bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pultrusion of Thermoplastic Composites-Process Optimization and Mathematical Modeling
Authors: Kerbiriou V. , Friedrich K.
Published: June 2014

Polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT) powder-impregnated and sheathsurrounded glass fiber bundles (GF/PBT) have been pultruded to a profile with a cross section of 3.5 x 10 mm2. The aim was to study separately the influence of various processing parameters on the properties of pultruded beams, in particular, the effects of the temperature within the preheating zone, temperature and pressure profile within the heated forming die, cooling conditions, and pulling speed. The quality of the pultruded specimens was determined by measurements of the density, the dynamic flexural modulus, and the shear strength. Finally, an impregnation model was developed, which helped to design an optimum processing window.
Mechanical Properties for Self-Reinforced Braided Composite Tubes
Authors: Hamada H. , Nakai A. , Masui M.
Published: June 2014

In this paper, two different braiding systems were proposed in order to enhance the strength of thick composite tubes. In particular, the objective was to achieve high strength by controlling the occurrence and propagation of delaminations. In the proposed tubes, braiding fibers propagate in the radial direction of the tube. Two types of self-reinforced tubes, multi-reciprocal tubes and multi-layered tubes, were fabricated and their lateral compressive properties were examined. In the case of multi-reciprocal tubes, the propagation of delamination could be impeded by the fiber bundles oriented through the thickness. In the case of multi-layered tubes, the occurrence of delamination could be restrained by the fiber bundles oriented through the thickness.
Fabrication, Analysis, and Experimentation of a Practically Constructed Laminated Composite I-Beam Under Pure Bending
Authors: Drummond J. A. , Chan W. S.
Published: June 2014

Seven I-beams constructed of AS4/3501 graphite/epoxy were tested and analyzed. The I-beams, having a layup sequence of 45/-45/03/-45/451T with various flange widths varying from ¾ to 2 ½ inches and a web height of 1 inch, were fabricated. The beams were tested under 4-point bending, producing results for the pre-buckled stiffness, buckling moment, and ultimate moment.

Results indicate that wider flange beams exhibit buckling at lower moments than narrower flange beams. The flange width also affects the buckling mode. Wider flanged beams show larger edge displacements and lower mode values than narrower flanged beams. The ultimate moment capability appears to be only slightly increased by increased stiffness. Typically, increasing the flange width does not contribute significantly to the ultimate strength of the beam. For wider flanged beams, delamination occurs at the flange and then propagates to the web causing final failure. However, narrower flanged beams fail due to fiber/matrix crushing at the flange-web intersection.
A Study of the Impact Performance of Fiber Reinforced Composite Laminated Plates Due to Various Relative Fiber Contents and Densities
Authors: Ruhala L. A. , Engel R. S.
Published: June 2014

Fiber-reinforced composite laminated plates (FRPs) have many potential applications in the area of automotive structural crashworthiness. Among these, an FRP may be used as a side door liner to absorb and dissipate energy during a side impact, thus allowing less door intrusion into the passenger compartment, potentially reducing occupant injury. As a first step in the design of such a plate, the authors have studied the effects of relative fiber content on the impact properties of laminated composite plates with a particular emphasis on the damage mode-that is, delamination, matrix cracking, and fiber breakage. E-glass fiber/epoxy plates with fiber weight percents ranging from 50 to 80 percent were studied at impact energies ranging from 5J to 40J.
Material and Structural Assessment of Thermal Spray Composites
Authors: Hill Bryan W. , Barron James H. , Ochoa Ozden O.
Published: June 2014

Experimental and computational assessment of random, discontinuous, long fiber reinforced composites manufactured with the thermal spray-structural reaction injection molding (TS-SRIM) process is undertaken to determine their material and mechanical characteristics as design allowables. The glass content, the reinforcement architecture, and the geometry of the specimens are treated as the primary variables. The glass fiber reinforcement was either discontinuous long fiber (TS) or in combination with unidirectional continuous fiber (TS-UNI). In addition to classical flat coupons, hat beams are tested to assess structural response. The finite element models of the hat beams use the material data generated from the coupon tests. The coupon test data revealed that tensile, flexural, and compressive properties increased as a function of weight percent glass content for the coupons and beams with the isotropic reinforcement. For the orthotropic architectures with increasing glass content, perfonnance improved in the longitudinal direction and declined in the transverse direction. However, the loading capacity of the hat beams with a constant total glass content remained indifferent to the variation of UNI glass additions. The computational simulation results compared favorably to beam test results. Analytical studies of beams with stiffeners (ribs) subjected to bending loads showed that longitudinal ribs oriented along the beam axis offered little improvement in structural response, whereas transversely oriented ribs significantly increased the load capacity.
Effect of Process Parameters on Melt Impregnation of Glass Roving
Authors: Bates P. J. , Charrier J. M.
Published: June 2014

