bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Access to Electronic Office Equipment by Users with Disabilities
Authors: Benel Denise C. R.
Published: July 2017

“…providing electronic equipment accessibility for individuals with disabilities who have special needs is an idea whose time has come” (GSA/ED Guidelines, 1987). The objective of the panel is to provide information to the Human Factors community on (1) the new GSA/ED Accessibility Guidelines with which all government procurements initiated after September 30, 1988 shall comply, and (2) selected issues related to accessibility of electronic equipment by those with disabilities.
Effects of Level of Abstraction and Presentation Media on Usability of User-System Interface Guidelines
Authors: Reaux Ray A. , Williges Robert C.
Published: July 2017

User-system interface (USI) guidelines are emerging as a tool for user interface design. The roles of levels of abstraction (concrete and abstract) and of guideline presentation medium (hard copy or on-line) on detection of USI guidelines violations in user-system interface evaluation were investigated. Overall, less than 50% of the guideline violations were detected by software engineers. Abstract guideline violations were more difficult to detect than concrete guideline violations, and on-line presentation resulted in relatively higher guideline usage during evaluation than hard copy presentation. It was concluded that improvements in USI guideline form and media are required to make guidelines a more useful USI design tool.
Where Human Factors may be Headed: A Personal View
Authors: Hirsch Richard S.
Published: July 2017

Following a brief review of how the human factors community achieved its present focus and circumstance, the discussion deals with what future preoccupations and opportunities may face human factors practitioners, such as computer software and documentation evaluations, the development of standards and guidelines, the avoidance of exposure to product liability cases, and the presentation of legislative testimony, among other concerns and challenges. Also examined are the roles that human factors funding and organizational structures may play in facilitating or inhibiting the effectiveness of human factors research and acceptance of the results obtained.
Interactive System Design with End Users Using a PC Based Design Tool
Authors: Koster Christopher R. , Wilkinson John H.
Published: July 2017

New PC based design and prototyping tools are making it easier for user interface designers to rapidly implement prototypes of new user interfaces for complex systems. We used such a tool to design the user interface for an on-line data base that was being developed to replace an existing batch system. The tool not only made the design of the user interface easier, but it also allowed us to present a prototype of the system to end users and to conduct design reviews in an interactive fashion. This allowed us to actively involve users in the design of the user interface and resulted in a better design that met both the users requirements and our own internal design goals.
Instant Prototyping Using HyperCard® on the Macintosh®
Authors: Miller Dwight P.
Published: July 2017

Rapid interface prototyping (RIP) involves the simulation of potential user-interface designs for demonstrating and evaluating design concepts and iteratively modifying the interface designs without the burden of labor-intensive code generation and modification. In the past few years, many interface designers have had to use expensive equipment to help them perform RIP. Well, thanks to Bill Atkinson and the folks at Apple Computer Inc., you can purchase HyperCard® 1 software for your Macintosh® 2 for $49 and use it right out of the box for many of your RIP projects, without need of additional hardware (just add a cup of creativity). A special feature of HyperCard® allows the designer to create software-controlled buttons which, along with the graphics capabilities and the layering properties, permit the dynamic simulation of virtually any control panel that can be operated by discrete user inputs. Changes to the prototype can be made very rapidly (almost instantly) by an experienced HyperCard® user, making it possible to modify an existing prototype “on-line” in a design meeting. This paper will describe this serendipitous application of HyperCard®, its potential as an equipment-interface design tool, and describe how it was used to simulate the user interface for a weapons field tester, designed at Sandia.
An Assessment of Industrial Designers Use of Human Factors Criteria in Product Design Evaluation
Authors: Abedini Kamran
Published: July 2017

In order to know the pattern of actual application of human factors criteria by industrial designers an experiment was conducted by asking 87 students of industrial design to evaluate a CAD workstation after completing a course in “human factors in design”. The guidelines chosen for the evaluation were those related to design of visual displays, controls and workstation layout on the CAD system. Since the main objective was to see how many of the principles had become part of their “common sense” they were asked to evaluate the equipment without any reference to any books/notes.

The subject's responses were compared with the human factors guidelines using a Chi-square test (0.05 significance). The results pointed out that industrial designers readily accepted general criteria such as visibility, operability, and accessibility but interpretability of the display was frequently unrecognized. Such information could be used by industrial designers and human factors experts to improve their cooperation in the design process and thus increase the acceptance and marketability of the product.
The Design of a Squishy Mouse
Authors: Nolan Peter R.
Published: July 2017

Five research studies were conducted to specify the physical description of a novel mouse for an office computer. The mouse had side buttons that when pressed at the same time, moved or scrolled the contents of the active window. The studies examined accidental activation of both the side buttons and the top buttons, whether the mouse should be single button or have multiple buttons on its top surface, the back width dimension, volume and silhouette, top button position, and side button size and position. Each study provided data that was used in the next study, after it was reviewed by a design team. This case study shows that in design/development environments, quick, iterative studies serve the needs of design teams by providing successive approximations to the final design in a timely fashion. The utility of this method is compared to a multifactorial design.
Air Travel and Contact Lenses: A Laboratory Study
Authors: Laviana Joseph E. , Rohles Frederick H.
Published: July 2017

