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The government supports the purchase of nearly 6,900 electric bicycles
In the tender for the purchase of electric bicycles, 97% of the applicants won a total of nearly HUF 736 million.
Tamás Schanda, Parliamentary and Strategic State Secretary of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology, said in a statement on Monday that the priority goal of the Climate and Nature Action Plan is to green transport, and the ministry has thus launched a call for proposals to encourage environmentally friendly cycling.
The 12th round of the call, which recently closed, will provide winners with a contribution of up to HUF 90,000 per person for the purchase of nearly 5,000 pedal-operated bicycles. Thanks to the program, more than 1,900 additional torque-sensing bicycles will be available with maximum support of HUF 150,000.
Schanda said that the main mission of the program is to encourage people who drive to work to choose cycling instead. Cleaner, quieter and less crowded streets thanks to bicycles will improve the quality of urban life.
The state secretary recalled that the ministry is also accelerating the greening of transportation through the Green Bus Program. The introduction of electric buses will reduce noise and air pollution in municipalities with a population of over 25,000.
In total, the government has already spent more than HUF 20 billion on incentives for clean electric vehicles. | https://hungarianinsider.com/the-government-supports-the-purchase-of-nearly-6900-electric-bicycles-8945/ |
More than $900 million in environmentally friendly measures formed part of the B.C. government’s 2019 budget, unveiled Tuesday.
Among the highlights are cash for clean energy retrofits, electric vehicle rebates, and climate action tax credits that will open doors to “new, clean opportunities,” Finance Minister Carole James said.
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B.C. Budget 2019: Big dollars earmarked for climate action plan Back to video
The spending is intended to fund initiatives under CleanBC, the NDP’s and Green Party’s recently announced climate action plan, James said.
“With CleanBC, we are building a strong, sustainable, low-carbon economy for the future. We are protecting the place we call home,” she said.
Included in the budget are $42 million in point of sale incentives for zero-emission vehicles, $6 million in light-duty fleet rebates and $10 million in incentives for clean buses and heavy-duty vehicles. Another $30 million is budgeted for new fast-charging and hydrogen feeling stations. | https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-budget-2019-big-dollars-earmarked-for-climate-action-plan/ |
Costa Rica’s new president, 38-year-old former journalist Carlos Alvarado, recently announced a plan to make his country the first carbon-neutral nation in the world by 2021, the 200th anniversary of its independence.
“Decarbonization is the great task of our generation and Costa Rica must be one of the first countries in the world to accomplish it, if not the first,” Alvarado said in May in his inauguration speech. ”We have the titanic and beautiful task of abolishing the use of fossil fuels in our economy to make way for the use of clean and renewable energies.”
Many news outlets interpreted this as a decision to ban fossil fuels.
But these stories are misleading.
Costa Rica does not have a ban because it does not have a law restricting the use of fossil fuels, nor does it plan to. But it did just ramp up its ambition in reducing its contribution to climate change.
“Some people have misunderstood the President’s declarations because we don’t plan to ban the use of fossil fuels, we plan to phase them out through new policies and incentives so that eventually, down the road, they will be useless,” Costa Rica’s Minister of Environment and Energy Carlos Manuel Rodríguez told me in an email.
A goal of carbon neutrality allows for coal, oil, and gasoline combustion, provided that their greenhouse gas emissions are offset elsewhere. Those offsets can come from planting forests, employing better land management, or perhaps someday even pulling carbon dioxide straight from the air.
But by aiming for carbon neutrality by 2021, the tiny Central American country is signaling it wants to beat larger, wealthier countries to environmental glory. The United Kingdom is weighing going to zero net emissions by 2050. The Netherlands is considering a similar goal. Germany is hoping to reduce its emissions 95 percent but is on track to miss its 2020 targets.
Costa Rica’s climate change targets are ambitious, aggressive, and difficult
Home to 4.8 million people, Costa Rica has long punched above its weight on climate change policy and action, and has produced many leaders who’ve promoted aggressive, progressive environmental policies on the international stage.
Former President José María Figueres served on United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s Advisory Group on Climate Change and Energy. His younger sister, Christiana Figueres, led the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the group that convened the 2015 Paris climate agreement.
Costa Rica famously has had no army since 1948 and in 1994 amended its constitution to include a right to a healthy environment for its citizens. Today, it already gets almost all of its electricity from renewable sources, with 80 percent coming from hydropower. Costa Rica can power itself for months at a time drawing solely on renewables, running for a record 300 days on clean sources in 2017.
So when it comes to greening its economy, Costa Rica has an enviable head start.
Yet even with this early lead, Costa Rica has struggled to hit its targets. In 2008, it set out to become carbon-neutral by 2021, but the goalposts were then moved back to 2085 in 2015 during the negotiations for the Paris climate agreement.
Now the new administration is restoring the previous goal of carbon neutrality by 2021 and is focusing on transportation, one of the largest contributors to climate change around the world and one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize. In Costa Rica, transportation accounts for two-thirds of emissions.
Using incentives for cleaner vehicles, particularly electric cars, the government aims to clear the home stretch in decarbonization.
Of course the simplest way to get to carbon neutrality is to limit how much carbon you use to begin with. Cutting off the supply of fossil fuels is one way to do this, but Costa Rica is implementing a much more conventional incentive-driven plan to get the rest of the way to zero net emissions.
Right now, the challenge is that it’s hard to come up with a battery or fuel cell that can outperform gasoline or diesel in cars, trucks, buses, aircraft, and ships. The alternative fuels require chargers or dedicated fueling stations, but Costa Rica is largely starting from scratch.
And as the country’s economy grows, demand for cars is rising. In 2016, there were twice as many cars registered as babies born. More than 60 percent of the country commutes by diesel buses or trains, which provides another opportunity for electrification. The country already ranks second in per capita emissions in Central America.
But in 2016, there were just 107 plug-in electric cars sold in the country. Many Costa Ricans cite the higher price of electric vehicles as the main obstacle.
To drive down costs, Costa Rica is lifting taxes on electric vehicles to encourage their adoption, but 22 percent of Costa Rica’s revenue comes from taxes on fossil fuels, mostly in transportation. That means switching to cleaner cars could throttle the government’s funding stream, further contributing to Costa Rica’s rising deficit.
Other countries are also struggling with how to balance real-world financial constraints with curbing their emissions, but Costa Rica is going further and faster than most, so it’s an important country to watch and learn from in the fight against climate change. | http://www.rapidshift.net/costa-rica-is-moving-toward-carbon-neutrality-faster-than-any-other-country-in-the-world/ |
As the primary producer of hydroelectric power in the Canadian province of Quebec, Hydro-Quebec is well-situated to advocate for the use of electric vehicles. The utility is participating in several pilot studies intended to determine how to best integrate these vehicles into the grid.
By Hydro-Quebec
The Canadian province of Quebec faces a challenge common among many countries: reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. For example, in its Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, completed in 2010, the U.S. government concluded that GHG emissions increased by 17 percent from 1990 to 2007. Quebec has set a target of reducing GHG emissions to 20 percent by 2020, compared to 1990 levels. The target for Canada as a whole is a 17 percent reduction from 2005 levels.
As the above numbers show, GHG emissions pose a significant challenge. Is there a way to overcome this challenge? And how can hydropower help?
Worldwide, the two largest sources of GHG emissions are electricity generation and transportation.1 Depending on how a country produces its electricity, some can generate significantly lower levels of GHG emissions from this sector than others.
In the fight against climate change, hydropower makes an important contribution. Hydroelectric stations that use water stored in a reservoir to produce electricity emit 40 times fewer GHGs than natural gas stations and 100 times fewer emissions than coal-fired stations. According to life cycle analysis performed by Hydro-Quebec, for plants with equivalent energy output, GHG emissions from a hydro station with a reservoir in a northern region are comparable to those from wind generation and less than a quarter of those from photovoltaic solar generation.2
Hydropower represents about 16 percent of the world’s electricity generation capacity. In Canada, about 60 percent of electricity is generated from hydropower. Hydro-Quebec, the provincial utility in Quebec, has a hydropower installed capacity and available supplies of more than 40,000 MW. The utility generates almost a third of the electricity in Canada, and a full 98 percent of its output comes from hydropower.
For many years, the utility has been working toward sustainable solutions to the global issue of GHG emissions. For example, Hydro-Quebec’s Strategic Plan for the period from 2009 to 2013 calls for the development of new hydropower projects and the integration of about 4,000 MW of wind power by 2015 to maintain a low-emitting electricity supply for its customers. As a result of this plan, a total of 2,500 MW of new hydropower generation is under construction in the province.
In Quebec in 2007, electricity generation was responsible for only 2.7 percent of GHG emissions, whereas transportation represented 42 percent (see Figure 1). Therefore, transportation represents the most common challenge in terms of GHG emissions, both in Quebec and globally.
Providing renewable energy to neighbors
One important way Hydro-Quebec contributes to the fight against climate change and pollution is by supplying neighboring markets with renewable, competitive, and reliable energy. With this practice, Quebec hydropower replaces predominantly conventional thermal generation, which emits large quantities of GHGs and other airborne pollutants.
Hydro-Quebec is working with its neighbors to make more of its hydropower available to their markets. The 2009 commissioning of a 1,250-MW interconnection with the neighboring province of Ontario increased Hydro-Quebec’s interchange capacity with this province, as well as with New York State and the U.S. Midwest. With partners Northeast Utilities and NStar, Hydro-Quebec is now working on a project that will involve installing a 1,200-MW direct-current line into New Hampshire, thus increasing energy exports to New England.
|This Ford Escape hybrid is one of the vehicles Hydro-Quebec is testing as part of a demonstration project of electric vehicles. The utility is seeking to determine the charging performance of the vehicles, among other factors.|
Since 2001, emission of more than 39 million metric tons of GHGs has been avoided in northeastern North America as a result of electricity exports from Quebec. This is equal to the annual emissions of close to 10 million automobiles.
Electrifying transportation
Public and personal transportation account for about a quarter of GHG emissions in North America.3
If a majority of the personal vehicles and public transit options were powered using electricity, associated GHG emissions would decrease, as would urban pollution and smog. For example, for a distance covered of 37,000 kilometers per year, a trolley bus powered using electricity emits 85 tons less CO2 than a diesel bus.
Hydro-Quebec is clearly positioned to contribute to the electrification of the transportation industry. The utility’s transportation electrification action plan, contained in the most current Strategic Plan, has four main focuses: financial support for studies on the development of electrical infrastructure for public transit; planning of support infrastructure for vehicle charging; test-driving and experimenting with integration of electric vehicles into the power grid; and development and marketing of advanced technologies, such as electric power trains and battery materials.
Public transit
Hydro-Quebec is participating in feasibility studies being conducted by major municipal public transit authorities to determine what electrical infrastructure is needed and what the utility’s level of investment might be in this infrastructure. Certain public transit systems – such as the subway in Montreal – already run on electricity. But more could be done to bring electrified streetcars, commuter trains, and trolley buses into the urban landscape.
Personal transportation and charging infrastructure
Hydro-Quebec’s research indicates it would cost seven times less to run a car on electricity in Quebec than it does to fuel it with gasoline. For compact car owners, the average annual expenditure would be only $250. Hydro-Quebec’s distribution grid already is able to handle the increase in demand brought about by electric vehicles. As a reference, a single hydro station the size of 480-MW Eastmain-1 could provide enough electricity to power 1 million electric vehicles (3 terawatt-hours per year).
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) estimates that 80 percent of the charging needs for these vehicles will be met at home and at the workplace. Thus it must be determined where car owners will want to recharge their batteries during the remaining 20 percent of the time, when they are on the go.
Hydro-Quebec is partnering with various car manufacturers – including Ford, Mitsubishi Motors, Toyota, and Renault-Nissan – to test and use electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles before they are marketed on a large scale. These demonstration projects have been designed to determine the charging performance of vehicles, particularly under northern conditions, as well as driver experience and overall satisfaction.
In particular, the tests Hydro-Quebec is leading in collaboration with Mitsubishi as part of the largest all-electric vehicle trial in Canada will contribute to planning the necessary electric vehicle charging infrastructure. Hydro-Quebec is also working with Renault-Nissan Alliance, the Quebec government, and city administrations to study various aspects of charging infrastructure required for electric vehicles, such as the most efficient business model and most appropriate locations in urban centers.
Investing in advanced technologies
Electric vehicles will only be successful if the engine technologies, batteries, and electronic components meet market needs. Hydro-Quebec’s research institute, IREQ, continues to lead extensive work to improve the performance and reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries. Hydro-Quebec patents the advanced materials it develops and then grants licenses to battery manufacturer suppliers. Sony recently launched a battery that incorporates chemical components developed by Hydro-Quebec.
TM4, a Hydro-Quebec subsidiary responsible for developing electric power trains, has provided 100 electric motors to Miljø Innovasjon, a subsidiary of Tata Motors, for an electric car demonstration that is under way in Norway and England. TM4’s latest generation of motors for the automobile industry, the TM4 MOTIVETM series, is the product of a decade of research and development efforts. Incorporating TM4’s patented technologies, the motor has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class and industry-leading efficiency.
Paving the way to a sustainable energy future
To ensure continued sustainable economic growth, the world doesn’t only need more energy. It must also reduce GHGs. This involves being more efficient regarding energy consumption and ensuring that regions with sources of renewable energy have the transmission infrastructure necessary to export that energy to areas still dependent on fossil fuels. The use of clean and renewable energy must also make its mark in sectors of the economy, such as transportation, that have traditionally been dominated by fossil fuels. In a world where the impact of climate change is a reality, sustainable hydropower, the most flexible and reliable renewable energy, is one of the means to move toward a low-carbon economy.
Notes
1. Climate Analysis Indicator Tool, Navigating the Numbers: GHG Data and International Climate Policy, World Resources Institute, Washington, D.C., 2005.
2. www.hydroforthefuture.com/energie/2/one-of-the-cleanest-generating-options
3. Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Report, Energy Information Administration, Washington, D.C., 2010.
Hydro-Quebec generates, transmits, and distributes electricity, mainly using renewable energy sources. It owns 60 hydroelectric generating stations with a total capacity of nearly 34,500 MW. | https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/baseload/hydro-quebec-leads-the-way-in-introducing-electric-vehicles/ |
The end of 2018 saw New Jersey continue to take aggressive steps to implement one of Governor Murphy’s major policy priorities, reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. On December 17, 2018, NJDEP proposed two rules meant to provide a framework for reentering the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a multi-state, market-based program that establishes a regional cap on CO2 emissions and requires fossil fuel power plants with a capacity greater than 25 megawatts to obtain an allowance for each ton of CO2 they emit annually. New Jersey had previously participated in RGGI beginning in 2008, but withdrew from the program in 2012 under the direction of the Christie Administration.
The proposed set of RGGI Rules would establish the New Jersey Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Budget Trading Program, a cap-and-trade program that would set a state-wide carbon budget for large fossil fuel electric generating units (EGUs) and would require such sources to possess CO2 allowances equivalent to their annual emissions, which could be obtained through quarterly allowance auctions. EGUs with a generating capacity over 25 megawatts would need to possess adequate CO2 allowances beginning in 2020. The rulemaking package would further establish the Global Warming Solutions Fund, which would provide for a set of standards for the allocation and use of funds generated through the sale of CO2 allowances. A public hearing on the RGGI Rules is scheduled for January 25, 2019, with written comments on the rulemaking package due to NJDEP no later than February 15, 2019.
New Jersey is also focusing on the state’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, the transportation sector, having announced at the end of December the state’s plan to participate in the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional program similar to RGGI that will attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources of pollution such as cars and trucks. In a December 18, 2018 statement ratified by nine Northeast states (including New Jersey and Pennsylvania) and the District of Columbia, TCI announced the commencement of a joint effort to establish a regional low-carbon transportation policy that “would cap and reduce carbon emissions from the combustion of transportation fuels through a cap-and-invest program or other pricing mechanism.”
Participating TCI states could then use the proceeds from such program to reinvest in a low-carbon transportation infrastructure. The TCI is currently in the planning stages, but the group expects to develop a final policy by the end of 2019. Like RGGI, states will have the option to implement TCI’s policy proposals through the adoption of rules in their respective jurisdictions. Participation in the TCI builds on the momentum of NJDEP’s Green Drive initiative, a program that encourages the use of electric vehicles and the establishment of the necessary infrastructure through mechanisms such as tax incentives for the purchase and use of electric vehicles and grant programs for the installation of electric vehicle charging stations.
As 2019 progresses, we will continue to track New Jersey’s development of the RGGI Rules and its participation in the TCI, as well as any other efforts to implement programs to address greenhouse gas emissions from sources within the state. | https://www.mankogold.com/publications-NJDEP-Regional-GHG-Emissions-TCI.html |
Will Public Transportation Thrive After COVID-19 or Wilt?
The COVID-19 pandemic will reshape our world in many ways, including the future of public transportation. Buses, trains, and light rail are essential for transport in dense urban areas. However, the coronavirus-induced drop in commuters, impending state budget crises, and the erosion of the public’s trust of enclosed spaces have delivered a triple shock to the system. Survival of public transportation will require creative solutions, some of which are already beginning to surface across the country.
In the short term, public transportation will suffer simply from being an elevated health risk. Research suggests that public transportation spreads respiratory viruses such as influenza (even if specific evidence on COVID-19 is still lacking). Transportation workers are becoming sick at an alarming rate (with over 120 transit employee deaths in New York alone) and multiple unions and worker groups have called for strikes. Ridership is already falling precipitously due to decreased commuting volume and a generalized fear of viral exposure in enclosed spaces.
In the longer term, when will riders return if they do at all? Economic recessions usually lower ridership for a lengthy period, suggesting that even after stay-at-home restrictions are lifted, usage will not return to pre-COVID levels quickly. A recent survey suggests that young people who have never owned a car are now seriously considering buying one. Car owners are less likely to utilize public transportation than those who are simply wary, but vehicle-less. Even the weather could matter, as summer months are usually associated with lower ridership.
Many transportation agencies’ budgets are likely to be reduced due to the COVID-19 crisis. These budgets rely on tax revenue, which is decimated nationwide due to lower sales and lost jobs. Congress has already supplied some funds to help public transportation but this likely will not be enough. Bus lines will be gutted, train service will slow, and transportation for essential workers will become less convenient. I expect that this will be a difficult time for the transportation agencies.
A city with unsustainable transit risks incapacitating its own essential services workforce.
Despite these obstacles, public transportation must not be allowed to flounder because it remains essential to minority and low-income communities. A city with unsustainable transit risks incapacitating its own essential services workforce. According to a study of users of the public transportation app Transit, those currently left riding are more likely to be female, black or Latinx, earning less than $50,000 annually, and/or traveling to either a food service job or healthcare services. Even during this pandemic, public transportation serves an essential public need.
In order to stop the bleeding, short term fixes may help agencies weather this crisis and retain ridership. Transportation agencies must begin addressing how to gain back the public’s trust. My suggestions are to keep buses and trains clean and sparsely filled. All vehicles should be cleaned thoroughly and regularly. The NYC subway has been shutting down its usual 24-hour service every night for cleaning since the start of this crisis and piloting UV light as a faster, cheaper cleaning method.
To prevent overcrowding, buses and trains should run more often to ensure that they do not become too full. Agencies should develop maximum occupancy guidelines for their vehicles and trains, much like Seattle has done. Instituting mandatory masks will help ensure that if someone is sick, they release fewer infectious particles into the air. This has already been implemented in Toledo and New Jersey. Bus drivers can carry masks that can be inexpensively purchased or given out. Operators and drivers should be provided with barriers to further limit their contact with riders. In NYC, buses are being outfitted with vinyl sheeting between the first row and the driver and passengers board in the back. Additionally, plastic protectors can be placed on the right-hand side of the driver to allow for more space. Lastly, if space allows, train cars and sections of buses can be designated for the elderly and immunocompromised.
With falling ridership, bus and train routes are being slashed nationwide. This likely will lead to operator layoffs. In order to avoid this situation, I think that buses can serve useful services in the community. Operating buses to deliver groceries and meals to assisted living homes would be a great use of their space. Unique partnerships can be developed with food banks and transportation agencies to assist in distributing food to those affected by the economic crisis. In addition, buses are being converted into mobile COVID-19 testing centers. These are short-term solutions, but would provide usefulness and avoid furloughs where ridership has fallen.
Finally, transportation agencies should focus on the long-term. “Public transportation must grasp the opportunity to emerge from this crisis stronger, more resilient, and more creative,” said Therese W. McMillan, executive director of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and Association of Bay Area Governments, in a recent interview. This crisis provides cover for large-scale reorganizations and directional switches. Improvements can be adopted without the disruption they would normally cause.
While many large-scale changes are fiscally and politically difficult, stakeholders may be more accepting of creative solutions during these uncertain times. What bus routes need new stops or route changes and what new routes should be created? What schedule changes should be made? Where is there unnecessary overhead? These changes should be considered with the new social distancing guidelines in mind. Innovation could also include new technologies; trains and buses could implement contactless fare collection systems like automatic cash collectors or mobile phone barcode readers.
In such dire straits, agencies might never have as much leeway to adopt out-of-the-box strategies as they do now.
Another change cities could consider is electric buses, which can run exclusively on built-in batteries or overhead trolley wires. Electric buses hypothetically possess numerous benefits compared to standard diesel buses; they reduce carbon output (depending on the source of the electricity), produce less noise, and may be cheaper to run compared to diesel buses.
To be sure, battery-powered electric buses have an inconsistent track record. Multiple battery-powered electric bus trials at various transit agencies have produced mixed results. Bus range was lower than expected and multiple cities found that buses need to be recharged during the day, thus taking a bus out of operation for hours. Albuquerque famously tested electric buses and declared them unfit for use. In addition, the start-up costs of battery powered electric buses is high, with the buses themselves costing $1.2 million each and electric charging stations reaching $50,000 apiece.
Newer models, however, have shown more promise and might be worth trying. Next-gen trolley buses include small batteries to allow for limited off-route driving and charge while the bus is on-route. A 2019 report from the advocacy organization U.S. Public Interest Research Group chronicled six success stories ranging across several diverse metro areas, including Seneca, South Carolina; King County, Washington; and Concord, Massachusetts. In such dire straits, agencies might never have as much leeway to adopt out-of-the-box strategies as they do now.
Public transportation agencies must prepare for dark times ahead. However, with proper planning, innovative solutions, and a resilient and trusting ridership, public transportation may emerge stronger than ever. I suggest that public transportation agencies focus on safety measures to rebuild rider trust, public-private partnerships and creative work share arrangements for operators to accompany long-term infrastructure investment.
Disclosure statement:
The Institute for Science & Policy is committed to publishing diverse perspectives in order to advance civil discourse and productive dialogue. Views expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect those of the Institute, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, or its affiliates. | https://institute.dmns.org/perspectives/posts/will-public-transportation-thrive-after-covid-19-or-wilt/ |
The ITS-Davis family at our traditional year-end BBQ, in June 2018, outside our offices at UC Davis West Village.
Photo Credit: Victor Yu
The Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis (ITS-Davis) is the leading university center in the world on sustainable transportation, hosting the National Center on Sustainable Transportation since 2013 (awarded by the U.S. Department of Transportation) and managing large research initiatives on energy, environmental, and social issues. It is home to more than 60 affiliated faculty and researchers, and more than 120 graduate students, and, with its affiliated centers, a budget of $20 million. We have a strong commitment not just to research, but interdisciplinary education and engagement with government, industry, and non-governmental organizations.
ITS-Davis hosts an awarding-winning graduate program, Transportation Technology and Policy (TTP), which draws from 34 different academic disciplines. Our nearly 300 master’s and Ph.D. alumni are leaders in government, industry, and academia.
We are committed to putting our cutting-edge research to good use—to informing policy making and business decisions, and advancing public discourse on key transportation, energy and environmental issues. ITS-Davis is focused on issues important to society.
Our researchers are leading influential international, national, and regional initiatives on electric, automated, and shared vehicles, low carbon fuels, urban mobility, bicycle use, and much more. We are unraveling the mysteries of consumer behavior, developing and analyzing new technologies, and creating the tools needed by government and industry. We play essential roles in determining how best to direct our transportation system to a more sustainable future.
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Our Sustainable Transportation and Energy Pathways (STEPS) Program is assisting governments and companies around the world in assessing energy and climate strategies. Our Plug-in Hybrid & Electric Vehicle Research Center plays a pivotal role in designing and analyzing initiatives on zero emission vehicles. Our Three is creating the knowledge and policy foundation for steering automated vehicles and shared mobility services toward the public interest.
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ITS-Davis also serves as one of the four ITS branches in the University of California (UC) system. The other branches are located at UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and UCLA. The four ITS branches work closely together to implement a statewide research program funded through California’s Public Transportation Account and the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.
To serve the needs of society by organizing and conducting multidisciplinary research on emerging and important transportation issues, informing government and industry decision making by disseminating this research through conferences, scholarly publications, webinars, and policy briefs—and training the next generation of transportation leaders and experts.
Find out more about ITS-Davis: A two-page fact sheet provides an excellent, concise overview of the institute and our affiliated centers and programs. Access the fact sheet here.
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By Kenya Hunter
Climate change is having an impact on Boston, and city officials are ramping up efforts to do something about it.
There are many solutions when it comes to climate change in Boston, and the State Legislature and the Boston City Council are on a mission to begin mitigation. Earlier this year, City Councilor Michelle Wu lead the council in a resolution to support the Green New Deal.
“I have two kids,” she said, “who are going to live in this generation where climate change is real. The climate crisis is happening now. We see it with changing weather patterns and other things.”
A series of bills are on the table in the state legislature right now. Here are the possible climate mitigation solutions for the State of Massachusetts. Most of the bills focus on transportation, buildings, and health. They’re ambitious, but members of the Massachusetts State legislature and other experts say that it’s possible and more cost-effective to begin dealing with the climate crisis now.
“As we think about buildings, transportation, and electricity, we really need to recognize that this shift away from fossil fuels toward renewables is a fundamental change,” said Jenny Stevens, a climate professor at Northeastern University. “Once we invest in harnessing renewables, that renewable energy is actually free perpetual… it changes the geopolitics.”
Housing and Buildings
Multiple bills are on the table in regard to housing and buildings in the commonwealth. According to experts that sat on panels at the Statehouse on July 11, many of the state’s carbon emissions, which the state is trying to reduce by about 80 percent by 2050, comes from the energy used to warm or cool buildings.
One of the bills, H.2865 introduced by state senator Joanne M. Comerford and state representative Tami Gouveia calls to establish a new energy stretch code. They hope the outcome of the new stretch code will result in building only net-zero housing by 2050. To do this, it calls for a board to create a new energy stretch code, which currently calls for (insert that here). In the bill, there are not criteria of the new energy stretch code. Advocates who helped draft the legislation and testified in support of the bill said there’s a reason for that.
“It simply provides a timeline that is more in line with the scope and scale of both the climate crisis and the current building boom,” said Carol Oldham, a member of the Massachusetts Climate Network, who helped draft the legislation. In the bill, the timeline
“Net-zero is happening,” said Kai Palmer, an architect who testified in favor of the bills. “There are buildings being built today and buildings that are already built that are net zero. It’s inspiring to see those buildings.” However, net-zero, energy-efficient buildings only represent a small portion of the building landscape in Massachusetts. In fact, most buildings that are being built are not energy efficient and still emit greenhouse gasses from heating and cooling.
Transportation
Introduced by Christine Barber of Medford, H.2872 calls for the department of energy resources, the department of transportation, and the department of environmental protection, and department of public utilities to develop a transition to a zero-emission motor vehicle fleet program.
“What this bill would do is to require a phase-in of zero-emission vehicles for both public and private fleets of vehicles by 2035,” said Barber. “I really think this is a common-sense bill.
The legislature who introduced the bill is hoping to see a gradual change in vehicle fleets over the next 15 years. By 2025, the legislation says fifty percent of vehicle fleets should be zero or low emissions. By 2030, the vehicle fleets should be seventy-five percent zero or low emissions. By 2035, all vehicle fleets should be zero or low emissions. This includes the MBTA buses and trains.
“So in Somerville in Medford, we are in ordinarily burdened by greenhouse gases emitted by transportation,” said Barber. “Most of the cars that are on our streets are buses, or shuttles run by companies and cabs. So my constituents are breathing in dirty air and more likely to get asthma because of the number of fleets that are driving around my cities.”
The second bill introduced to the legislature is in regard to incentivizing people to buy zero-emissions vehicles.
“The number one challenge to reaching net-zero is transportation emissions,” said Representative Michael Baurbor, who introduced the legislation. He says this is the best way to avoid the most devastating effects of climate change. In Massachusetts, about half of emissions in the air come from vehicles, despite the many goals put in place to get to net-zero by 2050.
The bill says that vehicle distribution companies can receive unnamed incentives for offering customers more zero-emissions vehicles. One main concern for car distributors is that electric cars are more expensive than those that run on natural gas. The legislation, according to Barbour, is meant to speed up zero-emissions adoption by offering distributors monetary incentivizes like rebates and time of use rates to make on-street charging cheaper as well.
“The bill codifies the very successful, more EV program of consumer rebates, it promotes the time of use rates to make charging cheaper and less stressful for the grid. It promotes high priority locations for charging infrastructure, including more on-street charging,” the representative said.
Air Quality and Health
Bill name: An Act Relative to Environmental Justice In the Commonwealth
Presented by: Sal N. DiDemenco
This proposed legislation which is still in debate is meant to give environmental justice communities more say so in projects that can potentially cause environmental harms via an “impact report.” Perhaps inspired by fights like the Weymouth compressor station, where residents of Weymouth were not notified of the potential natural gas compressor until after it was proposed to the state, impact reports would give environmental justice communities “better education” on projects that can potentially cause harm in air pollution and other aspects of the environment. | https://surviveandthriveboston.com/index.php/what-are-the-solutions-to-curb-climate-change-in-boston/ |
The year 2021 has seen climate change and carbon neutrality issues rise to the forefront of global consciousness.
From the wildfires of the western United States that caused visible change in the skies of New York City, to the enormous levels of precipitation that were the cause of more than 200 deaths due to flooding in Europe, the Earth’s climate has certainly made its presence felt this year.
With many countries now beginning to confront their climate issues through policy and action, they may want to take a page out of Costa Rica’s playbook.
Costa Rica has been one of the world leaders in “going green” for the past decade, with no sign of stopping anytime in the near or distant future.
Policies to reduce the country’s carbon footprint, efforts to make its electricity run entirely off of renewable energy, and financial incentives for Costa Rica’s constituents are but a few of the environmentally friendly changes Costa Rica has made to help offset the climate crisis.
Let’s take a look at some of the past and present eco-friendly changes that make Costa Rica a world leader when it comes to the race for carbon neutrality.
How environmentally friendly is Costa Rica?
Costa Rica is much more than just a postcard for eco-friendly images; they have put their money where their mouth is.
As previously stated, Costa Rica is a frontrunner in many categories when it comes to the “going green” initiative.
One interesting fact about Costa Rica and its environmentally friendly nature is that despite its relative small size (roughly the size of US state of West Virginia), the country contains a whopping 6% of the world’s total biodiversity. This is notable because biodiversity creates a vast network of functioning ecosystems that serve to produce oxygen, improve air and water quality, as well as control troublesome pests.
In part due to the vested interests in the ecotourism industry, Costa Rica has numerous national parks and wildlife areas that are protected by law against destructive practices. Some of these practices include banning single-use plastics, the designation of new protected areas, and heftier fines for those who attempt to break these laws.
The country’s dedication to its environmental friendliness runs deeper than beautiful beaches and lush rainforests as well.
Since 2014, Costa Rica’s electric grid has been running on more than 98% renewable electricity sources, and that number has since been updated.
As reported in a 2020 article by The Tico Times, the President Alvarez noted that the Costa Rican Electricity Institute and the National Power and Light Company had reached their goal of a 100% renewable electricity matrix last year.
The country even introduced an online coin-based system to help combat the plastic waste problem and promote recycling as well. If that isn’t dedication to their environment, I don’t know what is!
Is Costa Rica carbon negative?
In his inauguration speech, President Carlos Alvarado vowed to ban all fossil fuels, with aims of becoming the world’s first carbon neutral country by the year 2021.
To answer the proposed question at hand, no, Costa Rica is not yet carbon negative. Though their efforts have been astounding, the goal of net-zero emissions may have been a bit ambitious.
It has been estimated that if Costa Rica were to successfully implement all of the changes in their new Decarbonisation Plan, they would be able to achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2050. This goal would still be an incredible feat, once again pitting Costa Rica as one of the frontrunners in the quest for carbon neutrality.
Obstacles to carbon neutrality
One challenge that Costa Rica faces in their quest to carbon neutrality is a familiar one for many countries, finance. The main source of finance for low-carbon efforts in low-carbon countries is often high-income countries in high-carbon producing countries as compensation for their efforts to offset the total global impact.
Due to complications and pull-outs of many countries involved in the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, financial support for such goals were not so readily available, though that is beginning to change as the world wakes up to the pressing problem that climate change has presented.
Another troublesome obstacle to Costa Rica’s goal of carbon neutrality has been the transportation sector, which comprises more than 50% of all greenhouse gas emissions produced by the country.
Costa Rica also has the third highest car-rate ownership in Latin America, making the need for a switch to more eco-friendly forms of transportation a top priority for Costa Rican officials and institutions going forward.
What has Costa Rica done to reduce its carbon footprint?
Costa Rica has been resolute in their tough stance when it comes to offsetting the effects of climate change.
In February 2021, the Government of Costa Rica gave an update on their progress on their aims for carbon neutrality.
The Presidency reported that 90.7% of their 2022 climate related projects were already underway, with 25% of the initial objectives set to be completed from 2018 to 2022 having already been executed.
In an effort to combat one of Costa Rica’s more troublesome carbon-producing sectors, the transportation sector, the Costa Rican Government reported that 25 different government institutions had acquired 322 electric vehicles. Costa Rica also implemented 43 of the target 69 fast-power centers needed to charge these vehicles, reaching a 62.3% success rate on this goal to be completed by 2022.
In addition to the transportation sector, Costa Rica has made strides in the sustainable construction field as well. As of February 2021, 736 buildings and 29 municipalities had been awarded in the climate change category of the Ecological Blue Flag Program.
Final word: Costa Rica and climate change
While Costa Rica may have fallen short of their ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2021, their efforts have certainly not been for naught.
They have made monumental strides in the renewable energy industry, and have already begun to address some of the obstacles holding them back from their goal. If their recent progress is any indication, the problems will be addressed.
Look for many more updates to come as Costa Rica chases their goal of becoming the first carbon neutral country in the world. | https://ticotimes.net/2021/10/23/costa-rica-and-carbon-neutrality |
What can you use this toolbox for?
The toolbox can give you an overview of the benefits of different urban interventions, guide you towards further literature and give you examples of where an intervention has been used.
It can also help you make decisions about the right way to intervene in your local environment. The benefits wheel shows you the relative contribution a certain type of intervention can make to a specific characteristic of an area. It identifies 12 different benefits, grouped into four categories – social, environmental, economic and cultural – that influence the quality of life.
The toolbox is made up of a number of tools or “interventions”, each with different characteristics. Most of them work as actual “interventions” (for example, swales) – i.e., they are meant to be designed and developed specifically for an area to address certain issues, be it as new build or retrofit – but there are a few that are usually “existing assets” (for example, public parks) – i.e., they already exist in the urban landscape and are likely under pressure, for example from development.
These two categories are of course not completely exclusive – there may be existing “interventions” in the landscape that need protection or improvement, or there may be opportunities to develop new “assets”.
The Benefits Wheel constitutes 12 different benefit indicators that can be influenced by the intervention, grouped into four categories: social, environmental, economic and cultural. Each of the different benefit indicators is ranked on a scale from 1 to 5, indicating the impact that the intervention can have on it, compared to other interventions.
For example, detention basins score a “2” on the benefit “Habitat Network”, while trees score a “4”. This means that placing trees in the urban landscape can have a greater positive impact on the development/protection of habitats and biodiversity than building a detention basin.
This is a semi-quantitative ranking that does not indicate a percentage, but an indication of the relative contribution the intervention can make on the provision of a certain benefit. The ranking has been assigned on the assumption that the intervention is well planned, designed and maintained. Further information on each of the benefit indicators is given in the detailed “Benefits” section of the tool factsheet.
This section gives you more detail on planning aspects of the intervention. If you know the details of where you would like to install an intervention, you can use this section to select suitable options and find further guidance. Or, if you would like to identify suitable options for installing interventions, you can find initial information on what each intervention needs to work here. More detailed guidance can be found in various guidance documents, for example the Suds Manual published by CIRIA or you can check the references of this section.
Costs: indicative capital cost. This can vary due to local factors and should only be seen as an indication. Some factors influencing capital cost or in some cases lifetime costs may be given.
Maintenance: Average maintenance costs per unit are given where available or an indication of magnitude of costs is given. Typical maintenance activities are indicated. Correct maintenance is crucial to guarantee that the intervention can deliver, and detailed information should be sought before it is planned and installed.
Feasibility: Options of fitting intervention (retrofit or new development) are indicated along with other factors that can influence whether or not an intervention can be delivered successfully.
To address not only surface water flooding but most of the benefits represented in the wheel adequately, you should look at the bigger picture of what you are trying to do in your area. Look at interventions as part of the landscape and think about how you can combine them to achieve optimal outcomes. This is especially important as interventions come in different shapes and sizes and their respective relative contribution can therefore vary. This section presents examples and ideas on positioning interventions and indicates their function in dealing with surface water.
This section gives information on further important benefits that can be gained from an intervention that are not included in the benefits wheel. It also lays out potential negative effects it can have.
Each of the twelve wedges of the benefits wheel represents one indicator for the provision of benefits through delivering an intervention or protecting/restoring an existing asset. In the factsheets, details on how the intervention can do this are given along with their references so you can understand what it is that the intervention influences. To get a basic understanding of what the indicators mean, read the table below.
Indicates contribution to reducing surface water flooding through either infiltration, conveyance or storage of runoff. Higher numbers have been assigned to interventions infiltrating runoff, since this reduces the volume of runoff from the start.
Indicates potential to influence flooding from rivers through providing storage or reducing volume of water the river receives. Important: only takes effect downstream of intervention! Benefits are not likely to be felt locally.
Indicates potential to regulate local air temperatures and store/sequester carbon. | http://urbanwater-eco.services/project/using-the-toolbox/ |
Initial evidence review - Strategies for encouraging psychological and emotional resilience in response to loneliness 2019.
UCL Division of Psychiatry: London, UK.
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Abstract
It is now widely accepted that loneliness is influenced by a combination of psychological factors, including attitudes to participating in social interactions and mental health problems, as well as environmental factors such as living far from family and friends and life events and transitions such as bereavement and moving away from home. Despite increased recognition of the importance of individual-level processes and meanings that influence the experience of loneliness, there is a gap in our knowledge of how best to address the psychological factors that contribute to chronic loneliness. In this report, we aim to synthesise information from a range of sources in order to identify the psychological pathways to loneliness and relevant psychological barriers to accessing strategies which target social isolation. The report highlights promising interventions that have potential to target the psychological aspects of loneliness. It makes a series of recommendations to improve understanding and delivery of effective psychological interventions to address loneliness and how the interaction between such strategies and community-based interventions. We conducted an extensive scoping review of the academic literature, including online database searches and broader searches reviewing conference abstracts and reports from the Third Sector. We obtained expert opinions by speaking to relevant stakeholders including people with lived experiences of loneliness, charitable organisations working with people who are experiencing chronic loneliness, and those involved in developing and evaluating interventions to tackle loneliness. Much of the work focused on older adults but we also looked at interventions delivered across the age range. We report the findings from this work, including an overview of the wide range of psychological factors which might explain why some people who are chronically lonely struggle to engage with community strategies and other sources of support that are available. These factors include having mental health problems, personality characteristics and having unhelpful beliefs and behaviours related to social interactions. We recommend that interventions that target either the psychological or social aspects of loneliness should not be provided in isolation, and that multi-modal interventions are likely to be most successful. Further research evidence is needed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of delivering psychological interventions in conjunction with community-based strategies. Social prescribing is a potential opportunity for the successful delivery of psycho-social interventions. For example, integration of psychological and community-based support could be promoted by including directories of psychological support in guides to community based resources, and by connecting social prescribing link workers with their local improving access to psychological therapies services. The social psychological approaches such as the Groups 4 Health model (Haslam et al., 2019; Haslam, Cruwys, Haslam, Dingle & Chang, 2016) show promise and potentially could bridge psychological and social understandings of loneliness. There is preliminary research evidence that interventions that address the psychological factors involved in loneliness can be successful, and there are various approaches to addressing these factors across the UK, although many initiatives have not yet been fully evaluated. The strongest research evidence was found for cognitive behavioural interventions, and there are some promising developments, including digital initiatives which are designed to change individuals’ thoughts and feelings about loneliness, that are worthy of further evaluation. We would also recommend that acceptance and commitment therapy is formally evaluated as an intervention for loneliness. We noted that the research base in this area is still underdeveloped and more work is needed to demonstrate which interventions are most accessible to people who are chronically lonely and can feasibly be delivered within NHS and community settings. Research into the potential adverse effects of psychological interventions, individual differences in responsiveness and the longer term impact on loneliness is also needed. It is likely that including measures of loneliness in evaluations of interventions for social anxiety and grief and in routine work with older adults in improving access to psychological therapies services would yield data that will contribute to the growing evidence base in this area. We hope that bringing together the research evidence and expert opinion in this report will increase awareness of the wide range of psychological factors implicated in loneliness and lead to further provision of psychological interventions for loneliness, in combination with community based support for social isolation. | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10147080/ |
This research team will collaborate with CBCRP to develop and implement a planning process for the second phase of the Special Research Initiatives (SRI). They will build on the initial SRI strategy development process and work with a range of experts to develop sound and innovative recommendations to the CBCRP’s Breast Cancer Research Council. The result will be a new strategy for researching the priorities established by the Council: the role of the environment in breast cancer, disparities in the disease, and both population- and individual-level interventions. Specifically they will address the following questions.
What are the most compelling strategies for research into identifying and eliminating environmental causes or exacerbations of breast cancer?
What are the most promising research opportunities for identifying and eliminating disparities/inequities in the burden of breast cancer in California?
What impacts have the previous SRI projects had and what opportunities have they created?
What are the gaps and opportunities for high-impact research on population-level interventions (including policy research) on known or suspected breast cancer risk factors and protective measures?
How can California resources be best used to advance progress in the primary prevention of breast cancer?
The PI and team will work with the CBCRP to identify and recruit a Steering Committee to shape the next phase of SRI. They will engage a variety of advisors, from the four primary topic areas and from the patient/community advocacy community. Expertise will range from the science of cancer disparities, environmental health, breast cancer, population-level interventions (including policy) for known and suspected breast cancer risk factors and protective measures; and targeted interventions for high-risk individuals, including new methods for identifying or assessing risk.
Community members will participate in the Steering Committee and will act as advisors. There will be multiple mechanisms for interested individuals and organizations to learn about and provide input into the process and on the research topics.
Research ideas will be generated and developed based upon results and impacts of the initial SRI projects, assessment of the latest science in the environment and disparities, and systematic, targeted reviews of the research on new the topics of prevention and interventions. Focused, innovative recommendations for coordinated, directed, and collaborative research projects that address the specific aims of this initiative and meet previously established SRI criteria for research strategies will be presented to the CBCRP’s Breast Cancer Research Council for their action. | https://globalprojects.ucsf.edu/project/partnership-advance-breast-cancer-research-0 |
People of all ages are subject to various health issues, and children are not an exception. Young individuals suffer from various diseases because of environmental, genetic, behavioral, and other factors, meaning that the research field should adequately address childhood health. Among the possible problems, child obesity is of significance because this issue is of a global scale and can lead to more adverse consequences.
That is why the given paper is going to address the problem under consideration and review the current literature on the topic. At this stage, it is possible to offer a PICOT question to guide the research:
- (P) Among children of 6-12 years old who are obese according to their body mass index (BMI), can
- (I) a school-based intervention including a physical activity component and a healthy diet,
- (C) compared to a dietary intervention only,
- (O) reduce the children’s BMI
- (T) by June 2021?
Brief Literature Review
The issue of childhood obesity receives much attention, and a high number of articles on the topic proves this claim. Thus, Brown et al. (2016) stipulate that the global child obesity rate increased by approximately 47% from 1980 to 2013 (p. 1). This finding demonstrates that young individuals of all origins suffer from the condition. One should also note that childhood obesity leads to further health conditions, and they are cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and others (Noh & Min, 2020).
According to Noh and Min (2020), multiple factors lead to the presence of the problem under analysis, including genetic peculiarities, involvement in physical activity, specific behaviors, and others. Many causes denote that it is impossible to find a single intervention that would solve the case. That is why the following information will comment on possible options to address the childhood obesity problem.
Multiple articles address the issue under analysis and comment on possible solutions. Brown et al. (2016) state that school-based interventions that involve increased physical activity and a decreased intake of sweetened beverages are effective. It is so because this environment denotes that children are under constant control, while their peers’ behavior can become an additional motivating factor to follow a healthy action. Nicholson et al. (2020) also state that schools are appropriate settings when it is necessary to mitigate the effects of childhood obesity. However, Bleich et al. (2018) admit that school interventions are more useful when they are combined with a home element.
This thought demonstrates that a comprehensive approach is necessary to address the problem. Nigg et al. (2016) also admit that interventions that target multiple environments are more useful since they address many factors that lead to the issue. Consequently, the opposing points of view mean that it is reasonable to identify whether a specific intervention can generate positive outcomes within a school setting.
When it comes to children with obesity, it is necessary to comment on how this condition is diagnosed. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2020) recommends using BMI as a guiding tool. This index is calculated by dividing a person’s weight by squared height. This formula is effective for identifying whether an individual has weight issues, meaning that a high BMI typically means that a person has excessive weight. The CDC (2020) also admits that the BMI is age- and gender-specific, which contributes to an adequate assessment of every single case. That is why the given paper focuses on children with high BMI depending on their age and gender.
Description of the Case
As has been mentioned above, multiple factors can lead to childhood obesity, and the given section is going to describe some of them. Firstly, Noh and Min (2020) admit that genetic peculiarities play a significant role since Black and Hispanic children are more likely to be obese compared to White individuals. It denotes that minorities should draw more attention to the given issue. Secondly, insufficient involvement in physical activities and a sedentary lifestyle are additional factors that are positively correlated with childhood obesity (Nigg et al., 2016). This scenario leads to the fact that children consume more energy than they spend, leading to fat creation.
Finally, one should admit that gender can also impact obesity because “school-aged boys (20.4%) had a higher obesity rate than girls (16.3%)” (Noh & Min, 2020, p. 3). Thus, the given description demonstrates that childhood obesity requires an adequate response.
Even though the school setting is useful for addressing childhood obesity, it does not mean that educators and school nurses are only responsible for mitigating the problem. It is an assignment for advanced practice nurses to develop an effective intervention and explain how schools should implement them. It means that these healthcare professionals should act as advisors by providing teachers and school nurses with guidelines to reduce childhood obesity rates.
Synthesized Literature Findings
The literature review above has demonstrated that childhood obesity is a crucial topic that deserves much attention. When it comes to possible interventions, they can be divided into two groups. On the one hand, Brown et al. (2016) and Nicholson et al. (2020) state that school-based interventions, including physical activity promotion or dietary changes, are suitable options. It is so because children spend much time in this environment, and educators and peers can control their behavior. On the other hand, Bleich et al. (2018) and Nigg et al. (2016) argue that school interventions are more effective if they are combined with family or community ones. Consequently, the findings reveal that further research is necessary to identify the effectiveness of a school-based intervention that involves both a physical activity component and healthy diet promotion compared to other actions.
Case Summary
The information above is sufficient to state that a specific intervention is necessary to address the children with a high BMI that classifies them as having obesity. Since individuals of 6-12 years old who are not patients of a particular clinical setting are involved, schools are considered the most suitable environment to implement possible improvements (Brown et al., 2016; Nicholson et al., 2020).
It is so because schoolchildren are under constant supervision, while their peers’ behavior can become an additional motivating factor. However, there is also an opinion that such an intervention is not sufficient, meaning that other environments should be involved to reckon on positive outcomes. Furthermore, it is not evident that the school intervention is the most effective. These data highlight the existing inefficiency that is present in research, denoting that it is necessary to assess the effectiveness of a multicomponent school-based intervention that implies physical activity and dietary components.
Proposed Solution
The proposed solution to the identified issue is that advanced practice nurses should collaborate with schools to implement a specific intervention. It should involve physical activity guidelines and dietary improvements to ensure that children are not left with excessive amounts of energy, which contributes to fat creation. Among the possible solutions, it is reasonable to focus on school-based interventions because valid and reliable research proves their effectiveness.
For example, Brown et al. (2016) have conducted a systematic review of randomized and nonrandomized studies to find that childhood obesity reduction can be achieved in the school setting. Simultaneously, a meta-analysis by Nicholson et al. (2020) is also relevant because it relies on 14 relevant studies. However, this information does not mean that the other articles that have been used in this paper are not credible. Each of them is a peer-reviewed study that offers significant conclusions, but the articles by Brown et al. (2016) and Nicholson et al. (2020) deserve specific attention since they promote the use of school-only interventions.
Conclusion
Childhood obesity is a widespread disease that affects millions of children throughout the globe. Multiple causes are present, and they can lead to adverse consequences, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and others. That is why effective interventions are required to address the issue and reduce the prevalence of this condition. Since children with obesity are not patients of a specific clinical setting, schools are considered the most suitable environments to implement any improvements. However, advanced practice nurses should cooperate with school teachers and nurses to ensure that the intervention meets medical standards and does not harm children. Thus, the paper has demonstrated that it is reasonable to identify how effective physical activity promotion and dietary improvement can be for reducing the spread of childhood obesity.
References
Bleich, S. N., Vercammen, K. A., Zatz, L. Y., Frelier, J. M., Ebbeling, C. B., & Peeters, A. (2018). Interventiosn to prevent global childhood overweight and obesity: A systematic review. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, 6(4), 332-346. Web.
Brown, E. C., Buchan, D. S., Baker, J. S., Wyatt, F. B., Bocalini, D. S., & Kilgore, L. (2016). A systematized review of primary school whole class child obesity interventions: Effectiveness, characteristics, and strategies. BioMed Research International, 1-15. Web.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). About child & teen BMI. Web.
Nicholson, L. M., Loren, D. M., Reifenberg, A., Beets, M. W., & Bohnert, A. M. (2020). School as a protective setting for excess weight gain and child obesity: A meta-analysis. Journal of School Health, 91(1), 19-28. Web.
Nigg, C. R., Anwar, M. M. U., Braun, K. L., Mercado, J., Fialkowski, M. K., Areta, A. A. R., Belyeu-Camacho, T., Bersamin, A., Guerrero, R. L., Castro, R., DeBaryshe, B., Vargo, A. M., Van der Ryn, M., Braden, K. W., & Novotny, R. (2016). A review of promising multicomponent environmental child obesity prevention intervention strategies by the Children’s Healthy Living Program. Journal of Environmental Health, 79(3), 18-27.
Noh, K., & Min, J. J. (2020). Understanding school-aged childhood obesity of body mass index: Application of the social-ecological framework. Children, 7, 1-16. Web. | https://nerdyroo.com/childhood-obesity-physical-activity-and-diet/ |
Find articles by Joseph M. Webster Find articles by Thomas F. All text from EHP may be reprinted freely.
Many pollutants are correlated with each other and some combinations of exposures are more likely than others.
