Nomination Processes and Policy Outcomes

We provide a set of new models of three different processes by which political parties nominate candidates for a general election: nominations by party leaders,nominations by a vote of party members, and nominations by a spending competition among potential candidates. We show that more extreme outcomes can emerge from spending competition than from nominations by votes or by party leaders, and that non-median outcomes can result via any of these processes. When voters (and potential nominees) are free to switch political parties, then median outcomes ensue when nominations are decided by a vote but not when nominations are decided by spending competition

The determination of form drag coefficient for rigid, emergent objects in open channel flow

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering Johannesburg, 2017The development of methods which are better able to predict the effect of large scale emergent roughness elements on the flow characteristics requires a better understanding of the drag coefficient under conditions likely to occur in the field. A laboratory investigation was carried out with newly developed equipment to quantify the drag force on various shaped cylinders, as well as the drag on an individual cylinder surrounded by an array of cylinders. The relationship between the drag coefficient and cylinder Reynolds number for a single circular cylinder was found to be of similar form but larger in magnitude than the established relationship for an infinitely long cylinder; the relationship departs from the infinite cylinder relationship for low cylinder Reynolds numbers. Contrary to previous research, the results for the multiple cylinder investigation did not reveal a clear relationship between the cylinder density and drag coefficient. Equations were developed and verified with existing laboratory data. These should be improved and extended by further research for field use.MT201

Social Anxiety Reduction in the Context of Social Modeling Utilizing a Placebo Alcohol Beverage

Alcohol misuse and elevated social anxiety are found to be highly comorbid, and being exposed to social models consuming alcohol can increase one’s consumption. Yet no research has thus far examined whether the internal experience of alcohol consumption (e.g., social anxiety reduction) can also be transmitted via social modeling. This bar-lab study examined the impact of social modeling behavioral cues of social anxiety on emerging adult drinkers. It was hypothesized that those exposed to a social model experiencing an apparent social anxiety reduction from drinking would themselves report lessened state social anxiety following a placebo drink, and that this effect would be stronger for female participants. The final sample (N = 39) consisted of 21 men and 18 women ages 21-28 (Mage = 22 years; 54% White [non-Hispanic]). All participants viewed a gender-matched videotaped social modeling manipulation and were randomly assigned either to a condition in which the confederate appeared socially anxious throughout the video (control) or ceased displaying social anxiety markers after consuming alcohol (treatment). State social anxiety was assessed both pre- and post-manipulation utilizing the State Social Anxiety Questionnaire (SSAQ). The social modeling manipulation was not found to impact SSAQ scores following placebo alcohol consumption. Further, gender did not moderate the effects. Across genders and conditions, there was a significant reduction in SSAQ scores post-drinking. Findings from this study suggest that future research may have to attend to additional factors if attempting to socially model social anxiety effects related to drinking. Floor effects for social anxiety in this non-clinical sample may have presented a barrier to detecting changes in state social anxiety. Additionally, the impact that preexisting alcohol expectancies and beliefs may have on this sort of research are not well understood

The Impact of Video-Taped Social Modeling on Alcohol Outcome Expectancies of Young Adults and the Role of Social Anxiety

Alcohol outcome expectancies (AOEs) represent people’s ideas about the effects of alcohol (Fromme, 1993). Positive AOEs particularly have been identified as a potential risk factor for hazardous drinking (e.g., Brown et al., 1985). The exact mechanisms that modify AOEs are not fully understood. Further, people higher in social anxiety may be especially receptive to social modeling due to attentional bias shift towards others in social contexts (Rapee & Heimberg, 1997). The current study examined how social anxiety and social modeling associate with AOEs. It was hypothesized that 1) those in the social modeling treatment condition would have higher social anxiety-adjacent AOEs (i.e., those in the sociability, tension reduction, and liquid courage subscales of the CEOA; Fromme, 1993) as compared to those in the control condition, and that 2) social anxiety would moderate this relationship. The final sample (N = 287) was between the ages of 18 – 28 (Mage = 23.82 years; 48.4% men; 56.4% White [Non-Hispanic]). Participants were exposed to a social modeling video-taped manipulation, in which an on-screen actor or actress appeared to either experience a social anxiety reduction from drinking (treatment) or maintain apparent social anxiety after drinking (control). AOEs were assessed post-manipulation. Social anxiety was assessed as a continuous variable prior to the manipulation. Results partially support hypothesis 1, as the those in the treatment condition reported higher positive AOEs overall (i.e., sociability, tension reduction, liquid courage, and sexuality) than those in the control condition. Additionally, while social anxiety was not found to be a significant moderator, it was associated with higher negative AOEs, and social anxiety did not appear to mitigate the effect of social modeling on positive AOEs. Findings from this study suggest that researchers should include social modeling when investigating pathways related to hazardous drinking, whether using a socially anxious sample or not

The Impact of Video-Taped Social Modeling on Alcohol Outcome Expectancies of Young Adults and the Role of Social Anxiety

