bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PAPER INK INTERACTIONS .Impact of oil-binder interaction on pore structure in paper coatings as studied by internal reflectance. Part 2: Relation to structural expansion
Authors: Koivunen Kimmo , Gane Patrick A. C.
Published: October 2012

In the case of ink setting on coated paper, s1gmficant decrease of accessible pore volume of the coating matrix can occur due to structural changes caused by swelling of latex hinder particles when contacted with the vehicle of oil-based ink. The impact of latex swelling, reduced network connectivity and the subsequent effects on the dynamic of spatial liquid distribution characteristics within the expanded pore network were examined by a recently established optical retlectance measurement procedure based on the refractive index differences between the coating components and the surrounding medium present in the interparticle pores. GCC model coatings with latex binders displaying differing swelling characteristics were exposed to liquid supersource imbibition without application of external pressure. Effects of both linseed oil and mineral oil on binder swe lling and consequent structural expansion were studied. lt is proposed that the linear retlectance behaviour in the saturated region is related to the mechanical restriction on expansion at the transition between the saturated and partially filling regions of the porous structure, and is consistent with an approximate catenary form in the macroscopic coating dimensional change as a function of depth. A conceptual structural change factor based on the change of retlectance in the saturated region is introduced, and is shown to correlate with the porosity loss values. The results suggest differences in the structural change factors in relation to the equilibrium oil uptake, coating porosity loss, and liquid propagation. The structural change factor also correlates the reflectance gradient within the coating thickness with regard to oil uptake with hinder content as the binder Ievel is increased.
PAPER PHYSICS. Bi-level optimization in papermaking process design
Authors: Linnala Mikko , Hämäläinen Jari
Published: October 2012

Model-based optimization is a sophisticated design tool for papermaking processes. In this paper, the method is extended from the unit process design and single-level optimization to the simultaneaus design of the process structure and operations. This is enabled by using a bi-level optimization formulation which allows to avoid unnecessary iterations between the process and automation designs. The bi-level optimization approach is studied here from the perspective of multiobj ective optimization and decision making. The method is illustrated by a case study in which the broke and water system structures and the papermaking process operations are optimized simultaneously.
PAPER PHYSICS. PIV measurements of flow through forming fabrics
Authors: Peng Haiya , Green Sheldon I.
Published: October 2012

The three-dimensional velocity field in the single phase approach flow to a multiple layer woven forming fabric was measured using PIV. The measurements were conducted on a scaled-up model of a forming fabric in a water/glycerin flow loop. Each strand on the paper side of the model forming fabric had a filament diameter ( d) of 1 5 mm, and the flow loop test section was 3 1 0 mm squared, permitting the measurement of detailed velocity distributions over multiple strands of the fabric. The flow speed in the loop test section was varied to achieve screen Reynolds numbers between 12 and 6 5 . PIV measurements showed that when the distance t o the paper side of the fabric changes from 0.25d to 1 . 5d, the normalized ZD, CMD and MD velocity deviation decreases from 1 9 .7% to 4 .2%, 1 5 . 3 % to 1 .9% and 1 4 . 5 % t o 2 . 3 %, respectively; the ratio between maximum and minimum ZD velocity decreases from 3 .3 to 1 .2 . These findings indicate that the flow non-uniformity caused by the fabric weave is confined to a short distance above the fabric. CFD simulations of the same flow were consistent with the PIV measurements.
PAPER PHYSICS. The web structure in relation to the furnish composition and shoe press pulse profiles during wet pressing
Authors: Hii Collin , Gregersen Øyvind W. , Chinga-Carrasco Gary , Eriksen Øyvind , Toven Kai
Published: October 2012

This study shows that wet-pressing TMP and DIP with a shoe press pulse may yield similar afterpress solids, provided that an adequate shoe pulse length with similar pressure profile is applied. A wet web with more porous structure in the sheet dewatering (felt) layer seems to contribute to the increased dewatering during wet pressing. In addition, a shoe press pulse with high peak pressure at the end yields higher solids content after wet-pressing and higher bulk compared to a pulse with a peak pressure in the beginning. The increased dewatering during wet-pressing implies a reduction of steam consumption in the dryer.
Relationship of Maternal Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 with birth weight and body proportion of newborn
Authors: Ahmed Afsana , Akhter Mahbooba , Sharmin Shafia , Ara Shamim , Hoque Md Mozammel
Published: October 2012

