Search

The accurate retrieval of soil moisture plays a pivotal role in agriculture, particularly in effective irrigation water management, as it significantly affects crop growth and yield. The present study mainly focuses on the robustly investigated capability of dual-polarized Sentinel-1 SAR–derived vegetation descriptors in the water cloud model (WCM) in surface soil moisture (SSM) retrieval over wheat crops. The vegetation descriptors used in the study are radar vegetation index (RVI), backscattering ratio, polarimetric radar vegetation index (PRVI), dual polarization SAR vegetation index (DPSVI), and dual polarimetric radar vegetation index (DpRVI). The results of the WCM model illustrate that all the models show acceptable results, which confirms that this vegetative descriptor can be useful to estimate the accurate soil moisture over the wheat crop in the study area, except for DPSVI. Furthermore, the results revealed that model performances gradually decrease as the crop enters the complex stages. In summary, the overall finding demonstrates that PRVI outperformed other models in terms of statistical indicators value for calibration (R2 = 0.728, NSE = 0.727, PBIAS = − 2.67%, and RMSE = 2.985%) and validation (R2 = 0.728, NSE = 0.684, PBIAS = − 13.666%, and RMSE = 4.106%). Thus, overall results proved that the WCM model has considerable potential to retrieve SSM over wheat crops from Sentinel-1 satellite data. This study will be beneficial for regional water resources managers for proper allocation of irrigation water, effective irrigation management, and enhanced irrigation efficiency within the regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zarqa Journal for Research & Studies in Humanities is the property of Zarqa Journal for Research & Studies in Humanities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The World Class Manufacturing (WCM) system is a set of best management practices that can provide organisations with significant performance results. At the same time, since organisations are in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment, it is important that they continually assess this environment and, thereby, gain situational understanding to perceive and seize opportunities and threats, and consequently apply management practices strategically. Therefore, this paper proposes and empirically validates a model for evaluating the maturity of organisations when applying the WCM system. The authors combined the insights they had from the literature with opinions of WCM experts to develop the model. To support the problem of classifying organisations into the maturity levels defined, the FlowSort multicriteria method was used. The proposed model was applied in four companies and received a good evaluation and acceptance by those involved. This corroborated with the feasibility and usability of this instrument, in addition to which this method by proposing a new tool for evaluating the performance of production systems of companies that use WCM, in a VUCA environment, is intended as a contribution to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose of the following text is to compare three production systems,: Toyota Production System, World Class Manufacturing and Nissan Production Way. For it purpose, a comparative study was carried out based on three categories: system, design, popularity and versatility. For each of the comparison categories, a method was adjusted. System design: comparison of assumptions and system construction schemes according to the authors of a given solution. Popularity: analysis of search engine results from Google, Google Scholar, Bing and Yahoo! obtained from searches for the phrases "Toyota Production System," "World Class Manufacturing" and "Nissan Production Way". Versality: case studies of system implementations by other organisations than authoring automotive corporations. As a result of the comparison, it can be seen that the most complex and elaborate system is WCM, which has a multi-element structure as well as predetermined levels of sophistication. Relatively the simplest of the compared solutions turned out to be NPW. In the case of popularity, the leader is TPS in Google’s search engines, WCM in Bing and Yahoo!, while the least popular solution in the Internet’s space is the system by Nissan Motor Corporation. The versatility category indicates that the TPS and WCM systems have similar implementation capabilities, while NPW turns out to be a specific and exclusive solution for the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and has no external implementations. The results provide an overall picture of the situation regarding production systems in the automotive industry and can provide a starting point for more advanced analysis of existing solutions and allow the design of other systems.

