Five generations of peace operations: from the "thin blue line" to "painting a country blue"

This article combines both international practice and analytical contributions into a systematic and synthetic presentation of the evolution of peace operations from their modern inception in 1948 to the present. It seeks to serve a didactic purpose in proposing a basic structure for Brazilian scholars' burgeoning debate on peace operations and intervention, rather than a definitive characterization of blue helmet practice. Peace operations' progression is traced through five analytical "generations," each adding a crucial factor distinguishing it from its predecessors. Each generation is placed in relation to changes in the nature of conflict and in the interpretation of the foundational principles of peace operations, and links to broader theoretical issues in International Relations are made explicit at each stage.

Swordfish: an Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Network Centric Operations

The design and development of the swordfish autonomous surface vehicle (ASV) system is discussed. Swordfish is an ocean capable 4.5 m long catamaran designed for network centric operations (with ocean and air going vehicles and human operators). In the basic configuration, Swordfish is both a survey vehicle and a communications node with gateways for broadband, Wi-Fi and GSM transports and underwater acoustic modems. In another configuration, Swordfish mounts a docking station for the autonomous underwater vehicle Isurus from Porto University. Swordfish has an advanced control architecture for multi-vehicle operations with mixed initiative interactions (human operators are allowed to interact with the control loops).

Algorithmic aspects of bio-inspired string operations

We present building blocks for algorithms for the efficient reduction of square factor, i.e. direct repetitions in strings. So the basic problem is this: given a string, compute all strings that can be obtained by reducing factors of the form zz to z. Two types of algorithms are treated: an offline algorithm is one that can compute a data structure on the given string in advance before the actual search for the square begins; in contrast, online algorithms receive all input only at the time when a request is made. For offline algorithms we treat the following problem: Let u and w be two strings such that w is obtained from u by reducing a square factor zz to only z. If we further are given the suffix table of u, how can we derive the suffix table for w without computing it from scratch? As the suffix table plays a key role in online algorithms for the detection of squares in a string, this derivation can make the iterated reduction of squares more efficient. On the other hand, we also show how a suffix array, used for the offline detection of squares, can be adapted to the new string resulting from the deletion of a square. Because the deletion is a very local change, this adaption is more eficient than the computation of the new suffix array from scratch.

Mobile ERP in the use of maintenance operations of forest industry

Toiminnanohjausjärjestelmien käyttö on muuttanut metsäteollisuuden kunnossapidon työntekijän toimenkuvaa kunnossapidon perustoiminnoista itseohjautuvampaan tietojen käsittelyyn ja jalostamiseen. Työn tavoitteena oliselvittää mobiilin työtilausjärjestelmän vaikutuksia metsäteollisuuden kunnossapidon kenttätyössä. Mobiilin työtilausjärjestelmän käyttö metsäteollisuuden kunnossapidossa mahdollistaa tärkeän kunnossapitotiedon keräämisen ja tarkentamisen kentällä, jossa se usein on ajanmukaisinta ja tarkinta. Haasteellisinta on oikeanlaisen teknologian löytäminen ja standardoiminen kunnossapidon toimintaympäristöihin. Myös organisaation toimintoprosessien on oltava selkeät ennen kuin prosesseja voidaan tehostaa teknologisin keinoin.

Value added logistics in supply and demand chain. Smile. Part 2. eBusiness in a service business. Case: A maintenance and operations network in forest industry

VVALOSADE is a research project of professor Anita Lukka's VALORE research team in the Lappeenranta University of Technology. The VALOSADE includes the ELO technology program of Tekes. SMILE is one of four subprojects of the VALOSADE. The SMILE study focuses on the case of the company network that is composed of small and micro-sized mechanical maintenance service providers and forest industry as large-scale customers. The basic principle of the SMILE study is the communication and ebusiness in supply and demand networks. The aim of the study is to develop ebusiness strategy, ebusiness model and e-processes among the SME local service providers, and onthe other hand, between the local service provider network and the forest industry customers in a maintenance and operations service business. A literature review, interviews and benchmarking are used as research methods in this qualitative case study. The first SMILE report, 'Ebusiness between Global Company and Its Local SME Supplier Network', concentrated on creating background for the SMILE study by studying general trends of ebusiness in supply chains and networks of different industries. This second phase of the study concentrates on case network background, such as business relationships, information systems and business objectives; core processes in maintenance and operations service network; development needs in communication among the network participants; and ICT solutions to respond needs in changing environment. In the theory part of the report, different ebusiness models and frameworks are introduced. Those models and frameworks are compared to empirical case data. From that analysis of the empirical data, therecommendations for the development of the network information system are derived. In process industry such as the forest industry, it is crucial to achieve a high level of operational efficiency and reliability, which sets up great requirements for maintenance and operations. Therefore, partnerships or strategic alliances are needed between the network participants. In partnerships and alliances, deep communication is important, and therefore the information systems in the network also are critical. Communication, coordination and collaboration will increase in the case network in the future, because network resources must be optimised to improve competitive capability of the forest industry customers and theefficiency of their service providers. At present, ebusiness systems are not usual in this maintenance network. A network information system among the forest industry customers and their local service providers actually is the only genuinenetwork information system in this total network. However, the utilisation of that system has been quite insignificant. The current system does not add value enough either to the customers or to the local service providers. At present, thenetwork information system is the infomediary that share static information forthe network partners. The network information system should be the transaction intermediary, which integrates internal processes of the network companies; the network information system, which provides common standardised processes for thelocal service providers; and the infomediary, which share static and dynamic information on right time, on right partner, on right costs, on right format and on right quality. This study provides recommendations how to develop this system in the future to add value to the network companies. Ebusiness scenarios, vision, objectives, strategies, application architecture, ebusiness model, core processes and development strategy must be considered when the network information system will be developed in the next development step. The core processes in the case network are demand/capacity management, customer/supplier relationship management, service delivery management, knowledge management and cash flow management. Most benefits from ebusiness solutions come from the electrifying of operational level processes, such as service delivery management and cash flow management.

