bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Move: Determinants of Job and Residential Mobility in Different Sectors
Authors: Kronenberg Kristin , Carree Martin
Published: June 2012

This study identifies and evaluates determinants of employees’ job and residential mobility. It examines the mobility of full-time employees in selected sectors in 2003/04, using register data for the Netherlands. A multinomial model of job and residential change is estimated. The results illustrate how individuals decide upon changing jobs and/or relocating by taking into account the strength of family- and job-related ties, career opportunities within and outside the firm, and attachment to the present dwelling. A long commuting distance was found to encourage both job and housing mobility, often simultaneously. Employees living/working in large cities are prone to change jobs, or to relocate. The influence of human capital indicators on mobility was found to be highly sector-dependent.
Negative and Positive Factors Associated With the Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth
Authors: Higa Darrel , Hoppe Marilyn J. , Lindhorst Taryn , Mincer Shawn , Beadnell Blair , Morrison Diane M. , Wells Elizabeth A. , Todd Avry , Mountz Sarah
Published: June 2012

Factors associated with the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth were qualitatively examined to better understand how these factors are experienced from the youths’ perspectives. Largely recruited from LGBTQ youth groups, 68 youth participated in focus groups ( n = 63) or individual interviews ( n = 5). The sample included 50% male, 47% female, and 3% transgender participants. Researchers used a consensual methods approach to identify negative and positive factors across 8 domains. Negative factors were associated with families, schools, religious institutions, and community or neighborhood; positive factors were associated with the youth’s own identity development, peer networks, and involvement in the LGBTQ community. These findings suggest a pervasiveness of negative experiences in multiple contexts, and the importance of fostering a positive LGBTQ identity and supportive peer/community networks. Efforts should work towards reducing and eliminating the prejudicial sentiments often present in the institutions and situations that LGBTQ youth encounter.
Measuring Regional Spillovers in Long- and Short-Run Models of Total Factor Productivity, Trade, and FDI
Authors: Mitze Timo
Published: June 2012

This article applies the novel concept of global panel cointegration to analyze the role played by trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) activity in driving regional total factor productivity (TFP). Using West German state-level data for the period 1976–2008, the approach allows us to identify the magnitude of direct trade and FDI effects as well as spatial spillovers from these variables. The author finds that the inclusion of spatial lags significantly improves the fit of the empirical model and allows us to strongly reject the null of no cointegration among the variables in the full spatial specification. For the long-run cointegration equation, the empirical results hint at export- and FDI-led growth. Additionally, outward FDI activity shows to have positive spatial spillover effects among German regions, while the spatial patterns of import and inward FDI activity indicate substitution effects of interregional input–output linkages in favor of international ones over the sample period 1976–2008. In the short run, TFP growth is predominantly affected by changes in exports, inward and outward FDI stocks, where the latter variable also provokes positive spillovers. The author uses alternative spatial weighting matrices based on geographical information as well as interregional goods transport flows to check the robustness of the obtained spillover effects in the long and short run. Here, the results turn out to be similar for the different empirical specifications employed throughout the analysis. Finally, summing over the four variables to get a direct and indirect net effect of internationalization activity, the author finds that the direct effect is always positive, while the indirect net effect is positive in the short run but slightly negative in the long-run equation.
Exploring the Determinants of Regional Unemployment Disparities in Small Data Sets
Authors: McArthur David Philip , Encheva Sylvia , Thorsen Inge
Published: June 2012

While standard economic theory suggests that unemployment should be evenly distributed across space, casual observation of unemployment rates shows that this is not the case. This has led to the development of a substantial literature on the topic. Due to the complexity of the problem, it is not always clear what the root cause is. This is particularly true when considering a small geographic area with limited data. This article will explore what insights can be gained through the use of formal concept analysis and association rules. It is hoped that these techniques will be of use to both theoreticians and policy makers.
The Legacy of Andrew Isserman at the US National Science Foundation
Authors: Baerwald Thomas J.
Published: June 2012

Andrew Isserman received support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), and he contributed to the agency’s work by evaluating proposals. His most significant contribution to NSF was his proposition that cumulative knowledge associated with successive projects undertaken in a specific line of inquiry, which could be expressed as a logistic function taking the form of a sigmoid curve. This articulation has been used for more than two decades to assess when projects no longer yield the same levels of new knowledge as previous work in a line of inquiry. More recently, the Isserman Curve has become a part of the NSF Geography and Spatial Science Program’s strategic efforts to identify and support potentially transformative research and research that may have especially significant longer-term value.
Laboratory Evidence on Face-to-Face
Authors: Frank Björn
Published: June 2012

