Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of brand experience on customer inspiration and pro-environmental intention

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the potential predictors of customers’ pro-environmental intention based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework. PLS-SEM was used to tests the hypotheses using a sample of 217 green hotel customers. The results reveal that brand experience and customer inspiration significantly affect pro-environmental intention. Further, the results show customer inspiration significantly mediates the relationship between green hotel brand experience and pro-environmental intention. This study clearly shows the relationship between green hotel brand experience, customer inspiration and pro-environmental intention. Thus, this article contributes to exiting hospitality studies by identifying gaps and proposing a holistic view to understand customers’ pro-environmental intention in the green hotel industry.
Continuous Ground-Based Observation of Aerosol Optical Properties at Tsukuba, Japan: Trend and Climatology

To investigate aerosol optical properties, the Meteorological Research Institute has been continuously measuring scattering and absorption coefficients since January 2002 by using an integrating nephelometer and oneand three-wavelength absorption photometers in dry air conditions at Tsukuba, Japan. We used these optical data to investigate trends of aerosol properties and climatology from 2002 to 2013. The results showed that most aerosol characteristics had seasonal variation and decreasing or increasing trends significant at the 95 % confidence level. From 2002 to 2013, the extinction coefficient at 550 nm and absorption coefficient at 530 nm had statistically significant decreases of –1.5 × 10–6 and –5.4 × 10–7 m–1 year–1, respectively. In the same period, the scattering coefficient showed a non-significant decrease of –8.8 × 10–7 m–1 year–1. The single scattering albedo (SSA) at 550 nm had a significant increasing trend of 7.4 × 10–3 year–1. Asymmetry factors did not show a significant trend. The increasing trend in the extinction Ångström exponent was significant, whereas the trend in the effective radius was not significant. The increasing trend of 2.1 × 10–2 year–1 in the absorption Ångström exponent from 2006 to 2013 was significant. This tendency suggests a compositional change of light-absorbing aerosol. Frequency distributions of aerosol properties were investigated during 2006–2012. In this period, absorption coefficients were measured by the three-wavelength absorption photometer. The most frequent values of the extinction coefficient at 550 nm, the absorption coefficient at 530 nm, and the SSA at 550nm were 25 × 10–6, 3.0 × 10–6 m–1, and 0.905, respectively. The analysis using the extinction Ångström exponent showed that aerosol characteristics were dependent on the extinction Ångström exponent. The aerosol characteristics estimated from optical data were consistent with those derived from radiometer data. Therefore, ground-based monitoring of aerosol optical properties is useful for monitoring aerosol characteristics and interpreting variations in the surface radiation budget.
Antagonistic potentiality of native rhizobacterial isolates against root rot disease of okra, incited by Rhizoctonia solani

Among seventy isolates, antagonistic twenty one representing biovars of Pseudomonas fluorescens (biovars I, II, III, and V) were collected from the rhizosphere of okra, chilli, ground nut, brinjal, cabbage and tomato from different agro-ecological regions of West Bengal and were subjected to evaluate for their antifungal activity under in vitro condition against Rhizoctonia solani, the most important soilborne plant pathogen two isolates, PF-8 and PF-7 effectively inhibited the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani (72.05 and 68.25%, respectively) in dual culture method. The vigour index of okra was also recorded maximum for the isolate PF-8 (2415.7) followed by PF-7 (2063.25). Mechanisms of fungal inhibition were elucidated by tracing secondary-metabolite production of the rhizobacterial isolates. Most of the isolates expressed a specific mechanism of antagonism, as represented by production of pigments, Siderophores, cyanide (HCN), Indole Acetic acid (IAA) and Salicylic Acid (SA) production, and Phosphate solubilization. Rhizobacterial isolate PF-8 was found to be effective as seed and soil treatment for management of root rot disease of okra. The antagonistic nature of fluorescent pseudomonads against fungal pathogens can be assigned to design a potential candidate for development of agriculture sector to be used in biological control of soil borne plant pathogens.
Changes in Means and Extreme Events of Sea Surface Temperature in the East China Seas Based on Satellite Data from 1982 to 2017

