bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Leakage Current and Reliability on Planar High-k Capacitor with Al2O3 Dielectric Deposited by Thermal-ALD
Authors: Madassamy S. , Voiron F. , Nguyen A. P. , Lefèvre A. , Parat G. , Buttard D. , Sylvestre A.
Published: August 2015

Due to its wide band-gap, Al2O3 is known to have a moderate leakage current and a good dielectric strength [1]. Moreover, this dielectric has a fair permittivity and so constitutes interesting candidate as dielectric for Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) capacitor. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) allows obtaining a dense and thin Al2O3 amorphous layer. ALD limits problems of interlayer diffusion because Al2O3 is deposited underneath 400°C [2] which is essential when MIM are co-integrated with temperature sensitive structures.

The aim of our investigation is to attempt to tie aluminum oxide properties dielectric with reliability from the help of capacitors of the entire wafer. In this way, conduction mechanism analysis and capacitance measurements were statistically led on the wafer. We particularly focus our study on the quantification of defects and their influence on the leakage current in planar capacitor. Firstly, to estimate the fixed oxide charges densities in the bulk of Al2O3 and to analyze conduction mechanism, Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) (Al/Al2O3/HR-Si) is developed. Then, a MIM stack (Al/TiN/Al2O3/TiN/HR-Si) is developed in order to evaluate the leakage current and the electrical reliability of thin films Al2O3 based MIM capacitors. Different performances are observed according to the area on the wafer. That could be explained by the quality of the Al2O3 layer and the interfaces between TiN and the oxide.
Applications of Ultrasound to Materials Chemistry
Authors: Suslick Kenneth S.
Published: August 2015

This article will begin with an introduction to acoustic cavitation, the physical phenomenon responsible for the chemical effects of ultrasound. Some recent applications of sonochemistry to the synthesis of nanophase and amorphous metals, as well as to heterogenous catalysis, will then be highlighted. Finally, we will examine the effects of ultrasound on metal powders in liquid-solid slurries.

The chemical effects of ultrasound do not come from a direct interaction of sound with molecular species. Ultrasound has frequencies from around 15 kilohertz to tens of megahertz. In liquids, this means wavelengths from centimeters down to microns, which are not molecular dimensions. Instead, when sound passes through a liquid, the formation, growth, and implosive collapse of bubbles can occur, as depicted in Figure 1. This process is called acoustic cavitation.

More specifically, sound passing through a liquid consists of expansion waves and compression waves. As sound passes through a liquid, if the expansion wave is intense enough (that is, if the sound is loud enough), it can pull the liquid apart and form a bubble (a cavity). The compression wave comes along and compresses this cavity, then another expansion wave re-expands it. So we have an oscillating bubble going back and forth, say, 20,000 times a second.
Kenya
Authors: Deacon Gregory
Published: August 2015

In much of the work on Pentecostalism and development to date, Pentecostals have been considered as individual, adult converts adopting new (in contrast to traditional) socioeconomic approaches. These are seen by some authors as having transformative results for personal wellbeing and economic success as they are no longer subject to the restrictions of state, nation and society; others present opposite conclusions. As an alternative point of departure, this article considers that Charismatic, Pentecostal Christianity has been of great importance in the creation and evolution of Kenya as a state and nation. This understanding is used to illuminate the themes that dominated the country’s general election of 2013 and its developmental ramifications. It is suggested that exploring Pentecostalism at the level of nation and state, whilst continuing to allow for the importance of conceptions of personal responsibility, offers an additional and complimentary approach for exploring Pentecostalism and development.
Roundtable
Authors: Haustein Jörg , Rakodi Carole , Akhazemea Daniel , Battcock Mike , James Rick , Währisch-Oblau Claudia
Published: August 2015

This article revisits central questions arising from Pentecostal actors’ development practices. These were raised during the final panel discussion of the 2014 GloPent conference on “Pentecostalism and Development”. The four panel participants, all development actors from various organisational and religious backgrounds, considered whether Pentecostal approaches to development work are distinctive, as well as identifying various benefits that can be gained from the engagement of Pentecostal churches in development and some challenges that arise during collaboration between development actors and Pentecostal churches. The discussion was conducted through two rounds of statements by the panel participants, complemented by editorial comments and reflections. It concludes that neither the Pentecostal approach to development nor Pentecostal churches’ links with development actors are necessarily distinctive. However, more exchanges are needed between Pentecostal organisations and their members, development practitioners working with Pentecostal churches and scholars of the Pentecostal movement to improve development work among Pentecostals, links between Pentecostals and other development actors and scholarly awareness of the most salient issues.
Inclusion of canthaxanthin and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol in the diet of broiler breeders on performance and incubation parameters
Authors: Duarte Vinicius , Minafra Cibele Silva , Santos Fabiana Ramos dos , Perim Francisco dos Santos
Published: August 2015

