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A general numerical method for finding the steady state solution of a cyclic system is presented. The method determines the initial values by enforcing the conditions of periodicity. In this way the initial value is found by integrating through only one cycle, often resulting in a considerable saving of computing effort. The method is applicable to any linear discrete set of difference equations with periodic parameters and forcing functions. The application of the method to a single pole representation of heat flow in buildings is demonstrated.

The design of optimum pipe and duct networks with available procedures is difficult, if not impossible. A more efficient procedure that will automatically produce the optimum design is required. Such a procedure is presented in this article. The design is formulated as a constrained nonlinear optimization problem. This problem is solved using a unique numerical optimization algorithm. The solution entails the calculation of the cross sectional dimensions of the ducts and pipes so that the life cycle cost of the network is minimized. The topology equations are derived using graph theory thereby allowing complex networks with loops to be designed numerically. A duct network consisting of a fan and 35 duct sections is designed according to certain specifications. Using the proposed procedure optimum designs were obtained within seconds on a 33 MHz 486 micro‐computer. The procedure was further applied to the optimization of a coal pipeline. It is shown that the optimized solution will cost 14% ($8 million) less than the previous design with conventional design techniques.

Students with disabilities consistently underperform on academic achievement tests. In part, this is due to teachers being underprepared to provide the evidence-based instruction needed to help students with disabilities succeed. Historically, professional development (PD) has been provided to educators yielding disappointing results. In this chapter, what is known about the components of effective PD and how to evaluate a PD program will be discussed. In particular, the role of coaching and the use of technology in PD models will be explored. The next steps in improving PD will be discussed.

IN view of the ever‐increasing application of time and motion study techniques in this country it is difficult to understand why so few manufacturers of time and labour‐saving equipment advertise the very items required by work study engineers.

The South African government is restructuring tertiary education, and subsidies to universities that do not build and strengthen their research capacity will be severely restricted. Hence, academics must publish more research. This study used a questionnaire to gauge the personal opinions and perceptions of and attitudes towards research held by South African Accounting academics. The questionnaire was based on international debates and discourses on Accounting education and research that suggest factors that might affect research production and consumption, and on informal discussions with colleagues in the discipline. Tertiary institutions can use this constructive information to build a research culture and improve research output among these academics, by changing perceptions where needed and empowering Accounting academics to conduct research. The results indicate that the main limitations to research output are inadequate qualifications and a lack of skills with regard to conducting research (only 10 per cent of the respondents possess a doctoral degree), insufficient time for conducting research, financial factors, a lack of mentorship and departmental support, and difficulty finding research topics. The debate on “teaching versus research” is also ongoing.

Examines the combinations available to purchasers regarding the selection of suppliers (sources), e.g. the use of a single or two or more (multiple) sources. Considers the justification of either method in the context of reducing the uncertainty (risk) of a particular purchase. Illustrates the marketers view of sourcing and the differing sales tactics employed according to the suppliers′ preferences. Concludes that purchasers should examine uncertainty buying‐selling situations (UBSS) objectively with regard to their own organizations′ need criteria, e.g. cost and timeliness, this determining the relevant sourcing policy.

Collaboration between universities and industry is increasingly perceived as a vehicle to enhance innovation. Educational institutions are encouraged to build partnerships and multidisciplinary projects based around real-world open problems. Projects need to benefit student learning, not only the organisations looking for innovations. The context of this study is a multidisciplinary innovation project, as experienced by the students of an University of Applied Sciences in Finland. The purpose of this paper is to unfold students’ conceptions of the learning experience, to help teachers and curriculum designers to organise optimal conditions and processes, and support competence development. The research question was: How do students in higher professional education experience their learning in a multidisciplinary innovation project?

The study took a phenomenographic approach. The data were collected in the form of weekly diaries, maintained by the cultural management and social services students (n=74) in a mandatory multidisciplinary innovation project in professional higher education in Finland. The diary data were analysed using thematic inductive analysis.

The results of the study revealed that students’ understood the learning experience in relation to solvable conflicts and unusual situations they experienced during the project, while becoming aware of and claiming their collaborative agency and internalising phases of an innovation process. The competences as learning outcomes that students could name as developed related to content knowledge, different personal characteristics, social skills, emerging leadership skills, creativity, future orientation, social skills, technical, crafting and testing skills and innovation implementation-related skills, such as marketing, sales and entrepreneurship planning skills. However, future orientation and implementation planning skills showed more weakly than other variables in the data.

