Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Discovery of 13 New Variable Stars in the Field of the Open Cluster NGC 2168 (M35)

A wide-field time-series CCD photometric survey of variable stars in the field of the open cluster NGC 2168 was carried out using the BATC Schmidt telescope. In total 13 new variable stars are discovered with three W UMa systems, one EA type and two EB type eclipsing binaries (one of them could be a W UMa system), and seven pulsating stars including three candidates of δ Scuti stars.
High‐resolution surveys along the hot spot–affected Galápagos Spreading Center: 1. Distribution of hydrothermal activity

The spatial density of hydrothermal activity along most mid‐ocean ridges is a robust linear function of spreading rate (or magmatic budget), but extreme crustal properties may alter this relationship. In 2005–2006 we tested the effect of thickened crust on hydrothermal activity using high‐resolution mapping of plumes overlying the hot spot–affected Galápagos Spreading Center from 95° to 89°42′W (∼560 km of ridge crest). Plume mapping discovered only two active, high‐temperature vent fields, subsequently confirmed by camera tows, though strong plume evidence indicated minor venting from at least six other locations. Total plume incidence (ph), the fraction of ridge crest overlain by significant plumes, was 0.11 ± 0.014, about half that expected for a non–hot spot mid‐ocean ridge with a similar magmatic budget. Plume distributions on the Galápagos Spreading Center were uncorrelated with abrupt variations in the depth of the along‐axis melt lens, so these variations are apparently not controlled by hydrothermal cooling differences. We also found no statistical difference (for a significance level of 0.05) in plume incidence between where the seismically imaged melt lens is shallow (2 ± 0.56 km, ph = 0.108 ± 0.045) and where it is deep (3.4 ± 0.7 km, ph = 0.121 ± 0.015). The Galápagos Spreading Center thus joins mid‐ocean ridges near the Iceland (Reykjanes Ridge), St. Paul‐Amsterdam (South East Indian Ridge), and Ascension (Mid‐Atlantic Ridge) hot spots as locations of anomalously scarce high‐temperature venting. This scarcity implies that convective cooling along hot spot–affected ridge sections occurs primarily by undetected diffuse flow or is permanently or episodically reduced compared to normal mid‐ocean ridges.
The Efficacy of Iranian Made Saliva Substitute vs. VA-OraLube in Improvement of Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life in Radiotherapy-Induced Xerostomia

Background and Aim: Xerostomia is a common complication of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer which can increase the risk of oral and dental disease and negatively affect patients' quality of life. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Iranian Made Saliva Substitute vs. VA-OraLube in improvement of Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life . Materials & Methods: This study was a randomized double-blinded, crossover clinical trial. 27 patients(49.1±14.7 years) with post-radiotherapy xerostomia were randomly allocated to receive either Iranian Made Saliva Substitute or VA-OraLube, or vice versa, each product for 1 week, with a 10 day wash-out period in between. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Questionnaire Head and Neck Cancer Module (EORTC-QLQ-H&N35) was completed by patients at days 1,8,18 and 25. To compare the groups the repeated measurement analysis of variance test was used then comparison of paired was performed by t-paired test. Results: Oral-Health-Related Quality of Life score has been changed almost the same degree by both VA-OraLube and Iranian made saliva substitute and both treatments were effective. But none of them affected pain relief. A trend was seen for VA-OraLube to improve senses. Conclusion: With regard to significant improvement in Standard score in different group of questionnaire after using saliva substitute, both saliva substitutes were effective in alleviating the symptoms of xerostomia and helping patients to have better life.
Perfect-results after laparoscopic surgery for gastroesophageal reflux - are they achievable?

