Cultural heritage in project management: project appraisal and quality assurance in the early phase of major public investments

This paper is an analysis of how cultural heritage values are handled in documentation related to early phase evaluations of major public investment projects in Norway. This study was instigated by an apparent lack in the consideration of cultural heritage values in such documentation. We conducted a case study document analysis to see how cultural heritage issues are addressed in the early phases of projects. Methodologically, the paper analyses the use of vocabulary related to cultural heritage values in the documentation. There is uniform documentation available from these projects. The results suggest that cultural heritage values are mentioned but seldom substantially discussed in the documents. Cultural heritage values tend to be discussed using non-specific language. There is an emphasis on legislation regarding cultural heritage and how the legislation can be a problem. Today’s discussion of cultural heritage values appears to be lacking and in need of a strengthened framework. The methodology applied in this study aims to provide a structured search method for the unstructured discussion of cultural heritage issues in these extensive documents.     

International development projects by non-governmental organizations: an evaluation of the need for specific project management and appraisal tools

International development (ID) projects are pivotal in the field of international aid, but their actual impact is difficult to assess and often questioned. Focusing on non-governmental organizations (NGOs), in this paper we analyse two aspects related to the impact of ID projects. The first concerns the characteristics of ID projects. We reviewed the literature to define the distinctive features of these projects. Second, we analyse the state of the art of project management processes and tools for ID projects. In particular, we verify the differences between standard project management methodologies (i.e. PMBOK® Guide and IPMA) and the methodologies specifically developed for NGOs (i.e. PM4NGOs and PM4DEV). The results suggest the need for specific managerial approaches and tools for ID projects. In particular, we show that standard project management methodologies could be complemented by specific tools (e.g. the logical framework) in order to increase the likelihood that high social impact is the outcome of the project.     

The ARIPAR project: analysis of the major accident risks connected with industrial and transportation activities in the Ravenna area

The paper describes the ARIPAR project aimed at the assessment of the major accident risks connected with storage, process and transportation of dangerous substances in the densely populated Ravenna area in Italy, which includes a large complex of chemical and petrochemical plants and minor industries, essentially distributed around an important commercial port. Large quantities of dangerous goods are involved in various transportation forms connected with the industrial and commercial activity of the port. The project started by making a complete inventory of fixed installations and transportation activities capable of provoking major fire, explosion and toxic release events; then relevant accident scenarios were developed for the single hazard sources; probabilities were assigned to the events and consequences were evaluated; finally iso-risk contours and F-N diagrams were evaluated both for the single sources and for the overall area. This required the development of a particular methodology for analysis of area risk and of associated software packages which allowed examination of the relative importance of the different activities and typologies of materials involved. The methodological approach and the results have proved to be very useful for the priority-ranking of risk mitigating interventions and physical planning in a complex area.     

Electronic distortion compensation in the mitigation of optical transmission impairments: the view of joint project on mitigation of optical transmission impairments by electronic means ePhoton/ONe1 project

The key design approaches and results in the field of compensation of optical impairment distortion by electronic means, as an outcome of the studies and research innovations developed within the joint project on mitigation of optical transmission impairments by electronic means work group of the ePhoton/ONet European project are presented. The research topics addressed are related to chromatic and polarisation mode dispersion, with particular reference to feed-forward/decision-feedback equaliser and maximum-likelihood sequence estimation-based equalisers as well as pre-distortion schemes. Additionally, the use of electronic compensation in metro/access applications is examined with reference to studies related to the performance enhancement of directly modulated laser transmitters, the compensation of the square-law characteristics of receivers and the equalisation of multi-level format schemes.     

