bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Upscaling Stem to Community-Level Transpiration for Two Sand-Fixing Plants: Salix gordejevii and Caragana microphylla
Authors: Duan Limin , Lv Yang , Yan Xue , Liu Tingxi , Wang Xixi
Published: May 2017

The information on transpiration is vital for sustaining fragile ecosystem in arid/semiarid environment, including the Horqin Sandy Land (HSL) located in northeast China. However, such information is scarce in existing literature. The objectives of this study were to: (1) measure sap flow of selected individual stems of two sand-fixing plants, namely Salix gordejevii and Caragana microphylla, in HSL; and (2) upscale the measured stem-level sap flow for estimating the community-level transpiration. The measurements were done from 1 May to 30 September 2015 (i.e., during the growing season). The upscaling function was developed to have one dependent variable, namely sap flow rate, and two independent variables, namely stem cross-sectional area of Salix gordejevii and leaf area of Caragana microphylla. The results indicated that during the growing season, the total actual transpiration of the Salix gordejevii and Caragana microphylla communities was found to be 287 ± 31 and 197 ± 24 mm, respectively, implying that the Salix gordejevii community might consume 1.5 times more water than the Caragana microphylla community. For this same growing season, based on the Penman–Monteith equation, the total actual evapotranspiration for these two communities was estimated to be 323 and 229 mm, respectively. The daily transpiration from the upscaling function was well correlated with the daily evapotranspiration by the Penman–Monteith equation (coefficient of determination R2 ≥ 0.67), indicating the applicability of this upscaling function, a useful tool for managing and restoring sand-fixing vegetations.
Study of the Removal of Aniline from Wastewater via MEUF Using Mixed Surfactants
Authors: Fu Hai-Yan , Zhang Zhi-Bin , Chai Tian , Huang Guo-He , Yu Shu-Jie , Liu Zheng , Gao Pan-Feng
Published: May 2017

In this paper, the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the bio-surfactant rhamnolipid are mixed to achieve micellar-enhanced ultrafiltration, and the associated aniline removal efficiency is investigated. The impacts of five factors, including the mixing ratio of the SDS concentration to the rhamnolipid concentration, the pH, the salinity, the operating pressure, and the aniline concentration in the feed solution, on the aniline rejection and the membrane permeation flux are explored. The aniline rejection mechanism of the rhamnolipid mixture surfactant is analyzed. This study shows that the effect of these factors on the aniline rejection is in the order of pH > mixing ratio > operating pressure > aniline concentration > salinity; the factors that affect the membrane permeation flux are in the order of mixing ratio > operating pressure > salinity > pH > aniline concentration. Under the optimal test conditions (i.e., SDS:rhamnolipid = 8:2, pH = 5, salinity = 250 mmol/L, operating pressure = 3.5 bar, aniline concentration = 1.5 mM), the verification test results showed an aniline rejection of 78.36%.
Surface Water Monitoring within Cambodia and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta over a Year, with Sentinel-1 SAR Observations
Authors: Pham-Duc Binh , Prigent Catherine , Aires Filipe
Published: May 2017

This study presents a methodology to detect and monitor surface water with Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data within Cambodia and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta. It is based on a neural network classification trained on Landsat-8 optical data. Sensitivity tests are carried out to optimize the performance of the classification and assess the retrieval accuracy. Predicted SAR surface water maps are compared to reference Landsat-8 surface water maps, showing a true positive water detection of ∼90% at 30 m spatial resolution. Predicted SAR surface water maps are also compared to floodability maps derived from high spatial resolution topography data. Results show high consistency between the two independent maps with 98% of SAR-derived surface water located in areas with a high probability of inundation. Finally, all available Sentinel-1 SAR observations over the Mekong Delta in 2015 are processed and the derived surface water maps are compared to corresponding MODIS/Terra-derived surface water maps at 500 m spatial resolution. Temporal correlation between these two products is very high (99%) with very close water surface extents during the dry season when cloud contamination is low. This study highlights the applicability of the Sentinel-1 SAR data for surface water monitoring, especially in a tropical region where cloud cover can be very high during the rainy seasons.
Introduction
Authors: Palumbi Giulio , Chataigner Christine
Published: May 2017

La culture Kura-Araxe, du nom des deux principales rivières du Sud Caucase, s’est développée de façon systématique dans la seconde moitié du 4e millénaire sur un vaste territoire recouvrant le Sud Caucase, l’Anatolie orientale et le nord-ouest de l’Iran. Les nombreuses fouilles entreprises récemment dans ces régions permettent d’aborder sous un jour nouveau les problèmes de l’origine et de l’expansion de cette culture, en mettant en lumière les éléments d’unité et de diversité des différentes composantes régionales, ainsi que leurs interactions avec les autres phénomènes culturels contemporains.
The Early Transcaucasian phenomenon in structural-systemic perspective: Cuisine, craft and economy
Authors: Wilkinson Toby C.
Published: May 2017

