pinecone/core-2020-05-10-deduplication huggingface dataset:
Juvenile growth of hybrid poplars on acidic boreal soil determined by environmental effects of soil preparation, vegetation control, and fertilization

The silviculture of hybrid poplars and other fast-growing tree species is a promising solution to reduce the pressure on natural forests while maintaining wood supplies to industries. However, hybrid poplars are very sensitive to competing vegetation and to inadequate soil conditions and fertility. Possible management tools include mechanical site preparation (MSP), vegetation control (VC), and fertilization. Experimental plantations of hybrid poplars (one clone, Populus balsamea×Populus maximowiczii) were established at eight formerly forested sites on acidic soil in the southern boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. The objective was to test the response of hybrid poplars to the interaction of several silvicultural tools, which has been rarely done. FourMSPtreatments (in decreasing order of intensity: mounding, harrowing, heavy disk trenching, light disk trenching) and a control (unprepared) were all combined with four different frequencies of plant competition control by brushing (from never up to once a year). Fertilization with N or N+ P was also tested in three selected MSP treatments. After five years, hybrid poplar tree growth among MSP treatments increased in the following order: unprepared < light disk trenching < heavy disk trenching < harrowing < mounding. MSP was also essential in favouring early tree survival, as illustrated by mortality rates of over 20% in unprepared plots and below 5% in all other MSP treatments. The effect of competition control on hybrid poplar growth was greatest in the less intensive MSP treatments, where competing vegetation was the most abundant. On the contrary, fertilization effect was significant only in the most intensive MSP (mounding). Moreover, neither fertilization nor VC could compensate for inadequate soil preparation. Of all the silvicultural treatments tested, mounding provided the best tree growth despite a nitrogen and carbon impoverished surface soil
Packet loss visibility across SD, HD, 3D, and UHD video streams

The trend towards video streaming with increased spatial resolutions and\ud
dimensions, SD, HD, 3D, and 4kUHD, even for portable devices has important\ud
implications for displayed video quality. There is an interplay between\ud
packetization, packet loss visibility, choice of codec, and viewing conditions,\ud
which implies that prior studies at lower resolutions may not be as relevant.\ud
This paper presents two sets of experiments, the one at a Variable BitRate\ud
(VBR) and the other at a Constant BitRate(CBR), which highlight different\ud
aspects of the interpretation. The latter experiments also compare and\ud
contrast encoding with either an H.264 or an High Efficiency Video Coding\ud
(HEVC) codec, with all results recorded as objective Mean Opinion Score\ud
(MOS). The video quality assessments will be of interest to those considering:\ud
the bitrates and expected quality in error-prone environments; or, in\ud
fact, whether to use a reliable transport protocol to prevent all errors, at a\ud
cost in jitter and latency, rather than tolerate low levels of packet errors
Spin correlation and relaxational dynamics in molecular-based single-chain magnets

We report the combined measurements of the dc susceptibility X0, the ac susceptibility X, and the NMR relaxation rate T for the molecular-based heterometallic single-chain magnet [Mn(saltmen)]2[Ni(pao)2(py)2](PF6)2. At low temperatures, this system is well described by a one-dimensional array of effective spin S=3 chains comprising the MnIII-NiII-MnIII trimers and treated as the S=3 Ising chain with the single-ion term (Blume-Capel model). Using the exact solution of the model and based on the picture that the random motion of the local domain walls dominates the low-temperature spin dynamics, we succeeded in reproducing the experimental results of the dc susceptibility X0, the ac susceptibility X, and the 19F-NMR relaxation rate T in a consistent manner
Chebyshev expansion for the component functions of the Almost-Mathieu Operator

