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"J. Fei"
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Knowledge visualisation for construction procurement decision-making: a process innovation
PurposeIn the construction sector, the knowledge-based process outgrows its emphasis on technological aspects. Yet, there is a lack of applied studies showing how a procurement system (PS) could be selected in the digital age. In particular, there is a radical need to establish an innovative process to visualise novel PS decision. Therefore, this paper aims to present a knowledge visualised framework for aiding construction PS decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis paper describes the construction of process innovation. The framework (process) is supported by four influential decision supporting methods (mean utility values, analytic hierarchy process, fuzzy set theory and Delphi method) and computer programming (Matlab).FindingsThere are four stages of this framework: (1) uniform rating for decision alternatives; (2) group decision for determining the decision attribute; (3) determining the final choice; (4) reporting the cognitive computing process. Supported by individual and groups decision dynamics, this framework emphasises how the dashboard aided innovative approach enables the induction of understanding, cognitive computing for decision-making and how the information would precisely be represented, which are vital requirements of modern construction.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper presents two leverage points that support the modern PS decision. Firstly, this paper provides a holistic view of the decision supporting methods on the basis of how a suitable PS would be systematically sought. Based on the existing studies, this paper upgrades into a visualised knowledge decision supporting process. It helps the participants understand and improve their cognitive learning. Secondly, this framework allows the participants to have a view of the individual and group decisions. It sheds light on the development of the collaborative decision-making process.
Journal Article
Associations of Social Vulnerability and Race‐Ethnicity With Gastrointestinal Cancers in the United States
Background National social determinant of health (SDoH) studies on gastrointestinal cancers (GIC) have observed single GIC‐types for surgery but not across all GIC‐types, non‐surgical treatments outcomes, or mortality. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), a validated large‐data SDoH‐tool, quantifiably characterizes the interrelatedness of SDoH‐impact through dynamic, region‐contextualized measures. Methods This retrospective cohort study assessed GIC patients (20+ years) between 2013 and 2017 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database for total and subcomponent social vulnerability associations across 15 SDoH‐variables encompassing themes of socioeconomic status, minority‐language status, household composition, and housing‐transportation measured by the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). These are measured and contextualized from all US counties. Univariate logistic and linear regressions of these vulnerability associations with treatment receipt (chemotherapy, radiation, primary surgery) and survival were performed for the entire cohort and across race/ethnicity strata. Results With increasing overall social vulnerability, 287,248 patients (162,387 [56.5%] male; 185,250 [64.6%] white) demonstrated decreased receipt of chemotherapy (lowest, pancreas‐OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.88–0.93), radiotherapy (hepatic‐OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.85–0.89) and surgery (esophagus‐OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.87–0.92) for 13/14, 10/14, and 8/14 GIC‐types, respectively. Survival period decreases upwards of 21.3% (biliary tract: 6.9–5.4 months) were observed across 7/14 GICs. Treatment receipt and survival decreases were exacerbated for non‐White patients for 9/14 GICs. Socioeconomic status, minority‐language, household composition, and housing‐transportation vulnerabilities differentially contributed to these trends. Discussion Social vulnerability was associated with worse prognostic and treatment disparities, with certain SDoH‐types differentially contributing to these detrimental trends per GIC‐type while associations were exacerbated among non‐White race/ethnic patients. These real‐world contexts present actionable targets for further initiatives to combat GIC disparities. This social determinant of health (SDoH) study on 287,248 adult GIC‐patients showed worse multimodal treatment receipt and survival with increasing overall social vulnerability as measured by the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) while quantifiably delineating which SDoH contribute more to GIC‐disparities.
Journal Article
Construction Procurement Selection Criteria: A Review and Research Agenda
This paper presents a comprehensive literature review that addresses procurement selection criteria associated with procurement system evaluation in the construction sector. The aim is to consolidate the knowledge of construction procurement selection criteria (PSC) and provide future research directions. A systematic literature review (SLR) of 37 peer-reviewed journal articles from 1998 to 2019 in the construction procurement system selection process is carried out to understand the extant theoretical and practical foundations of the field. Two hundred fifty-six PSC have been identified. Descriptive and material analysis reveals (1) PSC evolved to match the promotion of emerging procurement systems in the construction industry; (2) three emerging themes of PSC have been identified, namely procurement systems, decision aid tools, and PSC identification methods; (3) PSC could be classified into generic criteria and unique criteria; (4) geographic location may not have a significant impact on the choice of procurement systems. This work identifies and discusses potential research interests in improving PSC identification. The research path, current trends, and future research directions in construction procurement selection are revealed. The paper provides the foundation and impetus for further investigation into procurement system selection practices.
