Rational Project Research Articles

Systematization of public centers design methodology

The article deals with the issue of systematization of the development of project solutions of public complexes based on the analysis of their functional and planning structure and constituent elements. The author systematizes his long-term scientific research and project practice using theoretical sources, in the part of the formation of the architecture of public centers of large cities; conclusions are drawn regarding promising models for optimizing their structure.The nature of the interaction of elements in the modular system of the layout of public complexes is highlighted. A promising methodology for designing multifunctional complexes in an integrated modular system has been formulated. Conclusions were made regarding the possibility of the influence of such methods on the practice of designing public complexes.In this article, provision of "end-to-end" unification and "open" typification of block modules allows to expand the possibilities of alternative search for the most rational project solutions of large multi-functional complexes - public centers. This makes it possible to significantly facilitate the process of designing such objects, shifts the emphasis of creative searches from the layout of the internal structure and technology to the solution of architectural plastic and artistic tasks of the formation of urban ensembles of the center.The nomenclature of residential and public centers of large cities, as the main structural nodes of the city in unity with the adjacent system of settlements, is given. Conclusions are drawn on possible directions of unification and modular coordination of the constituent elements of multifunctional complexes - public centers.

Analysis of a 5-year, evidenced-based, rational blood utilisation project in a South African regional hospital.

Blood products are a lifesaving but limited resource, particularly in resource-limited settings. Evidence-based transfusion criteria tailored to local hospitals have shown great promise in reducing costs, minimising shortages, and ameliorating the morbidity and mortality associated with liberal blood product usage. We implemented the "Saving Blood, Saving Lives" project to: promote responsible blood product use and reduce blood product ordering inefficiencies and expenditure. A comprehensive change management programme, preceded by 3 months of clinical department consultation and training, was implemented. A new evidence-based protocol for blood product utilisation was developed, together with an accountability form. This form was used in monthly audit meetings to refine policies, identify new problems, improve communication, and to drive hospital staff accountability and training. The primary measure of the programme's success was the change in the number of red cell concentrate units ordered. Project implementation required minimal time and no additional budget or staff. Annual red cell concentrate usage reduced from 7211 units in year one to 4077 units in year 5 (p < 0.001). Similar reductions were seen in freeze-dried plasma and platelet usage, as well as administrative costs. Total project saving, adjusted to baseline admission numbers, amounted to over R46 million ($2.5 million). As a change management programme centred the "Saving Blood, Saving Lives" project, was able to significantly reduce blood product-related administration and expenditure by implementing evidence-based transfusion criteria. The programme is simple, replicable and cost effective, making it ideally suited for use in resource-constrained environments.

Comparing the efficiency of strengthening timber beams reinforced with carbon composite rods and plates

This study reports the results of experiments comparing the effect of structural reinforcement for timber beams strengthened with different carbon composite materials. Samples of one series were strengthened by gluing a carbon fiber plate from the outside to the face of the beam. The samples of the other series were strengthened by laterally gluing two carbon fiber rods inside the beam. According to the bending research program, the ultimate loads and deflections were determined for both series. As a result of the analysis of the results and comparison with unreinforced samples from the control series, the effect of beam reinforcement and the model of their destruction were determined. Studies have shown that the effect of external reinforcement with a plate was 86.7 % according to the criterion of full failure load, 20.5 % according to the criterion of ultimate load, 13.4 % according to the criterion of ultimate deflection. The effect of rod reinforcement was 48.6 %, 18.6 %, and 4.1 %, respectively. The theoretical analysis of the results showed a convergence of up to 8.2 % with the experimental results. External reinforcement with a plate compared to lateral gluing of rods showed better results due to the placement of the plate in the zone of maximum tensile stresses. This arrangement more effectively limited the spread of ultimate stresses and the development of cracks. The reinforcement parameters of the samples (materials, placement, percentage of reinforcement) were selected under the condition of the same theoretically predicted bearing capacity after reinforcement. However, comparative experimental studies have revealed differences in the processes of deformation and destruction of reinforced beams. The results will contribute to making rational project decisions and for choosing a relevant technique of strengthening timber beams with carbon composite materials

