Adolescent girls with eating disorders experience unattainable and contradictory expectations in daily life, which create stress and negatively affect their self-evaluation. Disordered eating may function as a way of seeking control and consistency. In order to make progress in the understanding of eating disorders, the aim of this study was to describe how adolescent girls with eating disorders reflect upon ways of dealing with sociocultural pressures in daily life. Eighteen interviews with girls aged 15–19 years were analyzed using a phenomenographic approach. The results were summarized into three conceptions: “Striving to be oneself ” (conception A) was described as the most desirable, but also the hardest. “Adapting to various situations” (conception B) was used without much reflection, as long as it worked, but when this way of dealing with everyday expectations was unsuccessful it was evaluated negatively. “Presenting oneself in a positive light” (conception C) was described negatively even when it was successful. Within these conceptions, the participants described various strategies that could be used more or less effectively depending on the circumstances. A common theme was their difficulties in finding a balance between trying harder to live up to perceived expectations from others on one hand, and trying to accept the situation as it was, without trying to change themselves or the situation, on the other hand. The participants believed that their eating disorder was partly a result of being unable to deal with sociocultural pressures in an effective way, and they experienced a conflict between societal values of being assertive and values of being interpersonally oriented. Implications for treatment are discussed.

This paper hypothesizes that equations used by numerous screening models to calculate ground water mixing zone depth are conceptually incorrect. The models incorrectly omit contaminated infiltration volumes in calculating the resulting aquifer contaminant mixing and concentrations. As a consequence dilution factor, DF, and site cleanup criteria are also calculated incorrectly. The paper proposes a conservative, yet more reliable, method of estimating dilution factor which takes into account mixing by a receptor point pumping well and downward contaminant displacement due to natural infiltration. Aquifer contaminant concentrations are calculated at the down-gradient edge of the vadose zone source's planar projection on the water table. Processes addressed include advection, degradation, sorption, and volatilization. Using a spreadsheet setup, model equations allow the user to quickly evaluate multiple modeling scenarios with varying source geometry, vadose zone thickness, and soil heterogeneity.

Considerable effort has been put forth to develop an automated method for balancing the power cylinders of reciprocating integral engines used in the natural gas industry. The benefits to power cylinder balance include reducted emissions and improved cylinder component mechanical integrity (which should lead to reductions in repair costs). The current approach to automate engine balancing uses pressure transducers to measure cylinder pressure, then integrate the signals into the engine fuel /timing management controller to achieve engine balance. Each power cylinder must be instrumented, which quickly leads to an expensive installation package. For large units (12 to 16 power cylinders), the likelihood of transducer failure and / or calibration changes will be problematic to reliable operation of this autobalancing system. A potential alternative to multiple transducers measuring power cylinder pressure is to use a single transducer to measure instantaneous shaft rotational velocity. Instantaneous shaft rotational velocity is driven by engine / compressor torque loads, and therefore is sensitive to changes in both power and compressor cylinder operation. This report summarizes the results of an investigation into the possible use of the flywheel rotational velocity as a surrogate for power cylinder pressure measurements in an autobalancing arrangement, or as a balanced/need-to-balance indicator for integral engines. A fundamental model of the rotational kinetics/dynamics was developed and used to predict the flywheel rotational acceleration. The model was validated and enhanced with data acquired as part of this study. The model was then extended to establish a sensitivity matrix, which established the change in predicted torque as a function of power cylinder imbalance. Using the sensitivity matrix, an algorithm was developed to predict the change in power cylinder peak pressures as a function of the change in the measured shaft rotational velocity.