Decade Of Operation Research Articles

Audit credibility and LGBTQI rights: certification operation in the margins

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to contribute to knowledge about the diversity of credibility arrangements in new audit spaces “in the margins” of auditing and the implications of such arrangements.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on an in-depth qualitative study of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) rights certification run by the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights (RFSL) during its first decade of operation. We have interviewed employees and studied documents at the certification units within the RFSL. We have also interviewed certified organizations.FindingsWe highlight two features that explain the unusual credibility arrangements in this audit practice: the role of beneficiaries in the organizational arrangements chosen and the role of responsibility as an organizing value with consequences for responsibility allocation in this certification. These features make it possible for the RFSL to act as a credible auditor even though it deviates from common arrangements for credible audits.Originality/valueThe RFSL certification is different in several ways. First, the RFSL acts as both a trainer and an auditor. Second, the trainers/auditors at the RFSL have no accreditation to guarantee their credibility. Third, the RFSL decides for itself what standards should apply for the certification and adapts these standards to the operation being audited. Therefore, this case provides a good opportunity to study alternative credibility arrangements in the margins of auditing as well as their justifications.

Before the Last Car

This article explores the early queer history of the Mexico City Metro (from its planning stages in the late 1960s—and especially the subway’s embeddedness in the political and sexual repression emblematized by the student massacres of 1968 and 1971—through its first decade of operation). Drawing evidence from a variety of sources—literary works, essays and chronicles, newspaper accounts, and popular music, as well as from biographies of the planners of the Metro—the article argues that, from its inception, the Metro was understood by the state and by sexual-political dissidents as a mechanism for political and sexual control. But as the Metro more efficiently connected upper-class neighborhoods with of barrios populares, the Metro gradually became a zone of queer rebellion.

Strengthening research networks: Insights from a clinical research network in Brazil.

Clinical Research Networks (CRNs) are means to improve healthcare delivery, quality of care and patient outcomes. The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Latin America's leading health research organization, has established a CRN to promote interaction and collaboration among its clinical research experts. After a decade of operation, a revitalization process was undertaken out of the need to improve its functionality. This study aimed to describe the evaluation process of the Fiocruz Clinical Research Network (RFPC) by gathering the opinions and perspectives of its members and identifying the network structure. The goal was to improve scientific collaboration and member engagement, thereby increasing the integration, effectiveness, and impact of clinical research conducted at the institution. Clinical research professionals at Fiocruz were invited to participate in an online questionnaire to collect information about their professional experience, the benefits and constraints of participating in research networks, relevant discussion topics, and the challenges of complying with Good Clinical Practices (GCP). With the help of social network analysis, a deeper understanding of the dynamics and structure of professional communication networks was obtained. The questionnaire was completed by 122 professionals (response rate 50.4%), with most respondents being principal investigators (PIs) with more than 10 years of professional experience (24.6%). Participation in research networks was considered beneficial, particularly in working groups (48.4%), and as an opportunity to exchange experiences with other professionals (44.3%). Almost half of the participants (48.4%) did not identify any barriers to participating in a network. Topics that required further discussion included data management, biorepositories and biobanks, and ethical and regulatory issues. Challenges to conducting clinical research with GCP standards included strategic support and funding, staffing and training, data management, infrastructure, quality management, and collaboration. Communication within the research network was loosely structured, with the most experienced professionals holding central positions. This analysis provided valuable insights to support the management of the RFPC. It highlighted the internal community's interests and expectations, identified key areas for improvement in GCP implementation, and influential professionals who could improve information sharing and national integration. The findings have far-reaching implications that can be applied in different contexts. They contribute to the ongoing discussion on the establishment and management of research networks.

