bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The derivation of transformation matrix before and after thermal distortion for modification
Authors: Wang Cheng , Cui Huan Yong , Zhang Qing Ping
Published: August 2014

The transformation matrix before and after thermal distortion is deduced for modification. Firstly, the thermal distortion equation of tooth profile is deduced based on noninvolute characteristic caused by the change of temperature. Secondly, the equation of temperature distribution along the direction of tooth surface width is deduced according to the measured temperature of instantaneous contact points. By combining it with the equation of temperature change along the radial direction, the temperature distribution of whole gear can be given. Finally, the thermal distortion equation of tooth surface and the transformation matrix before and after thermal distortion are deduced. Illustrated by an example of a high-speed helical gear, the surface equation of thermal distortion is obtained by the above methods. Compared with tooth surface before thermal distortion, the tooth surface after thermal distortion has significant change. In addition, compared with the theoretical values, the calculated values have little difference. The derivation of transformation matrix before and after thermal distortion provides the basis of theory for modification using the method of tooth contact analysis and loaded tooth contact analysis.
An experimental study of compressible combining flow at 45° T-junctions
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Lu Zhenhua , Deng Kangyao , Qu Shuan
Published: August 2014

Junction flow loss is one of the sources of flow losses in many engineering pipe systems. An experimental study was carried out in order to investigate the combining steady pressure loss coefficients at 45° T-junctions with three area ratios between lateral branch and main duct. Extensive measurement data were obtained at a wide range of Mach number (0.1–0.6) and mass flow rate ratios using air as the tested fluid. Comparative analysis of the results includes the pressure difference in the two flow paths of the junction, the effect of Mach number in common branch due to gas compressibility, as well as the loss coefficients with various geometry condition. The following conclusion is drawn: the total pressure loss coefficient ( K) was mainly dependent on the Mach number ( M3), mass flow rate ratio ( q), and area ratio ( a), while almost independent on Reynolds number. The results provide reference for the research of junction flow and can be valuable in the correction of the boundary condition in one-dimensional simulation models.
Nonlinear active noise control using adaptive rational functions with second-order poles frames: Simulation and experimental results
Authors: Akraminia M , Mahjoob MJ , Ghadami M
Published: August 2014

An active noise control algorithm is introduced based on adaptive wavelet networks using rationale functions with second-order poles wavelets. A novel network structure is derived using a nonlinear static mapping cascaded with an infinite impulse response filter wherein only input at the current step is needed to generate the output of the next sample. Therefore, incorporating tap delayed line of input–output of the physical system can be eliminated, avoiding the use of multidimensional wavelet networks. Online dynamic back-propagation learning algorithms (based on gradient descent method) are applied to adjust the network parameters. The local convergence of the closed-loop system is proved using discrete Lyapunov function. Simulations are carried out to compare the performance of proposed methods with other nonlinear algorithms (e.g. FxBPNN, Volterra, FLNN, and RFFLNN). Experiments are then conducted to evaluate the developed algorithms. Both simulation and experimental results show the superior performance of proposed method in terms of fast convergence rate and noise attenuation while avoiding curse of dimensionality.
Water and energy conservation for a counterflow cooling tower using UV light disinfection and variable speed fan
Authors: Chang Tong-Bou , Lin Tsung-Ming
Published: August 2014

The present study proposes a new water and energy conservation method for a counterflow cooling tower by using UV light disinfection and variable speed fan. In the proposed approach, the constant speed tower fan was modified to become a variable speed fan by installing an inverter on the fan’s motor such that the air flow rate of the cooling tower could be reduced to properly match the partial load operation. Furthermore, a by-pass loop with microfilters and UV lights was also added to our test rig to investigate the elimination effectiveness of tower-related bacteria and to reduce the blowdown loss. The experimental results reveal that for 50% load tests, the energy savings was about 76% and the overall water saving was about 23%. Moreover, from our tests we found that with a daily one-hour disinfection, the population of bacteria can be greatly suppressed to far below infection levels, and an increase in water conservation can be achieved. In addition, the possibility of human infection by bacteria originating from cooling towers should thus be greatly reduced.
Design and testing of prototype handheld scanning probes for optical coherence tomography
Authors: Demian Dorin , Duma Virgil-Florin , Sinescu Cosmin , Negrutiu Meda Lavinia , Cernat Ramona , Topala Florin Ionel , Hutiu Gheorghe , Bradu Adrian , Podoleanu Adrian Gh
Published: August 2014

