Collaborative Project Management: A Systemic Approach to Heavy Equipment Manufacturing Project Management

Quite often over the last decade, heavy equipment manufacturers are trying to improve their project management performance with the use of effective project management methods. However, the challenges encountered aren’t isolated problems and a systemic approach is required. This paper exemplifies how a systemic approach can be applied to heavy equipment manufacturing project (HEMP) management, through of a multifaceted vision. The findings present in the paper are based on a two-year case study in a metallurgic equipment manufacturing enterprise in China. Based on the analysis of HEMP management problems and the contributions on systemic approach application in project management, the paper enriches existing theory by: (1) interpreting the HEMP management system with the top-down disassembly method; (2) developing the collaborative project management approach with a systems view highlighting the project characteristics management and inter-departmental collaboration; (3) making suggestions for systemic approach application in project management. For practitioners and researchers, the findings are particularly meaningful for manufacturing project management and systemic approach application.     

Regulation of the H<Superscript>+</Superscript>-ATP synthase by IF1: a role in mitohormesis

The mitochondrial H⁺-ATP synthase is a primary hub of cellular homeostasis by providing the energy required to sustain cellular activity and regulating the production of signaling molecules that reprogram nuclear activity needed for adaption to changing cues. Herein, we summarize findings regarding the regulation of the activity of the H⁺-ATP synthase by its physiological inhibitor, the ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) and their functional role in cellular homeostasis. First, we outline the structure and the main molecular mechanisms that regulate the activity of the enzyme. Next, we describe the molecular biology of IF1 and summarize the regulation of IF1 expression and activity as an inhibitor of the H⁺-ATP synthase emphasizing the role of IF1 as a main driver of energy rewiring and cellular signaling in cancer. Findings in transgenic mice in vivo indicate that the overexpression of IF1 is sufficient to reprogram energy metabolism to an enhanced glycolysis and activate reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent signaling pathways that promote cell survival. These findings are placed in the context of mitohormesis, a program in which a mild mitochondrial stress triggers adaptive cytoprotective mechanisms that improve lifespan. In this regard, we emphasize the role played by the H⁺-ATP synthase in modulating signaling pathways that activate the mitohormetic response, namely ATP, ROS and target of rapamycin (TOR). Overall, we aim to highlight the relevant role of the H⁺-ATP synthase and of IF1 in cellular physiology and the need of additional studies to decipher their contributions to aging and age-related diseases.     

Activation of stress signalling pathways enhances tolerance of fungi to chemical fungicides and antifungal proteins

Fungal disease is an increasing problem in both agriculture and human health. Treatment of human fungal disease involves the use of chemical fungicides, which generally target the integrity of the fungal plasma membrane or cell wall. Chemical fungicides used for the treatment of plant disease, have more diverse mechanisms of action including inhibition of sterol biosynthesis, microtubule assembly and the mitochondrial respiratory chain. However, these treatments have limitations, including toxicity and the emergence of resistance. This has led to increased interest in the use of antimicrobial peptides for the treatment of fungal disease in both plants and humans. Antimicrobial peptides are a diverse group of molecules with differing mechanisms of action, many of which remain poorly understood. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly apparent that stress response pathways are involved in the tolerance of fungi to both chemical fungicides and antimicrobial peptides. These signalling pathways such as the cell wall integrity and high-osmolarity glycerol pathway are triggered by stimuli, such as cell wall instability, changes in osmolarity and production of reactive oxygen species. Here we review stress signalling induced by treatment of fungi with chemical fungicides and antifungal peptides. Study of these pathways gives insight into how these molecules exert their antifungal effect and also into the mechanisms used by fungi to tolerate sub-lethal treatment by these molecules. Inactivation of stress response pathways represents a potential method of increasing the efficacy of antifungal molecules.     

