Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Yield and Yield Components of Bread Wheat as Influenced by Water Stress, Sowing Date and Cultivar in Sokoto, Sudan Savannah, Nigeria

Field experiments were conducted during 2009/10 and 2010/2011 dry seasons at the Fadama Teaching and Research Farm of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, in the Sudan Savanna ecological zone of Nigeria (latitude 13°01'N; longitude 5°15'E, altitude of 350 m above sea level) to study the effect of water stress, sowing date and cultivar on yield and yield components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The treatments consisted of factorial combination of water stress at three critical growth stages which was imposed by withholding water at tillering, flowering, grain filling and control (no stress), four sowing dates (21st November, 5th December, 19th December and 2nd January) and two bread wheat cultivar (Star 11 TR 77173/SLM and Kuaz/Weaver), laid out in a split-plot design with three replications. Water stress and date of sowing were assigned to the main-plot, while variety was assigned to the sub-plots. Result revealed that water stress at tillering significantly reduced spike length and grains per spike. Whereas, water stress at flowering and grain filling significantly reduced 1000-grain weight, grain yield and harvest index. Results also indicated significant (P < 0.05) effect of sowing date on length of spike, spikelets per spike, grains per spike and grain yield. Early sown wheat significantly differed from the late sown wheat in all parameters measured. Yield and yield components decreased with delay in sowing date and it was highest at 21st November and 5th December and lowest at 19th December and 2nd January, therefore wheat should be sown in November or at least first week of December in this area and other area with similar climate. Variety had significant effect on spike per m-2, grain yield and harvest index. Water stress at flowering and grain filling should be avoided as they are the most critical growth stages in yield determination in wheat, because plants cannot recover, while delay in sowing resulted in reduction in yield and yield components. Star II TR 77173/SLM is therefore recommended for the area.
Teacher development: recognising skill as a basis for ongoing change

This paper reviews key themes in language teacher development over recent decades, and outlines a way forward. First and second generation approaches to teacher learning and developments are described, and a third generation, based on recognising what teachers do well is set out. This is based on data from a teacher development initiative carried out with teachers in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programme in the UK. Key features of this approach focussed on in this paper are the skills of teachers in managing interaction and learning opportunities, the complex cognitive activity which underpins effective classroom practice, and the need to conceptualise teaching as constantly changing. These features are related to the ongoing challenge to develop programmes for teacher development which are effective in terms of teacher experience, and of wider policy goals of curriculum improvement.
Low-Salinity Polymer Flooding: Improving Polymer Flooding Technical Feasibility and Economics by Using Low-Salinity Make-up Brine

Polymer flooding is a mature EOR technique, which is successfully applied in both sandstone and carbonate reservoirs. In ongoing polymer projects, make-up brine is either formation water, sea water or any available water sources like deep or shallow aquifers. In this paper we focus on the use of low salinity water as the make-up brine. The objectives of combining low salinity flooding (LSF) with polymer flooding are three-fold: • Using low salinity brine reduces the amount of polymer required to obtain the target viscosity, which may lead to significant cost reduction. • Combining the benefit of low salinity flooding with polymer flooding leads to higher oil recovery over conventional polymer flooding. • Enhancing the elasticity of polymers by using low salinity brine which may lead to reduced Sorw and increased oil recovery. In addition to the objectives mentioned above, the use of a low-salinity make-up brine can give other benefits, such as better polymer stability especially at high temperatures), lower sensitivity to polymer shear degradation, lower polymer adsorption and lower scaling and souring tendency. The paper will present 1- Experimental procedures for investigating the potential benefits of low salinity polymer on both the required polymer concentration and the oil recovery. 2- Experimental results for several field cases 3- De-risking activities that were undertaken to mitigate any potential negative impact of using low salinity polymer, in the areas of clay swelling, polymer shear sensitivity, mixing and adsorption. The paper concludes that low-salinity polymer flooding can significantly improve existing and anticipated polymer flooding projects by reducing polymer volumes and/or increasing oil recovery. Low-salinity polymer flooding provides opportunities to apply polymer flooding in high-salinity and high-temperature reservoirs, for which polymer flooding with produced or formation water would be technically unfeasible or uneconomic.
Risk stratification in individuals with the Brugada type 1 ECG pattern without previous cardiac arrest: usefulness of a combined clinical and electrophysiologic approach

