Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Drainage Water Management on Nitrate Nitrogen Loss to Tile Drains in North Carolina

Short-term studies have demonstrated that drainage water management (DWM), or controlled drainage (CD), can be used to substantially reduce the loss of nitrogen (N) from drained lands for a wide range of soils, crops, locations, and climates. Long-term studies on the effects of the practice are limited. This article presents results on the effects of CD on nitrate-N (NO3-N) losses for three crops, corn (Zea mays L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), in a two-year rotation in North Carolina. Nitrate losses were measured on replicated plots under CD and conventional, or free drainage (FD), treatments for nine years between 1992 and 2012 on a tile-drained site near Plymouth, North Carolina. The site is on a Portsmouth sandy loam soil with parallel drains 22.9 m apart and 1.15 m deep. The subsurface drainage characteristics under FD were drainage intensity (DI) = 8 mm d-1, drainage coefficient (DC) = 14 mm d-1, and Kirkham coefficient (KC) = 18 mm d-1. Compared to FD, CD reduced annual drainage outflow by 33% and NO3N export by 30%, with an average annual reduction of 6.3 kg ha-1 year-1. CD increased average NO3-N concentrations by 0.9 mg L-1, but the difference was not significant. The reduction in NO3-N export observed in the CD treatment was equal to the increase in N removed by the harvested grain. The results document the effects of CD on NO3-N export over a wide range of weather conditions during the nine-year study. While the average 30% reduction in NO3-N losses in drainage water is in the midrange of that reported by previous studies for different soils and climates, this is believed to be the first time such a reduction has been attributed to the effect of CD on increasing yields and N removed in the harvested grain.
EYESPOT INFECTION RISKS ON WHEAT WITH RESPECT TO CLIMATIC CONDITIONS AND SOIL MANAGEMENT

SUMMARY Climatic conditions and soil management rank among the most important factors influencing the infection of winter wheat by eyespot and other stem-base diseases. Records of the climatic conditions (temperature, precipitation, and air humidity) over a 14-year period, 1994-2007, were used to develop a prediction model for eyespot infection using multiple regression. Since the most critical factor affecting eyespot is precipitation, graded watering (0, 10 and 20 liters of water) was tested at various timings of application in small-plot experiments in 2005-2007 in order to determine the severity of stem base infection by eyespot. In addition, in 2006 and 2007, the effect of soil management (tillage 22 cm, 15 cm, and no-till) on wheat infection by eyespot and other stem-base pathogens was measured using molecular diagnosis. The climatic model developed is statistically significant, showing that the most important factor affecting eyespot infection in wheat is the number of days with rainfall above 3 mm through October to April. Experimental watering did not significantly affect the severity of infection. Soil management had only a limited effect on the incidence of stem-base diseases. F. avenaceum was more prevalent in the variant with tillage 22 cm in the year 2007.
Students’ satisfaction on facilities in Universiti Utara Malaysia

Service quality is one of the most important criteria to measure consumers’ satisfaction.They are not only concerned with how a service is being delivered but also with the quality of output they received.Positive perception on quality of services being delivered occurs when it exceeded customers’ expectation.A review of the literature revealed that the general description of service quality attributes are (a) tangible,(b) reliability, (c) responsiveness, (d) assurance and (e) empathy.For the purpose of indicating student’s satisfaction on the service quality of facilities in UUM, questionnaires have been distributed to students at University Utara Malaysia to explore their perception.Results from the survey were examined to see whether there is any relationship between the five service quality attributes and students’ satisfaction.
Phonon-assisted transitions from quantum dot excitons to cavity photons

For a single semiconductor quantum dot embedded in a microcavity, we theoretically and experimentally investigate phonon-assisted transitions between excitons and the cavity mode. Within the framework of the independent boson model we find that such transitions can be very efficient, even for relatively large excitoncavity detunings of several millielectron volts. Furthermore, we predict a strong detuning asymmetry for the exciton lifetime that vanishes for elevated lattice temperature. Our findings are corroborated by experiment, which turns out to be in good quantitative and qualitative agreement with theory.
Wear of refractory materials for ceramic filters of different porosity in contact with hot metal

This paper deals with an investigation of the development of refractory materials for the fabrication of ceramic filters for the filtration of steel. Ceramic filters are used for increasing the cleanliness of steel and they must meet several strict requirements, such as the ability to remove impurities, a resistance to sudden changes in temperature, a resistance to corrosion and erosion by metal. The use of filters must not lead to an excessive reduction of the steel’s temperature, as this may lead to solidification of steel and thus to filter clogging. That is why a special refractory material has been developed with reduced thermal capacity caused by increased porosity. Tests were made in a laboratory of the Department of Metallurgy at V[B-TUO in order to simulate the industrial conditions of the filtration of steel with a focus on the evaluation of the erosion and corrosion effects and also on a determination of the resistance and service life of ceramic filters.
Numerical study of 2-D Quantum Dots