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of a diet containing canthaxanthin and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) on the production and reproductive performances of Cobb 500 broiler breeders aged 53 to 61 weeks. The study included 36,000 Cobb 500 female and 3,600 male broiler breeders aging 51 weeks. The birds were housed in three poultry houses divided into four plots, totaling 12 experimental units each containing 3,000 females and 300 males. The birds received the following treatments: control diet (without the studied additives) or the control diet with the addition of 60mg kg-1feed of 25-(OH)-D3 and canthaxanthin feed (6mg of canthaxanthin and 2,760,000IU of 25-(OH)-D3 per kg of feed) per the supplier's recommendations. The experimental design used was a randomized complete block design with two treatments and six replicates. The results were subjected to analysis of variance followed by the F-test. The treatments had no effect on egg production, usability of eggs and number of incubatable eggs per bird housed. The inclusion of canthaxanthin and 25-(OH)-D3 in the diet reduced embryonic mortality while increasing egg yolk pigmentation, hatching percentage, and number of viable chicks produced per bird. Therefore, the use of 60mg kg-1of 25-(OH)-D3 plus canthaxanthin is recommended in the diet of Cobb 500 broiler breeders aging 53 to 61 weeks to improve important reproductive traits that have great economic impacts on poultry farms
Association between social capital and self-perception of health in Brazilian adults
Authors: Loch Mathias Roberto , Souza Regina Kazue Tanno de , Mesas Arthur Eumann , González Alberto Durán , Rodriguez-Artalejo Fernando
Published: August 2015

OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between social capital and social capital and self-perception of health based on examining the influence of health-related behaviors as possible mediators of this relationship. METHODS A cross-sectional study was used with 1,081 subjects, which is representative of the population of individuals aged 40 years or more in a medium-sized city in Southern Brazil. The subjects who perceived their health as fine, bad or very bad were considered to have a negative self-perception of their health. The social capital indicators were: number of friends, people from whom they could borrow money from when needed; the extent of trust in community members; whether or not members of the community helped each other; community safety; and extent of participation in community activities. The behaviors were: physical activity during leisure time, fruits and vegetable consumption, tobacco use and alcohol abuse. The odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) 95% were calculated by binary logistic regression. The significance of mediation was verified using the Sobel test. RESULTS Following adjustment for demographic and clinical variables, subjects with fewer friends (OR = 1.39, 95%CI 1.08;1.80), those who perceived less frequently help from people in the neighborhood (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.01;1.68), who saw the violent neighborhood (OR = 1.33, 95%CI 1.01;1.74) and who had not participated in any community activity (OR = 1.39, 95%CI 1.07;1.80) had more negative self-perception of their health. Physical activity during leisure time was a significant mediator in the relationship between all social capital indicators (except for the borrowed money variable) and self-perceived health. Fruit and vegetable consumption was a significant mediator of the relationship between the extent of participation in community activities and self-perceived health. Tobacco use and alcohol abuse did not seem to have a mediating role in any relationship. CONCLUSIONS Lifestyle seems to only partially explain the relationship between social capital and self-perceived health. Among the investigated behaviors, physical activity during leisure time is what seems to have the most important role as a mediator of this relationship.
Validation of psychosocial scales for physical activity in university students
Authors: Tassitano Rafael Miranda , Farias Júnior José Cazuza de , Rech Cassiano Ricardo , Tenório Maria Cecília Marinho , Cabral Poliana Coelho , Silva Giselia Alves Pontes da
Published: August 2015

OBJECTIVE Translate the Patient-centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise questionnaire, adapt it cross-culturally and identify the psychometric properties of the psychosocial scales for physical activity in young university students. METHODS The Patient-centered Assessment and Counseling for Exercise questionnaire is made up of 39 items divided into constructs based on the social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical model. The analyzed constructs were, as follows: behavior change strategy (15 items), decision-making process (10), self-efficacy (6), support from family (4), and support from friends (4). The validation procedures were conceptual, semantic, operational, and functional equivalences, in addition to the equivalence of the items and of measurements. The conceptual, of items and semantic equivalences were performed by a specialized committee. During measurement equivalence, the instrument was applied to 717 university students. Exploratory factor analysis was used to verify the loading of each item, explained variance and internal consistency of the constructs. Reproducibility was measured by means of intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS The two translations were equivalent and back-translation was similar to the original version, with few adaptations. The layout, presentation order of the constructs and items from the original version were kept in the same form as the original instrument. The sample size was adequate and was evaluated by the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test, with values between 0.72 and 0.91. The correlation matrix of the items presented r < 0.8 (p < 0.05). The factor loadings of the items from all the constructs were satisfactory (> 0.40), varying between 0.43 and 0.80, which explained between 45.4% and 59.0% of the variance. Internal consistency was satisfactory (α ≥ 0.70), with support from friends being 0.70 and 0.92 for self-efficacy. Most items (74.3%) presented values above 0.70 for the reproducibility test. CONCLUSIONS The validation process steps were considered satisfactory and adequate for applying to the population.
COMPETENCIAS INTERCULTURALES EN LA SOCIEDAD DIGITAL DEL CONOCIMIENTO
Authors: Hernández Olga Camila , Arciniegas Franklin
Published: August 2015

El artículo recopila los resultados parciales de una investigación con relación al desarrollo de habilidades lingüísticas y competencias interculturales. Proporciona en tres etapas una mirada hacia el desarrollo y utilización de las competencias digitales por parte de los estudiantes del programa de Lenguas Modernas de la ECCI. Mediante la indagación de antecedentes y estudios realizados en otros contextos, se vinculan las dos temáticas centrales de la investigación: las competencias digitales y las competencias interculturales. Se recurrió a la implementación de instrumentos de recolección de datos que permitieran acercarse a la población seleccionada para identificar las competencias claves en cuanto a la gestión compleja del conocimiento, en relación con las tecnologías y el desarrollo intercultural de los estudiantes de lenguas modernas.