Journal Article
Forecast-based disruptions in the energy sector: economic impacts of anticipatory hurricane responses in US Gulf Coast refineries
Critical energy infrastructure along the US Gulf Coast faces hurricane induced risks. While many studies assess the realized impacts of hurricane strikes, less attention has been paid to the economic consequences of anticipatory responses. Using 25 years of weekly refinery crude oil input data and 36 h hurricane forecast information, we estimate the effect of projected storm strength and strike location on regional refinery oil input. We find that stronger forecasted hurricanes targeting larger refinery subregions significantly reduce oil input, with impacts lasting several weeks. We also identify substantial economic losses that occur even when storms do not ultimately make landfall, highlighting the cost of forecast-driven disruption. For example, our estimates show that under a category 4 hurricane that is forecast to threaten 31% of Gulf Coast capacity, there would be a reduction of 18 million barrels in refinery throughput and an operating profit loss of $770 million.
Journal Article
Achieving construction innovation in best value procurement projects: New Zealand mega projects study
Purpose
Best value procurement (BVP) has been recognized for some time as offering significant opportunities to advance process excellence in the construction sector. As an innovative approach to strategic procurement, BVP has attracted attention from the New Zealand (NZ) Government. It has similarly been found that the most substantial benefit of this modified approach to procurement is in value creation and innovative organizational processes through identifying “best value.” Yet to date, there is a lack of robust evidence as to how BVP can exactly influence construction innovation. Accordingly, this paper aims to explore how to improve BVP implementation to promote construction innovation and what are the values to be achieved in BVP mega projects from the view of innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with 22 participants, including project managers, procurement specialists, engineers and general managers from three organization types, were conducted to explore BVP implementation in a range of mega construction projects in NZ.
Findings
Barriers to BVP implementation and value innovation have been identified in this paper. Data analysis suggested traditional mindset in the procurement process, market constraints, mistrusts and fuzzy definition of BVP are the challenges for BVP implementation; BVP cultivates organizational competition because of diverse collaboration models and value attitudes; and BVP considers more values from the whole supply chain. To promote innovative construction, existing BVP should consider adopting progressive enhancements toward updating procurement guidance, encouraging effective communications, collaborating and promoting changes in stakeholders’ mindset.
Practical implications
Identified barriers to BVP implementation set up a platform for framing guidance, which could provide an effective approach as it enables a better understanding of what BVP means to NZ and what needs to be overcome. Taking this into account, similar small size markets around the world would be able to consider the applicability of BVP for innovative improvements.
Originality/value
This paper provides insights into value concepts in project procurement. It theoretically and practically possesses originality in linking BVP to innovative construction. The study of BVP and its application further reveals the importance of establishing a distinct regulation and fostering organizational competition from value aspects to achieve construction innovation.
