Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Complete inactivation of photosynthetic activity during desiccation and rapid recovery by rehydration in the aerial microalga Trentepohlia jolithus.

Aerial microalgae are more exposed to harsh and rapidly changing environmental conditions, including desiccation and radiation. Under high light, aerial algae in the desiccated state would be highly subject to photodamage. Therefore, aerial algae need effective protective mechanisms to dissipate excess excitation energy. In this study, the changes in photosynthetic behaviors during desiccation and after rehydration in Trentepohlia jolithus were confirmed using chlorophyll a fluorescence (OJIP) transient, allowing determination of the photoprotection mechanisms of this aerial alga. The filaments of T. jolithus cells at 25% relative air humidity (RH) are significantly shrunken compared with those at 100% and 87% RH, decreasing the surface area for light absorption. At 25% RH, the shape and intensity of the OJIP transient disappeared, but recovered rapidly to the level at 100% RH after 5 s of rehydration. Compared with 100% RH, the maximum quantum yield of PSII (φPo ), phenomenological energy fluxes for absorption (ABS/CSm) and active PSII reaction centers (RCs) at 25% RH decreased significantly, the specific energy fluxes for absorption (ABS/RC) increased significantly, but the specific energy fluxes for trapping (TRo/RC) at 25% RH did not change. These parameters at 25% RH recovered rapidly to the level at 100% RH after 5 s of rehydration. These results suggest that the efficiency of PSII light absorption and activities of PSII RCs were reversibly down-regulated in desiccated T. jolithus, which may be a special adaptive mechanism for the survivability of aerial microalgae in habitats with rapidly changing water availability.
Multi-Loaded Modulated Scatterer Technique for Sensing Applications

Modulated scatterer technique (MST) probes have been commonly used for near-field mapping application in antenna measurements as well as in imaging applications. Although they can be used as a general sensor, they present limitations in the amount of information that can be obtained. The paper proposes a new configuration for MST probes that can be used for sensing applications, which consists in using a set of impedances (at least three different impedances) instead of the conventional two impedance loads. Additional sensitive loads, such as thermistors, can be added to the multi-load MST sensor, in order to remotely sense their variation and perform further sensing of parameters which could not always be sensed by conventional MST. The paper presents the formulation and approaches that can be used to exploit the sensing capabilities of such multi-loaded MST sensor, as well as experimental validations through the measurement of the temperature in the neighborhood of the sensor.
Volatile Organic Acids In Compost: Production and Odorant Aspects

Samples of active and cured compost from across the U.S. are examined for volatile organic acids (VOA) in relation to other microbiological and chemical properties. VOA are considered important because they reflect temporal microbiological properties of active and cured compost that influence the potential for compost to become odorous and phytotoxic. Data collected from 712 compost samples reveals a wide range of concentration for VOA between 75 and 51,474 ppm (dry basis) with a mean concentration of 4,385 ppm. To understand the variability of VOA, technology and site-specific testing data are needed. The results underscore concern for phytotoxicity and odor release potential, as 15 percent of samples exceeded 10,000 ppm and 2.5 percent exceeded 25,000 ppm VOA. Data and methodologies presented are viewed as useful to better understand relationships between compost biological activities and production of malodorous and phytotoxic VOA.
On the utilization of resources: perspectives from the U.S. telecommunications industry

The issue of resource utilization is important in the resource-based stream of work, since the ability of firms to utilize resources is a key indicator of their competitive abilities. This paper specifies why some firms might be better at utilizing resources than others. Thereafter, it demonstrates how to empirically ascertain differences in resource utilization patterns between firms using the U.S. telecommunications industry as a context. The data envelopment analysis procedure (DEA), which is a firm-level resource utilization measure, is used. This procedure can be useful for the resource-based approach research agenda since performance is measured in resource terms. DEA is applied to measure variations in different dimensions of resource utilization for the firms making up the local operating sector of the telecommunications industry. The use of DEA to guide empirical research and address theoretical issues within the resource-based paradigm is illustrated, using the resource utilization index for the telecommunications firms as the measure of strategic performance. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do Customer Loyalty Programs Really Work

