Internal marketing - a pretence

Internal Marketing has yet to be fully conceptualized and is still in its nascent stages. Based on the extensive research done in the field and related fields, a potential framework and measurement scale is proposed which might be used by practitioners and researchers alike. As such the concept of internal marketing has been revisited in the light of current research and a descriptive conceptualization of the field is provided, in the hope that it will help practitioners better accept the field and practice it

Integration of Material Characterization, Thermoforming Simulation, and As-Formed Structural Analysis for Thermoplastic Composites

An improved simulation-based thermoforming design process based on the integration of material characterization and as-formed structural analysis is proposed. The tendency of thermoplastic composites to wrinkle during forming has made simulation critical to optimized manufacturing, but the material models required are complex and time consuming to create. A suite of experimental methods has been developed for measurement of several required properties of the molten thermoplastic composite. These methods have the potential to enhance thermoplastic composites manufacturing by simplifying and expediting the process. These material properties have been verified by application to thermomechanical forming predictions using commercial simulation software. The forming predictions showed improved agreement with experimental results compared to those using representative material properties. A tool for using thermoforming simulations to inform more accurate structural models has been tested on a simple case study, and produced results that clearly differ from those of models using idealized fiber orientations and thicknesses. This provides evidence that this type of as-formed analysis may be necessary in some cases, and may be further investigated as an open source alternative to commercial analysis software

A Static Optimality Transformation with Applications to Planar Point Location

Over the last decade, there have been several data structures that, given a planar subdivision and a probability distribution over the plane, provide a way for answering point location queries that is fine-tuned for the distribution. All these methods suffer from the requirement that the query distribution must be known in advance. We present a new data structure for point location queries in planar triangulations. Our structure is asymptotically as fast as the optimal structures, but it requires no prior information about the queries. This is a 2D analogue of the jump from Knuth's optimum binary search trees (discovered in 1971) to the splay trees of Sleator and Tarjan in 1985. While the former need to know the query distribution, the latter are statically optimal. This means that we can adapt to the query sequence and achieve the same asymptotic performance as an optimum static structure, without needing any additional information.Comment: 13 pages, 1 figure, a preliminary version appeared at SoCG 201

Association between body condition and production parameters of dairy cows in the experiment with use of BCS camera

Dairy production effectiveness in the farm depends on many technical, technological and biological factors. State of the dairy cow condition constitutes one of the most important element in the assessment of dairy herd and production indices. Including access to modern technical solution to assess body condition of dairy cows, i.e. BCS camera, some results of observation in the herd with 362 cows were collected to find any relationship between BCS index and milk yield per cow including 5 lactation groups and cows differed in age as well as four seasons. Basing on data collected in the period of 11 months it was found that cows with the BCS index lower than 2.9 showed the highest daily milk production. Increase in BCS index was associated with decrease in amount of produced milk per day. The statistical analysis showed significant effect of lactation period, age of animals and season on BCS results in the considered dairy cow production cycle

Sous-produits de réaction formés lors de la filtration sur charbon actif de composés phénoliques en présence d'ions chlorite

