Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Link between diurnal stem radius changes and tree water relations.

Internal water reserves are depleted and replenished daily, not only in succulent plants, but also in trees. The significance of these changes in tissue water storage for tree water relations was investigated by monitoring diurnal fluctuations in stem radius. In 6-year-old potted Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst. ) trees, whole-tree transpiration rate (T), sap flow at the stem base and fluctuations in stem radius were measured at 10-min intervals over eight successive weeks. The dynamics of diurnal water storage in relation to the daily course of water movement was simulated and the contribution of stored water to T quantified. The finding that, in P. abies, the course of bark water content is linearly coupled to stem radius fluctuations provided the basis for linking stem radius changes to a functional flow and storage model for tree water relations. This model, which consists of physical functions only and is driven by a single input variable (T), accurately simulates the diurnal course of changes in stem radius and water storage of the tree crown and stem. It was concluded that fluctuations were mainly determined by the course of transpiration. The availability of soil water and the degree to which storage tissues were saturated were also factors affecting the diurnal course of stem radius changes. Internally stored water contributed to daily transpiration even in well-watered trees, indicating that stored water plays an important role not only during periods of drought, but whenever water transport occurs within the tree. Needle and bark water reserves were most heavily depleted during transpiration. Together they supplied approximately 10% of daily T on sunny days, and up to 65% on cloudy days. On a daily basis, the crown (mainly needles) contributed approximately eight times more water to T than the stem (mainly bark). The depletion of the two storage pools and the water movements observed in the trees always occurred in the same sequence. In the morning, T first caused a depletion of the water stored in the crown. It then caused depletion of bark storage tissues at ever increasing distances from the needles. Up to 75% of the transpired water could be withdrawn from storage tissues when the increase in T reached a maximum.
Going Mobile

Travel behavior is becoming inherently dynamic and socially connected because of the increasing use of mobile technologies; as such, the concept of context is becoming increasingly important in travel and tourism and particularly within today’s technology-supported mobile environment. This article builds upon existing literature describing recent developments in context-aware system design with the aim of defining the notion of context as it relates to the mobile technological environment for tourism. As part of this effort, a conceptual framework is proposed to describe the structure and fundamental properties of context, and several implications are discussed for tourism research and the design of mobile systems.
Sea-State Determination Using GNSS-R Data

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals can be used to infer geophysical data related to the surface where they scatter. When dealing with the sea surface, its state influences the GNSS scattered signals and, therefore, the GNSS reflectometry (GNSS-R) observables. The aim of the Advanced L-band Emissivity and Reflectivity Observations of the Sea Surface 2008 field experiment was to gather experimental data to study the relationship of the GNSS-R delay-Doppler maps (DDMs) and the sea state. This work describes the field campaign and the main results obtained, where among them is the use of the DDM volume as a roughness descriptor weakly affected by the GPS satellite geometry.
Obstacle avoidance for multi-agent systems based on stream function and hierarchical associations

This paper deals with the problem of obstacle avoidance for multi-agent systems. A novel framework is presented which combines the stream function with the artificial potential field. The introduction of stream function makes obstacle avoidance smoother while interactive potential guarantees stability of the system. A dynamic structure with visibility constraint and hierarchical associations is further explored to improve the performance. Finally, results of simulation as well as experiment on Pioneer3 robots verify the validity of the proposed method.
Executive learning through case discussion

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework with which to understand the issues that arise in the discussion cases included in this Special Issue and explains the role of case studies in the education of those responsible for leading organizations. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based upon the review of literature from a range of disciplines, all of which is relevant to executive learning; the analysis of the cases and papers in this Special Issue, and interviews with colleagues who use the case method. Findings – The case method is useful in the education of managerial decision makers who face complex situations, but it is most effective when the cases contain certain essential ingredients and when the instructor is skilled in discussion leadership. These ingredients include the presence of a protagonist, the deep description of a problematic situation, the existence of at least two reasonable courses of action, and sufficient data to evaluate each alternative. The interact.
How to grade categories of evidence

