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One of the issues in the development of the sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) using transuranic (TRU) metallic fuel is the absence of criticality benchmark experiment that faithfully mocks up the nuclear characteristics of the target design for validation of the reactor core design code and its uncertainty quantification (UQ). This study aims to quantify the criticality uncertainty of a typical TRU burner with metallic fuel by using the standard upper safety limit (USL) estimation framework based on the similarity analysis of existing benchmark experiments but elaborated in two aspects:1) application of two-sided rather than one-sided tolerance interval and 2) inclusion of additional uncertainty to account for fission products and minor actinides not included in the benchmark experiments. To conduct the similarity analysis and evaluate the nuclear-data induced uncertainty, existing, well-verified computing codes were integrated, including the nuclear data sampling code SANDY, the nuclear data processing code NJOY, and the continuous-energy Monte Carlo code McCARD. Finally, using the SFR benchmark database comprising both publicly available and proprietary benchmark experiments, the criticality uncertainty of the TRU core model with metallic fuel was evaluated.

This study evaluated the genetic diversity of 253 taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) germplasm accessions collected in Vietnam at the molecular level using 20 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. High genetic diversity in the taro germplasm accessions were detected with 100% polymorphic SSR loci, and 89 alleles were obtained at the 20 SSR loci with an average of 4.45 alleles per locus, of which 14 markers had high polymorphism (3 alleles/locus). Polymorphic Information Content (PIC) values obtained at 20 SSR loci ranged from 0.31 (Ce0078) to 0.85 (HK34), with an average of 0.65. The genetic similarity coefficient within the accessions ranged from 0.39 to 1.00. All 253 accessions were classified into 2 groups at a genetic similarity level of 0.60; one of the groups (group 2) was divided into 8 sub-groups at a genetic similarity level of 0.64. Some accessions (such as 28279 and SP-19-009; SP-19-061 and SP-19-023; 28278 and SP-19-006) with a high genetic similarity coefficient (1.00) showed a very close genetic relationship, while others (such as 10063 and 11544) with a low genetic similarity coefficient (0.39) showed a fairly distant genetic relationship. The study's results provide a foundation for preserving and breeding taro in Vietnam. Five taro accessions (28211, SP-19-017, T.3578, T.3515, and 10098) carrying specific alleles that could be identified by 6 SSR markers (uq55–112, uq73–164, HK35, Ce0078, HK22, and HK31) were detected. Furthermore, the SSR marker approach showed the potential application in identifying genetic relationships and distinguishing different taro cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly competitive and volatile market puts companies in a tough position. While cost and time efficiency are important to stay competitive, environmental awareness is more and more critical. The reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) paradigm is suggested to cope with these new challenges. In addition to its six fundamental characteristics, it is seen as an enabler for Industry 4.0. This article investigates the multi-objective process planning problem in an environmentally conscious manner in a reconfigurable manufacturing environment. Four criteria are minimised: total production cost, total production time, total amount of greenhouse gas produced by machines, and total quantity of hazardous liquid wastes. To address the problem, modified versions of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA) method, namely new dynamic NSGA-II (NewD-NSGA-II) and New NSGA-III, are developed and evaluated. Rich experimental results are presented and analysed using three metrics to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed approaches: inverted generational distance (IGD), diversity measure (DM), and cardinality of the mixed Pareto fronts (CMPF). The effects of the similarity coefficient on the convergence of the NewD-NSGA-II and New NSGA-III are investigated, and the TOPSIS technique is used to assist the decision-maker in evaluating and selecting the best process plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various fields, such as economics, finance, bioinformatics, geology, and medicine, namely, in the cases of electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, and biotechnology, cluster analysis of time series is necessary. The first step in cluster applications is to establish a similarity/dissimilarity coefficient between time series. This article introduces an extension of the affinity coefficient for the autoregressive expansions of the invertible autoregressive moving average models to measure their similarity between them. An application of the affinity coefficient between time series was developed and implemented in R. Cluster analysis is performed with the corresponding distance for the estimated simulated autoregressive moving average of order one. The primary findings indicate that processes with similar forecast functions are grouped (in the same cluster) as expected concerning the affinity coefficient. It was also possible to conclude that this affinity coefficient is very sensitive to the behavior changes of the forecast functions: processes with small different forecast functions appear to be well separated in different clusters. Moreover, if the two processes have at least an infinite number of p-weights with a symmetric signal, the affinity value is also symmetric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Zeravshan district of Uzbekistan is characterized by the most arid climate and is particularly affected by global warming and anthropogenic pressure. The biodiversity of herpetobiont beetles in this region has not been sufficiently studied, and this makes it difficult to monitor the fauna of the region. This work was carried out to assess the biodiversity and ecological features of some groups of herpetobiont beetles during 2019–2023. Soil and light traps, soil excavations and manual collection were used to collect material. A total of 131 species of beetles were identified. The carabid fauna of the region is represented by 43 species belonging to nine subfamilies, 19 tribes, and 28 genera. For the fauna of the Republic, two species were recorded for the first time (Syntomus obscuroguttatus (Duftschmid, 1812) and Scarites subcylindricus Chaudoir, 1843). The darkling beetle fauna includes 46 species belonging to three subfamilies, 16 tribes, and 30 genera. For the first time, five species were recorded for the fauna of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Cyphogenia lucifuga Adams, 1817, Trigonoscelis apicalis Reitter, 1907, Colpotus sulcatus (Menetries, 1838), Tribolium destructor Uyttenboogart, 1933, Pentaphyllus chrysomeloides (Rossi, 1792)). The fauna of ground beetles and darkling beetles of the Lower Zeravshan consists of two species complexes that differ sharply from each other – xerophilic (inhabiting desert biocenoses) and hygromesophilic (inhabiting agricultural landscapes). The similarity coefficients of the fauna of these two types of biocenoses are very low. The fauna of click beetles is represented by 10 species belonging to four subfamilies and seven genera. The fauna of lamellar beetles consists of 31 species (32 with subspecies), belonging to eight subfamilies, 13 tribes, and 19 genera. In agrocenoses, a significant increase in the number of herpetobionts is observed in the first days of June. But their maximum number is observed in early July. It has been established that seasonal fluctuations in the number of representatives of the families Carabidae, Elateridae, Staphylinidae, and Tenebrionidae occur almost in parallel. Fluctuations in the number of representatives of the Scarabaeidae family do not correspond to the above pattern, and the maximum value is observed at the end of July. The data obtained can be used to assess biodiversity and environmental monitoring of arid zones of Uzbekistan.

