Inclusive design and the bottom line: How can its value be proven to decision makers?

Designing technology products that embrace the needs and capabilities of heterogeneous users leads not only to increased customer satisfaction and enhanced corporate social responsibility, but also better market penetration. Yet, achieving inclusion in today's pressured and fast-moving markets is not straight-forward. For a time, inaccessible and unusable design was solely seen as the fault of designers and a whole line of research was dedicated to pinpointing their frailties. More recently, it has become progressively more recognised that it is not necessarily designers' lack of awareness, or unwillingness, that results in sub-optimal design, but rather there are multi-faceted organisational factors at play that seldom provide an adequate environment in which inclusive products could be designed. Through literature review, a detailed audit of inclusivity practice in a large global company and ongoing research regarding quantification of cost-effectiveness of inclusive design, this paper discusses the overarching operational problems that prevent organisations from developing optimally inclusive products and offers best-practice principles for the future. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Quantum teleportation via a two-qubit Heisenberg XXZ chain - effects of anisotropy and magnetic field

We study quantum teleportation via a two-qubit Heisenberg XXZ, chain under an inhomogeneous magnetic field. We first consider entanglement teleportation, and then focus on the teleportation fidelity under different conditions. The effects of anisotropy and the magnetic field, both uniform and inhomogeneous, are discussed. We also find that, though entanglement teleportation does require an entangled quantum channel, a nonzero critical value of minimum entanglement is not always necessary.

Entanglement evolution of a spin-chain bath coupled to a quantum spin

For an electron spin in coupling with an interacting spin chain via hyperfine-type interaction, we investigate the dynamical evolutions of the pairwise entanglement of the spin chain, and a correlation function joined the electron spin with a pair of chain spins in correspondence to the electron-spin coherence evolution. Both quantities manifest a periodic and a decaying evolution. The entanglement of the spin bath is significant in distinguishing the zero-coherence status exhibited in periodic and decoherence evolutions of the electron spin. The periodical concurrence evolution of the spin bath characterizes the whole system in a coherence-preserving phase, particularly for the case that the associated periodic coherence evolution is predominated by zero value in the infinite chain-length limit, which was often regarded as the realization of decoherence.

Thermal entanglement in a two-qubit Heisenberg XXZ spin chain under an inhomogeneous magnetic field

The thermal entanglement in a two-qubit Heisenberg XXZ spin chain is investigated under an inhomogeneous magnetic field b. We show that the ground-state entanglement is independent of the interaction of z-component J(z). The thermal entanglement at the fixed temperature can be enhanced when J(z) increases. We strictly show that for any temperature T and J(z), the entanglement is symmetric with respect to zero inhomogeneous magnetic field, and the critical inhomogeneous magnetic field b(c) is independent of J(z). The critical magnetic field B-c increases with the increasing parallel to b parallel to but the maximum entanglement value that the system can arrive at becomes smaller.

Global transposable characteristics in the complete DNA sequence of the yeast

Global transposable characteristics in the complete DNA sequence of the Saccharomyces cevevisiae yeast is determined by using the metric representation and recurrence plot methods. On the basis of the correlation distance of nucleotide strings, 16 chromosome sequences of the yeast, which are divided into 5 groups, display 4 kinds of the fundamental transposable characteristics: a short increasing period, a long increasing quasi-period, a long major value and hardly relevant.

