Public policy and construction innovation

The particular roles played by governments through their policies and programmes are considered within a comparative context in order to gain an understanding of construction innovation systems and processes. The analysis of this question is grounded in a framework which develops: a typology of construction related activities, a precise definition of innovation, the measurement of innovation, and models linking R&D and innovation. Comparative findings suggest that the political and social structures of individual countries do not create radical differences in their national approaches to innovation. However, government structure, the type of national innovation system and the nature of construction institutions influence the choice of specific policy instruments. A summary of findings from a task group is presented which reviews various national policies towards innovation in construction. Country specific observations are drawn from case studies of 15 countries in Europe, North and South America, South Africa and Japan. Often public policy instruments in support of innovation have not been of real benefit to the construction industry. Recommendations are made to improve the focus and utility of future policy initiatives for innovation, including: the creation of collaborative arrangements with industry initiated research and emphasis on performance and sustainability. Dans cet article, les auteurs comparent les rôles particuliers joués par les gouvernements au travers leurs politiques et leurs programmes afin de mieux faire connaître les nouveaux systèmes et procédés de construction. L'analyse de cette question se fait dans un cadre qui propose une typologie des activités liées à la construction, une définition précise de l'innovation, la mesure de l'innovation et des modèles qui lient la R&D et innovation. Des résultats comparatifs laissent à penser que les structures politiques et sociales de chaque pays ne créent pas de différences radicales entre les approches nationales en matière d'innovation. En revanche, les structures gouvernementales, le type de système national propre à l'innovation et la nature des institutions du domaine de la construction ont une influence sur le choix d'instruments d'intervention spécifiques. On trouvera la synthèse des résultats des travaux d'un groupe d'étude accompagnée d'une présentation de diverses politiques nationales en matière d'innovation dans le secteur de la construction. Des observations spécifiques par pays sont extraites d'études de cas provenant de 15 pays d'Europe, d'Amérique du nord et du sud, l'Afrique du sud et le Japon. On constate que les moyens publics d'intervention en faveur de l'innovation n'apportent pas toujours de réels avantages à l'industrie de la construction. Des recommandations sont faites pour améliorer la portée et l'utilité des futures initiatives politiques en faveur de l'innovation; il faudrait notamment élaborer des formules de coopération dans le cadre d'actions de recherche engagées par l'industrie et faire en sorte qu'une plus grande importance soit accordée aux performances et on développement durable.     

Effects of focused ion beam milling on the compressive behavior of directionally solidified micropillars and the nanoindentation response of an electropolished surface

Focused ion beam (FIB) milling is the typical method used to fabricate micropillars to study small-scale plasticity and size effects in uniaxial compression. However, FIB milling can introduce defects into the milled pillars. To investigate the effects of FIB damage on mechanical behavior, we tested Mo-alloy micropillars that were FIB milled following directional solidification, and compared their compressive response to pillars that were not FIB milled. We also FIB milled at glancing incidence a Mo-alloy single-crystal surface, and compared its nanoindentation response to an electropolished surface of the same crystal. Implications for the interpretation of data obtained from FIB-milled micropillars are discussed.     

On the onset of natural convection in differentially heated shallow fluid layers with internal heat generation

This paper reports the results of an analytical and numerical investigation to determine the effect of internal heat generation on the onset of convection, in a differentially heated shallow fluid layer. The case with the bottom plate at a temperature higher than the top plate mimics the classical Rayleigh Benard convection. However, internal heat generation adds a new dimension to the problem. Linear stability analysis is first carried out for the case of an infinitely wide cavity. The effect of aspect ratio on the onset of convection is studied by solving the full Navier–Stokes equations and the equation of energy and observing the temperature contours. A bisection algorithm is used for an accurate prediction of the onset. The numerical results are used to plot the stability curves for eight different aspect ratios. A general correlation is developed to determine the onset of convection in a differentially heated cavity for various aspect ratios. For an aspect ratio of 10, it is seen that the cavity approaches the limit of an infinite cavity. Analytical results obtained by using linear stability analysis agree very well with the “full” CFD simulations, for the above aspect ratio.     

Toward an integrative perspective on bereavement.

