bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Convergence Aspect of Capital Formation
Authors: Ray Kamal , Das Ramesh Chandra , Das Utpal
Published: July 2016

Empirical evidences on convergence or divergence of a group of economies or regions in most instances are based upon per capita income as the only determinant for discussion. As time goes on, there has been a lot of studies on the convergence or divergence of certain variables which are proxy to the income variable. The present chapter attempts to examine whether there is convergence or divergence in per capita gross capital formation across 37 countries for the period 1980-2013. The study observes that there is significant absolute ß and s convergence for the cross section of all the economies for the entire period. By segregating the entire data into the categories of developed and developing country, the study further observes significant s convergence in both the cases with no absolute ß convergence in either of the country categories.
Optimum Currency Area Theory and Business Cycle Convergence in EMU
Authors: Ertürk Emin , Yılmaz Derya , Çetin Işın
Published: July 2016

Which countries should be in Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)? This question has been debated frequently in the aftermath of the Sovereign Debt Crisis. But this has been asked in every stages of European integration. This discussion has rooted in the Optimum Currency Area (OCA) theory. The theory simply reveals that; if the countries have similar business cycles, one size fits all monetary policy would able to address the problems of member countries. Otherwise, no single monetary policy could be able to satisfy all members. In this respect, we test the business cycle convergence in EMU12 countries over time and we have also analyzed the effects of crisis on this convergence. We have found that business cycles converged over time in these countries. This convergence rises in the times of crisis as they slump together after the shock, but falls sharply in the aftermath of the crisis. This reflects the divergent recovery paths of the countries and put a pressure on single monetary policy especially after crisis.
Role of SAARC in Convergence of South Asian Economies
Authors: Patra Sudhakar
Published: July 2016

The objective of the chapter is to analyze the role of SAARC in regional integration, trade convergence in south Asia. It also highlights the pattern and direction of export and import, share in world trade, preferential trading in South Asian countries. With strong and improving macroeconomic fundamentals, the South Asian region is well established on a high growth path. Based on secondary data on South Asian trade collected from South Asian Economic reports and other statistical volumes, the study observes a decreasing trend of export during the period 1990-2011. Consequently, the overall intra-regional trade intensity index decreased to 1.5 in the year 2010 from 4.2 in the year 2005. SAARC and SAFTA have not contributed in integration and convergence of South Asian Countries rather lead to trade divergence.
Convergence and Equality of Road Infrastructure
Authors: Das Utpal , Das Ramesh Chandra , Ray Kamal
Published: July 2016

The development of road infrastructure works as one of the most important inputs of production and overall economic activities all around the global economics. The developed countries of the west hold the larger road lengths in both gross and per capita terms compared to the less developed and emerging countries. But it is also undeniable that the less developed emerging countries have been growing fast in this respect or rushing to catch with the developed countries. The present chapter, hence, tries to study the modes of growth and convergence of GDP per kilometer of road length across the 30 selected countries for the period of 1990-2011 by means of ? convergence and also try to estimate the cross country inequalities by means of Gini Coefficients. It observes a sign of ? convergence and the inequality are going down over time, although there are some signs of divergences in some of the short time spans.
Association between Governance and Human Development in South Asia
Authors: Laha Arindam
Published: July 2016

Good governance could play a catalytic role in creating an enabling working environment where the dream of sustainable human development can be fulfilled, whereas poor governance could erode individual capabilities to meet even the basic needs of sustenance for vulnerable sections of the population. Under this backdrop, this study attempts to explore empirically the association between the governance and human development in the context of South Asian countries. Broadly, a converging trend of both the indices of governance and human development across South Asian countries is noticeable with the passage of time. Moreover, substantial empirical evidences suggest that the state of governance and that of level of human development are positively correlated in the sense that countries having a better functioning of governance system are also the countries with relatively high levels of human development.
Health Status and Convergence in Developing Open Economies
Authors: Chatterjee Tonmoy , Dinda Soumyananda
Published: July 2016

This chapter delves into the relationship among different economic issues like economic growth, health status and international trade in the context of convergence literature. In this chapter we illustrate and provide arguments behind the convergence of health status in developing economies in the presence of open economy regime. In this respect we consider a panel data set of 17 developing economies of the time span 1960-2011. In the present study we have found convergence not only in measure of health care status but also in the measure of trade and openness and therefore we have dealt with such kind of complexities. Apart from these we have found that health status improves in the post liberalization period but cross-sectional divergence increases in post liberalization era.
Exploring Landscapes in Regional Convergence
Authors: Rajamanickam Srinivasan
Published: July 2016

