Gas particle industrial flow simulation using RANSTAD

A turbulent gas particle finite-volume flow simulation of a representative coal classifier is presented. Typical values of the loading ratio permit a one-way coupling analysis. As a case study, the computational fluid dynamics code,ranstad, and the modelling aspects are discussed in some detail. The simulation indicates that small (≈ 30 μm) coal particles pass through the classifier to the furnace but that large (≈ 300 μm) particles are captured and remilled. The computational simulation indicates that the classifier performance can be improved by internal geometric modification. The commitment of the Electricity Commission of New South Wales (Pacific Power) to the exploitation of Computational Engineering for the improvement of all aspects of electricity generation is acknowledged.     

Decision support aids with anthropomorphic characteristics influence trust and performance in younger and older adults

This study examined the use of deliberately anthropomorphic automation on younger and older adults' trust, dependence and performance on a diabetes decision-making task. Research with anthropomorphic interface agents has shown mixed effects in judgments of preferences but has rarely examined effects on performance. Meanwhile, research in automation has shown some forms of anthropomorphism (e.g. etiquette) have effects on trust and dependence on automation. Participants answered diabetes questions with no-aid, a non-anthropomorphic aid or an anthropomorphised aid. Trust and dependence in the aid was measured. A minimally anthropomorphic aide primarily affected younger adults' trust in the aid. Dependence, however, for both age groups was influenced by the anthropomorphic aid. Automation that deliberately embodies person-like characteristics can influence trust and dependence on reasonably reliable automation. However, further research is necessary to better understand the specific aspects of the aid that affect different age groups. Automation that embodies human-like characteristics may be useful in situations where there is under-utilisation of reasonably reliable aids by enhancing trust and dependence in that aid. Practitioner Summary: The design of decision-support aids on consumer devices (e.g. smartphones) may influence the level of trust that users place in that system and their amount of use. This study is the first step in articulating how the design of aids may influence user's trust and use of such systems.     

Preoperative radiotherapy for adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid

Ninety-seven patients with adenocarcinoma of the rectosigmoid have been treated with high dose (5000-6000 rad) preoperative irradiation from 1960 through 1972 at the University of Oregon Health Sciences Center. Fifty-seven were initially clinically resectable and 40 were initially inoperable. Forty of the 57 initially clinically resectable patients had "curative" resections and are at risk for more than 5 years. An increase in 5-year survival (from 38% to 53%) and an absence of pelvic recurrence have occurred in those patients receiving preoperative irradiation and "curative" resection. Four of the 40 initially inoperable patients are alive without tumor. Three of the four survivors had irradiation and surgery; one had irradiation only. An additional four patients had no evidence of tumor at death. Tumor was totally sterilized by irradiation and nine patients and reduced to microfocal extent in an additional three of the 97 patients. Incidence of complications was no greater than has been reported in a surgical series from the same institution.     

Technologies and the development of the Automated Metadata Indexing and Analysis (AMIA) system

The Automated Metadata Indexing and Analysis (AMIA) project aims to provide an effective digital asset management (DAM) tool for large digital asset databases. We began with text-based indexing since it is still the most reliable approach as compared with other content-based media features. AMIA not only searches for the text of the file name, but also utilizes embedded information such as the metadata in Maya files. The AMIA system builds a linked map between all dependency files. We present an approach of preserving previously established metadata created by the old DAM tools, such as AlienBrain, and integrating them into the new system. Findings indicate that AMIA has significantly improved search performance comparing to previous DAM tools. Finally, the ongoing and future work in the AMIA project is described.     

Detection Probability Estimation of Directional Antennas and Omni-Directional Antennas

This paper studies the problem of detection of directional antennas and omni-directional antennas by hostile detection systems. We present a model for calculating the probability of detecting a transmitter at arbitrary location around the transmitter. Our study shows that, if a directional antenna employs the same transmit power as an omni-directional antenna, the directional antenna can not decrease the probability of being detected. In some scenarios, a directional antenna is more likely to be detected than an omni-directional antenna. However, if a directional antenna provides the same Effective Isotropic Radiated Power in the direction of the receiver as an omni-directional antenna, the transmit power needed by a directional antenna to send data is much less than that of an omni-directional antenna. In this scenario, the probability of detecting a directional antenna is reduced by over 90%. This reveals that directional antennas can be used to build a secure path to send data at low probability of being detected by adversaries.     

DAME: Searching Large Data Sets Within a Grid-Enabled Engineering Application

The use of search engines within the Internet is now ubiquitous. This work examines how Grid technology may affect the implementation of search engines by focusing on the Signal Data Explorer application developed within the Distributed Aircraft Maintenance Environment (DAME) project. This application utilizes advanced neural-network-based methods (Advanced Uncertain Reasoning Architecture (AURA) technology) to search for matching patterns in time-series vibration data originating from Rolls-Royce aeroengines (jet engines). The large volume of data associated with the problem required the development of a distributed search engine, where data is held at a number of geographically disparate locations. This work gives a brief overview of the DAME project, the pattern marching problem, and the architecture. It also describes the Signal Data Explorer application and provides an overview of the underlying search engine technology and its use in the aeroengine health-monitoring domain.     

Application of retrodirective beams to achieve low sidelobe levelsin small phased arrays

Synthesis of beams with low sidelobe levels is a difficult problem for the case of small phased arrays with few elements. Mutual coupling between elements means that conventional weighting algorithms are not applicable. A technique is presented that calculates a complex weight vector for a five element linear array, giving a reduced sidelobe beam pattern. Sidelobes are reduced by the addition of retrodirective beams to the quiescent beam pattern. No knowledge of the coupling coefficients or element radiation patterns is required     

Backscatter Compensation in IFOG Based Inertial Measurement Units With Polymer Phase Modulators

Precision guidance in navigation systems requires highly accurate, compact, and low cost inertial measurement units (IMUs). The key active guided-wave component of the IMU is the phase modulator. In our approach, electro-optic polymers have been utilized in fabricating low loss phase modulators with low half-wave drive voltage using advanced hybrid waveguide fabrication processes and novel optical integration techniques. However, the interference between the primary wave and the backscatter waves generated by the phase modulator and/or the interference between the two counter-propagating backscatter waves at the detector of the IMU has been a major source of error in this approach. A novel technique was introduced in assessing the error caused by backscatter and an offset waveguide design was developed to suppress the interference of backscatter light. The novel design not only preserved the miniaturization, but also improved the insertion loss with the use of a shorter waveguide. The gyro level tests performed with the backscatter compensated modulators showed about 5 times improvement of the average bias uncertainty over gyros integrated with a standard symmetric phase modulator.