Search

A family of k -dimensional subspaces of F q n with pairwise trivial intersection is called L -almost affinely disjoint (AAD) if each affine coset of a member of this family intersects with only at most L subspaces from the family. Liu et al. introduced the notion of AAD family, and investigated the lower and upper bounds of maximal such sets and conjectured that for any k , n and a large enough L = L (n , k) , there exists an [ n , k , L ] q -AAD family with size q n − 2 k in [Finite Fields Appl. 75 (2021), 101879]. Etzion and Zhang introduced covering Grassmannian codes (CGCs) for generalized combination networks [IEEE Trans. Inf. Theory, 65 (2019), 4131–4142.]. An α - (n , k , δ) q c covering Grassmannian code C is a set of k -dimensional subspaces of F q n , such that every set of α codewords of C spans a subspace of dimension at least k + δ. In this paper, we give a construction of AAD families and CGCs based on maximum rank metric codes and caps in projective geometries, and a recursive construction based on maximum rank metric codes. As a consequence, we prove that Liu et al.'s conjecture is still true for k ≥ 3 and n = 4 k , and improve lower bounds on maximum sizes of AAD families and lower bounds on maximum sizes of 3- (n , k , 2 k) q c covering Grassmannian codes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Annals of the Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists is the property of Polish Association of Agricultural & Agribusiness Economists and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Mycotoxins, harmful compounds produced by fungal pathogens, pose a severe threat to food safety and consumer health. Some commonly produced mycotoxins such as aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, fumonisins, trichothecenes, zearalenone, and patulin have serious health implications in humans and animals. Mycotoxin contamination is particularly concerning in regions heavily reliant on staple foods like grains, cereals, and nuts. Preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for a sustainable food supply. Chromatographic methods like thin layer chromatography (TLC), gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and liquid chromatography coupled with a mass spectrometer (LC/MS), are commonly used to detect mycotoxins; however, there is a need for on-site, rapid, and cost-effective detection methods. Currently, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), lateral flow assays (LFAs), and biosensors are becoming popular analytical tools for rapid detection. Meanwhile, preventing mycotoxin contamination is crucial for food safety and a sustainable food supply. Physical, chemical, and biological approaches have been used to inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxin production. However, new strains resistant to conventional methods have led to the exploration of novel strategies like cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) technology, polyphenols and flavonoids, magnetic materials and nanoparticles, and natural essential oils (NEOs). This paper reviews recent scientific research on mycotoxin toxicity, explores advancements in detecting mycotoxins in various foods, and evaluates the effectiveness of innovative mitigation strategies for controlling and detoxifying mycotoxins.

Sleep misperception is often observed in insomnia individuals (INS). The extent of misperception varies between different types of INS. The following paper comprised sections which will be aimed at studying the sleep EEG and compares it to subjective reports of sleep in individuals suffering from either psychophysiological insomnia or paradoxical insomnia and good sleeper controls. The EEG can be studied without any intervention (thus using the raw data) via either PSG or fine quantitative EEG analyses (power spectral analysis [PSA]), identifying EEG patterns as in the case of cyclic alternating patterns (CAPs) or by decorticating the EEG while scoring the different transient or phasic events (K-Complexes or sleep spindles). One can also act on the on-going EEG by delivering stimuli so to study their impact on cortical measures as in the case of event-related potential studies (ERPs). From the paucity of studies available using these different techniques, a general conclusion can be reached: sleep misperception is not an easy phenomenon to quantify and its clinical value is not well recognized. Still, while none of the techniques or EEG measures defined in the paper is available and/or recommended to diagnose insomnia, ERPs might be the most indicated technique to study hyperarousal and sleep quality in different types of INS. More research shall also be dedicated to EEG patterns and transient phasic events as these EEG scoring techniques can offer a unique insight of sleep misperception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The concept of circular economy has been gaining in popularity and interest among both scholars and policymakers. It is an alternative to today’s linear system and it focuses on reducing waste and minimizing the use of resources. The purpose of this paper is to present the challenges related to agricultural transformation towards circular economy, and to analyze the scope and nature of solutions that could be used under the CAP to support the integration of EU agriculture into the circular economy system. The study is based on a review of papers on circular economy (CE). The review enabled identifying the particularities of CE which showed the potential role for the CAP in implementing CE in agriculture. The conclusions from the research indicate that CAP instruments currently in place have a limited potential to support the adaptation of agriculture to the circular economy. However, it is possible to modify the support criteria so that they stimulate the integration of the EU agricultural sector into the economy model implemented in the EU. However, to accelerate this process, it is necessary to introduce more effective instruments in providing ecosystem services and mechanisms of cooperation with the industry.

