Understanding promotion of photocatalytic activity of TiO2 by Au nanoparticles

Au nanoparticles prepared by deposition–precipitation were evaluated in promoting photocatalytic activity of TiO2 (P25) in the oxidation of methylcyclohexane. At 375 nm and in particular at 425 nm, Au was found to significantly enhance the rate induced by P25. Illumination of Au-promoted P25 at 525 nm did not result in any measureable activity. To validate whether the enhancement at 425 nm is purely catalytic, or if plasmonic effects are relevant, we compared the rates of Au/TiO2 with Pt-promoted TiO2 at 375 and 425 nm. At 375 nm, Pt nanoparticles induced larger catalytic effects than Au nanoparticles, whereas the rate enhancement induced by Pt was much lower than of Au at 425 nm. We assign the thus demonstrated Au based plasmonic phenomena at 425 nm to the so-called plasmon resonance energy transfer, rather than to hot electron transfer, given the absence of activity at 525 nm

Does Opening Strategy in Organizations Lead to Effectiveness and Success?

Despite recent attention in information systems and strategy research considering inclusiveness, transparency, and use of IT tools in strategy formulation (also known as open strategy), the effectiveness of these principles has not been empirically studied in the literature. This research gap is even more prominent when we consider distinct positives and drawbacks of an open strategy approach when synthesising extant literature. This research in progress outlines a macro-level approach to further exploring this highlighted gap in our understanding. Here, research constructs are described and logically positioned within the literature and then, using existing studies from various fields, a number of items to measure each construct are presented. These items are proposed to consider various aspects of open strategy principles (i.e. internal and external, inclusive and transparent). Further, and based on the available literature on openness in strategy, we identify several points to facilitate measuring the open strategy phenomenon. The paper also briefly presents initial findings and an agenda for future steps in relation to data collection and analysis as this research-in-progress moves forward. The paper concludes by remarking intended contributions and potential implications of the study for both practice and research

Connecting Critical Hermeneutics with the Management and Organizational Studies: An Analysis of the Philosophy and Methods of its Implementation in Organizations

Critical hermeneutics is rooted in philosophy of knowledge, in general, and in the methodology of human sciences, in particular. This approach is methodologically considered as a qualitative study with the aim of achieving internal understanding in various fields such as linguistic, longitudinal and experimental sciences. Jürgen Habermas, one of the precursors of Frankfurt School, is the pioneer of this method. In 1981, he published one of his best works entitled “Communicative Interaction Theory”, and added the symbolic aspects of social interaction to Frankfurt critical theory. Thus, critical hermeneutics does not pursue a “unifying answer”; rather it seeks to portray the social phenomena that are derived through discourse. Discourse, as a means of obtaining data, is used in critical hermeneutics and as Habermas posited, the essential prerequisite for discourse is to provide space devoid of any trace of power. In this qualitative study, the researchers conducted in-depth interviews with individuals, and by transcribing the interviews, converted the phenomenon into text. These texts constitute the research data of the study. Then, the researchers interpreted the textual form of the phenomena and represented the obtained results in several limited themes, each of which is further split into certain limited categories. Since the main advantage of critical hermeneutics is developing and reorienting the existing interpretative approaches to the study of management, this paper attempts to examine this approach as a qualitative research method in organization and management studies, and represent its process and key features

Optimization of Tokamak Poloidal Field Configuration by Genetic Algorithms

Abstract. The design of the poloidal field system in tokamaks is a lengthy procedure due to functional dependence of design parameters on pre-assumed plasma parameters. Therefore changing an individual design parameter could in principle influence the overall design. This complicated task could easily lead to non-optimal final results. In the paper it is shown that genetic algorithms, as powerful optimization methods, are useful in approaching an optimal design. The work may be extended to the whole plasma scenario and magnetic configuration in other small and large scale systems. 1