Vitamin B12 and folate are two important B vitamins that are related to normal fetal development and fetal growth because they act as co-enzyme for the synthesis of nucleic acid and take part in DNA replication and cell division. Reduced level of serum folate and vitamin B12 also results in hyperhomocysteinemia which causes IUGR. A cross sectional study was made in which 150 pregnant women were included according to set inclusion and exclusion criteria of the study. On the basis of anthropometric measurements (birth weight, birth length, OFC) of the newborn, study subjects were grouped into group-I those who delivered low birth weight babies and group-II those who delivered normal birth weight babies. Serum folate and vitamin B12 level were measured in all the study subjects after delivery. Maternal serum folate & vitamin B12 of group-I were significantly lower than that of group-II. Birth weight, length & OFC of newborns showed significant positive correlation with maternal serum folate & vitamin B12. The risk of lower serum folate was significant for lower weight (OR11.00, 95% CI 4.81-25.15), lower length (OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.42-9.47), lower OFC (OR 6.96, 95% CI 2.47-17.87). The risks of lower serum vitamin B12 were significant for lower weight (OR 4.09, 95% CI 1.67-10.00), lower length (OR 4.83, 95%CI 2.28-10.22), lower OFC (OR 4.11, 95%CI 1.97- 8.54). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdnmch.v18i1.12224 J. Dhaka National Med. Coll. Hos. 2012; 18 (01): 7-11
The Prevalence rate of Hypertension in Rural Population of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahim MA , Rahman MM , Rahman M , Ahmed F , Chowdhury J , Islam F
Published: October 2012

Background: The non-communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and asthma are emerging as a major health problem in Bangladesh. Recently, these are given high research priority by the Government of Bangladesh. The prevalence of hypertension is increasing rapidly, but there is no current study on prevalence of hypertension in rural population of Bangladesh. There are some studies conducted on prevalence of hypertension from mid 70's to late 90's. Those studies showed the prevalence of hypertension is increasing significantly in both urban and rural population. In rural population the prevalence of hypertension was in 23.6% 1. After that there is no population based study was conducted on prevalence of hypertension in rural population of Bangladesh. Methods: We measured blood pressure, body weight and height of 532 individuals at and above the age of 20 years (age range 20-70 years) of both sexes accept pregnant and those who were under medication of hypertension. We collected information about smoking, family history of hypertension, status of physical activity, diabetes, annual income etc. Result: The overall prevalence rate of hypertension was 30.64% (male 31.53% and female 29.36%). In the study, the blood pressure was measured in all study subjects. The mean blood pressure was higher in hypertensive participants than that of non hypertensive. The prevalence of hypertension (30.64%) observed in this study was higher than the previous study. In this study showed that with the increasing age more the prevalence of hypertension. The similar funding also observed in recent Indian study. Our study showed that the hypertension prevalence was high among people with high BMI and obesity, positive family history, smoking and less physical activity. Conclusion: The prevalence of hypertension in the rural population was found to be on the increased compare to previous reports of Bangladesh and other Asian studies. Advanced age, obesity, higher incomes, family history of hypertension, smoking and reduced physical activity were proved significant risk factors for hypertension, whereas, sex, occupation, showed no association with hypertension. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jdnmch.v18i1.12225 J. Dhaka National Med. Coll. Hos. 2012; 18 (01): 12-17
INFLUENCE OF VISCOSITY MODIFYING AGENT ON SOME RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES, SEGREGATION RESISTANCE AND COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH OF SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE
Authors: Grabiec Anna M.
Published: October 2012

Rheological properties of self-compacting concrete mixes containing a viscosity modifying agent (VMA) in their composition were studied. After preliminary studies self-compacting concrete mixes and, particularly, a fluid concrete mix prone to segregation of its ingredients were chosen. VMA was added in various amounts to that concrete mix to check how it performed in fresh and hardened concrete. Main studies focused on the influence of VMA on the following properties of concrete mixes: the slump flow, the flow time into the diameter of 500 mm and the resistance to segregation in the vertical direction. Moreover, the air content of concrete mixes and the 28-day compressive strength of concrete were measured. Test results showed that VMA significantly influenced the rheological properties of concrete mix, stabilised it and reduced the segregation. It was proved, that the concrete mix modified by VMA used in the optimal amount, featured the smallest scatter of concrete strength results. Besides, the Tukey's test showed that a reduction of the concrete compressive strength is possible to be statistically insignificant when compared to the reference level.
DOES LEVERAGE AFFECT LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY? A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LOCAL AND MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES OF THE BALTIC COUNTRIES
Authors: Avarmaa Mari , Hazak Aaro , Männasoo Kadri
Published: October 2012

This paper investigates the impact of leverage on labour productivity of companies operating in the Baltic countries, with a focus on differences between local and multinational companies. We employ a fixed effects regression model on company level data, covering the period from 2001 to 2008. Our results demonstrate that the impact of leverage on labour productivity is non-linear and it differs dramatically between local and multinational companies. In the case of local companies, at low levels of leverage, an increase in external financing tends to bring along an improvement in labour productivity, while at higher levels of leverage an increase in debt financing appears to result in a loss of labour productivity. For multinational companies, the impact of leverage on labour productivity tends to be more linear and leverage appears to have a negative impact on labour productivity. Although debt overhang is believed to be an issue in the Baltic countries in general, local companies with low leverage might be able to increase labour productivity by additional borrowing.
Identités et démocratie en Afrique
Authors: Rossatanga-Rignault Guy
Published: October 2012

