Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Do food quality schemes and profitability go together?

This article addresses the issue of the profitability of Food Quality Scheme (FQS) products as compared to reference products, which are defined as analogous products without quality label. We approach this question by taking into account the level of the value chain (upstream, processing, and downstream), the sector (vegetal, animal, seafood) and the type of FQS (PGI, PDO, Organic). We collected original data for several products produced in selected European countries, as well as in Thailand and Vietnam. Comparisons depending on value chain level, sector and FQS are possible by using two comparable indicators: price premium and net price premium (including cost differential). The following principal conclusions were reached: 1) Price is higher for FQS products than for the reference products, regardless of the production level, the type of FQS or the sector; 2) Price premiums generated by FQS do not differ along the value chain, nor between sectors (vegetal, animal or seafood/fish); 3) Price premium for organic products is significantly higher than for PGI products, and this conclusion holds at upstream and processing levels, taking into account the costs directly related to production; 4) All organic products and almost all PDO and PGI products analysed benefit from a positive quality rent; 5) At upstream level and processing level, the relative weight of intermediate consumption in the cost structure is lower for organic products than for reference products.
Determinants of the Expected Euro Depreciation upon a Sovereign Default

This paper analyzes the expected depreciation of the Euro in the case of a sovereign default in Europe. Using an arbitrage-free model and country-level sovereign credit default swap (CDS) rates denominated in both USD and Euro, we obtain a market-based estimate of the expected Euro depreciation. We find that the Euro is expected to decline by 32.1%, on average, relative to the USD upon a country’s default. A CDS in USD protects investors against depreciation risk and thus trades at a significant premium relative to its Euro counterpart. Notably, the expected Euro depreciation greatly varies across countries and over time. Our analysis shows that it increases with a country’s sovereign credit risk, when funding market liquidity dries out, and when the Euro performs poorly. Key-words: Implied Depreciation ; Sovereign Default ; SCDS ; Exchange Rate ; Currency; Determinants ; Euro ; Eurozone
Topology Optimization of an Aircraft Component as a Fluid- Structure System with Unstructured Mesh

This work presents the development of a methodology that will perform the optimization, or maximization, of the stiffness of a structure while its structural volume is gradually removed, in order to obtain a structure having stiffness close to the original one, however using only a fraction of the material. This structure may be part of a fluid-structure system and is subject to external static loads, as well as loads imposed by the fluid. The discretization can be made with an unstructured and irregular mesh, and the BEFSO (Bi-Directional Evolutionary Fluid-Structural Optimization) method is used. The developed software was capable of optimizing cases found in the literature, and also allowed the optimization of cases not easily optimized when conventional methods that use regular meshes, found in non-commercial programs, are employed.
University of Birmingham A biomechanical study of the Birmingham mid head resection arthroplasty

The Birmingham Mid Head Resection (BMHR) arthroplasty can be used as an alternative to conventional stemmed total hip arthroplasty in young patients unsuitable for hip resurfacing. This study investigated the effect of stem size on femoral neck fracture in the BMHR. Sawbones composite femurs were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: 1) Unprepared femur with no prosthesis; 2) Femur prepared with a Birmingham Hip Resurfacing prosthesis (BHR); 3) Femur prepared with a BMHR stem size 1 stem (BHMR-1); 4) Femur prepared with a BMHR stem size 3 stem (BHMR-3). Each femur was subjected to a compressive force using a materials testing machine until fracture of the femoral neck occurred. The highest force at fracture was in the unprepared femurs with a mean (± standard deviation) force at failure of 5.9 ± 0.2 kN. The mean force at failure for the femurs fitted with a prosthesis was 2.6 ± 0.4 kN, 3.0 ± 0.4 kN and 3.5 ± 0.5 kN, for the BHR, BMHR-1 and BMHR-3, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the failure force for the unprepared femur was significantly (p<0.05) greater than that of the BHR, BMHR-1 and BMHR-3. There was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the force at failure for the BMHR-1 and BMHR-3, indicating that these two stem sizes have an effect on fracture force.
Effects of Chip Morphology on Too Life in High-Throughput Drilling of Compacted Graphite Iron