We present a numerical study of the chemical potential and of the capacitance in a model quantum dot. Our model includes the electron-electron interaction and exchange and correlation effects within the framework of density functional theory. Our results exhibit the typical features observed in experiments, such as the increase in the capacitance for increasing number of electrons and the presence of irregularities in the succession of the chemical potential values vs. the electron number.
A NETWORK APPROACH FOR UNDERSTANDING AND ANALYZING PRODUCT CO-CONSIDERATION RELATIONS IN ENGINEERING DESIGN

This paper presents a product association network to characterize customers' consideration preferences, where both descriptive and quantitative approaches are proposed to interpret the co-consideration relations by the underlying factors of product and customer attributes. The integrated network approach provides an easy-to-understand visual representation as well as quantitative evaluations of the important factors that affect customers’ co-consideration decisions.
Statistical significance of rising and oscillatory trends in global ocean and land temperature in the past 160 years

Various interpretations of the notion of a trend in the context of global warming are discussed, contrasting the difference between viewing a trend as the deterministic response to an external forcing and viewing it as a slow variation which can be separated from the background spectral continuum of long-range persistent climate noise. The emphasis in this paper is on the latter notion, and a general scheme is presented for testing a multi-parameter trend model against a null hypothesis which models the observed climate record as an autocorrelated noise. The scheme is employed to the instrumental global sea-surface temperature record and the global land-temperature record. A trend model comprising a linear plus an oscillatory trend with period of approximately 60 yr, and the statistical significance of the trends, are tested against three different null models: first-order autoregressive process, fractional Gaussian noise, and fractional Brownian motion. The linear trend is significant in all cases, but the oscillatory trend is insignificant for ocean data and barely significant for land data. By means of a Bayesian iteration, however, using the significance of the linear trend to formulate a sharper null hypothesis, the oscillatory trend in the land record appears to be statistically significant. The results suggest that the global land record may be better suited for detection of the global warming signal than the ocean record.
Service Quality and value perceptions of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

This study examines the relationships between service quality and value perceptions of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, controlling for the consumers' opinion about hosting the event in the country. Data were collected from five cities (n=3,042), and the results from a structural model indicate that teams, accessibilities, and event atmoshpere have a positive influence on hedonic value and utilitarian value, while referees only have a positive impact on hedonic value. In turn, crowd experience has a negative effect on both hedonic and utilitarian value. Additionally, consumers' favorable opinion about hosting the event showed a positive effect on both hedonic and utilitarian value. These findings suggest the nedd for an appealing ambiance and crowd vigilance to enhance the event's value. In addition, the more people agree with hosting the event in Brazil the greater the value perception, highlighting the importance of explaining the event benefits to the host community.
Effects of Sewage Sludge and Nitrogen Fertilizer Application on Nutrient and Heavy Metal Concentrations in Grass-legume Mixtures

The study was conducted in 2004-2007 years in the experimental area of Agricultural Faculty of Yüzüncü Yıl University, in East Anatolia Region of Turkey. We harvested once times in 2005, 2006 and 2007, because of dry conditions. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of using sewage sludge as an alternative to nitrogen fertilizer, and to determine nutrients and heavy metals of the plant in Grass-legume Mixtures. Sewage sludge was applied in spring or autumn in two separate periods. The experimental design was Split-plot, completely randomized blok design with 4 replication. Main-Plot was determined by application time (spring and autumn), and also sub-plot was determined by the application (control, N-fertilizer, Sewage Sludge-1, Sewage Sludge-2, Sewage Sludge-3). Application time (spring and Autumn) of sewage sludge was not an effective factor on dry matter yield, and N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Cr and Ni content. Years and application time interaction of dry matter yield was statistically significant. The highest dry matter yield was obtained in the 3rd year and the autumn application of sewage sludge. According to control and nitrogen fertilizers, Sewage sludge increased the dry matter yield, N, K, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd and Cr contents in Grass-legume Mixtures. This study showed that sewage sludge may be used as a nitrogen source for Grass-legume Mixtures production.
Quantification of some soil properties as affected by land use, and its implication for vegetable farm systems

