bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Wind from the West: The Role of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien's Middle-Earth
Authors: Hartley Gregory
Published: May 2015

Explorations of Tolkien's latent theology abound, but very little focused scholarship proposes to discuss how Tolkien's legendarium portrays an understanding of the Holy Spirit, especially in light of Tolkien's Roman Catholicism. This essay explores three major features of Tolkien's work that provide insight into this ghostly person of the Trinity. The Silmarillion provides detailed insight as to the exact identity of the “Flame Imperishable,” while its characters demonstrate the indwelling of this Flame. St. Paul explains the gifts of the Holy Spirit in his first letter to the Corinthians and Tolkien seems to mimic many of these gifts in the characters of the nine members of the Fellowship. Lastly, the Great Eagles represent the workings of the Holy Spirit, both as servants of Manwë and as agents of eucatastrophe.
The Canaanite Woman, the Second Nun, and St. Cecilia
Authors: Dobbs Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2015

Chaucer's little-noticed allusion to the story of the Canaanite woman in his Prologue to the Second Nun's Tale brings several aspects of his poem into focus. What he gains by alluding to this account can be seen in a comparison of its source text, Matt. 15:21–28, to the very different version of this story in Mark 7:24–30. In particular, the allusion emphasizes the characterization of the Second Nun and St. Cecilia as speakers, underlines the saint's conversions as the radical results of her rhetorical skill, and reinforces a theme of dissolving boundaries.
“What We're Made of”: Personhood in Graham Swift's Last Orders
Authors: de Gay Jane
Published: May 2015

This article argues that Graham Swift's novel Last Orders addresses profound moral questions about what constitutes a person. The article takes its lead from John Habgood's question, “How complete does a human being have to be in order to qualify morally as a person?” and also draws on insights from other theologians to analyze the moral perspective of the novel. It shows how Last Orders looks for redemption in the face of broken relationships and radical crises of identity, and also shows how Swift defends the moral personhood of the disabled and the recently deceased.
Materia appetit formam ut virum femina: Form and Matter in C. S. Lewis
Authors: Boudreaux Armond J.
Published: May 2015

Throughout his writings, Lewis uses the metaphysical coupling of forma and materia as a way of thinking about and explaining moral as well as literary problems. Critics have little remarked upon the ways in which forma and materia connect Lewis' moral and literary ideas. This omission is rather surprising, given the remarkable consistency of Lewis thought. Yet we miss an important element of Lewis scholarly, theological, and philosophical work if we do not notice how intricately connected these areas are by the dichotomy of forma and materia. Indeed, for Lewis, the forma and materia of literature are analogous to moral choice and human experience; both in literature and in real life, human experience is the matter which “longs for form.”
DeLillo's Ignatian Moment: Religious Longing and Theological Encounter inFalling Man
Authors: Conniff Brian
Published: May 2015

In his 2007 novel Falling Man, Don DeLillo depicts New York City, in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center, as a place in which nearly everyone seems to be experiencing some form of religious longing. Still, for almost all of DeLillo's characters, religious longing remains disconnected from any formal religious practice or any community of faith. The most significant exception is the book's main character, Lianne Glenn, who struggles to return to Catholicism, partly through her memory of an encounter in college with the theology of Sèren Kierkegaard, partly through her work with a writing group of Alzheimer's patients, and partly through her memories of her father's rigidly traditional Catholicism. Lianne's discovery of a more questioning Catholicism continues the preoccupation in DeLillo's fiction with the struggle for spirituality and morality in a contemporary America. More specifically, it also clarifies the growing significance in his recent work of the spirituality of Ignatius Loyola.
Raising the Dead in Denise Giardina's Appalachian Fiction
Authors: Eads Martha Greene
Published: May 2015

In an unusual 2009 Books and Culture Online exchange, Denise Giardina took issue with reviewer Jennifer Holberg's complaint that Giardina's Bronte novel, Emily's Ghost, features unconvincing ghostly presences. While Giardina's strategy did flop in that book, her efforts to “raise the dead” in novels set in her native West Virginia are praiseworthy. In her Appalachian novels, Giardina revives long-gone neighbors and the communities they populated, anticipating and meeting Wendell Berry's challenge in Imagination in Place to “transcend the limits of experience of provable knowledge in order to make a thing that is whole.”
Itinerant Barbaras: Anna Karenina's Peripatetic Guardian Saints
Authors: Morris Marcia A.
Published: May 2015

In Anna Karenina, Tolstoy directs our attention toward several sub-sets of characters by conferring shared given names on them. This article focuses on one such subset—three minor characters named Barbara. Tolstoy derives his three Barbaras from the third-century St. Barbara, a protectress against violent death. All of the main protagonists of Anna Karenina are beset by fears of losing their place in the world, and several of them actively contemplate suicide. Three of them—Anna, Vronsky, and Kitty—are given a guardian-Barbara, who helps (or, in defiance of the protagonists' expectations, fails to help) to ground them. Each of the Barbaras is an effective protectress in proportion to how well she hews to the structural paradigm provided by the Life of St. Barbara.
Isaiah 40 and Donne's “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning”: A Case for Possible Influence
Authors: Hochberg Shifra
Published: May 2015

