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Reager and Famiglietti (2009) proposed an index, Reager's Flood Potential Index (RFPI), for early large-scale flood risk monitoring using the Terrestrial Water Storage Anomaly (TWSA) product derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). We evaluated the efficacy of the RFPI for flood risk assessment over the continental USA using multi-year flood observation data from 2003 to 2012 by the US Geological Survey and Dartmouth Flood Observatory. In general, we found a good agreement between the RFPI flood risks and the observed floods on regional and even local scales. RFPI demonstrated skill in predicting the large-area, long-duration floods, especially during the summer season.

Climate change poses a challenge to agricultural production. To avoid production losses and exploit the emerging potential, adaptation in agricultural management will inevitably be required, in particular through the development of highly adapted and plastic varieties. To obtain wheat varieties combining productivity and stability, in 2018-2021, eight promising breeding lines of common winter wheat were studied in multi-environment eighteen trials at the V.M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine using three sowing dates after two preceding crops. Using ANOVA, it was established that environmental conditions had the highest reliable contribution to the yield variation (72.09%), genotype-environment interaction and genotype had significantly less (25.30% and 2.61%, respectively). The sowing dates for the preceding crops had a significant effect on the variation in the line productivity. Higher yields were received after green manure (mustard) in 2019 and 2020. The stable maximum level of productivity in terms of sowing dates was after preceding crop mustard as green manure for sowing on October 5 (the third term) and after maize for silage for sowing on September 25 (the second term). It was found that the conditions of the second sowing date were as an analytical background for selection of high-yielding lines of winter wheat. For practical breeding work, the breeding lines Lutescens 36921, Erythrospermum 36866, Erythrospermum 36802 were selected and released as new varieties Trudovnytsia Myronivska, MIP Vyshyvanka, and Gracia Myronivska, which have high yields and adaptability

This work investigates the influence of parameters of initial ultrafine-grained (UFG) structure in commercially pure (CP) Al on annealing-induced hardening (AIH) and deformation-induced softening (DIS) effects. UFG structures were formed via processing CP Al by various methods of severe plastic deformation (high pressure torsion (HPT), equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) and combination of ECAP and cold rolling (CR)). AIH and DIS effects are observed in all the studied UFG structures. However, HPT Al demonstrates large increase of strength due to annealing and drastic gain of ductility after subsequent additional deformation whereas in ECAP Al and ECAP + CR Al both effects are much less pronounced. Microstructure characterization by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed for HPT Al and ECAP + CR Al in the three studied states: before and after annealing and after annealing and subsequent additional deformation. Analysis of microstructure evolution during annealing and subsequent additional deformation shows that the key microstructure parameter which is responsible for AIH and DIS effect is the change of dislocation density in grain interior in ECAP + CR Al, whereas in HPT Al the effects are related to the change of dislocation density at/near grain boundaries. In addition, outstanding combination of high strength (∼210 MPa), high electrical conductivity (∼62 %IACS) with sufficiently good ductility (7–10 %) and thermal stability (up to 150°С, at least) was achieved for ECAP + CR Al after annealing at 150 °C, 1h.

Subject and Purpose. The research focuses on how the resonance frequencies, the Q-factor of resonances, and the polarization plane rotation ability are influenced by the topology of individual components of a planar-chiral double-layer object consisting of a pair of conjugated irises having rectangular slots and accommodated in a circular waveguide. Methods and Methodology. All the numerical results are obtained by the mode-matching technique (MMT) and the transverse resonance method on the basis of our own proprietary MWD-03 software package. Results. By the waveguide example, it has been shown that the internal structure of individual components and dihedral symmetry of the conjugated bilayer allow all the conclusions of the spectral theory (theory of eigen-oscillations) to be carried over to all the objects of the type. On the other hand, these objects behave as symmetric two-port waveguide components with conventionally "symmetric" and "antisymmetric" eigen-oscillations. The mutual coupling of these eigen-oscillations depends on the bilayer parameters. Where the frequencies of these eigen-oscillations are close enough, the polarization plane rotation and the transmission bandwidth reach their highest. It has been demonstrated that as a slot number increases, the resonance frequency decreases. The theoretical results have been confirmed by the measurements at the X range of frequencies for pairs of conjugated irises with various numbers of rectangular slots. Conclusions. A pair of conjugated chiral irises can rotate the polarization plane. The iris topology, iris spacing, and the mutual rotation angle alter resonance frequencies. The resonance frequencies can be reduced by increasing the rectangular slot length and/or slot number. Even though they have not longitudinal symmetry, such objects have properties of two-port waveguide components. In particular, the phase shift of their reflection and transmission coefficients is modulo 90°. Besides, a possibility exists to divide eigen-oscillations into conventionally "symmetric" and "antisymmetric" based on the proximity of their fields to those whose type of symmetry is known before- hand. This makes it possible to approximate the reflection and transmission coefficients through corresponding eigenfrequencies.

