bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival Analysis and ROC Analysis in Analyzing Credit Risks
Authors: Hu Nan , Cheng Haojie
Published: November 2015

As the aim of large banks has been changing to select customers of highest benefits, it is important for banks to know not only if but also when a customer will default. Survival analyses have been used to estimate over time risk of default or early payoff, two major risks for banks. The major benefit of this method is that it can easily handle censoring and competing risks. An ROC curve, as a statistical tool, was applied to evaluate credit scoring systems. Traditional ROC analyses allow banks to evaluate if a credit-scoring system can correctly classify customers based on their cross-sectional default status, but will fail when assessing a credit-scoring system at a series of future time points, especially when there are censorings or competing risks. The time-dependent ROC analysis was introduced by Hu and Zhou to evaluate credit-scoring systems in a time-varying fashion and it allows us to assess credit scoring systems for predicting default by any time within study periods.
Impact of E-Government on Transparency and Corruption in Iran
Authors: Shahsavandi Esmaeil , Mayah Ghassem , Rahbari Hesamaddin
Published: November 2015

Iran also is not exceptional case in terms of E- government when applications have emerged rapidly almost all countries in glob to use E- government as an enabling tool to increase efficiency, enhance transparency, collect more revenue and facilitate public sector reform. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is transforming the governmental processes in serving citizens (G2C), businesses (G2B) and governments (G2G).Due to various economic, social and political limitations and pressures, most countries of the world has already began the implementation of e-government architecture in sectors where it seems more necessary and they focus their investments in these areas. Many works which find out on impact of E-government have shown that while E-government is not a remedy and magic to solve all problem, it is just a powerful enabling tool that has aided governments to achieve some of their development and administrative reform goals. Hence E-government is not a complete solution, but can be a catalyst for change E-government must be a part of broader commitment to reform the public sector. Since, sill is there some obstacle which we could categorize in three factors and all this factors are critical for the successful implementation of E-government. The first is willingness to reform, secondly, availability of information and communication technology infrastructure and finally the institutional capacity to absorb and manage change. So in this purpose we try to analyze the potential impact of E-government on transparency and corruption in Iranian society. Moreover, this article attempted to give details the extent to which corruption and transparency have been impacted in implemented on corruption in Iran. Enhancing transparency and reducing corruption are identified. Evidence shows that E-government has had a significant impact on broader government goals where political leadership and a commitment to reform have been present. In this work the authors try to distinguish the main obstacles such like legal, social and cultural and some other obstacles concerned.
The Impact of Culture on E-Readiness for E-Government in Yemen
Authors: Al-eryani Arwa , Rashed Abdullah
Published: November 2015

E-government is considered to be one of the most important project in both developed and developing countries. The Yemenis government is trying to apply e-government project. E-readiness is the cornerstone of the e-government. Culture affects e-readiness especially in developing countries. One of the aims of this chapter is to find a suitable model to measure the impact of the culture on the e-readiness for e-government in Yemen. The cultural elements that have been adopted by the discussion such as gender, age, education, income, occupation level, computer experience and Internet experience. We carried out a comparative study between the well-known models. Besides to that our chapter investigates applying this model on the Yemen society to measure the impact of the cultural elements on the e-readiness for e-government in Yemen. We applied a quantitative research based on a survey method using questionnaires as a data collection technique. The findings showed that there are positive indicators for e-readiness in Yemen where the level of e-readiness scored 63.5%. The findings also showed the impact of the culture on the e-readiness for e-government in Yemen. Age does not affect the e-readiness in this study. Trust affects the e-readiness in Yemen and the facilities. The positive finding from this study is the high belief in e-government as an era requirement. The researcher recommends starting building award society and increase the information culture.
Public Value of E-Government
Authors: Sufna Noor , Fernando R. Lalitha S.
Published: November 2015

Main purpose of this study is to examine the level of Public Value of e-government in Sri Lanka. In this regard, a website of “www.pubad.gov.lk” of the Ministry of Public Administration and Home Affairs in Sri Lanka was selected. Other objective of this study is to identify e-government maturity level of the selected website. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used for achieving these two objectives. The quantitative data collection was done using a structured questionnaire. Population was 2204 Sri Lanka Administrative Service officers and the selected sample is 10% from the population. The website maturity level was evaluated mainly through observation. The study was conducted from January 2014 to March of 2014. It was found that the mean value of the level of the Public Value of the website is 3.34. This represents that the majority of officers have no idea about the Public Value of this website. Only 20% of the officers agreed that the website has this Public Value (2% of the sample strongly agreed and 18% of them agreed). This website belongs to the second e-government maturity level according to the UN ASPA model. The facilities to conduct online transactions and adhering to the web standards are recommended for enhancing the service delivery of the website.
The Relative Energy Efficiency as Standard for Evaluating the Energy Efficiency of Production Processes Based on the Least Energy Demand
Authors: Kreitlein Sven , Kupfer Isabel , Mühlbauer Matthias , Franke Jörg
Published: November 2015

