scholarly journals ALIGNMENT MODEL FOR TRUNK ROAD NETWORK MAINTENANCE OUTSOURCING

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 500-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena E. ORUGBO ◽  
Babakalli M. ALKALI ◽  
Anjali DESILVA ◽  
David K. HARRISON

Road maintenance outsourcing is now the foremost strategy by which road authorities procure maintenance works. Despite growing application of road maintenance outsourcing, there are conflicting estimates on the effective­ness of road maintenance outsourcing and shortage of appropriate models to align over optimistic expectations of road authorities from road maintenance outsourcing with substantiated benefits. This paper investigates the efficacy of road maintenance outsourcing. In this paper, the different variants of road maintenance outsourcing and road maintenance works are evaluated with a SWOT analysis and a comprehensive literature review respectively. In addition, a road main­tenance outsourcing alignment model based on a decision tree and Balance Score Card is proposed and illustrated with a Nigerian trunk road network authority as a case study. The result of the SWOT analysis and comprehensive literature review establishes fresh insight into road maintenance outsourcing dynamics. The presented road maintenance outsourc­ing alignment model provides adequate pathways that could assist road authorities identify the most appropriate road maintenance outsourcing variant for road maintenance procurement. In addition it aligns actual benefits and expectations of road maintenance outsourcing and facilitates development of SMART metrics for effective assessment of road main­tenance outsourcing. The proposed model is applicable across other infrastructures.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 182-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ena E. Orugbo ◽  
Babakalli M. Alkali ◽  
Anjali DeSilva ◽  
David K. Harrison

Category1 defects such as potholes significantly accelerate structural deterioration and pose imminent hazards on trunk road networks. Frequent occurrences of category1 defects have increased service disruptions on trunk road networks. Road maintenance agencies are now required to effectively prioritize trunk road network category1 defects maintenance works. However, existing road maintenance prioritization methods such as value engineering and traditional expert judgment methods have limitations. Value engineering is resource and time intensive thus best suited for project level prioritization and traditional expert judgments are subjective and lack audit trails. In an attempt to address the limitations of above methods, this study presents a Reliability Centered Maintenance and Analytical Hierarchy Process based hybrid model for trunk road network maintenance prioritization. The proposed hybrid model is used to establish failure diagnostic and Multi-criteria Decision Making respectively. As a case study, the hybrid model is implemented on a trunk road network in the United Kingdom. Relevant category1 defect failure information linked to trunk road network subassets are extracted from databases and relevant information elicited from maintenance experts. The criticality analysis results presented show the risk priority numbers of category1 defect related failures and cost effective preventative maintenance tasks are proposed. The Analytical Hierarchy Process results are used to address the complex prioritization process. The proposed hybrid model facilitates a systematic prioritization of a large number of trunk road network category1 defect failure maintenance activities consistently.


Author(s):  
R. Fekete ◽  
Gy. Haszonits ◽  
D. Schmidt ◽  
H. Bak ◽  
O. Vincze ◽  
...  

AbstractThe spread of alien species with the expansion of road networks and increasing traffic is a well-known phenomenon globally. Besides their corridor effects, road maintenance practices, such as the use of de-icing salts during winter facilitate the spread of halophyte (salt tolerant) species along roads. A good example is Plantago coronopus, a mainly coastal halophyte which has started spreading inland from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coastal habitats, recently reaching even Central European countries (e.g. Hungary). Here we studied the spread of this halophyte and tried to identify factors explaining its successful dispersion along roads, while also comparing native and non-native roadside occurrences with regard to altitude of the localities, size of roadside populations and frequency of roadside occurrences. We completed a comprehensive literature review and collected more than 200 reports of occurrence from roadsides spanning a total of 38 years. During systematic sampling the frequency of the species along roads was significantly higher in the Mediterranean (native area), than along Hungarian (non-native area) roads, however the average number of individuals at the sampling localities were very similar, and no significant difference could be detected. Using a germination experiment, we demonstrate that although the species is able to germinate even at high salt concentrations, salt is not required for germination. Indeed salt significantly decreases germination probability of the seeds. The successful spread of the species could most likely be explained by its remarkably high seed production, or some special characteristics (e.g. seed dimorphism) and its ability to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions. Considering the recent and rapid eastward spread of P. coronopus, occurrences in other countries where it has not been reported yet can be predicted in coming years.


