Customer-supplier perspective of the antecendents and value outcomes of business relationships

In this study, a three-phase structural equation modeling technique is developed to explore similarities and differences in the antecedents and value outcomes in customer and supplier relationships. While both parties were found to share antecedents and value outcomes, the means by which value was conferred was significantly different

Fresh shallow valleys in the Martian midlatitudes as features formed by meltwater flow beneath ice

Significant numbers of valleys have been identified in the Martian midlatitudes (30–60°N/S), spatially associated with extant or recent ice accumulations. Many of these valleys date to the Amazonian, but their formation during these cold, dry epochs is problematic. In this study, we look in detail at the form, distribution, and quantitative geomorphology of two suites of these valleys and their associated landforms in order to better constrain the processes of their formation. Since the valleys themselves are so young and thus well preserved, uniquely, we can constrain valley widths and courses and link these to the topography from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter and High-Resolution Stereo Camera data. We show that the valleys are both qualitatively and quantitatively very similar, despite their being >5000 km apart in different hemispheres and around 7 km apart in elevation. Buffered crater counting indicates that the ages of these networks are statistically identical, probably forming during the Late Amazonian, ~100 Ma. In both localities, at least tens of valleys cross local drainage divides, apparently flowing uphill. We interpret these uphill reaches to be characteristic of flow occurring beneath a now absent, relatively thin (order 101–102 m), regionally extensive ice cover. Ridges and mounds occasionally found at the foot of these valley systems are analogous to eskers and aufeis-like refreezing features. On the basis of their interaction with these aufeis-like mounds, we suggest that this suite of landforms may have formed in a single, short episode (perhaps order of days), probably forced by global climate change

Hesperian-Amazonian Transition Mid-Latitude Valleys: Markers of a Late Martian Climate Optima?

Recently the inventory of fluvial features that have been dated to the late Hesperian to early Amazonian epoch has increased dramatically, including a reassessment of the ages of the large alluvial fans and deltas (e.g., Eberswalde) to this time period. Mid-latitude Valleys (MLVs) are distinct from the older, more integrated Noachian-Hesperian Valley Networks which are deeply dissected, are generally of much larger spatial extent, and are more degraded. Although some MLVs involve rejuvenation of older Valley Networks, many MLVs are carved into smooth or rolling slopes and intercrater terrain. The MLVs range from a few meters to < 300 m in width, with nearly parallel valley walls and planforms that are locally sinuous. Although the MLVs in Newton and Gorgonum basins extend from the basin rims up to 75 km into the basin interior, most MLVs are shorter and often discontinuous. The occurrence of widespread MLVs suggest the possibility of their formation during one or perhaps more regional to global climatic episodes, possibly due to melting of seasonal to long-term accumulations of snow and ice. Temperatures warm enough to cause extensive melting may have occurred during optimal orbital and obliquity configurations, perhaps in conjunction with intensive volcanism releasing moisture and greenhouse gasses, or as a result of a brief episode of warming from a large impact. The concentration of MLVs to the northern and western basin slopes of Newton and Gorgonum basins suggests a possible aspect control to ice accumulation or melting. MLV activity occurred about at the same time as formation of the major outflow channels. A possible scenario is that delivery of water to the northern lowlands provided, through evaporation and sublimation, water that temporarily accumulated in the mid-southern latitudes as widespread ice deposits whose partial melting formed the MLVs and small, dominantly ice-covered lakes

The role of superficial geology in controlling groundwater recharge in the weathered crystalline basement of semi-arid Tanzania

Study region: Little Kinyasungwe River Catchment, central semi-arid Tanzania. Study focus: The structure and hydraulic properties of superficial geology can play a crucial role in controlling groundwater recharge in drylands. However, the pathways by which groundwater recharge occurs and their sensitivity to environmental change remain poorly resolved. Geophysical surveys using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were conducted in the study region and used to delineate shallow subsurface stratigraphy in conjunction with borehole logs. Based on these results, a series of local-scale conceptual hydrogeological models was produced and collated to generate a 3D conceptual model of groundwater recharge to the wellfield. New hydrological insights for the region: We propose that configurations of superficial geology control groundwater recharge in dryland settings as follows: 1) superficial sand deposits act as collectors and stores that slowly feed recharge into zones of active faulting; 2) these fault zones provide permeable pathways enabling greater recharge to occur; 3) ‘windows’ within layers of smectitic clay that underlie ephemeral streams may provide pathways for focused recharge via transmission losses; and 4) overbank flooding during high intensity precipitation events increases the probability of activating such permeable pathways. These conceptual models provide a physical basis to improve numerical models of groundwater recharge in drylands, and a conceptual framework to evaluate strategies (e.g., Managed Aquifer Recharge) to artificially enhance the availability of groundwater resources in these regions

Sedimentology and climatic environment of alluvial fans in the Martian Saheki Crater and a comparison with terrestrial fans in the Atacama Desert