ReNew Power: Building Scale in the Indian RE Sector

This case describes the growth of ReNew Power during its first decade of operation. Sumant Sinha, a first-generation entrepreneur and former banker, founded the company, which grew from a modest generator-cum-developer of wind energy-based electricity to one of India's largest companies in the renewable energy sector. With the entry of large, well-funded players such as Tata Power and Adani Green into the Indian renewable sector by the end of 2020, Sinha had to make a strategic decision: should ReNew continue to organically scale up its presence in an increasingly competitive yet expanding Indian renewable energy sector, should it diversify geographically, or should it pursue emerging opportunities for vertical or horizontal integration within the sector? The case provides an opportunity to discuss how alternative business models and competitive scenarios may facilitate or inhibit the growth of a player in the renewable energy sector.

An explanation of GRB Fermi-LAT flares and high-energy photons in stratified afterglows

ABSTRACT The second Fermi/LAT gamma-ray burst (GRB) Catalogue (2FLGC) spanning the first decade of operations by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) collaboration was recently released. The closure relations of the synchrotron forward shock (FS) model are not able to reproduce a sizeable portion of the afterglow-phase light curves in this collection, indicating that there may be a large contribution from some other mechanism. Recently, synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) light curves from the reverse shock (RS) regions were derived in the thick- and thin-shell regimes for a constant-density medium, and it was demonstrated that analytical light curves could explain the GeV flare observed in several bursts from 2FLGC, including GRB 160509A. Here, we generalize the SSC RS scenario from the constant density to a stratified medium, and show that this contribution helps to describe the early light curves exhibited in some Fermi/LAT-detected bursts. As a particular case, we model a sample of eight bursts that exhibited a short-lasting emission with the synchrotron and SSC model from FS and RS regions, evolving in a stellar-wind environment, constraining the microphysical parameters, the circumburst density, the bulk Lorentz factor, and the fraction of shock-accelerated electrons. We demonstrate that the highest energy photons can only be described by the SSC from the FS region.

Causes of Stiffness Degradation in Steel–UHPC Composite Beam-Bolted Connections

This groundbreaking study conducts the first-ever field push test on anchor bolts in steel–UHPC composite pavement in China, providing researchers with the opportunity to obtain the true mechanical performance of the anchor bolts after more than a decade of operation. As a result, the study comprehensively studies the long-term performance of anchor bolts in steel–UHPC composite pavement. The study established a finite element model of steel–UHPC pavement based on the mechanical properties of studs obtained from the field push-back tests, and the mechanical properties of studs were modeled by COMBIN39 and COMBIN14 elements. The reasons for the degradation of the bolt performance were analyzed by combining the anchorage force transfer model of the composite beam and the fatigue formula of the stiffness degradation of the bolt, based on the results of the finite element method. The study revealed that the stress of the anchor bolts gradually equilibrates along the longitudinal direction after prolonged service, with the end anchor bolts experiencing an offloading phenomenon and the middle span anchor bolts experiencing an increasing load phenomenon. Furthermore, the study identified the residual slip at the interface of the anchor bolt as a significant factor in the longitudinal stress redistribution of the anchor bolt, and construction errors further promoted stress redistribution. The study’s findings contribute to advancing the design and construction of steel–UHPC composite pavement. Additionally, the study proposes a novel approach to accurately evaluate the stiffness of pavements by combining the anchor bolt extrapolation test with a finite element model, with a maximum error of no more than 5 percent, which can be applied in future pavement design and construction.

Deseret Hospital, Women, and the Perils of Modernization

Deseret Hospital, Women, and the Perils of Modernization

UMA DÉCADA DE ATUAÇÃO NA REDE MUNICIPAL DE EDUCAÇÃO: RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA

ABSTRACT This experience report aims to present the professional practices of psychologists who were members of the first multidisciplinary team of a municipal education system located in the North of the State of Rio de Janeiro throughout its first decade of operation (2011-2021). In order of events, the experiences and challenges of this pioneering service are presented in the events order. Likewise, the construction of an institutional mapping and the inauguration of an Institutional Duty service are reported, through which it was possible to determine school inclusion and student retention as scopes of psychological interventions. As a result, it was realized that psychologists must be aware of the mistaken expectations about their professional duties and the discourses that blame teachers and students, so that they can act to promote quality public education for all in partnership with other actors in the educational process field.

