bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
One-Component Composites as Functionally Gradient Materials
Authors: Stellbrink K. K. U. , Hausser G. , Steegmuller R.
Published: June 2014

In general, composites are made from at least two distinctive components, fibers and matrix. However, the one-component composite is made only from self-reinforcing thermoplastic fibers that are interconnected by a specific compaction or sintering process. Plies made of this material behave quite similar to, for example, glass-fiber-reinforced polymers. Stiffness and strength parallel to the fiber direction is high and transverse to the fiber axes is low. The transverse and longitudinal anisotropy ratio depends on the sintering temperature. Thus, non-constant process temperature along wall thickness results in functionally graded material properties in structural shells, which can be well characterizsed by nondestructive testing methods. High energy absorbing capacity makes these materials suitable for protective purposes.
A Numerical Procedure for Elasticity and Failure Behavior Prediction of Textile-Reinforced Composite Materials
Authors: Hamelin P. , Bigaud D.
Published: June 2014

A computer-aided design tool and a numerical procedure allowing prediction of the behavior of textile-reinforced composites are presented in this paper. Specifying a geometrical description, the software can be used for both simple and complex textile structures. It also aims to provide a basis for subsequent mechanical analysis. Fabric unit cells are regarded as three-dimensional aggregates of subcells to which we apply a multi-scale energetical approach. First, elements to validate the elastic prediction are provided by results obtained on a woven fabric material. The progressive failure procedure is validated by comparisons between simulation and experiments on 3D braided composites.
Investigation of the Durability Characteristics of Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Materials in Concrete Environment
Authors: Coomarasamy Arunasalam , Goodman Stephen
Published: June 2014

Commercially available fiber reinforced plastic (FRP) materials were used in this investigation. Accelerated laboratory tests were performed mostly on samples conditioned in simulated concrete pore solution to evaluate the long-term durability characteristics. Most glass fiber reinforced plastic (GFRP) bars were tested after conditioning to evaluate the changes in tensile strength and stiffness with respect to the unconditioned samples. Mass uptake/absorption of alkaline solution and morphological changes of FRP specimens were also studied. The acceleration test regime used in this investigation can be used as a method for determining the durability characteristics of FRP materials in a concrete environment and for the selection of FRP products for demonstration projects before finalizing the design codes and specifications. A simple mass uptake measurement under accelerated test conditions can be used as a first-step screening procedure to eliminate poor-quality products from further testing.
Mode Truncation Effects in an Explicit Mode Elastic Characterization Method
Authors: Yu Lin , Ayorinde Emmanuel O.
Published: June 2014

The second author and colleagues developed an elastic identification method based on model data obtained experimentally from free transverse vibration of impacted freely supported plates. Application of the method to thin, square isotropic metal and composite plates is described in this paper. For these modes, some additively and subtractively coupled modes arising from diagonal symmetry of geometry and boundary conditions (thus termed diagonal modes) are important. The focus of this paper is on how the number of modes used to represent the vibration affects accuracy. One-, three-, and six-term optimized Rayleigh displacement expressions are used for plate vibration, including the diagonal modes. Sensitivity analysis of the frequencies to each elastic constant is included. Results show that the optimal three-term approximation gives results comparable to the normal 36-term Rayleigh expansion, while the optimal six-term compares favorably with the 64-term Rayleigh expansion.
Atomic Force Microscopy Study of Vapor-Grown Carbon Fibers: Evidence of Nanofiber Structure
Authors: Correia A. , Gil A. , Garcia N. , Madroñero A.
Published: June 2014

Vapor-grown carbon fibers (VGCF) are a type of short carbon fibers, not yet commercially available, but with a potentially excellent cost/performance ratio owing to the simplicity of their production process. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy studies have been performed. In each study, a similar structure was observed at the micrometer scale, the so-called "tree-trunk" structure, consisting of concentric cylindrical layers. This atomic force microscopy study revealed the nanometer structure. The layers are composed of several nanofibers approximately 200 nm in width, each exhibiting a fine structure of nanofibers approximately 15 nm in width. This nanostructure is similar to the ex-PAN fibers and explains the acceptable level of mechanical properties obtained for VGCF.
Effect of Fiber Waviness on the High-Strain-Rate Behavior of Composites
Authors: Hsiao H. M. , Daniel I. M.
Published: June 2014

The effect of fiber waviness on the high-strain-rate behavior of carbon/epoxy composite materials was investigated. Falling weight impact and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar systems were developed for basic characterization of unidirectional aligned composites in compression at strain rates up to 1800 s-1. Seventy-two and forty-eight-ply unidirectional carbon/epoxy (IM6G/3501-6) laminates loaded in the longitudinal and transverse directions were characterized. Compression tests on 45° off-axis laminates of the same unidirectional material were also conducted to obtain the in-plane shear stress-strain behavior. Strain rates over a wide range, from quasi-static up to 1800 s-1, were recorded.

