Search

Copyright of Experimental Technology & Management is the property of Experimental Technology & Management Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper aims to quantify the labor productivity improvement reached by the implementation of a masonry wall project design to guide field construction. A masonry wall project design is an instrument of rationalization, developed to specify the layout and steps of a masonry walls execution. The methodology is of quantitative nature and involves a practical case. The work of an enterprise in Goiânia (Brazil) was tracked by the collection of productivity data, firstly of a crew that didn’t have access to a masonry wall project design, and then of a crew that had access to the project. The evaluation of the productivity improvement was processed by means of statistical analysis, such as location and dispersion measures, average and variance, T-test, and F-value. Hypothesis tests were also performed to prove that the changes in productivity were caused by the implementation of the masonry project. The results showed that the project deployment optimized the production process in the field. There was a 26% increase in the team average productivity with access to the project design according to the hypothesis tests. The main contribution of this work is to present the beneficial impact of a masonry wall project design tailored for field construction, which allows a formal and rational approach to a heavily artisanal technique.

[Introduction] STATCOM is the state-of-the-art equipment for static reactive compensation. This paper focuses on STATCOM design study and key equipment selection principle for engineering applications. [Method] Five implementation approaches currently utilized to achieve large capacity STATCOM were analyzed and their advantages/disadvantages were concluded,from various perspectives including capacity, efficiency, reliability, volume and cost. [Result] Principles for selecting STATCOM switchgear were proposed and the application of the principles in 35 kV ± 200 MVA cascade STATCOM switchgear selection was also presented in this paper as an example. [Conclusion] The principles can also be used as reference in large capacity STATCOM design and manufacture.

Citizen scientist platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist are dramatically increasing the biodiversity data available for scientific research. Questions remain about the validity of data collected by people with undefined credentials. However, few studies have examined the data quality of citizen science studies in detail. As part of an autumn orientation program, the Honors College at UMass Boston invited incoming students for a retreat on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. One of their activities was a three-hour bioblitz using iNaturalist. We reviewed data collected from three autumn orientations (2017–2019) to evaluate the quality of the data and to examine the hypothesis that first-time users can contribute useful biodiversity observations. The students collected more than 2,000 observations and uploaded more than 5,700 photographs, mostly of plants (about 50%) and animals (40%). Approximately 50% of the observations became Research Grade by iNaturalist criteria. Errors in GPS data (ca 1–4%) did not always place observations automatically in the project. First-time users, presumably because they are digital natives and have experience with cell phone cameras, quickly master the basics of iNaturalist. We conclude that students using the iNaturalist platform, with a crowd-sourced ID process, produce data that are useful for a variety of biodiversity studies.

Tigers play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Unfortunately, tigers are threatened by poaching, human–wildlife conflict, habitat loss, and more. In response to these threats, the conservation community pledged to double the worldwide wild tiger population by 2022 (known as TX2) at the “Tiger Summit” in St. Petersburg in 2010, and to track the progress of Tiger Range Countries. Between 2010 and 2022, the Global Tiger Recovery Programme was implemented. To accomplish this TX2 goal, each Tiger Range Country developed a National Tiger Action Plan (NTAP). The Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP) is a grant-making mechanism that focusses on a subsection of the Global Tiger Recovery Programme. It had twelve projects in six Tiger Range Countries during Phase 1 of the program. Evaluating the proposals of these projects is crucial for resource allocation. In this study, we assessed project proposals by evaluating how the proposed activities of all twelve ITHCP projects addressed their corresponding NTAPs, by comparing the plans against the proposals. A further comparison was undertaken using the Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards Lite, a site-based tiger conservation accreditation system. Overall, this study shows the importance of both global and national action plans and how comparing project activities with NTAP requirements can help address resource allocation needs to fill gaps in management. We conclude that projects should be designed to closely align with national action plans, best practice standards, and the activities of other projects in their landscape to maximize conservation outputs and impact. However, projects on their own are not enough to satisfy whole NTAPs.

