Academic literature on the topic 'Go-along method'

This article explores the use of the go-along method in research that takes place “behind closed doors” drawing on qualitative research on postmortem imaging. Often favored in community and urban studies, go-along consists of mobile interviews and observations with respondents in their own environments. We conducted go-alongs with various professionals—from pathologists to hospital chaplains—in a range of settings. We also tracked different forms of materiality in and out of the mortuary space. As the article seeks to show, go-along allowed us to appreciate the complex and mobile nature of postmortem, situating it within the wider landscape of bereavement and memorialization. It also enabled us to illuminate the ways in which the mortuary as a place cannot be fixed “indoors,” but rather, is continually remade through different types of practice. Our analysis emphasizes the value of using go-alongs in indoor settings, and further reinforces a fluid conceptualization of place.

In this article, I document the challenges of operationalizing critical qualitative mobile research methods, specifically go-along interviews. Mobility-oriented qualitative inquiry is a way to examine disabled and Mad persons’ socio-spatial knowledges and study spatial inequalities impacting these persons. I reflect on my own positionality as an able-bodied researcher, while conducting research with self-identifying Mad and disabled research participants. I further discuss the limitations, enabling factors, constraints, and implications of engaging in go-along interviews. Next, I unpack how and why this method at many times was not desired by my research participants in favor of more traditional interview techniques, such as sit-down face-to-face interviews. There is a need to critically (re)consider space and place in research practices in ways that value the often subjugated voices and socio-spatial knowledge(s) of Mad and disabled persons.

This article asks how a post-Soviet city went global and became something else, mutating, in the sense of generating a new set of features that go beyond a narrow understanding of postsocialism. The research provides a synthetic conceptualisation of Narva and the organisation of its ordinary life, by combining methods of urban observation and classification with geographical and ethnographic descriptions of this city. Using visual imagery of urban objects, along with field annotations and interview quotes as the materials analysed, the article carries out a Narvaology that consists in deploying this city ‘as method’. It points out that cities such as Narva require a more relational and multi-scalar language, one with broader theoretical and methodological implications, able to account for fragmentary socio-political issues.

For optical fibre sensors applications, nanomaterials have been widely used to enhance sensor performance. Here, the fibre optic uses the transmission of light by total internal reflection along with the fibre and depending on the diameter of the fibre and the wavelength of the light used. Among others, graphene oxides nanostructures (GO) would offer exceptional advantages on the sensing mechanism due to 2D properties of the monocellular layer originally from graphite. The main objectives of this research are to successfully synthesis of GO using a chemical reduction method known as modifies Hummer’s method and later, deposited the GO onto the modified fibre optic layer to create a sensing platform. Prior than that, the standard plastic of fibre optic (POF) was modified by removing the cladding layer (1 cm) using a mechanical etching technique, thus the sensing platform can be created. The morphology and optical properties of the system were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Result of the preparation and characterisation of GO-optical fibre coatings was presented, considering its potential use for sensing applications. The stable GO was prepared by 3 hours of stirring time during the synthesis and longer dipping time was preferred to fully coat the core of the exposed POF. Aiming to explore this scheme for sensing applications, GO-coated tilted fibre will be later measuring via refractive index variations. An improvement on the sensitivity should be obtained and thus become a promising sensing platform for the development of a new line of sensors.

In this paper, we propose a novel method, SeekFun, to predict protein function based on weighted mapping of domains and GO terms. Firstly, a weighted mapping of domains and GO terms is constructed according to GO annotations and domain composition of the proteins. The association strength between domain and GO term is weighted by symmetrical conditional probability. Secondly, the mapping is extended along the true paths of the terms based on GO hierarchy. Finally, the terms associated with resident domains are transferred to host protein and real annotations of the host protein are determined by association strengths. Our careful comparisons demonstrate that SeekFun outperforms the concerned methods on most occasions. SeekFun provides a flexible and effective way for protein function prediction. It benefits from the well-constructed mapping of domains and GO terms, as well as the reasonable strategy for inferring annotations of protein from those of its domains.

This paper presents a method of measuring subsurface damage by roughness variation along the bevel surface, which is prepared by MRF taper polishing. Experiments for the ground K9 glass samples show that roughness varies obviously at the position where the subsurface damages go to disappear. Discussions indicate that the method is quantitative and simple for measuring subsurface damage.

Background: Nateglinide is an antidiabetic drug having biological half-life 1.5 h which shows a concise effect. Graphene oxide along with chitosan can be used as a nanocarrier for sustained release of Nateglinide. Objective: To develop Nateglinide loaded graphene oxide-chitosan nanocomposites and to evaluate for different characterization studies. Methods: Graphene Oxide (GO) was synthesized by improved hummer’s method and drug-loaded Graphene oxide - chitosan nanocomposites were prepared. Box Behnken design was used to carry out experiments. The nanocomposites were characterized for encapsulation efficiency and drug release. Morphology was studied using field emission scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope. An interaction between drug, polymer and GO was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer along with in vitro drug release study. Results: The statistical evaluation of the design showed linear and quadratic models which are significant models for encapsulation efficiency (R1 0.6883, 0.9473) and drug loading (R2 0.6785, 0.9336), respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed the compatibility of GO, Chitosan and Nateglinide. X-ray diffractometer reveals the change in degree of crystallinity of drug. FE-SEM and TEM images confirmed the distribution of the drug within the nanocomposites. Design expert reveals that the concentration of GO has great influence on encapsulation efficiency. In Vitro drug release showed the sustained release of drug over the period of 12 h. Conclusion: GO-Chitosan nanocomposites can be used as a sustained release carrier system for Nateglinide to reduce dose frequency of drug as well as its probable side effects.

