bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of a Driving-Point Function from its Specified Real Part
Authors: Ho C. F.
Published: May 2015

The imaginary part of a minimum susceptance function has similar number of terms as the poles, and at all poles s i, the real and the imaginary parts are equal. Using these properties, an expression for determining the driving-point immittance from a given real part is derived.
Design of Butterworth and Chebyshev Digital Filters
Authors: Thyagarajan K. S. , Brlseno Augustin Estrada , Valencia Alfonso Angeles
Published: May 2015

This paper describes the procedure for the design of digital Butterworth and Chebyshev filters in the frequency domain. A sequence of steps is given to compute the coefficients of the digital filter that meets the desired specifications. The technique of applying the frequency transformation in the digital domain to the design of other filters such as highpass, bandpass and bandstop is also included.
Practical Work in the External Training of Electrical Engineering Associates in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Parsons D. J.
Published: May 2015

The use of home experiments and brief intensive residential courses of practical work are described as the means of training external Engineering Associate students in practical matters.
An Air Flow Rig for Use in Hot Element and other Anemometer Experiments
Authors: Turner M. J.
Published: May 2015

An apparatus used in undergraduate instrumentation teaching is described. A small wind tunnel creates air speeds up to 12 m/s. A Pitot tube is used as a reference against which a hot wire anemometer is compared for linearity and transient response. The experiment serves to introduce non-ideal systems.
Microprocessor Control of a Robot Arm
Authors: Hill R. J. , Probert P. J.
Published: May 2015

A four-hour second-year experiment at Cambridge University Engineering Department is described in which a small robot arm is controlled by a microprocessor. The experiment is part of a full microprocessor laboratory programme. The aims for students are both to gain understanding of interfacing and stepping motor control, and to do simple arm performance calculations.
Cautionary Comments on the Use of Miller's Theorem
Authors: Lidgey F. J.
Published: May 2015

Application of Miller's theorem to a network produces an apparent decoupling of the input/output feedback component. This aspect of the theorem often leads to errors in solving for the network parameters, particularly calculation of output impedance. The source of this miscalculation is identified and the correct solution presented.
Coupling Factors and the Equivalent Circuit of Three Inductively-Coupled Coils
Authors: Langman R.
Published: May 2015

The usual method of getting the T equivalent circuit for three inductively coupled coils gives problems when the coupling factors are unequal. An improved method is described, and a general relation between coupling factors is derived. Experimental results are given for air-cored coils.
The Spectrum of Current Components in Semiconductor Junction Diodes and Bipolar Junction Transistors
Authors: Abuelma'atti Muhammad Taher
Published: May 2015

Closed-form expressions for the current components in a semiconductor p-n junction excited by a number of sinusoids were derived. The expressions obtained are quite general and simple and can be easily used to analyse the effect of p-n junction parameters and externally series-connected resistances on the amplitude of any output current component.
A Low-Cost Electronic Method for Measuring Thyristor Convertor Output
Authors: Tso S. K. , Ho P. T.
Published: May 2015

A low-cost opto-electronic method of measuring convertor output currents is proposed serving to overcome the inherent non-linearity of the simple opto-coupler. The design concept and performance of a laboratory-built transducer are described. Over the full operating range much reduced distortion is achieved. The method is useful for feedback control applications.
The Interfacing of a Micro-Alternator with a Microcomputer for Real-Time Monitoring
Authors: Tripathy S. C. , Jha C. S. , Bhatti T. S. , Ram Babu , Balasubramanian R.
Published: May 2015

Hardware and software details of the interfacing of a micro-alternator (a scaled model of a large alternator) with a microprocessor for the purpose of real-time monitoring in the laboratory are presented, together with the monitoring of its voltage, current, power, torque angle and frequency. An electronic circuit to monitor the above variables under transient conditions is discussed.
Reliability Engineering — A Basic Component in an Undergraduate Curriculum
Authors: Billinton Roy , Allan R. N.
Published: May 2015

The paper describes the framework of an undergraduate course in reliability engineering. This is an important topic in system design. The paper stresses the need for quantitative reliability techniques when assessing system economics and alternative designs. These techniques are not discipline-specific and apply to a wide range of systems.
Automatic Design and Simulation of State-Variable Biquadratic Active RC Filters
Authors: Sanchez-Sinencio Edgar , Espinosa-Flores Guillermo , Fuenlabrada Arturo Prieto
Published: May 2015

An automatic-scheme approach to design state-variable biquadratic RC filters with the digital computer is presented. The relatively complex computer program includes a sparse matrix solution technique and an operational amplifier macro-model. However, all the mathematical complexity is transparent to the user. The program is simple to use even for non-specialists.
Digital Simulation of Dynamic Systems
Authors: Min Lim Choo , Cheng Tan Wan
Published: May 2015

The development of two programs based upon a microcomputer system for simulation of dynamic systems is described. The usefulness of the two programs developed for educational and research purposes is demonstrated. Samples of results obtained are also included.
Software Engineering for Electronic Engineers
Authors: Winfield A. F. T.
Published: May 2015

