Strategic project selection based on evidential reasoning approach for high-end equipment manufacturing industry

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Lu Guangyan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available With the rapid development of science and technology, emerging information technologies have significantly changed the daily life of people. In such context, strategic project selection for high-end equipment manufacturing industries faces more and more complexities and uncertainties with the consideration of several complex criteria. For example, a group of experts rather than a single expert should be invited to select strategic project for high-end equipment manufacturing industries and the experts may feel difficulty to express their preferences towards different strategic projects due to their limited cognitive capabilities. In order to handle these complexities and uncertainties, the criteria framework of strategic project selection is firstly constructed based on the characteristics of high-end equipment manufacturing industries and then evidential reasoning (ER approach is introduced in this paper to help experts express their uncertain preferences and aggregate these preferences to generate an appropriate strategic project. A real case of strategic project selection in a high-speed train manufacturing enterprise is investigated to demonstrate the validity of the ER approach in solving strategic project selection problem.

An Approach for Implementation of Project Management Information Systems

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Běrziša, Solvita; Grabis, Jānis

Project management is governed by project management methodologies, standards, and other regulatory requirements. This chapter proposes an approach for implementing and configuring project management information systems according to requirements defined by these methodologies. The approach uses a project management specification framework to describe project management methodologies in a standardized manner. This specification is used to automatically configure the project management information system by applying appropriate transformation mechanisms. Development of the standardized framework is based on analysis of typical project management concepts and process and existing XML-based representations of project management. A demonstration example of project management information system's configuration is provided.

Meaningful Learning in the Teaching of Culture: The Project Based Learning Approach

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Kean, Ang Chooi; Kwe, Ngu Moi

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a collaborative effort taken by a team of three teacher educators in using the Project Based Learning (PBL) approach in the teaching of Japanese culture with the aim to investigate the presence of actual "meaningful learning" among 15 students of a 12-Week Preparatory Japanese Language course under a teacher…

Project-Based Learning: A Promising Approach to Improving Student Outcomes. Issue Focus

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Quint, Janet; Condliffe, Barbara

2018-01-01

The concept of project-based learning (PBL) has garnered wide support among a number of K-12 education policy advocates and funders. PBL is viewed as an approach that enables students to develop the "21st century competencies"--cognitive and socioemotional skills--needed for success in college and careers. This issue focus, pulling from…

Teaching Cell Biology to Dental Students with a Project-Based Learning Approach.

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Costa-Silva, Daniela; Côrtes, Juliana A; Bachinski, Rober F; Spiegel, Carolina N; Alves, Gutemberg G

2018-03-01

Although the discipline of cell biology (CB) is part of the curricula of predoctoral dental schools, students often fail to recognize its practical relevance. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a practical-theoretical project-based course in closing the gaps among CB, scientific research, and dentistry for dental students. A project-based learning course was developed with nine sequential lessons to evaluate 108 undergraduate dental students enrolled in CB classes of a Brazilian school of dentistry during 2013-16. To highlight the relevance of in vitro studies in the preclinical evaluation of dental materials at the cellular level, the students were challenged to complete the process of drafting a protocol and performing a cytocompatibility assay for a bone substitute used in dentistry. Class activities included small group discussions, scientific database search and article presentations, protocol development, lab experimentation, and writing of a final scientific report. A control group of 31 students attended only one laboratory class on the same theme, and the final reports were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the project-based learning students had superior outcomes in acknowledging the relevance of in vitro methods during biocompatibility testing. Moreover, they produced scientifically sound reports with more content on methodological issues, the relationship with dentistry, and the scientific literature than the control group (p<0.05). The project-based learning students also recognized a higher relevance of scientific research and CB to dental practice. These results suggest that a project-based approach can help contextualize scientific research in dental curricula.

RISK MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AND PRACTICES IN IT PROJECTS

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BRANDAS Claudiu

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Risk is identified in project management literature as an important factor influencing IT projects success, and it is relevant for both academic and practitionersn#8217; communities. The paper presents the past and current approaches to risk management in IT projects. The objective of this paper is to compare the different approaches and relate them to existing practices. Project management literature and practice have brought different approaches to risk management, and as a result, many projects ended in failure. We present how risk management is considered in the literature, and we compare the main two approaches: the evaluation approach and the management approach. The contingency approach does not consider risk management to be a specific process as it is an embedded process in the other project management processes. Then, we present the main practices in risk management. The methodology applied is based on documentary study review and analysis of the concepts used by the literature. We analyzed the literature published between 1978 and 2011 from the main journals for IT project management and found out that the essence of project management is risk management. The risk management practices have a considerable influence on stakeholdersn#8217; perception of project success. But, regardless of the chosen approach, a standard method for identifying, assessing, and responding to risks should be included in any project as this influences the outcome of the project.

Visualizing Practices in Project-based Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Whyte, Jennifer; Tryggestad, Kjell; Comi, Alice

2016-01-01

Project-based design involves a variety of visual representations, which are evolved to make decisions and accomplish project objectives. Yet, such mediated and distributed ways of working are difficult to capture through ethnographies that examine situated design. A novel approach is developed t...... representations enabled participants in project-based design to develop and share understanding. The complexity of projects and their distributed and mediated nature makes this approach timely and important in addressing new research questions and practical challenges.......Project-based design involves a variety of visual representations, which are evolved to make decisions and accomplish project objectives. Yet, such mediated and distributed ways of working are difficult to capture through ethnographies that examine situated design. A novel approach is developed...... of situated design. This allows the researcher to be nimble, tracing connections across complex engineering projects; reconstructing practices through their visual representations; and observing their effects. Second, it articulates how, in these empirical cases, interaction with a cascade of visual...

An Adaptive Approach to Managing Knowledge Development in a Project-Based Learning Environment

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Tilchin, Oleg; Kittany, Mohamed

2016-01-01

In this paper we propose an adaptive approach to managing the development of students' knowledge in the comprehensive project-based learning (PBL) environment. Subject study is realized by two-stage PBL. It shapes adaptive knowledge management (KM) process and promotes the correct balance between personalized and collaborative learning. The…

Project-Based Learning in Scottish Prisons

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Sams, Kirsten

2014-01-01

The article describes the development of a project-based approach to learning in seven Scottish prisons. It argues that the project-based approach is ideally suited to prison education due to its flexibility and ability to enrich the relatively narrow prison curriculum and create meaningful links with wider society, reducing the isolation of…

The CASE Project: Evaluation of Case-Based Approaches to Learning and Teaching in Statistics Service Courses

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Fawcett, Lee

2017-01-01

The CASE project (Case-based Approaches to Statistics Education; see www.mas.ncl.ac.uk/~nlf8/innovation) was established to investigate how the use of real-life, discipline-specific case study material in Statistics service courses could improve student engagement, motivation, and confidence. Ultimately, the project aims to promote deep learning…

PROJECT APPROACH TO ENERGY MANAGEMENT

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Інга Борисівна СЕМКО

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Project management is widely used around the world as a tool to improve business performance. Correct implementation of the program of implementation of energy efficiency is accompanied by the adoption of an appropriate legislative framework, support programs, the approval of market-based instruments. Currently, it is paying enough attention to the effective application of market-based instruments, although most of the activities in the field of energy efficiency from the economic side are quite profitable. The authors suggested the use of the methodology of project management to the management of energy-saving measures, new approaches to the place and role of project management in the hierarchy of guidance. As a result, this innovation can improve the competitiveness of enterprises. The conclusions that the energy-saving project management allows you to get the best results for their implementation by reducing the time, resources, risk reduction.

The Project-Based Learning Approach in Environmental Education

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Genc, Murat

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of project-based learning on students' attitudes toward the environment. In the study that was performed with 39 students who take the "Environmental Education" course, attitude changes toward the environment were investigated in students who developed projects on environmental…

Towards e-Government project assessment: European approach

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Pavel Mates

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The objective of the paper is to analyse current approaches to the assessment of e-Government projects as the specifi c public projects and to suggest how to improve these approaches in order to eliminate their shortcomings. The nonnormative theoretical methods are used to analyse empirical results of previous researches; particularly the deduction method is used to prove that current approaches to the evaluation of e-Government projects have some inequalities, the analogy and comparison methods are used to create general typology of e-Government projects and the induction method is used to seek examples of the indicators and metrics. The results are based on analysis of extensive amount of e-Government projects, which have been realized in different European countries in the past twenty years. The basic result of the research is creation of the ten most common types of e-Government projects typology. The fundamental conclusion obtained from the results of this research is that this typology can be used as the core of new E-Government General Assessment Framework, which eliminates problems of previous approaches, allows adjusting metrics and indicators to each type of projects, keeps comparability of results and thus making possible the use of benchmarking methods.

Facilitating Work Based Learning Projects: A Business Process Oriented Knowledge Management Approach

OpenAIRE

Miao, Yongwu; Sloep, Peter; Koper, Rob

2009-01-01

Miao, Y., Sloep, P. B., & Koper, R. (2010). Facilitating Work Based Learning Projects: A Business Process Oriented Knowledge Management Approach. In D. Griffiths & R. Koper (Eds.), Rethinking Learning and Employment at a Time of Economic Uncertainty. Proceedings of the 6th TENCompetence Open workshop (pp. 22-33). November, 19-20, 2009, Manchester, UK. Bolton, UK: Institute for Educational Cybernetics, The University of Bolton. For the complete book please see http://hdl.handle.net/1820/3191

Systemwide Implementation of Project-Based Learning: The Philadelphia Approach

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Schwalm, Jason; Tylek, Karen Smuck

2012-01-01

Citywide implementation of project-based learning highlights the benefits--and the challenges--of promoting exemplary practices across an entire out-of-school time (OST) network. In summer 2009, the City of Philadelphia and its intermediary, the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), introduced project-based learning to a network of more…

Enhancing Project-Based Learning in Software Engineering Lab Teaching through an E-Portfolio Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Macias, J. A.

2012-01-01

Project-based learning is one of the main successful student-centered pedagogies broadly used in computing science courses. However, this approach can be insufficient when dealing with practical subjects that implicitly require many deliverables and a great deal of feedback and organizational resources. In this paper, a worked e-portfolio is…

Trevino Project: a fast-track approach for a small construction project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schick, C.J.; Lynn, N.S.

1982-01-01

The approach to a construction project can vary according to the size, location, and degree of difficulty associated with the project. This paper deals with one approach that can be taken to a small construction project, the fast-track approach. A small construction project can be defined as a project having less than $20 million capital cost or a project with a low degree of difficulty. This approach is very applicable to in-situ leaching uranium projects, small precious metal operations, etc. The approach to the small project is that of fast-tracking the project in order to minimize the time over which capital expenditure occurs and also to reduce the indirect costs of field expense, construction supplies, construction equipment, etc. In order to fast-track a project it is necessary to do a very precise job on the preliminary phases of the project such as preliminary engineering, plant site location, environmental permits, etc. 2 figures, 2 tables

Agent-Based Simulations for Project Management

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White, J. Chris; Sholtes, Robert M.

2011-01-01

Currently, the most common approach used in project planning tools is the Critical Path Method (CPM). While this method was a great improvement over the basic Gantt chart technique being used at the time, it now suffers from three primary flaws: (1) task duration is an input, (2) productivity impacts are not considered , and (3) management corrective actions are not included. Today, computers have exceptional computational power to handle complex simulations of task e)(eculion and project management activities (e.g ., dynamically changing the number of resources assigned to a task when it is behind schedule). Through research under a Department of Defense contract, the author and the ViaSim team have developed a project simulation tool that enables more realistic cost and schedule estimates by using a resource-based model that literally turns the current duration-based CPM approach "on its head." The approach represents a fundamental paradigm shift in estimating projects, managing schedules, and reducing risk through innovative predictive techniques.

3D virtual character reconstruction from projections: a NURBS-based approach

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Triki, Olfa; Zaharia, Titus B.; Preteux, Francoise J.

2004-05-01

This work has been carried out within the framework of the industrial project, so-called TOON, supported by the French government. TOON aims at developing tools for automating the traditional 2D cartoon content production. This paper presents preliminary results of the TOON platform. The proposed methodology concerns the issues of 2D/3D reconstruction from a limited number of drawn projections, and 2D/3D manipulation/deformation/refinement of virtual characters. Specifically, we show that the NURBS-based modeling approach developed here offers a well-suited framework for generating deformable 3D virtual characters from incomplete 2D information. Furthermore, crucial functionalities such as animation and non-rigid deformation can be also efficiently handled and solved. Note that user interaction is enabled exclusively in 2D by achieving a multiview constraint specification method. This is fully consistent and compliant with the cartoon creator traditional practice and makes it possible to avoid the use of 3D modeling software packages which are generally complex to manipulate.

Project-Based Approach in a First-Year Engineering Course to Promote Project Management and Sustainability

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Pooya Taheri

2018-05-01

Full Text Available To safeguard the environment and satisfy the energy needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same, sustainable energy development is urgently needed. This complex task is riddled with social, political, scientific, technical, and environmental challenges. Education is essential if we are to meet the energy demands of the world in the most sustainable manner available to us. Langara College offers a first-year engineering course that is meant to introduce students to engineering design and case studies, in addition to providing a brief glance on the history, ethics, and the different disciplines of engineering (APSC 1010. Using a project-based learning approach that promotes teamwork and research, this course uses a variety of instructional methods including lectures, class discussions, and guest appearances by experts in their fields. Introductions to technical concepts, such as soldering, 3D printing, and microcontroller, are also addressed in this course. This paper demonstrates how this, or similar courses, are optimized to raise awareness of the sustainability issues this planet is facing. Learning outcomes are evaluated using an anonymous student survey which demonstrates how the students’ project-management and presentation skills have improved.

An Object-Based Approach to Evaluation of Climate Variability Projections and Predictions

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Ammann, C. M.; Brown, B.; Kalb, C. P.; Bullock, R.

2017-12-01

Evaluations of the performance of earth system model predictions and projections are of critical importance to enhance usefulness of these products. Such evaluations need to address specific concerns depending on the system and decisions of interest; hence, evaluation tools must be tailored to inform about specific issues. Traditional approaches that summarize grid-based comparisons of analyses and models, or between current and future climate, often do not reveal important information about the models' performance (e.g., spatial or temporal displacements; the reason behind a poor score) and are unable to accommodate these specific information needs. For example, summary statistics such as the correlation coefficient or the mean-squared error provide minimal information to developers, users, and decision makers regarding what is "right" and "wrong" with a model. New spatial and temporal-spatial object-based tools from the field of weather forecast verification (where comparisons typically focus on much finer temporal and spatial scales) have been adapted to more completely answer some of the important earth system model evaluation questions. In particular, the Method for Object-based Diagnostic Evaluation (MODE) tool and its temporal (three-dimensional) extension (MODE-TD) have been adapted for these evaluations. More specifically, these tools can be used to address spatial and temporal displacements in projections of El Nino-related precipitation and/or temperature anomalies, ITCZ-associated precipitation areas, atmospheric rivers, seasonal sea-ice extent, and other features of interest. Examples of several applications of these tools in a climate context will be presented, using output of the CESM large ensemble. In general, these tools provide diagnostic information about model performance - accounting for spatial, temporal, and intensity differences - that cannot be achieved using traditional (scalar) model comparison approaches. Thus, they can provide more

A GIS-based approach for the screening assessment of noise and vibration impacts from transit projects.

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Hamed, Maged; Effat, Waleed

2007-08-01

Urban transportation projects are essential in increasing the efficiency of moving people and goods within a city, and between cities. Environmental impacts from such projects must be evaluated and mitigated, as applicable. Spatial modeling is a valuable tool for quantifying the potential level of environmental consequences within the context of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) study. This paper presents a GIS-based tool for the assessment of airborne-noise and ground-borne vibration from public transit systems, and its application to an actual project. The tool is based on the US Federal Transit Administration's (FTA) approach, and incorporates spatial information, satellite imaging, geostatistical modeling, and software programming. The tool is applied on a case study of initial environmental evaluation of a light rail transit project in an urban city in the Middle East, to evaluate alternative layouts. The tool readily allowed the alternative evaluation and the results were used as input to a multi-criteria analytic framework.

Problem based Learning versus Design Thinking in Team based Project work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Denise J. Stokholm, Marianne

2014-01-01

project based learning issues, which has caused a need to describe and compare the two models; in specific the understandings, approaches and organization of learning in project work. The PBL model viewing the process as 3 separate project stages including; problem analysis, problem solving and project......All educations at Aalborg University has since 1974 been rooted in Problem Based Learning (PBL). In 1999 a new education in Industrial design was set up, introducing Design Based Learning (DBL). Even though the two approaches have a lot in common they also hold different understandings of core...... report, with focus on problem solving through analysis. Design Based Learning viewing the process as series of integrated design spaces including; alignment, research, mission, vision, concept, product and process report, with focus on innovative ideation though integration. There is a need of renewing...

THE CONCEPT OF REFORMING THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY USING A PROJECT-BASED APPROACH

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Владлен Володимирович ЛЕПСЬКИЙ

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The strategic goal of the state policy in the field of health Ukraine is to improve human health through providing the population with affordable and quality health care, and the development of a healthy lifestyle and expansion of preventive measures. The main problem with the current health system is called the low level of public health services. So, it is necessary to use modern innovation management technology to reform the healthcare industry. The author is invited to consider the applicability of strategic management to the management of the healthcare industry reforms through the application of innovative medical technologies and management, focusing on the development of innovations in the industry, as improving the existing health care system, and developing projects to reform and the creation of new approaches based on project management tools. The necessity of the organization of the healthcare industry focused on the development of innovations in the field of health and improvement of existing processes has been proved. A new look at the planning and implementation of Ukraine healthcare industry reforms through the integration strategic and project management has been proposed. It is shown how can be related vision, mission, goals and relevant reform programs. Further studies will be subject to the classification of projects that constitute the program, development structure programs and portfolios of projects, implementation of which will achieve the strategic goals of reforming the industry

Managing projects using a project management approach

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Marko D. Andrejić

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Modern management theory treats all complex tasks and duties like projects and make these projects possible to be managed by a particular organizational-management concept in order to achieve a goal effectively. A large number of jobs and tasks performed in the system of defense or for defense purposes have the characteristics of projects. Project management is both a skill and a science of monitoring human, material, financial, energy and other resources to achieve required objectives within the given limits: deadlines, time, budget, possibility of realization and the satisfaction of the interests of all project participants. Project management is a traditional area of applied (or functional management focused on managing complex and uncertain situations with defined goals. Introduction In conditions of rapid change and high uncertainty, only adaptive organizations survive, i. e. those that are able not only to react quickly to changes but also to proactively take advantage of changes. Development of project management The biggest influence on the development of the area had complex jobs within the engineering profession. In parallel with the traditional approach new approaches began to develop, while the traditional one still remained in use. Contrary to the traditional engineering approach, a dynamic model first developed in order to respond to demands for greater control of costs. Project management Project management is a skill and knowledge of human and material resources to achieve set objectives within prescribed limits: deadlines, time, budget, possibility of realization, and the satisfaction of all participants in the project. In order to realize a project effectively, it is necessary to manage it rationally. Planning and project management A project plan is a document that allows all team members insight on where to go, when to start and when to arrive, what is necessary to be done in order to achieve the project objectives and what

Reference Scenario Forecasting: A New Approach to Transport Project Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Salling, Kim Bang; Leleur, Steen; Skougaard, Britt Zoëga

2010-01-01

This paper presents a new approach to transport project assessment in terms of feasibility risk assessment and reference class forecasting. Normally, transport project assessment is based upon a cost-benefit approach where evaluation criteria such as net present values are obtained. Recent research...... construction cost estimates. Hereafter, a quantitative risk analysis is provided making use of Monte Carlo simulation. This stochastic approach facilitates random input parameters based upon reference class forecasting, hence, a parameter data fit has been performed in order to obtain validated probability...... forecasting (RSF) frame. The RSF is anchored in the cost-benefit analysis (CBA), thus, it provides decision-makers with a quantitative mean of assessing the transport infrastructure project. First, the RSF method introduces uncertainties within the CBA by applying Optimism Bias uplifts on the preliminary...

Process-based software project management

CERN Document Server

Goodman, F Alan

2006-01-01

Not connecting software project management (SPM) to actual, real-world development processes can lead to a complete divorcing of SPM to software engineering that can undermine any successful software project. By explaining how a layered process architectural model improves operational efficiency, Process-Based Software Project Management outlines a new method that is more effective than the traditional method when dealing with SPM. With a clear and easy-to-read approach, the book discusses the benefits of an integrated project management-process management connection. The described tight coup

Kernel based subspace projection of hyperspectral images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Rasmus; Nielsen, Allan Aasbjerg; Arngren, Morten

In hyperspectral image analysis an exploratory approach to analyse the image data is to conduct subspace projections. As linear projections often fail to capture the underlying structure of the data, we present kernel based subspace projections of PCA and Maximum Autocorrelation Factors (MAF...

Voices from the Field: Developing Employability Skills for Archaeological Students Using a Project Based Learning Approach

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Wood, Gaynor

2016-01-01

Graduate employment statistics are receiving considerable attention in UK universities. This paper looks at how a wide range of employability attributes can be developed with students, through the innovative use of the Project Based Learning (PjBL) approach. The case study discussed here involves a group of archaeology students from the University…

An Approach to Tailoring Major Technical Reviews Based on Project Characteristics and Stakeholder Interests

Science.gov (United States)

Richstein, Alan B.; Nolte, Jerome T.; Pfarr, Barbara B.

2004-01-01

There are numerous technical reviews that occur throughout the systems engineering process life cycle. Many are well known by project managers and stakeholders such as developers and end users, an example of much is the critical design review (CDR). This major milestone for a large, complex new project may last two or more days, include an extensive agenda of topics, and entail hundreds of hours of developer time to prepare presentation materials and associated documents. Additionally, the weeks of schedule spent on review preparation is at least partly at the expense of other work. This paper suggests an approach for tailoring technical reviews, based on the project characteristics and the project manager s identification of the key stakeholders and understanding of their most important issues and considerations. With this insight the project manager can communicate to, manage expectations oc and establish formal agreement with the stakeholders as to which reviews, and at what depth, are most appropriate to achieve project success. The authors, coming from diverse organizations and backgrounds, have drawn on their personal experiences and summarized the best practices of their own organizations to create a common framework to provide guidance on the adaptation of design reviews to other system engineers.

An Agent Based Approach for Project Management in Construction

OpenAIRE

Sencer, Safiye; Turgay, Tahsin

2013-01-01

Project management has an important role in terms of time, cost and flexibility. An agentbased architecture provides additional robustness, scalability, flexibility that is particularly appropriate for problems with a dynamic and distributed nature. Integrated agent based project management covers design and construction planning. It is combined with plan execution, tolerating both the design and plan, which may be changed as necessary. In this reason, the decision making process requires tha...

Integrated evaluation framework. Based on the logical framework approach for project cycle management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-11-01

This Integrated Evaluation Framework (IEF) was developed by TC Evaluation with the aim of presenting in a comprehensive manner the logic of thinking used when evaluating projects and programmes. Thus, in the first place, the intended audience for this report are evaluation officers, so that when applying the evaluation procedures and check lists, data can be organized following a systematic and logical scheme and conclusions can be derived ''objectively''. The value of such a framework for reporting on performance and in providing a quality reference for disbursements represents one of its major advantages. However, when developing and applying the IEF, it was realized that a Logical Framework Approach (LFA), like the one upon which the IEF is based, needs to be followed throughout the project life cycle, from the Country Programme Framework planning stage, through project design and implementation. Then, the helpful consequences flow into project design quality and smooth implementation. It is only in such an environment that meaningful and consistent evaluation can take place. Therefore the main audience for this report are Agency staff involved in planning, designing and implementing TC projects as well as their counterparts in Member States. In this understanding, the IEF was subjected to review by a consultants meeting, which included both external consultants and Agency staff. This Consultants Review Meeting encouraged the Secretariat to further adopt the LFA into the TC management process

A Power Electronic and Drives Curriculum with Project-oriented and Problem-based Learning: A Dynamic Teaching Approach for the Future

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Frede

2002-01-01

extra study time. This paper present a teaching approach which makes it possible very fast for the student to get in-depth skills in this important area which is the problem-oriented and project-based learning. The trend and application of power electronics are illustrated. The necessary skills...... for power electronic engineers are outlined followed up by a discussion on how problem-oriented and project-based learning are implemented. A complete curriculum at Aalborg University is presented where different power electronics related projects at different study levels are carried out....

Proposal of a risk-factor-based analytical approach for integrating occupational health and safety into project risk evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Badri, Adel; Nadeau, Sylvie; Gbodossou, André

2012-09-01

Excluding occupational health and safety (OHS) from project management is no longer acceptable. Numerous industrial accidents have exposed the ineffectiveness of conventional risk evaluation methods as well as negligence of risk factors having major impact on the health and safety of workers and nearby residents. Lack of reliable and complete evaluations from the beginning of a project generates bad decisions that could end up threatening the very existence of an organization. This article supports a systematic approach to the evaluation of OHS risks and proposes a new procedure based on the number of risk factors identified and their relative significance. A new concept called risk factor concentration along with weighting of risk factor categories as contributors to undesirable events are used in the analytical hierarchy process multi-criteria comparison model with Expert Choice(©) software. A case study is used to illustrate the various steps of the risk evaluation approach and the quick and simple integration of OHS at an early stage of a project. The approach allows continual reassessment of criteria over the course of the project or when new data are acquired. It was thus possible to differentiate the OHS risks from the risk of drop in quality in the case of the factory expansion project. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning in Introductory E-Commerce: A Project-Based Teamwork Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ngai, Eric W. T.

2007-01-01

In this paper, we describe an e-commerce teamwork-based project designed and implemented at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) for undergraduate business and management students. The teaching objectives of this e-commerce project are to develop the students' knowledge and skills, such as in the use of e-commerce site building tools,…

Change Project-Based Learning in Teacher Education in Botswana ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) pedagogies are intricate, and to enhance learning, teacher education has to be innovative in teaching approach. This article investigates how the change project approach enhances project-based learning in practice. The investigation is ...

System supplier approach to projects and operations efficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moe, P O [Siemens Offshore A/S (Norway)

1994-12-31

The conference paper outlines the most important elements for a new approach to project realisation that enable a cost reduction of 30-50% compared to conventional methods. The achievements are based on studies and evaluations to the Norwegian Vigdis development project. The system elements covered are the electrical and automation systems including safety and process control and all traditional phases of a project from concept design to the operational phase. The concept involves new principles for project execution where traditional borderlines and interfaces between the various participants have been redefined. Management attention has been verified as an important prerequisite for a successful implementation of this strategy. 2 figs.

The Effectiveness of Project Based Learning in Trigonometry

Science.gov (United States)

Gerhana, M. T. C.; Mardiyana, M.; Pramudya, I.

2017-09-01

This research aimed to explore the effectiveness of Project-Based Learning (PjBL) with scientific approach viewed from interpersonal intelligence toward students’ achievement learning in mathematics. This research employed quasi experimental research. The subjects of this research were grade X MIPA students in Sleman Yogyakarta. The result of the research showed that project-based learning model is more effective to generate students’ mathematics learning achievement that classical model with scientific approach. This is because in PjBL model students are more able to think actively and creatively. Students are faced with a pleasant atmosphere to solve a problem in everyday life. The use of project-based learning model is expected to be the choice of teachers to improve mathematics education.

Projection-based curve clustering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Auder, Benjamin; Fischer, Aurelie

2012-01-01

This paper focuses on unsupervised curve classification in the context of nuclear industry. At the Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Cadarache (France), the thermal-hydraulic computer code CATHARE is used to study the reliability of reactor vessels. The code inputs are physical parameters and the outputs are time evolution curves of a few other physical quantities. As the CATHARE code is quite complex and CPU time-consuming, it has to be approximated by a regression model. This regression process involves a clustering step. In the present paper, the CATHARE output curves are clustered using a k-means scheme, with a projection onto a lower dimensional space. We study the properties of the empirically optimal cluster centres found by the clustering method based on projections, compared with the 'true' ones. The choice of the projection basis is discussed, and an algorithm is implemented to select the best projection basis among a library of orthonormal bases. The approach is illustrated on a simulated example and then applied to the industrial problem. (authors)

A Probabilistic Alternative Approach to Optimal Project Profitability Based on the Value-at-Risk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yonggu Kim

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on an investment decision-making process for sustainable development based on the profitability impact factors for overseas projects. Investors prefer to use the discounted cash-flow method. Although this method is simple and straightforward, its critical weakness is its inability to reflect the factor volatility associated with the project evaluation. To overcome this weakness, the Value-at-Risk method is used to apply the volatility of the profitability impact factors, thereby reflecting the risks and establishing decision-making criteria for risk-averse investors. Risk-averse investors can lose relatively acceptable investment opportunities to risk-neutral or risk-amenable investors due to strict investment decision-making criteria. To overcome this problem, critical factors are selected through a Monte Carlo simulation and a sensitivity analysis, and solutions to the critical-factor problems are then found by using the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving and a business version of the Project Definition Rating Index. This study examines the process of recovering investment opportunities with projects that are investment feasible and that have been rejected when applying the criterion of the Value-at-Risk method. To do this, a probabilistic alternative approach is taken. To validate this methodology, the proposed framework for an improved decision-making process is demonstrated using two actual overseas projects of a Korean steel-making company.

Knowledge collaborative incentive based on inter-organizational cooperative innovation of project-based supply chain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangdong Wu

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Within project-based supply chain inter-organizational cooperative innovation, the achievement of project value-adding reflects by factors such as project-based organizational effect level, the relationship between project cooperative innovation objectives etc. The purpose is to provide a reliable reference for the contractor reasonably allocate the effect level and resources between the knowledge input and innovation stage and realize the knowledge collaboration for project-based supply chain. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the assumption of equal cooperation between project-based organizations, from the view of maximizing project value-adding and the relationship of effect cost between knowledge input and innovation stage in consideration, the knowledge collaborative incentive model for project-based supply chain inter-organizational cooperative innovation was established, and solved through the first-order and second-order approach, then the digital simulation and example analysis were presented. Findings: The results show that, the project management enterprise resorted to adjust project knowledge collaboration incentive intensity and implemented knowledge input-innovation coordinative incentive strategy, not only could achieve project value-adding maximization, but also could realize net earnings Pareto improvement between project management enterprise and contractor. Research limitations/implications: To simplify the knowledge flow among project-based organizations, the knowledge flow in the model hypothesis is presented as knowledge input and knowledge innovation stage, thus it may affect the final analysis results. Originality/value: In construction project practice, knowledge is become more and more important to achieve project value-adding. The research can provide a theoretical guideline for the project-based organizations, such as the contractor, the owner, especially how to utilize their core knowledge.

The Special Place Project: Efficacy of a Place-Based Case Study Approach for Teaching Geoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Moosavi, Sadredin

2014-05-01

Achieving geoscience literacy of the general population has become increasingly important world wide as ever more connected and growing societies depend more and more on our planet's limited natural resource base. Building citizen understanding of their dependence on the local environment, and the geologic processes which created and continue to change it, has become a great challenge to educators at all levels of the education system. The Special Place Project described in this presentation explores use of a place-based case study approach combining instruction in geoscience content with development of observation, reasoning, writing and presentation skills. The approach allows students to select the locations for their individual case studies affording development of personal connections between the learner and his environment. The approach gives instructors at many grade levels the ability to develop core pedagogical content and skills while exploring the unique geologic environments relevant to the local population including such critical issues as land use, resource depletion, energy, climate change and the future of communities in a changing world. The geologic reasons for the location of communities and key events in their histories can be incorporated into the students' case studies as appropriate. The project is unique in placing all course instruction in the context of the quest to explore and gain understanding of the student's chosen location by using the inherently more generalized course content required by the curriculum. By modeling how scientists approach their research questions, this pedagogical technique not only integrates knowledge and skills from across the curriculum, it captures the excitement of scientific thinking on real world questions directly relevant to students' lives, increasing student engagement and depth of learning as demonstrated in the case study reports crafted by the students and exam results. Student learning of topics

Problem-based and project-oriented learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blaabjerg, Frede; Teodorescu, Remus; Chen, Zhe

2005-01-01

. Generally, the content of the curriculum should be more expanded without extra study time. This paper presents a teaching approach, which makes it possible very fast for the students to obtain in-depth skills into new research areas, and this method is the problem-oriented and project-based learning....... In this paper the necessary skills for power electronic engineers are outlined that is followed up by a description on how the problem-oriented and project-based learning are implemented. A complete curriculum in power electronics and drives at Aalborg University is presented where different power electronics...... related projects at different study levels also are presented....

Distributed Research Project Scheduling Based on Multi-Agent Methods

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Constanta Nicoleta Bodea

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Different project planning and scheduling approaches have been developed. The Operational Research (OR provides two major planning techniques: CPM (Critical Path Method and PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique. Due to projects complexity and difficulty to use classical methods, new approaches were developed. Artificial Intelligence (AI initially promoted the automatic planner concept, but model-based planning and scheduling methods emerged later on. The paper adresses the project scheduling optimization problem, when projects are seen as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS. Taken into consideration two different approaches for project scheduling optimization: TCPSP (Time- Constrained Project Scheduling and RCPSP (Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling, the paper focuses on a multiagent implementation in MATLAB for TCSP. Using the research project as a case study, the paper includes a comparison between two multi-agent methods: Genetic Algorithm (GA and Ant Colony Algorithm (ACO.

Continued multidisciplinary project-based learning - implementation in health informatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Wessel, C; Spreckelsen, C

2009-01-01

Problem- and project-based learning are approved methods to train students, graduates and post-graduates in scientific and other professional skills. The students are trained on realistic scenarios in a broader context. For students specializing in health informatics we introduced continued multidisciplinary project-based learning (CM-PBL) at a department of medical informatics. The training approach addresses both students of medicine and students of computer science. The students are full members of an ongoing research project and develop a project-related application or module, or explore or evaluate a sub-project. Two teachers guide and review the students' work. The training on scientific work follows a workflow with defined milestones. The team acts as peer group. By participating in the research team's work the students are trained on professional skills. A research project on a web-based information system on hospitals built the scenario for the realistic context. The research team consisted of up to 14 active members at a time, who were scientists and students of computer science and medicine. The well communicated educational approach and team policy fostered the participation of the students. Formative assessment and evaluation showed a considerable improvement of the students' skills and a high participant satisfaction. Alternative education approaches such as project-based learning empower students to acquire scientific knowledge and professional skills, especially the ability of life-long learning, multidisciplinary team work and social responsibility.

Approaches to Teaching Plant Nutrition. Children's Learning in Science Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Leeds Univ. (England). Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education.

During the period 1984-1986, over 30 teachers from the Yorkshire (England) region have worked in collaboration with the Children's Learning in Science Project (CLIS) developing and testing teaching schemes in the areas of energy, particle theory, and plant nutrition. The project is based upon the constructivist approach to teaching. This document…

Students' Perception of a Flipped Classroom Approach to Facilitating Online Project-Based Learning in Marketing Research Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Wen-Ling; Tsai, Chun-Yen

2017-01-01

This study investigated students' perception of a flipped classroom approach to facilitating online project-based learning (FC-OPBL) in a marketing research course at a technical university. This combined strategy was aimed at improving teaching quality and learning efficiency. Sixty-seven students taking a marketing research course were surveyed.…

A Psychometric Approach to Theory-Based Behavior Change Intervention Development: Example From the Colorado Meaning-Activity Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Masters, Kevin S; Ross, Kaile M; Hooker, Stephanie A; Wooldridge, Jennalee L

2018-05-18

There has been a notable disconnect between theories of behavior change and behavior change interventions. Because few interventions are both explicitly and adequately theory-based, investigators cannot assess the impact of theory on intervention effectiveness. Theory-based interventions, designed to deliberately engage the theory's proposed mechanisms of change, are needed to adequately test theories. Thus, systematic approaches to theory-based intervention development are needed. This article will introduce and discuss the psychometric method of developing theory-based interventions. The psychometric approach to intervention development utilizes basic psychometric principles at each step of the intervention development process in order to build a theoretically driven intervention to, subsequently, be tested in process (mechanism) and outcome studies. Five stages of intervention development are presented as follows: (i) Choice of theory; (ii) Identification and characterization of key concepts and expected relations; (iii) Intervention construction; (iv) Initial testing and revision; and (v) Empirical testing of the intervention. Examples of this approach from the Colorado Meaning-Activity Project (COMAP) are presented. Based on self-determination theory integrated with meaning or purpose, and utilizing a motivational interviewing approach, the COMAP intervention is individually based with an initial interview followed by smart phone-delivered interventions for increasing daily activity. The psychometric approach to intervention development is one method to ensure careful consideration of theory in all steps of intervention development. This structured approach supports developing a research culture that endorses deliberate and systematic operationalization of theory into behavior change intervention from the outset of intervention development.

Knowledge Governance in Project-Based Organizations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pemsel, Sofia; Wiewiora, Anna; Müller, Ralf

This paper conceptualizes knowledge governance (KG) in project-based organizations (PBOs) and its methodological approaches for empirical investigation. Three key contributions towards a multi-faceted view of KG and an understanding of KG in PBOs are advanced. These contributions include a defini......This paper conceptualizes knowledge governance (KG) in project-based organizations (PBOs) and its methodological approaches for empirical investigation. Three key contributions towards a multi-faceted view of KG and an understanding of KG in PBOs are advanced. These contributions include...... a definition of KG in PBOs, a conceptual framework to investigate KG and a methodological framework for empirical inquiry into KG in PBO settings. Our definition highlights the contingent nature of KG processes in relation to their organizational context. The conceptual framework addresses macro- and micro...

Projective synchronization based on suitable separation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Guohui; Xiong Chuan; Sun Xiaonan

2007-01-01

A new approach for constructing a projective-synchronized chaotic slave system is proposed in this paper. This method is based on suitable separation by decomposing the system as the linear part and the nonlinear one. From matrix measure theory, some simple but efficient criteria are derived for projective synchronization of chaotic system. Numerical simulations for the Lorenz system show that this control method works very well

Development of Entrepreneurship Competences from Project Based Learning Approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lidia SÁNCHEZ GONZÁLEZ

2017-02-01

Full Text Available A key issue for any educational institution is to train individuals in such a way that they participate efficiently in their context. The current context where learning is carried out is digital era. With this landscape, and taking into account the current socioeconomic situation, it is necessary to increase students’ employability. This requires that what is taught in educational institutions fits with companies’ requirements. In this sense one of most common companies’ requirement is that students have knowledge about how to develop a project from scratch. In order to address this issue, the present paper poses the application of a project based learning methodology. This methodology is applied in an experiment that comprises two academic years. During each year, the students should develop complete projects working as teams and obtain final products. In this way, it was possible to develop competences that can be interesting for companies and also to increment students’ motivation.