Articles from EHP, especially the News section, may contain photographs or illustrations copyrighted by other commercial organizations or individuals that may not be used without obtaining prior approval from the holder of the copyright.
This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Summary Humans are exposed to a large number of environmental chemicals: Some of these may be toxic, and many others have unknown or poorly characterized health effects.
There is intense interest in determining the impact of exposure to environmental chemical mixtures on human health. As the study of mixtures continues to evolve in the field of environmental epidemiology, it is imperative that we understand the methodologic challenges of this research and the types of questions we can address using epidemiological data.
In this article, we summarize some of the unique challenges in exposure assessment, statistical methods, and methodology that epidemiologists face in addressing chemical mixtures.
We propose three broad questions that epidemiological studies can address: And c what are the health effects of cumulative exposure to multiple agents? As the field of mixtures research grows, we can use these three questions as a basis for defining our research questions and for developing methods that will help us better understand the effect of chemical exposures on human disease and well-being.
Introduction Biomonitoring studies confirm that humans are exposed to a large number of environmental chemicals across the life span, often simultaneously CDC 2015 ; Woodruff et al. Although there is growing concern that exposure to chemical mixtures during critical periods of human development could increase the risk of adverse health effects including allergic diseases, cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, reproductive disorders, and respiratory diseases, researchers primarily study chemicals as if exposure occurs individually.
This one-chemical-at-a-time approach has left us with insufficient knowledge about the human health effects of exposure to chemical mixtures. Quantifying the risk of disease from environmental chemical mixtures could help identify modifiable exposures that may be amenable to public health interventions. As interest in chemical mixtures evolves, there is a need for greater involvement of epidemiologists in this area of research Carlin et al.
We describe some of the unique challenges to studying environmental chemical mixtures in human populations and propose three broad questions related to chemical mixtures that epidemiology can address. We believe this information will help investigators select the best epidemiological and statistical methods for studying chemical mixtures in human populations and consider the limitations of these methods in their studies.
Challenges to Studying Chemical Mixtures Measuring environmental chemical exposure. Measuring human exposure to a large number of chemicals is a daunting task. First, the study of chemical mixtures requires accurate measurement of the individual components of the mixture. Sensitive and specific exposure biomarkers are one method to assess chemical exposures. These biomarkers have revolutionized the study of chemical mixtures by allowing investigators to directly measure individual chemical concentrations in a variety of biospecimens Needham et al.
While chemical exposure the toxicity of environmental chemicals as a public health concern have many strengths, caution should be exercised because of the potential limitations related to misclassification of exposures with high within-person variability e. Second, epidemiologists who study mixtures must consider pragmatic factors when measuring a large number of environmental chemicals. Financial cost is perhaps the most important limiting factor when using biomarker-based approaches to study chemical mixtures because the inclusion of more components in targeted analytical chemistry methods increases the cost, often at the sake of sample size.
In addition to cost, the volume of biospecimens e.
The streetlight effect, a type of observational bias, has limited the number of chemicals studied because epidemiologists have typically measured only a few chemicals, choosing from those known to be of concern or those for which measurement methods currently exist.
However, advances in analytic chemistry methods e. The risk of false-positive results is a concern when analyzing a large number of exposures. Several statistical methods, including the Bonferroni correction, are used to reduce type I error rates in studies with a large number of hypotheses Glickman et al. The Bonferroni approach is an appealing method when dealing with hundreds or thousands of potential hypotheses in studies of mixtures; however, over-reliance on significance testing in observational studies where exposures are not randomized and are often correlated with one another can be problematic Poole 2001 ; Rothman 19861990 ; Savitz 1993.
Will buffer zones around schools in agricultural areas be adequate to protect children from the potential adverse effects of pesticide exposure?
Although simple summary measures such as total serum PCB concentrations can be used, they often reflect the individual component with the highest concentration in the mixture Axelrad et al.
Although hypothesis testing is still used as a method of inference, epidemiologists must also assess the validity, magnitude, and precision of observed associations rather than just the statistical significance of associations. Type II errors can be equally problematic in studies of chemical mixtures.
The statistical power to precisely estimate subtle effects between chemicals and human health may be limited by sample size, the accuracy of exposure assessment methods e. Confounding due to correlated exposures. While confounding due to socioeconomic factors associated with both the exposure and outcome is almost always considered as a potential source of bias in environmental epidemiology studies, confounding due to correlated copollutants can also exist.
For example, in studies of persistent pollutants like polychlorinated biphenyls PCBsdioxins, and organochlorine pesticides, exposure biomarkers are often correlated with each other and may also be correlated with health outcomes Longnecker et al.
Such confounding, depending on the magnitude of correlation between the pollutants, can make identifying the effect of an individual chemical difficult, if not impossible. Thus, it is essential to understand the patterns of environmental exposures in human populations, as well as the correlation between individual agents, to determine if copollutant confounding may be present and whether public health interventions designed to reduce chemical exposures should target the entire mixture or components of it.
The pattern of human exposure to environmental chemicals is complex and multifactorial. Many pollutants are correlated with each other and some combinations of exposures are more likely than others. Because there is a need to identify patterns of exposure that are most likely to be relevant to human health, some pollutant combinations may be of less relevance if there are no individuals with a given pattern of exposure.
Table 1 Description and examples of questions related to chemical mixtures and human health that epidemiological studies can address.
Thus, in ranking the importance of these patterns, epidemiologists will need to consider the variability and prevalence of the exposure in the source population, the potential potency of the individual chemical components, and the ability to effectively reduce or mitigate the impact of exposure if adverse health effects are identified. Lack of standard methods to evaluate environmental mixtures.
Webster Find articles by Thomas F. Although there is growing concern that exposure to chemical mixtures during critical periods of human development could increase the risk of adverse health effects including allergic diseases, cancer, neurodevelopmental disorders, reproductive disorders, and respiratory diseases, researchers primarily study chemicals as if exposure occurs individually.
Other methods, including empirically estimated weights, may be used to create weighted sums of standardized concentrations Czarnota et al. We are what we eat.
Summary Humans are exposed to a large number of environmental chemicals. Over the past three decades, Lanphear notes, evidence from some of the most extensively studied toxic chemicals—including lead, asbestos, tobacco, and benzene—shows that some chemicals are most toxic at the lowest levels of exposure.
A variety of statistical methods are available to address questions related to chemical mixtures Billionnet et al. Although we do not advocate for a formulaic approach, we believe it would be helpful to have a better understanding of the types of mixtures-related questions that epidemiologists can address so that appropriate methods and statistical tools can be selected to adequately address research and public health needs.
Types of Questions Epidemiology Can Address In this section, we describe three broad questions related to chemical mixtures that epidemiological studies could address; in Table 1we list examples of how these questions have been addressed using different approaches, as well as the challenges to implementing them.
Question Challenges What are the health effects of individual chemicals within a mixture? Some approaches may not adequately address copollutant confounding. Disentangling the effect of highly correlated copollutants. What are the interactions between chemicals within a mixture? Difference in toxicologic and epidemiologic definitions of interaction Howard and Webster 2013.
Imprecise effect estimates and reduced statistical power for detecting interactions. What is the health effect of cumulative chemical exposure?
Verifying the assumption of no interaction between individual components. Estimating cumulative exposure metrics for specific health outcomes. Availability of information to create biologically weighted summary measures.
Interpretation of results from more complex statistical methods. Open in a separate window What are the health effects of individual chemicals within a mixture? The first question epidemiology can address is the association between individual chemical exposures in a mixture and human health outcomes. Because of the large number of environmental agents that humans are exposed to, there is a need to identify exposures that are most strongly associated with adverse health outcomes including individual exposures or groups of highly correlated and related exposures with a common source e.
The results of these studies would help guide public health efforts by allowing us to intervene on those agents that are most likely to be associated with human health. There are several methods to quantify the association between individual chemical exposures and human health outcomes. An approach taken by many researchers is to quantify the association between each chemical exposure and the health outcome of interest in separate statistical models and then decide which are the most important Patel et al.
This approach can be extended by accounting for the correlated nature of copollutants and adjusting for potential confounding bias using hierarchical or Bayesian methods Braun et al. Because of the correlated nature of many environmental pollutants, it is important to adjust for copollutant confounding using appropriate methods when trying to identify single exposures within a mixture that are most important to human health.
Failure to do so could result in attributing one exposure to an adverse health outcome, when it might be due to another correlated copollutant. The second question epidemiological studies can address is whether two or more environmental chemical exposures have a greater than additive i. For example, if we examine the risk of disease in relation to two binary exposures, then the standard epidemiological approach to interaction determines if the risk of disease among those exposed to both agents simultaneously is greater than the additive risk among those exposed to each agent individually.
Two points are important to consider with interactions: First, even in the absence of a greater than additive interaction between two or more chemicals, joint exposure to these chemicals could have a cumulative effect Howdeshell et al. Second, it is critical to note that toxicologists and epidemiologists define interaction differently.
For instance, simple concentration-additive effects that are observed in toxicology experiments would be considered synergistic or antagonistic using epidemiological definitions when dose—response curves are nonlinear Howard and Webster 2013.
Statistically examining interactions between chemicals would help identify synergies or antagonisms between exposures or determine if one or more exposure modifies the effect of other exposures.
This could be approached agnostically using variable selection procedures e. Alternatively, a candidate approach could examine interactions between chemicals that act on common biological pathways related to the health outcome of interest.
Two primary determinants of our ability to identify interactions will be sample size and the pattern of correlation between exposures. With a fixed sample size, it may be difficult to identify interactions between chemicals because the number of observations will diminish as smaller and smaller strata are examined for each additional chemical-by-chemical interaction considered.
In addition, when two or more exposures are highly correlated, there may be an insufficient number of participants with exposure to only one of the agents, thus limiting our ability to examine the impact of only one exposure.
Indeed, when exposures are highly correlated, their individual or interactive effects are of less interest because public health interventions aimed at reducing one exposure would likely reduce the other exposures.
A third question estimates the association between cumulative chemical exposure and human health. Here we are trying to quantify the summary effect of a class or multiple classes of exposure. Unlike the question of interaction, we assume that joint exposure to the chemicals does not have a greater than additive effect on the outcome in the toxicological sense and that we can meaningfully condense the different exposures into a single summary metric.
This may be most appropriate and insightful when the individual components of the mixture act via common biological pathways e. Summaries of cumulative exposure can include simple summations of the concentration of individual exposures or by weighting them according to their biological potency [e. Although simple summary measures such as total serum PCB concentrations can be used, they often reflect the individual component with the highest concentration in the mixture Axelrad et al.
Thus, these summary measures may not accurately capture the cumulative effect of the mixture if the lower concentration components are more potent than the higher concentration ones. As an alternative, more complex weighting approaches can be used when making certain assumptions about the underlying biology of the dose—response relationship e.
One limitation to this approach is that epidemiologists will often require toxicological data that quantifies the biological activity of individual components of the mixture e.
Furthermore, different health end points e. There are several additional strategies that can the toxicity of environmental chemicals as a public health concern used to estimate the cumulative health effects of a mixture. One could quantify the total biological activity in individual biospecimens through integrative assays e. These measures have the advantage of capturing both additive and interactive effects. Statistically driven approaches, such as principal components analysis, can identify latent factors that explain the correlation the toxicity of environmental chemicals as a public health concern mixture components.
These factors can be used as an exposure variable in statistical models Maresca et al. | https://bristolparchmentcraftexhibition.info/courseworks/the-toxicity-of-environmental-chemicals-as-a-public-health-concern.php |
My research has been focused on academic interventions for student-age child who have learning difficulties: 1. The selection of assistive technology address the identified academic skill deficits; 2. Increase the effectiveness of assistive technology; 3. Development of learning profiles to better assist in the identification of academic interventions.
With more than 400 assistive technology products on the market, identifying the right assistive technology to meet the needs of students. For the past years I have developing the Assistive Technology Selection Protocol to guide partners to identify the right technology taking into consideration the student's learning profile, environmental factors and the specific tasks impairing them. , I have also been looking at how to increase the effectiveness of assistive technology. Focused on text-to-speech, I have identified factors that increase its effectiveness. On of these is the integration of pausing within spoken sentences. This finding is being adopted by text-to-speech developers.
As a school and clinical psychologist, I use learning profiles to guide the development and implementation of academic interventions for students that have learning difficulties. Through telepsychology I provided a clinical practicum in the SCCP program. The telepsychology program provides teacher consultation to schools in Northern Ontario.
Teaching Overview
Classes I have taught in the last years: | https://www.oise.utoronto.ca/aphd/Home/Faculty_and_Staff/Faculty/6797/Todd_Cunningham.html |
The purpose of this notice is to outline high priority areas of research related to women's mental health during the perinatal period. NIMH is interested in receiving applications that will provide new knowledge in perinatal mental disorders and that will test strategies for translating this knowledge into improved diagnostics, therapies, and services to improve women’s mental health during the perinatal period. This Notice of Information applies broadly to most but not all Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) that are aligned with NIMH research priorities.
NIMH has a long-standing commitment to research focused on mental disorders that occur during pregnancy and the postpartum period, up to one year following parturition (childbirth). This notice encourages research on perinatal depression, postpartum psychosis, suicidal ideation and behavior, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and serious mental illnesses including bipolar and schizophrenia spectrum disorders that can have profound effects on perinatal mental health. Intervention studies that propose adaptation of effective prevention or treatment interventions for perinatal women should only be undertaken if there is a compelling rationale supported by empirical evidence indicating a need for adaptation. This notice encourages research that will lead to the reduction of the public health burden of perinatal mental disorders by improving the health and well-being of perinatal women in the United States and in low- to middle-income countries (LMICs).
Research Priorities
Basic and Clinical Neuroscience
Advances in our understanding of perinatal mood and other mental disorders are likely to come from several areas of research, including mechanistic studies of hormone-sensitive brain circuits implicated in mood, cognition, or social behavior, neurotransmitter systems, and the development of appropriate peripartum model systems. Model systems could be used to examine combined genetic and environmental influences on postpartum hormonal status and/or maternal behavior to investigate the mechanisms during the peripartum period that contribute to the emergence of mental disorders in the mother. Finally, new tools are needed to advance the understanding of neuroendocrine control of mood, cognition, and affiliative social behaviors in humans, non-human primates, and other species.
Examples of basic, translational, and clinical research encouraged by NIMH include, but are not limited to, the following:
Clinical Course, Epidemiological and Risk Factors Research
Meeting the goal of personalized medical treatment requires understanding how pregnancy interacts with risk for various mental disorders. Clinical and epidemiological studies can be of optimal value when they seek to identify biomarkers that can help identify risk and when they seek to identify mechanisms that help explain factors that confer risk or protection. Mechanisms are often defined as a cascade of social, behavioral, and/or neurobiological processes through which risk and protective factors operate to produce suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. NIMH investigators are encouraged to study these mechanisms where appropriate, within the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework.
Examples of clinical course, epidemiological, and risk factors research encouraged by NIMH include, but are not limited to, the following:
Interventions Research
NIMH supports intervention research to examine the effectiveness of prevention and treatment intervention approaches (i.e., the utility of research-based approaches in community practice settings) and research to optimize, sequence, and personalize intervention approaches for improved response rates, more complete and rapid remission, and improved functional outcomes for diverse groups. Efficacy studies using highly innovative intervention approaches that address an unmet therapeutic need or otherwise have the potential for substantially improving outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women with mental disorders are also encouraged.
Studies that propose to adapt extant interventions to meet specific needs of population subgroups should only be undertaken if there is a compelling rationale supported by empirical evidence that can be justified in terms of (a) theoretical and empirical support for the adaptation target (e.g., changes a factor that has been associated with non-response, partial response, patient non-engagement, or relapse); (b) clear explication of the mechanism by which that moderator variable functions to disadvantage or advantage a subgroup (ideally, with behavioral and/or biological data that support the mechanism hypothesis); and (c) evidence to suggest that the adapted intervention will result in a substantial improvement in response rate, speed of response, an aspect of care, or uptake in community/practice settings when compared to existing intervention approaches. This applies to adaptations designed to address the needs of pregnant/postpartum women in general and pregnant/postpartum women belonging to various racial and ethnic minority groups, age groups, or income levels; those with various comorbid conditions or risk factors (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder, interpersonal violence); or those receiving care in specified settings (e.g., obstetric practices, home visitation, community settings, prisons, and pediatric practices).
Establishing an evidence base for effective interventions for diverse groups of pregnant and/or postpartum women requires inclusion of adequate numbers of members of racial/ethnic and other underrepresented women in clinical trials. Secondary analysis of existing data sources, including those that combine samples and/or expand existing cohorts, that will deepen the evidence base for intervention effectiveness in diverse subgroups of perinatal women is encouraged. Scientific areas of interest for NIMH include, but are not limited to, subgroup analyses of prevention and treatment outcomes in intervention studies and analyses of potential mediators of treatment efficacy and effectiveness within or across racial/ethnic, gender, socioeconomic, or geographically diverse groups.
NIMH encourages research approaches that are efficient in cost and design, are designed to inform or test prescriptive, personalized intervention approaches, comparative effectiveness, and stepped-care models, and that answer questions about the mediators, moderators, and mechanisms of interventions, ultimately leading to more cost-effective, personalized interventions. In order to advance knowledge more rapidly and cost effectively, use of consortia, existing practice-based research networks, large available data sets, and other types of research infrastructure are encouraged. Similarly, opportunities for sharing data are encouraged by incorporating standard measures that can be shared across studies.
NIMH requires a higher level of rigor in studies of mental health-related interventions and has issued a set of FOAs for clinical trials research that involves an experimental therapeutics-based approach to intervention development and testing, including FOAs that are intended to support the translation of emerging basic science findings of mechanisms and processes underlying mental disorders into novel psychosocial interventions. Please note, applicants considering clinical trials should review the NIMH clinical trials website and contact NIMH Program Officials regarding the match between a potential application and current priorities.
The following are examples of intervention studies encouraged by NIMH:
Screening and Services Research
NIMH places a high priority on services research that improves the identification of otherwise undetected perinatal mental disorders, connects women who are diagnosed with these disorders with accessible and appropriate evidence-based treatment and engages women in this care. Service delivery interventions to improve perinatal mental disorder detection and care at multiple levels – patient, practitioner, organizational, community, and systems – are encouraged. The involvement of perspectives from a broad range of care stakeholders—including patients, clinicians, health system leaders, state policy leaders, and other healthcare decision makers—at every stage of the research project is encouraged in order to yield service delivery strategies that are relevant and can be rapidly integrated into practice.
NIMH employs an experimental therapeutics approach for all clinical trials research, including clinical trials to test mental health screening and services interventions. Investigators should review the NIMH clinical trials website and contact NIMH Program Officials regarding the match between a potential application and current priorities. For screening and services research studies not involving clinical trials, applicants are encouraged to contact NIMH program officials regarding the match between the potential application and current priorities.
The following are examples of services research encouraged by NIMH:
Investigators planning to submit an application related to the topics outlined above are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposed research with the scientific contact listed below well in advance of the application due date. | https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-MH-21-270.html |
I. Theoretical Frameworks:
Summarize what is known and not known about the causes of the health problem described in Paper 1. Address causes at two or more levels (e.g., individual, health system, and neighborhood). For the study described in Paper 2, what was or might have been the public health, social science or policy motivation? How could the theory/theories used in Paper 1 inform the question the authors address in paper 2? What other theories might be relevant to the design of related prevention interventions, such as those described in papers 4 and 5? Your response should include discussion of environmental issues as discussed in Paper 3.
II. Methodological Frameworks:
Answer the following questions with regard to the methods and findings in Paper 2. You may answer each question one by one.
- What type of study design is this? Identify three defining design elements of the
- Identify the outcome (e.g., disease) and exposure under How were they operationalized?
- What measures of association (e.g., odds ratio) did the authors use to present their findings?
- Choose a measure of association that is important to the authors’ conclusion and interpret
- Describe how the exposure and outcome were
- Describe: 1) any potential measurement problems for the exposure and outcome, and 2) explain how any measurement problems may have affected the direction and magnitude of the associations. Be sure to explain your logic in detail. If you think there is no evidence of exposure or outcome measurement problems, please explain.
- Discuss presence or absence of design and/or execution problems with this study, such as confounding and selection bias, including how they may have affected the direction and magnitude of the estimate of the association between exposure and disease and/or the interpretation of the results of this
- Overall give an assessment of the validity of any potential causal inferences that could be made from the associations in this study. Please justify your assessment and indicate if there is any other analysis or information which, if provided, would inform the validity of any causal
III. Research Methods:
Describe an outline of a study plan and design (quantitative or qualitative) that you would adopt to investigate the research question in paper 2, please address the weaknesses you described in section II bearing in mind feasibility and ethical issues. Please ensure your study makes effective use of scarce research dollars and will deliver an answer in a timely fashion. Please give sufficient detail so that it is clear what you are proposing to do, for example the level of detail given in a typical paper, although you do not need to do a formal sample size calculation. Give a rationale for your chosen study design and explain its strengths and weaknesses.
Core Competencies for DPH Program
- Identify, develop, evaluate and recommend policy and programmatic interventions to improve population health at individual, community, government and country levels based on empirical evidence of social, political, cultural, biological, economic, historical, behavioral, environmental, and global factors in health and disease. | https://www.bestcustoms.net/epidemiologypublic-healthpolicy-%C2%AD-theoretical-frameworks%CD%BE-methodological-framework-research-methods/ |
Discrimination law Health and safety law Environmental factors refer to ecological and environmental aspects such as weather, climate, and climate change. Climate change is a hot topic these days and organizations are restructuring their operations thus giving space to innovation and concept of Green Business. This helps in the strategic planning and gaining the competitive edge over the other firms in that industry. This analysis can not only be used for an organization as a whole but various departments can also be inspected under this framework.
Tax policy; environmental regulations; trade restrictions and reform; tariffs; political stability Economic: Cultural norms and expectations; health consciousness; population growth rates; age distribution; career attitudes; health and safety Technological: New technologies are continually emerging for example, in the fields of robotics and artificial intelligenceand the rate of change itself is increasing.
Global warming and the increased need to switch to sustainable resources; ethical sourcing both locally and nationally.
By analysing those factors, organisations can gain insight into the external influences which may impact their strategy and business decisions. It allows HR and senior managers to assess any risks specific to their industry and organisation, and use that knowledge to inform their decisions.
It can also help to highlight the potential for additional costs, and prompt further research to be built into future plans. This means following these steps: Identify the scope of the research.
It should cover present and possible future scenarios, and apply to areas of the world in which the business operates. Decide how the information will be collected and by whom.
Data gathered is often more rich in content when more than one person contributes to collecting it. Identify appropriate sources of information. These could be stakeholders looking for HR to address specific issues or current policies that require updating. Please see our practical, ready-to-use template below.
Identify which of these factors listed above are most important or could cause issues. Identify the business specific options to address the issues, as demonstrated in the example template. Write a discussion document for all stakeholders. Disseminate and discuss the findings with stakeholders and decision makers.
Decide what actions need to be taken, and which trends to monitor on an ongoing basis. Organisations that regularly and systematically conduct such analyses often spot trends before others, thus providing competitive advantage. Human Resource Management 04/26/ Human Resources Human resource management (HRM) entails the effective utilization of human resources within an organization by managing people or employee-related activities.
HRM is a comprehensive and strategic approach for managing employees and the work place environment and culture.
the poloitical, economic, social and technological factors could affect the human resource strategies. political- in terms of govt rules and regulations .
The Impact of the Public Service Reform Programme on Human Resource Development. Words Mar 28th, 47 Pages. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM PROGRAMME Pestle Impact on Human Resource Words | 6 Pages. Hr Policies And Procedures With Pestle Business Essay. Print Reference this. Disclaimer: PESTLE which stands for (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental) are useful tool in measuring the business environment.
this does not have huge impact on affect Tesco Human Resources and its procedures, with . When it comes to human resource management there are several factors that affect day-to-day operations.
Adapting in this field is important because at a moments notice new legislation can be passed with an immediate effective date or corporate polices are changed where human resources .
The most carefully laid human resource plans can be affected by internal and external change anytime, so forecasting and flexibility are essential for effective planning and adapting as required. | https://fypuhoa.yunusemremert.com/pestle-impact-on-human-resource-12058gg.html |
Adolescents diagnosed with fragile X syndrome (FXS), the leading known cause of inherited intellectual disability, commonly engage in severe disruptive behaviors (i.e., self-injury and aggression) that can significantly impact the individua's educational progress and functioning. However, the biological and behavioral mechanisms underlying these pathological behaviors are very poorly understood. In this proposal, we aim to examine the extent to which autonomic nervous system arousal interacts with environmental factors (positive and negative reinforcement processes) to exacerbate and maintain self-injury/aggression in FXS. Screening of potential participants will be conducted using the Functional Analysis Screening Tool(c) which will allow us establish the prevalence, frequency, severity, and circumstances surrounding the occurrence of self- injury/aggression in FXS. We will also screen individuals with intellectual disability (ID) who do not have FXS. From the screening, 30 individuals with FXS and 30 ID controls will be selected to travel to Stanford University for a 3-day assessment of their self-injury/aggression. These participants will be aged 11 to 18 years and engage in self-injury/aggression with moderate to severe intensity on a daily basis. Participants with FXS will be matched to ID control participants with respect to age, functioning level, and degree of autistic symptom severity. This comparison group will allow us to determine whether the behavioral characteristics of FXS are specific to FXS, or characteristic of individuals with ID in general. Each subject will undergo a Functional Analysis, conducted by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, to identify the environmental factors maintaining the child's self-injury/aggression. The Functional Analysis will include both standard and """"""""FXS-specific"""""""" conditions (e.g. transitions and social demands). To examine the influence of physiological factors, we will measure physiological responses and salivary cortisol levels both at Baseline and during the Functional Analysis. The results of this project will directly help individuals with FXS and their families, as well as greatly advance the understanding of self-injury/aggression in FXS, providing sorely needed empirical data to inform interventions in the future for both FXS and other individuals with ID. The project will also significantly improve our understanding of the complex interplay between physiological and environmental factors in co-morbid behaviors in individuals with FXS.
Adolescents with Fragile X syndrome (FXS) commonly show severe disruptive behaviors (i.e., self-injury, aggression) that can seriously impact the individual's quality of life, education, and overall functioning. Furthermore, these behaviors cause significant distress to families and caregivers. However, there have been no systematic investigations aimed at understanding the complex interplay between physiological and environmental factors contributing to these common FXS-associated co-morbid behaviors. Our proposed study will be the first to target these important problematic behaviors using standardized and innovative assessment methodologies. | http://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R21-HD072282-02 |
The goal of this course is to allow a deeper understanding of prevention and intervention strategies, methods, and instruments developed in health psychology, especially in terms of their efficiency and use in specific subpopulations.
Examples of topics :
Examples of topics :
- Planning, implementation, and evaluation of behavior change interventions
- Health interventions in minorities
- The settings-based approaches to health promotion (schools, organizations, cities)
- Self-management in patients with chronic illness
- Health promotion in older adults, from a lifespan perspective
- Mental health promotion
- Doctor-patient relationship
- The role of the partner for the treatment of chronic diseases
- Health inequalities
Aims
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
|1||
This course integrates theoretical models, empirical results, as well as strategies and methods specific to health psychology in order to address advanced questions related to psychological and behavioral health factors and to help students identify and select the appropriate, efficient intervention and prevention strategies. At the end of this course students will be able to analyze the psychological and behavioral health factors at the individual and population levels (A2).
|
At the end of this course students are expected to know and operate with the health psychology concepts (A1) and use this knowledge to examine the psychological and behavioral factors specific to a given health issue/population (A2). Students will be able to search additional, appropriate pieces of information, use hypothetic-deductive and inductive reasoning (E1), and display critical thinking while performing literature reviews (E2). Moreover, students will acquire the necessary tools to search and integrate additional information in order to optimize their analysis and diagnosis processes (A2). Based on their analyses, students should be able to identify the appropriate interventions given the social, legal, political, economic, and cultural factors (B2), to distinguish between scientific and commonsense approaches (E2), and to describe the methodology that corresponds to the planning, design, and evaluation of the interventions. Students will be able to communicate in a clear, relevant, and straightforward way the result of their observations, analyses and interventions (C1-C2). | https://uclouvain.be/en-cours-2021-lpsp1326 |
Who are we?
Participating Universities
Ghent University
University of Algarve
University of Oviedo
University of Western Brittany
Atlantic Technological University (previously GMIT)
Polytechnic University of Marche
Sorbonne University
University of Bergen
University of the Basque Country
University of Cote d'Azur
University of Gothenburg
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Akvaplan-niva AS
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Akvaplan-niva AS
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Akvaplan-niva AS
Akvaplan-niva’s team of researchers consists of specialists with practical experience and education in all aspects of aquaculture. The team works directly with aquaculture industry in Norway and abroad, bringing scientific findings and knowledge to daily life situations at fish farms. In this way, the team is a bridge-builder between academia and the industry. Research activities are financed by partners from private industry, national and international funding agencies including Nordic research bodies and the European Union.
Development biology and growth physiology
Akvaplan-niva conducts research to understand the basic biology, such as growth, development and reproduction, for a variety of aquaculture species. These include investigation of growth physiology to identify mechanisms controlling the quality of juvenile fish. Our connections with the industry allow us to directly apply this knowledge toward improved aquaculture fish quality and production.
Environmental cues
External environmental factors such as temperature, salinity and photoperiod modulate fish growth and reproduction in aquaculture facilities. Our aquaculture researchers investigate how these environmental factors may be manipulated to improve control of normal development for aquaculture species and therefore optimize aquaculture production.
Improved production regimes
Effective maintenance and management of water quality and feeding regimes during aquaculture operations is essential to achieve economically sustainable fish production. Water quality and feeding regimes are key factors influencing fish growth performance, feed conversion efficiency and overall health status. Our research team performs studies under both controlled laboratory conditions and full-scale operations to identify practical ways to maintain water quality and feeding regimes that lead to sustainable production.
New rearing methods
Environmental damage is a constant threat to outdoor open ocean cage aquaculture. Production costs for operators can quickly increase to unsustainable levels when environmental damage occurs. Our team of specialists have been at the forefront of developing new and improved rearing methods that are both profitable and sustainable for a variety of aquaculture species. These include hyper-intensive land-based aquaculture production technologies based on the recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) and the shallow raceways system (SRS) and aquaponics.
Akvaplan-niva has in-house research facilities and labs for aquaculture experiments, for ecological and ecotoxicology experiments on cold water fish and invertebrate species. The facility includes a fully equipped marine hatchery with permits to perform experiments with aquatic animals. It is designed to carry out full-scale production or experiments with marine juveniles. The facility also includes air and water climate- controlled marine laboratory with an advanced monitoring system for water quality. The laboratory is specially designed to perform chemical exposure studies and determine the effects of single compounds or mixtures of compounds on aquatic animals.
Unilab Analyses offers chemical analytical services, specialising on oil hydrocarbons, lipids and chlororganic compounds. The Company is 100% owned by Akvaplan-niva and located in the Fram Centre in Tromsø. Unilab provides expertise within the analysis of petroleum oils, environmental pollutants as well as lipids. It offers analyses of sediment grain size distribution, sediment geochemical analyses and enzymatic detections in blood plasma. Unilab Analyse AS maintains a comprehensive system for quality assurance and accreditation of its services in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025 standards. | https://imbrsea.eu/taxonomy/term/366 |
The Great Lakes Center of Buffalo State College will receive funds from the ARI Program to renovate the laboratory water supply and water treatment facility for the Aquatic Research Laboratory (ARL). The ARL is the only modern facility located on the lower Great Lakes capable of supporting experimental aquatic research with lake water. Experimental work at the ARL has suffered from an inability to maintain water temperature and water quality at levels required for bioenergetics, behavioral and physiological experiments. At present, the water system mixes all waste waters into a single septic tank system that does not meet OSHA standards. This award will support the renovations of experimental facilities to provided filtered lake water with computer-directed temperature control. Thus enabling faculty and students to conduct experiments that will provide detailed species-specific data required for studies of freshwater ecosystems. Improvements will provide facilities needed for experiments measuring fish and plankton physiological responses to changes in environmental conditions that occur naturally or result from anthropogenic effects on the ecosystems. Experiments conducted with these renovated facilities will be coupled with the Laboratory's existing modeling program in fish bioenergetics, spatial modeling of habitat quality, 3-D foraging models and individual-based models of fish populations. The Great Lakes Center has established the only Graduate Program in Great Lakes Environmental Sciences in the country. This project will not only benefit research training for students, but for visiting scientists from other institutions and abroad who come to learn techniques integrating field sampling and spatial modeling programs. | http://ri.ijc.org/node/1778 |
Carbon Dioxide, Volume 37 in the Fish Physiology series highlights new advances in the field, with this new volume presenting interesting chapters on a variety of topics, including Historic, current-day and future CO2 environments and their dynamics in marine and freshwater ecosystems, CO2 sensing, Acid-base physiology and CO2 homeostasis: regulation and compensation, CO2 and calcification processes in fish, The physiology of behavioral impacts of high CO2, Effects of high CO2 on metabolic rates, aerobic scope and swimming performance, Internal spatial and temporal CO2 effects: feeding and alkaline tide, O2 in aquaculture: CO2 dynamics and fish health, and much more.
Key Features
- Provides the authority and expertise of leading contributors from an international board of authors
- Presents the latest release in the Fish Physiology series
- Updated release includes the latest information on Carbon Dioxide
Readership
Undergraduate students, graduate students and seasoned researchers in fish physiology
Details
- No. of pages:
- 516
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Academic Press 2019
- Published:
- 1st December 2019
- Imprint:
- Academic Press
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780128176092
Ratings and Reviews
About the Serial Volume Editors
Martin Grosell Serial Volume Editor
RSMAS, University of Miami, Florida, Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosentiel school of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, USA
Affiliations and Expertise
RSMAS, University of Miami, Florida, Division of Marine Biology and Fisheries, Rosentiel school of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, USA
Philip Munday Serial Volume Editor
Professor Philip Munday has broad interests in the ecology and evolution of reef fishes. His primary research focuses on understanding and predicting the impacts that climate change will have on populations and communities of marine fishes, both directly through changes in the physical environment and indirectly through effects on coral reef habitat. Using a range of laboratory and field-based experiments the research group he leads is investigating the effects of climate change on reef fish populations and testing their capacity for acclimation and adaptation to a rapidly changing environment.
Affiliations and Expertise
James Cook University, Australia
About the Serial Editors
Anthony Farrell Serial Editor
Tony Farrell is a graduate of Bath University, where he was fortunate to study with Peter Lutz. His fortunes grew further when he moved in 1974 to Canada and the Zoology Department at the University of British Columbia to complete his Ph.D. degree under the superb tutelage of Dave Randall. In 2004, Tony returned to UBC when he accepted an endowed research chair in Sustainable Aquaculture.
In between these positions at UBC, Tony was employed at the University of Southern California (PDF), the University of New Brunswick (sessional lecturer), Mount Allison University (first real job) and Simon Fraser University (moving through the ranks to a full professor). In addition to highly controlled laboratory experiments on fish cardiorespiratory physiology, Tony is committed to working on animals in their own environment. Therefore, his research on fish physiology has taken him on an Alpha Helix expedition to the Amazon, the University of Gothenburg and the Kristineberg Marine Research Station in Sweden, the Portobello Marine Biological Station in New Zealand, the University of Christchurch and Massey University in New Zealand, the Bamfield Marine Science Station and the Huntsman Marine Station in Canada, the University of Aarhus in Denmark, the University of Adelaide Charles and Darwin University in Australia, and to the Danish Arctic Marine Station on Disco Island in Greenland. These travels have allowed him to work and with many superb collaborators word-wide, as well as study the physiology of over 70 different species of fish. Tony has received a number of awards for his scientific contributions: an honorary degree from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden; Awards of Excellence from the American Fisheries Society for Fish Physiology, Conservation and Management; the Fry Medal from the Canadian Society of Zoologists; and the Beverton Medal from the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.
Affiliations and Expertise
Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Colin Brauner Serial Editor
The primary goal of his research program is to investigate environmental adaptations (both mechanistic and evolutionary) in relation to gas-exchange, acid-base balance and ion regulation in fish, integrating responses from the molecular, cellular and organismal level. The ultimate goal is to understand how evolutionary pressures have shaped physiological systems among vertebrates and to determine the degree to which physiological systems can adapt/acclimate to natural and anthropogenic environmental changes. This information is crucial for basic biology and understanding the diversity of biological systems, but much of his research conducted to date can also be applied to issues of aquaculture, toxicology and water quality criteria development, as well as fisheries management. | https://www.elsevier.com/books/carbon-dioxide/grosell/978-0-12-817609-2 |
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NCL facilitates in faster research by providing necessary infrastructure,environments and resources to conduct the experiments in the cloud.
We provide compute cluster of 200+ nodes,GPU's and High end servers on demand.
Expedite R&D,translation & delivery of new solutions by saving time on tedious experiment setups.
We provide a set of virtual networks,vulnerability environments(50+ CVE’s).
Hard to simulate and controlled environments with common components supporting wide range of activities.
From replicating an experiment to reusing a particular network topology,it can be easily done on NCL testbed.
As a cybersecurity lab, security is of our utmost concern.
Conduct your experiments in a secure and controlled environment.
All experiment sessions are encrypted and carried out in a contained environment.
All experiments are isolated and separated from other experiments,as well as the internet.
Browse,search and contribute to our collection of datasets contributed by other researchers like you.
With datasets ranging from internet traffic data to mobile app data,find and use the one most suitable for you and validate your research. | https://ncl.sg/features |
Design procedures to test the selected hypotheses.
Conduct systematic controlled experiments to test the selected hypotheses.
Apply statistical methods to make predictions and to test the accuracy of results.
Report, display and defend the results of investigations to audiences that may include professionals and technical experts.
Identify a design problem that has practical applications and propose possible solutions, considering such constraints as available tools, materials, time and costs.
Select criteria for a successful design solution to the identified problem.
Build and test different models or simulations of the design solution using suitable materials, tools and technology.
Choose a model and refine its design based on the test results.
Apply established criteria to evaluate the suitability, acceptability, benefits, drawbacks and consequences for the tested design solution and recommend modifications and refinements.
Using available technology, prepare and present findings of the tested design solution to an audience that may include professional and technical experts.
Explain changes within cells and organisms in response to stimuli and changing environmental conditions (e.g., homeostasis, dormancy).
Analyze the transmission of genetic traits, diseases and defects.
Analyze and explain biodiversity issues and the causes and effects of extinction.
Compare and predict how life forms can adapt to changes in the environment by applying concepts of change and constancy (e.g., variations within a population increase the likelihood of survival under new conditions).
Analyze reactions (e.g., nuclear reactions, burning of fuel, decomposition of waste) in natural and man-made energy systems.
Analyze the properties of materials (e.g., mass, boiling point, melting point, hardness) in relation to their physical and/or chemical structures.
Analyze factors that influence the relative motion of an object (e.g., friction, wind shear, cross currents, potential differences).
Analyze the effects of gravitational, electromagnetic and nuclear forces on a physical system.
Analyze the processes involved in naturally occurring short-term and long-term Earth events (e.g., floods, ice ages, temperature, sea-level fluctuations).
Compare the processes involved in the life cycle of stars (e.g., gravitational collapse, thermonuclear fusion, nova) and evaluate the supporting evidence.
Describe the size and age of the universe and evaluate the supporting evidence (e.g., red-shift, Hubble's constant).
Design procedures and policies to eliminate or reduce risk in potentially hazardous science activities.
Explain criteria that scientists use to evaluate the validity of scientific claims and theories.
Explain the strengths, weaknesses and uses of research methodologies including observational studies, controlled laboratory experiments, computer modeling and statistical studies.
Explain, using a practical example (e.g., cold fusion), why experimental replication and peer review are essential to scientific claims.
Analyze challenges created by international competition for increases in scientific knowledge and technological capabilities (e.g., patent issues, industrial espionage, technology obsolescence).
Analyze and describe the processes and effects of scientific and technological breakthroughs.
Design and conduct an environmental impact study, analyze findings and justify recommendations.
Analyze the costs, benefits and effects of scientific and technological policies at the local, state, national and global levels (e.g., genetic research, Internet access).
Assess how scientific and technological progress has affected other fields of study, careers and job markets and aspects of everyday life. | https://www.kiddom.co/standards/28-illinois-science-standards/grade-12 |
Sovereign, Michael G.
Stewart, Joseph S., II
Date1986-06
MetadataShow full item record
Abstract
A series of annual experiments in Command, Control and Communications have been held at NPS over the last three years. These experiments have been sponsored by the Defense Communications Agency under the auspices of the Joint Directors of Laboratories C3 Basic research program. These experiments have used a computer-aided wargame and a large number of players to provide data for investigation of C3 issues which are of broad interest to the community. This paper describes those experiments, details the data gathering methods of the most recent experiment, and provides an introduction to the results obtained when the Headquarters Evaluation and Assessment Tool (HEAT) methodology developed by Defense Systems Incorporated (DSI) is applied. DSI has supported the experiments and analyzed the data in each year. A comprehensive summary of their work is . The issues addressed to date include connectivity, centralization and command role. The data for each experiment include thousands of observations gathered through a month of experimentation representing several thousand officer subject hours in realistic battle command situations. For each of the experiments in the series a consensus was reached by the three participating organizations, DCA, DSI and NPS as to the specific subject which would be investigated. In general the investigations concerned command and control structures and their performance, how these structures might be modified by design, or how they might change during the course of a series of stressful events. A constraint was that the computer laboratory environment would allow the games to be replicated, and that resultant data from a series of iterations would support statistical analysis. During the series of experiments it was found that the team was able to present realistic problems using the wargaming system, that the subjects (who were officer-students ) made reasonably effective decisions, and that a series of short gaming events produced data which could be analyzed statistically. In addition, the experiments could be controlled to reduce the effects of learning and to explore minor changes in the command and control system architecture which was being simulated. The wargame (hardware and software) used is the Navy' s Interim Battle-Group Tactical Trainer (IBGTT) developed by the Naval Ocean Systems Center and currently in use by the Tactical Training Group, Pacific. Generalization from these results is of course dangerous, but a continuity of results over a considerable scale (one to four carrier groups) and range of scenarios has been shown (Sea of Japan, Persian Gulf and Norwegian Sea.)
Description
9th MIT/ONR Workshop on C3 systems
NPS Report NumberLIDS-R-1624
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Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
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Conduct and assessment of A2C2 experiment 3 and guidelines for future experimentation Benson, Robert E. L. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 1998-06);The Adaptive Architectures for Command and Control (A2C2) project is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and is focused on analysis of joint decision-making at the operational level and adaptation of joint ...
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Command and control in virtual environments: laboratory experimentation to compare virtual with physical Bergin, Richard D.; Adams, Alicemary Aspell; Andraus, Ramez; Hudgens, Bryan J.; Lee, June G. Chinn Yi; Nissen, Mark E. (2010-06);Research in command and control is advancing rapidly through a campaign of laboratory experimentation using the ELICIT (Experimental Laboratory for Investigating Collaboration, Information-sharing and Trust) multiplayer ...
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The conduct and assessment of A2C2 Experiment 7 Pasaraba, Wendell L. (Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School, 2000-09);Adaptive Architectures for Command and Control (A2C2) Experiment 7 is the latest in the series of experiments designed to investigate the effects of modifying current military organizational structures. It is a continuation ... | https://calhoun.nps.edu/handle/10945/51475 |
Facilities at SABS
The SABS facilities cover 9.3 hectares at Brandy Cove including offices, wet and dry labs, a workshop, a chemical storage building, a conference centre, computer facilities, a library and a wharf.
Located on the shores of Passamaquoddy Bay, SABS has state-of-the-art water processing facilities to equip both our freshwater and saltwater laboratories, and more than 2900 square metres of wet lab space. The wharf is accessible year-round from which the CCGS Viola M. Davidson allows scientists to conduct daily research investigations. Four smaller research vessels and numerous zodiacs are also on site.
There are numerous office, laboratory and conference facilities throughout the Station campus. The primary facilities are:
1. Dr. David Pearce Penhallow Building:
Opened in 2012, this 4500 square metre science building for Station staff provides office space, 37 analytical laboratories with state of the art equipment and fume hoods, specimen retention facilities, and a computer centre. As well, there are numerous meeting areas equipped with Smartboards and videoconference capabilities.
2. Dr. Alfreda P. Berkeley Needler Laboratory
Opened in 2012, the 2,900 square metre, secure wet lab facility allows for research to be conducted on live marine animals in support of fisheries, aquaculture, biodiversity and climate change. Unique features include:
• Eighteen individually enclosed photoperiod labs where users can manipulate photoperiod (light regimes), water, and air temperature to create customized conditions for specific research projects.
• A large hatchery with approximately 76 hatching tanks and 44 larval tanks. The capability to chill the air in this room makes it better suited to maintain constant temperature in the tanks and support the low flows of water involved in raising early life history stages of fish. Three spacious labs for growing live feeds (organisms that are fed to marine fish larvae) are conveniently located on the second level.
• A flume laboratory with specialized equipment that allows researchers to look at the behaviour of marine animals in a controlled environment.
• A quarantine or biocontainment laboratory for disease-related research in farmed fish. It is the only lab on the East Coast of Canada with reliable flow-through technology, and with access to high quality seawater and freshwater available in various temperature regimes.
- Date modified: | https://www.inter.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/Maritimes/SABS/Facilities |
Aquaculture is farming fish, crustaceans, plants, algae and other aquatic species under controlled conditions in freshwater and marine habitats. The industry has quickly become the fastest-growing food production sector, which looks unlikely to change in the coming decades. Its contribution to global fish production for human consumption reached 46% in 2018 – up from 25.7% in 2000 – and is expected to hit 89% by 2030. Almost 190 countries cultivate approximately 550 different species of aquatic animals for human consumption. As a result, the sector is characterised by a variety of production systems, regulatory environments, certifications, unique geographic features and industry competition, with significant differences around the world.
The report focuses largely on salmon aquaculture and begins with a detailed discussion of the sector’s performance in the Coller FAIRR Protein Producer Index 2021/22. We then highlight FAIRR’s engagement with salmon producers on climate and biodiversity risks in feed supply chains. Included in this report are insights from interviews with more than 40 investors, producers and civil sector organisations. The FAIRR Initiative will conduct a similar review of the shrimp industry in 2022.
Most companies saw improvements in 2021, with only Bakkafrost recording a lower score than in 2020. The Index analysed a total of 60 businesses across all sectors. Eight of the 15 aquaculture companies scored in the top quartile overall. Better performers are generally found in Europe. Excluding Thai Union, which is among the 10 lowest-risk producers, the riskier companies are clustered in Asia.
Please download the report to learn more! | https://www.fairr.org/article/index-chapter-3-aquaculture/ |
The fish conservation major addresses both the scientific and human elements of aquatic ecosystem management. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to, shellfish, endangered species, aquaculture systems, and sport fish. You’ll graduate prepared to take an active role in finding new and better ways to conserve, use, and sustain the world’s vital aquatic resources. This is a very research-intensive major and provides excellent preparation for graduate school.
Students majoring in fish conservation take courses in the following core areas: natural resources and environment, population dynamics, human dimensions of fisheries and wildlife, evolutionary biology, legal foundations, public speaking and writing, chemistry, and statistics. Additional major coursework is also required in oceanography, ichthyology, fish ecology, fish management, ecology, and geographic information systems (GIS) technology.
Students have two options for specialization: freshwater fisheries conservation and marine fisheries conservation.
Why study fish conservation at Virginia Tech?
All students are required to enroll in a first-year experience course — Natural Resources and Environment — which introduces them to skills critical for being successful in the college and at Virginia Tech, as well as to career options for this field of study.
Students have the option of pursuing an option in freshwater fisheries conservation, which requires the completion of additional courses in fisheries techniques, biology, and aquatic biology.
Students who pursue the marine fisheries conservation option will take courses in fisheries techniques and marine ecology, as well as approved courses at a collaborating institution. In the past, students have completed their coursework at institutions such as the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, Coastal Carolina University, Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory (affiliated with the University of South Alabama), University of Washington, and Stony Brook University.
In addition to subject area knowledge, there is also an emphasis on critical “soft skills” that students need in order to be successful. These skills are acquired in part through required courses on speaking and writing about agriculture and life sciences that are part of the curriculum.
Faculty members are experts in and conduct research on areas ranging from fish ecology to mussel populations to marine fisheries management.
Student research opportunities are available locally and regionally in Virginia and neighboring states.
Partnerships with federal agencies, as well as Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute, Global Change Center, Fralin Life Science Institute, and Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Center, afford students and faculty opportunities to conduct research, join project teams, and solve resource management problems.
Student clubs and organizations like the American Fisheries Society are a great way for students to connect and get involved on campus and in the community. The group plans and holds the Annual Mudbass Tournament for local children and families. Virginia Tech also has a bass fishing team that competes at the intercollegiate level.
What can I do with a degree in fish conservation?
Graduates in fish conservation may enter the job market or pursue a graduate degree in the field. Career possibilities are listed below, and potential employers include the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, state departments of natural resources, National Park Service, state parks, environmental consulting firms, and conservation nonprofit agencies.
Animal caretaker — Feeds and raises fish in aquaculture facilities, hatcheries, or other settings.
Aquaculturist — Grows fish for food markets and for fisheries agencies, producing fish to enhance recreational fisheries and threatened populations.
Biological science technician/fishery technician/wetland technician — Carries out the practical tasks and procedures essential to completing plans and projects: manages habitats, conducts surveys or experiments, and computes and records data.
Environmental consultant — Conducts viability and impact assessments to determine the effects that proposed land and water developments might have on plant and animal life.
Fish culturist/hatchery manager — Manages fish hatcheries, propagates various species of hatchery fish, and implements fish disease control programs.
Fishery biologist — Studies the life history, habitats, population dynamics, nutrition, and diseases of fish, and plans and carries out fish conservation and management programs.
Museum collections manager — Cares for and maintains museum fish specimens.
Research fisheries biologist — Gathers data on the effects of natural and human environmental changes on fish, and restores and enhances fish habitats. | https://cnre.vt.edu/academics/degrees-majors/fish-conservation.html |
Animal welfare in modern production systems for fish
FRESH – Fish REaring and Stress Hazards.
Researchers: Bo Algers (SLU), Michael Axelsson (GU), Lotta Berg (SLU, co-ordinator), Jeroen Brijs (GU, not in photo), Albin Gräns (SLU), David Huyben (SLU, not in photo), Anders Kiessling (SLU), Torbjörn Lundh (SLU, not in photo) Erik Sandblom (GU), Kristina Sundell (GU) and Henrik Sundh (GU) .
Contact the FRESH group here!
NEW IN THE PROJECT:
- New publication: Føre, M., Svendsen, E., Økland, F., Gräns, A., Alfredsen, J.A., Finstad, B., Hedger, R.D. & Uglem, I., 2021. Heart rate and swimming activity as indicators of post-surgical recovery time of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). Animal Biotelemetry 2021, 9:3.
- New publication: Hjelmstedt, P., Brijs, J., Berg, C., Axelsson, M., Sandblom, E., Roques, J.A.C., Sundh, H., Sundell, K., Kiessling, A., Gräns, A., 2021. Continuous physiological welfare evaluation of European whitefish (Coregonus laveretus) during common aquaculture practices leading up to slaughter. Aquaculture, Vol 534, 736258.
- New publication: Brijs, J., Sundell, E., Hjelmstedt, P., Berg, C., Sencic, E., Axelsson, M., Lines, J., Bouwsema, J., Ellis, M., Saxer, A., och Gräns, A., 2021. Humane slaughter of African sharptooth catfish (Clarias gariepinus): Effects of various stunning methods on brain function. Aquaculture 532 (2021) 735887, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2020.735887.
