Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial distribution of ascidian sperm: two-dimensional patterns and short vs. time-integrated assays

Understanding sperm dispersal patterns in free-spawning marine invertebrates is fun- damental to assessing the likelihood of successful fertilization under a range of biological and physi- cal conditions. Field estimates of sperm dispersal in egg broadcasters have relied on sperm assays that sample short-term sperm availability, and tended to focus on simple patterns of availability with distance along a 1-dimensional transect at a single site. However, sperm are diluted in multiple dimensions, and the decrease in concentration with increasing distance from a sperm source in any single dimension is dependent on the rate of dilution in other dimensions. We used short-term sperm availability assays to evaluate the 2-dimensional distribution of sperm downstream of 2 different pop- ulations of the egg-brooding colonial ascidian Botryllus schlosseri. Female colonies were exposed to water samples collected at various distances and 2 depths. Because many egg brooders that feed on phytoplankton appear to collect sperm throughout an extended period of time, short-term assays of sperm availability may underestimate absolute fertilization. Consequently, at one site we also com- pared fertilization in our short-term assays with time-integrated fertilization levels obtained by deploying colonies in the sampling locations for the entire period of egg viability. Our results indicate that vertical patterns of sperm availability with horizontal distance can vary between sites, suggest- ing that sperm transport patterns will be site-specific and dependent on local flow, and that vertical mixing may cause a more rapid decline in sperm concentration with increasing distance. Our com- parison of instantaneous vs. time-integrated assays suggests that short-term assays may vastly under- estimate actual field fertilization levels in some free-spawners.
Creating a Stir

This qualitative case study examines the role of word of mouth (WOM) in reputation management in the context of networked festival productions. Particularly, it explores the ways in which WOM marketing (WOMM) is employed in festival marketing and brand building. The paper links reputation and WOM to the concept of cultural branding with the aim of providing a framework for analysing how a festival’s reputation shapes the creation of a culturally meaningful message. The empirical analysis is based on a multiple-case study involving three Finnish festivals hosted in the city of Pori: the Porispere Festival, the International Pori Jazz Festival and the International Lain§uojattomat Theatre Festival. The cases represent festivals of different sizes and varying organisational structure, content and life cycle. The findings indicate that the meaning and use of WOMM vary depending on key constitutive differences that affect the nature of the festivals’ reputation and brand-building processes. Although the importance of external and internal stakeholders in these processes is evident, it seems that when the power of networks is recognised as crucial for festivals, WOM has a leveraging role in reputation management and brand building. In these processes, the value of the festival leader’s persona becomes crucial.
The Role of Human Semen as an Early and Reliable Tool of Environmental Impact Assessment on Human Health

Several studies have shown a dramatic reduction of semen quality in many industrialized countries and infertility is becoming a public health top priority, whose incidence is associated to late-onset adult diseases, especially cancer, shorter life expectancy and trans-generational effects. The male reproductive system is particularly sensitive to a broad variety of reproductive and developmental toxicants, including many environmental pollutants and recent studies suggest that human semen is an early and sensitive environmental and health marker. A set of semen biomarkers is described for reproductive health effects in relation to environmental exposure, where human semen seems to be an early and sensitive source of biomarkers than blood to monitor high environmental pressure on human health. Environmental health should consider reproductive health and development, from intrauterine life to childhood and puberty: these are both vulnerable targets and high-value protection goals, inasmuch as they represent the future of our societies. Hence, biomarkers of reproductive health should be exploited as early signals of environmental pressure and increased risk of adverse chronic health effects so that the use of “human seminal model” might be the main objective to be considered in the agenda of public prevention policies for early detection and innovative programs of health surveillance in environmental risk areas.
Nutrient intake, nitrogen balance and growth performance in buffalo calves fed citrus pulp as a concentrate source

The study was planned to investigate the effects of dried citrus pulp on nutrient intake, digestibility, nitrogen balance, blood metabolites, growth performance and economics in Nilli Ravi buffalo calves. Twenty buffalo male calves of 18 to 24 months of age having 200 to 250 kg body weight were used in a randomized complete block design. Four iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets containing 5, 10, 15 and 20% dried citrus pulp were formulated. The experiment lasted for adaptation period while last five days of each month served as collection period. Feed was offered ad libitum twice a day. Animals were weighed fortnightly before morning feeding to assess their growth performance. The results showed non-significant effects of various levels of dried citrus pulp on nutrient intake and digestibility. Nitrogen metabolism was also remained unaltered among the treatments. There were non-significant differences in weight gain and blood metabolites in calves fed various levels of dried citrus pulp. However, a linear reduction in price per kg diet was observed as the level of dried citrus pulp was increased from 5 to 20% in the diet. The study showed that dried citrus pulp can be used successfully up to 20% in the diet of calves without any ill effect on feed intake, digestibility and growth performance. Key words: Buffalo calves, citrus pulp, economics, growth performance.
Constraining the wind launching region in Herbig Ae stars: AMBER/VLTI spectroscopy of HD 104237

