The 'Conceptual Change In Science' project

Abstract This paper outlines the work of the Conceptual Change in Science project, funded as part of the ESRC InTER programme. The aims of this research project are to clarify and describe the process of change in learners' conceptual understandings of natural phenomena. The domain of reasoning selected for study is that of mechanics. Computer software which may be useful in exploring and developing pupils' reasoning and promoting conceptual change in this domain is being developed and evaluated. The group that is carrying out the research is based at the Universities of Leeds, Glasgow and the Open University.     

Reconstruction of the friction units of turbine guide vanes

Conclusions After the almost 2-yr operation of the gate apparatus since the start of reconstruction of friction units of the vanes, we can make a preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of the works:There is practically no leakage of water through the gate vanes to the turbine cover, which led to a complete unloading of the drainage pumps on the turbine cover and the efficiency of operating the gate apparatus increased considerably.Repair of the gate apparatus is not required during maintenance.There is no vibration of the gate vanes, since the gaps in the friction units of the journals of the gate vanes are minimum and stable.The operating personnel objectively evaluate highly the work of the gate apparatus of the turbine after reconstruction and will continue this work on the remaining turbines.Translated from Gidrotekhnicheskoe Stroitel'stvo, No. 9, pp. 12–14, September, 1985.     

Changing the hydrogen content of alloy steel in relation to the technology used to cool cast slabs

Results are reported from the production of two trial heats of alloy steel in which the cast slabs were cooled in a thermostatted chamber and in a dense stack. It is shown that cooling slabs in such a chamber makes it possible to reduce the hydrogen content of the steel 30% compared to slabs that are cooled while stacked.     

Time-series detection of perspiration as a liveness test in fingerprint devices

Fingerprint scanners may be susceptible to spoofing using artificial materials, or in the worst case, dismembered fingers. An anti-spoofing method based on liveness detection has been developed for use in fingerprint scanners. This method quantifies a specific temporal perspiration pattern present in fingerprints acquired from live claimants. The enhanced perspiration detection algorithm presented here improves our previous work by including other fingerprint scanner technologies; using a larger, more diverse data set; and a shorter time window. Several classification methods were tested in order to separate live and spoof fingerprint images. The dataset included fingerprint images from 33 live subjects, 33 spoofs created with dental material and Play-Doh, and fourteen cadaver fingers. Each method had a different performance with respect to each scanner and time window. However, all the classifiers achieved approximately 90% classification rate for all scanners, using the reduced time window and the more comprehensive training and test sets.     

Effective parameters of static coupled physicomechanical field in matrix composites

Conclusions It is shown that the problem of evaluating the effective parameters of composites for a wide range of stationary coupled fields is reduced to examining uncoupled fields.The multiparticle method of the effective field was generalized with special reference to the problems of examining the static coupled physicomechanical fields in composites.Translated from Fiziko-Khimicheskaya Mekhanika Materialov, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp. 105–111, July–August, 1991.     

Analysis of the formation of glass waste in the electric lamp industry

Translated from Steklo i Keramika, No. 1, pp. 6–7, January, 1991.     

Precision winding of fiber optic filament. II. Winding control

For pt.I see ibid., vol.39, no.3, p.258-67 (1992). The winding of fiber optic filament in the hoop, or precision, pattern is considered. Various automatic control options that have been designed and tested are described. The controllers are designed to regulate the fiber lag angle, which is the angle at which the feed filament approaches the take-up spool. Successful, flawless winding is directly related to accurate lag regulation. The contributions are distinguished by the fact that the automatic winding rate is 10 to 30 times greater than that achieved before by operator-assisted winding