Algorithms for quality of service provisioning and enhancement in optical burst switched networks

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH

Quality of service in optical burst switching networks

Tese dout., Engenharia Electrónica e Computação, Universidade do Algarve, 2009Fundação para e Ciência e a Tecnologi

Systems Engineering: Availability and Reliability

Current trends in Industry 4.0 are largely related to issues of reliability and availability. As a result of these trends and the complexity of engineering systems, research and development in this area needs to focus on new solutions in the integration of intelligent machines or systems, with an emphasis on changes in production processes aimed at increasing production efficiency or equipment reliability. The emergence of innovative technologies and new business models based on innovation, cooperation networks, and the enhancement of endogenous resources is assumed to be a strong contribution to the development of competitive economies all around the world. Innovation and engineering, focused on sustainability, reliability, and availability of resources, have a key role in this context. The scope of this Special Issue is closely associated to that of the ICIE’2020 conference. This conference and journal’s Special Issue is to present current innovations and engineering achievements of top world scientists and industrial practitioners in the thematic areas related to reliability and risk assessment, innovations in maintenance strategies, production process scheduling, management and maintenance or systems analysis, simulation, design and modelling

European Union: identity, diversity and integration

This publication also contains the papers of the PhD Candidates, National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest, Romania, beneficiaries of the “Doctoral Scholarships for a Sustainable Society”, project co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund, Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007-2013. Contents: Mircea BRIE, István POLGÁR, Florentina CHIRODEA: Cultural Identity, Diversity and European Integration. Introductory Study. I. Identity and elements of anthropology in the European space - Roxana Maria DASCĂLU: Insights Into the Concept of European Identity; Horia MOAŞA: Voice and Silence in Relation to Identity; Andreea MOLOCEA: To See Things in Another Perspective: Feminist Influence in Epistemology, a New Way of Regarding Social and Political Science; Ileana SĂDEAN: Anthropological Representations of the Foreign Rural Development Model "Leader" in Romania. II. Education and communication - Ioana CIUCANU: Making Diversity Work in European Higher Education the Interplay Between Performance and Diversification; Mirela VLASCEANU: Impact of Quality-Based Funding in Romanian Higher Education: 1999-2010; Andra-Maria ROESCU: Studying Causal Inference in Political Science. The Case of Experiments; Paul PARASCHIVEI: Political Communication in Romania from a New Perspective: the Online Voter; Andreea Elena CÂRSTEA: Mass Media and the Reconfiguration of the Public Sphere. III. European Union zone: the institutional dimension - Bogdan BERCEANU: The Dimension of Emerging Institutions in the European Union Member States; Adina MARINCEA: Who are the Olympians? A Cross-Country Analysis of People’s Trust in the EU; Monica OPROIU: Case-Study in Third-Party Intervention: the EU Mediation in the Russia-Georgia War of August 2008; Vasile ROTARU: The Neo-Finlandization – a Theoretical Review. IV. European policies and management models - Vicenţia Georgiana DUŢESCU: Policy Cohesion of the European Union a Perspective on the Management Authority for the Sectoral Operational Programme on Transport 2007-2013; Maria-Magdalena RICHEA: Models of Human Resources Management in Nonprofit Sector Organizations; Anca-Adriana CUCU: Performance Management of Health Care System in Romania: Realities and Perspectives; Cristinela-Ionela VELICU: Cross-Border Mobility of Health Professionals: an Exploratory Study of Migration Flows and Retention Policies in the CEE Region. V. European zone: social demographic perspective - Dragos Lucian IVAN: As the Population Clock Winds Down or Speeds Up? Demographic Stories: Apocalyptic, Opportunistic and Realistic; Andra Maria POPA: The Constitutionalization of the European Economic and Social Model; Cristina SANDU: New Paths of Social Services Through Social Entrepreneurship; Mihaela TUCĂ: Corporate Social Responsibility as a Supporting Framework for Country Competitiviness

Proceedings of the inaugural construction management and economics ‘Past, Present and Future’ conference CME25, 16-18 July 2007, University of Reading, UK

This conference was an unusual and interesting event. Celebrating 25 years of Construction Management and Economics provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the research that has been reported over the years, to consider where we are now, and to think about the future of academic research in this area. Hence the sub-title of this conference: “past, present and future”. Looking through these papers, some things are clear. First, the range of topics considered interesting has expanded hugely since the journal was first published. Second, the research methods are also more diverse. Third, the involvement of wider groups of stakeholder is evident. There is a danger that this might lead to dilution of the field. But my instinct has always been to argue against the notion that Construction Management and Economics represents a discipline, as such. Granted, there are plenty of university departments around the world that would justify the idea of a discipline. But the vast majority of academic departments who contribute to the life of this journal carry different names to this. Indeed, the range and breadth of methodological approaches to the research reported in Construction Management and Economics indicates that there are several different academic disciplines being brought to bear on the construction sector. Some papers are based on economics, some on psychology and others on operational research, sociology, law, statistics, information technology, and so on. This is why I maintain that construction management is not an academic discipline, but a field of study to which a range of academic disciplines are applied. This may be why it is so interesting to be involved in this journal. The problems to which the papers are applied develop and grow. But the broad topics of the earliest papers in the journal are still relevant today. What has changed a lot is our interpretation of the problems that confront the construction sector all over the world, and the methodological approaches to resolving them. There is a constant difficulty in dealing with topics as inherently practical as these. While the demands of the academic world are driven by the need for the rigorous application of sound methods, the demands of the practical world are quite different. It can be difficult to meet the needs of both sets of stakeholders at the same time. However, increasing numbers of postgraduate courses in our area result in larger numbers of practitioners with a deeper appreciation of what research is all about, and how to interpret and apply the lessons from research. It also seems that there are contributions coming not just from construction-related university departments, but also from departments with identifiable methodological traditions of their own. I like to think that our authors can publish in journals beyond the construction-related areas, to disseminate their theoretical insights into other disciplines, and to contribute to the strength of this journal by citing our articles in more mono-disciplinary journals. This would contribute to the future of the journal in a very strong and developmental way. The greatest danger we face is in excessive self-citation, i.e. referring only to sources within the CM&E literature or, worse, referring only to other articles in the same journal. The only way to ensure a strong and influential position for journals and university departments like ours is to be sure that our work is informing other academic disciplines. This is what I would see as the future, our logical next step. If, as a community of researchers, we are not producing papers that challenge and inform the fundamentals of research methods and analytical processes, then no matter how practically relevant our output is to the industry, it will remain derivative and secondary, based on the methodological insights of others. The balancing act between methodological rigour and practical relevance is a difficult one, but not, of course, a balance that has to be struck in every single paper