Purpose: This paper investigates the existence of an optimal point of the cash conversion cycle (CCC) and its components, which minimizes firms’ stock risk. Methodology: This study applies fixed effect models to a sample of firms listed in Euronext exchanges, from 2011 to 2019. Stock risk is proxied by the standard deviation of stock returns. The quadratic function of the CCC and its components (days sales outstanding – DSO, days sales inventory – DSI, and days payable outstanding – DPO) is applied to capture an optimal point of the working capital management (WCM). Results: Results show the existence of a U-shaped relation between WCM and stock risk, suggesting the existence of an optimal CCC and DSI point that minimizes stock risk Originality: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper that explores the existence of an optimal CCC point and also an optimal point of its components (DSO, DSI, and DPO), which minimizes stock risk. This paper is also the first to assess the impact of WCM on stock risk of firms listed in European stock exchanges. The results are also relevant to managers, shareholders, and investors since they demonstrate that firms can minimize the risk of their stocks by practicing an optimal WCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of process reorganization and the application of the MTM-1 method on the production efficiency of selected operations in the manufacturing of screws. The study aims to assess the changes in production time, reduction of non-standard activities, and improvements in motion economy and management Design/methodology/approach: The objectives of this research are achieved through a combination of empirical investigation and the application of the MTM-1 method. The study encompasses an analysis of pre-existing production processes and their respective timings. The practical implementation of the MTM-1 technique is employed to reevaluate the process and derive optimized time values. The theoretical scope of the paper lies in process optimization and industrial engineering methodologies. Findings: The research findings indicate a significant reduction in production time after the reorganization and the application of the MTM-1 method. The time required for individual operations decreased from an average of 12.88 minutes to 9.46 minutes, marking an efficiency gain of approximately 30%. Moreover, non-standard activities and unnecessary movements, such as excessive body, leg, and eye motions, were reduced by nearly 40%. The most timeconsuming motions identified were walking and positioning. This study confirms the positive impact of process optimization on production efficiency and ergonomic improvements. Research limitations/implications: While this research provides valuable insights into process optimization using the MTM-1 method, the study is limited to a specific production context. Further research could explore the application of similar methodologies in diverse manufacturing environments. Additionally, a broader range of metrics could be considered to comprehensively evaluate the impact of process changes. Practical implications: The findings of this study hold practical implications for manufacturing industries. Implementing the identified process improvements and considering the principles of motion economy can lead to enhanced production efficiency and reduced ergonomic strain on workers. Companies can adopt the optimized practices and methods discussed in this paper to improve overall operational performance. Social implications: The research's social implications revolve around the potential improvement in worker well-being and safety. By reducing non-standard activities and minimizing excessive motions, companies can contribute to improved workplace ergonomics and employee satisfaction. Additionally, the promotion of efficient production practices aligns with principles of sustainable manufacturing and responsible corporate behavior. Originality/value: (mandatory) This paper contributes to the field of industrial engineering by showcasing the tangible benefits of applying the MTM-1 method in the context of screw production. The study's value lies in its practical insights into process optimization and the subsequent enhancement of production efficiency and worker comfort. This paper is relevant to researchers, practitioners, and professionals seeking to streamline manufacturing processes and improve workplace ergonomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conduct a detailed analysis of occupational risk using the methods of Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) and the Five-Step Method. The paper aims to estimate the level of risk associated with specific operations performed by automotive sheet metal workers in a selected research facility. Design/methodology/approach: The objectives are achieved by employing two main methods for assessing occupational risk: the Preliminary Hazard Analysis (PHA) and the Five-Step Method. The approach involves applying these methods to evaluate the potential risks associated with the tasks performed by automotive sheet metal workers. The theoretical scope of the paper covers the field of occupational risk assessment and the practical application of risk assessment techniques in a specific work environment. Findings: In the course of the study, it was determined that the calculated risk values for the selected operations were within acceptable limits. The analysis revealed that both the PHA and the Five-Step Method were effective in identifying and assessing potential risks, providing insights into the level of risk associated with the tasks performed by automotive sheet metal workers. Research limitations/implications: The research process was limited to a specific research facility and focused on a subset of operations performed by automotive sheet metal workers. Future research could expand the scope to other work environments and investigate a broader range of tasks to enhance the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, further investigation could explore the effectiveness of risk mitigation measures and their impact on reducing potential hazards. Practical implications: The research outcomes have implications for enhancing occupational safety in the automotive repair industry. The findings suggest that the selected operations pose an acceptable level of risk, validating the effectiveness of current safety measures. Practitioners and managers can utilize these findings to make informed decisions regarding task assignments, employee training, and the allocation of safety resources. Social implications: The research contributes to the broader social goal of promoting worker safety in the automotive repair sector. By providing evidence-based insights into the level of risk associated with specific tasks, this research may influence industry practices and policies related to employee safety and well-being. Originality/value: This paper introduces a comprehensive analysis of occupational risk using the PHA and Five-Step Method, specifically applied to automotive sheet metal workers. The value of the paper lies in its practical application of established risk assessment methods to a specific work context, addressing the occupational safety concerns of a critical industry sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production systems are one of the main pillars of the enterprises. Their efficiency and principles of func-tioning determine the final quality of products, which recipients are institutions and end consumers. However, nowadays, in addition to the previously mentioned issues, new requirements related to the concept of sustainability have appeared. Production methods, impact on the natural environment, or respect for the human being have become as important aspects as durability or product price. The aim of the following paper is to present a comparison of two production systems which are very popular, especially in the automotive industry: Toyota Production System and World Class Manufacturing in the context of sustainable development. For this purpose, a comparative analysis based on four categories: system complexity, popularity, universality and connections with suitability. The collected material is diverse in nature, which allows for a wide spectrum of research and comparison of both solutions. As a result of the analysis, differences in the level of complication of both production solutions can be noticed. The Toyota Production System structure is less complicated than World Class Manufacturing. The model representation of the TPS system shows all the main components along with their most important features and applications. WCM is a system with a more complicated structure, specifying more aspects necessary for implementation and maintenance. In the case of the popularity of both solutions, the study showed that the most frequently searched phrase is Toyota Production System, but World Class Manufacturing has more publications and materials. Both systems are highly versatile production solutions. The analyzed case studies show successful implementations in manufacturing and service companies in industries not related to the automotive industry. Referring to compliance with the determinants of suitability, it can be stated that both systems contain elements responsible for the implementation of the abovementioned provisions, but they implement them in different ways. TPS does not refer to the concept of sustainable development, but the system itself has issues focused on the reduction of losses, savings, production of only the components needed at a given moment, or respect for people. WCM, on the other hand, has a dedicated element re-sponsible for meeting the requirements of the ISO 14000 standard, relating to environmental impact management. Finally, it can be assumed that both systems have many common features, e.g. in the case of functional assumptions, but the implementation is of a different nature. TPS is a simpler system that allows you to easily adapt to the specifics of the organization. WCM is a more complicated system with a high degree of formalization. The analysis performed is of a review nature, showing the possibly wide spectrum of both production systems. Research can be further pursued through more detailed analyzes of each aspect of the systems or comparisons with other manufacturing solutions.