Via a one-step ultrasonication method, cellulose nanofibril/graphene oxide hybrid (GO-CNF) aerogel was successfully prepared. The as-prepared GO-CNF possessed interconnected 3D network microstructure based on GO nanosheets grown along CNF through hydrogen bonds. The aerogel exhibited superior adsorption capacity toward four kinds of antibiotics. The removal percentages (R%) of these antibiotics were 81.5%, 79.5%, 79.1%, and 73.9% for Doxycycline (DXC), Chlortetracycline (CTC), Oxytetracycline (OTC), and tetracycline (TC), respectively. Simultaneously, the adsorption isotherms were well fitted to Langmuir model and kinetics study implied that the adsorption process was attributed to pseudo-second-order model. The maximum theoretical adsorption capacities of GO-CNF were 469.7, 396.5, 386.5, and 343.8 mg·g−1 for DXC, CTC, OTC, and TC, respectively, calculated by the Langmuir isotherm models. After five cycles, importantly, the regenerated aerogels still could be used with little degradation of adsorption property. Consequently, the as-synthesized GO-CNF was a successful application of effective removal of antibiotics.

Women feel more fear than men in public space and when using public transport. This is an inequality in our society which limits women’s mobility and access to public goods. This study aims to qualitatively explore how women experience their public transport trips from a perceived safety perspective in a study of Gullmarsplan. Which elements women focus on during the trips and what they perceive as unsafe was explored, as well as what behaviors and strategies women use to manage their fear of crime. This was explored by first collecting travel diaries using a whole journey approach and then by narrowing the study down to performing walk-alongs in the walking environment at Gullmarsplan. The study found that women focus mostly on the social environment and that their reflections on the physical environment usually are related to perceived indicators of social incivilities and risk of victimization. Gullmarsplan was generally perceived as quite safe during the day but during evenings and nights most women avoided certain places which usually were secluded, difficult to survey or were perceived to attract dangerous others. Defensive adaptation strategies, mainly avoidance strategies and vigilance, were found to be the most commonly used safety strategies by women. Women’s fear of crime likely cannot be completely designed away in the physical environment but will require structural changes that promote gender equality in our society. With that noted, it is important that urban planners and designers are aware of how the physical environment affects women’s perceived safety. This study found that principles of CPTED generally made women feel safer, particularly important were good lighting and natural surveillance. Green spaces such as parks were found to often be avoided by women after dark. The geographical location and use of safety principles such as CPTED is thus especially important at such locations. Urban planners and designers have the power to shape public spaces that are accessible and safe. Public policies and design that promote equality in access to and use of public space is a feature of a more just democratic society.

Even as the acknowledgment that “behavior is a function of an interaction between the person and situation” has attained the status of a truism in psychology, the study of situations has lagged far behind the study of persons. This imbalance has begun to be remedied in recent years, with the development of assessment instruments and new theoretical perspectives for understanding situations. More and more papers are being published, symposia and even entire conferences are being devoted to the interplay of persons and situations, and research is progressing rapidly. This handbook offers an extensive review of the research on psychological situations, providing a one-stop source for readings on the state of the art of theory, methods, findings, and applications in this burgeoning field. The handbook chapters are written by experts in their respective research areas and are conveniently organized along these themes. Bringing together historical reviews, theoretical pieces, methodological descriptions, and empirical applications, this volume is the definitive, go-to source for a psychology of situations.

This book aims to analyze four crossdressers narratives who have been imprisoned for different periods of time in order to raise debates on resistance ways carried out by each one of them. The crossdressers interviewed here were reached by different connections such as friends in common, social media or phone calls, which did not represent a closed and narrowed field but one that it is open and flexible. The issues raised here tried to sketch the crossdresser category through the words by crossdressers writers along with the concepts about themselves and self- determinations, therefore shaping a kind of autobiography even if it is led by a semi- structured script. The existing connections among them, beyond the crossdresser category, lie at first in their access to the prison system and later in finding ways to make it possible to go through life imprisonment. These articulated methods are tactics thought in the space and time web, that is, on a daily basis. This is also one of the book investigation focuses, once it matters to understand not the crossdressers heroic actions, but the ordinary ones, the usual ones, articulated according to educational backgrounds thought as being a less important education.

