Modeling your college library after a commercial bookstore? the Hong Kong Design Institute Library experience

The Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) is a leading design education institute in Hong Kong under the Vocational Training Council (VTC) group. Opened in September 2010, the HKDI Learning Resources Centre is a specialist library for the study of art and design. The mission of the HKDI Library is to support and promote the academic goals of the Institute, i.e., to prepare the students for professional careers; emphasize learning through a creative and interactive environment; meanwhile uphold a positively relaxing, and yet inviting environment that is very much similar to a commercial bookstore. In order to accomplish this, the HKDI Library aims to serve as a user-centered library for creative learning--by providing an important place for both students and faculty to actively engage in study, research, as well as socializing. Through a series of small focus group interviews with both students and faculty staff at the HKDI, the study investigates how influential the library environment could be in fostering students\u27 learning and other social activities under a creative environment

Remnant Geometric Hall Response in a Quantum Quench

Out-of-equilibrium systems can host phenomena that transcend the usual restrictions of equilibrium systems. Here, we unveil how out-of-equilibrium states, prepared via a quantum quench in a two-band system, can exhibit a nonzero Hall-type current - a remnant Hall response - even when the instantaneous Hamiltonian is time reversal symmetric (in contrast to equilibrium Hall currents). Interestingly, the remnant Hall response arises from the coherent dynamics of the wave function that retain a remnant of its quantum geometry postquench, and can be traced to processes beyond linear response. Quenches in two-band Dirac systems are natural venues for realizing remnant Hall currents, which exist when either mirror or time-reversal symmetry are broken (before or after the quench). Its long time persistence, sensitivity to symmetry breaking, and decoherence-type relaxation processes allow it to be used as a sensitive diagnostic of the complex out-of-equilibrium dynamics readily controlled and probed in cold-atomic optical lattice experiments

Truth Table Invariant Cylindrical Algebraic Decomposition by Regular Chains

A new algorithm to compute cylindrical algebraic decompositions (CADs) is presented, building on two recent advances. Firstly, the output is truth table invariant (a TTICAD) meaning given formulae have constant truth value on each cell of the decomposition. Secondly, the computation uses regular chains theory to first build a cylindrical decomposition of complex space (CCD) incrementally by polynomial. Significant modification of the regular chains technology was used to achieve the more sophisticated invariance criteria. Experimental results on an implementation in the RegularChains Library for Maple verify that combining these advances gives an algorithm superior to its individual components and competitive with the state of the art

Remarks on Form Factor Bounds

Improved model independent upper bounds on the weak transition form factors are derived using inclusive sum rules. Comparison of the new bounds with the old ones is made for the form factors h_{A_1} and h_V in B -> D* decays.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, title changed and typos corrected for journal publicatio

Smart vehicular transportation systems

This work builds upon established Sandia intelligent systems technology to develop a unique approach for the integration of intelligent system control into the US Highway and urban transportation systems. The Sandia developed concept of the COPILOT controller integrates a human driver with computer control to increase human performance while reducing reliance on detailed driver attention. This research extends Sandia expertise in sensor based, real-time control of robotics systems to high speed transportation systems. Knowledge in the form of maps and performance characteristics of vehicles provides the automatic decision making intelligence needed to plan optimum routes, maintain safe driving speeds and distances, avoid collisions, and conserve fuel

Genetic Algorithm optimised Chemical Reactors network: A novel technique for alternative fuels emission prediction

Sustainability of the conventional jet fuels and climate change has attracted the aviation sector to diversity to alternative fuels. However, fuel diversification requires an assessment of the long term impact to engine performance and engine emissions through the combustion process, as alternative fuels are not as well understood as conventional jet fuel. A detailed experimental study on alternative fuels emissions across the entire aircraft fleet is impractical. Therefore a plausible method of computer modelling combined Genetic Algorithm and Chemical Reactors network was developed to predict alternative fuels gaseous emissions, namely, Carbon Monoxide, Nitrogen Oxides and Unburned Hydrocarbons in aircraft engines. To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of the technique, exhaust emission measurements were performed on a re-commissioned Artouste Mk113 Auxiliary Power Unit, located at the University of Sheffield's Low Carbon Combustion Centre. The simulation produced results with good agreements with the experimental data. The optimised model was used to extrapolate emissions data from different blends of alternative fuels that did not operate during the campaign. The proposed technique showed that it can develop a data base of alternative fuels emissions and also act as a guideline for alternative fuels development

