The optimal level of fuzz: case studies in a methodology for psychological research

Cognitive science research is hard to conduct, because researchers must take phenomena from the world and turn them into laboratory tasks for which a reasonable level of experimental control can be achieved. Consequently, research necessarily makes tradeoffs between internal validity (experimental control) and external validity (the degree to which a task represents behaviour outside of the lab). Researchers are thus seeking the best possible trade-off between these constraints, which we refer to as the optimal level of fuzz. We present two principles for finding the optimal level of fuzz, in research, and then illustrate these principles using research from motivation, individual differences and cognitive neuroscience.     

On the Effective Deployment of Functional Formal Verification

We examine IBM's exploitation of formal verification using RuleBase—a formal verification tool developed by the IBM Haifa Research Laboratory. The goal of the paper is methodological. We identify an integrated methodology for the deployment of formal verification which involves three complementary modes: architectural verification, block-level verification, and design exploration.     

The use of data from South Australia's rental tenancy tribunal for research and policy analysis: Issues of validity and efficacy

This paper examines the value for research and policy development of rental tenancy data collected by the South Australian Rental Tenancy Tribunal (RTT). The data held by the RTT are for South Australia only, but comparable organisations exist in a number of other states, such as New South Wales and Victoria. Lessons learned from South Australia could serve as a pilot for the development of a new (semi-) national framework for monitoring the private rental market.     

Book reviews

Australian Environmental Policy 2: Studies in Decline and Devolution

Ken Walker and Kate Crowley (eds) UNSW Press, Sydney, 1999 ISBN 0868406732 (paperback) 323 pp.; bibliography and index RRP $35.00

Beyond Meltdown: The Global Battle for Sustained Growth.

Peter Brain. Scribe, Melbourne, 1999 ISBN 0908011369 (paperback) 273 pp.; bibliography and index RRP $26.95

Cities Back from the Edge: New Life for Downtown

Roberta Brandes Gratz with Norman Mintz John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1998 ISBN 0471144177 (hardback) 347 pp.; index RRP $59.95

Evaluation in Planning: Facing the Challenge of Complexity

Nathaniel Lichfield, Angela Barbanente, Dino Bori, Abdul Khakee and Anna. Prat (eds). Kluwer, Dordrecht, 1998. ISBN 0792351770 (hardback). 383 pp.; index. RRP $254.00

Gritty Cities: Images of the Urban

Lyaranette Finch and Chris McConville (eds). Pluto, Sydney, 1999. ISBN 1864030631 (paperback). 250 pp.; bibliography and index. RRP $24.95

Setting the Stage for Systainability: A Citizen's Handbook

Chris Maser, Russ Beaton and Kevin Smith Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, 1998 ISBN 1574441876 (hardback) 269 pp.; index RRP $47.50

The Australian Metropolis: A Planning History

Stephen Hamnett and Robert Freestone (eds) Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1999 ISBN 1865080535 (paperback) 229 pp.; index RRP $35.00     

Kinetics of adsorption of sulfur mustard on Al2O3 nanoparticles with and without impregnants

BACKGROUND: Chemical warfare (CW) agents are highly toxic compounds and have been used in war to produce physical immobilization, so safe and effective ways to detoxify them without endangering human life or the environment is of great concern. One of the important ways to achieve protection against CW agents contaminating air is to utilize suitable adsorbent materials, e.g. activated carbon, nanoparticles, etc. In the present study nanoparticles, synthesized through sol–gel processes and loaded with reactive compounds have been used for the degradation of CW agents and to understand their adsorption kinetics using Fickian and linear driving force models. RESULTS: Nanoparticles of AP‐Al₂O₃ (aerogel‐produced alumina) in the size range 2–30 nm with high surface area (375 m² g^?1) were produced by an alkoxide‐based synthesis, and then characterized using N₂‐Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) techniques. Thereafter, these were impregnated, and finally tested for kinetics of adsorption of sulfur mustard (HD) under static conditions. The kinetics was studied using linear driving force and Fickian diffusion models and the kinetics parameters determined. CONCLUSION: AP‐Al₂O₃ with 10% impregnation of 9‐molybdo‐3‐vanadophosphoric acid (10%, w/w) showed the maximum uptake (640 mg g^?1) of HD. The highest adsorption potential indicated that the adsorption was due not only to physisorption but also involved chemisorption. Values of the diffusional exponent indicated the mechanism to be Fickian and anomalous. Hydrolysis, dehydrochlorination and oxidation reactions (identified using gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (GC/MS)) were found to be the route of degradation of HD over the prepared nanoparticle based adsorbents. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Engineering computation under uncertainty - Capabilities of non-traditional models

