‘Driving’ innovation in construction organizations: a comparative case study of the design and construction of motor racing venues

The culture of high-performance racing, whether Formula One, Nascar, or sports cars represents the continuous push for better performance. The research focuses upon understanding how stakeholders designing and building motor racing venues experience the innovation process through both new and refurbishment projects. This paper will provide a review of the literature relative to the nature of innovations within the construction setting, considering a range of theoretical and methodological approaches. The context of innovative designs and high-performance facilities serves as a novel exploration given that the nature of the facilities seems to attract these innovative solutions. Given this seeming repeatability of pursuit and success in innovation on this project type suggests that the context allows construction firms to successfully mobilize their innovative ideas and construction expertise. Using the captured data from two case study projects; Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi and the Daytona International Speedway in the USA, we explore the phenomenon around the mobilization of innovation in these contexts. Data is collected through extensive, unstructured interviews with key leadership in both projects to explore the emergent nature of innovation and the evolving facility design, construction, and operations. Innovation is born, resides and lives within a loosely and tightly knit network of stakeholders. We will connect the discursive nature of innovation in such settings and projects back to the innovation literature

Reliability and validity of the ActivPAL activity monitor for office-based tasks

The ActivPAL physical activity monitor has been previously reported as a reliable and valid tool to measure everyday physical activities. The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the ActivPAL during typical office-based activities. A convenient sample of 10 adults participated in this study with two ActivPAL units attached to the participant's right thigh. Participants completed 6 minutes of specific office-based tasks such as typing an email, writing on a whiteboard, collecting printing and running a small errand with instructions provided through an audio recording. Each bout was filmed with time of sitting, standing and walking visually assessed using the same categories provided by the ActivPAL analysis. Reliability between ActivPAL recordings was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). Relative error was calculated as the difference between visual observations and ActivPAL recordings. Validity was assessed via Wilcoxon comparisons between ActivPAL recordings and video observations. There were no significant differences between ActivPAL units for sitting (196.2+/-5.0 vs. 195.9+/-5.1 seconds), standing (121.8+/-4.8 vs. 122.3+/-6.9 seconds) or walking (42.0+/-6.1 vs. 41.9+/-7.1 seconds) activities. Significant ICC were detected for sitting (0.928), standing (0.849) and walking (0.849) time. In contrast, the ActivPAL recordings for sitting, standing and walking time were significantly different to visual observations (p3.8%, >24.5% and >54.1%, respectively. The current study has identified ActivPAL units as reliable tools to document physical activity. However, the ActivPAL underestimated sitting and walking time, and overestimated standing time during office-based tasks

Comparison of psychometric properties between usual-week and past-week self-reported physical activity questionnaires: A systematic review

The aim was to critically appraise the methodological quality of studies and determine the psychometric qualities of Past-week and Usual-week Physical Activity Questionnaires (PAQs). Data sources were obtained from Pubmed and Embase. The eligibility criteria for selecting studies included: 1) at least one psychometric property of PAQs was examined in adults; 2) the PAQs either had a recall period of usual 7-days (Usual-week PAQs) within the past 12months or during the past 7-days (Past-week PAQs); and 3) PAQs were self-administered. Study quality was evaluated using the COSMIN taxonomy and the overall psychometric qualities evaluated using pre-established psychometric criteria. Overall, 45 studies were reviewed to assess the psychometric properties of 21 PAQs with the methodological quality of most studies showing good to excellent ratings. When the relationship between PAQs and other instruments (i.e., convergent validity) were compared between recall methods, Past-week PAQs appeared to have stronger correlations than Usual-week PAQs. For the overall psychometric quality, the Incidental and Planned Exercise Questionnaire for the Usual-week (IPEQ-WA) and for the Past-week (IPEQ-W) had the greatest number of positive ratings. For all included PAQs, very few psychometric properties were assessed with poor ratings for the majority of the overall qualities of psychometric properties indicating the limitation of current PAQs. More research that covers a greater spectrum of psychometric properties is required to gain a better understanding of the qualities of current PAQs

The Performance Evolution of Match Play Styles in the Spanish Professional Basketball League

