Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
SUPPLY CHAINS IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION

The role of production and supply chain is increasing worldwide due of the growing consumer concerns over food safety and quality together with retailer demands for large volumes of consistent and reliable product. In developed countries, product losses (post harvest losses) are generally small during processing, storage and handling because of the efficiency of the equipment, better storage facilities, and control of critical variables by a skilled and trained staff. Recently, the concept of Agricultural and Food production has been under development as more effective and efficient management system is required for the food production planning, physical collection of primary produce from fields and homesteads, processing and storage at various levels, handling, packaging, and distribution of final product.
COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON THE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL-SCALE PNEUMATIC SOLENOID VALVES

SUMMARY A simplified one-dimensional (1D) simulation model has been elaborated in AMESim environment, which is capable of analyzing and predicting the flow characteristics of small electropneumatic (EP) valves within a wide range of pressure ratios. The flow coefficient in the model has been identified on the basis of experiments and was compared with the Perry model. The flow coefficient values have been successfully reproduced by axisymmetric quasi-3D (Q3D) computations using the FLUENT code. A number of different geometries were analyzed to determine the correlation between the geometry and the flow coefficient.
Vertically aligned diamond-graphite hybrid nanorod arrays with superior field electron emission properties

A “patterned-seeding technique” in combination with a “nanodiamond masked reactive ion etching process” is demonstrated for fabricating vertically aligned diamond-graphite hybrid (DGH) nanorod arrays. The DGH nanorod arrays possess superior field electron emission (FEE) behavior with a low turn-on field, long lifetime stability, and large field enhancement factor. Such an enhanced FEE is attributed to the nanocomposite nature of the DGH nanorods, which contain sp2-graphitic phases in the boundaries of nano-sized diamond grains. The simplicity in the nanorod fabrication process renders the DGH nanorods of greater potential for the applications as cathodes in field emission displays and microplasma display devices.
Are Poverty and Social Goals for the 21 st Century Attainable ?

In East Asia the numbers of people in poverty fell by half between the mid-1970s and the mid1990s, and the proportion living on less than a dollar a day (at 1985 Purchasing Power Panty IPPP] exchange rates) fell from six out of ten to two out of ten people. In sub-Saharan Africa, there is simply not enough information to make even an empirically based statement along the same lines, but there is a high probability that both the proportion and the absolute numbers in poverty increased in this period. More recently, in all regions outside East Asia, the numbers of poor increased between 1987 and 1993.
Green Road Construction Using Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement with Warm Mix Additive

Environmental impact and emissions produced from asphalt road construction, promote research on green materials by combining the recycling and warm mix asphalt additive which aims to reduce the environmental impacts. This study evaluates the effects high reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) content incorporated with wax warm mix asphalt additive. Milled reclaimed asphalt pavements obtained from local roads were incorporated with a warm mix additive named RH-WMA. These materials were evaluated for the physical and rheological properties, optimum binder content and mechanical properties. It was found that RH-WMA has softening effects on the binder. The additions of 3% RH-WMA content into 40% RAP mixture decreased the optimum binder content and energy consumption. Tests on mechanical properties indicated increased on stiffness with the addition of RAP which indicated better resistance to rutting. Additions of RH-WMA on specimens that subjected to combined effects of moisture and aging showed improvement in fatigue resistance. Hence, integration of RAP and RH-WMA showed potential as a green road construction material.
A systemic analysis of Thabo Mbeki's strategy to change the marginalisation of the global south

This study attempts to examine the chances that South Africa's President Thabo Mbeki has in changing the unbalanced relations between the powerful countries of the North and the marginalised developing world. In doing so, it investigates how the leaders of Northern countries received the New Africa Initiative which was launched by a group of African heads of states, including Mbeki, at the G-8 summit in Genoa in July 2001. Unlike preceding works, this study takes a systemic perspective. The power relations in international affairs are pointed out with specific consideration of South Africa's status as an emerging middle power in the international system. Special recognition is furthermore given to the question as to whether there is currently a global re-think under way about globalisation, the ideology of neo-liberalism and the interaction with poor countries in the global political economy. The study comes to the conclusion that despite the fact that South Africa as a middle power is subordinate to the powerful countries of the North when it comes to effecting global change, and despite the outcomes of Genoa that do not indicate that an equitable global order is close, there are considerable trends and developments visible which support what Mbeki is trying to achieve. As a consequence, it is contended that his "Global Initiative" has a much better chance of being successful than the plea for a New International Economic Order in the 1970s. 11 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za
Solution of optimal control problems with Payoff term and fixed state endpoint by using Bezier polynomials

