Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Influence Factors on the Reputation of Food-Delivery Companies: Evidence from Romania

In contemporary economies, reputation has become a very important factor for companies that interact directly with customers. In this context, food-delivery companies must take into account the risks associated with reputation when making operational or investment decisions. Knowing the factors that influence the perception of reputation becomes a competitive advantage for improving or even eliminating the risks related to these indicators. The aim of the study was to explain the influence level and the contribution of influence factors on the reputation of food-delivery companies in Romania. The research analyzed data from 152 respondents who are food-delivery customers from Romania, considering nine possible influencing factors. The data were analyzed in SPSS and the multivariate linear regression analysis and the multivariate analysis of variance were used. The results showed a significant relationship between the perception of reputation and influencing factors such as the quality of the food delivered, the price of the food-delivery service, the variety of the menu, the taste of the food, the perception of companions, and the quality of the electronic application. Our research only partially confirmed certain socio-demographic influences on the perception of reputation. The limitations of the research are determined by the region related to Romania and by the number of socio-demographic variables.
Rift Valley fever outbreaks: Possible implication of Hyalomma truncatum (Acari: Ixodidae)

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a viral zoonosis that primarily affects livestock. However, the virus can also infect humans and may even cause human fatalities. Although the vast majority of human infections result from direct or indirect contact with the blood or organs of infected animals, human infections have also resulted from the bites of infected Aedes mosquitoes. Due to the increasing importance of zoonotic diseases including RFV to global health, there is need for in-depth knowledge on the transmission of RFV viruses. We postulate that some hard ticks might be involved in the transmission of Rift Valley fever virus between animals in nature. This can partially be explained by the biology of ticks. Firstly, ticks spend long periods feeding on the host. Secondly, disease-bearing ticks may survive long periods of desiccation and an infected fully fed female tick continue to harbour RVF virus post-oviposition. Current geographical distribution of Hyalomm truncatum (Acari: Ixodidae) appears to show correlation with incidence of RVF. Future interdisciplinary research focusing on Rift Valley fever molecular epidemiology and tick chemical ecology, will certainly establish the role that H. truncatum and other ticks play in the spread of the virus in nature, and consequently contributing to the development of effective Rift Valley fever management strategies.
Incorporation of bomb-produced 14C into fish otoliths. An example of basin-specific rates from the North Pacific Ocean

Sagittal otoliths from juvenile Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) of known age were used to create a bomb-produced radiocarbon reference chronology for the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) by fitting a coupled-function model to Δ14C values from each specimen’s birth year. The newly created EBS reference chronology was then compared with a reference chronology previously created for Pacific halibut from the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Adult Pacific halibut age-validation samples from the EBS were also analyzed for 14C and modeled to validate age-estimation accuracy. A Bayesian model was developed and Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation was used to estimate model parameters and adult Pacific halibut ageing bias. Differences in reference chronologies between ocean basins were reflected in a large deviance information criterion (ΔDIC) between models, supporting the hypothesis that two separate coupled-function models were required to adequately describe the data, one each for the EBS and GOA. We determined that reg.
Profile of prospective primary school teachers’ mental model in the subject matter of change

This study aimed to obtain an overview of the profile of the mental model (MM) of prospective primary school teachers in the concepts of change in the state of matter. The mental model (MM) categories reviewed in this study includes scientific MM, synthetic MM, and initial MM. A descriptive quantitative method was selected in this study. Among 30 of prospective primary school teachers at one university in Riau Province who had attended the science course were involved in this study. Lectures on the essential concept of science are carried out by lecturers using traditional (teacher centered). A test was used to collect the information of conceptual understanding, which is consisting of three question fragments (explanatory and depictions responses). The results demonstrated that the mental model profile of primary school teachers on phase transition (melting phenomena) are: scientific MM (0%), synthetic MM (27%) andiInitial MM (73%); related to the concept of freezing are: Scientific MM (0%), Synthetic MM (20%), and Initial MM (80%); related to the concept of evaporate are: Scientific MM (0%), Synthetic MM (23%) and Initial MM (77%); and related to the concepts of condense are: Scientific MM (0%), Synthetic MM (17%) and initial MM (83%). These results indicated that lectures on the basic concept of science carried out by lecturers had not facilitated the achievement of a scientific mental model for prospective primary school teachers.
Effects of growth medium, incubation temperature, and mycelium age on production of five major fatty acids by six species of Phytophthora

