Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of infrared dark clouds NH3 observations of an absorption-contrast selected IRDC sample ,

Context. Despite increasing research in massive star formation, little is known about its earliest stages. Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are cold, dense and massive enough to harbour the sites of future high-mass star formation. But up to now, mainly small samples have been observed and analysed. Aims. To understand the physical conditions during the early stages of high-mass star formation, it is necessary to learn more about the physical conditions and stability in relatively unevolved IRDCs. Thus, for characterising IRDCs studies of large samples are needed. Methods. We investigate a complete sample of 218 northern hemisphere high-contrast IRDCs using the ammonia (1,1)- and (2,2)-inversion transitions. Results. We detected ammonia (1,1)-inversion transition lines in 109 of our IRDC candidates. Using the data we were able to study the physical conditions within the star-forming regions statistically. We compared them with the conditions in more evolved regions which have been observed in the same fashion as our sample sources. Our results show that IRDCs have, on average, rotation temperatures of 15 K, are turbulent (with line width FWHMs around 2 km s −1 ), have ammonia column densities on the order of 10 14 cm −2 and molecular hydrogen column densities on the order of 10 22 cm −2 . Their virial masses are between 100 and a few 1000 M� . T he comparison of bulk kinetic and potential energies indicate that the sources are close to virial equilibrium. Conclusions. IRDCs are on average cooler and less turbulent than a comparison sample of high-mass protostellar objects, and have lower ammonia column densities. Virial parameters indicate that the majority of IRDCs are currently stable, but are expected to collapse in the future.
The invariant subspace structure of nonselfadjoint crossed products

Let £ be the von Neumann algebra crossed product determined by a finite von Neumann algebra M and a trace preserving '-automorphism a of M. We study the invariant subspace structure of the subalgebra £+ of £ consisting of those operators whose spectrum with respect to the dual automorphism group on £ is nonnegative. We investigate the conditions for two invariant subspaces 911, and 9H2 (with Qu Q2 the corresponding orthogonal projections) to satisfy Qt — RVQ2R*V for some partial isometry R0 in £'. We use this analysis to find the general form of a o-weakly closed subalgebra of £ that contains £+ .
An Operational Space Observer-Controller for Trajectory Tracking

This paper presents an operational space observer-controller for non-redundant robot manipulators to achieve trajectory tracking. The controller uses an observed integrator backstepping procedure for operational space trajectory tracking control without actual velocity measurements, and the overall observer-controller system achieves a semi-global exponential stability (SGES) result for the position and orientation tracking errors, velocity tracking errors as well as velocity observation errors. Simulations results indicate that, compared with the conventional computed-torque PD control using backwards difference approach to estimate velocities, the proposed controller has better position tracking performance under parametric uncertainty and payload variations.
Nitrogen uptake dynamics, yield and quality as influenced by nitrogen fertilization in "Piel de sapo" melon.

The need to reduce nitrogen (N) fertilizer pollution strengthens the importance of improving the utilization efficiency of applied N to crops. This requires knowledge of crop N uptake characteristics and how fertilization management affects it. A three-year field experiment was conducted from May to September in central Spain to investigate the influence of different N rates, which ranged from 11 to 393 kg ha-1, applied through drip irrigation, on the dynamics of N uptake, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), fruit yield and quality of a ‘Piel de sapo’ melon crop (Cucumis melo L. cv. Sancho). Both N concentration and N content increased in different plant parts with the N rate. Leaves had the highest N concentration, which declined by 40-50% from 34-41 days after transplanting (DAT), while the highest N uptake rate was observed from 30-35 to 70-80 DAT, coinciding with fruit development. In each year, NUE declined with increasing N rate. With N fertilizer applications close to the optimum N rate of 90-100 kg ha-1, the fruits removed approximately 60 kg N ha-1, and the amount of N in the crop residue was about 80 kg N ha-1; this serves to replenish the organic nutrient pool in the soil and may be used by subsequent crops following mineralization.
Tradeoffs and Complementarities in the Adoption of Improved Seeds, Fertilizer, and Natural Resource Management Technologies in Kenya

There is widespread consensus that agricultural technology has an important role to play for poverty reduction and sustainable development. There is no consensus, however, about the types of technologies that are best suited for smallholder farmers in Africa. While some consider natural resource management (NRM) technologies as most appropriate, others propagate input intensification with a stronger role of the private sector. In the public debate, these two strategies are often perceived as incompatible. Environmental non-governmental organizations in particular consider low-external input strategies as the only sustainable form of agriculture, a view that has considerable influence on policymakers and the international donor community. Most existing research studies on smallholder innovation focus on the adoption of individual technologies, so that comparisons between different types of technologies in the same context are not easily possible. We use representative data from maize-producing households in Kenya and a multivariate probit model to analyze the adoption of different types of technologies simultaneously. Results indicate that NRM technologies and strategies that build on external inputs are not incompatible. Interesting complementarities exist, which are not yet sufficiently exploited because many organizations promote either one type of technology or the other, but rarely a combination of both.
The Impact of Continuous Living Cover on Soil Hydrologic Properties: A Meta‐Analysis

