Developing a business improvement strategy based on the EFQM model

The use of the EFQM model and other business excellence models (BEM’s) has been recognised as a way of improving business processes among organisations. The information gathered through self-assessments using these models show the performance of organisations against several model criteria. There is evidence that organisations find it difficult to integrate the information from self-assessments to current business improvement programs or projects. Additionally, it has been claimed that the final reports derived from the deployment of self-assessments are rarely followed up. Thus, despite good efforts and some knowledge gained through the use of BEM’s there is a lack of methods, models, and techniques that effectively integrate the self-assessments with current business improvement strategies. In this context, the effective deployments of BEM’s and follow up activities and plans can contribute to support and develop business improvement strategies. Under this perspective, this paper explores the appropriate methods and techniques than can help to integrate self-assessments outcomes based on the EFQM model into a business improvement strategy. Based on emerging issues derived from an empirical study with twelve European Organisations that have used the EFQM model for more than five years, the paper identifies some of the best practices to integrate self-assessment outcomes with business improvement strategies. It then proposes a framework that can help to accomplish this integration and to mitigate the problems mentioned earlier. The conclusion of this work emphasises the necessity to standardise this process, and to integrate it with current knowledge management projects to store and retrieve the information for future business improvements project

Ruthenium Catalyzed Oxidative Cleavage of High Oleic Sunflower Oil: Considerations Regarding the Synthesis of a Fully Biobased Triacid

Tricarboxylic acids are molecules of interest for the synthesis of highly cross-linked polymers, for instance, for the curing of epoxy resins. Herein, a synthesis route to a novel high oleic sunflower oil based triacid is described by applying a ruthenium catalyzed oxidative cleavage of its double bonds. A statistical concept is devised for the prediction of the yields of mono-, di-, and trifunctional derivatives that can be formed from high oleic sunflower oil, depending on the overall conversion of double bonds into this functional group and the overall oleic acid content of the used oil. This concept proved to be highly useful for the explanation of seemingly moderate triacid yields, which are inherently dependent on the unsaturated fatty acid content of the used oil. All obtained sunflower oil based polyacids are fully analyzed by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-IR), electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), $^1$H, $^{13}$C, and quantitative $^{31}$P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. In addition, a more sustainable purification procedure is developed to obtain a polymerizable mixture of polyacids containing more than 2.0 carboxylic acids per molecule in average. Practical applications: Tricarboxylic acids are valuable monomers for the synthesis of cross-linked polymers. The herein reported procedure represents a hitherto unknown synthesis route towards a new triacid and polyacid mixture directly from high oleic sunflower oil

Análise da resistência ao cisalhamento de interfaces entre solos granulares e concretos

