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A new method is presented to measure strain over a large area of a single crystal. The 4D-ED data are collected by recording a 2D diffraction pattern at each position in the 2D area of the TEM lamella scanned by the electron beam of STEM. Data processing is completed with a new computer program (available free of charge) that runs under the Windows operating system. Previously published similar methods are either commercial or need special hardware (electron holography) or are based on HRTEM, which involves limitations with respect to the size of the field of view. All these limitations are overcome by our approach. The presence of defects results in small local changes in orientation that change the subset of experimentally available diffraction spots in the individual patterns. Our method is based on a new principle, namely fitting a lattice to (a subset of) measured diffraction spots to improve the precision of the measurement. Although a spot to be measured may be missing in some of the patterns even the missing spot can be precisely measured by the lattice determined from the available spots. Application is exemplified by heavily boron-doped silicon with intended usage as a low-temperature superconductor in qubits.

The desire to gain knowledge about the quality and timing of construction projects delivered to clients has become an increased focus point in the field of construction management. Clients have expectations that are often based on their assumptions about the validity of making the learning curve theory applicable to construction projects. This research aims to determine what criteria need to be met for the learning curve theory to have some validity for construction projects. The results from the questionnaire survey, completed by professionals from the construction industry, show that several concepts were found to be of importance: project specifications, design, scope, budget, site management, planning, monitoring and controlling, and quality. If these concepts correspond between two projects, the chance of successfully applying the learning curve theory increases. Practical recommendations are made that highlight the concepts identified as critical for the successful application of the learning curve theory to construction projects, and that can be used by clients and contractors as a basis for negotiating project schedules.

Tobleria bicuspis, a coniferophyte seed cone, is described from the Jambi Palaeoflora, Sumatra of Asselian (early Permian) age. A morphometric analysis based on cones, paired fertile units, and fertile and sterile scales, demonstrates their close relationship. Small paired fertile units occur mainly in cones. Medium-sized paired fertile units occur mainly on scales. And large paired fertile units are mainly dispersed. The cones are considered female and the paired fertile units are considered to represent the seeds. The cones are composed of helicoidal, bilaterally symmetrical and deeply incised scales with paired seeds. A comparison can be made with the Voltziales female taxon Schizolepis from the Triassic and Jurassic. Tobleria is regarded as having a voltzian Voltziales affinity and dates from approximately 16 to 26 million years before any other such cones.

A longstanding barrier to deploying robots in the real world is the ongoing need to author robot behavior. Remote data collection–particularly crowdsourcing—is increasingly receiving interest. In this paper, we make the argument to scale robot programming to the crowd and present an initial investigation of the feasibility of this proposed method. Using an off-the-shelf visual programming interface, non-experts created simple robot programs for two typical robot tasks (navigation and pick-and-place). Each needed four subtasks with an increasing number of programming statements (if statement, while loop, variables) for successful completion of the programs. Initial findings of an online study (N = 279) indicate that non-experts, after minimal instruction, were able to create simple programs using an off-the-shelf visual programming interface. We discuss our findings and identify future avenues for this line of research.

Projects are unique, temporary structures that produce unique knowledge. For organisations to gain competitive advantage, this knowledge needs to be transferred effectively between projects. Knowledge transfer across projects is thus an important and decisive competitive factor. However, project teams typically focus on short-term project goals, and often fail to regard capturing and transferring project knowledge between projects as important for the long-term benefit of the organisation. This theoretical study argues that Project Management Offices (PMOs) play an important role by supporting and facilitating the flow of knowledge between projects. A conceptual framework depicting the role of PMOs in the transfer of knowledge between projects is presented here, while empirical results will be reported on in a sequel to this paper.

Dicranophyllum gallicum Grand’Eury is described by means of a morphometric analysis of eighty two samples from various old and new localities in western and central Europe. Stem, leaf cushions, leaf scars, leaves, axillary structures and potential seeds are described in detail, and discussed in comparison to earlier studies. The encountered variability in size and structure is shown to be higher than what was described earlier. The organisation of the leaf cushion and scar density vary gradually with the stem width, while stratigraphic position and ecology do not relate to it. It is concluded that the described variability represents an ontogenetic feature rather than a phylogenetic or ecologic one. The juvenile plants are characterised by small stems, a high leaf scar density and elongated leaf cushions with a dominant apical field, while mature specimens are characterized by a wide stem, a relatively low leaf scar density and relatively wide leaf cushions with a pronounced basal field. Axillary shoots and potential seeds of D. gallicum are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. A reconstruction based on the studied material is presented.

