Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Implications of Land Use Land Cover Change and Climate Variability on Future Prospects of Beef Cattle Production in the Lake Victoria Basin

This paper presents the lessons learnt from a research project titled “Improving Beef Cattle Productivity for Enhanced Food Security and Efficient Utilization of Natural Resources in the Lake Victoria Basin” which includes Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. The key focus is on the implications of land use land cover change and climate variability on the future prospects of beef cattle production in this region. The study utilizes information and data from natural resources and climate components to deduce the impact of land use and land cover changes on climate variability. Additional analysis is conducted to summarize the land use and land cover data to carry out analysis on climate data using the Mann-Kendal test, linear regression and moving averages to reveal patterns of change and trends in annual and seasonal rainfall and temperature. The findings reveal that the study areas of Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) have changed over time following land cover manipulations and land use change, coupled with climate variability. The grazing land has been converted to agriculture and settlements, thereby reducing cattle grazing land which is the cheapest and major feed source for ruminant livestock production. Although the cattle population has been on the increase in the same period, it has been largely attributed to the fact that the carrying capacity of available grazing areas had not been attained. The current stocking rates in the LVB reveal that the rangelands are greatly overstocked and overgrazed with land degradation already evidenced in some areas. Climate variability coupled with a decrease in grazing resources is driving unprecedented forage scarcity which is now a major limiting factor to cattle production. Crop cultivation and settlement expansion are major land use types overtaking grazing lands; therefore the incorporation of crop residues into ruminant feeding systems could be a feasible way to curtail rangeland degradation and increase beef cattle production.
Microstructural Inhomogeneity in the Fusion Zone of Laser Welds

This paper investigated evolutions of α-Al sub-grains’ morphology and crystalline orientation in the fusion zone during laser welding of 2A12 aluminum alloys. Based on this, a new method for assessing the weldability of materials was proposed. In laser deep-penetration welding, in addition to the conventional columnar and equiaxed dendrites, there also exhibited a corrugated structure with several ‘fine-coarse-fine’ transformations. In such regions, an abnormal α-Al coarsening phenomenon was encountered, with a more dispersed crystalline orientation arrangement and a decreased maximum pole density value. Particularly, structural alterations appeared more frequently in the weld bottom than the top. The above results indicated that the laser-induced keyhole presented a continually fluctuating state. Under such a condition, the solid–liquid transformation exhibited an unstable solidification front, a fluctuant undercooling, and a variational solidification rate. Meanwhile, the welding quality of this material is in a critical state to generate pores. Therefore, the appearance and relevant number of corrugated regions can be considered as a new way for judging the weldability, which will help to narrow the processing window with better welding stability.
Impact of diffused versus vasculature targeted DNA damage on the heart of mice depleted of telomeric factor Ft1

DNA damage is emerging as a driver of heart disease, although the cascade of events, its timing, and the cell types involved are yet to be fully clarified. In this context, the implication of cardiomyocytes has been highlighted, while that of vasculature smooth muscle cells has been implicated but not explored exhaustively. In our previous work we characterized a factor called Ft1 in mice and AKTIP in humans whose depletion generates telomere instability and DNA damage. Herein, we explored the effect of the reduction of Ft1 on the heart with the goal of comparatively defining the impact of DNA damage targeted to vasculature smooth muscle cells to that of diffuse damage. Using two newly generated mouse models, Ft1 constitutively knocked out (Ft1ko) mice, and mice in which we targeted the Ft1 depletion to the smooth muscle cells (Ft1sm22ko), it is shown that both genetic models display cardiac defects but with differences. Both Ft1ko and Ft1sm22ko mice display hypertrophy, fibrosis, and functional heart defects. Interestingly, Ft1sm22ko mice have early milder pathological traits that become manifest with age. Significantly, the defects of Ft1ko mice, including the alteration of the left ventricle and functional heart defects, are rescued by depletion of the DNA damage sensor p53. These results point to Ft1 deficiency as a driver of cardiac disease and show that Ft1 deficiency targeted to vasculature smooth muscle cells generates a pre‐pathological profile exacerbated by age.
Application of SWAT to model the water balance of the Woady Yaloak River catchment, Australia

