Age-related differences in time-limit performance and force platform-based balance measures during one-leg stance

Poor posture control has been associated with an increased risk of falls and mobility disability among older adults. This study was conducted to assess the test-retest reliability and sensitivity to group differences regarding the time-limit (TLimit) of one-leg standing and selected balance parameters obtained with a force platform in older and young adults. A secondary purpose was to assess the relationship between TLimit and these balance parameters. Twenty-eight healthy older adults (age: 69±5years) and thirty young adults (age: 21±4years) participated in this study. Two one-leg stance tasks were performed: (1) three trials of 30s maximum and (2) one TLimit trial. The following balance parameters were computed: center of pressure area, RMS sway amplitude, and mean velocity and mean frequency in both the anterio-posterior and medio-lateral directions. All balance parameters obtained with the force platform as well as the TLimit variable were sensitive to differences in balance performance between older and young adults. The test-retest reliability of these measures was found to be acceptable (ICC: 0.40-0.85), with better ICC scores observed for mean velocity and mean frequency in the older group. Pearson correlations coefficients (r) between balance parameters and TLimit ranged from -0.16 to -0.54. These results add to the current literature that can be used in the development of measurement tools for evaluating balance in older and young adults. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Development of specifications for the superpave simple performance tests

This study describes the development and establishment of a proposed Simple Performance Test (SPT) specification in order to contribute to the asphalt materials technology in the state of Michigan. The properties and characteristic of materials, performance testing of specimens, and field analyses are used in developing draft SPT specifications. These advanced and more effective specifications should significantly improve the qualities of designed and constructed hot mix asphalt (HMA) leading to improvement in pavement life in Michigan. The objectives of this study include the following: 1) using the SPT, conduct a laboratory study to measure the parameters including the dynamic modulus terms (E*/sinϕ and E*) and the flow number (Fn) for typical Michigan HMA mixtures, 2) correlate the results of the laboratory study to field performance as they relate to flexible pavement performance (rutting, fatigue, and low temperature cracking), and 3) make recommendations for the SPT criteria at specific traffic levels (e.g. E3, E10, E30), including recommendations for a draft test specification for use in Michigan. The specification criteria of dynamic modulus were developed based upon field rutting performance and contractor warranty criteria.

The impact of marketing oriented product development on new product performance = A marketing orientált termékfejlesztés hatása az új termék teljesítményre

In the new product innovation management literature a lot of empirical studies have supported the importance of marketing orientation as a key success factor of new products. The purpose of this paper is to examine on a Hungarian sample if there is a connection between marketing oriented product development and new product performance. Firms were clustered into two product performance categories. ANOVA analysis showed significant correlation between R&D/marketing interface and new product performance, while variables associated with costumer orientation were not significant. The study was based on data “In Global Competition 2004 – 2006” survey. This paper was presented at the INCODE conference (INCODE, 2008). = Számos felmérés bizonyítja, hogy az új termékek sikerét nagyban elősegíti a marketing orientált fejlesztési gyakorlat. A „Versenyben a világgal 2004-2006” felmérés adatbázisán ennek relevanciáját vizsgáltuk. A vonatkozó szakirodalomból kiindulva, a felmérés kérdőívéből kiválasztottuk azokat a változókat, amelyekkel a marketing orientált termékfejlesztés leginkább jellemezhető. Öt változóval írtuk le a fogyasztó orientációt, míg egy változónk volt a K+F/marketing együttműködésre. Eredményeink szerint azok a vállalatok, amelyeknél a K+F és a marketing részlegek szorosan együttműködnek, jobb termékfejlesztési teljesítményt érnek el. Ugyanakkor a fogyasztó orientáció és a termékfejlesztési teljesítmény között nem találtunk szignifikáns kapcsolatot. A tanulmány megjelent a pécsi INCODE konferencia kötetében (INCODE, 2008).

