Electronic Procurement in the Construction Industry

2012 ◽  
pp. 118-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Eadie ◽  
Srinath Perera ◽  
George Heaney
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
The State ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Reference Guide ◽  
Electronic Procurement ◽  
Current State ◽  
Informed Decisions ◽  
The Status ◽  
Insight Into

The benefits of e-business have been widely promoted but the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector has lagged behind other sectors in the adoption of e-procurement. The prospective benefits for the AEC sector are suggested by the proven advantages of general e-procurement where adoption has been faster and deeper. However, several studies indicated that barely 20% of documentation is tendered electronically, suggesting there are barriers to e-procurement. In order to promote adoption of e-procurement in the AEC sector, it is important to establish the status of the industry and identify the drivers as well as barriers to e-procurement. This chapter provides a detailed discussion of the state of the industry and its drivers and barriers while ranking these according to its importance. It acts as a reference guide to allow those implementing e-procurement in construction to make informed decisions as to where to focus their efforts to achieve successful realisation incorporating the benefits and avoiding the pitfalls in the process. The chapter also provides some insight into the current state, trends, and future directions of e-procurement in the construction industry.

On the Development of Islamic Jurisprudence

1999 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murad Wilfried Hofmann
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Current State ◽  
Islamic Jurisprudence ◽  
The Status ◽  
Sensitive Issues ◽  
Status Of Women ◽  
Islam And Democracy

This article examines the state of Islamic jurisprudence with regard to many sensitive issues, such as the status of women and minorities in Islam, Islam and Democracy, hudud punishments. The author explores the current state of Islamic discourse on jurisprudence and identifies three approaches-traditional, secular and reformist. The paper explores the positions of the traditional ulama and the reformist muj­tahids on the mentioned topics and finds the reformist position more sensible and closer to the position of ihe Qur'an and Sunnah. This paper while advocating neo-ijtihad, makes an impressive case for the merit???? and Islamic credibility of the reformist jurisprudence.

scholarly journals Ethical issues on artificial intelligence in radiology: how is it reported in research articles? The current state and future directions

2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. e513
Author(s):  
Tomasz Piotrowski ◽  
Joanna Kazmierska ◽  
Mirosława Mocydlarz-Adamcewicz ◽  
Adam Ryczkowski
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Ethical Status ◽  
The Status ◽  
Clinical Questions ◽  
Almost All

Background. This paper evaluates the status of reporting information related to the usage and ethical issues of artificial intelligence (AI) procedures in clinical trial (CT) papers focussed on radiology issues as well as other (non-trial) original radiology articles (OA). Material and Methods. The evaluation was performed by three independent observers who were, respectively physicist, physician and computer scientist. The analysis was performed for two groups of publications, i.e., for CT and OA. Each group included 30 papers published from 2018 to 2020, published before guidelines proposed by Liu et al. (Nat Med. 2020; 26:1364-1374). The set of items used to catalogue and to verify the ethical status of the AI reporting was developed using the above-mentioned guidelines. Results. Most of the reviewed studies, clearly stated their use of AI methods and more importantly, almost all tried to address relevant clinical questions. Although in most of the studies, patient inclusion and exclusion criteria were presented, the widespread lack of rigorous descriptions of the study design apart from a detailed explanation of the AI approach itself is noticeable. Few of the chosen studies provided information about anonymization of data and the process of secure data sharing. Only a few studies explore the patterns of incorrect predictions by the proposed AI tools and their possible reasons. Conclusion. Results of review support idea of implementation of uniform guidelines for designing and reporting studies with use of AI tools. Such guidelines help to design robust, transparent and reproducible tools for use in real life.

Sustainable development

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle C. Brennan ◽  
Alison J. Cotgrave
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Industry Professionals

Purpose – Despite the surge of interest in construction sustainability and the many Government initiatives encouraging reform in the UK construction industry (CI), the prevalence of sustainable development (SD) in the industry is still largely lagging behind that of other industries. Given the amount of focus and activity identified nationally in this area, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons why this is not being translated into action and to seek counsel from industry professionals as to how they believe change can be achieved with a particular focus on how they believe higher education institutions (HEIs) can contribute. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative, qualitative study using three focus groups was of construction professionals. Findings – Despite a lack of action, many in industry support sustainability and actively attempt to engage in sustainable practices but a number of barriers preclude successful implementation. Government initiatives are having a positive impact, with participants believing that both Government and HEIs are imperative in driving the sustainability agenda forward. Research limitations/implications – Whilst limited in scale, this paper highlights the current state of the CI in relation to SD and evidences that progress is being made albeit slowly. The findings may help both Government and HEIs alongside industry in achieving how this can be overcome. Originality/value – Previous research in this area has generally adopted a quantitative approach. Adopting a qualitative approach provides a more in depth view as to why the status quo remains with regards to SD in the CI.

