bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nutritional Effects on Sleep
Authors: Lindseth Glenda , Lindseth Paul , Thompson Mark
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this study was to examine the nutritional effects on sleep using actigraphy measures. A repeated-measures, counterbalanced, crossover study design was used to administer treatment diets to 44 adult participants. Participants served as their own control and consumed high-protein, high-fat, high-carbohydrate, and control diets. The study participants wore Motionlogger Actigraph sleep watches while consuming weighed food intakes for 4 days over four different treatment periods. Demographic and laboratory data were also analyzed. Actigraph results showed that the wake episodes and sleep latencies were significantly different when comparing the macronutrient intakes of the participants. Post hoc test results showed that high-protein diets were associated with significantly fewer ( p = .03) wake episodes and high-carbohydrate diets were associated with significantly shorter ( p < .01) sleep latencies than control diets. Thus, consumption of specific macronutrient intakes may have a significant influence on sleep.
Gender Representation in U.R. Anantha Murthy’s Samskara
Authors: Pillai Sharon
Published: August 2011

Anantha Murthy’s novel Samskara has achieved translated recognition nationally and internationally as a modern classic of Indian literature. Though it has generated much critical comment, insufficient attention has been given to its gender representation. Discussions of the novel’s gender politics have either focused on its positive representations of feminine beauty and initiative or have taken a bleak view of its sexist arrangements. Re-scrutinising the novel’s gender representation through culturally coloured lenses, this article uncovers other sites of gender discrimination and identifies a subtext that can offer a more positive inflection to Samskara’s gender politics.
Property, Authority and Personal Law: Waqf In Colonial South Asia
Authors: Beverley Eric Lewis
Published: August 2011

British rule in South Asia transformed the economy and society of the subcontinent, in large part by revamping the status of landed property. Colonial law was founded on the notion that ostensibly religious personal law was outside state jurisdiction. The boundary between state law and personal law, however, was blurry and some elements of ‘religious’ law had major implications for matters at the core of colonial policy, such as property control. This ambivalence produced a scenario in which legal debates became authorised spaces for colonial subjects to pursue their agendas.

Taking the Muslim charitable trust, or waqf, in late colonial British India, this article argues that advocacy of substantive and procedural changes in waqf laws by Muslim legal activists repre-sented a pointed critique of colonial policies. Through a brief history of the articulation between charitable trusts and colonial property policies, the article draws from the work of two late colo-nial Muslim judges, Syed Ameer Ali and Faiz Badrudin Tyabji, to demonstrate the role waqf debates played in refashioning colonial legal culture. It is suggested that claims about waqf were both instrumental attempts to advance claims to property, and instances for articulating broader ideological critiques of the interpretative authority of British judges.
Human biometeorology
Authors: McGregor Glenn R.
Published: August 2011

Human biometeorology is experiencing resurgence because of concerns about the impact of weather and climate on living organisms and the effects of human activities on the atmospheric environment. The purpose of this progress report is to review recent research in three strongly emergent areas of human biometeorology, namely human thermal comfort assessment, ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and climate and vector borne disease. Within the field of human thermal comfort assessment there is evidence of a shift away from empirical two-variable to numerically solved human heat budget based indices for assessing human thermal comfort, although the former are still applied widely. Recent research activity concerning UVR has focused on the evaluation of measurement error, the examination of controlling factors, the reconstruction of long-term records using a variety of methods for the analysis of UVR trends and variability and climate change related projections of future UVR levels. While for some regions clear evidence has emerged of an association between climate and vector borne disease, for other regions the situation is unclear or complex. This poses a challenge for developing climate-based early warning systems for diseases such as malaria and dengue and making projections of the potential impacts of climate change on the geographic range and magnitude of VBD. From the material reviewed in this progress report it is clear that human biometeorology fits comfortably within physical geography as it addresses many of the issues aligned with the human-environment, spatial and earth science traditions of physical geography.
Sodium MRI in a rat migraine model and a NEURON simulation study support a role for sodium in migraine
Authors: Harrington Michael G , Chekmenev Eduard Y , Schepkin Victor , Fonteh Alfred N , Arakaki Xianghong
Published: August 2011

Introduction: Increased lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) sodium has been reported during migraine. We used ultra-high field MRI to investigate cranial sodium in a rat migraine model, and simulated the effects of extracellular sodium on neuronal excitability.

Methods: Behavioral changes in the nitroglycerin (NTG) rat migraine model were determined from von Frey hair withdrawal response and photography. Central sensitization was measured by counting cFos-immunoreactive cells in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC). Sodium was quantified in vivo by ultra-high field sodium MRI at 21 Tesla. Effects of extracellular sodium on neuronal excitability were modeled using NEURON software.

