Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Estimation of Losses Due to Shoot Fly Atherigona Soccata (Rondani) in Spring Maize

Five promising maize cultivars (HQPM-1, HHM-1, HM-4, HQPM-5 and HQPM-3) when evaluated the hybrid HQPM 5 showed higher 6.98%, 10.11%, and 34.14% deadhearts in case of treated, sprayed and control plot, respectively. The insecticidal treatments significantly reduced the deadhearts. Seed treatment with imidacloprid 70 WS applied @ 7.5 g/kg seed was more effective as compared to foliar application with endosulfan 35 EC @ 0.07%. Maximum yield of 21.08q/ha and 19.80q/ha was obtained in hybrid HQPM 1 in both treated and sprayed fields, respectively. Regardless of hybrids maximum yield (19.39 q/ha) was recorded with imidacloprid seed treatment followed by endosulfan (18.58 q/ha). The avoidable losses in seed treated with imidacloprid 70 WS varied from 26.34 to 31.03% whereas with endosulfan 35 EC it varied from 24.48 to 29.35%. It can be concluded that seed treatment with imidacloprid gave better results as compared to endosulfan.
Classes of preferential attachment and triangle preferential attachment models with power-law spectra

Preferential attachment (PA) models are a common class of graph models which have been used to explain why power-law distributions appear in the degree sequences of real network data. Among other properties of real-world networks, they commonly have non-trivial clustering coefficients due to an abundance of triangles as well as power laws in the eigenvalue spectra. Although there are triangle PA models and eigenvalue power laws in specific PA constructions, there are no results that existing constructions have both. In this article, we present a specific Triangle Generalized Preferential Attachment Model that, by construction, has non-trivial clustering. We further prove that this model has a power law in both the degree distribution and eigenvalue spectra.
PMCHWT-Based Characteristic Mode Formulations for Material Bodies

By studying solutions of various forms of the Poggio–Miller–Chang–Harrington–Wu–Tsai (PMCHWT)-based characteristic mode (CM) formulations, we have found that the proper choice of the weighting operator of the generalized eigenvalue equation is crucial in developing formulations that are immune from spurious solutions. Spurious modes of the Chang–Harrington surface formulation for CMs of lossless material bodies are shown to be solutions of a reverse problem where the material parameters of the background and the object are swapped. These unwanted modes can be avoided by removing the integral operators of the interior of the object from the weighting operator of the generalized eigenvalue equation. We also illustrate that to obtain physically meaningful eigenvalues with orthogonal far-field patterns, it is necessary to define that weighting operator so that it connects the eigensolutions to radiated power.
Nonlocality of one-dimensional bilinear hardening–softening elastoplastic axial lattices

The static behaviour of an elastoplastic axial lattice is studied in this paper through both discrete and nonlocal continuum analyses. The elastoplastic lattice system is composed of piecewise linear hardening–softening elastoplastic springs connected between each other via nodes, loaded by concentrated tension forces. This inelastic lattice evolution problem is ruled by some difference equations, which are shown to be equivalent to the finite difference formulation of a continuous elastoplastic bar problem under distributed tension load. Exact solutions of this inelastic discrete problem are obtained from the resolution of this piecewise linear difference equations system. Localization of plastic strain in the first elastoplastic spring, connected to the fixed end, is observed in the softening range. A continuous nonlocal elastoplastic theory is then built from the lattice difference equations using a continualization process, based on a rational asymptotic expansion of the associated pseudo-differential operators. The continualized lattice-based model is equivalent to a distributed nonlocal continuous elastoplastic theory coupled to a cohesive elastoplastic model, which is shown to capture efficiently the scale effects of the reference axial lattice. The hardening–softening localization process of the nonlocal elastoplastic continuous model strongly depends on the lattice spacing, which controls the size of the nonlocal length scales. An analogy with the one-dimensional lattice system in bending is also shown. The considered microstructured elastoplastic beam is a Hencky bar-chain connected by elastoplastic rotational springs. It is shown that the length scale calibration of the nonlocal model strongly depends on the degree of the difference equations of each lattice model (namely axial or bending lattice). These preliminary results valid for one-dimensional systems allow possible future developments of new nonlocal elastoplastic models, including two- or even three-dimensional elastoplastic interactions.
Innovations in Training and Promoting the Direct Care Workforce