Algorithms are the hidden methods that computers apply to process information and make decisions. The book tells the story of algorithms from their ancient origins to the present day and beyond. The book introduces readers to the inventors and events behind the genesis of the world’s most important algorithms. Along the way, it explains, with the aid of examples and illustrations, how the most influential algorithms work. The first algorithms were invented in Mesopotamia 4,000 years ago. The ancient Greeks refined the concept, creating algorithms for finding prime numbers and enumerating Pi. Al-Khawrzmi’s 9th century books on algorithms ultimately became their conduit to the West. The invention of the electronic computer during World War II transformed the importance of the algorithm. The first computer algorithms were for military applications. In peacetime, researchers turned to grander challenges - forecasting the weather, route navigation, choosing marriage partners, and creating artificial intelligences. The success of the Internet in the 70s depended on algorithms for transporting data and correcting errors. A clever algorithm for ranking websites was the spark that ignited Google. Recommender algorithms boosted sales at Amazon and Netflix, while the EdgeRank algorithm drove Facebook’s NewsFeed. In the 21st century, an algorithm that mimics the operation of the human brain was revisited with the latest computer technology. Suddenly, algorithms attained human-level accuracy in object and speech recognition. An algloirthm defeated the world champion at Go - the most complex of board games. Today, algorithms for cryptocurrencies and quantum computing look set to change the world.

This chapter considers the influence of ethnomethodology on qualitative research methodology, one of the main areas of mainstream social science where it has had an impact. The reception of Cicourel’s (1964) book Method and Measurement in Sociology is discussed, and also how conversation analysis shaped the work of many discourse analysts and some ethnographers. Cicourel’s argument is outlined: that sociology needs to be re-founded methodologically on an empirical theory that respects the complex and contingent character of human action and communication, along lines suggested by ethnomethodology. His early work encouraged the rise of qualitative research and reflexive attention to the processes by which data are produced; though these developments often tended to go in directions that were at odds with his conception of rigorous analysis. Later, conversation analysis encouraged the use of electronic recordings and transcriptions as data, raised doubts about the traditional uses of interviews, and encouraged the micro-analysis of patterns of social interaction. Furthermore, like Cicourel’s work, it facilitated the spread of social constructionism. It is argued that these effects have been beneficial in many respects but more negative in others.

This chapter introduces the process of the creation of the literacy portal. The crucial interest of the team from the start was to create a user-friendly open environment for adults with dyslexia and/or reading problems. The readers go with the authors through the gradual development: interviews, grounded in the principle of active listening, and partially structured interviews. This, at the end, was followed by surveys focused on problems with reading and the internet. The authors show what the card sorting method is, how it went, what its goal was, and how it influenced the final portal. The orientation in the web pages is an important part of the portal. The authors, therefore, describe the process of menu and icon selection along with monitoring online movement by people with dyslexia while also using the button and vertical menu. The results and findings were reflected in the requirements of the administrative environment adapted to the individuals with dyslexia, and the reaction CMS system was developed based on them.

The aim of the study is to present the tourist plans of the inhabitants of Polish cities during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey technique was used in the research with a questionnaire being disseminated for Facebook´s tourist thematic groups. Those recruited provided their friends with a link to the questionnaire via social media. Thus a snowball method was used and 402 respondents were obtained. Less than a quarter declared they did not want to go on a tourist trip in 2020 and the main reason was the prevailing pandemic and fear of coronavirus infection. However, the vast majority of respondents planned at least one tourist trip but a significant part abandoned any intention of travelling abroad for a holiday. The respondents mainly declared their willingness to stay in hotels and holiday resorts but assessed these facilities as the least safe in terms of epidemiology. The prevailing pandemic has been a source of much concern but the respondents were also worried about increased prices. Accommodation facilities were expected to undergo some form of disinfection along with the need to comply with social distancing restrictions and the wearing of masks.

The process of designing and implementing didactic and educational activities should be planned, and thus deliberate, and take into account the needs, possibilities, and expectations of individuals along with a determination of the effects of these activities. Fulfilling educational goals of the teacher and the student, the educator and the pupil, the parent and the child, assumes coexistence and mutual development. The concept of self-diagnosis, understood as a reflection on the answer to the question of who I am and what direction I want to go in, is inscribed in development. The process of self-diagnosis and holistic diagnosis make it possible for subjects of the didactic and educational process to strive for harmonious development. Dialogical contact and dialogue motivating both the teacher and his/her student to action are necessary in this mutual coexistence and development. Self-diagnosis and dialogical contact are necessary conditions for the process of continuous development of identity. The author refers to the typology of teachers presented by Stanisław Dobrowolski and mentions the teacher’s identity and self-diagnosis. She also gives examples of intercultural dialogue in an intercultural fairy tale, as well as recognizes the advantages of the common cause method in solving peer conflicts.

