bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Increased Dietary Supply of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids during Early Weaning in Rodents Prevents Excessive Fat Accumulation in Adulthood
Authors: Van de Heijning Bert , Oosting Annemarie , Kegler Diane , Van der Beek Eline
Published: June 2017

Medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) are a directly and readily absorbed source of energy. Exposure early-in-life to increased MCFA levels might affect development and impact (lipid) metabolism later in life. We tested whether an increased MCFA intake early-in-life positively affects adult body composition and metabolic status when challenged by a western-style diet (WSD). Male offspring of C57Bl/6j mice and Wistar rats were fed a control diet (CTRL; 10 w% fat, 14% MCFA) or a medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) diet with 20% MCFA until postnatal (PN) day 42, whereupon animals were fed a WSD (10 w% fat) until PN day 98. Body composition was monitored by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DEXA). In rats, glucose homeostasis was assessed by glucose tolerance test (GTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT); in mice, the HOmeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. At autopsy on PN day 98, plasma lipid profiles, glucose, insulin, and adipokines were measured; organs and fat pads were collected and the adipocyte size distribution was analysed. Milk analysis in mice showed that the maternal MCT diet was not translated into milk, and pups were thus only exposed to high MCT levels from early weaning onward: PN day 16 until 42. Mice exposed to MCT showed 28% less fat accumulation vs. CTRL during WSD. The average adipocyte cell size, fasting plasma triglycerides (TG), and leptin levels were reduced in MCT mice. In rats, no effects were found on the adult body composition, but the adipocyte cell size distribution shifted towards smaller adipocytes. Particularly mice showed positive effects on glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity. Increased MCFA intake early-in-life protected against the detrimental effects of an obesogenic diet in adulthood.
PREVIEW: Prevention of Diabetes through Lifestyle Intervention and Population Studies in Europe and around the World. Design, Methods, and Baseline Participant Description of an Adult Cohort Enrolled into a Three-Year Randomised Clinical Trial
Authors: Fogelholm Mikael , Larsen Thomas , Westerterp-Plantenga Margriet , Macdonald Ian , Martinez J. , Boyadjieva Nadka , Poppitt Sally , Schlicht Wolfgang , Stratton Gareth , Sundvall Jouko , Lam Tony , Jalo Elli , Christensen Pia , Drummen Mathijs , Simpson Elizabeth , Navas-Carretero Santiago , Handjieva-Darlenska Teodora , Muirhead Roslyn , Silvestre Marta , Kahlert Daniela , Pastor-Sanz Laura , Brand-Miller Jennie , Raben Anne
Published: June 2017

Type-2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the fastest growing chronic diseases worldwide. The PREVIEW project has been initiated to find the most effective lifestyle (diet and physical activity) for the prevention of T2D, in overweight and obese participants with increased risk for T2D. The study is a three-year multi-centre, 2 × 2 factorial, randomised controlled trial. The impact of a high-protein, low-glycaemic index (GI) vs. moderate protein, moderate-GI diet in combination with moderate or high-intensity physical activity on the incidence of T2D and the related clinical end-points are investigated. The intervention started with a two-month weight reduction using a low-calorie diet, followed by a randomised 34-month weight maintenance phase comprising four treatment arms. Eight intervention centres are participating (Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria, Australia, and New Zealand). Data from blood specimens, urine, faeces, questionnaires, diaries, body composition assessments, and accelerometers are collected at months 0, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36. In total, 2326 adults were recruited. The mean age was 51.6 (SD 11.6) years, 67% were women. PREVIEW is, to date, the largest multinational trial to address the prevention of T2D in pre-diabetic adults through diet and exercise intervention. Participants will complete the final intervention in March, 2018.
Effects of Gainsharing Provisions on the Selection of a Discount Rate for a Defined Benefit Pension Plan
Authors: Rietz Robert , Cronick Evan , Mathers Shelby , Pollie Matt
Published: June 2017

This paper examines the effect of gainsharing provisions on the selection of a discount rate for a defined benefit pension plan. The paper uses a traditional actuarial approach of discounting liabilities using the expected return of the associated pension fund. A stochastic Excel model was developed to simulate the effect of varying investment returns on a pension fund with four asset classes. Lognormal distributions were fitted to historical returns of two of the asset classes; large company stocks and long-term government bonds. A third lognormal distribution was designed to represent the investment returns of alternative investments, such as real estate and private equity. The fourth asset class represented short term cash investments and that return was held constant. The following variables were analyzed to determine their relative impact of gainsharing on the selection of a discount rate: hurdle rate, percentage of gainsharing, actuarial asset method smoothing period, and variations in asset allocation. A 50% gainsharing feature can reduce the discount rate for a defined benefit pension plan from 0.5% to more than 2.5%, depending on the gainsharing design and asset allocation.
Image Mosaicking Approach for a Double-Camera System in the GaoFen2 Optical Remote Sensing Satellite Based on the Big Virtual Camera
Authors: Cheng Yufeng , Jin Shuying , Wang Mi , Zhu Ying , Dong Zhipeng
Published: June 2017