This paper summarizes the practical impact of the College of American Pathologists, the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, and the Association for Molecular Pathology lung cancer biomarkers guidelines on the lung cancer approach in Canada, providing possible practical solutions for other similar health care systems in which scientific reality needs to be constantly balanced against economic reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, multiple novel applications have been developed using IEEE 802.15.4-based radio modules. In this paper, we focus on the maximum throughput that one can obtain with IEEE 802.15.4-based transceivers that operate in the license-free 2.4 GHz band using the 2450 direct-sequence spread spectrum physical layer. The results of the thorough maximum throughput analysis for single-hop and multi-hop data streaming scenarios in the beacon-enabled (with both contention access and contention-free periods) and nonbeacon-enabled networks are presented. The results of the analysis are compared with the results of the experiments, which were performed using contemporary IEEE 802.15.4 hardware transducers. Aside from defining the maximum possible throughput for the different scenarios, the presented data disclose the effect of various parameters on communication throughput and latency. The presented results reveal the capabilities of the IEEE 802.15.4 technology and enable one to estimate the feasibility of using the technology for particular applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversified level of agricultural development and directions of evolution of rural areas in the individual EU countries results in complex and diversified problems for the agricultural policy. That was a basic reason of giving a relatively great freedom to the individual member states to choose measures within the individual axes of the Rural Development Programmes. The allocation of expenses to the individual measures Member States should ensure that synergies among the economic, environmental and social aspects and, by assumption, it is supposed to reflect the priorities of rural development. The analysis of the allocation of expenses within the national rural development programmes will indicate similarities and differences of the use of the CAP support in the regional aspect. The main goal of the paper was to determine the priorities of rural development in the individual EU member states. As results from the analysis the specific character of the individual programmes corresponded to the level of development of the individual countries and the needs of the agribusiness and rural areas resulting from that level. The diversification concerning the directions of use of the assets from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development resulted from the different wealth of the societies and rural communities in the individual countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to focus on pertinent issues in health care and analyses how cold atmospheric plasmas can contribute towards the long-standing problems identified. It starts quite generally by looking at the major elements that make up our current health care system, the aims that govern these and the corresponding requirements on health care products. It then proceeds to identify areas where current research promises contributions from the new cold plasma technologies. It turns out that there are indeed many areas where investments in plasma health care could pay off, both in terms of cost and in reduction of human suffering (© 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: For several decades, composites made of polylactic acid-calcium phosphates (PLA-CaP) and polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid-calcium phosphates (PLGA-CaP) have seen widespread uses in orthopedic applications. This paper reviews the fabrication aspects of these composites, following the ubiquitous materials science approach by studying “processing–structure–property” correlations. Various fabrication processes such as microencapsulation, phase separation, electrospinning, supercritical gas foaming, etc., are reviewed, with specific examples of their applications in fabricating these composites. The effect of the incorporation of CaP materials on the mechanical and biological performance of PLA/PLGA is addressed. In addition, this paper describes the state of the art on challenges and innovations concerning CaP dispersion, incorporation of biomolecules/stem cells and long-term degradation of the composites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Informatica (03505596) is the property of Slovene Society Informatika and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Visible light communication(VLC) employing light-emitting diodes(LED) as light source has become a promising field for underwater wireless communication. However, due to the complex underwater environment and scattering, absorption and diffusion effects during optical transmission in water, the underwater VLC system will suffer from poor SNR and highly nonlinear distortion. In this paper, we proposed and experimentally demonstrated a novel Square Geometrical Shaping(SGS) odd order QAM discrete multitone(DMT) and carrier-less amplitude phase(CAP) modulation based VLC system. Unlike to traditional odd order QAM constellation aiming at the minimum Euclidean distance but without Gray coding at edge constellation points, the new SGS constellation boasts acceptable Euclidean distance and thoroughly Gray coding for every constellation point. Therefore, the system