A continuous improvement approach: Closing the loop in an engineering,procurement, and construction management environment     

Roberto Santana 《Performance Improvement》2010,49(7):25-32

Continuous improvement initiatives are of increasing importance due to the high operating risks of engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) firms in the oil and gas sector ($188 billion worth of oil and gas projects in 2008). This article describes a continuous improvement framework that translates performance problems into an action plan and helps to prevent their recurrence.  相似文献   

Teaching values in physical education classes: the perception of Brazilian teachers     

Elisabete dos Santos Freire  Bruna Gabriela Marques  Maria Luiza de Jesus Miranda 《Sport, Education and Society》2018,23(5):449-461

The contribution of Physical Education (PE) and School Sport to learning of values has been identified by teachers and researchers. However, we know little about how that teaching takes place during classes. This study aimed to understand the perceptions of teachers on teaching values in their classes and to analyse the conception of values that have guided their professional intervention. To do this, a qualitative study was conducted with a sample of three teachers, using class observations and interviews with the teachers as research tools. For all these teachers, teaching values is a central goal of PE classes; for two of the teachers, it is the main goal. Because of this conviction, their pedagogies prioritize the teaching of moral values over others that can be taught in PE. A belief in the possibility of teaching values in the classroom is part of the habitus of the PE teacher; it can sometimes be characterized as an illusio. For these reasons, teachers can set unrealistic expectations, disregarding their own limitations as well as the conflicts and complexity involved in the construction of value systems.  相似文献   

Preschool teachers and classroom aides: Same context,similar perceptions of children's behaviors?          下载免费PDF全文

Sofia O. Major  Maria J. Seabra‐Santos  Maria F. Gaspar 《Psychology in the schools》2018,55(7):801-814

This study explored the correspondence and differences between school staff perceptions of preschool children's social skills and behavior problems. One hundred preschoolers were assessed by 14 pairs of teachers and classroom aides with the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales – 2^nd Edition (PKBS‐2 Portuguese version). Indexes of agreement and disagreement were calculated. Risk levels and item analyses of PKBS‐2 scores according to both informants' ratings were compared. A higher level of agreement was obtained for social skills scores than for behavior problems (mean correlation of .62). No statistically significant differences between informants were obtained for the risk levels, and item analyses revealed a similar pattern of behaviors that were most and least rated by both informants. Results indicate that the classroom aides' perspective on preschool assessment represents a reliable input, which justifies that they network with teachers in addressing preschoolers' social‐emotional and behavioral challenges.  相似文献   

Protective effects of photobiomodulation against resistance exercise-induced muscle damage and inflammation in rats     

Helenita Antonia de Oliveira  Ednei Luiz Antonio  Flávio André Silva  Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho  Regiane Feliciano  Amanda Yoshizaki 《Journal of sports sciences》2018,36(20):2349-2357

We investigated whether low-level laser therapy (LLLT) prior to or post resistance exercise could attenuate muscle damage and inflammation. Female Wistar rats were assigned to non-LLLT or LLLT groups. An 830-nm DMC Laser Photon III was used to irradiate their hind legs with 2J, 4J, and 8J doses. Irradiations were performed prior to or post (4J) resistance exercise bouts. Resistance exercise consisted of four maximum load climbs. The load work during a resistance exercise bout was similar between Control (non-LLLT, 225 ± 10 g), 2J (215 ± 8 g), 4J (210 ± 9 g), and 8J (226 ± 9 g) groups. Prior LLLT did not induce climbing performance improvement, but exposure to 4J irradiation resulted in lower blood lactate levels post-exercise. The 4J dose decreased creatine kinase and lactic dehydrogenase levels post-exercise regardless of the time of application. Moreover, 4-J irradiation exposure significantly attenuated tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1. There was minor macrophage muscle infiltration in 4J-exposed rats. These data indicate that LLLT prior to or post resistance exercise can reduce muscle damage and inflammation, resulting in muscle recovery improvement. We attempted to determine an ideal LLLT dose for suitable results, wherein 4J irradiation exposure showed a significant protective role.  相似文献   

