Search results

This study aims to extend the known design guidelines for the polymer-based fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing process with the focus on function-integrated components, specifically optomechanical parts. The potential of this approach is demonstrated by manufacturing function-integrated optomechanics for a low-power solid-state laser system.

For the production of function-integrated additively manufactured optomechanics using the FFF process, essential components and subsystems have been identified for which no design guidelines are available. This includes guidelines for integrating elements, particularly optics, into a polymer structure as well as guidelines for printing functional threads and ball joints. Based on these results, combined with prior research, a function-integrated low-power solid-state laser optomechanic was fabricated via the FFF process, using a commercial 3D printer of the type Ultimaker 3. The laser system's performance was assessed and compared to a reference system that employed commercial optomechanics, additionally confirming the design guidelines derived from the study.

Based on the design goal of function integration, the existing design guidelines for the FFF process are systematically extended. This success is demonstrated by the fabrication of an integrated optomechanic for a solid-state laser system.

Based on these results, scientists and engineers will be able to use the FFF process more extensively and benefit from the possibilities of function-integrated manufacturing.

Extensive research has been published on additive manufacturing of optomechanics. However, this research often emphasizes only cost reduction and short-term availability of components by reprinting existing parts. This paper aims to explore the capabilities of additive manufacturing in the production of function-integrated components to reduce the number of individual parts required, thereby decreasing the workload for system assembly and leading to an innovative production process for optical systems. Consequently, where needed, it provides new design guidelines or extends existing ones and verifies them by means of test series.

This “looking back to look forward” chapter addresses narrative threads that began in the Foreword of this book. The Holocaust and other inhumane acts again serve as starting points for discussion. Woven in are passages from an open letter a Holocaust survivor wrote to teachers in the aftermath of World War II. The naming of dehumanizing acts, along with their educated aggressors, segues into a discussion of excessive entitlement, the topic of this volume. This chapter acknowledges that faculty and graduate students wrestle with intractable educational dilemmas ignited by those who are excessively entitled. As they struggle to make sense of off-putting experiences that trace to their peers' excessiveness, they inevitably conclude that dilemmas, by their very nature, can never be resolved definitively. But they can be circumstantially managed. Teachers and principals are highly influential in weighing and managing dilemmas. They are primary role models to others in society because of their sustained relationships with youth over time. Only when teachers and professors consider humanity in its entirety do their in situ understandings of excessive entitlement recalibrate to become empowered entitlement where both self and others are taken into consideration where informed actions are concerned. This chapter ends by reinforcing the importance of the best-loved self, which repeatedly shows itself to be the yin to excessive entitlement's yang. This point is emphatically made in each preceding chapter as well – with all this volume's chapters suggesting how academia could move beyond excessive entitlement with the betterment of humankind in full view.

Dark (Netflix, 2017–2020) is a German-produced science fiction television series, created by Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese. Set in the geographically ambiguous small town of Winden, Dark is an intricate time-travel saga primarily across different epochs. With its emphasis on uncanny natural settings and fairy tale tropes (such as lost children, mysterious travelers, magical devices, etc.), Dark can easily be interpreted as fairy tale. Central is young Jonas Kahnwald who loses his father and witnesses the mysterious disappearance of a local boy. These traumas lead to shocking truths about his heritage. Jonas is the hero (both victim and seeker, after Propp's definition) though his twisting quest brings him face-to-face with two older versions of himself: The middle-aged Jonas fulfils a mentor/donor role for the younger but is conflicted in his desires to both perpetuate and unpick ‘the knot’. Later, Jonas encounters cataclysmic extremist ‘Adam’, a mature version of himself who acts as antagonist. Thusly, Dark centres White male trauma, agency, and ego to reflect responses to historic cultural trauma (such as the notion of the ‘anti-Heimat’) whilst also critiquing traditional conceptions of masculinity through young Jonas's actions. This chapter maps the interplay and representation of ego and trauma. Through textual analysis and with reference to relevant cultural, psychological, and philosophical scholarship, my exploration follows the threads of what Dark communicates about contemporary German masculinity in the face of trauma and how it reflects Western, White cultural thinking about the self.

