Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Consumers Valuations and Choice Processes of Food Safety Enhancement Attributes: An International Study of Beef Consumers

Abstract Food safety concerns have had dramatic impacts on food and livestock markets in recent years. Here we examine consumer preferences for various beef food safety assurances. In particular, we evaluate the extent to which such preferences are heterogeneous within and across country-of-residence defined groups and examine the distributional nature of these preferences with respect to marginal improvements in food safety. We collected data from over 4,000 U.S., Canada, Japan, and Mexican consumers. Using mixed logit models we find that Japanese and Mexican consumers have WTP preferences that are nonlinear in the level of food safety risk reduction. Conversely, U.S . and Canadian consumers appear to possess linear preferences. These results suggest that optimal food safety investment strategies hinge critically upon consumer perception of actual food safety improvements, the distributional relationship describing the targeted consumer segment? s tradeoff function between WTP premiums and risk reduction levels, and the cost structure of these investments. Keywords: consumer beef preference, food safety, investment decision, mixed logit, willingness-to-pay
GPS/IMU and LiDAR integration to aerial photogrammetry: Development and practical experiences with Helimap System ®

The arrival during the 90’s of the direct georeferencing technologies (GPS-inertial) and laser altimetry, combined to the emerging high resolution digital imagery, changes drastically the world of aerial photogrammetry. Those techniques widened the application field of airborne mapping: remote area mapping, corridor mapping, fast delivery mapping. Nevertheless, the commercial “high-tech” products, available on the market, focused essentially on large area mapping and nothing was designed for “local” applications and especially for complex terrain or vertical objects. Generally operated from fixed-wing aircrafts, looking downward mapping systems are not suitable for cliffs or steep slopes for example. It is now a fact; there is a huge demand for high precision mapping of small surface, where expensive commercial mapping system does not suit either in terms of economical or practical point of view. Development of Helimap System® started in 1999 in the photogrammetric and geodetic laboratories of EPFL, to address needs for natural hazard mapping (Vallet 2002) in collaboration with the Swiss federal institute For Snow and Avalanche Research of Davos. The requirements were accurate data ( 2-3 post/m 2 ) digital terrain/surface model (DTM/DSM) and high resolution orthoimagery (GSD<0.1m) either in “standard” nadir or oblique configuration. Since 2005, Helimap system® is commercially exploited by UW+R SA in all types of land management project (power lines, cliffs, avalanche, roads, railroads, landslide…), but always focused on small area (<2000ha). All those practical experiences lead in the past 3 years gave an important feedback and allowed fine tuning of the system either in operational phase or processing phase. Direct georeferencing and LiDAR measurements change drastically the airborne mapping process in positive aspects automation, high resolution but also add complexity and gaps to avoid. Thus, those several flights pinpoint the importance of the calibration step and especially the digital camera calibration stability, the procedure of alignment, and the necessary periodical ground control. The last important issue of our practice is that the imagery should never be neglected! It is the backup for everything.
Pengaruh Dukungan Sosial Sahabat Terhadap Penyesuaian Sosial Mahasiswa Baru di Lingkungan Perguruan Tinggi

Mempertimbangkan besarnya permasalahan penyesuaian sosial yang dialami serta dampaknyabagi mahasiswa baru di perguruan tinggi, penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mengetahui apakahterdapat pengaruh dukungan sosial sahabat terhadap penyesuaian sosial mahasiswa barudi lingkungan perguruan tinggi. Angket Social Support Questionnaire-Satisfaction (SSQ-S)dan Social Adjustment Sub Scale skala Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ)disebarkan pada 203 orang mahasiswa baru Universitas Airlangga tahun angkatan 2013. Hasilyang diperoleh adalah terdapat pengaruh dukungan sosial sahabat terhadap penyesuaian sosialmahasiswa baru di lingkungan perguruan tinggi sebesar 4,8%. 95,2% pengaruh disebabkanoleh dimensi-dimensi lain dari dukungan sosial sahabat dan faktor-faktor yang mempengaruhipenyesuaian sosial terhadap lingkungan perguruan tinggi lain. Pemilihan sumber-sumberdukungan sosial yang baik bagi mahasiswa baru dapat membantu proses penyesuaian dirisecara sosial mereka terhadap lingkungan perguruan tinggi, sehingga mahasiswa baru dapatberadaptasi dan berprestasi dengan baik.
Development of inter-firm network management activities: The impact of industry, firm

This article investigates the structural characteristics of firms that promote activities involving partners who coordinate with each other to achieve common or individual goals. The article also aims to verify empirically whether these activities generate advantages for companies embedded in relationships by examining the effects of industry, age and size on inter-firm network management activities (INMAs) in a sample of Spanish companies operating in several industries and belonging to networks. The results show differences according to the life cycle stage: growth or maturity. Only the relation between INMA and performance has been confirmed in both samples. The findings point to the need to consider the industrial environment when analysing firms’ networking decisions because the situations they face differ in mature or growing industries.
Numerical Analysis of the Relationship Between Mycobacterium, Rhodochrous Group, and Nocardia by Use of Hypothetical Median Organisms

