bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementing Green IT Transformation for Sustainability: A Case Study in China
Authors: Zeng Delin , Fu Xiangfei , Ouyang Taohua
Published: June 2018

Implementing green Information Technology (IT) is an effective way to realize sustainability. In the process of implementing green IT, IT transformation is essential but tends to fail. However, existing literature can’t offer effective guidance for implementing green IT. In this article, we conduct a case study of green IT implementation at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, an aircraft manufacturer. This study sheds light on the process through which green IT transformation and sustainability are achieved. Consequently, we have expanded the Belief–Action–Outcome (BAO) framework to strategic and operational levels, and summed up the capabilities and mechanisms of each phase, as well as the impact relationships and directions between each phase. At a strategic level, the belief formation phase includes the capability to establish direction and required actions, containing formation of belief in sustainability and cultivation of green culture. The action formation phase needs the capability to reshape strategy and required actions, containing green informatization strategy and the establishment of a green IT group. As for operational level, the belief formation phase needs the capability to integrate and engender trust, the combination of production and research as well as production network implementation constitutes required actions. The action formation phase includes the capability to enact a sustainable plan and required actions have two parts: paperless production and a balanced production plan. This study contributes to present literature from three aspects. First, the study provides a qualitatively empirically grounded framework for the study of green IT. Second, this study contributes to the literature on sustainability from an IT perspective. Finally, our study also made important contributions to the BAO framework.
On Eccentricity-Based Topological Indices and Polynomials of Phosphorus-Containing Dendrimers
Authors: Kang Shin Min , Iqbal Zahid , Ishaq Muhammad , Sarfraz Rabia , Aslam Adnan , Nazeer Waqas
Published: June 2018

In the study of the quantitative structure–activity relationship and quantitative structure-property relationships, the eccentric-connectivity index has a very important place among the other topological descriptors due to its high degree of predictability for pharmaceutical properties. In this paper, we compute the exact formulas of the eccentric-connectivity index and its corresponding polynomial, the total eccentric-connectivity index and its corresponding polynomial, the first Zagreb eccentricity index, the augmented eccentric-connectivity index, and the modified eccentric-connectivity index and its corresponding polynomial for a class of phosphorus containing dendrimers.
Effect of Vipera ammodytes ammodytes Snake Venom on the Human Cytokine Network
Authors: Boda Francisc , Banfai Krisztina , Garai Kitti , Curticapean Augustin , Berta Lavinia , Sipos Emese , Kvell Krisztian
Published: June 2018

Local inflammation is a well-known symptom of envenomation by snakes of the family Viperidae, attributed primarily to the phospholipase A2s, metalloproteinases and L-amino acid oxidases contained in their venom. The inflammatory effect of snake venoms has been associated with a marked increase of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNF-α. To determine the impact of Vipera ammodytes ammodytes snake venom on the expression of inflammation-related genes, we incubated human U937 monocyte cells with dilutions of snake venom. Gene expression was quantified for 28 different genes using a TaqMan® Array Human Cytokine Network 96-well Plate in a RT-qPCR system. Our results have demonstrated that 1.0 μg/mL Vipera ammodytes ammodytes venom solution induces a notable change in the expression of several cytokine network genes. Among the upregulated genes, there were several that encode interleukins, interferons, and tumor necrosis factors. We further report the downregulation of three interleukin-related genes. Our findings come as supportive information for the known complex effect of snake venoms on the human cytokine network. It also provides relevant new information regarding the expression of genes that have not been previously associated with the effect of snake venoms.
Evaluation of AquaCrop Model for Foxtail Millet (Setaria italica) Growth and Water Use with Plastic Film Mulching and No Mulching under Different Weather Conditions
Authors: Guo Da-Xin , Chen Chao-Fei , Guo Ping-Yi , Yuan Xiang-Yang , Xing Xu-Guang , Ma Xiao-Yi
Published: June 2018

The water-driven AquaCrop model is used extensively for simulating crop growth and water use. A three-year field experiment (2015–2017) of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) that was grown using plastic film mulching (PM) and no mulching (NM) was conducted in a rain-fed region of China to simulate canopy cover (CC), biomass, soil water content (SWC), yield, evapotranspiration (ETc), and water use efficiency (WUE). The year 2015 was much drier and warmer than the two other years. The model was calibrated using field data from 2016 and validated using the data from 2015 and 2017. Simulations of CC, biomass, and yield achieved favorable performance for both PM and NM in all years, as indicated by the high determination coefficient (R2), model efficiency (EF), small root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and deviations < 10%. Simulations of SWC, ETc, and WUE gave acceptable results for both PM and NM in the normal year (2017). However, low R2 and EF, and large NRMSE, RMSE, and deviations were observed in the predictions of PM and NM for SWC, ETc, and WUE in the dry year (2015) with a severe drought stress, indicating that the model performed unsatisfactorily under severe drought stress condition that was caused by the adverse weather. In addition, the simulation performance of NM was more favorable than that of PM for most crop growth and water use indexes under no drought stress condition.
stUPscales: An R-Package for Spatio-Temporal Uncertainty Propagation across Multiple Scales with Examples in Urban Water Modelling
Authors: Torres-Matallana Jairo Arturo , Leopold Ulrich , Heuvelink Gerard B. M.
Published: June 2018

