Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants of smallholder farmers’ willingness -to -pay for soyabean production inputs in northern Ghana

Farmers in northern Ghana have been cultivating soyabean with very little or no agro-inputs due to cost and limited accessibility. Use of quality agro-inputs can significantly improve the productivity of soyabean. This study assesses farmers’ current use of soyabean production agro-inputs, identifies challenges faced by smallholder farmers in soyabean cultivation and assesses factors influencing farmers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for soyabean inputs (determinants) in northern Ghana. Four hundred (400) smallholder soyabean farmers were sampled using a multi-stage sampling method. In stage one, the study area was stratified into three regions, northern, upper east and upper west regions. Stage two encompassed purposive sampling of eight (8) districts across the three northern regions famed for soyabean production. Data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted. Descriptive statistics were performed and a contingency valuation method (CVM) was used to assess key determinants that influence farmers’ WTP for soyabean inputs. The results show that 74 % of the respondents were willing to pay for the soyabean inputs. However, 43, 47.3, 39.5 and 49.5 % of respondents were willing to pay at the bid price of 1.06/kg, 3.98/litre, 31.91/50kg bag and USD 5.32/100g sachet for certified seeds, herbicide (glyphosate), TSP fertiliser and inoculants, respectively. Age, household size, access to credit, participation and gains made from on-farm demonstrations significantly influenced farmers’ willingness to purchase certified soyabean seeds. Factors that significantly influenced farmers’ willingness to purchase glyphosate included household size, purpose and experience in soyabean production. In the case of triple superphosphaste fertiliser (TSP), access to extension services, participation and gains from farm demonstrations and distance to the nearest agro-input shop were identified as key determinants. Farmers’ willingness to purchase inoculants markedly correlated with age, credit, participation in on-field demonstrations, membership of farmer-based organisation and experience in soyabean production. The results of this study form a basis for making a business case for agro-input companies to invest in the distribution and sale of the newly introduced soyabean production inputs in northern Ghana. Development and promotion of early maturing and drought tolerant soyabean varieties by the National Agricultural Research Institutes are required to enable farmers to cope with the changing climatic conditions which pose a threat to soyabean production in northern Ghana. Key words: Grain legumes, savanna, purchasing power, agricultural inputs, farmers
Closed-form solutions for discriminative filtering using impulse restoration techniques

In earlier works, the authors have dealt with the template detection problem by using two-dimensional discriminative filtering. A discriminative filter maximises, for a given template, the energy concentration in a single sample of its output. In this work, the authors frame discriminative filtering as an impulse restoration problem and propose closed-form solutions for it.
Structure and Reactivity of CoFe2O4(001) Surfaces in Contact with a Thin Water Film

CoFe2O4 is a promising catalytic material for many chemical reactions. We used ab initio molecular dynamic simulations to study the structure and reactivity of the A- and B-terminations of the low-index CoFe2O4(001) surfaces to water adsorption at room temperature. Upon adsorption, water partly dissociates on both termination with a higher dissociation degree on the A-termination (30% versus 19%). The 2-fold coordinated Fe3+(tet) in the tetrahedral voids and the 5-fold coordinated Fe3+(oct) in the octahedral voids are the main active sites for water dissociation on the A- and B-termination, respectively. Molecular water, hydroxydes, and surface OH resulting from proton transfer to surface oxygens are present on the surfaces. Both water-free surface terminations undergo reconstruction. The outermost Fe3+(tet) on the A-termination and B-termination move towards the nearby unoccupied octahedral voids. In the presence of a thin film of 32 water molecules, the reconstructions are partially and completely lifted on the A- and B-termination, respectively.
STOCHASTIC PROGRAMS WITH RECOURSE: SPECIAL FORMS,

Abstract : This paper is a sequel to AD-637 139 in which stochastic programs with recourse were formulated as a generalization of the two-stage programming under uncertainty model, and some of the theoretical properties of stochastic programs with recourse were developed. In this paper some special forms of stochastic programs with recourse are considered, which, because they are less general, may prove to be more amenable to computational solution. It is also shown that certain problems studied by other authors, including the active approach of G. Tintner and the conditional probability model of chance constrained programming treated by A. Charnes and M. Kirby, can be represented as stochastic programs with recourse. (Author)
Near-infrared colours of active galactic nuclei

