bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE STRUCTURE OF THE STRONGLY LENSED GAMMA-RAY SOURCE B2 0218+35
Authors: Barnacka Anna , Geller Margaret J. , Dell’Antonio Ian P. , Zitrin Adi
Published: April 2016

Strong gravitational lensing is a powerful tool for resolving the high-energy universe. We combine the temporal resolution of Fermi-LAT, the angular resolution of radio telescopes, and the independently and precisely known Hubble constant from the analysis by the Planck collaboration, to resolve the spatial origin of gamma-ray flares in the strongly lensed source B2 0218+35. The lensing model achieves 1 mas spatial resolution of the source at gamma-ray energies. The data imply that the gamma-ray flaring sites are separate from the radio core: the bright gamma-ray flare (MJD: 56160-56280) occurred

51
±
8

pc from the 15 GHz radio core, toward the central engine. This displacement is significant at the

∼
3
σ

level, and is limited primarily by the precision of the Hubble constant. B2 0218+35 is the first source where the position of the gamma-ray emitting region relative to the radio core can be resolved. We discuss the potential of an ensemble of strongly lensed high-energy sources for elucidating the physics of distant variable sources based on data from Chandra and SKA.
PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF THE REIONIZATION OPTICAL DEPTH FROM THE GLOBAL 21 cm SIGNAL ACCOUNTING FOR COSMIC HEATING
Authors: Fialkov Anastasia , Loeb Abraham
Published: April 2016

As a result of our limited data on reionization, the total optical depth for electron scattering, τ, limits precision measurements of cosmological parameters from the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB). It was recently shown that the predicted 21 cm signal of neutral hydrogen contains enough information to reconstruct τ with sub-percent accuracy, assuming that the neutral gas was much hotter than the CMB throughout the entire epoch of reionization (EoR). Here we relax this assumption and use the global 21 cm signal alone to extract τ for realistic X-ray heating scenarios. We test our model-independent approach using mock data for a wide range of ionization and heating histories and show that an accurate measurement of the reionization optical depth at a sub-percent level is possible in most of the considered scenarios even when heating is not saturated during the EoR, assuming that the foregrounds are mitigated. However, we find that in cases where heating sources had hard X-ray spectra and their luminosity was close to or lower than what is predicted based on low-redshift observations, the global 21 cm signal alone is not a good tracer of the reionization history.
ABSOLUTE CALIBRATION OF THE RADIO ASTRONOMY FLUX DENSITY SCALE AT 22 TO 43 GHz USING PLANCK
Authors: Partridge B. , López-Caniego M. , Perley R. A. , Stevens J. , Butler B. J. , Rocha G. , Walter B. , Zacchei A.
Published: April 2016

The Planck mission detected thousands of extragalactic radio sources at frequencies from 28 to 857 GHz. Planck's calibration is absolute (in the sense that it is based on the satellite’s annual motion around the Sun and the temperature of the cosmic microwave background), and its beams are well characterized at sub-percent levels. Thus, Planck's flux density measurements of compact sources are absolute in the same sense. We have made coordinated Very Large Array (VLA) and Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) observations of 65 strong, unresolved Planck sources in order to transfer Planck's calibration to ground-based instruments at 22, 28, and 43 GHz. The results are compared to microwave flux density scales currently based on planetary observations. Despite the scatter introduced by the variability of many of the sources, the flux density scales are determined to 1%–2% accuracy. At 28 GHz, the flux density scale used by the VLA runs 2%–3% ± 1.0% below Planck values with an uncertainty of

±
1.0
%
;

at 43 GHz, the discrepancy increases to 5%–6% ± 1.4% for both ATCA and the VLA.
DOUBLE POWER LAWS IN THE EVENT-INTEGRATED SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE SPECTRUM
Authors: Zhao Lulu , Zhang Ming , Rassoul Hamid K.
Published: April 2016

A double power law or a power law with exponential rollover at a few to tens of MeV nucleon−1 of the event-integrated differential spectra has been reported in many solar energetic particle (SEP) events. The rollover energies per nucleon of different elements correlate with a particle's charge-to-mass ratio (Q/A). The probable causes are suggested as residing in shock finite lifetimes, shock finite sizes, shock geometry, and an adiabatic cooling effect. In this work, we conduct a numerical simulation to investigate a particle's transport process in the inner heliosphere. We solve the focused transport equation using a time-backward Markov stochastic approach. The convection, magnetic focusing, adiabatic cooling effect, and pitch-angle scattering are included. The effects that the interplanetary turbulence imposes on the shape of the resulting SEP spectra are examined. By assuming a pure power-law differential spectrum at the Sun, a perfect double-power-law feature with a break energy ranging from 10 to 120 MeV nucleon−1 is obtained at 1 au. We found that the double power law of the differential energy spectrum is a robust result of SEP interplanetary propagation. It works for many assumptions of interplanetary turbulence spectra that give various forms of momentum dependence of a particle's mean free path. The different spectral shapes in low-energy and high-energy ends are not just a transition from the convection-dominated propagation to diffusion-dominated propagation.
MESOSCALE MODELING OF IMPACT COMPACTION OF PRIMITIVE SOLAR SYSTEM SOLIDS
Authors: Davison Thomas M. , Collins Gareth S. , Bland Philip A.
Published: April 2016