The linear array push broom imaging mode is widely used for high resolution optical satellites (HROS). Using double-cameras attached by a high-rigidity support along with push broom imaging is one method to enlarge the field of view while ensuring high resolution. High accuracy image mosaicking is the key factor of the geometrical quality of complete stitched satellite imagery. This paper proposes a high accuracy image mosaicking approach based on the big virtual camera (BVC) in the double-camera system on the GaoFen2 optical remote sensing satellite (GF2). A big virtual camera can be built according to the rigorous imaging model of a single camera; then, each single image strip obtained by each TDI-CCD detector can be re-projected to the virtual detector of the big virtual camera coordinate system using forward-projection and backward-projection to obtain the corresponding single virtual image. After an on-orbit calibration and relative orientation, the complete final virtual image can be obtained by stitching the single virtual images together based on their coordinate information on the big virtual detector image plane. The paper subtly uses the concept of the big virtual camera to obtain a stitched image and the corresponding high accuracy rational function model (RFM) for concurrent post processing. Experiments verified that the proposed method can achieve seamless mosaicking while maintaining the geometric accuracy.
Development of a Novel Transparent Flexible Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer
Authors: Pang Da-Chen , Chang Cheng-Min
Published: June 2017

This paper presents the world’s first transparent flexible capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) that was fabricated through a roll-lamination technique. This polymer-based CMUT has advantages of transparency, flexibility, and non-contacting detection which provide unique functions in display panel applications. Comprising an indium tin oxide-polyethylene terephthalate (ITO-PET) substrate, SU-8 sidewall and vibrating membranes, and silver nanowire transparent electrode, the transducer has visible-light transmittance exceeding 80% and can operate on curved surfaces with a 40 mm radius of curvature. Unlike the traditional silicon-based high temperature process, the CMUT can be fabricated on a flexible substrate at a temperature below 100 °C to reduce residual stress introduced at high temperature. The CMUT on the curved surfaces can detect a flat target and finger at distances up to 50 mm and 40 mm, respectively. The transparent flexible CMUT provides a better human-machine interface than existing touch panels because it can be integrated with a display panel for non-contacting control in a health conscious environment and the flexible feature is critical for curved display and wearable electronics.
Dual-Channel Cosine Function Based ITD Estimation for Robust Speech Separation
Authors: Li Xuliang , Ding Zhaogui , Li Weifeng , Liao Qingmin
Published: June 2017

In speech separation tasks, many separation methods have the limitation that the microphones are closely spaced, which means that these methods are unprevailing for phase wrap-around. In this paper, we present a novel speech separation scheme by using two microphones that does not have this restriction. The technique utilizes the estimation of interaural time difference (ITD) statistics and binary time-frequency mask for the separation of mixed speech sources. The novelties of the paper consist in: (1) the extended application of delay-and-sum beamforming (DSB) and cosine function for ITD calculation; and (2) the clarification of the connection between ideal binary mask and DSB amplitude ratio. Our objective quality evaluation experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Governing a Sustainable Business Ecosystem in Taiwan’s Circular Economy: The Story of Spring Pool Glass
Authors: Hsieh Ying-Che , Lin Kuo-Yi , Lu Chao , Rong Ke
Published: June 2017

The business ecosystem has provided a new paradigm for management research. Most research in the field has focused on profit-driven industries, neglecting the area of the circular economy. This research sets out to capture the mechanisms that the leading firm in the circular economy uses to govern its business ecosystem. The research strategy adopted is a longitudinal case study of the largest glass recycling company in Taiwan, Spring Pool Glass. Our findings illustrate that continuous value capture is the key to governing a sustainable business ecosystem in the glass recycling industry. The mechanisms include continuous value capture to enter new markets, using stakeholder networks to enlarge the business ecosystem, brand image and corporate social responsibility, company capabilities and research and development in the recycling process, and reacting to government policy.
Securing Retirement at a Young Age. Exploring the Intention to Buy Longevity Annuities through an Extended Version of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Nosi Costanza , D’Agostino Antonella , Pagliuca Margherita , Pratesi Carlo
Published: June 2017

Since the early 90s, Italy has undergone radical changes in the regulations of the public pension system aimed at mending its main drawbacks and improving sustainability in the long run. The reforms were intended to recover the national economy through a significant reduction of benefits by increasing, particularly for younger people, individual responsibility for the accumulation of retirement wealth. Adopting an enhanced version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which includes affective reactions, the present paper aims to understand the factors influencing the intention to enroll in a private pension plan through the purchase of longevity annuity coverage on the part of young adults. A purposive sample of 7480 Italian people aged 25–35 participated in the survey. Collected data were analyzed adopting an ordinal logistic regression (OLR) model. The findings confirm the predictive power of the TPB in the financial field of longevity annuity buying, show that anticipated affective reactions increase the predictive power of the TPB model, and reveal that the influence of the investigated constructs varies alongside people’s willingness to purchase. The outcomes provide useful recommendations to the policy maker and private companies to favor the adoption of wide-spread desired behaviors among citizenships.
Phosphorus pentasulfide mediated conversion of organic thiocyanates to thiols
Authors: Maurya Chandra Kant , Mazumder Avik , Gupta Pradeep Kumar
Published: June 2017

