Arrangement Of Projections Research Articles

Decision Model Research on Engineering Project Arrangement of Power Grid Enterprise Group Based on Input and Output Efficiency Evaluation

The engineering project arrangement of a large-scale Power Grid Enterprise Group confronts optimization problems on how to achieve efficient investment, how to achieve overall balance. This paper presents a general analytical framework, and establishes appropriate quantitative analysis models from the development of general control scale, input and output efficiency evaluation, index optimization of engineering project input of a single subsidiary, and balance optimization of engineering project arrangement of subordinate units of the Group, and so on. Simulated calculation examples show that this method is more practical, which can flexibly solve such problems.

The topology of connections between rat prefrontal, motor and sensory cortices.

The connections of prefrontal cortex (PFC) were investigated in the rat brain to determine the order and location of input and output connections to motor and somatosensory cortex. Retrograde (100 nl Fluoro-Gold) and anterograde (100 nl Biotinylated Dextran Amines, BDA; Fluorescein and Texas Red) neuronanatomical tracers were injected into the subdivisions of the PFC (prelimbic, ventral orbital, ventrolateral orbital, dorsolateral orbital) and their projections studied. We found clear evidence for organized input projections from the motor and somatosensory cortices to the PFC, with distinct areas of motor and cingulate cortex projecting in an ordered arrangement to the subdivisions of PFC. As injection location of retrograde tracer was moved from medial to lateral in PFC, we observed an ordered arrangement of projections occurring in sensory-motor cortex. There was a significant effect of retrograde injection location on the position of labelled cells occurring in sensory-motor cortex (dorsoventral, anterior-posterior and mediolateral axes p < 0.001). The arrangement of output projections from PFC also displayed a significant ordered projection to sensory-motor cortex (dorsoventral p < 0.001, anterior-posterior p = 0.002 and mediolateral axes p < 0.001). Statistical analysis also showed that the locations of input and output labels vary with respect to one another (in the dorsal-ventral and medial-lateral axes, p < 0.001). Taken together, the findings show that regions of PFC display an ordered arrangement of connections with sensory-motor cortex, with clear laminar organization of input connections. These results also show that input and output connections to PFC are not located in exactly the same sites and reveal a circuit between sensory-motor and PFC.

Roles for university researchers in urban sustainability initiatives: the UK Newcastle Low Carbon Neighbourhoods project

There is considerable debate regarding the contribution to be made by higher education institutions and the researchers they employ in realising environmentally sustainable urban spaces, and the relationship between academic research and lay knowledge. Drawing on previous work, the paper identifies roles that may be played by academic researchers in building sustainable urban locations. Adopting a focus on sub-city scale phenomena the paper illustrates how the roles played are affected by structural and non-structural factors which also shape the nature of collaboration among university researchers and other participants in urban sustainability projects. The paper does this on the basis of analysis and reflection upon research and related activities taking place over the period 2007–2011 in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England, focussing on a project called Newcastle Low Carbon Neighbourhoods. The paper finds that academic researchers play multiple, sometimes conflicting roles in such initiatives, and that national structural and locally contingent factors affect the manner of collaboration with non-specialists and the durability of urban sustainability projects. It concludes that more conventional project arrangements may avoid some difficulties associated with such complex projects but potentially denude them of their richness and originality.

A new system will lead to an optimal path of land consolidation spatial management in China