The introduction of software engineering into an electronic engineering curriculum can pose special problems for the lecturer faced with its implementation; foremost of which is ‘what exactly is software engineering when applied to current microprocessor engineering practice?’ This paper aims to answer this and related questions, and hence propose a course syllabus suitable for undergraduate electronic engineers.
Transmission Line Theory Applied to the Shielding Effect of a Conducting Tube
Authors: El-Markabi M. H. S. , Freeman E. M.
Published: May 2015

The problem of determining the shielding effect of multiple concentric, circular, cylindrical, conductors, in a longitudinal, pulsating, field can be greatly simplified by using a non-linear transmission line analogue. The use of Bessel functions is completely obviated. The analysis is straightforward, no accuracy is lost.
A Schmitt Trigger Design Technique for ‘Logic-Noise-Spike’ Elimination
Authors: Hart B. L.
Published: May 2015

A simple graphical procedure is introduced to optimise the design of a regenerative comparator (Schmitt trigger) capable of eliminating from a logic voltage waveform both positive-going ‘noise spikes’ contaminating the ‘0’ level (positive logic convention) and negative-going noise spikes contaminating the ‘1’ level.
A Microprocessor Controlled D.C. Drive
Authors: Babu T. K. M. , Nayar C. V.
Published: May 2015

A microprocessor-based phase controlled triac with rectifier bridge provides variable voltage to a d.c. motor. The ability of the controller to demonstrate different aspects of d.c. motor control such as soft start and speed control is illustrated. As an experiment, this introduces students to the use of a microprocessor in d.c. machine control.
Serious Research and Undergraduate Projects in Power Electronics
Authors: Hobson L. , Hunt A.
Published: May 2015

Research is being carried out at Loughborough University to produce a range of solid state power supplies for high frequency induction heating applications. The research is based mainly on current and voltage fed inverters. This paper describes a cycloconverter built by an undergraduate project to complement the major research activity.
A Self-Excited Synchronous Motor with Controlled Excitation
Authors: Chan T. F.
Published: May 2015

An excitation control scheme for a two-axis excited synchronous motor is described, which, by the direct connection of the quadrature field winding and the armature circuit through a diode bridge rectifier, enables the motor power factor to be maintained at approximately unity, irrespective of load. The steady-state performance based on a simple phasor diagram is verified by experimental results.
Illustrating Random Processes with Random Phase Modulation
Authors: Aitken G. J. M.
Published: May 2015

Randomly phase-modulated cosines are a source of examples for illustrating the topics of variance, autocorrelation, conditional probability and filtering. Mathematical manipulations are neither difficult nor tedious despite the non-linear relationship between measured quantities and the phase noise. The basic mathematical framework is presented in the context of examples which include synchronous detection in the presence of phase perturbations.
Digital Filtering — An Interactive Computer Program for the Design and Simulation of a Finite Impulse Response (F.I.R.) Digital Filter
Authors: Longair I. M.
Published: May 2015

Digital filtering techniques have become an important part of the curriculum of electronic engineering courses. This paper details a computer-based teaching aid, for the popular BBC model B microcomputer, which may be used to design and display the characteristics of a low-pass finite impulse response (FIR) digital filter.
A Laboratory Teaching Module to Demonstrate Computer Control of a Simple Electro-Thermal Process
Authors: Langman R. D. , Hutton C. M.
Published: May 2015

A laboratory teaching module is described which introduces concepts of industrial process control to first or second year undergraduate students in engineering. Based on a BBC microcomputer, the system can be easily constructed and details of the software and hardware are available. Typical results of the system are given.
A Simplified Theory of Observers and a Reduced Criterion for System Observability
Authors: de Paor Annraoi M.
Published: May 2015

A simplified theory of Luenberger observers for systems described by the vector-matrix equations dx/dt = Ax + Bu, y = Cx is presented. This theory has been developed by the author for undergraduate instruction. An interesting byproduct is a system observability criterion of reduced dimensionality. An outline of a direct matrix theory derivation of the new criterion is given.
Spectrum Analysis in the Undergraduate Laboratory
Authors: Mayson D. J. , Cavenor M. C.
Published: May 2015

The design of a spectrum analyser intended for use in an undergraduate communications laboratory is described. A design philosophy based upon limited performance and microcomputer control allows a normally complex instrument to be produced at low cost and with an operating procedure well suited to student use.
Design and Implementation of a Simple PSK/DPSK Modem
Authors: Warburton K. , Carrasco R. A.
Published: May 2015

The paper outlines the principles of phase shift keying and discusses, in detail, the implementation of a practical modem. The paper concludes by theoretically and practically evaluating the system performance.
A Maxwell's Second Equation Approach to the Finite Element Method Applied to Magnetic Field Determination
Authors: Cardoso José Roberto
Published: May 2015