The South Asian region is a key economic zone, as seen from the global perspective. In the past two decades, it has witnessed a healthy growth in GDP terms. Globalization has propelled the countries in the region towards regional cooperation as a means to address common growth concerns. Along with geo-political compulsions that have fostered this convergence, we find that there are also socio-cultural and historical factors present that could serve as binding stones. However environment and climate change pose a huge challenge to the economic integration and growth in this region. While a number of institutional and policy regional cooperative measures have been put in place, there are certain bottlenecks in the region, which are again a product of its history, that need to be addressed. We feel that reassessment of national interests and priorities through strong political will are essential to mitigate these bottlenecks to realize the true potential of convergence in this region.
Assessing the Green Supply Chain Management for the United Arab Emirates Construction Industry
Authors: Balasubramanian Sreejith , Sundarakani Balan
Published: July 2016

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) construction industry has been witnessing an unprecedented growth in the last two decades. As a result, the sector is facing a major challenge of reducing the carbon footprint and thus creating major concern for the governments and the environmental agencies in the UAE. The chapter discusses the role of Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) in achieving sustainability in the UAE construction industry. The various stages of GSCM applicable to the construction industry are critically assessed along with green performance measures in achieving environmental, economic and operational performance. Finally, the chapter provides a list of recommendations that could be used by practitioners and policy makers in implementing and measuring sustainability practices in the construction industry.
Study on Optical and Electrical Properties of Bismuth-Doped Nickel-Phthalocyanine Thin Films
Authors: Tammarugwattana Narin , Mano Kitipong , Watthanarungsarit Kraisak , Rangkasikorn Adirek , Kayunkid Navaphun , Nukeaw Jiti
Published: July 2016

The objective of this work is to investigate the optical and electrical properties of bismuth-doped nickel-phthalocyanine thin films (Bi-doped NiPc). The doped films were prepared by thermal co-evaporation as a function of Bi concentration. The amount of Bi in NiPc was controlled via different deposition rates between metal dopant and organic host. The optical properties of the hybrid films were characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Furthermore, the electrical properties e.g. charge carrier concentration and carrier mobility of Al/Bi-doped-NiPc/ITO devices were characterized by current-voltage and capacitance-voltage measurements. The results of optical properties suggest that the crystalline packing of NiPc molecules in all preparation conditions is a combination of α-phase (majority) and β-phase (minority). However, the evolution of β-phase NiPc is observed with the increase of metal doping concentration. Raman spectroscopic results reveal that there is no chemical bond taken place between Bi and NiPc. In addition, with increasing dopant concentration, electrical properties present the enhancement of conducting current of hybrid devices as result from the increment of both charge carrier concentration and charge carrier mobility.
Experimental Study on Friction Welded and Electron Beam Welded Joints Made by 20VNiMoCr120 Steel
Authors: Ianculescu Gabriela , Melnic Lucia Violeta , Gurău Marian Andrei
Published: July 2016

In the paper there are presented experimental results concerning mechanical characteristics of friction-welded joints in comparison with electron beam welded joints, made by 20VNiMoCr120 heat-resistant steel, which are part of some elements working at high pressure and temperature. The paper represents a study which suggests non-conventional welding and heat-treatment procedures for water and steam-supply pipes, large cylindrical recipients with high values of wall thickness, boiler pipes, steam turbines which compose thermo-energetic installations, in order to prevent failure appearance. The actual level of development in all activity fields proves the fact that on top of the performance and modernism, technological products and processes must assure a high reliability. All the results and experimental researches are obtained by the first author in her PhD Thesis.
Contributions to the Environmental Impact of the Process of Welding Work in the Environment of Protective Gases
Authors: Amza Gheorghe , Iacobescu Gabriel , Niţoi Dan Florin , Amza Cătălin Gheorghe , Apostolescu Zoia
Published: July 2016

Paper presents the main pollutants that appear Gas metal arc welding, the main chemical reactions take place in the melting bath where results the pollutants, determining the impact on the working environment by calculating the coefficient of pollution. The optimization of welding process gives a coefficient of minimum pollution and determines the influence of welding parameters of the system on the appearance of major pollutants elements.
Contributions Regarding Working Environment Impact of Submerged Arc Welding
Authors: Amza Gheorghe , Iacobescu Gabriel , Niţoi Dan Florin , Amza Cătălin Gheorghe , Apostolescu Zoia
Published: July 2016

Paper presents the main pollutants of the working environment at welding under flux, methodical determination which the main chemical reactions resulting in pollution and pollution coefficient calculation. A number of welding working regime in order to achieve a coefficient of minimal pollution. The experimental results demonstrate that the process of welding under flux is less polluting than manual arc welding and coated electrode but more polluting than the process of welding in protective gas environment. It shows the influence of welding regime parameters for the most important gas pollutants.
Evaluation of Thermal Distribution in Friction Stir Welding on Dissimilar Materials (Cu-Al) Using Infrared Thermography and Numerical Simulation
Authors: Iordache Daniela Monica , Nitu Eduard , Bădulescu Claudiu , Iacomi Doina , Boţilă Lia Nicoleta , Radu Bogdan
Published: July 2016

