Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CLASSIFYING GENOTYPIC, PHENOTYPIC VARIABILITY, BROAD SENSE HERITABILITY AND PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS OF SUGARCANE ( Saccharum officinarum

Sugarcane is one of the important cash crops for Pakistan and it has been the primary source of sugar production. Sugarcane is used in our sugar mills and it’s by products are used in making cattle feed, soil manure etc. Present research experiment was conducted to assess the 32 genotypes of sugarcane collected from different farms for cane yield through yield contributing traits in natural field conditions. Traits like Cane height, cane girth, area of leaf, no. of internodes, internode length, no. of tillers, weight of cane, brix percentage and red rot disease incidence and severity were considered for evaluation of sugarcane germplasm. Result showed that most of the traits showed significance amount of variability between the genotypes with respect to the considered plant parameters. XT910 genotype showed the highest cane height while SPF-237 showed highest cane diameter. MSH-2415 showed the largest area of leaf as compare to other genotypes. XT236 showed the highest number of tillers per stool. Highest sucrose value is ultimate goal of breeders and US 133 showed highest sucrose value with brix percentage mean of 22. This variety performed very well overall. Sugarcane genotypes US-133,US-633,US-127,CPF-247,MSH-2415 were found excellent for sugar recovery while SPF-213 and SPF-237 were observed as resistance/tolerant against Red Rot. Furthermore, SPF-213
IMPLEMENTATION OF CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK FOR PREDICTING GLAUCOMA FROM FUNDUS IMAGES

unknown what causes these diseases to develop, but if not treated, they result in optic nerve atrophy. For this reason, in this paper we propose a novel deep learning system for the automatic diagnosis of glaucoma using a convolutional neural network for classification, which demonstrates improved performance and records computation time for fundus images. The results showed an accuracy of 94 % and a loss value of only 0.27. The model we have created to investigate with Keras helped us achieve good results in our training and testing process. These study results demonstrate the ability of a deep learning model to identify glaucoma from fundus images. Increasing the filter size and training the model resulted in a higher accuracy rate. A population survey that was conducted in 2019 shows that most patients with glaucoma become aware of their disease late, after the disease causes a high level of optic nerve damage and a high percentage of vision loss. Early diagnosis and detection of glaucoma using optic nerve imaging technology have gained wide clinical interest in stopping or slowing the progression of the disease, allowing the development of new algorithms to automate the diagnosis of eye
Adoption of in-field rainwater harvesting: Insights from smallholder farmers in

The in-field rainwater harvesting technique (IRWHT) has been widely promoted for the sustainability of crop production, particularly in naturally water-stressed regions. It is a technology developed to harvest rainwater that could be put into efficient use for farming. The technology was a product of collaborative efforts of the Institute for Soil, Climate and Water (ISCW) of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and University of Fort Hare (UFH). The technology was piloted in several villages under Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality (RMLM) from 2004 to 2012. Sixteen years after the introduction of the technology, the study examined the sustainability use of the technology amongst the adopters from the Tyhume valley area. The quantitative methodological approach was used for this study and simple random sampling technique was used to select 150 project respondents for the survey. Data was collected and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science. Descriptive statistical analysis, frequency count, percentages, means and standard deviation were used for quantitative data analysis. Findings revealed that 96% of smallholder farmers discontinued the use of IRWHT, with the majority abandoning the technology 5 to 8 years post adoption. Amongst the reasons adduced by the respondents include complexity of the technology, space taking up by the technology for water retention/ storage and time to construct the basins. The
Precision of Warm’s Weighted Likelihood Estimates for a Polytomous Model in Computerized Adaptive Testing

This monte carlo study evaluated the relative accuracy of Warm’s (1989) weighted likelihood estimate (WLE) compared to the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE), expected a posteriori (EAP) estimate, and maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimate. The generalized partial-credit model was used under a variety of computerized adaptive testing (CAT) conditions. The results indicated that WLE was more accurate than MLE with a fixed-length CAT, consistent with previous findings. WLE and MLE had smaller bias and larger standard errors than EAP and MAP. EAP was more accurate than MAP in a variety of CAT conditions. Although root mean squared errors were different among the four estimation methods, no statistically significant mean differences were found. EAP and MAP had advantages over WLE and MLE in terms of test efficiency. These results suggest that the test termination rule has more impact on the accuracy of θ estimation methods than does the item bank size.
Application of Nano fertilizers on Vegetable Production: A review

