Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gains in Maize Genetic Improvement in Eastern and Southern Africa: I. CIMMYT Hybrid Breeding Pipeline

Monitoring of genetic gain in crop genetic improvement programs is necessary to measure the efficiency of the program. periodic measurement of genetic gain also allows the efficiency of new technologies incorporated into a program to be quantified. Genetic gain within the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) breeding program for eastern and southern Africa were estimated using time series of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids. A total of 67 of the best-performing hybrids from regional trials from 2000 to 2010 were selected to form an era panel and evaluated in 32 trials in eight locations across six countries in eastern and southern Africa. Treatments included optimal management, managed and random drought stress, low-nitrogen (N) stress and maize streak virus (MSV) infestation. Genetic gain was estimated as the slope of the regression of grain yield on the year of hybrid release. Genetic gain under optimal conditions, managed drought, random drought, low N, and MSV were estimated to have increased by 109.4, 32.5, 22.7, 20.9 and 141.3 kg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. These results are comparable with genetic gain in maize yields in other regions of the world. New technologies to further increase the rate of genetic gain in maize breeding for eastern and southern Africa are also discussed. J.E. Cairns, B. Masuka, J. Macrobert, C. Magorokosho, A. Tarekegne, and M. Zaman-Allah, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), PO Box MP163, Harare, Zimbabwe; G. Alvarado, J. Crossa, M. Bänziger, and K.V. Pixley, CIMMYT, Km. 35 Carr. Mexico-Veracruz, Texcoco, Edo de Mexico, DF, Mexico; G.N. Atlin, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, PO Box 23350, Seattle, WA 98102; B.M. Prasanna, B. Das, M. Olsen, and D. Makumbi, CIMMYT, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri PO Box 1041, Village Market 00621, Nairobi, Kenya; M. Labushchangne and A. von Biljong, Dep. of Plant Sciences, Univ. of Free State, South Africa; B.S. Vivek, CIMMYT, Patancheru 502 324, India. Received 16 May 2016. Accepted 8 Sept. 2016. *Corresponding author ( j.cairns@cgiar.org). Assigned to Associate Editor Jode Edwards. Abbreviations: ASI, anthesis–silking interval; CIMMYT, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center; DH, doubled haploid; ESA, eastern and southern Africa; GCA, general combining ability; MSV, maize streak virus; OPV, open-pollinated variety; QTLs, quantitative trait loci; SNP, single-nucleotide polymorphism; SSA, sub-Saharan Africa. Published in Crop Sci. 57:168–179 (2017). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2016.05. 0343 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Published January 19, 2017
Methods to estimate stakeholder views of sustainability for construction projects

The new challenge for a construction project management is to meet the demands of sustainable construction, defined by ecological, economical, social and cultural variables. During a facilities lifecycle various activities involves a significant number of stakeholders. It could be those stakeholders who directly are involved, e.g. architects, facility managers or users, and those who more or less are affected by the project(s), e.g. the public. Each of these differs in their views of sustainability in general terms and in the view of the actual project. Based on the sustainability subgroups; ecology, economy, social, and culture, a profile of each stakeholder may be obtained. This can help the project management team to take a more, in a sustainability view, correct course of action in their decision process. The purpose of this study is to examine methods for estimating and evaluating views and opinions on sustainability from the various stakeholders, and discuss the possible applications for these methods, and how they need to be adapted to be suitable tools in construction project management. (Less)
Bipartite and neighborhood graphs and the spectrum of the normalized graph Laplacian