Four Approaches to Project Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Markus; Svejvig, Per; Rode, Anna Le Gerstrøm

. Each of the framework’s four approaches provides a distinct evaluation that sheds light on some issues while leaving others unattended. Following these lines, the paper calls for more multi-faceted project evaluations. Introducing a framework that can help analyze existing evaluations and structure......There are many theoretical and practical reasons for evaluating projects – including explorative arguments focusing on expanding descriptive knowledge on project work as well as normative arguments focusing on improving prescriptive models of project performance. Despite the need for project...... management methodologies that work and combat project failure, and research methods that can assess effective project management and methodologies, as well as empirical research on the actuality of projects as practice, evaluation research on projects including project management and methodologies is scarce...

A projection-based approach to general-form Tikhonov regularization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kilmer, Misha E.; Hansen, Per Christian; Espanol, Malena I.

2007-01-01

We present a projection-based iterative algorithm for computing general-form Tikhonov regularized solutions to the problem minx| Ax-b |2^2+lambda2| Lx |2^2, where the regularization matrix L is not the identity. Our algorithm is designed for the common case where lambda is not known a priori...

DEVELOPMENT MODEL OF PATISSERIE PROJECT-BASED LEARNING

OpenAIRE

Ana Ana; Lutfhiyah Nurlaela

2013-01-01

The study aims to find a model of patisserie project-based learning with production approach that can improve effectiveness of patisserie learning. Delphi Technique, Cohen's Kappa and percentages of agreements were used to assess model of patisserie project based learning. Data collection techniques employed in the study were questionnaire, check list worksheet, observation, and interview sheets. Subjects were 13 lectures of expertise food and nutrition and 91 students of Food and Nutrition ...

Story, History and Intercultural Memory: Can a Transmedia Approach Benefit an Archive-Based Documentary Project?

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Marida Di Crosta

2016-12-01

Full Text Available How can transmedia storytelling benefit to a documentary production in order to give historical archives a second life? Could it possibly help updating official archives, adding to the them amateur’s contributions? We will try to answer the question by recalling some recent European experiences of Web-documentaries linked to television series. This will allows us to extrapolate a few theoretical fundamentals underlying the design of our transcontinental transmedia collaborative project of archive-based documentary – Histories of Brazil. Our aim is to show how a transmedia approach to archive-based content, intervening in contemporary digital interconnected environements, can work as a dynamic complementary tool for developing and sharing historical knowledge.

Organisational Memories in Project-Based Companies: An Autopoietic View

Science.gov (United States)

Koskinen, Kaj U.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe project-based companies' knowledge production and memory development with the help of autopoietic epistemology. Design/methodology/approach: The discussion first defines the concept of a project-based company. Then the discussion deals with the two epistemological assumptions, namely cognitivist…

Becoming Little Scientists: Technologically-Enhanced Project-Based Language Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Dooly, Melinda; Sadler, Randall

2016-01-01

This article outlines research into innovative language teaching practices that make optimal use of technology and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) for an integrated approach to Project-Based Learning. It is based on data compiled during a 10- week language project that employed videoconferencing and "machinima" (short video clips…

Individual activities as an integrated part of project work - an innovative approach to project oriented and problem-based learning POPBL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moesby, Egon; Winther, Hans Henrik; Kørnøv, Lone

2006-01-01

in an individual activity to subsequently be separately assessed. The results of the individually oriented project work form the platform for final work with the project as a team. The students in each team are expected to evaluate the individual solutions and select the one solution to work on in the final phases......In this paper, the authors describe and, on the basis of a recently conducted survey, evaluate a way to increase student learning through the introduction of an individual project activity to the project oriented and problem-based and team-based project work - POPBL. This can be achieved not just...... by adding an individual activity outside or parallel to the project work, but by having the individual activity embedded as an integrated part of the overall team-based project work. In what the authors have deemed the extended project model, students work individually in the solution phase of the project...

Analysis of problem solving on project based learning with resource based learning approach computer-aided program

Science.gov (United States)

Kuncoro, K. S.; Junaedi, I.; Dwijanto

2018-03-01

This study aimed to reveal the effectiveness of Project Based Learning with Resource Based Learning approach computer-aided program and analyzed problem-solving abilities in terms of problem-solving steps based on Polya stages. The research method used was mixed method with sequential explanatory design. The subject of this research was the students of math semester 4. The results showed that the S-TPS (Strong Top Problem Solving) and W-TPS (Weak Top Problem Solving) had good problem-solving abilities in each problem-solving indicator. The problem-solving ability of S-MPS (Strong Middle Problem Solving) and (Weak Middle Problem Solving) in each indicator was good. The subject of S-BPS (Strong Bottom Problem Solving) had a difficulty in solving the problem with computer program, less precise in writing the final conclusion and could not reflect the problem-solving process using Polya’s step. While the Subject of W-BPS (Weak Bottom Problem Solving) had not been able to meet almost all the indicators of problem-solving. The subject of W-BPS could not precisely made the initial table of completion so that the completion phase with Polya’s step was constrained.

Relational approach in managing construction project safety: a social capital perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Koh, Tas Yong; Rowlinson, Steve

2012-09-01

Existing initiatives in the management of construction project safety are largely based on normative compliance and error prevention, a risk management approach. Although advantageous, these approaches are not wholly successful in further lowering accident rates. A major limitation lies with the approaches' lack of emphasis on the social and team processes inherent in construction project settings. We advance the enquiry by invoking the concept of social capital and project organisational processes, and their impacts on project safety performance. Because social capital is a primordial concept and affects project participants' interactions, its impact on project safety performance is hypothesised to be indirect, i.e. the impact of social capital on safety performance is mediated by organisational processes in adaptation and cooperation. A questionnaire survey was conducted within Hong Kong construction industry to test the hypotheses. 376 usable responses were received and used for analyses. The results reveal that, while the structural dimension is not significant, the mediational thesis is generally supported with the cognitive and relational dimensions affecting project participants' adaptation and cooperation, and the latter two processes affect safety performance. However, the cognitive dimension also directly affects safety performance. The implications of these results for project safety management are discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Condition based maintenance pilot projects at Pickering ND

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zemdegs, R.T.

1995-01-01

Ontario Hydro has recognized that the approaches to maintenance have undergone significant changes to the past decades. The traditional break down maintenance approach has been replaced by preventative maintenance and more recently, by condition based maintenance. The nuclear plants of Ontario Hydro have evaluated on a number of alternative programs to improve their maintenance effectiveness and to reduce costs, including Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), call-up review, component-based PM programs, analysis of failure history and so on. Pickering ND (nuclear division) and Ontario Hydro's Nuclear Technologies Services Division, have embarked on a Condition Based Maintenance pilot project to address the above issues as a breakthrough solution for smarter maintenance. The Condition Based Maintenance pilot project will demonstrate an end-to-end process utilizing a Reliability Centred Maintenance structured approach to re-engineer and redefine the existing maintenance programs. The project emphasizes on-condition maintenance where justified, and utilizes an information management tool to provide the required records keeping and analysis infrastructure. This paper briefly describes the planned maintenance model at Pickering ND used to guide the CBM pilot, and an overview of the methodology used to develop on-condition equipment indicators as part of a re-engineered maintenance plan

Empirical projection-based basis-component decomposition method

Science.gov (United States)

Brendel, Bernhard; Roessl, Ewald; Schlomka, Jens-Peter; Proksa, Roland

2009-02-01

Advances in the development of semiconductor based, photon-counting x-ray detectors stimulate research in the domain of energy-resolving pre-clinical and clinical computed tomography (CT). For counting detectors acquiring x-ray attenuation in at least three different energy windows, an extended basis component decomposition can be performed in which in addition to the conventional approach of Alvarez and Macovski a third basis component is introduced, e.g., a gadolinium based CT contrast material. After the decomposition of the measured projection data into the basis component projections, conventional filtered-backprojection reconstruction is performed to obtain the basis-component images. In recent work, this basis component decomposition was obtained by maximizing the likelihood-function of the measurements. This procedure is time consuming and often unstable for excessively noisy data or low intrinsic energy resolution of the detector. Therefore, alternative procedures are of interest. Here, we introduce a generalization of the idea of empirical dual-energy processing published by Stenner et al. to multi-energy, photon-counting CT raw data. Instead of working in the image-domain, we use prior spectral knowledge about the acquisition system (tube spectra, bin sensitivities) to parameterize the line-integrals of the basis component decomposition directly in the projection domain. We compare this empirical approach with the maximum-likelihood (ML) approach considering image noise and image bias (artifacts) and see that only moderate noise increase is to be expected for small bias in the empirical approach. Given the drastic reduction of pre-processing time, the empirical approach is considered a viable alternative to the ML approach.

Incremental projection approach of regularization for inverse problems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Souopgui, Innocent, E-mail: innocent.souopgui@usm.edu [The University of Southern Mississippi, Department of Marine Science (United States); Ngodock, Hans E., E-mail: hans.ngodock@nrlssc.navy.mil [Naval Research Laboratory (United States); Vidard, Arthur, E-mail: arthur.vidard@imag.fr; Le Dimet, François-Xavier, E-mail: ledimet@imag.fr [Laboratoire Jean Kuntzmann (France)

2016-10-15

This paper presents an alternative approach to the regularized least squares solution of ill-posed inverse problems. Instead of solving a minimization problem with an objective function composed of a data term and a regularization term, the regularization information is used to define a projection onto a convex subspace of regularized candidate solutions. The objective function is modified to include the projection of each iterate in the place of the regularization. Numerical experiments based on the problem of motion estimation for geophysical fluid images, show the improvement of the proposed method compared with regularization methods. For the presented test case, the incremental projection method uses 7 times less computation time than the regularization method, to reach the same error target. Moreover, at convergence, the incremental projection is two order of magnitude more accurate than the regularization method.

Conflict Approaches of Effective Project Manager in the Upstream Sector of Indonesian Oil & Gas Industry

OpenAIRE

Adhi Cahyono; Yanki Hartijasti

2012-01-01

Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional to the organization’s performance. This study focused on the relationship between conflict approaches implemented by the project manager based on project team member’s perception on the effectiveness of the project manager in managing project’s conflict. Questionnaires were modified from Barker et al. (1988) to measure conflict management approaches and outcomes of managing project conflict. Data were gathered from 57 respondents w...

Dimensions of Problem Based Learning--Dialogue and Online Collaboration in Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Andreasen,, Lars Birch; Nielsen, Jørgen Lerche

2013-01-01

The article contributes to the discussions on problem based learning and project work, building on and reflecting the experiences of the authors. Four perspectives are emphasized as central to a contemporary approach to problem- and project-based learning: the exploration of problems, projects as a method, online collaboration, and the dialogic…

Teaching Introductory Oceanography through Case Studies: Project based approach for general education students

Science.gov (United States)

Farnsworth, K. L.; House, M.; Hovan, S. A.

2013-12-01

A recent workshop sponsored by SERC-On the Cutting Edge brought together science educators from a range of schools across the country to discuss new approaches in teaching oceanography. In discussing student interest in our classes, we were struck by the fact that students are drawn to emotional or controversial topics such as whale hunting and tsunami hazard and that these kinds of topics are a great vehicle for introducing more complex concepts such as wave propagation, ocean upwelling and marine chemistry. Thus, we have developed an approach to introductory oceanography that presents students with real-world issues in the ocean sciences and requires them to explore the science behind them in order to improve overall ocean science literacy among non-majors and majors at 2 and 4 year colleges. We have designed a project-based curriculum built around topics that include, but are not limited to: tsunami hazard, whale migration, ocean fertilization, ocean territorial claims, rapid climate change, the pacific trash patch, overfishing, and ocean acidification. Each case study or project consists of three weeks of class time and is structured around three elements: 1) a media analysis; 2) the role of ocean science in addressing the issue; 3) human impact/response. Content resources range from textbook readings, popular or current print news, documentary film and television, and data available on the world wide web from a range of sources. We employ a variety of formative assessments for each case study in order to monitor student access and understanding of content and include a significant component of in-class student discussion and brainstorming guided by faculty input to develop the case study. Each study culminates in summative assessments ranging from exams to student posters to presentations, depending on the class size and environment. We envision this approach for a range of classroom environments including large group face-to-face instruction as well as hybrid

A Semantics-Based Approach to Retrieving Biomedical Information

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Troels; Bulskov, Henrik; Zambach, Sine

2011-01-01

This paper describes an approach to representing, organising, and accessing conceptual content of biomedical texts using a formal ontology. The ontology is based on UMLS resources supplemented with domain ontologies developed in the project. The approach introduces the notion of ‘generative ontol...... of data mining of texts identifying paraphrases and concept relations and measuring distances between key concepts in texts. Thus, the project is distinct in its attempt to provide a formal underpinning of conceptual similarity or relatedness of meaning.......This paper describes an approach to representing, organising, and accessing conceptual content of biomedical texts using a formal ontology. The ontology is based on UMLS resources supplemented with domain ontologies developed in the project. The approach introduces the notion of ‘generative...... ontologies’, i.e., ontologies providing increasingly specialised concepts reflecting the phrase structure of natural language. Furthermore, we propose a novel so called ontological semantics which maps noun phrases from texts and queries into nodes in the generative ontology. This enables an advanced form...

Conflict Approaches of Effective Project Manager in the Upstream Sector of Indonesian Oil & Gas Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adhi Cahyono

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional to the organization’s performance. This study focused on the relationship between conflict approaches implemented by the project manager based on project team member’s perception on the effectiveness of the project manager in managing project’s conflict. Questionnaires were modified from Barker et al. (1988 to measure conflict management approaches and outcomes of managing project conflict. Data were gathered from 57 respondents who worked in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC contractors serving the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industry in Indonesia. By using Pearson correlation, result of this study indicated that project managers were perceived to be effective in managing project conflict when implementing cooperative and confi rmative approaches, but ineffective when combining competitive and avoidance approaches. Further research should investigate correlation between cultural dimensions with conflict approaches and outcomes of managing conflict.

From cases to projects in problem-based medical education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Stentoft

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Problem-based learning (PBL based on patient cases has become a well-established worldwide educational approach in medical education. Recent studies indicate that case-based PBL when used throughout an entire curriculum may develop into a counter-productive routine for students as well as teachers. Consequently, there is a need to develop PBL approaches further allowing students to work with more ill-defined problems and alternative learning structures. In this paper, we argue that this can be realised by introducing project-PBL into the medical curriculum, as in the medical education at Aalborg University, Denmark. We outline organisations of case- and project- PBL in the medical curriculum and present an explorative study of 116 first and second year students’ experiences working in the two settings of PBL. Results reveal that students generally rate their PBL experiences positively however, project-PBL is rated more positively than case-PBL on all parameters studied. These results invite further consideration of the differences in working with cases and projects. Two central differences are discussed; the nature of the problem as the trigger of learning and students' possibilities for directing their own learning processes. The study demonstrates that introducing project-PBL may contribute significantly in problem-based medical education. However, the need for extensive research into advantages and limitations of the combined use of case- and project-PBL is also emphasised.

Methodological Approach for the Sustainability Assessment of Development Cooperation Projects for Built Innovations Based on the SDGs and Life Cycle Thinking

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Stephanie D. Maier

2016-10-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a methodological approach for a sustainability assessment of development cooperation projects. Between the scientific disciplines there is no agreement on the term of “sustainability”. Whereas the definition of sustainability within the context of development cooperation frequently highlights the long-term success of an intervention, the United Nations herald the inclusion of social, economic and environmental aspects. This paper proposes to bridge this gap by providing an analytical framework that uses nine impact category groups based on thematic priorities of sustainable development derived from the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, the long-term effectiveness of a project is taken into consideration. These impact category groups comprise the analytical framework, which is investigated by the Life Cycle Assessment and an indicator-based analysis. These data are obtained through empirical social research and the LCA inventory. The underlying concept is based on life cycle thinking. Taking up a multi-cycle model this study establishes two life cycles: first, the project management life cycle; and, second, the life cycle of a project’s innovation. The innovation’s life cycle is identified to have the greatest impact on the target region and the local people and is consequently of primary interest. This methodological approach enables an ex-post sustainability assessment of a built innovation of a development cooperation project and is tested on a case study on Improved Cooking Stoves in Bangladesh.

Effective Teaching Methods--Project-based Learning in Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Holubova, Renata

2008-01-01

The paper presents results of the research of new effective teaching methods in physics and science. It is found out that it is necessary to educate pre-service teachers in approaches stressing the importance of the own activity of students, in competences how to create an interdisciplinary project. Project-based physics teaching and learning…

Effects of a Technology Supported Project Based Learning (TS-PBL Approach on the Success of a Mobile Application Development Course and the Students’ Opinions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fezile Ozdamli

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Similar to traditional desktop software development processes, teamwork is a necessity in the mobile application development process. Thus, the aim of this study is to examine the effects of the technology supported project-based learning approach in mobile application development courses on the academic achievement of students and to clarify the engineering students’ opinions. A total of 130 engineering students from the Department taking mobile application development courses were the participants of this study. The lessons progressed in one group in the form of technology supported project-based learning steps, while in the other group, they were conducted using traditional methods. Based on the results, the practical implementation of a mobile application with a TS-PBL approach in engineering students’ education will be discussed.

The Japanese approach to financing LNG projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Wataru

1995-01-01

The Japanese approach approach to financing LNG project has been what could be called a combined purchase and finance system which has been arranged mainly at the initiative of japan's Sogo Shosh (general trading companies) with the support of japanese governmental financial agencies and a purchase commitment from japanese utilities. In the QATARGAS project, despite it being the first greenfield LNG project in decade since North West Shelf Australia LNG project, financing for the LNG plant phase has been successfully arranged through Japanese financing. The structuring of the financial facilities for the QATARGAS project seems to have lessons for future development of the next generation of greenfield LNG projects. Discharge of the parties' liability, proper sharing of the risk burden and reconfirmation of the spirit of mutual understanding and trust among the parties concerned are key factors for the success of any new LNG project in the future. (Author)

Interdisciplinary project-based learning: technology for improving student cognition

OpenAIRE

Natalia Stozhko; Boris Bortnik; Ludmila Mironova; Albina Tchernysheva; Ekaterina Podshivalova

2015-01-01

The article studies a way of enhancing student cognition by using interdisciplinary project-based learning (IPBL) in a higher education institution. IPBL is a creative pedagogic approach allowing students of one area of specialisation to develop projects for students with different academic profiles. The application of this approach in the Ural State University of Economics resulted in a computer-assisted learning system (CALS) designed by IT students. The CALS was used in an analytical chemi...

Understanding Project Based Production through Socio-technical Modularity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian Langhoff

This paper develops an approach for understanding Project Based Production. This form of production is characterized by unique deliverables, high complexity, high value, high risk, profound uncertainty and many stakeholders and is increasingly important the postmodern society. Common to the pract......This paper develops an approach for understanding Project Based Production. This form of production is characterized by unique deliverables, high complexity, high value, high risk, profound uncertainty and many stakeholders and is increasingly important the postmodern society. Common...... to the practices of PBP and other production practices is the goal of balancing the dilemma between creativity and productivity. In response to industrialized production, the concept of modularity gained popularity for addressing this dilemma by exploring product, process and organization structures. However...... with the starting point in system theory and a strong bias towards industrial production, the predominant understanding of modularity faces difficulty in explaining practices of Project Based Production in both social – technical and dynamic – stable aspects. Illustrated by a case the paper addresses this gap...

Project Based Learning in Multi-Grade Class

Science.gov (United States)

Ciftci, Sabahattin; Baykan, Ayse Aysun

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate project based learning in multi-grade classes. This study, based on a student-centered learning approach, aims to analyze students' and parents' interpretations. The study was done in a primary village school belonging to the Centre of Batman, already adapting multi-grade classes in their education system,…

Hydrostatic Pressure Project: Linked-Class Problem-Based Learning in Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Freddie J.; Lockwood-Cooke, Pamela; Hunt, Emily M.

2011-01-01

Over the last few years, WTAMU Mathematics, Engineering and Science faculty has used interdisciplinary projects as the basis for implementation of a linked-class approach to Problem-Based Learning (PBL). A project that has significant relevance to engineering statics, fluid mechanics, and calculus is the Hydrostatic Pressure Project. This project…

Study on Risk Approaches in Software Development Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudiu BRANDAS

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Risk approaches in project development led to the integration in the IT project management methodologies and software development of activities and processes of risk management. The diversity and the advanced level of the used technologies in IT projects with increasing com-plexity leads to an exponential diversification of risk factors.The purpose of this research is to identify the level of the risk approach in IT projects both at the IT project management and software development methodologies level and the level of the perception of IT project man-agers, IT managers and IT analysts in Romanian IT companies. Thus, we want to determine the correlation between the use of a project management or software development methodology and the overall level of risk perceived by the project managers using these methodologies.

Project-Based Management Development: "The Volvo Story."

Science.gov (United States)

Branch, John; Smith, Bryan

1992-01-01

A modular group project-based approach to management development was implemented by Volvo Concessionaires (United Kingdom) in partnership with training consultants. Ingredients of its success included top-level commitment, investment in diagnosis and tailoring, and use of company-specific case studies. (SK)

Six Sigma Project Selection Using Fuzzy TOPSIS Decision Making Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajeev Rathi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Six Sigma is considered as a logical business strategy that attempts to identify and eliminate the defects or failures for improving the quality of product and processes. A decision on project selection in Six Sigma is always very critical; it plays a key role in successful implementation of Six Sigma. Selection of a right Six Sigma project is essentially important for an automotive company because it greatly influences the manufacturing costs. This paper discusses an approach for right Six Sigma project selection at an automotive industry using fuzzy logic based TOPSIS method. The fuzzy TOPSIS is a well recognized tool to undertake the fuzziness of the data involved in choosing the right preferences. In this context, evaluation criteria have been designed for selection of best alternative. The weights of evaluation criteria are calculated by using the MDL (modified digital logic method and final ranking is calculated through priority index obtained by using fuzzy TOPSIS method. In the selected case study, this approach has rightly helped to identify the right project for implementing Six Sigma for achieving improvement in productivity.

Incorporation of project-based learning into an occupational health course.

Science.gov (United States)

Dehdashti, Alireza; Mehralizadeh, Semira; Kashani, Masoud Motalebi

2013-01-01

Use of an appropriate teaching approach is a major concern for faculty members who are involved in occupational health and safety academic education. The challenge is to explore teaching tools to equip students with knowledge and skills to prepare them for their practices, in which they will encounter occupational health and safety issues in various occupational settings. The current study presents the design and implementation of a team project-based learning approach for undergraduate occupational health students to examine the appropriateness and perceptions of students and educators with regard to such a learning experience. Steps were taken to guide the educators and students through the learning process based on projects completed in teams. The research tools for collecting data were a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with participants. The results illustrated that use of the proposed teaching approach as part of occupational health education may have the potential to motivate and enhance the active roles of educators and students in the learning process, and improve students' technical and social skills that are crucial for practice in the occupational health field. The study findings showed that project-based learning may provide a promising teaching strategy in the education and training of occupational health students. In addition, academic institutions should encourage educators to plan, introduce and evaluate the effectiveness of project-based learning.

Generic project definitions for improvement of health care delivery: A case-base approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niemeijer, G.C.; Does, R.J.M.M.; de Mast, J.; Trip, A.; van den Heuvel, J.

2011-01-01

Background: The purpose of this article is to create actionable knowledge, making the definition of process improvement projects in health care delivery more effective. Methods: This study is a retrospective analysis of process improvement projects in hospitals, facilitating a case-based reasoning

Adaptive Knowledge Management of Project-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Tilchin, Oleg; Kittany, Mohamed

2016-01-01

The goal of an approach to Adaptive Knowledge Management (AKM) of project-based learning (PBL) is to intensify subject study through guiding, inducing, and facilitating development knowledge, accountability skills, and collaborative skills of students. Knowledge development is attained by knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, and knowledge…

The technique of project activity: A new approach in Russian preschool.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Veraksa N.E.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Project activity has a long history of implementation in education (Kilpatrick, 1918. This article describes the approach to project activity that became widespread in preschool education in Russia in the late 1990s. This approach is based on the cultural-historical theory of Vygotsky (1978, Venger’s (1988 understanding of intellectual giftedness, as well as an understanding of project activity proposed by Leontiev (2000. At the heart of project activity lies children’s exploration of the space of possibilities — that is, their search for action options that correspond to their personal motives and express their individuality. The main features of project activity are the problem situation to be presented to the child; the subjectivity of all its participants, including teachers; and its nature, which includes its social context. Three main types of project activity are presented: research, creative, and normative; each has its own structure and value for children’s development. Examples of their implementation in preschool settings are provided. The impact of project activity on all its participants in preschool — children, teachers, parents — is addressed. The article shows the effectiveness of project activity for educational work with both intellectually gifted and normally developing children.

Peer Feedback to Facilitate Project-Based Learning in an Online Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Ching, Yu-Hui; Hsu, Yu-Chang

2013-01-01

There has been limited research examining the pedagogical benefits of peer feedback for facilitating project-based learning in an online environment. Using a mixed method approach, this paper examines graduate students' participation and perceptions of peer feedback activity that supports project-based learning in an online instructional design…

Are High Achievers Successful in Collaborative Learning? An Explorative Study of College Students' Learning Approaches in Team Project-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hye-Jung; Kim, Hyekyung; Byun, Hyunjung

2017-01-01

This study analyses how high-achieving students approach team project-based learning (TPBL) and aims to identify the implications and challenges of TPBL practice in higher education. After interviewing 32 high-achieving students and surveying 1022 additional students at a South Korean university, we found that four factors were particularly…

Realizing a Deflection-type D.C. Bridge-based Thermometer under Project-based Learning Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Warsahemas, T.; Ramadhiansyah; Ulum, A. I. N.; Yuliza, E.; Khairurrijal

2016-08-01

In addition to conventional learning, project-based learning (PBL) helps students developing skills and becoming more engaged in learning as they have a chance to solve real life problems of actual projects. As the name suggests, PBL is a model that organizes learning around projects. In this paper, the project that will be completed by a group of three students is about making a water temperature measuring instrument using a simple deflection-type d.c. bridge circuit. The project was done in the period of January to April 2015 when they was taking the Measurement and Data Processing Techniques, which is a compulsory course in the fourth semester of undergraduate program in Department of Physics at Institut Teknologi Bandung. With the help of a lecturer and a tutor as facilitators, they have followed this series of steps: 1. Start with a driving question, a problem to be solved, 2. Exploring the driving question by participating in authentic, situated inquiry, 3. Engaging collaborative activities with lecturer and tutor to find solutions to the driving question, 4. Scaffolding with learning technologies that help students participating in activities normally beyond their ability, and 5. Creating a set of tangible products that address the driving question. With this series of steps, the students have become easier to understand the lectures that have been given and the instrument has been realized to measure the temperature of water properly. When realizing the project under the PBL method, we learned other materials beside that have been taught in the course. Due to this project, we have had more skills like designing and soldering as well as problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, synthesis and analysis.

Soft Assembling Project-Based Learning and Leadership in Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Knight, Kevin; Murphey, Tim

2017-01-01

In this article, we initially focus on how the conceptualization of leadership by Knight (2013a) in his leadership seminars became the basis for choosing a project-based learning (PBL) approach. We then consider how soft assembling can enhance the leadership project activities of student teams and group-work in general classes. Soft assembling…

Project Based Learning (PjBL) Practices at Politeknik Kota Bharu, Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Md. Baharuddin Haji Abdul; Daud, Khairul Azhar Mat; Jusoff, Kamaruzaman; Ghani, Nik Azida Abd

2009-01-01

This study explores the utilization of Project-based Learning module in the subject of project development for the Mechanical Engineering students at Politeknik Kota Bharu. This study focuses on the development of the PjBL module based on socio-constructivist approach. The objective of this study is to explore the influence of the utilization of…

The art of 'doing' sustainable agricultural innovation: approaches and attitudes to facilitating transitional projects

OpenAIRE

Loeber, A.; Vermeulen, T.; Barbier, M.; Elzen, B.

2012-01-01

The management of projects for sustainable innovation is characterised by a variety of intricacies. Facilitators play a central role in dealing with these challenges. Adopting an empirical approach, this chapter discusses the practical approaches and attitudes that facilitators develop to deal with such challenges in the domain of agricultural innovation. To that end, the paper presents a list of four intricacies inherent in running projects that seek to enhance sustainable development, based...

A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chambers, N.C.

1994-01-01

In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

A new approach to cost effective projects: High performance project teams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chambers, N.C. [Brown and Root Energy Services (United Kingdom)

1994-12-31

In low oil price environment in which environmental conditions are more challenging, reservoir characteristics less favourable and political risk increasing, successful projects are required in such cases. The present paper deals with the visionary process of establishing high performance project teams. According to the author, such project teams embody dynamic recognition of holism. Holism is achieved as an output from the process of establishing the drivers and enablers for success on a project. They are given birth during the unfolding of the operators development plans and contracting strategy. The paper discusses the main drivers of project teams comprising purpose and performance goals, selection, common approach, commitment and accountability, and financial alignment

Integrating a Project Management Approach to E-Business Application Course

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kuan C.; Chuang, Keh-Wen

2008-01-01

Teaching students project managements requires a hands-on approach. Incorporating project management concepts and processes into a student team Web development project adds a dimension that exposes students to the realities of effective Web development. This paper will describe the project management approach used in a Web development course in…

Performance-based procurement for low disturbance brdige construction projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sebastian, R.; Claeson-Jonsson, C.; Di Giulio, R.

2013-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to introduce a method of performance-based procurement, based on the most economically advantageous tender (MEAT), for low-disturbance bridge construction projects in urban environment. Design/methodology/approach – The first part of this paper reviews the key performance

Budgetary Approach to Project Management by Percentage of Completion Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leszek Borowiec

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Efficient and effective project management process is made possible by the use of methods and techniques of project management. The aim of this paper is to present the problems of project management by using Percentage of Completion method. The research material was gathered based on the experience in implementing this method by the Johnson Controls International Company. The article attempts to demonstrate the validity of the thesis that the POC project management method, allows for effective implementation and monitoring of the project and thus is an effective tool in the managing of companies which exploit the budgetary approach. The study presents planning process of basic parameters affecting the effectiveness of the project (such as costs, revenue, margin and characterized how the primary measurements used to evaluate it. The present theme is illustrating by numerous examples for showing the essence of the raised problems and the results are presenting by using descriptive methods, graphical and tabular.

Scoping study into community-based renewable energy projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-07-01

This scoping study has been carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE), a charity which promotes energy efficiency and renewable energy. CSE have used their involvement in the development of the Energy Club (the first energy service company for householders in the UK) and the Bristol Environment and Energy Trust (a cross-sector organisation initiating environmental projects) as the basis of the study. This study is the first phase of a long term project to set up two small-scale renewable energy schemes to demonstrate the benefits of a community based approach. Specific objectives of the study were: to identify, quantify and cost, renewable energy resources for interested community organisations; to evaluate two routes for developing community based projects - Environment Trusts and Energy Clubs'; to organise a seminar with the objective of bringing together community interest groups with experts in renewable energy; to identify two communities with viable renewable projects for the next phase - full feasibility studies/pilot projects. (author)

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic [Department of Radiation Oncology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 (United States); Ren, Lei; Giles, William; Zhang, You [Department of Radiation Oncology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27710 (United States); Jin, Jian-Yue, E-mail: jjin@gru.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 and Department of Radiology, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, Georgia 30912 (United States)

2016-01-15

Purpose: A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and use an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. Methods: The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. Results: In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the

An interprojection sensor fusion approach to estimate blocked projection signal in synchronized moving grid-based CBCT system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Hong; Kong, Vic; Ren, Lei; Giles, William; Zhang, You; Jin, Jian-Yue

2016-01-01

Purpose: A preobject grid can reduce and correct scatter in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). However, half of the signal in each projection is blocked by the grid. A synchronized moving grid (SMOG) has been proposed to acquire two complimentary projections at each gantry position and merge them into one complete projection. That approach, however, suffers from increased scanning time and the technical difficulty of accurately merging the two projections per gantry angle. Herein, the authors present a new SMOG approach which acquires a single projection per gantry angle, with complimentary grid patterns for any two adjacent projections, and use an interprojection sensor fusion (IPSF) technique to estimate the blocked signal in each projection. The method may have the additional benefit of reduced imaging dose due to the grid blocking half of the incident radiation. Methods: The IPSF considers multiple paired observations from two adjacent gantry angles as approximations of the blocked signal and uses a weighted least square regression of these observations to finally determine the blocked signal. The method was first tested with a simulated SMOG on a head phantom. The signal to noise ratio (SNR), which represents the difference of the recovered CBCT image to the original image without the SMOG, was used to evaluate the ability of the IPSF in recovering the missing signal. The IPSF approach was then tested using a Catphan phantom on a prototype SMOG assembly installed in a bench top CBCT system. Results: In the simulated SMOG experiment, the SNRs were increased from 15.1 and 12.7 dB to 35.6 and 28.9 dB comparing with a conventional interpolation method (inpainting method) for a projection and the reconstructed 3D image, respectively, suggesting that IPSF successfully recovered most of blocked signal. In the prototype SMOG experiment, the authors have successfully reconstructed a CBCT image using the IPSF-SMOG approach. The detailed geometric features in the

A Project-based Learning curricular approach in a Production Engineering Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Borges Simão Monteiro

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract The Industrial Engineering undergraduate program offered at the University of Brasília was structured on Project Based Learning (PBL methodology. This innovative educational proposal allows the students to deploy their technical competencies through real problem solving situations. The methodology also stimulates the development of the students’ soft skills, by exposing them to a challenging environment. At the end of each project, the results are presented to an external agent, and are subsequently implemented. The objective of this paper is to present the evolution of the PSP courses, which adopt as guidelines both the PMBOK project management framework, as well as content from specific technical courses related to the project’s subject. One other relevant aspect of the PSP courses is their involvement of both undergraduate and graduate students from different Engineering areas, such as Industrial, Mechanical and Civil Engineering, which serves to foster a more holistic and integrated problem-solving skillset.

A case-based reasoning approach for estimating the costs of pump station projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamed M. Marzouk

2011-10-01

Full Text Available The effective estimation of costs is crucial to the success of construction projects. Cost estimates are used to evaluate, approve and/or fund projects. Organizations use some form of classification system to identify the various types of estimates that may be prepared during the lifecycle of a project. This research presents a parametric-cost model for pump station projects. Fourteen factors have been identified as important to the influence of the cost of pump station projects. A data set that consists of forty-four pump station projects (fifteen water and twenty-nine waste water are collected to build a Case-Based Reasoning (CBR library and to test its performance. The results obtained from the CBR tool are processed and adopted to improve the accuracy of the results. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the development of the effectiveness of the tool.

Meta-Assessment in a Project-Based Systems Engineering Course

Science.gov (United States)

Wengrowicz, Niva; Dori, Yehudit Judy; Dori, Dov

2017-01-01

Project-based learning (PBL) facilitates significant learning, but it poses a major assessment challenge for assessing individual content knowledge. We developed and implemented an assessment approach and tool for a mandatory undergraduate systems engineering PBL-based course. We call this type of assessment "student-oriented"…

Sizing ERP implementation projects: an activity-based approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janssens, G.; Kusters, R.J.; Heemstra, F.J.

2008-01-01

ERP implementation projects affect large parts of an implementing organization and lead to changes in the way an organization performs its tasks. The costs needed for the effort to implement these systems are hard to estimate. Research indicates that the size of an ERP project can be a useful

Implementing a Project-Based Learning Model in a Pre-Service Leadership Program

Science.gov (United States)

Albritton, Shelly; Stacks, Jamie

2016-01-01

This paper describes two instructors' efforts to more authentically engage students in a preservice leadership program's course called Program Planning and Evaluation by using a project-based learning approach. Markham, Larmer, and Ravitz (2003) describe project-based learning (PjBL) as "a systematic teaching method that engages students in…

A Project Management Approach to Using Simulation for Cost Estimation on Large, Complex Software Development Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Mizell, Carolyn; Malone, Linda

2007-01-01

It is very difficult for project managers to develop accurate cost and schedule estimates for large, complex software development projects. None of the approaches or tools available today can estimate the true cost of software with any high degree of accuracy early in a project. This paper provides an approach that utilizes a software development process simulation model that considers and conveys the level of uncertainty that exists when developing an initial estimate. A NASA project will be analyzed using simulation and data from the Software Engineering Laboratory to show the benefits of such an approach.

Integrating Field-Centered, Project Based Activities with Academic Year Coursework: A Curriculum Wide Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kelso, P. R.; Brown, L. M.

2015-12-01

Based upon constructivist principles and the recognition that many students are motivated by hands-on activities and field experiences, we designed a new undergraduate curriculum at Lake Superior State University. One of our major goals was to develop stand-alone field projects in most of the academic year courses. Examples of courses impacted include structural geology, geophysics, and geotectonics, Students learn geophysical concepts in the context of near surface field-based geophysical studies while students in structural geology learn about structural processes through outcrop study of fractures, folds and faults. In geotectonics students learn about collisional and rifting processes through on-site field studies of specific geologic provinces. Another goal was to integrate data and samples collected by students in our sophomore level introductory field course along with stand-alone field projects in our clastic systems and sequence stratigraphy courses. Our emphasis on active learning helps students develop a meaningful geoscience knowledge base and complex reasoning skills in authentic contexts. We simulate the activities of practicing geoscientists by engaging students in all aspects of a project, for example: field-oriented project planning and design; acquiring, analyzing, and interpreting data; incorporating supplemental material and background data; and preparing oral and written project reports. We find through anecdotal evidence including student comments and personal observation that the projects stimulate interest, provide motivation for learning new concepts, integrate skill and concept acquisition vertically through the curriculum, apply concepts from multiple geoscience subdisiplines, and develop soft skills such as team work, problem solving, critical thinking and communication skills. Through this projected-centered Lake Superior State University geology curriculum students practice our motto of "learn geology by doing geology."

Project-based learning in geomatics at Aalborg University

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Höhle, Joachim

2005-01-01

The paper deals with the education in Geomatics at Aalborg University (AAU), Denmark. Since its foundation in 1974 AAU has used Project-Based Learning (PBL) as its educational model. In each of the 10 semesters a project has to be carried out by a group of students. The paper presents the ideas...... behind PBL and the use of this approach in Geomatics. Some examples of project work in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing are given. Teachers and researchers at AAU recently published a book on the Aalborg PBL model, in which progress, diversity and challenges of the approach are documented....... Some of the findings in this investigation are presented. The on-campus education in Geomatics uses the Internet, and the paper informs about its application on campus. PBL is also practised at AAU's distance education programmes, which combine e-learning and weekend seminars on the campus. Experiences...

How to Enhance Interdisciplinary Competence--Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning versus Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Brassler, Mirjam; Dettmers, Jan

2017-01-01

Interdisciplinary competence is important in academia for both employability and sustainable development. However, to date, there are no specific interdisciplinary education models and, naturally, no empirical studies to assess them. Since problem-based learning (PBL) and project-based learning (PjBL) are learning approaches that emphasize…

How the Project Approach Challenges Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Marcia V.; Lewis, Alisha L.

