Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and economics of integrated weed management in groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.)

Weed management is an important and expensive step in groundnut production. Field experiments were conducted in the early and late wet seasons of 2017 to evaluate the effectiveness and profitability of weed management using hoe weeding, herbicides or their combination in groundnut production. Butachlor and propaben at 2.0 kg a.i (active ingredient) ha -1 each followed by (fb) supplementary hoe-weeding (shw) at 6 weeks after sowing (WAS) significantly reduced weed cover and biomass with subsequent increase in groundnut pod yield similar to hoe-weeding treatments and better than either herbicide applied alone. The highest groundnut pod yield (1485.7 kg ha -1 ) and revenue ($1639.2) in the early season was obtained with three hoe weeding passes. However, in the late season, the highest groundnut pod yield (1146.3 kg ha -1 ) was obtained with propaben plus hoe-weeding and the highest revenue ($1264.8) obtained with butachlor plus hoe-weeding. Although three hoe-weedings gave the highest revenue in the early season, the gross margin and cost-benefit ratio obtained with hoe weeding treatments was lower than those of herbicides fb shw. This study showed that integrated weed management with butachlor or propaben and fb shw will improve weed control, productivity and profitability of groundnut production. Multiple hoe weeding, however, did not guarantee the highest profit but rather increased the cost of production.
Comparative effects of temperature on rates of development and survival of eggs and yolk-sac larvae of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus)

Comparative effects of temperature on rates of development and survival of eggs and yolk-sac larvae of Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) and walleye pollock (Gadus chalcogrammus) Benjamin J. Laurel*, Louise A. Copeman, Mara Spencer, and Paul Iseri Fisheries Behavioral Ecology Program, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365, USA College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Newport, OR 97365, USA *Corresponding author: tel: þ 1 541 737 0197; fax: þ1 541 737 0186; e-mail: ben.laurel@noaa.gov
Individual knowledge creation ability: dispositional antecedents and relationship to innovative performance

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to understand the effects of creative self-efficacy and affective personal commitment on individuals' knowledge creation and innovative work behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a time-lagged field survey to collect data from a diverse sample across various organizations in Pakistan (N = 249 paired responses). Main and mediating effects were tested using bootstrapping technique.FindingsThe results revealed that affective personal commitment and creative self-efficacy significantly predicted supervisory-rated innovative performance directly and indirectly through knowledge creation ability (KCA). Originality/valueThe study uniquely contributed to the body of knowledge by developing and validating scales for KCA and affective personal commitment. In addition, the study contributed to the body of knowledge by examining the antecedents and outcomes of KCA.
Nonlinear time series models for the North Atlantic Oscillation

Abstract. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant mode of climate variability over the North Atlantic basin and has a significant impact on seasonal climate and surface weather conditions. This is the result of complex and nonlinear interactions between many spatio-temporal scales. Here, the authors study a number of linear and nonlinear models for a station-based time series of the daily winter NAO index. It is found that nonlinear autoregressive models, including both short and long lags, perform excellently in reproducing the characteristic statistical properties of the NAO, such as skewness and fat tails of the distribution, and the different timescales of the two phases. As a spin-off of the modelling procedure, we can deduce that the interannual dependence of the NAO mostly affects the positive phase, and that timescales of 1 to 3 weeks are more dominant for the negative phase. Furthermore, the statistical properties of the model make it useful for the generation of realistic climate noise.
A Multi-Ray Analysis of LOS V2V Links for Multiple Antennas with Ground Reflection