Finalmente, a través de una herramienta digital (video-juego), se auscultó la integración de competencias en TIC en los los planes de estudios, de tal manera que se pudiera potenciar el desarrollo del lenguaje a través de una vivencia intercultural.
EL HUMOR CÓMO HERRAMIENTA DIDÁCTICA EN LA EDUCACIÓN SUPERIOR
Authors: Rojas Cachope Diego Mauricio
Published: August 2015

El proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje está matizado por diversas condiciones del contexto vivencial del estudiante, las cuales afectan y determinan su disposición ante la tarea educativa. Dicho entorno es un escenario complejo donde todos los estamentos participantes deben desarrollar estrategias eficientes en procura de las competencias esperadas por cada uno. El humor, como estrategia pedagógica, posibilita alcanzar los objetivos propuestos y lograr mayor eficacia en la enseñanza y en el aprendizaje. Se genera así un sentimiento de reconocimiento hacia el espacio académico: además de aprehender se puede divertir y comprender. En este marco, se presenta la estrategia para la enseñanza del curso “Política Ambiental”, en el marco de la reflexión crítico-social. A partir de tal razonamiento, conviene enfatizar en el papel del docente mediador como modelo de los estudiantes y en el manejo de un espectro de conocimiento más amplio, con la comprensión del entorno conflictivo del docente y su lectura desesperanzada y pesimista de la realidad.
CARGADOR DE BATERÍAS CON ENERGÍA SOLAR
Authors: Rodríguez Andrés Fernando , Vera Jhon Edwin , Bayona Jhon Fredy , Torres Javier Andrés , Mora Sergio Francisco
Published: August 2015

El propósito de este trabajo es aprovechar el potencial de energía solar que existe en diferentes zonas de Colombia y los métodos de conversión de energía eléctrica para implementar una aplicación utilizando un panel fotovoltaico y un convertidor reductor topología Buck o reductor síncrono con el fin de cargar baterías entre 3.7V. 6V y 12 V (voltios) para aplicaciones con plataformas móviles y equipos médicos. Se trabaja con un integrado de Texas Instrument que facilita la implementación y la extracción de máxima potencia del panel, analizando los modos de conmutación y los voltajes obtenidos. Debido a la dificultad para la medición de voltaje y corriente en el panel se realizan pruebas de intensidad solar con diferentes tipos de bombillos con el fin de alcanzar los niveles de radiación deseados para voltajes de referencia.
PROPUESTA DE INVESTIGACIÓN FORMATIVA EN LAS I.E.S Y SU APLICACIÓN EN LA ESCUELA COLOMBIANA DE CARRERAS INDUSTRIALES - E.C.C.I.
Authors: Roa Guillermo
Published: August 2015

La Investigación formativa se considera la base para generar una cultura investigativa que conlleve a procesos de investigación propiamente dicha en instituciones de educación superior. Este proceso se encuentra fundamentado en el continuo mejoramiento y la calidad de la educación superior, en función de la capacitación, proponiendo generar propuestas nuevas e innovadoras, las cuales aporten en el desarrollo de la investigación y la creatividad de las nuevas generaciones de técnicos, tecnólogos y profesionales en Colombia. El punto de interrelación entre la docencia y la Investigación, tiene como resultado el aprendizaje por descubrimiento y construcción, centrada en el estudiante y con la renovación de la práctica pedagógica por parte del docente. El estudiante, busca, construye y organiza su aprendizaje, con base en los conocimientos existentes. La investigación formativa es un proceso cambiante y dinámico demostrando que la educación en Colombia, ha evolucionado de manera directa, generando construcción educacional, desde las diferentes competencias de los estudiantes. La Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Administrativas de la ECCI, pretende proponer un modelo de educación formativa, basado en competencias, este modelo se deberá estructurar en forma gradual. La Escuela Colombiana de Carreras Industriales institución pionera en Colombia en la formación por ciclos propedéuticos, cuyos ciclos parten desde el nivel tecnología, debe permitir a los estudiantes ir adquiriendo las competencias investigativas necesarias a medida que avanza en su preparación universitaria según se establece en el Artículo No. 6 del Decreto 2566 de 2.003.
Dentro de las principales bondades y competencias que contribuye la Investigación Formativa, se puede mencionar el fomento a la argumentación, comunicación, la aplicación, la reflexión, el análisis y el ser propositivo.
Intensification of Oil Production Based on Invert-Emulsion Solution with Simultaneous Use of Acid Composition
Authors: Sergeev Vitaly
Published: August 2015

