cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
Differentiated services in an integrated broadband network
Creators: name: Chen, Zhao
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2004
Subjects: subject: Engineering, Electronics and Electrical.

description: This thesis evaluates the Differentiated Services (diffserv) mechanism proposed by IETF to provide QoS and resource reservation under bursty web traffic. Particularly, the performance of Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) algorithm is studied, using two-node and multiple link network configuration. A self-similar realistic web workload model generating aggregation of web-accessing traffic flows is developed and used to evaluate the performance, as well as other multimedia applications. Our analysis reveals that due to the burstiness of web traffic, diffserv cannot achieve all the desired QoS guarantees, especially packet delay and jitter. Three mainstream multimedia applications are modeled and analyzed in the Diffserv network with our realistic web traffic model as background traffic. Finally, our performance analysis also demonstrates that in more realistic network environment, only bi-directional resource reservation can provide to the customers QoS guarantees in Diffserv network. Several scenarios of aggregations of applications traffic flows are used to evaluate the performance, such as short-lived web traffic and non-adaptive UDP traffic.
Quantitative assessment of IP service quality in 802.11b networks
Creators: name: Armitage, Grenville
name: Nguyen, Thuy T. T.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This paper experimentally studies the performance of 802.11b links in terms of round trip time (RTT) under load and TCP throughput in the presence of competing traffic. Our test scenarios are of specific interest to the emerging .hot spot. market, and the use of 802.11b in enterprise networks. We use commercial, standards-compliant 802.11b clients and access points, and demonstrate that CSMA/CA as currently used by 802.11b allows competing lowrate traffic (such as 128Kbps flow of 64 byte UDP or ICMP packets) to degrade concurrent TCP throughput by up to 50%. We also observe that data transfers from a remote server to a wireless client can create substantial latency spikes (over 50ms for MTU 1500 bytes) in the shared wireless segment, even when the TCP throughput is up around 4Mbps. Such spikes have a big impact on delay-sensitive applications, such as voice over IP (VoIP), online games and interactive streaming video that may be sharing the wireless medium. We also experimentally characterize the impact of the bottleneck link bandwidth, MTU sizes, and TCP window sizes in achieving maximum performance over 802.11b wireless links.
Optimal frequency measurements with quantum probes
Creators: name: Schmitt, Simon Christian
name: Gefen, Tuvia
name: Louzon, Daniel
name: Osterkamp, Christian
name: Staudenmaier, Nicolas
name: Lang, Johannes
name: Markham, Matthew
name: Retzker, Alex
name: McGuinness, Liam P.
name: Jelezko, Fedor
Publisher: name: Universität Ulm
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Quantum metrology
subject: DDC 530 / Physics
subject: Theoretical physics
subject: Quantenmetrologie
subject: Theoretische Physik

description: Precise frequency measurements are important in applications ranging from navigation and imaging to computation and communication. Here we outline the optimal quantum strategies for frequency discrimination and estimation in the context of quantum spectroscopy, and we compare the effectiveness of different readout strategies. Using a single NV center in diamond, we implement the optimal frequency discrimination protocol to discriminate two frequencies separated by 2 kHz with a single 44 μs measurement, a factor of ten below the Fourier limit. For frequency estimation, we achieve a frequency sensitivity of 1.6 µHz/Hz2 for a 1.7 µT amplitude signal, which is within a factor of 2 from the quantum limit. Our results are foundational for discrimination and estimation problems in nanoscale nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Context information management using agents
Creators: name: Ganesan, Prasanna
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2004
Subjects: subject: Computer Science.

description: The thesis is about an effort taken towards achieving context awareness by efficiently managing context information. The management of context spans from defining context attributes to triggering of actions resulting from a context state change. The design of the model is targeted towards creating a context aware environment for an adhoc users/services collaboration system. Contextual data are grouped and stored as profiles and database tuples depending on context themselves. The context management model gathers profile and preferences of mobile users and services and monitors changes that the entities undergo. These changes are reflected as actions on the related entities depending on the context change. The thesis proposes a design, which enables creating relationships between context attributes and deriving semantics out of them to describe a situation. Once the situation is resolved, the model identifies the tasks to be carried out in such situation and triggers relevant actions. The scope of context management model is restricted to entities that are present in a physical room. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
title: Measuring Changes in Motivation in Response to an Online Repeated Reading Intervention with Self-Monitoring
Creators: name: Longhurst, David N.
Publisher: name: Utah State University
Year: 2022

description: Reading is a complex cognitive process that is integral to learning, achievement, and future life outcomes. Students with reading disabilities struggle to obtain information and develop specific interests. Unfortunately, many students in the United States do not meet expected reading benchmarks. Also due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, has presented multiple challenges for student academic reading growth. Motivation beliefs, such as self-efficacy, interest, and goal-directed behavior, play an important role in students’ education and development. This study examined whether motivational constructs change throughout the course of an online repeated reading intervention with self-monitoring. Five elementary students were selected from the Inner Mountain West with varying IDEA special education qualifications and all read below the 25th percentile for their grade. During, the online repeated reading intervention, students were asked questions relating to different characteristics of motivation. Reading fluency gains were reported among most of the participants, regarding self-efficacy, there was significant evidence to support that student self-efficacy improved throughout the intervention compared to baseline. Other motivational constructs such as interest and goal-setting did not have significant evidence of improvements. These findings support that this intervention of repeated reading with self-monitoring may be appropriate for students who demonstrate lower initial levels of self-efficacy.
Studies in Akan syntax, acquisition, and sentence processing.
Creators: name: Saah, Kofi Korankye.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1995
Subjects: subject: Language, Linguistics.

