Applying RCM in large scale systems: a case study with railway networks

In 2000, the European Union founded a project named ‘RAIL: Reliability centered maintenance approach for the infrastructure and logistics of railway operation’ aimed to study the application of Reliability centered maintenance (RCM) techniques to the railway infrastructure. In this paper, we present the results obtained into the RAIL project, including a RCM methodology adapted to large infrastructure networks and a RCM toolkit to perform the RCM analysis, including cost aspects and maintenance planning guidance. This paper addresses the problem of applying RCM to large scale railway infrastructure networks to achieve an efficient and effective maintenance concept. Railways use nowadays very traditional preventive maintenance (PM) techniques, relying mostly on ‘blind’ periodic inspection and the ‘know-how’ of maintenance staff. RCM was seen as a promising technique from the beginning of the RAIL project because of several factors. First, technical insights obtained were better than the existing, so that several maintenance processes could be revised and adjusted. Second, the interdisciplinary approach used to make the analysis was very enriching and very encouraging for maintenance staff consulted. Third, using the RCM structured approach allowed to achieve well-documented analysis and clear decision diagrams. Our methodology includes some new features to overcome the problems of RCM observed in other projects. As a whole, our methodology and Computerized Maintenance Management Systems have produced two short-term benefits: reduction of time and paperwork because databases and tools are accessible through Internet, and creation of a permanent, accurate, and better collection of information. It will also have some long-term benefits: better PM will increase equipment life and will help to reduce corrective maintenance costs; Production will increase as unscheduled downtime decreases; purchase costs of parts and materials will be reduced; more effective and up-to-date record of inventory/stores reports; and better knowledge of the systems to help the company to chose those systems with the best LCC. The results have been corroborated with the application of our methodology to signal equipment in several railway network sections, as shown in this paper. Because of the successful conclusion of the project, the Spanish railway company (RENFE) and the German railway company (DB A.G.), not only decided to adopt RCM to enhance PM, but they have started a large project to implement Total Preventive Maintenance relying on the implantation of the RCM methodology.     

Filial therapy: Description and rationale.

Filial therapy involves training parents, in groups of 6 to 8, to conduct play sessions with their emotionally disturbed young children, using an orientation and methodology modeled after client-centered play therapy. After training, the parents conduct their play sessions at home while continuing their weekly group meetings. Parents' sessions with their therapist begin with discussion of the play sessions, but may extend to any other areas that are emotionally relevant. Preliminary experience with 2 groups suggests that this type of method is deserving of further exploration as a method of increasing leverage of professional resources, and as a tool for gaining further insight into children's fantasy and parent-child relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Psychotherapy and Personality Change.

Reviews the book, Psychotherapy and Personality Change by Carl R. Rogers and Rosalind F. Dymond (eds.) (1954). This volume, with twelve authors, edited by Carl Rogers and Rosalind Dymond, constitutes essentially a progress report on the large-scale research program in psychotherapy which has been under way at the Counseling Center of the University of Chicago for more than four years. It presents findings to date on outcomes and process of the client-centered or nondirective approach to psychotherapy. The book is divided into four parts, Part I presenting the context and the basic design of the research, Part II describing a series of separate investigations bearing on the various hypotheses, and Part III giving what the authors call an "objective analysis" of the therapy of two single cases, one "successful" and the other "unsuccessful," and attempting to relate each of them to the findings of the major studies reported in Part II. Part IV is called an "Overview" and poses many stiff questions for the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in attitudes toward a low-rent housing project.

Opinions of residents in the neighborhood of a low-rental housing project were studied before construction of the project, after construction but before occupancy, and after occupancy. There was a consistent trend in the more favorable direction in attitudes toward the project, in regard to economic-centered fears, in regard to effect of the project on neighborhood attractiveness, and similar factors. Individuals who responded in the survey at two stages shifted in the same direction as the total samples. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-assembly through hydrogen-bonding and C–Hπ interactions in metal complexes of N-functionalised glycine

The complex [Ni(L1)₂(py)₂]. toluene (L1 is N-phthaloylglycinato and py is pyridine) was prepared from solid state reaction whereas co-crystals having composition 2[Ni(L1)₂(py)₃(H₂O)] · [Ni(L1)₂(py)₂(H₂O)₂] · 2py · 2H₂O was obtained from solution state reaction.     

网络中心战下的雷达自组网技术

现有雷达组网从数据的角度实现雷达的组网,并没有实现雷达网络的组网。文中提出的雷达自组网机制实现了雷达网络的真正组网。在这种机制中,雷达可以自发地与其他相邻雷达进行通信,协同完成数据融合等功能,并能自主地寻找转发路径,将有效数据返回到指挥中心。通过对两种组网机制的定量分析,雷达自组网在数据冗余和通信距离方面具有一定的优势。     

安徽省立儿童医院新建门诊楼方案设计

结合某儿童医院新建门诊楼设计实例,就其设计指导思想和特点、总体规划设计、建筑单体设计及立面造型进行了详细论述,同时在功能布局和空间营造上体现以人为本,从而提高医务人员的工作效率和医疗环境。     

空中移动目标位置测量系统设计

GPS定位技术的出现和不断发展完善,为空中移动目标的实时定位提供了新的技术途径。针对技术指标和应用环境要求,利用差分GPS定位和无线数据传输相结合的方式,实现空中移动目标的位置测量。空中目标采用嵌入式系统实现位置数据的采集、存储与发送;地面移动站利用无线传输链路接收空中目标的位置,并实时显示空中目标相对于自身的空间坐标。实际测试结果表明,相对定位精度在1 m以内,验证了系统设计,为空中移动目标的实时位置测量提供了技术手段。     

A Generalized Cubemap for Encoding 360° VR Videos using Polynomial Approximation

360^° VR videos provide users with an immersive visual experience. To encode 360^° VR videos, spherical pixels must be mapped onto a two‐dimensional domain to take advantage of the existing video encoding and storage standards. In VR industry, standard cubemap projection is the most widely used projection method for encoding 360^° VR videos. However, it exhibits pixel density variation at different regions due to projection distortion. We present a generalized algorithm to improve the efficiency of cubemap projection using polynomial approximation. In our algorithm, standard cubemap projection can be regarded as a special form with 1st‐order polynomial. Our experiments show that the generalized cubemap projection can significantly reduce the projection distortion using higher order polynomials. As a result, pixel distribution can be well balanced in the resulting 360^° VR videos. We use PSNR, S‐PSNR and CPP‐PSNR to evaluate the visual quality and the experimental results demonstrate promising performance improvement against standard cubemap projection and Google's equi‐angular cubemap.