基于SVD的通信信号背景下脉冲波形和初相估计

雷达侦察接收机往往侦察到的是通信和雷达脉冲的混合信号，如何从通信信号背景中有效提取出雷达脉冲波形，是现代雷达信号处理领域中的重要内容。针对这一问题，提出了一种基于奇异值分解的通信与雷达混合信号中脉冲波形估计算法。该算法通过对信号观测矩阵的奇异值分析和协方差矩阵的特征值分析，证明了观测矩阵的奇异值分解具有稳定性，并且奇异值分解能够最佳近似观测信号的线性特征，给出了一种利用左右奇异向量估计脉冲波形及其相对初相的方法。本文的算法适用于任意脉冲波形，并且能够在较低信噪比环境下估计脉冲信号波形和相对相位，仿真结果证明了算法的有效性。     

Routes and machinery of primary cilium biogenesis

Primary cilia are solitary, microtubule-based protrusions of the cell surface that play fundamental roles as photosensors, mechanosensors and biochemical sensors. Primary cilia dysfunction results in a long list of developmental and degenerative disorders that combine to give rise to a large spectrum of human diseases affecting almost any major body organ. Depending on the cell type, primary ciliogenesis is initiated intracellularly, as in fibroblasts, or at the cell surface, as in renal polarized epithelial cells. In this review, we have focused on the routes of primary ciliogenesis placing particular emphasis on the recently described pathway in renal polarized epithelial cells by which the midbody remnant resulting from a previous cell division event enables the centrosome for initiation of primary cilium assembly. The protein machinery implicated in primary cilium formation in epithelial cells, including the machinery best known for its involvement in establishing cell polarity and polarized membrane trafficking, is also discussed.     

复合型土壤营养调理剂改良吉林省西部风砂土的试验研究

通过两年的盆栽试验,考察了8种风砂土营养调理剂对白菜生长的影响.结果表明,与单施无机化肥相比,同时施用无机化肥与泥炭或腐泥或其混合物或腐植酸液体肥,白菜的生长高度、最大叶宽、鲜重和干重都得到了提高;单施无机化肥或共同施用无机化肥和腐植酸液体肥对当年白菜生长效果显著,第二年白菜生长明显下降;用泥炭、腐泥或其混合物改良风砂土后,再施用无机化肥,不仅当年作物生长好于单施无机化肥的,而且具有后效性.由此可见,有机物料泥炭、腐泥与无机化肥等制成的有机无机复合型土壤营养调理剂,具有改良土壤结构、提供营养,兼有长效与短效双重功能,是风砂土改良的最佳选择.     

略论交城县旮旯水电站建设的必要性

简要介绍了交城县概况及其水文气象条件,从工程规划、水土保持、环境评价、经济评价等方面对交城县旮旯水电站项目建设的可行性和必要性进行了论证。     

Chromatin-remodeling complex specificity and embryonic vascular development

Vascular development is a dynamic process that relies on the coordinated expression of numerous genes, but the factors that regulate gene expression during blood vessel development are not well defined. ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complexes are gaining attention for their specific temporal and spatial effects on gene expression during vascular development. Genetic mutations in chromatin-remodeling complex subunits are revealing roles for the complexes in vascular signaling pathways at discrete developmental time points. Phenotypic analysis of these models at various stages of vascular development will continue to expand our understanding of how chromatin remodeling impacts new blood vessel growth. Such research could also provide novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of vascular pathologies.     

Liquid marbles.

The transport of a small amount of liquid on a solid is not a simple process, owing to the nature of the contact between the two phases. Setting a liquid droplet in motion requires non-negligible forces (because the contact-angle hysteresis generates a force opposing the motion), and often results in the deposition of liquid behind the drop. Different methods of levitation-electrostatic, electromagnetic, acoustic, or even simpler aerodynamic techniques-have been proposed to avoid this wetting problem, but all have proved to be rather cumbersome. Here we propose a simple alternative, which consists of encapsulating an aqueous liquid droplet with a hydrophobic powder. The resulting 'liquid marbles' are found to behave like a soft solid, and show dramatically reduced adhesion to a solid surface. As a result, motion can be generated using gravitational, electrical and magnetic fields. Moreover, because the viscous friction associated with motion is very small, we can achieve quick displacements of the droplets without any leaks. All of these features are of potential benefit in microfluidic applications, and also permit the study of a drop in a non-wetting situation-an issue of renewed interest following the recent achievement of super-hydrophobic substrates.