The economy of most rural locations in the semi-arid region of Llano Estacado in the southern United States is predominantly based on agriculture, primarily beef and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. This regio...The economy of most rural locations in the semi-arid region of Llano Estacado in the southern United States is predominantly based on agriculture, primarily beef and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. This region is prone to drought and is projected to experience a drier climate. Droughts that coincide with the critical phenological phases of a crop can be remarkably costly. Although drought cannot be prevented, its losses can be minimized through mitigation measures if it is predicted in advance. Predicting yield loss from an imminent drought is an important need of stakeholders. One way to fulfill this need is using an agricultural drought index, such as the Agricultural Reference Index for Drought (ARID). Being plant physiology-based, ARID can represent drought-yield relationships accurately. This study developed an ARID-based yield model for predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat in this region by accounting for its phenological phase-specific sensitivity to water stress. The reasonable values of the drought sensitivity coefficients of the yield model indicated that it could reflect the phenomenon of water stress decreasing the winter wheat yields in this region reasonably. The values of the various metrics used to evaluate the model, including Willmott Index (0.86), Nash-Sutcliffe Index (0.61), and percentage error (26), indicated that the yield model performed fairly well at predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat. The yield model may be useful for predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat in the study region and scheduling irrigation allocation based on phenological phase-specific drought sensitivity.展开更多
Reversible watermarking schemes for relational database are usually classified into two groups: robust schemes and fragile schemes. The main limitation of existing reversible fragile methods is that they cannot differ...Reversible watermarking schemes for relational database are usually classified into two groups: robust schemes and fragile schemes. The main limitation of existing reversible fragile methods is that they cannot differentiate between legal and malicious modifications. In this paper, we introduce a novel lossless semi-fragile scheme based on prediction-error expansion for content protection of relational database. In the proposed method, all attributes in a database relation are first classified according to their sensitivity to legitimate updates. Then, the watermark is embedded by expanding the prediction error of the two least significant digits of securely selected attributes. At watermark extraction, the proposed method has the ability to fully restore the original data while detecting and localizing tampering. The applicability of our method is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally.展开更多
The aim of this paper is to broaden the application of Stochastic Configuration Network (SCN) in the semi-supervised domain by utilizing common unlabeled data in daily life. It can enhance the classification accuracy ...The aim of this paper is to broaden the application of Stochastic Configuration Network (SCN) in the semi-supervised domain by utilizing common unlabeled data in daily life. It can enhance the classification accuracy of decentralized SCN algorithms while effectively protecting user privacy. To this end, we propose a decentralized semi-supervised learning algorithm for SCN, called DMT-SCN, which introduces teacher and student models by combining the idea of consistency regularization to improve the response speed of model iterations. In order to reduce the possible negative impact of unsupervised data on the model, we purposely change the way of adding noise to the unlabeled data. Simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively utilize unlabeled data to improve the classification accuracy of SCN training and is robust under different ground simulation environments.展开更多
In this paper, the solution of the matrix second semi-tensor product equation A∘lX∘lB=Cis studied. Firstly, the solvability of the matrix-vector second semi-tensor product equation is investigated. At the same time,...In this paper, the solution of the matrix second semi-tensor product equation A∘lX∘lB=Cis studied. Firstly, the solvability of the matrix-vector second semi-tensor product equation is investigated. At the same time, the compatibility conditions, the sufficient and necessary conditions and the specific solution methods for the matrix solution are given. Secondly, we further consider the solvability of the second semi-tensor product equation of the matrix. For each part, several examples are given to illustrate the validity of the results.展开更多
