Value co-creation in bio-based chemicals value network

The purpose of this Master’s thesis is to study value co-creation in emerging value network. The main objective is to examine how value is co-created in bio-based chemicals value network. The study provides insights to different actors’ perceived value in the value network and enlightens their motivations to commit to the collaborative partnerships with other actors. Empirical study shows that value co-creation is creation of mutual value for both parties of the relationship by combining their non-competing resources to achieve a common goal. Value co-creation happens in interactions, and trust, commitment and information sharing are essential prerequisites for value co-creation. Value co-creation is not only common value creation, but it is also value that emerges for each actor because of the co-operation with the other actor. Even though the case companies define value mainly in economic terms, the other value elements like value of the partnership, knowledge transfer and innovation are more important for value co-creation.

A robust two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network for the predictable assembly of ternary co-crystals of furosemide

Consideration of the geometrical features of the functional groups present in furosemide has enabled synthesis of a series of ternary co-crystals with predictable structural features, containing a robust asymmetric two-dimensional network.

USING GIS NETWORK ANALYST TO IDENTIFY SUPPLIERS FOR A PRODUCE CO-OP IN WATERVILLE, ME

http://digitalcommons.colby.edu/atlasofmaine2008/1021/thumbnail.jpg

Using GIS Network Analyst to Identify Suppliers for a Produce Co-op in Waterville, ME

The idea for organizing a cooperative market on Waterville Main Street was proposed by Aime Schwartz in the fall of 2008. The Co-op would entail an open market located on Main Street to provide fresh, local produce and crafts to town locals. Through shorter delivery distances and agreements with local farmers, the co-op theoretically will offer consumers lower prices on produce than can be found in conventional grocery stores, as well as an opportunity to support local agriculture. One of the tasks involved with organizing the Co-op is to source all of the produce from among the hundreds of farmers located in Maine. The purpose of this project is to show how Geographic Information System (GIS) tools can be used to help the Co-op and other businesses a) site nearby farms that carry desired produce and products, and b) determine which farms are closest to the business site. Using GIS for this purpose will make it easier and more efficient to source produce suppliers, and reduce the workload on business planners. GIS Network Analyst is a tool that provides network-based spatial analysis, and can be used in conjunction with traditional GIS technologies to determine not only the geometric distance between points, but also distance over existing networks (like roads). We used Network Analyst to find the closest produce suppliers to the Co-op for specific produce items, and compute how far they are over existing roads. This will enable business planners to source potential suppliers by distance before contacting individual farmers, allowing for more efficient use of their time and a faster planning process.

3D hydrogen-bonded network built from copper(II) complexes of 1,3-propanediamine

The reaction of Cu(NO3)(2).3H(2)O with 1,3-propanediamine (pn), in the presence of NaN3, afforded a 1:1 co-crystal formed by [Cu(NO3)(2)(pn)(2)] and [Cu(N-3)(NO3)(pn)(2)] (1 and 2), which were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction. In both compounds, the copper(II) centers are in a distorted octahedral environment, formed by four N atoms of two bidentate pn ligands in the basal plane, whereas the axial bonds are formed by two O atoms from the nitrate ligands in 1 and one O atom from the nitrate ligand and one N atom from the azide ion in 2. The asymmetric unit of the crystal consists of two crystallographically independent 1 and 2 complexes, which are held together in a 3D network by a series of N - H center dot center dot center dot O and N - H center dot center dot center dot N hydrogen bonds, as well C - H center dot center dot center dot O interactions. New supramolecular synthons are identified by the occurrence of two geometrically distinct molecular recognition patterns involving the NO3- ion and amino groups from pn ligands.

CH4, CO, and H2O spectroscopy for the Sentinel-5 Precursor mission: an assessment with the Total Carbon Column Observing Network measurements

The TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) will be part of ESA's Sentinel-5 Precursor (S5P) satellite platform scheduled for launch in 2015. TROPOMI will monitor methane and carbon monoxide concentrations in the Earth's atmosphere by measuring spectra of back-scattered sunlight in the short-wave infrared (SWIR). S5P will be the first satellite mission to rely uniquely on the spectral window at 4190–4340 cm−1 (2.3 μm) to retrieve CH4 and CO. In this study, we investigated if the absorption features of the three relevant molecules CH4, CO, and H2O are adequately known. To this end, we retrieved total columns of CH4, CO, and H2O from absorption spectra measured by two ground-based Fourier transform spectrometers that are part of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). The retrieval results from the 4190–4340 cm−1 range at the TROPOMI resolution (0.45 cm−1) were then compared to the CH4 results obtained from the 6000 cm−1 region, and the CO results obtained from the 4190–4340 cm−1 region at the higher TCCON resolution (0.02 cm−1). For TROPOMI-like settings, we were able to reproduce the CH4 columns to an accuracy of 0.3% apart from a constant bias of 1%. The CO retrieval accuracy was, through interference, systematically influenced by the shortcomings of the CH4 and H2O spectroscopy. In contrast to CH4, the CO column error also varied significantly with atmospheric H2O content. Unaddressed, this would introduce seasonal and latitudinal biases to the CO columns retrieved from TROPOMI measurements. We therefore recommend further effort from the spectroscopic community to be directed at the H2O and CH4 spectroscopy in the 4190–4340 cm−1 region.