- New publication: Jennifer Bowman, Nicole van Nuland, Per Hjelmstedt, Charlotte Berg, Albin Gräns. Evaluation of the reliability of indicators of consciousness during CO2 stunning of rainbow trout and the effects of temperature. Aquaculture research. 2020. DOI: 10.1111/are.14857.
General aim of the project
- Establishing a world class fish welfare platform.
Specific aims
- Obtain physiological data enabling identification of cause and effect,
- Establish quantitative comparison of critical situations for farmed fish,
- Develop specific recommendations and basis for legislation to ensure animal welfare and improve future production and management systems.
What are the problems in fish welfare research?
- Fish lack discernible facial expression and most farmed species also lack vocal abilities.
- Fish in a production environment has a very limited behavioural repertoire and is hard to observe visually.
Hence, it is difficult for a human caretaker to perceive fish expressions of distress.
Possible stressors in commercial fish farming
Capture and handling procedures such as netting pumping, sorting, vaccination, treatment, transport, nutritional disorders as well as aggression and inability to hide from threat and infections. Several of these stressors will be evaluated within the project.
Physiological stress indicators for fish in general After perceiving stress, a primary stress response, i.e. increased circulating levels of catecholamines (CAT) and cortisol, is initiated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal axis. This elicits secondary stress responses, in fish documented as cellular, osmoregulatory, hematological, barrier or immunological changes. This may create tertiary stress responses, affecting performance and manifested as decreased growth, swimming capacity, disease resistance, feeding activity and altered behaviour.
Stress indicators currently used at fish farms
- Flight attempts in direct conjugation with the stressor,
- Reduced feed intake over days and even weeks after a stressful event,
- Reduced growth and increased mortality and/or increased diseases occurrence is a more long term and multi‐cause response.
Methods to be used in this project
To understand the causality and severity of different farming practises, physiological responses in vivo and in vitro will be studied in the fish at site.
- A telemetric dual-channel Doppler blood flow system, measures total cardiac output flow, gut blood flow, heart rate and body temperature.
- Using chamber techniques, evaluates the integrity of the intestinal primary barrier, a well-established secondary stress response and welfare indicator.
- Primary stress responses will be measured using non-invasive and invasive methods. Use of permanent cannula in in order to obtain repeated blood samples in normally feeding and behaving fish.
- Non-invasive techniques ensures representative baseline and stress values of the secondary stress responses, heart and respiration frequency, in non‐experimentally influenced fish.
- Controlled laboratory experiments on instrumented fish under mimicked farming situations will study the mechanisms of specific physiological responses.
Figur 1. Modern fish farming system in western Norway. Such an enclosure can have a circumference of up to 120 meters and house more than 100,000 animals. To study the individual animals in such systems is almost impossible today, but nevertheless crucial when aiming at ensuring not only the welfare of the fish but also at developing rational and well-functioning production systems. (Photo: Anders Kiessling)
Figure 2. Stress response systems in fish.
The project has 4 sub-projects, please see links below:
- Study 1: Why is the intestinal barrier in fish affected by stress?
- Study 2: How are fish affected by identified welfare problems in the lab and in aquaculture?
- Study 3: Effect of alternative feed resources on the fish normal intestinal micro flora and the intestinal barrier function.
- Study 4: The effects of turbid water in combination with high water temperatures on oxygen consumption, heart and ventilation rates.
Contact
Head of department: Anders Karlsson, telephone +46 511-67100.
Deputy head of department: Anna Wallenbeck, telephone +46 18-674504.
Director of Postgraduate Studies: Katarina Arvidsson Segerkvist, telephone +46 511-67144.
Director of Undergraduate Studies: Lisa Lundin, telephone +46 18-671650. | https://www.slu.se/en/departments/animal-environment-health/research/research-project/animal-welfare-in-modern-production-systems-for-fish/ |
Craspedacusta sowerbii is a freshwater jellyfish species that has been invading freshwater almost all over the world. In marine environments, which are usually associated with jellyfish, increasing jellyfish observations are related to eutrophication, temperature increases and habitat degradation. Reports of jellyfish observations in freshwater have also been increasing over recent decades. The question arises as to whether population dynamics of freshwater jellyfish are affected by similar factors than observed in marine systems. Difficulties in studying freshwater jellyfish are related to the fact that most scientific interest is focused on the easily visible medusa stage. However, in the complex life cycle of C. sowerbii medusae play only a minor role. The inconspicuous polyp stage is much more important, as it is present throughout the year and is almost exclusively responsible for reproduction. The polyp stage is therefore crucial for a successful invasion of new habitats, and for current and future distribution patterns of this species. In my thesis I investigated the following aspects: (1.) Distribution patterns of medusae and polyps of C. sowerbii, (2.) Factors affecting the growth of polyps of C. sowerbii (chemical environment, such as nitrate and biocides) (3.) Technical aspects of polyp handling during monitoring and experi-mental analyses. With a “Citizen Science” project and a literature research, recent distribution patterns of C. sowerbii medusae in Germany were revealed and evaluated. Analyses of the distribution patterns show that rivers probably act as important pathways for distribution. To determine how well the observation of easily detectable medusae reflect the “real” distribution of the species, including the polyp stage, the distributions of both life stages were analysed in lakes in Upper Bavaria. The analysis revealed that the polyp stage is approximately twice as abundant as the medusa stage; many more lakes than previously thought are therefore inhabited by this species. Additional comparison of lakes inhabited by only the polyp stage with lakes inhabited by both polyps and medusae show a clear difference in mean alti-tude—lakes inhabited by polyps and medusae are located at considerably lower altitudes. This could reflect a predicted influence of temperature on the development of medusae. The distribution of polyps of C. sowerbii is affected by environmental parameters. Recently, the im-portance of parameters related to the chemical constitution of freshwater environments has gained increased attention. Nitrate is seen as an abundant and common threat to freshwater organisms; la-boratory experiments on the effect of nitrate on the growth of the polyp population of C. sowerbii were therefore performed. The results of these experiments show that nitrate decreases the growth of polyp populations. This decrease was observable under both acute and chronic exposure to nitrate. A comparison with field data supports the potential importance of nitrate as shown in the laboratory. In two rivers in Upper Bavaria with differing nitrate concentrations, polyp distributions were quantified. In the river with higher nitrate concentrations the number of polyps was much lower than in the river with lower nitrate concentrations. Additionally, experiments with certain agricultural pesticides known to enter freshwater systems by run-off were performed. Results show that the polyp stage of C. sowerbii is sensitive to at least some pesticides, also potentially affecting species distribution. As mentioned above, the polyp stage of C. sowerbii is studied less frequently than its medusa stage. Detection in the field of this highly inconspicuous stage is extremely difficult, and needs some experi-ence. Experiments on staining the polyp stage show that neutral red is able to permeate and stain the species, showing a clear visible red colour in the polyp stage. This staining does not seriously harm the polyps and no higher mortality of polyps with staining was observed. After collecting polyps in the field, it is possible to successfully maintain and grow them in the laboratory and use individuals for further experiments. The necessary medium changes during cultivation have no influence on the reproduction of polyps, allowing experiments that need controlled environmental parameters that can only be achieved by regular growth medium changes. During such experiments polyps have to be transferred between culture and experimental environments and injuries of the fragile polyps can occur. However, my results show that almost 100% of the polyps used in experiments regenerated within 24 to 96 hours, even after heavy injuries. This demonstrates the high regeneration capabilities many cnidarian species are known for. My results provide important knowledge for planning and conducting further experi-ments investigating the ecology of the polyp stage of C. sowerbii. In summary, my results help to understand recent and future distribution patterns of this highly mobile, invasive species. It became clear that the inconspicuous and under-investigated polyp stage of the jelly-fish is key to understanding the dynamics of C. sowerbii. My findings show that C. sowerbii is much more broadly distributed than originally thought from medusa observations. Additionally, temperature plays an important role for medusae production, hence increased abundances, and increasing food web effects, of C. sowerbii medusa with ongoing Global Change can be predicted. | https://edoc.ub.uni-muenchen.de/30370/ |
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-9271
For citation please use:
For citation please use:
|Main Title:||A System for Retrieval and Incubation of Benthic Sediment Cores at In Situ Ambient Pressure and under Controlled or Manipulated Environmental Conditions|
|Author(s):||Jackson, Keith|
Witte, Ursula
Chalmers, Stewart
Anders, Erik
Parkes, John
|Type:||Article|
|Language Code:||en|
|Abstract:||The investigation of benthic biodiversity and biogeochemical processes in the deep sea is complicated by the need to conduct experiments at in situ pressures. Recovery of sediment samples to the surface without maintaining full-depth ambient pressure may damage the organisms that are of interest or cause physiological changes that could influence the processes being studied. It is possible to carry out in situ experiments using remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or lander systems. However, the costs and complexity of ROV operations are significant and, for both ROVs and landers, the complexity and repeatability of the experiments are subject to the limitations imposed by these platforms. A system is described—the Multi-Autoclave Corer Experiment (MAC-EXP)—that has been developed with the aim of offering a new experimental approach to investigators. The MAC-EXP system is designed to retrieve sediment cores from depths down to 3500 m and to seal them into pressure chambers before being recovered so that they are maintained at their normal ambient pressure. After recovery the core chambers can be connected to a laboratory incubation system that allows for experimentation on the sediment without loss of pressure and under controlled conditions of temperature and oxygen concentration. The system is relatively low cost when compared to ROV systems and can be deployed using methods and equipment similar to those used for routine deployments of small unpressurized multicorers. The results of sea trials are detailed.|
|URI:||https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/10309|
http://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-9271
|Issue Date:||2017|
|Date Available:||14-Nov-2019|
|DDC Class:||550 Geowissenschaften|
|Subject(s):||sampling|
biodiversity
deep sea
remotely operated vehicles
Multi-Autoclave Corer Experiment
MAC-EXP
|License:||https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/|
|Journal Title:||Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology|
|Publisher:||American Meteorological Society|
|Publisher Place:||Boston, Mass|
|Volume:||34|
|Issue:||5|
|Publisher DOI:||10.1175/jtech-d-16-0248.1|
|Page Start:||983|
|Page End:||1000|
|EISSN:||1520-0426|
|ISSN:||0739-0572|
|Appears in Collections:||FG Kontinuumsmechanik und Materialtheorie » Publications|
Files in This Item: | https://depositonce.tu-berlin.de/handle/11303/10309 |
There are 10 item/s.
Title
Date
Views
Brief Description
Morphological and chromatic changes in the last instars of Erythemis simplicicollis (odonata)
1966
41
Many aspects of the adult life history of the dragonfly Erythemis simplicicollis are well-known resulting from an excellent paper by Williamson (1923). This species (Family Libellulinae) is the "green jacket" dragonfly one finds almost everywhere aro...
The life-history of Ischnura posita (Hagen) in relation to seasonal regulation : (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
1968
43
A study was conducted on Ischnura posita to gain information on aspects of its seasonal cycle and what types of regulation are imposed upon it in achieving metamorphosis and emergence. Information was obtained through a program of larval population s...
Growth of larvae of Plathemis Lydia Drury as influenced by controlled photoperiod and temperature (odonata: anisoptera)
1970
30
In order to investigate the respective roles of photoperiod and temperature in seasonal regulation of the life cycle, experiments were undertaken to measure the rate of growth of dragonfly larvae when maintained to emergence under constant conditions...
Life-history study of libellula incesta with emphasis on egg development as influenced by controlled temperature
1971
81
A field and laboratory study was carried out with Libellula incesta to investigate the effects of controlled temperature and photoperiod on egg development and to determine various aspects of the life cycle. Eggs collected from mating females were su...
A study of behavioral and reproductive patterns of adult Lestes Vigilax Hagen (Odonata: Lestidae)
1972
43
A study was undertaken to investigate the general behavior and reproductive activity of an adult population of Lestes vigilax at an impoundment in piedmont North Carolina. The study was conducted from July through October, 1971 with observations bein...
The influence of environmental conditions on the daily activities of Enallagma geminatum (Kellicott), Enallagma signatum (Hagen) and Enallagma civile (Hagen) (Odonata: Zygoptera)
1973
41
A field station was established on the farm pond of the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to study some environmental impacts upon the activity cycle of three species of Enallagma. Sites of observation were established to det...
Seasonal changes in lotic phytoplankton and their successional responses to experimental temperatures
1973
39
An investigation was made of algae collected on glass slides from polluted waters of an urban creek in Greensboro, North Carolina. Observations were made on the successional properties of these planktonic algal communities in relation to changes in t...
Some aspects of the ecology of benthic macroinvertebrates in a cove of Lake Jeanette
1974
37
A close examination of the benthos of the 0-5 m zone of a lake cove was undertaken at Lake Jeanette, 10 km north of Greensboro, North Carolina. Monthly samples were made from September, 1973 through April, 1974. The sampling technique devised for thi...
Some pre-emergence studies on final-instar larvae of Tetragoneuria cynosura (Odonata)
1975
61
Final-instar larvae of Tetragoneuria cynosura collected in Guilford Co., N.C. from October 1974 until March 1975 were subjected to experimental temperatures and photoperiods. These environmental factors were analyzed for their effects on food consump...
Effects of some ecological factors on a late summer community of adult Odonata
1977
42
A community of adult Odonata, composed of 15 species, was studied from 7 August 1975 until 17 November 1975 at a small pond in piedmont North Carolina. Studies were made on adult behavioral patterns including flight, reproductive, and perching activi...
Help
About Us
Maintained by
ERIT
, | http://libres.uncg.edu/ir/uncg/clist-etd.aspx?fn=Paul&ln=Lutz&org=uncg |
CESARE (Laboratorio di economia sperimentale) is a centre for experimental research and a laboratory for carrying out experiment-based investigations of issues of interest to researchers in the social sciences, including experimental economics, finance, political science, sociology, anthropology and marketing. Such experiments typically enable the observation of human subjects taking economic decisions under controlled conditions, and hence the testing of economic theories of economic behavior.
Mission
The mission of the Centre is to observe economic behavior and hence to understand better the factors that determine such behavior. Crucial to this mission is conducting experiments with appropriate incentives and under controlled conditions, so that the factors influencing behavior can be identified and their effects can be measured. Experiments will be carried out in the purpose-built laboratory.
Laboratory
The lab is designed in-house and financed with a very generous contribution from Deloitte. The physical infrastructure of the lab consists of a Control Room, 26 workstations, two big screens and two ceiling-mounted projectors. The Control Room contains two desks, two shelves, a server, a screen and a printer. The workstations are linked through a local network and can run networked experiments, as well as those based on the Internet.
Where is the lab?
The lab is located in Viale Pola 12.
How to partecipate to an experiment?
Participate in an ORSEE experiment
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For further information, please contact Daniela Di Cagno, Francesca Marrazzi e Andrey Angelovski. | https://economiaefinanza.luiss.it/en/research/research-centers/cesieg/cesare-centre-experimental-economics |
The new Waterloo Aquatic Threats in Environmental Research (WATER) facility at the University of Waterloo aims to simulate and research aquatic stressors and threats so that we are better prepared to prevent current and future problems.
“Many environmental changes are impacting both wild and aquaculture fish,” said Paul Craig, a professor in the Department of Biology and one of the lead researchers in the new WATER facility. “Our new multimillion-dollar facility will allow researchers to bridge the gap between lab and fieldwork by studying the impact of climate-related stressors in a controlled environment.”
The WATER facility, which is one of the largest aquatic test facilities in Ontario, has the capability of studying a wide range of aquatic organisms, from Canadian cold-water fish to tropical fish and amphibians. The facility is also equipped to trace the multi-generational effects different environmental stresses may have on aquatic life over multiple lifespans.
New technologies, including a pathogen challenge area, will allow researchers to study the impact of disease agents and contaminants of concern on aquaculture, expose populations to controlled climate-related stressors like water temperature and oxygen saturation levels, and measure the effects of human-centric pollution such as wastewater on aquatic ecosystems.
The new WATER facility also prioritizes sustainability by reducing water usage by 90 per cent compared to the groundwater flow through system that was previously used in aquatic research at Waterloo.
“With the opening of the WATER facility, we are looking to expand our research areas and expertise, and invite researchers across Canada in areas water research and aquatic conservation to collaborate with us to carry out new and innovative research,” Craig said.
Waterloo researchers involved in the development and research in the WATER facility include Craig, Brian Dixon, Barb Katzenback, Rebecca Rooney, Mark Servos, and Heidi Swanson, all professors in Waterloo’s Department of Biology. The WATER facility was a two-year, $5.2 million project undertaken by the Faculty of Science and is now active for research. | https://www.watercanada.net/uwaterloo-aquatic-threats-research-facility/ |
What does WFPC2 stand for?
Acronym. Definition. WFPC2. Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2.
What is HST imaging?
STIS is a versatile imaging spectrograph, providing spatially resolved spectroscopy from 1150 to 10300 Å at low to medium spectral resolution, high spatial resolution echelle spectroscopy in the UV, solar-blind imaging in the UV, time-tagging of photons for high time resolution in the UV, and direct and coronagraphic …
Who made the lens for the Hubble telescope?
Hubble’s primary mirror was built by what was then called Perkin-Elmer Corporation, in Danbury, Connecticut. Once Hubble began returning images that were less clear than expected, NASA undertook an investigation to diagnose the problem.
Which of the following missions is scheduled to replace the Hubble Space Telescope?
JWST was launched in December 2021 on a European Space Agency (ESA) Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, and as of June 2022 is undergoing testing and alignment. Once operational, expected about the end of June 2022, JWST is intended to succeed the Hubble as NASA’s flagship mission in astrophysics.
Why did the Hubble telescope have to be repaired?
Soon after the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990, images and data from its instruments revealed that its main mirror was optically flawed. It suffered from spherical aberration—not all portions of the mirror focused to the same point.
Why has the Hubble Space Telescope been so instrumental for mankind?
Hubble has helped survey galaxies that existed when the universe was only 600 million years old. Previous estimates had suggested that galaxies didn’t form until the universe was at least two billion years old. The instrument’s images have helped scientists understand how galaxies evolve.
Who repaired the HST?
In 2009, Massimino and fellow Atlantis shuttle astronaut Mike Good spent 10 hours tethered to the broken Hubble, trying to repair its imaging spectrograph—an instrument that depicts black holes and distant alien planets.
What problems did HST face?
After 31 years in space, the Hubble Space Telescope unexpectedly shut down on June 13 after suffering a problem that initially appeared to be the fault of an aging memory module. But the more NASA personnel tried to fix the issue, the more slippery it became.
Who fixed HST?
Engineering support for HST is provided by NASA and contractor personnel at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, 48 km (30 mi) south of the STScI.
Will Hubble run out of fuel?
If it uses fuel doesn’t it eventually run out? There’s no fuel. It uses gyroscopes to orient itself, just like the ISS. These gyroscopes use electricity generated from the solar panels.
What flaw did the Hubble telescope have?
aberration
Shortly after the Hubble Space Telescope’s launch in 1990, operators discovered that the observatory’s primary mirror had an aberration that affected the clarity of the telescope’s early images. Hubble’s primary mirror was built by what was then called Perkin-Elmer Corporation, in Danbury, Connecticut.
How long will Hubble telescope last?
It’s currently believed that Hubble should remain operational until 2030 or 2040. The telescope’s already far-surpassed the original 15-year life expectancy, so any additional time from here on out is just icing on the cake.
Did NASA fix Hubble?
NASA finally fixed the Hubble Space Telescope after nearly five weeks without science operations. Hubble switched to backup hardware to correct the mysterious glitch that took it offline. Hubble’s age likely caused the problem. NASA hopes it still has a few more years.
Is the Hubble telescope broken?
Earlier this year, an issue with Hubble’s computer caused it to go offline for a full month. Now in November 2021, another issue has popped up. NASA’s Hubble telescope — one of the most critical tools for space exploration — is broken again.
Is Hubble telescope broken?
Is STScI part of NASA?
STScI was established in 1981 as a community-based science center that is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA). STScI’s offices are located on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood Campus and in the Rotunda building in Baltimore, Maryland.
Will Hubble be serviced again?
Repairing, upgrading, and refueling the telescope could be performed by astronauts on China’s space station, rather than making remote repairs as NASA does now. For now, NASA says the JWST is on track for a launch readiness date no earlier than October 31, 2021.
How do I read WFPC2 data?
Data from WFPC2 are made available to observers as files in Multi-Extension FITS (MEF) format, which is directly readable by most PyRAF/IRAF/STSDAS tasks. All WFPC2 data are now available in either waivered FITS or MEF formats. The user may specify either format when retrieving that data from the HDA.
Where is the WFPC2 field of view located?
While it was in operation, the WFPC2 field of view was located at the center of the HST focal plane. The central portion of the f/24 beam coming from the OTA would be intercepted by a steerable pick-off mirror attached to the WFPC2 and diverted through an open port entry into the instrument.
Why does my WFPC2 have a streak on the screen?
There are about 30 pixels in WFPC2 that are “charge traps” which do not transfer charge efficiently during readout, producing artifacts that are often quite noticeable. Typically, charge is delayed into successive pixels, producing a streak above the defective pixel.
What is the spatial variation of photometry at different apertures?
For intermediate and large apertures (r > 4 pixels), the spatial variation of photometry is less than 1%, but it becomes significant for small apertures (r < 3 pixels). It is unnecessary to decouple the effects of imperfect CTE and charge diffusion on the field dependence of photometry. | https://whatisflike.com/what-does-wfpc2-stand-for/ |
Alessandra Aloisi was born and raised in Bologna, Italy. She received both a "laurea" degree and a Ph.D. degree from Bologna University. Then in 1999 she moved to Baltimore in the USA, where she has worked since. Following a postdoctoral position at Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and an Associate Research Scientist position at Johns Hopkins University, she permanently joined STScI in 2003, originally as employee of the European Space Agency (ESA) and more recently as AURA research staff. During her tenure at STScI, she was an Instrument Scientist for the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), and then the lead of the STScI Team for STIS and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS). She is currently the Deputy Division Head of the Operations and Engineering Division at STScI, where she performs astronomical research and supports the missions of the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope.
Alessandra is an expert on the subject of star-forming galaxies, which she has approached both from the theoretical and the observational point of view. Her research focuses on the measurement and interpretation of the stellar and metal content, star-formation history and evolution of these galaxies. She is a regular user of Hubble and continues to be fascinated by its tremendous powers, both for scientific inquiry and for revealing the beauty of the cosmos. "The wonderful Hubble images I have had the fortune of working with since the beginning of my astronomical journey," Alessandra says, "have strengthened the conviction in me that I did not choose this professional field by chance: the love for astronomy has always been inside me as a strong desire to discover knew worlds and understand the reasons for their existence."
(INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna)
Francesca Annibali received a "laurea" degree in Astronomy in 2001 from Bologna University. She then obtained a Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 2005 from the International School for Advanced Studiesin Trieste.
After school she was a postdoc at Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore and then at the National Institute of Astrophysics/Astronomical Observatory of Bologna (INAF). She is currently on staff there now as an astronomer.
Her astronomical interests focus on stellar populations in galaxies, young star-forming dwarf galaxies and massive old ones, both from the theoretical and observational point of view. Her research focuses on the interpretation of the stellar and metal content in galaxies as a tool to understand how they form and evolve.
(Louisiana State University and A & M College)
Aaron Grocholski earned his B.S. in Physics from Georgia Southern
University. He then went to the University of Florida where he worked
for Dr. Ata Sarajedini studying star clusters in the Large Magellanic
Cloud. Aaron earned his M.S. in Astronomy in 2002 and Ph.D. in 2006.
After working as a postdoctoral research assistant with
Roeland van der Marel and Alessandra Aloisi at the Space Telescope
Science Institute, he went to Louisiana State University and A & M College where he is an Instructor in the Separtment of Physics and Astronomy.
Aaron's research focuses on the use of photometry and spectroscopy of
resolved stellar populations in nearby galaxies to determine the
properties of those galaxies, such as their distance, structure and star formation history.
(STScI)
Jennifer Mack is a Research and Instrument Scientist at the Space Telescope Institute where she is actively involved in both science research and instrument calibration for HST. Jennifer received her Bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Denver in 1993 and her Master's in astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 1996.
Shortly thereafter, she moved to Maryland for an opportunity to work with the awe-inspiring images of the Hubble Telescope. She is currently a member of the Wide Field Camera 3 instrument team where she works on flat fielding and photometric calibration of the detectors. Outside of astronomy, Jennifer enjoys being a mom to a rambunctious toddler, playing her guitar, camping, and nature photography.
(ESO/ESTEC)
Marco was born and raised in Padova, Italy. His love of astronomy started at about the age of 7 when he started playing around with a very small (~ 1") Galilean telescope. He grew up with the classical 60mm refractor in the backyard.
Marco received the laura degree in astronomy at the University of Padova in 1994 when he started his scientific collaboration with STScI. In 1998 he moved to Baltimore to start his collaboration with the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) Team at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU).
In 1999 he obtained his Ph.D. in space science and technology from the Center of Studies and Activities for Space of the University of Padova. He was employed at JHU as a post doc first and as Associate Researach Scientist as member of the ACS team working on the detector team and being involved in the ground and on-orbit calibration of the instrument.
In October 2003 he started working for the European Space Agency in the Research and Scientific Support Department at the Space Telescope Science Institute where he is currently lead of the ACS and WFPC2 team. He played a major role in the photometric calibration of ACS and he is interested in the effects of the radiation damage in space-operated CCDs.
Marco's research interests are in the are of the low mass star population in young clusters in the Magellanic Clouds, Starburst Galaxies and Super Star Clusters.
Monica Tosi received her “laurea” degree in Astronomy in Rome and then went to Yale, with an Italian fellowship. "I chose Yale because a good friend advised me that there I could work with "the best person to learn how to do work in astronomy"- Beatrice Tinsley. Beatrice gave me both the cultural bases and the technical tools to work on the chemical evolution of galaxies, which is still one of my major research fields. Even more importantly, perhaps, she introduced me to the "woman's approach to astronomy."
Back to Italy, she received a position at the Bologna Observatory, where I'm still working now as a full professor. She works on galaxy evolution, both from the theoretical and the observational points of view, interpreting observational data on star clusters and galaxies, deriving star formation histories, and computing chemical evolution models for galaxies of different morphological types.
Roeland van der Marel obtained degrees in astronomy and mathematics at Leiden University after which NASA awarded him a Hubble Fellowship to come to the United States to continue his research.
In three years at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton he became a frequent user of the Hubble Space Telescope. He then moved to Baltimore, where he is now a tenured member of the scientific staff at STScI, as well as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University.
At STScI Roeland previously led a team in charge of the scientific operations of Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and Second Wide Field and Planetary Camera. He now manages a team that studies the telescope structure and focus for both Hubble and its planned successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. Roeland is an expert on black holes and the structure of galaxies. To study these topics he combines Hubble Space Telescope observations of galaxies with theoretical models based on the laws of physics. | http://heritage.stsci.edu/heic/1421/bio/bio_primary.html |
This Section does not attempt to be a complete textbook on Astronomy. Some topics covered in an Astronomy course are not included here. Before we start the more detailed review of Astronomy and Cosmology in the next 11+ pages, we will examine what most scientists acclaim as the greatest astronomical instrument ever built by Man - the Hubble Space Telescope, or HST. If you may be sceptical of this claim, just feast your eyes on these two images - typical of HST's extraordinary output:
This review of the HST may pique your curiosity about "telescopes" and how they work. The main function of a telescope is to gather photons from a source, concentrate them (focus) so as to improve detectability, and display them as discrete images or numerical data sets. If interest is aroused, try these two websites for a primer on optical telescopes: Wikipedia, and How Stuff Works.
Probably the most famous telescope of all time is at the Mt. Wilson Observatory, in the San Gabriel mountains north of Pasadena, California. The observatory was the brainchild of the astronomer George Hale, who reasoned that building it atop a high peak would avoid problems with the atmosphere and city lights. Work began in 1904 to build the observatory; its first telescope, the 60 inch Hale refractor, began observing in 1908. Here is the present-day view of the buildings including the main observatory at 5715 feet:
Mt. Wilson's most famous telescope - and commensurate with the Hubble Space Telescope in importance - is the 100 inch Hooker (named after its benefactor), begun in 1908 and operational by 1917. It uses a refracting mirror. This is the telescope that Edwin Hubble used to demonstrate the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky Way and to discover that the Universe is expanding. Here it the scope in its current setting:
Prior to 1990 all telescope observations of the heavens were confined to instruments on the ground. These have one obvious advantage: they can be visited by astronomers. But they have a major disadvantage: the atmosphere tends to interfere with the observations, causing distortions and diminution of the radiation signals; building telescopes on top of high mountains - the current practice - reduces that problem. But as populations grew and cities cast more light into the sky, this unwanted background effect caused further reduction in viewing efficiency. Still, ground telescopy remains a mainstay of astronomy. Click on these web sources for lists of Observatories grouped by country and largest ground telescopes. Among the top sites for observatories is Mauna Kea (more than 4200 meters [14000 ft] above sealevel) on the Big Island of Hawaii. Various nations have observatories there. Here is a view of the complex:
Prior to the 1990s, surveying and studying stars and galaxies as visible entities required the use of optical telescopes at ground-based locations. This ground photo shows a typical cluster of observatories, the Kitt Peak complex in Arizona.
Telescope observatories are distributed in mountain ranges across the world. One example is the ESO (European Southern Observatory) Paranal facility in the Atacama desert of Chile. The cluster consists of 18 telescopes, operated by 14 nations, and includes the VLT - four conjoined telescopes each with 8.2 meters mirrors.
In this Section we will see some stunning images acquired by space telesccopes. Images taken through ground telescopes are usually less spectacular but some can rival those acquired by space observatories. Examine below the pair of images (in the visible [left] and infrared [right]) of the Flame Nebula as seen through the newly operational VISTA telescope operated by the European Space Organization (ES0) on a high mountain in the Chilean Andes:
Before setting out to explore the Universe's development and history since the first moments after the Big Bang, we want to pay homage to what this writer (NMS; and many, many others) consider the greatest scientific instrument yet devised by mankind - the first of the Great Observatories: the Hubble Space Telescope (which we will often refer to as HST). No other instrument has advanced our knowledge of astronomy and the Universe as much as this splendid observatory in outer space. Perhaps no other astronomical observatory has captured the public's imagination, with its numerous sensational pictures, as has the Hubble. HST has provided many extraordinary views of stars, galaxies, dust clouds, exploding stars, and interstellar and intergalactic space, extending our view to the outermost reaches of the Universe. HST has brought about a revolution in our understanding of Astronomy and Cosmology. One good reason for placing this HST review on this second page is simply that many of the subsequent illustrations of the Cosmos used in this Section were made by this telescope.
This, the most versatile optical telescope up to the present and perhaps the penultimate remote sensing system, receives its name to honor Edwin Hubble, the man who confirmed much about the existence, distribution, and movement of galaxies, leading to the realization of an expanding Universe which in turn brought about the Big Bang theory. Here he is at work in the 1920s on the 100-inch Mt. Wilson telescope:
As the space programs developed, astronomers dreamed of placing the telescopes in space orbit where viewing conditions are optimized. HST is the outgrowth of a concept first suggested in 1946 by Lyman Spitzer who argued that any telescope placed above Earth's atmosphere would produce significantly better imagery from outer space. (Spitzer has been honored for this idea by having the last of the Great Observatories named after him; see page 20-4.) The HST was launched from the Space Shuttle on April 24 of 1990 after 20 years of dedicated efforts by more than 10000 scientists and engineers to get this project funded and the spacecraft built. Here is the HTS in the Bay of the Shuttle:
And this is a photo of the HST in orbit, as seen from the Shuttle:
The HST is big - commonly described as the size of a school bus. An idea of the "bigness" - and why it just barely fitted into the Space Shuttle's cargo bay - is evident in this photo taken during the fourth repair mission, in which the astronauts provide a convenient scale.
A general description of the Hubble Space Telescope and its mission is given in this review by the Space Telescope Science Institute.
This cutaway diagram shows the major features and components of the HST:
But, as scientists examined the first images they were dismayed to learn that these were both out of focus and lacked expected resolution. HST proved unable to deliver quite the sharp pictures expected because of a fundamental mistake in grinding the shape of its primary (2.4 m) mirror. The curvature was off by less than 100th of a millimeter but this error prevented focusing of light to yield sharp images. The distortion that resulted is evident in this early HST image of a star:
This dismaying result was a major blow to astronomers. NASA was urged by the scientific community to find a way to salvage HST. This took three and a half years to come up with and apply the solution. But during that time, HST did some limited but useful work. Consider this somewhat blurred image of NGC 4261. The small central bright spot was interpreted to be caused by the action of a black hole
Astronomers and engineers put their heads together to solve this egregious problem and designed optical hardware that could restore a sharp focus. In December of 1993 the Hubble telescope was revisited by the Space Shuttle. (This mission to salvage the HST is a definitive answer to the critics of manned space missions - only human intervention could remedy an otherwise lost cause.) At that time 5 astronaut spacewalks succeeded in installing corrective mirrors and servicing other sensors. The package was known as COSTAR (Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement).
After the first servicing mission, the striking improvement in optical and electronic response is evident in the set of images below made by the telescope, which show the famed M100 (M denotes the Messier Catalog number) spiral galaxy viewed by the Wide Field Planetary Camera before (bottom left) and after (bottom right) the correction. For an indication of how much HST improves astronomers' views of distant astronomical bodies, one of the best earth-based telescope images, from Kitt Peak, is shown at the top:
Another way to judge the improvement that HST provides by being above the atmosphere is to compare absorption spectra for Hydrogen in the Visible and Ultraviolet coming from a quasar source as recorded by a ground based telescope and HST.
The increased sensitivity of the HST instrumentation, unimpeded by atmospheric absorption, provides more detected Hydrogen lines in both the UV and Visible regions of the EM spectrum.
In some respects, the HST shares remote sensing features found on Landsat. HST has filters that narrow the wavelengths sensed. The filters range through part of the UV, the Visible, and the Near-IR. This permits individual chemical elements to be detected at their diagnostic wavelengths. The resulting narrow band images can then be combined through filters to produce the multicolored imagery that has made many Hubble scenes into almost an "abstract art" form - one of the reasons that the general public has taken so positively to this great instrument. As an example, here is an HST multifilter image of the Crab Nebula in which the blue is assigned to radiation from neutral hydrogen, the green relates to singly ionized oxygen, and the red doubly ionized oxygen.
HST images can be combined with those made from other space observatories that sense at wavelengths outside the visible. This provides information on chemical composition as well as temperatures and the types of radiation involved. Consider this example:
These multiwavelength images give rise to one technique for picking out galaxies that are located at various great distances from Earth - the so-called Deep Field galaxies (page 20-3a) that formed early in the Universe's history. These galaxies are moving away at ever greater velocities. The redshift method (see page 20-10) of determining distance relies on the Doppler effect in which motion relative to the observer reduces the frequency (lengthens the wavelength towards/to/past red) of light radiation as the galaxies move away from Earth as a result of expansion. Those ever farther away, moving at progressively greater velocities, experience increasing redshifts. A galaxy emitting light at some maximum frequency can be imaged through, say, a narrow bandpass blue filter. This frequency translates to a specific redshift and hence a particular distance. A galaxy farther away has its redshift toward/to the green and will appear brightest through a green filter. Filters passing longer wavelengths will favor detection of greater redshifts - thus galaxies still more distant from Earth. Younger/closer galaxies may not even shine bright enough at shorter wavelengths to be detectable in filters whose bandpass cutoffs exclude those wavelengths.
Information on both original Hubble instruments and those added later appears in this site prepared by the Space Telescope Science Institute. The history of HST in terms of instrument placements and servicing missions, from the early days to the present and a look to the future is given in this chart prepared by the Space Telescope Institute:
The original 5 instruments onboard HST were: the FOC (Faint Object Camera); FOS (Faint Object Spectrograph) GHRS (Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph); HSP (High Speed Photometer) and WFPC1 (Wide Field Planetary Camera); added since (by subsequent visits using the Space Shuttle) are NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and MultiObject Spectrometer); STIS (Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph); ACS (Advanced Camera Surveyor); FGS (Fine Guidance Sensor); and WFPC2; future additions (by Shuttle flights) may be the COS (Cosmic Origins Spectrograph) and WFPC3.Thus, HST has been further improved even beyond its initial ten year life expectancy - now extended well into the second decade of the 21st century. A third Shuttle servicing mission was successfully completed in two stages: December 1999 and March of 2002. In addition to replacing or "repairing" existing systems on the satellite bus, a new instrument, the ACS (Advanced Camera for Surveys) was added; it represents a tenfold improvement in resolution and clarity. During this repair mission the NICMOS (Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectroscope) sensor, out of working order for nearly three years, was repaired and upgraded. This pair of images, ACS on the left and NICMOS on the right, shows the improved quality of imaging of part of the Cone Nebula, bringing out more details of the dust that dominates this feature:
Many of the most informative HST images can be viewed on the Space Telescope Science Institute's (Baltimore, MD) Home Page . HST has imaged numerous galaxies at different distances - almost to the edge of space - from Earth that are therefore also at different time stages in the general evolution of the Universe. The following illustration shows both spiral and elliptical galaxies (but not the same individuals) at 2, 5, 9, and 14 billion years after the Big Bang in a sequence that represents different stages in this development.
The Hubble Space Telescope has had a remarkable impact on the study of the Universe. In its honor, the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) web site, in celebration of its 10th anniversary, has compiled a collage of a variety of the more spectacular images acquired by HST, supplemented with a few images made by other instruments. This is reproduced here; be on the lookout for many of the individual embedded images in this montage elsewhere in this Section.
However, technology and design are allowing ground-based telescopes to "catch up" with the HST, at least for those galaxies that are relatively close to Earth. The resolution and clarity of some recently activated ground telescopes are on a par with their Hubble counterparts, at least within the depth range (lookback time) of a few billion light years. This results from better detectors, improved optics, the ability of a ground telescope to dwell on the target for much longer time spans (allowing buildup of the incoming radiation to generate a bright image), and, for some location on high mountain tops, above most of the atmosphere. This is illustrated with this pair of images which show a Highton Compact Group galaxy (HCG87) imaged by ESO's southern hemisphere telescope (left) and by the Hubble ST (right):
This diagram summarizes the current and anticipated status of space telescopes' ability to see back in time towards the earliest events following the Big Bang:
However, the Hubble Space Telescope remains the premier astronomical instrument - in many opinions, the finest instrument of any kind yet made - in the stable of space observatories. But, being complicated in its electronics and optics, like any fine instrument it has a finite lifetime. Being out in space, it is not easy to repair the HST whenever a major failure occurs.
Hubble has now been visited five times (1993; 1997; 1999; 2002; 2009) already for repair and upgrade. However, its components are now well beyond their planned lifetime and will likely fail in the next few years. Following the Columbia disaster, the perils of space travel for humans caused NASA to decide against another servicing mission that could be too dangerous at the higher altitude in which HST orbits. This raised a storm of protest and expressions of dismay from both the scientific community and an involved public. Sensitive to this outcry, the then NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin, ordered a "rethink" of that decision and on October 31, 2006 he announced that, with the resumption of the Shuttle program, the HST has been scheduled to be visited by astronaut-repairmen in the Spring of 2009 to rescue it from eventual failure.
The principal tasks (see below) were carried out in 5 (dangerous and challenging) EVAs. The ACS, which has had some periodic problems, apparently failed totally in January, 2007, owing to an electronic short-circuit; it is too large to be replaced. Other instruments and components have failed, or will soon, so that if not fixed or replaced, the HST would cease to function in the foreseeable future. This diagram indicates the major modifications and replacements that were executed during the 2009 mission:
This paragraph provides more details about the changes, all of which were successfully made:
* Installation of three new rate sensing units, or RSUs, containing two gyroscopes each to restore full redundancy in the telescope's pointing control system
* Installation of six new nickel-hydrogen batteries to replace the power packs launched with Hubble in 1990
* Installation of the Wide Field Camera 3 (in place of the current Wide Field Planetary Camera 2), providing high-resolution optical coverage from the near-infrared region of the spectrum to the ultraviolet
* Installation of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph, sensitive to ultraviolet wavelengths. COS will take the place of a no-longer-used instrument known as COSTAR that once was used to correct for the spherical aberration of Hubble's primary mirror. All current Hubble instruments are equipped with their own corrective optics
* Repair of the Advanced Camera for Surveys
* Repair of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph
* Installation of a refurbished fine guidance sensor, one of three used to lock onto and track astronomical targets (two of Hubble's three sensors suffer degraded performance). The refurbished FGS, removed from Hubble during a 1999 servicing mission, will replace FGS-2R, which has a problem with an LED sensor in a star selector subsystem
* Installation of the replacement science instrument command and data handling system computer
* Attachment of new outer blanket layer - NOBL - insulation to replace degrading panels
* Attachment of the soft capture mechanism to permit future attachment to a deorbit rocket motor or NASA's planned Orion capsule
The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis to begin the repair mission took place on May 12, 2009. The first space walk on May 14, shown below, successfully installed the new Wide Field Camera:
This photo, taken by one of the astronauts during the third spacewalk, shows astronaut Grunsfeld next to the Hubble.
On May 13th an amateur photographer captured the picture shown below, which made all the evening news broadcasts. It shows the Shuttle and the Hubble during the brief moment they passed in front of the Sun.
Baring the unforeseen, the HST should continue to operate in its improved state for years (with luck, into the 2020s).
It took more than 3 months for the new equipment to "gas out" and otherwise be checked for functionality before routine observations could begin. On September 9, 2009 NASA released the first new images and spectral data from the refurbished HST. Here are some representative samples, some with commentary only in their captions:
The first pair of images show Stephan's Quintet, a group of colliding galaxies. The top image was taken with the old Wide Field Camera, the bottom with the new WFC3:
The nearby (3200 light years) planetary nebula NGC6302, called the Butterfly Nebula (there is another by that name, M2-9) is shown here first with part of it from the new WFC3 imagery on the right and a previous image made by the WFC2 on the left. Then, the full WFC3 image of this beautiful nebula is shown; compare that with the best ground image made by the European Southern Observatory telescope, shown beneath it:
HST is not just an imaging system. It also has instruments that can make other kinds of measurements. Here are two such products:
As we finish up this introduction to the HST, the writer would like to place an enlarged image of his favorite among all Hubble images seen to date: It is of the Carinae nebula, and shows one of its hydrogen gas and dust pillars from which stars are born. A few stars have already formed. More stars will eventually develop, destroying their pillars of creation over the next 100,000 years, and resulting in a new open cluster of stars. The pink dots around the image are newly formed stars. The technical name for the stellar jets are Herbig-Haro objects. How a star creates Herbig-Haro jets is an ongoing topic of research, but it likely involves an accretion disk swirling around a central star. A second impressive Herbig-Haro jet occurs diagonally near the image center.
The inquisitive reader of this Section may well ask: Is this the real appearance of the nebula; does it have the blues that give it the visual flare one sees? The answer is that the assigned colors are somewhat arbitrary or selective, done to enhance the appearance. The ways in which colors are chosen is the subject of this Hubble website: The Meaning of Color
This image inspires this statement: May the best happen to this most supreme of scientific instruments!
A significant number of other space telescopes have been placed in orbit. Most have instruments that cover other parts of the EM spectrum beyond the visible. Among these we mention here: SWIFT (gamma-ray bursts) the Chandra Telescope (X-ray region), XMM-Newton (X-ray region), FUSE and Galex (UV), and the Spitzer Space Telescope (Infrared). Most of those telescopes operate in various parts of the spectrum as described on page 20-4. For a comprehensive listing of nearly all space telescopes launched or planned consult this Space Observatories website.
As scientists learn ever more about the Cosmos from existing ground and space telescopes, they are constantly advocating the need to have a more powerful and sophisticated telescope in space as the eventual HST replacement. NASA and the astronomical community always seem to have new telescopes on the drawing boards. The big follow-up being planned by The Space Telescope Institute and Goddard Space Flight Center is NGST which stands for the Next Generation Space Telescope. In 2002, this telescope was formally renamed the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to honor the second NASA Administrator for his many accomplishments in galvanizing the space program, including his role in the Moon program. A launch date has been set for no sooner than 2014. It will move far from Earth to "park" at a Lagrangian point (about 1000000 miles away, where the Earth's and the Sun's gravitational forces balance out). A separate launch will place a big heat shield to block out the Sun's rays to keep the sensors at about 20° K above absolute zero. The JWST is an unusually shaped spacecraft, with a very large primary mirror, as evident from these three pictures:
The HST has the detection capability and resolving power to look back to about the half billion years whereas the JWST will be able to detect and image events taking place about 300,000 years after the BB. Earlier than that will be difficult to examine by visual means because of the opacity of the Universe prior to that time. The principal scientific goal of JWST is to obtain improved information about the Universe's history between about 1 million and 2 billion years. The telescope main sensor will concentrate on the infrared region of the spectrum, with a range between 0.6 and 28 µm. Because of the spectral wavelength redshift that results from the expansion of space (see page 20-9), the visible light from these early moments in the Universe's history will have now, as received, extended into the infrared. (For further information, check out Goddard's JWST site.)
To reiterate, space telescopes have the advantage over most ground-based telescopes because they are above the distorting atmosphere. But those on the ground are constantly being improved, and more are being built on high mountains above most of the atmosphere. Several recent ones rival the HST. The Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, which began operating in 2010, has captured images that are slightly sharper than HST can produce. This image pair shows the same region of outer space as imaged by HST on the left and LBT on the right:
These images of both ground and space-based views into the Cosmos are solid proof that Astronomy has entered a "Golden Age" in the last quarter century. | http://facegis.nuarsa.info/?id=424 |
Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 resumes operations
The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has resumed science operations after spending a week and two days in a safety mode that suspended its activities.
When camera software detected voltage levels beyond normal range on Jan. 8, 2019, WFC3 immediately entered a safety mode that suspended all operations. In efforts to repair the problem, NASA scientists found voltage levels to be normal, meaning telemetry circuits were releasing erroneous data regarding voltage. They also discovered other errors in engineering data in the same telemetry circuits, confirming the problem was with telemetry and not power supply.
Scientists and technicians reset the telemetry circuits and all related software, and tests following this work produced accurate data on the camera’s engineering. After additional calibration and testing for up to 72 hours, as well as study of data collected before and after the reset, they returned WFC3 to operations mode on Jan. 15.
Two days later, just after noon on, Jan. 17, WFC3 resumed science observations.
Installed on Hubble in May of 2009 during the last shuttle servicing mission (carried out by Atlantis on its only trip to the telescope), WFC3 has captured more than 240,000 images in near infrared, optical light and near ultraviolet light over nearly 10 years, generating over 2,000 peer-reviewed science papers. It has higher resolution and a larger field of view than the instrument it replaced, the Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2).
The ongoing partial U.S. government shutdown that began on Dec. 22, 2018, did not impact the repair process as Hubble and other satellite operations are exempt from any furloughs or funding stoppages.
WFC3 is the most used of all Hubble instruments. Scientists hope their analysis of the data collected before and after the reset will provide answers as to what caused the telemetry errors.
Launched in 1990 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, Hubble had a predicted lifespan of 15 years; it is is now in its 29th year of operations.
Laurel Kornfeld
Laurel Kornfeld is an amateur astronomer and freelance writer from Highland Park, NJ, who enjoys writing about astronomy and planetary science. She studied journalism at Douglass College, Rutgers University, and earned a Graduate Certificate of Science from Swinburne University’s Astronomy Online program. Her writings have been published online in The Atlantic, Astronomy magazine’s guest blog section, the UK Space Conference, the 2009 IAU General Assembly newspaper, The Space Reporter, and newsletters of various astronomy clubs. She is a member of the Cranford, NJ-based Amateur Astronomers, Inc. Especially interested in the outer solar system, Laurel gave a brief presentation at the 2008 Great Planet Debate held at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab in Laurel, MD. | https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/space-observatories/hubbles-wide-field-camera-3-resumes-operations/ |
May 20, 2015 – The newest video in the “Behind the Webb” series, called “Strutting its Stuff,” provides a look at three “struts” or poles that fold and unfold the secondary mirror on the James Webb Space Telescope.
The video series takes viewers behind the scenes to understand more about the Webb telescope, the world’s next-generation space observatory and successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. Designed to be the most powerful space telescope ever built, Webb will observe the most distant objects in the universe, provide images of the first galaxies formed and study unexplored planets around distant stars.
In “Strutting its Stuff,” Andy Carpenter, one of the mechanical integration engineers at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, talks about how the mirrors will unfold. “We deploy three struts that are much like a tripod, and the secondary mirror will sit above the backplane.”
Because the Webb telescope is too large to fit into a rocket in its final shape, engineers have designed it to unfold like origami after its launch. That unfolding, or deployment, includes the mirrors on the observatory, too. The segmented primary mirror collects light from the cosmos and directs it to the secondary mirror, which sends it additional smaller mirrors before it reaches the cameras and spectrographs.
The three struts are almost 25 feet long, yet are very strong and light-weight. They are hollow composite tubes, and the material is about 40-thousandths of an inch (about 1 millimeter) thick. They are built to withstand the temperature extremes of space.
During the video, viewers see a test of the struts being deployed in an environment that replicates the zero gravity of deep space.
The 3 minute and 32 second video was produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, which conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy Inc. in Washington. The “Behind the Webb” video series is available in HQ, large and small Quicktime formats, HD, large and small WMV formats, and HD, large and small Xvid formats.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the scientific successor to NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
The Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is being developed by Lockheed Martin, under contract with the University of Arizona. NIRCam is the primary science camera on JWST, and also functions as the sensor that is used to align the observatory’s primary mirror, built by Ball Aerospace. JWST will see farther into the cosmos and further back in time than any other telescope. | https://www.coloradospacenews.com/nasas-webb-strutting-its-stuff/ |
The Hubble Space Telescope has cost U.S. taxpayers some $6.9 billion in the quarter century since the project was approved. But to astronomers around the world, the 24,000-pound satellite is, quite simply, priceless.
The remotely-controlled spacecraft has helped astronomers confirm the existence of black holes, zero in on the true age of the universe and spot the faint glimmer of stars in galaxies born within a billion years or so of the big bang birth of the cosmos.
Its spectacular photographs have charted the life cycles of distant suns in glorious detail, providing unmatched views of stellar nurseries and the explosive end results of stellar evolution.
It has catalogued myriad infant solar systems in the process of forming planets and provided flyby-class views of the outer planets in Earth's own solar system, routinely capturing phenomena as common as dust storms on Mars to the once-in-a-lifetime crash of a comet into giant Jupiter.
While huge ground-based telescopes now rival and in some areas exceed the power of Hubble's relatively modest 94.5-inch primary mirror, the space telescope, operating 350 miles up, high above the turbulence of Earth's atmosphere, remains in a class by itself.
"I think everyone would agree the Hubble Space Telescope has been one of this country's most valuable scientific assets for its 12-year operating life," said Phil Engelauf, a shuttle mission manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
But Hubble's ability to continue making world-class observations, he said, "is really enabled by our ability to keep the spacecraft healthy and scientifically relevant by updating and servicing that spacecraft on orbit."
And so, at 6:48 a.m. EST (1148 GMT) Thursday, NASA plans to launch the shuttle Columbia on the fourth of five planned Hubble servicing missions, the most technically challenging - and risky - overhaul and upgrade the space agency has ever attempted.
