块体理论赤平投影解析法与关键块体滑落概率研究—以锦屏二级水电站皮带机隧道为例

Block theory is an effective method on stability analysis of fractured rigid rock mass. There are a lot of discontinuous planes developed in rock mass of Jinping II hydropower station conveyor tunnel, so the stability of conveyor tunnel is related with whether there are unstable blocks on excavation planes. This paper deals with the stability of conveyor tunnel with stereo-analytical method for block theory on the basis of detailed investigation of rock mass data, and makes judgements on the movable blocks sliding types which are induced by all rock discontinuous planes and every excavation plane of conveyor tunnel. A conclusion is obtained that the sliding type of blocks is mainly single sliding, and a relatively few sliding types of double-sided sliding and vertical block falling; Also, the obvious statistical distribution result on movable blocks in conveyor tunnel indicates that there are a bit more instability blocks in left wall, left and right arches than right wall. In this paper, the stochastic probability model is drawn into block theory to study the sliding probability of key block on the basis of detailed investigation of its rock mass data and the development of the discontinuous planes in rock mass of Jinping II hydropower station conveyor tunnel. And some following conclusions are obtained. The relationship between trace length and the probability of instability of key block is inverse ratio. The probability of 1-3m primary joints are relatively higher. Key block containing joints J2 is relatively stable and the reinforcement of the arch would be crucial in the conveyor tunnel. They are all useful to offer effective reinforcement design and have important engineering values.

Shape from Contour

The problem of using image contours to infer the shapes and orientations of surfaces is treated as a problem of statistical estimation. The basis for solving this problem lies in an understanding of the geometry of contour formation, coupled with simple statistical models of the contour generating process. This approach is first applied to the special case of surfaces known to be planar. The distortion of contour shape imposed by projection is treated as a signal to be estimated, and variations of non-projective origin are treated as noise. The resulting method is then extended to the estimation of curved surfaces, and applied successfully to natural images. Next, the geometric treatment is further extended by relating countour curvature to surface curvature, using cast shadows as a model for contour generation. This geometric relation, combined with a statistical model, provides a measure of goodness-of-fit between a surface and an image contour. The goodness-of-fit measure is applied to the problem of establishing registration between an image and a surface model. Finally, the statistical estimation strategy is experimentally compared to human perception of orientation: human observers' judgements of tilt correspond closely to the estimates produced by the planar strategy.

Public feedback - but personal feedforward?

Academic feedback is taken here as the reporting to student writers of the strengths and weaknesses of their submitted draft work, while academic feedforward refers to constructive advice regarding possible strengthening of students’ next work. Both originate from a tutor’s initial judgement of a student’s work. Feedback and feedforward on work showing need for improvement are problematic in a Confucian Heritage Culture. Even gently constructive advice within a programme seeking evidence for assessment of critical thinking may lead to perception of hurtful criticism by Taiwanese students. Some could withdraw from class activity accordingly. So the writers adjusted their response style. They now choose between different approaches featuring tutorial feedback or feedforward, depending on the standard of work being judged. When individual postings feature poor critical thinking, the writers opt for private messages concentrating on constructive feedforward. For better postings, they provide positive feedback with reasons for their judgements, and summarise to the class these exemplars of generic strengths in critical thinking. They also offer private prompting when they see scope for further enrichment of an able student’s critical thinking. This might also be a useful practice when tutoring solely in the West. (192 words) Keywords: Confucian Heritage Culture, public feedback, private feedforward, assessment

Subsethood-based fuzzy modelling and classification

K. Rasmani and Q. Shen. Subsethood-based fuzzy modelling and classification. Proceedings of the 2004 UK Workshop on Computational Intelligence, pages 181-188.

