bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A transição de contribuidor individual para líder: a experiência vivida pelo professor universitário
Authors: Silva Fabiula Meneguete Vides da , Cunha Cristiano José Castro de Almeida
Published: August 2012

Este trabalho objetiva compreender o processo de transição do contribuidor individual (professor) para líder (reitor ou pró-reitor) em universidades. A abordagem fenomenológico-hermenêutica de van Manen (1990) foi utilizada a fim de retomar os principais temas desta experiência. Seis ex-gestores universitários emprestaram suas experiências vivenciadas em universidades pertencentes à Associação Catarinense das Fundações Educacionais (ACAFE), através das entrevistas em três tempos preconizadas por Seidman (1998), realizadas entre maio de 2009 e março de 2010. Recorrendo às entrevistas transcritas, foi possível resgatar nove grandes temas centrais, que representam as experiências que os professores entrevistados viveram: a estrutura universitária: um dos desafios; a agenda do líder universitário; o relacionamento interpessoal: a diversidade nas e das relações; a falta da pesquisa e da sala de aula; mudando o olhar: a necessidade da visão do conjunto; buscando qualificação profissional: “um divisor de águas”; o tempo: “meu inimigo número um”; o ambiente de trabalho; e sofrendo. Os dados encontrados revelam temas úteis para a compreensão da experiência vivida na transição de professores para líderes universitários, contribuindo para pensarmos em políticas de recursos humanos, a fim de minimizarmos os aspectos negativos vividos pelos professores, como também para ampliarmos as pesquisas que levem em conta a temática da transição nas universidades.
Modelos de retornos esperados no mercado brasileiro: testes empíricos utilizando metodologia preditiva
Authors: Mussa Adriano , Rogers Pablo , Securato José Roberto
Published: August 2012

Metodologias preditivas para teste de modelos de retornos esperados são amplamente difundidas no meio acadêmico internacional, entretanto, não têm sido sistematicamente aplicadas no Brasil. Geralmente, os estudos empíricos procedidos com dados do mercado acionário brasileiro concentram-se apenas na primeira etapa dessas metodologias. O objetivo deste artigo foi testar e comparar os modelos CAPM (Capital Asset Pricing Model), 3-fatores e 4-fatores a partir de uma metodologia de teste preditivo, utilizando duas etapas – regressões em séries temporais e cross-section – com erros-padrão calculados pela técnica de Fama e Macbeth (1973). Apesar dos resultados indicarem a superioridade do modelo 4- fatores em relação ao modelo 3-fatores, e esse em relação ao CAPM, nenhum dos modelos testados foram suficientes na explicação das variações dos retornos das ações do mercado brasileiro. Contrário a algumas evidências empíricas que não utilizam a metodologia preditiva, os efeitos tamanho e momento parecem não estar presentes no mercado de capitais brasileiro, enquanto há indícios da presença do efeito valor e relevância do mercado em explicar retornos esperados. Os achados dessa pesquisa levantaram alguns questionamentos, principalmente, devido à originalidade metodológica no mercado nacional e o tema ser ainda incipiente e polêmico no meio acadêmico brasileiro.
Posicionamento logístico com base nas estratégias de produção em micro-organizações familiares: um estudo de caso no setor têxtil
Authors: Duarte Pimentel Thiago , De Pádua Carrieri Alexandre , Leite da Silva Alfredo Rodrigues
Published: August 2012

No presente estudo são analisadas as estratégias de posicionamento logístico, enfatizando aquelas relativas à produção e gestão de operações em microorganizações familiares. Com esse intuito realizou-se uma revisão sobre posicionamento logístico, estratégias de produção e operações para fundamentar o caso de uma organização familiar inserida no contexto da Feira de Artes, Artesanato e Produtores de Variedades de Belo Horizonte/MG, conhecida popularmente como Feira Hippie. A pesquisa qualitativa baseou-se na pesquisaação visando identificar, junto ao gestor familiar, as estratégias de posicionamento logístico, de produção e gestão de operações adotadas face ao seu contexto produtivo. Observou-se como a micro-organização familiar em questão adota estratégias internas (tácitas/emergentes) e externas (desenvolvimento de redes sociais), que lhe garantem viabilidade econômica, embora parte desta possa ser atribuída à exteriorização de seus custos aos fornecedores e ao ambiente organizacional.
A Educação a Distância como Política de Expansão e Interiorização da Educação Superior no Brasil
Authors: Melo Pedro Antonio , De Melo Michelle Bianchini , Nunes Rogério da Silva
Published: August 2012

