Daniel E.S. Rodrigues, Jorge Belinha and Renato Natal Jorge
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based manufacturing process using fused thermoplastics. Despite its low cost, the FFF is not extensively used in high-value…
Abstract
Purpose
Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is an extrusion-based manufacturing process using fused thermoplastics. Despite its low cost, the FFF is not extensively used in high-value industrial sectors mainly due to parts' anisotropy (related to the deposition strategy) and residual stresses (caused by successive heating cycles). Thus, this study aims to investigate the process improvement and the optimization of the printed parts.
Design/methodology/approach
In this work, a meshless technique – the Radial Point Interpolation Method (RPIM) – is used to numerically simulate the viscoplastic extrusion process – the initial phase of the FFF. Unlike the FEM, in meshless methods, there is no pre-established relationship between the nodes so the nodal mesh will not face mesh distortions and the discretization can easily be modified by adding or removing nodes from the initial nodal mesh. The accuracy of the obtained results highlights the importance of using meshless techniques in this field.
Findings
Meshless methods show particular relevance in this topic since the nodes can be distributed to match the layer-by-layer growing condition of the printing process.
Originality/value
Using the flow formulation combined with the heat transfer formulation presented here for the first time within an in-house RPIM code, an algorithm is proposed, implemented and validated for benchmark examples.
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Aloysio Arthur Becker Fogliatto, Carlos Henrique Ahrens, Paulo Antônio Pereira Wendhausen, Edson Costa Santos and Daniel Rodrigues
Porous structures have been widely used in filtration, medical implants and aerospace field. In the filtration field, the study of permeability of the porous structures is of…
Abstract
Purpose
Porous structures have been widely used in filtration, medical implants and aerospace field. In the filtration field, the study of permeability of the porous structures is of great importance. This paper aims to study the influence of selective laser sintering/melting (SLS/SLM) process parameters on porosity and permeability of stainless steels filters with gradient porosity (FGM).
Design/methodology/approach
AISI 316L stainless steel powder was used to manufacture FGM filters by varying the hatch distance while other process parameters were fixed. The relationship between porosity and permeability of such FGM filters was investigated by means of Archimedes’ and Forchheimer’s laws. The gradient of porosity was also analyzed by means of micro-computed tomography.
Findings
The results have confirmed the ability of SLS/SLM in controlling porosity of the final product by varying the hatch distance. Further, the results allow to assume that FGM filters will have particle retention capacity related to lowest porosity value (which in turn is associated with the lowest hatch distance value used), while it will work at lower pressure drops – or at higher flow rates for equal pressure drop – when compared to a filter without gradient porosity.
Originality/value
Some research found in recent literature has showed the relationship between SLS/SLM process parameters and permeability of stainless steel porous structures. However, this paper fulfils the need to understand the relationship between SLS/SLM process parameters, porosity and permeability behavior of functionally graded porous structures (FGM filters).
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Luís Leite, Daniel Rodrigues dos Santos and Fernando Almeida
This paper aims to explore the changes imposed by the general data protection regulation (GDPR) on software engineering practices. The fundamental objective is to have a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the changes imposed by the general data protection regulation (GDPR) on software engineering practices. The fundamental objective is to have a perception of the practices and phases that have experienced the greatest changes. Additionally, it aims to identify a set of good practices that can be adopted by software engineering companies.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative methodology through four case studies involving Portuguese software engineering companies. Two of these companies are small and medium enterprises (SMEs) while the other remaining two are micro-companies. The thematic analysis is adopted to identify patterns in the performed interviews.
Findings
The findings indicate that significant changes have occurred at all stages of software development. In particular, the initial stages of identifying requirements and modeling processes were the stages that experienced the greatest changes. On the opposite, the technical development phase has not noticeably changed but, nevertheless, it is necessary to look at the importance of training software developers for GDPR rules and practices.
Research limitations/implications
Two relevant limitations were identified as follows: only four case studies involving micro-companies and SMEs were considered, and only the traditional software development methodology was considered. The use of agile methodologies was not explored in this study and the findings can only be mainly applied to the waterfall model.
Originality/value
This study offers mainly practical contributions by identifying a set of challenges that are posed to software engineering companies by the implementation of GDPR. Through their knowledge, it is expected to help these companies to better prepare themselves and anticipate the challenges they will necessarily face.