This paper presents a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) geometric multi-ray tracing model for an improved line-of-sight (LOS) estimation. The model is especially suited for distributed antenna transceivers in the presence of ground reflections. The multiple antennas are assumed to be spaced regularly in horizontal and vertical directions over contiguous vehicles. The main focus of our study is the ability of the multiple antenna system to counteract or exploit, respectively, the destructive or constructive interference of multiple rays in the LOS channel component. This work is a complement to existing V2V channel models by providing more details on how ground reflections affect the LOS channel. The analysis is initially framed in the context of MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) systems to investigate general aspects such as capacity limits and singular value distribution. The work then focuses on a scheme with single symbol repetition across the transmit antennas and two different strategies for signal combining at the receiver: maximum-ratio and equal-gain combining (MRC and EGC, respectively). These solutions are compared with a full diversity solution as well as with the information theoretical limits. An adaptive antenna selection mechanism is finally proposed that outperforms all other solutions. The paper shows both vertical and horizontal polarization results with corrected complex Fresnel reflection coefficients for lossy materials. Moreover, it is shown that multiple antenna design in V2V systems can be useful to counteract the destructive interference created by multiple rays on the LOS channel component.
Bioactive Compound Variability in a Brazilian Capsicum Pepper Collection

This report aims to characterize the bioactive content of pepper (Capsicum L., Solanaceae) accessions from a Brazilian germplasm collection. Peppers are currently a major vegetable crop worldwide, with 31 Tg produced in 2013, according to FAO. Seventytwo accessions of Capsicum annuum L. , C. baccatum L. , C. chinense Jacq. , and C. frutescens L. were evaluated and high variability was observed in soluble solids, pH, acidity, fruit color, total phenolic content, total carotenoid content, antioxidant potential, and capsaicinoid content. Accessions P119, P302, and P189 had the highest phenolic compound contents, which ranged from 225.16 to 243.47 mg gallic acid equivalent 100 g−1. The highest antioxidant potential observed ranged from 2.71 to 3.03 mmol Trolox equivalent 100 mg −1 in accessions P287, P50, and P25. Maximum carotenoid content was seen in accessions P269, P280, and P179, which contained between 53.42 and 54.11 mg b-carotene equivalent 100 g−1. Capsaicinoid content was highest in accessions P120, P246, and P236 and ranged from 6132.00 to 19,543.70 mg 100 g−1. Capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin represented, on average, 79% of the total capasaicinoid content. No one accession contained high levels of multiple bioactive compounds. T.d. S. Acunha, R.L. Crizel, I.B. Tavares, C.V. Rombaldi, and F.C. Chaves, UFPel-FAEM, Dep. de Ciência e Tecnologia Agroindustrial, Campus Univ., Caixa Postal 354, CEP 96010-900, Pelotas, RS, Brasil; R.L. Barbieri, Embrapa Clima Temperado, Caixa Postal 403, CEP 96001-970, Pelotas, RS, Brasil; C.M. P. de Periera, UFPel-Centro de Ciências Químicas, Farmacêuticas e de Alimentos, Campus Univ., Caixa Postal 354, CEP 96010-900, Pelotas, RS, Brasil. Received 24 Aug. 2016. Accepted 4 Jan. 2017. *Corresponding author (fabio. chaves@ufpel.edu.br). Assigned to Associate Editor Owen Hoekenga. Abbreviations: DDPH, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; FLD, fluorescence detector; GAE, gallic acid equivalents; HPLC, high performance liquid chromatography; QTOF, quadrupole time-offlight; SSC, soluble solids content; UHPLC, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography. Published in Crop Sci. 57:1–13 (2017). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.08. 0701 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. Published March 2, 2017
A Novel Check-List Strategy to Evaluate the Potential of Operational Improvements in Wastewater Treatment Plants