In the quest for the perfect outcome following antireflux surgery, Nissen’s original fundoplication has undergone many modifications. The original procedure achieved good reflux control, but this was offset by a relatively high incidence of troublesome side effects. The modifications which have been proposed as solutions to the problem of troublesome side effects have now all been tested in randomized trials. Outcomes from these suggest that division of the short gastric vessels during Nissen fundoplication is unnecessary, and that partial fundoplications are associated with less side effects. However, there is a trade-off between the risk of side-effects vs. the risk of recurrent reflux across the spectrum of antireflux procedures ranging from Nissen fundoplication at one end to lesser degrees of partial fundoplication at the other. Whilst a perfect outcome is almost certainly not achievable following antireflux surgery, the trade-off between the risk of reflux vs. the risk side effects needs to be considered during work-up, and the fundoplication can be tailored to the preoperative esophageal motility and individual patient preferences to achieve better outcomes.
THE IMPACT OF THE FIRM GENERATED CONTENTS AND THE USER GENERATED CONTENTS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA ON BRAND EQUITY ELEMENTS

It is an era of modern communication technology, where consumers are well aware and connected to products and brands. By generating content related to products or brands consumers can now make or destroy a brand. Communication through online social media has shaped the overall communication strategy of the firms, as more and more firms are struggling hard to understand and control the online social media communication for better and secured future of the brand and the firm. The aim of this study was to measure the impact of the firm generated social media communication and the user generated social media communication on the elements of brand equity. A conceptual framework was developed based on Aaker’s Brand Equity model. The constructs and scale items were adopted from previous studies and had valid reliability. SEM was performed through AMOS. Findings of this research revealed that both the firm generated and the user generated social media communications have a positive influence on the brand equity elements.
Effect of Vermicompost and NPKS Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Yield Components of Red Amaranth

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of vermicompost and NPKS fertilizers on growth and yield of red amaranth in "Level Barind Tract (AEZ-25)" soils of Bangladesh during the period from November 2001 to January 2002. The land was medium fertile and P was 5.4. H 12 3 There were 12 treatments viz. control (T ), vermicompost (VC) 2.5 t/ha (T ), VC 5.0 t/ha (T ), VC 45 6 10.0 t/ha (T ), VC 2.5 t/ha+50% NPKS (T ), VC 5 t/ha+50% NPKS (T ), VC 10 t/ha+50% NPKS 78 9 1 0 (T ), VC 2.5 t/ha+100% NPKS (T ), VC 5 t/ha+100% NPKS (T ), VC 10 t/ha+100% NPKS (T ), 11 1 2 50% NPKS (T ) and 100% NPKS (T ). The experiment was laid out in RCBD with three replications and 100% doses of N-P-K-S were 25-15-20-9 kg/ha. Application of vermicompost and NPKS significantly influenced the growth and yield of red amaranth. The 10 t/ha vermicompost 12 showed better growth and yield than 100% NPKS (T ) in red amaranth. The highest yield (13.25 t/ha) 71 0 of red amaranth was found in T followed by T (13.17 t/ha) but both are statistically similar and 1 lowest in control (T ). Application of various amounts of vermicompost (2.5, 5, 10 t/ha) with NPKS fertilizers (50% and 100%) increased the vegetative growth and yield of red amaranth. The highest 71 0 yield increased by T (307.1%) followed by T (305.7%). The yield of red amaranth was strongly correlated with total dry matter (r = 0.994**), plant height (r = 0.967**), leaf length (r = 0.951**) and also stem length (r = 0.937**). The results showed that effects of vermicompost are more efficient for the vigorous production of red amaranth. It is also suggested that vermicompost (10 t/ha) + NPKS (50%) is more favorable for vigorous production of red amaranth and maintenance of soil environment but vermicompost (5 t/ha) + NPKS (100%) can be economically and environmentally suitable.
Prey-dependent foraging tactics and prey profitability in a marine mammal

