Does Work Time Flexibility Work? An Empirical Assessment of the Efficiency Effects for German Firms

OpenAIRE

Wolf, Elke; Beblo, Miriam

2004-01-01

In this paper we assess the impact of flexible work time schedules on firm efficiency using representative establishment data for Germany. Following the approach by Battese and Coelli (1995), we estimate a stochastic production frontier and the determinants of technical efficiency simultaneously. The innovation of our study is that we draw on technical efficiency instead of productivity to appraise the success of flexible working hours. The results indicate that while the use of work time sch...

The role of incline, performance level and gender on the gross mechanical efficiency of roller ski skating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Øyvind eSandbakk

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The ability to efficiently utilize metabolic energy to produce work is a key factor for endurance performance. The present study investigated the effects of incline, performance level and gender on the gross mechanical efficiency during roller ski skating. Thirty-one male and nineteen female elite cross-country skiers performed a 5-min submaximal session at approximately 75% of VO2peak on a 5% inclined treadmill using the G3 skating technique. Thereafter, a 5-min session on a 12% incline using the G2 skating technique was performed at a similar work rate. Gross efficiency was calculated as the external work rate against rolling friction and gravity divided by the metabolic rate using gas exchange. Performance level was determined by the amount of skating FIS points (the Federation of International Skiing approved scoring system for ski racing where fewer points indicate a higher performance level. Strong significant correlations between work rate and metabolic rate within both inclines and gender were revealed (r=-0.89-0.98 and P

Efficiency of working memory: Theoretical concept and practical application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lalović Dejan

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Efficiency of working memory is the concept which connects psychology of memory with different fields of cognitive, differential and applied psychology. In this paper, the history of interest for the assessment of the capacity of short-term memory is presented in brief, as well as the different methods used nowadays to assess the individual differences in the efficiency of working memory. What follows is the consideration of studies that indicate the existence of significant links between the efficiency of working memory and general intelligence, the ability of reasoning, personality variables, as well as some socio-psychological phenomena. Special emphasis is placed on the links between the efficiency of working memory and certain aspects of pedagogical practice: acquiring the skill of reading, learning arithmetic and shedding light on the cause of general failure in learning at school. What is also provided are the suggestions that, in the light of knowledge about the development and limitations of working memory at school age, can be useful for teaching practice.

The moderating role of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the work engagement-performance process.

Science.gov (United States)

Halbesleben, Jonathon R B; Wheeler, Anthony R; Shanine, Kristen K

2013-04-01

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a cognitive disability that affects millions. Although individuals with ADHD are employed throughout many organizations and there is evidence that their performance is lower, scant research exists describing how ADHD impacts an individual's performance. In this article, we extend attentional control theory to examine how ADHD impacts both the effectiveness and efficiency of employee performance. Across 3 samples, 2 of general working adults (n = 257 and 170) and 1 of nurses (n = 243), we found that ADHD was associated with lower performance (rated via self-, coworker, and supervisor ratings) and that the relationship was strongest for in-role performance, suggesting that employees with ADHD may be diverting attention away from task-relevant behaviors. Furthermore, although work engagement was associated with higher performance, that relationship was diminished among those who experienced higher levels of ADHD, suggesting lower performance efficiency. We discuss the implications of these findings for research on attentional control and the management of those with ADHD at work.

Propulsive efficiency and non- expert swimmers performance

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Tiago Barbosa

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Propulsive efficiency is one of the most interesting issues for competitive swimming researchers, has it presents significant relationships with the swimmer’s biophysical behavior and his/her performance. Although propulsive efficiency is a variable that has been quite studied in elite swimmers, there is no research on this issue in young and non-expert swimmers. Thus, the aim of this study was to: (i estimate the propulsive efficiency on non-expert swimmers; (ii identify biomechanical and anthropometrical parameters that are associated with propulsive efficiency; (iii identify the association between the propulsive efficiency and swim performance. Twenty-eight non-expert swimmers participated on this study. It was assessed the propulsive efficiency, biomechanical and anthropometrical parameters, as well as, the swim performance. The propulsive efficiency of non-expert swimmers is lower than data reported in the literature to higher competitive levels swimmers and there are no significant differences between boys and girls. It was also noted that several biomechanical and anthropometrical parameters, as well as, the swim performance are associated with the propulsive efficiency.

Shift Work and Cognitive Flexibility: Decomposing Task Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Philip; Tallent, Gabriel; Bender, Thomas John; Tran, Kieulinh Michelle; Drake, Christopher L

2017-04-01

Deficits in cognitive functioning associated with shift work are particularly relevant to occupational performance; however, few studies have examined how cognitive functioning is associated with specific components of shift work. This observational study examined how circadian phase, nocturnal sleepiness, and daytime insomnia in a sample of shift workers ( N = 30) were associated with cognitive flexibility during the night shift. Cognitive flexibility was measured using a computerized task-switching paradigm, which produces 2 indexes of flexibility: switch cost and set inhibition. Switch cost represents the additional cognitive effort required in switching to a different task and can impact performance when multitasking is involved. Set inhibition is the efficiency in returning to previously completed tasks and represents the degree of cognitive perseveration, which can lead to reduced accuracy. Circadian phase was measured via melatonin assays, nocturnal sleepiness was assessed using the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, and daytime insomnia was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index. Results indicated that those with an earlier circadian phase, insomnia, and sleepiness exhibited reduced cognitive flexibility; however, specific components of cognitive flexibility were differentially associated with circadian phase, insomnia, and sleepiness. Individuals with an earlier circadian phase (thus more misaligned to the night shift) exhibited larger switch costs, which was also associated with reduced task efficiency. Shift workers with more daytime insomnia demonstrated difficulties with cognitive inhibition, whereas nocturnal sleepiness was associated with difficulties in reactivating previous tasks. Deficits in set inhibition were also related to reduced accuracy and increased perseverative errors. Together, this study indicates that task performance deficits in shift work are complex and are variably impacted by different mechanisms. Future research may examine

Skylab task and work performance /Experiment M-151 - Time and motion study/

Science.gov (United States)

Kubis, J. F.; Mclaughlin, E. J.

1975-01-01

The primary objective of Experiment M151 was to study the inflight adaptation of Skylab crewmen to a variety of task situations involving different types of activity. A parallel objective was to examine astronaut inflight performance for any behavioral stress effects associated with the working and living conditions of the Skylab environment. Training data provided the basis for comparison of preflight and inflight performance. Efficiency was evaluated through the adaptation function, namely, the relation of performance time over task trials. The results indicate that the initial changeover from preflight to inflight was accompanied by a substantial increase in performance time for most work and task activities. Equally important was the finding that crewmen adjusted rapidly to the weightless environment and became proficient in developing techniques with which to optimize task performance. By the end of the second inflight trial, most of the activities were performed almost as efficiently as on the last preflight trial. The analysis demonstrated the sensitivity of the adaptation function to differences in task and hardware configurations. The function was found to be more regular and less variable inflight than preflight. Translation and control of masses were accomplished easily and efficiently through the rapid development of the arms and legs as subtle guidance and restraint systems.

Evaluation and Improvement of Lighting Efficiency in Working Spaces

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Ana Castillo-Martinez

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Lighting is an essential element for modern life, promoting a sense of wellbeing for users. However, bad illumination may produce health problems such as headaches and fatigue, among other vision problems. For that reason, this paper proposes the development of a smartphone-based application to help in lighting evaluation to guarantee the compliance of illumination regulations and to help increase illuminance efficiency, reducing its energy consumption. To perform this evaluation, the smartphone can be used as a lighting measurement tool, evaluating those measurements through an intelligent agent based in rules capable of guiding the decision-making process. As a result, this tool allows the evaluation of the real working environment to guarantee lighting requirements, helping in the prevention of health problems derived from bad illumination and improving the lighting efficiency at the same time.

Working mothers: Family-work conflict, job performance and family/work variables

OpenAIRE

Cynthia J Patel; Vasanthee Govender; Zubeda Paruk; Sarojini Ramgoon

2006-01-01

The present study examined the relationship between family-work conflict, job performance and selected work and family characteristics in a sample of working mothers employed at a large retail organization. The hypothesis of a negative relationship between family-work conflict and job performance was rejected. Married women reported significantly higher family-work conflict than unmarried women, while women in the highest work category gained the highest job performance rating. More than half...

Technical Efficiency Performance of Conventional Banks

OpenAIRE

Endri, Endri

2012-01-01

This study aims to measure the performance of the technical efficiency of the conventional commercial banks during the period 2008-2009 by using non-parametric method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Test results showed that the total of all conventional commercial banks during the period 2008-2009 has not shown that optimal performance in which the level of technical efficiency is still below 100 percent. Appalling conditions, the efficiency of national banks experienced a decline of 73.5...

Fundamental Aeronautics Program: Overview of Propulsion Work in the Supersonic Cruise Efficiency Technical Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Castner, Ray

2012-01-01

The Supersonics Project, part of NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program, contains a number of technical challenge areas which include sonic boom community response, airport noise, high altitude emissions, cruise efficiency, light weight durable engines/airframes, and integrated multi-discipline system design. This presentation provides an overview of the current (2012) activities in the supersonic cruise efficiency technical challenge, and is focused specifically on propulsion technologies. The intent is to develop and validate high-performance supersonic inlet and nozzle technologies. Additional work is planned for design and analysis tools for highly-integrated low-noise, low-boom applications. If successful, the payoffs include improved technologies and tools for optimized propulsion systems, propulsion technologies for a minimized sonic boom signature, and a balanced approach to meeting efficiency and community noise goals. In this propulsion area, the work is divided into advanced supersonic inlet concepts, advanced supersonic nozzle concepts, low fidelity computational tool development, high fidelity computational tools, and improved sensors and measurement capability. The current work in each area is summarized.

Working mothers: Family-work conflict, job performance and family/work variables

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cynthia J Patel

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The present study examined the relationship between family-work conflict, job performance and selected work and family characteristics in a sample of working mothers employed at a large retail organization. The hypothesis of a negative relationship between family-work conflict and job performance was rejected. Married women reported significantly higher family-work conflict than unmarried women, while women in the highest work category gained the highest job performance rating. More than half the sample indicated that paid work was more important than their housework and reported that their working had a positive impact on their families. The findings are discussed in relation to the changing work and family identities of non-career women.

Game elements improve performance in a working memory training task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Ninaus

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The utilization of game elements in a non-game context is currently used in a vast range of different domains. However, research on game elements’ effects in cognitive tasks is still sparse. Thus, in this study we implemented three game elements, namely, progress bar, level indicator, and a thematic setting, in a working memory training task. We evaluated the impact of game elements on user performance and perceived state of flow when compared to a conventional version of the task. Participants interacting with game elements showed higher scores in the working memory training task than participants from a control group who completed the working memory training task without the game elements. Moreover, game elements facilitated the individuals’ performance closer to their maximum working memory capacity. Finally, the perceived flow did not differ between the two groups, which indicates that game elements can induce better performance without changing the perception of being “in the zone”, that is without an increase in anxiety or boredom. This empirical study indicates that certain game elements can improve the performance and efficiency in a working memory task by increasing users’ ability and willingness to train at their optimal performance level. 

How Quickly They Forget: The Relationship between Forgetting and Working Memory Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Bayliss, Donna M.; Jarrold, Christopher

2015-01-01

This study examined the contribution of individual differences in rate of forgetting to variation in working memory performance in children. One hundred and twelve children (mean age 9 years 4 months) completed 2 tasks designed to measure forgetting, as well as measures of working memory, processing efficiency, and short-term storage ability.…

Mapping the developmental constraints on working memory span performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayliss, Donna M; Jarrold, Christopher; Baddeley, Alan D; Gunn, Deborah M; Leigh, Eleanor

2005-07-01

This study investigated the constraints underlying developmental improvements in complex working memory span performance among 120 children of between 6 and 10 years of age. Independent measures of processing efficiency, storage capacity, rehearsal speed, and basic speed of processing were assessed to determine their contribution to age-related variance in complex span. Results showed that developmental improvements in complex span were driven by 2 age-related but separable factors: 1 associated with general speed of processing and 1 associated with storage ability. In addition, there was an age-related contribution shared between working memory, processing speed, and storage ability that was important for higher level cognition. These results pose a challenge for models of complex span performance that emphasize the importance of processing speed alone.

WHICH MOTOR ABILITIES HAVE THE HIGHEST IMPACT ON WORKING PERFORMANCE OF SLOVENIAN SOLDIERS?

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Maja Pori

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of the research was to find a correlation between motor abilities and working efficiency of soldiers in a battle unit of Slovenia Armed Forces (SAF. The subject consisted of 115 soldiers (age = 27,1 ± 3,7 years who were serving in the first brigade of the SAF. Motor abilities were measured with 11 motor tests, assessing the level of flexibility, speed, strength and coordination. To evaluate working efficiency of soldiers a special questionnaire was used, which consisted of 19 statements. Superior officer was asked to fill a questionnaire for each inferior soldier with values from 1 to 5. The correlation between motor abilities and working efficiency was assessed with the Pearson’s correlation coefficient. We have found 5 statistically significant correlations. Motor tests correlating most with working performance were tests of arm strength.

Achieving palliative care research efficiency through defining and benchmarking performance metrics.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodato, Jordan E; Aziz, Noreen; Bennett, Rachael E; Abernethy, Amy P; Kutner, Jean S

2012-12-01

Research efficiency is gaining increasing attention in the research enterprise, including palliative care research. The importance of generating meaningful findings and translating these scientific advances to improved patient care creates urgency in the field to address well documented system inefficiencies. The Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group (PCRC) provides useful examples for ensuring research efficiency in palliative care. Literature on maximizing research efficiency focuses on the importance of clearly delineated process maps, working instructions, and standard operating procedures in creating synchronicity in expectations across research sites. Examples from the PCRC support these objectives and suggest that early creation and employment of performance metrics aligned with these processes are essential to generate clear expectations and identify benchmarks. These benchmarks are critical in effective monitoring and ultimately the generation of high-quality findings that are translatable to clinical populations. Prioritization of measurable goals and tasks to ensure that activities align with programmatic aims is critical. Examples from the PCRC affirm and expand the existing literature on research efficiency, providing a palliative care focus. Operating procedures, performance metrics, prioritization, and monitoring for success should all be informed by and inform the process map to achieve maximum research efficiency.

Energy Efficiency and Performance Limiting Effects in Thermo-Osmotic Energy Conversion from Low-Grade Heat.

Science.gov (United States)

Straub, Anthony P; Elimelech, Menachem

2017-11-07

Low-grade heat energy from sources below 100 °C is available in massive quantities around the world, but cannot be converted to electricity effectively using existing technologies due to variability in the heat output and the small temperature difference between the source and environment. The recently developed thermo-osmotic energy conversion (TOEC) process has the potential to harvest energy from low-grade heat sources by using a temperature difference to create a pressurized liquid flux across a membrane, which can be converted to mechanical work via a turbine. In this study, we perform the first analysis of energy efficiency and the expected performance of the TOEC technology, focusing on systems utilizing hydrophobic porous vapor-gap membranes and water as a working fluid. We begin by developing a framework to analyze realistic mass and heat transport in the process, probing the impact of various membrane parameters and system operating conditions. Our analysis reveals that an optimized system can achieve heat-to-electricity energy conversion efficiencies up to 4.1% (34% of the Carnot efficiency) with hot and cold working temperatures of 60 and 20 °C, respectively, and an operating pressure of 5 MPa (50 bar). Lower energy efficiencies, however, will occur in systems operating with high power densities (>5 W/m 2 ) and with finite-sized heat exchangers. We identify that the most important membrane properties for achieving high performance are an asymmetric pore structure, high pressure resistance, a high porosity, and a thickness of 30 to 100 μm. We also quantify the benefits in performance from utilizing deaerated water streams, strong hydrodynamic mixing in the membrane module, and high heat exchanger efficiencies. Overall, our study demonstrates the promise of full-scale TOEC systems to extract energy from low-grade heat and identifies key factors for performance optimization moving forward.

Characteristics of shift work and their impact on employee performance and wellbeing: a literature review

OpenAIRE

Dall'ora, Chiara; Griffiths, P.; Ball, J.; Recio Saucedo, A.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Shift work is recognised as a component of work organisation that may affect the balance between employee’s efficiency, effectiveness and wellbeing. Shift work is frequent in healthcare and for nurses in particular, as they typically comprise a large proportion of the workforce in healthcare AIM: To identify the characteristics of shift work that have an effect on employee’s performance (including job performance, productivity, safety, quality of care delivered, errors, adverse ev...

Visual Working Memory Capacity Can Be Increased by Training on Distractor Filtering Efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Cui-Hong; He, Xu; Wang, Yu-Juan; Hu, Zhe; Guo, Chun-Yan

2017-01-01

It is generally considered that working memory (WM) capacity is limited and that WM capacity affects cognitive processes. Distractor filtering efficiency has been suggested to be an important factor in determining the visual working memory (VWM) capacity of individuals. In the present study, we investigated whether training in visual filtering efficiency (FE) could improve VWM capacity, as measured by performance on the change detection task (CDT) and changes of contralateral delay activity (CDA) (contralateral delay activity) of different conditions, and evaluated the transfer effect of visual FE training on verbal WM and fluid intelligence, as indexed by performance on the verbal WM span task and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) test, respectively. Participants were divided into high- and low-capacity groups based on their performance in a CDT designed to test VWM capacity, and then the low-capacity individuals received 20 days of FE training. The training significantly improved the group's performance in the CDT, and their CDA models of different conditions became more similar with high capacity group, and the effect generalized to improve verbal WM span. These gains were maintained at a 3-month follow-up test. Participants' RSPM scores were not changed by the training. These findings support the notion that WM capacity is determined, at least in part, by distractor FE and can be enhanced through training.

The effects of working memory training on functional brain network efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, Nicolas; von Bastian, Claudia C; Wirz, Helen; Oberauer, Klaus; Jäncke, Lutz

2013-10-01

The human brain is a highly interconnected network. Recent studies have shown that the functional and anatomical features of this network are organized in an efficient small-world manner that confers high efficiency of information processing at relatively low connection cost. However, it has been unclear how the architecture of functional brain networks is related to performance in working memory (WM) tasks and if these networks can be modified by WM training. Therefore, we conducted a double-blind training study enrolling 66 young adults. Half of the subjects practiced three WM tasks and were compared to an active control group practicing three tasks with low WM demand. High-density resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded before and after training to analyze graph-theoretical functional network characteristics at an intracortical level. WM performance was uniquely correlated with power in the theta frequency, and theta power was increased by WM training. Moreover, the better a person's WM performance, the more their network exhibited small-world topology. WM training shifted network characteristics in the direction of high performers, showing increased small-worldness within a distributed fronto-parietal network. Taken together, this is the first longitudinal study that provides evidence for the plasticity of the functional brain network underlying WM. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimum performance analysis of an irreversible Diesel heat engine affected by variable heat capacities of working fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Yingru; Chen, Jincan

2007-01-01

An irreversible cycle model of the Diesel heat engine is established in which the temperature dependent heat capacities of the working fluid, the irreversibilities resulting from non-isentropic compression and expansion processes and heat leak losses through the cylinder wall are taken into account. The adiabatic equation of ideal gases with temperature dependent heat capacity is strictly deduced without using the additional approximation condition in the relevant literature and is used to analyze the performance of the Diesel heat engine. Expressions for the work output and efficiency of the cycle are derived by introducing the pressure ratio and the compression and expansion efficiencies. The performance characteristic curves of the Diesel heat engine are presented for a set of given parameters. The optimum criteria of some important parameters such as the work output, efficiency, pressure ratio and temperatures of the working fluid are obtained. Moreover, the influence of the compression and expansion efficiencies, variable heat capacities, heat leak and other parameters on the performance of the cycle is discussed in detail. The results obtained may provide a theoretical basis for both optimal design and operation of real Diesel heat engines

Efficiency of working memory: Theoretical concept and practical application

OpenAIRE

Lalović Dejan

2008-01-01

Efficiency of working memory is the concept which connects psychology of memory with different fields of cognitive, differential and applied psychology. In this paper, the history of interest for the assessment of the capacity of short-term memory is presented in brief, as well as the different methods used nowadays to assess the individual differences in the efficiency of working memory. What follows is the consideration of studies that indicate the existence of significant links between the...

EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF WORKING CAPITAL: A STUDY OF HEATHCARE SECTOR IN INDIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harsh, Vineet, KAUR

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Efficient management of working capital means management of various components of working capital in such a way that an adequate amount of working capital is maintained for smooth running of a firm and for fulfilment of twin objectives of liquidity and profitability. Also it is the most crucial factor for survival and solvency of a concern. The present paper attempts to measure the efficiency of working capital of firms in Healthcare Sector in India. The study reveals that most of the firms of this sector have efficiently managed their current assets for the purpose of generation of sales. Further more efficient management of working capital has a positive effect on Income to Average total assets.

Performance analysis a of solar driven organic Rankine cycle using multi-component working fluids

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Baldasso, E.; Andreasen, J. G.; Modi, A.

2015-01-01

suitable control strategy and both the overall annual production and the average solar to electrical efficiency are estimated with an annual simulation. The results suggest that the introduction of binary working fluids enables to increase the solar system performance both in design and part-load operation....... cycle. The purpose of this paper is to optimize a low temperature organic Rankine cycle tailored for solar applications. The objective of the optimization is the maximization of the solar to electrical efficiency and the optimization parameters are the working fluid and the turbine inlet temperature...... and pressure. Both pure fluids and binary mixtures are considered as possible working fluids and thus one of the primary aims of the study is to evaluate whether the use of multi-component working fluids might lead to increased solar to electrical efficiencies. The considered configuration includes a solar...

Efficiency performance of China's health care delivery system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Luyu; Cheng, Gang; Song, Suhang; Yuan, Beibei; Zhu, Weiming; He, Li; Ma, Xiaochen; Meng, Qingyue

2017-07-01

Improving efficiency performance of the health care delivery system has been on the agenda for the health system reform that China initiated in 2009. This study examines the changes in efficiency performance and determinants of efficiency after the reform to provide evidence to assess the progress of the reform from the perspective of efficiency. Descriptive analysis, Data Envelopment Analysis, the Malmquist Index, and multilevel regressions are used with data from multiple sources, including the World Bank, the China Health Statistical Yearbook, and routine reports. The results indicate that over the last decade, health outcomes compared with health investment were relatively higher in China than in most other countries worldwide, and the trend was stable. The overall efficiency and total factor productivity increased after the reform, indicating that the reform was likely to have had a positive impact on the efficiency performance of the health care delivery system. However, the health care delivery structure showed low system efficiency, mainly attributed to the weakened primary health care system. Strengthening the primary health care system is central to enhancing the future performance of China's health care delivery system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Developing concepts for improved efficiency of robot work preparation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Essers, M.S.; Vaneker, Thomas H.J.

2013-01-01

SInBot[1] is a large research project that focuses on maximizing the efficient use of mobile industrial robots during medium sized production runs. The system that will be described in this paper will focusses on the development and validation of concepts for efficient work preparation for cells of

Efficiency at rest: magnetoencephalographic resting-state connectivity and individual differences in verbal working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

del Río, David; Cuesta, Pablo; Bajo, Ricardo; García-Pacios, Javier; López-Higes, Ramón; del-Pozo, Francisco; Maestú, Fernando

2012-11-01

Inter-individual differences in cognitive performance are based on an efficient use of task-related brain resources. However, little is known yet on how these differences might be reflected on resting-state brain networks. Here we used Magnetoencephalography resting-state recordings to assess the relationship between a behavioral measurement of verbal working memory and functional connectivity as measured through Mutual Information. We studied theta (4-8 Hz), low alpha (8-10 Hz), high alpha (10-13 Hz), low beta (13-18 Hz) and high beta (18-30 Hz) frequency bands. A higher verbal working memory capacity was associated with a lower mutual information in the low alpha band, prominently among right-anterior and left-lateral sensors. The results suggest that an efficient brain organization in the domain of verbal working memory might be related to a lower resting-state functional connectivity across large-scale brain networks possibly involving right prefrontal and left perisylvian areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Relationship between P3 Amplitude and Working Memory Performance Differs in Young and Older Adults

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Saliasi, Emi; Geerligs, Linda; Lorist, Monicque M.; Maurits, Natasha M.

2013-01-01

While some elderly show deteriorations in cognitive performance, others achieve performance levels comparable to young adults. To examine whether age-related changes in brain activity varied with working memory performance efficiency, we recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from young and older

Performance analysis and binary working fluid selection of combined flash-binary geothermal cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zeyghami, Mehdi

2015-01-01

Performance of the combined flash-binary geothermal power cycle for geofluid temperatures between 150 and 250 °C is studied. A thermodynamic model is developed, and the suitable binary working fluids for different geofluid temperatures are identified from a list of thirty working fluid candidates, consisting environmental friendly refrigerants and hydrocarbons. The overall system exergy destruction and Vapor Expansion Ratio across the binary cycle turbine are selected as key performance indicators. The results show that for low-temperature heat sources using refrigerants as binary working fluids result in higher overall cycle efficiency and for medium and high-temperature resources, hydrocarbons are more suitable. For combined flash-binary cycle, secondary working fluids; R-152a, Butane and Cis-butane show the best performances at geofluid temperatures 150, 200 and 250 °C respectively. The overall second law efficiency is calculated as high as 0.48, 0.55 and 0.58 for geofluid temperatures equal 150, 200 and 250 °C respectively. The flash separator pressure found to has important effects on cycle operation and performance. Separator pressure dictates the work production share of steam and binary parts of the system. And there is an optimal separator pressure at which overall exergy destruction of the cycle achieves its minimum value. - Highlights: • Performance of the combined flash-binary geothermal cycle is investigated. • Thirty different fluids are screened to find the most suitable ORC working fluid. • Optimum cycle operation conditions presented for geofluids between 150 °C and 250 °C. • Refrigerants are more suitable for the ORC at geothermal sources temperature ≤200 °C. • Hydrocarbons are more suitable for the ORC at geothermal sources temperature >200 °C

Teacher performance and work environment in the instructional process in vocational school

Science.gov (United States)

Kuncoro, Tri; Dardiri, Ahmad

2017-09-01

Teachers should have pedagogical, personality, social, and professional competency. stated that performance appraisal has several benefits, namely for the implementation of reward and punishment system, provision of feedback for teachers to develop their competencies, identification of training needs, and diagnosis of problems. According to performance is one's work result or success rate as a whole over a certain period of time in performing tasks compared to various possibilities, such as work standards, targets or criteria which have been predetermined and agreed. One's performance is based on daily tasks and responsibilities assigned to him/her. The racial differences in personality are largely due to different environmental influences, where people of different races have progressed for generations. Vocational high school teachers have a low pedagogic and professional performance. The factors that influence performance, according to the partner-lawyer model proposed, are expectations about rewards, encouragements, abilities, needs and traits, perceptions of tasks, internal and external rewards, perceptions of reward levels and job satisfaction. This study used a survey method to collect data or information about a large population using relatively small samples. The population of this research was vocational high school teachers. Data analysis techniques used the Regression Analysis with the assistance of SPSS. The results of teacher performance are as follows: 1) the pedagogic performance was relatively good; 2) professional performance was relatively good, and the overall performance of vocational high school teachers was still less effective and efficient; 3) the teachers' work environment was 42.5234%; and 4) there was no correlation between work environment and teacher performance, meaning that the work environment (conditions of physical work environment, psychological work environment, and non-physical work environment) does not positively support the

The performance of a quantum heat engine working with spin systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Jincan; Lin Bihong; Hua Ben

2002-01-01

It is considered that the cycle of a quantum heat engine working with many non-interacting spin-1/2 systems is composed of two isothermal and two isomagnetic field processes. The performance of the cycle is investigated, based on the quantum master equation and semi-group approach. The general expressions of the efficiency and power output are given. The regenerative losses in two isomagnetic field processes are calculated. The influence of non-perfect regeneration is analysed. Some interesting cases are discussed in detail. The results obtained are further generalized, so that they may be directly used to describe the performance of the quantum heat engine using spin-J systems as the working substance. (author)

The effects of two types of sleep deprivation on visual working memory capacity and filtering efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Sean P A; Anderson, Dane E; Straus, Laura D; Vogel, Edward K; Perez, Veronica B

2012-01-01

Sleep deprivation has adverse consequences for a variety of cognitive functions. The exact effects of sleep deprivation, though, are dependent upon the cognitive process examined. Within working memory, for example, some component processes are more vulnerable to sleep deprivation than others. Additionally, the differential impacts on cognition of different types of sleep deprivation have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of one night of total sleep deprivation and 4 nights of partial sleep deprivation (4 hours in bed/night) on two components of visual working memory: capacity and filtering efficiency. Forty-four healthy young adults were randomly assigned to one of the two sleep deprivation conditions. All participants were studied: 1) in a well-rested condition (following 6 nights of 9 hours in bed/night); and 2) following sleep deprivation, in a counter-balanced order. Visual working memory testing consisted of two related tasks. The first measured visual working memory capacity and the second measured the ability to ignore distractor stimuli in a visual scene (filtering efficiency). Results showed neither type of sleep deprivation reduced visual working memory capacity. Partial sleep deprivation also generally did not change filtering efficiency. Total sleep deprivation, on the other hand, did impair performance in the filtering task. These results suggest components of visual working memory are differentially vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation, and different types of sleep deprivation impact visual working memory to different degrees. Such findings have implications for operational settings where individuals may need to perform with inadequate sleep and whose jobs involve receiving an array of visual information and discriminating the relevant from the irrelevant prior to making decisions or taking actions (e.g., baggage screeners, air traffic controllers, military personnel, health care providers).

The effects of two types of sleep deprivation on visual working memory capacity and filtering efficiency.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean P A Drummond

Full Text Available Sleep deprivation has adverse consequences for a variety of cognitive functions. The exact effects of sleep deprivation, though, are dependent upon the cognitive process examined. Within working memory, for example, some component processes are more vulnerable to sleep deprivation than others. Additionally, the differential impacts on cognition of different types of sleep deprivation have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of one night of total sleep deprivation and 4 nights of partial sleep deprivation (4 hours in bed/night on two components of visual working memory: capacity and filtering efficiency. Forty-four healthy young adults were randomly assigned to one of the two sleep deprivation conditions. All participants were studied: 1 in a well-rested condition (following 6 nights of 9 hours in bed/night; and 2 following sleep deprivation, in a counter-balanced order. Visual working memory testing consisted of two related tasks. The first measured visual working memory capacity and the second measured the ability to ignore distractor stimuli in a visual scene (filtering efficiency. Results showed neither type of sleep deprivation reduced visual working memory capacity. Partial sleep deprivation also generally did not change filtering efficiency. Total sleep deprivation, on the other hand, did impair performance in the filtering task. These results suggest components of visual working memory are differentially vulnerable to the effects of sleep deprivation, and different types of sleep deprivation impact visual working memory to different degrees. Such findings have implications for operational settings where individuals may need to perform with inadequate sleep and whose jobs involve receiving an array of visual information and discriminating the relevant from the irrelevant prior to making decisions or taking actions (e.g., baggage screeners, air traffic controllers, military personnel, health care

Working memory in children predicts performance on a gambling task.

Science.gov (United States)

Audusseau, Jean; Juhel, Jacques

2015-01-01

The authors investigated whether working memory (WM) plays a significant role in the development of decision making in children, operationalized by the Children's Gambling Task (CGT). A total of 105 children aged 6-7, 8-9, and 10-11 years old carried out the CGT. Children aged 6-7 years old were found to have a lower performance than older children, which shows that the CGT is sensitive to participant's age. The hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making was then tested following two approaches: (a) an experimental approach, comparing between groups the performance on the CGT in a control condition (the CGT only was administered) to that in a double task condition (participants had to carry out a recall task in addition to the CGT); (b) an interindividual approach, probing the relationship between CGT performance and performance on tasks measuring WM efficiency. The between-groups approach evidenced a better performance in the control group. Moreover, the interindividual approach showed that the higher the participants' WM efficiency was, the higher their performance in the CGT was. Taken together, these two approaches yield converging results that support the hypothesis that WM plays a significant role in decision making in children.

Comparing aerodynamic efficiency in birds and bats suggests better flight performance in birds.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Florian T Muijres

Full Text Available Flight is one of the energetically most costly activities in the animal kingdom, suggesting that natural selection should work to optimize flight performance. The similar size and flight speed of birds and bats may therefore suggest convergent aerodynamic performance; alternatively, flight performance could be restricted by phylogenetic constraints. We test which of these scenarios fit to two measures of aerodynamic flight efficiency in two passerine bird species and two New World leaf-nosed bat species. Using time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements of the wake of the animals flying in a wind tunnel, we derived the span efficiency, a metric for the efficiency of generating lift, and the lift-to-drag ratio, a metric for mechanical energetic flight efficiency. We show that the birds significantly outperform the bats in both metrics, which we ascribe to variation in aerodynamic function of body and wing upstroke: Bird bodies generated relatively more lift than bat bodies, resulting in a more uniform spanwise lift distribution and higher span efficiency. A likely explanation would be that the bat ears and nose leaf, associated with echolocation, disturb the flow over the body. During the upstroke, the birds retract their wings to make them aerodynamically inactive, while the membranous bat wings generate thrust and negative lift. Despite the differences in performance, the wake morphology of both birds and bats resemble the optimal wake for their respective lift-to-drag ratio regimes. This suggests that evolution has optimized performance relative to the respective conditions of birds and bats, but that maximum performance is possibly limited by phylogenetic constraints. Although ecological differences between birds and bats are subjected to many conspiring variables, the different aerodynamic flight efficiency for the bird and bat species studied here may help explain why birds typically fly faster, migrate more frequently and migrate

Comparing aerodynamic efficiency in birds and bats suggests better flight performance in birds.

Science.gov (United States)

Muijres, Florian T; Johansson, L Christoffer; Bowlin, Melissa S; Winter, York; Hedenström, Anders

2012-01-01

Flight is one of the energetically most costly activities in the animal kingdom, suggesting that natural selection should work to optimize flight performance. The similar size and flight speed of birds and bats may therefore suggest convergent aerodynamic performance; alternatively, flight performance could be restricted by phylogenetic constraints. We test which of these scenarios fit to two measures of aerodynamic flight efficiency in two passerine bird species and two New World leaf-nosed bat species. Using time-resolved particle image velocimetry measurements of the wake of the animals flying in a wind tunnel, we derived the span efficiency, a metric for the efficiency of generating lift, and the lift-to-drag ratio, a metric for mechanical energetic flight efficiency. We show that the birds significantly outperform the bats in both metrics, which we ascribe to variation in aerodynamic function of body and wing upstroke: Bird bodies generated relatively more lift than bat bodies, resulting in a more uniform spanwise lift distribution and higher span efficiency. A likely explanation would be that the bat ears and nose leaf, associated with echolocation, disturb the flow over the body. During the upstroke, the birds retract their wings to make them aerodynamically inactive, while the membranous bat wings generate thrust and negative lift. Despite the differences in performance, the wake morphology of both birds and bats resemble the optimal wake for their respective lift-to-drag ratio regimes. This suggests that evolution has optimized performance relative to the respective conditions of birds and bats, but that maximum performance is possibly limited by phylogenetic constraints. Although ecological differences between birds and bats are subjected to many conspiring variables, the different aerodynamic flight efficiency for the bird and bat species studied here may help explain why birds typically fly faster, migrate more frequently and migrate longer distances

Airports’ Operational Performance and Efficiency Evaluation Based on Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA Tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Jardim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Airport benchmarking depends on airports’ operational performance and efficiency indicators, which are important for business agents, operational managers, regulatory agencies, airlines and passengers. There are several sets of single and complex indicators to evaluate airports’ performance and efficiency as well as several techniques to benchmark such infrastructures. The general aim of this work is twofold: to balance the data envelopment analysis (DEA and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA tools and to show that airport benchmarking is also possible using a multicriteria decision analysis tool called Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique (MACBETH. Whilst DEA measures the relative performance in the presence of multiple inputs and outputs, MCDA/ MACBETH uses performance and efficiency indicators to support benchmark results, being useful for evaluating the real importance and weight of the selected indicators. The work is structured as follows: first, a state-of-the-art review concerning either airport benchmarking and performance indicators or DEA and MCDA tool techniques; second, an overview of the impacts on airports’ operational performance and efficiency of emergent operational factors (sudden meteorological/natural phenomena; third, two case studies on a set of worldwide airports and Madeira (FNC Airport; and fourth, some insights into and challenges for future research that are still under development.

Dental ergonomics: Basic steps to enhance work efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdul Rahim Shaik

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The nature of the dental profession and the postures assumed by the dental surgeons during their professional work has a huge impact on the dental surgeon′s body and carries with it a high risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs. To perform efficiently and effectively, they shall always like to attain a position that allows them to achieve optimum access, visibility, comfort, and control at all times. Good ergonomic design of the workplace is a basic requirement for facilitating the balanced musculoskeletal health that will enable longer, healthier career, enhance productivity, and minimize MSDs among dental surgeons. While treating the patients, they are concerned about patients′ comfort and pay little attention to their own health till they begin to experience discomfort in their body. With a little attention and creativity, dental surgeons can improve their comfort on the job during the course of their career.

Software and DVFS Tuning for Performance and Energy-Efficiency on Intel KNL Processors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrico Calore

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Energy consumption of processors and memories is quickly becoming a limiting factor in the deployment of large computing systems. For this reason, it is important to understand the energy performance of these processors and to study strategies allowing their use in the most efficient way. In this work, we focus on the computing and energy performance of the Knights Landing Xeon Phi, the latest Intel many-core architecture processor for HPC applications. We consider the 64-core Xeon Phi 7230 and profile its performance and energy efficiency using both its on-chip MCDRAM and the off-chip DDR4 memory as the main storage for application data. As a benchmark application, we use a lattice Boltzmann code heavily optimized for this architecture and implemented using several different arrangements of the application data in memory (data-layouts, in short. We also assess the dependence of energy consumption on data-layouts, memory configurations (DDR4 or MCDRAM and the number of threads per core. We finally consider possible trade-offs between computing performance and energy efficiency, tuning the clock frequency of the processor using the Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling (DVFS technique.

Dividing wall column: Improving thermal efficiency, energy savings and economic performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurangzeb, Md; Jana, Amiya K.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A rigorous model is developed for a dividing wall column. • Heat transfer model for metal wall is proposed. • Performance improvement is quantified for a ternary system. • Thermal efficiency, energy savings and cost are three used indices. - Abstract: This work aims at investigating the performance improvement of a dividing wall column (DWC) for the separation of a ternary system. It is true that for fractionating a ternary mixture, at least a sequence of two conventional distillation columns is required. To improve energetic and economic potential, and reduce space requirement, two columns are proposed to merge into one shell with a dividing wall. For developing the mathematical model of a distillation column, we consider the effect of heat transfer through the metal wall placed at an intermediated position inside the cylindrical column. The simulated DWC model is verified using the Aspen Plus flowsheet simulator with a wide variety of phase equilibrium models. The superiority of this proposed heat integrated configuration is shown for a ternary hydrocarbon system over a conventional distillation sequence (CDS) in terms of mainly three performance indexes, namely thermal efficiency, energy savings and total annual cost (TAC). It is investigated that the dividing wall distillation scheme can secure a 37.5% energy efficiency, and a 22.6% savings in energy consumption and 23.23% in TAC. The promising performance can also be quantified in terms of a reasonably low payback period of 2.11 years.