The aim of this study is to analyse the performance evolution of all, and the dominant, team’s performances throughout an eight-season period within the Spanish professional basketball league. Match-related statistics were gathered from all regular season matches (n = 2426) played during the period 2009−2010 to 2016−2017. The non-metric multidimensional scaling model was used to examine the team’s profiles across seasons and for the most successful (playoff) teams. The main results showed that: 3-point field goals made (effect size, d = 0.61; 90% confidence interval, CI = 0.23; 1.37) and missed (d = 0.72; 90% CI = 0.35; 1.46), and assists (d = 1.27; 90% CI = 0.82; 1.86) presented a positive trend with an increased number of actions across the seasons; 2-point field goals made (d = 0.21; 90% CI = −1.25; 2.02) and missed (d = 0.27; 90% CI = −0.52; 0.92) were decreased; free throws made and missed, rebounds, fouls, blocks, steals and turnovers showed a relatively stable performance. The matrix solution (stress = 0.22, rmse (root mean squared error) = 7.9 × 104, maximum residual = 5.8 × 103) indicated minimal season-to-season evolution with the ordination plot and convex hulls overlapping. The two most dominant teams exhibited unique match patterns with the most successful team’s pattern, a potential benchmark for others who exhibited more dynamic evolutions (and less success). The current findings identified the different performances of teams within the Spanish professional basketball league over eight seasons with further statistical modelling of match play performances useful to identify temporal trends and support coaches with training and competition preparations

Antioxidant, Organoleptic and Physicochemical Changes in Different Marinated Oven-Grilled Chicken Breast Meat

The antioxidant, organoleptic, and physicochemical changes in different marinated oven-grilled chicken breast meat were investigated. Specifically, the chicken breast meat samples were procured from a local retailer in Wroclaw, Poland. The antioxidant aspects involved 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazolin-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 1,1-diphenyl-2-pierylhydrazy (DPPH), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). The organoleptic aspects involved sensory and texture aspects. The physicochemical aspects involved the pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), cooking weight loss, L* a* b* color, and textural cutting force. Different marination variants comprised incremental 0.5, 1, and 1.5% concentrations of Baikal skullcap (BS), cranberry pomace (CP), and grape pomace (GP) that depicted antioxidants, and subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or an industrial marinade/pickle (IM). The oven grill facility was set at a temperature of 180 °C and a constant cooking time of 5 min. Results showed various antioxidant, organoleptic and physicochemical range values across the different marinated oven-grilled chicken breast meat samples, most of which appeared somewhat limited. Incorporating either AS or IM seemingly widens the ABTS and FRAP ranges, with much less for the DPPH. Moreover, with increasing CP, GP, and BS concentrations, fluctuations seemingly persist in pH, TBARS, cooking weight loss, L* a* b* color, and textural cutting force values even when either AS or IM was incorporated, despite resemblances in some organoleptic sensory and texture profiles. Overall, the oven-grilling approach promises to moderate the antioxidant, organoleptic, and physicochemical value ranges in the different marinated chicken breast meat samples in this study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Quality attributes of different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat

Whereas herbs/spices serve as natural preservatives, and thermal processing makes animal meat products edible, combining them should complement each other. Additionally, the application of oven grilling to meat products continues to increase in popularity. However, there is a paucity of relevant published information specific to different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat. Therefore, the quality attributes of different marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat were investigated, which involved chemical (pH, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS], 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiaziline-6-sulfonate) [ABTS], 1,1-diphenyl-2-pierylhydrazy [DPPH], ferric reducing antioxidant power [FRAP]), physical (cooking weight loss, L*a*b* color, and textural cutting force), as well as organoleptic (sensory: flavor, appearance, tenderness, taste, and off-flavor; texture: hardness, chewiness, gumminess, graininess, and greasiness) aspects. In particular, the pork neck meat was procured from a porcine farm in Poland. Different marinated variants comprised constituent 0.5, 1, and 1.5% quantities of cranberry pomace (CP), grape pomace (GP), and Baikal skullcap (BS) that subsequently incorporated either African spice (AS) or industrial marinade/pickle (IM). Results showed decreases in ABTS, DPPH, FRAP, and TBARS in some marinated oven-grilled pork neck meat samples, alongside pH variations by difference that seemingly associated with increasing concentrations of either CP, BS, or GP, which might not always coincide with L*a*b* color trends as AS and IM were incorporated. Despite the many resemblances (p > .05), the sensory aspects fluctuated as textural chewiness, gumminess, and hardness increased in some samples, more evident when incorporating AS compared to IM. Overall, oven-grilling promises to moderate the range values of key quality attributes of different marinated pork neck meat samples in this study.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

