Decision Making Effectiveness in Wildfire Incident Management Teams

During large scale wildfires, suppression activities are carried out under the direction of an Incident Management Team (IMT). The aim of the research was to increase understanding of decision processes potentially related to IMT effectiveness. An IMT comprises four major functions: Command, Operations, Planning, and Logistics. Four methodologies were used to study IMT processes: computer simulation experiments; analyses of wildfire reports; interviews with IMT members; and cognitive ethnographic studies of IMTs. Three processes were important determinants of IMT effectiveness: information management and cognitive overload; matching component function goals to overall goals; and team metacognition to detect and counter task‐disruptive developments. These processes appear to be complex multi‐person analogues of individual Incident Command processes identified previously. The findings have implications for issues such as: creating IMTs; training IMTs; managing IMTs; and providing decision support to IMTs.     

Gas pixel detectors for X-ray polarimetry applications

We discuss a new class of micro pattern gas detectors, the gas pixel detector (GPD), in which a complete integration between the gas amplification structure and the read-out electronics has been reached. An application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) built in deep sub-micron technology has been developed to realize a monolithic device that is, at the same time, the pixelized charge collecting electrode and the amplifying, shaping and charge measuring front-end electronics. The CMOS chip has the top metal layer patterned in a matrix of 80 μm pitch hexagonal pixels, each of them directly connected to the underneath electronics chain which has been realized in the remaining five layers of the 0.35 μm VLSI technology. Results from tests of a first prototype of such detector with 2 k pixels and a full scale version with 22 k pixels are presented. The application of this device for Astronomical X-ray Polarimetry is discussed. The experimental detector response to polarized and unpolarized X-ray radiation is shown. Results from a full MonteCarlo simulation for two astronomical sources, the Crab Nebula and the Hercules X1, are also reported.     

Need satisfaction and involvement in personal projects: Toward an integrative model of subjective well-being.

Telic theories locate well-being in the attainment of desired end states (i.e., in need satisfaction) whereas autotelic theories locate well-being in the movement toward such end states (i.e., in the experience of involvement). This article outlines a model of subjective well-being which integrates these two approaches. It is proposed that need satisfaction and involvement are conceptually distinct sources of feelings of subjective well-being which derive, in part, from common origins such as the perception of opportunities for need satisfaction. The strengths of the relationships implied by this model were estimated using data obtained from 39 adult subjects who reported on their 10 most important personal projects (B. Little; see record 1983-26972-001). Results from within-subjects analyses supported the model when positive but not negative affect was used as a measure of well-being. Evidence is also presented to support the adoption of personal projects as a useful way of representing how persons structure and experience their lives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the die-swell of an axisymmetric Newtonian jet

This paper investigates the behaviour of an axisymmetric Newtonian jet of incompressible viscous fluid. Numerical solutions are obtained via the Galerkin formulation of the finite element method for values of Reynolds number between 0.0001 and 1000, and for various values of the surface tension parameter. Attention is focussed on the shape of the free surface profile and the die-swell ratio. The numerical solutions are subjected to tests for validity based upon the momentum balance and mass balance equations. The satisfaction of stress boundary condition is also tested. The numerical are compared with experimental results.     

Calibration of a measuring robot: Experimental results on a 5 DOF structure

An original method for the static calibration of robots using the pose matching approach is presented. Three algorithms for the identification of the structural parameters are investigated. The procedure includes a methodology to automatically remove the unnecessary parameters for the robot under analysis. After a theoretical introduction, the methodology is practically applied to an actual 5 DOF measuring robot used in a shoe manufactory industry. The accuracy of the robot is increased up to its repeatability. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis of sparse planar arrays

A synthesis method is proposed that is aimed at designing a planar, sparse, and aperiodic array to be used in a beamforming processor. This method minimises the number of elements able to generate a beam pattern that fulfils various a priori fixed constraints. The obtained results are better than those proposed in related literature     

Three methodologies for the calibration of industrial manipulators: Experimental results on a SCARA robot

This article presents and compares three algorithms for the geometric parameter identification of industrial robots to increase its accuracy (static calibration). The estimation is based on the measure of the gripper pose errors when the robot follows suitable trajectories. The algorithms are general and can be applied to any robot providing that its kinematics is known. After a theoretical introduction to the general methodologies, these are applied to a selective compliance assembly robot arm (SCARA) robot analyzing its performance (precision, efficiency). Experimental results obtained with three methodologies are presented and discussed. The measure of the gripper pose error is based on a laser triangulation technique whose working principles are also recalled. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Surgical anatomy, diagnosis and treatment of spigelian hernia

In reporting 11 cases of Spigelian hernia observed, the Authors describe pathological findings of this rare disease. Aetiopathogenesis as well as indication for surgery and surgical technique are stressed.