Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Managers Perceptions towards the Success of E-performance Reporting System

Managers are the key informants in the information system (IS) success measurements. In fact, besides the determinant agents are rarely involved in the assessments, most of the measurements are also often performed by the technical stakeholders of the systems. Therefore, the results may questionable. This study was carried to explain the factors that influence the success of an e-performance reporting system in an Indonesian university by involving ± 70% of the managers (n=66) in the sampled institution. The DeLone and McLean model was adopted and adapted here following the suggestions of the previous meta-analysis studies. The collected data was analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) for examining the four hypotheses. Despite the findings revealed acceptances of the overall hypotheses, the weak explanation of the user satisfaction variable towards the net benefit one had been the highlighted point. Besides the study limitations, the point may also be the practical and theoretical considerations for the next studies, especially for the IS success studies in Indonesia
DEALING WITH SENSOR ERRORS IN SCAN MATCHING FOR SIMULTANEOUS LOCALIZATION AND MAPPING

The paper presents Potential-Based Scan Matching (PSCM) method used for simultaneous localization and mapping of mobile robot in unknown environment. The method is based on matching two proximity sensor scans from different robot locations. The resistance of the method against errors in sensor readings is investigated using both general sensor error model and error model for LMS 200 laser scanner. The method proved to be highly resistant against the noise with respect to the localization issue, the mapping is consistent for the noise levels exceeding the commonly used instruments.
Neotectonic movements and their geomorphic response as reflected in surface parameters and stress patterns in the Eastern Alps

Present-day tectonics of the Eastern Alps are characterized by strike-slip faulting regime in a complex transition zone between the European, the Pannonian and the Adriatic stress provinces. Evidence can be found for vertical as well as horizontal stress decoupling within the orogen due to a thermally and mechanically weakened crust. Differential vertical uplift derived from repeated precise levellings relative to the reference point in the Bohemian massif is observed in western Austria including the Tauern Window and subsidence in the Vienna basin and in the Styrian basin. We relate this behaviour of vertical motions to the effects of isostatic response to active plate convergence and strain partitioning as well as to rebound in response to Quaternary deglaciation and ice-induced erosion. Statistical methods of surface evaluation have been applied on the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to characterize the major domains of tectono-geomorphic units. A remarkable correlation between surface ruggedness and denudation history can be established by combining the DEM-derivatives and fission track data. The domains delineated by low fourth order DEM-derivative values fairly depict areas having paleosurface remnants, while regions characterized by high parameter values typically are areas with high denudation rates in Miocene to Recent time. However, the areas affected by Pleistocene glaciation have specific behaviour.
How to realize update in K-anonymity model

K-anonymity is a typical privacy model which can guarantee the safety of publishing dataset, however, the k-anonymized dataset contains generalized value and it difficult to bring it into correspondence with the original dataset directly. We at first create the index table basing on the one-one mapping between original tuple and its generalized tuple, which can be used to update the generalized tuple. To locate the QI group where an original tuple is in or should be inserted in, the definition of tuple-QG semantic similarity degree is presented and the QI group is located basing on tuple-QG semantic similarity degree. To merge the QI group whose size is smaller than k, QG semantic similarity degree are presented and used to find the similar QI group. Finally, the update algorithms basing on Semantic for the k-anonymized dataset are presented
Childhood adversity, adult homelessness and the intergenerational transmission of risk: a population‐representative study of individuals in households with children

ABSTRACT This study tested for associations between childhood adversity, adult homelessness and contexts of developmental risk in households with children. Data were drawn from the 2010 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, representative of the population of Washington State residents. Considering adults in households with children, those who experienced higher levels of childhood adversity were more likely to have experienced homelessness in adulthood. Meanwhile, a 10‐factor index of cumulative developmental risk was independently associated with childhood adversity and with adult homelessness. Adult homelessness appears to represent a circumstance through which past childhood adversities are brought forward and associated with contexts of developmental risk for subsequent generations of children.
A new approach for analyzing and comparing TRMM PR and ground CP2 radar data for two convective storms near Brisbane, Australia

