How Risky are Your Lease vs. Buy Decisions?

Adding risk analysis to your lease vs. buy analytics can make the decision process more involved, but it is worth the effort strategically. To accomplish this, you need to create a comparable analysis that estimates the risk in a lease vs. buy decision. With a few additional steps in the present value analytics, you can develop comparable information to capture the risk of one option over another and manage expectations

Quasielastic backscattering and barrier distributions for the 6, 7Li + 64Zn systems

Excitation functions of quasielastic scattering at backward angles were measured for the weakly bound 6Li and 7Li projectiles on a 64Zn target at energies around the Coulomb barrier. The corresponding barrier distributions were derived from the experimental cross sections. The experimental data were analyzed within the coupled-channel model using a double-folding potential as the bare potential. Inelastic excitations of the target, the 7Li first excited state, and 6Li, 7Li resonant state(s), corresponding to sequential breakup, were included in the calculations. The comparison between the data and coupled-channel predictions shows that the effects of channels not included in the calculations, such as direct breakup and transfers, are much larger for 6Li than for 7Li

Study of interstrip gap effects and efficiency for full energy detection of Double Sided Silicon Strip Detectors

In this work is reported a study on the response of double sided silicon strip detectors. In order to investigate the effect of the electrode segmentation on the detector response, two experiments were performed aimed to measure the efficiency for full energy detection. Results show that the efficiency for full energy detection, that is directly related to effective width of the inter-strip region, varies with both detected ion energy and bias voltage. The experimental results are qualitatively reproduced by a simplified model based on the Shockley-Ramo-Gunn framework

Author correction : a global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

Correction to: Scientific Data https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0344-7, published online 08 January 202

Author correction : a global database for metacommunity ecology, integrating species, traits, environment and space

Correction to: Scientific Data https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0344-7, published online 08 January 202

Incumbent inertia, innovativeness, and performance (dis)advantages: A demand-side learning perspective

Strategies of incumbent firms have received considerable attention in marketing and across business disciplines, but findings regarding performance (dis)advantages and innovativeness are mixed. Prior studies on supply-side sources (factors internal to the firm) of incumbent inertia disadvantages are more prevalent than those on demand-side factors, which relate to a firm’s customers and may explain potential incumbent advantages. We introduce an integrated demand-side framework to incumbent inertia, recognizing how the supply- and demand-side factors interrelate through learning mechanisms. On the one hand, incumbent firms learn and develop various routines and assets that influence their product strategies, typically reflecting inertia and incremental innovation. At the same time, customers learn about products in the market, forming preferences that reflect switching costs and network externalities (demand-side factors). Although an incumbent can gain advantages from demand-side effects, this could accelerate the onset of supply-side disadvantages. We present a set of research propositions that specify critical effects, and examine implications for incumbent strategies

Characterization of NTC thick film thermistor paste Cu0.2Ni0.5Zn1.0Mn1.3O4

A powder of Cu0.2Ni0.5Zn1.0 Mn1.3O4 composition for custom thermistor was prepared by using the respective mixture of metal oxides and solid state reaction at 1000 °C/4h in air. The obtained thermistor powder was milled in the planetary ball mill and agate mill for a prolonged time to achieve submicron powder. The prepared thermistor powder was further characterized by using XRD and SEM techniques. After that, the thermistor powder was pressed into small disc-shaped samples and sintered at 1150 °C/2h. The sintered samples were also characterized by using XRD and SEM. The main electrical properties such as nominal resistance R and thermistor exponential factor B were measured in the climatic test chamber. After that, the thick film paste was prepared using the same powder, an organic vehicle and a glass frit. The paste was printed on alumina substrate, dried at 150 °C /30 min and sintered in air at 850 °C /10 min in a hybrid conveyor furnace. Planar electrodes were printed on the sintered NTC thermistor layer using PdAg thick film paste. The electric properties of the sintered thick film thermistor were also measured in the climatic test chamber. The obtained results were used for development of novel self-heating thermistor applications