During five back-to-back spacewalks, four astronauts working in two-man teams plan to install a set of smaller-but-more-powerful solar arrays, a power control unit to more efficiently route that power to Hubble's subsystems and a new gyroscopic reaction wheel assembly to help the telescope move, or slew, from one target to another.
While installation of the new solar arrays and the reaction wheel assembly are relatively straight forward, the power control unit, or PCU, was not designed to be serviced in orbit and its replacement marks the riskiest part of Columbia's mission.
Not only is the replacement physically difficult, ground controllers will have to completely shut Hubble down for the first time since launch in 1990 before the astronauts can begin the critical transplant.
"That scares me a lot, it kind of violates a long-standing policy in the space business that if something's working well you turn it off and just hope it comes back on," said Edward Weiler, NASA's associate administrator for space science.
"We're not doing that cavalierly, we fully anticipate that everything will work just fine," he said. "But it is a risk that we've never faced before. So this mission is no cakewalk."
On the scientific front, the astronauts will install a $75 million 870-pound digital camera called the Advanced Camera for Surveys, or ACS, with twice the resolution and five times the sensitivity of the upgraded Wide Field-Planetary Camera - WFPC-2 - that currently is in place.
"With ACS, Hubble will detect more faint stars and galaxies during its first 18 months than have been detected with all of the previous Hubble instruments," said principal investigator Holland Ford of Johns Hopkins University.
"For astronomers, those stars and galaxies in the data archive are money in the bank."
Installed during the second Hubble servicing mission in 1997, NICMOS was victim of an internal "thermal short" that caused its nitrogen ice dewar to come in contact with surrounding structure. As a result, the instrument's nitrogen ice coolant sublimated away faster than expected, leaving NICMOS dormant after just two-and-a-half years.
To repair the instrument, the Columbia astronauts will install an experimental "cryocooler" that uses neon gas and three tiny turbines spinning at an astonishing 400,000 rpm to chill NICMOS to about 75 degrees above absolute zero.
But it will not be easy. The astronauts will have to work deep inside the telescope's lower instrument bay to connect the cryocooler to NICMOS and attach a 13-foot-long radiator to the side of the telescope to dissipate the unwanted heat. Cables and coolant lines from the radiator to the cryocooler will be snaked through a small vent opening in the telescope's aft bulkhead.
"We believe we now have in hand a new technology developed jointly by NASA and the Air Force, which gives us the first really good shot at a reliable, mechanical cooler in space on an infrared instrument," said David Leckrone, Hubble project scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center.
"So a very important objective of Servicing Mission 3B is, as an experiment, to try this new technology and see if we can bring the NICMOS instrument back from the dead."
But because of the experimental nature of the cryocooler, the NICMOS repair falls to the bottom of NASA's list of priorities for Hubble Servicing Mission 3B and as such, it will not be attempted until the fifth and final spacewalk.
The top scientific priority, as one might expect, is installation of the Advanced Camera for Surveys. The ACS, about the size of a phone booth, will be installed in place of a no-longer-used instrument called the Faint Object Camera.
The ACS actually includes three cameras sensitive to a broad range of wavelengths, from the ultraviolet to the far infrared.
To visualize the power of the ACS, it helps to recall one of the telescope's most famous photographs, the so-called "Hubble Deep Field," one of the most remarkable images ever produced by the space telescope.
In December 1995, Hubble was aimed at a presumably empty patch of sky near the Big Dipper about the size of a rice grain held at arm's length. The spot was chosen specifically because it appeared, for all practical purposes, to be devoid of stars and galaxies.
Over the next 10 days, WFPC-2 took 342 images that later were digitally combined. In the resulting Hubble Deep Field image, amazed astronomers counted some 1,500 discernible galaxies, or fragments of galaxies, dating back to a billion years or so of the big bang.
"The Hubble Deep Field, one of humanity's and Hubble's singular achievements, can be done in two days instead of 10 days," said Ford. "A ten-fold increase is especially important for finding rare objects such as the first galaxies and distant supernovae."
Working in tandem with a revived NICMOS, the Advanced Camera for Surveys also will play a major role in one of the hottest fields in modern astronomy, the ongoing search for exploding stars called type 1A supernovae.
Consider a binary star system that includes a compact white dwarf. The smaller white dwarf's gravity may pull in gas and dust from the companion star. If the white dwarf's mass builds up to about 1.4 times that of the sun, catastrophic fusion reactions begin and the star explodes in a type 1A supernova.
By definition, all type 1A supernovae involve stars of roughly the same mass and the intensity of the emitted light follows a well-defined "light curve," brightening and then fading away. The intensity of the light can be used to infer the supernova's distance from Earth and spectroscopic analysis can provide a measure of its recession velocity.
Astronomers have long assumed the expansion of the universe is slowing down. And based on the presumed rate of that deceleration, one would expect to find certain brightness levels for type 1A supernovae at various points in time and space after the big bang.
But to the surprise of everyone in the astronomical community, researchers in the late 1990s discovered type 1A supernovae at extreme distances appeared dimmer than one would expect based on their observed recession velocities.
As it turned out, the only reasonable - though counterintuitive - explanation was to assume the expansion of the universe is actually accelerating. The nature of the "dark energy" powering that acceleration is a complete unknown and determining its nature is a top astronomical priority.
"This is an amazing time for both physics and astronomy," Leckrone said. "We've come to start to realize over the past few years that we do not understand 95 percent of the content of the universe in which we live.
"Between dark matter and dark energy, those two things together constitute approximately 95 percent of the total energy and mass balance, or budget, of the universe," he said. "These are very challenging physical problems.
"What is the nature of dark energy, that may well be the most important question in the physical sciences today. The beauty of (ACS and NICMOS) is they give us very powerful tools for beginning to address these very fundamental and revolutionary new issues in physics." | https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts109/020225preview/ |
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, abbreviated WFIRST, is poised to become one of astronomy’s top next-generation space telescopes — if it can get off the ground. This 2.4-meter (8 feet) telescope has been designed explore the universe at infrared (long) wavelengths, searching out millions of distant galaxies in the early universe just 500 million years or less after the Big Bang. But the telescope has had a troubled recent past: Despite a May 23 announcement that NASA has awarded a contract for the telescope’s primary instrument (the Wide Field Instrument [WFI]) to Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation, The Globe and Mail reported May 29 that the Canadian Space Agency will pull out of the NASA-led project due to a lack of funding.
With so many space telescopes already in astronomers’ arsenal — including the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) — you may wonder why WFIRST is a big deal at all.
WFIRST will go after some of the biggest questions in cosmology today: dark matter and dark energy. While JWST will also seek out answers about these topics, and in much greater resolution, the trade-off is its field of view — Webb can image very small regions of the sky in great detail, but would take a long time to cover large swaths of sky. By comparison, WFIRST can effectively survey large portions of the sky, looking more quickly for interesting targets and building up astronomers’ databases of both exoplanets in the Milky Way and objects in the early universe. In addition to its wide-field imager, WFIRST will also carry a coronograph that, by blocking out the light of a star, will be able to directly image ice giants and gas giants in other solar systems.
Ultimately, JWST and WFIRST are meant to work in concert, with WFIRST identifying intriguing objects and JWST able to go after those targets in greater detail. Just as JWST and Hubble are complementary rather than competing, WFIRST will fill an additional gap to make the process of discovery more effective. WFIRST will specifically help astronomers answer questions from “How and why do exoplanets form the way they do?” to “Why is the universe’s expansion accelerating?”
To put some numbers behind these claims, astronomers believe WFIRST could spot as many as a billion galaxies and over 2,500 exoplanets over the course of its mission. (That could nearly double the current list of known exoplanets.)
The mission is so important that the American Astronomical Society issued a statement outlining its concern over the mission’s proposed cancellation earlier this year. “WFIRST, the successor to the 28-year-old Hubble Space Telescope and the forthcoming James Webb Space Telescope, is the top-ranked large space-astronomy mission of New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics, the National Academies’ Astro2010 decadal survey, and is an essential component of a balanced space astrophysics portfolio. Cutting NASA’s astrophysics budget and canceling WFIRST would leave our nation without a large space telescope to succeed Hubble and Webb,” the statement reads.
But despite the continued success of space telescopes and the important role they play in furthering astronomy’s most fundamental questions, funding them has been increasingly challenging in both the United States and Canada. The Canadian Space Agency has played a major role in the development of JWST, and hoped to do the same with WFIRST. Despite already spending over $3 million on design and technology for its contribution, the Canadian Space Agency has, for now, pulled out of the project.
WFIRST still, however, remains fully funded on the U.S. side, thanks to a recent appropriations bill passed by Congress. The mission is still on track for launch in the mid-2020s, with astronomers eagerly awaiting its valuable data to answer some of our biggest questions about the universe in which we live.
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Hubble: a time machine that revolutionized astronomy
The Hubble space telescope, the object of NASA's fifth and last servicing mission next week, is a veritable time machine that has revolutionized humankind's vision and comprehension of the universe.
Put into orbit at an altitude of 600 kilometers (360 miles) by the shuttle Discovery on April 25, 1990, Hubble has transmitted more than 750,000 spectacular images and streams of data from the ends of the universe, opening a new era in astronomy.
But the telescope, the fruit of a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency, had a troubled start and did not become operational until three years after its deployment.
Its lense in effect had to be fixed because of a flaw in its shape, a sensitive operation that was not carried out until 1993 in the first shuttle-borne service mission, which installed corrective lenses.
From that time on Hubble has transmitted stupefying images of supernovas, gigantic explosions that marked the death of a star and revealed mysterious black holes in the center of virtually all galaxies.
Thanks to these observations, delivered with 10 times the clarity of the most powerful telescopes on Earth, astronomers have been able to confirm that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate and to calculate its age with greater precision as an estimated 13.7 billion years.
The universe's accleration is the result of an unknown force dubbed dark energy that constitutes three-quarters of the universe and counter-balances the force of gravity.
The rest of the cosmos is composed of five percent visible matter and about 20 percent shadow matter or anti-matter.
Among the other discoveries credited to Hubble figures the detection of the first organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting another star and the fact that the process of formation of planets and solar systems is relatively common in our galaxy, the Milky Way.
Hubble also has observed small proto-galaxies that were emitting rays of light when the universe was less than a billion years old, the farthest back in time that a telescope has been able to peer so far.
The two new instruments that will be installed by astronauts on the shuttle Atlantis will enable Hubble to look out in time as far as 600 to 500 million years after the universe's birth with a big bang, according to NASA.
"If we are successful HST (Hubble) will be more powerful and robust than ever before and will continue to enable world class science for at least another five years and overlap with (its successor) the James Webb Space Télescope/JWST," said Ed Weiller, associate director of NASA's research programs.
Closer to home, Hubble has observed radical changes in the direction of Saturn's winds and revealed that Neptune has seasons. The telescope also has examined mysterious lightning flashes on Jupiter and taken astonishing pictures of Mars.
This list of startling scientific discoveries have made Hubble "truly an icon of American life," said Weiller.
"I maintain that if the average American knows only one science project, one science instrument, I bet it's Hubble," he said.
"Hubble has become a standard in any astronomy book in many languages," he added. | https://phys.org/news/2009-05-hubble-machine-revolutionized-astronomy.html |
The partial shutdown of the U.S. government could complicate efforts to troubleshoot a suspected hardware problem with the Hubble Space Telescope’s premier science instrument, but officials are optimistic the camera will eventually be restored to operations, the head of the observatory’s science operations team said Wednesday.
Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3, responsible for nearly half of the observatory’s scientific output, suspended operations Tuesday when on-board software detected a fault “somewhere in the electronics” of one of its two observing channels, said Tom Brown, head of the Hubble Space Telescope mission office at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, which oversees the mission’s scientific operations for NASA.
Brown said the problem on Wide Field Camera 3, known as WFC3, is on the instrument’s ultraviolet and visible light channel. The camera also has a heat-sensitive infrared observing channel.
“It looks like it’s probably some kind of hardware failure on the UVIS (ultraviolet and visible light) side of the instrument, but the instrument has redundancies, and we haven’t tapped into any of those yet in the nearly 10 years it’s been up there,” Brown said Wednesday in a phone interview with Spaceflight Now. “So right now it’s just a matter of making sure we can isolate where the fault is, and then seeing the right path forward, whether it’s bypassing the fault on the current side of the electronics, or bringing up redundant electronics.”
Astronauts on the space shuttle Atlantis’s STS-125 servicing mission in May 2009 installed Wide Field Camera 3 into Hubble’s science bay. Jointly developed by NASA engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center, the Space Telescope Science Institute, and Ball Aerospace, the instrument is designed for wide field imaging of stars, galaxies and planets in our own solar system.
The camera was also the instrument that first detected Ultima Thule — formally named 2014 MU69 — the distant object in the Kuiper Belt a billion miles beyond Pluto visited by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft during a speedy encounter New Year’s Day.
Brown is optimistic engineers can bring the camera back online.
“The instrument is going to be brought back up,” he said. “It’s just a matter of what’s the right way to bring it back up … Most of the critical stuff, the electronics and so forth, are redundant, and power supplies and those kinds of things. It’s a matter of going through and isolating where the fault is before you spin up any of those redundancies because you don’t want to do any harm. You want to be sure you understand what the situation is before you bring up any of the spare electronics.”
Thomas Zurbuchen, head of NASA’s science mission directorate, tweeted Wednesday that “issues are bound to happen from time to time” on space missions.
This is when everyone gets a reminder about two crucial aspects of space exploration: 1) complex systems like @NASAHubble only work due to a dedicated team of amazing experts; 2) all space systems have finite life-times and such issues are bound to happen from time to time https://t.co/1Bd0NcmVVW
— Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) January 9, 2019
The funding lapse of most U.S. government agencies, including NASA, has not had a major impact on troubleshooting the camera anomaly so far, Brown said. The ground team responsible for operating Hubble at the Goddard Space Flight Center is still on duty, but NASA employees on the team are working without pay.
But some experts on Wide Field Camera 3 who could help with the investigation could be furloughed.
“Obviously, we’d prefer to be in a situation where everyone is available,” Brown said.
“We’re assembling what we call a tiger team of experts who were involved either in the assembly of the instrument, or the testing of the instrument back 10 years ago, and once we put together that tiger team, I can imagine the shutdown might impact our ability to get all the experts we might want to talk to,” he said. “But right now, we’re talking to enough folks in industry and at Goddard that we have at least some of the people we want to talk to, and those are the people we’re talking to now.”
Meanwhile, scientific observations using Hubble’s other three instruments are proceeding.
The Advanced Camera for Surveys, an older camera on Hubble with a more narrow field-of-view, and the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph are unaffected by the Wide Field Camera 3 problem. All the instruments use light collected through Hubble’s 7.9-foot (2.4-meter) primary mirror, then routed through the telescope to camera and spectrograph detectors.
“It’s not like we’re going to have any down time in terms of the science program for Hubble,” Brown said. “It’s just that we’ll put a delay of the scheduling of the Wide Field Camera 3 observations, and press ahead and do the observations on the other instruments earlier than planned. We can do that for quite a long time before we run out of science to do with Hubble. There’s no danger of Hubble running idle right now while we’re troubleshooting.”
Hubble’s camera outage comes three months after gyro failure
Nearly 29 years since its launch, and almost 10 years after the fifth and final shuttle servicing flight to repair and upgrade the observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope continues collecting high-quality science data unparalleled by any other space astronomy mission.
But Hubble is showing signs of its age.
Science observations with Hubble were halted for three weeks in October after the failure of one of the spacecraft’s gyroscopes, which control the telescope’s pointing. The gyro failure left Hubble with three of its six gyros still in operation, and when controllers brought up a reserve gyro, the device showed higher rates than normal. Controllers were able to bring the gyro rates to within usable levels, and Hubble resumed observations in late October using three operating gyros.
The observatory can function with a single gyro if needed, but such an operating mode limits Hubble’s observations to certain swaths of the sky.
Astronauts on the last shuttle repair mission in 2009 installed six new gyroscopes to extend Hubble’s operating life. The three gyros still in operations are “enhanced units” with a longer design life, and all three failed units were based on the older design, according to Brown.
“The three gyros that are left, that we’re operating on right now, are all these enhanced gyros, unlike the ones that have failed to date,” Brown said. “They’re supposed last time five times longer, approximately, compared to the other style. So we’re expecting to last on the gyros we’re operating on now for a long time.
“The same goes for the instruments,” he continued. “Wide Field Camera 3 and COS (Cosmic Origins Spectrograph) have a bunch of redundant electronics systems in them that have not even been tapped yet in the whole decade they’ve been up there. After you use something for a while, whether it’s in space or in your house, like a light you turn off and on every day, stuff eventually wears out and breaks on it. But that’s why we build these things with redundancies. On Wide Field Camera 3, we haven’t used any of those redundancies yet to date.
“The fact that we went nearly a decade before we started tapping into them, that’s a good thing in my mind,” he said. “No one’s happy, going, ‘Oh, yay, finally one of the parts broke.’ But obviously, at the same time, it’s nice that we went a whole decade before we started tapping into any of the redundant systems on it.”
NASA wants Hubble to continue its mission at least until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, an oft-delayed mission now scheduled for liftoff in 2021. Webb will fly with a bigger mirror than Hubble, expanding the vision of astronomers deeper into the cosmos.
“We still expect to be using (Hubble) until 2025, or maybe even longer, depending on how things go,” Brown said.
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Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1. | https://www.kc4mcq.us/?p=15771 |
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared. The telescope is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble.
Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to take extremely sharp images with almost no background light. Hubble's Ultra-Deep Field image, for instance, is the most detailed visible-light image ever made of the universe's most distant objects. Many Hubble observations have led to breakthroughs in astrophysics, such as accurately determining the rate of expansion of the universe.
Although not the first space telescope, Hubble is one of the largest and most versatile, and is well known as both a vital research tool and a public relations boon for astronomy. The HST was built by the United States space agency NASA, with contributions from the European Space Agency, and is operated by the Space Telescope Science Institute. The HST is one of NASA's Great Observatories, along with the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Spitzer Space Telescope.
Space telescopes were proposed as early as 1923. Hubble was funded in the 1970s, with a proposed launch in 1983, but the project was beset by technical delays, budget problems, and the Challenger disaster. When finally launched in 1990, scientists found that the main mirror had been ground incorrectly, compromising the telescope's capabilities. The telescope was restored to its intended quality by a servicing mission in 1993.
Hubble is the only telescope designed to be serviced in space by astronauts. Between 1993 and 2002, four missions repaired, upgraded, and replaced systems on the telescope; a fifth mission was canceled on safety grounds following the Columbia disaster. However, after spirited public discussion, NASA administrator Mike Griffin approved one final servicing mission, completed in 2009 by Space Shuttle Atlantis. The telescope is now expected to function until at least 2013. Its scientific successor, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), is to be launched in 2018 or possibly later.
Read more about Hubble Space Telescope: Flawed Mirror, Servicing Missions and New Instruments, Usage, Outreach Activities
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... STS-125, or HST-SM4 (Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4), was the fifth and final space shuttle servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) ... Space Shuttle Atlantis carried two new instruments to the Hubble Space Telescope, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and the Wide Field Camera 3 ... also replaced a Fine Guidance Sensor, six gyroscopes, and two battery unit modules to allow the telescope to continue to function at least through 2014 ...
... object) Herbig Be star HALCA – (telescope) Highly Advanced Laboratory for Communications and Astronomy, a satellite that is part of the VLBI Space Observatory Program, a Japanese ...
... Further information James Webb Space Telescope Visible spectrum range Color Wavelength violet 380–450 nm blue 450–475 nm cyan 476–495 nm green 495–570 nm yellow 570–590 nm orange 590–620 nm red 620–7 ... the ground, justifying the expense of a space-based telescope ... Large ground-based telescopes can image some of the same wavelengths as Hubble, sometimes challenge HST in terms of resolution (via adaptive optics), have ...
... Albedo and spectral maps of 4 Vesta, as determined from Hubble Space Telescope images from November 1994 Elevation map of 4 Vesta, as determined from Hubble Space Telescope images of May 1996 Elevation ...
... Washington Double Star, a catalog of double stars WEBT – (organization) Whole Earth Blazar Telescope, a network of observers across the Earth who work together to perform ...
Famous quotes containing the words telescope and/or space: | http://www.primidi.com/hubble_space_telescope |
ROOM: The Space Journal is one of the prominent magazines on space exploration, technology and industry. At ROOM, we share a common dream – promotion of peaceful space exploration for the benefit of humankind, all while bringing you comprehensive articles on an assortment,a range of popular topics. Our authors include analysts and industry leaders from all over the world, which lets us bring you the newest and comprehensive information about hubble space telescope live.
The world’s most powerful space telescope and the successor to NASA's famed Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has had its launch date delayed again, this time until approximately May 2020. ... increases. But, do any missions lift off without a hitch? Let's not forget JWST’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble, which was the JWST of its time, was also beset by numerous technical delays and budget problems...
... in mission control at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, on 30 January 2020. My first Great Observatory was the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). I was a team member on the high resolution spectrograph, which was one of the instruments that Ball...
... the same sort of comments when photography was invented, when digital art became available, when the Hubble Space Telescope sent back its first amazing images of distant stars and nebulae. . . But let’s take a look ...with fellow artists and, often, competitors? ‘Two Worlds’ - my most recent ‘traditional’ painting. I wanted to show the ‘lived-in’ interior of a lunar base but also to contrast the bleak, monochrome lunar landscape with the blue skies...
...regulations) but now awaiting the inevitability of atmospheric drag and gravity to take effect. The Hubble Space Telescope - cultural as well as scientific icon. Harvest option The threat posed by debris within the.... Case study One notable space asset within the space heritage discussion is the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Launched in 1988 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery, it is clear that the venerable space telescope has a limited future lifespan...
The Hubble Space Telescope is one the most iconic spacecraft of the entire Space Age and this Haynes Workshop Manual provides a good introduction to the science and technology involved. In common...historical background to the HST to (briefly) its successor, the James Webb Space Telescope. Significant sections include those on the design and development of the Hubble and its scientific instrument payload and one on the “corrective optics” delivered...
...obvious that using small-diameter (up to one metre) robotic telescopes in astronomy allowed for breakthroughs in observing non-stationary and short-lived events in the Universe. With the help of robotic ...Jupiter which is 8.6 km in diameter, has an absolute magnitude of 21 and the visible light limit of the Hubble Space Telescope is 32. The angular speed of movement can reach 20-50 degrees per second. In recent years, the MASTER system has...
... would wish to preserve as important parts of our space heritage in some kind of space museum? Save our satellites Scientific satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have contributed enormously to our understanding of...to the latter question is perhaps an easier one to address. Scientific satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have contributed enormously to our understanding of the universe and are surely worth preserving. ...
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope and the ground-based Gemini Observatory in Hawaii have teamed up with the Juno spacecraft to probe the ... frequently during the Juno mission, scientists are also able to study short-term changes and short-lived features like those in the Great Red Spot. Images from Juno as well as previous missions to Jupiter revealed...
...intended for the MMU were re-designed to be done with manipulator arms or traditional tethered EVAs. The MMU lives on in SAFER (the Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue) used in later Shuttle flights and today on ...reach a record-setting altitude for the Shuttle of 380 miles. A problem encountered during the deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope saw McCandless and a crewmate suited up in the airlock ready for an emergency spacewalk but the problem was... | https://room.eu.com/content/hubble-space-telescope-live |
Hubble Space Telescope's ongoing black hole hunt has bagged yet another supermassive black hole in the universe. The compact object -- equal to the mass of two billion suns -- lies at the heart of the edge-on galaxy NGC 3115, located 30 million light-years away in the constellation Sextans.
This result promises to open the way to systematic demographic studies of very massive black holes that might once have powered quasars -- objects that are incredibly small, yet release a gusher of light and other radiation.
Although this is the third black hole confirmation for Hubble, it is the first time the space telescope has demonstrated the feasibility of a powerful black hole identification technique that allows astronomers to directly observe the motions of stars orbiting the black hole.
This technique has previously been used on ground-based telescopes, but its accuracy in detecting and measuring a large central mass is severely limited by the limited resolution of telescopes viewing the galaxy through the Earth's turbulent atmosphere. However, Hubble's detection demonstrates that it is the preeminent telescope for conducting a systematic inventory of normal galaxies to learn how common supermassive black holes are in the universe.
It may turn out that most, if not all galaxies, harbor quiescent black holes at their cores. These black holes may have been active long ago, explaining the abundance of quasars in the early universe.
In 1994, Hubble discovered a 2.4 billion solar mass black hole in the elliptical galaxy M87 by measuring the velocity of a spiral-shaped disk of gas swirling around the galaxy's core. Hubble later found a 1.2 billion solar mass black hole embedded in a gas disk in galaxy NGC 4261. However, because gas disks are rare, other search and detection strategies had to be demonstrated before Hubble could be used to survey other galaxies.
This new technique doesn't rely on the presence of gas disks, but instead looks directly at stars, which occupy the core of all galaxies. Though this technique can be applied to many galaxies, it is also very challenging because it requires careful interpretation of the data because stellar orbits are more complex than a simple rotating disk.
Through careful observations with Hubble's Faint Object Spectrograph, a team of astronomers, led by John Kormendy of the Institute for Astronomy, Honolulu was able to measure the velocities of stars in the galaxy's nucleus which are swirling around the black hole. Follow-up spectroscopic observations were made with the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Hubble's high resolution allows astronomers to probe closer in toward the galaxy's nucleus, to obtain definitive data favoring a black hole's presence.
The results show there is far more gravity than would be expected just from stars alone -- supporting the notion that an extremely massive, dark, and compact object is present. Hubble can't view the black hole directly. Rather, it's presence must be inferred by the effects of its intense gravitational field on the surrounding space. A central black hole will cause stars to orbit the galaxy's core much more rapidly the closer they are to the black hole (just as the orbits of the planets in our solar system can be used to estimate the mass of the Sun).
The team's results will appear in the March 10 issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The Space Telescope Science Institute is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA), for NASA, under contract with the Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). | http://chandra.as.utexas.edu/3115-bh-hst.html |
Hubble Space Telescope has continued to observe the Universe and reveal new images for humanity. In its most recent image, the sophisticated space telescope captured the reflection nebula named NGC 1999. On October 24, NASA and the European Space Agency released this fascinating image of a swirling cloud of gas and dust. A statement released by ESA revealed that the captured nebula exists as a relic of a star’s formation which can be seen at the center of the image.
The image also reveals a dark void in the heart of the nebula. When you closely observe this nebula, you will see that it resembles a keyhole. NGC 1999 was first captured in 1999 by the Hubble Space Telescope and astronomers observed closely and identify the dark central region as a “Bok globule.” Further analyses enabled scientists to identify these globes as cold clouds of gas, dust, and other molecules.
These molecules have remained extremely dense and they block light from passing across them. Further observations enable scientists to realize that the dark region is an empty space. Currently, scientists are still struggling to determine the origin of this dark region. However, studies enabled astronomers to conclude that the nebula is the leftover material that remained from the star’s formation.
Scientists also discovered that the nebula is brightened by the newborn star named V380 Orion. This fascinating star exists as a white-colored star with intense heat of about 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit (10,000 degrees Celsius) on its surface. Comparing this star with the sun, scientists realize that it has twice the temperature of our star. The star is also estimated at about 3.5 stellar masses. Future observations will enable our scientists to learn more about this star.
The nebula NGC 1999 is located close to the Orion Nebula and it is about 1,500 light-years away from earth. The nebula exists in an active star-forming region of the Milky Way Galaxy. This new image of the nebula was captured using Hubble’s Wide Field Planetary Camera 3. This powerful instrument was built with a combination of ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared sensors to enable it to capture detailed images of any cosmic body. After Hubble used its powerful instrument to capture this nebula, it transmitted the image as archival data.
Scientists were able to create this image using the archival data obtained from the space telescope. When it comes to capturing the image of nebulae, the infrared sensor of the Hubble space telescope is the best component for the job, as other sensors cannot observe beyond the clouds of dust to the stars behind or within the nebula.
But unlike the Hubble Space Telescope with a lot of limitations, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is filling the gap with more detailed images of cosmic objects. Webb’s latest image of the Pillar of Creation shows the actual difference between the two most sophisticated space telescopes. We should be expecting more beautiful images from both telescopes in the future. | https://www.futurespaceworld.com/hubble-space-telescope-just-peek-through-a-cosmic-keyhole-and-captured-this-fascinating-image-of-a-nebula/ |
American visible astronomy satellite. The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to provide a space telescope with an order of magnitude better resolution than ground-based instruments. Astronomy satellite built by Lockheed for NASA, ESA, Europe. Launched 1990.
AKA: Hubble Space Telescope. Status: Operational 1990. First Launch: 1990-04-24. Last Launch: 1990-04-24. Number: 1 . Gross mass: 10,863 kg (23,948 lb). Height: 13.30 m (43.60 ft).
The initially flawed satellite was repaired, maintained, and upgraded in a series of space shuttle missions extending over a decade.
provide a long-term space-based research facility for optical astronomy.
During initial on-orbit checkout of the Hubble's systems, a flaw in the telescope's main reflective mirror was found that prevented perfect focus of the incoming light. This flaw was caused by the incorrect adjustment of a testing device used in building the mirror. Fortunately, however, Hubble was designed for regular on-orbit maintenance by Shuttle missions. The first servicing mission, STS-61 in December 1993, corrected the problem by installing a corrective optics package and upgraded instruments (as well as replacing other satellite components). Further servicing missions were undertaken in 1997, 1999, and 2002. Hubble's successor, the Webb Next Generation Telescope, was authorized in 2002. However so valuable was Hubble, that NASA in 2007 decided to proceed to break its rule after the Columbia disaster of not flying solo shuttle missions and planned a final Hubble servicing mission in 2009.
The program included significant participation by ESA, which provided one of the science instruments, the solar arrays, and some operational support to the program. Responsibility for conducting and coordinating the science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope rested with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) at Johns Hopkins University, who operated it for NASA as a general observer facility available to astronomers from all countries.
Hubble had a 3-axis stabilized, zero momentum biased control system using reaction wheels with a pointing accuracy of 0.007 arc-sec. Two double-roll-out solar arrays (2.3 m x 12 m) generated 5000 W and fed six 60 Ahr batteries. A hydrazine propulsion system allowed coarse attitude control and orbital correction. The S-band communications system used deployed articulated high gain antennas and provided uplink at 1 kbps and downlink (via TDRSS) at 256-512 kbps.
The telescope was an f/24 Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrainian system with a 2.4 m diameter primary mirror and a 0.3 m Zerodur secondary. The effective focal length was 57.6 m. The Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) package was a corrective optics package designed to optically correct the effects of the primary mirror's aberration on the Faint Object Camera (FOC), Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS), and the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS). COSTAR displaced the High Speed Photometer during the first servicing mission to HST.
Instruments included the Wide Field Planetary Camera (JPL), which consisted of four cameras that were used for general astronomical observations from far-UV to near-IR. The Faint Object Camera (ESA) used cumulative exposures to study faint objects. The Faint Object Spectrograph (FOS) was used to analyze the properties of celestial objects such as chemical composition and abundances, temperature, radial velocity, rotational velocity, and magnetic fields. The FOS was sensitive from 1150 Angstroms (UV) through 8000 Angstroms (near-IR). The Goddard High Resolution Spectrometer (GHRS) separated incoming light into its spectral components so that the composition, temperature, motion, and other chemical and physical properties of objects could be analyzed. The GHRS was sensitive between 1050 and 3200 Angstroms.
STS-103 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) servicing mission SM-3A.
STS-109 Hubble Servicing Mission 3B.
STS-125 Fourth and final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Only shuttle mission authorized prior to shuttle retirement not to go to the ISS - therefore with no means of space rescue should the heat shield be damaged during ascent to orbit.
STS-128A Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Flight 5. Flight delayed, then cancelled after the Columbia disaster. No crew had been named at the time of the loss of Columbia. Resurrected later after Congressional pressure.
STS-31 Deployed the Hubble Space Telescope.
STS-51 First shuttle night landing in Florida. Deployed and retrieved Orfeus-SPAS. During the EVA conducted tests in support of the Hubble Space Telescope first servicing mission and future EVAs, including Space Station assembly and maintenance.
STS-61 Hubble repair mission. Conducted the most EVAs on a Space Shuttle flight to that date.
STS-61-J Planned shuttle mission for deployment of Hubble space telescope. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
STS-82 Hubble repair mission; five spacewalks.
Family: Astronomy, Medium earth orbit, Visible astronomy satellite. Country: USA. Launch Vehicles: Space Shuttle. Launch Sites: Cape Canaveral, Cape Canaveral LC39B. Agency: NASA, NASA Huntsville, Lockheed. Bibliography: 2, 279, 3767, 3768, 3769, 3770, 3771, 3772, 3773, 3774, 3775, 3776, 3777, 3778, 3779, 3780, 3781, 3782, 3783, 3784, 3785, 3786, 3787, 3788, 3789, 3790, 3791, 3792, 3793, 3794, 3795, 3796, 3797, 3798, 3799, 3800, 3801, 3802, 3803, 3804, 3805, 3806, 6, 66, 4984, 11189.
2002 March 6 - . 08:28 GMT - .
EVA STS-109-3 - . Crew: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. EVA Duration: 0.29 days. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Grunsfeld, Linnehan. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-109. Spacecraft: Columbia, HST. Depress was at 0825 UTC and repress at 1516 UTC. The HST was powered entirely down and astronauts changed out the power control unit..
HST redeployed - . Nation: USA. Spacecraft: Columbia, HST. HST was deployed from Columbia at 1004 UTC on into a 578 x 584 km x 28.5 deg orbit..
2002 September 5 - .
Webb / Next Generation Space Telescope contract award - . Nation: USA. Class: Astronomy. Type: Astronomy satellite. Spacecraft: HST, WST.
NASA awarded TRW a $824 million contract to build the Next Generation Space Telescope, redesignated the James Webb Space Telescope. TRW beat out Lockheed Martin, builder of the Hubble Space Telescope which the Webb was to replace. Launch of the 6-metre aperture telescope was not expected until 2010 at the earliest.
2004 April 15 - .
STS-122 (cancelled) - . Nation: USA. Agency: NASA. Program: ISS. Flight: STS-122 ISS EO-16. Spacecraft: Columbia, HST. Flight delayed after the Columbia disaster. Columbia would have flown Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission 4. No crew had been named at the time of the loss of Columbia.. | http://astronautix.com/h/hst.html |
The Hubble Space Telescope has returned from the dead to resume science operations while waiting for its James Webb Telescope partner to launch later this month. After a glitch on October 25, the flying observatory had remained blind in space for almost a month.
"The team will continue work on developing and testing changes to instrument software that would allow them to conduct science operations even if they encounter several lost synchronization messages in the future," NASA wrote in the announcement.
Hubble had an issue with its internal communications synchronization in late October. All four of the scope's science instruments were turned off, although Hubble remained operational for the time being.
The Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS), the first of the instruments to return to service, was functioning by Nov. 7, while the other four remained in "safe mode" for safety.
The Hubble team will keep working to prevent such problems, with the first step being a software update for Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph instrument, which will be installed in mid-December. NASA has announced that Hubble's other research instruments will be updated in the coming months.
Engineers recovered an Imaging Spectrograph that breaks light down into its constituent parts, similar to how a prism splits white light into a rainbow. The Wide Field Camera 3 and the ACS capture a wide-field view of the universe.
Hubble had also gone dark in June of this year. A defective payload computer onboard that coordinates science operations caused the month-long shutdown. On June 13, when the main computer failed to receive a signal from the payload computer, Hubble's science equipment went into safe mode, rendering it blind in space.
Another powerful telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, will soon join Hubble in space, thanks to a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. Webb uses infrared technology to make unique observations that supplement Hubble's.
"With the launch of the Webb Telescope planned for later this month, NASA expects the two observatories will work together well into this decade, expanding our knowledge of the cosmos even further," NASA added in the announcement.
The Hubble Space Telescope has been in operation for nearly three decades and has seen numerous teams and engineers come and go. When it was last fixed in 2009, the telescope had previously encountered a number of issues. The telescope had previously experienced issues with its Imaging Spectrograph, which experienced a power outage in 2004, and an electrical short in 2007 that impacted its ACS. | https://www.btimesonline.com/articles/152644/20211208/hubble-space-telescope-now-fully-up-and-running-following-month-long-blackout.htm |
Linking with the future
ESA PR 39-2004. Exploring and using space is the biggest adventure facing mankind. Finding innovative ways for ESA to continue doing this is the role of the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) at ESA’s European Space Technology Research Centre (ESTEC).
It is their job to look into the future and identify ideas which could enable missions that currently sound like science fiction.
From simple “what if?” ideas, the ACT evaluate what is and is not possible. For example, among many other proposals, they are currently investigating the feasibility of satellites to generate electricity from sunlight and beam it to Earth, systems for generating fuel from human waste, and robots that would move like tumbleweed across planetary surfaces.
The ACT was inaugurated in 2002 and is part of ESA’s General Studies Programme. It forms the essential interface between ESA and the academics, in universities around Europe, who are working on the kind of theoretical research that may one day have applications in space missions.
“There are many people out there in universities working on potential breakthroughs. Every day, it seems, someone proposes a new idea. We need to find the ideas that might help ESA in future,” says Andrés Gálvez, head of the ACT.
Sometimes the work in research groups is so theoretical that it might require several decades or more of technological development to make it practical. That would stop most space engineers from considering it. “Most people at ESA are very busy working on missions that have set launch dates, so they have no time to work on ideas that may be used on a mission thirty years in the future. That’s why there is the ACT to do these tasks,” says Gálvez.
To help determine which ideas are worth pursuing, the ACT run Ariadna, a scheme that allows academics to propose totally new ideas for study and tests for ideas that the team already have under investigation. In both cases, the resultant studies last between 2 and 6 months, providing a quick, expert evaluation of an idea. If it is found to have a fundamental flaw, it can be discounted straight away, without having drained too much time or money.
Ariadna is named after the daughter of King Minos who, in Greek mythology, gave Theseus the ball of thread that enabled him to find his way out of the labyrinth. The analogy is easy to see: the ACT provides the way for ESA to find the correct path through all the theoretical science that is generated in offices and laboratories around Europe.
The team is composed of young researchers, who each spend one or two years bringing energy and enthusiasm to the thinking. Among the projects they are currently working on are: the technological requirements of nuclear propulsion and missions it might lead to, such as a spacecraft to orbit Pluto; the extreme difficulty of building an antimatter engine; the best routes for interstellar spacecraft to take between stars; the possibility of nudging dangerous asteroids. Perhaps the most extreme example of work the group is doing is to look at the biology of hibernation in mammals and wonder whether such a state could be induced in humans on deep space voyages.
The final report on each study provides the General Studies Programme with a basis on which to select ideas for further investigation.
For further information, please contact : | http://www.esa.int/Space_in_Member_States/Ireland/Linking_with_the_future |
These two research fellowships will be shared among the European Space Agency’s establishments ESTEC and ESRIN, and the Directorate of Technology, Engineering and Quality and the Directorate of Earth Observation Programmes.
In this way, the Research Fellows would benefit from the blue-sky, more theoretical and algorithmic focus of the Advanced Concepts Team (in ESTEC) during the first year, in view of transitioning this research into proof of concepts and applications to the remote sensing, benefitting from the Earth observation technical and market competence available at the Φ-lab (in ESRIN)
In the first year, the Research Fellows will be based in the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), a team of research fellows (post-docs) and young graduates who originate from a broad variety of academic fields. Its task is to monitor, perform and foster research on advanced space systems, innovative concepts and working methods. It interacts externally almost exclusively with academia and operates as a truly interdisciplinary team bound to high scientific standards. Via its research, the team acts as a cross-departmental pathfinder to explore novel, potentially promising areas for ESA and the space sector, ranging from applied to basic fundamental research topics.
During the second year, the Research Fellows will be based in the Φ-lab, with the mission is to accelerate the future of Earth observation, by helping Europe’s Earth observation and space researchers and companies adopt disruptive technologies and methods. In this second year the Research Fellow will be embedded into an application oriented environment where the ideas, methods and algorithms conceived in the first year can deliver a concrete contribution to Earth Observation.
Candidates are highly encouraged to get familiar with the research done by the ACT (https://www.esa.int/gsp/ACT/), in particular in the field of artificial intelligence and computer science as well as with the phi-lab blog (http://blogs.esa.int/philab/).
Field(s) of activities/research
The successful candidates will carry out research in the field of Artificial Intelligence with a particular emphasis on developing new methods applicable to Earth Observation. Areas of research are partly chosen by the successful candidates based on his/her own expert judgements and insight into trends and developments, and partly chosen by the team as to follow strategic directions of the Agency.
Scientifically she/he will in particular:
- Propose and perform research in the field of Artificial Intelligence, where appropriate together with universities of ESA Member States (in particular through the Ariadna scheme);
- Organise and lead competitions on proposed topics via the European Space Agency’s kelvins platform (https://kelvins.esa.int);
- Apply and further develop techniques from Deep Learning (Autoencoders, CNNs, etc…) to hyperspectral image processing and related tasks;
- Contribute or start the open source development of tools and models applicable to satellite image super-resolution, image segmentation, cloud detection, prediction of climate factors, disaster response, settlements detection and similar;
- Analyze the applicability of transfer learning, one-shot learning and data fusion on space data;
As ACT researcher, she/he will:
- Publish results in peer-reviewed publications and use modern communication tools to communicate with the broader audience inside and outside ESA;
- Lead and assist interdisciplinary projects with other ACT researchers;
- Participate together with the team in the assessment of proposed space system concepts - these not being restricted only to artificial intelligence and computer science - and propose new concepts and assessment studies; and
- Perform and participate in assessments on subjects of strategic interest of ESA, provide in- house expertise to strategy development.
- Benefit for her/his research from the technology and engineering expertise available at ESTEC.
In the second year, as a member of the Φ-lab, she/he will:
- Transfer findings and projects results into a more applicative environment, based on the research performed during the first year and in close coordination with the Φ-lab, its resources and its strategic directions.
- Embed his project into an early prototype project, fully benefit from the direct access to EO expertise available at the Φ-lab and in ESRIN.
Specificities
The Research fellows will have access to Φ-lab's 10 visiting AI professors
The position of Research Fellow at ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team is similar to a regular academic Post-Doc placement, however with a few notable key differences:
- ACT RFs have no teaching obligations. However, they will likely be involved in the mentoring of Young Graduate Trainees and stagiaires (student interns) within the team.
- As the team does not have a professor-like position, ACT RFs are academically more independent than most post-docs. This implies more freedom but also more responsibility for their research directions and approaches.
- ACT RFs are joining a diverse, changing and interdisciplinary research team embedded in a large space agency, in contrast to a more specialised, focused research group with close or similar competences.
- ACT RFs need to actively reach out to other disciplines, to bring in their competences to interdisciplinary research projects and to encourage other researchers to join them in their core research projects (research at the intersections of disciplines).
- ACT RFs need to communicate their expertise and research results internally and externally, including potential implications and importance for ESA’s long-term strategy.
Other information
For behavioural competencies expected from ESA staff in general, please refer to the ESA Competency Framework.
The Agency may require applicants to undergo selection tests.
The closing date for applications is 19 September 2019.
In addition to your CV and your motivation letter, please add your proposal of no more than 5 pages outlining your proposed research. Candidates must also arrange for three letters of reference to be sent by e-mail, before the deadline, to [email protected] The letters must be sent by the referees themselves. The candidate’s name must be mentioned in the subject of the email.
If you require support with your application due to a disability, please email [email protected].
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Please note that applications are only considered from nationals of one of the following States: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Canada and Slovenia.
According to the ESA Convention the recruitment of staff must take into account an adequate distribution of posts among nationals of the ESA Member States. Priority will first be given to internal candidates and secondly to external candidates from under-represented Member States when short-listing for interview.
(http://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/NationalityTargets.pdf)
In accordance with the European Space Agency’s security procedures and as part of the selection process, successful candidates will be required to undergo basic screening before appointment
Person Specification
Technical competencies
- Knowledge relevant to the field of research
- Research/publication record
- Ability to conduct research autonomously
- Breadth of exposure coming from past and/or current research/activities
- General interest in space and space research
- Ability to gather and share relevant information
Behavioural competencies
- Innovation & Creativity
- Continuous Learning
- Communication
- Teamwork
- Self Motivation
- Problem Solving
Education
Applicants must have obtained a degree in either artificial intelligence, computer science, mathematics or engineering. The applicants must hold a PhD (completed before take up of duty) on AI, Computer Science or Machine Learning, subject of the thesis being relevant to the description of the tasks outlined above and aim at an academic/research career.
Additional requirements
- Experience in applying deep neutral networks;
- Proficiencyin C++ and Phyton programming languages;
- Experiences in open source projects, GPU programming, distributed computing and cloud computing are considered as strong assets;
- Ability for and interest in prospective interdisciplinary research;
- Aptitude to contextualise specialised areas of research and quickly assess their potential with respect to other domains and applications;
- Academic networking to add functioning links to universities and research institutes;
- Ability to work in a team, while being able to work individually regarding his/her own personal research plans and directions;
- Natural curiosity and a passion for new subjects and research areas. | https://spacecareers.uk/?p=job_post_public&id=1327 |
ESA aims to harness a new resource for future space activities: ideas from European researchers, businesses and the general public — through the organization's new Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), anyone is welcome to respond to space-related challenges.
ESA Director General, Jan Wörner, commented that through OSIP, ESA hope sto build and nurture a community of space technology enthusiasts, enabling people to inject their insight into the ESA and collaborate smoothly with ESA experts to contribute to the future of the Europe in space.
OSIP will challenge users to propose new ideas to address specific problems in form of thematic campaigns. The site currently hosts two such public challenges, both linked to the oceans, as well as a channel to submit ideas for co-sponsored research.
Methods to enlarge the effective area of autonomous shipping – today heavily reliant on satellite navigation – into heavily-trafficked ports requiring precision navigation as well as the high Arctic, where satellite navigation is rendered less reliable.
Another OSIP channel calls on ideas for research projects without a specific theme. These novel space-related research proposals would be co-funded by ESA. While the two campaigns have deadlines, the channel is open ended with rolling evaluations and selections.
ESA’s first contact with new ideas typically comes through the Discovery element, which also includes the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), the Agency’s future-oriented think tank staffed with a rotating roster of Ph.D. researchers. Initial studies are typically system studies, asking: if we incorporate this innovation into a space system, what would it enable, how could it work in practice?
The next stage is the Agency’s Technology Development Element, similarly active across all sectors of space. This is dedicated to creating the first laboratory prototypes of new ideas to demonstrate they are ready to be taken further by follow-on programs, such as ESA Science’s Core Technology Program, the ARTES Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems program or the General Support Technology Program, readying technologies for spaceflight and the open market.
The goal of ESA’s seamless chain of innovation is to have a steady stream of new technologies ready for take-up by ESA missions and programs — making the correct discoveries available at the correct time as missions and applications require them. | http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=461953675 |
In the early hours of the January 28, the telecommunications satellite Hispasat H36W-1 (H36W-1) — produced by space technology company OHB System AG — reached its target orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers.
A Russian Soyuz carrier had lifted off on schedule at 2.03 hours CET from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French-Guyana, pushed by the Arianespace launch vehicle. Roughly half an hour later, the carrier released the satellite with a mass of 3,200 kg into geostationary transfer orbit. The successful launch of the first satellite from the SmallGEO range marks a milestone in OHB’s history. SmallGEO is the first telecommunications satellite to be developed, integrated and tested in Germany for more than 20 years.
The German Aerospace Center (DLR) satellite control center received the first “sign of life” from the satellite just under one hour later via the ground centers in Kumsan, South Korea, and Uralla, Australia. Twenty-two employees from OHB System AG, four from OHB Sweden and two from OHB Italia, are working around the clock at the satellite control center to ensure the smooth start-up of the telecommunications satellite and to support mission control.
H36W-1 will be reaching its geostationary test position in 12 days’ time, where the spacecraft will be calibrated and placed in operation over a period of approximately five weeks. After a voyage of a further nine days, the satellite will reach the final position at 36 degrees longitude west, where communications services for Europe, the Canary Islands and South America will be provided by Spanish operator HISPASAT over a period of more than 15 years.
Germany’s return to system capability in the commercial market for telecommunications satellites has its roots in the close partnership between OHB System AG, the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi) and the European Space Agency (ESA). The development of SmallGEO is expressly included in the German space strategy and underscores the country’s wish to act independently and flexibly in the small satellite segment.
Developed by OHB System AG as part of the ESA ARTES program (Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems), SmallGEO is a flexible geostationary satellite platform which can be tailored for different mission goals such as telecommunications, Earth Observation (EO) and technology testing. With its modular structure, the SmallGEO satellite platform can be modified flexibly to meet specific customer requirements. Customers can select a classic, hybrid or electric propulsion system for the satellite. Depending on the type, the satellite has a launch mass of between 2,500 and 3,500 kg, with a permitted payload mass of between 450 and 900 kg. Measuring 3.7 x 1.9 x 2 meters, H36W-1 had a launch mass of 3,200 kg.
In addition to OHB System AG acting as the prime contractor, three of OHB’s European sister companies were also involved in the successful development and realization of this first SmallGEO satellite and will also contribute to future SmallGEO platforms. OHB Sweden delivered innovative subsystems for electric propulsion and attitude and orbit control. Luxspace delivered the telemetry, telecontrol and ranging subsystem and actively participated in its validation at the satellite level. In addition, LuxSpace contributed to the development of the satellite simulator. OHB Italia developed the payload management unit and supported system engineering of the thermal control subsystem.
The first SmallGEO satellite, the H36W-1, was completed in the form of a private-public partnership between ESA, OHB and the Spanish satellite operator HISPASAT. Further projects in the conventional telecommunications segment include EDRS-C (laser relay) and Heinrich Hertz (in-orbit verification of numerous national scientific and technical innovations as well as satellite communications for the German federal armed forces). OHB is developing Electra, a satellite with a fully electric propulsion system based on the SmallGEO platform, which will be able to carry a substantially larger payload due to the lighter weight of the propulsion system. Europe’s future fleet of weather satellites, the “Meteosat Third Generation” EUMETSAT satellites, is also based on the SmallGEO satellite platform.
According to Dr. Dieter Birreck, the responsible project manager at OHB System AG, the first satellite is always a major step, particularly in the case of a new specially developed platform in such an important segment as the telecommunications market. OHB AG has developed, managed and implemented an integrated design, which has been intensely tested during an 11 month test campaign.
OHB System AG is one of the three leading space companies in Europe and the firm belongs to listed high-tech group OHB SE (ISIN: DE0005936124, Prime Standard), where around 2,200 specialists and system engineers work on key European space programs. With two strong sites in Bremen and Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich, and packing 35 years of experience, OHB System AG specializes in high-tech solutions for space. These include low-orbiting and geostationary satellites for Earth observation, navigation, telecommunication, science and space exploration as well as systems for human space flight, aerial reconnaissance and process control systems. | http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=1005578842 |
Air Force assigns Rhea space activity to build rapid-response lunar communications spacecraft
Phase I winners will have the opportunity to present their solutions at the Space Force Pitch Day virtual event on August 19e, 2021.
The proposed craft, nicknamed SCORPIUS, will use an origami-inspired foldable solar reflector to heat a block of tungsten that will vaporize the thruster to generate its main propulsion. This multirole solar reflector will also act as a large area communication antenna which can also redirect sunlight to generate power for all subsystems of the spacecraft. This architecture will allow the USSF to quickly reposition SCORPIUS in deep space to conduct offensive and defensive communications operations.