In this issue, the revised version of the WorldFederation of Societies of Biological Psychiatry(WFSBP) Guidelines for the PharmacologicalTreatment of Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive andPost-Traumatic Stress Disorders are published(Bandelow et al. 2002). Although only 7 years havepassed since the first publication of the guidelines,the Task Force now saw a need for a revised version,as new treatments have emerged and evidence forexisting treatments has been consolidated. Also, allother guidelines of the WFSBP (Bauer et al.2002a,b, 2007; Falkai et al. 2005, 2006; Grunzeet al. 2002, 2003, 2004; Herpertz et al. 2007; Soykaet al. 2008) will be updated in future.The present guideline is now based on over 500evaluable controlled studies, and many more studieshad to be evaluated for possible inclusion.Clinicians are bombarded with ‘‘evidence’’ that anew treatment is more effective, has fewer sideeffects, faster onset of action or has other advan-tages. With an increasing number of treatmentoptions available for patients with psychiatric dis-orders over the last decade and the growing body ofevidence describing their efficacy and safety, clin-icians often find it difficult to determine the bestappropriate treatment for each patient. One aimof guidelines is to summarize and to simplify suchfindings, by carefully weighing advantages and dis-advantages of the available treatment interventions.The main results are typically condensed intoevidence categories, which are based on efficacy.However, not only efficacy is important for decisionfinding. For instance, of two treatments with thesame efficacy, the one with the most benign sideeffect profile or the lowest costs should be recom-mended. The results of the guideline consensusprocess can be finally summarized in recommenda-tion levels, which also take the risk benefit ratio ofthe therapeutic interventions into account.The various types of evidence can be arrangedhierarchically in a grading system according tostrength, with randomized controlled trials at themost definitive end and case reports or opinions of‘‘respected authorities’’, which are not based on anypublished evidence (‘‘eminence-based medicine’’),at the least definitive end of the spectrum. Whensearching for a commonly used grading system ofcategories of evidence for the guidelines of theWFSBP, we found that there is no generallyaccepted system for medicinal or psychologicaltreatment interventions. It would be desirable thatthe same hierarchy of evidence is used in all suchguidelines. However, over 100 different systems existfor grading evidence, and none of these is preferredby most guideline panels. The reason for thisdiversity probably lies in the different requirementsin different specialties in medicine. It may bedifficult to construct a system that applies to allfields of medicine. In psychiatry, we are interested inwhether a drug is better than placebo for treatingdepression or whether it can prevent relapses inbipolar disorder, whereas in surgery we are inter-ested in whether a certain operation can preventdeath from a rare cancer type; in internal medicine
How to Assess Plagiarism of Ideas?

Scholars are sometimes called upon to adjudicate charges of plagiarism, that is, of the unacknowledged “lifting” of one writer's words or ideas by another. When literal copying of whole expressions or sentences is involved, judgments are straightforward. But when the accuser claims that his or her ideas were plagiarized, as in the recent court case against Random House over Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, the situation is much more complicated. Passing judgment in such cases requires a reflection on the meaning of “plagiarism” and the best ways of assessing it, which this brief article seeks to provide.
SemHunt: Identifying Vulnerability Type with Double Validation in Binary Code

when manufacturers release patches, they are usually released as binary executable programs. Vendors generally do not disclose the exact location of the vulnerabilities, even they may conceal some of the vulnerabilities, which is not conducive to study the in-depth situation of security for the need of consumers. In this paper we introduce a vulnerability discover method using machine learning based on patch information SemHunt. Firstly, we use it to compare two versions of the same program to get the potential vulnerability-patched function pairs using binary comparison technology. Then, we combine it with vulnerability and patch knowledge database to classify these function pairs and identify the possible vulnerable functions and the vulnerability types. We completed a prototype of SemHunt, which can effectively identify vulnerable function types and the location of corresponding vulnerabilities, which are not revealed in the released patch files. Finally, we test some programs containing real-world CWE vulnerabilities, and one of the experimental results about CWE843 shows that the results returned from only searching source program are about twice as much as the results from SemHunt. We can see that using SemHunt can significantly reduce false positive rate of discovering vulnerabilities compared with analyzing source files alone.
Productivity by Systemic Rationalization: Good Work Bad Work No Work?

Since the 'Crisis of Taylorism' in the 1970s, 'new forms of work organization' have been developed that were intended to contain better, if not 'good', work characterized by factors such as vocational qualification, personnel development, participation, and so forth. It is precisely these factors which are endangered by the prevailing strategies of 'systemic rationalization'. In pursuing these strategies, dominant companies aim to reorganize production and value creation chains in order to harness heterogeneous company situations within the production networks so as to increase total productivity. The results consist of either the stabilization or progressive polarization of employee working conditions and new problems regarding in-company interest representation and interest representation by unions. The material and descriptions presented are based on empirical findings gathered from the German automotive industry.
The Wage Expectations and Unemployment Experience of School Leavers