We have developed a method for simulating the mesoscale compaction of early solar system solids in low-velocity impact events using the iSALE shock physics code. Chondrules are represented by non-porous disks, placed within a porous matrix. By simulating impacts into bimodal mixtures over a wide range of parameter space (including the chondrule-to-matrix ratio, the matrix porosity and composition, and the impact velocity), we have shown how each of these parameters influences the shock processing of heterogeneous materials. The temperature after shock processing shows a strong dichotomy: matrix temperatures are elevated much higher than the chondrules, which remain largely cold. Chondrules can protect some matrix from shock compaction, with shadow regions in the lee side of chondrules exhibiting higher porosity that elsewhere in the matrix. Using the results from this mesoscale modeling, we show how the ε − α porous-compaction model parameters depend on initial bulk porosity. We also show that the timescale for the temperature dichotomy to equilibrate is highly dependent on the porosity of the matrix after the shock, and will be on the order of seconds for matrix porosities of less than 0.1, and on the order of tens to hundreds of seconds for matrix porosities of ∼0.3–0.5. Finally, we have shown that the composition of the post-shock material is able to match the bulk porosity and chondrule-to-matrix ratios of meteorite groups such as carbonaceous chondrites and unequilibrated ordinary chondrites.
Introduction
Authors: Michael M. G.
Published: April 2016

When or how uberveillance will be implemented in its full-blown manifestation is still a subject for some intriguing discussion and a topic of robust disagreement, but what is generally accepted by most of the interlocutors is that an “uberveillance society” will emerge sooner rather than later, and that one way or another this will mean an immense upheaval in all of our societal, business, and government relationships. What is apparent from the numerous qualitative and quantitative studies conducted is that microchipping people is a discernibly divisive issue. If we continue on the current trajectory, we will soon see further divisions – not just between those who have access to the Internet and those who do not, but between those who subjugate themselves to be physically connected to the Web of Things and People, and those who are content enough to simply have Internet connectivity through external devices like smart phones, to those who opt to live completely off the grid. Time will only tell how we as human-beings will adapt after we willingly adopt innovations with extreme and irreversible operations. This introduction serves to provide a background context for the term uberveillance, which has received significant international attention since its establishment.
The Image of Historic Urban Landscapes
Authors: Amoruso Giuseppe
Published: April 2016

According to the UNESCO 2011 - Recommendations on the Historic Urban Landscapes, the historic urban landscape (HUL) is the urban area understood as the result of a historic layering of cultural and natural values and attributes, extending the “historic center” concept to include the broader urban context and its geographical setting. Representation of historical environments, documenting their typological components as a pattern book (landscape, architecture, textures, materials, and color), is devised to encourage a strategy of valorization. Explanation of landscapes' values through its benchmarking, consists of several mapping actions and adoption of tools: 3D modelling, environmental mapping, places representation. The chapter presents a strategic process based on local character assessment through a place-visualizing toolkit from documentation and color representation to design coding: visualization of landscape' values and multimedia survey pipelines implementing processes, methods and tools for the narration of tangible values and intangible assets.
A Multiple Natural Hazards Assessment Model Based on Geomorphic Terrain Units
Authors: Hernandez Michael W.
Published: April 2016

A Multiple Natural Hazards Assessment (MNHA) procedural model was developed to provide stakeholders (e.g., community planners and decision makers) with a clear methodology that examines the landscape as a probabilistic-based composite measure of the natural hazards at a terrain mapping unit scale. The model consists of four phases: (1) data collection; (2) individual natural hazard assessment (INHA); (3) Geomorphic Terrain Unit (GTU) development; and (4) composite MNHA classification. The model was tested in a case study across southern Davis County, Utah. Six hazards were integrated within a GIS model, producing a nonweighted probabilistic-based multi-hazard classification across GTUs. Examination of the results by stakeholders showed great potential for the model. During the evaluation workshop, stakeholders concurred that normalizing the class values using a simple frequency-based scale makes it easier to discern the differences in composite hazardousness across the community. The model is easily expanded to include objective or subjective weighting factors.
Semantic Spatial Representation, an Experimental Proposal in the Framework of eParticipation
Authors: Voghera Angioletta , Crivello Rossella
Published: April 2016

