Braided composite materials for the production of lightweight, high rigidity golf shafts

Braiding is not currently used in the production of golf shafts. The objective of this work was to develop, through a modelling process consisting of altering lamina sequence, a golf shaft, using braided laminas, which would have mass, stiffness and torque comparable to commercially available composite and steel shafts. A 2D conical braided composite model was previously developed and validated to predict elastic constants of braided closed meshed structures. Energy methods were used to calculate the stiffness and torque of shafts using prescribed industry approaches. Shaft mass was calculated based on geometry and density of constitutent materials. Modelled shafts had both braided and unidirectional layers and compared favourably with or were better than commercially available composite and steel shafts in terms of deflection force and twist angle; they had the same weight as composite shafts but were much lighter than steel shafts. If these findings are verified, braided composites would be a viable and effective approach to the design of future golf shafts.     

The careers of fine artists and the embedded creative

While there is a growing body of scholarship on the creative industries and on the career trajectories of graduates from creative industries programmes, there has to date only been a limited amount of research that examines in detail, the careers of fine arts graduates. Fine art is arguably the least ‘vocational’ of creative disciplines, in that there are relatively few employers that seek to employ fine artists as fine artists. If fine arts graduates are not employed in their chosen field – that is, in the ‘Creative Trident’ terminology, in a core creative occupation – how do their careers parallel or differ from those of other creative graduates? Do they find employment as ‘embedded creatives’, using or applying their experience and practice in sectors beyond the core creative industries, or as ‘support workers’, enabling and facilitating the creative work of others? Do they experience portfolio careers? And how do their artistic training and attitudes to creativity affect their working relationships and experiences? This article draws on rich qualitative data about the experiences of a small group of graduates (including the author) who all graduated from the same course at the same institution in the UK in 1994, to provide some insights into the career paths and trajectories of a sample of fine arts graduates.     

Three-dimensional kinematic analysis of the golf swing using instantaneous screw axis theory,Part 2: golf swing kinematic sequence

A number of recent studies have measured the extent and timing of segment rotation during the golf swing. A promising technique, instantaneous screw axis (ISA) theory, could provide a better expression of segment rotation. In Part 1 of this two-part study, the objectives are to identify the ISA of the pelvis, shoulders and left arm during the downswing, compute segment angular velocity relative to that segment’s ISA and verify that ISA theory is a valid tool to analyse segment rotation during the golf swing. Results indicate that for all subjects, at least 71% of marker velocity is a result of rotation about their respective ISA, when averaging results over the duration of the downswing, confirming that motion is primarily rotational. Furthermore, ISA position and orientation of each segment approaches, on average, the expected gross axis of rotation, confirming that motion about the ISA is representative of joint motion.     

Reliability modelling and analysis of a two unit continuous casting plant

The aim of this paper is to present a reliability modeling and analysis of a two-unit system of a continuous casting (CC) plant. Real maintenance data of a steel production plant have been used for the purpose. Three types of failures were noted: repairable, replaceable and reconditioning/reinstallation. The two-unit system is operating in parallel, on full-reduced installed capacity. Upon the unit failure, an inspection is carried out to decide the type of maintenance task to be performed. Optimized reliability indices of the plant such as mean time to system failure, availability, expected busy periods of the repairman for various maintenance tasks, expected number of visits by the repairman, expected number of repairs, replacements and reconditioning/reinstallation are obtained. Semi-Markov processes and regenerative point techniques are used for the analysis. Profit incurred to the CC plant is also evaluated and related graphs are plotted to demonstrate the results.     

Best Practices for Preschool Music Education: Supporting Music-Making Throughout the Day

Early Childhood Education Journal - Active engagement in music has numerous academic and social benefits for young children and music-making is included in many early childhood standards and...     

The Viability of Combining Academic and Career Pathways: A Study of Linked Learning

In an attempt to reform high schools and prepare students with the knowledge and skills needed for the 21st century, educators and policymakers have turned to programs that combine career and academic pathways. One such program, Linked Learning, has taken up the reform challenge by relying on technical adjustments, rearranging students’ schedules, and integrating career technical education (CTE) with a set of courses that support students’ eligibility for their state and university college system. Linked Learning has attempted to avoid the pitfalls often associated with an earlier vocational education model. This article reports findings from a year-long study of eight schools in five districts whose district leaders and principals have placed Linked Learning at the core of their platform for school reform. Interviews with these educators reveal that while changing the structure of students’ course schedules offered some advantages for students, school principals were challenged to keep their academic and career promises. This qualitative investigation has shown that to understand reform challenges it is essential to examine the broader school, district, and state context in which the reform is embedded. Both structural and cultural considerations must be addressed if high school reform is to more effectively support students.     

English in classrooms: only write down what you need to know: annotation for what?

The annotation of texts in the school English classroom is central to the curriculum, examination and the history of English as a school subject. In this paper we explore ‘the way it is done’ across two different classrooms. We focus on the relationship between official definitions of annotation offered by national policies and examination syllabuses and its actualization in particular classrooms. The article takes a multimodal approach: attending to all modes of representation and communication in the teaching of English including image, gesture, gaze and the spatial organization of the classroom.