Predators face decisions about which prey to include in their diet in order to maximize fitness. The foraging tactics used to capture prey and the resulting profitability of prey influence these decisions. We present the first evidence of prey-dependent foraging tactics and prey profitabil- ity in a free-ranging pinniped. We studied 39 adult male harbour seals Phoca vitulina at Sable Island, Nova Scotia using an animal-borne video system. Each male wore the camera system for 3 d during which 10 min video samples were recorded every 45 min from 06:00 h, resulting in approximately 3 h of videotape per male and a total of 1094 capture attempts of identified prey. Males foraged mainly on sand lance Ammodytes dubius and flounders (Pleuronectids), but salmonid and gadoid fishes were occasionally pursued. Foraging tactics differed among and within prey types based on differ- ences in prey behaviour. Sand lance was both a cryptic prey, when in the bottom substrate, and a con- spicuous schooling prey. Seal swimming speed, handling time and capture success differed between cryptic and conspicuous sand lance. The highest capture success and handling time was recorded for flounders. Estimated profitability, i.e. net energy intake per unit time, also differed with prey type and prey size. Our results suggest that diet selection may have important implications on the foraging energetics of pinnipeds.
Intercomparison of retrieval algorithms for the specific surface area of snow from near-infrared satellite data in mountainous terrain, and comparison with the output of a semi-distributed snowpack model

Abstract. This study compares different methods to retrieve the specific surface area (SSA) of snow from satellite radiance measurements in mountainous terrain. It aims at addressing the effect on the retrieval of topographic corrections of reflectance, namely slope and aspect of terrain, multiple reflections on neighbouring slopes and accounting (or not) for the anisotropy of snow reflectance. Using MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data for six different clear sky scenes spanning a wide range of snow conditions during the winter season 2008–2009 over a domain of 46 × 50 km in the French Alps, we compared SSA retrievals with and without topographic correction, with a spherical or non-spherical snow reflectance model and, in spherical case, with or without anisotropy corrections. The retrieved SSA values were compared to field measurements and to the results of the detailed snowpack model Crocus, fed by driving data from the SAFRAN meteorological analysis. It was found that the difference in terms of surface SSA between retrieved values and SAFRAN-Crocus output was minimal when the topographic correction was taken into account, when using a retrieval method assuming disconnected spherical snow grains. In this case, the root mean square deviation was 9.4 m2 kg−1 and the mean difference was 0.1 m2 kg−1, based on 3170 pairs of observation and simulated values. The added-value of the anisotropy correction was not significant in our case, which may be explained by the presence of mixed pixels and surface roughness. MODIS retrieved data show SSA variations with elevation and aspect which are physically consistent and in good agreement with SAFRAN-Crocus outputs. The variability of the MODIS retrieved SSA within the topographic classes of the model was found to be relatively small (3.9 m2 kg−1). This indicates that semi-distributed snowpack simulations in mountainous terrain with a sufficiently large number of classes provides a representation of the snowpack variability consistent with the scale of MODIS 500 m pixels.
Improved representations of coupled soil-canopy processes in the CABLE land surface model

CABLE is a global land surface model, which has been used extensively in offline and coupled simulations. While CABLE performs well in comparison with other land surface models, results are impacted by decoupling of transpiration and photosynthesis fluxes under drying soil conditions, often leading to implausibly high water use efficiencies. Here, we present a solution to this problem, ensuring that modelled transpiration is always consistent with modelled photosynthesis, while introducing a parsimonious single-parameter drought response function which is coupled to root water uptake. We further improve CABLE’s simulation of coupled soil–canopy processes by introducing an alternative hydrology model with a physically accurate representation of coupled energy and water fluxes at the soil–air interface, including a more realistic formulation of transfer under atmospherically stable conditions within the canopy and in the presence of leaf litter. The effects of these model developments are assessed using data from 18 stations from the global eddy covariance FLUXNET database, selected to span a large climatic range. Marked improvements are demonstrated, with root mean squared errors for monthly latent heat fluxes and water use efficiencies being reduced by 40 %. Results highlight the important roles of deep soil moisture in mediating drought response and litter in dampening soil evaporation.
REAL-TIME EXECUTING SOURCE LOCATION SYSTEM APPLICABLE TO ANISOTROPIC THIN STRUCTURES

