Digital Ethnography for Intercultural Professional Communication: Some Best Practice Principles

With global compressions of time and space, intercultural contact is heightening. Digital networks are converging. Perhaps more than ever before, professional communicators require cultural and technical savvy, allowing them to navigate, in a principled manner, digitally-mediated contexts (Spilka, 2010). Since no mediation is value neutral, digital technologies can spark intercultural friction (Thatcher, 2004; Warshauer, 2003, p. 6), blur ethical codes (Capurro, 2008; Himma, 2008), and perpetuate colonial relations (Ess & Sudweeks, 2012, p. xvi). How to operate in such complex, power-laden environments is a central concern in intercultural professional communication (IPC) and merits additional inquiry

PAN AIR analysis of the NASA/MCAIR 279-3: An advanced supersonic V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft

PAN AIR is a computer program for predicting subsonic or supersonic linear potential flow about arbitrary configurations. The program was applied to a highly complex single-engine-cruise V/STOL fighter/attack aircraft. Complexities include a close-coupled canard/wing, large inlets, and four exhaust nozzles mounted directly under the wing and against the fuselage. Modeling uncertainties involving canard wake location and flow-through approximation through the inlet and the exhaust nozzles were investigated. The recently added streamline capability of the program was utilized to evaluate visually the predicted flow over the model. PAN AIR results for Mach numbers of 0.6, 0.9, and angles of attack of 0, 5, and 10 deg. were compared with data obtained in the Ames 11- by 11-Foot Transonic Wind tunnel, at a Reynolds number of 3.69 x 10 to the 6th power based on c bar

Sonic boom prediction for the Langley Mach 2 low-boom configuration

Sonic boom pressure signatures and aerodynamic force data for the Langley Mach 2 low sonic boom configuration were computed using the TranAir full-potential code. A solution-adaptive Cartesian grid scheme is utilized to compute off-body flow field data. Computations were performed with and without nacelles at several angles of attack. Force and moment data were computed to measure nacelle effects on the aerodynamic characteristics and sonic boom footprints of the model. Pressure signatures were computed both on and off ground-track. Near-field pressure signature computations on ground-track were in good agreement with experimental data. Computed off ground-track signatures showed that maximum pressure peaks were located off ground-track and were significantly higher than the signatures on ground-track. Bow shocks from the nacelle inlets increased lift and drag, and also increased the magnitude of the maximum pressure both on and off ground-track

Assessing Student Exposure to and Use of Computer Technologies through an Examination of Course Syllabi

A syllabus analysis instrument was developed to assist program evaluators, administrators and faculty in the identification of skills that students use as they complete their college coursework. While this instrument can be tailored for use with a variety of learning domains, we used it to assess students\u27 use of and exposure to computer technology skills. The reliability and validity of the instrument was examined through an analysis of 88 syllabi from courses within the teacher education program and the core curriculum at a private Midwest US university. Results indicate that the instrument has good inter‐rater reliability and ratings by and interviews with faculty and students provide evidence of construct validity. The use and limitations of the instrument in educational program evaluation are discussed

Performance of a Brief Assessment Tool for Identifying Substance Use Disorders

Objective: Evaluation of the performance of a brief assessment tool for identifying substance use disorders. The Triage Assessment for Addictive Disorders (TAAD) is a triage instrument that provides professionals with a tool to evaluate indications of current substance use disorders in accordance with the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. The TAAD is a 31-item structured interview that addresses both alcohol and other drug issues to discriminate among those with no clear indications of a diagnosis, those with definite, current indications of abuse or dependence, and those with inconclusive diagnostic indications. Methods: Employing a sample of 1325 women between the ages of 18 and 60, reliability estimates and problem profiles produced by the TAAD were evaluated. Results: The Cronbach alpha coefficients for internal consistency for both the alcohol and drug dependence scales were .92. The alpha coefficients for the alcohol and drug abuse scales were .83 and .84 respectively. The diagnostic profiles elicited from the TAAD indicate that alcohol and drug dependences are the more definitive and distinct syndromes compared with the abuse syndromes. Conclusions: The diagnostic profiles from this sample are consistent with previous research. The Cronbach alpha coefficients suggest that the TAAD provides an internally consistent index for alcohol and drug dependence and abuse. Implications for use in clinical practice and the need for further research regarding the psychometric properties of the TAAD are discussed

