Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Land Use/Land Cover Dynamics and its Implication on Sustainable Land Management in Wallecha Watershed, Southern Ethiopia

This study was conducted at Wallecha Watershed in the middle course of Bilate River Basin in Wolayitta Zone, Southern Ethiopia with the main objective of assessing the patterns of spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/land cover (LU/LC) and implications on sustainable land management (SLM). The study area was covered 10116.7ha, and had previously undergone substantial LU/LC changes. The changes in LU/LC which occurred between 1984 and 2010 were monitored in a context of geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS). The Lands at imageries of 1984, 2000 and 2010 were used to produce three land cover maps of the respective years using GIS and RS techniques with field verification. Changes in the density of vegetation cover and land degradation over time in the watershed were also estimated with the help of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The general trend was observed as there is decrease in forest lands and shrubgrasslands at a rate of 34.27and 15.63ha per year respectively, and a decrease in degraded lands at a rate of 7.63 ha per year. A corresponding increase was observed in tree plantations and cultivated lands at a rate of 30.07 and 27.46 ha per year respectively. The decrease in forest lands and shrub-grasslands partly reflects the considerable degradation of natural vegetation in the watershed. Three state of vegetation disturbance levels viz. Highly, Moderately and Less stressed areas were identified and delineated using NDVI values which were measured through the analysis of the spectral reflectance of the red and the near infrared bands for the imageries. This finding has highlighted that the changes were not in favor of the natural ecosystem, rather triggered large scale clearing of forests and shrub-grasslands. Hence, greater emphasis must be given to wise use and SLM practices, regulated population growth and integrated environmental rehabilitation programs in the studied watershed.
The Analysis of Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors Associated with Contraceptive Use Among Married Women of Reproductive Age in Rwanda

Contraceptive use is seen as pivotal for protecting women’s health and rights, influencing fertility and population growth, and helping to promote economic development. The main objective of this study was to identify the socio-economic and demographic factors associated with contraceptive use among married women of childbearing age in Rwanda. The current study used survey logistic regression model in order to account for the complexity of sampling design and heterogeneity between the observations from the same cluster. The 2014/2015 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey data was used as application. The findings from this study revealed that education level of the woman, wealth quintile of the household, woman’s province of residence, woman’s age at first cohabitation, current age of the respondent, woman’s working status, number of living children, husband’s desire for more children compared to the wife or partner, religious affiliation, health facilities, exposure to contraceptive information in media and by family planning workers, and current age of husband or partner were significant determinants of contraceptive use among ever married women of reproductive age. The findings from this study suggest improvement of exposure to the information of contraceptive use in health centres, empowerment of women for access to quality contraceptive use services and religious affiliation to play an important role to explain and inform their adherents on the importance of using a contraceptive method.
Active phase for activated random walks on Z d , d ≥ 3 , with density less than one and arbitrary sleeping rate

It has been conjectured that the critical density of the Activated Random Walk model is strictly less than one for any value of the sleeping rate. We prove this conjecture on Z when d ≥ 3 and, more generally, on graphs where the random walk is transient. Moreover, we establish the occurrence of a phase transition on non-amenable graphs, extending previous results which require that the graph is amenable or a regular tree.
Switched Asynchronous Sequential Machines With Relaxed Switching Operations

The model matching problem of input/state switched asynchronous sequential machines is studied in this paper. The considered machine consists of a number of input /state asynchronous machines, termed submachines, between which asynchronous switching is conducted by the switching signal. The control goal is to design a corrective controller such that the closed-loop system can mimic the stable-state behavior of a reference model. In particular, we focus on relaxing the condition for fundamental mode operations in switching operations so that the switched asynchronous sequential machine can enlarge its switching capability. The necessary and su fficient condition for the existence of a model matching controller is analytically derived in the framework of corrective control. We also provide a simple illustrative example to demonstrate the proposed notion and control scheme.
Lead removal from aqueous solutions by Bacillus subtilis