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process realized by the interaction between a non-consumable welding tool that rotates on the contact surfaces of the combined parts. Welding dissimilar materials aluminum and copper by FSW are of great interest because Al and Cu are two most common engineering materials widely used in many industries. This paper presents an investigation concerning the influence of the rotation of the tool on temperatures during the welding process. Also, the welding of copper and aluminum materials by FSW process was simulated using a finite element model. Three-dimensional FE model has been developed in ABAQUS/Explicit using the Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian method, the Johnson–Cook material law and the Coulomb’s Law of friction and was validated by infrared thermography method and thermocouple measurement.
HVOF Thermal Spray Alternative for Hard Chrome Plating Process
Authors: Perianu Ion Aurel
Published: July 2016

Hard chrome plating is a process that has been in commercial production for over 50 years and which is a critical process associated with manufacturing and maintenance of parts in the industries.
The paper presents aspects regarding the use of HVOF thermal spray process as an alternative for hard chrome plating.
Development of Resistant Spot Welding Technology for Automotive Ferrite-Martensitic Dual-Phase Steels with Joint Application of Finite Element Modelling and Experimental Research
Authors: Prém László , Bézi Zoltán , Balogh András
Published: July 2016

In this paper spot-welding technology of sheets made of Dual-Phase (DP) steel, which is one of the most important materials in the automotive industry, has been analyzed using finite element modelling and experimental research. The traditional, continuous energy input and the symmetric double pulse as non-continuous energy input were compared for resistance spot welding focusing on the advantages of pulsed energy input. For numerical analysis an axisymmetric coupled finite element model was developed to study the effect of welding time and current intensity on nugget size and thermal history in resistance spot welding process using MSC.Marc software package. The cross-section macrostructures of the welded specimens were examined and compared to the predicted size of the weld nugget and heat affected zone.
Technical-Economic Study of the Esterification Process of Used Vegetable Oils (UVOs) Using Heat Exchange Networks (HENs)
Authors: Laborde María Fernanda , Serna Gonzalez Medardo , Pagano Ana María , Gely María Cristina
Published: July 2016

The objective in this study was to conduct a technical-economic study of the esterification process of used vegetable oils (UVOs) for the production of biodiesel from the point of view of energy savings achieved by implementing heat exchange networks (HENs). Used vegetable oils (UVOs) can be employed as an input in the production of biodiesel by catalytic transesterification. But, previously it is necessary to reduce its level of free fat acids (FFA) by the acid-catalyzed esterification process in order to prevent undesirable saponification reaction. To carrying out an optimal design of the technology required in the process, simulation tools have an important role for process engineering and optimization of resources. Computer programs such as Aspen PlusTM and Aspen Energy AnalyzerTM provide an environment to perform process modeling and network design optimal heat exchange. In this paper, from the Aspen PlusTM simulation of the process of catalytic esterification in acid medium of UVOs, the technical-economic evaluation process was conducted with and without network of heat exchange in order to analyze the different investment options. The comparison of the two projects (with and without the implementation of HENs) was performed by determining the net present value (NPV). On the scale set for the project, the total cost of the equipment of heat exchange for the esterification process designed with HENs was US$ 4,782.50 higher than the corresponding to the process without HENs application. However, it should be noted that the cost of services decreased by 30% annually, and on the other hand, comparing the process, it was observed that the NPV of the HENs process was 29.5% higher, which leads to the conclusion that the project which includes heat exchange networks is technically and economically feasible.
Thermal Reactions of Mechanically Milled Wolframite and Thermal Coal Mixtures
Authors: Telmenbayar Lkhagvaa , Temuujin Jadambaa
Published: July 2016

The thermal reactions of mechanically milled wolframite and thermal coal mixtures have been investigated using Differential thermal analysis /thermogravimetry (DTA-TG), X-ray dffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM). Mixtures were prepared according to stoichiometry and also with a 30% excess of coal. Samples were milled with a planetary ball mill for 4 h, then heated at 1000°C and 1100°C for 1 h in a tube furnace under Ar gas. Phase identification was performed by XRD and morphology of the milled powders by SEM. A large difference in thermal reactions between stoichiometric and 30% excess coal containing samples was observed. In the stoichiometric mixture, the product was dominated by Fe6W6C with only a small amount of W2C, WO3 and Fe2WO6. The mixture with excess coal consisted of only Fe3W3C phase without any traces of other phases in the XRD. Homogeneity of composition with the excess amount coal was higher than stoichiometric mixture. It does not appear possible to form WC by this route.
Surface State Studies and Biocompatibility of PMMA
Authors: Vasiliu Mihaela Păpușa , Sachelarie Liliana , Romila Laura Ecaterina , Folescu Elena , Atanase Leonard , Zaharia Agripina
Published: July 2016