Vortex corrections to universal scaling of magnetic fluctuations in 2D XY model

The vortex contribution to the probability density function of longitudinal magnetization fluctuations is examined in finite 2D XY systems close to the Kosterlitz-Thouless-Berezinskii transition temperature. Within the temperature range studied their relevance is limited to rare fluctuations, where they increase the probability of events exceeding four standard deviations below the mean magnetization.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. Refs adde

Patients' inability to perform a preoperative cardiopulmonary exercise test or demonstrate an anaerobic threshold is associated with inferior outcomes after major colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Surgical patients with poor functional capacity, determined by oxygen consumption at anaerobic threshold (AT) during cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), experience longer hospital stays and worse short- and medium-term survival. However, previous studies excluded patients who were unable to perform a CPET or who failed to demonstrate an AT. We hypothesized that such patients are at risk of inferior outcomes after elective surgery. METHODS: All patients undergoing major colorectal surgery attempted CPET to assist in the planning of care. Patients were stratified by their test results into Fit (AT ≥ 11.0 ml O2 kg(-1) min(-1)), Unfit (AT < 11.0 ml O2 kg(-1) min(-1)), or Unable to CPET groups (failed to pedal or demonstrate an AT). For each group, we determined hospital stay and mortality. RESULTS: Between March 2009 and April 2010, 269 consecutive patients were screened, and proceeded to bowel resection. Median hospital stay was 8 days (IQR 5.1-13.4) and there were 44 deaths (16%) at 2 yr; 26 (9.7%) patients were categorized as Unable to CPET, 69 (25.7%) Unfit and 174 (64.7%) Fit. There were statistically significant differences between the three groups in hospital stay [median (IQR) 14.0 (10.5-23.8) vs 9.9 (5.5-15) vs 7.1 (4.9-10.8) days, P < 0.01] and mortality at 2 yr [11/26 (42%) vs 14/69 (20%) vs 19/174 (11%), respectively (P < 0.01)] although the differences between Unable and Unfit were not statistically different. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' inability to perform CPET is associated with inferior outcomes after major colorectal surgery. Future studies evaluating CPET in risk assessment for major surgery should report outcomes for this subgroup

Improved and extended tide gauge records for the British Isles leading to more consistent estimates of sea level rise and acceleration since 1958

This paper describes methods of obtaining improved estimates of long-term sea level trends for the British Isles. This is achieved by lengthening the sea level records where possible, then removing known sources of variability, and then further adjusting for datum errors that are revealed by the previous processes after verification using metadata from archived sources. Local sea level variability is accounted for using a tide and surge model. Far field variability is accounted for using a “common mode”. This combination reduces the residual variability seen at tide gauges around the coast of the British Isles to the point that a number of previously unrecognised steps in individual records become apparent, permitting a higher level of quality control to be applied. A comprehensive data archaeology exercise was carried out which showed that these step-like errors are mostly coincident with recorded site-specific changes in instrumentation, and that in many cases the periodic tide gauge calibration records can be used to quantify these steps. A smaller number of steps are confirmed by “buddy-checking” against neighbouring tide gauges. After accounting for the observed steps, using levelling information where possible and an empirical fit otherwise, the records become significantly more consistent. The steps are not found to make a large difference to the trend and acceleration observed in UK sea level overall, but their correction results in much more consistent estimates of first order (Sea Level Rise) and second order (Sea Level Acceleration) trends over this 60-year period. We find a mean rate of sea level rise of 2.39 ± 0.27 mm yr−1, and an acceleration of 0.058 ± 0.030 mm yr−2 between Jan. 1958 and Dec. 2018. The cleaner dataset also permits us to show more clearly that the variability other than that derived from local meteorology is indeed consistent around the UK, and relates to sea level changes along the eastern boundary of the North Atlantic