bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Still Matters: Effects of Workplace Discrimination on Employment Schedules of Young Professionals
Authors: Plickert Gabriele , Sterling Joyce
Published: November 2017

The influx of women into the legal profession has significantly changed the landscape of legal practice. Women lawyers today no longer face the challenges to entering the legal profession they encountered thirty years ago. However, despite these advancements, research continues to demonstrate that there are still gender-based issues women have to face in the legal workplace. Among these issues to date are the difficulties in combining responsibilities of work with responsibilities of families and children that underpin women’s employment and earning disadvantages. Using survey data from a national representative U.S. panel study of lawyers, we examine how work schedules, comparing full-time to part-time work, vary by personal disposition and workplace characteristics. Drawing from prominent explanations of gender inequality in the legal profession, we focus on inquiries of commitment to work, performance, ideal worker expectations, practice settings, and job satisfaction among dimensions of workplace characteristics and examine their effects on women and men lawyers’ work schedules. Logistic regression results show that work schedules significantly vary by gender, parental role, and experience of workplace discrimination. We find that, although all parents experience types of discrimination, there are still major differences in work schedules between mothers and fathers. Our study adds to the gender debate of employment and organizations by examining quantitatively experiences of workplace discrimination.
Evaluation of the Effects of Crushed and Expanded Waste Glass Aggregates on the Material Properties of Lightweight Concrete Using Image-Based Approaches
Authors: Chung Sang-Yeop , Abd Elrahman Mohamed , Sikora Pawel , Rucinska Teresa , Horszczaruk Elzbieta , Stephan Dietmar
Published: November 2017

Recently, the recycling of waste glass has become a worldwide issue in the reduction of waste and energy consumption. Waste glass can be utilized in construction materials, and understanding its effects on material properties is crucial in developing advanced materials. In this study, recycled crushed and expanded glasses are used as lightweight aggregates for concrete, and their relation to the material characteristics and properties is investigated using several approaches. Lightweight concrete specimens containing only crushed and expanded waste glass as fine aggregates are produced, and their pore and structural characteristics are examined using image-based methods, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray computed tomography (CT), and automated image analysis (RapidAir). The thermal properties of the materials are measured using both Hot Disk and ISOMET devices to enhance measurement accuracy. Mechanical properties are also evaluated, and the correlation between material characteristics and properties is evaluated. As a control group, a concrete specimen with natural fine sand is prepared, and its characteristics are compared with those of the specimens containing crushed and expanded waste glass aggregates. The obtained results support the usability of crushed and expanded waste glass aggregates as alternative lightweight aggregates.
Study on the Anti-Poison Performance of Al–Y–P Master Alloy for Impurity Ca in Aluminum Alloys
Authors: Zuo Min , Dong Yu , Zhao Degang , Wang Yan , Teng Xinying
Published: November 2017

In this article, the anti-poison performance of novel Al–6Y–2P master alloy for impurity Ca in hypereutectic Al–Si alloys was investigated in detail. According to the microstructural analysis, it can be found that the primary Si and eutectic Si particles could be relatively modified and refined. In order to investigate the influence mechanism of Ca on the limited refinement performance of Al–6Y–2P master alloy, types of Al–xSi–2Ca–3Y–1P (x = 0, 6, 12, 18, and 30) alloys were prepared. It is observed that Ca takes the form of more stable Ca3P2 compounds by reacting with YP, and the surface of Ca3P2 particles are unsmooth, and even some have wrinkles in Al Al–2Ca–3Y–1P alloy. With the increase of Si content in Al–xSi–2Ca–3Y–1P (x = 6, 12, 18 and 30) systems, the multi-encapsulation structures, i.e., the phosphide (AlP and YP), hexagonal Al2Si2Ca, the Al3Si2Y2 or primary Si from inside to outside in order were examined.The excapsulation of YP and AlP caused by Al2Si2Ca might be the reason for the limited refinement effect of Al–6Y–2P master alloy for hypereutectic Al–18Si alloys.
Some Types of Subsemigroups Characterized in Terms of Inequalities of Generalized Bipolar Fuzzy Subsemigroups
Authors: Khamrot Pannawit , Siripitukdet Manoj
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we introduce a generalization of a bipolar fuzzy (BF) subsemigroup, namely, a ( α 1 , α 2 ; β 1 , β 2 ) -BF subsemigroup. The notions of ( α 1 , α 2 ; β 1 , β 2 ) -BF quasi(generalized bi-, bi-) ideals are discussed. Some inequalities of ( α 1 , α 2 ; β 1 , β 2 ) -BF quasi(generalized bi-, bi-) ideals are obtained. Furthermore, any regular semigroup is characterized in terms of generalized BF semigroups.
Wavelet Neural Network Model for Yield Spread Forecasting
Authors: Shah Firdous , Debnath Lokenath
Published: November 2017

