Pittosporum kororoense (Pittosporaceae, Apiales), a new species from Coffs Harbour, Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia

A new species of rainforest shrub, described here as Pittosporum kororoense Benwell (Pittosporaceae, Apiales), was recently discovered at Kororo, 3 km north of the centre of Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Current information on the distribution, habitat, and population of this highly localised, endemic species is presented. An updated key to Pittosporum species in NSW is provided

Flashover prevention on polystyrene high voltage insulators in a vacuum

The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file.Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on March 18, 2008)Includes bibliographical references.Thesis (M.S.) University of Missouri-Columbia 2007.Dissertations, Academic -- University of Missouri--Columbia -- Electrical engineering.Increasing performance of vacuum insulator barriers is a common goal in large pulsed power systems. Insulator performance is continually being improved while new methods are developed. Triple point shielding techniques have been shown to increase flashover voltage, but the role of cathode vs. anode shielding is still not fully understood. Magnetic flashover inhibition has been considered but has not been experimentally confirmed for 45 degree coaxial insulators. Open circuit flashover characteristics were obtained for a coaxial geometry to view the effects of triple point shielding for this geometry. The tests included applying various combinations of triple point shields on zero degree and +45 degree insulators. Shielding was tested at the cathode triple point outside of the dielectric and at the anode triple point inside the dielectric. Magnetic flashover inhibition was considered for 45 degree coaxial insulators. An experiment to test magnetic flashover inhibition was developed. The method could provide insight on how to configure a system to take advantage of magnetic flashover inhibition. The role of anode versus cathode triple point shielding was examined. Flashover voltage was observed to increase when either a cathode or anode triple point shield was applied; however adding a shield to both regions lowered the flashover threshold. Both triple point regions were found to be important and dependant on each other for some coaxial geometries

A high voltage piezoelectric transformer for active interrogation

Title from PDF of title page (University of Missouri--Columbia, viewed on Feb 23, 2010).The entire thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file; a non-technical public abstract appears in the public.pdf file.Dissertation advisor: Dr. Scott D. Kovaleski.Vita.Ph. D. University of Missouri--Columbia 2009.A resonant piezoelectric transformer circuit was developed for high voltage generation. The goal of this project was to produce 100 kV with a reasonably sized piezoelectric crystal. Several mechanisms leading to less than expected high voltage have been addressed. This project addresses problems associated with high power, high stress, high voltage, mechanical loss, and high output impedance measurements. A method for eliminating unwanted discharges and a technique for measuring the true output voltage of the transformer were tested. A way to minimize the mechanical stress while creating high voltage was developed. The research performed in this project extended the state of the art for high voltage piezoelectric transformers.Includes bibliographical reference

The LCLS-II Gun & Buncher LLRF Controller Upgrade

LCLS-II is currently in its commissioning phase at SLAC. It is an X-ray FEL driven by a CW superconducting LINAC. The beam injector plays a crucial role in the overall performance of the accelerator, and is critical to the final electron beam performance parameters. The LCLS-II injector comprises of a 185.7 MHz VHF copper gun cavity, and a 1.3 GHz two-cell L-band copper buncher cavity. The FPGA-based controller employs feedback and Self-Excited Loop logic in order to regulate the cavity fields. It also features several other functionalities, such as live detune computation, active frequency tracking, and waveform recording. The LLRF system drives the cavities via two 60 kW SSAs through two power couplers, and thus stabilizes the fields inside the plant. This paper provides an outline of the general functionalities of the system, alongside a description of its hardware, firmware and software architecture, before finalizing with the current status of the project and its future goals.Comment: Poster presented at LLRF Workshop 2022 (LLRF2022, arXiv:2208.13680

Evaluating the pedagogical effectiveness of study preregistration in the undergraduate dissertation

Research shows that questionable research practices (QRPs) are present in undergraduate final-year dissertation projects. One entry-level Open Science practice proposed to mitigate QRPs is “study preregistration,” through which researchers outline their research questions, design, method, and analysis plans before data collection and/or analysis. In this study, we aimed to empirically test the effectiveness of preregistration as a pedagogic tool in undergraduate dissertations using a quasi-experimental design. A total of 89 UK psychology students were recruited, including students who preregistered their empirical quantitative dissertation (n = 52; experimental group) and students who did not (n = 37; control group). Attitudes toward statistics, acceptance of QRPs, and perceived understanding of Open Science were measured both before and after dissertation completion. Exploratory measures included capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage with preregistration, measured at Time 1 only. This study was conducted as a Registered Report; Stage 1 protocol: https://osf.io/9hjbw (date of in-principle acceptance: September 21, 2021). Study preregistration did not significantly affect attitudes toward statistics or acceptance of QRPs. However, students who preregistered reported greater perceived understanding of Open Science concepts from Time 1 to Time 2 compared with students who did not preregister. Exploratory analyses indicated that students who preregistered reported significantly greater capability, opportunity, and motivation to preregister. Qualitative responses revealed that preregistration was perceived to improve clarity and organization of the dissertation, prevent QRPs, and promote rigor. Disadvantages and barriers included time, perceived rigidity, and need for training. These results contribute to discussions surrounding embedding Open Science principles into research training

Fundamental Science Investigations to Develop a 6-MV Laser Triggered Gas Switch for ZR: First Annual Report.

