Supplier ranking by multi-alternative proposal analysis for agile projects

Changing requirements and on-going decision making along the entire project life cycle are well handled by Agile methods. However Agile projects still use evaluation methods during the RFP stage that do not fulfill the flexibility mandated by the Agile manifesto.     

Multifinality in implicit choice.

This research examines the possibility that people's choices in the service of an explicit focal goal may also reflect their tendency to fulfill implicit background goals and in that sense are multifinal. We carried out 5 experimental studies to investigate this notion. In Experiment 1, a primed implicit goal affected individuals' choices even when those avowedly served an explicit “focal” goal. Experiment 2 replicated this finding with a different type of implicit goals. Experiment 3 found that primed implicit goals had no effect on choices where the options that served them undermined the explicit goal. Experiment 4 found that a primed implicit goal served by a multifinal option does not privilege it over a unifinal option if that goal had been already attained by a different means. Finally, Experiment 5, via 3 types of control groups, showed that choices were affected by both the explicit and implicit goals in isolation, and they shifted toward multifinality when these goals were conjointly present. The discussion considers the integrative potential of the multifinality framework and its implications for a variety of phenomena in the domain of motivated cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Combining predicate and numeric abstraction for software model checking

Predicate (PA) and numeric (NA) abstractions are the two principal techniques for software analysis. In this paper, we develop an approach to couple the two techniques tightly into a unified framework via a single abstract domain called NumPredDom. In particular, we develop and evaluate four data structures that implement NumPredDom but differ in their expressivity and internal representation and algorithms. All our data structures combine BDDs (for efficient propositional reasoning) with data structures for representing numerical constraints. Our technique is distinguished by its support for complex transfer functions that allow two-way interaction between predicate and numeric information during state transformation. We have implemented a general framework for reachability analysis of C programs on top of our four data structures. Our experiments on non-trivial examples show that our proposed combination of PA and NA is more powerful and more efficient than either technique alone.     

In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy/synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray diffraction—A powerful new technique for the characterization of electrochemical surfaces and interfaces

A marriage of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and in situ synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (SR-GIXRD) has provided a powerful new technique for the elucidation of the mechanistic chemistry of electrochemical systems. In this study, EIS/SR-GIXRD has been used to investigate the influence of metal ion buffer calibration ligands, along with natural organic ligands in seawater, on the behaviour of the iron chalcogenide glass ion-selective electrode (ISE). The SR-GIXRD data demonstrated that citrate - a previously reported poor iron calibration ligand for the analysis of seawater - induced an instantaneous and total dissolution of crystalline GeSe and Sb₂Se₃ in the modified surface layer (MSL) of the ISE, while natural organic ligands in seawater and a mixture of ligands in a mimetic seawater ligand system protected the MSL's crystalline inclusions of GeSe and Sb₂Se₃ from oxidative attack. Expectedly, the EIS data showed that citrate induced a loss in the medium frequency time constant for the MSL of the ISE, while seawater's natural organic ligands and the mimetic ligand system preserved the medium frequency EIS response characteristics of the ISE's MSL. The new EIS/SR-GIXRD technique has provided insights into the suitability of iron calibration ligands for the analysis of iron in seawater.     

Assessing the suitability of three Australian fly ashes as an aluminosilicate source for geopolymers in high temperature applications

Fly ash characteristics cannot be assumed to be constant between power stations as they are highly dependent on the coal source and burning conditions. It is critical to understand the characteristics of fly ash in order to produce geopolymers suitable for high temperature applications. We report on the characterisation of fly ash from three Australian power stations in terms of elemental composition, phase composition, particle size, density and morphology. Geopolymers were synthesised from each of the fly ashes using sodium silicate and sodium aluminate solutions to achieve a range of Si:Al compositional ratios. Mechanical properties of geopolymer binders are presented and the effect of the source fly ash characteristics on the hardened product is discussed, as well as implications for high temperature applications. It was found that the twenty eight day strength of geopolymers is largely dependent on the sub 20 μm size fraction of the fly ash. Strength loss after high temperature exposure was found to be dependent on the concentration of iron in the fly ash precursor and the Si:Al ratio of the geopolymer mixture.     

Long-lived FP burning based on the actinide recycle metal fuel core

Feasibility of burning of the major long-lived FPs (I, Pd, Tc, Sn, Se, Zr, Cs) while maintaining fuel breeding capability for the Self-Consistent Nuclear Energy System is evaluated based on the actinide recycle metal fuel core of a fast reactor. It is shown that I, Pd, Tc, Sn, Se, and Zr can be burnt simultaneously by an aid of the isotope separation of Pd-107, Zr-93 and Se-79. Cs, which is difficult to burn with the other FPs, should be utilized as an in-reactor shielding material to confine in the system. The selection of the target FPs to be burnt are also validated by using the Burden Index. The overall assessment based on those results indicates that the developed system has the great potential to achieve the goal of the Self-Consistent Nuclear Energy System.     

Analysis of the coupling between the apparent time scale of thermal degradation and sample size

Sample size sensitivity of thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) presents a serious handicap in the obtaining of reliable thermal stability data for high-temperature applications. For example, predictions of the apparent time for degradation during an isothermal experiment based on the results obtained using a 10 μm thick specimen can be off by an order of magnitude when applied to a product with a thickness of 10 cm. To address this effect, TGA experiments studying the thermal degradation of poly(methyl methacrylate) were conducted. Analysis of the experimental data resulted in the development of a relationship between the apparent time scale of the thermal degradation and the specimen thickness. Origins of the new dependence were traced to the change of the diffusivity resulting from material volatilization. Implications of the coupling between these two events for the analysis of thermal stability for new polymeric materials are discussed, and required changes in the current methodology are outlined.     

Thermo-mechanical and microstructural characterisation of sodium-poly(sialate-siloxo) (Na-PSS) geopolymers

The thermo-mechanical and microstructural character of sodium-poly(sialate-siloxo) (Na-PSS) geopolymers synthesised from dehydroxylated kaolinite (metakaolinite) have been investigated. Thermal analysis by means of TG–DTA showed a single endothermic peak at 135–140 °C due to dehydration (water evolution) from the geopolymer framework. Thermal expansion measurements show that geopolymer suffers 2% shrinkage below 250 °C and is then dimensionally stable up to 800 °C. The inclusion of aggregate (α-quartz or granite) was found to reduce the shrinkage by 1% although the presence of the quartz limits the working temperature range of the composite due a to disruptive phase change. Thermal conductivity and compressive strength of Na-PSS geopolymers varied with change in chemical composition of the geopolymer as well as the amount and type of aggregate. Investigation of the microstructure by electron microscopy showed that the ratio of the starting materials influences the homogeneity of the geopolymer microstructure, which in turn leads to differences in thermal conductivity and compressive strength.