Scope methodology for safety

The EXTENDED Assessment/Certification task of the ESPRIT project SCOPE is intended to address those issues of Software Assessment/Certification which are not directly covered by its BASIC Assessment/Certification Model. That is it aims to cover some aspects of ‘Fitness of Purpose’ of software products, but, being mindful of the advice emanating from the Legal Study, will not claim to cover all aspects. This may readily be appreciated too, by appreciating the plethora of techniques which are already available to, say, the safety community. The aim is to assess the impact of these techniques upon the SCOPE BASIC model, and to recomment adjustments if necessary.We intend to introduce some of those problems and techniques which may be of relevance to the extended certification task of SCOPE, though it should be borne in mind that the project ultimately has to demonstrate the feasibility of its approach to certification, and that it is not its purpose to develop new tools but rather to investigate, adapt and integrate existing tools to demonstrate the viability of the proposed approach. In the Appendix we introduce a new relativistic software reliability model.This paper is not intended to be complete, it is meant to provoke discussion and reports on progress so far.     

Risk analysis in safety reports required by the Seveso Directive

The Seveso Directive of the EC requires the operators of certain industrial installations deemed to present a ‘major hazard’ to produce and submit to the appropriate National Regulatory Authority a report (notification) giving information relevant to the safety of the installation. In particular, information has to be given with regard to the quantity and nature of dangerous substances handled, the circumstances under which a major accident might occur and the measures to prevent such accidents and to mitigate their consequences. In effect, this requires some form of risk analysis to be carried out. The laws introduced by Member States have specified to greater and lesser extents how that should be done, in particular the extent to which the consequences and likelihood of possible accidents should be quantified. That, together with the general view of industry that there are real limitations as to how far meaningful quantification of those aspects is possible, has resulted in some differences in the style of reports prepared.When considering the question of risk analysis it is important to recognise that it comprises a number of elements from the identification of causes of possible accidents, through evaluation of their consequences and likelihood to, in the limit, an evaluation of the risk of harm to people. In general, industry takes the view that the identification stage, which is largely qualitative, is the most important and is necessary for the preparation of a safety report. It is also generally accepted that some evaluation of the consequence of possible accidents in quantitative terms is necessary to indicate that management appreciates the potential for harm. But that has to take account of the uncertainties in the analysis procedure. Such uncertainties also limit the extent to which a meaningful quantification can be made of the probability or likelihood of accidents and, even more so, of the probability of harm to people. Hence, industry is largely opposed to the general use of those elements of quantified risk analysis (QRA) in a safety case for reasons discussed by CEFIC in its position paper ‘CEFIC Views on the Quantitative Assessment of Risks from Installations in the Chemical Industry’.     

3D Printing of Textiles: Potential Roadmap to Printing with Fibers

3D printing (3DP) has transformed engineering, manufacturing, and the use of advanced materials due to its ability to produce objects from a variety of materials, ranging from soft polymers to rigid ceramics. 3DP offers the advantage of being able to print at a variety of lengths scales; from a few micrometers to many meters. 3DP has the unique ability to produce customized small lots, efficiently. Yet, one crucial industry that has not been able to adequately explore its potential is textile manufacturing. The research in 3DP of textiles has lagged behind other areas primarily due to the difficulty in obtaining some of the unique characteristics of strength, flexibility, etc., of textiles, utilizing a fundamentally different manufacturing technology. Textiles are their own class of materials due to the specific structural developments that occur during the various stages of textile manufacturing: from fiber extrusion to assembly of the fibers to fabrics. Here, the current 3DP technologies are reviewed with emphasis on soft and anisotropic structures, as well as the efforts toward 3DP of textiles. Finally, a potential pathway to 3DP of textiles, dubbed as printing with fibers to create textile structures is proposed for further exploration.     

The Department of Health perspective on handling uncertainties in health sciences

Recognizing and working with uncertainty in handling risk are part of both clinical practice and the policy-making process. The Department of Health recognizes the inherent challenges that uncertainty brings and employs a wide range of research mechanisms, drawing on a diverse set of disciplines, to provide an evidence base to inform both policy creation and implementation, and clinical practice. This paper describes a variety of situations and the Government response to them, each time highlighting the use of science to reduce unknowns and to support decision-making. It highlights the need for a strong research infrastructure to support the Department's requirements, and those of the NHS, both in real time to respond to emergencies and to establish a high standard of care. However, although science provides a powerful tool to reduce uncertainty, it will not always produce definitive answers and often provides the start point for a dialogue between decision makers and researchers.     