The chapter explores the theme of collaborative construction of territorial knowledge through the use of ICTS, proposing a new approach to spatial representation based on semantic ontologies. The theoretical perspective is applied in a recent experimentation conducted in collaboration between the Politecnico and the Università di Torino, called OnToMap – Community Maps 3.0. The essay is divided into two parts. The first part aims to define the theoretical framework of the eParticipation practices, specifying which approach to participation is assumed as conceptual background. The second part focuses on the web-based application OnToMap, which relies on an territorial ontology for encourage construction of collective and shared knowledge of the places. It is therefore proposed a definition of “Social Semantic Mapping” based on the integration of GIS tools, VGI practices and Web 3.0 applications. The article ends with a reflection on semantic and cartographic representation of urban space and its potential in terms of citizen empowerment.
Social Media in E-Governance
Authors: Banday Mohammad Tariq
Published: April 2016

Social media has enormous prospectus to expand the usage of Internet and to realize full benefits of e-Governance by promoting, intensifying, improving and monitoring its offered services at reduced costs, increasing citizen usage of e-Services and e-Participation, posting job advertisements, announcing and marketing events, and seeking public feedback, opinion, cooperation and collaborate across its geographically diverse citizens and thus increase transparency and trust on government. However, at the same time using social media in e-Governance may impose diverse challenges which unless are not adequately addressed to, may hamper its successful integration with e-Governance. This chapter highlights the prospectus of social media and its current usage in e-Governance in India. It discusses the potential issues especially issues related to security and privacy of individuals, employees, infrastructure and data that may limit its benefits in e-Governance. It examines and compares social media policy of government of India with similar guidelines of some other nations in terms of employee's access, account management, acceptable use, employee conduct, content, security, legal issues and citizen conduct besides discussing emerging mobility and mobile social media policy of government of India and enumerates their merits, demerits and scope for further improvements.
GISS and GISP Facilitate Higher Education and Cooperative Learning Design
Authors: Ahamer Gilbert
Published: April 2016

International cooperation in higher education management has successfully expanded on Geographic Information Science and Systems (here named GISS, for the “space of places”), which facilitates the exchange of worldviews among learners. On a general level, after clarification of the notions of “design,” “pedagogy,” “GIS,” and “path dependency,” the potential for self-organized Web-supported learning is explored. Global socio-economic trends in land-use, energy, and economy (i.e., collective evolutionary learning) serve to provide lessons for individual learning procedures. Path dependency is a concept used both in economics and education management. This chapter suggests using a collaborative, dialogic learning structure that allows learners to act on several layers of reality simultaneously: the cognitive, discoursive, social, interactive, and integrative. Strategies for graphic notation of social procedures within “social spaces” are suggested. Graphical Information on Social Procedures (here named GISP, for the “space of flows”) should facilitate the design of online courses and blended learning courses because it allows for analyzing the interplay of different horizons and layers of human interaction. To sum up, this chapter uses several analogies from global socio-economic trends in order to describe the highly complex challenges and opportunities for auto-adaptive online pedagogy and the design of higher education that leads towards the dynamic self-responsibility of learners.
Physical Health Promotion through Modern Technologies
Authors: Yasobant Sandul
Published: April 2016

Health promotion and the maintenance of the quality of life are realized recently. Advancement in technologies offer new possibilities for both the promotion of positive health behaviors that were unimaginable even a decade ago. Though promoting physical activity has been proven an important component of health promotion by many researchers, still a lot of efforts on how to improve physical activity being provided by group of researchers. Technology such as pedometers, accelerometers, and heart rate monitors have been used to promote physical activity for years. Newer technologies such as global positioning system (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), interactive video games, and persuasive technology, Internet-based physical activity interventions have been used recently to promote and change exercise behavior. This chapter seeks to provide a complete insight of technologies used to changing health behaviors especially physical health promotion and will take a forward to analyses all the issues while using these technologies and future research directions.
Web-Based Information Exploration of Sensor Web Using the HTML5/X3D Integration Model
Authors: Yoo Byounghyun
Published: April 2016

