Transformational effects of applying systems engineering in laboratory scientific research

Through case study analysis of physicists working in quantum systems, we establish that knowledge of Systems Engineering (SE) will benefit scientists by ensuring that experimental apparatus is robust and fully meets the experiment requirements. We suggest a significant change to the training of early career research scientists to ensure they have a strong appreciation of the systems approach and experience of applying SE techniques. Two case studies were used: the first was a detailed analysis of increasing levels of SE in the development of a 3Dprinter for fabricating superconducting nano-circuitry. Applying SE techniques improved record keeping, reduced the risk of failure modes and took better account of future development through which scientific discovery may be exploited in practical devices. The second case study focused on a group of 30 quantum physics PhD students undertaking a short-course in basic SE, and used their opinions to check and add confidence to the findings of the first case study. A variety of tools were used in both studies and, in both cases, the Functional Failure Means Effects Analysis (FFMEA) technique was considered to be most useful. Recommendations are made for the future training of early career scientists to include some light-weight Systems Engineering

Development of Creative Independence of Design Students in Course of Higher Education

Development of Russian society puts forward new requirements for the quality of training in higher educational institutions. It is necessary for a short period of training in the higher educational institution not only to transfer to student’s important professional knowledge and skills, but also to form the ability and willingness to use them creatively. This issue is especially challenging when preparing design students. Today, a promising, popular and dynamically developing profession of designer is in demand in almost all areas of life. The increased demand for individuality in the design of living space, from the planning and design of the interior or exterior to the most insignificant things, can only be satisfied by a designer who has the ability to combine, improvise and find breakthrough ideas. Therefore, there is a crucial issue of the search for teaching aids that allow students to be prepared to find the solutions of professional tasks with creative independence. The professional activity of a designer is determined by the objects and tasks, which require creative abilities, spatial visual thinking, knowledge of the graphic language for visualization of informarion. The design project is created by man and for man. This determines the importance of solving socio-cultural issues, as well as taking into account the characteristics of human perception in the design process. It requires knowledge of the natural sciences, engineering and humanities, various types of arts, architecture, literature and even music. Thus, the intra-systemic and inter-systemic connections required for the implementation of designprohects, make it more intelligent and human oriented

Contending European agendas for agricultural innovation

Amid expectations for a European ‘transition to sustainable agriculture’, there are competing transitional processes. Given the widely acknowledged harm from agro-industrial systems, ‘unsustainable agriculture’ has divergent diagnoses and innovative solutions. This rivalry can be analysed as contending innovation agendas; the analysis here combines theoretical paradigms of agricultural innovation. In an EU policy context of a Knowledge-Based Bio-Economy (KBBE), there are divergent accounts of its key terms: biological resources, economy, relevant knowledge and knowledge-producers. Likewise, divergent accounts are found of innovation, intensification, resource efficiency, resilience, bio-energy, horizontal integration, etc. These divergent agendas are promoted by distinct stakeholder networks. The dominant agenda favours laboratory-based techno-scientific innovation as a source of ‘efficient’ inputs, which can use renewable resources more efficiently for competitive advantage in global value chains. By contrast, other agendas promote farmers’ knowledge of natural resources, especially via agro-ecological methods which can reduce energy inputs, increase productivity and add value through quality. With those contending agendas, rival stakeholder networks seek to influence R&D priorities. From the standpoint of multifunctional agriculture, such contending agendas can play complementary roles in different rural spaces. Some agro-food practices may combine aspects of different paradigms. As a concept, Agricultural Knowledge Systems may provide a common space for interchanges between divergent agendas and their research priorities. However, these innovation agendas promote conflicting visions of the future

The Method of Constructing Recommendations Online on the Temporal Dynamics of User Interests Using Multilayer Graph

The problem of the online construction of a rating list of objects in the recommender system is considered. A method for constructing recommendations online using the presentation of input data in the form of a multi-layer graph based on changes in user interests over time is proposed. The method is used for constructing recommendations in a situation with implicit feedback from the user. Input data are represented by a sequence of user choice records with a time stamp for each choice. The method includes the phases of pre-filtering of data and building recommendations by collaborative filtering of selected data. At pre-filtering of the input data, the subset of data is split into a sequence of fixed-length non-overlapping time intervals. Users with similar interests and records with objects of interest to these users are selected on a finite continuous subset of time intervals. In the second phase, the pre-filtered subset of data is used, which allows reducing the computational costs of generating recommendations. The method allows increasing the efficiency of building a rating list offered to the target user by taking into account changes in the interests of the user over time

THE COLUMBUS GROUND SEGMENT – A PRECURSOR FOR FUTURE MANNED MISSIONS

In the beginning the space programs were self standing national activities, often in competition to other nations. Today space flight becomes more and more an international task. Complex space mission and deep space explorations are not longer to be stemmed by one agency or nation alone but are joint activities of several nations. The best example for such a joint (ad-) venture at the moment is the International Space Station ISS. Such international activities define complete new requirements for the supporting ground segments. The world-wide distribution of a ground segment is not any longer limited to a network of ground stations with the aim to provide a good coverage of the space craft. The coverage is sometimes – like for the ISSanyway ensured by using a relay satellite system instead. In addition to the enhanced down- and uplink methods a ground segment is aimed to connect the different centres of competence of all participating agencies/nations. From the space craft operations point of view such transnational ground segments are required to support distributed and shared operations in a predefined decision/commanding hierarchy. This has to be taken into account in the technical topology as well as for the operational set-up and teaming. Last not least increases the duration of missions, which requires a certain flexibility of the ground segment and long-term maintenance strategies for the ground segment with a special emphasis on nonintrusive replacements. The Russian space station MIR has been in the orbit for about 15 years, the ISS is currently targeted for 2020, to be for over 20 years in space

Planned Adaptation in Design and Testing of Critical Infrastructure: The Case of Flood Safety in The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, dykes and other primary water defence works are assets that are essential to keep the society and economy functioning, by protecting against flooding from sea and rivers due to extreme events. Given that 55% of the country is at risk of flooding, primary water defence works belong to its critical infrastructure. Many factors influence the risk and impact of flooding. Besides physical factors (e.g., landscape design, climate change) also socio-economic factors (e.g., population, assets) are important. Given that these factors change and feature complex and uncertain behaviour in past and future, the design and regulation of this critical infrastructure will have to be flexible enough to be able to deal with such changes. ‘Planned Adaptation’ refers to regulatory programmes that plan for future changes in knowledge by producing new knowledge and revising rules at regular intervals. This study describes the emergence of the next generation of Dutch primary water defence infrastructure, which through the stepwise implementation of Planned Adaptation for design and testing of primary water defence works in the mid-1990s has moved beyond the Delta Works approach of 1953 and subsequent unplanned adaptations. This has prepared the ground for the recent introduction of Adaptive Delta Management, which makes an integral part of the new Delta Plan for the Netherlands that was published on 16 September 2014 and which is also analysed in this study