Three simple and low-cost configurations of handheld scanning probes for optical coherence tomography have been developed. Their design and testing for dentistry applications are presented. The first two configurations were built exclusively from available off-the-shelf optomechanical components, which, to the best of our knowledge, are the first designs of this type. The third configuration includes these components in an optimized and ergonomic probe. All the designs are presented in detail to allow for their duplication in any laboratory with a minimum effort, for applications that range from educational to high-end clinical investigations. Requirements that have to be fulfilled to achieve configurations which are reliable, ergonomic—for clinical environments, and easy to build are presented. While a range of applications is possible for the prototypes developed, in this study the handheld probes are tested ex vivo with a spectral domain optical coherence tomography system built in-house, for dental constructs. A previous testing with a swept source optical coherence tomography system has also been performed both in vivo and ex vivo for ear, nose, and throat—in a medical environment. The applications use the capability of optical coherence tomography to achieve real-time, high-resolution, non-contact, and non-destructive interferometric investigations with micrometer resolutions and millimeter penetration depth inside the sample. In this study, testing the quality of the material of one of the most used types of dental prosthesis, metalo-ceramic is thus demonstrated.
Knowledge transfer on urban violence: from Brazil to Haiti
Authors: Yazdani Mariam , Bercovitch Daniela , Charles-Voltaire Jane
Published: August 2014

Increasingly, urban violence is a problem in the world, and traditional development models are sometimes inappropriate to rapidly changing urban contexts where the sense of ownership and appropriation of common space is key to effective programming. Faced with the relevance of the traditional North–South model, the growing importance of South–South Cooperation (SSC) as a form of development cooperation generates positive ways forward in overcoming the limitations of the existing model. This paper outlines the experience of Viva Rio, a Brazilian NGO that works through a community participatory framework that is unique in style and Brazilian in origin. Viva Rio has addressed urban conflict in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, by drawing on principles and techniques developed in Rio de Janeiro and strategically applying them to the Haitian context. The paper describes this experience and develops it into a framework of knowledge transfer. It describes Viva Rio’s modalities and how it has been productive because of its ability to adapt to on-the-ground realities.
What drives the recent intensified vegetation degradation in Mongolia – Climate change or human activity?
Authors: Tian Fang , Herzschuh Ulrike , Mischke Steffen , Schlütz Frank
Published: August 2014

This study examines the course and driving forces of recent vegetation change in the Mongolian steppe. A sediment core covering the last 55 years from a small closed-basin lake in central Mongolia was analyzed for its multi-proxy record at annual resolution. Pollen analysis shows that highest abundances of planted Poaceae and highest vegetation diversity occurred during 1977–1992, reflecting agricultural development in the lake area. A decrease in diversity and an increase in Artemisia abundance after 1992 indicate enhanced vegetation degradation in recent times, most probably because of overgrazing and farmland abandonment. Human impact is the main factor for the vegetation degradation within the past decades as revealed by a series of redundancy analyses, while climate change and soil erosion play subordinate roles. High Pediastrum (a green algae) influx, high atomic total organic carbon/total nitrogen (TOC/TN) ratios, abundant coarse detrital grains, and the decrease of δ13Corg and δ15N since about 1977 but particularly after 1992 indicate that abundant terrestrial organic matter and nutrients were transported into the lake and caused lake eutrophication, presumably because of intensified land use. Thus, we infer that the transition to a market economy in Mongolia since the early 1990s not only caused dramatic vegetation degradation but also affected the lake ecosystem through anthropogenic changes in the catchment area.
Use of ecological indicator values to investigate successional change in boreal to high-alpine glacier-foreland chronosequences, southern Norway
Authors: Robbins Jane A , Matthews John A
Published: August 2014

Mean weighted Ellenberg indicator values were calculated for vegetation recorded from four successional stages on 39 glacier forelands in the Jostedalsbreen and Jotunheimen regions of southern Norway. The sites ranged in altitude from 80 to 1860 m a.s.l. Results revealed a trend of decreasing mean indicator values for light, reaction and nitrogen on successively older terrain. Mean indicator values for moisture did not show a consistent pattern of variation according to successional stage. When stratified according to altitude, sub-alpine and boreal sites showed the most rapid decrease in pH and productivity levels through time. Within this altitudinal zone, mean values after 70 years of succession were already indistinguishable from those for the mature vegetation. At higher altitudes, in the alpine zone, a more gradual decrease was detected but culminated in similar values. A significant trend in decreasing indicator values for light with succession was found at all except the high-alpine sites where the value for mature vegetation was not significantly different from that for earlier stages. Also evident was the greater decrease in mean value for light at the lowest altitudes, reflecting the establishment of a birch-woodland canopy. Use of snowmelt indicators improved interpretation of the differences between late-successional stages according to altitude. Variance partitioning revealed that differences between successional stages accounted for 29% of the variation in mean indicator values, whereas altitude accounted for an additional 12%. Indicator values have provided a useful comparison of rates of succession and associated vegetation development within different altitudinal zones, inferring possible mechanisms of change at a regional scale.
Fulminant systemic vasculitis in systemic lupus erythematosus. Case report and review of the literature
Authors: Medina G , González-Pérez D , Vázquez-Juárez C , Sánchez-Uribe M , Saavedra M A , Jara L J
Published: August 2014

