Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The potential for probiotics to prevent reproductive tract lesions in free-range laying hens

A study was undertaken to investigate the ability of two commercial probiotics applied in free-range laying hens (from 18 to 22 weeks of age) in reducing the occurrence of reproductive tract pathologies, and improving hen health and performance. In all, 630 17-week-old brown layers were transferred to a freshly cleaned free-range laying facility, and randomly divided into three groups, with three replicates of 70 birds each. Both probiotics were administered in the drinking water (Groups 1 and 2) on a daily basis for 4 weeks, while Group 3 was left untreated. At 38 weeks of age, the results demonstrated that treatment with either probiotic significantly reduced the occurrence of reproductive tract pathologies (control vs probiotics, 33% vs 22% and 11%; P < 0.01), mortalities (control vs probiotics; 3.8% vs 1.5 and 1.9%; P < 0.01), and increased the performance of hens, for another 20 weeks post-treatments (hen day production for control vs probiotics 75% vs 90% and 94%; P < 0.01). Birds treated with probiotics maintained their bodyweight and egg weights at standard ranges, while untreated birds did not perform at this level. Although we were unable to show any effect on cloacal bacterial colonisation, the results of the present study provided some initial evidence that reproductive pathologies that often cause drops in egg production and sudden deaths of birds, can be reduced if free range hens are treated with a commercial probiotic before or during the onset of lay. The use of a probiotic benefits the health and performance status of hens, resulting in better hen welfare and significant economic gains to egg producers.
Investigation of Environmental Factors Regarding the Essential Oil and Antibacterial Activity of Lavandin (Case Study: Jowkar, Khoramabad, Alashtar and Aligoodarz from Iran)

Plants produce thousands of primary and secondary metabolites including volatile compounds at various developmental stages throughout their life cycle during flowering, ripening, and maturation. Lavandin known for its volatile compounds is a small aromatic shrub cultivated worldwide for the essential oil. Lavandin essential oil composition is greatly influenced by the environmental and genetic factors. The essential oils from the leaves and flowers of the plant are widely used to enhance the flavor of foods as well as cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. In order to study the environmental factors regarding the essential oil and antibacterial activity of Lavandin, four populations were collected (Jowkar, Khoramabad, Alashtar and Aligoodarz) in Lorestan province, Iran in May 2014. The hydro-distillated essential oil was analyzed using GC and GC/MS. Results indicated that there were significant differences among the various populations for the main constituents in the essential oils. Analyses revealed 32 compounds constituting 91.63–97.2% of the essential oils. The main constituents were 1, 8-cineole (44.8 to 31.64%), borneol (26.14 to 18.47%), and camphor (14 to 8.41%). According to the results, there was a significant correlation between borneol and altitude (r=−0.95). Antibacterial data were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The essential oils of Lavandin indicated good inhibitory activities against four bacteria, especially against Salmonella typhi with the inhibition zones of 19−23 mm. It was concluded that there was a high variation for the essential oil composition among the populations of Lavandin. In addition, the essential oil of Lavandula × intermedia has a good potential source of natural products for being used in food industry.
THE BALANCED DIE: A MECHANISM TO REDUCE EJECTION FORCES*

A balanced die is one that is subjected to external pressure during powder compaction. The purpose of the external pressure is to reduce both the radial expansion of the die while the compaction load is applied, and the corresponding radial contraction of the die after the compaction load is removed. In principle, such reductions give rise to ejection forces that are smaller than those required in a die whose radial expansion is unimpeded during compaction. In this paper, we outline the elements of a simple model for the balanced die. For a prescribed powder compacted to a predetermined height, we predict the extent to which the ejection forces decrease as the external pressure on the die increases. In addition, at predetermined levels of external pressure, we predict the variation of the ejection forces as the compacted height of the powder decreases. Most interestingly, we find that if the external pressure increases at an appropriate rate during compaction, the ejection force will actually decrease as the extent of the compaction increases.
The EU Self-Surplus Puzzle: An Indication of VAT Fraud?

