Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Relative resistance of maize varieties against maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky), (Coleoptera: Curcolionidae)

The maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is one of the most damaging pests of stored cereals causing severe damage to stored grains. In current investigation, six open pollinated maize varieties viz. JALAL (white), AZAM (white), SADAF (yellow), ZARD LOCAL (yellow), KASHMIRI (yellow) and PAHARI (white) were screened out in the laboratory of Entomology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan for their relative susceptibility/resistance to maize weevil. The experiment was laid out following completely randomized design (CRD) with 5 replicates. Results revealed that minimum (23.8) days to adult emergence of maize weevil were recorded when it was reared on variety Azam; whereas; maximum (34.2) days were recorded on variety Sadaf. Total number of F1 adults emerged were maximum (91) in Azam while minimum (62) in variety Sadaf. Percent infestation of maize kernels was maximum (39.01%) in Azam while minimum (25.80%) was recorded in variety Sadaf. Percent weight loss was maximum in Azam i.e. 26.12% while minimum percent weight loss (16.88%) was recorded in Sadaf. Maximum longevity (68.4 days) of adult weevils was recorded on Azam while minimum (53.4 days) was recorded on variety Sadaf. All the tested varieties had no significant effect on the sex ratio of emerged weevils. High germination percentage was recorded in Sadaf (90%) whereas; low germination was found in Azam (57%). The grain hardness test indicated that yellow varieties including Sadaf, Zard local and Kashmiri had maximum hardness having 317, 302.33 and 296 N grain hardness, whereas; white varieties i.e. Pahari, Jalal and Azam had minimum values of grain hardness i.e. 264.33, 251.66 and 238.33 Newton. The present work has shown that Azam is the most susceptible variety and should not be stored for longer periods whereas; Sadaf is the resistant variety against maize weevil.
Interactions Obtained from Basic Mechanistic Principles: Prey Herds and Predators

We investigate four predator–prey Rosenzweig–MacArthur models in which the prey exhibit herd behaviour and only the individuals on the edge of the herd are subjected to the predators’ attacks. The key concept is the herding index, i.e., the parameter defining the characteristic shape of the herd. We derive the population equations from the individual state transitions using the mechanistic approach and time scale separation method. We consider one predator and one prey species, linear and hyperbolic responses and the occurrence of predators’ intraspecific competition. For all models, we study the equilibria and their stability and we give the bifurcation analysis. We use standard numerical methods and the software Xppaut to obtain the one-parameter and two-parameter bifurcation diagrams.
A Crystal Mush Perspective Explains Magma Variability at La Fossa Volcano (Vulcano, Italy)

The eruptive products of the last 1000 years at La Fossa volcano on the island of Vulcano (Italy) are characterized by abrupt changes of chemical composition that span from latite to rhyolite. The wide variety of textural features of these products has given rise to several petrological models dealing with the mingling/mixing processes involving mafic-intermediate and rhyolitic magmas. In this paper, we use published whole-rock data for the erupted products of La Fossa and combine them in geochemical and thermodynamic modelling in order to provide new constrains for the interpretations of the dynamics of the active magmatic system. The obtained results allow us to picture a polybaric plumbing system characterized by multiple magma reservoirs and related crystal mushes, formed from time to time during the differentiation of shoshonitic magmas, to produce latites, trachytes and rhyolites. The residing crystal mushes are periodically perturbated by new, fresh magma injections that, on one hand, induce the partial melting of the mush and, on the other hand, favor the extraction of highly differentiated interstitial melts. The subsequent mixing and mingling of mush-derived melts ultimately determine the formation of magmas erupted at La Fossa, whose textural and chemical features are otherwise not explained by simple assimilation and fractional crystallization models. In such a system, the compositional variability of the erupted products reflects the complexity of the physical and chemical interactions among recharging magmas and the crystal mushes.
Energy-efficient capacitive-sensor interface based on an incremental Delta-Sigma modulator employing current-starved inverter-based OTAs

An interface circuit for a fully-integrated capacitive humidity-sensor is implemented using 0.16? m standard CMOS technology. This interface circuit is intended to be used in a smart RFID sensor platform. This thesis focuses on improving the energy-efficiency of the interface circuit. A third-order incremental delta-sigma converter based on switched-capacitor integrators is presented. Due to the fact that the operational trans-conductance amplifier (OTA), as a major building block for an integrator, consumes most of the power in the whole interface circuit, this work mainly concentrates on improving the energy-efficiency of the OTAs in the three integrators. A fully-differential current-starved inverter-based OTA structure is proposed for the integrator. A dynamic power-down scenario is applied to reduce the power consumption by approximately 20%. Detailed analysis and design optimizations are also provided. The interface achieves 13-bit capacitance-to-digital conversion while consuming 6.8? W from a 1.2V supply, resulting in a figure-of-merit (F.o.M) around 0.17pJ/Step. The circuit design and layout of a test chip are presented. Simulation results confirm the expected improvement in energy-efficiency.
Design, Fabrication and Test of an Operationally Responsive Aircraft with NIIRS Evaluated Imager

