Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Monitoring and Predicting Agricultural Droughts for a Water-Limited Subcontinental Region by Integrating a Land Surface Model and Microwave Remote Sensing

Agricultural drought monitoring and prediction technology are urgently needed. We applied an ecohydrological land data assimilation system (LDAS), which can simulate soil moisture and leaf area index (LAI) by data assimilation of microwave brightness temperature into a land surface model (LSM), to monitor and predict agricultural droughts in North Africa. We successfully monitor nationwide crop failures, which are characterized by the declines of the nationwide wheat production, in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia using LAI and soil moisture calculated by the LDAS. Our simulated LAI is well correlated with the nationwide wheat production ( $r= 0.70$ , 0.65, and 0.72 in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, respectively). A general circulation model (GCM)-based seasonal meteorological prediction significantly contributes to accurately predicting LAI and agricultural droughts in 2–3-month lead time. In addition, it is found that initial conditions have an important role in predicting LAI. We demonstrate the capability of our framework to monitor and predict agricultural drought in North Africa. Our proposed framework can contribute to mitigating the negative impact of drought on agriculture in poorly gauged water-limited subcontinental regions.
Influence of collisions on ion dynamics in the inner comae of four comets.

Context Collisions between cometary neutrals in the inner coma of a comet and cometary ions that have been picked up into the solar wind flow and return to the coma lead to the formation of a broad inner boundary known as a collisionopause. This boundary is produced by a combination of charge transfer and chemical reactions, both of which are important at the location of the collisionopause boundary. Four spacecraft measured ion densities and velocities in the inner region of comets, exploring the part of the coma where an ion-neutral collisionopause boundary is expected to form. Aims The aims are to determine the dominant physics behind the formation of the ion-neutral collisionopause and to evaluate where this boundary has been observed by spacecraft. Methods We evaluated observations from three spacecraft at four different comets to determine if a collisionopause boundary was observed based on the reported ion velocities. We compared the measured location of the ion-neutral collisionopause with measurements of the collision cross sections to evaluate whether chemistry or charge exchange are more important at the location where the collisionopause is observed. Results Based on measurements of the cross sections for charge transfer and for chemical reactions, the boundary observed by Rosetta appears to be the location where chemistry becomes the more probable result of a collision between H2O and H2O+ than charge exchange. Comparisons with ion observations made by Deep Space 1 at 19P/Borrelly and Giotto at 1P/Halley and 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup show that similar boundaries were observed at 19P/Borrelly and 1P/Halley. The ion composition measurements made by Giotto at Halley confirm that chemistry becomes more important inside of this boundary and that electron-ion dissociative recombination is a driver for the reported ion pileup boundary.
Integration by parts formulae for the laws of Bessel bridges, and Bessel stochastic PDEs

In this thesis, we derive integration by parts formulae (IbPF) for the laws of Bessel bridges of dimension δ > 0, thus extending previous formulae obtained by Zambotti in the case δ ≥ 3. This allows us to identify the structure of some stochastic PDEs (SPDEs) having the law of a Bessel bridge of dimension δ < 3 as invariant measure, and which extend in a natural way the family of SPDEs previously considered by Zambotti for δ ≥ 3. We call these equations Bessel SPDEs, and write them using renormalized local times. In the particular cases δ = 1, 2, using Dirichlet forms, we construct a solution to a weak version of these SPDEs. We also provide several partial results suggesting that the SPDEs associated with δ < 3 should have several important properties: strong Feller property, existence of local times. Finally, we consider dynamical critical wetting models, in the discrete and in the continuum, and prove a tightness result. We conjecture that these models have a common limit in law which should be described by the Bessel SPDE associated with δ = 1.
The CLIQ Quench Protection System Applied to the 16 T FCC-hh Dipole Magnets

Part of the Future Circular Collider (FCC-hh) study is dedicated to the development of the 16 Tesla ${\rm Nb_3Sn}$ superconducting dipole magnets. The design of the magnets was enabled by a cooperative effort of national research institutes, universities, and CERN. These actors tackled the problem from different sides, namely, the electromagnetic design, the mechanical design, the design of the quench protection systems, and the circuit design. The article deals with the design of the quench protection systems and provides solid motivations for the selection of the coupling-loss-induced quench (CLIQ) device as the baseline protection system for the FCC-hh main dipole magnets. The article shows that the design domains mentioned above are tightly interconnected and, therefore, the simulation of a quench event involves a complex multiphysics problem. The STEAM cosimulation framework, recently developed at CERN, is applied to address the complexity. The STEAM-SIGMA models are employed to simulate the CLIQ quench protection system applied to the FCC-hh dipole magnets. Dedicated CLIQ configurations are identified to protect the magnets in case of a quench. In addition, the possible implications of the CLIQ protection system on the mechanical design of the magnets are discussed. To this end, the article employs the co-simulation of different software platforms to calculate the mechanical stress during a quench. The results show that CLIQ does not produce additional stress.
The excitation of NH2 in the interstellar medium