The article shows how game theory methods and expert technologies make it possible, within Kornai's systemic paradigm, use a specially developed toolkit for comparing the social effectiveness of large-scale projects in a situation of radical (nonstochastic) uncertainty. The proposed approach combines the ideas of the well-known PATTERN methods, "cost-effectiveness," analysis of Saaty hierarchies with some original solutions by the authors of the article. Computer products developed on this basis are proposed in support of making complex investment decisions. As an example of practical application, experimental calculations are given to assess the comparative social effectiveness of the Transpolar and Lena–Kamchatka railways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field-programmable logic arrays are often used in courses on computer architecture. The student must describe the processor with the external components necessary for its operation in the specified HDL (hardware description language) language according to the provided specification during a certain number of projects. The weakness of this approach is that the basis of such projects is a processor of one specific architecture, so the lecturer faces the issue of individualization of projects. This article proposes a solution based on dedicated processors instead of one programmable processor of a specific architecture. It’s shown here that the issue of project individualization is easier solvable in the proposed way, and it does not deviate from the theory of computer architecture, because the programmable processor is a generalization of a dedicated processor. The article describes project design ideas based on dedicated processors and gives some examples. Represented different instance than was applied during practical sessions of Computer Architecture that are held at the Department of Electronic Systems within VILNIUS TECH, i.e. certain modifications, and additions were applied. Article in Lithuanian. Kompiuterių architektūros užduočių sudarymas tyrimams, atliekamiems lauku programuojamomis loginėmis matricomis Santrauka Kompiuterių architektūros užduotys dažnai skirtos tyrimams atlikti lauku programuojamomis loginėmis matricomis. Studentas pagal pateiktą specifikaciją turi nurodyta HDL (angl. hardware description language) kalba aprašyti procesorių su jo veikimui būtinais išoriniais komponentais. Problema yra ta, kad šiuo atveju pagrindas yra vienos konkrečios architektūros procesorius, todėl dėstytojas susiduria su užduočių individualizavimo problema. Šiame straipsnyje siūlomas sprendimas, kurio pagrindas yra skirtiniai procesoriai vietoje vieno konkrečios architektūros programuojamo procesoriaus. Čia parodoma, kad taip žiūrint užduočių individualizavimo problema lengviau sprendžiama, o nuo kompiuterių architektūros teorijos nenutolstama, nes programuojamas procesorius yra apibendrintas skirtinio procesoriaus atvejis. Straipsnyje pateikti užduočių pavyzdžiai skirti tyrimams atlikti lauku programuojamomis loginėmis matricomis. Pateiktos sąsajos su kompiuterių architektūros teorine medžiaga. Aprašomas kitas užduočių variantas negu buvo taikytas praktikoje dėstant kompiuterių architektūros studijų modulį VILNIUS TECH Elektroninių sistemų katedroje, t. y. atlikti tam tikri pakeitimai ir papildymai. Reikšminiai žodžiai: kompiuterių architektūra, užduotis, tyrimas, modeliavimas, VHDL sintaksė, lauku programuojamos loginės matricos.

Project design is a fundamental element within educational contexts. Plus, it is a core competence that should be part of the baggage of those working in education and learning, along with evaluative and empirical skills. Involving adherence to the context while maintaining a certain methodological rigor, it is considered important ensuring the achievement of development goals in childhood and adolescence. This intervention offers an innovative approach based on the application of pedagogical methods and practices close to the cultural context of the individuals, taking as reference the adolescent beneficiaries of an educational center in an urban area. The idea is to set up a educational street practice through Hip-Hop Based Education, a set of practices that incorporate the creative elements of hip-hop culture into teaching. Young people are encouraged to establish a connection with the contents dealt with by encountering them in their own cultural territory, educating through their own realities and experiences. I know You got soul. Percorsi di Educativa di Strada basati sulla pedagogia Hip-Hop La progettazione è un elemento fondamentale all’interno dei contesti educativi nonché una competenza cardine che dovrebbe far parte del bagaglio di coloro che operano in ambito educativo e formativo, insieme a quella valutativa ed empirica. Implicando al tempo stesso di essere aderenti al contesto pur mantenendo un certo rigore metodologico, si considera importante nel garantire il raggiungimento dei traguardi di sviluppo nell’infanzia e adolescenza. Questa proposta d’intervento offre un approccio innovativo e improntato all’applicazione di metodi e pratiche pedagogiche vicine al contesto culturale degli individui, prendendo come riferimento i beneficiari pre-adolescenti e adolescenti di un centro educativo in un’area urbana. L’idea è imbastire un intervento di educativa di strada mediate la Hip-Hop Based Education, un insieme di pratiche che incorporano gli elementi creativi della cultura hip-hop nell’insegnamento. I giovani vengono così stimolati a stabilire una connessione con i contenuti trattati incontrandoli nel proprio territorio culturale, educando attraverso le proprie realtà ed esperienze.