The burst of modern computing systems like CAD/CAM has given rise to the use of the finite element method (FEM), which is, at present, the most used numerical procedure in the determination of fields in continuous media. Undergraduate students find difficulty in understanding the usual way of demonstrating FEM by variational analysis or the Galerkin method. This paper introduces a new formulation of FEM, based on a direct application of Maxwell's second equation, which can be easily understood by undergraduate engineering students.
Teaching through Project Work: Design, Construction and Testing of Transformers
Authors: Jabbar M. A. , Seng Anton Chan Lian
Published: May 2015

Inclusion of practice element in engineering education through design, project-work, laboratories etc. is vitally important. In NTI, we have introduced a new facet of engineering training by introducing an in-house training for our 2nd-year students. Students carry out various projects involving design, construction and testing of products during this period. This paper describes one such project.
SIGMA — Signal Generation Manipulation and Analysis Package
Authors: Golten J. W. , Verwer A. A.
Published: May 2015

‘SIGMA’ is a comprehensive package for the BBC microcomputer for manipulating and analysing signals in the time and frequency domains. Its ‘high-level’ language gives it great flexibility for applications involving discrete Fourier transforms and convolution. Effects such as noise, nonlinearities, modulation and quantisation are readily simulated.
The Role of the Postgraduate Supervisor
Authors: Hartley M. G.
Published: May 2015

The role of the supervisor of postgraduate students is of vital importance. The article offers some practical suggestions as to supervision of postgraduate students with particular reference to the relationship between the student and the supervisor.
Expert Systems in Electrical Engineering Education
Authors: Hanrahan H. E.
Published: May 2015

This paper reviews the status and future potential of knowledge-based expert systems in relation to electrical engineering practice and education. A generalised rule-based expert system is described. Uses of expert systems in the Bachelor's Degree are identified by means of examples. Software and tools are discussed.
Electrical Engineering Education Twenty-Five Years on — The Influence of Developments in Semiconductor Technology
Authors: Fraser D. A.
Published: May 2015

The changes in semiconductor integrated circuits over the past twenty-five years are extrapolated to the next twenty-five years. The parameters that are considered are: complexity, size, speed and cost. The way Electrical Engineering Education could develop as a result of the predicted extension of computing power is discussed.
A Simple Circuit for Useful Demonstrations in a Communications Laboratory
Authors: Ahmad Wasim
Published: May 2015

A simple circuit is described which can be used for both ASK and PSK operations on a sinusoidal carrier signal. The same circuit can also be used for delta modulation. The circuit developed is found very useful for laboratory demonstrations. Experimental results are quite satisfactory.
Circuit Representation of Three-Phase Bridge Convertors
Authors: Watson D. B.
Published: May 2015

The paper shows that the three-phase bridge convertor can be represented in the steady state by a circuit model. Circuit models are deduced for naturally commutated and forced commutated convertors. Steady state power rectification, inversion, the d.c. link, and variable frequency motor control are described.
Introducing Electronic Cad to First Year Students
Authors: Walczowski L. T.
Published: May 2015

An introductory course in Electronic CAD for first year students has been developed. The course gives basic training in the use of CAD tools and looks at their role in the design of an electronic system. This paper describes the course, its origins and our experiences in giving it.
Design, Fabrication and Testing of Undergraduate Gate Arrays
Authors: Pritchard T. I. , Taylor D. , Hallam P.
Published: May 2015

The paper describes undergraduate design, fabrication via an industrial prototyping facility, and testing, of CMOS gate arrays. The majority of design projects are initiated by industry, and serve as an ASIC product feasibility study. The technical difficulties and educational benefits of the projects will be discussed, and future developments outlined.
The Role of the Full-Custom Design Exercise in Teaching
Authors: Forbes Richard G. , Cook Barry M.
Published: May 2015

It is argued that one useful role for a full-custom design system is to provide all electronic engineering students with a small taste of the use of CAD in the full-custom design process, as part of the normal laboratory programme of practical activity.
Full Custom VLSI Design for Computer Scientists
Authors: Johnstone Adrian
Published: May 2015

This paper describes the computer science orientated course on VLSI design at Royal Holloway and Bedford New College, the primary aims of which are to enable students with very limited electronics knowledge to design and fabricate full custom VLSI devices, and to introduce them to the use of high level design tools.
A Solution to the Pin-Out Problem in Multiproject Chips
Authors: Swanson J. G. , Tilston J. P.
Published: May 2015

Combining several relatively small student designs on one chip awkwardly reduces the number of external connections per design. A multiplexing scheme is described which allows four students to each use 31 pins on a 40-pin package. The implentation of this scheme in a 2 μm full-custom CMOS technology is reported.
Use of Existing Cell Library and Software Tools in a Silicon Compilation Environment
Authors: Jong C. C. , Bergamaschi R. A. , Zwolinski M. , Allerton D. J. , Nichols K. G.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes the SCHOLAR silicon compiler and the use of the Silvar-Lisco design suite, the HILO3 simulator and a cell library, obtained under the ECAD initiative, in a silicon compilation/module generation environment. SCHOLAR is a general silicon compiler for synthesis of concurrent VLSI systems from behavioural-level descriptions.
A Unified Approach to the Teaching of Induction and Resistance Heating of Steel Conductors
Authors: Tsappi P. , Langman R. D.
Published: May 2015