川西亚高山森林生态系统辐射传输研究

辐射传输研究是贯穿森林生态系统的纽带，太阳辐射为植物的生长发育提供光合能量、适宜的环境温度以及发育信息。一方面，气候变化使到达地面辐射能的质和量发生变化，影响到植被的生长发育，改变森林的结构，而森林结构的变化又会影响林冠内辐射能的分配和质量，这些变化会进一步影响到林下土壤温度，改变森林根系活性以及土壤营养转化的效率；连锁反应的结果有可能会使森林生态系统的生产力发生变化，改变碳素和氮素源库的调节方向，从而反馈影响地球气候系统。另一方面，人类作为生态系统的成员，必然需要森林生态系统为其提供更多的原材料和更好的生态服务功能，如何实现这些目标，就需要人类适度调整干预方式和频度，达到预期的目的。本文在建立适合于川西亚高山森林的叶面积测量技术、光照辐射模型和土壤温度变化模型的基础上，对川西亚高山地带森林生态系统的辐射传输特征进行了分析，并从森林结构的角度探讨了林分内的辐射分布以及对土壤温度的影响。主要成果如下： 1. 提出了一种照相法测量叶面积的方法。通过对摆放在平面上的叶片照相，利用投影变化，把非正射图像转化为正射图像，然后经过计算机图像处理得到每一片叶片的面积、周长、长度、宽度等信息。这种方法可使用户以任意方向和距离拍摄处于平面上的叶片，能同时处理大量的叶片，适于野外离体或活体叶片测量。叶片面积分辨率可调，分辨率可以与常用的激光叶面积仪相近甚至更高，而且叶片图像可以存档查询。 2. 提出一种模拟林内光照变化的模型。利用林冠半球照片，记录视点以上半球内的林冠构件空间分布，作为林冠子模型；天空辐射子模型采用国际照明委员会(CIE)的标准晴天和阴天以及插值模型。该模型能够模拟林下某一位点处的实时光斑变化。 3. 提出一种土壤温度变化模型。把土壤视为具有容量和阻力性质的结构，利用电阻和电容器件构建土壤能量分布模型。外界太阳辐射能经过植被以及其它一些能量分配器后进入土壤，其中有一部分转化为土壤势能，即土壤温度。土壤温度的变化类似于电池的充放电过程。在已知模型参数的情况下，可以从太阳辐射计算土壤温度的变化。在模型参数未知的情况下，通过输入和输出值推算模型的参数，而模型参数中的时间常数与土壤组成和含水量有关，这样就可以知道土壤水分的变化情况。 4. 从王朗亚高山森林典型样地林分结构的测量获得林地三维结构图、树冠形态、叶面积密度等参数，这些参数输入到Brunner (1998)开发的tRAYci 模型中计算出一段时间内林分任意位置处的光照值。与林下辐射计测量值以及半球照片计算结果的比较，该模型基本上能够满足对林分光环境了解的要求。 5. 从川西亚高山森林生产力的角度，探讨了森林生产力研究的方法以及川西地区的研究历史和成果，发现了其中的一些规律和问题，特别是在叶面积测量上，还没有使用标准的叶面积指数定义。综合来看，川西地区针叶林叶面积指数(单位土地面积上植物冠层总叶面积的一半) 应在4-5 之间。降雨丰富的华西雨屏带是川西地区森林生产力最高的地区，而向西北森林生产力逐渐降低。川西地区云冷杉林森林生产力平均约为600 gDM m-2 a-1，但是根据辐射能计算的潜在生产力则达到1800 gDM m-2 a-1。实际与潜在森林生产力的巨大差异说明其它因子对生产力的影响。 6. 王朗亚高山3 个典型森林林分中，白桦林样地(BF) 林下草本以糙野青茅、牛至、紫菀等喜阳性物种为主，林下透光度较高；冷杉林样地(FF) 林下透光度最低，以喜阴性物种水金凤、蟹甲草、囊瓣芹等为主；而云杉林样地(SF)林分林龄最大，林下透光度介于冷杉林和白桦林之间，草本层仍然以喜阴性物种东方草莓、紫花碎米芥、酢浆草等为主。冷杉林和云杉林的灌木层也很丰富，卫矛属、五加属、茶藨子属、忍冬属植物很丰富，而在白桦林则以栒摘要子属、榛子属、鹅耳枥属等植物为主。藓类植物在云杉林中最丰富，并且形成毯状层，其它两个林分则很稀少。3 个样地林分结构与林下光环境有很强的相关性，从光环境特征可以在一定程度上推测林分的结构。各样地单纯从乔木层材积推算的NPP 排列顺序为BF>FF>SF，与林下辐射透射率和林分年龄的顺序相同，暗示辐射对群落演替过程的驱动作用。 7. 用半球照相法测得BF、FF 和SF 3 个样地的有效叶面积指数以SF 样地最高，BF 最低。如果考虑针叶树叶片在小枝上的丛聚分布，利用北方针叶林的数值进行校正，则SF 样地LAI 显著增加(达到89%)，其它样地的LAI 基本不变甚至有所下降。校正后的数值与文献中地面测量的结果较相近，说明在使用半球照相法测量川西亚高山针叶林LAI 时必须加以校正。 8. 在3 个样地中，白桦、岷江冷杉和方枝柏种群为丛聚分布，紫果云杉在FF和SF 样地中基本上为随机分布。3 个物种出现丛聚分布的最短距离约为2m，在最短距离以内则为随机分布。最短距离可能与树冠大小有关，种子传播特征以及对光照的需求状况可能是造成这种分布格局类型的原因。 Radiative transfer plays a key role in forest ecosystems. Solar radiation providesenergy for photosynthesis, appropriate ambient temperature and development informationfor plants. However, quality and quantity of radiation reaching land surface are affected byweather and subsequently influence the growth and development of plants, which in turnchanges the budget of radiation in forest. Soil temperature changes with the variation ofradiation under forest canopy and influences the activity of roots and rate of nutrientturnover. Thus, any changes of radiation will induce chain reactions in the entireecosystem and display in the value of net primary productivity which will possibly shiftthe relationship between carbon source and sink at local or regional scale and feed back tothe global climate system. On the other hand, as a component of ecosystems, humanbeings of course need to demand more materials and better service from ecosystems. Forthese purpose, man must adapt their pattern and frequency of interference to ecosystems.This paper aims to research on the canopy structure, the radiation distribution and theirinfluence on soil temperature from the process of radiative transfer in subalpine forestecosystem of western Sichuan. The main results are: 1 Present a new photogrammetric method for leaf area. The main idea is to convertnon-vertically taken images of planar leaves to orthoimages through projectivetransformation. The resultant images are used to get leaf morphological parametersthrough image processing. This method enables users to take photos at almost anyorientation and distance if only the leaves are placed on same plane, and to processlarge quantity of leaves in a short time, which is suitable for field measurement. Theresolution of leaf area is adjustable to fit for special requirement. 