Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phylloquinone content from wild green vegetables may contribute substantially to dietary intake

Background: Traditional Nordic eatable wild plants are now sold in local stores and available to everyone. Wild vegetables may contain large amounts of vitamin K1. Due to the concomitant therapeutic use of anticoagulants among the populations, it is important to gain knowledge about the content of vitamin K1 in these products, as well as their contribution to the diet. The objective of this study was to measure the vitamin K1 content in four wild eatable plants and to estimate how much these wild vegetables contribute to the daily dietary vitamin K1 intake. Results: The wild vegetables had a high phylloquinone content of 400-600 µg vitamin K1/100 g fresh weight. The average daily intake when consuming the average Danish diet is low (64 ±20 µg/d or 72±23 µg/10 MJ/d), however, inclusion of wild vegetables as in the New Nordic Diet increases the vitamin K1 intake to 233±51 µg/d or 260±50 µg/10 MJ/d. Conclusion: Inclusion of more wild vegetables may substantially increase the intake of vitamin K, which could pose a risk for people treated with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), but may be beneficial for the remaining population.
The Educational Aspirations of Saudi Arabian Youth: Implications for Creating a New Framework to Explain Saudi Arabian Society

Higher education in Saudi Arabia has garnered immense praise for its rapid expansion and developments in both quantity and quality. In response to this, the tertiary school enrollment in Saudi Arabia is rapidly rising. These achievements can be explained by changes in educational policies. However, studies regarding youth’s awareness are scarce. Thus, this study clarifies the educational aspiration of Saudi Arabia's young generations through an awareness survey. Data collected from 316 respondents was analyzed by using SPSS. The findings of this study indicate strong educational aspirations of young Saudis who are motivated by their meritocratic way of thinking. These results are discussed while examining the application of status attainment and status expression theories in the case of Saudi Arabia.
Poverty and Child Farm Labor in Africa: Wealth Paradox or bad Orthodoxy

The link between poverty and child labor has traditionally been regarded as well established but recent researches have questioned its validity, suggesting that child labor is more important in the richest households (wealth paradox). The present study revisits the link between poverty and farm child labor in Africa and aims at testing the paradoxical wealth effect. Using different modeling techniques, the analysis focuses on family-controlled child labor taking place in the cocoa sector of Cote d’Ivoire. The results reveal that the effect of different commonly used wealth proxies have opposite effects on child labor participation and are sometimes sensitive to the modeling technique. This mixed result is the root of the apparent wealth paradox found in the literature. However, relevant and robust wealth proxies clearly indicate a positive relationship between poverty and child labor. The study therefore sustains that the apparent wealth paradox found in the literature is the end result of a bad orthodoxy.
The Sensorimotor Basis of Predator Evasion for Larval Zebrafish

Author(s): Nair, Arjun Madan | Advisor(s): McHenry, Matthew J | Abstract: Predator-prey interactions are critical to the biology of fishes, but it is unclear how sensory and motor systems of prey fish impact predator evasion. In this dissertation, I present work that provides a better understanding of how a prey’s sensorimotor system can impact its survival of a predatory encounter. The results of my dissertation give a holistic view of how physiology, behavior and game theory can be used to explain predator evasion in larval zebrafish.My first dissertation chapter described how larval zebrafish use a fast start to move withthree-dimensional trajectories. Classically, fast starts have been described purely as a two-dimensional motion. However, in previous studies, anecdotal evidence suggested that larvalzebrafish can escape in three dimensions. To study this phenomenon, I made careful three-dimensional kinematic measures of larval zebrafish performing fast starts. The first dissertation chapter revealed that rotations of the larvae’s body around its center of mass were indicative of the three-dimensional trajectory the whole body translated towards.My second dissertation chapter investigated the relative importance between the sensoryand motor systems in prey survival in a predator-prey interaction. Many studies have studied the importance of the sensory and motor system for predator evasion, but no study has measured one system’s importance to survival relative to the other system. In the second chapter, I created a probabilistic, agent-based model to simulate predator-prey interactions between adult and larval zebrafish in silico. After running the model with varying parameter changes, I observed that the sensory system of a larval zebrafish had a greater impact on prey survival than its motor system.My third chapter studied the escape strategy of larval zebrafish. Prey fish have analgorithm to choose an escape direction to flee with. However, there are two competing schools of thought about how prey fish should choose their escape direction. In my third chapter, I recorded larval zebrafish reactions to a robotic predator and measure escape angles. My investigations revealed that larval zebrafish use a mixed strategy that combined both competing theories of escape strategy.
A single dominant Ganoderma species is responsible for root rot of Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus in Sumatra

