The impact of micro‐ and macroergonomics considerations on appropriate technology transfer decisions in developing countries: The case of Turkey

The research presented in this paper aims to support the decision process of appropriate technology transfer to industrially developing countries by improving a broader understanding of relationships between the key micro‐ and macroergonomics factors and the technology alternatives. The methodology involves knowledge acquisition, identifying and categorizing a holistic set of key criteria about technology transfer with respect to ergonomics. This work attempts briefly to identify factors affecting the success of technology transfer in order to reduce the potential of incompatibilities with respect to micro‐ and macroergonomics and to optimize the decision process of managers. The objective of the decision model, based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), determines the global priority weights for different technology alternatives and examines the critical factors and benefits, which affect the appropriateness of technology transfer. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 1–19, 2007.     

An interdisciplinary heuristic evaluation method for universal building design

This study highlights how heuristic evaluation as a usability evaluation method can feed into current building design practice to conform to universal design principles. It provides a definition of universal usability that is applicable to an architectural design context. It takes the seven universal design principles as a set of heuristics and applies an iterative sequence of heuristic evaluation in a shopping mall, aiming to achieve a cost-effective evaluation process. The evaluation was composed of three consecutive sessions. First, five evaluators from different professions were interviewed regarding the construction drawings in terms of universal design principles. Then, each evaluator was asked to perform the predefined task scenarios. In subsequent interviews, the evaluators were asked to re-analyze the construction drawings. The results showed that heuristic evaluation could successfully integrate universal usability into current building design practice in two ways: (i) it promoted an iterative evaluation process combined with multi-sessions rather than relying on one evaluator and on one evaluation session to find the maximum number of usability problems, and (ii) it highlighted the necessity of an interdisciplinary ad hoc committee regarding the heuristic abilities of each profession. A multi-session and interdisciplinary heuristic evaluation method can save both the project budget and the required time, while ensuring a reduced error rate for the universal usage of the built environments.     

Leveraging technological knowledge transfer by using fuzzy linear programming technique for multiattribute group decision making with fuzzy decision variables

Despite the importance of knowledge transfer for firms involved in foreign direct investment activities, this area has not received appropriate attention from the perspectives of both the knowledge transferor (i.e., MNC parent) and the knowledge recipient. To fill in the gap in the current literature we propose a model to understand the links between criteria complicating the transfer of knowledge and preferences that the company has to focus. This model is based on both the existing literature as well as views of company representatives and provides a useful methodology for identifying decision making problems on the transfer of knowledge. In this paper, we investigate the fuzzy linear programming technique (FLP) to analyze these links and for multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems with preference information on criteria. To reflect the decision maker’s subjective preference information and to determine the weight vector of attributes, the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) developed by Hwang and Yoon (1995) and the linear programming technique for multidimensional analysis of preference (LINMAP) developed by Sirinivasan and Shocker (Psychometrica 38:337–369, 1973) are used.     

Successful adoption of macroergonomics in manufacturing: Using a multicriteria decision‐making methodology– analytic hierarchy process

The research presented in this paper aims to support the macroergonomics adoption improvement process by developing a broader understanding of relationships between key macroergonomics factors and management styles. The methodology involves knowledge acquisition, identifying, and categorizing a holistic set of key criteria about the macroergonomics adoption process. The Analytic Hierarchy Process is suggested as a multi‐attribute decision‐making methodology to effectively enhance adoption of macroergonomics and to improve management decision performance in measuring and comparing the overall performance of different management styles based on macroergonomical criteria. The study found that in terms of company culture, participation, human capability, and attitudes, the best management style in improving macroergonomics adoption is Management by Values. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 353–377, 2004.     

Multilevel statistical inference from functional near-infrared spectroscopy data during stroop interference

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging technique for monitoring the concentration changes of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb and deoxy-Hb) in the brain. An important consideration in fNIRS-based neuroimaging modality is to conduct group-level analysis from a set of time series measured from a group of subjects. We investigate the feasibility of multilevel statistical inference for fNIRS. As a case study, we search for hemodynamic activations in the prefrontal cortex during Stroop interference. Hierarchical general linear model (GLM) is used for making this multilevel analysis. Activation patterns both at the subject and group level are investigated on a comparative basis using various classical and Bayesian inference methods. All methods showed consistent left lateral prefrontal cortex activation for oxy-Hb during interference condition, while the effects were much less pronounced for deoxy-Hb. Our analysis showed that mixed effects or Bayesian models are more convenient for faithful analysis of fNIRS data. We arrived at two important conclusions. First, fNIRS has the capability to identify activations at the group level, and second, the mixed effects or Bayesian model is the appropriate mechanism to pass from subject to group-level inference.     