The notion of face-to-face contacts has recently become very popular as a reason why firms still locate in proximity to others after the “death of distance.” Controlled laboratory experiments provide direct and reliable evidence on the importance of face-to-face contacts. It is the purpose of this article to survey and to organize new and developing string of literature with a special focus on its importance for regional economics. However, the article might also serve to alert more experimentalists to the importance of their work for current regional science, of which they seem not to be aware.
Early patterns of self-regulation as risk and promotive factors in development: A longitudinal study from childhood to adulthood in a high-risk sample
Authors: Causadias José M. , Salvatore Jessica E. , Sroufe L. Alan
Published: June 2012

The present study examines two childhood markers of self-regulation, ego control and ego resiliency, as promotive factors for the development of global adjustment and as risk factors for the development of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in a high-risk sample. Teachers and observers rated ego control and ego resiliency when participants ( n = 136) were in preschool and elementary school. Ratings showed evidence for convergent and discriminant validity and stability over time. Ego resiliency, but not ego control, emerged as a powerful predictor of adaptive functioning at ages 19 and 26, as well as internalizing and externalizing problems at 16, 23, 26, and 32 years. We interpret these findings as evidence that flexibility and adaptability—measured with ego resiliency—may reduce risk and promote successful adaptation in low socioeconomic status (SES) environments.
Ex vivo perfusion of the swine heart as a method for pre-transplant assessment
Authors: Colah S , Freed DH , Mundt P , Germscheid S , White P , Ali A , Tian G , Large S , Falter F
Published: June 2012

We describe a cost-effective, reproducible circuit in a porcine, ex vivo, continuous warm-blood, bi-ventricular, working heart model that has future possibilities for pre-transplant assessment of marginal hearts donated from brain stem dead donors and hearts donated after circulatory determination of death (DCDD).

In five consecutive experiments over five days, pressure volume loops were performed. During working mode, the left ventricular end systolic pressure volume relationship (LV ESPVR) was 23.1±11.1 mmHg/ml and the LV preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW) was 67.8±7.2. (Standard PVAN analysis software) (Millar Instruments, Houston, TX, USA)

All five hearts were perfused for 219±64 minutes and regained normal cardiac function on the perfusion system.They displayed a significant upward and leftward shift of the end systolic pressure volume relationship, a significant increase in preload recruitable stroke work and minimal stiffness. These hearts could potentially be considered for transplantation. The circuit was effective during reperfusion and working modes whilst proving to be successful in maintaining cardiac function in excess of four hours. Using an autologous prime of approximately 20% haematocrit (Hct), electrolytes and blood gases were easy to control within this period using standard perfusion techniques.
Opinions of health care professionals and the public after eight years of euthanasia legislation in the Netherlands: A mixed methods approach
Authors: Kouwenhoven Pauline SC , Raijmakers Natasja JH , van Delden Johannes JM , Rietjens Judith AC , Schermer Maartje HN , van Thiel Ghislaine JMW , Trappenburg Margo J , van de Vathorst Suzanne , van der Vegt Bea J , Vezzoni Cristiano , Weyers Heleen , van Tol Donald G , van der Heide Agnes
Published: June 2012

Background:

The practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in the Netherlands has been regulated since 2002 by the Euthanasia Act. In the ongoing debate about the interpretation of this Act, comparative information about the opinions of the different stakeholders is needed.

Aim:

To evaluate the opinions of Dutch physicians, nurses and the general public on the legal requirements for euthanasia and PAS.

Design:

A cross-sectional survey among Dutch physicians and nurses in primary and secondary care and members of the Dutch general public, followed by qualitative interviews among selected respondents. The participants were: 793 physicians, 1243 nurses and 1960 members of the general public who completed the questionnaire; 83 were interviewed.

Results:

Most respondents agreed with the requirement of a patient request (64–88%) and the absence of a requirement concerning life expectancy (48–71%). PAS was thought acceptable by 24–39% of respondents for patients requesting it because of mental suffering due to loss of control, chronic depression or early dementia. In the case of severe dementia, one third of physicians, 58% of nurses and 77% of the general public agreed with performing euthanasia based on an advance directive. Interviewees illustrated these findings and supported the Act.

Conclusions:

Health care professionals and the general public mostly support the legal requirements for euthanasia and PAS. The law permits euthanasia or PAS for mental suffering but this possibility is not widely endorsed. The general public is more liberal towards euthanasia for advanced dementia than health care professionals. We conclude that there is ample support for the law after eight years of legal euthanasia.
Orexin receptor antagonism: an ascending multiple-dose study with almorexant
Authors: Hoever Petra , de Haas Sanne L , Dorffner Georg , Chiossi Eleonora , van Gerven Joop M , Dingemanse Jasper
Published: June 2012

