bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power and Communication in Worker Cooperatives
Authors: Edenfield Avery C.
Published: April 2016

Technical communication research has critically engaged with organizational trends toward flattened organizations like networks, horizontal arrangements, and adhocracies, assemblages that hybridize top-down management in favor of autonomous groups. There has been no engagement with a related but distinct trend: worker cooperatives. Co-ops promise similar advantages but are distinct as they claim to deliver what flat organizations promise: access to governance, empowerment, and autonomy. In this article, I survey literature on flattened organizations, apply technical communication theory to account for cooperative communication, and conclude with an analysis from a qualitative study at a cooperative site.
Why the Objectivist Interpretation of Falsification Matters
Authors: Taliga Miloš
Published: April 2016

The article distinguishes between subjectivist and objectivist interpretations of scientific method, links subjectivism with good reasons, and argues its uselessness for our understanding of science. It applies the distinction to the method of falsification, explains why objectivism regards falsification to be conjectural, immune to the Duhem–Quine thesis, and immune to the problem of underdetermination. It confronts the falsifying mode of inference with the fallacy of begging the question and with the paradox of inference, and suggests how modus tollens helps scientists to find out that a tested theory is false, in spite of the fact that the falsity of the theory is asserted in its premises.
A Behavioral Function Approach in Predicting Contribution of User-Generated Content
Authors: Hong Traci , Beaudoin Christopher E.
Published: April 2016

This study theoretically develops a three-stage model in which certain types of health behavior functions (i.e., health-affirming vs. health-detection/treatment) prime individuals to process information with either a defensive or accuracy motivation. Such information-processing motivations, in turn, are expected to influence the contribution and consumption of user-generated health content. The three-stage model was tested with data from an online sample of American adults ( N = 767). A well-fitting structural equation model provided evidence for each of the hypothesized paths except for that from health-detection/treatment behavior to accuracy motivation. Individuals’ information search for health-affirming behaviors instigated a defensive motivation. Moreover, while both information-processing motivations influenced user-generated content consumption, only defensive motivation had a significant effect on user-generated content contribution. Finally, there was also one significant cross-stage path in which health-affirming behavior had a direct effect on content contribution, thus, overstepping defensive and accuracy motivations.
Divisive Topics as Social Threats
Authors: Simons Joseph J. P. , Green Melanie C.
Published: April 2016

The current work provides evidence for a psychological obstacle to the resolution of divisive social issues (e.g., affirmative action, drug legalization); specifically, people approach discussions of these issues with a threatened mind-set. Across three studies, it is shown that the prospect of discussing topics which divide social opinion is associated with threatened responding (the dissensus effect). Divisive discussion topics are associated with both a greater level of self-reported threat (Studies 1 and 3) and a greater tendency to perceive neutral faces as threatening (Study 2). Furthermore, the effect is shown to be robust across manipulations of social opinion (ratings of multiple social issues in Studies 1 and 2; fictional polling data in Study 3), and was not reducible to individual attitude extremity (Studies 1 and 3) or a valence effect (Study 2).
Applying GP-EKF and GP-SCKF for non-linear state estimation and fault detection in a continuous stirred-tank reactor system
Authors: Kowsari Elham , Safarinejadian Behrooz
Published: April 2016

This paper proposes two novel methods for fault detection in non-linear processes. These methods apply a Gaussian process (GP) to model the underlying process, and then the extended Kalman filter (EKF) and square root cubature Kalman filter (SCKF) are used to detect faults. Accordingly, two approaches called the Gaussian process–extended Kalman filter (GP-EKF) and Gaussian process–square root cubature Kalman filter (GP-SCKF) are proposed. The most important characteristic of these proposed methods is that there is no need for an accurate model of the system. Therefore, these methods are considered non-parametric approaches of fault detection in non-linear systems. To illustrate the performance of these algorithms in fault detection, they have been used in a continuous stirred-tank reactor system (CSTR). Both proposed methods are able to detect sensor faults at an early stage.
Hybrid vehicular fuel cell/battery powertrain test bench: design, construction, and performance testing
Authors: Salah Mohammad , Abu Mallouh Mohammed , Youssef Mohamed , Abdelhafez Eman , Hamdan Mohammed , Surgenor Brian
Published: April 2016

The development of hybrid vehicular power systems has been conducted for decades to improve transportation quality mainly in terms of environment pollution and fuel economy. Hence, hybrid electric vehicular systems are considered an attractive and potential solution in the long run to replace conventional combustion engine vehicles. In this paper, a scaled-down vehicular powertrain test bench is designed and constructed utilizing a hybrid fuel cell/battery energy sources. The performance of the proposed test bench is also investigated experimentally to explore the modes of operation for system components under various road conditions. Load-following energy management strategy is implemented experimentally in this hybrid configuration. The concepts that can be learned from such test bench are certainly essential for any future implementation on real full-size vehicles. In this study, it is shown that even though fuel cells have a good energy-to-weight ratio, they have a slow response and that is why they must be combined with other fast-response energy sources like a battery or supercapacitor. The test bench is mainly built to explore the implementation of various energy management strategies and control algorithms without the need to have a real vehicle and an automotive test track. In addition, it is an excellent platform for training highly qualified automotive engineers and university undergraduate students as well as automotive researchers.
Computer-aided Characterization and Diagnosis of Diffuse Liver Diseases Based on Ultrasound Imaging
Authors: Bharti Puja , Mittal Deepti , Ananthasivan Rupa
Published: April 2016