The objective of this paper is to examine the factors of intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and working capital management (WCM) on firm value and the role of profitability as a mediator in influencing firm value. The research analysis unit focuses on the conventional banking sector on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The panel data was taken from 28 commercial banks for five years (2016–2020), with 140 observations and data is analyzed using path analysis. Based upon the result of hypothesis testing, the study concludes that the positive correlation between profitability and firm value. Furthermore, intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and WCM also positively affect firm value and profitability. Based on data analysis using path analysis by comparing the path coefficient substructure, the results show that profitability acts as a mediator the effect of intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and WCM on firm value.

The objective of this paper is to examine the factors of intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and working capital management (WCM) on firm value and the role of profitability as a mediator in influencing firm value. The research analysis unit focuses on the conventional banking sector on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. The panel data was taken from 28 commercial banks for five years (2016-- 2020), with 140 observations and data is analyzed using path analysis. Based upon the result of hypothesis testing, the study concludes that the positive correlation between profitability and firm value. Furthermore, intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and WCM also positively affect firm value and profitability. Based on data analysis using path analysis by comparing the path coefficient substructure, the results show that profitability acts as a mediator the effect of intellectual capital, financial leverage, institutional ownership, and WCM on firm value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the influence of excess net working capital management on business performance in the non-financial/manufacturing industry of Pakistan. Does excess net working capital impact firm value? The relationship between net working capital and business value is explained through a concave association, which signifies that excess net working capital considered as overinvestment and deficit net working capital as underinvestment. To examine this impact, the study uses the net working capital rate as an independent variable, which is net working capital divided by total sales and measures its effect on firm performance measured by return on asset while controlling through variables, them being sales growth, firm size, age, cash flow, and leverage. Utilizing convenience sampling, the targeted population for this study is derived from data of 120 firms traded on the national exchange of Pakistan from 2016 to 2022 providing an overall holistic although generalized view of the market. Utilizing multiple regression models on the panel data, the results for which suggest that when net working capital exceeds an optimal point (overinvestment) and is positive, it negatively impacts firm performance. This result provides valuable insights, that being the existence of optimal levels of net working capital that can be beneficial in the manufacturing industry in regional context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the recent observation of a weakly coherent mode (WCM) within a conventional reflectometer on EAST and successfully determines its poloidal wavenumber range. During the transition from the L-mode to I-mode, the line-averaged density remains nearly unchanged while a significant change is observed in the electron cyclotron emission (ECE) signals at the boundary. The difference between the signals for the two channels at the edge increased, coinciding with the appearance of the WCM and a simultaneous rise in the boundary electron temperature. Further investigation unveiled the modulating role of edge temperature ring oscillation (ETRO) (Liu et al 2020 Nucl. Fusion 60 126016) on high-frequency density fluctuations. Statistical results unveil an inverse relationship between the centeral frequency of the WCM and q _95 . Simulation results provide additional insights, demonstrating that the simulated ‘WCM’ in the density fluctuations aligns with experimental data in terms of center frequency. Additionally, the radial distribution of the simulated ‘WCM’ closely corresponds to regions with the strongest electron temperature gradients. Finally, through a cross-correlation analysis of the simulated fluctuations, the following phase relationship for the wavenumber range of ‘WCM’ was observed: $\alpha_{\widetilde{T}_e} \gt \alpha_{\widetilde{n}_i}\sim\alpha_{\widetilde{\phi}} \gt \alpha_{\widetilde{T}_i}$ .