TranAir: Recent advances and applications

TranAir is a computer code which solves the full-potential equation for transonic flow about very general and complex configurations. Piecewise flat surface panels are used to describe the surface geometry. This paneled definition is then embedded in an unstructured cartesian flow field grid. Finite elements are used in the discretization of the flow field grid in a manner which is fully conservative and second-order accurate. Since geometries may be defined with relative ease, and since the user is not involved in the generation of the flow field grid, computational results may be generated rather quickly for a wide range of geometries. For transonic cases in the cruise angle-of-attack range, TranAir has generated results which are in generally good agreement with both Euler results and wind tunnel data. A typical transonic case runs in 1 to 2 CPU hours on a Cray X-MP. For subcritical cases, the code runs in 15 to 30 CPU minutes, even for geometries in which several thousand surface panels are used in the definition. This ability to rapidly and accurately provide both subsonic and transonic predictions about very complex aircraft configurations gives TranAir the potential of being a very powerful and widely used design tool

Development of the Motivational Interviewing Supervision and Training Scale

The movement to use empirically supported treatments has increased the need for researchers and supervisors to evaluate therapists’ adherence to and the quality with which they implement those interventions. Few empirically supported approaches exist for providing these types of evaluations. This is also true for motivational interviewing, an empirically supported intervention important in the addictions field. This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Motivational Interviewing Supervision and Training Scale (MISTS), a measure intended for use in training and supervising therapists implementing motivational interviewing. Satisfactory interrater reliability was found (generalizability coefficient p2 = .79), and evidence was found supporting the convergent and discriminant validity of the MISTS. Recommendations for refinement of the measure and future research are discussed

Analysis of Hydrogeologic Data from an Observation Well at Mirror Lake (Columbus, Ohio)

Limestone aquifers are important sources of drinking water in many regions of the United States, including Ohio. Here, I characterize properties of a limestone aquifer using data from an observation well that was installed as part of the Mirror Lake Water Science Learning Lab on The Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio. I integrate drilling observations, a gamma ray log, and borehole camera footage to identify geologic formations and conductive features within the limestone. I also analyze slug test and pump test results to determine aquifer hydraulic conductivity. I show that the hydraulic conductivity is comparable with other local measurements and within the range of many limestone aquifers from other regions. I present three months of water level, temperature, and specific conductivity data from the observation well to explore the factors that influence water level and water quality in the limestone aquifer.NSF EAR 1752995No embarg

Delivering Quality Motivational Interviewing Training: A Survey of MI Trainers

The MI community places an emphasis on attempting to understand the training process. Yet little is known about what MI trainers perceive as the important variables in training MI. A mixed method survey of 92 members of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers was used to elicit important variables to consider in providing quality MI training. Based on results, it appears that MI trainers are familiar with Miller and Moyers’ (2006) eight stages of learning MI and used them to develop trainings. However, the respondents reported that they do not use these stages to evaluate trainings. Moreover, the respondents emphasized the importance of trainee and trainer variables in organizing trainings. They also provided varied opinions regarding the important ingredients in developing MI competency. The authors discuss the need for further empirical exploration of the important training ingredients and the eight stages model. Finally, the need for exploration of how these ingredients help trainees develop competency and future focus on the integration of best practices in adult learning is discussed

Measuring Client Experiences of Motivational Interviewing During a Lifestyle Intervention

The Client Evaluation of Motivational Interviewing was used to assess motivational interviewing experiences in a predominantly female, African American sample from the Southeastern United States who received motivational interviewing-based feedback during a multicomponent lifestyle intervention. Motivational interviewing was experienced differently than a primarily White, male, Northeastern mental health sample