bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relations Between Sports and Some Factors Influencing the Socialization Process
Authors: Hosek A. , Petrovic K. , Momirovic K. , Horga S.
Published: March 2007

In investigations the purpose of which is the analysis of relations between sports and the degree of socialization the essence of the problem is objective de termination of the socialization level and factors on which the socialization process actually depends.

In this investigation the socialization degree has been determined on the basis of results obtained by application of objective measuring instruments, by which the reactions of subjects in the representative sample of social situations have been registered. The total of 10 such instruments, 5 of which have been con structed in accordance with the principles of interactionistic personality theory, and 5 were applied in accordance with the classical model for the estimation of primary conative characteristics.

The analyses carried out on a sample of 179 girls, 16 years of age, have shown that there are significant differences in basic dimensions on which depends the socialization process between subjects who practice sports actively and those who practice sports irregularly or not at all. The subjects who practice sports re gularly show, as a rule, a considerably higher socialization degree. Thus it was possible to construct a regression function which, with a considerable degree of accuracy, separates the groups with different levels of sport activity.

As symmetry of relations between socialization process and sports activity can be assumed, it is possible to conclude, with a high degree of credibility, that sport is one of relevant factors on which the socialization of personality depends.
Profiles of Physical Education Strategies: A Cross- National Comparison of Preferences of English and Canadian Teachers
Authors: Vertinsky Patricia , Cuthbert June
Published: March 2007

This study was designed to compare strategic teaching preferences of physical educators in two national settings, and to assess the impact of selected teacher characteristics and teaching situations upon these preference profiles. A field study employing a structured questionnaire was administered to two samples of physical education teachers, one from Canada ( n=178) and the other from England ( n =53). Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was used to test the main and in teraction effects of national setting, teacher age, gender, and teaching level upon preferences for instructional goals, tactics, and resources. The analysis revealed significant national differences, in all dimensions of the teaching strategy space. While Canadian physical educators placed emphasis upon fitness and the deve lopment of skills for future life-styles, British teachers attached more importance to fun and the promotion of team spirit as major physical education goals. Ca nadians demonstrated greater adherence to the use of innovative delivery techno logies and the promotion of student self-management. The British physical edu cators, however, placed the most emphasis upon the type of class organization that would lead to a maximum of skill teaching in class. Male Canadians preferred the more formal command method for teaching large groups, but it was the British female, rather than the male teachers who matched their enthusiasm.
The Olympics: A Sociological Perspective
Authors: Seppänen Paavo
Published: March 2007

The modern Olympic Games have grown into a social and cultural spectacle without parallel in kind or scope. In spite of its goals of mutual understanding, the Olympic movement has been quite powerless in promoting peace and understanding. Rather, it has become an institution whose primary function is the consolidation of the existing order. Not the individual athlete but the nation-state is the primary unit of the Olympic system. Olympics are misused for political purposes. They depend on the world power balance and on business and are best described by the trinity of Nationalism, Commercialism and Athletism.
Attitude of Urban South Africans toward Non-Racial Sport and their Expectations of Future Race Relations - A Comparative Study
Authors: Scholtz Gert J.L. , Olivier J.L.
Published: March 2007

In 1983 a random sample drawn from the larger urban communities and including 962 Blacks, 943 Indians, 789 Coloureds and 697 Whites, revealed that the majority of urban South Africans strongly favoured non-racial sport at national and club competition levels. For the first time in history, differences occurring between the attitude profile of the four main ethnic groups were non-significant. Attitudes of Whites still tended to be more conservative and have regressed since 1980/81. The attitude pattern of Blacks, Coloureds and Indians was the most homogeneous. A certain amount of ambivalence became evident between present attitudes and more positive expectations of change within the country.
Pumping Iron or Pulling Strings: Different Ways of Working Out and Getting Involved in Body-Building
Authors: Bednarek Joachim
Published: March 2007

This paper features a clear differentiation of three forms of involvement in body-building, as represented by competitive body-builders, non-competitive body-builders, and fitness- oriented weight-trainers. In addition, a distinction between gyms with rather conventional (featuring mostly free weights) and modern, luxury-type equipment (featuring a multitude of exercise machines plus additional facilities) is suggested, thus representing two controversial ways of working out in hody-building. A specifically designed body-image and self-concept questionnaire was administered to regular clients of commercially run gyms. The rather limited ways to work out in conventional gyms seemed to attract a clientele that was more homogeneous with regard to demographic characteristics, but that apparently managed to develop a greater diversity in their body images. The greater variety of working out in luxury gyms seemd to attract a clientele that was more heterogeneous with regard to demographic characteristics, but that apparently tended towards similarity in their body images. Findings are discussed in terms of self-selection and socialization as possible explanations for different patterns of recruitment and forms of involvement in body building
The Uncertainty of Crisis in Professional Football
Authors: Clarke Alan , Madden Lawrie
Published: March 2007

