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This paper aims to present an integrated model of workplace guidance to enhance awareness of what constitutes good guidance, to improve workplace guidance practices in vocational education and training.

To identify constituent aspects of workplace guidance, a systematic search of Web of Science was conducted, focussing on mentoring literature, research on institutional socialization tactics and research on didactical interventions and their effects.

The model interprets workplace learning as a relational and integrated process of participation, acquisition, guidance and social interaction. Psychosocial support, structure-providing interventions and didactical interventions are discussed as essential components of guidance. How these components are enacted is influenced by the characteristics of training firms and their employees’ readiness to provide guidance. This makes guidance an intrapersonal process. Workplace guidance is also an interpersonal process in which the agencies of employees mediate the relationship between guidance and interaction, and the agencies of trainees mediate the relationship between, on the one hand, participation and acquisition and, on the other hand, social interaction.

Integrated models of what constitutes good workplace guidance are rare. To fill this gap, this paper highlights constituent aspects of workplace guidance and brings them together in an integrated model. The model can help mentors/employees choose effective interventions to improve workplace learning.

This paper aims to show how a range of new and emerging applications are driving technological innovations in gas sensing.

Following a short introduction, this paper first considers developments relating to the needs of the military and security sectors. Wearable gas sensors, energy harvesting and self-powered gas sensors are then discussed. The role of gas sensors in mobile phones is then considered, together with details of new developments in sensors for carbon-dioxide, particulates and formaldehyde. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.

This paper shows that a technologically diverse range of gas sensors is being investigated and developed in response to a number of new and emerging requirements and applications. The gas sensors respond to numerous inorganic and organic gases and vapours over a wide range of application-specific concentrations and are based on a multitude of often innovative sensing techniques, technologies and materials.

This paper provides technical details of a selection of gas sensor research activities and product developments that reflect the needs of a range of new and emerging applications.

This case followed Todd Duncan, Chairman of Duncan Aviation, as he considered which international locations Europe, Latin America, or Asia were most important in positioning Duncan to benefit from continued internationalization of the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) industry. The company had the option to hire Regional Managers to actively manage these areas, recruiting new customers and building relationships with existing ones. The case provides students with an opportunity to identify the core competencies of a company, and to recognize ways in which employee engagement contributes to Duncan's core competencies. Optionally, the case may be used to introduce students to Dunning's eclectic paradigm.

The research for this case was obtained from a combination of primary research, secondary research, and personal experiences. One of the research assistants for this case was employed at the company for over two years, and reflections thus obtained, supported with supplementary research, enriched and deepened the paper. Duncan's Debrief magazine and news releases were important secondary sources, in addition to industry web sites, industry journal articles, reference books, and newspaper articles.

This case is intended to be taught in undergraduate international business or marketing courses.

This case is an illustration of the complexity, and strategic importance, of considering whether, and how, to build customer relationships outside the firm's home country. Such decisions confront many companies facing increasingly global industry environments. The eclectic paradigm, developed by John Dunning, explains why companies expand and participate in international markets.

This paper aims to provide a review of the uses of gas sensors to detect explosives' vapours and chemical warfare agents (CWAs).

Following a brief introduction, this paper first considers the use of gas sensors to detect explosives. Second, gas sensors that respond to CWAs are discussed. Some mentioned is made of commercial devices but the emphasis is on emerging technologies and recent research.

Detecting explosives is an emerging application for gas sensors. Despite some commercial products, it is the topic of a major research effort and poses a significant technological challenge due to the very low vapour concentrations involved. Many optical and solid‐state techniques are under development and some have shown ppt levels of resolution to TNT and allied compounds. Detecting CWAs is a far more mature application and many products exist, often based on analytical methods. Nevertheless, research into improved sensing techniques continues, frequently aimed at detecting ppb concentrations of nerve agents. Much of this research is aimed at meeting the needs of, and is being funded by, the US military and security agencies.

This paper provides a technical review of recent developments in the use of gas sensors to detect explosives and CWAs.

This paper aims to provide a technical insight into recent developments in organic lasers and their applications to sensing.