description: This is a two-part study that combines the study of several construction types in Akan with a psycholinguistic study. Part I is a syntactic study clause structure in Akan, interrogative sentences, resumptive pronouns and the issue of whether there is syntactic Wh-Movement in Akan. I argue that Akan is basically an in-situ language with regards to the placement of wh-words in questions. Questions with their question-words in pre-IP position are not the result of syntactic wh-movement: they are the result of the general focus marking process in the language which can affect any constituent in a sentence by base-generating it in (Spec, CP) and base-generating a resumptive pronoun (null or overt) in the corresponding argument position in the complement or comment clause/sentence. This analysis is based on such factors such as the absence of gaps, the use of resumptive pronouns even in positions such as the direct object position where movement is allowed, and the possibility of linking a wh-element into a position inside syntactic islands such as relative clauses, VP-complements, and temporal clauses. Part II deals with the acquisition of some of the structures discussed in Part I (in-situ wh-questions, the use of resumptive pronouns, and the sensitivity to the dichotomy between overt (animate) and null (inanimate) resumptive pronouns in the language). It also deals with issues of the processing of sentences involving long-distance dependencies. I argue, based on studies involving Akan and English, that islands constraints may be mimicked by processing principles though island constraints cannot be reduced to principles of sentence processing. It is suggested that a distinction should be made between parsing islands and processing islands and that while the two are not coextensive, they may overlap to a large extent in languages like English where the constraints hold, but not in a language like Akan where the constraints can be violated.
Immunotherapy with check-point inhibitors (CPI) in adult malignancies: a protocol for the systematic review of the quality of economic analyses
Creators: name: Wang, Ying
name: Camateros, Pierre
name: Smith, Denise
name: Dawe, David
name: Ellis, Peter
Publisher: name: BioMed Central
Year: 2019

description: Background: Immuno-oncology, and in particular, check-point inhibitors (CPIs), have led to a paradigm shift in the field of cancer care. The cost of new drug development is high, and many novel agents in oncology are significantly more expensive than older agents. Therefore, healthcare funders have factored measures of cost-effectiveness into decisions concerning drug reimbursement and incorporation of new agents into treatment algorithms. The methodology of cost-effectiveness evaluations, however, is less rigorously applied than those evaluating clinical efficacy and safety data. Thus, in spite of many regulatory bodies having approved CPIs based on existing economic analyses, to date, there has not been a systematic evaluation of the quality of health economic studies conducted on this new class of agents. Therefore, we propose to systematically review the methodologic and reporting quality of cost-effectiveness and cost-utility studies assessing CPIs to alternate established therapies, other immuno-oncology regimens, or placebo, in adults with malignancies. Methods/design: The systematic review will include all published economic evaluations of CPIs compared with at least one other treatment in adult patients with solid or hematologic malignancies. A search will be performed to identify relevant studies in Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cost-effectiveness Analysis Registry, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, and the NIHR-HTA database. The titles and abstracts of all identified studies will be independently reviewed by two reviewers, who will then assess the full text of all articles deemed to meet eligibility criteria. Assessed articles will be screened for compliance with the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) criteria. The association, with CHEERS criteria, of the journal impact factor, publication year, funding source, tumor site, trial or model-based study, and CPIs studied, will then be assessed. Discussion: The systematic review will aim to provide an overview of the quality of economic analyses evaluating CPIs for the treatment of malignancies in adult patients. Any systemic or recurrent deficiencies in methodological or reporting quality will be described and used to inform recommendations for improved reporting of economic analyses. Systematic review registration: This review will not be registered with PROSPERO, it does not meet the eligibility criterion of addressing an outcome of the direct patient or clinical relevance.
Predicting brand preferences: an examination of the predictive power of consumer personality and values in the Australian fashion market
Creators: name: Mulyanegara, Riza Casidy
name: Tsarenko, Yelena
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: This paper aims to examine and compare the strength of personality and values in predicting brand preferences. It seeks to accomplish three main objectives. First, it will evaluate the strength of personality and values in predicting consumers' brand preferences. Second, it will examine whether values exercise a mediating role between personality and brand preferences. Finally, it will examine the mediating role of prestige sensitivity in influencing brand preferences. The study opted to use a quantitative approach involving 251 undergraduate students as the study participants. The constructs used in the study are taken from existing scales as well as self-developed branding scales. Structural equation modeling technique is utilised for data analysis. The paper provides empirical insights about how personality and values together affect brand preferences. It suggests that values are indeed better predictors of brand preferences and exercise both direct and indirect effects on brand preferences through the mediating role of prestige sensitivity. Because of the self-report method used for personality assessment, there may be bias in terms of the nature of respondents' personality as expressed in the questionnaire. The paper suggests implications for the development of a strong brand personality which can appeal to both consumer personality and values. This paper poses interesting insights and empirical evidence with regard to the predictive power of personality and values on brand preferences within a fashion context.
Open Science / Campus.
Creators: name: Strauch-Davey, Annette
Publisher: name: Forschungzentrum Jülich
Year: 2022
Subjects: Open Science
Bibliotheken
Digital Shift
Digitaler Wandel

