bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amniotic Fluid Embolism as a Cause of Sudden Maternal Death
Authors: Lau G
Published: July 2017

The aetiology of amniotic fluid embolism has remained very much an enigma, although recent evidence points towards a combination of a severe haemodynamic disturbance, consisting of transient pulmonary hypertension, profound hypoxia and left ventricular failure, followed by secondary coagulopathy in about 40 per cent of patients who survive the initial event. Leucotrienes, prostaglandins and other vasoactive substances contained in amniotic fluid are postulated to play a fundamental role in its pathogenesis. In addition, amniotic fluid is also thought to possess thromboplastin-like properties. In common with all other causes of maternal death, it warrants a thorough and careful medico-legal investigation.
1, 000 Forensic Outpatients: A Descriptive Study
Authors: Hosty G , Cope R , Derham C
Published: July 2017

The case notes and court reports of 1, 000 consecutive outpatient referrals to a regional forensic outpatient service were studied retrospectively. Socio-demo-graphic, psychiatric and forensic information was collected. The sample was predominantly male, Caucasian and relatively young in comparison with a general psychiatric population. The commonest source of referral was from defence solicitors and the commonest reason for referral was for a court report. A wide range of diagnoses and offences were noted. A number of differences were found in the frequency of gender, ethnicity and diagnosis according to the source of, and reason for, referral.
2. A Multilocus DNA Fingerprint with Built-in Security Devices
Authors: Krawczak Michael , Schmidtke Jörg , Epplen Jörg T , Hansmann Ingo , Thies Ulrike
Published: July 2017

An unusual case of paternity testing is reported in which determination of paternity was an essential part of a genetic diagnosis. A.Y-chromosomal abnormality, observed in a 33-year-old male whose wife had experienced a series of spontaneous abortions, was not found in his alleged father. DNA fingerprinting with the oligonucleotide multilocus probe (CAC)5 yielded two aberrant bands for the proband, i.e. bands exhibited by neither parent. This finding resulted in a comparatively low paternity probability of 0.02934 which is suggestive of, but does not unequivocally prove, false paternity. Subsequent analysis with other multi- and single-locus systems, however, failed to confirm this preliminary result. The paternity probability computed on the basis of the single-locus systems was 0.99997, providing compelling evidence in favour of true paternity.

The present case thus demonstrates that even when two mutations turn up in a DNA fingerprint, these may be readily recognized as such.
Critical exchange: Religion and schooling: What should their relationship be?
Authors: Rasmussen Mary Lou
Published: July 2017

This essay focuses on tensions within Canada and Australia between religious freedoms and sexual freedoms. Both countries have sought to develop religious accommodations for publicly funded religious schools. The essay is also informed by contemporary research related to the experiences of LGBT identified teachers and students. I briefly consider how their experiences of education are shaped by religious exemptions which operate to accommodate claims related to religious freedom. I also consider how advocates on both sides deploy particular understandings of secularism in order to distinguish between public and private spheres.
Hashtivism as public discourse: Exploring online student activism in response to state violence and forced disappearances in Mexico
Authors: Blanco Ramírez Gerardo , Scott Metcalfe Amy
Published: July 2017

Mexico has a long history of tensions between the government and student activists. This history dates back to student protests that ended with the State’s violent repression of students in 1968. These tensions were reignited with the student occupation of Mexico’s National Autonomous University from 1999 to 2000, which ended through intervention by the national federal police. In the 21st century, student expression and activism occurs in the physical world as well as on social media sites. For example, the hashtag #YoSoy132 was created by a student movement begun at the Jesuit Universidad Iberoamericana in opposition to the then candidate and now President of the country, Enrique Peña Nieto. In this paper, we conceptualize social media sites as virtual public spaces, and we employ cultural critical visual discourse analysis to examine the case of student “hashtivism,” online activism through hashtags, in response to the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Raúl Isidro Burgos Rural Teachers College of Ayotzinapa in September 2014.
Punk theory: The future of thinking in the time of no future
Authors: Szkudlarek Tomasz
Published: July 2017

This essay juxtaposes the current disorientation about the course of global political changes, the emergence of theories which accentuate the present as the domain of education, and punk culture with its proclamation that there is no future, as premises on which the question of radical theory is raised. Acclaiming the works of colleagues who promote thinking about education ‘without time’ and against instrumental demands, I expect that, in the situation in which we have ‘no time’ to design well-thought political alternatives to the waning liberal democracy and the rapidly growing fundamentalisms, a chaotic and energetic movement of thought, action, and resistance (here labelled as punk theory) can and should emerge as an energetic impulse to rethink and re-act the connections between education, theory, and politics.
TA is Not a Secondary Systematic Framework
Authors: Hartman Frank
Published: July 2017