This paper presents a calculation system to evaluate the energy efficiency in the production in general and at the process level more specifically. Its focus lies on the evaluation of the efficiency of the use of electric energy in the manufacturing industry. The basic target is a comparability of the energy efficiency across products through derivation of significant key figures. The basis of a significant evaluation and overarching comparability of the energy efficiency as well as the basis of the derivation of possible saving potentials is the relative energy efficiency (REE). It is determined by the quotient of minimal energy demand and actually measured consumption and requires that the actually measured energy consumption refers to an independent basis of comparison. The step-by-step development of the calculation system is based on the detailed analysis of all influential factors of the energy consumption. The, in this context, developed Least Energy Demand Method enables the determination of energy minima with different bases of comparison as reference values to evaluate the energy efficiency of single parts production.
Economic and Ecological Evaluation of Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Technologies Based on the Combination of Laser Metal Deposition and CNC Machining
Authors: Lutter-Günther Max , Wagner Stephan , Seidel Christian , Reinhart Gunther
Published: November 2015

Hybrid additive manufacturing technologies combine selective material deposition with a conventional milling process in one machine, enabling the production of complex metal parts and reducing the need for part specific tools. The hybrid technology offers technological advantages compared to more established additive fabrication processes, such as powder bed fusion. Compared to powder bed based additive processes, which are currently in a prevailing positon regarding AM adaption, hybrid additive technologies enable increased build rates, enhanced build volumes and a reduction of machine changes. In the Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) process, metal powder is deposited through a nozzle and melted by a laser on the surface of the part. By integrating the LMD process into a machining center, good surface roughness and low tolerances can be realized by means of e. g. milling without reclamping. In comparison to powder bed based processes, cost and resource input have not been investigated in detail. In this study, hybrid additive manufacturing technologies are analyzed regarding cost and resource input. A cost model for hybrid additive processes is introduced that enables the analysis of the manufacturing cost structure for a given part. Furthermore, the resource inputs for the operation of a hybrid production machine are estimated.
A Dynamic Simulation Model of Industrial Robots for Energy Examination Purpose
Authors: Paryanto  , Hetzner Alexander , Brossog Matthias , Franke Jörg
Published: November 2015

In this paper, a modular dynamic model of an industrial robot (IR) for predicting and analyzing its energy consumption is developed. The model consists of control systems, which include a state-of-the-art feedback linearization controller, permanent magnet synchronous drives and the mechanical structure with Coulomb friction and linear damping. By using the developed model, a detailed analysis of the influence of different parameter sets on the energy consumption and loss energy of IRs is investigated. The investigation results show that the operating parameters, robot motor drives, and mechanical damping and elasticity of robot transmissions have a significant effect on the energy consumption and accuracy of IRs. However, these parameters are not independent, but rather interrelated. For example, a higher acceleration and velocity shortens IRs’ operating periods, but needs a greater motor current, tends to excite vibrations to a greater extent, and thus produces a higher amount of loss energy.
A Conformity Check and Optimization of the Energy Management System Based on ISO 50001
Authors: Javied Tallal , Dlugosch Franz , Maul Tobias , Franke Jörg
Published: November 2015

The term energy management from the past few years is becoming increasingly important. Not only the trend toward clean energy sources triggered a process of rethinking in the minds of society but also pushed the politics to create incentives for companies in order to make them reduce their carbon footprint. The efficient use of energy can be described as an integral part of current political, social and economic decision making.From a business perspective energy efficient production is no longer just considered under the ecological aspect. Through high taxes, huge energy costs and steadily increasing energy prices, there is for companies in the relatively young field of energy management enormous potential to financially improve and consequently save costs sustainably. Furthermore starting from 2015 the energy peak equalization law is made stricter, requiring companies to pay even more in taxes if they fail to fulfill all the requirements set by the politics.Hence the role of energy management systems (EnMS), which deal with the continuous and systematic improvement of the energy performance of businesses, is becoming increasingly important.This paper will deal with an energy management system that was developed by the Institute for factory automation and production systems at Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg. The paper audits the proposed concept and checks it for consistency with the international energy management norm ISO 50001. Additionally all the corrections and necessary optimizations are made in order to provide the companies with a complete energy management system.The aim of this paper is to verify and check the EnMS concept which was developed in the institute for factory automation and production systems (FAPS) for its conformity with the International ISO 50001 standard. Thus ensuring the long term certification according to DIN ISO 50001.
Simulation Based Evaluation of Energy Saving Potentials in the Field of Electric Drives Manufacturing
Authors: Spreng Simon , Kohl Johannes , Proshkovsky Paul , Franke Jörg
Published: November 2015

