Abstract: Trauma in early life is widely regarded as a cause for
adult mental health problems. This study explores the role of
secondary trauma on later functioning in a sample of 359 university
students enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes in the United
States. Participants were initially divided into four groups based on
1) having directly experienced trauma (assaultive violence), 2)
having directly experienced trauma and secondary traumatization
through the unanticipated death of a close friend or family member
or witnessing of an injury or shocking even), 3) having no
experience of direct trauma but having experienced indirect trauma
(secondary trauma), or 4) reporting no exposure. Participants
completed a battery of measures on concepts associated with
psychological functioning which included measures of
psychological well-being, problem solving, coping and resiliency.
Findings discuss differences in psychological functioning and
resilience based on participants who experienced secondary
traumatization and assaultive violence versus secondary
traumatization alone.
Abstract: The common practice of operating S-rotor is in an
open environment; however there are times when the rotor is
installed in a bounded environment and there might be changes in the
performance of the rotor. This paper presents the changes in the
performance of S-rotor when operated in bounded flows. The
investigation was conducted experimentally to compare the
performance of the rotors in bounded environment against open
environment. Three different rotors models were designed, fabricated
and subjected to experimental measurements. All of the three models
were having 600 mm height and 300 mm Diameter. They were tested
in three different flow environments; namely: partially bounded
environment, fully bounded environment and open environment.
Rotors were found to have better starting up capabilities when
operated in bounded environment. Apart from that, all rotors manage
to achieve higher Power and Torque Coefficients at a higher Tip
Speed Ratio as compared to the open environment.
Abstract: An ethical mandate of the social work profession in the
United States is that BSW and MSW graduates are sufficiently
prepared to both understand diverse cultural values and beliefs and
offer services that are culturally sensitive and relevant to clients. This
skill set is particularly important for social workers in the 21st Century,
given the increasing globalization of the U.S. and world. The purpose
of this paper is to outline a pedagogical model for teaching cultural
competency that resulted in a significant increase in cultural
competency for MSW graduates at Western Kentucky University
(WKU). More specifically, this model is predicated on five specific
culturally sensitive principles and activities that were found to be
highly effective in conveying culturally relevant knowledge and skills
to MSW students at WKU. Future studies can assess the effectiveness
of these principles in other MSW programs across the U.S. and abroad.
Abstract: The disaster from functional gastrointestinal disorders has detrimental impact on the quality of life of the effected population and imposes a tremendous social and economic burden. There are, however, rare diagnostic methods for the functional gastrointestinal disorders. Our research group identified recently that the gastrointestinal tract well in the patients with the functional gastrointestinal disorders becomes more rigid than healthy people when palpating the abdominal regions overlaying the gastrointestinal tract. Objective of current study is, therefore, identify feasibility of a diagnostic system for the functional gastrointestinal disorders based on ultrasound technique, which can quantify the characteristics above. Two-dimensional finite difference (FD) models (one normal and two rigid model) were developed to analyze the reflective characteristic (displacement) on each soft-tissue layer responded after application of ultrasound signals. The FD analysis was then based on elastic ultrasound theory. Validation of the model was performed via comparison of the characteristic of the ultrasonic responses predicted by FD analysis with that determined from the actual specimens for the normal and rigid conditions. Based on the results from FD analysis, ultrasound system for diagnosis of the functional gastrointestinal disorders was developed and clinically tested via application of it to 40 human subjects with/without functional gastrointestinal disorders who were assigned to Normal and Patient Groups. The FD models were favorably validated. The results from FD analysis showed that the maximum displacement amplitude in the rigid models (0.12 and 0.16) at the interface between the fat and muscle layers was explicitly less than that in the normal model (0.29). The results from actual specimens showed that the maximum amplitude of the ultrasonic reflective signal in the rigid models (0.2±0.1Vp-p) at the interface between the fat and muscle layers was explicitly higher than that in the normal model (0.1±0.2 Vp-p). Clinical tests using our customized ultrasound system showed that the maximum amplitudes of the ultrasonic reflective signals near to the gastrointestinal tract well for the patient group (2.6±0.3 Vp-p) were generally higher than those in normal group (0.1±0.2 Vp-p). Here, maximum reflective signals was appeared at 20mm depth approximately from abdominal skin for all human subjects, corresponding to the location of the boundary layer close to gastrointestinal tract well. These findings suggest that our customized ultrasound system using the ultrasonic reflective signal may be helpful to the diagnosis of the functional gastrointestinal disorders.
