A rule-based weighted rating system forconcrete culverts

This paper demonstrates the use of a rule-based weighted rating system (RWRS) developed for improving the rating of concrete culverts. RWRS combines the qualitative rating based on a guideline commonly used by the Department of Transportation, the quantitative rating based on a regression model, and the inspector's own judgment on the culvert's rating. Weight on each rating is provided by the supervisor. A case study is presented to demonstrate the use of RWRS.     

Measurement of standby power for selected electrical appliances in Australia

High growth in the uptake of electrical appliances is accounting for a significant increase in electricity consumption globally. In some developed countries, standby energy alone may account for about 10% of residential electricity use. The standby power for many appliances used in Australia is still well above the national goal of 1 W or less. In this paper, field measurements taken of standby power and operating power for a range of electrical appliances are presented. It was found that the difference between minimum value and maximum value of standby power could be quite large, up to 22.13 W for home theatre systems, for example. With the exception of home audio systems, however, the annual operating energy used by most electrical appliances was generally greater than the annual standby energy. Consumer behaviour and product choice can have a significant impact on standby power and operating power, which influences both energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.     

Getting a handle on learning anatomy with interactive three-dimensional graphics.

In 2 experiments, participants learned bone anatomy by using a handheld controller to rotate an on-screen 3-dimensional bone model. The on-screen bone either included orientation references, which consisted of visible lines marking its axes (orientation reference condition), or did not include such references (no–orientation reference condition). The learning task involved rotating the on-screen bone to match target orientations. Learning outcomes were assessed by asking participants to identify anatomical features from different orientations. On the learning task, the orientation reference group performed more accurately, directly, and quickly than did the control group, and high-spatial-ability individuals outperformed low-spatial-ability individuals. Assessments of anatomy learning indicated that under more challenging conditions, orientation references elevated learning by low-spatial-ability individuals to a level near that of high-spatial-ability individuals. The authors propose that orientation references assist this learning process by defining the object’s main axes or providing distinguishable features. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a non-destructive micro-analytical method for stable carbon isotope analysis of transmission electron microscope (TEM) samples

The biogenicity of ancient morphological microfossil-like objects can be established by linking morphological (e.g. cell remnants and extracellular polymeric matrix) and chemical (e.g. isotopes, biomarkers and biominerals) evidence indicative of microorganisms or microbial activity. We have developed a non-destructive micro-analytical ion beam system capable of measuring with high spatial resolution the stable carbon isotope ratios of thin samples used for transmission electron microscopy. The technique is based on elastic scattering of alpha particles with an energy of 2.751 MeV. At this energy the ¹³C cross section is enhanced relative to the pure Rutherford cross section for ¹³C, whereas the ¹²C cross section is reduced relative to its pure Rutherford cross section. Here we report the initial results of this experimental approach used to characterize ultramicrotomed sections of sulfur-embedded graphite and microbial cells.     

Store manager performance and satisfaction: Effects on store employee performance and satisfaction, store customer satisfaction, and store customer spending growth.

Based on emotional contagion theory and the value–profit chain literatures, the present study posits a number of hypotheses that show how managers in the small store, small number of employees retail context may affect store employees, customers, and potentially store performance. With data from 306 store managers, 1,615 store customer-contact employees, and 57,656 customers of a single retail chain, the authors examined relationships among store manager job satisfaction and job performance, store customer-contact employee job satisfaction and job performance, customer satisfaction with the retailer, and a customer-spending-based store performance metric (customer spending growth over a 2-year period). Via path analysis, several hypothesized direct and interaction relations among these constructs are supported. The results suggest implications for academic researchers and retail managers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Property-based welfare and European homeowners: how would housing perform as a pension?

Notwithstanding current market volatility, there has been exceptional expansion in owner-occupied housing sectors and increases in house prices across European countries in recent decades. In the EU, individual wealth held in housing equity, especially among older people, has been considered a substantial reserve that could be tapped into to meet future pension needs as the ageing of the population becomes a greater stress on European welfare states. This paper seeks to take the notion of ‘property-based welfare’ further by examining, in principle at least, how home ownership may function as a pension across EU states. This firstly involves very approximate estimates of the types of, and rates of, income homeowners could hypothetically generate from their homes, including forms of income in kind. Secondly, criteria are identified to estimate how ‘adequate’ such potential incomes are in relation to working incomes and in bringing retired households above poverty levels. Thirdly, different circumstances across EU member states with regard to existing housing and pension arrangements are examined. Broad national groupings appear evident, with housing income having least impact in older member states in central and northern Europe. The paper concludes that while the potential outcome of housing wealth is country specific, in many cases, greater dependency on home ownership in welfare provision, particularly if it is used as a substitute rather than a complement to existing arrangements, may have adverse consequences for many.     

Hybrid Taguchi-Immune Algorithm for the thermal unit commitment

In this paper, a Hybrid Taguchi-Immune Algorithm (HTIA) is presented to deal with the unit commitment problem. HTIA integrates the Taguchi method and the Traditional Immune Algorithm (TIA), providing a powerful global exploration capability. The Taguchi method (TM) is incorporated in the crossover operations in order to select the better gene for achieving crossover consequently, enhancing the TIA. It has been widely used in experimental designs for problems with multiple parameters. The effectiveness and efficiency of HTIA are demonstrated by presenting several cases, and the results are compared with previous publications. Our results show that the proposed method is feasible, robust, and more effective than many other previously developed computation algorithms.     

A 104- to 112.8-GHz CMOS Injection-Locked Frequency Divider

A high-frequency CMOS injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) is presented by using the distributed LC, series inductor peaking, and multiple-injection techniques. The theoretical analysis for the aforementioned techniques will be given. This ILFD has been fabricated in a 65-nm CMOS process. The core area is 0.4 mm times 0.36 mm without pads. The measured locking range is from 104 to 112.8 GHz, and its power consumption is 7.2 mW from a supply of 1.2 V.     

The Evolution of MEMS Displays

Due to the advancement of microoptoelectromechanical systems and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies, novel display architectures have emerged. One of the most successful and well-known examples is the Digital Micromirror Device from Texas Instruments, a 2-D array of bistable MEMS mirrors, which function as spatial light modulators for the projection display. This concept of employing an array of modulators is also seen in the grating light valve and the interferometric modulator display, where the modulation mechanism is based on optical diffraction and interference, respectively. Along with this trend comes the laser scanning display, which requires a single scanning device with a large scan angle and a high scan frequency. A special example in this category is the retinal scanning display, which is a head-up wearable module that laser-scans the image directly onto the retina. MEMS technologies are also found in other display-related research, such as stereoscopic (3-D) displays and plastic thin-film displays.