Diffuse liver diseases, such as hepatitis, fatty liver, and cirrhosis, are becoming a leading cause of fatality and disability all over the world. Early detection and diagnosis of these diseases is extremely important to save lives and improve effectiveness of treatment. Ultrasound imaging, a noninvasive diagnostic technique, is the most commonly used modality for examining liver abnormalities. However, the accuracy of ultrasound-based diagnosis depends highly on expertise of radiologists. Computer-aided diagnosis systems based on ultrasound imaging assist in fast diagnosis, provide a reliable “second opinion” for experts, and act as an effective tool to measure response of treatment on patients undergoing clinical trials. In this review, we first describe appearance of liver abnormalities in ultrasound images and state the practical issues encountered in characterization of diffuse liver diseases that can be addressed by software algorithms. We then discuss computer-aided diagnosis in general with features and classifiers relevant to diffuse liver diseases. In later sections of this paper, we review the published studies and describe the key findings of those studies. A concise tabular summary comparing image database, features extraction, feature selection, and classification algorithms presented in the published studies is also exhibited. Finally, we conclude with a summary of key findings and directions for further improvements in the areas of accuracy and objectiveness of computer-aided diagnosis.
The Swedish Communicative Development Inventory III
Authors: Eriksson Mårten
Published: April 2016

A revised form of MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory III (SCDI-III) was presented designed for Swedish speaking children aged 2 years 6 months–4 years 0 months with the objective to give a proxy measure of their language competence. The instrument contains a vocabulary checklist with 100 words, mainly predicates, from four areas; Food words, Body words, Mental words and Emotion words. Two sections assess the child’s grammar skills and a final section appraises the child’s metalinguistic awareness. Assessments from 1,134 parents are reported. Scales with adequate psychometric properties were formed for each section. Monthly median values and spread of score distributions are presented for each scale. Girls scored higher than boys on all scales. The revision, sampling procedures, demographic variables and issues of reliability and validity, are discussed. The general structure of the instrument can well be integrated in similar instruments designed for other languages and cultures.
Marital Beliefs Among African American Emerging Adults: The Roles of Community Context, Family Background, and Relationship Experiences
Authors: Barr Ashley Brooke , Simons Ronald L.
Published: April 2016

The current study explores multiple contexts of development—community, family, and relationship—that predict African American emerging adults’ marital beliefs. Findings suggest that nonmarital relationship experiences and childhood community contexts are robust and independent predictors of marital beliefs. The important role of childhood community context found here suggests that communities may not only be indicative of opportunity structure in local marriage markets but may also be indicative of the virtual structure that shapes marital meaning. By offering a better understanding of the extent to which marital beliefs are embedded in broader community, family, and relationship contexts, the current findings may be used to better specify promising models aiming to understand the causal implications of these beliefs across the transition to adulthood and later in the life course.
Acute Mastoiditis and Cholesteatoma
Authors: Shaffer Howard L. , Gates George A. , Meyerhoff William L.
Published: April 2016

Acute coalescent mastoiditis is an uncommon sequela of acute otitis media. It occurs principally in the well‐pneumatized temporal bone. The findings of fever, pain, postauricular swelling, and otorrhea are classic. Cholesteatoma, on the other hand, being associated with chronic infection, usually occurs in the sclerotic temporal bone. The signs and symptoms are insidious in nature and consist of chronic discharge and hearing loss which result from its mass, bone erosion, and secondary infection.

Of 17 consecutive cases of acute mastoiditis over a six‐year period, four were atypical because they were complications of chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma, yet they had the physical findings of acute mastoiditis‐sub‐periosteal abscess and purulent otorrhea, plus radiographic evidence of mastoid coalescence.
Head and Neck Manifestations of Relapsing Polychondritis: Review of 29 Cases
Authors: McCaffrey Thomas V. , McDonald Thomas J. , McCaffrey Lee Ann
Published: April 2016

This review of 29 patients with relapsing polychondritis seen at the Mayo Clinic between 1962 and 1976 emphasizes the head and neck manifestations of the disease and the role of the otolaryngologist in its diagnosis and treatment. The major clinical features included inflammation of the pinna, eye involvement, nasal cartilage involvement, laryngotracheal involvement, arthropathy, hearing loss, costal chondritis, and fever. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was often elevated, and mild anemia was not uncommon.
Reduction of salivary flow with transdermal scopolamine: A four‐year experience
Authors: Talmi Yoav P. , Finkelstein Yehuda , Zohar Yuval
Published: April 2016

