Going beyond ‘misfit’ as a reason for ERP package customisation

In an attempt to deal with the potential problems presented by existing information systems, a shift towards the implementation of ERP packages has been witnessed. The common view, particularly the one espoused by vendors, is that ERP packages are most successfully implemented when the standard model is adopted. Yet, despite this, customisation activity still occurs reportedly due to misalignment between the functionality of the package and the requirements of those in the implementing organisation. However, it is recognised that systems development and organisational decision-making are activities influenced by the perspectives of the various groups and individuals involved in the process. Thus, as customisation can be seen as part of systems development, and has to be decided upon, it should be thought about in the same way. In this study, two ERP projects are used to examine different reasons why customisation might take place. These reasons are then built upon through reference to the ERP and more general packaged software literature. The study suggests that whilst a common reason for customising ERP packages might be concerned with functionality misfits, it is important to look further into why these may occur, as there are clearly other reasons for customisation stemming from the multiplicity of social groups involved in the process.

Alternate destinies for survey items destined for the island of misfit toys: An analysis of teachers' perceptions of NAPLAN

This is a methodological paper describing when and how manifest items dropped from a latent construct measurement model (e.g., factor analysis) can be retained for additional analysis. Presented are protocols for assessment for retention in the measurement model, evaluation of dropped items as potential items separate from the latent construct, and post hoc analyses that can be conducted using all retained (manifest or latent) variables. The protocols are then applied to data relating to the impact of the NAPLAN test. The variables examined are teachers’ achievement goal orientations and teachers’ perceptions of the impact of the test on curriculum and pedagogy. It is suggested that five attributes be considered before retaining dropped manifest items for additional analyses. (1) Items can be retained when employed in service of an established or hypothesized theoretical model. (2) Items should only be retained if sufficient variance is present in the data set. (3) Items can be retained when they provide a rational segregation of the data set into subsamples (e.g., a consensus measure). (4) The value of retaining items can be assessed using latent class analysis or latent mean analysis. (5) Items should be retained only when post hoc analyses with these items produced significant and substantive results. These suggested exploratory strategies are presented so that other researchers using survey instruments might explore their data in similar and more innovative ways. Finally, suggestions for future use are provided.

Evolution of multivariant microstructures with anisotropic misfit: A phase field study

We study, in two dimensions, the effect of misfit anisotropy on microstructural evolution during precipitation of an ordered beta phase from a disordered alpha matrix; these phases have, respectively, 2- and 6-fold rotation symmetries. Thus, precipitation produces three orientational variants of beta phase particles, and they have an anisotropic (and crystallographically equivalent) misfit strain with the matrix. The anisotropy in misfit is characterized using a parameter t = epsilon(yy)/epsilon(xx), where epsilon(xx) and epsilon(yy) are the principal components of the misfit strain tensor. Our phase field, simulations show that the morphology of beta phase particles is significantly influenced by 1, the level of misfit anisotropy. Particles are circular in systems with dilatational misfit (t = 1), elongated along the direction of lower principal misfit when 0 < t < 1 and elongated along the invariant direction when - 1 <= t <= 0. In the special case of a pure shear misfit strain (t = - 1), the microstructure exhibits star, wedge and checkerboard patterns; these microstructural features are in agreement with those in Ti-Al-Nb alloys.

A large orthotropic plate with misfit pin under arbitrarily oriented biaxial loading

The problem of misfit (interference or clearance) pin in a large orthotropic plate was solved earlier by the authors for biaxial loading in the principal directions of orthotropy. Here, a more general case of arbitrarily oriented loading is considered. The most important aspect of the problem studied is the partial contact at the pin-hole interface. The solution is obtained by extending the use of ‘inverse technique’ which was successfully applied earlier by the authors to problems of pins in isotropic and orthotropic domains. The loss of symmetry because of the arbitrary orientation of loading makes the problem more complex. Additional parameters are then involved in the inversion of the problem for the solution. Numerical results are presented primarily for a smooth interference fit pin in a typical orthotropic plate.

