Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of A Methodology For Assessing Safety & Operational Reporting Within Safety Critical Industries, Maria Chiara Leva, Ewan Douglas, Sam Cromie

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Develop a best-practice model based on literature and industrial experience

• Industrial Case Studies to allow a cross industrial comparison

• Develop a suite of techniques that can be used cross-industry to assess the effectiveness of a reporting system

• Propose a theoretical framework for the effective implementation of risk and hazard reporting as an input for safety management

A Printed Triangular Monopole With Wideband Circular Polarization, Afshin Panahi, Xiulong Bao, Giuseppe Ruvio, Max Ammann

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A printed triangular monopole antenna with wideband circular polarization is presented. The wideband circular polarization is achieved by asymmetrical excitation of a triangular ground plane and planar triangular monopole. The combined radiation provides a wide axial-ratio bandwidth spanning from 1.42 to 2.7 GHz (62%). A parametric study of key geometric parameters is given for clear understanding of the radiation mechanism.

Taking Public Access To The Law Seriously: The Problem Of Private Control Over The Availability Of Federal Standards, Nina A. Mendelson

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In the 1930s, Harvard professor Erwin Griswold famously complained about the enormous numbers of New Deal regulations that were obscurely published on individual sheets or in “separate paper pamphlets.” Finding these binding federal rules was difficult, leading to “chaos” and an “intolerable” situation. Congress responded, requiring that agencies publish all rules in the Federal Register and in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Currently, recent federal public laws, the entire U.S. Code, the Federal Register, and the CFR are all freely available online as well as in governmental depository libraries. But with respect to thousands of federal regulations, the clock …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Playout Delay Adjustments Introduced By Voip Jitter Buffers On Listening Speech Quality, Peter Počta, Hugh Melvin, Andrew Hines

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This paper investigates the impact of frequent and small playout delay adjustments (time-shifting) of 30 ms or less introduced to silence periods by Voice over IP (VoIP) jitter buffer strategies on listening quality perceived by the end user. In particular, the quality impact is assessed using both a subjective method (quality scores obtained from subjective listening test) and an objective method based on perceptual modelling. Two different objective methods are used, PESQ (Perceptual Evaluation of Speech Quality, ITU-T Recommendation P.862) and POLQA (Perceptual Objective Listening Quality Assessment, ITU-T Recommendation P.863). Moreover, the relative accuracy of both objective models is assessed …

What Patients With Disability Teach Us About The Everyday Ethics Of Healthcare, Elizabeth Pendo

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In Healers: Extraordinary Clinicians at Work, by David Schenck and Dr. Larry Churchill, and in What Patients Teach: The Everyday Ethics of Health Care, their follow-up with Joseph Fanning, the authors look at the everyday experience of health care and the relationships that shape it. They call attention to the ethical dimensions of the clinical encounter and the hope for, and desirability of, a genuine human engagement between the clinician and the patient. In their view, healers are clinicians who cultivate a therapeutic relationship with their patients. They identify a set of skills that accomplish this, including welcoming …

The Case For Evidence-Based Free Exercise Accommodation: Why The Religious Freedom Restoration Act Is Bad Public Policy, Marci A. Hamilton

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No abstract provided.

Why Instrumentalism Matters, Kyron Huigens

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No abstract provided.

O'Connor's Canons: The Professional Responsibility Jurisprudence Of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Steven H. Hobbs

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No abstract provided.

Economics, Eq, And Finance: The Next Frontier In Legal Education, Pamela Bucy Pierson

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No abstract provided.

King John, Magna Carta And The Origins Of English Legal Rights, Paul M. Pruitt Jr.

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No abstract provided.