The findings suggest that curriculum design should enable networked, student-led and teacher supported pedagogical innovation processes that involve a whole path from future thinking and idea development through prototyping to implementation planning of the novel solution. Teachers promote deep comprehension of the innovation process, monitor and ease the pain of conflict if it threatens motivation, offer assessment tools and help in recognising gaps in individual competences and development needs, promote more future-oriented, concrete and implementable outcomes, and facilitate in bridging from innovation towards entrepreneurship planning.

The multidisciplinary innovation project described in this study provides a pedagogical way to connect higher education to the practises of society. These results provide encouraging findings for organising multidisciplinary project activities between education and working life. The paper, therefore, has significant value for teachers and entrepreneurship educators in designing curriculum and facilitating projects. The study promotes the dissemination of innovation development programmes in between education and work organisations also in other than technical and commercial fields.

By modelling the unsteady heat transfer in liquid gas tanks, the temperature distribution in the tank as well as the heat flux reaching the liquid gas can be predicted. Knowledge of the temperature distribution and heat flux can be used to predict evaporation losses from the tank. By minimizing the evaporation losses, the thermal design of a gas tank can be optimized. This paper presents a finite difference simulation of the unsteady three‐dimensional heat transfer in gas tanks and an optimized configuration. The numerical procedure accounts for radiation from the sun as well as radiative and convective heat transfer with the environment. A non‐uniform grid is used because the tank consists of several different materials of varying dimensions and properties. Geometrical effects such as variations in the thickness of the insulation material and the diameter and height of the tanks are also studied in an attempt to optimize the design configuration.

This study aims to identify the key factors that influence the successful implementation of clean energy interventions in low‐income urban communities in South Africa.

The study took the form of three phases: an explorative, primary data‐gathering process through semi‐structured interviews where secondary data were made available by respondents in the form of official project reports; data analysis of the primary qualitative, explorative, semi‐structured interview data and the secondary documentary data obtained with consent; and identifying and describing the key factors which influence the implementation of clean energy interventions in low income‐urban communities.

The results indicated that although many important factors were identified throughout this research, the ultimate success of the implementation of clean energy interventions in these communities lies not only in the clean energy interventions themselves, but rather hinges on nine key factors: project planning and development; community participation; community employment; political buy‐in; communication and engagement; beneficiary criteria; installation and maintenance; project management; and technology and suppliers.

The findings from this study provide useful insights to all stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of clean energy interventions in low‐income urban communities.

The purpose of this paper is to review cases of artificial reefs built through additive manufacturing (AM) technologies and analyse their ecological goals, fabrication process, materials, structural design features and implementation location to determine predominant parameters, environmental impacts, advantages, and limitations.

The review analysed 16 cases of artificial reefs from both temperate and tropical regions. These were categorised based on the AM process used, the mortar material used (crucial for biological applications), the structural design features and the location of implementation. These parameters are assessed to determine how effectively the designs meet the stipulated ecological goals, how AM technologies demonstrate their potential in comparison to conventional methods and the preference locations of these implementations.

The overview revealed that the dominant artificial reef implementation occurs in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Seas, both accounting for 24%. The remaining cases were in the Australian Sea (20%), the South Asia Sea (12%), the Persian Gulf and the Pacific Ocean, both with 8%, and the Indian Sea with 4% of all the cases studied. It was concluded that fused filament fabrication, binder jetting and material extrusion represent the main AM processes used to build artificial reefs. Cementitious materials, ceramics, polymers and geopolymer formulations were used, incorporating aggregates from mineral residues, biological wastes and pozzolan materials, to reduce environmental impacts, promote the circular economy and be more beneficial for marine ecosystems. The evaluation ranking assessed how well their design and materials align with their ecological goals, demonstrating that five cases were ranked with high effectiveness, ten projects with moderate effectiveness and one case with low effectiveness.

AM represents an innovative method for marine restoration and management. It offers a rapid prototyping technique for design validation and enables the creation of highly complex shapes for habitat diversification while incorporating a diverse range of materials to benefit environmental and marine species’ habitats.