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IN THIS PAPER WE PRESENT IMPROVEMENT ON TWO RESULTS ABOUT ASYMPTOTIC FORMULAE: A HARTMAN WINTNER RESULT, WHERE THE NOT PERTURBED SYSTEM IS NET NECESSARILY DIAGONAL AND A POINCAR´E RESULT, WHERE THE ROOTS OF THE CHARACTERISTIC EQUATION OF THE NOT PERTURBED SYSTEM COULD HAVE THE SAME MODULI ARE PRESENTED. BOTH RESULTS INCLUDE NONLINEAR PERTURBATIONS. APPLICATIONS ARE GIVEN.

BY COMBINING TWO INDEPENDENT RESEARCH STREAMS, WE EXAMINE THE STRATEGIC VALUE AND ADOPTION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE (E-COMMERCE) AS PERCEIVED BY TOP MANAGERS IN SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ENTERPRISES (SME). WE PROPOSE A RESEARCH MODEL THAT POSITS THREE FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE INFLUENTIAL IN PREVIOUS RESEARCH IN THE PERCEPTION OF STRATEGIC VALUE OF OTHER INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES. INSPIRED BY THE TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTANCE MODEL OF DAVIS (1989) AND OTHER RELEVANT RESEARCH IN THE AREA, WE ALSO IDENTIFY FOUR FACTORS THAT WE BELIEVE WILL INFLUENCE E-COMMERCE ADOPTION. WE HYPOTHESIZE A CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN THE PERCEIVED STRATEGIC VALUE OF E-COMMERCE AND E-COMMERCE ADOPTION. TO VALIDATE THE RESEARCH MODEL, WE COLLECTED DATA FROM TOP MANAGERS/OWNERS OF SME VIA AN INTERNET SURVEY. CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS WAS USED TO TEST THE FACTORS UTILIZED IN THIS STUDY WHILE CANONICAL CORRELATION ANALYSIS WAS EMPLOYED TO VALIDATE THE CAUSAL LINK BETWEEN THE TWO MAIN CONSTRUCTS OF THIS STUDY.

IN THIS STUDY, WE EMPIRICALLY EXPLORE HOW TASK PERFORMANCE AND DOMAIN-SPECIFIC SELF-EFFICACY INFLUENCE THE PERCEIVED EASE OF USE (PEU) OF OBJECT-ORIENTED TECHNIQUES. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT BOTH SELF-EFFICACY AND PERFORMANCE POSITIVELY INFLUENCES PEU ACCORDING TO EXISTING LITERATURE. HOWEVER, WE SPECULATE THAT THE EFFECT OF SELF-EFFICACY ON PEU, EVEN THOUGH STILL POSITIVE, BECOMES WEAKER WHEN SUBJECTS ARE GIVEN PRIOR TRAINING IN STRUCTURED ANALYSIS. IN CONTRAST, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND PEU BECOMES STRONGER WHEN SUBJECTS ARE GIVEN THE SAME TRAINING. WE CONDUCTED TWO TESTS AND COLLECTED DATA FROM A GROUP OF 79 SUBJECTS. WE FOUND A STRONG SUPPORT FOR MOST OF THE RESEARCH HYPOTHESES.

IN THIS WE GIVE A UNIFICATION OF DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS RESULTS ABOUT ASYMPTOTIC FORMULAE FOR SOLUTIONS OF DYNAMIC SYSTEMS ON TIME SCALES WITH A FUNCTIONAL PERTURBATION

LIBRO: INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON EXTENDING DATABASE TECHNOLOGY ISBN: 978-3-540-23305-3

THIS STUDY COMPARED INSTRUCTORS' PERCEPTIONS OF ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST ONLINE TEACHING IN THE UNITED STATES AND SOUTH KOREA AND EXAMINED THE IMPACT OF SELECTED DEMOGRAPHICAL VARIABLES ON THESE PERCEPTIONS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT AMERICAN AND KOREAN INSTRUCTORS HAD SIMILAR PERCEPTIONS ABOUT ONLINE TEACHING. HOWEVER, THE TWO GROUPS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERED ON THE EXTENT OF AGREEMENT OR DISAGREEMENT WITH THE STATEMENTS INCLUDED IN THE STUDY. SEVERAL OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES THAT WERE EXAMINED IN THE STUDY HAD SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON PARTICIPANTS'R ESPONSES.