The cabin of an inflight aircraft contains approximately 10% relative humidity (rh). To investigate the impact of this environment on eye comfort, an inflight humidity profile was simulated in a controlled laboratory setting. The experiment was replicated 3 times using a group of 4 subjects (2 males; 2 females) per test. Participants served in both control and experimental roles by wearing a hydrophilic contact lens on one eye and no lens on the other. Subjects provided evaluations of “eye comfort” for both eyes (contact and naked) at specified intervals during the 10 hour test. The results indicated that at 10% rh, there was no significant difference in eye comfort for either wearers or nonwearers of soft contact lenses. However, comfort decreased with the length of exposure (flight time), and for durations of six hours or longer a significant annoyance was reported.
Bias in Photospreads of Faces: A Comparison of Two Lineup Construction Methods
Authors: Marwitz D. Bradley , Wogalter Michael S.
Published: July 2017

Recent research suggests that the current method of lineup construction produces biased or suggestive lineups. Earlier studies used face composite stimuli to assemple the lineups. The present study uses more realistic materials, actual face photographs. Ten pairs of subjects constructed photospread lineups using the traditional method of selecting lineup members who are similar in appearance to the suspect. Another ten pairs of subjects constructed lineups using an alternative construction method. The lineups were then given to a separate group of subjects who had never seen the photographs before and were asked to try to select the face that was the basis for each lineup. The results showed that traditional lineup constuction method produced bias towards the target/suspect. The alternative construction method produced less bias, but not significantly less than the traditional method. These results have implications for law enforcement personnel concerned with the construction and presentation of lineups.
Evaluation of Cognitive Function in Aviators
Authors: Stokes Alan F. , Banich Marie T. , Elledge Valorie C. , Ke Ying
Published: July 2017

The FAA is concerned that flight-safety could be compromised by undetected cognitive impairment in pilots due to conditions such as substance abuse, mental illness and neuropsychological problems. Interest has been shown in the possibility of adding a brief “mini mental exam”, or a simple automated test-battery to the standard flight medical to screen for such conditions. This paper reports an empirical evaluation of four such tests, focusing upon a prototype version of an automated screening battery, SPARTANS (Simple Portable Aviation Relevant Test-battery and Answer-scoring System).
A Manpower Determination Aid Based upon System Performance Requirements
Authors: Laughery K. Ronald , Dahl Susan , Kaplan Jonathan , Archer Rick , Fontenelle Gail
Published: July 2017

This paper discusses two of the six software tools which are being developed as part of the Army Research Institute's MANPRINT Methods development program. The first tool discussed here is known as the System Performance and RAM Constraints Aid or SPARC. This tool permits system designers to determine levels of subfunction performance which are required to achieve function and higher level mission requirements. These levels of subfunction and function performance then serve as requirements which are fed into the second tool, the Manpower Systems Evaluation Aid (MAN-SEVAL). MAN-SEVAL takes as input the system design and then predicts the operator and maintainer manpower required to achieve the required levels of task and function performance. For maintenance manpower evaluation, MAN-SEVAL considers component failure rates, time to perform maintenance, and the mission scenario. For operator manpower and to estimate maintenance task times, MAN-SEVAL conducts an analysis of workload, control/display accessability, and maximum acceptable performance time to allocate tasks across crewmembers. Because all manpower requirements are truly driven by system performance requirements, these two tools are being developed collectively with common data bases and software design. While they are currently being developed for the Army, they will be useful general purpose manpower analysis tools.
Workload Assessment of a Mobile Air Defense Missile System
Authors: Hill Susan G. , Zaklad Allen L. , Bittner Alvah C. , Byers James C. , Christ Richard E.
Published: July 2017

Four operator workload (OWL) scales were retrospectively applied to crewmembers of a mobile air defense missile system, LOS-F(H), following a candidate-selection field evaluation: NASA TLX, SWAT, Overall Workload (OW), and the Modified Cooper-Harper (MCH). Jackknife factor analysis revealed the presence of only a single factor (explaining 79.6% of the total variation) and indicated a significant ( p<.0075) ordering of the mean factor loadings: TLX (.935) and OW (.927) were significantly greater than MCH (.862) and SWAT(.860). Comparison with an earlier field test of a remotely piloted vehicle revealed a significant ( p<.00005) interaction of test and ordering of the OWL scales, but TLX and MCH consistently had the respectively highest and lowest loadings across the two field tests. Multiple correlation also revealed a significant ( p < .0001) relationship, R = 0.66, between system performance and TLX. These findings and lessons learned are discussed in the context of the development and validation of a methodology for assessing OWL.
Application of Hardman II Methodology to the Army's Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) System
Authors: Stewart John E. , Shvern Uldi
Published: July 2017

