Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Methane Emission, Nutrient Digestibility, Energy Metabolism and Blood Metabolites in Dairy Cows Fed Silages with and without Galacto-oligosaccharides Supplementation

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementation of galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) on methane emission, nutrient digestibility, energy utilization and blood metabolites by Holstein cows fed silages. In two sequential digestion and respiratory trials, two non-lactating Holstein cows were arranged to a balanced incomplete block design. Experimental diets consisted of two silage types; orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) based silage (OS), mixed silage (orchardgrass based silage and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) silage) (MS), while two GOS levels were without supplementation (0) and 2% of dry matter intake supplementation (2). Four combination diets were OS-0, OS-2, MS-0 and MS-2. Significant effects of silage types and GOS supplementation levels were not observed for DM and OM intake. Whereas the digestibility of OM, NDF and ADF was significantly (p<0.05) higher in cows fed OS with and without GOS compared cows fed MS diets. As percentage of GE intake, fecal energy loss for OS diets was significantly (p<0.05) declined than for MS diets. In contrast, cows fed MS diets had lower (p<0.05) urine energy loss as a proportion of GE intake compared to OS diets. Energy loss as CH4 and heat production was numerically increased when cows fed both OS and MS with GOS supplementation. Compared to OS, CH4 emission in cows fed MS was numerically decreased by 10.8 %. Methane conversion ratio (energy loss as CH4 per unit of GE intake) for OS-0, OS-2, MS-0 and MS-2 were 7.1, 7.2, 6.8 and 7.0, respectively. Plasma of glucose and urea-N concentration were significantly (p<0.05) elevated from 1 h to 6 h after feeding, otherwise total protein in plasma was declined (p<0.01) at 6 after feeding. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 4 : 534-540)
A Two-Step Auction in the Presence of Negative Values: An Application to “Farm-Raised” Pre-Cooked Roast Beef

Uniform auctions are commonly used to elicit willingness to pay for new or novel products, product attributes, or non-market goods. However, most auctions or other contingent-valuation techniques do not allow for negative values, despite the fact that many consumers hold negative values for these products or product attributes. We conducted a WTP auction for a new product along with a within-sample WTA second auction allowing for negative responses. We find that failing to allow for negative values significantly inflates willingness to pay estimates and estimates of expected market share. This paper provides a method of incorporating negative values into auctions and willingness to pay elicitation.
Soil organic carbon dynamics under perennial energy crops

The European renewable energy directive 2009/28/EC (E.C. 2009) provides a legislative framework for reducing GHG emissions by 20%, while achieving a 20% share of energy from renewable sources by 2020. Perennial energy crops could significantly contribute to limit GHG emissions through replacing equivalent fossil fuels and by sequestering a considerable amount of carbon into the soil through the large amounts of belowground biomass produced. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of land use change that perennial energy crops have on croplands (switchgrass) and marginal grasslands (miscanthus). For that purpose above and belowground biomass, SOC variation and Net Ecosystem Exchange were evaluated after five years of growth. At aboveground level both crops produced high biomass under cropland conditions as well as under marginal soils. At belowground level they also produced large amounts of biomass, but no significant influences on SOC in the upper layer (0-30 cm) were found. This is probably because of the "priming effect" that caused fast carbon substitution. In switchgrass only it was found a significant SOC increase in deeper layers (30-60 cm), while in the whole soil profile (0-60 cm) SOC increased from 42 to 51 ha-1. However, the short experimental periods (for both switchgrass and miscanthus), in which land use change was evaluated, do not permit to determine the real capacity of perennial energy crops to accumulate SOC. In conclusion the large amounts of belowground biomass enhanced the SOC dynamic through the priming effect resulting in increased SOC in cropland but not in marginal grassland.
Hydrogen adsorption properties of metal-organic frameworks within the density-functional based tight-binding approach

Practical methods for hydrogen storage are still a prime challenge in the realization of an energy economy based on Hydrogen. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are crystalline ultra-porous materials with ability to trap and store voluminous amounts of gas molecules. MOFs represent an encouraging storage method relying on their enormous surface area. However, MOFs show reduced hydrogen uptake at room temperature due to low adsorption energy of hydrogen. To increase the adsorption uptake of MOFs at room temperature, the adsorption energy must be increased. In this contribution, materials exhibiting higher adsorption energy and enhanced hydrogen adsorption, namely MIL-53 (Al) and MOF-74, have been investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. MD simulations were performed within the density functional based tight binding method (DC-SCC-DFTB). Our results demonstrate that DC-SCC-DFTB method predicts structural parameters, adsorption sites, adsorption energies and diffusion factors with a very good accuracy, making this method a very powerful tool to investigate various types of MOF. Moreover, results show that the adsorption energy can be increased by incorporation of transition metals in MOF structures.
Genipin Cross-Linked Chitosan-Polyvinylpyrrolidone Hydrogels: Influence of Composition and Postsynthesis Treatment on pH Responsive Behaviour

