sheila
Published: May 2015

Diaspora knowledge transfer views skilled migration as a process that does not necessarily lead to the loss of skills and knowledge for sending countries. Rather, it sees skilled migration as contributing to the intellectual, social, and economic capital of migrants, for which home countries gain through knowledge transfer. The paper revisits the concept to address conflicting views of its viability by analyzing how it works and the factors and conditions that affect its application. The paper discusses diaspora, home country, and host country factors and conditions that influence this complex process. The policy implications are discussed in the conclusion.
Chinese Immigrants in Korea: The Relationship between Interpersonal Communication and Acculturation
Authors: Moon Seung-Jun , Kim Chan Souk , Kim Tae Woo
Published: May 2015

Most studies on the acculturation of immigrants are based on the experiences of Hispanic, European, and Chinese immigrants in Western societies. Few studies have probed how attitudes are shaped among Asian immigrants in destination societies in Asia. This study deals with the acculturation processes of Chinese immigrants in Incheon Chinatown, Korea. The findings of the study support convergence and divergence strategies of acculturation. Another key finding is that Chinese immigrants who engage in interpersonal communication with both Koreans and other Chinese immigrants tend to develop a positive attitude towards biculturalism.
Japan's Immigration Intimations and Their Neglected Language Policy Requisites
Authors: Chapple Julian
Published: May 2015

The Japanese government has touched on the topic of immigration as a possible way to deal with the nation's falling population several times in recent years. However, other than raising the issue and discussing numbers, there has been scant regard given to specific policy or requisite preparations that such a major change would entail. Before Japan can seriously consider admitting a large number of migrants, there are several important issues that must be dealt with, one of which is language education policy. This article investigates the barriers that exist in Japan's language education policies that hinder immigration becoming a greater reality in the immediate future. It examines the importance of such policies and the prerequisites required (attitudinal, cultural, societal and political) to realize the positive linguistic acceptance of migrants into the nation's mainstream education system and society. Regardless of whether migration increases now or in the future, changes in attitude towards language teaching and acquisition are necessary for the wider public and, done properly, would arguably lead to a change of attitudes of the general population towards accepting migration.
China Wants You: The Social Construction of Skilled Labor in Three Employment Sectors
Authors: Farrer James
Published: May 2015

This paper describes the policies of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for attracting skilled migrants and uses ethnographic fieldwork to discuss the actual employment situations of non-Chinese skilled migrants. Employing the concept of social fields, it describes skilled migrants in three employment sectors in the PRC: (1) Chinese academic and research institutions, (2) managerial work in multinational corporations, and (3) skilled culinary work in international restaurants. The discussion shows that ideas of “skill” are constructed with reference to cultural and ethnic traits perceived as assets in particular economic fields or ethnic capital. Moreover, migrants' ability to adjust to their professional contexts depends both on their cultural and ethnic capital and on their structural positions in the relevant field of work.
Temporalities of citizenship: Malaysian-Chinese skilled migrants in Singapore and returnees to Malaysia
Authors: Koh Sin Yee
Published: May 2015

This article examines the temporalities of citizenship – how the meanings and significance of citizenship change with time – through the cases of Malaysian-Chinese skilled migrants in Singapore and returnees to Malaysia. Drawing from the narratives of five respondents, this paper focuses on how the subjective, emotional, and rational understandings they ascribe to their citizenship(s) shift and change with time during their stays in Singapore or after their return to Malaysia. This article concludes by arguing that citizenship needs to be theorized and contextualized to time by simultaneously paying attention to firstly, the individual life course, and secondly, citizenship constitutions at the national scale.
Soft talk, hard realities: Multiculturalism as the South Korean government’s decoupled response to international migration
Authors: Kim Sookyung
Published: May 2015