面向用户需求重要性研究的婴幼儿早教玩具设计

目的 运用人工智能技术与定量分析方法研究婴幼儿早教玩具产品的用户需求,为设计与开发提供可借鉴思路。方法 首先,用Python爬虫抓取与婴幼儿早教玩具相关的微信公众号文本,运用人工智能技术对抓取到的文本数据进行自动筛选,并通过焦点小组座谈形式梳理初始用户需求;然后运用模糊Kano问卷对初始用户需求进行分类,得到必备型需求、意愿型需求、魅力型需求、无差别型需求和逆向型需求;再进一步运用优劣解距离法对意愿型需求和魅力型需求进行重要度的计算排序,保留重要度排序在前的需求指标,确定最终的婴幼儿早教玩具需求指标汇总;最后进行婴幼儿早教玩具实际案例的设计,验证该方法的有效性。结论 借助人工智能技术与定量分析方法能更精准地对用户需求的重要性进行研究,有效提高用户的满意程度,顺应婴幼儿早教玩具设计研发的市场趋势。     

Synthesis of nanowires,nanorods and nanoparticles of ZnO through modulating the ratio of water to methanol by using a mild and simple solution method

ZnO nanowires, nanorods and nanoparticles through modulating the ratio of water to methanol have been synthesized by using a mild and simple solution method. The as-prepared ZnO nanostructures have been characterized by atomic force microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. With the increase of the ratio of water to methanol, the morphology of ZnO nanostructures varied form denser nanowires, to sparse nanowires, to nanorods, and then to nanoparticles. The ratio of water to methanol is supposed to play an important role in the formation of ZnO nanostructures. The mechanism of formation is related to the chemical potential, which is simply proportional to their surface ratio.     

On the Effect of Triaxial State of Stress on Ductility Using Nonlinear CDM Model

Ductility takes into account the material capability to plastically deform. This parameter is not only modified by temperature but it is strongly affected by the stress triaxiality that, in the case of positive hydrostatic stress, reduces the material strain to failure. Due to the importance of this parameter in engineering design many attempts to predict the evolution of ductility with stress triaxiality have been done. Here, a nonlinear continuum damage model, as proposed by the author, is used to obtain the evolution of material ductility with stress triaxiality. The expression found relates the strain to failure in multi-axial state of stress regime only to the uniaxial strain to failure, to the damage strain threshold, to the material Poisson's ratio, and, of course, to stress triaxiality. The proposed model was successfully verified comparing the predicted evolution of material ductility with the experimental data relative to several metals. The procedure for the damage parameters identification is also discussed in details.     

案例知识的产品造型设计方法研究

目的为设计出符合消费者感性需求的产品,适应大规模定制的生产模式,缩短产品开发周期并方便企业后期的产品迭代,提出了一种应用已有产品案例进行产品快速设计的方法。方法以对象设计知识分类理论为基础,融入了消费者感性意象这一特征,建立了案例造型知识库模型,并由此模型指导案例各特征知识的获取,由此建立案例造型知识库。结论依据设计需求,应用案例造型知识库进行案例的检索、匹配、推理、变异,完成对四阀饮料机的方案设计,验证方法的可行性与高效性。     

Contribution of the fill to the static behaviour of arched masonry structures: theoretical formulation

In the paper, one presents the theoretical set-up of an original formulation aimed at accounting for the contribution of the fill to the structural strength of masonry vaults and arches and at providing an evaluation about its skill of cooperating to stress absorption with the main vaulted resisting structure. Usually the action of components ordinarily regarded as non-structural members is often neglected in static analyses. Actually, it is a common practice to assume a number of elements of vaulted or arched constructions, such as the fill and the buttress, as completely unable to exert any structural action, rather than trying to evaluate their contribution; therefore, those are usually assumed to be a dead weight, unable to contribute to the bearing capacity of the vault. Starting from the consideration that the fill is somehow subject to some pre-compression because of the permanent load, an approach is proposed where the fill is considered to be able to provide a partial absorption of the variable loads with a reduced load transmission onto the main structural members. The procedure leads to more realistic evaluations about the safety assessment of vaulted structures, which are in major agreement with their real behaviour.     