description: doi:10.5281/ZENODO.6371137
description: Aus dem Programm der #vbib21 Bibliotheksservices als forschungsnahe Dienste sind Leistungen, die Forschenden beim gesamten Forschungszyklus unterstützen. Sie sind im Kontext der Digitalisierung und Open Science angesiedelt. Wie könnten innovative Angebote bis 2026 aussehen? 'Open Science' gewährleistet die Wissenschaftsfreiheit und bietet neue Chancen für Forschung und Gesellschaft. Am besten funktioniert offene Wissenschaft immer in Netzwerken. Die Bibliotheken verwalten Wissensfragen und unterstützen hier. Der 'Support' passt sich schnell an neue Gegebenheiten an. Im Forschungsdatenmanagement - als nur ein forschungsnaher Dienst - steht Ausstausch mit den Fachcommunities im Vordergrund, um zu standardisierten Lösungen gelangen zu können. Die FDM-Stellen in Bibliotheken sind unter anderem auch Brücken zwischen Forschung und Infrastrukturen, bis hin zu den neuen NFDI-Konsortien, die neue Standards als Lösung anbieten werden (Metadaten, Speicherung, cloudbasierte Plattformen, usw.), zur EOSC und darüber hinaus. Hier gehts zur Aufzeichnung des Beitrags im TIB-AV-Portal
title: Mixity in EU Foreign Trade Policy Is Here to Stay: Advocate General Sharpston on the Allocation of Competence for the Conclusion of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement
Creators: name: Lenk, Hannes
Publisher: name: European Papers (www.europeanpapers.eu)
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: foreign direct investment
subject: investment protection
subject: common commercial policy
subject: external relations
subject: competences
subject: free trade agreement

description: European Papers - A Journal on Law and Integration, 2017 2(1), 357-382
description: European Forum Insight of 26 March 2017
description: I. Introduction. - II. Setting the scene. - II.1. EU-Singapore FTA: a new era for EU foreign trade policy. - II.2. WTO opinion 2.0. - III. The Advocate General's opinion. - III.1. Exclusive competence. - III.2. Shared competence: the peculiar case of transport services and non-commercial aspects of intellectual property. - IV. Chapter 9: investment protection. - IV.1. Differentiating foreign direct investment from other forms of investment. - IV.2. Post-admission treatment. - IV.3. Treaty provisions as "common rules" for the purpose of Art. 3, para. 2, TFEU. - IV.4. Portfolio investment. - IV.5. The termination of existing bilateral agreements between Member States and Singapore. - IV.6. Synopsis. - V. Conclusions.
description: It has been two decades since the Court of Justice had the chance to comprehensively assess the scope of the common commercial policy. In Opinion 2/15 on the EU-Singapore free trade agreement (FTA) the Court is now asked to determine how far the EU's external competence stretches post-Lisbon. Ahead of the decision, AG Sharpston has recently rendered her legal view on the question of whether the EU is endowed with exclusive competence to conclude the EU-Singapore FTA, or whether and to what extent the requisite competences are shared or remain exclusively with the Member States. Unsurprisingly, the AG concludes that the agreement in its entirety is not covered by exclusive competence. Particularly, transport services and non-commercial aspects of intellectual property, but also foreign investment other than direct investment remains the territory of shared competence. Furthermore, the EU enjoys no competence to terminate existing bilateral agreements between Member States and Singapore. Its conclusion as a mixed agreement is therefore mandatory. Indeed, the EU-Singapore trade deal is paradigmatic of the new generation of EU deep and comprehensive FTAs, and the Court's decision is thus likely to have broader ramifications for other on going and recently finalized negotiations. Should the Court follow the AG, mixity in EU foreign trade policy is everything but a thing of the past.
title: Celebrating 20 years of SETAC German Language Branch (GLB)
title: Celebrating 20 years of SETAC German Language Branch (GLB)
titleType: AlternativeTitle
Creators: name: Zubrod, Jochen P.
name: Düring, Rolf-Alexander
name: Frische, Tobias
name: Ebke, Klaus P.
name: Kehrer, Anja
Publisher: name: My University
Year: 2019
Subjects: Ökotoxikologie
Umweltchemie