The field of leisure studies has gained from interdisciplinary approaches to the subject. This trend is now being threatened by the introduction of a narrowly defined economic approach. With this view becoming increasingly pervasive, the authors attempt to highlight some of the limitations of such an approach. By concentrating on professional football in England, the authors hope to demonstrate the difficulties raised by such work in a way which makes the arguments applicable to a wide range of specific interests. Assessing the claims of the research in the area of professional football, it is demonstrated that quantifiable solutions to the economic problems of the game often suffer from loose correlations with the evidence because the problems need to be conceived more broadly than the economic formulae allow.
The Relationship between Sport Involvement and Life-style in Youth Cultures
Authors: Sack Hans-Gerhard
Published: March 2007

The article is a first attempt to apply Bourdieu's theory of social class differences, as it has been outlined in his book "La distinction, Critique sociale du jugement", to the understanding and the explication of the development of sport involvement in childhood and adolescence. The article puts the stress on sports in the context of family and peers and tries to demonstrate (1) how elements of taste do penetrate sportive situations, (2) how and why sportive situations are not apt to integrate people of different tastes, (3) that sport even in childhood and adolescence is a social system that helps to differentiate society vertically, (4) and it is shown that Bourdieu's concept of classes (incl. taste) might be able to explain social differences in sport involvement better than the traditional concept of class or social stratification.
Gender & Power: Explanations of Gender Inequalities In Canadian National Sport Organisations
Authors: Whitson David , Macintosh Donald
Published: March 2007

This paper seeks to theorise change and resistance to change in contemporary gender relations as these are manifest in Canadian national sport organisations. Interviews which sought to explore why women were under-represented in senior technical, administrative, and volunteer positions pointed to lack of qualifications and family responsibilities as the two most widely perceived reasons. As many respondents argued though, these phenomena themselves are rooted in structures of gender relations which transcend sport. The final section considers theories which seek to explain these deeper structures, and argues that the evidence supports a theory based on the analysis of power and conflict.
Sports Clubs and Political Integration in the Yemen Arab Republic
Authors: Stevenson Thomas B.
Published: March 2007

Although not often studied, sport can be an important agency for developing a national consensus. This paper examines how the North Yemen government has used sports to promote political integration. Existing clubs were consolidated into a national sports system. New clubs have been formed. There are now clubs in regions that had refused to accept government control. Analysis indicates that this expansion has extended into most areas of the country. Underlying the rapid growth of clubs is that they are voluntarily formed by local youth. Political integration has been possible because clubs are considered to be politically neutral. While clubs provide important links to the central government they have also become legitimate expressions of regionalism.
Between gymshoes and high-heels — The development of a lesbian identity and existence in top class sport
Authors: Palzkill Birgit , Fisher Angela
Published: March 2007

The sports system, which orientates itself according to male values and norms, is in many ways in contradiction to the characterisation of the female sex role. Through participation in this male domain of sport, top sportswomen attempt to escape being reduced to the narrow female role. On the other hand, they are then plunged into being torn between being a sportsperson and being a woman, a situation which has a strong influence upon the sporting career and upon the development of personality as a whole. The development of an identity and existence as a lesbian woman is shown to be a dissolution of, and a mastering strategy for this specific inner strife.
Careers in Running Individual Needs and Social Organization
Authors: Lutz Ronald
Published: March 2007

The first "Volkslauf" at Bobingen on Oct. 13, 1963 signalled the beginning of a development transforming organized running into a sport for the masses, a popular sport of stimulative nature. The extraordinary increase in what followed that "Volkslauf" was amplified by the "Lauftreffs" (first organized in 1974) and the city marathons which have gained more and more ground since the early eighties. All of this resulted in what today we call the jogging movement: "Laufbewegung". Being more than just another kind of sport, to many people jogging has become part of their everyday culture.

People are said to practise jogging because it is healthy, improves their basic well-being, breakes the monotony of their everyday lives, turning into a veritable inner sensation. All this is supposed to mingle with a variety of further motives, as it serves personal ambition and efficiency, offers new social experiences, adds up to a "process of self-education"; finally it is supposed to serve the certainty of gaining a piece of identity. Then a career in running Would inevitably mean an integral and essential part of one's biography, an important element of the vital activity required each day of one's life and standing in an indissoluble context with other activities, satisfying needs which have gradually sprung up as by-products of jogging over the years. This must be reflected in the terms of social environment, nature, body-consciousness, competitions and sense of life - sense of running. The jogging movement is considered as a proof of the contradictory nature of advanced societies, as a melting-pot of deeply rooted factors of persistence standing in the wax of any social moulding of subjectivity. It exhibits tendencies leading to divergent assessments- depending on one's point or angle of view.

