The compatible conversion system

Compatible conversion system centralizes the solution of general problems arising from the use of direct access mass storage. It also provides a simple stable interface for the conversion of production programs to process on third generation computer system

NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF A TWO-STAGE SAVONIUS WIND TURBINE

This article presents a numerical and experimental study of vertical axis wind turbine performance comparison involving a two-stage Savonius rotor with similar parameters. The experimental study is conducted in the aerodynamic tunnel at the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. The aerodynamics rotors are manufactured by 3D prototyping technique. Numerical simulations are performed using the Finite Volumes Method performed by the solution of the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) and continuity equations using the SST k-ω turbulence model. The numerical domain is modeled in order to maintain the same characteristics of the experimental model. The mesh quality is evaluated through the GCI (Grid Convergence Index) method. The static and dynamic torque coefficients and the power coefficients are compared. The tests are made without blockage corrections due to the small blockage ratio from 7.5%. Results show that the turbine has a positive static torque coefficient for any rotor angles. The dynamic torque reaches the maximum value for a tip speed ratio (λ) of 0.2 for the experimental and numerical cases. The relative difference between the numerical simulations and the experimental results are between 3.8% and 13.4%

Reasoned versus reactive prediction of behaviour: a meta-analysis of the prototype willingness model

The prototype willingness model (PWM) was designed to extend expectancy-value models of health behaviour by also including a heuristic, or social reactive pathway, to better explain health-risk behaviours in adolescents and young adults. The pathway includes prototype, i.e., images of a typical person who engages in a behaviour, and willingness to engage in behaviour. The current study describes a meta-analysis of predictive research using the PWM and explores the role of the heuristic pathway and intentions in predicting behaviour. Eighty-one studies met inclusion criteria. Overall, the PWM was supported and explained 20.5% of the variance in behaviour. Willingness explained 4.9% of the variance in behaviour over and above intention, although intention tended to be more strongly related to behaviour than was willingness. The strength of the PWM relationships tended to vary according to the behaviour being tested, with alcohol consumption being the behaviour best explained. Age was also an important moderator, and, as expected, PWM behaviour was best accounted for within adolescent samples. Results were heterogeneous even after moderators were taken into consideration. This meta-analysis provides support for the PWM and may be used to inform future interventions that can be tailored for at-risk populations

Explaining the intention-behaviour gap in gluten free diet adherence: The moderating roles of habit and perceived behavioural control

Adherence to a strict gluten free diet (GFD) is the only treatment for coeliac disease. Nonetheless, many individuals with the disease struggle to achieve and maintain strict adherence. While the theory of planned behaviour is useful for predicting GFD adherence, an intention-behaviour gap remains. The aim of this study was to investigate the roles of habit and perceived behavioural control in moderating the intention-behaviour relationship in GFD adherence. A significant three-way interaction was found such that the association between intention and adherence was dependent on both perceived behavioural control and habit. Implications for both theory and intervention design are discussed

Experimental determination of the degree of quantum polarisation of continuous variable states

We demonstrate excitation-manifold resolved polarisation characterisation of continuous-variable (CV) quantum states. In contrast to traditional characterisation of polarisation that is based on the Stokes parameters, we experimentally determine the Stokes vector of each excitation manifold separately. Only for states with a given photon number does the methods coincide. For states with an indeterminate photon number, for example Gaussian states, the employed method gives a richer and more accurate description. We apply the method both in theory and in experiment to some common states to demonstrate its advantages.Comment: 5 page

OPTIMIZATION TO INCREASE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF A SIROCCO CENTRIFUGAL FAN USING COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS (CFD)

This paper presents a numerical and experimental study on the aerodynamic performance of Sirocco centrifugal fans seeking an increase in energy efficiency. Numerical simulations are performed by the Finite-Volume Method commercial code ANSYS Fluent. Characteristics such as flow rate at the outlet, consumed power and sound pressure levels emitted by centrifugal fans with the original model of 16 blades and the optimized models of 16 and 14 blades are compared. Numerical calculations are performed by the continuity equation, the Reynolds Averaged Navier- Stokes (RANS) equations and the k-ω SST turbulence model. The quality of the mesh is evaluated for three different mesh densities. Results demonstrate that it was possible to obtain an increase of flow rate up to 22.7%, and reductions in the noise levels without increasing the consumption of the electric motor

Factors affecting acceptability of an email-based intervention to increase fruit and vegetable consumption

Background: Fresh Facts is a 30-day email-delivered intervention designed to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of Australian young adults. This study investigated the extent to which the program was acceptable to members of the target audience and examined the relationships between participant and intervention characteristics, attrition, effectiveness, and acceptability ratings. Methods: Young adults were randomised to two levels of message frequency: high-frequency (n = 102), low-frequency (n = 173). Individuals in the high-frequency group received daily emails while individuals in the low-frequency group received an email every 3 days.Results: Individuals in the high-frequency group were more likely to indicate that they received too many emails than individuals in the low-frequency group. No other differences in acceptability were observed. Baseline beliefs about fruit and vegetables were an important predictor of intervention acceptability. In turn, acceptability was associated with a number of indicators of intervention success, including change in fruit and vegetable consumption. Conclusions: The findings highlight the importance of considering the relationship between these intervention and participant factors and acceptability in intervention design and evaluation. Results support the ongoing use of email-based interventions to target fruit and vegetable consumption within young adults. However, the relationships between beliefs about fruit and vegetable consumption and acceptability suggest that this intervention may be differentially effective depending on individual’s existing beliefs about fruit and vegetable consumption. As such, there is a pressing need to consider these factors in future research in order to minimize attrition and maximize intervention effectiveness when interventions are implemented outside of a research context

Realtime calibration of the A4 electromagnetic lead fluoride calorimeter

Sufficient energy resolution is the key issue for the calorimetry in particle and nuclear physics. The calorimeter of the A4 parity violation experiment at MAMI is a segmented calorimeter where the energy of an event is determined by summing the signals of neighbouring channels. In this case the precise matching of the individual modules is crucial to obtain a good energy resolution. We have developped a calibration procedure for our total absorbing electromagnetic calorimeter which consists of 1022 lead fluoride (PbF_2) crystals. This procedure reconstructs the the single-module contributions to the events by solving a linear system of equations, involving the inversion of a 1022 x 1022-matrix. The system has shown its functionality at beam energies between 300 and 1500 MeV and represents a new and fast method to keep the calorimeter permanently in a well-calibrated state