Knowledge dissemination, as part of the knowledge exchange process, is particularly challenging in any project environment due to the temporary nature of projects. Although several studies in the earlier literature studied the factors that influence knowledge exchange, very few examined them from the ‘knowledge push’ perspective. This study aims, therefore, to highlight the critical factors that impact knowledge dissemination in a project environment. This empirical research found ten critical factors, such as individual experience, trust, source credibility, shared understanding, motivation, and articulability. These individual factors seem to have a dominant influence on knowledge dissemination from the view point of the knowledge source.

This paper examines mechanisms to use lessons learned on individual projects within an organisation. A Delphi study highlighted the organisation’s responsibility for incorporating knowledge from projects into a project management methodology. Knowledge from a project should be transferred through a centralised knowledge management function that should evaluate codified knowledge within the context in which it was generated, determine how the knowledge should be used, and maintain the explicit knowledge database and the knowledge flow process. Based on a literature review, structured interviews, archived data, and a Delphi survey, a framework for transferring knowledge to the organisation is proposed. The framework enables the organisation to motivate and guide knowledge transfer within a methodology that indicates where, when, and how knowledge transfer and use should take place.

Agricultural intensification has led to dramatic diversity losses and impoverishment of the arable vegetation in much of Europe. We analyzed the status of farmland phytodiversity and its determinants in 2016 in northwest Germany by surveying 200 conventionally managed fields cultivated with seven crops. The study was combined with an analysis of edaphic (soil yield potential), agronomic (crop cover, fertilizer and herbicide use) and landscape factors (adjacent habitats). In total, we recorded 150 non-crop plant species, many of them nitrophilous generalist species, while species of conservation value were almost completely absent. According to a post-hoc pairwise comparison of the mixed model results, the cultivation of rapeseed positively influenced non-crop plant species richness as compared to winter cereals (wheat, barley, rye and triticale; data pooled), maize or potato. The presence of grassy strips and ditch margins adjacent to fields increased plant richness at field edges presumably through spillover effects. In the field interiors, median values of non-crop plant richness and cover were only 2 species and 0.5% cover across all crops, and at the field edges 11 species and 4% cover. Agricultural intensification has wiped out non-crop plant life nearly completely from conventionally managed farmland, except for a narrow, floristically impoverished field edge strip.

The Project Management Office (PMO) has been associated with organisational project management competence. However, there is a lack of empirical evidence to support this perception. This study examines the relationship of PMO maturity and the nine knowledge areas that describe Organisational Project Management (OPM) by collecting data from 129 PMO executives, staff, and project managers in South African Government Infrastructure Departments (SAGID) using a structured questionnaire. The results show that a PMO’s ‘strategic’ maturity has the highest impact on all nine areas of OPM. It is thus recommended that public organisations need to accelerate the strategic maturity of their PMOs to benefit from them.

The execution of operational improvement projects can create new knowledge that can be used to contribute to the success of future projects. A paradox exists, in that new knowledge is seldom transferred to future projects, and so the associated value-adding opportunities are lost. The objectives of this study are to determine whether lessons learned are captured during operational improvement projects, and to identify contextual factors that support or hinder the knowledge transfer processes. Through the use of interviews and subsequent data analysis, the research shows that the transfer of knowledge can be better facilitated by addressing the knowledge transfer inhibitors, recognising the valueadding potential of knowledge transfer during the execution of improvement projects, and creating a culture that is conducive to sharing knowledge - in particular, the lessons learned from mistakes and poor management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The complex, unique and temporary nature of projects makes project-to-project knowledge transfer challenging and has attracted attention from both practitioners and academic scholars. This challenging nature of project-to-project knowledge transfer led to the proliferation of a host of tools and instruments (so-called knowledge transfer mechanisms) in which little structure can be discovered making selection by (project) managers a difficult task. Aim: This article aims to deal with this unstructured proliferation of knowledge transfer mechanisms by empirically categorising these transfer mechanisms, thereby reducing the number of mechanisms to groups that share a common characteristic. Setting: The study takes stock of the wide range of knowledge transfer mechanisms available and analyses them in terms of specific characteristics (e.g. explicitness or reach). Methods: A multi-method approach is used in which a multi-level latent class analysis is applied on data collected via an expert panel. Results: Five categories of transfer mechanisms could be empirically established where these mechanisms showed common characteristics. Conclusion: The taxonomy developed will allow organisations and project managers to more efficiently select appropriate transfer mechanisms for use in project-to-project knowledge transfer.

