Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Calcul des constructions. Sollicitations, Structural analysis. Stresses, Méthodes de calcul. Tables. Abaques, Computation methods. Tables. Charts, Carbone, Carbon, Carbono, Emission gaz, Gas emission, Emisión gas, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Evaluation projet, Project evaluation, Evaluación proyecto, Gaz effet serre, Greenhouse gas, Gas efecto invernadero, Industrie construction, Construction industry, Industria construcción, Modèle prévision, Forecast model, Modelo previsión, Prototype, Prototipo, Réalité augmentée, Augmented reality, Realidad aumentada, Simulation, Simulación, Visualisation, Visualization, Visualización, Carbon emission, Construction project, Hong Kong, and Virtual prototyping

The construction industry has been criticised as one of the major greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters and a relatively unregulated sector in the management of carbon emissions. As the pressure on climate change related risks is mounting, a major cut in carbon emissions from construction operations is becoming a top priority if construction firms are to meet increasingly stringent emission controls. This study describes prototype architecture for implementing a carbon emission prediction and a simulation tool for construction projects using virtual prototyping technologies that is little investigated, analysed and modelled in the existing literature. The estimated emissions of the construction operations for each activity are calculated, tabulated and plotted to visually demonstrate the emission rates side by side with the integrated 4D models of the construction project. The presented virtual prototype (VP)-based model allows project teams to visualise the predicted emissions at different times in the construction processes, analyse the emission peaks, and allow the project team to take proactive measures against potential emissions. A real-life public housing construction project in Hong Kong is adopted to demonstrate the application of the emission prediction visualisation tool. By simulating likely carbon emissions during project planning phases in advance of actual construction activities, it is hoped that the tool can encourage exploration of possible strategies to minimize carbon emissions in construction sector. .

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Généralités, General, Etablissement de projets. Techniques de conception, Project management. Process of design, Travaux de construction, Construction works, Organisation des chantiers, Site organization, Matériels de construction, Construction equipments, Ponts, Bridges, Allocation ressource, Resource allocation, Asignación recurso, Construction provisoire, Temporary building, Construcción provisoria, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Gestion projet, Project management, Gestión proyecto, Matériel construction, Construction equipment, Instalaciones construcción, Modélisation, Modeling, Modelización, Planification, Planning, Planificación, Pont, Bridges, Puente, Prototype, Prototipo, Réalité virtuelle, Virtual reality, Realidad virtual, Scénario, Script, Argumento, Travaux construction, Construction works, Trabajos construcción, Viaduc, Viaduct, Viaducto, Construction plant and equipment, Plant and equipment-resource allocation, Temporary platforms, and Virtual prototyping

4D simulation, building information modeling, virtual construction, computer simulation and virtual prototyping are emerging topics in the building construction industry. These techniques not only relate to the buildings themselves, but can also be applied to other forms of construction, including bridges. Since bridge construction is a complex process involving multiple types of plant and equipment, applying such virtual methods benefits the understanding of all parties in construction practice. This paper describes the relationship between temporary platforms, plant and equipment resources and a proposed-built model in the construction planning and use of Virtual Prototyping Simulation (VPS) to implement different construction scenarios in order to help planners identify an optimal construction plan. A case study demonstrates the use of VPS integrated with temporary platform design and plant and equipment-resource allocation to generate different construction scenarios.

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Généralités, General, Etablissement de projets. Techniques de conception, Project management. Process of design, Bâtiment, Buildings, Types de bâtiment, Types of buildings, Construction élevée, High rise building, Bâtiment bureau, Office building, Edificio oficina, Construction élevée, High rise building, Construcción elevada, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Industrie construction, Construction industry, Industria construcción, Modèle 3 dimensions, Three dimensional model, Modelo 3 dimensiones, Modèle simulation, Simulation model, Modelo simulación, Modélisation, Modeling, Modelización, Planification, Planning, Planificación, Procédé construction traditionnelle, Traditional building process, Método construcción tradicional, Prototype, Prototipo, Réalité virtuelle, Virtual reality, Realidad virtual, Système intégré, Integrated system, Sistema integrado, 3D modeling, Construction planning, Process simulation, and Virtual prototyping;

Construction Virtual Prototyping (CVP) is the use of integrated product, process and resource models of construction projects to support the construction planning in virtual environment. This paper describes an integrated framework and process for efficient application of CVP to support project teams on construction planning. It includes specific examples of models and objectives as well as detailed suggestions on how to implement CVP in practice.