Rural development is a political topic in which debate has been more focussed on externally identified needs than on demands or aspirations of the rural population and polarised between the attractions of urban income earning opportunities and the importance of rural farming communities for national food provision. The heterogeneity of local aspirations and their implications for development have barely been considered. We explore the aspirations of residents of three contrasting regions in Kenya that vary in their agricultural and off-farm potential. We argue that opportunities are a major framing influence on aspirations but there is important, and routinely overlooked, diversity within the communities which could inform future options for effective development. We outline how development initiatives could be redesigned to align more closely with aspirations. However, aspirations are a complex concept and, while our approach offered novel insights, these would be enriched when combined with household survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Experimental Technology & Management is the property of Experimental Technology & Management Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of selecting an appropriate procurement method most suitable to the specificities of a building retrofitting project. The relevant literature points to the difficulties in managing design errors and mistakes in the conception phase and their negative impact on the construction phase and, ultimately, on construction project development. The regulatory framework related to these issues exists but the problems persist, alongside the absence of regulation in the project manager's functions. General contracting is the procurement method mostly used but has its caveats, particularly in risky and complex construction projects. This study adopts a Participatory Action Research methodology to describe all the procedures and decision making during the project development process, including the evaluation of the tenders and the ensuing competitive negotiation process. The results of the study show the importance of a design consultant with skills base and experience in procurement in the process of construction project development. The competitive negotiation process allowed to a final contract price that was lower than the initial best offer. Furthermore, a revised structural project design undertaken under the responsibility of the contractor increased the quality of the project design in comparison with the initial one. The results also show some adjustments in procurement method along the procurement process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citizen scientist platforms such as eBird and iNaturalist are dramatically increasing the biodiversity data available for scientific research. Questions remain about the validity of data collected by people with undefined credentials. However, few studies have examined the data quality of citizen science studies in detail. As part of an autumn orientation program, the Honors College at UMass Boston invited incoming students for a retreat on Thompson Island in Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. One of their activities was a three-hour bioblitz using iNaturalist. We reviewed data collected from three autumn orientations (2017--2019) to evaluate the quality of the data and to examine the hypothesis that first-time users can contribute useful biodiversity observations. The students collected more than 2,000 observations and uploaded more than 5,700 photographs, mostly of plants (about 50%) and animals (40%). Approximately 50% of the observations became Research Grade by iNaturalist criteria. Errors in GPS data (ca 1--4%) did not always place observations automatically in the project. First-time users, presumably because they are digital natives and have experience with cell phone cameras, quickly master the basics of iNaturalist. We conclude that students using the iNaturalist platform, with a crowd-sourced ID process, produce data that are useful for a variety of biodiversity studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field-programmable logic arrays are often used in courses on computer architecture. The student must describe the processor with the external components necessary for its operation in the specified HDL (hardware description language) language according to the provided specification during a certain number of projects. The weakness of this approach is that the basis of such projects is a processor of one specific architecture, so the lecturer faces the issue of individualization of projects. This article proposes a solution based on dedicated processors instead of one programmable processor of a specific architecture. It’s shown here that the issue of project individualization is easier solvable in the proposed way, and it does not deviate from the theory of computer architecture, because the programmable processor is a generalization of a dedicated processor. The article describes project design ideas based on dedicated processors and gives some examples. Represented different instance than was applied during practical sessions of Computer Architecture that are held at the Department of Electronic Systems within VILNIUS TECH, i.e. certain modifications, and additions were applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study conducted in the academic year 2019-2020 at the University of Palermo with Primary Educational Sciences master’s degree course (LM 85-bis) students that were performing their third year in-class internship. We asked to 269 students who performed 50 hours of in-class internship during previous months to describe their didactic plans using a tailor-made guide by which we also aimed to help them carry out metacognitive reflection on personalized teaching. In addition, by the use of QTD test, we assessed students’ decision-making ability to plan a lesson in an inclusive school. We also examined their different perceptions of self-efficacy in behaviour management, inclusive teaching and collaboration in order to prepare the training project for the following last year of internship. Progettare interventi didattici personalizzati: implicazioni per la formazione dei futuri insegnanti L’articolo riporta i risultati di un’indagine sul terzo anno di tirocinio nel corso di laurea magistrale (LM 85-bis) in Scienze della Formazione Primaria dell’Università degli Studi di Palermo nell’anno accademico 2019-2020. È stato chiesto ai 269 studenti, che avevano svolto nei mesi precedenti 50 ore di tirocinio in classe, di descrivere le loro progettazioni didattiche seguendo una guida, appositamente costruita, che li aiutasse anche a svolgere una riflessione metacognitiva sulla didattica personalizzata; inoltre la capacità decisionale degli studenti, valutata con il test QTD, è stata messa in relazione con la loro capacità di progettare in una scuola inclusiva. Al fine di preparare il progetto formativo per il successivo ultimo anno di tirocinio sono state studiate le loro differenti percezioni di autoefficacia nella gestione del comportamento, nella didattica inclusiva e nella collaborazione.

