SOR models and Ethnicity data in LIS and LES : country by country report

This research considers the idea that a single metric expressing distance between social groups may be an adequate tool for investigating the relationship between ethnic/nationality minority group membership and social stratification. A Stereotyped Ordered Regression (SOR) model is proposed as a methodology for deriving this metric 1, and this paper considers the role of SOR models for the variety of countries with appropriate data made available by the Luxembourg Income and Employment studies (LIS and LES). In particular, by making the referents of this metric relatively consistent between different countries, it is suggested that a cross-nationally comparable representation of ethnic/nationality group membership can be derived which reduces the difficulties of international comparative research on ethnicity. Section one of this paper deals with three introductory issues: the clarification of the proposed methodology; the possibilities for ethnicity analyses as available from the LIS/LES datasets; and the theoretical framework used to draw substantive cross-national comparisons. Section two comprises a summary of the descriptive patterns observed for selected indicators of social stratification by ethnic/nationality groups for each country, and the presentation of the SOR orderings derived from them. In section three, the possibilities for using those SOR orderings in analytical human capital style models of social stratification are considered. Lastly in section four some of the more prominent conclusions are drawn together.

Influence of shear reinforcement corrosion on the performance of under-reinforced concrete beams

The in-service performance of reinforced concrete beams can be severely affected through cor-rosion of the steel reinforcement when it becomes subjected to harsh corrosive environments containing chlo-rides and carbon dioxide. In such instances, corrosion is likely to occur in the steel reinforcement, with the expansive nature of the corrosion products likely to induce cracking and spalling of the concrete. A loss of structural integrity (stiffness) will occur and this can severely influence the serviceability of the member. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between degree of corrosion and loss of stiffness in corrosion damaged under-reinforced concrete beams. Beams (100mm x 150mm cross section) were subjected to accelerated corrosion in the laboratory and subsequently tested in flexure to failure. The paper reports on the results of these tests and relates the degree of corrosion in the main steel to the percentage loss in stiffness in the concrete beams

Accuracy assessment of Tri-plane B-mode ultrasound for non-invasive 3D kinematic analysis of knee joints

BACKGROUND Currently the clinical standard for measuring the motion of the bones in knee joints with sufficient precision involves implanting tantalum beads into the bones. These beads appear as high intensity features in radiographs and can be used for precise kinematic measurements. This procedure imposes a strong coupling between accuracy and invasiveness. In this paper, a tri-plane B-mode ultrasound (US) based non-invasive approach is proposed for use in kinematic analysis of knee joints in 3D space. METHODS The 3D analysis is performed using image processing procedures on the 2D US slices. The novelty of the proposed procedure and its applicability to the unconstrained 3D kinematic analysis of knee joints is outlined. An error analysis for establishing the method's feasibility is included for different artificial compositions of a knee joint phantom. Some in-vivo and in-vitro scans are presented to demonstrate that US scans reveal enough anatomical details, which further supports the experimental setup used using knee bone phantoms. RESULTS The error between the displacements measured by the registration of the US image slices and the true displacements of the respective slices measured using the precision mechanical stages on the experimental apparatus is evaluated for translation and rotation in two simulated environments. The mean and standard deviation of errors are shown in tabular form. This method provides an average measurement precision of less than 0.1 mm and 0.1 degrees, respectively. CONCLUSION In this paper, we have presented a novel non-invasive approach to measuring the motion of the bones in a knee using tri-plane B-mode ultrasound and image registration. In our study, the image registration method determines the position of bony landmarks relative to a B-mode ultrasound sensor array with sub-pixel accuracy. The advantages of our proposed system over previous techniques are that it is non-invasive, does not require the use of ionizing radiation and can be used conveniently if miniaturized.This work has been supported by School of Engineering & IT, UNSW Canberra, under Research Publication Fellowship

Finite Element Modeling and Cellular Studies on Controlled Pores with Sub-Surface Continuity for Biomedical Applications

This work investigated a novel process for improving the reliability of load-bearing joint prosthetics, in which electrical discharge machining (EDM) is used to create pores with sub-surface continuity on a conventionally-fabricated prosthetic material. The first part of this investigation utilized in vitro studies to verify the biocompatibility of deep, high-aspect-ratio EDM-produced pores. Mesenchymal stem cells were seeded onto Grade 4 titanium samples with EDM-created pores, and osteodifferentiation and mineralization were induced and assessed. It was found that such pores allowed for cell proliferation and mineralization indicating good biocompatibility. The second part of this work utilized three dimensional finite element modeling (FEM) to characterize simulated porous implant interfaces under stress. Interlocking strengths of selected structures were verified, interface separation under applied stress was measured for these structures with implications for wear particle intrusion in the interfaces, and stress shielding analysis was performed on simulated implants containing intersecting and non-intersecting pores. This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number CMMI-0733522

