Cylindrical milling tools: Comparative real case study for process stability

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond and diamond-like carbon (DLC) films are deposited on the cobalt cemented tungsten carbide (WC-Co) cutting tools respectively using the hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) technique and the vacuum arc discharge with a graphite cathode. The scanning electron microscope (SEM), optical interferometer profiler and Raman spectroscopy were adopted to characterize the as-deposited diamond and DLC films. The cutting performance of as-fabricated CVD diamond and DLC coated milling tools is evaluated in dry milling SiC particulate reinforced Al-metal matrix composite material (Al/SiC-MMCs), comparing with the uncoated WC-Co milling tool. The milling results demonstrate that the uncoated WC-Co milling tool suffers severest wear in its circumferential cutting edge, while the wear of DLC coated milling tool is slightly lower. Comparatively, the CVD diamond coated milling tool exhibits much stronger wear resistance. The wear on its circumferential cutting edge is less than 0.07 mm at the end of milling test, only a half of that of DLC coated milling tool. This result is attributed to the extremely high hardness and strong adhesive strength of CVD diamond film covered on the WC-Co milling tool.

Modelling of the stability of variable helix end mills

Abstract: The integration of blockchain into smart cities represents a paradigm shift in how urban environments are conceptualized, governed, and sustained. This book, Blockchain in Smart Cities: Tools for Building Connected Urban Environments, provides a comprehensive analysis of blockchain as an enabling technology for resilient, transparent, and citizen-centric urban ecosystems. It examines the historical trajectory of smart cities, the foundational principles of blockchain, and their convergence in transforming critical infrastructures such as energy, mobility, healthcare, and governance. Through a multidimensional framework, the book explores blockchain’s potential to enhance transparency in public services, ensure secure property registries, and facilitate urban token economies. At the same time, it addresses pressing challenges such as scalability, cybersecurity, regulatory uncertainty, and social acceptance. Comparative global case studies—from Estonia’s e-governance to Dubai’s blockchain strategy—offer empirical insights into successes and limitations, highlighting the necessity of context-sensitive implementation. By synthesizing technological, economic, legal, and ethical perspectives, the book positions blockchain not merely as a digital tool but as an institutional innovation shaping the future of connected urban environments. It concludes with strategic policy recommendations and a roadmap for future research, underscoring blockchain’s transformative potential in building sustainable, inclusive, and adaptive cities for the 21st century and beyond. Keywords Blockchain, Smart Cities, Urban Innovation, Digital Governance, Token Economies, Smart Contracts, Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Urban Infrastructure, Sustainability, Cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Urban Planning, Circular Economy, Decentralized Autonomous Governance, Urban Resilience, Digital Transformation, Comparative Case Studies

The implementation of healthcare policies in healthcare organizations is a pivotal issue for managers. They generally require a change in professional practices. In previous work, we developed the Integrative Framework for Implementation of change in Nursing Practices (IFINP) to support implementation initiatives for such change in nursing practices. We aimed to assess the generalizability of IFINP in other organizational settings and explore links between strategic and socio-material factors during implementation. We used a comparative qualitative case study at three French hospitals to assess the implementation of certification procedures. Data were collected from 33 semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Narratives reflecting actions and interactions were extracted and deductively analyzed using IFINP components. The results showed that the framework was flexible and captured the different aspects of implementation actions and interactions at the three hospitals. Strong interferences were identified between mobilization mechanisms and strategic elements. Interferences were observed mostly between ‘reflexive monitoring and work articulation’, and ‘reflexive monitoring and sense-making’ mechanisms. Leadership was integrated into the different mechanisms, especially the ‘translation’ mechanism. The IFINP facilitated a greater understanding of strategic elements and associated relationships with social and material factors during implementation. It helps to provide a clear definition of the managers’ role when implementing new nurse practices.

El presente documento forma parte de las evaluaciones comparativas que realiza la Oficina de Evaluacion y Supervision sobre proyectos financiados por el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID). En ella se analiza el apoyo proporcionado por el BID a la ejecucion de programas de transferencias monetarias condicionadas (TMC) en tres paises de ingreso medio-bajo. Esta evaluacion es pertinente por dos razones. En primer lugar, la mayoria de los prestamos y operaciones de cooperacion tecnica del BID en apoyo de programas de TMC han financiado iniciativas en paises de mediano ingreso por lo que el conocimiento y los documentos de los programas de TMC que apoya el BID suelen referirse a paises que poseen sistemas de salud y educacion mas avanzados; esta evaluacion tiene por finalidad aportar mayor informacion empirica sobre la implementacion de programas de este tipo en paises de ingreso medio-bajo. En segundo lugar, la ejecucion satisfactoria de programas de TMC exige un alto grado de capacidad institucional y cooperacion entre las agencias que participan en su implementacion. Estas exigencias institucionales han fundamentado las criticas de algunos especialistas sobre la relevancia de los programas de TMC en paises de ingreso bajo, teniendo en cuenta la complejidad de su diseno institucional y, en algunos casos, la deficiente provision de servicios basicos en esos paises. Esta evaluacion examina dichas consideraciones para los programas seleccionados.

