Airborne Astronomy Symposium on the Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust, volume 73

This symposium was organized to review the science related to NASA's Airborne Astronomy Program on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the Kuiper Airborne Observatory (KAO). The theme selected, 'The Galactic Ecosystem: From Gas to Stars to Dust,' was considered to capture the underlying commonality of much of the research discussed. The 8 sessions were as follows: The Interstellar Medium; The Life Cycle of the ISM in Other Galaxies; Star and Planetary System Formation; Our Planetary System: The Solar System; The Enrichment of the Interstellar Medium; The Galactic Center: A Unique Region of the Galactic Ecosystem; Instrumentation for Airborne Astronomy; KAO History and Education; and Missions and the Future of Infrared Astronomy

William Fairbairn - experimental engineer and mill-builder

William Fairbairn was a major engineer, active in many branches of mid-nineteenth-century engineering. From an apprenticeship as a colliery millwright, he went on to establish a world-class engineering business in Manchester, playing a major role in mill-building, experimental engineering, bridge construction and iron shipbuilding. Despite his importance there is no modern study which brings together the many diverse areas of his work, and the company he founded, nor does any study give adequate emphasis to the discrete and different chronological phases of Fairbairn’s career. The thesis aims to provide a composite study of Fairbairn’s life and work, answering three main questions. First, how is the rise of Fairbairn and his Company to positions of leadership and influence within the engineering industry accounted for? Secondly, in what respects were both Fairbairn and the Company he founded important and influential, and how was that influence spread? Thirdly what caused one of the most successful engineering companies, with a global reputation, to cease to trade within a year of its founder’s death? The opportunity is taken to re-assess the range and significance of Fairbairn’s contributions to nineteenth-century engineering. This thesis argues that Fairbairn was more an ‘innovator’ and optimiser than an inventor. Five areas stand out as particularly influential amongst the multiplicity of his achievements, as a builder of mills with their prime-movers, as the foremost experimental engineer of his time outside the universities, as a leading iron shipbuilder during iron shipbuilding’s most critical decade - 1835-1844, as a builder of tubular structures – bridges and cranes - during a two-decade window, and in connection with steam boilers. The thesis shows education to have been a lifelong commitment of Fairbairn, with his Ancoats works the successor to Maudslay’s ‘nursery’. It also poins to him as a transitional figure in a time of rapid change. However his career was unpredictable. No one model of technological innovation fits all Fairbairn’s work, and his investigations and experiments challenge the imposition of any uniform theory of technological change. Set-backs are identified, as well as Fairbairn’s successes. Reasons are argued for the dissolution of his partnership with Lillie, the closure of his shipyard, and his failure to obtain various bridge commissions. The ultimate demise of a great engineering firm, within a year of its founder’s death, is traced primarily to the matter of succession following Fairbairn’s retirement from a managerial role, and the contrasting approach of his successors

Teacher roles during amusement park visits – insights from observations, interviews and questionnaires

Amusement parks offer rich possibilities for physics learning, through observations and experiments that illustrate important physical principles and often involve the whole body. Amusement parks are also among the most popular school excursions, but very often the learning possibilities are underused. In this work we have studied different teacher roles and discuss how universities, parks or event managers can encourage and support teachers and schools in their efforts to make amusement park visits true learning experiences for their students

Creating Through Mind and Emotions

The texts presented in Proportion Harmonies and Identities (PHI) Creating Through Mind and Emotions were compiled to establish a multidisciplinary platform for presenting, interacting, and disseminating research. This platform also aims to foster the awareness and discussion on Creating Through Mind and Emotions, focusing on different visions relevant to Architecture, Arts and Humanities, Design and Social Sciences, and its importance and benefits for the sense of identity, both individual and communal. The idea of Creating Through Mind and Emotions has been a powerful motor for development since the Western Early Modern Age. Its theoretical and practical foundations have become the working tools of scientists, philosophers, and artists, who seek strategies and policies to accelerate the development process in different contexts