performance can be effectively enhanced by SGS constellation for low SNR and high nonlinearity cases. Both numerical and experimental results verify that SGS 32QAM and 128QAM constellations can outperform traditional QAM constellation by mitigating nonlinearity in a blue LED based underwater and free space VLC system using DMT modulation or CAP modulation. By employing SGS 128QAM, we successfully demonstrate 2.534Gb/s 1.2meter underwater transmission at the driving voltage of 1.1V pp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia is the property of Wydawnictwo SGGW and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Towards a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development project explored the complex interrelationships between policies, the multiple functions of farming, the development of rural regions and the quality of life of their inhabitants. It demonstrated that the same policy interventions in different regions could lead to varying outcomes depending on the local economic, social and environmental contexts.This paper builds on previous work by Johnson et al. and Bryden et al. It further explores these relationships and evaluates the extent to which social, economic and environmental variables are affected by the implementation of policy in different jurisdictions. We compare Hordaland in Norway with Västerbotten in Sweden. Results support the conclusions of Bryden et al. and sustain the notion that Hordaland agriculture is more ‘multifunctional’ than Västerbotten and stress the link between rural and agricultural policies, and quality of life in rural regions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The 2003 review of the common agricultural policy (CAP) has introduced several new policy tools, among which is cross compliance. The introduction of this new policy entails production costs, along with other types of costs arising at the farm level: administrative, information and organisational costs, called transaction costs. The purpose of this paper is to determine the nature of transaction costs and to assess them. A survey conducted in 2006 among a sample of 39 farmers followed by a descriptive statistical analysis (multiple correspondence analysis, MCA) permits to associate farmer profiles with different levels of incurred transaction costs. These profiles reveal the impact which the farmers' responsibilities (professional networks) and the role of voluntary commitments previously undertaken may have on the nature and importance of transaction costs. This paper opens up new perspectives on the adoption criteria that should be taken into account in the evolution of agri-environmental regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Agri-environmental measures (AEM) are the central area-based measures of the second pillar of the Common European Agricultural Policy. Cost-effectiveness of AEMs has to be improved. In this paper a newly designed AEM called result-oriented incentive is empirically analysed for the first time concerning its impacts on environmental effects and cost. Result-oriented financial incentives are linked directly to the desired environmental objectives and allow farmers to choose the most efficient way of management to reach them on their own. In this paper, we present the results of 90 interviews with farmers who have participated in a result-oriented AEM in Baden-Wuerttemberg (Germany). We investigated potential advantages (flexibility, innovation, higher intrinsic motivation and improved continuous adaptation). In addition, we researched disadvantages (transaction costs involved in control efforts, risk for farmers). Our results show that such kind of AEM has a positive impact on cost-effectiveness. However, the concrete design and the implementation process of these AEMs play a crucial role for their successful application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Research background: Risk in agriculture is a difficult concept to recognize, because farmers are exposed to different types of risks that influence their agricultural activity. The stability of farmer´s income is threatened by various factor interconnected to each other, such as market risks (price volatility, market shocks), financial risks (indebtedness, loans and credits), production risks (climate change, pests and diseases, biosecurity), technological risk (digitization, technological progress), institutional risk (regulations, environment and tax policy), and human resource risk (physical and mental health). Therefore, for the farmers it is very challenging to implement appropriate and effective risk management tools, in order to stabilize their income. Purpose of the article: Risk management offers a variety of strategies and instruments on the farm or aggregate level to copy with the risk. Also in the Pillar II of CAP 2014-2020 were introduced new risk management tools, as a response to greater price and yield variability among European countries. In the paper, we decided to analyse and compare several public risk management tools that can farmers use to increase their welfare and stabilize income. Methods: The national agricultural policies, as well as CAP are aimed at compensating farmers for the negative effects, however it is not so easy to govern and implement the tools on the farm level. The paper provides a comparative analysis of selected tools that are the most suitable for Slovak agricultural producers. Findings & Value added: The results of the paper can give the farmers ability to compare and choose between public risk management tools that could be used for risk exposure.