Integrated environmental modelling requires coupling sub-models at different spatial and temporal scales, thus accounting for change of support procedures (aggregation and disaggregation). We introduce the R-package spatio-temporal Uncertainty Propagation across multiple scales, stUPscales, which constitutes a contribution to state-of-the-art open source tools that support uncertainty propagation analysis in temporal and spatio-temporal domains. We illustrate the tool with an uncertainty propagation example in environmental modelling, specifically in the urban water domain. The functionalities of the class setup and the methods and functions MC.setup, MC.sim, MC.analysis and Agg.t are explained, which are used for setting up, running and analysing Monte Carlo uncertainty propagation simulations, and for spatio-temporal aggregation. We also show how the package can be used to model and predict variables that vary in space and time by using a spatio-temporal variogram model and space-time ordinary kriging. stUPscales takes uncertainty characterisation and propagation a step further by including temporal and spatio-temporal auto- and cross-correlation, resulting in more realistic (spatio-)temporal series of environmental variables. Due to its modularity, the package allows the implementation of additional methods and functions for spatio-temporal disaggregation of model inputs and outputs, when linking models across multiple space-time scales.
Monitoring Biological and Chemical Trends in Temperate Still Waters Using Citizen Science
Authors: Thornhill Ian , Chautard Alice , Loiselle Steven
Published: June 2018

The involvement of volunteers in the monitoring of the environment holds great potential to gather information on a wider temporal and spatial scale than is currently possible. However, the mass involvement of citizens in monitoring freshwater health is a relatively new field and subject to uncertainty. Here, we examine 1192 samples collected across 46 temperate ponds (<2 ha) and 29 temperate lakes (>2 ha) by 120 volunteers trained through the FreshWater Watch citizen science programme to consider if the approach is able to (a) identify well established patterns in water quality and biological indicators (i.e., fish), and (b) provide a potentially useful basis for the identification of pollution sources in urban or peri-urban landscapes. Seasonal patterns observed agreed well with established principles of nutrient dynamics, algal bloom seasonality, and broad biological trends between ponds and lakes. Further, observational data collected by the volunteers suggested plausible links between the presence of residential discharge and water level fluctuation and significant increases in algal bloom observations between peri-urban and urban sites. We suggest that citizen science can have a role to play in complementing regulatory monitoring efforts and that local citizens should be empowered to become stewards of their local freshwater resources.
The Impact of Multiple Typhoons on Severe Floods in the Mid-Latitude Region (Hokkaido)
Authors: Kimura Nobuaki , Kiri Hirohide , Kitagawa Iwao
Published: June 2018

Mid-latitude regions in the North Pacific are generally vulnerable to climatological disasters and are possibly more sensitive to future climate changes. Severe flood disasters struck Hokkaido in August 2016 because of the multiple, continuous typhoons that struck the island. We evaluated the effect of these typhoons on floods and changes in future floods using a distributed hydrological model in a watershed located in eastern Hokkaido. We conducted two numerical examinations: a simulation with a major typhoon only (which caused flood disasters) without other preceding typhoons, and a simulation with a simple assumed future climate (in which we employed higher precipitation). The result of the former simulation demonstrated that the impact of the preceding typhoons on the highest flood peak was significant during the early stage of the major typhoon but weaker after the middle stage of the major typhoon. The result of the latter simulation indicated that flood peaks potentially increased with an increase in precipitation. Based on the water level distributions in the surface layer, the impact of multiple typhoons and future weather conditions on potential flood peaks depends on the degree of soil saturation over our target watershed.
Thiocarbonyl-enabled ferrocene C–H nitrogenation by cobalt(III) catalysis: thermal and mechanochemical
Authors: Yetra Santhivardhana Reddy , Shen Zhigao , Wang Hui , Ackermann Lutz
Published: June 2018

Versatile C–H amidations of synthetically useful ferrocenes were accomplished by weakly-coordinating thiocarbonyl-assisted cobalt catalysis. Thus, carboxylates enabled ferrocene C–H nitrogenations with dioxazolones, featuring ample substrate scope and robust functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies provided strong support for a facile organometallic C–H activation manifold.
The current profile of the patient with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Ardeleanu Iuliana , Macovei Liviu , Anghel Larisa , Tanasa Ana , Balasanian Mircea , Arsenescu Georgescu Catalina
Published: June 2018

Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common supraventricular arrhythmia, characterized by an irregular and extremely rapid atrial electrical activation that causes loss of atrial mechanical function and important hemodynamic consequences. AF classification is important in both the therapeutic approach and the prognosis. Several classifications based on the ECG patch, epicardial or endocavitary records have been performed over time, but no classification can take into account all the characteristics of AF and especially associated diseases, which may be both the cause and consequence of arrhythmia. Aim: The aim of the study is to establish the current profile of the patient with atrial fibrillation in the new era of oral anticoagulant therapy and sinus rhythm restoration.

Material and methods: The trial was conducted on patients with atrial fibrillation hospitalized between 01.10.2014-31.03.2015 at Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases ”Prof. Dr. G. Georgescu”, Iasi. Patients included in the study were analyzed according to age and sex, criteria for the clinical and paraclinic definition for atrial fibrillation.