This work has been partly supported by the MIUR COFIN grant 2003/027003-001 and 025227/2004 to the INAFOsservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri. This project has benefited from funding from the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) through the Institut National des Sciences de l’Univers (INSU) and its Programmes Nationaux (ASHRA, PNPS). The authors from the French laboratories would like to thank the successive directors of the INSU/CNRS directors. C. Gil work was supported in part by the Fundac¸˜ao para a Ciˆencia e a Tecnologia through project POCTI/CTE-AST/55691/2004 from POCTI,with funds from the European program FEDER.
Aquatic Living Resources Viability , growth and toxicity of Alexandrium catenella and Alexandrium minutum ( Dinophyceae ) following ingestion and gut passage in the oyster Crassostrea gigas

Adult oysters Crassostrea gigas were experimentally fed with Alexandrium catenella and Alexandrium minutum which are responsible for recurrent toxic blooms in French coastal waters. C. gigas produced faeces and pseudofaeces containing intact and viable temporary pellicular cysts of these two Paralytic toxin producing species. When incubated in favourable conditions, these pellicular cysts were able to germinate at high rates (between 74 and 94%) and the resulting vegetative cells divided with growth rates close to the noningested cells (control). The toxin profile of the vegetative cells originated from the germinated temporary cysts was analyzed by liquid chromatography/fluorescence detection. Total toxin content of newly germinated cells was lower than that of cultured cells. Besides, cell contents of C2, B1, B2 and dcGTX3 toxins featured some changes. Our results suggest that the increased spreading of toxic dinoflagellates through the transfer of shellfish from contaminated towards pristine coastal areas cannot be ruled out. We also suggest that pellicular cysts and newly germinated cells could represent a potential way for the transfer of paralytic toxins toward the higher trophic levels.
Is Inward FDI Enhancing or Crowding- out Domestic Innovation Capability in Emerging Markets? Evidence from BRICT Countries

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been considered by many development economists as an important channel for the transfer of technology to emerging markets. However, whether it can promote technological progress for the host country depends on the sector specific and country specific characteristics, especially technological infrastructure and human capital. This study investigates the impact of inward FDI on absorptive capacity and domestic innovation capability in BRICT countries. Two competing hypotheses of the effect of inward FDI are tested by employing panel data approach for BRICT countries for the period of 2000-2007. Empirical results reveal that Random Effects Model outperforms Ordinary Least Square and Fixed Effects Models. The hypothesis that domestic innovation capability stems from knowledge generation process with well equipped human resources like scientists, engineers, technicians, research equipment and cumulative R&D expenditure is supported for the given sample. Therefore, inward FDI promote domestic firms’ innovation capability and the spillover effects may arise through channels such as reverse engineering, skilled labor turnovers, demonstration effects, and backward linkages. In addition, the impact of the effect of local R&D expenditure on innovation capability is very significant determinant of innovation capability. On the contrary, the hypotheses of crowding-out effect of inward FDI on domestic innovation capability and high welfare and development level in a country stimulates innovation capability is rejected for the BRICT countries.
Unemployment and Market Size

Without strong empirical support, labour market matching models typically assume constant returns to scale in matching. We construct a tractable equilibrium random matching model with a general matching technology, introducing market size effects: the job‐finding rate varies with unemployment. Stable steady‐states may occur in regions of increasing or decreasing returns, and multiple equilibria are welfare‐ranked by market size. While the standard model relies on high‐frequency shocks to the steady state to explain the co‐movement of unemployment and job‐finding, locally decreasing returns in matching generate plausible adjustment dynamics and slower convergence. Lastly, an extension of the Hosios condition internalises search externalities.
Development of high-sensitivity SWIR APD receivers

