Evaluating the impact of CASE: an empirical comparison of retrospective and cross-sectional survey approaches

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate two methods of assessing the productivity and quality impact of Computer Aided Software Engineering (CASE) and Fourth Generation Language (4GL) technologies: (1) by the retrospective method; and (2) the cross-sectional method. Both methods involve the use of questionnaire surveys. Developers' perceptions depend on the context in which they are expressed and this includes expectations about the effectiveness of a given software product. Consequently, it is generally not reliable to base inferences about the relative merits of CASE and 4GLs on a cross-sectional comparison of two separate samples of users. The retrospective method that requires each respondent to directly compare different products is shown to be more reliable. However, there may be scope to employ cross-sectional comparisons of the findings from different samples where both sets of respondents use the same reference point for their judgements, and where numerical rather than verbal rating scales are used to measure perceptions.     

Presupposition failure — A comedy of errors

Presuppositions of utterances are the pieces of information you convey with an utterance no matter whether your utterance is true or not. We first study presupposition in a very simple framework of updating propositional information, with examples of how presuppositions of complex propositional updates can be calculated. Next we move on to presuppositions and quantification, in the context of a dynamic version of predicate logic, suitably modified to allow for presupposition failure. In both the propositional and the quantificational case, presupposition failure can be viewed as error abortion of procedures. Thus, a dynamic assertion logic which describes the preconditions for error abortion is the suitable tool for analysing presupposition.     

A novel cyclic process using CaSO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/CaS pellets for converting sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur without generating secondary pollutants: Part I. Feasibility and kinetics of the reduction of sulfur dioxide with calcium-sulfide pellets

Certain new sulfide-smelting processes and coal-gasification processes generate high-strength sulfur dioxide streams, for which a new process for converting sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur needs to be developed because no process exists that is generally and economically applicable to the treatment of such streams. A thermodynamic and experimental investigation to develop a new process for converting sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur by a cyclic process involving calcium sulfide and calcium sulfate without generating secondary pollutants was carried out. In this process, the starting raw material, calcium sulfate, is reduced by a suitable reducing agent, such as hydrogen, to produce calcium sulfide, which is used to reduce sulfur dioxide to elemental sulfur vapor and calcium sulfate. The latter is, in turn, reduced to regenerate calcium sulfide. In this Part I, detailed experimental results are presented on the kinetics of the reaction between sulfur dioxide and calcium-sulfide pellets, which produces elemental sulfur and calcium sulfate. The experiments were carried out at temperatures between 1023 and 1088 K and sulfur-dioxide partial pressures between 9 and 60 kPa by the use of a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) technique. The rate of this reaction was demonstrated by the conversion of 40 pct calcium-sulfide pellets obtained from the hydrogen reduction of fresh calcium sulfate in 10 minutes at 1073 K under a sulfur-dioxide partial pressure of 43 kPa. The reactivity decreased somewhat during the first three cycles but remained largely unchanged thereafter up to the tenth cycle. This characteristic of the pellets is important because the solids must be reusable for repeated cycles to avoid generating secondary pollutants. A pore-blocking model was found to fit the reaction rate. The reaction is first order with respect to sulfur-dioxide partial pressure and has an activation energy of 101 to 134 kJ/mol (24 to 32 kcal/mol) for calcium-sulfide pellets reacted and regenerated several different times. Sulfur dioxide-containing streams from certain sources, such as the regenerator off-gas from an integrated-gasification, combined-cycle, desulfurization unit and new sulfide-smelting plants, contain much higher partial pressures of SO₂. In these cases, the rate of the first reaction is expected to be proportionally higher than in the test conditions reported in this article. The reduction kinetics of calcium-sulfate pellets with hydrogen gas is reported in the accompanying Part II.     

Microbiological denitrification of red beet juice

The purpose of study was the determination of optimal conditions for red beet juice denitrification by Paracoccus denitrificans bacteria as well as the evaluation of the usefulness of microbiologically treated juice for the production of a natural colouring preparation for foods. Total reduction of nitrates was found during bacterial culturing at 25 and 30 °C, at an initial pH of 7.0-8.0 and juice osmotic pressure of 900-1100 mOsm/kg. Microbiological denitrification procedure affected colour, taste and aroma of the juice. However, the use of juice as food colouring and component was made feasible by acidification and partial evaporation of water together with volatile substances.     

Suspension force and mechanism of debris flows

The paper discusses the postulated suspension force, by which it is possible to explain some enigmatic phenomena observed in different types of mass movements. This force is generated in thick suspensions as a result of friction between sinking solid particles and static water. The suspension force is related to the seepage force but they have opposite directions. Both forces form flow networks. Having explained the suspension force, the paper describes how this influences the movement of material, particularly in debris flows. Enigmatic features and the mechanism of debris flows and lahars are explained by virtue of the suspension force. Electronic Publication     

Scheduling railway traffic at a construction site

We consider the problem of rescheduling trains in the case where one track of a railway section consisting of two tracks in opposing directions is closed due to construction activities. After presenting an appropriate model for this situation we derive a polynomial algorithm for the subproblem of finding an optimal schedule with minimal latenesss if the subsequences of trains for both directions outside the construction site are fixed. Based on this algorithm we propose a local search procedure for the general problem of finding good schedules and report test results for some real world instances. Received: December 8, 1999 / Accepted: May 2, 2001     

Replacement of beef fat in Frankfurters by interesterified palm,cottonseed and olive oils

Three interesterified vegetable oils (IVOs) prepared from palm, cottonseed, and olive oil, respectively, have been studied for application to Frankfurters. Beef fat (10%) was replaced by one of the IVOs at 20, 60 or 100%. Fatty acid composition of the lipid fraction in the Frankfurters and saturated/unsaturated ratios were established for all batches. We found that total or partial replacement of beef fat by IVOs did not lead to significant changes in appearance, colour, texture, flavour or sensory score. We conclude that IVOs may be successfully applied as beef fat substitutes in Frankfurters.     

The organisational learning effects of management accounting information under advanced manufacturing technology

This study empirically examined the organisational learning effects of the nonfinancial performance information provided by management accounting information systems (MAISs) under advanced manufacturing technology (AMT). In this study, a target costing system and the frequent and quick reporting of information were considered the facilitators of learning. First, we examined the relationships between AMT level and the amount of nonfinancial performance information produced by MAISs. The empirical results showed that there are significant positive relationships between the level of AMT and nonfinancial performance information. With a systems approach, we also proved the impact of the relationships among AMT levels, nonfinancial performance information and learning facilitators on the organisational performance of a firm. The results of our research suggest that under a high level of AMT, for the provision of information to result in an increase of performance through organisational learning, a target costing system must be introduced and a large amount of information should be provided frequently and quickly. The results of this study also showed that although AMT level may be low, fairly well-arranged facilitators and a moderately large amount of information may be necessary for the improvement of performance. In conclusion, effective organisational learning depends on the provision of relevant information as well as efficient learning support mechanisms.