2 A model using hemispherical photos combining with solar tracks and radiation courseis provided to simulate light variation in forest. The hemispherical photos of canopyrecord the real spatial distribution of each element of plants viewed from a point. Skyradiance is simulated with CIE standard clear sky or cloudy sky model. This modelcan be used to simulate real time light variation under canopy. 3 Present a soil temperature model. Soil could be regarded as a body of resistor andcapacitor. Some of the budget of solar radiation in soil body is transformed into soilpotential energy, the soil temperature. Variation of soil temperature is driven by solarradiation, vegetation, soil properties, etc. This model has two parameters, one of whichis time constant and is related to soil water content. The inversed model can be used tosimulate the variation of soil water. 4 By using model tRAYci developed by Brunner (1998), the 3-D distribution of light inthree subalpine forest stands of Wanglang Nature Reserve has been simulated andvalidated with value of radiometers in these stands. This model can basically satisfythe need for understanding light regimes of these stands. 5 Present some principles and questions of NPP (net primary of productivity) researchesin western Sichuan. The standard leaf area index (LAI) defined by Chen and Black(1997) has not been used in this region. Total leaf area and projected leaf area indexare still used in NPP researches which may differ around 1-fold in magnitude. Thestandard LAI which is a half of total leaf area above unit land area should be between4 and 5 for typical subalpine coniferous forest of western Sichuan concluded fromliteratures. The maximum forest NPP occurs in West China rain belt and decreasesnorthwestwards. Average NPP of spruce-fir forest in western Sichuan is about600gDM m-2 a-1, which is below the potential NPP of 1800gDM m-2 a-1 based onmeasured radiation in this region. The significant difference between potential and realNPP suggests that other factors influence the growth of stands. 6 In the three subalpine forest stands of Wanglang Nature Reserve, herbage layer ofAbstractbirch stand (BF) with age of 40 is dominated by heliophytes of Deyeuxia scabrescens,Origanum vulgare, Aster tongoloa etc.. However, both of the other two stands aredominated by shade tolerent species, such as Impatiens noli-tangere, Impatiensdicentra, Cacalia deltophylla and Pternopetalum tanakae etc. in fir stand (FF) withage of 180 and Fragaria orientalis, Cardamine tangutorum and Oxalis corniculata etc.in spruce stand (SF) with age of 330. Shrub species in the latter two stands arerelatively rich, typical dominant genera being Euonymus, Acanthopanax, Ribes andLonicera. Birch stand has relatively sparse shrubs dominated by genera of Cotoneaster,Corylus and Carpinus. Mosses are significant only in spruce stand. The canopystructure controls the light regime of stand, which influence the composition of herblayers beneath the canopy. This light regime-community structure relationship can beused to infer the herb community from canopy structure. The NPP derived from timbervolume of arbor layer of the three stands decreases from BF to SF, which is in thesame order of transmitted total radiation under canopy and age of these stands,suggesting the driving effect of radiation in the succession of community. 7 The highest effective LAI of the three stands obtained by hemispherical photos is inplot SF and lowest in plot BF. After rectification of the clumping effect of leaves onshoot, the real LAI in plot SF increases significantly (89%) and approximate to theaverage LAI of coniferous forest in western Sichuan. Therefore, the LAI obtainedfrom hemispherical photos needs rectification for clumping effect. 8 Spatial distribution pattern for Betula platyphylla, Abies faxoniana and Sabinasaltuaria is clumpy, but Picea purpurea almost random in plot FF and SF. The shortestdistance for clumpy distribution for Betula platyphylla and Sabina saltuaria is 1.5m,and 2m for Abies faxoniana. And random pattern for these trees is exhibited within thisrange which almost coincides with the diameter of crown. Seed dispersalcharacteristics and light requirement may be the reason for different spatial pattern.

