Production Team Research Articles

Performance of solid particles as thermal storage media in thermal power flexibility retrofits: Effects of charging and discharging flow rates on single piece stacking bed

An innovative, efficient, and cost-effective energy storage method was introduced for retrofitting thermal power plants, which can be connected in series to scale up quickly (like a battery) and aimed to replace expensive, hazardous molten salts. Charging/discharging processes among steam and solid particles were investigated using energy storage devices with capacities in the tens of kilowatts. Results of the study confirm the excellent performance of steel waste as a thermal energy storage medium. Key findings include that the time required for complete charging decreases from 75 to 300 kg/h, taking 173, 128, 106, and 105 min, respectively. The most efficient charging occurs when the bed temperature is most inhomogeneous, taking 68, 42, 34, and 28 min for 75–300 kg/h. The highest average charging power and heat transfer coefficient are 5 kW and 210 W/(m2·K) at 300 kg/h. In addition, 145 kg/h achieves optimal speed and quantity coupling, resulting in the highest charging efficiency of approximately 84 %. Time-optimized and efficiency-optimized charging flows are given. Real-time efficiency shows that the poorest temperature uniformity corresponds to the highest charging efficiency, with 145 kg/h exhibiting the strongest thermal inertia and 75 kg/h the weakest. Higher flow rates improve internal heat transfer and reduce stratification, facilitating multiple charge-discharge cycles. At discharge rates of 50, 75, and 100 kg/h, steam production is sustained at approximately 30, 40, and 50 kg/h for 11, 7, and 7 min, respectively. Discharge efficiency increases with flow rate, rising from 30 % to 95 %. Phase transition region migrates at approximately 10∼20 mm/s across different discharge rates, with 75 kg/h showing the fastest discharge state. As the discharge rate increases, the phase transition region's total area proportion rises, reaching about 70 % at 100 kg/h. Research demonstrates the potential of this new energy storage medium for efficient and safe retrofitting of thermal power plants.

Comparative Performance of Three Eye-Tracking Devices in Detection of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Acute Versus Chronic Subject Populations.

Presently, traumatic brain injury (TBI) triage in field settings relies on symptom-based screening tools such as the updated Military Acute Concussion Evaluation. Objective eye-tracking may provide an alternative means of neurotrauma screening due to sensitivity to neurotrauma brain-health changes. Previously, the US Army Medical Research and Development Command Non-Invasive NeuroAssessment Devices (NINAD) Integrated Product Team identified 3 commercially available eye-tracking devices (SyncThink EYE-SYNC, Oculogica EyeBOX, NeuroKinetics IPAS) as meeting criteria toward being operationally effective in the detection of TBI in service members. We compared these devices to assess their relative performance in the classification of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) subjects versus normal healthy controls. Participants 18 to 45 years of age were assigned to Acute mTBI, Chronic mTBI, or Control group per study criteria. Each completed a TBI assessment protocol with all 3 devices counterbalanced across participants. Acute mTBI participants were tested within 72 hours following injury whereas time since last injury for the Chronic mTBI group ranged from months to years. Discriminant analysis was undertaken to determine device classification performance in separating TBI subjects from controls. Area Under the Curves (AUCs) were calculated and used to compare the accuracy of device performance. Device-related factors including data quality, the need to repeat tests, and technical issues experienced were aggregated for reporting. A total of 63 participants were recruited as Acute mTBI subjects, 34 as Chronic mTBI subjects, and 119 participants without history of TBI as controls. To maximize outcomes, poorer quality data were excluded from analysis using specific criteria where possible. Final analysis utilized 49 (43 male/6 female, mean [x̅] age = 24.3 years, SD [s] = 5.1) Acute mTBI subjects, and 34 (33 male/1 female, x̅ age = 38.8 years, s = 3.9) Chronic mTBI subjects were age- and gender-matched as closely as possible with Control subjects. AUCs obtained with 80% of total dataset ranged from 0.690 to 0.950 for the Acute Group and from 0.753 to 0.811 for the Chronic mTBI group. Validation with the remaining 20% of dataset produced AUCs ranging from 0.600 to 0.750 for Acute mTBI group and 0.490 to 0.571 for the Chronic mTBI group. Potential eye-tracking detection of mTBI, per training model outcomes, ranged from acceptable to excellent for the Acute mTBI group; however, it was less consistent for the Chronic mTBI group. The self-imposed targeted performance (AUC of 0.850) appears achievable, but further device improvements and research are necessary. Discriminant analysis models differed for the Acute versus Chronic mTBI groups, suggesting performance differences in eye-tracking. Although eye-tracking demonstrated sensitivity in the Chronic group, a more rigorous and/or longitudinal study design is required to evaluate this observation. mTBI injuries were not controlled for this study, potentially reducing eye-tracking assessment sensitivity. Overall, these findings indicate that while eye-tracking remains a viable means of mTBI screening, device-specific variability in data quality, length of testing, and ease of use must be addressed to achieve NINAD objectives and DoD implementation.