The TRMM precipitation radar (PR; Ku-band) on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite uses a hybrid method based on the Hitschfeld-Bordan (Hitschfeld and Bordan 1954) and the Surface Reference Technique (SRT; Meneghini et al. 2000) to do the attenuationcorrection for the measured radar reflectivity. The basic assumptions for this method are, (a) a power-law relation between the specific attenuation (k) and measured radar reflectivity factor (Zm) as k=αZm, and (b) an assumption of three vertical models (stratiform rain with bright band, stratiform rain without bright band and convective rain, and others) for the initial α (αinit) and β (see Section 4 of Iguchi et al. 2000). With these assumptions, Iguchi et al. compute the path-integrated attenuation (referred to PIAHB). At the same time, they also estimate independently PIA using SRT (referred to PIASR). By using these two PIAs into their statistical model, they evaluate an attenuation correction factor, namely εf in 2A25, and obtain the best estimate of the PIA. Although the DSD parameter retrievals are not part of the 2A25 products, the εf can be used to adjust αinit (αadjustment procedure), and then relate to a constant Nw (normalized gamma intercept parameter) along the beam and varying D0 (Ferriera et al. 2001; Chandrasekar et al. 2003).
Impact of Agricultural Practices on Slope Land Soil Properties of the Mountainous Region of Northern Vietnam: A Case Study in Bac Ha District, Lao Cai Province

In the mountainous region of Northern Vietnam, there are various systems for agricultural land use. This paper describes the impact of agricultural practices on the original properties of slope land soils with special reference to changes in soil fertility and weathering in relation to soil erosion. Soil fertility was not extremely low in the higher commune, where the cooler climate would be more dominant factor controlling productivity. Therefore, the people made well-managed terraces to maintain their fields. On the other hand, in the lower commune, shifting cultivation is a dominant way of agriculture supported by the warmer climatic condition. Weathering status of soils was not greatly different among the three communes, but the current climatic conditions would affect the reactivity of soils. The clay dispersion ratio of all the sites studied was very low. In addition, the clay dispersion ratio and clay content were not different among different land uses. This means that soil erosion would not have a strong impact under current farming systems in the three communes. However, activity ratios of Al and Fe (Alo/Ald and Feo/Fed) became lower after cultivation, and therefore, in the long term, slight but continuous erosion might have occurred to reduce the activity of soils.
Effect of irrigation on some growth parameters of cup plant and dehydrogenase activity in soil