La diffusion très étendue de la poterie caractéristique associée au phénomène de l’Early Transcaucasian Culture (connue sous les noms de cultures ETC, Kura-Araxe, Yanik, Karaz et Khirbet Kerak) a longtemps constitué une énigme complexe pour les archéologues. Ce problème a suscité des explications variées, fondées sur trois thèmes principaux – migration, nomadisme ou métallurgie –, chaque génération mettant au point un scénario précis qui corresponde aux paradigmes en cours. Cet article examine la relation « systémique-structurelle » à grande échelle entre le phénomène ETC et ses voisins, en comparant les traditions culinaires, les modes idiosyncratiques de production artisanale (avec des indications sur l’artisanat et sur les échanges) et l’organisation de l’espace. Les résultats mettent en évidence les traits qui font de l’ETC un phénomène particulier et nous permettent de proposer un scénario expérimental qui concourt à expliquer à la fois sa longévité et ses phases d’expansion et de contraction.
Diverse early dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium), ecological keystones of the Eocene Baltic amber biota
Authors: Sadowski Eva‐Maria , Seyfullah Leyla J. , Wilson Carol A. , Calvin Clyde L. , Schmidt Alexander R.
Published: May 2017

PREMISE OF THE STUDY:

Extant dwarf mistletoes (Arceuthobium M. Bieb., Viscaceae) are hemiparasites with complex roles in nature. They are one of the most severe pests in northern hemisphere conifer forests, but they also enhance the structural complexity and species diversity of the forests. Here, we describe the first pre‐Miocene macrofossils of dwarf mistletoes. The fossils from Eocene Baltic amber provide new insights into the morphological evolution of the Arceuthobium lineage and its paleobiogeography.

METHODS:

The amber inclusions were investigated with light microscopy and compared with extant Viscaceae and to historic descriptions of lost Baltic amber fossils with affinities to Viscaceae.

KEY RESULTS:

Six fossil species of the Arceuthobium lineage, A. johnianum comb. nov., A. mengeanum comb. nov., A. conwentzii sp. nov., A. groehnii sp. nov., A. viscoides comb. nov. and A. obovatum sp. nov., occurred in source forests of Baltic amber, representing the oldest macrofossil evidence of dwarf mistletoes. They share morphological features of their bracts, internodes, fruits, and stomata with extant Arceuthobium. Differences from extant dwarf mistletoes, such as the perianth merosity, the nonfusion of squamate bracts and presence of oblanceolate expanded leaves, indicate their affiliation to an ancient lineage of the genus.

CONCLUSIONS:

The occurrence of six species of dwarf mistletoes in a single amber deposit suggests Arceuthobium was a keystone taxon of the Baltic amber source area. As in extant conifer forests, they probably influenced the structural complexity of the forest, not only leading to more open woodlands but also increasing species diversity, at least at a microhabitat scale.
Automobile Accidents Attended by Mobile Emergency Care Service
Authors: Barros Ana Virgínia Gomes , Bezerra Anne Milane Formiga , Farias Maria do Carmo Andrade Duarte de , Lima Maryama Naara Felix de Alencar , Medeiros Raquel Campos de , Silva Edineide Nunes da , Silva Letícia Sampaio Chaves , Ferreira Wendel Robson da Silva
Published: May 2017

Background: Automobile accidents are increasing every day and are becoming a serious public health problem due to the high morbidity and mortality rate. The goal of the current study was to characterise the traffic accidents attended by the Mobile Emergency Care Service (MECS) in Ibiara, PB.

Methods: This exploratory, descriptive, documentary study adopted a quantitative approach and analysis of data. The population consisted of all victims of traffic accidents attended by MECS in the city of Ibiara, PB, from June 2015 to June 2016. The following variables were studied: age, gender, time and day of the week the accident occurred, nature of the incident, substance ingested by the victim, wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) or not, the anatomical lesions on the victim and the body regions hit during the accident.

Results: The sample consisted of 49 accident victims, and the majority (81.6%) were male, predominately 30 to 59 years. Events occurring at night (63.3%) and during the week (65.3%) predominated. The most frequent type of accident was motorcycle fall (71.4%), with almost half having consumed alcohol (46.9%) and most not wearing PPE (77.6%). The regions of the body most affected were the lower limbs (67.3%) and upper limbs (53.1%).

Conclusion: The main factor/cause of these accidents was due to imprudence and violation of traffic laws, highlighting the need to invest in traffic education policies, to direct campaigns for the prevention of traffic accidents, as well as expand the surveillance of traffic laws by authorities.
Globalization Impact on Investments: Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Švogžlys Povilas , Chlivickas Eugenijus
Published: May 2017

Globalization is certainly a widely debated topic nowadays. It is one of the main features characterizing contemprorary society. This phenomenon affects the most significant social, economic, technological, political and cultural processes. Rising living standarts and technological progress are changing consumer behavior, needs and main priorities. Purchasing decisions are determined not only by price or physical and technical characteristics of the item, but also by global trends which can directly affect consumer behavior. This publication presents analysis of globalization impact on investments. Given the fact that the real estate is one of the most important investments in our life, the study has focused on the European Union residential real estate markets. The methods of scientific literature analysis, statistical data evaluation and synthesis has been applied for the research presented in this paper.
Emigration: a Price of Inequality or a Breach of Social Contract?
Authors: Laurinavicius Antanas , Laurinavicius Algimantas
Published: May 2017