Scopoderm transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) is applied to prevent nausea and vomiting associated with motion sickness. Dry mouth is the most common side effect, appearing in up to two thirds of the patients treated. We have used this side effect to the benefit of patients with sialorrhea or with difficulties swallowing normally secreted amounts of saliva. More than 100 patients with tumors of the aerodigestive tract before and after surgery, and patients after parotidectomies, after tracheotomies, with peritonsillar abscesses, tonsillitis and pharyngitis, and neurologic disorders were thus treated. Reduced secretion of saliva was seen in 50% to 100% of the treatment groups. Other side effects were minimal and we recommend the use of scopoderm TTS for reduction of salivary flow.
Preservation of hearing in neurofibromatosis 2
Authors: Miyamoto Richard T. , Campbell Robert L. , Fritsch Michael , Lochmueller Glen
Published: April 2016

Preservation of hearing in the neurofibromatosis 2 (central neurofibromatosis) patient has been Infrequently documented. This goal can be attained in selected patients and should be more frequently accomplished in the future with improved diagnostic capabilities and improved surgical techniques. We report three patients in whom this elusive goal has been accomplished.
Age‐related changes in schwann cells of the internal branch of the rat superior laryngeal nerve
Authors: Choo Daniel , Malmgren Leslie T. , Rosenberg Seth I.
Published: April 2016

While previous studies have examined the role of neurons in age‐related changes of laryngeal sensory nerve function, investigators have not focused on the significant role of Schwann cells in the aging process. This investigation used an electron microscopic morphometric technique to systematically study Schwann cells of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve of three Wistar rat age groups: Young = 3 to 5 months; old = 25 months; very old = 29 to 31 months. In Schwann ceils of myelinated axons, a substantial and significant reduction (p = 0.0127) in mitochondrial volume fraction was found between the young and old groups, and also between the young and very old groups (young = 0.0034, old = 0.00175, very old = 0.0019). The volume fraction of compact myelin also showed a trend (p = 0.0683) toward decreasing with age. The volume fractions of cytoplasm, nuclei, and lipofuscin granules showed no significant age‐related changes (lipofuscin in myelinating Schwann cells: Young = 0.0025, old = 0.0020, veryold = 0.0051; lipofuscin in non‐myelinating Schwann cells: Young = 0.012, old = 0.0061, very old = 0.0051). Our observations on mitochondria lead to two possible conclusions regarding energy availability in aged Schwann cells. One possibility is that aged cells have a decreased energy requirement, which is reflected in the decreased mitochondrial densities in old and very old specimens. The other possibility is the reduced mitochondrial volume fractions are independent of cellular energy requirements and are indicative of some aging or pathologic process. In view of the “giant” mitochondria and other degenerative Schwann cell features noted in this and earlier studies, the latter possibility seems to be a more reasonable explanation of our findings.
Measuring participation as defined by the World Health Organization in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Psychometric properties of the Ghent Participation Scale
Authors: Van de Velde Dominique , Coorevits Pascal , Sabbe Lode , De Baets Stijn , Bracke Piet , Van Hove Geert , Josephsson Staffan , Ilsbroukx Stephan , Vanderstraeten Guy
Published: April 2016

Objective:

To examine the internal consistency, test–retest reliability, construct validity, discriminant validity and responsiveness of the Ghent Participation Scale.

Design:

Cross-sectional study with a test–retest sample.

Setting:

Six outpatient rehabilitation centres in Belgium.

Subjects:

A total of 365 outpatients from eight diagnostic groups.

Measures:

The Ghent Participation Scale, the Impact on Participation and Autonomy, the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation and the Medical outcome study Short Form SF-36.

Results:

The Ghent Participation Scale was found to have good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α between 0.75 and 0.83). At item level, the test–retest reliability was good; weighted kappas ranged between 0.57 and 0.88. On the dimension level intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.80 and 0.90. Evidence for construct validity came from high correlations between the subscales of the Ghent Participation Scale and four subscales of the Impact on Participation and Autonomy (range, r = −0.71 to −0.87) and two subscales of the Utrecht Scale for Evaluation of Rehabilitation-Participation (range, r = 0.54 to 0.72). Standardized response mean ranged between 0.23 and 0.68 and the area under the curve ranged between 68% and 88%.