As an extension of overlap functions, pseudo-semi-overlap functions are a crucial class of aggregation functions. Therefore, (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets are introduced, utilizing pseudo-semi-overlap functions, and furth...As an extension of overlap functions, pseudo-semi-overlap functions are a crucial class of aggregation functions. Therefore, (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets are introduced, utilizing pseudo-semi-overlap functions, and further extended for applications in image edge extraction. Firstly, a new clustering function, the pseudo-semi-overlap function, is introduced by eliminating the symmetry and right continuity present in the overlap function. The relaxed nature of this function enhances its applicability in image edge extraction. Secondly, the definitions of (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets are provided, using (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets, a pair of new fuzzy mathematical morphological operators (IPSOFMM operators) is proposed. Finally, by combining the fuzzy C-means algorithm and IPSOFMM operators, a novel image edge extraction algorithm (FCM-IPSO algorithm) is proposed and implemented. Compared to existing algorithms, the FCM-IPSO algorithm exhibits more image edges and a 73.81% decrease in the noise introduction rate. The outstanding performance of (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets in image edge extraction demonstrates their practical application value.展开更多
We establish the links between the lightlike geometry and basics invariants of the associated semi-Riemannian geometry on r-lightlike submanifold and semi-Riemannian constructed from a semi-Riemannian ambient. Then we...We establish the links between the lightlike geometry and basics invariants of the associated semi-Riemannian geometry on r-lightlike submanifold and semi-Riemannian constructed from a semi-Riemannian ambient. Then we establish some basic inequalities, involving the scalar curvature and shape operator on r-lightlike coisotropic submanifold in semi-Riemannian manifold. Equality cases are also discussed.展开更多
Rare labeled data are difficult to recognize by using conventional methods in the process of radar emitter recogni-tion.To solve this problem,an optimized cooperative semi-supervised learning radar emitter recognition...Rare labeled data are difficult to recognize by using conventional methods in the process of radar emitter recogni-tion.To solve this problem,an optimized cooperative semi-supervised learning radar emitter recognition method based on a small amount of labeled data is developed.First,a small amount of labeled data are randomly sampled by using the bootstrap method,loss functions for three common deep learning net-works are improved,the uniform distribution and cross-entropy function are combined to reduce the overconfidence of softmax classification.Subsequently,the dataset obtained after sam-pling is adopted to train three improved networks so as to build the initial model.In addition,the unlabeled data are preliminarily screened through dynamic time warping(DTW)and then input into the initial model trained previously for judgment.If the judg-ment results of two or more networks are consistent,the unla-beled data are labeled and put into the labeled data set.Lastly,the three network models are input into the labeled dataset for training,and the final model is built.As revealed by the simula-tion results,the semi-supervised learning method adopted in this paper is capable of exploiting a small amount of labeled data and basically achieving the accuracy of labeled data recognition.展开更多
Introduction: Grand multiparity is a known risk factor for maternal and fetal complications. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study on the delivery of grand multiparas at the materni...Introduction: Grand multiparity is a known risk factor for maternal and fetal complications. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study on the delivery of grand multiparas at the maternity of the regional hospital annex of Ayos, a semi-rural locality in the Center region of Cameroon. The study covered the period from January 2012 through December 2020, and the objective was to assess the frequency, the determinants and the outcome of delivery in grand multiparas. Results: We recorded 1384 deliveries and enrolled 137 cases of delivery of grand multiparas. This gives a frequency of grand multipara delivery of 9.89%. The mean age of the women was 34.96 ± 4.45 years. Married parturients accounted for 65% of the cases and 16.8% were HIV positive. Delivery occurred at term in 89.9%. In 35.8%, no antenatal consultation was done. The use of the partograph during labor was reported in 11.7%. Per vaginal delivery was noted in 88.3%, emergency cesarean in 10.2% and elective cesarean in 1.5%. The most frequent maternal complications included post-partum hemorrhage (19.9%), genital tract tears (12.4%), endometritis (9.5%) and surgical wound infection (8.7%). No maternal death was recorded. The mean birth weight of the newborns was 3336.8 ± 550 g. Fetal complications were mostly represented by neonatal infection (20.1%), perinatal death (7.9%) and neonatal asphyxia (9.5%). Conclusion: The frequency of grand multiparous delivery in the semi-rural locality of Ayos, Cameroon, was 9.89%. The mean age of parturients was 38.96 years and the proportion of vaginal delivery was 88.3%.展开更多
