Visual representations are essential to design. Data-rich representations such as systems visualisations are gaining prominence in engineering practice. However, as such visualisations are often developed ad-hoc, we propose more systematically to link visual tasks with design-specific tasks for which the visualisations are used. Whereas research on such linking focuses mostly on CAD models and sketches, no such studies are yet available for systems visualisations. Thus, this paper introduces a typology of visual tasks from the Information Visualisation field to aid the development of systems visualisations in design. To build a visualisation using the typology, a case study with engineering students developing an autonomous robot was conducted. Through interviews and analysis of product representations used, design-specific tasks were identified and decomposed into visual tasks. Then, a visualisation that assisted the team in performing their design activities was created. Results illustrate the benefits of using such a typology to describe visual tasks and generate systems visualisations. The study suggests implications for researchers studying visual representations in design as well as for developers of systems visualisations.

Trifludimoxazin, a new protoporphyrinogen oxidase–inhibiting herbicide, is being evaluated for possible use as a soil-residual active herbicide treatment in cotton for control of small-seeded annual broadleaf weeds. Laboratory and greenhouse studies were conducted to compare vertical mobility and cotton tolerance of trifludimoxazin to flumioxazin and saflufenacil, which are two currently registered protoporphyrinogen oxidase–inhibiting herbicides for use in cotton, in three West Texas soils. Vertical soil mobility of trifludimoxazin was similar to flumioxazin in Acuff loam and Olton loam soils, but was more mobile than flumioxazin in the Amarillo loamy sand soil. The depth of trifludimoxazin movement after a 2.5-cm irrigation event ranged from 2.5 to 5.0 cm in all soils, which would not allow for crop selectivity based on herbicide placement, because ideal cotton seeding depth is from 0.6 to 2.54 cm deep. Greenhouse studies indicated that PRE treatments were more injurious than the 14 d preplant treatment when summarized across soils for the three herbicides (43% and 14% injury, respectively). No differences in visual cotton response or dry weight was observed after trifludimoxazin preplant as compared with the nontreated control within each of the three West Texas soils and was similar to the flumioxazin preplant across soils. On the basis of these results, a use pattern for trifludimoxazin in cotton may be established with the use of a more than 14-d preplant restriction before cotton planting.

The study of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is a young and promising field of research. If IMBH exist, they could explain the rapid growth of supermassive black holes by acting as seeds in the early stage of galaxy formation. Formed by runaway collisions of massive stars in young and dense stellar clusters, intermediate-mass black holes could still be present in the centers of globular clusters, today. We measured the inner kinematic profiles with integral-field spectroscopy for 10 Galactic globular cluster and determined masses or upper limits of central black holes. In combination with literature data we further studied the positions of our results on known black-hole scaling relations (such as M• − σ) and found a similar but flatter correlation for IMBHs. Applying cluster evolution codes, the change in the slope could be explained with the stellar mass loss occurring in clusters in a tidal field over its life time. Furthermore, we present results from several numerical simulations on the topic of IMBHs and integral field units (IFUs). N-body simulations were used to simulate IFU data cubes. For the specific case of NGC 6388 we simulated two different IFU techniques and found that velocity dispersion measurements from individual velocities are strongly biased towards lower values due to blends of neighbouring stars and background light. In addition, we use the Astrophysical Multipurpose Software Environment (AMUSE) to combine gravitational physics, stellar evolution and hydrodynamics to simulate the accretion of stellar winds onto a black hole. We find that the S-stars need to provide very strong winds in order to explain the accretion rate in the galactic center.

The study of intermediate-mass black holes (IMBHs) is a young and promising field of research. If IMBHs exist, they could explain the rapid growth of supermassive black holes by acting as seeds in the early stage of galaxy formation. Formed by runaway collisions of massive stars in young and dense stellar clusters, intermediate-mass black holes could still be present in the centers of globular clusters, today. Our group investigated the presence of intermediate-mass black holes for a sample of 10 Galactic globular clusters. We measured the inner kinematic profiles with integral-field spectroscopy and determined masses or upper limits of central black holes in each cluster. In combination with literature data we further studied the positions of our results on known black-hole scaling relations (such as M• − σ) and found a similar but flatter correlation for IMBHs. Applying cluster evolution codes, the change in the slope could be explained with the stellar mass loss occurring in clusters in a tidal field over its life time. Furthermore, we present results from several numerical simulations on the topic of IMBHs and integral field units (IFUs). We ran N-body simulations of globular clusters containing IMBHs in a tidal field and studied their effects on mass-loss rates and remnant fractions and showed that an IMBH in the center prevents core collapse and ejects massive objects more rapidly. These simulations were further used to simulate IFU data cubes. For the specific case of NGC 6388 we simulated two different IFU techniques and found that velocity dispersion measurements from individual velocities are strongly biased towards lower values due to blends of neighboring stars and background light. In addition, we use the Astrophysical Multipurpose Software Environment (AMUSE) to combine gravitational physics, stellar evolution and hydrodynamics to simulate the accretion of stellar winds onto a black hole.