An incremental analysis was then used to predict the high-strain-rate behavior of composites with fiber waviness using the results obtained from the strain rate characterization. It is shown that, under longitudinal compressive loading, the nonlinear stress-strain behavior shows significant stiffening as the strain rate increases due to the shear component involved.
Influence of Ultrasonic Vibration Frequency on Acceleration of Hydrothermal Aging of FRP
Authors: Morii Tohru , Ikuta Nobuo , Hamada Hiroyuki
Published: June 2014

This study deals with the accelerated hydrothermal aging test method of fiber-reinforced plastic panels by applying an ultrasonic vibration to the material. The ultrasonic vibration was applied to the specimen during or after immersion in water. The accelerated aging tests were conducted at three vibration frequencies (50 k Hz, 100 k Hz, and 200 k Hz), and the effect of the ultrasonic vibration frequency on the acceleration of aging was discussed. The effect of applying the ultrasonic vibration for the accelerated aging was evaluated from weight change measurements and the bending property. The aging was accelerated by applying the ultrasonic vibration continuously during the water immersion, and it was found that the most effective frequency of ultrasonic vibration was 50 k Hz. The ultrasonic vibration affected the acceleration of the dissolution from the interface, and as a result, the weight loss occurred at shorter immersion time compared with the ordinary immersion test. Such dissolution from the interface induced the weight gain due to the water penetration and the bending strength reduction.
Bagasse Fiber-Polypropylene Based Composites
Authors: Vázquez A. , Domínguez V. A. , Kenny J. M.
Published: June 2014

Processing and properties of bagasse fiber-polypropylene composites are reported. Four different chemical treatments of the vegetal fibers were performed in order to improve interface adhesion with the thermoplastic matrix: namely isocyanate, acrylic acid, mercerization, and washing with alkaline solution were applied. The effects of the treatment reactions on the chemical structure of the fibers were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy. Optical photomicrographs indicate that a highly fibrillated surface is achieved when fibers are mercerized.

The effects of the fiber chemical treatment on the tensile properties of the molded composite, produced by different processing routes, were also analyzed. It was observed that the tensile strength and the elongation at break of the polypropylene matrix composite decrease with the incorporation of bagasse fibers without treatment. However, isocyanate and mercerization treatments enhance the tensile properties of the composite. Moreover, creep measurements were also carried out on the various composites studied. The best results were obtained on materials with treated fibers. The highest creep activation energy was obtained on the composite with the mercerized fiber.
Impact of Obesity and Physical Activity on Functional Outcomes in the Elderly
Authors: Vásquez Elizabeth , Batsis John A. , Germain Cassandra M. , Shaw Benjamin A.
Published: June 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to (a) to examine whether the association between obesity and physical functioning among older adults is moderated by physical activity (PA) and (b) to test whether this moderating effect varies by gender. Method: Data from adults (aged >60 years) who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (2005-2010) were analyzed. Using multivariate logistic regression, we estimated the prevalence ratio (PR) of functional limitations and impairment in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, by body mass index and PA, while adjusting for age, educational level, and a comorbidity index. Results: The sample included 5,304 subjects (mean age = 70.4 years), and 50.5% were female. Overweight and obesity were associated with higher levels of functional limitations when compared with normal weight individuals regardless of the PA status (PR = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.17, 1.85], and PR = 2.71, 95% CI [2.00, 3.67], respectively) even after adjustment for confounders. Discussion: Overweight and obesity are associated with impairment in functional outcomes irrespective of PA.
Drilling of metal matrix composites: Experimental and finite element analysis
Authors: Doomra Vikas K , Debnath Kishore , Singh Inderdeep
Published: June 2014

Drilling is an indispensable machining operation, which is mostly performed for making holes in an intricate composite part. In this research investigation, a finite element model has been developed to simulate the drilling behavior of Al1100/10% SiC metal matrix composite using finite element platform (ABAQUS/Explicit). The effect of cutting speed and feed rate on thrust force has also been experimentally evaluated. It was found that the magnitude of thrust force obtained from the proposed finite element model is in close agreement with the experimental values. It was also established that the proposed finite element model is quite efficient to predict the thrust force signals generated during drilling of metal matrix composites.
Optimal energy management of a series hybrid vehicle with combined fuel economy and low-emission objectives
Authors: Johri Rajit , Filipi Zoran
Published: June 2014

