The use of best design practices: An analysis of US navy contractors

Rapid and successful introduction of new products is a potentially significant source of competitive advantage for manufacturing firms. Organizations need to identify and manage those critical elements of the product development process (PDP) that have a positive influence on new product success. This research identifies the distinctive product development and design practices, policies and tools currently followed by companies (Navy contractors) that participated in an empirical research study known as the Best Manufacturing Practices Program. A summary of practices reported in the case studies is compiled using content analysis techniques, and the most interesting practices by individual companies are highlighted. We find numerous examples of sophisticated CAD techniques being used to enhance the development process, including expert system design advisers, computer simulation, and design databases. Companies are emphasizing the design policies of concurrent engineering and teamwork, and documenting design process knowledge into design manuals. Company effort still appear focused primarily on the phase of detailed design rather than the concept selection phase.     

High-pressure phase equilibria for the synthesis of ionic liquids in compressed CO2 for 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide with 1-bromohexane and 1-methylimidazole

The use of carbon dioxide in the synthesis of ionic liquids (ILs) has many advantages over conventional solvents. Here, the high-pressure phase equilibria (including CO₂ solubility, volume expansion, and mixture critical points) are measured and modeled for the system involved in the synthesis of a model imidazolium ionic liquid 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([HMIm][Br]) from 1-bromohexane and 1-methylimidazole. The global phase behavior of 1-methylimidazole was investigated and found to be a Type V system (or potentially IV) from the classification of Scott and van Konynenburg with regions of vapor–liquid equilibrium, vapor–liquid–liquid equilibrium, liquid–liquid equilibrium, an upper and lower critical endpoint and mixture critical points. The solubility and volume expansion of CO₂ in 1-methylimidazole, 1-bromohexane, a 1:1 mixture of 1-methylimidazole and 1-bromohexane and [HMIm][Br] was determined at 313.15 K and 333.15 K for pressures ranging from 10 to 160 bar. The solubility of CO₂ and the volume expansion increases in the order of [HMIm][Br]  1-methylimidazole < 1:1 mixture of reactants < 1-bromohexane. The Peng–Robinson equation of state with van der Waals 2-parameter mixing rules was used with estimated critical properties to well correlate the vapor–liquid equilibrium. The results have important ramifications on the kinetics and process constraints of an actual IL synthesis with CO₂.     

2 MeV ion irradiation effects on AlGaN/GaN HFET devices

AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) were irradiated with 2 MeV protons, carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton ions with fluences ranging from 1 × 10⁹ cm^?2 to 1 × 10¹³ cm^?2. DC, pulsed I–V characteristics, loadpull and S-parameters of the AlGaN HFET devices were measured before and after irradiation. In parallel, a thick GaN reference layer was also irradiated with the same ions and was characterized by X-ray diffraction, photoluminescence, Hall measurements before and after irradiation. Small changes in the device performance were observed after irradiation with carbon and oxygen at a fluence of 5 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2. Remarkable changes in device characteristics were seen at a fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2 for carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton irradiation. Similarly, remarkable changes were also observed in the GaN layer for irradiations with fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2. The results found on devices and on the GaN layer were compared and correlated.     

Efficiency of Light Outcoupling Structures in Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes: 2D TiO2 Array as a Model System

Organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) are widely used in research and are established in the industry. The building block nature of organic compounds enables a vast variety of materials. On top of that, there exist many strategies to improve the light outcoupling of OLEDs making a direct comparison of outcoupling technologies difficult. Here, a novel approach is introduced for the evaluation of light outcoupling structures. The new defined “efficiency of light outcoupling structures” (ELOS) clearly determines the effectiveness of the light outcoupling structure by weighting the experimental efficiency enhancement over the theoretical outcoupling gain. It neither depends on cavity design nor on the chosen organic material. The methodology is illustrated for red phosphorescent OLEDs comprising internal and external light outcoupling structures. Assumptions and further uses are discussed with respect to experimental and theoretical handling. In addition, the ELOS is calculated for various outcoupling techniques from literature to demonstrate the universality. Finally, most suitable reference OLEDs are discussed for application of light outcoupling structures. The presented approach enables new possibilities for studying light outcoupling structures and improves their comparability in a highly material‐driven research field.     

