User Preference for a Control-Based Reduced Processing Decision Support Interface

This study examined trainee crime-scene investigators' preference for, and accuracy in using, four different computer-based decision support interface designs, each of which incorporated a different reduced processing information acquisition strategy. The interfaces differed on the basis of the number of options that could be considered simultaneously and the level of control that could be exercised over the number and sequence in which feature values were accessed. Forty trainee investigators completed six decision scenarios in which they were asked to acquire information and formulate a decision by selecting one of three options. The study comprised two phases, the first of which involved familiarizing participants with each of the four interface designs and collecting performance and subjective data. The second phase involved trainees selecting one of the four interfaces to engage in a fifth and sixth decision scenario involving high or low levels of time-pressure. The results indicated that the “all options, full control” interface was the preferred option in the low time-pressure condition. Although the strategy remained the most frequently selected in the high time-pressure condition, this preference was not significant. It was concluded that the perceptions of difficulty and the degree of user control over information acquisition were more important than perceived efficiency in the selection of computer-based interface designs. The outcomes have implications for the design of decision support systems.     

Numerical Modelling of Natural Draft Wet-Cooling Towers

Numerical modelling of natural draft wet-cooling towers is considered in this paper. Development of a complete CFD model capable of predicting cooling tower performance under various operating conditions is presented. A step-by-step approach is employed, thus one-dimensional numerical modelling of counterflow heat and mass exchangers is extensively presented first. This is followed by reduced order modelling of heat and mass transfer in cooling tower fills by means of proper orthogonal decomposition radial basis function networks. Then the approaches in modelling of droplet zones (rain and spray zones) are discussed. Finally the two and three-dimensional CFD models are discussed.     

Disquiet in the plasma

The metaphor of plasma is taken up to present and discuss movement and engagement by participants in mixed reality installation arts. Two works involving full body video portraits exhibited through large plasma screens in a variety of public settings are covered. Machinic mediations of video realism are considered in terms of embodied interaction in which viewer-participants contribute to the ‘disquiet’ of gendered figuring. Processural, proximal and personal aspects of responsive engagement are discussed. This is extended to performativity that may lead us to critical reflection of our own actions and responses in mixed reality arts.     

Fabrication of sealed nanofluidic channels using site-selective direct write (maskless) X-ray lithography

Sealed nanofluidic channels with cross-sections as small as 60 nm × 60 nm were created in polymer bilayers using the focused X-rays of a scanning transmission X-ray microscope. These structures were then characterized by near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectromicroscopy, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The cross-sectional area of the nanochannels could be tuned by adjusting the area patterned in x and y and/or manipulating the bottom layer thickness. The maximum length was found to be limited by the efficiency of excavation of patterned material out of the channel, and the stability of the polymer overlayer which seals the channel. Schemes toward interfacing these nanochannels with conventional microfluidics are discussed.     

Robust real-time unusual event detection using multiple fixed-location monitors

We present a novel algorithm for detection of certain types of unusual events. The algorithm is based on multiple local monitors which collect low-level statistics. Each local monitor produces an alert if its current measurement is unusual, and these alerts are integrated to a final decision regarding the existence of an unusual event. Our algorithm satisfies a set of requirements that are critical for successful deployment of any large-scale surveillance system. In particular it requires a minimal setup (taking only a few minutes) and is fully automatic afterwards. Since it is not based on objects' tracks, it is robust and works well in crowded scenes where tracking-based algorithms are likely to fail. The algorithm is effective as soon as sufficient low-level observations representing the routine activity have been collected, which usually happens after a few minutes. Our algorithm runs in realtime. It was tested on a variety of real-life crowded scenes. A ground-truth was extracted for these scenes, with respect to which detection and false-alarm rates are reported.     

Parameter control, characterization, and optimization in the fabrication of optical fiber near-field probes

Tip diameter and transmission efficiency of a visible-wavelength near-field optic probe determine both the lateral spatial resolution and experimental utility of the near-field scanning optical microscope. The commonly used tip fabrication technique, laser-heated pulling of fused-silica optical fiber followed by aperture formation through aluminization, is a complex process governed by a large number of parameters. An extensive study of the pulling parameter space has revealed a time-dependent functionality between the various pulling parameters dominated by a photon-based heating mechanism. The photon-based heat source results in a temperature and viscosity dependence that is a complex function of time and fiber diameter. Changing the taper of the optical probe can affect transmission efficiency by an order of magnitude or more.