An examination of Isaiah 40 as possible intertext to John Donne's “A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning” illuminates the consolatio motifs of the poem. Isaiah 40's imagery may have influenced Donne's metaphysical conceits of compass, circle, and “gold to airy thinness beat,” underlining the spiritual link between the holy lovers. In addition, the binary discursive mode that expresses the thematics of Isaiah 40 invites further exploration of the influence of Old Testament poetry, in general, upon the metaphysical conceit as literary praxis.
President's Address
Authors: Low Anthony
Published: May 2015

The following remarks were made at the luncheon arranged by the Conference on Christianity and Literature and held at Spiaggia's Restaurant in Chicago on Friday, 29 December 1995, during the Annual Convention of the Modern Language Association. In addition to Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring Wayne C. Booth and, posthumously, Roy M. Battenhouse, a special certificate of appreciation was presented to Jewel Spears Brooker for her four years of energetic and dedicated service as outgoing CCL president.
Caring Leadership: A Heideggerian Perspective
Authors: Tomkins Leah , Simpson Peter
Published: May 2015

This paper develops the idea of caring leadership based on Heidegger’s philosophy of care. From this perspective, caring leadership is grounded in the practices of ‘leaping-in’ and ‘leaping-ahead’ as modes of intervention in the affairs of the world and the efforts of others. This involves gauging and taking responsibility for the ramifications of intervention, balancing the urge for certainty of outcome and visibility of contribution with the desire to encourage and enable others. Our analysis suggests several twists to contemporary leadership debates. We argue that the popular models of transactional and transformational leadership are to be critiqued not for their over-reliance but, rather, their under-reliance on agency. This is a different kind of agency to that of heroic or charismatic models. It involves tolerance of complexity and ambivalence; a rich sense of temporal trajectory; concern for one’s presence in the world; and crucially, the ability to resist the soothing normativity of ‘best practice’. From this position, we argue that the problem with the growing scholarly interest in an ethic of care is that it provides too tempting a recipe to follow. In a Heideggerian view, caring leadership has little to do with compassion, kindness or niceness; it involves and requires a fundamental organization and leadership of self.
Looking ‘Beyond the Factory Gates’: Towards more Pluralist and Radical Approaches to Intraorganizational Trust Research
Authors: Siebert Sabina , Martin Graeme , Bozic Branko , Docherty Iain
Published: May 2015

The aim of this paper is to suggest new avenues for trust research by critiquing the extant literature on this topic. We analyse the most influential research on intraorganizational trust from the perspective of a classic industrial sociology framework from the 1970s – Alan Fox’s work on frames of reference and trust dynamics. Our analysis of intraorganizational trust studies leads us to three conclusions. First, the large majority of intraorganizational trust research has strong unitarist underpinnings, which support a managerial agenda that is potentially detrimental to employees’ (and indeed managers’) long-term interests. Second, most of this research fails to explain how trust in organizations is embedded in societal and field-level institutions, hence it would benefit from looking ‘beyond the factory gates’ for a more complete understanding of trust dynamics in organizations. In this connection, we argue that Fox’s pluralist and radical perspectives, which are under-represented in intraorganizational trust research, could provide new lines of inquiry by locating internal trust relations in a wider institutional context. Third, Fox’s explanation of how low and high trust dynamics in organizations are embedded in wider society may help address the concerns about under-socialized, endogenous explanations and open the way for structure-agency analyses of building, maintaining and repairing intraorganizational trust.
A Technique for the CNC Machining of Some Mathematical Surfaces
Authors: Moreton D. N.
Published: May 2015

This article presents a technique for machining mathematical surfaces. The cutter path selection and a technique for three-dimensional tool compensation are detailed. Additionally, a method of engraving lines of curvature onto the machined surface is included. This work was undertaken by students of engineering; the end product is to be used by students of mathematics.
Exergy Overhead: The Cost of Operating a Process
Authors: Himsworth J. R.
Published: May 2015

The aim of exergy analysis is to locate and evaluate the effects of thermodynamic irreversibility in process plant. When discussing the results of an exergy balance, it is usual to refer to the discrepancy between the exergetic inputs and outputs as a ‘loss’. The author argues that the use of the word loss in this context is not appropriate, and suggests that the descriptive term ‘exergy overhead’ is to be preferred.
Design and Construction of a Computer-Controlled Laboratory Air Conditioning Unit
Authors: Fung A. S. , Hamdullahpur F. , Ugursal V. I.
Published: May 2015

