Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimizing Intercropping Systems of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.) through Inoculation with Bacteria and Mycorrhizal Fungi

This study evaluates the effects of intercropping patterns, plant growth‐promoting rhizobacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on seed yield and yield components of black cumin (Nigella sativa L.) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.), as well as the essential oil and fatty acid profile of black cumin. A two‐year two‐factorial field experiment was conducted in 2015 and 2016 to investigate intercropping of black cumin and fenugreek in five ratios and biofertilizer application as AMF and bacteria. Intercropping reveals higher concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compared with monocropping, whereas monocropping inoculated with bacteria shows the highest seed yield of both fenugreek (151 g m−2) and black cumin (148 g m−2). Regarding the quality of black cumin, the combination of a black cumin:fenugreek‐intercropping pattern of 66:34 with bacteria fertilization is most promising, as it shows i) the maximum essential oil content, oil yield, and fixed oil content, ii) the highest contents of thymol and p‐cymene, iii) the highest content of linoleic acid, and iv) the maximum land equivalent ratio. Conclusively, bacteria fertilization and black cumin:fenugreek‐intercropping pattern of 66:34 helps improving essential oil, fixed oil quality, and quantity of black cumin, thus creating a more sustainable cultivation system for black cumin and fenugreek.
Comparative evaluation of Kalman filters and motion models in vehicular state estimation and path prediction

Abstract Vehicle state estimation and path prediction, which usually involve Kalman filter and motion model, are critical tasks for intelligent driving. In vehicle state estimation, the comparative performance assessment, regarding accuracy and efficiency, of the unscented Kalman filter (UKF) and the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is rarely discussed. This paper is devoted to empirically evaluating the performance of UKF and EKF incorporating different motion models and investigating the models’ properties and the affecting factors in path prediction. Extensive real world experiments have been carried out and the results show that EKF and UKF have roughly identical accuracy in state estimation; however, EKF is faster than UKF generally; the fastest filter is about 2⋅6 times faster than the slowest. The path prediction experiments reveal that the velocity estimate and the used motion model affect path prediction; the more realistically the model reflects the vehicle's driving status, the more reliable its predictions.
Engineering the Assembly of Gold Nanorods in Polymer Matrices

We investigate, both experimentally and through hybrid particle/self-consistent field theoretic (hSCFT) calculations, the dispersion state of gold nanorods (AuNRs) grafted with homopolymer, bidispersed, or mixed polymer brushes. AuNRs are grafted with 11.5 kg/mol PS (HNRs), 11.5 kg/mol PS, and 5.3 kg/mol PS (BNRs) or 11.5 kg/mol PS and 5K poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) (MBNRs) and cast in PS or PMMA films consisting of short to very long chains compared to the grafted brush. We further investigated the MBNR systems by varying the length of the PS brush. Overall, we find that the MBNRs dispersed markedly better than the other brush types (HNRs or BNRs) in PS matrices. We utilize hSCFT calculations, in particular potential of mean force (PMF) and brush profile calculations, to elucidate the thermodynamics of these systems. The PMFs and brush profiles exhibit similar trends for the BNRs and MBNRs where the short grafted chain forces the longer grafted chain away from the AuNR surface and promotes wetting b.
A semantic metric for concepts similarity in knowledge graphs

Semantic similarity between concepts concerns expressing the degree of similarity in meaning between two concepts in a computational model. This problem has recently attracted considerable attention from researchers in attempting to automate the understanding of word meanings to expedite the classification of users’ opinions and attitudes embedded in text. In this article, a semantic similarity metric is presented. The proposed metric, namely, weighted information-content (wic), exploits the information content of the least common subsumer of two compared concepts and the depth information in knowledge graphs such as DBPedia and YAGO. The two similarity components were combined using calibrated cooperative contributions from both similarity components. A statistical test using the Spearman correlations on well-known human judgement word-similarity data sets showed that the wic metric produced more highly correlated similarities compared with state-of-the-art metrics. In addition, a real-world aspect category classification was evaluated, which exhibited further increased accuracy and recall.
Corrosion characterization of the experimental alloy Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta by electrochemical techniques

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the experimental alloy Ti-35Nb-7Zr-5Ta, modified by laser beam, in a physiological solution of 0.9% NaCl. This evaluation was carried out by open circuit potential analysis (EOCP), potentiodynamic polarization curves and cyclic polarization curves. The open circuit potential curves show the specimen irradiated by laser beam at 35 Hz presented a more stable and corrosion resistant surface. It was observed in the polarization curves, low current densities in the order of nA /cm2, for all specimen indicating an expected passive behavior for the investigated alloy. The cyclic polarization curves show that for specimen treated with laser, the potential for repassivation (Er) is greater in relation to the potential for corrosion (Ecorr), which indicates greater resistance to corrosion of metal alloys when treated with laser.
The challenges of developing resilient perennial pastures for a Mediterranean environment – a review for Western Australia