The objectives of this study were to investigate the multiple-dose tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of the dual orexin receptor antagonist almorexant. Healthy subjects received daily doses of almorexant (100, 200, 400 or 1000 mg) or placebo in the morning for four days followed by two days with evening administration (Days 5–6). Each dose level was investigated in a new group of 10 subjects (eight active, two placebo, 1:1 sex). Dose-dependent increases in frequency and intensity were observed for somnolence and other adverse events. Pharmacokinetics at steady state showed rapid absorption, low concentrations eight hours post-dose, and minimal accumulation. Following evening, administration absorption was delayed and Cmax decreased. Almorexant at 400 and 1000 mg administered in the morning reduced vigilance, alertness, visuomotor coordination, and motor coordination assessed in a psychometric test battery. Polysomnography recordings following evening administration showed a trend towards shorter latency to sleep stages 3 and 4, and shorter latency to, and longer time in, rapid-eye-movement sleep at higher doses when compared to placebo. Whether these findings in healthy subjects translate into relevant sleep-enabling effects in insomnia patients needs to be investigated in future studies.
Reducing olanzapine-induced weight gain side effect by using betahistine: a study in the rat model
Authors: Deng Chao , Lian Jiamei , Pai Nagesh , Huang Xu-Feng
Published: June 2012

Olanzapine is effective at treating multiple domains of schizophrenia symptoms. However, it induces serious metabolic side effects. Antipsychotic drug’s antagonistic affinity to histamine H1 receptors has been identified as a main contributor for weight gain/obesity side effects. This study therefore investigated whether a combined treatment of betahistine (a H1 receptor agonist and H3 receptor antagonist) could reduce the body weight/obesity induced by olanzapine. Female Sprague Dawley rats were treated orally with olanzapine (1 mg/kg, t.i.d.) and/or betahistine (2.67 mg/kg, t.i.d.), or vehicle for two weeks. Rats treated with olanzapine exhibited significant body weight gain and increased food intake. Co-treatment of olanzapine with betahistine significantly prevented (-45%) weight gain and reduced feeding efficiency compared to sole olanzapine treatment. Betahistine treatment alone had no effect on weight gain and food intake. Olanzapine reduced locomotor activity, but not betahistine. These findings demonstrate that olanzapine-induced body weight gain can partially be reduced by co-treatment with betahistine. Betahistine has H3 receptor antagonistic effects to increase histamine release, which may augment its direct agonistic effects on H1 receptors. These findings have important implications for clinical trials using betahistine to control antipsychotic-induced obesity side effects.
A Theoretical Framework on the Determinants of Strategic Cities
Authors: Kwon Myungjung , Berry Frances Stokes , Jang Hee Soun
Published: June 2012

Strategic planning is a commonly used management technique, but most state and city studies on strategic planning are descriptive and have not developed a clear theory as to why cities use strategic planning. In this paper, we develop a framework for measuring cities’ use of strategic planning, that includes factors related to form of government, community wealth, and other community attributes as well as the more commonly examined factors related to internal city management capacity. Rather than using a dichotomous dependent variable of “use” or “not use,” we use an index of four strategic planning activities to represent the extent of strategic planning use. We test our multivariate model using ordered logit and data collected from a 2005 survey of Florida city managers, mayors and chief administrative officers. We find support for all four of the major theoretical factors in our model. More strategic cities are more likely to be council manager cities, heterogeneous in population, depend less on sales tax revenue, have risk-taking leadership, use more contracting out, and have staff who participate in professional networks.
Effects of mode, consonance, and register in visual and word-evaluation affective priming experiments
Authors: Costa Marco
Published: June 2012

An affective cross-modal priming paradigm was used in three experiments to test the effects of mode, consonance, and register in picture-evaluation and word-evaluation tasks. In experiment 1, participants heard major mode/minor mode, high-register/low-register chords (three tones) as primes and then they had to categorize a ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ word as a target. Participants evaluated target words faster if the words were preceded by a similarly valenced chord as opposed to affectively incongruent chord-word pairs. In experiments 2 and 3, target words were replaced by target affective pictures. In experiment 2, the primes were consonant/dissonant, high register/low-register chords. Register influenced picture evaluation whereas consonance was not effective for the affective priming. In experiment 3, the primes were major mode/minor mode, high-register/low-register chords. Register induced a faster recognition of targets while mode was not effective. Register is suggested to be a more powerful structural aspect of music than mode or consonance in influencing ongoing cognitive activities.
Street Vendors, Television Extras, Walmart Stockers, and More
Authors: Iskander Natasha
Published: June 2012

This essay reviews Enrique de la Garza Toledo’s anthology on atypical work, titled Trabajo no clásico, organización y acción colectiva (Vols. 1 & 2) and situates it within the larger tradition of Latin American sociology of work. It argues that the anthology merges an emphasis on labor processes in a specific industry with an attention to the subjectivities and relationships that support worker agency and labor movements. Moreover, it posits that the rich case studies on atypical work in a wide spectrum of settings in Mexico City that are included in these two volumes provide grounded material for meso-level theorizing about the factors that shape atypical work and the ways that workers in those jobs respond to them.
Acoustic emission-based damage classification of glass/polyester composites using harmony search k-means algorithm
Authors: Pashmforoush Farzad , Fotouhi Mohamad , Ahmadi Mehdi
Published: June 2012