The easiest pain to bear is someone else’s. In the preanesthesia era, the prospect of surgery was so terrifying that it was not uncommon for a tough-hearted man to commit suicide rather than go through that unbearable, excruciating agony. It is hard to believe t hat t here was a time when nothing was effective to a lleviate surgical pain. The patients were simply strapped down and that was it. As a consequence, speed was the most important attribute of a surgeon in those days. A great English surgeon, Robert Liston at the University College Hospital, once boasted that he had amputated a leg in 29 seconds, along with a testicle of his patient and a finger of his assistant. The operation rooms were often strategically located at the tops of towers in the hospitals to keep fearful screams from being heard. During wartime, surgeries were even worse than battlefield injuries, because during the fight soldiers were temporarily “hypnotized” and became oblivious to pain. Before anesthesia, surgeons resorted to whatever means were available to deaden the pain oft heir patients during operations. The three most popular methods were alcohol, ice, and narcotics. Legend has it that a surgeon first conceived the idea of operating during a patient’s alcoholic coma when he noticed that a drunkard had had parts of his face chewed away by a hog but was not aware of it during a drunken stupor. Chinese surgeon Bian Què (401–310 B.C.) was reported to have operated on a patient’s brain using herbal extracts to render him unconscious more than 2,000 years ago. Hua Tuo (115–205 A.D.) made his patients take an effervescing powder (possibly cannabis) in wine that produced numbness and insensibility before surgical operations. Cold deadens pain by slowing the rate impulse conduction by nerve fiber. Some surgeons used ice to numb limbs before amputations. This method was invented by Baron Dominique Jean Larrey (1766–1842), surgeon of Napoleon’s Grande Armée.

This chapter focuses on one-player discrete time dynamic games, that is, the optimal control of a discrete time dynamical system. It first considers solution methods for one-player dynamic games, which are simple optimizations, before discussing discrete time cost-to-go. It shows that, regardless of the information structure (open loop, state feedback or other), it is not possible to obtain a cost lower than the cost-to-go. A computationally efficient recursive technique that can be used to compute the cost-to-go is dynamic programming. After providing an overview of discrete time dynamic programming, the chapter explores the complexity of computing the cost-to-go at all stages, the use of MATLAB to solve finite one-player games, and linear quadratic dynamic games. It concludes with a practice exercise and the corresponding solution, along with an additional exercise.

Much has been learned about how to provide good-quality care for dementia. While specific methods and approaches may come and go, some core underpinning principles—respect for personhood, empathy, quality engagement, identity, and sense of purpose and worth—have become well established, are consistently focal, and are recognized as vital for the well-being of not only people living with a dementia but also those caring for them. This chapter poses the question that shapes the book: Why is it so difficult to sustain effective communication practices in dementia interaction? Preliminary explanations are considered, and the book’s approach to finding more in-depth answers is outlined. The terms dementia and communication are defined, and the core orientation of care, personhood, is described, along with consideration of how ego-centrism shapes cultural expectations about dementia care.

This chapter provides an introduction to the automated configuration and selection of SAT algorithms and gives an overview of the most prominent approaches. Since the early 2000s, these so-called meta-algorithmic approaches have played a major role in advancing the state of the art in SAT solving, giving rise to new ways of using and evaluating SAT solvers. At the same time, SAT has proven to be particularly fertile ground for research and development in the area of automated configuration and selection, and methods developed there have meanwhile achieved impact far beyond SAT, across a broad range of computationally challenging problems. Conceptually more complex approaches that go beyond “pure” algorithm configuration and selection are also discussed, along with some open challenges related to meta-algorithmic approaches, such as automated algorithm configuration and selection, to the tools based on these approaches, and to their effective application.

This chapter presents applications of machine learning to predicting protein-protein interactions (PPI) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several supervised inductive learning methods have been developed that treat this task as a classification problem over candidate links in a PPI network – a graph whose nodes represent proteins and whose arcs represent interactions. Most such methods use feature extraction from protein sequences (e.g., amino acid composition) or associated with protein sequences directly (e.g., GO annotation). Others use relational and structural features extracted from the PPI network, along with the features related to the protein sequence. Topological features of nodes and node pairs can be extracted directly from the underlying graph. This chapter presents two approaches from the literature (Qi et al., 2006; Licamele & Getoor, 2006) that construct features on the basis of background knowledge, an approach that extracts purely topological graph features (Paradesi et al., 2007), and one that combines knowledge-based and topological features (Paradesi, 2008). Specific graph features that help in predicting protein interactions are reviewed. This study uses two previously published datasets (Chen & Liu, 2005; Qi et al., 2006) and a third dataset (Paradesi, 2008) that was created by combining and augmenting three existing PPI databases. The chapter includes a comparative study of the impact of each type of feature (topological, protein sequence-based, etc.) on the sensitivity and specificity of classifiers trained using specific types of features. The results indicate gains in the area under the sensitivity-specificity curve for certain algorithms when topological graph features are combined with other biological features such as protein sequence-based features.

This paper presents an energy analysis of the amplitude death, a phenomenon that the individual oscillators cease to oscillate when coupled and go to an equilibrium motion instead, of a pair of coupled oscillators with time delay that are slightly perturbed from two undamped oscillators and with delayed coupling. The energy analysis reveals that amplitude death, as well as the stability of the phase-locked periodic solutions, can be justified by the sign of the averaged total powers along a special function with harmonic entries, rather than along arbitrary solution of the coupled oscillators as in the application of the method of Lyapunov’s function for stability analysis. An illustrative example is given to show the effectiveness of the present method.