Background The reporting of thyroid carcinomas follows the recommendations of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) protocols and includes papillary carcinoma, follicular carcinoma, anaplastic carcinoma and medullary carcinoma. Despite past and recent efforts, there are a number of controversial issues in the classification and diagnosis of thyroid carcinomas (TC) that, potentially impact on therapy and prognosis of patients with TC. Discussion The most updated version of the CAP thyroid cancer protocol incorporates recent changes in histologic classification as well as changes in the staging of thyroid cancers as per the updated American Joint Commission on Cancer staging manual. Among the more contentious issues in the pathology of thyroid carcinoma include the defining criteria for tumor invasiveness. While there are defined criteria for invasion, there is not universal agreement in what constitutes capsular invasion, angioinvasion and extrathyroidal invasion. Irrespective of the discrepant views on invasion, pathologists should report on the presence and extent (focal, widely) of capsular invasion, angioinvasion and extrathyroidal extension. These findings assist clinicians in their assessment of the recurrence risk and potential for metastatic disease. It is beyond the scope of this paper to detail the entire CAP protocol for thyroid carcinomas; rather, this paper addresses some of the more problematic issues confronting pathologists in their assessment and reporting of thyroid carcinomas. Conclusion The new CAP protocol for reporting of thyroid carcinomas is a step toward improving the clinical value of the histopathologic reporting of TC. Large meticulous clinico-pathologic and molecular studies with long term follow up are still needed in order to increase the impact of microscopic examination on the prognosis and management of TC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The sustainable management of soils, while constituting an important resource conservation concern in some contexts, has been neglected in the UK. However, this all seems set to change, with implications for various actors within the agricultural knowledge system. New policies designed to encourage the more sustainable management of soils in England together with the introduction of Soil Management Plans (SMP) as part of cross-compliance under recent Common Agricultural Policy reform mean that demands on agricultural advisors’ knowledge about soil will increase. This paper reports the findings of research into the nature and extent of agricultural advisors’ knowledge about soil best management practice. Specifically, it examines the ‘know-what’, ‘know-why’ and ‘know-how’ of soils among agricultural advisors through analysis of data collected from an extensive postal questionnaire survey of 162 advisors across England supplemented by qualitative data from semi-structured interviews with 64 advisors. The results show that as a community advisors are generally knowledgeable about soil best management practice and appear to be observing soil degradation, undertaking training, using guides, tools and recommending soil best management practice to a relatively large extent. The data however do indicate that different types of advisors hold different forms of knowledge to a different extent. They also reveal gaps in knowledge gained through practical experience about cultivation and using the nutrient value of manures. The paper concludes that advisors’ knowledge about soil and its sustainable management is considerably greater than earlier research on advisors’ environmental knowledge has suggested but that some areas will have to be significantly enhanced and standardised to meet the new policy challenges. The significance of the results is discussed in terms of the wider role advisors play in the transition from ‘production only’ goals towards those concerned with more sustainable practices in agriculture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces a general framework for market models, named Market Model Approach, through the concept of admissible sets of forward swap rates spanning a given tenor structure. We relate this concept to results in graph theory by showing that a set is admissible if and only if the associated graph is a tree. This connection enables us to enumerate all admissible models for a given tenor structure. Three main classes are identified within this framework and correspond to the co-terminal, co-initial, and co-sliding model. We prove that the LIBOR market model is the only admissible model of a co-sliding type. By focusing on the co-terminal model in a lognormal setting, we develop and compare several approximating analytical formulae for caplets, while swaptions can be priced by a simple Black-type formula. A novel calibration technique is introduced to allow simultaneous calibration to caplet and swaption prices. Empirical calibration of the co-terminal model is shown to be faster, more robust, and more efficient than the same procedure applied to the LIBOR market model. We then argue that the co-terminal approach is the simplest and most convenient market model for pricing and hedging a large variety of exotic interest-rate derivatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a scenario-based analysis of the impacts of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform for upland agriculture using a Welsh case-study. Specifically the paper examines the impacts of the introduction of the single-farm payment (SFP), the modulation of direct payments under Pillar I of the CAP and the increase in agri-environment payments under Pillar II. Three enterprises are examined, upland sheep rearing with lamb finishing, spring- and autumn-calving suckler-cattle with calf rearing. These enterprises are modelled under conditions in 2002/3, 2004/5 and for the reformed CAP in 2005/6. To support this analysis a livestock system model (LSM) was implemented. The model assesses alternative management regimen using a flexible state-transition approach. This