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Co-Authorship Network for Scientific and Technical Papers, Published by at least one WIT Author
Get PDFWhat This Is
The diagram is a visual representation of collaborations between authors of WIT papers, who are represented by the circles in this image. Any co-authorship relation between two authors is represented by a connecting line.
• The colour of a line reflects the number of times that those two authors have worked together.
• The colour of a circle reflects the average impact of papers published by that author (average times cited)
• The size of a circle is proportional to the number of papers attributed to that author in the data used to generate the diagram.
The Data Used
The data used, comes from the Web of Knowledge. The Web of Knowledge is an index of all of the citations in 23,000 of the top academic and scientific journals. It should be noted that the data is not comprehensive, as there are many other journals in existence. Also, the index is biased in favour of the hard sciences. Disciplines related to humanities, arts and social sciences are very under-represented in this dataset.
The Software Used
The software used to generate this diagram is called Gephi. This is an open source graph visualisation tool. The software is developed by a French-based non-profit consortium. It started as a Google ‘Summer of Code’ initiative.
The Benefits
Analysis of networks using graph theory is a discipline that has come into its own of late, as improvements in technology have made possible the development of new tools, namely graph databases and visualisation software such as Gephi.
In the context of research, this kind of analysis can be a powerful tool for strategic planning, capacity building, identifying collaborative opportunities, and for finding efficiencies in large organisations
Micro-mechanical modelling of fretting fatigue crack initiation and wear in Ti–6Al–4V
Get PDFA micro-mechanical modelling methodology is presented for predicting fretting fatigue crack nucleation
in Ti–6Al–4V. The methodology is based on a combination of (i) a unit cell crystal plasticity model of Ti–
6Al–4V, (ii) a frictional contact model of an experimental fretting wear configuration, and (iii) implementation of a microstructure-sensitive fatigue indication parameter for prediction of crack nucleation. A
novel micro-mechanical method for wear prediction is presented. A key finding is the important role
of cyclic micro-plasticity in ostensibly elastic loading regimes in fretting wear, resulting in significant
effects on distributions of salient fretting contact variables such as contact pressure.
� 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Kinetic and thermodynamic evaluation of phosphate ions binding onto sevelamer hydrochloride
Get PDFSevelamer hydrochloride is the first non-aluminium, non-calcium-based phosphate binder developed for
the management of hyperphosphatemia in end stage renal diseases. It is a synthetic ion-exchange
polymer which binds and removes phosphate ions due to the high content of cationic charge associated
with protonated amine groups on the polymer matrix. This is the first in-depth study investigating
phosphate removal in vitro from aqueous solutions using commercially available sevelamer
hydrochloride at physiological conditions of phosphate level, pH and temperature. The kinetic and
thermodynamic parameters of phosphate binding onto the sevelamer hydrochloride particles were
evaluated in order to define the binding process. A series of kinetic studies were carried out in order to
delineate the effect of initial phosphate concentration, absorbent dose and temperature on the rate of
binding. The results were analysed using three kinetic models with the best-fit of the experimental data
obtained using a pseudo-second order model. Thermodynamic parameters provide in-depth information
on inherent energetic changes that are associated with binding. Free energy DG�, enthalpy DH�, and
entropy DS� changes were calculated in this study in order to assess the relationship of these parameters
to polymer morphology. The binding reaction was found to be a spontaneous endothermic process with
increasing entropy at the solid–liquid interface
MultiSearch comes to WIT libraries Incorporating a discovery service into first-year learning support programme
Get PDFProcess Consultation as a Mechanism of Transformative Learning: Informing Management Learning
No full textProcess consultation is a term developed by Edgar Schein in the 1960s as his contribution to organization development theory and practice. The central insight of the theory of process consultation is being helpful to managers to think out and work through issues and problems with which they are faced and for which they need help. Transformative learning explores how, when adults experience disorientating dilemmas, their sense of well-being is disturbed, The learning and change that takes place as a result of this experience can be personally transformative as individuals add to their existing meaning schemes or add new meaning schemes to their storehouse of knowledge that is highly significant and a source of achievement and success for them. What has hitherto been lacking is an exploration of how the theory and practice of transformative learning inform what takes place in and through process consultation. This article seeks to address this gap and so to contribute to the field of management learning by exploring how process consultation enables transformative learning in managers.
Keywords: process consultation; transformative learning; Jack Mezirow; Edgar H. Schein; management learnin
Macular Pigment, Visual Function, and Macular Disease among Subjects with Alzheimer's Disease: An Exploratory Study.
Get PDFBackground: The macula (central retina) contains a yellow pigment, comprising the dietary carotenoids lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin, known as macular pigment (MP). The concentrations of MP's constituent carotenoids in retina and brain tissue correlate, and there is a biologically-plausible rationale, supported by emerging evidence, that MP's constituent carotenoids are also important for cognitive function.
Objective: To investigate if patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are comparable to controls in terms of MP and visual function.
Methods: 36 patients with moderate AD and 33 controls with the same age range participated. MP was measured using dual-wavelength autofluorescence (Heidelberg Spectralis®); cognitive function was assessed using a battery of cognition tests (including Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery). Visual function was recorded by measuring best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and contrast sensitivity (CS). Serum L and Z concentrations (by HPLC) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD, by retinal examination) status were also assessed.
Results: In the AD group, central MP (i.e., at 0.23°) and MP volume were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.001 for both), as were measures of BCVA, CS, and serum L and Z concentrations (p < 0.05, for all).
Conclusion: AD patients were observed to exhibit significantly less MP, lower serum concentrations of L and Z, poorer vision, and a higher occurrence of AMD when compared to control subjects. A clinical trial in AD patients designed to investigate the impact of macular carotenoid supplementation with respect to MP, visual function, and cognitive function is merited
Consequences of self-leadership in an Irish public sector knowledge organisation
Get PDFThe current research project attempts to link self-leadership with psychological empowerment, while also exploring the relationships between self-leadership and both job satisfaction and work performance. Despite an extensive body of literature on psychological empowerment and self-leadership, there is a lack of empirical support for a heightened experience of empowerment resulting from self-leadership. This research is timely given the ongoing reforms of the Irish public sector which are focused on improving service delivery with reduced resources, including staff numbers. The reported research was conducted within one Irish public sector organisation, Teagasc, in two phases. Firstly, a series of semi-structured interviews was used to clarify key issues in relation to self-leadership within Teagasc. Secondly, web-based survey data from approximately 500 Teagasc employees was analysed to explore relationships between self-leadership, psychological empowerment, work performance, job satisfaction and a number of moderating and control variables. The interviews highlighted the importance of self-leadership to Teagasc while also recognising the challenges facing the organisation to allow individuals the freedom to be self-leaders within the management and governance structures of a public sector organisation. It also emerged that there exists an expectation of self-leadership by Teagasc professionals and that the organisation can help or hinder the development of self-leadership skills by employees. The results from the web-based survey showed that self-leadership is positively related to psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and self-reported work performance. Furthermore, psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between self-leadership and both job satisfaction and self-reported work performance. This research has provided empirical evidence for psychological empowerment as an outcome of self-leadership while supporting the claims for self-leadership as a tool to improve personal effectiveness (as measured by self-reported work performance). Practically, the results will be of direct benefit to Teagasc, and other similar organisations, as they attempt to cope with reduced Government support