Batch biodegradation of PAHs in mixture by Mycobacterium frederiksbergense: analysis of main and interaction effects

Biodegradation is an effective technique to remediate soil and water contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In the present experimental study, Mycobacterium frederiksbergense, a fast growing mycobacterium, was used to degrade anthracene, naphthalene and pyrene in mixture each at initial concentrations varying between 1 and 50 mg l⁻¹. Experiments were conducted according to the 2³ factorial design at the low (1 mg l⁻¹) and high (50 mg l⁻¹) levels of the PAHs in combination, to identify the main and interaction effects of the compounds on their biodegradation. The results showed that the PAH removals varied 54–81% when each PAHs were at low concentrations in the mixture and 67–89% at their higher concentration combinations. Statistical analysis of the results in the form of ANOVA and Student t test indicated significant role played by the main effects of pyrene on its degradation. Similarly on anthracene degradation, interaction effect with pyrene was found to be highly significant with P value less than 0.1.     

The development of science and technology in China: A comparison with India and the United States

In “The Outline of the Medium and Long-term National Plan for Science and Technology Development (2006–2020)” (OMLP)), the Chinese government outlined an ambitious goal to become an innovation-driven country by 2020. However, there are many barriers that restrain the development of the national innovation capacity of enterprises. This paper reviews the capacity for science and technology (S&T) and innovation in China, including the factors that influence capacity building, the supporting policies for implementing the OMLP, and the promotion of capacity building for S&T and innovation in China. The paper concludes with recommendations for promoting further development of S&T and innovation in China.     

Emissions from Transportation and Fuels: The Importance of Initial and Real World Measurements for Policy Making in India

Air pollution is typically one of the by-products of a growing economy, especially in the developing world. India is no exception. This paper highlights the importance of acquiring reliable, real world data, which is necessary for making sound policy decisions. Using examples where real world emissions of nitrogen oxides exceed those obtained during vehicle emission test procedures, recommendations are made for India in designing and applying an air quality management system, which relates emissions, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry to ambient air quality concentrations. Specific recommendations are made to require Euro 6/VI vehicle emission standards by 2019 and nationwide ultra low sulfur fuels by 2015 (50 ppm) and 2017 (10 ppm). Controls of evaporative emission during refueling should be implemented by 2017. Recommendations are also made for improved initial vehicle emission testing, routine testing of fuels being sold in the marketplace, and an enforceable vehicle in use emission testing program.     

Selecting quality improvement projects and product mix together in manufacturing: an improvement of a theory of constraints-based approach by incorporating quality loss

The quality of products and processes needs to be improved continuously in today's competitive environments. Unless these improvement efforts are focused properly, companies might not achieve desirable results in terms of sales, quality and productivity. Many quality improvement (QI) approaches have a limited evaluation of the factors involved in the selection of QI projects. Theory of constraints (TOC) has been proposed by some researchers as a remedy for the better selection of QI projects. However, these TOC-based approaches do not accurately capture ongoing product quality and its long-term effects on sales. Quality loss, on the other hand, can be used as a measure of customer dissatisfaction, which in turn determines the sales. The paper proposes an improvement of a TOC-based algorithm by incorporating quality loss with it. Using two simple manufacturing examples, it demonstrates that quality losses affect the product mix and QI project selection. It provides suggestions for further research directions for wider applicability of the proposed approach.     

Green approach to corrosion inhibition of mild steel in two acidic solutions by the extract of Punica granatum peel and main constituents

The effect of the extract of Punica granatum (PG) and their main constituents involve ellagic acid (EA) and tannic acid (TA), as mild steel corrosion inhibitor in 2 M HCl and 1 M H₂SO₄ solutions was investigated by weight loss measurements. The results obtained from the weight loss measurements show that the inhibition efficiency of TA even in high concentration is very low. Thus, potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) investigations were used for different concentrations of PG and EA and best concentration of TA. Potentiodynamic polarization curves indicated that PG and EA behave as mixed-type inhibitors. EIS measurements show an increase of the transfer resistance with increasing inhibitor concentration. The temperature effect on the corrosion behavior of steel without and with the PG extract was studied. The inhibition action of the extract was discussed in view of Langmuir adsorption isotherm.     