Journal Article
Multilevel Associations of Food Environment and Papillary Thyroid Cancer Outcomes in the United States
Objective To assess the independent associations of poor food environment with differences in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) outcomes using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)‐validated Food Environment Atlas (FEA). Methods This retrospective cohort study assessed patients from 2000 to 2017 for trends in overall and 3‐year survival, and the number of tumors at diagnosis with increasing food environment vulnerability/FEA‐scores by Cox hazards and logistic regression models stratified by race‐ethnicity and age. FEA‐scores were based on 282 county‐level variables of food security, store‐restaurant availability, SNAP/WIC enrollment, pricing, taxes, and producer vicinity while adjusting for traditional social determinant factors. Results Among 148,296 patients, increased food environment vulnerability was associated with decreased overall survival (HR 1.06, 95% CI 1.04–1.07). These FEA effects were exacerbated among non‐White patients (1.08, 1.05–1.11) compared to White patients (1.05, 1.04–1.07). Increased FEA was also associated with increased 3‐year mortality (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.03–1.07). These effects were exacerbated among non‐White (1.06, 1.02–1.10) and older patients (1.05, 1.02–1.07). Increased food environment vulnerability was additionally associated with increased odds of having more than one primary tumor (1.02, 95% CI 1.01–1.03). When stratified separately for race and for age, worse food environment was associated with non‐White patients (1.03, 1.01–1.06) and patients aged 45 years and older (1.02, 1.01–1.03). Conclusions Food environment vulnerability was associated with poorer prognosis after adjusting for traditional social determinant vulnerabilities, with varying magnitude upon stratification of race and age. Given PTC's rise in incidence and severity, the effects of food environment should be considered when informing future investigation and policy. Level of Evidence III
Journal Article
Understanding the discrete element method : simulation of non-spherical particles for granular and multi-body systems
Gives readers a more thorough understanding of DEM and equips researchers for independent work and an ability to judge methods related to simulation of polygonal particles
* Introduces DEM from the fundamental concepts (theoretical mechanics and solidstate physics), with 2D and 3D simulation methods for polygonal particles
* Provides the fundamentals of coding discrete element method (DEM) requiring little advance knowledge of granular matter or numerical simulation
* Highlights the numerical tricks and pitfalls that are usually only realized after years of experience, with relevant simple experiments as applications
* Presents a logical approach starting withthe mechanical and physical bases, followed by a description of the techniques and finally their applications
* Written by a key author presenting ideas on how to model the dynamics of angular particles using polygons and polyhedral
* Accompanying website includes MATLAB-Programs providing the simulation code for two-dimensional polygons
Recommended for researchers and graduate students who deal with particle models in areas such as fluid dynamics, multi-body engineering, finite-element methods, the geosciences, and multi-scale physics.
eBook
Social Vulnerability Associations With Hypopharyngeal Carcinoma Treatment and Prognostic Disparities
Objectives Prior studies investigating the impacts of social determinants of health (SDoH) on hypopharyngeal cancer have only assessed the impact of individual factors on patient outcomes. This study uses the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) and a national patient cohort to examine how the interrelational influence of SDoH affect hypopharyngeal cancer prognosis, treatment, and follow‐up. Methods This retrospective cohort study analyzed patients from 1975 to 2017 with a diagnosis of hypopharyngeal carcinoma in the NCI‐SEER database. Net social vulnerability and its contributions from 15 SDoH variables were ranked and scored across all US counties, yielding a SVI. SVI scores were matched to the patient's county of residence, and univariate linear regressions were performed on the length of care and prognosis, while univariate logistic regressions were performed on advanced staging at presentation and treatment modalities across SVI quintiles. Results Across 16,038 hypopharyngeal cancer patients, there was a significant 22.3% (35.41–27.50 months) decrease in survival time and a 16.6% (40.00–33.36 months) decrease in surveillance time between the lowest and highest overall‐social vulnerability groups. Patients with greater vulnerability were more likely to have advanced staging at presentation and to receive chemotherapy, but less likely to receive surgery or radiation, with each treatment being differentially associated with vulnerability factors. Conclusion This study on SDoH in adults with hypopharyngeal carcinoma found significant declines in care and prognosis with higher social vulnerability, along with specific associations across SDoH themes, underscoring the need for targeted public health interventions to mitigate these disparities and improve cancer care equity. Level of Evidence 3. This study examines the impact of social determinants of health on hypopharyngeal carcinoma outcomes using the CDC's Social Vulnerability Index and data from the NCI‐SEER database. Higher social vulnerability was associated with significantly reduced survival and surveillance durations, increased likelihood of advanced‐stage presentation, and disparities in treatment receipt. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health interventions to address SDoH‐related disparities and improve equitable cancer care.
Journal Article
Coevolution Theory of the Genetic Code at Age Forty: Pathway to Translation and Synthetic Life
The origins of the components of genetic coding are examined in the present study. Genetic information arose from replicator induction by metabolite in accordance with the metabolic expansion law. Messenger RNA and transfer RNA stemmed from a template for binding the aminoacyl-RNA synthetase ribozymes employed to synthesize peptide prosthetic groups on RNAs in the Peptidated RNA World. Coevolution of the genetic code with amino acid biosynthesis generated tRNA paralogs that identify a last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of extant life close to Methanopyrus, which in turn points to archaeal tRNA introns as the most primitive introns and the anticodon usage of Methanopyrus as an ancient mode of wobble. The prediction of the coevolution theory of the genetic code that the code should be a mutable code has led to the isolation of optional and mandatory synthetic life forms with altered protein alphabets.
Journal Article