825 resultados para Performance-based Research Funding Systems


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Traditionally, libraries have provided a modest amount of information about grants and funding opportunities to researchers in need of research funding. Ten years ago, the University of Washington (UW) Health Sciences Libraries and Information Center joined in a cooperative effort with the School of Medicine to develop a complete, library-based grant and funding service for health sciences researchers called the Research Funding Service. The library provided space, access to the library collection, equipment, and electronic resources, and the School of Medicine funded staff and operations. The range of services now includes individual consultation appointments, an extensive Web site, classes on funding database searching and writing grant applications, a discussion series that frequently hosts guest speakers, a monthly newsletter with funding opportunities of interest to the six health sciences schools, extensive files on funding sources, and referral services.

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Prepared under contract no. HSM 110-70-406.

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Supply chains are advocated widely as being the new units for commercial competition and developments have made the sharing of supply chain wide information increasingly common. Most organisations however still make operational decisions intended to maximise local organisational performance. With improved information sharing a holistic focus for operational decisions should now be possible. The development of a pan supply chain performance framework requires an examination of the conditions under which holistic-decisions provide benefits to either the individual enterprise or the complete supply chain. This paper presents the background and supporting methodology for a study of the impact of an overall supply chain performance metric framework upon local logistics decisions and the conditions under which such a framework would improve overall supply chain performance. The methodology concludes a simulation approach using a functionally extended Gensym's e-SCOR model, together with case based triangulation, to be optimum. Copyright © 2007 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

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Evaluation and benchmarking in content-based image retrieval has always been a somewhat neglected research area, making it difficult to judge the efficacy of many presented approaches. In this paper we investigate the issue of benchmarking for colour-based image retrieval systems, which enable users to retrieve images from a database based on lowlevel colour content alone. We argue that current image retrieval evaluation methods are not suited to benchmarking colour-based image retrieval systems, due in main to not allowing users to reflect upon the suitability of retrieved images within the context of a creative project and their reliance on highly subjective ground-truths. As a solution to these issues, the research presented here introduces the Mosaic Test for evaluating colour-based image retrieval systems, in which test-users are asked to create an image mosaic of a predetermined target image, using the colour-based image retrieval system that is being evaluated. We report on our findings from a user study which suggests that the Mosaic Test overcomes the major drawbacks associated with existing image retrieval evaluation methods, by enabling users to reflect upon image selections and automatically measuring image relevance in a way that correlates with the perception of many human assessors. We therefore propose that the Mosaic Test be adopted as a standardised benchmark for evaluating and comparing colour-based image retrieval systems.

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The paper deals with a problem of intelligent system’s design for complex environments. There is discussed a possibility to integrate several technologies into one basic structure. One possible structure is proposed in order to form a basis for intelligent system that would be able to operate in complex environments. The basic elements of the proposed structure have found their implemented in software system. This software system is shortly presented in the paper. The most important results of experiments are outlined and discussed at the end of the paper. Some possible directions of further research are sketched.

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Modern advances in technology have led to more complex manufacturing processes whose success centres on the ability to control these processes with a very high level of accuracy. Plant complexity inevitably leads to poor models that exhibit a high degree of parametric or functional uncertainty. The situation becomes even more complex if the plant to be controlled is characterised by a multivalued function or even if it exhibits a number of modes of behaviour during its operation. Since an intelligent controller is expected to operate and guarantee the best performance where complexity and uncertainty coexist and interact, control engineers and theorists have recently developed new control techniques under the framework of intelligent control to enhance the performance of the controller for more complex and uncertain plants. These techniques are based on incorporating model uncertainty. The newly developed control algorithms for incorporating model uncertainty are proven to give more accurate control results under uncertain conditions. In this paper, we survey some approaches that appear to be promising for enhancing the performance of intelligent control systems in the face of higher levels of complexity and uncertainty.

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A szerző kvalitatív kutatási módszerekkel vizsgálja a kis- és középvállalatok (kkv-k) innovatív tevékenységeinek korlátait és lehetőségeit. A vizsgálat tárgyai (legalább) Magyarország szintjén új terméket vagy szolgáltatást nyújtó kkv-k, melyek határozott növekedési szándékkal rendelkeznek. Az eredmények egységes vizsgálati keretben, 41 vezető véleménye alapján születtek meg, három területre fókuszálva: (1) a környezeti bizonytalanság megítélése, (2) a szervezet követett stratégiája, kettős képessége, kiaknázó és felderítő tevékenysége, és (3) a versenyképes teljesítménycélok, konfigurációk. A cikk a kutatás lépéseit részletesen bemutatja, fontos eredményének tekinthető, hogy rámutat arra, hogy a kutatási és fejlesztési, valamint az innovatív tevékenységek legfontosabb gátja leginkább a vezetési és szervezési képességek és a stratégiai gondolkodás hiányára vezethető vissza a kis- és középvállalkozásokban. ______ The author conducted a qualitative research on the innovation potential of small and medium size enterprises (SMEs). SMEs with new products and services and with growth orientation are in the focus of the research. The standardized research design is based on 41 owner managers’ responses. It is focusing on 3 main areas: (1) environmental uncertainty, (2) the strategy followed by the organization, its ambidextrous capability, exploitative and explorative behavior, and (3) competitive performance and configurations. The paper describes a qualitative research design in detail. The main finding of the research is that the lack of managerial skills and strategic thinking inhibit SMEs to conduct innovation as well as to engage in research and development activities.