Ganoderma root rot is the most serious disease affecting commercially planted Acacia mangium in plantations in Indonesia. Numerous Ganoderma spp. have been recorded from diseased trees of this species and to a lesser extent Eucalyptus, causing confusion regarding the primary cause of the disease. In this study, a large collection of Ganoderma isolates were obtained from the roots of A. mangium showing early signs of root rot in disease centres in South Sumatra plantations. Isolates were also collected from Eucalyptus roots at Lake Toba in North Sumatra showing similar symptoms as well as from sporocarps connected to these samples. Phylogenetic analyses showed that a single Ganoderma sp. , identified as G. philippii, is the major causal agent of Ganoderma root rot on A. mangium. Results from this study also showed that the isolates obtained for Eucalyptus trees in North Sumatra belong to G. philippii. Isolates from roots and connected fruiting bodies together with the morphology of the fruiting structures confirmed this identification. Symptoms associated with this pathogen are obvious and it should not be confused with other diseases. Other Ganoderma spp. found in disease centres are considered to be of minor importance and management strategies for root rot should be focused on G. philippii.
RESPONSE OF MORINGA OLEIFERA TO ORGANIC BIOFERTILIZERS AND MINERAL NPK FERTILIZATIONS

This investigation was conducted to investigate the response of Moringa oleifera to compost fertilization at four levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 ton/fed) and bio. and/or mineral NPK treatments [(control, 100% NPK, 75% NPK + phosphorein + Minia Azotein, 50% NPK + phosphorein + Minia Azotein and phosphorein + Minia Azotein (Bio)] on vegetative growth traits, yield and pigments. The obtained results indicate that, plant height, stem diameter, number of branches, number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod and seed yield/plant, as well as, pigments were gradually increased by increasing the levels of compost fertilizer. All bio. and/or mineral NPK fertilization treatments significantly increased all the previous parameters. Bio. + 75% NPK dose followed by mineral NPK (full dose) treatments were more effective in this concern. The highest values for vegetative growth traits, yield and yield components and pigments were obtained due to compost at 15 ton/fed in combination with bio. + 75% NPK dose.
Bird-mediated selection on fruit display traits in Celtis ehrenbergiana (Cannabaceae)

Background: In mutualistic interactions of fleshy-fruited plants and seed-dispersing birds, dispersers act as natural selection agents on fruit display traits. Bird-mediated phenotypic selection on maternal and seed level plant traits has been postulated to be uncoupled. However, this key step in the understanding of the co-evolutionary processes has seldom been explored. Goals: To study the pattern and strength of phenotypic selection exerted by birds on two different plant life stages: maternal (mean and within-plant variation of fruit traits) and offspring (individual seed size) levels. Organism: The one-seeded fleshy-fruited tree, Celtis ehrenbergiana (Klotzsch) Liebm. Field site: Natural forests of the Biosphere Reserve ‘Parque Costero del Sur’, near the shore of the Rio de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Methods: We sampled 24 randomly selected trees. For each focal tree, we recorded bird visits and behaviour, and fruit-related traits. Dispersed seeds were collected at the same location. Results: At the maternal level, birds exerted positive directional selection on mean sugar concentration. Sub-individual variation in fruit traits was not observed to be a target of bird-mediated selection. At the individual seed level, birds exerted positive directional selection on seed size. Conclusions: While birds exert selection pressures on reward-related traits, plants obtain an advantage through a larger seed size.
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF CYCLICALLY LOADED CONCRETE UNDER LARGE TENSILE STRAINS BY THE PLASTIC-DAMAGE MODEL