Land consolidation spatial management (LCSM) has a significant influence on optimizing national territory arrangement in China. Constrained by the absence of proper administration and evaluation mechanisms, the current LCSM system is entirely based on the principle of “Spatial Recognition of Reserved Arable Land Resources”, which eventually causes the loss of distinct management hierarchy and coordination between land consolidation functions and territorial functions. Aiming at providing an optimal path for LCSM in China, this paper proposes a new principle of “Spatial Coordination Guided by Land Consolidation Function” and establishes a new system consisting of national, provincial, municipal and county-level land consolidation zonings, which comprehensively cover the four key spatial elements of land consolidation (territorial function, land consolidation function, land consolidation potential and land consolidation engineering) by using a factor-combination method. Advantages of this new system are described as follows: (1) it recognizes a top-bottom dependent relationship and control mechanism inside LCSM; (2) it coordinates land consolidation functions with territorial functions to effectively promote regional development; (3) it actualizes multiple land consolidation functions with the support of various land consolidation potentials and engineering means; and (4) it provides specific and explicit guidance on single land consolidation project arrangement and coordinates the spatial arrangements of different regional land consolidation activities. To promote the realization of this new system, some important suggestions are also provided, such as establishing diversified and differentiated land consolidation evaluation systems; granting regions autonomy and flexibility over land consolidation project approval, investment and implement standards; and performing land consolidation with the entire region as a complete consolidation object.

Factors for success in collaboration between high- and low-income countries: Developing a physiotherapy education programme in Sudan

Background: This study presents an example of collaboration between two higher education institutions: one in Norway, a high-income country, and one in Sudan, a low-income country, in developing an entry-level physiotherapy education programme in Sudan. The institution in Sudan had minimal theoretical and practical knowledge in physiotherapy. The study examined the factors important for the success of the bilateral collaboration. Material and methods: We analysed written documents produced in the project from 2007 to 2012 in a qualitative study by using systematic text condensation. We identified vital factors for partner institutions and participants in ensuring a physiotherapy education programme of high quality. Results: These factors were within seven topics: project arrangements, collaboration relationship, curriculum development, administration of the bachelor programme, capacity building, academic community and infrastructure. Conclusion: We identified several factors that we hope can be valuable for similar projects. Some factors are similar to those shown by other studies. These are probably general factors that are important for such collaboration.

Building with Nature in Marine Infrastructure: Toward an Innovative Project Arrangement in the Melbourne Channel Deepening Project

Globally, there is an increasing pressure on coastal and marine ecosystems. The development of marine infrastructure is causing additional ecological impacts on these systems. To reduce ecological impacts innovative approaches of marine infrastructure development are being developed. These approaches, such as Building with Nature, aim to integrate ecological and social dynamics in the creation of coastal and marine infrastructure. This integration has implications for the development and management of these projects. To understand opportunities for Building with Nature approaches, this article analyzes the development of the Melbourne Channel Deepening project in Australia that developed from a conventional, state-led project toward a Building with Nature arrangement. This article shows that a Building with Nature project arrangement differs not just substantially in its ecological focus and primacy from a conventional project arrangement, but also in its leading discourse, its actor coalition, its power and resources applied, and the rules of the game through which the project is designed and implemented. We conclude that developing a Building with Nature project requires a specific arrangement that allows for an early involvement of both ecological and social dynamics.

Responding to coastal problems: Interactive knowledge development in a US nature restoration project

Coastal decision-making is impacted by global climate change and region-specific changes related to population growth, economic activities and the natural environment. This results in complex and interdependent problems. Addressing these problems requires the involvement of decision-makers, researchers and other societal actors in knowledge production. However, such means of knowledge production are poorly understood when it comes to coastal regions. Using a conceptual framework that makes a distinction between project arrangements and knowledge arrangements, this paper analyses interactive knowledge development in a nature restoration project on the US West Coast. The project adopted a collaborative approach, and involved diverse organisations in developing knowledge for reaching its restoration solutions. The case study analysis results in seven causal mechanisms. The mechanisms are divided into two groups. One group discusses processes that affect interactive knowledge development, such as the need for public support. The other group explains how interactive knowledge development functions, for example through facilitation and the creation of safe environments for researchers and regulators. Through identifying these mechanisms, this paper contributes to an improved understanding of interactive knowledge development in coastal regions.