HARDMAN II, an automated form of HARDMAN (Hardware vs. Manpower) analysis was applied to two new Army air defense systems for purposes of estimating maintainer workload and maintenance manpower requirements. Estimates showed a shortfall in official manpower allocations. Partially as a result of the HARDMAN II analyses, the Army decided to add more maintainers to the organization supporting both systems.
Establishing Workload Acceptability: An Evaluation of a Proposed Kc-135 Cockpit Redesign
Authors: Rueb Justin , Vidulich Michael , Hassoun John
Published: July 2017

Workload assessment has become a common part of system evaluation. Workload assessment is an important adjunct to performance measurement because the operator is sometimes flexible enough to disguise excessively demanding systems by expending additional effort to overcome optimal information processing limits. This is often referred to as the problem of determining a “workload redline.” The present paper recounts an evaluation of a proposed redesign of the KC-135 tanker aircraft cockpit. The current KC-135 cockpit has three crew positions: pilot, copilot, and navigator. As part of a proposed redesign, modern automation capabilities to replace the navigator were considered. Ten operational KC-135 crews and two KC-10 crews were studied while performing missions of differing levels of workload in a high-fidelity simulator. Three main classes of data relevant to the redline issue were collected: Performance data. Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (SWAT) ratings, and Subjective WORkload Dominance (SWORD) ratings. Evaluation of the performance results demonstrated that the redesigned cockpit could be flown in accordance to regulations. This was a necessary first step, but could not ensure that acceptable workload had been obtained. Taken together, the SWAT and SWORD results strongly suggested that acceptable performance can be achieved at acceptable level s of workload. In conclusion, the present study is a prototypical example of using available assessment tools to determine system acceptability. These tools should be useful for many other system evaluations.
Multivariate Model for Defining Changes in Maximal Physical Working Capacity of Men, Ages 25 to 70 Years
Authors: Jackson Andrew S. , Beard Earl F. , Wier Larry T. , Stuteville J. E.
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study was to develop a multivariate model with cross-sectional data that defined the decline in VO2max over time, and cross-validate the model with longitudinal data. The cross-sectional sample consisted of 1,608 healthy men who ranged in age from 25 to 70 years. VO2max was directly measured during a maximum Bruce treadmill stress test. Regression analysis showed that the cross-sectional age and VO2max relationship was linear, r = 0.45 and the age decline in VO2max was 0.48 ml/kg/min/year. Multiple regression developed the multivariate model from age, percent body fat (%fat), self-report physical activity (SR-PA), and the interaction of SR-PA and %fat (R = 0.793). Accounting for the variance in percent body fat and exercise habits decreased the influence of age on the decline of VO2max to just −0.27 ml/kg/min/year. This showed that much of decline in maximal physical working capacity was due to physical activity level and percent body fat, not aging. The multivariate equation was applied to the data of the longitudinal sample of 156 men who had been tested twice (Mean AgeΔ = 3.1 ± 1.2 years). The correlation between the measured and estimated change in VO2max over time (ΔVO2max) was 0.75. The results of the study showed that changes in body composition and exercise habits had more of an influence on changes in maximal physical working capacity than aging. The developed model provides a useful way to quantify the changes in physical working capacity with aging.
Alignment, Scaling, and Size Effects in Discrimination of Graphical Elements
Authors: Hollands J. G.
Published: July 2017

Recent work in graphical perception has attempted to identify the mental operations used by an observer when extracting information from a graphical display (e.g., Hollands and Spence, in press; Simkin and Hastie, 1987). The current research varied the alignment, scaling, and size of proportions shown in pie charts and divided bar graphs. Subjects were required to discriminate between two proportions (i.e., which proportion is larger?), each shown relative to its own whole. Response times and errors were measured. Results from Experiment 1 show that for both pies and divided bars, the time penalty for discriminating unaligned proportions was dependent on the size difference between the two proportions, with a greater penalty with a smaller percent difference. Results from Experiment 2 show that different scaling slowed subjects considerably, especially when the size difference was small, and especially with divided bars. The results are interpreted in terms of hypothesized alignment, scaling, and discrimination operations. The practical implications for graphical design are also discussed.
Analogue and Digital Displays for the Detect, Diagnose and Correct Phases in Fault Management
Authors: Nutter Elizabeth H. , Converse Sharolyn
Published: July 2017

Performance effects of using different display information formats for the detect, diagnose and correct task components of fault management were evaluated in this preliminary study. Data for accuracy and response times were collected for a detect task, a detect and diagnose task, and a detect, diagnose and correct task across three levels of display information format. Levels of display information format included a digital format, an analogue format, and a combined (digital and analogue) format. Predictions for the appropriate level of display information format for the fault mangement tasks were based on the multiple information format concept. In general, the results obtained in this study failed to support the predictions of the multiple information format concept.
Appropriate Ambient Illumination and Pupillary Dilation for Calibration of an Eyegaze Response Interface Computer Aid
Authors: Hughes Kelly L.
Published: July 2017