In this study, a hybrid method based on coupling discrete wavelet transforms (DWTs) and artificial neural network (ANN) for yield spread forecasting is proposed. The discrete wavelet transform (DWT) using five different wavelet families is applied to decompose the five different yield spreads constructed at shorter end, longer end, and policy relevant area of the yield curve to eliminate noise from them. The wavelet coefficients are then used as inputs into Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) ANN models to forecast the predictive power of each of these spreads for output growth. We find that the yield spreads constructed at the shorter end and policy relevant areas of the yield curve have a better predictive power to forecast the output growth, whereas the yield spreads, which are constructed at the longer end of the yield curve do not seem to have predictive information for output growth. These results provide the robustness to the earlier results.
Computer-Aided Drug Design Applied to Marine Drug Discovery: Meridianins as Alzheimer’s Disease Therapeutic Agents
Authors: Llorach-Pares Laura , Nonell-Canals Alfons , Sanchez-Martinez Melchor , Avila Conxita
Published: November 2017

Computer-aided drug discovery/design (CADD) techniques allow the identification of natural products that are capable of modulating protein functions in pathogenesis-related pathways, constituting one of the most promising lines followed in drug discovery. In this paper, we computationally evaluated and reported the inhibitory activity found in meridianins A–G, a group of marine indole alkaloids isolated from the marine tunicate Aplidium, against various protein kinases involved in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurodegenerative pathology characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFT). Balance splitting between tau kinase and phosphate activities caused tau hyperphosphorylation and, thereby, its aggregation and NTF formation. Inhibition of specific kinases involved in its phosphorylation pathway could be one of the key strategies to reverse tau hyperphosphorylation and would represent an approach to develop drugs to palliate AD symptoms. Meridianins bind to the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding site of certain protein kinases, acting as ATP competitive inhibitors. These compounds show very promising scaffolds to design new drugs against AD, which could act over tau protein kinases Glycogen synthetase kinase-3 Beta (GSK3β) and Casein kinase 1 delta (CK1δ, CK1D or KC1D), and dual specificity kinases as dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase 1 (DYRK1A) and cdc2-like kinases (CLK1). This work is aimed to highlight the role of CADD techniques in marine drug discovery and to provide precise information regarding the binding mode and strength of meridianins against several protein kinases that could help in the future development of anti-AD drugs.
Effects of Strain Rate and Measuring Temperature on the Elastocaloric Cooling in a Columnar-Grained Cu71Al17.5Mn11.5 Shape Memory Alloy
Authors: Wang Hui , Huang Haiyou , Xie Jianxin
Published: November 2017

Solid-state refrigeration technology based on elastocaloric effects (eCEs) is attracting more and more attention from scientists and engineers. The response speed of the elastocaloric materials, which relates to the sensitivity to the strain rate and measuring temperature, is a significant parameter to evaluate the development of the elastocaloric material in device applications. Because the Cu-Al-Mn shape memory alloy (SMA) possesses a good eCE and a wide temperature window, it has been reported to be the most promising elastocaloric cooling material. In the present paper, the temperature changes (ΔT) induced by reversible martensitic transformation in a columnar-grained Cu71Al17.5Mn11.5 SMA fabricated by directional solidification were directly measured over the strain rate range of 0.005–0.19 s−1 and the measuring temperature range of 291–420 K. The maximum adiabatic ΔT of 16.5 K and a lower strain-rate sensitivity compared to TiNi-based SMAs were observed. With increasing strain rate, the ΔT value and the corresponding coefficient of performance (COP) of the alloy first increased, then achieved saturation when the strain rate reached 0.05 s−1. When the measuring temperature rose, the ΔT value increased linearly while the COP decreased linearly. The results of our work provide theoretical reference for the design of elastocaloric cooling devices made of this alloy.
Multidisciplinary Role of Microfluidics for Biomedical and Diagnostic Applications: Biomedical Microfluidic Devices
Authors: Oh Kwang
Published: November 2017

Life scientists are closely working with engineers to solve biological and biomedical problems through the application of engineering tools.[...]
A 3D Geological Model of a Vein Deposit Built by Aggregating Morphological and Mineral Grade Data
Authors: Sanches André , Almeida José , Sá Caetano Paulo , Vieira Romeu
Published: November 2017

The objective of this study was to establish a methodology for building a 3D geological model of a mineral vein deposit, encompassing morphology and wolframite content. The available data set includes stope data (vein thickness and wolframite quantity) and borehole data (vein thickness and wolframite modal classes). The data captured from boreholes and stopes differ in terms of their spatial distribution and clustering as well as the size and shape of each sample. Therefore, a specific methodology was designed to combine these two sources of information. The morphology model mapped vein thickness as a vein proportion variable, by applying a two-phase Direct Sequential Simulation (DSS) locally conditioned to borehole data. Regarding the evaluation of wolframite content, the variables are unable to be related directly to each other and are non-co-located. Therefore, a proximity study was made using DSS to build local conditional cumulative histograms (by borehole class and by mine level). The final model of wolframite quantity was generated using Probability Field Simulation. The proposed approach considers the initially identified problems, allowing the mineral potential of the deposit to be quantified by integrating the results of the two independent methodologies.
New Insights into the Adsorption of Oleate on Cassiterite: A DFT Study
Authors: Liu Jie , Gong Guichen , Han Yuexin , Zhu Yimin
Published: November 2017

