bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Spectral Contrast between Fossil-bearing and Fossil-depleted Limestone from the Kachchh Region, NW India Using Reflectance and Emittance Spectroscopy Data
Authors: Chaudhuri Swagata , Guha Arindam , Bhaumik Ajoy K. , Pathak Suparn , Baranval Nikhil Kumar
Published: July 2024

We analyzed the reflectance and emittance spectra of representative samples of mega and microfossil-bearing limestones and identified the mineralogical controls, which may have led to the preservation of mega and microfossils in the limestone within the spectral domain of 400-2500 nm and 8000-14000 nm. In this regard, we collected and analyzed the reflectance and emittance spectra of fossil-bearing and fossil-depleted limestone samples using respective reflectance and emittance spectra of their dominant constituent minerals. Reflectance spectra of mega and microfossil-bearing limestones have prominent absorption features diagnostic to iron and clay minerals, while emittance spectra of these rocks confirm the presence of silica in the fossil-bearing limestone samples. Spectral features of iron minerals are identified based on the presence of absorption minima at 480 nm and 900 nm, while clay minerals have features at 2200 nm. Presence of silica was identified with emissivity minima at 9000 nm. Laboratory spectral observations are substantiated by field observation and mineralogical studies. Fossil-depleted limestone samples, on the other hand, are characterized by the absence of iron oxide, clay and silica. Spectral contrast between fossil-bearing and the fossil-depleted limestone have allowed us to infer certain mineralogical controls essential for fossil preservation and the role of iron, clay minerals in preserving fossils is discussed in detail. Further, spectral analysis in visible, near infrared, short wave infrared and thermal infrared electromagnetic domain may provide rapid and non-destructive mineralogical assessment of fossil-bearing and fossil-depleted limestone.
Numerical Texture Analysis on NW Iran Dacite, Basalt, and Tephraphonolite: Implications to Constrain their Petrogenesis
Authors: Modjarrad Monir
Published: July 2024

In this research, our focus has been on the quantitative calculations of the texture of volcanic rocks. For this purpose, the rocks with acidic to basic and ultrabasic combinations were selected, and the shape, size, and spatial distribution (CSD and SDP) of their phenocrysts were investigated. The results showed that in volcanic rocks, the ratio of nucleation to crystal growth (J/G) was several times higher, and crystal growth per time unit (Gt) was higher in rocks with fewer nuclei. It also turns out that to evaluate the magma mixing, CSD pattern analysis can be instrumental. The spatial distribution of grains in the extrusive rocks is clustered to random, probably due to the high degree of overstepping and under-cooling conditions. The mineral clusters may form before the emplacement of the flow, at depth during the residence time before the eruption flow, or throughout the rise and flow. The importance of these results displays that due to the progress of imaging methods and statistical-numerical work on crystals and textures; it is time that all petrologists from all over the world, along with geochemical work, pay attention to these types of studies to provide a complete petrological work.
Emotional Blackmail in Breaking Bad Series: A Pragma-Stylistic Study
Authors: Najem Afrah S. , Abbas Nawal F.
Published: July 2024

Although language research has focused on blackmail in general, less attention has been paid to emotional blackmail. To date, researchers could not locate any literature that examines emotional blackmail from a linguistic standpoint. The current study is intended to fill this gap by scrutinizing emotional blackmail from a pragma-stylistic point of view by examining the style of the characters in selected episodes extracted from the American Breaking Bad series. To carry out the study, an eclectic model comprising kinds of emotional blackmailers by Forward and Frazier (1997), Searles’ speech acts (1979), Grice’s maxims (1975), Brown and Levinson’s politeness (1987), Culpeper’s impoliteness (1996), and Simpson’s stylistic levels (2004) will be used. The study examines how emotional blackmailers reflect themselves through language and how different pragmatic theories contribute to detecting emotional blackmail. The pragma-stylistic analysis reveals that emotional blackmailers use different pragmatic and stylistic elements. Pragmatically, the analysis demonstrates that punishers more frequently utilize commissive speech acts, whereas sufferers more frequently use representative and expressive speech acts. Besides, the punishers’ speech is realized by breaching the quantity and manner maxims whereas the sufferer’s speech is manifested by breaching the quantity and quality maxims. Concerning (im)politeness, the punishing behavior is accomplished by positive politeness, negative impoliteness, bold on-record impoliteness, and positive impoliteness while the suffering behavior is accomplished through positive politeness. Stylistically, the language used to talk about suffering is associated with discomfort and unhappiness. Concerning grammar, the punishing discourse emphasizes threats through fronting strategies. With suffering, negative auxiliaries are used.
The Effect of Osborn’s Model on Developing Students’ Rhetoric Concepts
Authors: Harara Nour Mohammad , Amarneh Emad Farouq , Hammouri Raid N. Al , Rababah Mahmoud Ali , Rababah Luqman , El-Omari Abdallah Hussein
Published: July 2024