Vasculitis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations from cutaneous to visceral involvement and its prognosis ranges from mild to life-threatening. We report the case of a previously healthy 17-year-old woman with eight months' history of arthralgias and myalgias. Subsequently, she developed facial and lower limbs edema, and hair loss. Two weeks before admission to a secondary level hospital, she developed fever up to 40 ℃ followed by abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, hematemesis and blisters on both legs, reason for which she was hospitalized. With active bullous SLE with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis suspected, she was treated with methylprednisolone pulses without response. After one week of treatment, she was transferred to a tertiary level hospital. On admission she presented acute arterial insufficiency of the lower extremities, respiratory failure with apnea, metabolic acidosis and shock; six hours later she died. Autopsy findings showed active diffuse lupus nephritis and diffuse systemic vasculitis that involved vessels from the skin, brain, myocardium, spleen, iliac and renal arteries. In addition, serositis of the small intestine and colon, acute and chronic pericarditis, pericardial effusion and myocarditis were found. Immunologic tests confirmed SLE diagnosis. In this case the fulminant course was the result of SLE high disease activity, visceral vasculitis of several organs and late diagnosis, referral and treatment. Early diagnosis, and opportune referral to the rheumatologist for intensive treatment can improve the outlook in these patients.
Death in Ghana
Authors: Banyubala Divine N.
Published: August 2014

Within the context of organ retrieval for transplantation, death remains a controversial subject. Understandably, there are concerns about the conception of death, how it is understood, clinically defined, determined and confirmed, as well as its relationship with organ retrievals and transplantation surgery. Even though these concerns have been the subject of extensive commentary from medical, legal, ethical and social perspectives, these have been made largely in the context of the developed world. The first aim of this article is to re-examine, in the Ghanaian socio-legal context, the ethico-legal controversy around the definition, determination and confirmation of death and its relationship with obtaining organs for transplant. It is hoped that this will bring a new perspective to the debate and enrich our ethico-legal discourse on the subject. Ghana is making strenuous efforts to make organ transplantation a routine surgical procedure by the end of this year, yet it has no ethical or legal framework to guide the process. A successful transplant programme will depend in part on the availability of organs from all ethically acceptable sources (deceased, living related and unrelated). This being so, the author discusses indigenous thinking around death (post-mortem personality identity renegotiation (PPIR)) and points policymakers to how they could take advantage of PPIR to promote the social utility of any organ transplantation programme in Ghana. Furthermore, I consider the nature of the role of law in defining/determining death. I consider the merits of a statutory definition of death and conclude that given the circumstances of Ghana (its socio-legal environment) and the UK experience, a judicial rather than statutory definition is workable. The overall aim of this article is to explore the need for an appropriate and comprehensive regulatory regime for the emerging sector of organ transplants in Ghana.
Impact of ethical climate on moral distress revisited
Authors: Atabay Gülem , Çangarli Burcu Güneri , Penbek Şebnem
Published: August 2014

Background:

Moral distress is a major problem in nursing profession. Researchers identified that the stronger the ethical basis of the organization, the less moral distress is reported. However, different ethical climates may have different impacts on moral distress. Moreover, conceptualization of moral distress and ethical climate as well as their relationship may change according to the cultural context.

Objectives:

The main aim of the study is to investigate the relationship between different types of ethical climate as described in Victor and Cullen’s framework, and moral distress intensity among nurses in Turkish healthcare settings.

Research design:

An online survey was administrated to collect data. Questionnaires included moral distress and ethical climate scales in addition to demographic questions.

Participants and research context:

Data were collected from registered nurses in Turkey. In all, 201 of 279 nurses completed questionnaires, resulting in a response rate of 72%.

Ethical considerations:

Ethical approval was obtained from the university to which the authors were affiliated, after a detailed investigation of the content and data collection method.

Findings:

Factor analyses showed that moral distress had three dimensions, namely, organizational constraints, misinformed and over-treated patients, and lack of time and resources, while ethical climate had four types, namely, rules, well-being of stakeholders, individualism, and organizational interests. Positive correlations were identified between certain types of ethical climate (rules, individualism, or organizational interests) and moral distress intensity.

Discussion:

Factor distribution of the scales shows some commonalities with the findings of previous research. However, context-specific dimensions and types were also detected. No particular ethical climate type was found to have a negative correlation with moral distress.