Este ensaio tem como objetivo identificar o estado da arte da educação superior brasileira, presencial e a distância. Busca compreender o processo de expansão a partir da análise da LDB – Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional, do Plano Nacional da Educação e do Plano de Desenvolvimento da Educação. Aponta também os principais agentes responsáveis pela transformação ocorrida nos últimos anos, e identifica pelo menos três pilares importantes para esta expansão: 1) a expansão das universidades federais pelo REUNI; 2) o Programa Universidade para Todos – PROUNI; e 3) a Universidade Aberta do Brasil – UAB. Destaque maior foi dado à educação a distância, tendo em vista que esta aparece como um elemento importantíssimo na interiorização e democratização do acesso à educação superior; sobretudo, quando utiliza recursos tecnológicos que permitem a socialização do saber. As conclusões mostram que a educação superior a distância vem crescendo em níveis exponenciais nos últimos anos, que é um processo irreversível e deverá contribuir com a formação profissional, permitindo um upgrade na vida social das pessoas. Além disso, os mecanismos de ação para a expansão devem contribuir para a elevação da qualidade de vida das pessoas, incrementando a competitividade em níveis nacional e internacional. A formação superior está se consolidando como um dos mais importantes instrumentos de renovação social neste terceiro milênio, e as universidades estão assumindo seu papel e se transformando em vetores para a concretização de uma mudança social sem precedentes na história recente do Brasil.
Política Industrial de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento da Indústria Brasileira de Semicondutores
Authors: Campanario Milton Abreu , Da Silva Marcello Muniz , Costa Tiago Ribeiro
Published: August 2012

A conquista da estabilidade macroeconômica tende a aumentar a discussão em torno de formas de intervenção nos planos microeconômico e setorial. A Política Industrial, Tecnológica e de Comércio Exterior (PITCE), lançada no início de 2004, sinalizou nessa direção, elegendo quatro setores considerados prioritários: fármacos, bens de capital, software e semicondutores. O presente artigo procura analisar a indústria de semicondutores nos contextos nacional e internacional e focaliza o papel da política industrial seletiva na dinamização de seu desenvolvimento. A partir da caracterização dessa indústria, é feito um benchmarking das políticas adotadas pela Coreia do Sul – país que apresentou, em certas fases de seu desenvolvimento industrial, características semelhantes ao brasileiro, mas que despontou como grande produtor e exportador de tecnologia de ponta. O texto indica que as políticas orientadas ao desenvolvimento da indústria de semicondutores, na PITCE, geram condições para a maturidade do setor. Contudo, essa maturidade enfatiza a fase de “imitação” (ligada ao processo de engenharia reversa) e de internalização (por meio do incremento dos processos de aprendizado e produção interna), mas pouca ênfase seria alcançada na fase de criação (obtenção de tecnologia própria) e de desenvolvimento de tecnologia nacional. Com esses percalços, em 2008, o governo atrelou o padrão da TV Digital (High Definition TV – HDT) à construção de uma fábrica de semicondutores no Brasil, buscando uma saída para implantar tal indústria por uma empresa transnacional.
A Consultoria Interna de Recursos Humanos como Prática Catalisadora da Gestão do Conhecimento Organizacional
Authors: Girardi Dante Marciano , Lapolli Édis Mafra , Tonani Tosta Kelly Cristina Benetti
Published: August 2012

Este artigo objetiva analisar a contribuição da Consultoria Interna de Recursos Humanos para a Gestão do Conhecimento nas indústrias catarinenses de grande porte. Os procedimentos metodológicos seguiram a linha qualitativa, por meio da pesquisa descritiva e aplicada. Foram entrevistadas sete das maiores empresas catarinenses em número de funcionários. Utilizou-se análise documental e de conteúdo. Quanto aos resultados, a consultoria interna auxilia principalmente nas etapas de socialização e externalização do conhecimento. Além disso, se implementada na sua totalidade e dada autonomia ao consultor interno, permite uma maior interação nos níveis individual, grupal e organizacional descritos por Sabbag (2007). Assim, pode-se perceber que as empresas que possuem maior grau de autonomia, bem como maior nível de implementação são aquelas que os processos são mais compartilhados, socializados e internalizados pelos funcionários. Dessa forma, pode-se afirmar que, nas empresas analisadas, o desenvolvimento dos processos de CIRH catalisa os resultados da Gestão do Conhecimento nas mesmas.
Estratégia, Estrutura e Competências Gerenciais: estudo de uma operadora de plano de saúde, modalidade autogestão
Authors: Picchiai Djair
Published: August 2012

