bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Process Recovery after CaO Addition Due to Granule Formation in a CSTR Co-Digester—A Tool to Influence the Composition of the Microbial Community and Stabilize the Process?
Authors: Liebrich Marietta , Kleyböcker Anne , Kasina Monika , Miethling-Graff Rona , Kassahun Andrea , Würdemann Hilke
Published: March 2016

The composition, structure and function of granules formed during process recovery with calcium oxide in a laboratory-scale fermenter fed with sewage sludge and rapeseed oil were studied. In the course of over-acidification and successful process recovery, only minor changes were observed in the bacterial community of the digestate, while granules appeared during recovery. Fluorescence microscopic analysis of the granules showed a close spatial relationship between calcium and oil and/or long chain fatty acids. This finding further substantiated the hypothesis that calcium precipitated with carbon of organic origin and reduced the negative effects of overloading with oil. Furthermore, the enrichment of phosphate minerals in the granules was shown, and molecular biological analyses detected polyphosphate-accumulating organisms as well as methanogenic archaea in the core. Organisms related to Methanoculleus receptaculi were detected in the inner zones of a granule, whereas they were present in the digestate only after process recovery. This finding indicated more favorable microhabitats inside the granules that supported process recovery. Thus, the granule formation triggered by calcium oxide addition served as a tool to influence the composition of the microbial community and to stabilize the process after overloading with oil.
The T Cell Response to Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Bröker Barbara , Mrochen Daniel , Péton Vincent
Published: March 2016

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a dangerous pathogen and a leading cause of both nosocomial and community acquired bacterial infection worldwide. However, on the other hand, we are all exposed to this bacterium, often within the first hours of life, and usually manage to establish equilibrium and coexist with it. What does the adaptive immune system contribute toward lifelong control of S. aureus? Will it become possible to raise or enhance protective immune memory by vaccination? While in the past the S. aureus-specific antibody response has dominated this discussion, the research community is now coming to appreciate the role that the cellular arm of adaptive immunity, the T cells, plays. There are numerous T cell subsets, each with differing functions, which together have the ability to orchestrate the immune response to S. aureus and hence to tip the balance between protection and pathology. This review summarizes the state of the art in this dynamic field of research.
Evasion of Neutrophil Killing by Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: McGuinness Will , Kobayashi Scott , DeLeo Frank
Published: March 2016

Staphylococcus aureus causes many types of infections, ranging from self-resolving skin infections to severe or fatal pneumonia. Human innate immune cells, called polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs or neutrophils), are essential for defense against S. aureus infections. Neutrophils are the most prominent cell type of the innate immune system and are capable of producing non-specific antimicrobial molecules that are effective at eliminating bacteria. Although significant progress has been made over the past few decades, our knowledge of S. aureus-host innate immune system interactions is incomplete. Most notably, S. aureus has the capacity to produce numerous molecules that are directed to protect the bacterium from neutrophils. Here we review in brief the role played by neutrophils in defense against S. aureus infection, and correspondingly, highlight selected S. aureus molecules that target key neutrophil functions.
11th National Meeting of Organic Chemistry and 4th Meeting of Therapeutic Chemistry
Authors: Sousa Maria , Araújo Maria , Do Vale Maria , Andrade Paula , Branco Paula , Gomes Paula , Moreira Rui , Pinho e Melo Teresa , Freitas Victor
Published: March 2016

For the first time under the auspices of Sociedade Portuguesa de Química, the competences of two important fields of Chemistry are brought together into a single event, the 11st National Organic Chemistry Meeting and the the 4th National Medicinal Chemistry Meeting, to highlight complementarities and to promote new synergies. Abstracts of plenary lectures, oral communications, and posters presented during the meeting are collected in this report.
Estimating Evapotranspiration of an Apple Orchard Using a Remote Sensing-Based Soil Water Balance
Authors: Odi-Lara Magali , Campos Isidro , Neale Christopher , Ortega-Farías Samuel , Poblete-Echeverría Carlos , Balbontín Claudio , Calera Alfonso
Published: March 2016

The main goal of this research was to estimate the actual evapotranspiration (ETc) of a drip-irrigated apple orchard located in the semi-arid region of Talca Valley (Chile) using a remote sensing-based soil water balance model. The methodology to estimate ETc is a modified version of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) dual crop coefficient approach, in which the basal crop coefficient (Kcb) was derived from the soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) calculated from satellite images and incorporated into a daily soil water balance in the root zone. A linear relationship between the Kcb and SAVI was developed for the apple orchard Kcb = 1.82·SAVI − 0.07 (R2 = 0.95). The methodology was applied during two growing seasons (2010–2011 and 2012–2013), and ETc was evaluated using latent heat fluxes (LE) from an eddy covariance system. The results indicate that the remote sensing-based soil water balance estimated ETc reasonably well over two growing seasons. The root mean square error (RMSE) between the measured and simulated ETc values during 2010–2011 and 2012–2013 were, respectively, 0.78 and 0.74 mm·day−1, which mean a relative error of 25%. The index of agreement (d) values were, respectively, 0.73 and 0.90. In addition, the weekly ETc showed better agreement. The proposed methodology could be considered as a useful tool for scheduling irrigation and driving the estimation of water requirements over large areas for apple orchards.
Spectral Dependent Degradation of the Solar Diffuser on Suomi-NPP VIIRS Due to Surface Roughness-Induced Rayleigh Scattering
Authors: Shao Xi , Cao Changyong , Liu Tung-Chang
Published: March 2016