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Généralités, General, Etablissement de projets. Techniques de conception, Project management. Process of design, Travaux de construction, Construction works, Sécurité du travail, Work safety, Chantier construction, Building site, Obra, Echelle grande, Large scale, Escala grande, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Evaluation performance, Performance evaluation, Evaluación prestación, Evaluation projet, Project evaluation, Evaluación proyecto, Gestion, Management, Gestión, Industrie construction, Construction industry, Industria construcción, Modélisation, Modeling, Modelización, Prototype, Prototipo, Réalité virtuelle, Virtual reality, Realidad virtual, Sécurité chantier, Construction site safety, Seguridad obra, Large-scale construction projects, Safety management, Safety performance, The construction industry, and Virtual prototyping

Construction safety is a serious problem in the construction industry worldwide, especially in large-scale construction projects. In order to improve the safety management performance, through the identification of the key factors that cause accidents, this research develops a conceptual framework of adopting virtual prototyping (VP) technology to aid in construction safety management. It consists of three components: modelling and simulation, the identification of unsafe factors, and safety training. A real-life case study is presented to demonstrate how to implement the VP-based safety management platform and evaluate its feasibility and validity. It is shown that the VP-based safety management platform can effectively aid in safety management and improve the safety performance of construction projects.

Control theory, operational research, Automatique, recherche opérationnelle, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Recherche operationnelle. Gestion, Operational research. Management science, Recherche opérationnelle et modèles formalisés de gestion, Operational research and scientific management, Gestion des stocks, gestion de la production. Distribution, Inventory control, production control. Distribution, Informatique; automatique theorique; systemes, Computer science; control theory; systems, Automatique théorique. Systèmes, Control theory. Systems, Commande des processus. Productique, Process control. Computer integrated manufacturing, Compétition, Competition, Competencia, Conception assistée, Computer aided design, Concepción asistida, Productique, Computer integrated manufacturing, Robótica, Prototypage rapide, Rapid prototyping, Prototipificación rápida, Semiconducteur, Semiconductor materials, Semiconductor(material), Technologie avancée, Advanced technology, Tecnología avanzada, Advanced manufacturing technology, CIMS, Laser manufacturing, Rapid prototyping technology, and Semiconductor manufacturing

The manufacturing environment has dramatically changed in the last few years. Worldwide competition among manufacturers and the development of new manufacturing technologies have contributed to today's competitive situation in many manufacturing areas. Advanced computer technology is the driver that has made global manufacturing competition possible. In this paper, the current research of advanced manufacturing technology at major institutions in China is introduced.

Cognition, Immunology, immunopathology, allergology, Immunologie, immunopathologie, allergologie, Psychology, psychopathology, psychiatry, Psychologie, psychopathologie, psychiatrie, Sciences biologiques et medicales, Biological and medical sciences, Sciences medicales, Medical sciences, Pathologie infectieuse, Infectious diseases, Viroses, Viral diseases, Viroses humaines, Human viral diseases, Viroses du tissu lymphoïde et du sang. Sida, Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids, Psychopathologie. Psychiatrie, Psychopathology. Psychiatry, Psychiatrie sociale. Ethnopsychiatrie, Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry, Santé mentale, Mental health, Prévention. Politique sanitaire. Planification, Prevention. Health policy. Planification, Psychologie. Psychanalyse. Psychiatrie, Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry, PSYCHOPATHOLOGIE. PSYCHIATRIE, Immunodéficit, Immune deficiency, Inmunodeficiencia, Immunopathologie, Immunopathology, Inmunopatología, Infection, Infección, Lentivirus, Retroviridae, Virose, Viral disease, Virosis, Virus, Amélioration, Improvement, Mejora, Assistance ordinateur, Computer aid, Asistencia ordenador, Environnement social, Social environment, Contexto social, Etude longitudinale, Follow up study, Estudio longitudinal, Gestion de la qualité, Quality management, Gestión de calidad, Homme, Human, Hombre, Prévention, Prevention, Prevención, SIDA, AIDS, Santé mentale, Mental health, Salud mental, Santé publique, Public health, Salud pública, Système expert, Expert system, Sistema experto, Sérologie, Serology, Serología, Virus immunodéficience humaine, Human immunodeficiency virus, Conseil et dépistage volontaires, HIV/AIDS, effectiveness, expert system, quality improvement, and voluntary counseling and testing