In this paper we report an efficient and mild procedure for the conversion of organic thiocyanates to thiols in the presence of phosphorus pentasulfide (P2S5) in refluxing toluene. The method avoids the use of expensive and hazardous transition metals and harsh reducing agents, as required by reported methods, and provides an attractive alternative to the existing methods for the conversion of organic thiocyanates to thiols.
Active Luminous Blue Variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Authors: Walborn Nolan R. , Gamen Roberto C. , Morrell Nidia I. , Barbá Rodolfo H. , Lajús Eduardo Fernández , Angeloni Rodolfo
Published: June 2017

We present extensive spectroscopic and photometric monitoring of two famous and currently highly active luminous blue variables (LBVs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), together with more limited coverage of three further, lesser known members of the class. R127 was discovered as an Ofpe/WN9 star in the 1970s but entered a classical LBV outburst in or about 1980 that is still in progress, thus enlightening us about the minimum state of such objects. R71 is currently the most luminous star in the LMC and continues to provide surprises, such as the appearance of [Ca ii] emission lines, as its spectral type becomes unprecedentedly late. Most recently, R71 has developed inverse P Cyg profiles in many metal lines. The other objects are as follows: HDE 269582, now a “second R127” that has been followed from Ofpe/WN9 to A type in its current outburst; HDE 269216, which changed from late B in 2014 to AF in 2016, its first observed outburst; and R143 in the 30 Doradus outskirts. The light curves and spectroscopic transformations are correlated in remarkable detail and their extreme reproducibility is emphasized, both for a given object and among all of them. It is now believed that some LBVs proceed directly to core collapse. One of these unstable LMC objects may thus oblige in the near future, teaching us even more about the final stages of massive stellar evolution.
The Eccentric Kozai–Lidov Mechanism for Outer Test Particle
Authors: Naoz Smadar , Li Gongjie , Zanardi Macarena , de Elía Gonzalo Carlos , Di Sisto Romina P.
Published: June 2017

The secular approximation of the hierarchical three body systems has been proven to be very useful in addressing many astrophysical systems, from planets to stars to black holes. In such a system, two objects are on a tight orbit and the tertiary is on a much wider orbit. Here, we study the dynamics of a system by taking the tertiary mass to zero and solve the hierarchical three body system up to the octupole level of approximation. We find a rich dynamics that the outer orbit undergoes due to gravitational perturbations from the inner binary. The nominal result of the precession of the nodes is mostly limited for the lowest order of approximation; however, when the octupole level of approximation is introduced, the system becomes chaotic, as expected, and the tertiary oscillates below and above 90°, similarly to the non-test particle flip behavior. We provide the Hamiltonian of the system and investigate the dynamics of the system from the quadrupole to the octupole level of approximations. We also analyze the chaotic and quasi-periodic orbital evolution by studying the surfaces of sections. Furthermore, including general relativity, we showcase the long-term evolution of individual debris disk particles under the influence of a far-away interior eccentric planet. We show that this dynamics can naturally result in retrograde objects and a puffy disk after a long timescale evolution (a few Gyr) for initially aligned configuration.
Numerical Study of Erosion, Heating, and Acceleration of the Magnetic Cloud as Impacted by Fast Shock
Authors: Mao Shoudi , He Jiansen , Zhang Lei , Yang Liping , Wang Linghua
Published: June 2017

The impact of an overtaking fast shock on a magnetic cloud (MC) is a pivotal process in CME–CME (CME: coronal mass ejection) interactions and CME–SIR (SIR: stream interaction region) interactions. MC with a strong and rotating magnetic field is usually deemed a crucial part of CMEs. To study the impact of a fast shock on an MC, we perform a 2.5 dimensional numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulation. Two cases are run in this study: without and with impact by fast shock. In the former case, the MC expands gradually from its initial state and drives a relatively slow magnetic reconnection with the ambient magnetic field. Analyses of forces near the core of the MC as a whole body indicates that the solar gravity is quite small compared to the Lorentz force and the pressure gradient force. In the second run, a fast shock propagates, relative to the background plasma, at a speed twice that of the perpendicular fast magnetosonic speed, catches up with and takes over the MC. Due to the penetration of the fast shock, the MC is highly compressed and heated, with the temperature growth rate enhanced by a factor of about 10 and the velocity increased to about half of the shock speed. The magnetic reconnection with ambient magnetic field is also sped up by a factor of two to four in reconnection rate as a result of the enhanced density of the current sheet, which is squeezed by the forward motion of the shocked MC.
Theoretical Characterization of C6N, C6N−, and C6N+
Authors: Al-Mogren M. Mogren , Senent M. L.
Published: June 2017

This work emphasizes the stability of C6N linear carbon chains and carbon clusters containing three-body rings. C6N possesses at least 44 neutral isomers and 38 and 35 isomers with a negative or a positive charge. The lowest-energy structures, which can be candidates for laboratory and astrophysical detection, were studied with RCCSD(T)-F12 and MRCI/CASSCF, specifying properties for various electronic states. Neutral C6N displays two prominent equilibrium structures, a nitrogen-terminated linear form (X2Π) and a

form (X2B2) containing a three-carbon ring. They are separated by 0.21 eV. For the linear one, Renner–Teller and spin–orbit effects are expected. Its equilibrium spin–orbit constant ∣