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard Suomi National Polar Orbiting Partnership (SNPP) uses a solar diffuser (SD) as its radiometric calibrator for the reflective solar band calibration. The SD is made of Spectralon™ (one type of fluoropolymer) and was chosen because of its controlled reflectance in the Visible/Near-Infrared/Shortwave-Infrared region and its near-Lambertian reflectance property. On-orbit changes in VIIRS SD reflectance as monitored by the Solar Diffuser Stability Monitor showed faster degradation of SD reflectance for 0.4 to 0.6 µm channels than the longer wavelength channels. Analysis of VIIRS SD reflectance data show that the spectral dependent degradation of SD reflectance in short wavelength can be explained with a SD Surface Roughness (length scale << wavelength) based Rayleigh Scattering (SRRS) model due to exposure to solar UV radiation and energetic particles. The characteristic length parameter of the SD surface roughness is derived from the long term reflectance data of the VIIRS SD and it changes at approximately the tens of nanometers level over the operational period of VIIRS. This estimated roughness length scale is consistent with the experimental result from radiation exposure of a fluoropolymer sample and validates the applicability of the Rayleigh scattering-based model. The model is also applicable to explaining the spectral dependent degradation of the SDs on other satellites. This novel approach allows us to better understand the physical processes of the SD degradation, and is complementary to previous mathematics based models.
Remote Sensing of Deformation of a High Concrete-Faced Rockfill Dam Using InSAR: A Study of the Shuibuya Dam, China
Authors: Zhou Wei , Li Shaolin , Zhou Zhiwei , Chang Xiaolin
Published: March 2016

Settlement is one of the most important deformation characteristics of high concrete faced rockfill dams (CFRDs, >100 m). High CFRDs safety would pose a great threat to the security of people’s lives and property downstream if this kind of deformation were not to be measured correctly, as traditional monitoring approaches have limitations in terms of durability, coverage, and efficiency. It has become urgent to develop new monitoring techniques to complement or replace traditional monitoring approaches for monitoring the safety and operation status of high CFRDs. This study examines the Shuibuya Dam (up to 233.5 m in height) in China, which is currently the highest CFRD in the world. We used space-borne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) time series to monitor the surface deformation of the Shuibuya Dam. Twenty-one ALOS PALSAR images that span the period from 28 February 2007 to 11 March 2011 were used to map the spatial and temporal deformation of the dam. A high correlation of 0.93 between the InSAR and the in-situ monitoring results confirmed the reliability of the InSAR method; the deformation history derived from InSAR is also consistent with the in-situ settlement monitoring system. In addition, the InSAR results allow continuous investigation of dam deformation over a wide area that includes the entire dam surface as well as the surrounding area, offering a clear picture continuously of the dam deformation.
An Automatic Building Extraction and Regularisation Technique Using LiDAR Point Cloud Data and Orthoimage
Authors: Gilani Syed , Awrangjeb Mohammad , Lu Guojun
Published: March 2016

The development of robust and accurate methods for automatic building detection and regularisation using multisource data continues to be a challenge due to point cloud sparsity, high spectral variability, urban objects differences, surrounding complexity, and data misalignment. To address these challenges, constraints on object’s size, height, area, and orientation are generally benefited which adversely affect the detection performance. Often the buildings either small in size, under shadows or partly occluded are ousted during elimination of superfluous objects. To overcome the limitations, a methodology is developed to extract and regularise the buildings using features from point cloud and orthoimagery. The building delineation process is carried out by identifying the candidate building regions and segmenting them into grids. Vegetation elimination, building detection and extraction of their partially occluded parts are achieved by synthesising the point cloud and image data. Finally, the detected buildings are regularised by exploiting the image lines in the building regularisation process. Detection and regularisation processes have been evaluated using the ISPRS benchmark and four Australian data sets which differ in point density (1 to 29 points/m2), building sizes, shadows, terrain, and vegetation. Results indicate that there is 83% to 93% per-area completeness with the correctness of above 95%, demonstrating the robustness of the approach. The absence of over- and many-to-many segmentation errors in the ISPRS data set indicate that the technique has higher per-object accuracy. While compared with six existing similar methods, the proposed detection and regularisation approach performs significantly better on more complex data sets (Australian) in contrast to the ISPRS benchmark, where it does better or equal to the counterparts.
A Color-Texture-Structure Descriptor for High-Resolution Satellite Image Classification
Authors: Yu Huai , Yang Wen , Xia Gui-Song , Liu Gang
Published: March 2016