A new understanding of the adsorption mechanism of oleate on cassiterite surfaces is presented by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Various convergence tests were conducted to optimize the parameter settings for the rational simulation of cassiterite bulk unit cell and surface slabs. The calculated surface energies of four low-index cassiterite cleavage planes form an increasing sequence of (110) < (100) < (101) < (001), demonstrating (110) is the most thermodynamically stable surface of cassiterite. The interaction strengths of the oleate ion (OL−), OH−, and H2O on the SnO2 (110) face are in the order of H2O < OH− < OL−, which reveals that the OL− is able to replace the adsorbed H2O and OH− on the mineral surfaces. Mulliken population calculations and electron density difference analysis show that electrons transfer from the Sn atoms on the cassiterite (110) surface to the O atoms offered by carboxyl groups of oleate during the interaction. The populations of newly formed O1–Sn1 and O2–Sn2 bonds are 0.30 and 0.29, respectively, indicating that these two bonds are of a very low covalency. Density of states analysis reveals that the formation of an O1–Sn1 bond mainly results from the 5s and 5p orbitals of the Sn1 atom and the 2p orbital of the O1 atom.
Design, Synthesis and Bioactivities of Novel Isoxazole-Containing Pyrazole Oxime Derivatives
Authors: Dai Hong , Yao Wei , Fang Yuan , Sun Siyu , Shi Yujun , Chen Jia , Jiang Guoqing , Shi Jian
Published: November 2017

In this study, in order to find novel biologically active pyrazole oxime derivatives, twenty-eight new pyrazole oxime compounds containing a substituted isoxazole ring were synthesized and evaluated for their acaricidaland insecticidal activities. Bioassays exhibited that some target compounds indicated good acaricidal and insecticidal activities against Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Aphis medicaginis, Mythimna separata, and Nilaparvata lugens. Especially, compounds 9c, 9h, 9u, and 9v showed 100.00%, 90.56%, 90.78%, and 90.62% insecticidal activities against A. medicaginis at the concentration of 20 μg/mL, respectively, compounds 9k and 9u had 70.86% and 100.00% insecticidal activities against M. separata at 20 μg/mL, respectively.
Inhibition by Commercial Aminoglycosides of Human Connexin Hemichannels Expressed in Bacteria
Authors: Fiori Mariana , Krishnan Srinivasan , Kjellgren Abbey , Cuello Luis , Altenberg Guillermo
Published: November 2017

In addition to gap junctional channels that mediate cell-to-cell communication, connexins form hemichannels that are present at the plasma membrane. Since hemichannels are permeable to small hydrophilic compounds, including metabolites and signaling molecules, their abnormal opening can cause or contribute to cell damage in disorders such as cardiac infarct, stroke, deafness, skin diseases, and cataracts. Therefore, hemichannels are potential pharmacological targets. A few aminoglycosides, well-known broad-spectrum antibiotics, have been shown to inhibit hemichannels. Here, we tested several commercially available aminoglycosides for inhibition of human connexin hemichannels using a cell-based bacterial growth complementation assay that we developed recently. We found that kanamycin A, kanamycin B, geneticin, neomycin, and paromomycin are effective inhibitors of hemichannels formed by connexins 26, 43, and 46 (Cx26, Cx43, and Cx46). Because of the >70 years of clinical experience with aminoglycosides and the fact that several of the aminoglycosides tested here have been used in humans, they are promising starting points for the development of effective connexin hemichannel inhibitors.
The Design and Evaluation of an l-Dopa–Lazabemide Prodrug for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Hoon Monique , Petzer Jacobus , Viljoen Francois , Petzer Anél
Published: November 2017

l-Dopa, the metabolic precursor of dopamine, is the treatment of choice for the symptomatic relief of the advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease. The oral bioavailability of l-dopa, however, is only about 10% to 30%, and less than 1% of the oral dose is estimated to reach the brain unchanged. l-Dopa’s physicochemical properties are responsible for its poor bioavailability, short half-life and the wide range of inter- and intrapatient variations of plasma levels. An l-dopa–lazabemide prodrug is proposed to overcome the problems associated with l-dopa absorption. Lazabemide is a monoamine oxidase (MAO)-B inhibitor, a class of compounds that slows the depletion of dopamine stores in Parkinson’s disease and elevates dopamine levels produced by exogenously administered l-dopa. l-Dopa was linked at the carboxylate with the primary aminyl functional group of lazabemide via an amide, a strategy which is anticipated to protect l-dopa against peripheral decarboxylation and possibly also enhance the membrane permeability of the prodrug. Selected physicochemical and biochemical properties of the prodrug were determined and included lipophilicity (logD), solubility, passive diffusion permeability, pKa, chemical and metabolic stability as well as cytotoxicity. Although oral and i.p. treatment of mice with the prodrug did not result in enhanced striatal dopamine levels, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) levels were significantly depressed compared to saline, l-dopa and carbidopa/l-dopa treatment. Based on the results, further preclinical evaluation of the l-dopa–lazabemide prodrug should be undertaken with the aim of discovering prodrugs that may be advanced to the clinical stages of development.
Zinc as a Gatekeeper of Immune Function
Authors: Wessels Inga , Maywald Martina , Rink Lothar
Published: November 2017