simplifies the realisation and parameterisation of potentially complex management regimen. The model tracks fodder requirements to achieve targets based on defined diets. The LSM underpins whole-farm analyses of stocking-rates, labour and other resource requirements and net-farm income. From the case study the paper concludes that the impacts of the introduction of the CAP reform on the financial performance of the systems are small but negative (a net reduction of around 5% in support). The larger reduction in direct payments (15–18%) is partially offset by agri-environment measures. The paper concludes that while SFP encourages a more market-oriented outlook, the adaptive capacity within systems as they stand is very limited. There are a range of possible adaptation strategies, but for the uplands the extensification of cattle systems by reducing stock numbers and cutting back on labour seems most probable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SPEP-NC information offers new possibilities for object-oriented data management. A strong need for high information content and the increasing object-oriented CAM software requires a new information level for preparation and execution tasks in part manufacturing. This paper describes applications of different intelligent methods especially to support distributed technological data management. The problem of current technological databases will be solved with the help of agent technology and machine learning for distributed information on the shop floor and in planning departments. The authors introduce a combination of agent-based organization and self-learning of feature-based technological information. The prototype includes three components for coordination, data acquisition and preprocessing of technological information to assist human engineers in planning and manufacturing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we formally study the guarantees provided by highly available, eventually consistent replicated systems in an environment in which machine failures and network splits are possible. Our analysis accounts for possible replica recovery after a crash, and clients that are (1) stateless or stateful, (2) sticky (always connect to a concrete set of replicas) or mobile, and (3) which can timeout before receiving a response to the sent request. We show why the approaches to prove protocol correctness prevalent in the literature, which do not take into account replica or network crashes, may lead to incorrect conclusions regarding the guarantees offered by the protocol. We adapt the existing formal correctness criteria, such as basic eventual consistency , to the considered environment by defining the family of failure-aware consistency guarantees. We formally identify a set of undesired phenomena (in particular phantom operations) observed by the clients, which, as we prove, are unavoidable in highly available systems in which unrecoverable replica crashes are possible. We also introduce context preservation , a new client-side requirement for eventually consistent systems that expose concurrency to the client, i.e., allow clients to use, e.g., multi-value registers or observed-remove sets. Context preservation is incomparable with classic session guarantees. • A formal framework that explicitly considers hardware failures is provided. • Highly available systems cannot achieve liveness guarantees when failures occur. • Undesired phenomena observable by the clients are unavoidable. • New correctness criteria relaxing liveness requirements are proposed. • Novel session guarantees compatible with high availability are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & objective: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is highly prevalent in people living with HIV (PLWH) and the expression of some microRNAs could be useful as biomarkers for the diagnosis of NAFLD. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of differential expression of microRNAs in PLWH and assess their diagnostic value for NALFD. Methods: A discovery case-control study with PLWH was carried out. The expression of miRNAs was determined using HTG EdgeSeq technology. Cases were defined as patients with severe NAFLD and controls as patients without NAFLD, characterized using the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Cases and controls were matched 1:1 for age, sex, BMI, CD4+ lymphocyte count, active HCV infection, and ART regimen. Results: Serum 2,083 simultaneous microRNA transcripts were analyzed using HTG technology and compared between cases and controls. Forty-five patients, 23 cases, and 22 controls were included in the study. In the analysis of the expression pattern of the 2,083 microRNAs, no differential expression patterns were found between both groups of patients included in the study. Conclusion: Analysis of the microRNA transcriptome profile of nonobese PLWH with severe NAFLD did not appear to differ from that of patients without NAFLD. Thus, microRNA might not serve as a proper biomarker for predicting severe NALFD in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shakti Dhar Shukla,1,2 Philip M Hansbro,1,2 Eugene Haydn Walters3 1School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, 3School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, AustraliaWe read with great interest the recent paper by Braeken et al which analyzed the associations between COPD and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), published in your journal.1 In this large population-based study, the authors have concluded that the risk of CAP increases fourfold in patients with COPD, independent of smoking status. The authors briefly discuss potential smoking-induced mechanisms leading to increased risk of CAP in COPD, such as host physiological and structural changes, increased bacterial virulence and impaired host immunity. The authors also stress the need for further mechanistic studies on the cause of this increased risk of CAP in COPD patients.1View the original paper by Braeken and colleagues.