Compacted graphite iron (CGI) is a high strength material that is widely used in automotive powertrain manufacturing. However, the material has an extremely high surface hardness and thus generates large amounts of heat during it is machined, leading to high tool wear. This research focuses on first determining the optimal lubrication condition that produces the longest tool life then studying the chip geometry, chip size and chip ejection velocity to explain the difference in tool life under different lubrication conditions. Drilling experiments were conducted with 4mm diameter TiAlN/TiN, AlCrN coated carbide drills at a feed rate of 26.5 mm/s under dry, dry with compressed air and through-the-drill minimum quantity lubrication (MQL). From two repeated experiments, it was discovered that dry drilling with compressed air conditions produce the highest tool life of 3150 holes before tool breakage. Three types of chips were produced in the drilling experiments, namely rectangular, square and spiral chips. Experimental results show that dry drilling with compressed air produces the chips with the smallest area and also the most triangular chips. In turn, this allowed chips to be evacuated at the highest rate among the three conditions studied. It is also thought that the self-lubricating properties of graphite particles in CGI makes high-throughput dry drilling possible.
The impact of taxation on company value

Taxation is one of the central topics of the current economy and also is a key issue in managing a business. The study of this work started the following questions: "Does the tax system influence the value and the performance of the company? And if so, what kind of influence and by what mechanism? " It is almost obvious the influence of taxation on firms, at least in terms of income or tax profit, which by definition, is taking a compulsory, part of the income or wealth of a person. After analyzing a number of 47 romanian companies from various fields, we conducted a panel database that helped us in finding a weak negative relationship between the two central elements analyzed.
Learning to play SLITHER.IO with deep reinforcement learning

This project uses deep reinforcement learning to train an agent to play the massively multiplayer online game SLITHER.IO. We collect raw image inputs from sample gameplay via an OpenAI Universe environment as training data. We implement deep Q-learning with Huber loss, incorporating human demonstrations, reward shaping and prioritized replay in order to improve stability and successfully learn a policy. Our best model performs significantly better than a random policy, but worse than a human benchmark, achieving a median difference in score at the end of each episode of 54.
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Inducing Nociception Increases Susceptibility to Bacterial Keratitis

Understanding nociceptive signaling during Pseudomonas keratitis and its impact on the immune response can prove to be useful for this very painful infection. While the cornea is one of the mostly densely innervated organs in the body, the role that nociception has during bacterial keratitis has yet to be elucidated. In this study, I utilize a novel experimental mouse model, using systemic treatment of Resiniferatoxin (RTX), a potent capsaicin analog that ablates TRPV1 positive neurons to assess the role of sensory neurons during Pseudomonas keratitis. While this model has been used to study lung, skin and gut pathologies, it has yet be confirmed whether this would prove to be useful in the context of the eye. Treated mice were used for an in vivo bacterial keratitis experiment to assess the impact that sensory neurons have on bacterial clearance and inflammation. Using in vitro experiments such as calcium imaging of primary trigeminal ganglia neurons, I assessed whether the pathogen can directly activate neurons depending on virulence factors. My results demonstrate that nociceptors can be directly activated by Pseudomonas and mediate immune response to infection. This could be due to CGRP, where we found that the presence of the neuropeptide impeded neutrophil dependent bacterial killing and reduced bacterial clearance in mice.
RBI WORKING PAPER SERIES Measures of Core Inflation in India – An Empirical Evaluation