On the (Bi)partisan Pleasures of Outrage in the Immigration “Debate”

This essay examines how left-of-center media reporters and commentators responded to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and Mississippi’s criminalization of migrant workers in their aftermath. These responses focused largely on the moral or ethical implications of detaining, arresting, and deporting the migrant workers involved in the case, often by crafting a tightly woven image of the innocence of these particular migrants and, even more so, of their children. As a result, public discourse about the politics of immigration enforcement and its relationship to criminality and citizenship were reduced to an ostensibly apolitical and ideologically neutral appeal that cannot be contested: to protect children. The innocence of children was also coupled with the giddy criminalization of those who “torture” them, namely Donald Trump. These dual constructions—an innocence that marks one as socially valuable and a criminality that marks one as monstrous—produce a moral absolutism that undermines an otherwise rational political project whose core tenets are diversity and multiculturalism. Outrage and grievance directed against criminality, even when aimed at political enemies, upholds the moral foundations of racist and xenophobic hatred that has been used to justify the disproportionate policing, surveillance, and incarceration of people of color.

A Comparison of the Project Management Methodologies PRINCE2 and PMBOK in Managing Repetitive Construction Projects

Nowadays, companies employ various project management (PM) methodologies to ensure that their projects are effective and successful. It is worth knowing that differences in principles and processes of PM methodologies influence the use of different PMs in managing non-repetitive and repetitive construction projects. This paper presents the selection and application of a rational construction PM methodology to a repetitive construction project after a comparison of two PM methodologies, namely Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) and Projects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2). The object of this study is a repetitive anti-corrosion works project for steel structures conducted at Company X. The research was carried out in two steps. First, a quantitative survey of the respondents from companies involved in the management and execution of construction projects was conducted with the aim to identify a rational approach to construction PM. The questionnaire consisted of fourteen closed-ended questions, six of which were generic and eight were PMBOK- and PRINCE2-specific questions. Companies that took part in the quantitative study identified the PRINCE2 project management approach as the most suitable for managing a repetitive construction project. Using the PRINCE2 PM methodology, the repetitive construction project would aim to provide as much information as possible to the project participants, form a team and assign team leaders responsible for the phases, establish a financial plan, a detailed timetable for the execution of the works, a quality control plan, and a plan of responsible persons, and detail the technological sequencing of the works. Second, a quantitative study on the selection of a rational construction project management approach for a repetitive construction project was pursued, and a qualitative assessment of construction project monitoring trends and actions was conducted. The qualitative research was performed using a structured interview method and asking the representatives of different companies X, Y, and Z the same 15 questions. The results of the qualitative research showed that a successful PM depends on the size of the project team, the PM tools and methodologies used, the PM philosophy, and the frequency of monitoring and discussing the project progress.

Analytical Study on the Rational Challenges Project Engineering Managers Encounter Prior to Achieving Sustainability in the UK Construction Industries

Aim: The essential purpose of the current research was to identify the challenges faced by project engineering managers in the UK construction industry while seeking to achieve sustainability.&#x0D; Study Design: The current study was built upon six important subjects in order to accomplish this goal. In the current study, the researcher opted to do both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The quantitative analysis comprised frequency analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis and was based on data collected through questionnaires.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out in Bristol United Kingdom for an investigative period of six (6) Months including the research question distribution and collection time as well as the interview and interaction sections with the Construction Project Engineering Managers. &#x0D; Methodology: In light of the nature of the current research, the researcher selected the mixed research design. Mixed research design is the method used in collecting and analyzing data by using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.&#x0D; Results: The results of the present study showed that effective health and safety management systems are necessary for sustainable construction. However, the UK construction industry lacks these systems. The study also identified lack of education and training as a hindrance. The proper understanding of the project and its processes can only be attained through training and education, and managers have to deal with the problem of being unable to successfully complete sustainable building owing to lack of such resources. However, with the right on-the-job training and efficient monthly meetings that include training and education sessions, this can be improved.&#x0D; Conclusion: The study resolved that policies should be put in place to guarantee that advancement in the building sector follows economic integration. It has been revealed from the findings that construction is heavily dependent on conventional methods in most rising economies, including the UK, which makes the adoption of novel techniques more challenging and stressful. An important barrier to attaining sustainable construction is clients' and other stakeholders' lack of support for innovative construction techniques. The findings further revealed that the implementation of eco-friendly building practices by the construction sector has the tendency to reduce an asset's overall environmental impact and promote sustainable economic growth.