∣was predicted to be 29.09 cm−1, the dipole moment was computed to be 0.2059 D, and Be was computed to be 868.20 MHz, very close to the experimental value (B0(exp)-Be(calc) ∼ 4.9 MHz). The anion presents two stable forms, a linear triplet (X3Σ−) and a

(X1A1) isomer, whereas for the cation most stable structures are both linear. For the linear anion and the two linear cations B0 was estimated to be 870.05 MHz, 875.72 MHz, and 917.36 MHz and μ was estimated to be 4.4200 D, 4.2013D, and 0.7828D. For the neutral

form, Ae = 45048.74 MHz, Be = 1062.78 MHz, Ce = 1038.30 MHz, and μ = 0.8840 D, whereas for the negative

form, Ae = 40087.48 MHz, Be = 1067.35 MHz, Ce = 1039.67 MHz, and μ = 6.2854 D. Below the electron affinity of the most stable isomer (EA = −3.42 eV), the linear anion displays three probably existing electronic states. Detectability is discussed in terms of the symmetry and spin multiplicity of the ground electronic states.
The Thermal Phase Curve Offset on Tidally and Nontidally Locked Exoplanets: A Shallow Water Model
Authors: Penn James , Vallis Geoffrey K
Published: June 2017

Using a shallow water model with time-dependent forcing, we show that the peak of an exoplanet thermal phase curve is, in general, offset from the secondary eclipse when the planet is rotating. That is, the planetary hot spot is offset from the point of maximal heating (the substellar point) and may lead or lag the forcing; the extent and sign of the offset are functions of both the rotation rate and orbital period of the planet. We also find that the system reaches a steady state in the reference frame of the moving forcing. The model is an extension of the well-studied Matsuno–Gill model into a full spherical geometry and with a planetary-scale translating forcing representing the insolation received on an exoplanet from a host star. The speed of the gravity waves in the model is shown to be a key metric in evaluating the phase curve offset. If the velocity of the substellar point (relative to the planet’s surface) exceeds that of the gravity waves, then the hot spot will lag the substellar point, as might be expected by consideration of forced gravity wave dynamics. However, when the substellar point is moving slower than the internal wave speed of the system, the hottest point may lead the passage of the forcing. We provide an interpretation of this result by consideration of the Rossby and Kelvin wave dynamics, as well as, in the very slowly rotating case, a one-dimensional model that yields an analytic solution. Finally, we consider the inverse problem of constraining planetary rotation rate from an observed phase curve.
Discovery of a Synchrotron Bubble Associated with PSR J1015–5719
Authors: Ng C.-Y. , Bandiera R. , Hunstead R. W. , Johnston S.
Published: June 2017

We report the discovery of a synchrotron nebula, G283.1−0.59, associated with PSR J1015−5719. Radio observations using the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope and the Australia Telescope Compact Array at 36, 16, 6, and 3 cm reveal a complex morphology. The pulsar is embedded in the “head” of the nebula with fan-shaped diffuse emission. This is connected to a circular bubble of 20″ radius and a collimated tail extending over 1′. Polarization measurements show a highly ordered magnetic field in the nebula. It wraps around the edge of the head and shows an azimuthal configuration near the pulsar, then switches direction quasi-periodically near the bubble and in the tail. Together with the flat radio spectrum observed, we suggest that this system is most plausibly a pulsar wind nebula (PWN), with the head as a bow shock that has a low Mach number and the bubble as a shell expanding in a dense environment. The bubble could act as a magnetic bottle trapping the relativistic particles. A comparison with other bow-shock PWNe with higher Mach numbers shows similar structure and B-field geometry, implying that pulsar velocity may not be the most critical factor in determining the properties of these systems. We also derive analytic expressions for the projected standoff distance and shape of an inclined bow shock. It is found that the projected distance is always larger than the true distance in three dimensions. On the other hand, the projected shape is not sensitive to the inclination after rescaling with the projected standoff distance.
Revised Catalog of GALEX Ultraviolet Sources. I. The All-Sky Survey: GUVcat_AIS
Authors: Bianchi Luciana , Shiao Bernie , Thilker David
Published: June 2017

The Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) imaged the sky in two ultraviolet (UV) bands, far-UV (FUV, λ
eff ∼ 1528 Å), and near-UV (NUV, λ
eff ∼ 2310 Å), delivering the first comprehensive sky surveys at these wavelengths. The GALEX database contains FUV and NUV images, ∼500 million source measurements and over 100,000 low-resolution UV spectra. The UV surveys are a unique resource for statistical studies of hot stellar objects, z ≲ 2 QSOs, star-forming galaxies, nebulae and the interstellar medium, and provide a roadmap for planning future UV instrumentation and follow-up observing programs. We present science-enhanced, “clean” catalogs of GALEX UV sources, with useful tags to facilitate scientific investigations. The catalogs are an improved and expanded version of our previous catalogs of UV sources (BCScat). With respect to BCScat, we have patched 640 fields for which the pipeline had improperly coadded non-overlapping observations, and we provide a version with a larger sky coverage (about 10%) by relaxing the restriction to the central area of the GALEX field to 1.°1 diameter (GUVcat_AIS_fov055), as well as the cleaner, more restrictive version using only the 1° central portion of each field as in BCScat (GUVcat_AIS_fov050). We added new tags to facilitate selection and cleaning of statistical samples for science applications: we flag sources within the footprint of extended objects (nearby galaxies, stellar clusters) so that these regions can be excluded for estimating source density. As in our previous catalogs, in GUVcat duplicate measurements of the same source are removed, so that each astrophysical object has only one entry. Such a unique-source catalog is needed to study the density and distributions of sources, and to match UV sources with catalogs at other wavelengths. The catalog includes all observations from the All-Sky Imaging Survey (AIS), the survey with the largest area coverage, with both FUV and NUV detectors exposed: over 28,700 fields, made up of a total of 57,000 observations (“visits”). The total area covered, when overlaps are removed and gaps are accounted for, is 24,790 square degrees for GUVcat_AIS_fov055 (GUVcat_AIS_fov055) and 22,125 square degrees for (GUVcat_AIS_fov050). The total numbers of “unique” AIS sources (eliminating duplicate measurements) are 82,992,086 (

) and 69,772,677 (

). The typical depth of the GUVcat_AIS catalog is FUV = 19.9, NUV = 20.8 AB mag.
The Extended IRTF Spectral Library: Expanded Coverage in Metallicity, Temperature, and Surface Gravity
Authors: Villaume Alexa , Conroy Charlie , Johnson Benjamin , Rayner John , Mann Andrew W. , van Dokkum Pieter
Published: June 2017

We present a 0.7–2.5 μm spectral library of 284 stars observed with the medium-resolution infrared spectrograph, SpeX, at the 3.0 m NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) on Maunakea, Hawaii. This library extends the metallicity range of the IRTF Cool Star library beyond solar metallicity to −1.7 < [Fe/H] < 0.6. All of the observed stars are also in the MILES optical stellar library, providing continuous spectral coverage for each star from 0.35 to 2.5 μm. The spectra are absolute flux calibrated using Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry, and the continuum shape of the spectra is preserved during the data reduction process. Synthesized JHK

S
colors agree with observed colors at the 1%–2% level, on average. We also present a spectral interpolator that uses the library to create a data-driven model of spectra as a function of

,

, and [Fe/H]. We use the library and interpolator to compare empirical trends with theoretical predictions of spectral feature behavior as a function of stellar parameters. These comparisons extend to the previously difficult to access low-metallicity and cool dwarf regimes, as well as the previously poorly sampled super-solar metallicity regime. The library and interpolator are publicly available.
Cosmic-Ray Diffusion Coefficients throughout the Inner Heliosphere from a Global Solar Wind Simulation
Authors: Chhiber R. , Subedi P. , Usmanov A. V. , Matthaeus W. H. , Ruffolo D. , Goldstein M. L. , Parashar T. N.
Published: June 2017

We use a three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulation of the solar wind to calculate cosmic-ray diffusion coefficients throughout the inner heliosphere (

). The simulation resolves large-scale solar wind flow, which is coupled to small-scale fluctuations through a turbulence model. Simulation results specify background solar wind fields and turbulence parameters, which are used to compute diffusion coefficients and study their behavior in the inner heliosphere. The parallel mean free path (mfp) is evaluated using quasi-linear theory, while the perpendicular mfp is determined from nonlinear guiding center theory with the random ballistic interpretation. Several runs examine varying turbulent energy and different solar source dipole tilts. We find that for most of the inner heliosphere, the radial mfp is dominated by diffusion parallel to the mean magnetic field; the parallel mfp remains at least an order of magnitude larger than the perpendicular mfp, except in the heliospheric current sheet, where the perpendicular mfp may be a few times larger than the parallel mfp. In the ecliptic region, the perpendicular mfp may influence the radial mfp at heliocentric distances larger than 1.5 au; our estimations of the parallel mfp in the ecliptic region at 1 au agree well with the Palmer “consensus” range of 0.08–0.3 au. Solar activity increases perpendicular diffusion and reduces parallel diffusion. The parallel mfp mostly varies with rigidity

as

, and the perpendicular mfp is weakly dependent on P. The mfps are weakly influenced by the choice of long-wavelength power spectra.
Consensus Building through Participatory Decision-Making
Authors: Eun Jaeho
Published: June 2017

Cette étude consiste à mener une enquête pour identifier les facteurs déterminants à considérer lorsqu’une autorité publique essaie d’appliquer une prise de décision participative dans le processus d’élaboration des politiques. Notamment, le système du jury des citoyens expérimenté dans la ville métropolitaine de Ulsan constitue ici le champ empirique de l’observation qualitative. Le système de jury des citoyens, adopté pour résoudre le conflit local de longue durée émis avec le projet de traitement des déchets alimentaires et de recyclage que le District Nord d’Ulsan a établi au début des années 2000, est l’un des outils de gestion de conflits réussis. Néanmoins, ce cas de règlement des conflits avec succès s’avère également un cas d’échec de la politique, car l’usine de traitement des déchets alimentaires a été fermée seulement deux ans et quatre mois après son opérationnalisation. C’est en fait un cas illustratif qui montre que la gestion réussie des conflits n’entraîne pas nécessairement une mise en œuvre réussie des politiques. En conclusion, cette étude suggère une liste de contrôle de dix-huit variables à considérer pour une mise en œuvre réussie de la prise de décision participative et ceci, en trois étapes : étape de la communication initiale, de la conception alternative et de la construction de consensus.
La réforme universitaire française : d’une inspiration managériale à une dérive bureaucratique
Authors: Pacitto Jean-Claude , Ahedda Driss
Published: June 2017