A modular air conditioning unit was designed and constructed by five mechanical engineering students as their senior-year design project. The unit can be controlled manually or by a control computer. It will be used to demonstrate the major psychrometric processes, and the operation and principles of HVAC control systems in Thermodynamics and HVAC courses. The unit is fully instrumented to measure temperature, relative humidity and flow rates. Thus, mass and energy balances on various individual sections can be carried out.
Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design Course
Authors: Uras H. Mehmet , Akay Adnan
Published: May 2015

A capstone mechanical engineering design course is described. It is suggested that design education should start early in the curriculum, by providing open-ended problems and by emphasizing teamwork. Discovery-based leaching should be integrated into the curriculum to enhance creativity. In the capstone design course, a project is utilized as a vehicle for leaching design methods and related topics. The philosophy of reduced iteration and testing is espoused.
A Modern Approach to Machine Design Education
Authors: Kalman H. , Zahavi E.
Published: May 2015

Engineering educators face a heavy responsibility in equipping young engineers for today's competitive world. The industries that will employ them will only survive if the people working in them are able to make and follow sound decisions. The basis for these decisions, among other things, must be an effective design process. The challenge of educating students to become worthy design engineers is being met at the Mechanical Engineering Department, at BGU, Israel, and the purpose of this article is to describe how it is done.
Torsional Vibration of Rotating Shafts
Authors: Cheung K. Y. S. , Daadbin A.
Published: May 2015

In rotating shafts where large power is transmitted, it is desired to achieve smooth transmission and avoid any torsional vibration in the system. These vibrations result from torsional flexibilities due to shaft stiffnesses and carried inertias. To demonstrate this phenomenon a user-friendly computer program is developed as a result of a final-year project to analyse different multi-degree torsional vibratory systems. The computer program together with the corresponding experimental rig makes the students aware of the torsional resonances in the rotating shafts and demonstrates their effect.
Exact Frequency Determinants for Beams with Intermediate Masses and Springs
Authors: Mohamad A. S.
Published: May 2015

This paper demonstrates the use of Green's functions in determining exact frequency equations, hence natural frequencies, for beams with intermediate masses and springs.
A Runge-Kutta Approach for the Analysis of Spatially Varied Flow
Authors: France P. W.
Published: May 2015

Steady spatially varied flow has a non-uniform discharge in an open channel resulting from the addition or diminution of water along the course of the flow. The longitudinal water surface profile is normally found by expressing the appropriate general equation in finite difference form and solving using a trial and error step-by-step procedure. In this paper a simple alternative method is presented using a Runge-Kutta fourth-order numerical technique. The method is applied to a channel side weir where the discharge in the main channel is decreasing in the direction of flow.
Teaching of Computer-Based Data Acquisition and Control for Mechanical Engineering Undergraduates during an in-House Practical Training (IHPT) Programme
Authors: Ang H. E. , Seet G. G. L. , Lwin D. T.
Published: May 2015

The application of computers in the control of electromechanical systems makes it necessary for all mechanical engineers to be equipped with a firm understanding of the basics of a computer-based data acquisition and control system. Nanyang Technological University conducts, as part of its in-house practical training programme (IHPT), a 20-hour course which introduces the basics of C-language programming and computer-based data acquisition and control to its second-year mechanical engineering undergraduates.

This paper discusses the hardware set-up of the environment simulation board and its interface to an IBM/PC compatible. The unique structure of the programme, which aims to provide a launching point from which its student can pursue individual learning with confidence, is described.

Microsoft QuickC was chosen because of its friendly environment and the recognized importance of C language in engineering software development. By precise identification of the objectives and by appropriate structuring of the course, the majority of students finish the course with sufficient familiarity and confidence for implementing the data acquisition process.
Fluid Mechanics from a Solid Mechanics Perspective
Authors: Davey K.
Published: May 2015

This paper is concerned with the teaching of fluid mechanics to first and second year mechanical engineering undergraduate students. In particular, attention is focused on, the apparent difficulty students have with the concepts of control volume (CV) theory and its implementation in practical calculations. It is argued that by developing the theory, relating to control volumes, from a solid mechanics standpoint, a higher degree of physical insight is achieved. An elemental mass approach, based on basic Newtonian principles, is discussed, so that the ideas of control volume theory are more readily understandable. The ideas are extended to aid the student with practical calculations.
The Effective Use of Laboratories in Undergraduate Courses
Authors: Grant A. D.
Published: May 2015

The current status of laboratory-based teaching is reviewed, and found to be in decline. It is argued that in educational terms, this trend is undesirable and threatens the quality of engineering courses. The effectiveness of laboratory work can be assured by adopting an appropriate methodology, and an attempt has been made to identify its key elements. A class currently operating at Strathclyde is described as a case study. It is concluded that laboratories are at present under-used and under-valued but, if exploited imaginatively, they can make a major contribution to engineering education.
A Vibration Monitoring/Fault Diagnosis Simulation Package
Authors: Craighead I. A.
Published: May 2015