Различность подходов в исследовании феноменологии сакрального в условиях постсекулярного времени

This study includes the search for new ways to understand the phenomenon of the sacred and its impact on the social sphere based on a comparison of selected philosophical concepts of certain authors, revealing the insufficiency of positivist interpretations, the most popular in the practice of the era of secularism. Since the rational projects of Modern times have failed to resolve the internal contradictions of humanity and deprive it of its craving for the irrational, today researchers and analysts are paying more and more attention to the study of the sacred. In this article, having analyzed various philosophical interpretations, we will try to substantiate the spiritual dominant of the sacred phenomenon, prevailing over its positivist interpretations. At present, when the scientific paradigm overcomes the secular format, and the status of a sociologist is no longer replaced by the status of a theologian, for the study of religion as a phenomenon of reality, and not a phenomenon of society, an opportunity opens up to take a fresh look at the real reason for the formation of society from the sacred. This study, through comparative analysis, reveals the limitations of an exclusively sociological view of the sacred and the need to expand the framework in its cognition by shifting the focus to the superintelligent beginning. The latter will allow, in the conditions of post-secular time, to fully and fully explore not only the sphere of the sacred itself, but also its influence on the development of society precisely in the root cultural and historical aspect, in addition to applied ideological falsification.

The Italian tradition of hermeneutics and the problem of Gegenständigkeit

This contribution thematizes the Gadamerian legacy in the context of the Italian philosophical debate, attempting to understand whether this debate can contribute to rethink the vitality of the hermeneutic tradition and the future of its possible developments. When, in 1972, Gianni Vattimo, one of the key figures in contemporary Italian thought, published his seminal translation of Truth and Method, Gadamerian themes began to circulate, in Italy, based on a specific interpretation: The Italian hermeneutic debate received the project of Truth and Method as a kind of philosophical defense of the humanistic tradition. As the inventor of the "weak thought," Vattimo defended the idea that the 'weakening' of the project of the world's scientific rationalization could enhance other experiences related to truth, namely humanistic, artistic, literary, and religious ones. Just like then, the triumph of scientific rationality and calculative thinking places contemporary hermeneutics in front of a daunting task. One must ask whether hermeneutics, in order to remain faithful to the Gadamerian project, should remain essentially a project of metatheoretical foundations of textual interpretation, endowed with a historically and linguistically informed approach, or it should rather radically rethink its relationship to the problem of 'method.' To avoid this deflation of the Gadamerian tradition, one possible way forward is to orient hermeneutic research toward a 'hard' and philosophically grounded idea of objectuality/objectivity, but at the same time not methodologically sterile, that is, not flattened on the methods of the 'hard sciences'.

A TWO-STAGE MATHEMATICAL PROGRAMMING MODEL FOR DISTRIBUTED PHOTOVOLTAIC PROJECT PORTFOLIO SELECTION WITH INCOMPLETE PREFERENCE INFORMATION

With the rapid growth of the solar photovoltaic (PV) market, many distributed PV power projects are introduced to the market. Selecting a rational project investment portfolio is a complex and challenging task for energy enterprises as both financial and non-financial factors of projects are needed to be considered under limited information and resources. This study presents a two-stage hybrid multi-attribute decision-making and integer programming model for distributed PV project portfolio selection. In Stage I, a multiple attribute group decision-making method based on mathematical programming is used to evaluate the non-financial value of projects under incomplete preference information. Compensative weighted averaging operators with an adjustable parameter are utilized to capture the subjective attitudinal character of an expert in the aggregation process. Then, a rank acceptability index is developed to measure each project’s group support degree in non-financial dimension. In Stage II, a bi-objective integer programming model is constructed to optimize project portfolios, which considers both financial and non-financial values of projects under resource, carbon emission and other strategic constraints. The applicability and effectivity of the proposed approach are demonstrated by a case study of a distributed PV project portfolio selection.