Harmonized performance measurement system for basic industry's service centers

The objective of this study is to create measurement system that is capable to measure performance in basic industry’s service centers. First it is examined what is performance and how it can be measured. The study also introduces commonly known measurement frameworks. After theory the study investigates how companies in the field of basic industry measure their operations in practise. The investigation is done examining three case examples and by analyzing survey results from basic industry companies. On the survey results focus is on what meters and measurement systems companies use. It is also viewed what measurement problems companies have faced. In the applied part of the study harmonized performance measurement system is created. The framework of the measurement system is introduced and measurement system for the target company is created. The target company felt that the harmonized performance measurement system has good potential and continues to develop it further.

Quality and analysis of administration processes in server operations

IT outsourcing refers to the way companies focus on their core competencies and buy the supporting functions from other companies specialized in that area. Service is the total outcome of numerous of activities by employees and other resources to provide solutions to customers' problems. Outsourcing and service business have their unique characteristics. Service Level Agreements quantify the minimum acceptable service to the user. The service quality has to be objectively quantified so that its achievement or non-achievement of it can be monitored. Usually offshoring refers to the transferring of tasks to low-cost nations. Offshoring presents a lot of challenges that require special attention and they need to be assessed thoroughly. IT Infrastructure management refers to installation and basic usability assistance of operating systems, network and server tools and utilities. ITIL defines the industry best practices for organizing IT processes. This thesis did an analysis of server operations service and the customers’ perception of the quality of daily operations. The agreed workflows and processes should be followed better. Service providers’ processes are thoroughly defined but both the customer and the service provider might disobey them. Service provider should review the workflows regarding customer functions. Customer facing functions require persistent skill development, as they communicate the quality to the customer. Service provider needs to provide better organized communication and knowledge exchange methods between the specialists in different geographical locations.

Operations on Risk Variables

In the article the author considers and analyzes operations and functions on risk variables. She takes into account the following variables: the sum of risk variables, its product, multiplication by a constant, division, maximum, minimum and median of a sum of random variables. She receives the formulas for probability distribution and basic distribution parameters. She conducts the analysis for dependent and independent random variables. She propose the examples of the situations in the economy and production management of risk modelled by this operations. The analysis is conducted with the way of mathematical proving. Some of the formulas presented are taken from the literature but others are the permanent results of the author.

Developmental methodology: basic training program for police traffic services. Final report.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Police traffic services basic training program. Instructor's lesson plans. Volume 2 of 3.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Police traffic services basic training program. Student study guide. Volume 3 of 3.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Police traffic services basic training program course guide. Volume 1 of 3.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, D.C.

Waterworks operations : course curriculum guide /

Endorsed by Illinois Water Supply Operator Certification Advisory Board.

Basic Magnesium Plant, Henderson, Nev. : hearings before a subcommittee of the Committee on Expenditures in the Executive Departments and a subcommittee of the Special Committee to Investigate the National Defense Program, United States Senate, Eightieth Congress, first-[second] session, pursuant to S. Res. 75, a resolution authorizing an investigation of surplus property and its disposal.

Homer Ferguson, chairman of subcommittee.

The Basic Reproduction Number Obtained From Jacobian And Next Generation Matrices - A Case Study Of Dengue Transmission Modelling.

The basic reproduction number is a key parameter in mathematical modelling of transmissible diseases. From the stability analysis of the disease free equilibrium, by applying Routh-Hurwitz criteria, a threshold is obtained, which is called the basic reproduction number. However, the application of spectral radius theory on the next generation matrix provides a different expression for the basic reproduction number, that is, the square root of the previously found formula. If the spectral radius of the next generation matrix is defined as the geometric mean of partial reproduction numbers, however the product of these partial numbers is the basic reproduction number, then both methods provide the same expression. In order to show this statement, dengue transmission modelling incorporating or not the transovarian transmission is considered as a case study. Also tuberculosis transmission and sexually transmitted infection modellings are taken as further examples.