Marginal seas are fundamental to humans for their importance in mariculture resources and commerce. Based on the NOAA 0.25 degree daily Optimum Interpolation (OI) sea surface temperature (SST) data set, spatiotemporal changes in mean and extreme SST in the East China Seas (ECSs) were examined for from 1982 to 2017. As a regional average, the annual mean SST has notably increased at a rate of 0.21 ± 0.08 °C per decade. The warming SST during 1982–2017 is probably related to the influence from a recent strengthening and westward extension of the WPSH. There are also notable warming trends in annual minimum and maximum SST. Spatially, the rapid warming of annual mean SSTs are located in the vicinity of the Yangtze Estuary, exceeding 0.2 °C per decade and part of the ECS-Kuroshio. This pattern may be largely affected by the spatial changes of minimum SST. Rapid warming of maximum SST can be found across the region, from the northern East China Sea (ECS) to the Bohai Sea. Since 1982, extreme hot days (EHDs) have undergone an obvious increasing trend, at a rate of 15.2 days per decade. Conversely, extreme cold days (ECDs) have been decreasing. Notably, the largest increase of EHDs appears in the western ECS and the Bohai Sea, which both have rich marine ecosystems. The trend of EHDs has a significant relationship to mean SST, suggesting that there will be a further increase in EHDs under continued warming in the ECSs. These findings emphasize the importance and urgency of strategies which should be planned for the adaptation and mitigation of specific types of extreme hot events in this region.
Firms and Global Value Chains : Identifying Firms ’ Multidimensional Trade Preferences

Trade policy has become increasingly multidimensional. Current trade agreements not only address market access but also encompass rules and provisions related to flexibility of commitment, investment protection, and dispute settlement mechanisms. Yet, rigorous evidence about how interest groups evaluate each of these in relation to the others remains scarce. We develop a firm-level theoretical framework to explain how firms’ international operations affect their preferences on different trade policy measures. We experimentally evaluate preferences over multiple policy dimensions using a conjoint analysis on firms in Costa Rica. Notably, for many types of firms, the standard trade policy measures of yesteryear—tariffs and subsidies— are no longer their most important concerns. Instead, the degree of firms’ involvement in global value chains shapes their preferences. Multinational corporations care most about protection of their foreign investments. Those exporters who are not central to global supply networks most value strong dispute settlement procedures. Finally, we find that preferences over these policy dimensions are more likely to vary by firm than by industry, which calls into question the existing literature’s focus on interindustry distinctions.
Silicon increases chlorophyll and photosynthesis and improves height and NDVI of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. r. latifolium Hutch)

Silicon (Si) it is a beneficial element that relieves biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. However, cotton plants are not considered Si accumulators, with low potential for uptake the element by roots. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of combinations of Si rates applied by leaf spray and soil on the physiology, growth and yield of cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L. r. latifolium Hutch). The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a 3 x 4 factorial scheme with four replications. Leaf spraying consisted of three Si concentrations (0, 500, and 1000 mL ha -1 ) corresponding to 0, 100, and 200 ml ha -1 of monosilicic acid, with spraying split into three applications at stages V4, V6 and V8. Soil-based fertilization consisted of four Si rates in (0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 kg ha -1 ) corresponding to 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 kg ha -1 of SiO 2 . At flowering, photosynthesis, green color index (GCI), plant height, and NDVI were evaluated. The application of Si in the planting furrow near the rhizosphere increased the green color index, reflecting a gain in photosynthesis and plant height, which positively increased NDVI. The use of high solubility Si in the planting furrow can increase the concentration of monosilicic acid in the area with the highest root distribution, enhancing the effect of this element in a non-accumulator crop such as cotton, by improving the green color index, photosynthesis and hence reflecting on gains in plant height and plant leaf area demonstrated by NDVI.
How to make continuum solvation incredibly fast in a few simple steps: A practical guide to the domain decomposition paradigm for the conductor-like screening model

We illustrate the domain decomposition Conductor-like Screening Model (ddCOSMO) implementation and how to couple it with an existing classical or quantum mechanical (QM) code. We review in detail what input needs to be provided to ddCOSMO and how to assemble it, describe how the ddCOSMO equations are solved and how to process the results in order to assemble the required quantities, such as Fock matrix contributions for the QM case, or forces for the classical one. Throughout the paper, we will make explicit references to the ddCOSMO module, which is an open source, Fortran 90 implementation of ddCOSMO that can be downloaded and distributed under the LGPL license.
Preparation and Properties of Dried Nanofibrillated Cellulose and its Nanocomposites