A compounding process featuring staggered cylindrical pins in a melt pool has been used to impregnate 2400-tex glass roving with polyamide 66. The effect of equipment and operating parameters on melt impregnation was assessed using the interlaminar shear strength of the composite strands, as well as mechanical and physical properties of test specimens injection molded from chopped strands. The impregnation of the roving by the polymer is strongly related to the magnitude of a new empirical dimensionless number called the impregnation number. The impregnation number combines compounding parameters related to equipment, operating conditions, and roving characteristics. For maximum impregnation, the impregnation number for such a process should be larger than 150.
Buckling Analysis of Thick Laminated Plates: Higher-Order Theory with Rotatory Moments
Authors: Bert Charles W. , Malik Moinuddin
Published: June 2014

The higher-order shear deformable plate theory presented here concerns the buckling of laminated composite plates. The theory extends Reddy's higher-order theory (1984) to include the effect of rotatory moments sometimes called curvature terms. General equations of equilibrium in terms of stress resultants and boundary conditions are derived for plates laminated of orthotropic layers. Subsequently, the equations of equilibrium and boundary conditions are also obtained in terms of kinematic variables for the special case of symmetrically laminated crossply plates.
A Stress-Based Discrete Layer Analysis of Wave Propagation in Laminated Composites
Authors: Butalia Tarunjit S. , Wolfe William E.
Published: June 2014

A stress-based discrete layer plate model that assumes a linear distribution of in-plane stresses through the lamina is developed to predict transverse stresses in composite laminates. The model allows for time-varying mass density of a layered monoclinic material and makes no assumptions on through-the-thickness distribution of the displacements. The governing equations are solved by using the finite element method for the spatial domain and Wilson's step forward integration scheme for the time domain. Stresses obtained using the proposed numerical model are verified by comparing the results with those available in the literature for forced vibration response of isotropic and cross-ply laminated composite plates.
The Influences of Processing Parameters on the Fiber Distribution and Matrix Flow of Unidirectional Glass Fiber/Polyethylene Terephthalate (GF/PET) Commingled Yarns
Authors: Ma Yulu , Shishoo Roshan
Published: June 2014

Both hot-mold and cold-mold compression molding of unidirectional glass fiber/polyethylene terephthalate (GF/PET) commingled yams were performed. The influences of processing parameters on the fiber distribution and matrix flow were investigated using macro and micro observations. An impregnation mechanism is proposed. The experimental results show the importance of selecting optimum processing parameters. Using proper temperature and keeping the matrix viscosity low benefits the fiber reinforcement impregnation. The pressure gradient should be sufficiently great to drive the matrix into the fiber reinforcement. However, if the applied pressure is too high, more matrix will be squeezed out with increased holding time, and the fiber deformation is in doubt. Therefore, an optimum processing window should be found in order to attain high-quality composites.
Firm Philanthropy in Small- and Medium-Sized Family Firms
Authors: Campopiano Giovanna , De Massis Alfredo , Chirico Francesco
Published: June 2014

Drawing on stewardship theory and arguments in relation to social and reputational capital, this study investigates how family involvement affects engagement in firm philanthropy in small- and medium-sized family firms. Specifically, we argue that family involvement in ownership positively influences firm philanthropy while its interaction with family involvement in management produces a negative effect. Based on a sample of 130 Italian family firms, our findings offer important implications for theory and practice and pave the way for future research in the field of philanthropy in the family firm context.
Which Type of Advisors Do Family Businesses Trust Most? An Exploratory Application of Socioemotional Selectivity Theory
Authors: Perry John T. , Ring J. Kirk , Broberg J. Christian
Published: June 2014

In this article, we introduce socioemotional selectivity theory (SEST) from psychology to the family business literature. Applying the theory to family businesses, we argue that a family business’s age influences whether it trusts family or professional business advisors most. Consistent with SEST, we find that business age relates to whether the family business emphasizes financial or socioemotional wealth more and that this wealth emphasis relates to whether family members or professional business advisors are trusted most. Based on these findings, we believe that SEST has much to offer to the study of family and nonfamily businesses.
The Big Five Personality Factors as Predictors of Driving Status in Older Adults
Authors: Gadbois Emily A. , Dugan Elizabeth
Published: June 2014

Objective: Although factors including cognitive and health status have been associated with driving cessation in older adults, the role of psychosocial variables is not well studied. Previous research on young adult drivers has suggested that personality may be related to driving behavior, but this study is among the first to explore the relationship between driving status and the Big Five Model of personality for older adults. Method: Data are from the Health and Retirement Study (2008 wave, n = 4,028). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Neuroticism (β = −0.4511, p < .001) and agreeableness (β = −0.5058, p < .001) were associated with decreased likelihood of driving; extraversion (β = 0.4588, p < .001), openness (β = 0.5903, p < .001), and conscientiousness (β = 0.4077, p < .001) were associated with increased likelihood of driving, although results were partially mediated by including known risk factors. People who limited their driving to nearby locations were the most different from those who no longer drove. Discussion: Personality adds a unique contribution to the prediction of late-life driving status.
A new robust design method for path-generating linkages with multi-stochastic noises
Authors: Lai Xiongming , Zhang Yong , Wang Cheng
Published: June 2014