Abstract: This paper presents a novel approach to assessing textile porosity by the application of the image analysis techniques. The images of different types of sample fabrics, taken through a microscope when the fabric is placed over a constant light source,transfer the problem into the image analysis domain. Indeed, porosity can thus be expressed in terms of a brightness percentage index calculated on the digital microscope image. Furthermore, it is meaningful to compare the brightness percentage index with the air permeability and the tightness indices of each fabric type. We have experimentally shown that there exists an approximately linear relation between brightness percentage and air permeability indices.
Abstract: Intelligent tutoring systems constitute an evolution of computer-aided educational software. We present here the modules of an intelligent tutoring system for Automatic Control, developed in our department. Through the software application developed,students can perform complete automatic control laboratory experiments, either over the departmental local area network or over the Internet. Monitoring of access to the system (local as well as international), along with student performance statistics, has yielded strongly encouraging results (as of fall 2004), despite the advanced technical content of the presented paradigm, thus showing the potential of the system developed for education and for training.
Abstract: This paper deals with the problem of non-uniform
torsion in thin-walled elastic beams with asymmetric cross-section,
removing the basic concept of a fixed center of twist, necessary in the
Vlasov-s and Benscoter-s theories to obtain a warping stress field
equivalent to zero. In this new torsion/flexure theory, despite of the
classical ones, the warping function will punctually satisfy the first
indefinite equilibrium equation along the beam axis and it wont- be
necessary to introduce the classical congruence condition, to take into
account the effect of the beam restraints. The solution, based on the
Fourier development of the displacement field, is obtained assuming
that the applied external torque is constant along the beam axis and
on both beam ends the unit twist angle and the warping axial
displacement functions are totally restrained.
Finally, in order to verify the feasibility of the proposed method
and to compare it with the classical theories, two applications are
carried out. The first one, relative to an open profile, is necessary to
test the numerical method adopted to find the solution; the second
one, instead, is relative to a simplified containership section,
considered as full restrained in correspondence of two adjacent
transverse bulkheads.
Abstract: Developing a nation geared by the principle of
sustainable development has been one of the piers in moulding a
greater nation for Malaysia since its independence. This is seen by
the act of joining the United Nations in 1957, just a month after
gaining their independence. The United Nations is an international
organization that aims to unite the nations worldwide based on
justice, human dignity and human well-being. Malaysia has
established a local body called the United Nations Malaysia which
collaborates with the government to accomplish the aim of
supporting sustainable development in Malaysia. Agenda 21 is an
international document produced from the Earth Summit providing
guidelines of implementing sustainable development globally,
nationally and locally. Initiatives of applying Agenda 21 in Malaysia
have been taken by the government and non-profit organizations to
expose issues regarding sustainable development and providing
environmental education to the community to increase awareness
towards environmental protection.
Abstract: The lack of security obstructs a large scale de- ployment of the multicast communication model. There- fore, a host of research works have been achieved in order to deal with several issues relating to securing the multicast, such as confidentiality, authentication, non-repudiation, in- tegrity and access control. Many applications require au- thenticating the source of the received traffic, such as broadcasting stock quotes and videoconferencing and hence source authentication is a required component in the whole multicast security architecture. In this paper, we propose a new and efficient source au- thentication protocol which guarantees non-repudiation for multicast flows, and tolerates packet loss. We have simu- lated our protocol using NS-2, and the simulation results show that the protocol allows to achieve improvements over protocols fitting into the same category.