A series hybrid powertrain provides ultimate freedom in controlling the engine. The flexibility enabled with hybridization creates chances for a synergistic approach, in which the hybrid supervisory control can be augmented to address both the emissions and the efficiency. In this paper, two policy optimization techniques are proposed, namely stochastic dynamic programming and neurodynamic programming, for designing power management controllers. These controllers are then compared with a baseline rule-based controller. The intention is to investigate the additional benefits possible through application of policy optimization algorithms and a systematic framework capable of representing complex system-level effects. The power management of a series hydraulic hybrid vehicle is pursued as a sequential decision-making problem under uncertainty (stochastic control). The low energy density of the hydraulic accumulator adds to the control challenge. First, stochastic dynamic programming and neurodynamic programming are applied to design a controller based on the fuel economy objective. The problem is subsequently expanded to include minimization of transient diesel engine emissions. This poses additional challenges due to the increased state space. The problem is computationally intractable by stochastic dynamic programming and is solved using the newly proposed neurodynamic programming framework. Finally, the supervisory controllers are implemented and evaluated using simulations and an engine-in-the-loop facility. It is shown that, by designing an intelligent multi-objective controller, significant reduction in both the fuel consumption and the emissions can be achieved compared with strategies which focus solely on the fuel consumption.
Time domain analysis of the physical wiring for a star-like topology in high-speed controller area networks
Authors: Lim Hansang
Published: June 2014

The high-speed controller area network protocol supports a linear wiring topology. However, owing to productivity and cost concerns, actual networks in automotive applications may be configured in a star-like topology using joint connectors, with multiple stubs diverging from one point on the main bus; this type of configuration may lead to increased signal reflection and requires careful design of the physical wiring. In this study, the time response in a star-like joint-connector-based controller area network bus topology is analysed, and design guidelines for the physical wiring are presented. The effects of the number of stubs connected to a joint connector on the signal transmission are described and evaluated through experiments. Then, the time response through a joint connector with a diverse number of stubs is estimated, which gives a timing reference for designing the physical wiring in a star-like bus topology. Additionally, the effects of reflection between adjacent joint connectors are analysed together with the distance between joint connectors to ensure that no propagation delay degradation occurs.
Particulate matter characteristics of a light-duty diesel engine with alternative fuel blends
Authors: Ma Xiao , Zhang Jun , Xu Hongming , Shuai Shijin , Price Phil
Published: June 2014

The non-volatile particle emission characteristics of alternative (rapeseed methyl ester and gas-to-liquid) diesel fuel blends were studied through an experimental investigation carried out on a light-duty common-rail diesel engine. A blend ratio of 10 vol % was chosen as the practical limit for biodiesels in this study, and the research focus was on the particle number concentration and size distribution with various injection strategies, in which the non-volatile emissions were measured using thermodilution. The particle morphology and mass, together with the related gaseous emissions, were measured and analysed. The results indicate that, without any engine modification, adding selected alternative fuels even at a low percentage could result in a favourable reduction in the number of particles and in a significant reduction in the total particle concentration in both the nucleation mode and the accumulation mode. The particle emissions of the three fuels demonstrated monomodal size distributions under most engine conditions tested, except for the engine idling case, which produced a bimodal size distribution. The influence of 10 vol % rapeseed methyl ester or gas-to-liquid diesel blends on the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide emissions is not significant. Nevertheless, using these diesel fuel blends may increase the total hydrocarbon emissions and may lead to high particulate matter emissions.
Dominant damping effects in friction brake noise, vibration and harshness: the relevance of joints
Authors: Tiedemann Merten , Kruse Sebastian , Hoffmann Norbert
Published: June 2014

The experimental analysis of a single component of a brake system and an assembly consisting of three components is used to clarify the relevance of joints in terms of damping and non-linearity in state-of-the-art brake systems. For this purpose a series of experimental modal analyses are conducted. A comparison of the results obtained from the single component and from the assembly strongly indicate that the joints which necessarily exist in an assembled structure have a strong impact on the dynamic behaviour of the structure. The modal damping values of the jointed structure are a factor of up to 60 higher than those of the single-component values. Also, a significant amplitude dependence of the frequency response functions results. The observations demonstrate that joints are a major source of energy dissipation in friction brake systems and, in addition, that they introduce non-linear behaviour to the system which has the potential to limit squeal amplitudes. Therefore, mechanical joints in brake systems should be considered as decisive design elements for noise, vibration and harshness issues in brakes.
Atypical presentations of genital herpes simplex virus in HIV-1 and HIV-2 effectively treated by imiquimod
Authors: McKendry Anna , Narayana Srinivasulu , Browne Rita
Published: June 2014