This article presents a robust design method for the path-generating linkage, which can run orderly through desired points. The proposed method excels in accurately considering the influence of more stochastic noises, including dimensional errors, assembling errors, pair clearances, friction coefficients, velocity of drivers, external loads and so on since the multi-rigid-body system dynamics theory and the joint clearance contact theory are combined for building the mechanism model. And a fast algorithm is integrated for estimating the probabilistic output displacement error of the linkage mechanism. The previous work only considered the partial influence of dimensional errors, assembling errors and pair clearances, especially the method for dealing with the influence of the pair clearances is too simple. Hence, the proposed method in this article is more applicable to engineering practice. Finally, a four-bar path-generating linkage is selected for numerical illustrations.
Dynamic modeling and analysis of the high-speed ball screw feed system
Authors: Zhang Huijie , Zhang Jun , Liu Hui , Liang Tao , Zhao Wanhua
Published: June 2014

As for the machine tool with high-speed ball screw feed system, the quite large friction force may change the real contact state of kinematic joints, which would further affect the dynamic characteristics of the whole system. In this article, an equivalent dynamic model of high-speed ball screw feed system was established using hybrid element method. The equivalent axial stiffness of individual kinematic joint and system transmission stiffness were all derived considering the influence of feed rate. The variation in the system natural frequency with feed rates was analyzed using the model proposed and also verified by experiments. The results show that the system natural frequency in motion state is larger than that in static state and behaves differently in different feed rates. The equivalent axial stiffness of the rear-end support bearing unit can reduce to 0 as the feed rate increases, which further leads to a critical value for system natural frequency. In the high-speed motion of the feed system, resonance may occur when the system natural frequency is almost same to the torque ripple harmonic frequency of the servo motor.
Numerical simulation of the fuel trapped in the crevice during a pilot injection in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine
Authors: Shabgard Hojjat , Kheradmand Saeid , Bae Choongsik
Published: June 2014

A three-dimensional numerical model was developed to investigate the pilot injection process in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines using the Open-FOAM computational fluid dynamics package. In particular, the percentage of trapped fuel in the crevice before the main injection was studied. The model was validated by comparing the numerically determined in-cylinder pressures with experimental data available in the literature. The amount of trapped fuel in the crevice was determined for three pilot injections at crank angles of 180°, 120° and 80° before top dead centre and for various pilot injection percentages with different swirl ratios. The results showed that the percentage and the timing of a pilot injection directly and proportionally affect the contributions due to the fuel trapped in the crevice. It was also found that the swirl ratio is an important parameter in accumulation of the fuel in the crevice.
The effects of dual-coil ignition and axial swirl on spark-assisted controlled autoignition
Authors: Cairns Alasdair , Zhang Yan , Dingle Simon , Zhao Hua
Published: June 2014

The work involved an experimental study of a dual-coil ignition system for improved combustion stability and control during four-stroke gasoline controlled autoignition combustion. The ignition system was based upon the ‘redundant-coil’ set-up previously used in motorsport applications, where two conventional induction coils are connected to a common spark plug via an individually assigned diode. Such systems have recently been used for improved tolerance to exhaust gas recirculation in automotive spark ignition engines, but their effects have apparently not been previously reported for spark-assisted controlled autoignition. The basis for the work was therefore to validate such operation at low loads, where spark assist has been most widely suggested as a means of stabilising controlled autoignition combustion. The experiments were undertaken using a thermodynamic single-cylinder research engine equipped with an electrohydraulic, fully variable valvetrain on the inlet and the exhaust. This valvetrain was primarily used to invoke negative valve overlap and later, additionally, to allow study of the asymmetric intake valve operation and the influence of the increased axial swirl ratio within the bulk gas flow. The key observation from the work was that a staged single strike per coil strategy was found to improve the combustion stability significantly when operating at the low-load controlled autoignition boundary, especially when combined with increased axial swirl to promote ignitability between successive strikes. Overall, it was concluded that the system provides a new method for ensuring robust controlled autoignition operation at the lowest loads, with additional ability to help to control the combustion noise.
Optimal fuzzy control system design for car-following behaviour based on the driver–vehicle unit online delays in a real traffic flow
Authors: Ghaffari Ali , Khodayari Alireza , Faraji Maysam
Published: June 2014

