Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluating the Performance of AquaCrop Model in Simulating the Productivity of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Crop under Various Water Levels at Debre Birhan, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

In the future, the agricultural sector in many parts of the world is to produce more with less water. In this regard, this experimental study was carried out to evaluate the performance of AquaCrop model in simulating potato crop growth parameters under various water levels at Debre Birhan, Ethiopia (2019-2020). The simulated crop yield parameters were compared water scarce area.
Association between Dietary Fiber Intake and Incidence of Depression and Anxiety in Patients with Essential Hypertension

(1) Background: Our previous study found that the dietary fiber supplement in patients with hypertension increased SCFA-producers, Bififidobacterium and Spirillum in the gut microbiota, which may be associated with improvement of depression and anxiety through the gut–brain axis. However, only a few studies have explored the association between dietary fiber intake (DFI) and the incidence of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in one comprehensive hospital and one community clinic aimed at understanding the status of DFI and the association between DFI and incidences of depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients. Levels of DFI were obtained through a two-24 h diet recall. According to the levels of DFI from low to high, the participants were divided into Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4 groups. The Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form v1.0-Depression 8b and Anxiety 8a were used to assess patients’ levels of depression and anxiety. (3) Results: A total of 459 hypertensive patients were recruited and the daily DFI was 10.4 g. The incidences of hypertension combined with depression and anxiety were 19.6% and 18.5%, respectively. Regression analysis showed statistically significant associations between DFI and depression (B = −0.346, p = 0.001) and anxiety score (B = −0.565, p < 0.001). In logistic regression, after the covariates were adjusted, DFI was associated with the incidence of depression in Q3 (OR 2.641, 95% CI 1.050–6.640) and with that of anxiety in Q1 (OR 2.757, 95% CI 1.035–7.346), compared with Q4. (4) Conclusions: A higher consumption of DF was a protective factor for depression and anxiety in hypertensive patients.
Asphalt Pavement Rehabilitation Treatment: Analysis of 20 Years of Performance

The condition of pavements in northwestern Pennsylvania was extremely poor in the early 1980s. Several methods of pavement rehabilitation of asphalt-surfaced highways were used to improve pavement performance and the management of pavement investment. This paper analyzes the performance of a number of these sections after 21 years. The results from the analysis show that, relative to conventional milling and leveling with placement of an overlay, the appropriate application of stressabsorbing membrane interlayers (SAMIs) and of cold in-place recycling has been effective for both performance and relative cost-effectiveness. The analysis also shows that for a subsequent generation of rehabilitation, the benefit of these treatments continues to be evident. As a result of this study, it is recommended that highway owners seriously evaluate rehabilitation treatments other than conventional milling and leveling with placement of an overlay. The performance of SAMI and cold-recycled sections in this instance has.
Single-machine scheduling with energy generation and storage systems

ABSTRACT This paper considers a single-machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and energy-generation and storage systems. Each job requires a sequence-dependent setup to be processed on the machine, and both setup and processing of the job require job-dependent amounts of energy. The energy consumed by the machine can be bought from an Electric Power Company (EPC) or generated by own Distributed Energy Resource (DER), such as solar photovoltaic or wind, and the energy can be stored in an Energy Storage System (ESS). The objective is to minimise the total cost, the sum of production cost depending on makespan and energy cost by considering energy usage from the EPC, DER and ESS. For the problem, a mathematical programming model is first derived by using period-based indexes. Then, a hybrid genetic algorithm, which adds appropriate idle times between jobs and determines an efficient energy schedule by storing some energy during less expensive periods into the ESS for later use in high-price periods, is developed. Finally, computational experiments show that the proposed algorithm provides effective solutions, and which component of the total cost affects the performance the most, how effective adding idle times between jobs is, and how much cost can be saved by having a DER and ESS.
Rewards, Recognition and Knowledge Sharing: Seeking a Causal Link

ABSTRACTKnowledge sharing is the fundamental requirement of a knowledge-based organisation. Some of the greatest challenges for organisations moving down the knowledge management path stem from well established practices of hoarding knowledge, practices which, in the past, have been well rewarded. Employees were motivated to hoard knowledge because of the competitive advantage that this would give them. The challenge now is to develop an organisational culture where sharing knowledge is the norm.
Characteristics of older people who experience homelessness for the first time in later life in Tokyo, Japan: A descriptive study