Résumé La démocratie « universelle » est-elle soluble dans le magma identitaire en fusion que constituent la plupart des pays africains ? Dans des États traversés par des fractures plus ethniques, régionales ou religieuses qu’idéologiques, « un homme, une voix » signifie-t-il vraiment démocratie ? Alors que la démocratie électorale est normalement une pacification de la lutte pour le pouvoir, les élections sont trop souvent facteurs de tensions violentes en Afrique. Peut-on continuer à nier de telles réalités ? Il convient en définitive de reconnaître l’urgence du débat sur la prise en compte juridique et constitutionnelle du fait identitaire.
L'entreprise multinationale à la croisée de la mondialisation et du management interculturel : comment relever le défi posé par la distance linguistique ?
Authors: Dumitriu Camélia , Capdevila Ignasi
Published: October 2012

Résumé Dans cet article, nous proposons un cadre d’analyse pour évaluer la distance linguistique entre le pays d’origine d’une entreprise multinationale (EMN) et son pays d’accueil, ainsi qu’un outil pour la mesurer. Le cadre conceptuel de notre étude s’appuie sur le modèle de classification des entreprises multinationales proposé par Perlmutter (1969) et enrichi par BarTlett et al. (2005). La distance linguistique est mesurée par un indice agrégé, calculé selon la méthode de l’utilité espérée (Von Neumann et Morgenstern, 1947) en présence de critères multiples (Roy, 1985). Les composantes de cet indice sont basées sur les résultats des études antérieures portant sur la distance linguistique. Nous présentons l’outil de mesure et ses composantes, ainsi que les résultats obtenus suite à son utilisation pour mesurer la distance linguistique entre le Canada et quatre pays asiatiques différents.
La « relation client » à la lueur d'une analyse du discours comparative
Authors: Tréguer-Felten Geneviève
Published: October 2012

Résumé Cet article prend appui sur plusieurs corpus de discours institutionnels d’entreprises françaises, chinoises et états-uniennes, analysés dans le cadre d’une approche interdisciplinaire reliant analyse du discours et approche interprétative de la culture. On montre comment, selon si les locuteurs sont français, chinois ou états-uniens, leurs discours – en langue maternelle ou en anglais lingua franca – font émerger des conceptions différentes de ce qu’est une bonne « relation client ». Une brève exploration de courriels interpersonnels rassemblés au sein de multinationales donne une idée des difficultés que peut engendrer la méconnaissance de la spécificité culturelle des concepts managériaux, incitant à développer l’analyse du discours pour venir en aide à tous ceux qui, en situation de communication interculturelle, sont appelés à convaincre autrui.
A Comparison of Principal Component-Based and Multivariate Regression of Cardiac Disease
Authors: Underwood Fox , Bertazzon Stefania
Published: October 2012

Selecting factors suitable to use in a regression model is often a complicated process: the researcher strives to retain all theoretically important factors while avoiding high correlations among independent variables. This chapter models cardiac disease and compares the explanatory ability of component-based multivariate regression models, created through the use of principal component analysis (PCA), with that of direct variable-based, multivariate regression models. The variable-based demographic and socio-economic model contains education, sex, and 3 age factors; in contrast, the component-based model contains age as well as several modifiable risk factors: education, income, family, and housing factors. Moreover, the latter model also has statistically higher explanatory power. Components made through data reduction techniques may not always be interpretable, but, given closer examination of individual components, a component-based model becomes more interpretable. Further, all important factors will potentially be present in models. As such, component-based modelling can be a useful tool for research and public health planning. A key limitation of this work, to be addressed in future research, is the use of a variable (cardiac catheterisation procedures) that remains a crude proxy for cardiovascular disease. More effective analysis will be performed as data becomes available. Exploration into the relationship of factor and their spatial patterns will also be considered.
Studies of Accessibility to Healthcare in Canada
Authors: Elikan Olesya
Published: October 2012

The main goal of this chapter is to provide a theoretical background for accessibility studies as a sub-discipline of health geography and a literature review on the topic. The chapter provides various definitions of accessibility, its major characteristics and comparison between main measuring techniques. The influence of accessibility on population health is also discussed. An overview of recent accessibility studies in Canada is provided and future directions of research are discussed. A case study is provided to illustrate one of the advanced methods in measuring access.
Indicators of Land Degradation Vulnerability Due to Anthropic Factors
Authors: Imbrenda V. , D’Emilio M. , Lanfredi M. , Ragosta M. , Simoniello T.
Published: October 2012