Atypical presentations of genital herpes simplex virus have been described in HIV. We report two cases with hypertrophic presentations which were effectively treated with imiquimod, one of which is the first reported case occurring in a patient with HIV-2.
Behçet’s disease diagnosed after acute HIV infection: viral replication activating underlying autoimmunity?
Authors: Roscoe Clay , Kinney Rebecca , Gilles Ryan , Blue Sky
Published: June 2014

Behçet’s disease is an autoimmune systemic vasculitis that can occur after exposure to infectious agents. Behçet’s disease also has been associated with HIV infection, including de novo development of this condition during chronic HIV infection and resolution of Behçet’s disease symptoms following initiation of antiretroviral therapy. We describe a patient who presented with systemic vasculitis with skin and mucous membrane ulcerations in the setting of acute HIV infection, who was eventually diagnosed with Behçet’s disease, demonstrating a possible link between acute HIV infection, immune activation and development of autoimmunity.
Straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine rotor design guide based on aerodynamic performance and loading analysis
Authors: Ahmadi-Baloutaki Mojtaba , Carriveau Rupp , Ting David S-K
Published: June 2014

Vertical axis wind turbines with straight blades are attractive for their relatively simple structure and aerodynamic performance. An efficient design methodology is required to enhance this resurging renewable energy technology. This paper aims to provide a robust design procedure built on an existing analytical approach to determine the optimum range of the design parameters for prototype construction. Identifying the proper range of design parameters can save significant time and resources in the initial turbine development stages. Here the double-multiple streamtube method has been utilized to analyze turbine aerodynamic performance. A parametric optimization has been performed for several design factors to maximize the turbine power coefficient and its operational range. The results show that the optimum value of the rotor solidity factor, blade aspect ratio, and rotor aspect ratio are in the range of 0.2 <  σ < 0.6, 10 <  μ < 20, and 0.5 <  H/ D < 2, respectively. Aerodynamic loading analysis has also been carried out, and the most severe stresses acting on the blades and supporting arms were determined. The most favorable bending stress distribution along the blade occurred when two supporting arms per blade were used at intermediate locations of 21% and 79% along the blade length. A comparative study of different supporting arm shapes demonstrated that utilizing aerodynamic profiles for turbine arms created the most acceptable aerodynamic response. A summary of design aspects addressed in this paper is presented in a useful summary flowchart.
On the illness of Politian (Agnolo Ambrogini, 1454–1494): Syphilis at its identification in Europe
Authors: Tagarelli Antonio , Piro Anna
Published: June 2014

The authors investigated the life, the works and the illness of the humanist and poet Agnolo Ambrogini, better known as Politian, and the cause of his death, shedding evidence on the ambiguous meaning of the term scabies that is included in the titles of two works ascribed to Politian, namely ‘Sylva in scabiem’ and ‘De scabie’. These two works tell us the illness that will kill Politian who describes them in detail as a new illness that does appear in other important works dated between the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th. This new illness will be called ‘syphilis’. Syphilis was virulent in Europe soon after it appeared and it killed Politian within one year. He seems to have been the first famous European who was not a physician who described his own syphilis. Others include the poet Niccolò Campani (1478–1523), the writer and humanist Ulrich Von Hutten (1488–1523), the sculptor and writer Benvenuto Cellini (1500–1571) and Joseph Grunpeck (1473–1532), and secretary to Emperor Maximilian I (1459–1519). The origins of this serious condition have been ascribed to the crew who accompanied Christopher Columbus (1451–1506).
Assessment of Effect of Leadership Behaviour Perceptions and Organizational Commitment of Hospital Employees on Job Satisfaction with Structural Equation Modelling
Authors: Şahin İsmet , Akyürek Cagdas Erkan , Yavuz Şenol
Published: June 2014

This article is dedicated to the memories of coal miners who lost their lives in Soma (Manisa). It was not their destiny.
A Qualitative Evaluation of the Performance-based Supplementary Payment System in Turkey
Authors: Yuzden Ganime Esra , Yildirim Julide
Published: June 2014

The Ministry of Health of Turkey introduced performance-based supplementary payment (PBSP) system in 2004. The importance of feedbacks from healthcare providers regarding the implementation of alternative health policies has been recognized in the literature. This study reports the perceptions of physicians about the PBSP system in Turkey. A qualitative analysis has been conducted in two hospitals in the Western province of Turkey, Balıkesir. Analysis results suggest that physicians have limited awareness about the pay for performance system. They agree that the PBSP system has not achieved the objectives of enhancing productivity, efficiency and quality of care. The major contributing factors to the limited success of the system have been identified as increased workload, stress and competition among the physicians. Thus revisions have been suggested for the proper implementation of the programme, which include the determination of a maximum number of medical examinations.
Tracking Benefits of Janani Suraksha Yojana—A Maternal Cash Transfer Scheme: Evidence from Rajasthan, India
Authors: Purohit Neetu , Mehra Vrinda , Govil Dipti
Published: June 2014

Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is more often than not recognized only as a cash transfer scheme for institutional deliveries. Since its pan India introduction in 2005, the scheme has passed through various stages which affected its implementation in multiple ways. The scheme, however, could not earn the reputation of an intervention which affected maternal health in any phenomenal way other than increasing institutional deliveries. After five years of its implementation, the present paper attempts to highlight the areas where JSY has positively contributed; if not directly, indirectly in affecting maternal health and the psyche of the community. The article provides evidence from primary data collected from 424 women who delivered during April 2010–March 2011 in selected villages of four districts of Rajasthan, India. Findings from other population-based studies conducted in the state of Rajasthan since the launch of JSY have also been considered to support the findings of the current study presented in the paper. It attempts to show that though JSY incentives were contingent on institutional delivery alone; it led to improvement of other services which have positively affected maternal and child health in terms of health seeking behaviour of the community. Chi square test was employed and it shows health behaviour of those who availed JSY benefits to be significantly associated with registration of pregnancy (p < 0.01), antenatal checkups (p < 0.05), duration of stay at the institution post-delivery (p < 0.01), initiation of breastfeeding (p < 0.5) and postnatal checkup (p < 0.01).
Stress, Coping and Gender Differences in Third Year Medical Students
Authors: Madhyastha Sahana , Latha K.S. , Kamath Asha
Published: June 2014

Medical school can be challenging and poses varied number of stressors to the students. Stress can affect well-being and hamper academic performance. Adaptive coping strategies can protect students against stress. Stress experience and coping may differ across genders. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of stress, examine gender differences in stress experience and coping in a sample of 94 third year medical students. Consenting students were administered Professional Student Stress Survey and Carver’s Brief COPE. All students reported stress and majority experienced stress to a moderate degree (50.5 per cent). Academic performance and professional identity issues were of greatest concerns. Female students had more academic performance stress. Among coping strategies, support seeking was more in females as shown by the increased use of instrumental support seeking (problem-focused) and emotional support seeking (emotion-focused) in comparison to males. Humour, a positive emotion-focused strategy and self-blame, a maladaptive strategy, were used more by males. The findings point towards the crucial need for stress management programs and coping skills training to help medical students manage stress and enhance positive coping strategies.
Clinical Governance Infrastructures and Relational Mechanisms of Control in Healthcare Organizations
Authors: Bodolica Virginia , Spraggon Martin
Published: June 2014

This review paper aims to identify and discuss the dominant themes surrounding the governance initiatives in the context of medical markets relying on the two most common search strategies, namely the keyword search technique and the ancestry approach. In an in-depth examination of the recently published research in the field we uncover an emergent decoupling between the governance initiatives formulated at the macro- and micro-levels in today’s institutions of healthcare provision. The macro-level initiatives are associated with clinical governance infrastructures directed towards the attainment of medical performance targets, whereas the micro-level endeavors refer to relational governance mechanisms for overseeing the relationship between the patient and the physician. Acknowledging the importance of monitoring micro-level interactions that may contribute to the achievement of macro-level objectives, a more comprehensive integration of relational governance devices under the broader system of clinical governance is advocated in this paper with the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of healthcare organizations.
Measuring the Efficiency of Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana using Data Envelopment Analysis Approach
Authors: Seth Pallavi , Patel G.N.
Published: June 2014

The study evaluates the performance of the scheme—Rashtriya Swasthaya Bima Yojana—in different districts of Uttar Pradesh using Data Envelopment Analysis. Additionally, the slack-based forecasting was used to find out how much excess of amount of inputs they are consuming and how much they are lagging behind to use outputs. The study will be helpful for the policymakers (in this case Ministry of Labour and Employment and GIZ) to further improve the scheme. The study and the findings if adopted may help in improving the scheme and which will definitely help the masses, mainly Below Poverty Line (BPL) people for whom the scheme was framed.
Improving Programs and Outcomes
Authors: Bertram Rosalyn M. , Blase Karen A. , Fixsen Dean L.
Published: June 2014

This article presents recent refinements to implementation constructs and frameworks. It updates and clarifies the frequently cited study conducted by the National Implementation Research Network that introduced these frameworks for application in diverse endeavors. As such, it may serve as a historical marker in the rapidly developing science and language of implementation. Within this presentation, two studies alternate as examples of how these frameworks can be used as a practical guide for more effective implementation of human service programs.
The Social Work Practice Doctorate
Authors: Hartocollis Lina , Cnaan Ram A. , Ledwith Kate
Published: June 2014

