Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Acidic Soil Tolerance Indices in Maize ( Zea mays L.) Varieties in Assosa, Ethiopia

: Maize is the first most productive among cereals in Ethiopia and used for human consumption expended in the numerous forms of diets. However, its production and productivity is strongly affected by soil acidity and the major constraint in the high rain fall maize production areas of the country like in Benishangul Gumuz Region. Thus, this experiment was conducted to identify varieties for tolerance to soil acidity selection indices for developing high yielding maize varieties under acidic soil conditions, and assess the effect of liming on maize grain yield at Assosa and Bambasi Districts during 2017 main cropping season. The experiment was arranged in split plot design with 3 replications, and limed and unlimed soils were used as the main plots and 21 maize varieties planted as the sub-plots. Stress tolerant index (STI), mean productivity (MP), geometric mean productivity (GMP) and yield stability index (YSI) were the most effective stress indices which were highly associated with the grain yield in both soil environments at both locations. RGYR, YSI, TOL and SSI recognized the stable genotypes with slight grain yield reduction; yet, they are not correlated with high yield and certain genotypes which had poor in yield prospective. The three genotypes namely, SPRH1, BH547 and BH661 with high grain yield under both environments were identified which are the most adapted at both locations. Therefore, these genotypes were recommended as acidic tolerant varieties for the maize growers to use at acid prone areas and also suggested for breeders to consider in the future stress breeding program.
Particle Level Set Implementation On TheFinite Volume Method

Prediction of free surface elevation is one of the most important phenomena in the field of free surface flow modelling. To date different procedures have been introduced to capture the free surface. In the current study, a EulerianLagrangian Method named Particle Level Set (PLS) is developed to predict the location of free surface. The first implementation of this scheme was on the Finite Difference Method. This paper deals with the implementation of Particle Level Set on the Finite Volume mesh. IN the PLS scheme, computational particles were deployed in conjunction with LS function to raise the accuracy of function values. Results obtained from the developed model were compared with experimental and numerical results of dam break cited in the literature which represent the capability of method to predict high gradient free surface changes accurately.
Smoothly Clipped Absolute Deviation on High Dimensions

The smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) estimator, proposed by Fan and Li, has many desirable properties, including continuity, sparsity, and unbiasedness. The SCAD estimator also has the (asymptotically) oracle property when the dimension of covariates is fixed or diverges more slowly than the sample size. In this article we study the SCAD estimator in high-dimensional settings where the dimension of covariates can be much larger than the sample size. First, we develop an efficient optimization algorithm that is fast and always converges to a local minimum. Second, we prove that the SCAD estimator still has the oracle property on high-dimensional problems. We perform numerical studies to compare the SCAD estimator with the LASSO and SIS–SCAD estimators in terms of prediction accuracy and variable selectivity when the true model is sparse. Through the simulation, we show that the variance estimator of Fan and Li still works well for some limited high-dimensional cases where the true nonzero coefficients are not too small and the sample size is moderately large. We apply the proposed algorithm to analyze a high-dimensional microarray data set.
Portfolio return distributions: Sample statistics with non-stationary correlations

We consider random vectors drawn from a multivariate normal distribution and compute the sample statistics in the presence of non-stationary correlations. For this purpose, we construct an ensemble of random correlation matrices and average the normal distribution over this ensemble. The resulting distribution contains a modified Bessel function of the second kind whose behavior differs significantly from the multivariate normal distribution, in the central part as well as in the tails. This result is then applied to asset returns. We compare with empirical return distributions using daily data from the Nasdaq Composite Index in the period from 1992 to 2012. The comparison reveals good agreement, the average portfolio return distribution describes the data well especially in the central part of the distribution. This in turn confirms our ansatz to model the non-stationarity by an ensemble average.
Optimal Design of Structures under Impact Loading