In n -dimensional affine space over the field Z / 3 Z , a cap is given by a set of points no three of which are in a line, and the cap set problem asks for the largest possible size of an arbitrary cap. The solution to the cap set problem is known for n at most 6. In this paper, we define and apply standard diagrams. These pictures interpret a well-known technique for solving the cap set problem in a new way, allowing conclusions to be derived more easily and intuitively than before. We use standard diagrams to find caps in dimensions up to and including 4 systematically. We prove the apparently new result that in dimension 4, up to isomorphism there are exactly 20 size-18 caps, which we give explicitly. This article is the first of a series. In later articles, we plan to use the methods and results of this paper to investigate dimensions 5 and higher. The eventual goal is to solve the cap set problem in dimension 7, the first unsolved case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the focal depth of earthquakes with magnitude 2.5 or above in Jiaokou reservoir area in 2019 was determined using the CAP method, the sPL depth phase method and the double difference positioning method. The inversion is carried out by CAP method to calculate the optimal focal mechanism solution and focal depth. The clear sPL seismic phase is identified at the near station about 50 km away from the epicenter, the theoretical waveform of various focal depths is drawn using the frequency wave velocity (F-K) method, and the focal depth is determined through fitting with the actual waveform. The seismic event pair is established, and its relative position and depth are determined using the residual between the observed value and the theoretical value of travel time difference. The results of various methods are basically the same. In contrast, the double difference positioning method is more suitable for focal depth determination of earthquakes in Jiaokou reservoir area.

This paper focuses on the (ex-ante) impact of the CAP on output, demand, trade and economic welfare in Cyprus, and also quantifies the inter-county transfers that arise through trade and through budgetary effects. The impact of the CAP is assessed under both the present CAP regime and under a regime based on the provisions of Agenda 2000. The analysis indicates that measures to support the low-income groups, to minimise the transfer to consumers of the producer price increases, and to improve the productivity and efficiency of Cypriot farms are necessary to minimise any adverse effects. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Agroforestry is considered a sustainable form of land management that optimizes the use of natural resources (nutrients, radiation, water). Agroforestry is defined as the deliberate integration of woody vegetation with agricultural activities in the lower story. It provides a higher biomass production per unit of land, while providing more ecosystem services than woody-less agricultural lands, such as the reduction of soil erosion and nitrogen leaching, and increase carbon sequestration and landscape biodiversity. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the past and current European Union Common Agricultural policies aiming at promoting the afforestation or reforestation of lands, as the introduction of trees can be seen as a first step to carry out agroforestry practices in former agricultural or forest lands. Agroforestry was a traditional land use system in Europe before modern times. However, before the sixties land intensification and consolidation destroyed millions of trees all over Europe. On the contrary, some good examples of agroforestry promotion are found in Eastern European countries in order to reduce the effect of extreme events such as winds, flooding at the beginning and mid of the last century. In Western European countries, the introduction of trees in the land has been promoted by agroforestry, afforestation and reforestation at the end of the last century. Afforestation of agricultural lands have been the most successful CAP measure (over 1 million hectares) while agroforestry measures were not extensively adopted which may be explained by the funds associated to afforestation measure which compensated the losses of income 15 or 20 years in afforested lands. Agroforestry was poorly adopted in the CAP 2007–2013, having a better success in the CAP 2014–2020 due to the recognition of woody vegetation and the compensation of 5 years given for maintenance once agroforestry is established. However, policy rules ensuring Pillar I payment when agroforestry measure is adopted such as a management plans ensuring that maximum tree density (100 trees per hectare) is not reached, should be pursued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Wieś & Rolnictwo is the property of Instytut Rozwoju Wsi & Rolnictwa, Polska Akademia Nauk and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is generally believed that the subsidisation of agriculture serves as a payment of political rents to farmers. Here, we attempt to show that characterisation of the entire amount of subsidies