Conclusion:

The Ghent Participation Scale appears to be a valid and reliable method of assessing participation irrespective of the respondent’s health condition. The Ghent Participation Scale is responsive and is able to detect changes over time.
Perseveration by NK1R-/- (‘knockout’) mice is blunted by doses of methylphenidate that affect neither other aspects of their cognitive performance nor the behaviour of wild-type mice in the 5-Choice Continuous Performance Test
Authors: Pillidge Katharine , Porter Ashley J , Young Jared W , Stanford S Clare
Published: April 2016

The underlying cause(s) of abnormalities expressed by patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have yet to be delineated. One factor that has been associated with increased vulnerability to ADHD is polymorphism(s) of TACR1, which is the human equivalent of the rodent NK1 (substance P-preferring) receptor gene ( Nk1r). We have reported previously that genetically altered mice, lacking functional NK1R (NK1R–/–), express locomotor hyperactivity, which was blunted by the first-line treatment for ADHD, methylphenidate. Here, we compared the effects of this psychostimulant (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg, intraperitoneally) on the behaviour of NK1R-/- mice and their wild types in the 5-Choice Continuous Performance Test, which emulates procedures used to study attention and response control in ADHD patients. Methylphenidate increased total trials (a measure of ‘productivity’) completed by wild types, but not by NK1R-/- mice. Conversely, this drug reduced perseveration by NK1R-/- mice, but not by wild types. Other drug-induced changes in key behaviours were not genotype dependent, especially at the highest dose: for example, % omissions (an index of inattentiveness) was increased, whereas % false alarms and % premature responses (measures of impulsivity) declined in both genotypes, indicating reduced overall response. These findings are discussed in the context of the efficacy of methylphenidate in the treatment of ADHD. Moreover, they lead to several testable proposals. First, methylphenidate does not improve attention in a subgroup of ADHD patients with a functional deficit of TACR1. Second, these patients do not express excessive false alarms when compared with other groups of subjects, but they do express excessive perseveration, which would be ameliorated by methylphenidate.
An experimental test of the effect of acute anxious arousal and anxiety sensitivity on negative reinforcement smoking
Authors: Farris Samantha G , Zvolensky Michael J
Published: April 2016

Introduction:

Although anxiety sensitivity has been reliably associated with smoking-anxiety comorbidity, there has not been a test of whether this construct moderates the effect of acute anxious arousal on actual smoking behavior. The present study utilized an experimental design to test the moderating role of anxiety sensitivity on laboratory-induced anxious arousal in terms of smoking urges and topography (puff style).

Method:

Participants were adult daily smokers ( n=90; Mage=43.6 SD =9.7); average 15.8 cigarettes per day). A between-subjects design was used; participants were randomly assigned to complete a biological challenge procedure consisting of either a single vital capacity inhalation of 35% carbon dioxide (CO2)-enriched air mixture or compressed room air. Smoking urges and smoking topography (puff behavior) were assessed before and after the challenge.

Results:

Results revealed a significant interaction between anxiety sensitivity and experimental condition ( b=−9.96, p=0.014), such that high anxiety sensitive smokers exposed to 35% CO2-enriched air reported significantly lower levels of smoking urges, relative to low anxiety sensitive smokers; the conditional effect of anxiety sensitivity was not observed for the room air condition. There were no significant interaction effects of experimental manipulation by anxiety sensitivity for any of the smoking topography outcomes.

Discussion:

The present results suggest for smokers with higher levels of anxiety sensitivity, the acute experience of anxious arousal is related to decreased subjective smoking urges. These data invite future research to explore the reasons for dampened smoking urges, including cardiorespiratory symptom severity.
Best Practices in Integrating Theory and Practice in Graduate Education in Public Health Promotion
Authors: Buchanan David
Published: April 2016

Over the last several decades, consistent concerns have been raised about the quality of education and training provided to students in public health. In this article, we consider the implications of epidemiological transition—the decline of infectious diseases and rise of chronic diseases—for the types of education and training that would be most well suited for preparing students in health promotion to address the social and behavioral factors now associated with the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. As a result of this historic shift in disease etiology, the recommendation is to expand opportunities for applied experiential learning. Students need to become more adept at diagnosing the complex social, moral, and political dynamics that shape community priorities, perceptions of causes, and framing of health issues. The specific constellation of players, their history, relationships, and interpersonal dynamics are unique to each particular community setting, and hence, students need to become more sensitive to and proficient at picking up on the most significant influences and characteristics at work in the situation at hand. This type of “practical reasoning” stands in contrast to the perceived value of generalizable knowledge characteristic of models developed in the natural sciences. The ability to recognize and respond appropriately to the unique characteristics of a specific situation is best strengthened through extended practical experience.
A comparison of split sleeve cold expansion in thick and thin plates
Authors: Amjad Khurram , Wang Wei-Chung , Patterson Eann
Published: April 2016