The subject of condition monitoring is becoming increasingly popular on engineering courses. One of the principal techniques used to assess the condition of plant and machinery is vibration monitoring. Traditional teaching methods can adequately present the analytical techniques to students and case studies illustrate their application but the art of diagnosing faults in machinery is usually not addressed to any significant extent. To overcome this deficiency a ‘game’ has been devised which gives students the opportunity to apply aspects of vibration monitoring to a simulated piece of real plant.
Artefact Study in the Fluids Laboratory
Authors: Beck S. B. M. , Joseph S. H. , Bullough W. A.
Published: May 2015

The examination of a washing machine fill valve and subsequent testing and analysis are undertaken as a first fluid mechanics laboratory task. A primary intention in doing this is to put into perspective the role of a fluids engineer at a time in the students career when very little fluid mechanics technology is understood and when analytical lecture content is generally held to occupy too large a proportion of a student's attention in this area.
A Model Vehicle for Measuring Handling Characteristics Using the Tethered Testing Technique
Authors: Hall L. C.
Published: May 2015

A model vehicle has been designed and constructed to provide practical work in vehicle dynamics for students of automotive engineering. Its handling characteristics can be measured using the technique of tethered testing. It has been in regular use for sixteen years at the RMCS and has proved invaluable in giving students an opportunity to observe the effects of compliant tyres on vehicle handling and to achieve a deeper understanding of steady-state handling theory.
Appropriate Introduction of Computer Control to Mechanical Engineering Students
Authors: Fang X. D. , Yao Y. L.
Published: May 2015

Introducing mechanical engineering (ME) students to microcomputer applications in data acquisition and control areas needs to be done appropriately. It would not be the type of training suitable for ME students if excessive hardware associated details are involved. This paper describes the development of a subject with such ‘appropriateness’ in mind. The subject, as an elective, has been welcomed and enthusiastically participated in by a larger percentage of the final year (i.e. fourth year) and postgraduate students during the last few years. This is in a way indicative that the approach taken is appropriate for ME students.
Reduction of Digitization and Computational Noise in the Four-Transducer Acoustic Wave Decomposition Method
Authors: Bonito J. J. Garcia
Published: May 2015

This article can be regarded as an additional step forward in the implementation of the four-transducer wave decomposition method for a random pressure distribution applied to the acoustic analysis of a flow duct element which in this study is a catalytic converted of the type used in automotive exhaust systems. The required signal processing is clearly expounded together with some signal processing improvements that considerably reduce the digitization and computational noise. The practical application illustrated in this paper shows how this technique can be used for laboratory demonstrations in order to measure the acoustic properties of acoustic filters or any other physical discontinuity in a flow duct system. The experimental results could then be used to validate acoustic mathematical models or as a stored function used in the study of a more complex analysis of a flow duct network.
Some Paradoxical Experiments on Beams
Authors: Calladine C. R.
Published: May 2015

Most experiments on structures that are performed by university students as part of the curriculum are designed so that the experimental observations are in accord with the theory that has been presented in the lectures. In this paper I describe an experiment that forms part of the second-year Engineering course at Cambridge, in which each of four different beam-like specimens deflects, under load, in a way that is contrary to expectations based on the usual ‘engineers' bending theory’ as taught in lectures. The key to the situation is that various assumptions that underlie the theory are not applicable for the particular structures under investigation. With some help from the demonstrator, the students work out what is happening, and devise tests that confirm their hypotheses about the paradoxical behaviour that they have encountered. Thus the experiment deepens the students' understanding of the theory of beams. The paper concludes with a discussion.
Aircraft Design Education through Student Competitions
Authors: Green Sheldon I.
Published: May 2015

The SAE Aero Design Competition is an annual model airplane competition sponsored by the SAE. The purpose of the competition is to design and build a model airplane, given certain constraints, that is capable of lifting the greatest possible payload. A team of students from the University of British Columbia entered, for the first time, the SAE Aero Design Competition in 1992. The UBC airplane lifted the most weight overall and won first place in the competition against a field of 60 competitors from the USA, Canada, and Europe. In 1993 a UBC team competed again, this time with a significantly improved entry. The team again lifted the most weight and again finished first. For the third year running, the UBC aircraft lifted the most weight at the competition held in 1994. This paper documents the team's experiences in these competitions, and emphasizes how the design of model airplanes for the competitions served the important didactic purpose of introducing aircraft design to the students.
A Simple Unified Treatment of the Torsion Problem in Bars of Rectangular Cross-Section and Levy's Solution in Classical Plate Theory
Authors: Laura Patricio A. A. , Gelos Roberto
Published: May 2015

A survey of the literature reveals that the problems stated in the title are solved independently: in the case of the torsion problem the trigonometric terms are of the type ( cos (nπx)/2a, n = 1,3,5,…) while when implementing Levy's solution one uses terms of the type ( sin (nπx)/a, n = 1,3,5,…). In the first case the coordinate system coincides with the axis of symmetry of the rectangle while, in the second, the y-axis coincides with the left, vertical side of the rectangle and the x-axis is the horizontal axis of symmetry of the configuration. It is shown in the present study that a basic, unified approach is possible for solving both problems using the coordinate system mentioned in the second place and expressing the dependent variable in terms of the infinite series

