A comparison of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) management strategies in Ireland and the Czech Republic and the lessons learned

In order to meet the recycling and recovery targets set forth by the European Union's (EU) Waste and Landfill Directives, both the Irish and Czech governments’ policy on waste management is changing to meet these pressures, with major emphasis being placed upon the management of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW). In particular, the EU Landfill Directive requires reductions in the rate of BMW going to landfill to 35% of 1995 values by 2016 and 2020 for Ireland and the Czech Republic, respectively. In this paper, the strategies of how Ireland and the Czech Republic plan to meet this challenge are compared. Ireland either landfills or exports its waste for recovery, while the Czech Republic has a relatively new waste management infrastructure. While Ireland met the first target of 75% diversion of BMW from landfill by 2010 and preliminary 2012 data indicate that Ireland is on track to meet the 2013 target, the achievement of the 2016 target remains at risk. Indicators that were developed to monitor the Czech Republic's path to meeting the targets demonstrate that it did not meet the first target that was set for 2010 and will probably not meet its 2013 target either. The evaluation reports on the implementation of Waste Management Plan of Czech Republic suggest that the currently applied strategy to divert biodegradable waste from landfill is not effective enough. For both countries, the EU Waste Framework and Landfill Directives will be a significant influence and driver of change in waste management practices and governance over the coming decade. This means that both countries will not only have to invest in infrastructure to achieve the targets, but will also have to increase awareness among the public in diverting this waste at the household level. Improving environmental education is part of increased awareness as it is imperative for citizens to understand the consequences of their actions as affluence continues to grow producing increased levels of waste.

Graphical abstract
Despite the differences in the levels of waste generation in both the Czech Republic and Ireland, each country can learn from each other in order to meet the recycling and recovery targets set by the European Union's (EU) Waste and Landfill Directives. Both countries will not only have to invest in infrastructure to achieve the targets, but will also have to increase awareness among the public in diverting this waste at the household level. In addition, there needs to be minimum safe standards when land-spreading organic agricultural and organic municipal and industrial materials on agricultural land used for food production, as well as incentives to increase BMW diversion from landfill such as the increased landfill levy implemented in Ireland and the acceptance of MBT and/or incineration as a means of treating residual waste.

Software-Managed Energy-Efficient Hybrid DRAM/NVM Main Memory

This paper evaluates the viability of user-level software management of a hybrid DRAM/NVM main memory system. We propose an operating system (OS) and programming interface to place data from within the user application. We present a profiling tool to help programmers decide on the placement of application data in hybrid memory systems. Cycle-accurate simulation of modified applications confirms that our approach is more energy-efficient than state-of-the- art hardware or OS approaches at equivalent performance. Moreover, our results are validated on several candidate NVM technologies and a wide set of 14 benchmarks.
The key observation behind this work is that, for the work- loads we evaluated, application objects are too short-lived to motivate migration. Utilizing this property significantly reduces the hardware complexity of hybrid memory systems.

Software maintenance project delays prediction using Bayesian Networks

Managing software maintenance is rarely a precise task due to uncertainties concerned with resources and services descriptions. Even when a well-established maintenance process is followed, the risk of delaying tasks remains if the new services are not precisely described or when resources change during process execution. Also, the delay of a task at an early process stage may represent a different delay at the end of the process, depending on complexity or services reliability requirements. This paper presents a knowledge-based representation (Bayesian Networks) for maintenance project delays based on specialists experience and a corresponding tool to help in managing software maintenance projects. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A tool to simplify the management of homogeneous and heterogeneous grids

To simplify computer management, several system administrators are adopting advanced techniques to manage software configuration on grids, but the tight coupling between hardware and software makes every PC an individual managed entity, lowering the scalability and increasing the costs to manage hundreds or thousands of PCs. This paper discusses the feasibility of a distributed virtual machine environment, named Flexlab: a new approach for computer management that combines virtualization and distributed system architectures as the basis of a management system. Flexlab is able to extend the coverage of a computer management solution beyond client operating system limitations and also offers a convenient hardware abstraction, decoupling software and hardware, simplifying computer management. The results obtained in this work indicate that FlexLab is able to overcome the limitations imposed by the coupling between software and hardware, simplifying the management of homogeneous and heterogeneous grids. © 2009 IEEE.

