Time-frequency domain causality of prime building cost and macroeconomic indicators in Ghana: implications for project selection

According to the Ghana Statistical Service, construction activity generated US$3.8 billion in 2014, representing about 12.7% of nominal GDP. A key factor that most investors in the construction sector consider in project selection is cost which has escalated over the years. Therefore, we examine the co-movements and causality in the time and frequency domains between the prime building cost index (PBCI) and its disaggregates on one hand and inflation and exchange rate on the other hand in Ghana. The findings revealed that the degree of co-movement between PBCI and inflation was significant at the 5% level and occurred over the long-run, indicating that construction cost drives inflation. The degree of co-movement between the prime build cost index and exchange rate occurred within the short term. These co-movements have policy implications for substituting inflation and exchange rates in project costing by investors in Ghana. The co-movement between the PBCI and inflation in the medium to higher frequencies suggests that inflation risk-averse investors should consider short-term projects. Again, the short to medium frequency co-movements between the PBCI and exchange rate indicates that investors should consider exchange rate risk in long-term projects.     

An e-government framework for assessing readiness for public sector e-procurement in a lower-middle income country

ABSTRACT

Governments globally are leveraging information and communication technology (ICT) growth towards improving the quality of public procurement services for socio-economic development. However, the extent of its application differs across nations. Notwithstanding the extant theoretical and empirical literature on IT for development, knowledge on how to assess readiness for adopting a full e-procurement system in the public sector of lower and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) begs for understanding. With the narrative of Ghana, we address this gap by drawing on the institutional and economic theory and the United Nations E-Government Development Index towards a holistic framework beyond the dyad of linear website functionalities and internet focus of prior e-government adoption models. Elite interviews gathered from multiple cases from Ghana’s public sector reveals the key readiness determinants for a full public sector e-procurement system. This study has significant implications for shaping the process-oriented management of government e-procurement projects towards socio-economic development in LMICs amid their complex institutional and socio-technical environments.     

基于街景地图数据的北京市东城区 街道绿色空间正义评估研究

绿色空间正义是城市空间正义的典型代表，意为在人群中公平分配维护绿色空间的责任和享有绿色空间的权益。根据其定义，以北京市东城区为例，从责任和权益2个角度着眼，一方面基于百度街景地图数据提炼街道空间绿视率的空间分布特点，表征街道绿色空间的客观可感知水平；另一方面将街道绿视率和实时人口热力叠加，探讨街道绿色空间的实际被感知程度，从而完成对北京市东城区街道绿色空间维护和享有情况的评估。发现邻近使用者维护街道绿色空间的责任对绿化客观可感知水平的重要性，以及合理的道路断面设计对同时提升街道空间活力和绿视率即绿化实际被感知程度的有效性。由此总结出2点街道绿色空间规划设计建议，即明晰权责边界并保证公共权益优先级，以及加强落地性设计导则中对绿色空间正义问题的关注，并对未来研究提出展望。     

An extended stochastic pseudo-spectral Galerkin finite element method (XS-PS-GFEM) for elliptic equations with hybrid uncertainties

Nouy and Clement introduced the stochastic extended finite element method to solve linear elasticity problem defined on random domain. The material properties and boundary conditions were assumed to be deterministic. In this work, we extend this framework to account for multiple independent input uncertainties, namely, material, geometry, and external force uncertainties. The stochastic field is represented using the polynomial chaos expansion. The challenge in numerical integration over multidimensional probabilistic space is addressed using the pseudo-spectral Galerkin method. Thereafter, a sensitivity analysis based on Sobol indices using the derived stochastic extended Finite Element Method solution is presented. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed novel framework against conventional Monte Carlo methods is elucidated in detail for a few one and two dimensional problems.     