A total of 1,054 strains was allocated to species of the genera Mycobacterium, Nocardia, and Gordona (the rhodochrous group) on the basis of 88 characters, and hypothetical median organisms (HMOs) were derived for each species. Numerical analysis was carried out, treating these HMOs as operational taxonomic units. The dendrogram obtained showed that strains received as members of the rhodochrous group, including “Mycobacterium” rhodochrous, and strains named previously by the present author as Gordona, constituted a taxon comparable to the genus Nocardia. The analysis showed two separable groups at a 70% M value (matching coefficient) level. One consisted of slowly growing mycobacteria (Mycobacterium subgenus Mycobacterium Tsukamura) and the second consisted of rapidly growing mycobacteria (Mycobacterium subgenus Mycomycobacterium Tsukamura), the genus Gordona (including the rhodochrous group) and Nocardia. Diagrammatic representation of the taxonomic relationships by taxonomic distances showed the same result. Four taxa, which might be regarded as separate genera, separated at higher M values. These included the slowly growing mycobacteria, the rapidly growing mycobacteria, the genus Gordona (rhodochrous group), and the genus Nocardia, respectively. The slowly growing mycobacteria seem to be only distantly related to the other three, which bear a close relationship with each other.
Diagnostic tools for mixing models of stream water chemistry

Mixing models provide a useful null hypothesis against which to evaluate processes controlling stream water chemical data. Because conservative mixing of end‐members with constant concentration is a linear process, a number of simple mathematical and multivariate statistical methods can be applied to this problem. Although mixing models have been most typically used in the context of mixing soil and groundwater end‐members, an extension of the mathematics of mixing models is presented that assesses the “fit” of a multivariate data set to a lower dimensional mixing subspace without the need for explicitly identified end‐members. Diagnostic tools are developed to determine the approximate rank of the data set and to assess lack of fit of the data. This permits identification of processes that violate the assumptions of the mixing model and can suggest the dominant processes controlling stream water chemical variation. These same diagnostic tools can be used to assess the fit of the chemistry of one site into the mixing subspace of a different site, thereby permitting an assessment of the consistency of controlling end‐members across sites. This technique is applied to a number of sites at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed located near Atlanta, Georgia.
Climate Impacts on Arctic Lake Ecosystems

Warwick F. Vincent1,2,3, Isabelle Laurion1,4, Reinhard Pienitz1,2,5, and Katey M. Walter Anthony6 1Center for Northern Studies (CEN), Quebec City, Canada 2Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Universite Laval Canada—Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS) (France) 3Departement de biologie, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Canada 4Institut national de la recherche scientifique—Centre Eau Terre Environnement (INRS-ETE), Quebec City, Canada 5Departement de geographie, Universite Laval, Quebec City, Canada 6Water and Environmental Research Center, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, USA
Cargo Cult Science - The Michelson-Morley Experiment

Richard Feynman introduced the 1974 graduation class of the California Institute of Technology to the concept of cargo cult science. Cargo cult science is a process that gives the appearance of the scientific method. The term ether and its basic definition was known long before it was determined light was a wave. It had been postulated that the ether was responsible for the ability of light to transit a vacuum. The purpose of the Michelson-Morley (1887) experiment was to determine whether the ether existed. The experiment produced a null result, indicating the ether did not exist and space was empty. Acceptance of the experiment result has had a profound impact on scientific thought and allowed theories to be promulgated based upon space being empty. The expanding Universe is taught as a fact and the validity of that conclusion is discussed.
Effective Fuzzy Logic Control of a Stand-alone Photovoltaic Pumping System

This paper presents an effective control of a stand-alone batteryless photovoltaic (PV) pumping system. The whole design (configuration and control) is oriented in order to minimize the cost and maximize the effectiveness, the efficiency and the reliability of the whole system. Beyond the withdrawal of the battery and the rotor speed sensor, the system is composed only of a DC-DC boost converter, a DC-AC inverter, an Induction Motor (IM) and a centrifugal pump. In order to control the dc-link voltage and maximize the efficiency of the IM, a Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) is introduced. The validity and the effectiveness of the proposed FLC is tested and confirmed by a simulation under various climate changes.
Modeling the Term Structure of Exchange Rate Expectations

