bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Potentials of Agro-Industry for Growth Promotion and Equality Improvement in Indonesia
Authors:   Faculty of Agriculture, Lambung Mangkurat Unviversity, Fatah Luthfi
Published: February 2023

Despite its significant roles in accumulating and sustaining growth, agriculture's contribution to GDP and employment inevitably decreases as the economy grows. One possible strategy to promote the welfare of the agricultural sectors as well attain overall economic growth is by the development of agro-industry. Earlier research findings have contended that agro-industry improves income equality while still maintaining economic growth. This article uses empirical data in a Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) framework to verify these findings. The results reveal that agro-industry is indeed an appropriate vehicle for pursuing the goals of growth promotion and income equality.
Enforcing TRIPS in Asia: The Implications for Agricultural Trade and Development, and an Agenda for Effective Compliance
Authors:   Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippines, Beronio Ronilo , Payumo Jane ,   Philippine Rice Research Institute, Philippines
Published: February 2023

In accordance with its mandate to ensure the production and trade of better and competitively priced goods and services around the world, the World Trade Organization has to enforce several multilateral agreements, one of which is that on the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Geared towards protecting the intellectual property rights (IPR) of inventors and authors on goods traded worldwide, TRIPS sets minimum standards of IPR protection, which member countries can legislate. Due to the difficulty in estimating the impact of TRIPS on agriculture, it has spawned spirited debates among its proponents and critics since its implementation in 1995. Unfortunately, the bases of arguments from both sides about the impact of TRIPS on global goods trade in general, and on agricultural trade in particular, have been anecdotal. Although some economists have tried to develop models to analyze the impact of TRIPS on trade, their findings have been inconclusive. The same holds true as well with respect to the expected impact of TRIPS on agricultural trade and development. This paper examines the legal provisions of TRIPS and their implications on Asian agricultural trade and development. It also discusses other issues—not addressed by TRIPS but attributed to it, such as agriculture R&D, "bio-piracy", traditional knowledge and folklore, and plant breeder's rights—whose links to TRIPS have not been established by evidence, or are, at best, anecdotal. Documenting a specific application of TRIPS, the paper highlights the experience of the Philippines in the testing and commercialization of Bt corn, an agricultural biotechnology product developed and commercialized after TRIPS had gone into effect. The Philippine Bt corn experience provides some evidence that TRIPS and agricultural biotechnology—given the conducive environment of TRIPS-compliant domestic IPR laws, bio-safety policy regulations, information and education campaigns, and research and development—can have a positive impact on agricultural trade and development, even in a developing and agricultural country like the Philippines. Based on the analysis of the current impact of TRIPS on Asian agricultural trade and development, and the Bt corn experience of the Philippines, the paper proposes an Asian agenda for member countries, by which they can effectively deal with, and benefit from TRIPS.
Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture Systems in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam: An Analysis of Recent Trends
Authors:   Cantho University, Vietnam, Phong Le Thanh , Tri Le Quang ,   Cantho University, Vietnam, Udo Henk ,   Wageningen University, The Netherlands, van Mensvoort Martinus ,   Wageningen University, The Netherlands, Bosma Roel ,   Wageningen University, The Netherlands, van der Zijpp Akke ,   Wageningen University, The Netherlands, Nhan Dang Kieu ,   Mekong Delta Development Research Institute, Cantho University, Vietnam
Published: February 2023

In order to explain the trends in the development and farm attributes of Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture (IAA) systems in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam, a participatory community appraisal and two surveys are carried out in three districts with contrasting fish culture input systems. The first survey, undertaken in December 2002, covers 90 households; the second, held December 2004, covers 80 households. The factors driving changes in the farming systems are the introduction of modern rice varieties, the policy of economic liberalization, market demand, and natural disasters. The principal components of IAA systems in the Mekong Delta which the study examines are the land use intensity, market access, farm diversity, farm inputs, and household income. The study finds that the hard-to-change farm characteristics are the land use intensities of rice, orchard and cash crops. In contrast, the easy-to-change farm characteristics are the number of farm components, the land use intensity of fish ponds, on-farm family labor, off-farm and non-farm income, and farm inputs. The main drivers of the changes over the two years are market demand and a poultry disease outbreak (Avian Influenza). Well-off farmers with good farming practices and enough capital tend to intensify their farming practices, while the poorer farmers tend towards diversification in order to safeguard their livelihood and avoid risks.
Agriculture and Pro-Poor Growth: An Asian Perspective
Authors:   Thomas D. Cabot Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, Harvard University, USA, Timmer C. Peter
Published: February 2023

Imagine a region of the world where all food and agricultural products are sourced from international markets, and domestic agricultural sectors have disappeared. This "world without agriculture" is not imaginary. For many of the world's poorest countries, especially in Africa, a future without agriculture is increasingly being urged as the efficient path to development. Mark Rosenzweig, the new Director of Harvard's Center for International Development, asks at the broadest level: "Should Africa do any agriculture at all?" (Harvard Magazine, 2004, p. 57). Adrian Wood, Chief Economist for the Department for International Development (DfID) of the United Kingdom, envisions a "hollowed out" Africa, with most of the population on the coasts where they could more effectively produce manufactured exports (Wood 2002). Many macro economists, convinced of the power of rapid economic growth to lift populations out of poverty, see resources devoted to slow-growing agriculture as wasted. In a world of ample food supplies in world markets (some of it free as food aid) and increasingly open borders for trade, what is the role of agriculture in pro-poor growth?
Tropical Forests and Climate Change Mitigation: The Global Potential and Cases from the Philippines
Authors:   World Agroforestry Centre, Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines, Lasco Rodel
Published: February 2023