Disentangling the socio-technical impacts of digitalization: What changes for shop-floor decision-makers?

With the diffusion of Industry 4.0 technologies, firms can decentralize operational decisions, fostering a data-driven Digital Transformation (DT) across all organizational levels. Digitalized shopfloors can leverage an unprecedented availability of data for better and faster decision-making, resulting in enhanced operational performance. However, limited research has investigated the organizational and individual implications for those who run the manufacturing lines: production managers, supervisors, team leaders, and workers. By adopting a socio-technical framework, this study aims to disentangle the effects that digitalization has on shopfloors’ organizational structures, decision-making processes, and individual competencies, as well as the interdependencies among them. An exploratory approach was adopted, based on an empirical cross-country study involving 34 semi-structured interviews conducted in the Italian and Spanish automotive sectors. Analyzed through the lenses of information-processing, knowledge-based, and dynamic capability theories, our findings reveal through five propositions how digitalization induces a “polarization” of operational decision-making: shopfloors are run by knowledgeable data-empowered production managers and autonomous information-processing team leaders on the front line, with a reduced importance of supervisors. Upskilling needs appear for team leaders but not production workers, whose involvement, however, emerges as a key factor for a successful digitalization and overall performance in initial DT stages. This study contributes to literature on digitalization by exposing managerial tensions and dynamic capabilities, along with a deeper understanding of the micro-foundations of DT in terms of implications for shop-floor decision-makers. Managerial implications are directed at creating awareness about the centrality of production team leaders, and future research avenues are proposed.

Examining the Impact of Employee Welfare on Organizational Performance of Kenya Power and Lightening Company Limited Kitale, Kenya

This article examines the impact of employee welfare on the organizational performance of Kenya Power and Lightening Company Limited in Kitale, Kenya. The article revealed that a poor working environment, a lack of motivation, and overworking were the causes of poor employee performance. However, the welfare of employees at Kenya Power and Lightening Company is not bad. This was based on the responses received from the respondents. Furthermore, a significant proportion of respondents, specifically 41.7%, reported receiving all welfare benefits, including food, health, and school benefits. The study suggests that Kenya Power and Lightening Company should prioritize maintaining and enhancing employee welfare to boost the team's productivity. This, in turn, leads to improved organizational performance. More so, organisations like Kenya Power and Lightening Company and others in the same category. Furthermore, companies such as Kenya Power and Lightening Company, along with others in the same sector, consistently offer their employees welfare benefits. They should also strive to reduce harsh and unfriendly working conditions, as this can demotivate employees and result in poor organisational performance. Finally, the government should formulate policies that favour employees in the workplace. These policies should focus on creating a good working environment for employees, as this will ultimately lead to improved organisational performance. Keywords: Employee, Employee performance, Environment, Organization, Working condition.

Effect of Mechanical Pressure on Rate Capability, Lifetime, and Expansion of Multilayer Pouch Cells with Silicon-Dominant Anodes

