Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of grass strips on crop growth, yield and terrace development

Investigations were carried out during the rainy seasons of 1996 on humic nitisol at Kabete Steepland Research Site, University of Nairobi to study; the effectiveness of grass strips as a means of soil and water conservation and on crop performance. The study assessed the performance of seven different grass species on terrace development, moisture conservation, fodder production, crop growth and yield. Measurements on moisture, crop growth and crop yield were made on the lower, middle and upper slope position of each terrace formed by the individual strips. The results obtained indicated that Donkey grass was the best in promoting bench development with 6.2% mean slope. This was followed by Creeping signal (5.1%), Bana (4.7%), Tall signall and Guatamala (4.2%), Tall guinea (4.0%) and lastly Makarikari with only 1.8% which was due to its poor ground cover. The corresponding embarkment heights increased with increased slope reduction. Bana, Tall guinea and Guatamala grasses depleted more moisture on the lower slope position during dry spells but conserved more in the 60 em depth during rainy periods mainly due to their deep rooting depths. Generally more moisture
LSTM for diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases using gait data

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) usually cause gait disorders and postural disorders, which provides an important basis for NDs diagnosis. By observing and analyzing these clinical manifestations, medical specialists finally give diagnostic results to the patient, which is inefficient and can be easily affected by doctors' subjectivity. In this paper, we propose a two-layer Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model to learn the gait patterns exhibited in the three NDs. The model was trained and tested using temporal data that was recorded by force-sensitive resistors including time series, such as stride interval and swing interval. Our proposed method outperforms other methods in literature in accordance with accuracy of the predicted diagnostic result. Our approach aims at providing the quantitative assessment so that to indicate the diagnosis and treatment of these neurodegenerative diseases in clinic
Cover as a habitat element for temperate ungulates: effects on habitat selection and demography

may affect important aspects of ungulate biology such as grouping tendencies (Hirth 1977, Lagory 1986), vigilance behavior (Goldsmith 1990), alarm and flight responses (Lagory 1987), and circadian activity rhythms (Andersen 1989). Cover includes, by definition, anything which veils or conceals, shelters or protects (Webster 1978), and can be both vegetation and topography (Dasmann 1971). Some authors have stated that cover characteristics
Is There an East European Housing Bubble?

This study examines residential house price trends in the East European economies. The data are described and evaluated in terms of their quality and reliability; both official data from national statistical offices and that compiled by real estate companies are used. Current prices are evaluated in terms of the economic fundamentals in the region including GDP growth rates, interest rates, rental prices, alternative asset prices, and the availability of mortgages. The role of foreign currency mortgages is given special treatment given their importance in a number of countries and the vulnerabilities they introduce. For some of the markets a more detailed description of price trends by region or type of property is provided. Comparisons with western markets are made where appropriate. Generally it is concluded that price increases have been quite significant but any over appreciation is difficult to evaluate given the very positive changes in the economic fundamentals. In addition to price trends, the implications of the changing institutional structure of these mortgage markets are explained along with the implications of the housing market developments for consumer spending, fiscal and monetary policy. The possibility of a housing bubble and bust is examined along with its implications for the economy; policy options to minimize this likelihood and its consequences are also explored with due consideration of the limitations on macroeconomic policy options given the constraints imposed by euro accession in a number of the countries.
AID : A Memory-based Translation Aid Framework

This paper describes TR•AID, a multi-level architecture for a computeraided translation (CAT) system platform. The system employs different levels of information and processing in an attempt to maximize past translation reuse as well as terminology and style consistency in the translation of specific types of text. Such tools have come in the bibliography under the term Translation Memory (TM) tools.
A DARWINIAN PROCESS: THE MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF ENZYMES

New concepts as ambiguity, promiscuity and plasticity have allowed getting a deeper insight in the mechanism of the Darwinian process implied in the molecular evolution of enzymes. Directed evolution in the laboratory collapses the time scale for evolution from millions of years to months or even weeks due that the key processes: mutations, recombination, screening or selection are carefully controlled by the experimenter. In order to get a more meaningful vision a more enlarged scientific background is presented. The philosophical reflections focus on the increasing information in the evolution process, which goes beyond the dualism matter-spirit, and on the successive emergences. Finally some ethical and theological reflections are proposed.
Interactive comment on “Fundamentals of Data Assimilation” by Peter Rayner et al

We thank the three anonymous referees and Thomas Kaminski for their comments which have allowed us to clarify various points in the paper. There are some common points made by several referees. We will deal with these first as general comments then with particular comments from each referee. there are also some comments which are about the paper rather than requesting specific changes and we will deal with these first. We place referees’ comments in typewriter font and our replies in Roman
Submicrometre-pitch intercomparison between optical diffraction, scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope

Intercomparison of pitch measurements for one-dimensional-grating standards (240 nm pitch), one of the widely used reference standards for nanometric lateral scales, was performed by three different methods, optical diffraction, critical dimension scanning electron microscopy and nanometrological atomic force microscopy. Average pitch values obtained by the three methods deviated by a maximum of only 0.67 nm with expanded uncertainties (k = 2) of less than 1.2 nm. The calculated En number, the index of measurement quality, of less than 1 indicates consistency of the measured pitch values and subsequent uncertainty analyses performed by three methods.
Turbulent thermal convection driven by heated inertial particles

The heating of particles in a dilute suspension, for instance by radiation, chemical reactions or radioactivity, leads to local temperature fluctuations in the fluid due to the non-uniformity of the disperse phase. In the presence of a gravity field, the fluid is set in motion by the resulting buoyancy forces. When the particle density is different than that of the fluid, the fluid motion alters the spatial distribution of the particles and possibly strengthens their concentration inhomogeneities. This in turn causes more intense local heating. Direct numerical simulations in the Boussinesq limit show this feedback loop. Various regimes are identified depending on the particle inertia. For very small particle inertia, the macroscopic behaviour of the system is the result of many thermal plumes that are generated independently of each other. For significant particle inertia, clusters of particles are observed and their dynamics controls the flow. The emergence of very intermittent turbulent fluctuations shows that the flow is influenced by the larger structures (turbulent convection) as well as by the small-scale dynamics that affect particle segregation and thus the flow forcing. Assuming thermal equilibrium between the particles and the fluid (i.e. infinitely fast thermal relaxation of the particle), we investigate the evolution of statistical observables with the change of the main control parameters (namely the particle number density, the particle inertia and the domain size), and propose a scaling argument for these trends. Concerning the energy density in the spectral space, it is observed that the turbulent energy and temperature spectra follow a power law, the exponent of which varies continuously with the Stokes number. Furthermore, the study of the spectra of the temperature and momentum forcing (and thus of the concentration/temperature and velocity/temperature correlations) gives strong support to the proposed feedback loop mechanism. We then discuss the intermittency of the flow, and analyse the effect of relaxing some of the simplifying assumptions, thus assessing the relevance of the original studied configuration.
Using a Social Accounting Matrix for Analysing Institutions' Income: A Case from Portugal.

A Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) is a tool that has specific features for conducting studies in several different areas, as well as for supporting the policy decision process. Following an application for Portugal, a SAM-based approach is adopted for studying (measuring and modelling) the impact of the introduction of a social policy measure of the increase in households’ income on the socio-economic activity of a country, and the associated institutions’ income. Numerical and algebraic versions of a SAM enable the identification of the networks of the linkages of the monetary or nominal flows measured by the National Accounts and the corresponding structural features, as well as the associated multiplier effects, which are used to measure the impact on the socio-economic activity. This measurement is at a macroeconomic level, using macroeconomic aggregates and balances.
Perturbation Method for Solar/Infrared Radiative Transfer in a Scattering Medium with Vertical Inhomogeneity in Internal Optical Properties

A new scheme based on perturbation method is presented to solve the problem of solar/ infrared radiative transfer (SRT/IRT) in a scattering medium, in which the inherent optical properties (IOPs) are vertically inhomogeneous. The Eddington approximation for SRTand the two-stream approximation for IRT are used as the zeroth-order solution, and multiple-scattering effect of inhomogeneous IOPs is included in the first-order solution. Observations show that the stratocumulus clouds are vertically inhomogeneous, and the accuracy of SRT/ IRT for stratocumulus clouds by different solutions is evaluated. In the spectral band of 0.25 – 0.69 μ m, the relative error in absorption with inhomogeneous SRT solution is 1.4% at most, but with the homogeneous SRT solution, it can be up to 7.4%. In the spectral band of 5 – 8 μ m, the maximum relative error of downward emissivity can reach (cid:1) 11% for the homogeneous IRTsolution but only (cid:1) 2% for the inhomogeneous IRTsolution.
SOME INEQUALITIES FOR Lp – DUAL AFFINE SURFACE AREA

Lutwak proposed the notion of Lp -affine surface area according to the Lp -mixed volume. Recently, Wang and He introduced the concept of Lp -dual affine surface area combing with the Lp -dual mixed volume. In this article, some inequalities for Lp -dual affine surface area are established. Mathematics subject classification (2010): 52A20, 52A40.
Interactive comment on “Chemistry-climate model simulations of the Mt. Pinatubo eruption using CCMI and CMIP6 stratospheric aerosol data” by

