Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Waimea Plains: economics of freshwater quantity management

The Waimea Plains (Tasman District, New Zealand) is a major horticulture area, highly reliant on irrigation. Irrigators draw water from an integrated surface water and groundwater system. Fresh water is over-allocated by 64%. Irrigators face significant restrictions due to natural fluctuations in river flow and groundwater levels, i.e. water is unreliable. This case study evaluates different options to address these problems. A catchment optimisation model is used to assess the benefits from enabling water permit transfers and from the proposed Waimea Community Dam (‘the dam’). A spreadsheet model is used to assess the impact of different ways of cutting back water permits, should the dam not go ahead. The case study is based on farm- and orchard-level models which estimate irrigation need, profit and nitrogen leaching under different levels of water allocation, reliability and soil type for apples, viticulture, market gardening and dairy farming over a period of 40 years. Key findings are that: • water permit transfers would result in moderate benefits on average (8.6% increase in average profit) but significant benefits in dry years (46% increase in profit); • the dam would result in significant benefits by enabling expansion of irrigated areas and conversion from unirrigated pasture to higher value crops, and providing a reliable water supply for existing and future irrigators (103% increase in average profit and 10% decrease in nitrogen leaching). • Should the dam not go ahead, water permit cuts based on irrigation need would result in lower, and a more even distribution of, costs than flat-rate cuts.
Role of Social Support in Screening Colonoscopy/Sigmoidoscopy Uptake among U.S. Adults

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major clinical and public health burden. Screening has been shown to be effective in preventing CRC. In 2021, less than 72% of adult Americans had received CRC screening based on the most recent guidelines. This study examined the relationship between social support and screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy uptake among U.S. adults and the socioeconomic factors that impact the relationship. We conducted a cross-sectional study using the 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data for 20,008 U.S. adults to assess the weighted rates of screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy among individuals with strong, some, and weak social support. Adjusted binary logistic regression models were utilized to obtain the weighted odds of receiving a screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy among adults with different levels of social support and socioeconomic status. About 58.0% of adults who reported having colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy had strong social support, compared to 52.0% who had some or weak social support. In addition, compared to adults with weak social support, the weighted adjusted odds of having colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy were 1.0 (95% C.I. = 0.994, 0.997; p < 0.001) and 1.3 (95% C.I. = 1.260, 1.263; p < 0.001) for adults with some and strong social support, respectively. Socioeconomic differences were observed in the odds of colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy uptake based on having strong social support. Having strong social support is an important factor in increasing colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy screening uptake. Policies and interventions that enhance social support among adults for screening colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy are warranted.
A segmentation-based approach to SAR change detection and mapping

The potentials of SAR sensors in change detection applications have been recently strengthened by the high spatial resolution and the short revisit time provided by the new generation SAR-based missions, such as COSMO- SkyMed, TerraSAR-X, and RadarSat 3. Classical pixel-based change detection methods exploit first-order statistics variations in multitemporal acquisitions. Higher-order statistics may improve the reliability of the results, while plain object-based change detection are rarely applied to SAR images due to the low signal-to-noise ratio which characterizes 1-look VHR SAR image products. The paper presents a hybrid approach considering both a pixel-based selection of likely-changed pixels and a segmentation-driven step based on the assumption that structural changes correspond to some clusters in a multiscale amplitude/texture representation. Experiments on simulated and true SAR image pairs demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach.
How bottlenecks shape adaptive potential: from theory and microbiology to conservation biology

