Monitoring of deployment process of shape memory polymers for morphing structures with embedded fibre Bragg grating sensors

This article demonstrates the use of embedded fibre Bragg gratings as vector bending sensor to monitor two-dimensional shape deformation of a shape memory polymer plate. The shape memory polymer plate was made by using thermal-responsive epoxy-based shape memory polymer materials, and the two fibre Bragg grating sensors were orthogonally embedded, one on the top and the other on the bottom layer of the plate, in order to measure the strain distribution in both longitudinal and transverse directions separately and also with temperature reference. When the shape memory polymer plate was bent at different angles, the Bragg wavelengths of the embedded fibre Bragg gratings showed a red-shift of 50 pm/°caused by the bent-induced tensile strain on the plate surface. The finite element method was used to analyse the stress distribution for the whole shape recovery process. The strain transfer rate between the shape memory polymer and optical fibre was also calculated from the finite element method and determined by experimental results, which was around 0.25. During the experiment, the embedded fibre Bragg gratings showed very high temperature sensitivity due to the high thermal expansion coefficient of the shape memory polymer, which was around 108.24 pm/°C below the glass transition temperature (Tg) and 47.29 pm/°C above Tg. Therefore, the orthogonal arrangement of the two fibre Bragg grating sensors could provide a temperature compensation function, as one of the fibre Bragg gratings only measures the temperature while the other is subjected to the directional deformation. © The Author(s) 2013.

The process of building public-private partnerships:an organizational identity perspective

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The process of coping in King-Kopetzky Syndrome

Our object was to describe the process of coping in King-Kopetzky syndrome and hypothesise how the process is mediated. We used a qualitative study using open-ended interviews. The data were gathered purposefully from 19 cases in the first phase of the study. Accounts were then compared deductively with six accounts from a previous interview-based study. Maximum contrast was sought in cases and in experience of clinical interventions. Participants were recruited from Hearing Therapy services in Bath and North East Somerset Primary Care Trust and The Welsh Hearing Institute. Interviews were conducted in participants’ homes or clinic setting. Coping was determined by the concept that the individual developed about their hearing difficulties. The process of conceptualizing involves reconciling the symptoms experienced with the information obtained from clinicians. The process is mediated by the context in which hearing difficulties occur and the interventions that are received. Forming a coherent concept of hearing difficulties facilitates coping. Clinicians can assist this process by giving patients with King-Kopetzky Syndrome an explanation of the condition.

Client discourses on the process of seeking same-sex couple counselling

How same-sex couples manage the process of seeking help for their relationships is an under-researched area. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 people who had engaged in same-sex couple counselling, and were analysed using discourse analysis. The ways in which the couples positioned themselves as part of a 'minority group', or part of a generic group of couples struggling with relationship issues, impacted on how they discussed seeking help. We conclude that counsellors and psychotherapists need to be aware of the ways in which couples construct their relationships, and mindful of the tricky navigations around similarity to, and difference from, different-sex relationships. The impact of this on couples seeking therapeutic help is considered. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

A conceptual framework for understanding resilience of construction SMEs to extreme weather events

Purpose Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), which form a significant portion in many economies, are some of the most vulnerable to the impact of Extreme Weather Events (EWEs). This is of particular importance to the construction industry, as an overarching majority of construction companies are SMEs who account for the majority of employment and income generation within the industry. In the UK, previous research has identified construction SMEs as some of the worst affected by EWEs. Design/methodology/approach Given the recent occurrences of EWEs and predictions suggesting increases in both the intensity and frequency of EWEs in the future, improving the resilience of construction SMEs is vital for achieving a resilient construction industry. A conceptual framework is first developed which is then populated and expanded based on empirical evidence. Positioned within a pragmatic research philosophy, case study research strategy was adopted as the overall research strategy in undertaking this investigation. Findings Based on the findings of two in-depth case studies of construction SMEs, a framework was developed to represent EWE resilience of construction SMEs, where resilience was seen as a collective effect of vulnerability, coping strategies and coping capacities of SMEs, characteristics of the EWE and the wider economic climate. Originality/value The paper provides an original contribution towards the overarching agenda of the resilience of SMEs, and policy making in the area of EWE risk management by presenting a novel conceptual framework depicting the resilience of medium-sized construction companies.