Conclusion:

Recommendations were made for reducing the negative impact of ethical climate on moral distress. These include solving the nursing-shortage problem, increasing autonomy, and improving physical conditions.
Student nurses’ experiences of preserved dignity in perioperative practice – Part I
Authors: Blomberg Ann-Catrin , Willassen Elin , von Post Iréne , Lindwall Lillemor
Published: August 2014

Background:

In recent years, operating theatre nurse students’ education focussed on ethical value issues and how the patient’s dignity is respected in the perioperative practice. Health professionals are frequently confronted with ethical issues that can impact on patient’s care during surgery.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to present what operating theatre nurse students experienced and interpreted as preserved dignity in perioperative practice.

Research design:

The study has a descriptive design with a hermeneutic approach. Data were collected using Flanagan’s critical incident technique.

Participants and research context:

Operating theatre nurse students from Sweden and Norway participated and collected data in 2011, after education in ethics and dignity. Data consisting of 47 written stories and the text were analysed with hermeneutical text interpretation.

Ethical considerations:

The study was conducted accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by a local University Ethics Research Committee.

Findings:

The findings revealed that students experienced that operating theatre nurses perserved patient's dignity in perioperative practice by being present for each other and making themselves known to the patient. Operating theatre nurses caring for the patient by being compassionate and preserved the patient privacy. The new understanding that emerged was that the operating theatre nurse students understood that the operating theatre nurse wanted to care for the patient like a human being.

Discussion:

In the discussion, we have illuminated how professional ethics may be threatened by more pragmatic and utilitarian arguments contained in regulations and transplant act.

Conclusion:

Preserved dignity is an ethical and caring act. Ethical questions and how to preserve dignity in perioperative practice should be discussed more both in educations of healthcare professionals and in clinical practice.
Ethically difficult situations in hemodialysis care – Nurses' narratives
Authors: Fischer Grönlund Catarina EC , Söderberg Anna IS , Zingmark Karin M , Sandlund S Mikael , Dahlqvist Vera
Published: August 2014

Background:

Providing nursing care for patients with end-stage renal disease entails dealing with existential issues which may sometimes lead not only to ethical problems but also conflicts within the team. A previous study shows that physicians felt irresolute, torn and unconfirmed when ethical dilemmas arose.

Research question:

This study, conducted in the same dialysis care unit, aimed to illuminate registered nurses’ experiences of being in ethically difficult situations that give rise to a troubled conscience.

Research design:

This study has a phenomenological hermeneutic approach.

Participants:

Narrative interviews were carried out with 10 registered nurses working in dialysis care.

Ethical considerations:

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University.

Results:

One theme, ‘Calling for a deliberative dialogue’, and six sub-themes emerged: ‘Dealing with patients’ ambiguity’, ‘Responding to patients’ reluctance’, ‘Acting against patients’ will’, ‘Acting against one’s moral convictions’, ‘Lacking involvement with patients and relatives’ and ‘Being trapped in feelings of guilt’.

Discussion:

In ethically difficult situations, the registered nurses tried, but failed, to open up a dialogue with the physicians about ethical concerns and their uncertainty. They felt alone, uncertain and sometimes had to act against their conscience.

Conclusion:

In ethical dilemmas, personal and professional integrity is at stake. Mistrusting their own moral integrity may turn professionals from moral actors into victims of circumstances. To counteract such a risk, professionals and patients need to continuously deliberate on their feelings, views and experiences, in an atmosphere of togetherness and trust.
Researching moral distress among New Zealand nurses
Authors: Woods Martin , Rodgers Vivien , Towers Andy , La Grow Steven
Published: August 2014

Background:

Moral distress has been described as a major problem for the nursing profession, and in recent years, a considerable amount of research has been undertaken to examine its causes and effects. However, few research projects have been performed that examined the moral distress of an entire nation’s nurses, as this particular study does.

Aim/objective:

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and intensity of moral distress experienced by registered nurses in New Zealand.

Research design:

The research involved the use of a mainly quantitative approach supported by a slightly modified version of a survey based on the Moral Distress Scale–Revised.

Participants and research context:

In total, 1500 questionnaires were sent out at random to nurses working in general areas around New Zealand and 412 were returned, giving an adequate response rate of 27%.

Ethical considerations:

The project was evaluated and judged to be low risk and recorded as such on 22 February 2011 via the auspices of the Massey University Human Ethics Committee.

Findings:

Results indicate that the most frequent situations to cause nursing distress were (a) having to provide less than optimal care due to management decisions, (b) seeing patient care suffer due to lack of provider continuity and (c) working with others who are less than competent. The most distressing experiences resulted from (a) working with others who are unsafe or incompetent, (b) witnessing diminished care due to poor communication and (c) watching patients suffer due to a lack of provider continuity. Of the respondents, 48% reported having considered leaving their position due to the moral distress.