The amphibian and reptile species inhabiting the Mojstirsko-Draške Mountains have not been thoroughly studied yet. From 2013 to 2018, a comprehensive field study effort documented a total of 20 species, comprising eight amphibian species and 12 reptile species. Based on Sorensen's coefficient of similarity, this area closely resembles other locations in the Republic of Serbia. The presence of species was determined through direct observation of adult or larval forms, identification of distinctive markings, and the detection of clusters of deposited eggs or larvae. The majority of documented amphibian and reptile species are subject to severe protection under national laws, mostly due to various anthropogenic influences that contribute to their declining populations. The results given are preliminary, although they make a substantial contribution to the understanding of the local fauna. Additional field research must be conducted, and a system of active monitoring should be implemented.

Artificially determining the model order is necessary for time domain modal identification, which affects the identification efficiency and accuracy. An automatic identification method is proposed to determine the best estimation of the model order. Based on the covariance-driven stochastic subspace identification method (SSI-COV), the singular value decomposition of the Toeplitz matrix is carried out to determine the range of the lower triangular matrix. The similarity coefficient and distance function are introduced to cluster the modes, and the poles of the false modes are removed to obtain the clustering stabilization diagram. The model order is taken as the number of clustering centers of the fuzzy c-means (FCM) algorithm, and all the poles of the stabilization diagram are clustered to get the modal parameters of each order. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by adopting a thin-walled cylindrical column, a triangular-prism truss in simulation, and a flexible beam in experiment. The robustness of the method is illustrated by adding white noise to the simulated response data. The advantage of the clustering stabilization diagram is demonstrated by comparing with the traditional stabilization diagram. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a similarity coefficient generation code system was established using the Monte Carlo Code for Advanced Reactor Design (McCARD) transport code and the MIG multi-correlated input sampling code. We considered the adjoint-based sensitivity and uncertainty (S/U) and stochastic sampling (S.S.) approaches to the generation of the ck similarity coefficient. To examine the code system, the ck similarity coefficients of 23 relevant critical experiments and the System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) small modular reactor (SMR) target system were generated using ENDF/B-VII.1 covariance data with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) 30-group energy group structure. Our results show that the similarity coefficients between the 16 LEU thermal-spectrum-based critical experiments and SMART are more than 0.90, which is the recommended criterion of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). These results are very helpful for licensees and can be used to justify the determination of critical experiment benchmarks for computational bias estimations of the SMART target system. To examine the discrepancy in the similarity coefficient, ck, due to the covariance data, similarity analyses for a 24 × 24 benchmark matrix were performed using ENDF-VIII.0, JENDL-5.0, and JEFF-3.3 covariance data. The results show that the selection of the covariance data used for ck generation significantly impacts the similarity coefficient. Moreover, it was observed that the current results for the SCALE 6.1 covariance data show a consistent trend with the results reported in earlier studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the ability level of art and design students in colleges and universities was accurately calculated by adopting the Logistics model in item response theory, combined with learner-question response data, and the maximum likelihood estimation method. Further, the study constructs a personalized recommendation model based on students’ competence, which utilizes the singular value decomposition technique to calculate students’ similarity coefficients, and achieves accurate personalized learning path recommendation. Through descriptive analysis, this paper delves into the specific application and effect of this personalized recommendation algorithm in the teaching reform of art and design majors in colleges and universities. The simulation analysis method evaluates the impact of online art and design professional teaching. The results show that this algorithm performs best in scoring prediction accuracy when the regularization coefficient is set to 0.02, and its RMSE value reaches 0.95012.This finding confirms that the personalized recommendation algorithm based on the students’ ability can effectively promote the reform of art and design teaching in colleges and universities, and realize tailored teaching. In addition, through accurate learning path recommendation, the algorithm significantly improves students’ learning ability and enthusiasm and provides valuable guidance and reference for teaching reform in colleges and universities.