Results: Atrial fibrillation is an extremely common cardiovascular pathology and is present in about one-third of patients admitted to our clinic. Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, ischemic coronary artery disease, and valvulopathy are common in patients with AF. Patients with AF are usually elderly patients with many associated diseases in whom sinus rhythm restoration treatment and anticoagulant therapy are difficult to establish. AF is one of the most common arrhythmias that complicates the evolution of acute myocardial infarction, association between dual antiplatelet therapy and anticoagulation treatment, increasing the risk of bleeding complications.

Conclusions: Atrial fibrillation is an extremely common cardiovascular pathology and is present in about one-third of patients admitted to our hospital. The data obtained revealed that this arrhythmia occurs in a small number of cases as the only pathology of the patient, usually associated with numerous comorbidities. Cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, ischemic coronary artery disease, valvulopathy are common in our practice. Patient with AF is a patient who requires long-term anticoagulant therapy and in whom sinus rhythm recovery therapy is dependent on the precocity of presentation to the physician, as well as on the therapeutic resources of current medicine.
Five New Globular Clusters Discovered in the Galactic Bulge
Authors: Camargo Denilso
Published: June 2018

This Letter reports the discovery of five new globular clusters (GCs) in the Galactic bulge (Camargo 1102, 1103, 1104, 1105, and 1106) using Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) images. Their natures are established by using 2MASS and Gaia second data release (DR2) photometry. The new findings are old and metal-poor GCs located less than 4 kpc from the Galactic center. Camargo 1102 seems to be located over the Galactic bar on the far side of the Milky Way and at a vertical distance lower than 1 kpc. The other four clusters lie even closer to the Milky Way mid-plane. The old ages and low metallicities suggest that the newly discovered GCs may have the potential of providing important clues on the early inner Galaxy formation and its subsequent evolution, as well as the current bulge structure and kinematics.
Three new species of Dolichogenidea Viereck (Hymenoptera, Braconidae, Microgastrinae) from Australia with exceptionally long ovipositors
Authors: Fagan-Jeffries Erinn P. , Cooper Steven J.B. , Austin Andrew D.
Published: June 2018

The subfamily Microgastrinae contains an extraordinarily rich diversity of parasitoid wasps which parasitise larval lepidopterans. The Australian fauna has generally been poorly studied, particularly for the very speciose genera. One such genus is Dolichogenidea Vierek, which in Australia is known from only six described species. Here we describe three new species of Dolichogenidea from Australia, which are distinguished by possessing extremely long ovipositors compared with the typical form for the genus. These are D.finchi Fagan-Jeffries & Austin, sp. n., D.mediocaudata Fagan-Jeffries & Austin, sp. n., and D.xenomorph Fagan-Jeffries & Austin, sp. n. In describing these new species we also discuss relationships within the genus, and the diversity and biology of the Australian fauna.
Mapping and assessing ecosystem services to support urban planning: A case study on brownfield regeneration in Trento, Italy
Authors: Cortinovis Chiara , Geneletti Davide
Published: June 2018

This study explores the use of ecosystem service (ES) knowledge to support urban planning in the assessment of future scenarios. The case study concerns the prioritszation of brownfield regeneration interventions in the city of Trento (Italy). Alternative planning scenarios considering the conversion of existing brownfields into new urban parks are assessed and compared. The assessment focuses on two ES of critical importance for the city, namely microclimate regulation and nature-based recreation. The benefits of the different scenarios are quantified based on the number of expected beneficiaries broken down into different vulnerability classes and then compared through a multi-criteria analysis. Three combinations of criteria and weights reflect different planning objectives and related decision-makers’ orientations about what ES and beneficiary groups should be prioritised. The application demonstrates the potential for ES assessments to support urban planning processes in the specific phase of assessment and selection of alternatives, by meeting the requirements in terms of both sensitivity to small-scale changes in land uses or management activities and capacity to capture simultaneous variations in supply and demand of multiple ES. Being coherent with socially-orientated planning objectives, indicators based on ES demand and beneficiaries can effectively convey information about ES in planning decisions. Multi-criteria analysis is an effective way to integrate multiple ES assessments with other information about costs and benefits of planning scenarios, exploring diverse stakeholder perspectives and balancing competing objectives in a rational and transparent way.
An Educational Intervention to Evaluate Nurses' Knowledge of Heart Failure
Authors: Sundel Siobhan , Ea Emerson E.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Nurses are the main providers of patient education in inpatient and outpatient settings. Unfortunately, nurses may lack knowledge of chronic medical conditions, such as heart failure.

Method:

The purpose of this one-group pretest–posttest intervention was to determine the effectiveness of teaching intervention on nurses' knowledge of heart failure self-care principles in an ambulatory care setting. The sample consisted of 40 staff nurses in ambulatory care. Nurse participants received a focused education intervention based on knowledge deficits revealed in the pretest and were then resurveyed within 30 days. Nurses were evaluated using the valid and reliable 20-item Nurses Knowledge of Heart Failure Education Principles Survey tool.

Results:

The results of this project demonstrated that an education intervention on heart failure self-care principles improved nurses' knowledge of heart failure in an ambulatory care setting, which was statistically significant (
p
< .05).

