Crazy ideas or creative probes?: presenting critical artefacts to stakeholders to develop innovative product ideas

A number of design practices derive from and develop the notion of critical theory. Notable developers of such “critical design practices” are Dunne &amp; Raby with “critical design”, Sengers and colleagues at Cornell University's Culturally Embedded Computing Group with “reflective design”, and Agre with “critical technical practice” within artificial intelligence research. And there are an increasing number of designers who, whilst not specifically explicating their theoretical ancestry, include critical elements in their products. The reflection afforded by the products of critical design is generally seen as its endpoint. However I have used this reflection instrumentally within human-centred design activities. “Critical artefacts” have proved more useful as tools than direct questioning techniques; in particular as a way of enabling stakeholders to engage with novel situations and consequently engage in creative thinking about future possibilities. This paper begins with a review of critical design practices. Two case studies are then detailed demonstrating my approach. A discussion of the commonalities and differences between critical design practices follows noting their relationship to critical social theory and the relationship of my work to them. Finally further research to develop generalisable methods is outlined.</p

Photosensors used to maintain welding electrode-to-joint alignment

Photosensors maintain electrode-to-joint alignment in automatic precision arc welding. They detect the presence and relative position of a joint to be welded and actuate a servomechanism to guide the welding head accordingly thus permitting alignment for more than straight line or true circle joints

Climate change adaptation: where does global health fit into the agenda?

The aim of this paper is to highlight the opportunities to improve health and reduce health inequities via the new and additional funding that is available for climate change adaptation activities.Human-induced climate change will affect the lives of most populations in the next decade and beyond. It will have greatest, and generally earliest, impact on the poorest and most disadvantaged populations on the planet. Changes in climatic conditions and increases in weather variability affect human wellbeing, safety, health and survival in many ways. Some impacts are direct-acting and immediate, such as impaired food yields and storm surges. Other health effects are less immediate and typically occur via more complex causal pathways that involve a range of underlying social conditions and sectors such as water and sanitation, agriculture and urban planning. Climate change adaptation is receiving much attention given the inevitability of climate change and its effects, particularly in developing contexts, where the effects of climate change will be experienced most strongly and the response mechanisms are weakest. Financial support towards adaptation activities from various actors including the World Bank, the European Union and the United Nations is increasing substantially. With this new global impetus and funding for adaptation action come challenges such as the importance of developing adaptation activities on a sound understanding of baseline community needs and vulnerabilities, and how these may alter with changes in climate. The global health community is paying heed to the strengthening focus on adaptation, albeit in a slow and unstructured manner.&nbsp

Operation plan for the data 100/LARS terminal system

The Data 100/LARS terminal system provides an interface for processing on the IBM 3031 computer system at Purdue University's Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing. The environment in which the system is operated and supported is discussed. The general support responsibilities, procedural mechanisms, and training established for the benefit of the system users are defined

Operation plan for the High Density Tape/LANDSAT Imagery Verification and Extraction System (HDT/LIVES) data processing support

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

High Density Tape Reformatting System/LANDSAT imagery verification and Extraction System (HDTRS/LIVES) throughput analysis

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

The Impact of Alan Turing: Formal Methods and Beyond

© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. In this paper, we discuss the influence and reputation of Alan Turing since his death in 1954, specifically in the field of formal methods, especially for program proving, but also in a much wider context. Although he received some recognition during his lifetime, this image was tarnished by the controversy at the time of his death. While he was known and appreciated in scientific circles, he did not enter the public’s consciousness for several decades. A turning point was the definitive biography produced by Andrew Hodges in 1983 but, even then, the tide did not turn very rapidly. More recent events, such as the celebrations of his birth centenary in 2012 and the official British royal pardon in 2013, have raised Turing’s fame and popularity among the informed general public in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Cultural works in the arts featuring Turing have enhanced his profile still further. Thus, the paper discusses not only Turing’s scientific impact, especially for formal methods, but in addition his historical, cultural, and even political significance. Turing’s academic ‘family tree’ in terms of heritage and legacy is also covered

The antiproton component of the primary cosmic ray flux

Solution of Fokker-Planck diffusion equation in intensity prediction of antiproton component of primary cosmic ray flu

Use of quantitative ultrasound scans of the calcaneus to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Background: Patients with rheumatoid arthritis are recognized as being at risk for osteoporosis as a result of the disease process as well as the medication used to treat it. This study was conducted to consider the use of calcaneal scanning with quantitative ultrasound—contact ultrasound bone analysis (CUBA)—to diagnose osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.Methods: Forty-six patients (11 men and 35 women) with established rheumatoid arthritis underwent dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) of the nondominant wrist andCUBA of the nondominant heel. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were used to determine the correlation between osteoporosis as diagnosedby the CUBA heel scan compared with the DEXA wrist scan given that DEXA is widely seen as the gold standard for the diagnosis of osteoporosis.Results: The CUBA heel scan revealed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 44% for a diagnosis of osteoporosis compared with DEXA. The positive predictive value of theCUBA scan was 31%, and the negative predictive value was 94%. Therefore, if normal bone density is found using CUBA, there is 94% certainty this is correct. However, if osteoporosis is diagnosed using CUBA, there is only 31% certainty this is correct. In such instances a secondary scan using a different method (eg, DEXA) would be required. Future work should consider the effect of minor alterations to the equipment or scanning protocol, because this may improve diagnosis.Conclusions: The CUBA unit could be used as a primary screening device. Given the cost and accessibility issues associated with DEXA, quantitative ultrasound may have arole in screening for osteoporosis in the primary-care setting to determine the most appropriate routes of referral for patients requiring further investigations. <br/

Performance of commercial corn hybrids in Illinois, 1975, with 1973 and 1974 listings / 1118

Chiefly tables