Work-arounds and Boundary Crossing in a High Tech Optronics Company: The Role of Co-operative Workflow Technologies

This study examines how some employeescoped with the exceptions that they encountered withtheir on-going use of a co-operative workflowtechnology in an optronics company. By drawing on thecase material, this paper will indicate thatapproaches which view work as being capable of beingplanned and managed through the formal authority ofthe hierarchy are insufficient. Instead, this paperwill suggest that exception handling, work-arounds andimprovisation are more characteristic of humanactivity. Computer supported co-operative work will beconceptualised as being embedded in a dynamicrelationship between the context it is situatedwithin, and the actors that engage in it. Theprinciples underlying ethnography have informed theresearch approach.     

Using Diary Methods to Study Marital and Family Processes.

Diary methods allow researchers to study marital and family processes within the context of daily life in a way that is not possible with more traditional methods. The authors review applications of diary designs in marital and family research and detail the types of research questions that can uniquely be asked of dyadic/family diary data. Technological developments for the use of electronic palm-top devices for implementing diary methods are also reviewed. Additionally, the authors discuss specific issues relevant to the analysis of diary data that come from dyads or families. Last, the authors raise unresolved issues and directions for future research in the use of diary methods for studying marital and family processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

景观再造：面向新环境现实的新兴景观设计实践与教学

工业与制造业中心可以被看作更宜居和可持续的大都市工业景观的一部分,是地方和全球经济不断变化的场所以及解决能源、废弃物、代谢物问题的创造性的环境。重点介绍了“第五次工业革命”——一种当代景观的系统性转型：它将资源、治理结构、公民社会、人类认同、自然意义的变化与新的加工制造方法在2个尺度上相结合。这2个尺度包括：1）景观规划尺度,涉及与城市肌理相关的后石油经济工业区;2）景观设计尺度,涉及工业生态、垃圾填埋场、一系列的公共和社区开放空间以及景观中的能源利用。创造性地提出一种方法,即通过一系列立足于为自然环境和现代建成环境的未来提供多样选择的景观教学法,来探讨传统和现代的规划、设计、文化以及技术等主题。     

Activation of microcomponents with light for micro-electro-mechanical systems and micro-optical-electro-mechanical systems applications

We examine the light-activation properties of micrometer-sized gear structures fabricated with polysilicon surface micromachining techniques. The gears are held in place on a substrate through a capped anchor post and are free to rotate about the post. The light-activation technique is modeled on photon radiation pressure, and the equation of motion of the gear is solved for this activation technique. Experimental measurements of torque and damping are found to be consistent with expected results for micrometer-scale devices. Design optimization for optically actuated microstructures is discussed.     

Laser projection versus a CRT display in the visual perception of aircraft aspect

High-resolution visual displays have been designed for flight simulation so that observers may judge the aspect angle of aircraft at far distances. The present experiment compares two display devices as untrained observers judge the spatial orientation of two target aircraft: F-15 and F-16 jets. The display devices are a prototype direct-write microlaser projector and an SXGA-format CRT display. Observers' accuracy of aircraft identification is better with the laser projector, and recognition response times are faster. A simple rule was found to fit the observers' response times; it is expressed in terms of a statistic on the autocorrelation of black-and-white silhouette images of aircraft. Observers' estimates of aspect are biased by the laser projector, whereas observers' estimates of aspect are accurate on average with the SXGA display. This bias in estimation of aspect may be attributable to variations in line brightness introduced by the laser projector. Actual or potential applications of this research include the evaluation of high-resolution visual displays for the training of basic fighter maneuvers with military jet pilots.     

Paper or plastic revisited: Let's keep them both--Reply to Broderick and Stone (2006); Tennen, Affleck, Coyne, Larsen, and DeLongis (2006); and Takarangi, Garry, and Loftus (2006).

The authors review commentaries by J. E. Broderick and A. A. Stone (2006)(see record 2006-03820-007); H. Tennen, G. Affleck, J. C. Coyne, R. J. Larsen, and A. DeLongis (2006)(see record 2006-03820-008); and M. K. T. Takarangi, M. Garry, and E. F. Loftus (2006)(see record 2006-03820-009) on their original article (A. S. Green, E. Rafaeli, N. Bolger, P. Shrout, & H. T. Reis, 2006)(see record 2006-03820-006). The authors were pleased to find more agreement than disagreement regarding the choice of methods for conducting diary studies. It is clear that continued critical evaluation of all diary methods, both paper and plastic, is warranted. However, on the basis of their initial findings, the authors conclude that paper diaries are still likely to have a valuable place in researchers' toolboxes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dynamic accommodation response in the presence of astigmatism

It has been suggested that in the presence of astigmatism some individuals make cyclic changes in focus over the astigmatic interval to obtain better visual performance. The aim in the present study was to identify such cyclic accommodative behavior and to characterize the variability of the response in the presence of astigmatism. The dynamic accommodation response in the presence of induced astigmatism was recorded objectively with an infrared optometer in seven young adults. Astigmatism led directly to increased accommodative variability in certain individuals. In two of seven participants there was evidence for aperiodic cyclic accommodative responses between different portions of the astigmatic interval. However, the amplitude of these tracking responses was much smaller than the astigmatic interval.     

The metallurgy,mechanics, modelling and assessment of dissimilar material brazed joints

At the heart of any procedure for modelling and assessing the design or failure of dissimilar material brazed joints there must be a basic understanding of the metallurgy and mechanics of the joint. This paper is about developing this understanding and addressing the issues faced with modelling and predicting failure in real dissimilar material brazed joints and the challenges still to be overcome in many cases. An understanding of the key metallurgical features of such joints in relation to finite element modelling is presented in addition to a study of the mechanics and stress state at an abrupt interface between two materials. A discussion is also presented on why elastic singularities do not exist based on a consideration of the assumption of an abrupt change in material properties and plasticity in the vicinity of the joint. In terms of modelling real dissimilar material brazed joints; there are several barriers to accurately capturing the stress state in the region of the joint and across the brazed layer and these are discussed in relation to a metallurgical study of a real dissimilar material brazed joint. However, this does not preclude using a simplified modelling approach with a representative braze layer in design and failure assessment away from the interface. In addition modelling strategies and techniques for assessing the various failure mechanisms of dissimilar material brazed joints are discussed. The findings from this paper are applicable to dissimilar material brazed joints found in a range of applications; however the references listed are primarily focussed on work in fusion research and development.     

Mediation in experimental and nonexperimental studies: New procedures and recommendations.

Mediation is said to occur when a causal effect of some variable X on an outcome Y is explained by some intervening variable M. The authors recommend that with small to moderate samples, bootstrap methods (B. Efron & R. Tibshirani, 1993) be used to assess mediation. Bootstrap tests are powerful because they detect that the sampling distribution of the mediated effect is skewed away from 0. They argue that R. M. Baron and D. A. Kenny's (1986) recommendation of first testing the X → Y association for statistical significance should not be a requirement when there is a priori belief that the effect size is small or suppression is a possibility. Empirical examples and computer setups for bootstrap analyses are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)