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Jean L. Freeman, Robert B. Fetter, Robert C. Newbold, Jean‐Marie Rodrigues and Daniel Gautier
Concern over the rising cost of medical care has caused many countries to investigate and implement different methods of cost containment, particularly for hospital services. In…
Abstract
Concern over the rising cost of medical care has caused many countries to investigate and implement different methods of cost containment, particularly for hospital services. In the United States, Medicare replaced its ‘cost‐based’ reimbursement system, in which hospital payments were based on the actual costs incurred in treating patients, with a system that pays hospitals a fixed price per case. Under this new system, all hospital discharges are classified into 467 Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) or types of cases based on the patient's age, sex, principal diagnosis, additional diagnoses (comorbidities and complications), surgical procedures performed, and the discharge status. During the first three years of the programme, the payment rate for each DRG is a function of a DRG weight (reflecting relative resource consumption), the hospital's historic costs of treating patients in that DRG, and a federally established rate adjusted for urban/rural differences and census region. In the fourth year the price will be based only on the DRG weight and the federally established rate.
Margarida Rodrigues, Rui Silva, Ana Pinto Borges, Mário Franco and Cidália Oliveira
This study aims to address a systematic literature review (SLR) using bibliometrics on the relationship between academic integrity and artificial intelligence (AI), to bridge the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to address a systematic literature review (SLR) using bibliometrics on the relationship between academic integrity and artificial intelligence (AI), to bridge the scattering of literature on this topic, given the challenge and opportunity for the educational and academic community.
Design/methodology/approach
This review highlights the enormous social influence of COVID-19 by mapping the extensive yet distinct and fragmented literature in AI and academic integrity fields. Based on 163 publications from the Web of Science, this paper offers a framework summarising the balance between AI and academic integrity.
Findings
With the rapid advancement of technology, AI tools have exponentially developed that threaten to destroy students' academic integrity in higher education. Despite this significant interest, there is a dearth of academic literature on how AI can help in academic integrity. Therefore, this paper distinguishes two significant thematical patterns: academic integrity and negative predictors of academic integrity.
Practical implications
This study also presents several contributions by showing that tools associated with AI can act as detectors of students who plagiarise. That is, they can be useful in identifying students with fraudulent behaviour. Therefore, it will require a combined effort of public, private academic and educational institutions and the society with affordable policies.
Originality/value
This study proposes a new, innovative framework summarising the balance between AI and academic integrity.
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Muhammad Muhammad Nasir and Saemah Shamim
This paper explores the motivations and challenges faced by Muslim women ‘mumpreneurs,’ in Northern Nigeria, a region with a predominantly Muslim population. The unique…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the motivations and challenges faced by Muslim women ‘mumpreneurs,’ in Northern Nigeria, a region with a predominantly Muslim population. The unique socio-religious and cultural context of Northern Nigeria serves as a key driver for this research, prompting a deeper understanding of the experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in the area.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a qualitative approach, by utilizing semi-structured interviews with 12 Muslim mumpreneurs residing in various states across Northern Nigeria. Accordingly, thematic analysis was used to explore the influence of their motherly roles on their entrepreneurial experiences.
Findings
Thematic analysis revealed three key themes: Motivations: Mumpreneurs were driven by desires for financial independence, positive societal impact and increased flexibility to manage work-family balance. Challenges: Lack of capital, skills, knowledge and sociocultural constraints (e.g. gender norms) impeded their progress. Push and pull factors: Their entrepreneurial journeys were shaped by both internal aspirations and external societal influences.
Originality/value
The findings of this study provide further understanding of the distinct experiences of Muslim mumpreneurs in Northern Nigeria, contributing significantly to our knowledge of the dynamics of Muslim women mumpreneurs in a specific, understudied Muslim society. By implication, it highlights the need for targeted support for this under-researched population, informing policymakers, support organizations, and future research endeavors.
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This paper scrutinizes the scholarship on community archives' information work. Community archives and archiving projects represent unprecedentedly democratic venues for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper scrutinizes the scholarship on community archives' information work. Community archives and archiving projects represent unprecedentedly democratic venues for information work centering on essential documentary concepts such as custody, collection development and appraisal, processing, arrangement and description, organization, representation and naming, collaboration, resource generation and allocation, activism and social justice, preservation, reuse, and sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
Unearthed through databases searches, citation chaining, and browsing, sources examined include peer-reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters published in the English language between 1985 and 2018.
