• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2015.10a
• /
• pp.527-531
• /
• 2015

With the mounting concerns over environmental issues, green construction is gaining a place in the global construction industry. However, rare research has been conducted to analyze green construction projects, especially in the aspect of project schedule performance. As a result, this study aims to investigate the degree of project delay in green building construction, analyze the factors affecting schedule delay of green building projects, and finally provide recommendations to improve schedule performance of green building project. To achieve the objectives, a comprehensive literature review was carried out, followed by a survey conducted with 30 companies that provided data from 220 traditional and 96 green building projects. The analysis of the responses identified that 15.9% of the traditional building projects were delayed while 32.3% of the green building projects were completed behind schedule. Furthermore, the amount of the delays in green building projects was an average of 4.8% of their planned schedule. The top 5 critical factors that can cause delay in green building projects were identified as: (1) speed of decision-making by clients; (2) speed of decision-making involving all project teams; (3) communication/coordination between key parties; (4) level of experience of consultants; and (5) difficulties in contractors' project financing. Lastly, a list of recommendations was introduced, aiming to reduce schedule delay in green building construction projects based on the observations. This study will serve as s a base for further research on the enhancement of green building project schedule performance.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2015.10a
• /
• pp.82-86
• /
• 2015

Construction delay is a common problem worldwide, which is considered as one of the main reasons for project failure. Bangladesh construction industry is no exception. This study investigated the main causes of delay in large building construction projects in Bangladesh. A questionnaire survey was conducted to determine the causes of delay from owners, consultants, and contractors of large building construction projects. About 70 respondents participated in the survey. Using the importance index analysis, the study identified 10 most important causes of delay from a list of 30 different causes. Ten most important causes were: (1) lack of experienced construction manager, (2) lowest bidder selection, (3) funding shortage by owner, (4) lack of proper management, (5) improper planning and scheduling, (6) lack of skilled workers, (7) site constraints, (8) contractors' cash flow problems during construction, (9) escalation of resources price, and (10) contractors' excessive workload. Furthermore, Kruskal-Wallis test indicates that there is no significant variation exists among the three group of respondents, ie owners, consultants and contractors.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2015.10a
• /
• pp.435-439
• /
• 2015

It is important for Singaporean companies to manage the multifaceted risks when forming international construction joint ventures (ICJVs) with developing countries. The objectives of this study are to assess the risks associated with Singaporean ICJVs with developing countries, and investigate the risk allocation preferences in these ICJVs. To fulfill these objectives, a literature review was carried out and a questionnaire survey was performed with 38 professionals. The survey results reported "political instability" as the most critical risk, and market level risks were less critical than country and project level risks. Additionally, the results showed agreement on the risk ranking between building and infrastructure ICJVs, despite significant differences in the criticalities of five risks. Furthermore, five risks were preferably allocated to host and foreign partners, respectively, while 13 risks could be shared among partners. As few studies have explored the risk allocation preferences in ICJVs, this study expands the literature. Also, the identification of the risks allows other companies to customize their own lists of critical risks, while the preferred risk allocation provides valuable information for companies from various countries that intend to form ICJVs with developing countries. Thus, this study contributes to the global body of knowledge relating to ICJVs.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2015.10a
• /
• pp.328-332
• /
• 2015

By logging position data from GPS-equipped construction machines, we re-create daily activities as 3D animations to analyze performance and facilitate look-ahead scheduling. The 3D animation enables going back to any point in time and space to observe the activities as they took place. By segmenting data into a set of activities, it is possible to obtain actual measures of performance such as cycle times, production, speed profiles and idle times. The measures of performance can then be compared to those expected (e.g., theoretical speed profiles vs. observed profiles), and instances of significant difference can be flagged for further investigation. Idle times and queues that exceed prescribed thresholds can also be identified. In general, many of the traditional real-time performance analyses can be performed after the fact. Situations of interest can be identified automatically and the events in this manner enhances effective performance improvement in construction. The proposed research is explained and demonstrated using a real push-loaded earthmoving operation.

• Proceedings of the Plant Resources Society of Korea Conference
• /
• 2021.04a
• /
• pp.56-56
• /
• 2021

Nypa fruticans Wurmb is a mangrove plant belonging to Araceae family. N. fruticans is typically found in Southeast Asia, and in some parts of Queensland, Australia. N. fruticans has phytochemicals, phenolics, and flavonoids. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of the ethyl acetate fraction of N. fruticans (ENF) on the production and expression of cytokines and inflammatory mediators through the major signal transduction pathways. ENF attenuated the level of cytokines in a dose-dependent manner and decreased the production of nitric oxide (NO). ENF decreased the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) via alleviating transcription of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) by an inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B (IκB) degradation. Furthermore, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways (ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38) are known to be involved in the inflammatory response. Phosphorylations of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38 were significantly decreased compared with the ENF-untreated control. Conclusively, ENF was related to alleviating various pro-inflammatory mediators through IκB/NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways, including p65 translocation to the nucleus.

• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2024

Attackers tend to use similar vulnerabilities when finding their next target IT assets. They also continuously search for new attack targets. Therefore, it is essential to find the potential targets of attackers in advance. Our method proposes a novel approach for efficient vulnerable asset management and zero-day response. In this paper, we propose the ability to detect the IT assets that are potentially infected by the recently discovered vulnerability based on clustering and similarity results. As the experiment results, 86% of all collected assets are clustered within the same clustering. In addition, as a result of conducting a similarity calculation experiment by randomly selecting vulnerable assets, assets using the same OS and service were listed.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.4
• /
• pp.2621-2626
• /
• 2013

Background: To review the peer reviewed literature on the psychological aspects of the prostate cancer experience of men in Asia. Materials and Methods: Medline and PsycINFO, CINAHL, ProQuest, and Web of Science (1999 - November Week 4, 2012) were searched. Inclusion criteria were: included men with prostate cancer and/or their partners or caregivers who identify as Asian recruited in an Asian country; and assessed health-related quality of life, psychological and social adjustment relating to prostate cancer and published in English after $1^{st}$ January 1999 and prior to $30^{th}$ November, 2012. Study aims; design; quality; level of evidence, and key results were assessed. Results: 43 articles met all inclusion criteria and were retained for initial review. Of these most focussed on health-related QOL with only five evidence Level IV studies from Japan and Taiwan including a specific psychological focus. Of these, one was a cross-sectional case control study; three were cross-sectional descriptive quantitative designs; one was a cross-sectional descriptive qualitative study. From the data available, a substantive sub group of men with prostate cancer (approximately one third) in these countries experience clinically high psychological distress and decision regret. Conclusions: Research on the psychological needs of men with the increasingly prevalent condition of prostate cancer in Asian countries is scant with only a small number of low level evidence descriptive studies identified. Future research to underpin the development and evaluation of effective and culturally relevant psychological and supportive care interventions for such men is urgently needed.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.28 no.4
• /
• pp.212-219
• /
• 2012

An experiment was set to understand the seedlings growth and nodulation capabilities of five potentially important leguminous agroforestry tree species of Bangladesh in response to application of organic fertilizer. Study was carried out in nursery bed on the seedlings of Acacia mangium Willd., Acacia hybrid, Acacia auriculiformis A. Cunn. ex Benth, Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth. and Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. after sowing their seeds in polybags filled with different medium. Farmyard manure or decomposed cow dung was applied as the source of organic fertilizer with other potting media. The growth and nodulation performance of seedlings of the selected species were measured three moths after the first seed was emerged. The different soil: organic manure ratios' used during the experiment were, 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1. The effects of organic fertilizer on growth and nodulation were compared to that of seedlings grown in control. The results revealed a positive correlation between seedling growth and the different doses of organic fertilization (i.e. seedling growth was enhanced significantly with different treatments containing higher proportion of organic fertilizer). In few cases a negative effect was observed after applying higher levels of organic manure. It was also apparent that the nodulation in terms of nodule number and size was inhibited significantly by the application of organic fertilizer.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2013

Acacia mangium is an evergreen fast-growing tropical tree, which can grow up to 30 m tall and 50 cm thick, under favorable conditions. It is a low-elevation species associated with rain forest margins and disturbed, well-drained acid soils. It is native to Papua, Western Irian Jaya and the Maluku islands in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and north-eastern Queensland in Australia. Due to its rapid growth and tolerance of very poor soils, A. mangium was introduced into some Asian, African and western hemisphere countries where it is used as a plantation tree. A. mangium has good quality wood traits, such as a comparatively low proportion of parenchymatous cells and vessels, white and hard wood, and high calorific value. Therefore, it is useful for a variety of purposes, such as furniture, cabinets, turnery, floors, particleboard, plywood, veneer, fence posts, firewood, and charcoal. It is also being used in pulp and paper making because it has good pulp traits, with high yields of pulp, quality of kraft, and produces paper with good optical, physical and surface properties. Because there are significant provenance differences in growth rate, stem straightness, heartwood formation and frequency of multiple leaders, the productivity and quality also varies depending upon environmental conditions, so genetic improvement programmes have been undertaken in countries like Australia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand. The programme includes provenance identifications and testing, plus tree selection and clonal multiplication, establishment of seed orchards and hybridization. The phenology, reproductive biology, fruit characteristics, silvicultural practices for cultivation, pest and diseases problems, production of improved planting stock, harvesting, wood properties and utilization have been discussed in this paper.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
• /
• v.4 no.6
• /
• pp.729-744
• /
• 2017

This investigation highlights rationale of electrically conductive nano adhesives for its essential application for Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) Shielding in satellites and Lightning Strike Protection in aircrafts. Carbon Nano Fibres (CNF) were functionalized by electroless process using Tollen's reagent and by Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapour Deposition (PECVD) process by depositing silver on CNF. Different weight percentage of CNF and silver coated CNF were reinforced into the epoxy resin hardener system. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) micrographs clearly show the presence of CNF in the epoxy matrix, thus giving enough evidence to show that dispersion is uniform. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) studies reveal that there is uniform deposition of silver on CNF resulting in significant improvement in interfacial adhesion with epoxy matrix. There is a considerable increase in thermal stability of the conductive nano adhesive demonstrated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Four probe conductivity meters clearly shows a substantial increase in the electrical conductivity of silver coated CNF-epoxy composite compared to non-coated CNF-epoxy composite. Tensile test results clearly show that there is a significant increase in the tensile strength of silver coated CNF-composites compared to non-coated CNF-epoxy composites. Consequently, this technology is highly desirable for satellites and EMI Shielding and will open a new dimension in space research.