The country is rapidly aging, and aging at home is both preferred and cost-effective (Fox-Grage & Walls, 2013). Unprecedented demand for home care services lies ahead, with implications not only for consumers and their families, but also for economic growth. As the demand for home care services reaches an all-time high, rising dependency ratios limit resources to meet demand, poverty wages fuel home care workforce instability, immigration reform, which could bolster workforce growth, is slow in coming, and a growing low-skilled population limits workforce quality (Kis & Field, 2013). With these challenges as a backdrop, the Federal Commission on Long-Term Care (the Commission) considered how to stabilize a qualified home care workforce, which today is characterized by little or no training, low wages, few benefits, high on-the-job injury, no advancement opportunity, and high turnover and vacancy rates, all with consequences to costs and quality. For example, research finds that turnover alone costs $2,500 conservatively per separation (Seavey, 2004). In Washington state, this adds up to about $40 million in wasted taxpayer dollars annually for the Medicaid home care workforce alone.1 With this cracking foundation across the country, it is hard to imagine how we can support the fastest growing occupation in the nation without bold change (Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, 2013). Such change requires a shift away from stale, siloed cost and quality arguments and toward a value argument. Historically, debates have focused either on cost or quality. The new conversation should be about value. Dollars wasted on high turnover and on-the-job injury rates that bring no value can be converted into proactive workforce investment strategies that do. The Commission provided a framework for imagining a different future for home care training and workforce development. Visualizing how that future might work can be difficult. One way to consider their recommendations is through the lens of Washington state’s experience. Washington is leading the nation’s boldest experiment in training and workforce development for home care workers with precedent-setting public policy and high-scale training delivery.
Spontaneous photon-pair generation from a dielectric nanoantenna

Optical nanoantennas have shown a great capacity for efficient extraction of photons from the near to the far field, enabling directional emission from nanoscale single-photon sources. However, their potential for the generation and extraction of multi-photon quantum states remains unexplored. Here we experimentally demonstrate the nanoscale generation of two-photon quantum states at telecommunication wavelengths based on spontaneous parametric down-conversion in an optical nanoantenna. The antenna is a crystalline AlGaAs nanocylinder, possessing Mie-type resonances at both the pump and the bi-photon wavelengths, and when excited by a pump beam it generates photon pairs with a rate of 35 Hz. Normalized to the pump energy stored by the nanoantenna, this rate corresponds to 1.4 GHz/Wm, being 1 order of magnitude higher than conventional on-chip or bulk photon-pair sources. Our experiments open the way for multiplexing several antennas for coherent generation of multi-photon quantum states with complex spatial-mode entanglement and applications in free-space quantum communications and sensing.
A comparison of electrosurgery and cryosurgery in the management of benign mucosal lesions: a prospective randomized study

Background and objectives The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of cryosurgery and electrosurgery in the treatment of benign mucosal lesion; to compare and evaluate postoperative pain and wound-healing; and to compare the efficacy of these techniques in the management of benign mucosal lesions. Methods The study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, KLE V.K. Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum. A total of 20 patients with benign mucosal lesions were included in the study and were treated using cryosurgery and electrosurgery. Results and observations It was observed that all 20 patients were cured without any complications and recurrence. Patient compliance and postoperative pain results showed better results with cryosurgery as compared with electrosurgery. Intraoperative and postoperative pain and discomfort was found to be more in cases treated with electrosurgery. Wound-healing was satisfactorily achieved while using both the treatment modalities. Conclusion In conclusion, we state that both these treatment modalities have their own advantages and disadvantages. Cryosurgery is a promising treatment modality and can be considered for use on outpatient basis for the treatment of certain lesions. However, continued research at clinical as well as microscopic levels is necessary for proper assessment of wound-healing and long follow-up of patients.
Singularities and Moments of Nonlinear Systems

The notions of eigenvalue, pole and moment at a pole of a continuous-time, nonlinear, time-invariant system are studied. Eigenvalues and poles are first characterized in terms of invariant subspaces. Tools from geometric control theory are used to define nonlinear enhancements of these notions and to study their relationship with the solution of certain partial differential equations, cascade decompositions and steady-state impulse responses. The theory is illustrated by means of worked-out examples and its significance is demonstrated by solving the model reduction problem by moment matching at poles for nonlinear systems.
Operating Room Fires: A Closed Claims Analysis

Background:To assess patterns of injury and liability associated with operating room (OR) fires, closed malpractice claims in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims Database since 1985 were reviewed. Methods:All claims related to fires in the OR were compared with nonfire-related surgical anesthesia claims. An analysis of fire-related claims was performed to identify causative factors. Results:There were 103 OR fire claims (1.9% of 5,297 surgical claims). Electrocautery was the ignition source in 90% of fire claims. OR fire claims more frequently involved older outpatients compared with other surgical anesthesia claims (P < 0.01). Payments to patients were more often made in fire claims (P < 0.01), but payment amounts were lower (median $120,166) compared to nonfire surgical claims (median $250,000, P < 0.01). Electrocautery-induced fires (n = 93) increased over time (P < 0.01) to 4.4% claims between 2000 and 2009. Most (85%) electrocautery fires occurred during head, neck, or upper chest procedures (high-fire-risk procedures). Oxygen served as the oxidizer in 95% of electrocautery-induced OR fires (84% with open delivery system). Most electrocautery-induced fires (n = 75, 81%) occurred during monitored anesthesia care. Oxygen was administered via an open delivery system in all high-risk procedures during monitored anesthesia care. In contrast, alcohol-containing prep solutions and volatile compounds were present in only 15% of OR fires during monitored anesthesia care. Conclusions:Electrocautery-induced fires during monitored anesthesia care were the most common cause of OR fires claims. Recognition of the fire triad (oxidizer, fuel, and ignition source), particularly the critical role of supplemental oxygen by an open delivery system during use of the electrocautery, is crucial to prevent OR fires. Continuing education and communication among OR personnel along with fire prevention protocols in high-fire-risk procedures may reduce the occurrence of OR fires.
Novel techniques for calculating inflationary observables