Emerging short wavelength infrared (SWIR) LIght Detection And Ranging (LIDAR) and long range laser rangefinder systems, require large optical aperture avalanche photodiodes (APDs) receivers with high sensitivity and high bandwidth. A large optical aperture is critical to increase the optical coupling efficiency and extend the LIDAR sensing range of the above systems. Both APD excess noise and transimpedance amplifier (TIA) noise need to be reduced in order to achieve high receiver sensitivity. The dark current and capacitance of large area APDs increase with APD aperture and thus limit the sensitivity and bandwidth of receivers. Spectrolab has been developing low excess noise InAlAs/InGaAs APDs with impact ionization engineering (I2E) designs for many years and has demonstrated APDs with optical gain over 100 utilizing multiple period I2E structures in the APD multiplier. These high gain I2E APDs have an excess noise factor less than 0.15. With an optical aperture of 200 μm, low excess noise multiple periods I2E APDs have capacitances about 1.7 pF. In addition, optical gains of InAlAs based APDs show very little temperature dependence and will enable APD photoreceivers without thermal electric cooling.
Organisational life cycle, business orientation and performances of architectural firms in Nigeria

This study sets out to investigate the relationships between the organisational life cycles, business orientation and performances of architectural firms, which often start with just the principal and little capital. In the study, the organisational life cycles stages of the firms were identified, and the way that business orientation emphasis changes with the firms’ life cycles were investigated. In addition, the business orientation dimensions that predict the architectural firms’ performance at each life cycle stage were identified. The study was carried out using data collected through self-administered questionnaires from architectural firms in Nigeria. The organisational life cycle stages of the firms were identified using cluster analysis, and the predictors of performances were identified using regression analysis. The results of the study show that only focus on prominence varied significantly with the organisational life cycles of the firms. Another important finding of the study is that market orientation led to better performance at some organisational life-cycle stages, while profit orientation led to better performance at some other stages. It was recommended that firms should choose business strategies that take into consideration their organisational life cycle stages to enhance their performances.
Herbal Medicine for Women's Health

The treatments used by most doctors are considered conventional medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) consists of a group of health care practices and products that are considered out of the mainstream. An “out-of-the-mainstream” treatment is considered complementary if you use it along with conventional medicine. Research shows that 40 percent of women in the United States use some form of CAM. People try CAM for a variety of reasons, including: conventional medicine has not helped solve their medical problem. They believe that products derived from nature are healthier and safer than prescription drugs, even though they may not be. They like the holistic approach taken by CAM therapists. A holistic approach involves paying attention to all of a client’s needs to help her regain and maintain her health. These include not just physical but also emotional, social, and spiritual needs. In this review we summarize some indications of herbal medicine in women's health.
On the Internet Traffic Classification: a Multi-criteria Decision Making Approach

Traffic classification is a process which categorizes computer network traffic according to various parameters into a number of classes or applications. The interest of internet traffic classification methods has greatly increased over the last decade. The classification methods based on the port number, or based on the payload, suffer from a number of problems, such as the dynamic port allocation and the encrypted applications. For these reasons, new approaches have been proposed without the need to know the port number, typically centered on the statistical behavior of the traffic. In this paper, we develop a novel approach based on multi-criteria decision making methods that achieves a higher significant filtering on the traffic parameters in order to obtain more accurate classification results.
A symmetrization result for elliptic equations with lower-order terms

On etablit des majorations a priori pour les solutions d'equations elliptiques avec termes d'ordre inferieur par utilisation de la methode de rearrangement de fonctions. Cette methode se base sur la comparaison avec la solution d'un probleme particulier a symetrie radiale pour lequel l'effet des termes d'ordre inferieur est egalement pris en compte
Using optimal cavity loss and saturable-absorber passive filter for stable and tunable dual-wavelength erbium fiber laser in single-longitudinal-mode operation

In this investigation, we propose and demonstrate experimentally tunable and stable dual-wavelength erbium doped fiber (EDF) double-ring laser scheme using different coupling losses inside cavity loop for wavelength and mode spacing tuning. Besides, a shorter unpumped EDF is also used to filter the side-modes for lasing wavelength in single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) operation. However, the output mode spacing of dual-wavelength could be limited owing to the homogeneous broadening nature of EDF. As a result, the output performance of the proposed fiber laser have also been analyzed and discussed, such as wavelength tuning range, output power, side-mode suppression ratio (SMSR), stabilities of lasing wavelength and power, relative intensity noise (RIN), etc.
Employee Perspective on the Impact of using GIS on Highway and Transportation Construction Project Success