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC Fourth Assessment report has highlighted the role of tropical forests in mitigating climate change. Deforestation, especially in tropical countries, contributes about 20 percent to total global greenhouse gas emissions. Development projects geared to reduce the rate of deforestation and forest degradation, and to establish forest plantations will help reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and significantly contribute to mitigating climate change. Three cases of forestry carbon projects underway in the Philippines are presented to illustrate the constraints facing project developers in undertaking these climate change mitigation efforts. Among the key lessons identified are: the difficulty in establishing land eligibility, the need for partners or buyers from industrializedÂ countries to shoulder the transaction costs, and the crucial role of the local communities, including indigenous peoples, in the development effort.
Emerging Smallholder Rubber Farming Systems in India and Thailand: A Comparative Economic Analysis
Authors:   Gujarat Institute of Development Research, India, Viswanathan P.K.
Published: February 2023

This paper provides a comparative perspective on the performance of smallholder rubber farm livelihood systems based on case studies of two regions in India and Thailand. The analysis of the emerging farming systems in the two countries' rubber farms reveals that the rubber monocrop system is viable, provided prices remain remunerative and primary markets efficient. Findings further indicate the dominant contribution of rubber production to the gross household income of the rubber growers in the integrated farming systems. Nevertheless, from a sustainable livelihoods perspective, the socioeconomic significance of the rubber integrated farming systems assumes greater prominence, given the fact that small producers are highly vulnerable to market uncertainties. It has been found that rubber integrated livelihood systems provide the smallholders with ample capability for resilience during crises and ensure a sustained flow of income. The two case studies demonstrate the need to promote and scale up rubber integrated farm livelihood systems in the smallholder-dominated rubber producing countries in the Asian region. The paper also recommends enhancing the capabilities of the smallholders by strengthening their access to the five forms of capital that sustain their livelihood.
Technological and Institutional Changes in the Indonesian Rice Sector: From Intensification to Sustainable Revitalization
Authors:   Faculty of Economics, University of Pancasakti, Indonesia, Mariyono Joko
Published: February 2023

Agricultural development in Indonesia has been changing dynamically since the country's independence. This paper reviews the rice sector as part of agricultural development in Indonesia. It is remarkable that the agricultural sector was ignored when the oil boom benefited Indonesian economy. As revenues from oil dropped significantly, the agricultural sector emerged as an engine of economic growth in the 1980s. As staple food, rice was posited as top priority. Various rice intensification programs coinciding with the Green Revolution were launched, and several institutions were established to support these programs. The result was so significant that Indonesia was able to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 1983. But with the growing critical awareness about sustainable development, the intensification programs lost their relevance. The programs were replaced with an environmentally sound policy. However, as the industrial sector grew, again, the agricultural sector was neglected until an economic crisis hit Indonesia in 1997 and rice self-sufficiency could not be sustained. Realizing the importance of the agricultural sector, it is now being developed in equal measure as other sectors. Under the current administration, an agricultural revitalization program has been implemented, and in 2008, Indonesia has achieved rice self- sufficiency for the second time.
The Role of Labor Markets and Human Capital in Poverty Reduction: Evidence from Asia and Africa
Authors:   National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan, Otsuka Keijiro , Estudillo Jonna ,   National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan, Yamano Takashi ,   International Rice Research Institute
Published: February 2023

Using long-term panel data sets of rural households in the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Tamil Nadu (India), a short-term panel data set in Mozambique, and cross-section data sets in Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia, the roles of labor markets in the long-term process of poverty reduction in Asia were examined in comparison with the current situation in Africa. There are three main findings. First, reliance on agricultural labor markets alone will not reduce poverty to a significant extent, in view of the declining share of agricultural wage income in Asia and its negligibly low level in Africa. Second, an increased non-farm income is a decisive factor in reducing rural poverty because it has become the major source of the rise in household income. Third, labor markets are clearly segmented in accordance with the schooling levels, where the younger and more educated children are engaged in lucrative non-farm labor employment in order to capture the high returns in schooling in this sector.
Rice-prawn Farming System: Impacts on Soil Quality and Land Productivity for Modern Varieties of Paddy Production in Bangladesh
Authors:   Department of Economics, East West University, Barmon Basanta Kumar , Yamaguchi Junichi ,   Japan International Cooperation Agency, Kondo Takumi ,   Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Hokkaido, Japan, Osanami Fumio ,   Department of Agricultural Economics, Hokkaido University
Published: February 2023