ABSTRACT Recent studies in Western countries reported that approximately half of older homeless persons entered homelessness for the first time in later life (late-onset homelessness). Characteristics of these individuals are reported to be different from those experiencing early-onset homelessness. However, studies investigating this issue in non-Western societies are lacking. We conducted a study on older homeless people aged 65 and over at the time they arrived at the shelters which are managed by one non-profit organization in Tokyo, Japan. During the recruitment period, a total of 58 people were admitted to the shelters; among these, 38 were 65 years and older, and 24 of those ≥65 years participated in this study. Among these, 14 participants were classified as experiencing homelessness for the first time in later life. These individuals had stable employment and housing histories, and no history of street dwelling or incarceration, suggesting that the concept of late-onset homelessness might be valid in non-Western settings.
The effect of people-related TQM practices on job satisfaction: a hierarchical model

This article presents the findings of a study which examined the relationship between people-related elements of total quality management (TQM) practices and employees’ job satisfaction. Data were collected from 201 employees across 23 organisations in Victoria, Australia. Using structural equation modelling (SEM), TQM was operationalised as a second-order latent variable measured by five first-order factors (top management commitment, empowerment, training, involvement and teamwork) and job satisfaction was also operationalised as a second-order latent variable measured by two first-order factors (internal work satisfaction and high growth satisfaction). The findings support the validity of modelling TQM as a hierarchical, second-order latent construct and demonstrate its strong relationship with job satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of people-related aspects of TQM in predicting job satisfaction. This study differentiates itself from others on the similar topic in terms of the analytical method used which provides a stronger case for the holistic view of TQM practices in organisations.
EnTiered-ReRAM: An Enhanced Low Latency and Energy Efficient TLC Crossbar ReRAM Architecture

Resistive Random Access Memory (ReRAM) is promising to be employed as high density storage-class memory due to its crossbar array and Triple-Level Cell (TLC) structures. However, TLC crossbar ReRAM suffers from high write latency and energy due to three unique challenges: (1) The crossbar array structure incurs IR drop issues. (2) The TLC structure requires iterative program-and-verify (P&V) procedure. (3) The resistance drift problem needs short interval scrub to avoid uncorrectable soft errors. In this article, to overcome the challenges of TLC crossbar ReRAM, we propose an enhanced low latency and energy efficient TLC crossbar ReRAM architecture, called EnTiered-ReRAM. The proposed EnTiered-ReRAM is composed of four components, including EnTiered-crossbar design, Compression-based Incomplete Data Mapping (CIDM), Compression-based Flip Scheme (CFS), and Compression-based Error Correction Code (CECC). Specifically, based on the observation that our previously proposed Tiered-crossbar design still suffers from large IR drops along bitlines in the far segments due to the long length of bitlines, EnTiered-crossbar partitions each crossbar array into two halves along bitlines, and then splits each bitline of the half crossbar array into the near and far segments by an isolation transistor, which thoroughly mitigates the IR drop issues. Then we use our previously proposed CIDM and CFS in the near and far segments of EnTiered-crossbar arrays to further decreases the write latency and energy. In addition, CECC is deeply coupled with CIDM and CFS. CECC dynamically employs the most appropriate ECC capability according to the remaining space of each cache line after CIDM or CFS encoding, which effectively improves the scrub interval and performance/energy with insignificant space overhead. The evaluation results show that, compared with an aggressive baseline, EnTiered-ReRAM can improve the system performance by 56.3% and reduce the energy consumption by 60.6% on average.
The impact of linkage disequilibrium and epistasis in the studies of inheritance based on Hayman’s diallel and generation mean analysis

This simulation-based study assessed the impact of linkage disequilibrium (LD) and epistasis on Hayman’s diallel and generation mean analysis, assuming hundreds of genes, variable degree of dominance, and seven types of digenic epistasis. The diallel parents were 15 doubled haploids from a high LD population. The generation mean analysis was based on seven generations, assuming association. Under low LD and no epistasis, the diallel analysis provided confident results about the inheritance of the quantitative trait and high correlation between number of recessive genes and W r + V r , but biased estimates of the dominance components and genetic parameters. The additional consequences of high LD under no epistasis were rejection of the additive-dominance model assuming high heritability and lower correlation. Assuming 100% of epistatic genes, for four epistasis types there was evidence of inadequacy of the additive-dominance model. Assuming 30% of epistatic genes, there was a tendency for accepting the additive-dominance model for low heritability traits and for rejecting for high heritability traits. Linkage and epistasis affect the estimates of the genetic components of the generation means. Even assuming 100% of interacting genes, for most epistasis types there was no statistical evidence of epistasis. Assuming positive partial dominance, the signs of the epistatic components do not allow discriminate complementary, recessive, dominant and recessive, duplicate genes with cumulative effects, and non-epistatic genic interaction. Negative epistatic components evidence dominant epistasis. When the additive × additive and dominance × dominance components are positive and the additive × dominance component is negative, there is duplicate epistasis.
Recent Developments in the Treatment of Ground-Motion Variability in Earthquake Loss Models

