Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Hydrological trends and variability in the Liard River basin / Tendances hydrologiques et variabilité dans le basin de la rivière Liard

Abstract Abstract A study of the trends and variability of hydrological variables was conducted for natural streamflow gauging stations within the Liard River basin in northern Canada. Trends were investigated using the Mann-Kendall test, with an approach that corrects for serial correlation. The field significance of the results was evaluated using a bootstrap resampling approach. The relationships between trends in hydrological variables and both meteorological variables and a large-scale oceanic and atmospheric process were investigated using correlation analysis. The results reveal more trends in some hydrological variables than are expected to occur by chance. The observed trends are related to both trends in meteorological variables and a large-scale oceanic and atmospheric process.
European starling preferences for bait substrates used in DRC-1339 applications

Additional bait substrates for the avicide, DRC-1339 Concentrate (3-chloro-4- methylaniline hydrochloride), could provide USDA/Wildlife Services with more fl exibility when managing nuisance populations of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) at livestock facilities. From January 11 to 21, 2008, we conducted 11 2-choice preference tests with 6 bait types at a feedlot in central Kansas. The baits included cracked corn mixed with lard (2 concentrations), 2 forms of distiller's grain (wet powder and pellets), 2 types of livestock feed (calf-starter pellet and sweet-feed mix), and a custom-produced poultry pellet (carrier pellet) made by USDA specifi cally for baiting starlings. We evaluated bait preference using 95% confi dence intervals of mean differences in feeding rates among 4 cages of starlings with 6 starlings per cage. Starlings preferred the carrier pellets. Contemporaneous with the cage tests, we offered the same baits to free-ranging starlings at open-feeding platforms positioned within the feedlot. Free-ranging starlings also favored carrier pellets over other baits. Use of carrier pellets at livestock facilities where starlings have numerous food sources may be more cost- effi cient than less-expensive baits (e.g., cracked corn or distiller's grain) because of its higher acceptance by free-ranging starlings.
Effect of root pruning on competitive ability in Chinese jujube tree

Introduction . The Chinese jujube tree always presents some unfavorable performances because its vegetative growth is very vigorous. Our study was conducted to apply root pruning to test whether it can effectively inhibit the vigorous vegetative growth by regulating the competitive ability of the root system for water and nutrients. Materials and methods . For our experiment, roots were cut at three different distances from the trunk (light, moderate and severe root pruning) on both inter-row sides of jujube trees to the depth of 20 cm. Roots of control jujube trees were not pruned. Then we determined for three years the competitive indicators of Chinese jujube trees including the length, number and thickness of primary branches; photosynthetic characteristics and nutrient concentrations of leaves; hormone contents in the jujube head, flower number and fruiting percentage, yield, and fruit quality. Results and discussion . In the early stage after root treatment, root pruning decreased lots of indicators such as concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in leaves, photosynthesis, transpiration, stomatal conductance, and intercellular CO2 concentration of leaves, relative to the same indicators as the control group. With the gradual emergence of new roots, these indexes appeared to have adverse patterns with respect to those in the early stage after root pruning. Compared with the control, root pruning significantly decreased the length and number of primary branches and flower number, but thickened primary branches, enhanced fruiting percentage and increased the amount of ethylene release of the jujube head in the whole experiment. Fruit quality was improved with root pruning, as indicated by increases in vitamin C and total sugar and a decrease in titrable acidity. No effects of root pruning were noticed on yield. From our results, we conclude that the removal of the root system at a distance of three times the trunk diameter (severe pruning) from the trunk is the most effective in regulating the competitive ability of the Chinese jujube tree.
Single Cell Oil (SCO) Production by Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Its Environmental Benefits

Microbial oil has high similarity to the oil obtained from plants and animals. They are renewable sources that can be used for different purposes such as production of biofuels. Biofuels are renewable, biodegradable, and nontoxic, which makes them highly environmentally friendly. Producing oil from yeasts has more advantages than that from plants. Accordingly, isolation of oleaginous yeasts with high ability of lipid production is highly valuable. A total of 138 yeasts were isolated for the purpose of this study. From this amount, 35 were capable of producing lipid. After extracting lipid, the best strain was selected and, by using PCR method, identified as Rhodotorula mucilaginosa . Optimization was done using the design of experiments; Qualitek-4 (W32b) software was used for analyzing the experimental data. According to the results, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa proved to comprise lipid, dry biomass, and lipid productivity at levels of 10.97 g L -1 , 18.84 g L - 1, and 58.2% in optimized conditions, respectively. Lipid content on corn stalk and wheat straw hydrolysate was 36.9 and 41.8%, respectively. The extracted lipid was analyzed by FTIR spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The study showed high potential of lipid production in Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and also high efficiency of using Taguchi design in optimization of medium condition; therefore, by using this method, the optimization process can be done as best as possible. The economic values of microbial lipid production become more favorable when waste materials with zero or negative economic value are utilized as carbon source. Using bioprocesses such as microbial lipid production from waste materials, the problem of shortage of energy resources, and also air pollutions caused by fossil fuels, could be eliminated.
HESITANT FUZZY INFORMATION MEASURES DERIVED FROM T-NORMS AND S-NORMS

