Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Against the grain? A historical institutional analysis of access governance of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture in Ethiopia

Abstract Farmers' and breeders' access to a genetic diversity is essential for food system sustainability. The implementation of international agreements regulating access to plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) varies substantially between countries. Here, we examine why some countries implement a restrictive access governance regime, taking Ethiopia as a case. Drawing on commons theory and historical institutional analysis, we analyze historical, political, and economic factors that have shaped Ethiopia's access regime. Based on interviews with key actors and stakeholders and document analysis, we identify three overarching ideational and material factors that can explain Ethiopia's current policy: (a) the influence of narratives about Ethiopia as a biodiversity treasure trove on the Ethiopian cultural identity; (b) the economic importance of agriculture based on PGRFA with origin in the country; and (c) the political influence of the genetic resource movement that promotes farmers' rights as a counter measure to stringent intellectual property rights (IPR), and on-farm PGRFA management as complimentary to ex situ conservation and formal seed system development. The Ethiopian case illustrates that countries' governance of access to PGRFA must be understood in connection with, and not in isolation from, IPR regimes and the historical, political, and cultural role of PGRFA in the country in question.
Workplace Attributes and Women’s Labor Supply Decisions: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment

Women’s educational attainment has increased substantially, but women’s labor force participation, wages, etc, have not experienced a commensurate increase in many developing countries. In this paper, I conduct information and priming experiments with educated female jobseekers on a formal job search platform in urban Pakistan, where female labor force participation is particularly low. The results show that being primed to think about family job search advice decreases women’s probability of applying to a job, that receiving information about gender of the supervisor nearly doubles the probability of applying to a job, and that active jobseekers are more likely to apply to a job with a female supervisor than a male supervisor. Furthermore, women who are primed to think about family job search advice are more likely to apply to a job if they receive information about the gender of coworkers, suggesting that they believe that their families are most interested in knowing the gender of the coworkers, while the women themselves are most interested in knowing the gender of their direct supervisor. The results are consistent with women facing extensive and intensive margin costs to working outside the home stemming from social norms, but also show that access to information about workplace attributes through a low-cost intervention allow women to sort into firms which reduce their intensive margin costs. Most Recent Version: http://bit.ly/NSubramanianJMP JEL Codes: J16, J24, J40, D83, O10
PERCEPTION OF INTENSIVE CARE STRESSORS BY PATIENTS, NURSES AND FAMILY

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the perception of selected stressors acting on the Czech intensive care unit (ICU) of Czech patients, their families and attending nurses. Design: A descriptive comparative study. Methods: Stressor perception was measured by a Czech version of the standardised questionnaire, The Environmental Stressor Questionnaire (ESQ). The sample group consisted of 90 people. Data were obtained via pairing (patient – relative – nurse). The family and the attending nurses evaluated stressors by empathising with the patient. Results: When evaluating the data obtained, it was ascertained that the relatives and attending nurses perceive stressors acting on the ICU as worse than patients themselves do. The overall level of stressor perception in the relatives was statistically significantly higher than in the patients (z = -3.72; p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was also confirmed with regard to perception of stressors between attending nurses and patients (z = - 2.23; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Both the relatives and attending nurses perceive stressors in the intensive care unit as worse than the patients themselves do. The negative impacts of stressors can be reduced by implementing new approaches in nursing care. Keywords: family, intensive care unit, nurse, patient, stressor.
Changing Source‐Transport Dynamics Drive Differential Browning Trends in a Boreal Stream Network

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations are increasing in freshwaters worldwide, with important implications for aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem services. While multiple environmental changes may be responsible for these trends, predicting the occurrence and magnitude of “browning” and relating such trends to changes in DOC sources versus hydrologic transport remain key challenges. We analyzed long‐term trends in DOC concentration from the two dominant landscape sources (riparian soils and mire peats) and receiving streams in a boreal catchment to evaluate how browning patterns relate to land cover and hydrology. Increases in stream DOC were widespread but not universal. Browning was most pronounced in small, forested streams, where trends corresponded to twofold to threefold increases in DOC production in riparian soils and increases in annual DOC export from a forested headwater. By contrast, DOC did not change in mire peats or streams draining catchments with high lake or mire cover, nor did we observe trends in DOC export from a mire‐dominated headwater. The distinct long‐term trends in DOC sources also altered concentration‐discharge relationships, with a forested headwater shifting from transport‐limited toward chemostasis, and a mire outlet stream shifting from chemostasis to source‐limitated. Modified DOC supply to headwaters, together with altered seasonal hydrology and differences in the dominant water source along the stream network gave rise to predictable browning trends and consistent concentration‐discharge relationships. Overall, our results show that the sources of DOC to boreal aquatic ecosystems are responding to environmental change in fundamentally different ways, with important consequences for browning along boreal stream networks.
Potential applications of advanced nano-composite materials for space payload

ABSTRACT Their attractive mechanical, electrical & thermal properties, superior to state-of-art materials currently being used, results in improving the performance of polymer matrix composites. The challenge is to identify the required potential application of CNT composites for space use. Moreover, it needs space qualifications including material, process & product qualification. This review paper states a few potential applications of Nanofiller composites for space payload components. It also states challenges and requirements for space applications as well as space qualification.
Refractive Indices of Biomass Burning Aerosols Obtained from African Biomass Fuels Using RDG Approximation

Biomass burning (BB) aerosols contribute to climate forcing, but much is still unknown about the extent of this forcing, owing partially to the high level of uncertainty regarding BB aerosol optical properties. A key optical parameter is the refractive index (RI), which influences the absorbing and scattering properties of aerosols. This quantity is not measured directly, but it is obtained by fitting the measured scattering cross section and extinction cross section to a theoretical model using the RI as a fitting parameter. We used the Rayleigh–Debye–Gans (RDG) approximation to retrieve the complex RI of freshly emitted BB aerosol from two fuels (eucalyptus and olive) from Africa in the spectral range of 500–580 nm. Experimental measurements were carried out using cavity ring-down spectroscopy to measure extinction over the range of wavelengths of 500–580 nm and nephelometry to measure scattering at three wavelengths of 450, 550, and 700 nm for size-selected BB aerosol particles. The fuels were combusted in a tube furnace at a temperature of 800 °C, which is representative of the flaming stage of burning. Filter samples were collected and imaged using tunneling electron microscopy to obtain information on the morphology and size of the particles, which was used in the RDG calculations. The mean radii of the monomers were 27.8 and 31.5 nm for the eucalyptus and the olive fuels, respectively. The components of the retrieved complex RI were in the range of 1.31 ≤ n ≤ 1.56 and 0.045 ≤ k ≤ 0.468. The real and complex parts of the RI increase with increasing particle mobility diameter. The real part of the RI is lower, and the imaginary part is higher than what was recommended in literature for black carbon generated by propane or field measurements from fires of mixed wood samples. Fuel dependent results from controlled laboratory experiments can be used in climate modeling efforts and to constrain field measurements from biomass burning.
Aluminum Doped Germanene Nanoribbons: A First Principles Investigation

Abstract The purpose of current investigation is to analyze the impact of Al when introduced as an impurity from Al-substrate to germanene monolayers using first principles approach. Here, zigzag germanene nanoribbons (ZGeNR) with Al as dopant were studied at various sites viz. center (C-doped), edge (E-doped), nearedge (NE-doped). Formation energy calculations have been performed to show that Al-doping is preferred at the edge site, thus E-doped ZGeNR (EFE = −3.46 eV) emerges as most stable configuration. Further, based on band structure and DOS profile analysis we reveal that unlike semi-metallic pristine ZGeNR, Al-doped ZGeNR are metallic in nature, promoting their utilities as nanoscale interconnects.
THE CONCEPT FOR A RECLAMATION TECHNOLOGY OF POLLUTED SMALL WATER RESERVOIRS, WITH THE APPLICATION OF MBBR REACTORS

Aim of the study Adaptation of MBBR technology for the treatment of highly degraded waters in small water reservoirs. Investigation of the effectiveness of organic pollutants treatment in waters with highly polluted (or easily biodegradable) municipal sewage. Checking the effectiveness of nutrient removal during the process of cleaning this type of pollutants. Material and methods The study was conducted in laboratory conditions on a semi-technical scale. Diluted municipal sewage was treated in order to determine purification efficiency for each laboratory stand. The experiments were carried out in 4 research stands (volume of wastewater in each tank amounted to 1000 L), whereas each was equipped with a MBBR bioreactor with a moving bed (biofilm carriers). The physicochemical parameters of pH, redox, and oxygen concentration were examined, and laboratory analyses were performed to indicate changes in COD, BOD5, and selected forms of NH4 and PO4. On the basis of the obtained results, the effectiveness of the wastewater treatment was demonstrated, and the hydraulic parameters of the installation were modelled. Results and conclusions The results of experimental work indicate a significant effectiveness of the process of purifying and removing nutrients in MBBR installations. After designing a suitable floating platform, it will be possible to introduce such installations into degraded water reservoirs for their purification.
Effect of Zr concentration on the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of NbIr3 intermetallic compounds from theoretical estimations

ABSTRACT The iridium is an important metal which has excellent resistance to corrosion at high temperature. L12 intermetallic compounds i.e. Ir3Nb and Ir3Zr, with similar lattice parameters are ideal for working at high temperature. They are fully soluble due to their low lattice misfit. A first-principle investigation into the effect of doping Zr with different concentrations on the electronic structure, mechanical and thermodynamic properties of NbIr3 has been studied to prompt the development of novel high-temperature materials. Nine Zr x Nb8−x Ir24 compounds are carefully considered. The results show that adding Zr into these compounds can strengthen their structural stability and ductility. Nevertheless, it reduces the elastic modulus and elastic stiffness. Simultaneously, with the increase of Zr content, the thermodynamic properties of these compounds decrease. It is also found that the changes of elastic modulus are mainly attributed to the variations of bonds in these compounds.
Performative Achievement of Routine Recognizability: An Analysis of Order Taking Routines at Sushi Bars

The concept of performativity, a central theme in routine dynamics research, suggests that a routine does not first exist as a recognizable phenomenon, and then actions are taken subsequently. On the contrary, actions themselves need to achieve the recognizability of the routine. This paper revisits recognizability in light of routine interdependence and materiality. Focusing on order taking routines at sushi bars, the analysis reveals that participants constantly achieve the beginning of a routine performance by drawing on performances of other routines and materiality, both of which are seemingly unrelated to the focal routine. Prior to routine initiation, much material and embodied work is conducted in order to make the routine recognizable. Once initiated, the routine performance makes subtle use of materiality, allowing participants to engage in a seemingly unrelated routine while they remain subordinately attentive to the focal routine. While a routine appears to exist on its own once it is recognized, the achievement of this recognition relies largely on factors that are not part of the routine.
Particle‐Based Tracking of Cold Pool Gust Fronts

The gust fronts of convective cold pools (CPs) are increasingly recognized as loci of enhanced triggering for subsequent convective cells. It has so far been difficult to track these gust fronts in high‐resolution data, such as large eddy simulations (LES)—rendering mechanistic analysis of CP interaction incomplete. Here, a simple tracking method is defined, tested, and applied, which uses horizontal advection and a condition on horizontal divergence, to emit tracers at the perimeter of surface precipitation patches. Tracers are then reliably transported to the gust front, yielding closed bands marking the CP boundary. The method thereby allows analysis of the dynamics also along the gust front, which allows to identify point‐like loci of pronounced updrafts. The tracking works well for a single idealized CP and reliably tracks a population of CPs in a midlatitude diurnal cycle. As the method uniquely links CPs and their tracers to a specific parent precipitation cell, it may be useful for the analysis of interactions in evolving CP populations.
A new dose index in mammography: innovative experimental method to assess the average absorbed breast dose

Poster: "ECR 2018 / C-1423 / A new dose index in mammography: innovative experimental method to assess the average absorbed breast dose" by: "C. Sottocornola, G. Aringhieri, A. C. Traino, P. Barca, C. Marini, M. E. Fantacci, D. Caramella; Pisa/IT"
Vitamin E Supplementation in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common type of liver disease seen in children. Development and progression of the disease are linked to oxidative injury and stress. Improving antioxidant-oxidant balance as an interventional strategy for the management and treatment of pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has been studied. Because of concerns of inadequate vitamin E consumption and status among children and adolescents, this review explores how supplemental vitamin E, in conjunction with lifestyle modification, can influence pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease progression and treatment.
Piglet mortality on farms using farrowing systems with or without crates

Crating sows in farrowing systems greatly restricts their normal behaviour, which is usually justified by the assumption that piglet mortality is higher with loose-housed sows. Based on experiments showing that this is not the case, farrowing crates were banned in Switzerland in 1997. Since then, many farms have introduced loose farrowing systems, enabling a comparison of piglet mortality in farrowing systems with and without crates based on a large sample size. Data of a sow-recording scheme (UFA2000) were analysed using generalised linear mixed-effects models with an underlying Poisson distribution. In 2002 and 2003, the average total piglet mortality on 173 farms (n = 18,824 litters) with loose farrowing systems amounted to 1.40 piglets per litter and did not differ from that of 482 farms (n = 44,837 litters) with crates (1.42 piglets per litter). Nevertheless, the number of crushed piglets was significantly higher in pens with loose-housed sows (0.62 versus 0.52 piglets per litter), whereas the number of piglets that died for other reasons was significantly higher in crates (0.78 versus 0.89 piglets per litter). Total piglet mortality was influenced by litter size at birth, age of the sow and season. Consequently, evaluation of the reproductive data of commercial farms shows that no more piglet losses occur in loose farrowing pens, common nowadays in Switzerland, than in farrowing pens with crates, and that litter size at birth is the main influence on piglet losses.
Immunoinformatics of Placental Malaria Vaccine Development