The dead biomass of Bacillus subtilis has been used for the removal of lead (II) from an aqueous solution. The effects of various parameters such as contact time, adsorbate concentration, pH of the medium and temperature were examined. Optimum removal at 20C was found to be 98.4 % at pH 6.5, with an initial Pb (II) concentration of 100 mgL. Dynamics of the sorption process and mass transfer of Pb (II) to Bacillus subtilis were investigated and the values of rate constant of adsorption, rate constant of intraparticle diffusion and the mass transfer coefficients were calculated. Different thermodynamic parameters viz., changes in standard free energy, enthalpy and entropy were evaluated and it was found that the reaction was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. The adsorption data fitted the Langmuir isotherm. The data were subjected to multiple regression analysis and a model was developed to predict the removal of Pb (II) from an aqueous solution.
Interactions among decaying leaf litter, root litter and soil organic matter vary with mycorrhizal type

Root‐derived inputs are increasingly viewed as primary controls of soil organic matter (SOM) formation; however, we have a limited understanding of how root decay rates depend on soil factors, and how decaying roots influence the breakdown of leaf litter and SOM. We incubated root and leaf litter (alone and in combination) from arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees in soils collected from forest plots dominated by AM and ECM trees in a factorial design. In each microcosm, we quantified litter decay rates and the effects of decaying litters on soil C balance. We hypothesized that (1) AM root litters would decompose faster than ECM root litters, (2) root litter decay would be greatest when decomposed in “home” soils (e.g. AM litters in AM soils and ECM litters in ECM soils) and (3) root and leaf litters would decompose faster when decaying in the same microcosms than when decaying in separate microcosms, resulting in the largest CO2 losses. Overall, AM root litter decomposed faster than ECM root litter, and the magnitude of this effect depended on soil origin. AM litters decayed fastest in AM soils, but ECM and mixed AM–ECM litters were unaffected by soil origin. Decaying roots increased leaf litter mass loss, but only in microcosms containing soils of the same origin (e.g. AM litters in AM soils; mixed litters in mixed soils). Carbon losses were dominated by microbial respiration, and the magnitude of this flux depended on litter type and soil origin. When leaves and roots decayed together, respiratory losses exceeded those from microcosms containing leaves and roots alone, with the largest losses occurring in each litters' “home” soil. In AM soils, elevated losses were driven by roots accelerating leaf decay, while in ECM soils, elevated losses resulted from roots and leaves accelerating the decay of SOM; in mixed soils, root‐induced increases in leaf and SOM decay contributed to elevated C losses. Synthesis. Our results suggest that root, leaf and SOM decay are intertwined, and that measurements of these processes in isolation may lead to incorrect estimates of the magnitude and source of C losses from soils.
Post Harvest Physicochemical Properties of Soursop (Annona Muricata L.) Fruits of Coast Region, Tanzania

The physicochemical composition of harvested soursop (Annona muricata L.) fruits from Coast region, Tanzania, during open-air storage was determined. The ash, titratable acidity, crude fat, crude fiber, moisture and sugars content were determined by proximate analysis. Ascorbic acid contents were determined using the 2,6-dichlorophenol-indophenol dye method while macro-nutrients and heavy metals were determined by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). The fruits were harvested at the mature ripe stage and kept in open air storage over several days. The determinations were done immediately after fruit arrival at the laboratory and thereafter at intervals of two days from the day of harvest. The results showed that soursop fruits had high moisture content (73.1% – 82.1%), low titratable acidity (0.10 – 1.25% ca), low crude fat (0.42 mg/100 g-fw), moderate ash content (0.87 mg/100 g-fw) and crude fibre content (6.09 mg/100 g-fw), high ascorbic acid content (34.0 – 19.7 mg/100 g-fw), high total sugars content (34.3% – 45.3%), reducing sugar content (18.9% – 39.2%) and sucrose content (15.5% – 30.0%). Of the macroelements Na, Ca and K, the average content were 895.6, 870.3 and 367.5 mg/100 g-fw respectively. Heavy metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) content was very low in the soursop fruits, ranging between <0.0015 mg/100 g-fw for Cd and 0.82 mg/100 g-fw for Fe. During storage, the moisture content, titratable acidity level and sugars content in the fruit were all increasing whereas the ascorbic acid content was decreasing. There were no significant changes during storage for levels of crude fat, fiber, ash, mineral elements and heavy metals. The findings from this study suggest that this fruit from coast region of Tanzania can contribute nutritionally to the health of the consumer.
Local and global existence of smooth solutions for the stochastic Euler equations with multiplicative noise