A critical analysis of the jogging movement shows the obvious difficulty of outlining a main direction of social development and biographical evolution.
The Recreational Physical Activities of Spanish Women: A Sociological Study of Exercising for Fitness
Authors: Bunuel Ana
Published: March 2007

The accelerated process of social change which has been taking place in Spain over the past 15 years has also been reflected in the recreational physical activities of Spanish women.

In addition to spending progressively more free time on sports, Spaniards have undergone the same change as other Western societies regarding their outlook towards their bodies, health, free time and recreational physical activities.

In this article we see how the influence of these changes, in conjunction with such vestiges of tradition as sexual inequality and still-existing stereotypes connected with the sports world, has restricted the practice of physical fitness exercises mainly to women. Although open to accusations of creating a feminine "ghetto", these physical activities have provided a new recreational model in keeping with the values of present-day society.
Myth or Reality: The Classical Olympic Athlete
Authors: Lämmer Manfred
Published: March 2007

Gymnastics and athletics of Greek antiquity have been highly influential in the development of physical education and sports from the Renaissance up into the 20th century. This is particularly true for the modern Olympic Games which, according to their founder Pierre de Coubertin, were "to unite ancient spirit and modern form".
The Spatial Development of the Modern Stadium
Authors: Bale John
Published: March 2007

The British football stadium is an example of highly tcrritorialized space. In the past one hundred years the environment of football has changed from one of unenclosed, multi functional space with considerable spatial interaction among players and spectators (weak rules of exclusion) to enclosed, segmented and monofunctional space with impermeable boundaries and efficient surveillance of crowds (strong rules of exclusion). The analogy is drawn between the spatial changes in football space and Foucault's description of the growth of the prison. There has been considerable resistance to the confining of football space and in the early 1990s there are some indications that intra-stadium boundaries are "softening" and that "post-modern" tendencies might be emerging in the landscape of British football.
The Right to Wander: Issues in the Leisure Use of Countryside and Wilderness Areas
Authors: Donnelly Peter
Published: March 2007

The right to wander refers to the right to be on land or water for reasons of sport, leisure and pleasure with only minimal common sense limitations — a right that is denied to the vast majority of people. This paper represents a preliminary attempt to show how notions such as private property are actually social constructions, defined by a powerful minority in its own interests; how challenges to these social constructions by representatives of the majority resulted in a series of unsatisfactory accommodations in the form of national parks and other limited protected areas; how even these unsatisfactory accommodations came under attack in the conservative political economy of the 1980s; and, how some alternative social constructions are possible that will result in far more democratic definitions and uses of countryside and wilderness areas. The present trend points toward decreased access to countryside and wilderness areas. This trend will continue if the vast majority of the world's population who are losing access do not engage in increased social action to promote alternatives to the status quo, and to further the cause of the right to wander.
Heterosexuality as an Organizing Principle in Women's Sport
Authors: Kolnes Liv-Jorunn
Published: March 2007

This paper explores how heterosexual images structure representations of female elite athletes, and the different practices through which these are perpetuated, both by female athletes themselves, and by others. The focus is on how female athletes experience and reflect upon the relationship between being an athlete and conceptions of femininity with reference to the media, sponsors, fashion/sports clothing and the public. The data are drawn from in- depth interviews with 17 female elite athletes from four different sports in which female athletes perform particularly well internationally: athletics, cross-country skiing, handball and soccer. The findings suggest that the construction of heterosexuality as an organizing principle in women's sport is a complex process involving numerous factors. Female elite athletes are exposed to constraints and paradoxes in which the message is that they may participate in elite sports, but only as long as it does not weaken their hetero sexual attractiveness.
Toward Bridging the Gap Between Theory and Practice: Analogy and Person in Technical Communication
Authors: Soderston Candace , German Carol
Published: March 2007

Technical communication inherited many of the stylistic conventions ad hered to within scientific discourse. This article examines current theories and research that support the contention that some of these conventions should no longer be applied across the board. In particular, the effect of analo gy and direct address (2nd person versus 3rd person) on novices' comprehension and experts'preference are discussed and evaluated through a series of controlled experiments. The results of these experiments suggest that analogies have a tremendous effect upon the ability of readers to freely recall material at a later time. Direct address does not appear to affect comprehen sion, although subject-matter experts preferred 2nd-person to 3rd-person sentence construction.
Discovering the Competitors
Authors: Steels Luc
Published: March 2007