The dual polarimetric study including degree of polarization ( m L ) and energy span (λ1+ λ2) for vegetation targets infer the accuracy of vegetation algorithms. The Sentinel − 1 A and ALOS − 2 satellite data were utilized for dual polarimetric radar vegetation index (DPRVI), polarimetric radar vegetation index (PRVI) and radar vegetation index (RVI) computation and simulation of backscattering coefficient (σ0 (dB)) at VV polarization. The DPRVI, PRVI and RVI were computed at VV + VH and HH + HV polarizations, respectively. The simulation of σ0 (dB) at HH + HV can be show better results than VV + VH polarization using derived radar vegetation descriptors (V). The DPRVI, PRVI and RVI showed higher R2 and lower RMSE values at L – band than C - band. The DPRVI at L – band (HH + HV polarization) was indicated highest R2 = 0.91 and lower RMSE = 0.31 (dB) among all proposed V in the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a serious and widespread pathogen in the wheat-producing areas in the USA while, in Europe, it has been considered a minor threat to cereal crops. In the past, WSMV was detected in wheat, triticale and maize plants in Poland by DAS-ELISA. Here, we present the biological and molecular characterisation of WSMV-Sze and WSMV-Sosn isolates collected from western and southern Poland and report their transmissibility by the widespread wheat curl mite (WCM) lineage MT-8. The performed bioassays revealed that the analysed WSMV isolates infect wheat, barley, triticale, rye, oat and maize, but they differ in the symptoms induced on the infected plants. Moreover, they infect Bromus hordeaceus Linnaeus, which is increasingly recognised as a virus reservoir. The full-length genome sequence of both isolates was obtained and compared with the others described to date. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Polish isolates are clustered with the earlier described type B isolates of WSMV from Europe and Iran. The recombination analysis revealed the presence of recombinant variants in WSMV population and indicated that the WSMV-Sosn might originated from the intra-species recombination of the WSMV-Sze and WSMV-Cz isolates.

Water availability to plants a significant role in agricultural areas, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. This research aimed to evaluate the potential of Water Cloud Model (WCM) for retrieving surface soil moisture, which is associated to water availability, in a semi-arid areas based on the combination between Sentinel-1B SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and optical Sentinel-2B data. The performance of the applied model was assessed using ground observed soil moisture (0-5 cm). Accuracy evaluation was performed by the cross-validation method (k-fold), it showed a coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.65 and RMSE of 1.45%. The obtained results show a good concordance between retrieved model and ground observed surface soil moisture. In addition, this model was used for the mapping spatio-temporal variation of soil moisture at high spatial resolution in the study areas. This approach could be used by environmentalists and decision-makers as a practical tool for monitoring and estimating the change of surface moisture content.