The step-function approximation of the magnetisation characteristic is used systematically to develop equations describing direct resistance heating of a steel bar. The equations for the inductively heated thick plate follow as a limiting case. Sinusoidal applied current (field) or sinusoidal applied voltage conditions are considered.
An Impedance Model of the Synchronous Machine
Authors: Watson D. B.
Published: May 2015

The synchronous machine is modelled by impedances connected across the power supply. The model contains the synchronous capacitor. The model also highlights the effects of excitation and of saliency.
On the Upgrading of a Personal Robot for Use in a Computing Science Robotics Laboratory
Authors: Fulcher John Alan
Published: May 2015

The upgrading of a personal robot, Hero-1, for use in a computing science robotics laboratory is described. Typical experiments which utilise Hero-1 are presented, from which it is concluded that such personal robots can indeed be used successfully in the teaching of robotics fundamentals.
An On-Line Asynchronous Digital Control Tutor
Authors: Duke R. M. , Gibson J. A. , Sirisena H. R.
Published: May 2015

Laboratory technique for teaching closed loop digital control of continuously operating systems is introduced. To facilitate the laboratory work, shaft encoder interface units with displays emphasising the digital processing involved have been designed and built. Tutorial theoretical analyses support the laboratory work.
A Modern Microprogramming Laboratory
Authors: Parker A. , Hamblen J. O.
Published: May 2015

A graduate computer engineering laboratory that supports a one-quarter microprogramming course is described in this paper. The new features of this laboratory include an inexpensive 16-bit microprogrammable computer board with writable control store and advanced microcode debugging support, a relocatable macro meta assembler, and a network of personal computers.
The Use of Computer Analysis in Undergraduate Electronics Teaching
Authors: Brown I. J. A.
Published: May 2015

How computer-aided analysis can counter the problem of reduced time available for undergraduate electronics courses as digital systems occupy an ever increasing proportion of the timetable is discussed. The requirements of suitable software are considered and the details of the arrangements and program used at Brunel University are described.
Teaching Communication Skills in Electrical Engineering Degree Courses
Authors: Bowron P.
Published: May 2015

A first-year communication skills course is described which involves the engineering faculty as well as specialist lecturers. It is closely linked to the personal tutor system and exercises are carefully scheduled into a busy timetable. The extent to which the course satisfies EA2 requirements is assessed.
A Method to Determine the Temperature Rise of Induction Motors
Authors: Chan T. F.
Published: May 2015

When a voltage comprising a fundamental and a second harmonic of appropriate magnitude is applied to an induction motor which has no coupled load, approximately full-load conditions can be simulated, thus enabling the motor temperature rise to be determined. Circuit arrangements for the proposed test method and experimental results are presented.
Three Years Experience of Undergraduate Final Year Projects Using Signal Processing Microprocessors
Authors: Allan J. , Chance R. J. , Marks K. T. , Miller C. A.
Published: May 2015

Two types of Texas Instruments TMS320 signal processing microprocessor have been used by the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Birmingham, in over 50 B. Eng. final year projects since September 1985. The software/hardware development facilities and the wide variety of applications in projects and problems encountered are described.
An Undergraduate Student Project on Digital Filter Design with Industrial Co-Operation
Authors: Campbell D. R.
Published: May 2015

The support by industry of the engineering education process is crucial. Sandwich degree courses, undergraduate vacation training and joint research/consultancy projects can be supplemented by joint undergraduate projects to ensure their industrial relevance. One such project, involving a design development study of a commercial digital filter unit, is described.
Semi-Custom Design Technique in Undergraduate Teaching
Authors: Culverhouse P. F.
Published: May 2015

In recent years the demand for designers of semi-custom integrated circuits has increased as original equipment manufacturers tool-up for ASIC use in their products. The author presents a course unit designed to impart VLSI design technique to undergraduates, with an emphasis on ASIC design methods. MENTOR GRAPHICS CAE tools and fabrication of student-designed integrated circuits allow a complete development cycle to be experienced by all final year undergraduates in the department.
A Logic Analyser Design for Use in the Teaching of Digital Systems to Undergraduates
Authors: Chance R. J. , Noaks D. R.
Published: May 2015

A logic analyser has been designed for an undergraduate digital laboratory. The maximum use of software reduces the cost. Although the analyser does not collect data at a commercially acceptable speed, it can work in real time and shows the operation of digital hardware and logic analyser principles.
An Inexpensive Semiconductor Device Characterisation and Modelling Experiment
Authors: Webb P. W.
Published: May 2015