L'étude des interactions entre les ions chlorite, un charbon actif en grains (CAG CECA 40) et des composés phénoliques (phénol et para-nitrophénol) a été réalisée à partir d'expériences de filtration sur mini-colonnes de CAG de solutions aqueuses de chlorite et du composé organique en mélange ([C102-] inf=50 mg.l-¹; [Composé Organique]jnf=200 µmol.l-¹ ; 3 g de CAG; Vitesse de filtration: 3,7 m.h-¹). Les résultats obtenus ont permis de montrer que la présence de chlorite conduit à une augmentation des capacités du CAG vis-à-vis de l'élimination du phénol et du para-nitrophénol. Cette augmentation résulte de réactions chimiques entre le composé organique et les sous-produits de décomposition des ions chlorite par le charbon actif. Les analyses par couplage CG/SM des extraits issus des charbons actifs à la fin des filtrations ont permis de mettre en évidence la présence de nombreux composés adsorbés sur le charbon actif. Les composés identifiés résultent de réactions d'oxydation, de deshydroxylation, de carboxylation, d'halogénation, d'hydroxylation et de dimérisation. L'action des ions chlorite sur le charbon actif peut conduire à la formation de radicaux à la surface du charbon actif ou en solution capables de réagir avec les composés organiques pour former les sous-produits observés.The use of chlorine dioxide for the chemical preoxidation of potable water with high oxidant demand requires that the major inorganic byproduct, chlorite, in the treatment system be removed, owing to the potential toxicity of this oxychlorine species. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) filtration, in converting chlorite ions into chloride, appears to be an interesting approach, but very few data are available concerning possible interactions in the presence of organic matter. The present research was designed to examine the influence of phenolic compounds on the efficiency of activated carbon in removing chlorite and to study the reactions between chlorite, activated carbon and organic molecules. Laboratory experiments have been carried out with relatively high substrate concentrations in order to identify the resulting byproducts.Materials and Methods.Filtrations of solutions containing chlorite and a phenolic compound (phenol or para nitrophenol; [Organic Compound]inf=200 µmol.L-¹;[C102-] inf=50 mg L-¹; pH=7.2); were performed using 1- cm i.d. glass columns packed with 3.0 g of GAC CECA 40 (Flow rate: 3.7 m.h-¹). Inorganic species were analysed by HPLC, with an anion column and a conductimetric detector for chloride and chlorate, and with a C-18 column and a UV detector for chlorite. Phenol and para nitrophenol were also analysed by HPLC, in the reverse mode. At the conclusion of the filtrations, the Total Organic Halogen (TOX) adsorbed on the carbon was determined after combustion of the carbon and measurement of the liberated halides with a micro coulometer (Dohrmann DX20). In order to identify organic reaction byproducts, carbon samples were Soxhlet extracted with methylene chloride and half of the extracts were methylated with diazomethane. Identification of the organic products was then carried out by gas chromatography / mass spectrometry with a DB5 capillary column and a quadrupolar hyperbolic filter system CPV/MS.Results and Discussion.Effects of phenol and p nitrophenol on removal of chlorite by GAC. The effluent curves from columns that received solutions containing both chlorite and an organic solute (columns A and B; fig. 1) showed that the presence of phenol or p nitrophenol in the influent decreases the capacity of GAC to remove chlorite.Effect of chlorite on removal of phenol and p nitrophenol. An increase in the cumulative removal of the organic solute was observed for columns A and B compared with columns that received solutions of the phenolic compound only (fig. 2; table 11). p benzoquinone was found in the eff1uent of column A fed with a chlorite phenol solution (fig. 3).Formation of organic byproducts by reactions between chlorite and phenol or p nitrophenol in the presence of GAC. TOX analyses showed that interactions between chlorite, GAC, and phenol or p nitrophenol led to the production of organohalogenated compounds. These data clearly demonstrate that halogenation reactions take place in the GAC bed and that a fraction of the total amount of phenol or p nitrophenol removed can be due to chemical reactions. GC/MS analyses of GAC extracts of columns A and B (tables IV and V) indicated that the phenol chlorite GAC reactions yield a variety of organic byproducts that are produced by hydroxylation and carboxylation of the aromatic ring by oxidation to quinones, by chlorine substitution and by dehydroxylation and dimerization reactions. Fewer products could be identified in the reaction between p nitrophenol, chlorite, and GAC. Since chlorite is unreactive with phenol and p nitrophenol in neutral aqueous solution, the formation of these organic byproducts can be attributed to reactions between phenol or p nitrophenol present in the GAC pore solution or adsorbed on GAC and the chemical species (Cl· ClO·, ClO2, HOCl (ClO-), surface free radicals ...) generated from the reaction of chlorite and carbon. Thus, aromatic acids could come from radical processes between adsorbed molecules and carbon surface functional groups oxidized by chlorite. The formation of dimers can also be explained by a freeradical mechanism. The reactions between Cl·, ClO· radicals or radicals present on the GAC surface, with organic compounds produce organic radicals via H atom abstraction or one electron transfer. Organic radicals such as phenoxy radicals or other aromatic radicals can then undergo dimerization by carbon-oxygen or carbon-carbon coupling. The formation of organochlorinated compounds can be explained by the reaction of chlorine (HOCl, ClO-) and chlorine radicals with organic molecules present in the solution. However further investigation is needed in order to evaluate if such compounds can be formed on GAC filters and then desorbed in the effluent in thc case of drinking waters pretreated with chlorine dioxide