Complex patterned gold structures fabricated via laser annealing and dealloying

Gold films with periodic stripes of nanoporous structure are realized by using pulsed laser annealing in a mask projection arrangement in combination with a dealloying process. An Ag–Au alloy is first formed in the exposed areas of Ag/Au bi-layers by annealing, and then the Ag is removed from Ag–Au alloy by submerging in HNO3 solution and nanoporous gold is formed. The Ag top-layer in the unexposed areas of the Ag/Au bi-layers is also removed and the Au under-layer remains. Laser annealing is performed with 2 pulses and 10 pulses at different energy densities. Optimized laser annealing parameters for the 140nm Ag/80nm Au bi-layers is found with 10 pulses at fluences of 132 and 143mJ/cm2.

Environmental Governance for Marine Infrastructure: Enabling and Constraining Conditions for Ecodynamic Development and Design in Marine Infrastructural Projects

ABSTRACTPorts are crucial in the economic growth of the marine sector, but a growing awareness on the adverse ecological implications influences their development. Ecodynamic development and design (EDD) is an innovative approach with the aim to integrate the economic aspects of port development projects with dynamics of marine ecosystems. These projects develop within different governance settings, therefore not only different types of project arrangements develop, but there is also a difference in the possibilities for ecodynamic design. Based on an analysis of 28 port development projects, we distinguish four ideal-typical Marine Infrastructural Project Arrangements (MIPAs): Conventional, Integrated market, External Financier initiated and Private. These arrangements differ from each other on the actors involved, the rules applied, the division of resources and the discourse set. Due to these differences, we formulate enabling and constraining conditions of the project arrangement to incorporate ecodynamic design principles in terms of marine infrastructural projects. The possibilities for EDD in these MIPAs increase if there is space for contractors, consultants and project owners to (co)develop the design. The analysis shows that the ‘Integrated Market’ and ‘Private’ project arrangements are best capable of incorporating EDD port development projects.

Overlapping striatal sites mediate scopolamine-induced feeding suppression and mu-opioid-mediated hyperphagia in the rat

Intra-striatal infusions of the muscarinic antagonist, scopolamine, markedly suppress feeding; however, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Recent findings suggest that scopolamine influences opioid-dependent mechanisms of feeding modulation. Robust mu-opioid-mediated feeding responses are obtained in anterior, ventral sectors of the striatum with progressively weaker effects posteriorly and dorsally. One might therefore expect the effects of scopolamine to conform to similar boundaries, but a systematic mapping of scopolamine-induced feeding suppression has not yet been undertaken. This study aimed to assess the overlap between the striatal sites mediating scopolamine-induced feeding suppression and mu-opioid-induced hyperphagia. Dose-effect functions for scopolamine (0, 1, 5, and 10μg) were obtained in the nucleus accumbens (Acb), anterior dorsal striatum (ADS), and posterior dorsal striatum (PDS) in three different groups of rats. In the same subjects, the mu-opioid receptor agonist (D-Ala2-N-MePhe4, Glyol)-enkephalin (DAMGO; 0.25μg) was infused on a separate test day. The dependent variables were food and water intake, ambulation, and rearing. The greatest dose sensitivity for scopolamine-induced feeding suppression was observed in the Acb. Only the highest dose was effective in the ADS, and no effects were seen in the PDS. Water intake and general motor activity were not altered by scopolamine in any site. DAMGO infusions produced hyperphagia only in the Acb. These results support a model in which the behavioral effects of muscarinic blockade are limited by the same anatomical constraints that govern mu-opioid receptor-mediated control of feeding. These constraints are likely imposed by the topographic arrangement of feeding-related afferent inputs and efferent projections of the striatum.