This study combines macro and micro data to quantify the revenue effects of double tax treaties. First, drawing on administrative information, the study estimates the tax sensitivity of income flows (dividend, interest, and royalty payments) at an aggregate level. The analysis finds important direct revenue costs linked to treaty restrictions on taxing rights, especially for flows into a few major investment hubs. However, high elasticities of income flows also suggest that increases in withholding rates at the individual treaty partner level would not necessarily result in more revenue collection. Second, the study uses firm-level information to estimate the sensitivity of reported profitability to changes in the relevant treaty network. The analysis of the reported earnings of multinational enterprise affiliates in Ukraine suggests that the ownership structure and operations with affiliates in certain jurisdictions explain reported profitability, and should thus receive increased attention in risk assessment and transfer pricing audit activities.
The Sensitivity and Stability of the Ocean's Thermohaline Circulation to Finite-Amplitude Perturbations

Abstract Within a simple model context, the sensitivity and stability of the thermohaline circulation to finite-amplitude perturbations are studied. A new approach is used to tackle this nonlinear problem. The method is based on the computation of the so-called conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP), which is a nonlinear generalization of the linear singular vector approach (LSV). It is shown that linearly stable thermohaline circulation states can become nonlinearly unstable, and the properties of the perturbations with optimal nonlinear growth are determined. An asymmetric nonlinear response to perturbations exists with respect to the sign of finite-amplitude freshwater perturbations, on both thermally dominated and salinity-dominated thermohaline flows. This asymmetry is due to the nonlinear interaction of the perturbations through advective processes.
Transnationalism from below

Expansion of transnational capital and mass media to even the remotest of places has provoked a spate of discourses on transnationalism. A core theme in this debate is the penetration of national cultures and political systems by global and local driving forces. The nation-state is seen as weakened by transnational capital, global media, and emergent supranational political institutions. It also faces the decentering local resistances of the informal economy, ethnic nationalism, and grass-roots activism. Transnationalism From Below brings together a rich combination of theoretical and grounded studies of transnational processes and practices, discussing both their positive and negative aspects. The volume is divided into four parts: Theorizing Transnationalism"; 'Transnational Economic and Political Agency"; "Constructing Transnational Localities"; and "Transnational Practices and Cultural Reinscription. " The editors examine the theory, scope, and limits of transnationalism. Contributors include Andre C. Drainville, Josephine Smart, Alan Smart, Ninna Nyberg Sorensen, George Fouron, Nina Glick Schiller, Luin Goldring, Sarah J. Mahler, Linda Miller Matthei, Louisa Schein, David A. Smith, and Robert C. Smith. Moving easily between micro and macro analyses, this book expands the boundaries of the current scholarship on transnationalism, locates new forms of transnational agency, and poses provocative questions that challenge prevailing interpretations of globalization. Transnationalism From Below is a pioneering collection that will make a significant addition to the libraries of anthropologists, sociologists, international relations specialists, urban planners, political scientists, and policymakers.
A new genus of Rhinocerotidae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from the Oligocene of Europe

A newly discovered, well-preserved skull and associated fragment of a juvenile mandible from the Early Oligocene locality of Poillat (Canton Jura, NW Switzerland), bearing close affinities with the rhinocerotid Protaceratherium albigense (Roman, 1912), are attributed to a new small-sized representative of early diverging Rhinocerotinae, Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. Other specimens from Western Europe, formerly questionably referred to Epiaceratherium Abel, 1910, are assigned to this new genus. Comparison with the previously described Protaceratherium Abel, 1910 (including type material) and a phylogenetic analysis highlight the mismatch of Protaceratherium minutum (Cuvier, 1822) and Protaceratherium albigense (Roman, 1912). Given the topology of the most parsimonious tree, a basal split within Rhinocerotidae coincides with the well-supported divergence of the Elasmotheriinae and Rhinocerotinae clades. Relationships within Rhinocerotinae are [Epiaceratherium bolcense Abel, 1910 [Epiaceratherium magnum Uhlig, 1999 [Molassitherium gen. nov. [Mesaceratherium Heissig, 1969 [Pleuroceros Roger, 1898 [Protaceratherium minutum (Cuvier, 1822) [Plesiaceratherium mirallesi (Crusafont, Villalta and Truyols, 1955) [Aceratheriini, Rhinocerotini]]]]]]]]. The only paraphyletic genus in the analysis is Epiaceratherium, with the earliest Oligocene Epiaceratherium bolcense Abel, 1910 being sister taxon to an [Epiaceratherium magnum Uhlig, 1999, Rhinocerotinae] clade. In the single most parsimonious tree, Molassitherium gen. nov., included within the early diverging Rhinocerotinae, forms a clade encompassing Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. and the type species Molassitherium albigense comb. nov. The range of Molassitherium delemontense gen. et sp. nov. is so far restricted to the late Early–early Late Oligocene interval in Western Europe (Germany, Switzerland, France; ‘late MP22’–MP25).
Some new theoretical considerations about the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves in the light of site-effect studies in Israel and Mexico

