Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Requirements Engineering process for Software Product Lines

A Requirements Engineering (RE) process is important to reduce the risks involved in a SPL, providing correct requirements development and management. On the other hand, there is a key challenge in RE for SPL, which involves an adequate solution to manage variabilities, integrating them and linking decisions in different assets for making easy the products derivation. Thus, the SPL development should be supported by an appropriate RE process for its context. This work defines a systematic requirements engineering process, describing activities, tasks, inputs, outputs, roles and guidelines for the SPL context, in an usable, effective and efficient way.
Strengthening Customer Loyalty Through Intimacy and Passion : Roles of Customer – Firm Affection and Customer – Staff Relationships in Services

Vol. XLV (December 2008), 741–756 741 © 2008, American Marketing Association ISSN: 0022-2437 (print), 1547-7193 (electronic) *Chi Kin (Bennett) Yim is Professor of Marketing (e-mail: yim@ business.hku.hk), and David K. Tse is Chair Professor of International Marketing (e-mail: davidtse@business.hku.hk), School of Business, University of Hong Kong. Kimmy Wa Chan is Assistant Professor of Marketing, Department of Management and Marketing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University (e-mail: mskimmy@polyu.edu.hk). This research was funded by a Hong Kong SAR RGC research grant awarded to the first two authors. Ruth Bolton and Jeffrey Inman served as associate editors for this article. CHI KIN (BENNETT) YIM, DAVID K. TSE, and KIMMY WA CHAN*
Children and Anthropology: Perspectives for the 21st Century

Preface Introduction: Questions and Challenges for a 21st Century Anthropology of Children Children and Anthropology: A Century of Studies by Helen B. Schwartzman Archaeological Approaches to the Study of Prehistoric Children: Past Trends and Future Directions by Blythe E. Roveland The Bodily Costs of Childbearing: Western Science through a West African Lens by Caroline Beldsoe Street Children and their Peers: Perspective on Homelessness, Poverty, and Health by Catherine Panter-Brick Participatory Research with Children in Vietnam by Joachim Theis The Bear (Ir)Realities: Media Technology and the Pretend-Real Distinction on a Televised Puppet Show by Calvin Smith, Candi Forrest, Laurence Goldman, and Michael Emmison Feminist Theory and the Ethnography of Children's Worlds: Barbie New Haven, Connecticut by Elizabeth Chin Young People and the Creation of Cultural Meaning: Three Examples from the Realm of Computing in Brazil by Gerald Lombardi Those on the Other Side: Ethnic Identity and Imagination in Greek Cypriot Children's Lives by Spyros Spyrou Constructing Racialized Childhoods in Canadian Political Discourse by Jane Helleiner Index
Practical Aspects of In-Situ Electrokinetic Extraction

Electrokinetic extraction in an emerging technology that can be used to remove contaminants from heterogeneous fine-grained soils in situ. Contaminants in the subsurface are removed by the application of a direct-current electric field across the contaminated soil. The primary contaminant transport and removal mechanisms are electroosmotic advection and ionic migration. However, there are many complex physicochemical reactions occurring simultaneously during the process that may enhance or retard the cleanup process. Nonetheless, the viability of the technology has been established by results obtained from many bench-scale and large-scale laboratory and pilot-scale field experiments performed on various soils. This paper will review the fundamental concepts of the technology and discuss some important practical aspects and design criteria of the technology for field implementations. An example on cost analysis of the technology is also presented to demonstrate the use of various equations presented in the paper and to illustrate the cost-effectiveness of the technology.
Limitation of the Coronary Vascular Response to Ischemia in the Awake Dog

During reactive hyperemia following a brief coronary artery occlusion, excess arterial inflow exceeds the blood flow debt incurred during occlusion by 300–600%. The present study was performed to determine whether this marked reactive hyperemia is essential for restoration of coronary vascular tone. Coronary blood flow was measured in unanesthetized dogs with electromagnetic flowmeters and hydraulic occluders chronically implanted on their left circumflex coronary arteries. When 10-second coronary artery occlusions were performed in pairs separated by a brief interval during which excess arterial inflow equaled the blood flow debt incurred during the first occlusion, reactive hyperemia following the second occlusion was no greater than that following an isolated control occlusion. Thus, approximately 100% repayment of the blood flow debt resulted in restoration of normal reactivity to a second occlusion. To further ascertain whether coronary vascular tone could be regained without the usual excess inflow, the reactive hyperemia following a 10-second occlusion was mechanically limited by partial inflation of the occluder. When reactive hyperemia equal to 115 ± 10% repayment of the blood flow debt was allowed, final complete release of the occluder was followed by no additional hyperemia. These studies demonstrated that the markedly excess arterial inflow which occurs during coronary reactive hyperemia is not essential for restoration of coronary vascular tone.
Spatially non-homogeneous potts model parameter estimation on higher-order neighborhood systems by maximum pseudo-likelihood