Proteoglycan-Mediated Axon Degeneration Corrects Pretarget Topographic Sorting Errors

Proper arrangement of axonal projections into topographic maps is crucial for brain function, especially in sensory systems. An important mechanism for map formation is pretarget axon sorting, in which topographic ordering of axons appears in tracts before axons reach their target, but this process remains poorly understood. Here, we show that selective axon degeneration is used as a correction mechanism to eliminate missorted axons in the optic tract during retinotectal development in zebrafish. Retinal axons are not precisely ordered during initial pathfinding but become corrected later, with missorted axons selectively fragmenting and degenerating. We further show that heparan sulfate is required non-cell-autonomously to correct missorted axons and that restoring its synthesis at late stages ina deficient mutant is sufficient to restore topographic sorting. These findings uncover a function for developmental axon degeneration in ordering axonal projections and identify heparan sulfate as a key regulator of that process.

The rat prefrontostriatal system analyzed in 3D: evidence for multiple interacting functional units.

Previous studies in monkeys disclosed a specific arrangement of corticostriatal projections. Prefrontal and premotor areas form dense projection fields surrounded by diffuse terminal areas extending outside the densely innervated region and overlapping with projections from other areas. In this study, the mode of prefrontostriatal innervation was analyzed in rats using a 3D approach. Following injections of tracers in defined cortical areas, 3D maps from individual cases were elaborated and combined into a global 3D map allowing us to define putative overlaps between projection territories. In addition to providing a detailed 3D mapping of the topographic representation of prefrontal cortical areas in the rat striatum, the results stress important similarities between the rodent and primate prefrontostriatal projections. They share the dual pattern of focal and diffuse corticostriatal projections. Moreover, besides segregated projections consistent with parallel processing, the interweaving of projection territories establishes specific patterns of overlaps spatially organized along the dorsoventral, mediolateral, and anteroposterior striatal axis. In particular, the extensive striatal projection fields from the prelimbic and anterior cingulate areas, which partly overlap the terminal fields from medial, orbital, and lateral prefrontal cortical areas, provide putative domains of convergence for integration between reward, cognitive, and motor processes.

Magnetic resonance microscopy of human and porcine neurons and cellular processes

With its unparalleled ability to safely generate high-contrast images of soft tissues, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has remained at the forefront of diagnostic clinical medicine. Unfortunately due to resolution limitations, clinical scans are most useful for detecting macroscopic structural changes associated with a small number of pathologies. Moreover, due to a longstanding inability to directly observe magnetic resonance (MR) signal behavior at the cellular level, such information is poorly characterized and generally must be inferred. With the advent of the MR microscope in 1986 came the ability to measure MR signal properties of theretofore unobservable tissue structures. Recently, further improvements in hardware technology have made possible the ability to visualize mammalian cellular structure. In the current study, we expand upon previous work by imaging the neuronal cell bodies and processes of human and porcine α-motor neurons. Complimentary imaging studies are conducted in pig tissue in order to demonstrate qualitative similarities to human samples. Also, apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were generated inside porcine α-motor neuron cell bodies and portions of their largest processes (mean=1.7 ± 0.5 μm²/ms based on 53 pixels) as well as in areas containing a mixture of extracellular space, microvasculature, and neuropil (0.59 ± 0.37 μm²/ms based on 33 pixels). Three-dimensional reconstruction of MR images containing α-motor neurons shows the spatial arrangement of neuronal projections between adjacent cells. Such advancements in imaging portend the ability to construct accurate models of MR signal behavior based on direct observation and measurement of the components which comprise functional tissues. These tools would not only be useful for improving our interpretation of macroscopic MRI performed in the clinic, but they could potentially be used to develop new methods of differential diagnosis to aid in the early detection of a multitude of neuropathologies.

Making sense of the multi-party contractual arrangements of project partnering, project alliancing and integrated project delivery

Collaborative construction project arrangements have been the subject of many development efforts owing to the frustration felt toward the opportunism inherent in traditional contracting. Globally, three approaches have stood out: project partnering, project alliancing and integrated project delivery. These so-called relational project delivery arrangements have much in common. This study aims to clarify the similarities and differences between the arrangements by examining their key concepts and features one by one and in relation to each other; the motivation behind each is also examined. Early involvement of key parties, transparent financials, shared risk and reward, joint decision-making, and a collaborative multi-party agreement are some of the features incorporated in all the arrangements to a varying degree. Beyond the numerous details, divergent applications and constant evolution presented, the study also recognizes project alliancing as a project delivery system in its own right due to its contractual structure that integrated project delivery aims to imitate while introducing some management approaches not included in project alliancing. Project partnering, although developed in leaps and bounds since its introduction, takes a more conservative approach to work scope and liabilities. Similarly, project alliancing takes relational contracting to the extreme compared to the current forms of integrated project delivery and, especially, project partnering.

