A broad line n.m.r. study of oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride)

Broadline nuclear magnetic resonance measurements have been carried out for the proton resonance in oriented poly(vinylidene fluoride). The spectra in general show two component lines with distinctly different line widths. The broad component shows a high degree of molecular orientation and can be satisfactorily assigned to the crystalline regions of the polymer. The narrow component corresponds to an oriented non crystalline phase which is sufficiently constrained to allow motion about the chain axis only. An appreciable decrease in the value of the rigid mass fraction was observed in both of the samples over the temperature range examined. Our calculations indicate that this could play an important role in the temperature dependence of the pyroelectric response of this material.     

Laboratory accreditation in the UK

Two complementary national laboratory accreditation schemes are run by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) to provide official recognition of competent British laboratories and an assurance of quality to their customers. The first of these, the British Calibration Service (BCS), was set up in 1966 to accredit laboratories to calibrate instruments, gauges and reference materials. In 1981 the National Testing Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (NATLAS) was formed to extend the service to all kinds of testing. Both BCS and NATLAS form an integral part of the UK national measurement system and were combined to form the National Measurement Accreditation Service on 1 October 1985.     

Combining multiple knowledge bases

Combining knowledge present in multiple knowledge base systems into a single knowledge base is discussed. A knowledge based system can be considered an extension of a deductive database in that it permits function symbols as part of the theory. Alternative knowledge bases that deal with the same subject matter are considered. The authors define the concept of combining knowledge present in a set of knowledge bases and present algorithms to maximally combine them so that the combination is consistent with respect to the integrity constraints associated with the knowledge bases. For this, the authors define the concept of maximality and prove that the algorithms presented combine the knowledge bases to generate a maximal theory. The authors also discuss the relationships between combining multiple knowledge bases and the view update problem     

Effects of seat slope and hip flexion on spinal angles in sitting

Lumbar and thoracic spinal angles of 25 male and 25 female subjects were measured in four sitting postures, with standing angles used as reference. Subjects sat with either 90 deg or 65 deg of hip flexion on either flat or forward-sloping seats. Lumbar kyphosis was greatest when the flat seat/90-deg posture was adopted and least when the sloping seat/65-deg posture was adopted. The opposite was observed for the thoracic angles, and intermediate results were observed for the other two sitting postures. No statistically significant interactions were observed among seat slope, hip flexion, and subject sex. The findings are discussed with reference to the anatomy of sitting and factors influencing pelvic tilt and the implications for the ergonomic design of chairs.     

A mixed finite element model for the elastic contact problem

The static elastic contact problem is approached using Lagrange multipliers, leading to a mixed finite element problem. A non-linear friction law is introduced explicitly and the non-local character of the friction phenomena is implicitly assumed. In order to avoid stress oscillations near singular points, a perturbed Lagrangian functional is considered. The algorithms herein proposed do not impose nodal dependencies over the contact surfaces, allowing for the independent discretization of both bodies. The method is able to model simultaneous contact over different regions of any geometrical shape. Computer code, examples and results presented here are restricted to axisymmetrical and bidimensional cases.     

A psychological study of advanced manufacturing technology: the concept of coupling

The role played by technology as a discrete independent variable in shaping the design of work is explored. The concept of coupling is developed and an empirical study of work with advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), using measurement scales derived from this concept, is outlined. Results indicate that operators of tightly coupled AMT perceive stronger supervisory influence on their working methods and show signs of lower intrinsic job satisfaction and poorer mental health than operators of more loosely coupled AMT. Implications for job redesign are discussed.     

Some Aspects of Binding GKS to C++

Aspects of a prototype binding of GKS to the C++ programming language are presented. The binding makes use of classes and derived classes to define GKS concepts such as segments and workstations. Operator overloading is used for some GKS Functions.