Comprehensive Fire and Life Safety Analysis of Building 186, Construction Innovation Center, at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

The report summarizes the analysis of the existing fire protection features and systems installed in the Construction Innovation Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. The center is divided into three individual buildings (Buildings A, B and C) and are connected at each floor by an exterior balcony. The analysis includes two different approaches. A prescriptive analysis approach has been used to examine if the installed fire protection features and systems compliance with the latest edition of the codes and standards in California. This approach includes an evaluation of the fire structure protection, means of egress, fire alarm & communication, and fire-suppression system of the center. A performance–based analysis approach has also been used to assess whether the building occupants will egress the center before conditions become untenable. Fire Dynamics Simulator and Pathfinder, two computer software programs, have been used to determine the available and required safe egress time. A fire scenario has been selected for Buildings A and B to assess its tenability conditions. Building C was not selected as part of the tenability analysis due to time constraint and low existing ignition sources

Somos arquitetos ou trabalhadores da construção? Re-examinando a autonomia docente e a rotaçao laboral em escolas charter

Charter school teachers nationwide expressed greater autonomy compared to traditional public school teachers at the turn of the century. But is this trend changing? The recent proliferation of Charter Management Organizations (CMOs), which often have prescriptive organizational models, has raised questions around how teachers perceive autonomy and control in these schools. Researchers consistently find that faculty input into decision-making has a strong influence on staff commitment and turnover. This exploratory, interview-based study critically examines why and how CMO teacher autonomy is linked to turnover. CMO teachers linked various concerns over autonomy, which was limited by their organization’s model, with decisions to leave their jobs. Teachers with strong expectations for autonomy or ideas inconsistent with their school’s model experienced substantial conflict involving the discipline or socialization of students that affected their career decisions. Teachers’ desires to have a voice in issues surrounding students’ socialization ultimately hinged upon their skepticism that current practices were adequately preparing students for college and life. Hace algunas décadas que encuestas nacionales con docentes de escuelas charter señalan que estos opinaban que tenían mayor autonomía en comparación con docentes de escuelas públicas tradicionales. En la actualidad se ven indicios que sugieren esta tendencia está cambiando. La reciente proliferación de organizaciones que administran escuelas charter (OCM en inglés), que a menudo tienen modelos organizativos prescriptivos, ha suscitado dudas en torno a cómo los docentes perciben las nociones de autonomía y control en las escuelas charter. Las investigaciones en este área son consistentes en señalar que tomar en cuenta las opiniones de los docentes en la toma de decisiones tiene una fuerte influencia en los niveles de compromiso personal y en prevenir abandono. Este estudio exploratorio, basado en entrevistas examina críticamente por qué y cómo la autonomía docente en OCMs está vinculada a los procesos de rotación laboral. Profesores de OCMs relacionaron sus preocupaciones sobre autonomía, que estaba limitada por normas de sus organizaciones, con la decisión de cambiar de trabajo. Docentes con fuertes expectativas de autonomía o con ideas inconsistentes con el modelo de sus escuela, experimentaron conflictos sustanciales en relación a ideas respecto a la disciplina, la socialización de sus estudiantes y decisiones sobre la carrera profesional. Los deseos de los docentes de tener una voz en cuestiones relacionadas con la socialización de sus estudiantes dependen de los niveles de escepticismo sobre la adecuación de las prácticas escolares para preparar a los estudiantes para entrar a la universidad y la vida. A décadas que pesquisas nacionais professores de escolas charter expressam de que eles opinabam que tinham uma maior autonomia em relação a professores de escolas públicas tradicionais. Actualmente a evidências que sugerem que esta tendência está mudando. A recente proliferação de organizações de gestão das escolas charter (OCM em inglês), que muitas vezes têm modelos organizacionais prescritivas, levantou questões sobre como os professores percebem as noções de autonomia e controle em escolas charter. As investigações nesta área são consistentes em indicar que ter em conta os pontos de vista dos professores na tomada de decisões tem uma forte influência sobre os níveis de compromisso pessoal e evitam a rotação laboral. Este estudo exploratório, com base em entrevistas analisa criticamente por que e como autonomia do professor está ligada aos processos de rotatividade. Professores de OCMS relacionaram as preocupações sobre a autonomia, que éra limitada pelo modelo de suas organizações, com a decisão de deixar seus empregos. Professores com fortes expectativas de autonomia ou idéias dissidentes com o modelo de autonomia escolar da organização experimentaram conflitos substanciais relativos ào modelo de disciplina ou socialização dos alunos, o que afetou as decisões profissionais. Os desejos dos professores de ter uma voz sobre questões relacionadas com a socialização dos alunos dependia seu ceticismo sobre a medida em que as práticas escolares preparam adequadamente os alunos para a universidade e a vida.