Mind Mapping: Overcoming Problems Of Writer Identity And Convention For Academic Writing By Student Collaboration, Carmel O'Reilly

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This article will consider Mind Mapping as an eLearning tool for the enhancement of learning and assessment within the discipline of academic writing. Building on research which relates to the use of Mind Mapping by students of English as a foreign language (EFL), this article will reflect specifically on students taking a module in Applied Writing on a Mature Access Foundation Programme (MAFP), at Institution X. It goes on to explore existing research in order to highlight two key problems student writers have in common: firstly, writer identity and the affective domain of writing and second, the conventions of academic …

Individualized Injunctions And No-Modification Terms: Challenging "Anti-Reform" Provisions In Arbitration Clauses, Myriam E. Gilles

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The Supreme Court’s recent decisions in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion and American Express v. Italian Colors have considered only whether class actions for monetary damages may be barred by arbitration clauses requiring individual adjudication. The Justices have not examined the enforceability of arbitration clauses or arbitral rules which explicitly prohibit claimants from seeking or arbitrators from granting broad injunctive relief in an individual dispute. I term these "anti-reform" provisions because they broadly prohibit an individual arbitral claimant from seeking to end a practice, change a rule, or enjoin an act that causes injury to itself and to similarly-situated non-parties. This …

Flexoelectric Behaiour Of A Bimesogenic Liquid Crystal, R. Balachandran, V. P. Panov, Yuri Panarin, M. G. Tamba, G. H. Mehl, J. K. Song, J. K. Vij

Articles

The effective flexoelectric coefficient and flexoelectric polarization are investigated for a bimesogenic liquid crystal CBC11CB with a twist bend nematic phase (Ntb). The effective flexoelectric coefficients for CBC11CB in the ordinary nematic phase (N) are obtained to be much larger in comparison to conventional calamitics, and is almost twice higher for CBC11CB than that reported for another odd symmetric bimesogen. The flexoelectric polarization (Pf) in the N phase is found to be almost 2.5 times higher than in rod-like molecules. Additionally, Pf is obtained to be much larger in the Ntb phase than in the nematic phase

Experience The Future: Papers From The Second National Symposium On Experiential Education In Law: Alliance For Experiential Learning In Law, Christine N. Cimini, Roberto L. Corrada, Myra Berman, Christine E. Cerniglia, Katherine R. Kruse

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On June 13-15, 2014 the Second National Symposium on Experiential Educa­tion in Law took place in Greensboro, North Carolina. The Alliance for Experi­ential Learning in Law and Elon University School of Law hosted the symposium, with the support of Northeastern University School of Law. Presenters included professors and practitioners across multiple disciplines, in­cluding business, medicine, and architecture, and they shared their insights about the value of experiential education in their fields. Working from the Alliance for Experiential Learning in Law also presented their findings and distributed a set of working papers, which eventually culminated into this report. The report covers …

The Lost "Art" Of The Patent System, Sean M. O'Connor

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Patent systems emerged in the early modern period of the West to incentivize development and dissemination of skills-based artisanal innovations. This approach appears to have been adopted by the Framers in drafting the Intellectual Property Clause.

Only later, in the Industrial Revolution, did ‘‘science’’ and ‘‘technology’’ begin to displace ‘‘art’’ as the perceived object of the U.S. patent system. This was in large part because of the emergence of the concept of ‘‘technology’’ itself as science-based innovation in artisanal and mechanized production.

The loss of an ‘‘art’’-based concept of the patent system is arguably causing some of the confusion over …

Have Fun With Strategic Planning, Kellye Y. Testy

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No abstract provided.