In this study acoustic emission monitoring was used for detection and classification of damage mechanisms during mode I delamination test of glass/polyester composites. For this purpose, the integration of harmony search and k-means algorithms was applied to cluster acoustic signals generated during delamination test. The clustering analysis represented three clusters, each one related to a distinct damage mechanism. Considering the relationship between acoustic emission parameters and damage mechanisms, the acoustic emission signals of each cluster were assigned to a distinct damage mode. Furthermore, the dominance of various damage types was investigated based on the distribution of signals in different clusters. Finally, scanning electron microscopic observation was employed to verify the obtained results. The results indicate good performance of proposed algorithms in damage classification procedure.
Development of eco-friendly brake friction composites containing flax fibers
Authors: Fu Zhezhen , Suo Baoting , Yun Rongping , Lu Yimei , Wang Hui , Qi Shicheng , Jiang Shengling , Lu Yafei , Matejka Vlastimil
Published: June 2012

Eco-friendly brake friction composites with good friction performance were developed. The raw materials utilized were selected according to eco-friendly criterion that natural products should be preferably chosen. The formulations are composed of plant flax fiber, mineral basalt fiber, and wollastonite as reinforcements, natural graphite as solid lubricant, zircon as abrasive, vermiculite and baryte as functional and space fillers, and cardanol-based benzoxazine-toughened phenolic resin as binder. To isolate the flax fibers, chemical and physical methods including drying, room temperature alkaline solution, and acid steam treatment were performed and fibers with micro-fibrillated structure on the surface were formed. A new cardanol-based benzoxazine synthesized by the reactions among cardanol, aniline, and formaldehyde was used as toughening for phenolic resin. The effects of both the content of treated flax fibers and friction temperature on friction performance, friction coefficient and specific wear rate, of the friction composites were evaluated by the extension evaluation method.
A study on stress-softening of nitrile butadiene rubber reinforced by in situ zinc dimethacrylate
Authors: Chen Yukun , Xu Chuanhui , Wang Yanpeng
Published: June 2012

The stress-softening behavior of nitrile butadiene rubber reinforced by in situ zinc dimethacrylate was studied. The degree of stress-softening effect in the fourth stretch-strain cycle of the nitrile butadiene rubber with 10 phr zinc dimethacrylate was only 1.03 (strain = 100%), while it reached to 50.39 at 40 phr zinc dimethacrylate (strain = 200%). The stress-softening effects of carbon black and silica filled nitrile butadiene rubber were also studied, which was used to compare the different stress-softening mechanisms of zinc dimethacrylate. Mooney–Rivlin semi-empirical equation was introduced here to analyze the stress–strain behavior of the nitrile butadiene rubber/zinc dimethacrylate, and the results showed that the nitrile butadiene rubber/zinc dimethacrylate system has an apparent Payne effect and it is easy to achieve the inextensibility limit of rubber chains. Crosslink density analysis indicated a high ionic crosslink density in the nitrile butadiene rubber filled with high content zinc dimethacrylate, which contributed to the low elastic-recovery of the stress-softening.
Curved large tape springs for an ultra-thin shell deployable reflector
Authors: Soykasap Ömer , Karakaya Şükrü , Türkmen Durmuş
Published: June 2012

This article presents a study of large tape springs to be used as ribs of an ultra-thin shell space deployable reflector. The tape spring, both longitudinally and transversely curved, is made of carbon/epoxy composite and subject to two-dimensional or three-dimensional folds. The behaviour of tape springs with different dimensional parameters during folding is investigated by finite element analyses and an analytical approach. Peak moments, steady-state moments and strain levels are obtained for several parameters such as curvatures, length, thickness, subtended angle, etc. The analytical approach considers the bending strain energy during two-dimensional folding of the tape spring, and it does not capture the full behaviour due to the assumptions made for the simple solution. The results obtained by the two methods are compared where they are applicable and are in agreement for the tape springs subject to two-dimensional folds. Feasibility of the curved large tape springs as a rib-reinforcing element for the deployable reflector with 6 m diameter is investigated. A breadboard model of 90 cm diameter is manufactured and tested for packaging and deployment behaviour.
A review on mechanical behavior of natural fiber based hybrid composites
Authors: Nunna Srinivas , Chandra P Ravi , Shrivastava Sharad , Jalan AK
Published: June 2012