Retention modeling and simultaneous optimization of pH value and gradient steepness in RP-HPLC using feed-forward neural networks

A novel approach is proposed for the simultaneous optimization of mobile phase pH and gradient steepness in RP-HPLC using artificial neural networks. By presetting the initial and final concentration of the organic solvent, a limited number of experiments with different gradient time and pH value of mobile phase are arranged in the two-dimensional space of mobile phase parameters. The retention behavior of each solute is modeled using an individual artificial neural network. An "early stopping" strategy is adopted to ensure the predicting capability of neural networks. The trained neural networks can be used to predict the retention time of solutes under arbitrary mobile phase conditions in the optimization region. Finally, the optimal separation conditions can be found according to a global resolution function. The effectiveness of this method is validated by optimization of separation conditions for amino acids derivatised by a new fluorescent reagent.

Retention modeling and optimization of pH value and solvent composition in HPLC using back-propagation neural networks and uniform design

A novel method for the optimization of pH value and composition of mobile phase in HPLC using artificial neural networks and uniform design is proposed. As the first step. seven initial experiments were arranged and run according to uniform design. Then the retention behavior of the solutes is modeled using back-propagation neural networks. A trial method is used to ensure the predicting capability of neural networks. Finally, the optimal separation conditions can be found according to a global resolution function. The effectiveness of this method is validated by optimization of separation conditions for both basic and acidic samples.

A Global Crisis for Seagrass Ecosystems

Seagrasses, marine flowering plants, have a long evolutionary history but are now challenged with rapid environmental changes as a result of coastal human population pressures. Seagrasses provide key ecological services, including organic carbon production and export, nutrient cycling, sediment stabilization, enhanced biodiversity, and trophic transfers to adjacent habitats in tropical and temperate regions. They also serve as “coastal canaries,” global biological sentinels of increasing anthropogenic influences in coastal ecosystems, with large-scale losses reported worldwide. Multiple stressors, including sediment and nutrient runoff, physical disturbance, invasive species, disease, commercial fishing practices, aquaculture, overgrazing, algal blooms, and global warming, cause seagrass declines at scales of square meters to hundreds of square kilometers. Reported seagrass losses have led to increased awareness of the need for seagrass protection, monitoring, management, and restoration. However, seagrass science, which has rapidly grown, is disconnected from public awareness of seagrasses, which has lagged behind awareness of other coastal ecosystems. There is a critical need for a targeted global conservation effort that includes a reduction of watershed nutrient and sediment inputs to seagrass habitats and a targeted educational program informing regulators and the public of the value of seagrass meadows.