Phase field study of precipitate growth: Effect of misfit strain and interface curvature

We have used phase field simulations to study the effect of misfit and interfacial curvature on diffusion-controlled growth of an isolated precipitate in a supersaturated matrix. Treating our simulations as computer experiments, we compare our simulation results with those based on the Zener–Frank and Laraia–Johnson–Voorhees theories for the growth of non-misfitting and misfitting precipitates, respectively. The agreement between simulations and the Zener–Frank theory is very good in one-dimensional systems. In two-dimensional systems with interfacial curvature (with and without misfit), we find good agreement between theory and simulations, but only at large supersaturations, where we find that the Gibbs–Thomson effect is less completely realized. At small supersaturations, the convergence of instantaneous growth coefficient in simulations towards its theoretical value could not be tracked to completion, because the diffusional field reached the system boundary. Also at small supersaturations, the elevation in precipitate composition matches well with the theoretically predicted Gibbs–Thomson effect in both misfitting and non-misfitting systems.

Mies, talli ja moottoripyörä : Etnografinen tutkimus Misfit MC:stä ja bikerkulttuurin eetoksesta

Tutkimuksen punaisena lankana kulkee kysymys siitä, millainen on bikerkulttuurin eetos? Miten se on syntynyt, miten sitä ylläpidetään ja miten Misfit MC:n jäsenet sitä tulkitsevat ja toteuttavat omassa elämässään? Tarkastelen eetosta kahdenlaisen aineiston valossa. i) Kenttätyöllä (vuosina 1995-1998 ja 2000-2001) kerätyn aineiston valossa tarkastelen yhtä pääkaupunkiseudulla toimivaa HD-moottoripyöräkerhoa, vuonna 1989 toimintansa aloittanutta Misfit MC:tä. Jäsenet kutsuvat kerhoaan useimmiten talliksi, joskus pajaksi, kerhoksi tai klubiksi. Puhuessaan tallista, miehet voivat viitata kerhorakennukseen ("tuut sä tallille?") mutta myös ryhmään ("meidän talli") ja sen olemassaoloon ajallisesti ja paikallisesti. Aloittaessani kenttätyön vuonna 1995 Misfit MC:n kuului kymmenen 25-30-vuotiasta miestä. ii) Kenttätyöllä kerätyn aineiston lisäksi käytän materiaalia, joka koostuu Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörän ympärille rakentuneen bikerkulttuurin historiasta ja kulttuurituotteista, kuten kertomuksista, elokuvista, musiikista, kuvataiteesta ja moottoripyörälehdistä. Aineiston avulla valotan bikerkulttuurin eetoksen syntyä, alkuvaiheita, leviämistä ja keskeisiä elementtejä. Lähdeaineiston monimuotoisuus ja runsaus palautuu kenttätyöhöni jolloin vakuutuin siitä, että tutkimusmatka bikerkulttuurin historiaan, perinteisiin ja median välittämiin (mieli)kuviin on välttämätöntä, sillä menneisyys ja Harrikkaan ajan kuluessa varastoituneet merkitykset vaikuttavat ja ovat vahvasti läsnä Misfit MC:n toiminnassa ja talliin kuuluvien miesten elämäntyylissä. Tutkimus etenee seuraavanlaisesti. Luku I on