Need of Alcohol Reference Materials and Reliable Measurement of Alcohol Content by Breath Alcohol Analyzer in India: An Overview

Breath alcohol analyser is used to detect alcohol content in end-expiratory breaths in order to enforce driving regulations under the influence of alcohol legislation. The accuracy and reliability of the routine measurements of alcohol content performed with breath alcohol analyser can be achieved by the calibration of the breath alcohol analyser using standards traceable to SI reference material. Proper calibration is essential for transparency in legal verification for which reference material is needed. At international level, a number of NMIs are active to address this important measurement issue of providing accurate measurements. Several international key comparison programs have been organized so far for the determination of ethanol content in aqueous and in nitrogen/air matrix. NIST, USA; BAM, Germany; IRMM, Belgium, Portugal, INMETRO, Brazil, LGC, UK etc. have developed certain reference materials of ethanol in water solution/air with different concentration ranges. However, no such reference material is introduced in India as an indigenous standard, rather, being procured from abroad or using high purity alcohol for calibration purposes. CSIR-NPL, India, being the NMI is now focusing on establishing the calibration facility and development of SI traceable aqueous alcohol standard to provide test reliability for the testing in breath alcohol analyser. This program has a societal impact which contributes to human health and regulatory needs for the nation.     

The origins of schedule management: the concepts used in planning,allocating, visualizing and managing time in a project

Getting the right people in the right place at the right time has always been a major organizational challenge. In ancient times this process seems to have been accomplished based on the scheme of arrangements being contained in the leader’s mind and instructions communicated verbally. Modern approaches to solving the twin challenges of first thinking through the ‘plan’ and then communicating the plan to the people who need to do ‘the right work, at the right time, in the right place’ use sophisticated graphics, charts, diagrams, and computations. This paper traces the development of the concepts most project managers take for granted including bar charts and critical path schedules from their origins (which are far earlier than most people think) through to the modern day. The first section of the paper looks at the development of concepts that allow the visualization of time and other data. The second looks at the shift from static representations to dynamic modeling through the emergence of computers, dynamic calculations and integrated data from the 1950s to the present time.     

Globalization at the nano frontier: The future of nanotechnology policy in the United States, China, and India

The field of nanotechnology offers the possibility of transforming the international science and technology (S&T) policy landscape and making a significant impact on the direction of research and development for a wide range of nations and companies. Nanotechnology endeavors in the United States, China, and India remain some of the most interesting because of the opportunities and challenges this field poses for future competition and collaboration between these three nations. This paper examines how nanotechnology will raise new science and policy questions—and lead to new strategic linkages—that will have a major impact on the futures of these nations for decades to come. Then the paper analyzes and compares the current state of nanotechnology in these three countries, discusses some of the main drivers of collaboration, investigates current and potential uncertainties associated with nanotechnology, and offers policy suggestions on ways that these difficulties may be addressed.     

History matters: The inherited disciplinary structure of the post-communist science in countries of central and eastern Europe and its restructuring

The inherited disciplinary structure of the science of post-communist countries of CEE carries a strong common features of its past. The communist heritage is present in: a) a relatively homogeneous research profile among post-communist countries; b) the similar structure of disciplinary comparative advantages of post-communist countries; c) the unbalanced and concentrated disciplinary structure of comparative advantages. The analysis is based on ISI databases and uses statistics on papers and citations for the 1992–1997 period for all central and eastern European countries as well as for other world regions. In the conclusions we discuss the relevance of the results for the restructuring of science in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Part of the research which forms the basis for this paper has been funded by the DGXII TSER project ‘Restructuring and reintegration of S&T systems in economies in transition’.     