The paper describes a relatively cheap system for the automated measurement and simulation of the d.c. characteristics of semiconductor devices. Some results obtained from an MOS integrated circuit are described which illustrate the utility and application of the equipment for use in a second year undergraduate course.
Displacement Current and the Biot-Savart Law
Authors: Kabbary F. M. , Stewart B. G. , Hately M. C.
Published: May 2015

It is shown how the Biot-Savart law arises as a consequence of the Maxwell law D′ ⇀̲ ∇ × H, where time-varying electric fields are produced through charge motion. These ideas provide the continuous source of H away from moving charges, which the term J in Maxwell's 4th equation cannot provide.
The Maya Number of Time: Intervalic Time Reckoning in the Maya Codices, Part II
Authors: Aveni Anthony F. , Morandi Steven J. , Peterson Polly A.
Published: May 2015

…all things and acts and symbols — or the whole of human experience — consist of replicas, gradually changing by minute alterations more than by abrupt leaps of invention…. The little changes separated by infinitesimal alterations like the changes appearing in copies of the same document prepared by different scribes, are dismissed as trivial … large-interval changes are similar to small interval changes. Furthermore, many changes assumed to be large are really small when seen in full context.
Mechanical and damping properties of carbon nanotube-modified polyisobutylene-based polyurethane composites
Authors: Li Yuqi , Jiao Hongyu , Pan Guangqin , Wang Qihua , Wang Tingmei
Published: May 2015

A series of polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites are filled with various contents of multi-walled carbon nanotubes as H-bonds acceptor chain extenders. The damping properties, tensile strength, as well as oxidative/hydrolytic stability of the multi-walled carbon nanotubes-modified polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites were studied systematically. Results revealed that the incorporation of multi-walled carbon nanotubes can significantly improve the mechanical capacity especially when the multi-walled carbon nanotubes content was only 0.3wt%, the tensile strength of the polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites increased by ca. 126% compared to the pure polymer matrix. Activation enthalpy of the transition process and Halpin-Tsai model is used to investigate the reinforced mechanisms of the polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites, which indicate the multi-walled carbon nanotubes as H-bonds acceptor chain extenders lead to the strong interface interaction between the multi-walled carbon nanotubes and matrix. It is worth noting that the polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites also exhibit excellent damping properties (tan δ > 0.3) in a wide range of temperature from −60℃ to 35℃, and the PIB/PEG-based PU and polyisobutylene/polyethylene glycol-based polyurethane nanocomposites exhibit good oxidative/hydrolytic stability. It is anticipated that our current work would inform ongoing efforts to exploit PIB/PEG-based PU nanocomposites, which may be used as damping materials.
Dentin Sialophosphoprotein–derived Proteins in the Dental Pulp
Authors: Yamamoto R. , Oida S. , Yamakoshi Y.
Published: May 2015

Porcine dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP), the most abundant noncollagenous protein in dentin, is critical for proper mineralization of tooth dentin. DSPP is processed by proteases into 3 major domains: dentin sialoprotein (DSP), dentin glycoprotein (DGP), and dentin phosphoprotein (DPP). There are at least 2 mRNA variants expressed from the Dspp gene: one encodes the full-length DSPP protein (DSP+DGP+DPP); the other encodes only DSP. The shorter transcript is generated through the use of a polyadenylation signal within intron 4, immediately following the DSP coding region (DGP and DPP are encoded by exon 5). We fractionated DSPP-derived proteins from the dental pulp of developing porcine incisors using heparin chromatography. DSP was identified, but little DPP could be detected in any fractions. BMP-1 digestion of DSPP-derived proteins extracted from dental pulp did not generate new DPP bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (indicating an absence of intact DSPP), although the results suggested another BMP-1 cleavage site within DSP. We further purified DSPP-derived protein by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Its amino acid composition was similar to DSP. Expression of the full-length Dspp mRNA by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis was significantly higher in odontoblasts than in pulp, while expression of the DSP-only mRNA was almost equal in odontoblasts and in the body of the pulp. Expression of the full-length Dspp mRNA was also significantly higher than the expression of DSP-only mRNA in odontoblasts. Both the full-length and the DSP-only Dspp mRNA showed only trace expression in the pulp tip. We conclude that use of the 3′ polyadenylation signal in exon 5 predominates in fully differentiated odontoblasts, while both polyadenylation signals are used throughout odontoblast differentiation.
Integration and Citizenship: An Essay
Authors: de Wenden Catherine Wihtol
Published: May 2015

Integration and citizenship questions concern immigrants in Europe. These questions are difficult to address because of the different histories and settlement patterns of immigrants in receiving societies. The European dimension has introduced new values in integration and citizenship policies. One change is the revision of nationality laws in the 1990s to take account of the long-term presence of immigrants. However, an important gap persists between admission policies, which are governed by regional agreements, and integration and citizenship policies, which are subject to national or state laws. New trends and new mobilities present further challenge in how to reconcile admission and integration policies.
Risk of Sexually-Transmitted Infections among Migrant Men: Findings from a Survey in Delhi
Authors: Mishra Anurag
Published: May 2015