Hybrid composites are manufactured by combining two or more fibers in a single matrix. Hybrid composites can be made from artificial fibers, natural fibers and with a combination of both artificial and natural fibers. Hybrid composites can help us to achieve a better combination of properties than fiber reinforced composites. The constituent fibers in a hybrid composite can be altered in a number of ways leading to variation in its properties. The importance of this review can be attributed to the significant aspects of natural fiber based hybrid composites which are found to be predominantly affected by factors which include variation in fiber volume/weight fraction, variation in stacking sequence of fiber layers, fiber treatment and environmental conditions.
Optimizing processing parameters of pin-assisted-melt impregnation of fiber-reinforced plastics by numerical simulation
Authors: Wang Rong-guo , Yang Fan , Hao Li-feng , Du Ge , Jiao Wei-cheng
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we report a new method to predict the pin-assisted-melt impregnation of a fiber bundle to a high-viscosity resin. An analytical model is established based on pulling a single fiber over a pin located in a melt pool. The impregnation depth is studied as a function of diameter of the pin, the line speed of the fiber, the viscosity of the resin, the pre-tension on the fiber, and the width of the fiber bundle. The results show that the level of impregnation is highly dependent on the fiber width, but insensitive to the line speed of the fiber, the pre-tension and the pin diameter, in accord with the previous reported experimental result.
Numerical modelling of sandwich panels with soft core and different rib configurations
Authors: Sharaf Tarek , Fam Amir
Published: June 2012

This paper presents numerical modeling of the flexural behaviour of sandwich panels composed of [0/90] woven glass fibre reinforced polymer skins and polyurethane foam core, including various patterns of glass fibre reinforced polymer ribs, as well as cores of different densities. A robust finite element model has been developed. It accounts for material nonlinearities; most pronounced in soft cores and [0/90] glass fibre reinforced polymer ribs in shear, as well as geometric nonlinearities arising in panels without ribs, in the form of a reduction in panel thickness and excessive shear deformation. The model captures both material failures and stability failure, essentially skin wrinkling in compression. The model is successfully validated using a large experimental database and predicts well full flexural responses. It is shown that ribs allow compression skin to reach its full material strength. Panels without ribs fail by skin wrinkling under concentrated loads, while those under distributed loads fail either by excessive shear deformation or diagonal fracture of the core, depending on core density. Failure of glass fibre reinforced polymer tension skin never occurred in this study. For panels without ribs, the three-dimensional finite element model agrees closely with a simplified two-dimensional model. A parametric study addressing longitudinal rib spacing showed that flexural strength increases as rib spacing reduces, until it stabilizes at a rib spacing-to-panel thickness ratio of 2.93.
Interaction between assembled 3D honeycomb cells produced from high density polyethylene and a cohesionless soil
Authors: Gurbuz Ayhan , Mertol Halit Cenan
Published: June 2012

Assembled 3D high-density polyethylene honeycomb cells, providing confinement to arrest spreading of the soil in cells and creating relatively stiff bed that redistributes footing pressure over wider area, were used in the present study to enhance load-carrying capacity and to reduce settlement of base materials under a foundation. The effects of various test parameters including width, height, number of layers of the 3D honeycomb cells, vertical distance between layers of the cells and depth of stress zone of the foundation were studied. The test results indicated that considerable improvement in the load-carrying capacity (≅3.0) and reduction in settlement of the foundation (≅62%) were obtained with the implementation of the single layer of the 3D cells into cohesionless soils. The optimum effective distance between two layers of the 3D cells was 0.142 times the width of foundation, the ratio of effective width of 3D cells to the foundation was about 4.2 and the depth of influence stress zone of the foundation was about two times the width of the foundation.
Microstructure and electrical resistivity of carbon/carbon composites prepared by thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration
Authors: Wu Xiaowen , Du Gaoxiang , Fang Minghao , Mei Lefu
Published: June 2012

Carbon/carbon composites were prepared by thermal gradient chemical vapor infiltration with kerosene as precursor. The microstructure and electrical resistivity were examined by polarized light microscopy and low-resistance instrument, respectively. The effects of processing parameters on microstructure as well as the influences of sample density, processing parameters, and needle punch on electrical resistivity of carbon/carbon composites were analyzed. The results show that besides rough laminar, smooth laminar and isotropic pyrocarbon occur at temperatures of 1000°C and 1200°C, respectively. The graphitization degree of composites increases from 16.28% to 63.95% as the heat treatment temperature increases from 2100°C to 2500°C. The electrical resistivity of carbon/carbon composites decreases with increasing heat treatment temperature and sample density but increases as the texture of pyrocarbon varies from rough laminar to smooth laminar. The main mechanism for influencing the electrical resistivity of carbon/carbon composites can be changing carrier concentration, altering grain scattering, or both actions.
Effect of bond strength on fiber reinforced polymer enveloped concrete cylinders with rebars exposed to corrosion activity
Authors: Jayaprakash J , Pournasiri Emad , De’nan Fatimah
Published: June 2012

