Li I enhancement during a long-duration stellar flare

We report the possible detection of a Li I 6708 AA line enhancement during an unusual long-duration optical flare in the recently discovered, X-ray/EUV selected, chromospherically active binary 2RE J0743+224. The Li I equivalent width (EW) variations follow the temporal evolution of the flare and large changes are observed in the intensity of the line. The maximum Li I enhancement occurs just after the maximum chromospheric emission observed in the flare. A significant increase of the 6Li/7Li isotopic ratio is also detected. No significant simultaneous variations are detected in other photospheric lines. Neither line blends nor starspots seem to be the primary cause of the observed Li I line variation. From all this we suggest that this Li I enhancement is produced by spallation reactions during the flare.Comment: Latex file with 5 pages, 2 figures tar'ed gzip'ed. Full postscript (text and figures) available at http://www.ucm.es/OTROS/Astrof/pub_dmg.html To be published in A&A, Lette

Evaluation of industrial platinum resistance thermometers

The calibration and stability of four surface temperature measuring industrial platinum resistance thermometers for use in the temperature range -120 C to 160 C was investigated. It was found that the calibration formulation of the International Practical Temperature Scale of 1968 provided the most accurate calibration. It was also found that all the resistance thermometers suffered from varying degrees of instability and hysteresis

Analysis of airborne imaging spectrometer data for the Ruby Mountains, Montana, by use of absorption-band-depth images

Airborne Imaging Spectrometer-1 (AIS-1) data were obtained for an area of amphibolite grade metamorphic rocks that have moderate rangeland vegetation cover. Although rock exposures are sparse and patchy at this site, soils are visible through the vegetation and typically comprise 20 to 30 percent of the surface area. Channel averaged low band depth images for diagnostic soil rock absorption bands. Sets of three such images were combined to produce color composite band depth images. This relative simple approach did not require extensive calibration efforts and was effective for discerning a number of spectrally distinctive rocks and soils, including soils having high talc concentrations. The results show that the high spectral and spatial resolution of AIS-1 and future sensors hold considerable promise for mapping mineral variations in soil, even in moderately vegetated areas

A Comparison of Changes in the Structure of Wages

This paper compares changes in the structure of wages in France, Great Britain, Japan. and the United States over the last twenty years. Wage differentials by education and occupation (skill differentials) narrowed substantially in all four countries in the 1970s. Overall wage inequality and skill differentials expanded dramatically in Great Britain and the United States and moderately in Japan during the 1980s. In contrast, wage inequality did not increase much in France through the mid-1980s. Industrial and occupational shifts favored more-educated workers in all four countries throughout the last twenty years. Reductions in the rate of the growth of the relative supply of college-educated workers in the face of persistent increases in the relative demand for more-skilled labor can explain a substantial portion of the increase in educational wage differentials in the United States, Britain, and Japan in the 1980s. Sharp increases in the national minimum wage (the SM1C) and the ability of French unions to extend contracts even in the face of declining membership helped prevent wage differentials from expanding in France through the mid-1980s.

Improving productivity of a financial firm: business model evolution in the Caribbean

Purpose – This study explores the role of business model as a state variable during transformation of a financial institution to become a multinational enterprise. Prior studies of the Uppsala model overlooked business model evolution for cross-border productivity and performance. Design/methodology/approach – The research design employs the resource-based view for an in-depth case study of JMMB, a family-managed Jamaica-based financial firm, using data from primary and secondary sources, covering the period 1992 to 2014. Findings – JMMB’s business model was the channel through which resources and capabilities gave rise to an innovative product for successful positioning in an international network. This was augmented by strong family orientation toward customer service, a distinctive asset that shaped the nature and trajectory of the business model. Cross-border alliancing and risk management were crucial dynamic capabilities for replicating the business model in foreign markets. Research limitations/implications – While the observations are not generalizable to other firms, they indicate that a business model is a key unit of analysis for understanding how the firm makes the transition to become a multinational enterprise. Practical implications – Financial institutions may internationalize in a small island, developing stages through a strategy of focused product differentiation based on disruptive innovation with cross-border partnerships for ease of market entry and experiential learning. Social implications – The research has identified opportunities for effective and efficient work methods in pursuit of productivity gains. Originality/value – The study is the first to illustrate business model as a state variable in the Uppsala model of multinational enterprise evolution for a financial firm