The rice-prawn gher (RPG) farming system, locally known as the White Revolution, is an advanced, indigenous agricultural technology solely developed by local farmers in southwestern Bangladesh in the mid-1980s. This paper examined the impact of RPG farming on soil quality and land productivity of paddy production of modern varieties (MV) in Bangladesh. Two contrasting farming systems — RPG and year-round modern varieties (YRMV) — were considered. A total of 40 farmers (20 farmers from RPG and 20 from YRMV paddy farming) were randomly selected. Each of the sampled 20 RPG and 20 YRMV paddy farmers owned 30 farm plots. Soil sample collection procedures were conducted in two phases — at the beginning of paddy transplanting and during harvesting — in both farming systems. RPG farming has significant impacts on soil quality and land productivity in Bangladesh. The findings indicate that the leftover feeds of prawn production provide a significant amount of soil nutrients, such as nitrogen, soil organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, to soils in fields for paddy production under the RPG farming system. As a result, RPG farmers use comparatively less chemical fertilizers per unit of MV paddy production compared to YRMV farmers. Moreover, per unit yield of MV paddy was higher in RPG farming than in YRMV paddy farming.
Crisis-Adjustment Strategies Adopted by SMEs in Coping with the 2008-2009 Global Economic Crisis: The Case of Indonesia
Authors:   Center for Industry, SME & Business Competition Studies, University of Trisakti, Tambunan Tulus
Published: February 2023

This study explores crisis-adjustment strategies adopted by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia in coping with the 2008-2009 global economic crisis. For the purpose of the study, a field survey on export-oriented SMEs in the wood and rattan furniture industry was conducted. The furniture industry was chosen as it is among several industries in Indonesia severely affected by the crisis. From June 2008 to June 2009, export of Indonesian furniture declined significantly. The survey found that the highest-ranking adjustment measure taken by the majority of the respondents was seeking out new customers or markets. It also found that for those who made adjustments to their existing workforce, the most important form was reducing working time. Overall, it was found that uneducated and female workers were the most affected by the labor-adjustment measures.
A Discourse on Agricultural Intensification in the Mid-Hills of Nepal
Authors:   Kathmandu University, Nepal, Raut Nani , Bajracharya Roshan Man ,   Kathmandu University, Nepal, Sitaula Bishal Kumar ,   Agricultural University of Norway
Published: February 2023

Agricultural intensification is not as simple as the Boserupian process of agricultural change; rather it is a complex evolutionary process involving several interacting drivers. This article attempts to identify the gaps in the social, economic, and environmental effects of agricultural intensification in the mid-hills of Nepal by reviewing agricultural intensification, which emerged as a major subject of development discourse in livelihood improvement and environmental degradation in Nepal. Intensification of agriculture has provided improved economy, food security, employment opportunities, decision making, labor division, local institutions, and leaderships. However, with the aim of increasing production, the intensification process has almost overlooked essential environmental factors -- soil acidification, fertility decline, and greenhouse gas emissions have been accelerated. A path towards sustainable intensification would be possible through improvements in agricultural extension programs such as integrated pest management (IPM) and farmersâ€™ field schools. Indeed, good institutional systems make sustainable agricultural intensification economically feasible. Thus, such measures will probably encourage farmers and likely ensure economically- and environmentally-sound production, with the promise of sustainable agricultural intensification.
Economic Transformation of Agriculture in Asia: Past Performance and Future Prospects
Authors:   National Graduate Research Institute for Policy Studies, Otsuka Keijiro
Published: February 2023

As an economy develops, agriculture faces distinctly different problems: food insecurity, sectoral income inequality, and food trade deficits associated with declining comparative advantage. Fear of widespread famine was Asia's major agricultural problem in the 1960s, which was subsequently solved by the Green Revolution. As nonfarm sectors of the economy grew more rapidly than agriculture, an income gap appeared between farm and the nonfarm sectors; this gap has been reduced primarily by increasing nonfarm income of farm households and migration to urban areas. Advanced countries in Asia (i.e., Japan, Taiwan, and Korea) now face a third problem— trade deficits in agriculture, as reflected by the rapidly declining food self-sufficiency ratio. This foreshadows the problem facing other rapidly growing Asian countries in the future. Massive imports of food grains to Asia, if they occur, will aggravate the world food shortage and would have significant implications on climate change.
Supply Response and Investment in Agriculture in Andhra Pradesh
Authors:   International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Pandey Lalmani , Rao P. Parthasarathy ,   International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Birthal P.S. ,   International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Bantilan Cynthia ,   International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, Binswanger Hans
Published: February 2023

The study explored the response of aggregate farm output, input use, and farm investment decisions to output and input prices, wages, technological change, public investments, and climatic factors using district-level panel data of over 39 years from Andhra Pradesh. It confirms the low, short-run aggregate output supply elasticity of Indian agriculture as found in the literature. It validates the hypothesis that the relationships between public investment, financial institutions, and farm investment of labor and capital in agriculture have not changed over the years. The empirical estimates of aggregate output supply elasticity with respect to output price (0.2), roads (0.2), markets (0.11), and net irrigated area (0.05) are higher than previous findings for selected states in India. Aggregate agricultural output responds positively to credit availability (represented by banks) and canal irrigation, each with an elasticity of 0.01. The wage elasticity (0.3) on aggregate output is higher than price elasticity (0.2), indicating that the effects of rising wages outweigh the incentives offered by output price support. Climatic factors (e.g., rainfall) significantly affect fertilizer use and aggregate output while deviation from normal rainfall adversely affects aggregate output. The study substantiates previous findings that public investment in infrastructure and financial institutions respond to the agriculture potential and agro-climatic endowments of an area. A renewed focus, therefore, is required for better targeting of public investments in areas that are relatively resource poor and have harsh agro-climatic conditions for a more inclusive growth and rural poverty reduction.
Community Dynamics and Ecological Sensibility for Sustainable Mangrove Governance in Sinjai Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors:   Universitas Bakrie, Indonesia, Meilasari-Sugiana Astrid
Published: February 2023