LOWER LEG MORPHOLOGY AND STRETCH-SHORTENING CYCLE PERFORMANCE IN YOUNG AND ELDERLY MALES

The purpose of this investigation was to examine bone and muscle characteristics of the lower leg and stretch-shortening cycle capabilities of the ankle in young (22.3 ± 1.3 yrs) and elderly (67.5 ± 3.3 yrs) males. Peripheral quantitiative computed tomography (pQCT) was utilized to assess bone stress-strain index, bone ultimate fracture load, muscle density, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), fat CSA and muscle+bone CSA. Maximal voluntary isometric plantarflexion (MVIP) force and force-velocity measurments during a countermovement hop (CMH) and drop hops from 20, 30 and 40 cm (DH20, DH30, DH40) were also measured. Bone stress-strain index was significantly higher in young males as well as muscle density, muscle CSA and muscle+bone CSA in comparison to elderly males. MVIP peak force and rate of force development was significantly higher in young males in comparsion to elderly males as well. An analysis of the force-velocity curves indicated that young males had significanlty higher levels of force and velocity in both the eccentric and concentric phase during the CMH, DH20, DH30 and DH40 in comparsion to elderly males. The data from this investigation indicate that aging potentially negatively influences lower leg bone and muscle strength and this may be reflected in lower stretch-shortening cycle capabilities of the ankle

Perspective: does laboratory-based maximal incremental exercise testing elicit maximum physiological responses in highly-trained athletes with cervical spinal cord injury?

The physiological assessment of highly-trained athletes is a cornerstone of many scientific support programs. In the present article, we provide original data followed by our perspective on the topic of laboratory-based incremental exercise testing in elite athletes with cervical spinal cord injury. We retrospectively reviewed our data on Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby athletes collected during the last two Paralympic cycles. We extracted and compared peak cardiometabolic (heart rate and blood lactate) responses between a standard laboratory-based incremental exercise test on a treadmill and two different maximal field tests (4 min and 40 min maximal push). In the nine athletes studied, both field tests elicited higher peak responses than the laboratory-based test. The present data imply that laboratory-based incremental protocols preclude the attainment of true peak cardiometabolic responses. This may be due to the different locomotor patterns required to sustain wheelchair propulsion during treadmill exercise or that maximal incremental treadmill protocols only require individuals to exercise at or near maximal exhaustion for a relatively short period of time. We acknowledge that both field- and laboratory-based testing have respective merits and pitfalls and suggest that the choice of test be dictated by the question at hand: if true peak responses are required then field-based testing is warranted, whereas laboratory-based testing may be more appropriate for obtaining cardiometabolic responses across a range of standardised exercise intensities

Correlated multiplexity and connectivity of multiplex random networks

Nodes in a complex networked system often engage in more than one type of interactions among them; they form a multiplex network with multiple types of links. In real-world complex systems, a node's degree for one type of links and that for the other are not randomly distributed but correlated, which we term correlated multiplexity. In this paper we study a simple model of multiplex random networks and demonstrate that the correlated multiplexity can drastically affect the properties of giant component in the network. Specifically, when the degrees of a node for different interactions in a duplex Erdos-Renyi network are maximally correlated, the network contains the giant component for any nonzero link densities. In contrast, when the degrees of a node are maximally anti-correlated, the emergence of giant component is significantly delayed, yet the entire network becomes connected into a single component at a finite link density. We also discuss the mixing patterns and the cases with imperfect correlated multiplexity.Comment: Revised version, 12 pages, 6 figure