bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Over Humane en A-Humane Taal.
Authors: Angevaare A.
Published: March 2014

I want to distinguish between two fundamental modes of being. The primary mode is typified by activities that are absolutely unique and at the same time absolutely universal, such as being born, living, growing up, eating, working, playing, loving, dying. These activities originate from my undivided being. The secondary mode is typified by activities that are socially and culturally determined. I perform these as a person (personamask). When I act as an individual I cannot be replaced by someone else; it is impos-sible to measure these activities (they have no 'market-value') and I don't learn them in the literal sense - all this in contradistinction to my social or role-activities.
Accordingly I want to distinguish between human and a-human language (the terms have no ethical implications), or between the I-mode and the YOU-mode and between two resulting ways of speaking. I can speak as an individual and as a person and these ways of speaking are typified in compliance with the above-mentioned characteristics. Human language is perhaps a somewhat neglected phenomenon in linguistics. An allied phenomenon is the tendency in our culture to transfer individual speaking to the domain of speaking as a person.
When I mark off these distinctions against certain dimensions in socio-pragmalinguistics I find that orientation on the illocutionary effect plays a prominent part in personal speaking. Splitting up myself into speaker and hearer I project myself into the hearer, planning my formulations from his point of view to make myself understood. When I speak as an individual I am not primarily focused on communication and the illocutionary effect. Making myself understood to an actual or potential hearer is subordinate to the adequate expression of what lies on my mind.
Moreover, when I speak as a person I am often focused on the perlocutionary effect, that I can try to act upon by means of conditional relevance and selection of the correct code. The options I have between formal varieties are in fact to be explained in terms of the directive function of language. When I speak as an individual the idea of communicative interaction recedes into the background and the issue of the perlocutionary effect is left out. Concerning the substance of my speaking I have at my disposal a register of words, expressions, syntactic constructions and last but not least para-linguistic means that correspond with this expressive function of language.
Probably personal speaking has a set of distinctions that are character-ized in terms of different distances from individual speaking. When the relation between individual and personal speaking goes astray, the distancing from my individual 'I1 can turn into alienation from myself.
Vaktaal op School
Authors: Kusters Ton , Bonset Helge
Published: March 2014

This study of the literature has provided us with a comprehensive bibliography concerning languages for special purposes. Dissapointingly most publications do not deal with our main problem: languages for special purposes at school. The publications do, however, contain scattered pieces of information that had consequences for our ideas of:
a. what languages for special purposes are
b. the problemi that languages for special purposes can cause at school.
A.
We make the following distinctions in languages for special purposes:
1. the language of one subject (e.g. the language of hunting);
2. the general aspect of languages for special purposes;
3. the language of one school subject (e.g. the language of biology lessons);
4. the general aspect of languages f or special purposes at school.
We have concerned ourselves with the domains 3 and 4. As a register a language for special purposes has language and non-language characteristics. We have opted for a wide definition of languages for special purposes so that we can identify all communicative problems connected with these registers.
B.
Languages for special purposes can be problematic in education in the following ways:
1. A language for special purposes as used by teachers (specialists), is a difficult register for pupils (laymen);
2. Alongside implicit use of languages for special purposes (problem 1) it is possible that a teacher will want to pay explicit attention to the general aspect of languages for special purposes or that he will teach his pupils a special register. Consequently the aims, the organi-zation and the possibilities of explicit language for special purposes-teaching become an educational problem, (problem 2)
3. Languages for special purposes can be a specific learning exercise for foreign/second-language teaching.
The solution to the first problem must be sought in an analytical structure, with which the teacher can determine which communication problems are caused by his language use. The result of the study of the literature is, that we now are in a position to formulate better the questions that relate to this problem,
The solution to the second problem depends on the teacher's conception of the social and educational consequences of languages for special purposes and his view of education. The consequence of this study is a list of proposals of what form teaching language for special purposes would have to take.
The third problem is outside our area of investigation.
Praktijkgerelateerd Contrastief Onderzoek Naar Vreemde-Taalverwerving
Authors: Hiligsmann Philippe , Baelen Melanie , Leloup Anne Lore , Rasier Laurent
Published: March 2014

In this contribution we show that foreign language acquisition research does not only provide theoretical insights into the learning process of foreign languages, but also provides useful tips that are directly relevant to language teaching, especially if research is conducted with the 'integrated contrastive model'. We illustrate how the model can be applied in studies of the interlanguage of French-speaking learners of Dutch and Dutch learners of French concentrating on the phonological, morphological and pragmatic components of language. Finally, we explore possible classroom teaching activities and techniques that follow from our study.
Luister Alstublieft!
Authors: Groot Annemarie
Published: March 2014