This article reports on an experiment that tests whether a particular representation of robotic control processes is adequate for capturing significant variations in robot behavior. These variations can then be explored by a selectionist mechanism that generates and tests variations. An ecosystem modeled after a physical robotic ecosystem is introduced. The ecosystem contains a robot that occasionally has to recharge, as well as competitors that take away energy from the total system. The robot has to discover that its viability requires combating the competitors.
Biological Adaptations and Evolutionary Epistemology
Authors: Fetzer James H.
Published: March 2007

Darwin Machines and the Nature of Knowledge, by Henry Plotkin. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1994. xviii + 269 pages, $27.95 hardcover. ISBN 0-674-19280-X.
DRAMA, a Connectionist Architecture for Control and Learning in Autonomous Robots
Authors: Billard Aude , Hayes Gillian
Published: March 2007

Adaptation to their environment is a fundamental capability for living agents, from which au tonomous robots could also benefit. This work proposes a connectionist architecture, DRAMA, for dynamic control and learning of autonomous robots. DRAMA stands for dynamical recur rent associative memory architecture. It is a time-delay recurrent neural network, using Hebbian update rules. It allows learning of spatio-temporal regularities and time series in discrete se quences of inputs, in the face of an important amount of noise. The first part of this paper gives the mathematical description of the architecture and analyses theoretically and through numerical simulations its performance. The second part of this paper reports on the implementation of DRAMA in simulated and physical robotic experiments. Training and rehearsal of the DRAMA architecture is computationally fast and inexpensive, which makes the model particularly suitable for controlling 'computationally-challenged' robots. In the experiments, we use a basic hardware system with very limited computational capability and show that our robot can carry out real time computation and on-line learning of relatively complex cognitive tasks. In these experiments, two autonomous robots wander randomly in a fixed environment, collecting information about its elements. By mutually associating information of their sensors and actuators, they learn about physical regularities underlying their experience of varying stimuli. The agents learn also from their mutual interactions. We use a teacher-learner scenario, based on mutual following of the two agents, to enable transmission of a vocabulary from one robot to the other.
Spatial Learning and Localization in Rodents: A Computational Model of the Hippocampus and its Implications for Mobile Robots
Authors: Balakrishnan Karthik , Bousquet Olivier , Honavar Vasant
Published: March 2007

The ability to acquire a representation of the spatial environment and the ability to localize within it are essential for successful navigation in a-priori unknown environments. The hippocampal forma tion is believed to play a key role in spatial learning and localization in animals in general and rodents in particular. This paper briefly reviews the relevant neurobiological and cognitive data, and their relation to computational models of spatial learning and localization used in contempo rary mobile robots. It proposes a hippocampal model of spatial learning and localization, and characterizes it using a Kalman filter based tool for information fusion from multiple uncertain sources. The resulting model not only explains neurobiological and behavioral data from rodent experiments, but also allows a robot to learn a place-based metric representation of space and to localize itself in a stochastically optimal manner. The paper presents an algorithmic implementa tion of the model and results of several experiments that demonstrate its capabilities. These include the ability to disambiguate perceptually similar places, scale well with increasing errors, and the automatic acquisition of spatial information at multiple resolutions.
A Cross-Cultural Test of the Proximity Hypothesis
Authors: Witkowski Stanley
Published: March 2007

This paper tests the proximity hypothesis, which asserts that residential propinquity influences the possession by a society of certain kin avoidance and kin terminological practices. The hypothesis is shown to be invalid, and the results for classical theories of kinship organization are sketched. Briefly these are that Murdock's theoretical claims in Social Structure (1949) are called into question, as is "Main Sequence" kinship theory, which postu lates that residence, descent, and kinship terminology form a typical devel opmental sequence.
Warfare Regulation: A Cross-Cultural Test of Hypotheses Among Trlbal Peoples
Authors: Tefft Stanton K. , Reinhardt Douglas
Published: March 2007

This paper is an empirical attempt to test some theories which suggest that there are causal-functional relationships between the dependent vari ables peacemaking and peace stability on the one hand and certain inde pendent cariables, such as political complexity, warrior class, warfare ob jectives, cultural homology, and intersocietal ties, on the other hand. Significant relationships were found to exist for the last three independent variables, using a random sample from the HRAF.
A Cross-National Study of Suicide and Homicide
Authors: Lester David
Published: March 2007

An investigation of aspects of suicidal and homicidal behavior in a sample of eighteen nations identified three basic factors: the suicide rate, the homicide rate, and the male/female suicide rate ratio. A number of social, economic, and climate variables were examined for their association with these factors. The suicide rate was associated with the number of psychiatric patients and the birth rate. The homicide rate was associated with per capita income, cigarette consumption, and climate. The malel/fe male suicide rate ratio was associated wit h the number of psychiatric patients, climate, and the proportion of elderly in the population. The implications of the results are discussed.
A Test For Coder Bias
Authors: Sipes Richard Grey
Published: March 2007