Author(s):  
Adam Lee ◽  
Adam Bajinting ◽  
Abby Lunneen ◽  
Colleen M. Fitzpatrick ◽  
Gustavo A. Villalona

AbstractReports of incidental pneumomediastinum in infants secondary to inflicted trauma are limited. A retrospective review of infants with pneumomediastinum and history of inflicted trauma was performed. A comprehensive literature review was performed. Three infants presented with pneumomediastinum associated with inflicted trauma. Mean age was 4.6 weeks. All patients underwent diagnostic studies, as well as a standardized evaluation for nonaccidental trauma. All patients with pneumomediastinum were resolved at follow-up. Review of the literature identified other cases with similar presentations with related oropharyngeal injuries. Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in previously healthy infants may be associated with inflicted injuries. Clinicians should be aware of the possibility of an oropharyngeal perforation related to this presentation.


Oikos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (40) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Roberto Horta

RESUMENEl objetivo de este artículo es el de analizar el concepto “desempeño exportador”, concepto muy usado en la literatura relacionada con los negocios internacionales, a los efectos de aportar a su conceptualización y medición. Para ello, se efectúa una amplia revisión de la literatura y se analizan los avances realizados por los investigadores a los efectos de aportar a las dimensiones y formas de medir este concepto. Se concluye que se trata de un concepto en el cual siguen existiendo diversos enfoques, aunque existen avances importantes en la forma de operacionalizar el desempeño exportador.Palabras clave: conceptualización, desempeño exportador, negocios internacionales.Conceptualization of export performance: analysis of developments in the literature of international business ABSTRACTThe aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of "export performance" concept very use in the literature of international business, in order to contribute to its conceptualization and measurement. For this, a comprehensive literature review is performed and the progress made by researchers to contribute to the dimensions and ways of measuring this concept is discussed. Concluded that it is a concept which still exist several approaches, although there are significant advances in how to operationalize export performance.Keywords: conceptualization, export performance, international business.Conceptualização do desempenho exportador: a análise dos avanços na literatura dos negócios internacionais RESUMO O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o conceito de "desempenho exportador", conceito utilizado amplamente na literatura sobre negócios internacionais, aos efeitos de contribuir para a conceituação e medição. Para fazer isso, se faz uma extensa revisão da literatura e analisam-se os avanços realizados pelos pesquisadores aos efeitos de contribuir nas dimensões e formas de medir este conceito. Conclui-se que se trata de um conceito no qual continuam existindo diversas abordagens, apesar dos avanços significativos na forma de operacionalizar o desempenho exportador.Palavras-chave: conceituação, desempenho exportador, negócios internacionais.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (16) ◽  
pp. 1298-1368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankit Jain ◽  
Poonam Piplani

: Triazole is a valuable platform in medicinal chemistry, possessing assorted pharmacological properties, which could play a major role in the common mechanisms associated with various disorders like cancer, infections, inflammation, convulsions, oxidative stress and neurodegeneration. Structural modification of this scaffold could be helpful in the generation of new therapeutically useful agents. Although research endeavors are moving towards the growth of synthetic analogs of triazole, there is still a lot of scope to achieve drug discovery break-through in this area. Upcoming therapeutic prospective of this moiety has captured the attention of medicinal chemists to synthesize novel triazole derivatives. The authors amalgamated the chemistry, synthetic strategies and detailed pharmacological activities of the triazole nucleus in the present review. Information regarding the marketed triazole derivatives has also been incorporated. The objective of the review is to provide insights to designing and synthesizing novel triazole derivatives with advanced and unexplored pharmacological implications.


Author(s):  
Mariek Vanden Abeele

Recent empirical work suggests that phubbing, a term used to describe the practice of snubbing someone with a phone during a face-to-face social interaction, harms the quality of social relationships. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this chapter presents a framework that integrates three concurrent mechanisms that explain the relational impact of phubbing: expectancy violations, ostracism, and attentional conflict. Based on this framework, theoretically grounded propositions are formulated that may serve as guidelines for future research on these mechanisms, the conditions under which they operate, and a number of potential issues that need to be considered to further validate and extend the framework.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215265672098478
Author(s):  
Abdulrahman Alghulikah ◽  
Norah Musallam ◽  
Ibrahim Sumaily ◽  
Amany Fathaddin ◽  
Surayie Aldossary

Cholesterol Granulomas of the Maxillary Sinus, considered an unusual presentation at this anatomical site. Over last 2 decades, only few cases are reported in the literature (English) and no available comprehensive reviews or studies on this entity. Herein in this article we present a comprehensive literature review of the available reports of 16 cases along with reporting a new case which we managed, aided with its histopathological pictures. This review article can be a reference for practitioners in the field of otorhinolaryngology who may encounter these cases. Also, it attracts the attention to consider this pathology among the differential diagnoses of nasal masses. Moreover, including a described pathological imaging may help young pathologist to identify this pathology.


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