The purpose of this study is to explore how digital technologies at work serve as environments for informal workplace learning in knowledge work.

Digital ethnography was used to investigate the digital environments of one public sector workplace. The data included observations, interviews and participant diaries.

The digital work environment consisted of a complex network of technologies and people connected to them. The ethnographic accounts revealed both expansive and restrictive features of the digital environment. Digital technology extended learning opportunities by providing flexible possibilities for interaction, collaboration and access to a wealth of information. On the contrary, digitally mediated presence could restrict learning if the attendance and learning remained superficial. The complexity and constant change in digital workplace environments presented challenges that could potentially restrict learning. Information overload, constant interruptions and changes were burdens that required employees’ skills to manage these challenges.

The authors take a novel approach to view the workplace as a phygital environment in which social, physical and digital environments are combined. Because digital environments are becoming increasingly essential parts of the workplace, it is important to understand how they can support learning.

Ocean transportation is not only the cheapest and the best mode of bulk transport but also the most polluting form of transportation. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set strict targets to cut down carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, following which several initiatives have been taken by the shipping industry to embrace new technologies that can make the industry greener. Significant investments have been made into research and development (R&D) to develop alternative marine fuels. This chapter explores the feasibility of setting up a Biomass Recycling Facility (BRF) in the Tirupur–Tuticorin region in Tamil Nadu. The region was chosen because Tirupur being a textile valley generates tonnes of textile wastes every year. It can become good feedstock for biofuel generation, and it is also near Tuticorin Port, which is one of the major ports in Tamil Nadu. On an average, every year 1,000 vessels of medium and large size call at this port. There is a high probability that a BRF established in the vicinity can generate and supply bioethanol for the ships calling at Tuticorin Port. It is apparent from the findings of the study that the feedstock generated by textile industry alone may not be sufficient to meet the huge volumes of biofuel requirements of vessels, more over considerable investments into infrastructure and technology are required. But the study points out that still it could become a viable option because of the government support and favourable Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policies. The growing demand for biofuel and the increasing price in the world market can become an added advantage.

School exclusion in England is highly gendered, racialised and classed. For instance, boys are three times more likely than girls to be excluded from school and certain groups, including Black Caribbean boys are subject to disproportionate levels of exclusion. Against this backdrop, I explore the context and consequences of exclusion from English mainstream schooling for young masculinities. The arguments presented also have broader international significance due to a global tendency towards punitive measures in schooling. Through bringing masculinities scholarship into conversation with childhood studies, this chapter aims to present a nuanced theorisation of young masculinities which foregrounds lived experience and is located within the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies. It examines ways in which exclusion and schooling in alternative settings, such as a Pupil Referral school, can shape the identities of boys and their subjectivities. The empirical data demonstrate that excluded boys face severe constraints arising from ways in which they are positioned. Drawing on original qualitative data, it is argued that boys who are categorised in this way demonstrate highly agentic ways of ‘doing boy’. This chapter is underpinned by two questions, firstly, how can we theorise boyhood and school exclusion in ways that recognise excluded boys as agentic and constrained subjects? Secondly, what possibilities for change might our theorisation reveal? This chapter concludes by arguing for intersectional masculinities and strengthened theorisation of childhood studies which explicitly recognises lived experience. Through this discussion, I seek to illuminate the emotional costs of school exclusion and insights into ways to achieve change.

Netflix's short-lived Gothic sci-fi psychological thriller 1899 tells of the discovery of a ghost ship by a steam-liner bound for America. All aboard are tested by unexplained deaths, visions of past traumas and impossible events. 1899 exemplifies what Mittell calls ‘drillable media’ (2009), contemporary elaborate and inventive serial TV narratives which encourage the viewer into active reception, rewarding forensic deconstruction and analysis.

The creators sprinkle references to Classical mythology and philosophy throughout 1899, inviting literate, active consumers to use them in forensic reception. Featuring an ensemble cast of 20 principal characters, 1899 offers a variety of ‘masculine’ representations, and all can be described as Gothic. These characters are understood and enhanced through consideration of the allusions to Classical mythology in the text. These echoes enhance and shape the Gothic masculine representations in 1899. Furthermore, the female protagonist is imbued with counter-typical hegemonic gender traits and her connections to mythic and literary characters encourage a questioning of her status as hero.