In this paper, a new numerical method for solving the optimal control problems with payoff term or fixed state endpiont by quadratic performance index is presented. The method is based on Bezier polynomial. The properties of Bezier polynomials in any intervel as [a; b] are presented. The operational matrices of integration and derivative are utilized to reduce the solution of the optimal control problems to a nonlinear programming one to which existing well-developed algorithms may be applied. Illustrative examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique.
Particle Filters and Data Assimilation

State-space models can be used to incorporate subject knowledge on the underlying dynamics of a time series by the introduction of a latent Markov state process. A user can specify the dynamics of this process together with how the state relates to partial and noisy observations that have been made. Inference and prediction then involve solving a challenging inverse problem: calculating the conditional distribution of quantities of interest given the observations. This article reviews Monte Carlo algorithms for solving this inverse problem, covering methods based on the particle filter and the ensemble Kalman filter. We discuss the challenges posed by models with high-dimensional states, joint estimation of parameters and the state, and inference for the history of the state process. We also point out some potential new developments that will be important for tackling cutting-edge filtering applications.
Security econometrics The dynamics of (in)security

Global Internet penetration and e-commerce have grown explo-sively over the past years. Today, information technology has become a backbone of our industry and everyday life. We would intuitively expect such an important technology to be well-monitored and protected. However, no one would dispute that the constant discovery of new vulnerabilities drives the security risks we are constantly exposed to. As risk awareness is an essential factor in human decision making, we are in need of metrics to measure and monitor the risk exposure of our networked economy and society. Research on the economic consequences of cyber attacks has dealt primarily with microanalysis of speciﬁc events, technologies or targeted organizations. The measurement of the cumulated number of disclosed vulnerabilities over time is an interesting and often cited indicator of the increasing risk exposure. However, this measure alone is not suﬃcient for an analysis or understanding of the processes driving risk exposure. Accurate knowledge of the vulnerability discovery, exploit-, disclosure, and patch-time (the lifecycle of a vulnerability) allows one to identify diﬀerent types of risk and to quantify the risk exposure and evolution thereof at global scale. A metric based on the vulnerability lifecycle is vital to better understand the security ecosystem. We build a comprehensive dataset of 30,000 vulnerabilities publicly disclosed since 1996 to reconstruct the
The spatial growth pattern and directional properties of Dryas octopetala on Spitsbergen, Svalbard

Exposed, well-drained and nutrient poor areas on Spitsbergen are mainly covered by a plant alliance typical for Svalbard, the Caricion nardinae. Caricion nardinae is a circum-polar alliance, which is dominated by the creeping, ever-green dwarf-shrub [i]Dryas octopetala[/i]. On the beach flats of western Spitsbergen, Jonas Akerman (1983) observed in 1979 the plant [i]Dryas octopetala[/i] growing in an unusual pattern in the form of half-moons. In the summer of 2015, Veiko Lehsten visited the same area as Akerman documented in the late 1970s, with the purpose to further investigate this vegetation pattern and the factors causing it. Akerman suggested in 1983 that the wind was the main contributing factor to the unusual growth of [i]Dryas octopetala[/i]. This thesis will attempt to verify this suggestion and also evaluate the likelihood of other factors playing a role in this phenomenon. This will be done by developing a method for assembling images taken by a standard camera, and thereafter describe and investigate the vegetation patterns of [i]Dryas octopetala[/i] as well as its potential changes over time. The results show that [i]Dryas octopetala[/i] was, at the study sites, directed towards north-northeast, with Akerman’s data from 1979 being directed a little bit more towards northeast than the vegetation in 2015. The vegetation in both study areas grew close to each other and had a dispersed distribution. This thesis was not able to prove that the prominent wind direction is causing the unusual growing forms and pattern of [i]Dryas octopetala[/i] but it is still the most likely cause after reviewing other potential factors. The method for assembling pictures was time consuming and did not give a perfect final image but it resulted in an acceptable approximation of the study area.
A New High-Temperature Multinuclear- Magnetic-Resonance Probe for Structure, Dynamics, and Reaction in Supercritical Water