L2 listening is important for both communication and language learning. In language courses, however, the focus on listening is minimal. Moreover, previous research has been inconclusive about the best approach to teach listening skills. Listening pedagogy focuses mainly on comprehension. This article presents a listening training experiment with a pretest-training-posttest design. Two intact groups of adult learners of Dutch were trained on either recognition or comprehension. The Recognition Group improved significantly more on listening and grammar tests than the Comprehension Group. The groups differed significantly in several crucial aspects though. Including these variables as covariates did not change the positive result. However, the number of informants was too low to draw final conclusions and further research is required to find further support the findings in this study.
Effect of Learning a New Language on Children's Willingness to Communicate
Authors: Le Pichon-Vorstman Emmanuelle , de Swart Henriette E. , Vorstman Jacob , van den Bergh Huub
Published: March 2014

The present study was set up to evaluate to what extent multilingual study groups can be considered homogeneous. A series of interviews were conducted to investigate the metacommunicative awareness of 101 children. We compared children who had learned an additional language in a formal context (abbreviated LLE, i.e. Language Learning Experience) to those who had not (abbreviated nLLE, i.e. without a Language Learning Experience). The primary outcome measure consisted of the reactions to an imaginary situation of communication. The results of the current study suggest that LLE children were more inclined to carry out the exchange than the nLLE children. Studying the same outcome measure, no such difference was identified when comparing monolingual to multilingual children. These findings indicate that with regard to the present tasks, the presence or absence of LLE may be a more relevant factor than mono- or multilingualism.
Welke Leerlingen Leren het Meest Bij Over DNA?
Authors: Van Gorp Koen , de Maeyer Sven , Van den Branden Kris
Published: March 2014

Educational priority policy schools differ in the learning outcomes they achieve with second language learners. School effectiveness research suggests that teachers can make a difference, but fails to make clear exactly how they can do so. This quasi-experimental study combines a comparison group design with a control group design to answer the research question "How effective are five primary school teachers in creating powerful learning environments for knowledge construction and academic language learning?" This article focuses on which types of students benefit the most from a classroom intervention, called The case DNA. The case DNA is a task-based lesson unit containing eight clear lesson objectives and the necessary lesson materials and learning activities to realize these lesson objectives. The teachers were free to adapt the lesson unit to their own teaching styles. The results of the students on the pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test DNA were analysed using multilevel analysis. Results show that socio-economic status, language proficiency, number of turns, teacher expectations and home language Turkish predict differential learning outcomes.
Hoe (ON)Geletterden Lezen
Authors: Coppoolse Jannet , Juffermans Kasper
Published: March 2014

This paper presents an explorative study on the reception of visual messages in the public space of a village community in the Gambia. For this study, images of billboards and other signs along the main road were shown to 20 villagers. They were asked what the images represented and how they knew this. It appeared that the interpretation of visual messages was based on more than the decoding of graphic symbols alone. Other semiotic signs play an important role as well. Twelve different types of interpretation were identified. It was concluded that a dichotomy of literate versus illiterate does not capture the complexity of the distribution of reading skills in the society.
The Early Development of a Bilingual Vocabulary
Authors: Dijkstra Jelske , Kuiken Folkert , Jorna René , Klinkenberg Edwin
Published: March 2014

Gathercole & Thomas (2009) concluded that Welsh children easily gained proficiency in the majority language (English) whereas the acquisition of the minority language (Welsh) lagged behind due to reduced input. Does this trend also occur in other minority language contexts, e.g. for Frisian in a context where Dutch is the majority language? In this longitudinal study, 98 toddlers were tested every six months for 1.5 years with respect to their receptive and productive vocabulary in Frisian and Dutch. Our research question was: what is the influence of the home language on the acquisition of Frisian and Dutch? Results from the first round of measurements indicate that an effect of the home language is present with respect to Frisian receptive and productive vocabulary and Dutch productive vocabulary. Interestingly, no effect of the home language is found on Dutch receptive vocabulary: for Dutch receptive vocabulary, it does not seem to matter whether a child has Frisian or Dutch as their home language.
Repeat After me
Authors: Gritter Eliene
Published: March 2014

It has often been argued that the teaching of L2 articulatory settings (AS) will improve learners' L2 pronunciation. However, although many impressionistic accounts have been written on the subject, only few empirical studies have been conducted to test these assumptions. This article reports on a study set out to test the effectiveness of teaching AS differences to Dutch secondary school pupils in order to improve their pronunciation of English. Four AS lessons were given to a group of secondary school pupils, while a control group received standard pronunciation lessons concentrating on segmental differences. The pupils were recorded while doing a picture description task both before and after instruction. Native speaker judges then assessed their English pronunciation proficiency. Although no significant differences were found between pre and post instruction pronunciation proficiency in both groups as a whole, there were a number of pupils in both groups that did improve their pronunciation. These results might be explained by Dynamic Systems Theory.
Taalbeleid in het Primair Onderwijs in Amsterdam
Authors: Borgers Marja
Published: March 2014

