How speed of sound measurements could bring constraints on the composition of Titan's seas

The hydrocarbons seas of Titan, discovered by Cassini/Huygens mission are among the most mysterious and interesting features of this moon. In the future, a possible dedicated planetary probe, will certainly measure the speed of sound in this cryogenic liquid, as it was planned in the case of a Huygens landing into a sea. Previous theoretical studies of such acoustic measurements were based on rather simple models, leading in some cases to unphysical situations. Employed in a vast body of chemical engineering works, the state of the art PC-SAFT model has been recently introduced in studies aimed at Titan. Here, I revisit the issue of the speed of sound in Titan's liquids, in the light of this theory. I describe, in detail, the derivation of the speed of sound from the chosen equation of state and the potential limitations of the approach. To make estimations of the composition of a ternary liquid mixture N2:CH4:C2H6 from speed of sound measurements an original inversion algorithm is proposed. It is shown that 50 measures between 90 K and 100 K are enough to ensure an accuracy of the derived compositions better than 10%. The influence of the possible presence of propane is also investigated.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, accepted in MNRA

Practicing strategy : making sense of the activities and approaches of the HR function in a Sri Lankan commercial bank : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand

Human resource practitioners have increasingly gravitated towards a greater strategic positioning of their activities. However, progress towards human resource (HR) practitioner strategic integration has remained elusive. Arguably, HR practitioners need to enact a greater strategic role within organisations, and as such, play a greater role in organisational practices and performance. This thesis reports on a case study undertaken in a Sri Lankan bank, where 65 interviews were conducted with 55 people across 6 hierarchical levels. The research focused on understanding how the HR function, in conjunction with its organisational partners, attempts to act strategically. Specifically, the research questions were: (1) how strategic are HR practitioners in the development and implementation of practices across different business units; (2) how does strategic integration occur between HR practitioners and business units; and (3) what factors affect strategic integration between HR practitioners and business units? A review of the literature on organisational strategy and strategic human resource management indicates that while both fields have unique research gaps within their respective bodies of work, when refocused through a Strategy-as-Practice lens, additional gaps emerge at the cross-section of both streams of scholarship. Addressing these gaps would advance HRM and strategic management scholarship’s understanding of strategy activity in the HRM context. Findings show that there are a complex range of interconnections between external and internal contextual factors determining the extent to which HR practitioners can make a strategic contribution. Business units’ contextual elements were also found to vary significantly as did the integrative frameworks of practices and activities they sought from HR practitioners. Two main factors inhibited HR practitioners from delivering on these expectations: HR practitioner identity structures, and contextual constraints including lack of clarity in relation to the broader strategic intent. Furthermore, HR practitioners drew on patterns of previous activity when faced with ambiguity. This often involved them making more sense of ‘what being more strategic means’. This study identified contributions in relation to HR practitioners’ willingness and ability to assert agency around strategic change by interpreting cues from line managers, and thus removing them from the broader strategic expectations of the organisation

The Slavic-Orthodox community in Azerbaijan: the identity and social position of a once-dominant minority

Based on recent empirical findings and field observations, this article examines the Slavic-Orthodox community in Azerbaijan. Nowadays numbering about one and a half percent of the population, the main threat to its continuity is not persecution nor pressure to assimilate, but an ageing ethnic-demographic base which is not going to be kept up to level by either natural replacement or new adherents. Orthodox Christianity will nonetheless keep a presence in the country, yet its base of adherents will unavoidably become more heterogeneous

Farm Risk Management Between Normal Business Risk and Climatic/Market Shocks

Farm risk management for income stabilization is on-going issue. An applied work has been performed to measure farm risk using a stochastic model. Risk management tools, with symmetric as well as asymmetric impacts, are then tested and compared through ad hoc statistics. Normal farm business risk can be efficiently managed using a precautionary saving provision. Farm revenue insurance is found as the most efficient asymmetric tool for dealing with climatic and market shocks. The linkage between these complementary tools can be adjusted upon market environment.Comparative, performance, risk, management, tools,