Este estudo trata da análise de uma operadora de plano de saúde, modalidade autogestão. Foram analisadas sua estratégia, estrutura organizacional e competências gerenciais, a luz dos conceitos encontrados na literatura. Descrevese a estrutura, as diretrizes de atuação e satisfação dos clientes através da análise de documentos e entrevistas com seus principais gestores. Verifica-se como são entendidos e utilizados esses conceitos na relação da operadora com os prestadores de serviços e beneficiários. A literatura aponta para a coerência, o alinhamento e a consistência entre os conceitos de estratégia, estrutura e competências gerenciais, como forma de aumento de competitividade e desenvolvimento de competências organizacionais. Os indicadores de desempenho e o mapa estratégico aparecem como instrumentos desta avaliação.
Online atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (APCI-IT-MSn) for measuring organic acids in concentrated bulk aerosol – a laboratory and field study
Authors: Vogel A. L. , Äijälä M. , Brüggemann M. , Ehn M. , Junninen H. , Petäjä T. , Worsnop D. R. , Kulmala M. , Williams J. , Hoffmann T.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. The field application of an aerosol concentrator in conjunction with an atmospheric pressure chemical ionization ion trap mass spectrometer (APCI-IT-MS) at the boreal forest station SMEAR II at Hyytiälä, Finland, is demonstrated in this study. APCI is a soft ionization technique allowing online measurements of organic acids in the gas and particle phase. The detection limit for the acid species in the particle phase was increased by a factor of 7.5 to 11 (e.g. ~40 ng m−3 for pinonic acid) by using the miniature Versatile Aerosol Concentration Enrichment System (mVACES) upstream of the mass spectrometer. The APCI-IT-MS was calibrated in the negative ion mode with two biogenic organic acid standards – pinic acid and pinonic acid. Pinic acid was used as a surrogate for the quantification of the total amount of organic acids in the ambient aerosol based on the total signal intensities in the negative ion mode. The results were compared with the total organic signal of a C-ToF-AMS during the HUMPPA-COPEC 2010 field campaign. The campaign average contribution of organic acids measured by APCI-IT-MS to the total sub-micron organic aerosol mass was estimated to be about 60%. Very good correlation between APCI-IT-MS and C-ToF-AMS (Pearson's R = 0.94) demonstrates soft ionization mass spectrometry as a complimentary technique to AMS with electron impact ionization. MS2 studies of specific m/z ratios recorded during the HUMPPA-COPEC 2010 field campaign were compared to MS2 studies of selected monoterpene oxidation products formed in simulation chamber experiments. The comparison of the resulting fragments shows that oxidation products of the main VOCs emitted at Hyytiälä (α-pinene and Δ3-carene) cannot account for all of the measured fragments, which illustrates the complexity of ambient aerosol and possibly indicates unidentified or underestimated biogenic SOA precursor in the boreal forest.
Global estimates of carbon stock changes in living forest biomass: EDGARv4.3 – time series from 1990 to 2010
Authors: Petrescu A. M. R. , Abad-Viñas R. , Janssens-Maenhout G. , Blujdea V. N. B. , Grassi G.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. While the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) focuses on global estimates for the full set of anthropogenic activities, the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector might be the most diverse and most challenging to cover consistently for all countries of the world. Parties to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required to provide periodic estimates of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, following the latest approved methodological guidance by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The current study aims to consistently estimate the carbon (C) stock changes from living forest biomass for all countries of the world, in order to complete the LULUCF sector in EDGAR. In order to derive comparable estimates for developing and developed countries, it is crucial to use a single methodology with global applicability. Data for developing countries are generally poor, such that only the Tier 1 methods from either the IPCC Good Practice Guide for Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (GPG-LULUCF) 2003 or the IPCC 2006 Guidelines can be applied to these countries. For this purpose, we applied the IPCC Tier 1 method at global level following both IPCC GPG-LULUCF 2003 and IPCC 2006, using spatially coarse activity data (i.e. area, obtained combining two different global forest maps: the Global Land Cover map and the eco-zones subdivision of the Global Ecological Zone (GEZ) map) in combination with the IPCC default C stocks and C stock change factors. Results for the C stock changes were calculated separately for gains, harvest, fires (Global Fire Emissions Database version 3, GFEDv.3) and net deforestation for the years 1990, 2000, 2005 and 2010. At the global level, results obtained with the two sets of IPCC guidance differed by about 40 %, due to different assumptions and default factors. The IPCC Tier 1 method unavoidably introduced high uncertainties due to the "globalization" of parameters. When the results using IPCC 2006 for Annex I Parties are compared to other international datasets such as (UNFCCC, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)) or scientific publications, a significant overestimation of the sink emerges. For developing countries, we conclude that C stock change in forest remaining forest can hardly be estimated with the Tier 1 method especially for calculating the C losses, mainly because wood removal data are not separately available on harvesting or deforestation. Overall, confronting the IPCC GPG-LULUCF 2003 and IPCC 2006 methodologies, we conclude that IPCC 2006 suits best the needs of EDGAR and provide a consistent global picture of C stock changes from living forest biomass independent of country estimates.
Variability of the ocean heat content during the last millennium – an assessment with the ECHO-g Model
Authors: Ortega P. , Montoya M. , González-Rouco F. , Beltrami H. , Swingedouw D.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. Studies addressing climate variability during the last millennium generally focus on variables with a direct influence on climate variability, like the fast thermal response to varying radiative forcing, or the large-scale changes in atmospheric dynamics (e.g. North Atlantic Oscillation). The ocean responds to these variations by slowly integrating in depth the upper heat flux changes, thus producing a delayed influence on ocean heat content (OHC) that can latter impact on low frequency SST variability through reemergence processes. In this study, both the externally and internally driven variations of the OHC are investigated during the last millennium using a set of fully coupled simulations using the model ECHO-G. When compared to observations for the last 55 yr, the model tends to overestimate the global trends, and underestimate the decadal OHC variability. Extending the analysis back to the last one thousand years, the main impact of the radiative forcing is an OHC increase at high latitudes, explained to some extent by a reduction in cloud cover and the subsequent increase of short-wave radiation at the surface. This OHC response is dominated by the effect of volcanism in the preindustrial era, and by the fast increase of GHGs during the last 150 yr. Likewise, salient impacts from internal climate variability are observed at regional scales. For instance, upper temperature in the Equatorial Pacific is controlled by ENSO variability from interannual to multidecadal timescales. Also, both the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) modulate intermittently the interdecadal OHC variability in the North Pacific and Mid Atlantic, respectively. The NAO, through its influence on North Atlantic surface heat fluxes and convection, also plays an important role on the OHC at multiple timescales, leading first to a cooling in the Labrador and Irminger seas, and later on to a North Atlantic warming, associated with a delayed impact on the AMO.
Assessment of a physical-biogeochemical coupled model system for operational service in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Wan Z. , She J. , Maar M. , Jonasson L. , Baasch-Larsen J.
Published: August 2012