Conclusion:

Results suggest that a teaching intervention could improve knowledge of heart failure, which could lead to better patient education and could reduce patient readmission for heart failure.

J Contin Educ Nurs.
2018;49(7):315–321.
Rural Mentorships in Health Care: Factors Influencing Their Development and Sustainability
Authors: Rohatinsky Noelle , Udod Sonia , Anonson June , Rennie Donna , Jenkins Megan
Published: June 2018

Background:

The need to recruit and retain health care providers remains a concern in rural communities. This project aimed to better understand what health care providers and senior leaders value in mentorship and determine the best way to implement a mentorship program in rural western Canada.

Method:

Health care providers and senior leaders from a rural health region were recruited through convenience and snowball sampling. Participants were interviewed using a semistructured interview guide, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results:

Two main themes were revealed: rural mentorship challenges and facilitators. Challenges included administrative, scope of practice, and interpersonal, whereas facilitators included mentorship as a recruitment and retention strategy, openness and commitment, structured mentorship programs, and community influence.

Conclusion:

This information will enable administrators and educators to more successfully implement mentorship programs for a variety of health care professionals working within rural environments and facilitate staff development, recruitment, and retention.

J Contin Educ Nurs
. 2018;49(7):322–328.
La mémoire du béton
Authors: Carr Gilly
Published: June 2018

Les habitants des îles Anglo-Normandes sont confrontés quotidiennement aux fantômes de l’occupation allemande de la seconde guerre mondiale. Soldats et travailleurs forcés apparaissent dans les bunkers qui parsèment les côtes de ces îles, offrant ainsi aux descendants des témoins de la guerre le moyen de cultiver la mémoire d’une période historique critique qu’ils n’ont eux-mêmes pas vécue. Insistant sur l’impossibilité de séparer ici le patrimoine immatériel et matériel, la mémoire et le béton, cet article examine les conditions d’intégration d’un type particulier de vestige – les fantômes – à l’analyse archéologique.
Le fantôme et les autres
Authors: Broz Ludek
Published: June 2018

Cet article traite de la capacité des fantômes à faire devenir autre ; des vivants et des morts dans un village sibérien ; de ceux qui adhèrent à l’existence des fantômes ; de textes qui ne réduisent pas les fantômes à une réalité ethnographique de second rang, ni ne disqualifient les anthropologues qui s’en préoccupent. L’auteur prend appui sur les situations de partage de nourriture avec des morts, et sur les conséquences que cela est censé avoir sur la vie des Altaïens, pour parler plus généralement du pouvoir « d’altérisation » que possèdent les fantômes comme entités. Cet effet se fait sentir aussi lorsque les Altaïens entrent en contact avec l’administration russe : le rapport qu’ils entretiennent avec leurs morts les rend très exotiques aux yeux des Russes élevés à l’école matérialiste. Mais c’est aussi ce genre d’effet transformationnel que les anthropologues eux-mêmes peuvent ressentir lorsqu’ils étudient les fantômes en tentant de les « prendre au sérieux ».
Le dévoyé et le damné
Authors: Caciola Nancy Mandeville
Published: June 2018

Au Moyen Âge, en Italie, les représentants de l’Église considéraient les esprits venus posséder les vivants comme des démons ou des anges déchus, tandis que le peuple avait plutôt tendance à y voir des revenants. D’après une croyance préchrétienne, les personnes décédées de façon violente et prématurée pouvaient prendre possession du corps d’une personne vivante pour revivre une incarnation. Or, ces éléments de culture n’ont pas traversé le temps par inadvertance : ils ont été retenus parce qu’ils servaient les besoins des communautés qui en avaient l’usage. En l’occurrence, l’idée que les morts puissent posséder les vivants permettait d’opérer plusieurs types de guérison, au bénéfice de la victime, mais aussi du revenant et de la communauté tout entière.
La nuit de frayeur d’un homme courageux
Authors: Patsauq Markoosie
Published: June 2018

Cette nouvelle de l’écrivain inuit Markoosie Patsauq est inspirée des récits d’apparition de fantôme tels qu’ils circulent dans les sociétés où la chasse joue un rôle central dans la vie quotidienne. Dans ces récits, les fantômes n’apparaissent jamais clairement : on ne fait que détecter une série d’indices qui permet d’inférer leur présence. Le chasseur commence par décrire un contexte de brouillage perceptif (nuit, pluie, etc.), relativement anxiogène, dans lequel toutes ses ressources cognitives sont orientées vers la détection d’agents animaux, gibier recherché ou prédateur redouté. La présence d’un fantôme est induite de l’échec du processus menant à la reconnaissance d’un animal précis à partir d’indices sensoriels et perceptifs fragmentaires.
Revenants affamés
Authors: Rousseau Julien
Published: June 2018

L’artiste thaïlandais Anupong Chantorn travaille un thème issu d’une tradition ancienne : les revenants affamés (phi prêt). Décrits dans les textes bouddhiques, les phi prêt peuvent, contrairement aux autres esprits aniconiques de la religion populaire, être représentés. Ils se rencontrent traditionnellement sur les murs peints des temples et sur les manuscrits, pour illustrer la cosmologie bouddhique ou la description des enfers, mais aussi, depuis la seconde moitié du xxe siècle, dans des sculptures géantes qui apparaissent dans les temples.
Project Management Maturity Models
Authors: Galli Brian J.
Published: June 2018