The illumination and pupillary dilation requirements for calibration on an eyegaze response interface computer aid (ERICA) were studied. The purpose of this study was to determine whether decreases in ambient illumination level would facilitate calibration and increase the probability of use by subjects. Monocular versus binocular calibration was also studied to determine whether the occlusion of one eye would cause the pupil of the other to dilate, therefore allowing the use of a higher level of illumination during calibration. Twenty subjects (10 monocular and 10 binocular) were tested at four ambient illumination levels (10, 50, 100, and 210 lux) in both ascending and descending orders of presentation. Analyses of frequency and pupil diameter data revealed a statistically significant increase in calibration at lower levels of illumination. An increased frequency of calibration for monocular (versus binocular) viewing conditions was also found.
Effects of Aircraft Noise on Vigilance Performance and Perceived Workload
Authors: Becker Ami B. , Warm Joel S. , Dember William N. , Sparnall JoAnn , DeRonde Laura
Published: July 2017

This study examined the effects of exposure to intermittent jet aircraft noise played through stereophonic speakers (70dBA or 95dBA maximum intensity) on performance efficiency and perceived workload in a 40-min visual vigilance task. The noise featured a Doppler-like quality in which planes seemed to approach from the monitor's left and recede to the right. Performance in noise, measured in terms of perceptual sensitivity (d***'), was significantly poorer than in a quiet condition. Moreover, in comparison to subjects performing in quiet, those who operated in noise were less able to profit from knowledge of results (KR) regarding performance efficiency. In addition to its negative effects upon signal detectability, noise significantly elevated perceived workload, as indexed by the NASA-TLX. This effect was robust; it was not mitigated by KR, even though KR served generally to reduce the overall level of perceived workload in the study. The consistency of the effects of noise in regard to both performance efficiency and perceived workload challenges a recent conclusion offered by Koelega and Brinkman (1986) that lawful relations are not observable in studies of the effects of noise on vigilant behavior.
Enhancing Computer Displays to Support Coordination of Hemodynamic Monitoring and Treatment
Authors: Effken Judith A. , Kim Nam-Gyoon , Kadar Endre , Shaw Robert E.
Published: July 2017

Although the amount of clinical data available through critical care monitoring systems has steadily increased, little integration of that data occurs. Consequently, higher order relationships cannot be obtained directly. An ecological psychology approach to display design that attempts to reduce the cognitive load for the clinician by directly displaying the functional relationships between parameters is compared with a traditional approach in a monitoring and control task. Analysis of performance by Critical and Non-Critical Care Nurses and Novices suggests that the integrated display facilitates performance for all groups.
Job Satisfaction of HIMs Working in Victorian Hospitals
Authors: Carter Janine
Published: July 2017

The growing demand for Health Information Managers (HIMs) in Victorian hospitals has increased the importance of job satisfaction in maximising performance and ensuring high retention levels both within the profession and the state.

This report outlines the results of a job satisfaction questionnaire completed by a sample of HIMs working in Victorian hospitals. The questionnaire focuses on task design, autonomy, performance feedback and professional development opportunities.

While the study demonstrates a scope for improvement, it also highlights the general satisfaction of the Victorian HIM population.
Australian Council of Allied Health Professions
Authors: Kearsey Irene
Published: July 2017

No individual health profession can compete for size with the medical or nursing professions but, as a group, the other health professions can have a strong voice. While the Australian Council of Allied Health Professions (ACAHP) has represented those professions, it became apparent over recent years that such a peak body needed more resources to tackle the larger issues. This report gives some background on ACAHP and summarises the changes currently being discussed.
The Effectiveness of AN-DRGs in Classification of Acute Admitted Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Griffiths Rhonda , Hindle Don
Published: July 2017

The Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups (AN-DRGs) classification is intended to assign acute admitted patient episodes to classes which are iso-resource and clinically homogeneous. It has been widely used to good effect, but its performance has been questioned with respect to the classification of patients with chronic conditions.

The primary aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which AN-DRGs classify episodes of care for a chronic disorder (in this case diabetes) into classes which are relatively homogeneous in terms of clinical attributes and the resources used in the provision of care.