11th International Coral Reef Symposium Proceedings

A defining theme of the 11th International Coral Reef Symposium was that the news for coral reef ecosystems are far from encouraging. Climate change happens now much faster than in an ice-age transition, and coral reefs continue to suffer fever-high temperatures as well as sour ocean conditions. Corals may be falling behind, and there appears to be no special silver bullet remedy. Nevertheless, there are hopeful signs that we should not despair. Reef ecosystems respond vigorously to protective measures and alleviation of stress. For concerned scientists, managers, conservationists, stakeholders, students, and citizens, there is a great role to play in continuing to report on the extreme threat that climate change represents to earth’s natural systems. Urgent action is needed to reduce CO2 emissions. In the interim, we can and must buy time for coral reefs through increased protection from sewage, sediment, pollutants, overfishing, development, and other stressors, all of which we know can damage coral health. The time to act is now. The canary in the coral-coal mine is dead, but we still have time to save the miners. We need effective management rooted in solid interdisciplinary science and coupled with stakeholder buy in, working at local, regional, and international scales alongside global efforts to give reefs a chance.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_icrs/1000/thumbnail.jp

European union. identity, diversity and integration

This publication also contains the papers of the PhD Candidates, National School of Political and Administrative Studies, Bucharest, Romania, beneficiaries of the “Doctoral Scholarships for a Sustainable Society”, project co-financed by the European Union through the European Social Fund, Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007-2013. CONTENTS Mircea BRIE, István POLGÁR, Florentina CHIRODEA, Cultural Identity, Diversity and European Integration. Introductory Study ; I. IDENTITY AND ELEMENTS OF ANTHROPOLOGY IN THE EUROPEAN SPACE ; Roxana Maria DASCĂLU, Insights Into the Concept of European Identity ; Horia MOAŞA, Voice and Silence in Relation to Identity ; Andreea MOLOCEA,To See Things in Another Perspective: Feminist Influence in Epistemology, a New Way of Regarding Social and Political Science ; Ileana SĂDEAN, Anthropological Representations of the Foreign Rural Development Model “Leader” in Romania ; II. EDUCATION AND COMMUNICATION ; Ioana CIUCANU, Making Diversity Work in European Higher Education the Interplay Between Performance and Diversification ; Mirela VLASCEANU, Impact of Quality-Based Funding in Romanian Higher Education: 1999-2010 ; Andra-Maria ROESCU , Studying Causal Inference in Political Science. The Case of Experiments ; Paul APARASCHIVEI , Political Communication in Romania from a New Perspective: the Online Voter; Andreea Elena CÂRSTEA , Mass Media and the Reconfiguration of the Public Sphere ; III. EUROPEAN UNION ZONE – THE INSTITUTIONAL DIMENSION ; Bogdan BERCEANU, The Dimension of Emerging Institutions in the European Union Member States ; Adina MARINCEA, Who are the Olympians? A Cross-Country Analysis of People’s Trust in the EU ; Monica OPROIU, Case-Study in Third-Party Intervention: the EU Mediation in the Russia-Georgia War of August 2008 ; Vasile ROTARU, The Neo-Finlandization – a Theoretical Review ; IV. EUROPEAN POLICIES AND MANAGEMENT MODELS ; Vicenţia Georgiana DUŢESCU,Policy Cohesion of the European Union a Perspective on the Management Authority for the Sectoral Operational Programme on Transport 2007 – 2013 ; Maria-Magdalena RICHEA, Models of Human Resources Management in Nonprofit Sector Organizations ; Anca-Adriana CUCU, Performance Management of Health Care System in Romania: Realities and Perspectives ; Cristinela-Ionela VELICU, Cross-Border Mobility of Health Professionals: an Exploratory Study of Migration Flows and Retention Policies in the CEE Region ; V. EUROPEAN ZONE: SOCIAL DEMOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE ; Dragos Lucian IVAN, As the Population Clock Winds Down or Speeds Up? Demographic Stories: Apocalyptic, Opportunistic and Realistic ; Andra Maria POPA, The Constitutionalization of the European Economic and Social Model ; Cristina SANDU,New Paths of Social Services Through Social Entrepreneurship ; Mihaela TUCĂ, Corporate Social Responsibility as a Supporting Framework for Country Competitiviness