Accelerating boundary element methods in wideband frequency sweep analysis by matrix-free model order reduction

In frequency-domain acoustic simulations, a wideband frequency sweep analysis is often required. This becomes particularly challenging for boundary element methods (BEM), as the system matrix has a complex dependency on frequency. Previous attempts have been made to accelerate the frequency sweep analysis for the conventional BEM i.e., without fast multipole or ℋ-matrices accelerations, which restrains the applications to limited scale problems due to the dense system matrix. This paper investigates and incorporates a rational Krylov projection based model order reduction (MOR) technology i.e., matrix-free method into various BEM formulations to address the critical challenge of accelerating frequency sweep analysis. Operating on the transfer functions of the BEM system’s input and output, the matrix-free MOR avoids the direct interference with the BEM kernels, which makes it feasible and attractive to work with existing fast BEM techniques such as ℋ-matrices and fast multipole method. The combined holistic BEM solution retains the merits of the acceleration from both MOR and fast BEM techniques. Significant speed-ups have been achieved by the matrix-free MOR for wideband BEM simulations. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the capability of the presented holistic approach in simulating various acoustic problems, including interior–exterior models, complex geometries and frequency dependent boundary conditions.

Utilization of poultry droppings in terms of non-waste technology

The processing of poultry droppings under anaerobic conditions, in special hermetic reactors – methane tanks is considered to be the most promising technology in terms of efficiency in agrochemical, environmental, and energy fields. Organic fertilizer in the methane tank is in the form of concentrated liquid, purified from disease causatives and weed seeds. It is easily absorbed by fermented plant mass and contains macro and micronutrients, amino acids and phytohormones that stimulate the development of the plant. The rare utilization of such facilities is explained by the lack of funds for their purchase. On the other hand, it is assumed that biogas is not a dominant factor in terms of economic efficiency, and organic fertilizer is also important. In this respect, the utilization of poultry droppings has also gained practical relevance. The paper covers the discussion of the feasibility of utilizing poultry droppings as a non-waste technology. The methodological approach is based on the evaluation of more rational technological projects. In logical modeling, the rules drawn up by highly qualified specialists are used. The rules determine how to act in a certain situation. Such rules are considered favorable for non-skilled performers. The results of the studies have allowed analyzing the dynamics of nitrogen preservation depending on the utilization technology of poultry droppings and impact factors. Based on a mathematical model, a computer methodology for research on improving the energy efficiency of a poultry farm has been developed. The number of LEDs (α=200, I0=20 kd) for a 66×12 m poultry house using a computer program N=273 pcs., the number of LEDs (α=200, I0=20 kd) for a building with dimensions of 78×18 m N=259 pcs. The design parameters of the lamps are substantiated

Can the Rational Design of International Institutions Solve Cooperation Problems? Insights from a Systematic Literature Review

Global governance challenges highlight the role of international institutions as problem-solving structures. Institutional design is, more than ever, relevant in this context. The academic literature on this issue is characterized by the existence of consolidated debates such as that of rationalism vs. constructivism, with a focus on making specific contributions to the rational design of international institutions. Koremenos, Lipson, and Snidal (2001) elaborated upon a series of cause-effect conjectures linking cooperation problems, considered independent variables, with institutional design features, considered dependent variables. This research aims to highlight the empirical evidence of the existing debate on this work by conducting a systematic review. Twenty-one quantitative research studies were collected through a screening and selection procedure and were subject to systematization. The findings showed asymmetric approaches to the rational design project, and agreements were the type of international institution that received the most attention from academia. Rationalism was supported by most of the body of literature. However, a broad subgroup of articles complemented this rational approach with other variables or schools of thought, such as those of constructivism and historical institutionalism. The results have relevance for the international institution design literature, as future avenues of potential research are underlined.