description: This editorial presents the objectives and achievements of the German Language Branch of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Europe (SETAC GLB), a regional branch of SETAC Europe, of the last 20 years. SETAC GLB serves Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, by providing an open forum for research related to ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry, to the sustainable management and regulation of natural resources, to education in environmental sciences, as well as to issues related to research and development, and manufacturing of chemicals and products. The editorial serves as an introduction for an article collection published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe, providing an overview of the current state of ecotoxicology and environmental chemistry in German-speaking countries and of the main developments and key topics within SETAC GLB. The article collection was developed on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the regional branch of SETAC Europe. Quelle: https://enveurope.springeropen.com
Mechanisms of retinoic acid-mediated inhibition of estrogen-induced transcription and growth in human breast carcinoma cells.
Creators: name: Deonarine, Dave.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1996
Subjects: subject: Health Sciences, Pharmacology.

description: Retinoids have been shown to inhibit the growth of estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cells. In this study, it is shown that all-trans-retinoic acid (RA) inhibits the growth of MCF-7 cells by 60%. In these cells, we also found that RA inhibited estrogen-induced transcription. In transient transfection experiments using the vitellogenin-estrogen response element-CAT reporter construct, RA inhibited estrogen-induced transcription by 55%. Cotransfection of wildtype RAR$\alpha$ resulted in a 75% inhibition of estrogen-induced transcription. In order to investigate the mechanisms involved in RA-mediated inhibition of transcription, deletion mutants of RAR$\alpha$ were constructed. Point mutants of RAR$\alpha$ were also evaluated to determine their effects on RA-mediated inhibition of estrogen-induced transcription. Cotransfection of RAR$\alpha$ deletion mutants terminating after amino acid 414 resulted in wildtype inhibition. Using mutants terminating before amino acid 412, the inhibition was significantly reduced. RAR$\alpha$ mutants lacking amino acids 413 and 414 also showed significantly decreased inhibition. The amino acids 413 and 414 correspond to the activating function-2 (AF-2) region in the C-terminus of the RAR$\alpha.$ These results suggest that the RA-mediated inhibition of estrogen-induced transcription in human breast carcinoma cells is mediated by the AF-2 region of the RAR$\alpha.$ MCF-7 cells, stably transfected with a dominant negative RAR$\alpha,$ are growth inhibited by only 25% compared to 60% for untransfected or mock-transfected cells. Taken together, these results suggest that RA-mediated inhibition of estrogen-induced transcription is mediated by the AF-2 region of the RAR$\alpha$ and may play a role in RA-induced inhibition of estrogen receptor-positive human breast cancer cell growth.
Open Science Interview Mit Pa
Creators: name: Scheliga, Kaja
Publisher: name: Forschungzentrum Jülich
Year: 2014
Subjects: open science
interviews
science 2.0
open access
digital scholarship
online tools
internet research
internet studies

description: doi:10.5281/ZENODO.12344
description: This interview is part of a series of interviews on open science and digital scholarship conducted in 2013 with researchers from various backgrounds. For an analysis of the interviews see: Scheliga, Kaja and Sascha Friesike. 2014. “Putting open science into practice: A social dilemma?”  First Monday . Volume 19, Number 9. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v19i9.5381
FOOD SECURITY AND POVERTY STATUS OF CASSAVA PROCESSORS IN AWKA NORTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF ANAMBRA STATE OF NIGERIA
Creators: name: Olive, Osuafor Ogonna
name: Aloysius, Obianefo Chukwujekwu
name: Beauty, Dike Angel
name: Olive, Osuafor Ogonna
name: Aloysius, Obianefo Chukwujekwu
name: Beauty, Dike Angel
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Farm Management
subject: Food Security and Poverty
subject: Food security
subject: poverty
subject: cassava processor
subject: Nigeria

description: Cassava is one of Nigeria’s most important root cash crops and plays a key role in food security and poverty alleviation in rural areas. The study assessed the food security and poverty status of cassava processors in Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Nigeria. Data were collected with a well-structured questionnaire from a cross section of 490 randomly selected cassava processors in 2019. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, mean threshold from 5 point Likert scale, logistic regression, food security index, and Foster Greer Thorbecke (FGT) poverty status model. The study reveals that the majority (60.8%) of processors is female, it equally summarized that the average age, level of education, processing experience, household size, contact with agricultural officers, enterprise size, monthly income, and monthly expenditure were 45 years, 11 years, 16 years, 9 people, 4 times, 67.36 tons, 126.5204286 USD and 91.91425714 USD at N350 per dollar respectively. The average cassava processing output was 26.02 tons/month and the processor’s food security line was 61.28 USD, while the poverty line was 84.45 USD. The study equally observed that the food security index was 1.5 with the majority (89.59%) of the processors being food secure. Also, the poverty incidence, depth and severity were 0.098, 0.055, and 0.03 respectively, while the poorest processors spent 71.5% of their income on food consumption. Furthermore, the determinants of food security were sex, age, farm size, household size, contact with agricultural officer, and cooperative membership.
Analysis of Digital Elevation Model and LNDSAT Data Using Geographic Information System for Soil Mapping in Urban Areas
Creators: name: Mohamed, Mohamed Ali
Publisher: name: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: Soil Mapping
subject: Soil Survey
subject: Terrain Modeling
subject: Terrain Attributes
subject: Spatial Analysis
subject: DEM
subject: 550 Geowissenschaften