This study examines the effect of teaching a school rhetoric unit employing Osborn's (1963) model. The study sample consisted of 70 Jordanian eleventh-grade students, with 35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group. Two instruments were used to collect data: a scale designed according to Osborn's model and an achievement test. The school unit of rhetorical concept development was applied to six classes over six weeks in the experimental group, while the control group was taught using the standard method. The findings showed statistically significant differences in favour of the experimental group, with means of 76.66 and 66.15, respectively. The t-test value was 13.02, statistically significant at a significance level 0.01. The impact percentage was calculated at 92%, indicating a statistically significant result according to the Karl formula. Therefore, this percentage is a positive indicator of the effectiveness of using the Osborn model for the conceptual development of the experimental group of students. Based on the findings, the study recommends using this model for teaching rhetoric and literary criticism in other school classes.
Portrayal of Kazakhstan: Sentiment and Topics in Online Media (2022-2023)
Authors: Smagulova Batagoz , Zharkynbekova Sholpan
Published: July 2024

This paper sought to delineate how English media frame Kazakhstan. We employed co-occurrence network and sentiment analysis across 130 newspaper pieces published in 2022 and 2023. The results showed that the news in the UK and Qatar often associated Kazakhstan with Russia and China, and also referred to it as a Muslim country, which until the events of January 2022 was considered a peaceful and quiet country. Among the prevailing terms, there were “Kazakhstan,” “country,” “Tokayev,” “Russia,” and “protest”. Kazakhstan was represented as a country ruled by an influential leader (Tokayev), maintaining diplomatic relations with countries in Europe and Asia. Kazakhstan’s image suffered due to the violent crackdown on protests during the January events and accusations of supporting Russia to circumvent sanctions, which the government denies. However, the January events awakened a wave of foreign media interest in Kazakhstan, which gradually subsided over time. The sentiment analysis unearthed that the peak of positive sentiment coincided with events such as scientific achievements, cultural successes and progressive changes, while the decline was characterized by coverage of problems within the country facing serious challenges, including worker safety issues, political suppression, economic instability and questions about the legitimacy of elections. Resultantly, a rather ambivalent portrayal emerged.
The Alignment of Verb Ada and Its Existence to Understand the Existential Clause Structure of Balinese
Authors: Swandana I Wayan , Artawa Ketut , Udayana I Nyoman , Purnawati Ketut Widya
Published: July 2024

An existential clause is a clause that shows a proposition about the existence or an event. This paper aims to describe the structure of existential clauses, the types of existential clauses, and the constraints of noun phrases that fill the existence elements in Balinese. This study used the descriptive qualitative method. The data used are primary data taken from five Balinese language teachers. The Balinese language teachers elicited the data made by the first teacher. Written data from Balinese stories are also used to assist the oral data. The data analysis technique chosen is comparison, omission, and replacement. Some research results are found in this paper. The core structure of Balinese existential clauses is verb ada + existence, and the extended structure of Balinese existential clauses is verb ada + existence + extension. There are two types of existential clauses in Balinese: bare and extended existential clauses. The definiteness of a noun phrase filling the existence element determines the choice of existential or non-existential clauses. This paper is helpful as a reference for Balinese grammar, which concerns the existential clauses of Balinese.
Translanguaging: A Promising Approach to Enhance English Learning in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alhazmi Albatool Ahmad
Published: July 2024

New perspectives incorporating a more flexible plurilingual approach to language teaching have recently emerged. This paper aims to develop a conceptual framework that suggests a teaching policy methodology that enhances English education in Saudi Arabia. It includes a thorough revision of the nature of Saudi language pedagogy. The study argued for a better understanding of bilingual practices and for utilizing students’ pluralist resources of knowledge to develop their academic, communicative and literacy skills. It also called for a critical review of the conventional methodology of language education that is entirely based on adherence to the socially and politically defined boundaries between languages. As a result, it is suggested that translanguaging be implemented as a communicative strategy to support English education and encourage linguistic diversity in the Saudi context. Moreover, developmental recommendations regarding English teaching and translanguaging implementation that are useful both locally and internationally are incorporated.
Family Names in Jordan and the USA: A Comparative Socio-Linguistic Study
Authors: Jaradat Muneera M.
Published: July 2024