This paper focus on the encounter between the theoretical principles and the methodologies of didactics in nature and the paradigm of educational evaluation. To the former literature has always recognized a key role in promoting children’s development; to the latter recent investigations recognize the undisputed merit of supporting teachers in a constant deliberation on the quality, broadly speaking, of their own teaching capabilities. An overview of the most recent literature on both these themes will be offered, in the attempt to highlight how much the encounter between an educational practice, considered innovative, and a rigorous approach to formative assessment, can affect the rethinking of teaching practices and the development of professionalism of teachers. In line with these assumptions, this study can be considered as the first stage of a project that is aimed at providing tools for the definition and the validation of educational evaluation in monitoring and promoting the quality of didactics in nature. Didattica in natura e educational evaluation: per una progettazione comune Il presente contributo intende porre l’attenzione sull’incontro tra i principi teorici e le metodologie della didattica in natura e il paradigma dell’educational evaluation. Alla prima la letteratura riconosce da sempre un ruolo chiave nella promozione dello sviluppo dei bambini; al secondo le recenti indagini riconoscono il merito indiscusso di sostenere gli insegnanti in una costante riflessione sulla qualità, in senso lato, della propria didattica. Verrà offerta una panoramica della più recente letteratura su entrambi i temi sostenendo quanto l’incontro tra una pratica educativa considerata innovativa e un approccio rigoroso alla valutazione formativa possa incidere sul ripensamento delle pratiche didattiche e sullo sviluppo della professionalità dei docenti. In linea con tali presupposti il contributo si pone come primo tassello di un progetto che prevede la definizione e la validazione di strumenti di educational evaluation deputati al monitoraggio e alla promozione della qualità della didattica in natura.