Findings
The literature on community archives’ information work shows considerable geographical (six continents), topical, and (inter)disciplinary variety. This paper first explores scholars' efforts to define both community and community archives. Second, it unpacks the ways in which community archives include new stakeholders and new record types and formats even as they leverage alternative archival principles and practices. Third, it discusses community archives as political venues for empowerment, activism, and social justice work. Fourth, this paper delves into the benefits and challenges of partnerships and collaborations with mainstream institutions. Fifth, it documents the obstacles community archives face: not only tensions within and among communities, but also sustainability concerns. Finally, it sets forth six directions for future research.
Originality/value
This paper is the first systematic review of the community archives literature.
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Karen Cates, Guilherme Riederer, Nathan Tacha and Rodrigue Ulrich Nsele Awanda
After early successes in a very selective management-training program, Daniel Oliveira, a young manager for Brazilian fashion chain Clothes & Accessories, is thrown into the deep…
Abstract
After early successes in a very selective management-training program, Daniel Oliveira, a young manager for Brazilian fashion chain Clothes & Accessories, is thrown into the deep end of the pool by being reassigned to a region lagging in sales. Early on, Oliveira discovers that his store, located in mid-sized Vitória in southeastern Brazil, is in trouble. As soon as he tries to make changes, however, he meets with resistance from long-term employees. The case details his pitfalls and growing awareness of the complexities of leading a diverse workforce and managing change.
Analyze and discuss the process for leading change with people in mind and understand how different tools could be applied in real life situations
Discuss the manager’s role in a turnaround process and common mistakes made by inexperienced managers
Weigh the risks and consequences of different talent management (or leadership development) strategies
Grasp the importance of building effective teams and fostering buy-in to succeed in a leadership position
Analyze and discuss the process for leading change with people in mind and understand how different tools could be applied in real life situations
Discuss the manager’s role in a turnaround process and common mistakes made by inexperienced managers
Weigh the risks and consequences of different talent management (or leadership development) strategies
Grasp the importance of building effective teams and fostering buy-in to succeed in a leadership position
Details
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Keywords
Rodolfo Rodrigues Rocha, Daniel Faria Chaim, Andres Rodriguez Veloso, Murilo Lima Araújo Costa and Roberto Flores Falcão
Food socialization is the process of influences that forms children's eating habits and preferences, affecting their well-being for life. The authors' study explores what children…
Abstract
Purpose
Food socialization is the process of influences that forms children's eating habits and preferences, affecting their well-being for life. The authors' study explores what children and adolescents eat and how they obtain food at school, aiming to describe the deleterious food socialization phenomenon. The authors focused on understanding how deleterious food socialization influences children's food well-being within the school environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed a mixed methodology using structured questionnaires with open and closed questions. The authors also took pictures of the schools' canteens, which allowed deepening the understanding of the school environment. The data collection occurred in two Brazilian private schools. The schools' teachers were responsible for collecting 388 useful questionnaires from students between 10 and 14 years old.
Findings
The authors found statistically significant differences between food originating at home and school. The amount of ultra-processed foods and beverages consumed at home and taken by children and adolescents from home to school is smaller than what they buy in the school canteen or get from their colleagues. Thus, the authors suggest that the school environment tends to be more harmful to infant feeding than the domestic one.
Originality/value
This study coins the concept of deleterious food socialization: situations or environments in which the food socialization process negatively impacts one's well-being. The authors' results illustrate the deleterious food socialization phenomenon in the school environment.
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Rebeca Roysen and Tânia Cristina Cruz
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pedagogical tools that can enhance transdisciplinarity in higher education and stimulate sustainability transitions, based on the case…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the pedagogical tools that can enhance transdisciplinarity in higher education and stimulate sustainability transitions, based on the case study of a partnership between the University of Brasilia and an ecovillage in Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study was carried out, based on professors’ experience, students’ reports and registration data. Emergent themes were discussed based on the concepts of sustainability transitions, transdisciplinarity and active/experiential learning methods.
Findings
Undergraduate classes at the ecovillage have motivated students to work towards sustainability transitions by presenting them with new repertoires of sociotechnical configurations and social practices, by promoting a feeling of belonging and co-responsibility for the world and by a horizontal sharing of knowledge and affections that instigated reflections about their purposes in personal and professional life.
Practical implications
This experience demonstrates the potential of transdisciplinary pedagogical approaches to education for sustainability that promote collaboration with different stakeholders and the reflection on individual and collective motives and values – the inner dimension of sustainability.
Originality/value
It describes an innovative and transformative initiative in the heart of Latin America.