description: This study applies digital analysis methods of topographic data derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) and Landsat remotely sensed spectral data using GIS tools to evaluate the quality and limitations of the morphometric parameters (terrain attributes: TAs). This aims to check its suitability for digital soil mapping (DSM) and survey in urban areas at the target scale 1:50,000. This scale represents the standard scale level for compiling soil inventories within all German states. The study is conducted on an urban area of 112.68 km2 in the southwest part of the state of Berlin in Germany. These relief units are the basis for determining the soil mapping units at the scale of 1:50,000. The generated preliminary soil map was compared to soil maps made using traditional soil survey methods. For the mainly natural soils, the equivalence area is 94.91%, and for the anthropogenic soils, the equivalence area is 95.34%. The proposed methodology is adequate for preliminary mapping of soil units based on the digital derivation of TAs. Landsat scenes are spatially explicit, physical representations of environmental covariates on the land surface. The free DEM-ASTER in combination with Landsat OLI images is found to be the appropriate model to represent the terrain surface and derive the TAs for environmental modeling and fitting of derivation the relief units and their topography features. However, the 30 m spatial resolution and the fairly coarse spectral resolution of DEMs and Landsat images limit their utility for digital soil mapping at this scale in urban areas with little topographic variation.
Book review: 'Goth: undead subculture,' edited by Lauren M. E. Goodlad and Michael Bibby
Creators: name: Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Review of the book 'Goth: undead subculture,' edited by Lauren M. E. Goodlad and Michael Bibby, published by Duke University Press, Durham, 2007.
Structural Effects of Anomalous Current Densities on Manganese Hexacyanoferrate for Li-Ion Batteries
Creators: name: Mullaliu, Angelo
name: Belin, Stéphanie
name: Stievano, Lorenzo
name: Giorgetti, Marco
name: Passerini, Stefano
Publisher: name: Universität Ulm
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Prussian blue analog
subject: manganese hexacyanoferrate
subject: MCR-ALS
subject: XAFS
subject: DDC 540 / Chemistry & allied sciences
subject: Lithium ion batteries
subject: Battery management systems
subject: Röntgenabsorptionsfeinstruktur
subject: EXAFS
subject: Batteriemanagementsystem

description: A battery management system (BMS) plays a pivotal role in providing optimal performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the eventual malfunction of the BMS may lead to safety hazards or reduce the remaining useful life of LIBs. Manganese hexacyanoferrate (MnHCF) was employed as the positive electrode material in a Li-ion half-cell and subjected to five cycles at high current densities (10 A gMnHCF−1) and to discharge at 0.1 A gMnHCF−1, instead of classical charge/discharge cycling with initial positive polarization at 0.01 A gMnHCF−1, to simulate a current sensor malfunctioning and to evaluate the electrochemical and structural effects on MnHCF. The operando set of spectra at the Mn and Fe K-edges was further analyzed through multivariate curve resolution analysis with an alternating least squares algorithm (MCR–ALS) and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to investigate the structural modifications arising during cycling after the applied electrochemical protocol. The coulombic efficiency in the first cycle was dramatically affected; however, the local structural environment around each photo absorber recovered during charging. The identification of an additional spectral contribution in the electrochemical process was achieved through MCR-ALS analysis, and the Mn-local asymmetry was thoroughly explored via EXAFS analysis
FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION: EXPLORING THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Creators: name: Rahman, Md Habibur
name: Rahman, Md Habibur
Publisher: name: Unknown
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: Financial Economics
subject: Financial analysis
subject: Costco Wholesale Corporation
subject: Strengths
subject: Weaknesses

description: The financial analysis of any organization is regarded as one of the main prerequisites for the successful management of financial resources. The study aims to identify the financial strengths and weaknesses of Costco Wholesale Corporation, based on a detailed financial analysis. The study used the quantitative method using secondary sources of data, such as Costco’s website and annual reports, various financial websites, journal research papers, and book chapters. Based on the Costco’s financial statement on August 31, 2019, the study performed ratio analysis, forecasting free cash flow (FCF) for the next five years (from August 2020 to August 2024), calculating the weighted average cost of capital (WACC), measuring the market value and fundamental value to determine the exact financial performance of Costco. The financial strengths were found at the Costco’s debt to equity ratio, return on assets ratio, return on equity ratio, return on capital employed ratio, interest coverage ratio, days sales outstanding ratio, days in inventory ratio, receivables turnover ratio, inventory turnover ratio, and asset turnover ratio and the financial weaknesses were found at the Costco’s current ratio, quick ratio, gross margin ratio, operating margin ratio, and cash conversion cycle ratio. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) was calculated 12.16% and, thereby forecasts of FCF suspect to increase in the coming years. The WACC of Costco was calculated 4.76% and found satisfactory. The market value of Costco was found significantly lower compared to its competitor like Walmart Stores Inc. The findings suggest that Costco’s policymakers should concentrate on overcoming the existing financial weaknesses and sustaining the current financial strengths by taking precise initiatives.
An examination of the interaction between intrinsic motivation and the fostering of creativity in adults within a high-technology organization.
Creators: name: Laws, Judy.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1995
Subjects: subject: Psychology, Industrial.