Lighting Design In Europe: Aligning The Demands For Lower Energy Usage With Better Quality., Kevin Kelly, James Duff

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Lighting design is one of the fastest changing areas in building engineering. It has evolved significantly in recent years due to changing technology and demands for improved quality, better control, reduced energy and sustainability. This paper is an overview of what is happening in Europe and elsewhere and examines the literature to find that latest recommendations in the Code for Lighting issued by the SLL (Society of Light and Lighting) in the UK change previous demands for equal illuminance across a working plane to more specific and demanding criteria. There are recommendations for qualitative metrics and better distribution of light …

How Profitable Are Wind Turbine Projects? An Empirical Analysis Of A 3.5 Mw Wind Farm In Ireland, Tony Kealy, Martin Barrett, Derek Kearney

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With many electricity markets worldwide deregulated or in the process of deregulation, the opportunity for smaller independent generators to provide power to their local power system has increased. For smaller independent wind developers assessing the feasibility of a large scale wind farm project is vitally important due to significant risk associated with the investment. This paper presents a longitudinal case study of a 3.5 MW wind farm situated in the North East of Ireland utilising multiple sources of empirical data obtained over a three year period following commissioning. The findings suggest that an average yearly capacity factor of 34% was …

Occurrence Of Five Different Orthogonal Smectic Phases In A Bent-Core (Bc) Liquid Crystal, S. Sreenilayam, Yuri Panarin, J. K. Vij, A. Lehmann, C. Tschierske

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Five orthogonal smectic phases (Sm-A, Sm-Ab, Sm-APR, Sm-APAR, and Sm-APA) were observed in a 4-cyanoresorcinol bisbenzoate with twoterephthalate–based wings achiral bent-core(BC) compound. The phase behavior was investigated by polarising optical microscopy, second harmonic electro-optic response(EO2) and dielectric spectroscopy. The field dependent biaxiality of polar and non-polar Sm-A phases was studied. It is obviously of enormous scientific significance and practical interest to find five different orthogonal smectic phases in a low molecular weight bent-core (BC) compound at relatively low temperatures.

A Quantum Theory Of Consciousness May Require A Paradigm Shift In Biology, Maurice Goodman

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It is often assumed that the known physical laws form a closed system and are complete. It is also assumed that biological theories require no additional principles that are fundamental other than those we already know. Assumptions such as these are acting as a barrier to progress in biological theories and an understanding of consciousness. This paper examines the unexplained inconsistencies among fundamental particles and forces and the fundamental gaps in our knowledge of biology and the cell in particular that may impact on such progress. Also, the laws of quantum mechanics are examined and found to be grossly incomplete. …

Improved Harmonic Suppression Efficiency Of Single-Phase Apfs In Distorted Distribution Systems, Samet Biricik, Soydan Redif, Shafiuzzaman Khadem, Malabika Basu

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In this study, a control method is proposed to improve the harmonic suppression efficiency of the single phase active power filter in a distorted power system to suppress current harmonics and reactive power. The proposed method uses the self-tuning filter (STF) algorithm to process single phase grid voltage in order to provide a uniform reference grid current, which increases the efficiency of the system. The results of the simulation study are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control technique in this study.

High Sensitivity Refractive Index Sensor Based On A Tapered Small Core Single-Mode Fiber Structure., Dejun Liu, Arun Mallik, Jinhui Yuan, Chongxiu Yu, Gerald Farrell, Yuliya Semenova, Qiang Wu

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A high sensitivity refractive index (RI) sensor based on a tapered small core single-mode fiber (SCSMF) structure sandwiched between two traditional single-mode fibers (SMF28) is reported. The microheater brushing technique was employed to fabricate the tapered fiber structures with different waist diameters of 12.5, 15.0, and 18.8 μm. Experiments demonstrate that the fiber sensor with a waist diameter of 12.5 μm offers the best sensitivity of 19212.5  nm/RIU19212.5  nm/RIU (RI unit) in the RI range of 1.4304 to 1.4320. All sensors fabricated in this Letter show good linearity in terms of the spectral wavelength shift versus changes in RI. Furthermore, …

Recruitment And Selection Strategies In Optometric Education Towards Addressing Human Resource Disparities In Sub-Saharan Africa, Vanessa Moodley, James Loughman, Kovin S. Naidoo