La loi sur l’autonomie des universités votée en 2007 visait un objectif : autonomiser la gestion de l’institution universitaire en permettant à son président d’être un vrai gestionnaire et non plus un administrateur. En se focalisant sur le pouvoir du président comme remède à tous les maux de l’université les réformateurs de 2007 oublièrent de porter un diagnostic sérieux sur les dysfonctionnements de l’institution universitaire. De fait et si les nouveaux pouvoirs attribués au président ont accru sa marge de manœuvre décisionnaire, il n’en demeure pas moins que cet affermissement des pouvoirs du président a aussi eu tendance à renforcer les caractéristiques bureaucratiques de l’organisation universitaire en accentuant la centralisation décisionnaire et en faisant jouer aux services centraux un rôle toujours plus important. La conséquence a été une multiplication des procédures souvent incompatibles avec la démarche managériale. De même, cet affermissement du pouvoir présidentiel lui permet de peser toujours plus dans les jeux politiques internes notamment par le moyen des recrutements.
Scènes médiatiques et arènes de discours
Authors: Servais Christine
Published: June 2017

Cet article interroge l’efficacité politique de deux dispositifs (site de « Riposte laïque » et page Facebook de « Français de Souche ») dans le cadre de la distinction entre « conflit agonistique » et « conflit antagoniste » proposée par Chantal Mouffe : quelle est la nature du collectif auquel ils font appel et qu’ils configurent ? Cette question ne peut être élucidée sans que soit examinée la relation entre ces dispositifs médiatiques et leurs récepteurs. Il s’agit donc d’analyser, par un travail sur les formes énonciatives, la scène sur laquelle apparaissent les collectifs d’extrême droite, les formes d’engagements que cette scène mobilise et ses manières spécifiques de construire un « nous », caractérisées par la perte d’objets communs.
La décentralisation espagnole en temps de crise : une comparaison interrégionale des effets de la grande récession sur l’État des autonomies (2010-2014)
Authors: Harguindeguy Jean-Baptiste , Rodríguez Lopez Emilio
Published: June 2017

La crise de 2008 a eu des conséquences politiques importantes sur la décentralisation en Espagne. La hausse du déficit et de la dette publique a conduit le Gouvernement espagnol à imposer un programme d’austérité aux régions. Ce programme a eu pour effet de recentraliser considérablement la politique territoriale. Sans remettre en cause l’hypothèse de la convergence, cet article compare les différents effets secondaires de la crise sur les autonomies entre 2010 et 2014. Quatre indicateurs ont été mobilisés pour dresser ce portrait nuancé de la décentralisation espagnole en temps de crise : le profil des conflits intergouvernementaux, le discours des exécutifs autonomiques, l’appui au modèle territorial actuel et l’évolution des sentiments identitaires. Il en résulte que l’État des autonomies est loin de péricliter, mais qu’il souffre cependant de fortes tensions internes.
Le complexe d’ateliers du Cabezo del Pino (Sierra Minera de Cartagena-La Unión, Murcia) et l’organisation de l’activité minière à Carthago Noua à la fin de la République romaine. Apports croisés de l’archéologie et de la géochimie
Authors: Baron Sandrine , Rico Christian , Antolinos Marín Juan Antonio
Published: June 2017

Se presentan los resultados de estudios arqueométricos realizados sobre diversos materiales (mineral, sedimentos de lavado, litargirio) recogidos en las recientes excavaciones de un complejo de talleres de época tardorrepublicana vinculado a la producción de plata y plomo en el distrito de Carthago Nova. Además de permitir la determinación de la signatura isotópica del complejo arqueológico, los isótopos de plomo contribuyen, conjuntamente con la arqueología y la epigrafía, a una mejor comprensión de la organización de la actividad minera y metalúrgica en la Cartagena romana.

[fr] Cet article présente les résultats d’analyses isotopiques du plomb (LIA) réalisées sur divers matériaux et objets archéologiques (minerais, sédiments de lavage, litharges) découverts dans le cadre de récentes fouilles archéologiques conduites sur une installation de lavage au sein du district minier d’argent de Carthagène, durant l’époque romaine. Le but de telles analyses était d’affiner la signature isotopique de la laverie de manière à la situer dans ce vaste district. Combinées aux données de l’archéologie et de l’épigraphie, les LIA peuvent contribuer à mieux connaître et comprendre l’organisation de l’activité minière et métallurgique de Carthagène.
Las lúnulas de la necrópolis de la Edad del Hierro de El Castillo (Castejón, Navarra)
Authors: Faro Carballa José Antonio
Published: June 2017