[Formula: see text]
Unsymmetrical Bending of Beams: A Matrix Formulation
Authors: Tarnai T.
Published: May 2015

In this note the bending of uniform straight beams of unsymmetrical cross-section is investigated by matrices. The importance of the matrix of the inertia tensor of the cross-section is shown. Matrix formulae are presented for the normal stress, the flexural shearing stress in the case of thin-walled open sections, and the deflection curve in the case of small displacements. Matrix formulation makes this problem easy to handle; and so it provides an aid in teaching the subject.
Using Symbolic Algebra to Enhance the Learning Environment of Dynamic Systems
Authors: Perez Ronald A. , Blake John
Published: May 2015

In this paper the authors present the use of symbolic algebra to enhance the teaching and learning of dynamic systems. Concepts such as Laplace transform, root locus, and Bode diagrams are illustrated. The authors believe that a more efficient use of the available computing resources would free the students from some of the more tedious algebraic manipulations allowing them the opportunity to channel their energies into the creative processes that will sharpen their analytical skills.
Effect of Feedwater Temperature Rise in Heaters on Regenerative Rankine Cycle Performance
Authors: el Haj Assad Mamdouh
Published: May 2015

In this article, the performance of regenerative power plants in terms of second law of thermodynamics is discussed. The performance of the cycle is improved with the addition of backward cascaded-type and open-type feedwater heaters. This improvement is obtained by the reduction in irreversible losses as the number of feedwater heaters increases. A conventional energy-balance approach is used to calculate the irreversible losses in the cycle. The irreversible losses of each component of the cycle is given in a dimensionless ratio and from that ratio one can easily see the fraction of the irreversible losses of each component with respect to the power output, which means the irreversible losses can be obtained directly from the power output. The boiler causes the maximum fraction of the total irreversible losses among the components of the cycle. These losses are reduced by introducing feedwater heaters into the cycle. The irreversibilities in the cycle are examined according to the effect of varying the total temperature rise across the feedwater heaters.
A Simple Method for Presenting Thermodynamic Partial Derivatives to Undergraduates
Authors: Tuttle E. R.
Published: May 2015

A method for teaching Maxwell relations and other transformations of partial derivatives which appear frequently in thermodynamics is presented. It has been found to be successful in the presentation of this material to undergraduate engineering students.
A Computer-Based Tutoring Aid for Progressive Die Design
Authors: Cheok B. T. , Nee A. Y. C.
Published: May 2015

This paper describes how a knowledge-based system for automating the process planning of progressive die design is enhanced and developed into a tutoring aid for tool and die trainees. This is achieved by incorporating an explanation engine that scans the status of the plan stored in the knowledge-base and provides reports to the user. According to the status of the plan, actions are suggested by the explanation engine to guide the user to achieve his goals. As the system is able to provide a ‘first-guess’ solution to each step of the planning process, it allows the trainee to develop the plans very quickly. It also serves as an effective tutoring aid for learning a large number of die design case studies within the time allocated for the subject.
Four-Port Representations of Heat Exchangers
Authors: Lombard C.
Published: May 2015

Two-port models represent a subsystem as a black box with an input and an output port. They are very convenient mathematical representations of subsystems, allowing easy connection between subsystem models to form a larger model. From an educational point of view, two-ports emphasize the idea of a subsystem as part of a larger structure. In this paper the concept is applied to two-stream heat exchangers, which are represented by a four-port model: two input ports and two output ports. It provides a new method of heat exchanger analysis which is complementary to the usual LMTD and effectiveness methods. It is easy to comprehend and ideal for computer programming. Large networks of heat exchangers are easily solved. In addition, it allows approximate models for heat exchangers with nonconstant properties as a cascade of constant property elements.
Use of Finite Difference Method in the Study of Stepped Beams
Authors: Krishnan A. , George Geetha , Malathi P.
Published: May 2015

The analysis of stepped beams using finite difference method normally is carried by use of a single differential equation. Whenever the step is a node, numerical values of average geometric properties are taken for computation. It is expected that, with finer meshes, the solution will converge to an acceptable one. Free vibration studies carried out on a stepped beam do not confirm this expectation. The numerical values converge; but to wrong ones. Some details are presented in this paper.
The Necessary Conditions for Plane Motion of a Rigid Body
Authors: Djukic Djordje S. , Jones S. E.
Published: May 2015