Cornelius et al., (2004) assert that the gap between immigration policy objectives and outcomes is growing. Their case studies around the globe indicate that states tend to use “tough” rhetoric in immigration control but mostly end up with “soft,” liberal policy practice. South Korea shows a similar gap, but in the opposite direction. In this paper, I explore this gap between “soft rhetoric” and “tough action” of the Korean government’s immigration policies using the concept of “decoupling,” a phenomenon in which organizations respond to conflicting pressures through contradictory actions and statements. Analyses of archival and interview data show that the Korean government extensively uses “soft talk” such as multiculturalism and diversity when discussing immigration issues but in practice implements exclusionary and assimilative “hard policies.”
Choking Under Social Pressure
Authors: Knowles Megan L. , Lucas Gale M. , Baumeister Roy F. , Gardner Wendi L.
Published: May 2015

Lonely individuals may decode social cues well but have difficulty putting such skills to use precisely when they need them—in social situations. In four studies, we examined whether lonely people choke under social pressure by asking participants to complete social sensitivity tasks framed as diagnostic of social skills or nonsocial skills. Across studies, lonely participants performed worse than nonlonely participants on social sensitivity tasks framed as tests of social aptitude, but they performed just as well or better than the nonlonely when the same tasks were framed as tests of academic aptitude. Mediational analyses in Study 3 and misattribution effects in Study 4 indicate that anxiety plays an important role in this choking effect. This research suggests that lonely individuals may not need to acquire social skills to escape loneliness; instead, they must learn to cope with performance anxiety in interpersonal interactions.
A Life in Psychiatry and Literature: An Interview with Robert Coles
Authors: Cox John
Published: May 2015

The following remarks were given by John Cox at the Conference on Christianity and Literature Luncheon at the 2004 Modern Language Association Convention in Philadelphia. On that occasion, CCL awarded Robert Coles its Lifetime Achievement Award. An interview with Robert Coles follows these remarks.
The Fall and the Fiction Writer
Authors: Walters Mark
Published: May 2015

Locating the impulse of story-making in John Updike's remark to The Paris Review that “unfallen Adam is an ape,” I argue that only by virtue of the original act of sin, and the consequent revelation of good and evil, did we acquire free will, and that our legacy is that of self-consciousness and mortality—the understanding, because we see ourselves as God does, that we bear responsibility for good and evil, and that being freed from the threat of death by the inevitability of it, we can choose between them. This free will, and the attendant capacities for shame and radical empathy, is best realized in the character-driven narratives of modern and contemporary fiction writers.
Metaphysical Intersections in Frankenstein: Mary Shelley's Theistic Investigation of Scientific Materialism and Transgressive Autonomy
Authors: Hogsette David S.
Published: May 2015

Frankenstein is a speculative narrative that asks: What would happen if man created human life without the biologically and relationally necessary woman and with indifference to God? What if Adam were to reject his own Creator and create life after his own fleshly or material image? Mary Shelley's answer to these questions is not a triumphant humanist manifesto, nor is it an ironic subversion of a supposedly outmoded theistic perspective. Rather, she offers a philosophical nightmare revealing the horrific consequences of methodological naturalism taken to its logical conclusion. Frankenstein explores the ideological vacuum engendered by scientific materialism and examines the spiritual bankruptcy of replacing theism with secular humanism. Victor Frankenstein's transgressive autonomy, grounded in scientific materialism, results in a reductionism that ultimately leads to existential despair, individual crisis, and communal disintegration.
In the End is the Beginning: Toni Morrison's Post-Modern, Post-Ethical Vision ofParadise
Authors: Griffith Johnny R.
Published: May 2015

Toni Morrison's Paradise presents the reader with two communities—the male-dominated all-black town of Ruby, Oklahoma, and the nearby all-female former Convent—at war with one another and with themselves. The patriarchs' insistence that their community's rich past provides everything they need forecloses the possibility of growth, change, and renewal; the Convent women eventually reject the past for a future rife with uncertainty but rich in possibility. The rising tensions between the two communities and the eventual violence that erupts dramatize the desirability but also the potentially disastrous consequences of holding too tightly to past traditions and ways of being and living.
Salvation History in Ayi Kwei Armah's Two Thousand Seasons
Authors: Guendouzi Amar
Published: May 2015