This study explored the subjective experiences of community mental health nurses whose clients disclosed sexual contact with a former physician. Theory, opinion literature, and my own clinical experience support the belief that disclosures such as these challenge nurses with their complexity and intensity. Three nurses' accounts of their clients' disclosures constituted cases for comparison and generated a beginning theoretical framework. Data were collected by multiple, indepth, unstructured, audiotaped interviews. Open coding and axial coding techniques of content analysis were used to analyze the data collected, and each set of data was .then compared and contrasted. The Cycle of Focusing Attention was identified as the integrating concept in a conceptual framework that describes how nurses alternately focus their attention on the client and on themselves, with the goal of alleviating client suffering. Contained in this cycle were: two concepts, Focusing on the Client and Focusing on Self; four subconcepts, Collecting Information, Using Interventions, Experiencing Feelings, and Analyzing Thoughts; and two modifying-concepts, Analyzing Boundaries and Analyzing Power. Data analysis revealed that despite the passage of time the details and circumstances of the disclosure experience remained vivid in the nurses' minds. Nurses experienced moral outrage and powerlessness at the physicians' misuse of professional power, and these feelings did not lessen with time. Despite their personal feelings the. nurses maintained a professional demeanor and consistently treated their clients in caring and respectful ways. The nurses were immediately certain that the physician's sexual behavior was unethical. They understood the therapeutic needs of their clients related to client-therapist sexual contact, and the social and ethical demands of reporting. Implementation of the study's findings could lead to more effective clinical practice, thereby lessening the suffering of both client and nurse.

Confessions and the Right to a Fair Trial: A Comparative Case Study

Human–Environment Relationship: Comparative Case Studies

Serial industrial robots are widely in demand in the field of large-scale component processing and manufacturing. However, the structure characteristic of serial robots makes it easy to generate chatter during milling and the overhang length of milling cutter has an important influence on the stability of robotic milling. Milling cutter overhang length refers to the length from the tip of the cutter to the protrusion of the spindle, to study the influence of milling cutter overhang length on the stability behavior of robotic milling, the modal parameters of milling cutter under different overhang length were obtained by hammer experiment, and its dynamic characteristics were analyzed. The stability behavior for robotic milling under different cutter overhang lengths was analyzed by using the stability lobe diagrams, and the stability lobe diagrams were verified by robotic milling experiments. The results show that the rigidity and natural frequency of milling cutter decrease with the increase of overhang length. There is a big gap between the stability lobe diagrams and the actual machining state when the cutter overhang length is short, and the low frequency vibration is easy to occur in the robotic milling process when the spindle speed is low, which is most probably because that the absorbed vibration energy by the cutter has been transferred to the robot body before the milling cutter vibrates. When the cutter overhang is increased and the feed direction is along the y-axis of the robot global coordinate system, the stability lobe diagrams by considering the multi-mode coupling effect is more consistent with the actual milling state.

SYNOPSISObjective. This study examined whether mainland Chinese and U.S. American children’s interpretations of their parents’ coercive authority assertion and critical comparison and shaming moderate relations between their reports of parenting and adjustment. Design. Middle-school children from mainland China (n = 217) and the United States (n = 207) rated their parents on coercive authority assertion and critical comparison and shaming, indicated whether they approved of their parents’ practices, rated their parents’ underlying intentions, and reported their own depression, antisocial behavior, and school motivation. Results. Moderation analyses showed that associations between coercive authority assertion or critical comparison and shaming and child depression were stronger for American and Chinese children whose approval ratings for these practices were relatively low. Greater coercive authority assertion was related to lower antisocial behavior for children who rated their parents high for the child...