Using a random sample of school leavers who had been in the labor market for some ten t o sixteen months, the wage expectations of the nonemployed in the sam ple are examined in the light of wages actually being earned by those in employment. The results suggest that for the young (age 16) and u nqualified wage expectations among the nonemployed may be somewhat hi gher than the actual earnings of similar young employed persons. Amon g the better qualified and for all older age groups, however, wage ex pectations are uniformly less than the wages being earned by equivale nt employed young persons. Copyright 1987 by Scottish Economic Society.
Performance evaluation of supply chain in stochastic environment: using a simulation based DEA framework

Supply chain operates in a dynamic platform and its performance measurement requires intensive data collection from the entire value chain. The task of collecting data in supply chain is not trivial and it often faces with uncertainties. This paper develops a simple tool to measure supply chain performance in the real environment, which is stochastic. Firstly, it introduces the data envelopment analysis (DEA) supply chain model in combination with Monte Carlo simulation to measure the supply chain performance in the stochastic environment. Secondly, a GA-based heuristic technique will be presented to improve the prediction of the performance measurement. This methodology offers an alternative to handle uncertainties in supply chain efficiency measurement and could also be used in other relevant fields, to measure efficiency.
Has Productivity Contributed to China's Growth?

Abstract.This paper applies an extended Solow approach to examine the role of productivity inChina’s economic growth. The extended Solow approach allows the decomposition of outputgrowthintofactorcontributions,technologicalprogressandeﬃciencychange. Itisfoundthattotalfactor productivity (TFP) has on average contributed to 13.5 percent of China’s economic growthin the past two decades. This contribution is mainly due to technological progress which tends toaccelerate over time. However, during 1982–97 eﬃciency change due to catch-up has been veryvolatile, reﬂecting the uncertainties associated with economic reforms and transition in China. 1. introductionThe contribution of productivity to economic growth has been of particularconcern since the publication of an article on the East Asian growth modelwith newly industrialised countries (NICs) by Krugman (1994). Quoting thework by Young (1994, 1995) and Kim and Lau (1994), he argued that rapidgrowth in the East Asian NICs has been driven mainly by massive injection offactor inputs rather than innovation and that growth in those countries wouldnot be sustainable. As China’s growth is likened to the East Asian NICs, canthe same argument be made about the Chinese economy, which has achievedan average annual rate of growth of 9.6 percent during 1980–2000 (StateStatistical Bureau, various issues). Several authors have so far attempted toshed light on this issue. For example, by employing a growth accountingmethod, Borensztein and Ostry (1996) and Hu and Khan (1997) found asigniﬁcant contribution of total factor productivity to growth in China duringthe reform period. Fleisher and Chen (1997) investigated the impact of humancapital and foreign investment on regional variations in productivity. Morerecently, Woo (1998) presented a comprehensive study on the sources ofChina’s growth. He found that China has largely followed an extensive growthmodel with little technological progress.
Valuing Environmental Preferences: Theory and Practice of the Contingent Valuation Method in the US, EU, and developing Countries

Just as individuals have preferences regarding the various goods and services they purchase every day, so they also hold preferences regrding public goods such as hose provided by the naural environment. However, unlike provate goods, environmental goods often cannot be valued by direct reference o any market price. Thsi amkes economic analysis of the costs and benefits of environmental change problematic. Over the past few decades a number of methods have developed to address this problem by attempting to value environmental preferences. Principal among hese has been the contingent valuation (CV) method which uses surveys to ask individuals how much they would be willing to pay or willing to accept in compensation for gains and losses of environmental goods. The period from the mid-1980s to the present day has seen a m,assive expansion in use of the CV method. From its originalroots int eh USA, through Europe and the developed world, the method has now reached worldwide application with a substantial proportion of current studies being undertaken in developing countries where environmental services are often the dominating determinant of everyday living standards. The method has simultaneously moved from the realm of pure academic speculation into the sphere of instiutional decision analysis. However, the past decade also witness a developing critique of the CV method with a number of commentators questioning the underlying validity of its dervied valuations. This volume, therefore, reflects a time of heated debate, as wellas from commentators who see it as an interesting experimental tool regardless of the question of absolute validity of estimates. The book embraces the theoritical, methodologicl, empirical, and institutional aspects of the current debate. It covers US, European , and developing country applications, and the institutional frameworks within which CV studies are applied. Contributors to this volume - Bateman and Willis Turner Hanemann Carson, Flores, and Mitchell Sugden Sugden Boyle and Bergstrom Green and Tunstall Munro and Hanley Choe, Parke, and Whittington Hanemann and Kanninen Langford and Bateman Adamowicz, Boxall, Louviere, Swait, and Williams Walsh and McKean Bateman, Langford, and Rasbash Lauria, Whittington, Choe, Turingan, and Abiad Bonnieux and Rainelli Loomis
The Effects of Alternative Investments on Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Growth