Silicon-dominant (Si) anodes with microscale silicon particles meet the requirements of high energy density and low costs due to its ten times higher theoretical electrochemical capacity of 3579 mAh/gSi (Li15Si4) compared to graphite,1 lifetime extension due to partial lithiation,1-2 and high abundance and economic availability due to existing industrial infrastructure.1-2 The major drawback of silicon is the large volume expansion of nearly 300% upon full lithiation. This hinders the broad application of silicon as an active anode material due to continuous SEI (re-) formation and electrochemical milling of particles. Additionally, the volume expansion impacts the overall electrode stability, leading to thickness changes, the disruption of the electronic pathways, and the decoupling of particles. Although the approach of partial lithiation of microscale1 Si eases these effects by lowering the overall volume expansion, these problems still exist.2,3 In this work, the effect of different mechanical cell pressures on lithium-ion batteries with partially lithiated silicon-dominant anodes is investigated with 5.4 Ah multilayer pouch cells as a follow-up study of our previous work with laboratory T-Cells.3 Methodologically, a novel cell holder and pressure device were developed and validated to apply different mechanical cell pressures. Our investigation covers a pressure range from uncompressed as zero (ZP, 0.00 MPa) to high (HP, 0.50 MPa) external cell pressure to determine the optimal pressure for high rate capacity, cyclic lifetime, energy density, and low thickness gain. The cells were tested by checkup cycles at C/10, rate tests up to 3C, and cycled at C/2 until 70% state of health (SoH). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was conducted at different SoHs to quantify the effect of mechanical pressures on the impedance response.4 The post-mortem analysis after reaching 70% SoH and operando thickness measurements in a compression test5 bench give insights into the electrode and cell thickness gain.In the electrochemical results, the discharge capacity Q DCH was immediately reduced by decreasing the mechanical pressure from 0.20 MPa to 0.00 MPa or 0.05 MPa, both for the cells in the cell holder (see inset in Figure 1a) and the compression test bench (not shown). This pressure change was also quantified by an increased charge-averaged full cell potential during charging and a decreased charge-averaged full cell potential during discharging. The impedance was reduced for higher mechanical pressure, especially the cathode contact resistance initially and over aging, resulting in lower temperature increases during the rate tests. The capacity retention Q DCH and the total charge throughput were increased to 360 cycles until 70% SoH for higher mechanical pressures at NP (normal pressure, 0.20 MPa) and HP (see Figure 1) compared to 181 cycles for ZP. Overall, applying higher mechanical pressures reduced the thickness increase, as shown by operando thickness measurements and the post-mortem analysis. A dependency of the reversible thickness on the charged capacity was found. Moreover, the porosity decreased with increasing pressure, which was measured with mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) and pycnometry. The anode mass increase correlates to the total charge throughput, which is pressure-dependent and the highest for NP.Our findings demonstrate that applying the optimal mechanical cell pressure is significant when using microscale silicon-dominant anodes. We recommend a mechanical pressure of 0.50 MPa for increased rate capacity, minimizing impedance, heat evolution, and thickness gain, and 0.20 MPa for increased energy density. Acknowledgments: S.F. gratefully acknowledges the financial support from the BMBF (Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany) under the auspices of the ExZellTUM III project (grant number 03XP0255). The authors want to thank the research battery production team of iwb at TUM for the multi-layer pouch cell production. We also thank Wacker Chemie for kindly providing the microscale silicon material.

Integration of an Autothermal Outer Electrified Reformer Technology for Methanol Production from Biogas: Enhanced Syngas Quality Production and CO2 Capture and Utilization Assessment

Biogas has emerged as a valid feedstock for biomethanol production from steam reforming. This study investigates an alternative layout based on an auto-thermal electrified reforming assuming a 1 MW equivalent anaerobic digestion plant as a source for methanol synthesis. The process considers an oxy-steam combustion of biogas and direct carbon sequestration with the presence of a reverse water–gas shift reactor to convert CO2 and H2 produced by a solid oxide electrolyzer cell to syngas. Thermal auto-sufficiency is ensured for the reverse water–gas shift reaction through the biogas oxy-combustion, and steam production is met with the integration of heat network recovery, with an overall process total electrical demand. This work compares the proposed process of electrification with standard biogas reforming and data available from the literature. To compare the results, some key performance indicators have been introduced, showing a carbon impact of only 0.04 kgCO2/kgMeOH for the electrified process compared to 1.38 kgCO2/kgMeOH in the case of biogas reforming technology. The auto-thermal electrified design allows for the recovery of 66.32% of the carbon available in the biogas, while a similar electrified process for syngas production reported in literature reaches only 15.34%. The overall energy impact of the simulated scenarios shows 94% of the total energy demand for the auto-thermal scenario associated with the electrolyzer. Finally, the introduction of the new layout is taken into consideration based on the country’s carbon intensity, proving carbon neutrality for values lower than 75 gCO2/kWh and demonstrating the role of renewable energies in the industrial application of the process.