Results: NTG decreased von Frey withdrawal threshold ( p = 0.0003), decreased eyelid vertical height:width ratio ( p < 0.0001), increased TNC cFos stain ( p < 0.0001), and increased sodium between 7.5 and 17% in brain, intracranial CSF, and vitreous humor ( p < 0.05). Simulated neurons exposed to higher sodium have more frequent and earlier spontaneous action potentials, and corresponding earlier sodium and potassium currents.

Conclusions: In the rat migraine model, sodium rises to levels that increase neuronal excitability. We propose that rising sodium in CSF surrounding trigeminal nociceptors increases their excitability and causes pain and that rising sodium in vitreous humor increases retinal neuronal excitability and causes photosensitivity.
Acute Injuries to the Posterolateral Corner of the Knee in Children
Authors: von Heideken Johan , Mikkelsson Christina , Boström Windhamre Helena , Janarv Per-Mats
Published: August 2011

Background: Isolated avulsion fractures of the posterolateral structures (the popliteus tendon, the lateral collateral ligament, and the popliteofibular ligament) of the knee are rare.

Purpose: To describe the outcome after an isolated avulsion fracture at the femoral attachment of the posterolateral structures in skeletally immature patients and to communicate our clinical experience concerning diagnosis and treatment.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Six skeletally immature patients (mean age, 13.3 years; range, 12.6-13.7 years; 5 boys, 1 girl) with an avulsion fracture of the femoral attachment of the posterolateral structures were evaluated on average 5.1 years (range, 2.7-8.3 years) after the injury. Five patients were treated with open reduction and fixation of the fragment. The sixth patient was treated nonoperatively with cast immobilization. The evaluation was based on reassessment of radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans), registration of activity level, and examination of objective and subjective knee function.

Results: The injury involved both the popliteus tendon and the lateral collateral ligament in 5 of the 6 cases. In the operated patients, the mean Lysholm knee score was 98 (range, 94-100) (0-100, with higher scores indicating a better outcome). The mean Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) quality of life (QOL) was 80 (range, 50-100) (0-100, with higher scores indicating a better outcome). The range of motion and the KT-1000 arthrometer anterior laxity measurements were normal. The nonoperatively treated patient with involvement of both the popliteus tendon and the lateral collateral ligament suffered a bone bridge in the periphery of the femoral physis, causing a valgus deformity of the knee. An open wedge femoral osteotomy was performed. The Lysholm knee score was 80, and KOOS QOL was 25 at follow-up. The patient also had an extension deficit of 5° and a flexion deficit of 10°.

Conclusion: An avulsion of the femoral attachment of the posterolateral structures in skeletally immature patients may involve both the popliteus tendon and the lateral collateral ligament. Open reduction and fixation of the fragment gave a satisfactory outcome.
Thermal properties of low-density polyethylene/ALPHA- alumina nanocomposites
Authors: Ngu JLS , Noshida I , Akmil M , Chuah A Luqman , Thevy R Chantar
Published: August 2011

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites with alumina as filler were prepared by melt intercalation process by using Haake Rheomix at 125°C for 12 min followed by compression moulding. Prior to blending of the alumina with LDPE, alumina particles were dispersed by using ultrasonication process. Surfactant was used to modify the alumina surface in order to enhance the interaction between alumina and LDPE. The melting temperature and crystallinity of nanocomposites were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Studies on dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were made to follow the changes in dynamic mechanical properties upon addition of nanoalumina to LDPE. Thermal stability of the nanocomposites was studied by using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that the crystallinity and melting temperature of LDPE/alumina decreased with the increase in alumina content. The results on TGA and DMA analysis revealed that the thermal stability of LDPE improved with the addition of alumina particle.
Recycling polypropylene non-woven selvages to create far-infrared composite plates
Authors: Lou C-W , Huang C-H , Tai K-C , Lin C-W , Lin J-H
Published: August 2011

In this study, recycled polypropylene (PP) non-woven selvage was collected and made into PP pellets using a single-screw extruder. The recycled PP pellets were mixed with far-infrared PP masterbatch and virgin PP pellets, molded, and formed into various far-infrared/PP composite plates. The virgin PP pellets were added in order to strengthen the properties of the plates. The mechanical properties of each far-infrared/PP composite plate were examined to deduce the optimal re-processing procedure. Even when the amount of far-infrared PP masterbatch in the composite plate was increased, its tensile strength remained at 29–33 MPa and its impact strength was 19–26 J/m. The composite plates were re-processed 1–5 times. Bottlenecking incurred a significant change in the extension at break of the plates-up to 223% during the first and second rounds of processing. With an increase in the amount of far-infrared PP masterbatch, the plate’s melt flow index (MI) surged from 30 to 47 g/10min and the temperature for crystallization increased 13 degrees from 105°C to 118°C. The far-infrared/PP composite plate exhibited an average emissivity above 0.85 ( ϵ) when the wavelength of the tester was between 1 and 15 µm.
Combined effect of nanoclay and alumina addition on structure, TGA, DMA characteristics of nanoclay, and alumina-filled polypropylene nanocomposites
Authors: Rao V. Srinivasa , Yadav Vipin , Kumar V. Kiran , Chand Navin
Published: August 2011