With increasing demands for cleaning and purification of water, wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) require their most efficient operation. The operators are thus obliged to constantly review the efficiency of the processing units and technological equipment of WWTPs and seek opportunities for improvements. To increase the efficiency of particular equipment, the important parameters to be used for the intensification must be correctly selected. A common WWTP consists of different types of processing units, where the basic parameters can be changed to achieve the highest efficiency (i.e., maximum output with minimum energy consumption) in the WWTP. However, due to many possible technologies in the wastewater treatment process, the combinations of processing units can be complex. In such cases, the efficiency assessment can be misleading if only basic parameters were accessed. Moreover, single-unit intensification can potentially improve the efficiency of the unit itself but cannot guarantee full process improvement. This can be due to negative causal effects in the downstream due to that unit intensification. This work reviews of key parameters at five selected pieces of WWTP equipment (inlet pump station, airlift pump, primary sedimentation tank, aeration chamber, and mixing of anaerobic digester) to demonstrate the correct selection of all affected parameters for the efficiency assessment. In the context of the whole WWTP process, it is necessary to take into account several other parameters to evaluate the efficiency of the equipment. Finally, a methodology for assessing the significance of the identified parameters is proposed. This methodology is effectively applied and demonstrated in the WWTP case study.
Pengaruh Fluktuasi Harga Komoditas Pangan Terhadap Inflasi di Provinsi Sumatera Utara

Perubahan harga komoditas pangan merupakan penyumbang terbesar laju inflasi di Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Inflasi di Provinsi Sumatera Utara mengalami perubahan naik turun. Tujuan penelitian ini menganalisis pengaruh fluktuasi harga beras, cabai merah, minyak goreng, daging ayam ras, telur ayam ras dan jagung terhadap inflasi di Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Model analisis yang digunakan adalah Vector Error Corection Model (VECM). Variabel yang digunakan adalah inflasi, harga beras, cabai merah, minyak goreng, daging ayam ras, telur ayam ras dan jagung. Data yang digunakan data sekunder mulai tahun 2013-2017 berupa data bulanan sehingga diperoleh data sebanyak 60 pengamatan. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan pada jangka pendek, inflasi bulan sebelumnya berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka pendek dan jangka panjang, harga beras berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka panjang, harga daging ayam ras berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka panjang dan jangka pendek, harga cabai merah berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka panjang, harga minyak goreng berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka panjang harga telur ayam ras berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang, pada jangka pendek dan jangka panjang, harga jagung tidak berpengaruh positif terhadap inflasi bulan sekarang.
Monitoring Forest Change in the Amazon Using Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data and Machine Learning Classification on Google Earth Engine

Deforestation causes diverse and profound consequences for the environment and species. Direct or indirect effects can be related to climate change, biodiversity loss, soil erosion, floods, landslides, etc. As such a significant process, timely and continuous monitoring of forest dynamics is important, to constantly follow existing policies and develop new mitigation measures. The present work had the aim of mapping and monitoring the forest change from 2000 to 2019 and of simulating the future forest development of a rainforest region located in the Pará state, Brazil. The land cover dynamics were mapped at five-year intervals based on a supervised classification model deployed on the cloud processing platform Google Earth Engine. Besides the benefits of reduced computational time, the service is coupled with a vast data catalogue providing useful access to global products, such as multispectral images of the missions Landsat five, seven, eight and Sentinel-2. The validation procedures were done through photointerpretation of high-resolution panchromatic images obtained from CBERS (China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite). The more than satisfactory results allowed an estimation of peak deforestation rates for the period 2000–2006; for the period 2006–2015, a significant decrease and stabilization, followed by a slight increase till 2019. Based on the derived trends a forest dynamics was simulated for the period 2019–2028, estimating a decrease in the deforestation rate. These results demonstrate that such a fusion of satellite observations, machine learning, and cloud processing, benefits the analysis of the forest dynamics and can provide useful information for the development of forest policies.
Genetic Patterns in Forest Antelope Populations in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, as Inferred from Non-Invasive Sampling

ABSTRACT As for many tropical regions, the evolutionary and demographic status of antelope populations in the Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, are poorly resolved. We employed genetic information from 618 faecal samples to assess the status of forest antelope species in terms of their distribution, intraspecific diversity and population subdivision within the Udzungwa landscape. Most species were detected in the majority of forest fragments, except for Philantomba monticola. Phylogenetic analyses were consistent with traditional taxonomy with the exception of Cephalophus harveyi which was paraphyletic with respect to C. natalensis. There was strong support for three C. harveyi mtDNA clades within the Udzungwa Mountains although nuclear genetic variation did not partition strongly with these maternal lineages. Significant partitioning of genetic variation between sampling areas was detected for all species except the endangered C. spadix. Overall, our results demonstrate the value of non-invasive genetic sampling in studying the distribution and evolution of rarely observed species.
Schema-Based Instruction Implemented under Routine Conditions