Conformational analysis of 2,2 '-bithiophene under interaction of external electric field defined by point charges

Conformational analysis of 2,2'-bithiophene (BT) under the influence of an electric field (EF) constructed by point charges has been performed by using semi-empirical Austin Model 1 (AM1) and Parametric model number 3 (PM3) calculations. When the EF perpendicular to the molecular conjugation chain is applied, both AM1 and PM3 calculations show an energy increase of the anti-conformation. AM1 predicts that the global minimum shifts to syn-conformation when the EF strength is larger than a critical value. and PM predicts that the local minimum in anti-conformation vanishes. This kind of EF effect has been ascribed to the EF and dipole moment interaction.

Experimental measurement of polyethylene chain modulus by scanning force microscopy

Nanoindentation technique and scanning force microscopy have been used to measure directly the polyethylene modulus along the chain axis. Single crystals of polyethylene were employed in order to obtain well-aligned chain segments. To minimize effects of scanner creep, a Z scan rate of 3 Hz was employed. The "X Rotate" value of 25 degrees was selected to eliminate effects of lateral tip motion. The results were analyzed by the Oliver -Pharr method for which direct observation and measurement of the contact area are not required. Considering the influence of tip roundness on the projected contact area, the nanoindentation results were analyzed by the Sawa method. The chain modulus obtained from the thinner polyethylene single crystal sample was 204 +/- 21 GPa by the Oliver-Pharr method and 168 +/- 17 GPa by the Sawa method. The lower values than expected were due to substrate effects and anisotropy of chain deformation during nanoindentation. An extrapolation of the chain modulus obtained by various strains to zero nanoindentation eliminated the effect of substrate and anisotropy of chain deformation. The corresponding chain modulus obtained from the thicker sample was 278 GPa by the Oliver-Pharr method and 267 GPa by the Sawa method, respectively, in better agreement with the value of 340 Cpa determined theoretically. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comblike polymer electrolyte with main chain glass transition near room temperature

A new amorphous comblike polymer (CBP) based on methylvinyl ether/maleic anhydride altering copolymer backbone and on oligooxyethylene side chain was synthesized. The dynamic mechanical properties of CBP and its Li salt complexes were investigated by means of DDV-11-EA type viscoelastic spectrometry. Results showed that there were two glass transitions (alpha-transition and beta-transition) in the temperature range from -100 to 100 degrees C. The beta-transition was assigned to oligo-PEO side chains and the temperature of beta-transition increases with increasing Li salt content. The alpha-transition was assigned to the main chain of CBP. The temperature of the alpha-transition (T-alpha) is also dependent upon the Li-salt content, but not monotonic. The value of T-alpha lies between 30-45 degrees C in the Li salt concentration range studied, near room temperature. It was found that the CBP-Li salt complexes showed an unusual dependence of ionic conductivity on Li salt content. There are two peaks in the plot of the ionic conductivity vs. Li salt concentration, which has been ascribed to the movability of the CBP main chain at ambient temperature. The temperature dependence bf the ionic conductivity indicated that the Arrhenius relationship was not obeyed, and the plot of log sigma against 1/(T - T-0) showed the unusual dual VTF behavior when using side chain glass transition temperature (T-beta) as T-0.