A series of PP-MA- g-PP/MA- g-EPR – clay/alumina – titanate nanocomposites with varied proportions of clay and alumina composition, maintaining the matrix modifier and coupling agent composition constant, were prepared by melt blending. Two different modifiers, maleic anhydride (MA)-grafted polypropylene (PP) and MA-grafted EPR, along with coupling agent are used in order to improve the dispersibility of reinforcing filler. The resultant nanocomposites in presence and absence of matrix modifiers and coupling agent were compared for their dynamic mechanical and thermal properties. The morphology of nanocomposites was studied by X-ray diffraction and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy. Most of the cases, the combination of intercalated and exfoliated nanocomposites was obtained. Particularly for the sets with titanate, coupling agent showed better dispersion of reinforcing filler. The resultant nanocomposites showed an increase in storage modulus and tan δ values in presence of coupling agents. This reflected as an improvement in load-bearing capacity and stiffness of nanocomposite in dynamic mechanical analysis studies. The matrix modifiers and coupling agent very effectively influenced the thermal transition of nanocomposites. Blending of matrix modifier and addition of reinforcing filler reduced the melting temperature of nanocomposites because of reduction of crystallinity matrix in presence of filler and modifier, whereas incorporation of coupling agent brought the melting temperature back the almost original value of virgin PP. The thermal stability of PP improved 16–37°C by incorporation of reinforcing filler along with coupling agent.
Effect of polar interactions on the structure and rheology of EVA/Montmorillonite nanocomposites
Authors: Su Y. Y. , Rwei S. P. , Gou W. J. , Chan H. H. , Cheng K. C.
Published: August 2011

In this study we utilized X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and various types of simple shear flow experiments to investigate the effect of the polar-polar interaction between ethylene-vinyl acetate co-polymers (EVA) and organo-silicates on the nanoscale structures and rheological properties of their melt blends.

The WAXS intensities and TEM micrographs demonstrate that the exfoliation and the intercalation of nanoclays respectively prevail in EVA/Cloisite 30B nanocomposites and EVA/Cloisite 15A nanocomposites, respectively. The master curves obtained from transient shear flow tests and their Arrhenius plot demonstrate the formation of side-tethered structure in the melt blends of EVA/ Cloisite 30B nanoclay. Finally, by means of performing a series of large-strain relaxation tests and regression techniques, the single integral Wagner model, that is expected to appropriately describe the rheometric experiment data of melt blends, was established, and then a comparison of the calculated and measured viscosity and first normal stress is presented.
Structural bionic design for thin-walled cylindrical shell against buckling under axial compression
Authors: Xing D , Chen W , Ma J , Zhao L
Published: August 2011

In nature, bamboo develops an excellent structure to bear nature forces, and it is very helpful for designing thin-walled cylindrical shells with high load-bearing efficiency. In this article, the cross-section of bamboo is investigated, and the feature of the gradual distribution of vascular bundles in bamboo cross-section is outlined. Based on that, a structural bionic design for thin-walled cylindrical shells is presented, of which the manufacturability is also taken into consideration. The comparison between the bionic thin-walled cylindrical shell and a simple hollow one with the same weight showed that the load-bearing efficiency was improved by 44.7 per cent.
Pasternak effect on the buckling of embedded single-walled carbon nanotubes using non-local cylindrical shell theory
Authors: Ghorbanpour Arani A , Mohammadimehr M , Saidi A R , Arefmanesh A , Han Q
Published: August 2011

In this article, the buckling analysis of a single-walled carbon nanotube using the non-local cylindrical shell theory under general loading embedded on the Winkler- and Pasternak-type foundations is presented. The effect of the surrounding elastic medium such as the Winkler-type spring constant and the Pasternak-type shear constant is taken into account in the present formulations. The non-local and local critical buckling loads are obtained under general loading such as the axial compression, lateral pressure, and torsional loading, and it is concluded from the results that the non-local critical buckling load under general loading is lower than the local critical buckling load. It is seen that the Winkler-type spring constant and Pasternak-type shear constant increase the non-local critical buckling load under general loading, therefore the difference between the presence and the absence of the Pasternak-type shear constant is large.
Non-linear normal modes and their applications in mechanical systems
Authors: Mikhlin Y V , Perepelkin N V
Published: August 2011