With reference to Classical reception and Gothic studies, textual analysis and online analytical discourses posted by fans of 1899, this chapter explores the interplay between Gothic male representations, ‘masculine’ traits and allusions to mythology, employing both to create a television series which is both timeless and contemporary.

The aim of the article was to compare the learning outcomes of the same content in the form of a traditional analogue lesson and in the form of a virtual reality (VR) lesson with the use of head-mounted display (HMD).

The study included one biology lesson conducted in 4 groups of a dozen people and one biology lesson in VR carried out individually on 75 people. The respondents completed the knowledge test, a questionnaire before and after the class regarding the attitude to new technologies, and feelings after the lesson. The researchers used detailed observation sheets (subjects' behaviour and the dynamics of the lesson). The obtained results were analysed statistically through lesson type (traditional/VR), respondent type (technology enthusiast/non-enthusiast) and question type. The Mann–Whitney U test, t-student and chi-squared (?²) test were used.

The average of the overall results in the knowledge test was similar in both groups (16 points; ±SD 2.13), slightly better for the analogue group and for the non-enthusiast group. It was found that VR hinders the acquisition of knowledge by tech enthusiasts, who perceive it primarily in the play paradigm. However, it encourages the learning of technology sceptics, who quickly discover a passion for exploring the virtual world. It was clearly indicated, quantitatively and qualitatively, how the technology modalities directly influenced the learning outcomes.

The article offers fresh insights into how students' perceptions of the educational process can be transformed through the integration of VR. The compelling findings and nuanced analysis provide a robust foundation for exploring new frontiers in educational technology.

This paper aimed to study business model innovation by a work-integration social enterprise (WISE). Specifically, the study investigated how the organization developed novel value propositions and created and delivered value for multiple stakeholders.

An in-depth qualitative study was conducted at Foreword, a for-profit organization that uses persons with disabilities, mental health conditions and special needs. Data was drawn from semi-structured interviews with stakeholders of the organization and several secondary information sources.

The authors’ inductive analysis revealed the existence of an innovative and powerful business model that is integrated by the organization’s overarching social mission and anchors its ability to deal with multiple conflicting logics such as economic, social, ecological sustainability and community development, to co-create value with and for multiple stakeholders.

The study underscores the need for business model innovation through enhancing value creation for multiple stakeholders for for-profit WISEs. Since the analysis and resulting model in the study are based on a single organization in a geographically small, affluent country with a hands-on government, they may need to be modified before applying in other contexts.

The study identifies several pointers for other social enterprises – specifically the need for managers to build business models appropriate for their organizational and environmental contexts.

The study’s originality stems from the adoption of a stakeholder lens to examine business model innovation. It also proposes an integrative conceptual model of the antecedents and outcomes of business model innovation.

The mounting health misinformation on social media triggers heated discussions about how to address it. Anchored by the influence of presumed influence (IPI) model, this study investigates the underlying process of intentions to combat health misinformation. Specifically, we analyzed how presumed exposure of others and presumed influence on others affect intentions to practice pre-emptive and reactive misinformation countering strategies.

Covariance-based structural equation modeling based on survey data from 690 Chinese participants was performed using the “lavaan” package in R to examine the proposed mechanism.

Personal attention to health information on social media is positively associated with presumed others’ attention to the same information, which, in turn, is related to an increased perception of health misinformation’s influence on others. The presumed influence is further positively tied to two pre-emptive countermeasures (i.e. support for media literacy interventions and institutional verification intention) and one reactive countermeasure (i.e. misinformation correction intention). However, the relationship between presumed influence and support for governmental restrictions, as another reactive countering method, is not significant.

This study supplements the misinformation countering literature by examining IPI’s tenability in explaining why individuals engage in combating misinformation. Both pre-emptive and reactive strategies were considered, enabling a panoramic view of the motivators of misinformation countering compared to previous studies. Our findings also inform the necessity of adopting a context-specific perspective and crafting other-oriented messages to motivate users’ initiative in implementing corrective actions.