Fit for Purpose Enterprise Architecture

Today’s enterprises are confronted with an ever-changing environment demanding continuous (digital) transformation. Currently enterprise architects tend to guide these changes with so called \u27one size fits all\u27 architectural approaches. However, tuning such approaches to a variety of change situations is difficult. There is a call for a more flexible instrument among practitioners that is designed to be tailored to the context of a specific situation. Such fit for purpose enterprise architecture approaches have the potential to play a key role in the current times of digital transformation. In this paper we present the first steps towards a situational enterprise architecture approach that is based on differentiating between subsystems within organizations, by defining which characteristics of subsystems are relevant to determining the correct enterprise architecture approach

A comparative study to investigate two configurations of a two-stage evaporator in a CO2 heat pump chiller

This study is carried out to investigate the performance of a CO2 heat pump chiller that provides heating and cooling simultaneously. For heating applications, hot water is produced at 90°C; while for cooling applications, chilled water is produced at 4°C. The evaporator utilized for chilled water production is a novel two-stage evaporator. Two configurations have been proposed to implement this two-stage evaporator in the CO2 system. One configuration is termed GFES: the first stage is fed by gravity; the second stage is fed by ejector suction. The other configuration is termed EDES: the first stage is fed by the ejector discharge; the second stage is fed by ejector suction. The primary goal of this study is to compare the performances of these two evaporator configurations and their effects on the system’s overall performance. To fulfill this objective simulation models are developed in Modelica. Results show that the COPs are nearly the same for both configurations. In addition, it is observed that the integration of the two-stage evaporator enhances the overall performance as the cooling capacity is shared between the two stages and the suction pressure of the compressor is elevated by utilizing the ejector.acceptedVersio

How College Professors Perceive the Managements of Deliberate Acts of Classroom Incivility Among Students

Despite the negative consequences of incivility, there is a lack of research on how professors handle intentional student-to-student incivility. To address this gap, this study used qualitative, interpretative phenomenological research design to explore the experiences of 14 professors who have been teaching for five or more years at the university level in Dodge and Fond du Lac Counties in southeastern Wisconsin. The lens of facework and politeness theory was utilized. The data collected were analyzed using NVivo software, which identified five themes based on patterns within the interviews: intervention strategies, motivations, policies, participant worldview, and skills. These themes provided valuable insights into the experiences of professors and the strategies they use to address classroom incivility effectively. Findings suggested that effective interventions include establishing clear classroom norms and consequences, building relationships with students, and creating a supportive learning environment. Overall, this study provided important insights into the experiences of college professors dealing with intentional student-to-student incivility, which can facilitate positive social change in the classroom. As professors incorporate these strategies into their teaching practices, they can create a more respectful and supportive learning environment that benefits both students and faculty. Ultimately, reducing classroom incivility can enhance the quality of education and promote a more positive and productive college experience for all involved, contributing to a larger societal shift towards more respectful and constructive communication in all aspects of life

Interactional structures and engagement in service encounters: An investigation into communication at the hotel front desk

The main aim of the study was to explore the specifics of communicative behaviour at the hotel reception that establish the institutional character of the interaction to accomplish a service encounter. The hotel provides a unique environment for research related to global communication and questions of politeness usage. Investigating conversations between hotel receptionists and their guests was used to demonstrate how interdisciplinary approaches can further knowledge in a globalised world order. Nine and a half hours of naturally occurring interactions between receptionists and guests were videotaped in four hotels in three European countries (England, Germany and Spain). The analysis was conducted using Conversation Analysis (CA) as the primary method and enriched through the use of ethnographic notes. CA was used to show how normative social structures are invoked in service encounters at the hotel front desk. Ethnographic insights provided additional evidence for how the interactions are anchored in the social reality. The findings suggest that conversations at the front desk are highly structured and possess features similar to institutional and mundane interactions. Conversations were classed into three phases (arrival, stay and departure), each of which has observable and robust interactional features. It is proposed that an effective encounter between hotel guest and receptionist is not solely reliant on a particular structure. Instead, the results indicate that a very specific amount of engagement by both the service provider and the customer is required. Thus, following the tradition of CA, it is demonstrated how precisely participants can organise their talk and behaviour according to a mutual preference of both guest and receptionist. The analysis showed that miscommunication occurs infrequent in these service encounters. Furthermore, intercultural notions are seldom made relevant in talk by participants. The study contributes to knowledge in interactional, service encounter and tourism related literature. The findings also have implications for practitioners in the tourism industry