Introduction: The delivery of a primipara, a woman giving birth for the first time, is challenging and may lead to complications and influence the obstetrical future of a woman. Materials and Methods: We carried out a...Introduction: The delivery of a primipara, a woman giving birth for the first time, is challenging and may lead to complications and influence the obstetrical future of a woman. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional and analytical study at the maternity of the regional hospital annex of Ayos, a semi-rural locality in Cameroon, for the period between January 2012 and December 2020. The objective was to determine the frequency and the determinants of primipara delivery. Results: We recruited 440 cases. The frequency of primipara delivery was 31.8%. The ages of the participants ranged from 12 to 35 years with a mean age of 18.01 ± 3.52 years. Single women contributed to 95.5% of cases while 97.5% were unemployed. The delivery occurred at term in 90.2% and 98.4% of pregnancies were singleton. The delivery was vaginal in 91.6%, while caesarean delivery was done in 8.4% (8% emergency and 0.4% elective). The most frequent maternal complications were genital tract tears (15.7%), post-partum hemorrhage (12.5%) and endometritis (2.7%). The birth weight of newborns ranged from 1070 to 4500 g with a mean of 3024.5 ± 511.4 g. The single marital status, a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks and a birth weight between 1500 g and 2499 g were significantly associated with vaginal delivery. Conclusion: The frequency of primiparous delivery was relatively high (31.8%) in the Ayos semi-rural health district of Cameroon. Major complications associated with delivery included genital tract tears, post-partum hemorrhage, cesarean section and neo-natal infection.展开更多
Information is limited on the potential of double-cropping cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the semiarid region of the southern United States. Using the Decision Support System for Agr...Information is limited on the potential of double-cropping cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the semiarid region of the southern United States. Using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop model and weather data of 80 years, we assessed the possibility of cowpea-wheat double-cropping in this region for grain purpose as affected by planting date and N application rate. Results showed that the possibility of double-cropping varied from 0% to 65%, depending on the cropping system. The possibility was less with systems comprising earlier planting dates of wheat and later planting dates of cowpea. Results indicated that cowpea-wheat double-cropping could be beneficial only when no N was applied, with wheat planted on October 15 or later. At zero N, the double-crops of cowpea planted on July 15 and wheat planted on November 30 were the most beneficial of all the 72 double-cropping systems studied. With a delay in planting cowpea, the percentage of beneficial double-cropping systems decreased. At N rates other than zero, fallow-wheat monocropping systems were more beneficial than cowpea-wheat double-cropping systems, and the benefit was greater at a higher N rate. At 100 kg N ha<sup>-1</sup>, the monocrop of wheat planted on October 15 was the most beneficial of all the 94 systems studied. Results further showed that fallow-wheat yields increased almost linearly with an increase in N rate from 0 to 100 kg∙ha<sup>-1</sup>. Fallow-wheat grain yields were quadratically associated with planting dates. With an increase in N rate, wheat yields reached the peak with an earlier planting date. Wheat yields produced under monocropping systems were greater than those produced under double-cropping systems for any cowpea planting date. Cowpea yields produced under monocropping systems were greater than those produced under any double-cropping system. The relationship between cowpea grain yields and planting dates was quadratic, with July 1 planting date associated with the maximum yields.展开更多
Information is limited on the effects of climate variability on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields in the semiarid region of the southern US. Using the Decision Support System...Information is limited on the effects of climate variability on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields in the semiarid region of the southern US. Using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop model and weather data spanning 81 years, we assessed the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the grain yields of these crops in the Llano Estacado region of the southern US as affected by cowpea and wheat planting dates and N application rate. Simulated results showed that the El Niño phase of ENSO produced about 30% more yields of mono-cropped cowpea than those produced under the La Niña phase, especially with the cowpeas planted in July. The cowpea yields under El Niño were about 10% more than the 81-year average normal yield, whereas those under La Niña were about 20% less. At the N rates of 0, 50, and 100 kg·ha<sup>−1</sup>, regardless of wheat planting dates, the El Niño years produced, respectively, about 8%, 40%, and 60% higher wheat yields than those produced in the La Niña years, and about 5%, 20%, and 27% more than the 81-year average normal yield. In the La Niña years, the wheat yields at 0, 50, and 100 kg N ha<sup>−1 </sup>were, respectively, about 5%, 15%, and 20% less than the normal yield with similar N levels. The impact of ENSO on wheat yields under cowpea-wheat double-cropping systems was significant, especially for the wheat crops planted on October 15 (October 30) or later following the cowpea crops planted in June (July). At zero N, the mono-cropped wheat yields were not impacted by ENSO due to N limitation. However, the double-cropped wheat yields were impacted by ENSO even when no N fertilizer was applied due to high soil N status caused by N transfer from cowpea stover residues and roots. Results indicated that management strategies need to be attentive to ENSO forecasts and adjust potential planting dates and N application rates with the ENSO phase to avert risks of crop failure and economic loss.展开更多