This article summarizes recent work investigating the sensitivity of loss estimates for the northern Marmara region to various representations of ground-motion variability. Issues that are discussed include the partitioning of the total ground-motion variability into inter- and intra-event components, macrospatial correlations among ground motions, and the propagation of the ground-motion variability into damage and loss calculations. The issue of whether an earthquake loss model can be validated using field observations is also considered. Recent findings suggest that, regardless of how one treats the ground-motion variability when conducting loss estimation analyses, unless a close network of accelerograms and a high spatial resolution of exposure data exists, the ground-motion variability precludes the validation of loss models.
Nonlinear theory of the switched reluctance motor for rapid computer-aided design

The nonlinear magnetisation characteristics of the switched reluctance motor are modelled analytically by piecewise first- or second-order functions of flux linkage against rotor position, with current as an undetermined parameter. This model is more efficient than previous models based on flux linkage against current (with rotor position as a parameter). It also avoids the concept of inductance, which is, perhaps, unnecessary and inappropriate in a machine with such pronounced magnetic nonlinearities. The model is suitable, and has been widely use, for CAD and performance analysis, particularly at the stage of ‘sizing’, or initial estimation, where accuracy can be traded for speed of computation. The model includes all the significant electromagnetic and dynamic characteristics of the SR motor. Its accuracy can be enhanced by means of correction factors derived from only two or three points on magnetisation curves that have been accurately measured or calculated by finite elements, permitting economy in the use of data that is expensive to generate. Because the magnetisation curves do not need to be precalculated, stored or curvefitted, the algorithms are extremely fast. The model is computationally linked with a very accurate companion based on cubic-spline models of externally generated magnetisation curves. A piecewise analytical formula for instantaneous torque is also included, permitting the rapid (though approximate) calculation of mathematically smooth torque waveforms. Because the magnetisation curves do not need to be precalculated, stored or curve-fitted, the algorithms are extremely fast. The paper also presents a new method for calculating the unaligned magnetisation curve, based on dual-energy principles. Results are compared with test data for a range of motors.
Mild traumatic brain injury/ concussion initiates an atypical astrocyte response caused by blood-brain barrier dysfunction

Mild traumatic brain injury/ concussion (mTBI) account for 70-90% of all reported TBI cases and cause long lasting neurological consequences in 10 to 40% of patients. Recent clinical studies revealed increased blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability in mTBI patients, which correlated with secondary damage after mTBI. However, the cascade of cellular events initiated by exposure to blood-borne factors resulting in sustained damage are not fully resolved. We previously reported that astrocytes respond atypically to mTBI rapidly downregulating many proteins essential to their homeostatic function while classic scar formation does not occur. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mTBI -induced BBB damage causes atypical astrocytes through exposure to blood-borne factors. Using a mTBI mouse model, 2-photon imaging, an endothelial cell-specific genetic ablation approach, and serum-free primary astrocyte cultures, we demonstrated that areas with atypical astrocytes coincide with BBB damage and that exposure of astrocytes to plasma proteins is sufficient to initiate downregulation of astrocyte homeostatic proteins. While mTBI resulted in frequent impairment of both physical and metabolic BBB properties and leakage of small-sized blood-borne factors, deposition of the coagulation factor fibrinogen or vessel rupture were rare. Surprisingly, even months after mTBI BBB repair did not occur in areas with atypical astrocytes. Together, these findings implicate that even relatively small BBB disturbances are sustained long-term and render nearby astrocytes dysfunctional, likely at the cost of neuronal health and function.
Evaluation of Potential Alternative Ingredients for Formulation of Fish Feed

Freshwater aquaculture has high production rate, but the inconsistency supply of feeds can lead to low quality of fish. This initiates a high demand of fish feeds with complete diet to assist in growth and performance of the reared fish. The conventional fish meal has high protein content but it is expensive and can lead to high manufacturing cost of fish feeds. Therefore, present study is conducted to demonstrate nutritional value in several potential ingredients for formulation of new and economically favorable fish feed formulation for catfish. Proximate analysis of earthworm powder, fish meal, leucaena leucocephala leaves, soybean waste and rice bran was performed to analyze their moisture, ash, protein and crude fiber content. While amino acid analysis was carried out to obtain amino acid profiles. Based on the results, the selected ingredients demonstrated remarkable nutritional content which are required in the catfish diet, thus indicate their high potential as substitute ingredients in fish feed formulation.
Review of Image Classification Algorithms Based on Convolutional Neural Networks