History repeats itself: The failure of rational choice models in corporate governance

Marnet, Oliver, 'History repeats itself: The failure of rational choice models in corporate governance', Critical Perspectives on Accounting (2005) 18(2) pp.191-210 RAE2008

An examination of the construction of meanings for obesity in Ireland

Obesity has been defined as a consequence of energy imbalance, where energy intake exceeds energy expenditure and results in a build-up of adipose tissue. However, this scientific definition masks the complicated social meanings associated with the condition. This research investigated the construction of meaning around obesity at various levels of inquiry to inform how obesity is portrayed and understood in Ireland. A multi-paradigmatic approach was adopted, drawing on theory and methods from psychology and sociology and an analytical framework combining the Common Sense Model and framing theory was employed. In order to examine the exo-level meanings of obesity, content analysis was performed on two media data sets (n=479, n=346) and a thematic analysis was also performed on the multiple newspaper sample (n=346). At the micro-level, obesity discourses were investigated via the thematic analysis of comments sampled from an online message board. Finally, an online survey assessed individual-level beliefs and understandings of obesity. The media analysis revealed that individual blame for obesity was pervasive and the behavioural frame was dominant. A significant increase in attention to obesity over time was observed, manifestations of weight stigma were common, and there was an emotive discourse of blame directed towards the parents of obese children. The micro-level analysis provided insight into the weight-based stigma in society and a clear set of negative ‘default’ judgements accompanied the obese label. The survey analysis confirmed that the behavioural frame was the dominant means of understanding obesity. One of the strengths of this thesis is the link created between framing and the Common Sense Model in the development of an analytical framework for application in the examination of health/illness representations. This approach helped to ascertain the extent of the pervasive biomedical and individual blame discourse on obesity, which establishes the basis for the stigmatisation of obese persons.

Reflections on the transformation of my meaning making to support the organic growth of a firm

The objective of my Portfolio is to explore the working hypothesis that the organic growth of a firm is governed by the perspectives of individuals and such perspectives are governed by their meaning-making. The Portfolio presents explorations of the transformation of my meaning making and in adopting new practices to support the organic growth of a firm. I use the work of other theorists to transition my understanding of how the world works. This transition process is an essential tool to engage with and understand the perspectives of others and develop a mental capacity to “train one’s imagination to go visiting” (Arendt, 1982; p.43). The Portfolio, therefore, is primarily located in reflective research. Using Kegan’s (1994) approach to Adult Mental Development, and Sowell’s (2007) understanding of the visions which silently shape our thoughts I organise the developments of my meaning making around three transformation pillars of change. In pillar one I seek to transform an unthinking respect for authority and break down a blind pervasiveness of thought within my reasoning process arising from an instinct for attachment and support from others whom I trust. In pillar two I seek to discontinue using autocratic leadership and learn to use the thoughts and contributions of a wider team to make improved choices about uncertain future events. In pillar three I explore the use of a more reflective thinking framework to test the accuracy of my perceptions and apply a high level of integrity in my reasoning process. The transformation of my meaning making has changed my perspectives and in turn my preferred practices to support the organic growth of a firm. I identify from practice that a transformative form of leadership is far more effective that a transactional form of leadership to stimulate the trust and teamwork required to sustain the growth a firm. Creating an environment where one feels free to share thoughts and feelings with others is an essential tool to build a team to critique the thoughts of one other. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial wisdom to grow a firm must come from a wider team, located both inside and outside the boundaries of a firm. No individual or small team has the mental capacity to provide the entrepreneurship required to drive the organic growth of a firm. I address my Portfolio to leaders in organisations who have no considered framework on the best practices required to lead a social organisation. These individuals may have no sense of what they implicitly believe drives social causation and they may have no understanding if their meaning making supports or curtails the practices required to grow a firm. They may have a very limited capacity to think in a logical manner, with the result they are using guesses from their ‘gut’ to make poor judgements in the management of a firm.

The reminiscence bump in the temporal distribution of the best football players of all time: Pelé, Cruijff or Maradona?