This study attempts to analyse six exclusion-based measures of core inflation in India based on new series of WPI (2004-05=100). These are: WPI excluding food; WPI excluding fuel; WPI excluding food and fuel; non-food manufacturing; WPI excluding fuel and basic metals and metal products; and WPI excluding fuel, metal group and nonfood primary articles. These measures were tested for volatility, unbiasedness and tracking the trend and predictive power. While WPI excluding food and WPI excluding food and fuel did not perform well in terms of volatility, the remaining four measures broadly satisfied the conditions relating to volatility, unbiasedness and tracking the trend and predictability of future inflation. A key property of core measure is that it should not revert to headline inflation. It was found that of the above four measures, all except nonfood manufacturing revert back to headline inflation indicating that supply side shocks spill over to these core measures of inflation. This finding was further corroborated by granger causality and inflation persistence tests. Thus, non-food manufacturing, which the Reserve Bank uses as a measure of demand side pressures, is the only measure which satisfies all the properties of a core measure. A core measure of inflation is not an end in itself, but rather a means to achieve low and stable inflation by serving as a short-term operational guide for monetary policy.
The Impact of Satellite-Derived Land Cover Uncertainty on Carbon Cycle Calculations

A methodology is proposed for consistently including uncertainty in land cover, as described by confusio n matrices, with other sources of input uncertainty in quantifying the uncertainty in model-based estimates of carbon fluxes. T he approach is illustrated by calculating for each model grid-cell the Bayesian estimate of net biospheric carbon flux, its over all uncertainty and the proportion of uncertainty due to land cover for England and Wales in 2000. The methodology is generally applicable to other models of land surface fluxes, such as tho se of energy and water, and to other types of environmental calcul ation where land cover is an input.
Response of Broiler Chicks to Diets

The effects of feeding different mixture levels of garlic and ginger powder as natural feed additives on productive performance, carcass characteristic and economic efficiency were studied. A total of one hu ndred and sixty one-day old, unsexed (Ross-308) broiler c hicks were randomly divided into four experimental groups. Each group was further subdivided into five replicates at the rate of eight chicks per pen in complete randomized design. The birds were fed on two basal diets (starter and finisher diets). The garlic ( Allium sativum) and ginger ( Zingiber officinale) powder were added in different mixture levels to the basal diets resulting in four experimental groups. The first gr oup (A) fed on basal diets without feed additives ( control diet). The other groups (B), (C) and (D) were fed o n basal diets supplemented with different mixture p owder levels of 1% (0.75% garlic + 0.25% ginger), 1.25% ( 1% garlic + 0.25% ginger) and 1.75% (1.50% garlic + 0.25% ginger) respectively. The experimental diets were fed for 6-weeks duration. Healths of the stock and performance parameters were recorded. At the end of the experiment, the birds were slaughtered, dresse d then used for different parameters and economical evalua tions were calculated. The results showed that, the diet with 1.75% mixture powder (1.5% garlic + 0.25% ging er) had significantly (P<0.05) heaviest body weight gain, best feed conversion ratio, highest dressing percentage with the highest commercial cuts percent ag s (breast, drumstick and thigh). The birds fed with t he control diet recorded significantly (P<0.05) hig hest abdominal fat, liver and gizzard percentages. The m orality rate was not significantly affected by the inclusion of mixture of garlic and ginger powder in broiler d iet. The highest profitability ratio was obtained b y the diet with 1.75% mixture powder. It was concluded that us ing a mixture of garlic and ginger as feed additive s at level 1.75% enhanced the overall performance and ca rcass quality of broiler chicks.
Pregnancy Outcome of Women with Chronic Hepatitis B who Discontinued Antiviral Treatment before or in the Early Pregnancy

Background: The aim of this study was to describe biochemical, virological features and Mother-to child-transmission (MTCT) rate in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) women who stopped antiviral therapy before or in the early pregnancy. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study. Forty-three CHB women who stopped treatment before or in the early pregnancy and 103 CHB women with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) treatment throughout pregnancy were enrolled. The virological and biochemical flares during pregnancy and postpartum period were studied. MTCT rates were also compared. Results: During pregnancy, ALT flares (43.9% vs 1.0%) and viral rebound (31.7% vs 0) were more common in women who stopped treatment (P<0.001). Postpartum ALT flares were less frequent in women with treatment than those stopped treatment (0 vs 6/35, P = 0.001). The birth defect rate in the mothers who stopped treatment did not statistically differ from that of mothers treated throughout pregnancy (4.9 % vs 3.9 %, P = 1.000). There were no significant differences of gestational complications between the two groups, except intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (12.2% vs 0, P = 0.002). The rate of MTCT in mothers who discontinued treatment was higher (2.4% vs 0, P = 0.285), although there was no statistically significant. Conclusion: ALT flares were common in mothers who discontinued antiviral therapy. Thus, these pregnant women should be monitored closely. Cessation of treatment was not recommended although no hepatic failure was observed. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the safety of discontinuation before pregnancy.
Efficacy of Trichogrammatidae Species (Hymenoptera) Submitted to the Herbicide Glyphosate