This article provides a systematic review of the emerging practice doctorate in social work. Based on the experience of the first such Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program, we provide information regarding the program origins and rationale, development, current structure, and future direction. Such information will enrich the discussion on the role and future of the social work practice doctorates and serve schools that are considering or planning to initiate DSW programs.
A new representation for anisotropic viscoelastic functions
Authors: Chen Dao-Long , Yang Ping-Feng , Lai Yi-Shao , Wong Ee-Hua , Chen Tei-Chen
Published: June 2014

A new representation for viscoelastic functions, the tensor relaxation-creep duality representation, is introduced. The derivation of a tensor time-differential constitutive equation for anisotropic viscoelastic materials using this new presentation is presented. The relaxation-creep duality characteristic ingrained in the new representation enables the interconversion of viscoelastic functions, which is not possible with the conventional Prony series representation of viscoelastic functions. The new representation therefore offers a better representation of the physics of viscoelasticity leading to a reduced number of viscoelastic parameters required to describe a viscoelastic function. The new representation has been demonstrated on two anisotropic viscoelastic crystallographic systems: (i) the symmetric systems with material- and time-independent eigenvectors and (ii) the symmetric systems with material-dependent but time-independent eigenvectors.
Adults Need Immunizations Too
Authors: Alpert Patricia T.
Published: June 2014

Annually, approximately 40,000 individuals die from vaccine preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumococcal, and hepatitis B infections. Based on the Healthy People 2020 goals, vaccination rates for adults aged 19 years and older are abysmal. Barriers to immunizing adults are identified and evidence-based strategies to improve vaccination rates are addressed.
Personal Transformation Through Volunteer Tourism: The Evidence of Asian Students
Authors: Pan Tze-Jen
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this study is to explore the personal development and changes brought about by volunteer tourism among Asian students. This study adopts a qualitative inductive approach to collect data from semistructured interviews with 14 participants, an inductive content analysis to analyze the empirical data, and an interpretive paradigm to explain the results. The main finding of this study is that the participants’ volunteering experiences had certain influence on their academic development, daily life, careers, and choice of future tourism activities. Thirteen themes dealing with changes emerged and could be divided into four groups: (a) inner change, (b) change in view of life and the world, (c) change in learning attitude and future career direction, and (d) change in the choice of future tourism activities.
A Constraint-Based Approach to Wine Tourism Market Segmentation
Authors: Cho Meehee , Bonn Mark A. , Brymer Robert A.
Published: June 2014

This study investigated wine tourism constraints from a market segmentation perspective to understand the potential importance they may have on preference and behavioral intentions to visit wine regions. Using constraints scales customized to the wine tourism context, a factor-cluster segmentation approach generated five homogenous subgroups: Highly Constrained, Cost & Time Conscious, Family Togetherness, Unmotivated, and Minimally Constrained. Analysis of variance tests indicated that preference and intentions to visit wine regions were significantly different among the five clusters. In particular, two cluster groups representing Minimally Constrained and Family Togetherness were found to offer the most utility for further wine tourism market segmentation research. Implications for all cluster groups regarding unique sociodemographic characteristics and behavioral intentions were discussed. This study provides future academic research opportunities pertaining to the application of wine tourism constraints scales. Destination marketing organizations can apply these findings toward the development of effective target market strategies.
A new load-sharing-based approach to model mixed-lubrication contact of spur gears
Authors: Parsa M , Akbarzadeh S
Published: June 2014

An isothermal model is developed for predicting the performance of spur gears with provision for surface roughness. For each point along the line of action of the gears, the contact of pinion and gear is replaced by that of two cylinders. The radii of cylinders and transmitted load are calculated, and lubricant film thickness as well as contribution of fluid film and asperities in carrying the total load is obtained using the Johnson’s load-sharing concept. For each asperity in contact, occurrence of elastic, plastic, and elasto-plastic deformation is investigated. To validate the analysis, the predicted film thickness and the friction coefficient are compared to published theoretical data. The results of a series of simulations presenting the effect of surface roughness, load, and speed on the friction coefficient are presented and discussed.
Participant attributions for global change ratings in unexplained chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome
Authors: Friedberg Fred , Coronel Janna , Seva Viktoria , Adamowicz Jenna L , Napoli Anthony
Published: June 2014