We develop a model of the term structure of exchange rate expectations by integrating interest parity into a microstructure model of foreign exchange and national bond markets. The spot rate's reaction to typical shocks is able to reproduce standard results (e.g. overshooting) without reference to other frictions like rigid prices. Both countries' yield curves ini¬‚uence the semi-elasticity of the spot exchange rate. Opposing exchange rate expectations for short and for long horizons reduce interest rate effects. Finally, we show that not all rational methods of expectation formation are mutually consistent and induce model ambiguity as a genuine source of the UIP puzzle.
Conservation characteristics and protein fractions of cereal silages ensiled with additives at the booting and dough stages of maturity

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of organic acid and bacterial inoculant on conservation characteristics and protein fractions as defined by the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System of barley, wheat, rye, triticale, and oat silages ensiled at their booting or dough stage of maturity. The cereal crops were not treated or were treated with bacteria (L. buchneri, L. plantarum, E. faecium) or organic acid (formic acid, propionic acid, sodium formate) and ensiled in 1.0-L anaerobic jars for 45 days. Bacterial inoculant improved the fermentation profile for all cereal silages and increased the dry matter (DM) recovery at both maturity stages. The benefit of bacteria inclusion in the silage was more pronounced when applied at dough stages. Organic acid also improved the fermentation profile for all cereal silages, but it was less effective than the bacteria at both booting and dough stages of maturity. The reduction (P < 0.001) in in vitro DM digestibility was not as sharp as the decrease in crude protein (CP). Protein A fraction and digestible CP were higher (P < 0.001) at the booting stage, while all B fractions and C fraction were higher (P < 0.001) in cereal silages ensiled at the dough stage. It was concluded that additives, in particular bacterial inoculant, can improve fermentation and protein quality at both stages examined.
Incorporating source directivity in the Pseudospectral time-domain method by using spherical harmonics

A technique to incorporate directivity in the Pseudospectral time-domain method (PSTD) for auralization purposes is presented. The Pseudospectral time-domain method is a numerical method for solving the wave equation that requires only two spatial points per wavelength, making it more efficient compared to other wave based methods. The effect of source directivity as well as the head-related directivity have a clear influence on the perceived sound field and have to be included for the purpose of auralizations. In the less efficient finite difference time-domain method, directivity has been incorporated. Thus far, no such developments to incorporate directivity in PSTD have appeared. In this paper, directivity has been modeled by composing initial spatial distributions from spherical harmonic profiles and with the use of filters in order to achieve a frequency dependent directivity. The method is described in detail, drawbacks of the method and suggestions for further improvements are included.
A Study on Microbial Profile and Trend in Antimicrobial Susceptibility of Canine Otitis

A total of 240 ear swabs collected aseptically from 213 dogs affected with otitis externa and presented at Madras Veterinary College Teaching Hospital during the years 2011-2014 were utilized for the study. The ear swabs were cultured to know the prevalence of microorganisms causing otitis and to evaluate the sensitivity pattern of antimicrobial drugs for the management of otitis in dogs. Pseudomonas spp was found to be the predominant microorganism affecting canine otitis. Highest rate of sensitivity was observed with Cefotaxime.
Development and Evaluation of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodus) Instant Soup Mixes

Lentinus edodes, the Shiitake mushroom, is one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms worldwide. The interest in shiitake cultivation is increasing because of its high nutritional value and medicinal properties, which have been acknowledged by oriental cultures, especially in China and Japan (Hassegawa et al., 2005; Bisen et al., 2010). Interest in numerous biologically active compounds produced by this mushroom is also increasing.
Copyright Collectives: Good Solution But for Which Problem?

Collective administration of copyright has been touted as a solution to many of the ills of the copyright system and to many of the legal challenges brought about by the encounter between copyrights and the digital realm. It has been viewed as the magic bullet that bridges the unfortunate trade-off between incentive and access; a mechanism that allows both rewarding creators and unfettered access to works. While not at all a new phenomenon - music performing rights have been administered collectively in many countries for most of the 20th century - collective administration has recently proliferated across many other areas of copyright, often with enthusiasm. This paper offers a less enthusiastic account. It examines several types of collective administration and argues that with rare exceptions, the various justifications for collective administration are too weak to justify departure from the competitive paradigm that underlies market economies. It suggests that in most cases collusion and rent-seeking mainly drive the formation of copyright collectives, and suspects that only rarely such rent-seeking may be justified as a matter of policy, either as a way to improve the incentives to create socially valuable works or on distributional grounds.
Control of disturbed LPV systems in a LMI setting

Abstract This paper is concerned with the control of a discrete-time LPV system affected by bounded disturbances. First, an input-to-state stable observer-based controller is synthesized. In the sequel, we compute the invariant ellipsoid that assures constraints satisfaction and has the maximal projection on the initial state subspace. In order to increase the system robustness (quantified in terms of ellipsoidal set volume), a Youla parameter is designed. This parameter enlarges the invariant set projection but slows the closed-loop performances. A compromise between robustness and performance is obtained by imposing a new bound on the Lyapunov function decreasing rate.
Bryophytes associated with two tree species and different stages of decay in a natural fir-beech mixed forest in the Czech Republic

