Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond Industrial Agriculture? Some Questions about Farm Size, Productivity and Sustainability

Although modern agriculture has increased food production faster than population growth in recent decades, there are concerns that existing models of ‘industrial agriculture’ are unsustainable due to long-run trends towards increased fossil energy costs. This has led to suggestions that food production in future will need to be based on smaller-scale and more labour-intensive farming systems. This paper examines political economy arguments that large-scale capital-intensive agriculture has proved more productive. It counterposes these to ecological economics approaches that emphasize the low energy efficiency of capital-intensive mechanized agriculture. The paper argues that discussion of a ‘post-industrial’ agriculture remain polarized between visions of a more energy-efficient mechanized agriculture on the one hand, and labour-intensive farming by ‘new peasantries’, on the other. The paper identifies questions that are neglected by this debate, in particular those concerning the productivity of labour in food production and its implications for food prices and the livelihood basis of farming.
Specific Chemical Interaction Affecting the Stability of Dispersed Systems

1) Sorbable species may destabilize colloids at much lower concentrations than nonsorbable ions. The VODL double layer model neglects the dominating role that chemical forces play in causing adsorption and is restricted in its application to lyophilic colloids and simple electrolytes. 2) The distribution of ions in an oxide-electrolyte interface can be evaluated from alkalimetric and acidimetric titration curves of aqueous dispersions of these oxides. 3) A comparison of the differential capacity of the interface at an oxide-electrolyte interface with that of Hg or Ag! shows much larger capacitance values for the hydrophilic strongly aquated oxide surface than for the more hydrophobic surface of Hg and Ag! The difference is caused primarily by the strongly structured, extensively hydrogen-bonded and chemisorbed water layer immediately adjacent to the solid oxide surface. Ions tend strongly to penetrate (specific sorption) into the compact part of the double layer adjoining the oxide surface, and may thus exert a marked effect on the surface chemical properties beyond those observed by a mere compaction of the diffuse part of the double layer. 4) Association of oxide surfaces with H+, and other cations can, similar as with polyelectrolytes, be characterized by acidity and stability constants. The latter constants can be expressed as intrinsic constants if they are cor rected to a hypothetically chargeless surface. The specificity of the interaction with H+ and cations can be understood by considering simple electrostatic models. This association of oxide surfaces with cations can be used to explain the effect of cations such as Ca2+ on the stability of hydrous oxide colloids, and on the deposition of Mn02 particles on sand surfa ces. The extent to which a coagulant species is specifically adsorbed is reflected in the c. c. c. necessary to produce a ggregation. When the specifically adsorbed species and the colloid are of opposite charge, the sorbed species act to reduce the surface charge of the colloid. The destabilizing agent can, in some cases, even reverse the colloid charge and restabilization will occur. 5) Specific cation interactions as described here represent a basis of related ion specific processes, such as the behavior of ion selective glass or membrane electrodes; the selective ion permeability of cell membranes and potential generating mechanisms in the living cell.
Short and long waves over a muddy seabed

The available experimental results have shown that in time-periodic motion the rheology of fluid mud displays complex viscoelastic behaviour. Based on the measured rheology of fluid mud from two field sites, we study the interaction of water waves and fluid mud by a two-layered model in which the water above is assumed to be inviscid and the mud below is viscoelastic. As the fluid-mud layer in shallow seas is usually much thinner than the water layer above, the sharp contrast of scales enables an approximate analytical theory for the interaction between fluid mud and small-amplitude waves with a narrow frequency band. It is shown that at the leading order and within a short distance of a few wavelengths, wave pressure from above forces mud motion below. Over a much longer distance, waves are modified by the accumulative dissipation in mud. At the next order, infragravity waves owing to convective inertia (or radiation stresses) are affected indirectly by mud motion through the slow modulation of the short waves. Quantitative predictions are made for mud samples of several concentrations and from two different field sites.
16S rRNA milk microbiota profiles on Holstein cows highlight QTL and provide a novel trait to assess the genetic regulation of mastitis

It is well established that certain bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Steptrococcus uberis, and Staphylococcus aureus are causative agents of dairy cattle mastitis while other bacteria are associated with normal health and productivity. Pyrosequencing of the 16SrRNA gene from Holstein milk samples provided a means to generate individual cow milk microbiota profiles for which previous discriminant analysis of bacterial genera showed variation between healthy and clinical mastitis samples. This correlation was used to explore mastitis susceptibility in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using 578,497 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) spanning the bovine genome. The objective of this study was to explore the use of milk microbiota profiles for identifying novel QTL and subsequent candidate genes effecting mastitis. Comparative GWAS analyzed cows characterized as having clinical mastitis (CM) or healthy and compared results to a GWAS using a linear score based on their milk microbiota profile. Four genomic regions demonstrating association to CM incidence were identified on bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 5, 16, 26, and 29. Three regions on BTA 5, 26, and 29 were associated with the milk microbiota profiles. Previously published mastitis QTL were validated and novel QTL were identified on BTA 16 and 29. Over 15 potential genes were found in the associated regions of the 2 GWA studies. TBK1 on BTA 5 and RARRES3 and CTSE on BTA 29 appear the most promising candidate genes affecting immune response.
Physiological and Biochemical Changes in Host Leaf Tissues Associated with the Growth of Two Biotrophic Fungi Growing in Egypt