This study aims to analyze family names in Jordan and the USA from a sociolinguistic perspective. The examination is based on a sample of 1000 family names: 500 Jordanian family names (JFN) and 500 American family names (AFN). As for Jordan, the sample was randomly selected from Al-Rawabdeh's (2010) Lexicon of Jordanian Clans, while in the case of the USA, the sample was randomly drawn from the list published at https://gist.github.com of the 1000 most common family names in the USA. The study's findings show that (41.6 %) of family names in Jordan and (54.4 %) in the USA do not reflect any aspect of human life. However, (58.4%) of family names in Jordan and (45.6%) of family names in the USA are found to reflect various aspects of human life. These aspects are reflected in nine categories: social traits, animals, occupations and professions, physical features, plants, geographical areas, natural and timing phenomena, tools and instruments, and financial conditions. The overall findings of this study reveal that although family names in Jordan and the USA are different, they generally tend to reflect the social-cultural and natural contexts in which these names have emerged and maintained.
Female Existentialism in Monkey Grip by Helen Garner
Authors: Arafah Burhanuddin , Asri Delukman , Hanafiah Waode , Ruslin  , Ilmi Nur , Pratiwi Alifiah , Astiantih Susi
Published: July 2024

This study aimed to analyze female existentialism in Helen Garner's "Monkey Grip" using a descriptive qualitative method. In this context, the data obtained were carefully reviewed, presented, and analyzed through stylistic analysis. The results showed that female existentialism was expressed in two patterns. Firstly, the female speech was similar to the male, accompanied by the open expression of sexual desires and male circle words. Secondly, female actions contained the feminine movement to overcome discrimination problems and interact with many males. The results showed that the female character was considered a feminist representative against male stereotypes.
A Critical Look at How Lecturers in Linguistics Can Leverage Generative Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Teaching Proficiency and Students’ Engagement
Authors: Alshraah Shadi Majed , Kariem Nizaam , Alshraah Ahmad Marzouq , Aldosemani Tahani I. , AlQarni Khadijah
Published: July 2024

This paper focused on how lecturers in linguistics can leverage GenAI to enhance their teaching proficiency and student engagement. The paper used a quantitative approach, including 293 university lecturers teaching linguistics. The TPACK theoretical model was adopted, wherein two main segments of the theory, namely technological knowledge (TK) and technological content knowledge (TCK), were used to explore the importance of leveraging GenAI to enhance teaching proficiency. The results indicated that these tools greatly enhanced the linguistics lecturers’ teaching proficiency. The study revealed that a significant majority of lecturers acknowledged using Quizizz for test and exercise generation in linguistics, followed by a substantial portion who utilized the ChatGPT series for teaching and learning enhancement without compromising academic integrity. Additionally, many lecturers reported frequent usage of Education Copilot for lesson planning and student record tracking, as well as Google Bard (now Geminin) for teaching enhancement and increased student engagement. The study also found high acceptance rates among lecturers for the effectiveness of ChatGPT, Bard, Quizizz, and Educational Copilot in translation courses, with similarly positive responses for discourse analysis courses, teaching proficiency enhancement, and student engagement across various pedagogical areas. Thus, these tools can enhance teaching and learning at the university level and students’ engagement when the lecturers have the Tk and the TCK.
From Data to Design
Authors: Becker Robert , Steffny Laura , Bleistein Thomas , Werth Dirk
Published: July 2024

This paper explores the application of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the automotive and supplier industries, with a particular focus on the use of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems to streamline information retrieval from technical documentation. The research, part of the CoLab4DigiTwin project, investigates how digital twins supported by smart services can enhance   interdisciplinary collaboration and reduce the reliance on manual data searches. We developed a pipeline utilizing a RAG architecture which uses a vector database for efficient  data management and fast access to relevant information, eliminating the need for expensive computational  resources. The performance of various open-source LLMs, which are finetuned on German, was evaluated, focusing on readability, clarity, and accuracy. The results show decent performance of the system without the need for model fine-tuning. Future research will aim to refine these  processes and extend the applicability of RAG systems, highlighting the potential of Large Language Models to transform industrial data interaction.
Protean Career Orientation Scale: A validation study with Portuguese university students
Authors: Soares Joana , Taveira Maria do Céu , Silva Ana Daniela
Published: July 2024