Within the framework of plasticity-based constitutive laws, a plastic-damage model is developed in a complete form for analysis of damaged structures under large tensile strains which is suitable for concrete subjected to cyclic loadings. This is based on the plastic-damage model proposed by Lee and Fenves, which utilizes two separate damage variables for tension and compression and also a scalar degradation simulating damage on sti ness. Implementation of the model is coded for threedimensional space in a special purpose nite element program to analyze the behavior of concrete subjected to large tensile cracking, which is inevitable in plain concrete structures. In order to include large crack opening/closing displacements in the model, the excessive increase in plastic strain causing unrealistic results in cyclic behaviors is prevented when the tensile plastic-damage variable controlling the evolution of tensile damage is larger than a critical value. To expedite the convergence rate for the overall equilibrium iterations, the consistent algorithmic tangent sti ness tensor is also derived, in detail, for large cracking states. The paper is completed with some numerical examples demonstrating the capability of the extended model in reproducing the behavior of cyclically loaded plain concrete subjected to large tensile strains.
Preliminary analysis on the developmental transcriptomes of swallowtail butterfly Papilio polytes (Lepidoptera: Papilioidae)

The butterflies are one of the insect groups which undergo typical complete metamorphosis in their life history. However, up to now, little is known about the genomic mechanism that regulates the butterfly metamorphosis. In this study, using a swallowtail butterfly P. polytes as a model organism, a high-throughput sequencing platform was employed to perform the transcriptome and gene expression analyses in order to explore the P. polytes transcriptome features during different developmental stages. The results showed that approximately 398 million useful (Q20) reads were assembled into groups of 14698 (L1), 14264 (L2), 15084 (L3), 15520 (P1), 15052 (P2), 15720 (P3) and 15709 (A1), 14668 (A2), 16152 (A3) genes, respectively, with 58.19% to 67.11% of the data successfully mapped to the reference genome; the transcriptome change analysis via the DEGs Package revealed that dramatic gene expression differences were presented among the different developmental stages, that is, totally, 1162, 891 and 1723 genes were differentially expressed between adult and pupal, adult and larval, larval and pupal stages, respectively, with a number of these differentially expressed genes associated with the functions of digestion, cuticularization, chemoreception, wing formation, and so on. These differentially expressed genes and potential candidate genes required for butterfly metamorphosis by comparative transcriptomics may shed some new insights on molecular mechanisms underlying complete metamorphosis.
The Diffusion of Cattle Ranching and Deforestation: Prospects for a Hollow Frontier in Mexico's Yucatán

This article investigates the behavioral drivers of pasture creation and associated implications for deforestation in a 22,000 km2 agricultural frontier spanning the base of Mexico's southern Yucatán. After developing a theoretical model that highlights the role of social networks and information spillovers with respect to the decision to begin cattle ranching, we use household data to estimate an econometric duration model of the determinants of pasture creation. Although pasture fits well with the typical household's resource constraints, its continued expansion contributes to a hollow frontier dynamic in which the spread of low-value cattle ranching coincides with decreasing population.
PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON PERFORMANCE OF BT AND NON-BT COTTON (GOSSYPIUM HIRSUTUM) HYBRIDS UNDER DIFFERENT LEVELS OF NITROGEN FERTILIZATION

A two kharif season field experiment (2007 & 08) was made to study the physiological basis of Bt cotton hybrids superiority under different levels (kg/ha) of nitrogen fertilization (0, 60,120,180) over non-Bt hybrid. Bt cotton hybrids (RCH 317 & RCH 134) with higher crop growth rate during shorter reproductive phase coupled with higher boll retention rate (72.9%) owing to presence of Cry1Ac gene resulted in 47.4% higher seed cotton yields than non-Bt hybrid LHH 144. Each successive increase of 60 kg N up to 180 kg/ha significantly increased leaf area, biomass production, crop growth rate, boll number and boll weight ultimately resulting in markedly higher seed cotton yields.
Fatty acid profile, quality lipid index and bioactive compounds of flour from grape residues