In today's highly dynamic and rapidly changing business landscape, project constraints are continuously increasing regarding cost, time, level of customer satisfaction, and return on investment. Project-related issues are also increasing due to increased complexity, increased number of stakeholders, and extensive parameters. Recently, the project management community has shown interest in developing methodologies for project management to increase success in business organizations. Several project management models are introduced. In this article, different project management maturity models are analyzed and compared to determine any overlap or discrepancies between them. Moreover, the article aims to reveal the needs for the project to start, and the needs to evolve. The design of new maturity models on both team and organizational levels are used as a roadmap to pursue an organizational project. Finally, this article presents and outlines a uniform maturity model that unifies the best elements of all of the common singular maturity models.
Multiple Decisional Query Optimization in Big Data Warehouse
Authors: Rado Ratsimbazafy , Boussaid Omar
Published: June 2018

Data warehousing (DW) area has always motivated a plethora of hard optimization problem that cannot be solved in polynomial time. Those optimization problems are more complex and interesting when it comes to multiple OLAP queries. In this article, the authors explore the potential of distributed environment for an established data warehouse, database-related optimization problem, the problem of Multiple Query Optimization (MQO). In traditional DW materializing views is an optimization technic to solve such problem by storing pre-computed join or frequently asked queries. In this era of big data this kind of view materialization is not suitable due to the data size. In this article, the authors tackle the problem of MQO on distributed DW by using a multiple, small, shared and easy to maintain shared data. The evaluation shows that, compared to available default execution engine, the authors' approach consumes on average 20% less memory in the Map-scan task and it is 12% faster regarding the execution time of interactive and reporting queries from TPC-DS.
In-Store Stimuli and Impulsive Buying Behaviour
Authors: Parsad Chandan , Prashar Sanjeev , Vijay T. Sai , Kumar Mukesh
Published: June 2018

The objective of this article is to investigate the influence of retail shopping environment and impulsive buying tendency on unplanned buying. With this objective, this research examines how display of the goods inside the store, appearance and helpfulness of store employees and crowd inside the retail store affect impulsive buying and such buying tendency among Indian shoppers. Using multiple regression analysis, it is observed that retail shopping environment considerably influences the impulsive buying tendency of the shoppers and this tendency leads to spontaneous buying. The results reveal that retail shopping environment and consumer impulse buying tendency encourage impulse buying positively. In addition, it is found that store employees have no influence on impulse buying tendency among Indian shoppers.
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Exportation of Turkey and its Contribution to the Economic Growth
Authors: Dinç Dilek Temiz , Gökmen Aytaç , Soygür Seda
Published: June 2018

Economic growth is indispensable for the development of a country and welfare of its citizens. Economic activities can be improved with the enhancement of business sectors within its structure. Furthermore, exportation is a substantial means of reinforcing economic growth. In this research, the correlation between the fresh fruit & vegetable exportation and the economic growth of the Republic of Turkey is examined. Certain econometric methods as Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) test, Unit Root test, Phillips-Perron (PP) Unit Root test, Kwiatkowski, Phillips, Schmidt, Shin (KPSS) Unit Root test, Vector Auto-regression Analysis (VAR), Co-integration Analysis, Error Correction Model (VECM), Impulse-response Functions and Variance Decomposition Analysis are employed to research the correlation for the 2004 Q1-2015 Q4 period. It was concluded that the exportation of fresh fruits and vegetables have a favorable contribution to the economic growth of the Republic of Turkey in the long-run.
Credit Risk Modelling
Authors: Niklis Dimitrios , Doumpos Michalis , Zopounidis Constantin
Published: June 2018

The assessment of businesses' credit risk is a difficult and important process in the area of financial risk management. In a classical multivariate model, financial ratios are combined in order to achieve a credit risk score, which signals if a loan application is approved or discarded. Despite their good performance, the developed multivariate models using statistical methods have been widely criticized. They are based on models that use accounting data, which have the disadvantage of being static and so often fail to follow the changes in the economic and business environment. In recent years, market models (structural and reduced form models) have become popular among banks and financial institutions, because of their theoretical background and the use of updated information. The aim of this article is to present an overview of basic market models (structural models, reduced form models and market models used from credit institutions) together with their characteristics in order to outline their development throughout the last decades.
O impacto do incentivo aos funcionários nos lucros dos bancos brasileiros
Authors: Forti Cristiano Augusto Borges , Barboza Flavio Luiz de Moraes , Ribeiro Kárem Cristina de Sousa , Nogueira Sergio Guimarães
Published: June 2018