Social cooperation and therapeutic offers in the fight against tuberculosis in Mexico City, the 1940s decade

The determined and systematic participation of civil society in the fight against tuberculosis in Mexico began in 1939 when the National Committee for the Fight against Tuberculosis was created. Its plural conformation and tasks distinguished it from the anti-tuberculosis associations and leagues created in previous decades in different countries of the Americas. This article will present a first approach to the plural conformation of this organism and will study some of the actions that it promoted during its first decade of operation, in which the coexistence of different therapeutics to treat individuals was also particularly prolific with that disease.

Rolling Deck to Repository: Supporting the marine science community with data management services from academic research expeditions

Direct observations of the oceans acquired on oceanographic research ships operated across the international community support fundamental research into the many disciplines of ocean science and provide essential information for monitoring the health of the oceans. A comprehensive knowledge base is needed to support the responsible stewardship of the oceans with easy access to all data acquired globally. In the United States, the multidisciplinary shipboard sensor data routinely acquired each year on the fleet of coastal, regional and global ranging vessels supporting academic marine research are managed by the Rolling Deck to Repository (R2R, rvdata.us) program. With over a decade of operations, the R2R program has developed a robust routinized system to transform diverse data contributions from different marine data providers into a standardized and comprehensive collection of global-ranging observations of marine atmosphere, ocean, seafloor and subseafloor properties that is openly available to the international research community. In this article we describe the elements and framework of the R2R program and the services provided. To manage all expeditions conducted annually, a fleet-wide approach has been developed using data distributions submitted from marine operators with a data management workflow designed to maximize automation of data curation. Other design goals are to improve the completeness and consistency of the data and metadata archived, to support data citability, provenance tracking and interoperable data access aligned with FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) recommendations, and to facilitate delivery of data from the fleet for global data syntheses. Findings from a collection-level review of changes in data acquisition practices and quality over the past decade are presented. Lessons learned from R2R operations are also discussed including the benefits of designing data curation around the routine practices of data providers, approaches for ensuring preservation of a more complete data collection with a high level of FAIRness, and the opportunities for homogenization of datasets from the fleet so that they can support the broadest re-use of data across a diverse user community.

Influence of User Behaviour on the Functioning and Performance of Passive Phase-Change Material Systems after More Than a Decade of Operation

Phase-change materials (PCM) in buildings are considered a promising option to prevent overheating in warm seasons. Numerous studies have shown a noticeable improvement in thermal comfort through PCM, but in real applications they have often underperformed. User behaviour is often neglected as an important factor in determining PCM performance and might be a limiting factor. Another factor could be time-dependent degradation, which has also been scarcely researched so far. We used simulations within two case studies to investigate whether the PCM applications, each of which had been in operation for more than ten years, were still functioning from a technical perspective and what influence user behaviour had on their performance. We found that the PCM applications still had a positive influence on the thermal performance of the rooms, although the effect due to behavioural optimizations was significantly greater. The PCM was able to reduce the time of discomfort by 9–45% in the baseline scenario with real documented user behaviour in both rooms. Improved user practices increased the reduction in discomfort to 33–52%. For future studies evaluating PCM and its use, we recommend considering realistic user habits, as implementing optimal behaviour could lead to an overestimation of PCM performance and dissatisfaction with the technology.

Memory-triggered supernova neutrino detection

We demonstrate that observations of the gravitational memory from core collapse supernovae at future deci-Hz interferometers enable time-triggered searches of supernova neutrinos at Mt-scale detectors. Achieving a sensitivity to characteristic strains of at least $\ensuremath{\sim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}25}$ at $f\ensuremath{\simeq}0.3\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Hz}$---e.g., by improving the noise of DECIGO by one order of magnitude---will allow robust time triggers for supernovae at distances $D\ensuremath{\sim}40--300\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{Mpc}$, resulting in a nearly background-free sample of $\ensuremath{\sim}3--70$ neutrino events per Mt per decade of operation. This sample would bridge the sensitivity gap between rare galactic supernova bursts and the cosmological diffuse supernova neutrino background, allowing detailed studies of the neutrino emission of supernovae in the local Universe.