description: Organizations that utilize the knowledge and creativity of their professionals will have the greatest success in gaining competitive advantage, profits, and leadership in the global marketplace. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the role of creativity in performance, specifically, the interaction between intrinsic motivation and the fostering of creativity in adults within a high technology organization. A sample of sixty experienced Research and Development (R&D) designers from Bell Northern Research (BNR) were evenly divided into two categories: high performing and solid performing designers. A two stage research design employed quantitative and qualitative methods to conduct the study. The results indicated while the designers at BNR scored high on creativity there was no significant difference between high and solid performers on the level of intrinsic motivation and creativity. Instead other factors like taking initiative, the need for interesting and challenging work, hands-off management, and recognition and encouragement, differentiated high performers from solid performers. Conditions highlighted by R&D designers as being necessary to facilitate intrinsic motivation, therefore creativity, were: freedom and control versus constraint; challenge and interest in the work versus the lack of challenge or keeping things the same; various organizational characteristics such as collaboration and cooperation versus the organizational characteristics of lack of support from others; good versus poor management or supervision; pressure versus insufficient time; and recognition and encouragement versus inappropriate or no evaluation. Several recommendations for Human Resources professionals and organizations who want to improve employee satisfaction, productivity and their competitiveness in the global marketplace, are provided.
Presseankündigung zu 'Open Science, Open Data'.
Creators: name: Strauch-Davey, Annette
Publisher: name: Forschungzentrum Jülich
Year: 2022
Subjects: Open Science
Universität Hildesheim
Forschung Universität Hildesheim

description: doi:10.5281/ZENODO.6371133
description: ONLINE 'Digital Autumn School' 2021 zum Forschungsdatenmanagement Dienstag, 12. Oktober 2021 um 14:00 Uhr Open Science, Open Data. Forschungsdatenmanagement. Wo? Die Veranstaltung wird mit BigBlueButton (BBB) durchgeführt werden. Den Link zur Veranstaltung finden Sie hier: https://bbb.uni-hildesheim.de/b/ann-fu1-txu-vsm Wann? 14:00 Uhr bis 17:00 Uhr Thema : Open Science - Open Data - Forschungsdatenmanagement.
Enhanced bioremediation of petroleum contaminated soils using an engineered bioreactor design CFB Petawawa, Petawawa, Ontario.
Creators: name: McNicoll, Dan.
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 1994
Subjects: subject: Environmental Sciences.

description: An engineered bioreactor system was designed and constructed to bioremediate approximately 1,800 m$\sp3$ of petroleum-contaminated soil at CFB Petawawa, Petawawa, Ontario. The bioremediation facility operated between May-November 1993. The facility consists of four above ground bioreactors each incorporating aeration piping and a water/nutrient delivery system. The aeration piping is connected to a central vacuum pump which draws air through the bioreactor leachate collection system enables the leachate to be amended. The bioreactors are covered with an opaque vapour barrier. Monitoring involved the collection of soil, water and air samples on a weekly and bi-weekly basis and various field measurements. A detailed microbial monitoring program was also implemented. Total petroleum hydrocarbon concentrations in the bioreactor soils were found to have been reduced by 97%. Temperature had an effect on the rate of petroleum biodegradation. Little or no evidence suggested that the continuous addition of nutrients to the soil had a significant effect on the rate of biodegradation. The estimated treatment cost for this project was 70-$90 per tonne. This facility however, is reusable and hence the potential exists to lower the net treatment cost to 20--\$40 per tonne. This project has shown that diesel contaminated soil can be efficiently and effectively treated to meet the most stringent federal and/or provincial criteria in a cost effective manner over a typical Canadian summer. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Vertical stratification of seed‐dispersing vertebrate communities and their interactions with plants in tropical forests
Creators: name: Thiel, Sarina
name: Tschapka, Marco
name: Heymann, Eckhard W.
name: Heer, Katrin
Publisher: name: Universität Ulm
Year: 2020
Subjects: subject: plant–animal interactions
subject: frugivory
subject: non‐flying small mammals
subject: tropical forests
subject: DDC 570 / Life sciences
subject: DDC 580 / Botanical sciences
subject: Animal-plant relationships
subject: Seeds Dispersal
subject: Birds
subject: Bats
subject: Primates
subject: Fruits
subject: Stratum
subject: Fledermäuse
subject: Primaten
subject: Obst
subject: Tropischer Regenwald
subject: Vögel