TA is a primary theory of personality not a secondary theory capable of translating other primary theories. In support of this caveat, an example is given in which is described the systematic work of translating Berne's Trading Stamps into a set of existential emotions, using sets of concepts drawn from Freud and Berne as the tentative secondary theoretical concepts for the translation.
From Being a Stutterer to Becoming a Person Who Stutters
Authors: Sugarman Michael
Published: July 2017

The author details his recognition and confrontation of his stuttering, and how the tools of transactional analysis helped him to shed the negative aspects of his earlier life script.
Treating Pathologies with the Problem Diagram
Authors: Hart Wayne
Published: July 2017

The problem diagram helps facilitate change by modifying the individual's energy flow. Pathologies and treatment are also discussed.
Recent Developments in Alexithymia Theory and Research
Authors: Taylor Graeme J
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To review recent developments in alexithymia theory and research that are relevant to the field of psychosomatic medicine.

Method:

Articles were selected from the alexithymia literature published over the past decade that describe advances in the theoretical understanding of alexithymia or report empirical investigations of the relationships of the construct with emotion regulation and with somatic illness and disease. Empirical investigations of the neural correlates of alexithymia were reviewed also, as were studies that explore therapeutic attempts to modify alexithymic characteristics.

Results:

The salient features of the alexithymia construct are now thought to reflect deficits in the cognitive processing and regulation of emotions. This is supported by studies showing that alexithymia is associated with maladaptive styles of emotion regulation, low emotional intelligence, a bidirectional interhemispheric transfer deficit, and reduced rapid eye movement (REM) density (number of eye movements divided by number of REM periods). Although empirical evidence demonstrates that alexithymia is associated with several somatic disorders, more prospective studies are required to establish the direction of causality. Preliminary data suggest that psychotherapies involving specific techniques to enhance emotional awareness and integrate symbolic and subsymbolic elements of emotion schemas may be effective in reducing alexithymic characteristics.

Conclusion:

Alexithymia is proving to be a heuristically useful construct for exploring the role of personality and emotions in the pathogenesis of certain somatic illnesses and diseases.
Comparison of Family Therapy and Family Group Psychoeducation in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Geist Rose , Heinmaa Margus , Stephens Derek , Davis Ron , Katzman Debra K
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To compare the effects of 4 months of 2 family-oriented treatments, family therapy and family psychoeducation, on female adolescents with newly diagnosed restrictive eating disorders.

Method:

Twenty-five female adolescents requiring hospitalization were randomized into either family therapy or family group psychoeducation. Outcome measures included medical (body weight) and psychosocial (specific and nonspecific eating disorder psychopathology) variables at baseline and after 4 months of treatments every 2 weeks.

Results:

A significant time effect was found in both treatment groups for the restoration of body weight (percentage of ideal body weight, P < 0.000 01). The group averages ranged from 75% to 77% ideal body weight before treatment to 91% to 96% after it. A time effect was also seen on the Family Assessment Measure (P < 0.018), in that the patients of both groups acknowledged more family psychopathology at the end of treatment. No significant group differences were found on any of the self-report measures of specific and nonspecific eating disorder pathology.

Conclusions:

Weight restoration was achieved following the 4-month period of treatment in both the family therapy and family psychoeducation groups, but no significant change was reported in psychological functioning by either adolescents or parents. Family group psychoeducation, the less expensive form of treatment, is an equally effective method of providing family-oriented treatment to newly diagnosed, medically compromised anorexia nervosa patients and their families.
Attitudes of Senior Psychiatry Residents toward Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Ouellette-Kuntz Hélène , Burge Philip , Henry David B , Bradley Elspeth A , Leichner Pierre
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

This study examined the attitudes of senior residents in psychiatry toward persons with intellectual disabilities. Examining residents' attitudes will highlight areas of training that could be enhanced to better prepare psychiatrists to work with individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Method:

A questionnaire was distributed to senior psychiatry residents at a Canada-wide preparatory session for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Included in the questionnaire was the Community Living Attitudes Scale Mental Retardation - Short Form (CLAS) as well as demographic items (for example, age, sex, and marital status) and questions about training in intellectual disabilities. Scores on the 4 CLAS subscales (Empowerment, Similarity, Exclusion, and Sheltering) are reported, and analyses of variance were performed to identify factors associated with each subscale score. The residents' scores are compared with those obtained in surveys of other groups.

Results:

Fifty-eight senior residents from across Canada completed the questionnaire. The residents' scores favorued Empowerment and Similarity over Exclusion and Sheltering. Men and women responded differently. Training in intellectual disabilities during residency only appeared to influence the Similarity subscale scores.