FPSOs are becoming extremely important economically. Many nations/organizations are using them to supplement the conventional oil rig/floating platform especially due to the refinery capability they exhibit in situ in the drilling environment. However many of the multinational oil and gas companies are drifting towards the conversion of VLCCs to FPSOs. It is against this backdrop that a work of this nature considered an optimized method of converting an FPSO from a VLCC. The various methods of producing such a vessel were looked at taking two FPSOs: BONGA (New Build) and MYSTRAS (Converted) operating in West African Waters as case studies. A number of vivid and valid ship construction parameters were taken into consideration using a computerized model. Analysis reveal that the block coefficient (CB) yields an important result that if put in place during the design phases of FPSOs – be it new build or converted will go a long way to enhance the conversion process. The CP of the new build FPSO was found to be 0.7202 while the converted one was 0.690 with sponsons and 0.818 excluding sponsons. The CP equally further supports the increased deck space which the modification provided with the strength analysis. Bending Moments and Shear Force distribution along the longitudinal axis (i.e. length) of the vessels with sponson fitted were determined and the section moduli of important/critical sections calculated. Stability analysis was carried out to cover the most critical modes and condition of the vessel’s operation. Righting levers was computed at prescribed loading conditions in the various operating regimes. Results obtained from the analysis showed that incorporating sponsons provided sufficient rigidity and good stability characteristics of the hull under all operating conditions. Finally, on the economic trend, the use of converted FPSO is favoured to those of new build due to the reduced lead-time.

This paper proposes a response-only method in frequency domain for structural damage detection by using the derivative of natural frequency curve of beam-like structures with a traversing auxiliary mass. The approach just uses the response time history of beam-like structures and does not need the external source of force excitation. The natural frequencies of a damaged beam with a traversing auxiliary mass change due to change in flexibility and inertia of the beam as the auxiliary mass is traversed along the beam. Therefore the auxiliary mass can enhance the effects of the crack on the dynamics of the beam and, therefore, facilitating locating the damage in the beam. That is, the auxiliary mass can be used to probe the dynamic characteristic of the beam by traversing the mass from one end of the beam to the other. However, it is impossible to obtain accurate modal frequencies by the direct operation of the Fast Fourier Transform of the response data of the structure because the frequency spectrum can be only calculated from limited sampled time data which results in the well-known leakage effect. A spectrum correction method is employed to estimate high accurate frequencies of structures with a traversing auxiliary mass. In the present work, the modal responses of damaged simply supported beams with auxiliary mass are computed using the Finite Element Analysis. The graphical plots of the natural frequencies versus axial location of auxiliary mass are obtained. The derivatives of natural frequency curve can provide crack information for damage detection of beam-like structures. However, it is suggested that the derivative do not go beyond the third derivative of natural frequency curves to avoid the difference approximation error which will be magnified at higher derivative. The sensitivity of crack index for different noise, crack depth, auxiliary mass and damping ratio are also investigated. The simulated result demonstrated the efficiency and precision of the response-only frequency-domain method which can be recommended for the real application in structural damage detection.

Repeat pass interferometry using synthetic aperture radar satellites (INSAR) has been used to measure small movements of the earth’s surface associated with both natural and man-made activities. On November 3, 2002, an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale struck Alaska along the Denali fault in the vicinity of the Trans-Alaska pipeline crossing. Images from the RADARSAT 1 satellite were acquired both before and after the earthquake and have been analyzed using a variety of techniques, including INSAR, to: • Illustrate various change detection techniques relevant to pipeline structures and natural features of interest (e.g. slopes and glaciers). • Detect and measure subtle earth movement and evaluate the accuracy and operational usefulness by comparing with ground control. The results show increasing land surface deformation near the pipeline crossing at the fault line, and indicate a maximum displacement of 19 feet. Independent ground truth surveys have confirmed the accuracy of these measured displacements. These results demonstrate that radar satellite observations can successfully be used to detect and assess potential threats to the integrity of pipelines. The benefits include: • Accurate measurements of deformation down to the millimeter level. • Remotely monitoring features without extensive groundwork. • Large spatial extent of two-dimensional InSAR monitoring rather than single point monitoring with GPS. • Cost-effective method to observe potential hazards along pipeline right of way. • Ability to “go back in time” for baseline information through the use of archived satellite images.

Multibody dynamics and the discrete element method (DEM) are integrated into one solver for predicting the mobility characteristics (including the no-go condition, maximum speed, and required engine torque/power) of ground vehicles on rough off-road soft soil (such as mud and snow) terrains. High fidelity multibody dynamics models are used for the various vehicle systems including: suspension system, wheels, steering system, axle, differential, and engine. A penalty technique is used to impose joint and normal contact constraints. An asperity-based friction model is used to model joint and contact friction. A DEM model of the soil with a cohesive soft soil material model is used. The material model can account for the soil compressibility, plasticity, fracture, friction, viscosity, gain in cohesive strength due to compression, and loss in cohesive strength due to tension. The governing equations of motion are solved along with joint/constraint equations using a time-accurate explicit solution procedure. The model can be used to predict the mobility of ground vehicles as a function of soil type, terrain long slope, and terrain side slope. Typical simulations of a Humvee-type vehicle are provided to demonstrate the model.