Composite Manufacturing Company: A Financial (MIS) Statement Case

Composite Manufacturing is a thriving privately-held company, whose owners need to attract outside investors. Composite’s financial statements have not been professionally prepared nor audited. Although there is no fraud or intentional wrongdoing, the inexperience of the owners and their bookkeeper has resulted in improper financial reporting. In this case students will have to identify and restate revenues, expenses, assets, liabilities, and retained earnings in so far as they are not reported in accord with generally accepted accounting principles. Students are provided with a “Student Adjustment Template” and a “Student Worksheet Template” that allow them to make correcting entries in an organized manner as well as make subsequent changes to the financial statements.  Instructors will be provided with teaching notes, a “Student Adjustment Template Solution” and a “Student Worksheet Template Solution” upon contacting the authors

Organic vs conventional production of peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender; effect on yields and oil composition

Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was conducted to compare effects of organic (OS) and conventional (CS) production systems and unfertilized control on peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) productivity and oil profile. In peppermint, both production systems provided greater yields than the yields in the unfertilized control. The application of vermicompost at 20 t/ha increased peppermint fresh biomass and essential oil yields with 20-31% and 24-28%, respectively, compared with the control. However, peppermint herbage and essential oil yields under OS were 7-87% and 13-54%, respectively, lower compared with the respective yields under CS. Overall, peppermint under OS had slightly higher essential oil content compared to the control; however, the oil composition was not significantly different from that in the CS. In lemon balm, fresh herbage yields in the OS were increased by 12-70% relative to the unfertilized control. However, compared with the yields at CS plots, yields in the OS were satisfactory only during the first year. In the second year, fresh herbage yields in the OS were up to 70% lower compared with those from the CS. The production system did not have a significant effect on the lemon balm oil content and composition. In lavender, the OS included two applications of probiotic product on six lavender genotypes. During the first year, CS lavender had 6 to 13% greater essential oil yield compared with the organically grown ones. In the second year, CS grown lavender out yielded OS grown by 9 to 24% in the case of inflorescence and 13 to 24% in the case of essential oil. However, during the third year of the study, the yields of inflorescences from OS stabilized and almost equaled those from CS. Overall, organic production of peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender may result in lower yields in the first 2-3 years, however, the essential oil content and composition may not be affected. Depending on the price premiums for organically produced herbage and essential oil, organically produced peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender may be economically and agronomically viable after the initial couple of years

Organic vs conventional production of peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender; effect on yields and oil composition

Organic production and markets are expanding rapidly. A field study was conducted to compare effects of organic (OS) and conventional (CS) production systems and unfertilized control on peppermint (Mentha x piperita L.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) productivity and oil profile. In peppermint, both production systems provided greater yields than the yields in the unfertilized control. The application of vermicompost at 20 t/ha increased peppermint fresh biomass and essential oil yields with 20-31% and 24-28%, respectively, compared with the control. However, peppermint herbage and essential oil yields under OS were 7-87% and 13-54%, respectively, lower compared with the respective yields under CS. Overall, peppermint under OS had slightly higher essential oil content compared to the control; however, the oil composition was not significantly different from that in the CS. In lemon balm, fresh herbage yields in the OS were increased by 12-70% relative to the unfertilized control. However, compared with the yields at CS plots, yields in the OS were satisfactory only during the first year. In the second year, fresh herbage yields in the OS were up to 70% lower compared with those from the CS. The production system did not have a significant effect on the lemon balm oil content and composition. In lavender, the OS included two applications of probiotic product on six lavender genotypes. During the first year, CS lavender had 6 to 13% greater essential oil yield compared with the organically grown ones. In the second year, CS grown lavender out yielded OS grown by 9 to 24% in the case of inflorescence and 13 to 24% in the case of essential oil. However, during the third year of the study, the yields of inflorescences from OS stabilized and almost equaled those from CS. Overall, organic production of peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender may result in lower yields in the first 2-3 years, however, the essential oil content and composition may not be affected. Depending on the price premiums for organically produced herbage and essential oil, organically produced peppermint, lemon balm, and lavender may be economically and agronomically viable after the initial couple of years