14,413 research outputs found
The Influence of Optimism Bias on Time and Cost on Construction Projects
The unresolved scholarly debate to curtail cost and time performances in projects has led to alternate solutions, departing from the dominant technical school of thought to include concepts from behavioural sciences. In this paper, we consider the psychological effect, namely optimism bias, as one of the root causes for delays in cost overruns on projects. The research objectives were to determine the level of bias among project participants, rank time and cost overrun causes according to the participants’ bias score and establish a mitigation strategy to curb potential delays and cost overrun impacts based on the bias scores obtained. A literature survey was conducted to determine causal factors contributing to delays and cost overruns linked to optimism bias. Through a pilot survey of three semi-structured interviews, eighty factors obtained from the literature survey were reduced to 24 critical delay and cost overrun factors relevant to Trinidad and Tobago. A questionnaire was subsequently developed seeking construction professionals to rate their bias scores based on an 11-point Likert scale. The research confirms that project planners and decision-makers exhibit moderate levels of optimism bias; however, participants lacked awareness of the impact of optimism bias on projects outcomes. Project location, environmental impacts and historic preservation, and labour disputes are the top three critical factors where project professionals displayed increased optimistic tendencies. It is proposed that contingency “time window” and reference class forecasting be implemented as control mechanisms to mitigate the impacts of time and cost overruns on projects. This research introduces a novel method to account for and measure optimism bias on construction projects. This study adds knowledge into delays and cost overruns causation and provides a foundation for future studies on quantifying psychological effects on projects and enhancing overall project management practices. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01287 Full Text: PD
Raman-scattering study of the InGaN alloy over the whole composition range
We present Raman-scattering measurements on InxGa1−xN over the entire composition range of the alloy. The frequencies of the A1(LO) and E2 modes are reported and show a good agreement with the one-mode behavior dispersion predicted by the modified random-element isodisplacement model. The A1(LO) mode displays a high intensity relative to the E2 mode due to resonant enhancement. For above band-gap excitation, the A1(LO) peak displays frequency shifts as a function of the excitation energy due to selective excitation of regions with different In contents, and strong multiphonon scattering up to 3LO is observed in outgoing resonance conditions
Structural and optical properties of MOCVD AllnN epilayers
7] M.-Y. Ryu, C.Q. Chen, E. Kuokstis, J.W. Yang, G. Simin, M. Asif Khan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80 (2002) 3730. [8] D. Xu, Y. Wang, H. Yang, L. Zheng, J. Li, L. Duan, R. Wu, Sci. China (a) 42 (1999) 517. [9] H. Hirayama, A. Kinoshita, A. Hirata, Y. Aoyagi, Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 188 (2001) 83. [10] Y. Chen, T. Takeuchi, H. Amano, I. Akasaki, N. Yamada, Y. Kaneko, S.Y. Wang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 72 (1998) 710. [11] Ig-Hyeon Kim, Hyeong-Soo Park, Yong-Jo Park, Taeil Kim, Appl. Phys. Lett. 73 (1998) 1634. [12] K. Watanabe, J.R. Yang, S.Y. Huang, K. Inoke, J.T. Hsu, R.C. Tu, T. Yamazaki, N. Nakanishi, M. Shiojiri, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 (2003) 718
Optical energies of AllnN epilayers
Optical energy gaps are measured for high-quality Al1−xInxN-on-GaN epilayers with a range of compositions around the lattice match point using photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy. These data are combined with structural data to determine the compositional dependence of emission and absorption energies. The trend indicates a very large bowing parameter of 6 eV and differences with earlier reports are discussed. Very large Stokes' shifts of 0.4-0.8 eV are observed in the composition range 0.13<x<0.24, increasing approximately linearly with InN fraction despite the change of sign of the piezoelectric fiel
Distribution of basement membrane antigens in glomeruli of mice with autoimmune glomerulonephritis.