We study the spectrum of the normalized Laplace operator of a connected graph $\Gamma$. As is well known, the smallest nontrivial eigenvalue measures how difficult it is to decompose $\Gamma$ into two large pieces, whereas the largest eigenvalue controls how close $\Gamma$ is to being bipartite. The smallest eigenvalue can be controlled by the Cheeger constant, and we establish a dual construction that controls the largest eigenvalue. Moreover, we find that the neighborhood graphs $\Gamma[l]$ of order $l\geq2$ encode important spectral information about $\Gamma$ itself which we systematically explore. In particular, the neighborhood graph method leads to new estimates for the smallest nontrivial eigenvalue that can improve the Cheeger inequality, as well as an explicit estimate for the largest eigenvalue from above and below. As applications of such spectral estimates, we provide a criterion for the synchronizability of coupled map lattices, and an estimate for the convergence rate of random walks on graphs.
THE PECULIARITIES OF SPEECH AND MUSIC INTERACTION IN SPEECH-AND-MUSIC WORKS

The article is devoted to revealing the peculiarities of speech and music integrated functioning in the generative process of a speech-and-music work. Various forms of speech and music interaction are presented, among which the simultaneous generation of speech and music component is regarded as the most productive while a speech-and-music product created by adding a musical component to the poetic text is considered to be the most controversial. In the paper the author dwells on the importance to understand what exactly helps the composer to feel the most essential points in such a complex unity that is a poetic text and to adequately convey the poet’s original intention. Factors enabling adequate speech-and-music synthesis include the elements of intonation system, primarily rhythm and meter. Additionally, the nature of a speech-and-music work is predetermined by the means of lexical and syntactic language levels: The author stresses upon the special role of emotional-and-pragmatic potential, which accumulates the author’s concept of a poetic text, conveyed with the help of the integrated interaction of all language means. The paper substantiates the expediency and feasibility of the further study of speech and music relations by the comparison of emotional-and-pragmatic potentials of a poetic and a speech-and-music work.
Laboratory Scale Experiments for Biogas Production from Cassava Tubers

The production of biogas, an alternative source of energy, from starch-rich tubers of cassava plant, was investigated in the laboratory scale using the simple single-state digesters of 5- and 20-liter working volumes. The digesters were fed on a batch basis with the slurry of dry cassava tuber containing the average moisture content of 18%, and operated at ambient temperature (29-31°C) for 30 days. When operating the single-state digester of 5-liter working volume fed with the optimal concentrations of carbon and nitrogen sources, 1.00% (w/v) total solids and 0.04% (w/v) urea, the gas yield of 1.95 liters/day containing the maximum methane content of 67.92% was achieved at 10-day retention time. The fermentation reactions were ceased after 16-day operation. The fermentation volume was then scaled up to 20 liters. The gas yield of 5.50 liters/day containing 55.70% methane was obtained at 10-day retention time. Whereas the methane content of 67.57% and the gas yield of 3.88 liters/day were obtained at 14-day retention time. The fermentation reactions were ceased after 24-day operation. Biogas containing 67% methane content could be achieved from the digestion of cassava tubers using simple single-state digesters.
Structural and electronic properties of low-dimensional C-nanoassemblies and possible analogues for Si (and Ge)

The delocalised nature of π-electrons in carbon-based compounds has opened a huge path for new fundamental and technological developments using carbon-based materials of different dimensionality (from clusters, to surfaces, nanotubes and graphene, among others). The success of this field has prompted the proposal that other inorganic structures based on B and N and more recently on Si and Ge could be formed with specific structural, mechanical, and electronic properties. In this paper we provide an analysis of the similarities of the two fields starting from the analysis of the Si6H6 molecule, the analogue of the benzene molecule but now being nonplanar. Then we move to the study of the two-dimensional (buckled) analogues of graphene but now formed by Si and Ge. Similarly, we look to nonplanar compounds based on boron and boron-carbon nitrogen composites. In particular, we focus on the mechanical properties of those new materials that exhibit a very high stiffness, resilience, and flexibility. Possible applications in the fields of catalysis, lubrication, electronic, and photonic devices now seem a likely by-product. We also address future directions triggered by the predicted superconducting properties of graphene, among other areas.
The catastrophes and the combined failure of institutions, part II : a comparison of Fukushima and Minamata

