The Performance and Service Life Prediction of High Performance Concrete in Sulfate and Acidic Environments

Concrete substructures are often subjected to environmental deterioration, such as sulfate and acid attack, which leads to severe damage and causes structure degradation or even failure. In order to improve the durability of concrete, the High Performance Concrete (HPC) has become widely used by partially replacing cement with pozzolanic materials. However, HPC degradation mechanisms in sulfate and acidic environments are not completely understood. It is therefore important to evaluate the performance of the HPC in such conditions and predict concrete service life by establishing degradation models. This study began with a review of available environmental data in the State of Florida. A total of seven bridges have been inspected. Concrete cores were taken from these bridge piles and were subjected for microstructural analysis using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Ettringite is found to be the products of sulfate attack in sulfate and acidic condition. In order to quantitatively analyze concrete deterioration level, an image processing program is designed using Matlab to obtain quantitative data. Crack percentage (Acrack/Asurface) is used to evaluate concrete deterioration. Thereafter, correlation analysis was performed to find the correlation between five related variables and concrete deterioration. Environmental sulfate concentration and bridge age were found to be positively correlated, while environmental pH level was found to be negatively correlated. Besides environmental conditions, concrete property factor was also included in the equation. It was derived from laboratory testing data. Experimental tests were carried out implementing accelerated expansion test under controlled environment. Specimens of eight different mix designs were prepared. The effect of pozzolanic replacement rate was taken into consideration in the empirical equation. And the empirical equation was validated with existing bridges. Results show that the proposed equations compared well with field test results with a maximum deviation of ± 20%. Two examples showing how to use the proposed equations are provided to guide the practical implementation. In conclusion, the proposed approach of relating microcracks to deterioration is a better method than existing diffusion and sorption models since sulfate attack cause cracking in concrete. Imaging technique provided in this study can also be used to quantitatively analyze concrete samples.

Health Status, Living Arrangements, and Service Use at 100: Findings From the Oporto Centenarian Study

This paper describes the sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and service use of centenarians living in the community and centenarians residing in an elder care facility/nursing home and examines their main differences. Participants were 140 centenarians from the population-based Oporto Centenarian Study (Mage = 101.2; SD = 1.6). Main findings revealed that the majority of the centenarians lived at home with their family members (57.9%). Increased health care needs, living alone, and family caregiving constraints were the most common reasons for entering a nursing home. Community-dwelling centenarians were cared for mostly by their children and were less dependent and in better cognitive health than those who resided in a nursing home. Differences were found in the pattern of health service use according to the centenarians' residence, ability to pay medical expenses, and dependency level. Findings highlight the need for an accurate assessment of caregiving support systems, particularly family intergenerational duties, and of the factors constraining the access and use of health and social services. Policy makers may be guided by the insights gained from this research and work toward improvement of support options and removal of barriers to service access.

International market selection : Measuring actions instead of intentions

Alexander, N.; Rhodes, M.; and Myers, H. (2007). International market selection: measuring actions instead of intentions. Journal of Services Marketing. 21(6), pp.424-434 RAE2008

Tecnologia e competitividade no Brasil - exploração integrada visando reconhecer os efeitos da introdução de novas tecnologias sobre a competitividade das empresas no contexto brasileiro

Esta pesquisa investiga as relações, nem sempre claras e explícitas, entre competitividade e inovação tecnológica, iniciando pelo referencial teórico. São estudados quatro casos de empresas, sendo três delas brasileiras e uma multinacional, dos setores de indústria e serviços. Dentre as conclusões, destaca-se a constatação de que a competitividade resulta da combinação de três dimensões: tecnologia, gestão (isto é, estratégia de negócio) e pessoas. Também se identificou uma íntima ligação entre inovação tecnológica e ganhos de market share. O estudo demonstra ainda que ganhos de competitividade com base tecnológica, ainda que significativos, são efêmeros, ou seja: a manutenção da vantagem competitiva é um processo dinâmico que exige permanentes esforços de inovação, inclusive com monitoramento constante do mercado e da concorrência. Outro aspecto investigado é o risco inerente à inovação, uma vez que o pioneirismo nem sempre encontra, de imediato, as soluções que se firmam como padrão no mercado. Finalmente, discorre-se também sobre o processo de decisão quanto a investimentos em tecnologia, apresentando modelos não quantitativos como auxiliares na análise e priorização de projetos inovadores.