This paper describes an approach used to introduce a type of nonlinear problems in an undergraduate class on mechanical vibrations. Self-excited oscillations are encountered in a number of practical applications including brakes, clutches, belts, tires, and violins. To go beyond the derivation of the equations of motion for simplified models and examine the effect of various parameters requires the ability to find numerical solutions. It was found that developing numerical solutions using a simple integration technique such as Euler’s method with a spreadsheet program like Excel was most effective because: (1) Euler’s method is easy to implement; (2) Excel is widely available; (3) students are able to develop the solution themselves; (4) it can be done quickly. In this case students were able to explore problems with one or more degrees of freedom and compare their results with those found in recent publications which presents several advantages: students develop confidence in their ability to explore different models and examine the effects of different complicating factors, they develop their own solutions and are able to focus on understanding the physics of the problem, and they develop a sense that they are working on problems of current interest instead of some overly simplified textbook problem. Examples dealing with brake squeal problem were used and the effects of mass, stiffness, damping and friction were studied. Many different friction models are available and several of them were used to determine the effect of friction on the appearance of self-excited vibrations. The appearance of a limit cycle in the phase portrait is discussed along with the dynamics of the system. It is also shown that a short high frequency excitation can be used to squelch those self-excited oscillations.

Abstract To appraise hydrocarbon and its properties of a low permeability formation within deep Baram delta reservoirs. Formation X is low permeability silty sandstone. It forms along other formations stacked sandy shale reservoirs. The stacked formations are interpreted as Hydrocabon bearing formations based on the openhole and pressure data. However, the reservoir in question, showed features different from the adjacent reservoirs. This manuscript appraises the reservoir and illustrates the workflow followed to identify its fluid type and the best method to produce the hydrocarbon. Triple combo logs identified formation X as hydrocarbon bearing with low permeability and low porosity. Formation pressures gradients indicated the formation to be oil; however, the bottom hole sample, when pumped out, indicated alternating of oil and gas despite the low differential pressure. During the PVT measurement the sample was first re-pressurised until a single phase was achieved and it was then subjected to Differential Liberation and Constant Composition Experiments (CCE). These experiments showed the Bubble Point pressure of the sample to be higher than the reservoir pressure, thereby indicating two mobile phases in the reservoir and the probability of a Gas-Oil Contact (GOC). The Experiments were also successfully simulated and matched using the Peng Robinson Equation of State. The Laboratory experiments directly contradicted the interpretation of Wireline Logs and pressure gradient both of which, indicated single phase light oil. The collected bottom hole sample indicated that both oil and gas are mobile at reservoir level, this finding is supported by PVT laboratory experiments. The Differential Liberation, CCE experiments and EOS fitting demonstrated the fluid to be two Phases at Reservoir Condition where both phases are likely to be mobile. Therefore, it is suspected that the fluid will go from being Gas to Oil with increasing depth without going through GOC, i.e. with continuous compositional grading as is possible for fluids near their critical temperature. This phenomenon could not be captured using open hole conventional logs and therefore the is team is currently investigating the best practice to identify such reservoirs.

There is no doubt that the world is shrinking in many ways, including the ways that engineers from various nations collaborate and share ideas. Along with major international projects such as the international space station, corporations in the United States and abroad are carrying out international engineering tasks on a daily basis. Such collaborations have been of great benefit to the engineering profession because of the free exchange of ideas and engineering talents. One of the main problems facing engineers in the international arena, however, is the lack of a common ethical background. The debate about how to create a common, global code of ethics for engineers has been carried out for several years. The aim of this paper is not add to the arguments about what should be included in a global code of ethics. The purpose of this paper is, in fact, to present a method by which an international organization tasked with the development and administration of such a code could go about attracting potential members. A common code of ethics, containing tenets that most engineering societies around the world already agree upon, is laid down as the framework. From this the basic operation of an international engineering society is outlined. With this basic starting point established the discussion proceeds to the techniques that an international society would need to employ in order grow in numbers and gain credibility among the profession. Further discussion leads to incorporation of these ideas into the education of engineers at the undergraduate level. Ethical training is currently incorporated into undergraduate curricula at many universities in the US. In many cases, however, this portion of the curriculum is limited to western ethical philosophies and the codes of ethics of the American engineering societies. Undergraduate engineering education is designed to develop the next generation to lead their engineering fields. With the prevalence of international collaboration in engineering it is almost assured that these future engineers will be international engineers, to some degree. This paper presents not only a method for attracting potential members to an international engineering society, but also means to prepare future engineers to be responsible members of the international engineering community.

