Facility Management Value-Adding Functional Analysis Model

Project management functions in facility management groups include design, construction, and renovation of facilities. The organizational structure and processes of such project management group affect the cost, quality, and duration of any project. The group's functions directly add to the overhead of the parent organization and therefore only value-adding functions are needed. The focus of this paper is to describe a value-adding functional analysis model and its application to develop a strategic direction for a parent organization. The paper presents the foundation for the analysis model, describes its application process to define and support the value-adding functions, and concludes with recommendations for organizational improvement strategy. The paper shows that value-adding functions are usually related to working closely with customer needs while considering the parent organization's requirements in project planning and control. In addition, it was found that any form of closed-market reliance on the internal resources in design and construction constrained the various processes and induced a high level of process uncertainty, which reflected negatively on project delivery time and cost.     

The Cochrane Collaboration--advances and challenges in improving evidence-based decision making

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international organization that aims to help people make well-informed decisions about health care by preparing, maintaining, and ensuring the accessibility of rigorous, systematic, and up-to-date reviews (and, where possible, meta-analyses) of the benefits and risks of health care interventions. This article describes the structure of the Cochrane Collaboration and the processes used to carry out the task of research transfer. The authors focus on recent achievements of the Collaboration, emphasize the current challenges and barriers the Collaboration is facing to live up to the expectations it has generated, and highlight the strategies that the organization is using to meet those challenges.     

The psychobiological theory of temperament and character: Comment on Farmer and Goldberg (2008).

This article is a comment on an article by R. F. Farmer and Goldberg (see record 2008-12234-009). The revised Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) is the third stage of development of a widely used multiscale personality inventory that began with the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) and then the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The author describes the third stage of the psychobiological theory of temperament and character; empirical tests of its predictions from genetics, neurobiology, psychosocial development, and clinical studies; and empirical findings that stimulated incremental changes in theory and test construction. Linear factor analysis is an inadequate method for evaluating the nonlinear and dynamical nature of the intrapsychic processes that influence human personality. Traits derived by factor analysis under the doubtful assumption of linearity are actually heterogeneous composites of rational and emotional processes that differ fundamentally in their underlying brain processes. The predictions of the psychobiological theory are strongly validated by extensive data from genetics, neurobiology, longitudinal studies of development, and clinical assessment. The distinction between temperament and character allows the TCI and TCI-R to outperform other popular personality inventories in distinguishing individuals with personality disorders from others and in describing the developmental path to well-being in terms of dynamical processes within the individual that are useful for both research and clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology and the military: Research applications and trends.

Perhaps no other institution has been as inextricably linked with the growth and development of psychology as the military. This symbiotic relationship, born of the expediency of World War I, rests on two roles: (a) the military as a test-bed or applied laboratory for the examination of psychological processes, and (b) the military as an impetus to initiate and direct research and innovation in psychology. In this article, we examine three areas of research that in historical perspective have most prospered from this relationship: selection and classification, training, and human factors. We address topics that hold promise for future collaboration and describe how the military manages research and development. Finally, to assist those interested in research opportunities with the military, we profile the primary behavioral science research organization within the Department of Defense. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The development of a programme of research in cardiac rehabilitation

This paper describes the experiences of initiating and developing a coherent programme of research and development in cardiac rehabilitation. It charts the evolution of the research programme from its origins in a few small scale studies and sets the context in which this research was carried out. The paper goes on to describe the valuable lessons learned in undertaking clinical research, such as serving an apprenticeship, receiving supervision and working as a member of a team. Finally, the paper, in acknowledging the importance of research training, shows how this has culminated in the author leading and managing a programme of research, bringing together a research team, disseminating and implementing research and collaborating with colleagues from other disciplines.     

Quantitative measurement for endothelial constitutive nitric oxide synthase in cultured human endothelial cells

The development and validation of family-based alternatives to out-of-home placements for children is an important goal in the mental health services field. The rigorous evaluation of such alternatives, however, can be difficult to accomplish. The purpose of this article is to describe initial barriers experienced during the pilot study of a randomized trial, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, conducted in a field setting, and the strategies that were used to overcome these barriers. The randomized trial is examining home-based multisystemic therapy as an alternative to the psychiatric hospitalization of youths presenting psychiatric emergencies. The pilot study illuminated the interface of treatment and services research issues, prompting significant changes in the project's clinical procedures, organization, and supervisory processes, as well as in the project's interface with existing community resources for serving youths with serious emotional disturbances.     

Occupational health psychology: origins, context, and direction.