Abstract. Perennial pastures are the dominant feedbase in many regions of the world, and offer several advantages when compared with an annual pasture system. In Western Australia (WA) there has been a concerted effort over seven decades to develop new perennial pasture options and expand the adoption of suitable species. The agricultural region of WA (i.e. south-western Australia) is characterised by a Mediterranean climate where the 5–7 month summer drought has proved a considerable challenge with only a small number of the many promising species being adopted commercially. Research, development, and extension have covered a wide range of herbaceous perennial legumes, leguminous and native shrubs, herbs, and temperate and warm season grasses. This paper reviews the literature to determine whether a perennial pasture must satisfy the following criteria to be successful and widely adopted in south-western Australia: (i) sourced from a similar Mediterranean environment and adapted to the target soils; (ii) have a relative advantage over the annual-based system it replaces; (iii) a robust management package; and (iv) a viable seed supply. The findings of this review highlight that perennial pastures must indeed satisfy multiple criteria to be commercially successful. Notably, the requirement for the source of the germplasm to have a good match between climate and soils is less clear because some of the commercially successful species come from diverse environments. We conclude with some key learnings for future perennial pasture development as climate change intensifies the research challenge and the drive for producers to adapt.
Inference for partially linear additive higher-order spatial autoregressive model with spatial autoregressive error and unknown heteroskedasticity

Abstract This article extends spatial autoregressive model with spatial autoregressive disturbances (SARAR(1,1)) which is the most popular spatial econometric model to the case of an arbitrary finite number of nonparametric additive terms and spatial autoregressive models with spatial autoregressive disturbances of arbitrary finite order (SARAR(R,S)). We propose a sieve two-stage least squares (S2SLS) regression and generalized method of moments (GMM) procedure of the high-order spatial autoregressive parameters of the disturbance process. Under some sufficient conditions, we show that the proposed estimator for the finite dimensional parameter is consistent and asymptotically normally distributed. We show that each proposed estimator for the additive terms is consistent and also asymptotically normally distributed at a rate slower than Consistent estimators for the asymptotic variances of the proposed estimators are provided. In addition, using asymptotic properties to make statistical inference for the parametric and additive is also considered. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that the estimation procedure performs reasonably well in small samples and the proposed approach has some practical value. The proposed method is applied to analyzing factors which affect haze pollution.
Selenium Biofortification of Three Wild Species, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L. and Portulaca oleracea L., Grown as Microgreens

Microgreens of wild herbs are a source of healthy compounds. Selenium (Se) biofortification of microgreens could help increase the Se content and thus contribute to Se requirements in humans. We evaluated whether three wild herbs, Rumex acetosa L. , Plantago coronopus L. , and Portulaca oleracea L. , were suitable for biofortification in order to obtain products with high nutraceutical value. In the first experiment, the three species were enriched with Na2SeO4 at 0 and 1.5 mg Se L−1, and the effects of Se on the nutraceutical characteristics of microgreens were evaluated. In the second experiment, using P. oleracea enriched with 0, 1.5, 5, and 10 mg Se L−1, we investigated whether there was a relation between the increasing Se concentrations in the nutrient solution and the Se content in microgreens. The Se added was taken up by roots and accumulated in the aerial part. P. coronopus exhibited the highest ability to accumulate selenium, and the Se-enriched microgreens showed the highest chlorophyll and flavonoid content. The strong correlation between the Se concentration in the growth solution and the Se accumulated in P. oleracea may enable the cultivation of microgreens with the targeted Se content. The resulting Se-biofortified microgreens of wild species could represent a new vegetable product with high nutraceutical value also ensuring a sufficient dietary intake of Se.
A Real-Time H.266/VVC Software Decoder

The new Versatile Video Coding Standard (VVC) was finalized in July 2020. This new international standard is able to provide a higher compression efficiency by up to 50% for the same subjective quality compared to its predecessor HEVC but at the cost of an increased computational load. This paper investigates the complexity of VVC decoder processing blocks and presents a highly optimized decoder implementation that can achieve 4K 60fps VVC real-time decoding on an x86 based CPU using SIMD instruction extensions of the processor and additional parallel processing including data and task-level parallelism.
Gendered Instagram representations in the aviation industry