Item and task difficulty in a B2 reading examination: perceptions of test-takers and CEFR alignment experts compared with psychometric measurements

The article presents a study of a CEFR B2-level reading subtest that is part of the Slovenian national secondary school leaving examination in English as a foreign language, and compares the test-taker actual performance (objective difficulty) with the test-taker and expert perceptions of item difficulty (subjective difficulty). The study also analyses the test-takers’ comments on item difficulty obtained from a while-reading questionnaire. The results are discussed in the framework of the existing research in the fields of (the assessment of) reading comprehension, and are addressed with regard to their implications for item-writing, FL teaching and curriculum development.

Performance tests for visual servo control systems, with application to partitioned approaches to visual servo control

Visual servoing has been a viable method of robot manipulator control for more than a decade. Initial developments involved positionbased visual servoing (PBVS), in which the control signal exists in Cartesian space. The younger method, image-based visual servoing (IBVS), has seen considerable development in recent years. PBVS and IBVS offer tradeoffs in performance, and neither can solve all tasks that may confront a robot. In response to these issues, several methods have been devised that partition the control scheme, allowing some motions to be performed in the manner of a PBVS system, while the remaining motions are performed using an IBVS approach. To date, there has been little research that explores the relative strengths and weaknesses of these methods. In this paper we present such an evaluation. We have chosen three recent visual servo approaches for evaluation in addition to the traditional PBVS and IBVS approaches. We posit a set of performance metrics that measure quantitatively the performance of a visual servo controller for a specific task. We then evaluate each of the candidate visual servo methods for four canonical tasks with simulations and with experiments in a robotic work cell.

Analysis of primary user duty cycle impact on spectrum sensing performance

Spectrum sensing is considered to be one of the most important tasks in cognitive radio. Many sensing detectors have been proposed in the literature, with the common assumption that the primary user is either fully present or completely absent within the window of observation. In reality, there are scenarios where the primary user signal only occupies a fraction of the observed window. This paper aims to analyse the effect of the primary user duty cycle on spectrum sensing performance through the analysis of a few common detectors. Simulations show that the probability of detection degrades severely with reduced duty cycle regardless of the detection method. Furthermore we show that reducing the duty cycle has a greater degradation on performance than lowering the signal strength.

The effectiveness of literalism-symbolism in business-to-business advertising

A basic element in advertising strategy is the choice of an appeal. In business-to-business (B2B) marketing communication, a long-standing approach relies on literal and factual, benefit-laden messages. Given the highly complex, costly and involved processes of business purchases, such approaches are certainly understandable. This project challenges the traditional B2B approach and asks if an alternative approach—using symbolic messages that operate at a more intrinsic or emotional level—is effective in the B2B arena. As an alternative to literal (factual) messages, there is an emerging body of literature that asserts stronger, more enduring results can be achieved through symbolic messages (imagery or text) in an advertisement. The present study contributes to this stream of research. From a theoretical standpoint, the study explores differences in literal-symbolic message content in B2B advertisements. There has been much discussion—mainly in the consumer literature—on the ability of symbolic messages to motivate a prospect to process advertising information by necessitating more elaborate processing and comprehension. Business buyers are regarded as less receptive to indirect or implicit appeals because their purchase decisions are based on direct evidence of product superiority. It is argued here, that these same buyers may be equally influenced by advertising that stimulates internally-directed motivation, feelings and cognitions about the brand. Thus far, studies on the effect of literalism and symbolism are fragmented, and few focus on the B2B market. While there have been many studies about the effects of symbolism no adequate scale exists to measure the continuum of literalism-symbolism. Therefore, a first task for this study was to develop such a scale. Following scale development, content analysis of 748 B2B print advertisements was undertaken to investigate whether differences in literalism-symbolism led to higher advertising performance. Variations of time and industry were also measured. From a practical perspective, the results challenge the prevailing B2B practice of relying on literal messages. While definitive support was not established for the use of symbolic message content, literal messages also failed to predict advertising performance. If the ‘fact, benefit laden’ assumption within B2B advertising cannot be supported, then other approaches used in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, such as symbolic messages may be also appropriate in business markets. Further research will need to test the potential effects of such messages, thereby building a revised foundation that can help drive advances in B2B advertising. Finally, the study offers a contribution to the growing body of knowledge on symbolism in advertising. While the specific focus of the study relates to B2B advertising, the Literalism-Symbolism scale developed here provides a reliable measure to evaluate literal and symbolic message content in all print advertisements. The value of this scale to advance our understanding about message strategy may be significant in future consumer and business advertising research.