Conclusion:

Senior psychiatry residents hold attitudes toward persons with intellectual disabilities that are not entirely consistent with the community living philosophic paradigm. More research is needed to uncover how attitudes of psychiatrists develop, as well as how training can influence attitudes.
Research on Religion, Spirituality, and Mental Health: A Review
Authors: Koenig Harold G
Published: July 2017

Religious and spiritual factors are increasingly being examined in psychiatric research. Religious beliefs and practices have long been linked to hysteria, neurosis, and psychotic delusions. However, recent studies have identified another side of religion that may serve as a psychological and social resource for coping with stress. After defining the terms religion and spirituality, this paper reviews research on the relation between religion and (or) spirituality, and mental health, focusing on depression, suicide, anxiety, psychosis, and substance abuse. The results of an earlier systematic review are discussed, and more recent studies in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other countries are described. While religious beliefs and practices can represent powerful sources of comfort, hope, and meaning, they are often intricately entangled with neurotic and psychotic disorders, sometimes making it difficult to determine whether they are a resource or a liability.
Estimating the Economic Costs of Antidepressant Discontinuation during Pregnancy
Authors: O'Brien Lisa , Laporte Audrey , Koren Gideon
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Depression is a major public health concern that results in a wide range of economic costs to people, their families, and the health care system. Our study sought to determine the direct medical costs incurred by the Ontario government owing to cessation of antidepressant therapy during pregnancy.

Methods:

We conducted an economic evaluation by making assumptions based on data obtained from Statistics Canada, federal and provincial government reports, and relevant depression literature. The analysis included the number of pregnant women with depression residing in Ontario and, subsequently, the number of those women who experienced depressive relapse during pregnancy owing to discontinuation of antidepressant medication. The cost of physician services, hospitalizations, and the birth of preterm and low birth weight infants (2 adverse outcomes associated with untreated depression during pregnancy) were also taken into consideration.

Results:

An estimated 2953 pregnant women with depression in Ontario annually discontinue antidepressant therapy and subsequently have a depressive relapse. An estimated $20 546 982 is spent annually in Ontario on untreated maternal depression in pregnancy; this is the total after subtracting the cost of risks associated with treated depression during pregnancy ($3 144 053).

Conclusions:

Safe treatment options for the management of depression during pregnancy should be actively explored as treated depression translates into cost savings for the Ontario government and society as a whole. Beyond this cost, depression interferes with the quality of childrearing, maternal responsiveness to infants, and other determinants essential for optimal child development.
Transitions in Hearing Impairment and Psychological Distress in Older Adults
Authors: Corna Laurie M , Wade Terrance J , Streiner David L , Cairney John
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Although previous research has demonstrated an association between hearing impairment (HI) and psychological distress, less work has explored the effect of transitions in hearing status on distress over time, or the explanatory pathways that may explain this association.

Method:

We use 2 waves of data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey to examine the effect of HI transitions on changes in distress during 6 years, and to test the potential mediating effects of psychosocial factors and chronic stressors.

Results:

Experiencing a decline in hearing was associated with increased distress at Wave 4, net of Wave 1 distress, although the significance of the relation was reduced to trend level following adjustment for sociodemographic variables ( P < 0.06). The introduction of mastery and self-esteem further reduced the size of the effect of reporting a decline in hearing in the full model.

Conclusions:

The association between declines in HI and psychological distress during a 6-year period did not reach a traditional level of statistical significance, and we discuss potential explanations for this finding. Mastery and self-esteem may be important explanatory variables in the HI–distress association and should be considered in future research.
Course, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Depressive Symptomatology in Workers following a Workplace Injury: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Franche Renée-Louise , Carnide Nancy , Hogg-Johnson Sheilah , Côté Pierre , Breslin F Curtis , Bültmann Ute , Severin Colette N , Krause Niklas
Published: July 2017

Objectives:

To estimate prevalence, incidence, and course of depressive symptoms and prevalence of mental health treatment following a workplace injury, and to estimate the association between depressive symptoms and return-to-work (RTW) trajectories.

Method:

In a prospective cohort study, workers filing a lost-time compensation claim for a work-related musculoskeletal disorder of the back or upper extremity were interviewed 1 month ( n = 599) and 6 months ( n = 430) postinjury. A high level of depressive symptoms was defined as 16 or more on the self-reported Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression (CES-D) Scale. The following estimates are reported: prevalence of high depressive symptom levels at 1 and 6 months postinjury; incidence, resolution, and persistence of high depressive symptom levels between 1 and 6 months; and prevalence of self-reported mental health treatment and depression diagnosis at 6 months postinjury.