Field results of the developed complex intensification technology with application to carbonate reservoirs are presented in this article. The effect of this technology is obtained by complex treatment of the bottomhole zone (BHZ) with two types of specially selected chemical compositions (invert-emulsion solution (IES) and acid composition). These solutions are meant to restrict water inflow from high-permeability and fractured layers and secondly increase permeability of low-permeability zones. Based on the obtained results some criteria of choosing candidate wells for acid treatment with preliminary isolation IES for carbonate fractured and vuggy type reservoir rocks are defined. Moreover, a detailed treatment procedure design, for carbonate reservoirs by acid compositions and simultaneous restriction of water inflows (IES), is developed. Results are very promising, based on the Pashninsky field probation, the developed complex technology helps to increase average production rate by a factor of 2 and decrease water cut on average of 14%. We envision that future development of this technology lies in a realm of enhanced oil recovery technologies. Such development can be achieved by increasing injection volume in two stage through cluster pumping station to injection wells.
Problem and Solution: Artificial Lift Technology in Polymer Flooding
Authors: Zhongxian Hao , Gang Cao , Lianyu Wang , Mingzhan Chen , Yuan Fu , He Liu
Published: August 2015

Suffering from serious rod-tubing eccentric wear, polymer-flooding wells usually have an average maintenance cycle of only 2-3 months. Analysis indicates that since the wellbore fluid causes a relatively large friction to the pump and rod in polymer-flooding production wells, rod-string buckling is likely to occur during the down-stroke. In addition, the normal force difference will make collision between rod and tubing more frequently, which in turn aggravate the rod fatigue and rod-tubing wear. A special downhole pump newly developed and rod-string optimization for polymer-flooding production wells together work well in reducing the system load, rod-tubing contact and wear. The rod-tubing wear of PCP wells is reduced through structure parameter optimization, application of equal-wall thickness PCP, pump-type optimization, etc. After a series of remedial measures and scale application, the failure rate of artificial lift systems in polymer-flooding has been significantly reduced, and the mean-time-between-failure (MTBF) increased to more than a year and a half in the study area. This technology is of great significance for the wide application of polymer-flooding and further improvement of tertiary oil recovery profit.
Fluidized-Bed Gasification of Plastic Waste, Wood, and Their Blends with Coal
Authors: Zaccariello Lucio , Mastellone Maria
Published: August 2015

The effect of fuel composition on gasification process performance was investigated by performing mass and energy balances on a pre-pilot scale bubbling fluidized bed reactor fed with mixtures of plastic waste, wood, and coal. The fuels containing plastic waste produced less H2, CO, and CO2 and more light hydrocarbons than the fuels including biomass. The lower heating value (LHV) progressively increased from 5.1 to 7.9 MJ/Nm3 when the plastic waste fraction was moved from 0% to 100%. Higher carbonaceous fines production was associated with the fuel containing a large fraction of coal (60%), producing 87.5 g/kgFuel compared to only 1.0 g/kgFuel obtained during the gasification test with just plastic waste. Conversely, plastic waste gasification produced the highest tar yield, 161.9 g/kgFuel, while woody biomass generated only 13.4 g/kgFuel. Wood gasification showed a carbon conversion efficiency (CCE) of 0.93, while the tests with two fuels containing coal showed lowest CCE values (0.78 and 0.70, respectively). Plastic waste and wood gasification presented similar cold gas efficiency (CGE) values (0.75 and 0.76, respectively), while that obtained during the co-gasification tests varied from 0.53 to 0.73.
The Efficacy and Underlying Mechanism of Sulfone Derivatives Containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole on Citrus Canker
Authors: Li Pei , Ma Yuhua , Zhou Junliang , Luo Hui , Yan Jiawen , Mao Yongya , Wang Zhuang
Published: August 2015

The objectives of the current study were to isolate and identify the pathogen responsible for citrus canker and investigate the efficacy of sulfone derivatives containing 1,3,4-oxadiazole moiety on controlling citrus canker caused by Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri (Xcc) under in vitro and field conditions. In an in vitro study, we tested eight sulfone derivatives against Xcc and the results demonstrated that compound 3 exhibited the best antibacterial activity against Xcc, with a half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) value of 1.23 μg/mL, which was even better than those of commercial bactericides Kocide 3000 (58.21 μg/mL) and Thiodiazole copper (77.04 μg/mL), respectively. Meanwhile, under field experiments, compound 3 treatments demonstrated the highest ability to reduce the disease of citrus canker in leaves and fruits in two different places relative to an untreated control as well as the commercial bactericides Kocide 3000 and Thiodiazole copper. Meanwhile, compound 3 could stimulate the increase in peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activities in the navel orange leaves, causing marked enhancement of plant resistance against citrus canker. Moreover, compound 3 could damage the cell membranes, destruct the biofilm formation, inhibit the production of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS), and affect the cell membrane permeability to restrain the growth of the bacteria.
How do Psychiatric Staffs Approach Religiosity/Spirituality in Clinical Practice? Differing Perceptions among Psychiatric Staff Members and Clinical Chaplains
Authors: Lee Eunmi , Zahn Anne , Baumann Klaus
Published: August 2015