Land degradation is one of the most impacting phenomena on natural resource availability, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. In order to provide efficient tools for territorial sustainable management in areas affected by land degradation, it is important to define suitable models and indicators able to identify exposed areas and their vulnerability level, so as to provide an effective support for decision makers in identifying intervention priorities and planning mitigation/adaptation strategies. This work is focused on the evaluation at high spatial detail of land degradation vulnerability due to anthropic factors, which is a crucial issue in areas devoted to farming practices. Vulnerability is evaluated by integrating a new indicator of the mechanization level the authors recently developed, with a set of census based indicators of land management. The new indicator is independent of census data being based on land cover data; thus, it can provide a better spatial characterization and a more frequent updating compared to commonly adopted indices that are evaluated at municipal scale. By analyzing data for the whole Southern Italy, such an indicator was integrated for the first time at full spatial resolution to obtain a final vulnerability index of land management. This comprehensive index enabled a more accurate estimation of the land degradation vulnerability due to anthropic factors allowing the discrimination of priority areas within the municipal areas.
Land Cover Analysis for Evapotranspiration Assessment in Catania Metropolitan Region
Authors: La Greca Paolo , La Rosa Daniele , Martinico Francesco , Privitera Riccardo
Published: October 2012

Today, the contraction of green zones is a key issue for land use planning with relation to climate change effects on urban areas. Furthermore, the loss of evapotranspiring surfaces and vegetated soils is one of the main consequences of urban sprawl processes. The authors present the case of Catania metropolitan area, the 2nd most populated urban region in Sicily. In particular, three municipalities are analyzed, as they present the most relevant urban sprawl processes. Inside this complex “urban jam,” there are still large non urbanized spaces. These patches (cultivated and abandoned agriculture land and lava fields from Mt. Etna), deeply fragmented, are often left for future development. These areas are particularly important in the examined context, considering the lack of green spaces for ecological functions and leisure. This chapter focuses on land cover analysis based on land use maps and oriented to assess evapotranspiration degree of the different land uses. Land use categories have been geographically sampled, and eight land cover types have been extracted with GIS by photo interpretation of high resolution orthophotos. Other sets of geodatabases have been used, including vectorial/raster cartographies and field surveys. Results from this evapotranspiration assessment can be useful for addressing land use planning of non urbanized areas within a sprawled metropolitan area, identifying new forms of agriculture, leisure, and environment protection.
Urban Sprawl and the Quantification of Spatial Dispersion
Authors: Martellozzo Federico , Clarke Keith C.
Published: October 2012

The uncontrolled spread of cities into their surrounding rural and natural land is an issue of high popular interest and has been the topic of considerable research. Urban sprawl remains controversial, even though among scholars there are still no unambiguous definitions of sprawled zones--their spatial form and their causative factors--nor about the urban processes and dynamics involved. In order to create such a definition, the authors describe the spatio-temporal patterns of urban form in a study area noted for sprawl, focusing on measures that can detect the degree of urban spatial dispersion over time (Batty 2002). The data used is a fusion of archived thematic maps, classified satellite imagery, census data, and forecast maps of future urban scenarios. The area investigated was the northeastern province of Pordenone in Italy, which is particularly relevant and curious because despite being a small city, it was assessed in 2002 as one of the most explicative examples of sprawl in Europe by the European Environment Agency. The authors analyzed urban growth mainly through the evolution of urban patterns over time, hence sprawl is considered as a specific case of growth that drives urban expansion from denser and compact extent to an unorganized and fragmented pattern. How the spatio-temporal dynamics of urban growth are quantified is crucial for urban planners, as knowledge of amounts and rates allows more efficient selection and application of policy and could help researchers to better understand urban sprawl’s etiology.
Cultivated Lands within Urban Area
Authors: Mauro G.
Published: October 2012

Several studies put in evidence the relevant role of cultivated lands in the urban areas. Using GIS methodologies in order to map agricultural areas near or within the town, it is possible to analyze their relationship with the urban area. In this study, the author used several different cartography sources, like digital cartography and orthophotos, in order to locate the urban domestic gardens and the terraced landscapes accurately. The study area is a medium city of a North-East Region of Italy, Trieste. Built on a hill morphology, it had a great and fast growth in the 19th and 20th centuries. These changes deeply transformed its landform, mainly reducing its surrounding cultivated lands. At present, the residual terraced landscapes are mainly placed in the north side of the city and they represent a kind of “cultural heritage.” On the contrary, the most important garden areas are located in the terrain embankments of the south suburban areas.
Can Long-Distance Rail Accessibility Affect the Real Estate Market?
Authors: Pagliara Francesca , Preston John
Published: October 2012

Most studies present in the literature have analyzed local transit networks and their impacts on land values. Empirical studies of the effects of long-distance rail accessibility on real estate prices are relatively rare. The Channel Tunnel Rail Link in England is presented as an example of such impacts. Hedonic price theory is used to estimate the implicit price of each dependent attribute. Ad hoc catchment and control areas have been defined around the St Pancras High Speed station. The main outcome of this analysis is that access to High Speed Rail has an impact on residential property prices, while, with increasing distance from the station, other attributes affect residential property prices.
Sustainability in the Safety Measures of the Historical-Cultural Heritage against Hydraulic Risks
Authors: Pirlone Francesca , Sotgia Zaira , Spadaro Ilenia
Published: October 2012

