Search results for "structural"

Exploring working conditions as determinants of job satisfaction: an empirical test among Catalonia service workers

2011

Job satisfaction is particularly important in the service industries since it involves direct contact with customers and thus has a direct influence on company performance. This paper analyses the impact of 10 working conditions on job satisfaction by means of structural equation modeling in a representative stratified random sample of 1553 service sector employees in Catalonia, Spain. Significant effects in social aspects (recognition of a job well done and social support) were found, followed by psychological loads (emotional demands and job insecurity) and by task contents (development and meaning, and predictability). These variables explained 50% of the variance in job satisfaction.

2004

The current progress in sequencing projects calls for rapid, reliable and accurate function assignments of gene products. A variety of methods has been designed to annotate sequences on a large scale. However, these methods can either only be applied for specific subsets, or their results are not formalised, or they do not provide precise confidence estimates for their predictions. We have developed a large-scale annotation system that tackles all of these shortcomings. In our approach, annotation was provided through Gene Ontology terms by applying multiple Support Vector Machines (SVM) for the classification of correct and false predictions. The general performance of the system was bench…

Precambrian crustal evolution and continental drift

1981

One of the major questions of Precambrian research is whether present-day plate tectonic models can be applied to the evolution of the ancient continental crust or whether the tectonic style suggests a unidirectional and therefore non-uniformitarian development in response to gradual changes in the global thermal regime through time.

Port–City Relationship and the Environment: Literature Survey and Methodological Approach for Project Appraisal in Presence of Environmental External…

2015

AbstractIn times of increasing environmental awareness, the port–city relationship has gained new meaning because ports have been seen as the origin of both negative and positive externalities affecting public welfare. While the former are the result of port expansion, the latter are the result of transforming obsolete port areas into recreational facilities. Therefore, to support effective policymaking, this paper considers the following question: What is the scope of economic valuation of these externalities in the context of port-project appraisal? Considering their nonmarket nature, which makes economic valuation more difficult, a contingent valuation method is introduced as an economic…

Un sistema formativo ancora da costruire. Riflessioni e proposte per la formazione iniziale degli educatori per la prima infanzia

2022

Mettendo in relazione la formazione iniziale di educatori/educatrici e insegnanti per la prima infanzia con le conoscenze relative allo sviluppo, alle modalità di apprendimento e ai bisogni dei bambini nei primi sei anni di vita, il mio intervento si centra sulla ipotesi di un curriculo formativo unitario. Individua quindi sia le aree disciplinari fondamentali e i possibili contenuti, sia i modelli formativi più efficaci per delineare un profilo professionale specifico, conducendo un approfondimento sull’apprendimento dall’esperienza all’interno dell’Università e sulle modalità di tirocinio maggiormente efficaci. In base alla normativa vigente, delineo poi le criticità del modello formativo…

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ GROWTH GOALS, OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOAL FULFILLMENT, AND PERCEIVED UNIVERSITY AND MESOSYSTEM SUPPORT

2021

This study assessed the relationship between students’ growth goals and perceived opportunities to achieve these goals in Latvia and the perceived support from the university and the mesosystem. Socialization models emphasize that the setting of personal goals occurs in continuous interaction with the sociocultural context, which includes perceived opportunities to achieve these goals and the interpersonal environment. Both – perceived support from close people (mesosystems) and perceived support from the university – are significant for students. The study involved 432 university students between 18 and 49. We have assessed the extent to which students’ goals regarding education, work, and…

Preliminary CAD implementation of EU-DEMO primary heat transfer systems for HCPB breeding blanket option

2019

Abstract This paper focuses on the 3D CAD implementation of the pipework and the main equipment of the Primary Heat Transfer System of EU-DEMO fusion power plant. In particular, the systems related to the Helium-Cooled Pebble Bed Breeding Blanket option are considered here. During the pulse operation, the breeding blanket modules will be the main thermal power source; Divertor and the Vacuum Vessel will contribute in the definition of the total reactor power. All the In-Vessel generated power is rejected to the Power Conversion System through a molten salt Intermediate Heat Transport System. The latter is equipped with an Energy Storage System to allow for continuous operation also during t…

Multiobjective optimization and decision making in engineering sciences

2021

AbstractReal-world decision making problems in various fields including engineering sciences are becoming ever more challenging to address. The consideration of various competing criteria related to, for example, business, technical, workforce, safety and environmental aspects increases the complexity of decision making and leads to problems that feature multiple competing criteria. A key challenge in such problems is the identification of the most preferred trade-off solution(s) with respect to the competing criteria. Therefore, the effective combination of data, skills, and advanced engineering and management technologies is becoming a key asset to a company urging the need to rethink how…

Optimization and sensitivity analysis of existing deep learning models for pavement surface monitoring using low-quality images

2022

Automated pavement distress detection systems have become increasingly sought after by road agencies to in crease the efficiency of field surveys and reduce the likelihood of insufficient road condition data. However, many modern approaches are developed without practical testing using real-world scenarios. This paper ad dresses this by practically analyzing Deep Learning models to detect pavement distresses using French Secondary road surface images, given the issues of limited available road condition data in those networks. The study specifically explores several experimental and sensitivity-testing strategies using augmentation and hyper- parameter case studies to bolster practical mode…

Analysis of Offshore Knuckle Boom Crane - Part Two: Motion Control

2013

In this paper design of electro-hydraulic motion control systems for offshore knuckle boom cranes is discussed. The influence of the control valve bandwidth along with the ramp time for the control signal are investigated both analytically with simplified system models and numerically with an experimentally verified crane model. The results of both types of investigations are related to general design rules for selection of control valves and ramp times and the relevance of these design rules is discussed. Generally, they are useful but may be too conservative for offshore knuckle boom cranes. However, as demonstrated in the paper, the only proper way to determine this is to evaluate the mo…