Yam production in some South East and North Central zones of Nigeria beyond COVID-19 for acceleration towards inclusive sustainable development

This study evaluated the effect of socio-economic characteristics of small-scale yam farmers on the productivity and income levels of yam farmers beyond COVID-19 in some part of yam producing areas of South East and North Central zones (Benue, Ebonyi, Enugu and Kogi States) of Nigeria. Respondents (200) were selected by random sampling using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlation analysis. Majority of the respondents (71.7%) were male. COVID-19 will have serious negative impacts on the productivity and income of the yam farmers due to sex difference in angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) 2 receptor and transmembrane serine protease 2 TMPRSS2 regulations. Majority (34.8%) of the respondents were within the age range of 55-64 years which might place them at increased risk of severe impact from COVID-19. Most of the respondents (37.9%) were with First School Leaving Certificate (FSLC) which will be aggravated by global lockdown of education institutions. COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems due to closure of schools and other learning spaces as well as inability of many parents to work making financing of education to face big challenges. Most of the respondents (35.4%) had farm size of three hectares. Most of the respondents (37.9%) earned between ₦151,000 and ₦200,000 per hectare. This income informal economy will be affected by COVID-19 control measures. Majority of the respondents (70.2%) had between 21 to 30 years of yam farming experience. At this length of experience, it is expected that they will be within the age range that is more vulnerable to COVID-19 pandemic. Using Pearson correlation coefficient to assess the relationship between socio-economic factors farm characteristics of small-scale yam farmers establishes that farm experience significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with age of the respondents. Marital status was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with age (0.548) and farm experience (0.932) of the respondents. Key words: yam farmers, socio-economic factors, productivity, small-scal

Life cycle of Harmonia axyridis in central Europe

The development and reproduction, and maximum number of generations across seasons were ascertained for populations of Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) in Central Europe. Number of generations was calculated using the thermal characteristics of development and summation of daily average air temperatures, in 2007–2016. This species can produce 2–3 generations per year. However, there is insufficient time for it to achieve its full reproductive potential. Delayed emigration from hibernacula (late April) shortened the period of seasonal activity by 1–6%. Breeding occurred from May to mid September. Oviposition continued into late summer, which left insufficient time for the late-hatching immatures to complete their development before the onset of winter. A high mobility, opportunistic use of prey patches and weak tendency to enter dormancy provide the potential for population increase by extending the period of development of immatures at the risk of failure if the cold period comes early

Cosmological Constant and Soft Terms in Supergravity

Some of the soft SUSY breaking parameters in hidden sector supergravity model depend on the expectation value of the hidden sector scalar potential, , whose tree level value is equal to the tree level cosmological constant. The current practice of calculating soft parameters assumes that $=0$. Quantum correction to the cosmological constant can differ from the correction to by an amount of order $m^2_{3/2}M_{Pl}^2/8\pi$. This implies that, for the vanishing cosmological constant, the $$--dependent parts of soft terms can be sizable, and hence the supergravity phenomenology should be accordingly modified.Comment: Latex file, 11 pages plus 1 figure (the figure not included), SNUTP 94--1

Energy Flow in the Hadronic Final State of Diffractive and Non-Diffractive Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

An investigation of the hadronic final state in diffractive and non--diffractive deep--inelastic electron--proton scattering at HERA is presented, where diffractive data are selected experimentally by demanding a large gap in pseudo --rapidity around the proton remnant direction. The transverse energy flow in the hadronic final state is evaluated using a set of estimators which quantify topological properties. Using available Monte Carlo QCD calculations, it is demonstrated that the final state in diffractive DIS exhibits the features expected if the interaction is interpreted as the scattering of an electron off a current quark with associated effects of perturbative QCD. A model in which deep--inelastic diffraction is taken to be the exchange of a pomeron with partonic structure is found to reproduce the measurements well. Models for deep--inelastic $ep$ scattering, in which a sizeable diffractive contribution is present because of non--perturbative effects in the production of the hadronic final state, reproduce the general tendencies of the data but in all give a worse description.Comment: 22 pages, latex, 6 Figures appended as uuencoded fil

A Search for Selectrons and Squarks at HERA

Data from electron-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 300 GeV are used for a search for selectrons and squarks within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric model. The decays of selectrons and squarks into the lightest supersymmetric particle lead to final states with an electron and hadrons accompanied by large missing energy and transverse momentum. No signal is found and new bounds on the existence of these particles are derived. At 95% confidence level the excluded region extends to 65 GeV for selectron and squark masses, and to 40 GeV for the mass of the lightest supersymmetric particle.Comment: 13 pages, latex, 6 Figure

Linear Collider Physics Resource Book for Snowmass 2001, 3: Studies of Exotic and Standard Model Physics

This Resource Book reviews the physics opportunities of a next-generation e+e- linear collider and discusses options for the experimental program. Part 3 reviews the possible experiments on that can be done at a linear collider on strongly coupled electroweak symmetry breaking, exotic particles, and extra dimensions, and on the top quark, QCD, and two-photon physics. It also discusses the improved precision electroweak measurements that this collider will make available.This Resource Book reviews the physics opportunities of a next-generation e+e- linear collider and discusses options for the experimental program. Part 3 reviews the possible experiments on that can be done at a linear collider on strongly coupled electroweak symmetry breaking, exotic particles, and extra dimensions, and on the top quark, QCD, and two-photon physics. It also discusses the improved precision electroweak measurements that this collider will make available

Search for the lepton flavor violating decay A^0/H^0 --> tau^{+/-} mu^{+/-} at hadron colliders

In the two Higgs doublet model type III and in several other extensions of the Standard Model, there are no discrete symmetries that suppress flavor changing couplings at tree level. The experimental observation of the nu_mu -- nu_tau flavor oscillation may suggest the non-conservation of lepton number. This would lead to the decay of the type A^0/H^0 --> tau^{+/-} mu^{+/-}. We determine the present low energy limit on lepton flavor violating (LFV) couplings from the muon g-2 measurement and discuss the prospects for detecting lepton flavor violating decays at the TeVatron and at the Large Hadron Collider. The achievable bounds on the LFV coupling parameter lambda_{tau mu} are presented.Comment: 19 pages, 21 figures. Updated version takes into account the recent results on the muon g-2 measurements. Submitted to Phys. Rev. D. Added minor corrections from a refere

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

The current state of the use of large wood in river restoration and management

Trees fall naturally into rivers generating flow heterogeneity, inducing geomorphological features, and creating habitats for biota. Wood is increasingly used in restoration projects and the potential of wood acting as leaky barriers to deliver natural flood management by “slowing the flow” is recognised. However, wood in rivers can pose a risk to infrastructure and locally increase flood hazards. The aim of this paper is to provide an up-to-date summary of the benefits and risks associated with using wood to promote geomorphological processes to restore and manage rivers. This summary was developed through a workshop that brought together academics, river managers, restoration practitioners and consultants in the UK to share science and best-practice on wood in rivers. A consensus was developed on four key issues: (i) hydro-geomorphological effects, (ii) current use in restoration and management, (iii) uncertainties and risks, and (iv) tools and guidance required to inform process-based restoration and management