The effects of growth medium, incubation temperature, and mycelium age on the production of five major fatty acids by five isolates each of P. cactorum, P. citricola, P. citrophthora, P. cinnamomi, P. cryptogea, and P. nicotianae were investigated. Fatty acids were extracted from mycelia, and fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) profiles were analyzed by gas chromatography. Fifteen fatty acids were common in all species, but five of them comprised more than 75% of FAME profiles. These five fatty acids – myristic (14:0), palmitic (16:0), linoleic (18:2ω6c), oleic (18:1 ω9c), and eicosapentaenoic (20:5ω3c) acids – were used to investigate the effects of five liquid growth media (20% carrot broth, CB; 10% lima bean broth, LBB; 5% clarified V8 juice broth, V8B; ¼-strength potato dextrose broth, PDB; and ¼-strength Sabourand dextrose broth; SDB), six incubation temperatures (10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35°C), and four mycelium ages (4, 8, 12, and 16 days) on fatty acid production. The effect of medium on the relative percentages of five major fatty acids produced by the six species of Phytophthora was highly significant (P < 0.001). The effect of temperature on production of myristic acid was inconsistent and species-dependent. The production of palmitic and linoleic acids were promoted by higher temperature ( ≧ 25°C), whereas the production of oleic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid was promoted by lower temperatures (≦ 20°C). Palmitic acid production was greater in younger mycelia (four and eight days old), and oleic acid was greater in older mycelia (12 and 16 days). Effects of age on the production of linoleic and eicosapentaenoic acids were inconsistent among species.
Morphological, ecological and genetic variability of Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martínez in central eastern Portugal

The morphological characterisation and data analysis of germplasm accessions of wild Portuguese Lavandula luisieri (Rozeira) Rivas-Martínez from the southern Beira Interior region of central eastern Portugal are described. The study, based on seeds and cultivated plants, was conducted in 2005, 2006 and 2008 among populations selected from four sites (I, II, III and IV). Quantitative and qualitative phenotypic data relating to a set of 35 morphological traits were analysed using canonical discriminant analysis. Genetic similarity among accessions was assessed using amplified fragment length polymorphism molecular markers. The traits contributing most to the variability among studied populations were related to plant density, leaf colour, seed weight and various spike and flower characteristics. Plant populations from each of the four test sites were statistically distinct, exhibiting unique characteristics when compared with one another; however, populations from Sites II, III and IV showed greater genetic similarity and differed substantially from the population of Site I. Altitude and temperature were found to be the most significant environmental variables influencing plant traits, yet the morphological variability of L. luisieri was also influenced by soil pH levels, suggesting that the expressed variability is not only a result of genetic characteristics but also of existing ecological conditions.
Prior-Knowledge-Driven Local Causal Structure Learning and Its Application on Causal Discovery Between Type 2 Diabetes and Bone Mineral Density

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM), one of the most prevalent chronic diseases, affects the glucose metabolism of the human body, which decreases the quantity of life and brings a heavy burden on social medical care. Patients with T2DM are more likely to suffer bone fragility fracture as diabetes affects bone mineral density (BMD). However, the discovery of the determinant factors of BMD in a medical way is expensive and time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a novel algorithm, Prior-Knowledge-driven local Causal structure Learning (PKCL), to discover the underlying causal mechanism between BMD and its factors from the clinical data. Since there exist limited data but redundant prior knowledge for medicine, PKCL adequately utilize the prior knowledge to mine the local causal structure for the target relationship. Combining the medical prior knowledge with the discovered causal relationships, PKCL can achieve more reliable results without long-standing medical statistical experiments. Extensive experiments are conducted on a newly provided clinical data set. The experimental study of PKCL on the data is proved to highly corresponding with existing medical knowledge, which demonstrates the superiority and effectiveness of PKCL. To illustrate the importance of prior knowledge, the result of the algorithm without prior knowledge is also investigated.
Effects of employee development and marketing capacity on competitive advantages: The mediating role of product innovation

Article history: Received: March 3, 2020 Received in revised format: March 25 2020 Accepted: May 5, 2020 Available online: May 6, 2020 This research aims at examining the mediating of product innovation on the relationship between employee development and marketing capacity on product innovation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Hanoi. After 4 months of collecting data, the author received 350 responses and 311 responses left after refining. The findings from the research indicate that employee development and marketing capacity did not only directly but also indirectly affect competitive advantages via product innovation. The findings provide enterprises with important implications for improving competitive advantages from marketing, human resources and product innovation perspectives. © 2020 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada
Influence of Spawning and Other Stream Habitat Features on Spatial Variability of Wild Brown Trout

Abstract Total densities of wild brown trout Salmo trutta ages 1 to 7 varied widely (range, 130–1,304/hectare) among 12 sample sections in Spring Creek, a 35-km-long stream in a limestone area of central Pennsylvania. During a 2-year study we determined the relative importance of spawning habitat and other habitat features on spatial variation in density. Densities of age-0 and of all age-1 and older brown trout were positively correlated with redd densities. Embryo survival was lowest in sections with low brown trout densities, but embryo survival was not as important as redd density in determining population size. Redd density appeared to be a function of availability of suitable spawning substrate. Habitat variables such as depth, pool area, cover, and substrate were not correlated with brown trout density. Spawning habitat and other habitat features were quantified with the habitat suitability index model. Scores derived from the model were poorly correlated with densities of age-0 and of age- l and o.
Multiple-Peptide Conjugates for Binding β-Amyloid Plaques of Alzheimer's Disease