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium, which is transferred by female Anopheles mosquitos. WHO estimates that in 2012 there were 207 million cases of malaria, of which 627,000 were fatal. People living in malaria-endemic areas, gradually acquire immunity with multiple infections. Placental malaria (PM) is caused by P. falciparum sequestering in the placenta of pregnant women due to the presence of novel receptors in the placenta. An estimated 200,000 infants die a year as a result of PM. In 2004 the specific protein responsible for the pathogenesis of PM was identified as the P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) variant VAR2CSA. VAR2CSA is the leading candidate for a vaccine against PM. The thesis is divided into 4 parts, where part I provide the reader with an introduction and background for the subjects covered in the thesis. Part II presents the first paper: ”SigniSite: Identification of residue-level genotype-phenotype correlations in protein multiple sequence alignments”. SigniSite is based on a non-parametric statistical evaluation of the positional distribution of amino acid residues in a multiple sequence alignment (MSA), thereby quantifying residue association to MSA phenotype. SigniSite was found to outperform comparable state-of-the-art methods. Furthermore part II addresses the issue of controlling type I and type II error probabilities in multiple testing scenarios and lastly the
Mineralized collagen-modified PMMA cement enhances bone integration and reduces fibrous encapsulation in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease

Abstract As a minimally invasive surgery, percutaneous cement discoplasty (PCD) is now contemplated to treat lumbar disc degeneration disease in elder population. Here, we investigated whether the osteogenic mineralized collagen (MC) modified polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement could be a suitable material in PCD surgery. Injectability, hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of the MC-modified PMMA (PMMA-MC) was characterized. The introduction of MC did not change the application and setting time of PMMA and was easy to be handled in minimally invasive operation. Hydrophilicity of PMMA-MC was greatly improved and its elastic modulus was tailored to complement mechanical performance of bone under dynamic stress. Then, PCD surgery in a goat model with induced disc degeneration was performed with implantation of PMMA-MC or PMMA. Three months after implantation, micro-computed tomography analysis revealed a 36.4% higher circumferential contact index between PMMA-MC and bone, as compared to PMMA alone. Histological staining confirmed that the surface of PMMA-MC was in direct contact with new bone, while the PMMA was covered by fibrous tissue. The observed gathering of macrophages around the implant was suspected to be the cause of fibrous encapsulation. Therefore, the interactions of PMMA and PMMA-MC with macrophages were investigated in vitro. We discovered that the addition of MC could hinder the proliferation and fusion of the macrophages. Moreover, expressions of fibroblast-stimulating growth factors, insulin-like growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-β were significantly down-regulated in the macrophages cocultured with PMMA-MC. Together, the promoted osteointegration and reduced fibrous tissue formation observed with PMMA-MC material makes it a promising candidate for PCD surgery.
Maintenance of Hand Motor Recovery Following Action Observation Treatment for Stroke

Background: Current approaches to stroke rehabilitation can be effective at conferring functional gains; and yet these gains are commonly lost once therapy has ended. It is therefore imperative to develop rehabilitative methods that foster the maintenance of functional gains over the long-term. We propose that shifting emphasis away from behavioral compensation and toward remediation could lead to significant advances in maintenance of therapeutic gains. Whereas it has been shown that Action Observation Therapy (AOT) is effective at improving motor functioning following stroke, the present study tests the hypothesis that AOT can improve function and preserve functional gains for at least six months following therapy. Methods: Structural and resting functional MRI scans and measures of hand motor function were obtained in 21individuals with chronic stroke prior to, immediately following, and six months to one year after a one month course of either AOT or a control therapy (neuro developmental therapy; NDT). Results: AOT resulted in significant gains in motor function immediately after therapy and six months to one year later. Modest gains were seen following NDT at both time points. Individuals receiving AOT performed significantly better than those receiving NDT on the Nine Hole Peg Test at maintenance. Importantly, maintenance of gains with AOT was related to baseline stability of resting functional connectivity, unlike the NDT group. Conclusion: This study suggests that AOT, but not a standard physical therapy approach, may remediate neural networks critical for motor function after stroke, and that these gains are maintained over the long term.
Analysis, Control and Optimal Placement of Static Synchronous Compensator with/without Battery Energy Storage

Static synchronous compensator (STATCOM) and battery energy storage (BES) have been increasingly employed in power systems for the reliable and economic operation of power transmission. However, the transient interaction between the electrical power of synchronous generator (SG) and the active power of STATCOM with/without BES is still misunderstood and treated incorrectly. This paper presents an analysis of this interaction and investigates the control and optimal placement of STATCOM with/without BES for the purpose of improving SG’s damping, and thus enhancing system’s oscillation damping performance. The results show that (1) the deviated electrical power of SG is not equal to the active power of STATCOM. Instead, it is related to STATCOM’s current, placement and SG’s electrical states, (2) with the increased damping as the index, the optimal location for STATCOM with BES is at the terminal of SG, while it is at the electrical mid-point of the transmission line for STATCOM without BES. Non-linear simulations and eigenvalue analysis are performed to validate the correctness of the above results.