Towards a Guideline for Design of a Corporate Entrepreneurship Function for Business Development in Medium‐Sized Technology‐Based Companies

The speed with which global high‐technology markets evolve makes companies recognize that an effective innovation process is the best way to guarantee competitiveness. However, when (medium‐sized) companies then wish to set up a corporate entrepreneurship function to enhance business development processes, they can find little material available in literature to assist in such processes. In this article we have described a guideline and some backgrounds for creating a corporate entrepreneurship function to realize business development in a high‐tech context.     

Characterizing the Influence of Water on Charging and Layering at Electrified Ionic‐Liquid/Solid Interfaces

The importance of water on molecular ion structuring and charging mechanism of solid interfaces in room temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) is unclear and has been largely ignored. Water may alter structures, charging characteristics, and hence performance at electrified solid/RTIL interfaces and is utilized in various fields including energy storage, conversion, or catalysis. Here, atomic force microscopy and surface forces apparatus experiments are utilized to directly measure how water alters the interfacial structuring and charging characteristics of [C₂mim][Tf₂N] on mica and electrified gold surfaces. On hydrophilic and ionophobic mica surfaces, water‐saturated [C₂mim][Tf₂N] dissolves surface‐bound cations, which leads to high surface charging and strong layering. In contrast, layering of dry RTIL at weakly charged mica surfaces is weakly structured. At electrified, hydrophobic, and ionophilic gold electrodes, significant water effects are found only at positive applied electrochemical potentials. Here, the influence of water is limited to interactions within the RTIL layers, and is not related to a direct electrosorption of water on the polarized electrode. More generally, the results suggest that effects of water on interfacial structuring of RTIL strongly depend on both (1) surface charging mechanism and (2) interfacial wetting properties. This may greatly impact utilization/design of RTILs and surfaces for interface‐dominated processes.     

Controlling Factor Weights in Data Envelopment Analysis

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is a mathematical programming approach to assessing relative efficiencies within a group of Decision Making Units (DMUs). An important outcome of such an analysis is a set of virtual multipliers or weights accorded to each (input or output) factor taken into account. These sets of weights are, typically, different for each of the participating DMUs. A version of the DEA model is offered where bounds are imposed on weights, thus reducing the variation in the importance accorded to the same factor by the various DMUs. Techniques for locating appropriate bounds are suggested and the notion of a common set of weights is examined. Possible interpretations to differences in efficiency ratings obtained with the various models developed are discussed.     

Thirty-day self-reported risky driving behaviors of ADHD and non-ADHD drivers

The present study aims to compare differences in reported risky driving behaviors of drivers – males and females – having and not having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by using a checklist of driving behaviors based on the Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Unlike the studies which employ the DBQ by asking the subjects to fill the questionnaire once, in this present study, the participants were asked to report their behaviors on a daily basis for 30 consequent days. The checklist included two factors of risky driving behavior: Violation and Faults. Thirty-eight drivers – 10 males and 9 females with ADHD, and 9 males and 10 females without ADHD (N-ADHD) as control groups – participated in the study. The results showed that the mean of the unsafe behaviors of ADHD was higher, i.e., less safe driving, compared to that of N-ADHD. However, a statistically significant effect was found only between male ADHD and male N-ADHD for the Faults. In order to check the effect of the length of the study, the 30 days duration of the research was divided into three consecutive periods. The reported driving habits of the female ADHD showed safer behaviors than those of the males. Unlike the findings of N-ADHD of both genders, which showed a tendency towards safer driving reports in the three periods, both genders of the ADHD showed higher rates of Faults, i.e., a decrease in safety driving reports, in the three periods. The findings suggest that ADHD drivers differ from the N-ADHD drivers in making driving mistakes, i.e., Faults, due to their lack of sustained attention, but not in making Violations. However, some of the results in the present study were not very strong. Possible explanations for this as well as methodological considerations are discussed, and further research is suggested.     

The 25/25 rule: achieving more by doing less

Many organisations suffer from a self-inflicted wound – they attempt to do too much! As a result, nothing is done well and profits suffer. Our article addresses this problem by suggesting that managers should focus on a subset of their current initiatives – a subset selected to maximise returns without overstraining resources. We address the following issues: What are the symptoms of work overload? How does an excessive workload adversely impact the bottom line? How can managers determine the throughput capacity of their organisation? What can be done to address the problem of excessive workload? Many, if not most, organisations attempt to operate beyond their capacity, with the result that inefficiencies abound, deadlines are missed and profitability drops. Based on research and consulting experience in many companies, our paper explains the basic concepts of ‘the 25/25’ approach to project portfolio management – an approach designed to increase profitability by concentrating only on the work that is essential to the survival and profitability of the organisation. The approach has been successfully applied to dozens of public and private sector organisations companies.     

Range gated active night vision system for automobiles

Night vision for automobiles is an emerging safety feature that is being introduced for automotive safety. We develop what we believe is an innovative new night vision system using gated imaging principles. The concept of gated imaging is described and its basic advantages, including the backscatter reduction mechanism for improved vision through fog, rain, and snow. Evaluation of performance is presented by analyzing bar pattern modulation and comparing Johnson chart predictions.     

Risk and preventive factors for fatalities in All-terrain Vehicle Accidents in New Zealand

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have been used in agriculture for a few decades now. Yet despite their invaluable contribution to the productivity of the agricultural industry they are associated with a large number of accidents, many of which result in a severe or fatal outcome. The main objective of this study was to identify the risk factors for ATV-related fatal injuries in order to support the design of effective interventions. Using data held by the Department of Labour, the current study analysed 355 cases of serious harm accidents associated with ATVs including 45 fatalities. The findings suggest that injuries are more likely to occur when accidents involve any of the following: children under the age of 10; four-wheel drive ATVs; driving downhill; driving on a sealed road; driving backwards; or if the ATV rolls sideways. A fatal outcome is more likely to occur when ATV accidents end up with the vehicle rolling over and pinning the driver underneath. Fatalities were also associated with injuries to the head, neck and chest. Being employed; and/or having formal training; and/or having brakes and tyres well maintained on the ATV; and/or having no fluid load on the ATV reduced the risk for fatality. Since the likelihood of a fatal outcome was found to be related to human behaviour and ATV rollover, it is suggested that interventions should mainly address these two issues.     

New maximum likelihood motion estimation schemes for noisy ultrasound images

When performing block-matching based motion estimation with the ML estimator, one would try to match blocks from the two images, within a predefined search area. The estimated motion vector is that which maximizes a likelihood function, formulated according to the image formation model. Two new maximum likelihood motion estimation schemes for ultrasound images are presented. The new likelihood functions are based on the assumption that both images are contaminated by a Rayleigh distributed multiplicative noise. The new approach enables motion estimation in cases where a noiseless reference image is not available. Experimental results show a motion estimation improvement with regards to other known ML estimation methods.     

Identification of an NADH-dependent 5-hydroxymethylfurfural-reducing alcohol dehydrogenase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We report on the identification and characterization of a mutated alcohol dehydrogenase 1 from the industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain TMB3000 that mediates the NADH-dependent reduction of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) to 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran. The co-factor preference distinguished this alcohol dehydrogenase from the previously reported NADPH-dependent S. cerevisiae HMF alcohol dehydrogenase Adh6. The amino acid sequence revealed three novel mutations (S109P, L116S and Y294C) that were all predicted at the vicinity of the substrate binding site, which could explain the unusual substrate specificity. Increased biomass production and HMF conversion rate were achieved in a CEN.PK S. cerevisiae strain overexpressing the mutated ADH1 gene.