The widespread land use changes that are expected to occur across the Corangamite region in southwest Victoria, Australia, have the potential to significantly alter the water balance of catchments. Adoption of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), which is a long-term water balance model, as a tool for predicting land use change impacts on catchment water balance for the Corangamite region is currently being considered. This paper describes the initial application of SWAT to the Woady Yaloak River catchment, located within the Corangamite region, to carry out an evaluation of its abilities for simulating the long-term water balance dynamics of the catchment. The performance of the model for predicting runoff at annual and monthly time scales was found to be very good. The excessive recharge of the shallow aquifer that occurred during winter, despite the subsoil being relatively impermeable, ultimately contributed to overestimation of baseflow and underestimation of interflow. The actual evapotranspiration from hydrologic response units (HRU s) containing eucalyptus trees was significantly less than that from HRUs containing pasture, a problem attributed to the incorrect simulation of Leaf Area Index (LAI) and biomass by the model for mature stands of eucalyptus trees and also to assigning inadequate values for two parameters that directly influence evapotranspiration. SWAT has very good potential for being used as tool to study land use change impacts across the Corangamite region provided that several modifications are made to the model to overcome some of the shortcomings and deficiencies that were identified in this initial application.
SEASONAL SURVIVAL, REPRODUCTION, AND USE OF WILDFIRE AREAS BY LESSER PRAIRIE CHICKENS IN THE NORTHEASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE

Seasonal Survival, Reproduction, and Use of Wildfire Areas by Lesser Prairie Chickens in the Northeastern Texas Panhandle. (May 2009) Ryan Sterling Jones, B.S., Kansas State University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Nova J. Silvy Lesser prairie chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) numbers have declined considerably in Texas since the early 1900s. Conversion of native prairie to cropland has been the major cause of the decline. I trapped and monitored 115 (66 males, 49 females) lesser prairie chickens in the Rolling Plains of the Texas Panhandle from 2001 through 2003. I used an information-theoretic approach to model selection as implemented in program MARK to evaluate factors contributing to variation in survival and differences in nest success. I found breeding season survival of both males and females was lower compared to non-breeding season survival. Annual survival was 0.52 (95% CI: 0.32– 0.71). Model selection indicated higher nest success (70%) in the sand sagebrush (Artemisia filifolia) vegetation type as compared to the shinnery oak (Quercus harvardii) type (40%). I also evaluated post-burn habitat alterations and plant succession (1 year and 2 years after burning) as potential lesser prairie chicken habitat. After spring rainfalls stimulated re-growth of herbaceous plants, male lesser prairie chickens moved to the site, feeding on new-emerging forbs throughout the summer. A female lesser prairie chicken
Early Systolic Lengthening Is Associated with SYNTAX Score in Patients with Non-ST-Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background: Early systolic lengthening is a echocardiographic strain parameter previously used to determine the lesion severity in patients with stable coronary artery disease. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between early systolic lengthening and anatomic SYNTAX score in troponin (−) and (+) groups among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Methods: A total of 95 patients diagnosed with non-ST-elevation ACS were included in the prospective, non-randomized, single-center study. The patients were categorized into 2 groups as troponin (+) and troponin (−). The patients were evaluated in terms of echocardiographic, clinical, and angiographic parameters. Results: The baseline characteristics, including age (58 ± 13 vs. 60 ± 10 respectively, P = .340), a history of hypertension (67.1% vs. 64%, respectively, P = .479), diabetes (28.6% vs. 32%, respectively, P = .467), global longitudinal strain (−14.37 ± 5.11 vs. −16.42 ± 3.93, respectively, P = .095), left ventricular ejection fraction (58.71 ± 8.73 vs. 57.20 ± 8.70, respectively, P = .263), and E/e’ (8.44 ± 2.13 vs. 8.33 ± 1.99, respectively, P = .785), were similar between troponin (+) and troponin (−) groups. Left ventricle end-systolic diameter (3.2 ± 0.78; 3.50 ± 0.74 vs. 3.2 ± 0.78, respectively, P = .031), left ventricle end-systolic volume (55.57 ± 32.17 vs. 38.28 ± 13.63, respectively, P = .013), left ventricle end-diastolic volume (115.31 ± 49.54 vs. 91.23 ± 20.57, respectively, P = .042), the rate of early systolic lengthening (65.7% vs. 28%, respectively, P = .001), the duration of early systolic lengthening (24.02 ± 31 ms vs. 15.56 ± 30.19 ms, respectively, P = .009), and the SYNTAX score (16 ± 11 vs. 10 ± 10, respectively, P = .023) were higher in the troponin (+) group. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found between early systolic lengthening and SYNTAX score (r = 0.43, P < .001). Conclusion: The rate and duration of early systolic lengthening were higher in patients in the troponin (+) group. Early systolic lengthening is related to SYNTAX score in patients with non-ST-elevation ACS.
Time correlations in atmospheric quantum channels

Efficient transfer of quantum information between remote parties is a crucial challenge for quantum communication over atmospheric channels. Random fluctuations of the channel transmittance are a major disturbing factor for its practical implementation. We study correlations between channel transmittances at different moments of time and focus on two transmission protocols. The first is related to the robustness of both discrete- and continuous-variable entanglement between time-separated light pulses, showing a possibility to enlarge the effective dimension of the Hilbert space. The second addresses a selection of high-transmittance events by testing them with bright classical pulses followed by quantum light. Our results show a high capacity of the time-coherence resource for encoding and transferring quantum states of light in atmospheric channels.
JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. II. Appearance of Edge-on Disks with a Tilted Inner Region: Case Study of IRAS04302+2247