During the past decade there has been a growing interest in the reinforcement of synthetic polymers by cellulose fibres or fibre fragments. Some work has already been carried out on cellulose nanowhiskers and nanofibrils obtained from plants or animals. These whiskers or fibrils have been used as reinforcement components in synthetic polymers for the production of films and lacquer. Depending on the proportion of cellulose, the composites have shown improved mechanical properties. The production of fully degradable nanocomposites with biopolymers as matrix and cellulose nanofibrils with high aspect ratios as reinforcement is still a challenging task. Also, due to the large amount of hydroxyl groups on the surface of these nanofibrils, they tend to irreversibly agglomerate during drying. This process, known as hornification, decreases the aspect ratio of the nanofibrils. Consequently, their reinforcing potential in nanocomposites is lowered. Thus, the objective of this PhD project is to produce novel biopolymer composites that are reinforced by functionalised cellulose nanofibrils in powder form. A successful preparation of such bio-based composites could open up ways to new applications in e.g. medicine, bio-packaging or horticulture. In order to induce an optimal compounding of the fibrils with different biopolymers, good fibril/matrix embedding is required. Therefore, the cellulose nanofibrils have to be modified appropriately to match the hydrophilic or hydrophobic nature of the polymer matrix. In the first study, water-redispersible, nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) in powder form was prepared from refined, bleached beech pulp (RBP) by carboxymethylation and mechanical disintegration. The sequence of the treatments influenced the stability of the final products in water. When carboxymethylation was applied first, enhanced disintegration of RBP into its sub-structural elements was observed. The prepared powder of this route formed a stable gel in water without sedimentation after 20 h. SEM images affirmed a significant reduction of cellulose nanofibrils agglomeration compared to unmodified NFC. The results suggest that NFC in dry form could be used as an alternative to conventional NFC in aqueous suspensions used as starting material for derivatization and compounding with biopolymers.
Capturing learnings from advanced demand planning tool implementation to utilize in planning development and in future ERP implementation

Author: Miguel Ángel Sánchez Moreno Title of the thesis: Capturing learnings from advanced demand planning tool implementation to utilize in planning development and in future ERP implementation Number of pages: 67 Date: 04.06. 2018 Degree: Master’s Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management Supervisor: Jan Holmström, D.Sc. (Tech.) Thesis advisors: Nina Tuomikangas, M.Sc. (Tech.) and Eetu Korppi, M.Sc. (Tech.) The main purpose of this Master Thesis is practical: to help with the preparation of Vaasan’s BP2.0 implementation. To accomplish our goal, we will use the learnings from a previous demand planning tool (SO99) implementation to define future needs in the planning stream and identify possible gaps in the implementation plan provided by Lantmännen Unibake. This study follows a Design Science approach and is conducted using qualitative research methods in a single-case study. Four feasible and extrapolable solutions are proposed to fill the most relevant gaps discovered during the process; they are going to facilitate the change in the planning stream during the future implementation. Another key contribution of this thesis is that brings to the literature a case study analyzed in detail where diverse factors of the context make it unique. Learning from the past is a useful tool that everybody can use in a structured way and, supported by a design thinking approach, has proved to be a powerful combination.
Large-Scale Intelligent Taxicab Scheduling: A Distributed and Future-Aware Approach

Intelligent taxicab scheduling systems on smartphones continue to gain popularity as they offer prominent conveniences for urban travelling as well as increase potential profits for taxicab drivers, hence inject prosperity and vitality into intelligent transportation and urban business. Existing scheduling approaches usually fall into biases and myopia due to their single target perspective of satisfying the immediate order acceptance, or maximizing the global business success rates.However, the highly complex spatiotemporal dependencies among multiple factors and the efficiency bottleneck of massive order flows make the taxicab scheduling issue still challenging. To this end, in our paper, we propose an integrated scheduling algorithm with both future-aware and context-aware mechanisms. In particular, we first present a generalized graph-based framework which aims to capture traffic dependencies, providing precise and quantified supply-demand prediction in taxicab scheduling. Then, we develop a measurement of regional supply-demand context to perform cooperative and distributed scheduling. To tackle the efficiency bottleneck in massive order flow scenario, we correspondingly design a model to learn business patterns with considering benefits from both drivers and passengers, and further promote service delivery rates via a novel bi-incentive strategy. Extensive numerical studies illustrate the remarkable significance of our method, in terms of both service delivery rates and global driver revenues. The promising results and brand-new perspectives enable our algorithm to be a paradigm in general spatiotemporal scheduling tasks.
In-situ stress monitoring during corrosion and electrodeposition

