3,553 research outputs found
IT in construction: aligning IT and business strategies
The extent to which information technology (IT) infrastructures and strategies are aligned with business processes and strategies varies widely along firms. The objective of this paper is to explain the success or failure of IT in construction firms by focusing on the alignment (or lack of it) between business strategy, IT strategy, organizational infrastructure, and IT infrastructure. It is hypothesized that the ‘fit’ among these elements, the domains of the Strategic Alignment Model, is positively related to the Business Value of IT in Construction. The IT Business Value is evaluated in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and business performance. By applying the Strategic Alignment Model to the Dutch construction industry, it is shown that the inadequate alignment between these domains is a major reason for the modest added business value from IT investments in this industry. The first lack of alignment is the technology shortfall: hence IT contributes in an inadequate way to strategic processes of construction firms. The second lack of alignment is the strategy-shortfall: hence the firm strategy impedes the implementation of IT that could generate a high business value
Comparison of continuous in situ CO2 observations at Jungfraujoch using two different measurement techniques
Since 2004, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is being measured at the High Altitude Research Station Jungfraujoch by the division of Climate and Environmental Physics at the University of Bern (KUP) using a nondispersive infrared gas analyzer (NDIR) in combination with a paramagnetic O2 analyzer. In January 2010, CO2 measurements based on cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) as part of the Swiss National Air Pollution Monitoring Network were added by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa). To ensure a smooth transition – a prerequisite when merging two data sets, e.g., for trend determinations – the two measurement systems run in parallel for several years. Such a long-term intercomparison also allows the identification of potential offsets between the two data sets and the collection of information about the compatibility of the two systems on different time scales. A good agreement of the seasonality, short-term variations and, to a lesser extent mainly due to the short common period, trend calculations is observed. However, the comparison reveals some issues related to the stability of the calibration gases of the KUP system and their assigned CO2 mole fraction. It is possible to adapt an improved calibration strategy based on standard gas determinations, which leads to better agreement between the two data sets. By excluding periods with technical problems and bad calibration gas cylinders, the average hourly difference (CRDS – NDIR) of the two systems is −0.03 ppm ± 0.25 ppm. Although the difference of the two data sets is in line with the compatibility goal of ±0.1 ppm of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the standard deviation is still too high. A significant part of this uncertainty originates from the necessity to switch the KUP system frequently (every 12 min) for 6 min from ambient air to a working gas in order to correct short-term variations of the O2 measurement system. Allowing additional time for signal stabilization after switching the sample, an effective data coverage of only one-sixth for the KUP system is achieved while the Empa system has a nearly complete data coverage. Additionally, different internal volumes and flow rates may affect observed differences
Biofuels - At what cost? Government support for biodiesel in Malaysia
One of a series of reports addressing subsidies for biofuels in selected developing countrie
Imaging and manipulation of skyrmion lattice domains in Cu2OSeO3
Nanoscale chiral skyrmions in noncentrosymmetric helimagnets are promising
binary state variables in high-density, low-energy nonvolatile memory.
Skyrmions are ubiquitous as an ordered, single-domain lattice phase, which
makes it difficult to write information unless they are spatially broken up
into smaller units, each representing a bit. Thus, the formation and
manipulation of skyrmion lattice domains is a prerequisite for memory
applications. Here, using an imaging technique based on resonant magnetic x-ray
diffraction, we demonstrate the mapping and manipulation of skyrmion lattice
domains in Cu2OSeO3. The material is particularly interesting for applications
owing to its insulating nature, allowing for electric field-driven domain
manipulation.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Local Environment of Ferromagnetically Ordered Mn in Epitaxial InMnAs
The magnetic properties of the ferromagnetic semiconductor In0.98Mn0.02As
were characterized by x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular
dichroism. The Mn exhibits an atomic-like L2,3 absorption spectrum that
indicates that the 3d states are highly localized. In addition, a large
dichroism at the Mn L2,3 edge was observed from 5-300 K at an applied field of
2T. A calculated spectrum assuming atomic Mn2+ yields the best agreement with
the experimental InMnAs spectrum. A comparison of the dichroism spectra of MnAs
and InMnAs show clear differences suggesting that the ferromagnetism observed
in InMnAs is not due to hexagonal MnAs clusters. The temperature dependence of
the dichroism indicates the presence of two ferromagnetic species, one with a
transition temperature of 30 K and another with a transition temperature in
excess of 300 K. The dichroism spectra are consistent with the assignment of
the low temperature species to random substitutional Mn and the high
temperature species to Mn near-neighbor pairs.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Applied Physics Letter
Scattering matrices and expansion coefficients of Martian analogue palagonite particles
We present measurements of ratios of elements of the scattering matrix of
Martian analogue palagonite particles for scattering angles ranging from 3 to
174 degrees and a wavelength of 632.8 nm. To facilitate the use of these
measurements in radiative transfer calculations we have devised a method that
enables us to obtain, from these measurements, a normalized synthetic
scattering matrix covering the complete scattering angle range from 0 to 180
degrees. Our method is based on employing the coefficients of the expansions of
scattering matrix elements into generalized spherical functions. The synthetic
scattering matrix elements and/or the expansion coefficients obtained in this
way, can be used to include multiple scattering by these irregularly shaped
particles in (polarized) radiative transfer calculations, such as calculations
of sunlight that is scattered in the dusty Martian atmosphere.Comment: 34 pages 7 figures 1 tabl
X-ray absorption branching ratio in actinides: LDA+DMFT approach
To investigate the x-ray absorption (XAS) branching ratio from the core 4d to
valence 5f states, we set up a theoretical framework by using a combination of
density functional theory in the local density approximation and Dynamical Mean
Field Theory (LDA+DMFT), and apply it to several actinides. The results of the
LDA+DMFT reduces to the band limit for itinerant systems and to the atomic
limit for localized f electrons, meaning a spectrum of 5f itinerancy can be
investigated. Our results provides a consistent and unified view of the XAS
branching ratio for all elemental actinides, and is in good overall agreement
with experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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