Assessing Institutional Frameworks of Inter- and Transdisciplinary Research and Education

This paper presents a concept for analysing the bearing of institutional settings on inter- and transdisciplinary research and education for sustainable development and applies it to a concrete case example. It asks in how far the funding programme requirements and the institutional project arrangements impacted on the research process and project results. The example demonstrates not only the well-known difficulties of inter- and transdisciplinary research, but also steering possibilities. The involvement of co-financing project partners and partners from schools secured the inter- and transdisciplinary project implementation. However, they also influenced the project outcomes according to their organisational interests. They prioritised economic and ecological over social issues, which in consequence limited the sustainability discourse within the project with regard to its breadth and inclusiveness. The paper concludes that the appropriate selection of research and practice partners as well as the sufficient budget, time and professional resources for inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation management, are crucial for the successful implementation of inter- and transdisciplinary research or educational projects for sustainable development.

Cerebellar Zones: History, Development, and Function

The longitudinal and transverse zonal arrangement of axonal projections to and from the cerebellum, even more than the well-known laminar cytoarchitecture, is the hallmark of cerebellar anatomy. No model of cerebellar function, whether in motor control, cognition, or emotion, will be complete without understanding the development and function of zones. To this end, a special issue of this journal is dedicated to zones, and the purpose of this article is to summarize the research and review articles that are contained within. The special issue begins by considering some of the very first studies in the 1960s and 1970s that led to our modern understanding of this unique and defining anatomical substructure. Then, it considers the molecular analogs of longitudinal zones in the form of stripes in the cerebellar cortex and related sub-areas in the deep cerebellar nuclei, and it includes studies on the genetic underpinnings of stripes and zones. Several articles address the evolution of both embryonic clusters and adult zones across vertebrate species, and others discuss the functional and clinical relevance of zones. While we do not yet fully understand the role of zones with respect to motor behavior in all of its complexities, cerebellar function is clearly modular, and combinatorial models of complex motor movements based on multi-purpose modules are beginning to emerge. This special issue, by refocusing attention on this fundamental organization of the cerebellum, sets the stage for future studies that will more fully reveal the cellular, developmental, behavioral, and clinical relevance of zones.

The Public–Private Partnership Enabling Field

This study investigates the emergence of a collection of diverse organizations designed to enable and govern infrastructure public–private partnerships (PPPs). The authors use the concept of organizational fields as a theoretical lens to investigate this panoply of organizations in three international contexts: British Columbia (Canada), Victoria (Australia), and South Africa. They observe a similar set of actors in each of these “PPP-enabling fields” but detect significant variation in the actor characteristics and the way that they are arranged on different projects. They theorize on a number of PPP-enabling fields aspects, including typical project arrangements, predominant field intermediaries, and salient institutional logics.