As the production of green products progressively influences customers’ purchase decisions, the development, assessment and controlling of energy sparing processes increasingly has to be focused. Here, one major industry sector that has to be considered is the field of electric drives manufacturing, as the main amount of industrial used energy is consumed in electric engines. Consequently, main research activities in this field focus on the development of stable processes guaranteeing high efficiency levels of the produced motors. However, aside from the products’ energy efficiency, also the energy consumptions of the actual manufacturing steps have to be improved. For this purpose, the present paper presents the main energy consumers within the assembly line of an industrial induction engine. It also explains main energy reduction measures, which were evaluated using a combined material and energy flow simulation. Hereby, the line’s base load as well as the peak load was reduced.
Approaches for Monitoring the Energy Consumption with Machine Learning Methods
Authors: Gebbe Christian , Glasschröder Johannes , Reinhart Gunther
Published: November 2015

In times of rising energy costs and increasing customer awareness of sustainable production methods, many manufacturers take measures to reduce their energy consumption. However, after the realization of such activities the energy demand often tends to increase again due to e.g. leaks, clogged filters, defect valves or suboptimal parameter settings. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to quickly identify such increases by continuously monitoring the energy consumption and counteracting accordingly. Currently, the monitoring is either performed manually or by setting static threshold values. The manual control can be time consuming for large amounts of sensor data. By setting static threshold values only a fraction of the inefficiencies are disclosed. Another option is to use anomaly detection methods from the area of machine learning, which compare the actual sensor values with the expected ones. In this paper an overview about existing anomaly detection methods, which can be applied for this purpose, is presented.
Study about Stability of Cacao Husk Pigment and its Dyeing Properties on Cotton
Authors: Tu Chao
Published: November 2015

This research work was concerned with the stability of cacao dye and the application of this dye for cotton fabric dyeing by two techniques, namely direct dyeing and mordanting. The optimal conditions for cotton direct dyeing with cacao dye were carried out at 100°C for 60 min. It was observed that with an increase in the dye concentration, the ultraviolet protection factor values ranged good for cotton fabric. The results confirmed that natural dye have potential applications for fabric dyeing and producing UV protective cotton fabric.
Influence of SPEEK/PVA Modification on Properties of Cotton Fabric
Authors: Lin Jun Xiong , Wang Peng , Wang Xiang , Zhu Chao
Published: November 2015

Sulfonated polyetheretherketone and polyvinylalcohol (SPEEK/PVA) blends under light illumination are capable of producing macromolecular radical anions which can be used for generating metal particles or degrading toxic chemicals. Therefore, modification of textile fabric with SPEEK/PVA blends will enable textile material to develop potentially useful applications. In this work, the cotton fabric was modified by SPEEK/PVA polymeric films via glutaraldehyde (GA) cross linker. The properties of the fabrics such as surface morphology, whiteness, wrinkle recovery, moisture permeability and stiffness were then investigated. It was found that the optimal ratio of PVA to SPEEK was 3 to 1, and the blend film was optically transparent and water-insoluble, which did not significantly alter the performance of cotton fabric.
Bio-Inspired Coloration for Wool Fabrics at Room Temperature
Authors: So Lai Lai , He Liang , Fei Bin , Cheuk K.K.L. , Xin John H.
Published: November 2015

Inspired by the remarkable adhesive property of marine mussels, a novel method was developed for wool coloration at room temperature. In this method, dopamine was utilized as a biomimetic precursor for wool coloration due to its structure similar to 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, an important component responsible for mussel adhesive. By using dopamine, wool coloration could be easily achieved at room temperature through a simple dip-coating process. Moreover, the obtained color appearance of wool fabrics could be tuned in a controllable way by the addition of other chemical components to the coloration bath. The dyed wool fabrics showed good color fastness properties.
The Method of Introduced Amino Group for Preparation of Thermo-Responsive Textiles
Authors: He Ju , Jiang Yue Lin , Wu Jin Dan , Wang Ji Ping
Published: November 2015

Thermo-responsive textile is a widely studied smart material, which finds wide application in self-adjustment, water-storage and medicine control releasing etc. Cotton is one of the mostly researched textiles due to its low cost and easy-preparation. However, it is difficult to graft thermal responsive polymers on cotton because the hydroxyl groups on the surface are not reactive enough. In this study, a dye mediate, 2-Chloro-4,6-diamino-1,3,5-triazine (CDATA) was used to introduce amino groups onto cotton fibers. NIPAAm was then grafted onto cotton by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP), which was measured by infrared and contact angle measurements. The obtained cotton-PNIPAAm exhibited an efficient thermal responsive performance, which was indicated by transitions between hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity reversibly according to the temperature changes.
Study of Hydrophilic Modification for Polyamide 6,6 and its Characterization
Authors: Begum Most. Setara , Wu Jin Dan , Wang Ji Ping
Published: November 2015