In this contribution, we first introduce the concept of metrical T-norm-based similarity measure for hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs) {by using the concept of T-norm-based distance measure}. Then,the relationship of the proposed {metrical T-norm-based} similarity {measures} with the {other kind of information measure, called the metrical T-norm-based} entropy measure {is} discussed. The main feature of the proposed { metrical T-norm-based similarity measures} is a possibility of comparing {similarity between HFSs} without regarding what {value is returned by} the similarity measure. {To illustrate the application of the proposed metrical T-norm-based similarity measures, we consider two problems of} medical diagnosis {and pattern recognition} to compare the proposed {metrical T-norm-based similarity measures} with a number of {the} existing HFS similarity measures.
Making Difficult Decisions: Can the Michigan Test Help?.

A study evaluated the Michigan Test Battery as a placement tool and indicator of ltudent performance at the college level for one continuing education intensive academic English program. Three issues were addressed: whether the test: (1) is being used correctly for program placement and exit; %2) is an accurate indicator of performance for placement purposes; and (3) shows progress in student scores over time. Test scores and initial placement for 53 s%. adents were compared with score interpretation guidelines to determine the frequency with which guidelines were followed in placement decisions. In addition, placement test scores were compared with first quarter grades, and scores from four sequential test administrations were compared. Results of the analyses suggest that the program does not use the test correctly in many cases, the test is not an accurate indicator of performance in the level of placement, and the test does not measure student progress accurately. It is recommended that programs using the test for placement of advancement examine their objectives for test administration and their choice of test for the situation. The guidelines for test scoring are appended. (Contains 3 references.) (ME) *******t****************************A********************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************** "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC). " U.3 DEPA NT OF RTME EDUCATION (Mice ot Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ER/C) IDirris document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization ortginahng it ri Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality _ Points uf view or opinions slated in th 3 ilocu men do not necesSarav represent official (Dent poSition or policy Making difficult decisions: Can the Michigan Test help? J.L. Egbert Center for the Study of Higher Education University of Arizona Leonard M. Jessup Department of Management Information Systems School of Business Administration California State University, San Marcos
Biosynthesis Of Indole-3-Acetic Acid By Bacillus cereus Immobilized Cells

Indol-3-asetik asit (IAA) ureten dort farkli Bacillus cereus straini cesitli rizosfer topraklarindan izole edildi ve biyokimyasal olarak karakterize edilmistir. Izolatlar IAA uretimi icin taranmis ve BC-On straini 46.25 mg/l ile en iyi IAA ureticisi olarak bulunmustur. En fazla IAA uretimi 72. saatte duragan buyume fazinda elde edilmistir. B. cereus strainlerinin IAA uretimi ve buyume arasinda onemli bir iliski gozlenmistir. Izolatlar arasinda, BC-On straini immobilizasyon calismalarinda kullanilmistir. En fazla IAA uretimi 18 saatlik fermentasyon sonrasinda baslangic pH’si 8.0 ve 35 °C elde edilmistir. Immobilize edilmis hucreler etkili olarak on uc kez kullanilabilmis ve bu sure boyunca 300 mg/l IAA konsantrasyonu tespit edilmistir. Sonuclar immobilize hucrelerin IAA uretimi icin surekli bir islemde kullanilabilir oldugunu gostermistir. Immobilizasyon ile elde edilen verimlilik, derin fermentasyon ile elde edilenden daha yuksek oldugu bulunmus ve immobilizasyon fermentasyon suresini kisaltmistir
FUNCTION AND PYLOGENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF RHIZOSPHERIC BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH GM AND NON GM MAIZE

Rhizospheric bacterial community associated with GM and Non GM maize crop were studied for PGP characteristics and cell wall hydrolytic enzymatic production. Twelve bacterial strains were isolated from GM and non GM maize rhizosphere and was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolated strains were belong to phyla's Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, whereas 50% strains belonged to genus Bacillus, 33.3% belong to genus Pseudomonas and 16.7% strains belong to genus Enterobacteriaceae. Majority of the isolates showed plant growth promotion (PGP) activity by producing indole acetic acid (IAA) and increased root and shoot elongation as well as biomass of Z.mays as indicated crop. A major proportion of the isolates also demonstrated other ecologically important activities like production of hydrolytic enzymes including cellulase, chitinase, protease, pectinase and lipase. Plant growth promoting traits of these rhizobacteria indicated beneficial relationship between rhizobacteria and Z.mays plant. There were no significant difference between the isolates of GM and Non GM maize rhizosphere in term of plant growth parameters and activities.
Linking residential relocation desires and behaviour with life domain satisfaction

