Assessing the practical benefits of formal methods for software development

We describe a case study where one software module of an existing physical access control system was re-developed using formal software development methods. Because of increased software quality and comparable development efforts, we are considering the use of formal methods for the future development of critical modules. Further results of this work include the identification of a critical property of the given requirements, as well as insights into overall requirements quality.     

Symptoms and Clinical Findings From the Musculoskeletal System Among Operators at a Call Centre in Sweden—A 10-Month Follow-Up Study

The musculoskeletal health among 57 operators at 1 call centre in Sweden was studied with 10 monthly follow-ups, parallel to a reference group of 1,226 professional computer users in other occupations. Operators at this call centre were more symptom-loaded than the other professional computer users in spite of their younger age and shorter exposure to computer work. Symptoms were long-lasting or recurrent. Muscle tenderness and nerve affections in the neck- shoulder region were the most common specific findings and diagnoses at medical examination of incident symptom cases. More extensive studies should be done on the working conditions and health status among call centre workers.     

Validating a Safety Climate Model in Metal Processing Industries: A Replication Study

This paper attempts to replicate a safety climate model originally tested in Australia to assess its applicability in a different context: namely, across production workers in 22 medium-sized metal processing organizations in Austria. The model postulates that safety knowledge and safety motivation mediate the relation between safety climate on the one hand and safety compliance and participation on the other. Self-report data from 1075 employees were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the replication study largely confirmed the original safety climate model. However, in addition to indirect effects, direct links between safety climate and actual safety behavior were found.     

Dynamics of calling: A longitudinal study of musicians

The dominant view of calling among management scholars is that it is a stable construct that does not change. This view has resulted in a research void about calling's early development and subsequent evolution. Insight into the dynamic process through which callings develop is fundamental to understanding its role in people's careers and lives. In this study, I focus on the antecedents of calling, a consuming, meaningful passion people can experience toward a domain. I propose a dynamic model in which calling can change over time and can be shaped by antecedent factors, specifically, through people's ability, behavioral involvement, and social comfort in the area toward which they feel a calling. I tested these ideas in a seven‐year, four‐wave prospective longitudinal survey study of 450 amateur musicians. Multilevel analyses indicate individuals who were more behaviorally involved and felt higher social comfort in the calling domain (e.g., music) experienced higher levels of calling early on but experienced a decline in calling over time. Individuals' ability in the calling domain was not related to initial calling or change in calling. I discuss the implications for theory and research on calling, meaning of work, and the dynamics of careers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-chain alkanes in the atmosphere: A review

As a representative species of intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs), long-chain alkanes are considered to be important precursors of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the atmosphere. This work reviews the previous studies on long-chain alkanes in the atmosphere: (1) the detection methods and filed observations of long-chain alkanes in both gas and particle phases are summarized briefly; (2) the laboratory studies of long chain alkanes are reviewed, the kinetic data, reaction mechanism, SOA yields, and physicochemical properties of SOA are included in detail; (3) the research progress related to model simulations of long-chain alkanes are also discussed. In addition, based on available research results, several perspective contents are proposed that can be used as a guideline for future research plans.     

Mediating effects of psychological safety in the relationship between team affectivity and transactive memory systems

In this research, we develop a framework for understanding the emergence of transactive memory systems (TMS) in project‐based teams characterized by different levels of group level positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA). With a focus on enhancing understanding of the means of transmission, we test the mediating role played by group level psychological safety (PS) in the relationship between team affectivity and TMS. From a sample of 107 software implementation project teams, in a lagged field study, we find support for a mediated model in which high group NA, but not group PA, promotes environments psychologically unsafe for interpersonal risk‐taking (low PS) and which are negatively associated with TMS. This study extends prior research on the differential effects of PA and NA, by contributing to the limited research on group affectivity, environmental antecedents of TMS, and the mediating role of PS for predicting group level transactive processes and structures. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

周期性变温对紫色土有机碳矿化的影响

在自然状态下,土壤外界的环境温度日变化明显,并呈周期性波动,然而目前有关这种周期性变温如何影响土壤有机碳(SOC)矿化尚无统一观点.为此,以西南地区广泛分布的紫色土为供试对象,采用室内模拟培养的方法,开展周期性变温对其有机碳矿化的影响.培养试验涉及温度和水分两个因子,其中,温度设有4个模式,分别为3个恒温(15、20和25℃)、1个周期性变温(15/25℃变温);水分设有2个梯度,分别为70%WHC和淹水.在66 d培养期内,好气和淹水条件下,变温(15/25℃变温)培养的紫色土SOC累积矿化量和矿化强度与恒温20℃无明显差异,这表明可用20℃恒温来评估变温(15/25℃) SOC矿化的影响效应.此外,除恒温15℃,各温度处理均表现为淹水培养的紫色土有机碳累积矿化量显著高于好气(70%WHC)培养(P 0. 05).在变温条件下,土壤微生物量碳含量与紫色土有机碳矿化速率之间无显著相关.结合矿化动力学分析可知,淹水条件能有效增加紫色土的易分解碳库大小,但变温不能有效影响紫色土的易分解碳库大小.     

半导体桥点火具药剂贮存寿命分析及评估

目的 对在贮存过程中的半导体桥火工品进行失效分析和寿命评估.方法 通过差示扫描量热法(DSC)对不同加速寿命实验时间的半导体桥点火具药剂进行分析,探究LTNR和亚铁氰化铅的药剂相容性.通过化学动力学,分析半导体桥点火具药剂在不同加速寿命实验时间的活化能.结果 LTNR和亚铁氰化铅均表现出良好的化学相容性,在短时间内不会...     

袋式除尘技术在我国燃煤电厂的应用

对国内10个典型燃煤电厂应用袋式除尘技术的情况进行了调研;综合分析了电厂袋式除尘器的运行情况,以及滤袋使用寿命、除尘器电耗及运行费用、维管工作量、对后续脱硫装置的影响及脱汞效果等情况;结论认为,袋式除尘技术能够有效控制燃煤电厂的烟尘排放,并能够在火电行业普遍推广应用,为火电行业的节能减排和PM2.5治理作出贡献。     

The interrelation between collective identities and place concepts in local wind energy conflicts

In Germany, plans at the local level to construct wind turbines often find support as well as rejection – often in both cases for ecological reasons. In this paper, we argue that the key to understanding local wind energy debates is to analyse the interrelations between collective identities and concepts of place. Based on the discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe, we analyse how two completely contradictory place notions have evolved in a local dispute in a small town in Germany, and how existing political identities have been modified, realigned and superseded in the course of the conflict. Furthermore, we show how the involved discourses are characterised by strong continuities with respect to an earlier struggle over an asphalt mixing plant.