Abstract Many students identified with a specific learning disability (SLD) experience difficulty with mathematical problem solving. Schema-based instruction (SBI) is identified as a promising practice for students with a SLD. The current projects aimed to tests the efficacy of SBI implemented by a teacher under routine conditions. This extends prior literature by (a) using a teacher as the implementer, (b) allowing flexibility in the intervention protocol, (c) condensing the duration of intervention sessions, and (d) providing instruction in small group settings. In addition, we measured student problem solving performance on word problems requiring two-steps. We used a multiple-probe design across three groups of fifth-grade participants (n = 7) receiving supplemental instruction in a resource room setting. Results indicated a functional relation between SBI and problem-solving performance on one-step word problems. However, the magnitude of change and consistency in performance varied across participants. Student performance on two-step word problems embedded within one structure and combined structures was low. The NAP, Tau, LRRi, and BC-SMD effect sizes were used to quantify effects. Implications are discussed in regard to systematic replication and conditions that may impact fidelity.
Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of orf virus isolated from goats in Sokoto metropolis, Nigeria

Aim: The aim of this study was to molecularly characterize orf virus isolated from clinical infections in goats in Sokoto metropolis. Materials & methods: Embryonated chicken eggs were used to isolate orf virus according to the established protocol. Viral DNA was extracted and full coding region of B2L gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction, sequenced and blasted for identification and phylogenetically analyzed. Results and discussion: The B2L gene sequences of the isolate showed slight variability (96–98.7%) with the reference sequences as it clustered within the same clade with Korean, Zambian and Ethiopian strains, signifying a close genetic relationship. Unique amino acid substitutions were noted. This is the first genetic characterization of B2L gene of orf virus circulating in Nigeria. Conclusion: This study has provided in sight into the genetic diversity of orf virus in the study area.
Micropropagation of ginger (Zingiber officinalevar. rubrum) using buds from microshoots

Zingiber officinale var. Rubrum (ZOR) is cultivated for its medicinal value despite the constraints of longer life cycle. The study has established an efficient and reproducible protocol to micropropagate ZOR using buds generated on the surface of the ginger. Surface sterilized y oung buds of 0.5-1 cm and 2-4 cm cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) supplemented with BAP showed the highest survival rate (55-65%) and produced the highest average number of microshoots per explant (3.2±0.06) respectively. MS medium supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of auxin and cytokinin were used to evaluate shoot multiplication and root induction. BAP concentrations between 3.0-5.0 mg/L was very effective in promoting microshoots and resulted in 100% of microshoot propagation. Microshoots cultured on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg/L BAP and 0.5 mg/L NAA produced the highest number of shoots while 0-0.5 mg/L BAP enhanced shoot length and 3mg/L NAA in combination with BAP produced highest number of roots. Microshoots maintained on MS medium supplemented with 4.5% sucrose produced the highest number of plantlets (23±2.5) and roots per explants (15.4±2.4) meanwhile reducing the length of lateral roots (2.6±0.2).
Testing the mastery-avoidance construct in achievement goal theory: a meta-analytic confirmatory factor analysis (MA-CFA) of two achievement goals scales

Abstract Achievement goal theory is a popular theoretical framework that has been widely used to understand the goals students hold regarding their academic work. This theoretical model has been subject to an ongoing debate regarding the number and nature of constructs it includes. Notable in such debates has been the inclusion or exclusion of mastery-avoidance goals. The purpose of this study was to conduct meta-analytic confirmatory factor analyses (MA-CFA) on two popular achievement goal measures, the Achievement Goal Questionnaire-Revised (AGQ-R) and the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scales (PALS) achievement goals scales, to analyse the structure of these scales across published studies. The models were a better fit for the data without mastery-avoidance, and overall the data suggest researchers should consider excluding mastery-avoidance.
Distribution of glycine receptor subunits on primate retinal ganglion cells: a quantitative analysis