The present study examined the perception of contemporary German psychiatric staff (i.e., psychiatrists, psychotherapists and nurses) regarding their approach towards religious/spiritual issues in their clinical practice, and how clinical chaplains perceive attitudes and behaviors towards religiosity/spirituality of other psychiatric staff members. To answer these questions, two separate studies were conducted to include psychiatric staff and clinical chaplains. Curlin et al.’s questionnaire on Religion and Spirituality in Medicine: Physicians’ Perspectives was the main instrument used for both studies. According to the self-assessment of psychiatric staff members, most contemporary German psychiatric staff members are prepared and open to dealing with religiosity/spirituality in therapeutic settings. To some extent, clinical chaplains agreed with this finding, but their overall perception significantly differs from the staff’s own self-rating. Our results suggest that it may be helpful for psychiatric staff members and clinical chaplains to exchange their views on patients regarding religious/spiritual issues in therapeutic settings, and to reflect on how to apply such findings to clinical practice.
Raman Spectroscopy of Optically Trapped Single Biological Micro-Particles
Authors: Redding Brandon , Schwab Mark , Pan Yong-le
Published: August 2015

The combination of optical trapping with Raman spectroscopy provides a powerful method for the study, characterization, and identification of biological micro-particles. In essence, optical trapping helps to overcome the limitation imposed by the relative inefficiency of the Raman scattering process. This allows Raman spectroscopy to be applied to individual biological particles in air and in liquid, providing the potential for particle identification with high specificity, longitudinal studies of changes in particle composition, and characterization of the heterogeneity of individual particles in a population. In this review, we introduce the techniques used to integrate Raman spectroscopy with optical trapping in order to study individual biological particles in liquid and air. We then provide an overview of some of the most promising applications of this technique, highlighting the unique types of measurements enabled by the combination of Raman spectroscopy with optical trapping. Finally, we present a brief discussion of future research directions in the field.
Molecular Cloning and Functional Studies of Two Kazal-Type Serine Protease Inhibitors Specifically Expressed by Nasonia vitripennis Venom Apparatus
Authors: Qian Cen , Fang Qi , Wang Lei , Ye Gong-Yin
Published: August 2015

Two cDNA sequences of Kazal-type serine protease inhibitors (KSPIs) in Nasonia vitripennis, NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2, were characterized and their open reading frames (ORFs) were 198 and 264 bp, respectively. Both NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2 contained a typical Kazal-type domain. Real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) results revealed that NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2 mRNAs were mostly detected specifically in the venom apparatus, while they were expressed at lower levels in the ovary and much lower levels in other tissues tested. In the venom apparatus, both NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2 transcripts were highly expressed on the fourth day post eclosion and then declined gradually. The NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2 genes were recombinantly expressed utilizing a pGEX-4T-2 vector, and the recombinant products fused with glutathione S-transferase were purified. Inhibition of recombinant GST-NvKSPI-1 and GST-NvKSPI-2 to three serine protease inhibitors (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and proteinase K) were tested and results showed that only NvKSPI-1 could inhibit the activity of trypsin. Meanwhile, we evaluated the influence of the recombinant GST-NvKSPI-1 and GST-NvKSPI-2 on the phenoloxidase (PO) activity and prophenoloxidase (PPO) activation of hemolymph from a host pupa, Musca domestica. Results showed PPO activation in host hemolymph was inhibited by both recombinant proteins; however, there was no significant inhibition on the PO activity. Our results suggested that NvKSPI-1 and NvKSPI-2 could inhibit PPO activation in host hemolymph and trypsin activity in vitro.
Traceability of pH to the Mole
Authors: Camões Maria , Anes Bárbara
Published: August 2015

Free acidity of aqueous solutions was initially defined in 1909 by Søren Peter Lauritz Sørensen as pH = −lgcH+ (c/mol·dm−3 or m/mol·kg−1 of the free hydrogen ions in solution, H+) soon (1910) was changed to pH = paH+ = −lgaH+, integrating the new concepts of activity, ai and activity coefficient γi, for the ionic species i under concern, H+ in this case; it is ai = −lg(miγi). Since individual ions do not exist alone in solution, primary pH values cannot be assigned solely by experimental measurements, requiring extra thermodynamic model assumptions for the activity coefficient, γH+, which has put pH in a unique situation of not being fully traceable to the International System of Units (SI). Also the concept of activity is often not felt to be as perceptible as that of concentration which may present difficulties, namely with the interpretation of data. pH measurements on unknown samples rely on calibration of the measuring setup with adequate reference pH buffers. In this work, the assignment of pH values to buffers closely matching the samples, e.g., seawater, is revisited. An approach is presented to assess the quantity pmH+ = −lgmH+ profiting from the fact that, contrary to single ion activity coefficients, mean activity coefficients, can be assessed based on experimentally assessed quantities alone, γExp ±, thus ensuring traceability to the mole, the SI base unit for amount of substance. Compatibility between γExp ± and mean activity coefficient calculated by means of Pitzer model equations, γPtz ±, validates the model for its intended use.
Spiro annulation of cage polycycles via Grignard reaction and ring-closing metathesis as key steps
Authors: Kotha Sambasivarao , Saifuddin Mohammad , Ali Rashid , Sreevani Gaddamedi
Published: August 2015

A simple synthetic strategy to C2-symmetric bis-spiro-pyrano cage compound 7 involving ring-closing metathesis is reported. The hexacyclic dione 10 was prepared from simple and readily available starting materials such as 1,4-naphthoquinone and cyclopentadiene. The synthesis of an unprecedented octacyclic cage compound through intramolecular Diels–Alder (DA) reaction as a key step is described. The structures of three new cage compounds 7, 12 and 18 were confirmed by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.
Carbon-Efficient Supply Chains
Authors: Kalogeropoulos Christos , Missou Eleftheria , Pavlis Nikolaos Elias , Psychoyios Dimitris
Published: August 2015