Summary ALDESUQUY H. S. & BAKA Z. A. M. 1992. Physiological and biochemical changes in host leaf tissues associated with the growth of two biotrophic fungi growing in Egypt. - Phyton (Horn, Austria) 32 (1): 129-142. English with German summary. Two biotrophic fungi, from different groups, growing in Egypt were selected for this study, Puccinia lagenophorae, infecting Senecio glaucus and Albugo Candida infecting Cakile maritima during late infection. The intensity of growth of the two pathogens on their hosts was studied in relation to some physiological and biochemical aspects of infected leaves. The infection of Senecio caused a significant decrease of relative water content, while the infection of Cakile caused a nonsignificant decrease of the same parameter. The ionic content (Na+, K+, Ca2+) of infected leaves of both Senecio and Cakile was greatly reduced. Also, there was a decrease in pigments (chl a, chl b and carotenoids) in infected leaves of both Senecio and Cakile. In addition, carbohydrate content (sucrose, reducing sugars and polysaccharides) was significantly decreased in infected leaves of Senecio but increased in case of Cakile. Seventeen amino acids were detected in both healthy and infected leaves of Senecio and Cakile. It was found that, most of these amino acids decreased after the infection by the two pathogens except the increase of some amino acids such as phenylalanine and histidine in case of Senecio and glycine, alanine, methionine and histidine in case of Cakile. The variation of these results were discussed in relation to the growth and behaviour of the two pathogens on their hosts.
Risk of Lymphoproliferative Disorders in Spondyloarthritis during Treatment with Methotrexate: A Case Report and Literature Review

Unlike rheumatoid arthritis, risks of lymphoproliferative disorders (LPDs) in spondyloarthritis (SpA) are not well established. Recent studies suggest that the overall risk of lymphoma does not seem to be increased compared to the general population, however, SpA patients taking disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs including methotrexate (MTX) may link to higher occurrence of LPDs. We herein report a 40-year-old man diagnosed with non-radiographic axial SpA according to the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria. While initiation of oral MTX and celecoxib treatments appeared to gradually improve symptoms, cervical lymphadenopathy appeared accompanied by fever and deteriorated arthritis following 13 months. Laboratory results showed increased serum levels of inflammatory markers, liver transaminases, soluble interleukin-2 receptor and ferritin as well as thrombocytopenia in combination with hepatosplenomegaly detected by Computed Tomography. Furthermore, hemophagocytosis also existed in bone marrow. Diagnostic lymph node biopsy pathologically revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), resulting in a diagnosis of DLBCL concomitant with lymphoma-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (LA-HLH). Since the DLBCL persisted following four weeks of MTX discontinuation, chemotherapy was initiated and finally resulted in remission. To our knowledge, there is no report on LPDs concomitant with LA-HLH in a patient with SpA during MTX treatment. This suggestive case supports the recent estimation in which the risk of LPDs in SpA patients is increased and also demonstrates the importance of chemotherapeutic treatment for LPDs concomitant with LA-HLH.
Purification and characterization of peroxidase from Turkish black radish (Raphanus sativus L.)

Peroxidases (EC 1.11.1.7; donor: hydrogen peroxide oxidoreductase) are part of a large group of enzymes associated with cell wall biosynthesis, response to injury, disease, resistance and wound repair. They catalyze the oxidation of various electron donor substrates such as phenols and aromatic amines in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. In the present study, peroxidase, a primer antioxidant enzyme, was purified 9.7 fold from Turkish black radish (Raphanus sativus L.) in a yield of 2% by ammonium sulphate precipitation, dialysis and CM-Sephadex ion exchange chromatography. To check the enzyme purity, sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed and a single band was observed. The substrate specificity of peroxidase was investigated using guaiacol (2-methoxyphenol). Optimum pH, optimum temperature, optimum ionic strength, stable pH, stable temperature and thermal inactivation conditions were determined for guaiacol / H2O2 substrate pattern. These kinetic properties were found to be 6.0, 30°C, 1.0 M, 9.0, and 60°C, respectively. The molecular weight (Mw) of the enzyme was found to be 66 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS - PAGE) method. Native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Native-PAGE) was performed for isoenzyme determination and a single band was observed. Km and Vmax values were calculated from Lineweaver-Burk graphs.
High-energy gamma-ray and neutrino production in star-forming galaxies across cosmic time: Difficulties in explaining the IceCube data