Studi Numerik Pengaruh Sudut Bukaan Damper dan Flue Gas Temperatur Terhadap Distribusi Temperatur Pada Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG)

The Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant (PLTGU) utilizes the waste heat from the gas turbine to produce steam in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The steam from the HRSG is then used to generate electricity in a steam turbine. In HRSG operation, several variables significantly impact its performance, including the damper angle and inlet temperature. At the Tanjung Uncang Power Plant in Batam, the manufacturer's standard operating procedure (SOP) requires that the exhaust gas temperature when the damper is open must be below 400°C. However, the gas turbine with an initial load of 5 MW has an exhaust gas temperature of 560°C - 580°C. Therefore, it is necessary to perform a gas turbine load release or FSNL (Full Speed No Load) to reduce the inlet temperature of the gas turbine. During FSNL, there are SOPs for diverter damper angles of 51°, 68°, and 90°. This leads to the need for analyzing the impact of diverter damper angles and inlet temperature on the flow pattern and temperature distribution. The analysis was conducted using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) with ANSYS Fluent 2020 software. The variations used are diverter damper angles of 51°, 68°, and 90°, combined with inlet temperatures of 400°C and 580°C. The simulation outputs include velocity contours, temperature contours, and equivalent stress on the superheater tubes. The HRSG simulation results show that the flue gas is not distributed uniformly. The turbine exhaust gas only spreads along 4 – 11 meters, leading to slower steam production from the superheater. Additionally, when the superheater tubes are empty, the steady-state thermal and structural simulation results indicate that an inlet temperature of 580°C, whether at damper angles of 51°, 68°, or 90°, can cause a larger temperature difference between the inner and outer walls, ranging from 117.04°C to 125.5°C. This temperature difference can lead to thermal stress on the superheater tubes. This is shown in the S-N Curve for SA 213 T22 material, with a convection coefficient of 5 W/m² K (no steam), where the equivalent stress exceeds the endurance limit (infinite zone).

Agile Project Management Impacts Software Development Team Productivity

The agile nature of the software development sector calls for flexible and effective project management techniques. Agile Project Management (APM) is emerging as a significant method that supports team cooperation, iterative improvement, and flexibility. This paper looks at how agile project management might affect software development team output. This study investigates the primary Agile methodologies Scrum and their impact on team productivity by means of a thorough literature review and empirical analysis. A mixed-methods approach employs qualitative comments and quantitative measures to provide a comprehensive view of output changes. We examine several software development teams inside a mid-sized technology company over 12 months using a case study approach, comparing productivity measures before and after Agile practices, including team satisfaction, development pace, and code quality. Furthermore, team member surveys and interviews offer an understanding of the supposed advantages and difficulties of switching to Agile approaches. Teams showing more efficiency, improved communication, and better morale point to a notable rise in productivity. Notable improvements included improved adaptability to shifting project needs and a shorter time-to-market for software products. This paper offers an insightful analysis of Agile Project Management's ability to revolutionize software development processes, helping companies trying to improve project results. This study has consequences for managers and practitioners because it provides valuable instructions for implementing Agile approaches to achieve the best team performance. Future directions of study will include investigating the long-term effects of Agile methods and their relevance in various organizational settings.

Gamification strategy to promote social and human factors in the training of software engineers: A case study

AbstractSoftware Engineering is a discipline frequently reflected in training strategies. This discipline requires certain levels of abstraction to achieve the competencies and skills necessary for the professional development of future software developers. The software industry increasingly demands that professionals in this discipline have social and human skills to achieve highly productive teams. Therefore, these teams should respond to such demands in a world with increasing dependence on technology and the development of software products. Traditional pedagogical strategies often need help adapting to the new generations of software engineers and responding in a limited way to the demands of teaching processes related to this discipline. This article evaluates a gamification‐based strategy designed for the Software Engineering course at a Latin American higher education institution. This course addressed software project management as a training objective. Such a strategy was designed with a gamification‐based model to influence the productivity of software development teams. The results of using the model show its efficiency and usefulness as a guide for implementing new strategies based on gamification that considers social and human factors (SHFs) to intervene in the productivity of software development teams. The challenges designed in the proposal presented managed to promote SHFs in the participants, according to the analysis of the prepared case study. According to these results, the factors considered relate to skills and experience in managing software development projects, motivation, and communication. The activities executed by the participants in the context of the case study strengthened the human side of the team and allowed its growth to achieve its objectives.