The observation of high-energy neutrinos from the cosmos: Lessons learned for multimessenger astronomy

The IceCube neutrino telescope discovered PeV-energy neutrinos originating beyond our Galaxy with an energy flux that is comparable to that of GeV-energy gamma rays and EeV-energy cosmic rays. These neutrinos provide the only unobstructed view of the cosmic accelerators that power the highest energy radiation reaching us from the universe. We will review the results from IceCube’s first decade of operations, emphasizing the measurement of the diffuse multiflavored neutrino flux from the universe and the identification of the supermassive black hole TXS [Formula: see text] as a source of cosmic neutrinos and, therefore, cosmic rays. We will speculate on the lessons learned for multimessenger astronomy, among them that extragalactic neutrino sources may be a relatively small subset of the cosmic accelerators observed in high-energy gamma rays and that these may be gamma-ray-obscured at the times that they emit neutrinos.

High‐Energy Neutrinos from the Cosmos (Ann. Phys. 11/2021)

Neutrino Astronomy The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is designed to observe the cosmos from deep within the South Pole ice. In article number 2100309, Francis Halzen reviews the results from IceCube's first decade of operations. The cover image illustrates the light pattern recorded by IceCube that is radiated by a particle shower created by the Glashow resonance. Colored dots represent light sensors that detect photons. Their color indicates arrival time, from red (early) to purple (late) following the rainbow, and their size reflects the number of photons detected.

High‐Energy Neutrinos from the Cosmos

AbstractThe IceCube project transformed a cubic kilometer of transparent natural Antarctic ice into a Cherenkov detector. It discovered PeV‐energy neutrinos originating beyond our galaxy with an energy flux that is comparable to that of GeV‐energy gamma rays and EeV‐energy cosmic rays. These neutrinos provide the only unobstructed view of the cosmic accelerators that power the highest energy radiation reaching us from the universe. The results from IceCube's first decade of operations, foremost the measurement of the diffuse neutrino flux from the universe using multiple techniques is reviewed. The multimessenger data that identified the supermassive black hole TXS 0506+056 as a source of cosmic neutrinos is subsequently reviewed and attention is drawn to accumulating indications that cosmic neutrinos are associated with gamma‐ray‐obscured active galaxies, that is, the energy in gamma rays that accompanies cosmic neutrinos emerges at MeV energies, or below. Reaching beyond 10 PeV energy, cosmic neutrinos provide a natural beam to study neutrinos themselves.

A study of superluminous stars with the Fermi-Large Area Telescope

ABSTRACT The γ-ray emission from stars is induced by the interaction of cosmic rays with stellar atmospheres and photon fields. This emission is expected to come in two components: a stellar disc emission, where γ-rays are mainly produced in atmospheric showers generated by hadronic cosmic rays, and an extended halo emission, where the high density of soft photons in the surroundings of stars create a suitable environment for γ-ray production via inverse Compton (IC) scattering by cosmic ray electrons. Besides the Sun, no other disc or halo from single stars has ever been detected in γ-rays. However, by assuming a cosmic ray spectrum similar to that observed on Earth, the predicted γ-ray emission of superluminous stars, e.g. Betelgeuse and Rigel, could be high enough to be detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) after its first decade of operations. In this work, we use 12 yr of Fermi-LAT observations along with IC models to study nine superluminous nearby stars, both individually and via stacking analysis. Our results show no significant γ-ray emission, but allow us to restrict the stellar γ-ray fluxes to be on average <3.3 × 10−11 ph cm−2 s−1 at a 3σ confidence level, which translates to an average local density of electrons in the surroundings of our targets to be less than twice of that observed for the Solar system.