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Vitor Pereira FaroCoorientador: Prof. Dr. Edgar OdebrechtDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Tecnologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Construção Civil. Defesa : Curitiba, 26/02/2021Inclui referências: p. 143-149Resumo: Na execução de estacas escavadas ocorrem pequenos deslocamentos ao longo do fuste devido à cura do concreto, que geram tensões cisalhantes entre a estaca e o solo, denominadas tensões residuais. Uma consequência prática desse fenômeno pode ser a extração imprecisa dos resultados de provas de carga estática. Portanto, com este estudo se busca melhorar o entendimento dos mecanismos de interação solo-estrutura na interface de estacas escavadas de concreto, moldadas em solos arenosos. Além disso, almejou-se quantificar a resistência ao cisalhamento da interface e identificar os fatores que influenciam na resposta. Foram realizados ensaios de cisalhamento direto em interface entre duas amostras de areia (média e grossa) e concreto curado sob tensão. A partir dos resultados dos ensaios foi analisada, de forma estatística, a influência dos fatores densidade relativa, umidade, tempo de cura e diâmetro médio dos grãos sobre à resistência ao cisalhamento da interface. Ainda, foram elaborados modelos matemáticos, através da Metodologia de Superfície de Resposta (RSM), que descrevem o comportamento da resistência ao cisalhamento. Esses modelos foram comparados com os resultados experimentais e foi percebida uma grande semelhança entre os valores de adesão e dos ângulos de atrito. Também foi medida a rugosidade obtida nos corpos de prova através da impressão da areia durante a cura sob tensão do concreto, que resultou em superfícies rugosas. Outro objetivo da pesquisa foi a avaliação da superfície de ruptura, realizada por meio da comparação entre medições de deslocamentos verticais da interface e da areia pura e de ensaios de cisalhamento direto em interface, através dos quais foi concluído que o cisalhamento ocorre em uma superfície areia-areia. Por fim, foi realizada a comparação dos resultados experimentais da presente pesquisa com os dados de cisalhamento na interface areia-concreto de 9 autores, através dos seguintes fatores: rugosidade, diâmetro médios dos grãos, densidade relativa, morfologia das partículas e classificação SUCS. Concluiu-se que os resultados deste estudo obtiveram valores com comportamento coerente, mas superiores à literatura. Infere-se que a causa desta discrepância sejam os dois fatores analisados neste trabalho que não foram utilizados pelos outros autores: a umidade e o tempo de cura. Palavras chave: Interface areia-concreto. Cura sob tensão. Resistência ao cisalhamento. Rugosidade. Metodologia de Superfície de Resposta.Abstract: In the execution of bored piles, small displacements occur along the shaft due to concrete curing, which generate shear stresses between the pile and the soil, called residual stresses. A practical consequence of this phenomenon can be the inaccurate extraction of static load test results. Therefore, this study aims to improve the understanding of soil-structure interaction mechanisms at the interface of concrete bored piles, cast in sandy soils. In addition, it was intended to quantify the shear strength of the interface and identify the factors that influence the response. Direct shear tests were performed at the interface between two samples of sand (medium and coarse) and concrete cured under stress. From the test results, the influence of the factors relative density, water content, curing time and average grain diameter on the interface shear strength was statistically analyzed. Also, mathematical models were developed, through the Response Surface Methodology (RSM), that describe the behavior of the shear strength. These models were compared with the experimental results and a great similarity between the adhesion and friction angle values was noticed. The roughness obtained on the specimens was also measured through the sand impression during stress curing of the concrete, which resulted in rough surfaces. Another aim of the research was the evaluation of the rupture surface, carried out by comparing measurements of vertical displacements of the interface and pure sand and direct shear tests on the interface, through which it was concluded that shear occurs on a sand-sand surface. Finally, the comparison of the experimental results of the present research with the shear data at the sand-concrete interface of 9 authors was carried out, through the following factors: roughness, average grain diameter, relative density, particle morphology and USCS classification. It was concluded that the results of this study obtained values with consistent behavior, but higher than the literature. It is inferred that the cause of this discrepancy are the two factors analyzed in this work that were not used by other authors: water content and curing time. Keywords: Soil-concrete interface. Curing under stress. Shear strength. Roughness. Response Surface Methodology

Magnetothermal properties of molecule-based materials

We critically review recent results obtained by studying the low-temperature specific heat of some of the most popular molecular magnets. Perspectives of this field are discussed as well.Comment: 12 pages text + 14 pages figures, Submitted as "feature article" to Journal of Materials Chemistr

On the Origin of Ultraviolet Emission and the Accretion Model of Low-luminosity AGNs