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Parallel processing is prevalent in many manufacturing and service systems. Many manufactured products are built and assembled from several components fabricated in parallel lines. An example of this manufacturing system configuration is observed at a manufacturing facility equipped to assemble and test web servers. Characteristics of a typical web server assembly line are: multiple products, job circulation, and paralleling processing. The primary objective of this research was to develop analytical approximations to predict performance measures of manufacturing systems with job failures and parallel processing. The analytical formulations extend previous queueing models used in assembly manufacturing systems in that they can handle serial and different configurations of paralleling processing with multiple product classes, and job circulation due to random part failures. In addition, appropriate correction terms via regression analysis were added to the approximations in order to minimize the gap in the error between the analytical approximation and the simulation models. Markovian and general type manufacturing systems, with multiple product classes, job circulation due to failures, and fork and join systems to model parallel processing were studied. In the Markovian and general case, the approximations without correction terms performed quite well for one and two product problem instances. However, it was observed that the flow time error increased as the number of products and net traffic intensity increased. Therefore, correction terms for single and fork-join stations were developed via regression analysis to deal with more than two products. The numerical comparisons showed that the approximations perform remarkably well when the corrections factors were used in the approximations. In general, the average flow time error was reduced from 38.19% to 5.59% in the Markovian case, and from 26.39% to 7.23% in the general case. All the equations stated in the analytical formulations were implemented as a set of Matlab scripts. By using this set, operations managers of web server assembly lines, manufacturing or other service systems with similar characteristics can estimate different system performance measures, and make judicious decisions - especially setting delivery due dates, capacity planning, and bottleneck mitigation, among others.

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Parallel processing is prevalent in many manufacturing and service systems. Many manufactured products are built and assembled from several components fabricated in parallel lines. An example of this manufacturing system configuration is observed at a manufacturing facility equipped to assemble and test web servers. Characteristics of a typical web server assembly line are: multiple products, job circulation, and paralleling processing. The primary objective of this research was to develop analytical approximations to predict performance measures of manufacturing systems with job failures and parallel processing. The analytical formulations extend previous queueing models used in assembly manufacturing systems in that they can handle serial and different configurations of paralleling processing with multiple product classes, and job circulation due to random part failures. In addition, appropriate correction terms via regression analysis were added to the approximations in order to minimize the gap in the error between the analytical approximation and the simulation models. Markovian and general type manufacturing systems, with multiple product classes, job circulation due to failures, and fork and join systems to model parallel processing were studied. In the Markovian and general case, the approximations without correction terms performed quite well for one and two product problem instances. However, it was observed that the flow time error increased as the number of products and net traffic intensity increased. Therefore, correction terms for single and fork-join stations were developed via regression analysis to deal with more than two products. The numerical comparisons showed that the approximations perform remarkably well when the corrections factors were used in the approximations. In general, the average flow time error was reduced from 38.19% to 5.59% in the Markovian case, and from 26.39% to 7.23% in the general case. All the equations stated in the analytical formulations were implemented as a set of Matlab scripts. By using this set, operations managers of web server assembly lines, manufacturing or other service systems with similar characteristics can estimate different system performance measures, and make judicious decisions - especially setting delivery due dates, capacity planning, and bottleneck mitigation, among others.

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The integral variability of raw materials, lack of awareness and appreciation of the technologies for achieving quality control and lack of appreciation of the micro and macro environmental conditions that the structures will be subjected, makes modern day concreting a challenge. This also makes Designers and Engineers adhere more closely to prescriptive standards developed for relatively less aggressive environments. The data from exposure sites and real structures prove, categorically, that the prescriptive specifications are inadequate for chloride environments. In light of this shortcoming, a more pragmatic approach would be to adopt performance-based specifications which are familiar to industry in the form of specification for mechanical strength. A recently completed RILEM technical committee made significant advances in making such an approach feasible.
Furthering a performance-based specification requires establishment of reliable laboratory and on-site test methods, as well as easy to perform service-life models. This article highlights both laboratory and on-site test methods for chloride diffusivity/electrical resistivity and the relationship between these tests for a range of concretes. Further, a performance-based approach using an on-site diffusivity test is outlined that can provide an easier to apply/adopt practice for Engineers and asset managers for specifying/testing concrete structures.

