The Impact of the contextual factors on the success of e-government in Lebanon: Context-System Gap

Purpose: The relationship between context and e-governance has been gaining a significant momentum in academic circles due its social and technical complexities. There are many challenges posed by the disparity between the context and the system when it comes to e-governance in developing countries. This research aims to reveal more successful adoption of e-governance initiatives and exposes factors that hinder its implementation. We develop a conceptual framework showing the reciprocity between the context and the system or what is termed “Context-System Gap”. Therefore, this research will study the appropriateness of the context and its influence on the system and the influence of the system on the context. The purpose of this research is to explore the factors that enable successful e-government adoption in Lebanon, where e-governance is still at its initial stage. Most empirical research and theories on the implementation of e-governance in developing countries remain at the macro-level and miss out on the complexities of the context of deployment and the role of the gap between the citizens and the government. The purpose of this thesis is to provide an empirical model differentiating between the electronic context and the electronic system and shed a light over a new gap, government-citizen gap, in the adoption of e-government. Design/methodology/approach: Following previous research on e-government services adoption, this study uses several technology use and acceptance models and literature to examine the elements behind the adoption and use of e-government services in Lebanon from citizen and government perspectives. The research strategy is a quantitative method approach employing questionnaire. Quantitative data will be collected from e-government users (citizens) and statistical tests will be conducted in order to examine the relation between variables. Practical implications: The findings are useful for policy-makers and decision-makers to develop a better understanding of citizens' needs. The proposed model can be used as a guideline for the implementation of e-government services in developing countries. Originality/value: This study is the only one to examine the dimensions influencing citizens’ adoption of e-government technologies in developing countries using a unified model merging context and system elements

High temperature/pressure MAS-NMR for the study of dynamic processes in mixed phase systems

A new MAS-NMR rotor (the WHiMS rotor) has been developed which can reach pressures of 400 bar at 20 °C or 225 bar at 250 °C. These rotors are ideal for mixed phase systems such as a reaction using a solid catalyst with a liquid/supercritical solvent topped with high pressure gas in the head space. After solid and liquid portions of the sample are loaded, the rotor is capped with an o-ring equipped polymer bushing that snaps into a mating groove in the rotor. The bushings incorporate a check valve into the sealing mechanism which allows for pressurization without mechanical manipulation – they will allow gas to flow in but not out. This WHiMS rotor design has enabled experiments on a wide variety of biotic and abiotic mixed-phase systems. Geochemical systems have also been studied, for example, adsorption and confinement studies of supercritical methane/CO2 in clays and other minerals which display pressure dependent 13C chemical shifts. Example data from other mixed-phase chemical and microbial systems are reported. These include monitoring metabolite conversion of extremophilic bacteria found in subsurface systems at elevated pressures and real-time operando reactions in catalysis systems - with liquid-quality resolution for 1H and 13C NMR spectra

Creating a tobacco line with a weaker antifeedant property against colorado potato beetle

Background. Genetic modification of plants is one of the promising strategies to increase their resistance to insect pests. The development of metabolic or RNA interference systems for plant protection requires appropriate models of host-insect interactions. Nicotiana tabacum L. is a classical model plant used in molecular and metabolic engineering. We consider tobacco as a model for developing protective strategies against Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata Say, CPB). Normally, tobacco is toxic for CPB due to high content of nicotine and related alkaloids in leaves. Modification of the tobacco genome could provide tobacco genotypes with altered metabolism suitable for CPB feeding. It is known that different mutations in Berberine Bridge-Like (BBL) genes cause different alterations in tobacco leaf alkaloid levels. In the current study, the Cas9/gRNA system targeting members of the BBL gene family of tobacco was used to create a line which can serve as a diet for CPB. Results. In order to obtain tobacco with modified alkaloid content, two gRNAs matching target sequences in six BBL genes were selected. Each gRNA was cloned into a gRNA/Cas9 generic vector. The created constructs were mixed and used for biolistic transformation of tobacco leaf explants together with the pBI121 plasmid harboring the kanamycin resistance gene nptII and the reporter E.coli betaglucuronidase (GUS) gene. Regenerants were selected on 100 mg/l of kanamycin and checked for transgene presence by histochemical GUS-assay. Unexpectedly, the regenerated plants displayed a variety of adverse phenotypic effects including different degree of growth and rooting inhibition, early flowering, increased number of internodes, changes in leaf shape, fusion of flowers, longostyly, and partial sterility. Only one from seven obtained calli produced a population of regenerated plants without severe phenotypic abnormalities. The NtaBBL5-14 line of clonally propagated plants was selected from this population and used for a CPB feeding experiment. It was shown that CPB larvae consume the leaves of NtaBBL5-14 line ten times more efficiently than the leaves of control plants (97±0.5% vs. 9±3% in 24 h respectively). Conclusion. The NtaBBL5-14 tobacco line is suitable for CPB feeding and can be further used as a model for studies in plant-pest interaction. The modification of other genes regulating nicotine metabolism can be a promising strategy to obtain tobacco plants edible for CPB with less pleiotropic effects

Modulating the photoluminescence of bridged silsesquioxanes incorporating Eu(3+)-complexed n,n '-diureido-2,2 '-bipyridine isomers: application for luminescent solar concentrators