Polyamide 6,6 (PA 6,6) fiber is amongst the most substantial chemical fibers useful in a wide range of apparel and industrial applications. Overlooking the benefits, the poor hydrophilic nature of this fiber cause wet processing crucial and unsatisfactory ease of wearing for clothing. In this work, the surface modification of PA 6,6 fiber were studied by using Subtilisin and Alkali (NaOH). The effects of modification were investigated, including amino group determination by wool reactive dyeing, the surface morphology and chemical analysis by Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) and Attenuated Infra-Red (ATR-IR). The dye-bath exhaustion and color strength results confirmed the increased amount of amino groups formed after modifications. The increased oxygen content in SEM-EDS results indicates the possible formation of carboxyl group after modifications. Generally, both Subtilisin and alkali treatments resulted in improvement of hydrophilicity and other properties of PA 6,6 fabrics; although Subtilisin treatment considered as clean and eco-friendly treatment in regards of environmental matters.
Study on Woven Fabric Texture Based on Fourier Transform and Gabor Transform
Authors: Li Li Qing , Shan Ting Ting , Xue Le , Wang Jun , Chen Xia
Published: November 2015

Woven fabric texture was periodic and complex, the woven fabric texture analysis method was based on Fourier transform and Gabor transform. Firstly the frequency range of woven fabric texture was obtained by using the Fourier Transform method, and the influence on fabric frequency of image resolution and fabric density was analyzed. Then the main parameters of Gabor filter was confirmed by the woven fabric texture frequency, and the sub-images which contain different texture information were obtained after the woven fabric images were decomposed and fused in different scales and directions using the Gabor filters. Finally the main texture enhancement method, the main texture elimination method, the direntional texture analysis method and extraessential texture enhancement method were discussed. The experiment proved that this method would be a powerful tool in the application of texture analysis.
Production and Characterization of Wool and Hair Fibers in Highlands of Baluchistan, an Economic and Sustainable Approach for Pakistan
Authors: Khoso A.N. , Memon H. , Hussain M. , Sanbhal A.N. , Abro A.Z.
Published: November 2015

Livestock provides the motive power sustaining the life of local population and small scale industries in Pakistan. Obtaining meat and milk from sheep for the human consumption and by-products such as skins, wool, hair for local use and plays key role for the economical stability and growth of the country. There is massive amount of wool sheared by local peoples in Baluchistan but due to lack of education and technical knowledge regarding the wool shearing have remained as major issue. Shearing is made on annual or biannually, but even needs certain expertise and professionalism in the sorting of wool. The textile industry of country has greater challenge for last few decades. Government needs to upgrade vocational and technical education as well as the new equipments and machinery for wool processing in the region. Several initiatives are also being carried by small and medium enterprise for the economical uplift of region particularly and country in general. Mostly obtained wool from various regions remained as major issue for its sorting and processing for finished textiles.
Wool and Carpets - 6000 Years of Innovation, Quality and Sustainability
Authors: Ingham Peter , McNeil Steven , Meade Warren , Sunderland Matthew
Published: November 2015

The first manufacture of rugs with pile yarns made from animal fibres was well over 6000 years ago and the oldest carpet still in existence is around 2400 years old. The carpets and rugs sector is the major end-use of strong wool which makes up around 45% of global wool production (fine wool comprises 35% of global production).The advantages and perceived deficiencies of wool carpets in comparison with newer generation synthetic carpets are highlighted with possible solutions and new directions for research. Improvements in these areas are essential for wool to maintain its share of the carpet market.
Application of Dissolved Wool Keratin in Anti-Pilling Processing
Authors: Jia Ji Ru , Yao Jin Bo , Liu Jian Yong , Liu Yan Bo
Published: November 2015

In the current study, a novel wool dissolving system based on NaHSO3, azone and LKZ-610 (Trisubstituted organic phosphorus, an anti-shrink finishing agent for wool and cashmere) was prepared and employed to process wool fibers into keratin solution at 90°C for 7 hrs, where 65g wool fibers, 30g NaHSO3 and 5g azone were dissolved in 1L LKZ-610, resulting in high molecular weight keratin solution. The anti-pilling rating reached at Grade 4.5 with good hand when the cashmere fabric was treated for 50min at 50°C in the previously prepared wool keratin solution under the condition of 1:20 bath ratio, 8% owf keratin solution and 5% owf LKZ-610.
The Dissolution of Wool in Alkali Solution and the Changes of Fiber Structure and Performance
Authors: Zhao Qi Cai , Zhao Xu Liang , Cui Zhi Hua , Chen Wei Guo
Published: November 2015

The dissolution of wool in 4g/L NaOH solution at 65°C is used to be a standard test method for the damage of wool in the processing. This suggests that alkali can cause wool keratin and the linkage between molecule chains broken. Fortunately, the dissolution of wool at low temperature is mainly limited on the surface scales because the swelling of wool in water solution at lower temperature is quite small. In this paper, the dissolution of wool in alkali solution and the changes of the fiber structure and performance at different temperature were investigated. The results showed clearly that the wool surface keratin could be dissolved in different extent with the varying of the temperature and this could be applied to develop an AOX free modification of wool for shrinkage resistance.
Studies on Growth Mechanism of Annealed Graphite Powder and Gas-Sensor Applications
Authors: Ponsurya P. , Hussain Shahid , Hameed B.H. Abbas Shahul , Perumalsamy R. , Thirumamagal R. , Jayachandran M. , Ayeshamariam A.
Published: November 2015