The importance of cultural aspects in impact assessment and project development: reflections from a case study of a hydroelectric dam in Brazil

Abstract

Failure to consider the cultural and social factors of projects can lead to situations where mitigation does not effectively address the impacts they were intended to alleviate, and can even create other impacts. We critically analyse the processes of designing and implementing a social and environmental compensation program for the Lajeado Hydroelectric Dam in the Amazon region of central-northern Brazil. This mitigation program caused a wide range of social and environmental impacts on the Xerente Indigenous people, such as intra-group conflict, and changes in agricultural practices and food regime. Based on qualitative fieldwork and an extensive document analysis, we present a contextualization of the region, the project, the Xerente people, and their cosmological understandings. We consider the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholders about the compensation program and its outcomes, and demonstrate how traditional cultural practices and values played a role in the unfolding of the program. Better comprehension of sociocultural aspects through the use of ethnography, ongoing consultation, and meaningful community participation in the planning and implementation of mitigation measures are recommended.     

A comparison of institutional systems affecting software advancement in China and India: The role of outsourcing from Japan and the United States

The emergence of new innovation depends on co-evolution with institutional systems. Innovations will stagnate if they cannot adapt to institutions, as illustrated by the rise and subsequent fall of some Japanese innovations in the 1980s and 1990s. Similarly, conspicuous software advancements in China and India can be attributed to their unique institutional systems. While both countries share certain similarities that enable them to develop advanced software that attracts leading countries, the outsourcing partners of the two countries—China with Japan, and India with the US—are related to disparities in their institutional systems that have an impact on their software development. This paper undertakes a comparative analysis to identify such similarities and disparities. Since innovation is shifting from developers’ sites to a process of diffusion and utilization with broader interactions with institutional systems, this analysis can provide important insight into the development of science and technology in a global context.     

The role of research outcome quality in the relationship between university research collaboration and technology transfer: empirical results from China

Scientometrics - This paper aims to determine whether and how quality of research outcome mediates the relationship between university research collaboration and technology transfer. Based on the...     

The fracture toughness of Ni/Al2O3 laminates by digital image correlation II: Bridging-stresses and R-curve models

A composite of metal and brittle ceramic layers have increased fracture toughness as compared to ceramic monoliths. The property controlling the toughness enhancement is the, ‘bridging-stress’, exerted by the ductile phase astride the crack in the ceramic. This bridging-stress is a function of the crack-opening displacement (COD) which is a function of the size of the crack and the position along its profile. Depending on the accuracy of estimation of the bridging-stress, the modeled R-curve and experimental one match. In this study, a weight function based approach to generate the R-curve is reported and compared with the experimental results for Al₂O₃/Ni multilayer laminates.     

Multivariate pattern matching of trace elements in solids by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry: source attribution and preliminary diagnosis of fractionation

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS) is used with two variations of principal components analysis (PCA) for objective, routine comparisons of forensic materials without time-consuming and destructive sample dissolution. The relative concentrations of trace elements in a solid sample are examined to provide a "fingerprint" composition that can be used for identification and source matching of the material. Residue samples are matched to bulk materials using PCA. Variation of laser focus and PCA are also used to diagnose the severity of elemental fractionation in two metal samples that are prone to fractionation, brass and steel. Such fractionation remains the most significant limitation for accurate quantitative analyses by LA-ICPMS.     

The preparation of Ag/mesoporous silica by direct silver reduction and Ag/functionalized mesoporous silica by in situ formation of adsorbed silver

Mesoporous silica (MS) with large pores and thiol functionalized mesoporous silica (TFMS) were synthesized. ²⁹Si MAS NMR confirmed the functionalization of MPTMS on the surface of mesoporous silica. Silver nanoparticles were prepared by two methods: (1) direct reduction of Ag⁺ ions with NaBH₄ in aqueous AgNO₃ solution containing MS, (2) in situ reduction of Ag⁺ ions adsorbed on TFMS with NaBH₄. The characteristics of products from both methods were compared using SAXRD, TEM, and N₂ adsorption-desorption. Ag nanoclusters were mostly confined and dispersed in the channels of the TFMS and their sizes were under 6 nm. However, Ag nanoparticles on the MS formed outside the mesoporous channels rather than within them.