Aims Risk stratification in individuals with type 1 Brugada electrocardiogram (ECG) pattern (type 1 ECG) for primary prevention of sudden death (SD). Methods and results Three hundred and twenty patients (258 males, median age 43 years) with type 1 ECG were enrolled. No patient had previous cardiac arrest. Fifty-four per cent of patients had a spontaneous and 46% a drug-induced type 1 ECG. One-third had syncope, two-thirds were asymptomatic. Two hundred and forty-five patients underwent electrophysiologic study (EPS) and 110 patients received an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD). During follow-up [median length 40 months (IQ20-67)], 17 patients had major arrhythmic events (MAE) (14 resuscitated ventricular fibrillation (VF) and three SD). Both a spontaneous type 1 ECG and syncope significantly increased the risk (2.6 and 3.0% event rate per year vs. 0.4 and 0.8%). Major arrhythmic events occurred in 14% of subjects with positive EPS, in no subjects with negative EPS and in 5.3% of subjects without EPS. All MAE occurred in subjects who had at least two potential risk factors (syncope, family history of SD, and positive EPS). Among these patients, those with spontaneous type 1 ECG had a 30% event rate. Conclusion (1) In subjects with the Brugada type 1 ECG, no single clinical risk factor, nor EPS alone, is able to identify subjects at highest risk; (2) a multiparametric approach (including syncope, family history of SD, and positive EPS) helps to identify populations at highest risk; (3) subjects at highest risk are those with a spontaneous type 1 ECG and at least two risk factors; (4) the remainder are at low risk.
Does selection occur at the intermediate zone of two insu�ciently isolated populations? A whole-genome analysis along an altitudinal gradient

Adaptive divergence would occur even between the insu�ciently isolated populations when there is a great difference in the environments of their habitats. The individuals present in the intermediate zone of the two divergent populations are expected to have an admixed genetic structure due to gene �ow. A selective pressure that acts on the genetically admixed individuals may limit the gene �ow and promote the adaptive divergence. Here, we addressed a question whether the selection occurs in the genetically admixed individuals between the divergent populations and assessed its effects on the population divergence. We obtained the whole-genome sequences of a perennial montane plant, Arabidopsis halleri, which has clear phenotypic dimorphisms between altitudes, along an altitudinal gradient of 359–1,317 m with a high spatial resolution (mean altitudinal interval of 20 m). We found the zone where the highland and lowland genes were mixing. Using the F ST approach, we found that 35 and 13 genes in the admixed zone had a high frequency of alleles that are accumulated in highland and lowland subpopulations, respectively, suggesting that these genes have been selected in the admixed zone. This selection might limit the gene �ow and contribute to the adaptive divergence along the altitudes. In the single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based analysis, 3,000 out of 27,792 Altitude-Dependent SNPs had extremely high homozygosity in the admixed zone. In 84.7% of these SNPs, the frequency of homozygotes of highland alleles was comparable to that of lowland alleles, suggesting that these alleles are neutral but the heterozygotes were selectively eliminated. The distribution of highland and lowland alleles of these SNPs was not clearly separated between altitudes, implying that such selection did not impede the gene �ow. We conclude that the selection occurring at the intermediate altitude affects the genetic structure in the admixed zone and adaptive divergence along the altitudes.
Event-related Functional Mri of Cortical Activity Evoked by Microsaccades, Small Visually-guided Saccades, and Eyeblinks in Human Visual Cortex

a r t i c l e i n f o We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to determine blood oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes following microsaccades, visually-guided saccades, and eyeblinks in retinotopically mapped visual cortical areas V1–V3 and hMT+. A deconvolution analysis revealed a similar pattern of BOLD activation following a microsaccade, 0.16° voluntary saccade, and 0.16° displacement of the image under conditions of fixation. In all areas, an initial increase in BOLD signal peaking at approximately 4.5 s after the event was followed by a decline and decrease below baseline. This modulation appears most pronounced for microsaccades and small voluntary saccades in V1, diminishing in strength from V1 to V3. In contrast, 0.16° real motion under conditions of fixation yields the same level of BOLD signal increase in V1 through V3. BOLD signal modulates parametrically with the size of voluntary saccades (0.16°, 0.38°, 0.82°, 1.64°, and 3.28°) in V1–V3, but not in hMT+. Eyeblinks generate larger modulation that peaks by 6.5 s, and dips below baseline by 10 s post-event, and also exhibits diminishing modulation from V1 to V3. Our results are consistent with the occurrence of transient neural excitation driven by changes in input to retinal ganglion cell receptive fields that are induced by microsaccades, visually-guided saccades, or small image shifts. The pattern of results in area hMT+ exhibits no significant modulation by microsaccades, relatively small modulation by eyeblinks, and substantial responses to saccades and background jumps, suggesting that spurious image motion signal arising from microsaccades and eyeblinks is relatively diminished by hMT+. Introduction The goal of the present research is to determine the neural/fMRI effects of microsaccades in early cortical visual areas. We compare these responses to those evoked by comparably sized saccades and whole image motions under conditions of fixation. All three event types should generate similar changes at the level of the retinal image. By comparing cortical responses to these three event types, our aim is to determine the degree to which cortical responses to microsaccades are driven by image changes versus other factors, such as, for example, microsaccadic suppression of spurious motion signals. Microsaccades are involuntary, conjugate, brief (∼25 ms), very small eye movements that occur during visual fixation, whereas saccades, even if as small as microsaccades, are voluntary. Micro-saccades shift the retinal image over several dozen (Moller et al. photoreceptors. They exhibit the same linear relationship between peak velocity and amplitude …
A Volumetric Approach to Change Detection in Satellite Images