Understanding the factors that influence the pH responsive behaviour of biocompatible cross-linked hydrogel networks is essential when aiming to synthesise a mechanically stable and yet stimuli responsive material suitable for various applications including drug delivery and tissue engineering. In this study the behaviour of intelligent chitosan-polyvinylpyrrolidone-genipin cross-linked hydrogels is examined as a function of their composition and postsynthesis treatment. Hydrogels are synthesised with varying amounts of each component (chitosan, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and genipin) and their response in a pH 2 buffer is measured optically. The influence of postsynthesis treatment on stability and smart characteristics is assessed using selected hydrogel samples synthesised at 30, 40, and 50°C. After synthesis, samples are exposed to either continuous freezing or three freeze-thaw cycles resulting in increased mechanical stability for all samples. Further morphological and mechanical characterisations have aided the understanding of how postsynthesis continual freezing or freeze-thaw manipulation affects network attributes.
How Does Composition of Household Income Affect Child Nutrition Outcomes? Evidence from Uganda

This study attempts to fill the knowledge gap between the cross-country analyses that explore the links between income and nutrition without insights on micro-level determinants, and the numerous microeconomic studies that suggest mechanisms of impact but are hindered by some combination of small sample size, incomplete data, and questionable approaches to impact estimation. The analysis uses the three annual waves of the Uganda National Panel Survey, and features panel regressions of child anthropometric outcomes controlling for time-invariant childlevel heterogeneity and other time-variant observables. The paper starts by looking at how the outcomes correlate with short-term changes in rural household income. The impact is subsequently differentiated by sector of income, first between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, and by type of agriculture. The analysis documents no impact of short-term changes in total gross income on weight-related measures but documents positive effects on height-related outcomes. Sector-differentiated analyses indicate that only the share of income originating from non-farm self-employment exerts positive and statistically significant effects on both height and weight measures. For height, the income shares pertaining to (i) consumption of own crop production and (ii) low-protein crop production appear to be underlining the negative effect of the share of income originating from crop production. The results suggest stickiness of crop production to own consumption, and while this may be nutrition-supporting in some contexts, income growth in the production of low-nutrient crops in Uganda may crowd out consumption of other goods and services that have the potential to serve as better nutritional investments.
Difference of Neural Correlates between Subitizing and Counting Reflected by ERPs

The event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in normal young subjects to investigate the calculational abilities with/without distractors, and shed light on the relationship of subitizing and counting. The results show that the discontinuity of the effects of the variation of distractors from the subitizing range to the counting range. The electrophysiological evidences support the idea of the two processes being implemented in different functional systems. The distractor's number variation caused different type of ERPs waveforms in two enumeration processings. The results confirmed the argument that subitizing and counting are two functionally different processings in the brain, they can be differentiated by the different effects of the variation of distractors.
Evaluation of Green Port Factors and Performance: A Fuzzy AHP Analysis

Due to the occurrence of abnormal global environmental change, the concept of sustainable development becomes more and more important. Port plays an important role in economic development for a country. To tackle the environmental pollution coming from the construction and operation of a port, the green concept emerged as a solution. Founded on the previous literatures, the current study formulates a Fuzzy AHP model including five dimensions and thirteen factors as the guidelines for green port operation. The results of empirical study point out the top five priority attributes of green port operation which are: hazardous waste handling, air pollution, water pollution, port greenery, and habitat quality maintenance. The FAHP model is a good referral for decision makers of port organizations to forge a “greener” port operation; it also can be used to evaluate the port’s green operation performance.
Exploring the effects of cognitive destination image attributes on tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty: a case study of Málaga, Spain Explorando los efectos de los atributos del destino turístico en la satisfacción y lealtad: una aplicación en Málaga, España

This article has attempted to provide empirical evidence of the relationships between two groups of perceived destination image attributes, tourist satisfaction and tourist loyalty. In order to explore these relationships, two groups of destination image attributes perceived in situ have been studied: “hard ware” and “human ware” attributes of a south Spain destination. A theoretical model is tested on a sample of tourists using structural equations modeling. A positive relationship is detected between the variables. From a practical point of view, recommendations were made on the importance of destination image attributes such us “hard ware attributes” and “human ware attributes” that generate favorable word -of-mouth recommendations and revisit intentions.
Robust Image Hashing Based on Local Features for Image Authentication

