Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Bio intensive Agronomy: A paradigm shift in agronomic research

The term paradigm shift was first introduced by Thomas Kuhn in his highly influential landmark book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Kuhns book shows how almost every significant breakthrough in scientific en- deavor is first break with tradition, with old ways of thinking, with old paradigms. The word paradigm comes from the Greek. It was originally a scientific term, and is more commonly used today to mean model, theory, perception, assumption, or frame of reference. In more general sense, its the way we see the world- not in terms of our visual sense of sight, but in terms of perceiving, understanding and interpreting. In pre green revolution period, the plant architecture of the cultivated cereal crops was long duration and tall. These plants were not responsive to input use i.e. with application of fertilizers and irrigation, they used to be lodged. Most of our agriculture was rainfed. Agronomic research therefore was revolving around increasing yield under this scenario available at that part of time. Simple fertilizer trial, tillage practices to conserve moisture and control weeds and mixed cropping were the main aspects of research. Farming was done for subsistence. Yields were sustained at low levels. Then, there was a breakthrough. Plant architecture was changed. Short duration dwarf varieties came into existence. Agronomic research also shifted from simple fertilizer trials to complex fertilizer experiments, mono- cropping to multiple cropping and scheduling irrigation. Use of herbicide increased to control weeds. With the expansion of irrigation, scheduling of irrigation became main focus and legumes went out of the cultivation and cereal- cereal cropping became predominant. Spread of rice- wheat cropping system in Indo-Gangetic Plain region is the glar- ing example of this. Due to this cereal-based crop rotation, natural resources started degrading and weeds de- veloped resistance to herbicides. Factor productivity started declining. Presently these are our cultivation prac- tices i.e. our convention, which is chemical based and input intensive, this we wish to change to bring bio-in- tensive agronomic practices, which will include massive use of biomanures, biofertilizers and biopesticides. The research on rhizospheric engineering and carbon sequestration has to be strengthened to improve the soil health and nutrient use efficiencies. Rhizospheric engineering refers to bringing changes in root architecture by modifying planting methods and crop geometry and also improving root zone soil profile through rhizodeposition. In irrigated ecosystem, where legumes could not be introduced due to their sensitivity to water, sugarcane is to be brought in the system, because several beneficial microorganisms are associated with its roots, which mobilizes soil materials. Also, large quantity of root mass of sugarcane upon decomposition adds substantial quantity of organic matter to the soil.
Impact of cardiovascular risk factors on coronary heart disease and mortality among middle aged diabetic men: a general population study.

OBJECTIVE--To investigate the effect of cardiovascular risk factors on coronary heart disease and all cause mortality in middle aged diabetic men. DESIGN--Prospective population study based on data collected from second screening (from 1974 to 1977) in the multifactor primary prevention trial and follow up until March 1983. SETTING--Gothenburg, Sweden. SUBJECTS--6897 Men aged 51 to 59, of whom 232 were self reported diabetics and 6665 were non-diabetic; none had a history of myocardial infarction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--Incidences of coronary heart disease and mortality from all causes. RESULTS--Diabetic men with a serum cholesterol concentration greater than 7.3 mmol/l had a significantly higher incidence of coronary heart disease during follow up than those with a concentration less than or equal to 5.5 mmol/l (28.3% v 5.4%; p = 0.020); corresponding figures for non-diabetic men were 9.4% and 2.4% respectively. In multivariate logistic regression analyses serum cholesterol concentration and smoking habit were independent predictors of coronary heart disease (odds ratio serum cholesterol concentration 6.1 (95% confidence interval 2.1 to 17.6) current smoking 2.9 (1.1 to 7.5)) and of all cause mortality (3.2 (1.3 to 7.9), 3.0 (1.4 to 6.7) respectively) in diabetic men whereas systolic blood pressure, body mass index, family history, marital state, and alcohol abuse were not. Low occupational class was an independent predictor of mortality (2.4 (1.01 to 5.5)), but not of coronary heart disease, in diabetic men. CONCLUSIONS--Middle aged diabetic men with hypercholesterolaemia are at very high risk of developing coronary heart disease and of dying prematurely. Lowering serum cholesterol concentration in such subjects seems to be warranted.
Increased Severity of Murine Lupus in Female Mice Is Due to Enhanced Expansion of Pathogenic T Cells 1