In this work we accomplished a study concerning the surface state of acrylic prosthetic biomaterials both optimized and non-optimized and we studied their compatibility on test animals. Various methods are seeking to improve the quality of implants and minimally invasive devices for body analysis, the increase of biocompatibility and resistance to corrosion of materials intended to come into contact with biological tissues. Poly (methyl methacrylate) is used in a wide range of applications and offers increased resistance and color stability over time and it can be relatively easy to smooth and polish. The morphology and roughness of the surfaces in case of acrylic prosthetic biomaterials were analyzed by atomic force microscopy that provides qualitative information regarding the chemical uniformity from phase.
Effect of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Surface Treatment on the Properties of Pineapple Leaf Fiber Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites
Authors: Boruvka Martin , Ngaowthong Chakaphan , Bĕhálek Luboš , Habr Jiří , Lenfeld Petr
Published: July 2016

Plant source-based stiff fiber reinforced bioplastics based on natural plant derived substances show promise of providing degradation back into the environment when they are no longer needed. These "green" composites have enormous potential to replace materials originated from non-renewable resources and may turn out to be one of the material revolutions of this century. Unlike synthetic composites, "green" composites are renewable, carbon neutral, biodegradable, non-petroleum based, and have low environmental, human health and safety risks. In this paper effect of pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) length and physical surface treatment on to the properties of the composites was investigated at 10% wt. loading. In order to improve compatibility and composite properties of PALF/poly (lactic acid) composites without any hazardous chemicals that are usually involved in the process, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma surface treatment was conducted for fiber modification. Therefore more environmentally friendlier and industrially scalable technology was implemented in processing of composites by twin screw extrusion and injection moulding. Resulted composites were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal and mechanical testing.
Numerical Investigations of the Effect of Process Parameters on Residual Stresses, Strains and Quality of Final Product in Blanking Using SPH Method
Authors: Bohdal Łukasz , Kułakowska Agnieszka , Patyk Radoslaw , Kulakowski Marcin
Published: July 2016

The shearing process such as the blanking of sheet metals has been used often to prepare workpieces for subsequent forming operations. This process consists in separating a blank from a sheet by means of a high-localized shear deformation due to the action of a punch. Blanking modelling is becoming an increasingly important tool in gaining understanding and improving this process. At the moment a fundamental problem in numerical modelling of blanking processes is an excessive element distortion in a finite-element simulation. In this study, we present a hybrid modelling approach, SPH (smoothed particle hydrodynamics) coupled FEM method to simulate the blanking process. This new approach involves several advantages compared to the traditional finite element method for example: neglect mesh tangling and distortion problems, does not need to use material separation criterion. The physical, mathematical and computer model of the process is elaborated. The application in ANSYS/LS-DYNA program is developed. The examination and analysis of influence of process technological parameters for example: the clearance, tool geometry, blanking velocity on residual stresses, strains and quality of final product using the SPH method is analyzed. The results of computer simulations can be used to forecasting quality of the parts optimization.
The Effect of Technological Conditions of Hard Turning on the Formation of White Layer
Authors: Pálmai Zoltán , Kundrák János
Published: July 2016

In fast spreading hard turning occasionally a so-called white layer appears on the machined surface, which is mostly harmful. The formation of white layers and their composition, structure and thickness were investigated in the turning of the inner cylindrical surface of gear wheels made from 20MnCr5 case hardened steel, in order to identify to what extent the technological parameters of turning influence the white layer formation. On the basis of the measurement results it was possible to include border-line technological conditions in an empirical formula with which white layer formation can be avoided.
Effect of Various Amounts of Hydrazine and Graphene Oxide on the Photocatalytic Performances of the ZnSe/Graphene Nanocomposites
Authors: Hsieh Shu Huei , Lee Yu En , Chen Wen Jauh
Published: July 2016

In this study, the hydrothermal method was used for synthesizing ZnSe/graphene nanocomposites with the amount of graphene oxide (GO) and hydrazine. Obtained ZnSe/graphene photocatalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Photocatalytic activity under visible light is evaluated in methylene blue (MB) dye degradation reaction in aqueous phase. The results show that the amount of graphene oxide (GO) and hydrazine have an effect on the degradation efficiency of the ZnSe/graphene nanocomposite. When GO/ZnSe ratio was 1. The optimum degradation efficiency of the ZnSe/graphene nanocomposites prepared with 5 mL of N2H4 was 99.6% after 5h of visible light irradiation.
Microstructural and Mechanical Characterization of Artificially-Aged Power Plant Steel
Authors: El Rayes Magdy M. , El-Danaf Ehab A. , Almajid Abdulhakim A.
Published: July 2016