Abstract Effect of irrigation on some growth parameters of cup plant and dehydrogenase activity in soil. A field experiment carried out in two vegetation seasons in the years 2012 and 2013 on very light soil at Kruszyn Krajeński, in the vicinity of Bydgoszcz (Poland). Investigation of the influence of drip irrigation on some growth parameters of three- and four-year-old cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) and on the activity of dehydrogenase participating at cycling in soil was examined. The cup plants were cultivated from the micropropagation seedlings. Experiments were performed as one factorial in four replications. The factor of the experiment was the following variants: O - without irrigation (control plots), D - with drip irrigation. Drip irrigation was scheduled according to tensiometers indications. Irrigation significantly increase the height of the plants, the length of internode, the thickness of the stalk, the fresh weight of the shoots, and the number of the leaves and flowers. Irrigation also increased the transpiration leaf area and the dry matter content. In the soil sampled under cup plant in 2012 there was found a greater activity of dehydrogenases in soil derived from non-irrigated objects. Streszczenie Wpływ nawadniania na wybrane parametry wzrostu rożnika przerośniętego i zawartość dehydrogenazy w glebie. Doświadczenie polowe przeprowadzono w dwóch sezonach wegetacyjnych w latach 2012 i 2013 na glebie bardzo lekkiej w Kruszynie Krajeńskim w pobliżu Bydgoszczy. Badano wpływ nawadniania na niektóre parametry wzrostu 3- i 4-letnich roślin rożnika przerośniętego (Silphium perfoliatum L.) oraz na aktywność dehydrogenaz uczestniczących w przemianach zachodzących w środowisku glebowym. Doświadczenie założono jako jednoczynnikowe w czterech powtórzeniach. Czynnikiem stanowiącym źródło zmienności było nawadnianie kroplowe. Zastosowano dwa warianty doświadczenia: O - bez nawadniania (kontrola), K - nawadnianie kroplowe, przeprowadzane na podstawie wskazań tensjometrów (-0,04 MPa). Materiałem do badań były rośliny rożnika przerośniętego (Silphium perfoliatum L.), które uzyskano w procesie mikrorozmnażania. Nawadnianie istotnie zwiększyło wysokość roślin, długość międzywęźli, grubość łodygi, świeżą masę pędów oraz liczbę liści i kwiatów. Nawadnianie zwiększyło również powierzchnię transpiracyjną liścia oraz zawartość suchej masy. Większą aktywność dehydrogenaz spod uprawy rożnika stwierdzano w glebie pobranej w 2012 roku z obiektów nienawadnianych.
Winning combinations: search strategies and innovativeness in the UK

Abstract Searching for the most rewarding sources of innovative ideas remains a key challenge in management of technological innovation. Yet, little is known about which combinations of internal and external knowledge sources are triggers for innovation. Extending theories about searching for innovation, we examine the effectiveness of different combinations of knowledge sources for achieving innovative performance. We suggest that combinations involving integrative search strategies – combining internal and external knowledge – are the most likely to generate product and process innovation. In this context, we present the idea that cognitively distant knowledge sources are helpful for innovation only when used in conjunction with knowledge sources that are closer to the focal firm. We also find important differences between product and process innovation, with the former associated with broader searches than the latter. Using a large-scale pooled sample of UK firms, we find overall support for our conjectures, particularly in terms of product innovation.
FUNCTIONAL STRUCTURE OF BAT COMMUNITIES IN TROPICAL RAINFORESTS AND ANDEAN CLOUD FORESTS ESTRUCTURA FUNCIONAL DE LAS COMUNIDADES DE MURCIELAGOS EN SELVAS HUMEDAS TROPICALES Y SELVAS NUBLADAS ANDINAS

SUMMARY The use of functional groups, such as trophic categories, is more useful for ecological interpretation of differences in community structure than the simple comparison of lists of names. Using these trophic categories demonstrates that bat assemblages from Andean cloud forests show greater taxonomic and functional simplicity than those from lowland rainforests. This altitudinal decrease has been interpreted as a consequence of the reduction of available resources. However, this is not manifested proportionally in all functional groups or trophic guilds or even in all taxa within the same guild. The insectivore guild seems to be directly responsible for the decrease, showing a high correlation with total bat species richness, while on the contrary, the rest of the functional categories decrease in other ways. Diet has a large influence on the metabolic rate of these mammals and therefore on their thermoregulatory capacities. Bats whose diet is based on protein (insects) in general have lower metabolic rates than those whose diet is comprised primarily of carbohydrates (fruit and nectar). In contrast to lowland forests where insectivores dominate bat communities, frugivores constitute the most important trophic category in cloud forests. I here postulate that the explanation for this difference in internal richness of these functional groups is found in the differential response capacities of each species to the thermoregulatory demands of the environment, which are directly related to their dietary regime. All these facts lead us to believe that the decrease of species richness with altitude is due to the inefficient thermoregulation of species of tropical origin, which make up most of the insectivore guild. Apparently, all insectivores of Neotropical origin have a «ceiling» in their vertical distribution which prevents them reaching the higher altitudinal belts, whereas the only bats reaching these high forests belong to the Vespertilionidae family of Neartic origin as well as a few representatives of the Molossidae.
Epidemiological analysis of Elizabethkingia meningoseptica infection cluster among mechanically ventilated pediatric intensive care patients