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE HAS TAKEN A VITAL IMPORTANCE IN THE LAST YEARS DUE TO THE ADVANTAGES THAT IT PROVIDES TO BUYERS AND SELLERS. HOWEVER, THE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE IS STILL LIMITED, ESPECIALLY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO REPLICATE AND COMPARE PART OF THE MODEL PROPOSED BY MCCLOSKEY, WHICH INTENDS TO DETERMINE THE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PARTICIPATION, AND TO VALIDATE THE APPLICABILITY OF THE MODEL IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT. TO THIS END, DATA WAS COLLECTED AMONG 310 CHILEAN COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE RESULTS VALIDATED THE MODEL IN MOST OF THE VARIABLES. YET, SECURITY AND PRIVACY ISSUES SEEMED TO BE MORE IMPORTANT FOR CHILEAN THAN AMERICAN STUDENTS. THIS REPLICATION CONTRIBUTES TO EXTEND OUR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE VARIABLES THAT INFLUENCE ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PARTICIPATION AND TO SUGGEST A MODEL THAT IS NOT ONLY APPLICABLE TO DEVELOPED BUT ALSO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOR (TPB) HAS BEEN WIDELY USED TO PREDICT BEHAVIORAL INTENTION OF DIFFERENT KINDS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A LACK OF STUDIES THAT HAVE MEASURED THE FACTORIAL STRUCTURE OF THE TPB INSTRUMENT. IN ADDITION, FINDINGS THAT APPLY TO ONE CONTEXT MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE IN DIFFERENT SETTINGS. THUS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEORY BUILDING. BASED ON A SAMPLE OF 210 MANAGERS/OWNERS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED BUSINESSES IN CHILE, THIS RESEARCH USES CONFIRMATORY FACTOR ANALYSIS (CFA) AND STRUCTURAL EQUATION MODELING (SEM) TO TEST THE UNDERLYING FACTOR STRUCTURE AND ASSESS RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE TPB INSTRUMENT. THE RESULTS PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR A REVISED TPB MODEL WHICH EXPLAINS EIGHTY-ONE PERCENT OF THE VARIANCE IN INTENTION BY USING ATTITUDES, SUBJECTIVE NORMS, AND PERCEIVED BEHAVIORAL CONTROL VARIABLES. THUS, THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE USE OF AN ELEVEN-ITEM INSTRUMENT WHEN APPLYING THE TPB IN THIS INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT.

DRYING OF POROUS MATERIALS IS IMPORTANT IN THE PROCESSING INDUSTRY, MAINLY IN FOOD MANUFACTURING. THE CLASSICAL DRYING THEORY HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED (BARBOSA-CÁNOVAS AND VEGA-MERCADO, 1996). THIS APPROACH IS BASED ON EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF THE EFFECTIVE DIFFUSION COEFFICIENTS AS A FUNCTION OF WATER SATURATION. A DIFFERENT APPROACH IS BASED ON THE STUDY OF DRYING MECHANISMS AT PORE LEVEL (SEGURA AND TOLEDO, 2005A; SEGURA AND TOLEDO, 2005B; LAURINDO AND PRAT, 1998).

THE TYPICAL PROBLEMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION STAGE INCREASE WHEN STAKEHOLDERS ARE WORKING ON A GLOBAL SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT. IN ORDER TO FULFIL THE CHALLENGE OF SUCCESSFULLY CARRYING OUT THE REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION PROCESS IN A GSD ENVIRONMENT, REQUIREMENTS SPECIALISTS NEED SUITABLE PREPARATION. AN IMPROVEMENT IN THIS PREPARATION NECESSITATES AN UPDATE OF THE CONTENTS, TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS USED IN THE TEACHING OF THE REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION PROCESS. IN THIS PAPER WE DISCUSS THESE ISSUES, SHOW A LIST OF KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS WHICH ARE DESIRABLE FOR REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION ENGINEERS IN GSD (OBTAINED FROM A REVIEW OF LITERATURE), AND WE ALSO PROPOSE A SIMULATOR ENVIRONMENT WITH WHICH TO DEVELOP CERTAIN SKILLS THAT ARE APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS AND ENGINEERS IN GSD REQUIREMENTS ELICITATION.