The records of 2094 patients admitted during 1994–95 to four hospitals in the Illawarra Area Health Service with at least one diabetes diagnosis recorded in the discharge summary were reviewed. We found that the source data used for assignment contained errors of medical documentation, abstraction and sequencing, and coding. The sampled patients were distributed among many AN-DRGs in a way which was neither clinically coherent nor obviously descriptive of resource-use differences. The AN-DRG logic appears to ignore or otherwise under-estimate the effects of diabetes as a secondary diagnosis.
Processes of Knowledge Production and the Educational Complex in Capitalism
Authors: Kumar Ravi , McLaren Peter
Published: July 2017

The unseen grammar of capital's commodity logic has lashed the Prometheus of humanity to the bloodstained altar of the global marketplace, to the indefinite unfolding of ruling class ideology transmogrified into the social hieroglyph of money.
Documenting Other Histories in Chiapas: The Secret Reports and the Uncomfortable Dead
Authors: Venkataraman Vijaya , Serna Enrique
Published: July 2017

If journalists write novels, we as novelists have the right to use our own means to find the truth.
Epics, Indian Ethics and ‘Theory’: Thinking through Matilal
Authors: Hegde Sasheej
Published: July 2017

So it keeps on writing deeper and deeper for the whole twelve hours.
Talin – the master of integrin adhesions
Authors: Klapholz Benjamin , Brown Nicholas H.
Published: July 2017

Talin has emerged as the key cytoplasmic protein that mediates integrin adhesion to the extracellular matrix. In this Review, we draw on experiments performed in mammalian cells in culture and Drosophila to present evidence that talin is the most important component of integrin adhesion complexes. We describe how the properties of this adaptor protein enable it to orchestrate integrin adhesions. Talin forms the core of integrin adhesion complexes by linking integrins directly to actin, increasing the affinity of integrin for ligands (integrin activation) and recruiting numerous proteins. It regulates the strength of integrin adhesion, senses matrix rigidity, increases focal adhesion size in response to force and serves as a platform for the building of the adhesion structure. Finally, the mechano-sensitive structure of talin provides a paradigm for how proteins transduce mechanical signals to chemical signals.
A Parameterization of Empirical Sigma Enlarging Bridge Correction of Kovalenko-Hirata Closure in Ornstein-Zernike Theory for Lennard-Jones Fluids
Authors: Miyata Tatsuhiko
Published: July 2017

We report the parameter values included in the sigma enlarging bridge (SEB) function for two-component Lennard-Jones fluids within the Ornstein-Zernike (OZ) integral equation framework, which was first proposed in our previous study [T. Miyata, Y. Ebato, J. Molec. Liquids, 217 (2016) 75] to improve the accuracy of the solvation free energy (SFE). In this article, we consider a wide range of thermodynamic states, with varying the solute size and the solute-solvent interaction strength. The SEB parameter was evaluated via the least square fitting of the first rising region of the radial distribution function obtained from OZ theory to that from molecular dynamics simulation. The SEB function was applied to both the hypernetted chain (HNC) and Kovalenko-Hirata (KH) closures. It is found that the SEB parameter increases monotonically with the solute size, whereas it hardly depends on the solute-solvent interaction strength. Also, the performance of bare HNC, bare KH, Percus-Yevick, and Verlet-modified closures are also examined, to report the relationship between the solute volume and the error of the SFE obtained from OZ theory. We found that the SFE errors under both HNC and KH closures are not necessarily proportional to the solute volume.
Quantification of polysaccharides fixed to Gram stained slides using lactophenol cotton blue and digital image processing
Authors: Ericksen Bryan
Published: July 2017

Dark blue rings and circles emerged when the non-specific polysaccharide stain lactophenol cotton blue was added to Gram stained slides. The dark blue staining is attributable to the presence of capsular polysaccharides and bacterial slime associated with clumps of Gram-negative bacteria.  Since all bacterial cells are glycosylated and concentrate polysaccharides from the media, the majority of cells stain light blue. The contrast between dark and light staining is sufficient to enable a digital image processing thresholding technique to be quantitative with little background noise. Prior to the addition of lactophenol cotton blue, the Gram-stained slides appeared unremarkable, lacking ubiquitous clumps or stained polysaccharides.  Adding lactophenol cotton blue to Gram stained slides is a quick and inexpensive way to screen cell cultures for bacterial slime, clumps and biofilms that are invisible using the Gram stain alone.  The presence of cell clumping provides a possible explanation of the presence of persisters and paradoxical points observed in Virtual Colony Count antimicrobial assays, and suggests a phenotypic resistance mechanism to antimicrobial peptides involving capsular polysaccharides.
Psychological training of prevention the interpersonal conflicts among the students
Authors: Рыжов  , Ryzhov Boris
Published: July 2017

The article is aimed at improving the educational process in educational institutions and is dedicated to the presentation of the program of psychological training focused on the prevention of conflicts in academic groups. Detailed description of the six training topics that enhance the competence of students, cadets, students in overcoming interpersonal conflicts. The program includes both famous and more exercises of psychological training. The approach allows to overcome the interpersonal conflicts in the educational environment, to adapt individuals to the learning environment, to develop and harmonize their identity, to unite the teaching teams to improve the quality of individual and group work.
Instrumented Soil Bin for Testing Soil-Engaging Tools
Authors: Mahadi Muhammad R. , Chen Ying , Botha Pieter
Published: July 2017