Analysis of Video Media Management Mode from Pear Video

Nowadays, the way of video communication has undergone great changes, the public has rarely watched videos through traditional TV, and the market users have been constantly divided. Tiktok, Kuaishou, micro-vision quickly occupied the short video market, B station occupied the video hegemon seat, “Love Youteng” three long-term in the long video industry top position. In this context, major TV stations and video media production teams have tried to transform and upgrade video media. Pear video is a short video platform in China so far, focusing on short information video and doing very successful in the field. From the current model of Pear video, we can study and analyze the trend of video media management.

Relevance of the Socialization Process in the Brazilian Public Sector: A Review

This article explores the socialization process in companies through an extensive literature review. Socialization refers to how new employees are integrated into the company culture. This process can take many forms, including orientation sessions, training programs, mentorship arrangements, and team-building activities. The primary goal of socialization is to help new employees understand the company's values, goals, and expectations. Additionally, it aims to facilitate building relationships with colleagues. In conclusion, a successful socialization process can lead to greater job satisfaction, increased productivity, and stronger team cohesion, which is helpful to scholars, human resource managers, and other practitioners.

Data based digital twin for operational performance optimization in CFB boilers

The benchmarks of controllable variables for circulating fluidized bed (CFB) boilers with small capacity dependencies on operator experience result in boiler efficiency penalties, increased energy consumption, and performance degradation. This study proposes a digital twin (DT) for a CFB boiler based on data-driven methods to determine the benchmarks of controllable variables by mining historical operating data to save energy, with a coefficient, Cm, proposed for the online evaluation of boiler performance. A hybrid data-driven model integrating kernel density estimation and the K-means++ algorithm was proposed to optimize boiler performance for different coal types, with Cm set as the clustering objective to determine the benchmarks of controllable variables from an operator's perspective. In addition, a classification model adopting an extreme gradient boosting algorithm was presented to identify the coal type online. The proposed DT was applied to an on-duty 150 t/h CFB boiler. The results showed that the proposed DT could identify coal types online with an accuracy of no lower than 94.8 %. Moreover, after the industrial commission of DT, the boiler efficiency increased from 84.41 % to 85.96 % on average, the energy savings reached 151.01 GJ, while steam production increased 59,998 kg over three days, thus highlighting that the proposed benchmarks for controllable variables help enhance the performance of CFB boilers.

Adaptation Analysis Of Harry Potter And The Half Blood Prince Novel By J.K. Rowling Into Film By David Yates

Nowadays, there are many literary works that is transformed into an adaptation work. One of them is J.K rowling's novel entitled Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with the same title. Using this object, this article focuses on the motives that exist in the process of adapting the novel and make it into the form of a film adaptation. During process of transformation,it arises some changes and some excisions. These changes because of the consequences of the differences in the media, the text and audiovisual. There are three issues discussed in this research. First, what are the changes that have been made by the production team, the second, the consequences of differences in media against stories in novels and films, the third, the motives that contained in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Then, we use comparative method in this study in order to compare the differences between the novel and the film. During the process of analysis, we use the theory of adaptation and semiotic analysis. Furthermore, this article begins by classifying the differences that exist in the novel and compare it to the movie. After that, we use semiotics in order to help find the ideology that contained in the novel and the film. This ideology helps on finding the motives that contained in the film adaptation. The results of the analysis are: dominant ideology in the film adaptation is capitalism ideology that explains the economic and cultural motives in this film adaptation.

Air Monitoring in Operating Rooms: Results from a Comprehensive Study in the Campania Region

Ensuring air quality in operating rooms is crucial for the health and safety of healthcare professionals and patients. This study, focused on 141 operating theatres in the Campania Region from 2015 to 2022, highlights the importance of air monitoring in operating rooms. Microclimatic parameters, air exchanges, thermal comfort indices, air pressure differences, and anesthetic gas concentrations were measured using standardized procedures. Results indicate that 19% of microclimatic checks exceeded acceptable limits, with significant non-compliance in air velocity (0.01–0.04 m/s, mean 0.03 m/s) and air changes (1–14 h−1, mean 6 h−1). Additionally, levels of anesthetic gases such as nitrous oxide (54.7–197.31 ppm, mean 142.92 ppm) and sevoflurane (2.05–19.45 ppm, mean 5.90 ppm) frequently exceeded recommended exposure limits, raising health concerns. These findings underscore the importance of rigorously adhering to environmental standards and continuously monitoring for optimal conditions in operating rooms. The study also stresses the necessity of ongoing education and training for healthcare personnel on preventive measures to reduce risks. In conclusion, maintaining optimal environmental conditions not only safeguards the comfort and safety of healthcare professionals and patients, but also improves team productivity and clinical outcomes. The study advocates for regularly updating national guidelines and rigorously enforcing safety protocols in healthcare facilities.