This paper provides a method of testing for coder bias on variables with three or more coding categories. The test utilizes clarity of coding informa tion as the independent variable. The test-variable coder can test for evi dence of his own biases relative to each coding category, although use of another coder for this task is advised. Coding bias and its ramifications are briefly discussed, and an example is provided of a series of bias tests.
Analysis Reliability Reports: Replication Unit Number 2
Authors: Beierle John M.
Published: March 2007

This report summarizes the results of a study of analysis reliability based on current file production at the Human Relations Area Files. A total of 1,357 replicated pages were analyzed for this study, resulting in an average level of absolute coding agreement of 52 percent between the marker (the primary or original analyst) and the replicator (the secondary analyst) for the fifty sources that constitute the replication unit. In addition, a new method of measuring reliability is introduced, which indicates the level of agreement for major or dominant categories. This method resulted in an 82 percent level of agreement.
Military Organization as a Response to Residence and Size of Population: A Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Carter Harold
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the results of a cross-cultural test; the test supports a theory of cultural adaptation relating post marital residence and popu lation size to type of military organization. The theory predicts that societies with uxorilocal/matrilocal residence or which are large are more likely to have professional military organizations than are those with virilocal/patrilocal residence and those which are small.
Data Quality and Data Quality Control in Cross-Cultural Studies
Authors: Schweizer Thomas
Published: March 2007

This paper applies some distinctions of the philosophy of science to the problem of data quality in cross-cultural studies. It outlines the data quality problem in such studies, and reviews a path analytic partial solu tion and the logic of the usual cross-cultural control procedures. And it presents some results of eross-cultural data quality control.
The Sexual Division of Labor and the Value of Children
Authors: Bradley Candice
Published: March 2007

Multivariate analysis is used in a cross-cultural study to determine the relationship between the sexual division of labor in a number of subsistence tasks and the value of children. The results demonstrate that children's work is affected by the adult sexual division of labor. Furthermore, the presence of domesticated animals in a community may increase the value of children. Where large animals are present, men participate in animal husbandry, and boys are highly valued.
Cross-Cultural Codes On Seven Types of Rape
Authors: Rozée-Koker Patricia D.
Published: March 2007

The paper presents cross-cultural codes for rape, based on a reconceptualization of rape, giving definitional precedence to female choice, across social norms. The social complexity of rape was indicated by the fact that in 60% of the societies both normative (socially condoned) and non-normative rape were found in the same society, suggesting regulation rather than prohibition. The importance of code construction due to the direct link between incidence rates and operational definitions of rape is discussed.
Factors in the Cross-Cultural Patterning of Male Homosexuality: A Reappraisal of the Literature
Authors: Crapo Richley H.
Published: March 2007

Cross-cultural studies of homosexuality have focused either on homosexual behavior or on a specific characteristic such as transvestism that has been associated with homosexuality in some societies. It is argued that future research must distinguish between various types of statuses with which homosexual behavior can be associated. The existing cross-cultural studies of homosexuality are reevaluated, dividing societies in the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample (SCCS) into three groups, (a) those with berdachelike or intragenerational homosexual statuses, (b) those with male mentor-ships or intergenerational homosexual statuses, and (c) all other societies in the SCCS. It is demonstrated that intragenerational and intergenerational homosexuality are cross-culturally valid distinctions and that the past failure to distinguish between the two forms has been a serious flaw in previous research. Finally, the social characteristics that differentiate these two types of homosexuality are summarized, and it is suggested that these contrasts are related to socioeconomic factors that may be seen as integrating homosexual behavior into the broader matrix of each society's gender roles.
Sex Differences in Jealousy: Evolution or Social Construction?
Authors: Hupka Ralph B. , Bank Adam L.
Published: March 2007

Buss, Larsen, Westen, and Semmelroth claimed that sex differences in the dislike of sexual or emotional infidelity supported the socio-biological hypothesis of men (i.e., most men) having evolved sexual jealousy, whereas women (i.e., most women) evolved emotional jealousy. In two studies with 745 undergraduates, our finding was that, similar to the Buss et al. finding, over 50% of the men and women reported greater upset over imagined emotional infidelity. Subjects responded to a self-rating of jealousy, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, 39 items articulating gender norms, a request to explain their dislike of infidelity, and which of 8 excuses by the wayward partner was most upsetting. We proposed that the findings could be explained more parsimoniously by the concept of the social construc tion of gender and Eagly's social-role perspective.
Cross-National Gender Differences in Adolescents' Preferences for Free-Time Activities
Authors: Gibbons Judith L. , Lynn Maria , Stiles Deborah A.
Published: March 2007