Shaping corticostriatal connectivity with STDP

The striatum, the main input nucleus of the basal ganglia, is one of the major sites for learning and decision making. The striatum receives massive convergent inputs from the cortex. Task related cortical activity show weak pairwise correlations, thus, individual medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum are very likely to receive correlated activity from the cortex. Surprisingly, although cortical neurons outnumber MSNs and each MSN receives around 10,000 cortical inputs, neighboring medium-sized spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum are not likely to share their presynaptic inputs [1]. This special arrangement of corticostriatal projections and their inputs is thought to be important to obtain a better signal representation in the striatum [2]. How does this specific anatomical structure of the corticostriatal projection come about? Corticostriatal synapses show a gamut of spike-time-dependent plasticity (STDP) rules which can influence the structure of these projections [3]. Therefore, here, we explored the functional consequences of different STDP rules in shaping the structure of the corticostriatal projections. Specifically, we studied how the synaptic connections change when a striatal neuron receives a mixture of correlated and uncorrelated synaptic input spikes. Because a neuron is more likely to elicit a spike in response to coincident inputs, the synapses receiving correlated inputs are expected to strengthen over time, whereas those receiving uncorrelated inputs are expected to undergo long-term depression, due to the depression-dominated features of the STDP rule. Furthermore, recurrent inhibition among MSNs implies that STDP would also organize corticostriatal projections such as to reduce the input correlations and sharing of presynaptic neurons among MSNs coupled with recurrent inhibitory synapses. The detailed structure of corticostriatal projections, therefore, depends on the intricate statistics of the cortical inputs, recurrent connectivity and activity within the striatum. In summary, here we show that standard STDP may explain the observed anatomical structure of the corticostriatal projections. Thus, an interplay of different corticostriatal STDP rules, together with the interactions in the network of MSNs and striatal interneurons, may encode signals from the cortex and modulate the activity of striatal neurons, in particular, the MSNs, which provide the striatal output to the downstream nuclei of the basal ganglia.

Institutional effects on project arrangement: high‐speed rail projects in China and Taiwan

Previous studies recognize institutional impacts on the arrangement of large infrastructure projects but they have not analysed the process by which a host country’s institutions shape infrastructure projects. Institutional theory was applied as an analytical lens to identify different effects of regulatory, normative and cultural institutions on project arrangements. A cross‐case comparative study of high‐speed rail projects in China and Taiwan was conducted to investigate the processes through which political cultures and industrial structures determined the decisions for project arrangements, including delivery method, financing, participants’ roles, the degree of private and foreign participation, and organization. Longitudinal archival methods combined with exploratory case studies were employed to examine project decisions by analysing government regulations, official publications, news articles, project documents and 20 interviews. A conceptual model was presented to integrate the findings. The political culture in each host country defines the political goals and legitimate approaches of large infrastructure projects, while industrial structure limits feasible alternatives for project arrangements. Collectively, they shape project arrangements and largely dictate the roles played by the government, private enterprises and foreign actors.

Access arrangements for resources projects: anticipating the issues

Increased international and domestic demand for onshore Australian resources is creating a range of issues around the competing demands for access to land for the purposes of agriculture, residential use, and resources development. Furthermore, global demand for gas has significantly increased during the past decade. This has resulted in the development of Australia’s role as a soon-to-be major international supplier of LNG. On the other side of the energy equation, our growing population will begin to demand more stationary energy than our present capacity—now based predominantly on coal-fired generation—will be able to provide. In this way, a significant increase in gas-fired electricity generation is imminent for most states. These factors—together with vast improvements in exploration and production technologies, such as fraccing—have resulted, and will continue to result in increased investment in the development of onshore coal seam gas (CSG). CSG was once considered nothing more than a waste product of coal mining. To date, the development of onshore CSG has encountered numerous obstacles related to land access. It has been subject to complex indigenous and native title claims, the landscape of which has changed and is continuing to evolve. More frequently, however, it has been met with significant resistance from the public, by way of media campaigns, lobbying, and litigation—particularly from farmers (and other interest holders in farm land) concerned by the significant impacts development may have on the quality of their agricultural areas. This is partly due to the deficiencies of regulatory regimes in accounting for the complexities associated with the relatively new concept of CSG development, as well in providing appropriate mechanisms to balance the interests of landholders and proponents. In this regard, new land access laws have been effected in Queensland that account for these issues. Industry needs to understand the present regulatory landscape, as well as which techniques are working with landholders and which are not. This understanding needs to be gained with the view of formulating strategies to efficiently and equitably deal with landholders, and to avoid unnecessary, unhelpful disputes.