High strength aluminum alloys of 2XXX and 5XXX series are widely utilized in recent years for marine, transportation and structural applications, due to low cost, high strength–to-weight ratio as well as good corrosion resistance. However, the aluminum alloys are susceptible to Intergranular Corrosion (IGC) or Intergranular attack (IGA), a form of metal degradation along the selective grain boundary element in a corrosive environment. For instance, Al-Cu-Mg alloy, AA2024-T3 is vulnerable to IGC with the dissolution of S phase, Al2CuMg particles that precipitate along the grain boundaries. Similarly, Al-Mg alloy, AA5083 is susceptible to IGC with the precipitation of β phase, Mg2Al3 particles along the grain boundaries of the alloy when exposed to long term elevated temperature (60 ̊C ~ 180 ̊C). In the present work, we utilized in-situ stress measurement during IGC of 2024 and 5083 to determine the mechanism relating corrosion induced stress fields and grain boundary dissolution. Phase shifting curvature interferometer, a method proven to be effectively detects electrochemical reaction induced curvature changes which is utilized to monitor the sample curvature during IGC. AA2024-T3 and sensitized AA5083-H116 samples were cut and polished then mounted in electrochemical cell with the front surface exposed to solution (aqueous 1 M NaCl for AA2024-T3, aqueous 3.5 wt% NaCl for sensitized AA5083-H116) and the mirror polished back surface utilized for in situ stress measurements. The electrochemical tests were performed with a three-electrode setup. Anodic potentiodynamic polarization was performed at a rate of 0.167 mV/s starting from -0.9 V to -0.3 V followed by a 30-minute open circuit potential (OCP). Subsequently, the samples were held at 0.1 V above the OCP value (-0.535 V for
A multi‐century meteo‐hydrological analysis for the Adda river basin (Central Alps). Part II: Daily runoff (1845–2016) at different scales

A high‐quality daily runoff time series of the Lake Como inflow and outflow, the longest for Italian Alps, was reconstructed for the 1845–2016 period in the Adda river basin. It was compared with contemporary monthly precipitation and temperature observations and estimated potential evapotranspiration losses. Trend analyses were conducted for daily flow maxima and 7‐day duration minima of inflows into the lake showing a non‐significant decrease and a significant increase, respectively. Although the annual precipitation time series exhibits a non‐significant decrease, annual runoff volumes decrease with a rate of −136 mm⋅century−1, with a significance level of 5%. Possible causes of variability of rainfall and runoff as North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation and Western Mediterranean Oscillation indexes and sunspot activity were also explored. Wavelet spectra analyses of monthly precipitation and runoff show some changes in the energy both at small and large scales and are effective in pointing out phenomena as droughts and the effects of dams' regulation. Conversely, wavelet coherence spectra indicate a weak correlation of NAO and sunspots with precipitation. In addition, the analysis of temperature and potential evapotranspiration tendencies suggests that the decrease of runoff has to be ascribed mostly to anthropogenic factors, including water abstraction for irrigation and increased evapotranspiration losses due to natural afforestation and, only in part, to climatic variability.
Variational Bayesian Phylogenetic Inference

Bayesian phylogenetic inference is currently done via Markov chain Monte Carlo with simple mechanisms for proposing new states, which hinders exploration efﬁ-ciency and often requires long runs to deliver accurate posterior estimates. In this paper we present an alternative approach: a variational framework for Bayesian phylogenetic analysis. We approximate the true posterior using an expressive graphical model for tree distributions, called a subsplit Bayesian network, together with appropriate branch length distributions. We train the variational approximation via stochastic gradient ascent and adopt multi-sample based gradient estimators for different latent variables separately to handle the composite latent space of phylogenetic models. We show that our structured variational approximations are ﬂexible enough to provide comparable posterior estimation to MCMC, while requiring less computation due to a more efﬁcient tree exploration mechanism enabled by variational inference. Moreover, the variational approximations can be readily used for further statistical analysis such as marginal likelihood estimation for model comparison via importance sampling. Experiments on both synthetic data and real data Bayesian phylogenetic inference problems demonstrate the effectiveness and efﬁciency of our methods.
The effects of exotic and native poplars on rhizosphere soil microbe and enzyme activity

The relationship between tree species and soil microbial communities has attracted much attention in ecology. However, how different poplars species affect soil microbial community and soil enzymes activities are not well studied. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method was used to assess the effects of six plant species on soil microbial community. The results indicate that respirations were significantly higher in planted soil than that in control soil. The order of values of soil respiration rates was: eluosiyang > jiayang > xiaoqingyang > xinganyang > fenglanyang > xiaoyeyang > control. The different poplars species could change soil enzyme activities. The lowest phenol coxidase value was found for xiaoqingyang. The value of acid phosphomonoesterase was particularly high in the rhizosphere of eluosiyang, where it was 1.2 folds higher than that of control soil. In contrast to the other two enzymes, β-glucosidase activity did not differ significantly among parts of poplar species (p>0.05). From the dendrogram, cluster analysis unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) resulted in a dendrogram with four main groups. Group I included jiayang, fenlangyang and xiaoyeyang. Eluosiyang and xinganyang were clustered into Group II. Group III included xiaoqingyang. Group IV contained control. Key words : Exotic poplar, native poplar, rhizosphere soil, enzyme activities, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).