Low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGNs) are generally believed to be powered by an inner radiatively inefficient, advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), an outer truncated thin disk, and a jet. Maoz (2007) recently challenged this picture based on the observation that the strength of ultraviolet emission relative to the X-ray and radio bands does not depart from empirical trends defined by more luminous sources. He advocates that AGNs across all luminosities have essentially the same accretion and radiative processes, which in luminous sources are described by a standard optically thick, geometrically thin disk. We calculate ADAF models and demonstrate that they can successfully fit the observed spectral energy distributions of the LLAGNs in Maoz's sample. Our model naturally accommodates the radio and X-ray emission, and the ultraviolet flux is well explained by a combination of the first-order Compton scattering in the ADAF, synchrotron emission in the jet, and black body emission in the truncated thin disk. It is premature to dismiss the ADAF model for LLAGNs. The UV data can be fit equally well using a standard thin disk, but an additional corona and jet would be required to account for the X-ray and radio emission. We argue that there are strong theoretical reasons to prefer the ADAF model over the thin disk scenario. We discuss testable predictions that can potentially discriminate between the two accretion models.Comment: 20 pages, 3 figures; ApJ in pres

Seed dormancy responses to temperature relate to Nothofagus species distribution and determine temporal patterns of germination across altitudes in Patagonia

Seeds integrate environmental cues that modulate their dormancy and germination. Although many mechanisms have been identified in laboratory experiments, their contribution to germination dynamics in existing communities and their involvement in defining species habitats remain elusive. By coupling mathematical models with ecological data we investigated the contribution of seed temperature responses to the dynamics of germination of three Nothofagus species that are sharply distributed across different altitudes in the Patagonian Andes. Seed responsiveness to temperature of the three Nothofagus species was linked to the thermal characteristics of their preferred ecological niche. In their natural distribution range, there was overlap in the timing of germination of the species, which was restricted to mid-spring. By contrast, outside their species distribution range, germination was temporally uncoupled with altitude. This phenomenon was described mathematically by the interplay between interspecific differences in seed population thermal parameters and the range in soil thermic environments across different altitudes. The observed interspecific variations in seed responsiveness to temperature and its environmental regulation, constitute a major determinant of the dynamics of Nothofagus germination across elevations. This phenomenon likely contributes to the maintenance of patterns of species abundance across altitude by placing germinated seeds in a favorable environment for plant growth.Fil: Arana, María Verónica. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gonzalez Polo, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universitario Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Martinez Meier, Alejandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Gallo, Leonardo Ariel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Benech-arnold, Roberto Luis. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Sanchez, Rodolfo Augusto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas A la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Batlla, Diego. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentin

Liberté, Égalité, Crédibilité: An experimental study of citizens' perceptions of government responses to COVID-19 in eight countries

: During a global pandemic, individual views of government can be linked to citizens' trust and cooperation with government and their propensity to resist state policies or to take action that influences the course of a pandemic. This article explores citizens' assessments of government responses to COVID-19 as a function of policy substance (restrictions on civil liberties), information about performance, and socioeconomic inequity in outcomes. We conducted a survey experiment and analyzed data on over 7000 respondents from eight democratic countries. We find that across countries, citizens are less favorable toward COVID-19 policies that are more restrictive of civil liberties. Additionally, citizens' views of government performance are significantly influenced by objective performance information from reputable sources and information on the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on low-income groups. This study reinforces the importance of policy design and outcomes and the consideration of multiple public values in the implementation of public policies

Unsupervised real-world knowledge extraction via disentangled variational autoencoders for photon diagnostics

We present real-world data processing on measured electron time-of-flight data via neural networks. Specifically, the use of disentangled variational autoencoders on data from a diagnostic instrument for online wavelength monitoring at the free electron laser FLASH in Hamburg. Without a-priori knowledge the network is able to find representations of single-shot FEL spectra, which have a low signal-to-noise ratio. This reveals, in a directly human-interpretable way, crucial information about the photon properties. The central photon energy and the intensity as well as very detector-specific features are identified. The network is also capable of data cleaning, i.e. denoising, as well as the removal of artefacts. In the reconstruction, this allows for identification of signatures with very low intensity which are hardly recognisable in the raw data. In this particular case, the network enhances the quality of the diagnostic analysis at FLASH. However, this unsupervised method also has the potential to improve the analysis of other similar types of spectroscopy data