An extended variable-grid global ocean circulation model and its preliminary results of the equatorial Pacific circulation

To investigate the interaction between the tropical Pacific and China seas a variable-grid global ocean circulation model with fine grid[(1/6)degrees] covering the area from 20degreesS to 50degreesN and from 99degrees to 150degreesE is developed. Numerical computation of the annually cyclic circulation fields is performed. The results of the annual mean zonal currents and deep to abyssal western boundary currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are reported. The North Equatorial Current,the North Equatorial Countercurrent, the South Equatorial Current and the Equatorial Undercurrent are fairly well simulated. The model well reproduces the northward flowing abyssal western boundary current. From the model results a lower deep western boundary current east of the Bismarck-Solomon-New Hebrides Island chain at depths around 2 000 in has been found. The model results also show that the currents in the equatorial Pacific Ocean have multi-layer structures both in zonal currents and western boundary currents, indicating that the global ocean overturning thermohaline circulation appears of multi-layer pattern.

International retail divestment activity

Alexander, N.; Quinn, B.; and Cairns, P. (2005). International retail divestment activity. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. 33(1), pp.5-22 RAE2008

Monitoring the vegetation start of season (SOS) across the island of Ireland using the MERIS global vegetation index

The aim of this study was to develop a methodology, based on satellite remote sensing, to estimate the vegetation Start of Season (SOS) across the whole island of Ireland on an annual basis. This growing body of research is known as Land Surface Phenology (LSP) monitoring. The SOS was estimated for each year from a 7-year time series of 10-day composited, 1.2 km reduced resolution MERIS Global Vegetation Index (MGVI) data from 2003 to 2009, using the time series analysis software, TIMESAT. The selection of a 10-day composite period was guided by in-situ observations of leaf unfolding and cloud cover at representative point locations on the island. The MGVI time series was smoothed and the SOS metric extracted at a point corresponding to 20% of the seasonal MGVI amplitude. The SOS metric was extracted on a per pixel basis and gridded for national scale coverage. There were consistent spatial patterns in the SOS grids which were replicated on an annual basis and were qualitatively linked to variation in landcover. Analysis revealed that three statistically separable groups of CORINE Land Cover (CLC) classes could be derived from differences in the SOS, namely agricultural and forest land cover types, peat bogs, and natural and semi-natural vegetation types. These groups demonstrated that managed vegetation, e.g. pastures has a significantly earlier SOS than in unmanaged vegetation e.g. natural grasslands. There was also interannual spatio-temporal variability in the SOS. Such variability was highlighted in a series of anomaly grids showing variation from the 7-year mean SOS. An initial climate analysis indicated that an anomalously cold winter and spring in 2005/2006, linked to a negative North Atlantic Oscillation index value, delayed the 2006 SOS countrywide, while in other years the SOS anomalies showed more complex variation. A correlation study using air temperature as a climate variable revealed the spatial complexity of the air temperature-SOS relationship across the Republic of Ireland as the timing of maximum correlation varied from November to April depending on location. The SOS was found to occur earlier due to warmer winters in the Southeast while it was later with warmer winters in the Northwest. The inverse pattern emerged in the spatial patterns of the spring correlates. This contrasting pattern would appear to be linked to vegetation management as arable cropping is typically practiced in the southeast while there is mixed agriculture and mostly pastures to the west. Therefore, land use as well as air temperature appears to be an important determinant of national scale patterns in the SOS. The TIMESAT tool formed a crucial component of the estimation of SOS across the country in all seven years as it minimised the negative impact of noise and data dropouts in the MGVI time series by applying a smoothing algorithm. The extracted SOS metric was sensitive to temporal and spatial variation in land surface vegetation seasonality while the spatial patterns in the gridded SOS estimates aligned with those in landcover type. The methodology can be extended for a longer time series of FAPAR as MERIS will be replaced by the ESA Sentinel mission in 2013, while the availability of full resolution (300m) MERIS FAPAR and equivalent sensor products holds the possibility of monitoring finer scale seasonality variation. This study has shown the utility of the SOS metric as an indicator of spatiotemporal variability in vegetation phenology, as well as a correlate of other environmental variables such as air temperature. However, the satellite-based method is not seen as a replacement of ground-based observations, but rather as a complementary approach to studying vegetation phenology at the national scale. In future, the method can be extended to extract other metrics of the seasonal cycle in order to gain a more comprehensive view of seasonal vegetation development.