Cosmic ray anisotropies at high energies

The directional anisotropies of the energetic cosmic ray gas due to the relative motion between the observers frame and the one where the relativistic gas can be assumed isotropic is analyzed. The radiation fluxes formula in the former frame must follow as the Lorentz invariance of dp/E, where p, E are the 4-vector momentum-energy components; dp is the 3-volume element in the momentum space. The anisotropic flux shows in such a case an amplitude, in a rotating earth, smaller than the experimental measurements from say, EAS-arrays for primary particle energies larger than 1.E(14) eV. Further, it is shown that two consecutive Lorentz transformations among three inertial frames exhibit the violation of dp/E invariance between the first and the third systems of reference, due to the Wigner rotation. A discussion of this result in the context of the experimental anisotropic fluxes and its current interpretation is given

An Assessment of Lean Design Management Practices in Construction Projects

[EN] Evidence exists for the application of lean management practices in the design process. However, there is no systematic review of this type of practice that links the design management practices to the lean construction principles. There is no tool to assess the level of use of lean design management practices in construction projects either. Therefore, this paper aims to assess the lean management practices that are performed at the design phase of construction projects. The research was divided into a literature review of design management practices; a validation of lean design management practices with a practice¿principle relationship, based on an expert survey; the devolvement of a tool (questionnaire) to evaluate the lean design management practices; and an assessment in 64 construction projects (coherence, reliability, correlation, and descriptive analysis). It is concluded that evidence exists for the implementation of 19 lean design management practices. These practices are grouped into three categories: stakeholder management, planning and control, and problem solving and decision making. Additionally, in the assessment of the 64 projects, it can be observed that the lean design management practices are at initial levels of implementations, so there is a significant development gap. This research proposes a tool to assess management practices in the design phase of construction projects; then, the study identifies implementations gaps, it provides benchmarks with other projects, and it improves the design process through a taxonomy of lean design management practices.This research was funded by CONICYT grant number PCHA/National Doctorate/2018-21180884 for funding the graduate research of Herrera, and the financial support by FONDECYT (1181648).Herrera, RF.; Mourgues, C.; Alarcon, LF.; Pellicer, E. (2019). An Assessment of Lean Design Management Practices in Construction Projects. 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Lean thinking in the UK red meat industry: A systems and contingency approach. International Journal of Production Economics, 106(1), 70-81. doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2006.04.003Perez, C., de Castro, R., Simons, D., & Gimenez, G. (2010). Development of lean supply chains: a case study of the Catalan pork sector. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 15(1), 55-68. doi:10.1108/13598541011018120Lamming, R. (1996). Squaring lean supply with supply chain management. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 16(2), 183-196. doi:10.1108/01443579610109910Arkader, R. (2001). The perspective of suppliers on lean supply in a developing country context. Integrated Manufacturing Systems, 12(2), 87-93. doi:10.1108/09576060110384280Kestle, L., Potangaroa, R., & Storey, B. (2011). Integration of Lean Design and Design Management and its Influence on the Development of a Multidisciplinary Design Management Model for Remote Site Projects. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 7(2), 139-153. doi:10.1080/17452007.2011.582336Mesa, H. A., Molenaar, K. R., & Alarcón, L. F. (2016). Exploring performance of the integrated project delivery process on complex building projects. International Journal of Project Management, 34(7), 1089-1101. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.05.007Gambatese, J. A., Pestana, C., & Lee, H. W. (2017). Alignment between Lean Principles and Practices and Worker Safety Behavior. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 143(1), 04016083. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0001209Salgin, B., Arroyo, P., & Ballard, G. (2016). Explorando la relación entre los métodos de diseño lean y la reducción de residuos de construcción y demolición: tres estudios de caso de proyectos hospitalarios en California. Revista ingeniería de construcción, 31(3), 191-200. doi:10.4067/s0718-50732016000300005Sacks, R., Koskela, L., Dave, B. A., & Owen, R. (2010). Interaction of Lean and Building Information Modeling in Construction. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 136(9), 968-980. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000203Herrera, R. F., Sanz, M. A., Montalbán-Domingo, L., García-Segura, T., & Pellicer, E. (2019). Impact of Game-Based Learning on Understanding Lean Construction Principles. Sustainability, 11(19), 5294. doi:10.3390/su11195294Cohen, J. (1960). A Coefficient of Agreement for Nominal Scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 37-46. doi:10.1177/001316446002000104Affinity Diagrams—Learn How to Cluster and Bundle Ideas and Factshttps://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/affinity-diagrams-learn-how-to-cluster-and-bundle-ideas-and-factsCarnevalli, J. A., & Miguel, P. C. (2008). Review, analysis and classification of the literature on QFD—Types of research, difficulties and benefits. International Journal of Production Economics, 114(2), 737-754. doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2008.03.006Mok, K. Y., Shen, G. Q., & Yang, J. (2015). Stakeholder management studies in mega construction projects: A review and future directions. International Journal of Project Management, 33(2), 446-457. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2014.08.007Molwus, J. J., Erdogan, B., & Ogunlana, S. (2017). Using structural equation modelling (SEM) to understand the relationships among critical success factors (CSFs) for stakeholder management in construction. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 24(3), 426-450. doi:10.1108/ecam-10-2015-0161Ko, C.-H., & Chung, N.-F. (2014). Lean Design Process. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(6), 04014011. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000824Hansen, G. K., & Olsson, N. O. E. (2011). Layered Project–Layered Process: Lean Thinking and Flexible Solutions. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 7(2), 70-84. doi:10.1080/17452007.2011.582331Freire, J., & Alarcón, L. F. (2002). Achieving Lean Design Process: Improvement Methodology. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 128(3), 248-256. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(2002)128:3(248)KOSKELA, L., HUOVILA, P., & LEINONEN, J. (2002). DESIGN MANAGEMENT IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE. Journal of Construction Research, 03(01), 1-16. doi:10.1142/s1609945102000035Ballard, G., & Howell, G. (2003). Lean project management. Building Research & Information, 31(2), 119-133. doi:10.1080/09613210301997Jaganathan, S., Nesan, L. J., Ibrahim, R., & Mohammad, A. H. (2013). Integrated design approach for improving architectural forms in industrialized building systems. Frontiers of Architectural Research, 2(4), 377-386. doi:10.1016/j.foar.2013.07.003BALLARD, G. (2002). Managing work flow on design projects: a case study. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 9(3), 284-291. doi:10.1108/eb021223Bryde, D., Unterhitzenberger, C., & Joby, R. (2018). Conditions of success for earned value analysis in projects. International Journal of Project Management, 36(3), 474-484. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2017.12.002Tauriainen, M., Marttinen, P., Dave, B., & Koskela, L. (2016). The Effects of BIM and Lean Construction on Design Management Practices. Procedia Engineering, 164, 567-574. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2016.11.659Mahalingam, A., Yadav, A. K., & Varaprasad, J. (2015). Investigating the Role of Lean Practices in Enabling BIM Adoption: Evidence from Two Indian Cases. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 141(7), 05015006. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000982Wesz, J. G. B., Formoso, C. T., & Tzortzopoulos, P. (2018). Planning and controlling design in engineered-to-order prefabricated building systems. Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 25(2), 134-152. doi:10.1108/ecam-02-2016-0045Tribelsky, E., & Sacks, R. (2011). An Empirical Study of Information Flows in Multidisciplinary Civil Engineering Design Teams using Lean Measures. 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ERTS: A multispectral image analysis contribution for the geomorphological evaluation of southern Maracaibo Lake Basin