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate if, and how, different stakeholders perceive property owners (PO) have changed their activities in a town centre after increased competition, and if this has led to a different perception of the PO’ stakeholder group.Design/methodology/approachA comparative follow-up case study is conducted through semi-structured interviews on changes in the town centre management (TCM) stakeholders’ perceptions of the role, benefit, and contribution of PO. The interviews are carried out before and after the establishment of a big-box retailer, which makes it possible to analyse possible changes in the perceptions in relation to the overall role of the PO when retail competition increases.FindingsA limited number of PO and local authorities have started working more strategically and proactively by creating a time-restricted alliance that goes beyond the work of the TCM organisation. Although the activities of the PO have increased, this is not fully understood by everyone in the town centre, especially the retailers.Research limitations/implicationsIn comparison with other studies, this study clearly indicates that the property owner plays a key strategic role in enabling town centre development. This role is broader than what the original TCM literature suggests and is based on the aspects of resource coordination and distribution.Practical implicationsIn order to create the opportunity to develop a town centre in the long run, it is of strategic importance that the PO are in agreement with the development plans. In addition, it is necessary to consider those members who should be part of the strategic alliance.Originality/valueBy conducting a comparative follow-up case study, the authors are able to contribute with a deeper understanding of how stakeholders’ perceptions change over time. The authors extend the current literature by showing that the PO are a key stakeholder due to their organisational resources and their ability to facilitate town centre development.

The aim of the study was to exemplify pupils’ mastering of mathematical literacy. The study is a comparative multiple case study. In pupils’ talk of mathematical activities aspects of mathematical literacy are discerned. A distinction is made between pupils: (1) pupils in mathematical difficulties, (2) pupils with another mother tongue than Swedish or (3) pupils without mathematical difficulties. The study was performed as a comparative multiple case study. The “cases” were constituted by the three groups of pupils, and these were compared. Seventy-two pupils in grade 5 in six different primary schools in Sweden participated: twenty-four pupils in mathematical difficulties (twelve girls and twelve boys), twenty-four pupils with another native language than Swedish (twelve girls and twelve boys) and twenty-four pupils without mathematical difficulties (twelve girls and twelve boys). After each of the performed lessons in which the activities were carried out the pupils were interviewed (groupwise in the above defined groups) about their experience of the activities. In the analysis of the results three ideal types were described, one for each group of pupils. The ideal types were discussed with relation to mathematical literacy.

Argentina and Costa Rica are two Latin American countries rich in natural attractions that make up most of their tourism attractiveness for visitors. However, Costa Rica has managed to establish itself as a successful example and leader in the Sustainable Tourism sector, while Argentina could not. The aim of the present work is to explore what can account for such differences: more specifically, why Argentina has been unable to establish healthy sustainable tourism development. To examine the research question, the present study sets to describe the Tourism Development Policy of Argentina and Costa Rica, analyse their sustainability, and compare both countries by using a comparative qualitative and interpretative case study method. Comparisons will be made concerning three different governance levels: international, national, and local. The results of the present study show a close resemblance of both countries’ international policy with a stark difference at the national level, with two main consequences. Firstly, it suggests a greater importance of the National Tourism Development guiding plan when it comes to setting directions of the sustainability of the sector. Secondly, the biggest contrast that can be identified between the two countries is found on the environmental component of sustainability. Thirdly, it is observed that the application of National Tourism Policy at a local level has a high impact on the sustainability of the touristic activity, especially in terms of the involvement and inclusion of local communities. Finally, suggestions and easily applicable modifications are formulated based on the Costa Rican example to improve the country’s tourism Development in the years to come.

This paper is a comparative case study for two B2B agri-food e-commerce examples and is based on the exchange process analysis. Data were collected by interviews with operators and experts. The results for this study show that the B2B e-commerce exchange process can efficiently replace the traditional process. The reduction of costs in the searching and valuation processes is a successful factor for the replacement. Also, authentication process is important key to success. However, efficient delivery is not a necessary condition.

PurposeThis paper aims to explore users' perceptions of whether the Leadership Development Impact Assessment (LDI) Toolkit is valid, reliable, simple to use and cost-effective as a guide to its quality improvement.Design/methodology/approachThe Canadian Health Leadership Network codesigned and codeveloped the LDI Toolkit as a theory-driven and evidence-informed resource that aims to assist health-care organizational development practitioners to evaluate various programs at five levels of impact: reaction, learning, application, impact and return on investment (ROI) and intangible benefits. A comparative evaluative case study was conducted using online questionnaires and semistructured telephone interviews with three health organizations where robust leadership development programs were in place. A total of seven leadership consultants and specialists participated from three Canadian provinces. Data were analyzed sequentially in two stages involving descriptive statistical analysis augmented with a qualitative content analysis of key themes.FindingsUsers perceived the toolkit as cost-effective in terms of direct costs, indirect costs and intangibles; they found it easy-to-use in terms of clarity, logic and structure, ease of navigation with a coherent layout; and they assessed the sources of the evidence-informed tools and guides as appropriate. Users rated the toolkit highly on their perceptions of its validity and reliability. The analysis also informed the refinement of the toolkit.Originality/valueThe refined LDI Toolkit is a comprehensive online collection of various tools to support health organizations to evaluate the leadership development investments effectively and efficiently at five impact levels including ROI.