2016-01-01

In this article, educators at University Primary School in Champaign, Illinois, share examples and understandings of the ways The Project Approach challenges young children to think critically about topics of importance in their world. Project investigations that provoke academic and social challenges for individuals and classroom communities of…

Regional Integrated Silvopastoral Approaches to Ecosystem Management Project

OpenAIRE

CIPAV (Centre For Research on Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems); CATIE (Centro Agronomico Tropical de Investigacion y Ensenanza); NITLAPAN

2007-01-01

Metadata only record The Regional Integrated Silvopastoral Approaches to Ecosystem Management Project introduces the payment for environmental services approach to silvopastoral farmers in Colombia, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. The objectives of the project are to "demonstrate and measure a) the effects the introduction of payment incentives for environmental services to farmers on their adoption of integrated silvopastoral farming systems in degraded pasture lands; and b) the resulting impr...

AHP-based risk analysis of energy performance contracting projects in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garbuzova-Schlifter, Maria; Madlener, Reinhard

2016-01-01

Understanding and properly managing risks that could potentially affect the target- and performance-based profits of energy performance contracting (EPC) projects are essential. It is particularly important for the establishment and success of energy service companies (ESCOs) acting in the vulnerable environment of the vast but highly energy-inefficient Russian market. This study systematically explores common risk factors and causes of risk associated with EPC projects executed in three Russian sectors: (1) industrial; (2) housing and communal services; and (3) public. Several interviews with the Russian EPC experts were accomplished and a qualitative risk assessment by using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) approach. The data were obtained from a web-based questionnaire survey conducted among Russian EPC project executors. For each focus sector, a specific preference-based ranking of the identified risk factors and causes of risk was derived. The AHP results show that causes of risk related to the financial and regulatory aspects contribute most to the riskiness of EPC projects performed in all three focus sectors in Russia, calling for the special attention of EPC policy- and business-makers. Due to sectorial particularities and different actors involved, we conclude that there is a need for elaboration of sector-specific contractual schemes for EPC projects. - Highlights: • AHP- and survey-based study of energy performance contracting (EPC) projects in Russia. • Main risk factors and causes of risk associated with EPC projects are investigated. • In practice, lack of a feasible risk management approach in EPC projects. • Regulatory and financial risks contribute most to the EPC projects’ riskiness. • Elaboration of the sector-specific EPC project contractual scheme is required.

Economic evaluation of environmental impacts of open cast mining project - an approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maiti, S.K.; Pathak, K.

1998-01-01

Economic valuation of environmental attributes are pragmatic approach to evaluating the impacts and it helps decision makers to arrive at objective decisions on the basis of cost benefit ratio. For determining the physical impact and its quantification, four evaluation methods, namely-market price method, surrogate market price, survey based and cost based approaches are generally used. The present paper reviews the importance of environmental evaluation of impacts of mining and also reviews a few suitable methodologies that could be effectively used for economic evaluation of environmental impacts in open cast mining projects. (author)

ADOPTING THE PROBLEM BASED LEARNING APPROACH IN A GIS PROJECT MANAGEMENT CLASS

Science.gov (United States)

Problem Based Learning (PBL) is a process that emphasizes the need for developing problem solving skills through hands-on project formulation and management. A class adopting the PBL method provides students with an environment to acquire necessary knowledge to encounter, unders...

A "one health" approach to address emerging zoonoses: the HALI project in Tanzania.

OpenAIRE

Jonna A K Mazet; Deana L Clifford; Peter B Coppolillo; Anil B Deolalikar; Jon D Erickson; Rudovick R Kazwala

2009-01-01

Jonna Mazet and colleagues describe their work in the Tanzania-based HALI Project, which adopts the ?One Health? approach to address emerging zoonoses and that recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.

Project-based Collaborative learning in distance education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Morten; Bajard, Christine; Helbo, Jan

2004-01-01

) programme indicates, however, that adjustments are required in transforming the on-campus model to distance education. The main problem is that while project work is an excellent regulator of the learning process for on-campus students, this does not seem to be the case for off-campus students. Consequently......This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII......, didactic adjustments have been made based on feedback, in particular from evaluation questionnaires. This process has been very constructive in approaching the goal: a successful model for project organized learning in distance education....

Building international experiences into an engineering curriculum - a design project-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Victor; Castillo, Luciano; Carbajal, Gerardo; Hajela, Prabhat

2014-07-01

This paper is a descriptive account of how short-term international and multicultural experiences can be integrated into early design experiences in an aerospace engineering curriculum. Such approaches are considered as important not only in fostering a student's interest in the engineering curriculum, but also exposing them to a multicultural setting that they are likely to encounter in their professional careers. In the broader sense, this programme is described as a model that can be duplicated in other engineering disciplines as a first-year experience. In this study, undergraduate students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Universidad del Turabo (UT) in Puerto Rico collaborated on a substantial design project consisting of designing, fabricating, and flight-testing radio-controlled model aircraft as a capstone experience in a semester-long course on Fundamentals of Flight. The two-week long experience in Puerto Rico was organised into academic and cultural components designed with the following objectives: (i) to integrate students in a multicultural team-based academic and social environment, (ii) to practise team-building skills and develop students' critical thinking and analytical skills, and finally (iii) to excite students about their engineering major through practical applications of aeronautics and help them decide if it is a right fit for them.

An ANP-based approach for the selection of photovoltaic solar power plant investment projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aragones-Beltran, P.; Pastor-Ferrando, J.P.; Rodriguez-Pozo, F.; Chaparro-Gonzalez, F.

2010-01-01

In this paper the Analytic Network Process (ANP) is applied to the selection of photovoltaic (PV) solar power projects. These projects follow a long management and execution process from plant site selection to plant start-up. As a consequence, there are many risks of time delays and even of project stoppage. In the case study presented in this paper a top manager of an important Spanish company that operates in the power market has to decide on the best PV project (from four alternative projects) to invest based on risk minimization. The manager identified 50 project execution delay and/or stoppage risks. The influences between the elements of the network (groups of risks and alternatives) were identified and analyzed using the ANP multicriteria decision analysis method. Two different ANP models were used: one hierarchy model (that considers AHP as a particular case of ANP) and one network-based model. The results obtained in each model were compared and analyzed. The main conclusion is that unlike the other models used in the study, the single network model can manage all the information of the real-world problem and thus it is the decision analysis model recommended by the authors. The strengths and weaknesses of ANP as a multicriteria decision analysis tool are also described in the paper. (author)

Poverty reduction Approaches in Kenya: Assessing the Usefulness of the Right Based Approach in Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wambua Leonard Munyao, Ph.D

2013-06-01

Full Text Available While billions of dollars have been spent in development projects in least developed countries, poverty continues to increase. This study proposes human-rights based approach to poverty eradication. To this end, the study seeks to assess the key determinants of use of rights- based approaches to poverty reduction and it’s usefulness in Kenya with special reference to NGOs in Kibera. The study further high lights some of the basic skills of implementing the rights based approach to poverty reduction. The attempts to establish the proportion of NGOs applying rights based approach to poverty reduction in Kibera Division as well. The review of relevant literature has been undertaken and a field study done. The study is informed by a qualitative human rights framework.

Adapting Project Management Practices to Research-Based Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Bahr, P.; Baker, T.; Corbin, B.; Keith, L.; Loerch, L.; Mullenax, C.; Myers, R.; Rhodes, B.; Skytland, N.

2007-01-01

From dealing with the inherent uncertainties in outcomes of scientific research to the lack of applicability of current NASA Procedural Requirements guidance documentation, research-based projects present challenges that require unique application of classical project management techniques. If additionally challenged by the creation of a new program transitioning from basic to applied research in a technical environment often unfamiliar with the cost and schedule constraints addressed by project management practices, such projects can find themselves struggling throughout their life cycles. Finally, supplying deliverables to a prime vehicle customer, also in the formative stage, adds further complexity to the development and management of research-based projects. The Biomedical Research and Countermeasures Projects Branch at NASA Johnson Space Center encompasses several diverse applied research-based or research-enabling projects within the newly-formed Human Research Program. This presentation will provide a brief overview of the organizational structure and environment in which these projects operate and how the projects coordinate to address and manage technical requirements. We will identify several of the challenges (cost, technical, schedule, and personnel) encountered by projects across the Branch, present case reports of actions taken and techniques implemented to deal with these challenges, and then close the session with an open forum discussion of remaining challenges and potential mitigations.

Projective Synchronization in Modulated Time-Delayed Chaotic Systems Using an Active Control Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Cun-Fang; Wang Ying-Hai

2011-01-01

Projective synchronization in modulated time-delayed systems is studied by applying an active control method. Based on the Lyapunov asymptotical stability theorem, the controller and sufficient condition for projective synchronization are calculated analytically. We give a general method with which we can achieve projective synchronization in modulated time-delayed chaotic systems. This method allows us to adjust the desired scaling factor arbitrarily. The effectiveness of our method is confirmed by using the famous delay-differential equations related to optical bistable or hybrid optical bistable devices. Numerical simulations fully support the analytical approach. (general)

A project management approach to an ACPE accreditation self-study.

Science.gov (United States)

Dominelli, Angela; Iwanowicz, Susan L; Bailie, George R; Clarke, David W; McGraw, Patrick S

2007-04-15

In preparation for an on-site evaluation and accreditation by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), the Albany College of Pharmacy employed project management techniques to complete a comprehensive self-study. A project lifecycle approach, including planning, production, and turnover phases, was used by the project's Self-Study Steering Committee. This approach, with minimal disruption to college operations, resulted in the completion of the self-study process on schedule. Throughout the project, the Steering Committee maintained a log of functions that either were executed successfully or in hindsight, could have been improved. To assess the effectiveness of the project management approach to the the self-study process, feedback was obtained from the College community through a poststudy survey. This feedback, coupled with the Steering Committee's data on possible improvements, form the basis for the lessons learned during this self-study process.

THE BASES OF THE MANAGEMENT OF SOCIAL PROJECTS OF BUSINESS

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O. B. Zilberstein

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In article on wide material the author opens basic approaches to formation of the theoretical base of management of social projects of business.The purpose of work is generalization of theoretical bases of project management of business which have social character. The logic of a statement of material is under construction as follows. In water part of article authors do the assumption that at the heart of an object of research three basic elements are put: project management, social management and management of social projects. Proceeding from this assumption in work further reasonings are under construction. The main part of article contains three subsections. In the fi rst subsection of article defi nition of the concept «project management» is formulated and methodological approaches to project management (PRINCE2, PERT, the Model Agile, Lean Management, BRM are generalized. In the second subsection the author's understanding of entity of social management is presented and the main techniques of social management are considered, and also the characteristic of methodology of management of social projects is given. In the third subsection the author's concept of entity of management of social projects of business is formulated. In fi nal part of article authors draw a conclusion about the importance of management of social projects of business. This article, fi rst of all, has theoretical and methodological value for formation of eff ective methods and instruments of management of social projects of business, and also for development of the theory and practice of corporate social responsibility.

An evidence-based public health approach to climate change adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hess, Jeremy J; Eidson, Millicent; Tlumak, Jennifer E; Raab, Kristin K; Luber, George

2014-11-01

Public health is committed to evidence-based practice, yet there has been minimal discussion of how to apply an evidence-based practice framework to climate change adaptation. Our goal was to review the literature on evidence-based public health (EBPH), to determine whether it can be applied to climate change adaptation, and to consider how emphasizing evidence-based practice may influence research and practice decisions related to public health adaptation to climate change. We conducted a substantive review of EBPH, identified a consensus EBPH framework, and modified it to support an EBPH approach to climate change adaptation. We applied the framework to an example and considered implications for stakeholders. A modified EBPH framework can accommodate the wide range of exposures, outcomes, and modes of inquiry associated with climate change adaptation and the variety of settings in which adaptation activities will be pursued. Several factors currently limit application of the framework, including a lack of higher-level evidence of intervention efficacy and a lack of guidelines for reporting climate change health impact projections. To enhance the evidence base, there must be increased attention to designing, evaluating, and reporting adaptation interventions; standardized health impact projection reporting; and increased attention to knowledge translation. This approach has implications for funders, researchers, journal editors, practitioners, and policy makers. The current approach to EBPH can, with modifications, support climate change adaptation activities, but there is little evidence regarding interventions and knowledge translation, and guidelines for projecting health impacts are lacking. Realizing the goal of an evidence-based approach will require systematic, coordinated efforts among various stakeholders.

Cost effective solutions for field development. System supplier approach to projects and operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moe, P.O.

1994-01-01

The conference paper outlines the most important elements for a new approach to project realisation that enable a cost reduction of 30-50% compared to conventional methods. The achievements are based on studies and evaluations to the Norwegian Vigdis development project. The system elements covered are the electrical and automation systems including safety and process control and all traditional phases of a project from concept design to the operational phase. The concept involves new principles for project execution where traditional borderlines and interfaces between the various participants have been redefined. Management attention has been verified as an important prerequisite for a successful implementation of this strategy. 2 figs

Perceptions of Teacher Candidates Regarding Project-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Baysura, Ozge Deniz; Altun, Sertel; Yucel-Toy, Banu

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Project-based learning (PBL) is a learning and teaching approach that makes students search for new knowledge and skills, helps them overcome real-life questions, and makes them design their own studies and performances. Research in Turkey reveals that teachers are not well-informed about PBL, can not guide students in this…

Project-Based Collaborative Learning in Distance Education

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Morten; Bajard, C.; Helbo, Jan

2003-01-01

This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII)......, didactic adjustments have been made based on feedback, in particular from evaluation questionnaires. This process has been very constructive in approaching the goal: a successful model for project organized learning in distance education.......) programme indicates, however, that adjustments are required in transforming the on-campus model to distance education. The main problem is that while project work is an excellent regulator of the learning process for on-campus students, this does not seem to be the case for off-campus students. Consequently......This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII...

Application of Technology in Project-Based Distance Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Mehrabian

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Present technology and the accessibility of internet have made distance learning easier, more efficient, and more convenient for students. This technology allows instructors and students to communicate asynchronously, at times and locations of their own choosing, by exchanging printed or electronic information. The use of project-based approach is being recognized in the literature as a potential component of courses in the faculties of engineering, science, and technology. Instructors may have to restructure their course differently to accommodate and facilitate the effectiveness of distance learning. A project-based engineering course, traditionally taught in a classroom settings using live mode at the College of Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of Central Florida (UCF has been transformed to a distance course taught using distance modes. In this case, pedagogical transitions and adjustments are required, in particular for obtaining an optimal balance between the course material and the project work. Project collaboration in groups requires communication, which is possible with extensive utilization of new information and communication technology, such as virtual meetings. This paper discusses the course transition from live to distance modes and touches on some issues as they relate to the effectiveness of this methodology and the lessons learned from its application within different context. More specifically, this discussion includes the benefit of implementing project-based work in the domain of the distance learning courses.

Advanced prototyping tools for project- and problem-based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teodorescu, Remus; Bech, Michael Møller; Holm, Allan J.

2002-01-01

A new approach in prototyping for project- and problem-based learning is achieved by using the new Total Development Environment concept introduced by dSPACE that allows a full visual block-oriented programming of dynamic real-time systems to be achieved  using the Matlab/Simulink environment...

Conflict Approaches of Effective Project Manager in the Upstream Sector of Indonesian Oil & Gas Industry

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Adhi Cahyono

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Normal 0 false false false IN X-NONE AR-SA MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Conflict can be functional or dysfunctional to the organization’s performance. This study focused on the relationship between conflict approaches implemented by the project manager based on project team member’s perception on the effectiveness of the project manager in managing project’s conflict. Questionnaires were modified from Barker et al. (1988 to measure conflict management approaches and outcomes of managing project conflict. Data were gathered from 57 respondents who worked in the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC contractors serving the upstream sector of the Oil and Gas industry in Indonesia. By using Pearson correlation, result of this study indicated that project managers were perceived to be effective in managing project conflict when implementing cooperative and confi rmative approaches, but ineffective when combining competitive and avoidance approaches. Further research should investigate correlation between cultural dimensions with conflict approaches and outcomes of managing conflict. Keywords: Conflict approaches, effective project manager, EPC contractors, upstream sector of oil and gas industry /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

Expanding Omani Learners' Horizons through Project-Based Learning: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Dauletova, Victoria

2014-01-01

As a relatively innovative teaching/learning approach in the Arabian Gulf region, in general, and in Oman, in particular, project-based learning requires progressive amendments and adaptations to the national culture of the learner. This article offers analysis of the current state of the approach in the local educational environment. Furthermore,…

Operations Strategy Development in Project-based Production – a building contractor implements Lean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koch, Christian; Friis, Ole Uhrskov

2015-01-01

Purpose: To study how operations strategy innovation occurs in project-based production and organisation. Design/methodology/approach: A longitudinal case study encompassing the processes at the company headquarters and in two projects using Lean. Findings: The operations strategy development com...

A Dynamic Intelligent Decision Approach to Dependency Modeling of Project Tasks in Complex Engineering System Optimization

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Tinggui Chen

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Complex engineering system optimization usually involves multiple projects or tasks. On the one hand, dependency modeling among projects or tasks highlights structures in systems and their environments which can help to understand the implications of connectivity on different aspects of system performance and also assist in designing, optimizing, and maintaining complex systems. On the other hand, multiple projects or tasks are either happening at the same time or scheduled into a sequence in order to use common resources. In this paper, we propose a dynamic intelligent decision approach to dependency modeling of project tasks in complex engineering system optimization. The approach takes this decision process as a two-stage decision-making problem. In the first stage, a task clustering approach based on modularization is proposed so as to find out a suitable decomposition scheme for a large-scale project. In the second stage, according to the decomposition result, a discrete artificial bee colony (ABC algorithm inspired by the intelligent foraging behavior of honeybees is developed for the resource constrained multiproject scheduling problem. Finally, a certain case from an engineering design of a chemical processing system is utilized to help to understand the proposed approach.

Satellite based Ocean Forecasting, the SOFT project

Science.gov (United States)

Stemmann, L.; Tintoré, J.; Moneris, S.

2003-04-01

The knowledge of future oceanic conditions would have enormous impact on human marine related areas. For such reasons, a number of international efforts are being carried out to obtain reliable and manageable ocean forecasting systems. Among the possible techniques that can be used to estimate the near future states of the ocean, an ocean forecasting system based on satellite imagery is developped through the Satelitte based Ocean ForecasTing project (SOFT). SOFT, established by the European Commission, considers the development of a forecasting system of the ocean space-time variability based on satellite data by using Artificial Intelligence techniques. This system will be merged with numerical simulation approaches, via assimilation techniques, to get a hybrid SOFT-numerical forecasting system of improved performance. The results of the project will provide efficient forecasting of sea-surface temperature structures, currents, dynamic height, and biological activity associated to chlorophyll fields. All these quantities could give valuable information on the planning and management of human activities in marine environments such as navigation, fisheries, pollution control, or coastal management. A detailed identification of present or new needs and potential end-users concerned by such an operational tool is being performed. The project would study solutions adapted to these specific needs.

Promoting the Role of Occupational Therapy in School-Based Collaboration: Outcome Project

Science.gov (United States)

Christner, Andrea

2015-01-01

This evidence-based project provided a professional development opportunity for educators to enhance the awareness of school-based occupational therapy and promote a collaborative approach when supporting student participation in daily learning tasks. Through asynchronous web-based delivery, participants viewed five narrated PowerPoint…

Open Source Approach to Project Management Tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romeo MARGEA

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Managing large projects involving different groups of people and complex tasks can be challenging. The solution is to use Project management software, which allows a more efficient management of projects. However, famous project management systems can be costly and may require expensive custom servers. Even if free software is not as complex as Microsoft Project, is noteworthy to think that not all projects need all the features, amenities and power of such systems. There are free and open source software alternatives that meet the needs of most projects, and that allow Web access based on different platforms and locations. A starting stage in adopting an OSS in-house is finding and identifying existing open source solution. In this paper we present an overview of Open Source Project Management Software (OSPMS based on articles, reviews, books and developers’ web sites, about those that seem to be the most popular software in this category.

Managing for the triple bottom line in project-based learning

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Viljoen, NM

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Project-based learning is a popular engineering education approach that involves at least three stakeholders – students, faculty and an external client. But more often than not, one or more of these parties have to compromise their goals...

A simplified approach to the PROMETHEE method for priority setting in management of mine action projects

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Marko Mladineo

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In the last 20 years, priority setting in mine actions, i.e. in humanitarian demining, has become an increasingly important topic. Given that mine action projects require management and decision-making based on a multi -criteria approach, multi-criteria decision-making methods like PROMETHEE and AHP have been used worldwide for priority setting. However, from the aspect of mine action, where stakeholders in the decision-making process for priority setting are project managers, local politicians, leaders of different humanitarian organizations, or similar, applying these methods can be difficult. Therefore, a specialized web-based decision support system (Web DSS for priority setting, developed as part of the FP7 project TIRAMISU, has been extended using a module for developing custom priority setting scenarios in line with an exceptionally easy, user-friendly approach. The idea behind this research is to simplify the multi-criteria analysis based on the PROMETHEE method. Therefore, a simplified PROMETHEE method based on statistical analysis for automated suggestions of parameters such as preference function thresholds, interactive selection of criteria weights, and easy input of criteria evaluations is presented in this paper. The result is web-based DSS that can be applied worldwide for priority setting in mine action. Additionally, the management of mine action projects is supported using modules for providing spatial data based on the geographic information system (GIS. In this paper, the benefits and limitations of a simplified PROMETHEE method are presented using a case study involving mine action projects, and subsequently, certain proposals are given for the further research.

Application of the graded management approach to Battelle's nuclear project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voth, C.B.

1996-01-01

Battelle's graded management approach provides an effective and efficient method to perform the Battelle Columbus Laboratories Decommissioning Project (BCLDP). The project is managed by Battelle under their US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) license but is partially funded by the US Department of Energy (DOE) on a cost-shared basis. Battelle's graded management approach adheres to the regulations and orders governing the BCLDP by the interaction of various plans, procedures, permits, and work instructions. By independent assessment, quality control, and worker training, Battelle has been able to establish a cost-effective approach to performing work and, at the same time, have a controlled checks and balance system to assure the proper safety considerations and project particulars are taken into account

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ENGLISH FOR MEDICINE

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Zorica Antić

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Project-based learning facilitates hands-on learning in student-driven investigations, resulting in high-quality, challenging activities. Students participate actively in projects that revolve around their interests, questions or needs. PBL also develops the 21st century skills including critical thinking, collaboration and communication. The essence of PBL is problem-solving, a key critical thinking skill. Since problem-solving is an integral part of medicine, projects represent a significant method of instruction in English for Medical Purposes. Depending on their individual interests and abilities, each student contributes to the whole group work and the final outcome. The approach also requires students to work in teams and to communicate their findings. Using real-life problems to motivate students, challenging them to think deeply about meaningful content, and enabling them to work collaboratively are practices that yield benefits for all students and their future careers.

Comparisons on International Approaches of Business and Project Risk Management

OpenAIRE

Nadia Carmen ENE

2005-01-01

In this article we intend to present a comparative approach between three recognized international methodologies for risk management: RISKMAN, Project Management Institute Methodology-PMBoK and Project Risk Analysis and Management Guide (produced by Association for Project Management).

A Mobile Device Based Serious Gaming Approach for Teaching and Learning Java Programming

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Tobias Jordine

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Most first year computer science students find that learning object-oriented programming is hard. Serious games have ever been used as one approach to handle this problem. But most of them cannot be played with mobile devices. This obviously does not suit the era of mobile computing that intends to allow students to learn programming skills in anytime anywhere. To enhance mobile teaching and learning, a research project started over a year ago and aims to create a mobile device based serious gaming approach along with a serious game for enhancing mobile teaching and learning for Java programming. So far the project has completed a literature review for understanding existing work and identifying problems in this area, conducted a survey for eliciting students’ requirements for mobile gaming approach, and then established a mobile-device based serious gaming approach with a developed prototype of the game. This paper introduces the project in details, and in particularly presents and discusses its current results. It is expected that the presented project will be helpful and useful to bring more efficient approaches with new mobile games into teaching object-oriented programming and to enhance students’ learning experiences.

Systems approach for design control at Monitored Retrievable Storage Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, P.N.; Williams, J.R.

1994-01-01

This paper describes the systems approach in establishing design control for the Monitored Retrievable Storage Project design development. Key elements in design control are enumerated and systems engineering aspects are detailed. Application of lessons learned from the Yucca Mountain Project experience is addressed. An integrated approach combining quality assurance and systems engineering requirements is suggested to practice effective design control

Organizational Diagnosis in Project-Based Companies

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Behrouz Zarei

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to develop a new method for corporate diagnosis (CD. To this end, a method is developed for the diagnosis process of project-based companies. The article presents a case study in a large company where data have been collected through focus groups. Project delay, high project cost, and low profitability are examples of project deficiency in project-based companies. Such issues have made managers pay special attention to find effective solutions to improve them. Prominent factors are inappropriate strategy, structure, system, human resource management, and PMBOK(Project Management Body of Knowledge processes. Thus, CD and analysis is an important task in improvement of corporate performance. The CD model that is developed in this article could be used for project-based companies. The proposed method can be used for CD in any project-based company. This article provides an emphatic application of CD as a prerequisite for restructuring in project-based companies.

The Challenge of Integrating OHS into Industrial Project Risk Management: Proposal of a Methodological Approach to Guide Future Research (Case of Mining Projects in Quebec, Canada

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Adel Badri

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Although risk management tools are put to good use in many industrial sectors, some large projects have been met with numerous problems due to failure to take occupational health and safety (OHS into consideration. In spite of the high level of risk and uncertainty associated with many industrial projects, the number of studies of methods for managing all known risks systematically remains small. Under effervescent economic conditions, industries must meet several challenges associated with frequent project start-ups. In highly complex and uncertain environments, rigorous management of risk remains indispensable for avoiding threats to the success of projects. Many businesses seek continually to create and improve integrated approaches to risk management. This article puts into perspective the complexity of the challenge of integrating OHS into industrial project risk management. A conceptual and methodological approach is proposed to guide future research focused on meeting this challenge. The approach is based on applying multi-disciplinary research modes to a complex industrial context in order to identify all scenarios likely to contain threats to humans or the environment. A case study is used to illustrate the potential of the proposed approach for application and its contribution to meeting the challenge of taking OHS into consideration. On-site researchers were able to develop a new approach that helped two mining companies in Quebec (Canada to achieve successful integration of OHS into expansion projects.

A coordinated school health approach to obesity prevention among Appalachian youth: the Winning with Wellness Pilot Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Schetzina, Karen E; Dalton, William T; Lowe, Elizabeth F; Azzazy, Nora; VonWerssowetz, Katrina M; Givens, Connie; Pfortmiller, Deborah T; Stern, H Patrick

2009-01-01

Childhood obesity has been an increasing problem in the United States, especially in rural areas. Effective prevention approaches are needed. This article describes the development, implementation, effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability of a school-based obesity prevention pilot project, Winning with Wellness. The program was based on the coordinated school health model and included a community-based participatory research approach aimed at promoting healthy eating and physical activity in a rural Appalachian elementary school. Findings from this preliminary project revealed improvements in nutrition offerings and increased physical activity during the school day. In addition, the program was found to be acceptable to teachers, successfully implemented utilizing both existing and newly developed resources, and sustainable as evidenced in continued practice and expansion to other area schools.

Orthogonality Measurement for Homogenous Projects-Bases

Science.gov (United States)

Ivan, Ion; Sandu, Andrei; Popa, Marius

2009-01-01

The homogenous projects-base concept is defined. Next, the necessary steps to create a homogenous projects-base are presented. A metric system is built, which then will be used for analyzing projects. The indicators which are meaningful for analyzing a homogenous projects-base are selected. The given hypothesis is experimentally verified. The…

Governance arrangements for IT project portfolio management qualitative insights and a quantitative modeling approach

CERN Document Server

Frey, Thorsten

2014-01-01

Due to the growing importance of IT-based innovations, contemporary firms face an excessive number of proposals for IT projects. As typically only a fraction of these projects can be implemented with the given capacity, IT project portfolio management as a relatively new discipline has received growing attention in research and practice in recent years.?Thorsten Frey demonstrates how companies are struggling to find the right balance between local autonomy and central overview about all projects in the organization. In this context, impacts of different contextual factors on the design of governance arrangements for IT project portfolio management are demonstrated. Moreover, consequences of the use of different organizational designs are analyzed. The author presents insights from a qualitative empirical study as well as a simulative approach.

Mat-Rix-Toe: Improving Writing through a Game-Based Project in Linear Algebra

Science.gov (United States)

Graham-Squire, Adam; Farnell, Elin; Stockton, Julianna Connelly

2014-01-01

The Mat-Rix-Toe project utilizes a matrix-based game to deepen students' understanding of linear algebra concepts and strengthen students' ability to express themselves mathematically. The project was administered in three classes using slightly different approaches, each of which included some editing component to encourage the…

APPROACHES FOR EVALUATING AND FINANCING INVESTMENT PROJECTS

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MARIA-LOREDANA POPESCU

2011-04-01

Full Text Available This article presents the financial investment approach and the investment evaluation methods, which are criteria for assessing both investment projects and their funding sources. An important role in the analysis carried out is played by the investment decision and financing decision quality. Making an investment decision implies computing the related investment efficiency indicators. They allow the comparison of several variants of the same investment project as well as their comparison with other projects in the same industry or in other industries. The financing decision concerns the selection between their own sources (share capital, depreciation fund, profits, reserve funds, additional capital, revenues from investments, attracted sources (domestic resource mobilization and borrowed sources (credits.

APPLICATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AT A SMALL BUSINESSES ENTERPRISES

OpenAIRE

Sergey V. Rajewski

2016-01-01

This article discusses the types of organizational structures of project management and their application in project management in small and medium-sized enterprises. Among the approaches and methods to organize projects emphasizing project management as part of the existing functional structure of the enterprise. Analyzed the most relevant organizational tools of project management in small business: a network schedule; matrix distribution of administrative and management tasks of the projec...

Estimation of Truck Trips on Large-Scale Irrigation Project: A Combinatory Input-Output Commodity-Based Approach

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Ackchai Sirikijpanichkul

2015-01-01

Full Text Available For the agricultural-based countries, the requirement on transportation infrastructure should not only be limited to accommodate general traffic but also the transportation of crop and agricultural products during the harvest seasons. Most of the past researches focus on the development of truck trip estimation techniques for urban, statewide, or nationwide freight movement but neglect the importance of rural freight movement which contributes to pavement deterioration on rural roads especially during harvest seasons. Recently, the Thai Government initiated a plan to construct a network of reservoirs within the northeastern region, aiming at improving existing irrigation system particularly in the areas where a more effective irrigation system is needed. It is expected to bring in new opportunities on expanding the cultivation areas, increasing the economy of scale and enlarging the extent market of area. As a consequence, its effects on truck trip generation needed to be investigated to assure the service quality of related transportation infrastructure. This paper proposes a combinatory input-output commodity-based approach to estimate truck trips on rural highway infrastructure network. The large-scale irrigation project for the northeastern of Thailand is demonstrated as a case study.

Toward Project-based Learning and Team Formation in Open Learning Environments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoelstra, Howard; Van Rosmalen, Peter; Sloep, Peter

2014-01-01

Open Learning Environments, MOOCs, as well as Social Learning Networks, embody a new approach to learning. Although both emphasise interactive participation, somewhat surprisingly, they do not readily support bond creating and motivating collaborative learning opportunities. Providing project-based

Creativity Assessment in the Context of Maker-Based Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Lille, Benjamin; Romero, Margarida

2017-01-01

Creativity is a key competence in 21st century education. Among the active learning pedagogies which aims to develop creativity, learning by making is an emerging approach in which the students are engaged in the co-creation of a shared artefact. In this study, we aim to analyse the creativity competency through a maker-based projects.…

APPLICATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACHES AT A SMALL BUSINESSES ENTERPRISES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey V. Rajewski

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the types of organizational structures of project management and their application in project management in small and medium-sized enterprises. Among the approaches and methods to organize projects emphasizing project management as part of the existing functional structure of the enterprise. Analyzed the most relevant organizational tools of project management in small business: a network schedule; matrix distribution of administrative and management tasks of the project; schedule of the project plan; information and technological methods and models used in the process of project management; software applications for project management, used in the sphere of small business.

The strategy of parallel approaches in projects with unforeseeable uncertainty: the Manhattan case in retrospect

OpenAIRE

Sylvain Lenfle

2011-01-01

International audience; This paper discusses the literature on the management of projects with unforeseeable uncertainty. Recent work demonstrates that, when confronted with unforeseeable uncertainties, managers can adopt either a learning, trial-and-error-based strategy, or a parallel approach. In the latter, different solutions are developed in parallel and the best one is chosen when enough information becomes available. Studying the case of the Manhattan Project, which historically exempl...

An approach to establishing cooperative R ampersand D projects with Russian Institutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunter, T.; Albert, T.; Fryberger, T.; Romanovsky, V.

1993-01-01

An important part of technology exchange between the US and the former Soviet Union is the identification and implementation of cooperative projects that benefit both Russia and the US. The US Department of Energy and its laboratories have established an approach to identify potential technologies that can contribute to solving US environmental problems and to establish projects for enhancing technology development. This approach consists of screening technologies for US applications, conducting small-scale pilot projects with Russian scientists to evaluate the validity of mechanisms for larger projects, helping develop direct communication between US and Russian scientists who are developing these technologies, and implementing major projects in specific technology development areas. A recent example of this approach is the initiation of projects between the Khlopin Radium Institute and DOE through Sandia National Laboratories and SAIC. This effort has resulted in not only enhanced technology for the US but has also provided an example for future cooperative projects

Project approach study for nuclear power plants in the Netherlands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-11-01

The new nuclear program in the Netherlands comprises the construction of two to four nuclear power plants up to the year 2000. The main objective pursued with the implementation of the nuclear program is the supply of low-cost electricity in the future. In order to prepare the program and to provide a basis for further decisions, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has entrusted Motor-Columbus Consulting Engineers Inc., Baden, Switzerland, with a study to determine the most suitable project approach option(s) for the implementation of the future nuclear program in the Netherlands. In carrying out this study, Motor-Columbus investigated the following main project approach options: 1. turnkey contract approach; 2. split-package contract approach; 3. multi-contract approach. It is concluded that if applied in the appropriate way, the normal turnkey contract approach represents the most suitable approach under the prevailing situation in the Netherlands. (orig.)

A projective approach to a language of landscape design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine Ward Thompson

1997-10-01

Full Text Available Building on the work of Kelly (1955 in personal construct psychology, and Peled (1976, I990 in ecoanalysis, this paper develops projective techniques-which use concepts of personal and phenomenological space-as a means for articulating approaches to landscape design. The projective approach involves two stages. In stage one, projective techniques are used to elicit personal constructs (which may be held at a pre-conscious or sub-conscious level, allowing the holistic experience of landscape to be explored. In stage two, using a 'projection location task' derived from the way we experience and construe the regions of our own bodies, elements of these constructs can then be articulated so as to inform the way we interact and engage with the space around us. This gives insight into the meaning of spatial layouts, which can then be translated into a design language for the structural ordering of space. The author draws on original research conducted with children as well as adults, using projective techniques to draw out their desires and needs in relation to designing their landscape environment. The paper discusses the value of such methods for landscape designers and their clients, and outlines some ongoing research to test the validity of the projection location task.

Inferring monopartite projections of bipartite networks: an entropy-based approach

Science.gov (United States)

Saracco, Fabio; Straka, Mika J.; Di Clemente, Riccardo; Gabrielli, Andrea; Caldarelli, Guido; Squartini, Tiziano

2017-05-01

Bipartite networks are currently regarded as providing a major insight into the organization of many real-world systems, unveiling the mechanisms driving the interactions occurring between distinct groups of nodes. One of the most important issues encountered when modeling bipartite networks is devising a way to obtain a (monopartite) projection on the layer of interest, which preserves as much as possible the information encoded into the original bipartite structure. In the present paper we propose an algorithm to obtain statistically-validated projections of bipartite networks, according to which any two nodes sharing a statistically-significant number of neighbors are linked. Since assessing the statistical significance of nodes similarity requires a proper statistical benchmark, here we consider a set of four null models, defined within the exponential random graph framework. Our algorithm outputs a matrix of link-specific p-values, from which a validated projection is straightforwardly obtainable, upon running a multiple hypothesis testing procedure. Finally, we test our method on an economic network (i.e. the countries-products World Trade Web representation) and a social network (i.e. MovieLens, collecting the users’ ratings of a list of movies). In both cases non-trivial communities are detected: while projecting the World Trade Web on the countries layer reveals modules of similarly-industrialized nations, projecting it on the products layer allows communities characterized by an increasing level of complexity to be detected; in the second case, projecting MovieLens on the films layer allows clusters of movies whose affinity cannot be fully accounted for by genre similarity to be individuated.

A dynamic Bayesian network based approach to safety decision support in tunnel construction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Xianguo; Liu, Huitao; Zhang, Limao; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J.; Deng, Qianli; Teng, Jiaying

2015-01-01

This paper presents a systemic decision approach with step-by-step procedures based on dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), aiming to provide guidelines for dynamic safety analysis of the tunnel-induced road surface damage over time. The proposed DBN-based approach can accurately illustrate the dynamic and updated feature of geological, design and mechanical variables as the construction progress evolves, in order to overcome deficiencies of traditional fault analysis methods. Adopting the predictive, sensitivity and diagnostic analysis techniques in the DBN inference, this approach is able to perform feed-forward, concurrent and back-forward control respectively on a quantitative basis, and provide real-time support before and after an accident. A case study in relating to dynamic safety analysis in the construction of Wuhan Yangtze Metro Tunnel in China is used to verify the feasibility of the proposed approach, as well as its application potential. The relationships between the DBN-based and BN-based approaches are further discussed according to analysis results. The proposed approach can be used as a decision tool to provide support for safety analysis in tunnel construction, and thus increase the likelihood of a successful project in a dynamic project environment. - Highlights: • A dynamic Bayesian network (DBN) based approach for safety decision support is developed. • This approach is able to perform feed-forward, concurrent and back-forward analysis and control. • A case concerning dynamic safety analysis in Wuhan Yangtze Metro Tunnel in China is presented. • DBN-based approach can perform a higher accuracy than traditional static BN-based approach

A Management Maturity Model (MMM for project-based organisational performance assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig Langston

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Common sense suggests that organisations are more likely to deliver successful projects if they have systems in place that reflect a mature project environment based on a culture of continuous improvement. This paper develops and discusses a Management Maturity Model (MMM to assess the maturity of project management organisations through a customisable, systematic, strategic and practical methodology inspired from the seminal work of Darwin, Deming, Drucker and Daniel. The model presented is relevant to organisations, such as construction and engineering companies, that prefer to use the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK™ Guide published by the Project Management Institute (PMI, but without the disadvantages of excessive time and cost commitments and a ‘one size fits all’ approach linked to rigid increments of maturity. It offers a game-changing advance in the application of project-based organisational performance assessment compared to existing market solutions that are unnecessarily complex. The feasibility of MMM is field-tested using a medium-sized data centre infrastructure firm in Tehran.

