Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CED-Net: Crops and Weeds Segmentation for Smart Farming Using a Small Cascaded Encoder-Decoder Architecture

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in numerous aspects of human life and the agricultural sector is no exception. One of the main objectives of deep learning for smart farming is to identify the precise location of weeds and crops on farmland. In this paper, we propose a semantic segmentation method based on a cascaded encoder-decoder network, namely CED-Net, to differentiate weeds from crops. The existing architectures for weeds and crops segmentation are quite deep, with millions of parameters that require longer training time. To overcome such limitations, we propose an idea of training small networks in cascade to obtain coarse-to-fine predictions, which are then combined to produce the final results. Evaluation of the proposed network and comparison with other state-of-the-art networks are conducted using four publicly available datasets: rice seeding and weed dataset, BoniRob dataset, carrot crop vs. weed dataset, and a paddy–millet dataset. The experimental results and their comparisons proclaim that the proposed network outperforms state-of-the-art architectures, such as U-Net, SegNet, FCN-8s, and DeepLabv3, over intersection over union (IoU), F1-score, sensitivity, true detection rate, and average precision comparison metrics by utilizing only (1/5.74 × U-Net), (1/5.77 × SegNet), (1/3.04 × FCN-8s), and (1/3.24 × DeepLabv3) fractions of total parameters.
Understanding Biofilms of Anaerobic, Thermophilic and Cellulolytic Bacteria: A Study towards the Advancement of Consolidated Bioprocessing Strategies

The anaerobic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum formed biofilms on cellulose consisting of a single layer of cells which did not secrete an extracellular polymeric matrix. Sporulation occurred under normal growth and was believed to assist with biofilm translocation to new substrates. Although the cell-substrate distance was less than 210 nm, the biofilm layer lost up to 29% of hydrolyzed oligomeric products when reactors were loaded with extreme concentrations of cellulose (up to 200 g/litre). This effect was much less severe at lower cellulose concentrations. Of the total cellulose carbon, 4% (gC/gC) was utilized for cell mass production and up to 75% was converted into primary metabolites (ethanol, acetic acid, lactic acid, carbon dioxide). Increasing the starting cellulose concentration shifted the ethanol-to-acetic acid ratio from 0.91 g/g to 0.41 g/g. Such high substrate loadings and metabolite shifts have not been previously reported and may be of interest for consolidated bioprocessing strategies. Cellulose conversion was initially limited by microbial growth, with a biofilm development rate estimated at 0.46h -1 to 0.33h -1 and where up to 20% of the substrate was consumed. Subsequently, substrate-limited conditions determined the rate kinetics. Surface accessibility for microbial colonization was the dominant rate limiting factor, while mass imposed constraints very late iii towards the end-point fermentation. CO2 was found to be an excellent reporter molecule for cellulose consumption and biofilm growth. Online CO2 tracking may also be used to assess the digestibility of substrates with unknown surface properties. A mathematical model that described biofilm growth, substrate consumption and product formation was found to have an excellent fit with experimental data of CO2 production which reinforced the previous findings on the cellulolytic biofilm form and function. Together, these results demonstrate that biofilms are undeniably the key to understanding the effective microbial conversion of cellulosic substrates.
Estimation and determinants of efficiency among rice farmers in Benin

Abstract Rice plays an important role in achieving food security in Benin but its production remains low and needs to be optimized. This study estimates technical and allocative efficiencies as well as the sources of inefficiency among rice producers in Benin. The data used cover 210 rice producers, proportionally distributed in the Departments of Mono and Couffo. This farm-level data were collected under the project “Facilité d’Appui aux Filières Agricole du Mono et du Couffo (FAFA-MC). ” We employed a stochastic frontier approach to analyze technical efficiency and the marginal value product approach for allocative efficiency analysis. Furthermore, a Chow test was performed to test for difference in determinants of efficiency between the two departments. We found that the average technical efficiency score of rice producers is 78%. The sources of technical inefficiency were age, gender, education level and access to credit. The results also revealed allocative inefficiency in rice production. Labour was overused while other inputs such as seeds, herbicide, and fertilizer were underutilized. Allocation efficiency was influenced by age, gender, area planted, type of culture, and access to credit. Finally, we found difference in determinants of efficiency between the departments of Mono and Couffo. Our results imply that there are opportunities to increase rice production in the Departments of Mono and Couffo. Rice producers in these departments therefore would benefit by adopting better farming practices such as the use of fertilizers, agrochemicals, and irrigation facilities.
How psychological well-being of adolescent based on demography indicators?