Scene classification plays an important role in understanding high-resolution satellite (HRS) remotely sensed imagery. For remotely sensed scenes, both color information and texture information provide the discriminative ability in classification tasks. In recent years, substantial performance gains in HRS image classification have been reported in the literature. One branch of research combines multiple complementary features based on various aspects such as texture, color and structure. Two methods are commonly used to combine these features: early fusion and late fusion. In this paper, we propose combining the two methods under a tree of regions and present a new descriptor to encode color, texture and structure features using a hierarchical structure-Color Binary Partition Tree (CBPT), which we call the CTS descriptor. Specifically, we first build the hierarchical representation of HRS imagery using the CBPT. Then we quantize the texture and color features of dense regions. Next, we analyze and extract the co-occurrence patterns of regions based on the hierarchical structure. Finally, we encode local descriptors to obtain the final CTS descriptor and test its discriminative capability using object categorization and scene classification with HRS images. The proposed descriptor contains the spectral, textural and structural information of the HRS imagery and is also robust to changes in illuminant color, scale, orientation and contrast. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CTS descriptor achieves competitive classification results compared with state-of-the-art algorithms.
A PetriNet-Based Approach for Supporting Traceability in Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Huang Jiwei , Zhu Yeping , Cheng Bo , Lin Chuang , Chen Junliang
Published: March 2016

With the growing popularity of complex dynamic activities in manufacturing processes, traceability of the entire life of every product has drawn significant attention especially for food, clinical materials, and similar items. This paper studies the traceability issue in cyber-physical manufacturing systems from a theoretical viewpoint. Petri net models are generalized for formulating dynamic manufacturing processes, based on which a detailed approach for enabling traceability analysis is presented. Models as well as algorithms are carefully designed, which can trace back the lifecycle of a possibly contaminated item. A practical prototype system for supporting traceability is designed, and a real-life case study of a quality control system for bee products is presented to validate the effectiveness of the approach.
Crisis Communication Competence in Co-Producing Safety with Citizen Groups
Authors: Laajalahti Anne , Hyvärinen Jenni , Vos Marita
Published: March 2016

The aim of this article is to explore interpersonal communication competence needed by crisis communication and management experts when co-operating with citizen groups in response to emergencies. Moreover, the purpose is to understand how response organizations can further develop this crisis communication competence and so contribute to the functioning of response networks. The research task is approached qualitatively by eliciting crisis communication and management experts’ (n = 33) perceptions of the interpersonal communication competence response organizations needs when co-operating with citizen groups. The data were gathered via an international online questionnaire using a method referred to as “thematic writing” and consist of written responses to open-ended questions on what constitutes the core of crisis communication competence and what aspects of it need more attention. The research findings indicate that co-producing safety with citizen groups demands crisis communication competence related to message production, message reception, and interaction between experts and citizen groups. In addition, the findings clarify what areas of crisis communication competence need to be further developed to facilitate co-operation between experts and citizen groups. However, the authors suggest that crisis communication competence should not be seen solely as a characteristic of individual crisis communicators but approached as a networked and co-created area of competence.
Status of X(1835) and pp¯ Interaction from Chiral Symmetry
Authors: Liu Yong-Feng , Kang Xian-Wei
Published: March 2016

After the observation of the strong near-threshold enhancement of proton-antiproton mass spectrum in

J
/
ψ
→
γ
p

p
¯

decay, lots of theoretical investigations have been available such as new resonance, the final-state

p

p
¯

interaction (FSI),

p

p
¯

bound state (or baryonium), glueball, or other exotic (tetra-quark) states. Here, we provide a short review on the current status, especially on the pertinent discussions concerning its relation to

p

p
¯

interaction, for which the emphasis is put on the recently constructed chiral potential.
Low Dimensional Vessiot-Guldberg-Lie Algebras of Second-Order Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Campoamor-Stursberg Rutwig
Published: March 2016

A direct approach to non-linear second-order ordinary differential equations admitting a superposition principle is developed by means of Vessiot-Guldberg-Lie algebras of a dimension not exceeding three. This procedure allows us to describe generic types of second-order ordinary differential equations subjected to some constraints and admitting a given Lie algebra as Vessiot-Guldberg-Lie algebra. In particular, well-known types, such as the Milne-Pinney or Kummer-Schwarz equations, are recovered as special cases of this classification. The analogous problem for systems of second-order differential equations in the real plane is considered for a special case that enlarges the generalized Ermakov systems.
Shiga Toxins as Multi-Functional Proteins: Induction of Host Cellular Stress Responses, Role in Pathogenesis and Therapeutic Applications
Authors: Lee Moo-Seung , Koo Sunwoo , Jeong Dae , Tesh Vernon
Published: March 2016