Comparing the predictions from different inflation models to observations of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) and the Large-Scale Structure (LSS) is a non-trivial task. One needs to calculate the statistics of the primordial curvature perturbation, ζ, to be able to compare to observational constraints. There exist many formalisms for such calculations, each with its own benefits and drawbacks, depending on the inflation model being considered. One popular method, the δN formalism, calculates the evolution of the statistics of ζ on superhorizon scales. δN assumes that the number of e-folds as a function of the scalar fields present in the model, N , is Taylor-expandable and that the Taylor series converges sufficiently fast. Unfortunately, this assumption breaks down in some cases. As a solution, in this thesis, we first extend the standard δN formalism so that it can be applied to any arbitrary function of N , irrespective of whether the N function is Taylor-expandable or not. We test the validity of the formalism on a pre-generated N function from a realistic model and find that the method shows marked improvement over regular δN . This extension of δN , which we call ‘non-perturbative δN ’, involves integrating the N function against a probability distribution function for the fields. When the N function is highly featured, a convenient method to perform the calculations is Monte Carlo integration. As an example, in the last part of the thesis we study massless preheating. We run our own lattice simulations and implement the nonperturbative expressions in a Monte Carlo fashion. Doing so, we calculate accurately the twoand three-point functions of ζ in this model for the first time.
The boundedness and spectral properties of multiplicative Toeplitz operators

The aim of this thesis is to study the properties of multiplicative Toeplitz operators with an emphasis on boundedness and spectral points. In particular, we consider these operators acting on the sequence space ` p and the Besicovitch function space B 2 N , in which case the operator is denoted by Mf and MF respectively. First, we present conditions for Mf to be bounded when acting from ` p to ` q for 1 ≤ p ≤ q ≤ ∞. From this investigation, a surprising connection with multiplicative number theory emerges; namely, that for a particular class of f, the operator norm is attained at the multiplicative elements in ` p . Furthermore, through the Bohr lift, we consider the implication of these results in the setting of classical Toeplitz operators. Secondly, we seek to establish the spectral properties of MF : B 2 N → B2 N . For a certain class of F, we present a new result which describes the spectrum (and point spectrum). In the case of general symbols, this is much more challenging. During the investigation we illustrate how, despite their similar construction, many of the mathematical tools used to establish the spectrum of Toeplitz operators cannot be used in this multiplicative setting.
Creation of resonance photoplasma by concentrated solar/gas lamp irradiation. Self-consistent modeling

The subject of the present research is a quantitative study of opportunity to obtain a photoplasma in a low pressure mixture of alkali metal vapor and noble gas by concentrated solar (or gas lamp) irradiation. The ground, resonance and high-excitation levels, and atomic and molecular ions of an alkali metal were considered. The proposed self-consistent model along with plasma-chemical reactions and radiation transfer accounted for charge transport processes and ambipolar diffusion, unlike previous studies (LIBORS project and others). Spatial uniformity of resonance excitation rate in the all plasma volume was assumed. An iterative method to determine the main parameters of photoplasma was proposed and tested on the example of a mixture of Na vapor and Ar gas for pressures pNa = 0.02 and pAr = 1 Torr in a cylindrical cell of radius R = 0.005 m and length L = 0.01 m in the range of resonance radiation flux density Fλ0 = 4×(1–103) Wm−2 nm–1 inside the gas cell. The minimal value of resonance excitation rate, which is necessary to create a plasma in the considered gas cell, was evaluated as 1.1 × 1022 m−3 s−1. According to our rough estimation, to provide this rate, the minimal value of Fλ0 of an external source should be 40 Wm–2 nm–1. This can be implemented by the concentration coefficient of solar irradiation about 30. The model and obtained results can be used for the calculation of plasma parameters in different mixtures of an alkali metal vapor and a noble gas induced by a nonlaser irradiation source (concentrated solar or gas lamp irradiation) and designing of photovoltaic converters on their base.
Risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease

Worldwide, Streptococcus pneumoniae is a pathogen isolated frequently during respiratory infections and more life-threatening, invasive infections such as sepsis and meningitis. Despite the use of antibiotics, invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) leads to substantial mortality and morbidity. The most promising prospect for preventing IPD is by vaccination. Vaccination programmes rely largely on the knowledge of the risk factors and definition of subpopulations at increased risk for IPD. Many epidemiological studies have provided evidence that several factors increase the risk of acquiring IPD. Infections due to pneumococci are strongly age-related and are most frequently observed in infants and the elderly. In the adult population a variety of underlying medical conditions and socio-economic factors are found to play an important role. In the present review we offer an overview of the currently known risk factors of IPD for neonates, children, adults and the elderly. In addition, different underlying conditions associated with an increased risk of acquiring IPD will be discussed.
Diffusion of ions and water through microbial polysaccharides in the rhizosphere

It is proposed that microbial polysaccharides behave anion-exclusively, permitting the transport of cations, but excluding the diffusion of anions. This hypothesis has been investigated in the context of polysaccharides produced by microorganisms in the rhizosphere. The anion-exclusive behaviour of exopolysaccharides, extracted from broth cultures of a range of rhizosphere microorganisms together with several commercial polysaccharides (i.e., xanthan, scleroglucan, dextran, guar gum) was investigated by measuring the electrochemical potential which developed as a result of the diffusion of KC1 across a polymer layer. Considering xanthan as a 'model' microbial polysaccharide, polymer concentration, layer thickness and the presence of either O-acetyl or pyruvyl groups were found to positively affect the degree of anion exclusion. The anion-exclusive behaviour of xanthan was verified by direct ion analysis of solutions either side of the polymer layer. It was found that in a range of ionic environments, the diffusion of anions was reduced by ~70% by the presence of a 3% w/w xanthan layer. The influence of xanthan on the diffusion of cations was studied using magnetic resonance imaging. In contrast to the proposed theory of anion exclusion, the rate of cation (Mn2+) diffusion through a 3% w/w xanthan layer was found not to be greater than that through free aqueous solution. The possible occurrence of anion exclusion and consequences thereof in the rhizosphere were assessed by studying the effect of substitution of the water films in soil with a layer of 3% xanthan on the growth of wheat seedlings. The phosphate, but not potassium content of those plants grown in soil with xanthan was ~20% lower than in the control plants. Those plants grown in xanthan-amended soil produced ~30% more biomass by dry weight. The anion-exclusive properties of polysaccharides produced naturally in bulk soil, the rhizosphere and root surface of pea was studied by the measurement of diffusion potentials. All three were found to show a high level of anion exclusion. The influence of O-acetyl groups in xanthan on the rate of water transport and degree of water binding was studied using stray field NMR methods. It was found that removal of O-acetyl groups reduces the rate of water transport and increases the rate of water binding at any given xanthan concentration. It is proposed that microoganisms produce anion-exclusive polysaccharides in the rhizosphere to protect themselves against the potentially lethal effects of water stress.
Subacromial impingement syndrome: a prospective comparison of ultrasound-guided versus unguided injection techniques

Objectives To evaluate the hypothesis that ultrasound-guided subacromial steroid injection produces greater reduction in morbidity than unguided injection. Design All patients underwent either ultrasound-guided subacromial injection with 80 mg Depo-Medrone at Bradford Royal Infirmary (group 1) or unguided injection (group 2) by a general practitioner with a specialist interest in musculoskeletal medicine (GPwSI). Patients were clinically and ultrasonically diagnosed with subacromial impingement syndrome. Setting Patients in group 1 included both hospital and GP referrals. Patient in group 2 were GP referrals to GPwSI. Main outcome measures Comparison was made of pre-injection and six week post-injection Oxford shoulder score and a 0–10 pain score. Results Forty-one patients received guided injections (group 1) and 17 unguided (group 2). Group 1 showed a significant mean reduction in the Oxford shoulder score of 9.10 (95% CI 7.07–11.13, P < 0.0001) and a significant change in the mean 0–10 pain score of −3.26 (95% CI −2.51 to −3.88, P < 0.0001). Group 2 also showed significant reduction in the mean Oxford shoulder score of 9.94 (95% CI 6.41–13.47, P < 0.0001) and significant change in the mean 0–10 pain score of −2.94 (−1.95 to −3.93, P < 0.0001). Comparison of groups 1 and 2 for each outcome measure revealed no significant differences. Conclusion Our data confirm the efficacy of steroid injection in the management of subacromial impingement, although no significant difference is found when comparing the two groups. We recommend the continued use of unguided injections, with ultrasound used for more practically difficult cases and where there is diagnostic uncertainty.