Concepts of non-linear normal modes (NNMs) of vibration in conservative and near-conservative systems are considered. Construction of the NNMs and some their applications in applied problems are presented. The non-linear vibro-absorption problem, the cylindrical shell non-linear dynamics, the vehicle suspension non-linear dynamics, and the rotor dynamics are considered.
Microchannel flow simulation in transition regime using lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Nourmohammadzadeh M , Rahnama M , Jafari S , Akhgar AR
Published: August 2011

In this article, lattice Boltzmann model (LBM) was used as a numerical method for microchannel flow simulation. Slip flow regime for which Knudsen number varies from 0.1 to 1.0 was investigated using an effective mean free path in relaxation-time-parameter of LBM. Computations were performed for pressure-driven and shear flow configurations of a microchannel. Nonlinear flow characteristics of Knudsen layer were captured in shear flow regime along with the phenomenon of slip length. The slip velocity was predicted in both flow configurations with good accuracy. For pressure-driven flow geometry, velocity distribution across the channel showed better correspondence with that of direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method for Knudsen numbers less than 0.5, as compared to those obtained from Navier–Stokes equations and conventional LBM simulation. While discrepancies were observed between present results and those of DSMC for Knudsen numbers greater than 0.5, present computations showed improved velocity profile as compared to Navier–Stokes and conventional LBM simulations.
Size dependence of flow stress and plastic behaviour in microforming of polycrystalline metallic materials
Authors: Kim H S , Lee Y S
Published: August 2011

Microforming which exploits the advantages of metal-forming processes has been considered to be a very promising manufacturing technology for microparts. However, the fundamental understandings on microforming have not been well established yet since the extensive findings and know-how of conventional forming cannot be simply transferred to the microscale. This article attempts to offer an effective theoretical and experimental modelling to describe the so-called ‘size effect’ on the behaviour of metals in microforming. A theoretical model was developed based on the dislocation theory to quantify the grain size and feature size effects on the flow behaviour of polycrystalline materials. Tensile tests of copper sheets of various specimen thicknesses and grain sizes were carried out, and thus the effectiveness of the theoretical model can be confirmed by comparing the predicted flow stress, dislocation density, and Hall–Petch constant with experimental measurements. The general trend of decreasing flow stress with increasing grain size and decreasing specimen thickness was observed. The ratio of feature size to grain size was identified as an important parameter to characterize the flow stress level, grain boundary strengthening, and failure characteristics in microscale deformation processes.
Advanced modern low-emission two-stroke cycle engines
Authors: Hooper P R , Al-Shemmeri T , Goodwin M J
Published: August 2011

This paper reviews recent engines and associated technology offering potential low-emission two-stroke cycle operation for a range of applications. The study considers and discusses successfully applied modern production engines together with concepts exploring advanced possibilities for future application. The published results from research and development projects and the data from available technology are compared in terms of the specific performance. The paper does not compare combustion strategies or fluid dynamic aspects of two-stroke cycle engines but does consider and compare the data from engines using the crankcase, external, and stepped piston scavenging intended for automotive, marine, and defence applications.
Textes sous une occupation (1940−1944): Henry de Montherlant témoigne de la condition des enfants victimes de la guerre
Authors: Couturier-Garcia Clarisse
Published: August 2011

Montherlant traverse la Deuxième Guerre mondiale une plume à la main, pour témoigner, en donnant un aperçu des diverses préoccupations qui sont celles d’un écrivain français parmi d’autres. « Dans une époque comme la nôtre, il faut se surveiller sans cesse pour n’accorder pas trop d’importance à l’actualité, sans cesse faire le geste de retrait non pour fuir, mais pour prendre la distance. Et aussitôt qu’on se passionne : un coup de frein. » Nous connaissons peu les textes concernant ses actions en faveur de l’enfance. ll s’agira de prendre en considération les différents aspects de ce témoignage sur l’Occupation, sur le statut des enfants pris en charge par les œuvres de charité. Il offre une vision extrêmement réaliste et originale de la situation des enfants dans la France occupée. Son récit est destiné à mettre en valeur la représentation d’autres conflits sociaux toujours vivants malgré les circonstances extraordinaires.
Another Side to the Story: Confessions of Guilt in Occupation Narratives
Authors: Kitchen Ruth
Published: August 2011

This article examines the theme of guilt in narratives of the German Occupation of France. Guilt entails the knowing transgression of a taboo, whether social, legal or psychical. The argument develops a definition of guilt from George Bataille’s Le Coupable (1944) and proposes a reading of the evolution of Occupation guilt through the trope of narrative confession. The three narratives examined, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Le Corbeau (1943), Henri Razcymow’s Un cri sans voix (1985) and Philippe Grimbert’s Un secret (2004), differently explore the confession of Occupation guilt and span the 70-year period of cultural production. The study of these narratives reveals that the representation of guilt has changed over time, and provides evidence of the evolving nature of Occupation guilt in French cultural history.
In the Service of the Enemy: The Traitor in French Occupation Narratives
Authors: Lloyd Christopher
Published: August 2011