Reliability data on MEMS accelerometers operating in harsh environments is scarce. Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) are used in a variety of military and automotive applications for sensing acceleration, translation, rotation, pressure and sound. This research work focuses on dual axis MEMS accelerometer reliability in harsh environments. Structurally an accelerometer behaves like a damped mass on a spring. Commercially there are three types of accelerometers namely piezoelectric, piezoresistive and capacitive depending on the components that go into the fabrication of the MEMS device. Previously, majority of concentration was focused on an effective internal design, performance enhancement of CMOS-MEMS accelerometers and packaging techniques Cheng [2002], Qiao [2009], Lou [2005], and Weigold [2001]. Studies have also been conducted to obtain an enhanced inertial mass SOI MEMS process using a high sensitivity accelerometer Jianbing [2013], Chen [2005]. There have been prior test(s) conducted on MEMS accelerometers, Jiang [2004], Cao [2011], Chun-Sun [2009], Lou [2009], Tanner [2000] and Yang [2010] but the availability of data on reliability degradation of such devices in harsh environments Brown [2003] is almost little to none which thereby generates the importance of this work and also makes way for a whole new path involving the reliability assessment techniques for MEMS devices. Concentration of our work is primarily on the reliability of this accelerometer upon sequential exposure to harsh environment(s) and drop-shock. Reliability of accelerometers in high G environments is unknown. The effects of these pre-conditions along with the drop test condition has been studied and analyzed. In this piece of research work, a test vehicle with a MEMS accelerometer, ADXL278 dual axis capacitive accelerometer, has been tested under high/low temperature exposure followed by subjection to high-g and low-g shock loading environments. The test boards have been subjected to mechanical shocks using the method 2002.5, condition G, under the standard MIL-STD-883H test. The stress environment and the test condition used for this paper are 1500g and 70g respectively where 70g is the full scale range output of ADXL278 in the drop direction with pulse duration set to 0.5millisecond. The deterioration of the accelerometer output has been characterized using the techniques of Mahalanobis distance and Confidence intervals. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been used to study the different failure modes inside of the accelerometer, which were potted and polished and later de-capped. Furthermore, the non-destructive evaluations of the MEMS accelerometer have been demonstrated through X-rays and micro-CT scans.

Rarefied gas flow plays an important role in the design and performance analysis of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) under high-vacuum conditions. The rarefaction can be evaluated by the Knudsen number (Kn), which is the ratio of the molecular mean free path length and the characteristic length. In micro systems, the rarefied gas flow usually stays in the slip- and transition-flow regions (10−3 < Kn < 10), and may even go into the free molecular flow region (Kn > 10). As a result, conventional design tools based on continuum Navier-Stokes equation solvers are not applicable to analyzing rarefaction phenomena in MEMS under vacuum conditions. In this paper, we investigate the rarefied gas flow by using the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), which is suitable for mesoscopic fluid simulation. The gas pressure determines the mean free path length and Kn, which further influences the relaxation time in the collision procedure of LBM. Here, we focus on the problem of squeezed film damping caused by an oscillating rigid object in a cavity. We propose an improved LBM with an immersed boundary approach, where an adjustable force term is used to quantify the interaction between the moving object and adjacent fluid, and further determines the slip velocity. With the proposed approach, the rarefied gas flow in MEMS with squeezed film damping is characterized. Different factors that affect the damping coefficient, such as pressure of gas and frequency of oscillation, are investigated in our simulation studies.