Results:

Prevalence of high depressive symptom levels at 1 month and 6 months postinjury were 42.9% (95% CI 38.9% to 46.9%) and 26.5% (95% CI 22.3% to 30.7%), respectively. Among participants reporting high depressive symptom levels at 1 month postinjury, 47.2% (95% CI 39.9% to 54.5%) experienced a persistence of symptoms 6 months postinjury. By 6 months, 38.6% of workers who never returned to work or had work disability recurrences had high depressive symptom levels, compared with 17.7% of those with a sustained RTW trajectory. At 6–month follow-up, 12.9% (95% CI 5.8% to 20.1%) of participants with persistently high depressive symptom levels self-reported a depression diagnosis since injury and 23.8% (95% CI 14.7% to 32.9%) were receiving depression treatment.

Conclusions:

Depressive symptoms are pervasive in workers with musculoskeletal injuries, but transient for some, and seldom diagnosed as depression or treated.
Disclosure Attitudes and Social Acknowledgement as Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity in Chinese and German Crime Victims
Authors: Mueller Julia , Orth Ulrich , Wang Jianping , Maercker Andreas
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Only rare data exist comparing cross-cultural aspects of civilian traumatization. We compared prevalence rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in German and Chinese crime victims, and investigated the cross-cultural effect of 2 interpersonal predictors.

Method:

German ( n = 151) and Chinese ( n = 144) adult crime victims were assessed several months postcrime. The parallel questionnaire set assessed PTSD symptom severity, disclosure attitudes, social acknowledgement, and demographic and crime characteristics.

Results:

German and Chinese participants differed significantly in their PTSD symptom severity. However, in both samples, disclosure attitudes and social acknowledgement predicted PTSD symptom severity with a similar strength, in addition to the effects of other PTSD predictors.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that interpersonal variables are predictors of PTSD symptom severity in both cultures and should be included in etiologic models of PTSD.
Choosing a Career in Psychiatry: Factors Associated with a Career Interest in Psychiatry among Canadian Students on Entry to Medical School
Authors: Gowans Margot C , Glazier Lee , Wright Bruce J , Brenneis Fraser R , Scott Ian M
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To report the proportion of Canadian medical students interested in a career in psychiatry at medical school entry and to describe the unique demographics and career influences associated with this early interest.

Methods:

From 2001 to 2004, during the first 2 weeks of medical school, a 41–item survey of career choice, demographics, and attitudes toward various aspects of medical practice was distributed to all students in 18 classes at 8 Canadian medical schools. Associations between early career interest, demographics, and career influences were explored.

Results:

Of the 2096 completed surveys, 3.2% of students named psychiatry as their first career choice. While 34% of students considered psychiatry a possible career option, 54.9% stated that they had not considered this option. Students interested in psychiatry were more likely than other students to have an undergraduate education in the arts, to have close family or friends practicing medicine, and to have worked voluntarily with people with mental illness. Students interested in psychiatry had a lesser social orientation than students interested in family medicine but had a greater social orientation and lesser hospital orientation than students interested in other specialties.

Conclusions:

Enhanced psychiatric care may be aided by the selective recruitment into medical school of students with a demonstrated empathy toward people with mental illness, an educational background in the arts, and a strong social orientation. As career influences change throughout medical school, participants in this study will be re-surveyed at graduation to better understand the evolution of career choice decision-making throughout medical school.
Bullying Victimization (Being Bullied) among Adolescents Referred for Urgent Psychiatric Consultation: Prevalence and Association with Suicidality
Authors: Alavi Nazanin , Roberts Nasreen , Sutton Chloe , Axas Nicholas , Repetti Leanne
Published: July 2017

Objective:

To examine the prevalence of bullying victimization among adolescents referred for urgent psychiatric consultation, to study the association between bullying victimization and suicidality, and to examine the relation between different types of bullying and suicidality.

Method:

A retrospective chart review was conducted for all adolescents referred to a hospital-based urgent consultation clinic. Our study sample consisted of adolescents with a history of bullying victimization. The Research Ethics Board of Queen's University provided approval. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS (IBM SPSS Inc, Armonk, NY). Chi-square tests were used for sex, suicidal ideation, history of physical and sexual abuse, and time and type of bullying, and an independent sample t test was used for age.

Results:

The prevalence of bullying victimization was 48.5% (182 of 375). There was a significant association between being bullied and suicidal ideation ( P = 0.01), and between sex and suicidal ideation ( P = 0.001). Victims of cyberbullying reported more suicidal ideation than those who experienced physical or verbal bullying ( P = 0.04).