Abstract. An indoor soil bin was developed in this study for testing soil-engaging tools. The design criteria included that the soil bin had to be compact, well controlled in its operational parameters, instrumented to measure soil cutting forces, and be safe to operate. The test tool could travel at any specific speed, up to 8 km h-1. A compact dynamometer was designed for the soil bin for measuring soil cutting forces in three directions. The calibration results of the dynamometer showed a linear relationship between the loads and the output voltages, with coefficients of determination of 0.99. The cross sensitivity between the directions was from 0.31% to 4.7%. The soil bin and the dynamometer were tested using a disc operated at three values of tilt angle of 0°, 10°, and 20°. The test results showed that the soil bin allowed precise control of the tool travel speed and working depth in the designed ranges. Forces of the disc had an increase in vertical and lateral forces, and decrease in draft force, with the increase in tilt angle. These trends are in line with other studies in the literature. The results proved the full-functioning status of the soil bin and the dynamometer. Keywords: Calibration, Design, Disc, Dynamometer, Soil bin, Test, Tilt angle.
Evaluation of Inter-Row Sweeps with Different Working Widths
Authors: Gürsoy Songül , Chen Ying
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Little information is available on the performance of inter-row sweeps. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of inter-row sweeps for mechanical weed control. Sweeps with different working widths (153, 280, and 330 mm) were tested at different working speeds (0.70, 1.53, and 2.22 m s-1) and a constant working depth (50 mm) in an indoor soil bin with a sandy loam soil. Measurements included soil disturbance characteristics: distance of soil throw (L), width of disturbed soil (W), mass of soil throw (M), height of soil ridge (H), and draft force (Fd). Results showed that L increased linearly with the working speed, but L was not affected by the working width of the sweeps. In contrast, W was slightly affected by the speed, but it was significantly increased if a wider sweep was used. Effects of working speed on M and H depended on the sweep width, and the smallest sweep traveling at 2.22 m s-1 resulted in the highest M and H. Draft force was higher for a wider sweep and a higher working speed. Considering the potential weeding efficiency (defined as the ratio of W and Fd), the width of sweep would not make any differences, and a lower working speed would result in better performance. Keywords: Draft force, Inter-row, Soil disturbance, Speed, Sweep, Weeding.
Electrical Conductivity of Agricultural Drainage Water in Iowa
Authors: Zimmerman Brett A , Kaleita Amy L
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Assessing the effectiveness of management strategies to reduce agricultural nutrient efflux is hampered by the lack of affordable, continuous monitoring systems. Generalized water quality monitoring is possible using electrical conductivity. However environmental conditions can influence the ionic ratios, resulting in misinterpretations of established electrical conductivity and ionic composition relationships. Here we characterize specific electrical conductivity (k25) of agricultural drainage waters to define these environmental conditions and dissolved constituents that contribute to k25. A field investigation revealed that the magnitude of measured k25 varied from 370 to 760 µS cm-1. Statistical analysis indicated that variability in k25 was not correlated with drainage water pH, temperature, nor flow rate. While k25 was not significantly different among drainage waters from growing and post-growing season, significant results were observed for different cropping systems. Soybean plots in rotation with corn had significantly lower conductivities than those of corn plots in rotation with soybeans, continuous corn plots, and prairie plots. In addition to evaluating k25 variability, regression analysis was used to estimate the concentration of major ions in solution from measured k25. Regression results indicated that HCO3-, Ca2+, NO3-, Mg2+, Cl-, Na2+, SO42- were the major drainage constituents contributing to the bulk electrical conductivity. Calculated ionic molal conductivities of these analytes suggests that HCO3-, Ca2+, NO3-, and Mg2+ account for approximately 97% of the bulk electrical conductivity. Keywords: Electrical conductivity, Salinity, Subsurface drainage, Total dissolved solids.
Winter Wheat Mapping Using Landsat 8 Images and Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis
Authors: Su Tengfei , Zhang Shengwei
Published: July 2017

Abstract.

Winter wheat is a major food source in many areas, so it is necessary to construct an effective approach for its monitoring based on satellite data. By taking advantage of geographic object-based image analysis (GEOBIA), a winter wheat classification framework was established. Two stages, which included scale selection and feature analysis, were incorporated into the new approach. The scale selection stage was implemented based on an unsupervised method, so human intervention for tuning the scale parameter of image segmentation can be largely saved. The feature analysis stage was performed on the basis of a random forest classification model, and in the experiment this step allowed for feature reduction, which was validated to be beneficial to the classification performance. Keywords: Feature analysis, GEOBIA, Scale selection, Winter wheat.
A Pore-Scale Model for Quantifying Airflow Paths through Grain Bulks
Authors: Yue Rong , Zhang Qiang
Published: July 2017