In 2003 the local authorities in Amsterdam initiated a language policy in cooperation with the city's elementary schools. During eight years a large number of activities have been undertaken to help schools with their task to educate children from very different language backgrounds as well as they can and to find solutions for the problems they face. This article summarizes these activities in the light of changing views on language policy. Although it is still difficult to get an insight into the actual effects of all the efforts on the pupils, trends of changes are becoming clear. Now it is time to consolidate these trends and to move on to incorporate evidence-based programmes and new knowledge into the schools and to educate the teachers to perform their complex tasks as well as possible.
Taalbeleid in de Amsterdamse Voor- en Vroegschoolse Educatie
Authors: Kuiken Folkert
Published: March 2014

In the last few years Amsterdam has invested much money and energy in the early education of 21/2- to 6-year old children in an effort to improve the quality of this type of education. Great care is taken that the conditions for a successful preschool education are fulfilled. The language proficiency of the teachers has been tested and teachers who have not reached the desired proficiency level are offered free language lessons. For children at the age of four and six language goals have been formulated. And the didactic competencies of the teachers are checked by observing them during their daily practice. Nevertheless there remain some concerns for the future, like the general education level of the teachers, the gap that sometimes exists between preschool and primary school and the question how to evaluate best the language proficiency of the children.
The mandative subjunctive in spoken English
Authors: Peters Pam
Published: March 2014

Regional variation of the mandative subjunctive has come to light during the twentieth century, with corpus-based research showing it to be standard usage in American English whereas its currency in British English was limited. This research reviews the use of the mandative in spoken data from six ICE-corpora, to show marked regional differences among both settler and indigenized varieties of English. While its currency in spoken data from New Zealand is relatively low, it is on a par with written usage in Australian English, as well as Singaporean and Philippine English. However spoken instances of the mandative are typically found in public and institutional dialogue/monologue, rather than private conversation, so that it cannot be said to have become vernacularised.
Light verbs in Australian, New Zealand and British English
Authors: Smith Adam
Published: March 2014

This paper examines regional and register differences in the use of the light verbs give, have, make and take across British, Australian, New Zealand and American English, to see whether statements in the literature such as the US preference for take can be supported. Primary and secondary materials were investigated, in the form of L1 and L2 dictionaries across the regions, and data from the ICE corpora for Britain, Australia and NZ. The dictionary data only partially confirmed regional differences between take and have, while the corpora showed a growing use of the light verb have, with Australian and New Zealand English leading the way. The corpora also demonstrated more frequent and more productive use of the construction in spoken than in written data, which allowed conclusions to be drawn about the interpersonal functions of light verbs.
Zero complementizer, syntactic context, and regional variety
Authors: Kearns Kate
Published: March 2014

This paper presents empirical findings on the alternation between that and zero complementizer in a range of syntactic environments, including clausal complement to a verb with or without an intervening indirect object or adverbial, complement to an adjective, complement to a noun, it-extraposition sentences, and cleft sentences. The data were taken from British, United States, Australian and New Zealand newspapers. It is shown that Australian and New Zealand English have significantly higher rates of zero complementizer than American and British English, and that the effect of syntactic context on zero rates differs across regional varieties. In particular, New Zealand and Australian English show little or no inhibition of zero in contexts where the complementizer position is not adjacent to a potentially licensing lexical head. New Zealand and Australian English also show comparatively high zero rates in the complements to nouns, but no general syntactic patterns (such as light verb constructions) were found to be involved here. Instead, the higher rates of zero in noun complement clauses appear to be associated with particular collocations.
Information-packaging constructions
Authors: Collins Peter
Published: March 2014

The study whose findings are reported in this chapter compares the frequencies and uses of five “information-packaging” constructions across four Englishes (Australian, New Zealand, British and American) and a range of registers (informal dialogue, learned writing, news reportage, editorials and fiction). antipodean practices are found to pattern more closely with British English (with New Zealanders even more conservative than the British in various respects) than with American English, which displayed resistance to the constructions in the written language but acceptance of them in spoken language. The findings are discussed in the light of recent diachronic trends in British English.
Corpus linguistics meets sociolinguistics
Authors: Mair Christian
Published: March 2014