Conclusion:

The results imply that moral distress in nursing remains a highly significant and pertinent issue that requires greater consideration by health service managers, policymakers and nurse educators.
Rural sustainability, inter-generational support and mobility
Authors: Camarero Luís , Cruz Fátima , Oliva Jesús
Published: August 2014

The issue of the resilience of rural areas has again emerged as a result of the economic recession, particularly in the countries of Southern Europe, which have been especially hard hit by cuts in the provision of services. In this paper we focus on the Spanish case to explore the role that mobility plays in the central age groups of the age pyramid in rural sustainability. Based on the results obtained from a representative survey of the population and in-depth interviews carried out between 2008 and 2012, we show how demographic composition and mobility strategies are two central factors in considering the future of rural areas. Their medium and long-term effects have been considered separately, but in this article, their inter-relationship is analysed in the context of the sustainability of Spanish rurality. The conclusions point to the dual effect of mobility: on the one hand, it regulates the actual subsistence of rural populations to the point of making them highly dependent on cars; on the other hand, it transmits social inequalities in the social structure, such as those related to gender.
Labour market outcomes for Indigenous Australians
Authors: Gray Matthew , Howlett Monica , Hunter Boyd
Published: August 2014

Recent research has identified a substantial increase in Indigenous mainstream employment since the mid-1990s, but there has been relatively little regional analysis of such employment. The aim of this article is to build on this previous research using the 2006 and 2011 censuses to provide a more disaggregated descriptive analysis of changes in the character of labour market outcomes for Indigenous Australians aged 15–64 years. One of the new findings in the article is that the employment of Indigenous youth (i.e. those aged 15–24 years) in remote areas is different from that of Indigenous youth in non-remote areas, but older Indigenous residents of such areas are not very different in employment terms. Policy-makers thus need to pay particular attention to Indigenous youth employment in remote areas because the failure to address these differentials may lead to a foreclosure of future labour market options. Policy also needs to facilitate Indigenous engagement in the mainstream economy by assisting Indigenous people to be work-ready, especially in ensuring that Indigenous skills are matched with employer demands, and expediting employment by informing businesses on how to provide an Indigenous-friendly workplace.
Use of the wavelet packet transform for pattern recognition in a structural health monitoring application
Authors: Facchini Gianluca , Bernardini Luca , Atek Sofiane , Gaudenzi Paolo
Published: August 2014

In the last decades, a huge effort has been dedicated to the development of vibration-based techniques for damage detection. In this article, an algorithm based on the wavelet packet transform and the Karhunen–Loéve transform is analysed to perform a pattern recognition application for the structural health monitoring purpose. In this article, the wavelet packet transform is used to decompose the signals coming from an accelerometer on a vibrating composite beam. The configuration of the beam has been changed and the wavelet packet transform was tested as a feature extraction tool. Then the Karhunen–Loéve transform was applied to the data to classify the different patterns and to test its capability of pattern recognition.
Passive measurement of progressive mass change via bifurcation sensing with a multistable micromechanical system
Authors: Harne RL , Wang KW
Published: August 2014

Mass sensing using the onset and crossing of a dynamic bifurcation of a micromechanical system has been shown to reduce the mass threshold which may be detected and exhibited improved robustness to damping and noise compared to traditional tracking of resonant frequency shift. Previous investigations demonstrated that mass measurement over time via actively controlled strategies or explored passively operated threshold-type methods to indicate a pre-determined mass was adsorbed. Recently, an alternative idea integrating aspect of frequency shift- and bifurcation-based mass sensors and methods was proposed, providing initial illustration of a noteworthy ability to passively quantify progressive mass adsorption due to sequentially activated bifurcations. To advance the state of the art, this research provides a thorough investigation of this new sensing concept in terms of its dynamic characteristics and devises guidelines for effective, reliable operations. The conceptual foundation of the sensing method and an experimentally validated sensor model are reviewed. The results of numerous simulated operational trials and parametric investigations are detailed to reach important conclusions on sensor operations and versatility, and to uncover the influences of key operational conditions upon detection metrics. Finally, suitable microscale sensor architectures and fabrications are described to exemplify the flexibility of successfully realizing the mass sensing strategy.
The Effect of Social Support and Meaning of Life on the Quality-of-Life Care for Terminally Ill Patients
Authors: Dobríková Patricia , Pčolková Dušana , AlTurabi Layla Khalil , West Daniel J.
Published: August 2014