description: ABSTRACT Vertical stratification (VS) is a widespread phenomenon in plant and animal communities in forests and a key factor for structuring their species richness and biodiversity, particularly in tropical forests. The organisms composing forest communities adjust and shape the complex three‐dimensional structure of their environment and inhabit a large variety of niches along the vertical gradient of the forest. Even though the degree of VS varies among different vertebrate groups, patterns of compositional stratification can be observed across taxa. Communities of birds, bats, primates, and non‐flying small mammals are vertically stratified in terms of abundance, species richness, diversity, and community composition. Frugivorous members of these taxa play important roles as seed dispersers and forage on fruit resources that, in turn, vary in quantity and nutritional value along the vertical gradient. As a consequence, plant–seed disperser interaction networks differ among strata, which is manifested in differences in interaction frequencies and the degree of mutual specialization. In general, the canopy stratum is composed of strong links and generalized associations, while the lower strata comprise weaker links and more specialized interactions. Investigating the VS of communities can provide us with a better understanding of species habitat restrictions, resource use, spatial movement, and species interactions. Especially in the face of global change, this knowledge will be important as these characteristics can imply different responses of species and taxa at a fine spatial scale.
MPEC 2025-J50 : 2025 JO1
Creators: name: Minor Planet Center Staff
Publisher: name: The Minor Planet Center
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Small Solar System bodies
valueUri: http://astrothesaurus.org/uat/1469
subject: 2025 JO1

description: The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual minor planets, routine data on comets and natural satellites, and occasional editorial announcements.  They are published on behalf of Division F of the International Astronomical Union by the Minor Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.
Photosynthesisrespiration balance of a prairie ecosystem: North and South Saskatchewan River watersheds
Creators: name: Weinrauch, Nicole
Publisher: name: Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa
Year: 2003
Subjects: subject: Biology, Ecology.
subject: Hydrology.

description: The location of the hypothesized "missing carbon sink" has become a subject of open debate in the scientific community, with North America considered to be a prime location for such a sink. While forest ecosystems are considered to be the major candidate, Prairie ecosystems, with their large capacity to store carbon in their soils, may or may not be an ancillary candidate. The North and South Saskatchewan River watersheds are a prime example of such prairie ecosystems and, with this in mind, I attempted to quantify their role as potential sources or sinks of atmospheric CO2. The sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by plants via photosynthesis requires that water and CO2 be utilized at a specific ratio called the water utilization efficiency (WUE). Thus, knowing the hydrological budget of a watershed, specifically the transpiration component, it is possible to calculate its net primary productivity (NPP). This, combined with biological model estimates for heterotrophic soil respiration (Rh), enables evaluation of source and sink tendencies in the watershed. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)
Open Science (FDM), Stiftung Universität Hildesheim
Creators: name: Strauch-Davey, Annette
Publisher: name: Forschungzentrum Jülich
Year: 2022
Subjects: Open Science
Open Data
Open Science UB Hildesheim
Open Science Universitätsbibliothek Hildesheim
Stiftung Universität Hildesheim

description: doi:10.5281/ZENODO.6365224
description: Offene Wissenschaft ist in Zeiten des globalen, digitalen Wandels eine wichtige Gewährleistung der verfassungsmäßig garantierten Freiheit der Wissenschaft. Open Science an einer Hochschule funktioniertdann, wenn Strategien und Verfahren gebündelt werden, sodass alle Bestandteile des wissenschaftlichen Prozesses offen zugänglich, nachvollziehbar und nachnutzbar gemacht werden. Im Rahmen der FDM-Stelle der Stiftungsuniversität Hildesheim (UB Hildesheim) wird auch zu Open Science geschult: https://www.b-i-t-online.de/heft/2021-02-forschungsdaten.pdf The future is Open Science, Podcast 14 (ZBW): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxIs_dr1pSE
Using SHACL Shapes to create semantic (meta)data
Creators: name: Fuhrmans, Marc
name: Tittel, Stephan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: Using RDF is a natural choice for modelling semantically linked metadata for FAIR research data. However, the learning curve for RDF is steep, and even for data stewards, becoming familiar with all the relevant technicalities can be a major barrier. Therefore, ULB Darmstadt is heavily involved in developing and providing services that facilitate the creation and use of semantic metadata, making the technology accessible to scientists without extensive knowledge of linked data.

We will present several services for the description of research data with structured, semantic metadata based on SHACL shapes and RDF. The services include:

The NFDI4Ing Metadata Profile Service (https://profiles.nfdi4ing.de) allows creation, sharing, curation and reuse of SHACL-based application profiles. The profiles are created in a graphical user interface by combining suitable terms that can be selected from existing ontologies.

The NFDI4Ing Data Ingest Service (https://ingest.nfdi4ing.de) is the gateway for enhanced research data publication in architecture and civil engineering. With flexible metadata profiles based on SHACL and automation processes, ing.est visualizes various 3D data formats, assigns persistent identifiers, and ensures long-term archiving.