Image classification has always been a hot research direction in the world, and the emergence of deep learning has promoted the development of this field. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have gradually become the mainstream algorithm for image classification since 2012, and the CNN architecture applied to other visual recognition tasks (such as object detection, object localization, and semantic segmentation) is generally derived from the network architecture in image classification. In the wake of these successes, CNN-based methods have emerged in remote sensing image scene classification and achieved advanced classification accuracy. In this review, which focuses on the application of CNNs to image classification tasks, we cover their development, from their predecessors up to recent state-of-the-art (SOAT) network architectures. Along the way, we analyze (1) the basic structure of artificial neural networks (ANNs) and the basic network layers of CNNs, (2) the classic predecessor network models, (3) the recent SOAT network algorithms, (4) comprehensive comparison of various image classification methods mentioned in this article. Finally, we have also summarized the main analysis and discussion in this article, as well as introduce some of the current trends.
Validating efficacy of Sericocomopsis hildebrandtii, Carissa edulis, and Ximenia americana in treating Taenia solium cysticercosis in pigs: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Ethnoveterinary use of plants dates back to ancient times. This study aimed to validate purported efficacy of Sericocomopsis hildebrandtii and a concoction of Carissa edulis and Ximenia americana in treating Taenia solium cysticercosis in pigs. Twenty-four infected pigs were randomly allocated to T1, T2, and T0 groups, each with eight pigs. Each T1 pig was provided with 8 g of S. hildebrandtii root powder, whereas each T2 pig was given 8 g of the concoction. T0 was a control. The pigs were slaughtered 16 weeks post treatment and carcase dissections were performed to establish cyst numbers. T1 cyst numbers were significantly lower than those of T0 (p = .004) and T2 (p = .013). No difference was observed between T2 and T0. This study validated efficacy of S. hildebrandtii but not of X. americana and C. edulis. Further studies are necessary for validation and documentation of plants of ethnoveterinary importance.
The Nutritional Content of Rescued Food Conveyed by a Food Aid Organization

Background: The number of food-insecure families in the European Union has increased, resulting in an increasing number of households depending on food assistance programs. The aim in this study was to evaluate the nutrient content of food rescued by a food aid organization that rescues and redistributes fresh or freshly cooked food to low-income households. Methods: To determine the nutritional content of food hampers provided by our case study organization, we weighed all items of food hampers in three weighing rounds over a period of four months. The Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) was applied to measure households’ food insecurity. Results: Our results show that, at our case study food aid organization, food donations substantially contribute to energy, macro, and micronutrient dietary recommendation intake (DRI). Conclusions: When evaluating how these nutrients contribute to alleviating food insecurity of the beneficiary households, we found that the perception of food insecurity is independent of the amount of nutrients served. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study measuring the nutritional content of fresh or freshly cooked rescued food conveyed by a food aid organization.
A Review: Soil Management, Sustainable Strategies and Approaches to Improve the Quality of Modern Viticulture

Conservative and sustainable soil management in vineyards is an approach of primary importance not only for the yield (tons per hectare) and grapes’ quality (primary and secondary metabolites), but also for the greater preservation of the ecosystem. Compared to sustained-conventional tillage and perpetual applications of fertilizers and phytopharmaceutical, these techniques give a primary role for safeguarding biodiversity, conserving soil fertility, and keeping vegetative–productive balance. The soil and, consequently, the wine production are in fact an intimate ecosystem jeopardized not only by a reckless approach by man (technical input, such as pesticides, fuel, fertilizers, and herbicides, are estimated to be responsible for 24% of anthropogenic greenhouse gases emissions), but also by climate change, as rising summer temperatures and reduced precipitation leads to production declines and water shortages in the soil. In fact, there are several risks associated with unbalanced soil management, such as compaction, pollution, soil erosion, soil organic matter (SOM) depletion, and loss of biodiversity, that lead to a drop in grape quality and quantity. In this context, soil management in viticulture and sustainable strategies assume greater significance to improve the quality of modern viticulture. This review aims to highlight new agronomic techniques capable of enhancing the resilience of the system and contributing to conservation and ecosystem services provision, especially as wine consumers increasingly appreciate environmentally friendly farming practices. In particular, the review aims to focus the positive implications and repercussions as a result of these practices (e.g., compost, vermicompost, biochar, Ascophyllum nodosum, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Trichoderma, zeolite, partial root drying, cover cropping, and mulching).