DESINDUSTRIALIZAÇÃO DO ABC: EMPREGO E DESEMPREGO EM TEMPOS DE MUDANÇA.

O presente trabalho pretende mapear a região do ABC dando ênfase ao processo de desenvolvimento industrial e ao aumento da densidade demográfica decorrente. Isto se dá a partir do estudo quantitativo da mão de obra necessária. que reflete diretamente no emprego. O enfoque será mais acurado nesse aspecto. Num primeiro momento, aborda-se o contexto histórico, análise do processo de urbanização do século passado, que culmina com a instalação das indústrias na região. A abertura econômica do início dos anos 90, a aplicação de novas tecnologias e novas ferramentas de administração também fazem parte desse contexto. Nesse período o processo de industrialização sofre uma reestruturação comprometendo a aptidão regional, a chamada desindustrialização . O foco principal será a indústria automobilista, sem dúvida a de maior importância para e na região. No segundo momento, descreve-se quantitativamente o processo de mudança do comportamento da região e, analisa-se em paralelo, o desemprego e emprego nos setores industrial e de serviços. no período que compreende a última década do século XX , início do XXI. Por fim, mas não de menor importância, busca-se descrever e entender o surgimento das novas aptidões, geradas principalmente pela mudança de alocação das indústrias. Analisando questões como transformação da aptidão regional emprego e desemprego com base nos dados disponibilizados pelas instituições de pesquisa, buscando correlações entre variáveis para enfim, determinar como de fato se encontra hoje o emprego, o trabalhador e principalmente o processo industrial da região.(AU)

DESINDUSTRIALIZAÇÃO DO ABC: EMPREGO E DESEMPREGO EM TEMPOS DE MUDANÇA.

O presente trabalho pretende mapear a região do ABC dando ênfase ao processo de desenvolvimento industrial e ao aumento da densidade demográfica decorrente. Isto se dá a partir do estudo quantitativo da mão de obra necessária. que reflete diretamente no emprego. O enfoque será mais acurado nesse aspecto. Num primeiro momento, aborda-se o contexto histórico, análise do processo de urbanização do século passado, que culmina com a instalação das indústrias na região. A abertura econômica do início dos anos 90, a aplicação de novas tecnologias e novas ferramentas de administração também fazem parte desse contexto. Nesse período o processo de industrialização sofre uma reestruturação comprometendo a aptidão regional, a chamada desindustrialização . O foco principal será a indústria automobilista, sem dúvida a de maior importância para e na região. No segundo momento, descreve-se quantitativamente o processo de mudança do comportamento da região e, analisa-se em paralelo, o desemprego e emprego nos setores industrial e de serviços. no período que compreende a última década do século XX , início do XXI. Por fim, mas não de menor importância, busca-se descrever e entender o surgimento das novas aptidões, geradas principalmente pela mudança de alocação das indústrias. Analisando questões como transformação da aptidão regional emprego e desemprego com base nos dados disponibilizados pelas instituições de pesquisa, buscando correlações entre variáveis para enfim, determinar como de fato se encontra hoje o emprego, o trabalhador e principalmente o processo industrial da região.(AU)

DESINDUSTRIALIZAÇÃO DO ABC: EMPREGO E DESEMPREGO EM TEMPOS DE MUDANÇA.