This paper treats the plane motion of a rigid body under the action of external forces and a couple. Some fundamental properties of the motion are contained in one theorem. The theorem gives the necessary conditions under which the bodies perform plane motion.
Teaching Vibration Analysis Using Symbolic Computation Software
Authors: Pota Hemanshu R. , Alberts Thomas E.
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a general approach to modelling and learning vibration analysis for simple beams using symbolic computation software. The emphasis here is on the fact that a complete solution of the beam vibrations problem, for different boundary conditions and arbitrary forcing functions, is made very simple by using symbolic computation software. The heart of the procedure is to convert the beam vibration problem into a system of simultaneous algebraic linear equations and then use symbolic computation software to solve it. The analysis here also shows how to obtain models suitable to design controllers for flexible systems.
Further Comparative Studies in the Prior Knowledge Assessment of B.Eng. (Hons) Course Entrants
Authors: Adamson J. , Byrom T. , Clifford H.
Published: May 2015

The results of identical ‘prior knowledge assessment’ (PKA) tests taken by students in the 1996 Mechanical Engineering entry streams of two comparable UK universities (P and Q) are presented and discussed. The work is a development of a previous study carried out with 1992 entrants at university P. Comparisons are made between the performances of the 1992 and 1996 entrants of university P, between the performances of the 1996 intakes at universities P and Q, and between student attainment and staff expectations at university Q. The results are also appraised in relation to the A-level performances of the two groups of students.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Thermoelectric Coolers
Authors: El Haj Assad Mamdouh
Published: May 2015

A thermodynamic analysis of a thermoelectric cooler is proposed. The coefficient of performance of the cooler is expressed in terms of two dimensionless parameters which are to be optimized. The thermoelectric cooler is considered as an irreversible Carnot-like reversed heat engine. The effect of the external irreversibilities on the coefficient of performance and cooling rate is investigated by the use of finite-time thermodynamic analysis. The coefficient of performance and cooling rate increase with an increase in the temperature ratio defined in the analysis.
A Design-and-Build Project to Introduce Concepts Relating to Dimensional Variation
Authors: Panton S. M. , Milner P. R.
Published: May 2015

A design-and-build project which has been used to introduce Year 2 students of Mechanical Engineering to the concepts of dimensional variation and the influence of dimensional variation on function and assembly. The project simulates the cylinder head cylinder block assembly problem and specifies requirements in terms of a tolerance on concentricity of the cylinders in the head and block, and the interchangeable assembly of the head and block. Materials which are easily and cheaply sourced and tools which are easily manufactured and safe to use in a classroom environment are used throughout. During the project the students are exposed to concepts such as worst-case and statistical tolerance analysis, sensitivity analysis, geometric moment effects, minimum constraint design, co-variance and gauging. The exercise also emphasizes that good design means components that function and assemble with the minimum number of tight tolerances.
From plant functional types to plant functional traits
Authors: Yang Yanzheng , Zhu Qiuan , Peng Changhui , Wang Han , Chen Huai
Published: May 2015

Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) typically track the material and energy cycles in ecosystems with finite plant functional types (PFTs). Increasingly, the community ecology and modelling studies recognize that current PFT scheme is not sufficient for simulating ecological processes. Recent advances in the study of plant functional traits (FTs) in community ecology provide a novel and feasible approach for the improvement of PFT-based DGVMs. This paper reviews the development of current DGVMs over recent decades. After characterizing the advantages and disadvantages of the PFT-based scheme, it summarizes trait-based theories and discusses the possibility of incorporating FTs into DGVMs. More importantly, this paper summarizes three strategies for constructing next-generation DGVMs with FTs. Finally, the method’s limitations, current challenges and future research directions for FT theory are discussed for FT theory. We strongly recommend the inclusion of several FTs, namely specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), carbon isotope composition of leaves (Leaf δ13C), the ratio between leaf-internal and ambient mole fractions of CO2 (Leaf Ci/Ca), seed mass and plant height. These are identified as the most important in constructing DGVMs based on FTs, which are also recognized as important ecological strategies for plants. The integration of FTs into dynamic vegetation models is a critical step towards improving the results of DGVM simulations; communication and cooperation among ecologists and modellers is equally important for the development of the next generation of DGVMs.
Above-Level Test Item Functioning Across Examinee Age Groups
Authors: Warne Russell T. , Doty Kristine J. , Malbica Anne Marie , Angeles Victor R. , Innes Scott , Hall Jared , Masterson-Nixon Kelli
Published: May 2015

Above-level testing (also called above-grade testing, out-of-level testing, and off-level testing) is the practice of administering to a child a test that is designed for an examinee population that is older or in a more advanced grade. Above-level testing is frequently used to help educators design educational interventions for gifted children, especially those who may be candidates for grade skipping or Talent Search programs. However, little research has been conducted on how test items function when administered to a younger population, despite professional standards that require examiners to gather validity evidence when administering a test for a new population. In this article, we explain two studies in which we compared item functioning across two populations of examinees: gifted middle school students and older examinees that the tests were designed for. Results from Study 1 indicated a high correlation between item difficulty statistics for both groups on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Results from Study 2—a mixed-methods study—showed that even though the two groups were similar in ability (as measured by the Reynolds Intellectual Assessment Scales), the high school students completed SAT-M test items more quickly and demonstrated more familiarity with the test content. In both studies, test items generally operate similarly for the two age groups. However, important local curriculum and individual educational history may cause some items to operate differently when administered above level.
Method to measure orientation of discontinuous fiber embedded in the polymer matrix from computerized tomography scan data
Authors: Gandhi Umesh , Sebastian De Boodt , Kunc Vlastimil , Song YuYang
Published: May 2015