According to a procedure developed by Sundberg and Tyler, adoles cents (904, 14 to 16 years of age) from Cyprus, India, the Nether lands, and the United States listed all the free-time activities they could think of, checking those they would consider for themselves. In each sample boys checked relatively more sports activities and more group activities as possible for themselves than did girls, although the result for sports in Cyprus was of borderline signifi cance. The pervasive gender differences in the use of free time correspond with widespread gender-trait stereotyping and may reflect differential socialization practices for girls and boys.
Justice in Cultural Context: A Social-Psychological Perspective
Authors: Pepitone Albert , L'Armand Kathleen
Published: March 2007

This article critically examines two major theoretical perspectives on justice in social psychology-equity and just world-particularly, the confusion between believing in justice versus believing that justice exists, and the neglected moral dimension of justice, the belief that God or transcendental law creates the universal imperative. Research on the implications for justice in life events confirms the hypothesis that justice is perceived when the valences of the person and the outcomes affecting that person are balanced, that this proposition holds in comparisons of US. and Indian samples, and that highly religious persons perceive more justice in life events than less or nonreligious persons.
The Sky is Falling, But Not on Me: A Cautionary Tale of Illusions of Control, in Four Acts
Authors: Moghaddam Fathali M. , Studer Charles
Published: March 2007

Since the early 1980s, researchers have attempted to unravel the sources of a tendency for minority group members to report higher levels of discrimination directed at their group than at them selves personally. The favored explanation for this personal/group discrimination discrepancy has been denial of personal discrimi nation. However, subsequent research has revealed that this discrep ancy is not specific to the domain of discrimination, or to negative events, or even to minoritygroup members. Rather, it is a generalized personal/group discrepancy, perhaps explained by a culture-based heuristic that leads people to calculate the magnitude of the effect of an event to be proportional to the size of the social unit being affected. Thusgroups are affected more than individual persons and the size of the effect increases with the size of the group.
Urbanism and Crime: A Cross-National/ Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Alshuwaikhat Habib M. , Garba Shaibu Bala
Published: March 2007

Louis Wirth hypothesized that population size, density, and social heterogeneity are the principal attributes defining a city and that these attributes are conducive to a specific behavioral pattern and moral attitude. An increase in the intensity of the attributes is postulated to lead to the accentuation of behaviors associated with urbanism. Crime is one of the behaviors associated with urbanism. This article explores the relationship between crime and urbanism attributes, using data from three countries and simple correlation and regression analysis. The research indicates that there are similarities as well as differences in trends in the three countries. The study did not accept the generalization of Wirth's hypothesis across the countries studied for criminal behavior. The study con cludes on the need to carry out more cross-cultural studies to identify the relationship between the defining characteristics of urban areas and urban crime patterns.
Substructure Simulation of Viscoelastic-Elastic Multibody Systems
Authors: Liu A.Q. , Lam K.Y. , Reddy J.N.
Published: March 2007

A substructure synthesis method is proposed for modeling the dynamic behavior of viscoelastic- elastic multibody system. The governing differential equations of motion are derived based on the Lagrange equations. Viscoelastic damping is incorporated into multibody systems to evaluate its effect on structural response. The viscoelastic damping proposed is based on layers of viscoelastic polymer directly attached to the systems. With the use of substructure synthesis method, the number of elastic coordinates needed in the approximate procedure is reduced. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the capabilities and efficiency of the proposed method. A comparison of the dynamic response has been presented for a two-link system with and without viscoelastic damping.
Effect of Fluid Presence on the Nonaxisymmetric Dynamic Response of Buried Orthotropic Cylindrical Shells Under a Moving Load
Authors: Singh V.P. , Dwivedi J.P. , Upadhyay P.C.
Published: March 2007

This paper deals with the nonaxisymmetric dynamic behavior of fluid-filled buried orthotropic cylindrical shells/pipes subjected to a load moving along the axis of the shell. A thick shell model including the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia is considered. A perfect bond between the shell and sur rounding soil is assumed. The linear acoustic equation is used for the wave propagation in the fluid inside the pipe. Results are presented for the axisymmetric as well as the flexural mode for different orthotropy para meters of the shell and for different soil conditions around the pipe. Results of empty and fluid-filled shells are compared. The presence of fluid inside the shell has small effect on the shell response. However, the deformations in the fluid-filled shell are normally more than those in the empty shell. The difference in the displacements of empty and fluid-filled shells is very small in flexural mode as compared to axisymmetric mode. The effect of fluid presence on the shell response is also influenced by the nature of the surrounding soil.
Vibration Control of Flexible Structures with PZT Sensors and Actuators
Authors: Yaxi Shen  , Homaifar Abdollah
Published: March 2007