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Much management accounting research focuses on design of incentive compensation contracts. A basic assumption in these contracts is that performance-based incentives improve employee performance. This paper reports on a field test of the multi-period incentive effects of a performance-based compensation plan on the sales of a retail establishment. Analysis of panel data for 15 retail outlets over 66 months indicates a sales increase when the plan is implemented, an effect that persists and increases over time. Sales gains are significantly lower in the peak selling season when more temporary workers are employed.

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Le dimensionnement basé sur la performance (DBP), dans une approche déterministe, caractérise les objectifs de performance par rapport aux niveaux de performance souhaités. Les objectifs de performance sont alors associés à l'état d'endommagement et au niveau de risque sismique établis. Malgré cette approche rationnelle, son application est encore difficile. De ce fait, des outils fiables pour la capture de l'évolution, de la distribution et de la quantification de l'endommagement sont nécessaires. De plus, tous les phénomènes liés à la non-linéarité (matériaux et déformations) doivent également être pris en considération. Ainsi, cette recherche montre comment la mécanique de l'endommagement pourrait contribuer à résoudre cette problématique avec une adaptation de la théorie du champ de compression modifiée et d'autres théories complémentaires. La formulation proposée adaptée pour des charges monotones, cycliques et de type pushover permet de considérer les effets non linéaires liés au cisaillement couplé avec les mécanismes de flexion et de charge axiale. Cette formulation est spécialement appliquée à l'analyse non linéaire des éléments structuraux en béton soumis aux effets de cisaillement non égligeables. Cette nouvelle approche mise en œuvre dans EfiCoS (programme d'éléments finis basé sur la mécanique de l'endommagement), y compris les critères de modélisation, sont également présentés ici. Des calibrations de cette nouvelle approche en comparant les prédictions avec des données expérimentales ont été réalisées pour les murs de refend en béton armé ainsi que pour des poutres et des piliers de pont où les effets de cisaillement doivent être pris en considération. Cette nouvelle version améliorée du logiciel EFiCoS a démontrée être capable d'évaluer avec précision les paramètres associés à la performance globale tels que les déplacements, la résistance du système, les effets liés à la réponse cyclique et la quantification, l'évolution et la distribution de l'endommagement. Des résultats remarquables ont également été obtenus en référence à la détection appropriée des états limites d'ingénierie tels que la fissuration, les déformations unitaires, l'éclatement de l'enrobage, l'écrasement du noyau, la plastification locale des barres d'armature et la dégradation du système, entre autres. Comme un outil pratique d'application du DBP, des relations entre les indices d'endommagement prédits et les niveaux de performance ont été obtenus et exprimés sous forme de graphiques et de tableaux. Ces graphiques ont été développés en fonction du déplacement relatif et de la ductilité de déplacement. Un tableau particulier a été développé pour relier les états limites d'ingénierie, l'endommagement, le déplacement relatif et les niveaux de performance traditionnels. Les résultats ont démontré une excellente correspondance avec les données expérimentales, faisant de la formulation proposée et de la nouvelle version d'EfiCoS des outils puissants pour l'application de la méthodologie du DBP, dans une approche déterministe.

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Abstract: Heavily used and highly valuable, the Florida Reef is one of the world's most threatened ecosystems. Stakeholders from a densely urbanized coastal region in proximity to the reef system recognize its degradation, but their comprehension of climate change and commitment to pay for sustainable management and research funding have been opaque. With an emphasis on recreational anglers, residential stakeholders were surveyed online about their marine activities, perceptions of resources and threats, and willingness to pay (WTP) for dedicated coral reef research funding in Florida. The majority of stakeholders are wealthy, well educated, and politically independent. Supermajorities favored the two scenarios of taxation for a Florida Coral Reef Research Fund, and the scenario with matching federal funds earned higher support. In regression analyses, several factors emerged as significant contributors to stakeholders’ preferences, and the four recurring factors in extended models were prioritizing the environment over the economy, donating to environmental causes, concern about coral reefs, and concern about climate change, with the latter indicating a recent shift of opinion. Status in terms of income and education were found insignificant, and surprisingly income was negatively correlated with WTP. Perceptions through lenses of environmental and emotional attachments appear to overwhelm conventional status-based factors. Applied statewide, the first scenario's extrapolated WTP (based on a sales tax rate of 2.9%) would generate $675 million annually, and the extrapolated WTP under the second scenario, with matching federal funds (based on a sales tax rate of 3.0%) would generate $1.4 billion. Keywords: willingness to pay, coral reef research, taxation, climate change, stakeholder, perceptions, Florida Reef, recreational fishing, anglers