Abstract Air transport and tourism are interdependent systems wherein idealized gender performances are shaped by organizational cultures and particular commercial interests that have implications for gendered representations. Organizations use social media spaces to influence public perceptions, yet in doing so they may (re)construct hegemonic notions pertaining to images of masculinity and femininity. This paper utilizes a feminist poststructuralist approach to deconstruct normative gendered assumptions that exist within the aviation sector’s use of Instagram. Netnography is used to uncover the dominant discourses, as well as the complex representations of gender as represented by airlines on Instagram. Findings reveal that despite a minority of images that defy stereotypes, the airlines consistently construct and distribute playful imagery that objectifies female staff and hyper-feminizes the cabin space. In uncovering how airline organizational images may portray employees in gendered ways, this paper contributes to the achievement of SDG 5 i.e. gender equality in tourism. The paper recommends that the industry incorporates more diverse performances across all aviation occupational roles so that images that challenge stereotypes become part of the everyday.
Factors influencing companies’ positive financial performance in digital age: a meta-analysis.

The article summarizes the factors that affect the company's positive financial results in the changing business environment in the digital age. Upon the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the literature, 33 dominant financial and nonfinancial factors were selected, which the authors emphasized as important for the development of a sustainable, profitable business. To assess the practical impact of the selected factors on the company's profit generation, the data were grouped and interpreted through the prism of the Universal Business Model (BM), applying it either to BM as a whole or to its dimensions - the value proposition dimension, the value creation dimension and the value capture dimension. At the end of the article, empirical examples were considered, specifically, the digital transformation of the business model of two companies under the influence of modern supporting drivers. Both examples indicate that a successful BM transformation can only be achieved by transforming all related components of the BM dimension into their interaction. By collecting and accumulating this information, a profit management model can be developed to support companies in a rapidly changing environment, especially in the small and medium business sector.
INTRODUCTION OF RESIDUAL CHLORINE SENSOR USING CONSTANT VOLTAGE METHOD AND ITS MEASUREMENT PRINCIPLES

In the past, we could never imagine buying drinkable water. Who would buy to drink water? But now, bottled water are sold just about anywhere in the world, but there are still many countries with water supply shortages. When drinking water is contaminated with microorganisms, it can be exposed to various diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid fever. We are not only interested in drinking water, but also the water used in bathrooms, gardens, and laundry of each household. We mention “water quality” because all of these kinds of water are enough to give us a direct stimulus such as odors and greens. When we use tap water in each household, the most direct irritation is the “smell”. In this case, we know that chlorine comes to mind first, and that chlorine is very useful in disinfection. Then, why are we sensitive to toxic odors in drinking water or swimming pools? The answer is simple. The effect of disinfecting with chlorine is only exerted in clear water, and we need to focus on the analysis of residual chlorine that is important for instrumental analysis. Therefore, what is introduced in this study is a “residual chlorine sensor” of a new constant voltage method that can be more accurate in measuring the amount of residual chlorine in water which is the most important factor when it comes to effectively disinfecting our drinking water.
Evaluating the Welding Pulses of Various Tool Profiles in Single-Pass Friction Stir Welding of 6082-T6 Aluminium Alloy

Aluminium alloy 6082-T6 plays a vital role in the fabrication of lightweight structures, especially for the manufacturing of artillery, defense vehicles, and aircraft. Aluminium alloy 6082-T6 is a well-known structural alloy having a high strength-to-weight ratio and favorable corrosion resistance properties in extreme environments. In this study, three friction stir welding (FSW) process parameters (spindle speed, weld speed, and shoulder penetration), two geometrical tool parameters to precisely describe the pin profile, and the shoulder profile were considered at five levels. Optimization was conducted using the Taguchi experimental design method, and FSW experiments were conducted in a conventional milling machine. The parameters were optimized to maximize the tensile strength for various plate thicknesses. The number of tool pin polygon edges determines the corresponding welding pulses. The results show that 105-110 pulses/s is an optimal value to achieve a high-quality, defect-free weld.
Resilience Dynamic Assessment Based on Precursor Events: Application to Ship LNG Bunkering Operations

The focus of the present paper is the development of a resilience framework suitable to be applied in assessing the safety of ship LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) bunkering process. Ship propulsion considering LNG as a possible fuel (with dual fuel marine engines installed on board) has favored important discussions about the LNG supply chain and delivery on board to the ship power plant. Within this context, a resilience methodological approach is outlined, including a case study application, to demonstrate its actual effectiveness. With specific reference to the operative steps for LNG bunkering operations in the maritime field, a dynamic model based on Bayesian inference and MCMC simulations can be built, involving the probability of operational perturbations, together with their updates based on the hard (failures) and soft (process variables deviations) evidence emerging during LNG bunkering operations. The approach developed in this work, based on advanced Markov Models and variational fitting algorithms, has proven to be a useful and flexible tool to study, analyze and verify how much the perturbations of systems and subsystems can be absorbed without leading to failure.
Apelin Over-Expression Promotes Proliferation and Angiogenesis of Gastric Cancer Cells