Multi-agent location system in wireless networks

In this paper we propose a flexible Multi-Agent Architecture together with a methodology for indoor location which allows us to locate any mobile station (MS) such as a Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet or a robotic system in an indoor environment using wireless technology. Our technology is complementary to the GPS location finder as it allows us to locate a mobile system in a specific room on a specific floor using the Wi-Fi networks. The idea is that any MS will have an agent known at a Fuzzy Location Software Agent (FLSA) with a minimum capacity processing at its disposal which collects the power received at different Access Points distributed around the floor and establish its location on a plan of the floor of the building. In order to do so it will have to communicate with the Fuzzy Location Manager Software Agent (FLMSA). The FLMSAs are local agents that form part of the management infrastructure of the Wi-Fi network of the Organization. The FLMSA implements a location estimation methodology divided into three phases (measurement, calibration and estimation) for locating mobile stations (MS). Our solution is a fingerprint-based positioning system that overcomes the problem of the relative effect of doors and walls on signal strength and is independent of the network device manufacturer. In the measurement phase, our system collects received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements from multiple access points. In the calibration phase, our system uses these measurements in a normalization process to create a radio map, a database of RSS patterns. Unlike traditional radio map-based methods, our methodology normalizes RSS measurements collected at different locations on a floor. In the third phase, we use Fuzzy Controllers to locate an MS on the plan of the floor of a building. Experimental results demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. From these results it is clear that the system is highly likely to be able to locate an MS in a room or adjacent room.

Forecasting and risk analysis applied to management planning and control

The aim of this research was to improve the quantitative support to project planning and control principally through the use of more accurate forecasting for which new techniques were developed. This study arose from the observation that in most cases construction project forecasts were based on a methodology (c.1980) which relied on the DHSS cumulative cubic cost model and network based risk analysis (PERT). The former of these, in particular, imposes severe limitations which this study overcomes. Three areas of study were identified, namely growth curve forecasting, risk analysis and the interface of these quantitative techniques with project management. These fields have been used as a basis for the research programme. In order to give a sound basis for the research, industrial support was sought. This resulted in both the acquisition of cost profiles for a large number of projects and the opportunity to validate practical implementation. The outcome of this research project was deemed successful both in theory and practice. The new forecasting theory was shown to give major reductions in projection errors. The integration of the new predictive and risk analysis technologies with management principles, allowed the development of a viable software management aid which fills an acknowledged gap in current technology.

Exploring the digital supply chain:implications and models for online software distribution

As a discipline, supply chain management (SCM) has traditionally been primarily concerned with the procurement, processing, movement and sale of physical goods. However an important class of products has emerged - digital products - which cannot be described as physical as they do not obey commonly understood physical laws. They do not possess mass or volume, and they require no energy in their manufacture or distribution. With the Internet, they can be distributed at speeds unimaginable in the physical world, and every copy produced is a 100% perfect duplicate of the original version. Furthermore, the ease with which digital products can be replicated has few analogues in the physical world. This paper assesses the effect of non-physicality on one such product – software – in relation to the practice of SCM. It explores the challenges that arise when managing the software supply chain and how practitioners are addressing these challenges. Using a two-pronged exploratory approach that examines the literature around software management as well as direct interviews with software distribution practitioners, a number of key challenges associated with software supply chains are uncovered, along with responses to these challenges. This paper proposes a new model for software supply chains that takes into account the non-physicality of the product being delivered. Central to this model is the replacement of physical flows with flows of intellectual property, the growing importance of innovation over duplication and the increased centrality of the customer in the entire process. Hybrid physical / digital supply chains are discussed and a framework for practitioners concerned with software supply chains is presented.

Assessment of policies for innovative financing in infrastructure systems

Infrastructure systems are drivers of the economy in the nation. A dollar spent on infrastructure development yields roughly double the initial spending in ultimate economic output in the short term; and over a twenty-year period, and generalized ‘public investment’ produces an aggregated $3.21 of economic activity per $1.00 spent [1]. Thus, formulation of policies pertaining to infrastructure investment and development is of significance affecting the social and economic wellbeing of the nation. The aim of this policy brief is to evaluate innovative financing in infrastructure systems from two different perspectives: (1) through consideration of the current condition of infrastructure in the U.S., the current trends in public spending, and the emerging innovative financing tools; (2) through evaluation of the roles and interactions of different agencies in the creation and the diffusion of innovative financing tools. Then using the example of transportation financing, the policy brief provides an assessment of policy landscapes which could lead to the closure of infrastructure financing gap in the U.S and proposes strategies for citizen involvement to gain public support of innovative financing.