Two new urea-bipyridine derived bridged organosilanes (P5 and P6) have been synthesized and their hydrolysis-condensation under nucleophilic catalysis in the presence of Eu(3+) salts led to luminescent bridged silsesquioxanes (M5-Eu and M6-Eu). An important loading of Eu(3+) (up to 11%(w)) can be obtained for the material based on the 6,6'-isomer. Indeed the photoluminescence properties of these materials, that have been investigated in depth (photoluminescence (PL), quantum yield, lifetimes), show a significantly different complexation mode of the Eu(3+) ions for M6-Eu, compared with M4-Eu (obtained from the already-reported 4,4'-isomer) and M5-Eu. Moreover, M6-Eu exhibits the highest absolute emission quantum yield value (0.18 +/- 0.02) among these three materials. The modification of the sol composition upon the addition of a malonamide derivative led to similar luminescent features but with an increased quantum yield (026 +/- 0.03). In addition, M6-Eu can be processed as thin films by spin-coating on glass substrates, leading to plates coated by a thin layer (similar to 54 nm) of Eu(3+)-containing hybrid silica exhibiting one of the highest emission quantum yields reported so far for films of Eu(3+)-containing hybrids (0.34 +/- 0.03) and an interesting potential as new luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) with an optical conversion efficiency of similar to 4%. The ratio between the light guided to the film edges and the one emitted by the surface of the film was quantified through the mapping of the intensity of the red pixels (in the RGB color model) from a film image. This quantification enabled a more accurate estimation of the transport losses due to the scattering of the emitted light in the film (0.40), thereby correcting the initial optical conversion efficiency to a value of 1.7%.FCT - PTDC/CTM/101324/2008COMPETEFEDE

Adaptation of Business Models in Emerging Markets: The Case of Latin America

The aim of this thesis was to understand how the context of emerging markets influences business model configuration using on-line strategies. The research question posed at the beginning was the following: Which are the general principles and key success factors associated to on-line strategies in emerging markets?. Much has been written on emerging markets and on how their context conditions differ significantly from those of developed world markets and how these conditions affect a company s strategies and performance. But little is known yet about which precise factors are proving successful for local business models competing in these markets using the advantages provided by the Internet, and how they have adapted known and proven business models in developed markets to make them more competitive in these particular conditions present in emerging markets such as Latin. This dissertation explores how firms from emerging markets adapt their business models to operate successfully using web-based strategies. In doing so, we developed in depth research on the characteristics of the business models of six Latin American companies, in an attempt to understand the strategies and factors that have driven success as a result of the processes of adaptation of their business models in this geographic context. This analysis led to the identification of common themes across the six cases. The main implications on value creation from these kinds of business models are discussed and success factors specifics are suggested. Finally, we propose a framework of strategic theories that best illuminate these realities in emerging economies. Considering that the aim of this study is to address a virtually unexplored research area, multiple case study methodology has been deemed the most appropriate approach for this purpose

Adaptation of Business Models in Emerging Markets: The Case of Latin America

The aim of this thesis was to understand how the context of emerging markets influences business model configuration using on-line strategies. The research question posed at the beginning was the following: Which are the general principles and key success factors associated to on-line strategies in emerging markets?. Much has been written on emerging markets and on how their context conditions differ significantly from those of developed world markets and how these conditions affect a company s strategies and performance. But little is known yet about which precise factors are proving successful for local business models competing in these markets using the advantages provided by the Internet, and how they have adapted known and proven business models in developed markets to make them more competitive in these particular conditions present in emerging markets such as Latin. This dissertation explores how firms from emerging markets adapt their business models to operate successfully using web-based strategies. In doing so, we developed in depth research on the characteristics of the business models of six Latin American companies, in an attempt to understand the strategies and factors that have driven success as a result of the processes of adaptation of their business models in this geographic context. This analysis led to the identification of common themes across the six cases. The main implications on value creation from these kinds of business models are discussed and success factors specifics are suggested. Finally, we propose a framework of strategic theories that best illuminate these realities in emerging economies. Considering that the aim of this study is to address a virtually unexplored research area, multiple case study methodology has been deemed the most appropriate approach for this purpose

Highly fluorescent p-extended indenopyrido[2,1-a]isoindolone derivatives prepared by a palladium-catalyzed cascde reaction

A new family of heterocyclic pentacyclic compounds have been prepared by a cascade reaction involving 2,5-dihalopyridines and (2-formylphenyl)boronic acids. Most of the compounds exhibit high quantum yields of fluorescence in dichloromethane. In some cases, small changes in the substitution pattern caused fluorescence quenching. To rationalize this effect, a detailed photophysical study combined with electrochemical and computational studies was performed on four representative derivatives. It appears that the fluorescence quenching is caused by a thermally activated non-radiative deactivation process that can be prevented in a rigid matrix such as ethanol at 77 K or a PMMA polymer

Aging Processes in Lithiated FeSn2 Based Negative Electrode for Li- Ion Batteries: A New Challenge for Tin Based Intermetallic Materials

Tin-based intermetallic compounds proposed as negative electrode materials for Li-ion batteries not only suffer from capacity fade during cycling due to volume variations but also from aging phenomena in lithiated states. By using FeSn2 as a model compound, we propose an analysis of this process by combining electrochemical potential measurements, 119Sn and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies, magnetic measurements, and impedance spectroscopy. We show that the Fe/Li7Sn2 composite obtained at the end of the first discharge is progressively transformed during the aging process occurring within the electrochemical cell in open circuit condition. The Fe nanoparticles are stable while the Li7Sn2 nanoparticles are progressively delithiated with time leading to Sn-rich LixSn nanoalloys without observable back reaction with Fe. The deinserted lithium atoms react with the electrolyte and modify the surface electrode interphase (SEI) by increasing its thickness and/or decreasing its porosit