Johdanto. Luvussa II Etnografia käsittelen etnografisen tiedon luonnetta niin tutkimusasenteena kuin kenttätyön valossa. Pohdin kenttätyötä ja sen suhdetta etnografian kirjoittamiseen eli miten kenttätyöllä kerätty aineisto muuntuu etnografiseksi monografiaksi. Käsittelen myös kenttätyöni reunaehtoja, kuten tyttöystävyyden ja sukupuolen merkitystä, ja tarkastelen tutussa kulttuurissa tehdyn kenttätyön ominaispiirteitä. Reunaehtojen kuvailu toimii myös johdatuksena bikerkulttuuriin sellaisena kuin se ilmenee Misfit MC:n tallielämässä ja käytänteissä. Lopuksi pohdin "tiheän kuvauksen" mahdollisuuksia ja vaateita aineistoni puitteissa. Luvussa III Bikerkulttuurin eetosta kartoittamassa, kuvailen Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörän ympärille rakentuneen elämäntavan syntyä, levittäytymistä ja keskeisiä elementtejä. Tarkastelen media- ja populaarikulttuurisia tekstejä (elokuvien kertomat tarinat, musiikkikappaleiden sanoitukset ja HD- ja bikerlehtien artikkelit) ja kuvia (elokuvien audiovisuaaliset aspektit, kuvataide ja HD- ja bikerlehtien kuvitus), jotka ovat vaikuttaneet bikerkulttuurin eetokseen. Luvun keskeisiä - aineistosta nousevia ja miessukupuoleen vahvasti sidoksissa olevia - käsitteitä ovat biker, outlaw ja chopper, jotka ovat bikerkulttuurissa säilyneet alkuperäisessä muodossa maantieteellisestä tai kielialueesta riippumatta. Luvussa IV Misfit MC ja bikerkulttuurin eetos temaattinen painopiste siirtyy Suomeen ja Misfit MC:hen. Aluksi käyn läpi suomalaisen bikerkulttuurin muotoutumista ja ominaispiirteitä. Alkukappaleiden jälkeen keskityn Misfit MC:n jäsenten elämäntyylin sävyihin ja heidän käsityksiinsä bikerkulttuurin eetoksesta. Analyysin kiintopisteitä ovat Misfit MC:n jäsenten näkemys bikeriydestä ja tallitoiminnasta, miesten elämäntyylin moraaliset ja esteettiset sävyt, tallirakennus miesyhteisöllisyyttä ja bikerkulttuurin eetosta luovana ja ylläpitävänä sosiaalisena tilana ja Misfit MC miesten yhteisönä. Luvussa V Eetoksen ytimessä: mies ja Harley-Davidson keskityn bikerkulttuurin ytimeen: miehen ja Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörän väliseen suhteeseen. Luvun alussa esittelen ruotsalaisen yhteiskuntatieteilijä Lars Lagergrenin moottoripyörään soveltamaa työkalu - leikkikalu - toteemi - välittäjä -typologiaa ja tarkastelen moottoripyörän olemusta sukupuolittavana ja sukupuolittuvana artefaktina. Johdanto-osion jälkeen siirryn kuvailemaan Misfit MC:n jäsenten suhdetta Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörään. Lähestyn miesten ja moottoripyörien suhdetta kahden toiminnan - moottoripyörän kunnostamisen ja rakentamisen sekä moottoripyörällä ajamisen - kautta. Avainsanat: aineellinen kulttuuri, arvot, biker, bikerkulttuuri, chopper, eetos, elämäntapa, etnografia, Harley-Davidson-moottoripyörä, Harley-Davidson-moottoripyöräkerho, kenttätyö, maskuliinisuus, mieskulttuuri, mieskuva, moottoripyöräily, osakulttuurit, outlaw, populaarikulttuuri, sukupuoliroolit, yhteisöt