Stakeholder engagement by governance networks : a study of stakeholder engagement by road delivery network in Queensland

This thesis explores how governance networks prioritise and engage with their stakeholders, by studying three exemplars of “Regional Road Group” governance networks in Queensland, Australia. In the context of managing regionally significant road works programs, stakeholder prioritisation is a complex activity which is unlikely to influence interactions with stakeholders outside of the network. However, stakeholder priority is more likely to influence stakeholder interactions within the networks themselves. Both stakeholder prioritisation and engagement are strongly influenced by the way that the networks are managed, and in particular network operating rules and continuing access to resources.

Shifting from asset dominant to service centric delivery systems: engaging users and communities

Research and practice has observed a shift toward service-oriented approaches that depend on input from users and community as co-producers of services. Yet, in delivering public infrastructure the focus is still on assets rather than services. The contribution of external stakeholders in the co-production of public services is still limited. Using the Policy Delphi with a panel of experts, we found that although practitioners understand the need for asset management to follow the service approach, guidelines and policies still lack that service-centric perspective. Findings revealed a range of obstacles to effective service delivery, related to the sub-optimal involvement of stakeholders’, asymmetric levels of power, the lack of accountability, transparency and availability of government, and the lack of genuine consultations between government and stakeholder groups. The paper concludes by offering directions and strategies for asset managers and policymakers to support and reconnect disengaged government-citizen relations for optimal service delivery outcomes in asset management.

Australian Tropical Grains Germplasm Centre

DAQ00131 project activities aimed to: conserve tropical grains germplasm under long-term storage conditions; acquire new germplasm with unique traits of interest to clients (particularly to breeding programs); the maintenance of germplasm through viability testing and regeneration; and to increase awareness of the availability of tropical grains germplasm to clients. New project goals were to facilitate the creation of the national grains Genetic Resources Centre (GRC) and included training GRC staff in the use of GRIN-Global (GG), a software management system, so that grains data can be nationalised across Australia; and contribute to the action plan development for the relocation of tropical grains germplasm to both Tamworth and Horsham.

Building local capacity to reduce road traffic injury in rapidly motorising countries

Road safety is a significant public health issue - 1.24m killed each year, 20-50m injured, 91% in rapidly motorising low/mid income countries Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020: - National and local actions: “strengthening the management infrastructure and capacity for technical implementation of road safety activities at the national, regional and global levels” - Capacity as a constraint on a country’s action - Emphasis on knowledge/training – understand principles, promote training and education etc

Testaus Scrum-prosessimallissa

Testaus ketterissä menetelmissä (agile) on kirjallisuudessa heikosti määritelty, ja yritykset toteuttavat laatu- ja testauskäytäntöjä vaihtelevasti. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena oli löytää malli testauksen järjestämiseen ketterissä menetelmissä. Tavoitetta lähestyttiin keräämällä kirjallisista lähteistä kokemuksia, vaihtoehtoja ja malleja. Löydettyjä tietoja verrattiin ohjelmistoyritysten käytännön ratkaisuihin ja näkemyksiin, joita saatiin suorittamalla kyselytutkimus kahdessa Scrum-prosessimallia käyttävässä ohjelmistoyrityksessä. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa selvisi, että laatusuunnitelman ja testausstrategian avulla voidaan tunnistaa kussakin kontekstissa tarvittavat testausmenetelmät. Menetelmiä kannattaa tarkastella ja suunnitella iteratiivisten prosessien aikajänteiden (sydämenlyönti, iteraatio, julkaisu ja strateginen) avulla. Tutkimuksen suurin löytö oli, että yrityksiltä puuttui laajempi ja suunnitelmallinen näkemys testauksen ja laadun kehittämiseen. Uusien laatu- ja testaustoimenpiteiden tarvetta ei analysoitu järjestelmällisesti, olemassa olevien käyttöä ei kehitetty pitkäjänteisesti, eikä yrityksillä ollut kokonaiskuvaa tarvittavien toimenpiteiden keskinäisistä suhteista. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa selvisi, etteivät tiimit kyenneet ottamaan vastuuta laadusta, koska laatuun liittyviä toimenpiteitä tehdään iteraatioissa liian vähän. Myös Scrum-prosessimallin noudattamisessa oli korjaamisen varaa. Yritykset kuitenkin osoittivat halua ja kykyä kehittää toimintaansa ongelmien tunnistamisen jälkeen. ACM Computing Classification System (CCS 1998): D.2.5 Testing and Debugging, D.2.9 Management, K.6.1 Project and People Management, K.6.3 Software Management