Agriculture is the backbone of many developing countries, the majority of the country’s population depends on it for their livelihood. The total populace is developing by around 83 million individuals every year, so there is a need to increment rural usefulness. At present, promising production of vegetable crops can be accomplished by expanding the arable land or by expanding crop yields by working on the productivity of the resources utilized. For these purposes farmers had been utilizing chemical fertilizers and irrigation water indiscriminately on about 60% of our currently arable agricultural land which resulted in number of negative consequences. Therefore, there has been a great scope to utilize present-day innovations like nanotechnology (NT), since nano-fertilizers enhance the plant’s ability to absorb nutrients and agronomic structures of the soil that enhance plant growth and productivity. Economically nanotechnology has expanded the effectiveness of nano compost fixings and added to expanded usefulness and yield. In this review, extensive research is shown on nanotechnology as an effective way to address the problems of fertilizer losses, overcome the negative impacts of indiscriminate uses of fertilizers and discusses the findings of field research and the application of nano-fertilizers on plants and their impact on vegetable crops.
A Second-Order Perturbation Expansion for the SVD

Let $A$ be a rank-deficient matrix and let $N$ be a matrix whose norm is small compared with that of $A$. The left singular vectors of $A$ can be grouped into two matrices $U_1$ and $U_2$ whose columns provide orthonormal bases for the $p$-dimensional column space of $A$ and for its $n - p$ dimensional orthogonal complement. The left singular vectors of $\tilde{A} = A + N$ can also be partitioned into the first $p$ columns, $\tilde{U}_1$, and the last $n - p$ columns $\tilde{U}_2$. When analyzing a variety of signal processing algorithms, it is useful to know how different the spaces spanned by $U_1$ and $\tilde{U}_1$ (or $U_2$ and $\tilde{U}_2$) are. This question can be answered by developing a perturbation expansion for the subspace spanned by a set of singular vectors. A first-order expansion of this type has recently been developed and used to analyze the performance of direction-finding algorithms in array signal processing. In this paper, a new second-order expansion is derived and the result is illustrated with two examples.
Latent tuberculosis infection in liver transplant patients: a review

Tuberculosis (TB) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients is associated with greater morbidity and mortality. Understanding the dynamics of this complex infection becomes more relevant as the number of liver transplant recipients steadily increases. [1] Frequency of active TB is up to 74 times higher in SOT recipients, which can be associated with a mortality of up to 40%. [2] More than 80% of active TB cases arise from previously untreated latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI),[3] hence preventive strategies are paramount. In light of the significant burden that TB may inflict in this population, routine screening for LTBI in liver transplant candidates (LTCs) is recommended. [4] The management of LTBI represents a therapeutic dilemma in LTCs. First, standard immunodiagnostic methods, including the tuberculin skin test (TST) and interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs)—although commonly used —have higher false negativity rates in this population. In addition, current treatment regimens are associated with variable degrees of hepatotoxicity [isoniazid (INH) and rifamycins] and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with immunosuppressants that hamper graft function and may precipitate organ rejection (rifamycins). [2] Herein, we describe current recommendations and controversies in management of LTBI in liver transplant patients.
Not all clusters are equal: dynamics of molecular HIV-1 clusters in a statewide Rhode Island epidemic

Objectives: Molecular epidemiology is a powerful tool to characterize HIV epidemics and prioritize public health interventions. Typically, HIV clusters are assumed to have uniform patterns over time. We hypothesized that assessment of cluster evolution would reveal distinct cluster behavior, possibly improving molecular epidemic characterization, towards disrupting HIV transmission. Design: Retrospective cohort. Methods: Annual phylogenies were inferred by cumulative aggregation of all available HIV-1 pol sequences of individuals with HIV-1 in Rhode Island (RI) between 1990 and 2020, representing a statewide epidemic. Molecular clusters were detected in annual phylogenies by strict and relaxed cluster definition criteria, and the impact of annual newly-diagnosed HIV-1 cases to the structure of individual clusters was examined over time. Results: Of 2153 individuals, 31% (strict criteria) – 47% (relaxed criteria) clustered. Longitudinal tracking of individual clusters identified three cluster types: normal, semi-normal and abnormal. Normal clusters (83–87% of all identified clusters) showed predicted growing/plateauing dynamics, with approximately three-fold higher growth rates in large (15–18%) vs. small (∼5%) clusters. Semi-normal clusters (1–2% of all clusters) temporarily fluctuated in size and composition. Abnormal clusters (11–16% of all clusters) demonstrated collapses and re-arrangements over time. Borderline values of cluster-defining parameters explained dynamics of non-normal clusters. Conclusions: Comprehensive tracing of molecular HIV clusters over time in a statewide epidemic identified distinct cluster types, likely missed in cross-sectional analyses, demonstrating that not all clusters are equal. This knowledge challenges current perceptions of consistent cluster behavior over time and could improve molecular surveillance of local HIV epidemics to better inform public health strategies.
Laser-induced cavitation phenomenon studied using three different optically-based approaches – An initial overview of results