The protean career orientation refers to career agentic and values-driven attitudes in today’s changing contexts. This orientation shows readiness for facing lifespan tasks and challenges in diverse work roles, contributing, for example, to university students’ academic engagement and employability. Given the importance of this construct, there is a need for valid and reliable measures of protean career orientation. Our study aimed to analyze the internal and criterion-related validity and reliability of a Portuguese language version of the Protean Career Orientation Scale. Participants were 407 Portuguese university students who responded to measures of protean career orientation, academic engagement, and career self-management strategies. Factorial analyses, Pearson correlations, and reliability indicators were computed. Adequate psychometric properties were found after one item deletion. Findings provide evidence for the scale’s usage among groups of university students, whether for research or practical purposes. Nevertheless, more studies are needed.
Caregivers’ profiles based on the Theory of Planned Behavior dimensions and gendered attitudes in a low-income Colombian sampleCaregivers’ profiles based on the Theory of Planned Behavior dimensions and gendered attitudes in a low-income Colombian sample
Authors: Amar Jose , Orozco Leinys , Romero Duban , Aragón Jeremías , Palacio Jorge
Published: July 2024

Caring for children is fundamental for their development. It can, however be hindered by the psychological, economic, and contextual conditions of caregivers. This study assessed caregivers’ profiles in a sample of low-income Colombians (n = 495) based on attitudes toward childcare, perceived behavioral control, subjective norm, self-efficacy in childcare, and sexist attitudes. Three profiles were identified: the first profile included caregivers with intermediate scores in attitudes towards childcare and self-efficacy, low sexist attitudes and low subjective norms; the second comprised caregivers with lower attitudes towards childcare, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention, with moderate scores in subjective norms and sexist attitudes; the third profile consisted of participants with the most positive attitudes toward childcare, and with the most sexist attitudes towards caregiving. This study shows caregiver profiles in terms of childcare self-perception, dimensions of the theory of planned behavior, and sexist attitudes toward childcare in a population underrepresented in the literature.
Impact of event scale–revised: A new analysis of its factor structure as applied to two Portuguese samples during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Figueiredo Paulo , Simões Inês , Santos Sónia dos , Valentim Olga Sousa , Sousa Cristina de
Published: July 2024

This study used the Portuguese version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) to assess the risk of psychological disturbances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in two independent samples of the Portuguese population. The psychometric characteristics of the scale were also assessed.
Data was collected through an online survey and its internal consistency was examined. The internal consistency of the scale was high. Factor analysis found different dimensional structures for the scale in the two samples: a three-factor in the first sample and a four-factor structure in the second sample. The different factor structures confirmed the dependence of the results on the characteristics of the samples and the situation where it is applied. Despite these differences in structure, this study showed that the Portuguese version of the IES-R is a reliable tool to measure psychological distress associated with traumatic events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Evolution of the forms of expression of the authoral mode in the French novel
Authors: Smushchynska Iryna ,   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Published: July 2024

The article is devoted to the problem of expressing the author's mode in artistic discourse, and specifically to the types of narrators and their change in French literature of the 19th-21st centuries. The main focus is on the internalized narrator as the leading form of the modern French novel, which receives a polymodal status due to the special contamination of the voices of the author, the narrator and the character. The article continues the development of the theory of textual modality, namely, the analysis of linguistic forms of its presentation in the text is made, the main means of expressing the modal meaning and showing the author's attitude are determined. Among them, the subjective epithet, the techniques of speech dislocation, and inserted elements that enhance the emotionality of the work deserve special attention. The evolution of the forms of presentation of the author's point of view, the linguistic personality of the author as a bearer of a certain culture is studied, the features of the new text structure with contaminated types of speech are highlighted. Attention is focused on the interconnectedness of the categories of modality, reference and axiologicality, their representation in different parts of the composition, as well as such categories as modalization and focalization, which are considered as meaning- and text-forming. Special attention is paid to expressive modality, forms of integral polylogue, subjective psychologism of the story. It turns out that a special role begins to be given to the mode of doubt, uncertainty of meaning, mechanisms of reflection, actualization of the communicative and discursive feature of the story, and subjective evaluation. It was found that the perceptive mode characteristic of the beginning of the story creates a split reference, to which the mode of subjective reflection is added. The assimilation of the author's voice to the character's voice leads to the disappearance of bright figurative forms, but the modality of accentuation and clarification appears. Modes of self-reflection, self-ignorance, contradictions to generally accepted stereotypes, the appearance of which was impossible in previous narrative types, deserve special attention. Keywords: modality, author's mode, narrator, subjectivization, interiorized narrative, novel, French language. Information about author: Smushchynska Iryna Viktorivna – doctor of philology, professor, head of the department of theory and practice of translation of Roman languages of Mykola Zerov; Educational and scientific institute of philology; Kyiv national Taras Shevchenko university.
Deviant Online Behavior: From the Classification of Types to an Analysis of Assistance Programmes and Technologies
Authors: Bogdanovich N.V. , Delibalt V.V.
Published: July 2024