The interest of present study lies on the Greenhouse Gases (GHG) that are generated throughout the supply chain. It has been proven by numerous studies that the anthropogenic activities generate GHG emissions, and actions can be undertaken to mitigate the problem, and the impact of them on the market. This study addresses the issue of the accurate calculation of the so-called Carbon Footprint of an enterprise. During their research, the authors point out the ways that enterprises could avail from it, and how Carbon Footprint influences the purchases. It is evident, though, that there is still much work to be done concerning measuring Carbon Footprint, since common guidelines and standards used are being developed in global scale. This study recommends that empirical studies need to be made in order to inquire into the cost-benefit analysis of implementing a Carbon Footprint calculation.
Correlates of Budgetary Participation in the Nigerian Public Sector
Authors: Michael Oyewo Babajide
Published: August 2015

Budgeting is a critical activity carried out by different-sized private and public sector organisations, apparently because of the multifarious functions which budgets serve. Most studies on budgetary participation (BP) have prominently focused on private-sector organisations, leaving out the public sector. This suggests limitation in the scope of generalizability of empirical results on BP to private sector organisations, and as such the need for studies specifically focusing on public-sector organisations, which is the thrust of this paper. The study adopted a quantitative research design, using multi-stage sampling. Questionnaire was used to harvest the perception of 174 managers in five public sector organisations in Nigeria. Statistics engaged for analysis were: percentage and range analysis, mean, standard deviation, factor analysis, correlation and regression analysis. Of the correlates examined, it was observed that Managerial Performance (r=.437, p = .000) and Environmental Uncertainty (r= -.138, p = .070) exert the most on BP.
CSR's Capability as a Conflict's Resolution to Enhance a Firm's Value in Indonesia
Authors: Tristiarini Nila
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this research is to analyse the part of agency cost reduction, firm's corporate governance quality in its relation with corporate social responsibility (CSR), and firm's value. The sample used in this research are firms that have CSR information disclose in their annual company's report and firms that are joining corporate governance ranking conducted by The Indonesian Institute for Corporate Governance (IICG) publicized as CGPI (Corporate Governance Perception Index) year 2006-2012. The research outcomes demonstrate that CSR produces a direct positive result to firm's value. It also demonstrates that agency cost reduction has a role as an intermediary between CSR and firm's value. Other outcomes demonstrate that firm's corporate governance quality do not moderate correlation between CSR and agency cost reduction.
Conceptual Graphs as Framework for Summarizing Short Texts
Authors: Miranda-Jiménez Sabino , Gelbukh Alexander , Sidorov Grigori
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a conceptual graph-based framework for summarizing short texts is proposed. A semantic representation is implemented through conceptual graph structures that consist of concepts and conceptual relations that stand for texts. To summarize conceptual graphs, the most important nodes are selected using a set of operations: generalization, association, ranking, and pruning, which are described. The importance of nodes on weighted conceptual graphs is measured using a modified version of HITS algorithm. In addition, some heuristic rules are used to keep coherent structures based on information from WordNet (hierarchy of concepts) and VerbNet (semantic patterns of verbs). The experimental results show that this approach is effective in summarizing short texts.
The EMPRISES pan-European Framework
Authors: Polovina Simon , Andrews Simon , Akhgar Babak , Staniforth Andrew , Fortune Dave
Published: August 2015

There is a need for further integration of information systems globally for tackling Serious Organised Economic Crime (SOEC). Taking Europe as the illustration, and levering existing pan-EU (European Union) systems such as Europol's SIENA and the FIU.NET as well as national systems, further steps can be taken to provide a more coherent and coordinated approach for detecting and deterring SOEC. This aim is achievable through the EMPRISES framework, which adds value to national, SIENA and FIU.NET systems by increasing the effectiveness of communication across Europe. EMPRISES would introduce an agreed common language (taxonomy) of SOEC, including multi-lingual support. Moreover, by enriching the taxonomy with current business tools and analysis techniques through the SOEC Architecture that EMPRISES embodies, the illegitimate businesses of SOEC can be monitored and combatted.
Improving Quality of Education using Six Sigma DMAIC Methodology
Authors: Narula Virender , Grover Sandeep
Published: August 2015

There have been many successful applications of Six sigma in manufacturing over the last two decades. In the last decade, there has been quantum increase in applications of Six sigma in service organizations. However, academic organizations have legged other organizations in applying Six sigma. Education is emerging as major commercial activity in the service sector, and institutions are realizing the significance of quality improvement in education. Quality in education is no more a desirable strategy; it has become essential for the survival of an institution. The paper illustrates how Six sigma may be used to improve performance parameters of a technical institution. The authors have identified critical to quality characteristics and proposed a team structure for successful implementation of a Six sigma project. The authors have further recommended findings along with an implementation control plan based on a Six sigma case study of technical institution located in National Capital Region (NCR) in India.
De novo Motif Prediction using the Fireworks Algorithm
Authors: Lihu Andrei , Holban Ștefan
Published: August 2015