After the discovery of zinc deficiency in the 1960s, it soon became clear that zinc is essential for the function of the immune system. Zinc ions are involved in regulating intracellular signaling pathways in innate and adaptive immune cells. Zinc homeostasis is largely controlled via the expression and action of zinc “importers” (ZIP 1–14), zinc “exporters” (ZnT 1–10), and zinc-binding proteins. Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties of zinc have long been documented, however, underlying mechanisms are still not entirely clear. Here, we report molecular mechanisms underlying the development of a pro-inflammatory phenotype during zinc deficiency. Furthermore, we describe links between altered zinc homeostasis and disease development. Consequently, the benefits of zinc supplementation for a malfunctioning immune system become clear. This article will focus on underlying mechanisms responsible for the regulation of cellular signaling by alterations in zinc homeostasis. Effects of fast zinc flux, intermediate “zinc waves”, and late homeostatic zinc signals will be discriminated. Description of zinc homeostasis-related effects on the activation of key signaling molecules, as well as on epigenetic modifications, are included to emphasize the role of zinc as a gatekeeper of immune function.
Integrated Immunomodulatory Mechanisms through which Long-Chain n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Attenuate Obese Adipose Tissue Dysfunction
Authors: Liddle Danyelle , Hutchinson Amber , Wellings Hannah , Power Krista , Robinson Lindsay , Monk Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Obesity is a global health concern with rising prevalence that increases the risk of developing other chronic diseases. A causal link connecting overnutrition, the development of obesity and obesity-associated co-morbidities is visceral adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction, characterized by changes in the cellularity of various immune cell populations, altered production of inflammatory adipokines that sustain a chronic state of low-grade inflammation and, ultimately, dysregulated AT metabolic function. Therefore, dietary intervention strategies aimed to halt the progression of obese AT dysfunction through any of the aforementioned processes represent an important active area of research. In this connection, fish oil-derived dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been demonstrated to attenuate obese AT dysfunction through multiple mechanisms, ultimately affecting AT immune cellularity and function, adipokine production, and metabolic signaling pathways, all of which will be discussed herein.
The Effect of a Diet Moderately High in Protein and Fiber on Insulin Sensitivity Measured Using the Dynamic Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Test (DISST)
Authors: Te Morenga Lisa , Docherty Paul , Williams Sheila , Mann Jim
Published: November 2017

Evidence shows that weight loss improves insulin sensitivity but few studies have examined the effect of macronutrient composition independently of weight loss on direct measures of insulin sensitivity. We randomised 89 overweight or obese women to either a standard diet (StdD), that was intended to be low in fat and relatively high in carbohydrate (n = 42) or to a relatively high protein (up to 30% of energy), relatively high fibre (>30 g/day) diet (HPHFib) (n = 47) for 10 weeks. Advice regarding strict adherence to energy intake goals was not given. Insulin sensitivity and secretion was assessed by a novel method—the Dynamic Insulin Sensitivity and Secretion Test (DISST). Although there were significant improvements in body composition and most cardiometabolic risk factors on HPHFib, insulin sensitivity was reduced by 19.3% (95% CI: 31.8%, 4.5%; p = 0.013) in comparison with StdD. We conclude that the reduction in insulin sensitivity after a diet relatively high in both protein and fibre, despite cardiometabolic improvements, suggests insulin sensitivity may reflect metabolic adaptations to dietary composition for maintenance of glucose homeostasis, rather than impaired metabolism.
Religious Diversity in the Public Sphere: The Canadian Case
Authors: Beaman Lori G.
Published: November 2017

This paper analyzes the contours of religious and nonreligious diversity in the Canadian public sphere. The ever-changing (non)religious landscape offers an opportunity to consider the flow of ideas from this new diversity to responses and choices at the individual, group, and state levels to inclusion and exclusion. The paper first begins with a descriptive approach to religious diversity, identifying the normatively-charged nature inherent to measures of religion. It then turns to the notion of choices, considering the somewhat uniquely Canadian contributions of multiculturalism, reasonable accommodation, and the recent complication of nonreligion as a category of religious identity. The paper then considers three case studies which reveal the tensions embedded in the new diversity and responses to it in Canada, including (1) the Saint-Sacrement Hospital crucifix incident; (2) Zunera Ishaq’s challenge to the citizenship ceremony niqab ban; and (3) school controversies in Ontario’s Peel Region.
Human-Like Room Segmentation for Domestic Cleaning Robots
Authors: Fleer David
Published: November 2017

Autonomous mobile robots have recently become a popular solution for automating cleaning tasks. In one application, the robot cleans a floor space by traversing and covering it completely. While fulfilling its task, such a robot may create a map of its surroundings. For domestic indoor environments, these maps often consist of rooms connected by passageways. Segmenting the map into these rooms has several uses, such as hierarchical planning of cleaning runs by the robot, or the definition of cleaning plans by the user. Especially in the latter application, the robot-generated room segmentation should match the human understanding of rooms. Here, we present a novel method that solves this problem for the graph of a topo-metric map: first, a classifier identifies those graph edges that cross a border between rooms. This classifier utilizes data from multiple robot sensors, such as obstacle measurements and camera images. Next, we attempt to segment the map at these room–border edges using graph clustering. By training the classifier on user-annotated data, this produces a human-like room segmentation. We optimize and test our method on numerous realistic maps generated by our cleaning-robot prototype and its simulated version. Overall, we find that our method produces more human-like room segmentations compared to mere graph clustering. However, unusual room borders that differ from the training data remain a challenge.
Pre-Clinical Tests of an Integrated CMOS Biomolecular Sensor for Cardiac Diseases Diagnosis
Authors: Lee Jen-Kuang , Wang I-Shun , Huang Chi-Hsien , Chen Yih-Fan , Huang Nien-Tsu , Lin Chih-Ting
Published: November 2017