The deflated surfaces of the alluvial fans in Saheki crater reveal the most detailed record of fan stratigraphy and evolution found, to date, on Mars. During deposition of at least the uppermost 100 m of fan deposits, discharges from the source basin consisted of channelized flows transporting sediment (which we infer to be primarily sand- and gravel-sized) as bedload coupled with extensive overbank mud-rich flows depositing planar beds of sand-sized or finer sediment. Flow events are inferred to have been of modest magnitude (probably less than ~60 m3/s), of short duration, and probably occupied only a few distributaries during any individual flow event. Occasional channel avulsions resulted in the distribution of sediment across the entire fan. A comparison with fine-grained alluvial fans in Chile’s Atacama Desert provides insights into the processes responsible for constructing the Saheki crater fans: sediment is deposited by channelized flows (transporting sand through boulder-sized material) and overbank mudflows (sand size and finer) and wind erosion leaves channels expressed in inverted topographic relief. The most likely source of water was snowmelt released after annual or epochal accumulation of snow in the headwater source basin on the interior crater rim during the Hesperian to Amazonian periods. We infer the Saheki fans to have been constructed by many hundreds of separate flow events, and accumulation of the necessary snow and release of meltwater may have required favorable orbital configurations or transient global warming

Enabling collaborative numerical modeling in earth sciences using knowledge infrastructure

Knowledge Infrastructure is an intellectual framework for creating, sharing, and distributing knowledge. In this paper, we use Knowledge Infrastructure to address common barriers to entry to numerical modeling in Earth sciences: computational modeling education, replicating published model results, and reusing published models to extend research. We outline six critical functional requirements: 1) workflows designed for new users; 2) a community-supported collaborative web platform; 3) distributed data storage; 4) a software environment; 5) a personalized cloud-based high-performance computing platform; and 6) a standardized open source modeling framework. Our methods meet these functional requirements by providing three interactive computational narratives for hands-on, problem-based research demonstrating how to use Landlab on HydroShare. Landlab is an open-source toolkit for building, coupling, and exploring two-dimensional numerical models. HydroShare is an online collaborative environment for the sharing of data and models. We describe the methods we are using to accelerate knowledge development by providing a suite of modular and interoperable process components that allows students, domain experts, collaborators, researchers, and sponsors to learn by exploring shared data and modeling resources. The system is designed to support uses on the continuum from fully-developed modeling applications to prototyping research software tools

Education for innovation and entrepreneurship in the food system: the Erasmus+ BoostEdu approach and results

Innovation and entrepreneurship are key factors to provide added value for food systems. Based on the findings of the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership BoostEdu, the objective of this paper is to provide answers to three knowledge gaps: 1) identify the needs for innovation and entrepreneurship (I&amp;E) in the food sector; 2) understand the best way to organize learning; 3) provide flexibility in turbulent times. BoostEdu aimed to provide a platform for continuing education within I&amp;E for food professionals and was carried out through co-creation workshops and the development of an e-learning course. The results of the project in particular during the Covid-19 pandemics, highlighted the need for flexible access to modules that are complementary to other sources and based on a mix of theoretical concepts and practical experiences. The main lessons learned concern the need of co-creation and co-learning processes to identify suitable practices for the use of innovative digital technologies

The role of superficial geology in controlling groundwater recharge in the weathered crystalline basement of semi-arid Tanzania

Study region Little Kinyasungwe River Catchment, central semi-arid Tanzania. Study focus The structure and hydraulic properties of superficial geology can play a crucial role in controlling groundwater recharge in drylands. However, the pathways by which groundwater recharge occurs and their sensitivity to environmental change remain poorly resolved. Geophysical surveys using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were conducted in the study region and used to delineate shallow subsurface stratigraphy in conjunction with borehole logs. Based on these results, a series of local-scale conceptual hydrogeological models was produced and collated to generate a 3D conceptual model of groundwater recharge to the wellfield. New hydrological insights for the region We propose that configurations of superficial geology control groundwater recharge in dryland settings as follows: 1) superficial sand deposits act as collectors and stores that slowly feed recharge into zones of active faulting; 2) these fault zones provide permeable pathways enabling greater recharge to occur; 3) ‘windows’ within layers of smectitic clay that underlie ephemeral streams may provide pathways for focused recharge via transmission losses; and 4) overbank flooding during high intensity precipitation events increases the probability of activating such permeable pathways. These conceptual models provide a physical basis to improve numerical models of groundwater recharge in drylands, and a conceptual framework to evaluate strategies (e.g., Managed Aquifer Recharge) to artificially enhance the availability of groundwater resources in these regions

Testing fluvial erosion models using the transient response of bedrock rivers to tectonic forcing in the Apennines, Italy

The transient response of bedrock rivers to a drop in base level can be used to discriminate between competing fluvial erosion models. However, some recent studies of bedrock erosion conclude that transient river long profiles can be approximately characterized by a transport‐limited erosion model, while other authors suggest that a detachment‐limited model best explains their field data. The difference is thought to be due to the relative volume of sediment being fluxed through the fluvial system. Using a pragmatic approach, we address this debate by testing the ability of end‐member fluvial erosion models to reproduce the well‐documented evolution of three catchments in the central Apennines (Italy) which have been perturbed to various extents by an independently constrained increase in relative uplift rate. The transport‐limited model is unable to account for the catchments’response to the increase in uplift rate, consistent with the observed low rates of sediment supply to the channels. Instead, a detachment‐limited model with a threshold corresponding to the field‐derived median grain size of the sediment plus a slope‐dependent channel width satisfactorily reproduces the overall convex long profiles along the studied rivers. Importantly, we find that the prefactor in the hydraulic scaling relationship is uplift dependent, leading to landscapes responding faster the higher the uplift rate, consistent with field observations. We conclude that a slope‐ dependent channel width and an entrainment/erosion threshold are necessary ingredients when modeling landscape evolution or mapping the distribution of fluvial erosion rates in areas where the rate of sediment supply to channels is low