This paper investigates Ayi Kwei Armah's discourse in Two Thousand Seasons (1973) and unveils the philosophy of history articulated in his narrative. It is premised on the idea that the historiography charted in the novel is modeled on American Puritans' salvation history, also called ecclesiastical history. Armah returned to this apocalyptic tradition to contest various versions of African history and to produce a historical eschatological ideal which encompasses the past, the present, and the future of the African continent.
Strange Deliberations: John Betjeman and Protestant Nonconformity
Authors: Gardner Kevin J.
Published: May 2015

The influence of Anglican culture and theology on the development of John Betjeman's poetic and spiritual imagination has been the subject of a good deal of recent scholarly attention. However, an affinity for Protestant Nonconformity is an unexpected secondary Christian influence in his poetry and prose. This essay seeks (1) to explore the various ways in which the dissenting tradition, both mainstream and marginalized, appears in his work, from cultural appreciation to gothic humor, from spiritual anxiety to theological acceptance; (2) to reconcile these contradictory attitudes toward Protestant Nonconformity; and (3) to assess its significance in the development of his literary imagination.
“Love is Greater Than Taste”: The Moral Architecture of John Betjeman and John Piper
Authors: Mitchell Philip Irving
Published: May 2015

Poet John Betjeman and painter John Piper shared an emphasis on visual attentiveness to place, which in its moral and aesthetic valuation, challenged contemporary standards of taste, especially those modern ones that excluded ornament and the picturesque. With regard to English Christianity, as I argue, both pursued forms of neo-Romantic, moral architectural praise and analysis, engaging the socio-cultural debate, not in terms of a set of frozen critical laws, but within a flexible practice of personal engagements that, nonetheless, set forth strong positions on sentiment, tradition, and sacrament. In doing so, both men reemphasized rootedness and love.
A Conversation with Denise Levertov
Authors: Brooker Jewel Spears
Published: May 2015

The Conference on Christianity and Literature sponsored a reading by Denise Levertov at the 1994 Annual Convention of the Modern Language Association in San Diego. In addition, CCL presented the poet with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and president Jewel Spears Brooker interviewed her for Christianity and Literature. The interview, which had to be conducted by mail, was completed in November 1995.
Effects of additional, dynamic supported standing practice on functional recovery in patients with sub-acute stroke: a randomized pilot and feasibility trial
Authors: Braun Tobias , Marks Detlef , Thiel Christian , Zietz Dörte , Zutter Daniel , Grüneberg Christian
Published: May 2015

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of additional dynamic versus static passive standing performed by patients with sub-acute stroke supervised by trained helpers.

Design:

Assessor blinded, randomized pilot and feasibility trial.

Setting:

Neurological rehabilitation centre.

Participants:

Non-ambulatory participants in the sub-acute phase after stroke.

Intervention:

Usual care plus additional standing training, consisting of either dynamic standing practice in a modified standing frame (intervention group, n=14) or static standing practice in a conventional standing frame (control group, n=14) for 5 weeks.

Main measures:

Feasibility was assessed through occurrence of adverse events, patient satisfaction and operability of the technical device handled by trained helpers. Preliminary effectiveness was assessed with the Berg Balance Scale (primary outcome) and other measures of physical functioning.

Results:

Trained helpers were capable to apply the intervention, and no adverse events occurred. Both groups were comparable at baseline. Within-group changes tended to be higher for the intervention group, but did not reach a significant level except for the Functional Ambulation Categories. Specifically, median pre-post improvements in the Berg Balance Scale tended to be higher in the dynamic (20, inter quartile range (IQR): 2–33 points) than in the static standing group (4.5, IQR: 0–16 points; U=62; P=0.052; effect size=0.478).