Abstract. Thanks to the abundant observation data, we are able to deploy the traditional point-to-point comparison and statistical measures in combination with a comprehensive model validation scheme to assess the skills of the biogeochemical model ERGOM in providing an operational service for the Baltic Sea. The model assessment concludes that the operational products can resolve the main observed seasonal features for phytoplankton biomass, dissolved inorganic nitrogen, dissolved inorganic phosphorus and dissolved oxygen in euphotic layers as well as their vertical profiles. This assessment reflects that the model errors of the operational system at the current stage are mainly caused by insufficient light penetration, excessive organic particle export downward, insufficient regional adaptation and some from improper initialization. This study highlights the importance of applying multiple schemes in order to assess model skills rigidly and identify main causes for major model errors.
Missing Millions and Measuring Progress towards the Millenium Development Goals with a focus on Central Asian States
Authors: Carr-Hill Roy
Published: August 2012

BackgroundIn developing countries, population estimates and assessments of progress towards the Millenium Development Goals are based increasingly on household surveys.  It is not recognised that they are inappropriate for obtaining information about the poorest of the poor..  This is because they, typically, omit by design: those not in households because they are homeless; those who are in institutions; and mobile, nomadic or pastoralist populations.  In addition, in practice, because they are difficult to reach, household surveys will typically under-represent: those in fragile, disjointed or multiple occupancy households; those in urban slums, and may omit certain areas of a country deemed to pose a security risk. Those six sub-groups constitute a pretty comprehensive ostensive definition of the ‘poorest of the poor’.MethodsThis paper documents these omissions in general, drawing on worldwide literature about the theory and practice fo implementing censuses and household surveys; and shows how substantial proportions are missing from both censuses and the sample frames of surveys.ResultsThis paper suggests that between 300 and 350 million will effectively be missed worldwide from the sampling frames of such surveys and from most censuses.  The impact on the health MDGs is illustrated for the five republics of the former Soviet Union making up Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and UzbekistanConclusionsIt is impossible to assess progress towards or away from the MDGS in both the Central Asian Republics and worldwide.  It is urgent to find solutions to the problem of the ‘missing ‘ poor population sub-groups.
Evaluation of the Pozzolanic Activity of Sewage Sludge Ash
Authors: Tantawy M. A. , El-Roudi A. M. , Abdalla Elham M. , Abdelzaher M. A.
Published: August 2012

Raw sewage sludge was characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TGA techniques and incinerated in temperature range 650–950°C for 2 h. The effect of incineration temperature on the microstructure and pozzolanic activity of the resultant ash was investigated by techniques mentioned above as well as Chapelle test. It was concluded that incineration of sewage sludge affects the microstructure and pozzolanic activity of the resultant ash. During incineration at temperatures lower than 800°C, amorphous silica captures fixed carbon resulting from incomplete combustion conditions whereas at higher temperatures crystallization of amorphous silica was enhanced. Hydration products formed from hydrothermal treatment of silica fume with lime is amorphous whereas that of sewage sludge ash is fibrous. Hence, incineration of sewage sludge ash must be optimized at 800°C to preserve the pozzolanic activity of the resultant ash.
Detection of PIK3CA Mutations in Breast Cancer Bone Metastases
Authors: Daneshmand Manijeh , Hanson Jennifer E. L. , Nabavi Mitra , Hilton John F. , Vandermeer Lisa , Kanji Femina , Dent Susan F. , Clemons Mark , Lorimer Ian A. J.
Published: August 2012