This paper will attempt to understand how institutional failure should be detected and remedied quickly to limit the extent of damage caused by catastrophes, focusing on two significant cases in Japan: Fukushima and Minamata. Such a damage can be a manifestation of the combined failure. Also, as the causes of the cases relate to social technologies as well as physical technologies, it is necessary to adopt a trans-disciplinary approach which makes it possible to mobilize different capabilities of social and natural scientists, practitioners, and policymakers.
Inequality in the Distribution of Household Expenditure in Cameroon

In the literature, it is generally accepted that consumption is a more appropriate welfare measure than household income or salaries. This paper aims to investigate the evolution of expenditure inequality in Cameroon over the 1984-1996 period, with the help of Lorenz Curves, the Gini coefficient, and two entropy measures of inequality. Total expenditure inequality is decomposed into the within-groups and between-groups components using Theil's decomposition techniques and household expenditure data derived from the 1984 and 1996 National household surveys (i.e. the 1983/1984 Household Consumption Budget (EBC) survey, and the 1996 Cameroonian Household Survey (ECAM1)). Decompositions are carried out according to the residence area (rural, semi-urban, and urban), stratum, age, educational level and the gender of the household head. Policy implications are discussed.
A CHANDRA SURVEY OF FLUORESCENCE Fe LINES IN X-RAY BINARIES AT HIGH RESOLUTION

Fe K line fluorescence is commonly observed in the X-ray spectra of many X-ray binaries (XRBs) and represents a fundamental tool to investigate the material surrounding the X-ray source. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of 41 XRBs (10 HMXBs and 31 LMXBs) with Chandra with specific emphasis on the Fe K region and the narrow Fe Kα line, at the highest resolution possible. We find that (1) the Fe Kα line is always centered at λ = 1.9387 ± 0.0016 Å, compatible with Fe i up to Fe x; we detect no shifts to higher ionization states nor any difference between high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs) and low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs). (2) The line is very narrow, with FWHM ⩽ 5 mÅ, normally not resolved by Chandra which means that the reprocessing material is not rotating at high speeds. (3) Fe Kα fluorescence is present in all the HMXBs in the survey. In contrast, such emissions are astonishingly rare (∼10%) among LMXBs where only a few out of a large number showed Fe K fluorescence. However, the line and edge properties of these few are very similar to their high mass cousins. (4) The lack of Fe line emission is always accompanied by the lack of any detectable K edge. (5) We obtain the empirical curve of growth of the equivalent width of the Fe Kα line versus the density column of the reprocessing material, i.e., EWKα versus NH, and show that it is consistent with a reprocessing region spherically distributed around the compact object. (6) We show that fluorescence in XRBs follows the X-ray Baldwin effect as previously only found in the X-ray spectra of active galactic nuclei. We interpret this finding as evidence of decreasing neutral Fe abundance with increasing X-ray illumination and use it to explain some spectral states of Cyg X-1 as a possible cause of the lack of narrow Fe line emission in LMXBs. (7) Finally, we study anomalous morphologies such as Compton shoulders and asymmetric line profiles associated with the line fluorescence. Specifically, we present the first evidence of a Compton shoulder in the HMXB X1908+075. Also, the Fe Kα lines of 4U1700−37 and LMC X-4 present asymmetric wings, suggesting the presence of highly structured stellar winds in these systems.
Regional responses to transnational migration in North and Central America