A company that initiates a customer loyalty program usually wants to retain existing customers, maintain sales levels and profits, increase the potential value of existing customers, and encourage customers to buy its other products as well. But, based on a review of behavioral loyalty research, Dowling and Uncles posit that the schemes do not fundamentally alter market structure and, instead, increase market expenditures without really creating any extra brand loyalty. Research shows that only about 10 percent of buyers for many types of frequently purchased consumer goods are 100 percent loyal to a particular brand over a one-year period. And consumers do not buy only one brand; for example, surveys of European business airline travelers show that more than 80 percent are members of more than one frequent flyer program. For any loyalty program to be effective, say the authors, it must leverage the value of the product to the customer. Therefore, the program must have: (1) a direct or indirect effect, such as the General Motors rebate scheme that builds up savings toward a new car, or gasoline companies' incentives of free air travel; (2) a perception of value, such as cash, a range of choice, aspirations of exotic free travel, or the likely achievement of rewards; and (3) timing -- when rewards are available. The more delayed the reward, the less powerful. Does it cost less to serve loyal customers? Are they less price sensitive? Do they recommend products to others? Not really, say the authors. The contention that loyal customers are always more profitable is a gross simplification. Dowling and Uncles suggest ways to design an effective program, such as (1) ensuring that it enhances the value proposition of the product or service; (2) fully costing the program; (3) maximizing the buyer's motivation to purchase again; and (4) considering the market conditions when planning.
Effects of Credit Scores on Consumer Payment Choice

This paper investigates the effects of credit scores on consumer payment behavior, especially on debit and credit card use. Anecdotally, a negative relationship between debit card use and credit score has been reported; however, it is not clear whether that relationship is related to other factors, such as education or income, or whether it is a mere correlation. We use a new consumer survey dataset to examine whether this negative relationship holds after controlling for various consumer characteristics, including demographic and financial characteristics, consumers' perceptions toward payment methods, and card reward status. The results based on a single-year survey as well as on panel data suggest that there is a significant negative relationship between debit card use and credit score even after controlling for various characteristics. We supplement the analysis with evidence from Equifax data. The results indicate that an increase in consumers' cost of debit cards—in response to regulatory changes, for example—would have an adverse effect on low-credit-score consumers (typically those with lower incomes and less education). ; We then investigate what credit score implies. If credit score significantly influences consumer access to credit cards, credit limits, or the cost of credit cards, then the negative relationship likely results from supply-side constraints. If a lower credit score is associated with differences in underlying preferences, then the negative relationship is likely due to demand-side effects. Preliminary evidence strongly suggests that supply-side factors play an important role in the cost of credit and in access to credit.
Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Augmentative and Alternative Communication: Analysis of Survey Data on Uptake of Aided AAC, and Loneliness Experiences

This study describes uptake of augmentative and alternative communication systems by adults with intellectual disabilities; their ability to self-report at interview; differences in self-reported loneliness experiences by communication mode; and predictors of loneliness. We analyzed National Core Indicators data from 26 US states involving over 13,000 service users grouped by primary means of expression: natural speech, gestures/body language, manual signs, or communication aid/device (aided AAC). Uptake of aided AAC was low; only 0.8% of participants used aided AAC as their primary means of expression. Valid interview responding was higher in turn for participants communicating with natural speech, aided AAC, and other modes. Almost half the participants were lonely, but loneliness did not differ by communication mode used; social contact and social climate variables predicted loneliness. Individuals who used aided AAC communicated more effectively than users of other non-speech modes, supporting more widespread use of aided AAC. Loneliness was prevalent but aided AAC users were not lonelier. Interventions to reduce loneliness are discussed.
Measuring ecological concern: A multi‐construct perspective

Environmental consciousness has consistently been shown to be much more than a passing fad. However, very little academic research has been conducted in the UK in developing ecological segmentation variables for targeting the environmentally‐concerned/aware segments of the population. This paper follows established procedures from the measure development literature and attempts to develop measures encapsulating individuals’: (1) perceived knowledge about green issues, (2) attitudes toward the environment and (3) levels of environmentally‐sensitive behaviour. The quality of the derived measures is assessed by means of dimensionability, reliability and validity checks and their potential usefulness for marketing purposes highlighted.
Neural bases of learning and memory: functional neuroimaging evidence

Positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have identified brain regions associated with different forms of memory. Working memory has been associated primarily with the bilateral prefrontal and parietal regions; semantic memory with the left prefrontal and temporal regions; episodic memory encoding with the left prefrontal and medial temporal regions; episodic memory retrieval with the right prefrontal, posterior midline and medial temporal regions; and skill learning with the motor, parietal, and subcortical regions. Recent studies have provided higher specificity, by dissociating the neural correlates of different subcomponents of complex memory tasks, and the cognitive roles of different subregions of larger brain areas.
Coexistence of banks and investment houses in the underwriting market: Evidence from the Japanese seasoned equity offering market