Conclusions:

Bullying victimization, especially cyberbullying, is associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation among adolescents referred for psychiatric risk assessment. The detailed history of the type and duration of bullying experienced by the victims should be considered when conducting a psychiatric risk assessment.
Knowledge-Intensive Organisations: Women's Promised Land? The Case of the Irish Software Companies
Authors: Greco Lidia
Published: July 2017

This article investigates the contention that the organisation of work and the model of industrial relations in knowledge intensive companies are less iniquitous for women than in other industries. It does so by analysing a series of biographical interviews conducted with a number of women working in the Irish software sector. In contrast to bureaucracies, knowledge intensive companies promote time flexibility, collaborative work environments, immediate human relations, autonomy and performance-related career progression. These features are generally deemed to be less prone to the reproduction of gendered practices and values and to facilitate women's dual role in society. The findings of the empirical investigation suggest that the process of feminisation of the Irish software companies has not been matched by a distinctive process of recognition of the gendered nature of workplaces; as a consequence, they are failing to accommodate female presence in the industry. Whilst no clear discriminatory behaviours and practices emerge in the sector, new and different forms of inequality have come to surface in the industry.
Encounters with Postmodern Art: Zygmunt Bauman, Sociology and Art
Authors: Herrero Marta
Published: July 2017

This article sets Bauman's arguments on postmodern art against current debates in the sociology of arts, particularly in the so-called ‘production of culture’ approach, and its notion of ‘art worlds’. It will argue that they offer two contradicting analytical positions on what constitutes art, which are, in principle, reductionist. However, they also help shed new light on a methodological model to understand ‘cultural practice’ in so-called postmodern art communities. The article is divided into three parts. First, it discusses Bauman's definitions of postmodern art; second, it re-contextualises Bauman's arguments within the production of culture approach. Third, it compares Bauman's notion of postmodern community with Becker's art worlds.
Charge Carrier Transport in Disordered Solids: Dispersive Versus Gaussian
Authors: Tyutnev Andrey P. , Kundina Yuliy E. , Saenko Vladimir S. , Pozhidaev Evgenii D.
Published: July 2017

We present a critical review of numerous time-of-flight and radiation-induced conductivity measurements in disordered solids as well as of the theoretical models used to explain them. Recent experiments employing both techniques simultaneously resulted in conflicting conclusions about charge carrier transport in molecularly doped polymers. Whereas the latter method gives a consistent representation of it as a highly non-equilibrium phenomenon of yet unspecified duration (dispersive process), the former is notorious for a number of ambiguous results, some of which are still present, and it is also known to generate the Gaussian disorder model predicting the prevalent steady-state mobility (Gaussian transport). A way to reconcile these seemingly contradictory data has been suggested. This consists of taking due account of surface effects arising from the presence of surface regions (layers) in the dielectric sample with somewhat inferior electronic properties compared with the bulk. Preliminary calculations lend credit to this idea. It is argued that the time-of-flight method should be supplemented by some bulk excitation technique, which allows us to minimize or even remove surface effects. The methodological basis of the former method should be revisited. On the weight of the available information, preference should be given to the dispersive rather than the Gaussian transport but a major problem still exists.
Thermal Aging of Twaron Fibers
Authors: Jain Anjana , Vijayan Kalyani
Published: July 2017

The residual effects of thermal aging on Twaron fibers have been studied using X-ray diffraction, weight analysis, scanning electron microscopy and tensile testing. X-ray data from isothermally aged fibers indicate the introduction of changes at the level of the crystal lattice, which include reduction in crystallinity, variations in 20 values, half width and azimuthal spread of reflections. Isothermal aging also introduces weight loss. Examination of the surface of fibers has shown that damages in the form of holes, materials deposits, etc., are introduced by isothermal aging. These data on Twaron further show that the thermally induced effects are controlled by two parameters: temperature T and cumulative exposure time to T, i.e. tcum(T). Among the tensile properties, the tensile strength is found to be more sensitive to thermal aging than modulus. In addition to the structural studies on the thermal aging behavior of Twaron, a one-to-one comparison has also been attempted between the tensile behavior of Twaron and Kevlar 49 fibers, which are also made up of the same polymer.
Synthesis of CoAl-layered double hydroxide/graphene oxide nanohybrid and its reinforcing effect in phenolic foams
Authors: Wang Zhengzhou , Li Xiaoyan
Published: July 2017