We propose near-infrared colour selection criteria to extract active galactic nuclei (AGNs) using the near-infrared colour-colour diagram (CCD) and predict near-infrared colour evolution with redshift. We first cross-identify two AGN catalogues with the 2MASS Point Source Catalogue, and confirm both the loci of quasars/AGNs in the near-infrared CCD and redshift-colour relations. In the CCD, the loci of over 70−80% of AGNs can be distinguished from the stellar locus. To examine the colours of quasars, we simulate near-infrared colours using the Hyperz code. Assuming a realistic quasar SED, we derive simulated near-infrared colours of quasars with redshift (up to z ∼ 11). The simulated colours can reproduce not only the redshift-colour relations but also the loci of quasars/AGNs in the near-infrared CCD. We finally discuss the possibility of contamination by other types of objects. We compare the locus of AGNs with an other four types of objects (namely, microquasars, cataclysmic variables, low mass X-ray binaries, and massive young stellar objects), which have a radiation mechanism similar to that of AGNs. In the near-infrared CCD, each type of object is located at a position similar to the stellar locus. Accordingly, it is highly probable that we can differentiate between the four types of objects on the basis of their locus in a near-infrared CCD. We additionally consider contamination by distant normal galaxies. The near-infrared colours of several types of galaxies are also simulated using the Hyperz code. Although galaxies with z ∼ 1h ave near-infrared colours similar to those of AGNs, these galaxies are unlikely to be detected because they are very faint. In other words, few galaxies should contaminate the locus of AGNs in the near-infrared CCD. Consequently, we can extract reliable AGN candidates on the basis of the near-infrared CCD.
Professional vision in the classroom: Teachers ’ knowledge-based reasoning explaining their visual focus of attention to students

(cid:1) 50 Finnish Grade 2 teachers' professional vision in an authentic classroom setting was studied. (cid:1) A mixed-method approach of eye-tracking methodology and retrospective think-aloud interviews was used. (cid:1) Teachers' knowledge-based reasoning explained their visual focus of attention to whole class and individual students. (cid:1) Teachers' visual focus of attention can vary depending on the reasons that guide their attention. This study investigated Grade 2 teachers' ( N ¼ 50) professional vision through eye-tracking methodology and retrospective think-aloud interviews. The study examined the extent to which teachers' knowledge-based reasoning explains their visual focus of attention to whole class and individual students. We found that teachers' descriptions of students' social relations and emotions associated positively with teachers' visual focus of attention to the whole class. Teachers' descriptions of teacher-related information/elab- oration and pedagogy linked negatively with teachers' visual focus of attention to individual students. The ﬁ ndings suggest that teachers' visual focus of attention to students may vary depending on the reasons that guide teachers ’ attention. © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. is an open access article CC (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Genetic diversity in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) genotypes for Sclerotinia stem rot (Seclerotinia sclerotiorum) using SSR markers

The analysis of variance confirmed that the average sum of squares was significant for lesion length (cm). Genetic diversity as well as structure of population between genotypes of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. & Coss. ] resistant to Sclerotinia stem rot [Sclerotinia selerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary] was carried out using simple sequence repeats (SSRs). A total of 114 alleles were generated via 48 polymorphic primers, with mean value of 2.38 alleles per primer. The average value of PIC and the mean gene expected heterozygosity/diversity (He) value from all the polymorphic primers were 0.43 and 0.50, respectively. All the 16 genotypes were categorized into three major clusters depending on Jaccard's dissimilarity coefficients. Evanno method for population structure revealed the presence of three populations (SP1, SP2 and SP3) at maximum ∆K. SP1 mainly comprised of resistant/highly resistant genotypes. These findings indicate the existence of ample amount of genetic variability between all the Indian mustard genotypes that could be exploited in future breeding programs to develop Sclerotinia stem rot resistant mustard cultivars.
Design and analysis of a wireless power transmission system based on transmitter composite topology switching for agricultural drone applications

In recent years, drones have been widely used in agriculture due to their simple operation, low cost, and good maneuverability, which is used to monitor crop yield and climatic conditions. However, due to the limited capacity of the lithium battery it carries, the airborne time and operating area of drones are limited, so a fast and convenient charging method has become a key issue on the development of drones. The current charging methods are divided into plug-in charging and wireless power transmission (WPT), the traditional plug-in charging is gradually replaced by WPT due to the easy wear and tear of lines. While WPT has great application value for the power supply of drones due to its advantages of high transmission efficiency and safety. In view of this, this paper proposes a WPT system based on transmitter composite topology switching for agricultural drones applications. Firstly, the constant current (CC) characteristics and zero phase angle (ZPA) operation of SP/S topology are discussed through theoretical analysis. Secondly, the CC and constant voltage (CV) output characteristics of the WPT system based on the composite topology switching on the transmitter side are analyzed, and the parameter design method is proposed. Finally, the circuit simulation is carried out by the software MATLAB-Simulink to verify the rationality of the proposed system.
Some Fejér-Type Inequalities for Generalized Interval-Valued Convex Functions