This chapter investigates how the visualization of sensor resources on a 3D Web-based globe organized by level-of-detail can enhance search and exploration of information by easing the formulation of geospatial queries against the metadata of sensor systems. The case study provides an approach inspired by geographical mashups in which freely available functionality and data are flexibly combined. The authors use PostgreSQL, PostGIS, PHP, X3D-Earth, and X3DOM to allow the Web3D standard and its geospatial component to be used for visual exploration and level-of-detail control of a dynamic scene. The proposed approach facilitates the dynamic exploration of the Sensor Web and allows the user to seamlessly focus in on a particular sensor system from a set of registered sensor networks deployed across the globe. In this chapter, the authors present a prototype metadata exploration system featuring levels-of-detail for a multi-scaled Sensor Web and use it to visually explore sensor data of weather stations.
Mapping the Hopi Landscape for Cultural Preservation
Authors: Hedquist Saul L. , Koyiyumptewa Stewart B. , Bernardini Wesley , Ferguson T. J. , Whiteley Peter M. , Kuwanwisiwma Leigh J.
Published: April 2016

For the Hopi people, named places on the landscape localize, commemorate, and transmit traditional knowledge within a spatial context used to reference and explain Hopi history and culture—geographic information the Hopi Tribe seeks to preserve. This paper discusses the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office's use of geospatial technologies during recent collaborative efforts to document important places and associated cultural information. It considers how GIS and other geospatial technologies have been used to produce maps and digital imagery in a manner guided by traditional landscape perspectives and native epistemologies. Mapping Hopi lands provides many benefits, foremost being the preservation of place-related knowledge for future generations of Hopis. Geospatial technologies also facilitate Hopi efforts of heritage management by providing a medium that effectively demonstrates use of traditional landscapes to non-Hopi audiences.
Examining User Switch between Mobile Stores
Authors: Zhou Tao
Published: April 2016

Retaining users and curbing their switching behavior are critical issues for mobile stores. Drawing on the push-pull-mooring (PPM) model, this research identified the factors affecting user switches between mobile stores. The push factors include dissatisfaction with system quality, information quality and service quality. The pull factor is alternative attractiveness. The mooring factors include switching costs and social influence. The results indicated that user switches receive influences from all three kinds of factors. Hence mobile stores need to be concerned with the effects of push, pull and mooring factors in order to curb users' switching behavior.
Enabling Healthy Living
Authors: Adu-Prah Samuel , Oyana Tonny
Published: April 2016

The increasing burden of overweight and obesity in the United States (U.S.) demands a better understanding of its local and regional spatial patterns and trends. The study examines the hypothesis that there are spatial differences in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in U.S. youths at regional and local levels. It used spatial, statistical, and spatiotemporal analyses and a synthesis of regionally and locally relevant data from a cohort of large, nationally representative, longitudinal data sets, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY`97) to analyze overweight and obesity prevalence. Specifically, the methods used included the spatial Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM), spatial interpolation techniques (Inverse Distance Weighting – IDW), and Kulldorf's scan space-time analysis. The paper analyzed 12 waves (1997–2008) of data from the NLSY data sets. Its findings revealed there is an upward trend both in males and in females in obesity prevalence in US youths during the twelve-year period. Youth obesity prevalence was also higher among females than among males. The cohort shows evidence of increase in overweight and obesity prevalence. There are mixed trends in youth obesity prevalence patterns in rural and urban areas. Counties identified as consistently experiencing higher prevalence of obesity and with the potential of becoming an obesogenic environment are Copiah, Holmes, and Hinds in Mississippi; Harris and Chamber, Texas; Oklahoma and McCain, Oklahoma; Jefferson, Louisiana; and Chicot and Jefferson, Arkansas. The twelve-year study indicated spatial variation in obesity and overweight prevalence among U.S. youths, with pockets of clustered prevalence. This information can guide programs, policies, and initiatives for obesity prevention at regional and local levels.
Device-to-Device Communications
Authors: Giannoulakis Ioannis , Kafetzakis Emmanouil , Kourtis Anastasios
Published: April 2016

This chapter provides an account of the most significant areas of scenarios and applications relevant to Device-To-Device (D2D) communications. At first, a state of the art review is provided, with focus on the special technological challenges. In addition, integration initiatives with modern cellular technologies and standards are given. Important architecture concepts like e.g., resource management and mobility issues have been highlighted, in order to present the main areas of impact of D2D communications. Since D2D communications capitalise on the contemporary networking paradigm of cooperative communications novel methods for overcoming several limitations have been discussed and emerging paradigms such as proximity and location-based services, coupled with social networking and commercial services have been considered. Finally, possible future research directions relevant to D2D networking are discussed.
Review and Implications of the AutoCarto Six Retrospective Project
Authors: Wellar Barry
Published: April 2016