Abstract. A commercial discrete element software package (PFC3D) was used to develop a model to simulate pore structures of grain beds. Based on the simulated structure of a grain bed, an algorithm reported in the literature was adopted and modified to determine airflow paths in the grain bed by treating the grain bed as a series of four-particle tetrahedrons. Critical characteristic parameters of the airflow path were predicted, including path length (tortuosities), width, and local turning angle (change in airflow direction at a location in the grain bed). The predicted tortuosities were in good agreement with the range of tortuosity values reported in the literature for porous beds consisting of spherical particles. The average path width was in the range of 0.83 to 5.93 mm. The local turning angles were mostly in the 0° to 10° range. Keywords: Airflow, Discrete element method, Grain bed, Pore structure, Tortuosity.
El Marco Institucional en la Transición Socialista y el Sistema De Dirección y Gestión de las Empresas de Propiedad Social
Authors: Luis del Castillo Sánchez
Published: July 2017

En el artículo se analizan los retos en el perfeccionamiento de la empresa estatal cubana en el proceso de actualización del modelo económico, teniendo en cuenta las contradicciones que se han puesto de manifiesto entre el entorno político – jurídico e institucional y los procesos empresariales. En particular la mezcla de funciones estatales y empresariales bajo el predominio de las relaciones de propiedad social sobre los medios de producción, limita la clara separación de los roles de ambos, se confunden sus niveles de responsabilidad y se diluye la evaluación objetiva del desempeño del sistema empresarial. A partir de la Economía Institucional, se analizan a) las relaciones de agencia en la empresa estatal y el papel de la Junta de Gobierno; b) una propuesta de simplificación del entorno institucional para el sistema empresarial, y c) las bases para la implementación de los procesos de reestructuración o liquidación de empresas
In the place of abandonment: Rohrwacher, Martel and ‘miracles’
Authors: McGlazer Ramsey
Published: July 2017

This essay analyses Italian director Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo celeste (2011) and Argentinean filmmaker Lucrecia Martel’s La ciénaga (2001) and considers the relation between the two films. Attending to the films’ shared interest in ‘miracles’ that are as minor and apparently inconsequential as they are elusive, I show that such miracles, reminiscent of others in recent critical theory, figure in both films as means of exiting or altering a present that otherwise appears foreclosed. Miracles become means of restoring what Gilles Deleuze calls ‘belief in the world’, however minimally. In this way, both Corpo celeste and La ciénaga point to the continued salience of Deleuze’s account in Cinema 2 of suspended action and subsequent ‘learning to see’. But both films also foreground, differently and in ways that Deleuze could not have foreseen, the difficulties of such learning in contexts of impasse, economic crisis, austerity and abandonment.
Probabilistic linkage to enhance deterministic algorithms and reduce data linkage errors in hospital administrative data
Authors: Hagger-Johnson Gareth , Harron Katie , Goldstein Harvey , Aldridge Robert , Gilbert Ruth
Published: July 2017

BackgroundThe pseudonymisation algorithm used to link together episodes of care belonging to the same patients in England (HESID) has never undergone any formal evaluation, to determine the extent of data linkage error.ObjectiveTo quantify improvements in linkage accuracy from adding probabilistic linkage to existing deterministic HESID algorithms.MethodsInpatient admissions to NHS hospitals in England (Hospital Episode Statistics, HES) over 17 years (1998 to 2015) for a sample of patients (born 13/28th of months in 1992/1998/2005/2012). We compared the existing deterministic algorithm with one that included an additional probabilistic step, in relation to a reference standard created using enhanced probabilistic matching with additional clinical and demographic information. Missed and false matches were quantified and the impact on estimates of hospital readmission within one year were determined.ResultsHESID produced a high missed match rate, improving over time (8.6% in 1998 to 0.4% in 2015). Missed matches were more common for ethnic minorities, those living in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, foreign patients and those with ‘no fixed abode’. Estimates of the readmission rate were biased for several patient groups owing to missed matches, which was reduced for nearly all groups. ConclusionProbabilistic linkage of HES reduced missed matches and bias in estimated readmission rates, with clear implications for commissioning, service evaluation and performance monitoring of hospitals. The existing algorithm should be modified to address data linkage error, and a retrospective update of the existing data would address existing linkage errors and their implications.
Design of an Automated Dual IPCs 240 System for Asymmetric Power Flow Compensation in an AC Electric Network
Authors: Mandeng Jean Jacques , Mbihi Jean , Kom Charles-Hubert
Published: July 2017

In this paper, an automated dual IPCs 240 system for asymmetric power compensation, is designed from an analytical analysis of the power flow modes through the transmission line. Then, the ACL (automatic control logic) obtained consists of serial gates arrays of standard NAND/AND and OR operators.  It has been  implemented within Matlab/Simulink framework, and the simulation results obtained show the feasibility and great relevance of using the dual IPCs 240 technology, in power transmission networks  under normal and contingency conditions.
Northern Conifer Forest Species Classification Using Multispectral Data Acquired from an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Franklin Steven E. , Ahmed Oumer S. , Williams Griffin
Published: July 2017