Abstract: Availability of raw materials is important for
Indonesia as a furniture exporting country. Teak log as raw materials
is supplied to the furniture industry by Perum Perhutani (PP). PP
needs to involve carbon trading for nature conservation. PP also has
an obligation in the Corporate Social Responsibility program. PP and
furniture industry also must prosecute the regulations related to
ecological issues and labor rights. This study has the objective to
create the relationship model between supplier and manufacturer to
fulfill teak log demand that involving teak forest carbon
sequestration. A model is formulated as Goal Programming to get the
favorable solution for teak log procurement and support carbon
sequestration that considering economical, ecological, and social
aspects of both supplier and manufacturer. The results show that the
proposed model can be used to determine the teak log quantity
involving carbon trading to achieve the seven goals to be satisfied the
sustainability considerations.
Abstract: Number Link is a Japanese logic puzzle where pairs of same numbers are connected using lines. Number Link can be regarded as a dynamic multiple travelers, multiple entries and exits maze, where the walls and passages are dynamically changing as the travelers move. In this paper, we apply the Tremaux’s algorithm to solve Number Link puzzles of size 8x8, 10x10 and 15x20. The algorithm works well and produces a solution for puzzles of size 8x8 and 10x10. However, solving a puzzle of size 15x20 requires high computer processing power and is time consuming.
Abstract: Measures of complexity and entropy have not converged to a single quantitative description of levels of organization of complex systems. The need for such a measure is increasingly necessary in all disciplines studying complex systems. To address this problem, starting from the most fundamental principle in Physics, here a new measure for quantity of organization and rate of self-organization in complex systems based on the principle of least (stationary) action is applied to a model system - the central processing unit (CPU) of computers. The quantity of organization for several generations of CPUs shows a double exponential rate of change of organization with time. The exact functional dependence has a fine, S-shaped structure, revealing some of the mechanisms of self-organization. The principle of least action helps to explain the mechanism of increase of organization through quantity accumulation and constraint and curvature minimization with an attractor, the least average sum of actions of all elements and for all motions. This approach can help describe, quantify, measure, manage, design and predict future behavior of complex systems to achieve the highest rates of self organization to improve their quality. It can be applied to other complex systems from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Ecology, Economics, Cities, network theory and others where complex systems are present.
Abstract: A new method, based on the normal shrink and
modified version of Katssagelous and Lay, is proposed for multiscale
blind image restoration. The method deals with the noise and blur in
the images. It is shown that the normal shrink gives the highest S/N
(signal to noise ratio) for image denoising process. The multiscale
blind image restoration is divided in two sections. The first part of
this paper proposes normal shrink for image denoising and the
second part of paper proposes modified version of katssagelous and
Lay for blur estimation and the combination of both methods to reach
a multiscale blind image restoration.
Abstract: B2E portals represent a new class of web-based
information technologies which many organisations are introducing
in recent years to stay in touch with their distributed workforces and
enable them to perform value added activities for organisations.
However, actual usage of these emerging systems (measured using
suitable instruments) has not been reported in the contemporary
scholarly literature. We argue that many of the instruments to
measure usage of various types of IT-enabled information systems
are not directly applicable for B2E portals because they were
developed for the context of traditional mainframe and PC-based
information systems. It is therefore important to develop a new
instrument for web-based portal technologies aimed at employees. In
this article, we report on the development and initial qualitative
evaluation of an instrument that seeks to operationaise a set of
independent factors affecting the usage of portals by employees. The
proposed instrument is useful to IT/e-commerce researchers and
practitioners alike as it enhances their confidence in predicting
employee usage of portals in organisations.