Background. An important goal of personalized cancer therapy is to tailor specific therapies to the mutational profile of individual patients. However, whole genome sequencing studies have shown that the mutational profiles of cancers evolve over time and often differ between primary and metastatic sites. Activating point mutations in the PIK3CA gene are common in primary breast cancer tumors, but their presence in breast cancer bone metastases has not been assessed previously.
Results. Fourteen patients with breast cancer bone metastases were biopsied by three methods: CT-guided bone biopsies; bone marrow trephine biopsies; and bone marrow aspiration. Samples that were positive for cancer cells were obtained from six patients. Three of these patients had detectable PIK3CA mutations in bone marrow cancer cells. Primary tumor samples were available for four of the six patients assessed for PIK3CA status in their bone metastases. For each of these, the PIK3CA mutation status was the same in the primary and metastatic sites. Conclusions. PIK3CA mutations occur frequently in breast cancer bone metastases. The PIK3CA mutation status in bone metastases samples appears to reflect the PIK3CA mutation status in the primary tumour. Breast cancer patients with bone metastases may be candidates for treatment with selective PIK3CA inhibitors.
The Effect of the Combined Action of Roscovitine and Paclitaxel on the Apoptotic and Cell Cycle Regulatory Mechanisms in Colon and Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer Cells
Authors: Pushkarev V. V. , Kovzun O. I. , Pushkarev V. M. , Tronko M. D.
Published: August 2012

Aim. To study the significance of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) in paclitaxel-dependent apoptosis in colon and undifferentiated thyroid cancer cells. Materials and Methods. Experiments were performed on undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma (KTC-2) and colon carcinoma (ARO) cell lines. Cells were treated with paclitaxel (Ptx) and inhibitor of Cdk, roscovitine. Cell survival test and Western blotting were used for characterization of the effects of paclitaxel and roscovitine on cancer cells. Results. It was shown that not c-Jun N-terminal kinase, but cyclin-dependent kinases are responsible for antiapoptotic Bcl-2 phosphorylation. Cdk inhibition enhanced the cytotoxic effects of Ptx at low drug concentrations. There was antagonism between Ptx and roscovitine at higher (25 nM) paclitaxel concentrations. Conclusion. Using of paclitaxel at low (2.5 to 5 nM) concentrations and roscovitine is a promising combination for further preclinical trials for the development of new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of colon and anaplastic thyroid cancer.
Research Activities in Precise Positioning at Laval University
Authors: Santerre Rock , Cocard Marc , Bourgon Stéphanie , Kamali Omid , Kirouac Valérie , Lamothe Philippe , Macias-Valadez Daniel , Prat Yann
Published: August 2012

This review paper summarises the recent, on-going, and future research activities in precise positioning at Laval University. The projects undertaken by the GPS and Geodesy Research Group are presented following three main research topics. The first one deals with the use of precise positioning for deformation monitoring of engineering structures. The study of ice forces on dams using a robotic total station and the improvement of GPS height determination using multiple GPS antennas linked to a single receiver with calibrated fiber optics are presented. A second topic of research is the crustal deformation of the Charlevoix seismic zone in Quebec. This study uses GPS and levelling techniques and involves an investigation of the temporal stability of the GPS permanent stations available in the surrounding area. Finally, research on single GPS receiver positioning techniques is presented, namely, Precise Point Positioning (PPP) and Time Relative Positioning (TRP).
Assessment of the GOCE-Based Global Gravity Models in Canada
Authors: Ince E. Sinem , Sideris Michael G. , Huang Jianliang , Véronneau Marc
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study is to test the first, second and third generation GOCE geoid solutions, obtained from the first 2, 8 and 18-month observations, respectively. These solutions are assessed over Canada and for two sub-regions (the Great Lakes and Rocky Mountains). The Canadian GPS/leveling-derived geoid heights are used as independent control values in the assessment of the GOCE geoid models. The study is conducted in two steps. First, the geoid models are computed from satellite-only models and truncated to different spherical harmonic degrees. These models are compared with the GPS/leveling geoid heights which are reduced to the same spectral band as the satellite models by EGM2008 predicted frequency components higher than the truncation degrees. The results suggest that the GOCE models show a full power of signal up to about spherical harmonic degree 180. Moreover, the second and third generation GOCE models (with the exception of the direct approach models) provide better agreement with the GPS/leveling-derived geoid undulations than the first generation models due to the longer observation period. The second step involves the combination of the two third generation GOCE models with terrestrial data. These models are tested against to the GPS/leveling-derived geoid undulations in full spectrum. EGM2008 global geopotential model and Canadian gravimetric geoid model CGG2005 are also included in the comparisons to measure improvement provided by the GOCE models. The GOCE-combined models yielded GPS/leveling results that are comparable with those obtained from EGM2008 and CGG2005 models. The best comparative results with the combined models give standard deviations of 4.8 cm, 6.0 cm and 12.2 cm for the Great Lakes, Rocky Mountains and Canada, respectively. These results indicate that the third generation GOCE models conform to the Canadian terrestrial gravity data from degrees 90 to 180. The new generation models show evident improvement over the first and second generation models.
Intention Reading from a Fuzzy-Based Human Engagement Model and Behavioural Features
Authors: Yun Sang-Seok , Choi Mun-Taek , Kim Munsang , Song Jae-Bok
Published: August 2012