Long-Term Impact of Interregional Migrants on Population Prediction

Japan is becoming depopulated, with declining fertility rates and massive urban agglomeration due to emigrations from rural areas, which results in rural–urban disparities. As demographic and social divisions between rural and urban areas increase, maintenance of infrastructure and social facilities becomes much more difficult. For social and demographic sustainability, accurate predictions of long-term population distributions are needed. This study improves the Cohort Component Analysis (CCA) into two aspects of “dependent structure” in the model system. The migration sub-model is expanded to include related structures between available job opportunities and the available workforce in each region, which are specified using the spatial autoregressive model. The advantage of the improved CCA to provides rational future projections by considering the longitudinal changes in the spatial distribution of the workforce. The simulation of the proposed model gives an alternative long-term impact of population distribution in Japan, which is compared with the conventional CCA. The results show that the future Japanese populations will become more concentrated in urban areas, with a lower fertility rate. Furthermore, the manufacturing employees will be attracted to metropolitan areas or to regions with industrial zones, and that the number of retailers will undergo changes over time, even in urbanized areas.

Energy Transition on Sifnos: An Approach to Economic and Social Transition and Development

This article aims to present the potential of energy transition in insular systems for social and economic transition and development, when planned and implemented appropriately, with the active involvement of local communities. To this end, the example of Sifnos Energy Community is examined and presented as a pilot case. It proves that energy transition, apart from its obvious energy conservation and climate necessity, can provide a strong contribution to the development of remote areas and the remedying of crucial issues, especially in insular communities, such as unemployment, low standards of living, isolation and energy supply security. Energy transition on Sifnos has been undertaken by the Sifnos Energy Community (SEC), with the target to achieve 100% energy independency through effective and rational projects. The major project is a centralized hybrid power plant consisting of a wind park and a pumped hydro storage system. It was designed to fully cover the current electricity demand and the anticipated forthcoming load due to the overall transition to e-mobility for the transportation sector on the island. Through the exploitation of the excess electricity production with the production of potable water and hydrogen, energy transition can facilitate the development of new professional activities on the island and reduce the local economy’s dependence on tourism. Additionally, a daily link to the neighboring larger Cyclades islands can be established with a hydrogen powered-passenger vessel, ensuring the secure and cheap overseas transportation connection of Sifnos throughout the whole year. The overall energy transition process is executed with the active involvement of the Sifnos citizens, ensuring wide public acceptance and the minimization of the projects’ impacts on the natural and human environment. At the same time, the anticipated benefits for the insular communities are maximized, highlighting the energy transition process on Sifnos as a new sustainable development pattern. For all this effort and the already achieved results, Sifnos has been declared as one of the six pilot islands of the European Community’s initiative “Clean Energy for EU Islands”.

Solving symmetric and positive definite second-order cone linear complementarity problem by a rational Krylov subspace method

The second-order cone linear complementarity problem (SOCLCP) is a generalization of the classical linear complementarity problem. It has been known that SOCLCP, with the globally uniquely solvable property, is essentially equivalent to a zero-finding problem in which the associated function bears much similarity to the transfer function in model reduction [38]. In this paper, we propose a new rational Krylov subspace method to solve the zero-finding problem for the symmetric and positive definite SOCLCP. The algorithm consists of two stages: first, it relies on an extended Krylov subspace to obtain an approximation of the zero root, and then applies multiple-pole rational Krylov subspace projections iteratively to acquire an accurate solution. Numerical evaluations on various types of SOCLCP examples demonstrate its efficiency and robustness.