A strong female predominance is a well-recognized feature of human lupus. The mechanism by which sex influences disease expression and severity is not fully understood. To address this question, we used the parent-into-F1 (p→F1) model of chronic graft-vs-host disease (cGVHD) in which lupus-like humoral autoimmunity and renal disease are induced in normal F1 mice. An advantage of this model is that the pathogenic T cells driving disease (donor strain) can be studied separately from nonspecifically activated T cells (host strain). We observed that lupus-like disease using female donor and host mice (f→F cGVHD) is characterized by more severe long-term disease (glomerulonephritis) than with male donor and host (m→M cGVHD). Interestingly, differences in disease parameters could be seen at 2 wk after parental cell transfer, as evidenced by a 2- to 3-fold greater engraftment of donor CD4+ T cells in f→F cGVHD mice, which persisted throughout disease course. Enhanced engraftment of donor CD4+ T cells in f→F cGVHD mice was not due to differences in splenic homing, alloreactive precursor frequency, initial proliferation rates, or apoptotic rates, but rather to sustained high proliferation rates during wk 2 of disease compared with m→M cGVHD mice. Crossover studies (m→F, f→M) demonstrated that enhanced donor CD4+ T cell proliferation and engraftment segregate with the sex of the host. These results demonstrate that the sex of the recipient can influence the expansion of pathogenic T cells, thus increasing long-term the burden of autoreactive T cells and resulting in greater disease severity.
Mini-G proteins: Novel tools for studying GPCRs in their active conformation

Mini-G proteins are the engineered GTPase domains of Gα subunits. They couple to GPCRs and recapitulate the increase in agonist affinity observed upon coupling of a native heterotrimeric G protein. Given the small size and stability of mini-G proteins, and their ease of expression and purification, they are ideal for biophysical studies of GPCRs in their fully active state. The first mini-G protein developed was mini-Gs. Here we extend the family of mini-G proteins to include mini-Golf, mini-Gi1, mini-Go1 and the chimeras mini-Gs/q and mini-Gs/i. The mini-G proteins were shown to couple to relevant GPCRs and to form stable complexes with purified receptors that could be purified by size exclusion chromatography. Agonist-bound GPCRs coupled to a mini-G protein showed higher thermal stability compared to the agonist-bound receptor alone. Fusion of GFP at the N-terminus of mini-G proteins allowed receptor coupling to be monitored by fluorescence-detection size exclusion chromatography (FSEC) and, in a separate assay, the affinity of mini-G protein binding to detergent-solubilised receptors was determined. This work provides the foundation for the development of any mini-G protein and, ultimately, for the structure determination of GPCRs in a fully active state.
Is financial stress an incentive for the adoption of businesslike planning and control in local government? A comparative study of eight Dutch municipalities

Hood has formulated the hypothesis that financial stress is a motive for the adoption of New Public Management (NPM), and particularly of businesslike instruments and styles in government. He has illustrated this hypothesis on a macro-level by comparing different OECD countries. The aim of this paper is to make a start with a micro-level test of this hypothesis by studying individual governmental organization, i.e. eight municipalities in the Netherlands. The financial stress hypothesis has been operationalised by assuming a negative relationship between the financial position of a municipality and the existence of businesslike planning and control instruments. The research shows that there is no evidence for the existence of this relationship. However, a conclusive judgement about the financial stress hypothesis seems to be impossible due to the fact that non-technical aspects of NPM were not taken into account, and also because of an – on average – upward bias in the financial position of the municipalities in the empirical investigation.
Activity-dependent expression of RNA binding protein HuD and its association with mRNAs in neurons

The dendritic trafficking of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) is an important posttranscriptional process involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. For example, HuD RBP binds to AU-rich elements (AREs) in the 3' untranslated regions (3'UTR) of immediate-early gene (IEG) transcripts, whose protein products directly affect synaptic plasticity. However, the subcellular localization of HuD RBPs and associated mRNAs has not been investigated following neuronal stimulation. Immunofluorescence analysis revealed activity-dependent dendritic localization of HuD RBPs following KCl stimulation in hippocampal neurons, while immunoprecipitation demonstrated the association of HuD RBP with neuronal mRNAs encoding neuritin, Homer1a, GAP-43, Neuroligins, Verge and CAMKIIα. Activity-dependent expression of HuD involves activation of NMDAR as NMDA receptor 1 knockout mice (Nr1neo-/-) exhibited decreased expression of HuD. Moreover, translational regulation of HuD-associated transcripts was suggested by its co-localization with poly-A-binding protein (PABP) as well as the cap-binding protein (eIF4E). We propose that post-transcriptional regulation of neuronal mRNAs by HuD RBPs mediates protein synthesis-dependent changes in synaptic plasticity.
Intergovernmental Service Contracts