ABSTRACT: Information on selective herbicide, including glyphosate that does not affect non-target organisms such as natural enemies, are important in integrated pest management programs in maize. The dose 13.94 L ha-1 of glyphosate was evaluated in females on 10 Trichogrammatidae species. A female of each Trichogrammatidae species was individually positioned per test tube with a card containing approximately 45 Anagasta kuehniella Zeller, 1879 (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) eggs. For 48 h parasitism was allowed, and later the cartons were sprayed with the herbicide or with distilled water, for the control treatment. The glyphosate showed variable effects for parasitoids. The emergence of T. acacioi females was lower but that of T. atopovilia, T. demoraesi, and T. pretiosum higher with the glyphosate. The sex ratio of T. galloi was lower and that of T. bruni, T. brasiliensis, T. demoraesi, and T. soaresi higher with glyphosate. This glyphosate was innocuous to all Trichogrammatidae species females based on the classification adopted internationally.
Speech to Text Translation Using Google Speech Commands

We employed ML methods to recognize spoken words from the Google Speech Commands (GSC) dataset. We first converted audio files to Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) and used them as features for our models. We identified that a logistic regression model performed poorly with an accuracy of 23% on a ten-word dataset. Hidden Markov Model (HMM) with Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) achieved an accuracy of 65% on the same set, and the accuracy increased to 83% when we trained a simpler HMM on our own voice. The best performing model was Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based model which achieved nearly 90% accuracy.
Two-Stage Origin of K-Enrichment in Ultrapotassic Magmatism Simulated by Melting of Experimentally Metasomatized Mantle

The generation of strongly potassic melts in the mantle requires the presence of phlogopite in the melting assemblage, while isotopic and trace element analyses of ultrapotassic rocks frequently indicate the involvement of subducted crustal lithologies in the source. However, phlogopite-free experiments that focus on melting of sedimentary rocks and subsequent hybridization with mantle rocks at pressures of 1–3 GPa have not successfully produced melts with K2O >5 wt%–6 wt%, while ultrapotassic igneous rocks reach up to 12 wt% K2O. Accordingly, a two-stage process that enriches K2O and increases K/Na in intermediary assemblages in the source prior to ultrapotassic magmatism seems likely. Here, we simulate this two-stage formation of ultrapotassic magmas using an experimental approach that involves re-melting of parts of an experimental product in a second experiment. In the first stage, reaction experiments containing layered sediment and dunite produced a modally metasomatized reaction zone at the border of a depleted peridotite. For the second-stage experiment, the metasomatized dunite was separated from the residue of the sedimentary rock and transferred to a smaller capsule, and melts were produced with 8 wt%–8.5 wt% K2O and K/Na of 6–7. This is the first time that extremely K-enriched ultrapotassic melts have been generated experimentally from sediments at low pressure applicable to a post-collisional setting.
The irrational side of change management

In 1996, John Kotter published Leading Change. Considered by many to be the seminal work in the field of change management, Kotter’s research revealed that only 30 percent of change programs succeed. Since the book’s release, literally thousands of books and journal articles have been published on the topic, and courses dedicated to managing change are now part of many major MBA programs. Yet in 2008, a McKinsey survey of 3,199 executives around the world found, as Kotter did, that only one transformation in three succeeds. Other studies over the past ten years reveal remarkably similar results. It seems that, despite prolific output, the field of change management hasn’t led to more successful change programs.
MONITORING OF RESISTANCE OF SOURGRASS TO GLYPHOSATE HERBICIDE IN URBAN AREAS OF THE STATE OF SÃO PAULO , BRAZIL