Relationality as a Lens for Policy Analysis: Preserving Harmony in a Triangular Cooperation Project to Strengthen Gender Mainstreaming in Fiji

Policy has been mostly approached as a rational project of setting goals and establishing rules and roles to achieve them. Alternative approaches to policy have been referred to as post-positivist, critical-reflexive and relational. They all emphasize emergent, co-evolutionary and relational aspects of policy work that cannot be reduced to rational choice and reasoning-based models alone. A shared element of such frameworks is the focus on relationships, which are seen not just in a narrow sense of the “logic of appropriateness,” but as a force that shapes actors’ identities, interests and power. Following relational analytical approaches, we analyze a triangular development cooperation project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Government of Indonesia in order to strengthen gender mainstreaming (SGM) of Fijian government. Through attention to relationality as it shapes actors’ identities and narratives, we demonstrate how a different form of learning employed by each actor facilitated harmony in the project. A key mediating factor in the smooth project co-evolution that we observed, was the ambiguous project design and vaguely articulated goals, supported by fragmented project setup and reporting. Such ambiguity allowed formulation of multiple versions of the project’s outcomes for multiple audiences. However, it also resulted in little impact on the ground in Fiji. Our findings support persistent criticism of development aid projects in small island states for rarely addressing problems of target populations.

Nature and Norm: Judaism, Christianity, and the Theopolitical Problem

Nature and Norm: Judaism, Christianity, and the Theopolitical Problem

Three-dimensional transient electromagnetic response of multiple grounded-wire sources

Multiple grounded-wire sources combination are proposed to improve the signal strength and resolution of the transient electromagnetic method. Multi-source excitation from the different direction was executed to identify the conductive body in the subsurface and achieve refined detection of the target body. The vector finite element method based on the rational Krylov subspace projection algorithm was used to calculate transient response of the target bodies. The voltage response calculated by our algorithm was compared with that calculated by the integral equation method and the results agreed well with them. We designed different grounded-wire combinations, including a single source, pairs of sources, and groups of three and four sources, and analyzed induced EMF and the secondary field response of one conductive body. It indicates that multi-source transient method can obtain stronger signals, which is beneficial to the discovery of deep weak anomalies. Finally, we established two adjacent conductive block bodies and compared their electromagnetic response for the different source combination. The results showed that multiple-source transient electromagnetic response anomaly amplitude and lateral resolution are superior to those of a single source. Multi-channel diagram for multiple sources have two obvious peaks, especially for three sources and four sources, but the induced EMF from a single source does not differentiate between the two conductive bodies in the horizontal direction. Multiple grounded-wire source combinations are used not only for the surface transient electromagnetic method but can also be extended to the grounded electrical-source airborne transient electromagnetic survey.

An Algorithm for Construction Project Cost Forecast Based on Particle Swarm Optimization-Guided BP Neural Network

Construction project cost prediction is an important function in construction-related fields; it can provide an important basis for project feasibility study and design scheme comparison and selection, and its accuracy will directly affect the investment decision of the project. The successful realization of construction cost prediction can bring great convenience to the control and management of construction cost. The purpose of this paper is to study a fast, accurate, convenient, deducible, and rational construction project cost prediction method, to provide a basis for the cost management of the whole life cycle of the project. Therefore, this paper uses particle swarm optimization algorithm to improve BP neural network and proposes a novel construction project cost prediction algorithm based on particle swarm optimization-guided BP neural network. Aiming at the defects of BP neural network updating weights and thresholds with the gradient descent method, this paper uses the advantages of particle swarm optimization in the field of parameter optimization to optimize BP neural network with PSO algorithm. The structure of BP neural network weights and the threshold of each neuron in the coding, through intelligent search for each particle, find the most suitable weights and thresholds, so that the BP neural network has faster convergence speed, better generalization ability, and higher prediction precision. Simulation results also show that the proposed algorithm is competitive enough.

Spenserian MomentsGordonTeskey Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2019. 552 pp. ISBN 13: 9780674988446. $47.00 (cloth).

Spenserian MomentsGordonTeskey Cambridge, <scp>MA</scp>: Harvard <scp>UP</scp>, 2019. 552 pp. <scp>ISBN</scp> 13: 9780674988446. $47.00 (cloth).