Whether they are based on historical fact or imagined characters, most narratives that attempt to deal with the socio-political complexities and moral dilemmas of the German Occupation of France in the Second World War draw attention to the traitor, sometimes perceived as an exemplary or caricatural figure of otherness: morally and physically repellent and beyond redemption (witness some portraits of Laval). To their adversaries and victims, individuals who betray family, friends or larger social groups by shifting their allegiance to enemy forces may embody a whole array of negative qualities (duplicity, venality, opportunism, cowardice, obduracy, etc.). More dispassionate observers and commentators soon realise, however, that condemning or even identifying traitors is rather more problematic, when enemies and allies change positions for tactical, strategic or ideological reasons as the war develops. Thus, depending on the standpoint adopted, not just the Germans and their acolytes, but also the British, the communists, Gaullist dissidents, the Vichy government, the Jews and resistance terrorists may all be denounced as enemies by some significant group of French people in the course of the Occupation. Whereas exposing, confronting and chastising traitors is often an integral dramatic and proselytising element in early pro-resistance narratives, unsurprisingly novels and memoirs less hostile to collaboration adopt a more relativistic posture towards authority and allegiance. Relatively few fictional or autobiographical works explore the motivation and behaviour of traitors in much depth or with much sympathy. This essay discusses the representation, function and historical significance of the traitor, drawing on the work of a small sample of writers who have offered a more nuanced portrait of this figure.
Dubuffet, Fautrier and Ponge: Recognition of the ‘Other’ as Intellectual Resistance in Art and Poetry in the War against Fascist Oppression
Authors: Perret Caroline
Published: August 2011

The 1940s in France were marked by a constant tension between notions of ‘self and other’. While during the war, all enemies of fascist ideology were constructed as threatening ‘others’, at the liberation, ex-collaborators were subjected to the excesses of the épuration which further divided the French population. It is argued in this essay that Dubuffet and Fautrier — and Ponge, one of the Resistance intellectuals with whom both artists were closely affiliated during that time — transgressed this dualistic categorisation by making an explicitly experimental use of their respective media. To illustrate this point, a comparison is drawn between Fautrier’s Objets series (1942—9), Dubuffet’s Mirobolus, Macadam et Cie: hautes pâtes series (1945—6), and the poetry collection of Ponge’s Parti pris des choses (1942). In these works, it is contended, the artistic matter became the recipient for the active intellectual and sensitive engagement of the beholder, which, in the historical and political context of the period, came to signify the ‘other’ in all its forms. Such a recognition would become an essential component of the discourse of the Resistance intellectual network around Dubuffet and Fautrier for the democratic reconstruction of French society after the war.
Trois continents, une guerre, un empire: Francophone Narratives of War and Occupation in the French Empire
Authors: Sutherland Nina
Published: August 2011

The colonies were at the very heart of France’s experience of the Second World War, providing soldiers in both 1939/40 and 1944/45 and playing a central role in Vichy’s propaganda. Their experiences of wartime echoed those of metropolitan France: ruled first by Vichy and often an occupying army, then liberated by local Resistance fighters and the Free French army. Indigènes (Bouchareb, 2006) promoted a supposed rediscovery of this participation. However, research undertaken by the Frame project has shown that there exist over 100 narratives about war in the empire, spanning a 70-year period, so culturally this story has never stopped being told in the literary world. This article will examine the three most important and recurrent topics examined in these cultural works (short stories, novels, films, plays) and map these onto the geographical locations and chronological events that have informed their authors. Reference will be made to narratives from all across the former French Empire.
An experimental study of the unsteady characteristics of tip-leakage flow of axial fans with circumferential skewed blades at off-design conditions
Authors: Jin G-Y , Ouyang H , Wu Y-D , Du Z-H
Published: August 2011

The unsteady characteristics of tip-leakage flow in axial fans with circumferential skewed blades were investigated at off-design conditions using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and wall pressure test. Two circumferential skewed fans, with the blade skew angles at 8.3° forward and backward, respectively, were investigated in this study. The instantaneous flow field in tip clearance region was measured using PIV at peak pressure condition. The static pressure fluctuations near blade tip were captured at off-design conditions using pressure sensors mounted on casing wall. From the measured results, the structure and instantaneous characteristics of tip-leakage flow in circumferential skewed fans were analysed. The tip-leakage vortex instability and its relation with circumferential skewed blades, to expand stall-free operation range of axial fans, were discussed. The forward-skewed blade is found to be effective in controlling tip-leakage flow to expand stall-free operation range at off-design conditions.
Conceptual feasibility study of retrofitting coal-fired power plant with oxy-fuel combustion
Authors: Mousavian S M , Mansouri M Tajik
Published: August 2011

Capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plant has been proposed as one of the key solutions for stabilizing greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere. There are two main procedures for CO2 capturing in existing coal-fired combustion plants: removal of nitrogen from flue gases and removal of nitrogen from the air before combustion in order for a gas stream to be ready for geo-sequestration. In oxy-fuel combustion, fuel is burned with pure oxygen (O2) instead of air. This technology recycles flue gases back into the furnace to control temperature and make up the volume of the missing nitrogen (N2) to ensure that there is sufficient gas to maintain the temperature and heat flux profiles in the boiler. In this study, feasibility of oxy–coal fired for retrofitting existing normal air-operated coal-fired power plant has been studied. Also, the optimum fraction of recirculated flue gas for maximizing generated power is represented. Our results show that the oxy-fuel combustion is suitable for retrofitting the existing coal-fired power plants as well as for new plants without the replacement of main components.
Pressure instabilities in a vaned centrifugal pump
Authors: Cavazzini G , Pavesi G , Ardizzon G
Published: August 2011

This article reports the acoustic and fluid-dynamical analyses of large-scale instabilities in a vaned centrifugal pump. The unsteady pressure fields at full/part load were measured by dynamic piezoresistive transducers placed at the impeller discharge and on an instrumented diffuser vane. To spectrally characterize the inception and the evolution of the unsteady phenomena, spectral analyses of the pressure signals were carried out both in frequency and time–frequency domains. Numerical analyses were carried out on the same pump with the help of the commercial code CFX. All the computations were performed using the unsteady ‘transient’ model with a time step corresponding to about 1° of the impeller rotation. The turbulence was modelled by the detached eddy simulation model. Numerical pressure signals were compared with the experimental ones to verify the development of the same pressure instabilities. The unsteady numerical flow fields were analysed to study the fluid-dynamical evolution of the instabilities and investigate their origin.
Use of Chlorhexidine Mouthwash in Children Receiving Chemotherapy
Authors: Nashwan Abdulqadir J.
Published: August 2011

The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of chlorhexidine mouthwash as an intervention in children receiving chemotherapy, with a focus on randomized clinical trials. A literature search was performed between 1980 and 2010. The control groups consisted of placebo, no intervention, or another intervention group. Oral mucositis was scored by either the World Health Organization scale or modified Oral Assessment Guide. The review of literature included 5 studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria, in which chlorhexidine was evaluated and 4 studies showed a significant preventive effect on the development or severity of oral mucositis; the remaining study showed no benefit of using chlorhexidine mouthwash when compared with the placebo group. Ultimately, it can be suggested from the data presented here that chlorhexidine may play a part in reducing oral mucosal damage during chemotherapy for children with cancer, possibly due to a reduction in oral microflora and plaque.
One-Session Exposure Treatment for Social Anxiety With Specific Fear of Public Speaking
Authors: Hindo Cindy S. , González-Prendes A. Antonio
Published: August 2011

Objectives: This pilot study evaluated the effectiveness of one-session, exposure-based therapy, to treat social anxiety disorder (SAD) with specific fear of public speaking. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-posttest design with repeated measures-within-subject Analysis of Variance and paired sample t-tests was used to compare pretest, posttest and one month follow-up scores. Individuals (n = 32), from 18 to 51 years old, 75% women, participated in three hours of graduated exposure to group public speaking exercises followed by homework between post and follow-up. Results: Significant changes were found from pre- to posttest and pretest to follow-up for all measures. No differences were found from posttest to follow-up. Conclusions: Advantages of brief treatment for SAD, limitations of the study, and implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Incorporating Perceived Importance of Service Elements Into Client Satisfaction Measures
Authors: Hsieh Chang-Ming
Published: August 2011

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the need for incorporating perceived importance of service elements into client satisfaction measures. Method: A secondary analysis of client satisfaction data from 112 clients of an elderly case management setting was conducted. Results: This study found that the relationship between global client satisfaction and the composite of satisfaction with service elements differed significantly, depending on perceived importance of service elements. Conclusions: These results call into question the practice of simply adding or averaging scores from satisfaction items to produce global satisfaction scores without considering perceived importance of the service elements.
Confronting Sex in the Media: Implications and Counseling Recommendations
Authors: Ballam Stacy M. , Granello Paul F.
Published: August 2011

The media greatly influences the sexual development of our youth and impacts society on a macro level. The messages that the media sends to our youth are contradictory to what families and professionals, such as educators and counselors, attempt to instill in our youth. This article addresses the urgent need for parents, educators, and counselors to address the messages ingrained in the media about sex and sexuality through the use of accurate media representation, the development of media literacy among youth, and open communication between youth and adults.
Psychometric Assessment of the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) Among Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Black David S. , Sussman Steve , Johnson C. Anderson , Milam Joel
Published: August 2011