A graphene oxide (GO) immobilized with layered double hydroxide (CoAl-LDH/GO) nanohybrid was prepared via a hydrothermal method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, field emission scan electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The TGA results show that the immobilization of CoAl-LDH nanoparticles on GO surface greatly promotes the thermal stability of GO. More importantly, the incorporation of the CoAl-LDH/GO nanohybrid into PF foams leads to not only a great improvement in their mechanical strengths but also a reduction in their brittleness and friability. Specifically, compared to neat phenolic (PF) foam, at only 0.9 phr (parts per hundred of resin by mass) of CoAl-LDH/GO, the compressive and flexural strengths of the modified PF foam increase by 54.8% and 35.2%, respectively, and pulverization ratio decreases by 55.2%. The addition of the CoAl-LDH/GO nanohybrid also results in an increase in the limiting oxygen index and a decrease in the peak heat release of the modified PF foam in cone calorimeter test. Moreover, the thermal stability of the PF foam is enhanced by the addition of the nanohybrid.
Optimum selection of tool materials for machining of high-strength steels based on fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method
Authors: Xu Qingzhong , Zhao Jun , Ai Xing , Huang Weimin , Wang Guijie
Published: July 2017

To provide guidance for the tool materials selection in the machining of high-strength steels, this article outlines the application of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method for the cutting performance evaluation of cemented carbide tools, ceramic tools, and cermet tools. The results indicate that cermets with the best comprehensive cutting performance are chosen as the optimum tool materials for the machining of high-strength steels. Moreover, the severe adhesion wear characteristics of cemented carbide tools are detrimental to the surface quality of workpieces. The obvious crater wear and furrow-like scratches caused mainly by abrasive wear, as well as adhesive wear can shorten the life of ceramic tools. The sharp cutting edge and good wear resistance of cermet tools are not only beneficial to the machined surface quality of workpieces, but also prolong the tool life. The analysis of tool wear proves the reliability and accuracy of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method.
A cloud-based, knowledge-enriched framework for increasing machining efficiency based on machine tool monitoring
Authors: Mourtzis Dimitris , Vlachou Ekaterini , Milas Nikolaos , Tapoglou Nikolaos , Mehnen Jorn
Published: July 2017

The ever-increasing complexity in manufacturing systems caused by the fluctuating customer demands has highly affected the contemporary shop-floors. The selection of the appropriate cutting parameters is becoming more and more challenging due to the increasing complexity of products. Until now, the knowledge of the machine operators concerning the modification of the machining parameters and the monitoring information is not sufficiently exploited by the optimization systems. Web and Cloud technologies together with wireless sensor networks are required to capture the shop-floor data and enable the ubiquitous access from multiple IT tools. For addressing these challenges, this research work proposes a Cloud-based, knowledge-enriched framework for machining efficiency based on machine tool monitoring. More precisely, it focuses on the optimization of the machining parameters and moves through an event-driven optimization algorithm, utilizing the existing machining knowledge captured by the monitoring system. Based on the features of a new part, a similarity mechanism retrieves the cutting parameters of successfully executed past parts that have been machined. Afterwards, the optimization module, using event-driven function blocks, adapts these parameters to efficiently optimize the moves and the cutting parameters. The monitoring system uses a wireless sensor network and a human operator input via mobile devices. A case study from the mould-making industry is used for validating the proposed framework.
Failure criterion for aluminium tubes during warm hydroforming and in crash applications
Authors: Lee Y S , Yi H K , Van Tyne C J , Moon Y H
Published: July 2017

A quantitative failure criterion was developed for aluminium (Al) tubes. The developed criterion is based on the critical damage value as calculated from the Cockroft and Latham ductile failure criterion and can be used to determine the forming limit during warm hydroforming or for failure during a crash. As-extruded, fully annealed, and T6-tempered Al 6061 tubes were tested to evaluate the effect of heat treatment conditions and forming temperature. To assess the formability of the Al 6061 tubes, uniaxial tensile tests and hydraulic bulge tests were performed in the temperature range of 25—300°C. The measured flow strength was used in finite element (FE) simulations for the tube hydroforming process. A commercial finite element method (FEM) code, DEFORM2DTM, was used to calculate the damage values and strains at various locations in the hydroformed tube. Based on the results of both the experimental and FEM analysis, a failure criterion, which is based on the forming limit and ductile fracture criterion, was developed. Using the critical damage value as a quantitative measure, the formability and also the critical damage value of the as-extruded tube is 50 per cent lower than that of the fully annealed tube. The developed failure criterion predicts well the observed failures during hydroforming for a hexagonal-shaped prototype part. Moreover, the failure criterion can be used to predict the crash performance of the hydroformed part, which has variations in the amount of prior deformation and in thickness. The benefit of the proposed failure criterion is that it can be used to predict both the forming limit of the tube during hydroforming and the behaviour of hydroformed tubes during a crash.
Comparison of evolutionary techniques for the optimization of machining fixture layout under dynamic conditions
Authors: Sabareeswaran M , Padmanaban KP , Sundararaman KA
Published: July 2017