This paper presents a novel approach for a quantitative appraisal model to identify human intent so as to interact with a robot and determine an engagement level. To efficiently select an attention target for communication in multi-person interactions, we propose a fuzzy-based classification algorithm which is developed by an incremental learning procedure and which facilitates a multi-dimensional pattern analysis for ambiguous human behaviours. From acquired participants' non-verbal behaviour patterns, we extract the dominant feature data, analyse the generality of the model and verify the effectiveness for proper and prompt gaze behaviour. The proposed model works successfully in multiple people interactions.
Hybrid Force Control Based on ICMAC for an Astronaut Rehabilitative Training Robot
Authors: Zhang Lixun , Zou Yupeng , Wang Lan , Pei Xinping
Published: August 2012

A novel Astronaut Rehabilitative Training Robot (ART) based on a cable-driven mechanism is represented in this paper. ART, a typical passive force servo system, can help astronauts to bench press in a microgravity environment. The purpose of this paper is to design controllers to eliminate the surplus force caused by an astronaut's active movements. Based on the dynamics modelling of the cable-driven unit, a hybrid force controller based on improved credit assignment CMAC (ICMAC) is presented. A planning method for the cable tension is proposed so that the dynamic load produced by the ART can realistically simulate the gravity and inertial force of the barbell in a gravity environment. Finally, MATLAB simulation results of the man-machine cooperation system are provided in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. The simulation results show that the hybrid control method based on the structure invariance principle can inhibit the surplus force and that ICMAC can improve the dynamic performance of the passive force servo system. Furthermore, the hybrid force controller based on ICMAC can ensure the stability of the system.
A Comparison of Various Forecasting Methods for Autocorrelated Time Series
Authors: Kandananond Karin
Published: August 2012

The accuracy of forecasts significantly affects the overall performance of a whole supply chain system. Sometimes, the nature of consumer products might cause difficulties in forecasting for the future demands because of its complicated structure. In this study, two machine learning methods, artificial neural network (ANN) and support vector machine (SVM), and a traditional approach, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model, were utilized to predict the demand for consumer products. The training data used were the actual demand of six different products from a consumer product company in Thailand. Initially, each set of data was analysed using Ljung-Box-Q statistics to test for autocorrelation. Afterwards, each method was applied to different sets of data. The results indicated that the SVM method had a better forecast quality (in terms of MAPE) than ANN and ARIMA in every category of products.
Application of Creativity Techniques in the Creation of Organizational Strategies
Authors: Aslani Alireza , Naaranoja Marja , Kekale Tauno
Published: August 2012

The majority of studies in the field of organizational strategies have concentrated on strategy formulation, distinct from strategy implementation. Disunion of these two processes often leads to disappointing results in the implementation of strategy. In such a condition, the creation of a suitable strategy in a way that could resolve the divergence of formulation from implementation is suggested by researchers. This means that the implementers of a strategy turn into the formulators. Therefore, presenting creative ideas and solutions is encouraged between related organizational staff at different levels. Noting that the possibility of emerging creative ideas in organizational meetings between persons from different organizational levels is low, fostering creativity and innovation techniques can be an ideal solution for successful group meetings. In this paper, after introducing the effective criteria that should be considered in the creation of collective action strategies in organizations, the suitable techniques for fostering creativity in this kind of meeting will be ranked based on the Fuzzy MADM approach.
Technology Provisioning in the Mobile Industry: A Strategic Clustering
Authors: Ghezzi Antonio , Balocco Raffaello , Mangiaracina Riccardo
Published: August 2012

This article develops a strategic clustering for Mobile Middleware Technology Providers (MMTPs), shedding light on the business models and the strategic positioning currently adopted by this actor typology. The paper combines a literature review and a multiple case study approach – 24 in-depth cases based on 72 semi-structured interviews were performed – to deal with a significant and relatively new issue, i.e., the role of technology providers in the mobile value network. Through the creation of a system of strategic clustering matrices, four key business models currently adopted by MMTPs – “Pure Play”, “Full Asset”, “Third Parties Relationship-focused” and “Platform and Content Management” – are identified, and insightful conclusions on the impact of this actor's newly emerging influence on the market's competitive dynamics are drawn. The framework created supports a wide set of mobile communications stakeholders – both incumbent and new entrants – in their decision making and strategy analysis process.
Smart Healthcare Digitalization: Using ICT to Effectively Balance Exploration and Exploitation within Hospitals
Authors: Gastaldi Luca , Corso Mariano
Published: August 2012

Most of the literature on healthcare digitalization is focused on the benefits, the barriers and the determinants of the adoption of ICT-based solutions within hospitals. Little is understood about how hospital digitalization can be accomplished or how this digitalization fosters an increase in hospital performance — both in terms of quality improvement and cost rationalization — by ambidextrously combining the exploration and exploitation of hospital assets. This paper sheds a preliminary light on the topic, identifying a set of action-oriented propositions for smart healthcare digitalization within hospitals.
The Privacy Calculus: Mobile Apps and User Perceptions of Privacy and Security
Authors: Fife Elizabeth , Orjuela Juan
Published: August 2012