To promote devolution and participation in natural resource governance, the government of Indonesia encourages the collective management of natural resources through self-governed local communes. It also promotes consensual decision-making over the use and allocation of natural resources at the village, district, and regency level. This approach, when coupled with the commercialization of Indonesiaâ€™s natural resources, is believed to encourage social inclusion, economic welfare, and ecological responsiveness. The case of Sinjaiâ€™s mangroves suggests that the presence of social institutions can stimulate social sensibility, encourage attachment to the natural landscape, and instigate collective responsibility for protecting the local mangroves. Community initiatives for mangrove planting within the village of Tongke Tongke emerged due to wave intrusion, soil erosion, and material loss. The hope to create new land and own mangrove trees sustained the motivation for land restoration and led to the initiation of the Aku Cinta Indonesia (ACI) mangrove organization. The ACI organization, whose aim is to establish clearly defined property and user rights for safeguarding the cultivatorsâ€™ hard work, provides community members with pride, identity, and platforms for mangrove conservation. Although the mangrove plots are privately owned by the 117 ACI members, they are also collectively managed and conserved by the multiple resource users across the landscape. In Tongke Tongke, social institutions and local rules came into play and the people committed to protect the mangroves on behalf of the community. These social institutions took the form of kinship ties, collective identity, symbolic reciprocity, social responsibility, and ecological sensibility. The mangroves were not free access, but governed by formal and informal rules to maintain its benefits for the good of the community. The community, through the elders, determined the access and made decisions about management on behalf of them all. Community members acted in a way that benefited the overall good even when they were avowing individual rights. Individuals evolved behaviors that were commensurate with their responsibilities, leading to innovative power structures that were locally sensitive and environmentally appropriate.
The conjoint/disjoint alternation in Babanki
Authors: Akumbu Pius W.
Published: February 2023

The conjoint (cj)/disjoint (dj) alternation, extensively documented in Narrow Bantu (see van der Wal & Hyman 2017 and references cited therein), Adamawa (Elders 2006), Benue-Kwa (Manfredi 2005), Nilo-Saharan (Joswig 2015), Gur (Fiedler 2017) has been reported in Bantoid only in Aghem and Ejagham (Anderson 1979, Watters 1979, Hyman & Watters 1984). Akumbu, Hyman & Kießling (2020) identify a much more extensive case, where the cj/dj contrast characterizes the affirmative perfective of all past, present and future tenses in Babanki, a Grassfields Bantu language of North-West Cameroon. Based on data I have compiled as a native speaker, in collaboration with four other native speakers, this study outlines the characteristics and conditions surrounding the choice of one form over the other in specific contexts. This detailed study reveals that the cj form encodes term focus since Babanki lacks a dedicated focus marker of the sort documented in closely related Aghem (Hyman 2010) and Isu (Kießling 2010) while the dj form is used contrastively with truth value focus and when the truth value is part of the assertion (i.e. not presupposed).
Yoruba ni and si: An asymmetry in the class of prepositions
Authors: Amaechi Mary , Arokoyo Bolanle E.
Published: February 2023

This paper examines two grammatical elements ní and sí which have been considered as prepositions in the grammar of Yoruba (Benue-Congo). We argue that these two elements belong to different word classes; ní is a preposition, while sí is a verb. We present novel data that show syntactic asymmetries that exist between the two elements: behavior under extraction, the possibility of pseudocleft formation, the order of the phrases in a clause, iteration, formation of complex prepositions, and subcategorization. The ní-phrase acts like an adjunct phrase but this is not so with the sí-phrase. The adjunct phrase is a prepositional phrase headed by ní. It is demonstrated that the preposition constitutes a phase head in Yoruba, thus movement out of the PP is banned which explains the lack of preposition stranding with ní. The element sí, on the other hand, can be stranded. It is argued that sí is the non-initial verb in a serial verb construction.
Disintegration of Long-period Comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard)
Authors: Jewitt David , Kim Yoonyoung , Mattiazzo Michael , Mutchler Max , Li Jing , Agarwal Jessica
Published: February 2023

