Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Time scale observability and constructibility of linear dynamic equations

This paper investigates the observability and constructibility problems of time-varying linear dynamic equations using time scale theory. First, we define observability, reachability and constructibility operators on time scales. Some necessary and sufficient conditions are proposed to ensure the observability on non-uniform time domains based on some linear algebra tools. Then, constructibility is also examined using the same approach. Moreover, the link between observability and constructibility concepts on arbitrary time sets is discussed. Further, the observability and reachability duality relationship for time-varying linear systems on time scales is established. The current work unifies and extends some existing results given for standard cases (i.e. the continuous line and the discrete time domain) to non-uniform time domains. Finally, the obtained results are described with an illustrative example.
Institutional ownership and REIT acquisitions

ABSTRACT We examine the relationship between institutional ownership and Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) acquisitions. We find that REITs with relatively higher levels of pre-event institutional ownership are more likely to partake in acquisitions. We additionally find that levels of institutional ownership significantly increase post-acquisitions even after controlling for other relevant factors. This increase is driven by longer-term and passive institutional investors. Further, we find positive influences from the increase in institutional ownership on both market and accounting performance, however, this is driven by increases in short-term and active institutional investor levels. Collectively, our results suggest a significant influence by institutional investment on REIT acquisition decisions that has a significant effect on shareholder wealth.
The Investigation of TiO2 NPs Effect as a Wastewater Treatment to Mitigate Cd Negative Impact on Bamboo Growth

The recent emerging evidence reveals that titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) can be used as a wastewater treatment. This study provides new information about the possible detoxification role of TiO2 NPs as a wastewater treatment in plants under heavy metal stress, with an emphasis on the mechanisms involved. Here, we investigated the effects of TiO2 NPs as one wastewater treatment on a bamboo species (Arundinaria pygmaea L.) under in vitro Cadmium (Cd) toxicity conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications of four concentrations of Cd (50, 100, 200, and 300 µM) alone and in combination with 100 and 200 µM TiO2 NPs as two wastewater treatments, as well as a control treatment. The results indicated that TiO2 NPs concentrations enhanced enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities and proline accumulation as well as reducing hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide radical (O2•−), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, which led to improved photosynthetic parameters with an eventual increase in plant biomass as compared to the control treatment. Therefore, TiO2 NPs improved the photosynthetic parameters of bamboo under Cd toxicity, which led to an increase in plant biomass. We concluded that the wastewater treatments of TiO2 NPs improved bamboo biomass through the scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compounds (H2O2 and O2•−), which was induced by the stimulation of the antioxidant capacity of the plant. TiO2 also protected cell membranes by reducing lipoperoxidation in bamboo under Cd toxicity. The concentration of 200 µM TiO2 NPs had the most impact in reducing Cd toxicity.
Improving water storage of reclamation soil covers by fractionation of coarse-textured soil

Dobrovolskaya, Y. V. , Chau, H. W. and Si, B. C. 2014. Improving water storage of reclamation soil covers by fractionation of coarse-textured soil. Can. J. Soil Sci. 94: 489-501. Mining operations cause considerable land disturbance as well as the accumulation of large amounts of waste rock. Capping waste rock with a soil cover has proven to be a reliable, long-term reclamation technique. This study examines the question of whether it is possible to attain a considerable increase in water storage capacity (WSC) by separating coarse-textured soil into particle size fractions and layering them into a soil cover. Additionally, this study investigated whether preferential flow can be mitigated by increasing the number of layers and extending the interlayer transitions in fine-over-coarse-textured soil systems. Intermittent and constant infiltration experiments were conducted on homogeneous covers composed of natural sand, two-layered covers with abrupt and gradual interlayer transitions as well as on a four-layered cover under initially air-dry and field capacity (FC) conditions. Water storage capacities were determined from a sampling of soil covers′ water content at FC. Infiltration experiments showed that all tested covers under all initial and boundary conditions had limited susceptibility to preferential flow. Increasing the number of layers and extending the interlayer transitions had a stabilizing effect on the wetting front. Water storage capacities and residence time increased with the increased number of layers. Overall, it has been shown that it is possible to improve the WSC of coarse-textured soil by fractionation and layering of it into a relatively fine-over-coarse soil system.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL TO: Fast cross-validation for multi-penalty high-dimensional ridge regression

Below we present computing times for plain CV, fast CV using SVD, and approximated leaveone-out CV (LOOCV) as discussed in (Meijer and Goeman, 2013). Table 1 presents results for LOOCV and 10-fold CV. Data sets used are: 1) the methylation data set dataFarkas as available in the R-package GRridge (Van de Wiel et al., 2016), which has dimensions n × p = 37 × 40, 000 and binary response; 2) the MESO miRNA data set presented in the main document, with dimensions 84× 1, 398 and survival response; 3) as 2) but mRNA, with dimensions 84 × 19, 252; 4) the KIRC miRNA data set presented in the main document, with dimensions 506 × 1, 487 and survival response; 5) as 4) but mRNA, with dimensions 506× 19, 431.
Real-time crash prediction for a long low-traffic volume corridor using corrected-impurity importance and semi-parametric generalized additive model