Copyright of Experimental Technology & Management is the property of Experimental Technology & Management Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Espacios is the property of Talleres de Impresos Oma and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Standardization is a commonplace idea today; however, capital projects have not been able to achieve high levels of facility design standardization. The Construction Industry Institute (CII) identified 15 standardization critical success factors (CSFs) for capital projects, particularly the upstream, midstream, and mining sector, to help the practitioners achieve higher levels of facility design standardization in capital projects. However, there is a need to better understand the CSFs comprehensively by analyzing data from actual standardized projects. To fill this gap, this study examined CSFs' degrees of accomplishment, as well as project performance scores for different metrics, and have analyzed a correlation between CSFs' accomplishment and the project performance of 43 projects. The results show that the more standardization CSFs are accomplished, the better the project performances. This research also identified which CSFs are commonly accomplished and which CSFs are challenging to accomplish by analyzing the degree of accomplishment of each CSF. The results show that Basic Engineering Design Data, Operations and Maintenance, Technology Maturity, and Experience and Capability of Project Team are the CSFs that are more commonly accomplished, whereas Constructability of Standardization and Feasibility Analysis of Standardization are the CSFs that the industry finds difficult to accomplish. The research findings will help the industry to understand better the importance of the CSFs, which will lead them to achieve better project performance for capital projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence on the performance of market-based sanitation (MBS) interventions is needed to support renewed focus on using them to deliver sanitation services at scale. We conducted a comprehensive review of WASH grantfunding since 1980 to identify household sanitation supply projects using an MBS approach, assessed project characteristics and outcomes (population impacted), and reviewed project strategies against three key factors for scaling MBS (customer and business finance; availability and viability of local entrepreneurs; appropriate toilet product and business models). For a subset with higher outcomes, we assessed project strategies more fully against nine MBS strategies considered good practice, and the programme's ability to leverage household investment. Of 103 sanitation supply projects in eight global databases, 49 qualified as MBS and occurred in 22 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and Latin America. Cumulatively, 27.6 million people, nearly all rural, gained access to basic sanitation via markets across these projects. 'Large-scale' MBS projects exceeding 50,000 people gaining basic sanitation (n = 27) compared with those that did not (n = 22) were longer and significantly more likely to address all three key factors (74 per cent vs. 41 per cent; p = 0.019), but on average applied only six of nine good practice strategies. Outcomes and programme leverage were higher in South/Southeast Asia than in sub-Saharan Africa. However, African projects tended to have shorter duration, fewer reached 'large-scale', and rarely employed a sales and marketing strategy. We discuss implications for improving the design and performance of MBS interventions globally and particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Form@re is the property of Firenze University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Community-based sustainability transitions projects are increasingly being considered for their potential as policy delivery vehicles for the UK government Climate Change Act commitments. At the same time, project funders seek reassurances that their investments are relevant in helping communities mitigate, and adapt to, the effects of climate change. Despite this increased pressure, recent research suggests that evaluations of such sustainability transitions projects have, on the one hand variable impacts, or impacts that are of an inadequate scale, duration, or type, or on the other, that project staff lack the capacity or resources to undertake monitoring and evaluation to the degree of rigour expected by policy makers and funders. Purpose: This article reports on an extended case study of a fully-funded five year community-based sustainability transitions project in Leicestershire, England. In particular, it reviews the deployment of developmental evaluation (DE) methods in an attempt to capture the project team's learning about doing community-based sustainability work. Setting: A funded community-based sustainability transitions project in a south Leicestershire market town. Intervention: Developmental evaluation methods were used to capture project-based learning as a resource for project innovation and adaptation. Research Design: Phronetic case study. Data Collection and Analysis: Participant-observation, action research, focus and special issue group facilitation. Findings: Use of a developmental evaluation method identified key learning points for the project actors; these focused on how the project had adapted to the complexities of the operating environment through innovations in second-order learning or learning how to learn. The paper makes recommendations for the design and funding arrangements of community-based sustainability transitions initiatives and developmental evaluation is endorsed as a viable and promising adjunct to more traditional impact, economic, and process evaluation methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-income rural communities suffer from a lack of quality and availability of services that impact their quality of life, such as sanitation facilities or solid waste collection. From an engineering perspective, it is possible to develop solutions that comprehensively address these needs. Domestic biodigesters are a convenient method to dispose of the organic fraction of solid waste; they can function as safely managed sanitary facilities and return useful products to the community such as cooking gas and organic fertilizer. However, successful implementation requires designing a solution according to the needs and resources of each community. The objective of this research was to develop a methodology for the characterization of organic waste generated in a Mayan community located in Yaxuná, Yaxcabá, Yucatán, and to revalorize it through its co-digestion with human excreta in domestic biodigesters. The proposed hybrid methodology (the extended application of questionnaires combined with the physical inspection of a small sample) was able to detect general patterns in the generation of organic wastes that were subsequently analyzed to select those wastes that, due to their characteristics (statistical and physicochemical), can enter the anaerobic digestion process in combination with human excreta. Finally, a mixture of substrates was proposed according to the particularities of Yaxuná. It was estimated that methane production from this mixture would be 53.36 L per person per day. • Rural communities lack essential services for a good quality of life. • Biodigesters can be kept stable by selecting appropriate, on-site substrates. • Methodologies are required for the analysis of waste generation patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]