The article presents the classification of deviant online behavior, as well as an analysis of programmes and technologies to help minors on the Internet. Such types of deviant online behavior as cyber aggressive (trolling, cyberbullying, hitting, etc.), antisocial (Internet fraud, participation in destructive groups, etc.), auto-aggressive and self-harming, cyber addictive (Internet addiction, dumscrolling, phabbing, etc.), cyber risky (watching thrashing, trolling, phabbing, etc.), cyber risky (watching thrash content, taking dangerous selfies, etc.) as well as cybervictim behavior (grooming, sexting, etc.). For the analysis, 10 programmes from the last 5 years, in which the topic of deviant behavior of minors on the Internet and cyber security was stated, were taken from open sources. In the process of analysis, the evaluation criteria outlined in the Guidelines for the Verification of Educational and Social Programmes and Technologies in accordance with the evidence-based approach in psychology and education were applied. Conclusions were drawn about the focus of the analysed programmes, and prospects for further development of social and psycho-pedagogical work technologies in the context of online deviant behavior were proposed.
Social Representations of the Body: Theory, Facts and Commentary (Part 1)
Authors: Dvoryanchikov N.V. , Melnikova D.V. , Belova E.D. , Bovina I.B.
Published: July 2024

The aim of the presented study was to identify so called “mute” elements of social representations of the body. The sample consisted of representatives of the BDSM subculture at the age of 19 to 54 years (N=77 people, 40% women). The free association technique was used in order to reveal the social representations of the body. The obtained results indicate that the body (in groups of males and females) is represented through the antimony “man-woman” with the resulting attributes of each pole (“strength”- “beauty”), so the social representations of the body are crystallized around the corresponding elements: beauty - in the key element of the female body in the group of women, strength and muscles are the key elements in case of the male body in the group of men. In each case the normative and idealized representations of the body are revealed. In each case we can speak about normative and idealized representation of the body. The mute zone of the social representation (genital area) suits the logic of the male body vision, if we take into account the analysis of the male body through the prism of cultural history.
Reconciliation Discourses and Problems of Institutionalization of Reconciliation Procedures in Criminal Cases
Authors: Karnozova L.M.
Published: July 2024

The global trend of development of new approaches in criminal proceedings, as well as the emerging domestic practice of restorative justice in the last two decades set objective prerequisites for the institutionalisation of conciliation procedures in criminal cases in Russian law. However, attempts to legislate them have not yet been successful. The author considers the clash of socio-cultural discourses as a key factor of resistance to innovation. The article analyses the difference between the understanding of reconciliation in the concept of restorative justice and the dominant legal discourse on reconciliation in criminal cases, and considers the main ideas of the draft laws developed by the initiative working group of the Public Centre for Judicial and Legal Reform in 2020 and 2021. It is shown that interpreting the characteristics of restorative justice in terms of unproblematised legal axioms contradicts the proposed initiatives. The identification of the discursive grounds behind the different positions, against the background of increasing recognition of the role of reconciliation procedures, is a prerequisite for improving the conceptual system that corresponds to the objectives of modern humanistic criminal justice.
The 17 January 1994 Northridge, California, Earthquake: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Hough Susan E. , Graves Robert W. , Cochran Elizabeth S. , Yoon Clara E. , Blair Luke , Haefner Scott , Wald David J. , Quitoriano Vincent
Published: July 2024

The 17 January 1994 Northridge, California, earthquake was a watershed event with far-reaching societal and scientific impacts. The earthquake, which occurred in the early days of both broadband seismic networks and the Internet, spurred advances in seismic monitoring, real-time systems, and development of data products. Motivated by the 30th anniversary of the earthquake, we present a brief retrospective of the earthquake and its impact, and reconsider both ground motions and the aftershock distribution using modern tools and the best-available data. With improvements in instrumentation and analysis methodology, recent earthquakes continue to reveal the increasing complexity of ground motions, fault systems, and earthquake ruptures. Even in the absence of data from state-of-the-art instrumentation, a retrospective consideration of ground-motion data from the Northridge earthquake reveals complexities beyond what could be characterized (and modeled) 30 yr ago. Aftershock relocations for both the 1971 Sylmar and 1994 Northridge earthquakes also reveal an updated view of fault complexity. Our study does provide a cautionary tale regarding legacy data sets and research results that are not easily accessible, which can result in discrepancies between catalog data and products from the best available science. We also briefly describe outreach products produced as a part of the anniversary commemoration.
Survey of the methods used in preparing government publications for use by the public in six "complete" depository libraries of Pennsylvania
Authors:   , Loreck Richard
Published: July 2024