Male outmigration has been a traditional feature of rural to urban migration in India. Many of these out-migrants are married and have left their families behind. This raises the question of whether men actually abstain or seek other sexual partners. To address this question, this paper attempts to study migrants' sexual behavior and sexual health as well as their attitudes towards extramarital sex and preventive practices during sex outside marriage. Findings from the survey of 500 married male migrants suggest that migrants staying away from their families are 3.6 times more likely to indulge in extramarital sex than migrants staying with their families. The need for more information campaigns and providing recreational facilities for migrants living away from their families is suggested by the study.
Filipina-Japanese Intermarriages: A Pathway to New Gender and Cross-Cultural Relations
Authors: Satake Masaaki
Published: May 2015

This article analyzes the patterns and trends of intermarriages between Filipino women and Japanese men from the 1980s to the present. It presents the factors explaining the increase in such marriages and examines the characteristics of Japanese men married to Filipino women. The narratives of Filipina-Japanese couples are situated in the larger contexts of the family, community and society. In attempting to create a dynamic family model, these intermarriages reveal possibilities for new gender and cross-cultural relations.
Redefining the “Highly Skilled”: The Points-Based System for Highly Skilled Foreign Professionals in Japan
Authors: Oishi Nana
Published: May 2015

This article examines recent policy developments concerning highly skilled migration in Japan with a particular focus on the newly introduced points system. After numerous debates, the Japanese government introduced the points system in 2012 to attract more foreign professionals. The Japanese points system differs from those adopted in other countries in that it does not serve as an entry-screening mechanism. Rather, it aims to narrow down the definition of “highly skilled migrants” and promote their settlement by offering them more incentives and privileges. While this is one of the most significant reforms in the country's postwar immigration policies, the analysis suggests that the impact of the existing points system is likely to remain limited. This article identifies the limits of the points system and argues for more fundamental reforms in Japanese corporate practices, integration programs, institutional systems, and more fundamental actions against anti-migrant movements.
The welfare impact of overseas migration on Philippine households: Analysis using panel data
Authors: Ducanes Geoffrey
Published: May 2015

This study uses a panel of some 8,000 households common to the 2007 and 2008 Annual Poverty Indicators Surveys to examine the economic impact of overseas migration on Philippine households. It finds overseas migration to be an important driving factor for household social mobility in the Philippines. Using panel regression analysis, the study shows households that are able to send members overseas experience a windfall in income transfers, but they also incur losses in domestic wages. This moves them up the income ladder, supports their increased consumption – including spending for education, medical care, real property and equipment, food, clothing and recreation – reduces their poverty, and allows them to increase inter-household transfers.
“‘Tis Set down So in Heaven, but Not in Earth”: Reconsidering Political Theology in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure
Authors: Goossen Jonathan
Published: May 2015

How to govern a state in a Christian way is a question central to Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. In the play, Duke Vincentio is often thought to demonstrate the importance of tempering justice with mercy, in contrast with the rigid legalism of his deputy Angelo. This essay argues instead that like Angelo and the Puritans of Shakespeare's day, the Duke's governance conflates spiritual with temporal law and personal sin with public crime. Only the novice Isabella perceives both the similarity and consequences of their thinking and rejects it in favor of a more traditional political theology that refuses to make Christ's spiritual teachings into legal requirements.
Raising The Rock: The Importance of T. S. Eliot's Pageant-Play
Authors: Atkins Hazel
Published: May 2015

T. S. Eliot's The Rock was written as part of a fundraising campaign to assist the Forty-Five Churches Fund to build new churches in London's suburbs. The pageant play has to-date received little critical attention partly due to the fact that it was a commissioned piece, and partly due to its undeniable flaws. A thoroughgoing reassessment of the important place the play holds in Eliot's oeuvre is therefore long overdue. I aim to show that an attentive re-reading of The Rock in its church setting is indispensable for gaining a full understanding of the development of Eliot's post-conversion ideas about community, tradition, and the ritual function of art.
Is the practice of goal-setting for patients in acute stroke care patient-centred and what factors influence this? A qualitative study
Authors: Rosewilliam Sheeba , Sintler Carron , Pandyan Anand D , Skelton John , Roskell Carolyn A
Published: May 2015

Objective:

To explore whether goal-setting for rehabilitation with acute stroke survivors is patient-centred and identify factors which influence the adoption of patient-centredness in goal-setting practice.

Setting:

Acute stroke unit in a large teaching hospital in England.

Participants:

Patients with stroke who had no cognitive or significant communication problems and health care professionals who had a significant engagement with an individual patient were approached for participation.