The increasing availability of very high resolution satellite imagery has spurred interest in automatically detecting very fine detailed changes in an area over time, a particularly useful tool for analyzing activity in dense urban areas. However, attempting automated change detection at this resolution is difficult due to the motion parallax of elevated structures. This paper presents a comprehensive solution to change detection in areas of significant 3D relief using a new framework called volumetric appearance modeling (VAM). This approach can manage the complications of unknown and changing world surfaces by maintaining a 3D voxel-based model, where probability distributions for surface occupancy and image appearance are stored in each voxel. These distributions are continuously updated as new images are received using an adaptive learning procedure. This representation is demonstrated to produce accurate change detection results under conditions of variable illumination and viewpoint as well as haze conditions present in satellite imagery. The volumetric representation also supports automatic sensor model correction to align incoming imagery to a common geographic reference. This registration approach is demonstrated to achieve geo-positioning accuracy on the order of the ground sampling distance (GSD) or better.
Selectividad de especies forrajeras por bovinos en pastizales seminaturales del trópico centroamericano: un estudio basado en la observación sistemática del pastoreo

Selectivity of forage species by cattle grazing in seminatural grasslands was evaluated at different hierarchical levels (feeding site and individual species) with two types of pastures grazed by two animal categories (lactating and dry cows), which constituted the treatments, each with six replicates (paddocks). The feeding behavior was monitored in two altitudinal strips of the landscape, the high and low zones, during both the dry and wet seasons of 2005. Selectivity indexes (SI) for individual species varied according to treatment and season. Grasses made the greatest contribution to the diet in both seasons and altitudinal zones. In the low zone grasses represented 93,5 and 74,5 % of the diet during the wet and dry season, respectively; whereas for the high zone corresponding values were 81,6 and 79,2%, respectively. During the dry season several woody perennials showed higher SI than grasses and other herbaceous species. Animal selectivity is a relative index as it is infl uenced by the seminatural grasslands botanical composition, as infl uenced by the altitudinal position in the landscape, type of pasture and season.
Demography-environment relationships improve mechanistic understanding of range dynamics under climate change

Species responses to climate change are widely detected as range and abundance changes. To better explain and predict them, we need a mechanistic understanding of how the underlying demographic processes are shaped by climatic conditions. We built spatially-explicit, process-based models for eight Swiss breeding bird populations. They jointly consider dispersal, population dynamics and the climate-dependence of three demographic processes - juvenile survival, adult survival and fecundity. The models were calibrated to two-decade abundance time-series in a Bayesian framework. We assessed goodness-of-fit and discriminatory power of the models with different metrics, indicating fair to excellent model fit. The most influential climatic predictors for population performance were the mean breeding-season temperature and the total winter precipitation. Maps of overall growth rate highlighted demographically suitable areas. Further, benefits from contemporary climate change were detected for typical mountain birds, whereas lowland birds were adversely affected. Embedding generic process-based models in a solid statistical framework improves our mechanistic understanding of range dynamics and allows disentangling the underlying abiotic and biotic processes. For future research, we advocate a stronger integration of experimental and empirical measurements and more detailed predictors in order to generate precise insights into the processes by which climate affects populations.
A Rhaetian 40Ar/39Ar age for the Rochechouart impact structure (France) and implications for the latest Triassic sedimentary record