This paper aims to investigate the effect of bond strength of corroded steel rebar embedded in concrete cylinders enveloped externally using hybrid and non-hybrid fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement. A series of 16 concrete cylinders (i.e. 100 mm × 200 mm) embedded with steel rebar were prepared in the laboratory condition. The test variables were types of fiber reinforced polymer wrapping (i.e. hybrid and non-hybrid fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement), duration of corrosion activity, and percentage of mass loss in steel rebar. The specimens were immersed in 5% NaCl solution at a depth of 170 mm and anodic current was impressed through the rebar for accelerating the corrosion activity. After the exposure period of 24 days, the embedded steel rebar in concrete cylinder was pulled out monotonically to failure. The bond strength, percentage of mass loss in embedded steel rebar, and effect of different periods of corrosion activity on concrete cylinders enveloped with hybrid and non-hybrid fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement are addressed. Test results show that the observed bond strength of hybrid fiber reinforced polymer confined specimens was the highest as compared to the non-hybrid CFRP and GFRP confined specimens. Moreover, the bond strength performance of hybrid FRP confined specimens was slightly better than the non-hybrid CFRP confined specimens.
Effect of multiple non-coincident impacts on residual properties of glass/epoxy laminates
Authors: Cromer Kevin , Gillespie John W. , Keefe Michael
Published: June 2012

A series of low-velocity drop-weight tests were conducted on glass/epoxy laminates to study the effect of multiple non-coincident impacts on residual compression and flexural properties. The impact characteristics and residual properties were recorded to determine the damage tolerance to various impact energies and impact separation distances. A flexure after impact method was also developed and compared to the compression after impact test. Experimental results were combined with a finite element model of the test. The damaged region was modeled as an elastic inclusion of reduced stiffness resulting in a stress concentration that was used to predict residual strength. Post-impact tests and stress analyses revealed that damage size, inclusion stiffness, and strength reduction were sensitive to impact energy and impact separation distances. Multiple impacts at larger distances create distinct, non-interacting damage regions that cause no more reduction in residual properties than the damage regions from a single impact. However, with a small separation distance, the damage regions from multiple impacts overlap and display increased energy absorption and reduction in the residual mechanical properties.
Mineralization of nanohydroxyapatite on electrospun poly(l-lactic acid)/gelatin by an alternate soaking process: A biomimetic scaffold for bone regeneration
Authors: Jaiswal Amit Kumar , Chandra Vikash , Bhonde Ramesh R , Soni Vivek Prithviraj , Bellare Jayesh Ramesh
Published: June 2012

Biomimetic nanocomposite scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning poly(l-lactic acid) and a blend of poly(L-lactic acid)/gelatin to eliminate the use of collagen. The scaffolds were mineralized via alternate soaking in calcium and phosphate solutions, whereby 66.8% nanohydroxyapatite formation was successfully induced which is similar to that of native human bone (60%). The poly(L-lactic acid)/gelatin scaffolds had uniform nanohydroxyapatite formation throughout the scaffold. The mineralization enhanced the tensile modulus and tensile strength without increasing the brittleness. The in vitro biocompatibility of scaffolds was evaluated with murine adipose tissue–derived stem cells. The scaffolds with nanohydroxyapatite aided cell attachment and promoted cell–cell interaction. The mineralization and osteocalcin expression of the murine adipose tissue–derived stem cells were maximum in the poly(L-lactic acid)/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite scaffold. Therefore, the gelatin and nanohydroxyapatite in poly(L-lactic acid)/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite scaffolds provided cues for the differentiation of murine adipose tissue–derived stem cells. The biochemical nature of poly(L-lactic acid)/gelatin/nanohydroxyapatite scaffold accelerated osteogenic differentiation and could be a potential candidate for bone regeneration.
Learning from the Band
Authors: Dagaz Mari C.
Published: June 2012

Decades of research has identified a variety of positive effects of student involvement in extracurricular activities. We know little, however, about how these important positive benefits come about. This article examines the process involved in participation in high school marching band to show how students created strong connections through participation in the activity and developed interactional and affective commitment to the group that led to a high level of trust, acceptance, and self-confidence. Using both observation and in-depth interviews of members of the marching band at two Midwestern high schools—a rural school and a midsize city school—I found that members of each band developed a close-knit, socioeconomically diverse community. Within a marching band, students created a culture of trust and acceptance of individuality that provided a strong support group, which many students related to a feeling of family. The density of friendships in this activity strengthened students’ identity with the group, thereby creating a stable marching band identity for individuals. This study provides an explanation of the processes involved in developing the strong commitment to others in the group that led to marching band becoming a salient identity for many students.
Robust tracking control design and its application to balance a two-wheeled robot steering on a bumpy road
Authors: Su Kuo-Ho
Published: June 2012

A reinforced adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode controller was developed to track the desired state for a certain class of nonlinear dynamic system. Initially, adaptive fuzzy logic was used to derive the update laws for approximating the uncertain nonlinear functions of a dynamic system. Subsequently, a reinforced adaptive mechanism and sliding-mode control were incorporated into the adaptive fuzzy control scheme. In the reinforced adaptive mechanism, both the model and controller parameters were adjusted simultaneously to attenuate the effects caused by the unmodeled dynamics and disturbances. Performance analysis demonstrated the superiority of the proposed reinforced adaptive law over the conventional direct adaptive scheme regarding faster tracking and convergence of parameters. To verify its effectiveness and extend its application, the proposed reinforced adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode controller was applied to balance a two-wheeled robot steering on a bumpy road. A number of simulations and experiments were performed. In addition, a conventional direct adaptive scheme under the same environment was also performed for comparison. These results demonstrated that the balance performance of a nonlinear dynamic two-wheeled robot improved because of embedding the proposed reinforced adaptive fuzzy sliding-mode controller into the microcontroller.
Investigating essential elements of community engagement in public libraries: An exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Sung Hui-Yun , Hepworth Mark , Ragsdell Gillian
Published: June 2012