This paper analyses the manifestations of and contestations to the migration management paradigm in North and Central America. I pay special attention to the understudied Central American Isthmus countries. I argue that migration management is not only an important response to increasing transnational migration but it also shapes the institutional arrangements of a new regional mobility regime. This regime is characterised by multilateralisation and tends to establish new forms of social control on mobile populations. Informed by studies of neoliberal governmentality and international government, recent research has criticised the concept of migration management as marked by a depoliticising language that tends to ‘teach’ technocratic western standards of migration governance to the countries and former ‘imperial subjects’ of the global South. Somewhat neglected in this recent wave of critical research, however, has been the interest expressed by the countries of the global South in adopting this migration management paradigm. I argue that Costa Rica is an appropriate case to demonstrate such interests. A second omission in recent research is a failure to reveal contestations to migration management discourses and practices. I claim that it is predominantly the strategies of ‘escape’ of migrants and local border societies that challenge migration management and force its actors to adopt flexible strategies of control. I draw on the multi-level and multiactor framework of ethnographic regime analysis in order to analyse both the institutional arrangements of migration management and the actors, practices and strategies of what I call the ‘power of migration’. In doing so I focus empirically on the Regional Conference on Migration in North and Central America (RCM), the new migration law in Costa Rica as well as the dynamics at the Costa Rican northern border region. I show that migration management can be analysed as part of broader social and state transformation processes of the Central American countries and is therefore a contested field.
A Survey on the Performance of Fuzzy-Neural Network at Predicting the Average Monthly Discharge of Catchment Basin Areas Having Snow Regimes

Snow is one kind of precipitation that because of its delay in turning into runoff water is much more different from other kinds of precipitation when it comes to modeling how to turn into water. Statistical models and regression are some of the most common analytical methods which mostly, due to solving this phenomenon linearly, are presenting results with errors and are incapable of modeling over-the-time changes of the considered phenomenon with acceptable accuracy. Nowadays intellectual fuzzy and neural systems, considering their abilities at solving nonlinear and complex phenomena, have a wide use in various engineering problems especially in Hydrology. In this study, by using the abilities of fuzzy-neural networks, is tried to create a model which has the least amount of information to perform for predicting the average monthly discharge in Jajrud River. Since Jajrud River is located in a basin with a mostly snowy regime, it's meant to find a deducible relation between the average monthly discharge and information of the water equivalent of basin's snow monitoring stations.
Chronic Pain of the Vulva without Dermatologic Manifestations: Distinguishing Among a Spectrum of Clinical Disorders

The causes of chronic vulvar pain are many and when not accompanied by obvious physical signs they are difficult to unravel. Many common vulvar dermatoses can manifest without obvious erythema or mucocutaneous lesions, as can some less common disorders of both infectious and allergic origin. In addition localized and generalized vulvar dysesthesia, recently defined chronic pain syndromes of neurogenic origin, can also occur in the vulvar area. Chronic vulvovaginal symptoms in early stages are often presumptuously labeled as vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) by patients and clinicians alike, which can delay accurate diagnosis. When presented with chronic vulvar pain unaccompanied by verifiable signs, the clinician must effect a sensitive integration of a detailed medical history, including temporal associations of all potential exposures, with more definitive diagnostic tools. Effective use of those available tools can improve initial diagnosis, thus allowing prompt initiation of effective therapy. Optimal therapy will recognize the significant psychological distress that accompanies any chronic pain syndrome.
Endogenous expression of thermo-sensitive ion channels TRPV1 and TRPV4 in immune tissues of avian species (duck, Anas platyrhynchos)

Calcium signaling and body temperature are two important factors governing activation of immune cells. However, molecular identities of major players involved in such critical regulations are still unknown, especially in avian systems. In this work we explored the endogenous expression of Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid subtype 1 and subtype 4 (TRPV1 and TRPV4) channels, in the immune cells and different tissues of duck (Anas platyrhynchos). TRPV1 and TRPV4 represent two important non-selective ion channels which are also thermo sensitive in nature. Using confocal microscopy we demonstrate that TRPV1 and TRPV4 are expressed endogenously in the duck immune system such as thymus, spleen, caecum and bursa. In thymus, bursa of Fabricius and caecum, these channels are differentially localized in the plasma membrane and intra-cellular regions. In addition, using Flow cytometry we demonstrate very specific expression of these two channels in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMCs) and CD3+ve T cells. This result is the first report of endogenous expression of TRPV channels in cells and tissues relevant for avian immune system. Such findings may have importance in the context of immune functions and responses to pathological challenges faced by PeerJ Preprints | https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints. 26614v1 | CC BY 4.0 Open Access | rec: 4 Mar 2018, publ: 4 Mar 20 8 2 birds. Presence of these two important ion channels in the duck immune system may also have commercial importance in the context of livestock management, food supplement and production of quality poultry products.
Prediction of Refugee Population in School Districts