Following a review of progress in organic lasers, this paper considers a number of recent sensor developments based on this technology. Finally, future prospects are briefly considered.

This shows that organic lasers are the tropic of a major research effort. The broad aims are to reduce the optical pumping power and ultimately to achieve purely electrical operation. Few sensors based on organic lasers have yet been reported but recent examples include explosive vapour detectors, lab‐on‐a‐chip devices and biosensors.

This paper provides a review of organic laser developments and sensors that exploit this technology.

The study aimed to use geographic information system (GIS) based multi-criteria decision making analysis (GIS-MCDA) to select areas suitable for siting landfills in Ashanti region. It also sought to ascertain variables most sensitive to the siting of landfill in the region.

This study utilized GIS-based Multi-criteria decision making analysis –AHP to model and select areas most suitable to siting landfills within the region. Overall, 16 variables including wind speed and hydraulic conductivity (which were previously neglected in landfill siting in Ghana) were identified through comprehensive literature review. These variables were weighted using AHP method and integrated using the weighted linear combination (WLC) in GIS environment to develop five sub-models: the physical environmental, sociocultural, economic/technical, climatic and hydrogeological sub-models. These sub-models were further weighted and then integrated to derive the final suitability model.

Results show that 13% (3,067 km²) of the region was identified as most suitable to siting engineered landfills. The study also identified 11 sites which are considered most suitable for situating landfills. On a sensitivity angle, hydrogeological (R² = 0.5923; p = 0.003) and physical environmental sub-model (R² = 0.254; p = 0.034) significantly predicted the final suitability model developed.

Ghana's Landfill Guidelines seeks to optimize site selection and ancillary services that culminate into achieving sanitary landfills by 2020. Evidence still abounds on the unsuitability of existing and in some cases, new landfill sites presenting environmental and social negative impacts. The comprehensive evaluation of most crucial variables – social and environmental factors that determine an optimal landfill location – will be of immense help to policy planners like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) towards upgraded landfills. The authors hope that, concerned agencies will adopt the model in the study and integrate into their existing landfill suitability modeling techniques to provide a more grounded framework that optimizes landfill site selection within the study area.

This study is the first attempt to consider a regional-level waste collection site selection in Ghana using comprehensive sets of social and environmental factors and will therefore contribute immensely to EPA's goal of achieving upgraded landfills by 2022.

This paper aims to provide a detailed review of gas sensor research which exploits the properties of nanomaterials and nanostructures.

Following an introduction, this paper discusses developments in gas sensors based on carbon nanotubes, titanium dioxide nanotubes, graphene, nanocrystalline diamond and a range of metal oxide nanomaterials. It concludes with a discussion of this research and its commercial potential and a list of references to the research considered in the main text.

Gas sensors based on a multitude of nanomaterials are the subject of a global research effort which has generated an extensive literature. Prototype devices have been developed which respond to numerous important gases at concentrations which correspond well with industrial requirements. Other critical performance characteristics have been studied extensively and the results suggest commercial prospects for these technologies.

This paper provides details of the highly topical field of nanomaterial-based gas sensor research.

The purpose of this study is to use a weak light source with spatial distribution to realize light-driven fluid by adding high-absorbing nanoparticles to the droplets, thereby replacing a highly focused strong linear light source acting on pure droplets.

First, Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with high light response characteristics were added to the droplets to prepare nanofluid droplets, and through the Gaussian light-driven flow experiment, the Marangoni effect inside a nanofluid droplet was studied, which can produce the surface tension gradient on the air/liquid interface and induce the vortex motion inside a droplet. Then, the numerical simulation method of multiphysics field coupling was used to study the effects of droplet height and Gaussian light distribution on the flow characteristics inside a droplet.

Nanoparticles can significantly enhance the light absorption, so that the Gaussian light is enough to drive the flow, and the formation of vortex can be regulated by light distribution. The multiphysics field coupling model can accurately describe this problem.

This study is helpful to understand the flow behavior and heat transfer phenomenon in optical microfluidic systems, and provides a feasible way to construct the rapid flow inside a tiny droplet by light.