Split sleeve cold expansion is a widely used process in the aerospace industry to enhance the fatigue life of rivet holes in the aircraft structures. In the experimental investigation presented in this article, the full-field in-plane residual strains and the out-of-plane surface deformations around open cold-expanded holes were measured using stereoscopic digital image correlation in aluminium specimens of two different thicknesses giving thickness-to-diameter ratios of 0.25 and 1. The results demonstrate that the mechanics of hole deformation is significantly different for the thick and thin specimens. The specimens of 1.6 mm thickness underwent a combination of global bending and significant local warping during the cold expansion process. This localised warping caused a decrease in the minimum principal residual strains close to the edge of the hole, which cannot be predicted by the existing theoretical models as they do not account for the complex out-of-plane deformations that have a significant influence on the shape of the resulting residual strain profiles. In contrast, 6.35-mm-thick specimens did not bend globally mainly because of the higher second moment of area of their cross sections. The material close to the hole edge bulges out from both the faces of the specimen as a result of plastic deformation during the cold expansion process and the out-of-plane deformations are much more localised and lower in magnitude in comparison to the thin specimens. The plastic zone developed around the expanded hole is more axisymmetric and larger in size for the thick specimens. These results imply that the existing split sleeve cold expansion process is not as effective in creating a uniform compressive residual elastic stress field around the fastener holes in thin as it is in the thick specimens.
A simple method to estimate elastic follow-up factors for transient creep parameter C(t) under secondary stress
Authors: Je Jinho , Lee Kukhee , Kim Yunjae , Jerng Dongwook
Published: April 2016

In this article, a semi-analytical method to estimate elastic follow-up factor as input to estimate the transient creep C( t) parameter under secondary loading is presented and validated against finite element results for a cracked two-bar structure under constant displacement loading. Predicted values of C( t) agree well with the finite element results for both elastic-creep cases and for elastic-plastic cases with the same creep and plastic hardening exponents. For elastic-plastic-creep cases with different creep and plastic hardening exponents, the proposed method gives good predictions at long time but can under- or over-predict C( t) at short time.
Improving the effectiveness of market-oriented organisation: Empirical evidence from an emerging economy
Authors: Bucic Tania , Ngo Liem Viet , Sinha Ashish
Published: April 2016

In the context of an emerging market economy, this study examines the mediating role of marketing capabilities on the market orientation (MO)–performance relationship. Specifically, the authors investigate the roles of product innovativeness, customer relationship management (CRM) capability, research and development (R&D) integration and brand management capabilities in the institutionalisation of a MO culture and the implementation of MO behaviours. With data collected from 150 organisations, the authors find that MO behaviour fully mediates the effects of MO culture on product innovativeness and CRM capability, which in turn enhance firm performance. In addition, leadership quality facilitates the effect of MO culture on MO behaviour, and the effects of product innovativeness and CRM capability on firm performance are greater in the presence of R&D–marketing integration and brand management capabilities, respectively.
Arts of Dying and the Statecraft of Killing
Authors: Bishop Jeffrey P.
Published: April 2016

Those supporting laws permitting assisted suicide (AS) seem to enact a thin morality, one that permits people who desire AS to get it in the terminal stages of an illness, and that provide safeguards both for those who desire AS and do not desire it. This article explores the way in which all AS legislation subtly frames the question of AS such that AS becomes the clearest option; ensconcing AS in law also gives a moral legitimacy to suicide. Thus, the morality of laws permitting AS are not morally thin. I describe how AS laws create a different social imaginary for dying in Western cultures, one that competes with the traditional Christian understanding. Legalized AS is inevitable in Western liberal democracies, and I claim that the Church, which transformed the ancient Greco-Roman culture, will once again have to create alternative structures, creating a new Ars moriendi, in order to challenge the modern statecraft for killing.
‘If We be Dead with Christ’: Christian Visualisations of Death
Authors: Quash Ben
Published: April 2016

Sixteenth-century Florentines have left us a visual legacy showing them capable of imagining even the executions of criminals as redemptive deaths, with artistic representations of Christ’s own death and the martyrdoms of saints serving such interpretations. This article will look in detail at one such case, before asking whether there might be analogies to this construction of executions as ‘good deaths’ where other, less obviously dramatic kinds of dying are concerned. The comfort that Christian art about dying can give to the dying is its ability to help them imagine their union with Christ in whatever death they must undergo. On the premise that art about dying can be of fundamental assistance to the art of dying, the article proposes examples of works of Christian art that may address the ‘long dying’ so common in our own medically advanced societies, thereby proclaiming the reach and inclusiveness of the hope of redemption.
Improvement in the rollover stability of a liquid-carrying articulated vehicle via a new robust controller
Authors: Saeedi Mohammad Amin , Kazemi Reza , Azadi Shahram
Published: April 2016