Promoting safety and comfort in driving and reducing the traffic, the pollution and the energy consumption are the main purposes of using many control systems in different driving processes. Car following is the dominant and effective behaviour in traffic flow, the automatization of which is crucial to achieving the aforementioned goals. In this paper, a novel optimal fuzzy control system is designed so that the follower vehicle maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front of it in a traffic queue with a reduction in the energy consumption. This controller is superior in that it considers the online delays in the reaction of the driver–vehicle unit in the design. The instantaneous delay is estimated using the stimulus–reaction idea based on a real car-following data set. Tuning the controller is achieved by using the linear quadratic regulator gains in the fuzzy scaling gains. Considering the reaction delay enables the controller to be used in an advanced driver assistance system to obtain simultaneously a higher degree of safety, greater energy saving and more freedom for the driver. Fewer errors and more optimality in the results demonstrated the better performance of the proposed control system in comparison with those of a real driver and other controllers.
Optimization of the ammonia coverage ratio references in diesel engine two-can selective catalytic reduction systems via nonlinear model predictive control
Authors: Zhang Hui , Wang Junmin , Wang Yue-Yun
Published: June 2014

In this work, we investigate the driving-cycle-based ammonia coverage ratio reference optimization for diesel engine two-can selective catalytic reduction systems. The ammonia coverage ratio references are the desired profiles of the ammonia coverage ratios. As these desired profiles can be set as the references for the feedback controls, it is important to obtain their optimal values. The model development and system parameter identification for these two catalyst cans are carried out by considering the main chemical reactions inside the catalyst cans and using the experimental data from the US06 test driving cycle. The main advantage of the two-can setup is twofold: the first catalyst can is mainly used to reduce the nitrogen oxides; the second catalyst can is used to adsorb the ammonia emitted from the first can such that the nitrogen oxides are reduced and the undesired ammonia slip is constrained. For high nitrogen oxide conversion, it is intuitively required that the ammonia coverage ratio for the first catalyst can is as high as possible. However, a high ammonia coverage ratio increases the ammonia slip downstream. In order to constrain the ammonia slip downstream, it is expected that the ammonia coverage ratio for the second catalyst can is as low as possible. However, the lower ammonia coverage ratio may not help nitrogen oxide reduction in the second can. Because of the conflict in the ammonia coverage ratios for these two catalyst cans, it is quite interesting and meaningful to study the optimal ammonia coverage ratios. With the developed system models, we propose a nonlinear model predictive control approach to solve the optimization problem. Various cases are studied to investigate the effect of the initial value on the ammonia coverage ratios. Compared with the existing results, the obtained ammonia injection profile which decides the ammonia coverage ratios can achieve much better control performance with respect to the tailpipe nitrogen oxide reduction and ammonia slip.
The correlation between the cylinder pressure and the ion current fitted with a Gaussian algorithm for a spark ignition engine fuelled with natural-gas–hydrogen blends
Authors: Gao Zhongquan , Liu Bing , Gao Hui , Meng Xiangwen , Tang Chenglong , Wu Xiaomin , Huang Zuohua
Published: June 2014

An investigation was conducted of the ion current characteristics at various excess air ratios λ in a spark ignition engine fuelled with natural-gas–hydrogen blends. The Gaussian mathematical method was employed to fit the pure ion current signal without a spark tail generated by the ignition discharge. The cylinder pressure was recorded, and the Pauta criterion static threshold was used to deal with the outlier errors in the testing data for given cycles. The results show that the spark tail and the ion current can be separated by fitting the ion current with the Gaussian method, and the fitted pure ion current includes the flame-front stage and the post-flame stage. The timing with respect to the flame-front peak exhibits an irregular variation with λ. The maximum current in the flame-front stage increases with increasing λ.The timing of the maximum current in the post-flame stage occurs earlier at the stoichiometric ratio than at other air-to-fuel ratios. The correlation coefficient between the ion current in the post-flame stage and the pressure data treated with the Pauta criterion method increases. In addition, there are high correlation coefficients between the ion current and the pressure.
Fail-safe control allocation for a distributed brake-by-wire system considering the driver’s behaviour
Authors: Wang Zhizhong , Yu Liangyao , You Changxi , Wang Yufeng , Song Jian
Published: June 2014

A distributed brake-by-wire system provides flexible and precise braking force control with shorter or no brake pipes. Fail-safe control is a critical part of the system which guarantees braking safety during failure of the brake actuators. The purpose of this paper is to develop a fail-safe control strategy that cooperates better with the driver so as to enhance the fail-safe control performance. Therefore, the driver’s behaviour should be taken into account during the design of fail-safe control strategies. Two design goals considering the driver’s behaviour are proposed. The first concerns the braking performance; the second concerns whether the driver can handle the failure situation easily. A qualified fail-safe control strategy should meet both the design goals. The driver model used includes an anti-wind-up proportional–integral controller braking operation model and an optimal preview control steering operation model. Two different fail-safe control strategies, namely strategy I and strategy II, are proposed and examined with the design goals. Strategy I is designed to follow the nominal motions of the vehicle in all the three degrees of freedom in the yaw plane. The pseudo-control vector is determined by sliding-mode controllers and allocated to follow the nominal motions. Strategy II is designed to minimize the braking force imbalance between the left side and the right side of the vehicle on the premise that the brake deceleration demand has been achieved. Simulation results show that strategy I generates a longer braking distance and requires a harder brake pedal force, which violates both the design goals. Strategy II meets both the design goals and therefore is a qualified strategy to cooperate with the driver model. Its capability to be implemented in real time is verified on a hardware-in-the-loop test bench. Its advantages considering the unmodelled behaviour of the driver is also discussed. The distributed electrohydraulic braking system developed is used as the distributed brake-by-wire system.
Social and psychosocial factors associated with high-risk sexual behaviour among university students in the United Kingdom: a web-survey
Authors: Chanakira E , Goyder EC , Freeman JV , O’Cathain A , Kinghorn G , Jakubovic M
Published: June 2014