Work performance decrements are associated with Australian working conditions, particularly the demand to work longer hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Libby; Scuffham, Paul A; Hilton, Michael F; Vecchio, Nerina N; Whiteford, Harvey A

2010-03-01

To demonstrate the importance of including a range of working conditions in models exploring the association between health- and work-related performance. The Australian Work Outcomes Research Cost-benefit study cross-sectional screening data set was used to explore health-related absenteeism and work performance losses on a sample of approximately 78,000 working Australians, including available demographic and working condition factors. Data collected using the World Health Organization Health and Productivity Questionnaire were analyzed with negative binomial logistic regression and multinomial logistic regressions for absenteeism and work performance, respectively. Hours expected to work, annual wage, and job insecurity play a vital role in the association between health- and work-related performance for both work attendance and self-reported work performance. Australian working conditions are contributing to both absenteeism and low work performance, regardless of health status.

Analysis of remote working practice AND CALCULATION OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. S. Ermakov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to description of working from home practice at Allianz Insurance UK и Ernst & Young, UK & Ireland. It fulfilled the analysis of the best practices in the use of new forms of social and labor relations - remote work. The characteristics of using types of distance work, the policy of implementation and realization of such work in the company, the criteria for the transfer of employees to work remotely, the possibility of a flexible approach to workflow are given. The calculation of the economic efficiency of technology telecommuting at an aviation company of the Russian Federation is done. The method of calculating the cost-effectiveness based on several factors, such as costs for the organization and content of the workplace, change in labor productivity and others, was proposed by the authors. The calculation of economic efficiency by using the number of working hours, the impact on capital inputs and the impact on quit rates is considered.

Improvement of Engineering Work Efficiency through System Integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sangdae; Jo, Sunghan; Hyun, Jinwoo

2016-01-01

This paper presents the concept of developing an integrated engineering system for ER to improve efficiency and utilization of engineering system. Each process including computer system and database was introduced separately by each department at that different time. Each engineering process has a close relation with other engineering processes. The introduction of processes in a different time has caused the several problems such as lack of interrelationship between engineering processes, lack of integration fleet-wide statistical data, lack of the function of data comparison among plants and increase of access time by different access location on internet. These problems have caused inefficiency of engineering system utilization to get proper information and degraded engineering system utilization. KHNP has introduced and conducted advanced engineering processes to maintain equipment effectively in a highly reliable condition since 2000s. But engineering systems for process implementation have been developed in each department at a different time. This has caused the problems of process inefficiency and data discordance. Integrated Engineering System(IES) to integrate dispersed engineering processes will improve work efficiency and utilization of engineering system because integration system would enable engineer to get total engineering information easily and do engineering work efficiently

Improvement of Engineering Work Efficiency through System Integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sangdae; Jo, Sunghan; Hyun, Jinwoo [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

This paper presents the concept of developing an integrated engineering system for ER to improve efficiency and utilization of engineering system. Each process including computer system and database was introduced separately by each department at that different time. Each engineering process has a close relation with other engineering processes. The introduction of processes in a different time has caused the several problems such as lack of interrelationship between engineering processes, lack of integration fleet-wide statistical data, lack of the function of data comparison among plants and increase of access time by different access location on internet. These problems have caused inefficiency of engineering system utilization to get proper information and degraded engineering system utilization. KHNP has introduced and conducted advanced engineering processes to maintain equipment effectively in a highly reliable condition since 2000s. But engineering systems for process implementation have been developed in each department at a different time. This has caused the problems of process inefficiency and data discordance. Integrated Engineering System(IES) to integrate dispersed engineering processes will improve work efficiency and utilization of engineering system because integration system would enable engineer to get total engineering information easily and do engineering work efficiently.

Performance of an Atkinson cycle with heat transfer, friction and variable specific-heats of the working fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge Yanlin; Chen Lingen; Sun, Fengrui; Wu Chih

2006-01-01

The performance of an air standard Atkinson cycle with heat-transfer loss, friction-like term loss and variable specific-heats of the working fluid is analyzed using finite-time thermodynamics. The relations between the power output and the compression ratio, between the thermal efficiency and the compression ratio, as well as the optimal relation between the power output and the efficiency of the cycle are derived by detailed numerical examples. Moreover, the effects of variable specific-heats of the working fluid and the friction-like term loss on the irreversible cycle performance are analyzed. The results show that the effects of variable specific-heats of working fluid and friction-like term loss on the irreversible cycle performance should be considered in cycle analysis. The results obtained in this paper provide guidance for the design of Atkinson engines

Effect of heat on firefighters' work performance and physiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Larsen, Brianna; Snow, Rodney; Aisbett, Brad

2015-10-01

Wildland firefighters often perform their duties under both hot and mild ambient temperatures. However, the direct impact of different ambient temperatures on firefighters' work performance has not been quantified. This study compared firefighters' work performance and physiology during simulated wildland firefighting work in hot (HOT; 32°C, 43% RH) and temperate (CON; 19°C, 56% RH) conditions. Firefighters (n=38), matched and allocated to either the CON (n=18) or HOT (n=20) condition, performed simulated self-paced wildland fire suppression tasks (e.g., hose rolling/dragging, raking) in firefighting clothing for six hours, separated by dedicated rest breaks. Task repetitions were counted (and converted to distance or area). Core temperature (Tc), skin temperature (Tsk), and heart rate were recorded continuously throughout the protocol. Urine output was measured before and during the protocol, and urine specific gravity (USG) analysed, to estimate hydration. Ad libitum fluid intake was also recorded. There were no differences in overall work output between conditions for any physical task. Heart rate was higher in the HOT (55±2% HRmax) compared to the CON condition (51±2% HRmax) for the rest periods between bouts, and for the static hose hold task (69±3% HRmax versus 65±3% HRmax). Tc and Tsk were 0.3±0.1°C and 3.1±0.2°C higher in the HOT compared to the CON trial. Both pre- and within- shift fluid intake were increased two-fold in the heat, and participants in the heat recorded lower USG results than their CON counterparts. There was no difference between the CON and HOT conditions in terms of their work performance, and firefighters in both experimental groups increased their work output over the course of the simulated shift. Though significantly hotter, participants in the heat also managed to avoid excessive cardiovascular and thermal strain, likely aided by the frequent rest breaks in the protocol, and through doubling their fluid intake. Therefore

The influence of incline and speed on work rate, gross efficiency and kinematics of roller ski skating.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandbakk, Øyvind; Ettema, Gertjan; Holmberg, Hans-Christer

2012-08-01

During competitions, elite cross-country skiers produce higher external work rates on uphill than on flat terrain. However, it is not presently known whether this reflects solely higher energy expenditure. Furthermore, the kinematic factors associated with these higher rates of uphill work have not yet been examined. Therefore, in the present investigation the work rate and associated kinematic parameters at similar metabolic rates during roller ski skating on flat and uphill terrains have been compared. Seven elite male skiers performed six 5-min sub-maximal exercise bouts at the same low, moderate and high metabolic rates on 2 and 8% inclines, while roller skiing on a treadmill employing the G3 skating technique. The work rate was calculated as work against gravity and friction, whereas the energetic equivalent of VO(2) was taken as the metabolic rate. Gross efficiency was defined as work rate divided by metabolic rate. Kinematic parameters were analyzed in three dimensions. At the same metabolic rate, the work rate, cycle rate, work per cycle and relative duration of propulsive phases during a cycle of movement were all higher on the 8% than on the 2% incline at all speeds (all P < 0.05). At similar work rates, gross efficiency was greater on the 8% incline (P < 0.05). In conclusion, these elite skiers consistently demonstrated higher work rates on the 8% incline. To achieve the higher work rates on the steeper incline, these elite skiers employed higher cycle rates and performed more work per cycle, in association with a longer relative propulsive phase.

Novel and conventional working fluid mixtures for solar Rankine cycles: Performance assessment and multi-criteria selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mavrou, Paschalia; Papadopoulos, Athanasios I.; Stijepovic, Mirko Z.; Seferlis, Panos; Linke, Patrick; Voutetakis, Spyros

2015-01-01

This work investigates the performance of working fluid mixtures for use in solar ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle systems) with heat storage employing FPC (Flat Plate Collectors). Several mixtures are considered including conventional choices often utilized in ORC as well as novel mixtures previously designed using advanced computer aided molecular design methods (Papadopoulos et al., 2013). The impact of heat source variability on the ORC performance is assessed for different working fluid mixtures. Solar radiation is represented in detail through actual, hourly averaged data for an entire year. A multi-criteria mixture selection methodology unveils important trade-offs among several important system operating parameters and efficiently highlights optimum operating ranges. Such parameters include the ORC thermal efficiency, the net generated power, the volume ratio across the turbine, the mass flow rate of the ORC working fluid, the evaporator temperature glide, the temperature drop in the storage tank, the ORC total yearly operating duration, the required collector aperture area to generate 1 kW of power and the irreversibility. A mixture of neopentane – 2-fluoromethoxy-2-methylpropane at 70% neopentane is found to be the most efficient in all the considered criteria simultaneously. - Highlights: • Investigation of novel and conventional working fluid mixtures for solar ORCs. • Systematic, multi-criteria assessment methodology for mixture selection. • Simultaneous consideration of multiple important mixture performance criteria. • Effects of year-round solar variability in a solar ORC with heat storage tank

Performance analysis of different working gases for concentrated solar gas engines: Stirling & Brayton

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharaf Eldean, Mohamed A.; Rafi, Khwaja M.; Soliman, A.M.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Different working gases are used to power on Concentrated Solar Gas Engines. • Gases are used to increase the system efficiency. • Specific heat capacity is considered a vital role for the comparison. • Brayton engine resulted higher design limits. • CO 2 is favorable as a working gas more than C 2 H 2 . - Abstract: This article presents a performance study of using different working fluids (gases) to power on Concentrated Solar Gas Engine (CSGE-Stirling and/or Brayton). Different working gases such as Monatomic (five types), Diatomic (three types) and Polyatomic (four types) are used in this investigation. The survey purported to increase the solar gas engine efficiency hence; decreasing the price of the output power. The effect of using different working gases is noticed on the engine volume, dish area, total plant area, efficiency, compression and pressure ratios thence; the Total Plant Cost (TPC, $). The results reveal that the top cycle temperature effect is reflected on the cycle by increasing the total plant efficiency (2–10%) for Brayton operational case and 5–25% for Stirling operational case. Moreover; Brayton engine resulted higher design limits against the Stirling related to total plant area, m 2 and TPC, $ while generating 1–100 MW e as an economic case study plant. C 2 H 2 achieved remarkable results however, CO 2 is considered for both cycles operation putting in consideration the gas flammability and safety issues.

Visuospatial working memory in very preterm and term born children--impact of age and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mürner-Lavanchy, I; Ritter, B C; Spencer-Smith, M M; Perrig, W J; Schroth, G; Steinlin, M; Everts, R

2014-07-01

Working memory is crucial for meeting the challenges of daily life and performing academic tasks, such as reading or arithmetic. Very preterm born children are at risk of low working memory capacity. The aim of this study was to examine the visuospatial working memory network of school-aged preterm children and to determine the effect of age and performance on the neural working memory network. Working memory was assessed in 41 very preterm born children and 36 term born controls (aged 7-12 years) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropsychological assessment. While preterm children and controls showed equal working memory performance, preterm children showed less involvement of the right middle frontal gyrus, but higher fMRI activation in superior frontal regions than controls. The younger and low-performing preterm children presented an atypical working memory network whereas the older high-performing preterm children recruited a working memory network similar to the controls. Results suggest that younger and low-performing preterm children show signs of less neural efficiency in frontal brain areas. With increasing age and performance, compensational mechanisms seem to occur, so that in preterm children, the typical visuospatial working memory network is established by the age of 12 years. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Visuospatial working memory in very preterm and term born children—Impact of age and performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Mürner-Lavanchy

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Working memory is crucial for meeting the challenges of daily life and performing academic tasks, such as reading or arithmetic. Very preterm born children are at risk of low working memory capacity. The aim of this study was to examine the visuospatial working memory network of school-aged preterm children and to determine the effect of age and performance on the neural working memory network. Working memory was assessed in 41 very preterm born children and 36 term born controls (aged 7–12 years using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI and neuropsychological assessment. While preterm children and controls showed equal working memory performance, preterm children showed less involvement of the right middle frontal gyrus, but higher fMRI activation in superior frontal regions than controls. The younger and low-performing preterm children presented an atypical working memory network whereas the older high-performing preterm children recruited a working memory network similar to the controls. Results suggest that younger and low-performing preterm children show signs of less neural efficiency in frontal brain areas. With increasing age and performance, compensational mechanisms seem to occur, so that in preterm children, the typical visuospatial working memory network is established by the age of 12 years.

Measuring economy-wide energy efficiency performance: A parametric frontier approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, P.; Ang, B.W.; Zhou, D.Q.

2012-01-01

This paper proposes a parametric frontier approach to estimating economy-wide energy efficiency performance from a production efficiency point of view. It uses the Shephard energy distance function to define an energy efficiency index and adopts the stochastic frontier analysis technique to estimate the index. A case study of measuring the economy-wide energy efficiency performance of a sample of OECD countries using the proposed approach is presented. It is found that the proposed parametric frontier approach has higher discriminating power in energy efficiency performance measurement compared to its nonparametric frontier counterparts.

10 CFR 435.4 - Energy efficiency performance standard.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Energy efficiency performance standard. 435.4 Section 435.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR NEW FEDERAL LOW-RISE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS Mandatory Energy Efficiency Standards for Federal Low-Rise Residential...

Effect of condensation temperature glide on the performance of organic Rankine cycles with zeotropic mixture working fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Qiang; Duan, Yuanyuan; Yang, Zhen

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A condensation pressure determination method for ORC with zeotropic mixture is given. • The effects of condensation temperature glide on the ORC performance are analyzed. • Mixture mole fractions for the maximum power output of a geothermal ORC are identified. • The biomass ORC performance with part of the latent heat transferred in the IHE is analyzed. - Abstract: The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) has been widely used to convert low-grade ( 2 M) selected as working fluids for the cogenerative ORC driven by the biomass energy. Two optimal working fluid mole fractions maximize the cycle efficiency, exergy efficiency and net power output for cooling water temperature increases less than the maximum condensation temperature glide, while the highest net power output appears at the higher mole fraction of the more volatile component for the geothermal ORC when the condensation temperature glide of the working fluid mixture matches the cooling water temperature increase. Higher condensation temperature glides result in large thermal loss to the heat sink and exergy destruction in the condenser. There is only one optimal working fluid mole fraction that maximizes the thermal efficiency, exergy efficiency and net power output when the cooling water temperature increase is greater than the condensation temperature glide

Performative Work in Tourism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bærenholdt, Jørgen Ole; Jensen, Hanne Louise

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of performative work that aims to create experiences for visiting tourists. It reports on qualitative research conducted among frontline employees working in three tourist attractions on the island of Lolland in Denmark, namely Lalandia...

Research of real-time performance based on VxWorks embedded system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Daming; Li Haiming

2011-01-01

In the research of mechanism and heating efficiency of Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) heating, data acquisition system with high real-time performance needed. By the means of system logic analyzer, SPY and other relevant software on VxWorks embedded operating system for real-time testing gives real-time data of the system. Real-time level to achieve balances used time and processor idle time, real-time data acquisition, and minimize the interference of external to the system, ensure the system work in its own set of scheduling trajectory. Interrupt switching time and task context switching time meet the system requirements. (authors)

10 CFR 433.4 - Energy efficiency performance standard.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Energy efficiency performance standard. 433.4 Section 433.4 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR THE DESIGN AND... consumption level at or better than the maximum level of energy efficiency that is life-cycle cost-effective...

Human reliability and plant operating efficiency: Are 12-hour work schedules cause for concern?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, T.L.

1992-01-01

Since the introduction of 12-h shifts to the US nuclear power industry only 8 yr ago, compressed workweek schedules have proliferated among operations departments at a phenomenal rate. Many plants that continue to use 8-h shifts during normal operations routinely change to scheduled 12-h shifts during refueling or maintenance outages. The most critical issue in the use of extended work shifts is whether alertness, physical stamina, or mental performance are compromised to the point of reducing safety or efficiency of nuclear power plant operation. Laboratory and field research sponsored by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health suggests that alertness, measured by self-ratings, and mental performance, measured by computer-based performance tests, are impaired on 12-h shifts compared with 8-h shifts. In contrast to these findings, plant operating efficiency and operator performance have been rated as improved in two field studies conducted in operating nuclear power plants (Fast Flux Test Facility, Washington and Ontario Hydro, Canada). A recent Electric Power Research Institute review of nuclear industry experience with 12-h shifts also suggests an overwhelmingly positive rating of 12-h schedules from both control room operators and management

Working Capital Efficiency and Firm Profitability – Nigeria and Kenya

OpenAIRE

Lucian J. Pitt

2014-01-01

The primary purpose of this study is to understand the differences in the relationship between working capital management efficiency, working capital investment decisions and working capital finance decisions and the profitability of firms within the context of two African developing economies, Kenya and Nigeria. The study finds that there is a significant difference in the relationship between the firm’s profitability and the working capital variables which suggests different challenges for ...

Efficiency, Customers' Satisfaction and Deposit Money Banks' Performance in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Powel Maxwell Worimegbe

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aim/purpose - The study seeks to explore the technical efficiency of Nigerian banks using production approach and; to establish the relationship that exists between technical efficiency, customers' satisfaction and bank performance in the face of a volatile economy. Design/methodology/approach - Data used in achieving the research objectives were from both primary and secondary sources. The Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA and Structural Equation Model (SEM were employed in the analysis of data. 600 hundred questionnaires from 18 deposit money banks. Findings - The study reveals that technical efficiency leads to customers' satisfaction. The findings also show that customers' satisfaction affects bank performance. Further- more, efficiency influences banks' financial performance and this indicates that banks that pursue improved financial performance using a singular approach may be fundamentally misguided. Research implications/limitations - The study has important implications because it suggests that Deposit Money Banks should concentrate effort firstly on efficiency before customers' satisfaction. Bank managers should also seek better way of meeting customers need thereby increasing their customers' satisfaction and increasing bank financial performance. The study is limited in scope since it does not look at other approaches in measuring bank efficiency; further studies should consider using intermediation, user-cost, asset, modern and value-added model approaches in measuring bank efficiency. Originality/value/contribution - The study focuses solely on deposit money banks in Nigeria and empirically analyses the effect of efficiency, customers' satisfaction on financial performance of deposit money banks in Nigeria(original abstract

Reduced prefrontal efficiency for visuospatial working memory in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bédard, Anne-Claude V; Newcorn, Jeffrey H; Clerkin, Suzanne M; Krone, Beth; Fan, Jin; Halperin, Jeffrey M; Schulz, Kurt P

2014-09-01

Visuospatial working memory impairments have been implicated in the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, most ADHD research has focused on the neural correlates of nonspatial mnemonic processes. This study examined brain activation and functional connectivity for visuospatial working memory in youth with and without ADHD. Twenty-four youth with ADHD and 21 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an N-back test of working memory for spatial position. Block-design analyses contrasted activation and functional connectivity separately for high (2-back) and low (1-back) working memory load conditions versus the control condition (0-back). The effect of working memory load was modeled with linear contrasts. The 2 groups performed comparably on the task and demonstrated similar patterns of frontoparietal activation, with no differences in linear gains in activation as working memory load increased. However, youth with ADHD showed greater activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), greater functional connectivity between the left DLPFC and left intraparietal sulcus, and reduced left DLPFC connectivity with left midcingulate cortex and PCC for the high load contrast compared to controls (p 100 voxels). Reanalysis using a more conservative statistical approach (p 100 voxels) yielded group differences in PCC activation and DLPFC-midcingulate connectivity. Youth with ADHD show decreased efficiency of DLPFC for high-load visuospatial working memory and greater reliance on posterior spatial attention circuits to store and update spatial position than healthy control youth. Findings should be replicated in larger samples. Copyright © 2014 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High performance work practices, innovation and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Frances; Newton, Cameron; Johnston, Kim

2013-01-01

Research spanning nearly 20 years has provided considerable empirical evidence for relationships between High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) and various measures of performance including increased productivity, improved customer service, and reduced turnover. What stands out from......, and Africa to examine these various questions relating to the HPWP-innovation-performance relationship. Each paper discusses a practice that has been identified in HPWP literature and potential variables that can facilitate or hinder the effects of these practices of innovation- and performance...

Comparative performance analysis of low-temperature Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) using pure and zeotropic working fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aghahosseini, S.; Dincer, I.

2013-01-01

In this paper, a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of the low-grade heat source Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is conducted and the cycle performance is analyzed and compared for different pure and zeotropic-mixture working fluids. The comparative performance evaluation of the cycle using a combined energy and exergy analysis is carried out by sensitivity assessment of the cycle certain operating parameters such as efficiency, flow rate, irreversibility, and heat input requirement at various temperatures and pressures. The environmental characteristics of the working fluids such as toxicity, flammability, ODP and GWP are studied and the cycle CO 2 emission is compared with different fuel combustion systems. R123, R245fa, R600a, R134a, R407c, and R404a are considered as the potential working fluids. Results from this analysis provide valuable insight into selection of the most suitable working fluids for power generating application at different operating conditions with a minimal environmental impact. -- Highlights: ► Combined energy and exergy analysis is conducted for Organic Rankine Cycle. ► Comparative assessment is performed for different pure and zeotropic working fluids. ► Exergy and energy efficiency, cycle irreversibility, and required external heat are analyzed. ► Toxicity, flammability, ODP and GWP of considered working fluids are studied. ► Environmental benefits of the renewable/waste heat-based ORC are investigated

Goal orientation and work role performance: predicting adaptive and proactive work role performance through self-leadership strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Marques-Quinteiro, Pedro; Curral, Luís Alberto

2012-01-01

This article explores the relationship between goal orientation, self-leadership dimensions, and adaptive and proactive work role performances. The authors hypothesize that learning orientation, in contrast to performance orientation, positively predicts proactive and adaptive work role performances and that this relationship is mediated by self-leadership behavior-focused strategies. It is posited that self-leadership natural reward strategies and thought pattern strategies are expected to moderate this relationship. Workers (N = 108) from a software company participated in this study. As expected, learning orientation did predict adaptive and proactive work role performance. Moreover, in the relationship between learning orientation and proactive work role performance through self-leadership behavior-focused strategies, a moderated mediation effect was found for self-leadership natural reward and thought pattern strategies. In the end, the authors discuss the results and implications are discussed and future research directions are proposed.

Self-reported work ability and work performance in workers with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain.

Science.gov (United States)

de Vries, Haitze J; Reneman, Michiel F; Groothoff, Johan W; Geertzen, Jan H B; Brouwer, Sandra

2013-03-01

To assess self-reported work ability and work performance of workers who stay at work despite chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and to explore which variables were associated with these outcomes. In a cross-sectional study we assessed work ability (Work Ability Index, single item scale 0-10) and work performance (Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, scale 0-10) among 119 workers who continued work while having CMP. Scores of work ability and work performance were categorized into excellent (10), good (9), moderate (8) and poor (0-7). Hierarchical multiple regression and logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the relation of socio-demographic, pain-related, personal- and work-related variables with work ability and work performance. Mean work ability and work performance were 7.1 and 7.7 (poor to moderate). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that higher work ability scores were associated with lower age, better general health perception, and higher pain self-efficacy beliefs (R(2) = 42 %). Higher work performance was associated with lower age, higher pain self-efficacy beliefs, lower physical work demand category and part-time work (R(2) = 37 %). Logistic regression analysis revealed that work ability ≥8 was significantly explained by age (OR = 0.90), general health perception (OR = 1.04) and pain self-efficacy (OR = 1.15). Work performance ≥8 was explained by pain self-efficacy (OR = 1.11). Many workers with CMP who stay at work report poor to moderate work ability and work performance. Our findings suggest that a subgroup of workers with CMP can stay at work with high work ability and performance, especially when they have high beliefs of pain self-efficacy. Our results further show that not the pain itself, but personal and work-related factors relate to work ability and work performance.

Question structure impacts efficiency and performance in an interactive guessing game: implications for strategy engagement and executive functioning.

Science.gov (United States)

Longenecker, Julia; Liu, Kristy; Chen, Eric Y H

2012-12-30

In an interactive guessing game, controls had higher performance and efficiency than patients with schizophrenia in correct trials. Patients' difficulties generating efficient questions suggest an increased taxation of working memory and an inability to engage an appropriate strategy, leading to impulsive behavior and reduced success. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing concepts for improved efficiency of robot work preparation

OpenAIRE

Essers, M.S.; Vaneker, Thomas H.J.

2013-01-01

SInBot[1] is a large research project that focuses on maximizing the efficient use of mobile industrial robots during medium sized production runs. The system that will be described in this paper will focusses on the development and validation of concepts for efficient work preparation for cells of intelligent mobile robots that execute medium sized production runs. For a wide range of products, the machining tasks will be defined on an appropriate level, enabling control over the robots beha...

Performance optimization of low-temperature power generation by supercritical ORCs (organic Rankine cycles) using low GWP (global warming potential) working fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le, Van Long; Feidt, Michel; Kheiri, Abdelhamid; Pelloux-Prayer, Sandrine

2014-01-01

This paper presents the system efficiency optimization scenarios of basic and regenerative supercritical ORCs (organic Rankine cycles) using low-GWP (global warming potential) organic compounds as working fluid. A more common refrigerant, i.e. R134a, was also employed to make the comparison. A 150-°C, 5-bar-pressurized hot water is used to simulate the heat source medium. Power optimization was equally performed for the basic configuration of supercritical ORC. Thermodynamic performance comparison of supercritical ORCs using different working fluids was achieved by ranking method and exergy analysis method. The highest optimal efficiency of the system (η sys ) is always obtained with R152a in both basic (11.6%) and regenerative (13.1%) configurations. The highest value of optimum electrical power output (4.1 kW) is found with R1234ze. By using ranking method and considering low-GWP criterion, the best working fluids for system efficiency optimization of basic and regenerative cycles are R32 and R152a, respectively. The best working fluid for net electrical power optimization of basic cycle is R1234ze. Although CO 2 has many desirable environmental and safety properties (e.g. zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential), ultra low-GWP, non toxicity, non flammability, etc.), the worst thermodynamic performance is always found with the cycle using this compound as working fluid. - Highlights: • Performance optimizations were carried out for the supercritical ORCs using low-GWP working fluids. • Heat regeneration was used to improve the system efficiency of the supercritical ORC. • Thermodynamic performances of supercritical ORCs at the optima were evaluated by ranking method and exergy analysis

Development of an Individual Work Performance Questionnaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; van Buuren, S.; van der Beek, A.J.; de Vet, H.C.W.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the current study is to develop a generic and short questionnaire to measure work performance at the individual level – the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ). The IWPQ was based on a four-dimensional conceptual framework, in which individual work performance consisted

Real-time monitoring energy efficiency and performance degradation of condensing boilers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baldi, Simone; Quang, Thuan Le; Holub, Ondrej; Endel, Petr

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Fully-fledged set of fault detection and diagnosis tools for condensing boilers. • Detection of boiler performance degradation in condensing and noncondensing mode. • Virtual sensing for estimation of water mass flow rate. • Optimal Kalman detection of actuator and sensor faults. • Structural properties for detection and isolation of faults. - Abstract: Condensing boilers achieve higher efficiency than traditional boilers by using waste heat in flue gases to preheat cold return water entering the boiler. Water vapor produced during combustion is condensed into liquid form, thus recovering its latent heat of vaporization, leading to around 10–12% increased efficiency. Many countries have encouraged the use of condensing boilers with financial incentives. It is thus important to develop software tools to assess the correct functioning of the boiler and eventually detect problems. Current monitoring tools are based on boiler static maps and on large sets of historical data, and are unable to assess timely loss of performance due to degradation of the efficiency curve or water leakages. This work develops a set of fault detection and diagnosis tools for dynamic energy efficiency monitoring and assessment in condensing boilers, i.e. performance degradation and faults can be detected using real-time measurements: this real-time feature is particularly relevant because of the limited amount of data that can be stored by state-of-the-art building energy management systems. The monitoring tools are organized as follows: a bimodal parameter estimator to detect deviations of the efficiency of the boiler from nominal values in both condensing and noncondensing mode; a virtual sensor for the estimation of the water mass flow rate; filters to detect actuator and sensor faults, possibly due to control and sensing problems. Most importantly, structural properties for detection and isolation of actuators and sensing faults are given: these properties are

The impact of a mental work on food preferences, eating behavior traits and satiety efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Salama, Miram; Drapeau, Vicky; Tremblay, Angelo; Pérusse-Lachance, Émilie

2016-02-01

Sedentary lifestyles, which are partly due to the type of labor being performed, have contributed to the increased prevalence of obesity. In general, labor in a modern context solicits mental work, which has been shown to promote overeating and altered satiety efficiency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of knowledge-based work on food preferences, eating behaviors traits and appetite sensations. The relationship between these effects and the morphological profile was also assessed. A cross-over experimental design was used in this study for which 35 healthy adults (22 men and 13 women (mean age: 24±3years)), were recruited. The participants were randomly assigned the one of the two following conditions: mental work (reading a document and writing a summary of 350 words with the use of a computer) or control (rest in seated position). Each condition lasted 45min, and was followed by a standardized ad libitum buffet-type meal. Measurements included anthropometric variables, ad libitum food intake, appetite sensations before and after each condition, and satiety quotient, a marker of satiety efficiency in response to the meal. Eating behavior traits were also evaluated using the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ). Eating behaviors (restriction, disinhibition) were not associated with the energy intake in both conditions and in both genders. Women appeared to have a higher energy intake after the mental work condition (pwork. These results suggest that increased energy intake in response to knowledge-based work is associated with food preference and an altered satiety efficiency in women and individuals with higher waist circumference. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of heat transfer, friction and variable specific heats of working fluid on performance of an irreversible dual cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Lingen; Ge Yanlin; Sun Fengrui; Wu Chih

2006-01-01

The thermodynamic performance of an air standard dual cycle with heat transfer loss, friction like term loss and variable specific heats of working fluid is analyzed. The relations between the power output and the compression ratio, between the thermal efficiency and the compression ratio, as well as the optimal relation between power output and the efficiency of the cycle, are derived by detailed numerical examples. Moreover, the effects of variable specific heats of the working fluid and the friction like term loss on the irreversible cycle performance are analyzed. The results show that the effects of variable specific heats of working fluid and friction like term loss on the cycle performance are obvious, and they should be considered in practical cycle analysis. The results obtained in this paper may provide guidance for the design of practical internal combustion engines

Work zone performance measures pilot test.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-01

Currently, a well-defined and validated set of metrics to use in monitoring work zone performance do not : exist. This pilot test was conducted to assist state DOTs in identifying what work zone performance : measures can and should be targeted, what...

Profiles of mental health care professionals based on work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Markon, Marie-Pierre; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Chiocchio, François; Fleury, Marie-Josée

2017-12-01

The worldwide burden of mental disorders is considerable, and on the rise, putting pressure on health care systems. Current reforms aim to improve the efficiency of mental health care systems by increasing service integration in communities and strengthening primary mental health care. In this context, mental health care professionals (MHPs) are increasingly required to work on interdisciplinary teams in a variety of settings. Little is known, however, about the profiles of MHPs in relation to their perceived work role performance. MHPs in Quebec (N = 315) from four local service networks completed a self-administered questionnaire eliciting information on individual and team characteristics, as well as team processes and states. Profiles of MHPs were created using a two-step cluster analysis. Five profiles were generated. MHPs belonging to profiles labelled senior medical outpatient specialized care MHPs and senior psychosocial outpatient specialized care MHPs perceived themselves as more performing than MHPs in other profiles. The profile labelled low-collaborators was significantly less performing than all other groups. Two other profiles were identified, positioned between the aforementioned groups in terms of the perceived performance of MHPs: the junior primary care MHPs and the diversified specialized care MHPs. Seniority within the team, delivering specialized type of care, and positive team processes were all features associated with profiles where perceived work performance was high. Overall, this study supports the case for initiatives aimed at improving stability and interdisciplinary collaboration in health teams, especially in primary care.

Steam injection for heavy oil recovery: Modeling of wellbore heat efficiency and analysis of steam injection performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Hao; Cheng, Linsong; Huang, Shijun; Li, Bokai; Shen, Fei; Fang, Wenchao; Hu, Changhao

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A comprehensive mathematical model was established to estimate wellbore heat efficiency of steam injection wells. • A simplified approach of predicting steam pressure in wellbores was proposed. • High wellhead injection rate and wellhead steam quality can improve wellbore heat efficiency. • High wellbore heat efficiency does not necessarily mean good performance of heavy oil recovery. • Using excellent insulation materials is a good way to save water and fuels. - Abstract: The aims of this work are to present a comprehensive mathematical model for estimating wellbore heat efficiency and to analyze performance of steam injection for heavy oil recovery. In this paper, we firstly introduce steam injection process briefly. Secondly, a simplified approach of predicting steam pressure in wellbores is presented and a complete expression for steam quality is derived. More importantly, both direct and indirect methods are adopted to determine the wellbore heat efficiency. Then, the mathematical model is solved using an iterative technique. After the model is validated with measured field data, we study the effects of wellhead injection rate and wellhead steam quality on steam injection performance reflected in wellbores. Next, taking cyclic steam stimulation as an example, we analyze steam injection performance reflected in reservoirs with numerical reservoir simulation method. Finally, the significant role of improving wellbore heat efficiency in saving water and fuels is discussed in detail. The results indicate that we can improve the wellbore heat efficiency by enhancing wellhead injection rate or steam quality. However, high wellbore heat efficiency does not necessarily mean satisfactory steam injection performance reflected in reservoirs or good performance of heavy oil recovery. Moreover, the paper shows that using excellent insulation materials is a good way to save water and fuels due to enhancement of wellbore heat efficiency

Is functional integration of resting state brain networks an unspecific biomarker for working memory performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Alavash, Mohsen; Doebler, Philipp; Holling, Heinz; Thiel, Christiane M; Gießing, Carsten

2015-03-01

Is there one optimal topology of functional brain networks at rest from which our cognitive performance would profit? Previous studies suggest that functional integration of resting state brain networks is an important biomarker for cognitive performance. However, it is still unknown whether higher network integration is an unspecific predictor for good cognitive performance or, alternatively, whether specific network organization during rest predicts only specific cognitive abilities. Here, we investigated the relationship between network integration at rest and cognitive performance using two tasks that measured different aspects of working memory; one task assessed visual-spatial and the other numerical working memory. Network clustering, modularity and efficiency were computed to capture network integration on different levels of network organization, and to statistically compare their correlations with the performance in each working memory test. The results revealed that each working memory aspect profits from a different resting state topology, and the tests showed significantly different correlations with each of the measures of network integration. While higher global network integration and modularity predicted significantly better performance in visual-spatial working memory, both measures showed no significant correlation with numerical working memory performance. In contrast, numerical working memory was superior in subjects with highly clustered brain networks, predominantly in the intraparietal sulcus, a core brain region of the working memory network. Our findings suggest that a specific balance between local and global functional integration of resting state brain networks facilitates special aspects of cognitive performance. In the context of working memory, while visual-spatial performance is facilitated by globally integrated functional resting state brain networks, numerical working memory profits from increased capacities for local processing

10 CFR 830.201 - Performance of work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of work. 830.201 Section 830.201 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NUCLEAR SAFETY MANAGEMENT Safety Basis Requirements § 830.201 Performance of work. A contractor must perform work in accordance with the safety basis for a hazard category 1, 2, or 3 DOE nuclear...

48 CFR 37.602 - Performance work statement.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... on the use of measurable performance standards and financial incentives in a competitive environment... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance work statement... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING SERVICE CONTRACTING Performance-Based Acquisition 37.602 Performance work statement...

Correlation between social responsibility and efficient performance in Croatian enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neda Vitezić

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of the research is to establish if there is a correlation between efficiency and socially responsible business performance in Croatian enterprises. The research is based on the hypothesis that higher corporate efficiency affects social responsibility development in enterprises and vice versa, that socially more responsible corporate performance have a positive effect on efficiency. In their research, many authors have proved the correlation between social responsibility and financial performance, reputation of the enterprise and added value. Cases from transition countries, which transferred to market economy and focused on socially responsible management and sustainability, have not been the subject of research. The social responsibility concept implies balance between economic, ecological and social goals, which means distribution of assets on several actors, so it may be predicted that more efficient enterprises will sooner accept the sustainability concept and act more responsibly. Except for theoretical social responsibility hypothesis, the initial point in the empirical section is dynamic analysis of business activities of Croatian entrepreneurs in the period between 1993 and 2010, on the basis of which a sample of enterprises was chosen, which submit transparent reports on social responsibility. The main result obtained by univariate analysis confirms that socially more responsible enterprises have better financial results, i.e. they are more efficient, and also have better reputation. The research also had limitations in relation to qualitative determination of the social responsibility impact on efficiency. The conclusion is derived that there is a causal relationship between efficiency and social responsibility, i.e. higher efficiency level enables higher allocation of resources with the purpose of socially more responsible corporate performance and vice versa; socially responsible corporate performance have an impact on

Trait anxiety and the neural efficiency of manipulation in working memory

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Basten, U.; Stelzel, C.; Fiebach, C.J.

2012-01-01

The present study investigates the effects of trait anxiety on the neural efficiency of working memory component functions (manipulation vs. maintenance) in the absence of threat-related stimuli. For the manipulation of affectively neutral verbal information held in working memory, high- and

Improvement of performance operation and cycle efficiency of Al Anbar combined power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jabbar, Mohammed Q.

2014-01-01

The present work will be focusing on available solution which can serve to increase total efficiency of Al Anbar combined cycle power plant - CCPP, and thus to improve the operation performance as much as possible in order to decrease hydrocarbon, CO2, NOx emissions to environment.The simulation and calculations were performed by program software cycle-tempo software. The results were compared with basic design of Alanbar power plant after making modernization with solar tower receiver system-STRS, which represented a heat source in preheat process for a compressor air. Key Words: CCPP, STRS, Solar potential energy, fuel consumption, hydrocarbon emission

Chronic pain, work performance and litigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Blyth, Fiona M; March, Lyn M; Nicholas, Michael K; Cousins, Michael J

2003-05-01

The overall population impact of chronic pain on work performance has been underestimated as it has often been described in terms of work-related absence, excluding more subtle effects that chronic pain may have on the ability to work effectively. Additionally, most studies have focussed on occupational and/or patient cohorts and treatment seeking, rather than sampling from the general population. We undertook a population-based random digit dialling computer-assisted telephone survey with participants randomly selected within households in order to measure the impact of chronic pain on work performance. In addition, we measured the association between pain-related disability and litigation. The study took place in Northern Sydney Health Area, a geographically defined urban area of New South Wales, Australia, and included 484 adults aged 18 or over with chronic pain. The response rate was 73.4%. Working with pain was more common (on an average 83.8 days in 6 months) than lost work days due to pain (4.5 days) among chronic pain participants in full-time or part-time employment. When both lost work days and reduced-effectiveness work days were summed, an average of 16.4 lost work day equivalents occurred in a 6-month period, approximately three times the average number of lost work days. In multiple logistic regression modelling with pain-related disability as the dependent variable, past or present pain-related litigation had the strongest association (odds ratio (OR)=3.59, P=0.001). In conclusion, chronic pain had a larger impact on work performance than has previously been recognised, related to reduced performance while working with pain. A significant proportion were able to work effectively with pain, suggesting that complete relief of pain may not be an essential therapeutic target. Litigation (principally work-related) for chronic pain was strongly associated with higher levels of pain-related disability, even after taking into account other factors

The performance of energy efficient residential building envelope systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Proskiw, G.