This study investigates the simulation of celerity attenuation and head damping in transient flows using a Lagrangian approach rather than an Eulerian approach. Typically, the Lagrangian approach requires orders of magnitude fewer calculations, resulting in the rapid solution of very large systems. Additionally, it is based on a simple physical model. As the method is continuous in both time and space, it is less sensitive to the structure of the network and the length of the simulation process. Most recent studies, however, have focused on the development and improvement of computational routines for modeling in an Eulerian environment. This results in the development of adequate models that are suitable for Eulerian models but not applicable in Lagrangian-based models. As a result of this fixation, a bias was created towards using Eulerian approaches in transient simulations. It also diverts resources from further development of Lagrangian models. Consequently, it is necessary to develop a friction model that is more accurate and compatible with Lagrangian methods without compromising their performance. To the authors' knowledge, such a model is yet to be published in the literature. This study presents a new friction modeling technique that compensates for both the local and convective acceleration terms for the Lagrangian transient modeling approach without compromising the computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture content (SMC) is an indispensable basic element for crop growth and development in agricultural production. Obtaining accurate information on SMC in real time over large agricultural areas has important guiding significance for crop yield estimation and production management. In this study, the paper reports on the retrieval of SMC from RADARSAT-2 polarimetric SAR data. The proposed SMC retrieval algorithm includes vegetation correction based on a ratio method and roughness correction based on the optimal roughness method. Three vegetation description parameters (i.e., RVI, LAI, and NDVI) serve as vegetation descriptors in the parameterization of the algorithm. To testify the vegetation correction result of the algorithm, the water cloud model (WCM) was compared with the algorithm. The calibrated integrated equation model (CIEM) was employed to describe the backscattering from the underlying soil. To improve the accuracy of SMC retrieval, the CIEM model was optimized by using the optimal roughness parameter and the normalization method of reference incidence angle. Validation against ground measurements showed a high correlation between the measured and estimated SMC when the NDVI serves as vegetation descriptor (R2 = 0.68, RMSE = 4.15 vol.%, p < 0.01). The overall estimation performance of the proposed SMC retrieval algorithm is better than that of the WCM. It demonstrates that the proposed algorithm has an operational potential to estimate SMC over wheat fields during the growing season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between internal audit and the working capital management (WCM) of Malaysian public-listed firms. Good WCM is vital as it drives profitability. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the inventory conversion period is the most challenging part of WCM for Malaysian firms. In 2017, around RM71 billion in cash was locked up in working capital and thus suggesting that Malaysian public-listed firms are struggling with WCM. Based on this issue, we are therefore motivated to examine the association between the role of internal audit and WCM in publicly listed firms in Malaysia. Specifically, we would like to examine whether internal audit cost relates to better firms' WCM. We proxy WCM by the cash conversion cycle (CCC) ratio. With a sample of 309 firm-year observations, we observed a negative and significant relationship between internal audit cost and CCC. The findings suggest that an increase in internal audit cost improves firms' operational efficiency and effectiveness, hence improving firms' CCC ratios. Furthermore, we find consistent results on the influence of the internal auditor on two of three components of CCC, namely the inventory conversion and the receivables collection periods. Finally, our additional analysis demonstrates that CCC and internal auditing are critical components of firms' performance. By adding the role of internal audit in WCM, this study contributes to a further understanding of the role of internal auditor in agency theory. This study contributes to senior management of publicly listed firms that the cost incurred internal auditing function is an investment that helps improve WCM efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to parameterize a modified water cloud model using crop coefficients (A and B). These crop coefficients were derived from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data. Whereas the coefficients C and D are of soil parameters. The water cloud model was modified using crop coefficients by minimizing the RMSE between observed VVσ0 and Sentinel-1 based simulated VVσ0. The comparison with observed and simulated VV polarized σ0 showed low RMSE (0.81 dB) and strong R2 of 0.98 for NDVI-EVI combination. However, based on other possible combinations of vegetation indices VVσ0 and simulated VVσ0 do not show a good statistical agreement. It was observed that the errors in crop coefficients (A and B) are sensitive to errors in initial vegetation/canopy descriptor parameters.

Improved energy confinement mode (I-mode) has been observed on the HL-2A tokamak. The I-mode features an edge transport barrier (ETB) in electron temperature and a low confinement mode like edge density. A weakly coherent mode (WCM) is observed in the edge region with the frequency of $f\sim 60{-}160$ kHz and the poloidal wavenumber of ${k_\theta }\sim 0.5{-}2.5{\text{cm}}{^{ - 1}}$ . The maximum of WCM amplitude is located near the top of electron temperature pedestal. A critical value of $E \times B$ velocity shear for triggering the L–I transition has been found, and is much lower than that for triggering the L–H transition. Additionally, ion internal transport barrier (ITB) has been observed in the I-mode. The formation of ion ITB is due to the increase of $E \times B$ velocity shear, leading to the suppression of turbulence. Transport analysis further confirms the existence of electron ETB and ion ITB. The coexistence of electron ETB and ion ITB leads to an improved plasma confinement, which is comparable to that in the high confinement mode, suggesting that I-mode with ITB regimes could be an interesting operation scenario for future fusion devices.

Copyright of Revista Producao Online is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Engenharia de Producao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the effect of ownership structure on working capital management of listed Downstream Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria. The study uses panel data for eight (8) companies for the period 13 years (2005 – 2017). There are several aspects and dimensions of ownership structure, which may influence a firm’s working capital management but this study focuses on three characteristic of ownership structure: namely ownership concentration, managerial shareholding and institutional ownership. Firm’s working capital management has been measured through Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC). Findings indicate that there is a positive significant relationship between ownership structure and firm’s working capital management as measured by CCC. This paper recommends that the code on owner's equity of listed downstream oil and gas companies in Nigeria should be sustained and encouraged so that the firms can have a perpetual life, because the stake of this owners could serve as a check and balance mechanism to further strengthen the corporate governance of the downstream oil and gas companies in order to give room for enhanced effective working capital management.