This study aims to analyze the psychological well-being of adolescents who live with the parents of victims of domestic violence in terms of the demographic aspects of the respondents. Sampling using a purposive sampling technique using certain criteria. The number of samples is 42 people (23 women and 19 men). Each sample has different demographic characteristics. The instrument used was the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWBS) on the Indonesian Version. Data analysis using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) with descriptive techniques. The research results found that: 1) the psychological well-being score of male adolescents was lower than the psychological well-being score of female adolescents; 2) the psychological well-being scores of the Minang ethnic adolescents were higher than the psychological well-being scores of adolescents from other tribes; and 3) the psychological well-being score of adolescents with the educational background of S1 parents is higher than adolescents with other educational backgrounds.
Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Seed Yield and Yield Components of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Genotypes in Sub-tropical Region

This research aims to determine the relationship between yield and yield components of French bean using multivariate statistical techniques. The study was conducted at Horticulture Research Station, Dailekh, Nepal for consecutive three year of 2016-2018. In this study, six French bean genotypes were used. The following measurements and observations were made: germination (%), pod length (cm), pod diameter (mm), individual pod weight and number of seeds pod-1 , number of dry pods plant-1, dry pod yield plant-1 and dry pod yield (t/ha), 100 seed weight (g) and seed yield (t/ha). Highly significant and positive correlation was recorded between seed yield and individual pod weight (r= 0.659***), number of seed pod-1 (r=0.548**) and pod length (0.459*). Conversely, pod diameter showed a negative and non-significant (-0.025) correlation on seed yield. Based on simple regression analysis, linear regression of individual pod weight, number of seed pod-1 and pod length leads to an increase in the seed yield (t/ha) by 0.188, 0.285 and 0.103 units respectively. From the path coefficient analysis maximum positive direct effect on seed yield was recorded by number of seeds pod-1 (0.767) followed by 100 seed weight (0.530) and individual pod weight (0.429). Also, stepwise multiple linear regression analysis revealed that three traits individual pod weight, 100 seed weight and number of dry pod plant-1 account for 68.22% of the total variation in seed yield, while only 31.78% was explained by rest of the variables. Summarizing outcomes of four statistical methods showed that individual pod weight appeared to be the most effective contributor of seed yield followed by the number of seed pod-1, 100 seed weight, and pod length. Therefore, focus should be laid on these characters in future breeding program while selecting genotypes for sub-tropics for improving the seed yield.
Linear and nonlinear Bessel potentials associated with the Poly-axially operator

ABSTRACT In this work, we will study a Bessel potential spaces , ( ) associated with the Poly-axially operator and their properties. We define the Sobolev type spaces ) and we prove an analogue of Calderón's theorem for Fourier-Bessel transform. We define the nonlinear Bessel potentials associated with a measure ν and the -capacity. Finally, we establish a classical problem of existence of an extremal function for the -capacity.
Influence of the residual gas damping noise in the test of the gravitational inverse-square law

Many theories, such as the unification theories that would include gravitation, predict deviations from Newtonian inverse-square law (ISL) at short range. Many high precision experiments have been performed, but additional experiments are still of high scientific importance. Here, we discuss the torque thermal noise caused by residual gas damping, especially the effect of squeeze-film damping, in a proposed ISL experiment at the range of tens of microns. In such experiments, torsion pendulums are usually used to probe the torque interactions between the detector and the attractor, of which the thermal noise should be considered carefully due to the high sensitivity. By introducing a thermal accommodation coefficient, we can accurately model the torque noise of the residual gas damping as a combination of elastic and inelastic collisions. The results show that the noise will increase significantly at short separations between the pendulum and the surrounding components. In particular, when the separation is smaller than 40 μm, the squeeze-film damping may be larger than the internal damping of the pendulum used in present experiments, and become the fundamental limit for the experiments in the shorter range.
Creating Opportunity Spaces for Co-Production

This chapter builds a conceptual model for how inter-organizational relationships can be built in such way that they enable the creation of learning across administrative and organizational boundaries. The conceptual model is discussed in relation to the body of knowledge concerning co-production and the new roles required by organizational members and frontline staff when services cut across these boundaries. The argument is, that it is becoming increasingly important for professional co-producers and their organizations to identify, analyse and improve the opportunity space for co-production when this opportunity space unfolds beyond one organization.
Maintaining Family Ties: How Family Practices Are Renegotiated to Promote Mother–Child Contact