Conclusions:

In severely affected individuals after stroke, dynamic supported standing practice can be performed safely by trained helpers. In a larger-scale phase III study, a total of 116 patients would be needed to prove the preliminary effectiveness found in this study.
Trends in Computer Instruction in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo Part 1: Historical Perspective and Current Trends
Authors: Weckman D. C. , Davidson G. , Brundrett E.
Published: May 2015

The Engineering Faculty at the University of Waterloo has recognized the need to introduce sufficient microcomputer material into the curriculum to prepare students for the modern engineering workplace. At the same time, the level of instruction in ‘engineering fundamentals’ has to be maintained. A further issue at Waterloo arises because of the cooperative or thin sandwich nature of our programs; about 350 or half of the first-year students go out to industry on their first work term after the first four-month academic term (1A). The value of these students to their employers and the value of the work term to the student is increased if they are introduced to microcomputers during their 1A term. Following a number of studies into how the use of microcomputers could be most effectively incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum, the Department of Mechanical Engineering chose to ‘strongly recommend’ that all first-year students consider the purchase of a mircocomputer. To complement this, an existing first-year course on engineering concepts was substantially modified to include introductory lectures on microcomputer basics. Also, the University of Waterloo established a new microcomputer hardware and software sales centre and provided financial assistance to students, if required, through University-guaranteed commercial loans.
Trends in Computer Instruction in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo Part 2: Microcomputer Instruction in First Year
Authors: Brundrett E. , Weckman D. C. , Davidson G.
Published: May 2015

Following an evaluation of undergraduate computing requirements in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Waterloo (see Part 1 of this paper), students in Mechanical Engineering were ‘strongly recommended’ to purchase their own microcomputers. To complement this recommendation, introductory lectures in microcomputer basics were presented in the autumns of 1987 and 1988 to all first-term general engineering (includes civil, computer, electrical, geological and mechanical) and chemical engineering students as part of existing courses on engineering concepts. The introduction included hands-on experience on the *WATSTAR microcomputer network during a two-hour tutorial in the first week, followed during the term by eight lectures on microcomputer hardware, selected software, and some engineering applications of microcomputers. Wordprocessor and spreadsheet software were taught in sufficient detail for students to use them for some of their course assignments.

A survey of students in December 1987 indicated that the microcomputer lectures had been well received. Further, in their second term at university, students of both years exhibited a significant increase in familiarity and acceptance of microcomputers. For example, second-term computer language courses in FORTRAN and PASCAL were completed with fewer late assignments and significantly fewer failures. A further benefit to engineering students was the ability of all students to utilize more effectively microcomputer software during the first work term of their cooperative or thin sandwich program.
Understanding System Zeros
Authors: Knospe C. R. , Lefante V. S.
Published: May 2015

An intuitive physical interpretation of a transfer function's poles is easily made: the natural frequencies of the system. A similar physical interpretation of a transfer function's zeros can also be made: the natural frequencies of special subsystems. In this paper, such an interpretation is advanced for certain spring-mass-damper systems using a rigorous and intuitive demonstration. This interpretation may serve as a useful paradigm for understanding the relationship between structural dynamics and transfer functions.
New Theorems for Moments of Inertia
Authors: Wallach David L.
Published: May 2015

The moment of inertia of a plane lamina about any axis not in this plane can be easily calculated if the moments of inertia about two mutually perpendicular axes in the plane are known. Then one can conclude that the moments of inertia of regular polygons and polyhedra have symmetry about a line or point, respectively, about their centres of mass. Furthermore, the moment of inertia about the apex of a right pyramid with a regular polygon base is dependent only on the angle the axis makes with the altitude. From this last statement, the calculation of the centre of mass moments of inertia of polyhedra becomes very easy.
A Laboratory Project on the Design and Machining of Bezier Surfaces
Authors: Gan J. G. , Lee S. S. G. , Tam S. C. , Tay M. L.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes a six-hour laboratory project on the design and machining of Bezier surfaces. Students are required to design a pair of mutually orthogonal Bezier surfaces. In both cases, the surface is to lie completely within the stock material provided. In addition, C0 and C1 continuity has to be enforced at the common boundary. The coordinates of the second surface have to be rotated by 90 degrees so that the surface can be aligned to the axis of the cutter. The principal issues relating to the machining of multiple Bezier surfaces are discussed, viz. the determination of the cutter diameter and orientation, and the generation of the NC toolpath (i.e. the spacing between adjacent curves and their incremental movement) to achieve the specified scallop height and machining tolerance. An algorithm incorporating these aspects for the generation of the NC toolpath is presented.
On the Distribution of Energy between the Vibration Modes
Authors: Gürgöze M.
Published: May 2015