Life satisfaction and motives for moving home are complex entanglements, reflecting multiple desires and experiences. The aim of this paper is to show that a focused analysis of satisfaction with particular life domains can prove that changing a place of residence is not only a life stressor, but also a positive means leading to enduring improvements in individual satisfaction. Using the British Household Panel Survey we examine overall life satisfaction and satisfaction in various life domains such as housing, job, social life, household income, spouse/partner and health, both prior to and after moving. A temporal pattern of movers’ satisfaction for a number of years before and after the move is derived employing a fixed-effects panel data model. Our results reveal that residential relocation increases housing satisfaction considerably. The positive effect of moving on housing satisfaction is much stronger and endures longer for those with a sustained desire to relocate ahead of movement. Despite some decrease over time, five years after moving survey respondents still had significantly higher housing satisfaction than before their move. Changes in satisfaction with other life domains are much less pronounced and no lasting improvements in satisfaction are observed for them.
Aspects of Biosubsistence in Sirindhornia (Orchidaceae): Are the Narrow Endemics more Reproductively Restricted than their Widespread Relative?

Narrowly (neo)endemic species often attract special attention in conservation contexts, because their restricted distributions render them more vulnerable than most widespread species. However, little attention is given to the question whether time since speciation is the (only) factor responsible for the narrow ranges of neoendemics, or if biological or ecological factors are (also) involved. The Southeast Asian orchid genus Sirindhornia comprises three terrestrial species. In Thailand, we compared demographic and reproductive characteristics between the local endemics S. mirabilis and S. pulchella and the widespread S. monophylla. The three species had similar demographic characteristics, but different reproductive attributes. In most contexts where they differed, the local endemics were more reproductively restricted than the widespread S. monophylla. Thus, the latter exhibited higher relative fruit set, higher seed production per inflorescence and more equal individual contributions of progeny. However, recruitment appeared to be more efficient in S. pulchella than in the other two species.
Ethical Behavior of Salesperson: The Impact of Consumer’s Perception on Trust, Satisfaction and Repeat Purchasing Behavior

a Assist. Prof. Banu Kulter Demirgunes (PhD), Business Administration Department, Ahi Evran University, Bagbasi Campus, Kirsehir Turkey Research areas: Consumer behavior; Social marketing; Marketing ethics; Political marketing Email: banukulter2000@yahoo.com Abstract One of the essential factors for the purpose of maintaining businesses’ market shares is developing friendly, long-term relationships with the customer rather than short-term ones. One of the activities that best serves this purpose is actual sales. In particular, sales in the service sector are even more important. Since these services are abstract, customers need to trust the information presented to them by the salesperson. In this study, the evaluation of the behavior of salespeople in terms of ethics has been performed from the consumer’s perspective. The purpose of this study is to reveal the effects of salespeople’s ethical behavior in terms of consumer satisfaction with and trust in salespeople, consumer trust in the company, and finally consumer’s repeat purchasing behavior. In applications where buyer-seller relationships are quite extensive, the financial services sector has been assessed. Structural equation modeling was used to test the model and hypotheses of the research. In the results of the study, a stronger effect from ethical sales behavior appeared with confidence in the salesperson and confidence in the business. Additionally, salesperson’s ethical behavior (mediated by the business trust factor) was the most powerful predictor of repeat purchasing behavior.
Effect of ion and electron streaming on the formation of ion-acoustic solitons in weakly relativistic magnetized ion-beam plasmas

Existence of both compressive and rarefactive solitons is established in weakly relativistic but magnetized plasma with cold ions and ion-beams in presence of electron inertia. It is observed that rarefactive (compressive) solitons exist for smaller (higher) difference of electron and ion initial streaming speeds for different ion to ion-beam mass ratio and wave speed. Interestingly, the amplitude of the rarefactive solitons is seen to increase with the increase of the difference of initial streaming speeds to certain limit before turning out to be compressive after that limit.
How Do Public Goods Providers Play Public Goods Games

© 2015 The Comparative Legislative Research Center of The University of Iowa. We study how policymakers play public goods games, and how their behavior compares to the typical subjects we study, by conducting parallel experiments on college undergraduates and American state legislators. We find that the legislators play public goods games more cooperatively and more consistently than the undergraduates. Legislators are also less responsive to treatments that involve social elements but are more likely to respond to additional information that they receive. Further, legislators' fixed characteristics explain much of the variation in how legislators play the game. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding how institutions affect the provision of public goods.
Reindeer grazing and soil nutrient cycling in boreal and tundra ecosystems