Coronary artery disease and its related complications pose great threats to human health. In this work, we aim to clinically evaluate a CMOS field-effect biomolecular sensor for cardiac biomarkers, cardiac-specific troponin-I (cTnI), N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The CMOS biosensor is implemented via a standard commercialized 0.35 μm CMOS process. To validate the sensing characteristics, in buffer conditions, the developed CMOS biosensor has identified the detection limits of IL-6, cTnI, and NT-proBNP as being 45 pM, 32 pM, and 32 pM, respectively. In clinical serum conditions, furthermore, the developed CMOS biosensor performs a good correlation with an enzyme-linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) obtained from a hospital central laboratory. Based on this work, the CMOS field-effect biosensor poses good potential for accomplishing the needs of a point-of-care testing (POCT) system for heart disease diagnosis.
Spatial Patterns and the Regional Differences of Rural Settlements in Jilin Province, China
Authors: Li Xiaoyan , Li Huiying , Zhang Yingnan , Yang Limin
Published: November 2017

The spatial patterns of rural settlements are important for understanding the drivers of land use change and the relationship between human activity and environmental processes. It has been suggested that the clustering of houses decreases the negative effects on the environment and promotes the development of the countryside, but few empirical studies have quantified the spatial distribution patterns of houses. Our aim was to explore the regional differences in rural settlement patterns and expand our understanding of their geographic associations, and thus contribute to land use planning and the implementation of the policy of “building a new countryside”. We used spatial statistical methods and indices of landscape metrics to investigate different settlement patterns in three typical counties within different environments in Jilin Province, Northeast China. The results indicated that rural settlements in these three counties were all clustered, but to a varied degree. Settlement density maps and landscape metrics displayed uniformity of the settlement distributions within plain, hill, and mountainous areas. Influenced by the physical environment, the scale, form, and degree of aggregation varied. Accordingly, three types of rural settlements were summarized: a low-density, large-scale and sparse type; a mass-like and point-scattered type; and a low-density and high cluster-like type. The spatial patterns of rural settlements are the result of anthropogenic and complex physical processes, and provide an important insight for the layout and management of the countryside.
Structuring the Environmental Experience Design Research Framework through Selected Aged Care Facility Data Analyses in Victoria
Authors: Ma Nan , Chau Hing-wah , Zhou Jin , Noguchi Masa
Published: November 2017

Humans relate to the living environment physically and psychologically. Environmental psychology has a rich developed history while experience design emerged recently in the industrial design domain. Nonetheless, these approaches have barely been merged, understood or implemented in architectural design practices. This study explored the correlation between experience design and environmental psychology. Moreover, it conducted literature reviews on theories about emotion, user experience design, experience design and environmental psychology, followed by the analyses of spatial settings and environmental quality data of a selected aged care facility in Victoria, Australia, as a case study. Accordingly, this study led to proposing a research framework on environmental experience design (EXD). It can be defined as a deliberate attempt that affiliates experience design and environmental psychology with creation of the built environment that should accommodate user needs and demands. The EXD research framework proposed in this study was tailored for transforming related design functions into the solutions that contribute to improving the built environment for user health and wellbeing.
Capturing Firms’ Heterogeneity through Marketing and IT Capabilities in SMEs
Authors: Ramón-Jerónimo María A. , Herrero Inés
Published: November 2017

To achieve sustainability, firms capable of surviving economic recessions is of key relevance; the capabilities that firms need to face dynamic environments remain an open question. In this work, a new procedure is proposed to capture firms’ heterogeneity with regard to the capabilities they possess in operating efficiently in dynamic environments. This approach enables the identification of the classes of firms that develop efficiency with a specific integration of resources. While the literature has most often measured firm capabilities using subjective measures, this study suggests the use of Data Envelopment Analysis to capture the ability to transform resources into outcomes and of Latent Class Regression to capture differences across firms that explain firms’ heterogeneity in the way they perform. By combining these two techniques, this work presents a way to identify those firms that need to invest in and develop certain capabilities. This work analyses a large dataset of manufacturing Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) extracted from the Business and Strategy survey provided by Fundación de la Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales( SEPI) in Spain. The dataset used enfolds 10,960 observations from 2048 firms during the period 1994–2011. The complete dataset has been employed to calculate manufacturing firms’ efficiency. In a second step, data were cleaned to eliminate outliers, and to identify SMEs and observations with records of IT capabilities. As a result, 329 manufacturing SMEs were analysed to capture their heterogeneity. The results contribute to the current literature by explaining how manufacturing SMEs show a different need in their development of capabilities to be efficient and adapt to environmental changes. While approximately 20% of firms analysed really take advantage of recessions through their investment in R&D, the remaining 80% need to adjust their size or invest in IT capabilities to become competitive. The assumption shown in previous studies regarding the performance of SMEs to better confront recessions is discussed in this paper.
A Holistic Analysis Approach to Social, Technical, and Socio-Technical Aspect of E-Government Development
Authors: Gibreel Omer , Hong Ahreum
Published: November 2017