Sasha and her better-than-best friend Wyatt have discovered Crystal Cove, the magical land where other flying horses live! - Cover, p.4.
A processing science model for three dimensional braiding
Authors:   , Pastore Christopher Michael , Ko Frank K
Published: July 2024

A constant search for new materials and material composites characterizes the current research in Materials Sciences. Research in the field of composite materials is especially active. In order to meet the requirements of advanced structural composites, is is necessary to develop reinforcing materials which have high through thickness strength, high damage tolerance, and the ability to be formed in a near net shape manufacturing process. Laminated composites are insufficient to meet these stringent requirements (1-4). It is known that the introduction of through thickness reinforcement will increase the damage resistance of the composite as well as eliminate the delamination potential (5-8), but the precise amount of through thickness reinforcement required to improve these properties is not known. There are many approaches to the introduction of through thickness reinforcement: two of the most common are stitched laminates and formed structural textiles. The area of structual textiles provides a methodology for producing the through thickness reinforcement in a single step. Furthermore, the structural textiles can be formed near to the final shape of the desired composite component (9). Consequently, there is a great deal of interest in the design and the a priori analysis of new fibrous reinforcements and effects of fiber architecture on the mechanical performance of the composite. In particular, the three dimensional braided fabric is the subject of new and exciting research. The processing science basis for three dimensionally braided fabrics is developed and characterized herein. The dimensional properties of the braided fabrics as related to yarn characteristics and machine operations are quantified. The mathematics of braiding is analyzed both in terms of the structural geometry of the fabric and the machine operations employed to fabricate the braided structure. And an algorithmic model has been developed and codified which is capable of generating braiding machine operation instruction sequences to form arbitrary cross-sectionally shaped fabrics. With a model of this type, it is now possible to extend the potentials of braiding. The application of the analytical model to complex shaped structures will characterize the feasibility of braiding these components and result in a better understanding and quantification of the processing involved. This model provides the linkage amongst structural designers, composite manufacturers, and fabric performers.
Food intake underreporting in obese patients seeking weight loss treatment
Authors:   , Buchwald Jillian D. , Lowe Michael R
Published: July 2024

The high prevalence of obesity in the United States poses a serious threat to the health of Americans. Despite the potential medical, social, and psychological complications associated with obesity, the prevalence of this condition continues to rise. Hence, researchers have begun to investigate possible factors that may be related to such elevated rates of overweight, in hopes of achieving better success with weight control. Recent formulations concerning the causes of obesity have emphasized physiological factors such as efficient metabolism. However, the advent of advanced techniques to measure energy expenditure has led researchers to conclude that, in many instances, obesity may be related to inaccurate self-reports of food intake. Not only has research shown that people in general tend to underreport their intake, but also that certain groups, including obese people and restrained eaters, are more likely to underreport than others. Consequently, not only may underreporting be problematic in general, but it may be especially troublesome if those individuals who are in greatest need of weight control are most prone to underreporting. Because unreported intake cannot be modified in treatment, underreporting may have deleterious effects on weight loss efforts. The present study examined the prevalence of underreporting in a sample of 68 obese women seeking weight loss treatment. Several variables were explored to examine mechanisms which may give rise to underreporting, as well as to identify subgroups of individuals who tend to underreport. Based on the literature, the predictor variables included body mass index, restraint, body image dissatisfaction, and nutritional dissimulation. It was hypothesized that if these variables accounted for a substantial percentage of the total variance in underreporting, then they might be clinically useful tools with which to identify apparent underreporters. In addition, several exploratory analyses were conducted to examine such factors as the relationship between underreporting and satisfaction with weight loss and the degree to which people are aware that they underreport. The results showed that body mass index, restraint, and nutritional dissimulation were all related to food intake underreporting. In addition, all three variables were significant predictors of underreporting in various regression models. Body image was the only predictor variable that displayed no significant relationship with underreporting. The exploratory analyses revealed that underreporting was at least partially out of participants' awareness. No significant relationship was detected between satisfaction with weight loss and underreporting.
Rat brain variability, utility of its surface for guiding alignment and development of a structured light based brain surface scanner
Authors:   , Ozturk Cengizhan , Nissanov Jonathan
Published: July 2024