Rapidly changing conditions of work and employment have brought the topic of work organization and health to the forefront of concern in occupational safety and health. This article begins with a historical overview of psychology's contribution to the occupational safety and health field. It then argues that the changing work environment creates new and special needs for research and application by psychologists in the area of work organization and health. The article also describes new initiatives by national health organizations in the United State and Europe to frame a new field of study that focuses on the topic of work organization and health, called "occupational health psychology." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

浮选动力学研究进展

简述了浮选动力学的理论研究基础及浮选动力学数学模型在国内外的研究现状.从三大方面对浮选动力学在选矿实践中的实际应用进行了简述:首先介绍了浮选动力学实用性模型在选矿实践中的建立,然后用所拟合的浮选动力学模型来描述与比较实际的选矿试验;其次介绍了用浮选动力学研究理论对矿物浮选行为进行描述、对所使用的浮选药剂的价值及选矿工艺流程的合理性上进行评价与解释;最后从浮选机内外环境的改善及浮选机优化设计的角度对浮选动力学研究进展进行了介绍.综述并根据浮选动力学的研究现状展望了浮选动力学今后的研究发展方向.      

Modeling and Analysis of Concrete Production Plant Using Petri Nets

Computer modeling and analysis of construction processes have gained importance in recent years because of an increase in the complexity of construction processes. Petri nets provide a modeling and analysis approach that can be used to effectively study, understand, analyze, and improve construction processes. This paper highlights the advanced features of petri nets and describes their utilization as a process modeling and analysis tool for the study of a ready-mix concrete plant. Usually process modeling and analysis are performed by initially developing a graphical portrayal of the process and then dynamically studying the response of the process to external and internal factors. A petri net is a formal graphical modeling tool that can be efficiently utilized as a process modeling and analysis tool because it can graphically portray and dynamically analyze a process in an integrated manner. The paper contributes significantly in the area of computer-based decision making and provides value to practicing schedulers, estimators, and project managers who deal with complex construction processes.     

Organizational Alternatives for Large Projects

Organizing large construction projects can be as confusing and challenging as managing them. Many organizational variations are possible. This paper describes five major organizational alternatives and reviews the advantages and disadvantages of each. The alternatives include: (1) Strong functional organization; (2) functional organization with area coordination; (3) functional organization wth area management; (4) area management with craft discipline staff; and (5) autonomous area organization. This paper also proposes a method for selecting a project organization that involves developing organizational criteria and using these criteria in an evaluation matrix. Such a process could aid managers in meeting the challenge of effective project organization.     

A review of the recycling of rare earth metals

Although rare earth metals are more abundant than their name would indicate, disruptions of their supplychain have occurred recently, and it is no surprise thatthe US Department of Energy (DOE) and the European Union (EU) Commission have listed several of them as critical for their role as materials essential for a clean society. This paper briefly reviews the major uses for rare earth metals and identifies the potential sources of scrap for recycling. The paper then describes the various processes developed to recycle rare earth-containing scraps, such as spent Ni-metal hydride (MH) batteries, magnets, catalysts, polishing powders and phosphors, with case studies taken from industrial practice and research work. The success of recycling efforts depends not only on adequate technical advancements but also requires the overcoming of non-technical challenges comprising, among others, logistics (collection, transportation), and an appropriate political and legal framework.     

3D reconstruction of tomographic images applied to largely spaced slices

This paper presents a full reconstruction process of magnetic resonance images. The first step is to bring the acquired data from the frequency domain, using a Fast Fourier Transform algorithm. A Tomographic Image Interpolation is then used to transform a sequence of tomographic slices in an isotropic volume data set, a process also called 3D Reconstruction. This work describes an automatic method whose interpolation stage is based on a previous matching stage using Delaunay Triangulation. The reconstruction approach uses an extrapolation procedure that permits appropriate treatment of the boundaries of the object under analysis.     

Learning Organizations in Construction

The transformation of organizations from production-oriented entities to proactive learning entities that continuously leverage the knowledge of the workforce is a primary objective of management researchers. This focus has significant relevance to the construction industry where production-related research has predominantly overshadowed organizational development research. As one effort to change this emphasis, the writers present a research effort designed to study current organization learning techniques and technologies fielded by organizations both inside and outside of the construction industry. Through a series of exploratory case studies, the writers developed a maturity model together with the Construction Industry Institute that provides construction organizations with a framework for developing a learning organization culture. The maturity model focuses on learning organization characteristics of leadership, processes and infrastructure, communication/collaboration, education, and culture at the organization, community, and individual levels. This paper introduces the results of that effort including a presentation of the learning organization maturity model, framework application, and the overall characteristics of a learning organization.     