In this study, we developed a real-time executing source location system for anisotropic thin structures such as CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics) tanks. The system consists of AE sensors, an A/D converter on a PC and a computer with proprietary software. We suggest two algorithms to realize the real-time executing source location. The first algorithm is a frequency filtering algorithm utilizing a fast continuous wavelet transform. The second algorithm is a fast source location calculation algorithm for unidirectional anisotropic structures. In the second algorithm, the affine coordinate transform is used. The calculation time for each source location is reduced to 1ess than 15 ms with reasonable accuracy.
Assessment of direct glycerol alkaline fuel cell based on Au/C catalyst and microporous membrane

The use of a microporous membrane along with Au/C catalyst for direct glycerol alkaline fuel cell was investigated. In comparison with Nafion 112, the microporous Celgard 3401 membrane provides a better cell performance due to the lower ionic resistance as confirmed by impedance spectra. The single cell using Au/C as anode catalyst prepared by using PVA protection techniques provided a higher maximum power density than the single cell with commercial PtRu/C at 18.65 mW cm -2 . The short-term current decay studies show a better stability of Au/C single cell. The higher activity of Au/C over PtRu/C was owing to the lower activation loss of Au/C. The magnitude of current decay indicates a low problem of glycerol crossover from anode to cathode side. The similar performance of single cell with and without humudification at cathode points out an adequate transport of water through the microporous membrane.
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT (CRM)NETWORK: A NEW APPROACH TO STUDYING CRM

The technology and the climate to support the tenets of CRM, which are not new, have become available recently. However, researchers face the problem of defining CRM and mapping out what it entails. As such, this paper takes a new approach to defining and studying CRM. It defines CRM as a business strategy that seamlessly integrates every aspect of business that touches the customer. Based on this definition, this paper suggests that CRM study should be approached as a study of five sub-topics: marketing and sales, project implementation and management, e-business, knowledge management and supply chain management, each of which is established in its own right. This approach provides a framework to carry out future research to integrate these sub-topics and form a comprehensive blueprint on how to become a customer-centric CRMorganization.
Changing snow cover and the net mass balance of Storglaciären, northern Sweden

Abstract The spatial and temporal variability of seasonal snow cover in glacierized catchments has important implications for the net mass balance of alpine glaciers. This study examines the relationship between changing snowpack volume, the resulting winter balance and the net mass balance of Storglaciären, northern Sweden. Using a conceptual model, the net seasonal snow input to the glacier is simulated daily for 16 years from 1990. From this the annual snow accumulation and winter balance are calculated. The model outputs are compared with snowlines delineated from classified aerial photographs, ASTER and Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite imagery, and with measured Storglaciären winter balances. The results of the model indicate variability in the winter balance over the study period, though there is a slightly negative trend overall. The highest winter balances and seasonal snow volumes occurred in the early 1990s and correspond with positive net mass balances. However, the slightly negative trend in winter balance and decreased net seasonal snow volumes suggested by the model, combined with the measured increasing trend in mass lost due to ablation, have resulted in decreasing glacier net mass balances and a corresponding rise in ELA over the study period.
Improving IS Competency: The Role of Self-Explanation and Self-Evaluation

Achieving proficient, effective utilization of information systems (IS) continues to be a challenge. Therefore, effective training techniques can be an area of consideration for improving IS competency. To understand issues underlying competency in IS use, the Cognitive Load Theory is utilized. One potential challenge that resonates with the learning process itself is germane cognitive load. This research proposes to address such issues by exploring potential improvements in germane cognitive load through interventions of self-regulated learning strategies. Drawing upon Social Cognitive Theory and self-regulated learning literature, this research proposes an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of using selfconstructed explanations and self-evaluations to improve IS competency. Learning outcomes will be measured through assessment of declarative knowledge, procedural knowledge, and self-efficacy. Practical implications and contributions of this research include providing an understanding of the effectiveness of incorporating self-regulated learning strategies (i.e., self-constructed explanations and evaluations) in an IS competency context.
Knowledge combination and exchange: the Fundação Ezequiel Dias experience