as "political rent" is unjustified in the light of the definition of political rent as formulated in the rent-seeking theory. Political rents in agriculture diverge from the definition, since the resources devoted to rent-seeking partly serve to produce public goods - that part cannot be regarded as wastage. Furthermore, if market imperfections cause rents to be captured by other entities (the treadmill theory), then it is even more true that these benefits are not exclusive. However, it is hard to find any attempts to measure the value of political rents. Thus, a novel methodology is proposed for valuing these items, with the aim of calculating the "pure political rent", based on an input-output (I-O) Leontief approach adopting matrices for "representative farms" according to EUFADN typology and on a decomposition of the Hicks-Moorsteen TFP index for the period 2007-2012 for four countries: Slovakia, France, Austria and Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth-oriented measures of the EU's rural development policy have been promoted to meet the aims of the Lisbon strategy. This article assesses their impact on performance-related variables of farms. We apply a conditional difference-in-differences approach to the 2003-2007 Italian FADN survey. No evidence emerges to indicate any impact of the measures on farm income, employment or partial productivities. Conversely, participation in the selected policy schemes resulted initially in a productivity increase and, subsequently, in enhanced farm performance. We argue that participation in the growth-oriented measures gave rise to a process of capital deepening that, in turn, elicited a productivity increase and, eventually, positive growth rates in farm performance. The estimated variations in capital intensity signal that the measures resulted in the activation of channels that are expected to positively affect farm performance after a time lag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing multidimensionality of agriculture, linking the domain with environmental, trade and food safety concerns, has mobilized new policy actors bringing new preferences and ideas into the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) debate. This article investigates the extent to which this has contributed to Environmental Policy Integration (EPI) in the CAP. It puts forward the claim that an incomplete transformation in European agricultural policy from exceptionalism to post-exceptionalism explains the limited extent of EPI in the CAP. This claim is substantiated by a longitudinal comparative analysis of the CAP reforms over the last two decades, applying a multidimensional concept of EPI as process (how the formal and informal procedures and institutions in place allow for the integration of environmental concerns in policy deliberation), output (the translation of such concerns in changes in policies) and outcome (the performance of the new policies in terms of environmental benefits). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an up-to-date review of literature on computer-aided techniques in plant layout is presented. Mathematical models in the area fall into categories of quadratic assignment models, set covering problem, integer and mixed integer programming models, nonlinear programming models and graph theoretic models. The algorithms are optimal or heuristic. The heuristic algorithms considered are construction, improvement, hybrid and fuzzy-set based algorithms. Special considerations are given to multi-criteria models/algorithms and algorithms based on artificial intelligence which are either pure expert systems or hybrid methods. Important issues in facility layout are also discussed. Deficiencies in current methods may be overcome by the use of AI based tools. More research is required in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union, in effect since January 2023, seeks to differentiate products on quality, provide greater transparency on food origin, and on the transactions and the actors involved in the supply chain. At the same time, in Spain, the adoption of new technologies for the digitization of the agri-food sector has been proposed as a solution to address structural issues such as lack of competitiveness and innovation. In fact, systems using blockchain-related technologies for food control and traceability have seen great progress in recent years and, currently, the use of blockchain in supply chain management is almost doubling year on year. In this context, this paper investigates the level of development of blockchain technology in the agri-food sector in Spain and its applications for certifying food production conditions within the supply chain, and how it is supported by public policies. It identifies several challenges that need to be addressed for a widespread adoption could take place, such as data recorded on the blockchain, lack of standards, limited scope of projects, and integration of data capture automatically or with other technologies like RFID and AI. The document proposes to reorient public development policies to address these challenges, such as reusing