Test case selection is to minimize the time and effort spent on software testing in real-time practice. During software testing, software firms need techniques to finish the testing in a stipulated time while uncompromising on quality. The motto is to select a subset of test cases rather than take up all available test cases to uncover most bugs. Our proposed model in the research study effort is termed SCARF-RT, which stands for Similarity coefficient (SC), Creating Acronyms, Regression test (RT), and Fuzzy set (FS) with Dataset (DS). Clustering of test cases using ranking and also based on similarity coefficients is to be implemented. This research considered eleven different features for clustering the test cases. Two techniques have been used. Firstly, each cluster will, to a certain extent, encompass a collection of distinct traits. Depending on the coverage of the feature, a cluster of test cases might be chosen. The ranking approach was used to create these groupings. The second methodology finds similarity among test cases based on eleven features. Then, the maxmin composition is used to find fuzzy equivalences upon which clusters are formed. Most similar test cases are clustered. Test cases of every cluster are selected as a test suite. The outcomes of this research show that the selected test cases based on the proposed approaches are better than existing methodologies in selecting test cases with less duration and at the same time not compromising on quality. Both fuzzy rank-based clustering and similarity coefficient-based clustering test case selection approaches have been developed and implemented. With the help of these methods, testers may quickly choose test cases based on the suggested characteristics and complete regression testing more quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation study is one of the pillars of land planning in any region, and the identification of plants is the basis of these studies. The purpose of the present study is to introduce the flora, life form, and chorotype of plants, and to investigate the effect of altitudinal gradient on the species diversity of the Dalfard region in the north of Jiroft city, Kerman. According to the altitude range of Dalfard, the flora of the region was collected and identified in three altitudinal zones during the spring and summer seasons of 2021 and 2022. A total of 303 plant species belonging to 217 genera and 71 families were identified. The most important plant families in the region in terms of species richness were Asteraceae (36), Fabaceae (25), Poaceae (25), Lamiaceae (20), and Apiaceae (16). Hemicryptophytes (30.7%) and therophytes (25.1%) were the dominant life forms in the region, respectively. A considerable number of species (40.9%) belonged to the Irano-Turanian region and other species to two, three, or more regions. The highest number of species (221) was observed in the altitudinal zone Z3 (2300-3100 m) and the lowest number of species (41) in the altitudinal zone Z1 (850-1400 m). The highest species similarity was determined between altitudinal zones Z2 and Z3 (37%) and the lowest similarity between three altitudinal zones (2.6%) based on the Jaccard index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

【Objective】To evaluate the application of distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing traits in maize hybrids.【Method】89 hybrid maize varieties in Yunnan Province for DUS testing in 2020-2021 were used as materials, based on the tested data, diversity and correlation analysis were conducted for 38 testing traits, and cluster analysis was conducted for 89 hybrids.【Result】A total of 191 expression states were detected for 38 traits in 89 maize hybrids, with an average of 5.0263 detected for each trait, with a range of 2~8. The average effective expression state was 2.8217, with a range of 1.0227~6.0697. The average Shannon-Weaver diversity index for 38 traits was 1.0669, with a range of 0.0616~1. 9069. The diversity performance of different traits is varies greatly, with some traits showing only 2 expression states in 89 maize varieties, and the number of effective expression states and Shannon-Weaver diversity index are relatively low. There are 8 expression states for some traits in 89 maize varieties, and the number of effective expression states and Shannon-Weaver diversity index are relatively high. Among the 38 testing traits, 12 pairs of traits had a highly significant positive correlation. The correlation coefficients between pollination stage and heading stage, and between plant spike height and plant spike height/plant height ratio were higher, 0.94 and 0.90, respectively. The above results indicate that the diversity of the tested traits in the current maize DUS testing guidelines in hybrids is good, and the variety differentiation is strong. It is also suggested that there are traits with significant correlations among traits, and special considerations should be taken in the determination of specificity and substantial derived varieties, different weights can be given based on their importance to calibrate the judgment results. Cluster analysis showed that the similarity coefficient of 89 hybrids ranged from 0.24 to 0.53, which could be clustered into five major groups. Group IV included 81 varieties, accounting for 91.0%, the similarity coefficient of the closest variety in this group was 0.53, indicating that Yunnan maize hybrids had good diversity and significant differences among varieties.【Conclusion】The current maize DUS testing traits still maintain high discrimination in maize hybrid varieties testing, with rich diversity of testing traits and a highly significant positive correlation between 12 pairs of testing traits.