Due to the daily expansion of the web, the amount of information has increased significantly. Thus, the need for retrieving relevant information has also increased. In order to explore the internet, users depend on various search engines. Search engines face a significant challenge in returning the most relevant results for a user's query. The search engine's performance is determined by the algorithm used to rank web pages, which prioritizes the pages with the most relevancy to appear at the top of the result page. In this paper, various web page ranking algorithms such as Page Rank, Time Rank, EigenRumor, Distance Rank, SimRank, etc. are analyzed and compared based on some parameters, including the mining technique to which the algorithm belongs (for instance, Web Content Mining, Web Structure Mining, and Web Usage Mining), the methodology used for ranking web pages, time complexity (amount of time to run an algorithm), input parameters (parameters utilized in the ranking process such as InLink, OutLink, Tag name, Keyword, etc.), and the result relevancy to the user query.

The accurate consideration of vegetation descriptors in water cloud model (WCM) is necessary for precise SM retrieval. Most of the vegetation descriptors are sourced from optical remote sensors. The acquisitions from optical sensors are largely hampered by bad weather conditions. For all-weather monitoring, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based vegetation descriptors are needed to identify and evaluate their performance for SM retrieval. The present study evaluates the various sources/combinations of SAR based vegetation descriptors in WCM to identify the better alternatives of optical-based vegetation descriptors. The performance of three radar-based vegetation descriptors, namely VH polarized backscattering coefficients, depolarization ratio and radar vegetation index (RVI) along with the one optical-based vegetation descriptor, namely leaf area index (LAI) from MODIS were utilized in WCM. The WCM for each vegetation descriptor has been performed using Sentinel-1 VV polarized backscattering coefficients and in-situ SM. The in-situ SM measurements were carried out in the fields around Varanasi District in India during the winter season sown with the wheat crop. The correlations coefficient (r), root mean square error (RMSE) and bias were used to evaluate the performances of vegetation descriptors in WCM for SM retrieval. The study showed that the depolarization ratio is the best for SM retrieval with accuracy of 0.096 ${m}^{3}{m}^{-3}$ followed by RVI, cross-polarized and LAI with 0.100 ${m}^{3}{m}^{-3}$ , 0.124 ${m}^{3}{m}^{-3}$ and 0.124 ${m}^{3}{m}^{-3}$ , respectively. Thus, the depolarization ratio can be used for the retrieval of SM using Sentinel-1 VV polarized backscattering coefficients over the wheat crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) is a serious and widespread pathogen in the wheat-producing areas in the USA while, in Europe, it has been considered a minor threat to cereal crops. In the past, WSMV was detected in wheat, triticale and maize plants in Poland by DAS-ELISA. Here, we present the biological and molecular characterisation of WSMV-Sze and WSMV-Sosn isolates collected from western and southern Poland and report their transmissibility by the widespread wheat curl mite (WCM) lineage MT-8. The performed bioassays revealed that the analysed WSMV isolates infect wheat, barley, triticale, rye, oat and maize, but they differ in the symptoms induced on the infected plants. Moreover, they infect Bromus hordeaceus Linnaeus, which is increasingly recognised as a virus reservoir. The full-length genome sequence of both isolates was obtained and compared with the others described to date. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Polish isolates are clustered with the earlier described type B isolates of WSMV from Europe and Iran. The recombination analysis revealed the presence of recombinant variants in WSMV population and indicated that the WSMV-Sosn might originated from the intra-species recombination of the WSMV-Sze and WSMV-Cz isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water availability to plants a significant role in agricultural areas, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. This research aimed to evaluate the potential of Water Cloud Model (WCM) for retrieving surface soil moisture, which is associated to water availability, in a semi-arid areas based on the combination between Sentinel-1B SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and optical Sentinel-2B data. The performance of the applied model was assessed using ground observed soil moisture (0-5 cm). Accuracy evaluation was performed by the cross-validation method (k-fold), it showed a coefficients of determination (R2) of 0.65 and RMSE of 1.45%. The obtained results show a good concordance between retrieved model and ground observed surface soil moisture. In addition, this model was used for the mapping spatio-temporal variation of soil moisture at high spatial resolution in the study areas. This approach could be used by environmentalists and decision-makers as a practical tool for monitoring and estimating the change of surface moisture content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

WCM is also known as short-term financial management and is focused mainly with CA and CL activities. Due to its high impacts on profitability and liquidity, WCM is important to the success of enterprises. The study's primary objective was to examine at the impact of WCM on Profitability with reference to the BSE Listed FMCG Companies. Panel Data has been collected for Analysis, 71 FMCG listed Companies, 5 years balance sheets data used for analysis. The analysis tracked down a solid negative connection between the proportions of WC management including AR, AP, CCC, FATA, SL and DR with profitability. The findings of an investigation of the association between WCM and profitability on the Bombay Stock Exchange clearly found that the number of days AR, INV, and profitability are mostly negative. As an outcome, we say that managers can increase revenue by reducing the number of days AR and INV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to expanding of Web, the Information is also increasing day by day. Many users generally rely on search engine to explore the web. It is a challenge for search engine to provide relevant web page and quality information against the query submitted. This paper deals in the comparative study of various web page ranking algorithms and also its advantages and disadvantages. This paper helps to find out web page ranking algorithms’ relative strength and limitations for further research scope.

