Project management deployment: The role of cultural factors

This paper investigates the role of cultural factors as possible partial explanation of the disparity in terms of project management deployment observed between various studied countries. The topic of culture has received increasing attention in the management literature in general during the last decades and in the project management literature in particular during the last few years. The globalization of businesses and worldwide Governmental/International organizations collaborations drives this interest in the national culture to increase more and more. Based on Hofstede national culture framework, the study hypothesizes and tests the impact of the culture and development of the country on the PM deployment. Seventy-four countries are selected to conduct a correlation and regression analysis between Hofstede’s national culture dimensions and the used PM deployment indicator. The results show the relations between various national culture dimensions and development indicator (GDP/Capita) on the project management deployment levels of the considered countries.     

Multiproject lineage management: Bridging project management and design-based innovation strategy

Innovation-based strategies are widely recognized as key drivers to maintain competitive advantage. The design and strategic literature underline the possibility of triggering a multiproduct value-expansion dynamic based on the creation of new concepts dynamically twinned with corporate strategy. However, the multiproject-management literature—portfolio, program, and platform—lags behind and remains focused on ex ante coordination, resource allocation and selectionism. Thus, there are still few indications of the processes that stimulate and orient continuous, profitable multiproject creative expansion. Bridging the multiproject-management literature and design theory, we propose a model of multiproject lineage management (MPLM), which focuses on the key processes that drive exploration efforts and shape innovation trajectory. We conduct a multiple longitudinal case analysis in the automobile sector. Based on this analysis, we expose the principles of MPLM, mapping the roles of corporate, program and project management within a global expansion project. Finally, we highlight our contributions to managerial practices and the related literature.     

Drag Power Loss Investigation in Cylindrical Roller Bearings Using CFD Approach

In high-speed rolling element bearings, the drag forces can be prominent and it is demonstrated in this investigation that the classical models may not be appropriate for correctly estimating this power loss contribution. A modification of the models is thus proposed, including the usual drag forces formulation relying upon the drag coefficient to be evaluated from a numerical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach. A three-dimensional approach that considers both the rings and the cylinder ends seems the only adequate approach to be used because a two-dimensional approach predicts a drag coefficient value that is too low. When using the former computed drag coefficient for the evaluation of the total power losses, high values of oil volume fraction must be employed to recover the measured power losses.     

Dispersive mixing efficiency of an elongational flow mixer on PP/EPDM blends: Morphological analysis and correlation with viscoelastic properties

Polypropylene and ethylene‐propylene‐diene terpolymer (PP/EPDM) blends were melt compounded in a new mixing device, designed in our laboratory under the trademark of RMX®, which predominantly generates elongational flows. Dispersion of the EPDM minor phase in PP was carried out in both RMX® and in an internal mixer (Haake Rheomix 600) at equivalent specific mixing energies and the resultant morphologies obtained by SEM were analyzed and compared. A better dispersive mixing efficiency of the RMX® mixer, i.e., lower D_n and D_v of the dispersed EPDM phase was observed. The impact of elongational flow was more pronounced for blends having a high viscosity ratio p, indicating an enhanced droplet break‐up mechanism, which was attributed to the combination of high shear rates inside the mixing element and important elongational flows in the convergent/divergent zones. The morphology of the blends was correlated with their linear viscoelastic properties by using the Palierne model. Very good agreement was found for the PP/EPDM 80/20 blends but for higher EPDM content, the Palierne model failed to describe the rheological behavior, which was attributed to percolation of the minor phase with increasing the concentration. Higher elasticity at low frequencies was observed for blends processed in the RMX®, which was attributed to a higher generated interfacial area. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:1444–1457, 2014. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Binding Mode and Structure–Activity Relationships around Direct Inhibitors of the Nrf2–Keap1 Complex

An X‐ray crystal structure of Kelch‐like ECH‐associated protein (Keap1) co‐crystallised with (1S,2R)‐2‐[(1S)‐1‐[(1,3‐dioxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐isoindol‐2‐yl)methyl]‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinolin‐2‐carbonyl]cyclohexane‐1‐carboxylic acid (compound (S,R,S)‐ 1 a ) was obtained. This X‐ray crystal structure provides breakthrough experimental evidence for the true binding mode of the hit compound (S,R,S)‐ 1 a , as the ligand orientation was found to differ from that of the initial docking model, which was available at the start of the project. Crystallographic elucidation of this binding mode helped to focus and drive the drug design process more effectively and efficiently.     

Composition optimization of high-strength steels for sulfide stress cracking resistance improvement

With the development in the recent years of deep and sour wells, the mechanical properties of the drill collars tend to increase so that a higher sensitivity to sulfide stress cracking (SSC) is evidenced. In order to improve the behaviour of high-strength steels for drill collar in sour environment, the effect of a slight modification of the composition of a standard grade has been studied. Based on a literature review, different alloying elements have been selected and their influence on the SSC resistance of an existing commercial grade was evaluated. The results are discussed based on hydrogen permeation in sour environment.     

水杨酸对气相色谱-质谱法检测化妆品中苯酚的影响

2007版《化妆品卫生规范》规定,使用HPLC-DAD法检测化妆品中的苯酚,如有阳性结果,必须用GC-MS法进行验证。采用GC-MS法对含有水杨酸的化妆品进行检测,考察水杨酸对苯酚测定的影响。结果表明,水杨酸对热不稳定,在GC-MS检测条件下会高温分解并释放出苯酚,且热降解程度随着进样口温度的升高而显著增强。用GC-MS法检测含有水杨酸的化妆品时,会得到苯酚含量偏高或假阳性的检测结果。     

Duplex SiCN/DLC coating as a solution to improve fretting—Corrosion resistance of steel

Fretting corrosion damages are commonly observed when two metallic bodies, which are in contact with each other, are subjected to oscillatory motions of low amplitude. Such kind of degradation mode is often responsible for limited durability of aeronautical joints. In the present paper, a multifunctional duplex coating based on Si–C–N and diamond-like carbon (DLC) materials, combining corrosion resistance and good tribological properties is described. Amorphous hydrogenated SiC, SiCN, SiC/DLC and SiCN/DLC were deposited on steel substrates by a plasma assisted chemical vapour deposition (PACVD) technique, using tetramethylsilane (TMS), ammonia (NH₃) or acetylene (C₂H₂) as gas precursors. Nitrogen incorporation has shown to improve the corrosion protection ability of SiC coatings. The corrosion behaviour and the tribological performance in aqueous media of SiCN/DLC coating have therefore been investigated. A test rig has been designed to validate the fretting resistance of this duplex coating for aeronautic applications. It was found that the combination of a SiCN-based PACVD sublayer with a DLC topcoat could provide an enhanced solution to withstand both fretting and corrosion.