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to identify participants’ attributions for their global impression of change ratings in a behavioral intervention for unexplained chronic fatigue and chronic fatigue syndrome. At 3-month follow-up, participants ( N = 67) were asked “Why do you think you are (improved, unchanged, worse)?” Improved patients pointed to specific behavioral changes, unchanged patients referred to a lack of change in lifestyle, and worsened patients invoked stress and/or specific life events. Identifying patient perceptions of behaviors associated with patient global impression of change–rated improvement and non-improvement may assist in developing more effective management strategies in clinical care.
Comparing service use and costs among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders, special needs and typical development
Authors: Barrett Barbara , Mosweu Iris , Jones Catherine RG , Charman Tony , Baird Gillian , Simonoff Emily , Pickles Andrew , Happé Francesca , Byford Sarah
Published: June 2014

Autism spectrum disorder is a complex condition that requires specialised care. Knowledge of the costs of autism spectrum disorder, especially in comparison with other conditions, may be useful to galvanise policymakers and leverage investment in education and intervention to mitigate aspects of autism spectrum disorder that negatively impact individuals with the disorder and their families. This article describes the services and associated costs for four groups of individuals: adolescents with autistic disorder, adolescents with other autism spectrum disorders, adolescents with other special educational needs and typically developing adolescents using data from a large, well-characterised cohort assessed as part of the UK Special Needs and Autism Project at the age of 12 years. Average total costs per participant over 6 months were highest in the autistic disorder group (£11,029), followed by the special educational needs group (£9268), the broader autism spectrum disorder group (£8968) and the typically developing group (£2954). Specialised day or residential schooling accounted for the vast majority of costs. In regression analysis, lower age and lower adaptive functioning were associated with higher costs in the groups with an autism spectrum disorder. Sex, ethnicity, number of International Classification of Diseases (10th revision) symptoms, autism spectrum disorder symptom scores and levels of mental health difficulties were not associated with cost.
Negotiating gender and tourism work: Women’s lived experiences in Uganda
Authors: Boonabaana Brenda
Published: June 2014

The growing research on tourism and gender has emphasised the descriptive patterns of tourism employment by gender and related constraints, with little focus on women’s active agency. Based on feminist understandings, this paper discusses how women in Mukono Parish, Southwestern Uganda, are navigating their local gender relations in order to work in tourism. The research followed a qualitative approach and utilized semi-structured interviews, participant observation and document reviews over an extended period of fieldwork between 2009 and 2011. Findings indicate women’s willingness to exploit tourism work opportunities but still constrained by gender relations, which they keep negotiating. Mukono women are cautiously considering their immediate gains and losses for working in tourism, thereby associating with gender discourses and practices that limit their work opportunities. However, as women begin to work in and earn through tourism, some dominant local gender discourses and practices are slowly being challenged. Conclusions have broad-reaching implications for the field of tourism development and gender.
Publish or perish: African scholarship in the field of tourism and hospitality studies
Authors: Yankholmes Aaron KB
Published: June 2014

This paper critically analyses state-of-the-art practices in African scholarship on tourism and hospitality. This broad aim translates into two objectives. The first was a bibliometric analysis of the publication patterns of Africa-based scholars in four leading tourism and hospitality management journals between 1990 and 2010. The second objective identified the challenges to getting research articles published in high-impact journals. The results suggest that within the 20-year period, very few research articles were published albeit by single authors. The subject content of the journal articles focused on tourist perceptions and behaviour mostly produced by universities and institutions in South Africa, Kenya and Botswana. The research field was also generally under studied with its attendant axiomatic reliance upon Western/Eurocentric canon. Furthermore, the major identified bottlenecks to research productivity were mostly human-induced. Against this backdrop, the study argues that considerable efforts are needed to develop a culture that encourages research publications in high impact journals from an African worldview.
From grassroots to digital ties: A case study of a political consumerism movement
Authors: Parigi Paolo , Gong Rachel
Published: June 2014

New grassroots organizations that target ethical consumer choices and behavior represent a departure from traditional social movement organizations. In this article, we study the activists of one of these organizations and show that social network ties formed mainly online greatly reinforce commitment toward the goals of the movement. We suggest that online ties, that is, digital ties, are important for political consumerism movements because they create audiences for private actions. It is because of the presence of these audiences that the individual participants can reinterpret their actions into public ones. We used an online survey to collect data on the users of the Transition US social website on Ning.com. Over half of the respondents have experiences with political activism. However, their responses indicate that they are dissatisfied with traditional means of political participation (e.g. rallies) and prefer non-contentious collective actions (e.g. local gardening). Respondents perceive community organizing to be the most effective way to bring about social change, deprioritizing connections to local government. Furthermore, respondents who formed digital ties with other activists were significantly more likely than respondents who had no ties with other activists to adopt consumer changes consistent with the goals of the movement. We interpreted this finding as an indicator that digital ties share some of the characteristics of strong ties, and we explored this similarity in this article.
Political liberalism, free speech and public reason
Authors: Bonotti Matteo
Published: June 2014