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are a growing asset. Currently UAS are on the cutting edge with resources being spent developing the capabilities mostly for military use. This project is intended to create a system for non-defense customers. Specifically, the Operationally Responsive Aircraft (ORA) will appeal to academic institutions, individual consumers, future customers new to the UAS industry, as well as anybody trying to get airtime for custom sensors. The system developed in this project utilizes dual aluminum external payload bays attached to a ParkZone Radian aircraft. Each external payload bay can contain approximately 500 $\text{cm}^3$, with a height and width limit of 4.1 cm and 11.0 cm respectively. The custom sensors must weigh less than or equal to 3.2 lbs combined. The external payload bays were designed to hold an imaging payload which produces a composite map of the land surveyed. The system incorporates an Arduino Uno, SD Shield, as well as a CMOS camera and board. The processor saves individual images to an SD card. Once the aircraft has landed, the operator combines the images with Microsoft Research Image Composite Editor to create the composite map. This imaging payload has a NIIRS value of 4.0 +/- 0.4, which is equivalent to identifying a basketball court within a residential environment.
Diagnosis and Fault detection in Electrical Machines and Drives based on Advanced Signal Processing Techniques

In the present thesis, a new methodology of diagnosis based on advanced use of time-frequency technique analysis is presented. More precisely, a new fault index that allows tracking individual fault components in a single frequency band is defined. More in detail, a frequency sliding is applied to the signals being analyzed (currents, voltages, vibration signals), so that each single fault frequency component is shifted into a preﬁxed single frequency band. Then, the discrete Wavelet Transform is applied to the resulting signal to extract the fault signature in the frequency band that has been chosen. Once the state of the machine has been qualitatively diagnosed, a quantitative evaluation of the fault degree is necessary. For this purpose, a fault index based on the energy calculation of approximation and/or detail signals resulting from wavelet decomposition has been introduced to quantify the fault extend. The main advantages of the developed new method over existing Diagnosis techniques are the following: - Capability of monitoring the fault evolution continuously over time under any transient operating condition; - Speed/slip measurement or estimation is not required; - Higher accuracy in filtering frequency components around the fundamental in case of rotor faults; - Reduction in the likelihood of false indications by avoiding confusion with other fault harmonics (the contribution of the most relevant fault frequency components under speed-varying conditions are clamped in a single frequency band); - Low memory requirement due to low sampling frequency; - Reduction in the latency of time processing (no requirement of repeated sampling operation).
Sensor data management technologies for infrastructure asset management

Abstract: This chapter discusses selected data management issues that are commonly shared by structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. First, data processing and management issues at the wireless sensor node are discussed, with special attention on reducing energy consumption inherent to wireless data communication. Second, issues such as communication constraints, protocol design and dynamic code migration, that are related to in-network data and software management are discussed. Third, persistent data storage and remote data access schemes, including a multi-agent-based framework for data processing and sensor self-monitoring, are presented. Technologies will continue to evolve to address these issues and to support data-rich SHM systems.
TRIZ ANALYSIS OF US PATENTS IN OVONIC PHASE CHANGE MEMORY

The famous paper "Reversible Electrical Switching Phenomena in Disordered Structures" [1] by Stanford R. Ovshinsky was published in November 1968 and it created a new field of nonvolatile phase change memory (PCM) devices. At the first time we analyze development activities in PCM in the framework of TRIZ methodology [2-5]. The prime goal of this research is to apply TRIZ to PCM development. In order to achieve it we should: 1) Figure out patent levels and heuristics already used in the field; 2) Study trends of non-volatile PCM evolution; 3) Identify problems important for PCM development and predict difficulties that this technique might face during implementation; 4) Select useful generic heuristics from TRIZ database for further memory developments; 5) Find possible solutions to these problems using TRIZ methodology. Results of the first two tasks in this program are reported here after short introduction to TRIZ.
Sexual Violence and Women’s Education: Examining Academic Performance and Persistence