AHP-模糊综合评价法在标准实施效果评价中的应用

开展标准实施效果评价能够对标准的实施状况、标准的科学性有一个客观和科学的认识,对标准的制修订工作有重要的指导意义。本文以石油工业标准为研究对象,从标准实施状况、标准实施监督、标准经济效益和标准社会效益4个方面构建了评价体系,综合运用层次分析法(AHP)和模糊综合评价法对标准实施效果进行评价。评价结果表明,该方法可以实现定性分析和定量分析的有效结合,使评价结果更符合实际情况,为标准实施效果评价提供了一种新的思路。     

质量和成本约束下CSP-T和Spk集成过程控制方案

多水平连续抽样检验方案(CSP-T)是在线过程质量控制工具，但该方案的第一类风险和第二类风险都较高，且不能满足成本约束。提出了CSP-T和过程良率指数(S_pk)集成过程控制方案，该集成方案在满足质量约束的同时，以最小成本运行，并将两类风险控制在既定水平。建立了极限检验能力下的最优CSP-T方案，依据数据的计数特征驱动质量控制方案运行。基于S_pk估计的精确分布建立了风险控制方案，依据数据的计量特征驱动风险控制方案运行。质量控制方案和风险控制方案是独立互补关系。相比于CSP-T方案，检验工作量没有增加。企业案例验证了集成控制方案的可行性和有效性。     

Refractive index of soft contact lens materials measured in packaging solution and standard phosphate buffered saline and the effect on back vertex power calculation

PurposeTo measure the refractive index (RI) of commonly available soft contact lens (CL) materials, their packaging solutions and compare to the manufacturers’ nominal RI. The relationship between RI versus water content, and the effect of inaccurate RI when converting lens power measured in solution to in-air back vertex power were examined.MethodsThe RI of 18 single vision soft CL materials were measured using CLR 12–70 digital refractometer. Three lenses of each material were measured, in their packaging solution and then after soaking in standard phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The RIs of packaging solution were also measured. Accuracy requirements for correct wet to dry power conversion based on thick lens formula were projected.ResultsThe standard deviation between three samples was less than 0.005. The measured RI ranged from 1.3744 ± 0.001–1.4265 ± 0.0004 for PBS soaked and from 1.3739 ± 0.0003–1.4264 ± 0.0024 for packaging solution soaked materials. Comparing nominal with mean measured PBS and packaging solution RIs, 5 and 3 lens materials, respectively, fell outside ISO tolerance. The packaging solution RI of DailiesAquaComfortPlus had the largest difference of 0.0040, compared to RI of standard PBS. For converting lens power measured in PBS to in-air power, the difference between measured and nominal RI of 0.0104 would result in wrongly calculated in-air power 0.99 D for a -6.00 D lens.ConclusionThe CLR 12–70 is reliable and accurate refractometer for the measurement of soft CL materials. Accurate RI measurements are of relevance with increased use of wavefront sensors to measure lens power while they are immersed in solution. Even small errors in solution or material RI can lead to significant errors in converted in-air power. To obtain valid in-air lens power results, measurement conditions must match the material and solution RIs used for the conversion.     

External validity and factor structure of individual and group workload ratings

Work teams experience workload from the group dynamics in addition to the usual sources of individual workload. This study had three objectives: to assess the responsiveness of new rating scales for group workload (GWL), investigate their component structure, and determine if changes in workload occur as the team matures. Participants (360 individuals, 44 groups) engaged in an emergency response (ER) simulation in the form of a board game; team size, game difficulty (one versus two opponents), and time constraints were varied. ER teams rated workload after each of two sessions using the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) and GWL. GWL was most responsive to larger task demands and reflected changes in coordination demand over time. Components reflected mixtures of TLX and GWL scales and suggested that self-organising processes were operating.     

B2O3-K2O-Sb2O3系统玻璃的光学折射率及带隙

高折射率和非线性光学玻璃可以用于高速光开关、光学存储器、新型光纤和光学运算元件等，其研究受到各国科技工作者的高度重视，本文采用熔融淬冷法制备了组成为(85-x)B₂O₃-15K₂O-xSb₂O₃(x=70, 75, 80, 85)的4组玻璃，测试了玻璃样品的密度、折射率、热学性能、拉曼光谱和吸收光谱，利用玻璃样品的吸收光谱计算了其直接允许光学带隙、间接允许光学带隙及Urbach能量。结果表明：随着Sb₂O₃含量的增加，玻璃样品的密度从4.445g/cm³逐渐增加到4.767g/cm³，折射率从1.9438增加到2.0058，玻璃转变温度从291℃降低到260℃，玻璃析晶温度从463℃降低到370℃，直接光学带隙从3.2775eV降低到3.1379eV，间接光学带隙从3.1444eV降低到3.0256eV，Urbach能量从0.137eV逐渐减小到0.107eV。说明Sb₂O₃-K₂O-B₂O₃系统玻璃可以作为新型的非线性光学玻璃候选材料之一。