El presente artículo aborda el estudio de las lúnulas halladas en la necrópolis de El Castillo (Castejón, Navarra). Proceden de tumbas fechadas entre la segunda mitad del siglo VI y el siglo III a. C. Estos objetos están escasamente representados en los yacimientos de la Edad del Hierro. El conjunto analizado es el más numeroso de los documentados en la Península Ibérica.
Iglesias, rentas y sistemas de almacenamiento en el País Vasco durante los siglos X y XI d. C.: el testimonio arqueológico de San Martín de Dulantzi (Alegría-Dulantzi, Álava)
Authors: Alfaro Suescun Egoitz , Loza Uriarte Miguel , Niso Lorenzo Javier , Solaun Bustinza Jose Luis
Published: June 2017

En el presente artículo se analizan los más de 30 silos abiertos durante los siglos X y XI en el interior de la basílica altomedieval de Dulantzi (Alegría-Dulantzi, Álava). El texto pretende alcanzar un doble objetivo. Por un lado, presentar a la comunidad científica este importante conjunto de silos del que hasta el momento sólo se había dado noticia escuetamente. Para ello, se aportarán todos los datos arqueológicos que ha proporcionado el estudio, tanto de los continentes (capacidad, morfología, situación, etc.), como de los contenidos (tipos de rellenos y material localizado en ellos). Por otro, continuar con el debate historiográfico sobre la presencia de silos en iglesias altomedievales. En este sentido, estructuraremos nuestras reflexiones en torno a tres ejes: las razones que explican el elevado número de silos abiertos en Dulantzi; su posible relación con la captación y almacenamiento de rentas eclesiásticas; y, finalmente, su excepcionalidad: ¿fue Dulantzi un caso singular o, por el contrario, su modelo explicativo puede ser extrapolado a otros yacimientos altomedievales del entorno?
Dotted Raster-Stereography
Authors: Wasim Muhammad , Saeed Fauzan , Aziz Abdul , Siddiqui Adnan Ahmed
Published: June 2017

Raster-stereography is a 3D surface topography technique, which provide height and curvature information of the subject. This is a non-contact, non-invasive and radiation free technique, which is mostly used to analyze the back shape of human body. The most practical aspect of raster-stereography is ease in its apparatus setup and reduced exposure to x-rays. Another very important and effective application is to identify the human faces that can be used in security domain. The problem of breaking lines was observed while traversing the distorted raster pattern on human body. These breaks in raster pattern increased significantly when projected on the face. Computationally it becomes difficult to extract all valid curvatures of the human face. This problem was resolved using a modified dotted raster and the noise effect was reduced substantially. The dotted raster technique proved that it is by far the best option when compared with the conventional line grid.
Adapting Big Data Ecosystem for Landscape of Real World Applications
Authors: Wassan Jyotsna Talreja
Published: June 2017

Big data is revolutionizing world in the age of Internet. The wide variety of areas like online businesses, electronic health management, social networking, demographics, geographic information systems, online education etc. are gaining insight from big data principles. Big data is comprised of heterogeneous datasets which are too large to be handled by traditional relational database systems. An important reason for explosion of interest in big data is that it has become cheap to store volumes of data and there is a major rise in computation capacity. This article aims at giving an overview of Big Data Ecosystem comprising various big data platforms useful in today's competitive world.
Mining Big Data and Streams
Authors: Abdelhafez Hoda Ahmed
Published: June 2017

Mining big data is getting a lot of attention currently because the businesses need more complex information in order to increase their revenue and gain competitive advantage. Therefore, mining the huge amount of data as well as mining real-time data needs to be done by new data mining techniques/approaches. This chapter will discuss big data volume, variety and velocity, data mining techniques and open source tools for handling very large datasets. Moreover, the chapter will focus on two industrial areas telecommunications and healthcare and lessons learned from them.
Amplifying the Significance of Systems Thinking in Organization
Authors: Mupepi Mambo Governor , Mupepi Sylvia C. , Motwani Jaideep
Published: June 2017

This chapter discusses how systems thinking (ST) can be put into context in companies and how it can be applied to initiate and sustain change. For that change to be introduced and maintained there must be a synergistic relationship between all the role players. A case study is deployed to illustrate that the path to organizational effectiveness and efficiency requires the development of computer aided communication schema that provide the understanding and modeling of human and technical and philosophical framework in the value creation process to increase productivity.
Benchmarking Performance Indicators of Indian Rail Freight by DEA Approach
Authors: Bhanot Neeraj , Singh Harwinder
Published: June 2017

The overall development of business operations logistics activities becomes more important for firms with the globalization of economy and therefore performance measurement being equally important. In order to break monopolistic control of Container Corporation of India (CONCOR), Indian Railways entered for competition in the container segment in January 2006 through private-public participation for customer centric competitiveness. The purpose of this book chapter is to benchmark the performance indicators in CONCOR. A case study has been conducted employing super-efficiency models of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) on secondary data of CONCOR container terminals from 1994-95 till 2015-16 for performance evaluation within CONCOR. The exercise identified efficiency trends fluctuating between 75.83% to 109.51% (CCR Model) and 93.52% to 1000% (BCC Model) within CONCOR owing to lack of operational planning and lack of efficient staff.
Bi-Directional Business/IT Alignment
Authors: Chunpir Hashim , Schulte Frederik , Bartens Yannick , Voß Stefan D.
Published: June 2017