A model of intergovernmental service contracting is tested for U.S. cities of 25,000 and over population. In this model, the decision process is assumed to be shaped by many of the same forces that affect contracting to the private sector, namely, cost considerations, fiscal pressures, and political influences. Considerable support is found for the model, although fiscal stress is not a major impetus for contracting with other jurisdictions. The presence of a city manager facilitates greater intergovernmental contracting, although restrictive state laws limit such arrangements. Above all, when local officials fear loss of service control, less intergovernmental contracting occurs.
A New Approach to Design Differential-Mode Bandpass Filters on SIW Structure

A new approach to design differential-mode (DM) bandpass filters is proposed and implemented based on the substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology. By properly constructing the topologies of SIW resonant cavities, the balanced section of the proposed filter achieves an attractive capacity in simultaneously realizing the desired DM transmission and expected common-mode (CM) suppression in a certain band. In design, the specified DM frequency response is achieved with an equivalent two-port circuit model. To illustrate the possibilities of the new approach, a fourth-order Ku-band prototype is designed and fabricated on a single-layer substrate. Measured results agree well with the predicted counterparts.
Economic geography in the presence of preferential trade agreements: an empirical analysis of OECD data

In the presence of preferential trade agreements (PTAs), there are two distinct levels of economic geography–global economic geography (GEG) between a PTA bloc and the world and local economic geography (LEG) between a PTA member and its PTA bloc. Using OECD data, we empirically examine whether both types of economic geography can help to explain the international production structure. Our findings provide some support for the importance of distinguishing between LEG and GEG when testing for the presence of economic geography.
The Link Between Human Resource Management and Company Performance

ABSTRACT There seems to be a widespread agreement that human resources are the main source of competitive advantage in modern companies. Consequently, the traditional personnel function is being transformed into the human resource management (HRM), which, in turn, is becoming a part of strategic management with the goal of integrating HRM activities to fit business needs. In this paper, we analyze the transformation of personnel function in Slovene companies, which had to change their behavior due to the transition from socialist to market economy and increased competitive pressures. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that Slovene companies use many different personnel models. Transformation of traditional personnel function into HRM occurred mostly in those companies, which place greater emphasis on people-related goals when formulating business strategy. However, the positive effects of this transformation on company performance still have to be confirmed.
Managerial Incentives: Implications for the Financial Performance of Real Estate Investment Trusts

In the face of informational asymmetry, REIT equity investors may bear the costs of agency. Hence, it is in shareholders' interests to pay incentive fees to induce managers to utilize their superior information and to take suitable actions that reduce these costs. In this paper, the relation between financial performance and fees paid, and between fees paid and contractual incentives, are examined to determine whether equityholder interests are being served by the decisions of REIT managers. The data reveal that fees paid and financial performance are positively related, indicating that financial performance is at least partially endogenous with respect to managerial action. Moreover, the evidence also suggests that the industry fee structure has changed over the period in a manner that appears to have reduced the agency costs borne by equityholders, and by the end of the sample period the fees paid in general seem to reflect incentives that are consistent with the wealth maximization goal of equityholders. Copyright American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association.
Real-time analytics processing with MapReduce

Many real-time analytical applications over massive data streams were performed by usually introducing a specific stream processing core. In general, these SPCs were not popularly applied to enterprises same as MapReduce, even if now real-time analytics applications are taken into attention more and more. For reversing this tide, we developed a new analytics system. Our system modified the stock Hadoop's MapReduce programming model and execution framework, and used Chord model as temporary data, Cassandra as its persistent storage. With our system, we can develop data stream processing application with the familiar MapReduce programming model.
Buccal bone augmentation around immediate implants with and without flap elevation: a modified approach.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to compare the clinical success and bone healing of implants placed in fresh extraction sockets using a flapless procedure compared to those placed with flap elevation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty teeth in 20 patients were selected for this study and were scheduled for tooth extraction and immediate implant placement. Ten implants were placed with flap elevation (control group), and 10 implants were placed without flap elevation (test group). All the sites selected showed a complete bone defect at the facial wall. All the implants included in this study were 2-stage implants placed at the level of palatal/lingual bone in augmented bone. Each surgical site was protected with a collagen membrane and, subsequently, a standardized radiograph was taken to evaluate the distance between the implant shoulder and the first bone-implant contact (DIB). Six months after placement, both control and test implants underwent a second-stage surgery and a clinical examination to determine the implant stability quotient, DIB, and the distance between implant shoulder and the crestal bone at the midbuccal aspect (DIC). RESULTS One implant failed in the test group. Only 1 implant (test group) showed bone growth over the implant neck at the re-entry procedure. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) and DIB did not show any significant differences between the control and test group; however, a higher DIC was found in the test sites compared to the control sites. CONCLUSION Data from this study showed that immediate implants with and without a mucoperiosteal flap elevation can be successfully used even in the presence of bone defects requiring augmentation procedures. It was also noted that the bone regenerated reached a higher coronal level in the group with flap elevation than in the group without flap elevation.
Neural Interfaces for Intracortical Recording: Requirements, Fabrication Methods, and Characteristics

