Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPROVING MAIZE (ZEA MAYS L.) PERFORMANCE IN SEMI-ARID ZIMBABWE THROUGH MICRO-DOSING WITH AMMONIUM NITRATE TABLETS

SUMMARY Although the application of small quantities of nitrogen (N) fertiliser has improved cereal yields on low-input farms in semi-arid Zimbabwe, the practice is reported to be laborious and time-consuming by farmers. In an effort to make micro-dosing less labour-intensive and more precise, an ammonium nitrate (AN) tablet, the equivalent of a micro-dose of prill AN (28 kg N ha−1) applied per maize plant, was developed by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in collaboration with Agri-Seeds, Zimbabwe. This study characterized the physical stability, chemical (N% and solubility) and agronomic performance of AN tablets compared with prill AN. Only 10% of tablets broke when dropped from 2 m, showing that they are physically stable and can handle rough treatment. The N content in the tablets (33.3%) was comparable to that in prill AN (34.6%). However, the tablet formulation took twice as long to dissolve than prill AN when placed on a wet soil. Despite this difference in solubility, simple leaching column experiments suggest that less than 2% of the total AN applied was lost due to leaching. Agronomic trials were superimposed on the paired-plot demonstrations used to promote micro-dosing and the conservation agriculture tillage technique of planting basins from 2005 to 2008. Each tillage (plough and basins) plot was subdivided into three sub-plots on which no AN, prill AN and tableted AN treatments were superimposed. Maize was planted and management of plots was left to farmers. Micro-dosing with either prill or tableted AN significantly (p < 0.001) increased maize grain yield by over 40% in all seasons for planting basins. However, on the ploughed plot there was no yield benefit to using either AN formulation in the season with the lowest rainfall (2006–2007). There was no significant difference in grain yield and agronomic N use efficiency between prill and tableted AN formulations except for the 2005–2006 season in planting basins. During this season, in planting basins, tableted AN had significantly (p < 0.001) higher rainwater productivity than prill AN, which translated into greater grain yield. In addition, the maximum benefit to micro-dosing was observed to accrue when combined with water harvesting techniques such as planting basins. An observation supported by the host farmers, who in the second and third seasons chose to apply available basal soil fertility amendments to the basin plots over the flat plots. Thus, AN tablets if available at an affordable price can be used by smallholder farmers to more precisely apply N fertiliser. Future work should focus on the labour issues of micro-dosing, and making cost-effective tablets available to resource-poor farmers and also addressing other limiting soil nutrients.
Interpretation and Use of Penetrometer Data to describe Soil Compaction in Vineyards.

A portable recording penetrometer was used for in situ field measurements of soil strengths in existing experiments with known profile characteristics. The data reported include effects of soil preparation methods, tractor wheel compaction and soil moisture on soil strength, as well as a case study in a productioll'vineyard. The penetrometer proved to be a useful instrument in identifying and quantifying soil compaction problems and the effects of soil management systems in vineyards. The data revealed that serious subsoil compaction can exist which may result in very poor vine performance and even death of the vines.
Does nicotine replacement therapy affect the frequency of delirium in patients after isolated myocardial revascularization?

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Among cardiac patients, active smokers are not a rarity. Smoking causes a strong addiction and smoking cessation leads to the development of a withdrawal syndrome. Due to forced smoking cessation before surgery, nicotine abstinence may become one of the reasons for the development of delirium in the immediate postoperative period. The study was designed to assess the efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy in the prevention of delirium in smoking patients after isolated myocardial revascularization surgery.
Photoinhibition of photosynthesis in Antarctic lichen Usnea antarctica. I. Light intensity- and light duration-dependent changes in functioning of photosystem II

The paper deals with the differences in sensitivity of Antarctic lichen to photoinhibition. Thalli of Usnea antarctica were collected at the James Ross Island, Antarctica (57 deg 52 57 W, 63 deg 48 02 S) and transferred in dry state to the Czech Republic. After rewetting in a laboratory, they were exposed to 2 high light treatments: short-term (30 min), and long-term (6 h). In short-term treatment, the sample were exposed to 1000 and 2000 micromol m-2 s-1 of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). In long-term experiment, PAR of 300, 600, and 1000 micromol m-2 s-1 were used. Photosynthetic efficiency of U.antarctica thalli was monitored by chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, potential (FV/FM) and actual (Phi PSII) quantum yield of photochemical processes in photosystem II in particular. In short-term treatments, the F0, FV and FM signals, as well as the values of FV/FM, and Phi PSII showed light-induced decrease, however substantial recovery after consequent 30 min. in dark. Longer exposition (60 min) to high light led to more pronounced decrease in chlorophyll fluorescence than after 30 min treatment, however dark recovery was faster in the thalli treated before for longer time (60 min). Long-term treatment by high light caused gradual decrease in FV/FM and Phi PSII with the time of exposition. The extent of the decrease was found light dose-dependent. The time course was biphasic for FV/FM but not for Phi PSII. The study showed that wet thalli of Usnea antarctica had high capacity of photoprotective mechanisms to cope well either with short- or long-term high light stress.
Multi-agent replicator controller for sustainable vibration control of smart structures

