A system of systems engineering approach to design new smarter and energy efficient products

The concept of smartness of energy efficient products and systems from a business perspective has been investigated by several authors. The problem of understanding, designing, engineering and governing these technologies requires new concepts. The emergence of these modern technologies causes a myriad of interconnected systems, which are working together to satisfy the necessities of modern life. The problem of understanding, designing, engineering, and governing these technologies requires new concepts. Development of System of System Engineering (SoSE) is an attempt by the systems engineering and science community to fulfill this requirement.

New agri-environmental policies for the sustainability of mountainous olive farming. Evidences from Andalusia, Spain

La sostenibilidad de los sistemas olivareros situados en zonas de pendiente y montaña (SMOPS) en Andalucía se encuentra actualmente amenazada por las elevadas tasas de abandono que afectan a estos sistemas productivos. Así, la consumación de este proceso de abandono, no sólo pondría en peligro a las propias explotaciones, sino a todo el conjunto de bienes y servicios no productivos y al patrimonio cultural generado por este sistema productivo. En este contexto, la búsqueda de alternativas políticas enfocadas a revertir este proceso se erige como una necesidad categórica en aras de garantizar en el largo plazo la sostenibilidad de los olivares de montaña. Esta tesis pretende hacer frente a esta necesidad a través de la construcción de un marco político alternativo para los SMOPS, que permita la integración simultánea de todas las dimensiones que pueden influir en su desarrollo; esto es: el marco político actual, principalmente determinado por la Política Agraria Común (PAC) de la Unión Europea (UE); las preferencias de la sociedad hacia la oferta de bienes y servicios públicos generados por los SMOPS; y las preferencias y voluntad de innovación hacia nuevos manejos y sistemas de gestión de los agricultores y propietarios de las explotaciones. Para ello, se emplea una metodología de investigación mixta, que abarca la realización de cuatro encuestas (personales y online) llevadas a cabo a los agentes o grupos de interés involucrados directa o indirectamente en la gestión de los SMOPS –ciudadanos, agricultores y propietarios y expertos-; una profunda revisión de las herramientas de política agroambiental actuales y posibles alternativas a las mismas; y el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias metodológicas para dotar de mayor precisión y fiabilidad las estimaciones obtenidas a partir del Método del Experimento de Elección (MEE) en el campo de la valoración medioambiental. En general, los resultados muestran que una estrategia de política agroambiental basada en la combinación de los Contratos Territoriales de Zona Rural (CTZR) y el manejo ecológico supondría una mejora en la sostenibilidad de los sistemas olivareros de montaña andaluces, que, al mismo tiempo, propiciaría una mejor consideración de las necesidades y demandas de los agentes implicados en su gestión. Asimismo, los hallazgos obtenidos en esta investigación demandan un cambio de paradigma en los actuales pagos agroambientales, que han de pasar de una estrategia basada en la implementación de acciones, a otra enfocada al logro de objetivos, la cual, en el caso del olivar, se podría centrar en el aumento del secuestro de carbono en el suelo. Desde un punto de vista metodológico, los resultados han contribuido notablemente a mejorar la fiabilidad y precisión de las conclusiones estimadas a partir del MEE, mediante el diseño de un novedoso proceso iterativo para detectar posibles comportamientos inconsistentes por parte de los entrevistados con respecto a su máxima Disposición al Pago (DAP) para lograr la situación considerada como “óptima” en los olivares ecológicos de montaña andaluces. En líneas generales, el actual marco institucional favorece la puesta en práctica de la mayoría de las estrategias propuestas en esta tesis; sin embargo son necesarios mayores esfuerzos para reconducir los actuales Pagos Agroambientales y Climáticos de la PAC, hacia una estrategia de política agroambiental adaptada a las necesidades y requisitos del territorio en el que se aplica, enfocada al logro de objetivos y que sea capaz de integrar y coordinar al conjunto de agentes y grupos de interés involucrados -directa o indirectamente- en la gestión de los olivares de montaña. En este contexto, se espera que la puesta en práctica de nuevas estructuras y acuerdos de gobernanza territorial juegue un importante papel en el desarrollo de una política agroambiental realmente adaptada a las necesidades de los sistemas olivareros de montaña andaluces. ABSTRACT The long-term sustainability of Andalusian sloping and mountainous olive production systems (SMOPS) is currently threatened by the high abandonment rates that affect these production systems. The effective occurrence of this abandonment process is indeed menacing not only farms themselves, but also the wide array of public goods and services provided by SMOPS and the cultural heritage held by this production system. The search of policy alternatives aimed at tackling this process is thus a central necessity. This thesis aims to undertake this necessity by building an alternative policy framework for SMOPS that simultaneously integrates the several dimensions that are susceptible to influence it, namely: the current policy framework, mainly determined by the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP); the social preferences toward the supply of SMOPS’ public goods and services; and farmers’ preferences and willingness to innovate toward new management practices in their farms. For this purpose, we put into practice a mixed-method strategy that combines four face-to-face and online surveys carried out with SMOPS’ stakeholders -including citizens, farmers and experts-; in-depth analysis of current and alternative agrienvironmental policy (AEP) instruments; and the development of novel methodological approaches to advance toward more reliable Discrete Choice Experiment’s (DCE) outcomes in the field of environmental valuation. Overall, results show that a policy strategy based on the combination of Territorial Management Contracts (TMC) and organic management would further enhance Andalusian SMOPS’ sustainability by simultaneously taking into account stakeholders’ demands and needs. Findings also call for paradigm shift of the current action-oriented design of Agri-Environmental-Climate Schemes (AECS), toward a result-based approach, that in the case of olive orchards should particularly be focused on enhancing soil carbon sequestration. From a methodological perspective, results have contributed to improve the accuracy and feasibility of DCE outcomes by designing a novel and iterative procedure focused in ascertaining respondents’ inconsistent behaviour with respect to their stated maximum WTP for the attainment of an ideal situation to be achieved in organic Andalusian SMOPS. Generally, the present institutional framework favours the implementation of the main policy strategies proposed in this thesis, albeit further efforts are required to better conduct current CAP’s agri-environmental instruments toward a territorially targeted result-oriented strategy capable to integrate and coordinate the whole set of stakeholders involved in the management of SMOPS. In this regard, alternative governance structures and arrangements are expected to play a major role on the process of tackling SMOPS’ agri-environmental policy challenge.

