440 research outputs found
Using cognitive work analysis to explore activity allocation within military domains
Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is frequently advocated as an approach for the analysis of complex sociotechnical systems. Much of the current CWA literature within the military domain pays particular attention to its initial phases; Work Domain Analysis and Contextual Task Analysis. Comparably, the analysis of the social and organisational constraints receives much less attention. Through the study of a helicopter Mission Planning System (MPS) software tool, this paper describes an approach for investigating the constraints affecting the distribution of work. The paper uses this model to evaluate the potential benefits of the social and organisational analysis phase within a military context. The analysis shows that, through its focus on constraints the approach provides a unique description of the factors influencing the social organisation within a complex domain. This approach appears to be compatible with existing approaches and serves as a validation of more established social analysis techniques
Optimal design of a toroidal field magnet system and cost of electricity implications for a tokamak using high temperature superconductors
The potential for reducing the Cost of Electricity (CoE) by using High Temperature Superconductors (HTS) in the Toroidal Field (TF) coils of a fusion tokamak power plant has been investigated using a new HTS module in the PROCESS systems code. We report the CoE and the design of HTS tokamaks that have been optimised by minimising the major radius of the plasma. Potential future improvements in both the superconducting properties and the structural materials for TF coils operating at 4.8 K and 30 K are considered. Increasing the critical current density by a factor of 10 (with a commensurate reduction in costs kAâ1 mâ1) results in a CoE 4.4% less than equivalent tokamaks using current low temperature superconductors (LTS). If the yield strength of the TF casing material is increased by 40% to 1400 MPa, the CoE is further reduced by 3.4%. Implementing both improvements and operating the TF coils at 4.8 K leads to CoE of 19.1 (10.1) âŹcent kWâ1 hâ1 for a 500 MW (1.5 GW) HTS reactor compared to 20.7 (11.1) âŹcent kWâ1 hâ1 for an LTS reactor (2013 costs). Operating the HTS TF coils at 30 K with both improvements, gives a similar CoE for HTS and LTS tokamaks
The risk of buildings overheating in a low-carbon climate change future
An overheating risk tool that is compatible with building performance simulation software
has been developed, using principal component analysis to give a statistically rigorous
simplification of the UKCP09 probabilistic climate projections. The tool converts a single
dynamic simulation output into many hundreds of simulation results at hourly resolution for
equally-probable climates from the UKCP09 weather generator. The result is a population of
outcomes for the performance of a specific building in a future climate, thus helping the user
choose adaptation technologies that might reduce the risk of overheating. The outputs of the
LCF tool can be delivered as a risk matrix or a probabilistic overheating curve. The
perceptions and requirements of potential users were assessed and, for non-domestic
buildings in particular, the need to quantify and assess overheating risk was understood by
professionals, with concerns expressed for the ease of incorporation of the UKCP09
projections into this process. The new tool has the potential to meet these concerns
Dilution and magnification effects on image analysis applications in activated sludge characterization
The properties of activated sludge systems can be characterized using image analysis procedures.
When these systems operate with high biomass content, accurate sludge characterization requires samples to be
diluted. Selection of the best image acquisition magnification is directly related to the amount of biomass
screened. The aim of the present study was to survey the effects of dilution and magnification on the assessment
of aggregated and filamentous bacterial content and structure using image analysis procedures. Assessments of
biomass content and structure were affected by dilutions. Therefore, the correct operating dilution requires
careful consideration. Moreover, the acquisition methodology comprising a 100 magnification allowed data
on aggregated and filamentous biomass to be determined and smaller aggregates to be identified and
characterized, without affecting the accuracy of lower magnifications regarding biomass representativeness.AGERE (Empresa de
Ăguas, Efluentes e ResĂduos de Braga â EM) and AGS(Administração e GestĂŁo de Sistemas de Salubridade, S.A.)Fundação para a CiĂȘncia e Tecnologia (FCT
A comparison between bright field and phase-contrast image analysis techniques in activated sludge morphological characterization
Different approaches using microscopy image analysis procedures were employed for characterization of activated sludge systems. The approaches varied mainly on the type of visualization and acquisition method used for collection of data. In this context, this study focused on the comparison of the two most common acquisition methods: bright field and phase-contrast microscopy. Images were acquired from seven different wastewater treatment plants for a combined period of two years. Advantages and disadvantages of each acquisition technique and the results are discussed. Bright field microscopy proved to be more simple and inexpensive and provided the best overall results.Fundação para a CiĂȘncia e a Tecnologia (FCT) - SFRH/BD/32329/2006, POCI/AMB/57069/200
