Computational methodology for analysis of historic composite structures

This paper details the computational methodology for analysis of the structural behaviour of historic composite structures. The modelling approach is based on finite element analysis and has been developed to aid the efficient and inexpensive computational mechanics of complex composite structures. The discussion is primarily focussed on the modelling methodology and analysis of structural designs that comprise of structural beam components acting as stiffeners to a wider shell part of the structure. A computational strategy for analysis of this type of composite structures that exploits their representation through smeared shell models is detailed in the paper.

Precipitation of heavy metals from wastewater using simulated flue gas: sequent additions of fly ash, lime and carbon dioxide

Lime is a preferred precipitant for the removal of heavy metals from industrial wastewater due to its relatively low cost. To reduce heavy metal concentration to an acceptable level for discharge, in this work, fly ash was added as a seed material to enhance lime precipitation and the suspension was exposed to CO2 gas. The fly ash-lime-carbonation treatment increased the particle size of the precipitate and significantly improved sedimentation of sludge and the efficiency of heavy metal removal. The residual concentrations of chromium, copper, lead and zinc in effluents can be reduced to (mg L-1) 0.08, 0.14, 0.03 and 0.45, respectively. Examination of the precipitates by XRD and thermal analysis techniques showed that calcium-heavy metal double hydroxides and carbonates were present. The precipitate agglomerated and hardened naturally, facilitating disposal without the need for additional solidification/stabilization measures prior to landfill. It is suggested that fly ash, lime and CO2, captured directly from flue gas, may have potential as a method for wastewater treatment. This method could allow the ex-situ sequestration of CO2, particularly where flue-gas derived CO2 is available near wastewater treatment facilities. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of lightweight aggregate from industrial waste and carbon dioxide

The concomitant recycling of waste and carbon dioxide emissions is the subject of developing technology designed to close the industrial process loop and facilitate the bulk-re-use of waste in, for example, construction. The present work discusses a treatment step that employs accelerated carbonation to convert gaseous carbon dioxide into solid calcium carbonate through a reaction with industrial thermal residues. Treatment by accelerated carbonation enabled a synthetic aggregate to be made from thermal residues and waste quarry fines. The aggregates produced had a bulk density below 1000 kg/m3 and a high water absorption capacity. Aggregate crushing strengths were between 30% and 90% stronger than the proprietary lightweight expanded clay aggregate available in the UK. Cast concrete blocks containing the carbonated aggregate achieve compressive strengths of 24 MPa, making them suitable for use with concrete exposed to non-aggressive service environments. The energy intensive firing and sintering processes traditionally required to produce lightweight aggregates can now be augmented by a cold-bonding, low energy method that contributes to the reduction of green house gases to the atmosphere.

Characterization of carbonated tricalcium silicate and its sorption capacity for heavy metals: A micron-scale composite adsorbent of active silicate gel and calcite

Adsorption-based processes are widely used in the treatment of dilute metal-bearing wastewaters. The development of versatile, low-cost adsorbents is the subject of continuing interest. This paper examines the preparation, characterization and performance of a micro-scale composite adsorbent composed of silica gel (15.9 w/w%), calcium silicate hydrate gel (8.2 w/w%) and calcite (75.9 w/w%), produced by the accelerated carbonation of tricalcium silicate (C(3)S, Ca(3)SiO(5)). The Ca/Si ratio of calcium silicate hydrate gel (C-S-H) was determined at 0.12 (DTA/TG), 0.17 ((29)Si solid-state MAS/NMR) and 0.18 (SEM/EDS). The metals-retention capacity for selected Cu(II), Pb(II), Zn(II) and Cr(III) was determined by batch and column sorption experiments utilizing nitrate solutions. The effects of metal ion concentration, pH and contact time on binding ability was investigated by kinetic and equilibrium adsorption isotherm studies. The adsorption capacity for Pb(II), Cr(III), Zn(II) and Cu(II) was found to be 94.4 mg/g, 83.0 mg/g, 52.1 mg/g and 31.4 mg/g, respectively. It is concluded that the composite adsorbent has considerable potential for the treatment of industrial wastewater containing heavy metals.