The society in our country has been struck by the emigration crisis of an unprecedented scope in Europe since World War II. Lithuania also stands out among the EU member states as a state with a particularly low level of trust, whereas the primary institutions of a democratic civil society, i.e. the Government, political parties, and the Parliament, are all at the bottom in the list of institutions ranked according to the level of trust. Although the growth of the average income and assets of the population was truly impressive over the past 20 years, this did not stop emigration neither slowed it down. This means that merely higher income is not enough for people; in fact, happiness is mostly correlated to equality of income (relative wealth) rather than to increase of income (absolute wealth). In the framework mentioned above the article provides a comprehensive analysis of the causes of emigration and suggests effective strategic decisions to stop the emigration using strategic thinking and strategic synthesis methods.
The Influence of Wage on the Economic Development in Lithuania
Authors: Danilevičienė Irena , Gruževskis Boguslavas
Published: May 2017

One of the major objective of each country is to ensure the economic development. The ability to set the
efficient wage allows to economic development. The systematic researches of different scientists have shown that the
wage must be harmoniously related to general trends of economic development. The essence of classical economics is
that lower labour costs had a positive impact on the production cost and make the product more competitive. In nowadays,
economy a linear relationship occurs only partially. An open labour market, especially in welfare states, and in
the long-term perspective low wage inadequate to standards of living often have a negative impact on economic development.
Negative factors of economic development and wage non-compliance occurs within the worker goes from
national to foreign labour market. The objective of this article is to analyze these trends in general terms with emphasis
on the situation in Lithuania, where from 2008–2014 years disproportion between economic development and wage
level were the highest among the European Union countries. In the article, also the possibilities of economic development
for using the universal progress indicator and features of wage determination are discussed. At the end of the
article are concluded, that during the analyzed period (until 2015 year) Lithuania was a country, where economic development
has been stopped by the improper wage determination.
International Trade Related Decion Making Across
Different Managerial Levels: the Case of SMEs
Authors: Brazinskas Sigitas , Pipirienė Vida
Published: May 2017

International trade is an important engine for economies and SMEs to grow and sustain. Despite globalization,
regionalization or other processes with a direct impact to international business, SMEs experience a pressure of external
and internal factors. External factors can make an impact and initiate a continuous need to enhance productivity and
apply innovations to respond to fierce competition. These factors can also be emerging disruptive technologies, barriers
to trade, reviewed trade agreements. Internal factors can be capacity building, working culture and motivation, leadership,
strategic management, also closely related to decision making processes across different managerial levels and
staff generations. Managers variety of attitudes to international trade related elements could cause conflict situations on
decision making, damage corporate culture, decrease motivation, slow down international expansion and make a direct
impact on diminishing both SMEs productivity and competition.
European Union Financial Support for Rural Development: Infringements Identification Problems in Lithuania
Authors: Averkienė Dalia
Published: May 2017

Funds allocated in accordance with various instruments of the Lithuanian rural development programme to businesses must help to achieve agriculture policy goals. During the implementation of financial support from the European Union, beneficiaries commit infringements and, consequently, support that was given to them or a part thereof may be withdrawn. Research results show that infringement research and the assessment of documents, which influences the making of decisions on the payment of financial support, must not only be adequate, but also efficient in order to protect public and private interests. Excessively long assessment of documents and investigation of suspected infringements may cause damage to beneficiaries, particularly if the beneficiaries did not commit infringements. On the other hand, inadequate and untimely assessment of documents may cause damage to the national budget and the European Union budget when support that is paid to persons who have committed infringements is misused and the objectives of granted support are not achieved. Therefore, adequate and efficient investigation of infringements is an important part of implementing financial support from the European Union for rural development.
Elitist Studies in Management and Economics: Contemporary Needs and Challenges under Conditions of Globalization
Authors: Melnikas Borisas
Published: May 2017

This theoretical article is intended to the needs and problems of the creation and further development of the so-called elitist studies in the field of management and economics. Main attention is focused on the essence and key principles and priorities of the creation, further development and modernization of elitist studies in general, as well as of the elitist studies in the field of management and economics. It is shown that the creation, further development and modernization of the elitist studies and their systems is an essential precondition for the purposeful development of the intellectual potential in all areas of social and economic life, in all spheres of social, economic and technological development, including in the field of management and economic activities. The role and importance of the elitist studies in the field of management and economics in the context of contemporary challenges of globalization, knowledge based society and knowledge economy creation, intensification of scientific and technological progress, as well as in accordance with the contemporary needs to radically improve managerial activities and to develop and modernize the intellectual potential of specialists in management and economics, is highlighted. Factors and priorities of the creation and further development of the elitist studies in the field of management and economics are described in details.
Integration of EFQM Excellence Model in RTU Development Strategy:
Pilot Project Review
Authors: Zeps Arturs , Iljins Juris , Ribickis Leonids
Published: May 2017

Research described in this article provides analysis of potential improvements gained to management process
of higher education institutions and strategic planning by applying EFQM model and European Standarts and Guidelines
(ESG). This research indicates the most crucial process elements of strategic planning in higher education institutions.
Authors have analyzed pilot project where the EFQM excellence model and ESG are applied to the process of the
strategic planning. Based on Riga Technical University’s pilot project this article describes the role of EQFM excellence
model and its impact on reaching the strategic targets set by the higher education institution. Authors have analysed and
within focus groups explored the EFQM excellence model and ESG, identifing most critical aspects and facotrs of
application process to strategic planning and quality assurance. Based on lessons learned authors have suggested a set
of activities Riga Technical University should introduce to improve the strategic planning, structure of internal processes
and quality management.
Challenges of MCA in Public Investment Projects
Authors: Tamošiūnas Andrius
Published: May 2017