Effect of Dehydration on Passing Decision Making in Soccer Athletes     

Leonardo S. Fortes  José R. A. Nascimento-Júnior  Arnaldo L. Mortatti  Dalton Roberto Alvas Araújo de Lima-Júnior  Maria E. C. Ferreira 《Research quarterly for exercise and sport》2018,89(3):332-339

It seems that dehydration may impair decision-making performance in athletes. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of dehydration on passing decision-making performance in soccer players. Method: Participants were 40 male soccer players (M_age = 22.3 ± 2.3 years) who agreed to participate in the study and were randomly assigned to the following conditions: control (CON), dehydration (DEH), and euhydration (EUH). The players played in 2 games of 90 min in duration (2 45-min halves) followed by 2 15-min halves (overtime) with and without proper hydration. The Game Performance Assessment Instrument (GPAI) was considered for the analysis of passing decision making. Results: The GPAI analysis indicated effective reduction in the decision-making index in the DEH condition compared with the EUH and CON conditions, F(2, 38) = 31.4, p < .05, ES = 0.8. Conclusions: In conclusion, dehydration may be considered a mediating factor in the passing decision-making performance of male soccer athletes.  相似文献   

Acute kinematics changes in marathon runners using different footwear     

Tania Socorro Amorim Soares  Federico Pizzuto  Rui Manuel Garganta  João Paulo Vila-Boas  Mario Casimiro da Anunciação Paiva 《Journal of sports sciences》2018,36(7):766-770

The effects of running with or without shoes on injury prevention have been extensively studied, and several investigations have assessed biomechanical differences between them. However, findings are not consensual and further insights on biomechanical load associated with differently shod or barefoot conditions may be needed. This study aimed to observe if habitually shod marathon runners show acute alterations when running barefoot or with minimalist shoes, and to determine whether the running kinematical adaptations of wearing minimalist shoes were similar to barefoot running. Twelve male marathon runners ran on the treadmill at their average marathon pace in different footwear conditions: habitual running shoes, minimalist shoes, and barefoot. High-resolution infrared cameras and visual 3D software were used to assess kinematic data. The following parameters were studied: foot strike angle, cycle time, stance time, normalized stride length, hip, knee, and ankle angular position at initial contact, and their respective range-of-motion (ROM) during stance phase. Contrary to the expectations, it was found that highly trained habitually shod elite marathon runners changed their lower limb kinematic pattern both when running barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes. Minimalist shoes showed a trend towards intermediate biomechanical effects between running with and without shoes.  相似文献   

Knowledge management systems: the hallmark of SMEs     

Piera?Centobelli  Roberto?CerchioneEmail author  Emilio?Esposito 《知识管理研究与实践》2017,15(2):294-304

This paper provides an overview of the knowledge management systems (KMSs) adopted by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). KMSs are divided into two categories: knowledge management tools (KM-Tools) and knowledge management practices (KM-Practices). On the basis of the analysis of the literature, two research questions (RQs) were identified and addressed through semi-structured interviews carried out in a sample of 35 SMEs operating in high-tech industries. The first RQ concerns the degree of adoption of KMSs by SMEs. The second RQ regards the relationship between KM-Tools and KM-Practices. As far as the degree of adoption of KMSs, the paper highlights that SMEs are not a homogeneous world but there are a variety of approaches and behaviours. As far as the relationship between the degree of adoption of KM-Tools and KM-Practices, the paper identifies three groups of SMEs that seem to point out the stages of the process of adoption of KMSs: Introduction, SMEs that deal with the process of knowledge management exploiting practices and tools that are already known; Growth, SMEs that adopt specialist practices of knowledge management acquiring new organisational and managerial competence in the field of knowledge management; Maturity, SMEs that invest in new technology and that acquire new technological competence in the field of knowledge management. This categorisation paves the way for further theoretical and practical implications for both managers and policy makers.  相似文献   

