Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Molecular diversity among Turkish oaks (QUERCUS) using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis

The genus Quercus (Fagaceae) includes the most important woody plants with decidious and evergreen species in Northern hemisiphere. They have a problematic taxonomy because of widespread hybridization between the infrageneric taxa. Turkey is one of the most important region of the world according to oak species number and variation. In this study, species belonging to evergreen oaks in Turkey were investigated to solve taxonomic problems and to design the limit of taxa by using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) data. Here, three species of evergreen oaks known as Quercus coccifera , Quercus ilex and Quercus aucheri were studied in all area located and made the comparison within and among species studied using ten RAPD markers. As a result; it can be stated that the presence of the three species in Ilex section is clear. Furthermore, existence of two infraspecific taxa or two seperate taxa in species level within Q. coccifera may be quite possibly considered. Key words: Quercus ilex , Quercus coccifera , Quercus aucheri , random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD).
The interaction between monetary and macroprudential policy: should central banks ‘lean against the wind’ to foster macro-financial stability?

Abstract The extensive harm caused by the financial crisis raises the question of whether policymakers could have done more to prevent the build-up of financial imbalances. This paper aims to contribute to the field of regulatory impact assessment by taking up the revived debate on whether central banks should use the interest rate to directly respond to the build-up of financial sector imbalances, i.e. ‘lean against the wind’ or not. Currently, there is no consensus on whether monetary policy is, in general, able to support the resilience of the financial system or if this task should better be left to the macroprudential approach of financial regulation. The author aims to shed light on this issue by analyzing distinct policy regimes within an agent-based computational macro-model with endogenous money. He finds that policies that make use of their comparative advantage lead to superior outcomes concerning their respective intended objectives. In particular, he shows that ‘leaning against the wind’ should only serve as first line of defense in the absence of a prudential regulatory regime and that price stability does not necessarily mean financial stability. Moreover, macroprudential regulation as unburdened policy instrument is able to dampen the build-up of financial imbalances by restricting credit to the unsustainable high-leveraged part of the real economy.
Seven abstraction rules preserving generalised nonblocking

This working paper proposes a compositional approach to verify the generalised nonblocking property of discrete-event systems. Generalised nonblocking is introduced in [15] to overcome weaknesses of the standard nonblocking check in discrete-event systems and increase the scope of liveness properties that can be handled. This paper addresses the question of how generalised nonblocking can be verified efficiently. The explicit construction of the complete state space is avoided by first composing and simplifying individual components in ways that preserve generalised nonblocking. The paper extends and generalises previous results about compositional verification of standard nonblocking and lists a new set of computationally feasible abstraction rules for standard and generalised nonblocking.
Infant Mortality in Rural Bangladesh: State Dependence vs. Unobserved Heterogeneity

Using longitudinal data of the Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Matlab, Bangladesh, covering the time period 1982 – 2005, and exploiting dynamic panel data models, we analyze siblings’ death at infancy, controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and a causal effect of death of one child on survival chances of the next child. Matlab is a rural area split into two: a “treatment” area where along with standard government services extensive maternal and child health interventions are available, and a “comparison” area where only the standard government services are available. The observed infant mortality rates are 50 per 1,000 live births in the treatment area and 67.4/1,000 in the comparison area. We use separate models for the two areas and analyze the differences in infant mortality between the two areas using several decompositions. Our model predicts that in the comparison area, the likelihood of infant death is about 30% larger if the previous sibling died at infancy than if it did not, and the estimates suggest that, in the absence of this “scarring” effect, the infant mortality rate among the second and higher order births would fall by 6.2%. There is no evidence of such a scarring effect in the treatment area, perhaps because learning effects play a larger role with the available extensive health interventions. We find that distance to the nearest health clinic can explain a substantial part of the gap in infant mortality between the two areas.
EMIC waves observed by Cluster near the plasmapause

We analyze a long‐duration electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave event seen in the inner magnetosphere in order to understand the propagation characteristics of these waves in the vicinity of the plasmapause. The study takes advantage of the south to north orbit of the four‐satellite Cluster constellation as it passed through perigee at L ~ 4.2 at ~08 magnetic local time on 2 November 2001. Cluster traversed from a low‐density magnetosphere (<20 cm−3) through a gradual plasmapause into a high‐density plasmasphere (~80 cm−3) where the waves were seen over about 50 min and ceased on exiting the plasmapause in the Northern Hemisphere. The waves were observed over 1.8–3.5 Hz, above the local helium cyclotron frequency, between magnetic latitudes ±18°, and confined to a radial source region size estimated at 0.77 RE. Wave polarization appeared to be associated with plasma density, with left hand in the equatorial region, right hand at higher latitudes nearer the plasmapause, and a mixture between. Wave normal angles were typically <60°, and Poynting flux measurements show that wave energy was predominantly directed along the geomagnetic field toward high latitudes in both hemispheres. These results suggest that the plasma density and its gradient play a significant role in confining the wave source region and affecting the wave properties, which will help understand wave generation and propagation mechanisms in the magnetosphere plasma environment.
Rapa whelk controls demersal community structure off Zmiinyi Island, Black Sea