Modern manufacturing industries are striving to improve the machining accuracy and productivity to reduce the rejection rate and unit cost of the machined parts. The properly designed fixture layout enables the designer to minimize the vibration so that the requisite machining accuracy can be achieved. During machining, especially in end milling, the intermittent engagement of multitooth cutter induces vibration on the workpiece. When the excitation frequency of multitooth cutter coincides with any one of the natural frequencies of the fixtured workpiece, it leads to the condition of resonance. The vibration increases under these circumstances, which degrades the machining accuracy and surface finish of the machined workpiece. Hence, the issues related to the design of fixture layout are to be addressed by recognizing the dynamic behavior of the fixture–workpiece system. In this research paper, finite element method is utilized to simulate the end milling operation and to determine the natural frequency of the workpiece. The main focus is to maximize the difference between natural frequency of the fixtured workpiece and excitation frequency of the cutter to minimize the vibration on the workpiece. Two different evolutionary techniques genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization are employed to maximize the difference between these frequencies by optimizing the machining fixture layout. The performance of genetic algorithm and particle swarm optimization on the fixture layout optimization is compared. The comparison of results concludes that particle swarm optimization is the most appropriate approach than the genetic algorithm in achieving the better results.
Achieving optimized tungsten inert gas butt welding conditions of thin cold rolled steel sheets by response surface methodology and artificial neural networks
Authors: Giri Anoj , Pandey Chandan , Mahapatra MM
Published: July 2017

This paper describes the multiresponse optimization of tungsten inert gas welding for an optimal parametric combination to predict the weld characteristics of thin cold rolled steel sheets. The interaction effects of tungsten inert gas welding process parameters such as welding current, arc length, and traverse speed have been observed on the weld characteristic responses such as weld width, heat-affected zone width, and under-bead depression. Full factorial design of experiment was followed for determining the combinations of the experimental runs. Regression analysis was carried out to develop the mathematical models for the welding control factors and responses. Analysis of variance was used to check the adequacy of the developed mathematical model. The confirmatory tests were conducted to validate the accuracy of mathematical model. Sensitivity analysis was also done to analyze the effect of each individual process parameter on the weld responses. The full factorial experimental data was further utilized for multi-response optimization of the tungsten inert gas process parameters. It was observed that weld responses like weld width and heat-affected zone width could be optimized by regression modeling technique while the under-bead depression showed uncertain behavior. The under-bead depression ranged from 0.0 to 0.15 mm and was observed only when the arc traverse speed was at the lowest level (4 cm/min) for all values of the welding current and arc length. The experimental data were also modeled using the artificial neural network technique for the prediction of weld responses and the results were compared with that from the regression analysis.
Evaluation of wheel profile measurements by means of the contact-point function for the wheel–rail interface
Authors: Asplund Matthias , Rantatalo Matti
Published: July 2017

This study examines the accuracy of a wayside train wheel profile measurement system. This was accomplished by an evaluation of the contact-point function for the wheel–rail interface. The wheel profile measurement system in question generates data about the wheel profiles of passing trains. These data are used for improving the wheel maintenance procedures for the rolling stock operator. Recent work shows that there are differences between the data from the two different units in the system, but how this influences further use of the data, e.g. in wheel–rail contact analysis, has not been investigated so far. Accordingly, this article shows how two key wheel measures (the wheel flange thickness and the wheel profile) impact on the contact-point function and which of these measures has the largest impact on the contact-point function. The data used in this study were generated by two different measurement units for the same wheel and with the same wheel status. The results show that the different units produce different results and that these differences are more prominent when a difference in the flange thickness is detected, with a resulting shift of the front side of the flange and of the tread. With no difference in the flange thickness, i.e. no shift of the front side of the flange and of the tread, a difference was still detected in the contact conditions. Furthermore, this investigation shows that the shape of the tread has a greater impact on the contact-point conditions compared to a change in the flange thickness of up to 2.5 mm. This difference in the tread shape could have originated in measurement noise or different wheel measurement positions. The results of the study also show the importance of managing the measurement quality before using the data, for example for maintenance decisions.
Predicting Financial Crises: A Study of Asian Economies
Authors: Dash Priyadarshi
Published: July 2017

