Of Trustees and Offsprings: A Diasporic Trail of Parsi “Crisis” from Bombay to Hong Kong

This thesis examines the discourse(s) of crisis in the Parsi diaspora. Treating crisis as a common variable, rather than a singular and unique event across various Parsi communities, I investigate the dimensions of crisis that bind separated Parsi communities in anxiety through a shared language, cultural experience, and historical memory. Turning first to India and then Hong Kong as my case studies, I analyze “crisis,” that has often been identified in terms of demographic decay or postcolonial decline, in the context of more subtle debates around racial purity and trust funds. Crisis, for the Parsi diaspora, while indicating a critical moment in the present, also serves to reveal the underlying and pre-existing socio-economic and cultural tensions in the communities. Relying largely on life-story interviews, online blogs and articles, and archival work, I portray the crisis not as a unique and sporadic event, but rather as one of continuity and complexity, albeit manifesting each time in different and unique guises, that continues to disrupt as well as unite the Parsi diaspora today.

Let´s teach geometry

In this work we present an activity for High School students in which various mathematical concepts of plane and spatial geometry are involved. The final objective of the proposed tasks is constructing a particular polyhedron, the cube, by using a modality of origami called modular origami.

A hybrid fractal video compression method

Fractal image compression is a relatively recent image compression method. Its extension to a sequence of motion images is important in video compression applications. There are two basic fractal compression methods, namely the cube-based and the frame-based methods, being commonly used in the industry. However there are advantages and disadvantages in both methods. This paper proposes a hybrid algorithm highlighting the advantages of the two methods in order to produce a good compression algorithm for video industry. Experimental results show the hybrid algorithm improves the compression ratio and the quality of decompressed images.

Adaptive partition and hybrid method in fractal video compression

Fractal image compression is a relatively recent image compression method, which is simple to use and often leads to a high compression ratio. These advantages make it suitable for the situation of a single encoding and many decoding, as required in video on demand, archive compression, etc. There are two fundamental fractal compression methods, namely, the cube-based and the frame-based methods, being commonly studied. However, there are advantages and disadvantages in both methods. This paper gives an extension of the fundamental compression methods based on the concept of adaptive partition. Experimental results show that the algorithms based on adaptive partition may obtain a much higher compression ratio compared to algorithms based on fixed partition while maintaining the quality of decompressed images.

Pullout test correlations and in-place strength assessment - the European Concrete Frame Building Project

A full-scale, seven-story, reinforced concrete building frame was constructed in-place at the Building Research Establishment's Cardington Laboratory, which encompassed a range of different concrete mixtures and advanced construction techniques. This provided an opportunity to assess in-place nondestructive test methods, namely the pullout test, and more specifically the Danish version, which has been known as the Lok test, on a systematic basis during the construction of the building. It was used in conjunction with both standard and temperature-matched cube specimens to assess its practicality and accuracy under site conditions. Strength correlations were determined using linear and power function regression analysis. Strength predictions from these were found to be in very good agreement with the compressive strengths of temperature-matched cube specimens. When a general correlation is used, however, estimates for compressive strength are likely to have 95% confidence limits of around '20% of the mean value of four results.

Kinematic Design of a 6-DOF Parallel Manipulator with Decoupled Translation and Rotation

A new three-limb, six-degree-of-freedom (DOF) parallel manipulator (PM), termed a selectively actuated PM (SA-PM), is proposed. The end-effector of the manipulator can produce 3-DOF spherical motion, 3-DOF translation, 3-DOF hybrid motion, or complete 6-DOF spatial motion, depending on the types of the actuation (rotary or linear) chosen for the actuators. The manipulator architecture completely decouples translation and rotation of the end-effector for individual control. The structure synthesis of SA-PM is achieved using the line geometry. Singularity analysis shows that the SA-PM is an isotropic translation PM when all the actuators are in linear mode. Because of the decoupled motion structure, a decomposition method is applied for both the displacement analysis and dimension optimization. With the index of maximal workspace satisfying given global conditioning requirements, the geometrical parameters are optimized. As a result, the translational workspace is a cube, and the orientation workspace is nearly unlimited.