The purpose of this article was to introduce the basic concepts, calculation methods, two examples and SAS implementation related to the variable cluster analysis. Basic concepts included variable cluster analysis, similarity coefficient, variable clustering methods, class composition and class structure. The calculation approaches involved the calculation process of the similarity coefficient method and the eigenvalue method. The data involved in the two examples were measurement results of 10 related indicators in 60 normal males and measurement results of 7 indicators in 36 rabbits. With the help of SAS software, a comprehensive variable cluster analysis was carried out on the quantitative data in the two cases, and a reasonable explanation was given for the output results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Approaches to guaranteeing the dimensional precision of machine parts are considered. It is difficult to formulate a uniform approach on account of the limited statistical data on which the corresponding theory may be based. In addition, numerous factors determining the operational errors in the manufacturing process must be taken into account. Accordingly, it is expedient to employ universal statistical and probabilistic methods in addressing the reliable dimensional precision of products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delayed reconfigurable manufacturing system (D-RMS), a subclass of reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS), were proposed to solve the convertibility problems of RMS. As a part family-oriented manufacturing system paradigm, D-RMS should concern delayed reconfiguration at the outset of part family formation. To bring the characteristics of delayed reconfiguration into the part family of D-RMS, an exclusive part family formation method for D-RMS based on machine learning is proposed in this paper. Firstly, a similarity coefficient that considers the characteristics of D-RMS is put forward based on the operation sequence of part. The positions of the common operations in the corresponding operation sequences are investigated. The more former common operations there are, the more probability it is that the parts are grouped into the same part family. The relative positions of the common operations are considered by proposing a concept of the longest relative position common operation subsequence (LPCS). Additionally, the position difference and discontinuity of the LPCSs in the corresponding operation sequences are analyzed. A similarity coefficient is proposed that incorporates the abovementioned factors. Secondly, a machine learning method named K-medoids is adopted to group parts into families based on the calculation result of the similarity coefficient. Finally, a case study is presented to implement the proposed part family formation method for D-RMS, where the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified through comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular genetic technologies are taking an increasing place in breeding work to improve existing breeds and populations of chickens, as well as in programs to preserve a valuable gene pool. Small local breeds are a source of valuable genes that can be used in breeding. The aim of this work was to obtain new knowledge about the structure of genomic DNA of six chicken populations using multilocus analysis with a labeled molecular probe (GTG)5. Multilocus analysis using labeled DNA probes provides working simultaneously with a large number of genetic loci and calculating population genetic parameters both within populations and between them. The data on use of the multilocus probe (GTG)5 in molecular hybridization reaction in six breeds and populations of chickens were analyzed. The results revealed a large genetic distance between Black-and-White Australorp and the Bald-necked chickens (D = 0.155). Bald-necked chickens are bred in isolation from other breeds to maintain the unique trait of naked necks. According to the criterion of average heterozygosity, the population of Bald-necked chickens surpassed the Yurlov Crowers and Black-and-White Australorps. Obviously, this is due to the intensive breeding work carried out in the last two populations, which reduces genetic diversity. Marker DNA fragments specific for individual breeds were identified. The effectiveness of multilocus analysis as a tool for identifying the features of genome organization in chicken breeds and populations was confirmed.

We investigated the phenotypic and genetic diversity among 25 grapevine accessions of white grape maintained in a germplasm collection ex situ. The selected varieties were characterised using standardised ampelographic descriptors and microsatellite markers to obtaintheir complete description. The ampelographic analysis based on 24 OIV descriptors and the obtained first dendrogram based on common features, revealed the extent of the phenotypic diversity ranging from 0.29 (between Coarnă albă and Chardonnay) to 0.92 (between Crâmpoşie and Cioinic), without any connection with their supposed origin or the current geographic area of distribution. The SSR allelic analysis with nine standard markers proved and confirmed its high discrimination potential for genotype identification and diversity. The second cluster analysis aimed to evaluate the genetic relationships among analysed accessions,based on Dice's similarity coefficient, revealed two groups of varieties: the first group (A) included twelve accessions with a degree of similarity between 0.37 and 0.5. The second (B) included eleven accessions, with a similarity degree between 0.33 and 0.67. The genotypic cluster analysis showed a distinct lower similarity between the Majarcă albă variety and all the varieties from the first group, and between Busuioacă de Bohotin and all the analysed varieties. The phenotypic and genetic matrices and dendrograms, although not correlated, were complimentary and provided valuable information about the diversity of the grapevine genotypes and the identification of the synonyms.

