Human reliability analysis using virtual emergency scenario via a Bayesian network model

Human reliability assessments (HRA) are typically completed by eliciting expert opinion. Data used are subjective and are prone to uncertainty and errors. This thesis outlines an HRA method using a Bayesian network (BN) model to evaluate human performance in emergency scenarios using a virtual environment (VE). VE can be used to simulate emergency situations to evaluate human performance in an environment that is controlled and safe and gives access to data that is based on an experimental method, rather than expert opinion. This method involves selecting appropriate performance shaping factors (PSFs) that are varied into different states to create credible scenarios in the VE to observe human performance. The virtual experimental technique provides a way to collect data to quantify a BN. The BN approach is suited to the assessment of human reliability due to its ability to 1) characterize dependency among different performance shaping factors (PSFs) and human errors, 2) incorporate new evidence as it becomes available, and 3) quantify the impact of different PSFs on different individuals. This paper presents an extension of the work done by Musharraf et al. (2014) by introducing PSFs that were purposively selected based on the ability to implement them in the VE, their relevance to real-life situations, and whether they could be controlled to minimize the effects of variables other than the chosen PSF. The PSFs used in this paper are complexity, stress, and uncertainty

Repurposing food waste in the hospitality industry to reduce hunger and environmental impact

This study focuses on repurposing food waste in the hospitality industry in order to reduce hunger and environmental impact by exploring the relationship between food waste and sustainability and hunger. A review of current literature regarding the issue of food waste and sustainability, and hunger has been presented. Data was collected through means of observation of a student-managed on-campus restaurant at a large public Midwestern University. Following the observations, further data was collected through interviews conducted with student staff members of the on-campus restaurant with regard to the recorded observations. The results of the observations indicated the areas in which the greatest and least amount of food waste is produced on a given business day. The results of the interviews corresponded with the recorded observations, as well as provided insight into staff members feelings about the food waste produced and the desire and willingness to repurpose the food waste produced. A plan of action was provided in this study as a guideline for future studies whom look to implement a plan to repurpose food waste, while reducing hunger and environmental impact in the hospitality industry. The analysis of the observation and interviews can be used as a reference in future studies to help hospitality leaders discover what processes produce the most food waste and discover the willingness of the staff to help implement a plan to repurpose the food waste produced

Cosmopolitan Urbanism and Architecture & Paradigm Change in Research and Education in in Asia

The genesis of human settlements is a continuous process of production and layering of spaces in different scale levels across historical periods. The architectural production in our Asian context is always cosmopolitan, hybrid and eclectic, due to historical links and inclusive cultural attitude. Our common building typologies – and also our modernization processes - are the product of the cosmopolitan communities, the articulation of the multi-layered tangible and intangible traditions, and the direct response to local micro-climate of this region. Diversity, eclecticism, fusion, acculturation, adaptation, can perhaps best describe the nature of our architecture and urbanism. Our architectural education now is in dire needs to develop a design-research culture to deal with social and environmental changes. Contemporarily we are in an urgent need to find resolutions to address serious problems posed by the climate change, ideological conflicts, economic greed, depletion of resources, and social justice. Research in architecture should be based on the reality on the ground and not just based on alien theories. Design should be based on the understanding of the real contextual problems, to formulate sensible, sensitive, and holistic solutions. Learning the lessons and wisdoms from our cosmopolitan architecture and urbanism is an important and necessary step towards the improvements and paradigm change in architectural education, research, and practice in Asian context

Release of CHK-2 from PPM-1.D anchorage schedules meiotic entry

Transition from the stem/progenitor cell fate to meiosis is mediated by several redundant posttranscriptional regulatory pathways i

Glutamate is required for depression but not potentiation of long-term presynaptic function

Hebbian plasticity is thought to require glutamate signalling. We show this is not the case for hippocampal presynaptic long-term potentiation (LTPpre), which is expressed as an increase in transmitter release probability (Pr). We find that LTPpreandnbsp;can be induced by pairing pre- and postsynaptic spiking in the absence of glutamate signalling. LTPpreinduction involves a non-canonical mechanism of retrograde nitric oxide signalling, which is triggered by Ca2+andnbsp;influx from L-type voltage-gated Ca2+andnbsp;channels, not postsynaptic NMDA receptors (NMDARs), and does not require glutamate release. When glutamate release occurs, it decreases Prandnbsp;by activating presynaptic NMDARs, and promotes presynaptic long-term depression. Net changes in Pr, therefore, depend on two opposing factors: (1) Hebbian activity, which increases Pr, and (2) glutamate release, which decreases Pr. Accordingly, release failures during Hebbian activity promote LTPpreinduction. Our findings reveal a novel framework of presynaptic plasticity that radically differs from traditional models of postsynaptic plasticity.</p