This report maps the African landscape of Open Science – with a focus on Open Data as a sub-set of Open Science. Data to inform the landscape study were collected through a variety of methods, including surveys, desk research, engagement with a community of practice, networking with stakeholders, participation in conferences, case study presentations, and workshops hosted. Although the majority of African countries (35 of 54) demonstrates commitment to science through its investment in research and development (R&D), academies of science, ministries of science and technology, policies, recognition of research, and participation in the Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI), the following countries demonstrate the highest commitment and political willingness to invest in science: Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. In addition to existing policies in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), the following countries have made progress towards Open Data policies: Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, South Africa and Uganda. Only two African countries (Kenya and South Africa) at this stage contribute 0.8% of its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to R&D (Research and Development), which is the closest to the AU’s (African Union’s) suggested 1%. Countries such as Lesotho and Madagascar ranked as 0%, while the R&D expenditure for 24 African countries is unknown. In addition to this, science globally has become fully dependent on stable ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) infrastructure, which includes connectivity/bandwidth, high performance computing facilities and data services. This is especially applicable since countries globally are finding themselves in the midst of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR), which is not only “about” data, but which “is” data. According to an article1 by Alan Marcus (2015) (Senior Director, Head of Information Technology and Telecommunications Industries, World Economic Forum), “At its core, data represents a post-industrial opportunity. Its uses have unprecedented complexity, velocity and global reach. As digital communications become ubiquitous, data will rule in a world where nearly everyone and everything is connected in real time. That will require a highly reliable, secure and available infrastructure at its core, and innovation at the edge.” Every industry is affected as part of this revolution – also science. An important component of the digital transformation is “trust” – people must be able to trust that governments and all other industries (including the science sector), adequately handle and protect their data. This requires accountability on a global level, and digital industries must embrace the change and go for a higher standard of protection. “This will reassure consumers and citizens, benefitting the whole digital economy”, says Marcus. A stable and secure information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure – currently provided by the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) – is key to advance collaboration in science. The AfricaConnect2 project (AfricaConnect (2012–2014) and AfricaConnect2 (2016–2018)) through establishing connectivity between National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), is planning to roll out AfricaConnect3 by the end of 2019. The concern however is that selected African governments (with the exception of a few countries such as South Africa, Mozambique, Ethiopia and others) have low awareness of the impact the Internet has today on all societal levels, how much ICT (and the 4th Industrial Revolution) have affected research, and the added value an NREN can bring to higher education and research in addressing the respective needs, which is far more complex than simply providing connectivity. Apart from more commitment and investment in R&D, African governments – to become and remain part of the 4th Industrial Revolution – have no option other than to acknowledge and commit to the role NRENs play in advancing science towards addressing the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals). For successful collaboration and direction, it is fundamental that policies within one country are aligned with one another. Alignment on continental level is crucial for the future Pan-African African Open Science Platform to be successful. Both the HIPSSA ((Harmonization of ICT Policies in Sub-Saharan Africa)3 project and WATRA (the West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly)4, have made progress towards the regulation of the telecom sector, and in particular of bottlenecks which curb the development of competition among ISPs. A study under HIPSSA identified potential bottlenecks in access at an affordable price to the international capacity of submarine cables and suggested means and tools used by regulators to remedy them. Work on the recommended measures and making them operational continues in collaboration with WATRA. In addition to sufficient bandwidth and connectivity, high-performance computing facilities and services in support of data sharing are also required. The South African National Integrated Cyberinfrastructure System5 (NICIS) has made great progress in planning and setting up a cyberinfrastructure ecosystem in support of collaborative science and data sharing. The regional Southern African Development Community6 (SADC) Cyber-infrastructure Framework provides a valuable roadmap towards high-speed Internet, developing human capacity and skills in ICT technologies, high- performance computing and more. The following countries have been identified as having high-performance computing facilities, some as a result of the Square Kilometre Array7 (SKA) partnership: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius, Namibia, South Africa, Tunisia, and Zambia. More and more NRENs – especially the Level 6 NRENs 8 (Algeria, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, and recently Zambia) – are exploring offering additional services; also in support of data sharing and transfer. The following NRENs already allow for running data-intensive applications and sharing of high-end computing assets, bio-modelling and computation on high-performance/ supercomputers: KENET (Kenya), TENET (South Africa), RENU (Uganda), ZAMREN (Zambia), EUN (Egypt) and ARN (Algeria). Fifteen higher education training institutions from eight African countries (Botswana, Benin, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, and Tanzania) have been identified as offering formal courses on data science. In addition to formal degrees, a number of international short courses have been developed and free international online courses are also available as an option to build capacity and integrate as part of curricula. The small number of higher education or research intensive institutions offering data science is however insufficient, and there is a desperate need for more training in data science. The CODATA-RDA Schools of Research Data Science aim at addressing the continental need for foundational data skills across all disciplines, along with training conducted by The Carpentries 9 programme (specifically Data Carpentry 10 ). Thus far, CODATA-RDA schools in collaboration with AOSP, integrating content from Data Carpentry, were presented in Rwanda (in 2018), and during17-29 June 2019, in Ethiopia. Awareness regarding Open Science (including Open Data) is evident through the 12 Open Science-related Open Access/Open Data/Open Science declarations and agreements endorsed or signed by African governments; 200 Open Access journals from Africa registered on the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ); 174 Open Access institutional research repositories registered on openDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories); 33 Open Access/Open Science policies registered on ROARMAP (Registry of Open Access Repository Mandates and Policies); 24 data repositories registered with the Registry of Data Repositories (re3data.org) (although the pilot project identified 66 research data repositories); and one data repository assigned the CoreTrustSeal. Although this is a start, far more needs to be done to align African data curation and research practices with global standards. Funding to conduct research remains a challenge. African researchers mostly fund their own research, and there are little incentives for them to make their research and accompanying data sets openly accessible. Funding and peer recognition, along with an enabling research environment conducive for research, are regarded as major incentives. The landscape report concludes with a number of concerns towards sharing research data openly, as well as challenges in terms of Open Data policy, ICT infrastructure supportive of data sharing, capacity building, lack of skills, and the need for incentives. Although great progress has been made in terms of Open Science and Open Data practices, more awareness needs to be created and further advocacy efforts are required for buy-in from African governments. A federated African Open Science Platform (AOSP) will not only encourage more collaboration among researchers in addressing the SDGs, but it will also benefit the many stakeholders identified as part of the pilot phase. The time is now, for governments in Africa, to acknowledge the important role of science in general, but specifically Open Science and Open Data, through developing and aligning the relevant policies, investing in an ICT infrastructure conducive for data sharing through committing funding to making NRENs financially sustainable, incentivising open research practices by scientists, and creating opportunities for more scientists and stakeholders across all disciplines to be trained in data management.