Alcohol outcome expectancies (AOEs) represent people’s ideas about the effects of alcohol (Fromme, 1993). Positive AOEs particularly have been identified as a potential risk factor for hazardous drinking (e.g., Brown et al., 1985). The exact mechanisms that modify AOEs are not fully understood. Further, people higher in social anxiety may be especially receptive to social modeling due to attentional bias shift towards others in social contexts (Rapee & Heimberg, 1997). The current study examined how social anxiety and social modeling associate with AOEs. It was hypothesized that 1) those in the social modeling treatment condition would have higher social anxiety-adjacent AOEs (i.e., those in the sociability, tension reduction, and liquid courage subscales of the CEOA; Fromme, 1993) as compared to those in the control condition, and that 2) social anxiety would moderate this relationship. The final sample (N = 287) was between the ages of 18 – 28 (Mage = 23.82 years; 48.4% men; 56.4% White [Non-Hispanic]). Participants were exposed to a social modeling video-taped manipulation, in which an on-screen actor or actress appeared to either experience a social anxiety reduction from drinking (treatment) or maintain apparent social anxiety after drinking (control). AOEs were assessed post-manipulation. Social anxiety was assessed as a continuous variable prior to the manipulation. Results partially support hypothesis 1, as the those in the treatment condition reported higher positive AOEs overall (i.e., sociability, tension reduction, liquid courage, and sexuality) than those in the control condition. Additionally, while social anxiety was not found to be a significant moderator, it was associated with higher negative AOEs, and social anxiety did not appear to mitigate the effect of social modeling on positive AOEs. Findings from this study suggest that researchers should include social modeling when investigating pathways related to hazardous drinking, whether using a socially anxious sample or not

Agriculture in our public schools

Article on agricultural education in Texas. Includes photographs of a sugar cane field with farm workers in the Rio Grande Valley, a cotton field with farm workers in West Texas.https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/gulfcoastmag/1004/thumbnail.jp

Facilitating Communication for Aviation Training and Maintenance

Maintenance errors are the primary cause of approximately 8% of commercial aircraft accidents worldwide. One factor that contributes to human errors is miscommunication. Clear communication is critical in aviation education and in aviation maintenance operations. A fundamental concept for clear communication is both the transmission and receipt of a common message. This research explores the miscommunication and misinterpretation of instructions used in maintenance training. Miscommunicationmay be due to ambiguity, use of jargon, and differentindividual interpretations and methods for standard practices. First, an example of a commonly misunderstood process is identified. Next, enhanced training tools are developed to reduce the likelihood of miscommunication. These enhanced training tools include detailed illustrations and the addition of descriptive text to provide more information, including additional physical characteristics and technical context. Finally, the proposed training aids are assessed in a controlled study to determine theireffectiveness

Density in a Planetary Exosphere

A discussion of the Opik-Singer theory of the density of a planetary exosphere is presented. Their density formula permits the calculation of the depth of the exosphere. Since the correctness of their derivation of the basic formula for the density distribution has been questioned, an alternate method based directly on Liouville's theorem is given. It is concluded that the Opik-Singer formula seems valid for the ballistic component of the exosphere; but for a complete description of the planetary exosphere, the ionized and bound-orbit components must also be included

An exploration of fathers' subjective experiences of parenting a child that presents with Dyspraxia during middle childhood

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych (Psychology)Confronting the realisation that one's child may have a developmental disability presents a major challenge for any parent. The body of scholarship in this area however, focused mainly on the role that mothers play highlighting a distinct gap within the literature. In an attempt to address this, my study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of fathers parenting a child that presents with dyspraxia during middle childhood. This aim translated into the following objectives: to understand the subjective experiences of fathers parenting a child that presents with dyspraxia during middle childhood; to explore the challenges faced by fathers in parenting a child that presents with dyspraxia during middle childhood and to identify the support structures available and support required by fathers parenting a child that presents with dyspraxia during middle childhood. This study was theoretically located within Bowen's Family Systems Theory and the Family Resilience Framework. Philosophically the methodology was grounded within an Interpretivist Framework using a qualitative approach. Consistent with this approach, 14 semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. Fathers were purposively recruited from across the Cape metropole area and were asked about their subjective experiences in parenting a child that presents with dyspraxia. Permission to conduct the study was obtained from the Senate Research Ethics Committee (Social and Human Sciences) of the University of the Western Cape. Participation was completely voluntary and could be withdrawn at any stage. Ethics principles were strictly adhered to throughout the entire process. The transcriptions were subjected to a thematic analysis in which three thematic domains emerged namely; Experiences, Challenges and Support. The thematic domain of Experiences revealed their initial reactions, their emotional responses, their innovative teaching methods and their expectations with regard to their child. The Challenges thematic domain highlighted issues of health literacy, their sense of helplessness, how interactions were circumscribed, the acquiescence of the respective schools and the lack of support that they experienced. The Support thematic domain revealed the external and internal support sources for these fathers. Based on the findings of the study, the recommendations are to create an informal support network of parents and health professionals to share information and to offer a practical guide for parents to utilise in the treatment of their child at home. The findings also revealed that alternative understandings of fathering need to be developed to enable new and more equal ways of being both fathers and men and mothers and women. This is necessary to challenge the limiting essential notions of what is possible for men and women