The contribution is a plea for closer co-operation between sociolinguistics and corpus linguistics in the study of World Englishes, supporting the case with the author’s own findings from the recently completed Jamaican component of the International Corpus of English (ICE-JA). The variables analysed are the use of person(s) as a synonym for people, subject-verb inversion in questions, the modals of obligation and necessity, negative and auxiliary contraction, and the “new” quotative be like. It is a particular advantage of the corpus-linguistic working environment provided by ICE that many of these issues can be studied in a cross-variety, comparative perspective. On the whole, present-day Jamaican English turns out to be rather different from British English, its historical “parent” variety.
Intelligibility assessment of Japanese accents
Authors: Tsuzuki Masako , Nakamura Sachiko
Published: March 2014

Jenkins (2000, 2002, 2006) attempts to establish the Lingua Franca Core features of English, or phonological features crucial to achieving mutual intelligibility in a lingua franca situation, but she does not focus upon Japanese-influenced variations of English. This paper aims to identify phonological “errors” found in Japanese science major student-researchers’ speech which might lead to miscommunication. Through the analysis of the transcription of Japanese-influenced speech, we argue that the following three types of mispronunciation would seriously impede intelligibility: (1) mispronunciation of consonants such as plosives and liquids; (2) vowel length alternation; (3) misplaced or absence of word stress. These findings may offer implications for English language teaching, especially the prioritization of phonological instructions.
The shared core of the perfect across Englishes
Authors: van Rooy Bertus
Published: March 2014

The perfect aspect has not received extensive attention in the study of varieties of English, but its interpretation as aspect or secondary tense is debated by grammarians of (Standard) English. This paper examines the semantics of the perfect in ICE corpora of three varieties, Great Britain, East Africa and Hong Kong. The major division between non-continuative and continuative perfects is supported, with evidence that the core sense is temporal, rather than aspectual. The perfect carries an additional sense of relevance between the event and the time of speaking. Elaborations of the core sense specify the kind of relevance, either as recent past, resultative or in specific registers. Some extensions of the perfect involve more typical aspectual meanings, which profile the period in which an event occurs. The paper concludes that the study of new varieties has much to contribute to the resolution of grammatical questions normally considered independent of varieties of English.
The indigenization of English in North America
Authors: Mufwene Salikoko S.
Published: March 2014

indigenization is interpreted below as the adaptation of a language to the communicative habits and needs of its speakers in a novel ecology. Thus North American Englishes are as indigenized as those of Asia and Africa. The equation for indigenization is the same, although the outcomes vary according to geographical ecology, the nature of ethnolinguistic contacts, population structure, modes of language “transmission,” and the timing of particular changes. These factors and others account for variation not only from one colony to another but also within each colony. Traditional distinctions such as “native” vs. “indigenized” Englishes and “creole” vs. “non-creole” varieties are simply socio-ideological and can be dispensed with in studies of language evolution.
World Englishes and Peace Sociolinguistics
Authors: Friedrich Patricia
Published: March 2014

In recent decades, peace has been studied as a transdisciplinary issue from the perspective of several disciplinary orientations which include Psychology, Education and more recently Linguistics. In this article, I argue for the contributions of World Englishes and the budding field of Peace Sociolinguistics and describe them as critical to a better understanding of peace dynamics across many areas. Concepts from Peace Studies are used to describe linguistic relations both at the macro and the micro level. In this context, peace and language relate to each other in various ways which include the use of language to achieve a situation of peace, education for peace through language, and finally making peace with languages (such as English) by promoting their harmonizing functions.
Rationality of the moduli spaces of 2-elementary 𝐾3 surfaces
Authors: Ma Shouhei
Published: March 2014

K
3

K3

surfaces with non-symplectic involution are classified by open sets of seventy-five arithmetic quotients of type IV. We prove that those moduli spaces are rational except two classical cases.
Crystallization and preliminary neutron diffraction experiment of human farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase complexed with risedronate
Authors: Yokoyama Takeshi , Ostermann Andreas , Mizuguchi Mineyuki , Niimura Nobuo , Schrader Tobias E. , Tanaka Ichiro
Published: March 2014

Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (N-BPs), such as risedronate and zoledronate, are currently used as a clinical drug for bone-resorption diseases and are potent inhibitors of farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPS). X-ray crystallographic analyses of FPPS with N-BPs have revealed that N-BPs bind to FPPS with three magnesium ions and several water molecules. To understand the structural characteristics of N-BPs bound to FPPS, including H atoms and hydration by water, neutron diffraction studies were initiated using BIODIFF at the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ). FPPS–risedronate complex crystals of approximate dimensions 2.8 × 2.5 × 1.5 mm (∼3.5 mm3) were obtained by repeated macro-seeding. Monochromatic neutron diffraction data were collected to 2.4 Å resolution with 98.4% overall completeness. Here, the first successful neutron data collection from FPPS in complex with N-BPs is reported.
Cloning, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of an intact DNA methyltransferase of a type I restriction–modification enzyme fromVibrio vulnificus
Authors: Huynh Thi Yen Ly , Park Suk-Youl , Kim Jeong-Sun
Published: March 2014