Three-nucleon mechanisms in photoreactions
The C reaction has been measured for
E=150-800 MeV in the first study of this reaction in a target
heavier than He. The experimental data are compared to a microscopic many
body calculation. The model, which predicts that the largest contribution to
the reaction arises from final state interactions following an initial pion
production process, overestimates the measured cross sections and there are
strong indications that the overestimate arises in this two-step process. The
selection of suitable kinematic conditions strongly suppresses this two-step
contribution leaving cross sections in which up to half the yield is predicted
to arise from the absorption of the photon on three interacting nucleons and
which agree with the model. The results indicate measurements on
nuclei may be a valuable tool for obtaining information on the nuclear
three-body interaction.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
Double Photoproduction off the Proton at Threshold
The reaction has been measured using the TAPS
BaF calorimeter at the tagged photon facility of the Mainz Microtron
accelerator. Chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) predicts that close to threshold
this channel is significantly enhanced compared to double pion final states
with charged pions. In contrast to other reaction channels, the lower order
tree terms are strongly suppressed in 2 photoproduction. The consequence
is the dominance of pion loops in the 2 channel close to threshold - a
result that opens new prospects for the test of ChPT and in particular its
inherent loop terms. The present measurement is the first which is sensitive
enough for a conclusive comparison with the ChPT calculation and is in
agreement with its prediction. The data also show good agreement with a
calculation in the unitary chiral approach.Comment: Submitted to PL
Personal identity (de)formation among lifestyle travellers: A double-edged sword?
This article explores the personal identity work of lifestyle travellers â individuals for whom extended leisure travel is a preferred lifestyle that they return to repeatedly. Qualitative findings from in-depth semi-structured interviews with lifestyle travellers in northern India and southern Thailand are interpreted in light of theories on identity formation in late modernity that position identity as problematic. It is suggested that extended leisure travel can provide exposure to varied cultural praxes that may contribute to a sense of social saturation. Whilst a minority of the respondents embraced a saturation of personal identity in the subjective formation of a cosmopolitan cultural identity, several of the respondents were paradoxically left with more identity questions than answers as the result of their travels
Revising the Local Bubble Model due to Solar Wind Charge Exchange X-ray Emission
The hot Local Bubble surrounding the solar neighborhood has been primarily
studied through observations of its soft X-ray emission. The measurements were
obtained by attributing all of the observed local soft X-rays to the bubble.
However, mounting evidence shows that the heliosphere also produces diffuse
X-rays. The source is solar wind ions that have received an electron from
another atom. The presence of this alternate explanation for locally produced
diffuse X-rays calls into question the existence and character of the Local
Bubble. This article addresses these questions. It reviews the literature on
solar wind charge exchange (SWCX) X-ray production, finding that SWCX accounts
for roughly half of the observed local 1/4 keV X-rays found at low latitudes.
This article also makes predictions for the heliospheric O VI column density
and intensity, finding them to be smaller than the observational error bars.
Evidence for the continued belief that the Local Bubble contains hot gas
includes the remaining local 1/4 keV intensity, the observed local O VI column
density, and the need to fill the local region with some sort of plasma. If the
true Local Bubble is half as bright as previously thought, then its electron
density and thermal pressure are 1/square-root(2) as great as previously
thought, and its energy requirements and emission measure are 1/2 as great as
previously thought. These adjustments can be accommodated easily, and, in fact,
bring the Local Bubble's pressure more in line with that of the adjacent
material. Suggestions for future work are made.Comment: 9 pages, refereed, accepted for publication in the proceedings of the
"From the Outer Heliosphere to the Local Bubble: Comparisons of New
Observations with Theory" conference and in Space Science Review
A Bayesian analysis of pentaquark signals from CLAS data
We examine the results of two measurements by the CLAS collaboration, one of
which claimed evidence for a pentaquark, whilst the other found no
such evidence. The unique feature of these two experiments was that they were
performed with the same experimental setup. Using a Bayesian analysis we find
that the results of the two experiments are in fact compatible with each other,
but that the first measurement did not contain sufficient information to
determine unambiguously the existence of a . Further, we suggest a
means by which the existence of a new candidate particle can be tested in a
rigorous manner.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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