Background: Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is frequently found in hospital environments and usually associated with healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), particularly in patients in the intensive care units (ICU). The current study report an outbreak of E. meningoseptica infection/colonization in the pediatric intensive care unit, highlighted the infection control methods used to stem the spread.Methods: During a period of 7 months, May-November 2015, 4 patients were infected/ colonized by E. meningoseptica. Infection control measures were re-emphasized after each case and environmental swabs were cultured to detect possible source. Follow up for 25 months to ensure eradication of the pathogen.Results: Four patients were colonized/ infected with E. meningoseptica, their mean age 22 months. The average time patients spent in ICU between admission and isolation of E. meningoseptica was 27.5±19.2 days. All patients were mechanically ventilated. 25% E. meningoseptica isolated from blood causing healthcare associated Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection (CLABSI) while it was isolated from endotracheal tube (ETT) secretion in 75% as healthcare associated colonization. The 4 isolates confirmed as identical using pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Conclusions: Intensive infection control measures including healthcare workers education, emphasizing hand hygiene, comprehensive cleaning and disinfection of equipment and the environment are important to eradicate the bacterium.
Tribulus teresstris modulates heat shock protein and key anti-apoptotic proteins in the Langendorff model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury

The cardioprotective effects of Tribulus teresstris (Tt), a medicinal herb, used in Indian system of medicine was evaluated in the Langendorff model of myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I-R) injury. Tt (1, 2.5, 5, 10 mg/kg) was orally fed to healthy experimental rats once a day for 21 days followed by global ischemia and reperfusion injury. Biochemical parameters: lipid peroxidation product thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), endogenous antioxidant: glutathione, antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidases (GSHPx)) and myocardial enzyme creatine phosphokinase (CPK) were evaluated. To correlate the biochemical derangement and altered cardiac performance during I-R, changes in the hemodynamic variables heart rate (HR) and coronary perfusion pressure (CPP) was measured. Myocardial apoptotic was quantified using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) method. The expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2, pro-apoptotic protein Bax, enzyme: Caspase 3 and heat shock protein (HSP) in cardiac myocytes was detected by immunohistochemistry. As compared with sham group, the CPP, TBARS levels, myocardial apoptosis, expression of Caspase 3, Bax, heat shock protein (HSP 72) proteins were increased significantly in I-R control group. Tt pre-treatment significantly restored the antioxidant network of the myocardium, reduced myocardial apoptosis, Bax, HSP 72 protein expression. These beneficial effects also translated into favourable hemodynamic effects. Histopathological studies and myocardial CPK content further confirmed the cardioprotective effects of Tt (2.5 mg/kg) in the experimental model of I-R injury.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTING STYLES AND ACADEMIC SELF-ESTEEM AMONG PRESCHOOL CHILDREN IN

Parenting styles play an important role in child development. Extensive studies have been conducted concerning on the relationship between parenting styles and adolescents’ self-esteem. However, the studies focusing on the relationship between parenting styles and preschool children’s academic selfesteem are highly limited. Hence, this study observed the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem among preschool children’s in Sabang. A total of 107 preschool children’s parents completed the Parenting Style Dimensional Questionnaires (PSDQ) and their children were observed by teachers using Behavioral Academic Self-Esteem (BASE). The result showed that authoritative parenting style was predominantly practiced by parents and most children displayed moderate academic self-esteem. A significant relationship was found between authoritarian and academic selfesteem (r = -.461, p < .05). In addition, a significant correlation was also found between authoritative parenting style and academic self-esteem (r .348, p < .05), while there was no significant relationship between permissive parenting style and academic self-esteem (r = .000, p > .000). The findings indicated that there were no differences in academic self-esteem among male students (M= 1.85, SD= .583, n = 48) and female students (M= 2.10, SD= .51, n = 59) and t (-. 2300 (95) p < . 05. The implications and suggestions will also be discussed in the light of finding.
Suppliers’ non-compliance with sustainability standards: a new perspective based on discrete-choice experiments