This chapter describes a methodological approach based on different research experiences developed in EU contest: CHEF, aimed to prevent damages caused by hydraulic risks to historical and cultural heritage; and RIVES, aimed to safeguard territory by avoid damages. Based on these experiences, paying attention especially to urban fabric and historical contest, it has been created a reconnaissance and evaluative chart. It is necessary to find out and quantify all the specific indicators useful to make a clear and deep knowledge about the territory involved to simplify a security project to avoid damages caused by hydraulic risks. The CBA Method, used to find sustainable actions, aimed to make a safety plan, permits to identify actions to preserve the territory, as limited and erodible resource. With the Geographic Information System, it is possible have a graphical representation about the results. The test area is the historic centre of Genoa.
Integration of Satellite Remote Sensing Techniques and Landscape Metrics to Characterize Land Cover Change and Dynamics
Authors: Fichera Carmelo Riccardo , Modica Giuseppe , Pollino Maurizio
Published: October 2012

One of the most relevant applications of Remote Sensing (RS) techniques is related to the analysis and the characterization of Land Cover (LC) and its change, very useful to efficiently undertake land planning and management policies. Here, a case study is described, conducted in the area of Avellino (Southern Italy) by means of RS in combination with GIS and landscape metrics. A multi-temporal dataset of RS imagery has been used: aerial photos (1954, 1974, 1990), Landsat images (MSS 1975, TM 1985 and 1993, ETM+ 2004), and digital orthophotos (1994 and 2006). To characterize the dynamics of changes during a fifty year period (1954-2004), the approach has integrated temporal trend analysis and landscape metrics, focusing on the urban-rural gradient. Aerial photos and satellite images have been classified to obtain maps of LC changes, for fixed intervals: 1954-1985 and 1985-2004. LC pattern and its change are linked to both natural and social processes, whose driving role has been clearly demonstrated in the case analysed. In fact, after the disastrous Irpinia earthquake (1980), the local specific zoning laws and urban plans have significantly addressed landscape changes.
A GIS Implementation of a Model of Systemic Vulnerability Assessment in Urbanized Areas Exposed to Combined Risk of Landslide and Flood
Authors: Sdao Francesco , Sivertun Ake , Sole Aurelia , Albano Raffaele , Pascale Stefania , Giosa Luciana
Published: October 2012

This chapter aims to analyze the systemic vulnerability of a complex urban area when a combined flood-landslide event occurs. The proposed approach of vulnerability evaluation differs from traditional methods as it provides an analysis of “systemic vulnerability” measuring the relationship between extreme event magnitude and the direct and indirect consequences of this event on the territorial system. GIS technology has been introduced for the proposed systemic vulnerability assessment because it allows the implementation of the spatially and thematically distributed models used. The software also allows the automated application of the method by creating a model that processes, analyzes, and displays data in the form of maps. The model proposed was shown to be able to support the territorial planning and the appropriate management of an emergency due to natural catastrophes such as floods and landslides. The priority intervention elements can be defined as those with higher values of integrity and functionality (the most efficient rescue units) and the elements which need intervention are most affected by systemic vulnerability (the most damaged nodes).
Reinforcing the Place of Dynamic Spatialised Indicators in a Generic Socioeconomic Model
Authors: Andriamasinoro Fenintsoa
Published: October 2012

This chapter describes and discusses a work aiming to contribute to how dynamic sustainable development indicators may be spatially represented in a generic spatial-integrated socioeconomic model (SISM). It means that, at a socioeconomic level, the resulting SISM should be capable of supporting applications modelled at different territorial scales and, at a spatial level, the SISM should be capable (a) of spatially representing the temporal evolution of the indicators by itself and (b) of exporting, at any time during a SISM simulation, the temporal evolution of the spatial state of the model as a (new) map exploitable in a GIS tool. The proposal from this chapter is to design a generic object-based SISM resulting from a combination of a multi-agent model and an object-based version of a system dynamics model so that all selected indicators can be spatialised via shaped objects independently of the territory study and the modelling approach.
Seeking for Connections among Real Estate Economy, Social Value, and Identity inside the Districts of Manhattan
Authors: Torre Carmelo Maria , Oliva Palma R.
Published: October 2012