Recently, a new trend has been emerging in understanding the differences in the implementation of ICT (Information Communication Technology) in the context of e-government between the developing and developed world. The two are broadly distinct in their characteristics of implementation due to differences in the diffusion and speed of technology patterns combined with efforts to bridge the digital divide. This leads to the objective of this paper, understanding the dynamic effects intertwining diverse aspects—social, technical, and socio-technical—on the development of e-government. However, current research still lacks a holistic perspective in comprehending how social, technical and socio-technical dimensions interact or promote the development of e-government system in a given state. This paper uses a panel dataset gathered from the World Bank, UN, and ITU databases. The research results highlight the need to look at the development of e-government through a more holistic approach rather than an atomistic single-cause approach. The results also indicate that there is no one-size-fits-all solution and a more effective e-government master plan should take into consideration the technical side of e-government development and also reflect social and, most importantly, socio-technical considerations and its holistic implication for the development of e-government systems in a given state.
Impact of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident on Belief in Rumors: The Role of Risk Perception and Communication
Authors: Kim Seoyong , Kim Sunhee
Published: November 2017

Rumors about nuclear power energy and its risks in terms of technology are common. However, these rumors are sometimes exaggerated and not true. Our research question is what factors and variables have influence the rumors related to the Fukushima nuclear accident. We analyzed data collected through social survey (n = 1572). To measure the dependent variable, we asked respondents whether rumors related to the Fukushima nuclear accident were true or false, and the degree to which they trusted such rumors. We measured three factors in determining belief in rumors: psychometric paradigm, communication, and risk perception. We then analyzed the direct impact of these three factors on belief in rumors and the indirect moderating effect of perceived risk of the Fukushima nuclear accident on the relationship between psychometric factors and belief in rumors. Results show that in the communication factors, source credibility decreases belief in rumors whereas usefulness of information and receiver’s ability increase it. All the psychometric variables have significant impacts on belief in rumors. Perceived benefit, trust, and knowledge decrease belief in rumors, and perceived risk and stigma increase it. Finally, the perceived risk of Fukushima accident plays a role of moderators between psychometric paradigm and belief in rumors.
Awe: An Important Emotional Experience in Sustainable Tourism
Authors: Lu Dong , Liu Yide , Lai Ivan , Yang Li
Published: November 2017

“Awesome” is one of the most highly desirable experiences for tourists. This study investigates how tourists’ awe emotion is induced when tourists visit sacred mountains and how the awe experience influences their satisfaction. A survey is administrated at a famous sacred mountain in China—Mount Emei. Results reveal that the awe experience is more elicited by the perceived vastness of natural environment for secular tourists, while is more encouraged by the perceived sanctity of religious ambience for pilgrim tourists. Awe experience is a mediator between the sense of perceptual vastness/sanctity and tourists’ satisfaction. The mediation relationships through awe experience are moderated by the visitor types (pilgrims and secular tourists). Findings suggest that destination marketers should apply tourism strategies to encourage tourists’ sense of awe.
Visualization of Thomas–Wigner Rotations
Authors: Beyerle Georg
Published: November 2017

It is well known that a sequence of two non-collinear Lorentz boosts (pure Lorentz transformations) does not correspond to a Lorentz boost, but involves a spatial rotation, the Wigner or Thomas–Wigner rotation. We visualize the interrelation between this rotation and the relativity of distant simultaneity by moving a Born-rigid object on a closed trajectory in several steps of uniform proper acceleration. Born-rigidity implies that the stern of the boosted object accelerates faster than its bow. It is shown that at least five boost steps are required to return the object’s center to its starting position, if in each step the center is assumed to accelerate uniformly and for the same proper time duration. With these assumptions, the Thomas–Wigner rotation angle depends on a single parameter only. Furthermore, it is illustrated that accelerated motion implies the formation of a “frame boundary”. The boundaries associated with the five boosts constitute a natural barrier and ensure the object’s finite size.
The Optimization Design of a Novel Slotted Microstrip Patch Antenna with Multi-Bands Using Adaptive Network-Based Fuzzy Inference System
Authors: Abbasi Layegh Mahmood , Ghobadi Changiz , Nourinia Javad
Published: November 2017