Paper investigates peculiarities of management of public investment projects subject to State Investment Program (SIP) in Lithuania. Using comparative analysis for compatibility of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) and SIP management systems as well as utilizing multi criteria analysis (MCA) techniques with attention to the Euclidean distance author reveals challenges of rationality of evaluating, selecting and implementing public investment projects according to the requirements of inclusive growth applicable to the country under ESIF management system. In this regard, there is as well noticed that current regulations for pubic investments under SIP in the country inevitably requires significant improvement in order to ensure the rational use of the state budget funds and comply with the requirements for inclusive growth as set under ESIF management system. Subsequently possible solutions proposed focusing on improving specific tasks of the management process of evaluating, selecting, implementing public investment projects.
Internationalization and Multiple Discrimination:
the Case of Employment Regulation
Authors: Bublienė Raimonda
Published: May 2017

The article analyses European Union anti-discrimination law development in Member States and differences
between protected grounds of discrimination. On this basis, the analysis covers recognition of the social complexity,
internationalization and discrimination of foreigners for different grounds. The process of internationalization and
migration, covering social, political, economical, cultural, legal processes, the non-discriminatory protection of a
foreigner as a member of the society has become complicated, when attempting not to discriminate people arriving from
the other countries and to have equal possibilities. The problems of discrimination are valid and significant for the civil
society itself. The article also discusses the concept of multiple discrimination in European Union anti-discrimination
law, legal regulation and protection against multiple discrimination in Europe and separate legal regulation of the
Member States. This article argues that internationalization processes bring new approaches of interpretation of
European Union employment equality law and contemporary challenges, introduces recent cases of equal treatment of
employees during employment at private companies.
The Analysis of Mutual Funds’ Performance in Lithuanian
Financial Market
Authors: Vyšniauskas Povilas , Stasytytė Viktorija
Published: May 2017

This Article examines performance of mutual funds, which are available for Lithuanian investors in Lithuanian
financial market to invest in. Lithuanian mutual funds market is very new comparing with the global financial
markets. Majority of mutual funds in Lithuania are imported by Scandinavian banks as well as internationally managed,
only few mutual funds are managed in Lithuania. The analysis includes Lithuanian and non-Lithuanian mutual funds in
Lithuanian financial market. Period from 2008 to 2016 is analysed in order to get significant results. This study aims to
analyse the performances of mutual funds in Lithuanian market on the basis of risk and return criteria using different
tools such as Sharpe ratio, Treynor ratio, and Jensen Alpha and others. Also there is analysed variation of these performance
measures during selected time period, and discovered periods, when mutual funds perform above and below than
market indices.
Brand Value Assessment in Terms of Contemporary Global Challenges
Authors: Misankova Maria , Kliestikova Jana , Krizanova Anna , Corejova Tatiana
Published: May 2017

Brand represents one of the most important assets of the company. Brand-managing activities are typically related to brand positioning and integration with marketing campaigns, and can involve complex decisions. The branding of an organization is indeed a dynamic system with many cause-effect relationships as well as intangible and heterogeneous variables. In order to assess the value of individual brands can be used various models developed worldwide, based on different input data and valuation methodologies. We assume that individual environment in which company operates and consumers’ perceptions in different countries influence the ability and usability of these models in other countries. Therefore, we applied chosen well-known brand value models on the set of Slovak companies and validated their assessment ability in specific condition of the Slovak Republic. This was provided by the critical comparison of calculated values with the official values of brands of these companies listed in the Slovak journal. Through this, we pointed out the importance of the development of unique brand value model, which will be constructed in the specific condition of individual countries and highlight the weak assessment ability of foreign models.
COPRAS Approach for Efficiency Assessment of R&D Expenditures in
Technology Transfer Process
Authors: Stankevičienė Jelena , Kraujalienė Lidija
Published: May 2017

Higher education institutions (HEI) performance results depends not only on successful innovative technology
transfer (TT) activities and university-industry cooperation, but also on governance funding, distributed by the
priority for certain research and development (R&D) fields. The purpose of this article is to propose a concept to assess
the efficiency of R&D funding by sector of performance in European countries. The main goal of the paper is to propose
a concept to assess the efficiency of R&D funding in European countries, provide insights, recommendations, and point
out tendencies for the future improvement of European funding system for HEIs. Multicriteria ranking method
COPRAS – an instrument for analysis and decision-making. The empirical research is based on Eurostat data for the
period of 2005–2014. Expenditures on R&D gives the fluent explication of European R&D funding (investments) emphasizing
the execution of innovation and TT activities at universities. The proposed assessment model allows comparing
performance results and rank countries according the efficiency of research funding. Empirical results reveal that
the comparatively higher efficiency of research expenditures is in the Northern European countries, Luxembourg and
France. Latter tendency slowing to move forward and enhance performance results of HEIs, as well as countries’ economic
growth.
Alternative Securities Markets as Financing Sources for SMEs – Selected Aspects of AIM and NC
Authors: Małecka Joanna
Published: May 2017