Increased rainfall variability due to climate change threatens the efficacy of critical soil ecosystem services. One strategy to negate effects of too much or not enough rainfall is to improve soil water properties. Practices that offer “continuous living cover” can enhance soil water storage and other soil hydrologic properties relative to annual crop systems, but to what extent such benefits can accrue, under different conditions, remains under-quantified. To address these uncertainties, we conducted a meta-analysis that included 27 studies representing 93 paired observations measuring two soil hydrologic properties: porosity and the water retained at field capacity. All experiments compared the impact of continuous living cover practices (cover crops, perennial grasses, agroforestry and managed forestry) to annual crop controls. Continuous living cover significantly increased total porosity (8.0 ± 2.2%) and the water retained at field capacity (9.3 ± 2.7%). There was some evidence indicating improved effects in relatively drier environments (<900 mm annual rainfall) and in regions with sandier soils. There was no evidence of publication bias, and a sensitivity analysis indicated that overall effects were robust. The similar direction and magnitude of improvements in both properties could be evidence of similar physical and chemical processes impacted by the continuous presence of living roots. Overall, our findings suggest that continuous living cover practices may be a potential adaptation strategy to combat rainfall variability. Furthermore, properties such as porosity and field capacity may serve as proxies to determine how management influences soil water and heath more broadly.
Quality Assessment of Shrimp (Macrobrachium rosenbergii. De Man, 1879) During Storage in Ice.

With a view to get a pen picture about the trend and extent of quality changes and as well as shelf life of the head off and head on shrimp ( Macrobrachium rosenbergii, De Man, 1879), the present study have been carried out . Quality changes have been measured by application of sensory score evaluation and changes in chemical indices such as Total Volatile Nitrogen (TVN) value, pH and level of moisture at different time interval and Total Bacterial Count (TBC) at 15°C during the study period. The results of the sensory score evaluation indicates that the shrimp quality decreased to the limits of acceptability at 12th days of ice storage. The head off shrimp kept slight better than corresponding head on shrimps. The bacterial counts determined at 15°C have been found to increase from 10 3 - 10 7 and 10 4 -10 8 cfu/gm for head off and head on shrimp respectively at the limit of acceptability. The moisture level increased from initial 78.85gm% to final 83.80gm% (head off) & 79.0gm% to 84.0gm% (head on) and pH value increases from 7.1 to 8.1 during the whole period of iced preservation . Both head off and head on shrimp remained in acceptable condition for up to 12 and 14 days of storage respectively while the quality of fish deteriorates and become unacceptable. The bacterial count corresponding to unacceptable condition ranges from 10 8 -10 9 cfu/gm fish sample. The TVN value corresponding to rejection condition were 45-50mg N/100gm fish sample. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i1. 10731 Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(1) , 93-98, 2012
Recent Trends in the Size and the Distribution of Inherited Wealth in the UK

In this paper we document the evolution of the annual flow of inheritances in the UK during the period 1984-2005 and provide estimates for the overall magnitude and the distribution of inherited wealth. Our results indicate that the period under examination the annual flow of inheritance increased markedly, from £22 billion in 1984 to £56 billion in 2005. The main drivers behind this increase were the rise in house prices and to a lesser extent the increase in the proportion of inheritances which included housing assets. Our results, based on analysis of survey data, show that the distribution of inheritances is characterized by a very high degree of inequality (comparable by and large to that observed in personal wealth) and that this has increased over time. However, the inequality increasing effect from the greater inequality in the distribution of inheritance was counterbalanced by the increase in the percentage of the population who received an inheritance. Our results also show that inheritance is positively associated with socio-economic status and that the disparities between groups became slightly more pronounced over time (mainly across educational groups). However, our evidence also shows that inheritance for the majority of recipients is fairly small and that large inheritances are limited to a very small minority of the population.
Usability as a Key Quality Characteristic for Developing CAAD Tools and Environments

In this paper, we will stress the importance of usability as a key quality characteristic for the Computer Aided Architectural Design (CAAD) software prototypes. We claim that usability evaluation practices can assist the integration of human factors and the accommodation of local differences. These practices are not solely limited to interface tests, but they can also provide valuable information on the possible added values of CAAD software prototypes, increase the overall product quality and thus contribute to the sustainable development of the CAAD research field. In this context, we aim to initiate a constructive discussion on this topic by reviewing various usability frameworks and highlighting possible opportunities and challenges of applicable evaluation methods. Consequent to this discussion, we will elaborate on our recent findings relating to the reliability and effectiveness of particular evaluation methods applied to a web-based geographic virtual environment prototype. In conclusion, we will introduce a new “design usability” framework that is suitable for CAAD software development; which suggests a variety of design usability quality characteristics, cost-effective evaluation methods and possible influence factors in the evaluation process.
The quality of water in dental offices from the public healthcare system of a Brazilian town: a study of the microbial, physical and chemical parameters

Water represents a fundamental resource to the survival of the human race, reflecting decisively over health of the populations. Besides the nutritional aspects, it has a crucial role regarding personal hygiene and its use for the Public Health Service. More than its beneficial characteristics, it can become an ideal natural substratum to the growth and dissemination of microorganisms, becoming a villain on the emergences of diseases and epidemic outbreaks. In this regard, water must attend minimum standards of quality to human consumption, which, Brazil has been taken under regards in Ordinance no 2.914 by Ministry of Health.1
THE NATURE OF THE COST OF LIVING BMR and Other Metabolic Rates

The cost of living can be measured as an animal’s metabolic rate. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is factorially related to other metabolic rates. Analysis of BMR variation suggests that metabolism is a series of linked processes varying in unison. Membrane processes, such as maintenance of ion gradients, are important costs and components of BMR. Membrane bilayers in metabolically active systems are more polyunsaturated and less monounsaturated than metabolically less-active systems. Such polyunsaturated membranes have been proposed to result in an increased molecular activity of membrane proteins, and in this manner the amount of membrane and its composition can act as a pacemaker for metabolism. The potential importance of membrane acyl composition in metabolic depression, hormonal control of metabolism, the evolution of endothermy, as well as its implications for lifespan and human health, are briefly discussed.
Molecular and Biochemical Changes of Mice Hepatic Cancer Induced by Diethylnitrosamine and Treated with Curcumin

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Diethylnitrosamine (DENA) is a well known potent hepatocarcinogenic agent. DENA is known to induce damage in many enzymes involved in DNA repair and is normally used to induce liver cancer in experimental animal models. Curcumin is a potent anti-inflammatory agent with strong therapeutic potential against a variety of cancers. Curcumin has been shown to suppress transformation, proliferation, and metastasis of tumors. These effects are mediated through modulation of various inflammatory and angiogenic cytokines. It also inhibits proliferation of cancer cells by inducing apoptosis through modulation of oxidative stress.
Simulation Models of the Evolution of Cooperation as Proofs of Logical Possibilities. How Useful Are They

This paper discusses critically what simulation models of the evolution of cooperation can possibly prove by examining Axelrod’s “Evolution of Cooperation” (1984) and the modeling tradition it has inspired. Hardly any of the many simulation models of the evolution of cooperation in this tradition have been applicable empirically. Axelrod’s role model suggested a research design that seemingly allowed to draw general conclusions from simulation models even if the mechanisms that drive the simulation could not be identified empirically. But this research design was fundamentally flawed, because it is not possible to draw general empirical conclusions from theoretical simulations. At best such simulations can claim to prove logical possibilities, i.e. they prove that certain phenomena are possible as the consequence of the modeling assumptions built into the simulation, but not that they are possible or can be expected to occur in reality I suggest several requirements under which proofs of logical possibilities can nevertheless be considered useful. Sadly, most Axelrod-style simulations do not meet these requirements. I contrast this with Schelling’s neighborhood segregation model, the core mechanism of which can be retraced empirically.
Multilateral indexed loans and debt sustainability

We evaluate the benefits and costs of indexing multilateral loans to variables related to developing countries’ ability to pay; i.e. whether a reform of multilateral lending is feasible and economically justified. The analysis covers 40 International Development Association (IDA) countries from 1990 to 2010 and focuses on three types of debt: GDP-indexed loans; export-indexed loans; inflation-indexed loans denominated in local currency. The insurance that indexed debt might offer against macroeconomic shocks depends on the conditional covariances of GDP growth, real exchange-rate depreciation, and net exports that we estimate as the covariances of the forecast errors obtained from a vector autoregression (VAR) model. The analysis shows that both GDP-indexed loans and inflation-indexed local-currency loans would help to stabilize the debt ratio of the majority of IDA countries in our sample. However, the adverse policy incentives created by local currency debt tends to favour GDP-indexed debt. The cost of indexation would be small; the estimation of a capital asset pricing model (CAPM) suggests that loans indexed to GDP could be introduced at current interest rates since the estimated risk premium is less than 1 per cent. Any additional risk for multilateral lenders would be more than offset by a lower frequency of debt crises.
Sero-prevalence of HIV, HBV and HCV among Blood Donors in the Kintampo Municipal Hospital, Ghana

Aims: This study aimed at establishing the prevalence of some viral Transfusion Transmissible Infectious (TTI) agents among blood donors in the Kintampo North municipality of Ghana. Study Design: A retrospective cross-sectional hospital based study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted at the Laboratory unit of the
Input and Output Inventories in the UK

What is the role of inventories in UK manufacturing? We present and estimate a model of inventories that considers separately finished goods and input (i.e. the sum of raw materials and work-in-process) inventories. We estimate structural parameters which allows us to make inferences on the role of inventories in cyclical frequencies. Our results suggest that both types of inventories are used for production level (from demand shocks) and production cost (from cost shocks) smoothing. We identify a small but significant negative relationship between inventories and the real interest rate thus providing support for one of the textbook channels of the monetary policy transmission mechanism. Variance decompositions indicate that technology shocks are the dominant driving factor behind cyclical changes in inventories. These shocks account for over 35% of the forecast error variance at these frequencies.
Administrative Assignment of Teachers in Restructuring Secondary Schools: The Effect of Out-of-Field Course Responsibility on Teacher Efficacy

Previous studies have treated teacher efficacy as a unitary trait without considering how teachers’expectations of their ability to produce student learning varies within teaching assignments. In this study, teachers in nine restructuring secondary schools in one district estimated their ability to perform common teaching tasks in four of the courses they expected to teach in the coming school year. Although the portion of the variance explained was small, the study found that teacher efficacy was lower for courses outside the teacher’s subject. The effects of teaching outside one’s area were greater than the effects of track and grade—two course characteristics that have been linked to teacher efficacy in previous research. This study also found that teacher efficacy was influenced by teacher leadership roles. Teachers who were expected to promote student learning across subjects had lower teacher efficacy than teachers in traditional positions of added responsibility (department heads) and teachers who were not in leadership positions.
Efficacy of Beauveria Bassiana and Abamectin in the control of strawberry mite - Phytonemus pallidus (Banks) (Acari: Tarsonemidae) and the susceptibility of cultivars to pest infestation

BACKGROUND: The Strawberry is an economically important crop in Poland. However, the production of strawberries is difficult and costly, as pests and pathogens causing diseases often damage plants. The strawberry mite - Phytonemus pallidus (Banks) is the most dangerous among pests and one of the most difficult to control. In the past, active substances such as Endosulfan, Amitraz and Propargite, were used to control the pest but they have been withdrawn from the pest control program a few years ago. OBJECTIVE: The intention of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Abamectin and fungus Beauveria bassiana to control the strawberry mite on strawberry plants in the open field, as well as the susceptibility of selected strawberry varieties and genotypes to the pest. METHODS CONTROL EXPERIMENTS: Studies were performed on ‘Honeoye’ plants. Naturalis (Beauveria basiana )a t a dose of 1.0–1.5 l/ha+adjuvant Protector (pine resins) at a dose of 0.3 l/ha, Naturalis – 1.0 l/ha+TerraSorb ® Complex SB ( – amino acids, biostimulants) – 1.5 l/ha (2013) and Vertimec 018 EC (abamectin) at a dose of 1.0 l/ha were estimated. The population of strawberry mite was notated both before, and after the application of the tested products. SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CULTIVARS: The observations of the strawberry mite presence on the strawberry cultivars, were carried out in years 2012–2013 on an experimental cultivar trial plantation. The population of the pest was counted on strawberry leaves, taken from plants of different varieties and genotypes. RESULTS: Vertimec 018 EC showed good efficacy in the control of the strawberry mite, but the long-lasting effect was observed only following two applications of the product. Naturalis (Beauveria bassiana)+Protector proved to be more effective than the treatment of Naturalis+TerraSorb ® Complex, however the pest control was poorer and of short duration than after application of Vertimec 018 EC. CONCLUSIONS: In experiments carried out in the open field Abamectin proved to be more effective than Naturalis. Some strawberry varieties such as ‘Dukat’, ‘Flair’, ‘Real’, ‘Salut’, ‘Vima Rina’, ‘Malling Pearl’ were not infested by to strawberry mite - the pest specimens were not observed on experimental plots within two years of this experiment. A high population of the strawberry mite was noted on strawberry cultivars such as ‘Evita’, ‘Hokent’, ‘Albion’, ‘Feriusz’, ‘Honeoye’ and ‘Karel’.