This paper addresses the problem of maximum pseudo-likelihood estimation of the non-homogeneous Potts image model parameters using higher-order non-causal neighborhood systems in a computationally efficient way. The motivation is the development of a new methodology for contextual classification that uses combination of sub-optimal MRF algorithms for multispectral image classification, which requires accurate parameters estimation. Our objective is to make multispectral image contextual classification fully operational without human intervention. The results show that the method is consistent with real data and in the presence of random noise.
Analysis of CCSDS-ILDC for Remote Sensing Data Compression 1

This paper deals with the encoding of high resolution images for remote sensing and geographic information systems applications. We are currently investigating the suitability of several still image coding techniques for this kind of applications. We present results for an adapted and modified version of the CCSDS-ILDC technique. In addition to evaluate its compression factor and quality of recovery with respect to the latest still image coding standard JPEG2000, we also consider whether this technique may fulfill the particular functionalities requested by remote sensing users. Key-Words: Lossy Data Compression, CCSDS-ILDC, JPEG2000, DWT, Remote Sensing, High Resolution Images, Geographic Information Systems
The effect of household income on household consumption in China

China’s economic growth undoubtedly led to an increase in the standard of living. Nevertheless, the price that China paid for this remarkably fast growth since its opening up in 1978 cannot be neglected. Due to a restructuring of the economic growth model, inequality occurred to a certain extent and has been strengthened by Chinese institutional features. The current growth model is considered as unsustainable and prone to external shocks – whereat it could not rely on the household consumption. The latter is extremely low by international standards, wherefore several factors are held responsible. The aim of this paper is to measure the effect of income and other Chinese characteristics that are claimed to be responsible for negatively affecting the household consumption. By using a comprehensive survey from 2011, these effects are measured directly at the household level. Having an understanding of the magnitude of these effects, especially about the importance of household income, certain solutions are discussed.
The Effect of Deferred Taxes on Security Prices

This paper examines whether an association exists between security returns and the noncurrent deferred tax component of earnings arid explores the reasons for such an association. This component is of particular interest because of the complexity and costliness of accounting for deferred taxes, combined with the debate over their relevance (or lack thereof). In addition, information about the firm's income increasing, decreasing, or smoothing choices may be imbedded in the deferred tax component; some of this information is not explicitly disclosed elsewhere in the financial statements. Recent research has led to a conjecture that differences in the valuation implications of various accrual accounts may be so highly contextual that simple descriptions have little or no explanatory power (Bernard and Stober I19891). We attempt to explore one component, deferred taxes, in detail, taking into account the economic context in which the component is interpreted and the composition of the items giving rise to deferred taxes (c.g., the cxtent to which deferred taxes consist of recurring items). We develop tests based on firm-specific characteristics and components of deferred taxes to assess cross-sectional differences in the future cash flow consequences of deferred taxes, and we investigate the potential value of the information imbcddcd in deferred taxes regarding future tax payments and/or other cash flows. Since the issuance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) Statement No. 96 (SFAS No. 96) in 1987, subsequcntly replaced by SFAS No. 109 in 1992, the subject of deferred taxes has received considerable attention. Prior to those pronouncements, accounting for deferred taxes had undergone few changes since the issuance of APB Opinion
Toxicity of Buprofezin on the Survival of Embryo and Larvae of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Bloch)

Buprofezin is an insect growth regulator and widely used insecticide in Malaysia. The present study evaluated the toxic effects of buprofezin on the embryo and larvae of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) as a model organism. The embryos and larvae were exposed to 7 different concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.5, 5, 25, 50 and 100 mg/L) of buprofezin. Each concentration was assessed in five replicates. Eggs were artificially fertilized and 200 eggs and larvae were subjected to a static bath treatment for all the concentrations. The mortality of embryos was significantly increased with increasing buprofezin concentrations from 5 to 100 mg/L (p< 0.05). However, the mortality was not significantly different (p<0.05) among the following concentrations: 0 (control), 0.05, 0.5 and 5 mg/L. Data obtained from the buprofezin acute toxicity tests were evaluated using probit analysis. The 24 h LC50 value (with 95% confidence limits) of buprofezin for embryos was estimated to be 6.725 (3.167-15.017) mg/L. The hatching of fish embryos was recorded as 68.8, 68.9, 66.9, 66.4, 26.9, 25.1 and 0.12% in response to 7 different concentrations of buprofezin, respectively. The mortality rate of larvae significantly (p<0.05) increased with increasing buprofezin concentrations exposed to 24-48 h. The 24 and 48 h LC50 values (with 95% confidence limits) of buprofezin for the larvae was estimated to be 5.702 (3.198-8.898) and 4.642 (3.264-6.287) mg/L respectively. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the LC50 values obtained at 24 and 48 h exposure times. Malformations were observed when the embryos and larvae exposed to more than 5 mg/L. The results emerged from the study suggest that even the low concentration (5 mg/L) of buprofezin in the aquatic environment may have adverse effect on the early embryonic and larval development of African catfish.
Reducing Data and Control Transfer Overhead through Network-Interface Support