1996-08-01

The adequacy and durability of residential building envelope systems under actual field conditions were evaluated. A building envelope offers protection from cold, heat, moisture, wind and noise. However, they are exposed to thermal, structural, and moisture stresses and their performance can degrade over time. Envelope performance was evaluated at 20 energy efficient and four conventional, detached modern homes in Winnipeg, Canada. The three complementary measurement tools were wood moisture content (WMC) of framing members, thermographic examinations, and airtightness tests. As expected, energy efficient building envelope systems performed better than the conventional systems. No evidence of envelope degradation was found in any of the energy efficient houses. The building envelopes using polyethylene air barriers performed slightly better than those which used the airtight drywall approach, although both were considered satisfactory. WMC levels were a bit lower in the polyethylene-clad house. 1 ref., 1 tab.

Thermoelectric generator performance analysis: Influence of pin tapering on the first and second law efficiencies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilbas, B.S.; Ali, H.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Double tapering of thermoelectric elements improves first and second law efficiency. • Pin geometric feature maximizing device output work does not maximize thermal efficiency. • Pin geometric feature maximizing first law efficiency slight alters for maximum second law efficiency. • External resistance and operating temperature ratios influence design configuration of thermoelectric generator. - Abstract: Thermoelectric generators are the important candidates for clean energy conversion from the waste heat; however, their low efficiency limits the practical applications of the devices. Tailoring the geometric configuration of the device in line with the operating conditions can improve the device performance. Consequently; in the present study, the influence of the pin geometric configuration on the thermoelectric generator performance is investigated. The dimensionless tapering parameter is introduced and its effect on the first and second law efficiencies is examined for various operating conditions including the external load resistance and the temperature ratio. It is found that the first and second law efficiencies are significantly influenced by the pin geometry. The dimensionless tapering parameter (a), increasing tapering of the thermoelectric pins, within the range of 2 ⩽ a ⩽ 4 results in improved first and second law efficiencies. However, the dimensionless tapering parameter maximizing the first and second law efficiencies does not maximize the device output power. This behavior is associated with the external load resistance which has a considerable influence on the device output power such that increasing external load resistance lowers the device output power

Designing environmental performance indicators (EPIs) for eco-efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, B.

1997-01-01

Environmental performance indicators (EPI) were discussed and a method by which companies can design indicators to help measure their progress toward greater eco-efficiency was presented. EPIs are quantitative measures of environmental performance. EPIs can measure one attribute, such as effluent released to water, or they can be a complex index. EPIs track impacts on the environment and provide information for decision making. The need for more eco-efficient companies, i.e. companies that produce useful goods and services while reducing their consumption of resources and while making efforts to reduce pollution, was emphasized

Development of a performance-based industrial energy efficiency indicator for corn refining plants.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boyd, G. A.; Decision and Information Sciences; USEPA

2006-07-31

Organizations that implement strategic energy management programs have the potential to achieve sustained energy savings if the programs are carried out properly. A key opportunity for achieving energy savings that plant managers can take is to determine an appropriate level of energy performance by comparing their plant's performance with that of similar plants in the same industry. Manufacturing facilities can set energy efficiency targets by using performance-based indicators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its ENERGY STAR{reg_sign} program, has been developing plant energy performance indicators (EPIs) to encourage a variety of U.S. industries to use energy more efficiently. This report describes work with the corn refining industry to provide a plant-level indicator of energy efficiency for facilities that produce a variety of products--including corn starch, corn oil, animal feed, corn sweeteners, and ethanol--for the paper, food, beverage, and other industries in the United States. Consideration is given to the role that performance-based indicators play in motivating change; the steps needed to develop indicators, including interacting with an industry to secure adequate data for an indicator; and the actual application and use of an indicator when complete. How indicators are employed in the EPA's efforts to encourage industries to voluntarily improve their use of energy is discussed as well. The report describes the data and statistical methods used to construct the EPI for corn refining plants. Individual equations are presented, as are the instructions for using them in an associated Excel spreadsheet.

Performance-based contracting in home-care work in The Netherlands: professionalism under pressure?

Science.gov (United States)

Oomkens, Rosanne; Hoogenboom, Marcel; Knijn, Trudie

2016-07-01

Our aim was to improve the understanding of the relationships between performance-based contracting, management supportiveness and professionalism in home care. Using path analysis, this article explores the relationships between home-care workers' perceptions of management support, implementation of performance-based contracting (i.e. use of strict time registration rules and cost-efficiency measures) and autonomy and intrinsic job satisfaction. We hypothesised that: use of strict time registration rules and cost-efficiency measures relates to lower levels of autonomy and intrinsic job satisfaction (H1); there is an indirect relationship between use of strict time registration rules and use of cost-efficiency measures and intrinsic job satisfaction via autonomy (H2); higher levels of management support relate to the use of looser time registration rules and less use of cost-efficiency measures (H3); and higher levels of management support relate to higher levels of autonomy and intrinsic job satisfaction (H4). We used data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 2010 of a sample of Dutch home-care workers (N = 156, response rate = 34%). Overall, our study suggests that the consequences of performance-based contracting for professionalism are ambiguous. More specifically, using strict time registration rules is related to lower levels of autonomy, whereas using cost-efficiency measures does not seem to affect autonomy (H1). Performance-based contracting has no consequences for the level of fulfilment home-care workers find in their job, as neither of the two contracting dimensions measured was directly or indirectly related to intrinsic job satisfaction (H1, H2). The role of managers must be taken into account when studying performance-based contracting, because perceived higher management support is related to managers' less frequent use of both strict time registration rules and of cost-efficiency measures (H3). The insight we gained into the importance of

Efficiency of Pay for Performance Programs in Romanian Companies and the Mediating Role of Organizational Justice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uriesi Sebastian

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The present research examined the influences of pay for performance programs on employee performance in the Romanian context, by comparing a sample of employees in companies in which such programs are implemented to a sample of employees in organizations in which performance is not used as a criterion in deciding financial rewards. Results show that the work performances of the former, as evaluated by the direct supervisors of each employee, are significantly higher than those of the latter, and that this effect of performance pay is partly mediated by its positive effects on employee perceptions of distributive and procedural justice. Furthermore, results indicate that the individual – level financial incentive systems are more efficient in fostering work performance than the team – level performance pay programs in the Romanian employee sample, and that they also have stronger effects on the two dimensions of organizational justice.

Effects of Sleep Deprivation on the Cognitive Performance of Nurses Working in Shift.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaliyaperumal, Deepalakshmi; Elango, Yaal; Alagesan, Murali; Santhanakrishanan, Iswarya

2017-08-01

Sleep deprivation and altered circadian rhythm affects the cognitive performance of an individual. Quality of sleep is compromised in those who are frequently involved in extended working hours and shift work which is found to be more common among nurses. Cognitive impairment leads to fatigability, decline in attention and efficiency in their workplace which puts their health and patients' health at risk. To find out the prevalence of sleep deprivation and its impact on cognition among shift working nurses. Sleep deprivation among 97 female and three male healthy nurses of age 20-50 years was assessed by Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS). Cognition was assessed by Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) questionnaire. Mobile applications were used to test their vigilance, reaction time, photographic memory and numerical cognition. The above said parameters were assessed during end of day shift and 3-4 days after start of night shift. Poor sleep quality was observed among 69% of shift working nurses according to ESS scores. The cognitive performance was analysed using Wilcoxon signed rank test. The MoCA score was found to be lesser among 66% of nurses during night (25.72) than day (26.81). During the night, 32% made more mathematical errors. It was also found that, 71%, 83% and 68% of the nurses scored lesser during night in the Stroop's colour test, vigilance test and memory tests respectively. Thus, impairment in cognitive performance was statistically significant (pworking nurses. Cognitive performance was found to be impaired among shift working nurses, due to poor sleep quality and decreased alertness during wake state. Thus, shift work poses significant cognitive risks in work performance of nurses.

Efficiency bounds for nonequilibrium heat engines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mehta, Pankaj; Polkovnikov, Anatoli

2013-01-01

We analyze the efficiency of thermal engines (either quantum or classical) working with a single heat reservoir like an atmosphere. The engine first gets an energy intake, which can be done in an arbitrary nonequilibrium way e.g. combustion of fuel. Then the engine performs the work and returns to the initial state. We distinguish two general classes of engines where the working body first equilibrates within itself and then performs the work (ergodic engine) or when it performs the work before equilibrating (non-ergodic engine). We show that in both cases the second law of thermodynamics limits their efficiency. For ergodic engines we find a rigorous upper bound for the efficiency, which is strictly smaller than the equivalent Carnot efficiency. I.e. the Carnot efficiency can be never achieved in single reservoir heat engines. For non-ergodic engines the efficiency can be higher and can exceed the equilibrium Carnot bound. By extending the fundamental thermodynamic relation to nonequilibrium processes, we find a rigorous thermodynamic bound for the efficiency of both ergodic and non-ergodic engines and show that it is given by the relative entropy of the nonequilibrium and initial equilibrium distributions. These results suggest a new general strategy for designing more efficient engines. We illustrate our ideas by using simple examples. -- Highlights: ► Derived efficiency bounds for heat engines working with a single reservoir. ► Analyzed both ergodic and non-ergodic engines. ► Showed that non-ergodic engines can be more efficient. ► Extended fundamental thermodynamic relation to arbitrary nonequilibrium processes

Work domain constraints for modelling surgical performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Morineau, Thierry; Riffaud, Laurent; Morandi, Xavier; Villain, Jonathan; Jannin, Pierre

2015-10-01

Three main approaches can be identified for modelling surgical performance: a competency-based approach, a task-based approach, both largely explored in the literature, and a less known work domain-based approach. The work domain-based approach first describes the work domain properties that constrain the agent's actions and shape the performance. This paper presents a work domain-based approach for modelling performance during cervical spine surgery, based on the idea that anatomical structures delineate the surgical performance. This model was evaluated through an analysis of junior and senior surgeons' actions. Twenty-four cervical spine surgeries performed by two junior and two senior surgeons were recorded in real time by an expert surgeon. According to a work domain-based model describing an optimal progression through anatomical structures, the degree of adjustment of each surgical procedure to a statistical polynomial function was assessed. Each surgical procedure showed a significant suitability with the model and regression coefficient values around 0.9. However, the surgeries performed by senior surgeons fitted this model significantly better than those performed by junior surgeons. Analysis of the relative frequencies of actions on anatomical structures showed that some specific anatomical structures discriminate senior from junior performances. The work domain-based modelling approach can provide an overall statistical indicator of surgical performance, but in particular, it can highlight specific points of interest among anatomical structures that the surgeons dwelled on according to their level of expertise.

Effects of heat loss as percentage of fuel's energy, friction and variable specific heats of working fluid on performance of air standard Otto cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, J.-C.; Hou, S.-S.

2008-01-01

The objective of this study is to analyze the effects of heat loss characterized by a percentage of the fuel's energy, friction and variable specific heats of working fluid on the performance of an air standard Otto cycle with a restriction of maximum cycle temperature. A more realistic and precise relationship between the fuel's chemical energy and the heat leakage that is based on a pair of inequalities is derived through the resulting temperature. The variations in power output and thermal efficiency with compression ratio, and the relations between the power output and the thermal efficiency of the cycle are presented. The results show that the power output as well as the efficiency where maximum power output occurs will increase with increase of the maximum cycle temperature. The temperature dependent specific heats of the working fluid have a significant influence on the performance. The power output and the working range of the cycle increase with the increase of specific heats of the working fluid, while the efficiency decreases with the increase of specific heats of the working fluid. The friction loss has a negative effect on the performance. Therefore, the power output and efficiency of the cycle decrease with increasing friction loss. It is noteworthy that the effects of heat loss characterized by a percentage of the fuel's energy, friction and variable specific heats of the working fluid on the performance of an Otto cycle engine are significant and should be considered in practical cycle analysis. The results obtained in the present study are of importance to provide good guidance for performance evaluation and improvement of practical Otto engines

Efficiencies and coefficients of performance of heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps with friction: a universal limiting behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Bizarro, João P S; Rodrigues, Paulo

2012-11-01

For work-producing heat engines, or work-consuming refrigerators and heat pumps, the percentage decrease caused by friction in their efficiencies, or coefficients of performance (COP's), is approximately given by the ratio W(fric)/W between the work spent against friction forces and the work performed by, or delivered to, the working fluid. This universal scaling, which applies in the limit of small friction (W(fric)/W heat-engine efficiencies), allows a simple and quick estimate of the impact that friction losses can have on the FOM's of thermal engines and plants, or of the level of those losses from the observed and predicted FOM's. In the case of refrigerators and heat pumps, if W(fric)/W heat engines), the COP percentage decrease due to friction approaches asymptotically (W(fric)/W)/(1+W(fric)/W) instead of W(fric)/W. Estimates for the level of frictional losses using the Carnot (or, for heat engines and power plants only, the Curzon-Ahlborn) predictions and observed FOM's of real power plants, heat engines, refrigerators, and heat pumps show that they usually operate in domains where these behaviors are valid.

Self-reported Work Ability and Work Performance in Workers with Chronic Nonspecific Musculoskeletal Pain

OpenAIRE

de Vries, Haitze J.; Reneman, Michiel F.; Groothoff, Johan W.; Geertzen, Jan H. B.; Brouwer, Sandra

2012-01-01

Purpose To assess self-reported work ability and work performance of workers who stay at work despite chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and to explore which variables were associated with these outcomes. Methods In a cross-sectional study we assessed work ability (Work Ability Index, single item scale 0-10) and work performance (Health and Work Performance Questionnaire, scale 0-10) among 119 workers who continued work while having CMP. Scores of work ability and work performanc...

Investigation on high efficiency volume Bragg gratings performances for spectrometry in space environment

Science.gov (United States)

Loicq, Jérôme; Stockman, Y.; Georges, Marc; Gaspar Venancio, Luis M.

2017-11-01

The special properties of Volume Bragg Gratings (VBGs) make them good candidates for spectrometry applications where high spectral resolution, low level of straylight and low polarisation sensitivity are required. Therefore it is of interest to assess the maturity and suitability of VBGs as enabling technology for future ESA missions with demanding requirements for spectrometry. The VBGs suitability for space application is being investigated in the frame of a project led by CSL and funded by the European Space Agency. The goal of this work is twofold: first the theoretical advantages and drawbacks of VBGs with respect to other technologies with identical functionalities are assessed, and second the performances of VBG samples in a representative space environment are experimentally evaluated. The performances of samples of two VBGs technologies, the Photo-Thermo-Refractive (PTR) glass and the DiChromated Gelatine (DCG), are assessed and compared in the Hα, O2-B and NIR bands. The tests are performed under vacuum condition combined with temperature cycling in the range of 200 K to 300K. A dedicated test bench experiment is designed to evaluate the impact of temperature on the spectral efficiency and to determine the optical wavefront error of the diffracted beam. Furthermore the diffraction efficiency degradation under gamma irradiation is assessed. Finally the straylight, the diffraction efficiency under conical incidence and the polarisation sensitivity is evaluated.

Analysis of indicators of an efficiency estimation of work of the employee and the business model of the organization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yury G. Odegov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In conditions of increasing competition, the problems of efficiency increase of activity of the company are significantly actualized, which directly depends on efficiency of labour activity of every employee and the implemented business model of the organization. On this basis the aim of the research is to analyze existing indicators of performance evaluation of the labour activities of both the employee and the business model of the organization.The theoretical basis of the study consists of principles of the economic theory, the works of native and foreign experts in the field of job evaluation. The information base of the research consists of economic and legal literature dealing with problems of this study, the data published in periodicals, materials of Russian scientific conferences, seminars, and Internet resources.In this article I have used and found the application of scientific methods of data collection, methods of research and methods of assessing their credibility: quantitative, comparative, logical analysis and synthesis.The modern business concern about the accumulation of wealth of shareholders, giving the company stability, growth and efficiency inevitably leads to necessity of creation and development of technologies aimed at improving the productivity of employees. The paper presents a comparative analysis of different approaches to assessing the labour effectiveness.The performance of the work is the ratio of the four essential parameters that determine the measure of efficiency of persons’ activity: the quantity and quality of result of work (a service, material product or technology in relation to spend time and cost on its production. The use of employees («performance» should be in the following way that they could achieve the planned results in the workplace. The authors have noted that to develop of technologies for the measurement of productivity it is very important to use the procedures and indicators that are

Performance indices and evaluation of algorithms in building energy efficient design optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Si, Binghui; Tian, Zhichao; Jin, Xing; Zhou, Xin; Tang, Peng; Shi, Xing

2016-01-01

Building energy efficient design optimization is an emerging technique that is increasingly being used to design buildings with better overall performance and a particular emphasis on energy efficiency. To achieve building energy efficient design optimization, algorithms are vital to generate new designs and thus drive the design optimization process. Therefore, the performance of algorithms is crucial to achieving effective energy efficient design techniques. This study evaluates algorithms used for building energy efficient design optimization. A set of performance indices, namely, stability, robustness, validity, speed, coverage, and locality, is proposed to evaluate the overall performance of algorithms. A benchmark building and a design optimization problem are also developed. Hooke–Jeeves algorithm, Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm II, and Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm are evaluated by using the proposed performance indices and benchmark design problem. Results indicate that no algorithm performs best in all six areas. Therefore, when facing an energy efficient design problem, the algorithm must be carefully selected based on the nature of the problem and the performance indices that matter the most. - Highlights: • Six indices of algorithm performance in building energy optimization are developed. • For each index, its concept is defined and the calculation formulas are proposed. • A benchmark building and benchmark energy efficient design problem are proposed. • The performance of three selected algorithms are evaluated.

Design of coated standing nanowire array solar cell performing beyond the planar efficiency limits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Yang; Ye, Qinghao; Shen, Wenzhong, E-mail: wzshen@sjtu.edu.cn [Institute of Solar Energy, and Key Laboratory of Artificial Structures and Quantum Control (Ministry of Education), Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China)

2016-05-28

The single standing nanowire (SNW) solar cells have been proven to perform beyond the planar efficiency limits in both open-circuit voltage and internal quantum efficiency due to the built-in concentration and the shifting of the absorption front. However, the expandability of these nano-scale units to a macro-scale photovoltaic device remains unsolved. The main difficulty lies in the simultaneous preservation of an effective built-in concentration in each unit cell and a broadband high absorption capability of their array. Here, we have provided a detailed theoretical guideline for realizing a macro-scale solar cell that performs furthest beyond the planar limits. The key lies in a complementary design between the light-trapping of the single SNWs and that of the photonic crystal slab formed by the array. By tuning the hybrid HE modes of the SNWs through the thickness of a coaxial dielectric coating, the optimized coated SNW array can sustain an absorption rate over 97.5% for a period as large as 425 nm, which, together with the inherited carrier extraction advantage, leads to a cell efficiency increment of 30% over the planar limit. This work has demonstrated the viability of a large-size solar cell that performs beyond the planar limits.

Performance Characteristics of Hero's Turbine Using Hot Water as a Working Fluid

OpenAIRE

藤井, 照重; 太田, 淳一; 赤川, 浩爾; 中村, 登志; 浅野, 等

1990-01-01

From the view point of energy saving and the development of new energy resources,it is important to utilize geothermal resources and waste heat from factories. As one of the energy conversion expanders,there is a radial outflow reaction turbine(that is,Hero's turbine). Performance characteristics of Hero's turbine using subcooled hot water as a working fluid are clarified analytically and experimentally. It is found that:(a)there is an optimum rotational speed at which maximum turbine efficie...

29 CFR 785.41 - Work performed while traveling.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work performed while traveling. 785.41 Section 785.41 Labor... Traveltime § 785.41 Work performed while traveling. Any work which an employee is required to perform while traveling must, of course, be counted as hours worked. An employee who drives a truck, bus, automobile, boat...

Experimental evaluation of cooling efficiency of the high performance cooling device

Science.gov (United States)

Nemec, Patrik; Malcho, Milan

2016-06-01

This work deal with experimental evaluation of cooling efficiency of cooling device capable transfer high heat fluxes from electric elements to the surrounding. The work contain description of cooling device, working principle of cooling device, construction of cooling device. Experimental part describe the measuring method of device cooling efficiency evaluation. The work results are presented in graphic visualization of temperature dependence of the contact area surface between cooling device evaporator and electronic components on the loaded heat of electronic components in range from 250 to 740 W and temperature dependence of the loop thermosiphon condenser surface on the loaded heat of electronic components in range from 250 to 740 W.

Experimental evaluation of cooling efficiency of the high performance cooling device

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nemec, Patrik, E-mail: patrik.nemec@fstroj.uniza.sk; Malcho, Milan, E-mail: milan.malcho@fstroj.uniza.sk [University of Žilina, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Power Engineering, Univerzitna 1, 010 26 Žilina (Slovakia)

2016-06-30

This work deal with experimental evaluation of cooling efficiency of cooling device capable transfer high heat fluxes from electric elements to the surrounding. The work contain description of cooling device, working principle of cooling device, construction of cooling device. Experimental part describe the measuring method of device cooling efficiency evaluation. The work results are presented in graphic visualization of temperature dependence of the contact area surface between cooling device evaporator and electronic components on the loaded heat of electronic components in range from 250 to 740 W and temperature dependence of the loop thermosiphon condenser surface on the loaded heat of electronic components in range from 250 to 740 W.

Effect of School Climate, Work Stress and Work Motivation on the Performance of Teacher

OpenAIRE

Sinaulan, Ramlani Lina

2016-01-01

Performance is a form of behavior of a person or organization with achievement orientation. The study results are known (a) the school climate affect performance of teachers, b) there is influence of work stress on teacher performance, (c) work motivation effect on teacher performance, d) school climate influence on job motivation of teachers, and (e) work stress effect on work motivation of teachers. Suggestions studies (a) improving teacher performance should the top priority schools in sch...

Exploring Infiniband Hardware Virtualization in OpenNebula towards Efficient High-Performance Computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pais Pitta de Lacerda Ruivo, Tiago [IIT, Chicago; Bernabeu Altayo, Gerard [Fermilab; Garzoglio, Gabriele [Fermilab; Timm, Steven [Fermilab; Kim, Hyun-Woo [Fermilab; Noh, Seo-Young [KISTI, Daejeon; Raicu, Ioan [IIT, Chicago

2014-11-11

has been widely accepted that software virtualization has a big negative impact on high-performance computing (HPC) application performance. This work explores the potential use of Infiniband hardware virtualization in an OpenNebula cloud towards the efficient support of MPI-based workloads. We have implemented, deployed, and tested an Infiniband network on the FermiCloud private Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) cloud. To avoid software virtualization towards minimizing the virtualization overhead, we employed a technique called Single Root Input/Output Virtualization (SRIOV). Our solution spanned modifications to the Linux’s Hypervisor as well as the OpenNebula manager. We evaluated the performance of the hardware virtualization on up to 56 virtual machines connected by up to 8 DDR Infiniband network links, with micro-benchmarks (latency and bandwidth) as well as w a MPI-intensive application (the HPL Linpack benchmark).

Summary of Country Reports Submitted to the Energy Efficiency Working Party: October 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

The purpose of this summary report is to highlight energy efficiency policy action and planning in IEA member countries submited to the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP) from March to September 2011.

Summary of Country Reports Submitted to the Energy Efficiency Working Party - October 2011

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

The purpose of this summary report is to highlight energy efficiency policy action and planning in IEA member countries since the last meeting of the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP) held in March 2011. This paper provides an overview of energy efficiency developments across all sectors, but is not meant to be a comprehensive review of every energy efficiency-related policy in IEA member countries.

How phonological awareness mediates the relation between working memory and word reading efficiency in children with dyslexia.

Science.gov (United States)

Knoop-van Campen, Carolien A N; Segers, Eliane; Verhoeven, Ludo

2018-05-01

This study examined the relation between working memory, phonological awareness, and word reading efficiency in fourth-grade children with dyslexia. To test whether the relation between phonological awareness and word reading efficiency differed for children with dyslexia versus typically developing children, we assessed phonological awareness and word reading efficiency in 50 children with dyslexia (aged 9;10, 35 boys) and 613 typically developing children (aged 9;5, 279 boys). Phonological awareness was found to be associated with word reading efficiency, similar for children with dyslexia and typically developing children. To find out whether the relation between working memory and word reading efficiency in the group with dyslexia could be explained by phonological awareness, the children with dyslexia were also tested on working memory. Results of a mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of working memory on word reading efficiency via phonological awareness. Working memory predicted reading efficiency, via its relation with phonological awareness in children with dyslexia. This indicates that working memory is necessary for word reading efficiency via its impact on phonological awareness and that phonological awareness continues to be important for word reading efficiency in older children with dyslexia. © 2018 The Authors Dyslexia Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Measuring individual work performance: Identifying and selecting indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; de Vet, H.C.W.; van der Beek, A.J.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Theoretically, individual work performance (IWP) can be divided into four dimensions: task performance, contextual performance, adaptive performance, and counterproductive work behavior. However, there is no consensus on the indicators used to measure these dimensions.

Responsiveness of the individual work performance questionnaire.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Coffeng, J.K.; Bernaards, C.M.; Boot, C.R.L.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Vet, H.C.W. de; Beek, A.J. van der

2014-01-01

Background: Individual work performance is an important outcome measure in studies in the workplace. Nevertheless, its conceptualization and measurement has proven challenging. To overcome limitations of existing scales, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) was recently developed.

Responsiveness of the individual work performance questionnaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Coffeng, J.K.; Bernaards, C.M.; Boot, C.R.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Vet, H.C. de; Beek, A.J. van der

2014-01-01

Background: Individual work performance is an important outcome measure in studies in the workplace. Nevertheless, its conceptualization and measurement has proven challenging. To overcome limitations of existing scales, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) was recently developed.

Performance Analysis and Working Fluid Selection of a Supercritical Organic Rankine Cycle for Low Grade Waste Heat Recovery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yourong Li

2012-08-01

Full Text Available The performance analysis of a supercritical organic Rankine cycle system driven by exhaust heat using 18 organic working fluids is presented. Several parameters, such as the net power output, exergy efficiency, expander size parameter (SP, and heat exchanger requirement of evaporator and the condenser, were used to evaluate the performance of this recovery cycle and screen the working fluids. The results reveal that in most cases, raising the expander inlet temperature is helpful to improve the net power output and the exergy efficiency. However, the effect of the expander inlet pressure on those parameters is related to the expander inlet temperature and working fluid used. Either lower expander inlet temperature and pressure, or higher expander inlet temperature and pressure, generally makes the net power output more. Lower expander inlet temperature results in larger total heat transfer requirement and expander size. According to the screening criteria of both the higher output and the lower investment, the following working fluids for the supercritical ORC system are recommended: R152a and R143a.

Relationship between meaningful work and job performance in nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Ling

2018-04-01

The present study was designed to determine the relationship between meaningful work and job performance, and the impact of meaningful work on nursing care quality. Meaningful work has been suggested as a significant factor affecting job performance, but the relationship has never been studied in nurses in China. A descriptive correlational study was designed to assess the level of meaningful work, tasks, and contextual performance as well as their relationships. We used a stratified random-sampling approach to enrol nurses from hospitals. Multivariate regression analysis was applied to determine the relationship between meaningful work and their demographic data. There were significant, positive relationships between meaningful work and task performance and contextual performance. Education level, work unit, and employment type influenced meaningful work. The work motivation score of the nurses was lower than that of the other 2 dimensions, and a negative work motivation score negatively influenced job performance. Improving meaningful work and providing more support and assistance could improve nurse performance, thereby improving the quality of nursing care. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Measuring individual work performance: identifying and selecting indicators

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Vet, H.C de; Beek, A.J. van der

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Theoretically, individual work performance (IWP) can be divided into four dimensions: task performance, contextual performance, adaptive performance, and counterproductive work behavior. However, there is no consensus on the indicators used to measure these dimensions. OBJECTIVE: This

Energy and exergy utilization efficiencies and emission performance of Canadian transportation sector, 1990–2035

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Motasemi, F.; Afzal, Muhammad T.; Salema, Arshad Adam; Moghavvemi, M.; Shekarchian, M.; Zarifi, F.; Mohsin, R.

2014-01-01

Transportation sector of Canada is the second largest energy consuming sector which accounts for 30% of the total energy consumption of the country in 2009. The purpose of this work was to analyze the energy, exergy, and emission performance for four different modes of transport (road, air, rail, and marine) from the year 1990–2035. For historical period, the estimated overall energy efficiency ranges from 22.41% (1991) to 22.55% (2006) with a mean of 22.48 ± 0.07% and the overall exergy efficiency ranges from 21.61% (2001) to 21.87 (2006) with a mean of 21.74 ± 0.13%. Energy and exergy efficiencies may reach 20.95% and 20.97% in the year 2035 respectively based on the forecasted data. In comparison with other countries, we found that in the year 2000 the overall energy and exergy efficiencies for Canadian transportation sector were higher than Jordan, China, Norway, and Saudi Arabia but lower than Turkey and Malaysia. Between the year 1990–2009, the highest amount of emission produced in each subsector was: road CO 2 (80%), NO x (72%), and CO (carbon monoxide) (96%); air SO 2 (86%); rail NO x (6%) and marine NO x (7%). The road subsector produced the highest amount of emissions. - Highlights: • Energy, exergy and emission performance for Canadian transport was analyzed. • Maximum energy and exergy efficiencies were 22.55% and 21.87% in 2006 respectively. • Energy and exergy efficiencies may decrease in the year 2035. • CO 2 was the largest pollutant emitted followed by CO, NO x , and SO 2 . • Utilization of green fuels can improve exergy and emission performance

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN WORKING MEMORY PERFORMANCE: «OVERLOAD» EFFECT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuri G. Pavlov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to study the relationship betweenfrontal midline theta rhythm changes and individual differences in working memory performance.Methods. The methods involve behavioural testing on the basis of the program for a presentation of stimulus and registration of answers «PsyTask»; method of EEG (electroencephalography; a technique of measurement of efficiency of working memory; the comparative analysis. Software packages EEGLab for Matlab and Fieldtrip are applied while data processing.Results. After the behavioral test all subjects were separated into 2 groups according to their performance: with «highly productive» and «low productive» memory. Specially prepared author’s complete set of the tasks which complexity varied from average to ultrahigh level was offered to participants of experiment –students and employees of the Ural Federal University and Ural Legal Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Working memory tasks included sets of verbal stimuli for memorizing in strict order without any mental manipulation and sets of similar stimuli for memorizing in alphabetical order (with manipulations. Measured characteristics of theta-rhythm of EEG during information deduction in memory were compared of two groups’ representatives. The obtained data has shown rather uniform and similar dynamics of decrease in quantity of right answers in process of increasing tasks’ complexity. However, changes of a thetarhythm in different groups had sharply expressed distinctions. «Highly productive» examinees have systematic expansion of a theta-rhythm in the central assignments with stabilisation on the most difficult tasks; «low productive» – while tasks performance of average complexity, a sharp falling of theta-rhythm activity is observed after achievement of its maximum activation.Scientific novelty. The working memory «overload» effect and its EEG correlates are demonstrated on a big sample of

EFFECT OF STRESS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL OVERLOAD AT WORK ON PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MAREK ŠOLC

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The workload represents a factor which acts burdensome on human organism and, depending on its level affects well-being, or leads to disease or injury. As a result, there is a distortion in optimal working relationship in the system man – machine – environment, which may be reflected in the reduction of productivity and efficiency throughout the system. The contribution deals with the issue of the effects of stress and psychological overload at work, which affects significantly the performance of employees. The article describes the basic legislation regarding the workload in conditions of the Slovak Republic, it describes the types of loads, different causes, manifestations and consequences of load. According to theoretical knowledge about stress and loads, the questionnaire method was applied for assessment of mental workload in terms of working conditions level in the unnamed service organization.

The effect of work accidents on the efficiency of production in the coal sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaşar Kasap

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In comparison with other sectors, mining is one of the sectors with the highest rates of work accidents. Such accidents negatively affect a country’s economy by wasting domestic resources and causing losses of both labour force and working days. What distinguishes mining from other branches of industry is that its working environments change continually and the working conditions are particularly harsh. Because of the practice of labour-intensive underground production methods, which leads to an increase in risk factors in terms of work accidents, and the fact that coal is a leading resource in meeting the ever-increasing demand for energy, this study investigated how work accidents affected the efficiency of production in the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK between 1987 and 2006. Using data envelopment analysis, the overall sources of technical inefficiency in the years examined were determined. The results from this analysis revealed that the overall technical efficiency was as low as 69.7%, particularly as a result of the disaster in 1992; work accidents therefore had a negative effect on production efficiency. The greatest degree of pure technical inefficiency was found to have occurred in the period between 1992 and 2000, when the highest number of work accidents were noted, whilst the greatest degree of scale inefficiency was found to have occurred between 1987 and 1993. Because TTK has a prominent position among institutions and attaches great importance to workers’ health and safety, an increase was noted in efficiency scores after 1993.

The Influences of Quantum Coherence on the Positive Work and the Efficiency of Quantum Heat Engine with Working Substance of Two-Qubit Heisenberg XXX Model

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hu-Ping; Fang, Mao-Fa; Yu, Min; Zou, Hong-Mei

2018-03-01

We study the influences of quantum coherence on the positive work and the efficiency of quantum heat engine (QHE) based on working substance of two-qubit Heisenberg model under a constant external magnetic field. By using analytical and numerical solution, we give the relation expressions for both the positive work and the efficiency with quantum coherence, and in detail discuss the effects of the quantum coherence on the positive work and the efficiency of QHE in the absence or presence of external magnetic field, respectively.

The Influences of Quantum Coherence on the Positive Work and the Efficiency of Quantum Heat Engine with Working Substance of Two-Qubit Heisenberg XXX Model

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Hu-Ping; Fang, Mao-Fa; Yu, Min; Zou, Hong-Mei

2018-06-01

We study the influences of quantum coherence on the positive work and the efficiency of quantum heat engine (QHE) based on working substance of two-qubit Heisenberg model under a constant external magnetic field. By using analytical and numerical solution, we give the relation expressions for both the positive work and the efficiency with quantum coherence, and in detail discuss the effects of the quantum coherence on the positive work and the efficiency of QHE in the absence or presence of external magnetic field, respectively.

ADOLESCENT WORK INTENSITY, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE, AND ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT.

Science.gov (United States)

Staff, Jeremy; Schulenberg, John E; Bachman, Jerald G

2010-07-01

Teenagers working over 20 hours per week perform worse in school than youth who work less. There are two competing explanations for this association: (1) that paid work takes time and effort away from activities that promote achievement, such as completing homework, preparing for examinations, getting help from parents and teachers, and participating in extracurricular activities; and (2) that the relationship between paid work and school performance is spurious, reflecting preexisting differences between students in academic ability, motivation, and school commitment. Using longitudinal data from the ongoing national Monitoring the Future project, this research examines the impact of teenage employment on school performance and academic engagement during the 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. We address issues of spuriousness by using a two-level hierarchical model to estimate the relationships of within-individual changes in paid work to changes in school performance and other school-related measures. Unlike prior research, we also compare youth school performance and academic orientation when they are actually working in high-intensity jobs to when they are jobless and wish to work intensively. Results indicate that the mere wish for intensive work corresponds with academic difficulties in a manner similar to actual intensive work.

Effect of alternating postures on cognitive performance for healthy people performing sedentary work.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Bernhard; Kapellusch, Jay M; Schrempf, Andreas; Probst, Kathrin; Haller, Michael; Baca, Arnold

2018-06-01

Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for several diseases and the prevalence of worksite-based interventions such as sit-to-stand workstations is increasing. Although their impact on sedentary behaviour has been regularly investigated, the effect of working in alternating body postures on cognitive performance is unclear. To address this uncertainty, 45 students participated in a two-arm, randomised controlled cross-over trial under laboratory conditions. Subjects executed validated cognitive tests (working speed, reaction time, concentration performance) either in sitting or alternating working postures on two separate days (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02863731). MANOVA results showed no significant difference in cognitive performance between trials executed in alternating, standing or sitting postures. Perceived workload did not differ between sitting and alternating days. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant learning effects regarding concentration performance and working speed for both days. These results suggest that working posture did not affect cognitive performance in the short term. Practitioner Summary: Prior reports indicated health-related benefits based on alternated (sit/stand) body postures. Nevertheless, their effect on cognitive performance is unknown. This randomised controlled trial showed that working in alternating body postures did not influence reaction time, concentration performance, working speed or workload perception in the short term.

Impacts on work absence and performance: what really matters?

Science.gov (United States)

Wynne-Jones, Gwenllian; Buck, Rhiannon; Varnava, Alice; Phillips, Ceri; Main, Chris J

2009-12-01

A number of factors influence an individual's decision to take sickness absence or to remain at work while ill. The relationship between health, work characteristics, individual perceptions of work and sickness absence and performance is complex and further clarification of the interactions between these factors is necessary. To assess the relative impact of health, work characteristics and perceptions of work on absence and performance. Cross-sectional survey of two public sector organizations (n = 505). Data were analysed using multivariate linear regression to assess the individual and combined influence of each class of independent variables on the following: days sickness absence, spells of sickness absence, VAS performance and presenteeism. Characteristics of work were weakly associated with days absence and performance. Perceptions of work were more strongly associated with performance than absence. Measures of mental health, rather than physical health, had the greatest influence on ability to work. Poor health had a greater impact on work performance than work absence. When considered together, health variables accounted for the largest proportion of explained variance in both absence and performance when compared with characteristics of work and work perceptions. Using absence as a marker of health-associated compromise at work may lead to an underestimation of the impact of health on work. This study demonstrates the need to manage the impact of health problems on the workforce not only from a bio-medical perspective but also in terms of the psychological pressures and the social context in which employees work.

EFFECT OF SCHOOL CLIMATE, WORK STRESS AND WORK MOTIVATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF TEACHER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramlani Lina Sinaulan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Performance is a form of behavior of a person or organization with achievement orientation. The study results are known (a the school climate affect performance of teachers, b there is influence of work stress on teacher performance, (c work motivation effect on teacher performance, d school climate influence on job motivation of teachers, and (e work stress effect on work motivation of teachers. Suggestions studies (a improving teacher performance should the top priority schools in school management efforts. This condition given that performance of teachers are the main pillars that determine the success of the school in improving quality of students. Therefore, performance of the teacher must always be good and necessary to update the knowledge of teachers on the latest information in education as benchmarks increase teacher performance, (b job motivation of teachers needs to improved, among others, with reward and punishment impartial towards the success achieved by the teacher as well as the violations committed so that it becomes part of an effort to motivate teachers to work.

Useful work and the thermal efficiency in the ideal Lenolr cycle with regenerative preheating

Science.gov (United States)

Georgiou, Demos P.

2000-11-01

In the existing thermal engine concepts negative work transfer (usually needed to drive a compression process) is supplied by the work produced by the engine itself. The remaining difference (i.e., the net work transfer) becomes the useful work, since it is available for external consumption. The thermal efficiency is the parameter that compares this against the heat input into the system. It forms the main optimization parameter in any engine design. The objective of the present study is to show that for the case of the Lenoir cycle with regenerative preheating the entire positive work is available for external consumption, since the negative (i.e., the compression) work is supplied by the atmospheric air. Not only this, but, during the compression process and due to the pressure difference across the two sides of the moving piston, an additional (useful) work transfer may be generated. Thus, the proposed power plant may be considered as a combination of a thermal engine and a wind turbine. In the ideal cycle limit (at least), the total amount of useful work exceeds the heat entering the system. This leads to the definition of a new parameter for the efficiency (called the technical efficiency), which compares the combined positive work transfer (i.e., the useful one) against the heat entering the system and which may exceed the 100% level.