O presente trabalho pretende mapear a região do ABC dando ênfase ao processo de desenvolvimento industrial e ao aumento da densidade demográfica decorrente. Isto se dá a partir do estudo quantitativo da mão de obra necessária. que reflete diretamente no emprego. O enfoque será mais acurado nesse aspecto. Num primeiro momento, aborda-se o contexto histórico, análise do processo de urbanização do século passado, que culmina com a instalação das indústrias na região. A abertura econômica do início dos anos 90, a aplicação de novas tecnologias e novas ferramentas de administração também fazem parte desse contexto. Nesse período o processo de industrialização sofre uma reestruturação comprometendo a aptidão regional, a chamada desindustrialização . O foco principal será a indústria automobilista, sem dúvida a de maior importância para e na região. No segundo momento, descreve-se quantitativamente o processo de mudança do comportamento da região e, analisa-se em paralelo, o desemprego e emprego nos setores industrial e de serviços. no período que compreende a última década do século XX , início do XXI. Por fim, mas não de menor importância, busca-se descrever e entender o surgimento das novas aptidões, geradas principalmente pela mudança de alocação das indústrias. Analisando questões como transformação da aptidão regional emprego e desemprego com base nos dados disponibilizados pelas instituições de pesquisa, buscando correlações entre variáveis para enfim, determinar como de fato se encontra hoje o emprego, o trabalhador e principalmente o processo industrial da região.(AU)

The global competitiveness of regions

The aim of this book is to consider theoretically the notion of the global competitiveness of regions, as well as giving attention as to how such competitiveness may be empirically measured. With this in mind, the book has three specific objectives: first, to place the concept of regional competitiveness within the context of regional economic development theory; second, to present a rationale and method for quantifying the global competitiveness of regions; and, third, to undertake the most geographically widespread analysis of regional competitiveness differences across the globe. With regard to the third goal, the analysis incorporates more than 500 regions across Europe, North and South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and the so-called BRIC economies of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. The importance of the concept of competitiveness has increased rapidly in recent years, with the issues surrounding it becoming, at the same time, more empirically refined and theoretically complex. The focus on regions reflects the growing consensus that they are the primary spatial units that compete to attract investment, and it is at the regional level that knowledge is circulated and transferred, resulting in agglomerations, or clusters, of industrial and service sector enterprises. This growing acknowledgement of the region’s role as a key spatial unit of organisation has led to attention turning to competitiveness at a more regional level. The book explores the results of the World Competitiveness Index of Regions (WCIR), covering the rankings and results of the 2014 edition. The WCIR provides a tool for analysing the development of a range of regional economies across the globe. It enables an illustration of the changing patterns of regional competitiveness on the international stage to be generated. In fundamental terms, the WCIR aims to produce an integrated and overall benchmark of the knowledge capacity, capability, and sustainability of each region, and the extent to which this knowledge is translated into economic value and transferred into the wealth of the citizens of each region.

British economic growth 1270-1870

This is a definitive new account of Britain's economic evolution from a backwater of Europe in 1270 to the hub of the global economy in 1870. For the first time Britain's national accounts are reconstructed right back into the thirteenth century to show what really happened quantitatively during the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution. Contrary to traditional views of the earlier period as one of Malthusian stagnation, they reveal how the transition to modern economic growth built on the earlier foundations of a persistent upward trend in GDP per capita which doubled between 1270 and 1700. Featuring comprehensive estimates of population, land use, agricultural production, industrial and service-sector production and GDP per capita, as well as analysis of their implications, this is an essential reference work for those interest in British economic history and the origins of modern economic growth more generally.

Professional service productization and its implications to knowledge transfer in internationalization processes –Case: Company X in Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian markets

As a result of globalization, two thirds of the world’s business takes place nowadays in the service sector. In line, professional service firms are growing their share of the global service production. However, saturation of the professional service sector has forced professional service firms to search for more heuristic ways to conduct business in the international markets. By leveraging effectively the firm’s professionals, a professional service firm can lower its costs to clients and simultaneously generate additional value for the company and thus gain competitive advantage. Even though the academic field has shown growing interest towards services for decades, the fields of service productization and service internationalization are heavily understudied even today. Hence, the objective of this study was to contribute to the research on professional service internationalization and productization. The study concentrated on examining the impact that productization has on knowledge sharing and leveraging in professional service firms operating internationally. The research question focused on examining what implications productization has on knowledge transfer and leveraging during professional service internationalization by leaning on the existing research and on an empirical research. The empirical research was conducted as a single case study within a professional service firm operating in debt-related administrative service business. The case company is one of the leading operators in its field of business and therefore offered a fruitful environment to observe and analyze the topics in question. Additionally, the case company has a strong international presence and a large scale of operations in the selected markets, Finland, Norway and Sweden. Based on the previous literature and on the empirical research, this study found that for professional service firms to efficiently utilize individual, tacit knowledge, in its internationalization processes, it must be shared with the whole organization. By exploiting productization as a knowledge leveraging mechanism, a PSF can apply and transfer knowledge profoundly during its internationalization processes that would otherwise be difficult to tap into. Productization might not be sufficient alone, but by complementing it with a favorable organizational structure and culture, and by encouraging open communication, a PSF may take advantage of the whole potential that productization has to offer.