Spatial Perception and Cognition in Multichannel Audio for Electroacoustic Music

Listeners experience electroacoustic music as full of significance and meaning, and they experience spatiality as one of the factors contributing to its meaningfulness. If we want to understand spatiality in electroacoustic music, we must understand how the listener’s mental processes give rise to the experience of meaning. In electroacoustic music as in everyday life, these mental processes unite the peripheral auditory system with human spatial cognition. In the discussion that follows we consider a range of the listener’s mental processes relating space and meaning from the perceptual attributes of spatial imagery to the spatial reference frames for places and navigation. When considering multichannel loudspeaker systems in particular, an important part of the discussion is focused on the distinctive and idiomatic ways in which this particular mode of sound production contributes to and situates meaning. These idiosyncrasies include the phenomenon of image dispersion, the important consequences of the precedence effect and the influence of source characteristics on spatial imagery. These are discussed in close relation to the practicalities of artistic practice and to the potential for artistic meaning experienced by the listener.

Science for sale in a free market economy: But at what price? ABA and the treatment of autism in Europe.

Educating the public accurately about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an important undertaking, not least because misconceptions and myths about ABA abound. In this paper we argue that, unfortunately, the efforts of many dedicated professionals and parents to disseminate accurate information about the benefits of ABA for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are damaged by a few behavior analysts whose focus seems to be more on monetary gains than social responsibility. We cite examples of the resulting harm to the public image of behavior analysis from a number of European countries. We conclude by calling upon fellow scientists to unite in their opposition to unscrupulous abuses of free market forces for short-term monetary gains that damage the dissemination of the science of behavior analysis and thereby ultimately disadvantage those who should benefit primarily from our science, i.e., some of the most vulnerable citizens of society.

Response characteristics of optical sensors for oxygen: models based on a distribution in tau(o) or kappa(q)

The features of two popular models used to describe the observed response characteristics of typical oxygen optical sensors based on luminescence quenching are examined critically. The models are the 'two-site' and 'Gaussian distribution in natural lifetime, tau(o),' models. These models are used to characterise the response features of typical optical oxygen sensors; features which include: downward curving Stern-Volmer plots and increasingly non-first order luminescence decay kinetics with increasing partial pressures of oxygen, pO(2). Neither model appears able to unite these latter features, let alone the observed disparate array of response features exhibited by the myriad optical oxygen sensors reported in the literature, and still maintain any level of physical plausibility. A model based on a Gaussian distribution in quenching rate constant, k(q), is developed and, although flawed by a limited breadth in distribution, rho, does produce Stern-Volmer plots which would cover the range in curvature seen with real optical oxygen sensors. A new 'log-Gaussian distribution in tau(o) or k(q)' model is introduced which has the advantage over a Gaussian distribution model of placing no limitation on the value of rho. Work on a 'log-Gaussian distribution in tau(o)' model reveals that the Stern-Volmer quenching plots would show little degree in curvature, even at large rho values and the luminescence decays would become increasingly first order with increasing pO(2). In fact, with real optical oxygen sensors, the opposite is observed and thus the model appears of little value. In contrast, a 'log-Gaussian distribution in k(o)' model does produce the trends observed with real optical oxygen sensors; although it is technically restricted in use to those in which the kinetics of luminescence decay are good first order in the absence of oxygen. The latter model gives a good fit to the major response features of sensors which show the latter feature, most notably the [Ru(dpp)(3)(2+)(Ph4B-)(2)] in cellulose optical oxygen sensors. The scope of a log-Gaussian model for further expansion and, therefore, application to optical oxygen sensors, by combining both a log-Gaussian distribution in k(o) with one in tau(o) is briefly discussed.

In-situ strength assessment of concrete - The European Concrete Frame Building Project (Reprinted from Non-Destructive Testing Civil Engineering, April, pg 583-592, 2000)

A full-scale seven-storey in-situ advanced reinforced concrete building frame was constructed in the Building Research Establishment's Cardington laboratory encompassing a range of different concrete mixes and construction techniques. This provided an opportunity to use in-situ non-destructive test methods, namely Lok and CAPO tests, on a systematic basis during the construction of the building. They were used in conjunction with both standard and temperature-matched cube specimens to assess their practicality and their individual capabilities under field conditions. Results have been analysed and presented to enable comparisons of the performance of the individual test methods employed.