Multispectral analysis of ERTS-A images at scales of 1:1,000,000 and 1:500,000 has been conducted with conventional photointerpretation methods. Specific methods have been developed for the geomorphological analysis of southern Maracaibo Lake Basin which comprises part of the Venezuelan Andean Range, Perija Range, the Tachira gap and the Southern part of the Maracaibo Lake depression. A steplike analysis was conducted to separate macroforms, landscapes and relief units as well as drainage patterns and tectonic features, which permitted the delineation of tectonic provinces, stratigraphic units, geomorphologic units and geomorphologic positions. The geomorphologic synthesis obtained compares favorably with conventional analysis made on this area for accuracy of 1:100,000 scale, and in some features with details obtained through conventional analysis for accuracy of 1:15,000 and field work. Geomorphological units in the mountains were identified according to changes in tone, texture, forms orientation of interfluves and tectonic characteristics which control interfluvial disimetrics

The enzymes LSD1 and Set1A cooperate with the viral protein HBx to establish an active hepatitis B viral chromatin state

Indexación: Web of ScienceWith about 350 million people chronically infected around the world hepatitis B is a major health problem. Template for progeny HBV synthesis is the viral genome, organized as a minichromosome (cccDNA) inside the hepatocyte nucleus. How viral cccDNA gene expression is regulated by its chromatin structure; more importantly, how the modulation of this structure impacts on viral gene expression remains elusive. Here, we found that the enzyme SetDB1 contributes to setting up a repressed cccDNA chromatin state. This repressive state is activated by the histone lysine demethylase-1 (LSD1). Consistently, inhibiting or reducing LSD1 levels led to repression of viral gene expression. This correlates with the transcriptionally repressive mark H3K9 methylation and reduction on the activating marks H3 acetylation and H3K4 methylation on viral promoters. Investigating the importance of viral proteins we found that LSD1 recruitment to viral promoters was dependent on the viral transactivator protein HBx. Moreover, the histone methyltransferase Set1A and HBx are simultaneously bound to the core promoter, and Set1A expression correlates with cccDNA H3K4 methylation. Our results shed light on the mechanisms of HBV regulation mediated by the cccDNA chromatin structure, offering new therapeutic targets to develop drugs for the treatment of chronically infected HBV patients.http://www.nature.com/articles/srep2590

Exploring Agricultural Production Systems and Their Fundamental Components with System Dynamics Modelling

Agricultural production in the United States is undergoing marked changes due to rapid shifts in consumer demands, input costs, and concerns for food safety and environmental impact. Agricultural production systems are comprised of multidimensional components and drivers that interact in complex ways to influence production sustainability. In a mixed-methods approach, we combine qualitative and quantitative data to develop and simulate a system dynamics model that explores the systemic interaction of these drivers on the economic, environmental and social sustainability of agricultural production. We then use this model to evaluate the role of each driver in determining the differences in sustainability between three distinct production systems: crops only, livestock only, and an integrated crops and livestock system. The result from these modelling efforts found that the greatest potential for sustainability existed with the crops only production system. While this study presents a stand-alone contribution to sector knowledge and practice, it encourages future research in this sector that employs similar systems-based methods to enable more sustainable practices and policies within agricultural production