Accurate estimation of the abundance of the NH2 radical in the interstellar medium requires accurate radiative and collisional rate coefficients. The calculation of hyperfine-resolved rate coefficients for the collisional (de-)excitation of NH2 by both ortho- and para-H2 is presented in this work. Hyperfine-resolved rate coefficients are calculated from pure rotational close-coupling rate coefficients using the Mj randomizing approximation. Rate coefficients for temperatures ranging from 5 to 150 K were computed for all hyperfine transitions among the first 15 rotational energy levels of both ortho- and para-NH2 in collisions with ortho- and para-H2. The new data were then employed in radiative transfer calculations to simulate the excitation of NH2 in typical star-forming regions such as W31C, where NH2 is seen in emission. We compared the excitation and brightness temperatures for different NH2 transitions obtained using the new and the previously available collisional data. It is found that the new rate coefficients increase the simulated line intensities by a factor ∼10–30. As a consequence, NH2 abundance derived from the observations will be significantly reduced by the use of the present rate coefficients.
Convergence towards an Erdős-Rényi graph structure in network contraction processes.

In a highly influential paper twenty years ago, Barabási and Albert [Science 286, 509 (1999)SCIEAS0036-807510.1126/science.286. 5439.509] showed that networks undergoing generic growth processes with preferential attachment evolve towards scale-free structures. In any finite system, the growth eventually stalls and is likely to be followed by a phase of network contraction due to node failures, attacks, or epidemics. Using the master equation formulation and computer simulations, we analyze the structural evolution of networks subjected to contraction processes via random, preferential, and propagating node deletions. We show that the contracting networks converge towards an Erdős-Rényi network structure whose mean degree continues to decrease as the contraction proceeds. This is manifested by the convergence of the degree distribution towards a Poisson distribution and the loss of degree-degree correlations.
Effect of Inter and Intra Row Spacing on Growth, Yield Components and Yield of Hybrid Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties at Haramaya, Eastern Ethiopia

The national average yield of maize is by far lower than the world average yield. Plant density is one of the factors that affect yield. Therefore, knowing the appropriate agronomic practices are paramount importance to maximize maize production in Ethiopia. A field experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions in 2015 and 2016 during the main cropping season at Haramaya to determine the effects of inter and intra row spacing on growth, yield components, and yield of hybrid maize varieties. The experiment consisted of the factorial combinations of two hybrid maize varieties (“BH-661” and “BH-QPY-545”), two inter-row spacing (65 and 75 cm) and three intra-row spacing (25, 30 and 35 cm) in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial in a randomized complete block design experiment with three replications of each treatment combination. Aboveground dry biomass yield and grain yield were influenced by interaction effect of inter row spacing, intra row spacing and year. The highest aboveground dry biomass yield (31.36 t·ha-1) and harvest index (47%) were obtained for varieties BH-661 and BH-QPY-545 in 2016 and 2015, respectively. The highest aboveground dry biomass yield (31.29 t·ha-1) and grain yield (11.67 t·ha-1) were obtained in the combination of 75 cm × 25 cm in 2016 cropping season. Therefore, it can be concluded that optimum inter and intra row spacing combination in the study area for the maximum grain yield was 75 cm × 25 cm for both varieties under adequate amount and regular distribution of rainfall.
Full Three-Dimensional Cavitation Instabilities Using a Non-Quadratic Anisotropic Yield Function

Full three-dimensional cell models containing a small cavity are used to study the effect of plastic anisotropy on cavitation instabilities. Predictions for the Barlat-91 model (Barlat et al., 1991, “A Six-Component Yield Function for Anisotropic Materials,” Int. J. Plast. 7, 693–712), with a non-quadratic anisotropic yield function, are compared with previous results for the classical anisotropic Hill-48 quadratic yield function (Hill, 1948, “A Theory of the Yielding and Plastic Flow of a Anisotropic Metals,” Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A193, 281–297). The critical stress, at which the stored elastic energy will drive the cavity growth, is strongly affected by the anisotropy as compared with isotropic plasticity, but does not show much difference between the two models of anisotropy. While a cavity tends to remain nearly spherical during a cavitation instability in isotropic plasticity, the cavity shapes in an anisotropic material develop toward near-spheroidal elongated shapes, which differ for different values of the coefficients defining the anisotropy. The shapes found for the Barlat-91 model, with a non-quadratic anisotropic yield function, differ noticeably from the shapes found for the quadratic Hill-48 yield function. Computations are included for a high value of the exponent in the Barlat-91 model, where this model represents a Tresca-like yield surface with rounded corners.
Cognitive tools for dynamic analysis of enterprise business strategies