GHG emission quantification for pavement construction projects using a process-based approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charinee Limsawasd

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Climate change and greenhouse gas (GHG emissions have attracted much attention for their impacts upon the global environment. Initiating of new legislation and regulations for control of GHG emissions from the industrial sectors has been applied to address this problem. The transportation industries, which include operation of road pavement and pavement construction equipment, are the highest GHG-emitting sectors. This study presents a novel quantification model of GHG emissions of pavement construction using process-based analysis. The model is composed of five modules that evaluate GHG emissions. These are: material production and acquisition, (2 material transport to a project site, (3 heavy equipment use, (4 on-site machinery use, and, (5 on-site electricity use. The model was applied to a hypothetical pavement project to compare the environmental impacts of flexible and rigid pavement types during construction. The resulting model can be used for evaluation of environmental impacts, as well as for designing and planning highway pavement construction.

Innovation capabilities in food and beverages and technology-based innovation projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tepic, M.; Fortuin, F.T.J.M.; Kemp, R.G.M.; Omta, S.W.F.

2014-01-01

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to establish the differences between the food and beverages (F&B) and technology-based industries with regards to the relation between previously identified success factors and innovation project performance. Design/methodology/approach - These differences are

USING OF THE PROJECT-ORIENTED APPROACH IN THE INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Варвара Михайлівна ПІТЕРСЬКА

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The article describes the current state of science in Ukraine, indicated the main directions of research funding. The methodological approach of working out of the project-oriented strategy of innovative development of scientific activity, including the implementation of international trends and support of research is proposed. Using of a project-oriented approach of research activities due to the need of reducing of the research cycle and strengthen expenditure control capabilities due to restrictions of funding research projects from the state. It should be noted that the structuring of research, given the project approach, allows engaging of the implementation of the research project professionals with good knowledge and skills and create a team activity focused on quality results. Innovations aren‘t still properly means the improvement of competitiveness in Ukraine. Thus, the problem of transition to an innovative development model retains its relevance, that significantly enhanced in the light of current external and internal trends. Using of the project-oriented innovation management due to the need to shorten the cycle of research and to strengthen the control over the expenditure of funds in connection with the limited funding of scientific research by the state.

PETRA - an Activity-based Approach to Travel Demand Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fosgerau, Mogens

2001-01-01

This paper concerns the PETRA model developed by COWI in a project funded by the Danish Ministry of Transport, the Danish Transport Council and the Danish Energy Research Program. The model provides an alternative approach to activity based travel demand analysis that excludes the time dimension...

Project Management Approaches for Online Learning Design

Science.gov (United States)

Eby, Gulsun; Yuzer, T. Volkan

2013-01-01

Developments in online learning and its design are areas that continue to grow in order to enhance students' learning environments and experiences. However, in the implementation of new technologies, the importance of properly and fairly overseeing these courses is often undervalued. "Project Management Approaches for Online Learning Design"…

Conceptualizing the role of multidisciplinarity and student perceptions of university-industry collaboration in project-based learning

OpenAIRE

Heikkinen, Juho

2017-01-01

Project-based learning has a long history, especially in the disciplines of computer science and engineering. This approach is used to offer students a realistic view of their discipline, and this experience can be enhanced with industrial involvement as companies bring their real world problems to projects. One recent trend in project-based learning is utilizing multidisciplinary teams, enabling students to contrast their skills and experience with students from other discipli...

Applicability of the "Frame of Reference" approach for environmental monitoring of offshore renewable energy projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Garel, Erwan; Rey, Cibran Camba; Ferreira, Oscar; van Koningsveld, Mark

2014-08-01

This paper assesses the applicability of the Frame of Reference (FoR) approach for the environmental monitoring of large-scale offshore Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) projects. The focus is on projects harvesting energy from winds, waves and currents. Environmental concerns induced by MRE projects are reported based on a classification scheme identifying stressors, receptors, effects and impacts. Although the potential effects of stressors on most receptors are identified, there are large knowledge gaps regarding the corresponding (positive and negative) impacts. In that context, the development of offshore MRE requires the implementation of fit-for-purpose monitoring activities aimed at environmental protection and knowledge development. Taking European legislation as an example, it is suggested to adopt standardized monitoring protocols for the enhanced usage and utility of environmental indicators. Towards this objective, the use of the FoR approach is advocated since it provides guidance for the definition and use of coherent set of environmental state indicators. After a description of this framework, various examples of applications are provided considering a virtual MRE project located in European waters. Finally, some conclusions and recommendations are provided for the successful implementation of the FoR approach and for future studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hedonic approaches based on spatial econometrics and spatial statistics: application to evaluation of project benefits

Science.gov (United States)

Tsutsumi, Morito; Seya, Hajime

2009-12-01

This study discusses the theoretical foundation of the application of spatial hedonic approaches—the hedonic approach employing spatial econometrics or/and spatial statistics—to benefits evaluation. The study highlights the limitations of the spatial econometrics approach since it uses a spatial weight matrix that is not employed by the spatial statistics approach. Further, the study presents empirical analyses by applying the Spatial Autoregressive Error Model (SAEM), which is based on the spatial econometrics approach, and the Spatial Process Model (SPM), which is based on the spatial statistics approach. SPMs are conducted based on both isotropy and anisotropy and applied to different mesh sizes. The empirical analysis reveals that the estimated benefits are quite different, especially between isotropic and anisotropic SPM and between isotropic SPM and SAEM; the estimated benefits are similar for SAEM and anisotropic SPM. The study demonstrates that the mesh size does not affect the estimated amount of benefits. Finally, the study provides a confidence interval for the estimated benefits and raises an issue with regard to benefit evaluation.

Students' Perceptions of a Project-Based Organic Chemistry Laboratory Environment: A Phenomenographic Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Burrows, Nikita L.; Nowak, Montana K.; Mooring, Suazette R.

2017-01-01

Students can perceive the laboratory environment in a variety of ways that can affect what they take away from the laboratory course. This qualitative study characterizes undergraduate students' perspectives of a project-based Organic Chemistry laboratory using the theoretical framework of phenomenography. Eighteen participants were interviewed in…

Project-Based Learning in Colleges of Business: Is It Enough to Develop Educated Graduates?

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Penny Pence; Gibson, Lindsey A.

2016-01-01

This chapter focuses on project-based learning in colleges of business, a concept that offers the student a "hands-on" approach to knowledge by working on actual projects with business community organizations. However, it may take more than such partnerships to assure graduates become "educated people" as well as those…

The Saale-Project -A multidisciplinary approach towards sustainable integrative catchment management -

Science.gov (United States)

Bongartz, K.; Flügel, W. A.

2003-04-01

In the joint research project “Development of an integrated methodology for the sustainable management of river basins The Saale River Basin example”, coordinated by the Centre of Environmental Research (UFZ), concepts and tools for an integrated management of large river basins are developed and applied for the Saale river basin. The ultimate objective of the project is to contribute to the holistic assessment and benchmarking approaches in water resource planning, as required by the European Water Framework Directive. The study presented here deals (1) with the development of a river basin information and modelling system, (2) with the refinement of a regionalisation approach adapted for integrated basin modelling. The approach combines a user friendly basin disaggregation method preserving the catchment’s physiographic heterogeneity with a process oriented hydrological basin assessment for scale bridging integrated modelling. The well tested regional distribution concept of Response Units (RUs) will be enhanced by landscape metrics and decision support tools for objective, scale independent and problem oriented RU delineation to provide the spatial modelling entities for process oriented and distributed simulation of vertical and lateral hydrological transport processes. On basis of this RUs suitable hydrological modelling approaches will be further developed with strong respect to a more detailed simulation of the lateral surface and subsurface flows as well as the channel flow. This methodical enhancement of the well recognised RU-concept will be applied to the river basin of the Saale (Ac: 23 179 km2) and validated by a nested catchment approach, which allows multi-response-validation and estimation of uncertainties of the modelling results. Integrated modelling of such a complex basin strongly influenced by manifold human activities (reservoirs, agriculture, urban areas and industry) can only be achieved by coupling the various modelling approaches

EC-funded project (HTR-L) for the definition of a European safety approach for HTR's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehster, S.; Dominguez, M.T.; Coe, I.; Brinkmann, G.; Lensa, W. von; Mheen, W. van der; Alessandroni, C.; Pirson, J.

2002-01-01

The inherent safety features of the HTRs make events leading to severe core damage highly unlikely and constitute the main differentiating aspects compared to LWRs. While a known and stable regulatory environment has long been established for Light Water Reactors, a different approach is necessary for the licensing of HTR based power plants. Among the R and D projects funded by the European Commission for HTR reactors, the HTR-L project is dedicated to the definition of a common and coherent European safety approach and the identification of the main licensing issues for the licensing framework of the Modular HTRs. Other specific objectives of this project are : To develop a methodology to classify the accidental conditions; To define the preliminary requirements for the confinement of radioactive products and to assess the need for a 'conventional' containment structure; To establish a SSC (2) classification and to define the rules for equipment qualification; To identify the key issues that need to be addressed in the licensing process of the HTRs; To organize a workshop with the concerned Safety Authorities at the end of the project. This paper will explain the project objectives and its final expected outcomes. (author)

Bayesian-network-based safety risk analysis in construction projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Limao; Wu, Xianguo; Skibniewski, Miroslaw J.; Zhong, Jingbing; Lu, Yujie

2014-01-01

This paper presents a systemic decision support approach for safety risk analysis under uncertainty in tunnel construction. Fuzzy Bayesian Networks (FBN) is used to investigate causal relationships between tunnel-induced damage and its influential variables based upon the risk/hazard mechanism analysis. Aiming to overcome limitations on the current probability estimation, an expert confidence indicator is proposed to ensure the reliability of the surveyed data for fuzzy probability assessment of basic risk factors. A detailed fuzzy-based inference procedure is developed, which has a capacity of implementing deductive reasoning, sensitivity analysis and abductive reasoning. The “3σ criterion” is adopted to calculate the characteristic values of a triangular fuzzy number in the probability fuzzification process, and the α-weighted valuation method is adopted for defuzzification. The construction safety analysis progress is extended to the entire life cycle of risk-prone events, including the pre-accident, during-construction continuous and post-accident control. A typical hazard concerning the tunnel leakage in the construction of Wuhan Yangtze Metro Tunnel in China is presented as a case study, in order to verify the applicability of the proposed approach. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach and its application potential. A comparison of advantages and disadvantages between FBN and fuzzy fault tree analysis (FFTA) as risk analysis tools is also conducted. The proposed approach can be used to provide guidelines for safety analysis and management in construction projects, and thus increase the likelihood of a successful project in a complex environment. - Highlights: • A systemic Bayesian network based approach for safety risk analysis is developed. • An expert confidence indicator for probability fuzzification is proposed. • Safety risk analysis progress is extended to entire life cycle of risk-prone events. • A typical

Project-based knowledge in organizing open innovation

CERN Document Server

Comacchio, Anna; Pizzi, Claudio

2014-01-01

Enriching understanding of the current theoretical debate on project-based open innovation, ‘Project-based Knowledge in Organizing Open Innovation’ draws on innovation management literature and knowledge-based perspectives to investigate the relationship between knowledge development at project level and the strategic organization of open innovation. Addressing the still open issue of how the firm level should be complemented by studies at the project level of analysis, this book provides theoretical and empirical arguments on the advantages of a more fine-grained level of analysis to understand how firms organize their innovation processes across boundaries. The book also addresses the emerging interest in the management literature on project-based organizations, and on the relevance of project forms of organizing in a knowledge-based economy. Through field research in different industrial settings , this book provides empirical evidence on how firms design open innovation project-by-project and it will ...

Enhanced oil recovery projects data base

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pautz, J.F.; Sellers, C.A.; Nautiyal, C.; Allison, E.

1992-04-01

A comprehensive enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project data base is maintained and updated at the Bartlesville Project Office of the Department of Energy. This data base provides an information resource that is used to analyze the advancement and application of EOR technology. The data base has extensive information on 1,388 EOR projects in 569 different oil fields from 1949 until the present, and over 90% of that information is contained in tables and graphs of this report. The projects are presented by EOR process, and an index by location is provided.

Dimensions of problem based learning - dialogue and online collaboration in projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Lars Birch; Nielsen, Jørgen Lerche

2013-01-01

-based learning approach developed in Denmark historically and theoretically, and how it unfolds today discussed through a case of the Danish Master programme in ICT and Learning (MIL), focusing on changes in the roles of teachers as supervisors, and the involvement of students in course and project activities....

Implementation of knowledge management approach in project oriented activities. Experience from simulator upgrade project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pironkov, L.

2010-01-01

Project specifics: Replacement of analogue process control system with Ovation®based Distributed Control System; Hybrid solution with simulated I&C logic and stimulated Human Machine Interface; Initial design ‐“turn‐key” project based on standard relationship “single customer –single contractor

Experimentation on accuracy of non functional requirement prioritization approaches for different complexity projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raj Kumar Chopra

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Non functional requirements must be selected for implementation together with functional requirements to enhance the success of software projects. Three approaches exist for performing the prioritization of non functional requirements using the suitable prioritization technique. This paper performs experimentation on three different complexity versions of the industrial software project using cost-value prioritization technique employing three approaches. Experimentation is conducted to analyze the accuracy of individual approaches and the variation of accuracy with the complexity of the software project. The results indicate that selecting non functional requirements separately, but in accordance with functionality has higher accuracy amongst the other two approaches. Further, likewise other approaches, it witnesses the decrease in accuracy with increase in software complexity but the decrease is minimal.

Exploring Community-Oriented Approaches in Demand Side Management Projects in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Mengolini

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper seeks to investigate if the theoretical and political trends towards a more collective dimension of energy use are reflected in the design and development of demand side management (DSM pilot projects in Europe. Specifically, the paper analyses DSM projects in the database of the Joint Research Centre (JRC of the European Commission to capture signs of a new attention towards the wider context in which consumers live and towards the social dimension associated with energy consumption. To this end, the paper investigates the projects’ scope (in terms of project’s partners, end-use sectors and targeted services as well as the consumer engagement strategies that projects use. These elements reflect the projects’ consideration for the socio-economic dimension of the community where the pilots take place and their inclination to build on community dynamics. The analysis shows that DSM projects in the EU are increasingly being designed and developed with a collegial approach to energy consumption in mind, although an integrated approach is still missing. In addition, research is still needed to link the use of this innovative approach to project results. A closer look at the developments and results of these projects can help to identify what works and what doesn’t in real life experiences, thus supporting effective policy making at the EU and national level.

A Multi-Faceted Approach to Inquiry-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Brudzinski, M. R.; Sikorski, J.

2009-12-01

In order to fully attain the benefits of inquiry-based learning, instructors who typically employ the traditional lecture format need to make several adjustments to their approach. This change in styles can be intimidating and logistically difficult to overcome. A stepwise approach to this transformation is likely to be more manageable for individual faculty or departments. In this session, we will describe several features that we are implementing in our introductory geology course with the ultimate goal of converting to an entirely inquiry-based approach. Our project is part of the Miami University initiative in the top 25 enrolled courses to move towards the “student as scholar” model for engaged learning. Some of the features we developed for our course include: student learning outcomes, student development outcomes, out-of-class content quizzes, in-class conceptests, pre-/post-course assessment, reflective knowledge surveys, and daily group activities.

Network theory-based analysis of risk interactions in large engineering projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Chao; Marle, Franck; Zio, Enrico; Bocquet, Jean-Claude

2012-01-01

This paper presents an approach based on network theory to deal with risk interactions in large engineering projects. Indeed, such projects are exposed to numerous and interdependent risks of various nature, which makes their management more difficult. In this paper, a topological analysis based on network theory is presented, which aims at identifying key elements in the structure of interrelated risks potentially affecting a large engineering project. This analysis serves as a powerful complement to classical project risk analysis. Its originality lies in the application of some network theory indicators to the project risk management field. The construction of the risk network requires the involvement of the project manager and other team members assigned to the risk management process. Its interpretation improves their understanding of risks and their potential interactions. The outcomes of the analysis provide a support for decision-making regarding project risk management. An example of application to a real large engineering project is presented. The conclusion is that some new insights can be found about risks, about their interactions and about the global potential behavior of the project. - Highlights: ► The method addresses the modeling of complexity in project risk analysis. ► Network theory indicators enable other risks than classical criticality analysis to be highlighted. ► This topological analysis improves project manager's understanding of risks and risk interactions. ► This helps project manager to make decisions considering the position in the risk network. ► An application to a real tramway implementation project in a city is provided.

A CMMI-based approach for medical software project life cycle study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jui-Jen; Su, Wu-Chen; Wang, Pei-Wen; Yen, Hung-Chi

2013-01-01

In terms of medical techniques, Taiwan has gained international recognition in recent years. However, the medical information system industry in Taiwan is still at a developing stage compared with the software industries in other nations. In addition, systematic development processes are indispensable elements of software development. They can help developers increase their productivity and efficiency and also avoid unnecessary risks arising during the development process. Thus, this paper presents an application of Light-Weight Capability Maturity Model Integration (LW-CMMI) to Chang Gung Medical Research Project (CMRP) in the Nuclear medicine field. This application was intended to integrate user requirements, system design and testing of software development processes into three layers (Domain, Concept and Instance) model. Then, expressing in structural System Modeling Language (SysML) diagrams and converts part of the manual effort necessary for project management maintenance into computational effort, for example: (semi-) automatic delivery of traceability management. In this application, it supports establishing artifacts of "requirement specification document", "project execution plan document", "system design document" and "system test document", and can deliver a prototype of lightweight project management tool on the Nuclear Medicine software project. The results of this application can be a reference for other medical institutions in developing medical information systems and support of project management to achieve the aim of patient safety.

Increase Student Engagement through Project-Based Learning. Best Practices Newsletter

Science.gov (United States)

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), 2015

2015-01-01

We learn by doing. This simple philosophy is at the heart of project-based learning in the 21st-century classroom. It is grounded in the belief that the stand and lecture approach to teaching, worksheets and rote memorization are not enough to move students down a path to the deep learning necessary for success in college and careers. Essential…

PENGEMBANGAN TUGAS AKHIR MELALUI PROJECT BASED LEARNING MODEL UNTUK MENINGKATKAN GENERIC GREEN SKILLS SISWA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Ana

2015-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The development of students’ final project through Project-based Learning (PBLapproach was conducted in the workshop of family resource management (FRM in 7th semester.PBL approach is expected to give contribution to students’ motivation and experience to finish their final assignments of FRM workshop. The objectives of the research are to: (1 develop PBL model for the students’final project; (2 produce learning instruments of PBL such as lesson plans, manual of FRM workshop, and scientific report of FRM workshop. The method of the study was using research and development of Plomp model and quasi experiment for testing the effectiveness of the model. The research subjects were the students from the class of 2009 and 2010 who joined FRM workshop course. The study produced model, lesson plans, and manual of FRM workshop as the outputs. The result showed that project based learning model was effective to improve the students’ generic green skills for project management, collaborative skills, and communicative competence. Keywords: final project, generic green skill, family resource management, Project-Based Learning

Project management a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling

CERN Document Server

Kerzner, Harold

2013-01-01

The bestselling project management text for students andprofessionals-now updated and expanded This Eleventh Edition of the bestselling "bible" ofproject management maintains the streamlined approach of the prioreditions and moves the content even closer to PMI's ProjectManagement Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). New content has been added tothis edition on measuring project management ROI, value to theorganization and to customers, and much more. The capstone "super"case on the "Iridium Project" has been maintained, covering allaspects of project management. Increased use of sidebars throughoutthe book helps further align it with the PMBOK and the ProjectManagement Professional (PMP) Certification Exam. This new edition features significant expansion, including morethan three dozen entirely new sections and updates on processsupporting; types of project closure; project sponsorship; andculture, teamwork, and trust. This comprehensive guide to theprinciples and practices of project management: Offers new sections...

Exploration of Exploitation Approaches of European Projects on ICT and Foreign Language Learning: the CEFcult project case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rusman, Ellen; Rajagopal, Kamakshi; Stoyanov, Slavi; Van Maele, Jan

2011-01-01

Rusman, E., Rajagopal, K., Stoyanov, S., & Van Maele, J. (2011, 20-21 October). Exploration of Exploitation Approaches of European Projects on ICT and Foreign Language Learning: the CEFcult project case. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference ICT for Language Learning, Florence, Italy.

Learning based in projects to promote interdisciplinarity in Secondary School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniela Boff

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The project-based learning is an active learning strategy that helps break the paradigm of traditional teaching methods. The student is involved in the learning proposal that includes the PiBL, on which one is not passive and becomes the main actor in one's own teaching learning process. Within this learning strategy, the teacher becomes a mediator between theory and practice thus each different subject interact with one another in order to develop a topic that is mutual to all areas because the learning environment is naturally interdisciplinary. The idea of this kind of learning strategy was applied during a workshop that took place with primary and secondary schoolteachers in order to help them approach the strategy in the classroom, contributing with experiences and ideas towards the interdisciplinary based project.

Jumping In: Redefining Teaching and Learning in Physical Education through Project-Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Coyne, Jaime; Hollas, Tori; Potter, Jalene P.

2016-01-01

Project-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based instructional approach that allows students to gain knowledge and skills by investigating and respond to engaging, complex problems or challenges. For some, PBL may seem like an unnatural fit in PE classrooms. However, this article describes how, with careful and creative planning, PBL can easily…

Choose to Use: Scaffolding for Technology Learning Needs in a Project-Based Learning Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Weimer, Peggy D.

2017-01-01

Project-based learning is one approach used by teachers to meet the challenge of developing more technologically proficient students. This approach, however, requires students to manage a large number of tasks including the mastery of technology. If a student's perception that their capability to perform a task falls below the task's difficulty,…

Oncology nurses and the experience of participation in an evidence-based practice project.

Science.gov (United States)

Fridman, Mary; Frederickson, Keville

2014-07-01

To illuminate the experiences of oncology nurses who participated in an evidence-based practice (EBP) project in an institution with an EBP organizational structure. A descriptive phenomenologic approach and in-depth interviews with each participant. An oncology-focused academic medical center with an established organizational infrastructure for EBP. 12 RNs working in an oncology setting who participated in an EBP project. Descriptive, qualitative phenomenologic approach through use of interviews and analysis of interview text. Four essential themes (i.e., support, challenges, evolution, and empowerment) and 11 subthemes emerged that reflected nurses' professional and personal growth, as well as the creation of a culture of EBP in the workplace. The participants described the EBP project as a positive, empowering personal and professional evolutionary experience with supports and challenges that resulted in improvements in patient care. To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first qualitative study to demonstrate improved nursing outcomes (e.g., professional growth, improved nursing performance) and nurses' perception of improved patient outcomes (e.g., ongoing healthcare collaboration, evidence-based changes in practice).

Something of value Governance of Projects in the Project-Based Organisation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riis, Eva

2013-01-01

The paper presents a conceptual framework for studying Governance of Projects and issues of value in the project-based organisation. Attempts at exploring and conceptualising the issues in the current literature are reviewed. Issues pertinent to gaining value by Governance of Projects have mainly...... for a better understanding of Governance of Projects and value contribution. The findings presented here form the conceptual foundation for subsequent empirical studies of value by Governance of Projects....... been explored from the perspective of economic theory. Models found in the literature are not typically concerned with value for the implementing organisation as a whole; their scope is limited to the time just after project completion. No valid, empirically-based models of value creation by Governance...

Web-based Project Reporting System

Data.gov (United States)

US Agency for International Development — Web-PRS is a web-based system that captures financial information and project status information that is sortable by geographical location, pillar, project type and...

Project management a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling

CERN Document Server

Kerzner, Harold

2017-01-01

Project Management is the bestselling text for students and professionals, presenting a streamlined approach to project management functions in full alignment with PMI(r)'s latest Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK(r)). This new 12th edition has been updated to reflect the latest changes found in the PMBOK(r) Guide--Sixth Edition, and features new coverage of emerging topics including global stakeholder management, causes of failure, agile project management, project governance failure, customer approval milestones, classifying project metrics, and more. Supplementary materials are available for students, working professionals, and instructors. * Understand organizational structures and project management functions * Learn how to control costs, manage risk, and analyze trade-offs * Examine different methods used for planning, scheduling, QA, and more * Work effectively with customers and stakeholders from around the globe Project Management is the comprehensive reference to keep within arm's reach. ...

Pre-Service Teachers' Experiences and Views on Project-Based Learning Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Dag, Funda; Durdu, Levent

2017-01-01

Project-based learning (PjBL) has been promoted as an effective and frequently used student-centered learning approach for various learning environments. To have various learning experiences with PjBL is an important requirement for pre-service teachers (PSTs). The purpose of the study was to investigate the experiences PSTs had with group work…

Incentive Structure of Financing a Project: An Islamic Finance Approach

OpenAIRE

Lone, Fayaz Ahmad; Quadir, Abdul

2017-01-01

Financing is an important component in any project. Without finance, it is impossible to run any project as it is considered the lifeblood of the business. But due to the presence of predetermined rate of interest, economists have provided alternative approach for financing the project. In this paper a model using Profit and Loss Sharing (PLS) system and comparison of it with the conventional financing model is developed. Thrust in this paper is towards establishing a new theoretical reasonin...

COMPARISONS BETWEEN AND COMBINATIONS OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO ACCELERATE ENGINEERING PROJECTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Steyn

2012-01-01

Full Text Available

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this article, traditional project management methods such as PERT and CPM, as well as fast-tracking and systems approaches, viz. concurrent engineering and critical chain, are reviewed with specific reference to their contribution to reducing the duration of the execution phase of engineering projects. Each of these techniques has some role to play in the acceleration of project execution. Combinations of approaches are evaluated by considering the potential of sets consisting of two different approaches each. While PERT and CPM approaches have been combined for many years in a technique called PERT/CPM, new combinations of approaches are discussed. Certain assumptions inherent to PERT and often wrong are not made by the critical chain approach.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In hierdie artikel word tradisionele projekbestuurbenaderings soos PERT en CPM asook projekversnelling en stelselbenaderings, naamlik gelyktydige ingenieurswese, en kritiekeketting-ondersoek met betrekking tot die bydrae wat elk tot die versnelling van die uitvoeringsfase van ingenieursprojekte kan lewer. Elk van hierdie benaderings kan ‘n spesifieke bydrae tot die versnelling van projekte lewer. Kombinasies, elk bestaande uit twee verskillende benaderings, word geëvalueer. Terwyl PERT en CPM reeds baie jare lank in kombinasie gebruik word, word nuwe kombinasies ook hier bespreek. Sekere aannames inherent aan die PERT-benadering is dikwels foutief. Hierdie aannames word nie deur die kritieke-ketting-benadering gemaak nie.

Investment opportunity in China's overseas oil project: An empirical analysis based on real option approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Bao-Jun; Zhou, Hui-Ling; Chen, Hao; Wang, Kai; Cao, Hong

2017-01-01

China's overseas oil investments uphold national energy security. Located in the complex international economic and political environment, the benefits of overseas oil projects are affected by various uncertainties. Oil companies call for a set of evaluation method dealing with these uncertainties, especially when encountering low-oil-price conditions. It is much more crucial to answer when to optimally invest rather than whether to invest. This paper analyzes the investment opportunity of an oil project in the development and production phase considering uncertainty, irreversibility and management flexibility. The decision-making process combines Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method and the trinomial tree model of Real Option Approach (ROA). For practical purposes, tools of hurdle price, cumulative probability and decision tree are adopted. In addition, results of the case project show the economic feasibility at present and optimal start-up timing at the end of 2016. Besides, the lower cost parameters generally make it easier to meet the opportunity. The scenario analysis suggests the higher risk contributes to an earlier start-up. Furthermore, the issues of method applicability, investment signals and decision-lag effects are discussed. - Highlights: • Volatility is combined with fluctuations in oil price, exchange rate and political situation. • Hurdle price is adopted as a critical price to measure investment opportunity. • Scenario analysis suggests the higher risk contribute to earlier investment timing.

Integration of case study approach, project design and computer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Integration of case study approach, project design and computer modeling in managerial accounting education ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... in the Laboratory of Management Accounting and Controlling Systems at the ...

Demonstration of risk-based approaches to nuclear plant regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahn, F.J.; Sursock, J.P.; Darling, S.S.; Oddo, J.M.

1993-01-01

This paper describes generic technical support EPRI is providing to the nuclear power industry relative to its recent initiatives in the area of risk-based regulations (RBR). A risk-based regulatory approach uses probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), or similar techniques, to allocate safety resources commensurate with the risk posed by nuclear plant operations. This approach will reduce O ampersand M costs, and also improve nuclear plant safety. In order to enhance industry, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and public confidence in RBR, three things need to be shown: (1) manpower/resource savings are significant for both NRC and industry; (2) the process is doable in a reasonable amount of time; and (3) the process, if uniformly applied, results in demonstrably cheaper power and safer plants. In 1992, EPRI performed a qualitative study of the key RBR issues contributing to high O ampersand M costs. The results are given on Table 1. This study is being followed up by an in-depth quantitative cost/benefit study to focus technical work on producing guidelines/procedures for licensing submittals to NRC. The guidelines/procedures necessarily will be developed from successful demonstration projects such as the Fitzpatrick pilot plant study proposed by the New York Power Authority and other generic applications. This paper presents three examples: two motor operated valve projects performed by QUADREX Energy Services Corporation working with utilities in responding to NRC Generic Letter 89-10, and a third project working with Yankee Atomic Electric Company on service water systems at a plant in its service system. These demonstration projects aim to show the following: (1) the relative ease of putting together a technical case based on RBR concepts; (2) clarity in differentiating the various risk trade-offs, and in communicating overall reductions in risk with NRC; and (3) improved prioritization of NRC directives

Evaluation model of project complexity for large-scale construction projects in Iran - A Fuzzy ANP approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aliyeh Kazemi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Construction projects have always been complex. By growing trend of this complexity, implementations of large-scale constructions become harder. Hence, evaluating and understanding these complexities are critical. Correct evaluation of a project complication can provide executives and managers with good source to use. Fuzzy analytic network process (ANP is a logical and systematic approach toward defining, evaluation, and grading. This method allows for analyzing complex systems, and determining complexity of them. In this study, by taking advantage of fuzzy ANP, effective indexes for development of complications in large-scale construction projects in Iran have been determined and prioritized. The results show socio-political, project system interdependencies, and technological complexity indexes ranked top to three. Furthermore, in comparison of three main huge projects: commercial-administrative, hospital, and skyscrapers, the hospital project had been evaluated as the most complicated. This model is beneficial for professionals in managing large-scale projects.

Projecting changes in the distribution and productivity of living marine resources: A critical review of the suite of modelling approaches used in the large European project VECTORS

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peck, Myron A.; Arvanitidis, Christos; Butenschön, Momme; Canu, Donata Melaku; Chatzinikolaou, Eva; Cucco, Andrea; Domenici, Paolo; Fernandes, Jose A.; Gasche, Loic; Huebert, Klaus B.; Hufnagl, Marc; Jones, Miranda C.; Kempf, Alexander; Keyl, Friedemann; Maar, Marie; Mahévas, Stéphanie; Marchal, Paul; Nicolas, Delphine; Pinnegar, John K.; Rivot, Etienne; Rochette, Sébastien; Sell, Anne F.; Sinerchia, Matteo; Solidoro, Cosimo; Somerfield, Paul J.; Teal, Lorna R.; Travers-trolet, Morgan; De Wolfshaar, Van Karen E.

2018-01-01

We review and compare four broad categories of spatially-explicit modelling approaches currently used to understand and project changes in the distribution and productivity of living marine resources including: 1) statistical species distribution models, 2) physiology-based, biophysical models of

Two Project-Based Strategies in an Interdisciplinary Mathematical Modeling in Biology Course

Science.gov (United States)

Ludwig, Patrice; Tongen, Anthony; Walton, Brian

2018-01-01

James Madison University faculty team-teach an interdisciplinary mathematical modeling course for mathematics and biology students. We have used two different project-based approaches to emphasize the mathematical concepts taught in class, while also exposing students to new areas of mathematics not formally covered in class. The first method…

Group Communication and Critical Thinking Competence Development Using a Reality-Based Project

Science.gov (United States)

Paulson, Edward

2011-01-01

The presented merger and acquisition classroom exercise is based on a real yet incomplete transaction transpiring during the period of the class. The approach enables adult students to apply their previously acquired business experience to a strategic analysis project facilitating the development of group communication, critical thinking, and…

ORGANIZATION OF FUTURE ENGINEERS' PROJECT-BASED LEARNING WHEN STUDYING THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Halyna V. Lutsenko

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The peculiarities of modern world experience of implementation of project-based learning in engineering education have been considered. The potential role and place of projects in learning activity have been analyzed. The methodology of organization of project-based activity of engineering students when studying the project management methodology and computer systems of project management has been proposed. The requirements to documentation and actual results of students' projects have been described in detail. The requirements to computer-aided systems of project management developed by using Microsoft Project in the scope of diary scheduling and resources planning have been formulated.

How to Grow Project Scientists: A Systematic Approach to Developing Project Scientists

Science.gov (United States)

Kea, Howard

2011-01-01

The Project Manager is one of the key individuals that can determine the success or failure of a project. NASA is fully committed to the training and development of Project Managers across the agency to ensure that highly capable individuals are equipped with the competencies and experience to successfully lead a project. An equally critical position is that of the Project Scientist. The Project Scientist provides the scientific leadership necessary for the scientific success of a project by insuring that the mission meets or exceeds the scientific requirements. Traditionally, NASA Goddard project scientists were appointed and approved by the Center Science Director based on their knowledge, experience, and other qualifications. However the process to obtain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities was not documented or done in a systematic way. NASA Goddard's current Science Director, Nicholas White saw the need to create a pipeline for developing new projects scientists, and appointed a team to develop a process for training potential project scientists. The team members were Dr. Harley Thronson, Chair, Dr. Howard Kea, Mr. Mark Goldman, DACUM facilitator and the late Dr. Michael VanSteenberg. The DACUM process, an occupational analysis and evaluation system, was used to produce a picture of the project scientist's duties, tasks, knowledge, and skills. The output resulted in a 3-Day introductory course detailing all the required knowledge, skills and abilities a scientist must develop over time to be qualified for selections as a Project Scientist.

Multiobjective genetic algorithm approaches to project scheduling under risk

OpenAIRE

Kılıç, Murat; Kilic, Murat

2003-01-01

In this thesis, project scheduling under risk is chosen as the topic of research. Project scheduling under risk is defined as a biobjective decision problem and is formulated as a 0-1 integer mathematical programming model. In this biobjective formulation, one of the objectives is taken as the expected makespan minimization and the other is taken as the expected cost minimization. As the solution approach to this biobjective formulation genetic algorithm (GA) is chosen. After carefully invest...

A Constrained and Guided Approach for Managing Software Engineering Course Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Y.-P.; Lin, J. M.-C.

2010-01-01

This paper documents several years of experimentation with a new approach to organizing and managing projects in a software engineering course. The initial failure and subsequent refinements that the new approach has been through since 2004 are described herein. The "constrained and guided" approach, as it is called, has helped to reduce…

The Effect of Project Based Learning on Seventh Grade Students' Academic Achievement

Science.gov (United States)

Kizkapan, Oktay; Bektas, Oktay

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is a significant effect of project based learning approach on seventh grade students' academic achievement in the structure and properties of matter. In the study, according to the characteristics of quantitative research methods, pretest-posttest control group quasi-experimental design was…

How project approach influences adoption of SWC by farmers, examples from southern Mali

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bodnar, F.; Schrader, T.; Campen, Van W.

2006-01-01

Choices in project approach affect the continuation of soil and water conservation (SWC) after project withdrawal, and thus the sustainability and cost effectiveness of the project. A SWC project was carried out in southern Mali between 1986 and 1998. Its features were the promotion of cheap and

Algorithm for evaluating the effectiveness of a high-rise development project based on current yield

Science.gov (United States)

Soboleva, Elena

2018-03-01

The article is aimed at the issues of operational evaluation of development project efficiency in high-rise construction under the current economic conditions in Russia. The author touches the following issues: problems of implementing development projects, the influence of the operational evaluation quality of high-rise construction projects on general efficiency, assessing the influence of the project's external environment on the effectiveness of project activities under crisis conditions and the quality of project management. The article proposes the algorithm and the methodological approach to the quality management of the developer project efficiency based on operational evaluation of the current yield efficiency. The methodology for calculating the current efficiency of a development project for high-rise construction has been updated.

A hierarchical approach to multi-project planning under uncertainty

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hans, Elias W.; Herroelen, W.; Wullink, Gerhard; Leus, R.

2007-01-01

We survey several viewpoints on the management of the planning complexity of multi-project organisations under uncertainty. Based on these viewpoints we propose a positioning framework to distinguish between different types of project-driven organisations. This framework is meant to aid project

Variables that impact the implementation of project-based learning in high school science

Science.gov (United States)

Cunningham, Kellie

Wagner and colleagues (2006) state the mediocrity of teaching and instructional leadership is the central problem that must be addressed if we are to improve student achievement. Educational reform efforts have been initiated to improve student performance and to hold teachers and school leaders accountable for student achievement (Wagner et al., 2006). Specifically, in the area of science, goals for improving student learning have led reformers to establish standards for what students should know and be able to do, as well as what instructional methods should be used. Key concepts and principles have been identified for student learning. Additionally, reformers recommend student-centered, inquiry-based practices that promote a deep understanding of how science is embedded in the everyday world. These new approaches to science education emphasize inquiry as an essential element for student learning (Schneider, Krajcik, Marx, & Soloway, 2002). Project-based learning (PBL) is an inquiry-based instructional approach that addresses these recommendations for science education reform. The objective of this research was to study the implementation of project-based learning (PBL) in an urban school undergoing reform efforts and identify the variables that positively or negatively impacted the PBL implementation process and its outcomes. This study responded to the need to change how science is taught by focusing on the implementation of project-based learning as an instructional approach to improve student achievement in science and identify the role of both school leaders and teachers in the creation of a school environment that supports project-based learning. A case study design using a mixed-method approach was used in this study. Data were collected through individual interviews with the school principal, science instructional coach, and PBL facilitator. A survey, classroom observations and interviews involving three high school science teachers teaching grades 9

A fuzzy hybrid approach for project manager selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmad Jafarnejad Chaghooshi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Suitable project manager has a significant impact on successful accomplishment of the project. Managers should possess such skills in order to effectively cope with the competition. In this respect, selecting managers based on their skills can lead to a competitive advantage towards the achievement of organizational goals. selection of the suitable project manager can be viewed as a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM problem and an extensive evaluation of criteria, such as Technical skills, experience skills, Personal qualities and the related criteria must be considered in the selection process of project manager. The fuzzy set theory and MCDM methods appears as an essential tools to provide a decision framework that incorporates imprecise judgments and multi criteria nature of project manager selection process inherent in this process. This paper proposes the joint use of the Fuzzy DEMATEL (FDEMATEL and Fuzzy VIKOR methods for the decision-making process of selecting the most suitable managers for projects. First, with the opinions of the senior managers based on project management competency model (ICB-IPMA, all the criteria required for the selection are gathered. Then the FDEMATEL method is used to prioritize the importance of various criteria and FVIKOR used to rank the alternatives in a preferred order to select the best project managers from a number of alternatives. Next, a real case study used to illustrate the process of the proposed method. Finally, some conclusions are discussed at the end of this study.