This paper describes generic NI-level mechanisms that reduce data and control transfer overheads in user-level communication systems. These mechanisms reduce polling overhead without reducing throughput, improve multicast performance, and reduce the frequency of network and timer interrupts. They have all been implemented in a family of low-level Myrinet communication systems. We illustrate the performance impact of these mechanisms using microbenchmarks and parallel-application measurements.
Consumer Boycott Behavior: An Exploratory Analysis of Twitter Feeds

Boycott movements are often one of the most effective anticonsumption tactics used against companies that engage in practices deemed unethical or unjustified. This research explores the motives, causes, and targets of consumer boycott behavior using content analysis of Twitter feeds. Additionally, human sentiment analysis is used to investigate the relationship between boycott motives and the emotional intensity of boycott messages. The findings from analyzing a sample of 1,422 tweets show that while human rights issues constitute the leading cause of boycotts, business strategy decisions and corporate failures are also frequent causes, with for-profit providers of products and services being the most common boycott targets. The results also indicate that although consumer boycott messages are more commonly motivated by instrumental motives, noninstrumental motives have higher emotional intensity. This study provides a deeper understanding of consumer boycott behavior, and offers implications for consumers and businesses.
Nutritional Status and Nosocomial Infections among Adult Elective Surgery Patients in a Mexican Tertiary Care Hospital

Background Controversy exists as to whether obesity constitutes a risk-factor or a protective-factor for the development of nosocomial Infection (NI). According to the obesity-paradox, there is evidence that moderate obesity is a protective-factor. In Mexico few studies have focused on the nutritional status (NS) distribution in the hospital setting. Objectives The aim of this study was to estimate the distribution of NS and the prevalence of nosocomial infection NI among adult elective surgery (ES) patients and to compare the clinical and anthropometric characteristics and length of stays (LOS) between obese and non-obese patients and between patients with and without NI. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study with a sample (n = 82) adult ES patients (21–59 years old) who were recruited from a tertiary-care hospital. The prevalences of each NS category and NI were estimated, the assessments were compared between groups (Mann-Whitney, Chi-squared or the Fisher's-exact-test), and the association between preoperative risk-factors and NI was evaluated using odds ratios. Results The distribution of subjects by NS category was: underweight (3.66%), normal-weight (28.05%), overweight (35.36%), and obese (32.93%). The prevalence of NI was 14.63%. The LOS was longer (p<0.001) for the patients who developed NI. The percentages of NI were: 33.3% in underweight, 18.52% in obese, 17.39% in normal-weight, and 6.90% in overweight patients. Conclusion The prevalence of overweight and obesity in adult ES patients is high. The highest prevalence of NI occurred in the underweight and obese patients. The presence of NI considerably increased the LOS, resulting in higher medical care costs.
THE MEANING OF DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE

SUMMARY Prevailing paradigms of macro-economic management and levels and distributions of poverty in some rich countries suggest that economic and strategic self-interest rather than poverty reduction in poor countries are likely to be the primary objectives of much development assistance. The incommensurability of the paradigms of development discourse makes it unlikely that strongly held ideologically based positions on these matters will change quickly or easily. Moreover, non-altruistic positions can be maintained more readily by virtue of the loose construction of international declarations such as the Paris Declaration. Based on different interpretations of the Paris Declaration, empirical evidence from Cambodia and Indonesia of donor opportunism that is designed to maximise aid control and aid distinctiveness for non-altruistic purposes is presented. Recent sharp declines in donor legitimacy have made this more difficult to do, but even so, there have been no concomitant reductions in donor self-assurance concerning their exclusive possession of the moral and technical high ground. Such behaviour is, however, increasingly resented particularly by government officials in lower middle-income countries like Indonesia. Resulting relationships lack trust and are therefore unlikely to contribute optimally either to the realisation of non-altruistic purposes or to poverty reduction. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
How Benefits from is/IT Investments are Successfully Realized: the Role of Business Process Know How and Benefits Management Practices