We present James Webb Space Telescope imaging from 2 to 21 μm of the edge-on protoplanetary disk around the embedded young star IRAS04302+2247. The structure of the source shows two reflection nebulae separated by a dark lane. The source extent is dominated by the extended filamentary envelope at ∼4.4 μm and shorter wavelengths, transitioning at 7.7 μm and longer wavelengths to more compact lobes of scattered light from the disk itself. The dark lane thickness does not vary significantly with wavelength, which we interpret as an indication for intermediate-sized (∼10 μm) grains in the upper layers of the disk. Intriguingly, we find that the brightest nebula of IRAS40302 switches side between 12.8 and 21 μm. We explore the effect of a tilted inner region on the general appearance of edge-on disks. We find that radiative transfer models of a disk including a tilted inner region can reproduce an inversion in the brightest nebula. In addition, for specific orientations, the model predicts strong lateral asymmetries, which can occur for more than half possible viewing azimuths. A large number of edge-on protoplanetary disks observed in scattered light show such lateral asymmetries (15/20), which suggests that a large fraction of protoplanetary disks might host a tilted inner region. Stellar spots may also induce lateral asymmetries, which are expected to vary over a significantly shorter timescale. Variability studies of edge-on disks would allow us to test the dominant scenario for the origin of these asymmetries.
Ab initio amorphous spin Hamiltonian for the description of topological spin textures in FeGe

Topological spin textures in magnetic materials such as skyrmions and hopfions are interesting manifestations of geometric structures in real materials, concurrently having potential applications as information carriers. In the crystalline systems, the formation of these topological spin textures is well understood as a result of the competition between interactions due to symmetry breaking and frustration. However, in systems without translation symmetry such as amorphous materials, a fundamental understanding of the driving mechanisms of non-trivial spin structures is lacking owing to the structural and interaction complexity in these systems. In this work, we use a suite of first-principles-based calculations to propose an ab initio spin Hamiltonian that accurately represents the diversity of structural and magnetic properties in the exemplar amorphous FeGe. Monte Carlo simulations of our amorphous Hamiltonian find emergent skyrmions that are driven by frustrated geometric and magnetic exchange, consistent with those observed in experiment. Moreover, we find that the diversity of local structural motifs results in a large range of exchange interactions, far beyond those found in crystalline materials. Finally, we observe the formation of large-scale emergent structures in amorphous materials, far beyond the relevant interaction length-scale in the systems, suggesting a new route to emergent correlated phases beyond the crystalline limit.
Critique of arXiv submission 2308.15623,"Discovery of Spherules of Likely Extrasolar Composition in the Pacific Ocean Site of the CNEOS 2014-01-08 (IM1) Bolide", by A. Loeb et al

Recently a manuscript by Loeb et al. was uploaded to arXiv (preprint 2308.15623) that asserted that the CNEOS bolide 2014-01-08 was interstellar; that spherules recovered from the seafloor near the airburst were associated with this bolide; that they had Fe isotopic ratios indicating origin as micrometeorites; that they had unusual chemical compositions enriched in Be, La and U, never seen before in micrometeorite spherules; that these compositions were formed in the magma ocean stage of a differentiated extrasolar planet; and that the Be abundance reflected passage through the interstellar medium. Despite not being peer-reviewed, this uploaded manuscript has been reported by media outlets as"published", and its conclusions have been widely distributed as fact. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide potential peer reviewers and the general public with an appreciation of the multiple fatal flaws with the manuscript's arguments. We discuss the published evidence that the 2014-01-08 bolide is not interstellar. We show that there is no statistical spatial correlation of a chemical signature or even number of recovered spherules with the 2014-01-08 bolide. We demonstrate that the Fe isotopic ratios decisively indicate an origin in our Solar System, with>99.995% probability. We demonstrate that the unusual enrichments in La, U, etc., have in fact been observed in micrometeorites before and attributed to terrestrial contamination; and that the Be abundances are similarly consistent with those of ferromanganese nodules, after reacting with sea water. Far from being exotic particles from an extrasolar planet, the spherules collected and analyzed by Loeb et al. appear to be just like those found around the world, with a Solar System origin and compositions modified by tens of thousands of years residence at the ocean bottom.
Ground penetrating radar evaluation of the internal structure of fluvial tufa deposits (Dévanos-Añavieja system, NE Spain): an approach to different scales of heterogeneity

of the evaluation its applicability in of sedimentary outcrops. different antennas 50 500 along different its with outcrops and recognise its internal structure and geometrical relationships. The survey also permitted an approach to different scales of heterogeneities in the radarfacies evaluation by using distinct antennas and therefore, reaching different resolutions and penetrations. The resulting integration from different antennas allows three different attenuant and eight reﬂective radarfacies to be deﬁned permitting a better approach to the real extension of the pool areas. These results have permitted to decipher the horizontal and vertical facies changes and the identiﬁcation of a scarcer development of pool deposits than expected in the studied system.
Displacement sensing using bi-modal resonance in over-coupled inductors