A bottom-up approach to estimating cost elements of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania

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Merger Eduard

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several previous global REDD+ cost studies have been conducted, demonstrating that payments for maintaining forest carbon stocks have significant potential to be a cost-effective mechanism for climate change mitigation. These studies have mostly followed highly aggregated top-down approaches without estimating the full range of REDD+ costs elements, thus underestimating the actual costs of REDD+. Based on three REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania, representing an area of 327,825 ha, this study explicitly adopts a bottom-up approach to data assessment. By estimating opportunity, implementation, transaction and institutional costs of REDD+ we develop a practical and replicable methodological framework to consistently assess REDD+ cost elements. Results Based on historical land use change patterns, current region-specific economic conditions and carbon stocks, project-specific opportunity costs ranged between US$ -7.8 and 28.8 tCOxxxx for deforestation and forest degradation drivers such as agriculture, fuel wood production, unsustainable timber extraction and pasture expansion. The mean opportunity costs for the three projects ranged between US$ 10.1 – 12.5 tCO2. Implementation costs comprised between 89% and 95% of total project costs (excluding opportunity costs ranging between US$ 4.5 - 12.2 tCO2 for a period of 30 years. Transaction costs for measurement, reporting, verification (MRV, and other carbon market related compliance costs comprised a minor share, between US$ 0.21 - 1.46 tCO2. Similarly, the institutional costs comprised around 1% of total REDD+ costs in a range of US$ 0.06 – 0.11 tCO2. Conclusions The use of bottom-up approaches to estimate REDD+ economics by considering regional variations in economic conditions and carbon stocks has been shown to be an appropriate approach to provide policy and decision-makers robust economic information on REDD+. The assessment of opportunity costs is a crucial first step to

A bottom-up approach to estimating cost elements of REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Background Several previous global REDD+ cost studies have been conducted, demonstrating that payments for maintaining forest carbon stocks have significant potential to be a cost-effective mechanism for climate change mitigation. These studies have mostly followed highly aggregated top-down approaches without estimating the full range of REDD+ costs elements, thus underestimating the actual costs of REDD+. Based on three REDD+ pilot projects in Tanzania, representing an area of 327,825 ha, this study explicitly adopts a bottom-up approach to data assessment. By estimating opportunity, implementation, transaction and institutional costs of REDD+ we develop a practical and replicable methodological framework to consistently assess REDD+ cost elements. Results Based on historical land use change patterns, current region-specific economic conditions and carbon stocks, project-specific opportunity costs ranged between US$ -7.8 and 28.8 tCOxxxx for deforestation and forest degradation drivers such as agriculture, fuel wood production, unsustainable timber extraction and pasture expansion. The mean opportunity costs for the three projects ranged between US$ 10.1 – 12.5 tCO2. Implementation costs comprised between 89% and 95% of total project costs (excluding opportunity costs) ranging between US$ 4.5 - 12.2 tCO2 for a period of 30 years. Transaction costs for measurement, reporting, verification (MRV), and other carbon market related compliance costs comprised a minor share, between US$ 0.21 - 1.46 tCO2. Similarly, the institutional costs comprised around 1% of total REDD+ costs in a range of US$ 0.06 – 0.11 tCO2. Conclusions The use of bottom-up approaches to estimate REDD+ economics by considering regional variations in economic conditions and carbon stocks has been shown to be an appropriate approach to provide policy and decision-makers robust economic information on REDD+. The assessment of opportunity costs is a crucial first step to provide information on the

Mechatronic control engineering and electro-mechanical system design - two mechatronic curricula at Aalborg University based on problem oriented and project based learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Henrik C.; Andersen, Torben Ole; Rasmussen, Peter Omand

2009-01-01

, it is addressed how a mechatronic education is structured so courses and projects are aligned, to utilize the full benefits of the Problem Oriented Project Based Learning (POPBL) system practiced at AalborgUniversity (AAU). This is followed by a presentation of the two complementary educations in Mechatronicsat...... using a subsystem based approach. The challenges related to teaching and learning mechatronics are addressed, discussing how mechatronics is typically taught around the world also illustrating the trends and applications of mechatronic engineering and research. This is followed by an outline...... Based Learning environment....

Exploration of Exploitation Approaches of European Projects on ICT and Foreign Language Learning: the CEFcult project case

OpenAIRE

Rusman, Ellen; Rajagopal, Kamakshi; Stoyanov, Slavi; Van Maele, Jan

2011-01-01

Rusman, E., Rajagopal, K., Stoyanov, S., & Van Maele, J. (2011, 20-21 October). Exploration of Exploitation Approaches of European Projects on ICT and Foreign Language Learning: the CEFcult project case. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference ICT for Language Learning, Florence, Italy. Available at: http://www.pixel-online.net/ICT4LL2011/conferenceproceedings.php

Diversity Management Change Projects: In Need of Alternative Conceptual Approaches?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina Evans

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Drawing on a meta-analysis of an evaluation of a European Social Fund project aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for women in Information Technology, Electronic and Computing (ITEC, this paper critically debates how effectual a diversity management approach alone is as an underpinning rationale for change in the complex area of diversity. The paper draws on the experiences of ‘partner organizations’, gathered through interviews conducted during the evaluation stage of the project. The paper discusses some of the tensions experienced by partner organizations, thus providing new insights into why such projects are not as effectual as they might be. The paper concludes by presenting a case for the need to re-conceptualise how change as part of a wider diversity management approach might best be conceptualized. We suggest that a ‘systems approach’ could prove a more fruitful way of conceptualizing change of this nature given the inter-dependences between different organizations and institutions.

Learning Cell Biology as a Team: A Project-Based Approach to Upper-Division Cell Biology

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, Robin; Boggs, James

2002-01-01

To help students develop successful strategies for learning how to learn and communicate complex information in cell biology, we developed a quarter-long cell biology class based on team projects. Each team researches a particular human disease and presents information about the cellular structure or process affected by the disease, the cellular…

Stakeholder approach for evaluating organizational change projects.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltokorpi, Antti; Alho, Antti; Kujala, Jaakko; Aitamurto, Johanna; Parvinen, Petri

2008-01-01

This paper aims to create a model for evaluating organizational change initiatives from a stakeholder resistance viewpoint. The paper presents a model to evaluate change projects and their expected benefits. Factors affecting the challenge to implement change were defined based on stakeholder theory literature. The authors test the model's practical validity for screening change initiatives to improve operating room productivity. Change initiatives can be evaluated using six factors: the effect of the planned intervention on stakeholders' actions and position; stakeholders' capability to influence the project's implementation; motivation to participate; capability to change; change complexity; and management capability. The presented model's generalizability should be explored by filtering presented factors through a larger number of historical cases operating in different healthcare contexts. The link between stakeholders, the change challenge and the outcomes of change projects needs to be empirically tested. The proposed model can be used to prioritize change projects, manage stakeholder resistance and establish a better organizational and professional competence for managing healthcare organization change projects. New insights into existing stakeholder-related understanding of change project successes are provided.

Problem and Project Based Learning in Hybrid Spaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryberg, Thomas; Davidsen, Jacob; Hodgson, Vivien

2016-01-01

There is a need within networked learning to understand and conceptualise the interplay between digital and physical spaces or what we could term hybrid spaces. Therefore, we discuss a recent study of students from two different programmes who are engaged in long-term, group-based problem...... and project based learning. Based on interviews, workshops and observations of students’ actual group practices in open, shared and flexible spaces in Aalborg University (AAU), we identify and discuss how students incorporate networked and digital technologies into their group work and into the study places...... they create for themselves. We describe how in one of the programmes ‘nomadic’ groups of students used different technologies and spaces for ‘placemaking’. We then show how their experience and approach to collaborative work differs to that of the more static or ‘artisan’ groups of students in the other...

Project-Based Science

Science.gov (United States)

Krajcik, Joe

2015-01-01

Project-based science is an exciting way to teach science that aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS"). By focusing on core ideas along with practices and crosscutting concepts, classrooms become learning environments where teachers and students engage in science by designing and carrying out…

Comparative analysis of methodical approaches to evaluating the efficiency of investment projects in the power industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolstooukhov, D.A.; Karkhov, A.N.

2001-01-01

At present time, a transition is made to market mechanisms of economy functioning based on equilibrium price formation for products of enterprises and their self-financing. Based on long-term forecasts of economic development, electric power industry should not only ensure preservation of the accumulated potential but should also provide for modernization, reconstruction, service life extension of operating power facilities and construction of new ones. Under market conditions, nuclear power installations will have to prove their right to exist and develop in competition with other power technologies. In these conditions, the responsibility is growing for the correctness of investment decisions taken in the power industry and methods on which they are based. This paper analyzes currently used calculation methods for economic efficiency of investment projects. It emphasizes the limitations and drawbacks of the existing methodical approaches, and their inconsistency with market economy and scientific and technological progress (STP). The said drawbacks lead to serious mistakes in evaluating the prospects for the development of nuclear power. The paper describes a methodical approach based on equilibrium price formation that does not have the said drawbacks and may be used as the basis for further work on creation of improved calculation methods for the economic efficiency of investment projects in nuclear power. (authors)

Pipeline leakage recognition based on the projection singular value features and support vector machine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liang, Wei; Zhang, Laibin; Mingda, Wang; Jinqiu, Hu [College of Mechanical and Transportation Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing, (China)

2010-07-01

The negative wave pressure method is one of the processes used to detect leaks on oil pipelines. The development of new leakage recognition processes is difficult because it is practically impossible to collect leakage pressure samples. The method of leakage feature extraction and the selection of the recognition model are also important in pipeline leakage detection. This study investigated a new feature extraction approach Singular Value Projection (SVP). It projects the singular value to a standard basis. A new pipeline recognition model based on the multi-class Support Vector Machines was also developed. It was found that SVP is a clear and concise recognition feature of the negative pressure wave. Field experiments proved that the model provided a high recognition accuracy rate. This approach to pipeline leakage detection based on the SVP and SVM has a high application value.

Project-Based Learning in Programmable Logic Controller

Science.gov (United States)

Seke, F. R.; Sumilat, J. M.; Kembuan, D. R. E.; Kewas, J. C.; Muchtar, H.; Ibrahim, N.

2018-02-01

Project-based learning is a learning method that uses project activities as the core of learning and requires student creativity in completing the project. The aims of this study is to investigate the influence of project-based learning methods on students with a high level of creativity in learning the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). This study used experimental methods with experimental class and control class consisting of 24 students, with 12 students of high creativity and 12 students of low creativity. The application of project-based learning methods into the PLC courses combined with the level of student creativity enables the students to be directly involved in the work of the PLC project which gives them experience in utilizing PLCs for the benefit of the industry. Therefore, it’s concluded that project-based learning method is one of the superior learning methods to apply on highly creative students to PLC courses. This method can be used as an effort to improve student learning outcomes and student creativity as well as to educate prospective teachers to become reliable educators in theory and practice which will be tasked to create qualified human resources candidates in order to meet future industry needs.

Base-age invariance and inventory projections

Science.gov (United States)

C. J. Cieszewski; R. L. Bailey; B. E. Borders; G. H. Brister; B. D. Shiver

2000-01-01

One of the most important functions of forest inventory is to facilitate management decisions towards forest sustainability based on inventory projections into the future. Therefore, most forest inventories are used for predicting future states of the forests, in modern forestry the most common methods used in inventory projections are based on implicit functions...

Analysis of a Knowledge-Management-Based Process of Transferring Project Management Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Ioi, Toshihiro; Ono, Masakazu; Ishii, Kota; Kato, Kazuhiko

2012-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to propose a method for the transfer of knowledge and skills in project management (PM) based on techniques in knowledge management (KM). Design/methodology/approach: The literature contains studies on methods to extract experiential knowledge in PM, but few studies exist that focus on methods to convert…

Bayesian Multi-Energy Computed Tomography reconstruction approaches based on decomposition models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai, Caifang

2013-01-01

Multi-Energy Computed Tomography (MECT) makes it possible to get multiple fractions of basis materials without segmentation. In medical application, one is the soft-tissue equivalent water fraction and the other is the hard-matter equivalent bone fraction. Practical MECT measurements are usually obtained with polychromatic X-ray beams. Existing reconstruction approaches based on linear forward models without counting the beam poly-chromaticity fail to estimate the correct decomposition fractions and result in Beam-Hardening Artifacts (BHA). The existing BHA correction approaches either need to refer to calibration measurements or suffer from the noise amplification caused by the negative-log pre-processing and the water and bone separation problem. To overcome these problems, statistical DECT reconstruction approaches based on non-linear forward models counting the beam poly-chromaticity show great potential for giving accurate fraction images.This work proposes a full-spectral Bayesian reconstruction approach which allows the reconstruction of high quality fraction images from ordinary polychromatic measurements. This approach is based on a Gaussian noise model with unknown variance assigned directly to the projections without taking negative-log. Referring to Bayesian inferences, the decomposition fractions and observation variance are estimated by using the joint Maximum A Posteriori (MAP) estimation method. Subject to an adaptive prior model assigned to the variance, the joint estimation problem is then simplified into a single estimation problem. It transforms the joint MAP estimation problem into a minimization problem with a non-quadratic cost function. To solve it, the use of a monotone Conjugate Gradient (CG) algorithm with suboptimal descent steps is proposed.The performances of the proposed approach are analyzed with both simulated and experimental data. The results show that the proposed Bayesian approach is robust to noise and materials. It is also

Experimentation on accuracy of non functional requirement prioritization approaches for different complexity projects

OpenAIRE

Raj Kumar Chopra; Varun Gupta; Durg Singh Chauhan

2016-01-01

Non functional requirements must be selected for implementation together with functional requirements to enhance the success of software projects. Three approaches exist for performing the prioritization of non functional requirements using the suitable prioritization technique. This paper performs experimentation on three different complexity versions of the industrial software project using cost-value prioritization technique employing three approaches. Experimentation is conducted to analy...

How should grid operators govern smart grid innovation projects? An embedded case study approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reuver, Mark de; Lei, Telli van der; Lukszo, Zofia

2016-01-01

Grid operators increasingly have to collaborate with other actors in order to realize smart grid innovations. For routine maintenance, grid operators typically acquire technologies in one-off transactions, but the innovative nature of smart grid projects may require more collaborate relationships. This paper studies how a transactional versus relational approach to governing smart grid innovation projects affects incentives for other actors to collaborate. We analyse 34 cases of smart grid innovation projects based on extensive archival data as well as interviews. We find that projects relying on relational governance are more likely to provide incentives for collaboration. Especially non-financial incentives such as reputational benefits and shared intellectual property rights are more likely to be found in projects relying on relational governance. Policy makers that wish to stimulate smart grid innovation projects should consider stimulating long-term relationships between grid operators and third parties, because such relationships are more likely to produce incentives for collaboration. - Highlights: • Smart grids require collaboration between grid operators and other actors. • We contrast transactional and relational governance of smart grid projects. • Long-term relations produce more incentives for smart grid collaboration. • Non-financial incentives are more important in long-term relations. • Policy makers should stimulate long-term relations to stimulate smart grids.

A Dynamic Fuzzy Approach Based on the EDAS Method for Multi-Criteria Subcontractor Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Keshavarz-Ghorabaee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Selection of appropriate subcontractors for outsourcing is very important for the success of construction projects. This can improve the overall quality of projects and promote the qualification and reputation of the main contractors. The evaluation of subcontractors can be made by some experts or decision-makers with respect to some criteria. If this process is done in different time periods, it can be defined as a dynamic multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM problem. In this study, we propose a new fuzzy dynamic MCGDM approach based on the EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution method for subcontractor evaluation. In the procedure of the proposed approach, the sets of alternatives, criteria and decision-makers can be changed at different time periods. Also, the proposed approach gives more weight to newer decision information for aggregating the overall performance of alternatives. A numerical example is used to illustrate the proposed approach and show the application of it in subcontractor evaluation. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is efficient and useful in real-world decision-making problems.

Consequence Based Design. An approach for integrating computational collaborative models (Integrated Dynamic Models) in the building design phase

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Negendahl, Kristoffer

relies on various advancements in the area of integrated dynamic models. It also relies on the application and test of the approach in practice to evaluate the Consequence based design and the use of integrated dynamic models. As a result, the Consequence based design approach has been applied in five...... and define new ways to implement integrated dynamic models for the following project. In parallel, seven different developments of new methods, tools and algorithms have been performed to support the application of the approach. The developments concern: Decision diagrams – to clarify goals and the ability...... affect the design process and collaboration between building designers and simulationists. Within the limits of applying the approach of Consequence based design to five case studies, followed by documentation based on interviews, surveys and project related documentations derived from internal reports...

Systematic design for trait introgression projects

OpenAIRE

Cameron, John N.; Han, Ye; Wang, Lizhi; Beavis, William D.

2017-01-01

Key message Using an Operations Research approach, we demonstrate design of optimal trait introgression projects with respect to competing objectives. Abstract We demonstrate an innovative approach for designing Trait Introgression (TI) projects based on optimization principles from Operations Research. If the designs of TI projects are based on clear and measurable objectives, they can be translated into mathematical models with decision variables and constraints that can be translated into ...

The role of assessment infrastructures in crafting project-based science classrooms

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amico, Laura Marie

In project-based science teaching, teachers engage students in the practice of conducting meaningful investigations and explanations of natural phenomena, often in collaboration with fellow students or adults. Reformers suggest that this approach can provide students with more profitable learning experiences; but for many teachers, a shift to such instruction can be difficult to manage. As some reform-minded teachers have discovered, classroom assessment can serve as a vital tool for meeting the challenges associated with project science activity. In this research, classroom assessment was viewed as an infrastructure that both students and teachers rely upon as a mediational tool for classroom activity and communications. The study explored the classroom assessment infrastructures created by three teachers involved in the Learning through Collaborative Visualization (CoVis) Project from 1993--94 to 1995--96. Each of the three teachers under study either created a new course or radically reformulated an old one in an effort to incorporate project-based science pedagogy and supporting technologies. Data in the form of interviews, classroom observations, surveys, student work, and teacher records was collected. From these data, an interpretive case study was developed for each course and its accompanying assessment infrastructure. A set of cross-case analyses was also constructed, based upon common themes that emerged from all three cases. These themes included: the assessment challenges based on the nature of project activity, the role of technology in the teachers' assessment infrastructure designs, and the influence of the wider assessment infrastructure on their course and assessment designs. In combination, the case studies and cross-case analyses describe the synergistic relationship between the design of pedagogical reforms and classroom assessment infrastructures, as well as the effectiveness of all three assessment designs. This work contributes to research

A Consistent Fuzzy Preference Relations Based ANP Model for R&D Project Selection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chia-Hua Cheng

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In today’s rapidly changing economy, technology companies have to make decisions on research and development (R&D projects investment on a routine bases with such decisions having a direct impact on that company’s profitability, sustainability and future growth. Companies seeking profitable opportunities for investment and project selection must consider many factors such as resource limitations and differences in assessment, with consideration of both qualitative and quantitative criteria. Often, differences in perception by the various stakeholders hinder the attainment of a consensus of opinion and coordination efforts. Thus, in this study, a hybrid model is developed for the consideration of the complex criteria taking into account the different opinions of the various stakeholders who often come from different departments within the company and have different opinions about which direction to take. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL approach is used to convert the cause and effect relations representing the criteria into a visual network structure. A consistent fuzzy preference relations based analytic network process (CFPR-ANP method is developed to calculate the preference-weights of the criteria based on the derived network structure. The CFPR-ANP is an improvement over the original analytic network process (ANP method in that it reduces the problem of inconsistency as well as the number of pairwise comparisons. The combined complex proportional assessment (COPRAS-G method is applied with fuzzy grey relations to resolve conflicts arising from differences in information and opinions provided by the different stakeholders about the selection of the most suitable R&D projects. This novel combination approach is then used to assist an international brand-name company to prioritize projects and make project decisions that will maximize returns and ensure sustainability for the company.

Web Project Management

OpenAIRE

Suralkar, Sunita; Joshi, Nilambari; Meshram, B B

2013-01-01

This paper describes about the need for Web project management, fundamentals of project management for web projects: what it is, why projects go wrong, and what's different about web projects. We also discuss Cost Estimation Techniques based on Size Metrics. Though Web project development is similar to traditional software development applications, the special characteristics of Web Application development requires adaption of many software engineering approaches or even development of comple...

The business case for condition-based maintenance: a hybrid (non-) financial approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tiddens, W.W.; Tinga, T.; Braaksma, A.J.J.; Brouwer, O.; Cepin, Marko; Bris, Radim

2017-01-01

Although developing business cases is key for evaluating project success, the costs and benefits of condition-based maintenance (CBM) implementations are often not explicitly defined and evaluated. Using the design science methodology, we developed a hybrid business case approach to help managers

Fast in-situ tool inspection based on inverse fringe projection and compact sensor heads

Science.gov (United States)

Matthias, Steffen; Kästner, Markus; Reithmeier, Eduard

2016-11-01

Inspection of machine elements is an important task in production processes in order to ensure the quality of produced parts and to gather feedback for the continuous improvement process. A new measuring system is presented, which is capable of performing the inspection of critical tool geometries, such as gearing elements, inside the forming machine. To meet the constraints on sensor head size and inspection time imposed by the limited space inside the machine and the cycle time of the process, the measuring device employs a combination of endoscopy techniques with the fringe projection principle. Compact gradient index lenses enable a compact design of the sensor head, which is connected to a CMOS camera and a flexible micro-mirror based projector via flexible fiber bundles. Using common fringe projection patterns, the system achieves measuring times of less than five seconds. To further reduce the time required for inspection, the generation of inverse fringe projection patterns has been implemented for the system. Inverse fringe projection speeds up the inspection process by employing object-adapted patterns, which enable the detection of geometry deviations in a single image. Two different approaches to generate object adapted patterns are presented. The first approach uses a reference measurement of a manufactured tool master to generate the inverse pattern. The second approach is based on a virtual master geometry in the form of a CAD file and a ray-tracing model of the measuring system. Virtual modeling of the measuring device and inspection setup allows for geometric tolerancing for free-form surfaces by the tool designer in the CAD-file. A new approach is presented, which uses virtual tolerance specifications and additional simulation steps to enable fast checking of metric tolerances. Following the description of the pattern generation process, the image processing steps required for inspection are demonstrated on captures of gearing geometries.

Students' and teachers' perceptions: initial achievements of a Project-Based Engineering School

Science.gov (United States)

Terrón-López, María-José; Velasco-Quintana, Paloma-Julia; García-García, María-José; Ocampo, Jared R.

2017-11-01

A unified academic model based on the project-based learning (PBL) methodology was implemented, in the 2012-2013 period, in the School of Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether teachers and students participating in the capstone projects feel that the objectives for which this methodology was designed for are being achieved. The data were collected through interviews to participants at the end of the PBL experience. The results are encouraging, as students seem to be more motivated, and they say that they are experiencing deeper learning, and have developed key competitive skills required for their professional lives. Findings also suggest that teachers face positively the PBL as a learning approach since they perceive that students obtain a deeper learning, develop transversal skills with the projects and are more engaged with their studies. Implications and recommendations for the future of the model are also discussed.

Evaluation of the Project Management Competences Based on the Semantic Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Constanta Nicoleta BODEA

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the testing and evaluation facilities of the SinPers system. The SinPers is a web based learning environment in project management, capable of building and conducting a complete and personalized training cycle, from the definition of the learning objectives to the assessment of the learning results for each learner. The testing and evaluation facilities of SinPers system are based on the ontological approach. The educational ontology is mapped on a semantic network. Further, the semantic network is projected into a concept space graph. The semantic computability of the concept space graph is used to design the tests. The paper focuses on the applicability of the system in the certification, for the knowledge assessment, related to each element of competence. The semantic computability is used for differentiating between different certification levels.

NextGEOSS project: A user-driven approach to build a Earth Observations Data Hub

Science.gov (United States)

Percivall, G.; Voidrot, M. F.; Bye, B. L.; De Lathouwer, B.; Catarino, N.; Concalves, P.; Kraft, C.; Grosso, N.; Meyer-Arnek, J.; Mueller, A.; Goor, E.

2017-12-01

Several initiatives and projects contribute to support Group on Earth Observation's (GEO) global priorities including support to the UN 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction . Running until 2020, the NextGEOSS project evolves the European vision of a user driven GEOSS data exploitation for innovation and business, relying on the three main pillars: engaging communities of practice delivering technological advancements advocating the use of GEOSS These 3 pillars support the creation and deployment of Earth observation based innovative research activities and commercial services. In this presentation we will emphasise how the NextGEOSS project uses a pilot-driven approach to ramp up and consolidate the system in a pragmatique way, integrating the complexity of the existing global ecosystem, leveraging previous investments, adding new cloud technologies and resources and engaging the diverse communities to address all types of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A set of 10 initial pilots have been defined by the project partners to address the main challenges and include as soon as possible contributions to SDGs associated with Food Sustainability, Bio Diversity, Space and Security, Cold Regions, Air Pollutions, Disaster Risk Reduction, Territorial Planning, Energy. In 2018 and 2019 the project team will work on two new series of Architecture Implementation Pilots (AIP-10 and AIP-11), opened world-wide, to increase discoverability, accessibility and usability of data with a strong User Centric approach for innovative GEOSS powered applications for multiple societal areas. All initiatives with an interest in and need of Earth observations (data, processes, models, ...) are welcome to participate to these pilots initiatives. NextGEOSS is a H2020 Research and Development Project from the European Community under grant agreement 730329.

RFID Student Educational Experiences at the UNT College of Engineering: A Sequential Approach to Creating a Project-Based RFID Course

Science.gov (United States)

Vaidyanathan, V. V.; Varanasi, M. R.; Kougianos, E.; Wang, Shuping; Raman, H.

2009-01-01

This paper describes radio frequency identification (RFID) projects, designed and implemented by students in the College of Engineering at the University of North Texas, as part of their senior-design project requirement. The paper also describes an RFID-based project implemented at Rice Middle School in Plano, TX, which went on to win multiple…

Developing a project-based computational physics course grounded in expert practice

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Christopher J.; Atherton, Timothy J.

2017-04-01

We describe a project-based computational physics course developed using a backwards course design approach. From an initial competency-based model of problem solving in computational physics, we interviewed faculty who use these tools in their own research to determine indicators of expert practice. From these, a rubric was formulated that enabled us to design a course intended to allow students to learn these skills. We also report an initial implementation of the course and, by having the interviewees regrade student work, show that students acquired many of the expert practices identified.

Developing an approach to effectively use super ensemble experiments for the projection of hydrological extremes under climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Watanabe, S.; Kim, H.; Utsumi, N.

2017-12-01

This study aims to develop a new approach which projects hydrology under climate change using super ensemble experiments. The use of multiple ensemble is essential for the estimation of extreme, which is a major issue in the impact assessment of climate change. Hence, the super ensemble experiments are recently conducted by some research programs. While it is necessary to use multiple ensemble, the multiple calculations of hydrological simulation for each output of ensemble simulations needs considerable calculation costs. To effectively use the super ensemble experiments, we adopt a strategy to use runoff projected by climate models directly. The general approach of hydrological projection is to conduct hydrological model simulations which include land-surface and river routing process using atmospheric boundary conditions projected by climate models as inputs. This study, on the other hand, simulates only river routing model using runoff projected by climate models. In general, the climate model output is systematically biased so that a preprocessing which corrects such bias is necessary for impact assessments. Various bias correction methods have been proposed, but, to the best of our knowledge, no method has proposed for variables other than surface meteorology. Here, we newly propose a method for utilizing the projected future runoff directly. The developed method estimates and corrects the bias based on the pseudo-observation which is a result of retrospective offline simulation. We show an application of this approach to the super ensemble experiments conducted under the program of Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts (HAPPI). More than 400 ensemble experiments from multiple climate models are available. The results of the validation using historical simulations by HAPPI indicates that the output of this approach can effectively reproduce retrospective runoff variability. Likewise, the bias of runoff from super ensemble climate

Creating a Project-Based Learning Environment to Improve Project Management Skills of Graduate Students

Science.gov (United States)

Arantes do Amaral, Joao Alberto; Gonçalves, Paulo; Hess, Aurélio

2015-01-01

This article describes the project-based learning environment created to support project management graduate courses. The paper will focus on the learning context and procedures followed for 13 years, in 47 project-based learning MBA courses, involving approximately 1,400 students and 34 community partners.

The LEONARDO-DA-VINCI pilot project "e-learning-assistant" - Situation-based learning in nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfefferle, Petra Ina; Van den Stock, Etienne; Nauerth, Annette

2010-07-01

E-learning will play an important role in the training portfolio of students in higher and vocational education. Within the LEONARDO-DA-VINCI action programme transnational pilot projects were funded by the European Union, which aimed to improve the usage and quality of e-learning tools in education and professional training. The overall aim of the LEONARDO-DA-VINCI pilot project "e-learning-assistant" was to create new didactical and technical e-learning tools for Europe-wide use in nursing education. Based on a new situation-oriented learning approach, nursing teachers enrolled in the project were instructed to adapt, develop and implement e- and blended learning units. According to the training contents nursing modules were developed by teachers from partner institutions, implemented in the project centers and evaluated by students. The user-package "e-learning-assistant" as a product of the project includes two teacher training units, the authoring tool "synapse" to create situation-based e-learning units, a student's learning platform containing blended learning modules in nursing and an open sourced web-based communication centre. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Framework of Combining Case-Based Reasoning with a Work Breakdown Structure for Estimating the Cost of Online Course Production Projects

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wu

2014-01-01

Currently, a work breakdown structure (WBS) approach is used as the most common cost estimation approach for online course production projects. To improve the practice of cost estimation, this paper proposes a novel framework to estimate the cost for online course production projects using a case-based reasoning (CBR) technique and a WBS. A…

Surrogate based approaches to parameter inference in ocean models

KAUST Repository

Knio, Omar

2016-01-06

This talk discusses the inference of physical parameters using model surrogates. Attention is focused on the use of sampling schemes to build suitable representations of the dependence of the model response on uncertain input data. Non-intrusive spectral projections and regularized regressions are used for this purpose. A Bayesian inference formalism is then applied to update the uncertain inputs based on available measurements or observations. To perform the update, we consider two alternative approaches, based on the application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods or of adjoint-based optimization techniques. We outline the implementation of these techniques to infer dependence of wind drag, bottom drag, and internal mixing coefficients.

Surrogate based approaches to parameter inference in ocean models

KAUST Repository

Knio, Omar

2016-01-01

This talk discusses the inference of physical parameters using model surrogates. Attention is focused on the use of sampling schemes to build suitable representations of the dependence of the model response on uncertain input data. Non-intrusive spectral projections and regularized regressions are used for this purpose. A Bayesian inference formalism is then applied to update the uncertain inputs based on available measurements or observations. To perform the update, we consider two alternative approaches, based on the application of Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods or of adjoint-based optimization techniques. We outline the implementation of these techniques to infer dependence of wind drag, bottom drag, and internal mixing coefficients.

A work-based learning approach for clinical support workers on mental health inpatient wards.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Philip; Gilding, Moorene; Seewooruttun, Khooseal; Walsh, Hannah

2016-09-14

Background With a rise in the number of unqualified staff providing health and social care, and reports raising concerns about the quality of care provided, there is a need to address the learning needs of clinical support workers. This article describes a qualitative evaluation of a service improvement project that involved a work-based learning approach for clinical support workers on mental health inpatient wards. Aim To investigate and identify insights in relation to the content and process of learning using a work-based learning approach for clinical support workers. Method This was a qualitative evaluation of a service improvement project involving 25 clinical support workers at the seven mental health inpatient units in South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. Three clinical skills tutors were appointed to develop, implement and evaluate the work-based learning approach. Four sources of data were used to evaluate this approach, including reflective journals, qualitative responses to questionnaires, three focus groups involving the clinical support workers and a group interview involving the clinical skills tutors. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings The work-based learning approach was highly valued by the clinical support workers and enhanced learning in practice. Face-to-face learning in practice helped the clinical support workers to develop practice skills and reflective learning skills. Insights relating to the role of clinical support workers were also identified, including the benefits of face-to-face supervision in practice, particularly in relation to the interpersonal aspects of care. Conclusion A work-based learning approach has the potential to enhance care delivery by meeting the learning needs of clinical support workers and enabling them to apply learning to practice. Care providers should consider how the work-based learning approach can be used on a systematic, organisation-wide basis in the context of budgetary

Risk-based remediation: Approach and application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frishmuth, R.A.; Benson, L.A.

1995-01-01

The principle objective of remedial actions is to protect human health and the environment. Risk assessments are the only defensible tools available to demonstrate to the regulatory community and public that this objective can be achieved. Understanding the actual risks posed by site-related contamination is crucial to designing cost-effective remedial strategies. All to often remedial actions are overdesigned, resulting in little to no increase in risk reduction while increasing project cost. Risk-based remedial actions have recently been embraced by federal and state regulators, industry, government, the scientific community, and the public as a mechanism to implement rapid and cost-effective remedial actions. Emphasizing risk reduction, rather than adherence to ambiguous and generic standards, ensures that only remedial actions required to protect human health and the environment at a particular site are implemented. Two sites are presented as case studies on how risk-based approaches are being used to remediate two petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated sites. The sites are located at two US Air Force Bases, Wurtsmith Air Force Base (AFB) in Oscoda, Michigan and Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana

Management of Teacher Scientific-Methodical Work in Vocational Educational Institutions on the Basis of Project-Target Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Shakuto, Elena A.; Dorozhkin, Evgenij M.; Kozlova, Anastasia A.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the subject under analysis is determined by the lack of theoretical development of the problem of management of teacher scientific-methodical work in vocational educational institutions based upon innovative approaches in the framework of project paradigm. The purpose of the article is to develop and test a science-based…

A high-level dynamic analysis approach for studying global process plant availability and production time in the early stages of mining projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dennis Travagini Cremonese

Full Text Available Abstract In the early stage of front-end studies of a Mining Project, the global availability (i.e. number of hours a plant is available for production and production (number of hours a plant is actually operated with material time of the process plant are normally assumed based on the experience of the study team. Understanding and defining the availability hours at the early stages of the project are important for the future stages of the project, as drastic changes in work hours will impact the economics of the project at that stage. An innovative high-level dynamic modeling approach has been developed to assist in the rapid evaluation of assumptions made by the study team. This model incorporates systems or equipment that are commonly used in mining projects from mine to product stockyard discharge after the processing plant. It includes subsystems that will simulate all the component handling, and major process plant systems required for a mining project. The output data provided by this high-level dynamic simulation approach will enhance the confidence level of engineering carried out during the early stage of the project. This study discusses the capabilities of the approach, and a test case compared with standard techniques used in mining project front-end studies.

The Healthy Workplace Project: results of a hygiene-based approach to employee wellness.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Sanna J; Rew, Lynn

2015-01-01

An employee wellness program was evaluated to assess changes in germ transmission, absenteeism, and cost of infection-related illness among office-based employees. One-group pretest-posttest design, with intervention delivered for 90 days and measurement conducted over 1 year. Employees of a large office space in Georgia. One thousand six hundred forty-five employees. The Healthy Workplace Project is a 90-day wellness program aimed to increase health and productivity of employees through educational and engagement activities focusing on improving awareness, recognizing infection-related illnesses, and reducing the spread of germs in the workplace. Three types of data were collected: (1) bacterial audits through use of adenosine triphosphate monitoring of various work spaces; (2) self-report absenteeism data using the World Health Organization's Health and Work Performance Questionnaire; and (3) participant employees' medical claims/costs of infection-related minor illnesses. Frequencies and bacterial audit data; Wilcoxon signed ranks tests to determine changes in rates on absenteeism and health care costs. Bacterial audits demonstrated a reduction in contamination levels of 33% across all measured spaces. Absenteeism rates were reduced by 13%. Medical service utilization costs were not significantly reduced for individual employees over the project year. Educational strategies and individual monitoring of germ transmission appears effective in improving employees' health and decreasing absenteeism.

Using fuzzy logic to improve the project time and cost estimation based on Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Farhad Habibi

2018-09-01

Full Text Available Among different factors, correct scheduling is one of the vital elements for project management success. There are several ways to schedule projects including the Critical Path Method (CPM and Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT. Due to problems in estimating dura-tions of activities, these methods cannot accurately and completely model actual projects. The use of fuzzy theory is a basic way to improve scheduling and deal with such problems. Fuzzy theory approximates project scheduling models to reality by taking into account uncertainties in decision parameters and expert experience and mental models. This paper provides a step-by-step approach for accurate estimation of time and cost of projects using the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT and expert views as fuzzy numbers. The proposed method included several steps. In the first step, the necessary information for project time and cost is estimated using the Critical Path Method (CPM and the Project Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT. The second step considers the duration and cost of the project activities as the trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, and then, the time and cost of the project are recalculated. The duration and cost of activities are estimated using the questionnaires as well as weighing the expert opinions, averaging and defuzzification based on a step-by-step algorithm. The calculating procedures for evaluating these methods are applied in a real project; and the obtained results are explained.

Incentive-based approaches in marine conservation: Applications for sea turtles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gjertsen Heidi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Conservation practitioners are increasingly turning to incentive-based approaches to encourage local resource users to change behaviors that impact biodiversity and natural habitat. We assess the design and performance of marine conservation interventions with varying types of incentives through an analysis of case studies from around the world. Here we focus on seven examples that are particularly relevant to designing incentives for sea turtle conservation. Four of the cases are focused on sea turtle conservation, and the others contain elements that may be applied to turtle projects. Many more opportunities exist for interventions that combine the strengths of these approaches, such as performance-based agreements that provide funds for education or alternative livelihood development, and leasing fishing rights to reduce bycatch.

Using Web-Based Peer Benchmarking to Manage the Client-Based Project

Science.gov (United States)

Raska, David; Keller, Eileen Weisenbach; Shaw, Doris

2013-01-01

The complexities of integrating client-based projects into marketing courses provide challenges for the instructor but produce richness of context and active learning for the student. This paper explains the integration of Web-based peer benchmarking as a means of improving student performance on client-based projects within a single semester in…

A computer based approach for Material, Manpower and Equipment managementin the Construction Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Sasidhar, Jaladanki; Muthu, D.; Venkatasubramanian, C.; Ramakrishnan, K.