In this paper, in order to improve the roll stability of an articulated vehicle carrying a liquid, an active roll control system is utilized by employing two different control methods. First, a 16-degree-of-freedom non-linear dynamic model of an articulated vehicle is developed. Next, the dynamic interaction of the liquid cargo with the vehicle is investigated by integrating a quasi-dynamic liquid sloshing model with a tractor–semitrailer model. Initially, to improve the lateral dynamic stability of the vehicle, an active roll control system is developed using classical integral sliding-mode control. The active anti-roll bar is employed as an actuator to generate the roll moment. Next, in order to verify the classical sliding-mode control performance and to eliminate its chattering, the backstepping method and the sliding-mode control method are combined. Subsequently, backstepping sliding-mode control as a new robust control is implemented. Moreover, in order to prevent both yaw instability and jackknifing, an active steering control system is designed on the basis of a simplified three-degree-of-freedom dynamic model of an articulated vehicle carrying a liquid. In the introduced system, the yaw rate of the tractor, the lateral velocity of the tractor and the articulation angle are considered as the three state variables which are targeted in order to track their desired values. The simulation results show that the combined proposed roll control system is more successful in achieving target control and reducing the lateral load transfer ratio than is classical sliding-mode control. A more detailed investigation confirms that the designed active steering system improves both the lateral stability of the vehicle and its handling, in particular during a severe lane-change manoeuvre in which considerable instability occurs.
Active vehicle rollover control using a gyroscopic device
Authors: Mashadi Behrooz , Mokhtari-Alehashem Morteza , Mostaghimi Hamid
Published: April 2016

A gyroscopic system is designed and utilized as an actuator for the prevention of vehicle rollover. The vehicle motion before rollover and during rollover is considered in two phases: before lift-off of the wheels and after lift-off of the wheels. The lateral load transfer ratio is used to identify the time when the wheels lift off the ground. Based on the equations of motion for the vehicle on two wheels, an imminent rollover algorithm is designed to specify the rollover risk. A fuzzy controller that determines the required roll moment to stabilize the vehicle is designed. A gyroscopic package is designed to apply the corrective roll torque directly on the rolling mass of the vehicle in the opposite direction to the rollover moments. The performance of the proposed system is investigated by simulating some severe manoeuvres, and the results show that the system is able to stabilize the vehicle successfully.
Numerical study of biofluid flow over a backward-facing step: The hydro-thermal behavior in the presence of magnetic field effects
Authors: Mohammadpourfard M , Ghaderi F
Published: April 2016

In this paper, the results of adding nanoparticles and applying non-uniform magnetic fields on a biofluid (blood) flow through a two-dimensional horizontal channel with a step are reported. Two magnetic fields with positive and negative gradients were applied. The control volume technique and two-phase mixture model in the numerical approach have been used to illustrate the hydro-thermal behavior of flow. Simulation results reveal that nanoparticles can significantly increase the Nusselt number and wall shear stress. Also, the wall shear stress, Nu, and recirculation length in the presence of a magnetic field with different gradients can be externally controlled. Based on the results, the negative gradient magnetic field increases wall shear stress and Nu in the affected region, unlike the positive gradient.
Influence of different loads on the stresses of multistage axial compressor rotors
Authors: Zheng Xinqian , Ding Chuang , Zhang Yangjun
Published: April 2016

Multistage axial compressors are widely used in the gas turbine engines. The strength of rotors is one of the key factors for the reliability of multistage axial compressors. The stresses of rotors at real working conditions can be caused by the centrifugal load, thermal load, and aerodynamic load. It is important to figure out the roles and the mechanism of the three kinds of loads in the stresses generating process. In this paper, the stresses of rotors in a typical five-stage axial compressor are calculated with different kinds of loads by solid–fluid coupling method. The results show that the proportion of the stress caused by centrifugal load is more than 80% of the total stress, which is dominant. The maximum proportion of the stress caused by thermal load is about 20% of the total stress at the front stages. However, the influence of thermal load is quite different from the first stage to the last stage. It is surprising that thermal load can decrease the stresses of the last stage rotor, which is mainly because of the variation of radial temperature gradient at disks for different stages. The proportion of the stress caused by aerodynamic load is usually less than 4%, and it tends to make the stresses at the suction side of the blades lower and enlarge it at the pressure side. According to the above results, centrifugal load is necessary of consideration at the conceptual design phase for the multistage axial compressor rotors. At preliminary three-dimensional design phase, centrifugal load and thermal load should be considered together. At optimized three-dimensional design phase, aerodynamic load cannot be neglected and all the three loads should be considered.
Evaluating NOx and CO emissions of bio-SPK fuel using a simplified engine combustion model: A preliminary study towards sustainable environment
Authors: Mazlan Nurul Musfirah , Savill Mark , Kipouros Timos
Published: April 2016