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) has the longest empirical track record as a valid measure of trait mindfulness. Most of what is understood about trait mindfulness comes from administering the MAAS to relatively homogenous samples of Caucasian adults. This study rigorously evaluates the psychometric properties of the MAAS among Chinese adolescents attending high school in Chengdu, China. Classrooms from 24 schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. Three waves of longitudinal data ( N = 5,287 students) were analyzed. MAAS construct, nomological, and incremental validity were evaluated as well as its measurement invariance across gender using latent factor analyses. Participants’ mean age was 16.2 years ( SD = 0.7), and 51% were male. The 15-item MAAS had adequate fit to the one-dimensional factor structure at Wave 1, and this factor structure was replicated at Wave 2. A 6-item short scale of the MAAS fit well to the data at Wave 3. The MAAS maintained reliability (Cronbach’s α = .89-.93; test–restest r = .35-.52), convergent/discriminant validity, and explained additional variance in mental health measures beyond other psychosocial constructs. Both the 15- and 6-item MAAS scales displayed at least partial factorial invariance across gender. The findings suggest that the MAAS is a sound measure of trait mindfulness among Chinese adolescents. To reduce respondent burden, the MAAS 6-item short-scale provides an option to measure trait mindfulness.
Exploiting dense substructures for fast sparse matrix vector multiplication
Authors: Shantharam Manu , Chatterjee Anirban , Raghavan Padma
Published: August 2011

The execution time of many scientific computing applications is dominated by the time spent in performing sparse matrix vector multiplication (SMV; y ← A · x). We consider improving the performance of SMV on multicores by exploiting the dense substructures that are inherently present in many sparse matrices derived from partial differential equation models. First, we identify indistinguishable vertices, i.e., vertices with the same adjacency structure, in a graph representation of the sparse matrix (A) and group them into a supernode. Next, we identify effectively dense blocks within the matrix by grouping rows and columns in each supernode. Finally, by using a suitable data structure for this representation of the matrix, we reduce the number of load operations during SMV while exactly preserving the original sparsity structure of A. In addition, we use ordering techniques to enhance locality in accesses to the vector, x, to yield an SMV kernel that exploits the effectively dense substructures in the matrix. We evaluate our scheme on Intel Nehalem and AMD Shanghai processors. We observe that for larger matrices on the Intel Nehalem processor, our method improves performance on average by 37.35% compared with the traditional compressed sparse row scheme (a blocked compressed form improves performance on average by 30.27%). Benefits of our new format are similar for the AMD processor. More importantly, if we pick for each matrix the best among our method and the blocked compressed scheme, the average performance improvements increase to 40.85%. Additional results indicate that the best performing scheme varies depending on the matrix and the system. We therefore propose an effective density measure that could be used for method selection, thus adding to the variety of options for an auto-tuned optimized SMV kernel that can exploit sparse matrix properties and hardware attributes for high performance.
Energy and performance characteristics of different parallel implementations of scientific applications on multicore systems
Authors: Lively Charles , Xingfu Wu  , Taylor Valerie , Moore Shirley , Chang Hung-Ching , Cameron Kirk
Published: August 2011

Energy consumption is a major concern with high-performance multicore systems. In this paper, we explore the energy consumption and performance (execution time) characteristics of different parallel implementations of scientific applications. In particular, the experiments focus on message-passing interface (MPI)-only versus hybrid MPI/OpenMP implementations for hybrid the NAS (NASA Advanced Supercomputing) BT (Block Tridiagonal) benchmark (strong scaling), a Lattice Boltzmann application (strong scaling), and a Gyrokinetic Toroidal Code — GTC (weak scaling), as well as central processing unit (CPU) frequency scaling. Experiments were conducted on a system instrumented to obtain power information; this system consists of eight nodes with four cores per node. The results indicate, with respect to the MPI-only versus the hybrid implementation, that the best implementation is dependent upon the application executed on 16 or fewer cores. For the case of 32 cores, the results were consistent in that hybrid implementation resulted in less execution time and energy. With CPU frequency scaling, the best case for energy saving was not the best case for execution time.
Participatory data analysis: a step too far?
Authors: Nind Melanie
Published: August 2011

Interest in participatory research methods has grown considerably in the spheres of research with children and young people and research with people with learning disabilities. This growth is rooted in different but related paradigm shifts in childhood and disability. I argue that despite developments in participatory approaches, participatory data analysis has been attempted less than participation in other aspects of research with either children or people with learning disabilities, and that the challenges involved in this are particularly under-explored and important with the latter where we need to investigate what is possible. I discuss why participation in analysis is often neglected before reviewing different responses to the challenge including examples of informal and formal, unstructured and structured, trained and untrained, explicit and implicit approaches. Finally, I make the case for authentic reciprocal learning in exploring the potential benefits of participatory analysis to people and to research.
Power and gender negotiations during interviews with men about sex and sexually degrading practices
Authors: Gailey Jeannine A , Prohaska Ariane
Published: August 2011