Abstract Real-time risk assessment studies have investigated a limited length of corridors. However, the necessity of assessing the safety performance of Connected Vehicles (CVs) requires looking into an entire corridor. Aligned with the CV Pilot Program on 402-miles Interstate-80 in Wyoming, this study serves as a baseline to quantify the safety performance of the corridor during CV pre-deployment. Real-time traffic-related predictors were characterized to capture the spatial variation in traffic characteristics, both longitudinally and laterally. Nine Crash Prediction Models (CPMs) were conducted following the matched-case control design within two main parts. First, important predictors were detected using three feature selection techniques; Corrected-Impurity Importance (CII), Mean Decrease Impurity, and Mean Decrease Accuracy. Secondly, for each of the three sets of selected features, three different Logistic Regression models were developed; the Generalized Additive Model (GAM), Generalized Linear Model, and Generalized Nonlinear Model. The combined GAM and CII outperformed other CPMs by obtaining minimum error, maximum prediction performance, and detecting a larger number of significant predictors, which would enhance the safety performance measurement of the few numbers of CVs by comparing CVs pre- to post-deployment. Findings showed that investigating individual lanes is beneficial to comprehend crash patterns on corridors with comparatively less traffic volume.
Effect of applying crust-freezing after skin-packaging on the natural microflora of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during storage at low temperatures

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of crust-freezing (CF) on fresh salmon fillets in skin-packaging during storage at −2.0°C. After CF, all treated samples and untreated controls were stored in a refrigerated cabinet for 20 d. Sampling was carried out at days 0, 2, 6, 8, 10, 14 and 20 in order to analyse total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and levels of mesophilic and psychrophilic viable counts (MVC and PVC). Enterobacteriaceae (ENT), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), H2S-producing bacteria (SPB) and Pseudomonas spp. (PSE). No significant differences in TVB-N were found between samples except for those taken on day 20 where TVB-N levels of CF samples were lower than controls. Our results suggest that ENT might be the limiting microbial group to determine the end of shelf-life. Thus, if this group is used as an indicator of acceptability, the shelf-life of salmon can be extended from 8 to 20 d when skin-packed and then treated with CF.
Identification of Rhizospheric Microorganisms That Manages Root Knot Nematode and Improve Oil Yield in Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)

Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), a highly valuable medicinal crop, is extremely susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita infestation, leading to severe losses in yield and chemo-pharmaceutical quality. Currently, chemical nematicides are the only effective option for the disease management. However, high toxicity to non-target organisms and adverse impact on soil health motivated the look for ecofriendly alternatives. Here, bioinoculants (Bacillus megatarium (“BM”), B. subtilis (“BS”)) were isolated from the rhizosphere of various medicinal and aromatic plants growing in Lucknow region, India. Their biocontrol effects were studied in O. basilicum plants that were invaded by M. incognita either in single or in consortium with Trichoderma harzianum (“TH”) and their efficiency compared to chemical nematicide (carbofuran) and a microbial reference strain (Pseudomonas fluorescens). The results show that all bioinoculants enhanced the growth and oil yield production and increased the nutrient content of O. basilicum by significantly reducing M. incognita infestation by 46 to 72%. Among the strains, a consortium of BM and TH was the most potent treatment. The efficiency of these bioinoculants was not restricted to sterile soil condition but remained high also in natural soil conditions, indicating that enriching soils with rhizospheric microbes can be an effective alternative to chemical nematicides.
Effects of ultrasound and microwave pretreatments on hydrodistillation extraction of essential oils from Kumquat peel

Abstract Main objectives of this work were to investigate the influences of ultrasound pretreatment (UP) and microwave pretreatment (MP) on extraction kinetics, chemical composition, and antioxidant activity of Kumquat peel essential oil (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation extraction (HDE). The effects of ultrasound power and processing time, and microwave power and processing time were evaluated. As compared with HDE individually, UP and MP decreased the extraction time, increased the yield and DPPH radical‐scavenging activity but did not noticeably affect chemical composition of the EO. For UP and MP, the highest EO yield was obtained when the ultrasonic power and processing time, and microwave power and processing time were 210 W and 30 min, 300 W and 6 min, respectively. In comparison with MP, UP gave a higher yield and DPPH radical‐scavenging activity of the EO. Overall, UP and MP are promising techniques for HDE of EO from kumquat peel.
Smash-ridging cultivation improves crop production