The reminiscence bump is the tendency to recall more autobiographical memories from adolescence and early adulthood than from adjacent lifetime periods. In this online study, the robustness of the reminiscence bump was examined by looking at participants' judgements about the quality of football players. Dutch participants (N = 619) were asked who they thought the five best players of all time were. The participants could select the names from a list or enter the names when their favourite players were not on the list. Johan Cruijff, Pelé, and Diego Maradona were the three most often mentioned players. Participants frequently named football players who reached the midpoint of their career when the participants were adolescents (mode = 17). The results indicate that the reminiscence bump can also be identified outside the autobiographical memory domain.

Grandparents and parenting: towards a theory of grandparenthood

This paper explores the changing role of contemporary grandparents with many demonstrating a willingness and ability to take on parental responsibilities for their grandchildren, where they may face challenges and opportunities in difficult times. Three main forms of grand parenting are identified in the literature, those who have primary responsibility and are raising their grand children as their main carers perhaps in response to crisis situations, those who live in extended families and participate in care, and those who provide day care while the child’s parents work. The latter has increased because of the increasing frequency of divorce, single parenting and the lack of available or subsidised child care in the United Kingdom. When grandparents step into a troubled situation and attempt to offer stability and security for their grandchildren they may have to manage the combined responsibilities of family caregivers and parental figures. Grandparenthood is a tenuous role, lacking clear agreement on behaviour norms. In the culture of advice and parenting support, while care must be taken not to undermine parenting skills or make judgements about the ability to cope with the demands of childcare, an exploration of the impact on grandparents and children must be undertaken. Due to the complex web of interrelated factors the process and outcomes of care giving by grandparents is not well known in the literature. It is proposed therefore that it is timely for research to be undertaken to explore and develop a theory of Grandparenthood.

Judging Time Intevals using a model of perceptuo-motor control

Estimating a time interval and temporally coordinating movements in space are fundamental skills, but the relationships between these different forms of timing, and the neural processes that they incur, are not well understood. While different theories have been proposed to account for time perception, time estimation, and the temporal patterns of coordination, there are no general mechanisms which unify these various timing skills. This study considers whether a model of perceptuo-motor timing, the tau(GUIDE), can also describe how certain judgements of elapsed time are made. To evaluate this, an equation for determining interval estimates was derived from the tau(GUIDE) model and tested in a task where participants had to throw a ball and estimate when it would hit the floor. The results showed that in accordance with the model, very accurate judgements could be made without vision (mean timing error -19.24 msec), and the model was a good predictor of skilled participants' estimate timing. It was concluded that since the tau(GUIDE) principle provides temporal information in a generic form, it could be a unitary process that links different forms of timing.

Temporal information and children's and adults' causal inferences

Three experiments examined whether children and adults would use temporal information as a cue to the causal structure of a three-variable system, and also whether their judgements about the effects of interventions on the system would be affected by the temporal properties of the event sequence. Participants were shown a system in which two events B and C occurred either simultaneously (synchronous condition) or in a temporal sequence (sequential condition) following an initial event A. The causal judgements of adults and 6-7-year-olds differed between the conditions, but this was not the case for 4-year-olds' judgements. However, unlike those of adults, 6-7-year-olds' intervention judgements were not affected by condition, and causal and intervention judgements were not reliably consistent in this age group. The findings support the claim that temporal information provides an important cue to causal structure, at least in older children. However, they raise important issues about the relationship between causal and intervention judgements.

Using time-to-contact information to assess potential collision modulates both visual and temporal prediction networks

Accurate estimates of the time-to-contact (TTC) of approaching objects are crucial for survival. We used an ecologically valid driving simulation to compare and contrast the neural substrates of egocentric (head-on approach) and allocentric (lateral approach) TTC tasks in a fully factorial, event-related fMRI design. Compared to colour control tasks, both egocentric and allocentric TTC tasks activated left ventral premotor cortex/frontal operculum and inferior parietal cortex, the same areas that have previously been implicated in temporal attentional orienting. Despite differences in visual and cognitive demands, both TTC and temporal orienting paradigms encourage the use of temporally predictive information to guide behaviour, suggesting these areas may form a core network for temporal prediction. We also demonstrated that the temporal derivative of the perceptual index tau (tau-dot) held predictive value for making collision judgements and varied inversely with activity in primary visual cortex (V1). Specifically, V1 activity increased with the increasing likelihood of reporting a collision, suggesting top-down attentional modulation of early visual processing areas as a function of subjective collision. Finally, egocentric viewpoints provoked a response bias for reporting collisions, rather than no-collisions, reflecting increased caution for head-on approaches. Associated increases in SMA activity suggest motor preparation mechanisms were engaged, despite the perceptual nature of the task.