The topic of female researchers interviewing male subjects has received previous attention, but few scholarly works focus specifically on sensitive topics such as sexual behaviors. The discrepancy suggests that even though women researchers interview men about sensitive issues, sexuality still seems out of bounds. Based on our research, we found it intellectually and emotionally challenging to interview men about sexually degrading behaviors. In the present article, we focus on the gender performances by both the interviewees and interviewers, including how the structure of the interview affects gendered interactions in interviews and the vulnerability we experienced as a result. We conclude by suggesting a few strategies that future women researchers can employ when conducting cross-gender, in-depth interviews with men about sex. We also raise questions for feminist researchers about how best to handle sexist, racist, and derogatory remarks made by interviewees.
Staking a small claim for fictional narratives in social and educational research
Authors: Watson Cate
Published: August 2011

The use of narrative has become widespread in social and educational research, as both the phenomenon under study and as a method of analysis. However, this general acceptance of narrative as focus of research may not extend to the use of fictional narratives and related genres such as semi-fiction and creative non-fiction, nor to use of novels as ‘data’. This article examines the uses of fiction as data, analytical tool and representational mode in social and educational research. The purpose is to present an overview of the current uses being made of these approaches, illustrating different facets of engagement with fictional narratives, and to consider what can be gained (and also perhaps what might be lost) through their adoption.
Interpreter-facilitated cross-language interviews: a research note
Authors: Williamson Deanna L , Choi Jaeyoung , Charchuk Margo , Rempel Gwen R , Pitre Nicole , Breitkreuz Rhonda , Kushner Kaysi Eastlick
Published: August 2011

This research note focuses on interpreter-facilitated cross-language qualitative interviews. Although researchers have written about strategies and procedures for working with interpreters, rarely have they offered adequate detail to determine the relative merits of various approaches, and little attention has been paid to the influence that interpreters have on the validity of qualitative data. We advance this body of literature by describing and critically examining the strategies and procedures we used to work with an interpreter to conduct qualitative interviews with Mandarin-speaking grandparents who participated in our study of intergenerational social support during the transition to parenthood. In addition, we examine the influence that our strategies and procedures had on the data generation process and on the validity of the data. Drawing on our experiences, we argue that with adequate preparation, validity checks, and the supplementary strategies that we describe in this article, an interpreter-facilitated interview approach to generating data in cross-language studies can be an effective alternative to more commonly used and more laborious and expensive translation practices.
Gender performance in qualitative studies of masculinities
Authors: Sallee Margaret W , Harris Frank
Published: August 2011

The influence of gender in qualitative research studies of masculinities is considered in this article. The findings are based on two separate studies of masculinities involving men who participated in semi-structured individual interviews while enrolled at a private research university. Using West and Zimmerman’s theory of gender performance, the authors argue that participants expressed themselves as men and offered responses to interview questions in ways that were aligned with traditional assumptions about gender roles and expectations. Data from the two studies are juxtaposed to illuminate the influence researchers’ gender may have had on data collection and rapport building with male participants. Implications for future qualitative inquiries into gender and masculinities are offered.
Strategies for conducting elite interviews
Authors: Harvey William S
Published: August 2011

This article addresses some strategies for conducting elite interviews. It draws upon material from a significant number of interviews that the author has conducted with this group in a variety of economic sectors and countries, as well as from the social sciences literature on elites. The aim of the article is to provide insights into the particularities of interviewing elites for those new to researching this group. In particular, it focuses on gaining trust and gauging the tone of the interview, how to present oneself during the interview, asking open- and closed-questions, the appropriate length of an interview, whether to record the conversation, coping with difficult scenarios, asking awkward questions, managing respondents who do not answer the question, keeping respondents interested in the interview and finally gaining feedback from respondents.
Learning how to be participatory: An emergent research agenda
Authors: Caister Karen , Green Maryann , Worth Steven
Published: August 2011

The central theme for this article arises from conversation on how agricultural scientists can move from technology transfer to complementing development. Researchers may be willing to embrace developmental concerns while lacking enabling skills and perspectives. Agricultural researchers often choose agendas based on cost, efficiency and appropriate controlled input use. This is problematic for small-scale commercial agriculture in traditionally managed rural situations because it does not include the issues of authority, power and complexity found in situated contexts. This article describes researcher learning arising from participatory farmer–researcher activity that determined a mutually beneficial research agenda. The participatory nature of the research was determined by how relationships were developed and managed. Researchers came to understand that attitude, environment and relevant issues, not specific tools, achieved participation.