SCORPIUS is intended to provide a radical and cost-effective solution to a series of problems currently facing USAF planners as they consider the challenges of deep space travel. As U.S. and international spacecraft operations gradually expand beyond traditional geosynchronous orbits, spacecraft will need increased propulsion capabilities.
At present, to reach destinations beyond geosynchronous orbit, chemical propulsion is only able to deliver small amounts of “payload” over a short distance in a short period of time, while electric propulsion is capable of delivering a much larger payload, but much slower, months or even years to reach its destination.
To solve the problem of payload and deployment time, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program known as âDemonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operationsâ (DRACO), aims to develop a propulsion system nuclear-thermal, which in theory would provide a high-thrust, high-efficiency spacecraft capable of rapidly moving large amounts of payload. DRACO, however, is hampered by the security and policy challenges associated with working with nuclear reactors. (The term “cislunar” refers to the vast area of ââspace between the Earth and the Moon).
SCORPIUS addresses some of these conventional challenges by offering capabilities similar to DRACO, but without using radioactive materials to achieve its high performance propulsion level.
Thus, SCORPIUS is intended to release a significant mass for larger payloads of spacecraft, allowing the USSF to move assets in cislunar space in a much more responsive timeframe. SCORPIUS could potentially enable missions such as patrolling Earth-Moon “Lagrange points” (defined as areas of open space in which objects remain stationary), transporting satellites between low earth orbit and the geosynchronous belt. , or the removal of space debris from strategic earth orbits. During the Phase I effort, RSA and her team worked with USSF to identify missions of interest and ways to refine the SCORPIUS concept to improve storage capacity and propellant life. .
The innovative design of SCORPIUS is based on origami solar concentrators and a thermal solar propulsion system “ThermaSat +” currently under development by Howe Industries, a partner of the SCORPIUS project with RSA. SCORPIUS uses large solar concentrators to heat the tungsten block of the ThermaSat + system, melting the boron encapsulated in the tungsten and storing significant amounts of energy during the phase change from solid to liquid. When fully charged, the tungsten block vaporizes the propellant at temperatures high enough to melt steel and generates enough thrust to effect impulsive combustion.
SCORPIUS will also recover electrical energy from solar concentrators to power an electric ion motor. This bimodal capability allows SCORPIUS to retain more propellant during non-emergency maneuvers and easily perform small hold-in-position maneuvers without heating the tungsten block.
For an animated rendering of the craft, see the following YouTube link. (Please Note to Media – Rhea Space Activity has licensed this video for public distribution):
Beautiful Rideout, an aerospace engineer at RSA, commented on the importance of using a bimodal propulsion system in deep space: âDevelop a high performance propulsion system that can operate at high thrust / low impulse and low thrust / high impulse. modes allows a wide variety of flight envelopes in cislunar space. In addition, the multiple uses of the deployable origami-type solar reflector make it possible to completely rethink satellite communication and power systems. In many ways, this system promises to offer multiple applications and breakthroughs for satellites and spacecraft far into the future. “
Troy howe, president of Howe Industries, described SCORPIUS as a new take on an old concept. âSolar thermal propulsion has been widely studied since the 1990s, but was considered too weak to be of much use at the time. With SCORPIUS, we can use high thrust maneuvers instead of the old concept of low thrust continuous combustion, and take advantage of the Earth-Moon gravitational environment. By building on well-established techniques, we can provide an innovative new way of approaching spaceflight.
David J. Strobel, Executive Chairman of Space Micro, another RSA partner on the project, said: âSpace Micro is very pleased to be part of the RSA team, to which we bring our expertise in space communications and avionics for the spacecraft. SCORPIUS, including propulsion controller electronics, space processing and command and data processing, software-defined radios and star tracking / cameras required for space operations. “
RSA now has the opportunity to participate in Customer Discovery with key USSF stakeholders to compete for a Space Force Pitch Day Phase II award. RSA plans to develop a design baseline mission for SCORPIUS to inform further development of the spacecraft and to continue the momentum of the project in the Phase II proposal, which will likely develop a new high-performance propulsion system for knowledge. of the space domain of the USSF. RSA also plans to advance “constellation architecture” recommendations to demonstrate how such a new capability will fit into current US defense practices and the broader US space environment.
About the Rhéa space activity
Rhea Space Activity (RSA) is an astrophysics start-up that imagines and creates high-risk / high-return research and development concepts to support US national security objectives. RSA has developed technologies in fields as diverse as infrared satellites, directed energy, artificial intelligence, light detection and telemetry (LIDAR), astro-particle physics, small satellites, operations cislunars, intelligence gathering, autonomous underwater vehicles and for the F35 Lightening II. .
For more information, please visit www.rheaspaceactivity.com
About Howe Industries
Dr. Troy howe, PhD (CEO) launched Howe Industries in 2015 to introduce technologies, with space and ground applications, derived from his team’s expertise in nuclear technology, thermal systems and space propulsion. Reflecting the company’s culture of innovation and excellence, Howe Industries has received numerous grants from federal agencies such as NASA, NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC), DARPA, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) . Howe projects currently under development include the ThermaSat CubeSat propulsion system, the advanced thermoelectric generator (ATEG) solid-state, new fuel for thermal nuclear propulsion and the innovative pulsed plasma nuclear rocket.
For more information, please visit www.howeindustries.net
About Space Micro Inc.
Space Micro Inc., based in San diego, california, is an engineering-focused supplier of affordable, high-performance, radiation-resistant communications, electro-optical and digital systems for use in commercial, civil and military space applications around the world. Space Micro solutions include telemetry, tracking and command (TT&C) transmitters, mission data transmitters, space cameras, star trackers, image processors, command and processing systems. data (C&DH) and laser communication systems. | https://pi4zlb.nl/air-force-assigns-rhea-space-activity-to-build-rapid-response-lunar-communications-spacecraft/ |
ESA aims to harness a new resource for future space activities: ideas from European researchers, businesses and the general public — through the organization's new Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP), anyone is welcome to respond to space-related challenges.
The Agency’s new Open Space Innovation Platform website is a streamlined entry point for novel ideas, both in response to specific problems and open calls. The platform forms part of a wider effort to support the future competitiveness of European space industry with early technology development, implementing the new Space Technology Strategy.
ESA Director General, Jan Wörner, commented that through OSIP, ESA hope sto build and nurture a community of space technology enthusiasts, enabling people to inject their insight into the ESA and collaborate smoothly with ESA experts to contribute to the future of the Europe in space.
OSIP will challenge users to propose new ideas to address specific problems in form of thematic campaigns. The site currently hosts two such public challenges, both linked to the oceans, as well as a channel to submit ideas for co-sponsored research.
Two inaugural challenges have just been released on OSIP at ideas.esa.int:
- Calling for novel ideas on ways of achieving the currently impossible task of detecting and tracking marine plastic litter from space
- Methods to enlarge the effective area of autonomous shipping – today heavily reliant on satellite navigation – into heavily-trafficked ports requiring precision navigation as well as the high Arctic, where satellite navigation is rendered less reliable.
Another OSIP channel calls on ideas for research projects without a specific theme. These novel space-related research proposals would be co-funded by ESA. While the two campaigns have deadlines, the channel is open ended with rolling evaluations and selections.
ESA’s first contact with new ideas typically comes through the Discovery element, which also includes the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT), the Agency’s future-oriented think tank staffed with a rotating roster of Ph.D. researchers. Initial studies are typically system studies, asking: if we incorporate this innovation into a space system, what would it enable, how could it work in practice?
The next stage is the Agency’s Technology Development Element, similarly active across all sectors of space. This is dedicated to creating the first laboratory prototypes of new ideas to demonstrate they are ready to be taken further by follow-on programs, such as ESA Science’s Core Technology Program, the ARTES Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems program or the General Support Technology Program, readying technologies for spaceflight and the open market.
The goal of ESA’s seamless chain of innovation is to have a steady stream of new technologies ready for take-up by ESA missions and programs — making the correct discoveries available at the correct time as missions and applications require them. | http://www.satnews.com/story.php?number=461953675 |
Minister for Research and Innovation, Mr Sean Sherlock TD represented Ireland at the European Space Agency Ministerial Council which took place in Naples on 20th & 21st November 2012. The Council, which represents 20 European countries, will decide the future strategy for the European Space Programmes and the future direction of the European Space Agency (ESA). Importantly, the Council took major decisions on the development of commercial space launch vehicles, telecommunications and Earth observation satellites, and advanced technologies for human spaceflight and space exploration.
Specific emphasis was placed by the Minister on the role of ESA in stimulating the development of small to medium sized companies in the space market, in fostering increased entrepreneurship in the sector and in facilitating the commercial spin out of space technologies into everyday non-space uses.
Minister Sherlock said: “In the coming months a number of significant ESA R&D contracts are expected to develop innovative technologies for use in space systems with Irish technology companies such as Eirecomposites and Sensl and recent start-up Faztech”.
“Over the past 5 years, in excess of 40 Irish companies, with the support of Enterprise Ireland, have secured ESA contracts with a value in excess of €10 million per year. In the past three years alone, 12 Irish companies have secured their first ESA contract to develop commercial products in a range of technologies including advanced materials, optoelectronics, software and bio-diagnostics. For example, we have seen strong growth in involvement by highly innovative start-up companies such as Treemetrics, Radisens Diagnostics, National Space Centre Ltd and Techworks Marine”.
“In addition to the industrial involvement, a growing number of 3rd level based research teams are actively involved in space research activities including in advanced materials, biomedical research and astrophysics”. Minister Sherlock added.
Concluding, Minister Sherlock acknowledged the continued positive role and support of the European Space Agency as Ireland develops entrepreneurship and innovation and pushes the boundaries of what it is possible for society to achieve from investment in space for the benefit of all.
Ireland has been a long-standing member of the European Space Agency since 1975 and this has provided an effective means for Irish companies, including SMEs, and the research community to develop opportunities both in space related sectors and other markets. ESA is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes co-operation among European States in space research and technology and their space applications for scientific purposes and for operational space application systems. ESA is Europe’s gateway to space.
During the ESA Ministerial Conference Ministers agreed measures to: direct the European space effort towards growth and competitiveness, maximise value and efficiency and strengthen a rapidly evolving European space sector. The Ministers focused on making strategic investments in pushing the frontiers of knowledge, supporting an innovative and competitive Europe and on enabling services that maximise the benefits of space to society and the wider European Economy.
A growing number of Irish companies are developing products in the commercial space market and transferring technical expertise and capability acquired into a range of other market opportunities, such as medical instrumentation, telecommunications, energy and the wider aerospace market. Irish companies association with ESA and its Research & Development facilities has been an essential element of these companies’ strategies to access new markets in Europe, US and Asia.
Significant investment in ESA Space Programmes has enabled Irish companies, of all sizes, to develop advanced technologies in industrial engineering, meet rigorous quality and reliability demands of space systems engineering, and to become significant and trusted partners in European and global endeavours in space.
The State will invest over €17 million* per annum in the coming years in ESA Space programmes in a strategy that prioritises Ireland’s investment in those ESA programmes which support technology innovation and technology transfer that leads to export, sales and employment generation by Irish industry.
Irish companies, with ESA support, are also developing commercial business opportunities, in using advanced satellite systems to develop innovative solutions for a range of applications including, fisheries protection, coastal pollution monitoring, forestry management, maritime surveillance and detection of illegal land fill sites.
Ireland is witnessing strong, sustainable and rapid growth as a result of continued Government investment in ESA. Irish companies have and will continue to translate the technical skills, reputation and networks, developed over continuous cooperative work with ESA, into increased export sales, growth and employment. Total sales in this sector are projected to more than double in value from €35 million in 2011 to over €75 million by 2015.
Investment in space programmes and associated support to Irish industry yields an economic dividend many times greater than the initial State investment. Analysis of the return on State investment in ESA shows that the multiplier effect on ESA derived turnover (including direct ESA contracts) to be 3.63 in the period 2006 to 2011 and that an acceleration in the multiplier can be projected over time.
* State investment in ESA is subject to approval of the Oireachtas in the context of the annual budgetary process. | https://www.irishbuildingmagazine.ie/2012/11/21/major-investment-in-european-space-programmes-to-put-irish-space-and-technology-companies-on-an-upward-trajectory-sherlock/ |
Are you seeking an opportunity to develop propulsion design technologies expertise?
Would you enjoy knowing your efforts directly impact defending our nation and allies?
If you can answer "yes" to these questions, we want to talk to you!
At Raytheon Missiles & Defense, fresh thinking and possibilities are forged in times of change and you will be on the front lines as we trail blaze new approaches, push the boundaries of innovation and chart a course to a tomorrow you can be proud to have a hand in creating.
Job Summary:
The Energetics and Propulsion department within the Mechanical Products Team (MPT) is seeking a Propulsion Engineer at our Sacramento site that is responsible for system-level propellant and energetics support. You will work with both internal and external customers to cooperatively develop future business opportunities and position RMD for future propulsion and missile system growth. You will apply or develop highly advanced technologies, scientific principles, theories and concepts to the systems integration of propulsion, thrusters, and mechanical interfaces for integration of propulsion and energetic products into missile systems and space vehicles. You should have experience in the design and testing of a variety of propulsion configurations including tactical and strategic propulsion systems.
This position may also provide engineering support and subcontractor technical oversite for propulsion system production, design, and process improvements as a Responsible Engineering Authority (REA). Additional duties may include responsibility for requirements pertaining to environmental loading and flow down to mechanical sub-systems, supporting the design phase enabling early cycles of learning, establishing critical design elements and processes, supporting the delivery of the Tech Data Package (TDP), influence integration &qualification plans and model correlation, and maintain the design integrity during the production sustainment lifecycle.
Responsibilities to Anticipate:
Meet with customers as required to foster and establish future business relationships, and support Requests for Information (RFI’s) and proposals, as required.
Review manufacturing processes and participate in problem resolution, as well as work directly with subcontractors on the design and manufacturing of propulsion systems, especially solid rocket motors
Work in a collaborative environment with program management in long-range program planning concerning new or projected areas of technological research and advancements, and be a key spokesperson on program’s technical capabilities and future directions
Manage propulsion system development projects and propulsion subcontracts; review and disposition subcontract data and change requests; and oversee supplier operations
May direct, coordinate, and review the work of a small staff of cross-functional engineers
You will focus on both in-house and supplier’s design and analysis of components related to missiles systems.
You will support diverse teams, providing technical oversight to a team often comprised of cross functional disciplines, leveraging their network of Subject Matter Experts.
The work is performed with limited direction either individually, in a team environment, or in a supervisory capacity.
An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for 3 additional years of experience or 5 years with a Ph.D.
Qualifications You Must Have:
Bachelor’s in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)
Minimum of five (5) years of experience in propulsive technology and its application to solid, liquid, and mono propellant propulsion systems
Rocket propulsion industry technical experience and/or relevant coursework is required
The ability to obtain and maintain a US security clearance prior to the start date. U.S. citizenship is required as only U.S. citizens are eligible for a security clearance
Qualifications We Value :
Eight (8) or more years of directly related experience in propulsive technology and its application to solid, liquid, or mono propellant propulsion systems
Expertise in: Conceptual, developmental, and production design phases
Systems knowledge to assure full development of propulsion requirements and dissemination and flow down to subcomponent levels
Demonstrated ability to develop and lead collaborative efforts with other technical disciplines including structural, thermal, aerodynamics and low observables
Specific experience in the development of solid, liquid, or mono propellant propulsion systems from conceptual design through final test /assembly
Ability to provide technical oversight to propulsion subcontractor(s) to define system requirements and work with them to ensure on time, on budget delivery of compliant hardware and documentation.
Develop and deliver technical presentations to management and government agencies.
Work effectively in a distributed collaborative environment with program management and other technical experts.
Experience with and presenting to FRB, ERB, CCB, MRB, PCB, PMAB, etc.
Effective interpersonal, communication and networking skills, ability to work well with others including customers and suppliers
Demonstrated success as a proposal/cost account manager as well as project/team leader
Ability to work in a team environment with timely problem resolution utilizing a professional, positive, proactive attitude, strong customer focus, and a desire to help others
Ability to recognize roadblocks/issues and elevate/suggest appropriate corrective action
Existing DoD clearance preferred
What We Offer:
Whether you’re just starting out on your career journey or are an experienced professional, we offer a robust total rewards package that goes above and beyond with compensation; healthcare, wellness, retirement and work/life benefits; career development and recognition programs. Some of the superior benefits we offer include parental (including paternal) leave, flexible work schedules, achievement awards, educational assistance and child/adult backup care.
183241
Raytheon is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected Veteran status. | https://military.rtx.com/sacramento-ca/propulsion-engineer-propellants-and-energetics/EE4B342B328B444E8B19B22076844FA2/job/ |
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Written by Elizabeth Landau
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA – With two suns in its sky, Luke Skywalker’s home planet Tatooine in “Star Wars” looks like a parched, sandy desert world. In real life, thanks to observatories such as NASA’s Kepler space telescope, we know that two-star systems can indeed support planets, although planets discovered so far around double-star systems are large and gaseous. Scientists wondered: If an Earth-size planet were orbiting two suns, could it support life?
It turns out, such a planet could be quite hospitable if located at the right distance from its two stars, and wouldn’t necessarily even have deserts.
This artist’s concept shows a hypothetical planet covered in water around the binary star system of Kepler-35A and B. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
«Read the rest of this article»
Written by Andrew Good
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, CA – A mechanical rover inspired by a Dutch artist. A weather balloon that recharges its batteries in the clouds of Venus.
These are just two of the five ideas that originated at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, and are advancing for a new round of research funded by the agency.
In total, the space agency is investing in 22 early-stage technology proposals that have the potential to transform future human and robotic exploration missions, introduce new exploration capabilities, and significantly improve current approaches to building and operating aerospace systems.
PL’s AREE rover for Venus is just one of the concepts selected by NASA for further research funding. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Pasadena, CA – NASA has selected 10 studies under the Planetary Science Deep Space SmallSat Studies (PSDS3) program to develop mission concepts using small satellites to investigate Venus, Earth’s moon, asteroids, Mars and the outer planets.
For these studies, small satellites are defined as less than 180 kilograms in mass (about 400 pounds). CubeSats are built to standard specifications of 1 unit (U), which is equal to about 4x4x4 inches (10x10x10 centimeters). They often are launched into orbit as auxiliary payloads, significantly reducing costs.
A global view of Venus created from Magellan data and a computer-simulated globe. A JPL-led mission concept study was recently selected to study Venus using a Cubesat. (NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Written by Mara Johnson-Groh
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD – The movements of the stars and the planets have almost no impact on life on Earth, but a few times per year, the alignment of celestial bodies has a visible effect.
One of these geometric events — the spring equinox — is just around the corner, and another major alignment — a total solar eclipse — will be visible across America on August 21st, with a fleet of NASA satellites viewing it from space and providing images of the event.
To understand the basics of celestial alignments, here is information on equinoxes, solstices, full moons, eclipses and transits:
During a transit, a planet passes in between us and the star it orbits. This method is commonly used to find new exoplanets in our galaxy. (NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center/Genna Duberstein)
Pasadena, CA – A bumper crop of Earth-size planets huddled around an ultra-cool, red dwarf star could be little more than chunks of rock blasted by radiation, or cloud-covered worlds as broiling hot as Venus.
Or they could harbor exotic lifeforms, thriving under skies of ruddy twilight.
Scientists are pondering the possibilities after this week’s announcement: the discovery of seven worlds orbiting a small, cool star some 40 light-years away, all of them in the ballpark of our home planet in terms of their heft (mass) and size (diameter). Three of the planets reside in the “habitable zone” around their star, TRAPPIST-1, where calculations suggest that conditions might be right for liquid water to exist on their surfaces—though follow-up observations are needed to be sure.
This illustration shows the seven planets orbiting TRAPPIST-1, and ultra-cool dwarf star, as they might look as viewed from Earth using a fictional, incredibly powerful telescope. (NASA-JPL/Caltech)
Written by Arielle Samuelson
NASA Headquarters
Washington, D.C. – In the “Star Wars” universe, ice, ocean and desert planets burst from the darkness as your ship drops out of light speed. But these worlds might be more than just science fiction.
Some of the planets discovered around stars in our own galaxy could be very similar to arid Tatooine, watery Scarif and even frozen Hoth, according to NASA scientists.
Stormtroopers in the new Star Wars film “Rogue One” wade through the water of an alien ocean world. NASA scientists believe ocean worlds exist in our own galaxy, along with many other environments. (Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.)
Pasadena, CA – Each year, NASA funds a handful of futuristic concepts to push forward the boundaries of space exploration. These early-stage proposals are selected with the hope of developing new ideas into realistic proofs-of-concept.
From August 23rd to 25th, the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) symposium will host presentations on 28 proposals, including five from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.
Jonathan Sauder’s AREE rover had a fully mechanical computer and logic system, allowing it to function in the harsh Venusian landscape. (ESA/J. Whatmore/NASA/JPL-Caltech)
Written by Steve Koppes
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL – The four planets of the Kepler-223 star system appeared to have little in common with the planets of our own solar system today. But a new study using data from NASA’s Kepler space telescope suggests a possible commonality in the distant past.
The Kepler-223 planets orbit their star in the same configuration that Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune may have had in the early history of our solar system, before migrating to their current locations.
Sean Mills (left) and Daniel Fabrycky (right), researchers at the University of Chicago, describe the complex orbital structure of the Kepler-223 system in a new study. (Nancy Wong/University of Chicago)
Washington, D.C. – Pluto behaves less like a comet than expected and somewhat more like a planet like Mars or Venus in the way it interacts with the solar wind, a continuous stream of charged particles from the sun.
This is according to the first analysis of Pluto’s interaction with the solar wind, funded by NASA’s New Horizons mission and published today in the Journal of Geophysical Research – Space Physics by the American Geophysical Union (AGU).
Four images from New Horizons’ Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI) were combined with color data from the Ralph instrument to create this global view of Pluto. The images, taken when the spacecraft was 280,000 miles (450,000 kilometers) away from Pluto, show features as small as 1.4 miles (2.2 kilometers). (NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI)
Houston, TX – Astronomers using the TRAPPIST telescope at ESO’s La Silla Observatory have discovered three planets with sizes and temperatures similar to those of Venus and Earth, orbiting an ultra-cool dwarf star just 40 light-years from Earth.
Michaël Gillon of the University of Liège in Belgium, leading a team of astronomers including Susan M. Lederer of NASA Johnson Space Center, have used the TRAPPIST telescope to observe the star 2MASS J23062928-0502285, now also known as TRAPPIST-1.
They found that this dim and cool star faded slightly at regular intervals, indicating that several objects were passing between the star and the Earth. | http://www.clarksvilleonline.com/tag/venus/ |
In „Advanced Concepts for Space 4.0” Leopold Summerer will talk about the most unusual team of the European Union he leads – the group of genius scientists who look for technological solutions for the most complicated problems related to space exploration.
The space sector is maturing and undergoing its most profound changes: there have never been as many space faring countries, as many companies engaged in space activities and as diverse space activities than now. At the same time space is no longer “rocket science” it has entered mainstream to a point that a day in an advanced economy without space would no longer be “normal”. At the same time, space has some intrinsic characteristics that are and remain unique. This has substantial implications on the way we approach space activities, conceive space missions and projects, develop technologies for space, and it asks for a broader public debate. This talk will present how ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) is preparing ESA and the European space sector for this Space 4.0 area. It will include the important role of open science, multidisciplinary thinking, emphasise the role of disciplinary fringes and intersections, risk taking and the scientific method.
The Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) serves as the ESA’s special think tank. The highly multidisciplinary research group is essentially a channel for the study of technologies and ideas that are of strategical importance in the long term planning of the future. Scientists and engineers carry out research work on advanced topics and emerging technologies and perform highly skilled analysis on a wide range of topics, like asteroid deflection, machine learning and data mining, hybernation, time architecture or biomaterials, applicable for microgravity.
When and where?
15 September 2017,
7 p.m.– 8:30 p.m., | http://www.kopernik.org.pl/en/projekty-specjalne/przemiany-festival/festiwal-przemiany-2017/leopold-summerer/ |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State graduate student Davide Conte recently led a team of international graduate students to a sweep at the 2016 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) Forum in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
Conte, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, assembled an interdisciplinary team, called the Dream Team, of 15 students from 11 universities, representing eight countries. Competing against 11 other finalists from an original field of more than 65 teams, the Dream Team won First Place Overall, Best in Theme and the Pioneering Exceptional Achievement Concept Honor Award, which recognizes the most innovative and meaningful idea presented at the forum.
“For the magnitude of this competition, I knew I needed an experienced, diversified and highly competitive team,” said Conte. “I contacted friends all over the world who are the best student experts I know in the field of space mission design, including experts in specific subsystems such as life support, hybrid propulsion and trajectory optimization. Within a week, I had formed the team, and for 10 months we worked very hard on our mission design, on top of our daily student lives.”
RASC-AL is a university-level, full mission architecture engineering design competition. It requires students studying fields with applications to human space exploration to develop mission architectures that employ innovation in crafting NASA exploration approaches and strategies around one of four available competition themes.
The competition allows students to incorporate their coursework into real aerospace design concepts, with the objective of NASA sustaining a permanent, exciting space exploration program that can help extend humanity’s reach into space.
The team chose the Crewed Mars Moons Mission as its theme, which involves conducting both broad and deep space exploration and moon surface excursions within a 20-year timespan, using a total NASA budget of $16 billion a year.
“We chose the Crewed Mars Moons Mission because it was the most ambitious of all themes and aims at expanding the presence of humanity in our solar system way beyond low-earth orbit,” said Conte. “Going to the moons of Mars requires a lot of mass and time which translates into money and risk; therefore, we created a sustainable and evolvable mission design that makes use of a hybrid propulsion concept combined with a series of innovative technologies.”
The students' mission, named Innovative Mars Global International Exploration Mission (IMaGInE), would deliver a crew of four astronauts to the surface of Deimos, Mars’ smaller moon, and conduct a robotic exploration mission of Phobos, Mars’ larger moon. The mission would last approximately 343 days during the years 2031 and 2032.
The IMaGInE Mission crew’s surface excursions would be driven by science, technology demonstrations, in-situ resource utilization and possible future human exploration site reconnaissance on Mars. The mission would also allow the reuse of the mothership the team designed for successive human and robotic missions to the surface of Mars and farther destinations in the solar system.
The team, advised by David Spencer, professor of aerospace engineering at Penn State, also included Rhiannon Vieceli, who was a Penn State graduate student in geosciences at the time.
“I am very impressed with the ability of these students to pull together a team, from Pasadena to Poland, ranging over nine time zones,” said Spencer. “They demonstrated how students can work in teams all over the world, just like what is done in the real world. Davide was the catalyst that assembled this 'dream team,' and he demonstrated great organizational and leadership skills that will serve him through his career. Each of these students brought their strengths to this team, and their resulting work showed a seamless integration of inputs from this large team."
For winning the competition, the IMaGInE team will present its winning concept at the 2016 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Space and Astronautics Forum and Exposition in Long Beach, California, in mid-September.
It should be noted that these students are also student-athletes: They won the RASC-AL volleyball tournament and beat the NASA volleyball team. | https://www.psu.edu/news/academics/story/graduate-student-leads-team-victory-aerospace-engineering-design-contest/ |
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The aim of the 15th annual Industrial Simulation Conference (ISC'2017, the premier industrial simulation conference in Europe, is to give a complete overview of this year's industrial simulation related research and to provide an annual status report on present day industrial simulation research within the European Community and the rest of the world in line with European industrial research projects.
With the integration of artificial intelligence, agents and other modelling techniques, simulation has become an effective and appropriate decision support tool in industry. The exchange of techniques and ideas among universities and industry, which support the integration of simulation in the everyday workplace, is the basic premise at the heart of ISC'2017 conference. The ISC'2017 conference consists of four major parts; the first part concerns itself with discrete event simulation methodology, the second and biggest part with industrial simulation applications, a third one with industrial themed workshops, and last but not least the fourth part, namely the poster sessions for students. The whole is then illustrated by an exhibition.
The ISC also focuses on simulation applications for the factory of the future within the framework of Industry 4.0 (e.g. transformable factories, networked factories, learning factories, digital factories) depending on different drivers such as high performance, high customization, environmental friendliness, high efficiency of resources, human potential and knowledge creation as set out by the EU directories. A second focus for ISC'2017 is on new robotics applications.
Thirdly this edition also looks at present day research in urban simulation as an expansion of intelligent traffic and transport simulation and fourthly on new developments in simulation driven engineering.
Web Based Simulation, Optimization and Response Surfaces, Parallel and Distributed Systems, Virtual Worlds, Methods for Special Applications, Practice, Extensions, XML, Open Source, Model Development, Network Modeling, Distributed Simulation and Industry, Modeling Very Large Scale Systems, Aerospace Operations, Revising Simulations Components, Meta-Knowledge Simulation.
Advanced Input Modeling, Simulation Optimization, Cross Entropy, Output Analysis, Input Modeling, Simulation Optimization, Input Analysis, Difficult Queueing Problems, New Output Analysis.
Discrete simulation languages; Object oriented modeling languages; UML and simulation; Model libraries and modularity; Component-oriented simulation; Special simulation tools and environments; Meta-models and automatic model generation; Graphical simulation environments and simulation software tools; Intelligent simulation environments; Database management of models and results; Java and Web enabled simulations, UML and OO Simulation.
Ambient Intelligence is an emerging research area that has received much attention in recent years, concerned with the implications of embedding computing devices into the environment, and how human and artificial agents can interact in such technological contexts. The infrastructure for ambient intelligence is coming on line, Computational resources are becoming cheaper, while ubiquitous network access has started to appear.
Different devices equipped with simple intelligence and the abilities to sense, communicate and act, will be unremarkable features of our world. Therefore, one takes the view that ambient intelligence is imminent and inevitable and it may be of great interest in simulation scenarios.
The application section covers: Automation, CAD/CAM/CAE, Defense Electronics, Design Automation, Simulation in industrial Design, Industrial Engineering, Industrial and Process Simulation, Manufacturing, Simulations, Logistics and Transport, Power Plants, Multibody Systems, Aerospace, etc..
The goal of this track is to exchange ideas, experiences, and research results between practitioners and researchers. It shall offer the opportunity not only for presenting work done but also for discussing new challenges emerging in this area. It focuses on innovative applications of simulation in the field of production and operation management. State-of-the-art applications covering any part of the value adding chain and any aggregation level are encouraged. This track will show the efficient utilization of simulation techniques and hybrid approaches for the optimization of manufacturing processes.
Steel manufacturing production validation, steel production planning, abrasive surface modelling, surface grinding, profiling and turning processes, welding, friction stir welding and roboforming.
Ceramic, ceramic resins, epoxy, fiberglass, Kevlar, polymer, silicon carbide, Tenslyon, Graphene, Spidrex, Nano Ceramics, Nanometric Steel, High Strength Alloys, titanium and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene production and usage simulation.
Automotive simulation of Car Design, car behaviour, vehicle driver interaction, collision tests, on board diagnostics, vision enhancement and collision warning systems, vehicle dynamics and simulation, off-road vehicle design and modelling, engineering propulsion controls simulation, power train and fluid systems simulation, hydrogen and electric engine simulation, homogeneous charge compression ignition, emissions control, brake simulation, MISRA standard Compliance.
Modelling, Identification and Control, Bio-mimetic Robotics and Humanoid Robots, Robot Navigation and Localization, Outdoor Robotics, Networked Robotics, Multi-Robot Systems and Parallel Robots, Telerobotics and Communication, UAV, Robot Swarms, Robot Design and Architecture, Telematics, Human Robot Interaction, Robot Vision and Sensing, Robot Data Processing, Medical Robotics and Healthcare (f.ex.INSEWING, RADHAR, BRACOG, HYFLAM projects), Manipulators.
Robot control and behaviour: localization, navigation, planning, simulation, visualization and virtual reality modeling.
Application of Industrial Robots, Service Robots, Control Technology, Development of Mechatronic Products, Innovation Management. Sensor Simulation, Simulation of Natural Environments Simulation of Agent-Environment Interaction /Intelligent Agents, Neural Networks and Simulation, Simulation of Collective Behaviour and Emergent Phenomena, Simulation of Learning and Adaptation Processes, Assessment Criteria and Assessment Methods for Simulators, Quantitative and Qualitative Comparisons between Originals and their Simulations, Simulation of User-System Interaction. Simulating SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping) in robotics.
Assembly Systems and Components, Processes Product Development and Design, Wiring Technology.
Technical Production Planning, Device and Equipment Technology, Production processes and Sequences, Information Technology.
Recently, the electronics industry has become the largest industry in the world. One important area of this industry is the manufacturing of integrated circuits (IC) on silicon wafers. Semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities (wafer fabs) are complex manufacturing systems that contain hundreds of machines and thousands of lots. Currently, it seems that the improvement of operational processes creates the best opportunity to realize necessary cost reductions. Therefore, the development of efficient planning and control strategies is highly desirable in the semiconductor domain.
In order to create, implement and test the required novel strategies, it is necessary to take new opportunities of information technology into account. Modelling and Simulation are widely accepted tools in planning and production control in wafer fabs because they are able to deal with the huge complexity of modern wafer fabs.
The aim of the session consists in collecting papers from both industry and academia that deal with interesting applications and new methodologies in modelling and simulation of manufacturing systems in the electronics industry.
Cleanroom suitability test, microsystem technology, cleaning technology, manufacturing technology for clean environments, information systems.
Development, optimisation and modelling of coating processes, integrated process development and management, production-orientated equipment, development, integration of coating processes into production, quality concepts for complex coating processes, surface characterization.
Simulation Based Scheduling, Supply Chain Planning Semiconductor Manufacturing, Maintenance and Repair, Scheduling and Control and Schedule Evaluation.
Multi processor systems are prone to failures. Various repair strategies can be used for such systems. This track will concentrate on the performance evaluation of complex multi-processor systems using f.ex carbon nanotubes.
Systems research, Operating systems, File System, Storage, data warehousing, in-memory computing.
Strategies and Concepts for Production and Logistics, Technical and Organizations Planning of Production and Logistics Systems, Value Stream Mapping, In-Plant Logistics, Integrated Factory and Logistics Planning, Innovative Planning Methods, tools and systems.
Traffic flows, multi-modal systems, transit, transportation modes, urban city transport, transportation in logistics, transportation management, traffic demand, traffic control, traffic telematics, traffic performance, safety, macroscopic, mesoscopic and microscopic simulations. Tools for risk assessment analysis and monitoring of container traffic.
Bulk Terminals, Container Terminals, Harbour Services, Industrial Facilities, Navigation Lines, Multimodal Transports, Oil Terminals, Passenger Terminals, Railways, Ro-Ro Terminals, Ships and Platforms, Supply Chains and Warehouses, Harbour Management, Safety in Maritime Environments, Vessel Traffic Systems.
Decision support systems in medicine (diagnosis, prognosis, therapeutic, treatment follow-up...) which are based on medical knowledge representation, ontologies and cooperation of different knowledge sources. Organisation of health care units (hospital, ...) which involves management, economics, law, deontology, ethics, social and information technology aspects...f ex. Patient waiting time simulation, Emergency evacuation simulation, Brancardage, hospital occupation simulation and optimization. Healthcare Networks, Modelling of Clinical Environments, Clinical Information Flows, Patient Flows in Hospitals, Wards Planning, Drugs Inventory Management, Logistics Flow, Long and Short Time Tables of Personnel, Utility and Case Analysis of Helicopter Usage, Information and Surveillance Systems.
Humanitarian Logistics Simulation, Sustainable Logistics and Supply Chains, Disruptions Management in Sustainable Supply Chains, Green Logistics.
Health Care Management, Strategic Management & Resource Planning in Health Care, Operational Management in Health Care, Decision Support in Health Care, Disease Management and Emergency and Disaster Organization, Case Studies: Success Stories and Failures, Medical Informatics, Medical Instruments and Devices, Fluid Flow and Transport Processes in Biological Systems, Drug Delivery Systems.
Using stochastic models to plan call center operations, schedule call center staff efficiently, and analyze projected performance is not a new phenomenon. However, several factors have recently conspired to increase demand for call center simulation analysis. The use of in-memory computing for retail logistics.
Increasing complexity in call traffic, coupled with the almost ubiquitous use of Skill-Based Routing. Rapid change in operations due to increased merger and acquisition activity, business volatility, outsourcing options, and multiple customer channels (inbound phone, outbound phone, email,web, chat) to support. Cheaper, faster desktop computing, combined with specialized call center simulation applications that are now commercially available.
From reality to simulation and visualization, Simulation based design, Simulation in support of system specification and design, Simulation of rapid prototyping, Modelling and simulation in virtual enterprises, Modelling of mechanical systems, Simulation of fibrous structures and yarns, Simulation of wound packages/woven/braided and Knitted structures, Simulation of textile machinery, Information technology systems, Simulation in Robotics and Automation, Process Control and Optimization, Advanced concepts and simulation of new concepts, Simulation of technology integration, Intelligent systems simulation, Cybernetics and virtual simulation, Drawing understanding and pattern recognition, Advanced multiscale modelling, Machine learning, Neural networks and algorithms application, Fuzzy models in simulation, Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and textile technology. Textile and apparel performance modelling, Planning and control, Integrated product and process modelling, Industrial applications.
Urban simulations for supporting planning and analysis of urban development, incorporating the interactions between land use, transportation, the economy, and the environment. This track is aimed at Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), cities, counties, non-governmental organizations, researchers and students interested in exploring the effects of infrastructure and policy choices on community outcomes such as motorized and non-motorized accessibility, housing affordability, greenhouse gas emissions, and the protection of open space and environmentally sensitive habitats.
Design and Simulation, Process Control and Optimization, Information Technology Systems, Space and Airborne Systems, Communication Networks, Cybernetics and Control, Building Engineering and Urban Infrastructures - Nonlinear Systems) Integration of AI Techniques and Simulation, Knowledge Elicitation and Representation for Complex Models, Drawing Understanding and Pattern Recognition, Machine Learning, Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithms, Simulation in Robotics and Automation, Continuous Simulation of Technical Processes, Fuzzy Models in Simulation, Wireless Communication, Mobile Communication Networks, Satellite Communication, LAN and WAN Protocols, Simulation of Switching Equipment, Design and Coding of Communication Handling Software.
Low Cost Simulation Environments, Rapid Simulation Prototyping, Simulation Based Design, Simulation of Satellite Navigation, systems (space segment and terrestrial applications) simulation of satellite constellations, real-time hardware-in-the-loop nab-in-the-loop simulation, flight simulation, distributed interactive simulation and HLA standards, Graphical simulation (virtual environments and virtual reality) applied to aerospace. Modelling and Simulation standards, rationalisation efforts, repositories and reuse. Simulation in support of system specification and design, simulation in support of system assembly, integration and testing. Simulation in support of flight software validation, structural dynamics of Pylon Store Coupling, Flutter Prediction, volterra kernels to model nonlinear aero-elasticity.
Next generation launchers (f.ex future X-Pathfinder), reusable launch vehicles (RLV), Aerospace Vehicle Systems, Technology, Payload Launch Simulation, Aerospace Autonomous Operations, System studies for future space transport architectures, Rocket propulsion simulation, Space materials and structures, Aerothermodynamics, launcher health management systems, avionics and in-flight experimentation. Space Cryo Electronics, Innovative Concepts and Technologies for lunar exploration (in-situ resource utilization, nuclear propulsion, habitation, nano-technology, modular architecture.
Simulation in ship design, propulsion unit simulation, high speed design, water turbulence simulation, control of supercavitating underwater vehicles. Underwater detection systems simulation. Decision support Systems and maritime simulators. Furthermore this session will look at trends in marine safety and productivity through simulation training, maneuvering, channel designs and control system.
Simulation of product design; Planning and control; Reconfigurable responsive computing and process re-engineering; Integrated product and process modelling; Modelling and simulation in virtual global enterprises; Simulation based design; Qualitative and fuzzy modelling and simulation in engineering design; Modal logistics in systems design; Simulation in support of system specification and design.
The Modelling in Engineering Processes track focuses on the application of simulation in mechanical and structural engineering. Oscillations and Waves, Stability and Control, Computational Mechanics, Numerical Analysis, Mathematical Methods in Engineering Sciences, Optimization Advanced simulation of dynamic systems, Simulation-based design, Qualitative modelling and simulation in engineering, Fuzzy modelling and simulation, Evolutionary synthesis and evolutionary methods in design, Rapid prototyping, CASE systems in engineering design, Modal Logic systems in design, Simulation in support of system specification and design, Construction Engineering and Project Management.
Construction Technologies, Flooding and Erosion, Infrastructure Engineering, Measurement and Control of Building Performance, Solid Waste Management, Subsurface flow and transport and Water Supplies. Physical Vulnerability Assessment of Critical Structures using computer simulation.
Simulators: Real-Time simulation methods, GUI, Advanced modelling tools, Trainees' performance evaluation, Simulator Projects Simulation Studies: Simulation during design, Safety and environmental hazard estimation, Production optimisation. Methodology: Real-time simulation and visualisation tools, Parallel and distributed simulation. Nuclear Fuel Cycle Simulations based on Monte Carlo techniques to simulate the behaviour of Non Destructive Assay (NDA) instruments used in nuclear safeguards.
General: FE-Methods and Modelling of Flexible Bodies, Non-holonomic Systems and Geometrical Concepts in Multibody Dynamics, Numerical Aspects of Multibody Dynamics, Optimization and Control of Mechanisms, Articulated and Telescopic Multibody Systems, Air, Land and Sea Multibody Systems Applications.
Multibody Systems in Space: Flexible Body Systems, Orbital Injection, Satellite Injection, Rendezvous and Docking of Spacecraft, Simulation of Space Station Construction and Assembly.
Adsorption processes, Colloidal processes, Control and Optimization Methods in Chemical Engineering, Crystallization processes, Electrochemical processes,Ion Exchange, Membrane Seperation, Micro-fluidics in Chemical processes, Multiphase Reactors, Particle Technology, Polymerisation Reactions, Scale up in Chemical Processes and Fuel Cells.
Simulation of Chemical Plants, Flow simulation, Plant control systems, network simulation, geological simulations, drilling simulations, oil transport simulations, mining simulations.
Simulation and Visualization (2D and 3D visualization of simulations). Advanced concepts and Requirements (simulation of new concepts, requirements development, predicted impacts of technology integration, intelligent systems simulation). Advanced Integrative Multiscale Modelling. Military Entertainment Convergence (wargaming, serious games). Research, Development and Acquisition (Design, development and acquisition for new weapons systems and equipment, Simulation and Modeling for acquisition, requirements, and training (SMART), Simulation-based acquisition). Training, Exercises and Military Operations (simulation in training, simulator/exercise Integration and Management, Mission Planning and Rehearsal, Embedded Training, Assessment. Physical Modelling and Effects (Lethality, vulnerability and survivability, impact and penetration modelling, computational fluid and molecular dynamics, structural and solid mechanics modelling, ballistics and propellant simulation). Entity and System Modelling and Behaviours (human performance modelling, entity behaviours, computer generated forces, agent-based combat modelling, flock modelling and behaviour). Domains (sea, Land, Air and Space (synthetic environments (f ex.DAWARS, JWARS), virtual realities, surface and sub-surface warfare, unmanned robotic land, sea and aerial vehicle simulation (UAV, UCAV), avionics, flight control, flight simulation, simulation and control for spacecraft). Operations, Command and Control and Interoperability (battle field, battle theatre simulation, simulation during operations, CAI simulation, counterforce operations, airspace management, campaign analysis). Military Networking (network modelling and simulation, network centric warfare, information assurance modelling and simulation, simulations and the Global Information Grid). Terrain Recognition and Analysis Simulation Software, Image Analysis and Image Recognition, Asymmetric Warfare and threats. Modelling the "Cloud" concept of ever ready "orbital" units.
Virtual reality and computer graphics simulations applied to industrial applications in production processes and on the factory floor in the context of operator training and digital factory applications.
CUDAT is a parallel computing platform and programming model invented by NVIDIA. It enables dramatic increases in computing performance by harnessing the power of the graphics processing unit (GPU). Developers are using the GPU to do general-purpose scientific and engineering computing across a range of platforms.
The term validation is applied to those processes, which try to determine whether or not a simulation is correct with respect to the "reality". More prosaically, validation is concerned with the question "Are we building the right system?" Verification, on the other hand, seeks to answer the question "Are we building the system right?" Accreditation considers efforts to meet use case criteria. Here the question to answer is "Are the model and the system acceptable for use for a specific purpose?"
This track focuses general modelling aspects: model design methods, model representation forms and languages, model interpretation for verification, efforts and approaches for validation of model itself and as a part of simulation system. Application areas may range from archiving and communication technologies over industrial solutions to scientific systems.
Special attention is paid to formal approaches for verification and validation. Here, algebraic methods for the model constructing and generating as well as semantic dependent model interpreting are considered. In this context, XML-based model specification, transformation, and interpretation techniques are also significant.
The track handles VV&A methodology (VV&A planning, confidence levels, risk estimation, organisation, documentation, standards, cost estimation, technique application, result presentation, subject matter expert selection, fidelity, automation potential) as well as VV&A technology (documentation, CASE-tools, cross checking, requirements specification, knowledge based systems, configuration management, tool overview, simulation environments).
- New methods for effective dynamic and static process analysis either during its runtime or without necessity to run the process.
Highly skilled staff is an essential prerequisite for the safe and effective operation of industrial production systems. Simulation-based training plays an increasingly important role in qualification of plant personnel. In specific sectors such as aerospace or power stations, training simulators have already been successfully employed for many years. Latest developments in industrial information technology as well as the introduction of virtual product and process engineering provide a new technological basis for the cost-effective implementation of training simulators. Therefore, in near future the general spread of these technology in a variety of industrial sectors and applications is expected. Today ?s best practice, latest developments, and future concepts of simulation-based training in industry will be presented.
Training simulator technology. Scenarios and procedures for operator training. Modelling approaches, tools and virtual environments for training. e-Training in distributed environments. HMI and cognitive performance. Certification and standardisation issues. Industrial applications and best practice. Requirements on R&D.
Simulation Standards, Future of Simulation Software, What's Virtually Possible, Real-Time Control, Equipment Interface, Supply Chain Opportunities, Customer Focus, Making Simulation relevant.
IT systems are becoming increasingly more complex, both in terms of their scale and in terms of their individual functionalities. At the same time, the systems should be intuitively usable and should possess a flat learning curve for the user. The integration of the users into the analysis and the entire evaluation process is thus essential and new methods to increase the efficiency of evaluation are strictly required. One particularly useful method for the efficient evaluation and analysis is simulation. Within the scope of the workshop, new innovative methods and approaches for the practically oriented simulation-based evaluation of interaction-centric IT systems should be presented. An example could be a new approach to the simulation of reality in Living Labs or the usage of agent-based modelling for the simulation of distributed, heterogeneous and possibly autonomous systems.
A broad range of diverse technologies, known collectively as intelligent transportation systems (ITS), holds the answer to many of our transportation problems. ITS is comprised of a number of technologies, including information processing, communications, control, and electronics. Joining these technologies to our transportation system will save lives, time and money. ITS enables people and goods to move more safely and efficiently through a state-of-the-art, intermodal transportation system. Simulating this aspect of transportation is one of the major challenges of our time.
Simulation in long-term interdisciplinary research, simulation of supramolecular and macromolecular architectures, simulation in nanobiotechnologies, simulation of nanometric scale engineering techniques for creating materials and components, simulation of manipulator devices, simulation in nano applications related to chemicals and energy. Simulation of knowledge based multifunctional materials. Simulation of nano production processes and methods.
Simulation has become a powerful tool to help manufacturers streamline their production and output in order to more rapidly react and play to the everchanging market place while reducing costs at every step. Presentations are solicited that cover part or the whole of this lean production process such as simulation in: Work Standardization, 5S Workplace Organization, Visual Controls, Batch Size Reduction, Points of Use Storage, Quality at the Source, Workflow Practice, Improved Information and Product Flow, Cellular Manufacturing, Pull & Synchronous Scheduling, Six Sigma & Total Quality, Rapid Setup, Work Teams for Cell Management & Process Improvement, Simplified scheduling and Kanban inventory management.
"Simulation models are by nature evaluative – instead of suggesting any optimal solutions, a simulation model evaluates a given set of design variables and generates the required performance measures. For a decision maker, the process of finding a sufficiently good design setting could be too time-consuming and in many cases impossible if the search space is huge. Simulation-based optimization (SBO) is a relatively new technique that can be applied to seek the “optimal” setting for a complex system model based on one or multiple performance measures generated from simulation by using various searching methodologies. On one hand, it has been noticed from the recent publications that SBO has been successfully applied to address a wide range of real-world industrial problems with very promising results. On the other hand, it is believed that the potential benefits offered by SBO and related tools are not yet fully explored or understood on the part of industrial prospective users.
The aim of this workshop is to bring scientists, researchers and industrial practitioners working in simulation from various disciplines with interest in optimization together to share their experiences in applying SBO technologies to a wide range of industrial applications."
As open source simulation and modelling software has become a qualitative alternative to the commercial simulation packages, this track offers the possibility to showcase present-day research using these free tools.
will be published in the ISC'2017 Conference Proceedings.
The 2017 ISC Conference Committee will select the Outstanding Paper of the Conference. | http://www.wikicfp.com/cfp/servlet/event.showcfp?eventid=59795©ownerid=107308 |
Short description:
AI in Space Artificial Intelligence is making significant inroads in the space sector. AI systems are contributing to numerous space missions such as Hubble Space Telescope, Mars Exploration Rovers, the International Space Station, and Mars Express. The proposed workshop, co-organized by the Advanced Concepts Team (www.esa.int/act) of the European Space Agency and the Artificial Intelligence Group (http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/) of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, is meant to look at the most recent applications and proposals related to artificial intelligence and space, reviewing the current state of the dialogue between the two areas. The workshop will be part of the larger IJCAI conference (http://ijcai13.org/). In order to achieve these goals, the workshop will place emphasis on AI topics, which already are, or may be of particular interest in the future from the space applications point of view, that is: Intelligent search and optimization methods in aerospace applications Image analysis for Guidance Navigation and Control Autonomous exploration of interplanetary and planetary environments Implications of emerging AI fields such as Artificial Life or Swarm Intelligence on future space research Intelligent algorithms for fault identification, diagnosis and repair Multi-agent systems approach and bio-inspired solutions for system design and control Advances in machine learning for space applications Intelligent interfaces for human-machine interaction Knowledge Discovery, Data Mining and presentation of large data sets The topics covered in this workshop will be of particular interest to scientists involved in space engineering, in Artificial Intelligence, and also to those who work in other, non space-related disciplines, which intersect with the AI. The intention of the workshop organizers is to stimulate the exchange of ideas between these groups, providing the former with new tools, and the latter two with incentive for continuing their research with space applications in mind.
Website: | http://ijcai-13.ijcai.org/program/workshop/12 |
The Institute for Future Transport and Cities (IFTC) coordinates expertise across manufacturing, engineering, design, intelligent systems and business studies. Our research covers automotive, aerospace, maritime and rail transport modes, working with industry partners to deliver safe and sustainable transport solutions fit for the cities of the future.
Read on for an overview of our capabilities from our Chief Executive, Professor Carl Perrin.
"We all know that we have to think and act differently to address climate change and the transport sector is no different. At the Institute for Future Transport and Cities, we’ve stepped up to meet these challenges.
Coventry University’s leading academics in our world class research centres are advancing powertrain electrification, future and disruptive mobility solutions, advanced manufacturing technology and next-generation materials.