From pink to blue and back to pink again: changing the Co( ii ) ligation in a two-dimensional coordination network upon desolvation

Heating of a pink two-dimensional Co(II) coordination network {[Co2(μ2-OH2)(bdc)2(S-nia)2(H2O)(dmf)]·2(dmf)·(H2O)}n (1) built from 1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H2bdc) residues and thionicotinamide (S-nia) ligands initiates a single-crystal-to-single-crystal transition accompanied by removal of both coordinated and co-crystallized solvents. In the dry blue form, [Co(bdc)(S-nia)]n (dry_1), the Co(II) centers changed from an octahedral to a square pyramidal configuration.

Experimental comparison of artificial neural network and volterra based nonlinear equalization for CO-OFDM

A novel artificial neural network (ANN)-based nonlinear equalizer (NLE) of low complexity is demonstrated for 40-Gb/s CO-OFDM at 2000 km, revealing ∼1.5 dB enhancement in Q-factor compared to inverse Volterra-series transfer function based NLE.

Hierarchical spatial segregation of two Mediterranean vole species: the role of patch‑network structure and matrix composition

According to ecological theory, the coexistence of competitors in patchy environments may be facilitated by hierarchical spatial segregation along axes of environmental variation, but empirical evidence is limited. Cabrera and water voles show a metapopulation-like structure in Mediterranean farmland, where they are known to segregate along space, habitat, and time axes within habitat patches. Here, we assess whether segregation also occurs among and within landscapes, and how this is influenced by patch-network and matrix composition. We surveyed 75 landscapes, each covering 78 ha, where we mapped all habitat patches potentially suitable for Cabrera and water voles, and the area effectively occupied by each species (extent of occupancy). The relatively large water vole tended to be the sole occupant of landscapes with high habitat amount but relatively low patch density (i.e., with a few large patches), and with a predominantly agricultural matrix, whereas landscapes with high patch density (i.e.,many small patches) and low agricultural cover, tended to be occupied exclusively by the small Cabrera vole. The two species tended to co-occur in landscapes with intermediate patch-network and matrix characteristics, though their extents of occurrence were negatively correlated after controlling for environmental effects. In combination with our previous studies on the Cabrera-water vole system, these findings illustrated empirically the occurrence of hierarchical spatial segregation, ranging from withinpatches to among-landscapes. Overall, our study suggests that recognizing the hierarchical nature of spatial segregation patterns and their major environmental drivers should enhance our understanding of species coexistence in patchy environments.

Occurrence of anti-Neospora caninum and anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in dogs with visceral leishmaniasis

Uninfected dogs and those naturally infected with Leishmania chagasi exhibiting different clinical forms of disease were evaluated for the presence of anti-Neospora caninum and anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies. Blood samples were collected from 110 mongrel dogs. Sera were tested using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT), and the animals with visceral leishmaniasis (VL) (n=60) were classified clinically. Out of the 110 sera investigated, 5 (4.5%) were positive for N. caninum (IFAT≥50) and 36 (32.7%) for T. gondii (IFAT≥16). Anti-L. chagasi antibody titers in asymptomatic dogs (n=10) were found to be significantly lower (P<0.05) than those in oligosymptomatic ones (n=22), which were in turn significantly lower (P<0.05) than those in symptomatic ones (n=28). No association between Leishmania and N. caninum infections was observed. Among dogs infected with L. chagasi, a tendency (P=0.053) towards an association between the infection with T. gondii and the appearance of VL symptoms was observed, suggesting that the clinical manifestation of VL in dogs may enhance their susceptibility to T. gondii. The possible influence of the immunosuppressive status of canine leishmaniasis in the different clinical forms of the disease is discussed.

Increased Occurrence of Dental Anomalies Associated with Second-Premolar Agenesis

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of dental anomalies in patients with agenesis of second premolars and compare the findings with the prevalence of these anomalies in the general population. Materials and Methods: A Brazilian sample of 203 patients aged 8 to 22 years was selected. All patients presented agenesis of at least one second premolar. Panoramic and periapical radiographs and dental casts were used to analyze the presence of other associated dental anomalies, including agenesis of other permanent teeth, ectopia of unerupted permanent teeth, infraocclusion of deciduous molars, microdontia of maxillary lateral incisors, and supernumerary teeth. The occurrence of these anomalies was compared with occurrence data previously reported for the general population. Statistical testing was performed using the chi-square test (P < .05) and the odds ratio. Results: The sample with agenesis of at least one second premolar presented a significantly increased prevalence rate of permanent tooth agenesis (21%), excluding third molars. Among the sample segment aged 14 years or greater (N = 77), occurrence of third-molar agenesis (48%) exceeded twice its normal frequency. Significant increases in occurrence of microdontia of maxillary lateral incisors (20.6%), infraocclusion of deciduous molars (24.6%), and distoangulation of mandibular second premolars (7.8%) were observed. Palatally displaced canine anomaly was also significantly elevated (8.1%). Conclusion: The results provide evidence that agenesis of other permanent teeth, microdontia, deciduous molar infraocclusion, and certain dental ectopias are the products of the same genetic mechanisms that cause second-premolar agenesis. (Angle Orthod. 2009;79:436-441.)