Interest in the Côte d’Ivoire sedimentary basin has led to numerous investigations. All these investigations are aimed at understanding the functioning of the basin and a paleogeographic approach including sedim...Interest in the Côte d’Ivoire sedimentary basin has led to numerous investigations. All these investigations are aimed at understanding the functioning of the basin and a paleogeographic approach including sediment transport dynamics. However, the use of exoscopy and semi-quantitative mineralogy has been little developed. This study was carried out to compensate for this lack of interest in these methods. Its aim is to understand the transformation of quartz into hematite using exoscopy and semi-quantitative mineralogy in the Adiaké locality, in the eastern onshore basin of Côte d’Ivoire. Two methods were applied to 250 μm-diameter quartz grains from the 40 m coasts. Exoscopy provides information on microscopic texture, surface and corrosion, as well as determining the transport mechanism and deposition phases of quartz grains. Semi-quantitative mineralogy provides an estimate of the weight percentages of major element oxides and the ultrastructure of quartz grains. Exoscopy showed that these grains had been subjected to torrential fluvial transport. They were marked by mechanical and chemical traces during this transport and evolved in different environments. Semi-quantitative mineralogy shows the existence of negative and positive correlations between oxides. Negative correlations indicate a substitution, in order of importance, of silicon by iron, phosphorus and aluminum in these quartz. Positive correlations show that there is no substitution between the oxides concerned in these quartz grains. Divo’s quartz grains have recorded several mechanical and chemical microstructures of their sedimentary episodes, with the appearance of iron nodules in the ports left by silica.展开更多
Background: A previous report evaluated the initial 310 cementless, Buechel-Pappas (B-P), Semi-Constrained Rotating Platform total knee replacements in 257 patients followed for an average of 7.6 years, range 2 - 18 y...Background: A previous report evaluated the initial 310 cementless, Buechel-Pappas (B-P), Semi-Constrained Rotating Platform total knee replacements in 257 patients followed for an average of 7.6 years, range 2 - 18 years. Diagnoses were osteoarthritis in 233 patients, post traumatic arthritis in 4 patients and rheumatoid arthritis in 22 patients. Knee Scores, using a strict knee scoring scale were 86.4% excellent, 12.3% good, 0.3% fair and 1.0% poor results. Survivorship, using an end point of revision for any mechanical reason (including component loosening, bearing wear and bearing dislocation) was 99.4%. Survivorship for a poor knee score (including persistent pain, loosening, instability and infection was 97.6%. The purpose of the present study is to report the updated results of this same patient cohort at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. Methods: The average age of patients at the time of surgery was 67 years, range 34 to 91 years. A total of 20 patients (22 knees) were still living, with a follow-up of 20 - 30 years (mean 23.47 years). The same strict knee scoring scale and survivorship analysis were used to evaluate patient outcomes at the 20 to 30 years interval. Results: Survivorship, in the current study, using the same end points as in the previous study, was 96.5% at the 20 and 30-year intervals. Late mechanical failure and osteolysis were not identified. Conclusion: This cementless, semi-constrained rotating platform total knee replacement has stood the test of time for more than 20 years and can be considered acceptable for long-term use, in properly selected patients.展开更多
文摘The economy of most rural locations in the semi-arid region of Llano Estacado in the southern United States is predominantly based on agriculture, primarily beef and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production. This region is prone to drought and is projected to experience a drier climate. Droughts that coincide with the critical phenological phases of a crop can be remarkably costly. Although drought cannot be prevented, its losses can be minimized through mitigation measures if it is predicted in advance. Predicting yield loss from an imminent drought is an important need of stakeholders. One way to fulfill this need is using an agricultural drought index, such as the Agricultural Reference Index for Drought (ARID). Being plant physiology-based, ARID can represent drought-yield relationships accurately. This study developed an ARID-based yield model for predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat in this region by accounting for its phenological phase-specific sensitivity to water stress. The reasonable values of the drought sensitivity coefficients of the yield model indicated that it could reflect the phenomenon of water stress decreasing the winter wheat yields in this region reasonably. The values of the various metrics used to evaluate the model, including Willmott Index (0.86), Nash-Sutcliffe Index (0.61), and percentage error (26), indicated that the yield model performed fairly well at predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat. The yield model may be useful for predicting the drought-induced yield loss for winter wheat in the study region and scheduling irrigation allocation based on phenological phase-specific drought sensitivity.