Arabic complementary schools in England: language and Fundamental British Values

Heritage language education is not included in the national curriculum in England and therefore formal learning and teaching of heritage languages is primarily achieved through complementary schools, which are part-time, community-led and linked to various ethnic and national backgrounds. This study focuses on Arabic complementary schools and explores educational practices for teaching Arabic. The study also explores how pupils and teachers conceptualise, construct and manifest their linguistic and social identity, especially with regard to the context that is informed by the promotion of so-called Fundamental British Values (FBV). Observations are based on data from interviews with pupils, teachers and headteachers from three Arabic complementary schools across England. A qualitative analysis of the data reveals that the schools are strongly commited to tolerance and respect, which are part of the FBV; as well as to inclusivity and community cohesion. The analysis also shows that Arabic plays an important role in the construction of community and linguistic identities in the current political environment of suspicion

Landscape Transformation Influences Responses of Terrestrial Small Mammals to Land Use Intensity in North-Central Namibia

In this study, we investigate and compare the response patterns of small mammal communities to increasing land use intensity in two study areas: private farmland at the southern boundary of Etosha National Park and smallholder farmland in Tsumeb agricultural area. Species richness, community composition and a standardized capture index (RCI) are compared between sites of (a) increasing grazing pressure of ungulates (Etosha) and (b) increasing conversion of bushland to arable land (Tsumeb). Within each study area, we found clear response patterns towards increasing land use intensity. However, patterns differ significantly between the two areas. Within the less-transformed area (Etosha), high land use intensity results in a decrease in the RCI but not species richness. Small mammal communities remain relatively stable, but ecosystem functions (e.g., bioturbation, seed dispersal) are weakened. Within the more-transformed area (Tsumeb), high land use intensity leads to a decrease in species richness and increasing RCIs of two common pest species. The disappearance of a balanced community and the dramatic increase in a few pest species has the potential to threaten human livelihoods (e.g., crop damage, disease vectors). Our comparative approach clearly indicates that Gerbilliscus leucogaster is a possible candidate for an ecological indicator of ecosystem integrity. Mastomys natalensis has the potential to become an important pest species when bushland is transformed into irrigated arable land. Our results support the importance of area-specific conservation and management measures in savanna ecosystems.Peer Reviewe

Integration of gravity-fed evaporators in CO2 based heat-pump chillers

This study is carried out to model a gravity-fed evaporator for CO2 based heat-pump chillers. The gravity-fed evaporator loop consists of a separator, a downcomer, a heat exchanger, and a riser. The working principle is that the evaporation of fluid in the heat exchanger gives rise to a density gradient in the loop. This density gradient generates the buoyancy force which drives the fluid by overcoming all the pressure drops in the loop. Appropriate equations are derived to estimate these pressure resistances. Finally, the balance between the buoyancy forces and pressure resistances dictates the flowrate in the loop. This procedure is implemented in Modelica to develop the simulation model for the gravity-fed evaporator. The loop dimensions are critical to the performance of the system. Hence it is essential to estimate the loop dimensions accurately. In this study, the simulations are carried out to predict the optimum dimensions to achieve the optimum circulation rate in the loop. It is expected that this study will be helpful in designing optimized gravity-fed evaporators for CO2 based heat-pump chillers.acceptedVersio

Differentiation and Protective Capacity of Virus-Specific CD8

Noroviruses can establish chronic infections with active viral shedding in healthy humans but whether persistence is associated with adaptive immune dysfunction is unknown. We used genetically engineered strains of mouse norovirus (MNV) to investigate CD8+ T cell differentiation during chronic infection. We found that chronic infection drove MNV-specific tissue-resident memory (Trm) CD8+ T cells to a differentiation state resembling inflationary effector responses against latent cytomegalovirus with only limited evidence of exhaustion. These MNV-specific Trm cells remained highly functional yet appeared ignorant of ongoing viral replication. Pre-existing MNV-specific Trm cells provided partial protection against chronic infection but largely ceased to detect virus within 72 hours of challenge, demonstrating rapid sequestration of viral replication away from T cells. Our studies revealed a strategy of immune evasion by MNV via the induction of a CD8+ T cell program normally reserved for latent pathogens and persistence in an immune-privileged enteric niche. Chronic infections often cause T cell dysfunction, but how noroviruses (NV) evade immunity is unknown. Tomov et al. show that gut-resident T cells against NV remain functional but ignorant of chronic viral replication, suggesting that NV persists in an immune-privileged enteric niche. © 2017 Elsevier Inc

Constructing Europe and the European Union through Education : contrasts and congruence within and between Germany and England

This article is based on an analysis of the treatment of the European Union in a sample of textbooks from Germany and England. Following contextual remarks about civic education (politische Bildung) in Germany and citizenship education in England and a review of young people’s views, we demonstrate that textbooks in Germany and in England largely mirror the prevailing political climate in each country regarding Europe. At the same time, the analysis reveals a disparity between the perspectives presented by the textbooks and young people’s views. The textbooks in Germany provide more detail and take a more open approach to Europe than those in England. Finally, we argue that the textbooks may be seen as contributing to a process of socialization rather than one of education when it comes to characterizations of Europe