2017-07-01

The success of any construction project will depend on efficient management of resources in a perfect manner to complete the project with a reasonable budget and time and the quality cannot be compromised. The efficient and timely procurement of material, deployment of adequate labor at correct time and mobilization of machinery lacking in time, all of them causes delay, lack of quality and finally affect the project cost. It is known factor that Project cost can be controlled by taking corrective actions on mobilization of resources at a right time. This research focuses on integration of management systems with the computer to generate the model which uses OOM data structure which decides to include automatic commodity code generation, automatic takeoff execution, intelligent purchase order generation, and components of design and schedule integration to overcome the problems of stock out. To overcome the problem in equipment management system inventory management module is suggested and the data set of equipment registration number, equipment number, description, date of purchase, manufacturer, equipment price, market value, life of equipment, production data of the equipment which includes equipment number, date, name of the job, hourly rate, insurance, depreciation cost of the equipment, taxes, storage cost, interest, oil, grease, and fuel consumption, etc. is analyzed and the decision support systems to overcome the problem arising out improper management is generated. The problem on labor is managed using scheduling, Strategic management of human resources. From the generated support systems tool, the resources are mobilized at a right time and help the project manager to finish project in time and thereby save the abnormal project cost and also provides the percentage that can be improved and also research focuses on determining the percentage of delays that are caused by lack of management of materials, manpower and machinery in different types of projects

Multi-Role Project (MRP): A New Project-Based Learning Method for STEM

Science.gov (United States)

Warin, Bruno; Talbi, Omar; Kolski, Christophe; Hoogstoel, Frédéric

2016-01-01

This paper presents the "Multi-Role Project" method (MRP), a broadly applicable project-based learning method, and describes its implementation and evaluation in the context of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) course. The MRP method is designed around a meta-principle that considers the project learning activity…

Using Model-Based Systems Engineering To Provide Artifacts for NASA Project Life-Cycle and Technical Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Parrott, Edith L.; Weiland, Karen J.

2017-01-01

The ability of systems engineers to use model-based systems engineering (MBSE) to generate self-consistent, up-to-date systems engineering products for project life-cycle and technical reviews is an important aspect for the continued and accelerated acceptance of MBSE. Currently, many review products are generated using labor-intensive, error-prone approaches based on documents, spreadsheets, and chart sets; a promised benefit of MBSE is that users will experience reductions in inconsistencies and errors. This work examines features of SysML that can be used to generate systems engineering products. Model elements, relationships, tables, and diagrams are identified for a large number of the typical systems engineering artifacts. A SysML system model can contain and generate most systems engineering products to a significant extent and this paper provides a guide on how to use MBSE to generate products for project life-cycle and technical reviews. The use of MBSE can reduce the schedule impact usually experienced for review preparation, as in many cases the review products can be auto-generated directly from the system model. These approaches are useful to systems engineers, project managers, review board members, and other key project stakeholders.

An Ecosystem-Based Approach to Habitat Restoration Projects with Emphasis on Salmonids in the Columbia River Estuary, 2003 Technical Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Johnson, G.; Thom, R.; Whiting, A. (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

2003-11-01

Habitat restoration in the Columbia River estuary (CRE) is an important off-site mitigation action in the 2000 Biological Opinion (BiOp), an operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The CRE, defined as the tidally influenced stretch of river from the mouth to Bonneville Dam 146 miles upstream, is part of the migration pathway for anadromous fish in the Columbia Basin, including salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Salmon in various stages of life, from fry to adults, use tidal channels and wetlands in the CRE to feed, find refuge from predators, and transition physiologically from freshwater to saltwater. Over the last 100 years, however, the area of some wetland habitats has decreased by as much as 70% because of dike and levee building, flow regulation, and other activities. In response to the decline in available habitat, the BiOp's Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) included mandates to 'develop a plan addressing the habitat needs of juvenile salmon and steelhead in the estuary' (RPA Action 159) and 'develop and implement an estuary restoration program with a goal of protecting and enhancing 10,000 acres of tidal wetlands and other key habitats' (RPA Action 160). To meet Action 159 and support Action 160, this document develops a science-based approach designed to improve ecosystem functions through habitat restoration activities in the CRE. The CRE habitat restoration program's goal and principles focus on habitat restoration projects in an ecosystem context. Since restoration of an entire ecosystem is not generally practical, individual habitat restoration projects have the greatest likelihood of success when they are implemented with an ecosystem perspective. The program's goal is: Implementation of well-coordinated, scientifically sound projects designed to enhance, protect, conserve, restore, and create 10,000 acres of tidal wetlands and other key habitats to aid rebuilding of ESA

Embedding Systems Thinking into EWB Project Planning and Development: Assessing the Utility of a Group Model Building Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimberly Pugel

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Amongst growing sociotechnical efforts, engineering students and professionals both in the international development sector and industry are challenged to approach projects more holistically to achieve project goals.  Engineering service learning organizations must similarly adapt their technological projects to consider varying cultural and economic structures, ensuring more resilient social progress within development efforts.  In practice, systems thinking approaches can be utilized to model the social, economic, political, and technological implications that influence the sustainability of an engineering project. This research assesses the utility of integrating systems thinking into Engineers Without Borders (EWB project planning and development, thereby improving project impact and more effectively engaging members.  At a workshop held at an EWB-USA 2016 Regional Conference, the authors presented a planning and evaluation framework that applies group model building with system dynamics to foster systems thinking through factor diagramming and analysis. To assess the added value of the framework for EWB project planning and development, extensive participant feedback was gathered and evaluated during the workshop and through an optional post-workshop survey.  Supported by thoughtful observations and feedback provided by the EWB members, the model building workshop appeared to help participants reveal and consider project complexities by both visually and quantitatively identifying key non-technical and technical factors that influence project sustainability.  Therefore, system dynamics applied in a group model building workshop offers a powerful supplement to traditional EWB project planning and assessment activities, providing a systems-based tool for EWB teams and partner communities to build capacity and create lasting change.

The effect of project-based learning on students' statistical literacy levels for data representation

Science.gov (United States)

Koparan, Timur; Güven, Bülent

2015-07-01

The point of this study is to define the effect of project-based learning approach on 8th Grade secondary-school students' statistical literacy levels for data representation. To achieve this goal, a test which consists of 12 open-ended questions in accordance with the views of experts was developed. Seventy 8th grade secondary-school students, 35 in the experimental group and 35 in the control group, took this test twice, one before the application and one after the application. All the raw scores were turned into linear points by using the Winsteps 3.72 modelling program that makes the Rasch analysis and t-tests, and an ANCOVA analysis was carried out with the linear points. Depending on the findings, it was concluded that the project-based learning approach increases students' level of statistical literacy for data representation. Students' levels of statistical literacy before and after the application were shown through the obtained person-item maps.

The Relationship between Project-Based Learning and Rigor in STEM-Focused High Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Edmunds, Julie; Arshavsky, Nina; Glennie, Elizabeth; Charles, Karen; Rice, Olivia

2016-01-01

Project-based learning (PjBL) is an approach often favored in STEM classrooms, yet some studies have shown that teachers struggle to implement it with academic rigor. This paper explores the relationship between PjBL and rigor in the classrooms of ten STEM-oriented high schools. Utilizing three different data sources reflecting three different…

Scenario-based approach adopted in the ELECTRA project for deriving innovative control room functionality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Marinelli, Mattia; Heussen, Kai; Prostejovsky, Alexander Maria

2017-01-01

Here, the authors analyse the operator point of view of the Web-of-Cells concept defined in the EU project ELECTRA, by identifying operator tasks into the supervision of a highly automated power system, and the information requirements to facilitate appropriate operator situation awareness...... have been identified based on the Web-of-Cells control concept. The authors considered scenarios that challenge traditional control schemes, scenarios that caused major failures (i.e. blackouts), and scenarios that can be expected to appear in the future. For each scenario, information concerning...

Ambidextrous Leadership and Sustainability-Based Project Performance: The Role of Project Culture

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Junwei Zheng

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Most studies in the project management field emphasized the effects of leaders or managers, but these effects have rarely been examined at the project level. To cover this research gap, this study applies organizational ambidexterity theory to examine the effects among ambidextrous leadership, ambidextrous culture and sustainability-based project performance. Using a valid sample of 217 project leaders and members from Chinese construction projects, the method of multiple linear regression was adopted to assess the direct relationship among ambidextrous leadership, ambidextrous culture and project performance. Moreover, the bootstrapping technique through structural equation modeling, has been used to analyze the mediating effect of ambidextrous culture. Additionally, the sample data was divided into different groups according to the median value of the variables to conduct the ANOVA and to assess the within-group differences. The results indicated a positive and direct relationship that ambidextrous leadership has on project performance and ambidextrous culture. In addition, there was also a mediating impact of ambidextrous leadership on project performance via ambidextrous culture. Thus, ambidextrous leadership combined with transformational leadership as well as transactional leadership likely has a stronger positive impact on project performance through fostering the adaptive culture and consistent culture. Our findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of the role of the leader and culture for project outcomes. The project-based organization in construction projects could train project leaders’ ambidextrous leadership behavior to facilitate the formation of an ambidextrous culture and to increase project performance. Moreover, this study enriches the existing literature on leadership and project management by highlighting the important path of ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous culture on the performance at the project level

24 CFR 990.275 - Project-based management (PBM).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Project-based management (PBM). 990... URBAN DEVELOPMENT THE PUBLIC HOUSING OPERATING FUND PROGRAM Asset Management § 990.275 Project-based... of rental housing at the project level. Under PBM, these property management services are arranged...

Scaffolding Project-Based Learning with the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK[R])

Science.gov (United States)

van Rooij, Shahron Williams

2009-01-01

This paper reports the results of a study of the extent to which processes and procedures from the discipline of project management can scaffold online project-based learning in a graduate-level instructional technology course, by facilitating intra-team interaction, enhancing project outcomes and promoting a positive project team experience. With…

A Framework for Six Sigma Project Selection in Higher Educational Institutions, Using a Weighted Scorecard Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Monica C.; Jenicke, Lawrence O.; Hempel, Jessica L.

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper discusses the importance of the Six Sigma selection process, describes a Six Sigma project in a higher educational institution and presents a weighted scorecard approach for project selection. Design/Methodology/Approach: A case study of the Six Sigma approach being used to improve student support at a university computer help…

Teaching Research Methodology Using a Project-Based Three Course Sequence Critical Reflections on Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Braguglia, Kay H.; Jackson, Kanata A.

2012-01-01

This article presents a reflective analysis of teaching research methodology through a three course sequence using a project-based approach. The authors reflect critically on their experiences in teaching research methods courses in an undergraduate business management program. The introduction of a range of specific techniques including student…

Project-based learning with international collaboration for training biomedical engineers.

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Shankar

2011-01-01

Training biomedical engineers while effectively keeping up with the fast paced scientific breakthroughs and the growth in technical innovations poses arduous challenges for educators. Traditional pedagogical methods are employed for coping with the increasing demands in biomedical engineering (BME) training and continuous improvements have been attempted with some success. Project-based learning (PBL) is an academic effort that challenges students by making them carry out interdisciplinary projects aimed at accomplishing a wide range of student learning outcomes. PBL has been shown to be effective in the medical field and has been adopted by other fields including engineering. The impact of globalization in healthcare appears to be steadily increasing which necessitates the inclusion of awareness of relevant international activities in the curriculum. Numerous difficulties are encountered when the formation of a collaborative team is tried, and additional difficulties occur as the collaboration team is extended to international partners. Understanding and agreement of responsibilities becomes somewhat complex and hence the collaborative project has to be planned and executed with clear understanding by all partners and participants. A model for training BME students by adopting PBL with international collaboration is proposed. The results of previous BME project work with international collaboration fit partially into the model. There were many logistic issues and constraints; however, the collaborative projects themselves greatly enhanced the student learning outcomes. This PBL type of learning experience tends to promote long term retention of multidisciplinary material and foster high-order cognitive activities such as analysis, synthesis and evaluation. In addition to introducing the students to experiences encountered in the real-life workforce, the proposed approach enhances developing professional contracts and global networking. In conclusion, despite

Reinventing project management the diamond approach to successful growth & innovation

CERN Document Server

Shenhar, Aaron J.

2007-01-01

Projects are the engines that drive innovation from idea to commercialization. In fact, the number of projects in most organizations today is expanding while operations is shrinking. Yet, since many companies still focus on operational excellence and efficiency, most projects fail--largely because conventional project management concepts cannot adapt to a dynamic business environment. Moreover, top managers neglect their company's project activity, and line managers treat all their projects alike--as part of operations. Based on an unprecedented study of more than 600 projects in a variety of businesses and organizations around the globe, "Reinventing Project Management" provides a new and highly adaptive model for planning and managing projects to achieve superior business results.

A Differential Geometric Approach to Nonlinear Filtering: The Projection Filter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brigo, D.; Hanzon, B.; LeGland, F.

1998-01-01

This paper presents a new and systematic method of approximating exact nonlinear filters with finite dimensional filters, using the differential geometric approach to statistics. The projection filter is defined rigorously in the case of exponential families. A convenient exponential family is

Project-based fieldwork: perspectives of graduate entry students and project sponsors.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortune, Tracy; McKinstry, Carol

2012-08-01

This article builds on an earlier viewpoint regarding the need for project-focussed fieldwork. It presents the findings of an evaluative study into the value of project placements undertaken by final year graduate entry master's students as part of a capstone subject. The authors argue that provision of project placements enable impending graduates to develop and implement macro level strategies to develop prevention, resource and service development skills often required of contemporary occupational therapy practitioners. A qualitative approach is adopted. Student cohorts from 2005 and 2006 completed open-ended, written questionnaires, and agency project sponsors were interviewed to obtain their perspectives of the project placement experience. Despite some concern that project placements might be undertaken at the expense of 'clinical' placements these findings reveal that projects managed by students were perceived by services to add great value enabling them to advance important priorities. Students and sponsors highlighted a range of positive learning outcomes, including the ability to work collaboratively with supervisors and develop advanced communication skills and political acumen. The success of such placements depends on supportive supervision from academic staff. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY: The findings promote project placements as a highly authentic aspect of work integrated learning enabling learners to draw together a range of attributes that support the ability to manage complex issues that have occupational relevance at a macro level. In addition, such experiences help learners to develop agency and political acumen both increasingly important capabilities for the contemporary workplace. © 2012 The Authors Australian Occupational Therapy Journal © 2012 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Investment Decision Support for Engineering Projects Based on Risk Correlation Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Liu

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Investment decisions are usually made on the basis of the subjective judgments of experts subjected to the information gap during the preliminary stages of a project. As a consequence, a series of errors in risk prediction and/or decision-making will be generated leading to out of control investment and project failure. In this paper, the variable fuzzy set theory and intelligent algorithms integrated with case-based reasoning are presented. The proposed algorithm manages the numerous fuzzy concepts and variable factors of a project and also sets up the decision-making process in accordance with past cases and experiences. Furthermore, it decreases the calculation difficulty and reduces the decision-making reaction time. Three types of risk correlations combined with different characteristics of engineering projects are summarized, and each of these correlations is expounded at the project investment decision-making stage. Quantitative and qualitative change theories of variable fuzzy sets are also addressed for investment risk warning. The approach presented in this paper enables the risk analysis in a simple and intuitive manner and realizes the integration of objective and subjective risk assessments within the decision-makers' risk expectation.

A Systematic Approach to Modelling Change Processes in Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Motawa

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Modelling change processes within construction projects isessential to implement changes efficiently. Incomplete informationon the project variables at the early stages of projects leads toinadequate knowledge of future states and imprecision arisingfrom ambiguity in project parameters. This lack of knowledge isconsidered among the main source of changes in construction.Change identification and evaluation, in addition to predictingits impacts on project parameters, can help in minimising thedisruptive effects of changes. This paper presents a systematicapproach to modelling change process within construction projectsthat helps improve change identification and evaluation. Theapproach represents the key decisions required to implementchanges. The requirements of an effective change processare presented first. The variables defined for efficient changeassessment and diagnosis are then presented. Assessmentof construction changes requires an analysis for the projectcharacteristics that lead to change and also analysis of therelationship between the change causes and effects. The paperconcludes that, at the early stages of a project, projects with a highlikelihood of change occurrence should have a control mechanismover the project characteristics that have high influence on theproject. It also concludes, for the relationship between changecauses and effects, the multiple causes of change should bemodelled in a way to enable evaluating the change effects moreaccurately. The proposed approach is the framework for tacklingsuch conclusions and can be used for evaluating change casesdepending on the available information at the early stages ofconstruction projects.

Pre-emptive resource-constrained multimode project scheduling using genetic algorithm: A dynamic forward approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aidin Delgoshaei

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The issue resource over-allocating is a big concern for project engineers in the process of scheduling project activities. Resource over-allocating drawback is frequently seen after scheduling of a project in practice which causes a schedule to be useless. Modifying an over-allocated schedule is very complicated and needs a lot of efforts and time. In this paper, a new and fast tracking method is proposed to schedule large scale projects which can help project engineers to schedule the project rapidly and with more confidence. Design/methodology/approach: In this article, a forward approach for maximizing net present value (NPV in multi-mode resource constrained project scheduling problem while assuming discounted positive cash flows (MRCPSP-DCF is proposed. The progress payment method is used and all resources are considered as pre-emptible. The proposed approach maximizes NPV using unscheduled resources through resource calendar in forward mode. For this purpose, a Genetic Algorithm is applied to solve. Findings: The findings show that the proposed method is an effective way to maximize NPV in MRCPSP-DCF problems while activity splitting is allowed. The proposed algorithm is very fast and can schedule experimental cases with 1000 variables and 100 resources in few seconds. The results are then compared with branch and bound method and simulated annealing algorithm and it is found the proposed genetic algorithm can provide results with better quality. Then algorithm is then applied for scheduling a hospital in practice. Originality/value: The method can be used alone or as a macro in Microsoft Office Project® Software to schedule MRCPSP-DCF problems or to modify resource over-allocated activities after scheduling a project. This can help project engineers to schedule project activities rapidly with more accuracy in practice.

Peptide Based Radiopharmaceuticals: Specific Construct Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Som, P; Rhodes, B A; Sharma, S S

1997-10-21

The objective of this project was to develop receptor based peptides for diagnostic imaging and therapy. A series of peptides related to cell adhesion molecules (CAM) and immune regulation were designed for radiolabeling with ^99mTc and evaluated in animal models as potential diagnostic imaging agents for various disease conditions such as thrombus (clot), acute kidney failure, and inflection/inflammation imaging. The peptides for this project were designed by the industrial partner, Palatin Technologies, (formerly Rhomed, Inc.) using various peptide design approaches including a newly developed rational computer assisted drug design (CADD) approach termed MIDAS (Metal ion Induced Distinctive Array of Structures). In this approach, the biological function domain and the ^99mTc complexing domain are fused together so that structurally these domains are indistinguishable. This approach allows construction of conformationally rigid metallo-peptide molecules (similar to cyclic peptides) that are metabolically stable in-vivo. All the newly designed peptides were screened in various in vitro receptor binding and functional assays to identify a lead compound. The lead compounds were formulated in a one-step ^99mTc labeling kit form which were studied by BNL for detailed in-vivo imaging using various animals models of human disease. Two main peptides usingMIDAS approach evolved and were investigated: RGD peptide for acute renal failure and an immunomodulatory peptide derived from tuftsin (RMT-1) for infection/inflammation imaging. Various RGD based metallopeptides were designed, synthesized and assayed for their efficacy in inhibiting ADP-induced human platelet aggregation. Most of these peptides displayed biological activity in the 1-100 µM range. Based on previous work by others, RGD-I and RGD-II were evaluated in animal models of acute renal failure. These earlier studies showed that after acute ischemic injury the renal cortex displays

Hydrologic site characterization - the UMTRA project approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binkman, J.E.; Hoopes, J.R.

1985-01-01

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Standards (40 CFR 192) require site characterization of the hydrogeologic regime at and around each Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site. Also, ''judgements on the possible need for remedial or protective actions for groundwater aquifers should be guided by relevant considerations described in EPA's hazardous waste management system (47 CFR 32274).'' To address those two sets of rules and regulations, a generic approach is being developed. Fourteen primary issues were determined. These issues can be grouped into those that can be determined by documentation of available information and present conditions, those that require extensive field investigations and those that require some form of predictive modeling. To address the various issues requires an integrated effort of hydrogeologists, environmental engineers or scientists and health physicists. In this paper, the approach to the resolution of these fourteen issues is described briefly

A Component Based Approach to Scientific Workflow Management

CERN Document Server

Le Goff, Jean-Marie; Baker, Nigel; Brooks, Peter; McClatchey, Richard

2001-01-01

CRISTAL is a distributed scientific workflow system used in the manufacturing and production phases of HEP experiment construction at CERN. The CRISTAL project has studied the use of a description driven approach, using meta- modelling techniques, to manage the evolving needs of a large physics community. Interest from such diverse communities as bio-informatics and manufacturing has motivated the CRISTAL team to re-engineer the system to customize functionality according to end user requirements but maximize software reuse in the process. The next generation CRISTAL vision is to build a generic component architecture from which a complete software product line can be generated according to the particular needs of the target enterprise. This paper discusses the issues of adopting a component product line based approach and our experiences of software reuse.

An Agent Based approach to design Serious Game

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Gentile

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Serious games are designed to train and educate learners, opening up new learning approaches like exploratory learning and situated cognition.  Despite growing interest in these games, their design is still an artisan process.On the basis of experiences in designing computer simulation, this paper proposes an agent-based approach to guide the design process of a serious game. The proposed methodology allows the designer to strike the right equilibrium between educational effectiveness and entertainment, realism and complexity.The design of the PNPVillage game is used as a case study. The PNPVillage game aims to introduce and foster an entrepreneurial mindset among young students. It was implemented within the framework of the European project “I  can… I cannot… I go!” Rev.2

A component based approach to scientific workflow management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, N.; Brooks, P.; McClatchey, R.; Kovacs, Z.; LeGoff, J.-M.

2001-01-01

CRISTAL is a distributed scientific workflow system used in the manufacturing and production phases of HEP experiment construction at CERN. The CRISTAL project has studied the use of a description driven approach, using meta-modelling techniques, to manage the evolving needs of a large physics community. Interest from such diverse communities as bio-informatics and manufacturing has motivated the CRISTAL team to re-engineer the system to customize functionality according to end user requirements but maximize software reuse in the process. The next generation CRISTAL vision is to build a generic component architecture from which a complete software product line can be generated according to the particular needs of the target enterprise. This paper discusses the issues of adopting a component product line based approach and our experiences of software reuse

Multi-model-based Access Control in Construction Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frank Hilbert

2012-04-01

Full Text Available During the execution of large scale construction projects performed by Virtual Organizations (VO, relatively complex technical models have to be exchanged between the VO members. For linking the trade and transfer of these models, a so-called multi-model container format was developed. Considering the different skills and tasks of the involved partners, it is not necessary for them to know all the models in every technical detailing. Furthermore, the model size can lead to a delay in communication. In this paper an approach is presented for defining model cut-outs according to the current project context. Dynamic dependencies to the project context as well as static dependencies on the organizational structure are mapped in a context-sensitive rule. As a result, an approach for dynamic filtering of multi-models is obtained which ensures, together with a filtering service, that the involved VO members get a simplified view of complex multi-models as well as sufficient permissions depending on their tasks.

Approaches in estimation of external cost for fuel cycles in the ExternE project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Afanas'ev, A.A.; Maksimenko, B.N.

1998-01-01

The purposes, content and main results of studies realized within the frameworks of the International Project ExternE which is the first comprehensive attempt to develop general approach to estimation of external cost for different fuel cycles based on utilization of nuclear and fossil fuels, as well as on renewable power sources are discussed. The external cost of a fuel cycle is treated as social and environmental expenditures which are not taken into account by energy producers and consumers, i.e. these are expenditures not included into commercial cost nowadays. The conclusion on applicability of the approach suggested for estimation of population health hazards and environmental impacts connected with electric power generation growth (expressed in money or some other form) is made

Projections of Temperature-Attributable Premature Deaths in 209 U.S. Cities Using a Cluster-Based Poisson Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Joel D.; Lee, Mihye; Kinney, Patrick L.; Yang, Suijia; Mills, David; Sarofim, Marcus C.; Jones, Russell; Streeter, Richard; St. Juliana, Alexis; Peers, Jennifer;

A learning-based approach to understanding success in rural electrification : insights from micro hydro projects in Bolivia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Drinkwaard, ir. W.; Kirkels, A.F.; Romijn, H.A.

2010-01-01

The paper analyzes the performance of a set of rural Micro Hydro Power (MHP) projects and MHP-implementing organizations in Bolivia, using a learning-based analytical perspective. Rather than identifying a generic set of critical success factors such as access to finance, adequate technological

Project Management Approach to Transition of the Miamisburg Closure Project From Environmental Cleanup to Post-Closure Operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carpenter, C.P.; Marks, M.L.; Smiley, S.L.; Gallaher, D.M.; Williams, K.D.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) used a project management approach to transition the Miamisburg Closure Project from cleanup by the Office of Environmental Management (EM) to post-closure operations by the Office of Legacy Management (LM). Two primary DOE orders were used to guide the site transition: DOE Order 430.1B, Real Property Asset Management, for assessment and disposition of real property assets and DOE Order 413.3, Program and Project Management for Acquisition of Capital Assets, for project closeout of environmental cleanup activities and project transition of post-closure activities. To effectively manage these multiple policy requirements, DOE chose to manage the Miamisburg Closure Project as a project under a cross-member transitional team using representatives from four principal organizations: DOE-LM, the LM contractor S.M. Stoller Corporation, DOE-EM, and the EM contractor CH2M Hill Mound Inc. The mission of LM is to manage the Department's post-transition responsibilities and long-term care of legacy liabilities and to ensure the future protection of human health and the environment for cleanup sites after the EM has completed its cleanup activities. (authors)

A Web-Based Monitoring System for Multidisciplinary Design Projects

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, James L.; Salas, Andrea O.; Weston, Robert P.

1998-01-01

In today's competitive environment, both industry and government agencies are under pressure to reduce the time and cost of multidisciplinary design projects. New tools have been introduced to assist in this process by facilitating the integration of and communication among diverse disciplinary codes. One such tool, a framework for multidisciplinary computational environments, is defined as a hardware and software architecture that enables integration, execution, and communication among diverse disciplinary processes. An examination of current frameworks reveals weaknesses in various areas, such as sequencing, displaying, monitoring, and controlling the design process. The objective of this research is to explore how Web technology, integrated with an existing framework, can improve these areas of weakness. This paper describes a Web-based system that optimizes and controls the execution sequence of design processes; and monitors the project status and results. The three-stage evolution of the system with increasingly complex problems demonstrates the feasibility of this approach.

Projective-anticipating, projective and projective-lag synchronization of chaotic systems with time-varying delays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Cunfang; Guan Wei; Wang Yinghai

2013-01-01

We investigate different types of projective (projective-anticipating, projective and projective-lag) synchronization in unidirectionally nonlinearly coupled time-delayed chaotic systems with variable time delays. Based on the Krasovskii–Lyapunov approach, we find both the existence and sufficient stability conditions, using a general class of time-delayed chaotic systems related to optical bistable or hybrid optical bistable devices. Our method has the advantage that it requires only one nonlinearly coupled term to achieve different types of projective synchronization in time-delayed chaotic systems with variable time delays. Compared with other existing works, our result provides an easy way to achieve projective-anticipating, projective and projective-lag synchronization. Numerical simulations of the Ikeda system are given to demonstrate the validity of the proposed method. (paper)

Designing the Game: How a Project-Based Media Production Program Approaches STEAM Career Readiness for Underrepresented Young Adults

Science.gov (United States)

Bass, Kristin M.; Hu Dahl, Ingrid; Panahandeh, Shirin

2016-12-01

Numerous studies have indicated a need for a diverse workforce that is more highly educated in STEM and ICT fields, and one that is capable of responding creatively to demands for continual innovation. This paper, in response, chronicles the implementation of the Digital Pathways (DP) program, a two-time ITEST recipient and an ongoing initiative of the Bay Area Video Coalition. DP has provided low-income, underrepresented minority young people with 180 contact hours of activities in digital media production to prepare them to pursue higher education and technology careers. A design-based research approach synthesizes staff interviews with student observations, interviews and artifacts to identify a set of generalizable best practices or design principles for empowering young people to move from being consumers of digital media to producers. These principles are illustrated with a case study of the 3D Animation and Gaming track from the second ITEST grant. Researchers argue for the importance of attending to the noncognitive elements of learning and illustrate ways in which instructors encouraged creative expression, personal agency, and collaboration through long-term projects. They also identify strategies for sustaining young people's participation through the establishment of a supportive community environment.

A knowledge translation project on community-centred approaches in public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Stansfield, J; South, J

2018-03-01

This article examines the development and impact of a national knowledge translation project aimed at improving access to evidence and learning on community-centred approaches for health and wellbeing. Structural changes in the English health system meant that knowledge on community engagement was becoming lost and a fragmented evidence base was seen to impact negatively on policy and practice. A partnership started between Public Health England, NHS England and Leeds Beckett University in 2014 to address these issues. Following a literature review and stakeholder consultation, evidence was published in a national guide to community-centred approaches. This was followed by a programme of work to translate the evidence into national strategy and local practice.The article outlines the key features of the knowledge translation framework developed. Results include positive impacts on local practice and national policy, for example adoption within National Institute for Health and Care Evidence (NICE) guidance and Local Authority public health plans and utilization as a tool for local audit of practice and commissioning. The framework was successful in its non-linear approach to knowledge translation across a range of inter-connected activity, built on national leadership, knowledge brokerage, coalition building and a strong collaboration between research institute and government agency.

Doing the Project and Learning the Content: Designing Project-Based Science Curricula for Meaningful Understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Kanter, David E.

2010-01-01

Project-based science curricula can improve students' usable or meaningful understanding of the science content underlying a project. However, such curricula designed around "performances" wherein students design or make something do not always do this. We researched ways to design performance project-based science curricula (pPBSc) to better…

Extended exergy-based sustainability accounting of a household biogas project in rural China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, J.; Chen, B.

2014-01-01

Biogas has been earmarked as one of the leading renewable energy sources capable of mitigating environmental emissions in rural areas. Thus, developing an accounting technique is of particular importance in coping with increasing problems related to renewable agriculture and rural energy supply. In this study, extended exergy was generalised for the sustainability evaluation of biogas projects. Furthermore, a series of extended exergy-based indicators was presented as benchmarking from the perspectives of resources, economics and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The sustainability of a “Three-in-One” biogas production system in southern China was thereby evaluated based on the proposed framework. The results show that economic costs concentrate in the construction phase. GHG emissions are mainly derived from bricks and cement, with proportions of 36.23% and 34.91%, respectively. The largest resource depletion occurs during the consumption of feedstock (87.06%) in the operation phase. Compared with other renewable energy conversion systems, the biogas project has a higher renewability (0.925) and economic return on investment ratio (6.82) and a lower GHG emission intensity (0.012). With the merit of bridging thermodynamics and externality, the extended exergy-based approach presented in this study may effectively appraise the energy and environmental performance of biogas projects. - Highlights: • Extended exergy is used to describe the sustainability level of biogas projects. • A set of extended exergy based sustainability indicator is established. • Biogas project has high renewability and greenhouse gas emission abatement potential. • Multiple utilization of biogas digestate is a promising way to improve sustainability

Research on evaluation of enterprise project culture based on Denison model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yucheng Zeng

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to build enterprise project culture evaluation model and search for the best evaluation method for Chinese enterprise project culture on the basis of studying and drawing lessons from enterprise culture evaluation theory and method at home and abroad. Design/methodology/approach: Referring to the Denison enterprise culture evaluation model, this paper optimizes it according to the difference of enterprise project culture, designs the enterprise project culture evaluation model and proves the practicability of the model through empirical. Finding: This paper finds that it`s more applicable to use the Denison model for enterprise project culture evaluation through the comparative analysis of domestic and foreign enterprise culture evaluation theory and method, the systematic project culture management framework of Chinese enterprises has not yet formed through empirical research, and four factors in enterprise project culture have important influence on project operation performance improvement. Research limitations/implications: The research on evaluation of enterprise project culture based on Denison model is a preliminary attempt, the design of evaluation index system, evaluation model and scale structure also need to be improved, but the thinking of this paper in this field provides a valuable reference for future research. Practical Implications: This paper provides the support of theory and practice for evaluating the present situation of enterprise project culture construction and analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of project culture, which contributes to the "dialectical therapy" of enterprise project management, enterprise management and enterprise project culture construction. Originality/value: The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of Denison enterprise culture model. Combining with the actual situation of enterprises, this paper also builds the evaluation model for

Discriminative Projection Selection Based Face Image Hashing

Science.gov (United States)

Karabat, Cagatay; Erdogan, Hakan

Face image hashing is an emerging method used in biometric verification systems. In this paper, we propose a novel face image hashing method based on a new technique called discriminative projection selection. We apply the Fisher criterion for selecting the rows of a random projection matrix in a user-dependent fashion. Moreover, another contribution of this paper is to employ a bimodal Gaussian mixture model at the quantization step. Our simulation results on three different databases demonstrate that the proposed method has superior performance in comparison to previously proposed random projection based methods.

Fuzzy logic approach for energetic and economic evaluation of hydroelectric projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliev, Atanas M.

2003-01-01

A mathematical model for energetic and economic evaluation of hydroelectric projects is developed. The main advantage of the proposed methodology is that the model considers uncertainty and vagueness which appears during the decision making process. Due to modeling of variables that are non statistical in their character, fuzzy logic approach is fully incorporated in the model. The first step in energetic evaluation of the hydro power projects is determination of the characteristic of the efficiency of the units to be installed in hydro power plants. For this purpose the model which uses the best characteristics of Artificial Network Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) is applied. The method is tested on real systems: HPP Tikves- the power plant in operation and HPP Kozjak - the power plant in construction. The results obtained from practical implementation show that the proposed approach gives superior results than classical polynomial approximation. The model for determining the consumption characteristic of hydro power plant is developed by Sugeno Fuzzy Logic System with polynomials in the consequent part of the rules. Model takes into account the variable gross head of HPP, as well as, the number of units which will be in operation for given output. Modeling of the gross head and power output are performed by expert's design membership functions. This model is practically applied on HPP Tikves for determination of the consumption characteristic for several gross head. The plausible yearly production of electricity from hydro power project, which is important for estimation of the benefit from the project, is calculated by mixed fuzzy-statistical model. hi this approach fuzzy set of the inflow is constructed according to the statistical parameters. The calculation of the production of electricity is realized for a several hydrological conditions which are described by linguistic variables. Finally, Mamdani Fuzzy Inference System with fuzzy number in consequent part

Evaluation of different Project Based Learning designs in an MSc degree

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen García Berdonés

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The design and implementation of different Project Based Learning (PBL approaches are presented in this paper. All of them were carried out in the framework of the MSc degree in Electronic Systems for Smart Environments from the University of Malaga. Four subjects were developed using different values of the three main parameters of PBL: teamwork, self-guided learning and project complexity. During two academic years, several indicators were used to evaluate these experiences: compliance with subject time schedules, scores obtained for the students, interaction of each student in his team and satisfaction of students with the experiences. Our results encourage the use of PBL in bachelor degrees but, at the same time, confirm that PBL implementation is not a trivial task when projects are complex or when a high level of autonomous learning is required from students. Teamwork difficulties have also been found. So, we discuss the need of reaching a minimum level of proficiency in some key competencies before using PBL.

Performance of RGB laser-based projection for video walls

Science.gov (United States)

Hickl, Peter

2018-02-01

The laser phosphor concept is currently the common approach for most applications to introduce laser as a projection light source. However, this concept bears quite some disadvantages for rear-projection video walls. Therefore, Barco has developed a RGB laser design for use in the control room market with tailor-made performance.

Spiral and Project-Based Learning with Peer Assessment in a Computer Science Project Management Course

Science.gov (United States)

Jaime, Arturo; Blanco, José Miguel; Domínguez, César; Sánchez, Ana; Heras, Jónathan; Usandizaga, Imanol

2016-01-01

Different learning methods such as project-based learning, spiral learning and peer assessment have been implemented in science disciplines with different outcomes. This paper presents a proposal for a project management course in the context of a computer science degree. Our proposal combines three well-known methods: project-based learning,…

Project chariot remediation - the use of DOE's observational approach for environmental restoration with elements of the new DOE safer approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, A.; Stewart, C.; Cabble, K.

1994-01-01

The primary purpose of Project Chariot was to investigate the technical problems and assess the effect of the proposed harbor excavation using nuclear explosives in Alaska. However, no nuclear devices were brought to the Project Chariot site. Between 1959 and 1961 various environmental tests were conducted. During the course of these environmental studies, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) granted the use of up to 5 curies of radioactive material at the Chariot site in Cape Thompson, Alaska; however only 26 millicuries were ever actually used. The tests were conducted in 12 test plots which were later gathered together and were mixed with in situ-soils generating approximately 1,600 cubic feet of soil. This area was then covered with four feet of clean soil, creating a mound. In 1962, the site was abandoned. A researcher at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks obtained in formation regarding the tests conducted and the materials left at the Project Chariot site. In response to concerns raised through the publication of this information, it was decided by the Department of Energy (DOE) that total remediation of the mound be completed within the year. During the summer of 1993, IT Corporation carried out the assessment and remediation of the Project Chariot site using a streamlined approach to waste site decision making called the Observational Approach (OA), and added elements of the new DOE Streamlined Approach for Environmental Restoration (SAFER). This remediation and remediation approach is described

Optimised Environmental Test Approaches in the GOCE Project

Science.gov (United States)

Ancona, V.; Giordano, P.; Casagrande, C.

2004-08-01

The Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) is dedicated to measuring the Earth's gravity field and modelling the geoid with extremely high accuracy and spatial resolution. It is the first Earth Explorer Core mission to be developed as part of ESA's Living Planet Programme and is scheduled for launch in 2006. The program is managed by a consortium of European companies: Alenia Spazio, the prime contractor, Astrium GmbH, the platform responsible, Alcatel Space Industries and Laben, suppliers of the main payloads, respectively the Electrostatic Gravity Gradiometer (EGG) and the Satellite to Satellite Tracking Instrument (SSTI), actually a precise GPS receiver. The GOCE Assembly Integration and Verification (AIV) approach is established and implemented in order to demonstrate to the customer that the satellite design meets the applicable requirements and to qualify and accept from lower level up to system level. The driving keywords of "low cost" and "short schedule" program, call for minimizing the development effort by utilizing off-the-shelf equipment combined with a model philosophy lowering the number of models to be used. The paper will deal on the peculiarities of the optimized environmental test approach in the GOCE project. In particular it introduces the logic of the AIV approach and describe the foreseen tests at system level within the SM environmental test campaign, outlining the Quasi Static test performed in the frame of the SM sine vibration tests, and the PFM environmental test campaign pinpointing the deletion of the Sine Vibration test on PFM model. Furthermore the paper highlights how the Model and Test Effectiveness Database (MATD) can be utilized for the prediction of the new space projects like GOCE Satellite.