A high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) probe (wide bore, 500 MHz for 1H) has been developed for multinuclear pulsed field gradient spin-echo (PGSE) diffusion measurements at high temperatures up to 450oC. The highlevel temperature homogeneity at high temperature is attained by using an innovative solid-state heating system composed of a ceramic (AlN) with high thermal conductivity. The new probe has been applied to the self-diffusion measurements on supercritical water over wide temperature and density ranges of 30-400 oC and 0.0041-1.0 g cm ‐3, respectively.
SEQUENCE POLYMORPHISMS OF FOUR CHLOROPLAST GENES IN FOUR ACACIA SPECIES

Sequence polymorphisms among and within four Acacia species, A . aulacocarpa , A . auriculiformis , A . crassicarpa , and A . mangium , were investigated using four chloroplast DNA genes ( atp A, pet A, rbc L, and rpo A). The phylogenetic relationship among these species is discussed in light of the results of the sequence information. No intraspecific sequence variation was found in the four genes of the four species, and a conservative rate of mutation of the chloroplast DNA genes was also confirmed in the Acacia species. In the atp A and pet A of the four genes, all four species possessed identical sequences, and no sequence variation was found among the four Acacia species. In the rbc L and rpo A genes, however, sequence polymorphisms were revealed among these species. Acacia aulacocarpa and A. crassicarpa shared an identical sequence, and A. auriculiformis and A. mangium also showed no sequence variation. The fact that A . mangium and A . auriculiformis shared identical sequences as did A . aulacocarpa and A . crassicarpa indicated that the two respective species were extremely closely related. Although a putative natural hybrid of A . aulacocarpa and A . auriculiformis has been reported, our results suggested that natural hybridization should be further verified using molecular markers.
Genetic Algorithm Gabor Filter Optimisation for Automated Detection of Blood Vessels from Digital Retinal Images

Automated vessel detection has great applicability in medical diagnosis for the purpose of detecting many diseases. Gabor filter is one of the most important methods in automated detection of blood vessels in digital retinal images. This paper proposes a new method to optimise the parameters of Gabor filter using Genetic Algorithm in order to improve its response. Several experiments were conducted to achieve better performance for Gabor filter: The area under the receiver operating curve and maximum average accuracy are used as fitness functions for the Genetic Algorithm. Also, an image is divided into 4 regions and a separate set of parameters was calculated for each region to find the best optimised parameters for each region. The results of the above 3 experiments are compared with previous vessel and edge detection techniques to prove the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
Polysymplectic Hamiltonian Field Theory

Applied to field theory, the familiar symplectic technique leads to instantaneous Hamiltonian formalism on an infinite-dimensional phase space. A true Hamiltonian partner of first order Lagrangian theory on fibre bundles $Y\to X$ is covariant Hamiltonian formalism in different variants, where momenta correspond to derivatives of fields relative to all coordinates on $X$. We follow polysymplectic (PS) Hamiltonian formalism on a Legendre bundle over $Y$ provided with a polysymplectic $TX$-valued form. If $X=\mathbb R$, this is a case of time-dependent non-relativistic mechanics. PS Hamiltonian formalism is equivalent to the Lagrangian one if Lagrangians are hyperregular. A non-regular Lagrangian however leads to constraints and requires a set of associated Hamiltonians. We state comprehensive relations between Lagrangian and PS Hamiltonian theories in a case of semiregular and almost regular Lagrangians. Quadratic Lagrangian and PS Hamiltonian systems, e.g. Yang - Mills gauge theory are studied in detail. Quantum PS Hamiltonian field theory can be developed in the frameworks both of familiar functional integral quantization and quantization of the PS bracket.
Nitrogen plasma formation through terahertz-induced ultrafast electron field emission

Electron microscopy and electron diffraction techniques rely on electron sources. Those sources require strong electric fields to extract electrons from metals, either by the photoelectric effect, driven by multiphoton absorption of strong laser fields, or in the static field emission regime. Terahertz (THz) radiation, commonly understood to be nonionizing due to its low photon energy, is here shown to produce electron field emission. We demonstrate that a carrier-envelope phase-stable single-cycle optical field at THz frequencies interacting with a metallic microantenna can generate and accelerate ultrashort and ultrabright electron bunches into free space, and we use these electrons to excite and ionize ambient nitrogen molecules near the antenna. The associated UV emission from the gas forms a novel THz wave detector, which, in contrast with conventional photon-counting or heat-sensitive devices, is ungated and sensitive to the peak electric field in a strongly nonlinear fashion.
Macromineral concentration and technological properties of poultry meat depending on slaughter age of broiler chickens of uniform body weight