A previous IJAGR paper, using the Retrospective Approach to Commemorate AutoCarto Six (Wellar, 2014), presented the reasons for using a retrospective approach to re-visit papers that were published 30 years ago (1983) in the proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium on Automated Cartography. This paper addresses four important topics that arise from producing AutoCarto Six Retrospective. First, in response to requests for more information about the “retro experience”, the research design of the retrospective project is reviewed in terms of lessons learned. Second, the contribution that the retrospective approach makes to “the literature” on the evolution of automated cartography, geographic information systems, computational geography, and related fields is explored. Third, several implications of the retrospective approach for the literature search and review component of theses, dissertations, academic productions, and research proposals, as well as plan, program, and policy evaluation processes in both the private and public sectors are outlined. And fourth, comments are made about applying the AutoCarto Six Retrospective experience to other commemorative events.
Competitive Smart Cities through Healthy Decision-Making
Authors: Gudes Ori , Edwards Sarah Jane , Yigitcanlar Tan , Pathak Virendra
Published: April 2016

This chapter examines the challenges and opportunities associated with planning for competitive, smart and healthy cities. The chapter is based on the assumptions that a healthy city is an important prerequisite for a competitive city and a fundamental outcome of smart cities. One of the major decision support systems to support healthy cities is e-health. This chapter focuses on the role of e-health planning, by utilising web-based geographic decision support systems. The chapter proposes the implementation of a novel decision system which would provide a powerful and effective platform for stakeholders to support access online information. This would also provide for better decision-making as well as empower community participation. The chapter highlights the need for a comprehensive conceptual framework to guide the decision process of planning for cities in association with opportunities and limitations. This chapter provides critical insights into using information science-based frameworks.
Community-Engaged GIS for Urban Food Justice Research
Authors: Pettygrove Margaret W. , Ghose Rina
Published: April 2016

GIScience research has enhanced citizen engagement through advancements in web-based geospatial techniques and qualitative GIS methodologies, which provide opportunities for new forms of knowledge production. This paper draws on two interrelated approaches to demonstrate the ways qualitative GIS and Web 2.0 can provide nuanced analysis and foster collaborations to advance, in particular, food justice goals, which include developing equity in access to quality nutritious foods. First, the authors create a multicriteria food environment index utilizing GIS-based multicriteria modeling to represent food environments as constituted by multiple food sources and access dimensions. This enables visualization of food environment quality and indicates that food environment quality varies within a single neighborhood. Second, they utilize web GIS technologies to capture and visualize volunteered geographic information about urban food environments, demonstrating the importance of citizen perspectives to developing more nuanced understandings of these environments.
Privacy-Preserving Spatial Trajectory Prediction Based on a Novel Matrix Representation
Authors: Hu Wen-Chen , Kaabouch Naima , Yang Hung-Jen , Mousavinezhad S. Hossein
Published: April 2016

Since the introduction of iPhone in 2007, smartphones have become very popular (e.g., the number of worldwide smartphone sales has surpassed the number of PC sales in 2011). The feature of high mobility and small size of smartphones has created many applications that are not possible or inconvenient for PCs and servers, even laptops. Location-based services (LBS), one of mobile applications, have attracted a great attention recently. This research proposes a location-based service, which predicts a spatial trajectory based on the current and previous trajectories by using a novel matrix representation. Spatial trajectory prediction can be used in a variety of purposes such as travel recommendations and traffic control and planning, but at the same time, just like most location-based services, the user privacy concern is a major issue. Without rigorous privacy protection, users would be reluctant to use the service. The proposed method is simple but effective and user privacy is rigorously preserved at the same time because the trajectory prediction is performed at the user-side. Additionally, this research is not only useful but also pedagogical because it involves a variety of topics like (i) mobile computing, (ii) mobile security, and (iii) human behavior recognition.
Gender Differences in Advanced Mobile Services Acceptance
Authors: Guirao Alicia Rodriguez , Nicolas Carolina Lopez , Bouwman Harry
Published: April 2016

By stating that the antecedents of customers´ intentions to use mobile services should be studied across service categories and gender differences, the purpose of this article is to investigate the validity and differential predictive power of a model that explain acceptance of several mobile services across male and female customers. This study contributes to the emerging but limited body of research on consumer adoption of advanced mobile services by addressing several critical issues. First, the present paper focuses on two mobile services, namely m-location and m-social media, as they are considered as the new age of advanced mobile services. Furthermore, we include gender as a moderator variable. A theoretical model is proposed and tested in a sample of 429 Dutch consumers. Results from structural modeling equations show that the factors explaining the acceptance of m-location and m-social media services differ. Second, gender moderating effect has been found significant as gender differences exist in the strength of various paths. In addition to its theoretical contributions, this research presents important practical contributions. In particular, practitioners can gain valuable insights into the driving forces of mobile services.
A New Spatial Transformation Scheme for Preventing Location Data Disclosure in Cloud Computing
Authors: Yoon Min , Kim Hyeong-il , Jang Miyoung , Chang Jae-Woo
Published: April 2016