Between 2004 and 2012, populations of Mediterranean mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) and rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) from the coastal waters of Zmiinyi Island (Black Sea) were assessed for distribution, abundance, size, and age characteristics. Compared to 2004–2005, the mussel bed cover in 2012 decreased by 75.6%, the maximum depth of occurrence reduced from 22–25 m to 10–12 m, and total biomass declined by 44.6%. There was a concurrent decrease in abundance of demersal fishes dependent upon mussels as prey. We concluded that the invasive rapa whelk has had a detrimental impact on this demersal ecosystem. The possible influence of the introduced ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi on the two mollusc’s populations has also been discussed.
Numerical Simulation Of Biochemical Behaviour Of Biosensors With Perforated Membrane

A two-dimensional-in-space mathematical model of amperometric biosensors with selective and perforated membranes has been proposed and analyzed. The model involves the geometry of holes partially or fully filled with an enzyme. The model is based on a system of the reaction-diffusion equations containing a nonlinear term related to the Michaelis-Menten enzymatic reaction. Using numerical simulation of the biosensor action, the influence of the geometry of the holes as well as of the filling level of the enzyme in the holes on the biosensor response was investigated. The numerical simulation was carried out using the finite difference technique. The calculation demonstrated that the effect of the filling level on the biosensor response decreases with decrease of radius of the holes.
Preliminary study on small ruminant GIT helminthiasis in select arid and semi-arid pastoral and agro-pastoral areas of Afar region, Ethiopia

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and identification of GIT parasites of sheep and goats in two selected districts of Afar from December 2014 to February 2016. Totally 590 faecal samples were collected from small ruminants (332 goat and 258 sheep) managed in pastoral and agro-pastoral production. Out of the total examined small ruminant 87.8% (518) were found to harbor one or more genera of helminth parasites. The result of the study revealed that 92.2% (306) of the goats and 82.2% (212) of the sheep were found positive for GIT parasites. Helminth parasites identified in small ruminant of the study area were Strongyles, Fasciola, Strongyloides, Paramphistomum, Trichuris, Ascaris and Monezia. The risk of infection with GIT helminth parasites in goats were 4.009 times higher than sheep (OR=4.009, p=0.011). Age and sex related difference was not observed in the prevalence of helminth parasites in sheep and goats. Significantly (OR=0.119, p=0.000) higher prevalence of overall helminth parasites in poor body condition sheep and goats than good body condition was observed. Likewise, significant variation in overall parasite prevalence was observed between the study districts (OR=0.169, p=0.000). In this study, species of the animals, origin, and body condition score are important risk factors associated with gastrointestinal parasites in the study area. In the study area nutrition is generally poor, low productivity in small ruminants is likely to be aggravated by a high prevalence of polyparasitism.
Bevacizumab (Avastin®) as maintenance therapy after first progression on bevacizumab for patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma

Bevacizumab (Avastin®) is a recombinant monoclonal antibody that prevents the growth and maintenance of tumour blood vessels. It is indicated in patients with mCRC who have progressed on first-line Avastin®-containing regimen and is administered in combination with fluoropyrimidine-, irinotecan- or fluoropyrimidine-oxaliplatin based chemotherapy. For this indication, both the EMA and the FDA granted marketing authorisation in 2013. The ML18147 trial, a prospective, randomised, open-label phase III study evaluated the continued use of bevacizumab plus standard second-line chemotherapy in patients with mCRC who had progressed after standard first-line bevacizumab-based treatment. 820 patients were randomly assigned to two treatment arms and received either chemotherapy plus bevacizumab (N=409) or chemotherapy alone (N=411). The median duration of treatment with bevacizumab was 3.9 months. All patients were previously treated with bevacizumab plus standard first-line chemotherapy, including fluoropyrimidine plus either oxaliplatin or irinotecan. Patients in both groups had a median age of 63 years and an ECOG performance status of 0–2. Analyses showed a gain in median overall survival (OS) of 1.4 months for the bevacizumab plus chemotherapy group compared to the chemotherapy alone group (HR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.94; p=0.0062). For median progression-free survival a risk reduction of 32% was observed, also favouring the combination regimen. Median OS from the start of first-line treatment was prolonged by 1.4 months in the bevacizumab plus chemotherapy arm compared to the chemotherapy alone arm. High rates of adverse events were observed in both treatment arms: 98% (bevacizumab + chemotherapy group) and 99% of patients (chemotherapy alone group) had adverse events. Grade 3–5 adverse events occurred in 64% (bevacizumab plus chemotherapy) and 57% (chemotherapy alone) of patients. From overall 11 grade 5 adverse events resulting in death, 4 deaths in the bevacizumab + chemotherapy group and 3 deaths in the chemotherapy alone group were deemed to be treatment-related. Serious adverse events were reported in 32% of patients in the bevacizumab plus chemotherapy group and in 33% of patients in the chemotherapy alone group. Patients with mCRC who experienced disease progression after first-line treatment have a poor prognosis and the use of bevacizumab in maintenance therapy adds to the armamentarium of available treatment options. However, modest clinical benefits and high treatment costs have to be weighed against each other. Future research is required to evaluate optimal treatment line(s), dosage, further treatment combinations and side effects associated with long-term therapy, as are investigations into EGFR and various VEGF inhibitors for this indication.
Financial Liberalization, Debt Mismatch, Allocative Efficiency, and Growth

Financial liberalization increases growth, but leads to more crises and costly bailouts. We present a two-sector model in which liberalization, by allowing debt-denomination mismatch, relaxes borrowing limits in the financially constrained sector, but endogenously generates crisis risk. When regulation restricts external financing to standard debt, liberalization preserves financial discipline and may increase allocative efficiency, growth, and consumption possibilities. By contrast, under unfettered liberalization that also allows uncollateralized option-like liabilities, discipline breaks down, and efficiency falls. The model yields a testable gains-from-liberalization condition, which holds in emerging markets. It also helps rationalize the contrasting experience of emerging markets and the recent US housing crisis. (JEL E23, E44, G01, G21, G28, O41, R31)
The growth of one year-old oil palms intercropped with soybean and groundnut.

The objective of this research was to determine appropriate annual food crops in the areas of a year-old oil palm. Field trials were arranged in a single factor of randomized completely block design. A factor to be tested was the species of annual food crops, namely, soybeans and groundnuts. Controls in this study were monocultures of oil palm, soybean and groundnuts. The results showed that soybean and groundnut could give high yields when planted between rows of one year-old oil palms, which were similar to the yield of those crops in the monoculture system. In addition, the presence of soybean and groundnut between the rows of one year-old oil palms was found not inhibiting the growth rate and development of oil palms as the main crop. On the contrary, there was a tendency that the oil palms planted with soybeans and groundnut to grow faster than those planted in monoculture.
Control of Non-Conventional Queueing Networks: A Parametric and Approximate Dynamic Programming Approach

In this paper, we investigate the control of non-conventional queueing networks, where multiple concurrent state transitions following non-exponential and general sojourn distributions are allowed. Two approximation schemes are discussed that produce an approximated Markovian model. We further propose to model the problem as an uncertain Markov decision processes (MDP) by considering the induced approximation error. A new simulation-based approach is investigated here, to give an overall optimal policy beyond the classic approach to such problems, e.g., a robust formulation. In particular, we approach the problem as one of finding a best overall control policy, via exploration and exploitation within a heuristic policy set. An approximate dynamic programming algorithm is then used, in connection with a parametric cost function, for efficiently learning and finding policies in this set. We show that the problem of finding the best control policy within this new policy set can be understood, equivalently, as one of finding the best set of parameters for one-stage cost function of the problem. Later, an integrated framework, denoted as extended actor-critic, is proposed to give a comprehensive treatment for those types of problems. Results of a case study are also presented and discussed.
In vivo sensitivity of Phakopsora pachyrhizi to DMI and QoI fungicides

In in vivoexperiments the sensitivity of 18 isolates of Phakopsora pachyrhizifrom several regions of Brazil to IDM fungicides (cyproconazole, epoxiconazole and tebuconazole and an IQE (pyraclostrobin) were evaluated. The assessments were based on leaflet uredia density. Inhibitory concentration (IC50) and sensitivity reduction factor were determined for all fungicide x strain interactions. Tebuconazole sensitivity reduction was detected for most fungus isolates. In contrast, there was no fungicide shift in sensitivity of the fungus to pyraclostrobin. We conclude that the control failure of soybean rust found in some farms is due to the reduced sensitivity of the fungus to the IDM fungicide and that it remains sensitive to pyraclostrobin.
Productivity and value added distribution in family-owned businesses