The empirical study draws on semistructured interviews with mothers in prison and family members (caregivers) to children of female prisoners. Guided by a ‘family practices’ theoretical framework (Morgan, 2011), the findings show innovative adjustments, a willingness to make sacrifices and alternative routes to improve contact utilised by mothers and caregivers to prioritise mother–child contact. We see the strength, resilience and autonomy shown by family members to promote their relationships in spite of communicative barriers. There are important lessons to be learned from the families' lived experience for policy and practice, which, without due and genuine consideration, might further hinder opportunities for mother–child contact during maternal imprisonment.
Second-Order Cone Approximation for Voltage Stability Analysis in Direct-Current Networks

In this study, the voltage stability margin for direct current (DC) networks in the presence of constant power loads is analyzed using a proposed convex mathematical reformulation. This convex model is developed by employing a second-order cone programming (SOCP) optimization that transforms the non-linear non-convex original formulation by reformulating the power balance constraint. The main advantage of the SOCP model is that the optimal global solution of a problem can be obtained by transforming hyperbolic constraints into norm constraints. Two test systems are considered to validate the proposed SOCP model. Both systems have been reported in specialized literature with 6 and 69 nodes. Three comparative methods are considered: (a) the Newton-Raphson approximation based on the determinants of the Jacobian matrices, (b) semidefinite programming models, and (c) the exact non-linear formulation. All the numerical simulations are conducted using the MATLAB and GAMS software. The effectiveness of the proposed SOCP model in addressing the voltage stability problem in DC grids is verified by comparing the objective function values and processing time.
Anatomical, Histochemical and Cytogenetic Features of Doryopteris triphylla (Pteridaceae)

Doryopteris triphylla (Pteridaceae-Cheilanthoideae) grows in xeric habitats in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina. The aim of this study was to characterize D. triphylla anatomically, histochemically and cytogenetically. For anatomical characterization, rhizomes, roots, petioles and leaves were made and then stained using Safranine-Astra Blue for further observations. Leaf blades were also cleared. For histochemical analysis, leaf cross sections were stained with different reagents to identify glandular trichomes compounds. For cytogenetic characterization, a karyogram was performed using laboratory cultivated roots. Results show a dictyostelic rhizome covered with scales with apical secreting gland; diarch roots; petiole cross-sections show thick cuticle, uniseriate epidermis, parenchymatic cortex cells with thick walls and a vascular bundle with two xylem groups; and hypostomatic fronds with glandular trichomes. Histochemical studies of secretion products of the glandular trichomes were positive for polysaccharides, pectins, lipids, acid lipids, dihydroxyphenols, phenols and flavonoids. Cytogenetically, D. triphylla is described as a diploid species (2n = 60), with chromosomes gradually decreasing in size. The apical glands in scales of rhizomes, the presence of two xylem groups in the vascular bundle in the petiole and the glandular trichomes on the abaxial surface are new contributions to the species. The type of chemical products secreted by glandular leaf trichomes and karyotype estimation is shown for the first time in this species.
Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of Children Suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Attending Zagazig University Children Hospital

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). It is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves the gastrointestinal tract and results from a combination of genetic susceptibility, environmental exposure, and dysregulated responses to the intestinal microbiota. Objective: To study the natural history, patterns, and clinical characteristics of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) in Sharkia Governorate. Patients and Methods: The study was carried out in the Pediatric Hepatology and Gastroenterology Unit, at Zagazig University Hospital on a comprehensive sample of all children suffering from inflammatory bowel diseases that were included in the study (18 patients). We do retrospectively study all patients in whom the diagnosis of UC or CD was confirmed by clinical, laboratory, endoscopic, and histological examination in Zagazig university children hospital. Results: There is a predominance of UC among IBD cases. positive consanguinity was more evident in children with IBD (44.4%). According to sex the percentage of females (55.6%), male (44.4%). Percentage chance of gastrointestinal symptoms among the studied cases is diarrhea (83.3 %), mucus or blood in the stool (83.3%), Abdominal pain (66.7%), vomiting (44.4%), loss of appetite (38.9%), Nausea (38.9 %), Rectal bleeding (27.8%) and anoperineal lesion (22.2%). The Endoscopic finding of Crohn's disease showed a percentage of L1 (distal 1/3 ileum ± limited cecal disease) in (33.3 %) and L2 (Colonic) in (66.7%). Conclusion: UC was more common than the CD. IBD was more common in females. We believe that the present moment is critical in assessing the pattern of IBD spreading in Egypt, and the current status should be further studied by more exhaustive database and registry documentation of IBD patients and their characteristics.
Social isolation and psychological wellbeing: lessons from Covid-19