Proposed approach for developing process-based KPIs for project control during the pre-project stage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haponava, T.; Al-Jibouri, Saad H.S.; Mawdesley, M.; Ahmed, Syed M.; Azhar, Salman; Mohamed, Sherif

2007-01-01

In recent years a great deal of attention has been made to measuring different aspects of construction project performance. Some of the tools used for this purpose are the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The main shortcoming of these however is that most of them are end product oriented and hence

IMPACT OF SOCIAL CAPITAL CHARACTERISTICS ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH TO LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Grazhevska

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The article examines the impact of social capital characteristics of local communities on the effectiveness of the community-based approach to economic development. The conclusion that such social capital characteristics as (antipaternalism, solidarity and cooperation have the greatest importance for the economic development is made based on the analysis of UNDP and the European Union project “Community-based approach to local development”. It was hypothesized that the creation of community organizations could be an effective mechanism to actualize the existing social capital of rural communities in Ukraine.

National conversion pilot project: A creative approach to recyling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gandee, K.R.; Taylor, R.A.; Cornils, K.N.

1995-01-01

As a result of the Bush-Yeltsin summit in 1991, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has undergone a significant downsizing of its defense mission. In July 1992, the Rocky Flats site in Colorado was the first DOE site to be closed. Its mission was changed from defense to environmental cleanup and economic development. Recognizing the need to assist displaced workers and affected communities and to conduct cost-effective cleanup of DOE sites, Congress initiated two legislative provisions in the 1994 National Defense Authorization Act that required DOE to (a) provide local impact assistance to communities that are affected by the defense downsizing and (b) conduct at least One waste recycling project within the 1994 fiscal year. At the Rocky Flats site, the National Conversion Pilot Project represents an innovative approach in which both Congressional requirements are achieved simultaneously, and the strategy for meeting these requirements was developed through the active participation of all stakeholders of the project

Nuclear outages: an approach to project controls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryson, R.

1985-01-01

The annual budget for maintaining and operating a nuclear power plant has risen dramatically over the past 5 years. NRC-mandated plant improvements and outage related expenses are often cited to be the main contributors to these escalating budgets. Nuclear utilities have responded by developing programs to improve plant availability and outage costs through improved outage performance. Utilities recognize that for capital improvements the program to control costs does no begin with outage planning, but rather more appropriately up front during the engineering phase. To support their management objectives, utilities have been developing comprehensive project control systems for concurrently reducing capital expenditures, outage-related costs, and time. This paper provides an approach to project controls that, rather than using one all inclusive comprehensive system, requires five separate monitoring systems - one for each phase of an activity's life cycle. Through the integration of these discrete but interrelated systems, utility management acquires the necessary tools for comprehensive planning and control of their modification program and effective detailed monitoring for all outage-related activities

Needs assessment in health research projects: a new approach to project management in iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Peykari, Niloofar; Owlia, Parviz; Malekafzali, Hossein; Ghanei, Mostafa; Babamahmoodi, Abdolreza; Djalalinia, Shirin

2013-01-01

The science and technology health plan has defined the outline of health research to the national vision of Iran by 2025. The aim of this study was to focus on the process of needs assessment of health research projects also health research priority setting in Iran. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT LIFE CYCLE HAS FOUR PHASES: Initiation, Planning, Execution and Closure. Based on abovementioned points we conducted the study. Focusing on the needs assessment led to systematic implementation of needs assessment of health project in all of the medical sciences universities. Parallel with this achieved strategies health research priority setting was followed through specific process from empowerment to implementation. We should adopt with more systematic progressive methods of health project managements for both our national convenience as well as our international health research programs.

The Impact of Project-Based Learning on Minority Student Achievement: Implications for School Redesign

Science.gov (United States)

Cervantes, Bernadine; Hemmer, Lynn; Kouzekanani, Kamiar

2015-01-01

Project-Based Learning (PBL) serves as an instructional approach to classroom teaching and learning that is designed to engage students in the investigation of real-world problems to create meaningful and relevant educational experiences. The causal-comparative study compared 7th and 8th students who had utilized the PBL with a comparison group in…

Fourier-based approach to interpolation in single-slice helical computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

La Riviere, Patrick J.; Pan Xiaochuan

2001-01-01

It has recently been shown that longitudinal aliasing can be a significant and detrimental presence in reconstructed single-slice helical computed tomography (CT) volumes. This aliasing arises because the directly measured data in helical CT are generally undersampled by a factor of at least 2 in the longitudinal direction and because the exploitation of the redundancy of fanbeam data acquired over 360 degree sign to generate additional longitudinal samples does not automatically eliminate the aliasing. In this paper we demonstrate that for pitches near 1 or lower, the redundant fanbeam data, when used properly, can provide sufficient information to satisfy a generalized sampling theorem and thus to eliminate aliasing. We develop and evaluate a Fourier-based algorithm, called 180FT, that accomplishes this. As background we present a second Fourier-based approach, called 360FT, that makes use only of the directly measured data. Both Fourier-based approaches exploit the fast Fourier transform and the Fourier shift theorem to generate from the helical projection data a set of fanbeam sinograms corresponding to equispaced transverse slices. Slice-by-slice reconstruction is then performed by use of two-dimensional fanbeam algorithms. The proposed approaches are compared to their counterparts based on the use of linear interpolation - the 360LI and 180LI approaches. The aliasing suppression property of the 180FT approach is a clear advantage of the approach and represents a step toward the desirable goal of achieving uniform longitudinal resolution properties in reconstructed helical CT volumes

Strategic management of HLW repository projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartlett, J.W.

1984-01-01

This paper suggests an approach to strategic management of HLW repository projects based on the premise that a primary objective of project activities is resolution of issues. The approach would be implemented by establishing an issues management function with responsibility to define the issues agenda, develop and apply the tools for assessing progress toward issue resolution, and develop the issue resolution criteria. A principal merit of the approach is that it provides a defensible rationale for project plans and activities. It also helps avoid unnecessary costs and schedule delays, and it helps assure coordination between project functions that share responsibilities for issue resolution

A team leadership approach to managing the transition from construction to operations for an environmental project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kelly, J.W.

1994-06-01

This presentation describes a team approach, at the totalproject level that focused team members with common objectives, for the transition to start-up and operation of the project. The Integrated Management Team (IMT) approach has been successful for this US Department of Energy (DOE) environmental restoration project at the Hanford Site in Richland, Washington. The $53.8-million project will collect, treat, and dispose of low-level mixed waste water discharges from the Hanford Site. Construction is scheduled for completion in September 1994 and facility start-up in June 1995. The project challenge is for leadership that is committed to the transition from construction to operation of the environmental restoration project

A project-based course about outreach in a physics curriculum

Science.gov (United States)

Bobroff, Julien; Bouquet, Frédéric

2016-07-01

We describe an undergraduate course where physics students are asked to conceive an outreach project of their own. This project-based-learning course alternates between the project conception and teaching activities about outreach. It ends in a public show. Students decide the topic and format on their own. An analysis of the students’ productions over three years shows that all physics fields were equally covered, and various formats were used (experimental devices, animation or fiction movies, games, live events, photography). Some typical examples are described. We also analyse the benefits of this approach from the students’ perspective, through a survey done over three classes. Students showed an overall very good assessment of the course (average of 4.5(0.6) on an appreciation scale from 1 to 5) and recognised having developed outreach skills but also project-management and group-work know-how. They acknowledged this course to be a unique opportunity to share with an audience their interest in physics compared to other courses. They further mentioned that it served as an intermission in a classical academic curriculum. They also point out some challenges, especially the time-consuming issue. This survey together with the practical description of the course implementation should help other universities develop similar courses.

What Goes Around: the process of building a community-based harm reduction research project.

Science.gov (United States)

Jalloh, Chelsea; Illsley, Shohan; Wylie, John; Migliardi, Paula; West, Ethan; Stewart, Debbie; Mignone, Javier

2017-11-16

Often, research takes place on underserved populations rather than with underserved populations. This approach can further isolate and stigmatize groups that are already made marginalized. What Goes Around is a community-based research project that was led by community members themselves (Peers). This research aimed to implement a community-based research methodology grounded in the leadership and growing research capacity of community researchers and to investigate a topic which community members identified as important and meaningful. Chosen by community members, this project explored how safer sex and safer drug use information is shared informally among Peers. Seventeen community members actively engaged as both community researchers and research participants throughout all facets of the project: inception, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of results. Effective collaboration between community researchers, a community organization, and academics facilitated a research process in which community members actively guided the project from beginning to end. The methods used in What Goes Around demonstrated that it is not only possible, but advantageous, to draw from community members' involvement and direction in all stages of a community-based research project. This is particularly important when working with a historically underserved population. Purposeful and regular communication among collaborators, ongoing capacity building, and a commitment to respect the experience and expertise of community members were essential to the project's success. This project demonstrated that community members are highly invested in both informally sharing information about safer sex and safer drug use and taking leadership roles in directing research that prioritizes harm reduction in their communities.

RGMDV: An approach to requirements gathering and the management of data virtualization projects

Science.gov (United States)

Mousa, Ayad Hameed; Shiratuddin, Norshuhada; Bakar, Muhamad Shahbani Abu

2015-12-01

Data virtualization (DV) refers to a set of data stores that enable users to query, access, and manipulate data in a unified, abstracted, and encapsulated manner regardless of data location. Apart from reducing data movement, this system provides a unified, abstracted, real-time, and encapsulated view of information for query purposes. Through its provision of live, virtual data in a timely manner, the DV technique can overcome the obstacles faced by organizations and companies as a result of using other data integration techniques. The systematic planning for the period that precedes DV deployment enables organizations to avoid many challenges related to manageability, usability, data quality, and performance. DV requirements are among the most significant and challenging aspects of a DV project. In this study, an approach has been developed to gather and manage the requirements of a DV design model as an initial step in developing such projects. Expert methods are reviewed to validate and evaluate the proposed approach in terms of usability and related components; the results of this review demonstrate that the applied approaches benefit DV development projects.

A preliminary approach to quantifying the overall environmental risks posed by development projects during environmental impact assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, Sam; Chadès, Iadine

2017-01-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is used globally to manage the impacts of development projects on the environment, so there is an imperative to demonstrate that it can effectively identify risky projects. However, despite the widespread use of quantitative predictive risk models in areas such as toxicology, ecosystem modelling and water quality, the use of predictive risk tools to assess the overall expected environmental impacts of major construction and development proposals is comparatively rare. A risk-based approach has many potential advantages, including improved prediction and attribution of cause and effect; sensitivity analysis; continual learning; and optimal resource allocation. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using a Bayesian belief network (BBN) to quantify the likelihood and consequence of non-compliance of new projects based on the occurrence probabilities of a set of expert-defined features. The BBN incorporates expert knowledge and continually improves its predictions based on new data as it is collected. We use simulation to explore the trade-off between the number of data points and the prediction accuracy of the BBN, and find that the BBN could predict risk with 90% accuracy using approximately 1000 data points. Although a further pilot test with real project data is required, our results suggest that a BBN is a promising method to monitor overall risks posed by development within an existing EIA process given a modest investment in data collection.

An Outcome Evaluation of a Problem-Based Learning Approach with MSW Students

Science.gov (United States)

Westhues, Anne; Barsen, Chia; Freymond, Nancy; Train, Patricia

2014-01-01

In this article, we report the findings from a study exploring the effects of a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to teaching and learning on learning outcomes for master's of social work (MSW) students. Students who participated in a PBL pilot project were compared with students who did not participate in 5 outcome areas: social work…

Short Project-Based Learning with MATLAB Applications to Support the Learning of Video-Image Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Gil, Pablo

2017-10-01

University courses concerning Computer Vision and Image Processing are generally taught using a traditional methodology that is focused on the teacher rather than on the students. This approach is consequently not effective when teachers seek to attain cognitive objectives involving their students' critical thinking. This manuscript covers the development, implementation and assessment of a short project-based engineering course with MATLAB applications Multimedia Engineering being taken by Bachelor's degree students. The principal goal of all course lectures and hands-on laboratory activities was for the students to not only acquire image-specific technical skills but also a general knowledge of data analysis so as to locate phenomena in pixel regions of images and video frames. This would hopefully enable the students to develop skills regarding the implementation of the filters, operators, methods and techniques used for image processing and computer vision software libraries. Our teaching-learning process thus permits the accomplishment of knowledge assimilation, student motivation and skill development through the use of a continuous evaluation strategy to solve practical and real problems by means of short projects designed using MATLAB applications. Project-based learning is not new. This approach has been used in STEM learning in recent decades. But there are many types of projects. The aim of the current study is to analyse the efficacy of short projects as a learning tool when compared to long projects during which the students work with more independence. This work additionally presents the impact of different types of activities, and not only short projects, on students' overall results in this subject. Moreover, a statistical study has allowed the author to suggest a link between the students' success ratio and the type of content covered and activities completed on the course. The results described in this paper show that those students who took part

Conjugate gradient based projection - A new explicit methodology for frictional contact

Science.gov (United States)

Tamma, Kumar K.; Li, Maocheng; Sha, Desong

1993-01-01

With special attention towards the applicability to parallel computation or vectorization, a new and effective explicit approach for linear complementary formulations involving a conjugate gradient based projection methodology is proposed in this study for contact problems with Coulomb friction. The overall objectives are focussed towards providing an explicit methodology of computation for the complete contact problem with friction. In this regard, the primary idea for solving the linear complementary formulations stems from an established search direction which is projected to a feasible region determined by the non-negative constraint condition; this direction is then applied to the Fletcher-Reeves conjugate gradient method resulting in a powerful explicit methodology which possesses high accuracy, excellent convergence characteristics, fast computational speed and is relatively simple to implement for contact problems involving Coulomb friction.

The Effect of Project-Based Learning on Students' Statistical Literacy Levels for Data Representation

Science.gov (United States)

Koparan, Timur; Güven, Bülent

2015-01-01

The point of this study is to define the effect of project-based learning approach on 8th Grade secondary-school students' statistical literacy levels for data representation. To achieve this goal, a test which consists of 12 open-ended questions in accordance with the views of experts was developed. Seventy 8th grade secondary-school students, 35…

The Effect of ICT Assisted Project Based Learning Approach on Prospective ICT Integration Skills of Teacher Candidates

Science.gov (United States)

Pilten, Pusat; Pilten, Gulhiz; Sahinkaya, Nihan

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present research is studying the effects of information and communication technologies (ICT) assisted project based learning practices on ICT integration skills of pre-service classroom teachers. The research adopted a mixed method. The quantitative dimension of the research was designed with pre-test-post-test control groups.…

INCREASING THE AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS MAINTENANCE EFICIENCY BASED ON THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT METHODOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Abramovich Itskovich

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The interrelation between aircraft airworthiness maintenance process (AAMP and the process of project man- agement methodology application is demonstrated.A project portfolio can be formed based on the strategic objectives. The projects with the highest priority are car- ried out, including those which strive to improve the efficiency of AAMP. The proposed approach allows to find the priori- ties of specific projects realization, which are included in the airline project portfolio.The project aimed to improve the efficiency of the AAMP of AN-124-100 of "Volga-Dnepr Airlines" is presented as an example. The statistical data analysis of failures of AN-124-100 fleet has demonstrated that wing components most frequently fail, especially spoiler sections, which are subjected to honeycomb skin mass exfoliation and need to be modi- fied. One of the expected project results should be the К1000 reduction of the wing spoilers not less than for 40 % and, respectively, the plane in total - not less than for 4 %.The work is executed in full compliance with the standards of project management. The passport of the project is given, which contains all the necessary information about the project: its goals, outcomes, results, timelines, action plan, budget and participants. A special attention is paid to the risks of the project, their probability assessment and the actions for overcoming possible consequences. It is shown that the implementation of the project "Introduction of aircraft AN-124-100 spoilers technology modi- fication" allows to improve a number of production and technical efficiency indicators, with material, financial and organi- zational resources optimization.

Quantum canonical ensemble: A projection operator approach

Science.gov (United States)

Magnus, Wim; Lemmens, Lucien; Brosens, Fons

2017-09-01

Knowing the exact number of particles N, and taking this knowledge into account, the quantum canonical ensemble imposes a constraint on the occupation number operators. The constraint particularly hampers the systematic calculation of the partition function and any relevant thermodynamic expectation value for arbitrary but fixed N. On the other hand, fixing only the average number of particles, one may remove the above constraint and simply factorize the traces in Fock space into traces over single-particle states. As is well known, that would be the strategy of the grand-canonical ensemble which, however, comes with an additional Lagrange multiplier to impose the average number of particles. The appearance of this multiplier can be avoided by invoking a projection operator that enables a constraint-free computation of the partition function and its derived quantities in the canonical ensemble, at the price of an angular or contour integration. Introduced in the recent past to handle various issues related to particle-number projected statistics, the projection operator approach proves beneficial to a wide variety of problems in condensed matter physics for which the canonical ensemble offers a natural and appropriate environment. In this light, we present a systematic treatment of the canonical ensemble that embeds the projection operator into the formalism of second quantization while explicitly fixing N, the very number of particles rather than the average. Being applicable to both bosonic and fermionic systems in arbitrary dimensions, transparent integral representations are provided for the partition function ZN and the Helmholtz free energy FN as well as for two- and four-point correlation functions. The chemical potential is not a Lagrange multiplier regulating the average particle number but can be extracted from FN+1 -FN, as illustrated for a two-dimensional fermion gas.

Statistical Emulation of Climate Model Projections Based on Precomputed GCM Runs*

KAUST Repository

Castruccio, Stefano

2014-03-01

The authors describe a new approach for emulating the output of a fully coupled climate model under arbitrary forcing scenarios that is based on a small set of precomputed runs from the model. Temperature and precipitation are expressed as simple functions of the past trajectory of atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and a statistical model is fit using a limited set of training runs. The approach is demonstrated to be a useful and computationally efficient alternative to pattern scaling and captures the nonlinear evolution of spatial patterns of climate anomalies inherent in transient climates. The approach does as well as pattern scaling in all circumstances and substantially better in many; it is not computationally demanding; and, once the statistical model is fit, it produces emulated climate output effectively instantaneously. It may therefore find wide application in climate impacts assessments and other policy analyses requiring rapid climate projections.

The paradigm of consumer-driven and responsive supply chains: An integrated project approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zimmermann, K.L.; Lans, van der I.A.

2009-01-01

This paper describes an integrated project approach that forms the basis of the studies on consumer-driven innovative and responsive supply chains in ISAFRUIT Pillar 1. This integrated approach leads to a wide range of indepth results on trends, preferences, and innovativeness of the European

Unique Regulatory Approach for Licensing the Port Hope Remediation Project in Canada - 13315

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostova, M.; Howard, D.; Elder, P.

2013-01-01

The Port Hope remediation project is a part of a larger initiative of the Canadian Federal Government the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) which is based upon a community proposal. The Government of Canada, through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is investing $1.28 billion over 10 years to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste in the Port Hope Area and to provide long-term safe management of the low-level radioactive wastes in the Port Hope Area. These wastes arose from the activities of a former Federal Crown Corporation (Eldorado Nuclear) and its private sector predecessors. In Canada, historic waste are defined as low-level radioactive waste that was managed in a manner no longer considered acceptable, but for which the original producer cannot reasonably be held responsible or no longer exists and for which the Federal Government has accepted responsibility. In Canada, under the current regulatory framework, the environmental remediation is not considered as a distinct phase of the nuclear cycle. The regulatory approach for dealing with existing sites contaminated with radioactive residues is defined on the basis of risk and application of existing regulations. A unique regulatory approach was taken by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to address the various licensing issues and to set out the requirements for licensing of the Port Hope Project within the current regulatory framework. (authors)

Unique Regulatory Approach for Licensing the Port Hope Remediation Project in Canada - 13315

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kostova, M.; Howard, D.; Elder, P. [Directorate of Nuclear Cycle and Facilities Regulation, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, 280, Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5S9 (Canada)

2013-07-01

The Port Hope remediation project is a part of a larger initiative of the Canadian Federal Government the Port Hope Area Initiative (PHAI) which is based upon a community proposal. The Government of Canada, through Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is investing $1.28 billion over 10 years to clean up historic low-level radioactive waste in the Port Hope Area and to provide long-term safe management of the low-level radioactive wastes in the Port Hope Area. These wastes arose from the activities of a former Federal Crown Corporation (Eldorado Nuclear) and its private sector predecessors. In Canada, historic waste are defined as low-level radioactive waste that was managed in a manner no longer considered acceptable, but for which the original producer cannot reasonably be held responsible or no longer exists and for which the Federal Government has accepted responsibility. In Canada, under the current regulatory framework, the environmental remediation is not considered as a distinct phase of the nuclear cycle. The regulatory approach for dealing with existing sites contaminated with radioactive residues is defined on the basis of risk and application of existing regulations. A unique regulatory approach was taken by the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to address the various licensing issues and to set out the requirements for licensing of the Port Hope Project within the current regulatory framework. (authors)

Acidic deposition: State of science and technology. Report 14. Methods for projecting future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thornton, K.W.; Marmorek, D.; Ryan, P.F.; Heltcher, K.; Robinson, D.

1990-09-01

The objectives of the report are to: critically evaluate methods for projecting future effects of acidic deposition on surface water acid-base chemistry; review and evaluate techniques and procedures for analyzing projection uncertainty; review procedures for estimating regional lake and stream population attributes; review the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP) methodology for projecting the effects of acidic deposition on future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry; and present the models, uncertainty estimators, population estimators, and proposed approach selected to project the effects of acidic deposition on future changes in surface water acid-base chemistry in the NAPAP 1990 Integrated Assessment and discuss the selection rationale

Towards the Building Information Modeling-Based Capital Project Lifecycle Management in the Luxury Yacht Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liu Fuyong

2017-11-01

Full Text Available It will be a new approach that BIM’s capital project lifecycle management (CPLM applied to the yacht industry. This paper explored the feasibility of applying the principles and rationales of BIM for capital project lifecycle management in luxury yacht design, engineering, fabrication, construction and operation. The paper examined the premises and backbone technology of BIM. It then evaluated leading naval engineering and shipbuilding software applications and their development trends from the functional lens of BIM. To systematically investigate a BIM-based approach for capital project lifecycle management (CPLM in the luxury yacht industry, the paper proposed and outlined an implementation framework. A case study and a student competition use case were discussed to delineate the core constituents and processes of the proposed framework. The case of BIM was reviewed. Through the domestic custom luxury yacht design and prototyping student competition, the application of this framework in educational research is demonstrated and the initial quantitative assessment of the framework is carried out. Conclusions: a BIM-based CPLM implementation framework can help the luxury yacht industry capitalize on the global transformation to an information-centric and data-driven new business paradigm in shipbuilding with integrated design, manufacturing and production.

Interface Management for a NASA Flight Project Using Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)

Science.gov (United States)

Vipavetz, Kevin; Shull, Thomas A.; Infeld, Samatha; Price, Jim

2016-01-01

The goal of interface management is to identify, define, control, and verify interfaces; ensure compatibility; provide an efficient system development; be on time and within budget; while meeting stakeholder requirements. This paper will present a successful seven-step approach to interface management used in several NASA flight projects. The seven-step approach using Model Based Systems Engineering will be illustrated by interface examples from the Materials International Space Station Experiment-X (MISSE-X) project. The MISSE-X was being developed as an International Space Station (ISS) external platform for space environmental studies, designed to advance the technology readiness of materials and devices critical for future space exploration. Emphasis will be given to best practices covering key areas such as interface definition, writing good interface requirements, utilizing interface working groups, developing and controlling interface documents, handling interface agreements, the use of shadow documents, the importance of interface requirement ownership, interface verification, and product transition.

A reconstruction algorithm for coherent scatter computed tomography based on filtered back-projection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevendaal, U. van; Schlomka, J.-P.; Harding, A.; Grass, M.

2003-01-01

Coherent scatter computed tomography (CSCT) is a reconstructive x-ray imaging technique that yields the spatially resolved coherent-scatter form factor of the investigated object. Reconstruction from coherently scattered x-rays is commonly done using algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART). In this paper, we propose an alternative approach based on filtered back-projection. For the first time, a three-dimensional (3D) filtered back-projection technique using curved 3D back-projection lines is applied to two-dimensional coherent scatter projection data. The proposed algorithm is tested with simulated projection data as well as with projection data acquired with a demonstrator setup similar to a multi-line CT scanner geometry. While yielding comparable image quality as ART reconstruction, the modified 3D filtered back-projection algorithm is about two orders of magnitude faster. In contrast to iterative reconstruction schemes, it has the advantage that subfield-of-view reconstruction becomes feasible. This allows a selective reconstruction of the coherent-scatter form factor for a region of interest. The proposed modified 3D filtered back-projection algorithm is a powerful reconstruction technique to be implemented in a CSCT scanning system. This method gives coherent scatter CT the potential of becoming a competitive modality for medical imaging or nondestructive testing

Development Approach of the Advanced Life Support On-line Project Information System

Science.gov (United States)

Levri, Julie A.; Hogan, John A.; Morrow, Rich; Ho, Michael C.; Kaehms, Bob; Cavazzoni, Jim; Brodbeck, Christina A.; Whitaker, Dawn R.

2005-01-01

The Advanced Life Support (ALS) Program has recently accelerated an effort to develop an On-line Project Information System (OPIS) for research project and technology development data centralization and sharing. There has been significant advancement in the On-line Project Information System (OPIS) over the past year (Hogan et al, 2004). This paper presents the resultant OPIS development approach. OPIS is being built as an application framework consisting of an uderlying Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP (LAMP) stack, and supporting class libraries that provides database abstraction and automatic code generation, simplifying the ongoing development and maintenance process. Such a development approach allows for quick adaptation to serve multiple Programs, although initial deployment is for an ALS module. OPIS core functionality will involve a Web-based annual solicitation of project and technology data directly from ALS Principal Investigators (PIs) through customized data collection forms. Data provided by PIs will be reviewed by a Technical Task Monitor (TTM) before posting the information to OPIS for ALS Community viewing via the Web. Such Annual Reports will be permanent, citable references within OPIS. OPlS core functionality will also include Project Home Sites, which will allow PIS to provide updated technology information to the Community in between Annual Report updates. All data will be stored in an object-oriented relational database, created in MySQL(Reistered Trademark) and located on a secure server at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). Upon launch, OPlS can be utilized by Managers to identify research and technology development (R&TD) gaps and to assess task performance. Analysts can employ OPlS to obtain the current, comprehensive, accurate information about advanced technologies that is required to perform trade studies of various life support system options. ALS researchers and technology developers can use OPlS to achieve an improved understanding of the NASA

Orthogonally Based Digital Content Management Applicable to Projects-bases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel MILODIN

2009-01-01

Full Text Available There is defined the concept of digital content. The requirements of an efficient management of the digital content are established. There are listed the quality characteristics of digital content. Orthogonality indicators of digital content are built up. They are meant to measure the image, the sound as well as the text orthogonality as well. Projects-base concept is introduced. There is presented the model of structuring the content in order to maximize orthogonality via a convergent iterative process. The model is instantiated for the digital content of a projects-base. It is introduced the application used to test the model. The paper ends with conclusions.

Project-Based Learning and Design-Focused Projects to Motivate Secondary Mathematics Students

Science.gov (United States)

Remijan, Kelly W.

2017-01-01

This article illustrates how mathematics teachers can develop design-focused projects, related to project-based learning, to motivate secondary mathematics students. With first-hand experience as a secondary mathematics teacher, I provide a series of steps related to the engineering design process, which are helpful to teachers in developing…

The Possibilities for University-Based Public-Good Professional Education: A Case-Study from South Africa Based on the "Capability Approach"

Science.gov (United States)

McLean, Monica; Walker, Melanie

2012-01-01

The education of professionals oriented to poverty reduction and the public good is the focus of the article. Sen's "capability approach" is used to conceptualise university-based professional education as a process of developing public-good professional capabilities. The main output of a research project on professional education in…

Smart energy households' pilot projects in the Netherlands with a design-driven approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geelen, D.V.; Scheepens, A.; Kobus, C.; Obinna, U.; Mugge, R.; Schoormans, J.; Reinders, Angelina H.M.E.

2013-01-01

Residential smart grid projects can be evaluated by a design-driven approach, which focuses on gaining insights for successful product and service development by taking the end-users as a starting point. Because only little experience exists with this design-driven approach, this paper addresses how

MODELS AND METHODS OF SAFETY-ORIENTED PROJECT MANAGEMENT OF DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Олег Богданович ЗАЧКО

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The methods and models of safety-oriented project management of the development of complex systems are proposed resulting from the convergence of existing approaches in project management in contrast to the mechanism of value-oriented management. A cognitive model of safety oriented project management of the development of complex systems is developed, which provides a synergistic effect that is to move the system from the original (pre condition in an optimal one from the viewpoint of life safety - post-project state. The approach of assessment the project complexity is proposed, which consists in taking into account the seasonal component of a time characteristic of life cycles of complex organizational and technical systems with occupancy. This enabled to take into account the seasonal component in simulation models of life cycle of the product operation in complex organizational and technical system, modeling the critical points of operation of systems with occupancy, which forms a new methodology for safety-oriented management of projects, programs and portfolios of projects with the formalization of the elements of complexity.

Project evaluation: one framework - four approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rode, Anna Le Gerstrøm; Svejvig, Per

. Introducing a framework that can help structure such evaluations, the aim of this paper is to contribute to project theory and practice by inspiring project researchers and aiding project workers in their efforts to open up the black box of projects and deliver relevant and valuable results......There are many theoretical and practical reasons for evaluating projects – including explorative arguments focusing on expanding descriptive knowledge on projects as well as normative arguments focusing on developing prescriptive knowledge of project management. Despite the need for effective...... project management and research methods that can assess effective project management methodologies, extant literature on evaluation procedures or guidelines on how to evaluate projects and/or project management is scarce. To address this challenge, this paper introduces an evaluation framework consisting...

The Effect on the 8th Grade Students' Attitude towards Statistics of Project Based Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Koparan, Timur; Güven, Bülent

2014-01-01

This study investigates the effect of the project based learning approach on 8th grade students' attitude towards statistics. With this aim, an attitude scale towards statistics was developed. Quasi-experimental research model was used in this study. Following this model in the control group the traditional method was applied to teach statistics…

Professor Eric Can't See: A Project-Based Learning Case for Neurobiology Students.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogilvie, Judith Mosinger; Ribbens, Eric

2016-01-01

"Professor Eric Can't See" is a semi-biographical case study written for an upper level undergraduate Neurobiology of Disease course. The case is integrated into a unit using a project-based learning approach to investigate the retinal degenerative disorder Retinitis pigmentosa and the visual system. Some case study scenes provide specific questions for student discussion and problem-based learning, while others provide background for student inquiry and related active learning exercises. The case was adapted from "'Chemical Eric' Can't See," and could be adapted for courses in general neuroscience or sensory neuroscience.

Management systems for environmental restoration projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harbert, R.R.

1990-01-01

This paper reports that the success fo large environmental restoration projects depends on sound management systems to guide the team of organizations and individuals responsible for the project. Public concern about and scrutiny of these environmental projects increase the stakes for those involved in the management of projects. The Department of Energy (DOE) Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) uses a system approach to performing and improving the work necessary to meet FUSRAP objectives. This approach to preforming and improving the work necessary to meet FUSRAP objectives. This approach is based upon management criteria embodied in DOE cost and schedule control system and the quality assurance requirements. The project team used complementary criteria to develop a system of related parts and processes working together to accomplish the goals of the project

Science based integrated approach to advanced nuclear fuel development - vision, approach, and overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unal, Cetin [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Pasamehmetoglu, Kemal [IDAHO NATIONAL LAB; Carmack, Jon [IDAHO NATIONAL LAB

2010-01-01

Advancing the performance of Light Water Reactors, Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles, and Advanced Rcactors, such as the Next Generation Nuclear Power Plants, requires enhancing our fundamental understanding of fuel and materials behavior under irradiation. The capability to accurately model the nuclear fuel systems is critical. In order to understand specific aspects of the nuclear fuel, fully coupled fuel simulation codes are required to achieve licensing of specific nuclear fuel designs for operation. The backbone of these codes, models, and simulations is a fundamental understanding and predictive capability for simulating the phase and microstructural behavior of the nuclear fuel system materials and matrices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the modeling and simulation approach in order to deliver predictive tools for advanced fuels development. The coordination between experimental nuclear fuel design, development technical experts, and computational fuel modeling and simulation technical experts is a critical aspect of the approach and naturally leads to an integrated, goal-oriented science-based R & D approach and strengthens both the experimental and computational efforts. The Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) and Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Fuels Integrated Performance and Safety Code (IPSC) are working together to determine experimental data and modeling needs. The primary objective of the NEAMS fuels IPSC project is to deliver a coupled, three-dimensional, predictive computational platform for modeling the fabrication and both normal and abnormal operation of nuclear fuel pins and assemblies, applicable to both existing and future reactor fuel designs. The science based program is pursuing the development of an integrated multi-scale and multi-physics modeling and simulation platform for nuclear fuels. This overview paper discusses the vision, goals and approaches how to develop and implement the new approach.

Science based integrated approach to advanced nuclear fuel development - vision, approach, and overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unal, Cetin; Pasamehmetoglu, Kemal; Carmack, Jon

2010-01-01

Advancing the performance of Light Water Reactors, Advanced Nuclear Fuel Cycles, and Advanced Rcactors, such as the Next Generation Nuclear Power Plants, requires enhancing our fundamental understanding of fuel and materials behavior under irradiation. The capability to accurately model the nuclear fuel systems is critical. In order to understand specific aspects of the nuclear fuel, fully coupled fuel simulation codes are required to achieve licensing of specific nuclear fuel designs for operation. The backbone of these codes, models, and simulations is a fundamental understanding and predictive capability for simulating the phase and microstructural behavior of the nuclear fuel system materials and matrices. The purpose of this paper is to identify the modeling and simulation approach in order to deliver predictive tools for advanced fuels development. The coordination between experimental nuclear fuel design, development technical experts, and computational fuel modeling and simulation technical experts is a critical aspect of the approach and naturally leads to an integrated, goal-oriented science-based R and D approach and strengthens both the experimental and computational efforts. The Advanced Fuels Campaign (AFC) and Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) Fuels Integrated Performance and Safety Code (IPSC) are working together to determine experimental data and modeling needs. The primary objective of the NEAMS fuels IPSC project is to deliver a coupled, three-dimensional, predictive computational platform for modeling the fabrication and both normal and abnormal operation of nuclear fuel pins and assemblies, applicable to both existing and future reactor fuel designs. The science based program is pursuing the development of an integrated multi-scale and multi-physics modeling and simulation platform for nuclear fuels. This overview paper discusses the vision, goals and approaches how to develop and implement the new approach.

A process dissociation approach to objective-projective test score interrelationships.

Science.gov (United States)

Bornstein, Robert F

2002-02-01

Even when self-report and projective measures of a given trait or motive both predict theoretically related features of behavior, scores on the 2 tests correlate modestly with each other. This article describes a process dissociation framework for personality assessment, derived from research on implicit memory and learning, which can resolve these ostensibly conflicting results. Research on interpersonal dependency is used to illustrate 3 key steps in the process dissociation approach: (a) converging behavioral predictions, (b) modest test score intercorrelations, and (c) delineation of variables that differentially affect self-report and projective test scores. Implications of the process dissociation framework for personality assessment and test development are discussed.

Hybrid Multicriteria Group Decision Making Method for Information System Project Selection Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Guo

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Information system (IS project selection is of critical importance to every organization in dynamic competing environment. The aim of this paper is to develop a hybrid multicriteria group decision making approach based on intuitionistic fuzzy theory for IS project selection. The decision makers’ assessment information can be expressed in the form of real numbers, interval-valued numbers, linguistic variables, and intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs. All these evaluation pieces of information can be transformed to the form of IFNs. Intuitionistic fuzzy weighted averaging (IFWA operator is utilized to aggregate individual opinions of decision makers into a group opinion. Intuitionistic fuzzy entropy is used to obtain the entropy weights of the criteria. TOPSIS method combined with intuitionistic fuzzy set is proposed to select appropriate IS project in group decision making environment. Finally, a numerical example for information system projects selection is given to illustrate application of hybrid multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM method based on intuitionistic fuzzy theory and TOPSIS method.

Application of the Theory of Constraints in Project Based Structures

OpenAIRE

Martynas Sarapinas; Vytautas Pranas Sūdžius

2011-01-01

The article deals with the application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) in project management. This article involves a short introduction to TOC as a project management method and deep analysis of project management specialties using the TOC: TOC based project planning, timetable management, tasks synchronization, project control and “relay runner work ethic”. Moreover, the article describes traditional and TOC based project management theories in their comparison, and emphasize the main be...

Fast image matching algorithm based on projection characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Lijuan; Yue, Xiaobo; Zhou, Lijun

2011-06-01

Based on analyzing the traditional template matching algorithm, this paper identified the key factors restricting the speed of matching and put forward a brand new fast matching algorithm based on projection. Projecting the grayscale image, this algorithm converts the two-dimensional information of the image into one-dimensional one, and then matches and identifies through one-dimensional correlation, meanwhile, because of normalization has been done, when the image brightness or signal amplitude increasing in proportion, it could also perform correct matching. Experimental results show that the projection characteristics based image registration method proposed in this article could greatly improve the matching speed, which ensuring the matching accuracy as well.

Collaborative Engagement Approaches For Delivering Sustainable Infrastructure Projects In The AEC Sector

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adetola, Alaba

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The public sector has traditionally financed and operated infrastructure projects using resources from taxes and various levies (e.g. fuel taxes, road user charges. However, the rapid increase in human population growth coupled with extended globalisation complexities and associated social/political/economic challenges have placed new demands on the purveyors and operators of infrastructure projects. The importance of delivering quality infrastructure has been underlined by the United Nations declaration of the Millennium Development Goals; as has the provision of ‘adequate’ basic structures and facilities necessary for the well-being of urban populations in developing countries. Thus, in an effort to finance developing countries’ infrastructure needs, most countries have adopted some form of public-private collaboration strategy. This paper critically reviews these collaborative engagement approaches, identifies and highlights 10 critical themes that need to be appropriately captured and aligned to existing business models in order to successfully deliver sustainable infrastructure projects. Research findings show that infrastructure services can be delivered in many ways, and through various routes. For example, a purely public approach can cause problems such as slow and ineffective decision-making, inefficient organisational and institutional augmentation, and lack of competition and inefficiency (collectively known as government failure. On the other hand, adopting a purely private approach can cause problems such as inequalities in the distribution of infrastructure services (known as market failure. Thus, to overcome both government and market failures, a collaborative approach is advocated which incorporates the strengths of both of these polarised positions.