This paper provides a review of various non-traditional uncertainty models for engineering computation and responds to the criticism of those models. This criticism imputes inappropriateness in representing uncertain quantities and an absence of numerically efficient algorithms to solve industry-sized problems. Non-traditional uncertainty models, however, run counter to this criticism by enabling the solution of problems that defy an appropriate treatment with traditional probabilistic computations due to non-frequentative characteristics, a lack of available information, or subjective influences. The usefulness of such models becomes evident in many cases within engineering practice. Examples include: numerical investigations in the early design stage, the consideration of exceptional environmental conditions and socio-economic changes, and the prediction of the behavior of novel materials based on limited test data. Non-traditional uncertainty models thus represent a beneficial supplement to the traditional probabilistic model and a sound basis for decision-making. In this paper non-probabilistic uncertainty modeling is discussed by means of interval modeling and fuzzy methods. Mixed, probabilistic/non-probabilistic uncertainty modeling is dealt with in the framework of imprecise probabilities possessing the selected components of evidence theory, interval probabilities, and fuzzy randomness. The capabilities of the approaches selected are addressed in view of realistic modeling and processing of uncertain quantities in engineering. Associated numerical methods for the processing of uncertainty through structural computations are elucidated and considered from a numerical efficiency perspective. The benefit of these particular developments is emphasized in conjunction with the meaning of the uncertain results and in view of engineering applications.     

Cricket-based robots

This article describes the development of an autonomous hybrid microrobot that uses legs for propulsion and support of the rear half of the body and a pair of wheels for support of the front half. McKibben artificial muscles actuate the legs, and compressed air is generated by an onboard power plant. Control is also onboard in the form of a PIC microcontroller, from Microchip Technology Inc., that controls the actuators through four three-way valves that are each made up of a pair of microelectromechanical system devices. Its motion resembles that of a cricket.     

Limestone Neutralisation of Arsenic-Rich Effluent from a Gold Mine

Traditionally acid mine water is neutralised with lime. Limestone is a cheaper alternative for such applications. A case study showed that limestone can be used effectively to replace lime for the neutralization of arsenic rich acid water. The cost of limestone treatment is 45.8% less than that of lime. The acidity can be removed from 33.5 to 0.06 g/L (as CaCO₃). The study also showed no significant differences in the TCLP characteristics of the resultant sludge when water is treated with lime or with limestone. Sludge from the limestone treatment process can be disposed of on a non-hazardous landfill site. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Wedge splitting experiments on three-layered particleboard and consequences for cutting

Three layered particleboard is a widely used and important plate material used for construction and furniture production. This implies that material parameters such as strength and elasticity in bending are determined. However, usually little or nothing is known about the fracture properties. This paper has the goal to investigate the material fracture properties in the three layers and discuss the linear and non-linear fracture mechanical properties with regard to board production and its consequences for cutting. It could be shown that the fracture properties of the solid boards are dominated by the bigger chips in the core of the plate and the fracture properties of boards are best characterized by the specific fracture energy. The linear elastic- and the non-linear elastic fracture mechanics approach of the outer layers shows essentially similar results, represented by brittle fracture. For the prediction of the cutting performance, linear elastic fracture mechanics parameters are considered to be more appropriate because these parameters describe the limit of linear elastic behaviour and therefore the case of smallest deformation zone. High stress concentration at the tool tip and low permanent deformation in the bulk material give the best cutting quality.     

Effect of oval defects in GaAs on the reliability of SiNx metal–insulator–metal capacitors

In this paper, we will assess the reliability of extrinsic defects in SiN_x metal–insulator–metal (MIM) capacitors as part of a GaAs high voltage (HV) FET process. The epitaxial GaAs layers used for this process contain a density of oval defects. Since the SiN_x is deposited at low temperatures, the MIM capacitors are amorphous and will always contain a certain amount of extrinsic defects. It will be shown that the number of extrinsic defects depends on the presence of the oval defects in the epitaxial GaAs layers. The reliability assessment will be done using electric field breakdown (Ebd), time dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) measurements and visual inspection. It will be shown that this combination can lead to an estimate of the lifetime and screening of capacitors containing extrinsic defects.