An integrated approach to span design in open stope mining

In order to develop an appropriate mine design, a thorough understanding of the rock mass conditions and its potential response to mining is required. Rock mass characterisation is a key component in developing models of the rock mass and its engineering behaviour, and relies on disparate data collected by exploration geologists, mine geologists, rock mechanics engineers and technicians, in a variety of formats. Optimal rock mass model development requires the effective integration of all data sources, which currently requires considerable effort in collecting, managing, collating, validating and analysing this data.The importance of understanding the spatial variability of rock mass conditions has been highlighted as a major issue. The traditional approach of using simplistic models of “average” rock mass conditions can lead to sub-optimal designs, which may result in unplanned additional costs or economic implications of dilution and ore loss. The design of stope and pillars should be optimised for the prevailing rock mass conditions in the various regions of the mine.Some of the existing design tools used for open stope design have shown poor reliability in their performance predictions. Though some may have been originally developed to assist in initial stope size selection (i.e. pre-feasibility and feasibility levels), they are potentially being inappropriately relied upon for detailed design. Consideration of large scale structures on stability and their influence on local rock mass conditions are also important aspects of open stope design that are commonly over-looked. There is a need to select design methodologies that are optimised for the stage of project development. It is also important to emphasise the iterative, evolutionary and interdisciplinary nature of open stope design.This thesis proposes a framework that attempts to integrate different rock mass characterisation models, numerical modelling and stope performance data to assist in improving the overall excavation design process. The key philosophy behind design optimisation is the continual reduction in uncertainty in collected data, analysis and design methods used with a view to improving the overall reliability of the design. A stope span design optimisation approach is proposed which attempts to ensure that the appropriate methodologies in data collection, data analysis, rock mass model formulation and stope design are utilised at relevant project stages in order to minimise uncertainty and maximise design reliability. The design optimisation approach recognises that the appropriateness of a particular design methodology is highly dependant on the availability of an appropriate rock mass model, which is in turn dependant on the availability of quality rock mass data. With respect to the design of spans in open stope mining, the key aims of the proposed integrated approach are to; • Assess the suitability of data for analysis • If data is unsuitable, assess the most appropriate data collection strategy • Assess the most appropriate approach to rock mass modelling • Assess the most appropriate design methodologies • Assess the reliability of the design criteria and quantify the potential economic impact of the design on the projectOptimisation of the design process also requires integration of state-of-the-art techniques in data collection, analysis, modelling and engineering analysis and design at the appropriate stage of project development. During development of this thesis a number of improvements have been proposed in key areas in the rock engineering design process which can be incorporated into the integrated approach, including; • A rock mass data model has been developed that assists in facilitating the ongoing rock mass characterisation process. The data model is capable of integrating rock mass data from various sources, which promotes sharing of data and avoids duplication of data collection efforts. The data model is able to query rock mass data, define relationships between data types, apply bias corrections, and perform basic analysis for use in subsequent detailed analysis and rock mass modelling. • An implicit based approach to spatial rock mass and deterministic discontinuity modelling can be employed to improve understanding of the spatial variability of rock mass parameters, inter-relationships between rock mass characteristics on their role in design. For example, understanding the influence of large-scale structures on rock mass characteristics and excavation performance. • Improved scale independent geometrical assessments of stope performance have been proposed that maximise the use of stope performance data. • An integrated back analysis framework has been presented that is able to account for structural complexity, scale and features that cannot be directly incorporated into linear elastic numerical modelling codes. • With regard to linear elastic back analyses, an number of improvements have been proposed, as well as a suggested method to assess appropriateness of continuum models based on discontinuity intensity and critical span

Empowering vulnerable women by participatory design workshops

This contribution addresses the issue of homeless women’s empowerment through design workshops and according to the capability approach. The paper presents small, ordinary stories of women that experience being designers. Besides the professional label, being a designer means to approach reality from the transformative perspective of pursuing a positive change. It also translates in claiming the space for the expression of a personal vision of the world, within a cooperative environment. It enables to experiment innovative strategies to solve problems and to pursue self-determination in practical activities

Annual Reports of the Department of the Interior for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1897; Annual Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1897.

Annual Report of the Sec. of Interior. 16 Nov. HD 5, 55-2, v12-22, 8978p. [3640-3650] Indian affairs; annual report of the Gen. Land Office (Serial 3640); annual report of the CIA (Serial 3641); etc