TRADITIONALLY, MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT HAS MAINLY BEEN UNDERTAKEN FROM A TECHNICAL-FUNCTIONAL POINT OF VIEW, WHILE LEAVING SOME EMOTIONAL ISSUES ASIDE, IN THE BACKGROUND. ON THE OTHER HAND, GLOBALIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS HAVE MADE IT CRITICAL TO INTRODUCE SOME NECESSARY ALTERNATIVES THAT TAKE ECO-DESIGN ISSUES ABLE TO DECREASE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT INTO CONSIDERATION. THIS CURRENT RESEARCH WORK HAS CONSISTED ON MATERIAL EXPERIMENTAL DEVELOPMENT, BASED ON THE ARGUMENT OF USING NON-CONVENTIONAL RAW MATERIALS IN THE COMPOSITION AS SUCH MATERIALS, IN ADDITION TO USING NATURAL-SOURCED, WASTE AND LOW COST RAW MATERIAL GENERATED IN THE SPECIFIC REGION. BY DOING SO, NEW CONFIGURATIONS THAT MAY ENRICH OUTCOMES FROM THE VISUAL POINT OF VIEW ARE TO BE SOUGHT, WHILE SAVING AND VALUING SUCH RAW MATERIAL FORMAL FEATURES. LIKEWISE, RECYCLING HAS TO BE ASSUMED NOT AS AN ERASING HOMOGENIZATION, BUT SHOWING THE SOURCE OF THAT MATERIAL TO BE USED BY HIGHLIGHTING THE EXISTENCE OF SUCH RAW MATERIAL, AND ALSO MAKING REFERENCE AND RECALLING ABOUT ITS ORIGIN. VARIOUS VISUAL READINGS THAT MAKE IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN EMOTIONAL INTERACTION WITH THE MATERIAL HAVE TO BE GENERATED. THE EXPERIENCE EXPERIMENTAL SCOPE IS MAINLY BASED ON THE ATTEMPT OF FINDING SOME COMPATIBILITIES AMONG RAW MATERIALS THAT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY UNDERTAKEN IN THE MATERIAL DEVELOPMENT FIELD AND, IN TURN, TO SET UP RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THESE COMPATIBILITIES AND THE VARIOUS ADHESIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR A GIVEN EXPERIMENT. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE NON-CONVENTIONAL FEATURE WAS GIVEN THROUGH A NEW APPLICATION OF THE RAW MATERIAL (WITH RESPECT TO THE MIXTURE THAT WAS PREPARED OR TO THE NEW APPLICATION CONTEXT); THROUGH THE UNDERSTANDING OF AN EXISTING MATERIAL AS RAW MATERIAL, CONVEYING IT TO THE MATERIAL AREA, AND BY REUSING THE WASTE MATERIAL. SUCH WORK OR ACTIVITY ENDED WITH A SELECTION OF THOSE FINEST PIECES REGARDING VISUAL QUALITY AND BODILY OR PHYSICAL RESULT, AND FURTHER RESULTS ANALYSIS CARRIED OUT JUST

SETTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAKING OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS COMPEL COMPANIES TO A CONTINUOUS SEARCH AND APPLICATION OF NEW MATERIALS IN ORDER TO KEEP AND IMPROVE THEIR COMPETITIVE STATUS, AS WELL AS TO PROVIDE BETTER SERVICES FOR THEIR CUSTOMERS. ON THE OTHER HAND, INDUSTRIAL DESIGN CONVENTIONAL PROCESS HAS BEEN TAUGHT AND CARRIED OUT AT A BUSINESS-PRODUCTIVE LEVEL, THUS RESTRICTING THE DEVICE CONCEPTION TO THOSE MATERIAL OPTIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN-FORCE IN THE MARKET. THIS MEANS THAT PRODUCTS ARE TRADITIONALLY CONCEIVED AND UNDERSTOOD FROM A DESIGN PROCESS THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DESIGN OF THOSE MATERIALS THAT ARE INVOLVED AS PART OF IT. WITH RESPECT TO THIS THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL SCOPED RESEARCH WORK, AND WHICH HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER COOPERATION BETWEEN UNIVERSITY AND COMPANIES , MATERIAL DESIGN HAS BEEN VALUED AS AN OPPORTUNITY BOTH FOR INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURERS AND DESIGNERS REGARDING DESIGN-BASED INNOVATION. BY DOING SO, MATERIAL DESIGN HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF BIONICS WHEN APPLIED INTO DESIGN, ALONG WITH MATERIAL DESIGN THAT, IN THIS CASE, FEATURES RADIATA PINE AS WOOD BASED RAW MATERIAL BEING THE CORE AND HUB FOR ITS DEVELOPMENT.