[Objective] To evaluate the application of distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) testing traits in maize hybrids. [Method] 89 hybrid maize varieties in Yunnan Province for DUS testing in 2020-2021 were used as materials, based on the tested data, diversity and correlation analysis were conducted for 38 testing traits, and cluster analysis was conducted for 89 hybrids.[Result] A total of 191 expression states were detected for 38 traits in 89 maize hybrids, with an average of 5.0263 detected for each trait, with a range of 2~8. The average effective expression state was 2.8217, with a range of 1.0227~6.0697. The average Shannon-Weaver diversity index for 38 traits was 1.0669, with a range of 0.0616～1. 9069. The diversity performance of different traits is varies greatly, with some traits showing only 2 expression states in 89 maize varieties, and the number of effective expression states and Shannon-Weaver diversity index are relatively low. There are 8 expression states for some traits in 89 maize varieties, and the number of effective expression states and Shannon-Weaver diversity index are relatively high. Among the 38 testing traits, 12 pairs of traits had a highly significant positive correlation. The correlation coefficients between pollination stage and heading stage, and between plant spike height and plant spike height/plant height ratio were higher, 0.94 and 0.90, respectively. The above results indicate that the diversity of the tested traits in the current maize DUS testing guidelines in hybrids is good, and the variety differentiation is strong. It is also suggested that there are traits with significant correlations among traits, and special considerations should be taken in the determination of specificity and substantial derived varieties, different weights can be given based on their importance to calibrate the judgment results. Cluster analysis showed that the similarity coefficient of 89 hybrids ranged from 0.24 to 0.53, which could be clustered into five major groups. Group IV included 81 varieties, accounting for 91.0%, the similarity coefficient of the closest variety in this group was 0.53, indicating that Yunnan maize hybrids had good diversity and significant differences among varieties. [Conclusion] The current maize DUS testing traits still maintain high discrimination in maize hybrid varieties testing, with rich diversity of testing traits and a highly significant positive correlation between 12 pairs of testing traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mycosystema is the property of Mycosystema Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We investigated the phenotypic and genetic diversity among 25 grapevine accessions of white grape maintained in a germplasm collection ex situ. The selected varieties were characterised using standardised ampelographic descriptors and microsatellite markers to obtaintheir complete description. The ampelographic analysis based on 24 OIV descriptors and the obtained first dendrogram based on common features, revealed the extent of the phenotypic diversity ranging from 0.29 (between Coarnă albă and Chardonnay) to 0.92 (between Crâmpoşie and Cioinic), without any connection with their supposed origin or the current geographic area of distribution. The SSR allelic analysis with nine standard markers proved and confirmed its high discrimination potential for genotype identification and diversity. The second cluster analysis aimed to evaluate the genetic relationships among analysed accessions, based on Dice's similarity coefficient, revealed two groups of varieties: the first group (A) included twelve accessions with a degree of similarity between 0.37 and 0.5. The second (B) included eleven accessions, with a similarity degree between 0.33 and 0.67. The genotypic cluster analysis showed a distinct lower similarity between the Majarcă albă variety and all the varieties from the first group, and between Busuioacă de Bohotin and all the analysed varieties. The phenotypic and genetic matrices and dendrograms, although not correlated, were complimentary and provided valuable information about the diversity of the grapevine genotypes and the identification of the synonyms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

So far, there has been limited use of molecular markers in arabica coffee breeding program in Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to explore the effectiveness of simple sequence repeats markers (SSRs) in detecting polymor- phism and to assess the extent of genetic diversity and relationships among ex-situ conserved Arabica coffee accessions. Sixty-two forest coffee accessions planted in the experimental plot of the Ethiopian coffee breeding program were evaluated using 14 SSR markers. These markers amplified a total of 100 alleles, varying from four to ten alleles per locus, with an average of 7.2 across all loci. The rate of polymorphism ranged from 75 to 100, with a mean value of 96.4 across the accessions. The polymorphic information content (PIC) varied from 0.26 to 0.92, with a mean value of 0.70. The genetic similarity coefficient values between 72% possible pair-wise combinations ranged from 0.18 to 0.50, with overall mean value of 0.44. The unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) dendrogram based on Jaccard’s genetic similarity grouped the accessions into five main clusters and two singletons at

In this study, a similarity coefficient generation code system was established using the Monte Carlo Code for Advanced Reactor Design (McCARD) transport code and the MIG multi-correlated input sampling code. We considered the adjoint-based sensitivity and uncertainty (S/U) and stochastic sampling (S.S.) approaches to the generation of the ck similarity coefficient. To examine the code system, the ck similarity coefficients of 23 relevant critical experiments and the System-Integrated Modular Advanced Reactor (SMART) small modular reactor (SMR) target system were generated using ENDF/B-VII.1 covariance data with the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) 30-group energy group structure. Our results show that the similarity coefficients between the 16 LEU thermal-spectrum-based critical experiments and SMART are more than 0.90, which is the recommended criterion of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). These results are very helpful for licensees and can be used to justify the determination of critical experiment benchmarks for computational bias estimations of the SMART target system. To examine the discrepancy in the similarity coefficient, ck, due to the covariance data, similarity analyses for a 24 × 24 benchmark matrix were performed using ENDF-VIII.0, JENDL-5.0, and JEFF-3.3 covariance data. The results show that the selection of the covariance data used for ck generation significantly impacts the similarity coefficient. Moreover, it was observed that the current results for the SCALE 6.1 covariance data show a consistent trend with the results reported in earlier studies.