"Deporte inclusivo en la escuela": diseño y análisis de un programa de intervencion para promover la inclusión del alumnado con discapacidad en Educación Física

La Educación Física se muestra, a priori, como un área idónea para trabajar intervenciones educativas para facilitar la inclusión de alumnos con discapacidad. Sin embargo, poco se conoce sobre el potencial que presentan los deportes adaptados y paralímpicos como contenido para fomentar la sensibilización y concienciación del alumnado sin discapacidad, especialmente en situaciones inclusivas de práctica. Por otro lado, la actitud del docente y su formación se presentan como claves en este contexto, ya que es quien en última instancia selecciona los contenidos a trabajar. Entendemos que en EF disponemos de una ocasión única en el curriculum para fomentar la participación activa y efectiva del alumno con discapacidad en clase (especialmente a nivel de desarrollo de la competencia motriz, entre otras), si bien esto depende de factores relacionados con los dos agentes anteriores. Es por todo ello que la Educación Física, como protagonista y como contenido, se muestra como un contexto adecuado para la investigación de los procesos de inclusión de alumnos con discapacidad en el ámbito educativo. Este trabajo de investigación pretende arrojar luz a los interrogantes que condicionan y limitan este contexto, desde una perspectiva multidisciplinar, con distintas metodologías, sobre los tres agentes indicados. La falta de consenso en la literatura en cuanto a las características y tipo de intervenciones eficaces para facilitar esta sensibilización del alumnado, unido a que es un ámbito relativamente reciente como tema de investigación, nos ha impulsado a trabajar en esta línea. El primer objetivo de este trabajo de investigación fue diseñar e implementar un programa de sensibilización y concienciación hacia la discapacidad basado en los deportes adaptados en el área de Educación Física para alumnos de secundaria y bachillerato. Inicialmente, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica tanto a nivel nacional como internacional, con el fin de definir las características principales que aporta la literatura científica en este aspecto. Apoyándonos por un lado, en el programa educativo Paralympic School Day (CPI, 2004) y por otro, en la citada revisión, desarrollamos un planteamiento inicial de estructura y fases. Dicho proyecto, fue presentado al Comité Paralímpico Español y a las federaciones deportivas españolas para personas con discapacidad, con la finalidad de recabar su apoyo institucional en forma de aval y recursos no solo a nivel económico sino también como apoyo logístico y de difusión. Tras su aprobación y gracias también al apoyo de la UPM, la Fundación Sanitas y Liberty Seguros, se procedió a diseñar el programa. Para el desarrollo de los materiales didácticos se contactó con expertos en la materia de EF y Actividad Física Adaptada tanto del ámbito educativo (profesores de educación secundaria y profesorado universitario) como del deportivo a nivel nacional. A su vez, se comenzó a difundir entre el profesorado de los centros con el fin de detectar su interés en participar durante el curso académico (2012-2013) en el programa “Deporte Inclusivo en la Escuela”. Con la finalización del desarrollo de los materiales didácticos, se visitó a los centros educativos para presentar el dossier informativo donde se explicaba el programa, así como las características y fases para su implementación. El programa está fundamentado en la Teoría del Contacto (Allport, 1954) y basado en los deportes adaptados y paralímpicos, planteado con una metodología inclusiva, seleccionando la información, la simulación y el contacto directo como estrategias para el fomento de la sensibilización y concienciación hacia la inclusión. En la reunión celebrada en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte (INEF-UPM) en febrero de 2013, se coordinó junto con el profesorado la implementación del programa en cada uno de los 13 centros educativos, con acciones concretas como la adecuación de la propuesta didáctica en la planificación anual del profesor, el préstamo de material o la ponencia del deportista paralímpico entre otras cuestiones. Para la consecución del objetivo 2 de este trabajo, analizar el efecto del programa en los distintos agentes implicados en el mismo, alumnos sin discapacidad, profesorado de EF y alumnos con discapacidad, se calendarizó la toma de datos y la administración de las diferentes herramientas metodológicas para antes (pretest) como después de la intervención (posttets). En el caso de los alumnos sin discapacidad (N= 1068), se analizó el efecto de la intervención sobre la actitud hacia la inclusión, utilizando el cuestionario “Children Attitude Integrated Physical Education-Revised” (CAIPE-R; Block, 1995) de carácter cuantitativo tras su validación y adaptación al contexto español. Los resultados mostraron cambios significativos positivos en la actitud el grupo que mantuvo un contacto no estructurado con alumnos con discapacidad. En esta muestra también se midió la actitud hacia el juego cooperativo con compañeros con discapacidad en clases de EF usando el cuestionario “Children's Beliefs Toward Cooperative Playing With Peers With Disabilities in Physical Education” (CBIPPD-MPE; Obrusnikova, Block, y Dillon, 2010). El desarrollo de un sistema de categorías fundamentado en la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado (Azjen, 1991) sirvió como base para el análisis de las creencias del alumnado sin discapacidad. Tras la intervención, las creencias conductuales emergentes se mantuvieron, excepto en el caso de los factores identificados como obstáculos de la inclusión. En el caso de las creencias normativas también se mantuvieron tras la intervención y respecto a las creencias de control, los alumnos identificaron al profesor como principal agente facilitador de la inclusión. En el caso de los profesores de EF participantes en el programa (N=18), se analizó el efecto del programa en su actitud hacia la inclusión de alumnos con discapacidad en EF con el cuestionario “Attitud toward inclusion of individual with physical disabilities in Physical Education” (ATISDPE-R; Kudláèek, Válková, Sherrill, Myers, y French, 2002). Los resultados mostraron que no se produjeron diferencias significativas tras la intervención en la actitud general, encontrando algunas diferencias en determinados ítems relacionados con los beneficios de la inclusión en los alumnos sin discapacidad relacionados con los docentes con experiencia previa con discapacidad y en EF antes de la intervención. La otra dimensión analizada fue el efecto de la intervención en la autoeficacia del profesor en la enseñanza de la EF en condiciones inclusivas, habiendo utilizado el cuestionario "Self-efficacy in teaching PE under inclusive