The use of recycled demolition aggregate in precast concrete products – Phase III: Concrete pavement flags

A study undertaken at the University of Liverpool has investigated the potential for using construction and demolition waste (C&DW) derived aggregate in the manufacture of a range of precast concrete products, i.e. building and paving blocks and pavement flags. Phase III, which is reported here, investigated
concrete pavement flags. This was subsequent to studies on building and paving blocks. Recycled demolition aggregate can be used to replace newly quarried limestone aggregate, usually used in coarse (6 mm) and fine (4 mm-to-dust) gradings. The first objective was, as was the case with concrete building
and paving blocks, to replicate the process used by industry in fabricating concrete pavement flags in the laboratory. The ‘‘wet’’ casting technique used by industry for making concrete flags requires a very workable mix so that the concrete flows into the mould before it is compressed. Compression squeezes out water from the top as well as the bottom of the mould. This industrial casting procedure was successfully replicated in the laboratory by using an appropriately modified cube crushing machine and a special mould typical of what is used by industry. The mould could be filled outside of the cube crushing machine and then rolled onto a steel frame and into the machine for it to be compressed. The texture and mechanical properties of the laboratory concrete flags were found to be similar to the factory ones. The experimental work involved two main series of tests, i.e. concrete flags made with concrete- and
masonry-derived aggregate. Investigation of flexural strength was required for concrete paving flags. This is different from building blocks and paving blocks which required compressive and tensile splitting strength respectively. Upper levels of replacement with recycled demolition aggregate were determined
that produced similar flexural strength to paving flags made with newly quarried aggregates, without requiring an increase in the cement content. With up to 60% of the coarse or 40% of the fine fractions replaced with concrete-derived aggregates, the target mean flexural strength of 5.0 N/mm2 was still
achieved at the age of 28 days. There was similar detrimental effect by incorporating the fine masonry-derived aggregate. A replacement level of 70% for coarse was found to be satisfactory and also conservative. However, the fine fraction replacement could only be up to 30% and even reduced to 15% when used for mixes where 60% of the coarse fraction was also masonry-derived aggregate.

Diastereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of pyrylium ylides with chiral enamides

Chiral enamides5f-i were found to react with pyrylium ylides to give cycloadducts 6d-i in good yields with an excellent level of stereoselectivity. The chiral auxiliary was successfully removed on hydrogenolysis of compound 6f in continuous flow (H-Cube) resulting in the first asymmetric synthesis of complex amine 8.

Enacting National Concerns: Accounts of the 2002 Golden Jubilee

Although the study of national identity in social psychology has examined the various ways in which the national group is ‘imagined’, little attention has been paid to the many collective national commemorations, celebrations and rituals of state assumed to unite the nation. This is surprising given the number of celebrations and commemorations which fill the calendars of modern nations
throughout the world and which are assumed by social scientists to play some part in the reproduction of the national community. Taking the British Royal Golden Jubilee celebrations of 2002, the present study examines how understandings of Anglo-British national identity are manifest in conversational
interviews during and after these events. In line with previous examinations of Anglo-Britishness, our respondents typically resisted imagining the national community as a homogenous whole and distanced themselves from depictions of the Jubilee as a nationalistic event. Support for the Jubilee was contingent upon the event being apolitical and inclusive.We suggest that such collective
national events could potentially facilitate ways of imagining the national community in terms of diversity and inclusivity rather than homogeneity and exclusivity.

Corrosion resistant fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) reinforcement for bridge deck slabs

This paper discusses the beneficial influence of compressive membrane action in fibre reinforced polymer (FRP)reinforced in-plane restrained slabs in bridge deck slabs and the improved service performance when archingaction occurs. Bridge deck slabs that are exposed to extreme environmental conditions can experience severecorrosion damage. Expansive corrosion in steel reinforcement significantly reduces the design life and durabilityof concrete structures; for example, on one short section of the M1 in Northern Ireland, nearly £1 million was spent last year on the maintenance and repair of bridges due to corrosion. Corrosion-resistant compositereinforcement such as basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) and glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) provides adurable alternative to reinforcing steel. In this research, two BFRP reinforced slabs and two GFRP reinforced slabswere constructed using high-strength concrete with a target cube compressive strength of 65 N/mm2. The slabsrepresented typical full-scale dimensions of a real bridge deck slab 475 mm wide by 1425 mm long and 150 mmdeep. The service and ultimate behaviour of the slabs are discussed and the results are compared with the relevantdesign guidelines.