Este trabalho investiga a relação entre os incentivos financeiros pagos a funcionários e a rentabilidade de bancos no Brasil. O modelo em estudo utiliza como variável dependente o Retorno Sobre os Ativos (ROA) e como variáveis de controle o tamanho, liquidez bancária, imobilização, risco, capitalização, alavancagem, crescimento da carteira de crédito e tipo de banco. A variável de interesse, dada pela razão entre a participação nos lucros e o total dos salários de funcionários para cada banco/ano, tem o intuito de medir a intensidade percebida pelos funcionários do incentivo financeiro proporcionado pelo pagamento de participação nos lucros. A amostra origina-se de dados fornecidos pelo Banco Central do Brasil e compreende todos os bancos em operação entre 2001 e 2011 que reportaram pagamento de participação nos lucros. Os resultados confirmam a hipótese de relação positiva e significante entre tais incentivos e o ROA dos bancos. Além disso, constatou-se que os bancos que concedem mais incentivos financeiros possuem, em média, menos agências bancárias, maior ROA, menor risco da carteira, maior liquidez bancária, menor imobilização e maior crescimento da carteira. Outro aspecto relevante é o de contrapor as evidências encontradas por Özutku (2012), nas quais não se sustenta a afirmação de que programas de incentivos são ineficientes em empresas de grande porte.
Análise da Relação entre Receitas e Despesas Públicas e o Desenvolvimento Educacional dos Municípios Brasileiros Baseada no Índice FIRJAN
Authors: Bezerra Dayvison Spindola Soares , Libonati Jeronymo José , Macedo Marcos Roberto Gois de Oliveira , Ribeiro Marcelo Victor José de Barros , Ribeiro Marco Túlio José de Barros
Published: June 2018

Partindo de argumentos decorrentes das discussões sobre accountability governamental e dos estudos afetos à qualidade do gasto público, este trabalho se propôs a mensurar a relação existente entre receitas e despesas públicas, representativas da execução orçamentária municipal publicada, e a qualidade da educação dos municípios brasileiros, no período de 2008 a 2011, segundo o Índice FIRJAN de Desenvolvimento Municipal, na vertente educacional (IFDMed). Foi utilizado um modelo de regressão com dados em painel, para 4.376 municípios entre os anos de 2008 a 2011, contemplando como variável dependente o IFDMed e, como explicadores, variáveis representativas da arrecadação e de gasto público e outras utilizadas para controle dos resultados. Os resultados da pesquisa apontaram como significativas as variáveis relativas aos índices de desenvolvimento municipal nas vertentes emprego e renda e saúde, à proporção de alunos em relação à quantidade de habitantes (densidade de alunos), à despesa com a remuneração dos professores e com gastos com saúde e à receita própria dos municípios. Demonstrou-se que uma melhor condição de vida da população, associada a maiores remunerações por aluno para o magistério, são fatores significativos na melhoria da educação municipal. Também, a densidade de alunos na população do município demonstrou trazer a este um nível de complexidade na organização necessária à educação, que pode forçar os resultados educacionais para níveis piores.Os resultados demonstram, por fim, que há relação (parcial) entre as receitas e despesas públicas e a qualidade da educação dos municípios brasileiros para o período analisado.
INFLUÊNCIA DA ESTRUTURA DE PROPRIEDADE E DA GESTÃO FAMILIAR NO GERENCIAMENTO DE RESULTADOS
Authors: Moura Geovanne Dias de , Bianchet Taís Daiane S. Assumpção , Mazzioni Sady , Macêdo Francisca Francivânia Rodrigues Ribeiro
Published: June 2018

O estudo objetivou verificar a influência da estrutura de propriedade e da gestão familiar no gerenciamento de resultados de companhias abertas listadas na BM&FBovespa. Realizou-se pesquisa descritiva, documental e quantitativa, com dados de 2010 a 2014. Para identificação e análise da estrutura de propriedade utilizou-se a metodologia de La Porta et al. (1999), que rastreou a cadeia de propriedade até identificar o último acionista controlador. Para identificação e análise da gestão familiar adotou-se a metodologia de Prencipe et al. (2011), que investigaram a participação das famílias na diretoria executiva e no conselho de administração. O gerenciamento de resultados foi analisado por meio dos accruals discricionários baseados no modelo Jones Modificado (Dechow et al., 1995). Constatou-se que em todos os anos o percentual de empresas com estrutura de propriedade familiar foi superior ao percentual de empresas com estrutura não familiar. O número de companhias que possuíam gestão familiar também era significativo, principalmente quando comparado com o resultado encontrado em pesquisas anteriores. Quanto ao gerenciamento, identificaram-se indicadores de baixas proporções na maioria dos anos. Por fim, a investigação sinalizou três fatores principais que influenciaram o menor gerenciamento de resultados: a estrutura de propriedade familiar; a combinação entre estrutura de propriedade familiar e o diretor presidente familiar; e, a combinação entre a estrutura de propriedade familiar e o presidente do conselho de administração familiar. Estes resultados fornecem evidências adicionais para a literatura existente sobre os fatores que influenciam no gerenciamento de resultados, especificamente a partir da abordagem de companhias familiares e não familiares.
Seleção de Portfolios: Uma análise comparativa dos cinco fatores de Fama e French e Redes Neurais Artificiais
Authors: Moreira Kleverson Dáliton Silva , Penedo Antonio Sergio Torres
Published: June 2018