新文科理念下视觉传达设计专业人才培养研究

新文科教育理念与当下的新时代教育环境和网络媒介信息化教育相互适应,以推进新文科教育理念实践为教学核心,以创新教学理论实践综合应用理论为教学主导,以建立教学实践综合能力为主要目的,构建创新教学模式,以期对推进我国视觉传达设计专业教学方法体系结构改革和艺术创新驱动发展做出贡献,促进我国新文科教育理念下的艺术设计类专业人才培养模式改革,为高校社会各界输送一批高质量的艺术创新型专业人才。     

Risk assessment of chemicals in foundries: the International Chemical Toolkit pilot-project

In Brazil, problems regarding protection from hazardous substances in small-sized enterprises are similar to those observed in many other countries. Looking for a simple tool to assess and control such exposures, FUNDACENTRO has started in 2005 a pilot-project to implement the International Chemical Control Toolkit. During the series of visits to foundries, it was observed that although many changes have occurred in foundry technology, occupational exposures to silica dust and metal fumes continue to occur, due to a lack of perception of occupational exposure in the work environment. After introducing the Chemical Toolkit concept to the foundry work group, it was possible to show that the activities undertaken to improve the management of chemicals, according to its concept, will support companies in fulfilling government legislations related to chemical management, occupational health and safety, and environmental impact. In the following meetings, the foundry work group and FUNDACENTRO research team will identify "inadequate work situations". Based on the Chemical Toolkit, improvement measures will be proposed. Afterwards, a survey will verify the efficiency of those measures in the control of hazards and consequently on the management of chemicals. This step is now in course.     

基于茶马古道文旅发展下的羌族羊皮鼓创新设计

目的 研究茶马古道文旅融合下的羌族羊皮鼓发展现状,给处于发展滞后的羌族羊皮鼓创新设计提供方法与思路,实现羌族地区特色手工艺的传承发展与创新性转化。方法 根据茶马古道文旅发展下的文化产品需求,分析当下羌族羊皮鼓发展的困境与突破方向,探索羌族羊皮鼓创新发展应进一步加强文旅融合,丰富产品类型;加强特色发掘,增强文化创意;加强材料与工艺开发,增强材质与技术创新;加强科技融合,增强数字化产品创新等来实现羌族羊皮鼓的创新设计。结论 对处于茶马古道文旅发展下的羌族羊皮鼓传承与创新设计,需根植羌族特色文化,以现代化的设计手法,多元化的文化创意思维认识和新材料、新技术革新的手段来探索羊皮鼓的产品特征、审美意识、文化内涵与艺术形态,才能满足人们日益增长的文化生活需求,激发人们的购买欲望,带动产品的销售,推动羊皮鼓在现代生活中的活态发展,促进羌族传统文化在当下的文化价值、旅游价值和经济价值的实现。     

A dynamometer table with a small inertia

Summary The dynamometers type DOS-1, which have a small inertia, are subject to variations in their readings according to the conditions of their use.The combination of the effects due to the displacement of the point of application of the resultant force within the lengths of the table, and the variation in the relations among the components of the force may lead to measurement errors up to 50% and more. In order to avoid considerable measurement errors it is necessary to keep, during measurements, the point of application of the resultant force within the limits of a portion of the table in its middle and amounting to 0.1–0.15 of its length.If the above requirements are adhered to, the calibration of the dynamometer can be carried out by the simplest of means, namely by applying one force only in the longitudinal direction. The dynamometer errors in this case will amount to ±4% of the measured value.     

可持续性产品设计的创新方法与案例解析

目的拓展可持续性产品设计的思路,解析不同类别的可持续性产品设计案例,探讨可持续性产品设计的创新方法及其在设计实践中的应用。方法通过对典型案例的剖析,从"末端治理"来分析废弃物再利用的设计,从"源头干预"来分析产品全生命周期设计,从"共享服务"来分析产品与服务系统设计,从"消费公平"来分析弱势群体的社会和谐设计,从而归纳可持续性产品设计的创新方法。结论可持续性产品设计创新方法必须将关注重点从生产领域扩展到消费领域,从实体产品扩展到产品服务系统,从物质文化领域扩展到精神文化领域。可持续性产品设计的内容,应该同时关注产品的"生产系统"与"消费系统",将产品与服务系统有机融合,提升产品的使用效率与生态品质,促进全社会的消费公平,体现设计的经济价值与人文价值,为人类社会的永续发展贡献设计的力量。     

Introduction de l'informatique dans la gestion et le contrôle des entrepôts frigorifiques

A cold store is required to preserve foodstuffs which may arrive in quantities of a few hundred tons or in boxes weighing only a few kilos. The pallet is the unit of volume allowing rationalization of storage.Two cases can be classified: full pallet storage and order preparation for retailers. With full pallet storage the series of operations carried out are: receiving goods, putting them into a defined place, maintaining the required storage environment, finally delivering pallets. Incidental to these functions are: Inventory control, (invoicing, etc.), management of stocks, (the computer can choose the best storage place for each pallet according to the delivery rate and the shortest distance), instructions to semi-automatic fork lift trucks or to fully automatic stacker cranes, optimization of refrigeration machines to minimize power consumption and to give warning of maintenance requirements or breakdown, security protection against fire and robbery.From full pallets, orders are prepared from a few boxes of each article to deliver to retailers. The computer chooses the right moment to bring out pallets from the main stock, moving them to the best place in the preparation area and finally indicating to the workman in what order he has to take boxes from the pallets.The main advantages are: better use of space, better control of the quality of the materials being stored, and lower energy costs. Paradoxically the main obstacle to further progress is the difficulty of efficiently replacing human operators for single box handling.     