The goal of this study is to create new variations of the well-known Hermite–Hadamard inequality (𝐻𝐻-inequality) for preinvex interval-valued functions (preinvex 𝘐-𝘝-𝘍s). We develop several additional inequalities for the class of functions whose product is preinvex 𝘐-𝘝-𝘍s. The findings described here would be generalizations of those found in previous studies. Finally, we obtain the Hermite–Hadamard–Fejér inequality with the support of preinvex interval-valued functions. Some new and classical special cases are also obtained. Moreover, some nontrivial examples are given to check the validity of our main results.
Non-enzymatic glucose sensor fabricated by CoFe2O4 nanosheets grown on Reduced Graphene Oxide

ABSTRACT A non-enzymatic glucose sensing nanocomposite comprised of CoFe2O4 nanosheets grown on Reduced Graphene Oxide (CoFe2O4@rGO) has been triumphantly prepared by a facile co-precipitation process. The characterisation results reveal that the CoFe2O4 nanosheets are vertically grown on the rGO substrate and form a porous network structure. Next, Electrochemical workstation is applied to study the glucose detection performance of the CoFe2O4@rGO. The sensing tests exhibit that when the volume ratio of anhydrous ethanol and deionised water is 10 ml: 30 ml, the fabricated CoFe2O4@rGO has better glucose detection performance. Its linear detection ranges from 0.5 mM – 10 mM and 10 mM – 35 mM, and the sensitivity reaches 50.5 μAmM−1cm−2 and 143.6 μAmM−1cm−2 respectively, which is significantly better than the previously reported non-enzyme glucose sensing materials. Furthermore, the CoFe2O4@rGO has good anti-interference and stability.
Meta-analysis of Volunteer Motives Using the Volunteer Functions Inventory to Predict Volunteer Satisfaction, Commitment, and Behavior

In 2017, about 30% of all U.S. adults volunteered for a total of 6.9 billion hours. This raises the question, why do so many people volunteer? Extant research has produced highly variable estimates of the effect sizes of various motivating factors, and there has been little to no research on potential moderators (i.e., study-level covariates that might strengthen or weaken the main effect of volunteer motives). We meta-analyzed 61 studies (N = 38,327) to estimate the effect sizes of six volunteer motivators (Volunteer Functions Inventory [VFI]; Clary et al., 1998) in predicting outcomes (satisfaction, commitment, intention to continue, and frequency). Results demonstrate that all six motivators significantly predicted the three outcome variables ( ρ ¯ ranging from .12 to .44). Values was the strongest predictor by far, based on the largest effect size and a post hoc relative importance analysis. Moderator analyses indicated some differences in effect sizes across gender and student status; there were few differences across geographic location, race-ethnicity, college degree attainment, and employment status. Implications for volunteer managers and organizations on how to best work with volunteers are described.
Understanding the lived music listening experiences of adults on the autism spectrum

This study focused on the role music listening experiences play in the lives of three South African adults on the autism spectrum. The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is to understand the role that music listening plays in the lives of three adults living with autism. IPA considers three key areas of philosophical knowledge, which include phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography. We, therefore, interpreted the role of music listening for our participants by highlighting similarities and differences between the participants’ lived experiences. The findings emerging from this study revealed five superordinate themes explaining the significance of music listening in the adults’ lives: (1) coping with auditory sensitivity, (2) getting lost in music, (3) music is a companion, (4) self-regulation, and (5) finding connection. The importance of music for masking or coping with sensory overload is distinct from the studies conducted to understand the music listening experiences of neurotypical individuals. It is our hope that the findings of this IPA provide rich idiographic descriptions of the individual experiences of our participants, thereby humanizing their music listening experiences.
Reconstructing invariances of CT image denoising networks using invertible neural networks

Long lasting efforts have been made to reduce radiation dose and thus the potential radiation risk to the patient for CT acquisitions without severe deterioration of image quality. To this end, different reconstruction and noise reduction algorithms have been developed, many of which are based on iterative reconstruction techniques, incorporating prior knowledge in the image domain. Recently, deep learning-based methods have shown impressive performance, outperforming many of the previously proposed CT denoising approaches both visually and quantitatively. However, with most neural networks being black boxes they remain notoriously difficult to interpret and concerns about the robustness and safety of such denoising methods have been raised. In this work we want to lay the fundamentals for a post-hoc interpretation of existing CT denoising networks by reconstructing their invariances.
Immunosenescence is a therapeutic target for frailty in older adults: a narrative review