conditions" (SEIPE; Hutzler, Zach, y Gafni, 2005). Los resultados en este caso muestran diferencias significativas positivas en cuestiones relacionadas como sentirse capaces de mejorar las condiciones óptimas de enseñanza con alumnos con discapacidad física como movilidad reducida severa y amputación y discapacidad visual tanto en situaciones deportivas, como juegos o actividades fuera del centro educativo a favor de los docentes. En cuanto al género, los hombres obtuvieron valores superiores a las mujeres en relación a sentirse más capaces de incluir a alumnos con discapacidad física tanto en juegos durante el recreo como en la enseñanza de técnica deportiva. Los profesores con menos de 10 años de docencia mostraron valores más positivos en cuanto a sentirse capaces de incluir a un alumno con discapacidad fisica en deportes durante su tiempo libre. El análisis del diario del profesor muestra por un lado, las tendencias emergentes como principales elementos facilitadores u obstaculizadores de la inclusión en EF, identificando al propio alumno sin discapacidad, el propio profesor, los contenidos, los materiales y la organización. Por otro lado, el análisis de los contenidos propuestos en el programa. En el caso de los alumnos con discapacidad (N=22), se analizó el impacto del programa de intervención en el autoconcepto, con el cuestionario "Autoconcepto forma 5" (AF5; F. García y Musitu, 2001). Se encontraron diferencias significativas a favor de las mujeres antes de la intervención en la dimensión familiar, mientras que los hombres obtuvieron valores más altos en las dimensiones social y físico. En cuanto a la edad, se encontraron diferencias significativas antes de la intervención, con valores superiores en los alumnos más jóvenes (12-14 años) en la dimensión físico, mientras que los alumnos mayores (15-17 años) mostraron valores más altos en la dimensión social del cuestionario. Respeto al tipo de discapacidad, los alumnos con discapacidad motórica mostraron mejores valores que los que tienen discapacidad auditiva para la dimensión físico antes de la intervención. En cuanto al autoconcepto general, las diferencias significativas positivas se producen en la dimensión académica. En cuanto al efecto del programa en la autoestima de los alumnos con discapacidad, se utilizó la Escala de "Autoestima de Rosenberg" (Rosenberg, 1989), no obteniendo diferencias significativas en cuanto el género. Apareciendo diferencias significativas antes de la intervención en el caso de la variable edad en los alumnos más jóvenes, en cuanto a que desearían valorarse más, y en los alumnos con discapacidad auditiva en que no se sienten muy orgullosos de ellos mismos. Se produce una mejora en la autoestima general en cuanto a que se sienten menos inútiles tras la intervención. En relación al objetivo 3 de este trabajo, tras el análisis de los resultados y haber discutido los mismos con los autores de referencia, emergió la propuesta de orientaciones tanto para los programa de intervención en EF para la sensibilización y concienciación del alumnado hacia la inclusión como de cara a la formación específica del profesorado, como clave en este tipo de intervenciones. Creemos que el programa “Deporte Inclusivo Escuela” se convierte en un elemento transformador de la realidad, ya que responde a las necesidades detectadas a la luz de esta investigación y que vienen a dar respuesta a los distintos agentes implicados en su desarrollo. Por un lado, atiende la demanda del ámbito educativo en cuanto a las necesidades de formación del profesorado, sensibilización y concienciación del alumnado sin discapacidad, además de facilitar oportunidades de participación activa al alumno con discapacidad en las sesiones de EF. Por otro lado, satisface la demanda por parte de las instituciones deportivas del ámbito de la discapacidad en cuanto a la promoción y difusión de los deportes adaptados y paralímpicos. Por último, desde el ámbito universitario, se muestra como un recurso en la formación del alumnado del grado en Ciencias de la Actividad Física y del Deporte, por su participación directa con la discapacidad. Por estos motivos, este trabajo se muestra como un punto de partida adecuado para seguir avanzando en la investigación en esta área. ABSTRACT Physical Education (PE) seems a priori, as a suitable area to work educational interventions to facilitate the inclusion of students with disabilities. However, little is known about the potential that have adapted and Paralympic sports as content to raise awareness of students without disabilities, especially in inclusive practice context. On the other hand, teachers’ attitude and their training are presented as key in this context because it is who selects the content to work. We understand that PE have a unique opportunity in the curriculum to encourage active and effective participation of students with disabilities in class (especially at motor competence development, etc.), although this depends on factors related to the two agents. For these reasons that the PE, as actors and as content is displayed as a context for investigating the processes of inclusion of students with disabilities in education. This research aims to shed light on the questions that condition and limit this context, from a multidisciplinary perspective, with different methodologies on the three agents mentioned. The lack of accord in the literature regarding the characteristics and type of effective facilitators of awareness of students, and that is a new area as a research topic, has prompted us to work in this topic research. The first aim of this research was to design and implement a program of awareness towards disability based on adapted sports in the area of physical education for middle and high school students. Initially, a literature search was performed both nationally and internationally, in order to define the main features that brings the scientific literature in this area. On the one hand, we supported in the Paralympic School Day (IPC, 2004) educative program and on the other hand, in that review, we developed an initial approach to structure and phases. The project was presented to the Spanish Paralympic Committee and the Spanish Sports Federations for people with disabilities, in order to obtain institutional support in the form of guarantees and resources not only in economic terms but also as logistical support and dissemination. Thanks to the support of Fundación Sanitas, Liberty Seguros and Politechnical University of Madrid, we proceeded to design the program. For the development of teaching resources it was contacted experts in the field of Adapted Physical Activity and physical education and both the field of education (high school teachers and university professors) as the adapted sport national. In turn, it began to spread among the teachers of the schools in order to identify their interest