Smash-ridging cultivation is an efficient farming method that was recently developed in China. The technique involves vertically cutting by using a spiral drill, causing the soil to ‘suspend’ as ridges, thereby breaking through the traditional plough pan, and thickening the plough layer up to 30–50 cm. Smash-ridging cultivation has effectively improved soil quality and has increased the water and nutrient retention capacity. Loose soil enables the plant’s root system to optimally develop and more efficiently absorb nutrients. This facilitates the growth of the above ground parts of plant, leading to a significant increase in crop yield. This method has been successfully applied on 40 crops and tested in 26 provinces. The yield increase within a single season ranges from 10.0% to 54.8%. This technique may have a positive and extensive impact on food safety and agricultural production in China and the rest of the world.
Hydroxyundecanethiol-Modified Steel Fibers for the Selective Solid-Phase Microextraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons from River and Wastewater

ABSTRACT A novel organic–inorganic composite-coated fiber was developed for selective solid-phase microextraction (SPME) by direct electrodeposition of zinc oxide microparticles on a pretreated stainless steel wire followed by self-assembly of hydroxyundecanethiol with zinc–sulfur bonds. The performance of the hydroxyundecyl-modified zinc oxide-coated steel fiber was then assessed for SPME of polar aromatic compounds coupled to high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection. Excellent extraction and selectivity were obtained for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The extraction and desorption times, temperature, stirring rate, and ionic strength were optimized. The limits of detection were from 0.034 to 0.132 µg L−1. The relative standard deviations were from 3.4 to 4.9% for a single fiber and from 5.1 to 6.4% for multiple fibers. The recovery of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water fortified at 5.0 and 50 µg L−1 was from 83.1 to 103% with relative standard deviations below 8.4%. This fiber was shown to withstand at least 200 extraction and desorption cycles. The method was used for the preconcentration and determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental water.
Separating emission and meteorological contribution to PM2.5 trends over East China during 2000–2018

Abstract. The contribution of meteorology and emissions to long-term PM2.5 trends is critical for air quality management but has not yet been fully analyzed. Here, we used a combination of machine learning model, statistical model and chemical transport model to quantify the meteorological impacts on PM2.5 pollution during 2000–2018. Specifically, we first developed a two-stage machine learning PM2.5 prediction model with a synthetic minority oversampling technique to improve the satellite-based PM2.5 estimates over highly polluted days, thus allowing us to better characterize the meteorological effects on haze events. Then we used two methods, a generalized additive model (GAM) driven by the satellite-based full-coverage daily PM2.5 retrievals as well as the Weather Research and Forecasting/Community Multiscale Air Quality (WRF/CMAQ) modelling system, to examine the meteorological contribution to PM2.5. We found good agreements between the GAM model estimations and the CMAQ model estimations of meteorological contribution to PM2.5 on monthly scale (correlation coefficient between 0.53–0.72). Both methods revealed the dominant role of emission changes in the long-term trend of PM2.5 concentration in China during 2000–2018, with notable influence from the meteorological condition. The interannual trends in meteorology-associate PM2.5 were dominated by the fall and winter meteorological conditions, when regional stagnant and stable conditions were more likely to happen and haze events frequently occurred. From 2000 to 2018, the meteorological contribution became more unfavorable to PM2.5 pollution control across the North China Plain and central China, but were more beneficial to pollution control across the southern part, e.g., the Yangtze River Delta. The meteorology-adjusted PM2.5 over East China peaked at 2006 and 2011, mainly driven by the emission peaks in PM2.5 and PM2.5 precursors in these years. Although emissions dominated the long-term PM2.5 trends, the meteorology-driven anomalies also contributed −3.9 % to 2.8 % of the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations in East China estimated from the GAM model. The meteorological contributions were even higher regionally, e.g., −6.3 % to 4.9 % of the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, −5.1 % to 4.3 % in the Fen-wei Plain, −4.8 % to 4.3 % in the Yangtze River Delta and −25.6 % to 12.3 % in the Pearl River Delta. Considering the remarkable meteorological effects on PM2.5 and the worsening meteorological conditions in the northern part of China where air pollution was severe and population was clustered, stricter clean air actions are needed to avoid haze events in the future.
Self-rated child maltreatment, behavioural problems, and contacts with welfare and police authorities – longitudinal community data