Developed in the artificial intelligence community, an intelligent agent is an autonomous abstract or software entity that observes through sensors and acts upon an environment in an adaptive or intelligent manner. In a centralized control system, one central controller uses the global measurement data collected from all the sensors installed in the structure to make control decisions and to dispatch them to control devices. The centralized controller itself represents a single point of potential failure. To overcome this shortcoming, decentralized control is used to improve redundancy. This paper introduces three ideas to vibration control of smart structures: agent technology, replicator dynamics from evolutionary game theory, and energy minimization. It presents two new methods: 1) a single-agent Centralized Replicator Controller (CRC) and a decentralized Multi-Agent Replicator Controller (MARC) for vibration control of smart structures. The use of agents and a decentralized approach enhances the robustness of the entire vibration control system. The proposed control methodologies are applied to vibration control of a 3-story steel frame and a 20-story steel benchmark structure subjected to two sets of seismic loadings: historic earthquake accelerograms and artificial earthquakes and compared with the corresponding centralized and decentralized conventional Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control algorithm.
Intraday volatility forecasting from implied volatility

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the superiority of the implied volatility from a stochastic volatility model over the implied volatility from the Black and Scholes model on the forecasting performance of future realized volatility still holds when intraday data are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach - Two implied volatilities and a realized volatility on KOSPI200 index options are estimated every hour. The grander causality tests between an implied volatility and a realized volatility is carried out for checking the forecasting performance. A dummy variable is added to the grander causality test to examine the change of the forecasting performance when a specific environment is chosen. A trading simulation is conducted to check the economic value of the forecasting performance. Findings - Contrary to the previous studies, the implied volatility from a stochastic volatility model is not superior to that from the Black and Scholes model for the intraday volatility forecasting even if both implied volatilities are informative on one hour ahead future volatility. The forecasting performances of both implied volatilities are improved under high volatile market or low return market. Practical implications - The trading strategy using the forecasting power of an implied volatility earns positively, in particular, more positively under high volatile market or low return market. However, it looks risky to follow the trading strategy because the performance is too volatile. Between two implied volatilities, it is hardly to say that one implied volatility beats another in terms of the economic value. Originality/value - This is the first study which shows the forecasting performances of implied volatilities on the intraday future volatility.
Outflow forces of low-mass embedded objects in Ophiuchus: a quantitative comparison of analysis methods

Context. The outflow force of molecular bipolar outflows is a key parameter in theories of young stellar feedback on their surroundings. The focus of many outflow studies is the correlation between the outflow force, bolometric luminosity, and envelope mass. However, it is difficult to combine the results of different studies in large evolutionary plots over many orders of magnitude due to the range of data quality, analysis methods, and corrections for observational effects, such as opacity and inclination. Aims: We aim to determine the outflow force for a sample of low-luminosity embedded sources. We quantify the influence of the analysis method and the assumptions entering the calculation of the outflow force. Methods: We used the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope to map $^{12}$CO J = 3-2 over 2'{ imes} 2' regions around 16 Class I sources of a well-defined sample in Ophiuchus at 15{Prime} resolution. The outflow force was then calculated using seven different methods differing, e.g., in the use of intensity-weighted emission and correction factors for inclination. Two well studied outflows (HH 46 and NGC1 333 IRAS4A) are added to the sample and included in the comparison. Results: The results from the analysis methods differ from each other by up to a factor of 6, whereas observational properties and choices in the analysis procedure affect the outflow force by up to a factor of 4. Subtraction of cloud emission and integrating over the remaining profile increases the outflow force at most by a factor of 4 compared to line wing integration. For the sample of Class I objects, bipolar outflows are detected around 13 sources including 5 new detections, where the three nondetections are confused by nearby outflows from other sources. New outflow structures without a clear powering source are discovered at the corners of some of the maps. Conclusions: When combining outflow forces from different studies, a scatter by up to a factor of 5 can be expected. Although the true outflow force remains unknown, the separation method (separate calculation of dynamical time and momentum) is least affected by the uncertain observational parameters. The correlations between outflow force, bolometric luminosity, and envelope mass are further confirmed down to low-luminosity sources. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda. org
Seroprevalence of HBsAg and its risk factors amoung pregnant women in Jimma, Southwest Ethiopia