in participating in the academic year (2012-2013) in the "Inclusive Sport in School" program. With the completion of the development of educational materials to schools he was visited to present the briefing where the program, as well as features and steps for its implementation are explained. The program is based on the Contact Theory (Allport, 1954) and based on adapted and Paralympic sports, raised with an inclusive approach, selecting strategies for promoting awareness and awareness to inclusion like information, contact and simulation of disability. At the meeting held at the Faculty of Sciences of Physical Activity and Sport (INEF-UPM) in February 2013, it was coordinated with the teachers implementing the program in each of the 13 schools with concrete actions such as adequacy of methodological approach in the annual planning of the teacher, the loan or the presentation of materials Paralympian among other issues. To achieve the objective 2 of this paper, to analyze the effect of the program on the various actions involved it, students without disabilities, PE teachers and students with disabilities, the date for management of the different methodological tools for before (pretest) and after the intervention (posttets). For students without disabilities (N= 1068), the effect of the intervention on the attitude towards inclusion was analyzed, using the quantitative questionnaire "Integrated Physical Education Attitude Children-Revised" (CAIPE-R; Block, 1995), after validation and adaptation to the Spanish context. The results showed significant positive changes in the attitude of the group with no structured contact with students with disabilities. This shows the beliefs towards the cooperative play was with peers with disabilities in PE classes also measured, using the questionnaire "Children's Beliefs Toward Cooperative Playing With Peers With Disabilities in Physical Education" (CBIPPD-MPE; Obrusnikova, Block, and Dillon, 2010). The development of a system of categories based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Azjen, 1991) served as the basis for analysis of the beliefs of students without disabilities. After surgery, emerging behavioral beliefs remained, except in the case of the factors identified as barriers to inclusion. In the case of normative beliefs also they remained after surgery and regarding control beliefs, students identified the teacher as the main facilitator of inclusion. Regarding PE teachers participating in the program (N = 18), the effect of the program was analyzed their attitude toward inclusion of students with disability in PE with the questionnaire "Toward Attitude inclusion of Individual with in Physical Education "(ATISDPE-R; Kudláèek, Válková, Sherrill, Myers, and French, 2002). The results showed no significant difference occurred after surgery in the general attitude, finding some differences in certain related benefits of inclusion in students without disability relating to teachers with previous experience with disability in PE before intervention. The other dimension was analyzed the effect of the intervention on self-efficacy of teachers in the teaching of PE in inclusive terms, having used the questionnaire "Self-efficacy in PE teaching even under conditions" (SEIPE; Hutzler, Zach, and Gafni, 2005). The results showed significant differences positive in issues like being able to enhance the optimal conditions for teaching students with physical disabilities as amputation and severe visual impairment in both sports situations, such as games or activities outside the school to for teachers. Regard to gender, men earned higher values regarding women about feel more able to include students with physical disabilities in both games during recess and teaching sports technique. Teachers with less than 10 years of teaching showed more positive values as you feel able to include a student with physical disabilities in sports during their leisure time. The analysis of daily teacher shows on the one hand, emerging trends as key facilitators or barrier of the inclusion elements in PE, identifying the students without disabilities themselves, the professor, contents, materials and organization. Furthermore, the analysis of daily teacher about the contents proposed in the program. In the case of students with disabilities (N=22), the impact of the intervention program on self-concept was analyzed, with the questionnaire "Self-concept form 5" (AF5, F. Garcia and Musitu, 2001). The women showed significant differences before the intervention in family dimension, while men scored higher values in the social and physical dimensions were found. In terms of age, significant differences were found before the intervention, with higher values in younger students (12-14 years) in the physical dimension, while older children (15-17 years) showed higher values the social dimension of the questionnaire. Respect disabilities, students with motor disabilities showed better values than those with hearing impairment to the physical dimension before surgery. As for the general self-concept, positive significant differences occur in the academic dimension. As for the effect of the program on self-esteem of students with disabilities Scale "Rosenberg Self-Esteem" (Rosenberg, 1989) was used, not getting significant differences in gender. Only appear significant difference before the intervention in the case of younger students as they wish to be valued more, and students with hearing disabilities who do not feel very proud of themselves. Improved self-esteem generally occurs in that they feel less useless after surgery. With regard to the aim 3 of this research, after analyzing the results and have discussed them with the authors, it emerged the proposal of guidelines for both intervention program EF for sensitization and awareness of students towards inclusion as in the face of specific training for teachers, as key in such interventions. We believe that "Inclusive Sport Schools" program becomes a transforming element of reality, as it responds to the needs identified in the light of this research and come to respond to the various elements involved in its development. On the one hand, it meets the demand of the education sector in terms of the needs of teacher training, awareness of students without disability, and facilitates opportunities for students with disabilities for active participation in PE class. On the other hand, it meets the demand of sports institutions in the field of disability regarding the promotion and dissemination of adapted and Paralympic sports. Finally, it is shown as a resource from the university level for the training of degree in Physical Activity and Sport Science students, by its direct involvement with disability. For these reasons, this work is shown as a good starting point to further advance research in this area.