Objective: Identify similarities and/or differences in the distribution of Value Added characterizing family businesses as opposed to non-family held firms, and analyse productivity by linking the distribution of the wealth generated by the company to a variety of related agents or stakeholders (employees, providers of loan capital, and shareholders). Design/methodology: A data series consisting of VA distribution in a sample of 8,609 Spanish companies, of which 5,109 are family firms and another 3,500 companies which are not, for the period comprising 2008 to 2013 was employed for this study. The data from the financial statements pertaining to these companies was taken from the SABI system (a privately-funded database analysing the financials of Spanish and Portuguese firms, operated by INFORMA, SA), selecting only those companies that employ standardized financial reporting practices. Findings and results: The work shows the existence of significant differences between family and non-family businesses in the distribution of value added among the different stakeholders. Given that, although both types of company spend most of the value added to remunerate staff, the family company spends a higher proportion thereof on self-financing as compared to non-family businesses, which spend a higher percentage on the remuneration of firm ownership. On the other hand, the lower labour productivity of family businesses is apparent, a result that can be explained both by the lower staff monetary remuneration, as well as the use of production technologies that are also less capital-intensive. Limitations: The study included only medium and large companies. These are companies that report financial statements offering more disaggregated data (through use of the standard forms). This owes to the legal requirement of these companies to file a cash flow statement, a necessary source for deriving information on dividends paid by the company. Added value: This is the first study in which the workings of added value are used to analyse the presence of measurable management differences in a large sample of companies using family ownership as the main criteria for differentiation.
Are We All Technically Prepared?—Teachers’ Perspective on the Causes of Comfort or Discomfort in Using Computers at Elementary Grade Teaching

This study investigated elementary teachers' personal experience with computers in classroom instruction, identifying key causes of comfort or discomfort with computer use in the classroom. The study involved 10 elementary teachers who were part of a larger study on the same subject. In that larger study, researchers collected demographic data and examined teachers' experience and interest in instructional computing, computer training and knowledge, comfort level in using computers for teaching, and actual computer use in classroom instruction. Based on teachers' scores, 10 teachers were selected for interviews to investigate the causes of their comfort or discomfort. Five teachers who scored high on the survey were called the more comfortable group, and five teachers who scored low on the survey were called the less comfortable group. Data analysis indicated that both high and low scoring teachers embraced the use of computers to enhance student learning, and all wanted to be competent in their use. Those identified as less comfortable tended to prefer network computers, while those identified as more comfortable preferred stand-alone computers. The less comfortable group mentioned class load and time management as two barriers to implementing computer assisted instruction in the classroom. (Contains 31 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Are We All Technically Prepared? Teachers' Perspective on the Causes of Comfort or Discomfort in Using Computers at Elementary Grade Teaching
Effects of Noise on Thorpe Scales and Run Lengths

Abstract Estimating the diapycnal mixing rate from standard CTD data by identifying overturning regions in the water column (the Thorpe-scale approach) provides good spatial and temporal coverage but is sometimes limited by instrument noise. This noise leads to spurious density inversions that are difficult to distinguish from real turbulent overturns. Previous efforts to eliminate noise may have overcorrected and hence underestimated the level of mixing. Here idealized density profiles are used to identify the magnitude and characteristics of overturning regions arising entirely from instrument noise, in order to establish a standard against which CTD data can be compared. The key nondimensional parameters are 1) the amplitude of the noise scaled by the density change over the section of profile considered, and 2) the number of data points in the section of profile. In some cases the product of these, which is equal to the amplitude of the noise scaled by the average density difference between consecutiv.
Detecting and Characterizing Ekman Currents in the Southern Ocean

AbstractThis study presents a unique array of velocity profiles from Electromagnetic Autonomous Profiling Explorer (EM-APEX) profiling floats in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) north of Kerguelen. The authors use these profiles to examine the nature of Ekman spirals, formed by the action of the wind on the ocean’s surface, in light of Ekman’s classical linear theory and more recent enhancements. Vertical decay scales of the Ekman spirals were estimated independently from current amplitude and rotation. Assuming a vertically uniform geostrophic current, decay scales from the Ekman current heading were twice as large as those from the current speed decay, indicating a compressed spiral, consistent with prior observations and violating the classical theory. However, if geostrophic shear is accurately removed, the observed Ekman spiral is as predicted by classical theory and decay scales estimated from amplitude decay and rotation converge toward a common value. No statistically robust relationship is.