Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-Based Products: Version 3

Version 3 of this guide incorporates the most up-to-date developments on the legality of forest products, new technological developments to control wood and paper supply chains and increase their transparency, and an expanded chapter on the social implications of forest products.Decisions regarding the purchase and use of wood and paper-based products can have far-reaching, long-term impacts on the forests where they are harvested and the people and industries that depend on those forests for their livelihoods and raw materials.This joint WRI/WBCSD publication provides information about 10 key issues procurement managers might address as they develop and implement their procurement policies

Introduction to the Sage Handbook of E-learning Research, 2nd ed.

The publication of the second edition of the SAGE Handbook of E-learningResearch attests to the continued need for study and understanding of learningpractices in contemporary technology-supported and technology-enabled educational, work and social settings. In preparing the first edition (Andrews &Haythornthwaite, 2007a), we found that while there had been considerabledevelopment in teaching and learning online, and in learning design, there wasno coherent view of what constituted research in the field. Writing for this 2016edition, we find there has been much progress in research, but it has taken many new directions, each wrestling with how to analyze and represent learning in an era of continuing change in technologies, learning practices, and knowledge distribution. This volume, like the last, takes stock of progress in e-learning research, highlighting advances as well as new directions in studies and methods for approaching and keeping up with changes in learning in an e-society

An Investigation into the cost justification of computer-to-plate systems

In the history of technological development, it is usually the case that the technology is available before mankind understands the full potential of its use. Thus it should come as no surprise that CTP (Computer-to Plate) technology is currently waiting for its advantages to be exploited by the graphic arts\u27 market. This was evidenced by the heavy saturation of platesetters presented at DRUPA 1995 (the largest printing trade show in the world), which demonstrated that CTP is no longer a research and development experiment but a marketplace reality and the topic of considerable discussion. Surprisingly, the response of the printing industry to this new age of digital prepress which CTP systems were designed to facilitate has been rather restrained. Although most printers agree that digital formatting and output are the way of the future; printers are still uneasy at the prospect of investing in CTP systems. This reluctance is certainly understandable, since anyone considering buying a platesetter (computer-to-plate system) will potentially have to reorganize and update their front end computer system and its accompanying workflow. To compound the issue, buyers need a pay back period three years or less to recoup their investment, due to the accelerated rate of computer obsolescence. And, as if this isn\u27t enough to think about, probably the biggest deterrent is coming from the manufacturers themselves. As platesetters begin to carve out market share from conventional imagesetter territory, the manufacturers have now modified the existing technology to work with thermal plates while increasing their efforts to produce Direct-to Press technology. In such a climate of change, most printers would prefer to invest in a system that can prove its profitability along with its potential to upgrade rather than a system destined to be marked as a piece of transitional technology. In an effort to understand and evaluate the aforementioned problems CTP systems are creating in the marketplace, this paper has analyzed a platesetter being used in pro duction to determine the viability of cost justification proposals developed by the CTP manufacturers in order to maximize profits. Several printing companies, who specialize in different market segments, have been interviewed in the data collection process. A comparison of these organizations has demonstrated under which circumstances the investment in a CTP system is justified and which environmental factors have to be considered for an ROI calculation. Among the local participants is the Webster Division of Thomson Professional Publishing a parent company to five different publishing branches that specialize in legal publishing and book production. The Webster location has just recently installed its second CTP system. The other cooperating company is Canfield and Tack, of Rochester, New York a high quality commercial printing company that recently signed a letter of intent to purchase a CTP system. Additional interview sources will be industry consultants, printers, manufacturers and suppliers. By doing a comparison of the considerations upon which each system was evaluated by the different firms, conclusions may be drawn as to the future of CTP in the marketplace, and more significantly, where cost justification fits into this picture of fast moving technology. This thesis strives to secure the answers to three key issues: 1 ) Can cost justification, using the manufacturer\u27s suggested model, provide potential buyers with enough infor mation to prove that CTP systems are a good capital investment; 2) Are the cost benefits achievable with a CTP system enough to warrant such a radical restructuring of work flow; and 3) Does the issue of equipment obsolescence and its economic impact have a determining factor in the decision to install such a system

COTS DRONE DESIGN: A RAPID EQUIPAGE ALTERNATIVE FOR FORCE RECON COMPANIES

The Force Reconnaissance Group (FRG) of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is a pioneer unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in acquiring and utilizing small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) for aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The sustainment of this ISR equipment, however, largely depends on ample resources that the FRG does not have. This organizational challenge results in an aerial ISR capability gap at the company level. Force Recon Companies (FRCs) do not have organic drones to support their aerial real-time reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition requirements. This study explored an alternative solution to address this capability gap: a low-cost commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) drone design specific to the operational needs of FRCs. A systems engineering approach to SUAS design resulted in a micro traditional helicopter drone as the FRC COTS Drone design. The study produced a prototype FRC COTS Drone consisting of a four-part reconnaissance kit that includes a micro helicopter UAV, handheld controller, first person view (FPV) goggles, and FPV monitor. This effort can promote a culture of innovation in small unmanned systems, not just within the PMC, but the AFP as a whole. This study can also serve as a model for security cooperation between the United States and the Philippines through the integration of three fields: Philippine experience, U.S. technical expertise and resources, and the global commercial market.Outstanding ThesisMajor, Philippine Marine CorpsApproved for public release. distribution is unlimite

University of San Diego News Print Media Coverage 2006.07

Printed clippings housed in folders with a table of contents arranged by topic.https://digital.sandiego.edu/print-media/1042/thumbnail.jp

The neglected contexts and outcomes of evidence-based management:A systematic scoping review in hospital settings

PURPOSE: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted the necessity of practicing Evidence-based Management (EBMgt) as an approach to decision-making in hospital settings. The literature, however, provides limited insight into the process of EBMgt and its contextual nuances. Such insight is critical for better leveraging EBMgt in practice. Therefore, the authors' aim was to integrate the literature on the process of EBMgt in hospital settings, identify the gaps in knowledge and delineate areas for future research. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: The authors conducted a systematic scoping review using an innovative methodology that involved two systematic searches. First using EBMgt terminology and second using terminology associated with the EBMgt concept, which the authors derived from the first search. FINDINGS: The authors identified 218 relevant articles, which using content analysis, they mapped onto the grounded model of the EBMgt process; a novel model of the EBMgt process developed by Sahakian and colleagues. The authors found that the English language literature provides limited insight into the role of managers' perceptions and motives in EBMgt, the practice of EBMgt in Global South countries, and the outcomes of EBMgt. Overall, this study’s findings indicated that aspects of the decision-maker, context and outcomes have been neglected in EBMgt. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The authors contributed to the EBMgt literature by identifying these gaps and proposing future research areas and to the systematic review literature by developing a novel scoping review method

Interim security insights and implications from the first two months of the Russia-Ukraine war

Russia's ongoing struggles during its invasion of Ukraine have led some to suggest that the Russian military lacks the capability to credibly threaten the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and its member states. However, narrowly focusing on Russia's tactical and operational struggles, while omitting the flawed Russian strategic decisionmaking which underpinned the invasion, is a dangerous approach. While Russia's significant losses in this war will clearly degrade its ability to conduct large scale offensive operations against NATO in the short term, it is too soon to write off the medium to long-term threat posed by Russia. Therefore, as the Russian invasion enters a new phase, it is useful to determine what lessons should and should not be derived from this conflict. In our subsequent analysis, we analyze these initial insights and provide policy recommendations for NATO to enhance its conventional capability and strengthen its ability to credibly deter future Russian aggression