Method:

Multiple qualitative methods were used. Perceptions and beliefs about patient-centredness, within the context of goal-setting, were collected from patients and corresponding professionals using qualitative semi-structured interviews. Adoption of patient-centred behaviour was triangulated using analysis of patient records and observation of team meetings related to participating patients.

Data analysis:

Interview transcripts and field notes were coded, clustered under categories and descriptively summarised. Additionally, data from patients’ documents were summarised. These summaries were then mapped on to an a-priori frame work of patient-centredness from which further interpretative themes were derived.

Results:

Seven patients and seven health-care professionals participated. Goal-setting was not consistently patient-centred as evidenced by a) incongruities between patients and professionals in setting, communicating and prioritising of goals and b) dysfunctional therapeutic relationships. The factors that influenced patient-centred goal-setting were both professional and patient beliefs and attributes, work-culture, practice model, limitations in knowledge and systems that disempowered both professionals and patients.

Conclusion:

It may be possible to infer that current local practice of goal-setting was inadequately patient-centred. Further research is required to identify strategies to overcome these challenges and to develop patient-centred goal-setting methods.
Assessing the Damaging Effect of Continuous Vibration in Brittle Structures
Authors: Turner J. D.
Published: May 2015

It is common practice to measure vibration amplitudes in terms of acceleration levels when assessing the likelihood that a particular broad-band vibration will cause damage to a brittle structure, such as a bridge or building.

The practical relevance of this is in the assessment of structures exposed to broad-band vibration such as that produced by machinery or road and rail traffic. This paper presents a theoretical prediction that peak velocity is the most appropriate quantity to measure for beam-like structures, since it can be shown to be more closely related to peak strain than to peak acceleration or displacement. An experimental verification of the theory is presented for the simple case of a brittle cantilever. The experimental work was undertaken as a final-year undergraduate project.
Finite-Time Thermodynamics and Endoreversible Heat Engines
Authors: Wu C. , Kiang R. L. , Lopardo V. J. , Karpouzian G. N.
Published: May 2015

An endoreversible heat engine is an internally reversible and externally irreversible cyclic device which exchanges heat and power with its surroundings. Classical engineering thermodynamics is based on the concept of equilibrium. Time is not considered in the energy interactions between the heat engine and its environment. On the other hand, although rate of energy transfer is taught in heat transfer, the course does not cover heat engines. The finite-time thermodynamics is a newly developing field to fill in the gap between thermodynamics and heat transfer. Two types of engines are modelled in this paper—a reciprocating and a steady flow—with results obtained for maximum power output and efficiency at maximum power. It is shown that the latter is the same for both types of engines but that the maximum value of power production is different.
The Progressive Use of Projects in an Engineering Degree Course
Authors: Hurst K. S. , James R. D. , Raines M.
Published: May 2015

The University of Hull established the Department of Engineering Design and Manufacture in the later 1970s in response to an increasing awareness of the need to change the pattern of engineering education. An important aspect of the degree-course planning was the recognition of the importance of project-based activity in the formation of effective engineers. From the outset industrial collaboration was seen as an important ingredient and much of the project work described here reflects this philosophy. Although the main purpose here is to describe the nature and role of this project work, an overview of the four-year Special Honours Degree course, with its emphasis on Engineering Applications is provided.
Reversible Performance of Cycles with Variable Temperature Heat Transfer Interactions
Authors: Herold Keith E. , Haslach Henry W.
Published: May 2015

The reversible performance of cycles with variable temperature heat transfer interactions is examined. The cycles considered operate at steady state with heat input and heat rejection occurring over a range of temperatures. A Carnot-style thermodynamic analysis is performed based on an average temperature associated with the variable temperature processes. The average temperature is termed an entropic average since it is defined in terms of the entropy flowing with the heat. In terms of this entropic average temperature, it is possible to prove that the reversible performance of two cycles operating between the same entropic average temperatures must be equal. This general result collapses to the Carnot conclusion, that all reversible cycles operating between the same two fixed temperatures have the same performance, for cycles with fixed temperature heat transfer interactions. The significance of the result is in the way we interpret the performance of real cycles. The thermodynamic conclusions obtained from the Carnot analysis can be extended to variable temperature cycles directly. The ideas presented in this paper allow the student to readily apply the concept of a reversible process to a real, variable temperature process and to readily calculate the performance of reversible cycles containing such processes.
Computer-Aided Analysis of Gas Turbine Cycles
Authors: Moukalled F. , Lakkis I.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes a microcomputer-based, interactive, and menu-driven software package designed to help mechanical engineering students to understand gas turbines and to allow them to conduct more analysis of gas turbine cycles than they would normally be able to do by hand-calculation. The program deals with gas turbine cycle analysis so the acronym GTCA is used. GTCA is written in the Pascal computer language and runs on IBM PC, or compatible, computers. Improvements to the basic Brayton cycle, including three compressor and turbine stages, reheater, heat exchanger, intercooler, and precooler are incorporated into the program. The package is highly flexible and allows the user to model cycle schemes formed of any combination of these elements and to handle both shaft power turbines and aircraft turbojet and turbofan turbines. An important feature of the program is its ability to solve for any unknown variables. In addition to this, the program provides a schematic of the turbine plant layout and a temperature-entropy diagram of the cycle, and permits the plotting of the variation of any quantity versus any other quantity. This option enables the student to easily study and understand the effects of changing design variables on the overall performance of the cycle and permits its optimization. The statistical survey conducted along with the examples presented demonstrate the capabilities of the package as a teaching tool.
An Overview of a Capstone Design Course and a Project
Authors: Kleinke Darrell K. , Uras H. Mehmet
Published: May 2015