This paper attempts to apply an adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) for analysis of the resonant frequency of a single-layer single-patch microstrip rectangular patch antenna with two equal size slots which are placed on the patch in the form of parallel to resonance edges. The resonant frequency is calculated as the position of the slots is shifted from the right endpoint to the left endpoint on the patch between −4.2 mm ≤ Xslot ≤ 4.2 mm with the steps of 0.1 mm. The designed antenna is proposed for downlink of X band satellite, broadcasting satellite service, fixed-satellite service uplink, satellite (Earth-to-space), radio navigation, mobile-satellite (Earth-to-space), and KU band which can be achieved at the resonant frequencies of 7.2 GHz, 12.2 GHz, 14.6 GHz, 17.5 GHz and 19.3 GHz. Next, High Frequency Electromagnetic Field Simulation software (ANSYS HFSS) results for the prototype microstrip antenna are compared with the values obtained through ANFIS system. It can be concluded that the adaptive network-based fuzzy inference system in such designs can be conveniently used due to fuzzy system’s high approximation capability and much faster convergence rate. The best results for our ANFIS system can be obtained if Gaussian membership is used which leads to the mean absolute error of 1.4653.
Building Blocks: A Quantitative Approach for Evaluating Coastal Vulnerability
Authors: Kantamaneni Komali , Du Xiaoping , Aher Sainath , Singh Rao
Published: November 2017

Climate change and associated factors such as global and regional sea-level rise; the upsurge in high-intensity flooding events; and coastal erosion are pulse and press disturbances that threaten to increase landslides in coastal regions. Under these circumstances; a rigorous framework is required to evaluate coastal vulnerability in order to plan for future climate change scenarios. A vast majority of coastal vulnerability assessments across the globe are evaluated at the macro level (city scale) but not at the micro level (small town scale); particularly in the United Kingdom (UK). In order to fill this vital research gap; the current study established a coastal vulnerability index termed here as the Micro Town Coastal Vulnerability Index (MTCVI) and then applied it to Barton-on-Sea; which is a small coastal town of the Hampshire region; England; UK. MTCVI was evaluated for Barton-on-Sea coastal vulnerability by integrating both novel and existing parameters. Results suggest that the entire shoreline frontage (2 km) exhibits very high coastal vulnerability and is prone to various coastal hazards such as landslides; erosion; and wave intrusion. This suggests that Barton-on-Sea coastal amenities will require a substantial improvement in shoreline protection measures. In this study; GIS (geographic information system) coastal vulnerability and landslide maps were generated; and these maps can be used by the local authorities; district councils; coastal engineers; and planners to improve and design coastal management strategies under the climate change scenarios. Meanwhile; the methodology used in this study could also be applied to any other suitable location in the world depending on the availability of the data.
Synthesis and supramolecular properties of regioisomers of mononaphthylallyl derivatives of γ-cyclodextrin
Authors: Bláhová Markéta , Filippov Sergey K , Kováčik Lubomír , Horský Jiří , Hybelbauerová Simona , Syrová Zdenka , Křížek Tomáš , Jindřich Jindřich
Published: November 2017

Monosubstituted derivatives of γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) are suitable building blocks for supramolecular polymers, and can also serve as precursors for the synthesis of other regioselectively monosubstituted γ-CD derivatives. We prepared a set of monosubstituted 2I-O-, 3I-O-, and 6I-O-(3-(naphthalen-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-yl) derivatives of γ-CD using two different methods. A key step of the first synthetic procedure is a cross-metathesis between previously described regioisomers of mono-O-allyl derivatives of γ-CD and 2-vinylnaphthalene which gives yields of about 16–25% (2–5% starting from γ-CD). To increase the overall yields, we have developed another method, based on a direct alkylation of γ-CD with 3-(naphthalen-2-yl)allyl chloride as the alkylating reagent. Highly regioselective reaction conditions, which differ for each regioisomer in a used base, gave the monosubstituted isomers in yields between 12–19%. Supramolecular properties of these derivatives were studied by DLS, ITC, NMR, and Cryo-TEM.
H2 OPTIMAL MODEL REDUCTION OF COUPLED SYSTEMS ON THE GRASSMANN MANIFOLD
Authors: Yang Ping , Jiang Yao-Lin
Published: November 2017

In this paper, we focus on the H2 optimal model reduction methods of coupled systems and ordinary differential equation (ODE) systems. First, the ε-embedding technique and a stable representation of an unstable differential algebraic equation (DAE) system are introduced. Next, some properties of manifolds are reviewed and the H2 norm of ODE systems is discussed. Then, the H2 optimal model reduction method of ODE systems on the Grassmann manifold is explored and generalized to coupled systems. Finally, numerical examples demonstrate the approximation accuracy of our proposed algorithms.
TRIPLY RESONANT DOUBLE DIFFUSIVE CONVECTION IN A FLUID LAYER
Authors: Harfash Akil J. , Nashmi Fahad K.
Published: November 2017

We study the problem of double-diffusive convection in a horizontal plane fluid layer when there is a heat sink/source which is linear in the vertical coordinate which is in the opposite direction to gravity. The thresholds for linear instability are found and compared to those derived by a global nonlinear energy stability analysis. A region is discovered where a very sharp increase in Rayleigh number is observed. In addition to a linearized instability analysis, two global (unconditional) nonlinear stability thresholds are derived.
WATER-WAVES SCATTERING BY PERMEABLE BOTTOM IN TWO-LAYER FLUID IN THE PRESENCE OF SURFACE TENSION
Authors: Panda Srikumar , Martha Subash C.
Published: November 2017