This paper presents the theory and key experimental findings for an investigation into the generation of bimodal resonance (frequency splitting) phenomena in mutually over-coupled inductive sensors, and its exploitation to evaluate relative separation and angular displacement between coils. This innovative measurement technique explores the bimodal resonant phenomena observed between two coil designs - solenoid and planar coil geometries. The proposed sensors are evaluated against first-order analytical functions and finite element models, before experimentally validating the predicted phenomenon for the different sensor configurations. The simulated and experimental results show excellent agreement and first-order best-fit functions are employed to predict displacement variables experimentally. Co-planar separation and angular displacement are shown to be experimentally predictable to within $\pm1mm$ and $\pm1^o$ using this approach. This study validates the first-order physics-based models employed, and demonstrates the first proof-of-principle for using resonant phenomena in inductive array sensors for evaluating relative displacement between array elements.
Electrical Manipulation of Telecom Color Centers in Silicon

Silicon color centers have recently emerged as promising candidates for commercial quantum technology, yet their interaction with electric fields has yet to be investigated. In this paper, we demonstrate electrical manipulation of telecom silicon color centers by fabricating lateral electrical diodes with an integrated G center ensemble in a commercial silicon on insulator wafer. The ensemble optical response is characterized under application of a reverse-biased DC electric field, observing both 100% modulation of fluorescence signal, and wavelength redshift of approximately 1.4 GHz/V above a threshold voltage. Finally, we use G center fluorescence to directly image the electric field distribution within the devices, obtaining insight into the spatial and voltage-dependent variation of the junction depletion region and the associated mediating effects on the ensemble. Strong correlation between emitter-field coupling and generated photocurrent is observed. Our demonstration enables electrical control and stabilization of semiconductor quantum emitters.
Instant3D: Instant Text-to-3D Generation

Text-to-3D generation, which aims to synthesize vivid 3D objects from text prompts, has attracted much attention from the computer vision community. While several existing works have achieved impressive results for this task, they mainly rely on a time-consuming optimization paradigm. Specifically, these methods optimize a neural field from scratch for each text prompt, taking approximately one hour or more to generate one object. This heavy and repetitive training cost impedes their practical deployment. In this paper, we propose a novel framework for fast text-to-3D generation, dubbed Instant3D. Once trained, Instant3D is able to create a 3D object for an unseen text prompt in less than one second with a single run of a feedforward network. We achieve this remarkable speed by devising a new network that directly constructs a 3D triplane from a text prompt. The core innovation of our Instant3D lies in our exploration of strategies to effectively inject text conditions into the network. Furthermore, we propose a simple yet effective activation function, the scaled-sigmoid, to replace the original sigmoid function, which speeds up the training convergence by more than ten times. Finally, to address the Janus (multi-head) problem in 3D generation, we propose an adaptive Perp-Neg algorithm that can dynamically adjust its concept negation scales according to the severity of the Janus problem during training, effectively reducing the multi-head effect. Extensive experiments on a wide variety of benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs favorably against the state-of-the-art methods both qualitatively and quantitatively, while achieving significantly better efficiency. The project page is at https://ming1993li.github. io/Instant3DProj.
Enabling High-Level Machine Reasoning with Cognitive Neuro-Symbolic Systems

High-level reasoning can be defined as the capability to generalize over knowledge acquired via experience, and to exhibit robust behavior in novel situations. Such form of reasoning is a basic skill in humans, who seamlessly use it in a broad spectrum of tasks, from language communication to decision making in complex situations. When it manifests itself in understanding and manipulating the everyday world of objects and their interactions, we talk about common sense or commonsense reasoning. State-of-the-art AI systems don’t possess such capability: for instance, Large Language Models have recently become popular by demonstrating remarkable fluency in conversing with humans, but they still make trivial mistakes when probed for commonsense competence; on a different level, performance degradation outside training data prevents self-driving vehicles to safely adapt to unseen scenarios, a serious and unsolved problem that limits the adoption of such technology. In this paper we propose to enable high-level reasoning in AI systems by integrating cognitive architectures with external neuro-symbolic components. We illustrate a hybrid framework centered on ACT-R, and we discuss the role of generative models in recent and future applications.