An overview of the organization of a one-semester capstone design course is presented along with the description of a design project: ‘Sensor positioning device’. The students work as teams on a given project, starting from concept development to constructing and testing an actual working prototype. The sensor positioning device has electromechanical components and is computer-controlled. It is a multidisciplinary project with computer integration and software development.
A Novel Vapour-Compression Refrigeration Circuit Employing a Computer-Controlled Expansion Valve
Authors: Richardson R. N. , Butterworth J. S.
Published: May 2015

A vapour-compression refrigeration circuit employing a microprocessor-controlled expansion valve has been developed primarily to investigate the performance of hydrocarbon refrigerants but has also proved an ideal demonstration and teaching system. Unlike more conventional systems in which the capillary or thermostatic expansion valve must be matched to the refrigerant, the use of a stepper-motor-driven valve allows refrigerants, or refrigerant mixtures, of unknown composition to be investigated. Further, the valve may be controlled to maintain the refrigerant flow rate and evaporator exit superheat at any desired value. The flexibility of the system allows students to investigate the behaviour of the vapour compression system over a range of operating conditions whilst the pre-programming of set points (e.g. minimum superheat, maximum pressure) ensures that the system cannot be driven beyond its safe working limits.
Standardization of Data Logging in a Mechanics Lab
Authors: Smith J. D.
Published: May 2015

The requirements for data logging for mechanics experiments and compromises between cost and performance are discussed. A particular set of choices made in one laboratory and the limitations involved are given. Simple acquisition, processing and dumping routines are given, based on those provided by the manufacturers.
Undergraduate Projects Involving the Thermofluid Design of Power-Plants
Authors: Tubman K. A.
Published: May 2015

This article describes a type of final-year project offered to undergraduates over the past twenty years on the Combined Engineering Course at Coventry University. Each project is concerned with either confirming the thermofluid design of a particular power-plant, or with proposing a design for a novel and futuristic plant. The type of power-plant involved may be a power-station or an industrial or vehicular engine or turbine plant of specific rating and usage, e.g. the Space Shuttle, or a futuristic 3-GW(e) steam power-station linked to a fusion reactor. The work is concerned with the thermofluid cycle and plant design only, and does not include the mechanical design or other design aspects. It is assumed that these aspects can be achieved because the power-plants chosen are either already in existence or are thought to be practicable futuristic plants. To date, thirty-four projects have been completed, each constituting one-sixth of the students' final-year study programmes.

The general nature of these projects is described in the article, and an illustrative example is presented. This is followed by a discussion on what are appropriate projects in the 1990s, and the merits of offering the type described here.
A Unified Approach to Teaching Analytical Cam Design Using Conjugate Geometry
Authors: Shooter Steven B. , West Robert L. , Reinholtz Charles F.
Published: May 2015

While graphical techniques for synthesizing cam profiles are useful for teaching the fundamentals of cam design, they can be laborious when considering the iterative nature of design. Analytical techniques are better suited to take advantage of the powerful computation tools so readily available. However, the techniques for deriving the governing equations can be cumbersome and difficult to follow for students because many of the analytical formulations require the knowledge of a ‘trick’ specific to each problem. Presented here is a procedure that uses two simple concepts of conjugate geometry to derive the governing vector equation for the cam profile. The first concept is that of forming a closed vector loop within the cam and follower. The second is the principle that the relative velocity between the cam and follower is purely along the common tangent of the two surfaces at the point of contact. The authors believe that this approach is more intuitive and easier to learn. The same approach can be used for any cam-and-follower system where the surface of the follower can be described parametrically.
The Efficiency at Maximum Power Output of a Carnot Engine with Heat Leak
Authors: Moukalled F. , Nuwayhid R. Y.
Published: May 2015

Endoreversible thermodynamics are used for studying the performance of Carnot engines with heat leak. This is done by adding a heat leak term into a variation of the model suggested by DeVos [1]. Heat transfer across the engine is assumed to occur via a conduction/convection mechanism and Newton's law of cooling is employed to model the heat transfer processes. The efficiency at maximum power output is found to be deeply affected by the rate of heat leak. Moreover, the Curzon-Ahlborn relation [2] is shown to represent a special case of the new formulation. Since the suggested model allows more flexibility in predicting actual engines' performance, its use is recommended in thermodynamics courses.