Sexual violence continues to be a serious problem on university campuses. While the negative psychological and health effects of sexual violence are well known, it is only recently that attention has focused on how these behaviours impact education, particularly women’s education. This study contributes to this area and examined the impact of types of sexual violence on behavioural and attitudinal indicators of academic performance and persistence among students reporting sexual violence. Undergraduate women attending university in Ontario, Canada (N= 934) responded to survey measures of academic performance, attitudes towards education and sexual violence experiences. The results indicate that sexual violence has a deleterious impact on women’s academic performance including and beyond grades. Women students who experienced sexual violence reported more delays and failures on assignments, courses and exams, were more likely to endorse attendance problems and thoughts of dropping out or quitting than students not reporting sexual violence. Type of sexual violence experienced was also related to academic performance. The results are discussed in terms of the need to understand components of academic performance as well as factors that may contribute to outcomes for students. Findings have implications for intervention and policy development.
INFLUENCE OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE ON THE TRAINEES' ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AT EENHANA VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTRE IN NAMIBIA

It has been observed that the low academic performance of trainees at the Windhoek Vocational Training Centre has been on the increase at an alarming rate without any proven reasons Malwa (2018). This may be the case in other vocational training centres. Thus, this study examined the influence of English as a Second Language on trainees’ academic performance at Eenhana Vocational Training Centre in Namibia. The study, therefore, tried to answer these questions; (a) What factors in English influence trainees’ academic performance? (b) How did the influence of English as a Second Language and medium of instruction affect other subjects? (c) How did the trainees comprehend their academic work? '. This is a qualitative study which used the snowball sampling method to select 5 trainers and 10 trainees as participants. '. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews, participants observations and documentexaminations. Narrative and thematic analysis were used in analyzing data. The study revealed that the performance of trainees in their academic work is determined by their ability to understand English as a Second Language. Their proficiency level in English influences how best or poorly they can perform in their academic work. ,. It was also found that trainees who have poor English language proficiency find it difficult to understand their subjects content and also performing their best in academic work, while those who are good at the language perform well academically as they can understand what they are learning and they can handle the assessment activities appropriately. The study will inform the Higher Education policymakers, trainers, and trainees as it enhances an understanding of the influences of English as a medium of instruction on other subjects for them to employ the best teaching and learning strategies such as Access or bridging courses to improve the problem caused by the language barrier.
MicroED Structure of Hexagonal Ice Ih

The structure of ice Ih is solved from a single nanocrystal to a resolution of 0. 53Å using the cryoEM method microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED). Data were collected at just above liquid nitrogen temperatures (~80K) in ultra-high vacuum (~8 x 10-7 Pa) using a total exposure of less than 1e- Å-2.
OUTAGE PERFORMANCE OF COOPERATIVE COGNITIVE RELAY NETWORKS

This thesis considers the incorporation of cooperative relays into a cognitive radio network. Cognitive radio is a potential solution to the growing scarcity of radio spectrum and the increased demand for wireless services. Cooperative relay networks can help cognitive radios to improve their utilisation by reducing their transmit power. This allows a reduction in their interference footprint and increases their probability of accessing licensed spectrum, improving throughput, and/or coverage. A cognitive relay network model has been analysed to derive the closed-form outage probability expressions for the repetition-based and selection-based protocols. Both decode-and-forward and amplify-and-forward relaying schemes have been employed for these protocols. When the probability of spectrum availability is unity, the cognitive relay behaves as a conventional cooperative relay. An identical and independently distributed slow fading Rayleigh channel model has been assumed in the analysis. The outage probability expressions are valid for arbitrary signal-tonoise ratios. This is an improvement on the previously published work which was limited to high signal-to-noise ratio regimes.
EVALUATION OF THE LATE MERGE WORK ZONE TRAFFIC CONTROL STRATEGY

Several alternative lane merge strategies have been proposed in recent years to process vehicles through work zone lane closures more safely and efficiently. Among these is the late merge. With the late merge, drivers are instructed to use all lanes to the merge point and then take turns proceeding through the work zone. Its efficiency has been tested on only a limited basis. The purpose of this project was to determine when, if at all, deployment of the late merge was beneficial. The late merge concept was evaluated by comparing it to the traditional merge using computer simulations and field evaluations. Computer simulations included analysis of 2-to-1, 3-to-1, and 3-to-2 lane closure configurations to determine its impact on throughput and the impact of factors such as free flow speed, demand volume, and percentage of heavy vehicles. Field tests were limited to 2-to-1 lane closures, as recommended by state transportation officials, and examined the impact of treatment type on vehicle throughput, percentage of vehicles in the closed lane, and time in queue. Results of the computer simulations showed the late merge produced a statistically significant increase in throughput volume for only the 3-to-1 lane closure configuration and was beneficial across all factors for this type of closure. For the 2-to-1 and 3-to-2 lane closure configurations, the late merge increased throughput when the percentage of heavy vehicles was large. Field tests showed similar trends with regard to throughput. Although throughput increased, the increase was not statistically significant because of the limited number of heavy vehicles at the site. More drivers were in the closed lane, indicating a response to the late merge signs. Time in queue was also reduced, although the reductions were not statistically significant. The authors conclude that the late merge should be considered for 3-to-1 lane closure configurations but not until a sound methodology for deployment has been developed and tested in the field. For the 2-to-1 and 3-to-2 configurations, the late merge should be implemented only when the percentage of heavy vehicles is at least 20%.
Distributed versus Centralised Tracking in Networked Anti-Submarine Warfare

