Simplified nonlinear analysis to compute neutral axis depth in prestressed concrete rectangular beams

Recent research in concrete analysis and design has revealed that the shear capacity contributed by concrete correlates well with the neutral axis depth. While nonlinear analysis calculation of the neutral axis depth is trivial for reinforced concrete beams, it is iterative for prestressed concrete beams and does not lend itself to straightforward hand calculations. In this study, a program is developed to simulate the response of prestressed concrete rectangular sections subjected to monotonic bending taking into account cracking, yielding and ultimate states. This program is used to benchmark a simplified analytical procedure devised to perform the same task by hand. Accordingly, critical observations made to a large pool of experimental and analytical results reveal that the moment-curvature and moment-extreme fiber strain can be accurately modeled as trilinear relationships. The four key points that define the trilinear functions (initial, cracking, yielding and ultimate) may be computed analytically from simple equations derived based on consistent assumptions with the true behavior. Once the simplified analysis is performed, the computation of the neutral axis depth becomes a simple hand calculation. A parametric study was performed to further simplify the analytical procedure by computing the four key points that define the trilinear functions through linear relationships that were derived based on regression analysis of a large number of beam solutions. The neutral axis depth was calculated using the analytical and the simplified procedures for three beams with different ratios of prestressing steel and concrete strength. The results compared well with the iterative numerical procedure.     

Inclusion in action: an in-depth case study of an effective inclusive secondary school in the south-west of England

This paper represents the outcomes of an in-depth case study of a secondary school in the south-west of England, identified as inclusive by the local education authority (LEA). The study, which formed the second part of a ‘bricolage’ approach, utilized ethnographic research methods, with the aim of investigating inclusion in a holistic way, at the school level. Data were collected through interviewing of a variety of school constituencies and participant observation. The analysis suggested that: (a) the participants were enculturated into the integration model; (b) although there were strong perceived academic benefits for the included students, the evidence is contradictory regarding the social outcomes of inclusion; (c) successful implementation of inclusion requires restructuring of the physical environment, resources, organizational changes and instructional adaptations; and (d) there was a perceived need for ongoing professional development. The findings reported in this investigation may be used to illuminate current practice in the LEA and to provide directions for formulating policies to support ‘inclusive practice’ in ways which are acceptable to teachers, parents and students.     

CATHOLICS IN THE REA, 1903–1953

This article describes the involvement of Roman Catholics in the Religious Education Association during the first 50 years of its existence. It examines attitudes of Protestants toward Catholics expressed in journal articles, convention speeches, and archival material. It presents the contributions of Roman Catholics at conventions and in journal articles during this period. The article contends that Roman Catholics deepened involvement in the REA went a long way to making the association a multifaith organization. The history also documents changes in Roman Catholic viewpoints and emphases over the period of these 50 years from an exclusive concern with schooling to a broader view of the educational mission of the church and from education in an authoritarian and dogmatic spirit to one slightly more open to outside influences and cautiously willing to cooperate with other religious groups.     

Two decades of curricular reforms in the Spanish university

In this article we present the topic of the orientation of university curricula, the pressures that exist today as a response to the demands of the market, and we examine specifically the transformation that has developed in Spain during the last two decades. We have tried to base the statements and analyses that are presented on empirical data obtained from our own research (Education and Labour Research Group—GRET). The motivation to write this document has been to try to add to the debate about the changes experienced by the university, in particular in regards to the curriculum, and to reflect on our experience as investigators in higher education.     

Being a Stranger and the Strangeness of Being: Joseph Conrad’s ‘The secret sharer’ as an allegory of being in education

Abstract

Joseph Conrad’s ‘The secret sharer’ has often been associated with what can be called initiation stories. However, in this article I argue that Conrad’s text is more than that. It can, I suggest, be read as an allegory of the inaccessibility to reveal the essence of being in command, being in education, and also the inaccessibility of the essence of the meaning of the text itself. It keeps its secret by allegorically staging alternative readings. This inaccessibility gives rise to a feeling of strangeness, of the uncanny, that must be faced in order to pass through the initiation into the unknown that all the possible allegorical meanings of the text produce. In other words, ‘The secret sharer’ has an educational value that goes beyond the act of merely using it to exemplify a certain type of initiation. In this way I connect Conrad’s text to the themes of strangeness and the stranger and show how they mutually can involve a reading of education and literature as two distinct discourses of learning.     

Special education in Pakistan

The aim of this research was to examine the type of activities as well as the challenges faced by befrienders supporting persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-nine volunteers befriending an equal number of families with children with ASD participated in this study. Content analysis was applied on visit logs (n = 465) completed by befrienders during a nine month period, supplemented by thematically analysed evidence derived from semi-structured interviews with befrienders at the end of their volunteering experience. In agreement with our expectations, findings indicate a variation in the type, number and location of activities as well as the challenges of befrienders, depending on the level of ability of persons with ASD. Befrienders in both groups were mostly involved in leisure activities, had greater social interaction with the high functioning autistic group and carried out more structured 1:1 activities with individuas with low functioning autism. Interestingly, befrienders in both groups did not differ significantly on their reported challenges. The implications of this befriending service as a means of social support for families with persons with ASD are discussed.     

Holding the Line: Sustaining an SEL-Driven Whole-School Approach in a Time of Transition

Recently, a growing body of research has focused on the sustainability of evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting the social emotional and character development of children (SEL) and preventing or reducing problem behaviors in schools. Current discussions of systemic reform in the education system address the capacity of individual schools to adopt innovations and maintain them despite inevitable environmental changes. A small elementary school in northern Israel embarked on a radical change in its pedagogic style, intentionally adopting a holistic SEL approach. After 3 intensive years of training and implementation supported by the local community and involving all major stakeholders, a series of events threatened to weaken the chances of sustaining the approach. In a qualitative research study, data were collected primarily through in-depth interviews with full-time faculty members. Constant comparison analyses were performed. The results illustrate the salient concerns and benefits of attempting such a radical change through the eyes of the faculty members. The depth of identification with SEL among faculty and other stakeholders is shown to be the basis for sustaining the SEL approach in spite of difficulties. This narrative of events demonstrates the obstacles encountered on the road to approach sustainability. This identification of possible challenges is valuable to those introducing change in the school environment.     

Man vs. Machine: A Junior‐Level Laboratory Exercise Comparing Human and Instrumental Detection Limits

The human nose is a very sensitive detector and is able to detect potent aroma compounds down to low ng/L levels. These levels are often below detection limits of analytical instrumentation. The following laboratory exercise is designed to compare instrumental and human methods for the detection of volatile odor active compounds. Reference standards of 3‐mercapto‐1‐hexanol (3MH), a secondary thiol that is important to food quality, are analyzed by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC‐FID), and these raw data are provided to students. Students also perform a series of 3‐alternative forced choice (3‐AFC) sensory tests to determine the human detection limits in a series of samples. For both data sets, 2 methods of data analysis (standard deviation of the response and the slope and signal‐to‐noise ratio for GC‐FID data; forced‐choice ascending concentration series method of limits and linear regression for 3‐AFC data) will be used to estimate instrumental detection limits and human thresholds. GC‐FID and 3‐AFC results are then compared by the students to demonstrate the importance of instrumental and human methods for food analysis, and to provide an experiential learning opportunity to critically think through multiple methods of analysis and compare the outcomes of those methods. In completing the laboratory exercise and discussion questions, students will gain an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of human and instrumental measurements in food analysis, and compare the outcome of common data analysis methods for instrumental and sensory data.