Abstract This report presents a study of shock wave and cavitation bubble dynamics induced by nanosecond laser pulses in pressurized water. Three methods were used to obtain data from the irradiated sample: (1) pump-probe laser flash shadowgraphy, (2) pressure wave sensing by means of a fiber optic interferometer hydrophone, and (3) a novel technique based on the modulation of spatial transmittance by the cavitation bubble. The medium used in these experiments was distilled water in a chamber under different pressure conditions which included values found in human intraocular liquid. It could be shown that while external pressure does not affect either the shock wave propagation or the initial bubble growth rate, it does affect the first collapse time of the bubble and its maximum diameter. Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht die Dynamik von Schockwellen und Kavitationsblasen, die mittels Nanosekunden-Laserpulsen in unter Druck gesetztem Wasser erzeugt wurden. Dabei wurden drei unterschiedliche Methoden verwendet: (1) Laserflash-Verfahren, (2) Druckwellenmessung mittels faseroptischem Interferometer und (3) eine neuartige Technik basierend auf der Modulation der räumlichen Transmission durch die Kavitationsblase. Die Untersuchungen wurden an destilliertem Wasser unter unterschiedlichen Drücken – u.a. auch physiologische Werte, wie sie intraokular vorkommen – vorgenommen, die mittels einer speziellen Druckkammer erzeugt wurden. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass weder die Ausbreitung der Schockwelle noch das anfängliche Blasenwachstum durch den äußeren Druck beeinflusst wird, die Kollapszeit der Blase und ihr maximaler Durchmesser jedoch sehr wohl.
Chemical Substructure in the Milky Way Halo: A New Population of Old Stars

We report the results of a coherent study of a new class of halo stars defined on the basis of the chemical compositions of three metal-poor objects ([Fe/H] ≃ -2) that exhibit unusually low abundances of α-element (Mg, Si, Ca) and neutron-capture (Sr, Y, Ba) material. Our analyses confirm and expand on earlier reports of atypical α- and neutron-capture abundances in BD +80°245, G4-36, and CS 22966-043. We also find that the latter two stars exhibit unusual relative abundance enhancements within the iron peak (Cr, Mn, Ni, Zn), along with what may be large abundances of Ga, an element not previously reported as being observed in any metal-poor star. These results provide further evidence that chemical enrichment and star formation histories varied from region to region within the Milky Way halo. Comparing the chemical abundances of the newly identified stellar population to supernova model yields, we derive supernova ratios of Type Ia versus Type II events in the range of 0.6 ≲ (NIa/NII)New Pop ≲ 1.3. For the Sun, we derive 0.18 ± 0.01 < (NIa/NII)☉ < 0.25 ± 0.06, supernova ratios in good agreement with values found in the literature. Given the relatively low metallicity and relatively high ⟨NIa/NII⟩ ratios of the low-α stars studied here, these objects may have been born from material produced in the yields of the earliest Type Ia supernova events. We also report the results of a preliminary attempt to employ the observed chemical abundances of low-metallicity stars in the identification, and possible cosmic evolution, of Type Ia supernova progenitors, and we discuss the limitations of current model yields.
CN Abundance Inhomogeneities in the Globular Cluster M3: Results Based on Merged Data Sets from the Literature

Measurements of the λ3883 CN band absorption strength in spectra of red giant members of the globular cluster M3 have been compiled from several sources in the literature, including the pioneering survey of N. B. Suntzeff, and transformed onto a common system. The homogenized indices give a picture of the behavior of the CN band strength over a range in stellar magnitude of ∼3.6 mag, from the tip of the red giant branch (RGB) to MV ∼ + 1.0. As with other well‐studied globular clusters, the red giant branch stars of M3 exhibit a bimodal distribution of CN band strengths that extends to the limit of the available survey. The asymptotic giant branch stars also show evidence of an intrinsic spread in CN content. Anticorrelations exist between the CN band strength and both carbon and oxygen abundances, suggesting that the high nitrogen abundances of the CN‐strong giants have derived from a conversion of C and/or O into nitrogen, either within the cluster stars themselves or in some primordial site. Among both CN‐strong and CN‐weak stars, the [C/Fe] abundance decreases with increasing luminosity on the RGB. Stellar atmosphere models indicate that in the magnitude range - 1.5<MV<0, the C × N abundance product is roughly constant among the CN‐weak giants, while it decreases toward the upper RGB among CN‐strong stars. This decrease in the product of C × N may indicate that carbon‐to‐nitrogen conversion plus deep mixing is occurring within the CN‐strong giants to a greater degree than in the CN‐weak giants. These results, when interpreted with additional constraints from the giant branch luminosity function of M3, suggest that the C and N abundance pattern requires a hybrid scenario involving interior mixing within red giants as well as primordial abundance inhomogeneities that precede the RGB phase of evolution.
Integrated fault detection and control for LPV systems