Vertical transmission from mother to baby is an important route of transmission for hepatitis B virus infection. Neonates who contract hepatitis B will have an almost 90 % risk of developing chronic HBsAg carriage and chronic liver disease. Neonatal immunization interrupts this vertical transmission. The objective was to determine the sero-prevalence of HBsAg among pregnant women and to identify potential risk factors associated with the infection. A cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2002 to March 2003 in a total of 493 pregnant women attending Mother and Child Health clinics of Jimma university specialized hospital and its Training Health Centers. Serum was collected from each woman and tested for the presence of HBsAg using Bioline Strip which is a qualitative solid phase two site sandwich immunoassay (Pacific Biotech Thailand). A pre-structured questionnaire was used to collect socio-demographic data and to find out possible risk factors. The overall prevalence of HBsAg was 3.7% ranging from 1.4% to 6.4%. It was highest in Jimma and lowest in Shebe town. The socio-demographic status of the study population shows that high proportion of HBsAg positivity was among the illiterate (61%) those whose income < 500 Birr/month (88.9%) and among the Oromo ethnic subgroup (83%). Pregnant women who experience abortion had a higher prevalence of HBsAg (7.3%). The odds of having HBsAg was more than twice with those with history of abortion than with other risk factors. When pregnant women of Jimma town were separately analyzed dental procedure cesarean section and tattooing are associated with HBsAg positivity unlike other towns. The prevalence of HBsAg carrier state in the study area was significant enough to start routine antenatal screening for HBsAg. Except for abortion known risk factors included in the study were not associated with Hepatitis B virus infection. The main route of HBV transmission in Jimma and its neighboring towns could be either through sexual contact or from mother to child. Further studies are required to confirm these modes of transmission. (authors)
Adaptation during biological invasions and the case of Adelges tsugae

1 Question: Do invasive species adapt during range expansion or does low genetic 2 variation constrain adaptation by invaders? 3 Organism: The hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae: Adelges tsugae), an 4 invasive, parthenogenetic insect that feeds on exposed twigs in winter and is vulnerable 5
Glaciers, glacial lakes and glacial lake outburst floods in the Mount Everest region, Nepal

Abstract Recent climate changes have had a significant impact on the high-mountain glacial environment. Rapid melting of glaciers has resulted in the formation and expansion of moraine-dammed lakes, creating a potential danger from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Most lakes have formed during the second half of the 20th century. Glaciers in the Mount Everest (Sagamartha) region, Nepal, are retreating at an average rate of 10–59 ma–1. From 1976 to 2000, Lumding and Imja Glaciers retreated 42 and 34 ma–1, respectively, a rate that increased to 74 ma–1 for both glaciers from 2000 to 2007. During the past decade, Himalayan glaciers have generally been shrinking and retreating faster while moraine-dammed lakes have been proliferating. Although the number of lakes above 3500 m a.s. l. has decreased, the overall area of moraine-dammed lakes is increasing. Understanding the behaviour of glaciers and glacial lakes is a vital aspect of GLOF disaster management.
Control of phytopathogenic microorganisms of post-harvest in tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) with the use of citrus extract

Diseases are a major cause of post-harvest losses depending on season, region and management practices. Chemical control is the most used but with serious consequences for human health and the environment. This forces us to carry out more exhaustive studies on botanical products. The general objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of citrus extracts for the control of pathogens that cause post-harvest diseases in tomato fruit. The product to be evaluated is of botanical origin from citrus extracts. Doses were evaluated (0, 666, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 ppm). The treatments were located at a temperature of 25°C±2 and 45% relative humidity (rH). The design used corresponded to a completely random design. The least signifi cant difference was estimated by Tukey Multiple Range test at P=0.05. The statistical tests were performed through the SAS computer program. The results indicate that the pathogens detected and identifi ed correspond to Alternaria tenuissima; Botrytis cinerea; Cladosporium fulvum; Colletotrichum coccodes; Fusarium oxysporum; Geotrichum candidum; Rhizopus stolonifer and Stemphylium macrosporoideum. Our conclusion is that the effi cient doses correspond to 666, 2000 and 8000 ppm. With the application of citrus extracts, the damage percentage of tomato fruit was reduced in relation to the control treatments. Based on the results with the application of citrus extracts, the shelf life of the tomato was lengthened. Research Article Control of phytopathogenic microorganisms of post-harvest in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) with the use of citrus extract Ruíz-Alvarado Cristina1, Juan José Reyes-Pérez2,3, HernándezMontiel Luis Guillermo4, Murillo Amador Bernardo4 and Rueda Puente Edgar Omar5* 1Instituto de Ciencias Agrícolas de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, México 2Universidad Técnica de Cotopaxi. Extensión La Mana, Avenida Los Almendros y Pujili. Edifi cio Universitario. La Maná, Ecuador 3Universidad Técnica Estatal de Quevedo. Av. Walter Andrade. Km 11⁄2 vía a Santo Domingo. Quevedo, Los Ríos, Ecuador 4Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas del Noroeste. S.C. CIBNOR. La Paz, B.CS, México 5Universidad de Sonora. Departamento de Agricultura y Ganadería. Carretera Hermosillo-Bahía de Kino, km 20.5, México *Address for Correspondence: Rueda Puente Edgar Omar, Universidad de Sonora. Departamento de Agricultura y Ganadería. Carretera Hermosillo-Bahía de Kino, 20.5 km, México, Email: erueda04@santana.uson. mx Submitted: 19 March 2018 Approved: 29 March 2018 Published: 30 March 2018 Copyright: 2018 Cristina RA, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Hot-spots of internal wave activity off Iberia revealed by multisensor remote sensing satellite observations - SPOTIWAVE