For nearly a century, bereavement theorists have assumed that recovery from loss requires a period of grief work in which the ultimate goal is the severing of the attachment bond to the deceased. Reviews appearing in the 1980s noted a surprising absence of empirical support for this view, thus leaving the bereavement field without a guiding theoretical base. In this article, the authors consider alternative perspectives on bereavement that are based on cognitive stress theory, attachment theory, the social functional account of emotion, and trauma theory. They then elaborate on the most promising features of each theory in an attempt to develop an integrative framework to guide future research. The authors elucidate 4 fundamental components of the grieving process—context, meaning, representations of the lost relationship, and coping and emotion-regulation processes—and suggest ways in which these components may interact over the course of bereavement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Limitations of the Hydraulic Imperative: The Case of the Golan Heights

Water management in the Levant often focuses on a ‘hydraulic imperative’. This was recently illustrated by the peace discussions between Israel and Syria, with their emphasis on the Golan's water. Such a focus limits policy makers to a purely hydrological perspective, and leads to a focus on securing water access and controlling ‘hydrostrategic territories’. This excludes or underestimates other salient issues, and disregards potentially useful managerial-technical solutions. For any peace settlement to be sustainable, a more comprehensive approach is needed, unbound by the single-issue ‘hydraulic imperative’ to better take into account the multifaceted aspects of the water.     

II. Electrodeposition/removal of nickel in a spouted electrochemical reactor

An investigation is presented of nickel electrodeposition from acidic solutions in a cylindrical spouted electrochemical reactor. The effects of solution pH, temperature, and applied current on nickel removal/recovery rate, current efficiency, and corrosion rate of deposited nickel on the cathodic particles were explored under galvanostatic operation. Nitrogen sparging was used to decrease the dissolved oxygen concentration in the electrolyte in order to reduce the nickel corrosion rate, thereby increasing the nickel electrowinning rate and current efficiency. A numerical model of electrodeposition, including corrosion and mass transfer in the particulate cathode moving bed, is presented that describes the behavior of the experimental net nickel electrodeposition data quite well.     

A polyethylene glycol-assisted carbothermal reduction method to synthesize LiFePO4 using industrial raw materials

Olivine LiFePO₄ is synthesized by a carbothermal reduction method (CTR) using industrial raw materials with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a reductive agent and carbon source. A required amount of acetone is added to the starting materials for the ball milling process and the precursor is sintered at 973 K for 8 h to form crystalline phase LiFePO₄. The structure and morphology of the LiFePO₄/C composite samples have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and magnetic susceptibility. Electrochemical measurements show that the LiFePO₄/C composite cathode delivers an initial discharge capacity of 150 mAh g⁻¹ at a 0.2C-rate between 4.0 and 2.8 V, and almost no capacity loss is observed for up to 50 cycles. Remarkably, the cell can sustain a 30C-rate between 4.6 and 2.0 V, and this rate capability is equivalent to charge or discharge in 2 min. The simple technique, low-cost starting materials, and excellent electrochemical performance make this process easier to commercialize than other synthesized methods.     

Development of a comprehensive mathematical model for free radical suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate

In this work a detailed mathematical model for free radical suspension polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in water is developed. This model is based on sound principles such as the free volume theory to account for the diffusion limited reactions in suspension polymerization. Additionally, the complex polymerization kinetics process of the aqueous suspension polymerization of MMA is studied as a one‐dimensional numerical experiment. For this purpose, the polymerization process is modeled as a moving boundary mass transfer problem coupled with polymerization reactions. The Galerkin finite element method is used to simultaneously solve the nonlinear governing equations. The model predictions for conversion and average molecular weights vs. time were found to be in close agreement with laboratory data. It is believed that this work, as it provides fundamental understanding of the process, it might contribute to a more rational design of polymerization reactors. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Conductivity Detectors for Column or Paper Chromatography

SUMMARY

A conductivity detector, employing inexpensive operational amplifiers, has been constructed for chromatographic use. The detector is capable of observing conductance changes as small as 1 part in 10⁵ with bridge signals of 100 mV. Detector linearity is good over a wide dynamic range. When used in conjunction with a cell employing mercury strip electrodes, the detector can monitor the elution of ions in paper chromatography. The alkali metals were separated and detected on Whatman No. 1 paper with a sensitivity of less than 10 nmoles. This sensitivity limit was not determined by noise in the detector electronics, but by ionic impurities in the paper. The same detector, and a cell employing platinum electrodes separated from the effluent by ion-exchange membranes, was tested and found suitable for use in column chromatography. Again the sensitivity was not limited by the detector electronics.