Peierls-Nabarro model of interfacial misfit dislocation: An analytic solution

We propose a method to treat the interfacial misfit dislocation array following the original Peierls-Nabarro's ideas. A simple and exact analytic solution is derived in the extended Peierls-Nabarro's model, and this solution reflects the core structure and the energy of misfit dislocation, which depend on misfit and bond strength. We also find that only with beta < 0.2 the structure of interface can be represented by an array of singular Volterra dislocations, which conforms to those of atomic simulation. Interfacial energy and adhesive work can be estimated by inputting ab initio calculation data into the model, and this shows the method can provide a correlation between the ab initio calculations and elastic continuum theory.

The modified Peierls-Nabarro model of interfacial misfit dislocation

The Peierls-Nabarro model of the interfacial misfit dislocation array is analytically extended to a family of dislocations of greater widths. By adjusting a parameter, the width of the misfit dislocations, the distribution of the shear stress, and the restoring force law can be systematically varied. The smaller the amplitude of the restoring force, the wider the misfit dislocations and the lower the interfacial energy.

Generation and behavior of pure-edge threading misfit dislocations in InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells

The relaxation of the misfit strain by the formation of misfit dislocations in InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells grown by metal-organic chemical-vapor deposition was investigated by the cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy, double crystal x-ray diffraction, and temperature-dependent photoluminescence. It is found that the misfit dislocations generated from strain relaxation are all pure-edge threading dislocations with burgers vectors of b=1/3<11 (2) over bar0>. The misfit dislocations arise from the strain relaxation due to the thickness of strained layer greater than the critical thickness. The relaxation of strained layer was mainly achieved by the formation of dislocations and localization of In, while the dislocations changed their slip planes from {0001} to {10 (1) over bar0}. With the increasing temperature, the efficiency of photoluminescence decrease sharply. It indicates that the relaxation of the misfit strain has a strong effect on optical efficiency of film. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Effect of misfit dislocation originated from strained layer on photoluminescence properties of InxGa1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells

In-x Ga1-xN/GaN multiple quantum well (MQW) samples with strain-layer thickness lager/less than the critical one are investigated by temperature-dependent photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy, and double crystal x-ray diffraction. For the sample with the strained-layer thickness greater than the critical thickness, we observe a high density of threading dislocations generated at the MQW layers and extended to the cap layer. These dislocations result from relaxation of the strain layer when its thickness is beyond the critical thickness. For the sample with the strained-layer thickness greater than the critical thickness, temperature-dependent photoluminescence measurements give evidence that dislocations generated from the MQW layers due to strain relaxation are main reason of the poor photoluminescence property, and the dominating status change of the main peak with increasing temperature is attributed to the change of the radiative recombination from the areas including dislocations to the ones excluding dislocations.

Abnormal alignment of misfit dislocations in In0.52Al0.48As/InxGa1-xAs/In0.52Al0.48As/InP heterostructure

It was observed with transmission electron microscopy in the In0.52Al0.48As/InxGa1-xAs/In0.52Al0.48As/InP heterostructure that misfit dislocation lines deviate from the [110] directions at a certain angle depending on the indium content x. Such an abnormal alignment of misfit dislocations is explained in terms of an alloy effect on the formation of single jogs on the misfit dislocations in the interface between the III-V ternary compounds.

Alignment of misfit dislocations in the In0.52Al0.48As/InxGa1-xAs/In0.52Al0.48As/InP heterostructure

It was observed with transmission electron microscopy in the In0.52Al0.48As/InxGa1-xAs/In0.52Al0.48As system grown on the (001) InP substrate that misfit dislocation lines deviate [110] directions at an angle with its value depending on the gallium content. Such an abnormal alignment of misfit dislocations is explained in terms of an alloy effect on the formation of single jogs on misfit dislocations in the interface between the III-V ternary compounds. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.

BREAKING UP OF MISFIT DISLOCATIONS IN GAASIN0.3GA0.7AS/GAAS HETEROSTRUCTURE

The effect of GaAs cap layer with different thicknesses in the GaAs/In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs heterostructure on misfit dislocation is investigated with transmission electron microscopy, and it is found that lines of misfit dislocation break up and move out of the structure when the GaAs cap layer thickness exceeds a certain amount. The breaking up and moving out of misfit dislocations, initially confined in the (001) substrate/InGaAs epilayer interface, occur mainly along the [110] direction on the interface in the structure. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.

Boron in copper: A perfect misfit in the bulk and cohesion enhancer at a grain boundary

Using first principles electronic structure methods, we calculate the effects of boron impurities in bulk copper and at surfaces and grain boundaries. We find that boron segregation to the Sigma5(310)[001] grain boundary should strengthen the boundary up to 1.5 ML coverage (15.24 at./nm2). The maximal effect is observed at 0.5 ML and corresponds to boron atoms filling exclusively grain boundary interstices. In copper bulk, B causes significant distortion both in interstitial and regular lattice sites, for which boron atoms are either too big or too small. The distortion is compensated to a large extent when the interstitial and substitutional boron combine together to form a strongly bound dumbbell. Our prediction is that bound boron impurities should appear in a sizable proportion if not dominate in most experimental conditions. A large discrepancy between calculated heats of solution and experimental terminal solubility of B in Cu is found, indicating either a significant failure of the density functional approach or, more likely, strongly overestimated solubility limits in the existing B-Cu phase diagram.