The initial energy of a conservative mechanical system is distributed between its vibratory modes. It is a known fact that if the system is displaced according to a certain mode shape and released with zero velocity then it vibrates only in that mode. In this study it is investigated whether it is possible, through appropriate selection of initial conditions, for energies in different modes to take prescribed ratios of the total energy. Keeping in mind the difficulties of many students with regard to modal quantities, a systematic treatment of the energy distribution between the modes is given. In doing so, the known results in the literature are pointed out as special cases. At the end of the paper two examples are given.
Plücker Coordinate Geometry and its Applications to Studies of Instantaneous Axial Planes of Generating Gears
Authors: Wenxiang Zhang
Published: May 2015

After an introduction of the Plücker coordinate geometry, a discussion is made of the expression of screws in Plücker coordinates and the addition of screws. As a result, the geometry of generating gears is re-studied and a formula is derived for calculating the axode length of hypoid gears.
Computer-Aided Analysis of the Pelton Wheel
Authors: Moukalled F. , Honein A.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes PELTON, a microcomputer-based, interactive, and menu-driven software package for use as an educational tool by mechanical and civil engineering students in studying the operation of the Pelton wheel. The program is written in the Pascal computer language and runs on IBM PC, or compatible, computers. The package can handle problems related to impulse turbines by solving for unknown variables through a complete set of equations covering the turbine installation. Model-prototype problems can be tackled through similarity laws. This facility is included to help analysing and manipulating experimental data. Furthermore, the graphical utilities of PELTON allow the user to display diagrammatic sketches of the turbine, to employ some recommended charts, and to draw velocity triangles at several locations. The most important feature of the program, however, is its ability to plot the variation of any variable versus any other one. Through this option, the package guides the student in understanding the effects of varying design parameters on the overall performance of the machine. Finally, a comprehensive example problem is provided to show how user-friendly and encouraging-to-use PELTON is, and to demonstrate the capabilities of the package as an instructional tool.
Teaching and Examining Sparse Matrix Methods
Authors: Williams F. W.
Published: May 2015

A method is presented for concise teaching and examining of the principles and advantages of sparse matrix methods. The method uses only mental arithmetic and is illustrated using Gauss elimination for the solution of simultaneous equations. Indications are given of the ways in which the ideas can be extended to methods other than Gauss elimination and to types of sparse matrix method other than those considered in detail. Indications are also given of how the material can be taught so as to integrate with related matters, such as the evaluation of determinants and the way that the savings obtained by using the most sophisticated sparse matrix methods increase rapidly as the order of the matrix increases.
Bending the Elastica with Mathematics™
Authors: Ballarini Roberto , Leitman Marshall J.
Published: May 2015

A classroom illustration is presented which uses Mathematica™ to solve the classical problem of bending the elastica.
On Mohr's Circle
Authors: Dembi N. J.
Published: May 2015

In the construction of Mohr's circle, clockwise shear is taken as positive instead of negative since otherwise it does not lead to consistency between the physical plane and Mohr's circle plane. Alternatively, taking anticlockwise shear positive and to make rotation consistent, the shear stress axis is taken pointing downwards which appears rather odd. A simple way to change the axes has been suggested to eliminate this oddity and make the physical plane and Mohr's circle plane consistent in every respect.
Computer-Aided Analysis of Continuous Beams
Authors: Mistry Jayantilal
Published: May 2015