Abstract– 40Ar/39Ar dating of potassium feldspar (primary spherulitic‐blocky and secondary idiomorphic K‐feldspar) separated from impact‐metamorphosed gneiss found near Videix in the western central part of the Rochechouart impact structure (NW Massif Central, France) yielded a Rhaetian combined age of 201 ± 2 Ma (2σ), indistinguishable within uncertainty from the age of the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. Ballen quartz intergrown with the primary K‐feldspar indicates post‐shock temperatures exceeding approximately 1000 °C that affected the precursor gneiss. Geochemically, both feldspar types represent essentially pure potassium end‐members. Apart from the approximately 15 km diameter impact deposit area, the youngest crystallization age known for basement rocks in this part of the Massif Central is approximately 300 Ma. No endogenic magmatic‐thermal events are known to have occurred later in this region. The K‐feldspar recrystallized from local feldspar melts and superimposed post‐shock hydrothermal crystallization, probably within some thousands of years after the impact. It is, therefore, suggested that the 40Ar/39Ar age for the Videix gneiss (as a potassic “impact metasomatite”) dates the Rochechouart impact, in consistence with evidence for K‐metasomatism in the Rochechouart impactites. The new age value is distinctly younger than the previously obtained Karnian–Norian age for Rochechouart and, thus, contradicts the Late Triassic multiple impact theory postulated some years ago. In agreement with the paleogeographic conditions in the western Tethys domain around the Triassic/Jurassic boundary, the near‐coastal to shallow marine Rochechouart impact is compatible with the formation of seismites and tsunami deposits in the latest Triassic of the British Isles and possible related deposits in other parts of Europe.
NDVI and its Relationships with Hydrological Regimes in the Upper Yangtze

RÉSUMÉ Les relations entre l'indice NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) obtenu par télédétection et les régimes hydrologiques (débit d'eau et transport de sédiments) dans les grands bassins de rivière sont examinées dans la région du Haut Yangtze, en Chine. Les résultats montrent des relations positives fortes entre, d'une part, le NDVI à l'échelle du bassin versant, et d'autre part, le débit d'eau et le transport de sédiments. Une relation positive entre le DNVI et le transport de sédiments indique que, lorsque les précipitations augmentent, leur force érosive est plus forte que leur force protectrice qui entraîne une augmentation de la végétation. Ceci illustre le potentiel des données de télédétection à l'échelle régionale pour le suivi du transport de sédiments, en particulier dans le cas des grands bassins versants où il n'y a pas de station de mesure. L'utilisation de données de télédétection présente plusieurs avantages par rapport aux méthodes conventionnelles puisque les données NDVI sont relativement économiques, disponibles sur une base régulière et peuvent être obtenues facilement pour l'ensemble d'un bassin.
Aspects of geochronology and crustal evolution in the Eastern Fold Belt, Mt Isa Inlier∗

Zircon U‐Pb SHRIMP ages and crustal Sm‐Nd signatures are reported for metasediments, meta‐volcanics, and a variety of pre‐ and post‐tectonic granitoid intrusives in the Eastern Fold Belt of the Mt Isa Inlier. These enable tracing of the broad crustal evolution of the rocks, erection of a chrono‐stratigraphic framework in the Eastern Fold Belt, and correlation of these rocks with those in other parts of the Mt Isa Inlier and in other Proterozoic inliers of northern Australia. The SHRIMP results and Sm‐Nd model ages provide quantitative information related to the provenance history of the metasediments and the sources and crustal interactions of magmatic rocks. Most of the latter have Nd Tdm of 2270–2200 Ma, suggesting similar source(s) to the metasediments and gneisses (2360–2140 Ma). The Nd TDM model ages are younger than those found in the Kalkadoon‐Leichhardt Belt, suggesting that the Eastern Fold Belt crust received less Archaean source input. Rocks of Barramundi age (1870–1840 Ma) are not found in the.
Surface soil moisture estimation over dense crop using Envisat ASAR and Landsat TM imagery: an approach

This study focuses on developing a new method of surface soil moisture estimation over wheat fields using Environmental Satellite Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (Envisat ASAR) and Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data. The Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering (MIMICS) model was used to simulate wheat canopy backscattering coefficients from experiment plots at incidence angles of 23° (IS2) and 43.9° (IS7). Based on simulated data, the scattering characteristics of a wheat canopy were first investigated in order to derive an optimal configuration of polarization (HH) and incidence angle (IS2) for soil moisture estimation. Then a parametric model was developed to describe wheat canopy backscattering at the optimal configuration. In addition, direct backscattering and two-way transmissivity of wheat crowns were derived from the TM normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI); direct ground backscattering was derived from surface soil moisture and TM NDVI; and backscattering from double scattering was derived from total backscattering. A semi-empirical model for soil moisture estimation was derived from the parametric model. Coefficients in the semi-empirical model were obtained using a calibration approach based on measured soil moisture, ASAR, and TM data. A validation of the model was performed over the experimental area. In this study, the root mean square error (RMSE) for the estimated soil moisture was 0.041 m3 m−3, and the correlation coefficient between the measured and estimated soil moisture was 0.84. The experimental results indicate that the semi-empirical model could improve soil moisture estimation compared to an empirical model.