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The dire need for eye care services and a dearth of human resources (HR) in sub-Saharan Africa motivated the setting up of new optometry programmes. However, to make a meaningful impact, geographical, gender, economic and educational disparities must additionally be addressed. A qualitative study utilizing purposive sampling to select academic leadership and students from optometry programmes in sub-Saharan Africa was conducted. Individual and focus group interviews produced data that were coded and analysed using a deductive thematic analysis approach. The themes that emerged as contributing to disparities in access through recruitment and selection were institutional barriers (student intake numbers, programme …

Identification Of Key Proteins In Human Epithelial Cells Responding To Bystander Signals From Irradiated Trout Skin, Hayley Furlong, Richard Smith, Jiaxi Wang, Colin Seymour, Carmel Mothersill, Orla L. Howe

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Radiation-induced bystander signaling has been found to occur in live rainbow trout fish (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This article reports identification of key proteomic changes in a bystander reporter cell line (HaCaT) grown in low-dose irradiated tissue-conditioned media (ITCM) from rainbow trout fish. In vitro explant cultures were generated from the skin of fish previously exposed to low doses (0.1 and 0.5 Gy) of X-ray radiation in vivo. The ITCM was harvested from all donor explant cultures and placed on recipient HaCaT cells to observe any change in protein expression caused by the bystander signals. Proteomic methods using 2-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis …

Critical Perspectives On Police, Policing, And Mass Incarceration, Richard Delgado, Jean Stefancic

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Shows that aggressive policing is only one of a number of measures that society uses to control minority groups with whom it is displeased for some reason and that failing to see how the authorities deploy the different measures separately serially or in coordinated fashion is a serious mistake Sketches a new form of policing that is respectful of minority residents and values and provides a framework for reducing excessive incarceration and mitigating some of the cruelties associated with it

The Road To, And Through, Heart Of Atlanta Motel, Alberto B. Lopez

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No abstract provided.

Cooperation Before Consolidation In Investor Protection Symposium: The Promise And Perils Of Convergence In Financial Regulation And Consumer Protection, Kenneth M. Rosen

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No abstract provided.

Personal Jurisdiction Based On The Local Effects Of Intentional Misconduct, Allan Erbsen

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Intentional misconduct frequently has extraterritorial consequences. Terrorist attacks, toxic pollution, civil rights violations, and other intentional torts can cause harm within a state despite originating outside the state. Those harms raise a vexing constitutional question: when do the local effects of intentional wrongdoing authorize personal jurisdiction over a defendant whose conduct occurred outside the forum? The answer has several significant implications. Granting or denying jurisdiction allocates power between states in a way that can support or undermine regulatory interests, imposes burdens on the parties that can impede access to justice, and alters risk assessments that shape both socially desirable and …

Reorienting Personal Jurisdiction Doctrine Around Horizontal Federalism Rather Than Liberty After Walden V. Fiore, Allan Erbsen

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The Supreme Court’s jurisprudence addressing personal jurisdiction has vacillated between different rationales for limiting judicial authority. Some decisions emphasize liberty, some invoke federalism, and some rely on both. This Article uses the Court’s 2014 decision in Walden v. Fiore to show that recent emphasis on gilded rhetoric about liberty blurs the distinction between venue and jurisdiction, misconstrues the relevant private interests, and fails to consider the allocation of authority among coequal states in a federal system. Walden held that adjudication of a civil suit in a Nevada federal court rather than in a Georgia federal court would infringe the defendant’s …

A Critical Take On Group Regulation Of Insurers In The United States, Daniel Schwarcz

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U.S. insurance regulation focuses predominantly on individual insurance entities, rather than on groups of commonly owned and managed companies. Yet the bailout of AIG and emerging international norms increasingly suggest that effective insurance regulation must operate on both a legal-entity and a group-wide basis. For this reason, state insurance regulators have in recent years focused renewed attention on group insurance regulation. These efforts have produced a “windows and walls” framework for group regulation that attempts to insulate individual insurance companies from potential financial risks associated with their parents and affiliates (“walls”), while simultaneously allowing regulators to remain attuned to these …