scholarly journals Sociotechnical design factors in remote instrumentation with humans in natural environments

1970 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Schwitzgebel ◽  
Richard M. Bird
Author(s):  
Arnoldo R. Cano ◽  
Brian M. Kleiner

Recent developments in communication and information technology, coupled with an increased need to coordinate organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations, have led to the development and use of virtual teams. Evidence, most of it anecdotal, points to the benefits that can be obtained from the use of such teams. Unfortunately, a comprehensive understanding of the factors that affect virtual team-based system performance is lacking due to little empirical evidence and sound theory. In this paper, sociotechnical systems theory is used to identify design factors for virtual team performance.


Author(s):  
L. P. Hardie ◽  
D. L. Balkwill ◽  
S. E. Stevens

Agmenellum quadruplicatum is a unicellular, non-nitrogen-fixing, marine cyanobacterium (blue-green alga). The ultrastructure of this organism, when grown in the laboratory with all necessary nutrients, has been characterized thoroughly. In contrast, little is known of its ultrastructure in the specific nutrient-limiting conditions typical of its natural habitat. Iron is one of the nutrients likely to limit this organism in such natural environments. It is also of great importance metabolically, being required for both photosynthesis and assimilation of nitrate. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects (if any) of iron limitation on the ultrastructure of A. quadruplicatum. It was part of a broader endeavor to elucidate the ultrastructure of cyanobacteria in natural systemsActively growing cells were placed in a growth medium containing 1% of its usual iron. The cultures were then sampled periodically for 10 days and prepared for thin sectioning TEM to assess the effects of iron limitation.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kuntsche ◽  
Florian Labhart

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) is a way of collecting data in people’s natural environments in real time and has become very popular in social and health sciences. The emergence of personal digital assistants has led to more complex and sophisticated EMA protocols but has also highlighted some important drawbacks. Modern cell phones combine the functionalities of advanced communication systems with those of a handheld computer and offer various additional features to capture and record sound, pictures, locations, and movements. Moreover, most people own a cell phone, are familiar with the different functions, and always carry it with them. This paper describes ways in which cell phones have been used for data collection purposes in the field of social sciences. This includes automated data capture techniques, for example, geolocation for the study of mobility patterns and the use of external sensors for remote health-monitoring research. The paper also describes cell phones as efficient and user-friendly tools for prompt manual data collection, that is, by asking participants to produce or to provide data. This can either be done by means of dedicated applications or by simply using the web browser. We conclude that cell phones offer a variety of advantages and have a great deal of potential for innovative research designs, suggesting they will be among the standard data collection devices for EMA in the coming years.


1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffery G. Watson ◽  
Barrett Caldwell ◽  
Sharon J. Derry ◽  
Nicole Canty

1989 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hanada ◽  
T. Nagumo ◽  
T. Mashita

Abstract Automobile handling can be greatly improved by reducing the phase lag of tire cornering force behind imposed distortion. We have shown experimentally that this lag is related to in-plane stiffness of the belt and to radial, lateral, and circumferential stiffnesses of the sidewall. While the cornering stiffness is related to the belt rigidity, either can be changed without affecting the sidewall stiffnesses. The cornering stiffness, for example, is sensitive to design factors such as tread compound and tread pattern. The radial, lateral, and circumferential sidewall stiffnesses, however, are mutually perpendicular at a given point in a tire, so they cannot be changed independently of each other. In order to reduce the phase lag of the cornering force, the lateral and circumferential stiffnesses must be increased with a minimum increase in radial stiffness. This can be done by either lowering the radial location of the maximum section width of the inflated tire or by proper changes in material and/or design elements of the sidewall.


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