In the present paper, reflection and transmission phenomena of water waves due to undulating permeable bottom in a two-layer fluid system are investigated using two-dimensional linearized theory. The effect of surface tension on the free surface is included in this work. In two-layer fluid system, there exist waves with two different wave numbers (modes). When a wave of a particular wave number encounters the undulating bottom, reflection and transmission phenomena occur in both the layers. The reflection and transmission coefficients in both layers due to incident waves of both modes are analyzed with the aid of perturbation analysis along with Fourier transform technique. It is found that these coefficients are obtained in terms of integrals which depend on the shape function of the undulating bottom. Two different kinds of undulating bottoms are considered to determine these coefficients. For a particular undulating bottom, namely sinusoidal bottom undulation the effect of various physical parameters such as number of ripples, surface tension and porous effect parameters are demonstrated graphically. The study further elaborates the energy balance relations associated with the reflection and transmission coefficients to ascertain the correctness of all the computed results.
Radio Galaxy Zoo: A Search for Hybrid Morphology Radio Galaxies
Authors: Kapińska A. D. , Terentev I. , Wong O. I. , Shabala S. S. , Andernach H. , Rudnick L. , Storer L. , Banfield J. K. , Willett K. W. , de Gasperin F. , Lintott C. J. , López-Sánchez Á. R. , Middelberg E. , Norris R. P. , Schawinski K. , Seymour N. , Simmons B.
Published: November 2017

Hybrid morphology radio sources (HyMoRS) are a rare type of radio galaxy that display different Fanaroff–Riley classes on opposite sides of their nuclei. To enhance the statistical analysis of HyMoRS, we embarked on a large-scale search of these sources within the international citizen science project, Radio Galaxy Zoo (RGZ). Here, we present 25 new candidate hybrid morphology radio galaxies. Our selected candidates are moderate power radio galaxies (

W Hz−1 sr−1) at redshifts

. Hosts of nine candidates have spectroscopic observations, of which six are classified as quasars, one as high- and two as low-excitation galaxies. Two candidate HyMoRS are giant (

Mpc) radio galaxies, one resides at the center of a galaxy cluster, and one is hosted by a rare green bean galaxy. Although the origin of the hybrid morphology radio galaxies is still unclear, this type of radio source starts depicting itself as a rather diverse class. We discuss hybrid radio morphology formation in terms of the radio source environment (nurture) and intrinsically occurring phenomena (nature; activity cessation and amplification), showing that these peculiar radio galaxies can be formed by both mechanisms. While high angular resolution follow-up observations are still necessary to confirm our candidates, we demonstrate the efficacy of the RGZ in the pre-selection of these sources from all-sky radio surveys, and report the reliability of citizen scientists in identifying and classifying complex radio sources.
Magnetic Field Amplification in Supernova Remnants
Authors: Xu Siyao , Lazarian Alex
Published: November 2017

Based on the new findings on the turbulent dynamo in Xu & Lazarian, we examine the magnetic field amplification in the context of supernova remnants. Due to the strong ion-neutral collisional damping in the weakly ionized interstellar medium, the dynamo in the preshock turbulence remains in the damping kinematic regime, which leads to a linear-in-time growth of the magnetic field strength. The resultant magnetic field structure enables effective diffusion upstream and shock acceleration of cosmic rays to energies above the “knee.” Differently, the nonlinear dynamo in the postshock turbulence leads to a linear-in-time growth of the magnetic energy due to the turbulent magnetic diffusion. Given a weak initial field strength in the postshock region, the magnetic field saturates at a significant distance from the shock front as a result of the inefficiency of the nonlinear dynamo. This result is in a good agreement with existing numerical simulations and well explains the X-ray spots detected far behind the shock front.
Thermal and Nonthermal Emissions of a Composite Flare Derived from NoRH and SDO Observations
Authors: Lee Jeongwoo , White Stephen M. , Jing Ju , Liu Chang , Masuda Satoshi , Chae Jongchul
Published: November 2017

Differential emission measure (DEM) derived from the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lines of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory is used in the analysis of a solar flare observed by the Nobeyama Radioheliograph (NoRH). The target was a composite event consisting of an impulsive flare, SOL2015-06-21T01:42 (GOES class M2.0), and a gradual flare, SOL2015-06-21T02:36 (M2.6), for which separation of thermal plasma heating from nonthermal particle acceleration was of major interest. We have calculated the thermal free–free intensity maps with the AIA-derived DEM and compared them against the observed NoRH maps to attribute the difference to the nonthermal component. In this way, we were able to locate three distinct sources: the major source with thermal and nonthermal components mixed, a nonthermal source devoid of thermal particles, and a thermal source lacking microwave emission. Both the first and the second nonthermal sources produced impulsively rising 17 GHz intensities and moved away from the local magnetic polarization inversion lines in correlation with the flare radiation. In contrast, the thermal sources stay in fixed locations and show temporal variations of the temperature and emission measure uncorrelated with the flare radiation. We interpret these distinct properties as indicating that nonthermal sources are powered by magnetic reconnection and thermal sources passively receive energy from the nonthermal donor. The finding of these distinct properties between thermal and nonthermal sources demonstrates the microwave and EUV emission measure combined diagnostics.