Our partnerships ensure that this research delivers real impact on society, creating safe and sustainable solutions for future mobility.
Within our Institute we have over 140 research staff and 130 PhD research students, working across our four research centres to deliver high quality research with impact across a vast array of research areas.
We cover a broad spectrum of subjects within our research centres:
In the National Transport Design Centre (NTDC), we consider the factors that influence vehicle, transport and infrastructure design. This combines expertise in human system integration and ergonomics with data science, advanced simulation and visualisation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to research and develop future mobility systems. The NTDC builds on Coventry University’s rich heritage in design and its close links with industry, ensuring that the development of skills and application of research delivers industrial impact where it is needed.
The Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME) is evidence of our innovative approach to industry collaboration. It’s a collaboration with the Unipart Group, and the first example of a ‘faculty on the factory floor’. Not only does this allow businesses to benefit from our expertise in manufacturing research and development, it also allows students to experience a live manufacturing environment – taking the learning from the classroom and putting it into practice. Our graduates are work-ready and I am proud to say, AME’s innovation and excellence has been recognised at the highest level, having been awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2020.
C-ALPS, which is our Centre for Advanced Low Carbon Propulsion Systems, is committed to accelerating the shift to zero-carbon mobility. The research team develops the technologies for electrification of vehicles, and works with our partners to help build capability across the supply chain. The centre’s co-location with industry leader FEV reflects the strength of our industrial collaboration, ensuring that we are able to offer the best facilities and expertise to industry partners and to our research students.
We joined forces with HORIBA MIRA in 2016 to open CCAAR, the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Automotive Research at the MIRA Technology Park. This partnership supports some of the UK’s most high-profile projects in autonomous driving, such as a groundbreaking initiative to develop an autonomous parking development facility incorporating a multi-storey car park, on road parking bays and parking lot environments, all within HORIBA MIRA’s Connected and Autonomous Vehicle city circuit. Also, a project known as TIC-IT, involves creating a purpose built, controlled environment for testing autonomous vehicles to their limits.
We are also affiliated with the NSIRC, the National Structural Integrity Centre. This is a state-of-the-art postgraduate engineering facility that brings together expertise from our own researchers in Coventry and structural integrity specialists at TWI in Cambridge. The NSIRC is at the forefront of advancing the understanding of mechanical properties of materials, developing the fundamentals and providing essential solutions for real-world structural integrity challenges.
This is only scratching the surface of the capabilities and opportunities within Coventry University’s Institute for Future Transport and Cities. Please explore our website to find out more and get in touch to see how you can work with us."
Professor Carl Perrin, CEO
Our Leadership
Professor Carl Perrin
Chief Executive
Nick Turner
Operations Manager
Professor Siraj Shaikh
Director of Research and Professor of Systems Security
Our Team
Our research team brings a wealth of experience to IFTC. This multidisciplinary team is further supported by our association with industry-leading organisations, ensuring that IFTC is firmly embedded within the commercial ecosystem that it supports. Many of our own researchers have years of industry experience of their own to support the development of the next generation of pioneers in the transport sector, besides the knowledge required to bring production-ready mobility solutions to the fore. | https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/areas-of-research/institute-for-future-transport-and-cities/welcome-to-the-institute-for-future-transport-and-cities/ |
NASA and ESA finalize agreement to build Gateway deep space outpost
NASA and ESA have formally entered into a partnership agreement for building NASA's Artemis Gateway deep space outpost. The agreement signed on Tuesday is part of the US effort to attract international partners for the lunar exploration project.
Scheduled to begin construction in cislunar orbit in 2024, the Gateway outpost is intended to act as a staging point for missions to the lunar surface, and deep space, and, ultimately, for the first crewed missions to Mars. One-sixth the size of the International Space Station (ISS), the Gateway will be assembled as modules launched into a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit, where it will not revolve around the Earth or the Moon, but one of the Lagrange points where the gravitational fields of the Earth and Moon balance out.
After it becomes operational, the Gateway will be visited by astronauts traveling in the Orion spacecraft. Onboard Gateway, the crew will be able to remotely control lunar rovers or embark on landers to descend to the Moon's surface.
NASA says that under the new agreement, ESA will provide habitation and refueling modules as well as enhanced lunar communications. The refueling module will be equipped with windows for the crew to see outside and ESA will handle operations of its modules. In addition, ESA is building two more European Service Modules (ESMs) for the Orion spacecraft that will include propulsion, power, air, and water systems for the crew capsule.
Gateway will be open for use by both international partners and private companies wishing to launch lunar missions. It will also be used to test technologies for crewed Mars missions and to demonstrate the remote management and long-term reliability of autonomous systems.
"The Gateway is designed to be supplemented by additional capabilities provided by our international partners to support sustainable exploration," says Kathy Lueders, NASA associate administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "Gateway is going to give us access to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before, and we’re pleased that partners like ESA will join us on these groundbreaking efforts." | https://newatlas.com/space/nasa-esa-agreement-build-gateway-deep-space/ |
The AMSU-B suite of passive microwave radiometers, established best practice for pre-launch calibration of this type of instrument. This was the result of close collaboration between the BAe engineering team and the Met Office, which ensured that the most appropriate characterisation and analysis of the instrument was undertaken.
Based on this experience, the team at JCR Systems has continued to extend the performance analysis of these instruments to develop the design concepts and verification techniques for larger cross track scanners and to adapt the design approach for conical scanners which have a history of poor pre-launch and in-orbit calibration.
This work has included development of thermal models and designs for instrument concepts and in particular detailed design and analysis of the on-board calibration targets.
Spaceborne Mechanisms
The team at JCR Systems continues to work closely with Martin Humphries at Sula Systems, particularly with respect to the development of advanced design concepts for high performance scanning mechanisms for microwave radiometers. Martin Humphries has an outstanding international reputation in the field of bespoke mechanisms for space instruments built on the considerable experience and innovative design capability of the MMS/BAe Space Systems site in Bristol until 1998. That capability was mainly focused on the design and development of challenging instrument scanning/pointing mechanisms which included the mechanisms for ATSR, AATSR, AMSU-B, MIMR pre-development, GOMOS two axes steering mechanism, Envisat’s Solar Array Primary Deployment Mechanism and ASAR deployment system.
Over the past ten years at Sula Systems, Martin has continued to lead in the concept and detailed design of a wide range of challenging space mechanisms for a number of international organizations. This has included critical mission items such as the Rosetta solar array drive and pointing mechanism, and instrument mechanisms such as: the ASCAT deployment drive, the IASI Scan Mechanism on MetOp, and the development of the Sula Boom, which was successfully flown on an SSTL mission in 2007.
Current programmes include V-BAPS, a follow on development from the original Bearing Active Pre-Load System (BAPS) that permits on orbit measurement and adjustment of bearing preload, the Broadband Radiometer (BBR) scan mechanism for the ESA/JAXA EarthCare Mission as well as the calibration switching mechanism for the EarthCare Cloud Profiling Radar and most recently the MTG Scan Mechanism for RUAG. Sula Systems are also very active in the field of agile scan mechanisms for Lidars supporting a number of ESA and EU initiatives.
Sub Millimetre-wave Technologies
JCR Systems works closely with a very broad range of technologists in the millimetre-wave and sub millimetre-wave spectrum for applications in Earth Observation. We are able to advise on trends in user needs, derived technology requirements, integration and verification needs. | https://www.jcrsystems.co.uk/technologies |
Fuel for the future
Advanced motor fuels, applicable to all modes of transport, significantly contribute to a sustainable society around the globe. AMF brings stakeholders from different continents together for pooling and leveraging of knowledge and research capabilities in the field of advanced and sustainable transport fuels.
Fuel Types
The influence that advanced motor fuels have on the performance of vehicles, their effects on emissions and their compatibility with existing infrastructure are described in the "AMF Fuel Information System". The information provided is based on data and information from AMF projects.
|Diesel and Gasoline||Methane||Methanol|
|Bio/synthetic gasoline||LPG||Butanol|
|Bio/synthetic diesel||Oxygenates||DME|
|Fatty Acid Esters||Ethanol|
|Oils and fats||Ethers|
Highlights
Joint Workshop of AMF and Combustion TCP on low emission propulsion systems and novel fuels for advanced engine concepts.
Air quality implications of transport biofuel consumption
Many countries have initiated policy support for biofuel consumption to reduce transport sector CO2 emissions. However, transportation is also a key contributor to urban air pollution, which is a pressing issue in many large cities. How biofuels compare with fossil fuels in terms of air pollutant emissions that negatively affect human health is therefore a key consideration in their use.
Most recent updated annex reports
AMF projects cover a range of topics including fuel comparisons, measurement methods and standardisation issues, but also deal with broader issues such as life cycle analysis, efficiency and deployment strategies.
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Annex 53
Sustainable Bus Systems Phase 1
Key Messages
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Annex 52
Fuels for Efficiency
Key Messages
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Annex 50
Fuel and Technology Alternatives in Non-Road Engines
Key Messages
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Annex 49
COMVEC: Fuel and Technology Alternatives for Commercial Vehicles
Key Messages
ANNUAL REPORT
Advanced low-carbon motor fuels reduce GHG emissions from the existing fleet
The AMF Annual Report provides information on the status of advanced motor fuels in AMF member countries and worldwide, and on the work carried out by AMF in individual projects (annexes). With its 15 member countries spanning the globe, AMF offers a truly broad view on the sector. | https://www.iea-amf.org/content/ |
The University of Nottingham has been selected to host the Power Electronics spoke for the UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
The Advanced Propulsion Centre is a government-industry initiative established by BIS and the Automotive Council, as the delivery mechanism for a joint industry and government strategy. It aims to help the UK strengthen its position in advanced propulsion systems development and production.
Related articles:
- University of Nottingham given manufacturing research boost
- Warwick Uni to house £1 billion Advanced Propulsion Centre
- University of Nottingham students showcase product design work
Power electronics has been identified as a key technology for the automotive industry, and the interests of this sector will be represented through a power electronics spoke. The University of Nottingham and APC has signed a memorandum of understanding in order to construct a relationship that fulfils both their aims.
The Advanced Propulsion Centre operates on a ‘hub and spoke’ model with the hub team working with a number of spokes across the UK to deliver support to industry for low carbon propulsion system projects, R&D, skills and process development and associated activities wherever it is needed.
The spokes, which will include The University of Nottingham for power electronics, will be the focus for communities with a common interest in a specific technology, bringing functional, technological and regional capability to the APC network to deliver the vision of a propulsion nation.
Power electronics is an integral part of the technology needed to underpin the low carbon economy. Electronics will be essential in all future sustainable energy scenarios, as it is the only technology that can deliver efficient and flexible conversion and conditioning of electrical energy.
120 active researchers will be stationed at Nottingham’s Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) research group. It is one of the largest groups in the field and also hosts the hub of the EPSRC National Centre for power electronics.
The spoke will identify significant challenges that the UK research community and industry will need to address as well as areas of investment necessary to ensure that the community has open access to world class facilities. | https://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/university-of-nottingham-chosen-for-propulsion-centre/ |
Despite Microservices and APIs being used jointly for over a decade, there are still some common misconceptions surrounding their terminology. While there is an interplay between the two terms, there are some subtle differences.
Microservices are an architectural style for web applications in which applications are structured as collections of loosely coupled services. More developers are shifting to a microservices based architecture because the traditional way of building enterprise applications using a monolithic approach has become problematic and time-consuming as applications get larger and more complex. In contrast, API stands for Application Programming Interface. Simply put, APIs are the frameworks through which users interact with a web application.
The reason they are confused is that a microservice often has an API. However, not all microservices need an API to function, and vice versa, so let’s start from the beginning to better understand the interplay between the two.
Microservice architecture is an example of a service-oriented architecture, which grew to be a popular alternative to the traditional monolithic approach of building all-in-one applications. With the introduction of microservices, large coding projects could break apart applications into a set of small, independent processes. Here the applications are simpler to build and maintain when broken down into smaller modules that work seamlessly together. These modules communicate with each other through simple, universally accessible APIs.
This made it possible for developers to make software faster and more efficient by concentrating on these independent processes, rather than having to recode an entire application.
Copyright © 2021 Trianz
Think of microservices as an automotive assembly line. When Henry Ford first developed the Model T, production involved a single group of workers who would finish a single automobile from start to finish. This was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process with no standardization and little specialized focus.
After Ford pioneered the automotive assembly line, his factories were able to standardize car parts that could be assembled more efficiently, making it possible to meet customer demand and disrupt the entire auto industry. According to the public author and speaker on software development, Martin Fowler, microservice architectures are fast “becoming the default style for building enterprise applications.”
Microservices work much the same way for software. Just like the assembly line did for car parts, the microservice model offers standardized modular blocks of code for individual processes that can be utilized for a cleaner, more efficient build. Working with smaller independent units means that business capabilities can be created out of composable building blocks that are then connected with well-designed APIs. The APIs help them communicate with one another.
Microservices that make up an application can be placed within containers that possess the smallest libraries and executables needed by that service or application, making each container a self-contained package. Docker delivers an easy way to create, share, and test container images, and has become very popular among businesses that have committed to developing software using containers.
An API is a system that allows two or more applications to communicate. Think of them as a set of procedures and functions, which allow the consumer to use the underlying service of an application. APIs are a part of microservices and help these services to communicate with each other. However, while communicating with other services, each service can have its own CRUD (create, read, Updated, delete) operations to store the relevant data in its database.
If microservices are the assembly line, we can think of APIs as the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you are going to get a driver’s license for the first time, you can’t legally go somewhere and print one — there is a certain procedure that the user must follow. For instance, you have to take a driving test first, take the proof that you have passed the test, bring the forms to the DMV, pay the fee, and wait as they process the information.
In the background, the system receives your inputs, processes the information to validate, and when it’s ready, the teller issues a driver’s license. In this sense, we can think of the teller as an “endpoint,” or a point of contact to submit the inputs. Endpoints are things such as computers, phones, security cameras, smart toasters, or wearable sensors. Here you need to ensure two or more applications communicate with each other to process the client request. Think of APIs as a point of contact, through which all the services communicate with each other to process the client’s request and send the response. With each endpoint, there is a protocol about what inputs the API requires and what result you will get in return. If you don’t supply the correct inputs, or as mentioned in the example above - fail your driving test - your requests will get rejected.
APIs allow for all interactions between applications, data, and devices and set the standards for how they function. APIs allow computers to interact with other computers, and that creates connectivity between the microservices. In short, microservices are more about the software architecture, while the APIs deal with how to expose the microservice to a consumer.
In other words, APIs are the entry point for microservices. They act as a gatekeeper, doing all the basic functionalities before passing the request to the respective application, allowing the end-user to interact with the application. When you use Uber or PayPal, you’re using an API that connect your phone to multiple sources of digitized input and information – like your GPS location and your credit card.
We know that APIs link microservices together. APIs not only bridge the gap between microservices and traditional legacy systems, but they also make it easier to create and manage microservices. This is why nearly every leading software company has adopted the microservice architecture model when building their products.
Again, microservices make it possible to break up an application into small, independent processes, and APIs make it possible to tie the software system together.
Standardized, productized APIs also reduce the costs associated with building point-to-point integrations between traditional legacy systems and applications. An example of this is GrubHub, which in effect, connects your mobile device to a huge range of often older digital infrastructure used in the restaurant industry.
Standardized API are like standardized electrical outlets in the country where you live. If you bought a hairdryer in the US, you don’t have to wonder if it’s going to work in a hotel in Minneapolis or Austin. Similarly, standardized APIs allow organizations to quickly plug and unplug microservices as businesses change or scale, without having to recode the entire project and risk a catastrophic failure
Meanwhile, APIs allow the standardized mechanisms for web governance – the inspection mechanisms that are looking to make sure everything is where it should be and configured correctly – while retaining development agility and making the reuse and discoverability of microservices possible.
Now that we have a greater understanding of how APIs and microservices work together to create faster, more efficient applications, let’s review their key advantages:
Adaptation: APIs help to anticipate changes. This is especially important for data migration as the APIs make service provision more flexible.
Automation: By using APIs, companies can update workflows to make them quicker and more productive through automation.
Efficiency: With APIs, the content generated can be automatically published, making it readily available for every channel. This allows the sharing and distribution of new content to occur instantly.
Integration: APIs allow content to be immersed from any site or application more efficiently. This allows for more content fluidity and an integrated user experience.
Personalization: With APIs, developers can customize the content they want delivered in terms of when and where it is supposed to go.
Faster Time-to-market: With microservices, developers can build one component, test it, and then deploy it individually, reducing the time to create a finished application.
Reduced Risk: By isolating the code, developers can work on several modular but separate blocks at a time. This reduces the risk of making drastic changes that could damage the whole application.
Productivity: Individual teams being able to work on different components enables better quality assurance. With one team testing and another deploying, deadlines are better predicted than with a monolithic application.
Security: By connecting the microservices with secure APIs, the data being processed is more secured by specifically authorizing applications, users, and servers.
Scalability: As demand increases, microservices make it possible to channel the resources to the areas only where the microservice is being impacted by increasing demand. In addition, container orchestration tools can scale the microservice automatically and reduce downtime.
Better fault isolation: If one microservice fails, all the others will likely continue to work. This is a key part of the microservices architectural design.
Simplified debugging and maintenance: Building individual microservices is easier than coding for a monolithic architecture; developers can be much more productive when debugging code and performing maintenance.
Future-proofed applications: When innovations happen and new or updated technology disrupt your software development process, microservice architectures makes it easier to respond by replacing or upgrading the individual services affected without impacting the whole application.
Microservices and APIs offer companies the versatility, scalability, and security when developing applications that need to meet compliance and customer demand. APIs are necessary for the microservice architecture to function because it’s the communication tool between its services. Without an API, there would be a lot of disconnected microservices. If you want your microservice to be used, then you have to create an API.
Code maintainability and quality are both key parts of a successful IT strategy. Microservices help you stay true to them. They keep your teams agile and help you meet customer demands by producing high-quality, maintainable code.
If your organization is looking for application development that will not compromise your existing infrastructure, Trianz is here to help with applications hosting and support services to reduce costs, risks, and improve company productivity and efficiency. | https://www.trianz.com/insights/microservices-vs-apis |
NOTE: The next text is part of a number of significant posts I published in that blog, that have been recently translated into english.
I would like to thanks to Josephine Watson for the translation of the texts. I guess, in the near future, to translate some others more regularly and start with the english version of axonometrica.
In that case, the text I publish today is, with others, the seed of a research about a contemporary approach to some key points in architecture we are doing in my studio Archikubik with my partners and architects Carmen Santana and Marc Chalamanch, and also at the University, ESARQ from Universitat Internacional de Catalunya at the final degree design unit with Professor Marta García-Orte. The authory of the text is in partnership with her.
Any comment or suggestion will be very well accepted.
There is no architecture without faith in the material.
Introduction
If we understand the idea of matter in its philosophical form, namely, as all that which exists outside of the spirit and separate from thought, or the non-spiritual and non-ideal part of reality, our definition of the term will be purely negative. We may stick to this definition and outline the role of materiality in architecture as a destination. We may determine any decision regarding matter as an unintentional sub-product of previous decisions, pure consequence. Following the previous line of thought, all that which has no awareness, all that which doesn’t think, all that which has no memory, intelligence, intention or emotion is material.
This may be the case in traditional economic thought or it may make sense in metaphysics, but we do not believe the precept is valid in the case of architecture. It is even less valid for architectural theory or for contemporary physics, which endows matter with thinking abilities by introducing the time vector (memory) in its formulation after quantum physics. To put it more simply, we have all learnt lessons related to memory, intelligence, will and/or emotion from the strict material nature of architecture. In Aristotelian terms matter may not think, but it certainly provides food for thought, making an essential and structurally constitutive contribution to spatial experience rather than a marginal one.
Let’s move on a little. The definition of materialism refers to ‘any doctrine or attitude that privileges matter, in one way or another.' This is where architecture can begin to feel identified. To a certain extent, all valuable architectural reflections are indebted to materialism insofar as, in essence, it doesn’t consist of denying the existence of thought but of denying the absolute condition and ontological independence of thinking, its transcendent quality which, if taken to the extreme, would lead to God.
Materiality and Contemporaneity
Contrarily, the contemporary version of materialism enables us to relate matter and thought in an intricate indiscernible way. To make it easier to digest, just as it is absurd to say that ‘If I take a walk, I am a walk,’ in an extreme caricature of an insatiable idealism, it is equally absurd to say that only my atoms take a walk, only my essential physical constitution, while the set of reflections, affections and observations characterising the act of walking appear in a different sphere, not in that of the walk itself. In short, to do and to think, to think and to be are in fact so interrelated that they are one and the same, just as thinking architecture and real architecture are inseparable.
Once we have accepted this basic framework, we believe it is vital to account for several aspects of the relationship between brain and hand, in other words, the inseparable relationship between thinking and doing, between the idealist and the materialist, which are indeed one and the same. The material fact of architecture entails an ethical preposition that can be assimilated to the pragmatic intention of the craftsman to do things well, in the understanding that while the material condition of architecture specifically addresses the technical realm, it is in fact produced in the cultural sphere.
The connection between hand and head should be included in all reflections on the materiality of architecture, just as all fine craftsmen maintain a dialogue between specific practices and thought. In this sense, we believe it is vital to establish the primitive relationship between matter and the material significance of architecture as a space of reflection and action, that derives from what Richard Sennett calls the development of skill, or what we used to call métier. In order to develop a body of cultural, but also technological, social, economic and political thought, starting from the idea of materiality we must accept, ‘[F]irst, that all skills, even the most abstract, begin as bodily practices; second, that technical understanding develops through the powers of imagination. The first argument focuses on knowledge gained in the hand through touch and movement. The argument about imagination begins by exploring language that attempts to direct and guide bodily skill. This language works best when it shows imaginatively how to do something.
Hyper-Materialities
It is from this double perspective—that of a conceptual materialism and that of the implication and perfecting of skills—that we understand the idea of hyper-materiality as a design tool of reference for architecture. That is to say, the material quality of architecture is a materiality full of properties, capacities and potentialities that transcend the actual conception of the material and project matter in architecture to a central position for the constitution of meanings: the hyper-material as a tool for the hand and for the brain, for the architectural fact in itself, and for the construction of the narrative associated with all spatial experience.
The realisation that the core fabric of all forms of architecture (and of all cities) is the fabric that physically shapes them, the concept of hyper-materiality is an attempt to take this truism one step forward. We are not only referring to the skin of architecture, to the layers of a certain epithelial thickness which have enjoyed great popularity over the past ten to fifteen years, but to a deeper level of construction—to what has been built and is real.
Furthermore, to materials with tactile, light and evocative properties we must add performative, relational and emotional aspects. Indeed, this reflective trend is not new: the idea of nature playing a central role in the design process of the architectural object, and consequently in its materiality, surfaced in the sixties. Figure and ground merge in an open logic in which figure becomes ground and ground is transmuted into figure. ‘The architectural work, therefore, is not conceived as a finished material object but as an artefact capable of originating processes and exchanges with its environment, blurring its limits by allowing its surroundings to act on it. As a result, uncertainty and the permanent change characterising the environment are introduced as basic elements in its conception.'
At this point we may speak of materials with a memory of shape—biomimetic or bio-digital materials—that open the door to a reactive technological materiality that is capable of exchanging information starting from environmental conditions and immediately altering some of its features.
There is another position, however, perhaps not contrary but at least distanced from cutting edge technology and equally valid: that of genuine materiality, a much more accurate term than honest materiality, that refers to the use of traditional materials and building techniques based on the condition of raw material painstakingly manipulated, of natural appearance in which the specific weight of the material (light or heavy) and its proximity are its constituent values. We could thus speak of a material hyper-contextualism. The use of that which we associate with tradition should not be mistaken for a conservationist position in the worst sense of the word. What is intended is to design from a position of proximity but to design in a contemporary way. The success of this materiality lies in the minimum change suffered by the spirit of the place, preserving an interpretation that may be linear but is still correctly related to that permanent place where architecture is implemented.
Last but not least, we would like to mention another dimension of hyper-materiality. If we accept that industrial processes form an inherent part of material production, constructional solutions should derive from raw material taken from the industrial cycle, i.e., surplus or waste products from other industrial processes that are manipulated and transformed into recycled materials. In this sense, the time vector and the opportunity of obtaining rejected raw material appear as important factors in this new materiality.
Following a similar logic, far from falsely ecological components we discover a diverted materiality—in other words, the use of materials and/or constructional techniques taken from other spheres, such as civil architecture or art, which are then barely manipulated and transformed into materials for façades, paving or other unforeseen applications. This strategy benefits from the opportunity of resorting to established constructional techniques or systems that are not, however, used as materials.
Full Stop
In all the strategies we have announced, hyper-materiality appears as a design resource insofar as it conceives the material and constructional as a driving force for the fabrication of a narrative that the architectural design will develop. That is to say, the materiality of architecture does not derive from a coherently structured discarding process, nor is it the end product of a chain of decisions; on the contrary, materiality is used as a strategic element in the creation of this coherence. In short, the notion of hyper-materiality enhances architecture and provides a solid design tool.
In sum, reading the interesting article Esas tenemos by José Ballesteros in a positive light, we should produce buildings that welcome the possibilities offered by industry, accepting their improvements in our architecture, making sure they don’t stick out a mile, and contextualising all that materiality can offer for the construction of the urban framework and architectural space.
The truth is that ‘[M]any architects are involved in exploring new materials, inside and outside universities, in research groups or in association with companies. Such new adaptations of materials that we are already using, new production processes that improve them, making them more efficient and longer lasting are also designed to noticeably change our spaces.
Several architects are working with minimal building elements, drawing attention to the possibility of preparing processes for users—architects as designers of processes, not of objects.'
Apparently, or at least as outlined here, exciting times lie in store, an entire repertoire of new design tools are waiting for us to develop and place in the service of our contemporaries.
The image that illustrates this post belongs to the exhibition Diagonal Verda, we did last year at D-HUB in Barcelona. The exhibition shows the work of 28 students within the Final Degree Design Studio at the ESARQ, Universitat Internacional of Catalunya. More than 3.000m2 of plans, models and videos that emphasizes the research around the concept of Productive Landscape. One unit of the studio was lead by professor Jordi Badia with the support of Jaime Batlle and Eva Damià. The other one was lead by Marta García-Orte and myself. Photo by Aitor Estevez.
Luis Moreno Mansilla, ‘Sobre la confianza en la materia,’ Revista CIRCO, 1998.52, Madrid, 1998.
André Comte-Sponville, Dictionnaire Philosophique, Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 2001.
Richard Sennett, The Craftsman, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2008.
Idem.
Manuel Costoya, Una nueva materialidad contemporánea, at http://es.detail-online.com/arquitectura/temas/una-nueva-materialidad-contemporanea-008646.html
José Ballesteros, ‘Esas tenemos,’ Pasajes. Arquitectura y crítica, no. 119, América Ibérica, Madrid, 2011.
José Ballesteros, ‘¡Que inventen otros!, Pasajes. Arquitectura y crítica, no. 124, América Ibérica, Madrid, 2012. | https://axonometrica.blog/2014/01/20/new-design-tools-of-reference-hyper-materiality/ |
Towards Intelligent Construction Conference
The Conference that took place on 30 November at RIBA’s Jarvis Hall was Buildoffsite’s biggest event of 2011. Developed and delivered in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects the event was attended by 250 delegates. The host was Angela Brady, RIBA’ s President, with Richard Ogden of Buildoffsite chairing the proceedings. The Conference was sponsored by Tekla and the Department for Business.
The Conference title – Towards Intelligent Construction- was chosen to reflect the need for the construction industry to adopt new and more effective ways of working, in order to offer better construction solutions and to deliver much better value for clients and customers. It is not about suppliers making minor modifications at the margins but rather the need for a fundamental reshaping of the technologies, processes and relationships that are applied within the industry. This includes smarter build solutions including the increased use of offsite solutions, the application of the principles of design for manufacture and assembly, the use of lean production techniques to eliminate process waste and the increased and intelligent use of Building Information Modelling.
The need to ensure a quality built environment requires great architecture with architects able to take advantage of the opportunities that more efficient construction methods can offer to deliver genuinely stunning buildings, without the compromises that often result from the use of traditional construction methods.
The Conference featured two significant case studies, the first being the British Land project at 122 Leadenhall Street in the City of London. Commonly referred to as the Cheese Grater, this stunning and technically challenging development is being constructed by Laing O’Rourke and will be completed 6 months ahead of schedule through the application of intelligent construction techniques, including the use of Building Information Modelling, with the use of offsite manufactured components accounting for 85 per cent of the building.
The second case study featured the development programme of elective surgery hospitals by Circle Health Properties. This substantial investment programme is characterised by the requirement for excellence in design, excellence in construction, excellence in use and excellence in customer experience. The expert client in collaboration with their supply chain is constantly challenging what it does and why it does it, as well as taking the learning points from each hospital project and applying the lessons to their next projects. This process ensures that tangible benefits in terms of more effective design and construction techniques, reduced cost of ownership, provision for adaptation, and the development of clinical and customer services are being achieved in a way that also ensures that waste in all its forms is being eliminated. The client’s supply chain is deploying Building Information Modelling both to manage the overall design and construction process and to drive efficiency in the building form.
Circle has already achieved a 30 per cent reduction in construction costs whilst delivering exceptional architecture and build quality. About 80 per cent of project value is being delivered through the use of offsite manufactured components and assemblies. This is a fantastic achievement, but Circle believes that there is much more value to be gained through close collaboration with an expert and committed supply chain.
There were also presentations on the future of BIM by Stephen Hamil, the Director of Design and Innovation, RIBA Enterprises, and on collaborative working and continuous improvement by Paul Fletcher, RIBA’s Councillor and chair of the RIBA Construction Strategy Group, Director Through-Architecture.
The conference was very well received by delegates and the presentations and Panel Session stimulated some passionate and well informed debate. Feedback from delegates has been incredibly positive, both about the learning from the presentations but also about the value of a mixed design and construction community together coming together to exchange ideas on meeting immediate challenges and on creating a better industry.
This was the first time that Buildoffsite has collaborated in such a visible way with RIBA. We will shortly be meeting with Angela Brady and her senior management team to identify how we can jointly build on this achievement, and begin to flesh out a shared work-programme for 2012.
Case study 1: The Leadenhall Building
Presentations from:
– Matthew White, British Land: the client
– Andy Young, Rogers Stirk Harbour: the architect
– Damian Eley and James Thonger, Arup: the consultant
– Andy Butler, Laing O’Rourke: the constructor
Case study 2: Circle’s Capital Project Programme
Presentations from: | https://www.buildoffsite.com/presentation/towards-intelligent-construction-conference/ |
The on-demand delivery model of AWS cloud assumes availability of infinite hyperscale capacity with limited forecasting. With billions of dollars and hundreds of people involved, making the right decision on planning and adding data center capacity can be a daunting task, especially when it needs to be done quickly. Long lead times involving leasing, construction and procurement, complex supply chains, labor-intensive configurations, and a fast-changing environment requiring a hardware refresh every 3 years add to the constraints.
The AWS Supply Chain Management (SCM) team is responsible for building systems to manage inventory, assets, warehouses, product specifications, and orchestration and tracking of multitudes of processes such as ordering, shipment etc. that contribute to seamless provisioning of AWS compute capacity. Efficient management, production and provisioning of the billions of dollars of resources in the rapidly expanding cloud business is essential to ensure AWS continues to offer low cost high reliability capacity to its customers.
We are looking for an experienced development leader to lead a team of software development engineers. You will work closely with product management and other business partners to define strategy and visions, clarify requirements, and lead development teams from concept through delivery and subsequent operation. You will have regular communication with senior management on status, risks and product strategy, requiring strong written communications. You will be a thought leader, but you don't just know how to solve the problem, you prove it by leading team to build the solution. Last but not the least; you will have a high bar for code quality and passion for design and architecture. | https://www.themuse.com/jobs/amazon/software-development-manager-fea06f |
MODERNIZING AND CREATING APPLICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL ERA
Digital business requires a culture of organizational agility, as the rapid pace of demand can only be satisfied by faster and more flexible development and delivery models. Most organizations do not have the luxury of completely rebuilding their technology foundation or immediately adopting new practices and mindsets, so they are embracing gradual yet fundamental shifts in culture, processes, and technology to support greater velocity and agility. The cloud-native approach modernizes existing applications and builds new applications based on cloud principles, using services and adopting processes optimized for the agility and automation of cloud computing.
THE CLOUD-NATIVE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY
The path to cloud-native applications varies by organization. Simply creating microservices does not lead to the service quality and delivery frequency required by digital business. And just adopting tools that support agile development or IT automation will not lead to the increased velocity of cloud-native approaches. Rather, success is achieved from a combination of practices, technologies, processes, and mindsets.
There are two complementary components to cloud-native application development: application services, or middleware, that speeds up the development of a cloud-native application, and infrastructure services, or a container platform, that speeds up its delivery and deployment.
Cloud-native application development is an approach to building and running applications based on four key tenets: service-based architecture, application programming interface (API)-based communication, container-based infrastructure, and DevOps processes.
A service-based architecture, such as microservices or miniservices, advocates building modular, loosely coupled services. Services are exposed through lightweight, technology-agnostic APIs that reduce the complexity and overhead of deployment, scalability, and maintenance. Cloud-native applications rely on containers for true application portability across different environments and infrastructure, including public, private, and hybrid. DevOps principles focus on building and delivering applications collaboratively with delivery teams, including development, quality assurance, security, and IT operations teams.
EIGHT STEPS TO CLOUD-NATIVE APPLICATION SUCCESS
These recommendations, which can be completed in any order, provide a smooth transition to a cloud-native application approach:
- Evolve a DevOps culture and practices to take advantage of new technology, faster approaches, and tighter collaboration.
- Speed up existing, monolithic applications by either migrating to a container-based platform or migrating and then breaking the applications into microservices or miniservices.
- Use application services, i.e., middleware, to speed up the development of business logic. These are effectively ready-to-use developer tools that have been optimized for containers.
- Choose the right tool for the right task by using a container-based application platform that supports the right mix of frameworks, languages, and architectures.
- Provide self-service, on-demand infrastructure for developers using containers and container orchestration technology to simplify access to underlying infrastructure, give control and visibility to IT operations, and provide application life-cycle management across environments.
- Automate IT to accelerate application delivery with automation sandboxes; collaborative dialog for defining service requirements; self-service catalogs that empower users; and metering, monitoring, and chargeback policies and processes.
- Implement continuous delivery and advanced deployment techniques to accelerate the delivery of your cloud-native applications.
- Evolve a more modular architecture by choosing a design that makes sense for your specific needs, such as microservices, a monolith-first approach, or miniservices. | https://www.redhat.com/en/resources/eight-steps-cloud-native-application-development-brief |
uncube magazine 14 / 2013 In the photo booth with… Tatiana Bilbao
There’s a new generation of talented architects in Mexico. The likes of Derek Dellekamp, Michel Rojkind, Tatiana Bilbao and Fernando Romero are all in the early 40s, all buy with projects of all sizes and all genering international attention. So when Tatiana Bilbao came to Berlin recently to exhibit her work in Ulrich Müller’s Architekturgalerie, we jumped at the chance to arrange a meeting in our photo booth.
You studied architecture and founded your office in Mexico City in 2004, but you also seem to have a special connection to Berlin. How come?
For a long time I had very close friends living here. I was born in Mexico City, so that is the city I love, but Berlin comes very, very close. Then in 2012 I was awarded the Berlin Art Prize by the Akademie der Künste. I don’t know why they chose me, maybe Berlin has a special connection to me as well? (laughs) I was invited to give a lecture and afterwards Ulrich Müller approached me asking if I would like to exhibit my work at his gallery. So here I am again!
Your early projects are dynamic, fluid forms in fair-faced concrete and remind me a bit of Hadid, yet your more recent projects have much simpler geometries and more basic volumes made of different materials. What changed?
Back when I was studying we were taught that the world is fully globalized and that we can use every material and create any form we like, anywhere in the world, which is simply not true. The quality of architecture relies heavily on the people who build it and what techniques and materials they are used to. In Mexico, like many places around the world, people working on construction sites often have little or no training and a lot of them are illiterate. To explain what you want to do and how it could be done is a big effort. So I realized that I wanted to make the construction process the starting point for my architecture – by examining the local context very closely first. I guess that’s why you’ve noticed a change in the forms of our buildings. It is indeed the result of two different approaches.
So is this why you called the exhibition “Under Construction” and only show pictures from the construction processes of your buildings?
I’d say my design strategies are rather archaic and simple. I have always worked with my hands, building models and drawing sketches. At my office we only use computers when the design process is almost finished. On a Mexican construction site it is the same: we don’t have the latest technologies, no high-tech machines or materials – it is still a very hands-on process. It was extremely important to me to make these processes visible in an exhibition about my work. We are aiming to make good architecture that is buildable within these conditions. If you want to understand our architecture, you have to know how buildings are built in Mexico.
Does this necessarily lead to a less complex architecture?
No, but to a less complicated process because the architecture is much better connected to the local building traditions that the local workers know well. In many cases, researching the local conditions also provides us with the main materials for the building too, be that wood, brick, steel, concrete or rammed earth. Our architecture has become much more versatile.
The building process in Mexico might not be very professional and high-tech, but it is very flexible and open. Once you understand these processes, you can take advantage of them. | https://architekturgalerieberlin.de/presse/in-the-photo-booth-with-tatiana-bilbao/ |
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The TOGAF standard is a framework for Enterprise Architecture. It may be used freely by any organization wishing to develop an Enterprise Architecture for use within that organization (see 1.4.1 Conditions of Use).
The TOGAF standard is developed and maintained by members of The Open Group, working within the Architecture Forum (refer to www.opengroup.org/architecture). The original development of TOGAF Version 1 in 1995 was based on the Technical Architecture Framework for Information Management (TAFIM), developed by the US Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD gave The Open Group explicit permission and encouragement to create Version 1 of the TOGAF standard by building on the TAFIM, which itself was the result of many years of development effort and many millions of dollars of US Government investment.
Starting from this sound foundation, the members of The Open Group Architecture Forum have developed successive versions of the TOGAF standard and published each one on The Open Group public website.
This version builds on previous versions of the TOGAF standard and updates the material available to architecture practitioners to assist them in building a sustainable Enterprise Architecture. Work on White Papers and Guides describing how to to integrate and use this standard with other frameworks and architectural styles has highlighted the universal framework parts of the standard, as well as industry, architecture style, and purpose-specific tools, techniques, and guidance. This work is embodied in the TOGAF Library.1
Although all of the TOGAF documentation works together as a whole, it is expected that organizations will customize it during adoption, and deliberately choose some elements, customize some, exclude some, and create others. For example, an organization may wish to adopt the TOGAF metamodel, but elect not to use any of the guidance on how to develop an in-house Technology Architecture because they are heavy consumers of cloud and Open Platform 3.0™.
Regardless of your prior experience, you are recommended to read the Executive Overview (see 1.3 Executive Overview), where you will find an outline of The Open Group understanding of Enterprise Architecture and answers to fundamental questions, such as:
- Why is an Enterprise Architecture needed?
- Why use the TOGAF standard as a framework for Enterprise Architecture?
1.1 Structure of this Document
The structure of this document reflects the structure and content of an Architecture Capability within an enterprise, as shown in Figure 1-1 .
Figure 1-1: Structure of the TOGAF Standard
There are six parts to this document:
- PART I
- (Introduction) This part provides a high-level introduction to the key concepts of Enterprise Architecture and in particular the TOGAF approach. It contains the definitions of terms used throughout this standard.
- PART II
- (Architecture Development Method) This part is the core of the TOGAF framework. It describes the TOGAF Architecture Development Method (ADM) - a step-by-step approach to developing an Enterprise Architecture.
- PART III
- (ADM Guidelines & Techniques) This part contains a collection of guidelines and techniques available for use in applying the TOGAF approach and the TOGAF ADM. Additional guidelines and techniques are available in the TOGAF Library.
- PART IV
- (Architecture Content Framework) This part describes the TOGAF content framework, including a structured metamodel for architectural artifacts, the use of re-usable Architecture Building Blocks (ABBs), and an overview of typical architecture deliverables.
- PART V
- (Enterprise Continuum & Tools) This part discusses appropriate taxonomies and tools to categorize and store the outputs of architecture activity within an enterprise.
- PART VI
- (Architecture Capability Framework) This part discusses the organization, processes, skills, roles, and responsibilities required to establish and operate an architecture function within an enterprise.
The intention of dividing the TOGAF standard into these independent parts is to allow for different areas of specialization to be considered in detail and potentially addressed in isolation. Although all parts work together as a whole, it is also feasible to select particular parts for adoption while excluding others. For example, an organization may wish to adopt the ADM process, but elect not to use any of the materials relating to Architecture Capability.
As an open framework, such use is encouraged, particularly in the following situations:
- Organizations that are new to the TOGAF approach and wish to incrementally adopt TOGAF concepts are expected to focus on particular parts of the specification for initial adoption, with other areas tabled for later consideration
- Organizations that have already deployed architecture frameworks may choose to merge these frameworks with aspects of the TOGAF standard
1.2 Structure of the TOGAF Library
Accompanying this standard is a portfolio of guidance material, known as the TOGAF Library, to support the practical application of the TOGAF approach. The TOGAF Library is a reference library containing guidelines, templates, patterns, and other forms of reference material to accelerate the creation of new architectures for the enterprise.
The TOGAF Library is maintained under the governance of The Open Group Architecture Forum.
Library resources are organized into four sections:
- Section 1. Foundation Documents
- Section 2. Generic Guidance and Techniques
- Section 3. Industry-Specific Guidance and Techniques
- Section 4. Organization-Specific Guidance and Techniques
Where resources within the Library apply to the deployment of the TOGAF ADM and make explicit reference to "anchor points" within the TOGAF standard they are classified within the Library as Dependent documents. Resources that provide guidance on how to utilize features described in the standard are classified as Supporting documents. Resources that relate to Enterprise Architecture in general, and that do not make any specific references to the TOGAF standard, are classified as EA General documents.
1.3 Executive Overview
This section provides an executive overview of Enterprise Architecture, the basic concepts of what it is (not just another name for IT Architecture), and why it is needed. It provides a summary of the benefits of establishing an Enterprise Architecture and adopting the TOGAF approach to achieve that.
What is an enterprise?
The TOGAF standard considers an "enterprise" to be any collection of organizations that have common goals.
For example, an enterprise could be:
- A whole corporation or a division of a corporation
- A government agency or a single government department
- A chain of geographically distant organizations linked together by common ownership
- Groups of countries or governments working together to create common or shareable deliverables or infrastructures
- Partnerships and alliances of businesses working together, such as a consortium or supply chain
The term "Enterprise" in the context of "Enterprise Architecture" can be applied to either an entire enterprise, encompassing all of its business activities and capabilities, information, and technology that make up the entire infrastructure and governance of the enterprise, or to one or more specific areas of interest within the enterprise. In both cases, the architecture crosses multiple systems, and multiple functional groups within the enterprise.
Confusion often arises from the evolving nature of the term "enterprise". An extended enterprise nowadays frequently includes partners, suppliers, and customers. If the goal is to integrate an extended enterprise, then the enterprise comprises the partners, suppliers, and customers, as well as internal business units.
The enterprise operating model concept is useful to determine the nature and scope of the Enterprise Architecture within an organization. Many organizations may comprise multiple enterprises, and may develop and maintain a number of independent Enterprise Architectures to address each one. These enterprises often have much in common with each other including processes, functions, and their information systems, and there is often great potential for wider gain in the use of a common architecture framework. For example, a common framework can provide a basis for the development of common building blocks and solutions, and a shareable Architecture Repository for the integration and re-use of business models, designs, information, and data.
Why is an Enterprise Architecture needed?
The purpose of Enterprise Architecture is to optimize across the enterprise the often fragmented legacy of processes (both manual and automated) into an integrated environment that is responsive to change and supportive of the delivery of the business strategy.
Today's CEOs know that the effective management and exploitation of information and Digital Transformation are key factors to business success, and indispensable means to achieving competitive advantage. An Enterprise Architecture addresses this need, by providing a strategic context for the evolution and reach of digital capability in response to the constantly changing needs of the business environment.
For example, the rapid development of social media, Internet of Things, and cloud computing has radically extended the capacity of the enterprise to create new market opportunities.
Furthermore, a good Enterprise Architecture enables you to achieve the right balance between business transformation and continuous operational efficiency. It allows individual business units to innovate safely in their pursuit of evolving business goals and competitive advantage. At the same time, the Enterprise Architecture enables the needs of the organization to be met with an integrated strategy which permits the closest possible synergies across the enterprise and beyond.
What are the benefits of an Enterprise Architecture?
An effective Enterprise Architecture can bring important benefits to the organization. Specific benefits of an Enterprise Architecture include:
- More effective and efficient business operations:
- Lower business operation costs
- More agile organization
- Business capabilities shared across the organization
- Lower change management costs
- More flexible workforce
- Improved business productivity
- More effective and efficient Digital Transformation and IT operations:
- Extending effective reach of the enterprise through digital capability
- Bringing all components of the enterprise into a harmonized environment
- Lower software development, support, and maintenance costs
- Increased portability of applications
- Improved interoperability and easier system and network management
- Improved ability to address critical enterprise-wide issues like security
- Easier upgrade and exchange of system components
- Better return on existing investment, reduced risk for future investment:
- Reduced complexity in the business and IT
- Maximum return on investment in existing business and IT infrastructure
- The flexibility to make, buy, or out-source business and IT solutions
- Reduced risk overall in new investments and their cost of ownership
- Faster, simpler, and cheaper procurement:
- Buying decisions are simpler, because the information governing procurement is readily available in a coherent plan
- The procurement process is faster - maximizing procurement speed and flexibility without sacrificing architectural
coherence
- The ability to procure heterogeneous, multi-vendor open systems
- The ability to secure more economic capabilities
What specifically would prompt the development of an Enterprise Architecture?
Typically, preparation for business transformation needs or for radical infrastructure changes initiates an Enterprise Architecture review or development. Often key people identify areas of change required in order for new business goals to be met. Such people are commonly referred to as the "stakeholders" in the change. The role of the architect is to address their concerns by:
- Identifying and refining the requirements that the stakeholders have
- Developing views of the architecture that show how the concerns and requirements are going to be addressed
- Showing the trade-offs that are going to be made in reconciling the potentially conflicting concerns of different stakeholders
Without the Enterprise Architecture, it is highly unlikely that all the concerns and requirements will be considered and met.
What is an architecture framework?
An architecture framework is a foundational structure, or set of structures, which can be used for developing a broad range of different architectures. It should describe a method for designing a target state of the enterprise in terms of a set of building blocks, and for showing how the building blocks fit together. It should contain a set of tools and provide a common vocabulary. It should also include a list of recommended standards and compliant products that can be used to implement the building blocks.
Why use the TOGAF standard as a framework for Enterprise Architecture?
The TOGAF standard has been developed through the collaborative efforts of the whole community. Using the TOGAF standard results in Enterprise Architecture that is consistent, reflects the needs of stakeholders, employs best practice, and gives due consideration both to current requirements and the perceived future needs of the business.
Developing and sustaining an Enterprise Architecture is a technically complex process which involves many stakeholders and decision processes in the organization. The TOGAF standard plays an important role in standardizing and de-risks the architecture development process. The TOGAF standard provides a best practice framework for adding value, and enables the organization to build workable and economic solutions which address their business issues and needs.
Who would benefit from using the TOGAF standard?
Any organization undertaking, or planning to undertake, the development and implementation of an Enterprise Architecture for the support of business transformation will benefit from use of the TOGAF standard.
Organizations seeking Boundaryless Information Flow™ can use the TOGAF standard to define and implement the structures and processes to enable access to integrated information within and between enterprises.
Organizations that design and implement Enterprise Architectures using the TOGAF standard are assured of a design and a procurement specification that can facilitate an open systems implementation, thus enabling the benefits of open systems with reduced risk.
1.4 Information on Using the TOGAF Standard
1.4.1 Conditions of Use
The TOGAF standard is freely available for viewing online without a license. Alternatively, it can be downloaded and stored under license, as explained on the TOGAF information website.
In either case, the TOGAF standard can be used freely by any organization wishing to do so to develop an architecture for use within that organization. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, for any other purpose including, but not by way of limitation, any use for commercial gain, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.
1.4.2 How Much Does the TOGAF Standard Cost?
The Open Group is committed to delivering greater business efficiency by bringing together buyers and suppliers of information systems to lower the barriers of integrating new technology across the enterprise. Its goal is to realize the vision of Boundaryless Information Flow.
The TOGAF standard is a key part of its strategy for achieving this goal, and The Open Group wants it to be taken up and used in practical architecture projects, and the experience from its use fed back to help improve it.
The Open Group therefore publishes it on its public web server, and allows and encourages its reproduction and use free-of-charge by any organization wishing to use it internally to develop an Enterprise Architecture. (There are restrictions on its commercial use, however; see 1.4.1 Conditions of Use .)
1.4.3 Downloads
Downloads of the TOGAF standard, including printable PDF files, are available under license from the TOGAF information website (refer to www.opengroup.org/togaf/downloads). The license is free to any organization wishing to use the standard entirely for internal purposes (for example, to develop an Enterprise Architecture for use within that organization).
1.5 Why Join The Open Group?
Organizations wishing to reduce the time, cost, and risk of implementing multi-vendor solutions that integrate within and between enterprises need The Open Group as their key partner.
The Open Group brings together the buyers and suppliers of information systems worldwide, and enables them to work together, both to ensure that IT solutions meet the needs of customers, and to make it easier to integrate IT across the enterprise. The TOGAF standard is a key enabler in this task.
Yes, the TOGAF standard itself is freely available. But how much will you spend on developing or updating your Enterprise Architecture? And how much will you spend on procurements based on that architecture? The price of membership of The Open Group is insignificant in comparison with these amounts.
In addition to the general benefits of membership, as a member of The Open Group you will be eligible to participate in The Open Group Architecture Forum, which is the development program within which the TOGAF standard is evolved, and in which TOGAF users come together to exchange information and feedback.
Members of the Architecture Forum gain:
- Immediate access to the fruits of the current TOGAF work program (not publicly available until publication of the next edition of the TOGAF standard) - in effect, the latest information on the standard
- Exchange of experience with other customer and vendor organizations involved in Enterprise Architecture in general, and networking with architects using the TOGAF standard in significant architecture development projects around the world
- Peer review of specific architecture case study material
Footnotes
- 1.
- The TOGAF Library provides an online publicly available structured list of Guides, White Papers, and other resources. Refer to The Open Group Library at https://publications.opengroup.org/togaf-library. | https://pubs.opengroup.org/architecture/togaf9-doc/m/chap01.html |
This evidence was taken by video conference at a meeting of the working group on 30th October 2003. It has been written up by the secretariat and sent to Prof. Besenbacher for comment. At the time of going to press no comments had been received.
Definition of nanoscience and nanotechnology
Prof. Besenbacher defined nanoscience and nanotechnology in terms of a timeframe. He stated that nanotechnology was in the future while nanoscience was taking place now. The term ‘nanotechnology’ is being used, predominantly in the USA, as a means to secure funding. He did note however that there are great developments taking in place in nanoscience which will filter through into nanotechnology, and estimated a timeframe of between 10 and 50 years for this process. He was keen to stress that nanoscience is not a new way of doing science, but merely a development of a long line of previous work.
