Applying Goldratt's thinking process and the theory of constraints to the invoicing system of an oil and gas engineering consulting firm

This article applies Goldratt's thinking process (TP) to problems associated with an engineering consulting firm's invoicing system and the need to increase productivity to maintain demand. The core problem found was the company was not maximizing the use of project management personnel. Results of the TP are an effect‐cause‐effect analysis that considers undesirable effects associated with increasing productivity. By identifying the core problem, we determined what to change, what to change to, and how to cause the change.     

Neuropsychological Correlates of Early Symptoms of Autism

Both the medial temporal lobe and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex have been implicated in autism. In the present study, performance on two neuropsychological tasks—one tapping the medial temporal lobe and related limbic structures, and another tapping the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex—was examined in relation to performance on tasks assessing autistic symptoms in young children with autism, and developmentally matched groups of children with Down syndrome or typical development. Autistic symptoms included orienting to social stimuli, immediate and deferred motor imitation, shared attention, responses to emotional stimuli, and symbolic play. Compared with children with Down syndrome and typically developing children, children with autism performed significantly worse on both the medial temporal lobe and dorsolateral prefrontal tasks, and on tasks assessing symptoms domains. For children with autism, the severity of autistic symptoms was strongly and consistently correlated with performance on the medial temporal lobe task, but not the dorsolateral prefrontal task. The hypothesis that autism is related to dysfunction of the medial temporal lobe and related limbic structures, such as the orbital prefrontal cortex, is discussed.     

Determination of tin in nonferrous metals

Curves are included showing the relationship between voltage and relative position of electrodes, and between voltage and counter gas pressure. Also included are experiments on the preparation of sensitive and insensitive points, and experiments with different electrode materials. These data are for a counter operated with the point at negative potential.Zeleny's conclusion that a high resistance layer of adsorbed gas exists at the point is adopted. In addition, the assumption is made that the field at the point at the onset of “self-counting” is sufficient to produce auto-electronic emission. This combination now leads to a theory which accounts for the various characteristics of the counter and explains the threshold of counting curve, the auto-counting curve, and the continuous discharge curve. Probability considerations account for the selective counting of different ionizing agents in certain voltage ranges, for the dependence of counting upon path of ionizing rays through the chamber, and for the increase of counts with increase of voltage from threshold of counting to the point where all rays are registered.     

Teaching by tape: Some benefits,problems, and solutions

An examination of the development of tape as a teaching medium illustrates both its attributes for distance education and some of its drawbacks. Attention is drawn to methods of preparing and presenting audiorecorded information to maximize the potential of the medium. In particular ‘reading by listening’ for print handicapped people is addressed, along with ways of reducing the difference in time required to access information which presently favours readers of print. Organization of cassette contents, cassette indexing, self‐pacing techniques, and time‐compressed speech presentations are techniques which improve the versatility of teaching by tape.     

Engineering work integrated learning placements: the influence of capitals on students’ access

ABSTRACT

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is embraced in Australian higher education (HE) and is a feature of most Australian HE ‘entry to profession’ engineering education programs accredited by Engineers Australia. Accreditation guidelines articulate the need for curriculum-integrated engagement with professional practice (EPP) and encourage EPP in a separate workplace environment, e.g. WIL. This article reports on the analysis of semi-structured interviews with staff and student engineers from four Australian HE institutions with mandatory engineering WIL. Framed by a Bourdieusian theoretical perspective, the influence of capitals on student access to engineering WIL placements was investigated. The research found that students’ capitals influenced access to engineering WIL placements. Policy and educational practice recommendations are made.