In countries characterized by arid and semi-arid climates, a precise determination of soil moisture conditions on the field scale is critically important, especially in the first crop growth stages, to schedule irrigation and to avoid wasting water. The objective of this study was to apply the operative methodology that allowed surface soil moisture (SSM) content in a semi-arid environment to be estimated. SSM retrieval was carried out by combining two scattering models (IEM and WCM), supplied by backscattering coefficients at the VV polarization obtained from the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a vegetation descriptor NDVI obtained from the optical sensor, among other essential parameters. The inversion of these models was performed by Neural Networks (NN). The combined models were calibrated by the Sentinel 1 and Sentinel 2 data collected on bare soil, and in cereal, pea and onion crop fields. To retrieve SSM, these scattering models need accurate measurements of the roughness surface parameters, standard deviation of the surface height (hrms) and correlation length (L). This work used a photogrammetric acquisition system carried on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to reconstruct digital surface models (DSM), which allowed these soil roughness parameters to be acquired in a large portion of the studied fields. The obtained results showed that the applied improved methodology effectively estimated SSM on bare and cultivated soils in the principal early growth stages. The bare soil experimentation yielded an R2 = 0.74 between the estimated and observed SSMs. For the cereal field, the relation between the estimated and measured SSMs yielded R2 = 0.71. In the experimental pea fields, the relation between the estimated and measured SSMs revealed R2 = 0.72 and 0.78, respectively, for peas 1 and peas 2. For the onion experimentation, the highest R2 equaled 0.5 in the principal growth stage (leaf development), but the crop R2 drastically decreased to 0.08 in the completed growth phase. The acquired results showed that the applied improved methodology proves to be an effective tool for estimating the SSM on bare and cultivated soils in the principal early growth stages.

The objective was to parameterize a modified water cloud model using crop coefficients (A and B). These crop coefficients were derived from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 data. Whereas coefficients C and D are of soil parameters. The water cloud model was modified using crop coefficients by minimizing the RMSE between observed VVs0 and Sentinel-1 based simulated VVs0. The comparison with observed and simulated VV polarized s0 showed low RMSE (0.81 dB) and strong R2 of 0.98 for NDVI-EVI combination. However, based on other possible combinations of vegetation indices VVs0 and simulated VVs0 do not show a good statistical agreement. It was observed that the errors in crop coefficients (A and B) are sensitive to errors in initial vegetation/canopy descriptor parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of ownership structure on working capital management of listed Downstream Oil and Gas Companies in Nigeria. The study uses panel data for eight (8) companies for the period 13 years (2005 - 2017). There are several aspects and dimensions of ownership structure, which may influence a firm's working capital management but this study focuses on three characteristic of ownership structure: namely ownership concentration, managerial shareholding and institutional ownership. Firm's working capital management has been measured through Cash Conversion Cycle (CCC). Findings indicate that there is a positive significant relationship between ownership structure and firm's working capital management as measured by CCC. This paper recommends that the code on owner's equity of listed downstream oil and gas companies in Nigeria should be sustained and encouraged so that the firms can have a perpetual life, because the stake of this owners could serve as a check and balance mechanism to further strengthen the corporate governance of the downstream oil and gas companies in order to give room for enhanced effective working capital management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze existing microwave surface (Oh, Dubois, Water Cloud Model “WCM”, Integral Equation Model “IEM”) and canopy (Water Cloud Model “WCM”, Single Scattering Radiative Transfer “SSRT”) Radiative Transfer (RT) models and assess advantages and disadvantages of different model combinations in terms of VV polarized radar backscatter simulation of wheat fields. The models are driven with field measurements acquired in 2017 at a test site near Munich, Germany. As vegetation descriptor for the canopy models Leaf Area Index (LAI) was used. The effect of empirical model parameters is evaluated in two different ways: (a) empirical model parameters are set as static throughout the whole time series of one growing season and (b) empirical model parameters describing the backscatter attenuation by the canopy are treated as non-static in time. The model results are compared to a dense Sentinel-1 C-band time series with observations every 1.5 days. The utilized Sentinel-1 time series comprises images acquired with different satellite acquisition geometries (different incidence and azimuth angles), which allows us to evaluate the model performance for different acquisition geometries. Results show that total LAI as vegetation descriptor in combination with static empirical parameters fit Sentinel-1 radar backscatter of wheat fields only sufficient within the first half of the vegetation period. With the saturation of LAI and/or canopy height of the wheat fields, the observed increase in Sentinel-1 radar backscatter cannot be modeled. Probable cause are effects of changes within the grains (both structure and water content per leaf area) and their influence on the backscatter. However, model results with LAI and non-static empirical parameters fit the Sentinel-1 data well for the entire vegetation period. Limitations regarding different satellite acquisition geometries become apparent for the second half of the vegetation period. The observed overall increase in backscatter can be modeled, but a trend mismatch between modeled and observed backscatter values of adjacent time points with different acquisition geometries is observed.