Small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation for the development of each contemporary national economy. Their number affects macroeconomic indices of economies and directly translates into the labour market created by SMEs. This article aims to investigate the key conditionings behind the macroeconomic significance and legal factors of the financial market operation in Poland and the UK, with particular emphasis on the stock exchange as the fundamental element of the capital market. Both AIM and NewConnect are platforms dedicated to SMEs, which have been allowed easier access to this capital market segment by minimising mandatory legal conditions. This study analyses the number of listed companies and their capitalisation values in 1999–2015, covering: the rules of the financial market operation, with a special focus on the legal bases of the stock market operation in the economies investigated; legal conditions for the development of this economic segment; and a detailed analysis of the number of participants and capitalisation values achieved on the Warsaw and London Stock Exchanges, in particular AIM and NewConnect. This paper builds on source data from various annual reports and stock exchange publications drawn up and made available by stock exchanges and financial supervisors. The attempt to compare the indices and capacities of the WSE and the NC with the biggest European player is motivated by the fact that the Warsaw Stock Exchange is classified as the largest and most dynamically growing stock exchange in Central and Eastern Europe.
Reliability as Main Factor for Future Value Creation
Authors: Rutkauskas Aleksandras Vytautas , Stasytytė Viktorija , Rutkauskas Andrius
Published: May 2017

The main objective of the paper is to present the solution to the problem of possibilities’ reliability management, which is an important problem of uncertainty (risk) economics. Also, the paper aims to propose adequate methods of stochastic optimization and reveal their broad implementation possibilities. Along with that, the concept of utility function is being disclosed, when we take into account not only the possibilities of prices and costs, but also their reliability, in order to achieve the highest value added in this process. The original methods of stochastic optimization are used, while searching for the optimal allocation of invested capital among the investment assets. Adequate investment portfolio is treated as theoretically sound and practically effective instrument for investment decision-making in capital and currency markets, as well as for other problems related with optimal resource allocation. The adequate portfolio supplements the modern portfolio by adding the third portfolio parameter – the reliability of return. Also, the utility function based on return, reliability and risk is used to find the optimal investment possibility for particular investor. The formed portfolio solutions were tested in the markets of NYSE, UK and France.
The Impact of Youth Policy Measures on the Labour Market
Authors: Okunevičiūtė Neverauskienė Laima , Sakalauskienė Jolanta
Published: May 2017

Our modern society that is based on innovation is ever more quickly developing. Further and further more,
one policy measures and actions are not sufficient in ones ability to solve emerging problems and the resulting challenges.
Modern solutions require an inter-sectoral approach and coordination of different policy actors and systematic
action. The aim of this article is to show the impact of youth policy as a separate policy area on employment policy,
specifically in the Lithuanian labor market. The article focuses on the category of 15–29 year-old inactive youth. The
article analyzes individual specific measures of youth policy which affect young people’s ability to integrate and reintegrate
into the labor market, best practices from different European Union countries are revised too. The article aims
to have an inter-sectoral lens in its outlook and methodology. Inter-sectoral interaction should be perceived as the most
effective element in its ability to solve labor market problems of this particular case; particularly through the integration
of youth policy measures and the employment policy field. The article analyzes the Lithuanian situation beginning with
the start of the Youth Guarantee initiative in Lithuania. The final section of the article identifies conclusions and provides
recommendations.
Innovative Projects Scheduling with Scenario-Based Decision Project Graphs
Authors: Gaspars-Wieloch Helena
Published: May 2017

Decision project graphs – DPG are treated as a combination of deterministic and stochastic networks. They are designed for projects where at some stages at least one activity from a set of alternative activities is supposed to be performed. A given alternative task may differ from other activities belonging to this set in respect of times, costs and even sets of successors. Decision project graphs are used in project planning, scheduling and management. Due to the fact that especially in the case of innovative projects many factors are not completely known before the project execution, the DPG issue has been already investigated both under certainty and uncertainty. In this contribution we present a novel scenario-based DPG rule which takes into consideration possible scenarios, dependent activity durations, the decision-maker’s attitude towards risk and the distribution of parameter values connected with particular activities. The procedure is especially designed for totally new (innovative) projects where it is complicated to estimate probabilities of particular scenarios since no historical data are available. The decision rule is assisted with an optimization model which can be easily solved with the use of diverse optimization computer tools. The model may support both reactive and proactive project management.
Business Logistics Processes in the Global Context
Authors: Ceniga Pavel , Šukalová Viera
Published: May 2017

