Search results for " strategic"
showing 10 items of 440 documents
Factors influencing structural heat-induced structural relaxation of dissolved organic matter
2018
Abstract Physical and chemical structure affect properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Recent observations revealed that heating and cooling cycles at higher temperature amplitude lead to a change in DOM physical conformation assumingly followed by a slow structural relaxation. In this study, changes at lower temperature amplitudes and their relation to DOM composition were investigated using simultaneous measurements of density and ultrasonic velocity in order to evaluate the adiabatic compressibility, which is sensitive indicator of DOM structural microelasticity. Six fulvic acids (FAs) having various origins were analyzed at concentrations of 0.12, 0.6 and 1.2 g L−1 and at differe…
Assessment of chronic effects of tebuconazole on survival, reproduction and growth of Daphnia magna after different exposure times
2015
The effect of the fungicide tebuconazole (0.41, 0.52, 0.71 and 1.14mg/L) on survival, reproduction and growth of Daphnia magna organisms was monitored using 14 and 21 days exposure tests. A third experiment was performed by exposing D. magna to the fungicide for 14 days followed by 7 days of recovery (14+7). In order to test fungicide effects on D. magna, parameters as survival, mean whole body length, mean total number of neonates per female, mean number of broods per female, mean brood size per female, time to first brood/reproduction and intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) were used. Reproduction was seriously affected by tebuconazole. All tebuconazole concentrations tested affected t…
Shear design of high strength concrete beams in MRFs
2019
This paper presents the criteria for the shear design of high strength concrete (HSC) beams in moment resisting frames (MRFs). The formulation of an analytical model is provided for the case of beams with longitudinal reinforcement in the presence of transverse stirrups. The model is of additive type, in the meaning that the shear resistance of the beam is evaluated as the sum of several contributions. In particular, the contribution of concrete, longitudinal rebars, and transversal reinforcement are taken into account. Furthermore, for assessing the concrete contribution, a classical approach is followed, according to which two effects arise in the shear mechanism: the arc and the beam eff…
“Another Munich We Just Cannot Afford”: Historical Metonymy In Politics
2016
The appeasement of Hitler and the Munich Agreement is a rhetorical comparison used commonly in international relations to defend politico-military action. On the basis of conceptual history and rhetorics, we examine cases of political speech in this paradigm. Firstly, we discuss time and conceptualize experience into first and second order experiences. Secondly, the roles of metaphor, metonymy and analogy in relation to thought and action are examined. We then contextualise Munich 1938, and present three cases demonstrating the political usage of this metonymy since WWII. These range from the Suez Crises to the Gulf War and on-going War on Terror. These cases show that “Munich” can be used …
Empirical Equations for the Direct Definition of Stress–Strain Laws for Fiber-Section-Based Macromodeling of Infilled Frames
2018
Equivalent strut macromodels are largely used to model the influence of infill walls in frame structures due to their simplicity and effectiveness from a computational point of view. Despite these advantages, which are fundamental to carrying out seismic simulation of complex structures, equivalent struts are phenomenological models and therefore have to conventionally account for the influence of really large amounts of geometrical and mechanical variables with a relatively simple inelastic response. Mechanical approaches, generally used to evaluate the force-displacement curve of a strut, are based on hypothesizing the damage mechanism that will occur for an infill-frame system subject to…
The Role Of Complex Leadership In Interfirm Strategic Networks: Enabling Effect Versus Emergence
2014
In today's knowledge-based economy, the sources of competitive advantage lie more and more in webs of relationships among a variety of firms that over time originate the emergence of interfirm strategic networks. The paper aims to shed light on the role of complex leadership exerted by network central firms in promoting and supporting network interactions and the ensuing processes of knowledge and resource transfer and diffusion. Processes on which the network-based sources of competitive advantage are rooted. In the attempt to make the proposed contribution, on the one hand, we underscore the emergent nature of network interactions stemming from the self-organizing behaviors that spontaneo…
The European Union as a normal international actor: an analysis of the EU Global Strategy
2019
For a long time, the European Union (EU) has been described by many scholars and policymakers as a civilian and a normative power. This article argues that these concepts do not accurately capture the foreign policy behaviour of the EU as prescribed in the European Union Global Strategy (EUGS). It first situates EU identity and role played in international relations within role strain theory. Then, it notes that the EU has difficulties fulfilling duties connected with its international identity and role. The second part of the article uses three indicators to examine whether the EU is pursuing ‘normal’ international actor status or not, drawing on the Strategy and relevant literature to do …
Introduction: The EU as International Mediator – Theoretical and Empirical Perspectives
2018
AbstractIn this introductory article of the special issue, we examine European Union (EU) mediation practice and identify different conceptual and empirical perspectives from which it can be analyzed. We present different understandings of mediation in research and practice a definition and conceptual clarification ofEUmediation practice, and offer a definition that covers mediation efforts and mediation support activities. Then, the institutional architecture forEUmediation activities is presented. Next, the focus of this special issue is examined and research questions that have not yet been sufficiently addressed in existing research ofEUforeign policy and mediation are discussed. Based …
Internationalization via strategic alliances in family businesses.
2004
It has been observed in previous studies that certain characteristics of family businesses may impede internationalization. These characteristics include the concentration of decision-making in the hands of a single shareholder or small group of shareholders, delays in the succession process, aversion to internationalization, etc. Despite these obstacles, a large number of family businesses have chosen to internationalize as a means of revitalizing themselves. The results of the study reported here indicate three important pre-requisites for family businesses that are seriously considering internationalization as an aid to growth: they need to have a market-leading product, adequate financi…
Development of a Low-Cost IoT System for Lightning Strike Detection and Location
2019
Lightning and thunder are some of the most violent natural phenomena. They generate a great deal of expenditure and economic loss, especially when they strike in cities. The identification of the concrete geographic area where they strike is of critical importance for emergency services in order to enhance their effectiveness by doing an intensive coverage of the affected area. To achieve this purpose at the city scale, this paper proposes the design, prototype, and validation of a distributed network of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The IoT devices are empowered with lightning detection capabilities and are synchronized with the other devices in the sensor network. All of them cooperat…