Spatial integration of optic flow information in direction of heading judgments

While we know that humans are extremely sensitive to optic flow information about direction of heading, we do not know how they integrate information across the visual field. We adapted the standard cue perturbation paradigm to investigate how young adult observers integrate optic flow information from different regions of the visual field to judge direction of heading. First, subjects judged direction of heading when viewing a three-dimensional field of random dots simulating linear translation through the world. We independently perturbed the flow in one visual field quadrant to indicate a different direction of heading relative to the other three quadrants. We then used subjects' judgments of direction of heading to estimate the relative influence of flow information in each quadrant on perception. Human subjects behaved similarly to the ideal observer in terms of integrating motion information across the visual field with one exception: Subjects overweighted information in the upper half of the visual field. The upper-field bias was robust under several different stimulus conditions, suggesting that it may represent a physiological adaptation to the uneven distribution of task-relevant motion information in our visual world

Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft ver.di: neue Wege - neue Aufgaben für Gewerkschaften?

In der dritten Märzwoche entscheidet sich das Schicksal von ver.di. Mit der Gründung der Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft wird, nach Meinung von Franz Bsirske, Vorsitzender der ÖTV und designierter Vorsitzender der neuen Gewerkschaft, und Roland Issen, Vorsitzender der DAG, eine Chance eröffnet, der gewerkschaftlichen Interessenvertretung im Dienstleistungssektor neue Impulse zu geben und auf den Strukturwandel der Arbeitswelt zu reagieren. Dr. Werner Sesselmeier, Universität Darmstadt, sieht die Zukunft der Gewerkschaft vor allem in der »Erschließung neuer Arbeitnehmergruppen«.Gewerkschaft, Dienstleistung, Gewerkschaftspolitik, Gewerkschaftsorganisation

Evaluating the articulation of programme theory in practice as observed in Quality Improvement initiatives

Background: The Action-Effect Method(AEM) was co-developed by NIHR CLAHRC Northwest London (CLAHRC NWL) researchers and QI practitioners, building on Driver Diagrams(DD). This study aimed to determine AEM effectiveness in terms of technical aspects (how diagrams produced in practice compared with theoretical ideals) and social aspects (how engagement with the method related to social benefits). Methods Diagrams were scored on criteria developed on theoretical ideals of programme theory. 65 programme theory diagrams were reviewed (21 published Driver Diagrams (External DDs), 22 CLAHRC NWL Driver Diagrams (Internal DDs), and 21 CLAHRC NWL Action-Effect Diagrams(AEDs)). Social functions were studied through ethnographic observation of frontline QI teams in AEM sessions facilitated by QI experts. Qualitative analysis used inductive and deductive coding. Results ANOVA indicated the AEM significantly improved the quality of programme theory diagrams over Internal and External DDs on an average of 5 criteria from an 8-point assessment. Articulated aims were more likely to be patient-focused and high-level in AEDs than DDs. The cause/effect relationships from intervention to overall aim also tended to be clearer and were more likely than DDs to contain appropriate measure concepts. Using the AEM also served several social functions such as facilitating dialogue among multidisciplinary teams, and encouraging teams to act scientifically and pragmatically about planning and measuring QI interventions. Implications: The Action-Effect Method developed by CLAHRC NWL resulted in improvements over Driver Diagrams in articulating programme theory, which has wide-ranging benefits to quality improvement, including encouraging broad multi-disciplinary buy-in to clear aims and pre-planning a rigorous evaluation strategy

Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft ver.di: neue Wege - neue Aufgaben für Gewerkschaften?

In der dritten Märzwoche entscheidet sich das Schicksal von ver.di. Mit der Gründung der Dienstleistungsgewerkschaft wird, nach Meinung von Franz Bsirske, Vorsitzender der ÖTV und designierter Vorsitzender der neuen Gewerkschaft, und Roland Issen, Vorsitzender der DAG, eine Chance eröffnet, der gewerkschaftlichen Interessenvertretung im Dienstleistungssektor neue Impulse zu geben und auf den Strukturwandel der Arbeitswelt zu reagieren. Dr. Werner Sesselmeier, Universität Darmstadt, sieht die Zukunft der Gewerkschaft vor allem in der »Erschließung neuer Arbeitnehmergruppen«

Paper Session I-C - Project Apollo & the Cold War: Understanding the Space Race as Ritual Combat