Alpha Decay Hindrance Factors: A Probe of Mean Field Wave Functions

A simple model to calculate alpha-decay Hindrance Factors is presented. Using deformation values obtained from PES calculations as the only input, Hindrance Factors for the alpha-decay of Rn- and Po-isotopes are calculated. It is found that the intrinsic structure around the Fermi surface determined by the deformed mean field plays an important role in determining the hindrance of alpha-decay. The fair agreement between experimental and theoretical Hindrance Factors suggest that the wave function obtained from the energy minima of the PES calculations contains an important part of the correlations that play a role for the alpha-decay. The calculated HF that emerges from these calculations render a different interpretation than the commonly assumed n-particle n-hole picture.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure

ESTRATEGIAS PARA LA INCLUSI 3N DE ELEMENTOS ESTRUCTURALES ART\ucdSTICOS EN LA IMPLANTACI 3N DE SISTEMA DE TRANSPORTE P aBLICO MASIVO EN MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA

Este art\uedculo tiene como objetivo general proponer estrategias que permitan la incorporaci\uf3n del arte p\ufablico en la implantaci\uf3n de l\uedneas del Metro de la ciudad de Maracaibo - Venezuela, con el fin de co-producir el sentido del lugar en armon\ueda con las pr\ue1cticas de dise\uf1o urbano que configuran la morfolog\ueda del espacio p\ufablico marabino. Por lo tanto, a partir del an\ue1lisis de buenas pr\ue1cticas urbanas internacionales y el establecimiento de los procesos que acompa\uf1an las intervenciones que llevaron a cabo la producci\uf3n del espacio p\ufablico, se proponen estrategias para la inclusi\uf3n de elementos estructurales art\uedsticos en la implantaci\uf3n del sistema de transporte p\ufablico masivo de Maracaibo utilizando como metodolog\ueda de an\ue1lisis, la incorporaci\uf3n de nuevas formas de concebir el espacio integrado con el arte, a trav\ue9s de la relaci\uf3n entre tres elementos: el arte, el paisaje y la arquitectura misma de las estaciones. Como resultado se obtienen: a) fichas descriptivas donde se manifiestan los elementos integradores con el paisaje, b) estrategias para incluir el arte en las futuras l\uedneas del Metro de Maracaibo. ABSTRACTSTRATEGIES TO INCLUDE ARTISTIC STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS IN THE MASS PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN MARACAIBO, VENEZUELA The main objective of this article is to propose strategies for the public art incorporation in the Metro lines of Maracaibo Venezuela. In order to co-produce the harmony place sense with the urban design practices that shape "marabino" public space morphology.Therefore, on the basis of the international best urban practice analysis and process establishment that carry out the public space production, strategies for including artistic structural elements are proposed to be implemented in mass public transportation system of Maracaibo, using as analysis methodology the incorporation of new ways of conceiving integrated space with art through the relationship among three elements: art, landscape and stations architecture. The result is: a) Fact sheets where integral elements relate to landscape, b) Strategies to include art in future Metro lines of Maracaibo

A key-formula to compute the gravitational potential of inhomogeneous discs in cylindrical coordinates

We have established the exact expression for the gravitational potential of a homogeneous polar cell - an elementary pattern used in hydrodynamical simulations of gravitating discs. This formula, which is a closed-form, works for any opening angle and radial extension of the cell. It is valid at any point in space, i.e. in the plane of the distribution (inside and outside) as well as off-plane, thereby generalizing the results reported by Durand (1953) for the circular disc. The three components of the gravitational acceleration are given. The mathematical demonstration proceeds from the "incomplete version of Durand's formula" for the potential (based on complete elliptic integrals). We determine first the potential due to the circular sector (i.e. a pie-slice sheet), and then deduce that of the polar cell (from convenient radial scaling and subtraction). As a by-product, we generate an integral theorem stating that "the angular average of the potential of any circular sector along its tangent circle is 2/PI times the value at the corner". A few examples are presented. For numerical resolutions and cell shapes commonly used in disc simulations, we quantify the importance of curvature effects by performing a direct comparison between the potential of the polar cell and that of the Cartesian (i.e. rectangular) cell having the same mass. Edge values are found to deviate roughly like 2E-3 x N/256 in relative (N is the number of grid points in the radial direction), while the agreement is typically four orders of magnitude better for values at the cell's center. We also produce a reliable approximation for the potential, valid in the cell's plane, inside and close to the cell. Its remarkable accuracy, about 5E-4 x N/256 in relative, is sufficient to estimate the cell's self-acceleration.Comment: Accepted for publication in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronom