Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling the potential change in yield and distribution of the earth's crops under a warmed climate

The large scale distribution of crops is largely determined by climate. The authors present the results of a climate-crop prediction model based on the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization crop-suitability approach, implemented in a geographic information system (GIS) environment using several global environmental databases. The model utilizes daily temperature and moisture conditions to determine the properties of the growing period. Crops are characterized by their variety-specific minimum growing period requirements and photosynthesis and respiration properties. Temperature and solar radiation during the growing period control the development of each crop. The model simulates crop-specific geographic distributions by demarcating the region where productivity is possible. The model takes only non-irrigated crop productivity into account and the potential increase in productivity by technological means is not considered. The model therefore shows no crop growth along major rivers in arid, often irrigated, regions. (Copyright (c) Inter-Research 1993. )
Fiscal Decentralization in Spain: An Asymmetric Transition to Democracy

Asymmetric fiscal decentralization, by which we mean different fiscal arrangements between the central government and different groups of, or individual, lower-level governments, may be justified from an economic efficiency perspective. As argued by Tiebout (1956), Oates (1972) and others, a decentralized system of regional and local governments is better able to accommodate differences in tastes for public goods and services. This efficiency argument calls for decentralization of fiscal authority to regional and local governments, but not necessarily asymmetric decentralization. However, when the differences in tastes for public goods and services arise out of differences in history, culture and language across regions of a country, asymmetric treatment may be justified. History, culture and language may influence how a group of people (a region) views autonomy, independence and fiscal authority. Some regions may have had experience with autonomous government in the past, they may have a culture that is strongly reliant upon (or leery of) the central government, or they may be fearful of losing their separate languages if they do not have special arrangements. To accommodate differences in taste for independence, autonomy, and fiscal authority, it may be necessary to have different fiscal arrangements between the central government and the different regions comprising the country.
THE SCUBA-2 COSMOLOGY LEGACY SURVEY: ALMA RESOLVES THE BRIGHT-END OF THE SUB-MILLIMETER NUMBER COUNTS

We present high-resolution 870 μm Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) continuum maps of 30 bright sub-millimeter sources in the UKIDSS UDS field. These sources are selected from deep, 1 degree2 850 μm maps from the SCUBA-2 Cosmology Legacy Survey, and are representative of the brightest sources in the field (median S SCUBA ‐ 2 ? > = 8.7 ± 0.4 mJy). We detect 52 sub-millimeter galaxies (SMGs) at >4σ significance in our 30 ALMA maps. In 61 − 15 + 19 % ? > of the ALMA maps the single-dish source comprises a blend of ≥2 SMGs, where the secondary SMGs are Ultra-luminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs) with L IR ? > ≳ ? > 1012 L ⊙ ? > . The brightest SMG contributes on average 80 − 2 + 6 % ? > of the single-dish flux density, and in the ALMA maps containing ≥2 SMGs the secondary SMG contributes 25 − 5 + 1 % ? > of the integrated ALMA flux. We construct source counts and show that multiplicity boosts the apparent single-dish cumulative counts by 20% at S870 > 7.5 mJy, and by 60% at S870 > 12 mJy. We combine our sample with previous ALMA studies of fainter SMGs and show that the counts are well-described by a double power law with a break at 8.5 ± 0.6 mJy. The break corresponds to a luminosity of ∼6 × 1012 L ⊙ ? > or a star formation rate (SFR) of ∼103 M ⊙ yr - 1 ? > . For the typical sizes of these SMGs, which are resolved in our ALMA data with R e ? > = 1.2 ± 0.1 kpc, this yields a limiting SFR density of ∼100 M ⊙ ? > yr−1 kpc−2 Finally, the number density of S870 ≳ ? > 2 mJy SMGs is 80 ± 30 times higher than that derived from blank-field counts. An over-abundance of faint SMGs is inconsistent with line-of-sight projections dominating multiplicity in the brightest SMGs, and indicates that a significant proportion of these high-redshift ULIRGs are likely to be physically associated.
Holding the Shop Together: German Industrial Relations in the Postwar Era

Excerpt] Since the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008 there has been a boom in positive assessments of the German economy. Little wonder. Remarkably, Germany has managed to bring down unemployment to more than one percentage point below the precrisis level and to maintain a current account surplus equivalent to 5 percent of its gross domestic product. This is not the first time that Germany's stock has ridden high. German economic institutions received praise for the "economic miracle" of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the "model Germany" economy that weathered the oil shocks comparatively well during the 1970s, and the "export world champion" economy of the mid-1980s. At other times, however, academics and journalists have been bearish on Germany. High unemployment dogged the German economy for a quarter century, starting in the early 1980s. From the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, Germany was generally dismissed as the economic "sick man" of Europe. These oscillating appraisals of the German economy raise two questions: Does the current positive assessment of German economic institutions reflect something real, or is it just another speculative bubble? And, what is it about German economic institutions that has drawn the attention of so many over the years? In this book I address these questions by examining a key pillar of the postwar German economy, namely, the industrial relations system.
A survey of molecular gas in luminous sub-millimetre galaxies

We present the results from a survey of 12CO emission in 40 luminous sub-millimetre galaxies (SMGs), with 850-μm fluxes of S850 μm = 4–20 mJy, conducted with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer. We detect 12CO emission in 32 SMGs at z ∼ 1.2–4.1, including 16 SMGs not previously published. Using multiple 12CO line (Jup = 2–7) observations, we derive a median spectral line energy distribution for luminous SMGs. We report the discovery of a fundamental relationship between 12CO FWHM and 12CO line luminosity in high-redshift starbursts, which we interpret as a natural consequence of the baryon-dominated dynamics within the regions probed by our observations. We use far-infrared luminosities to assess the star formation efficiency in our SMGs, finding that the slope of the L′CO-LFIR relation is close to linear. We derive molecular gas masses, finding a mean gas mass of (5.3 ± 1.0) × 1010 M⊙. Combining these with dynamical masses, we determine the redshift evolution of the gas content of SMGs, finding that they do not appear to be significantly more gas rich than less vigorously star-forming galaxies at high redshifts. Finally, we collate X-ray observations, and study the interdependence of gas and dynamical properties of SMGs with their AGN activity and supermassive black hole masses (MBH), finding that SMGs lie significantly below the local MBH-σ relation.
Genetic parameters for test-day milk yield in tropical Holstein Friesian cattle fitting a multiple-lactation random regression animal model

Accurate estimates of genetic parameters are essential for genetic improvement of milk yield in dairy cattle and for setting up breeding programmes. Estimates of genetic parameters from test-day models, particularly for Holstein Friesian cattle maintained in tropical environments, are scant in the literature. The objective of this study was therefore to estimate genetic parameters for milk yield by fitting a multiple-lactation random regression animal model (RRM) based on data from Ethiopian Holstein Friesian herds. Data were used from the first three lactations of cows that calved between 1997 and 2013. The data comprised 13 421 test-day milk yield records from 800 cows from two large dairy herds. Variance components were estimated using the average information restricted maximum likelihood method fitting an RRM. Heritability estimates for first, second, and third lactations ranged from 0.20 to 0.26, 0.15 to 0.27, and 0.17 to 0.28, respectively. Heritability estimates ranging from 0.15 to 0.28 indicate that effective genetic improvement should be accompanied by a corresponding improvement of the production environment. Across-lactation genetic correlations between first and second, second and third, and first and third lactations, expressed on a 305-day yield basis, were 0.88, 0.83, and 0.70, respectively. These genetic correlations, less than or equal to 0.88, indicate that different lactations are different traits. For an accurate evaluation of the genetic merit of animals for milk yield, lactations should be treated as different, but correlated traits in a multiple-lactation analysis.
Production and some properties of extracellular phytase from Thermomyces lanuginosus IMI 096218 on rice flour as substrate

Thermophilic fungi Thermomyces lanuginosus IMI 096218 strain produces phytase enzyme on rice flour in submerged fermentation. The maximal activity was achieved on the 4 day of fermentation using 5 (w/v)% rice flour and at 220-rpm agitation speed. Additionally, the enzyme production was enhanced by supplementation of 0.1% Tween-80 detergent into fermentation medium. The phytase was purified about 9.1 fold with yield of 5.1%. The optimal pH and temperature of the purified phytase enzyme were pH 5.5 and 70°C, respectively. The half-life times of enzyme at temperature 54-58°C and pH range 5.0-7.5 were longer than 100 min. Kinetic parameters of phytase on sodium-phytate substrate were determined by linear Lineweaver-Burk plot: KM=0.285 mM, vmax=0.126 mM/min, and Hanes-Woolf plot: KM=0.312 mM, vmax=0.132 mM/min, respectively. The presence of 5 mM Zn, Ag, Co and Cu ions strongly inhibited the enzyme reaction. The residual activities were 55%, 49%, 38% and 34% respectively. This phytase can be considered as a potential candidate in animal feeding as well as in the production of some intermediates for clinical applications.
Estimating mangrove aboveground biomass from airborne LiDAR data: a case study from the Zambezi River delta

Mangroves are ecologically and economically important forested wetlands with the highest carbon (C) density of all terrestrial ecosystems. Because of their exceptionally large C stocks and importance as a coastal buffer, their protection and restoration has been proposed as an effective mitigation strategy for climate change. The inclusion of mangroves in mitigation strategies requires the quantification of C stocks (both above and belowground) and changes to accurately calculate emissions and sequestration. A growing number of countries are becoming interested in using mitigation initiatives, such as REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation), in these unique coastal forests. However, it is not yet clear how methods to measure C traditionally used for other ecosystems can be modified to estimate biomass in mangroves with the precision and accuracy needed for these initiatives. Airborne Lidar (ALS) data has often been proposed as the most accurate way for larger scale assessments but the application of ALS for coastal wetlands is scarce, primarily due to a lack of contemporaneous ALS and field measurements. Here, we evaluated the variability in field and Lidar-based estimates of aboveground biomass (AGB) through the combination of different local and regional allometric models and standardized height metrics that are comparable across spatial resolutions and sensor types, the end result being a simplified approach for accurately estimating mangrove AGB at large scales and determining the uncertainty by combining multiple allometric models. We then quantified wall-to-wall AGB stocks of a tall mangrove forest in the Zambezi Delta, Mozambique. Our results indicate that the Lidar H100 height metric correlates well with AGB estimates, with R2 between 0.80 and 0.88 and RMSE of 33% or less. When comparing Lidar H100 AGB derived from three allometric models, mean AGB values range from 192 Mg ha−1 up to 252 Mg ha−1. We suggest the best model to predict AGB was based on the East Africa specific allometry and a power-based regression that used Lidar H100 as the height input with an R2 of 0.85 and an RMSE of 122 Mg ha−1 or 33%. The total AGB of the Lidar inventoried mangrove area (6654 ha) was 1 350 902 Mg with a mean AGB of 203 Mg ha−1 ±166 Mg ha−1. Because the allometry suggested here was developed using standardized height metrics, it is recommended that the models can generate AGB estimates using other remote sensing instruments that are more readily accessible over other mangrove ecosystems on a large scale, and as part of future carbon monitoring efforts in mangroves.
Genotype by environment interaction for milk production traits in Holstein Friesian dairy cattle in Ireland

Interactions of genotype and environment (G*E) occur when there are differences in expression of genotypes between environments. These G*E interactions can take two forms causing either; (1) a scaling effect across environments or (2) a change in the actual ranking of sires across environments. The scaling effect occurs when the scale of differences in sire proofs is unequal in the two environments. Reranking occurs when the trait, e.g., milk yield, has a different genetic basis in the two environments i.e., is controlled by different genes. If the degree of reranking is large, the genetic correlation between milk production in the two environments will be substantially less than 1.0, with the implication that proofs made in one environment may not be a reliable predictors of genetic merit in the second environment. It is this form of G*E which is of particular interest to animal breeders. Numerous studies have found evidence of G*E interaction due to scaling in dairy cattle e.g., McDaniel and Corley (1967), Stanton, Blake, Quaas, Van Fleck and Carabano (1991). In contrast, very few studies have found evidence of G*E interaction due to re-ranking. The notable exceptions have been Peterson (1988), who found evidence of significant re-ranking between Canada and New Zealand for milk production traits and Carabano, Van Fleck, and Wiggans (1989) who found evidence of significant re-ranking for fat yield between Spain and the United States. It is interesting to note that in both of these studies comparisons were across countries as opposed to within a country. Within Ireland there exists a range of milk production systems. Some herds may be predominantly winter calving and feed relatively high levels of concentrate, while other herds may calve predominantly in spring and feed much lower levels of concentrate. The inevitability of lower prices for milk and milk products as a result of GATT, has resulted in renewed interest towards lower cost systems of milk production. The main variable cost on most Irish dairy farms is the level of concentrates fed (concentrates are about 5 times more expensive in terms of cost per MJ of ME than grazed grass). Therefore, given that bulls are generally proven in high concentrate input environments and that dairy farmers often choose to reduce milk production costs through lower concentrate input, it is of interest at present to investigate whether there is evidence of G*E interaction for milk production traits within Ireland. The aim of this study was therefore to determine the effect of certain herd environments on the genetic evaluation of dairy sires. The herd environments considered in this paper were average concentrate input and average milk yield.
Geochemistry of major constituents, boron and boron isotopes in pore waters from ODP site 1202, Okinawa Trough

geochemical results show that major constituents and boron content varied largely in pore fluids and possibly were affected by sulfate reduction, recrystallization of biogenic carbonate or silica, ash alteration, and organic matter degradation. Mixing of fluids along high-porosity sandy layers or fracture zones also changes the pore water chemical compositions significantly. The down-core distribution of B and δ 11 B in the pore waters are sensitive tracers for assessing fluid migration and water/sediment interaction at various depths. Pore water B content at Site 1202 falls in a range between 0.25 and 1.16 mM compared to that of 0.42 mM in seawater. The δ 11 B values, however, vary considerably from ~32.7 to 50.9 0 00 relative to the seawater value of 39.5 0 00. The δ 11 B vs. 1/B plot indicates that sedimentary B released from clays is the most important source to pore waters, resulting in elevated B with low δ 11 B. Other processes including precipitation of calcium carbonate, fluid advection through high-porosity permeable sandy horizons, interaction with terrigenous sediments and/or ash alteration may also modify the B and δ 11 B distributions.
THE LEECH EXOPLANET IMAGING SURVEY: CHARACTERIZATION OF THE COLDEST DIRECTLY IMAGED EXOPLANET, GJ 504 b, AND EVIDENCE FOR SUPERSTELLAR METALLICITY

As gas giant planets and brown dwarfs radiate away the residual heat from their formation, they cool through a spectral type transition from L to T, which encompasses the dissipation of cloud opacity and the appearance of strong methane absorption. While there are hundreds of known T-type brown dwarfs, the first generation of directly imaged exoplanets were all L type. Recently, Kuzuhara et al. announced the discovery of GJ 504 b, the first T dwarf exoplanet. GJ 504 b provides a unique opportunity to study the atmosphere of a new type of exoplanet with a ∼500 K temperature that bridges the gap between the first directly imaged planets (∼1000 K) and our own solar system's Jupiter (∼130 K). We observed GJ 504 b in three narrow L-band filters (3.71, 3.88, and 4.00 μm), spanning the red end of the broad methane fundamental absorption feature (3.3 μm) as part of the LBTI Exozodi Exoplanet Common Hunt (LEECH) exoplanet imaging survey. By comparing our new photometry and literature photometry with a grid of custom model atmospheres, we were able to fit GJ 504 b's unusual spectral energy distribution for the first time. We find that GJ 504 b is well fit by models with the following parameters: Teff = 544 ± 10 K, g < 600 m s−2, [M/H] = 0.60 ± 0.12, cloud opacity parameter of fsed = 2–5, R = 0.96 ± 0.07 RJup, and log(L) = −6.13 ± 0.03 L⊙, implying a hot start mass of 3–30 Mjup for a conservative age range of 0.1–6.5 Gyr. Of particular interest, our model fits suggest that GJ 504 b has a superstellar metallicity. Since planet formation can create objects with nonstellar metallicities, while binary star formation cannot, this result suggests that GJ 504 b formed like a planet, not like a binary companion.
Education as a Heart Failure Intervention: What Providers Taught Patients in One Hospital Setting

This study examined what heart failure (HF) information was provided to patients by health care providers (HCPs), what instructional content taught went beyond the American Heart Association (AHA) Guidelines, and what HF education expert providers viewed as critical for their patients to receive. There is compelling evidence for utilizing educational instruction that includes evidence based guidelines from the AHA.No studieswere found that compared and contrasted these AHA Guidelines with the instructional content provided to hospitalized patients. Using naturalistic inquiry, 10 HF patients (New York Heart Association functional class of III or IV) and 161 HCPs were observed. Results showed that not all AHA topics were consistently covered; 70% (n=10) patients received less than one hour of instruction, compared to the AHA standard of 60 minutes;AHA Guidelines did not include instructional content on current plan of care which nearly equaled the time spent on AHA topics; brochures and handouts were rarely used and the topics within these materials were not inclusive of AHA standards; asequence of education provided on medications, symptom recognition, diet, and follow up, was congruent with AHA Guidelines and reinforced by the expert panel; and physicians and nurses delivered the most instruction (AHA or non-AHA). The findings of a study of this nature are not generalizable, but still important for future research in testing HF education in other settings for a more robust picture of the benefits of structured versus just in time instruction.
Mechanical strain effect of n-channel polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors

The current change of n-channel polycrystalline silicon thin-film transistors is analyzed experimentally and theoretically under different strain conditions. Under the uniaxial strain parallel to the channel, the +6.7% and +5.3% drain current enhancements are achieved in linear and saturation regions, respectively. There are −4.4% (linear) and −4.6% (saturation) drain current degradations when the uniaxial strain is applied perpendicular to the channel. The polycrystalline silicon is mainly composed of (111)-oriented grains, measured by electron diffraction pattern. Phonon-limited mobility is theoretically calculated. There is a qualitative agreement between experiments and theoretical analysis.
6 Defensins in Ulcerative Colitis

Defensins and cathelicidins are the two major endogenous antimicrobial peptide families in mammals, which are abundant components of phagocytic leukocytes and are released by epithelial cells at mucosal surfaces. Defensins are antimicrobial peptides produced at a variety of epithelial surfaces. In the small intestine Paneth cells secrete ┙-defensins and additional antimicrobial peptides at high levels in response to cholinergic stimulation and when exposed to bacterial antigens. In the intestinal tract ┙and ┚-defensins contribute to host immunity and assist in maintaining the balance between protection from pathogens and tolerance to normal flora. However, attenuated expression of these defensins compromises host immunity and hence may alter the balance toward inflammation. Altered defensins production is suggested to be an integral element in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Recent years, the defensins have attracted great attention because of their roles in the organism defense system. This review highlights the current knowledge of defensins, distribution, structures, the diverse functions in the immune response and the changes of defensins expression in UC and the potential role in the pathogenesis of UC.