We present imaging observations of the disintegrating long-period comet C/2021 A1 (Leonard). High-resolution observations with the Hubble Space Telescope show no evidence for surviving fragments, and place a 3σ upper limit on their possible radius of ∼60 m (albedo 0.1 assumed). In contrast, wide-field observations from the Swan Hill Observatory, Australia, show an extensive debris cloud, the cross section and estimated mass of which are consistent with complete disintegration of the nucleus near 2021 mid-December (at about 0.8 au). Two methods give the pre-disruption radius of the nucleus, r

n
= 0.6 ± 0.2 km. Tidal, collisional, sublimation, and pressure-confined explosion models provide implausible explanations of the disintegration. However, rotational instability driven by outgassing torques has a very short timescale (∼0.1 yr) given the orbit and size of the nucleus of C/2021 A1, and offers the most plausible mechanism for the disruption. Initial rotational breakup is accelerated by the exposure and strong sublimation of previously buried volatiles, leading to catastrophic destruction of the nucleus.
Single- and Double-electron Capture Cross Sections for O6+ Ion in Collisions with H2 Molecules
Authors: Gao J. W. , Qi Y. Y. , Wu Y. , Wang J. G.
Published: February 2023

Single- and double-electron capture (SEC and DEC) processes occurring in O6+ and H2 collisions are investigated in a wide-energy domain ranging from 0.1 to 100 keV u−1. Total and partial cross sections are calculated using a three-center, two-active-electron, semiclassical nonperturbative approach. To date, our close-coupling description of the collision is the most elaborate one in terms of accounting for electron correlation, molecular structures, and active channels. Our results are, in general, in good agreement with the available experimental ones for both total and partial cross sections. The comparison between the present calculations and available experimental data suggests that about 70% of the autoionization double capture may contribute to the measured SEC cross sections through postcollisional autoionization, while the stabilization of 30% of doubly excited states via the autotransfer to Rydberg states mechanism contributes to the measured DEC ones. Furthermore, we extend the understanding of the electron-capture processes on this system to impact energies above 20 keV u−1 for which no data exists. Our work provides new data for these electronic processes, which will be helpful for modeling astrophysical X-ray emissions induced by charge exchange.
A Multiwavelength Study of Active Galactic Nuclei in Post-merger Remnants
Authors: Li Wenhao , Nair Preethi , Irwin Jimmy , Ellison Sara , Satyapal Shobita , Drory Niv , Jones Amy , Keel William , Masters Karen , Stark David , Ryan Russell , Mukundan Kavya
Published: February 2023

We investigate the role of galaxy mergers in triggering active galactic nuclei (AGN) in the nearby universe. Our analysis is based on a sample of 79 post-merger remnant galaxies with deep X-ray observations from Chandra/XMM-Newton capable of detecting a low-luminosity AGN of ≥1040.5 erg s−1. This sample is derived from a visually classified, volume-limited sample of 807 post-mergers identified in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 14 with log M
*/M
⊙ ≥ 10.5 and 0.02 ≤ z ≤ 0.06. We find that the X-ray AGN fraction in this sample is 55.7% ± 5.6% compared to 23.6% ± 2.8% for a mass- and redshift-matched noninteracting control sample. The multiwavelength AGN fraction (identified as an AGN in one of X-ray, IR, radio or optical diagnostics) for post-mergers is 76.6% ± 4.8% compared to 39.1% ± 3.2% for controls. Thus post-mergers exhibit a high overall AGN fraction with an excess between 2 and 4 depending on the AGN diagnostics used. In addition, we find most optical, IR, and radio AGN are also identified as X-ray AGN while a large fraction of X-ray AGN are not identified in any other diagnostic. This highlights the importance of deep X-ray imaging to identify AGN. We find that the X-ray AGN fraction of post-mergers is independent of the stellar mass above log M
*/M
⊙ ≥ 10.5 unlike the trend seen in control galaxies. Overall, our results show that post-merger galaxies are a good tracer of the merger–AGN connection and strongly support the theoretical expectations that mergers trigger AGN.
Tests of Loop Quantum Gravity from the Event Horizon Telescope Results of Sgr A*
Authors: Afrin Misba , Vagnozzi Sunny , Ghosh Sushant G.
Published: February 2023

The Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration’s image of the compact object at the Galactic center is the first direct evidence of the supermassive black hole (BH) Sgr A*. The shadow of Sgr A* has an angular diameter d
sh = 48.7 ± 7 μas with fractional deviation from the Schwarzschild BH shadow diameter

δ
=
−

0.08

−
0.09

+
0.09

,
−

0.04

−
0.10

+
0.09

(for the VLTI and Keck mass-to-distance ratios). Sgr A*'s shadow size is within 10% of Kerr predictions, equipping us with yet another tool to analyze gravity in the strong-field regime, including testing loop quantum gravity (LQG). We use Sgr A*'s shadow to constrain the metrics of two well-motivated LQG-inspired rotating BH (LIRBH) models characterized by an additional deviation parameter L

q
, which recover the Kerr spacetime in the absence of quantum effects (L

q
→ 0). When increasing the quantum effects through L

q
, the shadow size increases monotonically, while the shape gets more distorted, allowing us to constrain the fundamental parameter L

q
. We use the astrophysical observables shadow area A and oblateness D to estimate the BH parameters. It may be useful in extracting additional information about LIRBHs. While the EHT observational results completely rule out the wormhole region in LIRBH-2, a substantial parameter region of the generic BHs in both models agrees with the EHT results. We find that the upper bounds on L

q
obtained from the shadow of Sgr A*—L

q
≲ 0.0423 and L

q
≲ 0.0821 for the two LIRBHs, respectively—are more stringent than those obtained from the EHT image of M87*.
Analysis Methods to Localize and Characterize X-Ray Sources with the Microchannel X-Ray Telescope on Board the SVOM Satellite
Authors: Hussein Shaymaa , Robinet Florent , Boutelier Martin , Götz Diego , Gros Aleksandra , Schneider Benjamin
Published: February 2023

