A path model “why-what-how-when” to Implement an IC reporting

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an empirical study and the critical success factors for implementing Intellectual Capital (IC) reporting. Selecting an IC model to be implemented in a specific context at a particular time depends on several contingent factors. In light of this, we propose the following “why-what-how-when” agenda, which will be applied in the case study: 1. Why implement IC reporting in a specific context? 2. What IC approach/tool is suitable to satisfy users’ informational needs? 3. How is the quality of information? 4. When is information available? The research is qualitative and focused on a case study in order to understand the dynamics of a given process. The company analyzed designs and develops Large Systems for Homeland Protection. The analyzed case study shows that there isn’t “one best way” to report on intangibles. Thus, the main critical factors of the process investigated are the following: accurate identification of actors involved in the decision-making process; quality and availability of information. The case study allows us to analyze how changes in decision maker(s), users’ informational needs and information quality can impact the selection of the framework and its relative artifact/tool to be used to report on intangibles

Nonorientable 3-manifolds admitting coloured triangulations with at most 30 tetrahedra

We present the census of all non-orientable, closed, connected 3-manifolds admitting a rigid crystallization with at most 30 vertices. In order to obtain the above result, we generate, manipulate and compare, by suitable computer procedures, all rigid non-bipartite crystallizations up to 30 vertices.Comment: 18 pages, 3 figure

Local order in aqueous solutions of rare gases and the role of the solute concentration: a computer simulation study with a polarizable potential

Aqueous solutions of rare gases are studied by computer simulation employing a polarizable potential for both water and solutes. The use of a polarizable potential allows to study the systems from ambient to supercritical conditions for water. In particular the effects of increasing the concentration and the size of the apolar solutes are considered in an extended range of temperatures. By comparing the results at increasing temperature it appears clearly the change of behaviour from the tendency to demix at ambient conditions to a regime of complete solubility in the supercritical region. In this respect the role of the hydrogen bond network of water is evidenced.Comment: Accepted for publication in Molecular Physics 2004. 19 pages, 10 figure

Environmental factors modify carbon nutritional patterns and niche overlap between Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides strains from maize.

This study examined the utilization patterns of key carbon sources (CS, 24: including key sugars, amino acids and fatty acids) in maize by strains of Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides under different water activity (aw, 0.87–0.98 aw) and temperature (20–35 °C) values and compared the niche overlap indices (NOI) that estimate the in vitro CS utilization profiles [Wilson, M., Lindow, S.E., 1994. Coexistence among epiphytic bacterial populations mediated through nutritional resource partitioning. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 60, 4468–4477.]. The ability to grow in these key CS in minimal media was studied for 120 h in 12 h steps. The NOI was calculated for inter-species (F. verticillioides–A. flavus) and for intra-species (A. flavus–A. flavus) using CS utilization patterns over the range of interacting environmental conditions. 30 °C, over the whole aw range examined, was found to be optimal for utilization of the maximum number of CS by A. flavus. In contrast, for F. verticillioides this was more so at 20 °C; 25 °C allowed a suboptimal usage of CS for both species. NOIs confirmed the nutritional dominance of A. flavus at 30 °C, especially at lower aw levels and that of F. verticillioides at 20 °C, mainly at 0.95 aw. In other conditions of aw, based on CS utilization patterns, the data indicated that A. flavus and F. verticillioides occupied different ecological niches. The variability in nutritional sources utilization between A. flavus strains was not related to their ability to produce aflatoxins (AFs). This type of data helps to explain the nutritional dominance of fungal species and strains under different environmental conditions. This could be useful in trying to find appropriate natural biocontrol microorganisms to compete with these mycotoxigenic species

Single particle slow dynamics of confined water

Molecular dynamics simulations of SPC/E water confined in a Silica pore are presented. The simulations have been performed at different hydration levels and temperatures to study the single-particle dynamics. Due to the confinement and to the presence of a hydrophilic surface, the dynamic behaviour of the liquid appears to be strongly dependent on the hydration level. On lowering temperature and/or hydration level the intermediate scattering function displays a double-step relaxation behaviour whose long time tail is strongly non-exponential. At higher hydrations two quite distinct subsets of water molecules are detectable. Those belonging to the first two layers close to the substrate suffer a severe slowing down already at ambient temperature. While the behaviour of the remaining ones is more resemblant to that of supercooled bulk SPC/E water. At lower hydrations and/or temperatures the onset of a slow dynamics due to the cage effect and a scenario typical of supercooled liquids approaching the kinetic glass transition is observed. Moreover, for low hydrations and/or temperatures, the intermediate scattering function clearly displays an overshoot, which can be assigned to the so called ``Boson Peak''.Comment: 7 pages with one table and 8 figures; revTeX style. Based on an invited talk presented at the International Bunsed Discussion Meeting on "Metastable Water", Sept. 1999. In press on PCCP (2000

Envelope burning over-luminosity: a challenge to synthetic TP-AGB models

Until recently synthetic AGB models had not taken into account the break-down of the core mass-luminosity (Mc-L) relation due to the occurrence of envelope burning in the most massive (M > 3.5 Msun) and luminous (Mbol > -6) stars. Marigo et al. (1998) made the first attempt to consistently include the related over-luminosity effect (i.e. above the Mc-L relation) in synthetic TP-AGB calculations. In this paper the reliability of the solution scheme is tested by comparison with the results of complete evolutionary calculations for a 7 Msun AGB star undergoing envelope burning (e.g. Bloecker & Schoenberner 1991). Indeed, the method proves to be valid as it is able to reproduce with remarkable accuracy several evolutionary features of the 7 Msun star. We present extensive synthetic TP-AGB calculations for stars with initial masses of 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 Msun, and three choices of the initial metallicity, i.e. Z=0.019, Z=0.008, and Z=0.004. Three values of the mixing-length parameter are used, i.e. alpha=1.68, 2.0, 2.5. We investigate the dependence of envelope burning on such stellar parameters (M, Z, and alpha). The comparison between different cases gives hints on the interplay between envelope burning over-luminosity and mass loss, and related effects on TP-AGB lifetimes.Comment: 19 pages, 9 postscript figures, 2 tables, submitted to A&

The price impact of economic news, private information and trading intensity

In this paper we use three years high-frequency data to investigate the role played by public and private information in the process of price formation in two secondary government bond markets. As public information we examine the impact of regularly scheduled macroeconomic news announcements. We identify those announcements with the greatest impact on these markets. As private information we estimate the price impact of order flow. In fact, according to the microstructure models, private information in this context is related to the subjective evaluation of information and order flow can reflect difference of opinions among market participants. Thus, market participant may infer information about the subjective beliefs of other market participants looking at the aggregate order flow. We then use a vector autoregressive model for prices and trades to empirically test the role played by intraday trading intensity and by the waiting time between consecutive transactions in the process of price formations