Nanoscience involves the manipulation of matter at the atomic, molecular or supra-molecular level in order to make devices and structures with novel properties such as quantized conductance or much increased reactivity. The main tools to manipulate and interrogate matter on this scale are the scanning probe microscopes, which Prof. Besenbacher saw as instrumental in making nanoscience possible. He did point out however that while these techniques have been crucial in the development of nanoscience, they will never lead to nanotechnology as they not commercial.
Due to the extremely broad nature of nanoscience, Prof. Besenbacher was very keen to stress the need for an inter-disciplinary approach which he felt was crucial and would lead to many new possibilities. He pointed to a nanotechnology course at Aarhus University in Denmark where students are taught physics, chemistry, molecular biology and computer science in the first two years.
Future applications
When asked what his vision of nanotechnology was, Prof. Besenbacher stated catalysis, and noted that 90% of the products in the chemical industry used catalysis at some point in their manufacture. He saw nanotechnology as an enabler for the production of catalysts which will be much more efficient than those used today. Such technology may be used for example to dissociate hydrogen and oxygen molecules from water, with the hydrogen being stored in nanoporous material. Such advances, made possible through developments in nanoscience and technology would enable a hydrogen powered society in about 15 years.
In addition to energy, Prof. Besenbacher saw applications such as biosensors, drug delivery systems, and lab on a chip technology which would enable portable, rapid and cheaper screening for diseases. He also mentioned the development of bio-compatible materials for hip replacements for example.
Grey goo
When asked about the feasibility of building molecular machines, Prof. Besenbacher felt that these were best described by science fiction, however could not provide a solid argument why they would not be possible. He did feel that more effort should be spent trying to understand natural nano-bio-machines found in the body such as ribosome, rather than spend time on trying to build synthetic ones.
Uncertainties
Prof. Besenbacher pointed out that with any technology comes risk, and felt that a small number of highly vocal groups were concentrating on the potential risks and worries associated with nanotechnology, whilst ignoring the benefits. His opinion was that when these groups are asked of the scientific basis to many of these worries, significant weaknesses in their position become apparent.
Social and ethical issues
Prof. Besenbacher was asked whether nanotechnology raised new social or ethical issues now, or would be likely to in 15-20 years. He drew attention to the non-critical attitude towards nanotechnology in his native Denmark, and while he felt it useful to discuss the social and ethical issues of nanotechnology, it was also important to consider the risks of current technology. | http://www.nanotec.org.uk/evidence/BesenbacherFlemming.htm |
On 29 September 2022, the third meeting of the Slovak Round Table took place in Bratislava. At the meeting, a number of measures were discussed and approved in the areas of financing the development and implementation of innovations in the construction sector, participatory financing, energy poverty and energy communities.
Measure 1: Changing societal priorities towards innovation for climate neutrality
Achieving climate neutrality is a watershed change that requires a fundamental rethink of societal priorities and their translation into the national budget and the allocation of EU funds in operational programmes. The share of investment and non-investment expenditure to achieve climate neutrality should be greater than 60% and should grow year-on-year to set an example for the private sector, including the financial sector and sectors regulated by the EU taxonomy. Investment in the carbon economy, including in science, research, development, investment promotion (direct or indirect) and carbon fuel use should be curtailed.
Measure 2: Promoting innovation to increase labour productivity in the construction sector and the industrialisation of construction production
Prepare and implement an innovation programme to increase labour productivity in the construction sector by rebuilding the sector around innovations in materials, construction products, equipment and processes, as well as leveraging the digitisation of the sector. These are the key factors driving new business models that ensure sustainable housing valuations (through ownership or rental). This process is accelerating with the progressive application of new technological breakthroughs in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, big data analytics, 3-D printing, nanotechnology, materials science and energy storage.
In the medium term, these innovations should lead to a “supply-side breakthrough” with long-term efficiency and productivity gains, allowing for fair pricing of the costs of construction and living in buildings with a positive energy balance and zero emissions (resulting from energy renovation of existing buildings or construction of new ones). While the research community is aware of the opportunities that these innovations can bring, there is little knowledge on the ground and little appetite to pursue innovation along the building construction and renovation value chain. Conventional approaches will not be sufficient, as underlined by the European Green Deal, which emphasises experimentation and working across sectors and disciplines to innovate in support of its objectives.
Measure 3: Support the creation of an ecosystem for the use of modular technology in the construction of new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings
One of the innovations leading to increased labour productivity in the construction sector is modular construction, which has already been used in the construction of new energy efficient buildings as well as in the renovation of existing buildings, showing high levels of energy efficiency. However, modular construction is also successfully facing other contemporary challenges, including the challenges of energy transformation and the need to increase circularity in the construction industry.
Modular construction is a process in which buildings are manufactured off-site in factories, under strict quality control, but using the same building codes and standards as conventional construction methods. These buildings are produced in modules or small parts that are transported to the site and assembled.
Modular construction is a sustainable, efficient, cost-effective and innovative technique to consider when designing a project. The advantages of this construction method include:
- Modular building projects are completed 30-50% faster than projects with conventional construction methods. This is because modular construction can take place simultaneously with site work and foundation work.
- 60-90% of construction work is carried out in an enclosed factory environment, thus mitigating the impact of adverse weather. With conventional construction methods, work often has to be completely suspended for days with adverse weather conditions.
- Off-site construction allows for more effective enforcement of quality and safety guidelines. Building materials are protected from the weather during all phases of construction, which is a common cause of imperfections in outdoor projects. Modular buildings are completed to the same codes, regulations, and materials as conventional buildings.
- Module manufacturing enables the industrialisation of craftsmanship using robotics, automation, digitalisation and other cutting-edge innovations that, among other things, lead to improved working conditions for employees, making it possible to attract young people with higher ambitions and talent to the sector.
- Many modular buildings can be disassembled and relocated for new purposes, reducing the demand for raw materials and the energy required for construction. Although permanent modular construction has been used in the project, the renewal of materials and modules is easier than in a conventional building.
- Waste is eliminated through recycling and inventory control. Building materials are also protected from the weather as everything is stored in the factory. The modular design also makes it easier for construction workers to prevent waste because there is more control over project conditions.
- Manufacturer-controlled settings allow materials to remain dry during all phases of construction. Therefore, the level of trapped moisture in new construction is reduced, improving air quality. This helps control mould, mites and other organisms that thrive on moisture.
- Working indoors allows for a safer environment, reducing the risks and hazards found on construction sites. With conventional construction methods, work often has to be carried out at heights or in awkward positions where accidents are more likely.
- Modular buildings are generally stronger than site-built structures because each module is designed to withstand transportation and lifting. Once connected, the modules are securely joined together to form a complete integrated assembly.
- Since approximately 80% of the work is done off-site, the modular design allows entrepreneurs (building owners) to continue working during renovations, reducing business interruption. Modular construction has also reduced disruption to buildings around the site.
- Greater environmental sustainability is ensured by the fact that, in addition to reducing waste, modular construction leads the market in the use of eco-friendly materials. A wider range of materials is available when the construction process can be completed under controlled factory conditions.
- Affordability is a key feature of modular construction. When multiple similar pieces are produced at the same time, cost and time savings are achieved with economy of scale. Modular construction is particularly useful for projects with many buildings of the same design, as modules can be produced in series.
- Improves the acoustic performance of the building as the modules are designed as independent units and can be soundproofed to block noise when assembled.
However, modular construction requires a strong material and technical backing, which requires high initial costs. Also, the risk in the process of promotion in the local market is high. For this reason, it is essential to support the building of the necessary ecosystem using EU funds for the transition to climate neutrality from operational programmes as well as to support the involvement of Slovak institutions in European projects aimed at the development of modular construction.
Measure 4: Promoting Twin Green and Digital Growth in the construction sector
Serious societal challenges such as affordable housing, energy poverty and limited capacity to implement digital technologies need to be addressed, and digitalisation represents an opportunity to accelerate the green transformation of the construction sector.
The digitalisation of the green transformation process in the construction sector is based on 5 fundamental pillars:
- Low carbon and durable construction, which is an important driver of ecologization of new buildings. Green architecture, engineering and construction require information on the so-called grey energy contained in buildings (i.e. the energy associated with the production of building materials). They have to take into account many properties of the materials and components used, such as their energy efficiency, their reparability and their end-of-life scrapping. Building design and construction methods must integrate resilience to extreme events to avoid premature decay and loss of building functionality. Digital tools can help solve these problems at the design stage. For example, BIM (Building Information Modelling) can analyse the long-term implications of design decisions and can help to reduce the environmental impact of a building during the construction and operational phases. One-stop-shops can support users in complex decision-making processes and provide related services such as financing.
- Building renovation is the key to making existing buildings greener. By preserving as many of the original structural elements as possible, the grey energy contained in the building material is also preserved. For in-depth renovations, thermal and acoustic insulation and the airtightness of the building envelope are crucial. Another key element is the introduction of new and efficient space heating and cooling systems with intelligent technologies to automate building control systems. Digital tools, such as digital building logs, can facilitate the renovation of buildings and the recyclability of materials from old buildings.
- Reduced energy consumption during operation, especially during power peaks, can provide a stabilizing function for the overall power system. Heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting systems can be adaptively controlled to reduce energy consumption while maintaining the same level of comfort for occupants. Building automation and control systems are based on sensors that recognise building occupants and their requirements and help to proactively manage energy-consuming appliances.
- Low carbon heating and cooling reduces emissions and pollution during the operational phase of the building lifecycle. Electrification (e.g. using heat pumps instead of oil or gas heating) is the key to sustainable heating. In addition, photovoltaics added or integrated into a building are a renewable source of electricity with high potential for the future.
- Reduced demand for building space reduces the environmental impact of building construction and operation. Options for reducing the footprint of buildings include reducing the need for space and increasing the intensity of use of existing buildings. Digital platforms can enable more seamless sharing of space. Last but not least, small houses and apartments provide opportunities to reduce the need for space.
The development of solutions under the pillars defined above needs to be supported by a structured innovation support programme to accelerate the green transformation and exploit the synergies of green and digital growth.
Measure 5: Supporting building owners and communities in cities and towns to retrofit buildings to the level of energy-positive buildings and buildings and community projects aimed at decarbonising energy in buildings
Building owners, such as municipalities and cities, entrusted with a significant stock of public buildings, and condominium owners (homeowners associations) have a key role to play in delivering energy transformation, with a unique mandate for their assets and a unique power to convene actors along the value chain. However, these owners have acquired property assets that they have very limited (if any) financial resources to maintain. Therefore, a significant barrier to increased renovation in both the public and private sectors today is the creation and long-term maintenance of the financial and technical capacity to develop projects.
The renovation wave of the European Green Deal aims to double the renovation rate of buildings by 2030, which also requires large investments in the stock of public and private buildings. In addition, Member States need to set out measures in their long-term renovation strategies to ensure a highly energy efficient and decarbonised national building stock and to facilitate the cost-effective transformation of existing buildings into zero-energy buildings. In line with REPowerEU’s plan to phase out the EU’s dependence on fossil fuel imports, the public sector is called upon to play a key role in reducing its energy consumption through building renovation.
There is a need to develop a financing scheme for the refurbishment of buildings into highly energy efficient buildings that will support building owners in obtaining finance to offset the upfront costs of the energy refurbishment of buildings to a plus energy and zero emission building standard.
Measure 6: Smart Cities research and development programme
One way of acquiring know-how is by replicating innovations created by European Smart Cities projects supported by transnational donors, including the EU’s Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe research and innovation programmes. Slovakia lags far behind other Member States in participating in such projects under Horizon 2020 and the situation has been exacerbated by the transition to Horizon Europe. The main reasons for this are insufficient support for national programmes in this area and a lack of political support for project proposals.
To overcome this situation, it is necessary to create a support scheme for Smart Cities at the level of operational programmes, including support for the participation of Slovak cities in European projects.
Measure 7: Support of participatory financing of community projects
To develop and enforce legislative conditions for participatory financing, including conditions for independent oversight by the regulator.
Due to its advantages, participatory financing in the form of community projects is ideal for financing clean energy transformation projects, complementing projects financed by traditional banking products. Citizen and local government participation in renewable energy transition projects has already practically demonstrated significant added value in the form of greater acceptance of renewable energy by residents and greater access to additional private capital, leading to more consumer choice and greater citizen participation in the clean energy transition. As these are community-based projects, citizens are thus able to directly decide on the priorities of these projects and, once completed, are the direct beneficiaries of the associated benefits. And, with the right legislation in place, they can directly oversee their progress thanks to the high level of transparency.
Measure 8: Strategy and scheme to support households when energy price fluctuations threaten households with energy poverty or when domestic or global market gets manipulated by oligopolies
According to EU principles, energy prices should reflect the true cost of energy to give end-users more incentives to conserve, and the energy market should work to allocate energy to activities that add the most value. The price of carbon fuels and gas in today’s market is a manipulative price and, as European Energy Commissioner Kadri Simon has said, gas is, moreover, being used as a weapon by Russia. In 2021, the EU is facing an energy crisis, not least because the use of renewable energy sources in the EU is lagging far behind (Slovakia is at the tail end of the EU’s renewable energy deployment). This situation has resulted in a fierce competition in 2022 between carbon-based energy commodities seeking to regain their position or even to profit from a rigged market and the aggression against Ukraine. This has led to a sharp rise in energy prices for consumers, especially for heat and hot water supplies, although the increase in electricity and gas prices for families has not been as significant as in the unregulated sector.
Such fluctuations in the energy market will continue to occur in the future, as the process of decarbonising energy will be a lengthy one and energy market volatility will not disappear even with the phase-out of carbon fuels. It is therefore necessary to develop mitigation instruments for households in order to protect them from ‘temporary energy poverty’. Such measures and direct interventions in the energy market are certainly less costly than the impact of inflation on the economy and the technical recession resulting from the fight against it, as we are currently witnessing.
These instruments should be complementary to those for combating ‘long-term energy poverty’, which is structural in nature and requires the permanent attention of the responsible authorities.
Measure 9: Support scheme for the establishment of energy communities
Prepare and implement a support scheme to incentivise the creation of energy communities in order to reduce Slovakia’s lag in the use of renewable energy sources and to achieve a renewable energy capacity owned by citizens on a par with EU members such as Germany or the Netherlands, which face similar challenges in decarbonising their energy sources and reducing their dependence on gas from Russia.
The scheme should also encourage the participation of energy communities in the flexibility market by implementing smart energy solutions combining energy efficiency with distributed renewable electricity sources, energy storage/hybrid systems, electro mobility (EV charging stations) and demand response.
Measure 10: Dissemination of knowledge and skills related to the implementation of new smart energy service solutions
Support programmes to disseminate knowledge and skills related to the implementation of new smart energy service solutions aimed at consumers (prosumers from energy communities) as well as experts necessary to implement them. | https://greendeal4buildings.eu/en/events/measures-adopted-on-the-third-meeting-of-the-slovak-round-table/ |
President Clinton sounds the bugle in Jan. 21 speech at Caltech
Sandia and several other DOE national labs will venture further into the truly tiny realm of atomic and molecular maneuvering following an announcement of a "National Nanotechnology Initiative" by President Clinton last Friday.
The initiative, announced Jan. 21 in a speech from the California Institute of Technology, would increase federal funding for nanoscience and nanotechnology R&D by 84 percent to $497 million beginning in fiscal year 2001. It would increase DOE’s nanotechnology funding from $58 million to $96 million in fiscal year 2001 (a 66-percent increase over FY2000 levels).
Nanotechnology refers to the manipulation or self-assembly of individual atoms, molecules, or molecular clusters into structures with dimensions in the 1- to 100-nanometer range to create materials and devices with new or vastly different properties. For comparison, a human hair is about 10,000 nanometers thick.
Many in the scientific community believe the ability to move and combine individual atoms and molecules could revolutionize the production of virtually every human-made object and usher in a new technology revolution at least as significant as the silicon revolution of the 20th century.
"Imagine the possibilities: materials with 10 times the strength of steel and only a small fraction of the weight," Clinton said. ". . . shrinking all the information housed at the Library of Congress into a device the size of a sugar cube . . . detecting cancerous tumors when they are only a few cells in size. Some of our research goals may take 20 or more years to achieve, but that is precisely why there is an important role for the federal government."
"The possibilities to design materials and devices with extraordinary properties through nanotechnology are limited only by one’s imagination," says Tom Picraux, Director of Physical and Chemical Sciences Center 1100.
Building solar cells containing nanolayers or nanorods could significantly increase the amount of electricity converted from sunlight, for example. Computer memory devices that take advantage of the "spin" of electrons could hold thousands of times more data than today’s memory chips. Molecular devices that mimic processes within living cells could help doctors find or treat diseases. Nanoclustered catalysts could help destroy environmental pollutants using the energy from sunlight.
Sandia already at the forefront
Sandia already has used ion-implantation techniques to create lightweight aluminum composite surfaces that are as strong and durable as the best steel available. Nanostructured semiconductor materials created at Sandia may enable highly efficient, low-power lasers for high-speed optical communications. Biosensors that use molecular bundles similar to those found in living cells are being created that could warn people when traces of a chemical or biological warfare agent are detected.
Other Sandia work in protonic computer memory devices, photonic lattices, super-hard coatings, nanospheres, self-assembling materials, quantum dots, and the quantum transistor all are made possible in part by nanosciences, Tom says.
Sandia also has pioneered the development of unique microscopes and other diagnostic tools that allow scientists to observe how atoms and molecules behave. The Labs’ high-performance computing capabilities may play a role in modeling the behavior of nanostructures and designing new nanostructured materials, as well.
"The promise of nanotechnology can only be realized if we learn to understand the special rules that apply to the nanoscale and develop the skills needed to integrate these new concepts into practical devices," says Tom. "Sandia’s unique ability to integrate science and technology across multidisciplinary teams will provide an essential element of this national nanotechnology program."
DOE already is the nation’s number-one funding agency in the physical and materials sciences, he adds. "Nanosciences and nanotechnology R&D are expected to produce new insights, materials, and tools that will bring many, many direct and spin-off benefits to DOE’s nuclear weapons stewardship, environmental remediation, efficient energy generation, and national security work," he says.
Other agencies that will play a role in the nanotechnology initiative include the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology. | https://www.sandia.gov/labnews/2000/01/28/euvl-story/ |
Please follow all bulleted instructions below:
- Write a procedural email (3 pages) to employees reminding them of key components of a company policy on acceptable use of email and text messaging. The policy should address security issues, privacy issues, and company monitoring of messages. Consider policies on appropriate message content, the consequences for using company equipment to send harassing messages, and a policy on the use of company system for sending personal email messages
- The message should take the “form” of an email; however, you will submit your assignment to the online course shell.
- For the procedural message, you must:
- Follow proper format.
- Use a descriptive title or heading.
- Use bullets as needed to emphasize key points.
- Include appropriate greeting and salutation.
- Have the following content:
- Introduce the main idea of the message in a concise, informative manner.
- Itemize and explain three (3) to five (5) key points with details.
- Provide information about where and to whom questions should be directed.
- Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements.
- Begin statements with action verbs. | https://blupapers.com/file/procedural-message-to-employees-reminding-them-of-key-components-of-a-company-policy-use-of-email-and-text-messaging/ |
Georgia Power Defends Request for Additional $700 Million for Nuclear Project
State Public Service Commissioners grilled Georgia Power Thursday on its request to charge customers an extra $737 million to expand the Plant Vogtle nuclear site near Augusta.
It’s the first state hearing on major cost overruns at Vogtle. So far, the project is 18 months behind schedule.
Georgia Power’s Kyle Leach took the stand and said a project of this size was bound to have some issues.
“We recognized and there was a lot of discussion around the risk of building new nuclear after 25-30 years since the last nuclear projects were completed. We did our best to assess those risks and understand those risk going in but we always knew they were there.”
Leach blamed the cost overruns on unexpected contractor issues that he said were outside the company’s control.
In one costly case, a contractor used steel bars that weren’t approved in the original design. Georgia Power didn’t catch the error – federal regulators did – but project manager David McKinney insisted to Commissioner Doug Everett the company acted reasonably.
McKinney: Simply, someone made a wrong assessment.
Everett: So you think that’s prudent to make a wrong assessment?
McKinney: What I stated earlier was that I believe all the actions taken to resolve these issues and work through these issues were appropriate and reasonable.
Other contractor issues include paperwork problems and delivering parts on time.
Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols expressed concern ratepayers would have to pay so much.
“This is really serious that we’re going down this road and that the contractors and their errors are having such an impact on our ratepayers,” said Echols.
As a possible option, Echols referred to an agreement reached between Georgia Power parent company Southern Company and the Mississippi Public Service Commission. Southern agreed to absorb $540 million in cost overruns for a new carbon-capturing coal plant in east Mississippi.
“Is that something that you all are open to or talked about?” Echols asked company officials. Georgia Power’s Leach didn’t respond directly, only saying commissioners ultimately decide whether the company or ratepayers absorb new costs.
In any event, despite the cost overruns and delays, company officials insisted the two new reactors are still a good deal for customers.
“The economic analysis continues to demonstrate that completing this facility represents the best cost option for our customers,” said McKinney. “Even in the extended delay scenarios performed at the commission’s request the facility remains economic.”
He also said many of the contractor issues have improved since CB&I earlier this year acquired The Shaw Group Inc., a key part manufacturer on the project.
The hearings continue over the next two months and conclude with a vote October 15th. | https://www.wabe.org/georgia-power-defends-request-additional-700-million-nuclear-project/ |
It is estimated that more than half of the construction industry’s projects encounter significant cost overruns and major delays, resulting in the industry having a tarnished reputation. Therefore, it is crucial to identify key project cost and schedule performance factors. However, despite the attempts of numerous researchers, their results have been inconsistent. Most of the literature has focused solely on the construction phase budget and time overruns; the engineering/design and procurement phase costs and schedule performances have been rarely studied. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of this study was primarily to identify and prioritize engineering, procurement and construction key performance factors (KPFs) and to strategize ways to prevent performance delays and cost overruns. To achieve these objectives, more than 200 peer-reviewed journal papers, conference proceedings and other scholarly publications were studied and categorized based on industry type, physical location, data collection and analysis methods.
Findings
It was concluded that both the time required to complete engineering/construction phases and the cost of completing them can be significantly affected by design changes. The two main causes of delays and cost overruns in the procurement phase are construction material shortages and price fluctuations. Other factors affecting all phases of the project are poor economic condition, equipment and labor shortages, delays in owners’ timely decision making, poor communication between stakeholders, poor site management and supervision, clients’ financial issues and severe weather conditions. A list of phase-based strategies which address the issue of time/cost overruns is presented herein.
Originality/value
The findings of this study address the potential confusion of the industry’s practitioners related to the inconsistent list of potential KPFs and their preventive measurements, and pave the way for the construction research community to conduct future performance-related studies.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge two anonymous referees and the editor of this journal for improving the quality of this paper by suggesting constructive comments.
Citation
Habibi, M. and Kermanshachi, S. (2018), "Phase-based analysis of key cost and schedule performance causes and preventive strategies: Research trends and implications", Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, Vol. 25 No. 8, pp. 1009-1033. https://doi.org/10.1108/ECAM-10-2017-0219
Publisher: | https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/ECAM-10-2017-0219/full/html |
BASIC SUMMARY:
Develop and implement internal communication strategies and plans that engage, align and inspire employees with Charles River’s vision and business strategy. Manage day-to day employee communication activities. Drive employees' understanding and engagement on the on the Company’s priorities and key initiatives.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Work closely with senior leaders on communication strategies and activities to support key initiatives.
- Provide strategic counsel to senior leaders and develop messaging and internal communications for the business on industry updates, key initiatives, and other topics.
- Develop internal communications programs that mobilize employees to achieve business goals.
- Manage all phases of communications development from evaluating effectiveness and identifying needs through planning, execution and measurement.
- Recommend and plan communications strategies, programs or activities that address specific business issues or employee needs and achieve desired results.
- Create clear, concise and timely communications that convey key messages tied to business/company goals and foster employee understanding and commitment.
- Measure communications effectiveness using best practices and KPIs.
- Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
- Manage activities of assigned group(s) to ensure optimum performance of the group/function.
- Responsible for personnel management activities such as: scheduling, personnel actions (hiring, promotions, transfers, etc.), training and development, providing regular direction and feedback on performance, disciplinary actions and preparing and delivering annual performance and salary reviews.
- Assist in the development of short- and long-range operating objectives, organizational structure, staffing requirements and succession plans.
- Assist in the development and recommendation of departmental budget and authorize expenditures.
- Develop and oversee the implementation of departmental training programs, including orientation.
- Support the policy of equal employment opportunity through affirmative action in personnel actions.
- Perform all other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree (B.A./B.S.) or equivalent in marketing, communications, human resources or related discipline.
- Experience: 8 plus years related experience in employee communications for a multi-site organization.
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be accepted as a satisfactory substitute for the specific education and experience listed above.
- Certification/Licensure: None
- Other: Excellent writing and marketing skills required. Effective communication skills for large, multinational audiences. Strong interpersonal skills including collaboration, influencing, aligning, and active listening. Must feel comfortable discussing communication needs with senior leaders and key stakeholders at a global level. Must be able to meet deadlines and work with tight deadlines and competing priorities.
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About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.
With over 11,000 employees within 70 facilities in 18 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world. And in 2016, revenue increased by 23.3% to $1.68 billion from $1.36 billion in 2015.
At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly supported the development of ~70% of the drugs approved by the FDA in 2016. | https://brightowl.pro/job-detail/senior-manager-employee-communications-charleston-county-south-carolina-united-states-38912 |
About Barclays UK:
Barclays is a British multinational banking and financial services company headquartered in London. It is a universal bank with operations in retail, wholesale and investment banking, as well as wealth management, mortgage lending and credit cards. It has operations in over 50 countries and territories and has around 48 million customers. As of 31 December 2011, Barclays had total assets of US$2.42 trillion, the seventh-largest of any bank worldwide.
The Corporate Affairs function exists to effectively support Senior Management in the development and delivery of Corporate internal and external communications (including messages, content, events and delivery), Community Investment and in the assessment and management of Public Policy issues (including potential brand and reputation issues) within Uganda.
Job Summary: The Community Investment Manager (AVP) will be responsible for the;
- Implementation of Barclays Community Relations Programme across the designated country, supporting Barclays reputation in the community and delivering Barclays community investment programme across the region
- Server as the ambassador for the Group in the community, raising the profile of the programme with key Internal and external audiences; staff, customers, shareholders, the public and opinion formers
- Through the programme, bring real and lasting benefit both to the community and to Barclays
- Responsible for delivering PR for all community projects in country
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
1. Delivering Barclays Regional Community Relations Programme (45%):
- Supporting the Country Head of Corporate Affairs, and regional management to develop and implement both the in-country and Barclays global community investment strategy
- Work with Community Investment Governance forums to plan, implement, and follow up on community investment strategy.
- Oversee relationships with charitable partners (both global partners and those selected at country level) to ensure successful delivery of projects, including driving of profile and employee participation.
- Successfully manage the special funds.
- Take responsibility for agreed country KPIs and MI and report quarterly to the regional Head of Community Investment
- Taking responsibility for evaluation and measurement of donations and sponsorships
- Work in liaison with the regional Head of Community Relations and the Global community investment team to achieve Global partnership objectives – including employee volunteering groups. Ensure MI is provided to all stakeholders on a timely basis.
- Working closely with Country Head of Corporate Affairs to ensure that all financial inclusion objectives are achieved.
- Working closely with Head of CR and the global environmental team to ensure that all environment projects achieve their objectives.
- Responsible for managing and delivering PR for community programmes for the country for all projects.
- Drafting and gaining agreement to content of communications in line with country community relations strategy & aligning messages with Group community messages working closely with local and regional communications teams.
2. External engagement (25%)
- Responsible for raising the profile and awareness of the community relations externally with the media, external stakeholders and other key opinion formers.
- In charge of identifying and organizing external events to promote Barclays community relations programme with the media, MPs and other key opinion formers.
- Creating and developing a favourable public image for Barclays in the defined local community
- Responsible for delivery of media partnerships including media exploitation
- Represent Barclays at external community events to promote Barclays community programme
- Build, grow and maintain relationships with key regional business influencers and major NGOs through programme of meetings, networking events and activity
- Provide technical advice and guidance to the business on any sponsorship opportunities that may arise through key regional business influencers.
- Providing networking opportunities for the business with key regional business influencers.
3. Internal engagement (25%)
- Working closely with local teams to understand commercial objectives and seek ways to support those objectives, including employee engagement, team building, local stakeholder/KBI engagement and winning of business.
- Raise awareness amongst employees in the Region of the community programme and encourage them to take full advantage of the schemes available and encourage them to act as advocates
- Build and grow employee engagement in Make a Difference Day and other Community engagement programmes
- Approving applications for grants for employee volunteering activities.
- Recruit and manage a network of community champions, with support from the Community Officer
- Managing Barclays Community Partners Days once a year, a day where we bring all our partners together to meet staff.
- Support the selection of applicants for the Chairman’s Awards, in support of all business units
4. Other (5%)
- Support the Head of Corporate Affairs on a broad range of issues as may be assigned from time to time.
- Acting as the key point of contact for Sustainability issues within the country, representing the Bank at external forums and responding to various requests from the community for assistance as appropriate.
- Taking responsibility for reconciling cost centre account lines
- Team Working
- Share best practice and learning with colleagues and seek continuous improvement opportunities
- Significantly contribute to the development of a strong culture within the Marketing, Communications, Citizenship and Public Affairs (MCCPA)function, to position the Bank as an employer of choice.
- Contribute to a ‘one team’ ethos working with Community Affairs colleagues both centrally and regionally
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The candidate will have experience of working within the banking industry.
- Skills in developing and managing strong business and stakeholder relationships including vendor management
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills including strong presentation skills
- Strategic approach with a focus on the ‘bigger picture’
- Strong team working skills, ability to operate effectively in a “virtual” team working environment
- Strong project management, organisation and co-ordination skills
- Strong planning, budgeting and strategy formulation experience
- Business and organisational understanding
- Skills in creativity and / or innovation
- Development Studies/Social work knowledge/qualification is highly preferred
- Organisational control procedures, a working knowledge of Anti bribery and Corruption policies.
- Working knowledge of how to protect the reputation of the brand.
- Corporate/Organisational communication
- Skills in Crisis management (in the PR and Communications context) are advantageous
- The applicant should have a comprehensive understanding of global development issues with special reference to Africa.
- Past experience of working in a multinational, multi-segment, environment with matrix reporting.
- Good awareness of cultural differences and varying legal/regulatory environments.
- Prior experience in community affairs engagement.
- Possess the ability to advise at senior executive level on communication and Public Affairs/Relations and community issues
- Proven ability to manage various activities / projects at the same time, whilst delivering quality work within stringent timelines
- Past exposure and experience in event planning
How to Apply:
If you feel challenged by any of the above positions, and believe you can deliver on key deliverables as outlined above, upload your application letter, current curriculum vitae and photocopies of academic certificate to our recruitment website detail below:
Barclays is an equal opportunity employer that recruits, develops and promotes people on merit, and rewards outstanding performance, regardless of background and gender. | https://theugandanjobline.com/2014/07/barclays-bank-uk-jobs-community-investment-manager-avp.html |
Minimum Clearance Required to Start:
Not Applicable/None
Job Description:
Ready to take your engineering and management experience to the next level to work on complex construction problems that will have a huge impact on the local community? Parsons is now hiring a Program Manager who can lead a team of professionals overseeing every phase of large scale projects or programs.
The program is responsible for managing the city's infrastructure projects from planning stages, through engineering and design, and to construction and
handover. There are currently 13 projects in construction totaling USD 330M, and 46 projects at various stages of design, totaling USD 1.2B in construction value. The Program Manager will interact directly with the JCPDI CEO to
establish the strategic direction of the program based on the needs of the city, and will provide high level direction to Parsons' Technical Department Managers.
Current projects include:
Roads, drainage, and utilities, Electrical Substations, underground cables, & duct banks, Sea water cooling and distribution, Industrial waste water treatment plants, Offices, housing, medical clinics, mosques, warehouses, & fire Stations.
Key Highlights
Manage Parsons' longest running contract.
Deliver a major long-term strategic program.
Establish and develop a world-class, culturally diverse organization.
Play a key role in delivering a major industrial city and port.
Live in an exciting region with access to global destinations.
Develop the next generation of Saudi engineers and managers.
Responsibilities:
Acts as the Company representative with the client and selected subcontractors during the program execution.
Negotiates changes to the scope of work with the client and key
subcontractors.
Collaborates with Business Development to market and secure additional work with client.
Responsible for following up on instructions and commitments associated with the program.
Participates in negotiations with regulatory agencies and in public meetings in support of clients.
Oversees establishment of Project Execution Plan, Health and Safety Plan, Quality Assurance/Quality Control Plan, and other documents as required
Establishes the program requirements for all areas of the project, and monitors the draft and final deliverables for adherence to these criteria.
Plans, directs, supervises, and controls the execution of all business, technical, fiscal, and administrative functions of the assigned project
Assigns responsibility for executing project plans to key subordinates after careful assessment of how to utilize their qualifications and strengths
Provides input to performance reviews and development plans for subordinates and developing team members.
Mobilizes company resources, through liaison with support departments, other offices, or subsidiaries, to create project teams capable of completing effective, quality work
Discusses the qualifications required of the key project positions in specific detail with the profit center and department managers
Collaborates with the office facilities staff to address project space requirements
Works with other managers, project engineers, and discipline leads to develop budgets, schedules, and plans for the various elements of a project
Ensures that the project meets or exceeds goals established in these plans
Works with the key project individual to devise and execute actions plans to rectify potential cost overruns or delays, or to accommodate significant changes to the scope of work
Advises the client and company management of any such changes. The Program Manager is specifically responsible for maintaining current and timely change orders
Promotes technical and commercial excellence on the project through application of Quality Assurance processes
Monitors and reports to management on the progress of all project activity within the program, including significant milestones, and any conditions, which would affect project cost or schedule
Establishes weekly meeting to review project status and formulate action items
Performs other responsibilities associated with this position as may be appropriate.
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Engineering (or related field)
20+ years of related work experience, including supervisory/managerial experience
Significant managerial experience of a large group of Engineers, Designers, and technical support personnel
Professional Engineer registration with active membership in a professional
Engineering society may be required
Proven ability for managing a large group of engineering/technical personnel
Directing work involving complex technical situations
Excellent written and oral communications skills
Thorough knowledge of industry practices and regulations are required
Must also possess a thorough knowledge of current technology and the capabilities and efficiencies of specific engineering software for use in completing engineering assignments.
Parsons is an equal opportunity, drug-free employer committed to diversity in the workplace. Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veteran/LGBTQ+. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to an individual’s race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, union affiliation, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, pregnancy, employable physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, immigration status, or any other basis protected by all applicable laws. | https://parsons.jobs/jazan-sau/program-manager/486D3D57089F47B8AAC682121EF47822/job/ |
Talking points act as reminders during an interview or the presentation of a project or proposal. In public relations, talking points are not only important but useful when disseminating information. While they may sound like an easy task, effective talking points follow a couple of rules and structure. Read on to find out how to craft talking points that will get the main message across.
Talking points: What they are and how to write them
Talking points are short parts of a sentence that direct a public speaker about the main point during an interview. For example, if the idea is to talk about fuel, talking points will include things like fuel distribution and fuel prices. Talking points reinforce the key messages. Even though they might seem similar, there are a few differences between key messages and the main talking points.
A talking point is a communication tool that drives the key message or the main idea home. Key messages are single ideas under which talking points fall. In a presentation or radio interview, a speaker always has one broad idea or message where talking points can be constructed.
Key messages explain the “why” of a company and the talking points elaborate further and give the context of the main idea. Good examples of key messages include aspects of why clients should choose a certain brand. If an organization states that its services are safe to use, because of software and authentication procedures, then the safety part is the key message while the software and authentication parts are the talking points.
How to write talking points
A good talking point includes the purpose of the communication or conversation. It should contain a personal story and achievable results. Lastly, it should have a call to action to ensure or encourage public participation. Writing talking points calls for a specific structure. They have to be accurate and factual without runarounds. In order to write effective talking points, one must be ready to be concise and get straight to the point. The following are tips to keep in mind when developing talking points.
Prioritize the main points
When writing talking points, it is important to prioritize. To present key messages effectively, one must determine the most important ideas to talk about. In public speaking, especially in forums where the speaker will interact with the audience, the main message should be on top of the discussion.
A communicator should always write talking points bearing in mind what weighs mostly on the clients or the public. Audience feedback or questions should not feel like something new because the speaker knows what is important.
While there might be a lot to discuss, picking the main points and delving deeper into them makes an interview more worthwhile. An audience will remember fewer key messages that were extensively covered than many topics that were slightly covered. Remember the quality of the message triumphs over the number of ideas that speakers address.
Focus on facts
An organization that wants to convey important information should base its arguments on facts. Data is helpful and can give confidence to the one giving speeches because he or she is looking at an actual number that can prove his claims.
No one should expect a speech to make an impact without data to clarify and emphasize the main point. Talking points should be loaded with examples or case studies that prove the information being disseminated is true.
With social media, it is fairly easy to get data, which is easily available and accessible to everyone. Organizations should encourage their target audience to look at what people are posting online and identify the truth from such information.
Prepare thoroughly
Depending on the type of interviews that speakers engage in, it is important to prepare thoroughly. It doesn’t matter whether it is a radio interview, television interview or a boardroom presentation, preparation is key.
Extensive research on a topic will make sure the interviewee is not lost for words when an interviewer raises questions. Being prepared gives a person the confidence to deliver correct information without faltering.
For radio interviews, it is important to understand that the interviewer is looking for a catchy word that is engaging. Preparing talking points for radio interviews requires clear talking points that the audience feels they respond directly to the argument.
Be straight forward
One word or short sentences can create the best talking points. In order to communicate effectively, the conversation should be short and engaging. No one wants a boring speech that goes on and on without addressing the topic.
Talking points need to focus on the main points while discussing ideas that cover the message extensively. In an interview, a person should create and present concise points which deliver the message without ambiguity. As communicators set to speak to their audience, they should understand that clear talking points reinforce the importance of an argument.
Getting to the point shows that the spokesperson is confident in his message and should any questions arise, he is ready to respond. When addressing negative matters, organizations should strive to give solutions to the problem without being dodgy.
Anticipate questions and answer them
When developing talking points it is always a good idea to include a number of questions and their answers. The questions should stem from the key messages. Responding to issues even before the audience addresses them shows the confidence of the person communicating.
Professional communicators should expect questions from their listeners and should be prepared to respond appropriately. But before the audience gets to ask the questions, those speaking should touch on those areas and clarify their points.
A communicator should address the main talking points and thereby exuding confidence to the audience. Of course, the one speaking should be presenting valid information and should not hesitate to quote the data sources.
Emphasize a win-win solution
When presenting an argument, it is important to include solutions at the end of the conversation. Solutions give the audience an idea of what they can do to contribute to the main talking point. They also constitute a call to action section.
A win-win solution provides answers to the problem at hand and is beneficial both to the communicator and the audience. An example would be the introduction of an overtime program for a company that did not offer the same previously. The employees would make extra money and the organization as well.
Including a solution in a speech shows the inclusivity of everyone. For radio interviews, those listening will feel like a part of the key messages that the communicator is talking about. The one giving the talk should remember to give contact details at the end of a speech so that the audience can get in touch.
Examples of talking points
Talking points should always include examples that help those receiving the message understand how it can benefit them. No one will contribute to a mission without being shown scenarios and how their efforts would be of importance.
The first example of a talking point can be why clients need to buy a certain product. The talking points would be as follows, the first talking point would be the benefits of the product to the client. The second key point would be the cost of the product compared to other industry competitors. The key message in this scenario is why the client should buy the product the company is offering.
The second example of a talking point can be in the form of improving employee efficiency in a company. An executive will present a proposal to employees stating that efficiency will be achievable by providing the employees with incentives and introducing flexible work shifts.
What to avoid when writing talking points
When writing talking points should avoid long and full sentences. Talking points need to be short and direct. When someone is giving a speech, they should not be reading from their cards, but a quick glance at the card will keep them on track. If an organization is in need of effective talking points, A firm like Murnahan Public Relations can help out. To develop public relations talking points, organizations need professional consultants who understand how talking points in speeches, media interviews, and press releases can differ.
Bring in the Murnahan PR Team
If an organization is ready to prepare for media interviews and press releases they are ready to put its best foot forward every time. That’s where Murnahan Public Relations comes in.
As a knowledgeable public relations firm, we’re well equipped and ready to help you master media communications in a variety of ways. We can offer media training for you and your staff, provide your brand with staff members to assist with media prep or public relations, and even give you, the executive, unbiased feedback about your performance. All of this will help ensure that your future interviews yield stellar results. | https://murnahanpr.com/writing-pr-talking-points/ |
At GGR we constantly maintain a high standard of training and professional development for our contractors and employees. GGR believes that through the continual training and development of our personnel we maintain the highest level of professionalism and are ready to take on any complex challenge.
As a company mitigating the risk against individuals and organisations in hostile environments, it is important that GGR respects these risks. This then ensures that we respect the client and their requirements, respect the need for confidentiality, and respect the employees and personnel deployed to defend against that risk.
In order to ensure transparency, accountability and responsibility, GGR aims to ensure that accountability is at the forefront of our minds when working with our clients and contractors. We therefore strive to guarantee that our work is transparent, honest and diligent.
At GGR’s foundation is the mission to provide high-quality yet cost-effective services through an overarching framework of professionalism, integrity and attention to detail. We achieve this by keeping ahead of the industry in terms of licensing and compliance and by employing people with vast experience in all the sectors we operate in.
GGR is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and we embrace their core value of Human Rights, Labour Standards, Environmental Considerations and Anti-Corruption Practices in all our worldwide operations. We are also members of the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Providers, the ICOC, another body with the aim of providing a set of industry standards based on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law.
GGR acts with integrity throughout its business and project development, operating not only within the law, but continually striving to ensure that GGR employees and personnel promote professionalism and ethical business practices in all aspects of their work.
At GGR we constantly review how we can better our quality of service, maximising the realisation and where possible exceeding our clients’ objectives. Quality remains at the forefront of our offering, delivering a high quality service in a cost effective manner.
Due to our commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and international law, GGR maintains a fully transparent and legal service offering when operating and delivering projects in emerging markets and developing countries.
Human Rights and local stakeholder engagement is key to our product offering and GGR is a firm believer that a policy of integration and the inclusion of the local population benefits all parties involved and offers countries the opportunity to grow alongside us. | https://ggrtrainingint.com/code-of-conduct/ |
If you happened to have stumbled across this blog post and haven’t read Your Stakeholder Communication Needs Work (Part 1), I will quickly summarize. In Part 1, we defined who our stakeholders are, asked leaders to find stakeholders’ top priorities and concerns, and developed a framework that lists stakeholders’ priorities, concerns/fears, level of commitment and level of resistance to change. Once those steps are complete, we are ready to move on to Step 4—Develop the Communication Plan and Step 5—Craft the Message.
How to Successfully Communicate Upcoming Change
Manufacturers often face big changes, from implementing new company-wide programs to moving headquarters or engaging in major acquisitions. They also deal with minor changes on a regular basis—like yearly insurance changes, policy changes and workflow changes.
How leadership handles the communication of these changes will determine the success of implementation and even stakeholders’ acceptance of the changes. After fully analyzing the stakeholders and trying to understand their needs from every angle, the next step is to build a communication plan.
4. Develop the communication plan
Here are specific questions to help build a communication plan. This applies to each announcement, monthly report or memo that is delivered to stakeholders. But for now, our topic focuses on communicating important organizational changes.
- What are the overall communication objectives?
- What specifically does the organization need to achieve with each stakeholder group?
- How much do we want to share with each stakeholder group?
- How much educational background can we provide? If we don’t have it, what do we need to do to create it?
- When or how often do stakeholders need to receive communication?
- Which channels or delivery methods are best to use for communicating to each stakeholder (e.g., formal presentation from CEO, press release, social media, community days, web meeting, internal memo, blog posts)?
- Who is responsible for delivering this communication?
These basic questions build the who, what, where, when and how. The following chart will help graph how one might answer the questions above.
One final, shameless plug for who handles the communication. While the responsibility is often left to Human Relations (HR), the natural arbiter and perhaps better choice is Public Relations (PR). HR understands the people and the data, but PR understands the whole brand and corporate communication plan. The HR and PR teams work together to craft the message while PR is pivotal in delivering the message.
5. Craft an authentic, persuasive message
Now is the time to answer the question, what to share? When writing or presenting a compelling argument for upcoming change, one must define his/her goals, brainstorm what is good about the change/what value it has for the stakeholders, and finally, focus on disputing stakeholders’ fears.
By way of example, a manufacturing plant that is implementing a new corporate sustainability program would develop their message with language normally used among that stakeholder group and include stories of those who will benefit from the program.
- Financial stakeholders: include risk/opportunity assessments and cost benefits
- Customers: include strength of your culture, how sustainability improves quality of products
- Partners: build on the foundation of trustworthiness of the company and care for the future
- Employees: build on how they are a part of the culture and how sustainability will better society, include human interest stories that celebrate volunteerism and personal commitment
As a reminder, basic principles of communication and change management apply to stakeholder communication.
Basic communication principles would stress that stakeholder groups should receive their own message uniquely tailored to their needs and that message should be delivered using channels they are already familiar with (i.e., financial analysis for the finance committee, press release for the media and webcast for remote employees). And remember, successful communication means two-way communication, complete with feedback.
However, communication (to stakeholders, as our discussion has focused on) is just one factor in a larger discipline called change management. Research, including the multiple-industry study from Right Management mentioned at the beginning of this article, has shown that effective change management directly affects employee engagement and key financial and business metrics.
Change management is one of the most pressing issues facing today’s corporate leaders and communication professionals. And without communication, a leader cannot effectively manage change.
In summary, the best way to communicate upcoming change to stakeholders is to know their needs and concerns, build a communication plan and craft the meaningful messages tailored to each of them. | http://www.jacksonmg.com/blog/manufacturing-leaders-your-stakeholder-communication-needs-work-part-2/ |
Senior IT Manager
A fast growing, highly successful food manufacturing and retail business, is looking to appoint a Senior IT Manager to enhance the IT function at their North London office.
Reporting to the Head of IT the Senior IT Manager must be capable of driving change, delivering key projects and helping develop the IT team into an enabling team of the future. This is a newly created role and some of the key responsibilities will include:
- Support and guide the IT Applications team in providing stable and fit for purpose applications to the Group
- Consistently deliver quality, innovative and cost-effective technical and/or process solutions
- Program manage cross-platform system development projects
- Ensure consistency of delivery and methodology across all IT activities
- Support and deputise for the Head of IT in the operational management of the IT function
- Coordinate multiple cross-function and/or cross-platform IT projects and services through programme management.
- Manage project financials [cost prediction, forecasting, tracking of actual spend/commitment and variance reporting] and mitigate against cost overruns
- Actively build positive and professional relationships with users and business partners. Build strong partnership relationships across all business areas and leverage 3rd party service providers
- In conjunction with users, review potential systems developments in light of business needs/cost effectiveness and technical opportunities, and make appropriate recommendations
- Deputise for Head of IT as business and peer first contact point on IT personnel, support and project issues where necessary.
- Assume responsibility for aspects of operational management of the IT function as required.
- Assist Head of IT in successfully managing and implementing department wide changes
- Review and implement business improvement initiatives, ensuring they are business-led and technology-enabled
The Candidate:
- In-depth understanding of the role of IT in driving productivity, efficiency and growth, as much as protecting profit and safeguarding assets
- Retail experience, particularly in a head office environment
- Experienced in team leadership and management
- Knowledge of ERP and stock systems
- Experience of managing technology within a fast-paced, growing business
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to accurately interpret relevant information when solving systems issues and analysing requirements
- Project/programme managed complex cross-functional projects
- Successfully managed significant change within an IT function and the wider business
- Ability to work flexibly and undertake tasks and activities in support of other IT colleagues
- Ability to multi-task and to work across both support and development environments
- Resilient and understands and appreciates different styles of working
- Innate determination and curiosity to solve problems and find solutions
- Comfortable and confident working successfully with stakeholders at all levels
This constitutes an excellent opportunity for someone looking for a role where they can help deliver meaningful change whilst working within a fast growing, very successful company with ambitious plans for the future.
Select benefits include:
- A highly competitive basic salary up to £70k
- A benefits package including bonus, pension and healthcare
- Unrivalled flexibility
- Continuous professional development
Required skills
- Applications
- Retail
- SQL
- Team Leadership
- ERP software experience
Reference: 42583616
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Why Do Construction Cost Overruns Happen?
Construction cost overruns happen when a project incurs unexpected and unanticipated costs. These costs are in excess of the planned budget.
Along with being over budget, the construction project is likely behind schedule. This adds up to a range of problems for the project stakeholders, taxpayers, construction contractors, and citizens relying on the completion of this project.
In its 2017 Global Construction Survey, KPMG revealed that only 31% of projects surveyed over a 3-year period came within 10% of the estimated budget.
This number should encourage people involved in approving, reviewing, estimating, and funding construction projects to take action.
Top 5 Reasons Why Construction Cost Overruns Happen
At PCS we believe there are five fundamental reasons why construction cost overruns happen.
It’s important to remember that just like in any business, nothing happens in isolation. When one part of the construction project breaks down, for example, planning errors or estimating mistakes, this has a carry-over effect on the rest of the construction project.
“A capital project is rarely derailed by a single problem; it usually takes a series of failed steps along the way to put a project in jeopardy,” says Daryl Walcroft, PwC US Capital Projects & Infrastructure partner.
“And often the blame can be spread among the owners, designers, and building contractors.” (Correcting the course of capital projects, PwC)
The five fundamental reasons why construction cost overruns happen:
- Ineffective Project Governance, Management, and Oversight
At the outset of a construction project it’s critical that everyone involved in the project stays focused on the ultimate goal of the project – successful construction on-time and on-budget.
With attention to this goal, it is easier to get decision-makers, stakeholders, investors, and others involved in the project to slow down and make time for thorough project oversight, a management review, and a critical analysis of project feasibility.
- Unexpected Site Conditions
So often, the teams doing the work on the ground are not prepared for the discovery of uncharted utilities, archeological discoveries, unexpected and potentially dangerous ground-water conditions, environmental and infrastructure problems, weak soil, and unexpected hazardous materials.
This underscores why it is so important to do a thorough site review and to discuss all possible issues that could interrupt and add cost to the project. Stakeholders and construction teams should conduct thorough feasibility studies to understand the technical requirements of the project.
- Poor Project Definition Poor project definition inevitably ends up forcing change orders, scope creep, and scheduling changes. Before any funding is secured, contracts are signed, or materials are ordered, the project definition must be clarified and vetted. Again, using feasibility studies including economic, operational, and scheduling feasibility studies will reveal any issues with the project and help refine the project scope and goal.
- Inadequate Communication and Decision Making
On-going and honest communication is critical. Too many construction projects are derailed with miscommunication. Emails aren’t read or sent, meetings are missed, and key decision-makers fail to communicate with one another.
It’s key that issues are identified early on- when there is time and money to adjust the scope of the construction project. Any delays on signing off on a contract or approving a decision results in delays that further impact the bottom-line and success of the project.
- Design Errors and Omissions Leading to Scope Creep and Change Orders
Scope creep and change orders can and will break a project. When change orders are made in the middle of a project, the budget is typically no longer viable. Any change in scope requires new materials, new staff, schedule adjustments, and additional funding.
To prevent change orders and scope creeps, construction teams and stakeholders should work with an independent team to complete a Basis of Estimate, feasibility assessments, design reviews, scheduling analysis, and vetting of personnel.
What Are the Impacts of Construction Cost Overruns?