This article discusses the findings of an exploratory qualitative case study involving Leicester Central Library. The purpose of this study was to investigate essential elements of community engagement in public libraries. Three research methods – semi-structured interviews, direct observation and document analysis – were used to gather data. Analysis of the data suggested a model of seven essential elements of community engagement: ‘belonging’, ‘commitment’, ‘communication’, ‘a flexible approach’, ‘genuineness’, ‘relevance’ and ‘sustainability’. Implications of the model are made in conclusion for the promotion of genuine community engagement, where the community-driven approach and the organic nature of the community engagement process are seen as being paramount to engagement.
Bridging Two Worlds
Authors: Wilson Denise , Baker Maria
Published: June 2012

Building an Indigenous mental health workforce is a strategy used to develop culturally responsive and effective mental health services in New Zealand. However, researchers know little about Indigenous (Māori) mental health nursing. We undertook a Māori-centered methodology and grounded theory using focus groups to collect data from 10 Māori mental health nurses. We then analyzed the data using constant comparative analysis and theoretical sampling until saturation of the core category and subcategories emerged. “Bridging two worlds,” together with two subcategories, “going beyond” and “practicing differently,” explains the process Māori mental health nurses used to resolve the tensions they encountered working in the worlds of mainstream and Māori health services. This research provides insight into the tensions Indigenous and minority nurses experience when attempting to integrate cultural perspectives and practices to meet the needs of their patients.
Hospice and Palliative Social Workers’ Engagement in Life Review Interventions
Authors: Csikai Ellen L. , Weisenfluh Sherri
Published: June 2012

Life review (LR) interventions are typically used with older adults and those nearing end of life to identify unresolved conflicts/issues, examine accomplishments, and leave lasting legacies. This study investigated the extent that hospice and palliative social workers engaged in LR with patients and their families. An Internet-based, quantitative survey was available via a hyperlink for 4 weeks and disseminated to several national social work professional organization list serves and Web sites. Of the 346 respondents, most had conducted LRs, however, frequency and scope varied. Barriers to implementation included high caseloads/lack of time, acuity of patients, and short lengths of stay. The opportunity for many individuals to bring closure at the end of life may be lost due to limited access to LR interventions.
Parents’ Perceptions of a Pediatric Palliative Program
Authors: Sheetz M. Joan , Bowman Mary-Ann Sontag
Published: June 2012

Reports of family satisfaction with pediatric palliative care have been limited. This knowledge is critical for both program development and furthering understanding of needs. The purpose of this study was to assess parents’ perceptions about whether a pediatric palliative care program was providing key elements of pediatric palliative care as described in the literature and to assess parental satisfaction with services. Data were collected from 65 parents, using a tool developed for the project, whose children died while receiving services from Rainbow Kids Palliative Care, a program of Primary Children’s Medical Center, and the Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. Respondents reported that the Rainbow Kids team had provided emotional support, helped with decision making and communication, and that their children’s symptoms were managed. Furthermore, parent respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction with services from the Rainbow Kids team.
Large Clones With PNH-Type Phenotype are Not Common in Patients Presenting With Intra-Abdominal Thrombosis—A Prospective Study
Authors: Baloda Vandana , Ahluwalia Jasmina , Varma Neelam , Chawla Y. K.
Published: June 2012

Intra-abdominal thrombosis is a complication of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH). There is scarcity of data on cases presenting with thrombosis in whom PNH is the predisposing factor. We assessed the role of PNH defect in 81 patients with intra-abdominal thrombosis, 44 patients of Budd Chiari syndrome and 37 patients of extra hepatic venous obstruction. Flowcytometry with glycosylphosphatidyl inositol-anchored proteins (GPI-AP)-CD55, -CD59, and -CD16 was performed on all patients and controls to assess the prevalence of deficiencies and PNH-type phenotype clone size. Deficiencies of individual GPI-AP were seen in 17.3% cases versus 3.4% controls. This was due to CD55 deficiency on red blood cells and CD16 deficiency on the granulocytes. Deficiency of multiple GPI-APs was less frequent (3.7% cases). Data of this study indicate that the PNH defect as detected with CD55, CD59, and CD16 is not an important cause of intra-abdominal thrombosis in northwestern India.
Prospective, Non-interventional Study on the Real-World Use of Certoparin in Daily Practice—The PROMEMBER Study
Authors: Spannagl Michael , Melzer Nima , Bramlage Peter , Englert Cornelia , Eisele Ralf
Published: June 2012