Usage of discontinuous glass fibers in injection- and compression-molded resin components is rapidly increasing to improve their mechanical properties. Since added fiber contributes to more strength along the fiber direction compared with transverse direction, the mechanical properties of such components strongly depend on the fiber orientation. Therefore, it is important to estimate the fiber orientation distribution in such materials. In this article, we are presenting a recently developed method to estimate fiber orientation using micro computerized tomography (CT) scan-generated three-dimensional (3-D) image of fibers. However, the large size of the CT scan-generated 3-D image often makes it difficult to separate each fiber and extract end point information. In this article, a novel method to address this challenge is presented. The micro-CT images were broken into finite volume, reducing data size, and then each fiber was reduced to its own centerline, using Mimics® Innovation Suite (Materialise NV), further reducing the data size. These 3-D centerlines were then used to quantify the second-order orientation tensor. The results from the proposed method are compared with the measurements using well-established industry standard approach called the method of ellipses for validation. The key challenges in estimating the fiber orientation are identified and future improvements are proposed.
Rapid fabrication of organic/organic photonic bandgap films with robust mechanical properties using blended polymer spheres
Authors: Wang Shi-Sheng , Chang Ya-Han , Kuo Yu-Cheng , Chen Hui
Published: May 2015

Photonic crystals were fabricated using self-assembled polystyrene (PS) submicrospheres with different content of nanospheres with different glass transition temperatures ( Tg: 100 to −54°C) and their opalescent and mechanical properties were investigated. PS spheres (185.4 nm) and nanospheres were prepared by soap-free emulsion polymerization. Nanospheres were prepared using one or two types of monomers, styrene, n-butyl methacrylate, and butyl acrylate with sodium p-styrenesulfonate. Surface morphology, particle size ( Dn), and wavelength ( λ) of photonic crystals were determined from scanning electron microscopy (SEM), effective refractive index equation, and modified Bragg’s law, respectively. The reflection wavelength ( λmax) was measured from ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. SEM results showed that hard nanospheres were distributed around PS spheres in their photonic crystals. On the other hand, soft nanospheres were coated onto PS spheres in their photonic crystals. With increasing weight fraction of hard or soft nanospheres in the photonic crystals, Dn and λ were increased. The value of λmax corresponded to that of λ. The mechanical property of the photonic crystals was measured by the pencil hardness (PH) test. The result showed that by decreasing the Tg and increasing the weight fraction of nanospheres, PH was increased. The opal film prepared from PS spheres with 20% N-54 nanospheres had the highest PH (H).
Glucose Disturbances and Atypical Antipsychotic Use in the Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Bishara Amy , Phan Stephanie V. , Young Henry N. , Liao T. Vivian
Published: May 2015

Purpose:

Chronic use of atypical antipsychotics may lead to metabolic abnormalities including hyperglycemia. Although evidence supports acute hyperglycemic episodes associated with atypical antipsychotic use, the acute use of atypical antipsychotics in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting has not been studied. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the occurrence of hyperglycemia in ICU patients receiving newly prescribed atypical antipsychotic.

Of the 273 patient charts reviewed, 50 patients were included in this study. Approximately 45% of patients experienced at least 1 hyperglycemic episode (blood glucose >180 mg/dL) after the initiation of an atypical antipsychotic in the ICU. Of the patients experiencing at least 1 hyperglycemic episode, 60% experienced multiple distinct hyperglycemic episodes. In this study, quetiapine was the most commonly used atypical antipsychotic, 19 (38%) patients were discharged from the ICU on the atypical antipsychotic, 6 (12%) patients died in the ICU, and 31 (62%) patients were treated with an antihyperglycemic agent. Logistic regression analysis showed that women and ICU patients with a higher Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score were significantly more likely to have multiple hyperglycemic episodes.