We establish the local existence of pathwise solutions for the stochastic Euler equations in a three-dimensional bounded domain with slip boundary conditions and a very general nonlinear multiplicative noise. In the two-dimensional case we obtain the global existence of these solutions with additive or linear-multiplicative noise. Lastly, we show that, in the three dimensional case, the addition of linear multiplicative noise provides a regularizing effect; the global existence of solutions occurs with high probability if the initial data is sufficiently small, or if the noise coefficient is sufficiently large.
Racial Divisions and Criminal Justice: Evidence from Southern State Courts

The US criminal justice system is exceptionally punitive. We test whether racial heterogeneity is one cause, exploiting cross-jurisdiction variation in punishment severity in four Southern states. We estimate the causal effect of jurisdiction on arrest outcomes using a fixed effects model that incorporates extensive charge and defendant controls. We validate our estimates using defendants charged in multiple jurisdictions. Consistent with a model of ingroup bias in electorate preferences, the relationship between local severity and Black population share follows an inverted U-shape. Within states, defendants are 27–54 percent more likely to be incarcerated in “peak” heterogeneous jurisdictions than in homogeneous jurisdictions. We estimate that confinement rates and race-based confinement rate gaps would fall by 15 percent if all jurisdictions adopted the severity of homogeneous jurisdictions within their state. (JEL H76, J15, K42)
A Hybrid l1-l0 Layer Decomposition Model for Tone Mapping

Tone mapping aims to reproduce a standard dynamic range image from a high dynamic range image with visual information preserved. State-of-the-art tone mapping algorithms mostly decompose an image into a base layer and a detail layer, and process them accordingly. These methods may have problems of halo artifacts and over-enhancement, due to the lack of proper priors imposed on the two layers. In this paper, we propose a hybrid l1-l0 decomposition model to address these problems. Specifically, an l1 sparsity term is imposed on the base layer to model its piecewise smoothness property. An l0 sparsity term is imposed on the detail layer as a structural prior, which leads to piecewise constant effect. We further propose a multiscale tone mapping scheme based on our layer decomposition model. Experiments show that our tone mapping algorithm achieves visually compelling results with little halo artifacts, outperforming the state-of-the-art tone mapping algorithms in both subjective and objective evaluations.
Environmental dose rate determination using a passive dosimeter: Techniques and workflow for α-Al2O3:C chips

Abstract In situ dosimetry (active, passive dosimeters) provides high accuracy by determining environmental dose rates directly in the field. Passive dosimeters, such as α-Al2O3:C, are of particular interest for sites with desired minimum disturbance (e.g., archaeological sites). Here, we present a comprehensive approach obtaining the environmental cosmic and γ-dose rate using α-Al2O3:C chips. Our procedure consists of (1) homemade field containers, (2) a homemade bleaching box, (3) a rapid measurement sequence and (4) software based on R to process the measurement results. Our validation steps include reproducibility, irradiation time correction, cross-talk evaluation and source calibration. We further simulate the effect of the container against the infinite matrix dose rate, resulting in attenuation of ca. 6%. Our measurement design uses a lexsyg SMART luminescence reader equipped with green LEDs. The irradiation is carried out under the closed β-source. The minimum dose that can be determined was estimated with ca. 10 μGy. However, we also show that for the equipment used, an irradiation time correction of ca. 2.6 s is needed and irradiation cross-talk should be taken into account. The suggested procedure is cross-checked with four reference sites at Clermont-Ferrand showing a good γ-dose rate for three out of the four sites. Finally, an application example, including needed analytical steps, is presented for dosimeters buried at the archaeological site of the Sierra de Atapuerca (Spain).
Qualitative and quantitative response of soil organic carbon to 40 years of crop residue incorporation under contrasting nitrogen fertilisation regimes