Assessing Energy Efficiency of Compression Heat Pumps in Drying Processes when Zeotropic Hydrocarbon Mixtures are Used as Working Agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shurayts Alexander

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Presents the results of studies of innovative materials in the field of renewable energy.The paper proposes a design and a formula for assessing energy efficiency of the heat pump air dryer, which uses zeotropic hydrocarbon mixtures of saturated hydrocarbons as a working agent and applies the principle of a counter-current heat exchanger with a variable temperature of both the working and the drying agents. Energy efficiency of the heat pump is achieved by means of obtaining a greater part of heat from renewable energy sources, in this case by cooling the air and condensing the water vapors in the heat pump. A conducted analysis identified correlations in establishing the marginal real coefficient of performance of the compression heat pump dryer running on zeotropic hydrocarbon mixtures and operating a cycle with variable temperatures of both the working and the drying agent in the evaporator and the condenser of the heat pump. According to the established correlations, the marginal real coefficient of performance of the compression heat pump dryers running on zeotropic hydrocarbon mixtures of 40 mol% of R600a and 60 mol% of R601 is 1.92 times higher than that of the same dryers running on only R600 (n-butane.

Efficiency maximization and performance evaluation of hybrid dual channel semitransparent photovoltaic thermal module using fuzzyfied genetic algorithm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Sonveer; Agrawal, Sanjay

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal modeling of novel dual channel semitransparent photovoltaic thermal hybrid module. • Efficiency maximization and performance evaluation of dual channel photovoltaic thermal module. • Annual performance has been evaluated for Srinagar, Jodhpur, Bangalore and New Delhi (India). • There are improvements in results for optimized system as compared to un-optimized system. - Abstract: The work has been carried out in two steps; firstly the parameters of hybrid dual channel semitransparent photovoltaic thermal module has been optimized using a fuzzyfied genetic algorithm. During the course of optimization, overall exergy efficiency is considered as an objective function and different design parameters of the proposed module have been optimized. Fuzzy controller is used to improve the performance of genetic algorithms and the approach is called as a fuzzyfied genetic algorithm. In the second step, the performance of the module has been analyzed for four cities of India such as Srinagar, Bangalore, Jodhpur and New Delhi. The performance of the module has been evaluated for daytime 08:00 AM to 05:00 PM and annually from January to December. It is to be noted that, an average improvement occurs in electrical efficiency of the optimized module, simultaneously there is also a reduction in solar cell temperature as compared to un-optimized module.

28 CFR 545.22 - Institution work and performance pay committee.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Institution work and performance pay... INSTITUTIONAL MANAGEMENT WORK AND COMPENSATION Inmate Work and Performance Pay Program § 545.22 Institution work... Institution Inmate Work and Performance Pay Committee to administer the institution's work and performance pay...

Enhancement of human performance with developing ergonomic workplace environment and providing work-life balance

OpenAIRE

Tamas Forgacs,; Henrietta Finna

2010-01-01

Ergonomy aims at creating a work place that suits the employee’s needs. A well-developed office does not only increase work efficiency but it can also significantly reduce costs. This study researches and reveals the specific personal attributes and the factors of workplace environment, which have an effect on the efficiency of the workforce. We were searching for studies, where the core work wasn’t changed -the increase in work efficiency was reached only by changing the work environment.

An organic group contribution approach to radiative efficiency estimation of organic working fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xinxin; Kobayashi, Noriyuki; He, Maogang; Wang, Jingfu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We use group contribution method to estimate radiative efficiency. • CFC, HCFC, HFC, HFE, and PFC were estimated using this method. • In most cases, the estimation value has a good precision. • The method is reliable for the estimation of molecule with a symmetric structure. • This estimation method can offer good reference for working fluid development. - Abstract: The ratification of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 mark an environment protection era of the development of organic working fluid. Ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) are two most important indices for the quantitative comparison of organic working fluid. Nowadays, more and more attention has been paid to GWP. The calculation of GWP is an extremely complicated process which involves interactions between surface and atmosphere such as atmospheric radiative transfer and atmospheric chemical reactions. GWP of a substance is related to its atmospheric abundance and is a variable in itself. However, radiative efficiency is an intermediate parameter for GWP calculation and it is a constant value used to describe inherent property of a substance. In this paper, the group contribution method was adopted to estimate the radiative efficiency of the organic substance which contains more than one carbon atom. In most cases, the estimation value and the standard value are in a good agreement. The biggest estimation error occurs in the estimation of the radiative efficiency of fluorinated ethers due to its plenty of structure groups and its complicated structure compared with hydrocarbon. This estimation method can be used to predict the radiative efficiency of newly developed organic working fluids.

Effect of working fluids on the performance of a novel direct vapor generation solar organic Rankine cycle system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Jing; Alvi, Jahan Zeb; Pei, Gang; Ji, Jie; Li, Pengcheng; Fu, Huide

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A novel, flexible direct vapor generation solar ORC is proposed. • Technical feasibility of the system is discussed. • Fluid effect on collector efficiency is explored. • The system is more efficient than solar ORC with HTF. - Abstract: A novel solar organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system with direct vapor generation (DVG) is proposed. A heat storage unit is embedded in the ORC to guarantee the stability of power generation. Compared with conventional solar ORCs, the proposed system avoids the secondary heat transfer intermediate and shows good reaction to the fluctuation of solar radiation. The technical feasibility of the system is discussed. Performance is analyzed by using 17 dry and isentropic working fluids. Fluid effects on the efficiencies of ORC, collectors and the whole system are studied. The results indicate that the collector efficiency generally decreases while the ORC and system efficiencies increase with the increment in fluid critical temperature. At evaporation temperature of 120 °C and solar radiation of 800 Wm −2 , the ORC, collector and overall thermal efficiencies of R236fa are 10.59, 56.14 and 5.08% while their values for Benzene are 12.5, 52.58 and 6.57% respectively. The difference between collector efficiencies using R236fa and Benzene gets larger at lower solar radiation. The heat collection is strongly correlated with latent and sensible heat of the working fluid. Among the fluids, R123 exhibits the highest overall performance and seems to be suitable for the proposed system in the short term.

Objective Work-Nonwork Conflict: From Incompatible Demands to Decreased Work Role Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Haun, Sascha; Steinmetz, Holger; Dormann, Christian

2011-01-01

Research on work-nonwork conflict (WNC) is based on the assumption that incompatible demands from the work and the nonwork domain hamper role performance. This assumption implies that role demands from both domains interact in predicting role performance, but research has been largely limited to main effects. In this multi-source study, we analyze…

Performance-based potential for residential energy efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Performance-based potential for residential energy efficiency

2013-01-15

Energy performance contracts (EPCs) have proven an effective mechanism for increasing energy efficiency in nearly all sectors of the economy since their introduction nearly 30 years ago. In the modern form, activities undertaken as part of an EPC are scoped and implemented by experts with specialized technical knowledge, financed by commercial lenders, and enable a facility owner to limit risk and investment of time and resources while receiving the rewards of improved energy performance. This report provides a review of the experiences of the US with EPCs and discusses the possibilities for the residential sector to utilize EPCs. Notably absent from the EPC market is the residential segment. Historically, research has shown that the residential sector varies in several key ways from markets segments where EPCs have proven successful, including: high degree of heterogeneity of energy use characteristics among and within households, comparatively small quantity of energy consumed per residence, limited access to information about energy consumption and savings potential, and market inefficiencies that constrain the value of efficiency measures. However, the combination of recent technological advances in automated metering infrastructure, flexible financing options, and the expansion of competitive wholesale electricity markets to include energy efficiency as a biddable supply-side resource present an opportunity for EPC-like efforts to successfully engage the residential sector, albeit following a different model than has been used in EPCs traditionally.(Author)

Emotion processing facilitates working memory performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindström, Björn R; Bohlin, Gunilla

2011-11-01

The effect of emotional stimulus content on working memory performance has been investigated with conflicting results, as both emotion-dependent facilitation and impairments are reported in the literature. To clarify this issue, 52 adult participants performed a modified visual 2-back task with highly arousing positive stimuli (sexual scenes), highly arousing negative stimuli (violent death) and low-arousal neutral stimuli. Emotional stimulus processing was found to facilitate task performance relative to that of neutral stimuli, both in regards to response accuracy and reaction times. No emotion-dependent differences in false-alarm rates were found. These results indicate that emotional information can have a facilitating effect on working memory maintenance and processing of information.

Recovery Processes During and After Work: Associations With Health, Work Engagement, and Job Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

de Bloom, Jessica; Kinnunen, Ulla; Korpela, Kalevi

2015-07-01

We examined energy management during work, recovery experiences after work and their connections to health, work engagement, and job performance. An online survey was completed by 1208 Finnish employees. Energy management was assessed through 13 strategies and recovery experiences through four experiences. As outcomes of recovery, we examined self-reported health, work engagement, and job performance. On average, employees applied three energy management strategies. The most beneficial strategies were work-related: shifting focus, goal setting, and helping coworkers. Both energy management and recovery experiences contributed to the outcomes. Employees benefit in terms of energy from shifting their focus to positive aspects of their jobs and demonstrating proactive social behavior at work. Recovery processes during and after work are closely connected to each other, to well-being and performance at work.

WORK CULTURE, WORK MOTIVATION AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT

OpenAIRE

Sri Rahayu Wilujeng*, Sri Wahyu Lelly Hana Setyanti , Handriyono

2018-01-01

Human resources are an organization asset that becomes an important factor in the progress of an organization. The quality of human resources itself can be seen from the performance of the employees. The purpose of this research is to examine the influence of work culture and work motivation on organizational performance with organizational commitment as mediating. This research is a review from the theory and several researches that have been done on the work culture, work motivation, organi...

Modelling the effect of perceived interdependence among mental healthcare professionals on their work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Markon, Marie-Pierre; Chiocchio, François; Fleury, Marie-Josée

2017-07-01

The purpose of mental healthcare system reform was to enhance service efficiency by strengthening primary mental healthcare and increasing service integration in communities. Reinforcing interprofessional teamwork also intended to address the extensive and multidimensional needs of patients with mental disorders by bringing together a broader array of expertise. In this context, mental healthcare professionals (MHCPs) from various health and social care professions are more interdependent in many aspects of their work (tasks, resources, and goals). We wanted to examine the effect of perceived interdependence among MHCPs on their work role performance in the context of mental healthcare. For this purpose, we developed and tested a model coherent with the Input-Mediator-Outcome-Input (IMOI) framework of team effectiveness. Data from questionnaires administered to 315 MHCPs from four local health service networks in Quebec, Canada were analysed through structural equation modelling and mediation analysis. The structural equation model provided a good fit for the data and explained 51% of the variance of work role performance. Perceived collaboration, confidence in the advantages of interprofessional collaboration, involvement in the decision process, knowledge sharing, and satisfaction with the nature of the work partially mediated the effect of perceived interdependence among team members on work role performance. Therefore, perceived interdependence among team members had a positive impact on the work role performance of MHCPs mostly through its effect on favourable team functioning features. This implies, in practice, that increased interdependence of MHCPs would be more likely to truly enhance work role performance if team-based interventions to promote collaborative work and interprofessional teaching and training programs to support work within interprofessional teams were jointly implemented. Participation in the decision process and knowledge sharing should

Potential performance improvement using a reacting gas (nitrogin tetroxide) as the working fluid in a closed Brayton cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Stochl, R. J.

1979-01-01

The results of an analysis to estimate the performance that could be obtained by using a chemically reacting gas (nitrogen tetroxide) as the working fluid in a closed Brayton cycle are presented. Compared with data for helium as the working fluid, these results indicate efficiency improvements from 4 to 90 percent, depending on turbine inlet temperature, pressures, and gas residence time in heat transfer equipment.

Quality initiatives: lean approach to improving performance and efficiency in a radiology department.

Science.gov (United States)

Kruskal, Jonathan B; Reedy, Allen; Pascal, Laurie; Rosen, Max P; Boiselle, Phillip M

2012-01-01

Many hospital radiology departments are adopting "lean" methods developed in automobile manufacturing to improve operational efficiency, eliminate waste, and optimize the value of their services. The lean approach, which emphasizes process analysis, has particular relevance to radiology departments, which depend on a smooth flow of patients and uninterrupted equipment function for efficient operation. However, the application of lean methods to isolated problems is not likely to improve overall efficiency or to produce a sustained improvement. Instead, the authors recommend a gradual but continuous and comprehensive "lean transformation" of work philosophy and workplace culture. Fundamental principles that must consistently be put into action to achieve such a transformation include equal involvement of and equal respect for all staff members, elimination of waste, standardization of work processes, improvement of flow in all processes, use of visual cues to communicate and inform, and use of specific tools to perform targeted data collection and analysis and to implement and guide change. Many categories of lean tools are available to facilitate these tasks: value stream mapping for visualizing the current state of a process and identifying activities that add no value; root cause analysis for determining the fundamental cause of a problem; team charters for planning, guiding, and communicating about change in a specific process; management dashboards for monitoring real-time developments; and a balanced scorecard for strategic oversight and planning in the areas of finance, customer service, internal operations, and staff development. © RSNA, 2012.

Measuring individual work performance: identifying and selecting indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Koopmans, Linda; Bernaards, Claire M; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; de Vet, Henrica C W; van der Beek, Allard J

2014-01-01

Theoretically, individual work performance (IWP) can be divided into four dimensions: task performance, contextual performance, adaptive performance, and counterproductive work behavior. However, there is no consensus on the indicators used to measure these dimensions. This study was designed to (1) identify indicators for each dimension, (2) select the most relevant indicators, and (3) determine the relative weight of each dimension in ratings of work performance. IWP indicators were identified from multiple research disciplines, via literature, existing questionnaires, and expert interviews. Subsequently, experts selected the most relevant indicators per dimension and scored the relative weight of each dimension in ratings of IWP. In total, 128 unique indicators were identified. Twenty-three of these indicators were selected by experts as most relevant for measuring IWP. Task performance determined 36% of the work performance rating, while the other three dimensions respectively determined 22%, 20% and 21% of the rating. Notable consensus was found on relevant indicators of IWP, reducing the number from 128 to 23 relevant indicators. This provides an important step towards the development of a standardized, generic and short measurement instrument for assessing IWP.

Performance analysis of the single-stage absorption heat transformer using a new working pair composed of ionic liquid and water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaodong; Hu Dapeng

2012-01-01

The performance simulation of a single-stage absorption heat transformer using a new working pair composed of ionic liquids, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate, and water (H 2 O + [EMIM][DMP]), was performed based on the thermodynamic properties of the new working pair and on the mass and energy balance for each component of the system. In order to evaluate the new working pair, the simulation results were compared with those of aqueous solution of lithium bromide (H 2 O + LiBr), Trifluoroethanol (TFE) + tetraethylenglycol dimethylether (E181). The results indicate that when generation, evaporation, condensing and absorption temperatures are 90 °C, 90 °C, 35 °C and 130 °C, the coefficients of performance of the single-stage absorption heat transformer using H 2 O + LiBr, H 2 O + [EMIM][DMP] and TFE + E181 as working pairs will reach 0.494, 0.481 and 0.458 respectively. And the corresponding exergy efficiency will reach 0.64, 0.62 and 0.59, respectively. Meanwhile the available heat outputs for per unit mass of refrigerant are 2466 kJ/kg, 2344 kJ/kg and 311 kJ/kg, respectively. The above excellent cycle performance together with the advantages of negligible vapor pressure, no crystallization and more weak corrosion tendency to iron-steel materials may make the new working pair better suited for the industrial absorption heat transformer. - Highlights: ► The cycle performance of the single-stage absorption heat transformer was simulated. ► Water and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate was used as new working pair. ► Water and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dimethylphosphate are entirely miscible. ► The COP and exergy efficiency for this new working pairs were 0.481 and 0.62. ► The new working pairs has potential application to absorption heat transformer.

75 FR 9544 - Inmate Work and Performance Pay Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-03

... inmate may receive performance pay only for that portion of the month that the inmate was working... Inmate Work and Performance Pay Program AGENCY: Bureau of Prisons, Justice. ACTION: Proposed rule... work and performance pay by removing redundant language and provisions that relate solely to staff...

Performance indicators of work activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lahoz, Manoela de Assis; Camarotto, João Alberto

2012-01-01

The measurement of performance is a current topic in the management of people in companies, used as a parameter of effectiveness of processes and operations of production. The methods and models of the indicators of current use in the production have concentrated in the assessment of people's performance as determinative resource of the organizational success in the search for the competitiveness. Associated with the classic indicators of performance assessment of the production proceeding, other indicators are used in the assessment of risks and hazards, however with methods focused in the tasks, without connection with the real work activity. The present article explores literature on the models of performance measurement in use in companies and a field research to understand how companies interpret and use indicators that relate health and work, to direct future studies on the subject. Regarding the literature review, one can see that health indicators can be basically divided into two major groups: the legal and managerial indicators. When conducting case studies, it can be realized that companies do not have precisely the concept of health indicator, or were unable to define which of the indicators could be considered indicators of health, considering that absenteeism was the indicator mentioned by the four companies.

Performance tests and efficiency analysis of Solar Invictus 53S - A parabolic dish solar collector for direct steam generation

Science.gov (United States)

Jamil, Umer; Ali, Wajahat

2016-05-01

This paper presents the results of performance tests conducted on Solar Invictus 53S `system'; an economically effective solar steam generation solution designed and developed by ZED Solar Ltd. The system consists of a dual axis tracking parabolic solar dish and bespoke cavity type receiver, which works as a Once Through Solar Steam Generator `OTSSG' mounted at the focal point of the dish. The overall performance and efficiency of the system depends primarily on the optical efficiency of the solar dish and thermal efficiency of the OTSSG. Optical testing performed include `on sun' tests using CCD camera images and `burn plate' testing to evaluate the sunspot for size and quality. The intercept factor was calculated using a colour look-back method to determine the percentage of solar rays focused into the receiver. Solar dish tracking stability tests were carried out at different times of day to account for varying dish elevation angles and positions, movement of the sunspot centroid was recorded and logged using a CCD camera. Finally the overall performance and net solar to steam efficiency of the system was calculated by experimentally measuring the output steam parameters at varying Direct Normal Insolation (DNI) levels at ZED Solar's test facility in Lahore, Pakistan. Thermal losses from OTSSG were calculated using the known optical efficiency and measured changes in output steam enthalpy.

Bike Desks in the Office: Physical Health, Cognitive Function, Work Engagement, and Work Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Torbeyns, Tine; de Geus, Bas; Bailey, Stephen; De Pauw, Kevin; Decroix, Lieselot; Van Cutsem, Jeroen; Meeusen, Romain

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal effect of implementing bike desks in an office setting on physical health, cognition, and work parameters. Physical health, cognitive function, work engagement, and work performance measured before (T0) and after (T2) the intervention period were compared between office workers who used the bike desk (IG, n = 22) and those who did not (CG, n = 16). The IG cycled approximately 98 minutes/week. The IG showed a significantly lower fat percentage and a trend toward a higher work engagement at T2 relative to T0, while this was not different for the CG. No effects on other parameters of health, cognition, or work performance were found. Providing bike desks in the office positively influences employees' fat percentage and could positively influence work engagement without compromising work performance.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND EFFICIENCY OF COMMUNICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LIVIU NEAMTU

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Performance management is, in fact, that systemic coordination process through communication of actions undertaken by the firm in the context of an environment which is in a continuous movement and transformation, which anticipates changes, taking appropriate response measures, time-reacting, dynamically, flexible and quickly to these changes through appropriate strategies, which application in practice is monitored, controlled and adjusted continuously. Performance management is defined as complete and complex levels of communication on organizing through strategies, policy decisions, coordination with business plans and innovative programs and tactics along with the steps required to implement these levels in the company's activity. Performance management is the management of the company based on communication and participativ management; therefore the efficiency of communication and participativ management is the foundation of performance management, it outlines the priorities, thus becoming the basic factor in the development of management programs and in the course of their ongoing. Consequently, for running relevant and profitable a business, a company needs performance management areas well-delineated, with specific tasks, that can transform customer or generally the society needs into profitable business opportunities.

Contralateral Delay Activity Tracks Fluctuations in Working Memory Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Kirsten C S; Robison, Matthew K; Vogel, Edward K

2018-01-08

Neural measures of working memory storage, such as the contralateral delay activity (CDA), are powerful tools in working memory research. CDA amplitude is sensitive to working memory load, reaches an asymptote at known behavioral limits, and predicts individual differences in capacity. An open question, however, is whether neural measures of load also track trial-by-trial fluctuations in performance. Here, we used a whole-report working memory task to test the relationship between CDA amplitude and working memory performance. If working memory failures are due to decision-based errors and retrieval failures, CDA amplitude would not differentiate good and poor performance trials when load is held constant. If failures arise during storage, then CDA amplitude should track both working memory load and trial-by-trial performance. As expected, CDA amplitude tracked load (Experiment 1), reaching an asymptote at three items. In Experiment 2, we tracked fluctuations in trial-by-trial performance. CDA amplitude was larger (more negative) for high-performance trials compared with low-performance trials, suggesting that fluctuations in performance were related to the successful storage of items. During working memory failures, participants oriented their attention to the correct side of the screen (lateralized P1) and maintained covert attention to the correct side during the delay period (lateralized alpha power suppression). Despite the preservation of attentional orienting, we found impairments consistent with an executive attention theory of individual differences in working memory capacity; fluctuations in executive control (indexed by pretrial frontal theta power) may be to blame for storage failures.

Energy performance of supermarket refrigeration and air conditioning integrated systems working with natural refrigerants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecchinato, Luca; Corradi, Marco; Minetto, Silvia

2012-01-01

The current trends in commercial refrigeration aim at reducing the synthetic refrigerant charge, either by minimising the internal volume of the circuit or by utilising natural refrigerants, and at energy saving. The energy efficiency of supermarkets can be improved by optimising components design, recovering thermal and refrigerating energy, adopting innovative technology solutions, integrating the HVAC system with medium temperature and low temperature refrigeration plants and, finally, reducing thermal loads on refrigerated cases. This study aims at investigating the performance of different lay-out and technological solutions where only natural refrigerants are used and at finding the potential for improving energy efficiency over the traditional systems in different climates. In the analysis, chillers and heat pumps working with ammonia or propane, medium temperature systems working with ammonia or propane and carbon dioxide as heat transfer fluid or with carbon dioxide as the refrigerant and low temperature systems working with carbon dioxide are considered and benchmarked with a state-of-the-art HFCs based plant. The most efficient investigated solution enables an annual energy saving higher than 15% with respect to the baseline solution for all the considered climates. - Highlights: ► Different natural refrigerants supermarket HVAC and R integrated systems are analysed. ► Some of the proposed solutions offer a significant benefit over the baseline one. ► Up to 18.7% energy saving is achieved in the considered climates. ► The refrigeration unit condensation by the AC chiller offers the poorest results.

Enhancing the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells by adding diatom frustules into TiO{sub 2} working electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Der-Ray, E-mail: derray@mail.ndhu.edu.tw; Jiang, Yan-Jang; Liou, Run-Lin; Chen, Chih-Han; Chen, Yi-An; Tsai, Chih-Hung, E-mail: cht@mail.ndhu.edu.tw

2015-08-30

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • High-speed centrifugal processing and sedimentation-rate separation techniques were used to obtain diatom frustules. • Diatom frustules were added into TiO{sub 2} paste to prepare a TiO{sub 2}-diatom paste mixture. • TiO{sub 2}-diatom paste mixture was used to fabricate working electrodes for DSSCs. • TiO{sub 2}-diatom electrodes improved the light-trapping effect and DSSC efficiency. • DSSCs with using the TiO{sub 2}-diatom electrode exhibited a 38% increase in efficiency. - Abstract: In this study, diatom frustules were added into TiO{sub 2} paste to prepare a TiO{sub 2}-diatom paste mixture. Spin-coating and high-temperature sintering techniques were then used to fabricate working electrodes for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Mixing the diatom frustules with the TiO{sub 2} paste improved the light-trapping effect and scattering properties of the incident light in the TiO{sub 2}-diatom working electrodes, thereby enhancing the power conversion efficiency of the DSSCs. In this study, a high-speed centrifugal processing technology and sedimentation-rate separation techniques were first used to obtain the diatom frustules, which were then mixed with the TiO{sub 2} paste at a weight ratio of 1:50; a spin-coating technique was then used to fabricate the working electrodes. Finally, a high-temperature sintering process (500 °C) was performed. In this study, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and a surface profiler and spectrometer were used to analyze the characteristics of the working electrodes. The TiO{sub 2} or TiO{sub 2}-diatom working electrodes were prepared under various spin-coating conditions for fabricating and analyzing the characteristics of the DSSCs. The results indicated that under identical conditions, the power conversion efficiency of the DSSCs was 3.81% when coated three times with a conventional TiO{sub 2

Effects of frequency on gross efficiency and performance in roller ski skating.

Science.gov (United States)

Leirdal, S; Sandbakk, O; Ettema, G

2013-06-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of frequency on efficiency and performance during G3 roller ski skating. Eight well-trained male cross-country skiers performed three submaximal 5-min speeds (10, 13, and 16 km/h) and a time-to-exhaustion (TTE) performance (at 20 km/h) using the G3 skating technique using freely chosen, high, and low frequency at all four speeds. All tests were done using roller skis on a large treadmill at 5% incline. Gross efficiency (GE) was calculated as power divided by metabolic rate. Power was calculated as the sum of power against frictional forces and power against gravity. Metabolic rate was calculated from oxygen consumption and blood lactate concentration. Freely chosen frequency increased from 60 to 70 strokes/min as speed increased from 10 to 20 km/h. GE increased with power. At high power (20 km/h performance test), both efficiency and performance were significantly reduced by high frequency. In regard to choice of frequency during G3 roller ski skating, cross-country skiers seems to be self-optimized both in relation to energy saving (efficiency) and performance (TTE). © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Children's auditory working memory performance in degraded listening conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Osman, Homira; Sullivan, Jessica R

2014-08-01

The objectives of this study were to determine (a) whether school-age children with typical hearing demonstrate poorer auditory working memory performance in multitalker babble at degraded signal-to-noise ratios than in quiet; and (b) whether the amount of cognitive demand of the task contributed to differences in performance in noise. It was hypothesized that stressing the working memory system with the presence of noise would impede working memory processes in real time and result in poorer working memory performance in degraded conditions. Twenty children with typical hearing between 8 and 10 years old were tested using 4 auditory working memory tasks (Forward Digit Recall, Backward Digit Recall, Listening Recall Primary, and Listening Recall Secondary). Stimuli were from the standardized Working Memory Test Battery for Children. Each task was administered in quiet and in 4-talker babble noise at 0 dB and -5 dB signal-to-noise ratios. Children's auditory working memory performance was systematically decreased in the presence of multitalker babble noise compared with quiet. Differences between low-complexity and high-complexity tasks were observed, with children performing more poorly on tasks with greater storage and processing demands. There was no interaction between noise and complexity of task. All tasks were negatively impacted similarly by the addition of noise. Auditory working memory performance was negatively impacted by the presence of multitalker babble noise. Regardless of complexity of task, noise had a similar effect on performance. These findings suggest that the addition of noise inhibits auditory working memory processes in real time for school-age children.

Intelligence, Working Memory, and Multitasking Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Colom, Roberto; Martinez-Molina, Agustin; Shih, Pei Chun; Santacreu, Jose

2010-01-01

Multitasking performance is relevant in everyday life and job analyses highlight the influence of multitasking over several diverse occupations. Intelligence is the best single predictor of overall job performance and it is also related to individual differences in multitasking. However, it has been shown that working memory capacity (WMC) is…

Optimization of the working process of the axial compressor according to the criterion of efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Baturin, O. V.; Popov, G. M.; Goryachkin, E. S.; Novikova, Yu D.

2017-01-01

The paper shows search results of the optimal shape of low pressure compressor blades of the industrial gas turbine plant using methods of computational fluid dynamics and multicriteria methods of mathematical optimization. The essence of the methods is that an increase in compressor efficiency should be achieved by increasing the degree of compression up to 2%, and reducing the air flow to 8% relative to basic engine parameters. However, the compressor design elements should be retained as maximally unchanged as possible. During the work, the calculation model of the workflow in the test compressor has been developed and verified in the NUMECA software package, the automated algorithm of the blades shape change has been also developed using a small number of variables, while maintaining its stress-strain state. It allows reducing the number of changeable variables more than twofold. As the result of this study, the option of compressor performance was found, which can increase its efficiency by 1.3% (abs.).

Performance and efficiency of a hydraulic hybrid powertrain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karbaschian, Mohammad Ali [Duisburg-Essen Univ. (Germany). Faculty of Engineering

2012-11-01

Hydraulic hybrid powertrains are considered to be a promising technology to save energy and reduce emission in specific automotive fields because of their high power density, components lifetime, and long lasting experience in industries compared to electric hybrid powertrains. Within the first part of the paper, a very brief literature survey on hydraulic hybrid vehicle systems (HHVS) and the related dynamical behaviour is given. No specific activities to improve the efficiency of these systems were detected. Related literature with respect to optimization mainly deals with the management of the system's energy flows trying to control the engine operation point and the high pressure in the system. In the second part, a small simulation study is presented. Therefore, hybrid systems are generally assumed as a Multi-Input-Multi-Output (MIMO) system. The effect of key variables (i.e. accumulator size and pressure, pump/motor displacement and efficiency, valve dynamics) on the system is discussed. The results show that the volume displacement of pump and motor, the performance of the engine, and the state of charge of the accumulator are the most important parameters to specify the efficiency and performance of the hydraulic hybrid powertrain. Additionally, a hybrid hydraulic powertrain with an adjustable state of charge accumulator is compared with one whose state of charge is constant. The result shows the improvement of braking performance and fuel savings. The goal is to optimize the parameters of the system based on the simultaneous consideration of the three (or more) variables for a given load profile with respect to given objectives. (orig.)

Psychosocial work environment and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Møller, Niels

2010-01-01

and describe the mechanism underlying the observed relationship. It is observed that a specific leadership style is responsible for creating a good working environment which leads to good performance. The leadership style can be described as process oriented, supportive and consistent but also demanding....

Responsiveness of the individual work performance questionnaire

OpenAIRE

Koopmans, Linda; Coffeng, Jennifer K; Bernaards, Claire M; Boot, Cécile RL; Hildebrandt, Vincent H; de Vet, Henrica CW; van der Beek, Allard J

2014-01-01

Background: Individual work performance is an important outcome measure in studies in the workplace. Nevertheless, its conceptualization and measurement has proven challenging. To overcome limitations of existing scales, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) was recently developed. The aim of the current study was to gain insight into the responsiveness of the IWPQ. Methods. Data were used from the Be Active & Relax randomized controlled trial. The aim of the trial was to inves...

Performance assessment of Portuguese wind farms: Ownership and managerial efficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pestana Barros, Carlos; Sequeira Antunes, Olinda

2011-01-01

This paper analyzes ownership and unobserved managerial ability as factors affecting the performance of a representative sample of Portuguese wind farms by means of frontier models. These farms are ranked according to their technical efficiency during the period 2004-2008 and homogenous and heterogeneous variables are disentangled in the cost function, which leads us to advise the implementation of common policies as well as policies by segments. Economic implications arising from the study are also considered. - Research highlights: → Wind farms are heterogeneous displaying distinct ownership and managerial characteristics that affect efficiency. → Managerial practices has a positive impact on the efficiency. → Ownership has a positive impact on the efficiency. Large wind farms are more efficient.

An energy-efficient high-performance processor with reconfigurable data-paths using RSFQ circuits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagi, Naofumi

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► An idea of a high-performance computer using RSFQ circuits is shown. ► An outline of processor with reconfigurable data-paths (RDPs) is shown. ► Architectural details of an SFQ-RDP are described. -- Abstract: We show recent progress in our research on an energy-efficient high-performance processor with reconfigurable data-paths (RDPs) using rapid single-flux-quantum (RSFQ) circuits. We mainly describe the architectural details of an RDP implemented using RSFQ circuits. An RDP consists of a lot of floating-point units (FPUs) and operand routing networks (ORNs) which connect the FPUs. We reconfigure the RDP to fit a computation, i.e., a group of floating-point operations, appearing in a ‘for’ loop of programs for numerical computations by setting the route in ORNs before the execution of the loop. In the RDP, a lot of FPUs work in parallel with pipelined fashion, and hence, very high-performance computation is achieved

Age-related differences in working memory performance in a 2-back task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nele eWild-Wall

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed to elucidate the neuro-cognitive processes underlying age-related differences in working memory. Young and middle-aged participants performed a two-choice task with low and a 2-back task with high working memory load. The P300, an event-related potential reflecting controlled stimulus-response processing in working memory, and the underlying neuronal sources of expected age-related differences were analyzed using sLORETA. Response speed was generally slower for the middle-aged than the young group. Under low working memory load the middle-aged participants traded speed for accuracy. The middle-aged were less efficient in the 2-back task as they responded slower while the error rates did not differ for groups. An age-related decline of the P300 amplitude and characteristic topographical differences were especially evident in the 2-back task. A more detailed analysis of the P300 in non-target trials revealed that amplitudes in the young but not middle-aged group differentiate between correctly detected vs. missed targets in the following trial. For these trials, source analysis revealed higher activation for the young vs. middle-aged group in brain areas which support working memory processes. The relationship between P300 and overt performance was validated by significant correlations. To sum up, under high working memory load the young group showed an increased neuronal activity before a successful detected target, while the middle-aged group showed the same neuronal pattern regardless of whether a subsequent target will be detected or missed. This stable memory trace before detected targets was reflected by a specific activation enhancement in brain areas which orchestrate maintenance, update, storage and retrieval of information in working memory.

Age-Related Differences in Working Memory Performance in A 2-Back Task

Science.gov (United States)

Wild-Wall, Nele; Falkenstein, Michael; Gajewski, Patrick D.

2011-01-01

The present study aimed to elucidate the neuro-cognitive processes underlying age-related differences in working memory. Young and middle-aged participants performed a two-choice task with low and a 2-back task with high working memory load. The P300, an event-related potential reflecting controlled stimulus–response processing in working memory, and the underlying neuronal sources of expected age-related differences were analyzed using sLORETA. Response speed was generally slower for the middle-aged than the young group. Under low working memory load the middle-aged participants traded speed for accuracy. The middle-aged were less efficient in the 2-back task as they responded slower while the error rates did not differ for groups. An age-related decline of the P300 amplitude and characteristic topographical differences were especially evident in the 2-back task. A more detailed analysis of the P300 in non-target trials revealed that amplitudes in the young but not middle-aged group differentiate between correctly detected vs. missed targets in the following trial. For these trials, source analysis revealed higher activation for the young vs. middle-aged group in brain areas which support working memory processes. The relationship between P300 and overt performance was validated by significant correlations. To sum up, under high working memory load the young group showed an increased neuronal activity before a successful detected target, while the middle-aged group showed the same neuronal pattern regardless of whether a subsequent target will be detected or missed. This stable memory trace before detected targets was reflected by a specific activation enhancement in brain areas which orchestrate maintenance, update, storage, and retrieval of information in working memory. PMID:21909328

Working memory load predicts visual search efficiency: Evidence from a novel pupillary response paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Attar, Nada; Schneps, Matthew H; Pomplun, Marc

2016-10-01

An observer's pupil dilates and constricts in response to variables such as ambient and focal luminance, cognitive effort, the emotional stimulus content, and working memory load. The pupil's memory load response is of particular interest, as it might be used for estimating observers' memory load while they are performing a complex task, without adding an interruptive and confounding memory test to the protocol. One important task in which working memory's involvement is still being debated is visual search, and indeed a previous experiment by Porter, Troscianko, and Gilchrist (Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 60, 211-229, 2007) analyzed observers' pupil sizes during search to study this issue. These authors found that pupil size increased over the course of the search, and they attributed this finding to accumulating working memory load. However, since the pupil response is slow and does not depend on memory load alone, this conclusion is rather speculative. In the present study, we estimated working memory load in visual search during the presentation of intermittent fixation screens, thought to induce a low, stable level of arousal and cognitive effort. Using standard visual search and control tasks, we showed that this paradigm reduces the influence of non-memory-related factors on pupil size. Furthermore, we found an early increase in working memory load to be associated with more efficient search, indicating a significant role of working memory in the search process.

Assessing measures of energy efficiency performance and their application in industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanaka, K.

2008-02-15

This paper explores different measures of energy efficiency performance (hereafter referred to as 'MEEP'): absolute energy consumption, energy intensity, diffusion of specific energy-saving technology and thermal efficiency. It discusses their advantages and disadvantages and their roles within policy frameworks. MEEP may be necessary at several stages during policy design: in a developing regulatory framework; during the actual application; and in evaluation after policy implementation. Policy makers should consider the suitability of MEEP at each of these stages, based on criteria such as reliability, feasibility and verifiability. The paper considers the importance of so-called boundary definitions when measuring energy performance, and how these affect the appropriateness of country comparisons to guide policy decisions. The paper also addresses the limitations of both energy intensity and technology diffusion indicators as measures of energy efficiency performance. A case study on Japan's iron and steel industry illustrates the critical role of proper boundary definitions for a meaningful assessment of energy efficiency in industry. Depending on the boundaries set for the analysis, the energy consumption per ton of crude steel ranges from 16 to 21 GJ. Both a proper understanding of various methods to assess energy efficiency and the linkage with policy objectives and frameworks are important. Using the diffusion rates of specific energy-efficient processes is a technology-oriented approach which seeks to encourage the retrofitting or replacement of less efficient equipment. There are fewer boundary problems using diffusion rates than by calculating energy consumption. 42 refs., 15 figs., 4 tabs., 1 app.

Transport Schemes for Fiber-Wireless Technology: Transmission Performance and Energy Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Lim

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Fiber-wireless technology has been actively researched as a potential candidate for next generation broadband wireless signal distribution. Despite the popularity, this hybrid scheme has many technical challenges that impede the uptake and commercial deployment. One of the inherent issues is the transport of the wireless signals over a predominantly digital optical network in today’s telecommunication infrastructure. Many different approaches have been introduced and demonstrated with digitized RF transport of the wireless signals being the most compatible with the existing optical fiber networks. In this paper, we review our work in the area of digitized RF transport to address the inherent issues related to analog transport in the fiber-wireless links and compare the transmission performance and energy efficiency with the other transport strategies.

EFFICIENCY AND QUALITY OF UNIVERSITY'S PERFORMANCE: FACULTY OPINION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey Trapitsin

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The article dwells upon the issue of the quality and efficiency of higher education and presents the results of the survey which determines the readiness degree of the University teachers and management to the effective contract introduction. The contractual relationship is to be discussion based and similar to the social contract which is possible only if the upper and lower parts of the University structure will combine their efforts and effectively cooperate. The synthetic and multi-faceted socio-economic character of efficiency makes the development of practice-oriented tools for performance management of the University a burning issue.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Lerner, D.; Vet, H.C.W. de; Beek, A.J. van der

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: The Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ), measuring task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior, was developed in The Netherlands. OBJECTIVES: To cross-culturally adapt the IWPQ from the Dutch to the American-English language, and assess the

Dieting and Food Cue-Related Working Memory Performance

OpenAIRE

Meule, Adrian

2016-01-01

Executive functioning (e.g., working memory) is tightly intertwined with self-regulation. For example, food cue-elicited craving has been found to impair working memory performance. Furthermore, current dieters have been found to show lower working memory performance than non-dieters. Recent research, however, suggests that it is crucial to consider dieting success in addition to current dieting status or restrained eating in order to reveal cognitive mechanisms that are associated with succe...

Energy efficiency and performance indicators of European electricity market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constantin DUGULEANĂ

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The electric power system plays a vital role in the development of every country, ensuring the “fuel” which feeds its economic motor. The efficient functioning of this motor is essential for economy. The efficiency and the performances of electric power systems are reflected on the living level of population, through the money spent and the satisfaction level of their needs. The continuity of power distribution process, the good communication between the suppliers and consumers, the promptitude of interventions, the environment protection - all these are aspects characterizing the performance level of power distribution systems. The paper analyzes the evolution of quality indicators of power distribution systems both for countries’ level and for population on European market of electricity.