The Space-based multiband astronomical Variableonboard computing resources. This Object Monitor (SVOM) is a Sino–French space mission targeting high-energy transient astrophysical objects such as gamma-ray bursts. The soft X-ray part of the spectrum is covered by the Microchannel X-ray Telescope (MXT), which is a narrow field telescope designed to localize X-ray sources precisely. This paper presents the methods implemented on board to characterize and localize X-ray sources with the MXT. A specific localization method was developed to accommodate the optical system of the MXT, which is based on “Lobster Eye” grazing incidence micropore optics. For the first time, the algorithm takes advantage of cross-correlation techniques to achieve a localization accuracy down to 2′ with fewer than 200 photons, which guarantees rapid follow-up for most of the gamma-ray bursts that SVOM will observe. In this paper, we also study the limitations of the algorithm and characterize its performance.
Hunting for Neighboring Open Clusters with Gaia DR3: 101 New Open Clusters within 500 pc
Authors: Qin 秦 Songmei 松梅 , Zhong 钟 Jing 靖 , Tang 唐 Tong 通 , Chen 陈 Li 力
Published: February 2023

We systematically searched for open clusters in the solar neighborhood within 500 pc using the pyUPMASK and HDBSCAN clustering algorithms based on Gaia DR3. Taking into consideration that the physical size for most open clusters is less than 50 pc, we adopted a slicing approach for different distance shells and identified 324 neighboring open clusters, including 223 reported open clusters and 101 newly discovered open clusters, named here as the Open Cluster of Solar Neighborhood. Our discovery has increased the number of open clusters in the solar neighborhood by about 45%. In this work, larger spatial extents and more member stars were attained for our cluster sample. We provided the member stars and the membership probabilities through the pyUPMASK algorithm for each cluster and derived their astrophysical, age, and structural parameters.
SN 2019ewu: A Peculiar Supernova with Early Strong Carbon and Weak Oxygen Features from a New Sample of Young SN Ic Spectra
Authors: Williamson Marc , Vogl Christian , Modjaz Maryam , Kerzendorf Wolfgang , Singhal Jaladh , Boland Teresa , Burke Jamison , Chen Zhihao , Hiramatsu Daichi , Galbany Lluís , Gonzalez Estefania Padilla , Howell D. Andrew , Jha Saurabh W. , Kwok Lindsey A. , McCully Curtis , Newsome Megan , Pellegrino Craig , Rho Jeonghee , Terreran Giacomo , Wang Xiaofeng
Published: February 2023

With the advent of high-cadence, all-sky automated surveys, supernovae (SNe) are now discovered closer than ever to their dates of explosion. However, young premaximum light follow-up spectra of Type Ic SNe (SNe Ic), probably arising from the most-stripped massive stars, remain rare despite their importance. In this Letter, we present a set of 49 optical spectra observed with the Las Cumbres Observatory through the Global Supernova Project for 6 SNe Ic, including a total of 17 premaximum spectra, of which 8 are observed more than a week before V-band maximum light. This data set increases the total number of publicly available premaximum-light SN Ic spectra by 25%, and we provide publicly available SNID templates that will significantly aid in the fast identification of young SNe Ic in the future. We present a detailed analysis of these spectra, including Fe ii 5169 velocity measurements, O i 7774 line strengths, and continuum shapes. We compare our results to published samples of stripped SNe in the literature and find one SN in our sample that stands out. SN 2019ewu has a unique combination of features for an SN Ic: an extremely blue continuum, high absorption velocities, a P Cygni–shaped feature almost 2 weeks before maximum light that TARDIS radiative transfer modeling attributes to C ii rather than Hα, and weak or nonexistent O i 7774 absorption feature until maximum light.
Precise Empirical Determination of Metallicity Dependence of Near-infrared Period–Luminosity Relations for RR Lyrae Variables
Authors: Bhardwaj Anupam , Marconi Marcella , Rejkuba Marina , de Grijs Richard , Singh Harinder P. , Braga Vittorio F. , Kanbur Shashi , Ngeow Chow-Choong , Ripepi Vincenzo , Bono Giuseppe , De Somma Giulia , Dall’Ora Massimo
Published: February 2023