Ethics of responsibilities distributions in a technological culture

In this paper, I develop and differentiate some problems of the interaction between corporations, individuals and the general public as well as institutions like the state or international non-governmental organizations as well as super-national organizations. Firms or corporations are nowadays much more international than they used to be; they are typically multinational enterprises giving rise to special transnational problems of transactions, interchanges and—indeed also—responsibilities ranging over national borders and restricted areas. In our culture, we have to deal with rather ramified types of individual and collective as well as specific corporate responsibilities tending to reach out beyond national borders, specific state law restrictions and even business systems and economies. The traditional personal and individual responsibility and their different forms will not do to cope with all the respective international, intercultural and inter-sectoral problems of modern corporations and their international interactions. In the paper, I have also discussed the question: Do multinational organizations and corporations have a sort of specific corporate responsibility, and if so, against whom and for what—except for their share- and stakeholders?     

Irradiation effects on AlGaN HFET devices and GaN layers

AlGaN/GaN heterostructure field effect transistors (HFETs) were irradiated with protons as well as carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton ions of high (68 and 120 MeV) and low (2 MeV) energy with fluences in the range from 1 × 10⁷ to 1 × 10¹³ cm^?2. High energy irradiation with protons, carbon and oxygen produced no degradation in devices while krypton irradiation at the fluence of 1 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2 resulted in a small reduction of 2% in the transconductance. Similarly, for GaN samples irradiated with protons, carbon and oxygen at high energy no changes were seen by XRD, PL and Hall effect, while changes in lattice constant and a reduction in PL intensity were observed after irradiation with high energy krypton. Low energy irradiation with carbon and oxygen at a fluence of 5 × 10¹⁰ cm^?2 results in small change in the device performance while remarkable changes in device characteristics are seen at a fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2 for carbon, oxygen, iron and krypton irradiation. Similarly changes are also observed by XRD, PL and Hall effect for the thick GaN layer irradiated at the fluence of 1 × 10¹² cm^?2. The device results and GaN layer properties are strongly correlated.     

Gestalt and phenomenal transparency

Phenomenal transparency is commonly studied by using a stimulus configuration introduced by Metelli: a bipartite patch, divided into equal left and right halves is overlaid with a smaller, concentric bipartite patch, divided along the same line. Observers are instructed to report either a transparent patch over an opaque bipartite field or a mosaic of four opaque patches. We show theoretically and empirically that these are only two of five generic perceptual categories, namely, transparent patch, transparent annulus (hole), mosaic, partial transparency, and multiple transparency (ambiguous) cases. Thus Gestalt factors complicate the interpretation "phenomenal transparency." We propose a framework that avoids this complication. There is excellent agreement between predictions and results.     

Comparison of the anthropometric and biochemical variables between children and their parents

The objective of this study was to compare the anthropometry, body composition and biochemical profile between eutrophic and obese children, as well as to relate the children's nutritional state and body composition to those of their respective parents. A control-case study was carried out with 50 eutrophic and 50 obese children paired according to gender, age, socioeconomic condition, and selected from the nutritional evaluation of 2 074 children aged 6 to 8 years, attending public and private urban schools in Vi?osa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The measurements evaluated were weight, height, circumferences (waist and hip) and thickness skinfolds (triceps and subscapular). The serum levels of glucose, total-cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and hemoglobin in the children were evaluated. The obese children presented a larger body size and higher percentage for total body fat as well as its accumulation in the central region, and higher serum levels for triglycerides (p < 0.05). For all biochemical parameters, except for hemoglobin and HDL, there occurred a positive correlation with the located fat in the central region as well as with the total body fat in children (p < 0.05). The obese mothers showing high percentage of body fat and its accumulation in the central region rather tend to have children with these characteristics (p < 0.05). The highest number of the close relatives who are obese and present dyslipidemia is highlighted in the obese children (p < 0.05). This study evidences the differences concerning to the distribution of the body fat and lipid profile among eutrophic and obese children, as well as the strong influence of the maternal obesity upon child's obesity.     

Development of Hydrophobic Starch

The aim of this work was a systematic investigation of the preparation conditions for stable aqueous dispersions of hydrophobic starch. Samples of benzylated starch were therefore synthesised and then converted into hydrophobic dispersions by fragmentation. In the study, the type of starch and process parameters such as the degree of hydrophobic substitution and fragmentation method were varied. It was shown that the type of derivatisation process (i.e. heterogeneous in a slurry or homogeneous in an autoclave) had a crucial influence on the dispersion properties. Dilution from homogeneous solution and steam‐jet cooking were explored as fragmentation methods for the starch derivatives. The resulting dispersions were comprehensively characterised in relation to the molecular properties of the soluble fraction and sediment. Significant differences in dispersion properties were caused by the type of starch used (i.e. potato or maize) and the derivatisation process, for a similar degree of benzylation.