In the design process structural optimization is a useful tool to reach design decisions. The impact behavior of structures is important for many designs, such as for automobiles. This article reviews methodology for the optimization of structures under impact loading. The optimization problem is to minimize the structural mass with constraints on the transient dynamic response of the structure. The structural behavior is nonlinear dynamic. Optimization is performed using the approximation concept. Design sensitivity analysis for transient response is treated.
REML estimation: asymptotic behavior and related topics

The restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimates of dispersion parameters (variance components) in a general (non-normal) mixed model are defined as solutions of the REML equations. In this paper, we show the REML estimates are consistent if the model is asymptotically identifiable and infinitely informative under the (location) invariant class, and are asymptotically normal (A.N.) if in addition the model is asymptotically nondegenerate. The result does not require normality or boundedness of the rank p of design matrix of fixed effects. Moreover, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for asymptotic normality of Gaussian maximum likelihood estimates (MLE) in non-normal cases. As an application, we show for all unconfounded balanced mixed models of the analysis of variance the REML (ANOVA) estimates are consistent; and are also A.N. provided the models are nondegenerate; the MLE are consistent (A.N.) if and only if certain constraints on p are satisfied.
THE MINIMUM ENVIRONMENTAL FLOW OF POLLUTED RIVERS IN AREAS LACKING ECOLOGICAL DATA–A CASE STUDY OF A HEAVILY POLLUTED RIVER IN THE UPPER HAI RIVER, CHINA

Environmental flow (e-flow) is the quantity, timing, and quality of water flows required to sustain freshwater and estuarine ecosystems. E-flows are crucial parameters for ecosystem restoration. However, few studies have focused on the e-flows of polluted rivers in areas lacking ecological data, which severely hinder the restoration of aquatic ecosystems. In this paper, taking the natural or near-natural flow regimes as the reference system, the recommended e-flow of the Xinxiang Section of the Wei River (XSWR) in China includes two parts: ecological water and water self-purification demand. The Tennant method was used to calculate the ecological water demand, and a one-dimensional steady-state water quality model (OSWQM) was used to calculate the water self-purification demand. The Tennant method was based on natural flow regimes before runoff mutation, and the water quality indicators in the OSWQM were identified by cluster analysis (CA) and discriminant analysis (DA). The results showed that the Hew Station was markedly short of water, and Liu Station has small amount of water shortage, while the e-flows of the other stations can be satisfied. Some guarantee measures were proposed to improve the ecological status of the studied river and canal. This study provides some methods to determine the minimum e-flow of polluted rivers in areas lacking ecological data considering water quantity and quality, which is beneficial to the protection of river ecosystems.
Contour-based correspondence using Fourier descriptors

A contour correspondence problem, in which a contour is described in terms of epipolar lines of which the slope and the intercept functions are expressed as Fourier series, is addressed. The Fourier coefficients are computed via an iterative algorithm for which a condition is derived to test convergence. The contour correspondence between two images is solved based on the authors' proposition for the minimal spectrum distance (MSD). In the MSD scheme, either manual selection of the weighting factor can be adopted or a 'fuzzy and' operation-based automatic enhancement procedure can be employed for contour matching. Experiments are conducted for a set of scattered objects, a plant, a building, several Chinese characters and a group of line segments. The results show that for all of these contours, the iterative algorithm converges very quickly and the correspondence of the contours is accurate.
Analysis of obliquely propagating SAWs in periodic arrays of metal strips

In many surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters, the diffraction of the surface wave occurring in the interdigital transducers (IDTs) is as important as the diffraction on the free surface. The accurate simulation of diffraction effects requires knowledge of the slowness curves for waves propagating in the IDTs. The transducer is modeled as a periodic array of massless, infinitely long metal strips. The task is the determination of the phase velocity of the straight crested wave, which propagates with an arbitrary propagation angle in this array. The method of solution employed is valid for all frequencies, including the stopbands, and allows the determination of stopband frequencies for obliquely propagating waves. The substrate material is characterized by the numerically computed effective permittivity. Examples of slowness diagrams as well as dispersion diagrams are presented. The results of SAW device simulations using models for the SAW slowness curves are compared with each other and with measurements. <<ETX>>
Spectral cutoffs of Fermi-LAT GRBs 080916C and 090926A