In this paper, an image hashing method based on local features is proposed. At first the input image is pre-processed and divided into un-overlapped blocks. We choose several blocks as the effective blocks using SIFT features. Then color, texture and shape features of the selected blocks are extracted, connected and permuted to form the final hash. Experimental results show that this method is robust against most content-preserving attacks. Collision probability of this method is smaller than other methods. This method can also be used to detect tampering image.
Superconducting Nanowire Single-Photon Detectors based on TaN Thin Films

Superconducting Nanowire Single Photon Detectors (SNSPD) are very fast, low noise devices, that detect single photons over a broad spectral range with practical quantum efficiency. The quantum efficiency drops at a certain deposited energy abruptly, the so called cutoff energy or the corresponding cutoff wavelength. The most common material to fabricate these nanowires is niobium nitride (NbN). A promising material, that has not been used for this purpose before is tantalum nitride (TaN). Many material properties of TaN and NbN are similar, but TaN has a smaller energy gap. This should make the device more sensitive to photons with lower energies. In this thesis, SNSPDs made of NbN and TaN were characterized, the quantum efficiencies were measured and the cutoff criteria were determined and compared. With the use of TaN the cutoff wavelength could be increased significantly. Measurements of quantum efficiency and dark-count rates at several temperatures and operation conditions are presented and discussed. Furthermore, the cutoff criteria are determined and compared between the materials mentioned as well as the experimental results are compared to the theoretical predictions of the detection model.
Evaluation Commonly Used Anthelmintics Efficacy in Gastrointestinal Nematodes through Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test in Adaberga Dairy Farm, West Shewa Zone, Central Ethiopia

This study was conducted in Adaberga dairy farm West Showa Zone, from November, 2014 to April 2015 to evaluate commonly used anthelmintics efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes. An experimental study design and purposive sampling procedure were employed to select 36 naturally infected jersey breed cattle from source population. And study populations were randomly allocated into three groups, twelve in each; the first group was treated with albendazole, the second with tetraclozan and the last group was left untreated (control). Fecal samples were collected from each cow before and after treatment and modified McMaster method was used to count eggs. Third stage larvae (L3) were recovered from the fecal cultures by the Baerman technique to identify gastrointestinal nematodes. The efficacy of each anthelmintic was determined by Fecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT). SPSS Windows version 16.0 was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics (means, standard error of mean and reduction percentages) were calculated to manage data. Means were compared among groups through analysis of variance (ANOVA) and difference between treatments was compared using least square method of multiple comparisons. The percentage reduction in mean fecal egg count, after 10 days of treatment, for Albendazole and tetraclozan were 95.51% and 98.18% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference (p=0.262) among the egg count of control, albendazole treated and tetraclozan treated groups before treatment. Statistically egg counts were not different (p=0.85) between treatment groups but there were strict differences (p=0.00) between treatment and control groups on the post-treatment. Generally, these findings indicate that albendazole and tetraclozan are effective against gastrointestinal nematodes in the study area. But, appropriate use of these anthelmintics is credible to prevent future occurrence of resistance.
Effect of Sewage Enrichment on the Phytoplankton Population of a Subtropical Estuary

Phytoplankton primary production; concentrations of chlorophyll a, particulate carbon and nitrogen, adenosine triphosphate, inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus; and secchi depths were measured at four stations in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, on a biweekly basis for 20 months prior to diversion of sewage discharges from the bay. Nutrient enrichment experiments designed to determine biomass limitation indicated that phytoplankton biomass, as measured by chlorophyll a, was nitrogen-limited in all parts of the bay, and that phosphorus was simultaneously limiting in the sector of the bay furthest from the sewer outfalls. Mean light-saturated productivity indices in all parts of the bay were about 11-12 mg C' mgt chi a' hrt , values close to the maximum reported for phytoplankton in eutrophic marine environments. Based on the results of dawn-to-dusk C-14 incubations and an estimated phytoplankton C: chi a ratio of 50 by weight, phytoplankton growth rates were estimated to fall in the range of 4-6 percent per hour in all parts of the bay. Such growth rates are close to the maximum growth rates reported for marine phytoplankton grown on light-dark cycles in continuous culture, suggesting that phytoplankton growth rates (as opposed to biomass) were limited primarily by suboptimal or supraoptimal light intensities rather than by nutrients. Based on these growth rates and an assumed phytoplankton C : N ratio of 5.68 by weight, nitrogen recycling was estimated to account for 80 percent of phytoplankton nitrogen uptake in the part of the bay receiving direct sewage inputs, and for over 90 percent of phytoplankton nitrogen uptake in the other sectors of the bay. Estimates of living and detrital particulate carbon were made based on an assumed C: ATP ratio in living organisms of 285 by weight. From this partitioning, living carbon was found to vary by a factor of 3-4 between the sewage-enriched and unenriched sectors of the bay. However, estimated detrital carbon concentrations were uniform throughout the bay, as were the measured concentrations of inorganic nitrogen. These results are consistent with the interpretation that the population of microorganisms, both bacteria and phytoplankton, are substrate-limited in all sectors of the bay. from about 3000 persons in 1920 to roughly 60,000 in 1978 (Smith, Laws, and Hirota 1978). This rapid development of the watershed has been associated with an increasing stress on the bay's ecosystem due to the discharge of treated sewage and urban runoff. The first sewage treatment plant (STP) in the watershed was constructed to serve the Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station on Mokapu Peninsula during World War II. A municipal STP for the town of Kaneohe was built in 1963. The outfalls of both these plants
Ecology of Spam Server Under Resilience Force in the e-Network Framework