Evaluating hybrid nuclear-thermal power systems for reduced carbon footprint: A comparative analysis

The article provides an estimated substantiation of the concept of expanding the fuel and energy base and reducing the volume of greenhouse gas emissions with the joint use of organic and nuclear fuel in the structure of hybrid nuclear-thermal power plants. It is shown that the technological scheme (the production of saturated steam in a nuclear steam-producing plant - NPPU, and then overheating to the maximum achieved parameters in the thermal power industry due to organic fuel) leads to a decrease in the specific consumption of gas fuel for the production of electrical energy by 25–30 %, emissions of combustion products by 2.5 times (compared to thermal power plants), consumption of industrial water (compared to nuclear power plants) - by 1.5 times. It is indicated that it is possible to expand the fuel base of modern nuclear energy with thermal neutron reactors through the use of technologies mastered (breeder reactors) and promising (hybrid thermonuclear reactors). The fundamental advantage of the considered complex - JPPP-TPP - its feasibility in a short period of time with a significant reduction in the carbon footprint per unit of energy produced, which is an important condition for the sustainable growth of energy production while maintaining the ecological balance in the geosphere.

Waste heat recovery and valorization to electricity and steam: Use of Heat2Power® tool in a real case study from the steel industry

Waste heat recovery (WHR) in steel shops and valorization (WHV) to electricity and steam can considerably cut off the environmental burden of the steelmaking process. However, WHR/WHV is a complex issue, as there are multiple, interrelated, parameters that needs quantifying at recovery and transfer levels. In this context, we developed and launched an optimization tool that is based on mixed-integer linear programming, commercially called Heat2Power®, to provide customized WHR/WHV solutions that strictly respect all the user's objectives. For instance, the user can define the waste heat streams availability over the examined time period, the waste heat valorization path (electricity or steam production or both) and selection of the thermodynamic cycle or turbine technology to be used (inputs). The Heat2Powe® tool can be used either as a customized process calculator calculating the economics and the volumetric footprint of the WHR/WHV unit (output 1), should the user define all the system parameters or as a process optimizer, should the user not be able to specify all the design parameters, leaving the optimizer to select the most efficient WHR/WHV technology for a given operating window (output 2). Comparing the Heat2Power® results with data retrieved from a real WHR/WHV case of the steel industry, it is found that a difference of less than 20 % is attained when identical operating conditions are considered, rendering Heat2Power® a trustful and valuable decision-making tool, especially for projects being at the design and development phase.

Innovative Employee Engagement Strategies and Actions: A Comparative Study of Pre-pandemic and Pandemic Periods

The complex relationship between worker productivity and engagement in organizational settings is examined in this study. The emotional, mental, and physical commitment that workers make to their jobs is known as employee engagement, and it has become clear that this is a crucial component of what makes a business successful. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the primary engagement drivers that have the greatest impact on productivity, examine the effects of differing employee engagement levels on both individual and team productivity, and assess the efficacy of various engagement tactics in raising productivity. This research investigates how employee engagement tactics changed between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. By using a comparative study, we are able to pinpoint significant changes in strategies and how well they work to promote worker motivation, contentment, and output. We used surveys, questionnaires to collect data from a variety of industries using a mixed-methods approach. The majority of pre-pandemic tactics were in-person endeavours, such as workplace health campaigns, in-person gatherings, and team-building exercises. However, a quick shift to virtual engagement techniques was required due to the pandemic. The results of our study underscore the growing need on digital technologies, adaptable work schedules, and psychological assistance amidst the pandemic. We also investigate the effects of these tactics on worker morale and productivity, exposing both difficulties and fruitful modifications. Through the use of mixed-methods research design, the study incorporates case studies, qualitative interviews, and productivity indicators with quantitative surveys. Measures of involvement will be assessed using surveys, and the results will be compared to targets for productivity, like hours worked, company revenue, and employee satisfaction. More detailed information about the subjective perceptions of engagement and its alleged effects on productivity will be obtained through interacting with managers and employees. In order to find best practices and effective tactics, case studies of businesses with high levels of engagement will also be evaluated. According to preliminary research, there is a positive correlation between improved employee engagement and increased productivity. Key factors that influence this relationship include leadership quality, work atmosphere, and recognition. Additionally, the study shows that companies with complete engagement strategies are substantially more productive than those without. The present study adds to the expanding corpus of literature on employee engagement and provides pragmatic suggestions for establishments seeking to augment efficiency via enhanced engagement methodologies. Business executives, HR specialists, and legislators looking to promote a more engaged and effective staff will find the findings useful.