The CSV-RDF Mapper (demo at https://ulb-darmstadt.github.io/csv-rdf-mapper) allows conversion of tables to RDF data by mapping the table to a target format defined by a SHACL shape.

The SHACL Search Engine (under active development, demo available in October 2024) indexes RDF data that conform to SHACL shapes using Apache SOLR and, based on the given SHACL shapes, generates a user interface with search facets that enable filtering the indexed data.

We will give an outlook on future plans and on possibilities to cooperate in this field.
A fast radio burst with a low dispersion measure
Creators: name: Petroff, E.
name: Oostrum, L. C.
name: Stappers, B. W.
name: Bailes, Matthew
name: Barr, E. D.
name: Bates, S.
name: Bhandari, S.
name: Bhat, N. D.R.
name: Burgay, M.
name: Burke-Spolaor, S.
name: Cameron, Andrew
name: Champion, D. J.
name: Eatough, R. P.
name: Flynn, Christopher
name: Jameson, A.
name: Johnston, S.
name: Keane, E. F.
name: Keith, M. J.
name: Kramer, M.
name: Levin, L.
name: Morello, V.
name: Ng, C.
name: Possenti, A.
name: Ravi, V.
name: Van Straten, W.
name: Thornton, D.
name: Tiburzi, C.
Publisher: name: Swinburne
Year: 2024

description: Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are millisecond pulses of radio emission of seemingly extragalactic origin. More than 50 FRBs have now been detected, with only one seen to repeat. Here we present a new FRB discovery, FRB 110214, which was detected in the high-latitude portion of the high Time Resolution Universe South survey at the Parkes telescope. FRB 110214 has one of the lowest dispersion measures of any known FRB (DM = 168.8 +/- 0.5 pc cm(-3)), and was detected in two beams of the Parkes multibeam receiver. A triangulation of the burst origin on the sky identified three possible regions in the beam pattern where it may have originated, all in sidelobes of the primary detection beam. Depending on the true location of the burst the intrinsic fluence is estimated to fall in the range of 50-2000 Jy ms, making FRB 110214 one of the highest fluence FRBs detected with the Parkes telescope. No repeating pulses were seen in almost 100 h of follow-up observations with the Parkes telescope down to a limiting fluence of 0.3 Jy ms for a 2 ms pulse. Similar low DM, ultrabright FRBs may be detected in telescope sidelobes in the future, making careful modelling of multibeam instrument beam patterns of utmost importance for upcoming FRB surveys.
Socioeconomic Status at Diagnosis Influences the Incremental Direct Medical Costs of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus : A Longitudinal Population-Based Study
Creators: name: McCormick, Natalie
name: Marra, Carlo A.
name: Sadatsafavi, Mohsen
name: Aviña-Zubieta, J. Antonio
Publisher: name: The University of British Columbia
Year: 2020

description: Objectives To assess the incremental direct medical costs of a population-based cohort of incident systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) for the first five years after diagnosis, and impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on such incremental costs. Methods From the administrative health databases in British Columbia, Canada, we identified all adults with newly-diagnosed SLE from 1996-2010 and obtained a sample from the general non-SLE population matched on sex, age, and calendar-year. We captured costs for outpatient encounters, hospitalisations, and dispensed medications. Using two-part generalised linear models, we estimated per-person-year incremental costs of SLE (difference in costs between SLE and non-SLE, controlling for covariates) during the first five years after diagnosis, and assessed differences in incremental costs across SES groups. Results We included 4,679 newly-diagnosed SLE (86% identified from hospitalisations or rheumatologists) and 23,219 non-SLE individuals. Per-person direct costs for SLE in the first year after diagnosis averaged $13,038 (2013 Canadian), with 61% from hospitalisations, 23% from outpatient encounters, and 16% from medications; costs for non-SLE averaged $2,431. Following adjustment, incremental costs of SLE during the first five years after diagnosis averaged $10,078 per-person-year (95% CI=$2,062-$32,254). Predicted incremental hospitalisation, outpatient, and medication costs were all significantly-greater for the low-SES patients versus high-SES (additional $1,922 per-person-year in incremental costs for low-SES). Similar patterns were observed when restricting to those followed the full five-years after index date. Conclusion Even in a single-payer, publicly-funded healthcare setting, low SES at SLE diagnosis was associated with significantly-greater direct medical costs for the management of SLE and associated complications.
Open Science Interview Mit Martin Fenner
Creators: name: Scheliga, Kaja
Publisher: name: Forschungzentrum Jülich
Year: 2014
Subjects: open science
interviews
science 2.0
open access
digital scholarship
online tools
internet research
internet studies

description: doi:10.5281/ZENODO.13004
description: This interview is part of a series of interviews on open science and digital scholarship conducted in 2013 with researchers from various backgrounds. For an analysis of the interviews see: Scheliga, Kaja and Sascha Friesike. 2014. “Putting open science into practice: A social dilemma?”  First Monday . Volume 19, Number 9. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5210/fm.v19i9.5381