Pourbaix diagrams for the iron–water system extended to high-subcritical and low-supercritical conditions

The supercritical water-cooled reactor (SCWR) is a Generation IV reactor concept that will operate at temperatures and pressures above water’s thermodynamic critical point. Pourbaix diagrams for the iron–water system at temperatures slightly below and above the critical point at 25 MPa have been constructed to aid the evaluation and development of potential construction materials. High temperature data extrapolation was performed using a revised Helgeson–Kirkham–Flowers model and fit to data on magnetite and hematite solubility in high-temperature water. A low-concentration diagram at 350 °C reveals the importance of water chemistry control to avoid transitioning to an active corrosion region.     

Graph-Based Analysis of Human Transfer Learning Using a Game Testbed

The ability to transfer knowledge learned in one environment in order to improve performance in a different environment is one of the hallmarks of human intelligence. Insights into human transfer learning help us to design computer-based agents that can better adapt to new environments without the need for substantial reprogramming. In this paper, we study the transfer of knowledge by humans playing various scenarios in a graphically realistic urban setting that are specifically designed to test various levels of transfer. We determine the amount and type of transfer that is being performed based on the performance of trained and untrained human players. In addition, we use a graph-based relational learning algorithm to extract patterns from player graphs. These analyses reveal that indeed humans are transferring knowledge from on 3 set of games to another and the amount and type of transfer varies according to player experience and scenario complexity. The results of this analysis help us understand the nature of human transfer in such environments and shed light on how we might endow computer-based agents with similar capabilities. The game simulator and human data collection also represent a significant testbed in which other Al capabilities can be tested and compared to human performance.     

Regularly irregular: how groups reconcile cross-cutting agendas and demand in healthcare

The flow of technical work in acute healthcare varies unpredictably, in patterns that occur regularly enough that they can be managed. Acute care organizations develop ways to hedge resources so that they are available if they are needed. This pragmatic approach to the distribution of work among and across groups shows how rules can be used to manage a response to irregular demands for care. However, no rule set can be complete enough to cover this setting’s variety of care demands. Expertise is also needed to tie together the loose ends of conflicts that remain where rules no longer suffice. Many informal solutions to systemic problems go unnoticed unless they are the subjects of study. Naturalistic decision making (NDM) methods such as observational study, interviews, and process tracing reveal the activities of workers in their natural settings. Results of findings from such explorations of technical work can improve understanding of large scale work processes and, ultimately, patient safety. We have explored how practitioners cope with the demands that the system presents to them. While not all succeed, successful initiatives workers have developed demonstrate how their solutions create resilience at large scale.     

Ultrasonic measurement of the kearns texture factors in zircaloy, zirconium, and titanium

Texture, developed during the processing of zirconium and zirconium alloys, e.g., ZIRCALOY, plays an important role in determining the properties and performance of the resultant structural components. Extending the work done on cubic metals, ultrasonic velocity measurements were used to nondestructively characterize the texture in hexagonal sheet metals. A theory is developed relating the texture coefficients W _LMN (L≤4, found in an expansion of the crystallite orientation distribution function (ODF) in terms of generalized spherical harmonics) to industrially measured Kearns factors, which predict the fraction of basal poles aligned in a particular sample reference direction. Ultrasonic characterization of texture has been performed on three sheets of zirconium (one pure, two ZIRCALOY) and on one sheet of titanium. These results are compared to the Kearns factors, measured by X-ray diffraction (for the two ZIRCALOY sheets) and to the W _LMN value measured by neutron diffraction (for the pure zirconium and the titanium). Results show that ultrasonics predict both the orientation distribution coefficients (ODCs) and the Kearns factors very well.     

Adapting paper prototyping for designing user interfaces for multiple display environments

A multiple display environment (MDE) networks personal and shared devices to form a virtual workspace, and designers are just beginning to grapple with the challenges of developing interfaces tailored for these environments. To develop effective interfaces for MDEs, designers must employ methods that allow them to rapidly generate and test alternative designs early in the design process. Paper prototyping offers one promising method, but needs to be adapted to effectively simulate the use of multiple displays and allow testing with groups of users. In this paper, we share experiences from two projects in which paper prototyping was utilized to explore interfaces for MDEs. We identify problems encountered when applying the traditional method, describe how these problems were overcome, and distill our experiences into recommendations that others can draw upon. By following our recommendations, designers need only make minor modifications to the existing method to better realize benefits of paper prototyping for MDEs.     

Dimensional Changes Resulting from Pressure-decatizing of Wool Fabric

An investigation is reported of the dimensional changes that occur in wool fabrics as a result of pressure-decatizing. Two ways in which these changes can arise are discussed, both of which depend on the hygral-expansion properties of the fabrics. The way in which dimensional changes can lead to set fabrics with substantial relaxation shrinkage is also considered.