In order to achieve a better understanding of central nervous system different studies using different brains have to be correlated with each other. This can be done by aligning all brains into a single reference or atlas brain. By moving all data to a standard coordinate space one gains the possibility of employing image based arithmetic to compare data from different animals. It has been shown in this dissertation that experimental rat brains which are prepared in a certain way have a low three-dimensional variability and can be aligned effectively using their external surface as a guide. In this approach there are two critical issues: which method to use in the alignment and how to get the brain surface? The alignment method examined here is the distance map based alignment. A software package (a MATLAB toolbox) has been developed which aligns binary objects whose contours are given as a set of voxel/pixel coordinates. It uses the Euclidean distance transform and the Marquardt-Levenberg optimization algorithm to estimate the parameters of a transformation for optimal alignment. For the acquisition of the brain surface, a Brain Scanner has been developed which acquires the brain surface using an active stereo technique (Structured Light). Structured light (SL) is a modified stereo imaging system, in which one of the cameras of the regular stereo have been replaced with a projector. Surface points are gathered directly by triangulation after establishing correspondence between the projection and imaging planes. It is shown in this dissertation that adequate number of points with desired accuracy can be gathered from the surface of the brains using SL. An other contribution of this dissertation to the structured light field in general is the use of a new set of codes (perfect submaps). Methods for code generation, decoding and implementation, and some of their attractive properties especially under occluded settings have been examined.
Biomechanics of flexion and extension of the human ankle joint
Authors:   , Siegler Sorin
Published: July 2024

During human locomotion external and internal moments are developed about the major joints of the lower limbs. The internal torque is the result of active contraction of muscles, passive properties of the joint and its surrounding muscles, ligaments and soft tissues, and the reflexive contractions of muscles around a joint. Although the total intenal torque about the major joints of the lower limb has been determined in the past, the components of this torque were unknown until recently. The purpose of this study was to determine the passive, active, and reflexive components of the internal torque developed about the ankle joint during locomotion and to determine whether the active component of the internal torque can be indirectly estimated from the electrical activity of the muscles that cross the ankle joint. The results of the study indicated that in normal locomotion the reflexive component of the internal torque is negligible and the passive component contributes about 6% to the total internal torque. Therefore, it was concluded that the major contribution to the internal torque developed about the ankle during normal locomotion is the result of active contraction of muscles. These results, however, were observed to be significantly affected by pathological changes in the properties of the structures surrounding the ankle. The method developed in this study to estimate the active component of the internal torque during locomotion from the myoelectric activity (EMG) of the muscles around the ankle was based on developing a transfer function between active torque and EMG that was based on Hill's muscle model. The results of this part of the study demonstrated that the active component of muscular torque can be estimated with less than 20% error from the EMG data at the instances during the walking cycle where the muscles (tricepts surae) were contracting isometrically. Correspondingly, based on this method the maximum value of the active component of the internal torque could be estimated.
How the experts compare with judges and jurors in an Awareness of Child Sex Abuse Facts and Phenomena
Authors:   , Schneider Nancy B. , Bersoff Donald N
Published: July 2024

Expert witness testimony on typical reactions of child sexual abuse victims has been ruled inadmissible in Pennsylvania courts by judges who have found it: (1) not relevant because jurors already know most of what experts offer as evidence; (2) unreliable because the information is not generally accepted by professionals in the field; or (3) prejudicial to the defendant because it bears on the credibility of the child witness. The present study was designed to test the relevancy and reliability of experts' testimony on this subject. A group of judges, jurors and experts responded to a 21-item questionnaire made up of statements offered as expert testimony in Pennsylvania courts. Correct answers were determined by a review of the research. Although Experts scored significantly higher than Judges and Jurors, there was a lack of expert consensus on 12 questions. Jurors did know that children's failure to report, recantation, difficulty with dates and times, and inability to recall specific details of the abuse did not suggest fabrication. They knew that six-year olds could separate real from imagined events, and that very young children were capable of telling the truth from a lie. Jurors did not know that the rate of false allegations is low, that many victims do not show fear of the offender, and that some children lie about sexual events. They were not aware of the prevalence of symptoms in sexually abused children. Judges, while not scoring significantly different than the Jurors, demonstrated more doubt in the veracity of children's reports, especially in custody cases and when the child recants. All three groups endorsed the untested notion that confused and inconsistent testimony did not reflect on its accuracy and showed a lack of awareness of children's sexual behavior and knowledge. The results suggest that some information offered by experts is legally not relevant or reliable, while other information is both relevant and reliable. The federal standard for admissibility of scientific evidence that the information "assist the trier of fact" is suggested as an alternative to the current "beyond the ken of the average juror" standard in Pennsylvania.
An investigation of the structure of moderate Reynolds number plane air jets
Authors:   , Ötügen Mehmet Volkan
Published: July 2024