Degradation of properties due to ageing at high temperature service is a common problem which normally occurs in electricity generation power plants, refineries, petrochemical industries. This work investigates the influence of accelerated artificial ageing on the microstructural and mechanical properties of 9-12%Cr steel usually used in power plants. This steel was tested in the as-produced and aged for 2, 5 and 8 weeks at 700°C. Results showed that the microstructural features such as phases, carbides, i.e. morphology and type, sub-grains and their boundaries and misorientation angles are the dominant factors influencing the mechanical properties. Ageing led carbides to go into solution in the martensite-ferrite structure and also led to the increase of average misorientation angle as well as to the reduction of low angle grain boundaries. In addition, ageing led to the reduction in the mechanical properties and hardness when compared to the as-produced condition.
Friction and Wear of Commercially Pure Titanium with Different Microstructure from the View Point of Thermodynamic Analysis
Authors: Huang Song Jeng , Chertovskikh S.V. , Semenov V.I. , Shuster L.Sh.
Published: July 2016

The conditions are substantiated for the loss of thermodynamic stability of a tribosystem and for its adaptation with a decreasing wear rate at the moving frictional contact of parts from commercially pure titanium with an ultrafine-grained structure produced by equal-channel angular pressing. The regularities of the influence of the structure's dispersion degree and the friction contact's temperature on the tribotechnical characteristics of ultrafine-grained materials are established theoretically and experimentally.
Effect of Hafnium on the Structural and Mechanical Properties of the Surface Layers on the Basis of TiNi
Authors: Rusinov Peter Olegovich , Blednova Zhesfina Michailovna
Published: July 2016

The study contains a complex method of forming the surface-modified layers using materials with shape memory effect by high-speed gas-flame spraying of mechanically activated powders based on TiNiHf, followed by thermal and thermomechanical treatment. This allowed us to form the nanoscale state in the surface layers, which have high levels of functional, mechanical and performance properties. We demonstrated that pre-mechanoactivation of TiNiHf powder has reduced the coatings' porosity (less than 1%) and provided adhesive strength of the coating with the substrate (110 to 120 MPa). We described the formation mechanism of nanostructured state in TiNiHf powders under severe plastic deformation during mechanical activation, comprising the steps of high-speed deformation, polygonization and recrystallization.
Threats faced by brown rot of potato in Bangladesh
Authors: Chakraborty Rajesh , Roy Tuhin Suvra
Published: July 2016

Potato is the most important root crop in Bangladesh. The field production is very much lower compared to other developed countries. Pests and diseases hampered the production due to the prevailing climatic condition, which favors the development in Bangladesh of specific diseases. Among them Brown rot (Ralstonia solanacearum) is the most alarming disease at present and previous time. The major areas of Bangladesh have faced many hampers on this disease. The potato growers and businessmen of Bangladesh are facing much problems on this disease especially in case of export to other countries as Russia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Maldives, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Ethiopia and Nigeria. But during last year Russian Government banned import potatoes from Bangladesh. So, from these perspectives, this concept paper was studied to evaluate the most appropriate status of this disease caused by organisms and its best control strategies to impart better production thinking for Bangladeshi potato growers, exporters and other related personnels.
Preliminary report on osteochondrosis in cattle in the north-western parts of South Africa
Authors: Prozesky Leon , Neser Johan , Meissner Heinz , Botha Kenneth , Jacobs Lubbe , Shepstone Craig , Viljoen Hannes , Köster Hinner , De Brouwer Chris , Van Zyl Jan , Van der Veen Gerjan
Published: July 2016

The north-western part of South Africa, in particular, is well known for mineral imbalances. Aphosphorosis, resulting in rickets and osteomalacia, received a lot of attention at the turn of the nineteenth century (1882–1912). This was followed in 1997 by research on Vryburg hepatosis, another area-specific mineral imbalance–related disease in young calves reared on manganese-rich soil derived from the weathering of dolomitic (carbonate) rock formations. In 1982, a totally new syndrome (osteochondrosis) manifested in, amongst others, areas in South Africa where aphosphorosis was rife. Osteochondrosis was also identified in the south-western parts of Namibia as well as southern Botswana and other areas in South Africa. Osteochondrosis has a multifactorial aetiology and this study focused on the role of minerals, particularly phosphorus, in the development of the disease. A significant improvement in the clinical signs in experimental animals and a reduction of osteochondrosis occurred on farms where animals received bioavailable trace minerals and phosphorus as part of a balanced lick. An increase in the occurrence of the disease on farms during severe drought conditions in 2012–2013 prompted researchers to investigate the possible role of chronic metabolic acidosis in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Primary school teachers’ opinions and attitudes towards stuttering in two South African urban education districts
Authors: Abrahams Kristen , Harty Michal , St. Louis Kenneth O. , Thabane Lehana , Kathard Harsha
Published: July 2016