Object-based image analysis and machine learning classification procedures, after field calibration and photogrammetric processing of consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) digital camera data, were implemented to classify tree species in a conifer forest
in the Great Lakes/St Lawrence Lowlands Ecoregion, Ontario, Canada. A red-green-blue (RGB) digital camera yielded approximately 72 percent classification accuracy for three commercial tree species and one conifer shrub. Accuracy improved approximately 15 percent,
to 87 percent overall, with higher radiometric quality data acquired separately using a digital camera that included near infrared observations (at a lower spatial resolution). Interpretation of the point cloud, spectral, texture and object (tree crown) classification Variable Importance (VI)
selected by a machine learning algorithm suggested a good correspondence with the traditional aerial photointerpretation cues used in the development of well-established large-scale photography northern conifer elimination keys, which use three-dimensional crown shape, spectral response (tone),
texture derivatives to quantify branching characteristics, and crown size, development and outline features. These results suggest that commonly available consumer-grade UAV-based digital cameras can be used with object-based image analysis to obtain acceptable conifer
species classification accuracy to support operational forest inventory applications.
Which Competitive Advantage(s)? Competitive Advantage–Market Performance Relationships in International Markets
Authors: Kaleka Anna , Morgan Neil A.
Published: July 2017

Business scholars and managers stress the importance of achieving and sustaining competitive advantage as a critical strategic step in enabling superior firm performance. Yet which types of competitive advantage may yield the best performance outcomes—and what contingency factors may affect this—remains largely unexplored. This article examines the contribution of price, product, and service advantages to market performance in international ventures. Applying customer value logic to the literature on value creation and value capture, the authors posit that the symmetric achievement of all pairs of advantages leads to increased market performance. The findings confirm this conjecture, while for the product–service advantage pairing, even asymmetry in achievement has a positive market performance effect when the asymmetry is toward service. Using primary data from a sample of U.K. manufacturing exporters, the authors find that price advantage has a direct positive effect on market performance, while the strong positive effect of service advantage is further strengthened (and the nonsignificant effect of product advantage becomes negative) when the distributor has high-quality relationships with the overseas customers and there is available production capacity, even in technologically turbulent environments.
The Abercrombie & Fitch Effect: The Impact of Physical Dominance on Male Customers' Status-Signaling Consumption
Authors: Otterbring Tobias , Ringler Christine , Sirianni Nancy J. , Gustafsson Anders
Published: July 2017

Consumer lay theory suggests that women will spend more money than men in the presence of a physically dominant male employee, whereas theories of intrasexual competition from evolutionary psychology predict the opposite outcome. A retail field study demonstrates that male customers spend more money and purchase more expensive products than their female counterparts in the presence (vs. absence) of a physically dominant male employee. This effect has a more powerful impact on male customers who lack bodily markers of dominance (shorter stature or measures linked to lower levels of testosterone). When confronted with other physically dominant (vs. nondominant) men, these male customers are particularly prone to signal status through price or logo size. Their elevated feelings of intrasexual (male-to-male) competitiveness drive them to spend more money on status-signaling, but not functional, products and to prefer and draw larger brand logos. Because pictorial exposure is sufficient for the effect to occur, these findings are not limited to in-store interactions with dominant male employees but have broad implications for marketing and advertising.
Dynamic Response of Base-Isolated Concrete Rectangular Liquid-Storage Structure Under Large Amplitude Sloshing
Authors: Cheng Xuansheng , Li De , Li Peijiang , Zhang Xiaoyan , Li Guoliang
Published: July 2017

Considering concrete nonlinearity, the wave height limit between small and large amplitude sloshing is defined based on the Bernoulli equation. Based on Navier-Stokes equations, the mathematical model of large amplitude sloshing is established for a Concrete Rectangle Liquid-Storage Structure (CRLSS). The results show that the seismic response of a CRLSS increases with the increase of seismic intensity. Under different seismic fortification intensities, the change in trend of wave height, wallboard displacement, and stress are the same, but the amplitudes arc not. The areas of stress concentration appear mainly at the connections between the wallboards, and the connections between the wallboard and the bottom.
Application of Laplace Transform to the Free Vibration of Continuous Beams
Authors: Wen H.B. , Zeng T. , Hu G.Z.
Published: July 2017

Laplace Transform is often used in solving the free vibration problems of structural beams. In existing research, there are two types of simplified models of continuous beam placement. The first is to regard the continuous beam as a single-span beam, the middle bearing of which is replaced by the bearing reaction force; the second is to divide the continuous beam into several simply supported beams, with the bending moment of the continuous beam at the middle bearing considered as the external force. Research shows that the second simplified model is incorrect, and the frequency equation derived from the first simplified model contains multiple expressions which might not be equivalent to each other. This paper specifies the application method of Laplace Transform in solving the free vibration problems of continuous beams, having great significance in the proper use of the transform method.