The article portraits a work of research related to knowledge management, applied by a public health assistance organization over a period of six years. The work's importance is associated to identifying how a public organization prioritizes knowledge management as a strategy for obtaining competitive advantage, aiming for effectiveness in providing services to the community and its own sustainability, in a competitive business environment. Through the concept of social capital, in the theoretical reference, the research seeks to unveil how the social capital intervenes on the creation, the appropriation and the knowledge exchange, as well as what is the relationship between the intellectual capital's creation in the organizations and the value creation processes. The methodology employed on the research was built through semi-structured interviews and analysis of the organization's public documents, making possible the comprehension of the corporate universe. The research work's conclusion points to the good results coming from the adopted strategy, in regards to the knowledge management, but highlights the conflicts in managerial decision taking, resulting from the public organization's response capacity in a high competitiveness environment. Keywords Information, Knowledge, Competence, Social capital, Intellectual capital, Competitive advantage.
Eight heuristic planning techniques applied to three increasingly difficult wildlife planning problems

As both spatial and temporal characteristics of desired future conditions are becoming important measures of forest plan success, forest plans and forest planning goals are becoming complex. Heuristic techniques are becoming popular for developing alternative forest plans that include spatial constraints. Eight types of heuristic planning techniques were applied to three increasingly diffi cult forest planning problems where the objective function sought to maximize the amount of land in certain types of wildlife habitat. The goal of this research was to understand the relative challenges and opportunities each technique presents when more complex diffi cult goals are desired. The eight heuristic techniques were random search, simulated annealing, great deluge, threshold accepting, tabu search with 1-opt moves, tabu search with 1-opt and 2-opt moves, genetic algorithm, and a hybrid tabu search / genetic algorithm search process. While our results should not be viewed as universal truths, we determined that for the problems we examined, there were three classes of techniques: very good (simulated annealing, threshold accepting, great deluge, tabu search with 1-opt and 2-opt moves, and tabu search / genetic algorithm), adequate (tabu search with 1-opt moves, genetic algorithm), and less than adequate (random search). The relative advantages in terms of solution time and complexity of programming code are discussed and should provide planners and researchers a guide to help match the appropriate technique to their planning problem. The hypothetical landscape model used to evaluate the techniques can also be used by others to further compare their techniques to the ones described here.
The conservation value of abandoned croplands in Mpumalanga's grasslands

ii Declaration iii Acknowledgements iv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 The South African Grassland Biome 1 1.2 Restoration of abandoned croplands 2 1.3 Abandoned croplands and landscape connectivity 3 1.4 Aims 3 1.5 Overview of the dissertation 4 References 5 Chapter 2: Species composition and conservation value of secondary grassland after 30 years of cropland abandonment 8 Abstract 8 2.
Influenza Diagnosis with a Specific Emphasis on the M2e Antigen as a Diagnostic Tool

The therapy, observation, inclusiveness, and preclusion of related diseases all influence the diagnosis of influenza. Particularly, the pandemic duration and diagnosis time for influenza are extremely important. After the appearance of symptoms, antiviral medication must be initiated within 48 h. Cell culture, real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), flow cytometry, direct and indirect immunofluorescence methods, and the quick diagnosis test are all valuable approaches for the diagnosis of influenza. Different instruments, different time durations for the results, and different specialists characterize all these approaches. Antigen selection is of critical importance with regard to the specificity and sensitivity of these methods, especially the serological and rapid diagnosis tests. M2e, the highly conserved external domain of the influenza A M2 protein, is a potential differential diagnostic marker for influenza virus infection. This chapter reviews the studies that use M2e as a diagnosis agent, and it illuminates the role and importance of M2e in the diagnosis of influenza.