Background: As teachers form an important part of the intervention process with childrenwho stutter in primary school, the primary aim was to describe primary school teachers’attitudes in South Africa. The secondary aim was to compare teachers’ attitudes towardsstuttering in South Africa with those from a pooled group of respondents in the Public OpinionSurvey of Human Attributes–Stuttering (POSHA-S) database from different countries collectedin 2009–2014.Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey research design was used. Primary schools intwo education districts in Western Cape, South Africa, were sampled. The POSHA-S, a selfadministeredquestionnaire, was completed by a cluster sample of 469 participants.Results: Overall positive attitudes towards stuttering were found, specifically related to thepotential of people who stutter, although the result should be interpreted with caution as thesample was not homogenously positive. Teachers still had misconceptions about personalitystereotypes and the cause of stuttering. The attitudes of the South African sample were slightlymore positive compared with the samples in the current POSHA-S database.Conclusion: When developing stuttering intervention strategies, there are a number of keyconsiderations to take into account. The study provides a basis for speech-language therapiststo think about intervention with teachers and which areas of stuttering to consider.
Developing a competitive intelligence strategy framework supporting the competitive intelligence needs of a financial institution’s decision makers
Authors: Du Plessis Tanya , Gulwa Mzoxolo
Published: July 2016

Background: For competitive intelligence (CI) to have the greatest contribution to strategic management, CI professionals require an in-depth understanding of the CI needs of decision makers. CI professionals have to carefully plan how to best inform corporate decision-making.A strategy framework is a planning tool which can be used to explore ways to enhance an organisation’s strategic planning capabilities.Objective: To investigate the CI needs of a financial institution’s decision makers in order to develop a CI strategy framework. To present the strategy framework as a planning tool to CI professionals in the financial services industry as well as mapping the process of developing a planning tool, thereby enabling a financial institution’s CI capability to better meet the CI needs of decision makers.Method: The guiding paradigm of interpretivist research directed the research design of a single qualitative case study, using an inductive approach. Qualitative data analysis techniques were used, which included the use of numerical data, to develop a planning tool for CI professionals based on a thorough understanding of the CI needs of decision makers.Results: Decision makers place considerable value on CI in terms of its contribution to strategy development, decision-making, gaining advantage over competitors and enhancing the financial performance of the organisation. Relationships between concepts and patterns or trends that were identified and utilised to establish themes in the data resulted in a 12-point strategy framework.Conclusion: A financial institution’s CI capability can be enhanced to better meet the CI needs of the organisation’s decision makers when CI professionals carefully plan their approach of informing corporate decision-making. This paper presents a 12-point CI strategy framework as a planning tool for CI professionals.
Pathway-Informed Classification System (PICS) for Cancer Analysis Using Gene Expression Data
Authors: Young Michael R , Craft David L
Published: July 2016

We introduce Pathway-Informed Classification System (PICS) for classifying cancers based on tumor sample gene expression levels. PICS is a computational method capable of expeditiously elucidating both known and novel biological pathway involvement specific to various cancers and uses that learned pathway information to separate patients into distinct classes. The method clearly separates a pan-cancer dataset by tissue of origin and also sub-classifies individual cancer datasets into distinct survival classes. Gene expression values are collapsed into pathway scores that reveal which biological activities are most useful for clustering cancer cohorts into subtypes. Variants of the method allow it to be used on datasets that do and do not contain noncancerous samples. Activity levels of all types of pathways, broadly grouped into metabolic, cellular processes and signaling, and immune system, are useful for separating the pan-cancer cohort. In the clustering of specific cancer types, certain pathway types become more valuable depending on the site being studied. For lung cancer, signaling pathways dominate; for pancreatic cancer, signaling and metabolic pathways dominate; and for melanoma, immune system pathways are the most useful. This work suggests the utility of pathway-level genomic analysis and points in the direction of using pathway classification for predicting the efficacy and side effects of drugs and radiation.
Article Commentary: A Public Health Priority: Disparities in Gynecologic Cancer Research for African-Born Women in the United States
Authors: Pinder Leeya F. , Nelson Brett D. , Eckardt Melody , Goodman Annekathryn
Published: July 2016

African-born immigrants comprise one of the fastest growing populations in the U.S., nearly doubling its population size in recent years. However, it is also one of the most underrepresented groups in health-care research, especially research focused on gynecologic and breast malignancies. While the opportunity exists for access to an advanced health-care system, as immigrants migrate to the U.S., they encounter the same health-care inequalities that are faced by the native-born population based on ethnicity and social class, potentiated by limitations of health literacy and lack of familiarity with U.S. health systems. Given the continued influx of African-born immigrants in the U.S., we sought to understand the representation of this population in cervical and breast cancer research, recognizing the population's high risk for these diseases at baseline while residing in their native countries. We determined that there is limited research in these diseases that disproportionately affect them; yet, there are identifiable and potentially modifiable factors that contribute to this paucity of evidence. This clinical commentary seeks to underscore the clear lack of research available involving African-born immigrants with respect to gynecologic and breast malignancies in the existing literature, demonstrate the need for more robust research in this population, and provide fundamental insights into barriers and solutions critical to the continued health of this growing population.
Moving toward common vocabularies and interoperable data
Authors: Carpenter Todd
Published: July 2016