data from, already in place, European data collections for production control and food traceability, educating users and stakeholders about the use of blockchain technology, and fostering legal and technical provisions which ensure system transparency to facilitate a successful implementation of blockchain. • The level of development of blockchain technology in the agri-food sector in Spain. • Support of blockchain technology by public policies in Spain. • Collection of Spanish blockchain projects aimed at certifying production conditions. • Management of the data recorded in the blockchain system. • The relevance of the reuse of data from official records for the implementation of blockchain technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid rise in research and development following the discovery of photodynamic therapy to establish novel photosensitizers and overcome the limitations of the technology soon after its clinical translation has given rise to a few significant milestones. These include several novel generations of photosensitizers, the widening of the scope of applications, leveraging of the offerings of nanotechnology for greater efficacy, selectivity for the disease over host tissue and cells, the advent of combination therapies with other similarly minimally invasive therapeutic technologies, the use of stimulus-responsive delivery and disease targeting, and greater penetration depth of the activation energy. Brought together, all these milestones have contributed to the significant enhancement of what is still arguably a novel technology. Yet the major applications of photodynamic therapy still remain firmly located in neoplasms, from where most of the new innovations appear to launch to other areas, such as microbial, fungal, viral, acne, wet age-related macular degeneration, atherosclerosis, psoriasis, environmental sanitization, pest control, and dermatology. Three main value propositions of combinations of photodynamic therapy include the synergistic and additive enhancement of efficacy, the relatively low emergence of resistance and its rapid development as a targeted and high-precision therapy. Combinations with established methods such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy and demonstrated applications in mop-up surgery promise to enhance these top three clinical tools. From published in vitro and preclinical studies, clinical trials and applications, and postclinical case studies, seven combinations with photodynamic therapy have become prominent research interests because they are potentially easily applied, showing enhanced efficacy, and are rapidly translating to the clinic. These include combinations with chemotherapy, photothermal therapy, magnetic hyperthermia, cold plasma therapy, sonodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and radiotherapy. Photochemical internalization is a critical mechanism for some combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the highest incidence of chronic liver disease worldwide, seriously endangering human health, and its pathogenesis is still unclear. In the recent years, increasing evidence has shown that intestinal flora plays an important role in the occurrence and development of NAFLD. Synbiotics can alter gut microbiota and may be a treatment option for NAFLD in the future. Objectives: To systematically investigate the therapeutic effect of synbiotic supplementation on NAFLD patients. Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted. Data sources and methods: We conducted a search on four databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) to identify relevant studies. Eligible studies were then screened, and data from the included studies were extracted, combined, and analyzed. Result: This study analyzed 10 randomized controlled trials involving 634 patients with NAFLD. The results showed that synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce the level of alanine aminotransferase (mean difference (MD) = −8.80; (95% CI [−13.06, −4.53]), p < 0.0001), aspartate aminotransferase (MD = −9.48; 95% CI [−12.54, −6.43], p < 0.0001), and γ-glutamyl transferase (MD = −12.55; 95% CI [−19.40, −5.69], p = 0.0003) in NAFLD patients. In the field of metabolism, synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce the level of total cholesterol (MD = −11.93; 95% CI [−20.43, −3.42], p = 0.006) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = −16.2; 95% CI [−19.79, −12.60], p < 0.0001) and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = 1.56; 95% CI [0.43, 2.68], p = 0.007) in NAFLD patients. In addition, synbiotic supplementation could significantly reduce liver stiffness measurement indicator (MD = −1.09; 95% CI [−1.87, −0.30], p = 0.006) and controlled attenuation parameter indicator (MD = −37.04; 95% CI [−56.78, −17.30], p = 0.0002) in NAFLD patients. Conclusion: Based on the current evidence, synbiotic supplementation can improve liver function, adjust lipid metabolism, and reduce the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD, but these effects need to be confirmed by further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]