High altitude climbers as ethnomethodologists making sense of cognitive dissonance: ethnographic insights from an attempt to scale Mt Everest

This ethnographic study examined how a group of high altitude climbers (N = 6)drew on ethnomethodological principles (the documentary method of interpretation, reflexivity, indexicality, and membership) to interpret their experiences of cognitive dissonance during an attempt to scale Mt. Everest. Data were collected via participant observation, interviews, and a field diary. Each data source was subjected to a content mode of analysis. Results revealed how cognitive dissonance reduction is accomplished from within the interaction between a pattern of self-justification and self-inconsistencies; how the reflexive nature of cognitive dissonance is experienced; how specific features of the setting are inextricably linked to the cognitive dissonance experience; and how climbers draw upon a shared stock of knowledge in their experiences with cognitive dissonance

Learning to Teach, Learning to Play the Game: A Case Study of a Minority Teacher Candidate Teaching for Equity, Diversity and Social Justice

In this article, the author explores the premise that possibilities for social change in an antiracist teacher education program might be revealed by closely examining the struggles and real life experiences of a beginning teacher from a minority background working from the margins of the educational setting. Focusing on the quality of the teaching-learning activities being negotiated and forged, this article is grounded in a study of the tensions, dilemmas and conflicts experienced by teacher candidates learning to teach for social justice. The study revealed that the inherent tensions caused by discontinuities between the intent and critical antiracist philosophy of the program and its actual content, processes and the experience within practicum schools can be necessary for moving teacher candidates in their thinking about antiracist teaching and teaching critically. The article’s focus is on one participant from a Latino background who began to come to terms with accepting the existence of tensions and conflicts and became less obsessed with finding definite solutions or resolutions. Explicit discussion of his experiences within all aspects of the program and direct talk about the tensions and conflicts began to help the teacher candidate make sense of his experiences. Critical teaching for equity, diversity and social justice is a journey into teaching filled with risks and uneasiness. Dans cet article, l\u27auteur explore la prémisse que l\u27on peut révéler les possibilités du changement social dans un programme d\u27éducation antiraciste pour les enseignants stagiaires en examinant de près les luttes et les expériences de vie d\u27un enseignant stagiaire débutant de souche minoritaire et qui travaille en marge du milieu d\u27éducation. Se concentrant sur la qualité des activités d\u27enseigner et d\u27apprendre en négociation et en formation, l\u27article est fondé sur une étude des tensions, des dilemmes et des conflits subis par les enseignants stagiaires quand ils apprennent à enseigner la justice sociale. L\u27étude révèle que les tensions inhérentes causées par les discontinuités entre l\u27intention et la philosophie antiraciste du programme et son contenu, les processus et l\u27expérience dans les écoles peuvent être nécessaires pour changer la façon de penser des enseignants stagiaires sur l\u27enseignement antiraciste et l\u27enseignement critique. L\u27article est centré sur un participant de souche Latino-américaine qui commence à accepter l\u27existence des tensions et des conflits et à devenir moins obsédé par la découverte des solutions ou des résolutions définitives. Une discussion explicite de ses expériences dans tous les aspects du programme et un entretien direct sur les tensions et conflits commencent à aider cet enseignant stagiaire à donner un sens à ses expériences. Enseignement critiquement de l\u27égalité, la diversité et la justice sociale représente un voyage dans l\u27enseignement et est rempli de risques et d\u27inquiétudes et non une destination

Simultaneous calculation of the helical pitch and the twist elastic constant in chiral liquid crystals from intermolecular torques

We present a molecular simulation method that yields simultaneously the equilibrium pitch wave number q and the twist elastic constant K2 of a chiral nematic liquid crystal by sampling the torque density. A simulation of an untwisted system in periodic boundary conditions gives the product K2q; a further simulation with a uniform twist applied provides enough information to separately determine the two factors. We test our new method for a model potential, comparing the results with K2q from a thermodynamic integration route, and with K2 from an order fluctuation analysis. We also present a thermodynamic perturbation theory analysis valid in the limit of weak chirality

Twist Model Development and Results from the Active Aeroelastic Wing F/A-18 Aircraft

Understanding the wing twist of the active aeroelastic wing (AAW) F/A-18 aircraft is a fundamental research objective for the program and offers numerous benefits. In order to clearly understand the wing flexibility characteristics, a model was created to predict real-time wing twist. A reliable twist model allows the prediction of twist for flight simulation, provides insight into aircraft performance uncertainties, and assists with computational fluid dynamic and aeroelastic issues. The left wing of the aircraft was heavily instrumented during the first phase of the active aeroelastic wing program allowing deflection data collection. Traditional data processing steps were taken to reduce flight data, and twist predictions were made using linear regression techniques. The model predictions determined a consistent linear relationship between the measured twist and aircraft parameters, such as surface positions and aircraft state variables. Error in the original model was reduced in some cases by using a dynamic pressure-based assumption. This technique produced excellent predictions for flight between the standard test points and accounted for nonlinearities in the data. This report discusses data processing techniques and twist prediction validation, and provides illustrative and quantitative results

