238 research outputs found
Implementation and Development of Vehicle Tracking and Immobilization Technologies
Since the mid-1980s, limited use has been made of vehicle tracking using satellite communications to mitigate the security and safety risks created by the highway transportation of certain types of hazardous materials. However, vehicle-tracking technology applied to safety and security is increasingly being researched and piloted, and it has been the subject of several government reports and legislative mandates.
At the same time, the motor carrier industry has been investing in and implementing vehicle tracking, for a number of reasons, particularly the increase in efficiency achieved through better management of both personnel (drivers) and assets (trucks or, as they are known, tractors; cargo loads; and trailers).
While vehicle tracking and immobilization technologies can play a significant role in preventing truck-borne hazardous materials from being used as weapons against key targets, they are not a & āsilver bullet.ā However, the experience of DTTS and the FMCSA and TSA pilot projects indicates that when these technologies are combined with other security measures, and when the information they provide is used in conjunction with information supplied outside of the tracking system, they can provide defensive value to any effort to protect assets from attacks using hazmat as a weapon.
This report is a sister publication to MTI Report 09-03, Potential Terrorist Uses of Highway-Borne Hazardous Materials. That publication was created in response to the Department of Homeland SecurityĀ“s request that the Mineta Transportation InstituteĀ“s National Transportation Security Center of Excellence provide research and insights regarding the security risks created by the highway transportation of hazardous materials
A study of the solid regions in the system Zr-Te
Relative intensity measurements of X-ray powder diffraction lines were made of compositions in the region ZrTeā.ā
to ZrTeā.ā, fired between 600Āŗ and 817ĀŗC in evacuated sealed tubes. The experimental relative intensities of samples between ZrTe and ZrTeā were compared with values calculated for several theoretical models with different Zr vacancy ordering schemes and Te vacancy concentrations. The most probable structural model for compositions in the range ZrTe to ZrTeā.ā
is one in which the number of Zr vacancies located at z = 0 ranges from 0% to 30%, with the concentration of Te vacancies ranging from 0 to 35%. A structural model of 15% Zr vacancies at z = 0 and Te vacancy concentrations of 0 to 5% is proposed for compositions in the range ZrTeā.ā
to ZrTeā. X-ray results indicate a two-phase region between ZrTeā.ā and ZrTeā.ā in the temperature range from 650Āŗ to 817ĀŗC. The phases are hexagonal ZrāTeā and a ZrTe-ZrTeā superlattice. Two-phase material, with a mean composition of ZrTeā.ā
ā
, was observed visually in other samples fired at 600Āŗ and 817ĀŗC. All the tellurides reacted with atmospheric moisture at room temperature --Abstract, page ii
Wonder tales from Baltic wizards : from the German and English
http://www.ester.ee/record=b4263605*es
Supporting Pluralism by Artificial Intelligence: Conceptualizing Epistemic Disagreements as Digital Artifacts
A crucial concept in philosophy and social sciences, epistemic disagreement, has not yet been adequately reflected in the Web. In this paper, we call for development of intelligent tools dealing with epistemic disagreements on the Web to support pluralism. As a first step, we present Polyphony, an ontology for representing and annotating epistemic disagreements
Towards an overheating risk tool for building design
PurposeThe work set out to design and develop an overheating risk tool using the UKCP09 climate projections that is compatible with building performance simulation software. The aim of the tool is to exploit the Weather Generator and give a reasonably accurate assessment of a building's performance in future climates, without adding significant time, cost or complexity to the design team's work.Methodology/approachBecause simulating every possible future climate is impracticable, the approach adopted was to use principal component analysis to give a statistically rigorous simplification of the climate projections. The perceptions and requirements of potential users were assessed through surveys, interviews and focus groups.FindingsIt is possible to convert a single dynamic simulation output into many hundreds of simulation results at hourly resolution for equally probable climates, giving a population of outcomes for the performance of a specific building in a future climate, thus helping the user choose adaptations that might reduce the risk of overheating. The tool outputs can be delivered as a probabilistic overheating curve and feed into a risk management matrix. Professionals recognized the need to quantify overheating risk, particularly for nonādomestic buildings, and were concerned about the ease of incorporating the UKCP09 projections into this process. The new tool has the potential to meet these concerns.Originality/valueThe paper is the first attempt to link UKCP09 climate projections and building performance simulation software in this way and the work offers the potential for design practitioners to use the tool to quickly assess the risk of overheating in their designs and adapt them accordingly.</jats:sec
Awareness, use and opinions of methodological search filters used for the retrieval of evidence-based medical literature
The aim of this study was to determine the level of awareness of methodological search filters among health and academic librarians in the UK and Ireland, their use of filters and views on the perceived benefits, limitations and ways to increase usage of search filters. A random proportional sample of health and academic librarians were surveyed by telephone and fax. Overall, 88% (196/224) completed the telephone survey to establish awareness and use of filters. Eighty-four per cent (51/61) completed a fax survey focusing in more depth on usability issues surrounding filters. Results indicate a high level of awareness of methodological filters, but low level of usage. Furthermore, a high level of awareness did not necessarily correlate with a high level of knowledge or understanding. Examination of responses revealed limitations and recommendations beyond those reported in the literature and highlights the relationship between understanding and effective use of filters. Improved dissemination and publication of filters is required to better inform librarians on the concept of filters and how to use them effectively
Impact of multimorbidity count on all-cause mortality and glycaemic outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes: a systematic review protocol
Introduction: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a leading health priority worldwide. Multimorbidity (MM) is a term describing the co-occurrence of two or more chronic diseases or conditions. The majority of people living with T2D have MM. The relationship between MM and mortality and glycaemia in people with T2D is not clear.