Financial crises entail heavy adjustment costs on the global economy in the form of growth deceleration, weak external sector, rising prices and high unemployment. Moreover, the affected economies witness distressed policy reversals which sometimes prove detrimental to the home economy in high growth periods, typical of East Asian tigers during the 1997 financial crisis. These negative externalities inflicted upon the society in event of such crises warrant the need for credible effective crisis detection and monitoring mechanisms. This article contributes to that debate by identifying the presence of synchronicity and contagion risk in Asia in a panel cointegration model involving select financial sector variables. Empirical findings of the study interestingly reveal a strong existence of cointegration among these set of variables for the full period, that is, 1990: Q1 to 2011: Q2 as well as for various sub-periods suggesting high risk of contagion in the region. Further, the article presents a literature review on the role and effectiveness of early warning systems (EWSs) with a view to examine whether this synchronicity was adequately captured by those models or not. Regardless of the econometric techniques, the predictions of EWSs have rarely reflected the real crisis episodes.
Global Environmental Politics and the Grand Old Theory of ‘Human Nature’
Authors: Helen Kopnina
Published: July 2017

This article focuses on the causation theories of recent environmental problems, such as the loss of biodiversity and climate change, in relation to the concept of ‘human nature’. While the notion of ‘human nature’ has devaluated from the status of ‘grand theory’ to a marginal anthropological debate, the author argues that this notion deserves to be resurrected in order to comprehend some of the explanatory gaps inherent in other theories. The author argues that industrialization signifies a turning point in human history, which in combination with certain ‘universal’ human traits led to recent environmental problems. Most observers agree that the problems associated with the environmental degradation are global, in scale and can only be approached through a complex system of coordinated global governanace (Paterson, 2009; Smith, 2009). The explanation for this degradation can be found not only in socio-economic and political theories, but also in the complementary theories of human nature. The author will particularly discuss human universals such as propensity for technological innovation; the desire to elevate oneself above one’s social class or status; and preoccupation with social justice. The author argues that these universal features, in combination with the condition of industrial capitalism or socialism, lead to an unfortunate although mostly unintended effect resulting in environemntal degradation.
Impact of Board Size: An Empirical Study of Companies Listed in BSE 100 Index
Authors: Saibaba MD , Ansari Valeed Ahmad
Published: July 2017

Corporate boards of directors play a central role in the corporate governance of modern companies. Post Enron's, sweeping regulatory changes were made, particularly regarding the role of directors in the SOX Act, 2002. Such far reaching reforms have not been witnessed in the past 70 years of corporate governance history (Byrenes, 2003). In India, in line with these regulations, Narayanamurthy Committee's report of SEBI came into force in 2006.

This study examines the relationship between board size and firm valuations of companies listed in the BSE 100 index covering a five year period, 2004-05 to 2008-09, using the framework of panel data methodology. In the Indian context the results are in consonance with similar studies showing a positive impact of larger board sizes on firm valuations measured by Tobin's Q.
En/Countering Corrupt Leadership and Poor Corporate Governance in the Nigerian Banking Sector: Towards a Model of Ethical Leadership
Authors: Nwagbara Uzoechi
Published: July 2017

The recent global corporate scandals, banking frauds and financial mismanagement involving high-profile institutional failures have necessitated the saliency of corporate governance and ethical leadership in the banking sector. This ugly development has intensified debates on the workability of corporate governance framework as a check on the excesses of corporations, banks and financial institutions.

In this paper, attention will be focused on Nigerian banking sector, which has recently witnessed one of the worst forms of corporate scandals, stemming largely from financial impropriety by its leaders, as well as corrupt leadership that failed to gain the confidence and trust of customers and stakeholders.

In remedying poor corporate governance as well as fiduciary impropriety in the Nigerian banking sector, this paper proposes ethical leadership, a leadership model that is visionary as well as responsible to various stakeholders. Ethical leadership takes legitimacy from strength of character that fosters trust and ethical conduct. Although heavy regulatory measures are necessary, however, ethical leadership will promote positive corporate norms and ethical climate that would combine with corporate regulations for better banking practices.
Aspects of Economic Relations between India and North Africa
Authors: Azhar Muhammad
Published: July 2017

In the globalised world, the importance of co-operation between different regions and countries of the world has grown very fast. Although India and the countries of North Africa are situated at a long distance but the economic relations have prospered significantly. India is the second fastest growing economy in the world with substantial mass of skilled manpower, whereas the countries of North Africa are rich in phosphate deposits and petroleum oil and gas deposits. They are situated on the eastern side of the Mediterranean across which lies the Europe. They are also part of the African continent. Thus geography gives them a strategic position.

India’s economic relations with these countries are quite old. However, the period of analysis is of contemporary years. The article tries to find the trends in India – North Africa trade, India’s exports to North African countries, India’s imports from North Africa, balance of trade and cooperation in energy and other sectors. The competition in North African market is very high but Indian companies can utilize the North African market for expanding access to the markets of other African countries and European Countries.