Delay causes analysis in complex construction projects: a Semantic Network Analysis approach

Delays are among the most crucial adversaries to the success and performance of construction projects, making delay analysis and management a critical task for project managers. This task will be highly complicated in large-scale projects such as construction, which usually consist of a complex network of heterogeneous entities in continuous interaction. Traditional approaches and methods for the analysis of delays and their causes have been criticised for their ability to handle complex projects, and for considering the interrelationships between delay causes. Addressing this gap, this research introduces an alternative approach for delay causes analysis by adopting Semantic Network Analysis (SNA) method. The paper reports the results from an investigation of delays in construction projects in the Oil-Gas-Petrochemical sector using SNA. The method’s capacity to identify and rank delay causes, which can assist managers in selecting appropriate measures for eliminating them, are empirically examined and discussed. The paper argues that SNA leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the main causes of delay in large and complex projects, allowing a better identification and mapping of the interrelationships between these discrete factors.     

Measuring long‐term trends in policy coherence for development

This article measures long term trends in policy coherence for development. Based on result chains, it develops a counterfactual methodology, and then applies it to assess changes in inputs, outputs and outcomes over time. While the literature does not indicate any significant change in policy coherence for development over the last decade, this research finds that, if the time scale is lengthened to 50 years, an overall increase in policy coherence for development of the Dutch government, vis‐à‐vis the DR Congo, in the domains of finance and security, can be detected. These changes in policy coherence for development inputs seem to have contributed, in conjunction with similar policies from other countries, in some instances, to positive outcomes in the DRC.     

The Aging Semantic Differential in Mandarin Chinese: Measuring Attitudes toward Older Adults in China

ABSTRACT

The Aging Semantic Differential (ASD) is the most widely used instrument to measure young people’s attitudes towards older adults. This study translated the ASD to Mandarin and examined its psychometric properties. The Mandarin-ASD contains three latent factors (Personality and Mental Health, Societal Participation, and Physical) that have high internal reliability and reasonable discriminate validity. Social work researchers, practitioners and allied professionals may utilize the ASD-Mandarin instrument to measure young people’s attitudes towards older adults in China. We issue a call for a universal-ASD that can be applied across different cultural contexts.     

Do Mission Statements Matter for Nonprofit Performance?

In this exploratory study, we examine whether organizational mission statement attributes make a difference to the performance of nonprofit performing arts organizations. We use text analysis to measure two semantic attributes—activity and commonality—of mission statements. We examine whether these attributes are associated with improved performance for the instrumental and expressive functions of nonprofit performing arts organizations. Our findings indicate that the mission statement attribute activity is associated with improved performance for both instrumental and expressive functions. Our analysis of nonfindings for the mission statement attribute commonality suggests that there is a need to develop and use content analysis tools tailored to nonprofit contexts.     

浅议高职英语听力教学中的衔接和连贯

本文试图从语篇的衔接和联贯的角度出发来帮助学生从语篇分析的角度提高听力理解能力。     

“给力”的隐喻性语义泛化及其语境意义构建

"给力"通过语义隐喻、语义抽象和语义含混三个阶段,形成最终的泛化含义。     

论英汉互译文本中翻译变易的三个层面

变易是翻译中普遍存在的一种现象,由于两种语言系统的差异,译者不得不作语言层面上的变易。语言上的变易有可能对译本的其他三个层面,即语义、风格及语用含义造成影响,这四个层面的变易现象常常会同时体现在一个词或句子上。通过英汉译本中的实例,分析后三个层面上的翻译变易,即语义变易、风格变易和语用变易,指出译者的翻译策略及相应的变易受文化的宏观影响。     

基于Ontology的跨组织知识整合方法研究

从知识整合的实际需求和研究现状出发,给出了跨组织环境下基于Ontology技术的知识整合流程,并结合语义网技术实现了知识集的闭包、查询与标准化同构等算法,开发了跨组织知识整合的原型系统。通过一个钢铁企业跨组织知识整合案例展示了原型系统的功能,说明知识的整合可以达到语义增值的效果;通过两个实验给出了原型系统的性能。     

英语阐释性说明文层级连贯

针对英语专业作文中存在的主题不够突出、结构不合理、条理性不清等连贯性问题,结合低语境文化、主位推进模式、衔接手段等理论,提出英语阐释性说明文层级连贯作为解决方案。采用实证研究法,对英语专业实验班和对照班的阐释性说明文进行了层级连贯的横向和纵向对比研究。结果证明：层级连贯培训有助于学生作文水平的提高,培训后学生作文在主题、结构和条理性方面有明显进步。     

“一定”的虚化及两种语义的分化

“一定”最初表示“一经制定;一经确定”,是个动词短语,始见于春秋时期。至宋代,它凝固成形容词“一定”,表示“固定的、确定的、规定的”等意义。元明时期,形容词“一定”又虚化为副词“一定”,并逐渐分化出两种语义：意志坚决;推测或判断。