Because much interest in spatial database for cloud computing has been attracted, studies on preserving location data privacy have been actively done. However, since the existing spatial transformation schemes are weak to a proximity attack, they cannot preserve the privacy of users who enjoy location-based services in the cloud computing. Therefore, a transformation scheme is required for providing a safe service to users. We, in this chapter, propose a new transformation scheme based on a line symmetric transformation (LST). The proposed scheme performs both LST-based data distribution and error injection transformation for preventing a proximity attack effectively. Finally, we show from our performance analysis that the proposed scheme greatly reduces the success rate of the proximity attack while performing the spatial transformation in an efficient way.
The Future of the Natural Resources Sector in Russia
Authors: Kasimov N.S. , Alekseeva N.N. , Chulok A.A. , Sokolov A.V.
Published: April 2016

Environmental management, technologies, products and services are commonly expected to provide significant economic opportunities for companies and countries. This is mainly due to increasing awareness among politicians, academics and the wider population on the importance of environmental aspects in daily life. Consequently demand for environmentally friendly solutions is expected to grow continuously in the next decade. The present study is part of a broader research project which examines the long-term science and technology (S&T) agenda in Russia up to 2030. The project's results were approved by the Prime Minister of Russia in early January 2014. Researchers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics carried out the research project at the request of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science between 2011 and 2013. The research comprised six interrelated spheres: ICT; biotechnology, medicine and public health; new materials and nanotechnologies; environmental management; transport and space systems; and energy efficiency and energy conservation. For each sphere, the project explored in-depth the global emergent challenges and opportunities, the risks, and their degree of influence on Russia. The authors analysed the most important potential market niches, products and services that are capable of radically shaping world markets and highlighted their competitive advantages. Within the framework of these priority science areas authors emphasised several spheres of particular potential value and compared the level of research carried out in Russia and the leading countries. The current chapter also covers the analyses the natural resources sector made within a project aimed at integration of national and sectoral S&T Foresight studies funded by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. Findings show that the potential applications for environmental products and services are manifold. The study is based on a thorough analysis of expert opinions and their assessment of future applications and the development of demand for these applications. However the authors note that the expert opinions included in the assessment of prospective products, services and markets, despite being based on rigorous assessment, still reflect expectations. Their opinions incorporate a degree of uncertainty especially with regard to how and when (or whether) the markets, technologies, products and services will develop in the expected ways.
New Design Approach to Handle Spatial Vagueness in Spatial OLAP Datacubes
Authors: Edoh-Alove Elodie , Bimonte Sandro , Pinet François , Bédard Yvan
Published: April 2016

Spatial-OLAP (SOLAP) technologies are dedicated to multidimensional analysis of large volumes of (spatial) data. Spatial data are subject to different types of uncertainty, in particular spatial vagueness. Although several researches propose new models to cope with spatial vagueness, their integration in SOLAP systems is still in an embryonic state. Also, analyzing multidimensional data with metadata brought by the exploitation of the new models can be too complex and demanding for decision-makers. To help reduce spatial vagueness consequences on the exactness of SOLAP analysis queries, the authors present a new approach for designing SOLAP datacubes based on end-users' tolerance to the risks of misinterpretation of fact data. An experimentation of the new approach on agri-environmental data is also proposed.
Three Dimensional Volunteered Geographic Information
Authors: Brovelli Maria Antonia , Minghini Marco , Zamboni Giorgio
Published: April 2016

The dawn of GeoWeb 2.0, the geographic extension of Web 2.0, has opened new possibilities in terms of online dissemination and sharing of geospatial contents, thus laying the foundations for a fruitful development of Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) systems. The purpose of the study is to investigate the extension of VGI applications, which are quite mature in the traditional bi-dimensional framework, up to the third dimension by means of virtual globes. Inspired by the visionary idea of Digital Earth, virtual globes are changing the way people approach to geographic information on the Web. Unlike the 2D visualization typical of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), virtual globes offer multi-dimensional, fully-realistic content visualization which allows for a much richer user experience. The proposed system should couple a powerful 3D visualization with an increase of public participation thanks to a tool allowing data collecting from mobile devices (e.g. smartphones and tablets). The participative application, built using the open source NASA World Wind virtual globe, is focused on the cultural and tourism heritage of Como city, located in Northern Italy. Users can create and manage customized projects and populate a catalogue of cartographic layers which is available to the entire community. Together with historical maps and the current cartography of the city, the system is also able to manage geo-tagged data, which come from user field-surveys performed through mobile devices in order to report POIs (Points Of Interest). Users can also extend POIs information adding more textual and multimedia contexts (e.g. images, audios and videos) directly on the globe. All in all, the resulting application allows users to create and share contributions as it usually happens on social platforms, additionally providing a realistic 3D representation enhancing the expressive power of data.
Functional Coatings
Authors: Zuzuarregui Ana , Morant-Miñana Maria Carmen
Published: April 2016