Ras-catalyzed hydrolysis of GTP: a new perspective from model studies.

Despite the biological and medical importance of signal transduction via Ras proteins and despite considerable kinetic and structural studies of wild-type and mutant Ras proteins, the mechanism of Ras-catalyzed GTP hydrolysis remains controversial. We take a different approach to this problem: the uncatalyzed hydrolysis of GTP is analyzed, and the understanding derived is applied to the Ras-catalyzed reaction. Evaluation of previous mechanistic proposals from this chemical perspective suggests that proton abstraction from the attacking water by a general base and stabilization of charge development on the gamma-phosphoryl oxygen atoms would not be catalytic. Rather, this analysis focuses attention on the GDP leaving group, including the beta-gamma bridge oxygen of GTP, the atom that undergoes the largest change in charge in going from the ground state to the transition state. This leads to a new catalytic proposal in which a hydrogen bond from the backbone amide of Gly-13 to this bridge oxygen is strengthened in the transition state relative to the ground state, within an active site that provides a template complementary to the transition state. Strengthened transition state interactions of the active site lysine, Lys-16, with the beta-nonbridging phosphoryl oxygens and a network of interactions that positions the nucleophilic water molecule and gamma-phosphoryl group with respect to one another may also contribute to catalysis. It is speculated that a significant fraction of the GAP-activated GTPase activity of Ras arises from an additional interaction of the beta-gamma bridge oxygen with an Arg side chain that is provided in trans by GAP. The conclusions for Ras and related G proteins are expected to apply more widely to other enzymes that catalyze phosphoryl (-PO(3)2-) transfer, including kinases and phosphatases.

Reflections on the role and design of online dictionaries for specialised translation

This article is an updated and modified version of a Spanish article published in MonTi 6 (cf. Tarp 2014a). It deals with specialised translation dictionaries. Based on the principles of the function theory, it analyses the different phases and sub-phases of the translation process from a lexicographical perspective and shows that a translation dictionary should be much more than a mere bilingual dictionary if it really pretends to meet its users’ complex needs. Thereafter, it presents a global concept of a translation dictionary which includes various mono- and bilingual components in both language directions. Finally, the article discusses, by means of two concrete online projects, how this concept can be applied on the Internet in order to develop high-quality translation dictionaries with quick access to data that are still more adapted to the needs of each translator.

Estratégias do design para a sustentabilidade da embalagem

The main subject of this dissertation is packaging, which is an inescapable product in our society nowadays. Every product we consume daily is generally protected and sheltered by a package that visually represents the product – the main feature of packaging. This research aims to assess the importance of packaging today as well as its role in the past, while searching for ways to improve its qualities as a design project. From the sustainability’s perspective, packaging is a factor that must be observed in dealing with its production, use and disposal and that is precisely the point of view that it is explored within this dissertation: packages’ ability of being sustainable and matching more ecological design practices. The main goal of this research is being able to take advantage of the package and its qualities as a selling means and at the same time make it a product that doesn’t harm our planet and the environment. Although packaging is targeted to match trade and economic issues, environmental factors have been addressed more incisively, as those are one of the biggest problems about this matter: the disposal of the package generates the accumulation of waste after the product is consumed. That being said, the challenge is to produce sustainable packaging and also to redefine the concept of packaging itself. Therefore this research intends to look for the link between packaging and sustainability and how that linkage can add value to the trade market and also to our planet’s health and well-being

From commas to cathedrals : design at work /

Shipping list no.: 91-187-P.

