Contrasting the use of tools for presentation and critique: Some cases from architectural education

This study investigates video recordings of design reviews in architectural education, focusing on how presentations and discussions of designs are contingent on the specific tools employed. In the analyzed recordings, three different setups are utilized: traditional posters, digital slide-show technologies, and combinations of the two. This range of different setups provides a set of contrasts that make visible the role of technologies in shaping the ways in which the reviews are conducted. The analysis is structured in three themes. First, we examine the sequential organization of digital presentations in relation to the spatial structure of poster-based presentations. Second, the different ways in which shared attention is established in digital, paper-based, and hybrid presentation practices are analyzed. Third, we address part-whole relations—how details in presented materials are put in relation to the overarching project or the presentation as a whole. Taken together, the analyses suggest that the detailed organization of the design review is transformed in subtle yet consequential ways through the introduction of digital slide-show technologies. These transformations are consequential not only locally, for the design review itself, but also for the instructive work that is accomplished through this practice. We conclude by discussing some implications for design, arguing that an increased awareness of how the practice is influenced by the different setups might be key for the proper adaptation of presentation technologies to particular purposes.     

Adaptive statistical algorithms in network reliability analysis

The paper is concerned with introducing novel algorithms, such as adaptive approximation and deterministic radial basis function (RBF) method, for calculating the average loss (AL). Different approximators are trained to approximate the loss function and, after a short learning period, AL can be evaluated analytically with fast calculations. An improvement of the Li–Silvester (LS) method is also presented which yields a sharper lower bound on AL. The efficiency of the new methods are proven by theoretical analysis as well as demonstrated by excessive simulations.     

Living cationic polymerization of isobutyl vinyl ether, 2

Summary Living cationic polymerization of isobutul vinyl ether (IBVE), initiated by1-iodo-1-(2-methyl propyloxy)-ethane (1) and tetraalkylammonium perchlorate yields polymers of well defined molar masses and end groups. The controlled introduction of end groups was confirmed by a model reaction and was then applied to introduce and azo initiator function. The resulting polymeric initiator was used for the synthesis of a blockcopolymer.     

A proposal for a structured approach for cross-company teamwork: a case study of involving the customer in service innovation

This paper outlines the results of a project aiming to develop and apply methods for service co-creation with customers, focusing on the early phases of service development. The project is collaboration between a manufacturing firm in the automotive industry, one of their B2B-customers (a transportation firm), as well as a university, all in Sweden. The research team selected and developed methods and work practices for problem analysis, idea generation, development and evaluation of services. Thus doing, methodological influence was taken from the area of engineering design. The proposed approaches were applied in a service development experiment mainly based on workshops. The experiment was followed up by an analysis of the resulting output, an interview series, and an evaluation by peers in focus groups. The goal of this article is to answer the following research questions: (1) What is the industrial applicability of co-creating services using a structured approach, e.g. what are the benefits and challenges? (2) What do the different actors contribute with using this approach, and what possible factors influence the nature and quality of the actors’ contributions? (3) Based on the answers to the questions above, what aspects should be considered to support situated planning and execution of future service co-creation projects? A central conclusion is that a structured approach is industrially applicable, but it is also evident that there is no completely universal recipe for service innovation. Addressing these insights, the paper also contributes with guidelines to support the situation-adapted set-up of future service co-creation projects.     

Redistribution of wastewater alkalinity with a microbial fuel cell to support nitrification of reject water

In wastewater treatment plants, the reject water from the sludge treatment processes typically contains high ammonium concentrations, which constitute a significant internal nitrogen load in the plant. Often, a separate nitrification reactor is used to treat the reject water before it is fed back into the plant. The nitrification reaction consumes alkalinity, which has to be replenished by dosing e.g. NaOH or Ca(OH)₂. In this study, we investigated the use of a two-compartment microbial fuel cell (MFC) to redistribute alkalinity from influent wastewater to support nitrification of reject water. In an MFC, alkalinity is consumed in the anode compartment and produced in the cathode compartment. We use this phenomenon and the fact that the influent wastewater flow is many times larger than the reject water flow to transfer alkalinity from the influent wastewater to the reject water. In a laboratory-scale system, ammonium oxidation of synthetic reject water passed through the cathode chamber of an MFC, increased from 73.8 ± 8.9 mgN/L under open-circuit conditions to 160.1 ± 4.8 mgN/L when a current of 1.96 ± 0.37 mA (15.1 mA/L total MFC liquid volume) was flowing through the MFC. These results demonstrated the positive effect of an MFC on ammonium oxidation of alkalinity-limited reject water.     

The effects of pigments on the photostability of polyethylene

The affect of carbon black and various colourizing pigments on the ultraviolet (UV) stability of high and low density polyethylene (HDPE and LDPE) was determined using a novel method for the analysis of oxygen uptake profiles. Samples were exposed to 0.27 Wm⁻² (measured at 340 nm) UV irrdiation at 25.0±0.1° C in air at 1.0 atm. The usefulness of this method of assessment of UV stability is demonstrated. The method also enables the rapid collection of data that enable the comparison of the relative photostabilities of experimental and commercial formulations containing pigments and stabilizing additives. The results show that carbon black is an effective UV screening agent for HDPE when added at levels as low as 0.05% (wt/wt) and that increased photoprotection is achieved with increasing concentration of carbon black, up to 5% (wt/wt), above which there is no further significant increase in photostability. LDPE containing ultramarine blue pigment (Na₇Al₆Si₆O₂₄S₃) exhibits relatively poor photostability, whereas ferric oxide (Fe₂O₃) and chrome orange (PbCrO₄.PbO) pigments are better photostabilizers for this material. Cadmium sulphide (CdS) was found to photosensitize LDPE. A compound containing 0.10% (wt/wt) carbon black, 0.12% (wt/wt) titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and 1.78% (wt/wt) phthalocyanine green (C₃₃H₂N₈Cl₁₄Cu) is an effective formulation for the stabilization of LDPE. Formulations of LDPE containing ultramarine blue-TiO₂ or ferric oxidecarbon black combinations absorb heat on exposure and this may affect their photostability.     

Development of a model for the simulation of the transfer of surface structure in the temper-rolling process

In the temper rolling process the effect of transferring the roll-surface structure to the steel sheet is purposely used to adjust a defined sheet-surface structure required for further processing. At the moment four different texturing techniques (SBT, EDT, EBT, LT) are available for the production of specified roll-surface structures; these techniques are based on two fundamental mechanisms; plastic deformation and local melting. The objective of the investigation presented in this paper is to analyze the transfer behaviour specific to the texturing technique used and, in addition to that, to develop a model for the simulation of these transfer characteristics. For this purpose in the first part the results of a comparative study on the basis of rolling tests on an industrial temper mill are presented. These results do not only point out the basic transfer mechanisms – penetration processes and reverse extrusion phenomena – but beyond that also lead to an explanation of the transfer behaviour specific to the texturing systems by the application of similarity numbers (substitute profile model). Possible reasons for the different transfer behaviour are on the one hand wear effects and on the other hand process-induced characteristics of the structure itself (e.g. isolated lubrication pockets). On the basis of these results in the second part a model is developed to simulate the transfer characteristics by the application of the finite element method (FEM).