Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management

Construction project management is a multidimensional discipline that requires meticulous consideration of various critical aspects, including cost, quality, schedule requirements, as well as social and environmental impacts [...

Critical review on PPP Research - A search from the Chinese and International Journals

© 2016 Elsevier Ltd and Association for Project Management and the International Project Management Association. A significant number of literatures have concentrated on diverse issues related to Public-Private Partnership (PPP) both in China and abroad. However, there is no systematic analysis on the PPP research progress and status in Chinese journals, which is worth investigating because China is one of the largest PPP markets globally. In addition, there are many PPP publications in international journals based on the context of China. A comparative study is still missing between the PPP publications in Chinese journals and international journals. This paper hence aims to conduct a critical review of PPP publications from selected first tier Chinese journals and international journals. Based on a three-stage literature review research framework, 615 and 70 high quality research papers on PPP topics were selected from Chinese and international journals in the last decade between 2005 and 2014, respectively. Main research methods, research topics and research findings were then identified through content analysis and statistical analysis methods. It is found that in these two journals the frequently adopted research methods are case study, literature review, modeling, questionnaire survey and comparison; and the popular research topics include PPP models and their application, risk management, financing and economic issues, legal and procurement issues, government regulation and guarantee. Comparison analysis results show that in terms of order of popularity, there are more similarities in the research topics than research methods in Chinese and international journals. The outcomes of this paper contribute to the PPP body of knowledge through summarizing PPP research in Chinese journals and international journals in the context of China. In addition, the findings are valuable for Chinese researchers to embark future research on PPP. This paper also breaks the language barrier and enriches western researchers a better understanding of the research status of PPP in the context of China

Nearly constant dielectric loss behavior in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) biodegradable polyester

2008-2009 > Academic research: refereed > Publication in refereed journalVersion of RecordPublishe

Annealing effect on the structure characteristics of nano-scale damascene copper lines

High-resolution electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique was applied for systematic and detailed study of grain structure and texture changes in various microstructural regions of nano-scale damascene copper lines after annealing in a wide temperature range of 200-500°C. To ensure reliability of the obtained results, large EBSD maps including several thousand grains were obtained in each case. Above 200°C, the grain structure was established to be surprisingly stable in both the overburden layer as well as within the lines. The grain growth in the lines was supposed to be suppressed by pinning effect of second-phase particles entrapped during electrodeposition process

Increased phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase is associated with HPV16 infection in cervical cancer and esophageal cancer

HPV16 E6 interacts with and degrades tumour suppressor protein TSC2 leading to the phosphorylation of p70 S6 kinase. We studied the association of S6 kinase phosphorylation and HPV16 infection in cervical cancer and esophageal cancer. Immunohistochemistry was used to assess phosphorylated S6 kinase (Thr 389) and phosphorylated S6 (Ser235/236) in 140 cervical cancer and 161 esophageal cancer specimens. Immunohistochemical staining for pS6 kinase and pS6 was significantly more frequent in the HPV16-infected cervical cancer specimens than the HPV16-negative specimens. In contrast, the expression of S6 kinase was similar in both HPV16-positive and -negative samples. The phosphorylation of Akt, the key regulator of S6 kinase, was also detected. Our analysis showed that Akt phosphorylation was unaffected by HPV16 infection. These results together with our previous study suggest that HPV16 modifies S6 kinase activation via mechanism, which activates S6 kinase downstream of Akt function

Compliance within a regulatory framework in implementing public road construction projects

© 2018 by the author(s). The construction industry faces a lack of compliance with policy that in Uganda public road construction projects affects the attainment of Government goals and disrupts infrastructure project delivery. For decades, public entities have been known for a lack of compliance that manifest in: poor performance, poor personnel management, poor resource utilization and unprofessionalism. In Uganda, this has resulted in several restructures aimed at improving service delivery. Despite this, compliance remains an issue. The purpose of this study is to establish factors affecting compliance within a public procurement regulatory framework in public road construction projects and foster economic development. A cross-sectional research design including a structured self-administered questionnaire survey and PLS-SEM data analysis by SmartPLS3 was conducted. The research reveals that three factors positively affect compliance with a regulatory framework that govern public road construction projects; sanctions on staff, inefficiency of the public procurement regulatory framework and contractors’ resistance to non-compliance. While a further three factors have little positive effect on compliance; familiarity, monitoring activities and professionalism. Hence, the research contributes to construction management by showing that sanctions, perceived inefficiency and contractors’ resistance significantly enhance compliance within a public procurement regulatory framework

Strong decays of heavy baryons in Bethe-Salpeter formalism

In this paper we study the properties of diquarks (composed of $u$ and/or $d$ quarks) in the Bethe-Salpeter formalism under the covariant instantaneous approximation. We calculate their BS wave functions and study their effective interaction with the pion. Using the effective coupling constant among the diquarks and the pion, in the heavy quark limit $m_Q\to\infty$, we calculate the decay widths of $\Sigma_Q^{(*)}$ ($Q=c,b$) in the BS formalism under the covariant instantaneous approximation and then give predictions of the decay widths $\Gamma(\Sigma_b^{(*)}\to\Lambda_b+\pi)$.Comment: 41 pages, 1 figure, LaTex2e, typos correcte

Cross-sectional analysis of critical risk factors for PPP water projects in China

© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers. During the past decades in China, the traditional state monopoly has experienced difficulties in meeting the huge demand for new infrastructure and improvement in service levels, engendering the growth of different forms and degrees of private sector involvement. Since the 1990s, China has started experimenting with the public-private partnership (PPP) delivery method in the water supply sector. However, many problems stemming from unsuccessful risk management have been encountered in PPP applications that have eventually led to project failure. This paper aims to identify and evaluate typical risks associated with PPP projects in the Chinese water supply sector. A literature review, a Delphi survey, and face-to-face interviews were used to achieve these objectives. Finally, a register of 16 critical risk factors (CRFs) of water PPP projects in China was established. The findings revealed that completion risk, inflation, and price change risk have a higher impact on Chinese water PPP projects, whereas government corruption, an imperfect law and supervision system, and a change in market demand have a lower impact on the water supply sector. The findings can help project stakeholders to improve the efficiency of privatization in public utility service and provide private investors with a better understanding while they participate in the enormous Chinese water market through the PPP mode