De novo motif discovery is essential in understanding the cis-regulatory processes that play a role in gene expression. Finding unknown patterns of unknown lengths in massive amounts of data has long been a major challenge in computational biology. Because algorithms for motif prediction have always suffered of low performance issues, there is a constant effort to find better techniques. Evolutionary methods, including swarm intelligence algorithms, have been applied with limited success for motif prediction. However, recently developed methods, such as the Fireworks Algorithm (FWA) which simulates the explosion process of fireworks, may show better prospects. This paper describes a motif finding algorithm based on FWA that maximizes the Kullback-Leibler divergence between candidate solutions and the background noise. Following the terminology of FWA's framework, the candidate motifs are fireworks that generate additional sparks (i.e. derived motifs) in their neighborhood. During the iterations, better sparks can replace the fireworks, as the Fireworks Motif Finder (FW-MF) assumes a one occurrence per sequence mode. The results obtained on a standard benchmark for promoter analysis show that our proof of concept is promising.
Seismic Hazard Earthquake Epicentre File (SHEEF2010) used in the fifth generation seismic hazard maps of Canada
Authors: Halchuk S , Allen T I , Rogers G C , Adams J
Published: August 2015

Canada's Fifth Generation seismic hazard model is the basis for the seismic design provisions in the 2015 National Building Code of Canada (NBCC). The SHEEF2010 version of the Seismic Hazard Earthquake Epicentre File (SHEEF) was compiled to be the authoritative
catalogue for the Fifth Generation seismic hazard model. Canadian and American source catalogues were consulted, magnitudes and locations for important older earthquakes were re-evaluated, and moment magnitudes were assigned to the earthquakes based on appropriate conversion
equations.
‘Festivalscape’ factors influencing visitors’ loyalty to an agri-festival in South Africa
Authors: Fourie Monique , Kruger Martinette
Published: August 2015

Orientation: The NAMPO Harvest Day is the largest festival of its kind in the southern hemisphere. To sustain the festival’s success, it is important to assess which ‘festivalscape’ f actors influence visitors’ loyalty.Research purpose: What combination of ‘festivalscape’ factors contributes to the loyalty ofvisitors to an agri-festival in South Africa?Motivation for the research: Agri-tourism is a relatively new concept and limited research has been done; thus this research makes a contribution to the current literature base on thetopic.Research approach and method: A probability sampling method was used during NAMPO Harvest Day 2014 to distribute 422 questionnaires by means of stratified sample. Factor analysis was performed to identify the ‘festivalscape’ factors that influence loyalty, after which structural equation modelling was applied to identify the relationships between thefactors and loyalty.Main findings: Nine loyalty factors were identified. The analysis revealed a direct positive relationship between loyalty and lifestyle, escape and socialisation as well as loyalty and agricultural exposure and education.Practical implications and contribution: This research gives valuable insights into the ‘festivalscape’ factors that influence loyalty to an agri-festival in South Africa. Loyalty amongst visitors can be created through the management of a variety of factors. The findings from this research can be used by similar agri-festivals in the country to create loyalty amongst visitors as well as to give exposure to the agri-sector.
A Globally and Superlinearly Convergent Primal-dual Interior Point Method for General Constrained Optimization
Authors: Li Jianling , Lv Jian , Jian Jinbao
Published: August 2015

In this paper, a primal-dual interior point method is proposed for general constrained optimization, which incorporated a penalty function and a kind of new identification technique of the active set. At each iteration, the proposed algorithm only needs to solve two or three reduced systems of linear equations with the same coefficient matrix. The size of systems of linear equations can be decreased due to the introduction of the working set, which is an estimate of the active set. The penalty parameter is automatically updated and the uniformly positive definiteness condition on the Hessian approximation of the Lagrangian is relaxed. The proposed algorithm possesses global and superlinear convergence under some mild conditions. Finally, some preliminary numerical results are reported.
Editorial
Authors: Schulte Jurgen
Published: August 2015

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Iodine's impact on tropospheric oxidants: a global model study in GEOS-Chem
Authors: Sherwen T. , Evans M. J. , Carpenter L. J. , Andrews S. J. , Lidster R. T. , Dix B. , Koenig T. K. , Volkamer R. , Saiz-Lopez A. , Prados-Roman C. , Mahajan A. S. , Ordóñez C.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. We present a global simulation of tropospheric iodine chemistry within the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model. This includes organic and inorganic iodine sources, standard gas-phase iodine chemistry and simplified higher iodine oxide (I2OX, X = 2, 3, 4) chemistry, photolysis, deposition and parametrised heterogeneous reactions. In comparisons with recent Iodine Oxide (IO) observations the iodine simulation shows an average bias of ~+66 % available surface observations in the marine boundary layer (outside of polar regions), and of ~+73 % within the free troposphere (350 < hPa < 900) over the eastern Pacific. Iodine emissions (3.8 Tg yr−1) are overwhelmingly dominated by the inorganic ocean source, with 76 % of this emission from Hypoiodous acid (HOI). HOI is also found to be the dominant iodine species in terms of global tropospheric IY burden (contributing up to 70 %). The iodine chemistry leads to a significant global tropospheric O3 burden decrease (9.0 %) compared to standard GEOS-Chem (v9-2). The iodine-driven OX loss rate (748 Tg OX yr−1) is by photolysis of HOI (78 %), photolysis of OIO (21 %), and reaction of IO and BrO (1 %). Increases in global mean OH concentrations (1.8 %) by increased conversion of hydroperoxy radicals exceeds the decrease in OH primary production from the reduced O3 concentration. We perform sensitivity studies on a range parameters and conclude that the simulation is sensitive to choices in parameterisation of heterogeneous uptake, ocean surface iodide, and I2OX (X = 2, 3, 4) photolysis. The new iodine chemistry combines with previously implemented bromine chemistry to yield a total bromine and iodine driven tropospheric O3 burden decrease of 14.4 % compared to a simulation without iodine and bromine chemistry in the model. This is a significant impact and so halogen chemistry needs to be considered in climate and air quality models.
The role of ecosystem function and emergent relationships in the assessment of global marine ecosystem models: a case study with ERSEM
Authors: de Mora L. , Butenschön M. , Allen J. I.
Published: August 2015