The objective of the study is to determine the genetic relationships and diversity among 20 genotypes of greengram. Ten randomly chosen decamers in total were screened, and all of them were amplified. There were 1071 amplified bands in total, 110 of which were polymorphic, 10.27 percent polymorphism was the average. The band size of the final PCR-amplified products varied from 100 bp to 1000 bp. According to the presence or absence of unique alleles were found in sixteen genotypes of greengram. The values of the Jaccard’s similarity coefficient for RAPD primers ranged from 0.0 to 0.5. The majority of the genotypes were divided into six major clusters based on the dendrogram produced by using the UPGMA method. The genetic distance between genotypes VRM-1 and MH 421was the smallest, while the genetic distance between genotypes CO 1 and CO 8, VBN 3 and CO 2 (99%) was the greatest.Hence, these findings provides valuable information for molecular classification and marker-assisted breeding for crop improvement in the Vigna germplasm pool.

Copyright of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment is the property of Journal of Ecology & Rural Environment Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The taxonomic composition and ecological-faunistic characteristics of the fauna of ground beetles in the lower reaches of the Zarafshan River were analyzed. 43 species of ground beetles belonging to 28 genera, 19 tribes and 9 subfamilies were identified. The dominant species are Calathus ambiguus (20.21%), Machozetus lehmanni (17.44%), Harpalus distinguendus (16.23%), Scarites bucida (7.6%) and Machozetus concinnus (5.35%), while the subdominant - Scarites terricola (4.32%) Megacephala euphratica (3.97%), Amara aenea (2.94%), Amara ovata (2.25%) and Harpulus rubripes (2.07%). The composition of the carabid fauna consists of two ecologically sharply different species complexes: xerophiles (inhabiting desert biotopes) and mesohygrophiles (inhabiting agrcenoses). Syntomus obscuroguttatus, Harpalus affinis, and Scarites subcylindricus were noted for the fauna of Uzbekistan for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity is one of the important indicators of ecosystem sustainability, which is less studied in relation to urban areas, particularly Ukraine, and even more so in small towns. Taking the example of three small Ukrainian towns, the biodiversity of tree species is compared in the article. The studied small towns are located in two geographic zones, mixed forests (Polissya) and forest-steppe, and administratively, in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions. An inventory of trees in the residential area of Ukrainka, in the central streets of Novhorod-Siverskyi, as well as in the central part and all streets of Vyshhorod was conducted. Thus, the species richness of trees both between the studied towns and between its central part and the whole territory of the town was compared. The species structure of tree plantings in terms of richness, diversity, dominance, alignment, and similarity was assessed. The obtained results were subjected to cluster and correlation analysis. It was found that the greatest diversity is characteristic for the dendroflora of the whole territory of Vyshhorod, which is the fastest growing town, located closest to the capital. The dendrofloras of small towns were quite similar to each other. The values of similarity indices varied in a wide range: Jacquard’s index from 0.26 to 0.56 and Sørensen index from 0.41 to 0.66. The lowest degree of similarity was found with the dendroflora of the most distant Novgorod-Siverskyi town. Mainly the urban plantings require enrichment of the tree species composition, taking into account their resistance to anthropogenic impacts and climate change.

Test case selection is to minimize the time and effort spent on software testing in real-time practice. During software testing, software firms need techniques to finish the testing in a stipulated time while uncompromising on quality. The motto is to select a subset of test cases rather than take up all available test cases to uncover most bugs. Our proposed model in the research study effort is termed SCARF-RT, which stands for Similarity coefficient (SC), Creating Acronyms, Regression test (RT), and Fuzzy set (FS) with Dataset (DS). Clustering of test cases using ranking and also based on similarity coefficients is to be implemented. This research considered eleven different features for clustering the test cases. Two techniques have been used. Firstly, each cluster will, to a certain extent, encompass a collection of distinct traits. Depending on the coverage of the feature, a cluster of test cases might be chosen. The ranking approach was used to create these groupings. The second methodology finds similarity among test cases based on eleven features. Then, the maxmin composition is used to find fuzzy equivalences upon which clusters are formed. Most similar test cases are clustered. Test cases of every cluster are selected as a test suite. The outcomes of this research show that the selected test cases based on the proposed approaches are better than existing methodologies in selecting test cases with less duration and at the same time not compromising on quality. Both fuzzy rank-based clustering and similarity coefficient-based clustering test case selection approaches have been developed and implemented. With the help of these methods, testers may quickly choose test cases based on the suggested characteristics and complete regression testing more quickly.