A continuing stream of new mobile data services are being released that rely upon the collection of personal data to support a business model. New technologies including facial recognition, sensors and Near Field Communications (NFC) will increasingly become a part of everyday services and applications that challenge traditional concepts of individual privacy. The average person as well as the “tech-savvy” mobile phone user may not yet be fully aware of the extent to which their privacy and security are being affected through their mobile activities and how comparable this situation is to personal computer usage. We investigate perceptions and usage of mobile data services that appear to have specific privacy and security sensitivities, specifically social networking, banking/payments and health-related activities. Our annual survey of smartphone users in the U.S. and Japan is presented from 2011. This nationally representative survey data is used to show demographic and cultural differences, and substantiate our hypotheses about the links between use and privacy concerns.
Supporting User Generated Content for Mobile News Services: A Case Study
Authors: Georgiadis Christos K.
Published: August 2012

Web 2.0 applications encourage users to contribute to the production of richer content. In this context, our work mainly focuses on providing mobile users the ability to share content and to support user generated content production. Specifically, in our case study, features both for a mobile Web and for a mobile native application are implemented, capable of providing news services enriched with indicative social networking elements. The results of our work are largely related to the understanding of the required proper solutions, based on the investigation of serious technical challenges: the XML-RPC library for the Android platform is exploited, as well as a specific Backend Joomla! component is built (Rsstoa) to handle consistently external content sources, such as feeds and multipart emails.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles and the Study of Optical Properties
Authors: Vasireddy Ramakrishna , Paul Rima , Mitra Apurba Krishna
Published: August 2012

The synthesis of silver nanoparticles of varying size has been achieved using different molar concentrations of NaOH while the effect of changing the temperature has been studied. AgNO3, gelatine, glucose and NaOH are used as a silver precursor, stabilizer, reducing agent and accelerator respectively. The synthesized nanoparticles have been characterized by a FESEM study, X-ray diffractometry, Raman spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The colloidal sols of the silver nanoparticles in a biopolymer gelatine show strong surface plasmon resonance absorption peaks. The visible photoluminescence emission from the synthesized silver nanocrystals has been recorded within the wavelength range of 400–600 nm under UV excitation. The synthesized nanoparticles may be extremely useful in making biosensor devices as well as for other applications.
Lessons From The Wreck Of The Exxon Valdez
Authors: Hosmer Larue Tone ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

Investigations of large scale industrial accidents generally take one of two alternative approaches to identifying the cause or causes of those destructive events. The first is legal analysis, which focuses on the mechanical failure or human error that immediately preceded the accident. The second is socio-technical reasoning, which centers on the complexities of the interlocking technological and organizational systems that brought about the accident. Both are retrospective, and provide little insight into the means of avoiding industrial accidents in the future. This article looks at six levels of managerial responsibility within a firm, and suggests specific changes at all levels that should logically help in the prevention or mitigation of these high impactllow probability events. The most basicneed, however, is for imagination, empathy, and courage at the most senior level of the firm.
Moral Imagination in Organizational Problem-Solving
Authors: Vidaver-Cohen Deborah ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

This essay responds to Patricia Werhane's 1994 Ruffin Lecture address, "Moral Imagination and the Search for Ethical Decision-making in Management," using institutional theory as an analytical framework to explore conditions that either inhibit or promote moral imagination in organizational problem-solving. Implications of the analysis for managing organizational change and for business ethics theory development are proposed.
Earth
Authors: Stead Edward , Garner Jean ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

Assigning the moniker stakeholder to the planet has stirred a rather interesting debate in recent years. Proponents have insisted that the Earth is both the ultimate source of economic resources and the ultimate sink for economic wastes, meaning that it “affects or is affected by the achievement of the organization’s objectives” (Freeman, 1984, p. 46). They have said that giving the Earth stakeholder status can effectively tie the ecological health of the planet to the economic survival of the firm, and they have demonstrated this by focusing primarily on the economic benefits which can accrue to firms that effectively respond to the ecological concerns of regulators, consumers, investors, lenders, insurers, and so forth. However, others have questioned assigning the Earth stakeholder status. They have said that doing so convolutes the definition of stakeholder too much by expanding it to something other than “person[s] and groups” (Freeman, 1984, p. 46), and they have said that referring to the planet as a stakeholder is an idealistic view which defies the realities of the relationship between economic activity and the Entropy Law. Regardless of the side, the arguments in this debate have focused primarily at the economic level. Does the Earth’s central place in humanity’s economic survival suffice to give it stakeholder status? Does the Earth have voices on boards of directors? Is the underlying assumption made by those who advocate giving the Earth stakeholder status—that economic activity is ecologically sustainable—truly reflective of the relationship between economics and entropy? However, for us this debate took an interesting turn away from the economic level at the 1997 Ruffin Lectures in Business Ethics when Ian Mitroff said, “The Earth is a stakeholder, but it is a spiritual stakeholder.”
Ethics and the Challenge of Low-Dose Exposures
Authors: Shrader-Frechette Kristin ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