This study explores the effect of social isolation (SI) on the psychological wellbeing (PWB) of employees due to the imposed distance education during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown Drawing on individual psychological resources to improve wellbeing, researchers examine emotional intelligence (EI) as a possible mediator that reduces the effect of social isolation In this quantitative study, questionnaires were administered to measure SI, EI, and PWB among academic and non-academic staff in Iraqi public universities during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak The results suggest that EI and SI were strong predictors of PWB While SI was negatively and significantly related to EI, the presence of emotional intelligence as a mediator reduced the negative effect of isolation on wellbeing Gender was not found to moderate the mediating effect of EI on the SI-PWB association These findings support the validity of incorporating EI interventions during pandemic outbreaks that produce distinct effects on the isolation and thus potentially result in improving the wellbeing of employees Although employees high on EI are viewed less socially isolated and high on wellbeing within literature there is a relative dearth of supporting research that has not examined these inter-relationships during a genuinely imposed lockdown such as the one during the Covid-19 pandemic which provided standardization as to the social isolation context understudied Another theoretical gap included the psychometric revision of the social isolation scale © 2021 by the authors;licensee Growing Science, Canada
Thiol/disulphide homeostasis as a new oxidative stress marker in untreated patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Objectives: Previous studies have investigated the role of oxidative stress in the etiology of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Thiols are an important component of the antioxidant buffer system. Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis is a system that has a significant role in processes such as antioxidation preservation and regulation of enzymatic reactions. However, the value of dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in etiopathogenesis of GAD has not been documented. The goal of this study was to determine dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis, which has an important role in antioxidant defense in untreated patients with GAD. Methods: This study included 25 patients who were diagnosed with GAD and 24 age-matched healthy controls. In both groups, thiol/disulphide homeostasis was assessed using an automated assay method. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) was used to determine the anxiety levels of patients with GAD.Results: Patients with GAD had higher total thiol and native thiol levels compared to the control group, but the differences were not statistically significant. In patients with GAD, the dynamic disulphide levels, disulphide/native thiol, and disulphide/total thiol ratios were higher compared to the control group. However, the native thiol-to-total thiol ratio was significantly lower in patients with GAD compared to the control group (p=0.020). Pearsons correlation analysis showed no statistically significant correlations between total HAM-A scores and oxidative stress parameter levels in the patient group. Conclusions: This is the first report to assess the thiol/disulphide homeostasis in GAD patients. Our study provides evidence that the disulphide-to-native thiol and disulphide-to-total thiol ratios are higher in untreated patients with GAD than in the control group. This suggests that thiol/ disulfide homeostasis is impaired in GAD patients.
The Victim-Offender Overlap in Intimate Partner Violence: Considering the Role of Self-control

ABSTRACT Although a growing body of literature in the field of criminal justice documents the relationship between victimization and offending, only recently has this knowledge been applied to the study of intimate partner violence (IPV). Utilizing data obtained from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), we examine whether low self-control predicts IPV victimization, IPV offending, or both IPV victimization and offending. Specifically, the study extends prior literature by (1) investigating the influence of self-control on the victim-offender overlap in IPV, (2) using longitudinal data, and (3) utilizing a sample of U.S. adults ages 24 to 33. While low self-control was found to significantly predict IPV offending and the overlap in IPV victimization and offending, low self-control failed to significantly predict IPV victimization.
Do touch that dial: A guide to continuous response measurement in agricultural communications

As the gap in agricultural experiences between farmers and consumers grow, it is important for agricultural communicators to communicate strategically with their audiences and be proactive in addressing consumers’ concerns. Communication media can present a variety of messages or pieces of information that represent multiple perspectives within one unit. The dynamic nature of communication media, such as video and audio messages, lead to the fluctuation of feelings and responses to different elements within one singular message. While agricultural communications has traditionally relied upon quantitative and qualitative survey data, there are likely gaps in complete understandings of individual perceptions in response to varying elements of the communications message. Continuous response measurement (CRM) is a method that can be used to monitor and track individual responses to media messages in real-time to reveal critical moments within a communications message. CRM holds the potential to help those in agricultural communications understand what specific elements within messages resonate most with consumers. This professional paper explores how researchers can use CRM, showcases benefits and drawbacks of CRM, and provides recommendations for contributions to agricultural communications literature.