Adaptive Working Memory Training Reduces the Negative Impact of Anxiety on Competitive Motor Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ducrocq, Emmanuel; Wilson, Mark; Smith, Tim J; Derakshan, Nazanin

2017-12-01

Optimum levels of attentional control are essential to prevent athletes from experiencing performance breakdowns under pressure. The current study explored whether training attentional control using the adaptive dual n-back paradigm, designed to directly target processing efficiency of the main executive functions of working memory (WM), would result in transferrable effects on sports performance outcomes. A total of 30 tennis players were allocated to an adaptive WM training or active control group and underwent 10 days of training. Measures of WM capacity as well as performance and objective gaze indices of attentional control in a tennis volley task were assessed in low- and high-pressure posttraining conditions. Results revealed significant benefits of training on WM capacity, quiet eye offset, and tennis performance in the high-pressure condition. Our results confirm and extend previous findings supporting the transfer of cognitive training benefits to objective measures of sports performance under pressure.

48 CFR 36.501 - Performance of work by the contractor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance of work by the... Performance of work by the contractor. (a) To assure adequate interest in and supervision of all work involved... contracting officer shall insert the clause at 52.236-1, Performance of Work by the Contractor, in...

Metabolic rate and gross efficiency at high work rates in world class and national level sprint skiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandbakk, Øyvind; Holmberg, Hans-Christer; Leirdal, Stig; Ettema, Gertjan

2010-06-01

The present study investigated metabolic rate (MR) and gross efficiency (GE) at moderate and high work rates, and the relationships to gross kinematics and physical characteristics in elite cross-country skiers. Eight world class (WC) and eight national level (NL) male sprint cross-country skiers performed three 5-min stages using the skating G3 technique, whilst roller skiing on a treadmill. GE was calculated by dividing work rate by MR. Work rate was calculated as the sum of power against gravity and frictional rolling forces. MR was calculated using gas exchange and blood lactate values. Gross kinematics, i.e. cycle length (CL) and cycle rate (CR) were measured by video analysis. Furthermore, the skiers were tested for time to exhaustion (TTE), peak oxygen uptake (VO(2peak)), and maximal speed (V(max)) on the treadmill, and maximal strength in the laboratory. Individual performance level in sprint skating was determined by FIS points. WC skiers did not differ in aerobic MR, but showed lower anaerobic MR and higher GE than NL skiers at a given speed (all P higher V(max) and TTE (all P better technique and to technique-specific power.

Residential Electrostatic Precipitator - Performance at efficient and poor combustion conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baefver, Linda; Yngvesson, Johan; Niklasson, Fredrik

2012-07-01

The performance of a pilot residential electrostatic precipitator R{sub E}SP (Applied Plasma Physics AS), was investigated at laboratory. Measurements of TSP (Total Suspended Particles), content of organic and elemental carbon, and mass size distribution of particles upstream and downstream of ESP were performed. Values for PM1 (particles < 1 {mu}m) were calculated from the particle size distributions. Concentrations and size distributions with respect to particle numbers were measured in separate tests. Gas concentrations, temperatures and boiler parameters were also measured. The TSP concentrations upstream of the R{sub E}SP were varied in range of 15-390 mg/m{sub N}{sup 3}. Up to concentrations of about 300 mg/m{sub N}{sup 3}, the TSP-concentrations out from the ESP were less than 20 mg/m{sub N}{sup 3}, which is well below the German emission limit for wood stoves. The removal efficiencies with respect to mass were about 87% at efficient combustion and 93% at poor combustion. Corresponding values with respect to number concentrations were about 97% at efficient combustion and almost 99% at poor combustion. The better performance at poor combustion may be explained by lower flue gas temperature, leading to longer residence time in the ESP. High removal efficiencies were also found with respect to particulate organic and elemental carbon.

7 CFR 1948.83 - Performance of site development work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Performance of site development work. 1948.83 Section 1948.83 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE... Development Assistance Program § 1948.83 Performance of site development work. Site development work will be...

Borderline personality symptoms and work performance: a population-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Juurlink, Trees T; Ten Have, Margreet; Lamers, Femke; van Marle, Hein J F; Anema, Johannes R; de Graaf, Ron; Beekman, Aartjan T F

2018-06-19

This study aims to elucidate the interplay between borderline personality symptoms and working conditions as a pathway for impaired work performance among workers in the general population. Cross-sectional data from the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2) were used, including 3672 workers. Borderline personality symptoms were measured with the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) questionnaire. Working conditions (decision latitude, psychological job demands, job security and co-worker support) were assessed with the Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Impaired work performance was assessed as total work loss days per month, defined as the sum of days of three types of impaired work performance (inability to work, cut-down to work, and diminished quality at work). These were assessed with the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS). Common mental disorders (CMD) were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Number of borderline personality symptoms was consistently associated with impaired work performance, even after controlling for type or number of adverse working conditions and co-occurrence of CMD. Borderline personality symptoms were associated with low decision latitude, job insecurity and low co-worker support. The relationship between borderline personality symptoms and work performance diminished slightly after controlling for type or number of working conditions. The current study shows that having borderline personality symptoms is a unique determinant of work performance. This association seems partially explained through the impact of borderline personality symptoms on working conditions. Future studies are warranted to study causality and should aim at diminishing borderline personality symptoms and coping with working conditions.

Efficient Transfer of Graphene-Physical and Electrical Performance Perspective

KAUST Repository

Ghoneim, Mohamed T.

2012-11-01

Efficient Transfer of Graphene –Physical and Electrical Performance Perspective Graphene has become one of the most widely used atomic crystal structure materials since its first experimental proof by Geim-Novoselov in 2004 [1]. This is attributed to its reported incredible carrier mobility, mechanical strength and thermal conductivity [2] [3] [4]. These properties suggest interesting applications of Graphene ranging from electronics to energy storage and conversion [5]. In 2008, Chen et al reported a 40,000 cm2V-1s-1 mobility for a Single Layer Graphene (SLG) on SiO2 compared to 285 cm2V-1s-1 for silicon channel devices [6]. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a common method for growing graphene on a metal surface as a catalyst for graphene nucleation. This adds a necessary transfer step to the target substrate ultimately desired for graphene devices fabrication. Interfacing with graphene is a critical challenge in preserving its promising high mobility. This initiated the motivation for studying the effect of intermediate interfaces imposed by transfer processes. In this work, few layers graphene (FLG) was grown on copper foils inside a high temperature furnace. Then Raman spectroscopy was performed on grown graphene sample to confirm few (in between 3-10) layers. Afterwards the sample was cut into three pieces and transferred to 300 nm SiO2 on Si substrates using three techniques, namely: (i) pickup transfer with top side of Graphene brought in contact with SiO2 [7], (ii) Ploy (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) transfer with Graphene and a PMMA support layer on top scooped from bottom side [8], and (iii) a modified direct transfer which is similar to PMMA transfer without the support layer [9]. Comparisons were done using Raman spectroscopy to determine the relative defectivity, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to observe discontinuities and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to measure surface roughness. Then we conclude with electrical data based on the contact

Ego Depletion Does Not Interfere With Working Memory Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Ranjit K; Göritz, Anja S

2018-01-01

Ego depletion happens if exerting self-control reduces a person's capacity to subsequently control themselves. Previous research has suggested that ego depletion not only interferes with subsequent self-control but also with working memory. However, recent meta-analytical evidence casts doubt onto this. The present study tackles the question if ego depletion does interfere with working memory performance. We induced ego depletion in two ways: using an e-crossing task and using a Stroop task. We then measured working memory performance using the letter-number sequencing task. There was no evidence of ego depletion interfering with working memory performance. Several aspects of our study render this null finding highly robust. We had a large and heterogeneous sample of N = 1,385, which provided sufficient power. We deployed established depletion tasks from two task families (e-crossing task and Stroop), thus making it less likely that the null finding is due to a specific depletion paradigm. We derived several performance scores from the working memory task and ran different analyses to maximize the chances of finding an effect. Lastly, we controlled for two potential moderators, the implicit theories about willpower and dispositional self-control capacity, to ensure that a possible effect on working memory is not obscured by an interaction effect. In sum, this experiment strengthens the position that ego depletion works but does not affect working memory performance.

Women-friendly Support Services and Work Performance: The Role ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The study titled 'Women-friendly Support Services (WFFS) and Work Performance: The role of Marital Status', investigated the role of marital status in the work performance of female employees who are beneficiaries of Women friendly Support Services in work organizations. The study's participants consisted of a total of ...

Effect of radiologists' diagnostic work-up volume on interpretive performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Buist, Diana S M; Anderson, Melissa L; Smith, Robert A; Carney, Patricia A; Miglioretti, Diana L; Monsees, Barbara S; Sickles, Edward A; Taplin, Stephen H; Geller, Berta M; Yankaskas, Bonnie C; Onega, Tracy L

2014-11-01

To examine radiologists' screening performance in relation to the number of diagnostic work-ups performed after abnormal findings are discovered at screening mammography by the same radiologist or by different radiologists. In an institutional review board-approved HIPAA-compliant study, the authors linked 651 671 screening mammograms interpreted from 2002 to 2006 by 96 radiologists in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium to cancer registries (standard of reference) to evaluate the performance of screening mammography (sensitivity, false-positive rate [ FPR false-positive rate ], and cancer detection rate [ CDR cancer detection rate ]). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the volume of recalled screening mammograms ("own" mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image was the same radiologist who had interpreted the screening image, and "any" mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image may or may not have been the radiologist who interpreted the screening image) and screening performance and whether the association between total annual volume and performance differed according to the volume of diagnostic work-up. Annually, 38% of radiologists performed the diagnostic work-up for 25 or fewer of their own recalled screening mammograms, 24% performed the work-up for 0-50, and 39% performed the work-up for more than 50. For the work-up of recalled screening mammograms from any radiologist, 24% of radiologists performed the work-up for 0-50 mammograms, 32% performed the work-up for 51-125, and 44% performed the work-up for more than 125. With increasing numbers of radiologist work-ups for their own recalled mammograms, the sensitivity (P = .039), FPR false-positive rate (P = .004), and CDR cancer detection rate (P women recalled per cancer detected from 17.4 for 25 or fewer mammograms to 24.6 for more than 50 mammograms. Increases in work-ups for any radiologist yielded significant

Effect of Radiologists’ Diagnostic Work-up Volume on Interpretive Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Melissa L.; Smith, Robert A.; Carney, Patricia A.; Miglioretti, Diana L.; Monsees, Barbara S.; Sickles, Edward A.; Taplin, Stephen H.; Geller, Berta M.; Yankaskas, Bonnie C.; Onega, Tracy L.

2014-01-01

Purpose To examine radiologists’ screening performance in relation to the number of diagnostic work-ups performed after abnormal findings are discovered at screening mammography by the same radiologist or by different radiologists. Materials and Methods In an institutional review board–approved HIPAA-compliant study, the authors linked 651 671 screening mammograms interpreted from 2002 to 2006 by 96 radiologists in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium to cancer registries (standard of reference) to evaluate the performance of screening mammography (sensitivity, false-positive rate [FPRfalse-positive rate], and cancer detection rate [CDRcancer detection rate]). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the volume of recalled screening mammograms (“own” mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image was the same radiologist who had interpreted the screening image, and “any” mammograms, where the radiologist who interpreted the diagnostic image may or may not have been the radiologist who interpreted the screening image) and screening performance and whether the association between total annual volume and performance differed according to the volume of diagnostic work-up. Results Annually, 38% of radiologists performed the diagnostic work-up for 25 or fewer of their own recalled screening mammograms, 24% performed the work-up for 0–50, and 39% performed the work-up for more than 50. For the work-up of recalled screening mammograms from any radiologist, 24% of radiologists performed the work-up for 0–50 mammograms, 32% performed the work-up for 51–125, and 44% performed the work-up for more than 125. With increasing numbers of radiologist work-ups for their own recalled mammograms, the sensitivity (P = .039), FPRfalse-positive rate (P = .004), and CDRcancer detection rate (P work-ups for any radiologist yielded significant increases in FPRfalse-positive rate (P = .011) and CDRcancer detection rate (P

Self-reported Work Ability and Work Performance in Workers with Chronic Nonspecific Musculoskeletal Pain

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Vries, H.J.; Reneman, M.F.; Groothoff, J.W.; Geertzen, J.H.; Brouwer, S.

Purpose To assess self-reported work ability and work performance of workers who stay at work despite chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CMP), and to explore which variables were associated with these outcomes. Methods In a cross-sectional study we assessed work ability (Work Ability Index,

Action plan for energy efficiency 2003-2006. A Working Group Proposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-02-01

The updating of the Action Plan for Energy Efficiency is closely related to the need to further intensify measures for promoting energy conservation that was highlighted in the debate in Parliament on the National Climate Strategy and building of a new nuclear power plant. The Working Group with responsibility for the preparation of the updating has made an assessment of the implementation and impact of the previous Action Plan for Energy Efficiency and sought to come up with new measures and ways of increasing the effect of the actions in the previous action plan. The main instruments presented in the updated action plan are developing new technologies, economic instruments, energy conservation agreements, laws and regulations and information and training. The action plan comprises proposals for increasing the budget for energy subsidies for companies and bodies and finding new formulas for the funding of energy saving investments. Further, the aid for the renovation of buildings is proposed to be enhanced. More effort is also needed as concerns disseminating information on energy saving. The development of new technologies requires that the funding from the National Technology Agency (Tekes) for energy efficiency is kept at least at the level of 1999. An implementation of the measures proposed would require a contribution from the state amounting to about E 80 million per year. The system of Energy Conservation Agreements is proposed to be further extended and developed. The agreements could to a larger extent than before cover research and product development processes and processes for purchasing of goods and services. The Working Group proposes further examination of the possibility of imposing binding targets and applying sanctions. Energy taxation is proposed to be developed further in order to promote energy saving and co- generation with the impact of the future Directive on emission allowance trading in mind. New research and development projects are

EFFICIENCY AND STOCK PERFORMANCE OF BANKS IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES: IS THERE A RELATIONSHIP?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülin Vardar

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The study investigates the link between the cost and profit efficiency scores of the banks in the Central and Eastern European Countries as well as Turkey along with their stock price performance to determine whether the efficiency scores are priced accordingly in bank stocks. Changes in efficiency scores of banks, obtained from Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA model, are regressed against their stock price performance by applying fixed effects panel regression technique. Empirical results indicate that changes in profit efficiency estimates have a positive and significant impact on stock returns; however, a significant but negative relationship is found between changes in cost efficiency and stock returns.

Can sleep quality and burnout affect the job performance of shift-work nurses? A hospital cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Giorgi, Fabio; Mattei, Antonella; Notarnicola, Ippolito; Petrucci, Cristina; Lancia, Loreto

2018-03-01

The aim of this study was to investigate any possible relationship between sleep disorders, burnout and job performance in a shift-work population of nurses. Sleep disorders and burnout can affect the job performance of nurses in terms of efficiency, productivity, task execution speed and supervision, which can be compromised when work shifts are organized on a 24-hour schedule and when the shift itself is irregular. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted from August 2014 - January 2015 on a sample of 315 shift-work nurses across 39 wards in seven central Italian hospitals. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to detect the presence of sleep disorders, the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory was used to detect the presence of any possible type of burnout and the Job Performance Scale was used to measure job performance. Data analysis was mainly based on a multivariate logistic regression to identify variables significantly associated with investigated outcomes. On shift-work nurses' sleep quality and burnout correlated positively. The female gender and personal burnout were significantly associated with impaired sleep quality, while working in the psychiatric setting, working a long cycle shift pattern and experiencing daytime dysfunction were significantly associated with burnout. A significant negative association between patient-related burnout and job performance was observed. Specific characteristics of shift-work nurses can directly affect sleep quality and burnout and indirectly job performance. This evidence offers healthcare administrators opportunities to intervene with measures to promote nurse's health, well-being and safety. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Energy Efficient and Performance Analysis of Multihop Wireless Communication Over Nakagami-m Fading Channel

KAUST Repository

Randrianantenaina, Itsikiantsoa

2015-01-01

In this work, the performance of multihop communication over Nakagami-m fading is investigated for both cases without and with diversity combining. Closed form expressions of the average ergodic capacity are derived for each of these cases. Then, an expression of the outage probability is obtained using the inverse of Laplace transform and the average bit error rate is bounded using the Moment-Generating-Function approach. The energy efficiency is analyzed using the "consumption factor" as a metric, and it is derived in closed-form. And based on the obtained expressions, we propose a power allocation strategy maximizing this consumption factor.

The advent of canine performance science: offering a sustainable future for working dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobb, Mia; Branson, Nick; McGreevy, Paul; Lill, Alan; Bennett, Pauleen

2015-01-01

Working and sporting dogs provide an essential contribution to many industries worldwide. The common development, maintenance and disposal of working and sporting dogs can be considered in the same way as other animal production systems. The process of 'production' involves genetic selection, puppy rearing, recruitment and assessment, training, housing and handling, handler education, health and working life end-point management. At present, inefficiencies throughout the production process result in a high failure rate of dogs attaining operational status. This level of wastage would be condemned in other animal production industries for economic reasons and has significant implications for dog welfare, as well as public perceptions of dog-based industries. Standards of acceptable animal use are changing and some historically common uses of animals are no longer publicly acceptable, especially where harm is caused for purposes deemed trivial, or where alternatives exist. Public scrutiny of animal use appears likely to increase and extend to all roles of animals, including working and sporting dogs. Production system processes therefore need to be transparent, traceable and ethically acceptable for animal use to be sustainable into the future. Evidence-based approaches already inform best practice in fields as diverse as agriculture and human athletic performance. This article introduces the nascent discipline of canine performance science, which aims to facilitate optimal product quality and production efficiency, while also assuring evidence-based increments in dog welfare through a process of research and development. Our thesis is that the model of canine performance science offers an objective, transparent and traceable opportunity for industry development in line with community expectations and underpins a sustainable future for working dogs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Canine Behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

THE RELATION OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE WORK SYSTEMS WITH EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bilal AFSAR

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The basic aim of high performance work systems is to enable employees to exercise decision making, leading to flexibility, innovation, improvement and skill sharing. By facilitating the development of high performance work systems we help organizations make continuous improvement a way of life.The notion of a high-performance work system (HPWS constitutes a claim that there exists a system of work practices for core workers in an organisation that leads in some way to superior performance. This article will discuss the relation that HPWS has with the improvement of firms’ performance and high involvement of the employees.

Some think of all rises on efficiency and performance for antisubmarine weapon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan Qian

2003-01-01

The integrated antisubmarine weapon system is new antisubmarine weapon system studied by our country. The efficiency and performance of the system was not put into fullplay in the trying on. The reason for thus is much, such as: personnel, training, management, use, arm system and son on. The author presented some think of all rises on efficiency and performance for integrated antisubmarine weapon

Variables associated with work performance in multidisciplinary mental health teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Chiocchio, François

2017-01-01

This study investigates work performance among 79 mental health teams in Quebec (Canada). We hypothesized that work performance was positively associated with the use of standardized clinical tools and clinical approaches, integration strategies, "clan culture," and mental health funding per capita. Work performance was measured using an adapted version of the Work Role Questionnaire. Variables were organized into four key areas: (1) team attributes, (2) organizational culture, (3) inter-organizational interactions, and (4) external environment. Work performance was associated with two types of organizational culture (clan and hierarchy) and with two team attributes (use of standardized clinical tools and approaches). This study was innovative in identifying associations between work performance and best practices, justifying their implementation. Recommendations are provided to develop organizational cultures promoting a greater focus on the external environment and integration strategies that strengthen external focus, service effectiveness, and innovation.

Comparative analysis of different AES implementation techniques for efficient resource usage and better performance of an FPGA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umer Farooq

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years, cryptographic algorithms have become increasingly important. Advanced Encryption Standard (AES algorithm was introduced in early 2000. It is widely adopted because of its easy implementation and robust security. In this work, AES is implemented on FPGA using five different techniques. These techniques are based on optimized implementation of AES on FPGA by making efficient resource usage of the target device. Experimental results obtained are quite varying in nature. They range from smallest (suitable for area critical application to fastest (suitable for performance critical applications implementation. Finally, technique making efficient usage of resources leads to frequency of 886.64 MHz and throughput of 113.5 Gb/s with moderate resource consumption on a Spartan-6 device. Furthermore, comparison between proposed technique and existing work shows that our technique has 32% higher frequency, while consuming 2.63× more slice LUTs, 8.33× less slice registers, and 12.59× less LUT-FF pairs.

The human factor in maintenance work

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansson, B.

1996-01-01

In most of the maintenance works performed at operating plants, the personnel is the warranty for both efficient performance and good quality. To reach the right quality level in performance, the personnel needs adequate tools and of course a maintenance strategy and an organisation that supports the efficient work. The human factor is mostly referred to when something went wrong and analyses are done. There is a great potential of doing preventive analysis. The presentation will focus on experience in this field and what has been done at Barsebaeck NPP to analyse and improve the maintenance work. As maintenance work can't be seen as an isolated area, the rest of the plant organisation is included in the presentation. (author) figs., tabs

48 CFR 836.501 - Performance of work by the contractor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance of work by the... Performance of work by the contractor. The contracting officer shall insert the clause at 852.236-72, Performance of work by the contractor, in solicitations and contracts for construction that contain the FAR...

14 CFR 151.53 - Performance of construction work: Labor requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: Labor... § 151.53 Performance of construction work: Labor requirements. A sponsor who is required to include in a... during the performance of work under the contract, to the extent necessary to determine whether the...

Relations between mental health team characteristics and work role performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleury, Marie-Josée; Grenier, Guy; Bamvita, Jean-Marie; Farand, Lambert

2017-01-01

Effective mental health care requires a high performing, interprofessional team. Among 79 mental health teams in Quebec (Canada), this exploratory study aims to 1) determine the association between work role performance and a wide range of variables related to team effectiveness according to the literature, and to 2) using structural equation modelling, assess the covariance between each of these variables as well as the correlation with other exogenous variables. Work role performance was measured with an adapted version of a work role questionnaire. Various independent variables including team manager characteristics, user characteristics, team profiles, clinical activities, organizational culture, network integration strategies and frequency/satisfaction of interactions with other teams or services were analyzed under the structural equation model. The later provided a good fit with the data. Frequent use of standardized procedures and evaluation tools (e.g. screening and assessment tools for mental health disorders) and team manager seniority exerted the most direct effect on work role performance. While network integration strategies had little effect on work role performance, there was a high covariance between this variable and those directly affecting work role performance among mental health teams. The results suggest that the mental healthcare system should apply standardized procedures and evaluation tools and, to a lesser extent, clinical approaches to improve work role performance in mental health teams. Overall, a more systematic implementation of network integration strategies may contribute to improved work role performance in mental health care.

Working memory, math performance, and math anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashcraft, Mark H; Krause, Jeremy A

2007-04-01

The cognitive literature now shows how critically math performance depends on working memory, for any form of arithmetic and math that involves processes beyond simple memory retrieval. The psychometric literature is also very clear on the global consequences of mathematics anxiety. People who are highly math anxious avoid math: They avoid elective coursework in math, both in high school and college, they avoid college majors that emphasize math, and they avoid career paths that involve math. We go beyond these psychometric relationships to examine the cognitive consequences of math anxiety. We show how performance on a standardized math achievement test varies as a function of math anxiety, and that math anxiety compromises the functioning of working memory. High math anxiety works much like a dual task setting: Preoccupation with one's math fears and anxieties functions like a resource-demanding secondary task. We comment on developmental and educational factors related to math and working memory, and on factors that may contribute to the development of math anxiety.

OPTSDNA: Performance evaluation of an efficient distributed bioinformatics system for DNA sequence analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Mohammad Ibrahim; Sheel, Chotan

2013-01-01

Storage of sequence data is a big concern as the amount of data generated is exponential in nature at several locations. Therefore, there is a need to develop techniques to store data using compression algorithm. Here we describe optimal storage algorithm (OPTSDNA) for storing large amount of DNA sequences of varying length. This paper provides performance analysis of optimal storage algorithm (OPTSDNA) of a distributed bioinformatics computing system for analysis of DNA sequences. OPTSDNA algorithm is used for storing various sizes of DNA sequences into database. DNA sequences of different lengths were stored by using this algorithm. These input DNA sequences are varied in size from very small to very large. Storage size is calculated by this algorithm. Response time is also calculated in this work. The efficiency and performance of the algorithm is high (in size calculation with percentage) when compared with other known with sequential approach.

Genetic relationships between feed efficiency in growing males and beef cow performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, J J; Evans, R D; Mc Hugh, N; Kenny, D A; McGee, M; Crews, D H; Berry, D P

2011-11-01

Most studies on feed efficiency in beef cattle have focused on performance in young animals despite the contribution of the cow herd to overall profitability of beef production systems. The objective of this study was to quantify, using a large data set, the genetic covariances between feed efficiency in growing animals measured in a performance-test station, and beef cow performance including fertility, survival, calving traits, BW, maternal weaning weight, cow price, and cull cow carcass characteristics in commercial herds. Feed efficiency data were available on 2,605 purebred bulls from 1 test station. Records on cow performance were available on up to 94,936 crossbred beef cows. Genetic covariances were estimated using animal and animal-dam linear mixed models. Results showed that selection for feed efficiency, defined as feed conversion ratio (FCR) or residual BW gain (RG), improved maternal weaning weight as evidenced by the respective genetic correlations of -0.61 and 0.57. Despite residual feed intake (RFI) being phenotypically independent of BW, a negative genetic correlation existed between RFI and cow BW (-0.23; although the SE of 0.31 was large). None of the feed efficiency traits were correlated with fertility, calving difficulty, or perinatal mortality. However, genetic correlations estimated between age at first calving and FCR (-0.55 ± 0.14), Kleiber ratio (0.33 ± 0.15), RFI (-0.29 ± 0.14), residual BW gain (0.36 ± 0.15), and relative growth rate (0.37 ± 0.15) all suggest that selection for improved efficiency may delay the age at first calving, and we speculate, using information from other studies, that this may be due to a delay in the onset of puberty. Results from this study, based on the estimated genetic correlations, suggest that selection for improved feed efficiency will have no deleterious effect on cow performance traits with the exception of delaying the age at first calving.

Academic Performance and Burnout: An Efficient Frontier Analysis of Resource Use Efficiency among Employed University Students

Science.gov (United States)

Galbraith, Craig S.; Merrill, Gregory B.

2015-01-01

We examine the impact of university student burnout on academic achievement. With a longitudinal sample of working undergraduate university business and economics students, we use a two-step analytical process to estimate the efficient frontiers of student productivity given inputs of labour and capital and then analyse the potential determinants…

Walking the Torque: Proposed Work Plan for Energy-Efficiency Policy Opportunities for Electric Motor-Driven Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2011-07-01

Electric motor-driven system is the largest single energy end use accounting for more than 40% of global electricity consumption. This paper sets out an ambitious but achievable target with the global work plan to improve the energy efficiency of electric motor-driven system by 10% to 15% based on the finding of working paper ''Energy-Efficiency Policy Opportunities for Electric Motor-Driven Systems (Waide et al., 2011)''. If governments commit to the proposed work plan immediately and maintain resourcing levels, this could be achieved by 2030 and it would be equivalent to reducing total global electricity use by around 5%. The proposed work plan of this paper is to align regulatory settings within a globally applicable scheme. The IEA believes this target can only be achieved through global co-operation leading to aligned national policy settings that countries can unlock the economies of scale that will result from using more energy efficient EMDS.

48 CFR 852.236-72 - Performance of work by the contractor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance of work by the....236-72 Performance of work by the contractor. As prescribed in 836.501, insert the following clause: Performance of Work by the Contractor (JUL 2002) The clause entitled “Performance of Work by the Contractor...

Portuguese state university performance according to students: an efficiency analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emerson Wagner Mainardes

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research project is to evaluate the performance of Portuguese state universities in accordance with the expectations and satisfactions of their students and through recourse to the DEA methodology and thus representing one of the very few studies analysing university performance based upon student perceptions. According to an output oriented Variable Returns to Scale model, handling the responses returned by 1,669 students, the results demonstrate that faculties generally attain a good relationship between student expectations and their levels of satisfaction. We furthermore conclude that university scale does not guarantee efficiency. Hence, irrespective of size, universities are able to ensure the satisfaction of their students. Finally, the results show that satisfying only certain expectations related to specific aspects does not prove sufficient to guaranteeing overall student satisfaction. The analysis also correspondingly finds that while some decision making units prove efficient in satisfying expectations on specific aspects, they fail to attain such efficiency in the overall perspective of students.

29 CFR 1620.18 - Jobs performed under similar working conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Jobs performed under similar working conditions. 1620.18... THE EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.18 Jobs performed under similar working conditions. (a) In general. In order for the equal pay standard to apply, the jobs are required to be performed under similar working...

Summary of Country Reports Submitted to the Energy Efficiency Working Party - September 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

The purpose of this summary report is to highlight energy efficiency policy action and planning in IEA member countries since the last meeting of the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP)1 held in January 2010. This paper provides an overview of energy efficiency developments across all sectors, but is not meant to be a comprehensive review of every energy efficiency-related policy in IEA member countries. At the request of the EEWP, this issue of the country report summary focuses primarily on transport. Countries reported a wide range of energy efficiency policy activity. Compared with past reports, energy efficiency policy planning seems to be giving way to programme implementation in the buildings, lighting and appliances sectors. Planning and implementation is underway in the transport sector. Measures in the transport sector are diverse and include financial support for electric vehicle R&D and pilot projects, fiscal policies to encourage the purchase of efficient vehicles, eco-drive programmes and vehicle labelling. Measures of note outside the transport sector include the promotion of smart metering.

Socioeconomic disparities in work performance following mild stroke.

Science.gov (United States)

Brey, Joseph K; Wolf, Timothy J

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among the factors that influence return to work for young individuals with mild stroke from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Prospective cohort study of working adults with mild stroke (N = 21). Participants completed an assessment battery of cognitive, work environment and work performance measures at approximately 3 weeks and 7 months post mild stroke. Individuals were placed in "skilled" and "unskilled" worker categories based on the Hollingshead Index. Unskilled workers had significantly poorer scores on the majority of the cognitive assessments. Unskilled workers also perceived less social support (p = 0.017) and autonomy (p = 0.049) in work responsibilities than individuals in the skilled worker group and also reported significantly poorer work productivity due to stroke than those in the skilled group (p = 0.015). Individuals from low socioeconomic backgrounds have more difficulty returning to work following mild stroke than individuals from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Future work is needed to identify factors that can increase long-term work success and quality of work performance following a mild stroke that specifically targets the needs of individuals who have a lower socioeconomic status.

Synthesis of work-zone performance measures.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

The main objective of this synthesis was to identify and summarize how agencies collect, analyze, and report different work-zone : traffic-performance measures, which include exposure, mobility, and safety measures. The researchers also examined comm...

Impact of Age and Hearing Impairment on Work Performance during Long Working Hours.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner-Hartl, Verena; Grossi, Nina R; Kallus, K Wolfgang

2018-01-09

Based on demographic prognoses, it must be assumed that a greater number of older workers will be found in the future labor market. How to deal with their possible age-related impairments of sensory functions, like hearing impairment and work performance during extended working time, has not been addressed explicitly until now. The study addresses this interplay. The study was performed on two consecutive days after normal working hours. The 55 participants had to "work" in the study at least three additional hours to simulate a situation of long working hours. The tested measures for (job) performance were: general attention, long-term selective attention, concentration, and reaction time. All of the investigated variables were taken at both days of the study (2 × 2 × 2 repeated measurement design). The results show effects for age, the interaction of hearing impairment and time of measurement, and effects of the measurement time. Older participants reacted slower than younger participants did. Furthermore, younger participants reacted more frequently in a correct way. Hearing impairment seems to have a negative impact especially on measures of false reactions, and therefore especially on measurement time 1. The results can be interpreted in a way that hearing-impaired participants are able to compensate their deficits over time.

Measure Guideline: Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmody, J.; Haglund, K.

2012-11-01

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all US climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The document also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well. This document is for builders, homeowners, designers and anyone making decisions about selecting energy efficient window. It is intended to complement other Building America information and efforts.

Conceptual frameworks of individual work performance: A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Schaufeli, W.B.; Vet, H.C.W. de; Beek, A.J. van der

2011-01-01

Objective: Individual work performance is differently conceptualized and operationalized in different disciplines. The aim of the current review was twofold: (1) identifying conceptual frameworks of individual work performance and (2) integrating these to reach a heuristic conceptual framework.

Conceptual frameworks of individual work performance a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koopmans, L.; Bernaards, C.M.; Hildebrandt, V.H.; Schaufeli, W.B.; de Vet, H.C.W.; van der Beek, A.J.

2011-01-01

Objective: Individual work performance is differently conceptualized and operationalized in different disciplines. The aim of the current review was twofold: (1) identifying conceptual frameworks of individual work performance and (2) integrating these to reach a heuristic conceptual framework.

Evaluation and Improvement of Lighting Efficiency in Working Spaces

OpenAIRE

Ana Castillo-Martinez; Jose-Amelio Medina-Merodio; Jose-Maria Gutierrez-Martinez; Juan Aguado-Delgado; Carmen de-Pablos-Heredero; Salvador Otón

2018-01-01

Lighting is an essential element for modern life, promoting a sense of wellbeing for users. However, bad illumination may produce health problems such as headaches and fatigue, among other vision problems. For that reason, this paper proposes the development of a smartphone-based application to help in lighting evaluation to guarantee the compliance of illumination regulations and to help increase illuminance efficiency, reducing its energy consumption. To perform this evaluation, the smartph...

Summary of Country Reports Submitted to the Energy Efficiency Working Party - January 2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2010-07-01

The purpose of the January 2010 Country Report Summary is to highlight energy efficiency policy action and planning in IEA member countries since the previous meeting of the Energy Efficiency Working Party (EEWP) held in September 2009. This paper is not meant to be a comprehensive review of every energy efficiency-related policy in IEA member countries. In all of the country reports received, there is evidence of significant energy efficiency policy action. The most significant observations from these country reports cover three areas. The first is that the spending focus on energy efficiency seen in the previous two country reports (31 March and 15 September 2009) appears largely unchanged, and is still concentrated in the building sector. Second, countries are actively undertaking analysis and public consultation to plan for future projects. Third, many countries reported activity taking place in the area of fiscal policy, from amendments to new fiscal measures.

Methadone disrupts performance on the working memory version of the Morris water task.

Science.gov (United States)

Hepner, Ilana J; Homewood, Judi; Taylor, Alan J

2002-05-01

The aim of the study was to examine if administration of the mu-opiate agonist methadone hydrochloride resulted in deficits in performance on the Morris water tank task, a widely used test of spatial cognition. To this end, after initial training on the task, Long-Evans rats were administered saline or methadone at either 1.25, 2.5 or 5 mg/kg ip 15 min prior to testing. The performance of the highest-dose methadone group was inferior to that of the controls on the working memory version of the Morris task. There were also differences between the groups on the reference memory version of the task, but this result cannot be considered reliable. These data show that methadone has its most profound effect on cognition in rats when efficient performance on the task requires attention to and retention of new information, in this case, the relationship between platform location and the extramaze cues.

14 CFR 151.45 - Performance of construction work: General requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: General... § 151.45 Performance of construction work: General requirements. (a) All construction work under a... work under a project until— (1) The sponsor has furnished three conformed copies of the contract to the...

High Performance Work System, HRD Climate and Organisational Performance: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Muduli, Ashutosh

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to study the relationship between high-performance work system (HPWS) and organizational performance and to examine the role of human resource development (HRD) Climate in mediating the relationship between HPWS and the organizational performance in the context of the power sector of India. Design/methodology/approach: The…

Improving the Eco-Efficiency of High Performance Computing Clusters Using EECluster

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alberto Cocaña-Fernández

2016-03-01

Full Text Available As data and supercomputing centres increase their performance to improve service quality and target more ambitious challenges every day, their carbon footprint also continues to grow, and has already reached the magnitude of the aviation industry. Also, high power consumptions are building up to a remarkable bottleneck for the expansion of these infrastructures in economic terms due to the unavailability of sufficient energy sources. A substantial part of the problem is caused by current energy consumptions of High Performance Computing (HPC clusters. To alleviate this situation, we present in this work EECluster, a tool that integrates with multiple open-source Resource Management Systems to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of clusters by improving their energy efficiency. EECluster implements a dynamic power management mechanism based on Computational Intelligence techniques by learning a set of rules through multi-criteria evolutionary algorithms. This approach enables cluster operators to find the optimal balance between a reduction in the cluster energy consumptions, service quality, and number of reconfigurations. Experimental studies using both synthetic and actual workloads from a real world cluster support the adoption of this tool to reduce the carbon footprint of HPC clusters.

Influence of Manual Labor at Work on Muscular Fitness and Its Relationship With Work Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Eric D; Thompson, Brennan J; Sobolewski, Eric J

2016-10-01

The present study examined the influence of workplace manual labor on measures of muscular fitness, with a secondary aim to investigate the relationship between muscular fitness and work performance in blue-collar (BC) workers. Leg extension isokinetic strength at slow and fast velocities, hamstring and hip-flexor flexibility, and low back muscular endurance were examined in young and older BC workers and white-collar (WC) controls, while work performance was examined in the BC cohort. There were no differences in muscular fitness variables between BC and WC groups; however, the older men had lower low back muscular endurance (-43.0%) and strength at slow (-9.4%) and fast (-12.7%) velocities. Work performance was associated with strength at fast velocities (r = 0.633) in the older BC workers. Leg strength may influence work performance, with higher velocities becoming more important in older workers.

Enhanced performance of solar cells with optimized surface recombination and efficient photon capturing via anisotropic-etching of black silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, H. Y.; Peng, Y.; Hong, M.; Zhang, Y. B.; Cai, Bin; Zhu, Y. M.; Yuan, G. D.; Zhang, Y.; Liu, Z. Q.; Wang, J. X.; Li, J. M.

2014-01-01

We report an enhanced conversion efficiency of femtosecond-laser treated silicon solar cells by surface modification of anisotropic-etching. The etching improves minority carrier lifetime inside modified black silicon area substantially; moreover, after the etching, an inverted pyramids/upright pyramids mixed texture surface is obtained, which shows better photon capturing capability than that of conventional pyramid texture. Combing of these two merits, the reformed solar cells show higher conversion efficiency than that of conventional pyramid textured cells. This work presents a way for fabricating high performance silicon solar cells, which can be easily applied to mass-production

Financial performance monitoring of the technical efficiency of critical access hospitals: a data envelopment analysis and logistic regression modeling approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Asa B; Kerr, Bernard J; Bastian, Nathaniel D; Fulton, Lawrence V

2012-01-01

From 1980 to 1999, rural designated hospitals closed at a disproportionally high rate. In response to this emergent threat to healthcare access in rural settings, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 made provisions for the creation of a new rural hospital--the critical access hospital (CAH). The conversion to CAH and the associated cost-based reimbursement scheme significantly slowed the closure rate of rural hospitals. This work investigates which methods can ensure the long-term viability of small hospitals. This article uses a two-step design to focus on a hypothesized relationship between technical efficiency of CAHs and a recently developed set of financial monitors for these entities. The goal is to identify the financial performance measures associated with efficiency. The first step uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to differentiate efficient from inefficient facilities within a data set of 183 CAHs. Determining DEA efficiency is an a priori categorization of hospitals in the data set as efficient or inefficient. In the second step, DEA efficiency is the categorical dependent variable (efficient = 0, inefficient = 1) in the subsequent binary logistic regression (LR) model. A set of six financial monitors selected from the array of 20 measures were the LR independent variables. We use a binary LR to test the null hypothesis that recently developed CAH financial indicators had no predictive value for categorizing a CAH as efficient or inefficient, (i.e., there is no relationship between DEA efficiency and fiscal performance).