Curvilinear relationships between the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, and work engagement : a police service case study

The current study aims to investigate the non-linear relationship between the JD-R model and work engagement. Previous research has identified linear relationships between these constructs; however there are strong theoretical arguments for testing curvilinear relationships (e.g., Warr, 1987). Data were collected via a self-report online survey from officers of one Australian police service (N = 2,626). Results demonstrated a curvilinear relationship between job demands and job resources and engagement. Gender (as a control variable) was also found to be a significant predictor of work engagement. The results indicated that male police officers experienced significantly higher job demands and colleague support than female officers. However, female police officers reported significantly higher levels of work engagement than male officers. This study emphasises the need to test curvilinear relationships, as well as simple linear associations, when measuring psychological health.

Provotypes: Teasing out tensions between industrial context and use context

What industrial organisations think people do and what they actually do are often two very different things. But exactly this tension can be a source of innovation: how can we give form to insights about what people do, to deliberately challenge industries' conceptions, and inspire new product and service development

Quality certification and company performance: The newly developed country experience

This study investigates the impacts of ISO 9001:2008 certification on companies in Malaysia. Data were collected from CEOs and Managers through a questionnaire survey. A multivariate analysis and SPSS macro were used as statistical techniques to assess the effects of ISO 9001 certification. Results of the study indicate that ISO 9001 certified companies were having significantly greater benefits and financial performance compared to non-certified companies. However, no significant direct relationship between ISO 9001 certification and company's financial performance was found. A further investigation revealed that financial performance is actually directly related to quality and local and international business performance, which are significantly influenced by ISO 9001 certification. Therefore quality and business performances are involved in the mediational process between the financial performance of companies and ISO 9001 certification. The novelty of this research lies in the establishment of, for the first time, high level statistical relationship between ISO 9001 certification, its mediating factors and financial performance of companies.

Re-Conceptualizing Value-Creation From Industrial Business Logic to Service Business Logic

There is an urgent interest in marketing to move away from neo-classical value definitions suggesting that value creation is a process of exchanging goods for money. In the present paper, value creation is conceptualized as an integration of two distinct, yet closely coupled processes. First, actors co-create what this paper calls an underlying basis of value. This is done by interactively re-configuring resources. By relating and combining resources, activity sets, and risks across actor boundaries in novel ways actors create joint productivity gains – a concept very similar to density (Normann, 2001). Second, actors engage in a process of signification and evaluation. Signification implies co-constructing the meaning and worth of joint productivity gains co-created through interactive resource re-configuration, as well as sharing those gains through a pricing mechanism as value to involved actors. The conceptual framework highlights an all-important dynamics associated with ´value creation´ and ´value´ - a dynamics the paper claims has eluded past marketing research. The paper argues that the framework presented here is appropriate for the interactive service perspective, where value and value creation are not objectively given, but depend on the power of involved actors´ socially constructed frames to mobilize resources across actor boundaries in ways that ´enhance system well-being´ (Vargo et al., 2008). The paper contributes to research on Service Logic, Service-Dominant Logic, and Service Science.

Human resource management practices in the multinational company: A test of system, societal, and dominance effects

Does the use of HRM practices by multinational companies (MNCs) reflect their national origins or are practices similar regardless of context? To the extent that practices are similar, is there any evidence of global best standards? The authors use the system, societal, and dominance framework to address these questions through analysis of 1,100 MNC subsidiaries in Canada, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom. They argue that this framework offers a richer account than alternatives such as varieties of capitalism. The study moves beyond previous research by differentiating between system effects at the global level and dominance effects arising from the diffusion of practices from a dominant economy. It shows that both effects are present, as are some differences at the societal level. Results suggest that MNCs configure their HRM practices in response to all three forces rather than to some uniform global best practices or to their national institutional contexts.