The present study evaluated the proximate composition, the nutrition indexes of lipids and the presence of biologically active compounds in the flour of bagasse from grapes cultivated by conventional (CC) and organic (OC) methods. CC flour had high percentages of proteins, lipids, calories and saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. On the other hand, OC flour had higher percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, ash and carbohydrates. The results demonstrated good nutritional potential for flour from grape bagasse and justified technological applications of the byproduct as a functional ingredient in the formulation of food products. Los alimentos producidos con el uso de los subproductos, caracterizados por propiedades bioquimicas y fisiologicas beneficiosas para salud y porque evitan una mayor degradacion del medio ambiente, han sido bastante discutidos y valorados. El estudio evaluo la composicion proximal, perfil de acidos grasos, los indices de la calidad nutricional de los lipidos y la presencia de compuestos biologicamente activos en las harinas de orujo de uvas a partir del metodos de cultivo: convencional (CC) y organico (CO). Los resultados mostraron que la harina CC mostro altos niveles de proteinas, grasas, calorias, acidos grasos saturados y monoinsaturados, mientras que el contenido en acidos grasos poliinsaturados, especialmente omega-3 y omega-6, los carbohidratos y las cenizas fueron mayores para la harina CO. Estos resultados indican un bueno potencial nutricional de la harina obtenida de orujo de uva, asi justifican la aplicacion tecnologica del subproducto como un ingrediente funcional en la formulacion de productos alimenticios.
’ processing method on microbial opulations in the fluid and subsequent in vitro fermentation f substrates of variable composition

The in vitro batch culture technique is being increasingly used to study rumen fermentation, but the results are affected by several factors, being the source of the inoculum one of the most relevant. This work was conducted to assess the effects of different processing methods of ruminal contents on microbial populations in the obtained fluid, and its influence on fermentation parameters when the fluid was used as inoculum for in vitro incubations. Rumen contents were obtained from four rumen-fistulated sheep fed a 2:1 alfalfa hay:concentrate diet and subjected to the following treatments: SQ: squeezed through four layers of cheesecloth; FL: SQ treatment and further filtration through a 100m nylon cloth; STO: blended for three min at 230 rev min−1 in a Stomacher® and further filtrations as in SQ. Microbial populations’ abundance and bacterial diversity in the ruminal fluids were analysed by quantitative PCR (qPCR) and automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), respectively. Three forages (alfalfa hay, grass hay and barley straw) were incubated in vitro, either alone or mixed with concentrate (1:1), using each of the ruminal fluids as inoculum. There were no differences between SQ and FL methods in any of the microbial populations analysed, but STO increased the relative abundance of Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus albus (P < 0.05) and decreased (P < 0.05) the concentration of protozoal DNA compared with SQ. Bacterial diversity was not affected (P > 0.05) by the processing methods. There were no interactions (P > 0.05) between the processing method and the characteristics of the substrates for any of the fermentation parameters analysed. Compared with SQ, the STO method resulted in greater (P < 0.05) methane production and ammonia-N concentrations in 8 h incubations. After 24 h of incubation, the use of STO inoculum increased (P < 0.05) methane production and dry matter degradability compared with SQ, with no differences in the rest of the parameters. Abbreviations: ARISA, automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis; CCA, canonical correspondence analysis; FC, forage:concentrate; FL, squeezed hrough four layers of cheesecloth and further filtration through a 100m nylon cloth; OTUs, operational taxonomic units; qPCR, quantitative PCR; SQ, queezed through four layers of cheesecloth; ST, blended for three min at 230 rev min−1 in a Stomacher® before being squeezed through four layers of heesecloth; TDMD, true dry matter digestibility. No differences between SQ and FL methods were detected in any parameter. The results show that stomaching the rumen contents prior to inoculation of in vitro cultures modified some microbial populations, but had only subtle effects on fermentation parameters.
Is There a Firm-Size Effect in CEO Stock Option Grants?