Traditionally a coating is defined as a material layer applied onto a surface for protection or decoration. Usually it protects the surface from a variety of environmental problems such as corrosion of solder joints, moisture and mildew, fuels and process solvents, service temperatures and dust, dirt and physical damage from handling. Since 2010, the rapid advancement of the micro and nanotechnology has collided with the coatings field resulting in new coatings with novel properties and functions that differ from the traditional ones. Functional coatings consists of organic, inorganic or hybrid materials and can be prepared using a huge amount of techniques depending on the properties of the materials, the substrate and the final application of the coating. Therefore it is possible to find coatings with optical properties, thermal capabilities, structural and mechanical features, physico-chemical properties, magnetic and electric characteristics and biological purposes that cannot be found in the starting materials.
Single Source Precursors for Semiconducting Metal Oxide-Based Films
Authors: Lucas Carolina Egler , Pueyo Carlos Lizandara
Published: April 2016

Materials possessing interesting properties for current and future everyday products always have a valuable place in the scientific research. Accordingly, semiconductor materials are the foundation of modern electronics. In most of the applications, metal oxide based semiconductors are at present generally useful in the form of thin films. Metal–alkoxo complexes constitute a very important group of precursors for oxide materials. The most common chemical approaches are well described in the literature and the most relevant pathways will be summarized later in this chapter.
Synergism at the Nanoscale
Authors: Galian Raquel Eugenia , Pérez-Prieto Julia
Published: April 2016

Photoactive nanoparticles are smart systems that exhibit unique optical properties. In general, their intrinsic properties are size dependent. The degree and type of response to size are both related to their composition. Nanoparticles usually require to be capped with organic ligands in order to be dispersible in an aqueous or organic media, thus leading to nanoparticle colloidal dispersions and enhancing the processability of the material. The organic ligand also plays a key role in their preparation. In addition, the high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanoparticles combined with the affinity of the ligands for the nanoparticle surface can be used to place a large number of functional molecules at their periphery. The purpose of this chapter is to understand the synergism between nanoparticles and organic ligands with regard to their preparation, performance, and applicability.
Research Perspectives on Functional Micro and Nano Scale Coatings
Authors: Taborda Jaime Andrés Pérez , López Elvis O.
Published: April 2016

Research topics related to the production of nanocomposites are the most important directions of development of new semiconductor engineering, ensuring high nanocomposites obtaining useful properties in the scope of biophysical characteristics, biomedical and piezoelectric applications. We present two case studies as Hydroxyapatite are in medical applications and aluminum nitride as acoustic wave sensor. Hydroxyapatite, is the main inorganic structure of the tooth enamel and bone and is a biomaterial that is commonly used in biomedical applications that involve bone substitution, drug delivery and bone regeneration because of its excellent biocompatibility, high bioactivity and good osseoconductivity. Since the past decade. Aluminum nitride (AlN), an electrical insulating ceramic with a wide band gap of 6.3 eV, is a potentially useful dielectric material very important in fields such as optoelectronic and micro electronics.
Customers' Expectations from Frontline Managers in Utility Sector
Authors: Vishwakarma Suresh , Dwivedi Alka
Published: April 2016

Consequent to power sector reforms, customers' satisfaction is gaining vital importance at power distribution companies. Customers are now getting a choice of choosing their electricity supplier as well as options of investing in their own power generating equipment. The threat of losing customers is driving power distribution companies towards ensuring customer satisfaction. Apart from availability of electricity supply on a 24 / 7 basis, electricity customers now expect ease in getting new electricity connection, advice on most suitable category of supply, timely meter reading, billing, and handling of grievance. To provide customers with great satisfaction, power distribution companies have to give quality attention to offering excellent services that attracts customers and clear up all customers' complaints. Frontline managers play a very significant role in the electric utility companies. They act as an inter-face between the customers / public and the company. This chapter attempts to elaborate customers' expectations from the frontline managers in power distribution companies.
Cyberspace, Choice, and Consumer Welfare
Authors: Mishra Onkar Nath
Published: April 2016

Internet, especially through social Media these days have intruded into life of more than billion people over the globe and for youth it has become a vital tool for connecting and sharing information. It has a tremendous impact on how we think, feel and act and nolens-volens we all are a part of this cyberspace. It is often said that the emergence of cyberspace has fueled the growth of online retailing thereby providing customers with numerous choices, which in turn has improved their well being. How the emergence of cyberspace has crippled the control of consumers over their decisions and by making available too many choices confused the consumers is increasingly being debated. The freedom to choose certainly increases welfare, but there exists a threshold beyond which, any expansion in choice instead of bringing satisfaction and welfare, brings misery. It is simply because, when there are endless choices either the decision is withheld or taken by other, meaning the consumer is compelled to choose.
An Approach to Business Strategy
Authors: Agrawal Hari Om
Published: April 2016