Background beliefs and evidence interpretation

In this paper we argue that it is often adaptive to use one’s background beliefs when interpreting information that, from a normative point of view, is incomplete. In both of the experiments reported here participants were presented with an item possessing two features and were asked to judge, in the light of some evidence concerning the features, to which of two categories it was more likely that the item belonged. It was found that when participants received evidence relevant to just one of these hypothesised categories (i.e. evidence that did not form a Bayesian likelihood ratio) they used their background beliefs to interpret this information. In Experiment 2, on the other hand, participants behaved in a broadly Bayesian manner when the evidence they received constituted a completed likelihood ratio. We discuss the circumstances under which participants, when making their judgements, consider the alternative hypothesis. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our results for an understanding of hypothesis testing, belief revision, and categorisation.

How information guides movement: Intercepting curved free kicks in soccer

Previous studies have shown that balls subjected to spin induce large errors in perceptual judgements (Craig et al, 2006; Craig et al 2009) due to the additional accelerative force that causes the ball’s flight path to deviate from a standard parabolic trajectory. A recent review however, has suggested that the findings from such experiments may be imprecise due to the decoupling of perception and action and the reliance on the ventral system (Van der Kamp et al, 2008). The aim of this study was to present the same curved free kick trajectory simulations from the perception only studies (Craig et al, 2006; Craig et al, 2009) but this time allow participants to move to intercept the ball. By using immersive, interactive virtual reality technology participants were asked to control the movement of a virtual effector presented in a virtual soccer stadium so that it would make contact with a virtual soccer ball as it crossed the goal-line. As in the perception only studies the direction of spin had a significant effect on the participants’ responses (F(2,12)=222.340; p

A comparative study of nursing attitudes towards young male survivors of brain injury: A questionnaire survey.

Background The attitudes members of the nursing profession hold towards survivors of brain injury may impact on the level of help, and degree of involvement they are willing to have. Given that the manner in which an individual receives their brain injury has been shown to impact on public prejudices, the importance of exploring nursing attitudes to this vulnerable group, and the subsequent impact this may have on the caring role, requires investigation. Objective To investigate the attitudes held by members of the nursing profession towards young male survivors of brain injury whose behaviour either contributed, or did not contribute, to their injury. Design Independent groups design. Setting and participants Ninety trainee and sixty-nine qualified nurses respectively drawn from a university in the south west of England and the emergency, orthopaedic and paediatric Departments of the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, UK. Methods Participants were randomly assigned to one of four fictional brain injury scenarios. A young male character was portrayed as sustaining a brain injury as a result of either an aneurysm, or through drug taking, with their behaviour being either a contributory or non-contributory factor. On reading these, participants were asked to complete the prejudicial evaluation scale, the social interaction scale and the helping behaviour scale. Results Analysis of variance showed that qualified nurses held more prejudicial attitudes than student nurses towards survivors of brain injury. Mean scores indicated that individuals seen as contributing towards their injury were likely to experience more prejudice (blame total = 42.35 vs. no blame total = 38.34), less social interaction (blame total = 37.54 vs. no blame total = 41.10), and less helping behaviour (blame total = 21.49 vs. no blame total = 22.34) by both groups. Conclusions Qualified nurses should be mindful of the impact their attitudes and judgements of survivors of brain injury may have on the subsequent care they provide. Greater emphasis on the effects of negative attitudes on patient interactions during training may provide nurses with the understanding to recognise and avoid challenges to their caring role in the future.