It is expected that there should be a spectral cutoff at the high energy end of emission from a prompt gamma-ray burst (GRB), due to, e.g. γγ absorption and/or a high energy cutoff in the electron distribution. We analyze the spectral data of Fermi-LAT detected GRBs 080916C and 090926A, aiming at locating the spectral cutoff. By assuming that the prompt GRB spectrum at the high energy end is a power law with an exponential cutoff, our analysis finds that the cutoff energy Ecutoff depends on the photon index β and the cutoff occurs at very high energy, Ecutoff = 161+533−95 GeV in GRB 080916C and Ecutoff ≳ 100 GeV (for β ≈ −2.3) in GRB 090926A. Such high energy photons, if they exist, may disfavor the synchrotron origin and need alternative generation mechanisms.
Correlation between aerosol optical depth derived from CIMEL sunphotometer and surface particulate concentration in Northern and Southern Taiwan

Three years (2003-2005) of aerosol optical depths (AOD) measured with CIMEL sunphotometer were compared to the surface concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in Northern (i.e. Taipei) and Southern (i.e. Tainan) Taiwan. The correlation between AOD and PM10 is higher in Taipei than in Tainan. Additional chemical compositions of PM10 and PM2.5 in these two sites, including ionic component, sea salt, OC/EC and crustal components, were also examined to find their relationship with the AOD. These analyses indicate that aerosols in Taipei are mainly composed of fine aerosols, whereas in Tainan more crustal material and OC exist in the coarse mode, which partially explain the higher correlation of PM10 and AOD in Taipei. Closure calculations are carried out by combining data from lidar, sunphotometer, nephelometer, aethalomter, SMPS and APS size spectrometers, as well as chemical analyses of aerosols from PM10 and PM2.5 samplers and MOUDI impactor to investigate their consistency. The observed surface single scattering albedo was also compared to that retrieved by CIMEL sunphotometer, with additional discussion on the possible explanation to the discrepancies of the comparisons. Then, lidar measurement is applied to relate aerosols at the surface to those aloft.
An instability associated with a magnetosphere-disk interaction

The evolution of a thin accretion disk surrounding a rapidly rotating magnetosphere is considered. By taking account of the variations of the magnetospheric boundary in response to the conditions at the inner edge of the disk, we find from linear analysis and numerical computation that the accretion disk can become unstable. Mass can be accreted by the central object in a cyclic fashion, with the cycle involving the storage and release of mass in the inner parts of the disk. The physical origin of the instability is associated with the variations of the magnetospheric boundary about corotation. The recurrence time scale of the cycle can vary by several orders of magnitude depending on the details of the conditions at the magnotosphere. The possible applicability of this instability process to the 'rapid burster' MXB 1730-335 is briefly discussed.
Shape-based tracking of left ventricular wall motion

A new approach for tracking and quantifying the nonrigid, nonuniform motion of the left ventricular (LV) endocardial wall from cardiac image sequences, on a point-by-point basis over the entire cardiac cycle, is presented. The first step in the algorithm uses one of two approaches to estimate the LV boundary from each image in the sequence. Motion computation involves first matching local segments on one contour to segments on the next contour in the sequence using a shape-based strategy based on bending energy. Results from the match process are incorporated into an optimization functional, along with a smoothness term. The nearest local minimum of the functional to the initial match is found, resulting in a smooth flow field that is consistent with the match data. The computation is performed for all pairs of frames in the temporal sequence and equally sampled points on one contour are tracked throughout the sequence, resulting in a composite flow field over the entire sequence. The method provides a more accurate estimate of perceived motion than previous techniques. <<ETX>>
Size-dependent photoconductivity and dark conductivity of m-axial GaN nanowires with small critical diameter