Background: We aimed to verify safety and effectiveness of certoparin real-world use and to identify predictors of thromboembolic events or bleeding. Methods: This was a non-interventional study documenting patients at hospital- or office-based physicians. Results: Patients’ (n = 1407) mean age was 53.7 ± 16.1 years. Reason for certoparin use was prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism in 1331 (94.6%) patients and treatment in 76 (5.4%) patients. In only 11.4% of those receiving prophylaxis and 13.2% of those receiving treatment dosing, duration and schedule of certoparin were within label. There were 2 patients with deep venous thrombosis ([DVT], no pulmonary embolism [PE]), and 51 patients (3.8%) with minor (nonmajor) bleeding complications in patients receiving prophylaxis. Two patients treated with certoparin had recurrent DVT and one had PE (one patient with minor bleeding). Conclusions: Certoparin is very effective in real world. This also applies to patients in whom clinical decision making leads to an alteration of recommended application.
Masculinity Identity Development and Its Relevance to Supporting Talented Black Males
Authors: Henfield Malik S.
Published: June 2012

The purpose of the article is to provide a brief introduction to Black male masculine identity development and relate it to the field of gifted education. It will begin with information related to identity development that is applicable to Black males. Next, the phenomenological variant of ecological systems theory (PVEST) will be explored and used as a framework for understanding how Black males develop identities that may enhance or impede the likelihood that they become willing participants in more challenging academic contexts. Finally, the article will end with a discussion of the implications of an increased understanding of Black male masculine identity development for gifted educators as well as recommendations for improved recruitment and retention of Black males in advanced academic classes and programs.
Talk is Cheap
Authors: Burton Meredith Greene
Published: June 2012

Adolescent gifted males behave, develop, and learn differently than their female peers. While there are many similarities between the genders, the unique socialization processes, typical characteristics, and common experiences of gifted males are important for school counselors and teachers of gifted boys to recognize and understand. Counselors should not rely on their usual talk therapy approaches when working with boys. To better support adolescent gifted males in schools, counselors and teachers may have to use different strategies to engage them in the counseling process so that they may become successful in school and in life.
Everything I Ever Wanted to Learn About Teaching, I Learned From Gifted Boys
Authors: Cooper Mary E.
Published: June 2012

The purpose of this article is to explore four experiences that the author has encountered in her teaching career and focus on how they have shaped her understanding of gifted males and the instructional strategies that she uses in her classroom. The situations described in the article focus on four distinct subgroups of gifted males, James and Michael, the students who lack confidence and express self-doubt; John, the twice-exceptional student; Jorge, the culturally diverse student; and David, the underachiever. All of the situations are based on personal reflections from the author’s 10 years of teaching secondary science.
The Stress of Black Male Achievement
Authors: Henfield Malik S.
Published: June 2012

Oftentimes, when the subject of Black students’ talent maximization in gifted and advanced courses and programs is broached, students are treated as a monolithic entity. In fact, there is considerable evidence to suggest that unsuccessful achievement of academic excellence may be more troublesome for males than females at many points along the educational pipeline (Ford, 2010; Grantham, 2004a). School counselors, trained to understand the intended and unintended consequences of ignoring the importance of race and gender are well equipped to assist in the battle to increase the academic performance of talented Black males and—by extension—aid in ameliorating the achievement gap between the best and brightest Black students. The purpose of this column is to provide a brief introduction of the cumulative risks associated with being Black and male in educational settings as well as a discussion of how these risks are associated with mental health and academic performance. The column will conclude with a discussion of implications for school counselors.
Response Pattern Based on the Amplitude of Ear Canal Recorded Cochlear Microphonic Waveforms across Acoustic Frequencies in Normal Hearing Subjects
Authors: Zhang Ming
Published: June 2012

Low-frequency otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) are often concealed by acoustic background noise such as those from a patient’s breathing and from the environment during recording in clinics. When using electrocochleaography (ECochG or ECoG), such as cochlear microphonics (CMs), acoustic background noise do not contaminate the recordings. Our objective is to study the response pattern of CM waveforms (CMWs) to explore an alternative approach in assessing cochlear functions. In response to a 14-msec tone burst across several acoustic frequencies, CMWs were recorded at the ear canal from ten normal hearing subjects. A relatively long tone burst has a relatively narrow frequency band. The CMW amplitudes among different frequencies were compared. The CMW amplitudes among different frequencies were compared. Two features were observed in the response pattern of CMWs: the amplitude of CMWs decreased with an increase of stimulus frequency of the tone bursts; and such a decrease occurred at a faster rate at lower frequencies than at higher frequencies. Five factors as potential mechanisms for these features are proposed. Clinical applications such as hearing screening are discussed. Therefore, the response pattern of CMWs suggests that they may be used as an alternative to OAEs in the assessment of cochlear functions in the clinic, especially at low frequencies.