The component functions {Ψn(∈)} (n ∈ Z+) from difference Schrödinger operators, can be formulated in a second order linear difference equation. Then the Harper equation, associated to almost-Mathieu operator, is a prototypical example. Its spectral behavior is amazing. Here, due the cosine coefficient in Harper equation, the component functions are expanded in a Chebyshev series of first kind, Tn(cos2πθ). It permits us a particular method for the θ variable separation. Thus, component functions can be expressed as an inner product, Ψn(, λ, θ) = _T [ n(n−1) 2 ] (cos2πθ) • _A [ n(n−1) 2 ] (_, λ). A matrix block transference method is applied for the calculation of the vector _A [ n(n−1) 2 ] (_, λ). When θ is integer, Ψn(_) is the sum of component from _A [ n(n−1) 2 ]. The complete family of Chebyshev Polynomials can be generated, with fit initial conditions. The continuous spectrum is one band with Lebesgue measure equal to 4. When θ is not integer the inner product Ψn can be seen as a perturbation of vector _T [ n(n−1) 2 ] on the sum of components from the vector _A [ n(n−1) 2 ]. When θ = p q , with p and q coprime, periodic perturbation appears, the connected band from the integer case degenerates in q sub-bands. When θ is irrational, ergodic perturbation produces that one band spectrum from integer case degenerates to a Cantor set. Lebesgue measure is Lσ = 4(1 − |λ|), 0 < |λ| ≤ 1. In this situation, the series solution becomes critical
Relativistic current collection by a cylindrical Langmuir probe

The current I to a cylindrical Langmuir probe with a bias Φp satisfying β≡eΦp/mec2∼O(1) is discussed. The probe is considered at rest in an unmagnetized plasma composed of electrons and ions with temperatureskTe∼kTi≪mec2. For small enough radius, the probe collects the relativistic orbital-motion-limited (OML) current I OML , which is shown to be larger than the non-relativistic result; the OML current is proportional to β1/2 and β3/2 in the limits β≪1 and β≫1, respectively. Unlike the non-relativistic case, the electron density can exceed the unperturbed density value. An asymptotic theory allowed to compute the maximum radius of the probe to collect OML current, the sheath radius for probe radius well below maximum and how the ratio I/I OML drops below unity when the maximum radius is exceeded. A numerical algorithm that solves the Vlasov-Poisson system was implemented and density and potential profiles presented. The results and their implications in a possible mission to Jupiter with electrodynamic bare tethers are discussed density value. An asymptotic theory allowed to compute the maximum radius of the probe to collect OML current, the sheath radius for probe radius well below maximum and how the ratio I/IOML drops below unity when the maximum radius is exceeded. A numerical algorithm that solves the Vlasov-Poisson system was implemented and density and potential profiles presented. The results and their implications in a possible mission to Jupiter with electrodynamic bare tethers are discussed
The analytic hierarchy process to support decision-making processes in infrastructure projects with social impact

There is an increasing awareness among all kinds of organisations (in business,government and civil society) about the beneﬁts of jointly working with stakeholders\ud
to satisfy both their goals and the social demands placed upon them. This is particularly the case within corporate social responsibility (CSR) frameworks. In this regard, multi-criteria tools for decision-making like the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) described in the paper can be useful for the building relationships with stakeholders. Since these tools can reveal decision-maker’s preferences, the\ud
integration of opinions from various stakeholders in the decision-making process may result in better and more innovative solutions with signiﬁcant shared value.\ud
This paper is based on ongoing research to assess the feasibility of an AHP-based model to support CSR decisions in large infrastructure projects carried out by Red\ud
Electrica de España, the sole transmission agent and operator of the Spanishelectricity system
Structure of Real and Virtual Photons from ZEUS

Measurements sensitive to the structure of both real and virtual photons are
presented and compared to theoretical models with various photon parton
distribution functions (PDFs). Measurements for real photons show a tendency
for the available photon PDFs to be too small to describe the data. For virtual
photons, the photon PDF is seen to decrease with increasing photon virtuality.
In order to describe the data, resolved photon processes are required up to a
photon virtuality of at least 4.5 GeV^2
Cytomegalovirus Serology and Replication Remain Associated With Solid Organ Graft Rejection and Graft Loss in the Era of Prophylactic Treatment