Development of a diagnostic tool for condition monitoring of rotating machinery

This paper presents an overview of the CRC for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM)’s rotating machine health monitoring project and the status of the research progress. The project focuses on the development of a comprehensive diagnostic tool for condition monitoring and systematic analysis of rotating machinery. Particularly attention focuses on the machine health monitoring of diesel engines, compressors and pumps by using acoustic emission and vibration-based monitoring techniques. The paper also provides a brief summary of the work done by the three main research collaborating partners in the project, namely, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Curtin University of Technology (CUT) and the University of Western Australia (UWA). Preliminary test and analysis results from this work are also reported in the paper

Performance load testing and structural adequacy evaluation of road bridge decks

Many ageing road bridges, particularly timber bridges, require urgent improvement due to the demand imposed by the recent version of the Australian bridge loading code, AS 5100. As traffic volume plays a key role in the decision of budget allocations for bridge refurbishment/ replacement, many bridges in low volume traffic network remain in poor condition with axle load and/ or speed restrictions, thus disadvantaging many rural communities. This thesis examines an economical and environmentally sensible option of incorporating disused flat rail wagons (FRW) in the construction of bridges in low volume, high axle load road network. The constructability, economy and structural adequacy of the FRW road bridge is reported in the thesis with particular focus of a demonstration bridge commissioned in regional Queensland. The demonstration bridge comprises of a reinforced concrete slab (RCS) pavement resting on two FRWs with custom designed connection brackets at regular intervals along the span of the bridge. The FRW-RC bridge deck assembly is supported on elastomeric rubber pads resting on the abutment. As this type of bridge replacement technology is new and its structural design is not covered in the design standards, the in-service structural performance of the FRW bridge subjected to the high axle loadings prescribed in AS 5100 is examined through performance load testing. Both the static and the moving load tests are carried out using a fully laden commonly available three-axle tandem truck. The bridge deck is extensively strain gauged and displacement at several key locations is measured using linear variable displacement transducers (LVDTs). A high speed camera is used in the performance test and the digital image data are analysed using proprietary software to capture the locations of the wheel positions on the bridge span accurately. The wheel location is thus synchronised with the displacement and strain time series to infer the structural response of the FRW bridge. Field test data are used to calibrate a grillage model, developed for further analysis of the FRW bridge to various sets of high axle loads stipulated in the bridge design standard. Bridge behaviour predicted by the grillage model has exemplified that the live load stresses of the FRW bridge is significantly lower than the yield strength of steel and the deflections are well below the serviceability limit state set out in AS 5100. Based on the results reported in this thesis, it is concluded that the disused FRWs are competent to resist high axle loading prescribed in AS 5100 and are a viable alternative structural solution of bridge deck in the context of the low volume road networks.

International entrepreneurial values elicited through repertory test and laddering analysis : an SME, internet-enabled tourism perspective

This study explores the international entrepreneurial values influencing the intensity of Internet use in the internationalization process of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), within the Australian tourism industry. The findings point to a relationship between the values of international entrepreneurs and the inclination of the firm to develop and initiate international activity. And so, this study endeavors to offer insight into issues that remain unresolved in existing tourism and international entrepreneurship (IE) literature. Two effective but underutilized qualitative methods were used in this study to identify the values of international entrepreneurs. They are repertory test and laddering analysis.

Professional development on-site and in context at Narangba Valley SHS

The implementation of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2011) will require all teachers to undertake 30 hours per year of professional development (PD) to maintain thei registration. However, defining what constitutes effective PD s complex. This article discusses an approach used by Narangba Valley State High School (SHS) in Queensland which involves effective on-site PD, resulting in improved student outcomes. In addition to the school-administered growth and learning (GAL) plans for each teacher, the school worked collaboratively with an external person (university lecturer) and implemented an effective, sustainable, whole-school approach to PD which was ongoing, on time, on task, on the mark, and on-the-spot (Jetnikoff & Smeed, 2012). The article unpacks an interview with Ross Mackay, the Narangba Valley SHS executive-principal and one of the authors of this paper, and provides practical advice for other school leaders wishing to implement a similar approach to PD.