DURING THE LAST DECADES, MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL CURRICULAR JOINT VENTURES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED NOT ONLY IN EUROPE AND THE US, BUT ALSO IN MANY OTHER PLACES ALL OVER THE WORLD. THESE INITIATIVES HAVE ENCOMPASSED UNIVERSITIES, CORPORATIONS, NON-PROFIT OR NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED TO TEACH DIVERSE AREAS OF KNOWLEDGE. DESPITE THE FACT THESE INITIATIVES HAVE BEEN INCREASING DURING THE LAST YEARS, THIS INCREMENT HAS NOT BEEN AS INTENSE NEITHER IN THE US NOR IN LATIN AMERICA AS IN OTHER PLACES, I.E. EUROPE. THIS PAPER SHOWS A PROPOSED JOINT PROGRAM BETWEEN THE US AND LATIN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES TO TEACH A MASTER IN CIVIL ENGINEERING.

ENSURING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF QUALITY OF LEARNING OBJECTS USED IN E-LEARNING IS CRUCIAL TO INCREASE THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS OF AUTOMATED SYSTEMS IN RECOMMENDING OR FINDING THESE RESOURCES. THIS PAPER AIMS TO PRESENT A PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF A QUALITY MODEL FOR LEARNING OBJECTS BASED ON ISO 9126 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD FOR THE EVALUATION OF SOFTWARE QUALITY. FEATURES INDICATORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONFORMANCE SUB-CHARACTERISTIC ARE DEFINED. SOME INSTRUMENTS FOR FEATURE EVALUATION ARE ADVISED, WHICH ALLOW COLLECTING EXPERT OPINION ON EVALUATION ITEMS. OTHER QUALITY MODEL FEATURES ARE EVALUATED USING ONLY THE INFORMATION FROM ITS METADATA USING SEMANTIC WEB TECHNOLOGIES. FINALLY, WE PROPOSE AN ONTOLOGY-BASED APPLICATION THAT ALLOWS AUTOMATIC EVALUATION OF A QUALITY FEATURE. IEEE LOM METADATA STANDARD WAS USED IN EXPERIMENTATION, AND THE RESULTS SHOWN THAT MOST OF LEARNING OBJECTS ANALYZED DO NOT COMPLAIN THE STANDARD.

A DIMENSION IN A DATA WAREHOUSE (DW) IS A SET OF ELEMENTS CONNECTED BY A HIERARCHICAL RELATIONSHIP. THE ELEMENTS ARE USED TO VIEW SUMMARIES OF DATA AT DIFFERENT LEVELS OF ABSTRACTION. IN ORDER TO SUPPORT AN EFFICIENT PROCESSING OF SUCH SUMMARIES, A DIMENSION IS USUALLY REQUIRED TO SATISFY DIFFERENT CLASSES OF INTEGRITY CONSTRAINTS. IN SCENARIOS WHERE THE CONSTRAINTS PROPERLY CAPTURE THE SEMANTICS OF THE DW DATA, BUT THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED BY THE DIMENSION, THE PROBLEM OF REPAIRING (CORRECTING) THE DIMENSION ARISES. IN THIS PAPER, WE STUDY THE PROBLEM OF REPAIRING A DIMENSION IN THE CONTEXT OF TWO MAIN CLASSES OF INTEGRITY CONSTRAINTS: STRICTNESS AND COVERING CONSTRAINTS. WE INTRODUCE THE NOTION OF MINIMAL REPAIR OF A DIMENSION: A NEW DIMENSION THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH RESPECT TO THE SET OF INTEGRITY CONSTRAINTS, WHICH IS OBTAINED BY APPLYING A MINIMAL NUMBER OF UPDATES TO THE ORIGINAL DIMENSION. WE STUDY THE COMPLEXITY OF OBTAINING MINIMAL REPAIRS, AND SHOW HOW THEY CAN BE CHARACTERIZED USING DATALOG PROGRAMS WITH WEAK CONSTRAINTS UNDER THE STABLE MODEL SEMANTICS.