1 Wild populations frequently undergo demographic changes that can challenge their 2 persistence and, thus, the equilibrium of ecosystems. For instance, habitat fragmentation 3 due to human activity leads to a drastic population size reduction, a process called a 4 bottleneck. By reducing genetic diversity, a bottleneck may prevent a population from 5 adapting to subsequent environmental changes. In the context of climate change, it is 6 crucial to accurately predict how a wild population evolves after a bottleneck and how it 7 aﬀects its persistence. Mathematical models have provided valuable insights into the im-8 pact of bottlenecks on the adaptive potential of populations. However, their application to 9 wild populations requires further improvement as these theoretical predictions have been 10 mostly experimentally tested with microbial populations. Thus, it remains unclear what 11 the implications of the theoretical predictions are at the macroscopic scale, although these 12 predictions are crucial for conservation biology. This review aims to determine how the 13 knowledge acquired through evolutionary theory and experimental microbiology applies 14 to wild populations. To achieve this aim, we address the following questions: (i) What 15 do theory and microbiology experiments tell us about the impact of bottlenecks on the 16 ability of populations to adapt to future environmental changes? (ii) Do these theoretical 17 predictions apply to wild populations? and (iii) What is missing to better predict the evo-18 lution of wild populations after a bottleneck? We analyze how the four main evolutionary 19 processes (i.e., mutation, genetic drift, natural selection, and gene ﬂow) impact the fate
Clinical and Functional Results of Lateral Ulnar Collateral Ligament Repair for Posterolateral Rotatory Instability of the Elbow

Background Posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow arises from damage to the lateral ulnar collateral ligament (LUCL). While various methods exist for reconstructing or repairing the LUCL's attachment to the humerus, the most effective approach remains debatable. This study aims to assess the outcomes of directly repairing the LUCL when the injury occurs at the humeral attachment. Methodology This retrospective study, conducted at the Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust NHS hospital in Reading, UK, assessed outcomes through a review of 15 patients who underwent direct repair of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament between 2017 and 2022, evaluating a range of motion, the Mayo Elbow Performance Score, and the Nestor grading system. Results This study included nine males and six females, with an average age of 38.8 years. Most LUCL injuries arose from elbow dislocation (46.7%). The average follow-up period for patients was 26 months. At the final assessment, the mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score reached 99. According to the Nestor grading system, 12 patients achieved excellent results, and three had good outcomes. On average, there was an 11.3° loss of final extension and 5° of final flexion, yet achieving a comparable pronation-supination arch to the contralateral side. Conclusion Direct repair of the LUCL for elbow posterolateral rotary instability yielded excellent outcomes, obviating ligament reconstruction. Recognized as minimally invasive, it accelerates recovery, minimizes trauma, and offers a cost-effective procedure for managing instability.
A Review of Main Affecting Factors and Control Measures of Meat Safety

The safety of meat has become one of the social concerns of today s society and will continue to be a tremendous challenge for us in the future.This article reviews main factors that affect meat safety,such as pesticide residues,veterinary drug residues,pathogens and so on.In addition,some control measures for meat safety are proposed.
Onchocerciasis Drug Discovery: In Vitro Evaluation of FDA-Approved Drugs against Onchocerca gutturosa in Gambia

Onchocerciasis treatment and control relies mainly on the use of ivermectin which has high activity against the microfilarial stage of Onchocerca volvulus but limited activity against the long-lived, tissue dwelling adult nematodes. As this neglected tropical disease has now been targeted for elimination, there is an urgent need for new drugs to combat these parasites, ideally with macrofilaricidal activity. In this study, we have examined the anti-Onchocerca activity of a range of existing FDA-approved drugs with a view to repurposing, which can lead to rapid and relatively inexpensive development. From the Pharmakon-1600 library, 106 drugs were selected and tested against O. gutturosa adult male parasites using a concentration of 1.25 × 10−5 M in an in vitro 5-day standard assay to assess motility and viability (using MTT/formazan colorimetry). The findings revealed that 44 drugs produced marginal/moderate activity (50–99% motility and/or MTT reductions) including cefuroxime sodium, methenamine, primaquine phosphate and rivastigmine tartrate, while 23 drugs produced good activity (100% motility reductions and significant MTT reductions), including atovaquone, isradipine, losartan, rifaximin, cefaclor and pyrantel pamoate. Although this study represents only a first step, some of the identified hits indicate there are potential anti-Onchocerca drug candidates worthy of further investigation.
Photocatalysis of Nickel-Based Graphene/Au/ZnO Nanocomposites