Project finance for renewable energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mills, S.J.; Taylor, M.

1994-01-01

This paper is intended to provide general advice to sponsors of renewable energy projects who expect to raise project-based financing from commercial banks to fund the development of their projects. It sets out, for the benefit of such sponsors, how bankers typically approach the analysis of these undertakings and in particular the risk areas on which they concentrate. By doing so it should assist sponsors to maximize their prospects of raising bank finance. The watchword for sponsors approaching banks must be ''Be Prepared'' . (author)

Project GRACE A grid based search tool for the global digital library

CERN Document Server

Scholze, Frank; Vigen, Jens; Prazak, Petra; The Seventh International Conference on Electronic Theses and Dissertations

2004-01-01

The paper will report on the progress of an ongoing EU project called GRACE - Grid Search and Categorization Engine (http://www.grace-ist.org). The project participants are CERN, Sheffield Hallam University, Stockholm University, Stuttgart University, GL 2006 and Telecom Italia. The project started in 2002 and will finish in 2005, resulting in a Grid based search engine that will search across a variety of content sources including a number of electronic thesis and dissertation repositories. The Open Archives Initiative (OAI) is expanding and is clearly an interesting movement for a community advocating open access to ETD. However, the OAI approach alone may not be sufficiently scalable to achieve a truly global ETD Digital Library. Many universities simply offer their collections to the world via their local web services without being part of any federated system for archiving and even those dissertations that are provided with OAI compliant metadata will not necessarily be picked up by a centralized OAI Ser...

Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Vila, Margarita; Gamero-Ojeda, Pablo; Ascension Carmona, Maria; Berlanga, Jose; Fereres, Elias

2017-04-01

Dissemination of sustainable irrigation strategies for almond and olive orchards via a participatory approach. Project LIFE+IRRIMAN Spain is the world's first and third largest producer of olive oil and almond, respectively. Despite huge efforts in the last years by the production sector towards intensification, cultural issues relative to the traditional rain-fed crop management know how, prevent farmers from adoption of sustainable irrigation management practices. Consequently, even though there has been progress in irrigation management research for these two crops, adoption of modern irrigation techniques by farmers has been slow. Sustainable irrigation strategies for olive and almond orchards are being designed, implemented, validated and disseminated under the framework of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN project, through a participatory approach. The implementation of the LIFE+ IRRIMAN innovative and demonstrative actions has been carried out in an irrigation district of Southern Spain (Genil-Cabra Irrigation Scheme, Andalusia). The approach designed has four phases: i) design and implementation of sustainable irrigation strategies in demonstration farms; ii) dissemination of best irrigation practices which were tested in the initial year throughout the irrigation scheme by the irrigation advisory service; iii) assessment of degree of adoption and re-design of the dissemination strategies; and, iv) based on the results obtained, elaboration of sustainable irrigation guidelines for knowledge transfer in the district at regional and national levels to promote changes in irrigation practices. Participatory approaches have proven to be effective tools for successful irrigation strategies design and diffusion, especially in traditional rain fed crops such as olive and almond trees in the Mediterranean countries. Acknowledgements This work has been funded by the European Union LIFE+ project IRRIMAN (LIFE13 ENV/ES/000539).

Designing an integrated model based on the indicators Quality and Earned Value for risk management in Information Technology Projects

OpenAIRE

TATLARI, Mohammad Reza; KAZEMİPOOR, Hamed

2015-01-01

There are two effective factors on Information Technology (IT) projects risk including quality and earned value so that by controlling these two factors and their increased level in IT projects, the corresponding risk can be decreased. Therefore in present study, an integrated model was designed based on quality and earned value indicators for risk management in IT projects on a new and efficient approach. The proposed algorithm included the steps such as preparing a list of several indicator...

Addressing dependability by applying an approach for model-based risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gran, Bjorn Axel; Fredriksen, Rune; Thunem, Atoosa P.-J.

2007-01-01

This paper describes how an approach for model-based risk assessment (MBRA) can be applied for addressing different dependability factors in a critical application. Dependability factors, such as availability, reliability, safety and security, are important when assessing the dependability degree of total systems involving digital instrumentation and control (I and C) sub-systems. In order to identify risk sources their roles with regard to intentional system aspects such as system functions, component behaviours and intercommunications must be clarified. Traditional risk assessment is based on fault or risk models of the system. In contrast to this, MBRA utilizes success-oriented models describing all intended system aspects, including functional, operational and organizational aspects of the target. The EU-funded CORAS project developed a tool-supported methodology for the application of MBRA in security-critical systems. The methodology has been tried out within the telemedicine and e-commerce areas, and provided through a series of seven trials a sound basis for risk assessments. In this paper the results from the CORAS project are presented, and it is discussed how the approach for applying MBRA meets the needs of a risk-informed Man-Technology-Organization (MTO) model, and how methodology can be applied as a part of a trust case development

Addressing dependability by applying an approach for model-based risk assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gran, Bjorn Axel [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: bjorn.axel.gran@hrp.no; Fredriksen, Rune [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: rune.fredriksen@hrp.no; Thunem, Atoosa P.-J. [Institutt for energiteknikk, OECD Halden Reactor Project, NO-1751 Halden (Norway)]. E-mail: atoosa.p-j.thunem@hrp.no

2007-11-15

This paper describes how an approach for model-based risk assessment (MBRA) can be applied for addressing different dependability factors in a critical application. Dependability factors, such as availability, reliability, safety and security, are important when assessing the dependability degree of total systems involving digital instrumentation and control (I and C) sub-systems. In order to identify risk sources their roles with regard to intentional system aspects such as system functions, component behaviours and intercommunications must be clarified. Traditional risk assessment is based on fault or risk models of the system. In contrast to this, MBRA utilizes success-oriented models describing all intended system aspects, including functional, operational and organizational aspects of the target. The EU-funded CORAS project developed a tool-supported methodology for the application of MBRA in security-critical systems. The methodology has been tried out within the telemedicine and e-commerce areas, and provided through a series of seven trials a sound basis for risk assessments. In this paper the results from the CORAS project are presented, and it is discussed how the approach for applying MBRA meets the needs of a risk-informed Man-Technology-Organization (MTO) model, and how methodology can be applied as a part of a trust case development.

Efficient approach for reliability-based optimization based on weighted importance sampling approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, Xiukai; Lu, Zhenzhou

2014-01-01

An efficient methodology is presented to perform the reliability-based optimization (RBO). It is based on an efficient weighted approach for constructing an approximation of the failure probability as an explicit function of the design variables which is referred to as the ‘failure probability function (FPF)’. It expresses the FPF as a weighted sum of sample values obtained in the simulation-based reliability analysis. The required computational effort for decoupling in each iteration is just single reliability analysis. After the approximation of the FPF is established, the target RBO problem can be decoupled into a deterministic one. Meanwhile, the proposed weighted approach is combined with a decoupling approach and a sequential approximate optimization framework. Engineering examples are given to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the presented methodology

A Survey of Technologies Supporting Virtual Project Based Learning

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Lone

2002-01-01

This paper describes a survey of technologies and to what extent they support virtual project based learning. The paper argues that a survey of learning technologies should be related to concrete learning tasks and processes. Problem oriented project pedagogy (POPP) is discussed, and a framework...... for evaluation is proposed where negotiation of meaning, coordination and resource management are identified as the key concepts in virtual project based learning. Three e-learning systems are selected for the survey, Virtual-U, Lotus Learningspace and Lotus Quickplace, as each system offers different strategies...... for e-learning. The paper concludes that virtual project based learning may benefit from facilities of all these systems....

Collaborative Project-Based Learning: An Integrative Science and Technological Education Project

Science.gov (United States)

Baser, Derya; Ozden, M. Yasar; Karaarslan, Hasan

2017-01-01

Background: Blending collaborative learning and project-based learning (PBL) based on Wolff (2003) design categories, students interacted in a learning environment where they developed their technology integration practices as well as their technological and collaborative skills. Purpose: The study aims to understand how seventh grade students…

A preliminary approach to quantifying the overall environmental risks posed by development projects during environmental impact assessment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sam Nicol

Full Text Available Environmental impact assessment (EIA is used globally to manage the impacts of development projects on the environment, so there is an imperative to demonstrate that it can effectively identify risky projects. However, despite the widespread use of quantitative predictive risk models in areas such as toxicology, ecosystem modelling and water quality, the use of predictive risk tools to assess the overall expected environmental impacts of major construction and development proposals is comparatively rare. A risk-based approach has many potential advantages, including improved prediction and attribution of cause and effect; sensitivity analysis; continual learning; and optimal resource allocation. In this paper we investigate the feasibility of using a Bayesian belief network (BBN to quantify the likelihood and consequence of non-compliance of new projects based on the occurrence probabilities of a set of expert-defined features. The BBN incorporates expert knowledge and continually improves its predictions based on new data as it is collected. We use simulation to explore the trade-off between the number of data points and the prediction accuracy of the BBN, and find that the BBN could predict risk with 90% accuracy using approximately 1000 data points. Although a further pilot test with real project data is required, our results suggest that a BBN is a promising method to monitor overall risks posed by development within an existing EIA process given a modest investment in data collection.

Examining approaches to renewables consultation. Lessons from Awel Aman Tawe community wind farm project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hinshelwood, E; McCallum, D

2001-07-01

The overall aim was to develop and test a range of methods for a Participatory Assessment Process (PAP) in a large community on the subject of a Renewable Energy project in the area. Furthermore, to extract lessons regarding the methods and approaches undertaken. The specific objectives were: 1. To identify and shape appropriate tools, methods and approaches for undertaking a fair community assessment process regarding a Renewable Energy project in the locality. 2. To conduct an in-depth (ten month) community consultation and assessment process for a proposed wind farm. 3. To assess the methods and approaches used in the community consultation and assessment process for their efficiency and value to other developers and community groups. 4. To write up and disseminate the findings regarding the most valuable, efficient and appropriate methods and approaches undertaken. (Author)

Reservoir adaptive operating rules based on both of historical streamflow and future projections

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Liu, Pan; Wang, Hao; Chen, Jie; Lei, Xiaohui; Feng, Maoyuan

2017-10-01

Climate change is affecting hydrological variables and consequently is impacting water resources management. Historical strategies are no longer applicable under climate change. Therefore, adaptive management, especially adaptive operating rules for reservoirs, has been developed to mitigate the possible adverse effects of climate change. However, to date, adaptive operating rules are generally based on future projections involving uncertainties under climate change, yet ignoring historical information. To address this, we propose an approach for deriving adaptive operating rules considering both historical information and future projections, namely historical and future operating rules (HAFOR). A robustness index was developed by comparing benefits from HAFOR with benefits from conventional operating rules (COR). For both historical and future streamflow series, maximizations of both average benefits and the robustness index were employed as objectives, and four trade-offs were implemented to solve the multi-objective problem. Based on the integrated objective, the simulation-based optimization method was used to optimize the parameters of HAFOR. Using the Dongwushi Reservoir in China as a case study, HAFOR was demonstrated to be an effective and robust method for developing adaptive operating rules under the uncertain changing environment. Compared with historical or projected future operating rules (HOR or FPOR), HAFOR can reduce the uncertainty and increase the robustness for future projections, especially regarding results of reservoir releases and volumes. HAFOR, therefore, facilitates adaptive management in the context that climate change is difficult to predict accurately.

Project-Based Learning in Undergraduate Environmental Chemistry Laboratory: Using EPA Methods to Guide Student Method Development for Pesticide Quantitation

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Eric J.; Pauls, Steve; Dick, Jonathan

2017-01-01

Presented is a project-based learning (PBL) laboratory approach for an upper-division environmental chemistry or quantitative analysis course. In this work, a combined laboratory class of 11 environmental chemistry students developed a method based on published EPA methods for the extraction of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its…

The Australian national reactive phosphate rock project - Aims, experimental approach, and site characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, M.J.

2002-01-01

Field-based cutting trials were established across Australia in a range of environments to evaluate the agronomic effectiveness of 5 phosphate rocks, and 1 partially acidulated phosphate rock, relative to either single super-phosphate or triple superphosphate. The phosphate rocks differed in reactivity, as determined by the degree of carbonate substitution for phosphate in the apatite structure and solubility of phosphorus present in the fertilizers in 2% formic acid, 2% citric acid and neutral ammonium citrate. Sechura (Bayovar) and North Carolina phosphate rocks were highly reactive (>70% solubility in 2% formic acid), whilst Khouribja (Moroccan) and Hamrawein (Egypt) phosphate rock were moderately reactive. Duchess phosphate rock from Queensland was relatively unreactive ( 2 , from 4.0 to 5.1, and Colwell extractable phosphorus ranged from 3 to 47 μg/g prior to fertilizer application. Two core experiments were established at each site. The first measured the effects of phosphate rock reactivity on agronomic effectiveness, while the second core experiment measured the effects of the degree of water solubility of the phosphorus source on agronomic effectiveness. The National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project trials provided the opportunity to confirm the suitability of accepted procedures to model fertilizer response and to develop new approaches for comparing different fertilizer responses. The Project also provided the framework for subsidiary studies such as the effect of fertilizer source on soil phosphorus extractability; cadmium and fluorine concentrations in herbage; evaluation of soil phosphorus tests; and the influence of particle size on phosphate rock effectiveness. The National Reactive Phosphate Rock Project presents a valuable model for a large, Australia-wide, collaborative team approach to an important agricultural issue. The use of standard and consistent experimental methodologies at every site ensured that maximum benefit was obtained from data

Lessons learned from setting up the NOWESP research data base: Experiences in an interdisciplinary research project

Science.gov (United States)

Radach, Günther; Gekeler, Jens

1996-09-01

Research carried out within the framework of the MAST project NOWESP (North-West European Shelf Programme) was based on a multi-parameter data set of existing marine data, relevant for estimating trends, variability and fluxes on the Northwest European Shelf. The data sets were provided by the partners of the project. Additional data sets were obtained from several other institutions. During the project, the data were organized in the NOWESP Research Data Base (NRDB), for which a special data base scheme was defined that was capable of storing different types of marine data. Data products, like time series and interpolated fields, were provided to the partners for analysis (Radach et al. [1997]). After three years of project time, the feasibility of such an approach is discussed. Ways of optimizing data access and evaluation are proposed. A project-oriented Research Data Base is a useful tool because of its flexibility and proximity to the research being carried out. However, several requirements must be met to derive optimum benefits from this type of service unit. Since this task usually is carried out by a limited number of staff, an early start of project data management is recommended. To enable future projects to succeed in an analogous compilation of relevant data for their use, as performed in NOWESP, the task of organizing the data sets for any short-term project should be shared between a research data base group and a national or international data centre whose experience and software could be used. It must be ensured that only quality controlled data sets from the individual data-produ cing projects are delivered to the national data centres. It is recommended that data quality control should be performed by the originators and/or data centres before delivering any data sets to the research data base. Delivery of the (full) data sets should be checked and their quality should be approved by authorized data centres.

Methodologic approach for the Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project.

Science.gov (United States)

Namaste, Sorrel Ml; Aaron, Grant J; Varadhan, Ravi; Peerson, Janet M; Suchdev, Parminder S

2017-07-01

Background: The Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project is a multiagency and multicountry collaboration that was formed to improve micronutrient assessment and to better characterize anemia. Objectives: The aims of the project were to 1 ) identify factors associated with inflammation, 2 ) assess the relations between inflammation, malaria infection, and biomarkers of iron and vitamin A status and compare adjustment approaches, and 3 ) assess risk factors for anemia in preschool children (PSC) and women of reproductive age (WRA). Design: The BRINDA database inclusion criteria included surveys that 1 ) were conducted after 2004, 2 ) had target groups of PSC, WRA, or both, and 3 ) used a similar laboratory methodology for the measurement of ≥1 biomarker of iron [ferritin or soluble transferrin receptor or vitamin A status (retinol-binding protein or retinol)] and ≥1 biomarker of inflammation (α-1-acid glycoprotein or C-reactive protein). Individual data sets were standardized and merged into a BRINDA database comprising 16 nationally and regionally representative surveys from 14 countries. Collectively, the database covered all 6 WHO geographic regions and contained ∼30,000 PSC and 27,000 WRA. Data were analyzed individually and combined with the use of a meta-analysis. Results: The methods that were used to standardize the BRINDA database and the analytic approaches used to address the project's research questions are presented in this article. Three approaches to adjust micronutrient biomarker concentrations in the presence of inflammation and malaria infection are presented, along with an anemia conceptual framework that guided the BRINDA project's anemia analyses. Conclusions: The BRINDA project refines approaches to interpret iron and vitamin A biomarker values in settings of inflammation and malaria infection and suggests the use of a new regression approach as well as proposes an anemia framework to

Evaluation of project based learning sufficiency of teacher candidates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasfi Tugun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of that research, it is the project based learning process suffuciency of teacher candidates who developedmultimedia by working in online and blended groups. Importance of research Being able to guide to studies that is going tobe done about assessment of multimedia projection for project based educational application to teachers and teachercandidates and It has been thought as an advisor source about being arranged new educational environment for the futureto teacher and teacher candidates for project based educational application and multimedia projection. Research is anexperimental study and has been shaped according to pre-test and last-test research model with the two groups. This groupsare online group and blended group. Discussion of research In the result of the study, in the process of project basedlearning, it is determined that the success level in multimedia development of teacher candidates who work in blendedlearning model is higher than the success level of teacher candidates who work in online learning model.

Modeling of problems of projection: A non-countercyclic approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jason Ginsburg

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a computational implementation of the recent Problems of Projection (POP approach to the study of language (Chomsky 2013; 2015. While adopting the basic proposals of POP, notably with respect to how labeling occurs, we a attempt to formalize the basic proposals of POP, and b develop new proposals that overcome some problems with POP that arise with respect to cyclicity, labeling, and wh-movement operations. We show how this approach accounts for simple declarative sentences, ECM constructions, and constructions that involve long-distance movement of a wh-phrase (including the that-trace effect. We implemented these proposals with a computer model that automatically constructs step-by-step derivations of target sentences, thus making it possible to verify that these proposals work.

Introducing an Innovative Project Management Framework for First Year Students – Project Work in a PBL Environment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kofoed, Lise B.; Møller, Michael Labovic

2010-01-01

Students at Aalborg University (AAU) in Denmark are educated according to the Aalborg Problem Based Learning (PBL) approach which entails working in groups and completing a project each semester. In accordance with this approach students are offered a course – Co-operation, Learning and Project...... in general acknowledge the benefits of thorough project plans and schedules, they often experience difficulties developing them and abiding by them. These experienced difficulties are caused by lack of motivation and competence within this particular area of project management. This paper describes how a new...

A Comparative Study of Task-based vs. Task- supported Teaching Approaches in an EFL Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahdieh Shafipoor

2015-09-01

Full Text Available In spite of the numerous merits of task-based language instruction as claimed by its supporters in the last few decades, task-supported teaching approach as an alternative was introduced. Since then, there have been controversial debates over the superiority of each of these two approaches. Thus, in the current research project, the purpose was to consider these two teaching approaches in the scope of English language teaching, with the purpose of exploring the most efficient one in an Iranian EFL context. To this end, 120 sophomore students, majoring in English language translation course at Islamic Azad University, Shar-e-Qods branch were selected among 4 intact reading comprehension II classes. Next, they were divided into two experimental groups. The first experimental group received task-based instruction and for the second experimental group, task-trusted teaching approach was applied. The results of the data analyses turned out that task-trusted teaching approach was superior to task-based teaching in teaching reading to EFL learners.

Silhouette-based approach of 3D image reconstruction for automated image acquisition using robotic arm

Science.gov (United States)

Azhar, N.; Saad, W. H. M.; Manap, N. A.; Saad, N. M.; Syafeeza, A. R.

2017-06-01

This study presents the approach of 3D image reconstruction using an autonomous robotic arm for the image acquisition process. A low cost of the automated imaging platform is created using a pair of G15 servo motor connected in series to an Arduino UNO as a main microcontroller. Two sets of sequential images were obtained using different projection angle of the camera. The silhouette-based approach is used in this study for 3D reconstruction from the sequential images captured from several different angles of the object. Other than that, an analysis based on the effect of different number of sequential images on the accuracy of 3D model reconstruction was also carried out with a fixed projection angle of the camera. The effecting elements in the 3D reconstruction are discussed and the overall result of the analysis is concluded according to the prototype of imaging platform.

NNWSI project information management system concepts evaluation report. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-08-01

This report is intended as a first step in developing detailed information management system specifications for the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations (NNWSI) Project. The current state of information management at the NNWSI Project level is investigated and an information management system (IMS) is proposed. The IMS as it relates to aspects of Project and records management is discussed. Information management concepts and prospective IMS system components are investigated. Concepts and system components include: indexing, searching, retrieval, data base management system technology, computers, storage media, computer-assisted retrieval (CAR) of microfilm, electronic imaging-based systems, optical character recognition, and communications. Performance criteria and desirable system attributes applicable to the IMS are discussed. Six conceptual system approaches capable of satisfying the performance criteria are defined. System approaches include: fully centralized microfilm system based on CAR retrieval (Approach 1), partially distributed microfilm system based on CAR retrieval (Approach 2), fully distributed microfilm system based on CAR retrieval (Approach 3), fully centralized optical disk system based on electronic image and full-text retrieval (Approach 4), partially distributed optical system based on electron image and full-text retrieval (Approach 5), and fully distributed optical disk system based on electronic image and full-text retrieval (Approach 6). Technical and cost considerations associated with the six conceptual approaches are evaluated. Technical evaluation results indicate Approach 4 is the best conceptual approach, and cost evaluation results show no significant differences among approaches. On the basis of the evaluation, Approach 4 is recommended

A systematic risk management approach employed on the CloudSat project

Science.gov (United States)

Basilio, R. R.; Plourde, K. S.; Lam, T.

2000-01-01

The CloudSat Project has developed a simplified approach for fault tree analysis and probabilistic risk assessment. A system-level fault tree has been constructed to identify credible fault scenarios and failure modes leading up to a potential failure to meet the nominal mission success criteria.

Project-Based Learning Not Just for STEM Anymore

Science.gov (United States)

Duke, Nell K.; Halvorsen, Anne-Lise; Strachan, Stephanie L.

2016-01-01

The popularity of project-based learning has been driven in part by a growing number of STEM schools and programs. But STEM subjects are not the only fertile ground for project-based learning (PBL). Social studies and literacy content, too, can be adapted into PBL units to benefit teaching and learning, the authors argue. They review key studies…

Management aspects of Gemini's base facility operations project

Science.gov (United States)

Arriagada, Gustavo; Nitta, Atsuko; Adamson, A. J.; Nunez, Arturo; Serio, Andrew; Cordova, Martin

2016-08-01

Gemini's Base Facilities Operations (BFO) Project provided the capabilities to perform routine nighttime operations without anyone on the summit. The expected benefits were to achieve money savings and to become an enabler of the future development of remote operations. The project was executed using a tailored version of Prince2 project management methodology. It was schedule driven and managing it demanded flexibility and creativity to produce what was needed, taking into consideration all the constraints present at the time: Time available to implement BFO at Gemini North (GN), two years. The project had to be done in a matrix resources environment. There were only three resources assigned exclusively to BFO. The implementation of new capabilities had to be done without disrupting operations. And we needed to succeed, introducing the new operational model that implied Telescope and instrumentation Operators (Science Operations Specialists - SOS) relying on technology to assess summit conditions. To meet schedule we created a large number of concurrent smaller projects called Work Packages (WP). To be reassured that we would successfully implement BFO, we initially spent a good portion of time and effort, collecting and learning about user's needs. This was done through close interaction with SOSs, Observers, Engineers and Technicians. Once we had a clear understanding of the requirements, we took the approach of implementing the "bare minimum" necessary technology that would meet them and that would be maintainable in the long term. Another key element was the introduction of the "gradual descent" concept. In this, we increasingly provided tools to the SOSs and Observers to prevent them from going outside the control room during nighttime operations, giving them the opportunity of familiarizing themselves with the new tools over a time span of several months. Also, by using these tools at an early stage, Engineers and Technicians had more time for debugging

Regulation Of Hydraulic Fracturing In South Africa: A Project Life-Cycle Approach?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Willemien du Plessis

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This note deals with the 2015 regulations pertaining to hydraulic fracturing in South Africa from a project life-cycle approach. A brief history of the fragmentation of the regulation of environmental and mining related matters is provided, followed by a discussion of the application of the 2015 regulations during the project life cycle, ie the pre-commencement phase, the design and authorisation phase, the testing phase, the operational phase and the decommissioning and closure phase.

Software-based annunciator replacement: a tale of two projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, G.T.

2015-01-01

Annunciator upgrade projects are often included as parts of operating plant life extension projects as the systems are old and replacement parts are difficult to source. This paper contains case studies of the software-based annunciator replacement projects at the Westinghouse SNUPPS training simulator in Pennsylvania and the Axpo Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland. Software-based annunciator systems can offer a number of feature enhancements including improved readability and operator awareness, easy configuration, alarm suppression features, and alarm management at operator workstations. This paper provides an overview of each project and discusses advantages, challenges, and lessons learned from both annunciator-replacement projects. (author)

Software-based annunciator replacement: a tale of two projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simmons, G.T., E-mail: simmongt@westinghouse.com [Westinghouse Electric Company LLC, Cranberry Township, PA (United States)

2015-07-01

Annunciator upgrade projects are often included as parts of operating plant life extension projects as the systems are old and replacement parts are difficult to source. This paper contains case studies of the software-based annunciator replacement projects at the Westinghouse SNUPPS training simulator in Pennsylvania and the Axpo Beznau nuclear power plant in Switzerland. Software-based annunciator systems can offer a number of feature enhancements including improved readability and operator awareness, easy configuration, alarm suppression features, and alarm management at operator workstations. This paper provides an overview of each project and discusses advantages, challenges, and lessons learned from both annunciator-replacement projects. (author)

Managing a project's legacy: implications for organizations and project management

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, Lynne P.; Hecht, Michael H.; Majchrzak, Ann

2003-01-01

Organizations that rely on projects to implement their products must find effective mechanisms for propagating lessons learned on one project throughout the organization. A broad view of what constitutes a project's 'legacy' is presented that includes not just the design products and leftover parts, but new processes, relationships, technology, skills, planning data, and performance metrics. Based on research evaluating knowledge reuse in innovative contexts, this paper presents an approach to project legacy management that focuses on collecting and using legacy knowledge to promote organizational learning and effective reuse, while addressing factors of post-project responsibility, information obsolescence, and the importance of ancillary contextual information. .

An Asset-Based Approach to Tribal Community Energy Planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutierrez, Rachael A. [Pratt Inst., Brooklyn, NY (United States). City and Regional Planning; Martino, Anthony [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies; Begay, Sandra K. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Materials, Devices, and Energy Technologies

2016-08-01

Community energy planning is a vital component of successful energy resource development and project implementation. Planning can help tribes develop a shared vision and strategies to accomplish their energy goals. This paper explores the benefits of an asset-based approach to tribal community energy planning. While a framework for community energy planning and federal funding already exists, some areas of difficulty in the planning cycle have been identified. This paper focuses on developing a planning framework that offsets those challenges. The asset-based framework described here takes inventory of a tribe’s capital assets, such as: land capital, human capital, financial capital, and political capital. Such an analysis evaluates how being rich in a specific type of capital can offer a tribe unique advantages in implementing their energy vision. Finally, a tribal case study demonstrates the practical application of an asset-based framework.

Symmetry-projected variational approach to the one-dimensional Hubbard model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmid, K.W.; Dahm, T.; Margueron, J.; Muether, H.

2005-01-01

We apply a variational method devised for the nuclear many-body problem to the one-dimensional Hubbard model with nearest neighbor hopping and periodic boundary conditions. The test wave function consist for each state out of a single Hartree-Fock determinant mixing all the sites (or momenta) as well as the spin projections of the electrons. Total spin and linear momentum are restored by projection methods before the variation. It is demonstrated that this approach reproduces the results of exact diagonalizations for half-filled N=12 and N=14 lattices not only for the energies and occupation numbers of the ground but also of the lowest excited states rather well. Furthermore, a system of ten electrons in an N=12 lattice is investigated and, finally, an N=30 lattice is studied. In addition to energies and occupation numbers we present the spectral functions computed with the help of the symmetry-projected wave functions as well

The art of 'doing' sustainable agricultural innovation: approaches and attitudes to facilitating transitional projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Loeber, A.; Vermeulen, T.; Barbier, M.; Elzen, B.

2012-01-01

The management of projects for sustainable innovation is characterised by a variety of intricacies. Facilitators play a central role in dealing with these challenges. Adopting an empirical approach, this chapter discusses the practical approaches and attitudes that facilitators develop to deal with

Integrating Industry in Project Organized Problem Based Learning for Engineering Educations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Kirsten M.

2006-01-01

This abstract deals with the challenge of establishing engineering student projects in collaboration with industry. Based on empirical results a set of advices for industrial collaboration in project oriented problem based learning are formulated......This abstract deals with the challenge of establishing engineering student projects in collaboration with industry. Based on empirical results a set of advices for industrial collaboration in project oriented problem based learning are formulated...

Capturing the multiple benefits associated with nature-based solutions: lessons from natural flood management project in the Cotswolds, UK

Science.gov (United States)

Short, Chrisopher; Clarke, Lucy; Uttley, Chris; Smith, Brian

2017-04-01

Following severe flooding in 2007, and subsequent smaller flood events, a decision was taken in 2012 to explore nature-based solutions in 250km2 river catchment in the southern Cotswolds in the UK. A major tributary within the catchment has been designated as rapid response; with a primarily limestone geology limestone and a mixture of spring and surface drained sources along a number of tributaries feeding in the river, with one main population centre where the water bodies converge. The project involves landscape and land management interventions aimed at attenuating high flows to reduce flood risk through changes in land management practices in both agriculture and forestry and slowing peak flows in surface flows through increased infiltration and attenuation areas. After three years of the project it is clear that the threshold for effectiveness requires the majority of the upstream catchment area to be implementing these measures. However, the cost effectiveness of the approach seems to be substantial compared to traditional hard-engineering approaches. The level of community involvement, including local flood forums, is high and the social, and natural, capital has been enhanced through the project. Early results suggest that there have been localized improvements in water quality and biodiversity as well as a reduction in peak flow but such changes are difficult to directly associate to the project. What is clear is the role of communities, landowners and partners to implement natural flood management on a catchment wide scale. In this sense the project has adopted a co-management or adaptive management approach which brings together the knowledges of hydrologists, ecologists, farmers, woodland owners and the local community to implement locally be-spoke solutions within a broader project framework. This paper will outline the initial findings and the governance structure that has assisted in the early success of the project within a theoretical framework of

Dealing with project complexity by matrix-based propagation modelling for project risk analysis

OpenAIRE

Fang , Chao; Marle , Franck

2012-01-01

International audience; Engineering projects are facing a growing complexity and are thus exposed to numerous and interdependent risks. In this paper, we present a quantitative method for modelling propagation behaviour in the project risk network. The construction of the network requires the involvement of the project manager and related experts using the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) method. A matrix-based risk propagation model is introduced to calculate risk propagation and thus to re-eva...

INTEGRATING CASE-BASED REASONING, KNOWLEDGE-BASED APPROACH AND TSP ALGORITHM FOR MINIMUM TOUR FINDING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hossein Erfani

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Imagine you have traveled to an unfamiliar city. Before you start your daily tour around the city, you need to know a good route. In Network Theory (NT, this is the traveling salesman problem (TSP. A dynamic programming algorithm is often used for solving this problem. However, when the road network of the city is very complicated and dense, which is usually the case, it will take too long for the algorithm to find the shortest path. Furthermore, in reality, things are not as simple as those stated in AT. For instance, the cost of travel for the same part of the city at different times may not be the same. In this project, we have integrated TSP algorithm with AI knowledge-based approach and case-based reasoning in solving the problem. With this integration, knowledge about the geographical information and past cases are used to help TSP algorithm in finding a solution. This approach dramatically reduces the computation time required for minimum tour finding.

Application of the Theory of Constraints in Project Based Structures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martynas Sarapinas

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC in project management. This article involves a short introduction to TOC as a project management method and deep analysis of project management specialties using the TOC: TOC based project planning, timetable management, tasks synchronization, project control and “relay runner work ethic”. Moreover, the article describes traditional and TOC based project management theories in their comparison, and emphasize the main benefits we received as the results of the study. Article in Lithuanian

A comprehensive approach to RCM-based preventive maintenance program development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hall, B.E.; Davis, T.; Pennington, A.J.

1988-01-01

In late 1986, Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE ampersand G) concluded that to support its vision and strategic planning it would be necessary to develop a consistent approach to maintenance for all nuclear units at the artificial island. General Physics Corporation was selected to lead a consultant team to support full-scale development of a preventive maintenance (PM) program for Salem and Hope Creek generating stations based on a reliability-centered maintenance (RCM) approach. RCM was selected because it represents a systematic approach to developing a PM program that provides a logical, consistent, and traceable methodology and produces a well-documented engineering basis for the program. Early in 1987, primary objectives for the PM program were defined. The Phase I tasks addressed key programmatic areas such as maintenance philosophy, procedures, condition monitoring, performance trending, equipment failure data base, ogranization, PM program effectiveness evaluation, RCM process, reliability/availability modeling, information management, training, spare parts, software/hardware, and commitments. Phase I of the PM program development project was completed in January 1988. Highlights of the Phase I work and the PM program manual are described

Integrating Public Health and Health Promotion Practice in the Medical Curriculum: A Self-Directed Team-Based Project Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geraldine Kershaw

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Preparing health professionals in health promotion (HP and disease prevention is essential for improvement of population health, community HP, and better health care for individuals. The aim of this article is to describe an HP project in the form of a major self-directed project-based learning task integrated within the curriculum in the second year of the medical degree program at United Arab Emirates University. The project introduces students to public health and HP practice and develops students’ literature searching, writing, presentation skills, and team work. Students learn the principles underlying behavioral change, and the design of HP programs and materials, through a lecture format. Small groups of students each choose a specific health topic for their project. Over 11 weeks, students obtain information about their topic from appropriate sources (library, PubMed, Google Scholar, credible health sources such as World Health Organization. Using the principles learned in the lectures, they develop appropriate materials for their target audience: for example, posters, a pamphlet, social media content, or a video or radio message. Students seek advice from specialist faculty as needed. In week 12, each team presents their project background, rationale, and materials to their colleagues in a seminar format open to all faculty. They then submit the materials they developed for assessment. Group marks are assigned for presentations and materials. Key concepts are assessed by multiple choice questions in comprehensive course examinations. By participation in the HP project, many students develop a solid background in prevention. The information retrieval, writing, and presentation skills, as well as experience of team work, are valuable both for the remaining years of their training and their future careers.

Technical approach to finalizing sensible soil cleanup levels at the Fernald Environmental Management Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carr, D.; Hertel, B.; Jewett, M.; Janke, R.; Conner, B.

1996-01-01

The remedial strategy for addressing contaminated environmental media was recently finalized for the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Fernald Environmental Management Project (FEMP) following almost 10 years of detailed technical analysis. The FEMP represents one of the first major nuclear facilities to successfully complete the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) phase of the environmental restoration process. A critical element of this success was the establishment of sensible cleanup levels for contaminated soil and groundwater both on and off the FEMP property. These cleanup levels were derived based upon a strict application of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) regulations and guidance, coupled with positive input from the regulatory agencies and the local community regarding projected future land uses for the site. The approach for establishing the cleanup levels was based upon a Feasibility Study (FS) strategy that examined a bounding range of viable future land uses for the site. Within each land use, the cost and technical implications of a range of health-protective cleanup levels for the environmental media were analyzed. Technical considerations in driving these cleanup levels included: direct exposure routes to viable human receptors; cross- media impacts to air, surface water, and groundwater; technical practicality of attaining the levels; volume of affected media; impact to sensitive environmental receptors or ecosystems; and cost. This paper will discuss the technical approach used to support the finalization of the cleanup levels for the site. The final cleanup levels provide the last remaining significant piece to the puzzle of establishing a final site-wide remedial strategy for the FEMP, and positions the facility for the expedient completion of site-wide remedial activities

Knowledge Utilization in Projects – a Practice-based

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thuesen, Christian

Drawing upon Practice-based theorizing in general and Actor Network Theory and theories of Communities of Practices in particular the paper develops an analytical strategy for understanding “life” in projects. The analytical strategy is applied on empirical material from an 18-month ethnographic...... study of a construction project. The project is interpreted as constellation of networked practices, which always is in the making. Participation in this project is a learning process where existing practices are reproduced and developed. This understanding of “life” in the project, frames a concluding...... analysis and discussion of the utilization of knowledge in the project....

Evaluating Process Quality Based on Change Request Data - An Empirical Study of the Eclipse Project

Science.gov (United States)

Schackmann, Holger; Schaefer, Henning; Lichter, Horst

The information routinely collected in change request management systems contains valuable information for monitoring of the process quality. However this data is currently utilized in a very limited way. This paper presents an empirical study of the process quality in the product portfolio of the Eclipse project. It is based on a systematic approach for the evaluation of process quality characteristics using change request data. Results of the study offer insights into the development process of Eclipse. Moreover the study allows assessing applicability and limitations of the proposed approach for the evaluation of process quality.

A Hospital Nursing Adverse Events Reporting System Project: An Approach Based on the Systems Development Life Cycle.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Yingjuan; Ball, Marion

2017-01-01

Based on the System Development Life Cycle, a hospital based nursing adverse event reporting system was developed and implemented which integrated with the current Hospital Information System (HIS). Besides the potitive outcomes in terms of timeliness and efficiency, this approach has brought an enormous change in how the nurses report, analyze and respond to the adverse events.

Integrated variable projection approach (IVAPA) for parallel magnetic resonance imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiao; Sheng, Jinhua

2012-10-01

Parallel magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI) is a fast method which requires algorithms for the reconstructing image from a small number of measured k-space lines. The accurate estimation of the coil sensitivity functions is still a challenging problem in parallel imaging. The joint estimation of the coil sensitivity functions and the desired image has recently been proposed to improve the situation by iteratively optimizing both the coil sensitivity functions and the image reconstruction. It regards both the coil sensitivities and the desired images as unknowns to be solved for jointly. In this paper, we propose an integrated variable projection approach (IVAPA) for pMRI, which integrates two individual processing steps (coil sensitivity estimation and image reconstruction) into a single processing step to improve the accuracy of the coil sensitivity estimation using the variable projection approach. The method is demonstrated to be able to give an optimal solution with considerably reduced artifacts for high reduction factors and a low number of auto-calibration signal (ACS) lines, and our implementation has a fast convergence rate. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated using a set of in vivo experiment data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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