High quality micro sheet rhombohedral graphite crystals were synthesized by Hummer method using compounds of MWCNT, K2S2O8and P2O5. The growth mechanisms were discussed by finite element simulation. The synthetic sheet rhombohedral graphite crystals showed a higher growth rate in radial direction than that in axial direction. Raman spectrum and Fourier transform infrared spectrum indicated that synthesized sheet rhombohedral Graphite had fewer crystal lattice distortions with no impurities. Finite element simulations indicated that the solvent metal convection field in the radial direction was stronger than that in the axial direction. As prepared graphite powder was annealed at 1350 oC to obtain diamond nanoparticles. The as-prepared products were exposed to formaldehyde gas.
Antibacterial Activity Studies of Ni and SnO2 Loaded Chitosan Beads
Authors: Ayeshamariam A. , Sankaracharyulu G.V. , Kashif M. , Hussain Shahid , Bououdina Mohamed , Jayachandran M.
Published: November 2015

In this work, Ni and SnO2loaded Chitosan nanomaterials are prepared by neutralization method, obtained by drop wise addition of Chitosan solution to a solution of NaOH, followed by cross-linking. The Structural, morphological and Raman analyses are carried out. The antibacterial activity is analysed against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and evaluated by the calculation of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC). The obtained results show that, Ni-loaded nanoparticles could inhibit the growth of various bacteria better than SnO2. These results revealed that, the exposure of Staphylococcus aureus to the Chitosan nanoparticles led to the disruption of cell membranes and the leakage of cytoplasm.
Preparation and Stability Characterization of Copper Oxide Nanofluid by Two Step Method
Authors: Subramaniyan A.L. , Kumar Arun , Sethupathi  , Kumar T. Sorna , Ilangovan R.
Published: November 2015

Copper oxide (CuO) nanofluids are prepared by two step method. CuO nanoparticles are prepared by sol gel method with Copper chloride as precursor and NaOH as a reducing agent. The prepared CuO nanoparticles are characterized by XRD, SEM and Particle size analyzer. XRD measurements reveal a grain size of 72nm .SEM image reveals an inhomogenous mixture of particles from 500 nm to 3500 nm with irregular morphology and few traces of CuO cones.. The particle size distribution of CuO particles is in the range of 1000-1600nm which is in accordance with the SEM results.CuO –Ethylene Glycol nanofluids are prepared by two step method by ultrasonication of obtained CuO particles.The stability of CuO nanofluid is given with a negative zeta potential of-22.5 mv.
Delafossite Nanoparticle as New Functional Materials: Advances in Energy, Nanomedicine and Environmental Applications
Authors: Abdelhamid Hani Nasser
Published: November 2015

Recently, numerous delafossite oxides in nanoscale have been reported for diverse applications. The present review summarized the recent overall views of delafossite nanoparticles in diverse applications such as energy, catalysis, photocatalysis, nanomedicine, sensors, electrochemical devices and environmental concerns. Delafossite nanoparticles possess unique features such as different and wide chemical composition, large surface area, small energy gap, ability for further functionalization, possess dual-active sites with different oxidation states (A+and M3+), and eager for doping with various species with feasibility to undergo structure modification. Thus, they provided promising application such as solar cell, photocatalysis, hydrogen production, bioactive materials, separation purposes and others. Pros, cons, current and future status were also reviewed.
The prevalence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii in sheep in the Western Cape, South Africa
Authors: Hammond-Aryee Kenneth , Van Helden Lesley S. , Van Helden Paul D.
Published: November 2015

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in a sample of 292 merino sheep farmed in a semi-intensive manner in the Overberg region of the Western Cape, South Africa, was investigated. Antibody seroprevalence was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Of the total sample, 23 sheep tested positive for T. gondii antibodies (8%; 95% CI: 4.7688–10.9846). There was no statistically significant relationship between seroprevalence and age of the sheep. The highest seroprevalence was found in sheep between 28 and 40 months old; a total of 19 sheep were seropositive by 40 months. No seropositive sheep were found in the age group between 16 and 28 months. The seroprevalence reported in this study is higher than what has previously been reported for the Western Cape (6%) and across South Africa on average (4.7%). As sheep farming is economically significant in South Africa, the presence of T. gondii amongst sheep may pose a production threat to the small-stock industry as well as to public health and food security. We therefore recommend further surveillance to identify high-risk animal populations so that local control measures can be put in place.
Understanding God images and God concepts: Towards a pastoral hermeneutics of the God attachment experience
Authors: Counted Victor
Published: November 2015