We present a new theoretical modeling to predict luminosity and spectrum of gamma-ray and neutrino emission of a star-forming galaxy, from star formation rate ($\psi$), gas mass ($M_{\rm gas}$), stellar mass, and disk size, taking into account production, propagation and interactions of cosmic rays. The model reproduces the observed gamma-ray luminosities of nearby galaxies detected by {\it Fermi} better than the simple power-law models as a function of $\psi$ or $\psi M_{\rm gas}$. Then this model is used to predict the cosmic background flux of gamma-ray and neutrinos from star-forming galaxies, by using a semi-analytical model of cosmological galaxy formation that reproduces many observed quantities of local and high-redshift galaxies. Calibration of the model using gamma-ray luminosities of nearby galaxies allows us to make a more reliable prediction than previous studies. In our baseline model star-forming galaxies produce about 20% of isotropic gamma-ray background unresolved by {\it Fermi}, and only 0.5% of IceCube neutrinos. Even with an extreme model assuming a hard injection cosmic-ray spectral index of 2.0 for all galaxies, at most 22% of IceCube neutrinos can be accounted for. These results indicate that it is difficult to explain most of IceCube neutrinos by star-forming galaxies, without violating the gamma-ray constraints from nearby galaxies.
Adolescents' Knowledge and Attitude towards Regular Healthcare as a Way of Improving HIV/STD Testing and Treatment

This study examined the adolescents’ knowledge and attitude towards regular healthcare as a way of improving HIV/STDs testing and treatment among secondary school students in Oyo State, Nigeria. This study employed the descriptive research design type. Two hundred and twenty participants selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling technique were used for the study. One main instrument was used in collecting data. Data was analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and T-test. Results showed a significant relationship between students’ knowledge and attitude to regular healthcare on the testing and treatment of HIV/STDs. Also, a significant difference in the knowledge while no significant difference was found in the attitude of regular healthcare as a factor in the testing and treatment of HIV/STDs among private and public secondary schools’ students. A gender difference in attitude toward regular healthcare was observed but not in knowledge. Also, no significant differences were found in the knowledge and attitude towards HIV/STDs Testing and Treatment of single parenting and intact home (both parents) respondents. On the basis of the findings, it was established that while the majority of secondary students had heard about HIV/STDs, their knowledge was inadequate. Thus, schools have a role to play in facilitating the access of young people to necessary reproductive health services and to link education and services so that students may bridge knowledge and attitudes with action.
Seeing Double: A Rare Presentation of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Background: This is the case of a new diagnosis of aggressive non- Hodgkin lymphoma presenting as acute neurologic deficits. Upon evaluation, the patient is found to be suffering from Neurolymphomatosis, a rare manifestation of lymphoma characterized by direct invasion of the nerve roots by lymphoma cells. This case is unique in that it is even rarer to have neurolymphomatosis as the presentation of new lymphoma diagnosis. Case Presentation: A 65 year-old female presents with acute-onset diplopia and slurred speech. Upon evaluation for stroke, an incidental chest mass is found. Biopsy of the mass is consistent with Burkitt Lymphoma and her neurologic deficits are diagnosed as Neurolymphomatosis. Unfortunately, without rapid and aggressive therapy, the patient succumbed to her disease. Conclusion: Neurolymphomatosis is a rare manifestation of non-Hodgkin lymphomas and an even rarer presentation of a new lymphoma diagnosis. It should remain on the differential diagnosis of secondary central nervous system involvement of lymphoma as the rapid recognition of this disease process is critical for mitigating morbidity and mortality.
European equity fund managers: luck or skill?!

Seeking persistent abnormal portfolio performance has been a key question for academics and practitioners. The main challenge in the construction of fund-of-funds is the ex-ante selection of "skilled" managers, ex-post outperforming the benchmark. This empirical study focused on European mutual funds, consists in using the False Discovery Rate selecting procedure. The standard tests to identify funds with non-zero alphas do not adequately account for the presence of "luck", while this becomes an important issue when one deals with multiple testing. Different pricing models are used and the performance of constructed fund-of-funds is analyzed in-sample and out-of-sample for different investment strategies.
An Investigation into the Core Values that Drive Successful Family-Owned Businesses: A Case of Lagos State, Nigeria

Family-owned businesses are a common business model and constitute more than 70 percent of the overall businesses of many countries. They contribute to the economic values of nations in terms of growth in GDP and employment creation. However, family-owned businesses in Nigeria are faced with some challenges such as corruption, lack of trust, fear on the part of the founder in losing control, and the lack of antitrust laws and implementation to protect small firms from unethical practices of big firms. Consequently, this study examined ethical values that drive success in family-owned businesses in Lagos, Nigeria. A survey was conducted through questionnaires and it was found that integrity, among other values, is the most important values that accounts for successful family-owned businesses.
Reputational Externality and Self-Regulation

