The Supremacy of the Sequence: Key Elements and Dimensions in the Process of Change

How single organizations manage the process of change and why only some of them are able to actually reach radical change are central questions in today’s theoretical debate. The role played by the process of change and its dimensions (namely, pace, sequence and linearity), however, has been poorly investigated. Drawing on archetype theory, this paper explores: (i) whether a specific pace of radical change exists; (ii) whether different outcomes of change are characterized by different sequences of change in key-structures and systems (iii) how the three dimensions of the process of change possibly interact. As an example of organizational change the study takes into consideration processes of accounting change in three departments of two Canadian and two Italian municipalities. The results suggest the supremacy of the sequence of implemented changes over the other two dimensions of the process in order to achieve a radical outcome of change.

Pull-out behaviour of axially loaded basalt fibre reinforced polymer (BFRP) rods bonded parallel to the grain of glulam elements

Synopsis: Bonded-in rod timber joints off er several advantages over conventional types of joint, including high local force transfer, very stiff connections, and improved ?re and aesthetic properties since the connection is completely hidden in the insulating timber members. More recently, the use of ?bre reinforced polymer (FRP) as a connecting rod, alternative to steel rods, in bonded-in rod connections for timber structures has been investigated. However, the investigation into the behaviour of such joints is limited, in particular, connections involving basalt ?bre reinforced polymers (BFRP) bars - which is the primary focus of this research. This paper presents an experimental programme conducted to investigate the behaviour of bonded-in BFRP bars loaded parallel to the grain of glulam members. Tensile pull-out tests were conducted to examine the effect of bonded length and bond stress-slip on the structural capacity of the connection. An analytical design expression for predicting pull-out capacity is proposed and the results have been compared with some established design equations. It was found that pull-out load increased approximately linearly with the bonded length, up to maximum which occurred at a bonded length of 15 times the hole diameter, and did not increase beyond this bonded length. The most signi?cant failure modes were failure at the timber/adhesive interface followed by pullout of the BFRP rod. Increased bonded lengths resulted in higher bond slip values compared to lower equivalent bonded lengths. The proposed design model gave the best predictions of pull-out capacity compared with other existing models.

Norberg-Schulz’ Elements of Space in Dark City

Alex Proyas' science fiction film Dark City (1998) puts forth questions about the building process of a city. The aliens in the film constantly alter each street, building and room to create the right environment for humans to dwell. The ‘strangers’ believe that they need to study humans in their spaces to understand human nature. They use bits and pieces of people's memories to reconstruct the city.

Christian Norberg-Schulz identifies four elements of space: physical, perceptual, existential and conceptual. Physical space is physical existence as it is. Perceptual space is the temporary space the user perceives. Existential space, for instance, the meaning of the concept of home, is abstract and permanent; it does not change with changing conditions. Finally, conceptual space, in his spatial philosophy, is the space concept of specialists like architects, economists and mathematicians.

This article analyses the future noir environment of Dark City from a spatial perspective. The notion of building is studied as to physical, perceptual, existential and conceptual spaces of Norberg-Schulz through concepts of home, identity, belonging, and alienation with reference to the architecture of the city.

In vitro resistance of Burkholderia cepacia complex isolates to reactive oxygen species in relation to catalase and superoxide dismutase production

The Burkholderia cepacia complex comprises groups of genomovars (genotypically distinct strains with very similar phenotypes) that have emerged as important opportunistic pathogens in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. The inflammatory response against bacteria in the airways of CF individuals is dominated by polymorphonuclear cells and involves the generation of oxidative stress, which leads to further inflammation and tissue damage. Bacterial catalase, catalase-peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities may contribute to the survival of B. cepacia following exposure to reactive oxygen metabolites generated by host cells in response to infection. In the present study the authors investigated the production of catalase, peroxidase and SOD by isolates belonging to various genomovars of the B. cepacia complex. Production of both catalase and SOD was maximal during late stationary phase in almost all isolates examined. Native PAGE identified 13 catalase electrophoretotypes and two SOD electrophoretotypes (corresponding to an Fe-SOD class) in strains belonging to the six genomovars of the B. cepacia complex. Seven out of 11 strains displaying high-level survival after H(2)O(2) treatment in vitro had a bifunctional catalase/peroxidase, and included all the genomovar III strains examined. These isolates represent most of the epidemic isolates that are often associated with the cepacia syndrome. The majority of the isolates from all the genomovars were resistant to extracellular O(-)(2), while resistance to intracellularly generated O(-)(2)was highly variable and could not be correlated with the detected levels of SOD activity. Altogether the results suggest that resistance to toxic oxygen metabolites from extracellular sources may be a factor involved in the persistence of B. cepacia in the airways of CF individuals.