Conclusion:

Patients admitted to the ICU and initiated on an atypical antipsychotic may develop hyperglycemia independent of other glucose-elevating factors. The direct correlation of these agents to resulting acute hyperglycemia is unknown. Further studies are needed to investigate the link between atypical antipsychotics and acute hyperglycemia and the clinical significance of the impact on patient outcomes.
Racial/Ethnic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hearing Health Care Among Older Americans
Authors: Nieman Carrie L. , Marrone Nicole , Szanton Sarah L. , Thorpe Roland J. , Lin Frank R.
Published: May 2015

Objective: Hearing impairment is highly prevalent, but little is known about hearing health care among older minority adults. Method: We analyzed nationally representative, cross-sectional data from 1,544 older adults ≥70 years with audiometry and hearing care data from the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 National Health and Nutritional Examination Surveys. Results: After adjusting for age and speech frequency pure tone average, Blacks (odds ratio [OR] = 1.68, vs. Whites) and those with greater education (OR = 1.63, ≥college vs. <high school) were more likely to report recent hearing testing, while White older adults and those with greater socioeconomic status were more likely to report regular hearing aid use (all ps < .05). Based on a multivariate analysis, Blacks were not more likely than Whites to use hearing aids despite being more likely to have had recent hearing testing. Discussion: Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist in hearing health care and represent critical areas for research and intervention.
RNA–Intercalating Agent Interactions: in vitro Antiviral Activity Studies
Authors: Jamison J. M. , Krabill K. , Allen K. A. , Stuart S. H. , Tsai C.-C.
Published: May 2015

Twenty intercalating agents were tested to examine the effects of intercalating dye-induced perturbations upon the antiviral activity of poly (adenylate–uridylate) [poly (A-U)]. Neither poly (A-U) alone nor each intercalative dye was an efficacious antiviral agent. When poly (A-U) was combined with major groove intercalating dyes (acridine orange or proflavine), no synergism was observed. When poly (A-U) was combined with minor groove intercalating dyes [ethidium (EB), propidium (PI), adriamycin (ADR) or daunomycin (DMN)] or minor/major groove intercalating dyes [9-aminoacridine (9-AA), N2-methyl-9-hydroxy-ellipticine (NMHE) or N2,N6-dimethyl-9-hydroxy-ellipticine (DMHE)] the 50% effective doses (ED50) of the poly (A-U), 9-AA, ADR, DMHE, DMN, EB, NMHE and PI decreased 18-, 22-, 60-, 274-, 61-, 154-, 113- and 299-fold, respectively. When poly (A-U) was combined individually with 11 dyes whose mode of intercalation was not known, the ED50 of ametantrone (HAQ), chloroquine (CHL), mitoxantrone (DHAQ) and quinine (QUI) decreased 125-, 65-, 251- and 32-fold, respectively. These results suggest that the four dyes may intercalate into poly (A-U) from the minor groove. Ten (ADR, CHL, DMN, DHAQ, DMHE, EB, HAQ, NMHE, PI, QUI) of the 20 dyes evaluated exhibited significant synergism with poly (A-U), as quantified by the fractional inhibitory concentration index. Interferon (IFN) neutralization assays demonstrated that the IFN-inducing capability of the dye/poly (A-U) combinations approximated the sum of the capabilities of the poly (A-U) and the dyes employed. These results suggest that the majority of the dyes tested potentiate the antiviral activity of poly (A-U) without affecting the amount of IFN induced.
Didanosine
Authors: McLaren C. , Datema R. , Knupp C. A. , Buroker R. A.
Published: May 2015

The evaluation and development of didanosine as a therapy for HIV-infection has demonstrated that results of cell-culture studies are only approximate predictors of clinical effects. Whereas the antiviral activity of didanosine is achieved in cell culture at concentrations much higher than those of zidovudine, the two drugs appear to achieve similar effects on markers of HIV-infection at similar clinical doses. The effect of the differing intracellular-half-life of the respective nucleoside triphosphates on the clinical effects is unknown. Similarly, preclinical toxicology studies, while suggesting a low potential for didanosine-induced haematological toxicities, did not predict the findings of peripheral neuropathy and pancreatitis in clinical studies. Thus, the results of controlled clinical studies are required in order to more fully define the therapeutic and safety profile of didanosine.
Development of a Novel Marker Gene Based Assay System for Detection and Evaluation of Antiviral Agents with Activity against Papillomaviruses
Authors: May K. , Planterose D. N. , Browne M. J. , Perkins R. M.
Published: May 2015

A novel assay system has been developed in which expression of a human tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) gene, carried on a recombinant papillomavirus vector, is used as a marker for the presence of bovine papillomavirus type 1 (BPV-1) within transformed mouse C127 cells. This provides a relatively quick and simple means of identifying and evaluating agents with anti-papillomavirus activity. Using this system the antiviral activity and cytotoxicity of interferon and retinoic acid, have been investigated. After seven subcultures in the presence of 200 Units ml−1 mouse α and β interferon, t-PA expression was completely inhibited, with a concurrent alteration in cellular morphology, and restoration of contact inhibition. In accordance with the problems encountered with interferon therapy of human papillomavirus infections, these effects were dependent on the continued presence of interferon, its removal leading to a rapid return of t-PA expression, and reversion of cells to the transformed phenotype. In comparison, 2.0 μg ml−1 retinoic acid partially reduced t-PA expression (this effect was largely maintained even after removal of the inhibiting compound) but did not affect the transformed cell phenotype. These results are discussed in relation to other in vitro studies and also to the clinical treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV) disease.