peer reviewedGlomerulonephritis was induced in mice by the repeated injection of human glomeruli or purified glomerular basement membrane. The glomerular basement membranes of nephritic animals were observed to develop subepithelial extensions, "spikes." Although normally Type IV collagen is found throughout the full thickness of basement membranes, the "spikes" reacted with antibodies to laminin but not with antibodies to Type IV collagen. It is proposed that in murine autoimmune glomerulonephritis, the visceral epithelial cells produce an excess of laminin
A novel scanning lens instrument for evaluating Fresnel lens performance: equipment development and initial results
A system dedicated to the optical transmittance characterization of Fresnel lenses has been developed at
NREL, in collaboration with the UPM. The system quantifies the optical efficiency of the lens by generating a performance map. The shape of the focused spot may also be analyzed to understand change in the lens performance. The primary instrument components (lasers and CCD detector) have been characterized to confirm their capability for performing optical transmittance measurements. Measurements performed on SoG and PMMA lenses subject to a variety of indoor conditions (e.g., UV and damp heat) identified differences in the optical efficiency of the evaluated
lenses, demonstrating the ability of the Scanning Lens Instrument (SLI) to distinguish between the aged lenses
ISO spectroscopy of compact HII regions in the Galaxy. II Ionization and elemental abundances
Based on the ISO spectral catalogue of compact HII regions by Peeters et al.
(2001), we present a first analysis of the hydrogen recombination and atomic
fine-structure lines originated in the ionized gas. The sample consists of 34
HII regions located at galactocentric distances between Rgal = 0 and 15 kpc.
The SWS HI recombination lines between 2 and 8 mum are used to estimate the
extinction law at these wavelengths for 14 HII regions. An extinction in the K
band between 0 and 3 mag. has been derived. The fine-structure lines of
N, O, Ne, S and Ar are detected in most of the sources. Most of these elements
are observed in two different ionization stages probing a range in ionization
potential up to 41 eV. The ISO data, by itself or combined with radio data
taken from the literature, is used to derive the elemental abundances relative
to hydrogen. The present data thus allow us to describe for each source its
elemental abundance, its state of ionization and to constrain the properties of
the ionizing star(s).Comment: Accepted in Astronomy and Astrophysics, 22 pages, 20 figures, 9
table
Cirugía de la fibrilación auricular
Atrial fibrillation surgery is based on creating scars in the atrium, in order to
avoid re-entry phenomena that may initiate and perpetuate arrhythmia, and driving
the normal stimuli from the sinus node to the atrio-ventricular node. The
complexity and increased risk of the initial surgical technique, based on a
"cut-and-sew" procedure, have enhanced other current procedures, in which
different energies are used making it possible to perform scars in a safer and
less invasive way. At present, atrial fibrillation surgery is not performed
routinely in all cardiothoracic surgical centers, and there is no consensus in
which is the best type of technique. Even if the results are good, they depend on
multiples factors such as duration of arrhythmia, atrial size and type of
technique employed. In addition, there is some variability in the description
within the scientific community of the results and procedures used, which makes
its analysis confusing. In this paper we review the different techniques
described, the results and their application in minimally invasive surgery
Spiky strings and single trace operators in gauge theories
We consider single trace operators of the form O_{m_1 ... m_n} = tr D_+^{m_1}
F ... D_+^{m_n} F which are common to all gauge theories. We argue that, when
all m_i are equal and large, they have a dual description as strings with
cusps, or spikes, one for each field F. In the case of N=4 SYM, we compute the
energy as a function of angular momentum by finding the corresponding solutions
in AdS_5 and compare with a 1-loop calculation of the anomalous dimension. As
in the case of two spikes (twist two operators), there is agreement in the
functional form but not in the coupling constant dependence. After that, we
analyze the system in more detail and find an effective classical mechanics
describing the motion of the spikes. In the appropriate limit, it is the same
(up to the coupling constant dependence) as the coherent state description of
linear combinations of the operators O_{m_1 ... m_n} such that all m_i are
equal on average. This agreement provides a map between the operators in the
boundary and the position of the spikes in the bulk. We further suggest that
moving the spikes in other directions should describe operators with
derivatives other than D_+ indicating that these ideas are quite generic and
should help in unraveling the string description of the large-N limit of gauge
theories.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures. v2: References and comments adde
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