We report on the EPICA Dronning Maud Land (East Antarctica) deep drilling operation. Starting with the scientific questions that led to the outline of the EPICA project, we introduce the setting of sister drillings at NorthGRIP and EPICA Dome C within the European ice-coring community. The progress of the drilling operation is described within the context of three parallel, deep-drilling operations, the problems that occurred and the solutions we developed. Modified procedures are described, such as the monitoring of penetration rate via cable weight rather than motor torque, and modifications to the system (e.g. closing the openings at the lower end of the outer barrel to reduce the risk of immersing the drill in highly concentrated chip suspension). Parameters of the drilling (e.g. core-break force, cutter pitch, chips balance, liquid level, core production rate and piece number) are discussed. We also review the operational mode, particularly in the context of achieved core length and piece length, which have to be optimized for drilling efficiency and core quality respectively. We conclude with recommendations addressing the design of the chip-collection openings and strictly limiting the cable-load drop with respect to the load at the start of the run.

In spite of its large lattice mismatch, Bi grows epitaxially in (111) orientation and almost free of defects on Si substrates. On Si(111), the Bi film is under compressive strain of less than 2% and shows a 6–7 registry to the Si(111)-(7 × 7) substrate. On Si(001), the compressive lattice strain of 2.3% results in the formation of an array of misfit dislocations with a periodicity of 20 nm. We studied the cooling process of ultrathin bismuth films deposited on Si(111) and Si(001) substrates upon excitation with short laser pulses. With ultrafast electron diffraction, we determined the thermal boundary conductance σK from the exponential decay of the transient film temperature. Within the error bars of 7%, the experimentally determined thermal boundary conductances are the same for both substrates and thus independent of the presence of a periodic array of misfit dislocations and the different substrate orientation.

The cooling process of ultrathin hetero films upon excitation with short laser pulses was studied for epitaxial Bi(111) films on Si(001) and Si(111) substrates by means of the Debye-Waller effect with ultrafast electron diffraction. From the exponential decay of the temperature, a cooling time constant was determined as a function of thickness for both substrates. For Bi/Si(111), a linear dependence between the decay constant and thickness was observed, even for 2.8 nm thin films , as predicted from the diffuse mismatch model (DMM) and the acoustic mismatch model (AMM). However, with Bi/Si(001), a significant deviation from this linear dependence was observed for film thicknesses below 5 nm.

With time resolved ultrafast electron diffraction the cooling process across the interface between a thin film and the underlying substrate was studied after excitation with short laser pulses. From the exponential decay of the surface temperature evolution a thermal boundary conductance of 1430 W/(cm2K) is determined for a 9.7 nm thin Bi(111) film on Si(111). A linear dependence between laser fluence and initial temperature rise was measured for film-thicknesses between 2.5 nm and 34.5 nm. The ratio of initial temperature rise and laser fluence for different film-thicknesses is compared to a model taking multilayer optics into account. The data agree well with this model.

The dynamics of strongly driven phase transitions at surfaces are studied by ultra-fast time-resolved reflection high energy electron diffraction. The surfaces are excited by an intense fs-laser pulse (pump) and probed by an ultra-short electron pulse with variable time delay. The order-disorder phase transition from a c(4×2) to a (2×1) of the bare Si(001) surface shows a transient decrease of the intensity of the c(4×2) spots which recovers on a time scale of a few hundred picoseconds indicating the excitation of the phase transition. On Si(111) a monolayer of Indium induces a (4×1) reconstruction which undergoes a Peierls like phase transition to a (8ד2”) reconstruction below 100 K. Upon laser excitation at a temperature of 40 K the phase transition was strongly driven. The (8ד2”)-diffraction spots instantaneously disappears, while the intensity of the (4×1)-spots increases. This increase of the (4×1) spot intensity excludes an explanation by the Debye-Waller-Effect and is evidence for a true structural phase transition at a surface.

Current anthropometric indices for health risk assessment are indirect measures of total or visceral body fat mass that do not consider the inverse relationship of lean body mass to metabolic risk as well as the non-linear relationship between central obesity and insulin resistance.We examined a new anthropometric index that reflects the relationship of waist circumference (WC) as a risk factor to fat-free mass (FFM) as a protective parameter of body composition. In apopulation of 335 adults (191 females and 144 males; mean age 53 (sd 13·9) years) with ahigh prevalence of obesity (27%) and metabolic syndrome (30%) we derived FFM:WC3 from the best fit of the relationship with metabolic risk factors (plasma triacylglycerol levels and insulin resistance by homeostasis model assessment index). Because FFM is known to be proportional to the cube of height, FFM was subsequently replaced by height3 yielding height3:WC3 as an easily applicable anthropometric index. Significant inverse relationships of height3:WC3 to metabolic risk factorswere observed for both sexes. They slightly exceeded those of conventional anthropometric indicessuch as BMI, WC or WC:hip ratio in women but not in men. The exponential character of the denominator WC3 implies that at a given FFM with gradually increasing WC the increasein metabolic risk is lower than proportional. Further studies are needed to evaluate height3:WC3 as an anthropometric index for health risk assessment.

RECALL aims at providing intelligent error feedback to learners' input in a role-play scenario. This is achieved by integrating three intelligent modules into into system: a Diagnosis Module which analyses the learners' input, a Learner Module which reocrds errors made by the learner, and a Tutoring Module which provides exercises and offers feedback. In this paper the functionality of the RECALL system is described and the approach to error classification as well as the actual implementation of this approach is discussed. A pedagogical perspective on the navigational and teaching capabilities of RECALL are considered.