A PC program to analyse deflection, shear and bending moment distribution of non-uniform continuous beams is described. The program based on the application of the influence coefficients offers exact solution subject to rounding-off errors only. With the employment of a graphical interface and a pointing device, such as a mouse, it is shown that most users can build the beam model and analyse it within minutes without the need of a user's guide or instructions. The program can be an important aid to the teaching of strength of materials or design courses.
Thermal Engineering Design Project: Friction Calorimeter Yielding Joule's Constant
Authors: Mullisen R. S.
Published: May 2015

A thermal engineering class design project involving friction calorimeter apparatuses that produce Joule's constant is described. The class assignment required design and construction of equipment, trial-and-error experimentation, and data reduction to obtain the relationship between work and heat given by Joule's constant (J = 778 (ft lbf)/Btu). The student's designs used falling weights, rotating flywheels, and swinging pendulums that produced rubbing friction on a small piece of copper that acted as a calorimeter. The author's design employed a bicycle with a copper calorimeter friction brake on the front tyre. Heat loss into the rubber tyre was analysed. Also, aerodynamic drag and rolling friction were analysed using bicycle coast-down data. The combined results from eleven different student designs yielded an average Joule's constant that was 32% high. The author obtained a Joule's constant that was 16% high.
Finite-Time Thermodynamic Analysis of Combined Heat Engines
Authors: El Haj Assad Mamdouh
Published: May 2015

The maximum power output and the efficiency at that power of a combined heat engines are analysed by using Curzon and Ahlborn's finite-time analysis. The efficiency at the maximum power of the combined reversible and irreversible heat engines has been obtained. This work also shows that when the engines are internally irreversible, the combined cycle delivers less power and has lower efficiency than an endoreversible combined heat engines. An expression is derived to relate the maximum power output ratio (irreversible/endoreversible) to the corresponding cycle efficiency ratio. It is shown by that relation that the efficiency ratio is much higher than the power ratio and they become identical when the irreversible cycle is very close to the endoreversible one.
Simulating the Engineering Project Environment Using Cooperative Learning: A Second-Year Course Case Study
Authors: Craig K. J. , Van Waveren C. C.
Published: May 2015

This paper discusses a case study in problem-based cooperative learning (CL) implemented as a group project in a second-year course at the University of Pretoria's Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Department. The group project is designed using the guidelines of CL to integrate the course content in one project, to simulate the real-world engineering environment, and to promote teamwork skills. The design of the project is discussed with detail on the problem definition and selection, scheduling, assignments, group selection and member responsibilities. The practical implementation of the project is discussed with tips on how to achieve this effectively. Results of the project are presented in the form of student marks and distributions, and student feedback. The project was successful in that the aims were achieved. The concepts will be implemented in other engineering courses at the University of Pretoria.
Employing the Concurrent Design Philosophy in Developing an Engineering Design Science Programme
Authors: Wild P. M. , Bradley C.
Published: May 2015

North American undergraduate mechanical engineering design education has failed to meet the needs of industry in educating students in effective design philosophies typified by the concurrent engineering design philosophy. Current programmes emphasize traditional engineering analysis courses, leaving little room for truly educating the students in the fundamentals of mechanical engineering design. This paper uses the concurrent engineering design paradigm to design a programme for the education of students in mechanical engineering design. The basics of concurrent engineering design are outlined, the failings of typical design education stated, and an exploration of the required features of a new design curriculum presented.
A Computer Experiment on Man-Machine Interaction
Authors: Hizal N. Aydin
Published: May 2015

A man-machine interaction experiment in the real-time continuous control sense is presented. The computer program is given and described, together with some representative results with regard to plant order, display effects and training effects. In particular, the importance of the selection of the displayed variable is emphasized. The experiment has been helpful in the appreciation of the effects of display gain selection and the inclusion of the derivative terms in the displayed variable, as well as demonstrating the importances of plant order and operator training, by allowing time response shape and criterion value comparisons. The nature of the conclusions reached can be generalized to automatic control, helping students of control systems.
The Kern of a Stretched Section is the Stretched Kern of the Section
Authors: Schulgasser K.
Published: May 2015