The objective of this work was to monitor the resistance of sourgrass (Digitaria insularis) to glyphosate in urban areas of the State of São Paulo to understand the spread of resistant biotypes. Three experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions in a completely randomized design, with four replications. In the first experiment, seven sourgrass biotypes were used, and the control of plants was evaluated at 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after application (DAA) of glyphosate. In the second experiment, the shikimic acid accumulation was quantified at 72 hours after the glyphosate application, and the same evaluations of weed control were performed. In the third experiment, rate-response curves were developed, with glyphosate at rates of 0, 90, 180, 360, 720, 1,440, 2,880, and 5,760 g a.e. ha-1 applied on three progenies obtained from self-fertilized seeds; the percentage of control and shoot dry weight of the plants were evaluated at 28 DAA to determine their resistance factor. The results confirmed the occurrence of biotypes of sourgrass resistant to glyphosate in urban areas of Ipaussu and Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo and transmission of this resistance to the progenies obtained from self-fertilized seeds. These results indicate the possibility of resistant sourgrass seeds to be transported and disseminated to other Brazilian regions, thus, contributing to increase cases of resistance of sourgrass to this herbicide. However, it should be confirmed by more detailed studies involving DNA and family trees to determine the genetic proximity between resistant biotypes from different regions, since independent selection may also occur.
Odd-frequency superconductivity

This article reviews odd-frequency (odd-w) pairing with focus on superconducting systems. Since Berezinskii introduced the concept of odd frequency order in 1974 it has been viewed as an exotic and rarely occurring in nature. Here, we present a view that the Berezinskii state is in fact a ubiquitous superconducting order that is both non-local and odd in time. It appears under quite general circumstances including in bulk materials, heterostructures and dynamically driven superconducting states. It is therefore important to understand the nature of odd-w pairing. We present the properties of odd-w pairing in bulk materials, including possible microscopic mechanisms, discuss definitions of the odd-w superconducting order parameter, and the unusual Meissner response of odd-frequency superconductors. Next, we present how odd-w pairing is generated in hybrid structures of nearly any sort and focus on its relation to Andreev bound states, spin polarized Cooper pairs, and Majorana states. We overview how odd-w pairing can be applied to non-superconducting systems such as ultracold Fermi gases, Bose-Einstein condensates, and chiral spin-nematics. Due to the growing importance of dynamic orders in quantum systems we also discuss the emergent view that the odd-w state is an example of phase coherent dynamic order. We summarize the recent progress made in understanding the emergence of odd-w states in driven superconducting systems. A more general view of odd-w superconductivity suggests an interesting approach to this state as a realization of the hidden order with inherently dynamic correlations. We overview progress made in this rapidly evolving field and illustrate the ubiquity of the odd-w states and potential for future discoveries of these states in variety of settings. We sum up the general rules/design principles to induce odd-w components using the SPOT rule.
Lichenicolous fungi from Sardinia (Italy): new records and a first synopsis

Abstract: Brackel, W. v. & Berger, F. 2019. Lichenicolous fungi from Sardinia (Italy): new records and a first synopsis. - Herzogia 32: 444 - 471. During a four week excursion of the first author to Sardinia in 2014, 64 sites of lichenological interest were visited. The second author visited 12 sites in a one week excursion in 2011. The results of these field studies are presented here with special emphasis on lichenicolous fungi, completed with data from the literature to produce a first checklist for the island. The list comprises 42 species known only from the literature and 167 species including the authors' recent finds. Among them one species, Sporidesmiella lichenophila U.Braun & Heuchert, is new to Europe, 15 species are new to Italy and 87 species are new to Sardinia. In addition the finds of 13 lichenicolous lichens are mentioned. The new species Endococcus sardous Brackel is described. One new combination is proposed, Polycoccum minus (Kernst.) Brackel comb. nov. (= Microthelia minor Kernst.), as we were able to find a specimen of this rare species.