This paper examines whether banks and investment houses can coexist in the underwriting market, using Japanese seasoned equity offerings (SEOs). Evidence shows that although issuers with bank-affiliated underwriters have increased credit availability, they pay higher underwriting fees. Consequently, there is no difference in total issue costs between issuers with bank underwritings and those with investment house underwritings. Moreover, when stocks are owned by bank underwriters, the discount rate does not decrease. These results suggest that Puri’s (1999) theoretical argument about an extract effect being the condition for coexistence is true, despite the lack of empirical support by previous studies.
APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING IN FAMILY BUSINESS: LINKAGES OF ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR PLANNED ON INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE - AN EMPIRICAL STUDY IN YOGJAKARTA REGION, INDONESIA

This research was conducted on a family business that is in Yogjakarta, Indonesia. Reasons for choosing the family business as a subject of research is the uniqueness in our beliefs and core values that still survives in the family business. Use the respondents 50 business units consisting of two types of industry, services and goods (crafts). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis as a tool to test the hypotheses of the study. The results showed that organizational justice has a role in the behavior of knowledge sharing and influencing attitudes do knowledge sharing. Someone who looks at there is justice in an organization will show behavior that is cooperative. Another point show that behavior knowledge sharing would affect the improving performance of the individual, but if supported by perception of an individual believe that he is capable of engaging in behavior that focus.
Competition in a Multimarket Environment: The Case of Market Exit

Studies of competition typically have two underlying assumptions: that competition occurs within the boundaries of industries or markets and that all firms in a market or industry are affected equally by competitive pressures. The concept of multipoint competition challenges both assumptions. Multipoint theory addresses how different levels of contact between firms across multiple markets affect competition in individual markets. Its main argument is that high levels of contact between firms across markets will induce mutual forbearance, causing multipoint competitors to refrain from aggressively attacking each other.The restraint stems from the fact that high levels of intermarket contact enable a firm to respond to an aggressive action by a multipoint rival in markets other than the one in which the action takes place. That possibility raises the potential costs of aggressive moves and serves as a credible deterrent, especially if a firm can respond in several markets. In addition, multipoint competition helps firms to interpret their rivals' intentions and signal their own, reducing the likelihood of costly misunderstandings.The authors elaborate on those ideas to examine how a hospital's degree of intermarket contact with its competitors in a particular service market affects the likelihood that it will exit that market. They find that hospitals are less likely to exit markets in which they meet large numbers of their multipoint rivals. As a result of mutual forbearance, competitive rivalry is reduced across the markets that multipoint rivals share, lessening the types of pressures that typically prompt market exit. With lower levels of competitive rivalry, markets shared by multipoint rivals are relatively more hospitable environments in which to operate and are less likely to be exited. Rather than competing intensely, multipoint rivals appear to adopt a “live and let live” approach toward each other.The fact that multipoint contact across markets may lessen competitive pressures within individual markets has implications for the contact between firms in several settings. Multimarket contact can occur across different product or service markets and also across different geographic markets, thus affording an intriguing perspective for the investigation of the rivalry between emerging transnational firms. True transnationals, by successfully integrating global operations while still addressing local market concerns, have been seen by some as having the capabilities necessary for successful performance in international competition. Perhaps transnational firms, because they have an integrated decision-making structure, can coordinate their actions to reduce competitive rivalry with each other across the markets they share. If so, markets dominated by transnationals may become more stable than the current state of international competition would predict.
Self-Calibrated Edge Computation for Unmodeled Time-Sensitive IoT Offloading Traffic

With the characterizing benefits of ultra-low latency, contextual computing, and mobile scalability, mobile edge computing (MEC) is considered as a key enabler for realizing a tremendous boom in heterogeneously time-sensitive Internet-of-Things (IoT) services in the fifth-generation (5G) ecosystems. However, achieving low-latency comes at a cost of energy-efficiency reduction. To address and balance this tradeoff, this paper proposes a joint optimization of energy consumption and latency satisfaction in MEC servers, called latency-aware green (LAG) computing algorithm. To fully consider the heterogeneity of IoT services offloaded to the MEC servers, offloading traffic at the MEC servers is assumed to be unmodeled and unpredictable. Using the proposed LAG algorithm, each MEC server autonomously and dynamically calibrates its own computing frequency based on the current status of the workload buffer size and computational workload arrival rate. This dynamic calibration provides minimum energy consumption for the workload computation while maintaining the computational latency stabilized under a desired threshold. Evaluation results show that the proposed algorithm maintains stable MEC servers in an energy-efficient manner.
A Multicast Algorithm for Hypercube Multiprocessors