O presente artigo buscou avaliar o desempenho de uma rede neural artificial desenvolvida com o objetivo de identificar padrões e classificar títulos em carteiras de ações de empresas do mercado de capitais brasileiro, levando em consideração os pressupostos evidenciados pela Teoria das Carteiras de Markowitz (1952) de que a formação de portfolios reduz a variabilidade e possibilita a obtenção de maiores retornos ajustados ao risco. Para isto, utilizou-se variáveis em nível da firma, componentes dos cinco fatores de Fama e French (2015), os quais, inclusive, serviram para a montagem de portfolios através da utilização de regressão linear múltipla com dados em painel. Os resultados comparativos dos métodos de regressão com dados em painel e redes neurais artificiais apontaram que ambas as metodologias permitiram a obtenção de retornos acima da média de mercado, no entanto, que a rede neural artificial apresenta maior capacidade de evitar títulos que sejam prejudiciais ao portfólio e permite a suavização das perdas em momentos de instabilidade.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Photon-Skeletal Muscle Interaction in Human Tissue Model
Authors: Kaewboonrueng Gamoltip , Özmen Yiğiter , Lekchaum Sarai , Locharoenrat Kitsakorn
Published: June 2018

We have investigated a possibility of photon propagation into the human tissue model (skin, fat, and skeletal muscle) by Monte Carlo method using Matlab program. There were some parameters of each tissue layer effecting on the light packet, for instance the absorption coefficient, scattering coefficient, anisotropy factor and thickness. It was found that the photon distribution on the surface of the human tissue and photon penetration into the human tissue under the propagation of 100,000 photons were - 0.8580 cm to + 0.7030 cm (served as two detection points) and 0.7220 cm respectively. Therefore, the simulation result gave the photon penetration depth of 0.2220 cm at the skeletal muscle. These numbers could be primarily used as a standard for design and construction of the tissue diagnostic instrument.
Fresh and Hardened Properties of Concrete Produced with Different Particle Sizes of Coarse Aggregate
Authors: Huynh Trong Phuoc , Ngo Si Huy , Hwang Chao Lung
Published: June 2018

This paper investigates both fresh and hardened properties of concrete produced with different particle sizes of coarse aggregate (CA). The CAs with the maximum sizes (Dmax) of 25 mm, 19 mm, 15 mm, 12.5 mm, and 9.5 mm were used to produce concrete samples with a water-to-binder ratio of 0.4. The workability, fresh unit weight, compressive strength, and ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) of the concrete were tested. Additionally, some concrete samples were fully immersed in 5% sodium sulfate solution in order to assess the performance of the concrete under sulfate attack condition. The experimental results show that the workability of fresh concrete increased with increasing the particle size of CA used, while the particle size of CA insignificantly affected to the unit weight of fresh concrete mixtures. The concrete mixture produced with Dmax of 12.5 mm obtained the highest compressive strength and UPV values in comparison with those of other mixtures. This study also found that the compressive strength values of concrete samples that fully immersed in sulfate solution reduced about 15% as compared with those of the concrete samples cured in lime-saturated water. All of the concrete samples prepared for this investigation exhibited good durability performance with ultrasonic pulse velocity values of above 4300 m/s. Test results also indicated that the concrete properties can be enhanced if the CA sizes were appropriately selected.
Comparison of Simplified and Advanced Simulation of a Fire in a Factory of XPS Panels
Authors: Kolšek Jerneja
Published: June 2018

This paper presents possible deviations between advanced (performance-based or ‘realistic’) and simplified calculations of initiation and spread of a fire in a factory for the production of insulation panels made of extruded polystyrene (XPS). Simplified procedures, discussed in the paper, are founded on several assumptions regarding the evolution of the fire. They are normally based on a great deal of practical experience of the fire designer and/or reports of eyewitnesses of similar fires. Provided that the latter are easily accessible, such procedures are fast and can provide a reasonably good first impression regarding the expected fire as the paper shows. However, they also almost inevitably lead to temperatures which are somewhat underestimated in the most intense fire phase but are overestimated in the decaying phase. Hence, for a more reliable calculation, advanced procedures are recommended.
Chemical Reaction Effect on Forced Convection Flow of a Jeffery Fluid over a Stretching Sheet: A Numerical Study
Authors: Mishra A.K. , Senapati N. , Mishra S.R. , Bhattacharjee S.
Published: June 2018

The purpose of this paper is to investigate steady two-dimensional laminar magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of an incompressible Jeffrey fluid past over a linearly stretching sheet. The governing partial differential equations (PDEs) of continuity, momentum, energy and concentration are transformed into nonlinear coupled ordinary differential equations (ODEs) by using similarity transformations. Then the ODEs are solved by applying Runge-Kutta fourth order method accompanied with shooting technique. The effects of various physical parameters characterizing the flow phenomenon including Deborah number, ratio of relaxation to retardation times, magnetic parameter, porous parameter, Prandtl number, Eckert number, heat source / sink parameter, Schmidt number and chemical reaction parameter on dimensionless velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are analyzed. The numerical results are obtained and presented in graphs. The present results are compared with the earlier published results as a particular case.
Mixed Convection Heat Transfer from a Heated Square Cylinder Immersed in Upward Flow of Power-Law Fluids
Authors: Laidoudi Houssem , Bouzit Mohamed
Published: June 2018