In a recent article in American Scientist, a Berkeley expert quips: “Chicken Little is alive and well in America.” Never in history have health and environment-related hazards been so low, he says, while “so much effort is put into removing the last few percent of pollution or the last little bit of risk.” He thinks we have monumental battles over negligible risks, battles that are extraordinarily expensive for the industries that must pay to control pollution or to reduce risk.
Entrepreneurship and Stakeholder Theory
Authors: Mitchell Ronald K. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

In his Ruffin Lecture on stakeholder value and the entrepreneurial process, Professor S. Venkataraman asserted that two processes: value creation, and value sharing, are common ground for both the field of business ethics and the field of entrepreneurship (Venkataraman, 1999). In this article I further explore the connections between entrepreneurship and stakeholder theory raised in the Lecture, as they relate to both the production and the distribution of wealth in society. Through the application of transaction cognition theory, which suggests that a type of stakeholder-centered expert transacting script can integrate entrepreneurship and stakeholder theory through concepts from its sub-specialty, expert information processing theory, I employ a cognitive theory lens to suggest a set of integrating ideas and implications that attempt to complement and expand on Professor Venkataraman’s thesis. Implications for research and education conclude the article.
Ethics, Management, and the Existentialist Entrepreneur
Authors: Gilbert, Daniel R. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

Entrepreneurship and management are commonly treated as members of the same family of concepts. In the wake of a recent reinterpretation of entrepreneurship as an existential phenomenon, there is no longer reason to take for granted the kinship between entrepreneurship and management. Indeed, it is possible to interpret entrepreneurship and management as antitheses on one compelling ethical criterion: voluntary exercise of the word “no” about one’s own projects. The implications of this ethical split between entrepreneurship and management reach from management education to entrepreneurship research to the distinctiveness of the field of business ethics.
Stakeholder Value Equilibration and the Entrepreneurial Process
Authors: Venkataraman S. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

This lecture explores the possibility of a useful dialogue between the fields of entrepreneurship and business ethics for mutual benefit. Although these two fields have much to offer each other, they have developed largely independently of each other. The lecture argues that entrepreneurship has a role to play in stakeholder theory and, relatedly, that stakeholder theory enriches our understanding of the entrepreneurial process. The lecture introduces the idea that a firm is an equilibrating mechanism, and then asks two questions, namely, “What are the properties of a fair and efficient equilibrating mechanism?” and “What alternative mechanisms would render the firm an effective reconciler of competing claims?” The lecture interprets the stakeholder literature to offer three alternative mechanisms to ensure a fair and efficient equilibrating system. The first mechanism is embodied in a person (the moral manager), the second is embodied in a process (the bargaining process), and the third is embodied in an external (to the firm) institution (the visible hand of law and government). To these three, the lecture adds a fourth mechanism from an entrepreneurship perspective, and explores the implications of this perspective to the stakeholder literature.
Business Citizenship and United States “Investor Capitalism”
Authors: Nielsen Richard P. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

There are several different types of capitalist political-economies and business organizations. Consequently, the implications for business citizenship behaviors are also quite different. In the older “large family owned business” and “managerial capitalism” forms there are important structural opportunities for a social contract and balancing of the needs of various stakeholder groups. In the “investor capitalist” form which emerged in the 1980s and has come to dominate the U.S. political-economic system, there is a dominant priority toward optimization of the shareholder wealth criterion which makes it very difficult for such business organizations to engage in authentic citizenship behaviors.
Entrepreneurship, Altruism, and the Good Society
Authors: Velamuri S. Ramakrishna ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

What is the difference between entrepreneurship and altruism? This paper argues that the two differ only in degree, not in kind. Entrepreneurship, in its most generic form, is an expression of freedom in the economic realm and is therefore as deserving of zealous protection as is free speech. Furthermore, entrepreneurial success is as much the result of contingency as it is of design, and entrepreneurial failures vastly outnumber successes; these two issues point to the fairness of the entrepreneurial process.
Business Citizenship
Authors: Wood Donna J. ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: August 2012

The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is being supplanted by a new term—corporate citizenship (CC). For many reasons, it’s not a bad idea to replace the CSR term. But the core content of CSR is also gradually being replaced in a significant portion of the literature by a narrower, voluntaristic concept of corporate community service. This is not a viable replacement for the broad ethics-based and problem-solving norms of social reciprocity that are represented by CSR. A more legitimate successor-term is needed so that corporate community relations and philanthropy take their rightful place among the larger set of rights, duties, stakeholder relationships, and opportunities accruing to business organizations.Therefore, we develop a working theory of business citizenship (BC), a more palatable term, and a concept designed to capture the core moral and social content of CSR. In this article we extract and synthesize several key ideas about individual citizenship that have evolved over several thousand years. We then transpose these ideas from the level of individual members of a polity to the level of organizations within society. In a companion article, we extend the business citizenship concept from its single-polity boundaries to the institutional and global levels of analysis. This approach allows a view of business citizenship that accommodates strong moral guidance, structural and institutional realities, and the flexibility necessary to respond to the structures and dynamics of particular company-stakeholder relationships.