Independently of the restriction (HsdR) subunit, the specificity (HsdS) and methylation (HsdM) subunits interact with each other, and function as a methyltransferase in type I restriction–modification systems. A single gene that combines the HsdS and HsdM subunits inVibrio vulnificusYJ016 was expressed and purified. A crystal suitable for X-ray diffraction was obtained from 25%(w/v) polyethylene glycol monomethylether 5000, 0.1 MHEPES pH 8.0, 0.2 Mammonium sulfate at 291 K by hanging-drop vapour diffusion. Diffraction data were collected to a resolution of 2.31 Å using synchrotron radiation. The crystal belonged to the primitive monoclinic space groupP21, with unit-cell parametersa= 93.25,b= 133.04,c= 121.49 Å, β = 109.7°. With four molecules in the asymmetric unit, the crystal volume per unit protein weight was 2.61 Å3 Da−1, corresponding to a solvent content of 53%.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of importin-α fromNeurospora crassa
Authors: Bernardes Natalia E. , Takeda Agnes A. S. , Freitas Fernanda Z. , Bertolini Maria Célia , Fontes Marcos R. M.
Published: March 2014

Importin-α recognizes cargo proteins that contain classical nuclear localization sequences (NLS) and, in complex with importin-β, is able to translocate nuclear proteins through the nuclear pore complex. The filamentous fungusNeurospora crassais a well studied organism that has been widely used as a model organism for fundamental aspects of eukaryotic biology, and is important for understanding the specific mechanisms of protein transport to the cell nucleus. In this work, the crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of importin-α fromN. crassa(IMPα-Nc) complexed with a classical NLS peptide (SV40 NLS) are reported. IMPα-Nc–SV40 NLS crystals diffracted X-rays to 2.0 Å resolution and the structure was solved by molecular-replacement techniques, leading to a monomeric structure. The observation of the electron-density map indicated the presence of SV40 NLSs interacting at both the minor and major NLS-binding sites of the protein.
Expression, crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis ofD-alanine-D-alanine ligase from OXA-23-producingAcinetobacter baumanniiK0420859
Authors: Huynh Kim-Hung , Tran Huyen-Thi , Pham Tan-Viet , Ngo Ho-Phuong-Thuy , Cha Sun-Shin , Chung Kyung Min , Lee Sang Hee , Kang Lin-Woo
Published: March 2014

Acinetobacter baumanniicauses bacteraemia, pneumonia, other respiratory-tract and urinary-tract infections in humans. OXA-23 carbapenemase-producingA. baumanniiK0420859 (A. baumanniiOXA-23) is resistant to carbapenem, a common antibacterial drug. To develop an efficient and novel antibacterial drug againstA. baumanniiOXA-23, D-alanine-D-alanine ligase, which is essential in bacterial cell-wall synthesis, is of interest. Here, the D-alanine-D-alanine ligase (AbDdl) gene fromA. baumanniiOXA-23 was cloned and expressed, and theAbDdl protein was purified and crystallized; this enzyme can be used as a novel target for an antibacterial drug againstA. baumanniiOXA-23. TheAbDdl crystal diffracted to a resolution of 2.8 Å and belonged to the orthorhombic space groupP212121, with unit-cell parametersa= 113.4,b= 116.7,c= 176.5 Å, a correspondingVMof 2.8 Å3 Da−1and a solvent content of 56.3%, and six protomers in the asymmetric unit.
Practitioners are from Mars; academics are from Venus?
Authors: P. Tucker Basil , D. Lowe Alan
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to identify and gain insights into the significance of barriers contributing to the purported “gap” between academic management accounting research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on diffusion of innovations theory, this study collects and analyses data from a questionnaire survey and follow-up interviews with 19 representatives of the four principal professional accounting bodies in Australia.

Findings

– Professional accounting bodies perceive the gap between academic research and practice in management accounting to be of limited concern to practitioners. The two most significant barriers to research utilisation by practitioners are identified as: difficulties in understanding academic research papers; and limited access to research findings. In acting as a conduit between the worlds of academia and practice, professional bodies have an important role to play by demonstrating the mutual value to both academics and practitioners resulting from a closer engagement between MA research and practice.

