Web-based systems design: a study of contemporary practices and an explanatory framework based on “method-in-action”

This paper reports the findings of a detailed study of Web-based systems design (WBSD) practices in Ireland based on data collected over a 3-year period (2002–2005), the objectives of which were to (1) contribute towards a richer understanding of the current “real-world” context of WBSD by characterising the profile of a typical project (team size, timeframe, nature of requirements, etc.) and identifying the key challenges, constraints, and imperatives (i.e. “mediating factors”) faced by Web-based system designers, and (2) understand how those contextual parameters and mediating factors influence the activity of WBSD as regards the selection and enactment of whatever design practices are therefore engaged (i.e. the use of methods, procedures, etc.). Data was gathered through a survey which yielded 165 usable responses, and later through a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews. Using grounded theory, an explanatory conceptual framework is derived, based on an extension of the “method-in-action” model, the application of which to WBSD has not been previously investigated in depth. It is proposed that this framework of WBSD issues is valuable in a number of ways to educators, researchers, practitioners, and method engineers.     

Gelling of alginate fibres

Equipment was developed to measure the time for complete gelling of sodium alginate fibres in calcium chloride solution, taken as the time to achieve maximum tensile strength. The effects of fibre diameter, alginate concentration, alginate composition and calcium chloride concentration on gelling time were investigated. A diffusional model, developed to predict the gelling time, agreed with experimental results except for the effect of calcium ion concentration which was modelled empirically.     

采样定理的内在不自洽性和工程应用的局限性——采样定理和奈奎斯特准则研究·上篇

推导证明了作为通信理论基石之一的采样定理及其公式存在着两个矛盾：内在不自洽性，即采样定理与其公式的推导前提条件相矛盾；采样定理在工程实际应用时的严重局限性     

The Change of Body Temperature During Convective Drying of Cube-Shaped Apple Pieces

When using the convective drying method, the mass transfer between drying air and moisture diffusion of the material is very important. The moisture moves inside the material because of the volume change caused by the increased temperature. This movement is additionally affected by the texture of the material. According to the research dealing with colloid capillary porous texture of vegetables and fruit, the humidity migration inside the material occurs in both fluid and steam condition at the same time. This migration is stimulated by the heating and decreasing humidity along with the flow. In this research, winter varieties of apples (Jonathan, Golden Delicious, and Idared) were studied by heating of a 20 × 20 × 20 piece of apple with a thermocouple in it. On the basis of the measurements it can be stated that for the fruits with a high percentage of moisture (75-90%), when making the drying condition, the moisture gradient is influenced by the fractured cells of the cut area. It was found that the variety of apple is very important in relation to the heating and water loss gradient. According to the results, the wet volume change due to the heating highly influences the water loss. The models that describe the temperature of the material have a connection with the water loss.     

Hydrolytic stability and protective properties of polyurethane oligomers based on polyester/ether/polyols

The present study deals with effect of the type and chemical character of incorporated polyester/polyether blocks on the hydrolytic stability of crosslinked polyurethane oligomers. Diffusion parameters of the investigated polyurethane oligomers, giving information concerning chemical changes taking place in neutral, basic and acidic aqueous environments, have also been determined.     

Dynamics of hydrated iron(II) cations in nafion polymer membranes

Mössbauer studies of Fe²⁺ in water-soaked nafion polymer membranes in the temperature range between 90 K and 250 K have been performed. Above a critical temperature (～ 180 K) the spectra exhibit both elastic narrow absorption lines and quasielastic broad lines. These spectra are typical of bounded diffusion phenomena observed by Mössbauer spectroscopy in macromolecular systems like haemoglobin, myoglobin and ferritin. Similar spectral shapes have been observed by quasielastic neutron scattering from water in nafion membranes. Within 50 K above the critical temperature the total Mössbauer absorption area decreases by an order of magnitude whereas the narrow absorption line decreases by two orders of magnitude. The results are interpreted in terms of bounded diffusive motion of the iron. Using a model based on overdamped harmonically bound Brownian motion, the essential parameters of the iron motion can be derived as a function of temperature. The iron motion most probably reflects the motion of a large Fe²⁺ complex, e.g. Fe(H₂O)²⁺₆, which is attached to the polymer side chains via the sulphonic group.     

MODELING LIQUID MASS TRANSFER IN HIGEE SEPARATION PROCESS

Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Professor Richard S.H. Mah. Hsien-Hsin Tung is now affiliated with Department of Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology

Penetration theory is used to describe the liquid mass transfer in Higee separation process. Within a possible range of effective areas, it is shown that the predicted mass transfer coefficients are in reasonable agreement with the estimated mass transfer coefficients. The estimated coefficients were calculated from the experimental data and the possible effective areas. Hence it is concluded the penetration theory is generally applicable to describe liquid mass transfer in Higee separation process. The comparison also suggests that liquid mixing at the junctions of packing materials may be more complete in Higee process than in traditional process.     

转移法色交换

将图Ｇ的着色由一种变为中一种，通常用Ｋｅｍｐｅ法以交换。但是，对于某些情况，用此法无效。针对这个问题，本文提出了一种转移法色交换，它适用于平面图着色，方法直观，清晰且有效。     

Phase equilibria of quasi-binary systems consisting of multicomponent polymers 1 and 2. IV: Poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) systems

To confirm the reliability of the theory of phase equibria of multicomponent polymer 1/multicomponent polymer 2 systems (i.e. quasi-binary systems) and the method of computer experiment based on this theory (Brit. Polym. J., 23 (1990)285; 23 (1990)299; Polym. Int., 29 (1992)219), could point curves (CPC), two-phase volume ratios ( R ) and critical solution points (CSP) have been determined experimentally for the quasi-binary mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (M¯_w = 647, M¯_w/M¯_n = 1.15; M¯_w and M¯_n, the weight-average and numberaverage molecular weights, respectively) and poly(propylene oxide) (M¯_w = 2028, M¯_w/M¯_n = 1.08; and M_w = 2987, M_w/M_n = 1.13). The hydroxyl end groups of both polymers were methoxylated in advance by the Cooper & Booth method (Polymer, 18 (1977)164). The thermodynamic interaction parameter between both polymers, χ₁₂, and the concentration dependence parameters for the above quasi-binary systems were determined by the method proposed in a previous paper (Brit. Polym. J., 23 (1990)299). CPC, R and CSP values calculated on the basis of the theory are in good agreement with the values determined experimentally.