In the UK there are limited data about university students’ risky sexual behaviour. A cross-sectional web-survey was conducted to investigate factors associated with high-risk sex among students at two UK universities. High-risk sex was reported by 25% of 1108. High personal sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk perception and permissive attitudes towards casual sex were associated with high-risk sex for both men (odds ratio [OR]: 12.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.10–35.81; OR: 2.49; 95%CI: 1.11–5.56, respectively) and women (OR: 22.31; 95% CI: 9.34–53.26; OR: 3.02; 95% CI: 1.82–5.01, respectively). For men, drinking alcohol (OR: 17.67; 95% CI: 1.90–164.23) and for women age and frequent drinking (OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.05–3.89; OR: 1.89; 95% CI: 1.08–3.31, respectively) were associated with high-risk sex. However, perceiving an average student as more likely to contract STIs (men, OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.16–0.75) or HIV (men, OR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.20–0.96; women, OR: 0.42; 95% CI: 0.28–0.63) and finding it difficult to discuss sexual matters (women, OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.39–0.91) were negatively associated with high-risk sex. Most of the factors found were similar to other populations, but some psychosocial factors showed complex patterns of association that require further investigation.
Outreach sexual infection screening and postal tests in men who have sex with men: are they comparable to clinic screening?
Authors: Wood Martyn , Ellks Rachael , Grobicki Moira
Published: June 2014

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have higher rates of poor sexual health. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has produced guidance on increasing the uptake of HIV testing to reduce undiagnosed infection in MSM. We report the results of a pilot outreach sexually transmitted infection service using nurse-delivered screening and self-sampled postal testing at a sex on premises venue with comparison made against a sexual health clinic service. Thirty men were included in each group. Users of the nurse-delivered and postal services were older (nurse service median age 57.5 years vs. postal kit service 47 years vs. clinic 35.5 years, p ≤ 0.001). Outreach groups were less likely to have undertaken sexually transmitted infection testing previously than the clinic group (53.3% and 60% vs. 93.3%, p ≤ 0.001). Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae testing uptake was comparable across groups (nurse outreach 86.6%, ‘do it yourself’ postal kit 100% vs. clinic 100%, p = 0.032), but uptake for blood tests was lower in the postal kit group (nurse outreach 83.3%, postal kit 53.3% vs. clinic 100%, p ≤ 0.001). No significant difference in active sexually transmitted infection positivity across the groups was observed. This combination outreach screening approach is effective in targeting MSM who use sex on premises venues.
Serum ferritin in HIV-positive patients is related to immune deficiency and inflammatory activity
Authors: López-Calderón Cristina , Palacios Rosario , Cobo Andrés , Nuño Enrique , Ruiz Josefa , Márquez Manuel , Santos Jesús
Published: June 2014

To analyse the prevalence of high ferritin levels in asymptomatic HIV patients and its related factors we conducted a cross-sectional study of a cohort of HIV outpatients in regular follow-up. Epidemiological, clinical, analytical and therapeutic data were collected. Patients completed a questionnaire about cardiovascular risk factors and underwent a physical examination and a 12-h fasting blood analysis. High ferritin levels were defined as a plasma ferritin level >200 µg/L in women and >300 µg/L in men. A total of 571 patients (78.1% men) were included. Median age was 43.2 years, HIV sexual transmission 68.5%, median CD4 count 474 cells/µL, 36.3% AIDS cases, 86.2% on antiretroviral therapy and 74.8% of them with undetectable viral load; 14.6% metabolic syndrome criteria, and mean cardiovascular risk at 10 years 6.67%. High ferritin levels prevalence was 11%, and related factors were a CD4 count <350 cells/µL (odds ratio, OR 2.37 [1.3–4.1], p = 0.003), ultrasensitive C-reactive protein >3 mg/L (OR 2.67 [1.5–4.7], p = 0.001) and chronic hepatitis C virus infection (OR 2.77 [1.5–4.9], p = 0.001). High ferritin levels are not uncommon in HIV patients, and they correlate with immunosuppression defined as CD4 count <350 cells/µL, higher ultrasensitive C-reactive protein and hepatitis C virus infection, and in contrast to the general population, they are not related to increased cardiovascular risk or metabolic syndrome.
Domain-Specific Genetic Influence on Visual-Ambiguity Resolution
Authors: Wang Ying , Wang Li , Xu Qian , Liu Dong , Jiang Yi
Published: June 2014