Projects that fail, for whatever reason, can impact negatively on society, organisations, and other stakeholders. A number of researchers have identified various critical success factors (CSFs) that can influence the outcome and success of a project. This research therefore aims to determine the CSFs that influence various success measures of small- to medium-sized projects at a South African mining company, Exxaro Resources’ Grootegeluk Coal Mine. Other objectives of this research include determining the extent of the impacts of these CSFs on the different success measures of a project. The investigation suggests that there are correlations among CSFs, and that certain factors impact the outcome of projects far more than others. This research finds that the single most important CSF for small- to medium-sized projects is the selection of a competent project manager. The competent project manager is characterised by a group of interrelated CSF factors: good leadership, commitment, and learning from past experiences. Based on the research results, other CSFs are discussed and explored in order for recommendations to be made on how this mining company, and possibly other organisations, can achieve greater project success.

Past studies of performance management systems (PMS) have focused more on designing the framework and less on the effect it has on employees. Moreover, employees in developing countries may not be knowledgeable or familiar with PMS. This paper proposes two competing statistical models to examine the roles that supervisor support (SS) has in engineering organisations. It was found that SS is a mediator, but not a moderator, in the relationship between PMS and employee job satisfaction. In other words, SS partially explains why employees have positive perceptions of their jobs based on their evaluation of the current PMS; SS thus enhances the PMS in engineering organisations.

The Six Sigma deployment methodology is known for its results in operational excellence associated with improved business practices. Organisations worldwide have shown significantly reduced costs and increased profits when successfully deploying Six Sigma. This paper reports a longitudinal study of a set of indicators and success factors for Six Sigma deployment, using Lonmin PLC, a mining company in South Africa, as a case. The results suggest a shift of indicators from heartfelt personal involvement in 2006 to a mechanistic performance-based culture in 2010. Practical recommendations are made regarding the nine success factor components to be included during Six Sigma deployment

The Zonguldak – Amasra Coal Basin in north-western Turkey has Carboniferous terrestrial deposits ranging in age from Arnsbergian to late Asturian or possibly early Cantabrian. They yield macrofloras that allow detailed biostratigraphical correlations with sequences in Europe. These correlations suggest there are substantial gaps in the Zonguldak – Amasra succession, with middle to upper Namurian, upper Langsettian, Duckmantian and lower Asturian strata apparently being missing. This in turn suggests the area was subjected to significant tectonic instability during Pennsylvanian (late Carboniferous) times and that this might have been instrumental in initiating the progressive change in composition and eventual collapse of the coal swamp biome across Variscan Euramerica during Westphalian times.

A new method is presented to measure strain over a large area of a single crystal. The 4D-ED data are collected by recording a 2D diffraction pattern at each position in the 2D area of the TEM lamella scanned by the electron beam of STEM. Data processing is completed with a new computer program (available free of charge) that runs under the Windows operating system. Previously published similar methods are either commercial or need special hardware (electron holography) or are based on HRTEM, which involves limitations with respect to the size of the field of view. All these limitations are overcome by our approach. The presence of defects results in small local changes in orientation that change the subset of experimentally available diffraction spots in the individual patterns. Our method is based on a new principle, namely fitting a lattice to (a subset of) measured diffraction spots to improve the precision of the measurement. Although a spot to be measured may be missing in some of the patterns even the missing spot can be precisely measured by the lattice determined from the available spots. Application is exemplified by heavily boron-doped silicon with intended usage as a low-temperature superconductor in qubits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]