The size effects on both the photoconductivity and dark conductivity have been observed in m-axial GaN nanowires grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). For these nanowires with diameters at 50–130 nm, the products of carrier lifetime (τ) and mobility (μ) derived from the photocurrent measurements are typically at (2–8)×10−1 cm2/V, which are over two orders of magnitude higher than the maximal reported values [τμ=(1–5)×10−4 cm2/V] for their thin film counterparts. A significant decrease of τμ value at diameter below the critical values (dcrt) at 30–40 nm is observed. Similar size dependence is also found from the dark conductivity study. The temperature-dependent measurements further indicate two different thermal activation mechanisms in GaN nanowires with sizes above and below the dcrt. These results suggest a surface-dominant transport property in GaN nanowires both in dark and under light illumination due to the presence of surface depletion and band bending. Probable reasons leading to the smaller .
Ultrashort-Pulse Optically-Assisted Domain Engineering in Lithium Niobate

Ultrashort laser pulses (∼120–150 fs) of near-ultraviolet (305 nm) to near-infrared (800 nm) wavelengths have been used to optically-assist domain nucleation and growth in lithium niobate. Within illuminated areas, the electric field required for domain nucleation is reduced by up to 41% in undoped and up to 98% in 5-mol% Mg-doped congruently melting materials, allowing direct-writing of inverted domains with electric fields as small as 100 V mm− 1. A first step towards the formation of optically-defined periodically poled lithium niobate was achieved by illumination via a phase mask, demonstrated over small areas with a period of 5.25 microns.
Kinematic Synthesis of Structures for Metamorphic Serial Manipulators

In this work a method for the kinematic synthesis of structure topologies for modular metamorphic serial manipulators is presented. A detailed description of this class of robot manipulators is presented, in order to clarify their basic elements and their basic structural definitions. Based on these, the Metamorphic Structure Representation (MSR) is proposed for the systematic representation of this type of metamorphic manipulator structures. A thorough examination of the possible metamorphic links that can be constructed is presented and used for the definition of the manipulator’s structure evaluation criteria, to formulate a multi criteria evaluation index. The problem of the optimal kinematic synthesis of metamorphic structures is formulated and the process of automated generation of structures according to the specified requirements is presented. The results are presented in detail, in order to reflect their validity and the advantages that the proposed process for the kinematic synthesis of topologies for the modular metamorphic manipulator provides to the designer.
The diffuse X-ray background spectrum from 3 to 50 keV.

The spectrum of the extragalactic diffuse X-ray background has been measured with the GSFC Cosmic X-Ray Experiment on HEAO 1 for regions of the sky away from known point sources and more than 20 /sup 0/ from the galactic plane. A total exposure of 80 m/sup 2/-s-sr is available at present. Free-free emission from an optically thin plasma of 40 +- 5 keV provides an excellent description of the observed spectrum from 3 to 50 keV. This spectral shape is confirmed by measurements from five separate layers of three independent detectors. With an estimated absolute precision of approx.10%, the intensity of the emission at 10 keV is 3.2 keV keV/sup -1/ cm/sup -2/ s/sup -1/ sr/sup -1/, a value consistent with the average of previously reported spectra. No other spectral features, such as iron line emission, are evident. This spectrum is not typical of known extra-galactic objects. A uniform hot intergalactic medium of approximately 36% of the closure density of the universe would produce such a flux, although nonuniform models indicating less total matter are probably more realistic.
A new model of the heat transfer in materials: the surfacic potential algorithm

This paper proposes a new simulation method of thermal transfers based on the concepts of Brownian motion via the theory of potential and the characteristics of materials. In our simulation the particles take their origins on the surface and we propose an algorithm called 'Surfacic Potential Algorithm' that allows to determine the cartography of the temperatures. This algorithm has a better convergence than the one resulting from the potential theory and allows to treat adiabatic surfaces. It also includes the thermal heterogeneity of material. Its relevance is verified on thermal problems whose analytical solution is known.
THE PRODUCTION OF RAIN BY A CHAIN REACTION IN CUMULUS CLOUDS AT TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING

Abstract The effect of surface tension in causing the evaporation of the smaller droplets in clouds with simultaneous growth of the larger droplets is an important factor determining the early stages of cumulus cloud droplets. The process is too slow to account for the formation of raindrops. If larger droplets are produced near the top of the cloud by the melting of snowflakes (Bergeron-Findeisen) they may grow to raindrop size by accretion due to coalescence with cloud droplets. A quantitative theory is developed for the efficiency of the accretion process considering the trajectories of the small droplets moving near the surface of the larger falling drop. Heavy rain consisting of large drops frequently forms in tropical clouds which lie wholly below the freezing level (‘warm’ clouds). Large summer cumulus clouds with tops above 23,000 ft, reaching above the freezing level (‘cool’ clouds), after seeding with dry ice have given heavy rain of large drops which reach the ground within fifteen to twenty mi.
Organic light-emitting devices using polyacene derivatives as a hole-transporting layer

Three polyacene derivatives, 2-tert-butyl-9,10-di(2-naphthyl)anthracene (TBADN), 9,9′,10,10′- tetraphenyl-2,2′-bianthracene, and 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (rubrene), are found to successfully function as hole-transporting layers (HTLs) in red organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) using tetraphenyldibenzoperiflanthene as an emitter. Compared with an OLED with the most widely used HTL material, the arylamine derivative, 4,4′-bis(N-phenyl-1-naphthylamino)biphenyl (NPB), the OLEDs with the polyacene derivatives exhibit advantageous performance such as lower driving voltage, higher electroluminescence efficiency, or longer luminance lifetime, depending on the employed HTL material. Current efficiency of the red OLED with a TBADN HTL is 5.5cd∕A with Commission Internationale de L’Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (x=0.66, y=0.34), which is much higher than the value of 2.1cd∕A with the same chromaticity for the OLED with a NPB HTL. The driving voltage and luminance lifetime of the red OLED with rubr.
A comparison of C IV and H-beta broad emission-line profiles in low-redshift active galactic nuclei

Recently published IUE spectra of low-redshift QSOs and Seyfert 1 galaxies have permitted a comparison of the profiles of the C IV 1549A and H-beta broad emission lines. A linear correlation between the FWHM values of the profiles has been found in a sample of 19 objects and is verified to not be the result of separate correlations between these parameters and luminosity. Interpreted in terms of the geometry of the broad-line region, this result is contrary to models which predict low-ionization line emission from an optically thick, geometrically thin accretion disk surrounding the central object. Current evidence favors a model in which broad-line emission arises predominantly in a stratified ensemble of clouds moving radially relative to the central continuum source. 46 refs.
Closed-Form Determination of the Location of a Rigid Body by Seven In-Parallel Linear Transducers

The paper presents an original analytic procedure for unambiguously determining the relative position and orientation (location) of two rigid bodies based on the readings from seven linear transducers. Each transducer connects two points arbitrarily chosen on the two bodies. The sought-for rigid-body location simply results by solving linear equations. The proposed procedure is suitable for implementation in control of fully-parallel manipulators with general geometry. A numerical example shows application of the reported results to a case study.
A coding theorem for multiple access channels with correlated sources

A communication system is studied in which two users communicate with one receiver over a common discrete memoryless channel. The information to be transmitted by the users may be correlated. Their information rates are described by a point in a suitably defined three-dimensional rate space. A point in this rate space is called admissible if there exist coders and decoders for the channel that permit the users to transmit information over it at the corresponding rates with arbitrarily small error probability. The closure of the set of all admissible rate points is called the capacity region, and is the natural generalization of channel capacity to this situation. In this paper we show that e, which depends only on the channel, is convex and we give formulas to determine it exactly. Several simple channels are treated in detail and their capacity regions given explicitly.