This study examines the effect of 2 indicators on quality of life (QOL): social support and meaning of life for terminally ill patients. These 2 indicators are very important from a psychological and spiritual point of view. The findings suggest that there is a statistically significant correlation between meaning of life and QOL ( r = .610, P < .001). Results have also demonstrated that more frequent patient visits increase the sense of life fulfillment for dying patients. A significant relationship exists in survival of life meaningfulness and satisfaction with social support. In conclusion, experiencing one’s life as meaningful is positively related to the well-being for dying patients. Social support provided by a close relative had a positive influence on the patient’s meaning of life and overall life satisfaction.
Spatiotemporality, Anthonomasia, and Post-Qualitative Inquiry
Authors: Hein Serge F.
Published: August 2014

Although many qualitative researchers have rejected modernism as a guiding theoretical framework, they continue to work within a space/time binary. Space and time represent two of our most fundamental concepts, and the associated binary operates essentially unquestioned. The concepts of spacing, temporalizing, and spatiotemporality are introduced to show how time is irremediably contaminated by space and vice versa. A strange space is opened up by the deconstruction of space and time, one in which every “now” is also a “point” and every “point” is also a “now.” This properly differential and original space constitutes one important aspect of a post-qualitative inquiry. Derrida’s work, Glas, is then introduced as an example of a text in which a spatiotemporal reinscription is attempted. Anthonomasia as a writing strategy is then discussed as a way in which a spatiotemporal reinscription can occur more deliberately. Examples are also presented to illustrate this writing strategy.
Fear of Falling
Authors: Richardson Laurel
Published: August 2014

This piece is an adaptation from my book, After a Fall: A Sociomedical Sojourn. It is an autoethnographic account of my first two days in a rehabilitation facility following ankle surgery. It introduces how class, gender, race, ethnicity, and aging intersect each other in the facility.
BAILAMOS©
Authors: Marquez David X. , Bustamante Eduardo E. , Aguiñaga Susan , Hernandez Rosalba
Published: August 2014

Older Latinos have low rates of physical activity (PA) and poor health outcomes. Focus groups and a single group, pre–post 3-month pilot of a culturally appropriate Latin dance program (BAILAMOS©) were conducted among older, inactive Latinos with a self-identified mobility limitation. Nine themes emerged from focus groups, including cultural influences of dance and barriers to dancing. In the pilot intervention, 9 of 13 older Latinos completed the program and attended 85% of the sessions. Self-reported PA significantly increased ( p < .05; d = 1.39), but daily accelerometer-assessed PA decreased for moderate-intensity PA ( p = .18; d = 0.29). Participants reported significantly greater enjoyment of PA ( p < .05; d = 0.61) and improved physical quality of life ( p = .23; d = 0.31). Improvements in mobility ( p = .15; d = 0.56) and aspects of cognition were demonstrated. The BAILAMOS program appears to be feasible, culturally appropriate, and has the potential to improve psychosocial determinants of PA, self-reported PA, and aspects of health.
A Replication of “Coveting Thy Neighbor’s Manufacturing
Authors: Merriman David
Published: August 2014

Goolsbee and Maydew (G&M) reported that lowering the weight on payroll in states’ corporate income tax apportionment formulae had the potential to raise manufacturing employment. Their analyses continue to be cited in academic articles and are still influential in the policy debate. I gather data and attempt to replicate their analyses and findings. I identify an apparent but inconsequential error in G&M’s sample, and I replicate the most widely cited result in the original article. Other results are substantively but not quantitatively replicated. I show that G&M’s results are sensitive to relatively arbitrary choices about the sample that is used. I argue that the most cited result in the article does not come from the most preferred econometric specification and that when the most preferred econometric specification is used G&M’s original article found no statistically significant evidence that lowering the apportionment weight on payroll raises employment. Similarly, when I use this specification with data covering the period G&M studied (1978–1994), I find no statistically significant evidence for this hypothesis. When I modify the regression specification to separately include the payroll weight and the state corporate tax rate in addition to their product (i.e., state payroll burden), I find increased statistical significance when I use Huber/White standard errors. When standard errors are clustered by state, as is now common econometric practice, lowering the weight on payroll in states’ corporate income tax apportionment formulae has no statistically significant impact on manufacturing employment. I do a similar analysis using more recent data and obtain similar results. In summary, econometric evidence to support the hypothesis that changes in the payroll weight affected the distribution of manufacturing employment among US states in the 1978 to 1994 period appears less strong than G&M asserted even when using G&M’s data and methods. More recent data also provide only weak econometric evidence in support of G&M’s main hypothesis.
Insights on Using Developmental Evaluation for Innovating
Authors: Lam Chi Yan , Shulha Lyn M.
Published: August 2014