Robert A. Karayev - Professor, Head of Ecosystems Modeling Laboratory, Institute of Control Systems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Address: 9, B. Vahabzade Street, Baku, AZ1141, AzerbaijanE-mail: karayevr@rambler.ruRena N. Mikailova - Associate Professor, PhD in Economics, Azerbaijan State University of EconomicsAddress: 6, Istiqlaliyat Street, Baku, AZ1001, AzerbaijanE-mail: renam3@mail.ruIslam I. Safarly - PhD in Economics, Business Development Manager, OIL SUPPLY LLCAddress: 156, Batamdar Highway, Baku, AZ1006, AzerbaijanE-mail: islamsafarli@gmail.comNatella Y. Sadikhova - Researcher, Institute of Control Systems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Address: 9, B. Vahabzade Street, Baku, AZ1141, AzerbaijanE-mail: natella5@rambler.ruXatire F. Imamverdiyeva - Software Engineer, Institute of Control Systems of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Address: 9, B. Vahabzade Street, Baku, AZ1141, AzerbaijanE-mail: imamverdiyeva.x@gmail.com The article discusses the difficulties of long-term dynamic analysis of business strategies of enterprises in present-day complex and unstable economic conditions. We discuss the possibility of solving the problem by means of cognitive modeling, which has opened a new page in the management of complex systems and complex problem situations. We note the phenomenological features of complex systems and complex problem situations that exclude the possibility of their modeling using traditional economic and mathematical methods. Such features are: multifactority, dynamism, uncertainty, the high role of the mentality of the developers of the strategy and the persons making strategic decisions. The urgency of the question of ensuring the reliability of cognitive models, a significant place in which is occupied by heuristic components, is emphasized. Formalization of the latter encounters numerous difficulties (“traps”) that arise at all stages of designing cognitive models - the stages of identification, conceptualization, formalization and testing, which constitute the specifics of the development of all knowledge-based support technologies. Existing methods and models from relevant areas that can be useful for overcoming these difficulties are considered (strategic analysis, strategic planning, scenario analysis, scenario planning, SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, SMART technology, methods of knowledge identification, methods of psycho semantics and non-metric multidimensional scaling, methods of expert evaluation). The article presents a demo version of cognitive tools for dynamic analysis of strategies (cognitive map of strategy and cognitive map analysis methods), based on the ideology of cognitive modeling. Consideration is given to the application possibilities of cognitive tools in the analysis of strategies in the context of possible dynamics of the internal and external environment of the enterprise. An example of the use of cognitive tools is given.This work was supported by the Foundation for Science Development under the President of the Azerbaijan Republic (grant No. EIF-KETPL-2-2015-1(25)-56/14/1)
Cooperative processing based on posture change detection and trajectory estimation for unknown multi-object tracking

ABSTRACT Tracking of moving objects is a very important step in building an intelligent video surveillance system. The movement of non-rigid objects, appearance variations and luminosity changes make tracking even more difficult. This paper proposes a new automatic multi-target tracking system that can deal with the most confronted problems without any prior knowledge of the characteristics of objects. The system is a combination between classification, learning and tracking in a parallel architecture that allows the three tasks to be performed separately and efficiently to make the most of this combination. The permanent learning of the classifier guarantees the efficiency of the latter compared to the posture changes of moving objects. The classifier sends the new posture changes with a high degree of confidence as a new learning data. This cyclic aspect forces the system to adapt to all possible posture changes. In the case of occlusion, the system uses the estimated information of the trajectories to correct or cancel the learning process. The filtering process prevents the classifier from falling into a false classification, which significantly increases the system adaptability to the environment. Tests carried out on the CAVIAR and MOT16 datasets showed the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed system.
Low-Complexity Deep-Learning-Based DOA Estimation for Hybrid Massive MIMO Systems With Uniform Circular Arrays

This letter proposes a low-complexity deep-learning-based direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method for a hybrid massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with a uniform circular array at the base station. In the proposed method, we first input the received signal vector into some small deep feedforward networks that are trained offline. Based on the outputs of the networks, we then generate a set of candidate angles. By selecting the optimal one from all candidate angles, we finally obtain the DOA estimation. Simulation results demonstrate that, compared with the conventional maximum likelihood (ML) method, the proposed DOA estimation method can achieve similar or even better performance with much less complexity.
Temporal Behavior of Plane Waves Within an ${N}$ -Layer Structure by the Ray-Series Method