Gold (Au) nanoparticles were deposited on the 3D Nickel (Ni)/graphene composites by soaking the composites in the Au nanoparticles solutions and the ZnO nanostructures with different morphologies were fabricated on Ni/graphene/Au by the hydrothermal processing. The photocatalytic performance of Ni/graphene/Au/ZnO nanocomposites was investigated and the one with ZnO nanoplates exhibited optimal photocatalytic performance toward methyl orange (MO) under simulated sunlight, revealing superior apparent degradation rate constant Kapp about 1.5-fold higher compared with that of the nanocomposite without Au incorporated. The influence of Au nanoparticles and hydrothermal processing time on the ZnO nanostructures morphology and structure as well as the photocatalysis mechanism were discussed in detail. The incorporation of Au nanoparticles induced reduction of ZnO bandgap due to the generation of remarkable valence band tail states, and ZnO crystallinity revealed a strong dependence on its morphology. Meanwhile, the combining effect of incorporation of Au nanoparticles and optimization of ZnO nanostructures morphology would not only facilitate the electron transfer from ZnO to Au but also enhance the photo-generated electron storage, suppressing the electron-hole pairs recombination and improving the photocatalytic performance. The study provided an easy-handling way for the fabrication of noble metal incorporated, hybrid carbon–semiconductor-based photocatalysts.
Foreign Direct Investment’s Effect on Research & Development Spending in Middle-Income Countries

This research delves into the intricate relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows and Research and Development (R&D) spending in middle-income countries, with a particular focus on the concept of the “middle-income trap. ” R&D spending is a key input for innovating and the creation of indigenous technology, which is key for middle-income countries to avoid the middle-income trap and advance towards high-income status. The study aims to determine whether FDI inflows act as a catalyst or a hindrance for R&D spending within the middle-income world. Utilizing Pooled Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to analyze data across various middle-income nations, a negative correlation between FDI inflows and R&D spending emerges. This counterintuitive result challenges the prevailing notion that FDI invariably promotes domestic innovation and raises questions about its role in potentially perpetuating the middle-income trap. These findings carry profound implications for both theoretical understanding and practical policy-making. They suggest that middle-income countries need to exercise caution in embracing FDI, balancing it with initiatives that foster domestic innovation capabilities. This approach could be pivotal in enabling these countries to successfully transition to high-income status, avoiding the stagnation often associated with the middle-income trap.
Herbicide Bioassay Using a Multi-Well Plate and Plant Spectral Image Analysis

A spectral image analysis has the potential to replace traditional approaches for assessing plant responses to different types of stresses, including herbicides, through non-destructive and high-throughput screening (HTS). Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a rapid bioassay method using a multi-well plate and spectral image analysis for the diagnosis of herbicide activity and modes of action. Crabgrass (Digitaria ciliaris), as a model weed, was cultivated in multi-well plates and subsequently treated with six herbicides (paraquat, tiafenacil, penoxsulam, isoxaflutole, glufosinate, and glyphosate) with different modes of action when the crabgrass reached the 1-leaf stage, using only a quarter of the recommended dose. To detect the plant’s response to herbicides, plant spectral images were acquired after herbicide treatment using RGB, infrared (IR) thermal, and chlorophyll fluorescence (CF) sensors and analyzed for diagnosing herbicide efficacy and modes of action. A principal component analysis (PCA), using all spectral data, successfully distinguished herbicides and clustered depending on their modes of action. The performed experiments showed that the multi-well plate assay combined with a spectral image analysis can be successfully applied for herbicide bioassays. In addition, the use of spectral image sensors, especially CF images, would facilitate HTS by enabling the rapid observation of herbicide responses at as early as 3 h after herbicide treatment.
Strukturno i računalno istraživanje supramolekulskih interakcija u odabranim koordinacijskim spojevima kobalta(II) i nikla(II) s 3-klorpentan-2,4-dionatom i piridinoksimima