Background and Objective Aging refers to a progressive decrease in functional performance, leading to increased mortality risk. At present, life expectancy is increasing worldwide and is expected to exceed 80 years by 2040. However, this increase in life expectancy also indicates a rise in the incidence and prevalence of diseases, such as cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, and oncological diseases, which are associated with aging. The exact underlying mechanisms of aging remain unknown, and whether it is a programmed process or the consequence of an accumulation of stress events remains unclear. Thus, more scientific research is needed to improve the management of complex and frail patients. Methods Several databases were searched with the following key words: immunosenescence, inflamm-aging, frailty, sarcopenia and skeletal muscle, etc. Key Content and Findings Skeletal muscle is the core phenotype of frailty and sarcopenia. Immune aging and skeletal muscle decline interplay with each other and form a vicious circle. Maintaining muscle health is beneficial for immune function and delays the onset of frailty. Particularly, in the context of the ongoing corona virus disease (COVID)-19 pandemic, studies have shown that the elderly are more prone to the consequences of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It has been reported that the rates of hospitalization in the 65–74, 75–84, and ≥85 years old group were 5×, 8×, and 10× greater than the 18–29 years old group, with corresponding COVID-19-related deaths being 60×, 140×, and 330× that of the younger reference group, respectively. Considering the above, this review aims to discuss the relationship between immunosenescence, skeletal muscle, and frailty, and to explore immunosenescence as a potential therapeutic target to prevent frailty and extend healthspan, with some emphasis on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the elderly. Conclusions Immunosenescence is a promising potential therapeutic target for frailty and is worthy of further investigation.
CXCR4 mediates the effects of IGF-1R signaling in rodent bone homeostasis and fracture repair.

Non-union fractures have considerable clinical and economic burdens and yet the underlying pathogenesis remains largely undetermined. The fracture healing process involves cellular differentiation, callus formation and remodeling, and implies the recruitment and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells that are not fully characterized. C-X-C chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) and Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) are expressed in the fracture callus, but their interactions still remain elusive. We hypothesized that the regulation of CXCR4 by IGF-1R signaling is essential to maintain the bone homeostasis and to promote fracture repair. By using a combination of in vivo and in vitro approaches, we found that conditional ablation of IGF-1R in osteochondroprogenitors led to defects in bone formation and mineralization that associated with altered expression of CXCR4 by a discrete population of endosteal cells. These defects were corrected by AMD3100 (a CXCR4 antagonist). Furthermore, we found that the inducible ablation of IGF-1R in osteochondroprogenitors led to fracture healing failure, that associated with an altered expression of CXCR4. In vivo AMD3100 treatment restored fracture healing and normalized CXCR4 expression. Moreover, we determined that these effects were mediated through the IGF-1R/Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) signaling pathway. Taken together, our studies identified a novel population of endosteal cells that is functionally regulated through the modulation of CXCR4 by IGF-1R signaling, and such control is essential in bone homeostasis and fracture healing. Knowledge gained from these studies has the potential to accelerate the development of novel therapeutic interventions by targeting CXCR4 signaling to treat non-unions.
FE-VIT: a faster and extensible vision transformer based on self pre-training for pest recognition

Agriculture has been the basic industry of mankind since ancient times. Accurate and robust crop pest identification system is an important step for reliable prediction of agricultural pests in precision agriculture community, which has attracted great attention from many countries. The development of computer vision and deep learning injects new vitality into this field. Many intelligent methods have been introduced into the field of pest recognition. However, long-time model preparation is the bottleneck of these methods, and expensive labels also make this method limited. At the same time, they can not be well compatible and extended when new pests appear. Therefore, we developed a pest identification algorithm based on self supervised learning. In the self supervised learning model(FE-VIT) proposed in this paper, we train a pretraining model through unlabeled data. In the pretext task, the purpose is to make the model match the downstream task(pest recognition). Besides, we simplify the model structure, reduce the time complexity from O (N2) to o (n*k), and make the proposed model Extensible. Our method can achieve about 17% time reduction and 1.1% accuracy improvement. A large number of detailed experiments show the accuracy and reliability of our model. Our code will be released in https://github.com/54zanly/FE-VIT .
Action in the Entropic Revolution of Newtonian Gravity

The theory of gravity has undergone somewhat of a revolution lately. Gravity is no longer a fundamental force it seems, but rather an effect of holographic entropy. Building on the works by Jacobsson, Padmanabhan and Verlinde we review the concept of Newtonian gravity as an entropic force and discuss a possible general action approach to Verlinde's theory. We also discuss some open problems and future prospects of Verlinde's approach.
Effects of Different CO2 equations of state on Condensation Position in Numerical Investigation

Supercritical CO2 power generation system have been gaining interest in the field of thermal power conversion due to its high efficiency and compactness. The low power consumption of the near-critical compressor is the key factor for its high efficiency. However, when CO2 is pressurized from a near-critical state to supercritical state, condensation may occur locally due to the high nonlinear behavior of the flow properties in the compressor. In the numerical simulation of compressor, sharp change of CO2 fluid properties near critical point also brings difficulties in capturing the condensation phenomenon. In order to explore the influence of fluid properties on the condensation phenomenon, this article first discussed the difference among the RK equation of state, the PENG-ROB equation of state, and the CO2 real fluid properties from the NIST REFPROP database. Then a numerical three-dimensional simulation was done using a de Laval nozzle model and the results were used to study the influence of fluid properties calculated from different equations of state in CO2 numerical simulation on the condensation position.