Sustainability of vegetable farms depends on development of farming systems that can at least arrest soil deterioration, and ideally improve soil fertility. We assessed of soil quality as baseline for a larger study on farming systems redesign in Uruguay. Specific aims were to quantify soil properties in vegetable crop fields on different soils; to evaluate the effect of past land use on these properties; and to assess how this changes could affect soil moisture supply capacity. Samples were taken from 4 cropped fields and from adjacent undisturbed land in pairs on 16 farms with soils representative of the region, Hapluderts and Argiudolls. In cropped fields, SOC at 20 cm depth was 14.9 g/kg on average, and 11.3 g/kg on the coarser Argiudolls. Compared to the undisturbed situation SOC depletion was 35% on average, and 41% on coarser Argiudolls. Geometric mean diameter of stable aggregatates decreased from 2.72 mm to 2.36 mm. Soil moisture supply capacity - a main function of soil is negatively affected by the depletion of SOC and decreased aggregation. Given the increasing frequency of drought and constraints on irrigation capacity, soil management alternatives that improve these properties are needed.
Evaluating the role of sediment-bacteria interactions on Escherichia coli concentrations at beaches in southern Lake Michigan

Received 11 March 2013; revised 30 September 2013; accepted 20 November 2013; published 20 December 2013. [1] Association of bacteria with suspended sediment in the water column complicates the assessment and prediction of nearshore water quality. We examine the impact of sedimentbacteria interactions on Escherichia coli (EC) levels at beaches in southern Lake Michigan using three-dimensional EC fate and transport models with and without explicit descriptions of sediment-bacteria interactions. We simulate hydrodynamics using a nested-grid numerical model and use a semiparametric wave model to compute wave heights and net bottom shear stress. The attachment-detachment dynamics of bacteria in the water column are modeled using a linear partition coefficient. The numerical models were tested against data, collected in summer 2008, which included measurements of EC at three beaches and multiple ADCP deployments for currents and waves. Our results indicate that the model that accounts for sediment-bacteria interactions describes the observed data significantly better and that sediment, directly and indirectly, interacts with bacteria to influence their fate and transport. The improvement results from the model’s ability to describe the multiple short-duration, low-intensity resuspension events at our sampling sites. A major resuspension event was noted during the simulation period but the sampling frequency during the event was inadequate to resolve the details of the peak. Using the linear isotherm model to simulate attachment-detachment dynamics of bacteria in the water column, we found that the fraction of bacteria attached to suspended sediment particles in the water column is highly variable in the vertical at offshore locations but nearly constant closer to the shore.
Asymptotic Behavior of the Eigenfrequency of a One-Dimensional Linear Thermoelastic System *

In this paper, we are concerned with the asymptotic behavior of the eigenvalues arising from a one-dimensional linear thermoelastic system with the Dirichlet] Dirichlet boundary condition. It is shown that the eigenfrequency asymptotically falls on two branches: one branch is along the negative horizontal axis in the complex plane and the other branch is asymptotic to the vertical line Rel s yg 2r2 k. These results lead to the exponential stability of the system and also Ž provide a proof for the numerical simulation results by Liu and Zheng 1993, . Quart. Appl. Math., 51, 535]545 . Q 1997 Academic Press
Reducing the Amount of Catalyst in TEMPO-Oxidized Cellulose Nanofibers: Effect on Properties and Cost

Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) are interesting biopolymers that find numerous applications in different scientific and technological fields. However, manufacturing costs are still one of the main drawbacks for the industrial production of highly fibrillated, transparent CNF suspensions. In the present study, cellulose nanofibers were produced from bleached eucalyptus pulp via TEMPO-mediated oxidation with varying amounts of NaClO and passed through a high-pressure homogenizer. The CNFs were chemically and physically characterized; cellulose nanopapers were also produced to study tensile properties. Production costs were also calculated. Results indicated that CNF properties are strongly dependent on the carboxyl content. Manufacturing costs showed that chemicals, in particular TEMPO catalyst, represent a large part of the final cost of CNFs. In order to solve this problem, a set of samples were prepared where the amount of TEMPO was gradually reduced. Characterization of samples prepared in this way showed that not only were the costs reduced, but also that the final properties of the CNFs were not significantly affected when the amount of TEMPO was reduced to half.
Use of E-mail Dialogue Journal in Enhancing Writing Performance

In the age of computer mediated technology, the effects of the internet applications on learners’ performance have been broadly investigated by many researchers. In keeping with this trend, this study compared the effect of conventional tools as pen-and-paper, and e-mail, on the writing performance in terms of content, organization, language use, vocabulary and mechanics. Forty two English major students from one intact class at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), based on their grades in “Expository Writing”, as a subject taken in the previous semester, were randomly assigned into two groups, namely: pen-and-paper dialogue journal and e-mail dialogue journal. Pre and post writing tests were administered to identify two groups’ differences in their writing performance scores. After going through seven week intervention, quantitative research results revealed that e-mail group outperformed their counterparts in overall writing performance and language use, one of the categories. However, for other writing performance components, this research showed no significant difference between groups. With the empirical data offered in this study, e-mail can be applied as a suitable tool to assist language learner to improve their writing performance.
Cronyism, Regulation, and Firm Productivity in Egypt