This paper examines the effects of thermal buoyancy on momentum and heat transfer characteristics of confined square cylinder submerged in incompressible power-law fluid. The detailed flow and temperature fields are visualized in terms of streamlines and isotherm contours. The numerical results have been presented and discussed for the range of conditions as (10 ≤Re≤ 40), Richardson number (0 ≤Ri≤ 1), and power-law index (0.4 ≤n≤ 1.2) at Prandtl numberPr= 50, at fixed value of blockage ratioβ= 25%. The results showed that the augmentation of the power-law index in the absence of thermal buoyancy causes a separation to diminish for the valueRe= 40. The thermal buoyancy delays the flow separation in different power-law indexes gradually and at some critical value of the buoyancy parameter it completely disappears resulting a creeping flow around a cylinder. Moreover, the recirculation length and skin friction are calculated to support the above finding. The decrease in the power-Law index promotes the heat transfer rate. The Nusselt numbers are computed to predict the heat transfer rates of power-law fluids under the superimposed thermal buoyancy condition.
Optimization of Carbon Black Production from Waste Polyethylene Water Sachet
Authors: Adesina Olusola A. , Yusuff Adeyinka Sikiru , Adepoju T.T. , Okedere O.B.
Published: June 2018

Waste management has been one of the greatest of Nigeria. In this study production of carbon black was carried out by recycling of waste polyethylene water sachet. Optimization of carbon black production was also done by varying factors that affects its production using response surface methodology. Box Behnken design was used to generate a total 17 experimental runs, which were design to study the effects of reactor size, initial fuel volume and mesh size on the carbon black production. A quadratic regression model was obtained for the production of carbon black with highest yield of 0.84g at optimal condition reactor volume of 2500 cm3, mesh area of 0.01 cm2, and initial fuel volume of 0.01 liters. The prediction of the model was verified using optimal condition which was applied to three independent replicates and the average carbon black yield obtained was 0.80 g, which was well within the estimated value of the model equation. The result obtained could be scaled up to pilot production.
Solving Reactive Power Dispatch Problem by Using JAYA Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Barakat Asmaa F. , El-Sehiemy Ragab A. , Elsaid Mohamed , Osman E.
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes a new optimization algorithm called JAYA algorithm for solving the optimal reactive power dispatch (ORPD) problem. Minimizing the real power losses is one of main objective functions of (ORPD) problem. The ORPD problem is subjected to non-linear equality and inequality operational constraints. The proposed JAYA is a recently developed optimization algorithm. The main merit of Jaya algorithm is that the algorithm performance is liberated of specific control parameters adjustment. Therefore, it overcomes the limitations of previous optimization algorithms in terms of achieving the global optima atless computational efforts. The effectiveness of the proposed Jaya algorithm is proven on three standard systems namely IEEE 14-bus, 30-bus and 118-bus test systems. Added to that, Jaya is successively tested on the West Delta Real Network (WDRN) as a real part of the Egyptian grid. The obtained simulation results prove that the proposed JAYA algorithm has significant reduction in power losses for the tested system compared with other optimization algorithms. The obtained results confirm that the proposed JAYA optimization algorithm can make a noticeable enhancement on solving the ORPD problem for small and large-scale power systems.
Experimental Characterization of Hybrid and Non-Hybrid Polymer Composites at Elevated Temperatures
Authors: Aklilu Getahun , Adali Sarp , Bright Glen
Published: June 2018

Glass and carbon fibre composites and hybrid glass/carbon composites are materials often used in wind turbine blades. In Africa wind turbines have to operate in warm climates. The present study presents the results of an experimental study on the mechanical properties of these composites at elevated temperatures. For this purpose, the composite specimens are fabricated by hand lay-up process to investigate their static and dynamic properties at high temperatures. The properties studied include Inter-laminar Shear Stress (ILSS), Dynamic Mechanical Properties (DMA) such as storage modulus, loss modulus and loss factor using ASTM standards. The inter-laminar shear failure strength of carbon fibre and hybrid glass-carbon fibre composites are found to be close whereas the glass transition and damping behavior of the hybrid composites are higher making them suitable for wind turbine blades operating at high temperatures. Short Beam Shear (SBS) test data are evaluated using chi-square goodness of fit statistical tests and the correlation coefficients from linear regression analysis are determined. Normal, lognormal and 2-parameter Weibull statistical distributions are used at 5% significant level.
Influence of Annealing Temperature on Structural, Morphological, Optical and Electrical Properties of Sol-Gel SnO2 Thin Films
Authors: Li Ji Tao , Yang Ding Yu , Zhu Xing Hua , Li Xu , Chen Shu Qi , Zhao Yu Qi
Published: June 2018

SnO2 thin films were prepared on glass substrates by sol-gel spin coating method using stannous chloride dihydrate and ethyl alcohol absolute as raw materials at annealing temperature 450-550 °C. The crystal phase was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and showed tetragonal rutile structure with a preferential orientation of (110). Atomic force microscope (AFM) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images revealed the homogeneous grains distribution, and SEM images showed the obvious rectangular objects corresponding to tetragonal structure. Optical properties were observed by the transmittance in ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) region and optical energy gap, which revealed the transmittance over 75% and energy gap between 3.84 eV and 3.89 eV. Finally, I-V characteristics were tested to research electrical properties, and found the gradual non-linear property and the increase of resistance.