In the past decade, we have witnessed rapid growth in a variety of specialist alternative investment vehicles including venture capital, crowd funding, business angel funds, later-stage private equity, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, infrastructure funds, and real-estate funds. The importance of venture capital and angel investment for new firms, especially in high-growth, high-technology sectors, is well known. However, alternative investments span a wide range of company types, from small, early-stage ventures with high-growth rates but little cash flow to large firms inmature industries that generate substantial cash flow. Alternative investment vehicles introduce new forms of financing with different objectives and diverse forms of involvement by investors in portfolio firms. Alternative investors differ widely in skills, goals, experience, and investment time horizons. They often invest across a variety of institutional environments, transferring standard investment approaches from one sector or country to another. Because these alternative equity stakes are generally less liquid than shares in publicly traded enterprises, their growth raises a host of important issues for the organization and governance of portfolio companies, for the structure of industries heavily dependent on alternative investment pools, and for
State Campaign Finance Regulations and Electoral Competition

In the following analysis, we provide an assessment of the effect of campaign finance reform on campaign spending and electoral competition in gubernatorial campaigns. The work improves on prior research by considering a longer, more comprehensive time frame (1978-1997) and by examining the effects of several different components of reform (contribution limits, public financing, and spending limits) within a single analytic framework. We find that spending limits reduce candidate spending and have an indirect and negative effect on electoral competition. The negative effects of spending limits, however, are heavily contingent on the level at which the limit is set. Contribution limits are associated with increased disparities in candidate spending and increased incumbent spending but have no direct effects on electoral competition. Overall, whether campaign finance reform enhances or inhibits electoral competition depends very much on the combination of spending limits, contribution limits, and public financing enacted in a given state.
Online Formative Assessment in Higher Education: Enhancing Continuing Teacher Education in E-Learning

viii Chapter 1 1 1.0 General introduction 1 1.1 Background and the significance of the current study 1 1.1.1 Problem statement 6 1.2 Research question and design 8 1.3 The context and relevance of this research 10 1.4 Thesis structure 13 Chapter 2 14 2.0 Literature Review 14 2.
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1 Production by Intestinal Myofibroblasts in Response to Staphylococcal Enterotoxin A: Relevance to Staphylococcal Enterotoxigenic Disease1

Food poisoning due to staphylococcal enterotoxins A and B (SEA and SEB) affects hundreds of thousands of people annually. SEA and SEB induce massive intestinal cytokine production, which is believed to be the key factor in staphylococcal enterotoxin enteropathy. MHC class II molecules are the major receptors for staphylococcal enterotoxins. We recently demonstrated that normal human subepithelial intestinal myofibroblasts (IMFs) express MHC class II molecules. We hypothesized that IMFs are among the first cells to respond to staphylococcal enterotoxins and contribute to the cytokine production associated with staphylococcal enterotoxin pathogenesis. We demonstrated here that primary cultured IMFs bind staphylococcal enterotoxins in a MHC class II-dependent fashion in vitro. We also demonstrated that staphylococcal enterotoxins can cross a CaCo-2 epithelial monolayer in coculture with IMFs and bind to the MHC class II on IMFs. IMFs responded to SEA, but not SEB, exposure with 3- to 20-fold increases in the production of proinflammatory chemokines (MCP-1, IL-8), cytokines (IL-6), and growth factors (GM-CSF and G-CSF). The SEA induction of the proinflammatory mediators by IMFs resulted from the efficient cross-linking of MHC class II molecules because cross-linking of class II MHC by biotinylated anti-HLA-DR Abs induced similar cytokine patterns. The studies presented here show that MCP-1 is central to the production of other cytokines elicited by SEA in IMFs because its neutralization with specific Abs prevented the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 by IMFs. Thus, MCP-1 may play a leading role in initiation of inflammatory injury associated with staphylococcal enterotoxigenic disease.
Estimation of physical intensity models for default risk

The estimation of physical intensity processes in the context of default risk is investigated here. Using data from Moody's Corporate Bond Default Database, a term structure of default probabilities for different rating classes is constructed each year from 1970 to 2001. Two specifications used for modeling the dynamics of the (risk‐neutral) intensity process in the bond‐pricing literature are then examined empirically: the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck and square‐root cases. The results reveal that the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck case is not an adequate modeling alternative with a rejection of this specification in five out of seven credit classes and nonsignificant mean reverting behavior for all credit classes. The square‐root case obtains better results with four credit classes out of seven for which this specification cannot be rejected and significant mean reversion parameters in many cases. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 29:95–113, 2009