Shiga toxins (Stxs) produced by Shiga toxin-producing bacteria Shigella dysenteriae serotype 1 and select serotypes of Escherichia coli are primary virulence factors in the pathogenesis of hemorrhagic colitis progressing to potentially fatal systemic complications, such as hemolytic uremic syndrome and central nervous system abnormalities. Current therapeutic options to treat patients infected with toxin-producing bacteria are limited. The structures of Stxs, toxin-receptor binding, intracellular transport and the mode of action of the toxins have been well defined. However, in the last decade, numerous studies have demonstrated that in addition to being potent protein synthesis inhibitors, Stxs are also multifunctional proteins capable of activating multiple cell stress signaling pathways, which may result in apoptosis, autophagy or activation of the innate immune response. Here, we briefly present the current understanding of Stx-activated signaling pathways and provide a concise review of therapeutic applications to target tumors by engineering the toxins.
Roles of the Picornaviral 3C Proteinase in the Viral Life Cycle and Host Cells
Authors: Sun Di , Chen Shun , Cheng Anchun , Wang Mingshu
Published: March 2016

The Picornaviridae family comprises a large group of non-enveloped viruses that have a major impact on human and veterinary health. The viral genome contains one open reading frame encoding a single polyprotein that can be processed by viral proteinases. The crucial 3C proteinases (3Cpros) of picornaviruses share similar spatial structures and it is becoming apparent that 3Cpro plays a significant role in the viral life cycle and virus host interaction. Importantly, the proteinase and RNA-binding activity of 3Cpro are involved in viral polyprotein processing and the initiation of viral RNA synthesis. In addition, 3Cpro can induce the cleavage of certain cellular factors required for transcription, translation and nucleocytoplasmic trafficking to modulate cell physiology for viral replication. Due to interactions between 3Cpro and these essential factors, 3Cpro is also involved in viral pathogenesis to support efficient infection. Furthermore, based on the structural conservation, the development of irreversible inhibitors and discovery of non-covalent inhibitors for 3Cpro are ongoing and a better understanding of the roles played by 3Cpro may provide insights into the development of potential antiviral treatments. In this review, the current knowledge regarding the structural features, multiple functions in the viral life cycle, pathogen host interaction, and development of antiviral compounds for 3Cpro is summarized.
The Effect of Rice Straw Mulching and No-Tillage Practice in Upland Crop Areas on Nonpoint-Source Pollution Loads Based on HSPF
Authors: Ahn So-Ra , Kim Seong-Joon
Published: March 2016

This study evaluates the watershed-scale effects of non-point-source (NPS) pollution loads caused by rice straw mulching and no-tillage applications in upland crop areas using the Hydrological Simulation Program–Fortran (HSPF) model. The study area is the Byulmi-cheon watershed (1.21 km²) of South Korea. Hourly rainfall, discharge and stream water quality data were collected for three years (2011–2013) at the watershed outlet. The HSPF model under conventional (no rice straw mulching or tillage) conditions was calibrated and validated using 20 rainfall events for runoff and 14 rainfall events for stream water quality (sediment, T-N and T-P). The average Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency value for runoff was 0.61, and determination coefficients for runoff, sediment, total nitrogen (T-N) and total phosphorus (T-P) were 0.70, 0.56, 0.58 and 0.61, respectively. The results of field experiments with slopes of 3% and 8% for radish and sesame cultivation showed decreases in the runoff ratio, sediment, T-N and T-P of 9.0%, 95.9%, 32.6% and 43.5% for rice straw mulching plots and 22.5%, 82.5%, 67.8 and 70.6% for no-tillage plots. The HSPF model parameters soil infiltration capacity (INFILT), soil bulk density (BD), wilting point (WP) and field capacity (FC) were controlled for the upland crop areas during the evaluation of the rice straw mulching and no-tillage effects. The HSPF evaluation using the application of Best Management Practices (BMPs) showed that the watershed runoff ratio, sediment, T-N and T-P values were reduced by 10.4%, 68.7%, 31.6% and 41.3% using rice straw mulching and 21.5%, 83.4%, 51.9% and 60.2% under no-tillage conditions compared with conventional conditions. The land use change scenarios for the baseline (upland crop areas 5%), Scenario 1 (upland crop areas 10%) and Scenario 2 (upland crop areas 30%) were applied in the model. The results of the evaluation show that the proportion of NPS pollution loads increased by a ratio approximately equal to that of the increasing upland crop area.
New synthetic strategies for xanthene-dye-appended cyclodextrins
Authors: Malanga Milo , Darcsi Andras , Balint Mihaly , Benkovics Gabor , Sohajda Tamas , Beni Szabolcs
Published: March 2016