Action Research as a Proactive Research Method for Construction Engineering and Management

Academic research in applied disciplines such as construction engineering and management (CEM) has the dual mission of simultaneously contributing to the solution of practical problems and creating theoretical and conceptual knowledge. To do so, appropriate research approaches are needed. However, extant literature in the field has paid little attention to this issue and research methods used have been almost entirely either quantitative surveys or case studies. In this paper, action research (AR) is proposed as an answer to this knowledge gap. AR aims at building and testing theory within the context of solving an immediate practical problem in a real setting. The paper describes the underlying philosophy and application procedure of AR and highlights its strengths and weaknesses. Then, the applicability of the method to CEM is illustrated through a case study of improving access to information to support planning and decision making in a construction owner organization through designing and implementing a data warehouse. The findings indicate that AR is a reliable, structured, and rigorous research approach that is very useful for conducting applied research in construction and enabling academia to influence and improve construction industry practices. It can also effectively help to improve collaboration between academic researchers and industry practitioners in research and development projects.     

Benchmarking Initiatives in the Construction Industry: Lessons Learned and Improvement Opportunities

Benchmarking is a systematic process of measuring and comparing an organization’s performance against that of other similar organizations in key business activities. The lessons learned from other companies can be used to establish improvement targets and to promote changes in the organization. The benchmarking process can create a fertile ground for ideas, but only in a receptive environment; companies that share good practices and compare their performance against others benefit most. Recently, industry groups in several different countries have initiated benchmarking programs focused mainly on construction performance measures. This paper describes the scope of these initiatives and discusses the lessons learned and improvement opportunities that were identified in their design and implementation. This investigation is focused on four initiatives, carried out in Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This paper concludes by recommending some further directions on this research topic.     

Project Management Education and Training Process for Career Development

The overall goal of this research project was to improve an organization’s core competency in construction project management in a focused and systematic manner, with the help of a formalized education and training model. This paper describes the development of such a model for education and training standards for career development at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The need for this model was driven by the tremendous increase in the volume of construction work at SNL (post 9/11) along with several other factors [i.e., self-governance, customer feedback, and a new Department of Energy Order (413.3) for the handling of program and project management capital assets acquisition]. The goal of this research was to create a defined procedure to identify and quantify project management gaps and strengths, and then to develop a process to succinctly characterize each Sandia model participant’s background qualification. This was achieved by administering a survey followed by a questionnaire whose results led to a customized training and development path, tracked both by individual and by department. Tools to address gaps were then identified and a role-task-competency hierarchy was created called the Sandia Project Management Career Development Academy model.     

Kermit’s Lament: It’s Not Easy Being Green

Sustainable development has become a catchphrase within engineering and corporate management, and green engineering is now viewed as the techniques applied in order to achieve sustainable development. In this paper, we first describe the origin and rationale for green engineering, and then describe the motivational forces behind the green engineering movement and the surveys of corporate leaders, concluding that most of the motivational forces are based on corporate profitability and are at best amoral (not morally admirable). We then report on a survey of corporate leaders on their attitudes toward green engineering and sustainable development and show that many engineers and managers do espouse to the principles of green engineering without a profit motive. Lastly, we consider why, all things considered, an engineer would want to engage in green engineering and conclude that the objective is best describes using the Aristotelian concept of eudaimonia, or the attainment of meaning and contentment with one’s life.     

Interpersonal effects of suffering in older adult caregiving relationships.

Examining the interpersonal effects of suffering in the context of family caregiving is an important step to a broader understanding of how exposure to suffering affects humans. In this review article, the authors first describe existing evidence that being exposed to the suffering of a care recipient (conceptualized as psychological distress, physical symptoms, and existential/spiritual distress) directly influences caregivers’ emotional experiences. Drawing from past theory and research, the authors propose that caregivers experience similar, complementary, and/or defensive emotions in response to care recipient suffering through mechanisms such as cognitive empathy, mimicry, and conditioned learning, placing caregivers at risk for psychological and physical morbidity. The authors then describe how gender, relationship closeness, caregiving efficacy, and individual differences in emotion regulation moderate these processes. Finally, the authors provide directions for future research to deepen understanding of interpersonal phenomena among older adults, and they discuss implications for clinical interventions to alleviate the suffering of both caregivers and care recipients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Redefining the separation factor: a potential pathway to a unified separation science

Understanding the separation process in capillary electrophoresis (CE) leads to the unification of the theories for separation science. While the separation of analytes is governed by equilibria in chromatography, and by (centrifugal) field in ultracentrifugation, the separation in CE is governed by both equilibria and (electric) field. Therefore, a comprehensive separation theory that describes the separation process of analytes in CE should be able to describe the separation processes in both chromatography and ultracentrifugation. In this paper, we propose that individual capacity factors for each analyte species be used to describe the migration behavior of an analyte. The effect of field on each analyte species, as well as the effect of equilibria are considered in deriving a generalized equation that is applicable for all separation techniques. The separation factor defined at present does not directly relate to the migration rates of the analytes, and therefore can not be used in a generalized theory. We propose that the ratio of the migration rates of a pair of analytes (gamma) should be used as the separation factor, instead of the ratio of the two capacity factors. When gamma is used to describe the separation of two closely migrating analytes, all separation techniques have the same resolution equation.