Using a large, original database of 385 politically connected firms under the Mubarak regime in Egypt, we document for the first time the negative impact of cronyism on economic growth. In the early 2000s, a policy shift in Egypt led to the expansion of crony activities into new, previously unconnected sectors. 4digit sectors that experienced crony entry between 1996 and 2006 experienced lower aggregate employment growth during the period than those that did not. A wide array of supporting evidence indicates that this effect was causal, reflecting the mechanisms described in Aghion et al. (2001), and not due to selection. Crony entry skewed the distribution of employment toward smaller, less productive firms; crony firms did not enter into sectors that would have also grown more slowly even in the absence of crony entry; and they enjoyed multiple regulatory and fiscal privileges that reduced competition and investments by noncrony firms, including trade protection, energy subsidies, access to land, and favorable regulatory enforcement. Moreover, energy subsidies and trade protection account for the higher profits of politically connected firms. JEL codes: D72, D24, O47
Life-Cycle Human Capital Accumulation across Countries: Lessons from US Immigrants

This paper assesses cross-country variation in life-cycle human capital accumulation, using new evidence from US immigrants. The returns to experience accumulated in an immigrant’s birth country before migrating are positively correlated with birth-country GDP per capita. To understand this fact, we build a model of life-cycle human capital accumulation that features three potential theories: differential human capital accumulation, differential selection, and differential skill loss. We use new data on the characteristics of immigrants and nonmigrants from a large set of countries to distinguish between these theories. The most likely theory is that immigrants from poor countries accumulate less human capital in their birth countries before migrating. Our findings imply that life-cycle human capital stocks are much larger in rich countries.
The Influence of Allelopathic Weeds Extracts on Weeds and Yield of Wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.)

The experiment was conducted to examine the response of weeds and wheat crop to allelopathic weeds.The treatments included T 1 =weedy Check (Control), T 2 =Chenopodium album concentration 30%, T 3 =Chenopodium album concentration 60%, T 4 =Convolvulus arvensis concentration 30%, T 5 =Convolvulus arvensis concentration 60% and T 6 =T 2 + T 4 . The experiment was laid out in a three replicated Randomized Complete Block Design. The results revealed that the allelopathic effect of Convolvulus arvensis at 60% concentration resulted positive and significant impact (P<0.05) on various growth and yield traits of wheat with 81.66% wheat seed germination (%) 84.48 cm plant height, 16.08 cm spike length, 43.33 grains spike-1, 3.97 g grain weight spike-1, 47.82 g seed index (1000 grain weight, g) value and 4059 kg ha -1 grain yield; while the weed density 33.33 m-2 was recorded 20 days after sowing, 11.00 m-2 weed density at maturity , weed fresh weight 61.00 g m-2, 11.71 weed dry weight m-2 with highest weed control percentage 50.42 . On the basis of weed control percentage, the treatments Chenopodium album concentration 60% ranked 2 nd , C. album + C. Arvensis conc. 30 + 30% ranked 3 rd , Convolvulus arvensis concentration 30% ranked 4 th and Chenopodium album concentration 30% ranked 5 th . Hence, it was concluded that for achieving promising weed allelopathic effects on wheat production and weed suppression, the water extract of Convolvulus arvensis may be applied at 60% concentration. Keywords: Wheat, Response, Weed and Allelopathic
Quality of organically produced bell pepper seeds1

The production of bell pepper seeds may be affected by the plant management and harvesting point of fruits. The goal of this study was to evaluate the quality of organically produced bell pepper seeds according to free plant growth, branch thinning and ripening stage. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with randomized block design; plants were tutored to parallel tape supports, with and without branch thinning, and fruits were harvested at three ripening stages (completely green, green/reddish and red). The following determinations were made: seed moisture content of at the time of harvest and after post-harvest rest, number of seeds per fruit, seed germination, and seedling emergence. It is possible to conclude that the production of bell pepper seeds in an organic system is viable, resulting in seeds with a germination percentage and seedling emergence above 90%. The management system of plants without branch thinning results in the production of seeds with greater viability and higher quantity per fruit. The cultivation of bell peppers for seed production may be carried out with fruits at the green ripening stage (51 days after anthesis), without any quality loss.
Examining Sense of Belonging Among First-Year Undergraduates From Different Racial/Ethnic Groups

This study examined sense of belonging among a national sample of 2,967 first-year students. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships between several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. Findings indicated that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific American students reported a less strong sense of belonging than White/Caucasian students. The social dimensions of the transition to college and residence hall climate and perceptions of the campus racial climate had strong significant relationships to students' sense of belonging. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.