Awareness of environmental and economic issues associated with fossil fuel has led to the exploration of alternative fuels for aviation. Analysis and measurements of alternative fuel using real aircraft engines are complex and costly. Thus, evaluation only through computation is an option at present. This paper presents an analysis of aircraft engine emissions, particularly NOx and CO, from the blend of bio-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (bio-SPK) fuel with kerosene using a simplified gas emission model. Three different fuels, namely, a conventional aviation fuel Jet-A, Jatropha bio-SPK and Camelina bio-SPK were tested as pure and as blends with Jet-A. Chemical properties of the tested fuels were introduced into HEPHAESTUS, an in-house gas emission software developed in Cranfield University. HEPHAESTUS was developed based on the physics-based approach by incorporating a number of stirred reactors to predict NOx, CO, UHC and soot. Gaseous emissions generated from kerosene were observed to follow the trends provided by the ICAO databank. The capability of HEPHAESTUS in predicting the NOx and CO level from biofuel is yet to be explored. The level of NOx and CO predicted in this study followed the trends shown in the literature, although they quantitatively differed. Compared to Jet-A, NOx decreased and CO increased as the percentage of Jatropha bio-SPK and Camelina bio-SPK in the mixture increased. NOx reduction was consistent with the reduction in flame temperature because NOx generation considered in the model was dominantly based on thermal NOx. In contrast, increases in CO were due to low flame temperature that led to incomplete combustion. The consistency of the results obtained showed that the computational work performed in this study as an initial step toward the prediction of emission level of biofuels was successful. However, further studies on the experimental work or computational fluid dynamic simulation is essential.
Spinning projectile’s attitude measurement using intersection ratio of magnetic sensors
Authors: Yu Jing , Bu Xiongzhu , Xiang Chao , Yang Bo
Published: April 2016

Concerning on the problem of low measuring precision of the current micro-inertial sensors, a novel attitude measurement method is proposed to dismiss the drift for remarkable attitude error. According to the output of the onboard three-axis magnetic sensor in the process of projectile flight, a low-cost attitude detection system is designed by using the intersection ratio of the sensor. First, the output model of the onboard three-axis magnetic sensor is established. The mathematical relationship between the characteristic ratio of magnetic sensor output and the pitch angle is then derived. Then, the solution and correction algorithm of the attitude angles are studied. Finally, the effectiveness of the attitude measurement method has been validated by carrying out the semi-physical experiments. The experimental results indicate that the error of attitude angles is within ±1° and the attitude angle error of the combined magnetic sensors is not cumulative. Meanwhile, the geomagnetic field strength is dispensable during the whole calculation process. Compared with the “Zero Crossing Method”, the proposed method has shown a nearly two-times higher accuracy and has no limitation of “MAGSONDE window”. What is more, this method proves to be more simple and has a doubled update rate in attitude angle calculation.
Biomechanical optimization of subject-specific implant positioning for femoral head resurfacing to reduce fracture risk
Authors: Miles Brad , Kolos Elizabeth , Appleyard Richard , Theodore Willy , Zheng Keke , Li Qing , Ruys Andrew J
Published: April 2016

Peri-prosthetic femoral neck fracture after femoral head resurfacing can be either patient-related or surgical technique-related. The study aimed to develop a patient-specific finite element modelling technique that can reliably predict an optimal implant position and give minimal strain in the peri-prosthetic bone tissue, thereby reducing the risk of peri-prosthetic femoral neck fracture. The subject-specific finite element modelling was integrated with optimization techniques including design of experiments to best possibly position the implant for achieving minimal strain for femoral head resurfacing. Sample space was defined by varying the floating point to find the extremes at which the cylindrical reaming operation actually cuts into the femoral neck causing a notch during hip resurfacing surgery. The study showed that the location of the maximum strain, for all non-notching positions, was on the superior femoral neck, in the peri-prosthetic bone tissue. It demonstrated that varus positioning resulted in a higher strain, while valgus positioning reduced the strain, and further that neutral version had a lower strain.
Peru's HIV care continuum among men who have sex with men and transgender women: opportunities to optimize treatment and prevention
Authors: Chow Jeremy Y , Konda Kelika A , Borquez Annick , Caballero Patricia , Silva-Santisteban Alfonso , Klausner Jeffrey D , Cáceres Carlos F
Published: April 2016

The HIV epidemic in Peru is concentrated in men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TW), who have an estimated prevalence > 10%, while the overall population prevalence remains < 1%. Because MSM and TW account for >60% of new infections, it is crucial to understand the full HIV continuum of care for these key populations. We performed a review of the peer-reviewed scientific and grey literature to determine the proportion of HIV-infected MSM and TW in Peru who are diagnosed, linked to and retained in care, are taking antiretroviral therapy (ART), and who have attained virologic suppression. Of the estimated 613,080 MSM and TW in Peru in 2015, approximately 63,981 are HIV-infected. Only 24.0% of HIV-infected MSM and TW are aware of their diagnosis, 15.6% are retained in care, 13.6% are on ART, and 12.0% have achieved adequate virologic control. The largest drop-off in the HIV care continuum occurs at the first step: diagnosis of HIV. Improving HIV serostatus awareness among MSM and TW is crucial to controlling Peru’s HIV epidemic. In the era of ‘treatment as prevention’, understanding the full HIV care continuum may help guide efforts to curb transmission and reduce HIV-related morbidity and mortality.
Optimal feed-forward control of a digital hydraulic drive
Authors: Haas Rainer , Lukachev Evgeny
Published: April 2016