This chapter introduces role of activity based costing system in the present business environment where businesses are under threat from corporate restructuring, technological innovations, customer expectations, de-regulations, and opportunities by way of collaboration, outsourcing and integration. Strategies of a business provide road map to organization and have multiple options. In a business, cost is the basic attribute in decision making process and drawing strategy. ABC provides a better approach to understand business process in relation with cost incidence. A business process is made up of activities which are performed by resources. These resources are responsible for expenditure and contain cost. ABC uses two stage cost assignment system for accurate and informative cost. ABC allows a better visualization of use of resources and explanation to understand where, why and how costs are being incurred. ABC is dynamic in nature, provide real cost and proactive in approach to simulate quantitative and qualitative measures of the process.
Service Quality Significance in Banking Industry with Reference to India
Authors: Mittal Alok Satishchandra , Jatav Sunita
Published: April 2016

This research tried to investigate consumer expectations and perceptions about elements of service quality of most used public, private and foreign banks in Indian context and actual services received by the customers. Apart from service quality this research tried to analyze the best bank in terms of benchmarking, which they follow because every time requirements of customers are changing but according to changing customer expectations what steps banks should take during services was also analyzed in research. Data was analyzed by taking expected – perceived /actual services and gap was determined between both of them. Impact of benchmarking and service quality towards expected and actual services was thus found out with regards to the service quality model concerning the influences of perceived service quality.
Application of Web-Based Geographical Information System (GIS) in E-Business
Authors: Chaudhuri Somnath
Published: April 2016

This research paper discusses about the application of Web-Based Geographical Information System (GIS), an ICT tool for electronic business; particularly through Internet, with a future plan to develop e-promotion and strategic marketing by implementing Web GIS tools for Geobusiness. In the context of e-business, this present study penetrates the usage of GIS to disseminate maximum level of information to the customers. On the other hand, it depicts the growing incorporation of GIS in target marketing, business management, and strategic decision-making processes. It discusses how this modern Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) tool is used for collecting and analyzing information for the efficient and effective management and promotion of e-commerce. Geographical Information System (GIS) is the fundamental science and technology for Geo Design, a systematic methodology of Geographic planning and decision making. Web GIS is the modern technology for capturing, storing, retrieving, mapping and analyzing spatial and non-spatial geographical data in the digital format over the internet. It provides all the GIS functions over the Web, these functions can, in turn, be applied in various sectors of e-business. This paper highlights on the technical aspects of Web GIS for strategic planning, daily business operations, supply chain management, marketing, customer service, improving efficiency and attaining competitive advantage for business organizations.
Regulating European Clouds
Authors: Varadi Szilvia
Published: April 2016

Cloud Computing is a diverse research area that encompasses many aspects of sharing software and hardware solutions, including computing and storage resources, application runtimes or complex application functionalities. In the supply of any goods and services, the law gives certain rights that protect the consumer and provider, which also applies for Cloud Computing. This new technology also moves functions and responsibilities away from local ownership and management to a third-party provided service, and raises several legal issues, such as data protection, which require this service to comply with necessary regulation. In this chapter the author investigates the revised legislation of the European Union resulting in the General Data Protection Regulation, which will be used to set up the new European Data Protection Framework. The author gathers and summarizes the most relevant changes this regulation brings to the field of Clouds, and draws relations to the previous legislation called the Data Protection Directive currently in force.
Characterizing PaaS Solutions Enabling Cloud Federations
Authors: Pflanzner Tamas , Tornyai Roland , Gorácz Ákos Zoltán , Kertesz Attila
Published: April 2016

Cloud Computing has opened new ways of flexible resource provisions for businesses migrating IT applications and data to the cloud to respond to new demands from customers. Recently, many businesses plan to take advantage of the flexible resource provision. Cloud Federations envisage a distributed, heterogeneous environment consisting of various cloud infrastructures by aggregating different IaaS provider capabilities coming from both the commercial and academic area. Recent solutions hide the diversity of multiple clouds and form a unified federation on top of them. Many approaches follow recent trends in cloud application development, and offer federation capabilities at the platform level, thus creating Platform-as-a-Service solutions. In this chapter the authors investigate capabilities of PaaS solutions and present a classification of these tools: what levels of developer experience they offer, what types of APIs, developer tools they support and what web GUIs they provide. Developer experience is measured by creating and executing sample applications with these PaaS tools.