In this paper, a two-degree-of-freedom model has been constructed for a structural dynamic system consisting of a linear elastic plate bonded with piezoelectric sensors and actuators. A multivariable feedback controller is designed. Four control procedures based on the minimization of performance output error and the quadratic performance index have been developed that use rate-feedback control, hybrid fuzzy-PID con trol, genetic algorithms-designed PID control, and linear quadratic Gaussian/loop transfer recovery control methods. Here, the genetic algorithm fitness function is approximately proportional to the inverse of the out put error. To test these control techniques in an efficient and systematic way, we built a digital control system that consists of MATLAB/SIMULINK modeling software and a dSPACE DS 2100 controller in a personal computer. The real-time experiment and off-line simulation results confirm that these four kinds of control methods are reliable and efficient in suppression of the steady-state resonance vibrations.
Nonlinear Response of a Taut String to Longitudinal and Transverse End Excitation
Authors: Nayfeh Samir A. , Nayfeh Ali H. , Mook Dean T.
Published: March 2007

The nonlinear response of a taut string to an end excitation with components both parallel and transverse to its axis is theoretically and experimentally studied. A model for the transverse vibration of the string is developed by neglecting its longitudinal inertia. The method of multiple scales is applied directly to the governing partial-differential equations and boundary conditions. A continuation method is then employed to determine the constant amplitude and phase solutions and their stability. Resonant responses are predicted to occur simultaneously in as many as three modes. An experimental study is conducted and the results are found to be in good agreement with the theory.
Contact-Induced Nonlinearity in Oscillating Belts and Webs
Authors: Turnbull P.F. , Perkins N.C. , Schultz W.W.
Published: March 2007

This study is motivated by issues in belt dynamics and paper forming where the oscillatory motion of the contact point between the belt and pulley or the web and roll is important. The objective is to evaluate the influence of the nonlinear contact boundary conditions on the dynamics of the belt or web. To accomplish this objective, two models are analyzed using perturbation methods. The first model represents a string on an elastic foundation (an approximation of the paper forming process) and the second model represents a tensioned beam (accessory drive belt). The first correction to the fundamental natural frequency and the dynamic belt/web length are determined as a function of the governing parameters. For both models, the change in belt length is found to be proportional to the radius of the pulley/roll and the initial belt/web energy.
Nonlinear Scattering of Acoustic Waves by Discontinuity-like Defects in Application to Crack Detection
Authors: Belyaeva I. Yu. , Zaitsev V. Yu.
Published: March 2007

Nonlinear sound scattering into higher or combination frequency harmonics on a crack-type dis continuity in a solid due to the intrinsic nonlinearity of the crack is considered. Characteristics of the nonlin early scattered sound are estimated, taking into account the micro-roughness of crack surfaces. Possibilities of the effect of usage for crack detection are discussed, comparison with conventional linear approaches is performed, and the main expected advantages of the nonlinear methods are pointed out.
Numerical Analysis of Panel Flutter in Shells of Revolution
Authors: Bochkarev Sergey A. , Matveyenko Valeriy P. , Shardakov Igor N.
Published: March 2007

A mathematical model is proposed to investigate panel flutter of revolution shells subject to external or internal supersonic gas flow. The mathematical formulation of the problem is constructed in terms of the virtual displacement principle, which is treated numerically by the finite element method. Consideration is given to the two alternatives of the shell relations based either on the Kirchhoff-Love hypothesis or on the generalized theory of shells by Timoshenko. A series of numerical experiments were performed to estimate the computational efficiency of the model and to compare its performance in the context of some problems in recently published solutions. A numerical analysis is performed to assess the effect of some factors (laminated structure, the stress-strain state due to preloading) on the boundary of aeroelastic stability and to allow comparison with the results obtained on the basis of considered shell theories.
Data-Based Mechanistic Modeling of Engineering Systems
Authors: Young Peter
Published: March 2007

This paper outlines a new approach to the statistical identification and estimation of dynamic models for a widely applicable class of linear and nonlinear systems based on a combination of nonparametric and parametric estimation procedures. The new approach is applied to three systems: a chaotic version of the discrete-time logistic growth equation; a continuous-time, second-order nonlinear system with two feedback nonlinearities; and a predominantly linear but high-order, vibrating cantilever beam.
Index of Performance as a Degree of Controllability for Vibrating String With an Internal Point Control
Authors: Benchimol P. , Montseny G.
Published: March 2007