APPROACHES TO IMPROVING THE DELIVERY OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN DIFFICULT ENVIRONMENTS

Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Questioning the Use of Opaque Web Practices Among Low-Cost Airline Carriers

Modest attention has been given to the subtle ethical issues of ¿best practice¿ on the Internet, such as the exploitation of Web technologies to inhibit or avoid customer service. Increasingly, some firms are using Websites to create distance between themselves and their consumers in specific areas of their operations, while simultaneously developing excellence in sales transaction completion via selfservice. This paper examines findings from a study on the self-service Websites of low-cost airline carriers (LCCs) in Ireland. The LCCs¿ adoption of technology has meant more efficient flight options and enhanced price transparency within the industry. Yet despite advances, a number of LCCs use their information systems in a conflicting manner when managing customer interactions. The ¿opaque¿ Web practices many LCCs employ appear to be intentional in design and are contrary to the ethos of designing a ¿good system¿. Accordingly, the LCC sector has come under greater scrutiny for engaging in ¿unfair practices¿ and violating consumer protection law. The paper notes the teaching of information systems development (ISD) and marketing assumes ethicality in their practice. While these business disciplines are central to the success of self-service Websites, there is a gap between the disciplines¿ theoretical ideals and their practice.peer-reviewe

On the Use of Gallic Acid as a Potential Natural Antioxidant and Ultraviolet Light Stabilizer in Cast-Extruded Bio-Based High-Density Polyethylene Films

This study originally explores the use of gallic acid (GA) as a natural additive in bio-based high-density polyethylene (bio-HDPE) formulations. Thus, bio-HDPE was first melt-compounded with two different loadings of GA, namely 0.3 and 0.8 parts per hundred resin (phr) of biopolymer, by twin-screw extrusion and thereafter shaped into films using a cast-roll machine. The resultant bio-HDPE films containing GA were characterized in terms of their mechanical, morphological, and thermal performance as well as ultraviolet (UV) light stability to evaluate their potential application in food packaging. The incorporation of 0.3 and 0.8 phr of GA reduced the mechanical ductility and crystallinity of bio-HDPE, but it positively contributed to delaying the onset oxidation temperature (OOT) by 36.5 °C and nearly 44 °C, respectively. Moreover, the oxidation induction time (OIT) of bio-HDPE, measured at 210 °C, was delayed for up to approximately 56 and 240 min, respectively. Furthermore, the UV light stability of the bio-HDPE films was remarkably improved, remaining stable for an exposure time of 10 h even at the lowest GA content. The addition of the natural antioxidant slightly induced a yellow color in the bio-HDPE films and it also reduced their transparency, although a high contact transparency level was maintained. This property can be desirable in some packaging materials for light protection, especially UV radiation, which causes lipid oxidation in food products. Therefore, GA can successfully improve the thermal resistance and UV light stability of green polyolefins and will potentially promote the use of natural additives for sustainable food packaging applications

How Passengers of Low Cost Carriers Feel the Pressure: Pricing Tactics and Other Stories

Low cost carriers (LCCs) market their flights as low cost and aim to garner as much additional revenue as possible from ancillary services such as baggage and priority boarding. Therefore, airlines encourage customers’ purchase of these services. On account of this and other airline practices, the European Union introduced legislation to address areas of concern to protect consumers. Airlines’ response to the requirement for clarity in pricing at the outset and throughout the transaction is questionable. They have responded to the legal requirement that all optional extras should only be presented to the consumer on an ‘opt-in’ basis by using ‘grey’ Web design patterns such as the ‘must-opt’. Using verbal protocols, this study examines consumers’ perceptions of two LCCs’ level of compliance with the relevant European legislation

Radio Emission from SN 2001gd in NGC 5033

We present the results of monitoring the radio emission from the Type IIb supernova SN 2001gd between 2002 February 8 and 2002 October 28. Most of the data were obtained using the Very Large Array at the five wavelengths of $\lambda \lambda$1.3 cm (22.4 GHz), 2.0 cm (14.9 GHz), 3.6 cm (8.44 GHz), 6.2 cm (4.86 GHz), and 21 cm (1.4 GHz). Observations were also made with Giant Meterwave Radio Telescope at $\lambda$21 cm (1.4 GHz). The object was discovered optically well after maximum light, making any determination of the early radio evolution difficult. However, subsequent observations indicate that the radio emission has evolved regularly in both time and frequency and is well described by the SN shock/circumstellar medium interaction model.Comment: 16 pages 2 figures to appear in Astrophysical Journa

The Identification of Decision Constructs used in Online Transactional Processes

From prior research, the authors found that certain design features amongst some online retailers were atypical of ‘good’ design elsewhere. It was apparent the transactional process was being used to present consumers with optional extras (and other decisions) that not only slowed the process down, but also stressed and agitated users. The research identified some new and unusual decision constructs such as the \u27must-opt\u27. This paper seeks to produce a taxonomy of the type and nature of decision constructs encountered throughout on-line Business-to-Consumer (B2C) transactional processes. The findings presented herein make an incremental contribution in theorizing, identifying and analyzing new decision constructs alongside established ones

Absolute Income Inequality and Rising House Prices

Income inequality and house prices have risen sharply in developed countries during the last three decades. We argue that this co-movement is no coincidence but that inequality has driven up house prices on the grounds that it raises the total demand for houses, which inflates their prices considering supply restrictions. To test this hypothesis, we conduct cointegration tests for a panel of 18 OECD countries for the period 1975-2010. The results suggest that income inequality and house prices in most OECD countries are positively correlated and cointegrated, and that in the majority of cases absolute inequality Granger-causes house prices when measured in absolute terms. Relative inequality, on the other hand, is not cointegrated with house prices, which is expected given that total house demand depends on the absolute amount of investible income