ABSTRACT This study examines how children report abuse, neglect and behavioural problems and what authorities they claim to have had contact with that are legally mandated to report to the Child Welfare Services, e.g. health services and police. It draws data from a longitudinal research programme, LoRDIA, in which four data collections followed adolescents’ development from 12 to 15 years (n = 1884). A total of 61 indicators of self-reported child abuse, neglect and behavioural problems were constructed to identify children with severe exposure so that each indicator would have prompted referral. The main finding is that 445 (25.3%) of the study population reported severe exposure of this magnitude. Among these self-reported severely exposed children (SSE), boys reported higher rates of child neglect and of overall behavioural problems, specifically criminal and other socially destructive behaviour. Poverty and living in single-parent households significantly increase the risk of abuse, neglect, and behavioural problems. Increased risk of neglect and criminal behaviour were found for children studying Swedish as second language. The SSE children more than other children report contact with all authorities with mandatory reporting. Odds ratios of contact were higher in the case of behavioural problems compared to the odds ratios for abuse and neglect.
Distribution of Arsenic in Fresh and Weathered Rocks in Sri Lanka

This study was carried out to determine the distribution of arsenic, which may slowly harm human health, in the weathered rocks of different parent rocks in the country. 293 samples were collected from different crystalline rocks and in-situ weathered formations above the particular parent rock in 50 localities. Selected minor elements (including arsenic) were analysed by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on RIGAKU KG-X system (Japan). Results indicated that the maximum arsenic amount in the fresh rock was 12 and 48 ppm in completely weathered rocks. About 86.9% of fresh rocks showed less than 5 ppm of arsenic, while 89.8% of their weathered grades showed the arsenic concentration to be less than 10 ppm. Average arsenic in all fresh rock samples was 3.5ppm (lowest); it was 7.6 ppm (highest) in residual soils. This is the normal condition of arsenic distribution worldwide. Under this condition, the arsenic concentration in natural groundwater in the residual soil areas should be below the acceptable limit. Therefore, the amount of arsenic released from parent rocks and their weathered products due to natural geological processes is very low in Sri Lanka.
Predicting Longitudinal Changes in Familism in an Emerging Immigrant Context

Building on the Behavioral Process Model of Familism, the current study examined the longitudinal association between public and private ethnic regard and familial support, and familism values in a sample of 141 Latinx 7th–10th graders living in a semi-rural, emerging immigrant community. Analyses revealed that changes in public and private regard were positively related to changes in familism (p<.001) over time, but there were no cross-lagged associations. Additionally, changes in familism were positively and significantly correlated with changes in family support (p<.001), and more family support at T1 was related to growth in familism at T2 (p<.001). These findings suggest that familial processes set the stage for continued growth in familism values across adolescence. These results highlight the importance of the family in fostering the growth of familism values over time for youth in emerging immigrant communities.
Chia Response to Nitrogen Fertilization at Two Sowing Dates under Subtropical Conditions

ABSTRACT The study aimed to determine the response of chia (Salvia hispanica) to nitrogen (N) fertilization at different sowing dates in southern Brazil. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with four replicates (5x2 factorial arrangements). Five N doses (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 kg N ha−1) were used at two sowing dates (November, preferred, January, late). Growth variables, organ N concentrations, and grain yield were evaluated. Fertilizer N recovery efficiency, maximum technical, and economic efficiency were calculated. N doses applied via fertilizer at sowing in November provided the greatest effect on growth parameters and grain yield of chia, and a dose of 104 kg N ha−1 had the highest technical and economic efficiency. The higher NRE was in November at the dose of 30 and 60 kg N ha−1, and it was decreasing with the increased N dose. The meteorological conditions of the preferred sowing combined with the high doses of N promoted increased N supply in the soil, which was effectively absorbed and converted to shoot dry weight. November is the best time to sown chia and 104 kg N ha−1 is the most suitable dose.
Spatial and temporal variations of CO2 mole fractions observed at Beijing, Xianghe and Xinglong in North China

Abstract. Atmospheric CO2 mole fractions are observed at Beijing (BJ), Xianghe (XH), and Xinglong (XL) in North China using the Picarro G2301 Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy instruments. The measurement system is described comprehensively for the first time. The geo-distances among these three sites are within 200 km, but they have very different surrounding environments: BJ is inside the megacity; XH is in the suburban area; XL is in the countryside on a mountain. The mean and standard deviation of CO2 mole fractions at BJ, XH, and XL between October 2018 and September 2019 are 448.4 ± 12.8 ppm, 436.0 ± 9.2 ppm and 420.6 ± 8.2 ppm, respectively. The seasonal variations of CO2 at these three sites are similar, with a maximum in winter and a minimum in summer, which is dominated by the terrestrial ecosystem. However, the seasonal variations of CO2 at BJ and XH are more affected by human activities as compared to XL. By using CO2 at XL as the background, CO2 enhancements are observed simultaneously at BJ and XH. The diurnal variations of CO2 are driven by the boundary layer height, photosynthesis and human activities at BJ, XH and XL. Moreover, we address the impact of the wind on the CO2 mole fractions at BJ and XL. This study provides an insight into the spatial and temporal variations of CO2 mole fractions in North China.