Many organizations feel currently threatened by globalization. Grows uncertainty and market behaviour and
there are some problems with effective use of resources; it came to the real competition. The current trend in the development
of logistics says that wins only the fastest, cheapest and most efficient in terms of logistics productivity. Management
structure of logistics processes is important for planning and management elements of the supply chain, because
it is a systematic follow-up on the strategy of the company and its involvement in the supply chain; the masses are also
linked to the competitiveness of enterprises. Equally important is the principle of modern management, knowledge and
innovation. Under improving of the organization of logistics processes we can understand the necessity to improve the
strategy, flexibility parameter setting while maintaining economic benefits and improvement of management, lifelong
learning and innovation. Business environment requires new structural form as the supply chain to the path towards the
ideal of perfect quality, reducing complexity, increasing speed and building strong competencies enabling swift reaction
to changes in the environment. It also calls for a new style of management, based on the application of ethical principles
and morals. On top of this effort is the customer, current and also potential. Worldwide leading industrial companies
use in management logistical principles that offer a suitable alternative.
Factors Impacting and Restricting Success of Organisational Changes
Authors: Korsakienė Renata , Juodeikė Rūta , Bužavaitė Monika
Published: May 2017

Social, economic and technological changes constantly change business landscape and raise an array of challenges to organisations. Organizations have to adapt to the environmental changes and maintain competitiveness and flexibility. Thus, changes aim to transform current state of organisations, to increase productivity and competitive advantage in the market. On the other hand, a number of investigations confirm that majority of organisational changes fail and do not produce an expected performance. Scientific literature suggests various management methods and links these methods to the desirable outcomes. Considering the fact that organisations are unique systems, some change management models do not capture such aspects as exceptional experience, culture, intuition of managers, etc. These issues lead to the restricted application of majority of models or methods. The opinions of scholars about definition and measurement of success diverge. The paper aims to investigate the factors impacting and restricting organisational changes. Particular emphasis is put on the success as the desirable outcome of all initiatives. The investigation is based on analysis and synthesis of scientific literature. A case of service providing company is presented. The paper integrates the main researches in the field and provides insights and recommendations into future investigations.
Possibilities for Student Organizational Learning in University’s Curriculum
Authors: Jucevičienė Palmira , Leščinskij Robert
Published: May 2017

The current paper is aimed at investigating the possibilities of the university curriculum for student organizational learning. The authors have analysed scholarly literature for the purpose of investigating the concepts of the formal and hidden curriculum. The paper also contains deep insights into learning objectives and outcomes as well as the study process and study model for developing organizational learning skills. With reference to the formal and hidden curriculum analysis method, the article discusses Top 10 Bachelor’s degree Business and Management programmes (QS World University Rankings) offered at universities in Europe. According to the specified parameters, the possibilities of developing organizational learning skills are explored. The carried out analysis and the interpretation of the obtained data reveal that the formal curricula designed by universities still pay insufficient attention to the development of organizational learning skills that should be treated as horizontal skills required for work at contemporary organizations. The paper also notes that all examined universities have fairly good opportunities to implement the hidden curriculum of organizational learning. The opportunities should increase if the formal and hidden curriculum emphasizing the development of organizational learning should be integrated.
The Impact of Funding Sources on Corporate Liquidity in Energy Sector in the Czech Republic
Authors: Šeligová Markéta
Published: May 2017

The aim of this paper is to determine the impact of funding sources on liquidity of companies in energy sector in the Czech Republic. With the purpose to fulfill the aim, we examine existence and character of relationship between selected financial factors (debt equity ratio, share of capital for consideration to total assets, return on equity, share of fixed assets to total assets, share of earnings before interest and taxes to total assets, equity ratio) and liquidity of the companies in energy sector in the Czech Republic. The existence of relationship between financial factors and liquidity of companies is tested by correlation analysis and generalized method of moments called GMM method. It is expected a positive relationship between liquidity and funding sources in energy sectors in the Czech Republic. Companies with high liquidity are more credible and less risky clients for creditors and can obtain the necessary financial support under more favorable and cheaper terms.
ADMINISTRACINIŲ PATALPŲ VĖSINIMO GALIOS MODELIAVIMAS IR PALYGINIMAS SU REALAUS BANDYMO DUOMENIMIS
Authors: Arelis Vilmantas , Čiuprinskas Kęstutis
Published: May 2017

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama administracinių patalpų vėsinimo galia naudojant dvi modeliavimo programas – Design Builder ir IES VE. Pagal patalpų planą sukuriami geometriniai modeliai, aprašomos atitvaros, vidiniai šilumos pritekiai, įvertinamas pastato šėšėliavimas ir sudaromas patalpų užimtumo grafikas. Vasaros metu atliktas patalpų oro parametrų matavimas ir apskaičiuota faktinė vėsinimo galia. Palyginus rezultatus abiejų skaitmeninių modelių vėsinimo galios yra nežymiai aukštes-nės, nei yra apskaičiuotos bandymo metu. Daroma prielaida, kad lauko oro temperatūra matavimų metu buvo žemesnė nei daugiametė vidutinė, todėl buvo didesnė oro infiltracija, vėsinimo sistema veikė ne pagal pastovų grafiką.
PRATAKAUS SAULĖS KOLEKTORIAUS PANAUDOJIMO PIRMINIAM
ŠVIEŽIO ORO PAŠILDYMUI TYRIMAS
Authors: Kiškis Žygimantas , Misevičiūtė Violeta
Published: May 2017

