Dublin City University

About: Dublin City University is a education organization based out in Dublin, Ireland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Machine translation & Laser. The organization has 5904 authors who have published 17178 publications receiving 389376 citations. The organization is also known as: National Institute for Higher Education, Dublin & DCU.

Li doped and undoped ZnO nanocrystalline thin films: a comparative study of structural and optical properties

Abstract: Thin films of ZnO were grown by the sol–gel method using spin-coating technique on (0001) sapphire substrates. The effect of doping after annealing on the structural and optical properties has been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), cathodoluminescence (CL) spectrum, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The films that were dried at 623 K and then post annealed at 873 K showed (0002) as the predominant orientation. Two emission bands have been observed from CL spectrum. Lithium doped film shows shift in the near band edge UltraViolet emission peak and suppressed defect level emission peak in the visible range. SEM analysis of the films exhibits many spherical shaped nanoparticles. Roughness of the films determined using atomic force microscopy.

Design thinking – a new mental model of value innovation

Abstract: Purpose – As value innovation becomes a core top management concern, there is a growing recognition that “design thinking,” or the creative principles long associated with the design function, may now have something very significant to offer when applied more broadly to business management and strategy development. This paper aims to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approach – The paper analyzes the techniques of Roger Martin, one of design thinking's most widely recognized advocates. Martin introduces a set of concepts that are not familiar to most managers: the knowledge funnel, the distinction between reliability and validity, and abductive reasoning.Findings – Using case examples of leading companies such as Proctor & Gamble, the paper shows how they have developed a capacity for design thinking.Research limitations/implications – The paper presents case reports.Practical implications – The paper provides a detailed description of how Proctor & Gamble and its CEO A.G.Lafley introduced and imp...

Silane-dextran chemistry on lateral flow polymer chips for immunoassays.

Abstract: The prognosis for patients suffering from cardiovascular and many other diseases can be substantially improved if diagnosed at an early stage. High performance diagnostic testing using disposable microfluidic chips can provide a platform for realizing this vision. Amic AB (Uppsala, Sweden) has developed a new microfluidic test chip for sandwich immunoassays fabricated by injection molding of the cycloolefin-copolymer Zeonor™. A highly ordered array of micropillars within the fluidic chip distributes the sample solution by capillary action. Since wetting of the pillar array surface is the only driving force for liquid distribution precise control of the surface chemistry is crucial. In this work we demonstrate a novel protocol for surface hydrophilization and antibody immobilization on cycloolefin-copolymer test chips, based on direct silanisation of the thermoplastic substrate. Dextran is subsequently covalently coupled to amino groups, thus providing a coating with a low contact angle suitable for antibody immobilization. The contact angle of dextran coated chips is stable for at least two months, which enables production of large batches that can be stored for extended periods of time. We demonstrate the utility of the presented platform and surface chemistry in a C-reactive protein assay with a detection limit of 2.6 ng ml−1, a dynamic range of 102 and a coefficient of variance of 15%.