Some results of a study of the distribution of internal waves (IWs) off the Iberian Peninsula based on ERS SAR observations are presented. In particular we show observations of very large amplitude internal solitary waves (ISWs) propagating in the deep ocean West of the Galicia Bank, and explain their generation as resulting from semi-diurnal frequency internal tides emanating from the bottom slopes. We determine possible generation sites of these internal tidal waves and their propagation pathways. The most energetic internal tide generation sites are calculated from the distribution of the internal tidal forcing, adapted from a model proposed by Baines [1]. This method is being used to map the internal wave activity off the Iberian Peninsula, identifying the most energetic IW generation sites assuming that the internal tidal waves are generated by the interaction of the semi-diurnal (barotropic) tide with the bottom topography. In addition we reveal SeaWiFS observations of large internal tides with a clear signature of enhanced levels of near-surface chlorophyll in the Bay of Biscay.
Computing Sorted Subsets for Data Processing in Communicating Software/Hardware Control Systems

Computing and filtering sorted subsets are frequently required in statistical data manipulation and control applications. The main objective is to extract subsets from large data sets in accordance with some criteria, for example, with the maximum and/or the minimum values in the entire set or within the predefined constraints. The paper suggests a new computation method enabling the indicated above problem to be solved in all programmable systems-on-chip from the Xilinx Zynq family that combine a dual-core Cortex-A9 processing unit and programmable logic linked by high-performance interfaces. The method involves highly parallel sorting networks and run-time filtering. The computations are done in communicating software, running in the processing unit, and hardware, implemented in the programmable logic. Practical applications of the proposed technique are also shown. The results of implementation and experiments clearly demonstrate significant speed-up of the developed software/hardware system comparing to alternative software implementations.
Relation between bone mineral density and serum ferritin levels in patients with thalassemia major

Background: Thalassemia/haemoglobinopathy is a hereditary disease with increased erythropoiesis and expansion of the bone marrow cavity. Consequently, there is a reduction in trabecular bone tissue resulting in osteopenia/osteoporosis. The present study was performed to determine bone mineral density (BMD) in children and adolescents with major thalassemia and its correlation with serum ferritin level. Methods: Seventy children and adolescents with major thalassemia were divided into two groups, (each group with 35 patients). Patients with serum ferritin level more than 1500 ng/dl were defined as case group and those with serum ferritin level lower than 1500 ng/dl were defined as control group. Thyroid and parathyroid function tests were performed as well as calcium and phosphorus serum level were checked. Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) was the diagnostic test for osteoporosis. Only patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia major were enrolled. Patients with delayed puberty, hypothyroidism or parathyroid dysfunction, renal failure, liver failure, growth hormone deficiency and also those who used Calcitriol were excluded from the research. Results: Results showed that the mean serum ferritin in patients who had femoral osteoporosis was higher from those with osteopenia and normal density in the femur. (p=0.001). In addition, the mean serum ferritin in patients with vertebral osteoporosis was higher than that in those with osteopenia and normal bone density in the vertebral bones, (p=0.002). There is a significant difference between serum ferritin in different bone densities. Conclusions: Bone density is a good indicator of bone status in patients with major thalassemia and we recommend measuring it annually.
The Effectiveness of PBL Online on Physics Students' Creativity and Critical Thinking: A Case Study at Universiti Malaysia Sabah

This paper aims at finding out the effectiveness of PBL Online on physics students’ creativity and critical thinking. A cohort of 61 physics students from the School of Science and Technology (SST) of Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia comprised the sample. The sample was separated into experimental and control groups, with the experimental group was experiencing PBL online learning activities and the control group more to traditional learning activities. Both groups were supported via an online learning environment, which acted as the main medium for learning. Participants’ creativity was evaluated using a previously validated instrument, the Torrance Test of Creativity Thinking (TTCT), whilst their critical thinking was using the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA). Both tests administered before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the intervention. Examination of these data, points to statistically significant differences in both creativity and critical thinking favour to PBL group. Therefore the research findings suggest that PBL online effectively improves both of physics students’ creativity and critical thinking.