Effect of Graphene Oxide Nanosheets on Physical Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete with High Volume Supplementary Cementitious Materials

Nanomaterials have been increasingly employed for improving the mechanical properties and durability of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) with high volume supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). Recently, graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets have appeared as one of the most promising nanomaterials for enhancing the properties of cementitious composites. To date, a majority of studies have concentrated on cement pastes and mortars with fewer investigations on normal concrete, ultra-high strength concrete, and ultra-high-performance cement-based composites with a high volume of cement content. The studies of UHPC with high volume SCMs have not yet been widely investigated. This paper presents an experimental investigation into the mini slump flow and physical properties of such a UHPC containing GO nanosheets at additions from 0.00 to 0.05% by weight of cement and a water−cement ratio of 0.16. The study demonstrates that the mini slump flow gradually decreases with increasing GO nanosheet content. The results also confirm that the optimal content of GO nanosheets under standard curing and under steam curing is 0.02% and 0.04%, respectively, and the corresponding compressive and flexural strengths are significantly improved, establishing a fundamental step toward developing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly UHPC for more sustainable infrastructure

Preliminary Investigation into Modeling The Damage to Carbon Fibre Composites Due to the Thermo-electric Effects of a Lightning Strikes

The impact of a lightning strike causes a short high electrical current burst through Carbon Fibre Composites (CFC). Due to the electrical properties of CFC the large current leads to a rapid heating of the surrounding impact area which degrades and damages the CFC. It is therefore necessary to study in detail the thermal response and possible degradation processes caused to CFC. The degradation takes place in two ways, firstly via direct mechanical fracture due to the thermal expansion of the CFC and secondly via thermo-chemical processes (phase change and pyrolysis) at high temperatures. The main objective of this work is to construct a numerical model of the major physical processes involved, and to understand the correlation between the damage mechanisms and the damage witnessed in modern CFC. For this work we are only considering the thermo-chemical degradation of CFC. Bespoke numerical models have been constructed to predict the extent of the damage caused by the two thermo-chemical processes separately (e.g. a model for phase change and a model for pyrolysis). The numerical model predictions have then been verified experimental by decoupling of the damage mechanisms, e.g. the real Joule heating from a lightning strike is replaced by a high power laser beam acting on composite surface. This was done to simplify the physical processes which occur when a sample is damaged. The experimentally damaged samples were then investigated using X-ray tomography to determine the physical extent of the damage. The experimental results are then compared with the numerical predictions by considering the physical extent of the polymer removal. The extent of polymer removal predicted by the numerical model, solving for pyrolysis, gave a reasonable agreement with the damage seen in the experimental sample. Furthermore the numerical model predicts that the damage caused by polymer phase change has a minimal contribution to the overall extent of the damage

Crossing boundaries: an excavation into an interdisciplinary approach to theatre making with specific reference to body mapping

ABSTRACT This study analyses through a Practice as Research methodology an interdisciplinary approach to theatre making. The capacity for the process of Body Mapping to form part of the theatre making process is assessed. Structured and unstructured improvisational techniques (including Body Mapping and contact improvisation) are used in facilitating four subjects who are actively involved in the creative process as performer-creators. The material generated from these sessions is then crafted into a performance work, as well as exposing the creative process in an exhibition of photographs and writings drawn from the improvisational workshops. The documentation is then consolidated in the form of a research report analysing the use of interdisciplinary approaches to theatre making with specific reference to Body Mapping

Operational criteria used by professional social workers to assess relationship

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

The role of indium in the activation of aluminum alloy galvanic anodes

Despite six decades use of aluminum as a galvanic (sacrificial) anode, there remains a need for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms for enhancing its efficient performance in cathodic protection systems. A few mechanisms have been proposed for the role of indium in the activation of Al-Zn-In anodes and there appears to be no general agreement on whether this element plays its depassivating role by modifying the bulk microstructure of the anode, chemical composition of its surrounding electrolyte or directly through doping the structure of the passive oxide film. These mechanisms have been critically reviewed to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the role of indium in such applications. Moreover, the novel solidification processing called controlled diffusion solidification (CDS) has been introduced as an efficient way to surmount the poor castability of the anode alloy without any need for the addition of elements with detrimental effects on the electrochemical properties of the anode