Implantable neural interfaces for central nervous system research have been designed with wire, polymer, or micromachining technologies over the past 70 years. Research on biocompatible materials, ideal probe shapes, and insertion methods has resulted in building more and more capable neural interfaces. Although the trend is promising, the long-term reliability of such devices has not yet met the required criteria for chronic human application. The performance of neural interfaces in chronic settings often degrades due to foreign body response to the implant that is initiated by the surgical procedure, and related to the probe structure, and material properties used in fabricating the neural interface. In this review, we identify the key requirements for neural interfaces for intracortical recording, describe the three different types of probes—microwire, micromachined, and polymer-based probes; their materials, fabrication methods, and discuss their characteristics and related challenges.
Radiographic appearance of the normal distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in children.

In adults, a tibiofibular clear space (i.e., distance from the incisura fibularis to the medial fibula) of > or = 6 mm or a loss of tibiofibular overlap has been reported to correlate with injury to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis. We reviewed anteroposterior (AP), lateral, and mortise ankle radiographs from 106 children (50 boys, 56 girls) aged 1-15 years in an attempt to assess whether these criteria are applicable to children. The incisura was detectable at a mean age of 8.2 years for girls and 11.2 years for boys. The range of tibiofibular clear space among the 48 children with a detectable incisura was 2-8 mm; seven (23%) of these 48 children had a clear space of > or = 6 mm in one or more views. The mean age at which the tibiofibular overlap began to appear on the AP view was 5 years for both genders, whereas on the mortise view, it was 10 years for girls and 16 years for boys. The criteria used to evaluate the integrity of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis in adults do not apply to children in this normal study population.
Mechanisms of Video‐Game Epilepsy

Purpose: We aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying video‐game epilepsy by comparing the flicker‐ and spatial‐frequency ranges over which photic and pattern stimulation elicited photoparoxysmal responses in two different populations: (a) 25 patients with a history of seizures experienced while playing video games; and (b) 25 age‐ and medication‐matched controls with a history of photosensitive epilepsy, but no history of video‐game seizures.
Total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation versus subtotal parathyroidectomy for renal hyperparathyroidism: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation (TPTX + AT) and subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX) have been recommended to patients with renal hyperparathyroidism (RHPT). But which one is the best surgical method remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to compare the two surgical procedures with respect to long‐term outcomes.
How do CFOs make capital structure decisions? A survey of Greek listed companies

Purpose - – The aim of this study is to investigate the corporate financing behaviour of nonfinancial Greek listed companies, focusing on how managers determine optimal capital structure. Design/methodology/approach - – The study analyses the results derived from questionnaires submitted to the companies' chief financial officers (CFOs), using both descriptive and nonparametric statistics. Findings - – The results broadly support the pecking order hypothesis over static trade-off theory. Firms listed on the Athens Stock Exchange prefer to use internal rather than external financing. A deeper examination of the systematic relationship between a number of variables and the financing decision provides tentative support for the existence of asymmetrically distributed information in the market and demonstrates a series of significant correlations among the determinative factors of a new long-term investment. Originality/value - – This paper fills the existing gap between prominent theories of corporate leverage and empirical evidence. The questionnaire collects primary research data that are not available from public sources and reports CFOs' opinions and practices in the field.
Interpreting the Effect of Distance on Migration

In this paper I discuss the economic (and other) determinants of the adverse effect of distance on migration, which is demonstrated by the negative distance elasticity of migration flows. These determinants are sorted and classified into two groups: (1) increasing (with distance) psychic cost and (2) diminishing (with distance) information. I further discuss how aging and education respectively influence the relative importance of these two groups. Using data on flows of migrants cross-classified by age and by education, I estimate the effect of age and education on the distance elasticity of migration. The statistical hypothesis that aging does not affect the distance elasticity whereas increasing education strongly diminishes the absolute value of the distance elasticity is accepted. The acceptance of this hypothesis, coupled with my theoretical consideration, implies that the adverse effect of distance on migration is basically a diminishing-information phenomena.
Expression of fatty acid–binding protein 4/aP2 is correlated with plaque instability in carotid atherosclerosis

Abstract. Agardh HE, Folkersen L, Ekstrand J, Marcus D, Swedenborg J, Hedin U, Gabrielsen A, Paulsson‐Berne G (Department of Medicine, Experimental Cardiovascular Research, Karolinska Institutet; Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden). Expression of fatty acid–binding protein 4/aP2 is correlated with plaque instability in carotid atherosclerosis. J Intern Med 2011; 269: 200–210.