Controllability properties for distributed parameter systems are often nonrobust in the sense that they can change for arbitrarily small variations of parameters, which often leads to unpractical results. In the case of a vibrating string with an internal point control, we define and study a continuous function of a structural parameter that may be interpreted like an index of performance. From its regularity properties, this function exhibits connections with the concept of controllability. This analysis does not pretend to be exhaustive but may be considered as a tentative, to be extended to more general situations, in the aim to reduce the gap between certain theoretical properties of vibrating distributed parameters systems and their corresponding practical counterparts.
Control of a Flexible Manipulator With Artificial Muscle-Type Pneumatic Actuators, Using μ-Synthesis
Authors: Park No-Cheol , Hyun Seok Yang
Published: March 2007

In this work, position and vibration control of a flexible one-link manipulator, with an unknown but bounded payload mass and a pair of artificial muscle-type pneumatic actuators, are investigated both analytically and experimentally. A robot with flexible links originally drew attention for its capability to generate fast motion with small-powered actuators. A flexible-link robot also has advantages over a rigid-link robot in the sense that it is much safer when it comes into contact with its environment, including humans. Furthermore, for the sake of safety, it would be more desirable if an actuator could deliver required force while maintaining proper compliance. An artificial muscle-type pneumatic actuator is adequate for such cases. However, it is difficult to make an effective control scheme for this type of robot due to the nonlinearity and uncertainties on the dynamics of the actuator and the vibration of the flexible link. In this study, a controller based on μ-synthesis is developed. Robust performances on the accurate positioning of the arm and vibration suppression of the flexible link are achieved against various model uncertainties on these actuators, the flexible link, the payload, and sensor noise. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is confirmed through simulations and experiments.
Shimmy Vibration Analysis of Aircraft Landing Gears
Authors: Esmailzadeh E. , Farzaneh K.A.
Published: March 2007

Shimmy vibration is a very important type of motion in the landing gear system during either the takeoff or landing of an aircraft. Energy input for this type of vibration is provided from the kinetic energy of the forward motion of the aircraft. As a result, this energy initiates a self-excited type of vibration in the wheels that may lead to instabilities. An attempt is made to develop a dynamical model for the aircraft nose gear to investigate its transient response for the lateral deviations and shimmy angles. Variations of different design parameters—namely, the energy absorption coefficient of the shimmy damper and the location of the gravity center of the landing gear—are studied. Results are presented graphically to facilitate the investigation of landing gear shimmy vibration.
Modal Analysis and Model Updating Studies on a Three-Wheeler Auto
Authors: Rao M. Hanumantha , Ramamurti V. , Swarnamani S.
Published: March 2007

Three-wheelers (auto rickshaws) are light and inexpensive vehicles capable of carrying up to three passengers or a cargo of 6,000 Newton and are mostly found in developing countries. Experimental modal analysis was carried out on a newly designed diesel auto rickshaw mainly to validate and update the finite element model of the auto chassis. With 495 degrees of freedom, the finite element model stiffness matrix was updated using the first four eigenvalues and eigenvectors measured at 63 points. Difficulties involved in model updating of complex structures using incomplete measured data have been discussed. Eigensolution with an updated model produces natural frequencies close to the measured values. Mass and stiffness modification studies were carried out on the updated model to simulate a fully loaded vehicle and were correlated with the resonant peaks experienced when the fully loaded auto was running at 30 kmph on typical bad roads.
Robust Control of a Spindle-Magnetic Bearing System Using Sliding-Mode Control and Variable Structure System Disturbance Observer
Authors: Hongqitian
Published: March 2007

This paper is concerned with the design and control of flexible rotor magnetic bearing systems using the discrete time sliding-mode control method. The plant dynamics, consisting of actuator dynamics and flexible rotor dynamics, are described in detail. A variable structure system (VSS) disturbance observer, with which the state vector and disturbance can be estimated simultaneously, is investigated to compensate the mismatched disturbance load on the rotor. A new discrete time sliding-mode servocontroller that can attenuate the chattering phenomenon is proposed using the VSS observer. The usefulness of the proposed controller is demonstrated through computer simulations and experiments for a spindle-magnetic bearing system under external disturbances and modeling uncertainties.
A Solution Method for Boundary Control of One-Dimensional Multispan Vibrating Systems
Authors: Sadek I.S. , Jamru L. , Al-Mohamad H.A.
Published: March 2007

Many flexible structures consist of a large number of components coupled end to end in the form of a chain. In this study, the authors consider a type of such structures formed by N one-dimensional coupled structures, with (N — 1) controllers at the coupled points. A method of solution for such a special class of optimal control problems is suggested by using an eigenfunction expansion and the maximum principle. This solution involves reducing the original problem to a system of ordinary differential equations. For comparative studies, the special problem is also solved by the variational approach, which leads to a system of integral equations as a necessary and sufficient condition of optimality The effectiveness of these approaches is demonstrated by means of a numerical solution for controlling the vibrations of two strings that are coupled at the connecting point.