The impacts of construction cost overruns are wide-ranging and long-lasting. A quick Google search reveals the general skepticism most people have with any construction project being completed on-time and on-budget.
This negative reputation tarnishes the entire industry, making it harder for stakeholders to secure funding and to win the public’s trust. Construction cost overruns force:
- Companies to shift internal budgets, lay-off staff, and drop future projects to accommodate for the cost overruns and delays of the current project.
- Governments to cancel future projects, cut corners in municipal planning, and effectively break promises to the people they serve.
- Citizens to lose their jobs, to pay higher taxes, and to suffer the long-term consequences of cost estimation and oversight errors. For example, budgets are shifted from one project to pay for the current project – resulting in the cancelation of things like road improvement, school and teacher support (salaries), hospital infrastructure growth, etc.
For real-world examples of the impacts of construction cost overruns, read:
- What Lessons Can Be Learned From the Boston Big Dig
- What is Happening with California High-Speed Rail?
- Scope Creep and Cost Overruns Overwhelm Ireland Construction Projects.
5 Ways Planning Can Help Prevent Construction Cost Overruns
These five must-do planning steps can help prevention construction cost overruns:
- Accurate Project Estimation: avoid mistakes in the budget, schedule, plan, equipment needs and access, contractor availability, and design with thorough and honest project estimates. Devote adequate time and resources for project due diligence.
- Independent Project Oversight: work with a team of cost advisers who do not have attachments to your project to give you an unbiased review and analysis of your project’s viability.
- Basis of Cost Estimate (BOE): a BOE is used to define the time, resources, and money required to successfully complete a construction project on-schedule and on-budget. A BOE allows you to clearly understand the key factors that can determine the success or failure of your project.
- Change Order and Scope Creep Readiness: during the contract negotiation phase, make sure you include change order provisions – these should detail the plans, steps, and budget for any required change orders or scope creep.
- Communicate Often and Clearly: both the successes and failures of the project need to be communicated openly and honestly. Keep the lines of communication open and make it clear that everyone working on the project has the right and freedom to raise issues and concerns.
Cost Overruns Shouldn’t Be Part of Your Construction Project
You do not want to be involved in a project that is caught-up in construction cost overruns. It’s time to break the cycle of construction cost overruns.
Contact PCS to learn how we work with you from start-to-finish to keep your construction project on-budget, on-schedule, and on-scope. We’re there with you during the planning phase, construction phase, and for the project post-mortem.
About the author
Lee Thomas, MBA is the chairman and CEO of Project Cost Solutions. Lee has over 20 years of hands-on operational process experience under his belt. He is deeply committed to seeing your construction project succeed. | https://projectcostsolutions.com/why-do-construction-cost-overruns-happen/ |
As companies began to incorporate Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) into their strategy and processes, there has been a spurt in the demand for services connected with CSR projects. Companies realised that funding and implementing isolated and fragmented initiatives have not been effective. So, the first challenge was to evolve a comprehensive CSR policy and identify key thrust areas which align with the company’s overall business plan and strategy. Secondly, companies often lacked internal expertise to run full-fledged CSR programmes. Moreover, running programmes with one’s own staff was not cost-effective either. We at ISRF provide a range of support services and end-to-end solutions in the area of CSR projects. It starts with consulting and advisory services in the area of policymaking. We work with companies in tweaking and fine-tuning CSR policies. The next step is to translate the policy into actionable projects and programmes. This involves conducting preparatory surveys and studies and followed by project design.
CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
We at ISRF work with our clients in providing them valuable inputs regarding:
- Thrust areas for CSR projects – in alignment with business policy and practice
- Identification of target communities – Direct and indirect
- Selection of implementation partners – with proven track record and due diligence
- Budgeting and resources – linking money spent to tangible and measurable impact on communities and long term benefits for the company and its brand
- Project management – Minimising delays and cost overruns
- Project Monitoring & Evaluation – Measuring effectiveness
The CSR programme in the field of agriculture mainly focuses on income enhancement of marginal paddy farmers through mechanized cultivation. Training, exposure visit and demo farming activities are carried out to overcome their beliefs and make them use machineries for the transplantation and weeding process. This reduces the drudgery and increases the yield of the crop there increases their income.
Skill training is also given to the farmers to develop alternate employment opportunities. Tuition program for computer and English subjects is conducted for the children of the marginal farmers to increase their knowledge and education. | http://testingwebsite.host/our-services/csr/ |
The Resale Finance APAC Analyst will be involved in the day-to-day processing of finance activities for the Resale business.
Candidate should be able to work independently, proactively with good attention to details and a fluent English. And will be reporting to a Senior Analyst based in Prague from a daily operational stand point.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (BULLETS)
Provide end to end Finance cover including Procurement to Resale business.
Billing and revenue recognition.
Setting up WBS elements and clients.
Creation of Purchase Orders for Resale business
Analyze and reconcile Resale WBS elements.
Order tracking and management, liaison with clients, project teams and other finance teams (CFM)
Maintain relationships with key stakeholders (attending calls, providing reports, resolving issues or delays).
Develop an understanding of Finance policy and Legal issues
Ensure all internal controls adhered to.
Manage the day to day processes and report to our manager on issues, projects and processing. statistics
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS (BULLETS)
Accounting background with strong analytical skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills. Should be very fluent in English.
Competent in Microsoft Office
Ability to interact with varying levels of people within the organization in different time zone
The ability to work to a well-defined process, dealing with exceptions as they occur.
Positive proactive attitude and flexibility.
Demonstrated focus on customer services coupled with a flexible, can-do attitude
A high level of organizational skills is required to ensure accurate records of requests and appropriate follow up and reporting.
Experience using SAP is preferred
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS (BULLETS)
Candidates should demonstrate experience in the following areas:
Financial and/or other relevant Bachelors degree with 1 year of experience in Finance domain
Experience working in a customer service-related environment an advantage
Knowledge of Accenture''s organization and offerings an advantage
Knowledge/experience of Accenture Global Resale an advantage
Salary: Not Disclosed by Recruiter
Industry:IT-Software / Software Services
Functional Area:Accounts, Finance, Tax, Company Secretary, Audit
Role Category:Finance/Audit
Role:Financial Analyst
Employment Type:Full Time, Permanent
Keyskills
Desired Candidate Profile
Education-
PG:Post Graduation Not Required
Doctorate:Doctorate Not Required
Company Profile
Accenture Solutions Pvt Ltd
IMPORTANT NOTICE
We have been alerted to the existence of fraudulent messages asking job seekers to set up payment to cover various costs associated with establishing employment at Accenture. No one is ever required to pay for employment at Accenture. If you are contacted by someone asking for payment, please do not respond, and contact us at [email protected] immediately. | https://www.naukri.com/job-listings-Resale-Finance-Analyst-APAC-Accenture-Solutions-Pvt-Ltd-Bengaluru-Bangalore-Pune-2-to-6-years-191219904035?xp=17 |
By Abboud Zahr
Major new natural gas liquefaction plants are planned throughout the world, from the United States, Canada, East Africa, to Australia.
There are several factors involved in successfully completing one of these multibillion dollar facilities, including: gaining a firm market commitment; securing an adequate supply and upstream pipeline capacity; securing financing; and, of course, clearing all necessary regulatory and location hurdles. After all these conditions have been satisfied, project owners must then plan, design and construct the facility, which is no small matter. Stories of massive cost overruns have pervaded the industry, and given the sheer number of facilities likely to be attempted worldwide, construction challenges are now a fact of life. Thus, it is important to highlight some insights into the potential obstacles developers might face and the lessons learned when constructing LNG facilities.
Several unique design and construction challenges and risks that have been encountered by these international LNG export facilities, which will likely be faced by sponsors of such projects in Cyprus. In addition, some best practices can be applied and utilised to limit or control the effects of risks.
Some of the known reasons that make such projects complicated and difficult to execute are: remote, undeveloped project locations; limited pool of potential contractors competent in mega-projects; overheated markets and impact on supply/costs; construction of marine facilities and contractor delays and claims
As typically occurs in the energy industry, as new opportunities give rise to new types of risks and complications, practices and approaches are identified and adopted to address and control those challenges.
The delivery model for the project, including the different parties involved, their respective roles and responsibilities, the form of contract, etc., is the most basic tool in the construction industry for the allocation and control of risk. And as the characteristics and size of projects in the oil and gas industry have changed over the decades, project delivery models have evolved to keep pace.
The traditional construction project delivery model, design-bid-build, is not a common practice in the hydrocarbons industry. Such an approach requires an extended period of time, delaying the first delivery of product to market. In addition, it creates the potential for gaps in responsibility between the design and construction entities, often leading to delays and claims.
In order to address these problems, the industry moved toward the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model, in which the owner contracts with one entity to design, procure equipment and commodities, construct, and commission the facility. Importantly, this allowed for the contractor to overlap the design and construction process, significantly reducing the duration of projects. It also eliminated any gaps in responsibility for design and construction activities and reduced claims for design changes.
However, as addressed above, the increase in the scope of current LNG projects, due to the need to construct substantial infrastructure prior to the onset of construction of processing facilities, can significantly increase the duration and cost of the project. Under the typical EPC delivery model, this could result in too long a period until first operation, as well as projects too large for most contractors to accept the risk of a fixed price contract.
The industry has adapted to these challenges by beginning to employ further innovative methods as follows:
Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management (EPCM) Contract – Cost Reimbursable: Under this method, the owner contracts with one entity to perform the engineering, procurement, and construction management services on a cost-reimbursable basis. The EPCM entity performs the engineering and procurement work, and with the assistance of the Construction Management (CM) team of that entity, the owner contracts with various contractors to construct the facility. This approach allows for the benefits of the EPC approach (overlap of design and construction and input from the CM firm early in the process), but avoids the problem of finding a contractor willing to accept the risk of a US$10 billion fixed price contract. It also provides the owner with the opportunity to have significant input regarding the purchase of equipment, key design or technology issues and contractor selection. It does, however, require that the owner employ a very large team of experienced construction personnel to fulfill its substantial responsibilities. It also opens the owner to risks of unexpected cost overruns.
Engineering, Procurement (Cost Reimbursable) Contract, Followed by Fixed Price Construction Contract (EPC): The owner contracts with an entity for the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) and procurement activities as well as initial infrastructure construction work, on a cost reimbursable basis. Once the initial work is complete and the design of the process system has advanced sufficiently to identify the full scope of the work, the entity provides a fixed price or a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the remainder of the design and construction work.
The selection between these two methods generally depends upon the factors on which the owner places the greatest emphasis: owner control and input as well as shortest duration (EPCM); or reliance on a major design-construction firm and limited cost growth.
In either case, use of these delivery methods have allowed project owners to address the challenges of initial infrastructure work, daunting cost estimates, and a limited supply of capable design and construction firms for today’s major LNG projects.
In summary, it is a long road from knowing you want to build a liquefaction plant and having the financing and approvals, to sending out the first shipload.
Good planning would mitigate the risks along that long road to make the Vasilikos LNG plant a reality. | https://cyprus-mail.com/2014/06/15/prerequisites-for-the-success-of-the-vasilikos-lng-plant/ |
The Major Projects Report 2004 examined the cost, time and technical performance in the year ended 31 March 2004 for the 20 largest projects where the main investment decision had been taken and the ten largest projects in the assessment phase. For the 20 largest projects, the Ministry of Defence (the Department) forecast the costs at £50 billion, an increase of £1.7 billion in the last year (compared to £3.1 billion in the previous year), bringing them to £5.9 billion over the target cost set at approval (or 13% of the total forecast set at approval). The 20 projects have also had further delays, totalling 62 months, to their expected delivery dates, bringing the cumulative delay to 206 months. Cumulatively, these in-year cost increases and delays place additional pressures on an already-stretched defence budget and mean that the Armed Forces will not be getting the most effective capability at the right time. There will be further cuts or cancellations in equipment, and the Armed Forces will have to operate older, less-capable, less efficient equipment for longer.
Although the Department's performance on delivering equipment to cost and to time is disappointing, its performance on meeting defined capability requirements continues to be good. Eighteen of the 20 projects are expected to meet their key user requirements.
The principles underpinning Smart Acquisition are sound, but have not convincingly improved defence procurement because they have not been consistently applied. On large complex projects, problems in the demonstration and manufacture phases have often resulted. Performing sufficient work in the earlier assessment phase would have created a better chance of identifying potential problems and putting mitigating action into place. The Defence Procurement Agency's recent reforms to reinvigorate Smart Acquisition should promote better applications of the principles but the Agency will have to work hard to ensure that the new reforms succeed where previous initiatives have failed. All stakeholders in defence procurement will need to work closely together with the shared aim of improved acquisition.
On the basis of a Report from the Comptroller and Auditor General, our predecessors took evidence from the Department on 31 January 2005. They examined three main issues: the impact of the continuing large cost overruns and delays; the challenge of handling large complex projects; and whether the latest reform programme will succeed where previous ones have failed. Our conclusions and recommendations in this Report build upon those of our predecessors on previous Major Projects Reports, in particular, that in 2003. The Department responded positively to our earlier recommendations in the Major Projects Report 2003. Both sets of recommendations should now be progressed as a consistent and coherent programme. | https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200506/cmselect/cmpubacc/410/41003.htm |
Prior to CoST: Public infrastructure in context
Corruption has been identified as one the main issues affecting governance in Ethiopia. According to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, Ethiopia scored just 27 in 2009 and had shown only a slight improvement by 2018, when it scored 34. As in all countries, infrastructure in Ethiopia is particularly susceptible to corruption and mismanagement for a number of reasons, including its highly technical nature, the huge project costs involved and lengthy procurement cycles.
CoST Ethiopia: How it all began
Ethiopia was one of the eight countries chosen to be part of CoST’s three-year pilot programme, which focused on how a multi-stakeholder approach could increase transparency and accountability in delivering infrastructure projects. As a result of this, the then commissioner of the Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (FEACC) kick-started discussion in Ethiopia around full CoST membership and a committee was formed to undertake preparations. Upon its acceptance, the commissioner of FEACC was appointed as CoST Champion and FEACC the host organisation.
The four features of CoST
The CoST approach is focussed on four core features: disclosure, assurance, multi-stakeholder working and social accountability. These features provide a global standard for CoST implementation in enhancing infrastructure transparency and accountability.
Disclosure in Ethiopia
The disclosure process ensures that information about the purpose, scope, costs and execution of infrastructure projects is open and accessible to the public, and that it is disclosed in a timely manner.
Disclosure is progressing in Ethiopia with two procuring entities disclosing information on 17 projects, with further commitments to scale up their disclosure. This is significant given the changes in the political economy currently underway in the country. The procuring entities are Addis Ababa Water and Sewerage Authority (AAWSA) and Addis Ababa City Roads Authority (AACRA). This data is currently published on CoST Ethiopia’s website and will be published on the AAWSA and AACRA websites when they are next upgraded. Despite the fact that the internet in Ethiopia was shut down for weeks at a time in the first six months of 2019, there was nevertheless an average of 887 unique monthly visitors to the CoST disclosure portal during this time.
The total number of projects disclosed in Ethiopia currently stands at 106.
Cross-government commitment to disclosure
In 2016, CoST Ethiopia signed a quadripartite Memorandum of Understanding on sustainable disclosure in line with the CoST Infrastructure Data Standard (CoST IDS). This was signed with FEACC, the Office of the Federal Auditor General (OFAG) and the Federal Public Procurement and Property Administration Agency (FPPA). The memorandum formalises these procuring entities’ commitment to disclosing data and specifies the projects which will be included. As a result of this, CoST Ethiopia has trained 42 procuring entities and helped adapt the FPPA’s website to disclose project information.
Ultimately, this commitment aims to introduce proactive disclosure in all federal procuring entities.
Training
CoST Ethiopia trains officials from procuring entities on the CoST approach and the disclosure process, often enlisting professionals from stakeholder institutions to lead these sessions. In addition, representatives from CoST Ethiopia attend external events, panels and training sessions in order to communicate the CoST approach: to date, over 870 representatives from the media, government and other stakeholders in Ethiopia have received CoST training as a result.
Online portals
Regular, proactive disclosure has not yet started in Ethiopia. However, the Public Procurement and Property Administration Agency’s portal holds data from 41 contracts from 16 procuring entities. CoST Ethiopia’s portal holds data from 17 projects which have been proactively disclosed.
Legal mandate for disclosure
Institutionalising the CoST approach via legal mandates will help ensure the long-term sustainability of transparency actions. CoST Ethiopia is working with appropriate government institutions to ensure this is achieved.
Ethiopia’s Procurement and Property Administration Proclamation (No.649/2009) has laid the groundwork for a legal mandate on disclosure in Ethiopia. While the proclamation signifies good progress towards institutionalising CoST disclosure requirements in Ethiopian law, it falls short of regulating full proactive disclosure. It is currently under revision and CoST Ethiopia is working towards including articles which address all aspects of disclosure, such as more a rigorous assessment of the pre and post-contract award stage.
Assurance
We promote accountability through the CoST assurance process – an independent review of the disclosed data by assurance teams based within CoST national programmes. The teams identify key issues of concern in relation to the items listed in the CoST IDS and put technical jargon into plain language. This allows social accountability stakeholders to easily understand the issues and hold decision-makers to account.
Between 2010 and 2016, CoST Ethiopia’a assurance process reviewed 52 building, road and water infrastructure projects representing US$3.27 billion of investment. In 2016, an Aggregation Study was published by CoST Ethiopia to review and synthesise the project information disclosed, and provide a comprehensive overview of the state of Ethiopian infrastructure.
CoST Ethiopia has undertaken three assurance processes. A full mix of stakeholders from government, the private sector, and media and civil society attended CoST Ethiopia’s most recent report launch in November 2018. The third assurance report, which assessed 14 building projects with a collective value of US$ 78.2 million, found procuring entities disclosed an average of 68% of the CoST IDS. In Ethiopia the CoST IDS has been adapted to the Ethiopian context so that 70 data points (or items) are used to assess infrastructure transparency across key stages of the project cycle.
The last assurance process highlighted that progress still needs to be made to enable a culture of disclosure in Ethiopia. There are also issues relating to time and cost overruns, poor preparation for projects, noncompliance with procurement regulations and capacity limitations within the sector. A key recommendation was to amend procurement regulations in such a way as they cover the full spectrum of procurement, enhancing the capacity of enforcing bodies and introducing transparency. Crucially, these all require buy-in from political leadership.
The 14 project reports which were produced during CoST Ethiopia’s third assurance process are available here. Various reports for CoST Ethiopia’s previous assurance processes can be found here.
Multi-stakeholder working in Ethiopia
CoST brings together stakeholder groups with different perspectives and backgrounds from across government, private sector and civil society. Through each national programme’s Multi-Stakeholder Group, these entities can guide the delivery of CoST and pursue infrastructure transparency and accountability within a neutral forum.
CoST Ethiopia’s MSG currently has nine members from civil society, government and private sector. The current Champion of CoST Ethiopia is H.E. Ayelign Mulualem, Commissioner of FEACC.
Social accountability
CoST works with social accountability stakeholders such as the media and civil society to promote the findings from its assurance process so that they can then put key issues into the public domain. In this way, civil society, the media and citizens can all be aware of issues and hold decision-makers to account.
Engaging with media outlets is a key means by which to enhance social accountability and ensure that decision makers remain responsive to issues in public infrastructure. CoST Ethiopia has established a media forum through which to engage media outlets, which has resulted in two training sessions for the media and serves as a means to communicate all CoST activities. At the launch of CoST Ethiopia’s third assurance report in November 2018, CoST Ethiopia convened national media outlets to focus on the report’s key messages and disseminate findings to the public. The report was reported on in 14 separate mainstream outlets including a radio talk-show.
Additional information
CoST Ethiopia is currently in the final phase of its first strategic plan. The final milestone of the strategic plan will be to introduce proactive disclosure in all federal procuring entities. As mentioned above, this will be enacted through the quadripartite memorandum of understanding signed with FEACC, OFAG and FPPA. The Procurement Proclamation is also under revision, which brings an opportunity to introduce relevant articles for transparency and procurement. The second strategic plan, which is currently being prepared, will include a focus on new areas such as advocacy and the introduction of transparency indices.
In terms of next steps in the assurance process, CoST Ethiopia will soon undertake its fourth assurance process, involving procuring entities from transport, building and water sectors. | https://infrastructuretransparency.org/where-we-work/cost-ethiopia/ |
Neoclassical economics is an approach to economics focusing on the determination of goods, outputs, and income distributions in markets through supply and demand. This determination is often mediated through a hypothesized maximization of utility by income-constrained individuals and of profits by firms facing production costs and employing available information and factors of production, in accordance with rational choice theory, a theory that has come under considerable question in recent years.
Neoclassical economics dominates microeconomics and, together with Keynesian economics, forms the neoclassical synthesis which dominates mainstream economics today. Although neoclassical economics has gained widespread acceptance by contemporary economists, there have been many critiques of neoclassical economics, often incorporated into newer versions of neoclassical theory, but some remaining distinct fields.
OverviewThe term was originally introduced by Thorstein Veblen in his 1900 article 'Preconceptions of Economic Science', in which he related marginalists in the tradition of Alfred Marshall et al. to those in the Austrian School.
No attempt will here be made even to pass a verdict on the relative claims of the recognized two or three main "schools" of theory, beyond the somewhat obvious finding that, for the purpose in hand, the so-called Austrian school is scarcely distinguishable from the neo-classical, unless it be in the different distribution of emphasis. The divergence between the modernized classical views, on the one hand, and the historical and Marxist schools, on the other hand, is wider, so much so, indeed, as to bar out a consideration of the postulates of the latter under the same head of inquiry with the former. – Veblen
It was later used by John Hicks, George Stigler, and others to include the work of Carl Menger, William Stanley Jevons, Léon Walras, John Bates Clark, and many others. Today it is usually used to refer to mainstream economics, although it has also been used as an umbrella term encompassing a number of other schools of thought, notably excluding institutional economics, various historical schools of economics, and Marxian economics, in addition to various other heterodox approaches to economics.
Neoclassical economics is characterized by several assumptions common to many schools of economic thought. There is not a complete agreement on what is meant by neoclassical economics, and the result is a wide range of neoclassical approaches to various problem areas and domains—ranging from neoclassical theories of labor to neoclassical theories of demographic changes.
Three central assumptionsIt was expressed by E. Roy Weintraub that neoclassical economics rests on three assumptions, although certain branches of neoclassical theory may have different approaches:
- People have rational preferences between outcomes that can be identified and associated with values.
- Individuals maximize utility and firms maximize profits.
- People act independently on the basis of full and relevant information.
Given, a certain population, with various needs and powers of production, in possession of certain lands and other sources of material: required, the mode of employing their labour which will maximize the utility of their produce.
From the basic assumptions of neoclassical economics comes a wide range of theories about various areas of economic activity. For example, profit maximization lies behind the neoclassical theory of the firm, while the derivation of demand curves leads to an understanding of consumer goods, and the supply curve allows an analysis of the factors of production. Utility maximization is the source for the neoclassical theory of consumption, the derivation of demand curves for consumer goods, and the derivation of labor supply curves and reservation demand.
Market supply and demand are aggregated across firms and individuals. Their interactions determine equilibrium output and price. The market supply and demand for each factor of production is derived analogously to those for market to determine equilibrium income and the income distribution. Factor demand incorporates the marginal-productivity relationship of that factor in the output market.
Neoclassical economics emphasizes equilibria, which are the solutions of agent maximization problems. Regularities in economies are explained by methodological individualism, the position that economic phenomena can be explained by aggregating over the behavior of agents. The emphasis is on microeconomics. Institutions, which might be considered as prior to and conditioning individual behavior, are de-emphasized. Economic subjectivism accompanies these emphases. See also general equilibrium.
Origins, developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, included a value theory and distribution theory. The value of a product was thought to depend on the costs involved in producing that product. The explanation of costs in classical economics was simultaneously an explanation of distribution. A landlord received rent, workers received wages, and a capitalist tenant farmer received profits on their investment. This classic approach included the work of Adam Smith and David Ricardo.
However, some economists gradually began emphasizing the perceived value of a good to the consumer. They proposed a theory that the value of a product was to be explained with differences in utility to the consumer.
The third step from political economy to economics was the introduction of marginalism and the proposition that economic actors made decisions based on margins. For example, a person decides to buy a second sandwich based on how full he or she is after the first one, a firm hires a new employee based on the expected increase in profits the employee will bring. This differs from the aggregate decision making of classical political economy in that it explains how vital goods such as water can be cheap, while luxuries can be expensive.
Marginal revolutionThe change in economic theory from classical to neoclassical economics has been called the "marginal revolution", although it has been argued that the process was slower than the term suggests. It is frequently dated from William Stanley Jevons's Theory of Political Economy, Carl Menger's Principles of Economics, and Léon Walras's Elements of Pure Economics. Historians of economics and economists have debated:
- Whether utility or marginalism was more essential to this revolution
- Whether there was a revolutionary change of thought or merely a gradual development and change of emphasis from their predecessors
- Whether grouping these economists together disguises differences more important than their similarities.
Alfred Marshall's textbook, Principles of Economics, was the dominant textbook in England a generation later. Marshall's influence extended elsewhere; Italians would compliment Maffeo Pantaleoni by calling him the "Marshall of Italy". Marshall thought classical economics attempted to explain prices by the cost of production. He asserted that earlier marginalists went too far in correcting this imbalance by overemphasizing utility and demand. Marshall thought that "We might as reasonably dispute whether it is the upper
or the under blade of a pair of scissors that cuts a piece of paper, as whether value is governed by utility or cost of production".
Marshall explained price by the intersection of supply and demand curves. The introduction of different market "periods" was an important innovation of Marshall's:
- Market period. The goods produced for sale on the market are taken as given data, e.g. in a fish market. Prices quickly adjust to clear markets.
- Short period. Industrial capacity is taken as given. The level of output, the level of employment, the inputs of raw materials, and prices fluctuate to equate marginal cost and marginal revenue, where profits are maximized. Economic rents exist in short period equilibrium for fixed factors, and the rate of profit is not equated across sectors.
- Long period. The stock of capital goods, such as factories and machines, is not taken as given. Profit-maximizing equilibria determine both industrial capacity and the level at which it is operated.
- Very long period. Technology, population trends, habits and customs are not taken as given, but allowed to vary in very long period models.
Further developmentsAn important change in neoclassical economics occurred around 1933. Joan Robinson and Edward H. Chamberlin, with the near simultaneous publication of their respective books, The Economics of Imperfect Competition and The Theory of Monopolistic Competition, introduced models of imperfect competition. Theories of market forms and industrial organization grew out of this work. They also emphasized certain tools, such as the marginal revenue curve.
Joan Robinson's work on imperfect competition, at least, was a response to certain problems of Marshallian partial equilibrium theory highlighted by Piero Sraffa. Anglo-American economists also responded to these problems by turning towards general equilibrium theory, developed on the European continent by Walras and Vilfredo Pareto. J. R. Hicks's Value and Capital was influential in introducing his English-speaking colleagues to these traditions. He, in turn, was influenced by the Austrian School economist Friedrich Hayek's move to the London School of Economics, where Hicks then studied.
These developments were accompanied by the introduction of new tools, such as indifference curves and the theory of ordinal utility. The level of mathematical sophistication of neoclassical economics increased. Paul Samuelson's Foundations of Economic Analysis contributed to this increase in mathematical modelling.
The interwar period in American economics has been argued to have been pluralistic, with neoclassical economics and institutionalism competing for allegiance. Frank Knight, an early Chicago school economist attempted to combine both schools. But this increase in mathematics was accompanied by greater dominance of neoclassical economics in Anglo-American universities after World War II. Some argue that outside political interventions, such as McCarthyism, and internal ideological bullying played an important role in this rise to dominance.
Hicks' book, Value and Capital had two main parts. The second, which was arguably not immediately influential, presented a model of temporary equilibrium. Hicks was influenced directly by Hayek's notion of intertemporal coordination and paralleled by earlier work by Lindhal. This was part of an abandonment of disaggregated long run models. This trend probably reached its culmination with the Arrow–Debreu model of intertemporal equilibrium. The Arrow–Debreu model has canonical presentations in Gérard Debreu's Theory of Value and in Arrow and Hahn's "General Competitive Analysis".
Many of these developments were against the backdrop of improvements in both econometrics, that is the ability to measure prices and changes in goods and services, as well as their aggregate quantities, and in the creation of macroeconomics, or the study of whole economies. The attempt to combine neo-classical microeconomics and Keynesian macroeconomics would lead to the neoclassical synthesis which has been the dominant paradigm of economic reasoning in English-speaking countries since the 1950s. Hicks and Samuelson were for example instrumental in mainstreaming Keynesian economics.
Macroeconomics influenced the neoclassical synthesis from the other direction, undermining foundations of classical economic theory such as Say's law, and assumptions about political economy such as the necessity for a hard-money standard. These developments are reflected in neoclassical theory by the search for the occurrence in markets of the equilibrium conditions of Pareto optimality and self-sustainability.
CriticismsPerhaps the best way to frame a criticism of Neoclassical Economics is in the terms offered by Leijonhufvud in the contention that "Instead of looking for an alternative to replace it, we should try to imagine an economic theory to transcend its limitations." The contention also points to the need to bring in empirical science... testing and re-testing Neoclassical Economics propositions... in order to nudge the Framework and Theory toward a foundation of empirical reality. It is with such empirical reality we might transcend limitations. Leijonhufvud is speaking from the perspective of Experimental Economics; Behavioral Economics, too, uses experimental techniques, but also relies on surveys and other observations of what drives economic choice, also seeking ways to bring economic reality into the Framework and Theory. For overviews of the many empirical findings in both Experimental and Behavioral Economics, some supporting Neoclassical Economics and many suggesting changes needed in the Framework and Theory, see Altman and Tomer.. Also, for an overview of the empirical findings relating to conservation behavior, as in the notion of Empathy Conservation, see Lynne et al.. Neoclassical Economics Framing and Theory has a history of not being able to adequately explain choices related to the interdependence of a person with the natural system.
Neoclassical economics is sometimes criticized for having a normative bias. In this view, it does not focus on explaining actual economies, but instead on describing a theoretical world in which Pareto optimality applies.
Perhaps the strongest criticism lies in its disregard for the physical limits of the Earth and its ecosphere which are the physical container of all human economies. This disregard becomes hot denial by neoclassical economists when limits are asserted, since to accept such limits creates fundamental contradictions with the foundational presumptions that growth in scale of the human economy forever is both possible and desirable. The disregard/denial of limits includes both resources and "waste sinks", the capacity to absorb human waste products and man-made toxins. Ecological Economics sees interdependent Travelers on a Spaceship Earth, a Spaceship having limits. Neoclassical Economics, instead, sees each Traveler as independent of every other Traveler, and with the natural systems that make Travel on the Spaceship Earth possible, which are presumed to be unlimited, or, at best limited only by knowledge. The empirical reality that people are interdependent with one another and with nature is also recognized in Humanistic Economics, Buddhist Economics and .
Neoclassical Economics addresses the reality of interdependence through the notion of an externality, which is only occasional, and of no real consequence in that the market can always resolve it. Just change the property rights, privatizing the resource or good in question. Empirical reality points to the matter of interdependence being far more complex than can be fixed only with changing to private property rights, seeing the essential need, pragmatically speaking, for a good mix of both private and public property, a major theme in Institutional Economics.
The assumption that individuals act rationally may be viewed as ignoring important aspects of human behavior. Many see the "economic man" as being quite different from real people, the Econ different from the Human. Many economists, even contemporaries, have criticized this model of economic man... with empirical evidence growing in support of representing a person as a Human rather than an Econ. Thorstein Veblen put it most sardonically that neoclassical economics assumes a person to be:
lightning calculator of pleasures and pains, who oscillates like a homogeneous globule of desire of happiness under the impulse of stimuli that shift about the area, but leave him intact.
As a result, neoclassical economics has extreme difficulty explaining such things as voting behavior, or someone running into a burning building to save a complete stranger, perhaps even perishing in the process. Clearly such choices are not much, if at all, in the self-interest. Such "non-rational" decision making has been examined deeply and widely in Behavioral Economics. Perhaps most importantly, Behavioral Economics has empirically demonstrated that while the Econ almost exclusively pursues only self-interest, the Human pursues a Dual Interest. The Dual Interest includes both the Ego-based self-interest and the Empathy-based other -interest.. And, most importantly, it is quite rational to seek balance in Self&Other-interest, even sacrificing a bit in the domain of Self-interest in order to do so.
Voting behavior, as well as running into a burning building, is rational in that it produces payoff in the realm of shared other-interest... as in the right-thing-to-do... which often requires a bit of sacrifice in the domain of self-interest. Rationality is all about maximizing a joint, non-separable and interdependent self&other-interest, which represents the own-interest. Maximizing own-interest generally means a bit of sacrifice in both domains of self-interest and other-interest, with own-interest all about finding balance. The Dual Interest analytical system now represents the analytical engine of a Metaeconomics... the Meta pointing to bringing considerations of both ethics and the moral dimension...the right-thing-to-do... back into the formal structure of Neoclassical Economics. The Moral Dimension was there at the beginning, in the Moral Philosophy of Adam Smith. It is also quite rational to seek a balance in the Own-interest, with the Moral Dimension tempering the Self-interest.
Large corporations might perhaps come closer to the neoclassical ideal of profit maximization, but this is not necessarily viewed as desirable if this comes at the expense of neglect of wider social issues.. The wider social issues are represented in the shared other-interest while profit maximization is represented in the self-interest. Balance is needed.
Problems exist with making the neoclassical general equilibrium theory compatible with an economy that develops over time and includes capital goods. This was explored in a major debate in the 1960s—the "Cambridge capital controversy"—about the validity of neoclassical economics, with an emphasis on economic growth, capital, aggregate theory, and the marginal productivity theory of distribution. There were also internal attempts by neoclassical economists to extend the Arrow–Debreu model to disequilibrium investigations of stability and uniqueness. However a result known as the Sonnenschein–Mantel–Debreu theorem suggests that the assumptions that must be made to ensure that equilibrium is stable and unique are quite restrictive.
Neoclassical economics is also often seen as relying too heavily on complex mathematical models, such as those used in general equilibrium theory, without enough regard to whether these actually describe the real economy. Many see an attempt to model a system as complex as a modern economy by a mathematical model as unrealistic and doomed to failure. A famous answer to this criticism is Milton Friedman's claim that theories should be judged by their ability to predict events rather than by the realism of their assumptions. Mathematical models also include those in game theory, linear programming, and econometrics. Some see mathematical models used in contemporary research in mainstream economics as having transcended neoclassical economics, while others disagree. Critics of neoclassical economics are divided into those who think that highly mathematical method is inherently wrong and those who think that mathematical method is potentially good even if contemporary methods have problems.
In general, allegedly overly unrealistic assumptions are one of the most common criticisms towards neoclassical economics. It is fair to say that many of these criticisms can only be directed towards a subset of the neoclassical models. Its disregard for social reality and its alleged role in aiding the elites to widen the wealth gap and social inequality is also frequently criticized.
It has been argued within the field of Ecological Economics that the Neoclassical Economics system is by nature dysfunctional. It considers the destruction of the natural world through the accelerating consumption of non-renewable resources as well as the exhaustion of the "waste sinks" of the ecosphere as mere "externalities." Such externalities, in turn, are viewed as occurring only occasionally, and easily rectified by shifting public property to private property: The Market will resolve any externalitity, given the opportunity to do so; so, there is no need for any kind of Government, or any other kind of Community "intervention." The Spaceship Earth system is viewed as a subset of the Human Economy, and fully subject to control. Neoclassical Economics sees independence between the Human Economy and the Spaceship, between each Human and Nature. Ecological Economics points, instead, to the Human Economy as being embedded in the Spaceship Earth system, so everything is internal: It sees interdependence between each Human and Nature. In effect, there are no externalities, except for some material and energy exchange beyond the atmosphere of the Spaceship. So, a Framework and Theory is needed to transcend the limitation of the Neoclassical Economics presumption of independence, transcending the focus on only the Ego-based Self-interest of an independent person, in both consumption and production. The inherent interdependence of each person and nature, as well as each person with every other person, is recognized in Frameworks and Theory that see the role of Empathy in forming a shared Other-interest in the outcomes on the Spaceship. The essential need to consider Empathy, in order to address the matter of achieving sustainability on this Spaceship Earth, is also becoming a theme in the natural and environmental sciences. | https://owiki.org/wiki/Neoclassical_economics |
What are the stages of language acquisition?
There are four main stages of normal language acquisition: The babbling stage, the Holophrastic or one-word stage, the two-word stage and the Telegraphic stage.
What started neoclassicism?
Neoclassicism is a revival of the classical past. It developed in Europe in the 18th century when artists began to imitate Greek and Roman antiquity and painters of the Renaissance as a reaction to the excessive style of Baroque and Rococo.
What is neoclassical criticism?
1660–1798): A literary movement, inspired by the rediscovery of classical works of ancient Greece and Rome that emphasized balance, restraint, and order. …
What do neoclassical writers focus on?
Neoclassical literature is characterized by order, accuracy, and structure. In direct opposition to Renaissance attitudes, where man was seen as basically good, the Neoclassical writers portrayed man as inherently flawed. They emphasized restraint, self-control, and common sense.
Why is it called the neoclassical period?
The period is called neoclassical because its writers looked back to the ideals and art forms of classical times, emphasizing even more than their Renaissance predecessors the classical ideals of order and rational control.
What is the difference between neoclassical and neoliberal economics?
Neoclassical economics is most closely related to classical liberalism, the intellectual forefather of neoliberalism. As far as public policy is concerned, neoliberalism borrowed from the assumptions of neoclassical economics to argue for free trade, low taxes, low regulation and low government spending.
What are the three modes of imitation as suggested by Aristotle?
Three Modes of Imitation in Aristotle’s Concept/Theory:
- Tragedy,
- Comedy and.
- Epic Poetry.
Why neoclassical is important?
Neoclassicism was also an important movement in America. The United States modeled itself on the ancient civilizations of Rome and Greece, both architecturally and politically. Neoclassical ideals flowed freely in the newly formed republic, and classically inspired buildings and monuments were erected.
How does neoliberalism affect social work?
Whilst neoliberal theory promotes the ideas of individual liberty, the need for accountability results in a further contradiction with social workers being scrutinized even in their personal capacity and private lives.
What are the elements of neoclassicism?
Neoclassicism is characterized by clarity of form, sober colors, shallow space, strong horizontal and verticals that render that subject matter timeless (instead of temporal as in the dynamic Baroque works), and Classical subject matter (or classicizing contemporary subject matter).
What does neoclassical mean?
: of, relating to, or constituting a revival or adaptation of the classical especially in literature, music, art, or architecture.
What is neoliberalism in education?
Neoliberalism refers to an economic theory that favours free markets and minimal government intervention in the economy. In terms of education, it promotes marketisation policies and transferring services into the private ownership rather than government control.
Is Hayek a neoclassical economist?
Hayek was a neoclassical economist through and through. Keynes’s work was not neoclassical economics, and it has been an ongoing project ever since Keynes published the General Theory to determine whether, and to what extent, Keynes’s theory could be reconciled with neoclassical economic theory.
What does NeoClassical economic theory argue?
Neoclassical economics is an economic theory that argues for markets to be free. This means governments should generally not make rules about types of businesses, businesses’ behaviour, who may make things, who may sell things, who may buy things, prices, quantities or types of things sold and bought.
What does mean imitation?
1 : an act or instance of imitating. 2 : something produced as a copy : counterfeit. 3 : a literary work designed to reproduce the style of another author. 4 : the repetition by one voice of a melody, phrase, or motive stated earlier in the composition by a different voice.
What is imitation in language acquisition?
The role of imitation in language acquisition is examined, including data from the psycholinguistic, operant, and social learning areas. Thus imitation is a process by which new syntactic structures can be first introduced into the productive mode.
What is the concept of neoliberalism?
Neoliberalism is contemporarily used to refer to market-oriented reform policies such as “eliminating price controls, deregulating capital markets, lowering trade barriers” and reducing, especially through privatization and austerity, state influence in the economy.
How would you describe neoclassical aesthetics?
Neoclassicism in the arts is an aesthetic attitude based on the art of Greece and Rome in antiquity, which invokes harmony, clarity, restraint, universality, and idealism.
What was happening during the NeoClassical period?
Major currents: This was a period of political and military unrest, British naval supremacy, economic growth, the rise of the middle class, colonial expansion, the rise of literacy, the birth of the novel and periodicals, the invention of marketing, the rise of the Prime Minister, and social reforms.
What do neoclassical economists believe?
Neoclassical economics is a broad theory that focuses on supply and demand as the driving forces behind the production, pricing, and consumption of goods and services. It emerged in around 1900 to compete with the earlier theories of classical economics.
What is wrong with neoclassical economics?
Neoclassical economics is criticized for its over-dependence on its mathematical approaches. Empirical science is missing in the study. The study, overly based on theoretical models, is not adequate to explain the actual economy, especially on the interdependence of an individual with the system.
What is a good sentence for imitate?
Examples of imitate in a Sentence Her style has been imitated by many other writers. He’s very good at imitating his father’s voice. She can imitate the calls of many different birds.
What are the neoclassical ideals?
The primary Neoclassicist belief was that art should express the ideal virtues in life and could improve the viewer by imparting a moralizing message. Neoclassical architecture was based on the principles of simplicity, symmetry, and mathematics, which were seen as virtues of the arts in Ancient Greece and Rome.
Does imitation play a role in child language acquisition?
Imitation helps toddlers firm up their knowledge. Most of the meaning in a language is held within the way the sounds and symbols are combined. Children learn the language structure and the individual words through imitation. | https://musicofdavidbowie.com/what-are-the-stages-of-language-acquisition/ |
The period between 1865 to 1900, also known as the Gilded Age, was an era of rapid industrialization, immigration, and capitalization in America. After the civil war, previously used factories remained and flourished as manufacturing started to replace farming; which was possible due to vast immigration from Southern and Eastern part of Europe. With an available cheap labor source, businesses rose to great heights, and competition thrived. While companies thrived, working laborers and citizens suffered. Because industrial statesman expanded wealth and created opportunities, but also exploited workers, disrupted competition, and manipulated factors of production, it is justified to characterize the industrial leaders of the Gilded age as both “robber barons” and “industrial statement”.
Our age has witnessed a rapid economic growth accompanied by surging consumer demand and mass production ever since about two hundred years ago during the first industrial revolution. Technological productivity highly increases, and so does the extraction of resources, production of goods and services, and consumption of various newly-developed products. Then here comes the time when consumerism begins on the stage of history--coming across the rusty old age of past desires for simplicity, it rather concentrates on “the chronic purchasing of goods and services, with little attention to their true need, durability, product origin or the environmental consequences of manufacture and disposal,” bringing about benefits as well as challenges (Verdant).
Neoclassical Theory of Migration One of the oldest and most commonly used theory used to explain migration is the Neoclassical theory of Migration. Neoclassical Theory (Sjaastad 1962; Todaro 1969) proposes that international migration is connected to the global supply and demand for labor. Nations with scarce labor supply and high demand will have high wages that attract immigrants from nations with a surplus of labor. The main assumption of neoclassical theory of migration is led by the push factors which cause person to leave and the pull forces which draw them to come to that nation. The Neoclassical theory states that the major cause of migration is different pay and access to jobs even though it looks at other factors contributing to the departure, the essential position is taken by individual higher wages benefit element.
The aim of this paper is to deal with manufacturing cost (which consists of direct material, direct labour and manufacturing overhead that incurred during the production of a product (http://www.accountingtool.com).) prior and after to the 20th century, talk over how manufacturing cost has changed and how the changes impact to management accounting practices in recent years. According to Dr Veyis Naci Tanis’s paper, he mentioned that for the last 20th century, manufacturing environments have changed a great deal since the Industrial Revaluation. The reasons of the changes are mainly due to advance in information technology, highly competitive environments, and economic recession (Sunarni, 2013). Other researcher has supported these changes
Fordism can be used to referring the advancement of technology in the world. Fordism refers to the system of mass production and consumption characteristic of highly developed economies during the 1940s-1960s. Under Fordism, mass consumption combined with mass production to produce sustained economic growth and widespread material advancement. “The 1970s-1990s have been a period of slower growth and increasing income inequality. During this period, the system of organization of production and consumption has, perhaps, undergone a second transformation, which when mature promises a second burst of economic growth.
Does greater globalisation reduce poverty and inequality? Discuss this with reference to country examples. Globalisation is a concept that has been widely used since the 1990s; it is a web of complex processes with contradictory impacts on developing countries (Kolodko, 2003). It is described as the “process through which goods and services, capital, people information and ideas flow through borders and lead to greater integration of economies and societies” (International Monetary Fund, IMF, 2002, p.1). Although the process of globalisation may have started as early as the colonial period, the discourse of globalisation and development is a recent phenomenon.
Introduction Throughout history, new ideas and technologies have revolutionized supply chains and changed the way of work. Two hundred years ago, giant machines replaced manual labor to complete tasks in large factories. Railroads, electricity and new communications media has expanded markets and has made supply chains better, faster and cheaper. Evolution of Supply Chain Mass Production Era. In the early 1900s, Henry Ford had firstly created the assembly line.
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW Theories of Economic Growth and Government Expenditure Economic growth is a mandatory task for governments of developing countries in order to extricate poverty and improve the well being of their people. Thus, these countries usually pursue fiscal policy which would help them achieve accelerated economic growth. Ever since the inception of systematic economic analysis at the time of the classical economist, from William petty to David Ricardo, the problem of economic growth was high on the agenda of economists. Interest in the study of economic growth was central in classical political economy from Adam smith to David Ricardo, and it stayed as focal point in critics of classical economy by Karl Marx too. But the agenda was thrown to the periphery during the so-called ‘marginal revolution’.
This theory was developed in late 1950’s and 1960’s of the twentieth century. This theory is based on the thought that the collection of capital and decision of savings related to it as an important determinant of economic growth. Additionally, the relationship between the capital and labor of an economy determines its output. Moreover, it added technology to the production function as an exogenously determined factor. 1.3.3 Modern Day or New Growth Theory: The new growth theory argues that “real GDP per person will continually increase because of people hunt of
The modern economic growth that began with the Industrial Revolution in the Northwestern countries and then affected the rest of the world with various degrees applies to the last two centuries of the world economy. As it fosters the rise of per capita incomes and standards of living, so it fosters the inequalities in the world. These inequalities could be observed in different layers one of which is gender inequalities. As gender inequalities are accepted as parameter of economy, the analysis on the women’s employment becomes an integral part of the economic development. Causes and affects of the modern economic growth could be explained by proximate causes that imply to the economic variables, such as productivity and technological developments; and deeper causes that imply social, political and historical causes and also institutions. | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Impact-Of-Post-Fordism-On-Economic-Development-FKTFQG7EACF6 |
Growth And The Neoclassical Paradigm
This book is about technological change and economic growth. It is generally acknowledged that the latter is driven mainly by the former. But the motor mechanism is surprisingly obscure and the nature of technological change itself is poorly understood. Part of the problem is that neoclassical microeconomic theory cannot account for key features of technological change. In this chapter we briefly review and summarize some of the difficulties and their origins, beginning with the neoclassical economic paradigm. It has been informally characterized by Paul Krugman as follows:
At base, mainstream economic theory rests on two observations: obvious opportunities are rarely left unexploited and things add up. When one sets out to make a formal mathematical model, these rough principles usually become the more exact ideas of maximization (of something) and equilibrium (in some sense) . . . (Krugman 1995)
This characterization is drastically oversimplified, of course, but it conveys the right flavor.1
At a deeper level, the neoclassical paradigm of economics is a collection of assumptions and common understandings, going back to the so-called 'marginalist' revolution in the 19th century. Again, to convey a rough sense of the change without most of the details, the classical theory of Smith, Ricardo, Marx and Mill conceptualized value as a kind of 'substance' produced by nature, enhanced by labor and embodied in goods. Prices in the classical theory were assumed to be simple reflections of intrinsic value and the labor cost of production. The newer approach, led by Leon Walras, Stanley Jevons, Vilfredo Pareto, and especially Irving Fisher, conceptualized value as a situational attribute (utility) determined only by relative preferences on the part of consumers. This change in viewpoint brought with it the notion of prices, and hence of supply-demand equilibrium, into the picture. It also defined equilibrium as the balance point where marginal utility of additional supply is equal to the marginal disutility of added cost. Thus calculus was introduced into economics.
Neoclassical theory has been increasingly formalized since the 19th century. But, because the economic analogies with physical concepts are imperfect, this has been done in a number of different and occasionally somewhat inconsistent ways. The most popular textbook version of the modern theory has been formulated by Paul Samuelson (1966) and characterized by Robert Solow as the 'trinity': namely, greed, rationality, and equilibrium. 'Greed' means selfish behavior; rationality means utility maximization - skating over the unresolved question of utility measurement - and equilibrium refers to the Walrasian hypothesis that there exists a stationary state with a unique set of prices such that all markets 'clear', that is, supply and demand are balanced for every commodity.
We recognize, of course, that the above assumptions can be (and have been) relaxed, without losing everything. For instance, utility maximization can be replaced by 'bounded rationality' (Simon 1955) and 'prospect theory' (Tversky and Kahneman 1974). Equilibrium can be approached but not achieved. The notion of utility, itself, can be modified to extend to non-equilibrium and dynamic situations (for example, Ayres 2006).
There are, of course, other features of the standard neoclassical paradigm. One of them is that production and consumption are abstractions, linked only by money flows, payments for labor, payments for products and services, savings and investment. These abstract flows are supposedly governed by equilibrium-seeking market forces (the 'invisible hand'). The standard model assumes perfect competition, perfect information, and Pareto optimality, which is the 'zero-sum' situation in a multi-player game (or market) where gains for any player can only be achieved at the expense of others.
The origins of physical production in this paradigm remain unexplained, since the only explanatory variables are abstract labor and capital services. In the closed economic system described by Walras, Cassel, von Neumann, Koopmans, and Sraffa, every material product is produced from other products made within the system, plus exogenous capital and labor services (Walras 1874; Cassel 1932 ; von Neumann 1945 ; Koopmans 1951; Sraffa 1960). The unrealistic neglect of materials (and energy) flows in the economic system was pointed out emphatically by Georgescu-Roegen (Georgescu-Roegen 1971), although his criticism has been largely ignored by mainstream theory. Indeed, a recent best-selling textbook by Professor N. Gregory Mankiw of Harvard describes a simple economy consisting of many small bakeries producing 'bread' from capital and labor (Mankiw 1997 pp. 30 ff.). The importance of this fundamental contradiction seems to have escaped his notice.
This book is not intended as a critique of neoclassical economics, except insofar as it pertains to the theory of economic growth. In several areas we depart significantly from the neoclassical paradigm. The most important of these departures are (1) in regard to the nature and role of technological change, (2) the assumption that growth follows an optimal path and dependence on optimization algorithms and (3) in regard to the role of materials and energy in the theory. But there are some other minor departures as well. We have begun, so to speak, at the beginning, so as to be able to clarify and justify these various departures as they come up in the discussion that follows.
Going Green For More Cash
Stop Wasting Resources And Money And Finnally Learn Easy Ideas For Recycling Even If You’ve Tried Everything Before! I Easily Found Easy Solutions For Recycling Instead Of Buying New And Started Enjoying Savings As Well As Helping The Earth And I'll Show You How YOU Can, Too! Are you sick to death of living with the fact that you feel like you are wasting resources and money? | https://www.briangwilliams.us/economic-growth-2/growth-and-the-neoclassical-paradigm.html |
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