We are concerned with a rod subjected to an axial force not acting through the centroid of the rod section. Suppose the kern shape of the section is known. Now suppose we have another rod section which is derived from the first by ‘stretching’ it along a principal axis. We show that the kern of the derived section is gotten by stretching the original kern to the same degree as the section was stretched.
Gellner’s case against cognitive relativism
Authors: Aya Rod
Published: May 2015

Moral relativism is a tragedy and cognitive relativism is a farce – so Gellner argues. First the tragedy: moral relativism is consistent and compelling given moral diversity and contention worldwide. Then the farce: cognitive relativism is self-contradictory and logically false; it is also absurd in view of hard science, which gets testable, cumulative, applicable results that yield high tech; and it is insidious – where logical consistency and empirical accuracy are a dead letter, mummery rules.
Neurology of Nutritional Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infants
Authors: Goraya Jatinder Singh , Kaur Sukhjot , Mehra Bharat
Published: May 2015

We studied 27 infants aged 6 to 27 months with vitamin B12 deficiency also known as “infantile tremor syndrome” in India. All were exclusively breast-fed by vegetarian mothers. Developmental delay or regression, pallor, skin hyperpigmentation, and sparse brown hair were present in all. Majority were hypotonic and involuntary movements were encountered in 18. Anemia and macrocytosis was found in 83% and 71% infants, respectively. Low serum vitamin B12 was present in 12 of 21 infants. Seven of the 9 infants with normal serum vitamin B12 had received vitamin B12 before referral. Twelve mothers had low serum vitamin B12. Cerebral atrophy was present in all the 9 infants who underwent neuroimaging. Treatment with vitamin B12 resulted in dramatic improvement in general activity and appetite within 48 to 72 hours followed by return of lost milestones. Tremors resolved in all by 3 to 4 weeks. Nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency is a treatable cause of neurologic dysfunction in infants.
Vedolizumab
Authors: Poulakos Mara , Machin Jade D. , Pauly Julienne , Grace Yasmin
Published: May 2015

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are chronic inflammatory disorders affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that encompass Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In these disease states, epithelial damage of the intestinal mucosa is evident due to increased lymphocyte trafficking to the area, which affects the normal intestinal barrier function. Currently available pharmacotherapy can be limited in terms of efficacy and associated toxicities. Newer agents have emerged, including the monoclonal antibody natalizumab, which antagonizes integrin, an important component within the inflammation cascade. Natalizumab works by modulating both the GI and brain biologic responses and as a result there is risk of the opportunistic infection known as progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), putting patients at risk for severe disability and death. Vedolizumab, another integrin inhibitor, is selective for modulating the gut biologic response but not the brain, consequently decreasing the risk for PML. To generate information regarding the role of vedolizumab in the treatment of IBD, a literature search was conducted, yielding 7 phase I to III clinical trials. This article serves as a summary of efficacy, safety, and other relevant information from clinical studies to explore the role of vedolizumab in the treatment of CD and UC.
Economic Status and Old-Age Health in Poverty-Stricken Myanmar
Authors: Teerawichitchainan Bussarawan , Knodel John
Published: May 2015

Objective: We examine the association between poverty, economic inequality, and health among elderly in Myanmar. Method: We analyze 2012 data from Myanmar’s first representative survey of older adults to investigate how health indicators vary across wealth quintiles as measured by household possessions and housing quality. Results: Poverty and poor health are pervasive. Self-assessed health, sensory impairment, and functional limitation consistently improve with higher wealth levels regardless of socio-demographic controls. Differentials in self-rated health and sensory impairment between the bottom and second quintiles are clearly evident, suggesting that relative economic inequality matters even among very poor elders and that a small difference in wealth can matter in an extreme poverty setting. Discussion: Findings support a global theory of economic gradients in health regardless of level of societal poverty. Modest efforts to improve the standard of living among elderly may improve not only their material well-being but also their health.