Soft Physics in Pb-Pb at the LHC

The LHC results on particle and transverse energy production and Bose-Einstein correlations show that the system produced in Pb-Pb collisions at psNN = 2:76TeV is significantly larger, lives longer and is hotter and denser than at RHIC energies. The particle spectra and soft particle correlations allow a more detailed study of the properties of the produced system and its initial conditions. This contribution highlights some of the first soft physics results from the LHC.Comment: Presented at the 2011 Hadron Collider Physics symposium (HCP-2011), Paris, France, November 14-18 2011, 3 pages, 5 figur

Commissioning and Prospects for Early Physics with ALICE

The ALICE detector has been commissioned and is ready for taking data at the Large Hadron Collider. The first proton-proton collisions are expected in 2009. This contribution describes the current status of the detector, the results of the commissioning phase and its capabilities to contribute to the understanding of both pp and PbPb collisionsComment: 8 pages, 7 figures, To appear in the proceedings for Quark Matter 2009, March 30 - April 4, Knoxville, Tennesse

BALANCING FOOD VALUES: MAKING SUSTAINABLE CHOICES WITHIN COOKING PRACTICES

Within user-centred design and topics such as persuasive design, pleasurable products, and design for sustainable behaviour, there is a danger of over-determining, pacifying or reducing people’s diversity. Taking the case of sustainable food, we have looked into the social aspects of cooking at home, in specific related to the type of food that is purchased. This paper describes what it means for people to make more sustainable choices in food shopping and how that can be mediated while taking different ‘food values’ that household members have into account. In a design experiment, we developed a service for selecting daily dinner meals while supporting choices of sustainable food which reported on environmental impact, health and nutrition values, and purchase data. Through visualizations of alternative food choices, the experiment provided a space for households to negotiate food values, while opening up possibilities for changing cooking practices

Exploration of an agenda for transparency in the construction industry

Purpose In enhancing the market operation of the building sector, transparency is of great importance. The objective of this article is to propose an inventory of aspects of the relationships between public clients and executing parties that have the most urgent need for greater transparency. Methodology / approach The main methods used include a conceptual analysis and twenty interviews with managers of various organisations in the construction industry. Findings Based on this study, four essential points for transparency have been determined: openness about risks and costs, measuring of quality-price ratios, reasons for award or rejection and enhancement of the reputation mechanism. Research limitations / implications This study takes the Dutch context as a reference point for the analysis. When the findings are used also in other settings, it is necessary to address the differences in characteristics of the building sector. Practical implications The essential points for transparency addressed in this paper have consequences for especially the interaction between public clients and executing parties. Furthermore, conditions for transparency - like possibilities to judge quality in a more robust and transparent manner and methods for enhancing the reputation mechanism - point at necessary future research for improving transparency in the construction industry. Originality / value of the paper The Dutch construction industry is working through a transition process focused on improving its market operation, integral processes and societal added value. In this transition, transparency between clients and executing parties is of great importance.Transparency; construction sector; trust; reputation; integrity