Sustainable design practitioners: Why they must be at the centre of discussions on sustainable design education

Sustainable design education is vital for engineering students. This is to allow them to meet the challenges both engineering and the wider community will face in the future. This need has not only been mandated by Engineers Australia’s graduate attributes from an Australian perspective, but more widely the issue of sustainability is one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. Engineers need to be at the forefront of this challenge, because we can not only do the greatest good, but have the potential to cause the greatest harm. The biggest question with respect to the education of engineers about sustainable design is what do engineers need to know, and how best to enable this learning. This paper argues that since the entire phenomenon of sustainable design is constantly growing and changing, it is only by looking at practitioners currently trying design sustainably, and their ways of experiencing sustainable design, can we hope to articulate what it is, and therefore what and how we need to teach engineering students. It also argues that to accommodate sustainable design within engineering, we need to go further and transform the engineering profession to enable it to meet the challenges that sustainability presents. © 2005, Australasian Association for Engineering Education

A configuration framework of manufacturing strategy paradigm in state owned enterprises within China's petrochemical industry:building context-embedded configurations for the paradigm of strategic manufacturing management from exploratory case studies

The role of the production system as a key determinant of competitive performance of business operations- has long been the subject of industrial organization research, even predating the .explicit conceptua1isation of manufacturing, strategy in the literature. Particular emergent production issues such as the globalisation of production, global supply chain management, management of integrated manufacturing and a growing e~busjness environment are expected to critically influence the overall competitive performance and therefore the strategic success of the organization. More than ever, there is a critical need to configure and improve production system and operations competence in a strategic way so as to contribute to the long-term competitiveness of the organization. In order to operate competitively and profitably, manufacturing companies, no matter how well managed, all need a long-term 'strategic direction' for the development of operations competence in order to consistently produce more market value with less cost towards a leadership position. As to the long-term competitiveness, it is more important to establish a dynamic 'strategic perspective' for continuous operational improvements in pursuit of this direction, as well as ongoing reviews of the direction in relation to the overall operating context. However, it also clear that the 'existing paradigm of manufacturing strategy development' is incapable of adequately responding to the increasing complexities and variations of contemporary business operations. This has been factually reflected as many manufacturing companies are finding that methodologies advocated in the existing paradigm for developing manufacturing strategy have very limited scale and scope for contextual contingency in empirical application. More importantly, there has also emerged a deficiency in the multidimensional and integrative profile from a theoretical perspective when operationalising the underlying concept of strategic manufacturing management established in the literature. The point of departure for this study was a recognition of such contextual and unitary limitations in the existing paradigm of manufacturing strategy development when applied to contemporary industrial organizations in general, and Chinese State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in particular. As China gradually becomes integrated into the world economy, the relevance of Western management theory and its paradigm becomes a practical matter as much as a theoretical issue. Since China markedly differs from Western countries in terms of culture, society, and political and economic systems, it presents promising grounds to test and refine existing management theories and paradigms with greater contextual contingency and wider theoretical perspective. Under China's ongoing programmes of SOE reform, there has been an increased recognition that strategy development is the very essence of the management task for managers of manufacturing companies in the same way as it is for their counterparts in Western economies. However, the Western paradigm often displays a rather naive and unitary perspective of the nature of strategic management decision-making, one which largely overlooks context-embedded factors and social/political influences on the development of manufacturing strategy. This thesis studies the successful experiences of developing manufacturing strategy from five high-performing large-scale SOEs within China’s petrochemical industry. China’s petrochemical industry constitutes a basic heavy industrial sector, which has always been a strategic focus for reform and development by the Chinese government. Using a confirmation approach, the study has focused on exploring and conceptualising the empirical paradigm of manufacturing strategy development practiced by management. That is examining the ‘empirical specifics’ and surfacing the ‘managerial perceptions’ of content configuration, context of consideration, and process organization for developing a manufacturing strategy during the practice. The research investigation adopts a qualitative exploratory case study methodology with a semi-structural front-end research design. Data collection follows a longitudinal and multiple-case design and triangulates case evidence from sources including qualitative interviews, direct observation, and a search of documentations and archival records. Data analysis follows an investigative progression from a within-case preliminary interpretation of facts to a cross-case search for patterns through theoretical comparison and analytical generalization. The underlying conceptions in both the literature of manufacturing strategy and related studies in business strategy were used to develop theoretical framework and analytical templates applied during data collection and analysis. The thesis makes both empirical and theoretical contributions to our understanding of 'contemporary management paradigm of manufacturing strategy development'. First, it provides a valuable contextual contingency of the 'subject' using the business setting of China's SOEs in petrochemical industry. This has been unpacked into empirical configurations developed for its context of consideration, its content and process respectively. Of special note, a lean paradigm of business operations and production management discovered at case companies has significant implications as an emerging alternative for high-volume capital intensive state manufacturing in China. Second, it provides a multidimensional and integrative theoretical profile of the 'subject' based upon managerial perspectives conceptualised at case companies when operationalising manufacturing strategy. This has been unpacked into conceptual frameworks developed for its context of consideration, its content constructs, and its process patterns respectively. Notably, a synergies perspective towards the operating context, competitive priorities and competence development of business operations and production management has significant implications for implementing a lean manufacturing paradigm. As a whole, in so doing, the thesis established a theoretical platform for future refinement and development of context-specific methodologies for developing manufacturing strategy.