In October 2005, an intensive three-year Laser Triggered Gas Switch (LTGS) development program was initiated to investigate and solve observed performance and reliability issues with the LTGS for ZR. The approach taken has been one of mission-focused research: to revisit and reassess the design, to establish a fundamental understanding of LTGS operation and failure modes, and to test evolving operational hypotheses. This effort is aimed toward deploying an initial switch for ZR in 2007, on supporting rolling upgrades to ZR as the technology can be developed, and to prepare with scientific understanding for the even higher voltage switches anticipated needed for future high-yield accelerators. The ZR LTGS was identified as a potential area of concern quite early, but since initial assessments performed on a simplified Switch Test Bed (STB) at 5 MV showed 300-shot lifetimes on multiple switch builds, this component was judged acceptable. When the Z{sub 20} engineering module was brought online in October 2003 frequent flashovers of the plastic switch envelope were observed at the increased stresses required to compensate for the programmatically increased ZR load inductance. As of October 2006, there have been 1423 Z{sub 20} shots assessing a variety of LTGS designs. Numerous incremental and fundamental switch design modifications have been investigated. As we continue to investigate the LTGS, the basic science of plastic surface tracking, laser triggering, cascade breakdown, and optics degradation remain high-priority mission-focused research topics. Significant progress has been made and, while the switch does not yet achieve design requirements, we are on the path to develop successively better switches for rolling upgrade improvements to ZR. This report summarizes the work performed in FY 2006 by the large team. A high-level summary is followed by detailed individual topical reports

GIS maturity and integration

Part of the GeoComputation '96 Special Issue 96/25; follow the "related link" to download the entire collection as a single document.This paper discusses the concept of maturity in the use of GIS and then formulates a computational method for measuring an organisations maturity level from the construction of a surrogate indicator. Generation of this model is made under the proposition that maturity is linked to the level that GIS has been integrated and utilised on an organisation wide basis in day to day activities. The research focuses on New Zealand local government and incorporates parallel studies of conventional information technology (IT) with recently collected data to provide support for the concepts and techniques used. It is postulated that due to similarities of function found in other local authorities, that the model has the potential, with further research for wide application.UnpublishedANDERSON, M.R. AND BENWELL, G.L. 1992. A Survey of GIS Usage Amongst Local Authorities in New Zealand and Victoria, Australia, In: The 4th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 18 - 20 May, p11 - 24. BENBASAT, I.DEXTER, A.S.DRURY, D.H. AND GOLDSTEIN, R.C. 1984. A Critique of the Stage Hypothesis: Theory and Empirical Evidence, Communications of the ACM, 27(5): 476 - 485. DANIEL, W.W. 1990. Applied Nonparametric Statistics, PWS-Kent Publishing Company, Boston, 633p. DICKINSON, H.J. AND CALKINS, H.W. 1988. The Economic Evaluation of Implementing a GIS, International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, 2(4): 307 - 327. DRURY, D.H. 1983. An Empirical Assessment of the Stages of DP Growth, MIS Quarterly, June:59 - 70. FRASER, K.G. AND TODD, E. 1994. The Use of GIS in New Zealand Local Authorities - A Survey Comparing the Situation in July 1993 with February 1992, In: The 4th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 17 - 19 May 1994, p147 - 159. GIBSON, C.F. AND NOLAN, R.L. 1974. Managing the Four Stages of EDP Growth, Harvard Business Review, 52(1): 76 - 88. JACKSON, I.F. 1986. Corporate Information Management, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 338p. KING, J.L. AND KRAEMER, K.L. 1984. Evolution and Organizational Information Systems:An Assessment of Nolan's Stage Model, Communications of the ACM, 27(4): 466 - 475. LILBURNE, L. 1996. The Integration Challenge, In: The 8th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin. LOPEZ, X.R. AND JOHN, S.A. 1993. Data Exchange and Integration in UK Local Government. Mapping Awareness & GIS in Europe 7,(5): 37 - 40. LUCAS, H.C.J. AND SUTTON, J.A. 1977. The Stage Hypothesis and the S-Curve: Some Contradictory Evidence, Communications of the ACM, 20(4): 254 - 259. MACKANESS, W. 1989. Introducing GIS into Organisations, In: The Inaugural Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 29 Nov - 1Dec 1989, p106 - 119. MARR, A.J. AND BENWELL,G.L. 1996(a). The Evolution of the Use of GIS in New Zealand Local Government, Journal of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors, April, 286:30 - 35. MARR, A.J. AND BENWELL,G.L. 1996(b). Maturing GIS in New Zealand Local Government, In: The 8th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin. MARR, A.J. 1996. Geographic Information Systems Maturity in New Zealand Local Government. University of Otago, Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, 126p. MAYR, W. 1995. Levels of GIS Maturity in Malaysia. The Australasian Geographic Information Systems Applications Journal ,(12): 30 - 31. NOLAN, R.L. 1979. Managing the Crisis in Data Processing, Harvard Business Review, 57(2): 115 - 126. NOLAN, R.L. 1977. Management Accounting and Control of Data Processing, National Association of Accountants, New York, 192p. NOLAN, R.L. 1973. Managing the Computer Resource: A Stage Hypothesis, Communications of the ACM, 16(7): 399 - 405. NORUŠIS, M.J. AND SPSS INC., 1993. SPSS for Windows - Base System User's Guide, Release 6.0, SPSS Inc, Chicago, 828p. SPRAGUE, R.H. AND MCNURLIN, B.C. 1993. Information Systems Management in Practice, Prentice-Hall International Inc., New Jersey, 554p. ZWART, P. 1992. Mature GIS - or Taking the G out of GIS, In: The Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, The Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin, 18 - 20 May 1992, p1 - 9