Xanthene dyes can be appended to cyclodextrins via an ester or amide bridge in order to switch the fluorescence on or off. This is made possible through the formation of nonfluorescent lactones or lactams as the fluorophore can reversibly cyclize. In this context we report a green approach for the synthesis of switchable xanthene-dye-appended cyclodextrins based on the coupling agent 4-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)-4-methylmorpholinium chloride (DMT-MM). By using 6-monoamino-β-cyclodextrin and commercially available inexpensive dyes, we prepared rhodamine- and fluorescein-appended cyclodextrins. The compounds were characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy and MS spectrometry, their UV–vis spectra were recorded at various pH, and their purity was determined by capillary electrophoresis. Two potential models for the supramolecular assembly of the xanthene-dye-appended cyclodextrins were developed based on the set of data collected by the extensive NMR characterization.
Rehabilitación sísmica de edificaciones históricas en tapia pisada: estudio de caso de capillas doctrineras reforzadas con malla de acero y madera de confinamiento
Authors: Gómez V. , López C. , Ruiz D.
Published: March 2016

A nivel latinoamericano, hay pocas investigaciones sobre iglesias (capillas) coloniales construidas en tapia pisada desde el punto de vista arquitectónico, histórico y estructural (desempeño sísmico). La carencia de estudios ha producido malas intervenciones del patrimonio histórico. En el presente artículo se presentan los resultados de ensayos en mesa vibratoria de modelos a escala 1:50 de capillas de adoctrinamiento en tapia pisada construidas en los siglos XVI al XVIII en Colombia. Los muros de los modelos de las capillas fueron rehabilitados sísmicamente mediante dos técnicas de reforzamiento diferentes: maderas de confinamiento y malla de acero; ambas técnicas instaladas por una sola cara de los muros. Los resultados sugieren que los sistemas de refuerzo sísmico evaluados disminuyen hasta en un 52 % los desplazamientos de los muros a la vez que disminuyen la fisuración y el agrietamiento.
Globalization, Consumer's Preference, and Welfare in India
Authors: Das Koushik
Published: March 2016

The purpose of the present chapter is to analyse general equilibrium effects of different trade liberalization policies for India under imperfectly competitive market structure. Since present day world trade is much akin towards the increasing returns to scale and market structure oriented industry behaviour, we have considered monopolistically competitive market structure for our analysis. Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling has been applied as it seems to be relevant methodology for policy simulation. Consumer's love for variety and increasing returns to scale present in the sectors involving large fixed costs, are strong determinants of consumer's as well as producer's business confidence. Our study reveals that increased welfare gain due to trade and openness is not much larger as compared to standard perfect competition scenario as the scale economy benefit is predominant only in few sectors like capital goods industries and not prominently visible in large agricultural and informal manufacturing sectors.
The Use of Mobile Technology in Management and Risk Control in the Supply Chain
Authors: Klein Amarolinda Zanela , Gomes da Costa Eliane , Vieira Luciana Marques , Teixeira Rafael
Published: March 2016

The use of mobile technologies is important for Supply Chain Management (SCM) because these technologies allow for a ubiquitous flow of information, higher agility and risk reduction in supply chains. In food markets, these issues are particularly relevant due to food safety risks. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the use of mobile technology for management and risk control in the Brazilian beef supply chain, since Brazil is one of the main producers and beef exporters in the world. The research method was a single case study. Results show the actual level of mobile technology use; drivers and barriers to mobile technology adoption and how mobile technology is applied to beef traceability and risk reduction along the chain. The authors propose a framework that links the issues of mobile technology use for SCM and risk control, considering the context of a developing country such as Brazil.
Sustainable Energy and the Growth of Small and Medium Enterprises in Ghana
Authors: Agbola Ruby Melody , Sokro Evans
Published: March 2016

The chronic shortage of petroleum fuels, especially gasoline and LPG, and the prolonged and indiscriminate power outages coupled with the recent increment in fuel prices appear to be taking their toll on Ghanaian businesses; hence, some have questioned the degree of security, reliability, and long-term sustainability of the country's energy need. The chapter assesses the impact of the recent power outages on the growth and profitability of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The study employed a survey design consisting of structured questionnaires involving a total of 190 SMEs across the country. An eight item Likert scale used to assess the impact of the energy crisis on three key measures of business growth revealed a strong positive correlation between the power outages and reduced profitability but a weak correlation with business expansion by way of market development and a statistically insignificant relationship between the power outages and growth in number of employees.
A Comparison of the Information Needs and Information Seeking Behavior of Entrepreneurs in Small to Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Developing and Developed Countries
Authors: Lillard Linda L.
Published: March 2016