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of slaughter age of broiler chickens on macromineral levels of breast and leg muscles and their association with meat quality. Used were fast-growing Hybro chickens kept on litter and fed the uniform diet. Ten chickens weighing 2 kg each were selected for slaughter at 35, 38 and 42 day of life. Breast and leg muscles were evaluated for pH, colour (CIELAB), water-holding capacity, drip loss, cooking loss, shear force, as well as for Na, Ca, K, P and Mg content. The birds’ age had an effect on the Na and K content of breast muscles and on the K, P and Mg content of leg muscles. No significant differences were found in most physicochemical characteristics of breast meat except pH which was the lowest in the oldest birds and cooking loss which was the highest in the youngest birds. No relationship between the level of individual minerals and meat quality traits was identified in breast muscles. In leg muscles Mg level correlated positively with pH 15min and drip loss, P level with pH 15min , and potassium level with waterholding capacity. Breast muscles turned out to be a richer source of K, Mg and P and leg muscles contained more Na.
Grain-size-sensitive seismic wave attenuation in polycrystalline olivine

[1] In order to investigate the processes responsible for the attenuation of seismic shear waves in the Earth's upper mantle, four olivine polycrystals ranging in mean grain size d from 3 to 23 μm have been fabricated, characterized, and mechanically tested in torsion at high temperatures and seismic frequencies. Both the shear modulus, which governs the shear wave speed VS, and the dissipation of shear strain energy Q−1 have been measured as functions of oscillation period To, temperature T, and, for the first time, grain size. At sufficiently high T all four specimens display similar absorption band viscoelastic behavior, adequately represented for 1000 < T < 1200 or 1300°C and 1 < To < 100 s, by the expression Q−1 = A [Tod−1 exp (−E/RT)]α with A = 7.5 × 102 s−α μmα, α = 0.26 and E = 424 kJ mol−1. This mildly grain-size-sensitive viscoelastic behavior of melt-free polycrystalline olivine is attributed to a combination of elastically and diffusionally accommodated grain boundary sliding, the latter becoming progressively more important with increasing T and/or To. Extrapolation to the larger (mm-cm) grain sizes expected in the Earth's upper mantle yields levels of dissipation comparable with those observed seismologically, implying that the same grain-size-sensitive processes might be responsible for much of the observed seismic wave attenuation. The temperature sensitivity of VS is increased substantially by the viscoelastic relaxation allowing the lateral variability of wave speeds to be associated with relatively small temperature perturbations.
SILICA GEL-SUPPORTED POLYPHOSPHORIC ACID (PPA/SIO2) AS AN EFFICIENT AND REUSABLE CATALYST FOR CONVERSION OF CARBONYL COMPOUNDS INTO OXATHIOACETALS AND DITHIOACETALS

A simple and efficient method for the conversion of carbonyl compounds to oxathioacetals and dithioacetals by using polyphosphoric acid supported on silica gel (PPA/SiO 2 ) as an acid catalyst have been developed. PPA/SiO 2 is easily recovered from the reaction mixture and reused without a decrease in catalytic activity.
Social Capital and Long-Term Regional Development within Poland in the Light of Experimental Economics and Data from a Questionnaire

For some time, researchers have been interested in determinants of long-term growth which are not purely economic in nature. The development of the concept of social capital by sociologists, politologists and economists is a visible effect of this interest. Any determinant of long-term growth is obviously important from the point of view of sustainability, particularly when its relation to other factors of sustainability, such as environmental protection, is taken into account. This article presents the results of research into spatial variation in social capital within Poland (according to region and size of home town). The authors consider social capital in relation to trust, trustworthiness and, in particular, cooperation, as well as taking into account attitudes regarding legal norms (law-abidingness). Such a wide approach enables us to eliminate the negative aspects of trust and concentrate on its positive forms, which can result in an economic rent. The aim of the article is to identify regions of Poland that are characterized by a high level of social capital from the point of view of individuals exhibiting a willingness to cooperate with others and observe the law and relate these results with the perspectives for long-term growth in Poland. The results of the research are based on a study carried out on a sample of 1540 students using experimental game theory alongside a questionnaire that investigated various aspects of cooperation, trust, trustworthiness and aversion to inequality. The results of the study indicate intuitively reasonable associations between the data from the questionnaire and behaviour in the experimental games suggesting that the declarations are (in statistical terms) meaningful. Analysis indicates that, in Poland, readiness to cooperate tends to be higher in rural areas. Although the study concentrates on the relation between social capital and economic development, it is also argued that high levels of social capital also favour other components of sustainable development.