Why did we go to the moon? Even the astronomers who worked on Project Apollo could not pretend that it was inspired by a driving love of science. It is hard to believe that the urge to explore was the motive; less than one-percent of the surface was ever explored by man. Three out of ten missions were canceled before the program was abandoned twenty-five years ago, with no plans to return. What did Project Apollo mean? President Kennedy proposed Project Apollo at a special session of Congress on May 25, 1961 after only four months in office. His campaign claims of Soviet superiority in missiles and space had raised alarms about declining American influence. While many of his claims about weapons were fabrications, the public had not forgotten the panic caused by Sputnik I, launched by the USSR on October 4, 1957. President Eisenhower was bemused by all the hand-wringing and cries of doom, and impatient with the mad rush to drain the national treasury. Eisenhower knew that Sputnik was not a serious security threat because it could not be maneuvered in orbit, and that the US could have launched more sophisticated satellites before the Soviets. But the US had been concentrating its efforts on its missile system. Eisenhower was concerned with building a strong defense without getting deeply into debt. After that was in place he was interested in a modest space program, but insisted that it be strictly scientific. Perhaps in retrospect Eisenhower’s vision can be appreciated as being more accurate, but Kennedy’s hectoring of Eisenhower for a ‘Missile Gap’ and Sputnik was more persuasive, and probably was a decisive point in his election over Nixon. Why did the public believe Kennedy’s interpretation of looming catastrophe instead of accepting Eisenhower’s reasonable assessment of the facts

Paper Session III-B - Adaption to Space and the Development of Human Behavior

Space exploration offers an unprecedented opportunity to study the evolution of bipedalism, the use of two feet as the primary method of locomotion. Among mammals, this adaptation is uniquely human (Wilson:52). Bipedalism is impossible in the weightlessness of space, and astronauts have had to adapt other means of locomotion. A better understanding of human adaptation to weightlessness may offer insight to the human evolution of bipedalism. Bipedalism and weightlessness have resulted in physical as well as behavioral changes. In bipedalism, the weight of the body shifted from four to two legs and feet, transmitting the load vertically through the spinal column. Evolutionary changes occurred in the legs, knees, pelvis, feet, and spine. Weightlessness unloads these weight-bearing bones and astronauts have been observed to experience bone mass loss after exposure to weightlessness. This paper will examine human adaptation to space for indications of hominid evolution to bipedalism

Pediatric wheelchair and headrest design guidelines and the effect of headrests on relative injury risk under rear impact conditions

The role that wheelchairs and wheelchair mounted headrests play in rear impact occupant protection for children who remain seated in wheelchairs while traveling in motor vehicles was investigated using sled testing and computer simulation. Study goals were to establish pediatric wheelchair and headrest design guidelines and to determine the effect of headrests on relative injury risk outcome measures under rear impact conditions. Two series of sled tests (16 mph, 11g) were conducted using a Hybrid III 6-year old anthropomorphic test device (ATD) seated in identically configured manual pediatric wheelchairs, with and without headrests. Wheelchairs remained intact and the ATD remained upright. Rear impact front wheelchair securement points were subjected to loads similar to previously described (Ha, DongRan, 2004) rear securement points in frontal impact, although Ha used the more severe 30mph, 20g frontal impact WC19 - Wheelchairs Used as Seats in Motor Vehicles (ANSI/RESNA, 2000) crash pulse. Sled test ATD data analysis indicated that wheelchair headrest use had a potentially protective effect based on pediatric head and neck injury risk outcomes. Sled test data established response corridors for MADYMO computer simulation model development, and defined statistical test target thresholds for model validation. Two simulation models were developed, with and without a headrest. The models validated well for tiedown loads, wheelchair acceleration, lap belt loads and chest acceleration. Outcomes related to head and neck response were not as strongly validated. Model ATD neck response characterization methods were developed. Finally, parametric sensitivity analyses were used to develop wheelchair and headrest design guidelines for pediatric manual wheelchairs in rear impact for front securement point loads, rear wheel loads and seatback loads. Pediatric injury outcome measure sensitivity to wheelchair, headrest and crash pulse parameters was evaluated. Neck injury criteria (Nij) was sensitive to headrest placement; resulting recommendations specify placing the headrest as close as possible to the back of the head, and top of the headrest pad should be at least 5 cm above the head center of gravity. Effects of stiffer 6-year old ATD neck response on injury risk outcome measures were evaluated and found to reduce likelihood of severe neck injury

