Inertia and Change in the Early Years: Employment Relations in Young, High Technology Firms

This paper considers processes of organizational imprintingin a sample of 100 young, high technology companies. It examinesthe effects of a pair of initial conditions: the founders' modelsof the employment relation and their business strategies. Ouranalyses indicate that these two features were well alignedwhen the firms were founded. However, the alignment has deterioratedover time, due to changes in the distribution of employmentmodels. In particular, the ‘star’ model and ‘commitment’model are less stable than the ‘engineering’ modeland the ‘factory’ model. Despite their instability,these two blueprints for the employment relation have strongeffects in shaping the early evolution of these firms. In particular,firms that embark with these models have significantly higherrates of replacing the founder chief executive with a non-founderas well as higher rates of completing an initial public stockoffering. Some implications of these findings for future studiesof imprinting and inertia in organizations are discussed.     

Use of a 5-caffeoylquinic Acid/Caffeine Ratio to Monitor the Coffee Roasting Process

The extent of alteration in the chemical composition of coffee beans roasted to develop the flavor and aroma associated with coffee beverage was reliably monitored by observing the decomposition of naturally occurring 5-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA) and ratioing this concentration to that of the relatively heat stable caffeine. An HPLC method was developed by which simultaneous quantification of 5-CQA and caffeine could be used to monitor degree of roast.     

Selenium in Foods Produced and Consumed in Greece

The total selenium within a wide variety (315 food items) of Greek foods was determined fluorimetrically. Rich selenium sources were the proteinaceous foods such as fish, meat, bread, and spaghetti. Butter, oils, vegetables, and fruits were poor sources. The selenium content of Greek foods was lower than that of many other countries and resembled more closely that of British foods. From available food consumption data and values in this study, it was estimated that the daily selenium intake of Greeks was 110 μg.     

Demonstration of the Performance of an Inclined Anaerobic Digester in Wine Stillage and Pea Blancher Wastewater Treatment

Disposal of high strength wastes has been a problem in the fruit and vegetable processing industries. We have designed and tested an inclined continuous anaerobic digester for the rapid treatment of unmodified wine stillage (21,000–25,000 mg COD per liter) and waste water from a pea blancher (20,000 mg COD per liter). The digester was successfully operated for periods up to 9 months using feed rates as high as 10.7g COD per liter per day (hydraulic detention time of 2.4 days). COD removal efficiency ranged from 95.9% to 99.5%, and effluent suspended solids were less than 800 mg per liter.     

Accountability of work activity in high-consequence work systems: human error in context

Organizational context is now accepted as a central concept in attempts to understand error in human–machine systems. However, accounts which emphasize the processes of everyday organizing, such as accountability and work activity, are needed in order to establish organizational requirements for design. In this article, we provide a framework for the consideration of organizational contexts of human error in high-consequence work systems, with a view to integrating empirical insights and supporting practical design work. We draw on computer-supported cooperative work conceptualizations of the process of everyday organizing, particularly the notion of “accountability for work activity” which is pivotal to our organizational account of error. The conceptual framework is characterized here as a set of dimensions which are expressive concerning the relationship between accountability and work activity in different contexts: (1) explicit–implicit; (2) global–local; (3) stable–transient and (4) dependent–independent. The framework is demonstrated with respect to everyday work practices in a radiology department and its analytical utility validated with respect to two documented aviation system failures. Applying the framework has enabled us to identify and define, in terms of the dimensions, a number of contexts for vulnerability in high-consequence systems: contexts for collusion, violation, deference, loss of control, buck passing and complacency. These are discussed in terms of requirements for error-tolerant design. In the final section of the article, links between the various contexts for vulnerability and the design process are explored.     

Dough mixing and breadmaking properties of quinoa-wheat flour blends

Flour blends of quinoa-wheat containing 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20% of manually dehulled quinoa meal or flour were evaluated for dough mixing and breadmaking properties and liking of the bread by a small panel. Increasing amounts of quinoa meal or flour increased farinograph absorption and dislike of bread for most of the panel. Dough development time increased with increase in meal but decreased with increase in quinoa flour. At 10% inclusion levels differences in liking from control 100% wheat flour bread were smaller for flour or water extracted meal to most of the panel, than with 10% non-extracted meal. This suggests that 10% inclusion of flour or water extracted meal may have potential for further investigation.     

Internet Voice, 'Cyberbypass', Competitive Efficiency

This paper considers the competitive issues raised by the continuingevolution of public switched telephone network development towardan open data network. Adopting a platform hierarchy set forthby the National Research Council, the paper agrees that somehigher level services may indeed reduce traditional telephonecompany revenues, but argues that it would be counterproductivefor regulators to devise bans or adjust prices if they could.Regulators faced with unbundling may ensure any necessary revenuerecovery through tariff rebalancing among facilities providerswhich provide competitive carriage through rebalancing strategiesthat remain competitively neutral. Suggested strategies includecost-based usage charges for data calls, fixed cost write-offsand increases in subscriber line charges.     

Perceptually Grounded Language Learning: Part 2—DETE: A Neural/Procedural Model

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we introduced Katamic memory—a neural network architecture capable of robust sequence learning and recognition. In Part 2, we introduce the Blobs World taskjdomain for language learning and describe the DETE language learning system, which is composed of over 50 Katamic memory modules. DETE currently learns small subsets of English and Spanish via association with perceptual! motor inputs. In addition to Kaiamic memory, DETE employs several other novel features: (1) use of feature planes, to encode visual shapes, spatial relationships and the motions of objects, (2) phase-locking of neural firing, in order to represent focus of atention and to bind objects across multiple feature planes, and (3) a method for encoding temporal relationships, so that DETE can learn utterances involving the immediate past and future. We compare DETE to related models and discuss the implications of this approach for language-learning research.     

Thermally Induced Fast Fracture in a Glass Double-Cantilever-Beam Specimen

Rapid crack propagation and arrest in a soda-lime glass double-cantilever-beam specimen subjected to a thermal shock loading are investigated. The crack growth-time history is measured and compared with that predicted by a one-dimensional dynamic fracture model. Good correlations between predicted and measured crack speeds and crack lengths at arrest were obtained. Inertial effects can be sufficient to produce complete fracture of the specimen. The predicted initial crack driving force required to produce this failure agreed with the observed value. These results are contrasted with the predictions of a quasi-static analysis that always predicts crack arrest and underestimates the arrested crack length.