Structural and Physicochemical Properties of a Polymerizable Surfactant Synthesized from <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-Methylol Acrylamide

A new polymerizable nonionic surfactant with reactive vinyl groups has been synthesized from N‐methylol acrylamide using a two‐step procedure. The structure of the surfactant molecule was characterized by Fourier transform infrared, ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. The surface active properties alongside its self‐assembly properties were investigated by surface tension, electrical conductivity, and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements. As compared with other nonionic surfactants, this study showed that this polymerizable surfactant possesses slightly a higher critical micelle concentration (CMC) value and the surface tension value at CMC. The obtained CMC values were compatible among measurements, ca. 0.02–0.038 M. The evidence of micelle formation also provided by the zeta potential measurements and the obtained zeta potential values showed that the polymerizable surfactant solutions had limited stability. The hydrolysis stability and solubility of the polymerizable surfactant were also investigated. The solubility results have shown that it was soluble in polar solvents while insoluble in nonpolar solvents both at room temperature and 40 °C. The acidic and basic hydrolysis of the surfactant increased as the temperature increased and the hydrolysis stability was 180 min (basic medium) and 55 min (acidic medium) at 80 °C.     

Enzymatic polymerization of polythiophene by immobilized glucose oxidase

In this study ‘green’, environmentally friendly enzymatic reaction-based synthesis of conducting polymer polythiophene (PTP) is proposed. Glucose oxidase (GO_x) was shown as an effective catalyst, which, in the presence of glucose, produces hydrogen peroxide suitable for the oxidative polymerization of PTP under ambient conditions at neutral pH. Enzymatically induced formation of the PTP layer over GO_x-modified graphite rod electrode (GRE) was demonstrated and evaluated amperometrically and by attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Surface morphology of GO_x- and PTP-modified GR electrodes was characterized by atomic force microscopy. It was clearly shown that the apparent kinetic Michaelis constant (K_M(app.)) of GO_x/PTP-modified GRE increased by increasing the duration of polymerization reaction. Therefore, enzymatic polymerization could be applied in adjustment and/or tuning of K_M(app.) and other kinetic parameters of GO_x-based electrodes used in biosensor design.     

An efficient soft demapper for APSK signals using extreme learning machine

Neural Computing and Applications - In this paper we introduce an efficient soft demapping method for amplitude phase shift keying (APSK) constellations using extreme learning machine (ELM). The...     

In vitro dynamic swelling behaviors of polyhydroxamic acid hydrogels in the simulated physiological body fluids

Summary Influence of some simulated physiological body fluids on the dynamic swelling behaviour of polyelectrolytic hydroxamic acid hydrogels (PHA) was investigated at 37 °C in vitro. The simulated physiological body fluids are distilled water, human sera, physiological saline (0.89 % NaCl), isoosmotic phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, gastric fluid at pH 1. 1, (gylicine-HCl buffer), urea (0.3 mol L⁻¹), and the aquatic solutions of K₂HPO₄ and KNO₃ (the sources of K+). The values of equilibrium swelling of PHA hydrogels varied in the range of 130–4625%, while the values of equilibrium fluid content of the hydrogels varied in the range of 57–97%. The initial rate of swelling, diffusional exponent, and, diffusion coefficient were calculated using swelling kinetics data. Diffusion of the fluids into the hydrogel was found to be non-Fickian character. The diffusion coefficients of the hydrogel varied between 0.6×10⁻⁶– 8.1×10⁻⁶ cm² s⁻¹. Received: 15 March 2000/Accepted: 18 December 2000     

Quinoxaline derivatives as long wavelength photosensitizers in photoinitiated cationic polymerization of diaryliodonium salts

The present paper is focused on visible light initiated cationic polymerizations. Photoinitiated polymerization of representative vinyl ether and oxirane monomers using two quinoxaline derivatives; namely (2-(2,3-dihydrobenzo [b][1,4]dioxin-6-yl)-3-(2,3-dihydrobenzo[b]-[1,4]dioxin-7-yl)-5-(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-5-yl)-8-(2,3-dihydrothieno[3,4-b][1,4]dioxin-7yl) quinoxaline) (DBQEd) and 2,3,5,8-tetra(thiophen-2-yl)quinoxaline (TTQ) are studied. Novel dyes based on the quinoxaline skeleton are employed as efficient photosensitizers in cationic photopolymerizations. Polymerizations were initiated at room temperature upon irradiation with long-wavelength UV and visible lights in the presence of diphenyliodonium hexafluorophosphate (Ph₂I⁺PF₆^?). The progress of the polymerizations was monitored by optical pyrometry (OP). Solar irradiation is also employed to carry out the cationic polymerization of a diepoxide monomer in the presence of air.