The author looks at the God image experience as an attachment relationship experience with God. Hence, arguing that the God image experience is borne originally out of a parent�child attachment contagion, in such a way that God is often represented in either secure or insecure attachment patterns. The article points out that insecure God images often develop head-to-head with God concepts in a believer�s emotional experience of God. On the other hand, the author describes God concepts as indicators of a religious faith and metaphorical standards for regulating insecure attachment patterns. The goals of this article, however, is to highlight the relationship between God images and God concepts, and to provide a hermeneutical process for interpreting and surviving the God image experience.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: Given that most scholars within the discipline of Practical Theology discuss the subject of God images from cultural and theological perspectives, this article has discussed God images from an attachment perspective, which is a popular framework in psychology of religion. This is rare. The study is therefore interdisciplinary in this regards. The article further helps the reader to understand the intrapsychic process of the God image experience, and thus provides us with hermeneutical answers for dealing with the God image experience from methodologies grounded in Practical Theology and pastoral care.
Religious coping strategies and perceived causes of sickness and health in South Africa
Authors: Van Dyk Peet J. , Van Dyk Alta C.
Published: November 2015

The purpose of this survey was to explore religious coping strategies and to what extent black South Africans directly attributed their health and/or diseases to supernatural forces such as the ancestors and magic. A total of 3000 structured questionnaires were distributed to South Africans of all ethnicities, of which 575 were received back, but only those received from black participants (411) were considered for this study. The SPSS 21 statistical program was used to analyse the data. The results of the study suggest that Mbiti�s remark that health and disease in Africa are seen primarily within a religious (i.e. supernatural) framework still holds true for the black South African participants in this study. More than 80% (81.5%) of the participants attributed their health and diseases primarily to the ancestors and magic,whilst only 16.1% of the participants ascribed any importance to natural causes of diseases(e.g. germs and unprotected sex). These beliefs were especially strong amongst city or town dwellers, people of higher educational level and members of so-called �mainline� churches (i.e.members of non-Zionist churches). Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The article is interdisciplinary in nature covering the following fields: religion, psychology; health studies.
On the ambiguous treatment of the Schrödinger equation for the infinite potential well and an alternative via flat solutions: The one-dimensional case
Authors: Díaz Jesús Ildefonso
Published: November 2015

An ambiguity in the mathematical treatment of the study of bound state solutions of the Schrödinger equation for infinite well type potentials (studied for the first time in a pioneering article of 1928 by G. Gamow) is pointed out. An alternative to prove a similar “localizing effect” is here offered “in terms Hardy type potentials” with the distance to the boundary as a variable. The existence of flat solutions (with zero normal derivative at the boundary) and solutions with compact support is here obtained by first time in the literature for elliptic problems for this kind of linear equations
A computational approach to an optimal partition problem on surfaces
Authors: Elliott Charles M. , Ranner Thomas
Published: November 2015

We explore an optimal partition problem on surfaces using a computational approach. The problem is to minimize the sum of the first Dirichlet Laplace–Beltrami operator eigenvalues over a given number of partitions of a surface. We consider a method based on eigenfunction segregation and perform calculations using modern high performance computing techniques. We first test the accuracy of the method in the case of three partitions on the sphere then explore the problem for higher numbers of partitions and on other surfaces.
Evidence for an Overwintering Population of Aedes aegypti in Capitol Hill Neighborhood, Washington, DC
Authors: Lima Andrew , Lovin Diane D. , Hickner Paul V. , Severson David W.
Published: November 2015

Aedes aegypti is an invasive, highly anthropophilic mosquito and a major vector for dengue and chikungunya. Population persistence in the continental United States is reportedly limited to southward of the average 10°C winter isotherm, which in the east, bisects Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina. We report on summer collections and genotypic analyses of Ae. aegypti collected in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Washington, DC (WDC). Analysis of a 441-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene sequence identified the same two haplotype sequences during 2011–2014, and placed these within two discrete groups known to be derived from lineages resident in the Americas. Analysis of 10 microsatellite loci for specimens collected during 2011–2014 revealed no evidence for introgression of new alleles across years. Overall, our data support a conclusion that this represents a resident WDC population, likely maintained during winter months in a subterranean habitat that facilitates year-round survival.
Burkholderia pseudomallei Genotype Distribution in the Northern Territory, Australia
Authors: Chapple Stephanie N. J. , Price Erin P. , Sarovich Derek S. , McRobb Evan , Mayo Mark , Kaestli Mirjam , Spratt Brian G. , Currie Bart J.
Published: November 2015

