CCH <i>N</i> = 4-3 emission from dense interstellar clouds

The authors have searched for N = 4 - 3 rotational line emission from the ethynyl radical CCH, at 349 GHz toward a number of galactic molecular clouds. They have detected emission from ten giant molecular clouds and have derived CCH column densities on the order of 1014 - 1015cm-2. They find that CCH emission arises from dense gas, n(H2) ~ 104 - 105cm-3, but not from very dense material, n(H2) > 106cm-3, nor from hot gas such as the "hot core" region in Orion

Managing complex fires in urban environments: a tale of two cultures

Prior research has examined how experienced fireground commanders make task related decisions under a range of unfavourable conditions, however gaps still exist in the literature when there is need to evaluate the coping strategies of incident commanders across different urban environments. There was rarely any study found to have explored cross-cultural differences that exist between two or more fire services with distinct cultural orientations. This paper reports findings from a study that compared firefighting approaches used by the UK and Nigerian firefighters. Thirty experienced officers were interviewed (UK=15, Nigeria =15) using the critical decision method, and retrospective incident reports were collected and analysed. As expected, results revealed that the UK fire service are significantly better equipped with advanced equipment compared to their Nigerian counterparts who often make improvisations using relatively unsafe methods. However, evidence was found to suggest that the Nigerian officers are culturally biased towards the use of certain firefighting equipment. The implications of these cultural differences for practice are discussed

Towards the classification of fireground cues: a qualitative analysis of expert reports

Whilst there is evidence linking informational cue processing ability to effective decision making on the fireground, only a few studies have actually attempted detailed description and categorization of the cues sought by fireground commanders when managing real fires. In this study, thirty experienced firefighters were interviewed across various fire stations in the UK and Nigeria using the critical decision method protocol. Forty one different cues were identified, which were then categorized into five distinct types namely: safety cues, cues that indicate the nature of problem, environmental cues, emotive cues, and incident command and control cues. The paper concludes by evaluating the role of expertise in cue utilization, drawing on evidence from the naturalistic decision making (NDM) literature

Eliciting experts’ knowledge in emergency response organizations

Purpose: Experienced fire ground commanders are known to make decisions in time-pressured and dynamic environments. The purpose of this paper is to report some of the tacit knowledge and skills expert firefighters use in performing complex fire ground tasks. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study utilized a structured knowledge elicitation tool, known as the critical decision method (CDM), to elicit expert knowledge. Seventeen experienced fire-fighters were interviewed indepth using a semi-structured CDM interview protocol. The CDM protocol was analyzed using the emergent themes analysis (ETA) approach Findings: Findings from the CDM protocol reveal both the salient cues sought, which we termed critical cue inventory (CCI), and the goals pursued by the fire ground commanders at each decision point. The CCI is categorized into five classes based on the type of information each cue generates to the incident commanders Practical Implications: Since the critical decision method is a useful tool for identifying training needs, this study discussed the practical implications for transferring experts’ knowledge to novice firefighters Originality/Value: Although many authors recognize that experts perform exceptionally well in their domains of practice, the difficulty still lies in getting a structured method for unmasking experts’ tacit knowledge. This paper is therefore relevant as it presents useful findings following a naturalistic knowledge elicitation study that was conducted across different fire stations in the UK and Nigeria

Near infrared spectroscopy of W51 IRS-2

Near-infrared spectra at 2.95-3.5 μm and 3.99-10 μm have been obtained towards W51 IRS-2 and its surroundings, in order to investigate the spatial variations in intensity of the 3.28 μm unidentified feature and the 4.05 μm Brackett-α line. The Br-α and 3.28 μm features occupy a broadly similar spatial zone, which is characterised by an unresolved core responsible for most of the emission, and an extended and considerably weaker halo. Grain properties required to excite the 4.28 microns line, the nature of the 3.28 μm emission, and its relation to the source structure are discussed

Evaluating lay perceptions of maternal mortality to improve risk communication: a case study in Rivers State, Nigeria

Maternal mortality is one of the major challenges in reproductive health in Nigeria. Approximately two-thirds of the women (three-quarters in rural Nigeria) deliver their babies outside of health facilities and without medically skilled birth attendants. Communication and education are vital since so many births take place outside formal healthcare environments, and the high mortality rate suggests there is potential for progress, which can supplement Nigerian government efforts. The purpose of the study was to elicit lay knowledge and interpretations about the major components of the problem as part of a wider mental models study aimed at improving risk communication. These knowledge and perceptions were elicited through semi-structured interviews with women of childbearing age (15-49 years). Interviews were analysed to evaluate common themes that will be used to model lay perceptions for comparison to the expert mental model as part of the wider method. The emergent themes will be presented and discussed in the context of the identification of important gaps in knowledge and misperceptions that have the potential for development of improved risk communication