In this manuscript the authors compare the results of SOCOLv3 simulations performed using the SAGE-4\lambda and SAGE-3\lambda stratospheric aerosol datasets, used for the CCMI-1 and CMIP-6 model intercomparisons, respectively. In particular, the authors compare the temperatures and ozone concentrations during the post-Pinatubo period in the two simulation ensembles to each other and to the MERRA and ERAInterim reanalysis.
The Interplay between Religiosity and Horizontal and Vertical Individualism-Collectivism among Polish Catholic Students

: Individualism-collectivism has emerged as one of the most important constructs to depict cultural differences and similarities. It is typical to examine individualism and collectivism through comparison between the cultures of the West and those of the East or comparison between various religious traditions, e.g. Christianity has been seen as the source of Western individualistic understanding whilst Buddhism as the source of Eastern collectivist understanding. The research presented in this paper explored the connections between individualism-collectivism and religiosity in Polish Catholic culture. Although Poland is an orthodox Catholic environment, gradually intensified secularization processes have been observed there. In two separate studies we examined relationships between individualism-collectivism and religiosity defined in a traditional (study 1) and secularized context (study 2).
Implications of Corporate Yoga: A Review

Rudra B. Bhandari1, Churna B. Bhandari2, Balkrishna Acharya3, Pranav Pandya4, Kartar Singh5, Vinod K. Katiyar6 and Ganesh D. Sharma7 1University of Patanjali, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, 2Department of Physics, Case Western University, Ohio, 3University of Patanjali, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, 4Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya, Uttarakhand, 5University of Patanjali, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, 6Department of Mathematics, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 7Department of Yogic Sciences, University of Patanjali, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, 1,3,4,5,6,7India 2USA
Numerical study of solitary wave attenuation in a fragmented ice sheet

A numerical model for direct phase-resolved simulation of nonlinear ocean waves propagating through fragmented sea ice is proposed. In view are applications to wave propagation and attenuation across the marginal ice zone. This model solves the full equations for nonlinear potential flow coupled with a nonlinear thin-plate formulation for the ice cover. A key new contribution is to modeling fragmented sea ice, which is accomplished by allowing the coefficient of flexural rigidity to vary spatially so that distributions of ice floes can be directly specified in the physical domain. Two-dimensional simulations are performed to examine the attenuation of solitary waves by scattering through an irregular array of ice floes. Two different measures based on the wave profile are used to quantify its attenuation over time for various floe configurations. Slow (near linear) or fast (exponential-like) decay is observed depending on such parameters as incident wave height, ice concentration and ice fragmentation.
Characterizing sudden changes in Arctic sea ice drift and deformation on synoptic timescales

In this study, we develop a framework for the assessment of sudden changes in sea ice drift and associated deformation processes in response to atmospheric forcing and ice–coastal interactions, based on analysis of ice buoy triplet centroids and areas. Examined in particular is the spatiotemporal evolution in sea ice floes that are tracked with GPS beacons deployed in triplets in the southern Beaufort Sea at varying distances from the coastline in fall, 2009 – triplets A to D, with A (D) located closest to (furthest from) the coastline. This study illustrates the use of shock-response diagnostics to evaluate eight identified sudden changes or shock events on daily timescales. Results from this analysis show that shock events in the southern Beaufort Sea occur in at least one of two forms: (1) during a reversal in winds, or (2) sustained north/easterly winds, with response mechanisms governed by ice conditions and interactions with the coastline. Demonstrated also is the emergence of a shear-shock event (SSE) that results in reduced ice concentrations for triplets B, C, and D, one, three and five days following the SSE, respectively and loss of synchronicity in ice-atmosphere interactions. The tools developed in this study provide a unique characterization of sea ice dynamical processes in the southern Beaufort Sea, with implications for quantifying "shock-response" systems relevant for ice hazard assessments and forecasting applications required by oil and gas, marine transportation, and indigenous use of near shore Arctic areas.
Volcanic ash detection with infrared limb sounding: MIPAS observations and radiative transfer simulations

Abstract. Small volcanic ash particles have long residence times in the troposphere and the stratosphere so that they have significant impact on the Earth's radiative budget and consequently affect climate. For global long-term observations of volcanic aerosol, infrared limb measurements provide excellent coverage, sensitivity to thin aerosol layers, and altitude information. The optical properties of volcanic ash and ice particles, derived from micro-physical properties, have opposing spectral gradients between 700 and 960 cm−1 for small particle sizes. Radiative transfer simulations that account for single scattering showed that the opposing spectral gradients directly transfer to infrared limb spectra. Indeed, we found the characteristic spectral signature, expected for volcanic ash, in measurements of the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) after the eruption of the Chilean volcano Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in June 2011. From these measurements we derived an ash detection threshold function. The empirical ash detection threshold was confirmed in an extensive simulations study covering a wide range of atmospheric conditions, particle sizes and particle concentrations for ice, volcanic ash and sulfate aerosol. From the simulations we derived the upper detectable effective radius of 3.5 μm and the detectable extinction coefficient range of 5 × 10−3 to 1 × 10−1 km−1. We also showed that this method is only sensitive to volcanic ash particles, but not to volcanic sulfate aerosol. This volcanic ash detection method for infrared limb measurements is a fast and reliable method and provides complementary information to existing satellite aerosol products.
Managing Healthcare Project Financing Investments: A Corporate Finance Perspective