Crop residue incorporation (RI) is recommended to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. However, the positive effect on SOC is often reported to be relatively low and alternative use of crop residues, e.g. as a bioenergy source, may be more climate smart. In this context, it is important to understand: (i) the response of SOC stocks to long-term crop residue incorporation; and (ii) the qualitative SOC change, in order to judge the sustainability of this measure. We investigated the effect of 40 years of RI combined with five different nitrogen (N) fertilisation levels on SOC stocks and five SOC fractions differing in turnover times on a clay loam soil in Padua, Italy. The average increase in SOC stock in the 0–30cm soil layer was 3.1Mgha–1 or 6.8%, with no difference between N fertilisation rates. Retention coefficients of residues did not exceed 4% and decreased significantly with increasing N rate (R2=0.49). The effect of RI was higher after 20 years (4.6Mgha–1) than after 40 years, indicating that a new equilibrium has been reached and no further gains in SOC can be expected. Most (92%) of the total SOC was stored in the silt and clay fraction and 93% of the accumulated carbon was also found in this fraction, showing the importance of fine mineral particles for SOC storage, stabilisation and sequestration in arable soils. No change was detected in more labile fractions, indicating complete turnover of the annual residue-derived C in these fractions under a warm humid climate and in a highly base-saturated soil. The applied fractionation was thus useful to elucidate drivers and mechanisms of SOC formation and stabilisation. We conclude that residue incorporation is not a significant management practice affecting soil C storage in warm temperate climatic regions.
Epidemiologic Status of Picobirnavirus in India, A Less Explored Viral Disease

Since the unexpected discovery of picobirnaviruses (PBV) in 1988, they have been reported in many animals including mammals and birds, which comprises both terrestrial and marine species. Due to their divergent characteristics to other viral taxa they are classified into a new family Picobirnaviridae. Although their pathogenicity and role in causing diarrhea still remains a question since they have been discovered in symptomatic and asymptomatic cases both. Recent studies employing state-of-art molecular tools have described their presence in various clinical samples, like stool samples from different mammals and birds, respiratory tracts of pigs and humans, sewage water, different foods, etc. Furthermore, their epidemiological status from different parts of the world in different hosts has also increased. Due to their diverse host and irregular host pattern their role in causing diarrhea remains alien. The heterogeneity nature can be ascribed to segmented genome of PBV, which renders them prone to continuous reassortment. Studies have been hampered on PBVs due to their non-adaptability to cell culture system. Here, we describe the molecular epidemiological data on PBVs in India and discusses the overall status of surveillance studies carried out till date in India.
Influence of the degree of hydrolysis and type of enzyme on antioxidant activity of okara protein hydrolysates

The objective of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates obtained by the enzymatic hydrolysis of okara using an endopeptidase (Alcalase) and exopeptidase (Flavourzyme). The reaction was monitored by the pH-stat procedure in which five aliquots were collected during the hydrolysis by each enzyme, corresponding to different degrees of hydrolysis (DH). The antioxidant activities of the aliquots were evaluated by the ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods. For the hydrolysates obtained using Alcalase, the antioxidant activities increased from: 68.6 to 99.5% (ABTS), 14.5 to 17.7% (DPPH) and 222.6 to 684.9 µM Trolox (FRAP), when the DH varied from 0 to 33.6%. With respect to Flavourzyme, the results were: 67.2 to 88.2% (ABTS), 9.5 to 18.5% (DPPH) and 168.0 to 360.3 µM Trolox (FRAP), when the DH increased up to 5.8%. The results showed that the protein hydrolysates had antioxidant capacities, which were influenced by the degree of hydrolysis and the type of enzyme.
Molecular Identification of Poultry Eimeria species at Live Bird Markets in River State , Nigeria .