The chapter tells about a procedure for investigating the coherence of the relationship between a “wide” mean of distance and the geography of real estate value. Many authors consider that real estate value can depend on distance from some reference point, and its variation can be linear. Such conviction leads to the use of geostatistical approaches based on kriging techniques. At the same time, the literature teaches that the market shows a higher value where several amenities are coexisting. But in those urban realities where the number of central points and the number of amenities is high, the complexity does not support the construction of models, and this complexity leads to a different concept of identity as synthesis of distance, borders, and concentration. The use of fuzzy cluster can support the analysis. This chapter gives a brief example about how this works in the case of New York core.
Internal Cultural Barriers to E-Commerce Implementation
Authors: Still Brian , St. Amant Kirk
Published: October 2012

This case study examines the impact of organizational culture on an e-commerce application. In examining the failed efforts of a Minnesota (MN), USA organization, XYZ, to design and implement an online transaction system, this study explores what happens when departmental infighting, inadequate planning, poor communication, and other negative influences stemming from organizational dysfunction can sidetrack a project. Often the success or failure of an organization’s efforts to adopt new technology rests less with the quality of that technology and more with the quality of the organization’s leadership. Just as strong leadership champions the productive change that technology can bring to an organization, weak leadership promotes resistance to such change by not providing the vision and message necessary to keep internal divisions within organizational culture from fomenting failure. Despite the best technology and practices available, and the fact that the best people are sometimes brought in to lend their expertise, an array of internal barriers brought about by the absence of strong leadership often stymies and eventually dooms technology efforts within organizations. It offers a detailed example of how ineffective leadership and the long-festering internal barriers that result from it at one organization, XYZ, can lead to the failure to implement an online transaction system. Even though this system was budget-approved, was pushed for adoption by the XYZ board of directors, and was staffed with outside experts to lend their expertise, weak leadership, and the by-product of it, namely a divisive internal culture resistant to change, meant that XYZ’s online transaction system never had a chance to be successful.
IL-4 in the Brain: A Cytokine To Remember
Authors: Gadani Sachin P. , Cronk James C. , Norris Geoffrey T. , Kipnis Jonathan
Published: October 2012

IL-4 has been extensively studied in the context of its role in immunity. Accumulating evidence indicates, however, that it also plays a critical role in higher functions of the normal brain, such as memory and learning. In this review, we summarize current knowledge of the basic immunology of IL-4, describe how and where this cytokine appears to operate in normal brain function, and propose a hypothesis concerning its potential role in neurological pathologies.
Die toekoms van die klein plattelandse gemeente
Authors: Hendriks H. Jurgens
Published: October 2012