This study aims at developing and testing a pragmatic expert system for HIV voluntary counseling (VCT-ES) that leverages best practices. The VCT-ES was developed via evolutionary prototyping and piloted in 10 voluntary HIV counseling and testing (VCT) clinics from Anhui and Beijing representative of prefecture and county level VCT clinics in China. All counselors with the clinics and the clients to the clinics within selected two weeks at baseline and the end of study were invited to participate. Assessment measures included essential counseling procedures (ECPs); clients' satisfaction, knowledge, and behavior efficacy. VCT-ES was developed which tries to model and facilitate standard VCT operation procedures and best practices. One hundred and eighty-two (96 at baseline vs. 86 after intervention) cases recordings, 172 (96 vs. 76) client questionnaires, 10 counselor, and 2 expert rating instruments were collected; and 17 clients and 8 counselors participated in qualitative interviews. VCT-ES increased delivery of ECPs from 18.94% to 66.39% on average; increased clients' knowledge from 40.51% to 86.34% and self-efficacy by 22.42%. The VCT-ES applications listed were rated 9.1 on average (maximum = 10). The VCT-ES could be an easy and effective solution to better routine VCT and merits further research.

Astronomy earth cosmic environment, Astronomie et environnement cosmique terrestre, Geology, Géologie, Geophysics, Géophysique, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Terre, ocean, espace, Earth, ocean, space, Sciences de la terre, Earth sciences, Cosmochimie. Géologie extraterrestre, Cosmochemistry. Extraterrestrial geology, Atténuation, attenuation, Atenuación, Coût, cost, Costo, Détection, detection, Etude expérimentale, experimental studies, Fusion, melting, Fusión, Muon cosmique, Cosmic muons, Qualité, quality, Calidad, Réchauffement, warming, Structure interne, Internal structure, Estructura interna, Cosmic-ray muon radiography, detection system, plastic scintillator, and volcano

Muon radiography has recently made it possible to perform imaging of the internal structure of a volcano. Muon-detecting experiments were carried out at Asama and Usu volcanoes using a newly developed scintillator. The goal was to build a large detector that would improve the quality of the data collected by the muon radiography experimental set-up that is currently being used to study volcanic activities. To this end, a cost-effective plastic scintillator was developed by a simple heating-melting method. The detector consists of planes of scintillator strips and is currently in the prototyping phase. Using a cosmic-ray muon source, we found that the signal from our scintillator was consistent with the zenith-angle dependence of the cosmic-ray muon spectrum with no significant attenuation effects in the scintillator. We confirmed that our scintillators can be incorporated into a portable assembly-type cosmic-ray muon telescope system.

Telecommunications, Télécommunications, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Telecommunications et theorie de l'information, Telecommunications and information theory, Théorie de l'information, du signal et des communications, Information, signal and communications theory, Généralités, General, Telecommunications: signal transmission and processing; communication satellites, Architecture réseau, Network architecture, Arquitectura red, Architecture système, System architecture, Arquitectura sistema, Interface programme application, Application program interfaces, Matériel(informatique), Computer hardware, Material (informática), Outil logiciel, Software tool, Herramienta (controlada por ) logicial, Programmation, Programming, Programación, Prototype, Prototipo, Réseau distribution, Distribution network, Red distribución, Réseau télécommunication, Telecommunication network, and Red telecomunicación

To what extent will the emerging set of application programming interfaces (APIs), and environments that provide these APIs, support the vision of rapid service development for converged networks? In this paper, we report on lessons learned, both through participation in standards bodies and from recent prototyping using some of these APIs. We describe four API environments: Telecommunications Service Access and Subscription (TSAS), Parlay, Third-Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), and Java *APis for Integrated Networks (JAIN*). We then discuss how these API environments address several issues key to rapid service development and deployment.

Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Généralités, General, Divers, Miscellaneous, Benchmarking, Evaluación comparativa, Echelon international, International scope, Escala internacional, Entreprise construction, Building contracting firm, Empresa construcción, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Evaluation performance, Performance evaluation, Evaluación prestación, Industrie construction, Construction industry, Industria construcción, Méthode mesure, Measurement method, Método medida, Balanced scorecard, Benchmark, Construction companies, Construction firm, International construction, International factors, Internationalization, Measurement, Organizational issues, and Performance measurement

The internationalization of construction companies has become of significant interest as the global construction market continues to be integrated into a more competitive and turbulent business environment. However, due to the complicated and multifaceted nature of international business and performance, there is as yet no consensus on how to evaluate the performance of international construction firms (ICFs). The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to develop a practical framework for measuring the performance of ICFs. Based on the balanced scorecard (BSC), a framework with detailed measures is developed, investigated, and tested using a three-step research design. In the first step, 27 measures under six dimensions (financial, market, customer, internal business processes, stakeholders, and learning and growth) are determined by literature review, interviews with academics, and seminar discussions. Subsequently, a questionnaire survey is conducted to investigate weights of these 27 performance measures. The questionnaire survey also supports the importance of measuring intangible aspects of international construction performance from the practitioner's viewpoint. Additionally, a case study is described to test the framework's robustness and usefulness. This is achieved by benchmarking the performance of a Chinese ICF with nine other counterparts worldwide. It is found that the framework provides an effective basis for benchmarking ICFs to effectively monitor their performance and support the development of strategies for improved competitiveness in the international arena. This paper is the first attempt to present a balanced and practically tested framework for evaluating the performance of ICFs. It contributes to the practice of performance measurement and related internationalization in the construction industry in general.

Architecture and spatial development, Architecture et aménagement de l'espace, Civil engineering, Génie civil, Sciences exactes et technologie, Exact sciences and technology, Sciences appliquees, Applied sciences, Batiment. Travaux publics, Buildings. Public works, Généralités, General, Urbanisation, Urban development, Calcul des constructions. Sollicitations, Structural analysis. Stresses, Méthodes de calcul. Tables. Abaques, Computation methods. Tables. Charts, Transports terrestres, transports aeriens, transports maritimes, constructions navales, Ground, air and sea transportation, marine construction, Transports et trafic ferroviaires, Railway transportation and traffic, Algorithme, Algorithm, Algoritmo, Développement durable, Sustainable development, Desarrollo sostenible, Développement urbain, Urban development, Desarrollo urbano, Etude cas, Case study, Estudio caso, Formulation, Formulación, Modélisation, Modeling, Modelización, Métropolitain, Subways, Metropolitano, Occupation sol, Land use, Ocupación terreno, Optimisation, Optimization, Optimización, Transport ferroviaire, Rail transportation, Transporte ferroviaro, and Land usage

With the acceleration of urbanization, the mass rail transit (MRT) is developing rapidly in China. However, some unsustainable problems are brought to many metropolitan governments, such as the expensive costs of MRT construction and operation, the incompatibility between MRT and its surrounding land use, the difficulty of MRT sharing the benefits brought by itself, etc. Therefore, for the sustainability of MRT, this research presents a transit oriented development (TOD) planning model of China. The paper put forward the objective functions and constraints of China TOD (CTOD) model and designed the algorithm of this multiobjective optimal problem. The problem is divided into two phases and parallel genetic algorithm is adopted. By these methods, the Pareto optimization solution set is searched so that it can offer some alternative land-use schemes. Taking the example of Dan Zhutou station of Shenzhen metro third line constructing, the land-use schemes in walking available scope of MRT station are designed considering MRT sustainability. The optimization results are alternative schemes of land-use type and land-use density in planned region, so that the land use can ensure the sustainable development of MRT.