Although organizations continue to make substantial investments in information systems and information technology (IS/IT), the successful realization of benefits from such investments has consistently been reported as one of the major organizational challenges. From a project perspective, this paper examines whether benefits management (BM) practices can be considered a viable approach to achieve the anticipated benefits. Drawing on resource-based theory (RBT) as well as the BM literature, we derive a structural equation model consisting of eight propositions. These propositions are tested using data collected from 454 projects. Our analysis of the data by means of partial least squares (PLS) finds that BM positively impacts benefits realization success (BRS). Specifically, organizations should acknowledge the importance of (1) benefits analysis, (2) benefits planning, and (3) benefits review when seeking to realize benefits. Furthermore, the findings suggest that benefits analysis is facilitated by the contextual constructs business process knowledge and business/IT communication. We also found a relationship between top management support and the contextual constructs. Collectively, the results have important theoretical and practical implications, as they provide quantitative evidence of how IS/IT investments should be managed to successfully realize benefits. Based on our results, we argue that BM is a basis for the successful realization of benefits. Nevertheless, organizations need to ensure that project teams have sufficient understanding of (1) the IS/IT, (2) the business, and (3) the interaction between IS/IT and the business. The latter is specifically the most challenging and most important competency that a project team can possess. We expect our research to spur organizations to instill a shared understanding of how IS/IT relates to the business and vice versa within their project teams, which will intensify BM’s positive effect on BRS.
Numerical decomposition of symmetric linear systems

This paper proposes a method for numerically decomposing symmetric linear systems. We define system symmetries as transformations of the inputs, outputs, and states that do not change the system behavior. We show that symmetric systems can be decomposed into decoupled subsystems. We provide an algorithm for performing this decomposition that uses the input-output symmetries and minimal realizations to calculate the decomposition.
THE ROLE OF INTERVENTIONAL THERAPIES IN THE TREATMENT OF CRPS

Interventional therapies, including nerve blocks, drug infusions, and implantable pain treatment devices have all been advocated for the treatment of complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). This section will present information about the role of each block or technique individually and present an algorithm for a “best practices” utilization of these procedures to treat CRPS, citing the best available evidence where available.
Effective Reward and Incentive Scheme for Effective Organizations

Effective reward and incentive scheme has become a tool for organizational effectiveness in the 21 st century. Effective reward and incentive scheme can benefit many organizations if managed properly. In this era of globalization there is need for effective reward and incentive scheme in order to enable organizations respond quickly to changes in the environment. The paper reviews literature on the effect of effective reward and incentive scheme on organizational performance. The paper concludes that the success of organizations to a very large extent depends on how effective their reward and incentive schemes are. The paper recommends that managers should put in place an effective reward and incentive scheme that sufficiently motivates employees as this could enhance their productivity, responsiveness and commitment to the achievement of the organizational goals. Keywords: Effective reward scheme, Effective incentive scheme Organizational performance, Employee involvement.
Detection of Coronal Mass Ejections in V471 Tauri with the Hubble Space Telescope

V471 Tauri, an eclipsing system consisting of a hot DA white dwarf (WD) and a dK2 companion in a 12.5 hr orbit, is the prototype of the precataclysmic binaries. The late-type component is magnetically active, due to its being constrained to rotate synchronously with the short orbital period. During a program of ultraviolet spectroscopy of V471 Tau, carried out with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS) on board the Hubble Space Telescope, we serendipitously detected two episodes in which transient absorptions in the Si III 1206 Å resonance line appeared suddenly, on a timescale of ≲2 minutes. The observations were taken in a narrow spectral region around Lyα and were all obtained near the two quadratures of the binary orbit, i.e., at maximum projected separation (~3.3 R☉) of the WD and K star. We suggest that these transient features arise when coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the K2 dwarf pass across the line of sight to the WD. Estimates of the velocities, densities, and masses of the events in V471 Tau are generally consistent with the properties of solar CMEs. Given our detection of two events during 6.8 hr of GHRS observing, along with a consideration of the restricted range of latitudes and longitudes on the K star's surface that can give rise to trajectories passing in front of the WD as seen from Earth, we estimate that the active V471 Tau dK star emits some 100-500 CMEs day-1, as compared to ~1-3 day-1 for the Sun. The K dwarf's mass-loss rate associated with CMEs is at least (5-25) × 10-14 M☉ yr-1, but it may well be orders of magnitude higher if most of the silicon is in ionization states other than Si III.
The prevalence of emotional and behavior problems in pediatric primary care serving rural children.

OBJECTIVES To examine the prevalence of parent-reported emotional and behavior problems in pediatric primary care clinics serving rural Appalachia using methods commensurate with studies of broader samples. METHODS Parents presenting to pediatric primary care clinics completed a rating scale (Pediatric Symptom Checklist) of psychosocial problems for their child. RESULTS Approximately 21% of all rating scales were in the clinically significant range. Across all parents, 63% identified the child's physician as their most common source of help. In contrast, mental health professionals had been sought out by only 24% of the sample. CONCLUSIONS These data replicate previous findings showing high rates of parent-rated psychosocial problems in pediatric primary care. Given the prevalence of these problems in primary care and parents' frequent help seeking in this setting, more research is needed on innovative approaches to integrated care in rural settings.