Possibility of efficient utilization of wood waste as a renewable energy resource in Serbia

Wood biomass in Serbia is traditionally used for energy. However, the manner of its use is outdated, and efficiency is very low. Annually over 3.5 million m³ of wood is cut down for energy needs in Serbia. In order to better exploit all forms of woody biomass, especially the one that is now treated as waste, and in order to fulfil the obligations from the outlined Convention on Climate Change it is necessary to switch to a modern way of production and utilization of woody biomass. Serbia is now at the very beginning of this process. This paper gives an overview and an analysis of the possibilities of utilization of wood waste as a renewable source of energy and the problems that producers in Serbia are facing due to undeveloped markets and excessive funds that are needed to start the production of briquettes and pellets. The ecological and economical advantages of using woody biomass, as well the possible support measures for the use of woody biomass in Serbia are also the topic of this paper. The present situation in this area, the manner of waste management in sawmills and the reasons for the necessity of future development of this industrial production are also briefly described.     

Trust and conflict within virtual inter-organizational alliances: a framework for facilitating knowledge sharing

Trust and conflict are inherent issues of any organizational arrangement and central for knowledge sharing; yet they have received limited attention in the literature. In this paper, we undertake an investigation of both phenomena within the context of virtual alliances. A generic framework for understanding the dynamics of trust and conflict within the context of virtual inter-organizational arrangements is presented, followed by an examination of three distinct structural forms of virtual alliances, and strategies for generating trust and minimizing dysfunctional conflict. The paper concludes with an identification of avenues for further research.     

Ammonia sensing using arrays of silicon nanowires and graphene

Ammonia (NH3) is a toxic gas released in different industrial, agricultural and natural processes. It is also a biomarker for some diseases. These require NH3 sensors for health and safety reasons. To boost the sensitivity of solid-state sensors, the effective sensing area should be increased. Two methods are explored and compared using an evaporating pool of 0.5 mL NH4OH (28％ NH3). In the first method an array of Si nanowires (Si NWA) is obtained via metal-assisted-electrochemical etching to increase the effective surface area. In the second method CVD graphene is suspended on top of the Si nanowires to act as a sensing layer. Both the effective surface area as well as the density of surface traps influences the amplitude of the response. The effective surface area of Si NWAs is 100 × larger than that of suspended graphene for the same top surface area, leading to a larger response in amplitude by a factor of ～7 notwithstanding a higher trap density in suspended graphene. The use of Si NWAs increases the response rate for both Si NWAs as well as the suspended graphene due to more effective NH3 diffusion processes.     

A community of practice view of intervention programmes: the case of women returning to IT

The study presents an intervention programme for women returning to the information technology (IT) industry following a career break. This is interpreted through the lens of the community of practice perspective. The longitudinal nature of the case study offered opportunities for in‐depth investigation of participants' experience and development during the process. Using this datum, a mid‐level analytical approach is adopted. It is found that learning about the path to return to IT emerged regardless of the degree of participation in the intervention programme, and this was supported by the diversity and integration embedded in this programme. The implications of the findings for our understanding of intervention programmes are discussed.     

Business strategic conflict in computer-mediated communication

In this paper, we introduce the concept of business strategic conflict and examine its influence on communication media selection and use in inter-organisational collaborations. In doing so, we show the inherent complexities in the computer-mediated interactions between synergistic companies in the same industry. The work draws on a field study carried out for 5 months in a case of a product design collaboration between two large high-tech corporations in Taiwan and Korea. Findings show that at an early stage of the collaboration, the use of media has shifted substantially from FTF meetings to email, while it is also found that, due to the competitive nature of the inter-organisational collaboration involved, business strategic conflict significantly influences media selection and, in turn, it is influenced by the selected media. Our results contribute to media selection theories that have so far neglected the coopetitive inter-organisational environment.     

Enacting new temporal boundaries: the role of mobile phones

This paper examines how the use of mobile phones influences the temporal boundaries that people enact in order to regulate and coordinate their work and non-work activities. We investigate both the structural and interpretive aspects of socio-temporal order, so as to gain a fuller appreciation of the changes induced by the use of mobile phones. With specific reference to professionals working in traditional, physically based and hierarchically structured organizations, we found that mobile phone users are becoming more vulnerable to organizational claims and that as a result ‘the office’ is always present as professionals, because of the use of mobile phones, become available ‘anytime’. This is enabled by the characteristics of the technology itself but also by users’ own behaviour. In the paper, we discuss the properties of the emerging socio-temporal order and show how mobile phones may render the management of the social spheres in which professionals participate more challenging.     

Social value creation through digital activism in an online health community

The study explores how online health communities produce social value by uniting individuals under a common purpose, to advance healthcare in post‐conflict states. We selected MedicineAfrica – a digital platform known for creating social value by providing medical education in regions with under‐resourced healthcare systems – and drew on multiple data collection methods. We found that it is through a unique form of digital health activism that social value is created in this context. Drawing on a sociological understanding of digital health activism, we make the following contributions: First, we identify three types of non‐economic, social value: cognitive, professional and epistemic. Second, we indicate that social value creation is enabled by three emergent forms of digital health activism (ie, philanthropic, moral and reciprocal activity). Third, we elicit three enabling mechanisms explaining how these forms of activism are technically and socially afforded through the platform's connective capacity and emerging collective practices in tandem with its members' growing commitment. Our article contributes to the growing IS literature on digital activism by offering a framework that elucidates how digital health activism relates to social value creation. The article provides practical implications as to how platforms can enable sustainable online (health) communities.     

Properties of microlenses produced on a layer of tot'hema and eosin sensitized gelatin

Gelatin sensitized with tot'hema and eosin (compounds used in medical therapy) appears to be an excellent material for microlens fabrication. Lenses are produced by irradiation with a 532 nm laser beam. Aspheric concave lenses are formed rapidly with low power radiation. The lens profile is analyzed, as well as imaging properties. Physics of lens formation is also proposed. All material constituents are nonpoisonous, resulting in an environmentally safe, low toxicity material.     

The role of subgroups in the communication patterns of global virtual teams

In this paper, we explore the emergence of subgroups in global virtual teams and consider the impact that subgroups have on the communication patterns and interactions of these teams. The study presented here takes the case of eight virtual teams that were formed between two universities in two different countries. Our findings reveal that subgroups exert different degrees of impact on the team as a whole. Where the impact was high, boundaries were created between team members in different subgroups while the development of team cohesiveness was restricted. Nevertheless, all teams were able to produce high quality outcomes, suggesting that the emergence of subgroups may not always have a negative influence on team performance. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.