Species richness and composition of bryophyte communities on two species of trees at different stages of decay were studied on 57 logs of Abies alba and Fagus sylvatica in the natural montane beech-fir forest reserve Salajka (Czech Republic). There were 68 species of bryophytes. At the stand level, the species richness recorded on Fagus was higher than that on Abies. This is due to a higher diversity of epiphytic species on Fagus in the early stages of decay, when the conditions of logs aremore heterogeneous and there aremoremicrohabitats than on Abies. The log-level species richness was higher on Abies in later stages of decay because it is more favourable for epixylic species occurring on very acid and constantly moist substrates. Both at the stand- and log level, the highest species richness was recorded at intermediate stages of decay, which constitute a transitional phase in the decay succession in which species associated with all stages of decay overlap and therefore the overall number is relatively high. Species composition differed significantly on the two trees, with two clearly defined groups of indicator species. In contrast, the different stages of decay were not so sharply distinguished in terms of indicator species. We also found significant differences in pH both between the two trees and stages of decay, which may also affect compositional patterns on the logs studied. In conclusion, the species richness and composition of bryophytes on dead wood is associated with both stage of decay and species of tree and their various combinations, which further increase the total diversity. Therefore, successful bryophyte conservation should be focused on the preservation of mixed stands and the continuity of dead wood in the montane beech-fir zone of Europe.
Investigating the effect on whole brain functional connectivity at different sedation depth induced by nitrous oxide

Investigating the effect on whole brain functional connectivity at different sedation depth induced by nitrous oxide Jiho Ryu School of Dentistry The Graduate School Seoul National University Although functional connectivity has received great attention in consciousness study area, only few studies have investigated functional connectivity limited to sedation state where consciousness is maintained but impaired. The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in functional connectivity of parietal-frontal network resulting from nitrous oxide induced sedation state, and determine the neural correlates of cognitive impairment during transition states of consciousness. Electroencephalography was acquired from healthy adult patients with nitrous oxide inhalation to induce cognitive impairment, and analyzed by using Granger Causality (GC). The periods of awake, sedation and recovery for GC between frontal and parietal areas in delta, theta, alpha, beta, gamma and time-domain frequency band were obtained. Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc analysis was conducted for GC values of each period for comparison. As sedative state was induced by nitrous oxide inhalation, the power in low frequency band showed increased activity in frontal regions, which was reversed with discontinuation of nitrous oxide. The feedback and feedforward connections analyzed in spectral GC were differently changed in accordance with EEG frequency bands in sedative state by nitrous oxide administration. Calculated spectral GC of high frequency region in frontal to parietal direction was significantly decreased in sedative state while the spectral GC in reverse direction did not show significant change. The frontal-parietal functional connectivity is significantly affected by nitrous oxide inhalation. It is suggested that the significantly decreased frontal to parietal interaction may induce sedative state which can be described as impaired consciousness in accordance with the same directional decrease of interaction in the loss of consciousness induced by anesthetics.
THE EFFECT OF INFORMATION QUALITY SENSITIVITYTRAINING ON GENERAL AND TASK-SPECIFICPERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION QUALITY

There have been calls for training designed to increase user awareness of information quality problems on the Internet. However, little research has examined the effect of this training. This study examines the effect of information quality sensitivity training on user perceptions of the quality of Internet-based information. Survey data will be collected from users with and without information quality sensitivity training using an instrument that builds on prior research identifying important dimensions of information quality. The findings will provide a basis for the development of training programs designed to sensitize users of the Internet to information quality issues.
Natural Language Translator Correctness Prediction

Rather than analyzing only Google Translate and focusing only on English, we broaden our scope to other languages. Connecting with our survey respondents also helped us obtain initial data samples for language pairs not only involving English, such as German-to-Russian and Italian-to-French. Some of the survey respondents agreed to expertly verify samples of such translation accuracy, which helped us greatly to launch our mobile RN-Chatter application with a big variety of supported languages.
Digital gaming for evolutionary biology learning: The case study of parasite race, an augmented reality location-based game

Games have been used for a long time in teaching and learning. The increasing use of mobile phones makes it possible to link learning outside the classroom with augmented reality (AR). We tested how well the learning of conceptual models can be facilitated by AR games. We present a game designed for the in-service teacher-training workshop to model evolutionary and ecological relationships explicitly. The game, Parasite Race, models the life cycles of three different parasites and allows player to choose between two evolutionary strategies. We tested the game with experienced teachers and revealed a wide range of different gaming strategies: some of the teachers were able to reflect their game strategy and choose appropriate actions right away whereas some of the teachers did not and lost their motivation quickly. We reflect on the experience of programming a simple AR location-based game and on the usability of simple games in the educational context.