On managing information technology capabilities

Information technology (IT) plays a critical role of enabler of activities that improve the performance of business processes. This enabling role of IT resources means continuous investment in IT is a strategic necessity. It is established that organizations’ IT-related capabilities leverage the enabling potential of IT resources. Today’s turbulent and challenging business environment requires organizations to do more from their existing and newly acquired IT resources. To achieve this, organizations need to discover ways or establish environments to nourish their existing IT-related capabilities, and develop new IT-related capabilities. We suggest one such environment, a dynamic IT-learning environment that could contribute to nourishing existing IT-related capabilities, and developing new IT-related capabilities. This environment is a product of coordination of four organizational factors that relate to the ways in which IT-related knowledge is applied to business processes, the accompanying reward structures, and ways in which the IT-related learning and knowledge is shared within the organization. Using 216 field survey responses, this paper shows that two IT-related capabilities of top management commitment to IT initiatives, and shared organizational knowledge between the IT and business unit managers has a stronger positive influence on business process performance in the presence of this dynamic IT-learning environment. The study also shows that a marginal IT-related capability, technical IT skills, has a positive and significant influence on business process performance in the presence of this environment. These outcomes imply that organizations’ internal environments could contribute to the management of their IT-related capabilities.

Factors affecting the extraction of absorbed dose information in a 3D polymer gel dosimeter by X ray computed tomography (IAEA-CN-96/122P)

Two sources of uncertainty in the X ray computed tomography imaging of polymer gel dosimeters are investigated in the paper.The first cause is a change in postirradiation density, which is proportional to the computed tomography signal and is associated with a volume change. The second cause of uncertainty is reconstruction noise.A simple technique that increases the residual signal to noise ratio by almost two orders of magnitude is examined.

Thermodynamic modeling of ethanol fumigation in a diesel engine

Due to rapidly diminishing international supplies of fossil fuels, such as petroleum and diesel, the cost of fuel is constantly increasing, leading to higher costs of living, as a result of the significant reliance of many industries on motor vehicles. Many technologies have been developed to replace part or all of a fossil fuel with bio-fuels. One of the dual fuel technologies is fumigation of ethanol in diesel engines, which injects ethanol into the intake air stream of the engine. The advantage of this is that it avoids any costly modification of the engine high pressure diesel injection system, while reducing the volume of diesel required and potentially increasing the power output and efficiency. This paper investigates the performance of a diesel engine, converted to implement ethanol fumigation. The project will use both existing experimental data, along with generating computer modeled results using the program AVL Boost. The data from both experiments and the numerical simulation indicate desirable results for the peak pressure and the indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). Increase in ethanol substitution resulted in elevated combustion pressure and an increase in the IMEP, while the variation of ethanol injection location resulted in negligible change. These increases in cylinder pressure led to a higher work output and total efficiency in the engine as the ethanol substitution was increased. In comparing the numerical and experimental results, the simulation showed a slight elevation, due to the inaccuracies in the heat release models. Future work is required to improve the combustion model and investigate the effect of the variation of the location of ethanol injection.

How much information can be obtained from tracking the position of the leading edge in a scratch assay?

Moving cell fronts are an essential feature of wound healing, development and disease. The rate at which a cell front moves is driven, in part, by the cell motility, quantified in terms of the cell diffusivity $D$, and the cell proliferation rate �$\lambda$. Scratch assays are a commonly-reported procedure used to investigate the motion of cell fronts where an initial cell monolayer is scratched and the motion of the front is monitored over a short period of time, often less than 24 hours. The simplest way of quantifying a scratch assay is to monitor the progression of the leading edge. Leading edge data is very convenient since, unlike other methods, it is nondestructive and does not require labeling, tracking or counting individual cells amongst the population. In this work we study short time leading edge data in a scratch assay using a discrete mathematical model and automated image analysis with the aim of investigating whether such data allows us to reliably identify $D$ and $\lambda$�. Using a naıve calibration approach where we simply scan the relevant region of the ($D$;$\lambda$�) parameter space, we show that there are many choices of $D$ and $\lambda$� for which our model produces indistinguishable short time leading edge data. Therefore, without due care, it is impossible to estimate $D$ and $\lambda$� from this kind of data. To address this, we present a modified approach accounting for the fact that cell motility occurs over a much shorter time scale than proliferation. Using this information we divide the duration of the experiment into two periods, and we estimate $D$ using data from the first period, while we estimate �$\lambda$ using data from the second period. We confirm the accuracy of our approach using in silico data and a new set of in vitro data, which shows that our method recovers estimates of $D$ and $\lamdba$� that are consistent with previously-reported values except that that our approach is fast, inexpensive, nondestructive and avoids the need for cell labeling and cell counting.

