Spectral radiance characteristics and vegetative indices of crops -A ground based remote sensing technique

The spectral radiance characteristics and vegetation indices like simple difference, ratio vegetation, normalised vegetation perpendicular vegetation transformed vegetation and tasseled cap transformation of mung been sunflower and groundnut crops at different growth stages have been studied. The experiment was conducted in post rainy season during 1990-91 in the farm of Agricultural College. Pune using hand held multi-spectral radiometer. The significance of spectral variation of radiance and vegetative indices with respect to the phenological stages are discussed.

Replacing soybean meal with Narbon vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.) in pig diets: composition of subcutaneous fat and fresh loin and sensory attributes of dry-cured product

Aim of the study: To evaluate the consequences for pork quality traits of replacing soybean meal with Narbon vetch in pig diets. Area of study: Castilla-Leon, Spain. Material and methods: 48 Duroc × Iberian barrows were fed diets with 0% (V0), 5% (V5), 10% (V10) and 20% (V20) inclusion of Narbon vetch. Pork quality traits investigated were 1) intramuscular fat, protein and moisture content of fresh loin, 2) fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat, and 3) sensory attributes (Triangle test and a Simple Difference Test with a non-trained taste panel) of cured loin. Main results: Inclusion of Narbon vetch in the diet showed no significant effect on intramuscular fat, protein and moisture in fresh loin samples. Stearic acid was higher in subcutaneous fat of V5 than in V0 and V10 (p < 0.05), and oleic acid was higher in V10 than in V0, V5 and V20 (p < 0.05); no other differences in fatty acid composition were observed. Taste panelists tended to be able to distinguish V10 from V0 cured loins (p < 0.10), and were able to distinguish V20 from V0 loins (p < 0.05), in particular due to a perceived difference in taste, texture and marbling. No differences in intensity of the texture, marbling, aroma and color of cured loins were found between V0 and V5. Research highlights: Inclusion of Narbon vetch in pig diets did not significantly affect fresh loin composition or fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat. Consumers perceived a difference in sensory characteristics of cured loin with replacement of soybean meal with Narbon Vetch, but they did not characterize this as more favorable.

Infrared Refraction Spectroscopy

We suggest a new modality of infrared spectroscopy termed Infrared Refraction Spectroscopy, which is complimentary to absorption spectroscopy. The beauty of this new modality lies not only in its simplicity but also in the fact that it closes an important gap: It allows to quantitatively interpret reflectance spectra by simplest means. First, the refractive index spectrum is calculated from reflectance by neglecting absorption. The change of the refractive index is proportional to concentration, and the spectra with features similar to second derivative absorbance spectra can simply be computed by numerically deriving the refractive index spectra, something which can be easily carried out by standard spectra software packages. The peak values of the derived spectra indicate oscillator positions and are approximately proportional to the concentration in a similar way as absorbance is. In contrast to absorbance spectra, there are no baseline ambiguities for first derivative refractive index spectra, and in refractive index spectra, instead of integrating over a band area, a simple difference of two refractive index values before and after an absorption leads to a quantity that correlates perfectly linearly with concentration in the absence of local field effects.

New design of wideband microstrip branch line coupler using T-shape and open stub for 5G application

A new design of wideband branch-line coupler (BLC) using T-shape with open stub microstrip line is proposed. The branch line coupler is integrated with low and high impedance λ/4 transmission lines to achieve the comparatively compact size of (27.2 mm × 16.5 mm). operating the bandwidth in simulated of BLC from 2.9 to 4 GHz is obtained 30.22% with a frequency center of 3.5 GHz. Meanwhile, the measured bandwidth of the BLC is cover from 2.8 GHz to 4.22 GHz is equal 33.40% at the center frequency 3.55 GHz respectively. The BLC simulated has low isolation and high return loss of -29.28 dB and -30.69 dB at the center frequency 3.5 GHz.Whereas, the measured result has a simple difference in the return loss and isolation are -27.43dB and -24.46 dB at the frequency 3.55GHz respectively. This BLC design has a good coupling factor of -2.97 and insertion loss of -3.65 dB. Furthermore, it obtains an excellent amplitude and phases different between two output of ±0.1 and 93.6°±3.4° with high performance. There is a good agreement between the simulated result and the measured result. This branch line coupler design used for 5G applications for future wireless communication systems.