Abstract. Ecosystem models are often assessed using quantitative metrics of absolute ecosystem state, but these model-data comparisons are disproportionately vulnerable to discrepancies in the location of important circulation features. An alternative method is to demonstrate the models capacity to represent ecosystem function; the emergence of a coherent natural relationship in a simulation is a strong indication that the model has a appropriate representation of the ecosystem functions that lead to the emergent relationship. Furthermore, as emergent properties are large scale properties of the system, model validation with emergent properties is possible even when there is very little or no appropriate data for the region under study, or when the hydrodynamic component of the model differs significantly from that observed in nature at the same location and time. A selection of published meta-analyses are used to establish the validity of a complex marine ecosystem model and to demonstrate the power of validation with emergent properties. These relationships include the phytoplankton community structure, the ratio of carbon to chlorophyll in phytoplankton and particulate organic matter, the ratio of particulate organic carbon to particulate organic nitrogen and the stoichiometric balance of the ecosystem. These metrics can also inform aspects of the marine ecosystem model not available from traditional quantitative and qualitative methods. For instance, these emergent properties can be used to validate the design decisions of the model, such as the range of phytoplankton functional types and their behaviour, the stoichiometric flexibility with regards to each nutrient, and the choice of fixed or variable carbon to nitrogen ratios.
Book Review - J. Aaron Simmons and Bruce Ellis Benson, The New Phenomenology: A Philosophical Introduction (New York: Bloomsbury, 2013)
Authors: Dalton Drew M
Published: August 2015

A Book Review of J. Aaron Simmons and Bruce Ellis Benson's The New Phenomenology: A Philosophical Introduction (New York: Bloomsbury, 2013)
Répondre à la vulnérabilité: Paul Ricœur et les éthiques du care en dialogue
Authors: Sautereau Cyndie
Published: August 2015

Nous voudrions, à partir de la prise en compte de la vulnérabilité humaine et de la réponse à y apporter, questionner la conception ricœurienne de l’homme capable.Au sein des théories morales contemporaines dominantes, la vulnérabilité fait figure d’oubliée. C’est en effet plutôt à partir d’une conception de l’individu considéré comme autonome qu’elles se sont élaborées. Pourtant, qui n’a pas expérimenté au cours de sa vie des périodes de vulnérabilité ? L’enfance peut, à cet égard, être tenue pour paradigmatique. C’est cette expérience humaine universelle de fragilité que les éthiques du care visent à penser et dont elles cherchent à rendre visible la valeur morale. Elles partent du constat qu’en tant qu’êtres incarnés, nous avons besoin des autres pour satisfaire nos besoins fondamentaux. Humains, nous sommes des êtres de relation : nous dépendons des autres. Ce qui nous porte, ce qui permet à la vie de se maintenir, c’est le souci (care) dont d’autres font preuve à notre endroit, c’est-à-dire l’attention à nos besoins et l’activité pratique consistant à y répondre, autrement dit, une « capacité de care ».Or, si Ricœur, dans son anthropologie philosophique, fait certes la part belle à la vulnérabilité, s’il reconnaît que l’homme capable est tout autant homme fragile, quelle réponse, cependant, apporte-t-il à la vulnérabilité ? Certes, il nous montre que les capacités humaines (à dire, à faire, à se raconter, à être responsable) peuvent faire place à leur envers : la capacité à dire, par exemple, se muer en impuissance à maîtriser le verbe. Il reconnaît donc tout à fait que l’actualisation de nos pouvoirs n’est pas garantie. Mais, voudrions-nous demander : qu’est-ce qui vient alors soutenir ces pouvoirs ? Qu’est-ce qui leur permet de se déployer ? Qu’est-ce qui leur permet de se restaurer ? Prenant appui sur les éthiques du care, nous nous proposons de développer l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’actualisation des pouvoirs du soi dépendrait, fondamentalement, de relations de care. Les différentes capacités humaines que Ricœur décline et déploie ne sont-elles pas, au fond, soutenues par la capacité de care dont dépend, du début à la fin de sa vie, le soi ?
Gilbert Simondon and the Philosophy of Information: An Interview with Jean-Hugues Barthélémy
Authors: Barthélémy Jean-Hugues , Iliadis Andrew
Published: August 2015

Interview with Jean-Hugues Barthélémy