This survey research effort investigated the Geographic Information System (GIS) functions in highway and transportation construction-project success based on employee perspective. The population included engineers and IT professionals in the United States. The sample included members of various organizations who are classified under the construction industry. The high percentage of respondents who reported little knowledge about how to use the GIS functions may cause erroneous conclusions about the use of the GIS. The lack of knowledge was the primary reason that people in the field do not use the GIS appropriately. Moreover, it seems that executives have more skills or knowledge about the GIS than those in lower-level positions. The reason could be that executives received the chance to train on GIS software and started to apply the GIS on their construction projects. Recommendations included the following: (a) engineers and managers should consider using GIS functions for highways, streets, roads, or public sidewalk projects; and (b) special attention should be given to ensuring that appropriate GIS training is provided for all levels in an organization.
Alleviation of salt stress in fine aromatic rice by seed priming

This study investigated the potential of seed priming for induction of salt tolerance in rice. The seeds of two fine aromatic rice cv. Shaheen Basmati (salt tolerant) and Basmati-2000 (salt sensitive) were soaked in aerated solutions of CaCl2 (Ψs=-1.25 MPa), KCl (Ψs=-1.25 MPa), and H2O2 (50 mM) each for 36 h. Seeds soaked in distilled water and non-primed seeds were taken as control for comparison. Two experiments were conducted in vitro and primed seeds were exposed to 0, 40 and 80 mM NaCl in petri dishes and sand culture during germination and emergence respectively. Priming with CaCl2 followed by KCl were more effective in inducing salt tolerance of both rice cultivars owing to enhanced germination capacity, speed of germination, seedling length and dry weight in saline medium. Incremental salinity reduced total chlorophyll percentage (TCP) by two fold in both cultivars but higher TCP was found at all salinity levels from CaCl2 primed raised seedlings in salt tolerant cultivar. Decreased leaf Na + accumulation and increased K + uptake were found in CaCl2 primed seedlings at moderate salinity in both cultivars but effect was more pronounced in Shaheen Basmati. Delayed germination and seedling growth with H2O2 pre-treatment indicates sensitivity of H2O2 primed seeds to salts and might be the result of higher Na + uptake and less chlorophyll contents in rice seedlings. Nonetheless, enhanced germination and seedling growth, high Na + /K + exclusion indicates Shaheen Basmati tolerance to salinity than Basmati-2000 and seed priming with CaCl2 seems more promising in induction of salinity tolerance in fine aromatic rice.
EXCITATION AND DETECTION OF WAVES IN THE FDTD ANALYSIS OF N-PORT NETWORKS

An FDTD methodology is provided herein that allows for TEM excitation and detection of signals associated with N -port network analysis. The scheme is based upon the numerical solution of Laplace’s equation in the context of the standard Yee grid. The invocation of both equivalence and orthogonality of modes principles assures that the TEM mode of interest is both exclusively excited and detected. Electric and magnetic surface currents are employed to render zero backward radiation from the source plane. Orthogonality is utilized at the terminal plane to extract the TEM mode from a multi-mode signal, provided that the spectrum of the guiding structure is discrete. The advantage of this approach is found in the placement of both the terminal and source planes — both can be placed as close to each other and to the network as necessary, thus alleviating the computational and memory burdens of the simulation. Examples pertaining to this methodology include stripline structures and the monopole strip antenna. The microstrip patch antenna is also considered to demonstrate the difficulties associated with the excitation and detection of quasi-TEM signals in the midst of radiation terms.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IN AN SME: A CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE IN PERCEIVED VALUE AND LOCAL BRAND IMAGE

This study is aimed to understand the relationship of perceived quality and brand image on customer satisfaction of Sasirangan Consumer. The study were taken at Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The object of this study is SME’s Sasirangan (Kain Sasirangan). The object was taken since it has a deep local wisdom and deep meaning for Banjarmasin society (Banua). The subject taken in this research is youngsters at college. This group of subject taken since today’s youngsters has a unique characteristics that also affecting their taste on certain product. The sample was as many as 139 people involved, and executed by using Partial-Least-Square SEM (PLS-SEM). The results of the study shows that either perceived quality or brand image positively increasing the customer satisfaction. Based on the model examination, the perceived value are able to directly affecting the customer satisfaction rather than that affected by brand image. However the indirect effect also indicate that the brand image are also able to mediate the effect of perceived quality on customer satisfaction. The limitation of this study is the object is a single object that may affect the degree of generality against another research.