This study investigates the distribution of inhibitory neurotransmitter receptors on sensory neurons. Ganglion cells in the retina of a New World monkey, the common marmoset Callithrix jacchus, were injected with Lucifer yellow and Neurobiotin and subsequently processed with antibodies against one (α1), or against all subunits, of the glycine receptor, or against the anchoring protein gephyrin. Immunoreactive (IR) puncta representing glycine receptor or gephyrin clusters were found on the proximal and the distal dendrites of all ganglion cell types investigated. For both parasol and midget cells, the density of receptor clusters was greater on distal than proximal dendrites for all antibodies tested. In parasol cells the average density for the α1 subunit of the glycine receptor was 0.087 IR puncta/µm of dendrite, and for all subunits it was 0.119 IR puncta/µm of dendrite. Thus, the majority of glycine receptors on parasol cells contain the α1 subunit. For parasol cells, we estimated an average of 1.5 glycinergic synapses/100 µm2 dendritic membrane on proximal dendrites and about 9.4 glycinergic synapses/100 µm2 on distal dendrites. The segregation of receptors to the distal dendrites appears to be a common feature of inhibitory neurotransmitter input to parasol and midget cells, and might be associated with the receptive field surround mechanism.
A Tyrannosauroid from the Lower Cenomanian of New Jersey and Its Evolutionary and Biogeographic Implications

Abstract The Barremian through Turonian record of tyrannosauroids in North America is sparse, and neither the western nor eastern portions of the continent have produced substantial material of early tyrant dinosaurs. This is unfortunate, as the discovery and description of several new tyrannosauroid genera from this temporal interval in recent years has shown that this period of time was likely when the tyrannosauroids evolved many of the signature features of the large- bodied genera that famously roamed the planet during the latest Cretaceous. One particular trait of the younger tyrant dinosaur genera that seems to have evolved during the aforementioned temporal interval was that of large body size. Here, I describe the metatarsal II of an indeterminate tyrannosauroid from the Cenomanian Potomac Formation of New Jersey. The metatarsal II is significant for several reasons. It is the only definite occurrence of a tyrannosauroid in eastern North America (Appalachia) before the Coniacian and Santonian and indicates an animal in the size range of tyrannosauroids from the Santonian to Maastrichtian of the Cretaceous. The New Jersey specimen thus differs from other, mostly small and gracile, known tyrannosaur genera of the mid-Cretaceous, suggesting that the evolution of large size among tyrannosauroids was a complex process. The metatarsal has morphological affinities to the corresponding metatarsal II of Appalachiosaurus montgomeriensis, and along with the results of phylogenetic analysis this suggests that Late Cretaceous Appalachian tyrannosauroids were relict forms isolated on the landmass.
Dynamic resource allocation: The geometry and robustness of constant regret

We study a family of dynamic resource allocation problems, wherein requests of different types arrive over time and are accepted or rejected. Each request type is characterized by its reward and the resources it consumes. We consider an algorithm, called BudgetRatio, that solves an intuitive packing linear program and accepts requests “scored” as sufficiently valuable by the LP. Our analysis method is geometric and focuses on the evolution of the remaining inventory—hence of the LP that drives BudgetRatio—as a stochastic process. The analysis requires a detailed characterization of the parametric structure of the packing LP, which is of independent interest. We prove that (i) BudgetRatio achieves constant regret relative to the offline (full information) upper bound in the presence of (slow) inventory restock and request queues. (ii) By tuning the algorithm’s parameters, we simultaneously achieve near-maximal reward and near-minimal holding cost. (iii) Within explicitly identifiable bounds, the algorithms regret is robust to mis-specification of the model parameters. This gives bounds for the “bandits” version where the parameters have to be learned. (iv) The algorithm has a natural interpretation as a generalized bid-price algorithm.