GIS maturity and integration

Part of the GeoComputation '96 Special Issue 96/25; follow the "related link" to download the entire collection as a single document.This paper discusses the concept of maturity in the use of GIS and then formulates a computational method for measuring an organisations maturity level from the construction of a surrogate indicator. Generation of this model is made under the proposition that maturity is linked to the level that GIS has been integrated and utilised on an organisation wide basis in day to day activities. The research focuses on New Zealand local government and incorporates parallel studies of conventional information technology (IT) with recently collected data to provide support for the concepts and techniques used. It is postulated that due to similarities of function found in other local authorities, that the model has the potential, with further research for wide application.UnpublishedANDERSON, M.R. AND BENWELL, G.L. 1992. A Survey of GIS Usage Amongst Local Authorities in New Zealand and Victoria, Australia, In: The 4th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 18 - 20 May, p11 - 24. BENBASAT, I.DEXTER, A.S.DRURY, D.H. AND GOLDSTEIN, R.C. 1984. A Critique of the Stage Hypothesis: Theory and Empirical Evidence, Communications of the ACM, 27(5): 476 - 485. DANIEL, W.W. 1990. Applied Nonparametric Statistics, PWS-Kent Publishing Company, Boston, 633p. DICKINSON, H.J. AND CALKINS, H.W. 1988. The Economic Evaluation of Implementing a GIS, International Journal of Geographical Information Systems, 2(4): 307 - 327. DRURY, D.H. 1983. An Empirical Assessment of the Stages of DP Growth, MIS Quarterly, June:59 - 70. FRASER, K.G. AND TODD, E. 1994. The Use of GIS in New Zealand Local Authorities - A Survey Comparing the Situation in July 1993 with February 1992, In: The 4th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 17 - 19 May 1994, p147 - 159. GIBSON, C.F. AND NOLAN, R.L. 1974. Managing the Four Stages of EDP Growth, Harvard Business Review, 52(1): 76 - 88. JACKSON, I.F. 1986. Corporate Information Management, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 338p. KING, J.L. AND KRAEMER, K.L. 1984. Evolution and Organizational Information Systems:An Assessment of Nolan's Stage Model, Communications of the ACM, 27(4): 466 - 475. LILBURNE, L. 1996. The Integration Challenge, In: The 8th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin. LOPEZ, X.R. AND JOHN, S.A. 1993. Data Exchange and Integration in UK Local Government. Mapping Awareness & GIS in Europe 7,(5): 37 - 40. LUCAS, H.C.J. AND SUTTON, J.A. 1977. The Stage Hypothesis and the S-Curve: Some Contradictory Evidence, Communications of the ACM, 20(4): 254 - 259. MACKANESS, W. 1989. Introducing GIS into Organisations, In: The Inaugural Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, 29 Nov - 1Dec 1989, p106 - 119. MARR, A.J. AND BENWELL,G.L. 1996(a). The Evolution of the Use of GIS in New Zealand Local Government, Journal of the New Zealand Institute of Surveyors, April, 286:30 - 35. MARR, A.J. AND BENWELL,G.L. 1996(b). Maturing GIS in New Zealand Local Government, In: The 8th Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin. MARR, A.J. 1996. Geographic Information Systems Maturity in New Zealand Local Government. University of Otago, Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis, 126p. MAYR, W. 1995. Levels of GIS Maturity in Malaysia. The Australasian Geographic Information Systems Applications Journal ,(12): 30 - 31. NOLAN, R.L. 1979. Managing the Crisis in Data Processing, Harvard Business Review, 57(2): 115 - 126. NOLAN, R.L. 1977. Management Accounting and Control of Data Processing, National Association of Accountants, New York, 192p. NOLAN, R.L. 1973. Managing the Computer Resource: A Stage Hypothesis, Communications of the ACM, 16(7): 399 - 405. NORUŠIS, M.J. AND SPSS INC., 1993. SPSS for Windows - Base System User's Guide, Release 6.0, SPSS Inc, Chicago, 828p. SPRAGUE, R.H. AND MCNURLIN, B.C. 1993. Information Systems Management in Practice, Prentice-Hall International Inc., New Jersey, 554p. ZWART, P. 1992. Mature GIS - or Taking the G out of GIS, In: The Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Colloquium of the Spatial Information Research Centre, The Spatial Information Research Centre, Dunedin, 18 - 20 May 1992, p1 - 9