The study investigates the dynamics of the Russian scientific journals input stream based on the results of article classification, according to the State Rubricator of Scientific and Technical Information in the VINITI RAS Database. The authors aim to trace the changes in the information provision of the codes of the subject field Chemistry, chemical technology, and the chemical industry. The research procedure presented includes the methods of calculating the indicators that allow to automate the assessment of journals thematic profiles—the similarity and scattering coefficients. The proposed methodology facilitates the identification of trends in the thematic profiles of serial publications, i.e., growth or degradation of their headings, thus contributing to the optimization of the information center documents input stream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Various markers can be used for accurate identifications of plant genotypes and cultivars. Since microsatellite markers of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are abundant and reliably reproducible, 14 pairs were used for evaluating polymorphic levels among 33 apple genotypes. All 14 pairs of primers had high degrees of polymorphism, ranging from three alleles (in the case of primers CH01h01 and CH02d12) to 12 alleles in primer CH05d04. In total, 83 polymorphic alleles appeared in these 14 SSR loci (with an average of 5.92 alleles per gene locus), and the polymorphic information content averaged 0.71. Dendrograms for molecular data were drawn based on the UPGMA method, and genotypes were divided into six main groups. The genotypes of Shahrood 20 and Shahrood 21 (95%) had the highest similarity with each other, while Shahrood 3 and Palestinian Malayer (14%) had the lowest. Principal component analysis confirmed the results of cluster analysis to determine relationships between the genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying surface geochemical anomalies is important for detecting the presence of mineral deposits. However, distinguishing inconspicuous geochemical anomalies is a challenge for geochemists. This paper studies geochemical quantitative prediction for Pb–Zn metallic mineral deposits by identifying inconspicuous surface geochemical anomalies mainly associated with the Permian and Jurassic strata in the middle-southern Da Hinggan Mountains metallogenic belt. Some new methods are employed to highlight weak surface geochemical anomalies. The weak surface geochemical anomalies of Pb and Zn are effectively highlighted by the average contrast values of Pb–Zn–Ag–Cd. The similarity coefficient with the large typical discovered deposits is used to identify new Pb–Zn mineralized anomalies and delineate new prospecting target areas. The denudation degree of mineral deposit is determined by the ratio of (W × Sn)/(As × Sb). The analogy method and areal productivity method are employed for resource prediction. Thirty-six prediction areas with Pb–Zn resources of 307.73 million tons are delineated. Five prediction areas are verified, and some new mineral deposits are proven by drilling. The verification results show that the predicted resources are very reasonable and credible. This paper is a successful case of quantitative prediction assessment of mineral resource potential, which can be used as a reference for future prospecting activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical nodes of complex networks are pivotal for effective information propagation. Several centrality methods have been presented to identify critical nodes relied on the relationships between node and its neighbors, which indicates that the interaction between them will account for determining the importance of nodes. In this paper, a novel ranking method based on the defined similarity coefficient is proposed. The main thought of the proposed method is that the importance of nodes being linked to the local structural similarity between node and its neighbors. By quantifying the distinction between the node's local structure information, a similarity matrix of the entire network is constructed first. Further, the similarity coefficient of node is defined by taking into account the interaction relationships between nodes and the local structural attribute of complex networks. Finally, a novel method, named Extended Similarity Coefficient Ranking Method (ESCRM), is proposed to determine the influentiality of node based on its neighbors' information. We perform extensive experiments on ten real-world datasets to comprehensively estimate the performance of the ESCRM and other ten representative centralities. The experimental results demonstrate that under the Susceptible-Infected-Recovered (SIR) model, the ESCRM outperforms the other centralities on identifying critical nodes, and as a relatively efficient ranking method can provide better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the objectives of intelligent devices is to enhance human well-being in terms of convenience and efficiency. Using the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, smart environments may now be created. Privacy and security are major concerns in any IoT-based smart real-world setting. There are security dangers to smart environment applications due to IoT-based systems' vulnerabilities. IoT-specific intrusion detection systems (IDSs) are urgently needed to protect against attacks that leverage some of these security flaws. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) have played a significant role in network and information system security for more than two decades. Because of its unique properties, such as low-resource devices, specialised protocol stacks, and standardized communication protocols, it is difficult to apply classic IDS techniques to IoT. For the Internet of Things, standard intrusion detection systems suffer from a number of limitations that can be mitigated by combining machine learning technology with them. The purpose of this work is to explain how classic statistical approaches may be used to examine scope distribution diversity in order to choose and optimize features. The Correlation Coefficient approach is used to select the best features for the development of the classifier in this work's "Distributed Diverse Technique of Feature Optimization to Prevent Intrusion Activities on IoT Networks." To train our Naive Bayes classifier, we employed proposal-selected feature sets. There was a decrease in false alarms as well as an increase in classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to select traditional accessions, compose a core collection of common bean, and assess the representativeness of the collection in relation to the base collection accommodated in the BAG of Embrapa using analysis strategies for