At present, intensive research is underway in the field of vacuum-sublimation growth of 3C-SiC. Transfer of a thin (001)3C-SiC layer onto a 6H-SiC wafer is a promising way to fabricate a 3C-SiC/6H-SiC substrate for growing device-quality homoepitaxial films of low defect density. The article presents the results of the structural characterization of an interface formed during the transfer of a 3C-SiC layer onto a 6H-SiC(0001) wafer, performed with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A 3C-SiC film with a thickness of about 10 μ m, grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on a Si(001) substrate, was utilized in the study. Silicon acted as a bonding material in the transfer process. The morphology and microstructure of the interface between a 6H-SiC substrate and a 3C-SiC (001)-oriented layer are under consideration. TEM investigation reveals an effect of "self"-orientation of the layer with respect to the wafer during the transfer process: an interaction between the molten silicon layer and silicon carbide throughout crystallization results in the generation of defined orientation relationships with respect to substrate axes. An analysis of selected area electron diffraction patterns taken from interfaces showed the relationships to be 3C-SiC{001} ‖ 6H-SiC(0001) and 3C-SiC ⟨ 1 1 ¯ 0 ⟩ ∼ ‖ 6H-SiC ⟨ 11 2 ¯ 0 ⟩. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, the influence of growth factors and silicon surface condition on the epitaxial formation of single-domain GaP buffer layers on Si (001) has been studied. A novel two-stage growth technique for the epitaxial building-up of this structure has been put forward and developed. In contrast to using the migration enhanced epitaxy technique, the proposed technology allows one to separate the nucleation and growth stages, to control the doping profile of the GaP buffer layers. The latter is important for further functional applications. The main factors determining the orientation of GaP crystalline lattice when it nucleates on the Si vicinal surface were found. The structural perfection of the grown buffer layers at both stages was proved through careful control by TEM, RHEED, AFM, and HRXRD. These findings have important implications for further functional applications.

Spatial competition considerations are important in hotel location selection. This study proposes and demonstrates a method of colocation network analysis to quantify the potential encroaching effect of spatial inter- and intra-competition between units of business brands that seek expansion. The environmental context of the study is a network of the top five budget hotel brands in the Beijing hotel market. The results reveal that brands implement different strategies in their hotel placement, which are subject to different levels of the encroaching effect. However, the method is applicable in a variety of hospitality settings, specifically in those that involve the development strategies of chain brands. The simulation capability of the method can assist hospitality brands in assessing the outcomes of a proposed development and, thus, aid hoteliers in the spatial allocation of new units with the least adverse effects on their existing business networks.

Abstract We report the growth of N-polar InGaN layers on misoriented ScAlMgO4 (SAM) substrates with offset of 0.3 to 5.8° toward the m-plane. The surface of N-polar InGaN with small-offset substrates exhibited hexagonal hillocks similar to those commonly observed in N-polar GaN layers. Larger misorientation angles resulted in smoother surfaces of the InGaN layers. In contrast, the crystalline quality of InGaN indicated an opposite trend with significantly improved quality observed at smaller misorientation angles. We obtained an unprecedented crystalline quality of N-polar InGaN using SAM substrates with a 0.5° offset, which exhibited a $${000}\overline{2}$$ 000 2 ¯ X-ray rocking curve full width at half maximum value of 223 arcsec. The crystalline quality and surface morphology of InGaN were significantly influenced by the step surface of substrates according to atomic force microscopy observations.

Abstract Interactive graphical genome browsers are essential tools in genomics, but they do not contain all the recent genome assemblies. We create Genome Archive (GenArk) collection of UCSC Genome Browsers from NCBI assemblies. Built on our established track hub system, this enables fast visualization of annotations. Assemblies come with gene models, repeat masks, BLAT, and in silico PCR. Users can add annotations via track hubs and custom tracks. We can bulk-import third-party resources, demonstrated with TOGA and Ensembl gene models for hundreds of assemblies. Three thousand two hundred sixty-nine GenArk assemblies are listed at https://hgdownload.soe.ucsc.edu/hubs/ and can be searched for on the Genome Browser gateway page.

The article deals with the issues of language conflict and the capacity to estimate the conflict potential of the language situation in multilingual communities. The prerequisites and causes for the emergence of language conflicts in language communities, as well as the incentives and triggers that provoke their occurrence are investigated. The research highlights applicability of current approaches to a conflict study developed in the frameworks of social sciences for language conflict potential identification. The methodology for measuring the conflict potential of the language community is described as conducting surveys with respondents, further assessment of existing threats to the linguistic situation stability, and evaluation of speakers’ satisfaction. The efficiency of adopted procedures application is proved, their predictive potential is revealed. The method for assessing tensions in a language community is considered in the context of a threat to the identity of a language group, and the results of the practical application of this technique are based on a field study conducted in the Republic of Dagestan. The effectiveness of conflict potential studying method as a combination of realistic and symbolic threats and inter-group anxiety is confirmed on the material of respondents’ questionnaire surveys and interviews with experts conducted in the Republic of Tatarstan. The assessment of tension in the language community, based on scaling technique that provides possibility for identifying four stages in the development of a language conflict, was carried out on the data obtained with the survey of residents of the Republic of Kalmykia.

The crystallization and distribution the features of Pt, Pd and Pt/Pd nanoparticles in spin-on glass SiO2 films were studied within a wide range of the dopant concentrations in silica sol (from 10 to 80 mol.% Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd per 100 mol.% Si). The grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) characterization revealed that the formation of 4–8 nm sized crystalline Pt, Pd and Pt/Pd nanoparticles in SiO2 films began at the dopant concentrations of at least 10 mol.% Pt and/or Pd per 100 mol.% Si. The nanoparticles obtained from sols with the lower Pt, Pd or Pt/Pd concentrations were characterized by an amorphous structure. The dopants distribution over the film thickness (~21–47 nm) was studied using X-ray reflectometry. The effect of the dopant concentration, spin-coating modes and heat treatment temperature on the film thickness was characterized. When only one of the dopants (Pt or Pd) was introduced into the silica sol, the resulting nanoparticles were preferentially localized close to the film surface. When dopants were used together, the Pt/Pd nanoparticles were distributed more evenly.