“Entrepreneurial spirit has been described as the most important economic development stimulus in recent decades” (Chalhoub, 2011, p. 67). In the early 1990s it was estimated that small to medium sized enterprises SMEs employed 22% of the adult population in developing countries and the role of SMEs is viewed as increasingly important in developing countries because of their capacity to create jobs (Okello-Obura, Minishi-Majanja, Cleote, & Ikoja-Odongo, 2007, p. 369). According to Lingelback, de la Viña and Asel (2005), even though entrepreneurship has been linked to wealth and poverty in developing countries and has played an important role in growth and poverty alleviation, it is the least studied significant economic and social phenomenon in the world today. Examining how the information needs and information seeking behavior of entrepreneurs from developing countries may differ from entrepreneurs in developed countries is important as it has been suggested that “entrepreneurship in developing countries is distinctive from that practice in developed countries and that understanding these distinctions is critical to private sector development in developing countries” (Lingelback, de la Vina, & Asel, 2005, p. 2). A review of the studies produced thus serves as a beginning for designing information packages and information services that can benefit a global population. Consequently, this chapter targets the information needs and information seeking behavior of entrepreneurs revealed in studies associated with SMEs in both developed and developing countries and offers conclusions and recommendations for meeting the information needs of this population.
An International Trade Comparison of Two Supposedly Different Sectors
Authors: Basevi Mario , Biggiero Lucio
Published: March 2016

According to modern international economics, and especially evolutionary economic geography, a country industry characteristics influence the structure of its international trade. Following this view, this chapter moves from the following basic research issue: if two sectors are very different according to market, economic and technological aspects, should we expect that its corresponding international trade networks are as well markedly different? Aerospace and Common Earth Materials seem quite different in those respects, and thus, they are good candidates to explore that research issue. Its comparison allowed to evidence and discuss some methodological problems in applying social network analysis, and especially in using it to compare different networks. In particular, it is underlined the difficulty to handle valued networks when value variance is very high, and to combine three groups of indicators: simple, hierarchy focused, and strictly topological. The comparative analysis employed 32 indicators either at network or sub-network level, like for core-periphery analysis, which indicate clear and marked diversity only in terms of hierarchical degree and topological aspects. A first conclusion is that the two examined trade networks are following a similar path and, excepted for few indicators, they seem to be rather similar even at a deeper structural level. Hence, one (or more) of three implications can be drawn: 1) the global value networks corresponding to the two sectors are not so markedly different; 2) they are substantially different but such a diversity does not produce a significant difference in terms of international trade networks; 3) there are some methodological problems that prevent differences to be evidence and require a more refined and modified comparison. A second conclusion is that trade patterns of both sectors are rather unstable.
Factors Determining Foreign Direct Investment Inflow to Nigeria during Pre-Financial Crisis
Authors: Dinda Soumyananda
Published: March 2016

This chapter empirically investigates the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Nigeria during pre-financial crisis period 1970-2006. This study suggests that the endowment of natural resources, trade intensity, macroeconomic risk factors like inflation and exchange rates are significant determinants of FDI flow to Nigeria. The findings also suggest that in long run market size is not the significant factor for attracting FDI to Nigeria, it contradicts the existing literature. The author's results indicate that FDI flow to Nigeria is resource-seeking FDI. Results also suggest that trading partner like the UK in North-South (N - S) and China in South-South (S - S) trade relation have strong influence on Nigeria's natural resource outflow.
The Impact of Exchange Rate on Tourism Industry
Authors: Samirkaş Meryem , Samirkaş Mustafa Can
Published: March 2016

Tourism sector that is increasingly important in the world economy, developing rapidly in Turkey and provides a serious contributions to country's economy because Turkey consistently has a current account deficit, tourism is an important source of income. There are many factors affecting tourism; it is clear that the industry can be affected by changes in macroeconomic variables, just like any other economic focus. In this context, it is possible that the foreign exchange rate and changes in the value of various currencies can affect tourism, especially with regards to the demands of the tourists themselves. By using the Johansen cointegration and Granger causality tests, this chapter focused on identifying the relationship between currency exchange rates and the demand for tourism in Turkey.
Initial Adoption vs. Institutionalization of E-Procurement in Construction Firms
Authors: Huang De Chun , Tran Quang Dung , Nguyen Thi Quynh Trang , Nazir Sajjad
Published: March 2016

This study explores the role of government in fostering construction firms move from initial adoption to institutionalization of e-procurement in developing countries' context. It proposes the research model that consists of five external environmental constructs that are considered as factors influencing the different levels of e-procurement adoption. It uses PLS-SEM to analyze the data collected from 112 construction businesses in Vietnam in 2012. It finds that the role of government has an extremely significant influence on a decision of initial adoption of e-procurement in construction enterprises through government leadership, legal and regulatory infrastructure, information and technology infrastructure (ITI), and socio-economic and knowledge infrastructure. However, the role of government is less important to a decision of institutionalization of e-procurement when only ITI significantly influences on the decision-making. As a result, useful theoretical and practical implications are proposed.
E-Learning Implementation in Developing Countries
Authors: Zoroja Jovana , Skok Marjana Merkač , Bach Mirjana Pejić
Published: March 2016