Diffy: Inductive Reasoning of Array Programs Using Difference Invariants

We present a novel verification technique to prove properties of a class of array programs with a symbolic parameter N denoting the size of arrays. The technique relies on constructing two slightly different versions of the same program. It infers difference relations between the corresponding variables at key control points of the joint control-flow graph of the two program versions. The desired post-condition is then proved by inducting on the program parameter N, wherein the difference invariants are crucially used in the inductive step. This contrasts with classical techniques that rely on finding potentially complex loop invaraints for each loop in the program. Our synergistic combination of inductive reasoning and finding simple difference invariants helps prove properties of programs that cannot be proved even by the winner of Arrays sub-category in SV-COMP 2021. We have implemented a prototype tool called Diffy to demonstrate these ideas. We present results comparing the performance of Diffy with that of state-of-the-art tools.

Regression adjustment in completely randomized experiments with a diverging number of covariates

Randomized experiments have become important tools in empirical research. In a completely randomized treatment-control experiment, the simple difference in means of the outcome is unbiased for the average treatment effect, and covariate adjustment can further improve the efficiency without assuming a correctly specified outcome model. In modern applications, experimenters often have access to many covariates, motivating the need for a theory of covariate adjustment under the asymptotic regime with a diverging number of covariates. We study the asymptotic properties of covariate adjustment under the potential outcomes model and propose a bias-corrected estimator that is consistent and asymptotically normal under weaker conditions. Our theory is purely randomization-based without imposing any parametric outcome model assumptions. To prove the theoretical results, we develop novel vector and matrix concentration inequalities for sampling without replacement.

Improved SLR orbit validation for Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission

&lt;p&gt;The European Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission, a jointly operated mission by ESA and EUMETSAT, consists of two satellites equipped with GPS and DORIS receivers, and a Laser Retro Reflector (LRR) array, which allows tracking the satellites by Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR). The SLR observations are mainly used for the validation of GPS- and/or DORIS-derived precise orbit solutions. The SLR residuals are derived from the simple difference between observed and computed range between SLR station and the satellite. Only a subset of the SLR stations tracking the satellites is normally used for this purpose. The subset consists of stations delivering good quality observations on a long-term. The station selection is regularly reviewed to guarantee a continuous quality for the orbit validation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Instead of using only a subset of the stations it would be preferable to use as many laser tracking data as possible. Long-term and highly accurate orbit time series of low Earth orbiting satellites can be used to estimate station range biases. The SLR validation is significantly improved by adding these station range biases due to additional stations and due to the removal of SLR related systematic patterns.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the Copernicus POD Service (CPOD), the SLR station range biases are estimated based on a combined Sentinel-3A and -3B orbits computed from different orbit providers (the CPOD Quality Working Group). Performance, quality, mission dependency and stability of these SLR station range biases are analysed based on operational CPOD orbits and orbit solutions delivered by the Copernicus POD Quality Working Group.&lt;/p&gt;

Bifurcations of a Bouncing Ball Dynamical System

A deceptively simple difference system of a bouncing ball is investigated. Applying the center manifold theorem and the normal form analysis, we first give the parameter conditions for the flip bifurcation. Then we discuss the 1:2 resonance. Because the nondegeneracy conditions are not satisfied, we use the approximation of mappings by a flow and change this difference system into an ordinary differential system with dimension two. With the aid of the Melnikov method, the homoclinic bifurcation and the Poincaré bifurcation are analyzed, which imply the existence of the invariant circles for the difference system. Furthermore, we compute the normal forms to provide the parameter conditions for the Chenciner bifurcation and also obtain the stability of the fixed point. Finally, some numerical simulations are presented to verify the obtained results.

KING OF THE FOUR QUARTERS: DIVERSITY AS A RHETORICAL STRATEGY OF THE NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE

Recent studies of cultural interaction in the Assyrian empire have focused on the process of assimilation and the production of alterity. In this article, I argue that Assyrian royal rhetoric goes beyond emphasizing simple difference, instead using depictions of cultural diversity to demonstrate the truly universal nature of the empire. I elucidate this rhetoric by comparison the world fairs of the 19th and early 20th-centuries. These fairs advanced European imperialism by allowing visitors to explore the vast extent of empire. I argue that the enumeration of exotic tribute in Assyrian texts and the iconographic depiction of foreigners on reliefs similarly served to concretize Assyrian power. Unlike modern European empires, however, Assyrians did not consider ethnicity to be constitutive of citizenship. Thus, while the Assyrian approach to diversity was certainly instrumentalizing, it was also inclusive of cultural difference. In this respect, the Assyrian understanding of human diversity shares much in common with the way the empire treated other types of difference, ranging from topographic variation to biodiversity. From the imperial vantage point, each of these elements had the potential to be tamed in a way that highlighted the control of the king over the four quarters of the world.