The ray-series (RS) method, which is practically more tractable and feasible than the transfer matrix (TM) method for the time-domain analysis, is examined and applied for investigation of temporal reflection and transmission responses of an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-layer structure for a plane wave incidence. These responses are represented by reduced reflection and transmission coefficients associated with unit step functions with different effective time periods and weightings depending on electromagnetic properties of the layers constituting the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$N$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-layer structure. Numerical and simulation analyses in line with the residue theorem and Bromwich integral were performed to validate our formalism and practically demonstrate its applicability for temporal analysis.
UDE-based robust control for systems with mismatched uncertainties via feedback compensation

The uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE)-based robust control is extensively investigated for its merits of strong robustness and straightforward principle. However, the structural constraint of UDE-based control limits its application to systems with matched uncertainties. In this paper, an improved UDE-based robust control strategy is proposed to address mismatched uncertainties so that it can be applied to systems with both matched and mismatched uncertainties. A modified reference model is designed with the feedback compensation of the estimated mismatched uncertainties. Besides, the estimated matched uncertainties are adopted for the feedforward control, as a compensation term of the robust control law. Moreover, the stability analysis and steady-state performance of the closed-loop system are presented. Simulations on a magnetic levitation system are carried out to illustrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed control scheme, which achieves robust stability and zero steady tracking error in the presence of both matched and mismatched uncertainties.
Efficient Iris and Eyelids Detection from Facial Sketch Images

In this paper, we propose a simple yet effective technique for an automatic iris and eyelids detection method for facial sketch images. Our system uses Circular Hough Transformation (CHT) algorithm for iris localization process and a low level grayscale analysis for eyelids contour segmentation procedure. We limit the input face for the system to facial sketch photos with frontal pose, illumination invariant, neutral expression and without occlusions. CUHK and IIIT-D sketch databases are used to acquire the experimental results. As to validate the proposed algorithm, experiments on ground truth for iris and eyelids segmentation, which are prepared at our lab, is conducted. The iris segmentation from the proposed method gives the best accuracy of 92.93 and 86.71 based on F-measure evaluation for IIIT-D and CUHK, respectively. For eyelids segmentation, on the other hand, the proposed algorithm achieves an average of 4 standard deviation which indicates the closeness of proposed method to ground truth.
Contra-Directional Ridge Waveguide Couplers: Design and Applications

This article presents novel wideband contra-directional couplers based on single conductor ridge waveguide, and their applications. The couplers exhibit wide bandwidths and tight coupling while occupying very small volume due to the compactness of ridge waveguides. The methodology to design the couplers is presented. It is inspired by the even and odd modes used to design TEM coupled lines couplers but implemented with TE modes in this novel approach. The design starts with designing the coupling section in a quadruple-ridge waveguide that supports two independent even and odd TE modes. Proper choice of the cross section allows the designer to achieve the required impedance levels for the required coupling values. An S-band proof of concept prototype of a single coupler was synthesized, fabricated, and tested, demonstrating excellent measured results without any tuning. The couplers can be exploited in versatile applications, such as power sampling, beamforming, or high-power combiners. As an additional proof of concept design, a C-band three-way combiner was also designed and tested, showing the potential of the novel coupler for different applications.
Performance Analysis of Mixed Logit Models for Discrete Choice Models

Mixed Logit modelÂ (MXL) is generated from Multinomial Logit model (MNL) for discrete, i.e. nominal, data. It eliminates its limitations particularly on estimating the correlation among responses. Â In the MNL, the probability equations are presented in the closed form and it is contrary with in the MXL. Consequently, the calculation of the probability value of each alternative get simpler in the MNL, meanwhile it needs the numerical methods for estimation in the MXL. Â In this study, we investigated the performance of maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) in the MXL and MNL into two cases, the low and high correlation circumstances among responses. The performance is measured based on differencing actual and estimation value. Â The simulation study and real cases show that the MXL model is more accurate than the MNL model. This model can estimates the correlation among response as well. The study concludes that the MXL model is suggested to be used if there is a high correlation among responses. Â
Grounding a Pragmatic Theory of Vagueness on Experimental Data: Semi-Orders and Weber’s Law

[This article appeared as a chapter in 'Vagueness and Rationality in Language Use and Cognition' published by Springer International Publishing in 2019] One of the traditional pragmatic approaches to vagueness suggests that there needs to be a significant gap between individuals or objects that can be described using a vague adjective like 'tall' and those that cannot. In contrast, intuitively, an explicit comparative like 'taller' does not require fulfillment of the gap requirement. Our starting point for this paper is the consideration that people cannot make precise measures under time pressure and their ability to discriminate approximate heights (or other values) obeys Weber’s law. We formulate and experimentally test three hypotheses relating to the difference between positive and comparative forms of the vague adjectives, gap requirement, and Weber’s law. In two experiments, participants judged appropriateness of usage of positive and comparative forms of vague adjectives in a sentence-picture verification task. Consequently, we review formal analysis of vagueness using weak orders and semi-orders and suggest adjustments based on the experimental results and properties of Weber’s law.