Hydraulic control with switching valves can excite undesirable hydraulic and mechanical oscillations; hence, control performance is inadequate. There are different ways to cope with such oscillations. One way is to change the design or to add some damping elements which improve the attenuation of the oscillations. Another way is to actuate the system in an appropriate way – so that almost no unwanted oscillations are excited. This article illustrates that optimal feed-forward control theory can be used to obtain a realisable switching valve command which avoids ongoing oscillations for the case of a fast position step. A system composed of a dual-stroke cylinder with its piston chamber connected to the switching valves by some pipeline and its rod chamber to pre-pressurised accumulators for counterbalancing is modelled as a discrete dynamical system of order 9. The optimal control problem is conditioned such that the resulting valve signals can be approximately realised by the existing switching valves. For this realisation, the so-called ballistic mode of switching valves plays an important role. The theoretical results are tested experimentally on a proper test rig.
Magnetically suspended motor system applied to artificial hearts and blood pumps
Authors: Masuzawa Toru
Published: April 2016

Magnetic levitation technology, for magnetic bearings and magnetically suspended motors, is a cutting edge technology to produce artificial hearts and higher performance blood pumps. A wider blood gap and the elimination of the contacting parts in the device based on the maglev technology provide better blood compatibility and higher durability of the device. Several maglev pumps developed at Ibaraki University are introduced in this article. Maglev pumps have been designed for different medical requirements and for different magnetic suspension systems. All pumps have sufficient suspension and pump performance as blood pumps. The axial suspension system with a double biased hybrid magnetic bearing is explained in detail as one example of maglev blood pumps.
Millet cultivation across Eurasia: Origins, spread, and the influence of seasonal climate
Authors: Miller Naomi F , Spengler Robert N , Frachetti Michael
Published: April 2016

The two East Asian millets, broomcorn ( Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millet ( Setaria italica), spread across Eurasia and became important crops by the second millennium BC. The earliest indisputable archaeobotanical remains of broomcorn millet outside of East Asia identified thus far date to the end of the third millennium BC in eastern Kazakhstan. By the end of the second millennium BC, broomcorn millet cultivation had spread to the rest of Central Eurasia and to Eastern Europe. Both millets are well suited to an arid ecology where the dominant portion of the annual precipitation falls during the warm summer months. Indeed, the earliest sites with millet remains outside of East Asia are restricted to a narrow foothill ecocline between 800 and 2000 m a.s.l., where summer precipitation is relatively high (about 125 mm or more, from May through October). Ethnohistorically, millets, as fast-growing, warm-season crops, were commonly cultivated as a way to reduce agricultural risk and were grown as a low-investment rain-fed summer crop. In Eurasian regions with moist winters and very low summer precipitation, the prevailing agricultural regime had long depended on winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum) and barley ( Hordeum vulgare) cultivated with supplemental irrigation. We propose that the secondary wave of millet cultivation that spread into the summer-dry regions of southern Central Asia is associated with an intensification of productive economies in general, and specifically with the expansion of centrally organized irrigation works.
Role of Country-specific Factors on Capital Structure Decision—Evidence from Sri Lankan Listed Firms
Authors: Buvanendra S. , Sridharan P. , Thiyagarajan S.
Published: April 2016

Capital structure is a very significant area in strategic financial decision making of firms. Several factors, both internal and external, influence a firm’s choices of capital structure. It is found that the research on this topic has mainly covered industrialized countries. Very little is known about the decision-making process on capital structure of firms in developing countries. The aim of this study is to investigate for the period 2000–2013, using panel data, the role of long-run effect of country-specific factors, such as prime lending rate, rate of inflation, gross domestic product (GDP) growth, size of capital market, corporate tax and civil unrest on capital structure choices among Sri Lankan firms listed in Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).
Career management attitudes among business undergraduates
Authors: Jackson Denise , Wilton Nicholas
Published: April 2016

Globalisation, organisational restructuring and new technology have been connected with a shift to ‘protean’ and ‘boundaryless’ career attitudes with workers, including new graduates, increasingly required to be self-reliant in successfully navigating their careers. This study explores protean and boundaryless career attitudes among Business undergraduates and the influence of demographic, background and employment characteristics on these attitudes. Data were collected for Business undergraduates at a UK ( N = 88) and Australian university ( N = 284). Results indicate the students score more highly, on average, in the self-direction and boundaryless mindset dimensions. Relatively lower mean scores for physical mobility and values-driven suggest a ‘one high, one low’ pattern among the two items that constitute protean and boundaryless career attitudes. Employment status and Business degree specialisation were found to significantly predict career attitudes. Findings develop our understanding of whether emerging professionals are equipped to effectively self-manage their careers and implications for educators and professional practitioners are discussed.
Vale Emeritus Professor Audrey Collin: A tribute
Authors: Patton Wendy
Published: April 2016

This special tribute to Emeritus Professor Audrey Collin has a particular Australian flavour as her work has had a significant influence on a number of Australian researchers and thinkers. However, it is a mark of her influence that she has worked intensively with colleagues from around the world and has had a strong influence across a number of areas of career development, in particular career development theory.