This article contributes to research on evaluation by examining the capacity and contribution of developmental evaluation for innovating. This case study describes the preformative development of an educational program (from conceptualization to pilot implementation) and analyzes the processes of innovation within a developmental evaluation framework. Developmental evaluation enhanced innovation by (a) identifying and infusing data primarily within an informing process toward resolving the uncertainty associated with innovation and (b) facilitating program cocreation between the clients and the developmental evaluator. Analysis into the demands of innovation revealed the pervasiveness of uncertainty throughout development and how the rendering of evaluative data helped resolve uncertainty and propelled development forward. Developmental evaluation enabled a nonlinear, coevolutionary program development process that centered on six foci—definition, delineation, collaboration, prototyping, illumination, and reality testing. This article concludes by encouraging evaluators to understand the demands of innovation and the value of design thinking when innovating.
Post/secular truths: Sojourner Truth and the intersections of gender, race and religion
Authors: Smiet Katrine
Published: August 2014

The postsecular turn within feminist theory refers to a renewed attention to religion within feminist scholarship. However, rather than conceptualizing the postsecular as a new moment within feminist theorizing that breaks with a previous trend of secular feminism, this article stresses that it is important to recognize the long history of coexistence and contestations between religious and secular feminist approaches. In this article, the different reception histories of the story of Sojourner Truth are examined to elucidate and reflect on the complicated (historical) relationship of the religious and the secular within feminist scholarship. Three different types of feminist theoretical engagement with the story of Sojourner Truth are examined and contrasted: the implicitly secular use of the story of Sojourner Truth in black feminist scholarship and theorizing of intersectionality, the explicitly religious interpretations found in the work of feminist and womanist theologians, and the deconstructive reading by Donna Haraway. In discussing and comparing these different engagements with the story of Sojourner Truth, it is stressed that the boundaries between the religious and the secular are perhaps less clear-cut than initially imagined, and that a dialogue between secular and religious feminist approaches is very fruitful. The article closes by examining how the complex intersections of gender, religion and race in the story of Sojourner Truth can be connected to the contemporary theorizing on the racialization of religion within critical race scholarship.
Spacing techniques in second language vocabulary acquisition: Short-term gains vs. long-term memory
Authors: Schuetze Ulf
Published: August 2014

This article reports the results of two experiments using the spacing technique (Leitner, 1972; Landauer & Bjork, 1978) in second language vocabulary acquisition. In the past, studies in this area have produced mixed results attempting to differentiate between massed, uniform and expanded intervals of spacing (Balota, Duchek, & Logan, 2007). A particular problem has been the point of testing that did not draw a clear line between short-term gains and long-term retention (Roediger & Karpicke, 2010). The experiments presented in this article addressed this issue. In the first experiment, 76 university students enrolled in a Beginning German class learned 24 content and 15 function words during a practice phase with a ‘one plus three’ design followed by three delayed post-tests. Results showed that in regards to short-term gains, the expanded group obtained higher mean scores than the uniform group, whereas in the long-term test it was the other way round. The second experiment used the same methodology with one exception: the practice phase was increased to a ‘one plus four’ design. Results confirmed those of the first experiment; in addition it was shown that function words are particularly difficult to recall for students using the expanded interval.
Does teaching mnemonics for vocabulary learning make a difference? Putting the keyword method and the word part technique to the test
Authors: Wei Zheng
Published: August 2014

The present research tested the effectiveness of the word part technique in comparison with the keyword method and self-strategy learning. One hundred and twenty-one Chinese year-one university students were randomly assigned to one of the three learning conditions: word part, keyword or self-strategy learning condition. Half of the target words were high imageability words and the other half low imageability words. Learning was assessed immediately after the learning phase and after a 9-day delay using three different test formats: word-form recognition, meaning recognition and translation. Results showed that the keyword method was inferior to the word part technique and self-strategy learning on the translation test format. No significant difference was observed on the form recognition test between any two of the three learning conditions.
Phonetics instruction improves learners’ perception of L2 sounds
Authors: Kissling Elizabeth M
Published: August 2014

Explicit phonetics instruction can help second language (L2) learners to moderately improve their pronunciation, but less is known about how the instruction affects learners’ perception, even though there is evidence that perception and pronunciation are related. This study provided phonetics instruction to students ( n = 46) studying Spanish as a foreign language and measured the resulting change in their perception of eight target phones as compared with a control group ( n = 41). Perception was assessed with discrimination tests immediately following instruction and three weeks later. Results indicated that the instruction conferred a small advantage in the delayed posttest and that course level was not a significant factor, suggesting that phonetics instruction was effective for attuning the perception of learners at multiple stages of development.
The impact of CLIL on affective factors and vocabulary learning
Authors: Heras Arantxa , Lasagabaster David
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is twofold: to assess the effectiveness of a CLIL (content and language integrated learning) module on affective factors (motivation and self-esteem), and to test the purported blurring effect of CLIL on gender differences in foreign language learning. Forty-six students in their fourth year of compulsory secondary education were administered a background questionnaire, a questionnaire on motivation and self-esteem, and a vocabulary test. Participants’ learning of vocabulary was tested on a pre-test, immediate post-test and delayed post-test design. Results revealed that CLIL can help reduce gender differences in motivation. Similarly, vocabulary tests indicated that the CLIL module had a similar positive effect on both male and female students’ learning of the technical content-related vocabulary.
Modernity as a functionally differentiated capitalist society
Authors: Schimank Uwe
Published: August 2014