文摘Reversible watermarking schemes for relational database are usually classified into two groups: robust schemes and fragile schemes. The main limitation of existing reversible fragile methods is that they cannot differentiate between legal and malicious modifications. In this paper, we introduce a novel lossless semi-fragile scheme based on prediction-error expansion for content protection of relational database. In the proposed method, all attributes in a database relation are first classified according to their sensitivity to legitimate updates. Then, the watermark is embedded by expanding the prediction error of the two least significant digits of securely selected attributes. At watermark extraction, the proposed method has the ability to fully restore the original data while detecting and localizing tampering. The applicability of our method is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally.
文摘The aim of this paper is to broaden the application of Stochastic Configuration Network (SCN) in the semi-supervised domain by utilizing common unlabeled data in daily life. It can enhance the classification accuracy of decentralized SCN algorithms while effectively protecting user privacy. To this end, we propose a decentralized semi-supervised learning algorithm for SCN, called DMT-SCN, which introduces teacher and student models by combining the idea of consistency regularization to improve the response speed of model iterations. In order to reduce the possible negative impact of unsupervised data on the model, we purposely change the way of adding noise to the unlabeled data. Simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively utilize unlabeled data to improve the classification accuracy of SCN training and is robust under different ground simulation environments.
文摘In this paper, the solution of the matrix second semi-tensor product equation A∘lX∘lB=Cis studied. Firstly, the solvability of the matrix-vector second semi-tensor product equation is investigated. At the same time, the compatibility conditions, the sufficient and necessary conditions and the specific solution methods for the matrix solution are given. Secondly, we further consider the solvability of the second semi-tensor product equation of the matrix. For each part, several examples are given to illustrate the validity of the results.
文摘As an extension of overlap functions, pseudo-semi-overlap functions are a crucial class of aggregation functions. Therefore, (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets are introduced, utilizing pseudo-semi-overlap functions, and further extended for applications in image edge extraction. Firstly, a new clustering function, the pseudo-semi-overlap function, is introduced by eliminating the symmetry and right continuity present in the overlap function. The relaxed nature of this function enhances its applicability in image edge extraction. Secondly, the definitions of (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets are provided, using (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets, a pair of new fuzzy mathematical morphological operators (IPSOFMM operators) is proposed. Finally, by combining the fuzzy C-means algorithm and IPSOFMM operators, a novel image edge extraction algorithm (FCM-IPSO algorithm) is proposed and implemented. Compared to existing algorithms, the FCM-IPSO algorithm exhibits more image edges and a 73.81% decrease in the noise introduction rate. The outstanding performance of (I, PSO)-fuzzy rough sets in image edge extraction demonstrates their practical application value.
文摘We establish the links between the lightlike geometry and basics invariants of the associated semi-Riemannian geometry on r-lightlike submanifold and semi-Riemannian constructed from a semi-Riemannian ambient. Then we establish some basic inequalities, involving the scalar curvature and shape operator on r-lightlike coisotropic submanifold in semi-Riemannian manifold. Equality cases are also discussed.
文摘Rare labeled data are difficult to recognize by using conventional methods in the process of radar emitter recogni-tion.To solve this problem,an optimized cooperative semi-supervised learning radar emitter recognition method based on a small amount of labeled data is developed.First,a small amount of labeled data are randomly sampled by using the bootstrap method,loss functions for three common deep learning net-works are improved,the uniform distribution and cross-entropy function are combined to reduce the overconfidence of softmax classification.Subsequently,the dataset obtained after sam-pling is adopted to train three improved networks so as to build the initial model.In addition,the unlabeled data are preliminarily screened through dynamic time warping(DTW)and then input into the initial model trained previously for judgment.If the judg-ment results of two or more networks are consistent,the unla-beled data are labeled and put into the labeled data set.Lastly,the three network models are input into the labeled dataset for training,and the final model is built.As revealed by the simula-tion results,the semi-supervised learning method adopted in this paper is capable of exploiting a small amount of labeled data and basically achieving the accuracy of labeled data recognition.