We propose the concept “ecology of a spam server,” based on the e-Network and resilience in an effort to clarify its mechanism, which will contribute to the development of security and network strategies. We consider the microstructure of resilience with the e-Network framework and demonstrate three stages of spam servers: secure but underlying, developing, and critical. Using these features, we introduce the Evolution Diagram (ED), a method for quantitatively representing the patterns of the evolution history of a server. From this diagram, we derive three indexes to measure resilience: maximum transmission potential, continuity, and reproducibility. Through these indexes, we define resilience, which is divided into eight classes depending on the existence/absence of these three primitive features. We calculate the resilience of the individual spam servers. This idea would lead to useful tools for producing strategies not only for security but also for Internet/country domain governance. Keywords–ecology of spam server, resilience, e-Network, ED transition diagram
The European Stability Pact and Feedback Policy Effects

With a two-country dynamic model in a monetary union with wealth private behaviors, we study the implications of public debt on monetary and fiscal policies. The model used has Keynesian features in the short run and Wicksellian ones in the long run. We analyse the effects of asymmetric fiscal policies in Euroland and show that such a situation creates two feedback effects which reduce the efficiency of economic policies. First, because of the inability of one government to implement an expansionary fiscal policy, the other government has to substitute for it to reach economic targets. Second, the ECB’s involvement in macroeconomic stabilisation will be exacerbated. The more substantial these effects, the more coordination is needed between European governments and the ECB.
Capital Market Development in a Small Country: The Case of Slovenia

Small emerging economies, despite their significant growth, lack the scale to develop thriving capital markets from their local investor and issuer base that are able to deliver the benefits of a large, mature market. Slovenia is such an example. Despite the necessary infrastructure in place, trading has remained thin and issuance activity has been dormant. This paper proposes a two-pronged strategy for capital market development that leverages the existing setup in the context of regional integration such as within the EU. While using the case of Slovenia, this path might be indicative for other small countries that are part of a larger economically integrated region.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE INCREASE OF THE EFFICIENCY OF VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINES BY EQUIPPING THEM WITH WIND CONCENTRATORS

The vertical axis wind turbines, which are operating on the principle of aerodynamic drag, have relatively low efficiency of about 20 to 30%, but they have the great advantage that they can operate at full capacity and produce energy in areas with low wind potential or with turbulent winds. There are several ways one can improve the power coefficient of this type of wind turbine, such as establishing the ideal shape of the rotor blades or by choosing the optimal number of stages of the rotor. In this study, for the improvement of the power coefficient of the wind turbine, a concentrator (curtain) was used in order to cancel the negative moments that affect the rotational movement of the rotor and to increase the speed of the airflow at the entry into the rotor. By analyzing the behavior of the rotors without a concentrator and equipped with various types of wind concentrators one could determine the optimal configuration of the concentrator and the influence that it has on the operation of the wind turbines.
Landslide Hazard Assessment Based on Fuzzy Synthesis Judgment and Geographic Information System

Taking Ganxigou valley in Sichuan Province as example, where earthquake occurred at 14:20 on May 12th, 2008, slope, aspect, elevation, river distribution, lithology, faultage, and highway distribution are selected to assess landslide risk after earthquake. The fuzzy synthesis judgment way is applied to evaluation, and GIS is effectively adopted in picking up value and making chart. Through verification, these evaluation systems are viable.
What Behavioural Economics Teaches Personnel Economics

In this survey article, we review results from behavioural and experimental economics that have a potential application in the field of personnel economics. While personnel economics started out with a “clean” economic perspective on human resource management (HRM), recently it has broadened its perspective by increasingly taking into account the results from laboratory experiments. Besides having inspired theory-building, the integration of behavioural economics into personnel economics has gone hand in hand with a strengthening of empirical analyses (field experiments and survey data) complementing the findings from the laboratory. Concentrating on employee compensation as one particular field of application, we show that for personnel economics there is indeed much to be learnt from the recent developments in behavioural economics. Moreover, integrating behavioural economics into personnel economics bears the chance of eventually reconciling personnel economics and “classic” HRM analysis that has a long tradition of relying on social psychology as a classical point of reference.