BACKGROUND\ud
\ud
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication has been associated with more risk for solid organ graft rejection. We wondered whether this association still holds when patients at risk receive prophylactic treatment for CMV.\ud
\ud
METHODS\ud
\ud
We correlated CMV infection, biopsy-proven graft rejection, and graft loss in 1,414 patients receiving heart (n=97), kidney (n=917), liver (n=237), or lung (n=163) allografts reported to the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study.\ud
\ud
RESULTS\ud
\ud
Recipients of all organs were at an increased risk for biopsy-proven graft rejection within 4 weeks after detection of CMV replication (hazard ratio [HR] after heart transplantation, 2.60; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-4.94, P<0.001; HR after kidney transplantation, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.16-2.16, P=0.02; HR after liver transplantation, 2.21; 95% CI, 1.53-3.17, P<0.001; HR after lung transplantation, 5.83; 95% CI, 3.12-10.9, P<0.001. Relative hazards were comparable in patients with asymptomatic or symptomatic CMV infection. The CMV donor or recipient serological constellation also predicted the incidence of graft rejection after liver and lung transplantation, with significantly higher rates of rejection in transplants in which donor or recipient were CMV seropositive (non-D-/R-), compared with D- transplant or R- transplant (HR, 3.05; P=0.002 for liver and HR, 2.42; P=0.01 for lung transplants). Finally, graft loss occurred more frequently in non-D- or non-R- compared with D- transplant or R- transplant in all organs analyzed. Valganciclovir prophylactic treatment seemed to delay, but not prevent, graft loss in non-D- or non-R- transplants.\ud
\ud
CONCLUSION\ud
\ud
Cytomegalovirus replication and donor or recipient seroconstellation remains associated with graft rejection and graft loss in the era of prophylactic CMV treatment
Are there differences in responses to social identity questions in face-to-face versus telephone interviews? Results of an experiment on a longitudinal survey

This paper investigates the effect of interview mode (telephone versus face-to-face) on responses to a 13-item module of identity questions covering distinct domains. With increasing moves towards mixed-mode implementation, especially in longitudinal surveys, establishing whether mode effects are likely to influence findings is of practical value. A growing number of studies explore mode effects; but the potential impact of mode on identity questions has not been investigated, even though such questions are increasingly being asked in multi-topic surveys. Adjusting for selection, we find little evidence for specific mode effects. The exception is responses on political identity: telephone responders are eight percentage points more likely to consider politics important to their identity. We do not find differences in data quality as measured by item non-response, straightlining, primacy and recency effects across modes. We conclude that mode effects are small for identity questions
Gauge Groups and Matter Fields on Some Models of F-theory without
  Section

We investigate F-theory on an elliptic Calabi-Yau 4-fold without a section to
the fibration. To construct an elliptic Calabi-Yau 4-fold without a section, we
introduce families of elliptic K3 surfaces which do not admit a section. A
product K3 $\times$ K3, with one of the K3's chosen from these families of
elliptic K3 surfaces without a section, realises an elliptic Calabi-Yau 4-fold
without a section. We then compactify F-theory on such K3 $\times$ K3's. We
determine the gauge groups and matter fields which arise on 7-branes for these
models of F-theory compactifications without a section. Since each K3 $\times$
K3 constructed does not have a section, gauge groups arising on 7-branes for
F-theory models on constructed K3 $\times$ K3's do not have $U(1)$-part.
Interestingly, exceptional gauge group $E_6$ appears for some cases.Comment: 23 page
Generation and analysis of correlated pairs of photons on board a
  nanosatellite

Satellites carrying sources of entangled photons could establish a global
quantum network, enabling private encryption keys between any two points on
Earth. Despite numerous proposals, demonstration of space-based quantum systems
has been limited due to the cost of traditional satellites. We are using very
small spacecraft to accelerate progress. We report the in-orbit operation of a
photon pair source aboard a 1.65 kg nanosatellite and demonstrate pair
generation and polarization correlation under space conditions. The in-orbit
photon correlations exhibit a contrast of 97+/-2%, matching ground-based tests.
This pathfinding mission overcomes the challenge of demonstrating in-orbit
performance for the components of future entangled photon experiments. Ongoing
operation establishes the in-orbit lifetime of these critical components. More
generally, this demonstrates the ability for nanosatellites to enable faster
progress in space-based research
Electronic and optical properties of bilayer blue phosphorus

