A Photographic Method of Analysing Aerosols

The variation in size and concentration of particles in an aerosol over short periods of time has been determined by a photographic techniciue in conjunction with a slit ultramicroscope. The method has been found satisfactory for particle diameters between 0.2 and 4 microns and concentrations up to 10⁷ particles per cubic centimetre. Some of the disadvantages of the ultramicroscope have been overcome and the accuracy and reliability of the results have been assessed.     

The geometry of turbo-decoding dynamics

The spectacular performance offered by turbo codes sparked intense interest in them. A considerable amount of research has simplified, formalized, and extended the ideas inherent in the original turbo code construction. Nevertheless, the nature of the relatively simple ad hoc turbo-decoding algorithm has remained something of a mystery. We present a geometric interpretation of the turbo-decoding algorithm. The geometric perspective clearly indicates the relationship between turbo-decoding and maximum-likelihood decoding. Analysis of the geometry leads to new results concerning existence of fixed points, conditions for uniqueness, conditions for stability, and proximity to maximum-likelihood decoding     

New Technology Introduction and Implementation: The Case of Paging Technology in the Ratlam Division of Indian Railways

Concomitant to the liberalisation policy and market reforms in India has been the issue of declining budgetary support for public sector organisations. Hitherto, Indian Railways, the biggest publicly-owned enterprise, has largely been supported by the exchequer. Since the early 1990s, however, the Railways has had to operate increasingly as a commercial rather than a social organisation. One of the ways of improving efficiency is to introduce efficiency-enhancing technologies. This paper is a case study of the introduction of paging technology to the Ratlam Division of Indian Railways. It describes the process of planning and implementation, the HRM implications of the adoption and how the process was successfully managed. It aims at shedding further light on the nature and the processes whereby technologies eventually gain company recognition and acceptance.     

Access and flexibility in a changing marketplace-case study: the2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games

This article discusses the challenges associated with constructing and managing a telecommunications network capable of supporting the Olympic Winter Games. The importance of the sponsors' role is also outlined. The Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) is dedicated to bringing the latest technology in telecommunications to the Games without compromising quality and reliability. Telecommunications encompasses much more than telephones normally associated with the traditional definition. Wireless systems, cabling systems, radio, video, and cable TV (CATV) systems, copier, fax, and telex systems, television, and electronics also make up the scope of work for the SLOC team     

Brain Stimulation for Pain Control

Three areas of the brain have been used for stimulation to control chronic pain. Stimulation of the primary sensory relay nuclei of the thalamus (VPM, VPL) and internal capsule reduce pain by activating large nonpain sensory neurons which produce sensory paresthesias and inhibition of small pain fibers. The third area is the paraventricular gray matter-an area that apparently modulates pain input. Stimulation of this area reduces pain for hours with short periods of stimulation with little or no side effects. Chronic stimulation intermittently over a period of up to three years shows no tendency to tolerance, habitutation, electrode isolation, loss of effectiveness, or tissue destruction.     

Uncertainty in biomass supply estimates: Lessons from a Yakama Nation case study

The increasing demand for bioenergy in the United States necessitates detailed case studies of cost and supply to assess its feasibility. We have developed supply curves based on six feedstocks in five counties surrounding the Yakama Nation in central Washington using spatially explicit estimates of supply and transportation cost. The supply curves were used to examine a base case supply for a bioenergy plant, to analyze the effects of land ownership, and examine the impacts of uncertainty in parameters used to determine cost and supply. The results show that existing industries produce the cheapest supply of feedstock as a byproduct of their operations, while supplies harvested specifically for bioenergy are considerably more expensive. Fragmented land ownerships lead to the necessity of cooperation between owners and highlight the importance of a strong anchor supply close to the plant. Lastly, uncertainty in supply and cost parameters leads to larger ranges in available biomass, leading to reluctant investment in large plants.     

Perceptions of academic quality among students with a hearing loss in distance education.

There has been little research on the experiences of students with a hearing loss in mainstream higher education. This investigation compared perceptions of academic quality in 265 students with a hearing loss who were taking courses by distance learning and 178 students taking the same courses who had no declared form of disability. Students who were classified as hard of hearing (rather than deaf) produced significantly lower ratings of the appropriateness of their academic workload than did the students with no declared disability, but the ratings produced by students who were classified as deaf were not significantly different from those produced by the comparison group, In other respects, the students with a hearing loss were remarkably similar to the students with no declared disability in their perceptions of academic quality and their overall satisfaction with their courses, (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)