Manufacturing knowledge verification in design support systems

This paper identifies the need for a verification methodology for manufacturing knowledge in design support systems; and proposes a suitable methodology based on the concept of ontological commitment and the PSL ontology (ISO/CD18629). The use of the verification procedures within an overall system development methodology is examined, and an understanding of how various categories of manufacturing knowledge (typical to design support systems) map onto the PSL ontology is developed. This work is also supported by case study material from industrial situations, including the casting and machining of metallic components. The PSL ontology was found to support the verification of most categories of manufacturing knowledge, and was shown to be particularly suited to process planning representations. Additional concepts and verification procedures were however needed to verify relationships between products and manufacturing processes. Suitable representational concepts and verification procedures were therefore developed, and integrated into the proposed knowledge verification methodology.

Association for Learning Technology Annual Survey 2014 Data and Report

This is the first report from ALT’s new Annual Survey launched in December 2014. This survey was primarily for ALT members (individual or at an organisation which is an organisational member) it could however also be filled in by others, perhaps those interested in taking out membership. The report and data highlight emerging work areas that are important to the survey respondents. Analysis of the survey responses indicates a number of areas ALT should continue to support and develop. Priorities for the membership are ‘Intelligent use of learning technology’ and ‘Research and practice’, aligned to this is the value placed by respondent’s on by communication via the ALT Newsletter/News, social media and Research in Learning Technology. The survey also reveals ‘Data and Analytics’ and ‘Open Education’ are areas where the majority of respondents are finding are becoming increasingly important. As such our community may benefit from development opportunities ALT can provide. The survey is also a reminder that ALT has an essential role in enabling members to develop research and practice in areas which might be considered as minority interest. For example whilst the majority of respondents didn't indicate areas such as ‘Digital and Open Badges’, and ‘Game Based Learning’ as important there are still members who consider these areas are very significant and becoming increasingly valuable and as such ALT will continue to better support these groups within our community. Whilst ALT has conducted previous surveys of ALT membership this is the first iteration in this form. ALT has committed to surveying the sector on an annual basis, refining the core question set but trying to preserve an opportunity for longitudinal analysis.

Turning the categories inside-out: Complex identifications and multiple interactions in religious ethnography

This paper challenges the fixed boundaries that ethnographers have often constructed between religious insiders and outsiders. Drawing on Neitz's observations, it argues that the main task of reflexive fieldwork is locating the self in relation to ambiguous and shifting boundaries. We offer a comparative analysis of the experiences of two differently socially located researchers to illustrate how religious identity emerges as a continuum, on which one's place is negotiated with one's research participants. We also examine the importance of intersecting multiple identities. Finally, the paper questions whether social identity categories are the primary way that we relate with our respondents. It explores the spiritual and emotional dimensions of research relationships and argues that these may transform, reinforce and generally interact with social identities. Comparing our experiences, we outline the consequences of these reflections for data gathering and analysis.

The impact of adversity in childhood on outcomes in adulthood: research lessons and limitations

Summary: Current UK Government policy is concerned with the possible connections between childhood adversity, social exclusion and negative outcomes in adulthood. Understanding the impact of adverse childhood experiences on outcomes in adulthood is therefore key to informing effective policy and practice. In this article, the research on the impact of childhood adversity on outcomes in adulthood is reviewed in the broad categories of: mental health and social functioning; physical health; offending; service use; and economic impact. The literature on resilience that focuses on those who experience adversity, but do not have associated negative outcomes is also briefly considered. The strengths and limitations of the range of research methods used are then examined. Findings: Previous studies have tended to focus on specific forms of adversity, predominantly abuse and neglect, and either: specific populations and specific outcomes; specific populations and general outcomes; or general populations and specific outcomes. This means there may be incomplete understanding of the inputs (the range of adverse experiences in childhood), the processes (how these may affect people) and the outcomes (across domains in adulthood). Applications: It is concluded that it is important for social work researchers to engage in the current debate about how to prevent harmful childhood adversity and there is an important gap in the research for more interdisciplinary large-scale general population studies that consider the full range of childhood adversity and associated impacts across time and the possible processes involved.