The Production Analysis and Exploitation Scheme Design of a Special Offshore Heavy Oil Reservoir—First Offshore Artificial Island with Thermal Recovery

More and more offshore heavy oil resources are discovered and exploited as the focus of the oil and gas industry shifts from land to sea. However, unlike onshore heavy oil reservoirs, offshore heavy oil reservoirs not only have active edge and bottom water but also have different exploitation methods. In this paper, a typical special heavy oil reservoir in China was analyzed in detail, based on geology–reservoir–engineering integration technology. Firstly, it is identified as a self-sealing bottom water heavy oil reservoir by analyzing its geological characteristics and hydrocarbon accumulation mechanism. Secondly, the water cut is initially controlled by oil viscosity, but subsequently, by reservoir thickness through the analysis of oil and water production data. Thirdly, the bottom oil–water contact of the reservoir was re-corrected to build an accurate 3D geological model, based on the production history matching of a single well and the whole reservoir. Lastly, a scheme of thermal production coupled with cold production was proposed to exploit this special reservoir, and the parameters of steam, N2, and CO2 injection and production were optimized to predict oil production. This work can provide a valuable development model for the efficient exploitation of similar offshore special heavy oil reservoirs.

Information and Communication Tools for Effective Functioning of Distributed Project Teams

The paper analyzes the key aspects of the use of Agile methodologies by distributed project teams in the IT industry with an emphasis on the integration of information and communication systems for effective work in dynamic environments. The challenges faced by the virtual IT industry in the context of the COVID pandemic, the large-scale invasion of Russia, which generated radical changes in the approaches to the management of project teams, have been considered. The considerable attention is paid to the role of video conferencing and other digital tools, which have become basic in ensuring uninterrupted work and effective interaction in distributed project teams, during global crises. An analysis of the main stack of information and communication technologies in distributed project environments indicates the widespread use of such platforms as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Skype, Slack, Trello, Jira, and others to ensure flexibility, adaptability and high productivity of teams. The importance of synergy between the Agile methodology and its derivatives and digital tools is highlighted, demonstrating how it helps distributed IT project teams to adapt to changes, ensure high quality software development and foster effective communities of like-minded people. The paper provides information on the use of Agile methodology in 2023, which indicates the growth in the number of distributed project teams and captures the key factors for their successful functioning. It focuses on the importance of the integration processes of modern information and communication technologies and adaptive management practices in the dynamic world of IT projects, making a valuable contribution to the understanding of how distributed project teams can maintain a high level of productivity and efficiency, overcoming systemic obstacles and challenges that are formed in poorly predicted project environments.

Effect of human emotional responses on human-robot team pty in construction

Human-robot collaboration (HRC) is expected to improve construction productivity by integrating robotic capabilities with human expertise. However, the effects of HRC on human emotions are unclear despite their critical impacts on human performance during HRC. This paper examined the inter-relationship between robots' parameters, like movement speed, and emotional responses, during HRC for a construction task. Eighteen participants were observed as they experience various conditions of robots' parameters during a bricklaying task with an arm-type collaborative robot in a laboratory setting. Their brainwaves (i.e., electroencephalogram (EEG) signals) were monitored using an EEG headset to identify emotional responses. Results showed significant emotional variations due to robots' parameters, which could affect the estimated productivity of human-robot teams. This paper demonstrated the emotional changes caused by the robots' parameters during HRC for construction tasks, highlighting the importance of considering emotions as a way to balance the emotional well-being of people and the high productivity of human-robot teams.