It is well-known that ground motion amplification due to soft soils, common in urban areas, is a major contributor to increasing damage and number of causalities. Indirectly, the study of Rayleigh-wave ellipticities has recently gained considerable popularity in the context of studying ambient seismic vibrations for seismic hazard analysis. The output can be integrated into the inversion process for the velocity structure. Due to the strong impedance contrast in the shallow subsurface structure, local site effects are often fairly well predicted by simple models. Therefore, a thorough theoretical understanding of even a single layer over half-space (LOH) is not only of theoretical but also of considerable practical interest. Adding to this argument is the fact that an accepted theoretical model for the interpretation of H/V-measurements from ambient vibrations, still has to be developed. A useful starting point for the theoretical investigation of the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves is the exact formula derived by Malischewsky and Scherbaum (2004). It can be shown, that already the simple LOH model is able to produce a great variety of H/V-versus-frequency curves with different character. We cite observations from Israel and Mexico as an example of H/V-curves with more than one maximum. This phenomenon is usually contributed to additional layers, where the first maximum is connected with the shear-resonance frequency of the first layer and the secondary maximum with a resonance frequency of a deeper layer. We demonstrate that already the simple LOH model yields two peaks in a certain range of Poisson ratios. However this simple model cannot explain the experimental curves under consideration, where more complex models and higher modes are necessary. These considerations can yield constraints for Poisson ratios which are otherwise less controlled. In conclusion, such theoretical investigations of analytical or half-analytical character are necessary for a better understanding of the behaviour of the ellipticity of Rayleigh waves and its use for site effect studies.
Changes in Knowledge Management Strategies Can Support Emerging Innovative Actors in Organic Agriculture: The Case of Participatory Plant Breeding in Europe

The “transfer of technology”, typical of a top-down linear process of innovation cannot be used in the new contexts of sustainability, characterised by uncertainty and complexity. There is a need to redefine categories and concepts around which innovation and agricultural policies are built, as those currently in use provide only a partial representation of reality. Innovation paradigms underpinning technological development and public policies design will have a direct impact on decisions regarding which agricultural models will ultimately be supported. Looking at local learning capacity and systems of relations can help to understand the potential to develop innovation within a specific context. This work contributes to the definition of new actors who are developing innovation for sustainability in rural areas. The study focuses on the knowledge systems of farmers who are applying alternative breeding strategies: it uses a network approach to explore the knowledge system in which individual farmers are embedded in order to understand their specific relational features. Three main conclusions emerge from the study: for enhancing the agro-ecological innovation paradigm there is a need to define the ‘innovation broker’, to revise the evaluation system of public research and to integrate innovation and agricultural policies.
Credit risk stress testing: The Portuguese environment, macroeconomic scenarios and the estimation of losses for corporate sectors

This study focuses on the development of a macroeconomic credit risk model for the prediction of corporate default rates, conditional on the observed economic environment. Data relative to the Portuguese economy was utilized for the development of the model, regarding the period from 2002 to 2012. The results suggest a clear link between macroeconomic factors, such as GDP, interest rates, unemployment and corporate indebtness, to the default rates observed. Furthermore, the introduction of a Merton-based analysis of the loss distributions permitted the analysis of expected and unexpected losses, alongside Basel II capital requirement evolutions.
Mycological Studies on the Sputa of HIV Positive Clients Attending HIV Clinic in Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Nigeria

Background: Human immune deficiency virus (HIV), the causative agent of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has remained a global cankerworm, with more impact in the sub-Saharan Africa. This virus destroys and depletes the human CD4 cells, leading to immune deficiency state and making the individual susceptible to opportunistic infections. Fungal opportunistic infections are among the common pathogens seen earlier in HIV positive individuals and may present as respiratory diseases like Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia and pulmonary cryptococcosis. This study aimed at understanding the pattern of fungal opportunists in the sputa of HIV positive individuals in our locality, to understand the demographics among those with the fungal isolates and to correlate CD4 level of the patients with the isolated opportunistic fungal pathogens. Methods: This was a prospective study in design, study area was Federal Medical Centre Owerri, Imo state, Nigeria, and study population included HIV positive individuals who were older than fifteen (15) years who developed cough lasting for more than fourteen (14) days). The hospital is the largest in the state and serves some neighbouring states like Rivers, Anambra and Abia state. The sample size was seventy three (73). Samples were collected, processed and organisms identified and results tabulated. Results: Out of the seventy three (73) sputa sample, 50 (68.5%) showed positive growth while twenty three 23 (31.5%) did not show any growth. Males with opportunistic fungal infections had a lower frequency (40%) than females (60%). 40/50 (80%) of the grown organisms were Candida organism and 23/40 (57.5%) of them were albicans. Candida albican had the highest incidence 23/50 (46%) and seen more in the age bracket (25-34). It was also rarely seen when the CD4 cell count was more than 500 cell/mm3 but very common when count was <400 cells/ mm3. Cryptococcus neoformans had 5/50 (10%) and isolated in individual with CD4 count<100 cells/mm3, Aspergillus flavus and A. fumigatus were isolated at 56 and 367 cells/mm3 with incidences of 2.0% respectively (Figure 1). The Penicillium marneffi reported as the emerging fungal infection among HIV clients in Southeast Asia was not seen in our series. Conclusions: Most pulmonary fungal opportunistic infection in the setting of HIV often mimics pulmonary tuberculosis. Candida albicans has the highest incidence in our study. However, knowledge of fungal opportunistic infections pattern in HIV patients will help clinicians in the appropriate management of the clients—in terms of prophylaxis and therapeutics.
Community workers contribution for data quality improvement in routine health information system: Live births number estimation by capture recapture method