Semantic querying of business process models

Determining similarity between business process models has recently gained interest in the business process management community. So far similarity was addressed separately either at semantic or structural aspect of process models. Also, most of the contributions that measure similarity of process models assume an ideal case when process models are enriched with semantics - a description of meaning of process model elements. However, in real life this results in a heavy human effort consuming pre-processing phase which is often not feasible. In this paper we propose an automated approach for querying a business process model repository for structurally and semantically relevant models. Similar to the search on the Internet, a user formulates a BPMN-Q query and as a result receives a list of process models ordered by relevance to the query. We provide a business process model search engine implementation for evaluation of the proposed approach.

On optimal control of constrained linear systems with imperfect state information and stochastic disturbances

We address the problem of finite horizon optimal control of discrete-time linear systems with input constraints and uncertainty. The uncertainty for the problem analysed is related to incomplete state information (output feedback) and stochastic disturbances. We analyse the complexities associated with finding optimal solutions. We also consider two suboptimal strategies that could be employed for larger optimization horizons.

Overview of building information modelling in healthcare projects

In this paper, we explore how BIM functionalities together with novel management concepts and methods have been utilized in thirteen hospital projects in the United States and the United Kingdom. Secondary data collection and analysis were used as the method. Initial findings indicate that the utilization of BIM enables a holistic view of project delivery and helps to integrate project parties into a collaborative process. The initiative to implement BIM must come from the top down to enable early involvement of all key stakeholders. It seems that it is rather resistance from people to adapt to the new way of working and thinking than immaturity of technology that hinders the utilization of BIM.

The Interaction of lean and building information modeling in construction

Lean construction and building information modeling (BIM) are quite different initiatives, but both are having profound impacts on the construction industry. A rigorous analysis of the myriad specific interactions between them indicates that a synergy exists which, if properly understood in theoretical terms, can be exploited to improve construction processes beyond the degree to which it might be improved by application of either of these paradigms independently. Using a matrix that juxtaposes BIM functionalities with prescriptive lean construction principles, 56 interactions have been identified, all but four of which represent constructive interaction. Although evidence for the majority of these has been found, the matrix is not considered complete but rather a framework for research to explore the degree of validity of the interactions. Construction executives, managers, designers, and developers of information technology systems for construction can also benefit from the framework as an aid to recognizing the potential synergies when planning their lean and BIM adoption strategies.

Lean construction, building information modelling and sustainability

This paper investigates the mutual relations of three current drivers of construction: lean construction, building information modelling and sustainability. These drivers are based on infrequently occurring changes, only incidentally simultaneous, in their respective domains. It is contended that the drivers are mutually supportive and thus synergistic. They are aligned in the sense that all require, promote or enable collaboration. It is argued that these three drivers should be implemented in a unified manner for rapid and robust improvements in construction industry performance and the quality of the constructed facilities and their benefits for stakeholders and wider society.

Analysis framework for the interaction between lean construction and building information modelling

Building with Building Information Modelling (BIM) changes design and production processes. But can BIM be used to support process changes designed according to lean production and lean construction principles? To begin to answer this question we provide a conceptual analysis of the interaction of lean construction and BIM for improving construction. This was investigated by compiling a detailed listing of lean construction principles and BIM functionalities which are relevant from this perspective. These were drawn from a detailed literature survey. A research framework for analysis of the interaction between lean and BIM was then compiled. The goal of the framework is to both guide and stimulate research; as such, the approach adopted up to this point is constructive. Ongoing research has identified 55 such interactions, the majority of which show positive synergy between the two.

Semantic search as inference : applications in health informatics

This thesis developed new search engine models that elicit the meaning behind the words found in documents and queries, rather than simply matching keywords. These new models were applied to searching medical records: an area where search is particularly challenging yet can have significant benefits to our society.

Understanding the information literacy experiences of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students

This thesis investigated the information literacy experiences of EFL (English as a Foreign Language) students in a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Phenomenography was used to investigate how EFL students' 'used information to learn' (ie. information literacy). The study revealed that EFL students' experienced information literacy across four categories and had varying experiences of information and learning. The research also showed that EFL students' faced a number of challenges and barriers due to language that impacted on their experiences of reading, understanding, accessing and translating information.

Knowledge ecosystems of early career academics : a grounded theory of experiencing information use for learning in developmental networks

This study explored early career academics' experiences in using information to learn while building their networks for professional development. A 'knowledge ecosystem' model was developed consisting of informal learning interactions such as relating to information to create knowledge and engaging in mutually supportive relationships. Findings from this study present an alternative interpretation of information use for learning that is focused on processes manifesting as human interactions with informing entities revolving around the contexts of reciprocal human relationships.

Effective channel state information (CSI) feedback for MIMO systems in wireless broadband communications

This research has analysed both reciprocity and feedback mechanisms in multi-antenna wireless systems. It has presented the basis of an effective CSI feedback mechanism that efficiently provides the transmitter with the minimum information to allow the accurate knowledge of a rapidly changing channel. The simulations have been conducted using MATLAB to measure the improvement when the channel is estimated at the receiver in a 2 X 2 multi-antenna system and compared to the case of perfect channel knowledge at the receiver.