scholarly journals Another coin bites the dust: an analysis of dust in UTXO-based cryptocurrencies

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 180817 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Pérez-Solà ◽  
S. Delgado-Segura ◽  
G. Navarro-Arribas ◽  
J. Herrera-Joancomartí
Keyword(s):  
The State ◽  
Market Capitalization ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Status ◽  
Internal Mechanism

Unspent Transaction Outputs (UTXOs) are the internal mechanism used in many cryptocurrencies to represent coins. Such representation has some clear benefits, but also entails some complexities that, if not properly handled, may leave the system in an inefficient state. Specifically, inefficiencies arise when wallets (the software responsible for transferring coins between parties) do not manage UTXOs properly when performing payments. In this paper, we study three cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin, by analysing the state of their UTXO sets, that is, the status of their sets of spendable coins. These three cryptocurrencies are the top-3 UTXO-based cryptocurrencies by market capitalization. Our analysis shows that the usage of each cryptocurrency presents some differences, and led to different results. Furthermore, it also points out that the management of the transactions has not always been performed efficiently and therefore, the current state of the UTXO sets is far from ideal.

scholarly journals A Brief Report on the Actions towards the Introduction of BIM in the Macedonian Construction Sector

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Lihnida Stojanovska-Georgievska ◽  
Ivana Sandeva ◽  
Aleksandar Krleski ◽  
Hristina Spasevska ◽  
Margarita Ginovska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Energy Performance Of Buildings ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
The Status ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Current Stage

Although the building sector builds and renovates objects, the construction industry is currently due for a digital renovation. In this paper, we provide insight into the status of BIM adoption in North Macedonia as a step towards the digital transformation of the construction industry. The presented review on the current stage of development, benefits, and barriers is followed with showcasing the possibilities for using BIM for the assessment of the energy performance of buildings through case studies. Furthermore, the results of the conducted survey on BIM awareness and the proposed national roadmap for BIM adoption are elaborated on.

scholarly journals THE STATE OF LEGAL REGULATION OF OFFICIAL INVESTIGATIONS IN THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (4(106)) ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
В. О. Галушко
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
The State ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Status ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Main Regulator ◽  
High Level

The relevance of the topic of the article is that the implementation of legal procedures within a particular branch of law requires a clear establishment and definition of key stages, procedures, patterns and subjective composition of the latter. That is, we are talking about the legal regulation of legal processes, the high level of quality of which directly affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the relevant sequences of legally significant actions. Official investigations in the prosecutor's office in this aspect are no exception, so it is appropriate to analyze the current state of their legal regulation. Determining the state of legal regulation of official investigations in the prosecutor's office requires a full understanding of the features and internal nature of this category. Note that legal regulation has a deep theoretical basis. It can be pointed out that legal regulation in a separate part is an expression of the content of the principle of the rule of law, that is, it is an indicator of the action of law as the main regulator of social relations. However, there are other features of this category that are important to outline within this article. The article, based on the analysis of scientific views of scientists, offers the author's vision on the interpretation of the concept of legal regulation of official investigations in the prosecutor's office of Ukraine. Emphasis is placed on the specifics of the mechanism of legal regulation of official investigations in the prosecutor's office and identified features of its structure. The general assessment of the state of legal regulation of official investigations in the prosecutor's office is given. It is concluded that at the present stage the legal regulation of official investigations in the prosecutor's office is disordered in its internal structure. Yes, there is a corresponding dissonance between the status and the practice of applying official investigations. The procedure for this procedure, the subject composition, the local legal framework, as well as other mechanical features of official investigations are developed and have the appropriate forms of operation. At the same time, the status and purpose of official investigations in the prosecutor's office, their connection with disciplinary proceedings, principles, as well as the general place in the field of official discipline of prosecutors in modern realities are not properly regulated.

scholarly journals Predicting Long-term Disability in Multiple Sclerosis: A Narrative Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Weinstock-Guttman ◽  
Maria Pia Sormani ◽  
Pavle Repovic
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Disability Status ◽  
Insight Into