We investigate the electronic and optical properties of monolayer and
stacking dependent bilayer blue phosphorus in the framework of density
functional theory (DFT) and tight-binding approximations. We extract the
hopping parameters of TB Hamiltonian for monolayer and bilayer blue phosphorus
by using the DFT results. The variation of energy band gap with applied
external electric field for two different stacks of bilayer blue phosphorus are
also shown. We examine the linear response of the systems due to the external
electromagnetic radiation in terms of the dielectric functions in the DFT
theory. The relatively large electronic band gap and possibility of exfoliation
form bulk structure due to weak interlayer coupling, make blue phosphorus an
appropriate candidate for future electronic devices
Actinide collisions for QED and superheavy elements with the time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory and the Balian-Vénéroni variational principle

Collisions of actinide nuclei form, during very short times of few zs (10−21 s), the heaviest ensembles of interacting nucleons available on Earth. Such collisions are used to produce super-strong electric f elds by the huge number of interacting protons to test spontaneous positron-electron pair emission (vacuum decay) predicted by the quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory. Multi-nucleon transfer in actinide collisions could also be used as an alternative way to fusion in order to produce neutron-rich heavy and superheavy elements thanks to inverse quasif ssion mechanisms. Actinide collisions are studied in a dynamical quantum microscopic approach. The three-dimensional time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) code tdhf3d is used with a full Skyrme energy density functional to investigate the time evolution of expectation values of one-body operators, such as fragment position and particle number. This code is also used to compute the dispersion of the particle numbers (e.g., widths of fragment mass and charge distributions) from TDHF transfer probabilities, on the one hand, and using the Balian- Veneroni variational principle, on the other hand. A f rst application to test QED is discussed. Collision times in 238U+238U are computed to determine the optimum energy for the observation of the vacuum decay. It is shown that the initial orientation strongly affects the collision times and reaction mechanism. The highest collision times predicted by TDHF in this reaction are of the order of ∼ 4 zs at a center of mass energy of 1200 MeV. According to modern calculations based on the Dirac equation, the collision times at Ecm > 1 GeV are sufficient to allow spontaneous electron-positron pair emission from QED vacuum decay, in case of bare uranium ion collision. A second application of actinide collisions to produce neutron-rich transfermiums is discussed. A new inverse quasif ssion mechanism associated to a specif c orientation of the nuclei is proposed to produce transfermium nuclei (Z > 100) in the collision of prolate deformed actinides such as 232Th+250Cf. The collision of the tip of one nucleus with the side of the other results in a nucleon f ux toward the latter. The probability distributions for transfermium production in such a collision are computed. The produced nuclei are more neutron-rich than those formed in fusion reactions, thus, leading to more stable isotopes closer to the predicted superheavy island of stability. In addition to mass and charge dispersion, the Balian-Veneroni variational principle is used to compute correlations between Z and N distributions, which are zero in standard TDHF calculations
Incorporating Semiotics into Fuzzy Logic to Enhance Clinical Decision Support Systems

Part 2: Organizational Semiotics and ApplicationsInternational audienceIn order to enhance the quality of care, healthcare organisations are increasingly resorting to clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), which provide physicians with appropriate health care decisions or recommendations. However, how to explicitly represent the diverse vague medical knowledge and effectively reason in the decision-making process are still problems we are confronted. In this paper, we incorporate semiotics into fuzzy logic to enhance CDSSs with the aim of providing both the abilities of describing medical domain concepts contextually and reasoning with vague knowledge. A semiotically inspired fuzzy CDSSs framework is presented, based on which the vague knowledge representation and reasoning process are demonstrated
Structure and primase-mediated activation of a bacterial dodecameric replicative helicase