A conceptualization of capitalism as a consequence of functional differentiation is proposed. The general theoretical model of a functionally differentiated capitalist society is outlined in four steps based on these keywords: functional differentiation; capitalist economy; capitalist society; welfare state. This model grasps the essential characteristics of the analytical prototype of a capitalist society. What are its basic components that, working together, generate this kind of society’s structural dynamics?
ANCF reference node for multibody system analysis
Authors: Shabana Ahmed A
Published: August 2014

The objective of this short communication is to introduce the important concept of the absolute nodal coordinate formulation reference node (ANCF-RN), a concept that can be used effectively to develop new and complex multibody system (MBS) models. The ANCF-RN allows for defining constraints and joints using linear algebraic equations, can be used to define local linear elastic problem in the case of small deformations, and ensures an optimum sparse matrix structure of the MBS dynamic equations of motion. Using this concept, complex systems such as tank cars filled with fluid or tire assemblies can be modeled using one mesh (subsystem) developed using ANCF finite elements (FE). This new FE mesh, which allows for arbitrarily large displacements including rotation and deformation, has a constant inertia matrix and zero Coriolis and centrifugal forces. Constraints at the mesh interfaces and boundaries are imposed at a preprocessing stage using linear constraint equations, thereby allowing for the elimination of dependent variables before the start of the simulation. The reference node, which is not associated with a particular finite element, can be used to define a rigid triad that serves as the ANCF mesh reference. The inertia coefficients associated with the reference node gradients is defined at a preprocessing stage, thereby allowing for the development of a constant positive definite inertia matrix for the ANCF mesh. A Cholesky transformation can be used to obtain an identity generalized inertia matrix, leading to an optimum sparse matrix structure of the MBS dynamic equations. Regardless of the complexity and dimension of the ANCF mesh or subsystem, only six nonlinear algebraic equations are required in order to define an ANCF-RN coordinate system. These algebraic equations are introduced to the dynamic formulation using the technique of Lagrange multipliers in order to preserve the ANCF desirable features.
Dynamic modelling for vibration analysis of a cylindrical roller bearing due to localized defects on raceways
Authors: Wang Fengtao , Jing Minqing , Yi Jun , Dong Guihua , Liu Heng , Ji Bowen
Published: August 2014

The current study presents a multi-body dynamic model for investigating the vibration responses of a cylindrical roller bearing with localized surface defects such as dents on raceways. This model is developed with the assumptions that outer raceway is fixed in space and other elements have three degrees of freedom (DOF): two translations and one rotation. Centrifugal forces, gravity forces and slipping of the rollers are taken into account. The couplings of the Hertzian line contact deformation theory and the slice method are used to calculate all the contact forces. Local deflections due to defects are introduced into the constructed model by the time-varying deflection excitation. The equations of motion are established by the Newton-Euler method and solved by the fourth-order Runge-Kutta integration method with variable steps. Both time and frequency domains are used to analyse dynamic responses of the defective bearing. Some new components of the characteristic defect frequency can be seen from the results. The effects of time-varying surface models, different defect types and defect sizes on dynamic responses of the defective bearing are studied. An experiment is carried out to validate the proposed model. Comparison of the frequency spectrum in simulation results with that in the experiment shows reasonable qualitative agreement.
Immigrant languages in education: The case of Slovenia
Authors: Bešter Romana , Medvešek Mojca
Published: August 2014

This article deals with the question of importance of maintaining immigrant languages and focuses on the opportunities for immigrants in Slovenia to learn their mother tongues in school. It presents the legal and formal framework determining the scope for the development of immigrant languages within the educational system in Slovenia. It also touches upon the implementation of legal and formal provisions in practice and the attitudes of immigrants and their descendants as well as teachers toward the learning and use of immigrant languages in education. Research has shown that the desire among immigrants for the preservation of their mother tongues exists, but due to various objective and subjective reasons not much has been done so far to achieve this goal. We argue that the maintenance of immigrant languages is important and that a reconsideration of educational policy in this regard would be in place.