The need for wider supply chain management adoption:empirical results from Ireland

Purpose - This paper aims to provide empirical results which suggest that there is a need for more widespread adoption of supply chain management among Irish firms. Design/methodology/approach - The Republic of Ireland is a small, open, trade-dependent economy and is one of the fastest growing economies in the developed world. However, due to rising costs, there is an increasing trend in Ireland to outsource lower function manufacturing processes to lower-cost locations but to retain high-skill functions (such as R&D). This trend, together with other factors such as its peripheral location, suggests that supply chain management is critical from an Irish perspective. In order to gain unique insights of current levels of awareness/adoption of SCM and the potential impact SCM could have on competitiveness, a survey was conducted among 776 Irish firms. Findings - Overall, the findings suggest that many firms in Ireland pay lip-service to the importance of SCM elements and objectives but the majority of firms, about two thirds, have only a passing understanding of what constitutes SCM. Only 25 per cent adopt SCM programmes and only 9 per cent of Irish companies have a specialised SCM or logistics manager. The gaps in their understanding of SCM are matched by the gaps in their awareness of key costs (e.g. 59 per cent of companies do not know their total supply chain costs). While there are supply chain management adopters in Ireland that are already well up the s-curve of innovation transfer, it is the larger group of less aware companies that must become better at how they manage their supply chains. Originality/value - The paper offers a useful insight into supply chain management and its role in Irish industry. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Practice based learning for automotive engineering design students

The automotive industry combines a multitude of professionals to develop a modern car successfully. Within the design and development teams the collaboration and interface between Engineers and Designers is critical to ensure design intent is communicated and maintained throughout the development process. This study highlights recent industry practice with the emergence of Concept Engineers in design teams at Jaguar Land Rover Automotive group. The role of the Concept Engineer emphasises the importance of the Engineering and Design/Styling interface with the Concept engineer able to interact and understand the challenges and specific languages of each specialist area, hence improving efficiency and communication within the design team. Automotive education tends to approach design from two distinct directions, that of engineering design through BSc courses or a more styling design approach through BA and BDes routes. The educational challenge for both types of course is to develop engineers and stylist's who have greater understanding and experience of each other's specialist perspective of design and development. The study gives examples of two such courses in the UK who are developing programmes to help students widen their understanding of the engineering and design spectrum. Initial results suggest the practical approach has been well received by students and encouraged by industry as they seek graduates with specialist knowledge but also a wider appreciation of their role within the design process.

A Jaworskian analysis of four senior class primary teachers endeavouring to teach mathematics from a constructivist-compatible perspective

A constructivist philosophy underlies the Irish primary mathematics curriculum. As constructivism is a theory of learning its implications for teaching need to be addressed. This study explores the experiences of four senior class primary teachers as they endeavour to teach mathematics from a constructivist-compatible perspective with primary school children in Ireland over a school-year period. Such a perspective implies that children should take ownership of their learning while working in groups on tasks which challenge them at their zone of proximal development. The key question on which the research is based is: to what extent will an exposure to constructivism and its implications for the classroom impact on teaching practices within the senior primary mathematics classroom in both the short and longer term? Although several perspectives on constructivism have evolved (von Glaserfeld (1995), Cobb and Yackel (1996), Ernest (1991,1998)), it is the synthesis of the emergent perspective which becomes pivotal to the Irish primary mathematics curriculum. Tracking the development of four primary teachers in a professional learning initiative involving constructivist-compatible approaches necessitated the use of Borko’s (2004) Phase 1 research methodology to account for the evolution in teachers’ understanding of constructivism. Teachers’ and pupils’ viewpoints were recorded using both audio and video technology. Teachers were interviewed at the beginning and end of the project and also one year on to ascertain how their views had evolved. Pupils were interviewed at the end of the project only. The data were analysed from a Jaworskian perspective i.e. using the categories of her Teaching Triad of management of learning, mathematical challenge and sensitivity to students. Management of learning concerns how the teacher organises her classroom to maximise learning opportunities for pupils. Mathematical challenge is reminiscent of the Vygotskian (1978) construct of the zone of proximal development. Sensitivity to students involves a consciousness on the part of the teacher as to how pupils are progressing with a mathematical task and whether or not to intervene to scaffold their learning. Through this analysis a synthesis of the teachers’ interpretations of constructivist philosophy with concomitant implications for theory, policy and practice emerges. The study identifies strategies for teachers wishing to adopt a constructivist-compatible approach to their work. Like O’Shea (2009) it also highlights the likely difficulties to be experienced by such teachers as they move from utilising teacher-dominated methods of teaching mathematics to ones in which pupils have more ownership over their learning.