An experimental investigation of the moderate Reynolds number plane air jets was undertaken and the effect of the jet Reynolds number on the turbulent flow structure was determined. The Reynolds number, which was defined by the jet exit conditions, was varied between 700 and 7000. Other initial conditions, such as the initial turbulence intensity, were kept constant throughout the experiments. Both hot-wire and laser Doppler anemometry were used for the velocity measurements, while the temperature measurements in the heated (but essentially non-buoyant) jet were made utilizing laser induced Rayleigh scattering. Supplementary qualitative information was obtained from laser tomographic and Schlieren flow visualization studies. In the moderate Reynolds number regime, the turbulent flow structure is in transition. The average size and the number of the large scale of turbulence (per unit length of jet) is unaffected by the Reynolds number. A broadening of the turbulent spectra with increasing Reynolds number is observed. This indicates that there is a decrease in the strength of these large eddies resulting from a reduction of the relative energy available to them. This diminishes the jet mixing with the ambient as the Reynolds number increases. Higher Reynolds numbers lead to lower jet dilution and spread rates. On the other hand, at higher Reynolds numbers the dependence of jet mixing on Reynolds number becomes less significant as the turbulent flow structure develops into a self-preserving state.
An Investigation on the strength-life behavior of a unidirectional graphite/epoxy composite
Authors:   , Alper James Mark
Published: July 2024

The strength and life behavior of a unidirectional graphite/epoxy laminate (AS3501-05) have been investigated experimentally in this thesis. Static strength tests, fatigue-life tests, proof-load tests, residual strength tests (tension and compression), and cumulative damage tests were conducted, each with a large number of specimens in order to make statistical conclusions. The test data were analyzed by means of the Weibull distribution with the maximum likelihood method for parameter estimation. Results from these studies show that the proof-load procedure can be used to screen out weaker specimens and guarantee a minimum static strength; similarly, this procedure can also assure a minimum fatigue life. These results also verify the concept of equal rank between static strength and fatigue life. This latter concept is the basis for most existing fatigue degradation analyses that are statistical in nature. The residual strength results show the effects of tensile fatigue on both the tensile residual strength and the compressive residual strength of the unidirectional composite. In general, tensile residual strength behaves in a manner of the so-called "sudden-death", while the compressive residual strength degrades continuously with increasing fatigue life. Specimens subjected to more than one level of fatigue load (cumulative damage) were analyzed by the percent-life rule (Miner's rule) and the percent-failure rule. Differences between these two rules were discussed as they apply to the present test results. It was shown that the percent-failure rule prediction agrees well with the experimental results. *All degree requirements completed in 1980, but degree will be granted in 1981.
Continuous wavelet analysis as an aid in the representation and interpretation of electrogastrographic signals
Authors:   , Qiao Wenwei
Published: July 2024

This dissertation is an investigation on the application of Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT) on gastric signals recorded from abdominal surface (EGG). EGG signal is by nature a non-stationary signal whose frequency, amplitude and wave shape vary from time to time under different physiological status. The usual method of Fourier analysis therefore can not effectively be used to analyze its frequency contents. The CWT method for EGG signal processing has been developed to achieve high temporal and frequency resolutions for the slow wave and many other high frequency components such as spikes which usually occur in brief duration. An Adaptive Tracking System (ATS) has been developed to track out the individual components in EGG signal such as slow wave, the low- and high-frequency components. The CWT method is then applied to the serosal signals for the frequency analysis of the serosal spikes from stomach and small intestine. All our results proved that the CWT is an appropriate tool for both abdominal and serosal signal in EGG study. The detection of the gastric contractions from EGG signal has also been studied in this dissertation. We have found that the occurring gastric contractions change the characteristics of EGG signal. The characteristic changes in EGG signal as related to the gastric contractions, including the increase of the amplitude of slow waves and the appearances of the low- and high-frequency components, have been successfully detected by the CWT method. An analysis to verify the increase of the amplitude in stomach slow wave during contractions due to the presence of the second potentials in serosal signal is presented. Our study also shows that the high-frequency component of 10-15 cpm frequency might be contributed by the enhanced electric activities in small intestine and the serosal spikes in stomach during contractions. The low-frequency component whose frequency is about the half of the stomach slow wave or lower is directly related to the occurring gastric contractions but its origin needs further study.