In northernmost Fennoscandia, grazing by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) has a substantial impact on the vegetation of boreal forests and arctic-alpine tundra heaths, which are reflected in belowground processes, such as nutrient mineralization and soil organic matter decomposition. In the present thesis, the effects of reindeer grazing on soil nutrient cycling were studied by comparing grazed situation with an ungrazed control area in ten boreal forests and six arctic-alpine tundra heaths. In boreal forests, reindeer grazing reduced microbial respiration in both the oligotrophic and mesotrophic study areas, indicating a deficiency of labile substrates for the soil microbes due to reindeer grazing. Simultaneously, there was heterogeneity in the impact on nitrogen mineralization rates as at some sites, mineralization was enhanced by grazing. The fertilization effect of urine and faeces can therefore be strong enough a factor to outweigh a reduction in quality of soil organic matter. In the oligotrophic forests, low soil moisture content in the grazed areas could sometimes limit the mineralization rates even when the potential for mineralization was enhanced by grazing. In the tundra ecosystems, there was spatial variation in the impact of grazing on microbial respiration and nitrogen mineralization. Low grazing intensity occurring outside the growing season had a retarding impact on nutrient cycling in both unfertilized, nutrient-poor and fertilized, nutrientrich conditions. In contrast, a relatively high grazing intensity enhanced the mineralization rates in two nutrient-poor and two nutrient-rich tundra heaths. When three different grazing intensities were compared in one oceanic, nutrient-rich and one continental, nutrient-poor tundra heath, the strongest positive effect of grazing on soil nutrient cycling occurred in the heavily grazed areas. The data do not support the assumption that soil nutrient availability regulates whether herbivores enhance or retard nutrient cycling in the soil. Instead, the net effect of grazing is determined by the balance between the underlying mechanisms that may work at opposite directions. The most important of these mechanisms are the grazer-mediated impact on the decomposability of the dominant vegetation and fertilization by urine and faeces. The duration, intensity and seasonal timing of the grazing seem to be important factors that regulate whether reindeer grazing enhances or retards soil nutrient cycling in each specific area. Due to the high spatial and temporal variation in the effects of grazing observed in this study, it is not possible to generalize the overall impact of grazing. Further study is required in order to determine the exact conditions under which grazing enhances or it retards soil nutrient cycling.
Exploring the inner region of type 1 AGNs with the Keck interferometer

The exploration of extragalactic objects with long-baseline interferometers in the near-infrared has been very limited. Here we report successful observations with the Keck interferometer at K -band (2.2 μ m) for four type 1 AGNs, namely NGC 4151, Mrk231, NGC 4051, and the QSO IRAS 13349+2438 at $z = 0.108$. For the latter three objects, these are the first long-baseline interferometric measurements in the infrared. We detect high visibilities ( V 2 ~ 0.8–0.9) for all the four objects including NGC 4151, for which we confirm the high V 2 level measured by Swain et al. (2003, ApJ, 596, L163). We marginally detect a decrease of V 2 with increasing baseline lengths for NGC 4151, although over a very limited range, where the decrease and absolute V 2 are well fitted with a ring model having a radius of 0.45 ± 0.04 mas (0.039 ± 0.003 pc). Strikingly, this matches independent radius measurements from optical-infrared reverberations that are thought to be probing the dust sublimation radius. We also show that the effective radius of the other objects, obtained from the same ring model, is either roughly equal to or slightly larger than the reverberation radius as a function of AGN luminosity. This suggests that we are indeed partially resolving the dust sublimation region. The ratio of the effective ring radius to the reverberation radius might also give us an approximate probe for the radial structure of the inner accreting material in each object. This should be scrutinized with further observations.
Preference Intensity in Positional Voting

We report a laboratory experiment on strategic manipulation in positional rules, by which individuals are asked to elicit a complete ranking over 3 alternatives. The prominent rule in this set is the so-called Borda Count, but our experiment also considers other rules in which we increase the score associated to the second-best candidate and vary the monetary prizes in case of a victory of the latter (“preference intensity”). Our results suggest that, as standard game-theoretic logic would suggest, when the intermediate scores and prizes increase, strategic manipulation is reduced. We also see that group size affects the likelihood of strategic manipulation in a non-linear fashion, and mostly depends on how the intermediate score is manipulated. Furthermore, rule efficiency increases with group size (i.e., as the probability of being pivotal decreases) and with both the intermediate scores and prizes.