E-learning nowadays plays an important role in teaching because it is oriented toward the use of information and communication technologies that have become a part of the everyday life and day-to-day business. E-learning contributes to traditional teaching methods and provides many advantages to society and citizens. The main goal of the chapter is to explore e-learning use in developing countries, using Croatia as an example. This chapter identifies perspectives and obstacles defined by users and non-users of e-learning. Four in-depth interviews were conducted to get a more extensive picture of educational institutions that use e-learning in the teaching process. The results of this research indicate that the potential implementation of e-learning in developing countries faces a number of obstacles, mainly due to the restricted resources of professors and institutions measured both in time and financial terms.
What's in a Game?
Authors: Virkar Shefali
Published: March 2016

Much has been written about e-government within a growing stream of literature on ICT for development, generating countervailing perspectives where optimistic, technocratic approaches are countered by far more sceptical standpoints on technological innovation. This body of work is, however, not without its limitations: a large proportion is anecdotal in its style and overly deterministic in its logic, with far less being empirical, and there is a tendency for models offered up by scholarly research to neglect the actual attitudes, choices, and behaviour of the wide array of actors involved in the implementation and use of new technology in real organisations. Drawing on the theoretical perspectives of the Ecology of Games framework and the Design-Actuality Gap model, this chapter focuses on the conception and implementation of an electronic property tax collection system in Bangalore (India) between 1998 and 2008. The work contributes to not just an understanding of the role of ICTs in public administrative reform, but also towards an emerging body of research that is critical of managerial rationalism for an organization as a whole, and which is sensitive to an ecology of actors, choices, and motivations within the organisation.
Postharvest Management Strategies
Authors: Maharaj Rohanie , Singh-Ackbarali Dimple , Sankat Clement K.
Published: March 2016

Climate change will pose many challenges along the food value chain and will threaten not only food security but also poverty alleviation and economic growth in SIDS. Building resilient food systems for vulnerable farmers should focus not only on improving yields and on use of more suitable crops under changing climatic conditions but also on climate-smart postharvest adaptation strategies. In this chapter, strategies to raise awareness about climate change and its effects on postharvest losses are discussed. The authors recommend several actions: training of farmers to build functional adaptive capacity on the ground, increased investments in technological innovation, the continuous sharing of traditional/research-based knowledge with farmers and stakeholders in the food supply chains. Success will also depend on incentives, monitoring systems, appropriate application of approaches, tools and technologies, and involvement of farmers and policy makers. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this issue.
Scalability and Sustainability of M-Government Projects Implementation in Developing Countries
Authors: Ogunleye Olalekan Samuel , Van Belle Jean-Paul
Published: March 2016

Mobile technology has played a crucial role in facilitating democratic change in many of the developing countries. Many countries have attempted to implement Mobile Government (m-government), which is a form of electronic government, using mobile and other latest technologies such as social media as the most fundamental infrastructure for implementing such changes. However, m-government projects' scalability and sustainability are amongst the key issues relating to the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). This chapter attempts to discuss the scalability and sustainability of m-government projects in the context of developing countries. The aim is to provide a broader understanding of the inherent issues surrounding scalability and sustainability of m-government projects: in general terms and also in relation to mobile phone-based projects for governments' service delivery. In order to understand these issues, definitions of these two concepts are provided and various e-government maturity models are discussed. This is then followed by an overview of the challenges of scaling up and sustaining the m-government projects in developing countries, and lastly, an elaboration of how sustainability and scalability can be achieved is also presented.
Assessing the Financial Vulnerability of Emerging Markets
Authors: Pasha Fahad Mansoor , Yilmaz Neslihan
Published: March 2016

The consequences of the recent financial crises during the last two decades showed how important it is to monitor financial performance and try to predict a coming crisis. In an effort to predict a coming crisis, the authors calculate a vulnerability index based on a number of financial and economic indicators. This chapter analyzes the financial vulnerability of sixteen emerging countries as these countries are more vulnerable to financial fluctuations. The findings show that Peru, Russia, Indonesia, and Thailand are less vulnerable to a crisis, whereas, South Africa, Turkey, India, Egypt, and Hungary are more vulnerable to a crisis.
Economic Decision Making, Emotion, and Prefrontal Cortex
Authors: Lahmiri Salim
Published: March 2016

How diverse regions of the brain are coordinated to produce objective-directed decision is the essence of neuroeconomics. Indeed, the latter is a formal framework to describe the involvement of numerous brain regions including frontal, cingulate, parietal cortex, and striatum in economic and financial decision-making process. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the relationship between economic decision making and emotion on one hand, and the relationship between economic decision making and prefrontal cortex on the other hand.
The Interplay between Theory and Practice in HRD
Authors: Gosney Matthew W.
Published: March 2016