Methods and analysis: Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Complete, The Cochrane Library, and SCOPUS will be searched with a prespecified search strategy. The searches will be limited to quantitative empirical studies in English with no restriction on publication date. One reviewer will perform title screening and two review authors will independently screen the abstract and full texts using Covidence software, with disagreements adjudicated by a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a using a Population, Exposure, Comparator and Outcomes framework. Two reviewers will independently extract data and undertake the risk of bias (quality) assessment. Disagreements will be resolved by consensus. A narrative synthesis of the results will be conducted and meta-analysis considered if appropriate. Quality appraisal will be undertaken using the Newcastle-Ottawa quality assessment scale and the quality of the cumulative evidence of the included studies will be assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. This protocol was prepared in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols guidelines to ensure the quality of our review.
Ethics and dissemination: This review will synthesise the existing evidence about the impact of MM on mortality and glycaemic outcomes in people living with T2D and increase our understanding of this subject and will inform future practice and policy. Findings will be disseminated via conference presentations, social media and peer-reviewed publication
International shortāterm placements in health professions education : a metaānarrative review
Introduction: In order to be prepared for professional practice in a globalised world, health professions students need to be equipped with a new set of knowledge, skills and attitudes. Experiential learning gained during an international placement has been considered as a powerful strategy for facilitating the acquisition of global health competencies. The aim of this review was to synthesise the diverse body of empirical research examining the process and outcomes of international shortāterm placements in health professions education. Methods: A systematic review was conducted using a metaānarrative methodology. Six electronic databases were searched between September 2016 and June 2022: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Education Research Complete and Web of Knowledge. Studies were included if they reported on international placements undertaken by undergraduate health professions students in socioāeconomically contrasting settings. Included studies were first considered within their research tradition before comparing and contrasting findings between different research traditions. Results: This review included 243 papers from 12 research traditions, which were distinguished by health profession and paradigmatic approach. Empirical findings were considered in four broad themes: learner, educational intervention, institutional context and wider context. Most studies provided evidence on the learner, with findings indicating a positive impact of international placements on personal and professional development. The development of cultural competency has been more focus in research in nursing and allied health than in medicine. Whereas earlier research has focussed on the experience and outcomes for the learner, more recent studies have become more concerned with relationships between various stakeholder groups. Only few studies have looked at strategies to enhance the educational process. Conclusion: The consideration of empirical work from different perspectives provides novel understandings of what research has achieved and what needs further investigation. Future studies should pay more attention to the complex nature of the educational process in international placements
Diverse metallicities of Fermi bubble clouds indicate dual origins in the disk and halo
The Galactic Center is surrounded by two giant plasma lobes known as the
Fermi Bubbles, extending ~10 kpc both above and below the Galactic plane.
Spectroscopic observations of Fermi Bubble directions at radio, ultraviolet,
and optical wavelengths have detected multi-phase gas clouds thought to be
embedded within the bubbles referred to as Fermi Bubble high-velocity clouds
(FB HVCs). While these clouds have kinematics that can be modeled by a
biconical nuclear wind launched from the Galactic center, their exact origin is
unknown because, until now, there has been little information on their
heavy-metal abundance (metallicity). Here we show that FB HVCs have a wide
range of metallicities from <20% solar to ~320% solar. This result is based on
the first metallicity survey of FB HVCs. These metallicities challenge the
previously accepted tenet that all FB HVCs are launched from the Galactic
center into the Fermi Bubbles with solar or super-solar metallicities. Instead,
we suggest that FB HVCs originate in both the Milky Way's disk and halo. As
such, some of these clouds may characterize circumgalactic medium that the
Fermi Bubbles expand into, rather than material carried outward by the nuclear
wind, changing the canonical picture of FB HVCs. More broadly, these results
reveal that nuclear outflows from spiral galaxies can operate by sweeping up
gas in their halos while simultaneously removing gas from their disks.Comment: This version of the article has been accepted for publication on
Nature Astronomy after peer review. This version is not the Version of Record
(https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01720-0) and does not reflect
post-acceptance improvements, or any correction
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