This paper studies the integrated fault detection and control problem for linear parameter‐varying systems. A parameter‐dependent detector/controller is designed to generate two signals: residual and control signals that are used to detect faults and simultaneously meet some control objectives. The low‐frequency faults and certain finite‐frequency disturbances are considered. With the aid of the newly developed linearization techniques, the design methods are presented in terms of solutions to a set of linear matrix inequalities. A numerical example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Monochrome and color image denoising using neighboring dependency and data correlation

In this paper, two approaches for image denoising that take advantages of neighboring dependency in the wavelet domain are studied. The first approach is to take into account the higher order statistical coupling between neighboring wavelet coefficients and their corresponding coefficients in the parent level. The second is based on multivariate statistical modeling. The estimation of the clean coefficients is obtained by a general rule using Bayesian approach. Various estimation expressions can be obtained by a priori probability distribution, called multivariate generalized Gaussian distribution (MGGD). The experimental results show that both of our methods give comparatively higher peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR) as well as little visual artifact for monochrome images. In addition, we extend our approaches to a denoising algorithm for color image that has multiple color components. The proposed color denoising algorithm is a framework to consider the correlations between color components yet using the existing monochrome denoising method without modification. Denoising results in this framework give noticeable better improvement than in the case when the correlation between color components is not considered.
Experimental and numerical investigation of terahertz transmission through strongly scattering sub-wavelength size spheres

We report on experimental and numerical studies of terahertz propagation in strongly scattering random media. The experimental variations of the terahertz pulse group delay and scattering-induced effects such as temporal pulse distortion, spectral decay, and power attenuation as a function of sample thickness are in excellent agreement with those predicted from a Monte Carlo photon migration model. The transmitted pulses are analyzed with a classical effective medium approximation. Due to the subwavelength size of the random scatterers, it is found that the effective medium approximation underestimates the accumulated pulse phase acquired by the high frequencies during pulse propagation.
Diffraction theory of laser read-out systems for optical video discs

The form of discs considered has λ/4-deep pits along the track, the spacings and lengths of which are modulated. A laser beam is focused on the track by means of a high-aperture objective, and the light which is scattered back through the objective is detected. The diffraction theory of this system is treated, both for simple periodic and for more complicated forms of disc. Formulas are obtained for the fundamental and harmonics of the read-out signal. The influences of focus error and aberrations are studied, for certain cases of which numerical results are given. Also treated are cross-talk between adjacent tracks and intermodulation between the pit-spacing frequencies and those of the length modulation of the pits.
Stable limits of sums of bounded functions of long-memory moving averages with finite variance

We discuss limit distributions of partial sums of bounded functions h of a long-memory movingaverage process Xt E=l bjtj with coefficients bj decaying as j-3, 1/2 1 (2/3 1)k*/2. A complete characterization of limit distributions of the partial sums process remains open.
Persistent turbulence in annealed plane Couette flow

We study in numerical experiments in plane Couette flow the possibility to follow a turbulent state created at higher Reynolds numbers down to lower ones. For annealing rates faster than the escape time but slower than the relaxation rate to the turbulent state turbulence persisted for some time down to Reynolds numbers around 240. This is less than the accepted value for the transition to turbulence (about 320) but still larger than the lowest bifurcation point for stationary states (about 125).
A thin-rod approximation for the improved modeling of bare and insulated cylindrical antennas using the FDTD method

A general and consistent integral finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) formulation on cubical grids for modeling of cylindrical antennas with or without dielectric coating is derived. No additional grid points or modifications of the integral paths are necessary. Instead, effective material properties are modified in the FDTD grid. Thus, even for insulated antennas, the simple cubical structure is maintained. Special integral factors are defined on cubical elements, which take into account the behavior of fields in all directions in the neighborhood of the antenna. Applying these factors to the gap region and along the antenna's axis allows a correct modeling of the influence of the antenna's thickness. Furthermore, integral factors derived for the antenna's ends improve the modeling of the antenna's length. The accuracy of the method is confirmed by a systematic comparison with analytical and numerical results.
Some comparisons of flood statistics in real and log space

Some statistics of historical and simulated flood sequences were examined in real and log space. It was found that several statistical properties of floods in real space could not be inferred from those in log space without extensive knowledge of the distribution of floods in real space as well as information about their sampling characteristics. It is shown that the construction and use of regional skew maps in log space are most likely counterproductive.