While few would argue that a tension exists between HRD theoreticians and practitioners, few models explain why such tension exists. Leveraging Gosney's Model of Modern Era Theory & Practice Generation in HRD (Gosney, 2014; Gosney & Hughes, 2015), a careful evaluation of current HRD context and informing philosophy reveals compelling reason for the theory-practice gap. In reviewing both the current historical context, capitalism, and the predominant informing philosophy, pragmatism, both theoreticians and practitioners are better equipped to understand and ameliorate the divide. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations to the discipline, including a more robust exploration by theoreticians of pragmatism as an informing philosophy in HRD and the adoption of critical thinking as a core competency in practitioners.
Linkage between Regional Accessibillity, Economic Development, and Logistic Infrastructure
Authors: Vulevic Ana
Published: March 2016

This chapter reviews regional accessibility and relationship between regional accessibility, the logistic infrastructure and regional economic development. The purpose of this chapter is to emphasize the complexity and causality of this relationship. Transport infrastructure is an important policy instrument to promote regional economic development. In addition, development of logistics is a very important part of the transport policy, while accessibility is an important determinant of the attractiveness of regions for logistics activities. Accessibility indicators measure the benefits households and firms in a region enjoy from the existence and use of the transport infrastructure. Economic development may determine transportation needs and lead to infrastructure improvements and accessibility. The theoretically is defined and empirical evidence that transport accessibility suggests that there is a link between the accessibility of the region and its competitiveness and, therefore, regional economic growth.
Sustainable Logistics Strategies of Transnational Corporations
Authors: Cieśla Maria
Published: March 2016

The main goal of the chapter is to present actual theoretical and practical knowledge related to logistics strategies that have a major impact on sustainable development. Theoretical considerations concern on the place and relations of logistics strategy in the company's generic strategy, the classification of logistics strategies, identification of key success issue in implementing the strategy in the area of logistics concerning sustainability. Every logistics strategy defined points out relevance to sustainable logistics and transport. Some logistics strategies were specifically described in the chapter like: total logistics costs strategy, differentiation strategy, postponement strategy, consolidation strategy and rationalization (standardization) strategy. For every strategy also a practical example is discussed among worldwide companies with global brands (Chocolissimo chocolate producer, DB Schenker logistics service provider, IKEA or Sony).
Financial Market in Nepal
Authors: Paudel Narayan Prasad
Published: March 2016

The Nepalese financial sector is attributed of banking sector and non-banking sector. There is exponential growth in the number of financial institutions in Nepal in the last decade. The existing legal framework and institutional setup in Nepal is not conducive to the overall financial sector and private sector development and thus there is an urgent need for reformation in these sectors. The major impediments to private sector involvement in infrastructure development projects include the political and administrative instability; lack of consistent planning; lack of effective institutional support in designing and development of private sector infrastructure projects. Talking about the capital market and capital gains In Nepal, capital gains on securities transactions are taxed as ordinary income to corporations and individual investors while in most of the emerging markets capital gains on investments in stocks and bonds are not taxed, which need to be reformed as per the international practices.
The Nature of Research Methodologies
Authors: Tran Ben
Published: March 2016

Mixed methods research is, generally speaking, an approach to knowledge (theory to practice) that attempts to consider multiple viewpoints, perspectives, positions, and standpoints. As such, before the advent of mixed methods, many studies used multiple methods to achieve the benefits of triangulation without restricting themselves to any paradigmatic membership or methodological category. Today, the primary philosophy of mixed research is that of pragmatism. This chapter will cover the history and the foundation of research methodologies and explain the purpose of research within various methodologies. This chapter will also explain the various terminologies used within research and research design as well as the meaning of these terminologies. This chapter will not cover statistics, however, mixed methods, methodology, research, and paradigm, statistical research methodology will be touched upon.
Moving from Tension to Texture
Authors: Cosgrove Preston B. , Jonas Peter M.
Published: March 2016

Much like a jigsaw puzzle box top guides one in how to connect the pieces, an individual's research paradigm operates as a conscious or subconscious influence in conducting a research project. This chapter starts by making the argument for the critical role of research paradigms before moving into a thorough investigation of the paradigmatic origins of the qualitative-quantitative “debate.” While mixed-methods research is often seen as the mediator in the dispute, the authors then articulate four broad ways in which mixed methods research addresses the paradigm divide at the heart of qualitative and quantitative research. The result is paradigmatically complex, but offers researchers flexibility as they seek to address their research question.
Analyzing Qualitative Data
Authors: Stevenson Carolyn N.
Published: March 2016

Use of photography and poetry offer a way for participants to express lived experiences through a visual and written means of self-expression. These forms of data collection can provide a rich, thick description of those often overlying on the peripherals of society. Traditional means of qualitative research such as interview and observation can at times create a barrier between the researcher and the participants because of the face-to-face interaction. Participants may be uncomfortable expressing authentic feeling during a formal interview process. By offering participants the opportunity to personally select descriptive photographs and articulate expression in their own voice through poetry, an authentic expression occurs.