The visual world is flooded with ambiguity. Generally, people can resolve the ambiguity almost instantaneously, as when they distinguish at a glance whether a maiden in a portrait by Picasso is in profile or facing front. However, perception of the same reality, though relatively stable at the individual level, can vary dramatically from person to person, manifesting idiosyncratic perceptual biases. What drives the heterogeneity of human vision as reflected in the resolution of visual ambiguity? Using the twin method, we demonstrated a significant genetic contribution to individual differences in the visual disambiguation of bistable biological-motion stimuli but not inanimate motion stimuli. These findings challenge the prevailing view that the way the human brain makes sense of visual input is largely shaped by a person’s perceptual history. Rather, the visual perception of biologically salient information can be guided by adaptive mental “priors” that are genetically transmitted.
Nothofagus forest dynamics and palaeoenvironmental variations during the mid and late Holocene, in southwest Patagonia
Authors: Echeverria Marcos E , Sottile Gonzalo D , Mancini María V , Fontana Sonia L
Published: June 2014

Southern Patagonia intersects the core of the Southern Westerlies, providing a unique opportunity for palaeo-reconstructions and the implication of past wind variations. There is a strong link between the strength of the westerlies and precipitation, which impacts vegetation communities. The palaeoenvironmental changes that occurred since the middle Holocene to present days are reconstructed from a peat record recovered in Peninsula Avellaneda (50°15′57″S; 72°50′33″W). Interpretations are based on pollen, charcoal and sediment analyses. Closed Nothofagus forest together with low fire activity characterized the region during the period c. 5500–3500 cal. yr BP, related to an increased in precipitation through an intensification of the westerlies. After 3500 cal. yr BP, shrub and grass communities became dominant at the expense of Nothofagus forest, suggesting a climatic shift to dry conditions, as a result of weaker westerlies. This patchy forest-steppe vegetation has favoured the occurrence of fire events. Subsequently, Nothofagus forest recovered for a short period between 2000 and 400 cal. yr BP. Then, major vegetation changes took place with the re-establishment of an open landscape. The calculated moisture balance index allowed us to hypothesize about the relationship between westerlies fluctuation and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) anomalies during the mid and late Holocene.
Striving for good nursing care
Authors: Pettersson Mona , Hedström Mariann , Höglund Anna T
Published: June 2014

Background:

Within oncology and hematology care, patients are sometimes considered to have such a poor prognosis that they can receive a do not resuscitate order from the physician responsible, stipulating that neither basic nor advanced coronary pulmonary rescue be performed in the event of a cardiac arrest. Studies on do not resuscitate decisions within oncology and hematology units, focusing on the specific role of the nurse in relation to these decisions, are scarce.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to investigate hematology and oncology nurses’ experiences and perceptions of do not resuscitate orders, in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the nurses’ specific role in these decisions.

Research design:

A qualitative, descriptive methodology with individual semi-structured interviews was used.

Participants and research context:

A total of 15 nurses from eight hematology/oncology wards in four hospitals in Sweden were interviewed individually.

Ethical considerations:

In accordance with national regulations, an ethical review was not required for this study. The research followed international guidelines for empirical research, as outlined in the Helsinki Declaration.

Findings:

The nurses strived for good nursing care through balancing harms and goods and observing integrity and quality of life as important values. Experienced hindrances for good care were unclear and poorly documented decisions, uninformed patients and relatives, and disagreements among the caregivers and family. The nurses expressed a need for an ongoing discussion on do not resuscitate decisions, including all concerned parties.

Conclusion:

In order to provide good nursing care, nurses need clear and well-documented do not resuscitate orders, and patients and relatives need to be well informed and included in the decisions. To increase the understanding for each other’s opinions within the medical team, regular ethical discussions are required.
Gender in International Relations: Feminist Perspectives of J. Ann Tickner
Authors: Narain Seema
Published: June 2014

According to feminism, the discipline of international relations (IR) a decade ago had, and indeed still has, connotations similar to ‘maleness’. This maleness is not based strictly on individual personalities, but on a ‘hegemonic masculinity’ that expresses what masculine men should be in opposition to femininities, which are less valued. Women are not a strong factor in the discipline, and knowledge gained from women’s experiences also remains at the periphery of the discipline’s analysis. It is clear to Professor J. Ann Tickner that there are gendered perceptions in IR, hidden by purported ‘gender neutrality’ and ‘objectivity’. In other words, although women and gender are both important parts of the daily operation and scholarship of IR, this presence is neither debated nor analysed by most theorists. The goal then of feminist IR is two-fold: to recognise gender where it exists in IR, and to move beyond gendered ideas into collaborative scholarship. In this way, feminist IR theory challenges other strands of IR theory on a number of levels, contributing to the major theoretical debates in the discipline and raising new areas of analysis.
Gender-based Violence among Documented Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
Authors: Akhter Shamima , Kusakabe Kyoko
Published: June 2014

The Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from the northern part of Rakhine State (formerly Arakan) in Myanmar, is among the most vulnerable of the world’s refugee communities. This study aims to shed light on gender-based violence among documented Rohingya refugees living in the Kutupalong camp located in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. As refugees, they are not allowed to find employment in Bangladesh. At the same time, state support is minimal, and so they have to eke out a living from whatever work is available. The mobility of refugee men is highly restricted by violence and intimidation, which forces refugee women into the role of the family’s breadwinner. Despite this, the women’s status has not improved in either the family or the community. On the contrary, the women are exposed to increased violence from their families, the refugee community and outsiders. Though all refugees suffer violence, women face it both inside and outside the home. Their precarious political status as refugees and a lack of community support in the camps combine to increase their vulnerability.
Exploring ‘Empowerment’ and ‘Agency’ in Ronald Dworkin’s Theory of Rights: A Study of Women’s Abortion Rights in India
Authors: Ray Nupur
Published: June 2014

Contemporary discourse in liberal theory is preoccupied with two concerns: first, the identification of secular and moral foundational principles that could guide political structures, independent of any conception of the good life or community goals ( Plant, 1991 ); and second, determination of the nature of political institutions ( Sen, 2001 , p. 148) that could give maximum freedom to individuals to pursue their life goals for reasons they value. These concerns emerged as a response to a persistent paradox in liberal theory. It is that in spite of its all ‘inclusive’ paradigm that incorporates each individual’s freedom to pursue goals irrespective of social identities it adheres to a formal notion of equality leading to exclusion at structural and institutional levels in social/political/and economic spheres, in invariably all societies. The exclusion has been manifested in three main areas: distribution of resources/opportunities/information in society, participation in crucial stages of the political process like decision-making, and gender issues. This exclusion has been more apparent in the case of historically oppressed groups (the largest being women) such as cultural/religious minorities, homosexuals, immigrants and backward classes.

To understand and resolve this paradox, it is necessary to unfold the underlying foundations of liberal theory. In recent years, unlike non-liberal thinkers such as communitarians, socialists and cultural relativists who have rejected the discourse due to its paradoxical nature, different liberal political theorists have extensively engaged in resolving this paradox such as John Rawls, J. Waldron, Gewirth, Ackerman, the ‘best known’ among them being Ronald Dworkin.
Using Multicriteria Decision Analysis to Evaluate Patient Satisfaction in a Hospital Emergency Department
Authors: Manolitzas Panagiotis , Grigoroudis Evangelos , Matsatsinis Nikolaos
Published: June 2014

The scope of this study is to evaluate the level of patient satisfaction and to propose the solutions on how to increase the levels of satisfaction by using multicriteria analysis. A multicriteria user satisfaction analysis was used in order to measure the satisfaction and to elucidate the weak and strong points of satisfaction. The results of the questionnaire revealed that the average level of complete satisfaction is low (73.4) indicating that the citizens are somehow satisfied regarding the emergency department. Furthermore, the patients attributed great importance to the criteria of ‘processes involved in patient services’ and ‘courtesy, friendliness and professional attitude of the nurses’ in order to feel satisfied. The improvement diagram depicts that the first priority for the management committee of the hospital in order to enhance the level of satisfaction is to improve the service processes. It is obvious that the added values of the methodology are the action and improvement diagrams. By using these diagrams the management committee of the hospital can draw the future plans for improving the services of the emergency department.
A Study of Organizational Values in Government Run Primary Health Centres in India
Authors: Purohit Bhaskar , Patel Dharmen , Purohit Surabhi
Published: June 2014

Background:

Organizational Culture (OC) (with focus on core organizational values) has been a much neglected area for research in Government Health sector in India. The present study aimed at assessing the OC with the sole focus on the organizational values at the Government run Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in India.

Methods:

The study participants included 124 healthcare providers and other health staff from 24 government run PHCs in India. Instrument called OCTAPACE (Openness, Confrontation, Trust, Authenticity, Praoaction, Autonomy, Confrontation and Experimentation) was used for data collection. It consists of 40 items that measured eight different organizational values: Openness; Confrontation; Trust; Authenticity; Praoaction; Autonomy; Confrontation and Experimentation. The assessment of organizational values was based on ratings provided by respondents on the 40 items.