RR Lyrae variables are excellent Population II distance indicators thanks to their well-defined period–luminosity relations (PLRs) at infrared wavelengths. We present results of near-infrared (NIR) monitoring of Galactic globular clusters to empirically quantify the metallicity dependence of NIR PLRs for RR Lyrae variables. Our sample includes homogeneous, accurate, and precise photometric data for 964 RR Lyrae variables in 11 globular clusters covering a large metallicity range (Δ[Fe/H] ∼ 2 dex). We derive JHK

s
-band period–luminosity–metallicity (PLZ) and period–Wesenheit–metallicity (PWZ) relations anchored using 346 Milky Way field RR Lyrae stars with Gaia parallaxes, and simultaneously solved for independent distances to globular clusters. We find a significant metallicity dependence of ∼0.2 mag dex−1 in the JHK

s
-band PLZ and PWZ relations for RR Lyrae stars independent of the adopted metallicity scale. The metallicity coefficients and the zero-points of the empirical PLZ and PWZ relations are in excellent agreement with the predictions from the horizontal branch evolution and pulsation models. Furthermore, RR Lyrae–based distances to our sample of globular clusters are also statistically consistent with other independent measurements in the literature. Our recommended empirical JHK

s
-band PLZ relations for RR Lyrae stars with periods of fundamental mode pulsation (P
f) are:

M

J

=

−
0.44

(
±
0.03
)
−
1.83

(
±
0.02
)
log

(

P

f

)

+
0.20

(
±
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0.74

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2.29

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0.19

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0.80

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2.37

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0.18

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Novel gene re-arrangement in the mitochondrial genome of Pisidia serratifrons (Anomura, Galatheoidea, Porcellanidae) and phylogenetic associations in Anomura
Authors: lü Jiayin , Dong Xiangli , Li Jiji , Ye Yingying , Xu Kaida
Published: February 2023

To improve the taxonomy and systematics of Porcellanidae within the evolution of Anomura, we describe the complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) sequence of Pisidia serratifrons, which is 15,344 bp in size, contains the entire set of 37 genes and has an AT-rich region. Compared with the pancrustacean ground pattern, at least five gene clusters (or genes) are significantly different with the typical genes, involving eleven tRNA genes and four PCGs and the tandem duplication/random loss and recombination models were used to explain the observed large-scale gene re-arrangements. The phylogenetic results showed that all Porcellanidae species clustered together as a group with well nodal support. Most Anomura superfamilies were found to be monophyletic, except Paguroidea. Divergence time estimation implies that the age of Anomura is over 225 MYA, dating back to at least the late Triassic. Most of the extant superfamilies and families arose during the late Cretaceous to early Tertiary. In general, the results obtained in this study will contribute to a better understanding of gene re-arrangements in Porcellanidae mitogenomes and provide new insights into the phylogeny of Anomura.
New records of two roughy fish species of Hoplostethus and a confirmed record of H. crassispinus Kotlyar, 1980 (Trachichthyiformes, Trachichthyidae) from Taiwan
Authors: Su Yo , Lin Hsiu-Chin , Ho Hsuan-Ching
Published: February 2023

Two rarely caught species of the roughy fish genus Hoplostethus have been identified for the first time in the fish collections of Taiwan. The first, H. grandperrini Roberts & Gomon, 2012 was previously known only from two type specimens collected in the Southern Hemisphere off the coast of New Caledonia. Its distribution is now extended to the Northern Hemisphere off the coast of Pingtung, southern Taiwan. Our specimen represents the only record of this species since its initial description. The second, H. robustispinus Moore & Dodd, 2010 was originally described from a single specimen collected in the Philippines and was only known from the type locality and a single record off the Paracel Islands, South China Sea. This specimen represents the third record of the species since its original description. A single specimen of H. crassispinus Kotlyar, 1980, whose name has long appeared in the ichthyological literature of Taiwan and adjacent areas, was also identified as the first specimen-based record for Taiwan. Detailed descriptions of these species are provided and compared with available data of respective type specimens and related species, with intraspecific variations also discussed. Also included is a dichotomous key to all known species of the subgenus Hoplostethus in Taiwan.
Do antimicrobial peptide levels alter performance of insect-based aquaculture feeds – a study using genetic models of insect immune activation
Authors: Sibinga N.A. , Lee M.T. , Buchon N. , Johnson E.L. , Selvaraj V. , Marquis H.
Published: February 2023

Insect meals are an increasingly common ingredient in pet food and animal feeds. Some studies have reported increased resistance to disease in animals fed insect-based diets, but the mechanisms of this effect have only rarely been investigated. We hypothesised that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) naturally present in insects contribute to disease resistance. AMPs are part of the insect immune response, and as such their levels differ dramatically depending on the state of immune activation. In this study, transgenic fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) lines were used to generate insect-based feeds with high and low AMP levels. Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were fed these insect diets and challenged by immersion with Yersinia ruckeri to assess changes in disease resistance. Survival rates of fish fed the high AMP insect diet were not significantly different from those fed the low AMP insect diet, though there were trends towards higher survival and lower Y. ruckeri load in the intestines of fish fed the high AMP diet. The fish intestinal microbiomes were studied in challenged and mock-challenged fish. In mock-challenged fish, no differences were apparent between the microbiomes of each diet group. In Y. ruckeri challenged fish, however, the intestinal microbial communities differed between fish fed the low and high AMP diets at each time point after infection. Overall, despite its limitations, this study offers a prospective view of how to leverage the genetic tools and experimental approaches present in the Drosophila community for research in commonly farmed insects (e.g. Hermetia illucens and Tenebrio molitor).
«E ordinò di farne panni coi quali coprire le sue parti peccaminose»: alcuni appunti di lettura sulla Cantiga de Santa María del monaco blasfemo di Odemira (327)
Authors: Negri Manuel
Published: February 2023