Formation of β-amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease is initiated by intermolecular contact of the 5-amino acid sequence, KLVFF, in β-amyloid peptides ranging in size from 40 to 43 residues. Through optimization of binding avidity using structure/function studies, we have found that the retro-inverso peptide, ffvlk, binds artificial fibrils made from Aβ1-40 with moderate affinity (Kd = 5 × 10-7 M). Conjugates having two copies of this peptide, whether connected by a long poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) spacer or just two amino acids, display about 100-fold greater affinity for fibrils. Placing six copies of ffvlk on a branched PEG resulted in a 10 000-fold greater affinity (Kd = 1 × 10-10 M) than the monomer peptide. This increased affinity was accompanied by more effective inhibition of the thioflavin T fluorescence signal, which correlates with neurotoxicity of plaques and fibrils. We propose that conjugates bearing several copies of ffvlk may be useful as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's .
Metahuman systems = humans + machines that learn

Metahuman systems are new, emergent, sociotechnical systems where machines that learn join human learning and create original systemic capabilities. Metahuman systems will change many facets of the way we think about organizations and work. They will push information systems research in new directions that may involve a revision of the field’s research goals, methods and theorizing. Information systems researchers can look beyond the capabilities and constraints of human learning toward hybrid human/machine learning systems that exhibit major differences in scale, scope and speed. We review how these changes influence organization design and goals. We identify four organizational level generic functions critical to organize metahuman systems properly: delegating, monitoring, cultivating, and reflecting. We show how each function raises new research questions for the field. We conclude by noting that improved understanding of metahuman systems will primarily come from learning-by-doing as information systems scholars try out new forms of hybrid learning in multiple settings to generate novel, generalizable, impactful designs. Such trials will result in improved understanding of metahuman systems. This need for large-scale experimentation will push many scholars out from their comfort zone, because it calls for the revitalization of action research programs that informed the first wave of socio-technical research at the dawn of automating work systems.
Mirror-Based Broadband Silicon-Photonics Vertical I/O With Coupling Efficiency Enhancement for Standard Single-Mode Fiber

The broadband vertical optical coupling of silicon (Si) photonics poses significant challenges regarding the use of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The grating coupler, a type of vertical optical coupling device, strongly depends on the wavelength. As an alternative, we developed another vertical optical coupling device using a 45° curved micro-mirror. To experimentally demonstrate the broadband vertical optical coupling, the curved micro-mirror was designed based on a measured optical beam output from a Si inverse taper waveguide and integrated on a Si photonic chip to experimentally demonstrate the broadband vertical optical coupling. Without using the use of additional lenses, the Si waveguides were coupled with standard single-mode fiber (SMF) by applying fabricated mirrors. Owing to its lens function, the coupling efficiency was enhanced by 1.4 and 3.4 dB for TE and TM polarization. Over the entire O-band, low-wavelength dependent losses of 1 dB were also obtained. Misalignment tolerances were evaluated and 1-dB tolerances of approximately plus or minus 2 micrometers were obtained. By optimizing the design of the Si inverse taper waveguide, a low-polarization dependent loss of 0.3 dB on average was also obtained for the O-band. The average loss was 3.3 dB. Compared with grating couplers, a broadband and low polarization-dependent Si-photonics vertical coupling was demonstrated using an integrated curved mirror.
A Power Take-Off Device With an HTS Synchronous Reluctance Linear Generator

To utilize wave energy, we propose a power take-off device mainly composed of a novel buoy and a high-temperature superconducting synchronous reluctance linear generator (HTS-SRLG). We describe the conceptual structure and function of the buoy, which makes use of seawater to provide more power to the HTS-SRLG. Then, we introduce the configuration and the key electrical design process of the HTS-SRLG. Design result of the HTS-SRLG is presented and compared with that of counterparts to demonstrate its advantages in performance and in application. This article is conducted from the viewpoint of promoting the industrial application of HTS machines. The proposed buoy gives an insight of improving the utilizing efficiency of wave energy. And the HTS-SRLG contributes to simplify the generator cooling.
Growth responses of five forest plant species to the soils formed beneath New Zealand kauri (Agathis australis)