The maturity and stability achieved by a standard like XML, far from being an impediment to creativity, should give users the confidence in the opportunities for innovation. The extensibility that has served as an inspiration to those who wish to take ownership of their information since the days of SGML gives us the opportunity to identify more robust metadata and more unique information elements in our documents. Publishers who think towards the future have the opportunity and the duty to exploit the strengths of XML so that the added value of their markup allows their products to rise above the dull gray sea of featureless HTML5.
Discerning the Intellectual Focus of Annotations
Authors: Jett Jacob , Cole Timothy W. , Dubin David , Renear Allen H.
Published: July 2016

Much attention has been given to strategies for anchoring annotations in digital documents, but very little to identifying what the annotation is actually about. We may think of annotations as being about their anchors, but that is not typically the case. Two annotations may have the same anchor, such as a string of characters, but one annotation is about the sentence represented by that string and the other about the claim being made by that sentence. Identifying targets and making this information available for computational processing would provide improved support for a variety of information management tasks. We discuss this problem and explore a possible extension to the W3C Web Annotation Data Model that would help with annotation target identification.
Meta(data)morphosis
Authors: Clark Ashley M. , Connell Sarah
Published: July 2016

This article offers a case study in the creation and metamorphosis of a corpus of transcriptions intended for web publication. It discusses a process for encoding, proofing, and publishing a collection of brief periodical documents (largely reviews) on the subject of authors published in the Women Writers Project’s established Women Writers Online corpus, as part of an initiative investigating the transatlantic reception of early women’s texts. Both encoding and publication in the initiative, Cultures of Reception, were driven by the particular characteristics of this collection and the importance of establishing links to the existing materials in Women Writers Online. This article discusses steps that the Cultures of Reception team took to prepare the encoded texts for publication—including development of a web-based tool systematizing human intervention—and then explains the goals and design of Women Writers in Review, the interface that is used to publish these texts.
Insights into a historic severe haze event in Shanghai: synoptic situation,
boundary layer and pollutants
Authors: Leng Chunpeng , Duan Junyan , Xu Chen , Zhang Hefeng , Wang Yifan , Wang Yanyu , Li Xiang , Kong Lingdong , Tao Jun , Zhang Renjian , Cheng Tiantao , Zha Shuping , Yu Xingna
Published: July 2016

Abstract. A historic haze event, characterized by lengthy, large-scale and severe pollution, occurred in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China from 1 to 10 December 2013. This haze event significantly influenced air quality throughout the region, especially in urban areas. Aerosol physical, chemical and optical properties were measured in Shanghai. Sometimes the 1 h average particle concentration (e.g., PM2.5) exceeded 600 µg m−3. Inorganic water-soluble ions in particles, trace gases and aerosol optical coefficients had a similar tendency to increase evidently from clear to hazy episodes. A combination of various factors contributed to the formation and evolution of the haze event, among which meteorological conditions, local anthropogenic emissions and pollutants are the major factors. High pressure system, calm surface wind and subsidence airflow were responsible for the decrease of planetary boundary layer (PBL) and the accumulation of pollutants. Atmospheric visibility correlated strongly with relative humidity (RH), particle number in size of 600–1400 nm other than particulate water-soluble species and particle mass (PM2.5). The particle hygroscopicity plays an important role in atmospheric visibility reduction. The results are somewhat helpful to forecast and eliminate regional atmospheric pollution in China.
Dust size parameterization in RegCM4: Impact on aerosol burden and radiative forcing
Authors: Tsikerdekis Athanasios , Zanis Prodromos , Steiner Allison L. , Solmon Fabien , Amiridis Vassilis , Marinou Eleni , Katragkou Eleni , Karacostas Theodoros , Foret Gilles
Published: July 2016

Abstract. We investigate the sensitivity of two dust parameterizations of the regional climate model RegCM4 for the period 2007–2014 over the Sahara and the Mediterranean. We apply two discretization methods of the dust size distribution keeping the total mass constant: 1) the default RegCM4 4-bin approach, where the size range of each bin is calculated using an equal, logarithmic separation of the total size range of dust, using the diameter of dust particles and 2) a newly implemented 12-bin approach with each bin defined according to an isogradient method where the size ranges are dependent on the dry deposition velocity of dust particles. Increasing the number of transported dust size bins theoretically improves the representation of the physical properties of dust particles within the same size bin. Thus, more size bins minimize the error and improve the simulation of atmospheric processes. The radiative effects of dust over the area are discussed and evaluated with the CALIPSO Dust Optical Depth (DOD). This study is among the first studies evaluating the vertical profile of simulated dust with a pure dust product. Reanalysis winds from ERA-interim and the total precipitation flux from the observational gridded database CRU are used to evaluate and explain the discrepancies between model and observations. The new dust binning approach increases the dust column burden by 4 % and 3 % for fine and coarse particles respectively, which increases DOD by 10 % over the desert and the Mediterranean. Consequently, negative shortwave RF is enhanced by more than 10 % at the top of the atmosphere and by 1 % to 5 % on the surface. Positive longwave RF locally increases by more than 0.1 W m−2 in a large portion of the Sahara desert, the northern part of the Arabian peninsula and the Middle East. The 4-bin isolog method is to some extent numerically efficient, nevertheless our work highlights that the simplified representation of the 4-bin approach underestimates the dust optical depth and the radiative forcing, a fact that should be taking into account by future researches that study the same region.
Technical Note: Simultaneous fully dynamic characterization of multiple input-output relationships in climate models
Authors: Kravitz Ben , MacMartin Douglas G. , Rasch Philip J. , Wang Hailong
Published: July 2016