Results:

The study results indicate that Openness was the most important perceived organizational value followed by Confrontation and Trust while Autonomy and Collaboration were the least appreciated and practiced values. The study found statistically significant higher mean scores for the values of Authenticity and Collaboration for the group having more work experience. In addition, the study results also show statistically significant higher mean scores for Openness, Confrontation, Trust, Authenticity, Proactiveness and Experimentation values for paramedical and other staff in comparison to mean scores of Medical officers.

Conclusion:

More research is needed in the area of OC with focus on values. The overall culture in PHCs can be further improved by encouraging free sharing of ideas and expression of feelings and thoughts. More importantly, employees of health centres should be given more autonomy and freedom to take decisions in their work to improve the OC.
Determinants of Employee Satisfaction with Services of Human Resource Departments in the Fujairah Medical District (FMD) of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Naqbi Sana Ali Al , Hamidi Samer A. , Younis Mustafa Z. , Rivers Patrick A.
Published: June 2014

Introduction:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven monarchies, whose rulers retain absolute power within their emirates. The seven Emirates include Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharajah, and Umm al-Quwain. Abu Dhabi, the capital, is also the country’s centre of political, industrial and cultural activities. This study focuses on the Emirate of Fujairah. Employees are the backbone of any strong health system, thus, the success of any health system is highly dependent on satisfaction of employee needs. This study identifies and quantifies main determinants of employee satisfaction within Human Resource Departments in the Fujairah Medical District (FMD, thereafter).

Methods:

Descriptive and inferential analyses were used to measure employee satisfaction with the services provided by Human Resource Departments in the FMD. After completing a pilot study of the self-developed questionnaire, researchers randomly distributed 600 copies to employees at all 16 health institutes under the authority of the FMD. However, 310 responses were received, representing a 52 per cent response rate. Data were subsequently analyzed with t-tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results:

Compared to the standard of 60 per cent or greater, overall level of employee satisfaction in this study was slightly lower at 58 per cent. Results indicated that males were significantly more dissatisfied with the organizational factors than females. Both married and unmarried employees were dissatisfied with the services provided by Human Resources. Employees at all experience levels reported low levels of satisfaction with training and development. Regardless of educational level, employee satisfaction with conditions of the workplace and facility structure in the FMD was low when compared to the standard.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

This study shows that the employees were not satisfied with the services within Human Resource Departments in the FMD. It is recommended that FMD management overcome the determinant factors to reduce the level of dissatisfaction of their employees in the following four dimensions: organizational factors, work conditions/facility structure, training and career development.
The Breivik controversy: politics, terrorism and psychiatry
Authors: Tietze Tad
Published: June 2014

Objectives:

To examine and analyse the controversy over psychiatric aspects of the case of Norwegian far right mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik.

Conclusions:

Because of a basic acceptance of methodological individualism and scientific positivism, mainstream psychiatry is currently ill suited to being broadly applied to the spheres of politics and political violence. Rather than jettison psychiatric insights in such cases, the choices facing the profession are either to accept the narrowness of its utility or to work towards a theoretical framework that sees the individual psyche as socially embedded rather than as socially constitutive, and psychiatric science itself as socially constructed and hence inescapably value-laden.
The Teen Impact Experience
Authors: Gonzalez-Morkos Betty , Zavala Octavio , Malogolowkin Marcio , Kuperberg Aura
Published: June 2014

This article discusses a novel service, webcasting of a live group, implemented in response to the 2009-2010 H1N1 Flu pandemic by Teen Impact, a program geared at providing social therapy to adolescents diagnosed with cancer or a blood disorder. To ensure that services were not disrupted to adolescents on treatment despite flu restrictions, Teen Impact obtained necessary equipment to webcast the group. A total of 6 Teen Impact members participated in the webcast portion of the group. Findings revealed that existing members who had participated in the face-to-face Teen group were left with feelings of dissatisfaction due to lack of physical interaction with other members. New members appeared to enjoy this option admitting that the webcast provided them with the ability to feel supported by others with similar stories without having to face unknown members in person. A positive outcome from this type of intervention resulted in the webcast serving as a stepping stone for future face-to-face participation.
Integrated static and dynamic modeling of an ionic polymer–metal composite actuator
Authors: Sun An-Bang , Bajon Damienne , Moschetta Jean-Marc , Benard Emmanuel , Thipyopas Chinnapat
Published: June 2014

Ionic polymer–metal composites have been widely used as actuators for robotic systems. In this article, we investigate and verify the characteristics of ionic polymer–metal composite actuators experimentally and theoretically. Two analytical models are utilized to analyze the performance of ionic polymer–metal composites: a linear irreversible electro-dynamical model and a dynamic model. We find that the first model accurately predicts the static characteristics of the ionic polymer–metal composite according to the Onsager equations, while the second model is able to reveal the back relaxation characteristics of the ionic polymer–metal composite. We combine the static and dynamic models of the ionic polymer–metal composite and derive the transfer function for the ionic polymer–metal composite’s mechanical response to an electrical signal. A driving signal with a smooth slope and a low frequency is beneficial for the power efficiency.