Paper Session III-A - Space Policy and Social Ethics

While always controversial, the United States space exploration program has recently come under increased criticism as an extravagance that a debtor nation cannot afford. There are questions raised in times of budget austerity about the funding and policy implementation for the programs that are designed to increase human\u27s understanding and presence outside of earth\u27s biosphere. But advocates of an aggressive space policy point to technological advances and scientific breakthroughs that improve the quality of life and our understanding of the universe that are made possible by an active space program. The social ethics of space exploration is a topical issue that requires serious deliberation

The impact of divorce on middle & high schools students

This paper discusses the impact of divorce on middle and high school students’ education. Considering the recent rise in the proportion of divorce and the students drop-out of school in UK, and Turkey,1,2 it is crucial to write about this topic to raise awareness of parents, teachers, counselors, social workers about it, and to contribute to the ongoing discussions about the impact of divorce on different age group of people. The main aim of this paper is to explain the concept of divorce, its impact on middle and high school students and also to provide school and parents based prevention strategies as well as school counselor and intervention techniques. By doing so, the paper anticipates to draw the attention of parents, schools, school counselors, and researchers considering this significant problem. The paper starts with a brief definition of divorce, followed by divorce impacts on middle and high school students, prevention strategies, and some intervention techniques that could be applied by teachers, school counselors, and parents to minimize the psychological effect of divorce on students from divorced parents

Predicting strain localization in high porosity materials

Rudnicki and Rice (1975; RR75) proposed that strain localization in pressure-dependent materials could be -modeled as a bifurcation from homogeneous deformation, because of a constitutive instability in an initially uniform material undergoing inelastic deformation. Using a continuum approach, details of the material mesostructure were not specified, but rather enter through the choice of continuum constitutive relation. Although RR75 had dilatant, low porosity rocks in mind, they used a sufficiently general constitutive relation (inelastic deformation depends on first and second invariants of stress) to enable the localization framework to be applied to a variety of materials. Of relevance, here is the application to porous materials. For example, Aydin and Johnson (1983) extended the RR75 framework to examine compactant shear bands in high porosity sandstone. Olsson (1999) proposed that the RR75 framework could be used to predict compaction bands in high porosity sandstone. Thhis study employs the RR75 framework to interpret experimentally observed strain localization in various porous materials, including high porosity sandstone and aluminum foam. Two closed-cell aluminum foams (Alporas and Cymat) were tested under uniaxial tension or compression. All 37 specimens experienced strain localization. Under compression, bands -consisted of intense compaction via cell collapse, combined with notable shear offset. During tension tests, a roughly planar zone of localized dilation (extension) preceded formation of a through-going fracture. Observed band angles (angle between band normal and direction of maximum compression/minimum tension) were calculated and compared with predictions (all angles below are in degrees). Under uniaxial compression, observed bands in Alporas were oriented at 8–20 and predictions were 20–30; for Cymat, observed band orientations were 10–23 and predicted angles were 7–19. For Alporas foam under uniaxial tension, observed band angles were 71–88, compared to predicted angles of 63–74. For all specimens, the average difference between the observed and predicted angles was 8. For uniaxial compression, the predicted angle was generally higher than the observed angle; for uniaxial tension, the predicted was typically lower than the observed. Possible causes for the discrepancies will be discussed. For comparison, results are provided from true triaxial testing of high porosity Castlegate sandstone (details presented in the MD Ingraham discussion), which exhibited two localization modes: shear bands and compaction localization.Predicted shear band angles demonstrated reasonable agreement with observed angles. At 30–60 MPa mean stress, observed band angles were 48–66; predicted angles were typically \u3c3 of observed. At 90 MPa mean stress, observed band angles were 23–57; the average difference between predicted and observed angles was 14. At 120–150 MPa, a diffuse zone of compaction localization occurred and predicted angles were generally in poor agreement with observed angles; likely causes for this will discussed. In summary, this work examined application of the RR75 localization framework toward predicting strain localization in diverse porous materials under various loading conditions (uniaxial tension, uniaxial compression, true triaxial compression). For all the materials and loading conditions considered here, when failure consisted of a well--defined band of localized strain, the predicted angles demonstrated reasonable agreement with observed angles