An exploratory study of the effects of spatial working-memory load on prefrontal activation in low- and high-performing elderly.

Science.gov (United States)

Vermeij, Anouk; van Beek, Arenda H E A; Reijs, Babette L R; Claassen, Jurgen A H R; Kessels, Roy P C

2014-01-01

Older adults show more bilateral prefrontal activation during cognitive performance than younger adults, who typically show unilateral activation. This over-recruitment has been interpreted as compensation for declining structure and function of the brain. Here we examined how the relationship between behavioral performance and prefrontal activation is modulated by different levels of working-memory load. Eighteen healthy older adults (70.8 ± 5.0 years; MMSE 29.3 ± 0.9) performed a spatial working-memory task (n-back). Oxygenated ([O2Hb]) and deoxygenated ([HHb]) hemoglobin concentration changes were registered by two functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) channels located over the left and right prefrontal cortex. Increased working-memory load resulted in worse performance compared to the control condition. [O2Hb] increased with rising working-memory load in both fNIRS channels. Based on the performance in the high working-memory load condition, the group was divided into low and high performers. A significant interaction effect of performance level and hemisphere on [O2Hb] increase was found, indicating that high performers were better able to keep the right prefrontal cortex engaged under high cognitive demand. Furthermore, in the low performers group, individuals with a larger decline in task performance from the control to the high working-memory load condition had a larger bilateral increase of [O2Hb]. The high performers did not show a correlation between performance decline and working-memory load related prefrontal activation changes. Thus, additional bilateral prefrontal activation in low performers did not necessarily result in better cognitive performance. Our study showed that bilateral prefrontal activation may not always be successfully compensatory. Individual behavioral performance should be taken into account to be able to distinguish successful and unsuccessful compensation or declined neural efficiency.

Energy Efficient and Performance Analysis of Multihop Wireless Communication Over Nakagami-m Fading Channel

KAUST Repository

Randrianantenaina, Itsikiantsoa

2015-06-01

The concept of multihop communications (where the source communicates with the destination via many intermediate nodes) has been revisited and adapted to mitigate wireless channel impairments and ensure broader coverage. It has been shown in the literature that, in addition to extending coverage, overcoming shadowing and reducing the transmit power, multihop communications can increase the capacity of the network at a low additional cost. On the other hand, the problem of energy efficiency is one of the current biggest challenges towards green radio communications. Morevover, electromagnetic radiation is at its limit in many contexts, while for battery-powered devices, transmit and circuit energy consumption has to be minimized for better battery lifetime and performance. In this work, the performance of multihop communication over Nakagami-m fading is investigated for both cases without and with diversity combining. Closed form expressions of the average ergodic capacity are derived for each of these cases. Then, an expression of the outage probability is obtained using the inverse of Laplace transform and the average bit error rate is bounded using the Moment-Generating-Function approach. The energy efficiency is analyzed using the "consumption factor" as a metric, and it is derived in closed-form. And based on the obtained expressions, we propose a power allocation strategy maximizing this consumption factor.

Operational safety performance and economical efficiency evaluation for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Yachun; Zou Shuliang

2012-01-01

The economical efficiency of nuclear power includes a series of environmental parameters, for example, cleanliness. Nuclear security is the precondition and guarantee for its economy, and both are the direct embodiment of the social benefits of nuclear power. Through analyzing the supervision and management system on the effective operation of nuclear power plants, which has been put forward by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and other organizations, a set of indexs on the safety performance and economical efficiency of nuclear power are explored and established; Based on data envelopment analysis, a DEA approach is employed to evaluate the efficiency of the operation performance of several nuclear power plants, Some primary conclusion are achieved on the basis of analyzing the threshold parameter's sensitivity and relativity which affected operational performance. To address the conflicts between certain security and economical indicators, a multi-objective programming model is established, where top priority is given to nuclear safety, and the investment behavior of nuclear power plant is thereby optimized. (authors)

Resources on work zone safety and mobility performance monitoring and measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Work zone performance measures are metrics that help quantify how work zones impact travelers, residents, businesses, and workers. Some performance measures describe how an individual work zone impacts these audiences; other performance measures desc...

Infrastructure performance of irrigation canal to irrigation efficiency of irrigation area of Candi Limo in Mojokerto District

Science.gov (United States)

Kisnanto, S.; Hadiani, R. R. R.; Ikhsan, C.

2018-03-01

Performance is a measure of infrastructure success in delivering the benefits corresponding it’s design implementation. Debit efficiency is a comparison between outflow debit and inflow debit. Irrigation canal performance is part of the overall performance aspects of an irrigation area. The greater of the canal performance will be concluded that the canal is increasingly able to meet the planned benefits, need to be seen its comparison between the performance and debit efficiency of the canal. The existing problems in the field that the value of the performance of irrigation canals are not always comparable to the debit efficiency. This study was conducted to describe the relationship between the performance of the canal to the canal debit efficiency. The study was conducted at Candi Limo Irrigation Area in Mojokerto Disctrict under the authority of Pemerintahan Provinsi Jawa Timur. The primary canal and secondary canal are surveyed to obtain data. The physical condition of the primary and secondary canals into the material of this study also. Primary and secondary canal performance based on the physical condition in the field. Measurement inflow and outflow debit into the data for the calculation of the debit efficiency. The instrument used in this study such as the current meter for debit measurements in the field as a solution when there is a building measure in the field were damaged, also using the meter and the camera. Permen PU No.32 is used to determine the value of the performance of the canal, while the efficiency analysis to calculate a comparison value between outflow and inflow debit. The process of data running processing by performing the measurement and calculation of the performance of the canal, the canal debit efficiency value calculation, and display a graph of the relationship between the value of the performance with the debit efficiency in each canal. The expected results of this study that the performance value on the primary canal in the

Task Performance induced Work Load in Nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirazeh Arghami

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Background & objective: High workload may lead to increase human errors, compromise quality and safety of care, and reduce the nurses’ quality of working life. The aim of this study is to determine the task-induced workload in nursing. Methods: This is a descriptive analytical study. All of 214 nurses of one of the educational hospital took part in. After obtaining informed consent from participants, data were collected based on NASA-TLX questionnaire and the desired level assumed less than 50%. Analysis of data was performed by descriptive statistics and Anova in SPSS software (version 11. 0 at significant level of 0.05. Results: The results showed that perceived mental pressure for nurses is more than other NASA-TLX subscales (P< .001. Also, the mean perceived workload was more than 50%. However, mean workload score of NASA-TLX showed significant correlation with age (P< .001, work experience (P< .001, shift work (P< .02, and department (P< .001. Conclusion: The results show that effective programs will be required to reduce the work load, and to enhance nurses' performance

Performance Verification of Production-Scalable Energy-Efficient Solutions: Winchester/Camberley Homes Mixed-Humid Climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallay, D. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States); Wiehagen, J. [Partnership for Home Innovation, Upper Marlboro, MD (United States)

2014-07-01

Winchester/Camberley Homes collaborated with the Building America team Partnership for Home Innovation to develop a new set of high performance home designs that could be applicable on a production scale. The new home designs are to be constructed in the mixed humid climate zone and could eventually apply to all of the builder's home designs to meet or exceed future energy codes or performance-based programs. However, the builder recognized that the combination of new wall framing designs and materials, higher levels of insulation in the wall cavity, and more detailed air sealing to achieve lower infiltration rates changes the moisture characteristics of the wall system. In order to ensure long term durability and repeatable successful implementation with few call-backs, the project team demonstrated through measured data that the wall system functions as a dynamic system, responding to changing interior and outdoor environmental conditions within recognized limits of the materials that make up the wall system. A similar investigation was made with respect to the complete redesign of the HVAC systems to significantly improve efficiency while maintaining indoor comfort. Recognizing the need to demonstrate the benefits of these efficiency features, the builder offered a new house model to serve as a test case to develop framing designs, evaluate material selections and installation requirements, changes to work scopes and contractor learning curves, as well as to compare theoretical performance characteristics with measured results.

The effects of working memory on brain-computer interface performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sprague, Samantha A; McBee, Matthew T; Sellers, Eric W

2016-02-01

The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between working memory and BCI performance. Participants took part in two separate sessions. The first session consisted of three computerized tasks. The List Sorting Working Memory Task was used to measure working memory, the Picture Vocabulary Test was used to measure general intelligence, and the Dimensional Change Card Sort Test was used to measure executive function, specifically cognitive flexibility. The second session consisted of a P300-based BCI copy-spelling task. The results indicate that both working memory and general intelligence are significant predictors of BCI performance. This suggests that working memory training could be used to improve performance on a BCI task. Working memory training may help to reduce a portion of the individual differences that exist in BCI performance allowing for a wider range of users to successfully operate the BCI system as well as increase the BCI performance of current users. Copyright © 2015 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

COMMUNICATION, WORK PERFORMANCE AND HEARING IMPAIRMENT

OpenAIRE

Héctor Florencio Martínez Pérez

2015-01-01

The objective of this research is to describe the work performance of employees with hearing disabilities in education and their communication style. Theoretically, Karns, Dow and Neville (2012), postulated that the deaf processed Visual and tactile stimuli in their tasks. In job performance there are the contributions of Treviño et al (2010), Chiavenato (2009, 2011) and Robbins and Judge (2009). Venezuelan laws are included as basis and strengthening of inclution-participation of the deaf. T...

Working-memory performance is related to spatial breadth of attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kreitz, Carina; Furley, Philip; Memmert, Daniel; Simons, Daniel J

2015-11-01

Working memory and attention are closely related constructs. Models of working memory often incorporate an attention component, and some even equate working memory and attentional control. Although some attention-related processes, including inhibitory control of response conflict and interference resolution, are strongly associated with working memory, for other aspects of attention the link is less clear. We examined the association between working-memory performance and attentional breadth, the ability to spread attention spatially. If the link between attention and working memory is broader than inhibitory and interference resolution processes, then working-memory performance might also be associated with other attentional abilities, including attentional breadth. We tested 123 participants on a variety of working-memory and attentional-breadth measures, finding a strong correlation between performances on these two types of tasks. This finding demonstrates that the link between working memory and attention extends beyond inhibitory processes.

48 CFR 52.236-1 - Performance of Work by the Contractor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance of Work by the....236-1 Performance of Work by the Contractor. As prescribed in 36.501(b), insert the following clause... the work and customary or necessary specialty subcontracting (see 36.501(a)).] Performance of Work by...

Performance Study of Solar Heat Pipe with Different Working Fluids and Fill Ratios

Science.gov (United States)

Harikrishnan, S. S.; Kotebavi, Vinod

2016-09-01

This paper elaborates on the testing of solar heat pipes using different working fluids, fill ratios and tilt angles. Methanol, Acetone and water are used as working fluids, with fill ratios 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Experiments were carried out at 600 and 350 inclinations. Heat pipe condenser section is placed inside a water basin containing 200ml of water. The evaporator section is exposed to sunlight where the working fluid gets heated and it becomes vapour and moves towards the condenser section. In the condenser section the heat is given to the water in the basin and the vapour becomes liquid and comes back to the evaporator section due to gravitational force. Two modes of experiments are carried out: 1) using a parabolic collector and 2) using heat pipe with evacuated tubes. On comparative study, optimum fill ratio is been found to be 25% in every case and acetone exhibited slightly more efficiency than methanol and water. As far as the heat pipe orientation is concerned, 600 inclination of the heat pipe showed better performance than 350

Effects of a Flexibility/Support Intervention on Work Performance: Evidence From the Work, Family, and Health Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Bray, Jeremy W; Hinde, Jesse M; Kaiser, David J; Mills, Michael J; Karuntzos, Georgia T; Genadek, Katie R; Kelly, Erin L; Kossek, Ellen E; Hurtado, David A

2018-05-01

To estimate the effects of a workplace initiative to reduce work-family conflict on employee performance. A group-randomized multisite controlled experimental study with longitudinal follow-up. An information technology firm. Employees randomized to the intervention (n = 348) and control condition (n = 345). An intervention, "Start. Transform. Achieve. Results." to enhance employees' control over their work time, to increase supervisors' support for this change, and to increase employees' and supervisors' focus on results. We estimated the effect of the intervention on 9 self-reported employee performance measures using a difference-in-differences approach with generalized linear mixed models. Performance measures included actual and expected hours worked, absenteeism, and presenteeism. This study found little evidence that an intervention targeting work-family conflict affected employee performance. The only significant effect of the intervention was an approximately 1-hour reduction in expected work hours. After Bonferroni correction, the intervention effect is marginally insignificant at 6 months and marginally significant at 12 and 18 months. The intervention reduced expected working time by 1 hour per week; effects on most other employee self-reported performance measures were statistically insignificant. When coupled with the other positive wellness and firm outcomes, this intervention may be useful for improving employee perceptions of increased access to personal time or personal wellness without sacrificing performance. The null effects on performance provide countervailing evidence to recent negative press on work-family and flex work initiatives.

Adolescent Work Intensity, School Performance, and Academic Engagement

Science.gov (United States)

Staff, Jeremy; Schulenberg, John E.; Bachman, Jerald G.

2010-01-01

Teenagers working more than 20 hours per week perform worse in school than youth who work less. There are two competing explanations for this association: (1) that paid work takes time and effort away from activities that promote achievement, such as completing homework, preparing for examinations, getting help from parents and teachers, and…

Linking Working Capital Policy Towards Financial Performance of Small Medium Enterprise (SME in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Binti Mohamad Nor Edi Azhar

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Despite the fact that working capital management (WCM is vital to businesses of any size that operated in developed and emerging countries, WCM is of particular importance to the small business firms operating in emerging markets. The importance of WCM to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs stems from the limited financial resources available and heavily reliance of SMEs on WCM as a main source of finance. This study aims to provide empirical evidence on the effects of working capital investment policy on firm’s financial performance for a sample of 103 small and medium-sized firms listed with the SME Corporation of Malaysia. Data for the period from 2008 to 2013 are analysed to examine if investment policy improves firms’ return on total asset. By using correlation and pooled ordinary least square regression, the result provides a significant relationship between the level of aggressiveness of investment policy and SME’s financial performance. The findings of this study not only contribute to the scant WCM literature in Malaysia but throw light on the importance of efficient WCM to the policy makers and regulators in motivating and encouraging relevant parties to pay more attention on working capital through improving investors’ awareness and improving transparency.

The Impact of Corporate Governance on the Efficiency Performance of the Thai Non-Life Insurance Industry

OpenAIRE

Wen-Yen Hsu; Pongpitch Petchsakulwong

2010-01-01

This paper examines the relation between corporate governance and efficiency performance of public non-life insurance companies in Thailand over the period 2000–2007. Data envelopment analysis is used to compute an insurer's efficiency performance including technical, allocative, cost, and revenue efficiency. We then employ truncated bootstrapped regression to test the relation between efficiency performance and corporate governance. The results show that the characteristics of corporate gove...

The use of polybenzimidazole membranes in vanadium redox flow batteries leading to increased coulombic efficiency and cycling performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, X.L.; Zhao, T.S.; An, L.; Wei, L.; Zhang, C.

2015-01-01

An issue with conventional vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) with Nafion membranes is the crossover of vanadium ions, resulting in low coulombic efficiency and rapid decay in capacity. In this work, a VRFB with a polybenzimidazole (PBI) membrane is tested and compared with the Nafion system. Results show that the PBI-based VRFB exhibits a substantially higher coulombic efficiency of up to 99% at current densities ranging from 20 mA cm −2 to 80 mA cm −2 . More importantly, it is demonstrated that the PBI-based VRFB has a capacity decay rate of as low as 0.3% per cycle, which is four times lower than that of the Nafion system (1.3% per cycle). The improved coulombic efficiency and cycling performance are attributed to the low crossover of vanadium ions through the PBI membrane

14 CFR 151.49 - Performance of construction work: Contract requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: Contract... § 151.49 Performance of construction work: Contract requirements. (a) Contract provisions. In addition to any other provisions necessary to ensure completion of the work in accordance with the grant...

Take-Off Efficiency: Transformation of Mechanical Work Into Kinetic Energy During the Bosco Test

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jandova Sona

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of the study is to present a new method for determining the efficiency of take-off during a 60-s Bosco repeated vertical jump test. Method. The study involved 15 physical education students (age: 21.5 ± 2.4 years; height: 1.81 ± 0.08 m; mass: 76 ± 9 kg. The data were collected with the use of a pedobarographical system (Pedar-x; Novel, Munich, Germany. The statistical analysis utilized a simple linear regression model. Results. Owing to possible fatigue, flight time and flight height decreased. The average flight height was 0.260 ± 0.063 m, and the average contact time equalled 0.54 ± 0.16 s. The average anaerobic power values calculated for the 60-s work period had the mean value of 21.9 ± 6.7 W · kgBW-1; there was a statistically significant (p < 0.05 decrease in anaerobic power during the 60-s Bosco test. Conclusions. The efficiency of mechanical work was highest at the beginning of the test, reaching values of up to 50%. The efficiency of mechanical work conversion into mechanical energy seems to be an appropriate determinant of rising fatigue during the 60-s Bosco jumping test.

Dieting and food cue-related working memory performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrian Meule

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Executive functioning (e.g., working memory is tightly intertwined with self-regulation. For example, food cue-elicited craving has been found to impair working memory performance. Furthermore, current dieters have been found to show lower working memory performance than non-dieters. Recent research, however, suggests that it is crucial to consider dieting success in addition to current dieting status or restrained eating in order to reveal cognitive mechanisms that are associated with successful eating-related self-regulation. The current study investigated food cue-related working memory performance as a function of dieting status and dieting success in female students. Participants performed an n-back task with pictures of food and neutral objects. Reaction time in response to food pictures was slower than in response to neutral pictures, whereas omission errors did not differ between picture types. Current food craving was increased after performing the food block, but not after the neutral block. There was an indirect effect of current dieting status on higher food craving after the food block, which was mediated by slower reaction time to food vs. neutral pictures. Furthermore, higher dieting success was associated with fewer omission errors in the food vs. neutral block in current dieters. There were no relationships of restrained eating with current food craving and task performance. Results further highlight the need to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful dieting in addition to current dieting status or restrained eating when examining possible mechanisms of overeating or successful restraint. Although palatable food cues induce food craving regardless of dieting success, they may boost executive functioning in successful dieters, which helps them to overcome these temptations.

Dieting and Food Cue-Related Working Memory Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Meule, Adrian

2016-01-01

Executive functioning (e.g., working memory) is tightly intertwined with self-regulation. For example, food cue-elicited craving has been found to impair working memory performance. Furthermore, current dieters have been found to show lower working memory performance than non-dieters. Recent research, however, suggests that it is crucial to consider dieting success in addition to current dieting status or restrained eating in order to reveal cognitive mechanisms that are associated with successful eating-related self-regulation. The current study investigated food cue-related working memory performance as a function of dieting status and dieting success in female students. Participants performed an n -back task with pictures of food and neutral objects. Reaction time in response to food pictures was slower than in response to neutral pictures, whereas omission errors did not differ between picture types. Current food craving was increased after performing the food block, but not after the neutral block. There was an indirect effect of current dieting status on higher food craving after the food block, which was mediated by slower reaction time to food vs. neutral pictures. Furthermore, higher dieting success was associated with fewer omission errors in the food vs. neutral block in current dieters. There were no relationships of restrained eating with current food craving and task performance. Results further highlight the need to differentiate between successful and unsuccessful dieting in addition to current dieting status or restrained eating when examining possible mechanisms of overeating or successful restraint. Although palatable food cues induce food craving regardless of dieting success, they may boost executive functioning in successful dieters, which helps them to overcome these temptations.

Association between exposure to work stressors and cognitive performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuori, Marko; Akila, Ritva; Kalakoski, Virpi; Pentti, Jaana; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Härmä, Mikko; Puttonen, Sampsa

2014-04-01

To examine the association between work stress and cognitive performance. Cognitive performance of a total of 99 women (mean age = 47.3 years) working in hospital wards at either the top or bottom quartiles of job strain was assessed using validated tests that measured learning, short-term memory, and speed of memory retrieval. The high job strain group (n = 43) had lower performance than the low job strain group (n = 56) in learning (P = 0.025), short-term memory (P = 0.027), and speed of memory retrieval (P = 0.003). After controlling for education level, only the difference in speed of memory retrieval remained statistically significant (P = 0.010). The association found between job strain and speed of memory retrieval might be one important factor explaining the effect of stress on work performance.

Impact of Age and Hearing Impairment on Work Performance during Long Working Hours

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Verena Wagner-Hartl

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Based on demographic prognoses, it must be assumed that a greater number of older workers will be found in the future labor market. How to deal with their possible age-related impairments of sensory functions, like hearing impairment and work performance during extended working time, has not been addressed explicitly until now. The study addresses this interplay. The study was performed on two consecutive days after normal working hours. The 55 participants had to “work” in the study at least three additional hours to simulate a situation of long working hours. The tested measures for (job performance were: general attention, long-term selective attention, concentration, and reaction time. All of the investigated variables were taken at both days of the study (2 × 2 × 2 repeated measurement design. The results show effects for age, the interaction of hearing impairment and time of measurement, and effects of the measurement time. Older participants reacted slower than younger participants did. Furthermore, younger participants reacted more frequently in a correct way. Hearing impairment seems to have a negative impact especially on measures of false reactions, and therefore especially on measurement time 1. The results can be interpreted in a way that hearing-impaired participants are able to compensate their deficits over time.

Flexible working times : effects on employees' exhaustion, work-nonwork conflict and job performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kattenbach, R.; Demerouti, E.; Nachreiner, F.

2010-01-01

Purpose - The aim of this study is to provide a useful conceptualization of flexible working times and to examine the relationships between flexible working times and employees' well-being and peer ratings of performance. It is supposed that an employee's "time-autonomy" would be positively related

High efficiency motors - performance, economy and reliability, by optimisation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caselotti, P.; Conchetto, A.; Tavner, P.J.

2000-07-01

The challenge of the efficiency initiatives in North America and the European Union is to improve performance without reducing power-weight by adding materials and increasing cost. This has been the subject of other papers, Haataja et al Ref2, where the key area has been identified as reducing loss. This paper suggests that addressing the fundamental problem of heat transfer in the TEFC machine, in addition to reducing loss will make it possible to improve performance and still provide competitive products. (orig.)

Childhood Obesity and Academic Performance: The Role of Working Memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Nan; Chen, Yulu; Yang, Jinhua; Li, Fei

2017-01-01

The present study examined the role of working memory in the association between childhood obesity and academic performance, and further determined whether memory deficits in obese children are domain-specific to certain tasks or domain-general. A total of 227 primary school students aged 10-13 years were analyzed for weight and height, of which 159 children (44 "obese," 23 "overweight," and 92 "normal weight") filled out questionnaires on school performance and socioeconomic status. And then, all subjects finished three kinds of working memory tasks based on the digit memory task in 30 trials, which were image-generated with a series of numbers recall trial sets. After each trial set, subjects were given 5 s to recall and write down the numbers which hand appeared in the trial, in the inverse order in which they had appeared. The results showed there were significant academic performance differences among the three groups, with normal-weight children scoring higher than overweight and obese children after Bonferroni correction. A mediation model revealed a partial indirect effect of working memory in the relationship between obesity and academic performance. Although the performance of obese children in basic working memory tests was poorer than that of normal-weight children, they recalled more items than normal-weight children in working memory tasks involving with food/drink. Working memory deficits partially explain the poor academic performance of obese children. Those results indicated the obese children show domain-specific working memory deficits, whereas they recall more items than normal-weight children in working memory tasks associated with food/drink.

Modeling and experimental performance of an intermediate temperature reversible solid oxide cell for high-efficiency, distributed-scale electrical energy storage

Science.gov (United States)

Wendel, Christopher H.; Gao, Zhan; Barnett, Scott A.; Braun, Robert J.

2015-06-01

Electrical energy storage is expected to be a critical component of the future world energy system, performing load-leveling operations to enable increased penetration of renewable and distributed generation. Reversible solid oxide cells, operating sequentially between power-producing fuel cell mode and fuel-producing electrolysis mode, have the capability to provide highly efficient, scalable electricity storage. However, challenges ranging from cell performance and durability to system integration must be addressed before widespread adoption. One central challenge of the system design is establishing effective thermal management in the two distinct operating modes. This work leverages an operating strategy to use carbonaceous reactant species and operate at intermediate stack temperature (650 °C) to promote exothermic fuel-synthesis reactions that thermally self-sustain the electrolysis process. We present performance of a doped lanthanum-gallate (LSGM) electrolyte solid oxide cell that shows high efficiency in both operating modes at 650 °C. A physically based electrochemical model is calibrated to represent the cell performance and used to simulate roundtrip operation for conditions unique to these reversible systems. Design decisions related to system operation are evaluated using the cell model including current density, fuel and oxidant reactant compositions, and flow configuration. The analysis reveals tradeoffs between electrical efficiency, thermal management, energy density, and durability.

Work stressors, Chinese coping strategies, and job performance in Greater China.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Luo; Kao, Shu-Fang; Siu, Oi-Ling; Lu, Chang-Qin

2010-08-01

The aim of this research was to jointly test effects of work stressors and coping strategies on job performance among employees in the Greater China region. A self-administered survey was conducted to collect data from three major cities in the region, namely Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei (N = 380). Four important work stressors were assessed: heavy workload, organizational constraints, lack of work autonomy, and interpersonal conflict. We used a four-factor model of Chinese coping strategies composed of hobbies/relaxation, active action, seeking social support, and passive adaptation. Job performance was indicated by both task performance (quantity of work, quality of work, job knowledge) and contextual performance (attendance, getting along with others). We found that: (1) work stressors were related to job performance. Specifically, workload had a positive relation with quantity of work, whereas organizational constraints had negative relations with quantity of work and attendance. In addition, interpersonal conflict had a negative relation with getting along with others. (2) Chinese positive coping strategies were positively related to job performance. Specifically, seeking social support had positive relations with quantity of work and getting along with others, whereas active action had positive relations with attendance and job knowledge. (3) Chinese passive adaptation coping behaviors were negatively related to job performance. Specifically, passive adaptation had negative relations with quantity of work, quality of work, and getting along with others. The present study thus found joint effects of work stressors and coping behaviors among Chinese employees in the Greater China region, encompassing three sub-societies of mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Differential effects of Chinese positive and passive coping strategies were also noted. Most importantly, all these effects were demonstrated on multiple indicators of job performance, a rarely studied

Study on optimal performance and working temperatures of endoreversible forward and reverse Carnot cycles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, W.Z.; Sun, F.R.; Cheng, S.M.; Chen, L.G. [Huazhong Univ. of Sceince and Technology, Wuhan (China). Dept. of Power Engineering

1995-12-01

The connection between the expressions of optimization performances of Carnot heat engines, refrigerators and heat pumps, which operate subject to irreversible heat flow, is studied. We consider the endoreversible forward and reverse. Carnot cycles and analyse the expressions which relate efficiency, refrigeration and heating coefficients to power, refrigeration and heating rates, respectively. It is found and proved that when one of the optimal relations is derived the others are also determined, and give the unified formulation of the related optimal working temperatures of the forward and reverse Carnot cycles by isentropic temperature ratio exponent. Finally, several new optimal performance relations are derived for forward and reverse Carnot cycles under nonlinear heat transfer, and some major results in the references are easily deduced and unified in this paper. (author)

Activities of the work efficiency institute`s department of forestry; Tyoetehoseuran metsaeosaston toiminta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maekelae, J

1997-12-31

In accordance with the demarcation of tasks among Finnish forest-engineering research institutions, the Work Efficiency Institute`s Department of Forestry is the only one specialising in research and development focusing on forestry work involving low capital investments and done by landowners on their own estate or on a part-time basis outside their estates. This activity also includes the small-scale utilisation of wood and peat in heating. This bulletin presents a review of our recent research and development work. A significant stepping up of the utilisation of bioenerqy is one of the objectives of the Finnish Government. This has been noted in the Work Efficiency Institute`s Department of Forestry`s work programme in recent years by increasing the role of research and development promoting the consumption of bioenergy. As one of the participants in the National Bioenergy research programme (1993-1998), we are looking into the harvesting of small-diameter wood and wood residues, technology employed in the production of wood chips and fuelwood, cost calculations in fuelwood harvesting, energy entrepreneurship, and the development of fireplaces. Other recent topics of research engaged in by the Department of Forestry include possibilities in the mechanisation of tending of young stands, excavator-loaders in timber harvesting, and promoting self-reliance among landowners in carrying out of forestry work. On-going studies include comparison of pruning methods, a survey of co-operation among landowners at the local community level, and a study looking into the quality of wood produced for delivery sales. (orig.)

Predicting work Performance through selection interview ratings and Psychological assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liziwe Nzama

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of the study was to establish whether selection interviews used in conjunction with psychological assessments of personality traits and cognitive functioning contribute to predicting work performance. The sample consisted of 102 managers who were appointed recently in a retail organisation. The independent variables were selection interview ratings obtained on the basis of structured competency-based interview schedules by interviewing panels, fve broad dimensions of personality defned by the Five Factor Model as measured by the 15 Factor Questionnaire (15FQ+, and cognitive processing variables (current level of work, potential level of work, and 12 processing competencies measured by the Cognitive Process Profle (CPP. Work performance was measured through annual performance ratings that focused on measurable outputs of performance objectives. Only two predictor variables correlated statistically signifcantly with the criterion variable, namely interview ratings (r = 0.31 and CPP Verbal Abstraction (r = 0.34. Following multiple regression, only these variables contributed signifcantly to predicting work performance, but only 17.8% of the variance of the criterion was accounted for.

Performance analysis of an organic Rankine cycle with internal heat exchanger having zeotropic working fluid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thoranis Deethayat

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, performance of a 50 kW organic Rankine cycle (ORC with internal heat exchanger (IHE having R245fa/R152a zeotropic refrigerant with various compositions was investigated. The IHE could reduce heat rate at the ORC evaporator and better cycle efficiency could be obtained. The zeotropic mixture could reduce the irreversibilities during the heat exchanges at the ORC evaporator and the ORC condenser due to its gliding temperature; thus the cycle working temperatures came closer to the temperatures of the heat source and the heat sink. In this paper, effects of evaporating temperature, mass fraction of R152a and effectiveness of internal heat exchanger on the ORC performances for the first law and the second law of thermodynamics were considered. The simulated results showed that reduction of R245fa composition could reduce the irreversibilities at the evaporator and the condenser. The suitable composition of R245fa was around 80% mass fraction and below this the irreversibilities were nearly steady. Higher evaporating temperature and higher internal heat exchanger effectiveness also increased the first law and second law efficiencies. A set of correlations to estimate the first and the second law efficiencies with the mass fraction of R245fa, the internal heat exchanger effectiveness and the evaporating temperature were also developed.

Solvent-induced crystallization for hybrid perovskite thin-film photodetector with high-performance and low working voltage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Wei; Yang, Shuzhen; Fan, Peng; Pan, Anlian; Wu, Runsheng; Yang, Junliang

2017-01-01

Organometal trihalide perovskites have emerged as a class of solution-processed semiconductors exhibiting remarkable optoelectronic properties. Using a high-quality perovskite thin film prepared by solvent-induced crystallization method and adopting a novel device configuration based on photon recycling effect, a perovskite thin-film photodetector has been constructed with the highest external quantum efficiency of 4.1  ×  10 4 % and responsivity of 219 A W −1 at a low bias of 1 V so far. The device working mechanism was further disclosed based on energy band bending model. The high-performance and low working-voltage perovskite thin-film photodetector will find potential applications in photodetection and optoelectronic integrated circuits. (paper)

Performance and Quality of Working Life

NARCIS (Netherlands)

H.D. Pruijt (Hans)

2000-01-01

textabstractAn examination of the deep structure of the discourse on the organization of work shows that the most successful texts share a common structure: they construct an ideal model in which performance and quality go hand in hand. They provide explanations for the self-constructed gap between

Energy Efficient Graphene Based High Performance Capacitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Joonwon; Kwon, Oh Seok; Lee, Chang-Soo

2017-07-10

Graphene (GRP) is an interesting class of nano-structured electronic materials for various cutting-edge applications. To date, extensive research activities have been performed on the investigation of diverse properties of GRP. The incorporation of this elegant material can be very lucrative in terms of practical applications in energy storage/conversion systems. Among various those systems, high performance electrochemical capacitors (ECs) have become popular due to the recent need for energy efficient and portable devices. Therefore, in this article, the application of GRP for capacitors is described succinctly. In particular, a concise summary on the previous research activities regarding GRP based capacitors is also covered extensively. It was revealed that a lot of secondary materials such as polymers and metal oxides have been introduced to improve the performance. Also, diverse devices have been combined with capacitors for better use. More importantly, recent patents related to the preparation and application of GRP based capacitors are also introduced briefly. This article can provide essential information for future study. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Assessment of Work Performance (AWP)--development of an instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandqvist, Jan L; Törnquist, Kristina B; Henriksson, Chris M

2006-01-01

Adequate work assessments are a matter of importance both for individuals and society [5,29,31,38,40,46,52]. However, there is a lack of adequate and reliable instruments for use in work rehabilitation [14,15,20,21,31,44]. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate an observation instrument for assessing work performance, the AWP (Assessment of Work Performance). The purpose of the 14-item instrument is to assess the individual's observable working skills in three different areas: motor skills, process skills, and communication and interaction skills. This article describes the development and results of preliminary testing of the AWP. The testing indicates a satisfactory face validity and utility for the AWP and supports further research and testing of the instrument.

Inner work life: understanding the subtext of business performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Amabile, Teresa M; Kramer, Steven J

2007-05-01

Anyone in management knows that employees have their good days and their bad days--and that, for the most part, the reasons for their ups and downs are unknown. Most managers simply shrug their shoulders at this fact of work life. But does it matter, in terms of performance, if people have more good days than bad days? Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer's new stream of research, based on more than 12,000 diary entries logged by knowledge workers over three years, reveals the dramatic impact of employees' inner work lives--their perceptions, emotions, and motivation levels--on several dimensions of performance. People perform better when their workday experiences include more positive emotions, stronger intrinsic motivation (passion for the work), and more favorable perceptions of their work, their team, their leaders, and their organization. What the authors also found was that managers' behavior dramatically affects the tenor of employees' inner work lives. So what makes a difference to inner work life? When the authors compared the study participants' best days to their worst days, they found that the single most important differentiator was their sense of being able to make progress in their work. The authors also observed interpersonal events working in tandem with progress events. Praise without real work progress, or at least solid efforts toward progress, had little positive impact on people's inner work lives and could even arouse cynicism. On the other hand, good work progress without any recognition--or, worse, with criticism about trivial issues--could engender anger and sadness. Far and away, the best boosts to inner work life were episodes in which people knew they had done good work and their managers appropriately recognized that work.

An efficient nonlinear Feshbach engine

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jing; Fogarty, Thomás; Campbell, Steve; Chen, Xi; Busch, Thomas

2018-01-01

We investigate a thermodynamic cycle using a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) with nonlinear interactions as the working medium. Exploiting Feshbach resonances to change the interaction strength of the BEC allows us to produce work by expanding and compressing the gas. To ensure a large power output from this engine these strokes must be performed on a short timescale, however such non-adiabatic strokes can create irreversible work which degrades the engine’s efficiency. To combat this, we design a shortcut to adiabaticity which can achieve an adiabatic-like evolution within a finite time, therefore significantly reducing the out-of-equilibrium excitations in the BEC. We investigate the effect of the shortcut to adiabaticity on the efficiency and power output of the engine and show that the tunable nonlinearity strength, modulated by Feshbach resonances, serves as a useful tool to enhance the system’s performance.

Impaired work performance among women with symptomatic uterine fibroids.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerner, Debra; Mirza, Fadi G; Mirza, Fadi; Chang, Hong; Renzulli, Karen; Perch, Katherine; Chelmow, David

2008-10-01

To assess the work impact of symptomatic uterine fibroids (UFs). A cohort study compared 58 employed women with symptomatic UFs to 56 healthy controls. Data sources included a self-administered mail questionnaire and medical charts. At-work performance limitations and productivity loss were measured with the Work Limitations Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate case-control group differences were tested. Based on adjusted mean scores, the UF group had significantly more at-work limitations and productivity loss than controls, while absence rates were similar. The UF group's performance was impaired 18% of the time on average versus 8% for controls (P-values, 0.005-0.040). At-work limitations were explained by depression symptoms, Non-White race/ethnicity, and poorer health-related quality of life. Fibroids and related symptoms impose a burden on the working lives' of women, their employers, and the economy.

The distribution of work performed on a NIS junction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Santos, Jaime Eduardo Vieira da Silva Moutinho; Ribeiro, Pedro; Kirchner, Stefan

2016-01-01

We propose an experimental setup to measure the work performed in a normal-metal/insulator/superconducting (NIS) junction, subjected to a voltage change and in contact with a thermal bath. We compute the performed work and argue that the associated heat release can be measured experimentally. Our...... results are based on an equivalence between the dynamics of the NIS junction and that of an assembly of two-level systems subjected to a circularly polarised field, for which we can determine the work-characteristic function exactly. The average work dissipated by the NIS junction, as well as its...... fluctuations, are determined. From the work characteristic function, we also compute the work probability-distribution and show that it does not have a Gaussian character. Our results allow for a direct experimental test of the Crooks–Tasaki fluctuation relation....

The distribution of work performed on a NIS junction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, Jaime E; Ribeiro, Pedro; Kirchner, Stefan

2016-01-01

We propose an experimental setup to measure the work performed in a normal-metal/insulator/superconducting (NIS) junction, subjected to a voltage change and in contact with a thermal bath. We compute the performed work and argue that the associated heat release can be measured experimentally. Our results are based on an equivalence between the dynamics of the NIS junction and that of an assembly of two-level systems subjected to a circularly polarised field, for which we can determine the work-characteristic function exactly. The average work dissipated by the NIS junction, as well as its fluctuations, are determined. From the work characteristic function, we also compute the work probability-distribution and show that it does not have a Gaussian character. Our results allow for a direct experimental test of the Crooks–Tasaki fluctuation relation. (paper)

Impact of Previous Pharmacy Work Experience on Pharmacy School Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Mar, Ellena; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R.; Knapp, Katherine

2010-01-01

Objectives To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). Methods The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. Results No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Conclusions Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses. PMID:20498735

Impact of previous pharmacy work experience on pharmacy school academic performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mar, Ellena; Barnett, Mitchell J; T-L Tang, Terrill; Sasaki-Hill, Debra; Kuperberg, James R; Knapp, Katherine

2010-04-12

To determine whether students' previous pharmacy-related work experience was associated with their pharmacy school performance (academic and clinical). The following measures of student academic performance were examined: pharmacy grade point average (GPA), scores on cumulative high-stakes examinations, and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) grades. The quantity and type of pharmacy-related work experience each student performed prior to matriculation was solicited through a student survey instrument. Survey responses were correlated with academic measures, and demographic-based stratified analyses were conducted. No significant difference in academic or clinical performance between those students with prior pharmacy experience and those without was identified. Subanalyses by work setting, position type, and substantial pharmacy work experience did not reveal any association with student performance. A relationship was found, however, between age and work experience, ie, older students tended to have more work experience than younger students. Prior pharmacy work experience did not affect students' overall academic or clinical performance in pharmacy school. The lack of significant findings may have been due to the inherent practice limitations of nonpharmacist positions, changes in pharmacy education, and the limitations of survey responses.