The lack of reliable vital statistics raises questions about the role of the health information system in acquiring such data, which are essential for planning health services and for the general management of the population’s needs. This study analyzed completeness of the vital data registration system and assessed the potential contribution of a community worker net-work to this system in rural Benin. The capture-recapture method was used in this interventional study to estimate the number of live births from three sources: the Routine Health Information System, the municipality, and community workers in two groups of villages. Log linear modelling was carried out with a Bayesian Information Criterion-weighted estimate of the number of live births. The exhaustiveness of the Routine Health Information System was improved by the contribution of the community workers from 29.3% to 42.5% in the first group, and from 61.7% to 77.5% in the second group. Estimating live births by the capture method in rural settings based on the contribution of community workers could be a more efficient alternative to censuses in acquiring reliable vital statistics.
ONE STEP MOBILE MAPPING LASER AND CAMERA DATA ORIENTATION AND CALIBRATION

Abstract. Modern mobile mapping systems include one or several laser scanners and cameras. The main outputs of these systems are oriented camera images and 3D point clouds. These point clouds can be derived from pairs of overlapping images or using the laser raw data together with platform trajectory. A mobile mapping campaign may include several overlapping areas, generally, the derived point clouds of the same area are not properly registered, due to partial or total GNSS occlusions, multipath and inertial drift and noise. Nowadays, the standard procedure for co-registration between laser and laser and between camera and laser, includes several steps. The first ones are the system calibration where the lever arm and boresight between laser and IMU, and between camera and IMU must be determined. After the calibration steps, a camera and LiDAR point cloud can be derived. Then, a co-registration between LIDAR points clouds and between camera point cloud and LiDAR point cloud are computed. In contrast to the standard approach, in this paper we propose to solve the orientation and calibration of laser and camera data in a single, combined adjustment. Solving the orientation and calibration allows us to implicitly deal with the co-registration problem. The proposed method is based on the identification of common tie features between images and point clouds and their use in a combined adjustment. This common tie features are straight line segments. The preliminary results indicate the feasibility and the potential of the approach.
R/S analysis and DFA: finite sample properties and confidence intervals

We focus on finite sample properties of two mostly used methods of Hurst exponent H estimation – R/S analysis and DFA. Even though both methods have been widely applied on different types of financial assets, only several papers have dealt with finite sample properties which are crucial as the properties differ significantly from the asymptotic ones. Recently, R/S analysis has been shown to overestimate H when compared with DFA. However, we show on the random time series with lengths from 2^9 to 2^17 that even though the estimates of R/S are truly significantly higher than an asymptotic limit of 0.5, they remain very close to the estimates proposed by Anis & Lloyd and the estimated standard deviations are lower than the ones of DFA. On the other hand, DFA estimates are very close to 0.5. The results propose that R/S still remains useful and robust method even when compared to newer method of DFA which is usually preferred in recent literature.
The Mediating Roles of Communication in Expatriate Adjustment

This study examines the mediating effects of communication and interaction on the relationships between individual, organizational and non-work variables and expatriate adjustment. We tested the model by using structural equation modeling with data obtained from 203 hotel expatriates in Malaysia. The analyses found that the link between previous international experience (individual), social support (organizational) and family adjustment (non-work) and expatriate adjustment was partially mediated by perceived communicative and interaction adaptability. These findings validated the proposed model and, in particular, the central role of communication in cross-cultural adjustment processes in workplace is empirically confirmed. Practical implications are also discussed in the paper.