Tra le varie Cantigas de Santa Maria localizzate in Portogallo, la n. 327 costituisce ancora oggi un enigma quanto alle fonti che l’avrebbero potuta ispirare e ai motivi capaci di darle significato: si tratta della storia di un religioso punito per aver voluto ricavare delle mutande da una tovaglia d’altare. Questo contributo mira a orientare il lettore nella ricostruzione delle eredità culturali proprie dei motivi presenti nella Cantiga, sia attraverso un confronto con paralleli narrativi che potrebbero richiamare i punti salienti della vicenda, sia richiamando motivi e credenze legate all’uso delle tovaglie d’altare utili per dare un senso all’agire del protagonista.
Algunas consideraciones sobre las Cantigas de Santa María y la espiritualidad franciscana
Authors: Sota Juan
Published: February 2023

En las últimas décadas se ha avanzado considerablemente en el estudio de las fuentes y métodos de trabajo del escritorio de Alfonso X. El proceso de creación de las Cantigas de Santa María coincidió con un período de gran expansión de las nuevas órdenes mendicantes en la península ibérica apoyadas por el monarca, siendo estas portadoras de toda una nueva visión de la espiritualidad cristiana. El presente estudio pretende analizar la presencia de las nuevas tendencias religiosas características del siglo xiii en esta obra del rey Sabio. Dada la fuerte influencia de la orden franciscana tanto en el ámbito intelectual castellano, como en el entorno cercano al monarca, nos centraremos en una posible lectura del proyecto general y algunas cantigas en particular en consonancia con la espiritualidad franciscana.
Nontarget impacts of insecticide-based population control of eastern spruce budworm (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on nontarget caterpillar communities and parasitism
Authors: Glaus Valentine , Nisole Audrey , Edwards Sara , Bélanger Sébastien , Johns Rob C. , Djoumad Abdelmadjid , Cusson Michel , Fournier Valérie , Martel Véronique
Published: February 2023

Narrow-spectrum insecticides are currently used to control populations of spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in eastern Canada. However, these could have nontarget impacts on other caterpillars – some of which may serve as alternative or alternate hosts to key parasitoids – that are also susceptible to control tactics. This study was conducted to determine how the insecticides, Bacillus thuringiensis variety kurstaki (Btk) and tebufenozide, used to control spruce budworm populations, impact caterpillar communities and associated parasitism rates. Post-treatment field sampling of caterpillars was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in New Brunswick, Canada, at sites treated with either Btk or tebufenozide and at control sites. Caterpillar species richness and abundance, community structure, and parasitism rates were assessed using molecular analyses for 659 collected caterpillars. We found that insecticide applications had no significant impact on abundance, species richness, or parasitism rate relative to the measurements made in the control sites. Nonetheless, a significantly higher caterpillar abundance and lower parasitism rate occurred in Btk-treated sites than in tebufenozide-treated sites. Overall, however, Btk and tebufenozide treatments did not negatively affect the non-budworm caterpillar community under the present conditions of low caterpillar densities, suggesting that parasitoids have alternative and alternate hosts after treatments that target the spruce budworm.
Determinants of renal papillary appearance in kidney stone formers: An in-depth examination
Authors: Bargagli Matteo , Pinto Francesco , De Leonardis Rossella , Ragonese Mauro , Totaro Angelo , Recupero Salvatore , Vittori Matteo , Bassi PierFrancesco , Gambaro Giovanni , Ferraro Pietro Manuel
Published: February 2023

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investi-gate the association between the urinary metabolic milieu and kidney stone recurrence with a validated papillary evaluation score (PPLA).Materials and methods: We prospectively enrolled 30 stone for-mers who underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery procedures. Visual inspection of the accessible renal papillae was performed to calculate PPLA score, based on the characterization of ductal plugging, surface pitting, loss of papillary contour and Randall’s plaque extension. Stone compositions, 24h urine collections and kidney stone events during follow-up were collected. Relative supersaturation ratios (RSS) for calcium oxalate (CaOx), brushite and uric acid were calculated using EQUIL-2. PPLA score > 3 was deﬁned as high.Results: Median follow-up period was 11 months (5, 34). PPLA score was inversely correlated with BMI (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.38, 0.91, p = 0.018), type 2 diabetes (OR 0.04, 95% CI 0.003, 0.58, p = 0.018) and history of recurrent kidney stones (OR 0.17, 95%CI 0.04, 0.75, p = 0.019). The associations between PPLA score, diabetes and BMI were not conﬁrmed after excluding patients with uric acid stones. Higher PPLA score was associated with lower odds of new kidney stone events during follow-up (OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.02, 1.00, p = 0.05). No other signiﬁcant correla-tions were found.Conclusions: Our results conﬁrm the lack of efﬁcacy of PPLA score in phenotyping patients affected by kidney stone disease or in predicting the risk of stone recurrence. Larger, long-term studies need to be performed to clarify the role of PPLA on the risk of stone recurrence.