Coccidiosis is considered as one the most economically important diseases of poultry and has tremendous socio-economic impact in Nigeria, where family incomes rely heavily on poultry farming. The molecular identification and prevalence of poultry Eimeria spp. in Rivers State was determined in this study. Live bird markets (LBM) in Port Harcourt city (the state capital) were targeted so as to obtain holistic data on Eimeria prevalence. Data on specific market characteristics were collected from 9 LBMs. Fecal samples were collected from bird cages and pooled per LBM. Eimeria oocysts were isolated and identified using oocysts morphology and species-specific multiplex PCR amplification using SCAR primers. Regression analysis were used to check for association between Eimeria spp. prevalence and specific market characteristics. The overall prevalence of poultry Eimeria was 77% (7 of 9). Four Eimeria species were confirmed with prevalence of E. tenella: 77%, E. necatrix: 55%, E. acervulina: 44% and E. mitis: 11%. Mixed Eimeria infections were common among LBMs sampled with an overall prevalence of 55%. Regression analysis revealed a positive association between market size and the prevalence of Eimeria (r = 0.38). The findings from this study has emphasized the importance of E. tenella, E. necatrix, and E. acervulina in the epidemiology of poultry coccidiosis in the state and should inform coccidiosis monitoring and surveillance programmes.
Post-Partum Hematological , Biochemical , Mineral And Hormonal Changes In Blood Of Maghrebian She-Camels With Different Parity Orders Under Egyptian Condition

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of parity on some hematological, biochemical, mineral and hormonal parameters from the last 2 months of gestation up to 4 months post-partum in blood of Maghrebian She-Camels with different parities during breeding season under Egyptian condition. Total of 21 pregnant camels in late pregnancy were divided into 3 experimental groups (7 in each) according to parity order and age as the following: G1 (1-3 parities), G2 (4-6 parities) and G3 (7-9 parities). Blood plasma samples were collected at the beginning of 2 and 1 month before calving, at calving and end of 1, 2 and 3 months after calving to determined some hematological, biochemicals, mineral, hormonal parameters in blood plasma. Results showed that overall mean of all hematological parameters packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration and count of red and white blood cells, uric acid concentration, K, Ca, P and Mg contents, E2 concentration decreased (P<0.05), while concentration of total proteins (TP), albumin (AL), globulin (GL), urea, creatinine, cholesterol and triglycerides, activity of AST and ALT, Na contents, and leptin concentration increased (P<0.05) in G3 (7-9 parities) than in G1 (1-3 parities). However, AL: GL ratio, glucose concentration, LDH activity and P4 concentration were not affected by camel parity. These results indicated slight changes in blood composition by increasing camel parity more than three parities, while remarkable changes in all parameters studied by advancing camel parity more than 6 parities. Also, there was trend of change in these parameters at different preand post-partum months. In conclusion, these results may be utilized as references for she-camels during different reproductive statuses, which may form a useful baseline for future research in this field and may have a key part in assessing the metabolic status in late pregnant and early lactating she-camels.
The Effect of Radiation on Myofiber Properties in Mouse Skeletal Muscle

iii LIST OF TABLES v LIST OF FIGURES vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND AIMS 1 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE 6 2.1 RADIATION 8 2.2 SKELETAL MUSCLE MORPHOLOGY 17 2.3 OXIDATIVE CAPACITY OF SKELETAL MUSCLE 22 CHAPTER 3: THE EFFECT OF RADIATION ON MYOFIBER PROPERTIES IN MOUSE SKELETAL MUSCLE 26 REFERENCES 48
Multiple quantum magic-angle spinning using rotary resonance excitation

We have discovered rotary resonances between rf field strength, ω1, and magic-angle spinning (MAS) frequency, ωR, which dramatically enhance the sensitivity of triple quantum preparation and mixing in the multiple-quantum MAS experiment, particularly for quadrupolar nuclei having low gyromagnetic ratios or experiencing strong quadrupole couplings. Triple quantum excitation efficiency minima occur when 2ω1=nωR, where n is an integer, with significant maxima occurring between these minima. For triple quantum mixing we observe maxima when ω1=nωR. In both preparation and mixing the pulse lengths required to reach maxima exceed one rotor period. We have combined these rotary resonance conditions into a new experiment called FASTER MQ-MAS, and have experimentally demonstrated a factor of 3 enhancement in sensitivity in comparison to conventional MQ-MAS.