Abstract. We introduce system identification techniques to climate science wherein multiple dynamic input-output relationships can be simultaneously characterized in a single simulation. This method, involving multiple small perturbations (in space and time) of an input field while monitoring output fields to quantify responses, allows for identification of different timescales of climate response to forcing without substantially pushing the climate far away from a steady state. We use this technique to determine the steady state responses of low cloud fraction and latent heat flux to heating perturbations over 22 regions spanning Earth's oceans. We show that the response characteristics are similar to those of step-change simulations, but in this new method, the responses for 22 regions can be characterized simultaneously. Furthermore, we can estimate the timescale over which the steady state response emerges. The proposed methodology could be useful for a wide variety of purposes in climate science, including characterization of teleconnections and uncertainty quantification to identify the effects of climate model tuning parameters.
Validation of INSAT-3D sounder data with in-situ measurements and other
similar satellite observations over Indian region
Authors: Venkat Ratnam M. , Hemanth Kumar A. , Jayaraman A.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. To date, several satellites measurements are available which can provide profiles of temperature and water vapor with reasonable accuracies. However, temporal resolution remained poor, particularly over topics, as most of them are polar orbiting. At this juncture, launch of INSAT-3D (Indian National Satellite) by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 26 July 2013 carrying multi-spectral imager covering visible to long wave infrared region made it possible to obtain profiles of temperature and water vapor over Indian region with higher temporal and vertical resolutions and altitude coverage besides the other parameters. The initial validation of INSAT-3D data is made with the high temporal (3 h) resolution radiosonde observations launched over Gadanki (13.5° N, 79.2° E) during a special campaign and routine evening soundings obtained at 12 UTC. We also compared INSAT-3D data with the radiosonde observations obtained from 34 India Meteorological Department stations. Comparisons were also made over Indian region with data from other satellites like AIRS, MLS and SAPHIR and ERA-Interim and NCEP re-analysis datasets. INSAT-3D is able to show a better coverage over Indian region with high spatial and temporal resolutions as expected. Good correlation in temperature between INSAT-3D and in-situ measurements is noticed except in the upper troposphere and lower stratospheric region (positive bias of 2–3 K). There exists mean dry bias of 10–25 % in relative humidity. Similar biases are also noticed when compared to other satellites and re-analysis data sets. INSAT-3D shows large positive bias in temperature above 25° N in the lower troposphere. Thus, caution is advised in using this data at those places for tropospheric studies. Finally it is concluded that temperature data from INSAT-3D is of high quality that can be directly assimilated for better forecast over Indian region.
Harmonization and Diagnostics of MIPAS ESA CH4
and N2O Profiles Using Data Assimilation
Authors: Errera Quentin , Ceccherini Simone , Christophe Yves , Chabrillat Simon , Hegglin Michaela I. , Lambert Alyn , Ménard Richard , Raspollini Piera , Skachko Sergey , van Weele Michiel , Walker Kaley A.
Published: July 2016

Abstract. This paper discusses assimilation experiments of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) profiles observed by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS). Here we focus on data versions 6 and 7 retrieved by the ESA processor. These datasets have been assimilated by the Belgian Assimilation System for Chemical ObsErvations (BASCOE). The CH4 and N2O profiles can be noisy especially in the tropical lower stratosphere. Using the averaging kernels of the observations and a background error covariance matrix – the B matrix, which has been previously calibrated, allows the system to partly remedy this issue and provide assimilated fields that are more regular vertically. In general, there is a good agreement between the BASCOE analyses and independent observations demonstrating the general good quality of these two retrievals provided by MIPAS ESA. Nevertheless, this study also identifies two issues in these datasets. First, time-series of the observations show unexpected discontinuities, due to the calibration method used for the level-1 data. Second, the correlations between BASCOE analyses and independent observations are poor in the lower stratosphere, especially in the tropics, probably due to the presence of outliers in the assimilated data. In this region, we recommend using MIPAS CH4 and N2O observations with caution.