Melioidosis is a tropical disease of high mortality caused by the environmental bacterium, Burkholderia pseudomallei. We have collected clinical isolates from the highly endemic Northern Territory of Australia routinely since 1989, and animal and environmental B. pseudomallei isolates since 1991. Here we provide a complete record of all B. pseudomallei multilocus sequence types (STs) found in the Northern Territory to date, and distribution maps of the eight most common environmental STs. We observed surprisingly restricted geographic distributions of STs, which is contrary to previous reports suggesting widespread environmental dissemination of this bacterium. Our data suggest that B. pseudomallei from soil and water does not frequently disperse long distances following severe weather events or by migration of infected animals.
Facilitative Leadership Revisited – The Case of Norway
Authors: Bjørnå Hilde , Mikalsen Knut
Published: November 2015

Facilitative leadership has long been a catchword in studies of mayoral leadership. Emphasizing cooperation, consensus-building and the empowerment of others, the facilitative model is said to be typical of council-manager systems of local government. Drawing on a study of long-serving mayors in Norway, the paper assesses the accuracy of the facilitative approach in a typical council-manager system. What does it entail as an ideal type and to what extent does it catch the essence of mayoral leadership as practiced in Norwegian local government? We argue that there are conspicuous and interesting examples of Norwegian mayors exercising strong, strategic, and visionary leadership within a ‘facilitative frame’, and that the facilitative model does not preclude a broader and more ‘expansive’ and ‘entrepreneurial’ approach to mayoral leadership.
What is the real role of iron oxides in the optical properties of dust aerosols?
Authors: Zhang X. L. , Wu G. J. , Zhang C. L. , Xu T. L. , Zhou Q. Q.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. Iron oxide compounds constitute an important component of mineral dust aerosols. Several previous studies have shown that these minerals are strong absorbers at visible wavelengths and thus that they play a critical role in the overall climate perturbation caused by dust aerosols. When compiling a database of complex refractive indices of possible mineral species of iron oxides to study their optical properties, we found that uniformly continuous optical constants for a single type of iron oxide in the wavelength range between 0.2 and 50 μm are very scarce, and that the use of hematite to represent all molecular or mineral iron-oxides types is a popular hypothesis. However, the crucial problem is that three continuous data sets for complex refractive indices of hematite are employed in climate models, but there are significant differences between them. Thus, the real role of iron oxides in the optical properties of dust aerosols becomes a key scientific question, and we address this problem by considering different refractive indices, size distributions and more logical weight fractions and mixing states of hematite. Based on the microscopic observations, a semi-external mixture that employs an external mixture between Fe aggregates and other minerals and partly internal mixing between iron oxides and aluminosilicate particles is advised as the optimal approximation. The simulations demonstrate that hematite with a spectral refractive index from Longtin et al. (1988) shows approximately equal absorbing capacity to the mineral illite over the whole wavelength region from 0.55 to 2.5 μm, and only enhances the optical absorption of aerosol mixture at λ < 0.55 μm. Using the data set from Querry (1985) may overestimate the optical absorption of hematite at both visible and near-infrared wavelengths. More laboratory measurements of the refractive index of iron oxides, especially for hematite and goethite in the visible spectrum, should therefore be taken into account when assessing the effect of mineral dust on climate forcing.
CALIOP near-real-time backscatter products compared to EARLINET data
Authors: Grigas T. , Hervo M. , Gimmestad G. , Forrister H. , Schneider P. , Preißler J. , Tarrason L. , O'Dowd C.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. The expedited near-real-time Level 1.5 Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) version 3 products were evaluated against data from the ground-based European Aerosol Research Lidar Network (EARLINET). The statistical framework and results of the three-year evaluation of 48 CALIOP overpasses with ground tracks within a 100 km distance from operating EARLINET stations are presented and include analysis for the following CALIOP classifications of aerosol type: dust, polluted dust, clean marine, clean continental, polluted continental, mixed and/or smoke/biomass burning. For the complete data set comprising both the planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the free troposphere (FT) data, the correlation coefficient (R) was 0.86. When the analysis was conducted separately for the PBL and FT, the correlation coefficients were R = 0.6 and R = 0.85, respectively. From analysis of selected specific cases, it was initially thought that the presence of FT layers, with high attenuated backscatter, led to poor agreement of the PBL backscatter profiles between the CALIOP and EARLINET and prompted a further analysis to filter out such cases; however, removal of these layers did not improve the agreement as R reduced marginally from R = 0.86 to R = 0.84 for the combined PBL and FT analysis, increased marginally from R = 0.6 up to R = 0.65 for the PBL on its own, and decreased marginally from R = 0.85 to R = 0.79 for the FT analysis on its own. This suggests considerable variability, across the data set, in the spatial distribution of the aerosol over spatial scales of 100 km or less around some EARLINET stations rather than influence from elevated FT layers. For specific aerosol types, the correlation coefficient between CALIOP backscatter profiles and the EARLINET data ranged from R = 0.37 for polluted continental aerosol in the PBL to R = 0.57 for dust in the FT.