The future of the small rural congregation. The article addressed the plight of small rural congregations by relating the results of three visits to ten congregations in the Western Cape and Karoo region of South Africa. The research goal was to help these congregations theologically become missional and kingdom focussed. As such it implied a transformation process, moving from a nationalistic-denominational and maintenance-institutional stance to that of getting the whole community’s involvement to address the burning local issues that affect all. The issues that surfaced and the process that was followed are described.
Combined wind measurements by two different lidar instruments in the Arctic middle atmosphere
Authors: Hildebrand J. , Baumgarten G. , Fiedler J. , Hoppe U.-P. , Kaifler B. , Lübken F.-J. , Williams B. P.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. During a joint campaign in January 2009, the Rayleigh/Mie/Raman (RMR) lidar and the sodium lidar at the ALOMAR Observatory (69° N, 16° E) in Northern Norway were operated simultaneously for more than 40 h, collecting data for wind measurements in the middle atmosphere from 30 up to 110 km altitude. As both lidars share the same receiving telescopes, the upper altitude range of the RMR lidar and the lower altitude range of the sodium lidar overlap in the altitude region of ≈80–85 km. For this overlap region we are thus able to present the first simultaneous wind measurements derived from two different lidar instruments. The comparison of winds derived by RMR and sodium lidar is excellent for long integration times of 10 h as well as shorter ones of 1 h. Combination of data from both lidars allows identifying wavy structures between 30 and 110 km altitude, whose amplitudes increase with height. We have also performed vertical wind measurements and measurements of the same horizontal wind component using two independent lasers and telescopes of the RMR lidar and show how to use this data to calibrate and validate the wind retrieval. For the latter configuration we found a good agreement of the results but also identified inhomogeneities in the horizontal wind at about 55 km altitude of up to 20 ms−1 for an integration time of nearly 4 h. Such small-scale inhomogeneities in the horizontal wind field are an essential challenge when comparing data from different instruments.
Linking agricultural crop management and air quality models for regional to national-scale nitrogen assessments
Authors: Cooter E. J. , Bash J. O. , Benson V. , Ran L.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. While nitrogen (N) is an essential element for life, human population growth and demands for energy, transportation and food can lead to excess nitrogen in the environment. A modeling framework is described and implemented to promote a more integrated, process-based and system-level approach to the estimation of ammonia (NH3) emissions which result from the application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers to agricultural soils in the United States. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model is used to simulate plant demand-driven fertilizer applications to commercial cropland throughout the continental US. This information is coupled with a process-based air quality model to produce continental-scale NH3 emission estimates. Regional cropland NH3 emissions are driven by the timing and amount of inorganic NH3 fertilizer applied, soil processes, local meteorology, and ambient air concentrations. Initial fertilizer application often occurs when crops are planted. A state-level evaluation of EPIC-simulated, cumulative planted area compares well with similar USDA reported estimates. EPIC-annual, inorganic fertilizer application amounts also agree well with reported spatial patterns produced by others, but domain-wide the EPIC values are biased about 6% low. Preliminary application of the integrated fertilizer application and air quality modeling system produces a modified geospatial pattern of seasonal NH3 emissions that improves current simulations of observed atmospheric particle nitrate concentrations. This modeling framework provides a more dynamic, flexible, and spatially and temporally resolved estimate of NH3 emissions than previous factor-based NH3 inventories, and will facilitate evaluation of alternative nitrogen and air quality policy and adaptation strategies associated with future climate and land use changes.
The critical factors that affected the distribution of aboveground biomass in the alpine steppe and meadow, Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Sun J. , Cheng G. W. , Li W. P.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. Tibetan Plateau – the third pole of the world, with its extremly harsh and fragile ecological environment, is so sensitive to global change that it attracts many scientists' attention. Alpine grassland here is an important component of the global carbon cycle. Many studies have examined links between environmental factors and distribution of biomass, but little showed the critical environmental factors affecting the distribution of biomass. To document the general relationships between the habitat factors and aboveground biomass (AGB) in Tibetan Plateau, and to identify the critical factors for the distribution of AGB in the alpine steppe and meadow, the data of AGB and habitat factors from 110 field sites across the widely distributed alpine steppe and meadow of the plateau were compiled and analyzed with the classification and regression tree (CART) model, and the generalized additive model (GAM). The results showed that (1) the spatial pattern of AGB in alpine steppe was determined by six major environmental factors: soil organic carbon density of soil 0–30 cm depth (SOC1), longitude, mean annual precipitation (MAP), latitude, clay and soil moisture. As to the alpine meadow, the major factors were altitude, soil moisture, nitrogen, MAP and mean annual temperature (MAT). (2) As to the alpine steppe, increased SOC1, MAP and latitude were associated with increased AGB abundance, but increased longitude resulted in lower abundance of AGB. As to the alpine meadow, the distribution of AGB had strong negative relationships with altitude and soil moisture, but a positive correlation with soil nitrogen content across sites. The results suggested that the combined effects of meteorological factors, topographic factors, and soil factors were more significant for the spatial pattern of AGB in Tibetan Plateau. In addition, our work highlights the importance of further studies to seek effects of slope and aspect in alpine grassland.
Assessment of remotely sensed drought features in vulnerable agriculture
Authors: Dalezios N. R. , Blanta A. , Spyropoulos N. V.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. The growing number and effectiveness of Earth observation satellite systems, along with the increasing reliability of remote sensing methodologies and techniques, present a wide range of new capabilities in monitoring and assessing droughts. A number of drought indices have been developed based on NOAA-AVHRR data exploiting the remote sensing potential at different temporal scales. In this paper, the remotely sensed Reconnaissance Drought Index (RDI) is employed for the quantification of drought. RDI enables the assessment of hydro-meteorological drought, since it uses hydrometeorological parameters, such as precipitation and potential evapotranspiration. The study area is Thessaly, central Greece, which is a drought-prone agricultural region characterized by vulnerable agriculture. Several drought features are analyzed and assessed by using monthly RDI images over the period 1981–2001: severity, areal extent, duration, periodicity, onset and end time. The results show an increase in the areal extent during each drought episode and that droughts are classified into two classes, namely small areal extent drought and large areal extent drought, respectively, lasting 12 or 13 months coinciding closely with the hydrological year. The onset of large droughts coincides with the beginning of the hydrological year, whereas the onset of small droughts is in spring. During each drought episode, the maximum occurs usually in the summer and they all last until the end of the hydrological year. This finding could justify an empirical prognostic potential of drought assessment.
Fractal analysis of ULF electromagnetic emissions in possible association with earthquakes in China
Authors: Ida Y. , Yang D. , Li Q. , Sun H. , Hayakawa M.
Published: October 2012

Abstract. The long-term data (during the period of 1 March 2003 through 31 December 2006) of ULF geomagnetic variations observed at Kashi station (geographic coordinates: 39.5° N, 76.0° E) in China have been used to investigate the long-term variation of fractal dimension of ULF emissions. We have studied the changes in fractal dimension in association with several earthquakes around the observation station. It is then found that a significant change (or decrease) in the fractal dimension of the Z component took place before the 1 September 2003 earthquake, which lends a further support to our previous finding based on our improved polarization analysis for the same earthquake. The results obtained are discussed in the contexts of a few aspects (detectability of seismogenic emissions, comparison with previous results by other analysis methods, the importance of fractal analysis in the nonlinear process of the lithosphere and earthquake prediction).
Comparison of Residual Energy-Based Clustering Algorithms for Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Tripathy Asis Kumar , Chinara Suchismita
Published: October 2012