In this paper, I critically assess John Rawls' repeated claim that the duty of civility is only a moral duty and should not be enforced by law. In the first part of the paper, I examine and reject the view that Rawls' position may be due to the practical difficulties that the legal enforcement of the duty of civility might entail. I thus claim that Rawls' position must be driven by deeper normative reasons grounded in a conception of free speech. In the second part of the paper, I therefore examine various arguments for free speech and critically assess whether they are consistent with Rawls' political liberalism. I first focus on the arguments from truth and self-fulfilment. Both arguments, I argue, rely on comprehensive doctrines and therefore cannot provide a freestanding political justification for free speech. Freedom of speech, I claim, can be justified instead on the basis of Rawls' political conception of the person and of the two moral powers. However, Rawls' wide view of public reason already allows scope for the kind of free speech necessary for the exercise of the two moral powers and therefore cannot explain Rawls' opposition to the legal enforcement of the duty of civility. Such opposition, I claim, can only be explained on the basis of a defence of unconstrained freedom of speech grounded in the ideas of democracy and political legitimacy. Yet, I conclude, while public reason and the duty of civility are essential to political liberalism, unconstrained freedom of speech is not. Rawls and political liberals could therefore renounce unconstrained freedom of speech, and endorse the legal enforcement of the duty of civility, while remaining faithful to political liberalism.
Nonlinear stiffness models of a net twine to describe mesh resistance to opening of flexible net structures
Authors: de la Prada Amelia , González Manuel
Published: June 2014

Numerical simulation of marine flexible net structures allows predicting the behavior of fishing gears and aquaculture cages. In recent years, the tendency toward the use of thicker and stronger twines in netting materials has made its resistance to opening a key factor in the performance of such structures. To accurately describe the mesh resistance to opening, a net twine was modeled as a double-clamped beam and its force–displacement response was calculated by finite element analysis. Fitting techniques were used to develop three different dimensionless stiffness models that express elastic forces in the twine as an explicit nonlinear function of its deformation: (1) a polynomial fitting of the force, (2) a spline fitting of the potential energy, and (3) a spring-based model able to deal with large axial deformations. Each model has different characteristics and advantages. Numerical and experimental tests were used to assess and compare them with previous models described in the literature. The results show that the presented models have very good accuracy and high computational efficiency. They will allow introducing accurate simulation of mesh resistance to opening in numerical simulations of marine netting structures without a high impact in the computational performance.
Optimization of waste heat recovery from the exhaust gas of marine diesel engines
Authors: Benvenuto Giovanni , Trucco Alessandro , Campora Ugo
Published: June 2014

In this article, some configurations of waste heat recovery systems are described, analysed and compared, in order to find the optimal plant layout. Starting from the availability of performance data of a two-stroke diesel engine, adopted for the propulsion plant of a crude oil tanker ship, the authors examined different solutions for the waste heat recovery from the diesel engine exhaust gas ensuring the best fulfilment of the vessel needs in terms of mechanical, electric and thermal energies. The considered waste heat recovery systems can adopt either steam turbine and gas turbine or simply steam turbine for power generation. As regards the steam plant, two basic layouts are considered, optimized and compared: the first plant scheme is a typical steam plant currently adopted for waste heat recovery purposes and the second one is a solution proposed by the authors. Considering the different options, in this article, four different system layouts, applied to the mentioned diesel engine, are singly optimized and compared between them in order to find the most suitable plant and the steam cycle parameters that provide its best operation at the engine normal continuous rating. The performance of the optimized waste heat recovery systems is evaluated also by comparing them under off-design engine load conditions, in the engine power range between 50% and 100% of its maximum continuous rating.
Recent Scholarship on Joseph and Aseneth (1988-2013)
Authors: Standhartinger Angela
Published: June 2014

This article provides a survey of the last 25 years of research on Joseph and Aseneth, a Jewish Greek novel probably written between the first century bce and the second century ce. This romance expands on Gen. 41.45 to narrate how Joseph and Aseneth met and later married under the auspices of Pharaoh, after Aseneth had turned away from her Egyptian gods to the God of Israel and was visited by an angel with whom she shares a honeycomb. Later in the story she is introduced to Jacob and Levi, repels the attack of a rival lover, the son of Pharaoh, who then dies, so that Joseph inherits his throne and rules in Egypt for 48 years. The principle topics covered in this review are recent textual editions of this writing preserved in 91 manuscripts in seven languages, the no-less disputed purpose and provenance of the romance, its date and place of origin, and its genre. Gender issues and other major themes of research and an extended pre-modern history of interpretation will also be discussed.