3,602 research outputs found
The PLC: a logical development
Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have been used to control industrial processes and equipment for over 40 years, having their first commercially recognised application in 1969. Since then there have been enormous changes in the design and application of PLCs, yet developments were evolutionary rather than radical. The flexibility of the PLC does not confine it to industrial use and it has been used for disparate non-industrial control applications . This article reviews the history, development and industrial applications of the PLC
The Influence of Communication Channel Interactivity on Investorsâ Response to Managementsâ Linguistic Choices
More firms are now disseminating financial information via the internet, and digital technology allows firms to communicate in a more interactive manner compared to traditional paper-based communication channels. Further, various levels of interactivity exist even within online communication channels. We conduct an experiment to examine how online communication channel interactivity affects investor information processing, as evidenced by investorsâ reactions to managersâ linguistic choices within financial disclosures, i.e., term specificity (firm-specific versus general terms) and language extremity (moderately versus extremely positive language). We find that a more interactive channel causes investors to be more sensitive to managersâ linguistic choices, and there is an interactive effect of term specificity and language extremity on investment willingness. Specifically, when managers use moderately (extremely) positive language, investors are more (less) willing to invest in a company with its financial disclosures containing firm-specific (versus general) terms. However, such an interactive effect is much weaker when the communication channel is less interactive. Our findings are important for investors, managers, and regulators to understand how investorsâ perceptions and investment decisions could be changed when information is communicated via a more interactive channel
Moving towards an improved index for assessing liquefaction hazard: Lessons from historical data
AbstractWhile Liquefaction Potential Index (LPI) has been used to assess liquefaction hazards worldwide, evaluations of LPI during recent earthquakes have found its performance to be inconsistent. In 1985, Ishihara considered the influence of the non-liquefied surface layer on the manifestation of liquefaction, and proposed an empirical approach to predict liquefaction surface effects. The study presented herein investigates the insights the boundary curves proposed by Ishihara may provide for improving the existing LPI framework. The result of the investigation is a novel Ishihara-inspired index, LPIISH. Its performance is evaluated using select liquefaction case histories and is compared to that of the existing LPI framework. For the selected case studies, LPIISH was found to be consonant with observed surface effects and showed improvement over LPI in mitigating false-positive predictions. Ultimately, the influence of non-liquefiable layers on surficial manifestation is complex, and further research is needed to fully elucidate and quantify these effects
A Moveable Beast: Subjective Influence of Human-Animal Relationships on Risk Perception, and Risk Behaviour during Bushfire Threat
This article examines how human-animal connections influence risk perception and behaviour in companion animal guardians exposed to bushfire threat in Australia. Although the objective role of psychological bonds with companion animals is well accepted by researchers, subjective interpretations of these bonds by animal guardians are relatively underexamined in this context. We argue that the ways in which connections with pets and other animals are represented influences different forms of safety-risk perception and behaviour when managing animalsâ safety in the face of disaster threat. Thematic analysis of 21 semi-structured interviews with South Australian residents in bushfire-affected areas supported the role of the human-animal bond in shaping risk perception, and influencing engagement in risk-behaviour. Influential factors included animalsâ âlife value,â ârelative versus absoluteâ risk framing, the âconstellation of bonds,â and âaction paralysisâ when facing threat. Implications for future research in decision-making and risk propensities of animal guardians facing disaster threat alongside their pets are then discussed
Consistency and sensitivity of stream periphyton community structural and functional responses to nutrient enrichment
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/117222/1/eap2013231159.pd
Fact or fable: Increased wellbeing in voluntary simplicity
The value of a simple life has been espoused by writers and thinkers throughout time. In the modern era, it has been proposed as an antidote to modern stressors and as a path to wellbeing. The simple life â or voluntary simplicity as it has become known â is a lifestyle whose hallmark is reduced consumption. Personal growth and ecologically responsible behaviours are also integral components. If voluntary simplicity is a path to increased wellbeing, then society stands to benefit if the lifestyle becomes more widely adopted. This review asks the question, is there empirical evidence for an association between voluntary simplicity and improved wellbeing? Using a systematic approach, peer-reviewed literature regarding the wellbeing outcomes of simplifiers was located, resulting in four studies containing a total of 3,233 participants. A comparison of the four studies is given and the strengths and limitations of the present state of research in the area offered. It is concluded that the putative association between voluntary simplicity and improved wellbeing does exist, although important questions remain to be resolved by future research
The MAP Satellite Feed Horns
We present the design, manufacturing methods, and characterization of 20
microwave feed horns currently in use on the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP)
satellite. The nature of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy
requires a detailed understanding of the properties of every optical component
of a microwave telescope. In particular, the properties of the feeds must be
known so that the forward gain and sidelobe response of the telescope can be
modeled and so that potential systematic effects may be computed. MAP requires
low emissivity, azimuthally symmetric, low-sidelobe feeds in five microwave
bands (K, Ka, Q, V, and W) that fit within a constrained geometry. The beam
pattern of each feed is modeled and compared with measurements; the agreement
is generally excellent to the -60 dB level (80 degrees from the beam peak).
This agreement verifies the beam-predicting software and the manufacturing
process. The feeds also affect the properties and modeling of the microwave
receivers. To this end, we show that the reflection from the feeds is less than
-25 dB over most of each band and that their emissivity is acceptable. The
feeds meet their multiple requirements.Comment: 9 pages with 7 figures, of which 2 are in low-resolution versions;
paper is available with higher quality figures at
http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/m_mm/tp_links.htm
Experiences of Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplantation Nurses and Providers Using Electronic Symptom Reporting
Purpose To investigate the use of electronic patient-reported outcomes (PROs) to assess symptoms and how they can provide opportunities to clinicians to address symptoms in a timely manner to improve clinical care. As part of a larger study to evaluate whether providing standardized symptom reports to the medical team would decrease the time to treatment of reported symptoms in hematopoietic stem-cell transplant recipients, we assessed nursesâ and providersâ perceptions of electronic symptom reporting. Methods Semistructured interviews of RNs, MDs, NPs and PAs were conducted at an academic cancer center in the southeastern United States. Nursesâ and providersâ perceptions of electronic symptom reporting were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded by two investigators to identify major themes. Results Fourteen RNs and seven providers (MDs, PAs, and NPs) participated in the interviews. Three main themes emerged from the interviews: electronic symptom reporting may improve assessment and care, integrating symptom reporting into nurse workflow presents difficulties, and there are barriers for completion of surveys. Conclusion The majority of nurses and providers believed that the inclusion of electronic symptom reporting in bone marrow transplantation inpatient units has the potential to improve care but that barriers to implementation remain
Associations between prostate cancer-related anxiety and health-related quality of life
There are uncertainties about prostate cancerârelated anxiety's (PCRA) associations with healthârelated quality of life (HRQOL) and major depression, and these could affect the quality of mental healthcare provided to prostate cancer patients. Addressing these uncertainties will provide more insight into PCRA and inform further research on the value of PCRA prevention. The goals of this study were to measure associations between PCRA and HRQOL at domain and subdomain levels, and to evaluate the association between PCRA and probable (ie, predicted major) depression
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