Research limitations/implications

– As one of the few empirically-based, theoretically informed investigations exploring the research-practice gap in management accounting, this study provides insights rather than “answers”. Its findings therefore serve as a foundational basis for further empirical and theoretical enquiry.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the conversation about the “research-practice gap” in management accounting by adopting a distinct theoretical vantage point to organize, analyse and interpret empirical evidence obtained from Australian professional accounting bodies about management accounting practice.
Developing a reporting and evaluation framework for biodiversity
Authors: Samkin Grant , Schneider Annika , Tappin Dannielle
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development of a biodiversity reporting and evaluation framework. The application of the framework to an exemplar organisation identifies biodiversity-related annual report disclosures and analyses changes in the nature and levels of these over time. Finally, the paper aims to establish whether the disclosures made by the exemplar are consistent with a deep ecological perspective, as exemplified by New Zealand conservation legislation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Viewing the framework developed by the paper through a deep ecological lens, the study involves a detailed content analysis of the biodiversity disclosures contained within the annual reports of a conservation organisation over a 23-year period. Using the framework developed in this paper, the biodiversity-related text units were identified and allocated to one of three major categories, 13 subcategories, and then into deep, intermediate and shallow ecology.

Findings

– Biodiversity disclosures enable stakeholders to determine the goals, assess their implementation, and evaluate the performance of an organisation. Applying the framework to the exemplar revealed the majority of annual report disclosures focused on presenting performance/implementation information. The study also found that the majority of disclosures reflect a deep ecological approach. A deep/shallow ecological tension was apparent in a number of disclosures, especially those relating to the exploitation of the conservation estate.

Originality/value

– This paper is the first to develop a framework that can be used as both a biodiversity reporting assessment tool and a reporting guide. The framework will be particularly useful for those studying reporting by conservation departments and stakeholders of organisations whose operations impact biodiversity.
Analytical model for predicting the interfacial stresses of carbon nanotubes-reinforced nanocomposites
Authors: Her Shiuh-Chuan , Liu Shou-Jan
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with exceptional mechanical, thermal and electrical properties are considered to be ideal for reinforcing high-performance structures. The interfacial stresses between the CNTs and surrounding matrix are important phenomena which critically govern the mechanical properties of CNTs-reinforced nanocomposites. A number of methods have been proposed to investigate the stress transfer across the CNT/matrix interface, such as experimental measurement and molecular dynamics (MDs). Experimental tests are difficulty and expensive. MDs simulations, on the other hand, are computationally inefficient. The purpose of this paper is to present a reasonably simplified model. Incorporating the simplified model, the analytical expressions of the interface stresses including the shear stress and longitudinal normal stress are obtained.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analytical model consists of two concentric cylinders, namely a single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) cylinder and a matrix cylinder, as the representative volume element (RVE). The interfacial stress analysis is performed using the shear lag model for the axisymmetric RVE. Analytical solutions for the normal stresses in the SWCNT and matrix, and the interfacial shear stress across the SWCNT/matrix interface are obtained. The proposed model has a great ability to theoretical prediction of the stress transfer between the matrix and CNTs.

Findings

– In order to demonstrate the simulation capabilities of the proposed model, parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of the volume fraction of SWCNT and matrix modulus on the stress transfer. The axial stress in the matrix is decreasing with the increase of the volume fraction and decrease of the matrix modulus. As a result of more loads can be transferred to the SWCNT for a large volume fraction and small matrix modulus. These results show that using a large volume fraction and a small matrix modulus improves the efficiency of the stress transfer from the matrix to the CNTs.

Originality/value

– A simple but accurate model using a simplified 2D RVE for characterizing the stress transfer in CNT-reinforced nanocomposites is presented. The predictions from the current method compare favourably with those by existing experimental, analytical and computational studies. The simple and explicit expressions of the interfacial stresses provide valuable analysis tools accessible to practical users.
Computing the power flow and mechanical efficiency of in-hub bicycle transmissions
Authors: Wu Yi-Chang , Cheng Chia-Ho
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The analysis of power flow and mechanical efficiency constitutes an important phase in the design and analysis of gear mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to present a systematic procedure for the determination of power flow and mechanical efficiency of epicyclic-type transmission mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

– A novel epicyclic-type in-hub bicycle transmission, which is a split-power type transmission composed of two transmission units and one differential unit, and its clutching sequence table are introduced first. By using the concept of fundamental circuits, the procedure for calculating the angular speed of each link, the ideal torque and power flow of each link, the actual torque and power flow of each link determined by considering gear-mesh losses, and the mechanical efficiency of the transmission mechanism is proposed in a simple, straightforward manner. The mechanical efficiency analysis of epicyclic-type gear mechanisms is largely simplified to overcome tedious and complicated processes of traditionally methods.