Efficient interprocessor communication is a key to the future success of large-scale multicomputers. Multicast communication, highly demanded in many scientific parallel algorithms, usually needs a large amount of communication traffic In this paper, our efforts are to alleviate the communication traffic of multicast in hypercubes. An optimal multicast algorithm in hypercubes should send a message from the source node to each of its destination nodes with a minimum number of hops while generating the least amount of total traffic Unfortunately, the problem to find optimal multicast communication in hypercubes is NP-complete. Therefore, we propose a heuristic multicast algorithm with time complexity O(nN) in n-dimensional hypercubes, where N= 2n, This algorithm is based on the virtual-circuited mode with centralized control. Our algorithm guarantees that each of the destination nodes can receive the source message through a shortest path from the source node. Compared with other heuristic algorithm, by sim.
Pharmacokinetic modeling of delayed gadolinium enhancement in the myocardium

Delayed contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE‐MRI) provides prognostic information by delineating regions of myocardial scar. The mechanism of this delayed enhancement in myocardial infarctions (MIs) is hypothesized to result from altered kinetics and changes in the volumes of distribution in the myocardium. Pharmacokinetic models with two and three compartments were fitted to the concentration‐time curves of dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI data obtained from five patients with known MI. Furthermore, the parameter stability was investigated in simulations for the two different models. The transfer constants and volumes of distribution showed a good correlation with imaging findings on early and delayed contrast‐enhanced MRI. The two compartment model showed higher parameter stability. The three compartment model allows a more in‐depth quantification of myocardial scarring. These models have the potential to improve the diagnosis of myocardial pathologies involving scar, with differing kinetics and volumes of distribution such as infarction or cardiomyopathy. Magn Reson Med 60:1524–1530, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The Role of Within-Trip Dynamics in Unplanned versus Planned Purchase Behavior

The recent surge in the importance of shopper marketing has led to an increased need to understand the drivers of unplanned purchases. The authors address this issue by examining how elements of the current shopping trip (e.g., lagged unplanned purchase, cumulative purchases) and previous shopping trips (e.g., average historical price paid by the shopper) determine unplanned versus planned purchases on the current trip. Using a grocery field study and frequent-shopper-program data, the authors estimate competing models to test behavioral hypotheses using a hierarchical Bayesian probit model with state dependence and serially correlated errors. The results indicate that shoppers with smaller trip budgets tend to exhibit behavior consistent with a self-regulation model (i.e., an unplanned purchase decreases the probability of a subsequent unplanned vs. planned purchase), but this effect reverses later in the trip. In contrast, shoppers with medium-sized trip budgets tend to exhibit behavior consistent with a cuing theory model (i.e., an unplanned purchase increases the probability of a subsequent unplanned vs. planned purchase), and this effect increases as the trip continues. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for research and practice.
Government Programs and Diffusion of Innovations in Taiwan: An Empirical Study of Household Technology Adoption Rates

ABSTRACT This research mirrors Olshavsky's (1980) groundbreaking study by using penetration data for household technologies in Taiwan. Results support conventional wisdom that adoption rates are increasing over time. Moreover, rates were negatively associated with price. This research goes beyond Olshavsky by examining whether adoption rates differ across geographical regions types (i.e., rural, townships, and metropolitan). Adoption rates for nine household technologies at the three geographical types are not significantly different. Support is lent to the proposition that government rural development policies promoting education and physical infrastructures have fostered relatively equal diffusion patterns of household technologies in Taiwan.
What Are the Odds? Community Readiness for Smoke-Free Bingos in First Nation Communities

Community members have identified second-hand smoke exposure among young women and children within First Nations communities as a concern. As part of a community-based research project, we analyzed experiences related to establishing smoke-free public spaces and the challenges related to smoking and bingo. The purpose of this study was to a) describe and compare community smoking at bingo in First Nations communities, and b) draw implications for assessing and supporting community readiness for comprehensive tobacco control policies (TCPs). Data were collected using individual interviews, group discussions, and observations in the community. The establishment of smoke-free public spaces in communities evolved out of concern by people traditionally responsible for the well-being of the community. Despite close proximity and similar socioeconomic contexts, readiness to extend these successes to bingos held in community halls was influenced by three main factors: a) economic drivers, b) the smoking majority, and c) grassroots support. Although models for assessing community readiness provide a useful starting point for understanding local TCP development and implementation in First Nations communities, other factors also need to be considered. Using a comprehensive approach to assessing community readiness has the potential to increase success in extending TCPs and practices in First Nations communities in ways that are culturally relevant, address local conditions, and build on existing efforts.