Straipsnyje analizuojama vėdinimo sistemos komponento ‒ neįstiklinto pratakaus saulės kolektoriaus visai vėdinimo sistemai daroma įtaka. Eksperimentinis stendas sumontuotas VGTU Aplinkos inžinerijos fakultete, saulės siena integruota ant pietinio fakulteto fasado. Pratakus saulės kolektorius dažniausiai naudojamas pirminiam šviežio oro pašildymui. Darbe tiriama, kaip kinta vėdinimo sistemos energijos sąnaudos naudojant ir nenaudojant saulės sieną. Nagrinėjamas pratakusis saulės kolektorius bei jo daroma įtaka plokštelinio šilumogrąžio efektyvumui. Taip pat siekiama nustatyti saulės sienos efektyvumą bei tiekiamojo oro temperatūrinį prieaugį. Gauti rezultatai pateikiami grafiškai, analizuojama jų priklausomybė nuo kintančių aplinkos parametrų.
VILNIAUS MIESTO CENTRALIZUOTO ŠILUMOS TIEKIMO SISTEMOS
ŠILUMOS GAMYBOS ALTERNATYVOS
Authors: Marcišauskas Mindaugas , Šiupšinskas Giedrius
Published: May 2017

Pastaraisiais metais Vilniaus mieste pastebima centralizuoto šilumos tiekimo sektoriaus kaita: tradicinius šilumos gamintojus keičia nauji, o tradicinis kuras keičiamas į ekologiškesnį, tvaresnį. Sparčiai keičiantis rinkai atsiranda įvairūs su energijos tiekimu ir energijos gamyba susiję neapibrėžtumai. Miesto valdytojams išauga poreikis išanalizuoti esamą situaciją ir numatyti tolesnę šilumos gamybos sektoriaus raidą, kuri atitiktų Europos Sąjungos tikslus energijos gamybos sektoriui. Atsižvelgiant į ateities modernizavimo perspektyvas, darbe analizuojamos Vilniaus miesto šilumos gamybos alternatyvos. Alternatyvų modeliavimas atliekamas EnergyPlan programa. Modelis kalibruojamas pagal 2016 metų Vilniaus miesto centralizuoto šilumos tiekimo sektoriaus faktinius duomenis. Alternatyvos vertinamos energiniu požiūriu. Tokio pobūdžio analizė ateityje gali padėti priimti tinkamus sprendimus, siekiant sumažinti šiluminės energijos kainą bei pirminės energijos suvartojimą siekiant padidinti energijos gamybos efektyvumą.
ŠILUMOS SIURBLIO DARBO REŽIMŲ ANALIZĖ
Authors: Pakalka Saulius
Published: May 2017

Efektyviam šildymo sistemos su šilumos siurbliais darbui didelę įtaka turi tikslus šilumos siurblio sistemos parinkimas. Projektavimo metu svarbu atsižvelgti į sistemos įrengimo ir eksploatavimo išlaidas. Skaičiuojant eksploatacines išlaidas reikia žinoti, kokiomis sąlygomis ir kokiu režimu dirbs šilumos siurblys ir koks galėtų būti jo sezoninis naudingumo koeficientas (angl. SPF – seasonal performance factor). Darbe nagrinėjamos realiai veikiančio šilumos siurblio energijos sąnaudos. Nustatyta, kad faktinis šilumos siurblio naudingumo koeficientas SPF atitinka standartų reikalavimus. Remiantis faktiniais duomenimis atliekama šilumos siurblio darbo režimų analizė. Nagrinėjami šie režimai: monovalentis, monoenergis, dvivalentis–alternatyvus ir dvivalentis–lygiagretus. Kaip papildomas (alternatyvus) šilumos šaltinis pasirenkamas gamtinių dujų katilas. Nustatyta, kad didžiausias elektros poreikis pastato šildymui yra monoenergio režimo atveju, mažiausias – dvivalenčio–alternatyvaus (0 °C). Didžiausios gamtinių dujų sąnaudos yra dvivalenčio–alternatyvaus (0 °C) režimo atveju, mažiausios – dvivalenčio–lygiagretaus (-5 °C). Didžiausia šilumos kaina yra dvivalenčio–alternatyvaus (0 °C) režimo atveju, mažiausia – monovalenčio režimo atveju. Didžiausios pradinės investicijos reikalingos monovalenčio režimo atveju, mažiausios – monoenergio.
DUMBLO TIEKIMO REŽIMO POVEIKIO DUMBLO PŪDYMO
PROCESUI TYRIMAS
Authors: Pakalniškis Marius , Dauknys Regimantas
Published: May 2017

Anaerobinis dumblo stabilizavimas yra vienas plačiausiai pasaulyje taikomų dumblo apdorojimo būdų. Šio proceso metu ne tik sumažinamas dumblo kiekis (iki 50 %), bet ir pašalinamas nemalonus dumblo kvapas bei patogeniniai mikroorganizmai, susidaro šalutinis produktas – biodujos. Anaerobinio pūdymo proceso efektyvumui turi įtakos įvairūs aplinkos veiksniai ir technologiniai parametrai, vienas jų – dumblo tiekimo režimas. Tyrimu atlikta keturių Lietuvos miestų nuotekų valyklų lyginamoji analizė pagal pirminio ir perteklinio dumblo kokybę, dumblo mišinio proporcinę sudėtį ir aplinkos veiksnius bei technologinius parametrus. Lyginant atrinktų valyklų dumblo pūdymą apibūdinančius rodiklius, nustatyta, kad du kartus trumpesnis dumblo tiekimo į pūdymo grandį ciklas, kai jo metu tiekimo trukmė sudarė 4 h, o pauzė – 2 h, sąlygojo 29 % didesnį BSM dalies SM kiekio atžvilgiu sumažėjimą pūdymo proceso metu bei 8,2 % didesnę metano koncentraciją biodujose.
UGDYMO ĮSTAIGŲ PATALPŲ ORO KOKYBĖS ANALIZĖ
Authors: Ždanovskis Egidijus , Šiupšinskas Giedrius
Published: May 2017