Abstract The ability to reliably monitor disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is integral to patient care. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) is a commonly used tool to assess the disability status of patients with MS; however, it has limited sensitivity in detecting subtle changes in disability levels and, as a result, does not consistently provide clinicians with accurate insight into disease progression. At the 2019 European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, a panel of neurologists met to discuss the limitations of the EDSS as a short-term predictor of MS progression. Prior to this panel discussion, a targeted literature review was conducted to evaluate published evidence on prognostic measures such as fatigue, physical assessments, and measures that are more taxing for patients, all of which may be useful to clinicians at different stages of the course of MS. This article summarizes currently available evidence in support of these measures. In addition, this article highlights the current state of expert clinical consensus regarding the current approaches used to predict and monitor disease progression and offers insight for future studies to assist clinicians in accurately monitoring disease progression in patients with MS.

Unique and Shared Relationship Benefits of Consensually Non-Monogamous and Monogamous Relationships

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Moors ◽  
Jes L. Matsick ◽  
Heath A. Schechinger
Keyword(s):  
Personal Growth ◽  
Growth And Development ◽  
Interesting Case ◽  
Need Fulfillment ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Current State ◽  
Key Features ◽  
Relationship Benefits ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Common Misconceptions

Abstract. The increased media and public curiosity on the topic of consensual non-monogamy (CNM) presents an interesting case, given that these types of relationships are highly stigmatized. In the present review piece, we first situate common themes of benefits that people believe are afforded to them by their CNM relationships within the current state of the literature to provide insight into unique and shared (with monogamy) relationship benefits. This approach helps uncover relationship benefits and theoretical advances for research on CNM by highlighting some of the key features of CNM relationships that people find rewarding, including need fulfillment, variety of activities, and personal growth and development. Second, we discuss common misconceptions about CNM and stigma toward CNM. Finally, we conclude with future directions and recommendations for scholars interested in pursuing research on CNM.

scholarly journals ManyBirds: A multi-site collaborative Open Science approach to avian cognition and behaviour research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Lambert ◽  
Benjamin George Farrar ◽  
Elias Garcia-Pelegrin ◽  
Stephan A. Reber ◽  
Rachael Miller
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Open Science ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Avian Cognition ◽  
Current State ◽  
Science Approach ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Representative Samples

Comparative cognitive and behaviour research aims to investigate cognitive evolution by comparing performance in different species to understand how these abilities have evolved. Ideally, this requires large and diverse samples, however, these can be difficult to obtain by single labs or institutions, leading to potential reproducibility and generalisation issues with small, less representative samples. To help mitigate these issues, we are establishing a multi-site collaborative Open Science approach called ManyBirds, with the aim of providing new insight into the evolution of avian cognition and behaviour through large-scale comparative studies, following the lead of exemplary ManyPrimates, ManyBabies and ManyDogs projects. Here, we outline a) why we should study birds, including the origin of modern birds, avian brains, convergent evolution of cognition, and the replicability crisis; b) the current state of the avian cognition field, including a ‘snapshot’ review; c) the ManyBirds project, with plans, infrastructure, limitations, implications and future directions. In sharing this process, we hope that this may be useful for other researchers in devising similar projects in other taxa, like non-avian reptiles or mammals, and to encourage further collaborations with ManyBirds and related ManyX projects. Ultimately, we hope to promote collaboration between ManyX projects to allow for wider investigation of the evolution of cognition across all animals, including potentially humans.

scholarly journals Comprehensive Literature Review of Hyperpolarized Carbon-13 MRI: The Road to Clinical Application

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
Michael Vaeggemose ◽  
Rolf F. Schulte ◽  
Christoffer Laustsen
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Clinical Application ◽  
Clinical Applications ◽  
Metabolic Imaging ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
The Road ◽  
Current State ◽  
Comprehensive Literature Review ◽  
The Status

This review provides a comprehensive assessment of the development of hyperpolarized (HP) carbon-13 metabolic MRI from the early days to the present with a focus on clinical applications. The status and upcoming challenges of translating HP carbon-13 into clinical application are reviewed, along with the complexity, technical advancements, and future directions. The road to clinical application is discussed regarding clinical needs and technological advancements, highlighting the most recent successes of metabolic imaging with hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI. Given the current state of hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI, the conclusion of this review is that the workflow for hyperpolarized carbon-13 MRI is the limiting factor.

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