The thread of the article is the discussion about the management of work in the Polo Automotivo de Goiana (Pernambuco) from the World Class Manufacturing (WCM) system and its work organization tools. In order to do so, we seek to bring empirical materials from the research begun in 2014 that allow us to reflect on labor relations considering processes of social legitimation that both enable the workers' consent to the WCM system, and also forge their resistance and conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatiotemporal distribution of soil moisture over the Tibetan Plateau is important for understanding the regional water cycle and climate change. In this paper, the surface soil moisture in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is estimated from time-series VV-polarized Sentinel-1A observations by coupling the water cloud model (WCM) and the advanced integral equation model (AIEM). The vegetation indicator in the WCM is represented by the leaf area index (LAI), which is smoothed and interpolated from Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) LAI eight-day products. The AIEM requires accurate roughness parameters, which are parameterized by the effective roughness parameters. The first halves of the Sentinel-1A observations from October 2014 to May 2016 are adopted for the model calibration. The calibration results show that the backscattering coefficient (σº) simulated from the coupled model are consistent with those of the Sentinel-1A with integrated Pearson's correlation coefficients R of 0.80 and 0.92 for the ascending and descending data, respectively. The variability of soil moisture is correctly modeled by the coupled model. Based on the calibrated model, the soil moisture is retrieved using a look-up table method. The results show that the trends of the in situ soil moisture are effectively captured by the retrieved soil moisture with an integrated R of 0.60 and 0.82 for the ascending and descending data, respectively. The integrated bias, mean absolute error, and root mean square error are 0.006, 0.048, and 0.073 m3/m3 for the ascending data, and are 0.012, 0.026, and 0.055 m3/m3 for the descending data, respectively. Discussions of the effective roughness parameters and uncertainties in the LAI demonstrate the importance of accurate parameterizations of the surface roughness parameters and vegetation for the soil moisture retrieval. These results demonstrate the capability and reliability of Sentinel-1A data for estimating the soil moisture over the Tibetan Plateau. It is expected that our results can contribute to developing operational methods for soil moisture retrieval using the Sentinel-1A and Sentinel-1B satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Ensemble of optical-thermal-microwave remote sensing developed for surface soil moisture (SSM) mapping. • Individual approaches were evaluated for data and resource availability and practicability. • Gradient boosting machine technique gave a better SSM estimate than the single method. • High and low irrigation intensity areas were identified to aid irrigation management. Remote sensing presents great potential for soil moisture mapping, although a lack of high-resolution, all-season suitable data and model-based complications hinders continuous mapping at the farm scale. The current study attempts to access optical (Sentinel-2) and microwave (Sentinel-1) based Water Cloud Model (WCM), optical and/or thermal-based Thermal-Optical TRApezoid Model (TOTRAM), and Optical TRApezoid Model (OPTRAM) utilizing Landsat-8 data, and an ensemble of these three models synergistically using microwave, optical and thermal remote sensing data for fourteen dates spanning two post-monsoon periods over a semi-arid irrigated agricultural farm. The ensemble model developed with Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM) offered a superior SSM estimate for the entire crop growth season. The ensemble model had the lowest RMSE (0.053 m3 m−3), followed by OPTRAM (SWIR2) (0.06 m3 m−3), while TOTRAM recorded the highest RMSE (0.092 m3 m−3), even though the model performances varied throughout crop growth cycles. For SSM mapping in the early phases of crop growth, WCM or TOTRAM were found superior, while during the latter growth stages, the performance of OPTRAM was better. In contrast to TOTRAM, which needs local calibration as the land surface temperature is sensitive to atmospheric conditions, the study emphasizes the shortcomings of WCM in terms of calibration requirements for changing vegetation structure utilizing in situ data. OPTRAM is suitable for generating SSM maps in semi-arid environments with a predominance of clear skies throughout the post-monsoon season. It is straightforward, low data, and resource intensive with universal surface reflectance-soil moisture association. The ensemble technique can be recommended for farm-level irrigation mapping over a post-monsoon period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]