Business/IT (information technology) alignment can be considered as one of the key challenges of information management (IM). A vast majority of studies assumes an uni-directional alignment process that seeks to link the IT strategies to superior business objectives. However, there are plenty of market situations where the ability of an enterprise, or even entire branches, to adjust their business model to new IT developments is crucial to survive among their competitors. Not only under the umbrella of new buzz words like digital transformation and digital transition and their glaring examples such as media streaming, these competitive requirements have recently become more vital. Currently dominating business-driven alignment paradigms are seemingly not capable to accommodate these requirements to a full extent. In this chapter, the concept of bi-directional business/IT alignment is explained and defined by extending a well-known 3-layer model of IM. Furthermore, it is analyzed to which extent different IM models as well as common IT governance frameworks support this paradigm.
Business Sustainability Indices
Authors: Sambhanthan Arunasalam
Published: June 2017

Business sustainability models and indices are useful in theorizing and measuring organizational elements of sustainability. It is often the case that there are not many models and scales out there in the literature for theorizing business sustainability. Existing sustainability models from the published literature are reviewed. The review suggests that there is not much documented research exist in business sustainability typologies. There is a considerable amount of research effort required from the applied researchers working in this area to contextualize and re-specify the business sustainability typologies to differing industry clusters such as e-learning, agriculture, manufacturing and healthcare. In addition to this the paper also reviews the existing indices available out there in the literature to measure sustainability. A summary of existing sustainability indices available to measure sustainability at country level has been and a number of business sustainability indices have been presented and followed by a discussion of future research directions.
Challenges of Meta Access Control Model Enforcement to an Increased Interoperability
Authors: Guerreiro Sérgio Luís
Published: June 2017

When organizations are collaborating, their access control models need to interoperate. However, nowadays in the industry, there are too many access control models variants and, most of times; the interoperability enforcement consumes an extra effort. In this context, this paper identifies the challenges towards how to design and enforce a meta-access control model to facilitate the interoperability between the different access control mechanisms available. The problem is posed using an ontological approach. Then, the challenges are explained using a descriptive explanation of the meta access control enforcement. The core issues addressed are: access models interoperability, standardization of storage for access data and provisioning of access models.
Lean and Six Sigma Innovation and Design
Authors: Edgeman Rick
Published: June 2017

Enterprises are ever seeking best and next best practices and sources of competitive advantage. Two consistently successful means of delivering these have been Lean Enterprise Methods that are often associated with the Toyota Production System, and Six Sigma approaches to product, process, service, and system innovation and design that have contributed significantly to - especially - enterprise financial performance. The integration of these approaches, commonly referred to as Lean Six Sigma, is highlighted in this chapter with some emphasis dedicated to the use of Lean, Six Sigma, and Lean Six Sigma to enhance not only enterprise financial performance, but also social and environmental performance and impacts.
Explaining and Predicting Users' Continuance Usage Intention Toward E-Filing Utilizing Technology Continuance Theory
Authors: T. Santhanamery , Ramayah T.
Published: June 2017

Continuance usage intention is important for any businesses to accentuate the long-term growth of the organization. In the case of e-filing system, the continuance usage intention is vital as it not only can reduce the operation and management cost, also it can ensure that the heavy investments invested in developing the e-filing portals will be worthwhile. The focus in this study is to determine the effect of two main central construct; satisfaction and attitude, on the continuance usage intention of e-filing system among taxpayers. The result of the study reveals that perceived usefulness and attitude has a significant relationship towards continuance usage intention with attitude as the major predictors. However, satisfaction was found to be insignificantly related to continuance usage intention. Apart from that confirmation was found to be the major predictor of satisfaction and perceived ease of use as the major predictor of perceived usefulness.
Strategic Information Systems Planning
Authors: Kamariotou Maria , Kitsios Fotis
Published: June 2017

Nowadays, turbulence in the businesses' environment is on the increase. Therefore, businesses are obliged to respond to that environmental uncertainty. Strategic Information Systems Planning (SISP) support this effort. Information Systems are connected with business strategy, management skills, decision making and aim to increase competitive advantage. Previous studies have examined the effect of SISP phases on success. Also, other studies have concluded that there is a positive relationship between SISP and firm performance. The aim of this chapter is to present a holistic approach in order to investigate the significance of SISP process, to highlight phases that contribute to a greater extent of success and to draw conclusions concerning the successful implementation of digital strategy in firms and especially in SMEs which are an important part of the economies of developing countries.
Using Business Analytics in Franchise Organizations
Authors: Chen Ye-Sho
Published: June 2017

Franchising has been a popular approach to growing a business. Its popularity continues to increase, as we witness an emergence of a new business model Netchising, combining the Internet for global demand-and-supply processes and the international franchising arrangement for local responsiveness. In this paper, we show that building up a good “family” relationship between the franchisor and the franchisee is the real essence of franchising, and proven working knowledge is the foundation of the “family” relationship. Specifically, we discuss the process of how to make business analytics “meaningful” in franchising: business challenges, data foundation, analytics implementation, insights, execution and measurements, distributed knowledge, and innovation.