Abstract The considerable influence kauri (Agathis australis) exerts on its soil environment has been implicated in explaining the floristic associations with kauri stands. Using a shadehouse experiment, this study assesses this hypothesis by comparing the influence of soils under kauri and adjacent broadleaved forest on the growth and nitrogen status of five forest plant species of varying levels of association with kauri. I found a negative effect of kauri soils on the growth of māhoe (Melicytus ramiflorus, typically absent beneath kauri) and rimu (Dacrydium cupressinum, distribution independent of kauri), compared with their growth in broadleaved forest soils, but a neutral effect of soil type on the growth of korokio (Corokia buddleioides, kauri associate species), kauri seedlings and hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium var. ligustrifolium, kauri-independent species). There was no effect of soil type on leaf nitrogen concentration. The results are consistent with a link between kauri-induced soil conditions and plant community composition.
Older workers: Past, present and future

In this article, we focus on the ever-growing numbers of older workers and considerations for workplace practices and policies that make the most from the qualities older workers bring. To begin, we explore the socio-political context examining employment trends for older workers and highlight policies and trends that inform workforce planning. We then extend the discussion of older workers from the perspective of person–environment (P-E) fit, entrepreneurship, resilience and cognitive functioning. Each of these perspectives have received increased research and practitioner attention over the past two decades. They present opportunities to increase our understanding of older people in a workplace context and how to support older workers in a socio-political environment focused on career longevity. We argue that a new national strategy is needed to guide future initiatives and policy development. We propose future research directions and practitioner intervention prospects. JEL Classification: M54
Differential expression of pectate lyase during ethylene‐induced postharvest softening of mango (Mangifera indica var. Dashehari)

Fruit ripening is characterized by progressive depolymerisation of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides of the cell wall. Several cell-wall hydrolases have been studied and their role implicated in the softening of various fruits. However, studies related to pectate lyases (PL), which degrade pectins through β-elimination of glycosidic linkages, have been very limited in fruit tissue. We have cloned a PL homologue, MiPel1 from ripening mango (Mangifera indica var. Dashehari), which shows sequence similarity to higher plant PL genes. The 1.7-kb complementary DNA of MiPel1 (accession number AY987389) encodes a putative protein of 437 amino acids, which possesses all the motifs and active site residues conserved in other PL. A progressive increase in transcript accumulation was observed during ripening but expression was delayed significantly in 1-methylcyclopropene-treated and control fruits kept in air without exogenous ethylene. The expression was specific to fruits and triggered only during ripening. No transcript was detected in other tissues such as leaf, stem and flower and during development of the fruit. The increase in transcript accumulation of MiPel1 during ripening was associated with an increase in the Ca+2-dependent PL activity and pectin solubilization. It is proposed that expression of PL may be closely associated with pectin degradation during ripening and play an important role in mango softening.
Food Waste in Event Catering: A Case Study in Higher Education

ABSTRACT The higher education sector provides catering services for a significant number of internal and external meetings, conferences, and other events. Recent studies suggest that event catering is a significant generator of food waste. This research has two main aims: (a) to understand how leftover food in catered meetings or events is generated; and (b) describe how environmental factors and the person ordering catering service influence it. Combining physical waste measures with a survey to event organizers this work quantifies food waste generated events at a University in the Northeast of England. We find there are significant differences in the average waste across venues and key food categories. Regarding the impact of the person ordering food, the results suggest that experienced event organizers significantly waste, on average, around eleven percent less food.
Transfer of Arthrobacter picolinophilus Tate and Ensign 1974 to Rhodococcus erythropolis

The type strain of Arthrobacter picolinophilus, strain DSM 20665 (= ATCC 27854), was found to be so closely related to strains of Rhodococcus erythropolis that we propose that this misclassified taxon should be removed from the genus Arthrobacter and reclassified as a strain of R. erythropolis. Our conclusion is based on the results of a comparative analysis of the chemotaxonomic properties of the organism, including the amino acid composition of the peptidoglycan, the mycolic acid composition, and the fatty acid composition, the very similar physiological properties and 16S ribosomal DNA sequences, and the results of DNA-DNA reassociation experiments performed by the renaturation rate method.
Using Conditional Random Field in Named Entity Recognition for Crime Location Identification

Electronic data or information comes in different forms, some are structured data and others unstructured data. The act of collecting such data is known as data mining. This paper will discuss the mining of crime data from electronic news sources in Malaysia, and how this data is further transformed to extract meaningful information from it. Furthermore, the paper will demonstrate how crime locations can be identified within the various news articles. This is significant because there are cases where a location name is mentioned in the news article but that is not the true crime location. To help achieve this, the system makes use of Named Entity Recognition (NER) algorithms. They are task with identifying locations in various sentences. To bring more accuracy to the work, the system will employ machine learning technique known as Conditional Random Field (CRF) to recognize if a sentence is referring to a crime location. 