The Philosophy and Practice of Interpretivist Research in Entrepreneurship Quality, Validation, and Trust

Knowledge production in entrepreneurship requires inclusivity as well as diversity and pluralism in research perspectives and approaches. In this article, the authors address concerns about interpretivist research regarding validity, reliability, objectivity, generalizability, and communicability of results that militate against its more widespread acceptance. Following the nonfoundationalist argument that all observation is theory-laden, context specific, and that there are no external criteria against which to assess research design and execution and the data produced, the authors propose that quality must be internalized within the underlying research philosophy rather than something to be tested upon completion. This requires a shift from the notion of validity as an outcome to validation as a process. To elucidate this, they provide a guiding framework and present a case illustration that will assist an interpretivist entrepreneurship researcher to establish and demonstrate the quality of their work.

Fully hardware based WFQ architecture for high-speed QoS packet scheduling

A full hardware implementation of a Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) packet scheduler is proposed. The circuit architecture presented has been implemented using Altera Stratix II FPGA technology, utilizing RLDII and QDRII memory components. The circuit can provide fine granularity Quality of Service (QoS) support at a line throughput rate of 12.8Gb/s in its current implementation. The authors suggest that, due to the flexible and scalable modular circuit design approach used, the current circuit architecture can be targeted for a full ASIC implementation to deliver 50 Gb/s throughput. The circuit itself comprises three main components; a WFQ algorithm computation circuit, a tag/time-stamp sort and retrieval circuit, and a high throughput shared buffer. The circuit targets the support of emerging wireline and wireless network nodes that focus on Service Level Agreements (SLA's) and Quality of Experience.

Life-Cycle Energy Analysis of a Modular/Off-Site Building School

This paper is concerned with assessing the building’s the energy efficiency and qualities of a modular design for the education industry, in order assess the long economic benefits. The research includes a life-cycle energy and cost analysis of the school building design, predicting the impact on the operational cost of the building as a result of the addition of photovoltaic panels. The paper also includes a comparative study between the ECO Modular Solutions building, and a current standard prefabricated school building, quantifying the savings in CO2 emissions and savings in cost.

Participatory Action Research with and within community activist groups: capturing the collective experience of Ireland's Community and Voluntary Pillar

The inclusion of community activists in policy planning is increasingly recognized at the highest international level. This article shows how the use of Participatory Action Research (PAR) can present a deeper and more holistic picture of the experiences of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in shaping national-level social policy. By utilizing action-based research, the Community and Voluntary Pillar (CVP) of Ireland’s system of social partnership is shown to be an important agent in deliberating national bargaining outcomes (known as the Towards 2016 national agreement). The key contribution of this research is the reflective methodological considerations in terms of PAR design, execution and participant integration in the research process as a way to enrich and develop a deeper and more informed community of practice.

IRIDE:Interdisciplinary research infrastructure based on dual electron linacs and lasers

This paper describes the scientific aims and potentials as well as the preliminary technical design of IRIDE, an innovative tool for multi-disciplinary investigations in a wide field of scientific, technological and industrial applications. IRIDE will be a high intensity "particles factory", based on a combination of high duty cycle radio-frequency superconducting electron linacs and of high energy lasers. Conceived to provide unique research possibilities for particle physics, for condensed matter physics, chemistry and material science, for structural biology and industrial applications, IRIDE will open completely new research possibilities and advance our knowledge in many branches of science and technology. IRIDE is also supposed to be realized in subsequent stages of development depending on the assigned priorities. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.