Findings

– An analysis of the mechanical efficiency of a four-speed automotive automatic transmission completed by Hsu and Huang is used as an example to illustrate the utility and validity of the proposed procedure. The power flow and mechanical efficiency of the presented 16-speed in-hub bicycle transmission are computed, and the power recirculation inside the transmission mechanism at each speed is detected based on the power flow diagram. When power recirculation occurs, the mechanical efficiency of the gear mechanism at the related speed reduces. The mechanical efficiency of this in-hub bicycle transmission is more than 96 percent for each speed. Such an in-hub bicycle transmission possesses reasonable kinematics and high mechanical efficiency and is therefore suitable for further embodiment design and detail design.

Originality/value

– The proposed approach is suitable for the mechanical efficiency analysis of all kinds of complicated epicyclic-type transmissions with any number of degrees of freedom and facilitates a less-tedious process of determining mechanical efficiency. It is a useful tool for mechanical engineering designers to evaluate the efficiency performance of the gear mechanism before actually fabricating a prototype as well as measuring the numerical data. It also helps engineering designers to cautiously select feasible gear mechanisms to avoid those configurations with power recirculation in the preliminary design stage which may significantly reduce the time for developing novel in-hub bicycle transmissions.
Evaluating image quality using consistent grey relational grade
Authors: Chang Yen-Ching , Chang Chun-Ming , Chen Liang-Hwa , Chan Tung-Jung
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Assessing image quality is a difficult task. Different demands need distinct criteria, so it is not realistic to decide which contrast enhancement method is better only through one criterion. The main purpose is to propose an efficient scheme to effectively evaluate image quality. Furthermore, the idea can be applied in other fields.

Design/methodology/approach

– To objectively and quantitatively assess image quality, the authors integrate four criteria into one composite criterion and use it to evaluate seven existing contrast enhancement methods. The mechanism of integration is through a newly proposed way of computing a grey relational grade (GRGd), called the consistent grey relational grade (CGRGd).

Findings

– In this paper, the authors propose the CGRGd, which is more efficient and consistent than other existing GRGds. When applied to image quality evaluation, the proposed CGRGd can effectively choose the best method than others. The results also indicate that the proposed CGRGd combined with appropriate criteria can be widely used in the field of multiple criteria.

Originality/value

– The proposed CGRGd is a new approach to the problem of multi-criteria evaluation, and its application to the evaluation of image quality is a novel idea. For readers interested in the field of multi-criteria decision-making, the CGRGd provides an efficient and effective alternative.
Fuzzy sustainability incentives in new product development
Authors: (Alex) Alblas A.A. , (Kristian) Peters K. , (Hans) Wortmann J.C.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This paper investigates the challenges encountered by manufacturing companies in managing sustainability in new product development (NPD). It describes six case studies of manufacturers aiming for sustainability improvements but experiencing difficulties in implementing them.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper starts with a literature study. Academic literature offers explanations as to why manufacturers want to implement sustainability in NPD, and suggests methods for such implementations. This paper employs the systems theory of control to build a research framework for analyzing the challenges. Empirical data are gathered through workshops and interviews with NPD managers in the case companies.

Findings

– In-depth analyses have provided three insights. First, the study shows that sustainability pressures and incentives in a firm's contexts can be fuzzy or even absent. The fuzziness of sustainability incentives is often neglected in the literature on sustainability and NPD. Second, the case companies face difficulties when setting the scope, goals, and ambitions that effectively direct NPD decisions and efforts toward designing sustainable products. Third, the results show that deploying sustainability methods, tools, and metrics, such as a life-cycle assessment or design for environment (DfE), are not sufficient to achieve sustainability in NPD. These findings call for research on sustainability and NPD processes in contexts where sustainability incentives and needs are fuzzy so as to acquire insights applicable to sustainable product development management that is proactive rather than reactive.

Originality/value

– Instead of focusing only on the output of sustainable products, this paper presents a more nuanced perspective on managing sustainability in NPD. Moreover, by adopting the holistic perspective of the systems theory of control, the authors challenge the assumption that there are already sufficient external incentives to force companies toward greater sustainability. Consequently, in the light of proactive sustainability management, the authors recommend three tracks for further research: organization and filtering of information concerning sustainability pressures and incentives in a firm's context; and how to manage sustainability proactively rather than reactively.
Intelligent products for enhancing the utilization of tracking technology in transportation
Authors: G. Meyer Gerben , Buijs Paul , B. Szirbik Nick , (Hans) Wortmann J.C.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Many transportation companies struggle to effectively utilize the information provided by tracking technology for performing operational control. The research as presented in this paper aims to identify the problems underlying the inability to utilize tracking technology within this context. Moreover, this paper aims to contribute to solving these problems by proposing a set of design principles based on the concept of intelligent products.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study as described in this paper adopts a design science research methodology consisting of three phases. First, a case study in a transportation company has been performed to identify the problems faced when utilizing tracking technology. Second, to overcome these problems, a set of design principles has been formulated. Finally, a prototype system based on the design principles has been developed and subjected to experimental and observational evaluation.