Wireless sensor network swears an exceptional fine-grained interface between the virtual and physical worlds. The clustering algorithm is a kind of key technique used to reduce energy consumption. Many clustering, power management, and data dissemination protocols have been specifically designed for wireless sensor network (WSN) where energy awareness is an essential design issue. Each clustering algorithm is composed of three phases cluster head (CH) selection, the setup phase, and steady state phase. The hot point in these algorithms is the cluster head selection. The focus, however, has been given to the residual energy-based clustering protocols which might differ depending on the application and network architecture. In this paper, a survey of the state-of-the-art clustering techniques in WSNs has been compared to find the merits and demerits among themselves. It has been assumed that the sensor nodes are randomly distributed and are not mobile, the coordinates of the base station (BS) and the dimensions of the sensor field are known.
Principal Component Analysis of Phenolic Acid Spectra
Authors: Holser Ronald A.
Published: October 2012

Phenolic acids are common plant metabolites that exhibit bioactive properties and have applications in functional food and animal feed formulations. The ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectra of four closely related phenolic acid structures were evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) to develop spectral models for their rapid detection. Results demonstrated that UV and IR spectra could discriminate between each of the phenolic acids in overall models. Calculation of model scores and loadings showed that derivative UV spectra accounted for 99% variation with 2 principal components (PC) while derivative IR spectra required 3 PCs. Individual PCA models were developed for ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid using derivative UV spectra for detection and classification by soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA). The application of this spectral technique as a classification model is expected to promote the use of agricultural residues as a source of these phenolic compounds.
A q-Analogue of Rucinski-Voigt Numbers
Authors: Corcino Roberto B. , Montero Charles B.
Published: October 2012

A q-analogue of Rucinski-Voigt numbers is defined by means of a recurrence relation, and some properties including the orthogonality and inverse relations with the q-analogue of the limit of the differences of the generalized factorial are obtained.
A Convenient Utility Function with Giffen Behaviour
Authors: Haagsma Rein
Published: October 2012

The paper proposes a simple utility function that can generate Giffen behaviour. The function suggests an alternative direction where Giffen behaviour can be found and also implies a convenient framework for empirical testing. Moreover, because of its simple form, the utility function is well-suited for teaching purposes.
Use of Wollastonite as a Flux for Bone China Bodies
Authors: Carús Lauren Arrussul , de Souza Fabiana , Bragança Saulo Roca
Published: October 2012

The utilization of wollastonite as a flux in bone china was investigated in this work. Ceramic industry is always looking to optimize the use of fluxes as a way of reducing energy costs associated with firing. Wollastonite is added in ceramic formulations as an auxiliary flux and allows fast firing production. However, its use in bone china has not been tested before. In the present work, two formulations were prepared, comparing the traditional formulation to another in which the conventional flux (potash feldspar) was partially replaced by wollastonite. The firing behavior, technical properties, microstructure, and phase development were analyzed. A slip with wollastonite was also developed to analyze its rheology. Wollastonite body achieved a reduction of firing temperature, a large plateau for firing, and optimal slip stabilization for casting pieces.
Matrix Variate Pareto Distribution of the Second Kind
Authors: Nagar Daya K. , Joshi Lata , Gupta Arjun K.
Published: October 2012

We generalize the univariate Pareto distribution of the second kind to the matrix case and give its derivation using matrix variate gamma distribution. We study
several properties such as cumulative distribution function, marginal distribution of submatrix, triangular factorization, moment generating function, and expected values of the Pareto matrix. Some of these results are expressed in terms of special functions of matrix arguments, zonal, and invariant polynomials.
The Jazz Singer or the Corpse: Al Jolson, Diegetic Music, and the Moment of Death
Authors: Combs C. Scott
Published: October 2012

This article looks at Alan Crosland’s The Jazz Singer (1929), the first talking film to employ recorded sound for a death scene, in order to determine how it compensates for the absence of a visible depiction of death. Diegetic music places the terminal sign of death further outside the screen body and closer to the body of the spectator.
Atacado e Atacarejo como opção de compra de clientes de distribuidora de alimentos
Authors: HSIEN Huang Wen , Giuliani Antonio Carlos , Cunha Christiano França da , Pizzinato Nádia Kassouf
Published: October 2012

This paper studies the marketing channels, being the main objective the evaluation of the factors that influence the purchase decision process of small and medium retailers, understanding what drives them to migrate its purchases in the traditional wholesale / distributor to "atacarejo". The study confirms the update of the concepts of marketing channels and customer purchasing behavior. The research was done using a case study. The data were analyzed using an exploratory study and quantitative analysis. It is observed that the main factors influencing the choice of atacarejo and wholesale.