Dynamic scheduling of manufacturing job shops using extreme value theory

Most job shop scheduling approaches reported in the literature assume that the scheduling problem is static (i.e. job arrivals and the breakdowns of machines are neglected) and in addition, these scheduling approaches may not address multiple criteria scheduling or accommodate alternate resources to process a job operation. In this paper, a scheduling method based on extreme value theory (SEVAT) is developed and addresses all the shortcomings mentioned above. The SEVAT approach creates a statistical profile of schedules through random sampling, and predicts the quality or 'potential' of a feasible schedule. A dynamic scheduling problem was designed to reflect a real job shop scheduling environment closely. Two performance measures, viz. mean job tardiness and mean job cost, were used to demonstrate multiple criteria scheduling. Three factors were identified, and varied between two levels each, thereby spanning a varied job shop environment. The results of this extensive simulation study show that the SEVAT scheduling approach produces a better performance compared to several common dispatching rules.     

关于自然内在价值的哲学反思

自然是否具有内在价值是当代环境伦理学研究中人类中心论与非人类中心论争论的焦点。“自然具有内在价值”成立的根本点在于必须符合“人具有内在价值”成立的内在逻辑,即“X 为主体是X具有内在价值的充分且必要条件”。同时,“主体性是主动性”应该是判定某实体是否为主体的标准,现代科学已证明自然生命体存在着主动性即主体性,因而自然可以成为主体。“自然具有内在价值”符合“人具有内在价值”成立的内在逻辑。     

缺乏荒诞的背后

中国当代文学尚未出现真正意义上的荒诞作品。目前,从事荒诞文学的先锋作家们急剧萎缩,探索热情大幅回落。缺乏荒诞的背后,其实质在于哲学的缺乏、思想的贫困、想象的贫乏。“荒诞”需要相当的哲学内涵的支撑。中国当代作家缺少必要的理论修养,因而无法达到一定的精神深度。认识能力的低弱乃是“先锋终结”的致因。中国当代作家即使关注抽象意义,也仅是停留于社会控诉层面,很少投视终极价值与最高人文关怀,无法从现实主义进至现代主义。     

论大学生生命意识教育

在剖析大学生生命意识教育的内涵和层次的基础上,指出了加强大学生生命意识教育的重要意义,并提出实施大学生生命意识教育的关键之所在是转变教育观念、进行个体生命的社会价值教育和创设“体验”情境。     

Creating a model to measure relationships: U.S. Army strategic communication

Strategic Communication is receiving much credence for public relations planning in the U.S. Army, (Quadrennial Defense Review Report, 2010. The Office of the Chief of Public Affairs for the U.S. Army, has a Strategic Communication Division and it is home to the last vestiges of former Secretary of, Defense Donald Rumsfeld's ill-fated attempt to create such an office at the Department of Defense, (DoD) level. In 2009, Major General Mari K. Eder, deputy director of the U.S. Army Reserve, wrote of, the tragic lack of a comprehensive strategic communication focus across DoD levels, let alone at the, Army level. A “Deep Dive” Conference sponsored by the Army during the summer of 2006 focused on, measuring outcomes of its public affairs programs. In spite of the conference objectives, the Army was, not able to define strategic communication completely nor was it able to come up with adequate, operational measurement tools for measuring relationships with key publics or stakeholders within, strategic communication. It was able to produce some measurable and motivational objectives as well, as measurable process tools for media relations, but it still lacked the ability to measure quantitative or, qualitative relationships with key stakeholders.     

Using value modeling to evaluate social media messages: The case of Hurricane Irene

Emerging technologies, advances in social media, and new communication platforms have transformed how crisis communicators reach their audiences and partner agencies in a variety of situations. Not only do individuals and organizations communicate differently during a crisis, but they are also perceived very differently; social media platforms and messages add to the challenges involved in maintaining the overall reputation of brands and corporations. To better understand the new messaging system and its effects, the researchers analyzed social media crisis messages and messaging theory through various qualitative and quantitative value modeling techniques and generated a simple baseline model for what constitutes a “good” crisis message. Using data collected during Hurricane Irene, the researchers used this baseline model to rank effective and ineffective messages to determine whether the most followed/forwarded messages fit this model, and to identify a set of new best practices for crisis communicators and reputation management monitors using social media platforms.     

浅谈草根文化对90后青年价值取向的影响

草根文化的兴起看似偶然,其实有着必然性,其独具的特点受到了大众的喜欢,尤其是受到90后青年的追捧,所以,草根文化植根90后青年群体,对90后价值取向产生影响,因此,在这样的文化背景下要转变教育理念,要利用草根文化的价值来继承、弘扬社会主义核心价值观,提高青年思想政治教育工作的实效和水平。     

A stimulus for sustainable growth and development: Construing a composite index to measure overall corporate performance

Abstract

Various methods have been developed to measure sustainability. When it comes to measuring whether sustainability issues are integrated in overall corporate performance, companies broaden their reporting from economic performance to ‘sustainability performance’ and there are various frameworks around for benchmarking sustainability outcomes. A major emphasis, however, is on technical data. The main efforts have been consolidated in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Each of the indicators prudently measures a well-determined set of facts. However, one major discussion point is whether the reporting frameworks do really reflect the link between sustainability and economic value, and how they would properly connect to the information used by management for running the business on a day-to-day basis. This article tries to point out that one way out of the disconnected ness might be through expanding the concept of ‘Economic Value Added’ (EVA). EVA measures overall corporate performance by claiming that shareholders gain when the return from the capital employed in a corporation is greater than the cost of that capital. From there it is a short way to proclaiming that all stakeholders gain when the value created by a corporation is greater than the cost of the capital employed in the corporation and the capital employed in whichever commonly available resources outside the corporation are used by its business. The expansion of EVA that is envisaged would be to enlarge the cost of capital by the costs that are caused by that part of ‘Public Goods’ that is available to a corporation. There is one political and one theoretical obstacle in this: the argument is quite radical and complying with it would require some leadership from ‘big corporations’; and valuing public goods is a research field that has not yet reached the stadium of generally accepted applicability, at least with regard to aggregative monetary value. However there are new initiatives under way, by the GRI, which will join forces to reach a breakthrough. The article also reflects on the effects the new indicator would stimulate for businesses, their markets and their stakeholders.     

西方学者视域中的协商民主:理念、价值与限度

协商民主理论是西方社会新兴的一种民主理论范式和实践形态,其基本理念在于强调公民参与的平等性,侧重偏好转换,倡导以公共利益为导向和以公开性的程序为保障。协商民主的兴起,极大地推动了西方民主理论和民主实践的发展,具有重大的理论价值和现实意义,但是协商民主自产生以来就面临着来自各方面的批评和挑战,存在着极大的局限性。协商民主理论要想在实践中发挥更大的理论影响力,就必须要突破其理论自身的限度,不断创新协商民主的实践形式。     

科学无神论与社会主义核心价值体系的契合意义和实现路径

科学无神论与社会主义核心价值体系的契合对建立适应中国国情的科学无神论的当代形态、进一步巩固和发展马克思主义的科学世界观、构建中国人民共同的精神家园,从而完成中国建设社会主义和谐社会的政治使命都有着非常重要的意义。但是在现实中,这二者并不能被自觉地联系在一起,也就是说这种契合的实现有一定的路径选择。