Search results for "construct"
showing 10 items of 3723 documents
Energy efficiency in the European Union: What can be learned from the joint application of directional distance functions and slacks-based measures?
2014
Abstract Over the last few years concerns have increased about the energy mix in many countries. These concerns have been of greater magnitude for countries with a common energy regulation such as European Union (EU) member states. An important aspect to take into account when choosing a given energy mix is the efficiency involved in its generation. In this context, the present study analyzes the efficiency with which electricity and derived heat was produced in 25 EU member states over the last decade. This analysis considers not only the inputs and outputs involved but, more importantly, which undesirable by-products were generated during the production process, a relevant issue for EU cl…
Does the mastery of center-embedded linguistic structures distinguish humans from nonhuman primates?
2005
In a recentScience article, Fitch and Hauser (2004; hereafter, F&H) claimed to have demonstrated that cotton-top tamarins fail to learn an artificial language produced by a phrase structure grammar (Chomsky, 1957) generating center-embedded sentences, whereas adult humans easily learn such a language. We report an experiment replicating the results of F&H in humans but also showing that subjects learned the language without exploiting in any way the center-embedded structure. When the procedure was modified to make the processing of this structure mandatory, the subjects no longer showed evidence of learning. We propose a simple interpretation for the difference in performance observed in F…
Damage Indices and Photogrammetry for Decay Assessment of Stone-Built Cultural Heritage: The Case Study of the San Domenico Church Main Entrance Port…
2020
In recent decades, increasing attention is being paid to the multidisciplinary approach that allows the performance of both a preventive conservation and a more invasive restoration action. In this context, the present study aims to acquire information and data from field surveys undertaken in San Domenico Church, Southern Calabria, in order to provide a tool for the recording and the inventory of damage and decay phenomena, and assess their causes and scale. The subsequent calculation of damage indices also provided useful information in order to allow the prioritization of conservation and preservation responses.
Prosthetic modelling and simulation
2020
Abstract Modelling of physical systems can be divided into two categories: physical and mathematical modelling. Physical modelling is a process in which we construct tangible scale models that look very much like the real system. In the past century, consider the animal models that have significantly influenced the development of disease treatment and artificial joints. However, scale models require a great deal of time and resources to develop and there are limits to what can be learned from them. Mathematical or behavioural modelling is a more abstract system used for studying a research question that does not necessarily lend itself to physical modelling. In these models, the system is s…
Cualificación, socialización y terciarización
2018
During the last two decades the problem of skill has come to be a key theme in debates about active employment policies and strategies for economic modemization. In such debates the concept of skill tends to be employed in a manner which does not reflect its complexity. The article seeks to remedy this. First it makes the distinction between the socio-cultural and the technical/professional dimensions of the concept ( the technical/professional can be further broken down into explicit and tacit skills.). Secondly, the distinction is made between the skills of the worker (effective) and the skills associated with the job he/she occupies (nominal) and the possibility of a lack of fit between …
Eritrean teachers' perceptions of learner-centred interactive pedagogy
2021
In most sub-Saharan African countries, mainstreaming learner-centred interactive pedagogy (LCIP) is defined as a policy priority. Similarly, Eritrea has adopted the same policy to seek a solution to its educational challenges. Rather than rote mastery of course content, the LCIP approach prioritises learners in constructing knowledge through interaction, active participation and controlling the learning process. This paper explores secondary school teachers' perceptions of LCIP and their challenges in implementing this pedagogical approach. Constructivism and sociocultural learning theory are considered conceptual frameworks to highlight LCIP as an approach for teaching and learning. Qualit…
Project complexity and team-level absorptive capacity as drivers of project management performance
2018
Abstract Many believe that project complexity reduces project management performance. However, so far research has failed to establish this causal relationship conclusively. We extend research on project complexity by introducing the concept of team-level absorptive capacity and by studying its role as mediator between project complexity and project management success. Applying structural equation modelling to a sample of 285 respondents, we find an unequivocal, direct and positive statistical association between project complexity and delays and overspending. Further, we show that team-level absorptive capacity is critical for successful project management, but also that absorptive capacit…
Various Approaches to Early Contractor Involvement in Relational Contracts
2021
Abstract The main rationale for involving contractors is to apply collaboration to mitigate risk and to harvest opportunities to reduce cost and to increase the project owner’s value. In the paper we argue in the applied analytical model that there are four levels of early contractor involvement (ECI), which are 1) Preparation of the project (before sparking off competition); 2) During the procurement phase (development of what to build); 3) Project delivery model (before construction contract, but after the contractor and designers are selected); 4) Project delivery model (where involvement also continues in the execution phase). In the paper we argue that category 4 have the largest poten…
The Integrated Migrant worker Safety Training Evaluation Model: IMSTEM
2021
Abstract This paper presents the development of the IMSTEM (Integrated Migrant worker Safety Training Evaluation Model), which aims to provide guidance on how to evaluate the transfer of safety training of migrant workers. Addressing the lack of rigorous safety training evaluation frameworks, the IMSTEM, using a mixed methods, multi-source approach, covers the deficiencies of previous models. The IMSTEM has its foundations in three main sources: a) the integration of safety training literature in relation to migrant workers; b) the theoretical framework of realist evaluation, which enables evaluators to understand what works for whom in which circumstances; and c) the integration of the tra…
Knowledge transfer in the field of Supply Chain Management
2017
Abstract This paper aims to analyse the actual state of research in the field of supply chain management and to identify eventual gaps of knowledge and potential research directions in the field concerned. The research has been accomplished using various bibliographical sources, books, scientific reports, internal reports and information material. This paper analyses different national and international studies in the field of supply chain management, converge to identify eventual differences concerning authors’ opinion, problems and research gaps. It has been found that the specialty literature analyses in general subjects such as supply chain management, supplier performance, suppliers’ s…