Abstract : This report describes a study of active sonar tracking, which explores the effect of networking sonars on tracking performance. We compare the tracking performance when sonars share detections (centralised tracking) with the performance when sonars share tracks (distributed tracking). Provided that the sonar layout and detection probabilities are such that multiple sonars have a reasonable probability (~30%) of obtaining detections from a target, we show that centralised tracking decreases the time to confirm a track on a target and improves the continuity of the target track. These improvements in target tracking occur at the expense of an increase in false track rate.
An Optical Tool-Setting Scheme for Ultra Precision Machining

Tool setting is one of the key procedures in ultra-precision diamond turning operation. The conventional tool setting procedure using a touch-probe is time-consuming, laborious and running a great risk of damaging the delicate tool-tip. The optical/non-contact way of tool setting has the advantage of not having to touch the tool, but its resolution is limited by the optical diffraction limit and the resolution of the CCD (charge coupled device). A new optical tool setting scheme with submicron accuracy is presented in this paper and the results demonstrated good efficiency and higher accuracy in comparison to the other tool setting techniques.
The Effect of U-234 Content on the Neutronic Behavior of Uranium Systems

When analyzing uranium systems, the usual rule of thumb is to ignore the U-234 by assuming that it behaves neutronically like U-238. Thus for uranium systems, the uranium is evaluated as U-235 with everything else being U-238. The absorption cross section of U-234 is indeed qualitatively very similar to that of U-238. However, thermal absorption cross section of U-234 is about 100 times that of U-238. At low U-235 enrichments, the amount of U-234 is quite small so the impact of assuming it is U-238 is minimal. However, at high enrichments, the relative ratio of U-234 to U-238 is quite large (maybe as much as 1 to 5). Thus, one would expect that some effect of using the rule of thumb might be seen in higher enriched systems. Analyses were performed on three uranium systems from the set of Benchmarks [1]. Although the benchmarks are adequately characterized as to the U-234 content, often, materials used in processing are not as well characterized. This issue may become more important with the advent of laser enrichment processes, which have little or no effect on the U-234 content. Analytical results based on the relationship of U-234 activity to that of U-235 have shownmore » good predictive capability but with large variability in the uncertainties [2]. Rucker and Johnson noted that the actual isotopics vary with enrichment, design of the enrichment cascade, composition of the feed material, and on blending of enrichments so there is considerable uncertainty in the use of models to determine isotopics. Thus, it is important for criticality personnel to understand the effects of variation of U-234 content in fissile systems and the impact of different modeling assumptions in handling the U-234. Analyses were done on LEU, IEU and HEU benchmarks from the International Handbook. These indicate that the effect of ignoring U-234 in HEU metal systems is non-conservative while it seems to be conservative for HEU solution systems. The magnitude of change in k-effective was as high as 0.4%, which has implications on selection of administrative margins and the determination of the upper subcriticality limit. « less
A Mesoscale Modeling System Developed for the U.S. Army

Abstract : The U.S. Army Battlescale Forecast Model (BFM) is a short-range forecasting tool designed to run on a workstation in a tactical environment. The model is hydrostatic and remains computationally stable at large time steps due to alternating-direction implicit finite differencing. The model assimilates data using Newtonian relaxation to incorporate observations and time-tendencies of forecast variables from a previously run numerical model. The U.S. Army uses the BFM to produce real-time, short-range mesoscale forecasts either as input to tactical weather decision aids or to produce more precise firing solutions in artillery. Using a timely and accurate four-dimensional gridded database of meteorological information, a battlefield commander can receive critical guidance that can assist in determining appropriate courses of action in a rapidly changing battlefield weather environment. Standard statistical measures and a few case studies demonstrate the model s merits.
RoboToy Contest – Designing Mobile Robotic Toys for Autistic Children

Since 1999, a group of professors and students at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) of the Universite de Sherbrooke has been organizing a robot design contest. The challenge is to design a mobile robotic toy to help autistic children develop social and communication skills. The idea is to see how robots could help autistic children open up to their surroundings, improve their imagination and experience less repetitive behavior patterns. The pedagogical objective is to get students involved in a project that has technological considerations