Abstract: In this study, we consider a special situation that only a pair of hydrophone on a moving underwater vehicle is available to localize a fixed acoustic source of far distance. The trigonometry can be used in this situation by using two different DOA of different locations. Notice that the distance between the two locations should be measured. Therefore, we assume that the vehicle is sailing straightly and the moving distance for each unit time is measured continuously. However, the accuracy of the localization using the trigonometry is highly dependent to the accuracy of DOAs and measured moving distances. Therefore, we proposed another method based on the extended Kalman filter that gives more robust and accurate localization result.
Abstract: FlexRay, as a communication protocol for automotive
control systems, is developed to fulfill the increasing demand on the
electronic control units for implementing systems with higher safety
and more comfort. In this work, we study the impact of
radiation-induced soft errors on FlexRay-based steer-by-wire system.
We injected the soft errors into general purpose register set of FlexRay
nodes to identify the most critical registers, the failure modes of the
steer-by-wire system, and measure the probability distribution of
failure modes when an error occurs in the register file.
Abstract: This paper presents an ESN-based Arabic phoneme
recognition system trained with supervised, forced and combined
supervised/forced supervised learning algorithms. Mel-Frequency
Cepstrum Coefficients (MFCCs) and Linear Predictive Code (LPC)
techniques are used and compared as the input feature extraction
technique. The system is evaluated using 6 speakers from the King
Abdulaziz Arabic Phonetics Database (KAPD) for Saudi Arabia
dialectic and 34 speakers from the Center for Spoken Language
Understanding (CSLU2002) database of speakers with different
dialectics from 12 Arabic countries. Results for the KAPD and
CSLU2002 Arabic databases show phoneme recognition
performances of 72.31% and 38.20% respectively.
Abstract: Surface sediment samples were collected from the
Canon River mouth, Taiwan and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total PAHs concentrations varied from 337 to
1,252 ng/g dry weight, with a mean concentration of 827 ng/g dry
weight. The spatial distribution of PAHs reveals that the PAHs
concentration is relatively high in the river mouth region, and
gradually diminishes toward the harbor region. Diagnostic ratios
showed that the possible source of PAHs in the Canon River mouth
could be petroleum combustion. The toxic equivalent concentrations
(TEQcarc) of PAHs varied from 47 to 112 ng TEQ/g dry weight. Higher
total TEQcarc values were found in the river mouth region. As
compared with the US Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs), the
observed levels of PAHs at Canon River mouth were lower than the
effects range low (ERL), and would probably not exert adverse
biological effects.
Abstract: The paper is concerned with the state examination as
well as the problems during the post surgical (orthopedic)
rehabilitation of the knee and ankle joint. An observation of the
current appliances for a passive rehabilitation devices is presented.
The major necessary and basic features of the intelligent
rehabilitation devices are considered. An approach for a new
intelligent appliance is suggested. The main advantages of the device
are: both active as well as passive rehabilitation of the patient based
on the human - patient reactions and a real time feedback. The basic
components: controller; electrical motor; encoder, force – torque
sensor are discussed in details. The main modes of operation of the
device are considered.
Abstract: In wavelet regression, choosing threshold value is a crucial issue. A too large value cuts too many coefficients resulting in over smoothing. Conversely, a too small threshold value allows many coefficients to be included in reconstruction, giving a wiggly estimate which result in under smoothing. However, the proper choice of threshold can be considered as a careful balance of these principles. This paper gives a very brief introduction to some thresholding selection methods. These methods include: Universal, Sure, Ebays, Two fold cross validation and level dependent cross validation. A simulation study on a variety of sample sizes, test functions, signal-to-noise ratios is conducted to compare their numerical performances using three different noise structures. For Gaussian noise, EBayes outperforms in all cases for all used functions while Two fold cross validation provides the best results in the case of long tail noise. For large values of signal-to-noise ratios, level dependent cross validation works well under correlated noises case. As expected, increasing both sample size and level of signal to noise ratio, increases estimation efficiency.