文摘Introduction: Grand multiparity is a known risk factor for maternal and fetal complications. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study on the delivery of grand multiparas at the maternity of the regional hospital annex of Ayos, a semi-rural locality in the Center region of Cameroon. The study covered the period from January 2012 through December 2020, and the objective was to assess the frequency, the determinants and the outcome of delivery in grand multiparas. Results: We recorded 1384 deliveries and enrolled 137 cases of delivery of grand multiparas. This gives a frequency of grand multipara delivery of 9.89%. The mean age of the women was 34.96 ± 4.45 years. Married parturients accounted for 65% of the cases and 16.8% were HIV positive. Delivery occurred at term in 89.9%. In 35.8%, no antenatal consultation was done. The use of the partograph during labor was reported in 11.7%. Per vaginal delivery was noted in 88.3%, emergency cesarean in 10.2% and elective cesarean in 1.5%. The most frequent maternal complications included post-partum hemorrhage (19.9%), genital tract tears (12.4%), endometritis (9.5%) and surgical wound infection (8.7%). No maternal death was recorded. The mean birth weight of the newborns was 3336.8 ± 550 g. Fetal complications were mostly represented by neonatal infection (20.1%), perinatal death (7.9%) and neonatal asphyxia (9.5%). Conclusion: The frequency of grand multiparous delivery in the semi-rural locality of Ayos, Cameroon, was 9.89%. The mean age of parturients was 38.96 years and the proportion of vaginal delivery was 88.3%.
文摘Introduction: The delivery of a primipara, a woman giving birth for the first time, is challenging and may lead to complications and influence the obstetrical future of a woman. Materials and Methods: We carried out a cross-sectional and analytical study at the maternity of the regional hospital annex of Ayos, a semi-rural locality in Cameroon, for the period between January 2012 and December 2020. The objective was to determine the frequency and the determinants of primipara delivery. Results: We recruited 440 cases. The frequency of primipara delivery was 31.8%. The ages of the participants ranged from 12 to 35 years with a mean age of 18.01 ± 3.52 years. Single women contributed to 95.5% of cases while 97.5% were unemployed. The delivery occurred at term in 90.2% and 98.4% of pregnancies were singleton. The delivery was vaginal in 91.6%, while caesarean delivery was done in 8.4% (8% emergency and 0.4% elective). The most frequent maternal complications were genital tract tears (15.7%), post-partum hemorrhage (12.5%) and endometritis (2.7%). The birth weight of newborns ranged from 1070 to 4500 g with a mean of 3024.5 ± 511.4 g. The single marital status, a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks and a birth weight between 1500 g and 2499 g were significantly associated with vaginal delivery. Conclusion: The frequency of primiparous delivery was relatively high (31.8%) in the Ayos semi-rural health district of Cameroon. Major complications associated with delivery included genital tract tears, post-partum hemorrhage, cesarean section and neo-natal infection.
文摘Information is limited on the potential of double-cropping cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the semiarid region of the southern United States. Using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop model and weather data of 80 years, we assessed the possibility of cowpea-wheat double-cropping in this region for grain purpose as affected by planting date and N application rate. Results showed that the possibility of double-cropping varied from 0% to 65%, depending on the cropping system. The possibility was less with systems comprising earlier planting dates of wheat and later planting dates of cowpea. Results indicated that cowpea-wheat double-cropping could be beneficial only when no N was applied, with wheat planted on October 15 or later. At zero N, the double-crops of cowpea planted on July 15 and wheat planted on November 30 were the most beneficial of all the 72 double-cropping systems studied. With a delay in planting cowpea, the percentage of beneficial double-cropping systems decreased. At N rates other than zero, fallow-wheat monocropping systems were more beneficial than cowpea-wheat double-cropping systems, and the benefit was greater at a higher N rate. At 100 kg N ha<sup>-1</sup>, the monocrop of wheat planted on October 15 was the most beneficial of all the 94 systems studied. Results further showed that fallow-wheat yields increased almost linearly with an increase in N rate from 0 to 100 kg∙ha<sup>-1</sup>. Fallow-wheat grain yields were quadratically associated with planting dates. With an increase in N rate, wheat yields reached the peak with an earlier planting date. Wheat yields produced under monocropping systems were greater than those produced under double-cropping systems for any cowpea planting date. Cowpea yields produced under monocropping systems were greater than those produced under any double-cropping system. The relationship between cowpea grain yields and planting dates was quadratic, with July 1 planting date associated with the maximum yields.