Pripravljeni su 3-klorpentan-2,4-dionatni (Cl-acac) koordinacijski spojevi nikla(II) i kobalta(II) s nizom piridinoksimskih liganada: (3-piridilaldok
A Field‐Based Analysis of Genetic Improvement for Grain Yield in Winter Wheat Cultivars Developed in the US Central Plains from 1992 to 2014

Progress in plant breeding programs is the result of creating and selecting new lines with novel allele combinations that perform better than their parents. This year-on-year improvement is known as genetic gain and is a function of genetic diversity, selection accuracy, selection intensity, and selection cycle time. To estimate the gain in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding in the US Central Plains, lines that were submitted to the collaborative Southern Regional Performance Nursery (SRPN) between 1992 and 2014 were grown in a common nursery for 3 yr at two locations in a single-replicate augmented block design. Moderate to high broad-sense heritability was observed for plant height (H2 = 0.88), heading date (H2 = 0.79), and grain yield (H2 = 0.41). From the common grow-out, genetic gain for yield over the time period was estimated at 1.1% yr−1, whereas individual breeding program genetic gain varied between 0.3 and 1.9% yr−1. Increases in Kansas state on-farm yields during the same period showed a nonsignificant trend of 0.13% yr−1 with large year-to-year variation. These results suggest that although progress is being made in US Central Plains breeding programs, a yield gap remains that could be attributable to genetic progress not being realized in on-farm production. T.W. Rife and J.A. Poland, Wheat Genetics Resource Center, Dep. of Plant Pathology, Kansas State Univ., 4024 Throckmorton Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506; R.A. Graybosch, USDA-ARS, Univ. of Nebraska, 251 Filley Hall, East Campus, Lincoln, NE 68583; J.A. Poland, Dep. of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506. Received 25 May 2018. Accepted 10 Dec. 2018. *Corresponding author ( jpoland@ksu.edu). Assigned to Associate Editor Weikai Yan. Abbreviations: BLUE, best linear unbiased estimate; i.i. d. , independent and identically distributed; SRPN, Southern Regional Performance Nursery. Published in Crop Sci. 59:905–910 (2019). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2018.01. 0073 © 2019 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Published May 16, 2019
Assessing Faculty Job Satisfaction and Retention in Private Colleges

This study aims to elucidate the impact of job satisfaction on faculty retention, which refers to private colleges capacity to retain its employees, particularly those who possess exceptional talent. Organizations implement a range of retention activities with the aim of retaining their staff. Retention activities can be characterized as a collection of efforts that are intended to enhance the level of organizational commitment among faculty staff, providing them with a wide range of ambitious possibilities to excel and develop. The maintenance of faculty retention is crucial for the ongoing viability of college operations and has the potential to serve as a significant competitive advantage for an organization over an extended period of time. The growth of the higher education system is being threatened by faculty unhappiness and a decline in the number of qualified individuals opting for a career in academia. Within the dynamic realm of higher education, the issue of faculty job satisfaction and retention in private colleges has gained significant relevance. It is crucial for educational institutions to not only attract highly skilled instructors but also retain them in order to maintain a consistent level of academic excellence and foster institutional growth. The primary objective of this research endeavor was to investigate the many aspects of faculty job satisfaction and retention inside private institutions. Additionally, the study sought to uncover potential relationships among these dimensions. The reported findings offer valuable insights into key facets of faculty life within these institutions, offering potential guidance for the development of policies and procedures aimed at improving both teacher satisfaction and long-term dedication. This study article aims to examine the correlation between faculty job satisfaction and retention in private colleges located in Pune, Maharashtra.
Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on soil enzyme activity is coupled with increased plant biomass

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a mutualistic association with plant roots by improving phosphorus (P) uptake of the host plant. Previous studies demonstrated that AMF exert various influences on soil enzyme activity; however, quantification of these effects has not been published to date. This study explored the effect of AMF on soil enzyme activity by meta‐analysis of a current dataset. The AMF inoculation increased the activities of most soil enzymes, with the exception of polyphenol oxidase. Across all observations, AMF enhanced soil enzyme activity optimally at smaller soil available P and neutral soil pH conditions. This effect was positively correlated with the increasing ratios of soil available P and plant biomass. The results of this study indicate that AMF can enhance the release of soil nutrients required for plant growth in response to increased soil enzyme activity. The results obtained emphasize that the effect of AMF on soil enzyme activity is strongly abiotic context‐dependent and coupled with beneficial effects for plant growth. This has relevant implications for AMF application for sustainable agriculture.
What prevents organisations from achieving e-HRM potential?

Use of electronic human resource management (e-HRM) offers the prospect of enabling the human resource management (HRM) function to take on a strategic partner’s role in organisations. Despite the pervasive expansion of e-HRM use, there is no clear understanding of why organisations are not achieving e-HRM potential. We address this issue by investigating e-HRM adoption factors and their influence on information technology (IT) use potential to automate, informate and transform the HRM function in a sequential manner. In particular, we examine HRM professionals’ experiences with e-HRM use, including challenges, successes, and outcomes. We identified e-HRM adoption factors that enable and that constrain each stage of e-HRM use. With a focus on the inhibiting factors, our findings suggest that e-HRM potential hindered already in the automation stage diminishes e-HRM potential to subsequently informate and to transform the e-HRM function.
The impact of a continent's longitudinal extent on tropical precipitation

We examine how the longitudinal extent of a subtropical continent impacts the distribution of tropical precipitation in two aquaplanet general circulation models. In the simpler model, the addition of land decreases evaporation and precipitation in the hemisphere with the continent, and the precipitation response scales with the continent's extent. In the more comprehensive model, tropical precipitation has zonal variation due to the downstream response of clouds to land. As the continental extent increases, this cloud response weakens and the Intertropical Convergence Zone becomes more zonal and shifts to the continent. The different precipitation responses in the two models indicate the importance of radiative feedbacks in modifying tropical circulation in models.
PROPOSTA DE UMA ESTRUTURA DE BALANCED SCORECARD PARA UMA COOPERATIVA AGROPECUÁRIA DO NOROESTE DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL

To investigate how the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) management tool can assist managers in defining, measuring and controlling the performance indicators of an agricultural cooperative Northwest RS. We conducted a descriptive study through a field study with a qualitative approach. The findings of the study demonstrated an alignment between the practical use of the BSC and what is recommended in the literature, to which it appears that the BSC is a form of assessment of usable performance in the cooperative, and provide a broad view of strategic control company. The use of the BSC enables managers to expand the cooperative control over organizational performance, since from the annual review of the strategic restructuring plan, we can propose further strategies that can enhance the structure of BSC proposal.
Lieux et moment d’insémination de Glossina palpalis palpalis (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) en secteur forestier de Côte d’Ivoire

Spermathecae of female Glossina palpalis palpalis were examined to obtain data on their insemination. The study was conducted near the village of Zomenin in the forest area of Daloa (lat. 7-6° N, long. 7-8° W) in Cote d’Ivoire. Glossina were caught with Vavoua traps in four types of tsetse fly biotopes: coffee plantation (pupa site), edge between coffee plantation and forest, footpaths, and village outskirts. Out of 9175 Glossina examined, only a few had empty spermathecae (0.83%). The majority of virgin Glossina were immature females, which therefore had not fed yet (93.42%). They were mainly collected on pupa sites (71.05%) or on their edges (19.74%). No virgin female was found among Glossina that were 10 to 39 days of age. On the other hand, 0.05% of the 4460 very old Glossina (i.e. over 40 days of age) had empty spermathecae. Results suggest that Glossina insemination took place in pupa sites, a few days only after emergence of the imago (1-3 days). In addition, females of this species seemed to have mated before their first blood meal on the very site of emergence.