Professional associations and other producer groups often complain that their reputation is damaged by other groups providing a similar but lower-quality service and that the latter should be regulated. We examine the conditions under which a common regulatory regime can induce Pareto-improvements by creating a common reputation for quality among heterogeneous producers, when the regulator cannot commit to a given quality. A common reputation can be created only if the groups are not too different and if marginal cost is declining. High cost groups and small groups benefit most from forming a common regime.
Length Of Stay At Urban Coastal and Sodium Intake In The Elderly Participating In Health Care Program

Hypertension (HT) is the most common and preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the worldwide. Risk factors for HT include the age, high intake of sodium, and low intake of potassium, as well as the geographical location of a region. Recent studies revealed that communities dwelling in coastal area have a high risk of HT relating to high exposure of salty foods. This study was aimed to analyze the correlation between the length of stay and the sodium intake in elderly at urban coastal communities in Indonesia. Sodium intake was measured by 24-h single urinary while the association was assessed by spearman at a significance level of 5%. The subjects were 51 postmenopausal women aged ≥ 45 years old participating in health care program. The result demonstrated 37.3% subjects were classified as hypertensive. Almost all subjects have been living in the coastal area since birth, so the mean of residence was almost similar to the mean age (52.8±12.57) years. It indicated a significant inversely correlation between the length of stay and the sodium intake (r = -0.37, p = 0.007), but insignificant correlation between the length of stay and the blood pressure. Length of stay in coastal located at urban cities is associated with low sodium intake. Participating in health care program, our subjects have the awareness on the harmful effects of excessive salt consumption which allegedly causes their limited salt consumption. The high prevalence of HT among the elderly may be caused by hormonal problem rather than the length of stay and the sodium intake.
Human Capital Externalities and Adult Mortality in the U.S.

Human capital is now widely recognized to confer numerous benefits, including higher incomes, lower incidence of unemployment, and better health, to those who invest in it. Yet, recent evidence suggests that it also produces larger, social (external) benefits, such as greater aggregate income and productivity as well as lower rates of crime and political corruption. This paper considers whether human capital also delivers external benefits via reduced mortality. That is, after conditioning on various individual-specific characteristics including income and education, do we observe lower rates of mortality in economies with higher average levels of education among the total population? Evidence from a sample of more than 200 U.S. metropolitan areas over the decade of the 1990s suggests that there are significant human capital externalities on health. After conditioning on a variety of city-specific characteristics, the findings suggest that a 5 percentage point decrease in the fraction of college graduates in the population corresponds to a 14 to 36 percent increase in the probability of death, on average. Although I am unable to identify the precise mechanism by which this relationship operates, it is certainly consistent with the idea that interactions with highly educated individuals - who tend to exhibit relatively healthy behaviors - encourage others to adopt similar behaviors. Evidence of a significant inverse relationship between aggregate human capital and smoking, conditional on personal characteristics, in a sample of 201 U.S. metropolitan areas is also consistent with this hypothesis.
Vineyards Genetic Monitoring and Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Molecular Fingerprinting

The definition of the genetic profile of Vernaccia di San Gimignano (VSG) in the areas of production is an essential step for both the implementation of a plan of analytical traceability and the evaluation of the biological future potential of the same grape variety in relation to any environmental change. The genetic variability of the VSG was monitored by use of SSRs genotyping of a representative portion of individuals belonging to both the productive vineyards and the germplasm collections that represent the “mother plants” reservoir for future vineyards. 74% of the individuals have been shown to be identical to the grapevine genotype reported in databases as VSG truetype. In order to determine the wine varietal composition by DNA analysis, four wine types commercialized as VSG were DNA-tested at 14 loci SSRs. The molecular data obtained demonstrate the presence as prevalent component of the VSG in the four wine types. All the wines revealed the presence of minor varieties, whose presence/absence was estimated by extrapolating the allele configuration that best matched to a standard genotype. Molecular data allow us to exclude the presence of three aromatic white grapevines that are not allowed by the actual production rules (Disciplinare di Produzione).
Disentanglement in a two-qubit system subjected to dissipation environments

We investigate the time evolution of entanglement of various entangled states of a two-qubit system exposed to either thermal or squeezed reservoirs. We show that, except for the vacuum reservoir, the sudden-death of entanglement always exists in the thermal and squeezed reservoirs. We present explicit expression for the sudden-death time of entanglement for various entangled states. We find that the sudden-death of entanglement results from the portion of the double excitation component in the initial entangled state. In this sense, the maximally entangled states of a two-qubit system that do not have the double excitation component is more robust against the quantum fluctuations of the vacuum reservoir.