Internet-enabled tourism entrepreneurs. International entrepreneurial values elicited through repertory test and laddering analysis

Although the tourism industry has been dramatically altered due to the Internet, there has been limited research published about international entrepreneurial values and Internet use in tourism firms. The findings of this study point to a relationship between the values of Internet-enabled international entrepreneurs in small-sized to medium-sized enterprises and the inclination of the firm to develop and initiate international activity. The findings of this study suggest that Internet-enabled tourism entrepreneurs share similar construct values. Two effective but underutilized qualitative methods were used in this study. The first method, repertory test, is an efficient technique for exploring constructs in decision making; the second method, laddering analysis, facilitates understanding of the perceived consequences and personal values guiding behaviour.

Simulated hyperopic anisometropia and reading, visual information processing, and reading-related eye movement performance in children

Purpose: This study investigated the impact of simulated hyperopic anisometropia and sustained near work on performance of academic-related measures in children. Methods: Participants included 16 children (mean age: 11.1 ± 0.8 years) with minimal refractive error. Academic-related outcome measures included a reading test (Neale Analysis of Reading Ability), visual information processing tests (Coding and Symbol Search subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children) and a reading-related eye movement test (Developmental Eye Movement test). Performance was assessed with and without 0.75 D of imposed monocular hyperopic defocus (administered in a randomised order), before and after 20 minutes of sustained near work. Unilateral hyperopic defocus was systematically assigned to either the dominant or non-dominant sighting eye to evaluate the impact of ocular dominance on any performance decrements. Results: Simulated hyperopic anisometropia and sustained near work both independently reduced performance on all of the outcome measures (p<0.001). A significant interaction was also observed between simulated anisometropia and near work (p<0.05), with the greatest decrement in performance observed during simulated anisometropia in combination with sustained near work. Laterality of the refractive error simulation (ocular dominance) did not significantly influence the outcome measures (p>0.05). A reduction of up to 12% in performance was observed across the range of academic-related measures following sustained near work undertaken during the anisometropic simulation. Conclusion: Simulated hyperopic anisometropia significantly impaired academic–related performance, particularly in combination with sustained near work. The impact of uncorrected habitual anisometropia on academic-related performance in children requires further investigation.

Recreational needs and service performance expectations

The theoretical contribution of this study lies with its focus on subjective experiencing, that is, the emotional convergence between feeling states, and perceptions of servicescapes and holiday activities. An empirical study models the impact of recreational needs on the perceived importance of destination attributes and intentions to participate in activities. A sample of prospective tourists was asked to indicate how important they considered servicescape elements to be in their general holiday planning. They were also asked to report on their emotional state (orientation) as a proxy for their needs for recreation, and to state their intention and likely involvement with holiday activities. Results suggest that those with high recreational needs (self-reflexive and inward-looking) regard elements of tourism servicescapes as significantly more important than those without (who are outward-looking and energetic), as well as show significant variations in their inclinations to be active and explorative at destinations. Rather, those with higher recreational needs as measured by combinations of lack of energy, self-confidence, and physiological well-being look for creature comfort, coziness, and familiarity, in other words, for things they already know and have experienced before. Subjective experiencing and service performance evaluations are thereby suggested to be influenced by emotional states. These states may also impact tourists' recognition of destination uniqueness as a major component of a destination's competitive advantage that cannot easily be copied. As a consequence, it may be worth reconsidering the role of recreation in tourism service design. Turning an inwardlooking focus bent on recreation to an outward-looking one interested in discovery would enable more tourists to more fully experience the destination before they leave.

Theory and Application of the Transient Injection Well Test

Based on the theory of the pumping well test, the transient injection well test was suggested in this paper. The design method and the scope of application are discussed in detail. The mathematical models are developed for the short-time and long-time transient injection test respectively. A double logarithm type curve matching method was introduced for analyzing the field transient injection test data. A set of methods for the transient injection test design, experiment performance and data analysis were established. Some field tests were analyzed, and the results show that the test model and method are suitable for the transient injection test and can be used to deal with the real engineering problems.