An Optimal Control Framework to Address the Relationship between Water Resource Management and Water-Borne Health Impacts: Focus on the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley

The objective of this study is develop a theoretical model that can evaluate two types of public health expenditures on water-borne health risks: water-related municipal services, an ex ante preventative measure against water-borne contamination, and medical treatment, an ex post treatment of the water-borne pollutant’s harmful effects on human health. The modeled community can allocate resources in either centralized-municipal water-services, point-of-use water-services, or medical intervention, with expenditures subject to a budget constraint. The movement of a water-borne illness through the community is modeled with a susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) disease framework. An optimization framework is developed, including a statement of the problem’s Hamiltonian and first-order-conditions. The first-order-conditions are discussed. Future work includes obtaining a numerical solution to the optimization problem.water, public health, rural development, dynamic optimization, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Food Animal Veterinarians: Where We Came From and Where We Might Go

The history of veterinary medicine has been one of growth and adaptation to the needs of society. Today, the discipline relating to food animals is being challenged by various forces ranging from projected shortages of qualified personnel, to economic challenges and deficiencies in training future graduates. Despite these challenges, veterinarians interested in working with food animals have tremendous opportunities. Combining current interests and attention with a well-planned vision to shape the profession can likely ensure food animal veterinarian\u27s relevance and contributions to society

Sensor Networks for Monitoring and Control of Water Distribution Systems

Water distribution systems present a significant challenge for structural monitoring. They comprise a complex network of pipelines buried underground that are relatively inaccessible. Maintaining the integrity of these networks is vital for providing clean drinking water to the general public. There is a need for in-situ, on-line monitoring of water distribution systems in order to facilitate efficient management and operation. In particular, it is important to detect and localize pipe failures soon after they occur, and pre-emptively identify ‘hotspots’, or areas of the distribution network that are more likely to be susceptible to structural failure. These capabilities are vital for reducing the time taken to identify and repair failures and hence, mitigating impacts on water supply. WaterWiSe is a platform that manages and analyses data from a network of intelligent wireless sensor nodes, continuously monitoring hydraulic, acoustic and water quality parameters. WaterWiSe supports many applications including dynamic prediction of water demand and hydraulic state, online detection of events such as pipe bursts, and data mining for identification of longer-term trends. This paper describes the WaterWiSe@SG project in Singapore, focusing on the use of WaterWiSe as a tool for monitoring, detecting and predicting abnormal events that may be indicative of structural pipe failures, such as bursts or leaks.Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. Center for Environmental Sensing and Modelin

The Archaeology of Native American Persistence at Mission San José

Archaeological investigations at Mission San José in Fremont, California, have revealed large areas of the mission landscape, including portions of two adobe dwellings in the mission’s Native American neighborhood. Preliminary synthesis of previous and ongoing research at Mission San José focuses on the implications of archaeological evidence for understanding the persistence of indigenous cultural practices under missionization. Materials considered include flaked stone artifacts, shell and glass beads, modified ceramic disks, and faunal and floral remains. Our findings suggest that native people rearticulated various practices within the mission, but did so in ways that were consistent with existing traditions and cultural knowledge

Undertaking a structured literature review or structuring a literature review: tales from the field

The diversity of sources of literature within the management disciplines has resulted in a growing need for a systematic methodology to map the territory of its associated theories and models. As such, when scoping out a doctoral or policy based study the Structured Literature Review (SLR) can be considered as a means by which critical literature central to and underpinning the research can be rigorously and systematically mapped out. However, there is little guidance, or evidence, of this being the case when undertaking small scale projects for example undergraduate or masters degree dissertations. This paper reports four case studies using semi-structured interviews of masters degree students following management programmes who undertook a Structured Literature Review based dissertation and the issues and problems they had to encounter during their journey. The findings from the case studies suggest that the approach to SLRs, whilst suited to doctoral level and policy based research is not appropriate when dealing with undergraduate and masters dissertations and projects. The case study findings identified that these students conducting a SLR had to deal with a new set of conceptual, methodological and data collection problems relating to this ‘unorthodox’ approach to conducting a postgraduate research dissertation. The findings show that students had to confront new paradigms of enquiry that are not normally taught or found in ‘traditional’ research texts and research methods courses that are taught on degree programmes. However, the findings do reveal that students gained a greater depth and insight into the subject they were researching through a more rigorous and structured approach. The paper then presents alternative remedies by way of the Rapid Structured Literature Review (RSLR) research strategy which is argued as an appropriate approach in conducting small scale literature based research projects when used with undergraduate and masters degree students rather than the SLR, which is better suited for other types of research such as doctoral and policy based activities