Findings

– This paper identifies the problems associated with the utilization of tracking technology for the control of transport operations. Moreover, the proposed design principles support the development of information systems which overcome the identified problems and thereby enhance the utilization of tracking technology in a transportation context.

Originality/value

– The commonly held perception that tracking technology will improve the ability to perform operational control does not unequivocally stand up to empirical scrutiny. While it is widely demonstrated that tracking technology is able to accurately capture the detailed operational information, it remains a fundamental challenge to transform this abundance of information into accurate and timely control decisions. This research provides a valuable contribution with respect to tackling this challenge, by identifying problems and providing solutions related to the utilization of readily available tracking technology.
The internet, its governance, and the multi-stakeholder model
Authors: Hill Richard
Published: March 2014

Purpose

–The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of key issues and concepts related to discussions of the internet, its governance, and its multi-stakeholder model.

Design/methodology/approach

–The method adopted is to discuss definitions of internet, to identify the key characteristics of internet, to define the multi-stakeholder approach, and to discuss the results it has achieved.

Findings

–The article finds that the internet is different from other networks, albeit not exactly in the ways that are commonly mentioned, and it finds that the internet's current governance mechanisms can be improved, in particular by increasing the role of more traditional governance mechanisms such as intergovernmental organizations.

Originality/value

–The analysis and conclusions are not found in previous literature, and they are meant to provoke further research and discussion.
Organizational spiritual leadership of worlds “made” and “found”
Authors: Z. Geh Eugene
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce and define the concepts of “energy” and “feel” into understanding organizational spiritual leadership. It does so through the following. First, it offers a view of workplace spirituality by defining the role of organizational spiritual leadership. Second, it introduces the metaphors of “made” as well as “found” organizational worlds, reflecting a constructivist and positivist perspective, respectively, and highlight their relevance to organizational spirituality. Third, it adapts David Kolb's experiential learning model to articulate an experiential learning model for navigating feel in both “made” and “found” worlds. Finally, it derives implications for leadership and organizational development research and practice in the context of workplace spirituality moving forward.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual paper. It explores the ideas of “feel,” “energy,” and “inspiration” in the context of organizational spirituality. It also articulates an experiential learning model for navigating feel by taking into considering the constructivist and positivistic ontological perspectives embodied in the metaphors “made” and “found.”

Research limitations/implications

– This conceptual paper invites a re-consideration of commonly understood concepts such as motivation, and performance in the context of organizational spirituality.

Practical implications

– This paper includes telling implications for leaders seeking to understand the increasingly important concept of workplace spirituality. It invites them to seek to better understand why and how organizational spirituality matters to themselves and the people they lead. It prompts them to reconsider the value of important organizational constructs and their continued relevance in a rapidly changing workplace.

Originality/value

– To the best of the author's knowledge, this paper introduces an original conceptual experiential learning model for navigating “feel” in both “made” and “found” organizational worlds in the study of organizational spirituality.
Pilots for change: exploring organisational change through distributed leadership
Authors: Kempster Steve , Higgs Malcolm , Wuerz Tobias
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Little is known about how and why pilots are useful in the context of organisational change. There has similarly been little attention to processes of distributed leadership in organisational change. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical argument relating to how key aspects shaping organisational change can be addressed by distributed change leadership through the mechanism of pilots.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper contribution is to review extant literature on change management and distributed leadership to build a model of distributed change leadership.

Findings

– The paper outlines how the model of distributed change leadership can be applied through a pilot strategy to help engender commitment and learning, as well as contextualising the change to cope with the complexities of the situation.

Practical implications

– The paper concludes with a discussion on the opportunities distributed leadership through pilots can bring to the effectiveness of organisational change interventions. The paper identifies a series of research propositions to help guide future directions for research. Finally the paper explores practical implications of the suggestions.

Originality/value

– There is an absence of discussion on distributed leadership within the context of change management. Further the mechanism of pilots shaped by distributed leadership has not been explored. This paper is intended to provide a stimulus for exploring this important area in terms of shaping thinking and designs for organisational change to enhance effectiveness.