International audienceReplicative helicases are essential ATPases that unwind DNA to initiate chromosomal replication. While bacterial replicative DnaB helicases are hexameric, Helicobacter pylori DnaB (HpDnaB) was found to form double hexamers, similar to some archaeal and eukaryotic replicative helicases. Here we present a structural and functional analysis of HpDnaB protein during primosome formation. The crystal structure of the HpDnaB at 6.7 ˚ A resolution reveals a dode-cameric organization consisting of two hexamers assembled via their N-terminal rings in a stack-twisted mode. Using fluorescence anisotropy we show that HpDnaB dodecamer interacts with single-stranded DNA in the presence of ATP but has a low DNA unwinding activity. Multi-angle light scattering and small angle X-ray scattering demonstrate that interaction with the DnaG primase helicase-binding domain dissociates the helicase dodecamer into single ringed primosomes. Functional assays on the proteins and associated complexes indicate that these single ringed primosomes are the most active form of the helicase for ATP hydrolysis, DNA binding and unwinding. These findings shed light onto an activation mechanism of HpDnaB by the primase that might be relevant in other bacteria and possibly other organisms exploiting dodecameric helicases for DNA replication
Dual-time-point 18F-FDG PET imaging for diagnosis of disease type and disease activity in patients with idiopathic interstitial pneumonia

Purpose Individual clinical courses of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) are
	variable and difficult to predict because the pathology and disease activity are
	contingent, and chest computed tomography (CT) provides little information about
	disease activity. In this study, we applied dual-time-point
	[18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET), commonly used for diagnosis of malignant tumors, to the differential diagnosis and
	prediction of disease progression in IIP patients.
	Methods Fifty patients with IIP, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, n=21), nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP, n=18), and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia
	(COP, n=11), underwent 18F-FDG PET examinations at two time points: Scan 1 at 60 min (early imaging) and Scan 2 at 180 min (delayed imaging) after 18F-FDG injection.
	The standardized uptake values (SUV) at the two points and the retention index (RI-SUV) calculated from them were evaluated and compared with chest CT findings,
	disease progression, and disease types. To evaluate short term disease progression, all
	patients were examined pulmonary function test every 3 months for 1 year after
	18F-FDG PET scanning. Results The early SUV for COP (2.47±0.74) was significantly higher than that for IPF (0.99±0.29, P=0.0002) or NSIP (1.22±0.44, P=0.0025). When an early SUV cut-off value of 1.5 and greater was used to distinguish COP from IPF and NSIP, the sensitivity,
	specificity, and accuracy were 90.9%, 94.3%, and 93.5%, respectively. The RI-SUV for
	IPF and NSIP lesions was significantly greater in patients with deteriorated pulmonary function after 1-year of follow-up (progressive group, 13.0±8.9%) than in cases without
	deterioration during the 1-year observation period (stable group, -16.8±5.9%, P<0.0001). However, the early SUV for all IIP types provided no additional information of disease progression. When an RI-SUV cut-off value of 0% and greater was used to
	distinguish progressive IIPs from stable IIPs, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy
	were 95.5%, 100%, and 97.8%, respectively. Conclusion Early-SUV and RI-SUV obtained from dual-time point 18F-FDG PET are
	useful parameter for the differential diagnosis and prediction of disease progression in
	patients with IIP
Projection-free approximate balanced truncation of large unstable systems

In this article, we show that the projection-free, snapshot-based, balanced truncation method can be applied directly to unstable systems. We prove that even for unstable systems, the unmodified balanced proper orthogonal decomposition algorithm theoretically yields a converged transformation that balances the Gramians (including the unstable subspace). We then apply the method to a spatially developing unstable system and show that it results in reduced-order models of similar quality to the ones obtained with existing methods. Due to the unbounded growth of unstable modes, a practical restriction on the final impulse response simulation time appears, which can be adjusted depending on the desired order of the reduced-order model. Recommendations are given to further reduce the cost of the method if the system is large and to improve the performance of the method if it does not yield acceptable results in its unmodified form. Finally, the method is applied to the linearized flow around a cylinder at Re = 100 to show that it actually is able to accurately reproduce impulse responses for more realistic unstable large-scale systems in practice. The well-established approximate balanced truncation numerical framework therefore can be safely applied to unstable systems without any modifications. Additionally, balanced reduced-order models can readily be obtained even for large systems, where the computational cost of existing methods is prohibitive