Healthcare infrastructures are a typical risky investment, which can be financed in many different and competing ways, and Public Private Partnership and project financing techniques are increasingly recognized as a useful and appropriate device. Risk identification, transfer, sharing and management are a key point of the whole structure and the risk matrix, used in order to classify and - wherever possible - measure risk is an unavoidable part of the investment package. To the extent that it can be professionally managed by specialized agents, risk sharing or transmission is not a zero sum game, even if risk pricing is never a trivial issue. While the public part traditionally bears core market risk (demand for health services), other key risks, such as those related to construction and management of commercial (hot) activities, are typically transferred to the private part, often represented by a private entity. A corporate finance perspective is crucial for preparing a proper business model, where economic and financial flows are projected along the time span of the investment, with managerial and strategic insights for not ephemeral sustainability. Capital structure issues, rotating around (optimal) leverage, are eventually discussed, starting from a Modigliani & Miller framework, with practical insights and sensitivity analyses.
Over consumption. A horse race of Bayesian DSGE models

Standard dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models are populated by fully-informed-optimising Muth-rational agents. This kind of agent is at odds with well-known psychological biases, not to mention real life people. In particular, there are strong theoretical and empirical reasons to believe that consumers are overly optimistic. Also, the size of over optimism is likely to show cyclical features. In this paper we simulate two DSGE models, one standard with Muth-rational consumers, the other different just because agents are allowed to over consume. We then compare them throughout different cyclical phases. Results show that taking into account psychological biases allows the DSGE to fit better actual data in the long-run and in an economic boom scenario. Recessions are instead characterized by pessimism. We also find that over consumption is a structural trait. Moreover, booms enlarge significantly the magnitude of the bias. These findings are in line with - and enrich - both the economic and psychological literature, implying i) that the business cycle has a non trivial psychological content, and ii) that the size of psychological biases is affected by macroeconomic evolutions.
The effects of Echinacea purpurea dried extract on humoral immune response of broiler chicks to Newcastle vaccination

Nowadays, using of live and killed vaccines is usually done to prevent Newcastle disease of poultry; however, some of the poultry farms are being encountered with this disease because the available vaccines do not produce enough antibody titers. In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the effect of using an immune stimulator Echinacea purpurea on antibody production against Newcastle vaccine. Four hundred and fifty (450) broiler chicks (Cobb) were divided into five groups and three replicates of 30 chicks per replicate. For six weeks, various doses of dry extract (17, 21, 25, 29 mg/kg) of E. purpurea were administered in drinking water to four treatment groups, and placebo was administered to the control group. All groups received Newcastle vaccines on days: 11, 19 and 38. Subsequently, on days 10, 25, 34 and 42, blood samples were taken from each group and Newcastle antibody titers were defined by HI test. This experiment showed that the use of E. purpurea in each of the foregoing doses had increasing effects on antibody titers, and this fact is significant between the control group and treatment groups. By using Duncan multiple range test, it was determined that this effect is significant in the case of 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups at 25th days results, but at 34th and 42nd days results, all groups show the same range of titers. Key words : Echinacea purpurea, Newcastle vaccination, antibody titers, broiler chicks.
Detecting metal objects in magnetic environments using a broadband electromagnetic method

We analyze the use of the broadband electromagnetic (EM) method in detecting metallic objects, such as unexploded ordnance (UXO), buried in magnetic environments. Magnetic rocks close to the sensor often contribute a larger in‐phase response than does the target at depth, making target detection and identification difficult. On the other hand, magnetic rocks contribute little quadrature response, which gives rise to the concept of using quadrature response and apparent conductivity to detect metallic objects in highly magnetic environments.To test this concept, we employed numeric models, physical experiments, and field studies. A layered half‐space simulated conductive overburden and magnetic basement. Sphere models are used for isolated magnetic rocks and metal targets. The responses of the layered earth, magnetic rocks, and metal objects were added to obtain the approximate total response. We then inverted the EM data into apparent magnetic permeability and conductivity. The EM response at the lowest f.