What are the factors that contribute to non-compliance with a supply chain partner’s sustainability efforts? Based on institutional theory and social cognitive theory, a discrete-choice experiment was conducted with 128 U.S., 105 Brazilian and 109 Indian managers to test alternative causes of suppliers’ non-compliance. Results of regression modeling provide preliminary evidence to support the idea that managers’ cultural and institutional background influence the way they perceive compliance with the buyer firm’s sustainability practices and that certain positions in the supply chain influence their likelihood to not comply with them. Key-words: discrete-choice experiment; compliance; supplier codes of conduct; corporate social responsibility; sustainability This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Effect of evaporation and root water uptake on the design of subsurface drainage systems in arid regions..

In spite of the considerable effect of the evaporation and root water uptake on the water table drawdown, they still do not explicitly be taken into account in the traditional design equations. Therefore, the effect of the evaporation and root water uptake on the water table drawdown and consequently on the lateral drain spacing had to be predicted. To achieve that, a coupled finite element model for water and heat flow was exploited. The coupled finite element model introduces the numerical solution for the governing differential equations of the water and heat flow in variably saturated porous media under the unsteady state conditions. Four case studies were applied on four different soil types cultivated with maize crop. The applied soil types were clay, clay loam, sandy clay loam, and loamy sand. It was achieved that, taking the evaporation and root water uptake into consideration in the design process, wider lateral drain spacing is required. The predicted lateral drain spacing results in more economical lateral drain spacing with corresponding saving varies between 22.4% to 50% according to soil type.
Does West Africa Form an Optimum Currency Area? A Generalized PPP Approach

This paper investigates the optimality of setting up a common currency area in West Africa by using a generalized purchasing power parity (GPPP) model. The Johansen method of multivariate cointegration shows that not only the existing CFA franc zone but also the emerging West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ) separately satisfy conditions for a common currency area, given the existence of common long? run trends in their real exchange rates. However, little evidence is found to substantiate such conditions for the entire West African region. The paper also analyzes the long? term sustainability of adopting a common currency basket in West Africa by using an alternative version of the GPPP model and estimating the endogenous weights of the euro and the US dollar as the anchor currencies. It finds that the weights are quite different between the CFA zone and the WAMZ, confirming the finding from the first part of the paper, namely, that these two sub? regions when combined do not constitute a sustainable common currency area.
Economic geographic characteristics in the Finnish paper industry - a case study

The main purpose of this paper is to reveal the Finnish paper industry from the economic geographic perspectives. There have been many mill and machine line closures especially in Finland after 2001. Therefore, it is interesting to research the development of manufacturing and transportation costs and paper prices during 2001−2008 in a large case mill. The research tradition of economic geography concerning the paper industry is scanty in the Nordic countries, and not many discussions have been published. This paper attempts to narrow the gap between theoretical and empirical discussions concerning the paper industry. The empirical data is obtained from one large integrated mill, and the research data covers cost components from the years 2001–2008. The results show that the economic performance has lowered clearly in the case mill. An interesting finding was that in overseas distant deliveries, transit costs can even decrease due to inexpensive sea transportation and paper prices slightly increase, probably due to lowered competition in the exported paper qualities. Although the mill data has been examined in detail, it only covers one large paper mill with several machine lines. Therefore, the results can only be generalized to some extent to other export-dependent paper industries operating in peripheral areas with minimal local demand. Our study shows that the empiric methods of economic geography offer interesting views highlighting such spatial heterogeneities in the paper industry. The industry’s location affects competition through transit costs, and this topic should be included more in location and economic studies.