21-ojo amžiaus visuomenė pasirinko darnaus vystymosi kelią. Daug dėmesio skiriama sveikai aplinkai kurti, palankaus gyvenimo būdui formuoti. Patalpų komfortui turi įtakos ne tik oro temperatūra, bet ir santykinė drėgmė, šviežio oro kiekis ir jo apykaita, CO2 koncentracija ir kiti parametrai. Tik atsižvelgus į juos, galima tiksliai apibūdinti patalpų mikroklimato būklę ir higienos normų atitiktį. Taigi šiam tikslui Vilniaus mieste yra pasirinktos 4 ugdymo įstaigos (vaikų darželiai), kurioms remiantis Lietuvos statybos ir higienos normose apibrėžtais reikalavimais ir pateiktomis rekomendacijomis, yra atliekama patalpų oro kokybės analizė. Remiantis eksperimentiniais tyrimo duomenimis, siekiama nustatyti esamas ugdymo įstaigų esamas problemas, pasiūlyti technologinius sprendinius ir rekomendacijas, kaip jose pagerinti mikroklimato parametrus ir užtikrinti, kad pasirinktas sprendinys atitiktų norimus poreikius.
Measurement of the Absolute Crab Flux with NuSTAR
Authors: Madsen Kristin K. , Forster Karl , Grefenstette Brian W. , Harrison Fiona A. , Stern Daniel
Published: May 2017

We present results from a Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) observation of the Crab made at a large off-axis angle of 1.°5. At these angles, X-rays do not pass through the optics and instead illuminate the detectors directly, due to incomplete baffling. Due to the simplicity of the instrument response in this configuration and the good absolute calibration of the detectors, we are able to measure the absolute intrinsic flux of the Crab to better than 4%. We find the spectral parameters of the power law to be

Γ
=
2.106
±
0.006

,

N
=
9.71
±
0.16

, in agreement with the values measured 42 years ago by Toor & Seward. This suggests that the observed variability of the Crab is not part of a long-term trend, but instead results from fluctuations around a steady mean. The NuSTAR observation also enabled improved measurement of the detector absorption parameters without the added complications of the mirror response.
ELUCID—Exploring the Local Universe with the reConstructed Initial Density Field. II. Reconstruction Diagnostics, Applied to Numerical Halo Catalogs
Authors: Tweed Dylan , Yang Xiaohu , Wang Huiyuan , Cui Weiguang , Zhang Youcai , Li Shijie , Jing Y. P. , Mo H. J.
Published: May 2017

The ELUCID project aims to build a series of realistic cosmological simulations that reproduce the spatial and mass distributions of the galaxies as observed in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. This requires powerful reconstruction techniques to create constrained initial conditions (ICs). We test the reconstruction method by applying it to several N-body simulations. We use two medium-resolution simulations, which each produced three additional constrained N-body simulations. We compare the resulting friend-of-friend catalogs by using the particle indexes as tracers, and quantify the quality of the reconstruction by varying the main smoothing parameter. The cross-identification method we use proves to be efficient, and the results suggest that the most massive reconstructed halos are effectively traced from the same Lagrangian regions in the ICs. A preliminary time-dependence analysis indicates that high-mass-end halos converge only at a redshift close to the reconstruction redshift. This suggests that, for earlier snapshots, only collections of progenitors may be effectively cross-identified.
Identification of Faint Chandra X-Ray Sources in the Core-collapsed Globular Cluster NGC 6752
Authors: Lugger Phyllis M. , Cohn Haldan N. , Cool Adrienne M. , Heinke Craig O. , Anderson Jay
Published: May 2017

We have searched for optical identifications for 39 Chandra X-ray sources that lie within the 1.′9 half-mass radius of the nearby (

), core-collapsed globular cluster, NGC 6752, using deep Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC imaging in B
435,

, and Hα. Photometry of these images allows us to classify candidate counterparts based primarily on color–magnitude and color–color diagram location. The color–color diagram is particularly useful for quantifying the Hα-line equivalent width. In addition to recovering 11 previously detected optical counterparts, we propose 20 new optical IDs. In total, there are 16 likely or less certain cataclysmic variables (CVs), 9 likely or less certain chromospherically active binaries, 3 galaxies, and 3 active galactic nuclei. The latter three sources, which had been identified as likely CVs by previous investigations, now appear to be extragalactic objects based on their proper motions. As we previously found for NGC 6397, the CV candidates in NGC 6752 fall into a bright group that is centrally concentrated relative to the turnoff-mass stars and a faint group that has a spatial distribution that is more similar to that of the turnoff-mass stars. This is consistent with an evolutionary scenario in which CVs are produced by dynamical interactions near the cluster center and diffuse to larger radius orbits as they age.