This study developed a numerical formula based on statistical data on collapsed, burnt down buildings, and refugees taking shelter in schools during the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. The data on building damage used in the study were 2004 municipalities, classified into 46 junior high school districts. The independent variables were collapsed buildings, burnt down buildings, and average population of each building. The refugee population was regarded as a dependent variable in this study. The formula effectiveness in the junior high school district was 63% and 98% in administrative wards. When predicting the refugee population in schools in Kobe City using the formula, the school refugee population was 80% of all refugees in Kobe City predicted by the Hyogo Prefectural Government. This outcome was the same percentage of the population in school refuges in the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Predicting the refugee population who took shelter in other places besides school refuges and controlling other effective intermediary variables to fit different local areas are issues worth pursuing in advanced research.
Two‐dimensional seismic image of the San Andreas Fault in the Northern Gabilan Range, central California: Evidence for fluids in the fault zone

A joint inversion for two‐dimensional P‐wave velocity (Vp), P‐to‐S velocity ratio (Vp/Vs), and earthquake locations along the San Andreas fault (SAF) in central California reveals a complex relationship among seismicity, fault zone structure, and the surface fault trace. A zone of low Vp and high Vp/Vs lies beneath the SAF surface trace (SAFST), extending to a depth of about 6 km. Most of the seismic activity along the SAF occurs at depths of 3 to 7 km in a southwest‐dipping zone that roughly intersects the SAFST, and lies near the southwest edge of the low Vp and high Vp/Vs zones. Tests indicate that models in which this seismic zone is significantly closer to vertical can be confidently rejected. A second high Vp/Vs zone extends to the northeast, apparently dipping beneath the Diablo Range. Another zone of seismicity underlies the northeast portion of this Vp/Vs high. The high Vp/Vs zones cut across areas of very different Vp values, indicating that the high Vp/Vs values are due to the presence of fluids, not just lithology. The close association between the zones of high Vp/Vs and seismicity suggests a direct involvement of fluids in the faulting process.
Applying Data Mining Techniques on Thai Traditional Medicine Treatment

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) has been popularly practiced in Thai culture and society since the Sukothai period. For the past decade, Thai government and private sectors have collaboratively worked to restore it to common use, after many years of inactivity. Many hospitals now combine TTM with western treatments. Data mining techniques were applied to a comprehensive dataset of TTM treatments collected between 2012 and 2015 by Bangkrathum Hospital. The original data with 56,160 records was preprocessed, cleaned and transformed to achieve a useable dataset for use with data mining techniques. Two different techniques were applied to discover symptom relationships and models. The association rule technique was applied to a 2,000 record dataset with 134 different symptoms, and the classification technique analyzed a dataset of 15,963 records. By applying the association rule technique using the a priori algorithmic approach, some symptoms that often occur simultaneously were discovered and coded in if-then type rules. Applying these rules suggests symptoms that could simultaneously occur with other symptoms. The classification techniques of Artificial Neural Network, Decision Tree and Naive Bayes, were applied to create models to predict likely diagnoses from symptoms recorded in new patient records. Ten rules for symptom association prevalence were identified using the association rule approach, based on the prevalence of 8 symptoms. The construction of a Decision Tree was proven to be the best classification technique. The data mining approach applied in the study and the resulting models can be effectively used by TTM practitioners for modeling patient diagnoses based on identified symptoms.