Performance Verification of Production-Scalable Energy-Efficient Solutions: Winchester/Camberley Homes Mixed-Humid Climate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mallay, D.; Wiehagen, J.

2014-07-01

Winchester/Camberley Homes with the Building America program and its NAHB Research Center Industry Partnership collaborated to develop a new set of high performance home designs that could be applicable on a production scale. The new home designs are to be constructed in the mixed humid climate zone four and could eventually apply to all of the builder's home designs to meet or exceed future energy codes or performance-based programs. However, the builder recognized that the combination of new wall framing designs and materials, higher levels of insulation in the wall cavity, and more detailed air sealing to achieve lower infiltration rates changes the moisture characteristics of the wall system. In order to ensure long term durability and repeatable successful implementation with few call-backs, this report demonstrates through measured data that the wall system functions as a dynamic system, responding to changing interior and outdoor environmental conditions within recognized limits of the materials that make up the wall system. A similar investigation was made with respect to the complete redesign of the heating, cooling, air distribution, and ventilation systems intended to optimize the equipment size and configuration to significantly improve efficiency while maintaining indoor comfort. Recognizing the need to demonstrate the benefits of these efficiency features, the builder offered a new house model to serve as a test case to develop framing designs, evaluate material selections and installation requirements, changes to work scopes and contractor learning curves, as well as to compare theoretical performance characteristics with measured results.

Pengaruh High Performance Work Practice (Hpwp) Terhadap Job Performance Pada Frontliner Bank

OpenAIRE

Ihdaryanti, Monica Amani; Panggabean, Mutiara S

2014-01-01

Generally High Performance Work Practice (HPWP) is a part of management human resources. The objectives of this research are getting and analyzing the effect of HPWPs with Job Satisfaction; HPWPs with Organizational Commitment; Job Satisfaction with Organizational Commitment; Job Satisfaction with Job Performance; and Organizational Commitment with Job Performance. The total of sample in this research is 100 respondents which are as Front liner BNI and Mandiri. The result of th...

Models of Working Memory

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Miyake, Akira

1997-01-01

.... Understanding the mechanisms and structures underlying working memory is, hence, one of the most important scientific issues that need to be addressed to improve the efficiency and performance...

Energy-efficient buildings: Does the marketplace work?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.

1996-12-31

For a variety of reasons, U.S. households, businesses, manufacturers, and government agencies all fail to take full advantage of cost-effective, energy-efficiency opportunities. Despite a growing environmental ethic among Americans and a concern for energy independence, consumers in this country are underinvesting in technologies, products, and practices that would cut their energy bills. The result is a large untapped potential for improving energy productivity, economic competitiveness, environmental quality, and energy security. The thesis of this paper is that the marketplace for energy efficiency, in general, is not operating perfectly, and the marketplace for energy-efficient buildings, in particular, is flawed. The reasons for underinvestments in cost-effective, energy efficiency are numerous and complicated. They also vary from sector to sector: the principal causes of energy inefficiencies in agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation are not the same as the causes of inefficiencies in homes and office buildings, although there are some similarities. One of the reasons for these differences is that the structure of marketplace for delivering new technologies and products in each sector differs. Energy-efficiency improvements in the buildings sector is critical to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, since most of the energy consumed in buildings comes from the burning of fossil fuels. This paper therefore begins by describing energy use and energy trends in the U.S. buildings sector. Characteristics of the marketplace for delivering energy efficiency technologies and products are then described in detail, arguing that this marketplace structure significantly inhibits rapid efficiency improvements.

Working group 4B - human intrusion: Design/performance requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Channell, J.

1993-01-01

There is no summary of the progress made by working group 4B (Human Intrusion: Design/performance Requirements) during the Electric Power Research Institute's EPRI Workshop on the technical basis of EPA HLW Disposal Criteria, March 1993. This group was to discuss the waste disposal standard, 40 CFR Part 191, in terms of the design and performance requirements of human intrusion. Instead, because there were so few members, they combined with working group 4A and studied the three-tier approach to evaluating postclosure performance

Human Capital Efficiency and Firm Performance: An Empirical Study on Malaysian Technology Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahim Azlina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This study examined the relationship between human capital efficiency and firm’s performance in Malaysian technology industry. Using accounting data, this study reviewed annual reports of all technology companies listed under Main Market and Ace Market of Bursa Malaysia in year 2009. The study applied Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAICTM methodology developed by Ante Pulic to measure human capital efficiency. The results showed that there was not much difference in terms of human capital efficiency between the Main Market and Ace Market. Results from correlation analysis indicate that human capital efficiency has significant and positive relation with firm’s performance. Findings from this study may be useful to companies’ managers to make better decision pertaining to the proper deployment of their strategic asset, namely human capital.

Task complexity as a driver for collaborative learning efficiency: The collective working-memory effect

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirschner, Femke; Paas, Fred; Kirschner, Paul A.

2010-01-01

Kirschner, F., Paas, F., & Kirschner, P. A. (2011). Task complexity as a driver for collaborative learning efficiency: The collective working-memory effect. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 615–624. doi: 10.1002/acp.1730.

Power-efficient computer architectures recent advances

CERN Document Server

Själander, Magnus; Kaxiras, Stefanos

2014-01-01

As Moore's Law and Dennard scaling trends have slowed, the challenges of building high-performance computer architectures while maintaining acceptable power efficiency levels have heightened. Over the past ten years, architecture techniques for power efficiency have shifted from primarily focusing on module-level efficiencies, toward more holistic design styles based on parallelism and heterogeneity. This work highlights and synthesizes recent techniques and trends in power-efficient computer architecture.Table of Contents: Introduction / Voltage and Frequency Management / Heterogeneity and Sp

New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program High-Performance Test Homes - Pacific Northwest

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2015-05-01

This project represents the third phase of a multi-year effort to develop and bring to market a High Performance Manufactured Home (HPMH). In this project, the Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program worked with Building America Partnership for Improved Residential Construction and Bonneville Power Administration to help four factory homebuilders build prototype zero energy ready manufactured homes, resulting in what is expected to be a 30% savings relative to the Building America Benchmark. (The actual % savings varies depending on choice of heating equipment and climate zone). Previous phases of this project created a HPMH specification and prototyped individual measures from the package to obtain engineering approvals and develop preliminary factory construction processes. This case study describes the project team's work during 2014 to build prototype homes to the HPMH specifications and to monitor the homes for energy performance and durability. Monitoring is expected to continue into 2016.

The impact of interface bonding efficiency on high-burnup spent nuclear fuel dynamic performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Hao, E-mail: jiangh@ornl.gov; Wang, Jy-An John; Wang, Hong

2016-12-01

Highlights: • To investigate the impact of interfacial bonding efficiency at pellet-pellet and pellet-clad interfaces of high-burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) on its dynamic performance. • Flexural rigidity, EI = M/κ, estimated from FEA results were benchmarked with SNF dynamic experimental results, and used to evaluate interface bonding efficiency. • Interface bonding efficiency can significantly dictate the SNF system rigidity and the associated dynamic performance. • With consideration of interface bonding efficiency and fuel cracking, HBU SNF fuel property was estimated with SNF static and dynamic experimental data. - Abstract: Finite element analysis (FEA) was used to investigate the impact of interfacial bonding efficiency at pellet-pellet and pellet-clad interfaces of high-burnup (HBU) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) on system dynamic performance. Bending moments M were applied to FEA model to evaluate the system responses. From bending curvature, κ, flexural rigidity EI can be estimated as EI = M/κ. The FEA simulation results were benchmarked with experimental results from cyclic integrated reversal bending fatigue test (CIRFT) of HBR fuel rods. The consequence of interface debonding between fuel pellets and cladding is a redistribution of the loads carried by the fuel pellets to the clad, which results in a reduction in composite rod system flexural rigidity. Therefore, the interface bonding efficiency at the pellet-pellet and pellet-clad interfaces can significantly dictate the SNF system dynamic performance. With the consideration of interface bonding efficiency, the HBU SNF fuel property was estimated with CIRFT test data.

An efficient method for evaluating RRAM crossbar array performance

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Lin; Zhang, Jinyu; Chen, An; Wu, Huaqiang; Qian, He; Yu, Zhiping

2016-06-01

An efficient method is proposed in this paper to mitigate computational burden in resistive random access memory (RRAM) array simulation. In the worst case scenario, a 4 Mb RRAM array with line resistance is greatly reduced using this method. For 1S1R-RRAM array structures, static and statistical parameters in both reading and writing processes are simulated. Error analysis is performed to prove the reliability of the algorithm when line resistance is extremely small compared with the junction resistance. Results show that high precision is maintained even if the size of RRAM array is reduced by one thousand times, which indicates significant improvements in both computational efficiency and memory requirements.

Low-cost, high-performance and efficiency computational photometer design

Science.gov (United States)

Siewert, Sam B.; Shihadeh, Jeries; Myers, Randall; Khandhar, Jay; Ivanov, Vitaly

2014-05-01

Researchers at the University of Alaska Anchorage and University of Colorado Boulder have built a low cost high performance and efficiency drop-in-place Computational Photometer (CP) to test in field applications ranging from port security and safety monitoring to environmental compliance monitoring and surveying. The CP integrates off-the-shelf visible spectrum cameras with near to long wavelength infrared detectors and high resolution digital snapshots in a single device. The proof of concept combines three or more detectors into a single multichannel imaging system that can time correlate read-out, capture, and image process all of the channels concurrently with high performance and energy efficiency. The dual-channel continuous read-out is combined with a third high definition digital snapshot capability and has been designed using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) to capture, decimate, down-convert, re-encode, and transform images from two standard definition CCD (Charge Coupled Device) cameras at 30Hz. The continuous stereo vision can be time correlated to megapixel high definition snapshots. This proof of concept has been fabricated as a fourlayer PCB (Printed Circuit Board) suitable for use in education and research for low cost high efficiency field monitoring applications that need multispectral and three dimensional imaging capabilities. Initial testing is in progress and includes field testing in ports, potential test flights in un-manned aerial systems, and future planned missions to image harsh environments in the arctic including volcanic plumes, ice formation, and arctic marine life.

Influences of working conditions on the performance of sign ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Findings showed that poor working conditions such as delay in promotion and salary payment and unattractive office accommodation have significant adverse influence on working performance of both teachers and interpreters. Teachers significantly felt the disturbing influence of poor working conditions on their job ...

Teams make it work: how team work engagement mediates between social resources and performance in teams.

Science.gov (United States)

Torrente, Pedro; Salanova, Marisa; Llorens, Susana; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2012-02-01

In this study we analyze the mediating role of team work engagement between team social resources (i.e., supportive team climate, coordination, teamwork), and team performance (i.e., in-role and extra-role performance) as predicted by the Job Demands-Resources Model. Aggregated data of 533 employees nested within 62 teams and 13 organizations were used, whereas team performance was assessed by supervisor ratings. Structural equation modeling revealed that, as expected, team work engagement plays a mediating role between social resources perceived at the team level and team performance as assessed by the supervisor.

Proposal for an Evaluation Method for the Performance of Work Procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Mouda; Mébarek, Djebabra; Wafa, Boulagouas; Makhlouf, Chati

2016-12-01

Noncompliance of operators with work procedures is a recurrent problem. This human behavior has been said to be situational and studied by many different approaches (ergonomic and others), which consider the noncompliance with work procedures to be obvious and seek to analyze its causes as well as consequences. The object of the proposed method is to solve this problem by focusing on the performance of work procedures and ensuring improved performance on a continuous basis. This study has multiple results: (1) assessment of the work procedures' performance by a multicriteria approach; (2) the use of a continuous improvement approach as a framework for the sustainability of the assessment method of work procedures' performance; and (3) adaptation of the Stop-Card as a facilitator support for continuous improvement of work procedures. The proposed method emphasizes to put in value the inputs of continuous improvement of the work procedures in relation with the conventional approaches which adopt the obvious evidence of the noncompliance to the working procedures and seek to analyze the cause-effect relationships related to this unacceptable phenomenon, especially in strategic industry.

Design of multisegmented freeform lens for LED fishing/working lamp with high efficiency.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Min-Feng; Anh, Nguyen Doan Quoc; Gao, Jia-Zhi; Ma, Hsin-Yi; Lee, Hsiao-Yi

2015-10-01

A novel LED fishing/working light is proposed to enhance the lighting efficiency of a fishing boat. The study is focused on the freeform secondary lens design so as to create a lamp that attracts fish and sheds light on the deck for the crew's work. The experimental results show that the proposed multisegmented freeform lens can deliver the proposed aim, giving 3 times as much illuminating power as the traditional high-intensity discharge fishing lamp does with the same input of electrical power.

Productivity and energy efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovins, H. [Rocky Mountain Inst., Snowmass, CO (United States)

1995-12-31

Energy efficient building and office design offers the possibility of significantly increased worker productivity. By improving lighting, heating and cooling, workers can be made more comfortable and productive. An increase of 1 percent in productivity can provide savings to a company that exceed its entire energy bill. Efficient design practices are cost effective just from their energy savings. The resulting productivity gains make them indispensable. This paper documents eight cases in which efficient lighting, heating, and cooling have measurably increased worker productivity, decreased absenteeism, and/or improved the quality of work performed. They also show that efficient lighting can measurably increase work quality by removing errors and manufacturing defects. The case studies presented include retrofit of existing buildings and the design of new facilities, and cover a variety of commercial and industrial settings. Each case study identifies the design changes that were most responsible for increased productivity. As the eight case studies illustrate, energy efficient design may be one of the least expensive ways for a business to improve the productivity of its workers and the quality of its product. (author). 15 refs.

Working Memory Training Improves Dual-Task Performance on Motor Tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Takehide; Kaneko, Fuminari; Nagahata, Keita; Shibata, Eriko; Aoki, Nobuhiro

2017-01-01

The authors investigated whether working memory training improves motor-motor dual-task performance consisted of upper and lower limb tasks. The upper limb task was a simple reaction task and the lower limb task was an isometric knee extension task. 45 participants (age = 21.8 ± 1.6 years) were classified into a working memory training group (WM-TRG), dual-task training group, or control group. The training duration was 2 weeks (15 min, 4 times/week). Our results indicated that working memory capacity increased significantly only in the WM-TRG. Dual-task performance improved in the WM-TRG and dual-task training group. Our study provides the novel insight that working memory training improves dual-task performance without specific training on the target motor task.

Efficiency of Staging Work-Ups in the Evaluation of Carcinoma of the Uterine Cervix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jae Sung; Ha, Sung Whan

1991-01-01

A series of 510 patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix given the curative radiation therapy from March 1979 through December 1986 was evaluated to determine the value of intravenous pyelography(IVP), cystoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, and abdomino-pelvic CT as staging work-up prior to treatment. On IVP and cystoscopy, 10.7%(49/456) and 5/3%(24/452) showed abnormality, respectively, but only 0.7% (3/413) did on signoidoscopy. As a result of these work-ups prerequisite to FIGO staging, twenty six (5.1%) out of 510 patients were upstaged from the stage determined by the findings of physical examination alone. The proportions of upstaging in each stage were as follows none in stage IB(35), IIA (89) and IIIA(8), 7.9%(20/252) in stage IIB(14 patients to FIGO Stage IIIB, 6 patients to FIGO stage IVA), and 4.8% (6/126) in stage IIIB (all to FIGO stage IVA). Positive findings of staging work-ups were found only in patients with advanced stages of stage IIB or over determined by physical examination alone but not in those with earlier stages. CT was performed in 337 patients. CT detected pelvic lymph node (LN) enlargement in 25.2% (85/337) and paraaortic LN enlargement in 7.4% (25/337). Pelvic LN positivity was well correlated with increasing stage but paraaortic LN positivity was not. In the evaluation of parametrial involvement, CT findings were in accordance with those of physical examination only in 65.6%(442/674). When compared with endoscopic studies, CT had much lower positive predictive value than negative predictive value in the evaluation of adjacent organ invasion. The staging work-ups should be individualized by the disease extent of each patient, and then the efficiency of work-ups may be increased without compromising the appropriate FIGO staging and treatment

The association between school-to-work programs and school performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Welsh, Erin C; Appana, Savi; Anderson, Henry A; Zierold, Kristina M

2014-02-01

The School-to-Work (STW) Opportunities Act was passed to aid students in transitioning from education to employment by offering work-based learning opportunities. In the United States, 72% of high schools offer work-based learning opportunities for credit. This is the first study to describe school performance and school-based behaviors among students enrolled in STW programs and compare them with nonworking and other-working students. In 2003, a questionnaire was administered to five school districts and one large urban school in Wisconsin. Between 2008 and 2010, analyses were completed to characterize STW students and compare them with other students. Of the 6,519 students aged 14-18 years included in the analyses, 461 were involved in an STW program (7%), 3,108 were non-working (48%), and 2,950 were other-working students (45%). Compared with other students, STW students were less likely to have a grade point average >2.0, more likely to have three or more unexcused absences from school, and more likely to spend performance. School-to-Work students reported poorer academic performance and more unhealthy school-related behaviors compared with nonworking students and other-working students. Whereas many factors have a role in why students perform poorly in school, more research on students enrolled in STW programs is needed to understand whether participating has a negative impact on students' academic achievement. Copyright © 2014 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Estimation of efficiency of dust suppressing works at 30-km zone near the Chernobyl' NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakin, R.I.; Tkachenko, A.V.; Sukhoruchkin, A.K.

1989-01-01

Data on efficiency of dust suppressing works at 30-km zone near NPP are analyzed. It is necessary: to reduce radionuclide content in the air in the spring, when the weather is dry, to conduct dust suppressing works on roads and sections of surface with nonfixed ground; in the summer, to wash roads every day. 3 figs

Utilizing Commercial Real Estate Owner and Investor Data to Analyze the Financial Performance of Energy Efficient, High-Performance Office Buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cloutier, Deborah [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States); Hosseini, Farshid [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States); White, Andrew [JDM Associates, Falls Church, VA (United States)

2017-05-01

Evidence has shown that owning and operating energy-efficient, high-performance, “green” properties results in multiple benefits including lower utility bills, higher rents, improved occupancy, and greater net operating income. However, it is difficult to isolate and control moderating factors to identify the specific drivers behind improved financial performance and value to investors that results from sustainability in real estate. DOE is interested in facilitating deeper investigation of the correlation between energy efficiency and financial performance, reducing data acquisition and matching challenges, and developing a stronger understanding of how sustainable design and energy efficiency impact value. DOE commissioned this pilot study to test the logistical and empirical procedures required to establish a Commercial Real Estate Data Aggregation & Trends Analysis lab, determine the potential benefits available through the lab, and contribute to the existing body of evidence in this field.

Responsiveness of the individual work performance questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Individual work performance is an important outcome measure in studies in the workplace. Nevertheless, its conceptualization and measurement has proven challenging. To overcome limitations of existing scales, the Individual Work Performance Questionnaire (IWPQ) was recently developed. The aim of the current study was to gain insight into the responsiveness of the IWPQ. Methods Data were used from the Be Active & Relax randomized controlled trial. The aim of the trial was to investigate the effectiveness of an intervention to stimulate physical activity and relaxation of office workers, on need for recovery. Individual work performance was a secondary outcome measure of the trial. In total, 39 hypotheses were formulated concerning correlations between changes on the IWPQ scales and changes on similar constructs (e.g., presenteeism) and distinct constructs (e.g., need for recovery) used in the trial. Results 260 Participants completed the IWPQ at both baseline and 12 months of follow-up. For the IWPQ scales, 23%, 15%, and 38%, respectively, of the hypotheses could be confirmed. In general, the correlations between change scores were weaker than expected. Nevertheless, at least 85% of the correlations were in the expected direction. Conclusions Based on results of the current study, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the responsiveness of the IWPQ. Several reasons may account for the weaker than expected correlations. Future research on the IWPQ’s responsiveness should be conducted, preferably in other populations and intervention studies, where greater changes over time can be expected. PMID:24885593

Examining Relationships among Work Ethic, Academic Motivation and Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Meriac, John P.

2015-01-01

In this study, work ethic was examined as a predictor of academic motivation and performance. A total of 440 undergraduate students completed measures of work ethic and academic motivation, and reported their cumulative grade point average. Results indicated that several dimensions of work ethic were related to academic motivation and academic…

European Bank Efficiency and Performance : The effects of supranational versus national bank supervision

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Galema, R.J.; Koetter, M.

2016-01-01

This chapter explores European bank efficiency and performance. First, the authors provide an overview of the key estimation methods for efficiency and discuss selected applications to the European banking sector. Second, they apply stochastic frontier analysis to investigate the extent to which the

Work-based identity and work engagement as potential antecedents of task performance and turnover intention: Unravelling a complex relationship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Chris Bothma

2012-09-01

Research purpose: The main purpose of the study was to investigate whether work-based identity and work engagement differed (in combination with personal alienation, helping behaviour and burnout as potential antecedents (amongst numerous others of task performance and turnover intention. Research design: A census-based sampling approach amongst 23 134 employees in the employment of an ICT company yielded a sample of 2429 usable questionnaires. Scales used in the study were the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS-20, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES, Work-based Identity, Personal Alienation, Helping Behaviour, Turnover Intention and Task Performance Scales. Main findings: The findings indicate that work-based identity and work engagement give similar appearing results as potential predictors of turnover intention and task performance. Practical/managerial implications: Reducing withdrawal behaviours and enhancing work performance are everyday challenges for organisations. Interventions focused on enhancing work-based identity and work engagement in the work environment should have a meaningful impact when these behaviours need to be addressed. Contribution/value-add: Work-based identity as a multidimensional construct has the potential, with further refinement, to become a valuable construct that can play a leading role in future work engagement research.

Attentional Performance is Correlated with the Local Regional Efficiency of Intrinsic Brain Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Junhai eXu

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Attention is a crucial brain function for human beings. Using neuropsychological paradigms and task-based functional brain imaging, previous studies have indicated that widely distributed brain regions are engaged in three distinct attention subsystems: alerting, orienting and executive control (EC. Here, we explored the potential contribution of spontaneous brain activity to attention by examining whether resting-state activity could account for individual differences of the attentional performance in normal individuals. The resting-state functional images and behavioral data from attention network test (ANT task were collected in 59 healthy subjects. Graph analysis was conducted to obtain the characteristics of functional brain networks and linear regression analyses were used to explore their relationships with behavioral performances of the three attentional components. We found that there was no significant relationship between the attentional performance and the global measures, while the attentional performance was associated with specific local regional efficiency. These regions related to the scores of alerting, orienting and EC largely overlapped with the regions activated in previous task-related functional imaging studies, and were consistent with the intrinsic dorsal and ventral attention networks (DAN/VAN. In addition, the strong associations between the attentional performance and specific regional efficiency suggested that there was a possible relationship between the DAN/VAN and task performances in the ANT. We concluded that the intrinsic activity of the human brain could reflect the processing efficiency of the attention system. Our findings revealed a robust evidence for the functional significance of the efficiently organized intrinsic brain network for highly productive cognitions and the hypothesized role of the DAN/ VAN at rest.

Energy efficient mechanisms for high-performance Wireless Sensor Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Alsaify, Baha'adnan

2009-12-01

Due to recent advances in microelectronics, the development of low cost, small, and energy efficient devices became possible. Those advances led to the birth of the Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). WSNs consist of a large set of sensor nodes equipped with communication capabilities, scattered in the area to monitor. Researchers focus on several aspects of WSNs. Such aspects include the quality of service the WSNs provide (data delivery delay, accuracy of data, etc...), the scalability of the network to contain thousands of sensor nodes (the terms node and sensor node are being used interchangeably), the robustness of the network (allowing the network to work even if a certain percentage of nodes fails), and making the energy consumption in the network as low as possible to prolong the network's lifetime. In this thesis, we present an approach that can be applied to the sensing devices that are scattered in an area for Sensor Networks. This work will use the well-known approach of using a awaking scheduling to extend the network's lifespan. We designed a scheduling algorithm that will reduce the delay's upper bound the reported data will experience, while at the same time keeps the advantages that are offered by the use of the awaking scheduling -- the energy consumption reduction which will lead to the increase in the network's lifetime. The wakeup scheduling is based on the location of the node relative to its neighbors and its distance from the Base Station (the terms Base Station and sink are being used interchangeably). We apply the proposed method to a set of simulated nodes using the "ONE Simulator". We test the performance of this approach with three other approaches -- Direct Routing technique, the well known LEACH algorithm, and a multi-parent scheduling algorithm. We demonstrate a good improvement on the network's quality of service and a reduction of the consumed energy.

14 CFR 151.51 - Performance of construction work: Sponsor force account.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: Sponsor... Development Projects § 151.51 Performance of construction work: Sponsor force account. (a) Before undertaking any force account construction work, the sponsor (or any public agency acting as agent for the sponsor...

Fatigue, Work Schedules, and Perceived Performance in Bedside Care Nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sagherian, Knar; Clinton, Michael E; Abu-Saad Huijer, Huda; Geiger-Brown, Jeanne

2017-07-01

Hospital nurses are expected to maintain optimal work performance; yet, fatigue can threaten safe practice and result in unfavorable patient outcomes. This descriptive cross-sectional study explored the association between fatigue, work schedules, and perceived work performance among nurses. The study sample included 77 bedside nurses who were mostly female, single, and between 20 and 29 years of age. The majority worked 8-hour shifts and overtime. Nurses who worked during off days reported significantly higher chronic fatigue compared with those nurses who took time off. Nurses who reported feeling refreshed after sleep had significantly less chronic and acute fatigue and more intershift recovery. Nurses with acute and chronic fatigue perceived poorer physical performance. Also, nurses who reported chronic fatigue perceived they were less alert and less able to concentrate when providing patient care. Less effective communication was also associated with acute and chronic fatigue. In conclusion, fatigue has safety implications for nurses' practice that should be monitored by nursing management.

WORK-FAMILY ROLE CONFLICT AND JOB PERFORMANCE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof

This would create the psychological balance needed in both domains. On the part of the ... concern over the conflicting role of women, as both mothers/wives and workers. ... need for a study on work-family role conflict and job performance.

Schools of young efficiency experts and inventors in the gas industry and associations (organization and work experience)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shubin, Ya V

1981-01-01

The data of accounting materials of the sector associations are used to analyze the basic work indicators of schools of young efficiency experts and inventors which is one of the basic forms for involving young workers and specialists in active efficiency expert and inventor creativity.

The efficiency of SAP in improving the HR performance case study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The efficiency of SAP in improving the HR performance case study: Masdar ... administrative and strategic levels, as well as identifying the contribution of ... Keywords: SAP, human resources management, Masdar Building Materials Company ...

Yeast cell surface display: An efficient strategy for improvement of bioethanol fermentation performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xianzhong

2017-03-04

The cell surface serves as a functional interface between the inside and the outside of the cell. Within the past 20 y the ability of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) to display heterologous proteins on the cell surface has been demonstrated. Furthermore, S. cerevisiae has been both developed and applied in expression of various proteins on the cell surface. Using this novel and useful strategy, proteins and peptides of various kinds can be displayed on the yeast cell surface by fusing the protein of interest with the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchoring system. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) using S. cerevisiae represents a promising technology for bioethanol production. However, further work is needed to improve the fermentation performance. There is some excellent previous research regarding construction of yeast biocatalyst using the surface display system to decrease cost, increase efficiency of ethanol production and directly utilize starch or biomass for fuel production. In this commentary, we reviewed the yeast surface display system and highlighted recent work. Additionally, the strategy for decrease of phytate phosphate content in dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) by display of phytase on the yeast cell surface is discussed.

14 CFR 151.47 - Performance of construction work: Letting of contracts.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Development Projects § 151.47 Performance of construction work: Letting of contracts. (a) Advertising required... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Performance of construction work: Letting... project, each contract for construction work on a project in the amount of more than $2,000 must be...

The influence of perceived stress and musculoskeletal pain on work performance and work ability in Swedish health care workers.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindegård, A; Larsman, P; Hadzibajramovic, E; Ahlborg, G

2014-05-01

To evaluate the influence of perceived stress and musculoskeletal ache/pain, separately and in combination, at baseline, on self-rated work ability and work performance at two-year follow-up. Survey data were collected with a 2-year interval. Health care workers participating at both waves were included. Inclusion criteria were good self-reported work ability and unchanged self-rated work performance at baseline, resulting in 770 participants; 617 women and 153 men. Musculoskeletal pain was assessed using the question "How often do you experience pain in joints and muscles, including the neck and low back?", perceived stress with a modified version of a single item from the QPS-Nordic questionnaire, work performance by the question "Have your work performance changed during the preceding 12 months?" and work ability by a single item from the work ability index. Associations between baseline data and the two outcomes at follow-up were analysed by means of the log binomial model and expressed as risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A combination of frequent musculoskeletal pain and perceived stress constituted the highest risk for reporting decreased work performance (RR 1.7; CI 1.28-2.32) and reduced work ability (RR 1.7; CI 1.27-2.30) at follow-up. Separately, frequent pain, but not stress, was clearly associated with both outcomes. The results imply that proactive workplace interventions in order to maintain high work performance and good work ability should include measures to promote musculoskeletal well-being for the employees and measures, both individual and organizational, to minimize the risk of persistent stress reactions.

Roles of Working Memory Performance and Instructional Strategy in Complex Cognitive Task Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Cevik, V.; Altun, A.

2016-01-01

This study aims to investigate how working memory (WM) performances and instructional strategy choices affect learners' complex cognitive task performance in online environments. Three different e-learning environments were designed based on Merrill's (2006a) model of instructional strategies. The lack of experimental research on his framework is…

Wavy channel transistor for area efficient high performance operation

KAUST Repository

Fahad, Hossain M.

2013-04-05

We report a wavy channel FinFET like transistor where the channel is wavy to increase its width without any area penalty and thereby increasing its drive current. Through simulation and experiments, we show the effectiveness of such device architecture is capable of high performance operation compared to conventional FinFETs with comparatively higher area efficiency and lower chip latency as well as lower power consumption.

Treadmill workstations: the effects of walking while working on physical activity and work performance.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avner Ben-Ner

Full Text Available We conducted a 12-month-long experiment in a financial services company to study how the availability of treadmill workstations affects employees' physical activity and work performance. We enlisted sedentary volunteers, half of whom received treadmill workstations during the first two months of the study and the rest in the seventh month of the study. Participants could operate the treadmills at speeds of 0-2 mph and could use a standard chair-desk arrangement at will. (a Weekly online performance surveys were administered to participants and their supervisors, as well as to all other sedentary employees and their supervisors. Using within-person statistical analyses, we find that overall work performance, quality and quantity of performance, and interactions with coworkers improved as a result of adoption of treadmill workstations. (b Participants were outfitted with accelerometers at the start of the study. We find that daily total physical activity increased as a result of the adoption of treadmill workstations.

Treadmill workstations: the effects of walking while working on physical activity and work performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben-Ner, Avner; Hamann, Darla J; Koepp, Gabriel; Manohar, Chimnay U; Levine, James

2014-01-01

We conducted a 12-month-long experiment in a financial services company to study how the availability of treadmill workstations affects employees' physical activity and work performance. We enlisted sedentary volunteers, half of whom received treadmill workstations during the first two months of the study and the rest in the seventh month of the study. Participants could operate the treadmills at speeds of 0-2 mph and could use a standard chair-desk arrangement at will. (a) Weekly online performance surveys were administered to participants and their supervisors, as well as to all other sedentary employees and their supervisors. Using within-person statistical analyses, we find that overall work performance, quality and quantity of performance, and interactions with coworkers improved as a result of adoption of treadmill workstations. (b) Participants were outfitted with accelerometers at the start of the study. We find that daily total physical activity increased as a result of the adoption of treadmill workstations.

Exergetic efficiency optimization for an irreversible heat pump ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

This paper deals with the performance analysis and optimization for irreversible heat pumps working on reversed Brayton cycle with constant-temperature heat reservoirs by taking exergetic efficiency as the optimization objective combining exergy concept with finite-time thermodynamics (FTT). Exergetic efficiency is ...

EFFICIENCY OF RAW MATERIAL INVENTORIES IN IMPROVING SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE of CV. FIVA FOOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Artadi Nugraha

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The production and number of processed food industries have slightly increased; as a result, the companies must compete to maximize their profits by conducting their efficient production process. CV. Fiva Food is one of the companies in the field of processed foods, especially in processed meat that has implemented supply chain management. It is necessary for the company to take measurements of its performance and efficiency for the entire supply chain such as procurement of raw materials. The purposes of this study were to analyze the performance of the company's supply chain and determine the most efficient  method of procurement for its raw materials as well as and to provide recommendations for the company to improve its performance of entire supply chain. This study used SCOR in analyzing the performance of supply chain and EOQ and POQ method to be compared with the method that the company uses to determine which method of procurement for raw materials is the most efficient one. The result showed that based on the matrix, the company's performance is unfavorable when it was compared to the benchmark performance of inventory days of supply. In addition, this study showed that the POQ method produces the lowest total inventory cost with savings of Rp6.647.015 for raw materials of MDM whereas EOQ method produced the lowest total inventory cost with savings of Rp222.153,78 for raw materials of FQ85CL. Keywords: performance suppy chain, SCOR, fiva food, EOQ, POQ

Work-related stress, work/life balance and personal life coaching.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawksley, Barbara

2007-01-01

Work-related stress adversely affects personal performance, organizational efficiency and patient care as well as costing the NHS millions of pounds each year. Reducing the effects of work-related stress is a legal duty for all employers. There are a number of resources available to help both employees and employers, such as the Health and Safety Executive stress management standards. Personal life coaching is one approach to reducing work-related stress, which is well established amongst business and management executives as well as some public sector organizations.

GABA level, gamma oscillation, and working memory performance in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chi-Ming A; Stanford, Arielle D; Mao, Xiangling; Abi-Dargham, Anissa; Shungu, Dikoma C; Lisanby, Sarah H; Schroeder, Charles E; Kegeles, Lawrence S

2014-01-01

A relationship between working memory impairment, disordered neuronal oscillations, and abnormal prefrontal GABA function has been hypothesized in schizophrenia; however, in vivo GABA measurements and gamma band neural synchrony have not yet been compared in schizophrenia. This case-control pilot study (N = 24) compared baseline and working memory task-induced neuronal oscillations acquired with high-density electroencephalograms (EEGs) to GABA levels measured in vivo with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Working memory performance, baseline GABA level in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and measures of gamma oscillations from EEGs at baseline and during a working memory task were obtained. A major limitation of this study is a relatively small sample size for several analyses due to the integration of diverse methodologies and participant compliance. Working memory performance was significantly lower for patients than for controls. During the working memory task, patients (n = 7) had significantly lower amplitudes in gamma oscillations than controls (n = 9). However, both at rest and across working memory stages, there were significant correlations between gamma oscillation amplitude and left DLPFC GABA level. Peak gamma frequency during the encoding stage of the working memory task (n = 16) significantly correlated with GABA level and working memory performance. Despite gamma band amplitude deficits in patients across working memory stages, both baseline and working memory-induced gamma oscillations showed strong dependence on baseline GABA levels in patients and controls. These findings suggest a critical role for GABA function in gamma band oscillations, even under conditions of system and cognitive impairments as seen in schizophrenia.

Stimulation of Efficient Employee Performance through Human Resource Management Practices: A Study on the Health Care Sector of Bangladesh

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatema Nusrat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available As the world is becoming more competitive and unstable than ever before; health care sector, especially in a developing country like Bangladesh, is seeking to gain competitive advantage through the performance of its employees and is turning to be more innovative in this perspective through human resource management (HRM practices. Experts view HRM practices as a set of internally consistent policies and practices designed and implemented to ensure that the human capital of the organization contributes to the achievement of its objectives. This paper examined the effects of human resource management (HRM practices on stimulating or enhancing efficient employee performance in the health care sector of Bangladesh. Ten dimensions and 43 item statements of human resource management (HRM practices and efficient employee performance have been adopted to undertake this study. Data have been gathered following a quantitative survey by a structured questionnaire conducted among a diverse group of employees (N = 240 working in 20 different health care service providing organizations of Bangladesh following simple random sampling method. Several statistical techniques consisting of descriptive analysis, Pearson correlations, ANOVA, Coefficient and regression analysis have been applied using SPSS software to analyze the collected data for taking decisions regarding the hypotheses. The results of the statistical analysis reveal that human resource management (HRM practices positively stimulates efficient employee performance. This study therefore recommends among others: enhancement of motivation among employees, improvement in the reward system, establishment of strong organizational culture, training and re-training of employees,  and employees participation in decision making.

29 CFR 553.23 - Agreement or understanding prior to performance of work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agreement or understanding prior to performance of work... understanding prior to performance of work. (a) General. (1) As a condition for use of compensatory time in lieu... reached prior to the performance of work. This can be accomplished pursuant to a collective bargaining...

Technical Efficiency and Organ Transplant Performance: A Mixed-Method Approach

Science.gov (United States)

de-Pablos-Heredero, Carmen; Fernández-Renedo, Carlos; Medina-Merodio, Jose-Amelio

2015-01-01

Mixed methods research is interesting to understand complex processes. Organ transplants are complex processes in need of improved final performance in times of budgetary restrictions. As the main objective a mixed method approach is used in this article to quantify the technical efficiency and the excellence achieved in organ transplant systems and to prove the influence of organizational structures and internal processes in the observed technical efficiency. The results show that it is possible to implement mechanisms for the measurement of the different components by making use of quantitative and qualitative methodologies. The analysis show a positive relationship between the levels related to the Baldrige indicators and the observed technical efficiency in the donation and transplant units of the 11 analyzed hospitals. Therefore it is possible to conclude that high levels in the Baldrige indexes are a necessary condition to reach an increased level of the service offered. PMID:25950653

Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance

OpenAIRE

T. Alexandra Beauregard; Lesley C. Henry

2009-01-01

The business case for work-life balance practices, as espoused by many organizations, rests on attracting better applicants and reducing work-life conflict among existing employees in order to enhance organizational performance. This review of the literature provides some evidence for the claim regarding recruitment, but there is insufficient evidence to support the notion that work-life practices enhance performance by means of reduced work-life conflict. We suggest that the business case ma...

Influence of working fluids on startup mechanism and thermal performance of a closed loop pulsating heat pipe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Vipul M.; Gaurav; Mehta, Hemantkumar B.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Startup mechanism and thermal performance of a CLPHP is reported. • Influence of pure fluids, water-based binary fluids and surfactant solutions are investigated. • Startup heat flux is observed lower for acetone and higher for water compared to all other working fluids. • Thermal resistance is observed to decrease with increase in heat input irrespective of working fluids. • CLPHP is observed to perform better with acetone, water-acetone, water-45 PPM and water-60 PPM surfactant solutions. - Abstract: Development of efficient cooling system is a tricky and challenging task in the field of electronics. Pulsating heat pipe has a great prospect in the upcoming days for an effective cooling solution due to its excellent heat transfer characteristics. Experimental investigations are reported on a Closed Loop Pulsating Heat Pipe (CLPHP). The influence of working fluids on startup mechanism and thermal performance of a CLPHP are carried out on 2 mm, nine turn copper capillary. Total eleven (11) working fluids are prepared and investigated. Deionized (DI) Water (H_2O), ethanol (C_2H_6O), methanol (CH_3OH) and acetone (C_3H_6O) are used as pure fluids. The water-based mixture (1:1) of acetone, methanol and ethanol are used as binary fluids. Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS, NaC_1_2H_2_5SO_4) is used as a surfactant to prepare the water-based surfactant solutions of 30 PPM, 45 PPM, 60 PPM and 100 PPM. The filling ratio is kept as 50%. The vertical bottom heating position of a CLPHP is considered. Heat input is varied in the range of 10–110 W. Significant influence is observed for water-based binary fluids and surfactant solutions on startup mechanism and thermal performance of a CLPHP compared to DI water used as the pure working fluid.