文摘Information is limited on the effects of climate variability on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields in the semiarid region of the southern US. Using the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) crop model and weather data spanning 81 years, we assessed the impact of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on the grain yields of these crops in the Llano Estacado region of the southern US as affected by cowpea and wheat planting dates and N application rate. Simulated results showed that the El Niño phase of ENSO produced about 30% more yields of mono-cropped cowpea than those produced under the La Niña phase, especially with the cowpeas planted in July. The cowpea yields under El Niño were about 10% more than the 81-year average normal yield, whereas those under La Niña were about 20% less. At the N rates of 0, 50, and 100 kg·ha<sup>−1</sup>, regardless of wheat planting dates, the El Niño years produced, respectively, about 8%, 40%, and 60% higher wheat yields than those produced in the La Niña years, and about 5%, 20%, and 27% more than the 81-year average normal yield. In the La Niña years, the wheat yields at 0, 50, and 100 kg N ha<sup>−1 </sup>were, respectively, about 5%, 15%, and 20% less than the normal yield with similar N levels. The impact of ENSO on wheat yields under cowpea-wheat double-cropping systems was significant, especially for the wheat crops planted on October 15 (October 30) or later following the cowpea crops planted in June (July). At zero N, the mono-cropped wheat yields were not impacted by ENSO due to N limitation. However, the double-cropped wheat yields were impacted by ENSO even when no N fertilizer was applied due to high soil N status caused by N transfer from cowpea stover residues and roots. Results indicated that management strategies need to be attentive to ENSO forecasts and adjust potential planting dates and N application rates with the ENSO phase to avert risks of crop failure and economic loss.
文摘Interest in the Côte d’Ivoire sedimentary basin has led to numerous investigations. All these investigations are aimed at understanding the functioning of the basin and a paleogeographic approach including sediment transport dynamics. However, the use of exoscopy and semi-quantitative mineralogy has been little developed. This study was carried out to compensate for this lack of interest in these methods. Its aim is to understand the transformation of quartz into hematite using exoscopy and semi-quantitative mineralogy in the Adiaké locality, in the eastern onshore basin of Côte d’Ivoire. Two methods were applied to 250 μm-diameter quartz grains from the 40 m coasts. Exoscopy provides information on microscopic texture, surface and corrosion, as well as determining the transport mechanism and deposition phases of quartz grains. Semi-quantitative mineralogy provides an estimate of the weight percentages of major element oxides and the ultrastructure of quartz grains. Exoscopy showed that these grains had been subjected to torrential fluvial transport. They were marked by mechanical and chemical traces during this transport and evolved in different environments. Semi-quantitative mineralogy shows the existence of negative and positive correlations between oxides. Negative correlations indicate a substitution, in order of importance, of silicon by iron, phosphorus and aluminum in these quartz. Positive correlations show that there is no substitution between the oxides concerned in these quartz grains. Divo’s quartz grains have recorded several mechanical and chemical microstructures of their sedimentary episodes, with the appearance of iron nodules in the ports left by silica.
文摘Background: A previous report evaluated the initial 310 cementless, Buechel-Pappas (B-P), Semi-Constrained Rotating Platform total knee replacements in 257 patients followed for an average of 7.6 years, range 2 - 18 years. Diagnoses were osteoarthritis in 233 patients, post traumatic arthritis in 4 patients and rheumatoid arthritis in 22 patients. Knee Scores, using a strict knee scoring scale were 86.4% excellent, 12.3% good, 0.3% fair and 1.0% poor results. Survivorship, using an end point of revision for any mechanical reason (including component loosening, bearing wear and bearing dislocation) was 99.4%. Survivorship for a poor knee score (including persistent pain, loosening, instability and infection was 97.6%. The purpose of the present study is to report the updated results of this same patient cohort at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. Methods: The average age of patients at the time of surgery was 67 years, range 34 to 91 years. A total of 20 patients (22 knees) were still living, with a follow-up of 20 - 30 years (mean 23.47 years). The same strict knee scoring scale and survivorship analysis were used to evaluate patient outcomes at the 20 to 30 years interval. Results: Survivorship, in the current study, using the same end points as in the previous study, was 96.5% at the 20 and 30-year intervals. Late mechanical failure and osteolysis were not identified. Conclusion: This cementless, semi-constrained rotating platform total knee replacement has stood the test of time for more than 20 years and can be considered acceptable for long-term use, in properly selected patients.