Anticipating climate-induced changes to forest cover in Ontario and the implications for future bioenergy development

Climate change is expected to have marked impacts on forest ecosystems. In Ontario forests, this includes changes in tree growth, stand composition and disturbance regimes, with expected impacts on many forest-dependent communities, the bioeconomy, and other environmental considerations. In response to climate change, renewable energy systems, such as forest bioenergy, are emerging as critical tools for carbon emissions reductions and climate change mitigation. However, these systems may also need to adapt to changing forest conditions. Therefore, the aim of this research was to estimate changes in forest growth and forest cover in response to anticipated climatic changes in the year 2100 in Ontario forests, to ultimately explore the sustainability of bioenergy in the future. Using the Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve in Ontario as a case study, this research used a spatial climate analog approach to match modeled Haliburton temperature and precipitation (via Fourth Canadian Regional Climate Model) to regions currently exhibiting similar climate (climate analogs). From there, current forest cover and growth rates of core species in Haliburton were compared to forests plots in analog regions from the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). This comparison used two different emission scenarios, corresponding to a high and a mid-range emission future. This research then explored how these changes in forests may influence bioenergy feasibility in the future. It examined possible volume availability and composition of bioenergy feedstock under future conditions. This research points to a potential decline of softwoods in the Haliburton region with a simultaneous expansion of pre-established hardwoods such as northern red oak and red maple, as well as a potential loss in sugar maple cover. From a bioenergy perspective, hardwood residues may be the most feasible feedstock in the future with minimal change in biomass availability for energy production; under these possible conditions, small scale combined heat and power (CHP) and residential pellet use may be the most viable and ecologically sustainable options. Ultimately, understanding the way in which forests may change is important in informing meaningful policy and management, allowing for improved forest bioenergy systems, now and in the future.

Africa through Chinese eyes: new frames or the same old lens? African news in English from China Central Television, compared with the BBC

[No abstract as this is a book chapter: the following represents the first 2 paragraphs.] The screen fills with close-ups of smiling African faces against a black-and-orange background: the carefree child, the gap-toothed man with smoke curling from his pipe. The faces retreat into an outline of a map of Africa as the saccharine background music dissolves into birdsong. The silhouette of an acacia tree appears. This is not the much-derided Western romantic stereotype of the continent: it is an extract from a promotional trailer on CCTV Africa, the embodiment of China’s “soft power” drive and a spearhead of Chinese state television’s overseas expansion. Yet this image is at variance with the English-language channel’s professed ambitions. The Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, himself declared that “CCTV embraces the vision of seeing Africa from an African perspective and reporting Africa from the viewpoint of Africa”. These contradictory messages prompt fundamental questions about CCTV’s expansion into Africa. Are the channel’s English-language news bulletins aimed at African or Chinese viewers? What kind of Africa – and indeed China – do they represent, and could the framing of African events by CCTV News provide an alternative to the perspective of international rivals? Is CCTV’s main mission in Africa to provide news or to act as mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party and state? This chapter addresses these questions by applying a cross-cultural variant of framing theory to the news content of CCTV’s Africa Live and that of its closest direct competitor, Focus on Africa from BBC World News TV.

Learning Environments in Design Studio Culture

The paper reports on a study of design studio culture from a student perspective. Learning in design studio culture has been theorised variously as a signature pedagogy emulating professional practice models, as a community of practice and as a form of problem-based learning, all largely based on the study of teaching events in studio. The focus of this research has extended beyond formally recognized activities to encompass the student’s experience of their social and community networks, working places and study set-ups, to examine how these have contributed to studio culture and how there have been supported by studio teaching. Semi-structured interviews with final year undergraduate students of architecture formed the basis of the study using an interpretivist approach informed by Actor-network theory, with studio culture featured as the focal actor, enrolling students and engaging with other actors, together constituting an actor-network of studio culture. The other actors included social community patterns and activities; the numerous working spaces (including but not limited to the studio space itself); the equipment, tools of trade and material pre-requisites for working; the portfolio enrolling the other actors to produce work for it; and the various formal and informal events associated with the course itself. Studio culture is a highly charged social arena: The question is how, and in particular, which aspects of it support learning? Theoretical models of situated learning and communities of practice models have informed the analysis, with Bourdieu’s theory of practice, and his interrelated concepts of habitus, field and capital providing a means of relating individually acquired habits and modes of working to social contexts. Bourdieu’s model of habitus involves the externalisation through the social realm of habits and knowledge previously internalised. It is therefore a useful model for considering whole individual learning activities; shared repertoires and practices located in the social realm. The social milieu of the studio provides a scene for the exercise and display of ‘practicing’ and the accumulation of a form of ‘practicing-capital’. This capital is a property of the social milieu rather than the space, so working or practicing in the company of others (in space and through social media) becomes a more valued aspect of studio than space or facilities alone. This practicing-capital involves the acquisition of a habitus of studio culture, with the transformation of physical practices or habits into social dispositions, acquiring social capital (driving the social milieu) and cultural capital (practicing-knowledge) in the process. The research drew on students’ experiences, and their practicing ‘getting a feel for the game’ by exploring the limits or boundaries of the field of studio culture. The research demonstrated that a notional studio community was in effect a social context for supporting learning; a range of settings to explore and test out newly internalised knowledge, demonstrate or display ideas, modes of thinking and practicing. The study presents a nuanced interpretation of how students relate to a studio culture that involves a notional community, and a developing habitus within a field of practicing that extends beyond teaching scenarios.