Long-term functionality of a passive phase-change materials building application after more than a decade of operation

For over two decades, latent heat storage (PCM) systems in building applications have been regarded as a promising technology for preventing overheating in the warm season without increasing cooling energy demand. This study aimed to investigate whether PCM can have a noticeable influence on thermal comfort even after up to 14 years of operation, which has not yet been investigated. For this, we collected PCM material samples in some buildings, which we then examined in the DSC laboratory, and analysed a real building application in southern Germany in detail by collecting measurement data and creating building simulations. The DSC measurements revealed a decrease in performance by 12–26%. However, the simulation results did not show a clear decrease in the performance of the PCM. Instead, they indicated that the paraffin-based PCM still had a positive effect on thermal comfort, reducing room temperatures by a maximum of 1.06 K and in average by 0.34 K during working hours. The PCM also reduced cooling degree hours by 15% during the hot months of July and August. An analysis of the user behaviour showed that there might be potential for improving thermal performance, especially through better use of blinds, windows and night ventilation.

Characterizing the signatures of star-forming galaxies in the extragalactic γ-ray background

ABSTRACT Galaxies experiencing intense star-formation episodes are expected to be rich in energetic cosmic rays (CRs). These CRs undergo hadronic interactions with the interstellar gases of their host to drive γ-ray emission, which has already been detected from several nearby starbursts. Unresolved γ-ray emission from more distant star-forming galaxies (SFGs) is expected to contribute to the extragalactic γ-ray background (EGB). However, despite the wealth of high-quality all-sky data from the Fermi–LAT γ-ray space telescope collected over more than a decade of operation, the exact contribution of such SFGs to the EGB remains unsettled. We investigate the high-energy γ-ray emission from SFGs up to redshift z = 3 above a GeV, and assess the contribution they can make to the EGB. We show the γ-ray emission spectrum from an SFG population can be determined from just a small number of key parameters, from which we model a range of possible EGB realizations. We demonstrate that populations of SFGs leave anisotropic signatures in the EGB, and that these can be accessed using the spatial power spectrum. Moreover, we show that such signatures will be accessible with ongoing operation of current γ-ray instruments, and detection prospects will be greatly improved by the next generation of γ-ray observatories, in particular the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

Development of Next-Generation Timing System for the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex

A precise and stable timing system is necessary for high intensity proton accelerators such as the J-PARC. The original timing system, which was developed during the construction period of the J-PARC, has been working without major issues since 2006. After a decade of operation, the optical modules, which are key components for signal transfer, were discontinued already. Thus, the next-generation timing system for the J-PARC has been developed and built. The new system is designed to be compatible with the original system in terms of the operating principle. The new system utilizes modern high speed serial communication for the transfer of the clock, reference trigger, and type code. We describe the system configuration of the next-generation timing system and current status.

Application of a convolutional neural network to improve automated early warning of harmful algal blooms.

Continuous monitoring and early warning together represent an important mitigation strategy for harmful algal blooms (HAB). The coast of Texas experiences periodic blooms of three HAB dinoflagellates: Karenia brevis, Dinophysis ovum, and Prorocentrum texanum. A plankton image data set acquired by an Imaging FlowCytobot over a decade of operation was used to train and evaluate two new automated image classifiers. A 112 class, random forest classifier (RF_112) and a 112 class, convolutional neural network classifier (CNN_112) were developed and compared with an existing, 54 class, random forest classifier (RF_54) already in use as an early warning notification system. Both 112 class classifiers exhibited improved performance over the RF_54 classifier when tested on three different HAB species with the CNN_112 classifier producing fewer false positives and false negatives in most of the cases tested. For K. brevis and P. texanum, the current threshold of 2 cells.mL-1 was identified as the best threshold to minimize the number of false positives and false negatives. For D. ovum, a threshold of 1 cell.mL-1 was found to produce the best results with regard to the number of false positives/negatives. A lower threshold will result in earlier notification of an increase in cell concentration and will provide state health managers with increased lead time to prepare for an impending HAB.