Climatic impacts of stratospheric geoengineering with sulfate, black carbon and titania injection
Authors: Jones A. C. , Haywood J. M. , Jones A.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. In this paper, we examine the potential climatic effects of geoengineering by sulfate, black carbon and titania injection against a baseline RCP8.5 scenario. We use the HadGEM2-CCS model to simulate scenarios in which the top-of-the-atmosphere radiative imbalance due to rising greenhouse gas concentrations is offset by sufficient aerosol injection throughout the 2020–2100 period. We find that the global-mean temperature is effectively maintained at historical levels for the entirety of the period for all 3 aerosol-injection scenarios, though there are a wide range of side-effects which are discussed in detail. The most prominent conclusion is that although the BC injection rate necessary to produce an equivalent global mean temperature-response is much lower, the severity of stratospheric temperature changes (> +70 °C) and precipitation impacts effectively exclude BC from being a viable option for geoengineering. Additionally, while it has been suggested that titania would be an effective particle because of its high scattering efficiency, it also efficiently absorbs solar ultraviolet radiation producing a significant stratospheric warming (> +20 °C). As injection rates for titania are close to those for sulfate, there appears little benefit of using titania when compared to injection of sulfur dioxide, which has the added benefit of being well modelled through extensive research that has been carried out on naturally occurring explosive volcanic eruptions.
Simulating secondary organic aerosol in a regional air quality model using the statistical oxidation model – Part 2: Assessing the influence of vapor wall losses
Authors: Cappa C. D. , Jathar S. H. , Kleeman M. J. , Docherty K. S. , Jimenez J. L. , Seinfeld J. H. , Wexler A. S.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. The influence of losses of organic vapors to chamber walls during secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation experiments has recently been established. Here, the influence of such losses on simulated ambient SOA concentrations and properties is assessed in the UCD/CIT regional air quality model using the statistical oxidation model (SOM) for SOA. The SOM was fit to laboratory chamber data both with and without accounting for vapor wall losses following the approach of Zhang et al. (2014). Two vapor wall loss scenarios are considered when fitting of SOM to chamber data to determine best-fit SOM parameters, one with "low" and one with "high" vapor wall-loss rates to approximately account for the current range of uncertainty in this process. Simulations were run using these different parameterizations (scenarios) for both the southern California/South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) and the eastern United States (US). Accounting for vapor wall losses leads to substantial increases in the simulated SOA concentrations from VOCs in both domains, by factors of ~ 2–5 for the low and ~ 5–10 for the high scenario. The magnitude of the increase scales approximately inversely with the absolute SOA concentration of the no loss scenario. In SoCAB, the predicted SOA fraction of total OA increases from ~ 0.2 (no) to ~ 0.5 (low) and to ~ 0.7 (high), with the high vapor wall loss simulations providing best general agreement with observations. In the eastern US, the SOA fraction is large in all cases but increases further when vapor wall losses are accounted for. The total OA/ΔCO ratio represents dilution-corrected SOA concentrations. The simulated OA/ΔCO in SoCAB (specifically, at Riverside, CA) is found to increase substantially during the day only for the high vapor wall loss scenario, which is consistent with observations and indicative of photochemical production of SOA. Simulated O : C atomic ratios for both SOA and for total OA increase when vapor wall losses are accounted for, while simulated H : C atomic ratios decrease. The agreement between simulations and observations of both the absolute values and the diurnal profile of the O : C and H : C atomic ratios for total OA was greatly improved when vapor wall-losses were accounted for. Similar improvements would likely not be possible solely through the inclusion of semi/intermediate volatility organic compounds in the simulations. These results overall demonstrate that vapor wall losses in chambers have the potential to exert a large influence on simulated ambient SOA concentrations, and further suggest that accounting for such effects in models can explain a number of different observations and model/measurement discrepancies.
Real-time monitoring of trace-level VOCs by an ultrasensitive lamp-based VUV photoionization mass spectrometer
Authors: Sun W. Q. , Shu J. N. , Zhang P. , Li Z. , Li N. N. , Liang M. , Yang B.
Published: November 2015

Abstract. In this study, we report on the development of a lamp-based vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometer (VUV-PIMS) in our laboratory; it is composed of a radio-frequency-powered VUV lamp, a VUV photoionizer, an ion-migration lens assembly, and a reflection time-of-flight mass spectrometer. By utilizing the novel photoionizer consisting of a photoionization cavity and a VUV light baffle, the baselines of the mass spectra decreased from 263.6 ± 15.7 counts to 4.1 ± 1.8 counts. A detection limit (2σ) of 3 pptv was achieved for benzene after an acquisition time of 10 s. To examine its potential for real-time monitoring applications of samples, the developed VUV-PIMS was employed for the continuous measurement of urban air for 6 days in Beijing, China. Strong signals of trace-level volatile organic compounds, such as benzene and its alkylated derivatives, were observed in the mass spectra. These initial experimental results reveal that the instrument can be used for the online monitoring of trace-level species in the atmosphere.