Measure Guideline. Energy-Efficient Window Performance and Selection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carmody, John [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR; Haglund, Kerry [Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN (United States). NorthernSTAR

2012-11-01

This document provides guidelines for the selection of energy-efficient windows in new and existing residential construction in all U.S. climate zones. It includes information on window products, their attributes and performance. It provides cost/benefit information on window energy savings as well as information on non-energy benefits such as thermal comfort and reduced HVAC demands. The report also provides information on energy impacts of design decisions such as window orientation, total glazing area and shading devices and conditions. Information on resources for proper window installation is included as well.

The effects of fatigue on performance in simulated nursing work.

Science.gov (United States)

Barker, Linsey M; Nussbaum, Maury A

2011-09-01

Fatigue is associated with increased rates of medical errors and healthcare worker injuries, yet existing research in this sector has not considered multiple dimensions of fatigue simultaneously. This study evaluated hypothesised causal relationships between mental and physical fatigue and performance. High and low levels of mental and physical fatigue were induced in 16 participants during simulated nursing work tasks in a laboratory setting. Task-induced changes in fatigue dimensions were quantified using both subjective and objective measures, as were changes in performance on physical and mental tasks. Completing the simulated work tasks increased total fatigue, mental fatigue and physical fatigue in all experimental conditions. Higher physical fatigue adversely affected measures of physical and mental performance, whereas higher mental fatigue had a positive effect on one measure of mental performance. Overall, these results suggest causal effects between manipulated levels of mental and physical fatigue and task-induced changes in mental and physical performance. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: Nurse fatigue and performance has implications for patient and provider safety. Results from this study demonstrate the importance of a multidimensional view of fatigue in understanding the causal relationships between fatigue and performance. The findings can guide future work aimed at predicting fatigue-related performance decrements and designing interventions.

Evaluating performance of high efficiency mist eliminators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waggoner, Charles A.; Parsons, Michael S.; Giffin, Paxton K. [Mississippi State University, Institute for Clean Energy Technology, 205 Research Blvd, Starkville, MS (United States)

2013-07-01

Processing liquid wastes frequently generates off gas streams with high humidity and liquid aerosols. Droplet laden air streams can be produced from tank mixing or sparging and processes such as reforming or evaporative volume reduction. Unfortunately these wet air streams represent a genuine threat to HEPA filters. High efficiency mist eliminators (HEME) are one option for removal of liquid aerosols with high dissolved or suspended solids content. HEMEs have been used extensively in industrial applications, however they have not seen widespread use in the nuclear industry. Filtering efficiency data along with loading curves are not readily available for these units and data that exist are not easily translated to operational parameters in liquid waste treatment plants. A specialized test stand has been developed to evaluate the performance of HEME elements under use conditions of a US DOE facility. HEME elements were tested at three volumetric flow rates using aerosols produced from an iron-rich waste surrogate. The challenge aerosol included submicron particles produced from Laskin nozzles and super micron particles produced from a hollow cone spray nozzle. Test conditions included ambient temperature and relative humidities greater than 95%. Data collected during testing HEME elements from three different manufacturers included volumetric flow rate, differential temperature across the filter housing, downstream relative humidity, and differential pressure (dP) across the filter element. Filter challenge was discontinued at three intermediate dPs and the filter to allow determining filter efficiency using dioctyl phthalate and then with dry surrogate aerosols. Filtering efficiencies of the clean HEME, the clean HEME loaded with water, and the HEME at maximum dP were also collected using the two test aerosols. Results of the testing included differential pressure vs. time loading curves for the nine elements tested along with the mass of moisture and solid

Efficient high-performance ultrasound beamforming using oversampling

Science.gov (United States)

Freeman, Steven R.; Quick, Marshall K.; Morin, Marc A.; Anderson, R. C.; Desilets, Charles S.; Linnenbrink, Thomas E.; O'Donnell, Matthew

1998-05-01

High-performance and efficient beamforming circuitry is very important in large channel count clinical ultrasound systems. Current state-of-the-art digital systems using multi-bit analog to digital converters (A/Ds) have matured to provide exquisite image quality with moderate levels of integration. A simplified oversampling beamforming architecture has been proposed that may a low integration of delta-sigma A/Ds onto the same chip as digital delay and processing circuitry to form a monolithic ultrasound beamformer. Such a beamformer may enable low-power handheld scanners for high-end systems with very large channel count arrays. This paper presents an oversampling beamformer architecture that generates high-quality images using very simple; digitization, delay, and summing circuits. Additional performance may be obtained with this oversampled system for narrow bandwidth excitations by mixing the RF signal down in frequency to a range where the electronic signal to nose ratio of the delta-sigma A/D is optimized. An oversampled transmit beamformer uses the same delay circuits as receive and eliminates the need for separate transmit function generators.

Performance analyses of geothermal organic Rankine cycles with selected hydrocarbon working fluids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Qiang; Duan, Yuanyuan; Yang, Zhen

2013-01-01

ORC (organic Rankine cycles) are promising systems for conversion of low temperature geothermal energy to electricity. The thermodynamic performance of the ORC with a wet cooling system is analyzed here using hydrocarbon working fluids driven by geothermal water from 100 °C to 150 °C and reinjection temperatures not less than 70 °C. The hydrocarbon working fluids are butane (R600), isobutane (R600a), pentane (R601), isopentane (R601a) and hexane. For each fluid, the ORC net power output first increases and then decreases with increasing turbine inlet temperature. The turbine inlet parameters are then optimized for the maximum power output. The ORC net power output increases as the condensation temperature decreases but the circulating pump power consumption increases especially for lower condensation temperatures at higher cooling water flow rates. The optimal condensation temperatures for the maximum plant power output are 29.45–29.75 °C for a cooling water inlet temperature of 20 °C and a pinch point temperature difference of 5 °C in the condenser. The maximum power is produced by an ORC using R600a at geothermal water inlet temperatures higher than 120 °C, followed by R245fa and R600 for reinjection temperatures not less than 70 °C. R600a also has the highest plant exergetic efficiency with the lowest turbine size factor. - Highlights: • ORC (organic Rankine cycles) using geothermal water from 100 to 150 °C and reinjection temperatures not less than 70 °C are analyzed. • Condensation temperatures optimized to maximize the plant power output. • An IHE (internal heat exchanger) gives higher plant power at low geothermal water temperatures and high reinjection temperatures. • ORC performance optimized considering the condensation and reinjection temperature. • R600a gives the best performance at the optimal turbine operating parameters

Dynamic functional reorganizations and relationship with working memory performance in healthy aging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roser eSala-Llonch

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In recent years, several theories have been proposed in attempts to identify the neural mechanisms underlying successful cognitive aging. Old subjects show increased neural activity during the performance of tasks, mainly in prefrontal areas, which is interpreted as a compensatory mechanism linked to functional brain efficiency. Moreover, resting-state studies have concluded that elders show disconnection or disruption of large-scale functional networks. We used functional MRI during resting-state and a verbal n-back task with different levels of memory load in a cohort of young and old healthy adults to identify patterns of networks associated with working memory and brain default mode. We found that the disruption of resting-state networks in the elderly coexists with task-related overactivations of certain brain areas and with reorganizations within these functional networks. Moreover, elders who were able to activate additional areas and to recruit a more bilateral frontal pattern within the task-related network achieved successful performance on the task. We concluded that the balanced and plastic reorganization of brain networks underlies successful cognitive aging. This observation allows the integration of several theories that have been proposed to date regarding the aging brain.

GABA level, gamma oscillation, and working memory performance in schizophrenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chi-Ming A. Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available A relationship between working memory impairment, disordered neuronal oscillations, and abnormal prefrontal GABA function has been hypothesized in schizophrenia; however, in vivo GABA measurements and gamma band neural synchrony have not yet been compared in schizophrenia. This case–control pilot study (N = 24 compared baseline and working memory task-induced neuronal oscillations acquired with high-density electroencephalograms (EEGs to GABA levels measured in vivo with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Working memory performance, baseline GABA level in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, and measures of gamma oscillations from EEGs at baseline and during a working memory task were obtained. A major limitation of this study is a relatively small sample size for several analyses due to the integration of diverse methodologies and participant compliance. Working memory performance was significantly lower for patients than for controls. During the working memory task, patients (n = 7 had significantly lower amplitudes in gamma oscillations than controls (n = 9. However, both at rest and across working memory stages, there were significant correlations between gamma oscillation amplitude and left DLPFC GABA level. Peak gamma frequency during the encoding stage of the working memory task (n = 16 significantly correlated with GABA level and working memory performance. Despite gamma band amplitude deficits in patients across working memory stages, both baseline and working memory-induced gamma oscillations showed strong dependence on baseline GABA levels in patients and controls. These findings suggest a critical role for GABA function in gamma band oscillations, even under conditions of system and cognitive impairments as seen in schizophrenia.

Emotions experienced in association with agricultural work performed in childhood--in opinions of adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lachowski, Stanisław; Lachowska, Bogusława

2014-01-01

Performance of work is related with experiencing various emotions, from positive - indicating full satisfaction with work, to negative - describing failures, and even harm caused by work. Such emotions are also experienced by children engaged in work on family farms. The objective of the study is the determination of emotions experienced in association with performing agricultural work in childhood, and indication of the factors conditioning the occurrence of positive and negative emotions. The study was conducted by the method of a diagnostic survey using a questionnaire technique, and covered a group of 482 adults from agricultural families. In childhood, positive emotions related with the performance of work are more often experienced than negative emotions. The occurrence of positive emotions is positively related with willingness to perform work activities, working time, respondent's age, age at which a child started to perform work, and age at which a child discontinued helping on a farm. The occurrence of negative emotions is positively related with unwillingness to perform work, performing work activities beyond the physical capabilities of a child, neglecting school duties, missing classes at school due to work, and with working time. With work performed in childhood are associated positive and negative emotions experienced in childhood and adulthood. The performance of work in childhood shapes emotions experienced by an adult which may affect his/her quality of life and functioning in adulthood.

The efficiency of multimedia learning into old age.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Gerven, Pascal W M; Paas, Fred; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen J G; Hendriks, Maaike; Schmidt, Henk G

2003-12-01

On the basis of a multimodal model of working memory, cognitive load theory predicts that a multimedia-based instructional format leads to a better acquisition of complex subject matter than a purely visual instructional format. This study investigated the extent to which age and instructional format had an impact on training efficiency among both young and old adults. It was hypothesised that studying worked examples that are presented as a narrated animation (multimedia condition) is a more efficient means of complex skill training than studying visually presented worked examples (unimodal condition) and solving conventional problems. Furthermore, it was hypothesised that multimedia-based worked examples are especially helpful for elderly learners, who have to deal with a general decline of working-memory resources, because they address both mode-specific working-memory stores. The sample consisted of 60 young (mean age = 15.98 years) and 60 old adults (mean age = 64.48 years). Participants of both age groups were trained in either a conventional, a unimodal, or a multimedia condition. Subsequently, they had to solve a series of test problems. Dependent variables were perceived cognitive load during the training, performance on the test, and efficiency in terms of the ratio between these two variables. Results showed that for both age groups multimedia-based worked examples were more efficient than the other training formats in that less cognitive load led to at least an equal performance level. Although no difference in the beneficial effect of multimedia learning was found between the age groups, multimedia-based instructions seem promising for the elderly.

Calculation of the efficiency of accounting outsourcing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.I. Liakhovych

2018-04-01

Full Text Available To ensure the best performance, enterprises pass on individual business processes for outsourcing. However, the implementation of this step requires an assessment of the effectiveness of such actions. The purpose of the article is to analyze the approaches to assessing the effectiveness of accounting outsourcing and to develop proposals for its methodology, taking into account the main goal of reducing transaction costs. The article defines the composition of the elements of the cost of maintaining accounting in the enterprise. It is proved that the efficiency of accounting outsourcing should be considered in two aspects: 1 it is related to economic efficiency (saving of internal resources of the enterprise due to the transfer of business processes for accounting on outsourcing; 2 is related to the efficiency of the outsourcer's work and the uninterrupted functioning of the enterprise that has taken advantage of outsourcing services. In order to assess the efficiency of the company's services, the outsourcer proposes to use a methodology that takes into account the indicators: the timeliness of the execution of works and the provision of services in accordance with the terms of the contract on outsourcing; completeness of performance of works and provision of services in accordance with the terms of the contract on outsourcing.

Energetic optimization of the performances of a hot air engine for micro-CHP systems working with a Joule or an Ericsson cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Creyx, M.; Delacourt, E.; Morin, C.; Desmet, B.; Peultier, P.

2013-01-01

The micro combined heat and electrical power systems (micro-CHP) with hot air engines are well adapted for solid biomass upgrading, in particular, the Ericsson engines working with an open cycle and an external combustion. This paper presents a model of an Ericsson engine with a compression and an expansion cylinder which allows a thermodynamic optimization of the engine performances in a global approach. A sensitive analysis on the influent parameters is carried out in order to determine the optimal working conditions of the engine: temperature and pressure range, expansion cycle shape with a late intake valve closing or an early exhaust valve closing, heat transfers through the wall of the cylinders. This study, focused on thermodynamic aspects, is a first step in the design of an Ericsson engine. -- Highlights: ► A model of Ericsson engine working with a Joule or Ericsson cycle is presented. ► Influent factors on the engine performances are investigated. ► The heat exchanges in the cylinder wall must be avoided to improve the performances. ► Closing the intake valve late and the exhaust valve early enhances the performances. ► Efficiency, indicated mean pressure, specific work are thermodynamically optimized.

Frontal Structural Neural Correlates of Working Memory Performance in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Nissim, Nicole R; O'Shea, Andrew M; Bryant, Vaughn; Porges, Eric C; Cohen, Ronald; Woods, Adam J

2016-01-01

Working memory is an executive memory process that allows transitional information to be held and manipulated temporarily in memory stores before being forgotten or encoded into long-term memory. Working memory is necessary for everyday decision-making and problem solving, making it a fundamental process in the daily lives of older adults. Working memory relies heavily on frontal lobe structures and is known to decline with age. The current study aimed to determine the neural correlates of decreased working memory performance in the frontal lobes by comparing cortical thickness and cortical surface area from two demographically matched groups of healthy older adults, free from cognitive impairment, with high versus low N-Back working memory performance ( N = 56; average age = 70.29 ± 10.64). High-resolution structural T1-weighted images (1 mm isotropic voxels) were obtained on a 3T Philips MRI scanner. When compared to high performers, low performers exhibited significantly decreased cortical surface area in three frontal lobe regions lateralized to the right hemisphere: medial orbital frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and superior frontal gyrus (FDR p frontal regions may underlie age-related decline of working memory function.

The impact of patellar tendinopathy on sports and work performance in active athletes.

Science.gov (United States)

De Vries, Astrid J; Koolhaas, Wendy; Zwerver, Johannes; Diercks, Ron L; Nieuwenhuis, Kari; Van Der Worp, Henk; Brouwer, Sandra; Van Den Akker-Scheek, Inge

2017-01-01

Greater insight into sports and work performance of athletes with patellar tendinopathy (PT) will help establish the severity of this common overuse injury. Primary aim of this study is to investigate the impact of PT on sports and work performance. Seventy seven active athletes with PT (50 males; age 28.1 ± 8.2 years; Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment Patella 56.4 ± 12.3) participated in this survey. Sports performance, work ability and work productivity were assessed using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center overuse injury questionnaire, the single-item Work Ability Index and the Quantity and Quality questionnaire, respectively. Reduced sports performance was reported by 55% of the participants; 16% reported reduced work ability and 36% decreased work productivity, with 23% and 58%, respectively, for physically demanding work. This study shows that the impact of PT on sports and work performance is substantial and stresses the importance of developing preventive measures.

Efficient photocatalytic performance enhancement in Co-doped ZnO nanowires coupled with CuS nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wei; Wang, Guojing; Feng, Yimeng; Li, Zhengcao

2018-01-01

In this research, a kind of highly efficient semiconductor photocatalyst was fabricated by depositing CuS nanoparticles uniformly on the surface of Co-doped ZnO nanowires. ZnO nanowires were synthesized by hydrothermal method and CuS nanoparticles were modified by successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR). By conducting methyl orange (MO) degradation experiments under the illumination of visible light, the photocatalytic activity of Co-doped ZnO nanowires modified with CuS nanoparticles was found to be nearly three times active when compared to bare ZnO nanowires. Its superior photocatalytic performance has two main reasons. The doped Co2+ ions can inhibit the recombination of photo-generated electron-hole pairs and decrease the optical bandgap, while the p-n heterostructure can enhance the visible light absorption ability and promote the separation of photo-excited charge carriers. Furthermore, the effect of the amount of deposited CuS nanoparticles on the photocatalysis was also investigated. The photocatalytic efficiency firstly raised along with the increment of SILAR cycle times and reached a maximum at 10 cycles but then decreased as the cycle times continue to increase. This originates from that an excessive amount of CuS would not only cover the active reacting sites, but also serve as recombination centers. Overall, this new nanostructure is expected to work as an efficient photocatalyst.

An international nomenclature for forest work study

Science.gov (United States)

Rolf Björheden; Michael A.  Thompson

2000-01-01

Knowledge gained in the study of forest work is used to improve operational efficiency through better planning and control of future work. Internationally recognized standard methods for recording, evaluating and reporting performance in forest work will greatly enhance the usefulness of this information to managers and planners. A subcommittee of IUFRO Working Party $...

Draft Statement of Work / Performance Work Statement SOL-R3-13-00006: Region 3 - National Remedial Action Contracts / Multiple Award Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Region 3 - EPA is performing market research to determine if industry has the capability and capacity to perform the work, on a national level, as described in the attached draft Statement of Work /Performance Work Statement(SOW/PWS).

Developing and testing a model of psychosocial work environment and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Pejtersen, Jan Hyld; Møller, Niels

2011-01-01

Good psychosocial work environment has been assumed to result in good work performance. However, little documentation exists which support the claim and the same goes for the opposite claim. This paper reports findings from a combined quantitative and qualitative study of the relationship between...... psychosocial work environment and performance in a large Danish firm. The objects of the study were more than 45 customer centers’ with 9-20 employees each. A substantial database covering the 45 customer centers over a period of 5 years has been gathered. In this period the Copenhagen psychosocial...... questionnaire (COPSOQ) has been used two times with two years in between. This allows us to build a model of the relationship between psychosocial work environment, selected context variables and performance data. The model proposes that good psychosocial work environment is a function of leadership which...

Developing and testing a model of psychosocial work environment and performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Pejtersen, Jan Hyld; Møller, Niels

Good psychosocial work environment has been assumed to result in good work performance. However, little documentation exists which support the claim and the same goes for the opposite claim. This paper reports findings from a combined quantitative and qualitative study of the relationship between...... psychosocial work environment and performance in a large Danish firm. The objects of the study were more than 45 customer centers’ with 9-20 employees each. A substantial database covering the 45 customer centers over a period of 5 years has been gathered. In this period the Copenhagen psychosocial...... questionnaire (COPSOQ) has been used two times with two years in between. This allows us to build a model of the relationship between psychosocial work environment, selected context variables and performance data. The model proposes that good psychosocial work environment is a function of leadership which...

Work-Related Mental Health and Job Performance: Can Mindfulness Help?

OpenAIRE

Van Gordon, W; Shonin, E; Zangeneh, M; Griffiths, MD

2014-01-01

Work-related mental health issues such as work-related stress and addiction to work impose a significant health and economic burden to the employee, the employing organization, and the country of work more generally. Interventions that can be empirically shown to improve levels of work-related mental health – especially those with the potential to concurrently improve employee levels of work performance – are of particular interest to occupational stakeholders. One such broad-application inte...

Emotional intelligence and job performance: The mediating role of work-family balance.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinzimmer, Laurence G; Baumann, Heidi M; Gullifor, Daniel P; Koubova, Veronika

2017-01-01

In this study, we examine the dynamics between emotional intelligence, work-family balance, and job performance. A review of the literature to date has shown distinct relationships between emotional intelligence to job performance and work-family balance to job performance. We utilize a sample of 233 respondents to empirically test our set of hypotheses that contend work-family balance mediates the relationship between emotional intelligence and job performance. Our results support these hypotheses. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

Organizational work-family resources as predictors of job performance and attitudes: the process of work-family conflict and enrichment.

Science.gov (United States)

Odle-Dusseau, Heather N; Britt, Thomas W; Greene-Shortridge, Tiffany M

2012-01-01

The goal of the current study was to test a model where organizational resources (aimed at managing work and family responsibilities) predict job attitudes and supervisor ratings of performance through the mechanisms of work-family conflict and work-family enrichment. Employees (n = 174) at a large metropolitan hospital were surveyed at two time periods regarding perceptions of family supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), family supportive organizational perceptions (FSOP), bidirectional work-family conflict, bidirectional work-family enrichment, and job attitudes. Supervisors were also asked to provide performance ratings at Time 2. Results revealed FSSB at Time 1 predicted job satisfaction, organizational commitment and intention to leave, as well as supervisor ratings of performance, at Time 2. In addition, both work-family enrichment and family-work enrichment were found to mediate relationships between FSSB and various organizational outcomes, while work-family conflict was not a significant mediator. Results support further testing of supervisor behaviors specific to family support, as well models that include bidirectional work-family enrichment as the mechanism by which work-family resources predict employee and organizational outcomes.

Work-based identity and work engagement as potential antecedents of task performance and turnover intention: Unravelling a complex relationship

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Chris Bothma

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Orientation: Work-based identity, used as a reference to the self, is the answer to the question ’Who am I at work?’ Work-related identities, derived from different social foci through identity formation processes, have as behavioural guides a significant influence on employee behaviour, which, in turn has an impact on work outcomes. Engagement, presented in different conceptualisations, is viewed by practitioners and academic researchers as an important antecedent of employee behaviour.Research purpose: The main purpose of the study was to investigate whether work-based identity and work engagement differed (in combination with personal alienation, helping behaviour and burnout as potential antecedents (amongst numerous others of task performance and turnover intention.Research design: A census-based sampling approach amongst 23 134 employees in the employment of an ICT company yielded a sample of 2429 usable questionnaires. Scales used in the study were the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-HSS-20, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES, Work-based Identity, Personal Alienation, Helping Behaviour, Turnover Intention and Task Performance Scales.Main findings: The findings indicate that work-based identity and work engagement give similar appearing results as potential predictors of turnover intention and task performance. Practical/managerial implications: Reducing withdrawal behaviours and enhancing work performance are everyday challenges for organisations. Interventions focused on enhancing work-based identity and work engagement in the work environment should have a meaningful impact when these behaviours need to be addressed.Contribution/value-add: Work-based identity as a multidimensional construct has the potential, with further refinement, to become a valuable construct that can play a leading role in future work engagement research.

Active workstation allows office workers to work efficiently while sitting and exercising moderately.

Science.gov (United States)

Koren, Katja; Pišot, Rado; Šimunič, Boštjan

2016-05-01

To determine the effects of a moderate-intensity active workstation on time and error during simulated office work. The aim of the study was to analyse simultaneous work and exercise for non-sedentary office workers. We monitored oxygen uptake, heart rate, sweating stains area, self-perceived effort, typing test time with typing error count and cognitive performance during 30 min of exercise with no cycling or cycling at 40 and 80 W. Compared baseline, we found increased physiological responses at 40 and 80 W, which corresponds to moderate physical activity (PA). Typing time significantly increased by 7.3% (p = 0.002) in C40W and also by 8.9% (p = 0.011) in C80W. Typing error count and cognitive performance were unchanged. Although moderate intensity exercise performed on cycling workstation during simulated office tasks increases working task execution time with, it has moderate effect size; however, it does not increase the error rate. Participants confirmed that such a working design is suitable for achieving the minimum standards for daily PA during work hours. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

The Relationships between Work Team Strategic Intent and Work Team Performance

Science.gov (United States)

2007-04-30

assessed performance measures or data. Podsakoff and Organ’s (1986) work highlighted that the most critical concern was that the use of self...obtaining data from self- reports. The Podsakoff and Organ (1986) article highlighted, though, that under specific conditions it seems that self-report... Podsakoff and Organ also stressed in their study that it is unlikely that such techniques of using self-reports will be abandoned. They do recommend that

Relationship between spatial working memory performance and diet specialization in two sympatric nectar bats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mickaël Henry

Full Text Available Behavioural ecologists increasingly recognise spatial memory as one the most influential cognitive traits involved in evolutionary processes. In particular, spatial working memory (SWM, i.e. the ability of animals to store temporarily useful information for current foraging tasks, determines the foraging efficiency of individuals. As a consequence, SWM also has the potential to influence competitive abilities and to affect patterns of sympatric occurrence among closely related species. The present study aims at comparing the efficiency of SWM between generalist (Glossophaga soricina and specialist (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae nectarivorous bats at flowering patches. The two species differ in diet--the generalist diet including seasonally fruits and insects with nectar and pollen while the specialist diet is dominated by nectar and pollen yearlong--and in some morphological traits--the specialist being heavier and with proportionally longer rostrum than the generalist. These bats are found sympatrically within part of their range in the Neotropics. We habituated captive individuals to feed on artificial flower patches and we used infrared video recordings to monitor their ability to remember and avoid the spatial location of flowers they emptied in previous visits in the course of 15-min foraging sequences. Experiments revealed that both species rely on SWM as their foraging success attained significantly greater values than random expectations. However, the nectar specialist L. yerbabuenae was significantly more efficient at extracting nectar (+28% in foraging success, and sustained longer foraging bouts (+27% in length of efficient foraging sequences than the generalist G. soricina. These contrasting SWM performances are discussed in relation to diet specialization and other life history traits.

29 CFR 785.12 - Work performed away from the premises or job site.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Work performed away from the premises or job site. 785.12... of Principles Employees âsuffered Or Permittedâ to Work § 785.12 Work performed away from the premises or job site. The rule is also applicable to work performed away from the premises or the job site...

Effective information flow through efficient supply chain management - Value stream mapping approach Case Outokumpu Tornio Works

OpenAIRE

Juvonen, Piia

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT Juvonen, Piia Suvi Päivikki 2012. Effective information flow through efficient supply chain management -Value stream mapping approach - Case Outokumpu Tornio Works. Master`s Thesis. Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences. Business and Culture. Pages 63. Appendices 2. The general aim of this thesis is to explore effective information flow through efficient supply chain management by following one of the lean management principles, value stream mapping. The specific research...

29 CFR 786.1 - Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work... OF LABOR STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY OR INTERPRETATION NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO REGULATIONS MISCELLANEOUS EXEMPTIONS Carriers by Air § 786.1 Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work...

29 CFR 786.200 - Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work..., DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATEMENTS OF GENERAL POLICY OR INTERPRETATION NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO REGULATIONS MISCELLANEOUS EXEMPTIONS Taxicab Operators § 786.200 Enforcement policy concerning performance of nonexempt work...

Factors Associated With Civilian Employment, Work Satisfaction, and Performance Among National Guard Members.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, C Beau; Zivin, Kara; Walters, Heather; Ganoczy, Dara; MacDermid Wadsworth, Shelley; Valenstein, Marcia

2015-12-01

Employment is a vital part of the postdeployment return to civilian life. This study investigated factors associated with employment-related outcomes (employment status, self-reported work performance, and self-reported work satisfaction) among National Guard members returning from Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn deployments. The sample consisted of 1,151 National Guard service members who had returned from overseas deployments approximately six months earlier. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to examine associations between predictors and employment-related outcome variables. Higher-risk alcohol use was associated with reduced odds of being employed as well as with lower ratings of work satisfaction, whereas psychiatric symptom load was associated with lower self-reported work performance and work satisfaction ratings. Perceived social resources were associated with higher self-reported work performance and work satisfaction, whereas better physical functioning was associated with better self-reported work performance. Policy makers and clinicians may need to consider and assess alcohol use among unemployed National Guard members. They may also need to consider psychiatric symptom load and physical functioning among employed service members who perceive poor work performance and have low work satisfaction. Further research is needed on causal links between these predictors and employment outcomes.

Increasing the working efficiency of core lifter in a sectional turbobit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shakhmaev, Z M; Kutepov, A I; Ganiev, G M

1969-01-01

Reasons for decreases of core recovery and decreases of drilling efficiency in core drilling are presented. One of the main faults with the turbobit is breakage of core lifter. As the length of the core lifter was increased, its strength was reduced. Use of ordinary tubing is not satisfactory with core lifters equipped with turbobits of 170 and 235 mm diam. The construction of lightweight alloy tubing (73 mm diam) for use with 235 mm turbobits is described. Tests showed that the lightweight core lifter assembly works satisfactorily. Schematic diagrams and descriptions of lightweight core lifters are supplied.

Sampling Efficiency and Performance of Selected Thoracic Aerosol Samplers.

Science.gov (United States)

Görner, Peter; Simon, Xavier; Boivin, Alexis; Bau, Sébastien

2017-08-01

Measurement of worker exposure to a thoracic health-related aerosol fraction is necessary in a number of occupational situations. This is the case of workplaces with atmospheres polluted by fibrous particles, such as cotton dust or asbestos, and by particles inducing irritation or bronchoconstriction such as acid mists or flour dust. Three personal and two static thoracic aerosol samplers were tested under laboratory conditions. Sampling efficiency with respect to particle aerodynamic diameter was measured in a horizontal low wind tunnel and in a vertical calm air chamber. Sampling performance was evaluated against conventional thoracic penetration. Three of the tested samplers performed well, when sampling the thoracic aerosol at nominal flow rate and two others performed well at optimized flow rate. The limit of flow rate optimization was found when using cyclone samplers. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Emotion-Work Performance among Dual-Earner Couples: Testing Four Theoretical Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Minnotte, Krista Lynn; Stevens, Daphne Pedersen; Minnotte, Michael C.; Kiger, Gary

2007-01-01

This study compares four theories of domestic labor in their ability to predict relative emotion-work performance among dual-earner couples. Specifically, the authors investigate the effects of gender ideology, time availability, relative resources, and crossover factors on the dependent variable of relative emotion-work performance using…

Managerial performance and cost efficiency of Japanese local public hospitals: a latent class stochastic frontier model.

Science.gov (United States)

Besstremyannaya, Galina

2011-09-01

The paper explores the link between managerial performance and cost efficiency of 617 Japanese general local public hospitals in 1999-2007. Treating managerial performance as unobservable heterogeneity, the paper employs a panel data stochastic cost frontier model with latent classes. Financial parameters associated with better managerial performance are found to be positively significant in explaining the probability of belonging to the more efficient latent class. The analysis of latent class membership was consistent with the conjecture that unobservable technological heterogeneity reflected in the existence of the latent classes is related to managerial performance. The findings may support the cause for raising efficiency of Japanese local public hospitals by enhancing the quality of management. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Connection between Job Motivation, Job Satisfaction and Work Performance in Romanian Trade Enterprises

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dina Maria LUT

2012-12-01

Full Text Available On defining the connection between job motivation and job satisfaction and between job satisfaction and work performance is still not complete agreement among experts, given the complexity of the phenomena studied. Over time, the relationship between job motivation and job satisfaction has been addressed in many ways in the organizational psychology. The issue of the connection between job satisfaction and work performance is also at least as controversial as the issues mentioned above with respect to these phenomena. Related to this connection, in the literature existed, over time, at least three points of view which held that: job satisfaction leads to work performance; work performance leads to job satisfaction; rewards are involved between job satisfaction and work performance. The paper aim is to present some aspects related to the connection between job motivation, job satisfaction and work performance. The issues presented in this paper lead to the conclusion that in the work process, the connection between job satisfaction and work performance or the connection between job motivation and job satisfaction are not constant or linear connection. These connections should be nuanced interpreted, depending on the conditions of occurrence. These conclusions are based on the results of a survey conducted among enterprises dealing mostly in trade sector, in Romanian Western Region.

High Performance and the Transformation of Work? The Implications of Alternative Work Practices for the Experience and Outcomes of Work.

Science.gov (United States)

Godard, John

2001-01-01

A survey of 508 Canadian workers showed that moderate levels of high-performance work practices were associated with increased belonging, empowerment, job satisfaction, and organizational citizenship behavior. At higher levels, the association became negative. Work was more stressful with these practices. Team autonomy, just-in-time practices, and…

High Performance Work Systems for Online Education

Science.gov (United States)

Contacos-Sawyer, Jonna; Revels, Mark; Ciampa, Mark

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key elements of a High Performance Work System (HPWS) and explore the possibility of implementation in an online institution of higher learning. With the projected rapid growth of the demand for online education and its importance in post-secondary education, providing high quality curriculum, excellent…

Differential working memory correlates for implicit sequence performance in young and older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Bo, Jin; Jennett, S; Seidler, R D

2012-09-01

Our recent work has revealed that visuospatial working memory (VSWM) relates to the rate of explicit motor sequence learning (Bo and Seidler in J Neurophysiol 101:3116-3125, 2009) and implicit sequence performance (Bo et al. in Exp Brain Res 214:73-81, 2011a) in young adults (YA). Although aging has a detrimental impact on many cognitive functions, including working memory, older adults (OA) still rely on their declining working memory resources in an effort to optimize explicit motor sequence learning. Here, we evaluated whether age-related differences in VSWM and/or verbal working memory (VWM) performance relates to implicit performance change in the serial reaction time (SRT) sequence task in OA. Participants performed two computerized working memory tasks adapted from change detection working memory assessments (Luck and Vogel in Nature 390:279-281, 1997), an implicit SRT task and several neuropsychological tests. We found that, although OA exhibited an overall reduction in both VSWM and VWM, both OA and YA showed similar performance in the implicit SRT task. Interestingly, while VSWM and VWM were significantly correlated with each other in YA, there was no correlation between these two working memory scores in OA. In YA, the rate of SRT performance change (exponential fit to the performance curve) was significantly correlated with both VSWM and VWM, while in contrast, OA's performance was only correlated with VWM, and not VSWM. These results demonstrate differential reliance on VSWM and VWM for SRT performance between YA and OA. OA may utilize VWM to maintain optimized performance of second-order conditional sequences.

Work Engagement, Performance, and Active Learning: The Role of Conscientiousness

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, Arnold B.; Demerouti, Evangelia; ten Brummelhuis, Lieke L.

2012-01-01

The present study examines whether the relationship between work engagement and job performance is moderated by the extent to which individuals are inclined to work hard, careful, and goal-oriented. On the basis of the literature, it was hypothesized that conscientiousness strengthens the relationship between work engagement and supervisor ratings…

The Meaning of Work and Performance-Focused Work Attitudes among Midlevel Managers in the United States and Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchinke, K. Peter; Cornachione, Edgard B., Jr.

2010-01-01

This survey-based study investigated work meaning and performance-focused work attitudes of some 315 midlevel managers in diverse industries in the United States and Brazil to determine similarities, differences, and relationships among absolute and relative meaning of work, work role identification, desired work outcomes, and job satisfaction,…

Improvement on performance and efficiency of direct methanol fuel cells using hydrocarbon-based membrane electrode assembly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Joon-Hee; Yang, Min-Jee; Park, Jun-Young

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Faradaic efficiency and water transfer coefficient (WTC) of DMFC MEAs are calculated based on mass balance measurements. • Faradaic efficiency of the HC-based MEAs is generally improved over the Nafion-based MEAs. • Nafion-based MEAs show a WTC of 3, whereas the HC-based MEAs show a very low WTC of -2. • Low WTC of the HC-based MEAs indicates the back-diffusion of water from the cathode to the anode. • Performance of HC-based MEAs is improved as the fuel stoichiometry increases, maintaining high Faradaic efficiency. - Abstract: In order to improve the energy efficiency (fuel efficiency and electrical power) of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), the hydrocarbon (HC) membrane-based membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) are investigated under various operating conditions. The MEAs are then compared with the conventional Nafion-based MEA in terms of their efficiency and performance. The Faradaic efficiency and water transfer coefficient (WTC) are calculated based on mass balance measurements. The Faradaic efficiency of the HC-based MEAs is improved over the Nafion-based MEAs since methanol crossover decreased. The performance of HC-based MEAs shows strong dependency on the anode stoichiometry at high current densities probably because of the limited mass transport of fuel, which is not observed for the Nafion-based MEAs. The Nafion-based MEAs show a WTC of 3, whereas the HC-based MEAs show a very low WTC of −2, indicating the back-diffusion of water from the cathode to the anode. This may have limited mass transport by interrupting proton conduction at high current densities. The performance of HC-based MEAs at high current densities is improved as the fuel stoichiometry increases; High Faradaic efficiency is maintained by decreasing the cathode stoichiometry

Introduction of the UNIX International Performance Management Work Group

Science.gov (United States)

Newman, Henry

1993-01-01

In this paper we presented the planned direction of the UNIX International Performance Management Work Group. This group consists of concerned system developers and users who have organized to synthesize recommendations for standard UNIX performance management subsystem interfaces and architectures. The purpose of these recommendations is to provide a core set of performance management functions and these functions can be used to build tools by hardware system developers, vertical application software developers, and performance application software developers.

Personal vulnerability and work-home interaction: the effect of job performance-based self-esteem on work/home conflict and facilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Innstrand, Siw Tone; Langballe, Ellen Melbye; Espnes, Geir Arild; Aasland, Olaf Gjerløw; Falkum, Erik

2010-12-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between job performance-based self-esteem (JPB-SE) and work-home interaction (WHI) in terms of the direction of the interaction (work-to-home vs. home-to-work) and the effect (conflict vs. facilitation). A sample of 3,475 respondents from eight different occupational groups (lawyers, physicians, nurses, teachers, church ministers, bus drivers, and people working in advertising and information technology) supplied data at two points of time with a two-year time interval. The two-wave, cross-lagged structural equations modeling (SEM) analysis demonstrated reciprocal relationships between these variables, i.e., job performance-based self-esteem may act as a precursor as well as an outcome of work-home interaction. The strongest association was between job performance-based self-esteem and work-to-home conflict. Previous research on work-home interaction has mainly focused on situational factors. This longitudinal study expands the work-home literature by demonstrating how individual vulnerability (job performance-based self-esteem) contributes to the explanation of work-home interactions. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2010 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Motor skills, cognition, and work performance of people with severe mental illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipskaya-Velikovsky, Lena; Elgerisi, Dikla; Easterbrook, Adam; Ratzon, Navah Z

2018-01-12

Employment offers many benefits to people with mental illness, yet their employment rate is much lower than that of the general population. We investigated the effect of work-related motor skills, neurocognition, and job attitudes on the work performance of people with mental illness, comparing those working in sheltered workshops, with controls working in similar jobs. Twenty-nine adults with severe mental illness and 27 controls matched by gender and age were enrolled into the study using convenience sampling. They were assessed for gross and fine motor hand functioning, job attitudes, work performance, and cognition. People with mental illness scored lower on work performance, cognitive functioning, and hand dexterity while sitting and working with tools. They were assigned lower job loads than were controls, and perceived the physical environment at work as more constraining than did controls. Assembling motor skills significantly explained the work performance of people with mental illness. The results expand our understanding of the complexities involved in the employment of people with severe mental illness, and point to new paths for improving vocational outcomes of people with severe mental illness, taking into account their motor skills and job attitudes. Implications for rehabilitation Therapists should be aware that employed people with severe mental illness may have various unmet needs, affecting their work performance and experience of stress. This study results demonstrate importance of motor skills and perception of the work environment for the promotion of vocational outcomes among individuals with severe mental illness. Employment of people with severe mental illness should be viewed from holistic perspective as with general population, rather than focused on traditionally illness-related factors.

Building Performance Simulation tools for planning of energy efficiency retrofits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mondrup, Thomas Fænø; Karlshøj, Jan; Vestergaard, Flemming