Schaefer (1998) and Baker and Hall (2004) posit a firm size effect for regular executive compensation but not specifically for executive stock option grants. They propose an inverse relation between pay-performance sensitivity and firm size along with a positive relation between the marginal productivity of executive effort and firm size. The product of pay-performance sensitivity and executive productivity is 'incentive strength'. They find a weakly positive association between incentive strength and firm size. We substitute Hall and Murphy's (2002) pay-performance sensitivity metric to detect a firm size effect in CEO stock option grants. After adjusting for small-firm risk aversion and private diversification 'clienteles', we document evidence of a residual small-firm effect impacting on incentive strength principally through grant size. Given lower small-firm deltas, grant size appears to have been increased by compensation committees to ensure small-firm CEOs are not under-compensated relative to their large-firm counterparts. We also find that firm complexity influences pay-performance sensitivity as well, but not labor productivity (proxying for CEO productivity). No evidence is found that firm smallness and complexity impact on labor productivity. However, we empirically confirm a negative relation between pay-performance sensitivity and firm smallness and, by implication, firm complexity.
Law and Finance

This paper examines legal rules covering protection of corporate shareholders and creditors, the origin of these rules, and the quality of their enforcement in 49 countries. The results show that common‐law countries generally have the strongest, and frenchcivillaw countries the weakest, legal protections of investors, with German‐and scandinavin‐civil‐law countries located in the middle. We also find that concentration of ownership of shares in the largest public companies is negativelyrelated to investor protections, consistent with the hypothesis that small, diversified share‐holders are unlikely to be important in countries that fail to protect their rights.
Does Stock Liquidity Enhance or Impede Firm Innovation?

We aim to tackle the longstanding debate on whether stock liquidity enhances or impedes firm innovation. This topic is of interest because innovation is crucial for firm- and national-level competitiveness and stock liquidity can be altered by financial market regulations. Using a difference-in-differences approach that relies on the exogenous variation in liquidity generated by regulatory changes, we find that an increase in liquidity causes a reduction in future innovation. We identify two possible mechanisms through which liquidity impedes innovation: increased exposure to hostile takeovers and higher presence of institutional investors who do not actively gather information or monitor.
Concerns about Bariatric Surgery: Internet Postings of Patients

There is very sparse literature on the social, psychological and emotional concerns of patients following bariatric surgery. Due to the rapidly increasing popularity of this medical procedure, this study attempts to examine some of the major issues faced by patients. Internet postings are analyzed from a popular bariatric surgery Internet support site. Themes identified using a grounded theory approach are identified as depression, fear of dying, nutrition, and supplements. Implications for practice are presented.
Sunki mandarin and Swingle citrumelo as rootstocks for rain-fed cultivation of late-season sweet orange selections in northern São Paulo state, Brazil

In Brazilian regions affected by the citrus sudden death disease, sweet orange cultivation depends on the use of resistant rootstocks. Rangpur lime was mainly replaced by Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin rootstocks, more drought-sensitive ones. The diversification of scion selections is also desirable aiming at the increasing demand for not from concentrate orange juice (NFC) that requires high-quality fruits. In this work, we evaluated the performance of 6 selections of Valencia (IAC, Dom Joao, Late Burjasot IVIA 35-2, Rhode Red SRA 360, Temprana IVIA 25 and Campbell) and Natal IAC sweet oranges grafted onto Swingle citrumelo and Sunki mandarin. The planting occurred in 2001 under rain-fed cultivation in Bebedouro, northern Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The outline was made through randomized blocks in a 7 × 2 factorial design (selections × rootstock), with 4 replications and 2 trees in unit. Both rootstocks performed well in the region. Sunki mandarin rootstock induced greater tree size and production per plant to the scion selections, 38 and 21%, respectively, plus higher precocity of production compared to Swingle citrumelo. The later determined a greater productive efficiency, as well as a greater percentage of juice in general, albeit with lower concentrations of soluble solids and acidity. Natal IAC, Valencia IAC and Rhode Red Valencia selections presented a higher accumulated production, on average, 218.6 kg? plant? 1 (2004 ? 2008), and a higher productive efficiency (kg fruit? m? 3 of canopy) due to their smaller tree size. All assessed selections produced fruits with high soluble solids content that were suitable for juice processing.