The continuous nature of timing reprogramming in an interceptive task     

Luis Augusto Teixeira  Elke Dos Santos Lima  Mariana Marília Franzoni 《Journal of sports sciences》2013,31(9):943-950

The time course of movement timing reprogramming was examined in a task requiring temporal coincidence of the conclusion of a forehand drive with the arrival of a moving luminous target at the end of an electronic trackway. The moving target departed from one end of the trackway at a constant velocity of 2?m ^. s^?1, and for a part of the trials its velocity was increased to 3?m ^. s^?1. Target velocity was modified at different moments during stimulus displacement, producing times-to-arrival after velocity increment (TAVIs) from 100 to 600?ms. The effect of specific practice on movement reprogramming was also examined. The results showed early adjustments to the action (TAVIs = 100?–?200?ms) that seemed to be stereotyped, while feedback-based corrections were implemented only at TAVIs of 300?ms or longer. Temporal accuracy was progressively increased as longer TAVIs were provided up to 600?ms. Skill training led to an overall increment of temporal accuracy, but no effect of specific practice was found. The results indicate that timing reprogramming in interceptive actions is a continuous process limited mainly by intrinsic factors: latency to initiate more effective adjustments to the action, and rate-of-movement timing reprogramming.  相似文献   

Embedding with multiple knowledge sources to improve innovation performance: the learning experience of Motorola in Brazil     

Paulo N?FigueiredoEmail author 《知识管理研究与实践》2013,11(4):361-373

This article explores how a subsidiary of a multi-national enterprise (MNE) in an emerging economy embeds with multiple knowledge sources, both in its corporate network (internal) and in the host country (external), to create the capability to undertake innovative activities. Drawing on first-hand and intra-firm field evidence over the lifetime of a subsidiary in the information and communications technology industry in Brazil (1996–2009) the article finds that: (1) Within 10 years, the case subsidiary attained advanced, near-world leading innovation performance in three technological functions: project management, software engineering and product and solutions; (2) This was an outcome of how the firm simultaneously engaged in knowledge-intensive linkages based on increased frequency of use and improved quality over time, with specific internal and external counterparts; (3) However, some counterparts and linkages were more effective than others in contributing to the subsidiary's innovation performance. Drawing on a novel approach that examines the relationship between dual embeddedness and innovative performance, this article extends our understanding of embeddedness as part of knowledge-seeking strategies of MNE-subsidiaries. It also provides new insights to deepen the analysis of the nuances of subsidiaries’ multiple embeddedness, especially in emerging economies.  相似文献   

Effects of concurrent training on interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha and C-reactive protein in middle-aged men     

Cleiton Augusto Libardi  Giovana Verginia Souza  Arthur Fernandes GÁspari  Claudinei Ferreira Dos Santos  Sabrina Toffoli Leite  Rodrigo Dias 《Journal of sports sciences》2013,31(14):1573-1581

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of moderate- to high-intensity resistance and concurrent training on inflammatory biomarkers and functional capacity in sedentary middle-aged healthy men. Participants were selected on a random basis for resistance training (n = 12), concurrent training (n = 11) and a control group (n = 13). They performed three weekly sessions for 16 weeks (resistance training: 10 exercises with 3 × 8–10 repetition maximum; concurrent training: 6 exercises with 3 × 8–10 repetition maximum, followed by 30 minutes of walking or running at 55–85% [Vdot]O_2peak). Maximal strength was tested in bench press and leg press. The peak oxygen uptake ([Vdot]O_2peak) was measured by an incremental exercise test. Tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein were determined. The upper- and lower-body maximal strength increase for both resistance (+42.52%; +20.9%, respectively) and concurrent training (+28.35%; +21.5%, respectively) groups (P = 0.0001).[Vdot]O_2peak increased in concurrent training when comparing pre- and post-training (P = 0.0001; +15.6%). No differences were found in tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-6 for both groups after the exercise. C-reactive protein increased in resistance training (P = 0.004). These findings demonstrated that 16 weeks of moderate- to high-intensity training could improve functional capacity, but did not decrease inflammatory biomarkers in middle-aged men.  相似文献