The effects of positive emotion priming on self-reported reckless driving

Five studies examined the effects of positive emotion priming on the willingness to drive recklessly. In all five, young drivers were exposed to one of the following primes of positive affect: a positive mood story; happy memories; an exciting film; a relaxing film; or thoughts on the meaning in life. Following the prime, the participants were asked to report on their willingness to drive recklessly. The responses were compared to those of groups exposed either to neutral affect, another kind of positive affect, or negative affect priming. In two of the studies, participants were also asked to report on their driving styles (risky, anxious, angry, or careful) as a second dependent variable. Positive affect, especially in the form of arousal, was found to be related to higher willingness to drive recklessly. Although men tended to report higher intentions to drive recklessly, men and women did not react differently to the emotional induction. Most interestingly, positive emotions of a relaxing nature, as well as thinking about the meaning in life, lowered the willingness to engage in risky driving. The discussion emphasizes the importance of looking for new ways to use positive emotions effectively in road safety interventions, and considers the practical implications of the studies.     

Viscosity Measurements on Gaseous Argon, Krypton, and Propane1

A new vibrating-wire viscometer was designed to perform quasi-absolute measurements of very high precision on gases. It was applied to determine the viscosity of argon at temperatures of 298.15, 348.15, and 423.15 K and pressures up to 20 MPa, and the viscosity of krypton at 298.15 and 348.15 ,K and pressures up to 16 MPa. Furthermore, several isothermal series of viscosity measurements on gaseous propane were carried out. The subcritical isotherms at 298.15, 323.15, 348.15, and 366.15 K were restricted to 95% of the saturated vapor pressure, the supercritical isotherms at 373.15, 398.15, and 423.15 K to 20 MPa. In general, the measurements are characterized by a reproducibility of ±0.05% and an accuracy of ±0.2%. However, close to the critical point an accuracy of ±3% has to be accepted, mainly due to the uncertainty of the density. In this context the influence of the equation of state used for propane is discussed.     

Control of the fluorescence of dye-antibody conjugates by (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin in fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry

When proteins are conjugated to fluorescent organic dyes, fluorescence emission of the dye molecules is usually decreased, sometimes up to 50-70%. This quenching phenomenon has been acknowledged for decades, but as yet, there are no simple, practical methods to control the fluorescence of dyes conjugated to proteins, especially for dyes conjugated to immunoglobulins. Here, we report that the addition of (2-hydroxypropyl)-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) to dye-antibody conjugates can increase fluorescence up to 2.5-fold in cell imaging and flow analysis. This method may be an effective way to increase the sensitivity of detection of fluorescent organic labels used in immunology, histochemistry, and cell biology.     

Radioactivity in building materials in Iraq

Activity concentrations of (226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K in 45 samples of different building materials used in Iraq were measured using gamma-spectroscopy system based on high-purity germanium detector with an efficiency of 40 %. Radium equivalent activity, air-absorbed dose rate, annual effective dose, external and internal hazard indices and alpha index due to radon inhalation originating from building materials were measured to assess the potential radiological hazard associated with these building materials. The activity concentrations of the natural radionuclides (226)Ra, (232)Th and 40K were found to range from below detection limit (BDL) to 223.7 ± 9, BDL to 93.0 ± 3 and BDL to 343.1 ± 12, respectively. Values of average radium equivalent activity, air-absorbed dose rate, indoor and outdoor annual effective doses, external and internal hazard indices and alpha index ranged from 6.5 to 124.9, 16.2 to 89.5 (nGy h(-1)), 0.08 to 0.44 mSv, 0.02-0.11 mSv, 0.09 to 0.53, 0.13 to 0.69 and 0.03 to 0.62, respectively. These values indicate a low dose. Therefore, the building materials used in the current study are quite safe to be used as building materials.     

天津贝克PROMOS通讯控制常见故障及排除方法

天津贝克PROMOS监控系统是一种适用于各种控制任务的通用型、高性能、高可靠性的工业自动化系统，它适用于煤矿井下有甲烷和煤尘危险的环境中。该系统中的产品采用简便快捷的直插式插接件相连．现场连接、更换方便，系统有较强的适用性和可扩展性，易于形成适应于整个采区及至全矿井的的通讯控制系统。系统主要由本安电源、控制器、接口箱、扩音电话、急停开关、智能电话、传感器、AST线缆、终端构成。