Background: Apelin is a recently identified endogenous ligand associated with proliferation and angiogenesis of several cancers. However, only few studies have reported on the functions and the role of apelin in gastric cancer (GC). Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the association and the mechanisms underlying Apelin expression and proliferation of GC cells both in vitro and in vivo.Methods: We enrolled 178 postoperative care GC patients to investigate clinicopathological and immunohistochemical factors associated with Apelin expression. The relationship between Survival of patients and apelin expression was evaluated using Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analyses. The expression of apelin mRNA and its proteins in GC tissues and cell lines were analyzed using quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blot and ELISA. The role and mechanisms underlying regulation of Apelin expression in human GC cells were evaluated through several in vitro and in vivo experiments. Results: Apelin was over expressed in human GC cells, relative to adjacent normal tissues. The over expression of apelin was associated with vessel invasion (P <0.01), lymph node metastasis (P <0.01), late-staged tumor (T) (P <0.05), worse pathological type (P <0.05), nerve invasion (P <0.05). In addition, expression of apelin strongly and positively correlated with that of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Over-expression of apelin promoted proliferation and invasion of MGC-803 cell via the ERK/Cyclin D1/MMP-9 signaling pathway. Apelin over-expression also promoted angiogenesis of GC cells, accelerating growth of subcutaneous xenograft of the cancer cells in vivo.Conclusions: Over-expression of apelin promotes proliferation and metastasis of GC cells via the ERK/Cyclin D1/MMP-9 signaling pathway and is associated with adverse events of the cancer. Consequently, apelin is a potential therapeutic target for human GC.
Physiological responses and expression of VrDREB2A gene at different growth stages of mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) under drought stress

Mungbean is an important pulse crop and commonly grown in Asia. Drought affects mungbean growth and yield at at different growing stages and various levels through physiological traits and gene expression. In this study, two mungbean cultivars, DX208 and Tam Thanh Hoa, were exposed to drought at the vegetative and flowering stages and assessed for various morphophysiological traits at 8, 12, 15 and 15 days post withholding water and the plant recovery 7 days after re-watering. Differential expression of VrDREB2A gene was observed in leaf and root of two mungbean cultivars under drought condition. Plants used up water more quickly at the flowering stage than the vegetative stage. Drought adversely affected the plant height, leaf number, above-ground plant biomass and root weight with relative reduction to the control by 4.0–85%. Yield components and individual yield reduced significantly by around 50–60% compared to the control. Relative expression of VrDREB2A gene was varied, with stronger expression in leaves and roots when drought imposed at the flowering and vegetative stages respectively. Increase in VrDREB2A expression occurred earlier at 8 days compared with 12 days for drought imposed at the flowering and vegetative stages respectively, resulting in more tolerance of plants to drought at the flowering stage. The results indicate that VrDREB2A functioned as an important transcriptional activator and might help increase the drought stress tolerance of the mungbean plant at various growing stages. Morphophysiological traits can also be used as indicators in screening mungbean for drought tolerance.
Elastic Geobarometry for Anisotropic Inclusions in Anisotropic Host Minerals: Quartz‐in‐Zircon

Current models for elastic geobarometry have been developed with the assumption that the host and/or inclusion minerals are elastically isotropic. This assumption has limited applications of elastic thermobarometry to mineral inclusions contained in cubic quasi‐isotropic host minerals (e.g., garnet). Here, we report a new elastic model that takes into account the anisotropic elastic properties and relative crystallographic orientation (RCO) of a host‐inclusion system where both minerals are noncubic. This anisotropic elastic model can be used for host‐inclusion elastic thermobarometric calculations provided that the RCO and elastic properties of both the host and inclusion are known. We then used this anisotropic elastic model to numerically evaluate the effects of elastic anisotropy and RCO on the strains and stresses developed in a quartz inclusion entrapped in a zircon host after exhumation from known entrapment P‐T conditions to room P‐T conditions. We conclude that the anisotropic quartz‐in‐zircon elastic model is suitable for elastic thermobarometry and may be widely applicable to crustal rocks. Our results demonstrate that isotropic elastic models cannot be used to determine the entire strain state of an elastically anisotropic inclusion contained in an elastically anisotropic host mineral, and therefore may lead to errors on estimated remnant inclusion pressures.