multivariate models. We used data characterizing 2903 accessions from collections representing all geographic areas of Brazil regarding three morphologic descriptors (seed color, growth habit type, and seed size) and four ecogeographic descriptors (geographical areas, states, altitudes, and soil classes). A set of 400 accessions were selected using multivariate models applied to the data transformed in multibinary values. The accessions sampled had maximum similarity (100%) to the traditional collection, phenotypic diversity, and representative heterogeneity in relation to the traditional collection. In the core collection, the accessions represented 9.5% of the traditional accessions and were equivalent to 3% of the accessions of the base collection. Thus, it is possible to form a core collection that is representative of the base collection regarding genetic diversity and the conservation of rare alleles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the species diversity and geographical distribution pattern of wild Gesneriaceae in Guizhou Province were studied based on the establishment of a list and geographical distribution database of wild Gesneriaceae in Guizhou Province. The species composition, endemism, horizontal distribution, vertical distribution and similarity were analyzed, through the literature and a field investigation, and the hotspots of Gesneriaceae in Guizhou were determined by a complementary algorithm. The results are as follows:(1)There are 153 species(including subspecies)of Gesneriaceae in Guizhou Province, belonging to 2 tribes, 8 subtribes, and 28 genera. These plants are distributed among 75 county-level administrative districts. There are 128 species endemic to China and 45 endemic to Guizhou, and the vertical distribution is the most abundant at altitudes section of 900-1 300 m.(2)The calculation of the provincial similarity coefficient showed that Guizhou and Guangxi had the highest similarity. Finally, 10 hot spots were selected, representing 75% of the Gesneriaceae plants.(3)Guizhou Province is a typical karst plateau mountainous area that is rich in species of Gesneriaceae, especially Oreocharis, Primulina, Petrocodon and Paraboea, which have high species diversity and regional specificity. This study can provide a theoretical reference for the conservation and sustainable utilization of Gesneriaceae plant resources in Guizhou Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four breeding methods viz. pedigree method (PM), single pod descent (SPD), single pod descent with selection (SPDS) and bulk method (BM) were compared for maintaining variability in the population in advanced generations using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. The F4:7 lines advanced through different breeding methods from six different crosses were evaluated for number of unique lines retained in each method at a similarity coefficient ≥ 0.875. Eighteen polymorphic SSR markers were used for estimating similarity coefficient between lines within a breeding method in each cross. In all the crosses, SPD method was the best method in producing unique lines with a range from 42.9 to 100 per cent. SPD method had also the least number of lines pairing with two or more lines. PM and BM had the least number of unique lines in three crosses each and also maximum proportion of lines produced by these two methods were paired with four or more lines. Thus, SPD method was the most efficient among these four methods in retaining the variability in a population, but the breeder has to make a choice between high variability and comparative harvest and seed processing efficiencies to select the most suitable breeding method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problems emerging during the research of gas hydrate production processes, in particular, their dissociation in natural conditions. The advantages and disadvantages of known research methods have been analysed based on domestic and world research-and-practice experience of the conditions for hydrate formation and dissociation. Engineering tasks set for the development of a laboratory setup for gas hydrates dissociation have been performed using the analysis of analytical, experimental studies presented in scientific papers, publications, research projects and patents. It has been determined that the «gas hydrate reservoir-massif» thermodynamic system is multicomponent and complex. Therefore, to transfer the research results from a model to full-scale object, it is necessary to use appropriate coefficients that take into account changes in the geometric parameters and physical properties of the modelled object. They are set on the basis of the principles of static, kinematic and dynamic similarities. It is convenient and economically feasible to conduct experimental research on analogue test models, as it makes possible to determine the high convergence of results. An algorithm is proposed for conducting research on gas hydrates decomposition, which includes the stages of constructing a model of gas hydrate deposit depending on its lithological composition. In perspective, it is planned, when performing a series of theoretical and experimental research, to study the influence of variable indicators of a gas hydrate deposit lithological composition (clayed silt, sand-silty clay, sand, methane hydrate) on methane gas output depending on the heat-transfer medium temperature.

The technique of binary code similarity detection (BCSD) has been applied in many fields, such as malware detection, plagiarism detection and vulnerability search, etc. Existing solutions for the BCSD problem usually compare specific features between binaries based on the control flow graphs of functions from binaries or compute the embedding vector of binary functions and solve the problem based on deep learning algorithms. In this paper, from another research perspective, we propose a new and lightweight method to solve cross-version BCSD problem based on multiple features. It transforms binary functions into vectors and signals and computes the similarity coefficient value and correlation coefficient value for solving cross-version BCSD problem. Without relying on the CFG of functions, deep learning algorithms and other related attributes, our method works directly on the raw bytes of each binary and it can be used as an alternative method to coping with various complex situations that exist in the real-world environment. We implement the method and evaluate it on a custom dataset with about 423,282 samples. The result shows that the method could perform well in cross-version BCSD field, and the recall of our method could reach 96.63%, which is almost the same as the state-of-the-art static solution.

The results of the analysis of atmospheric air samples for 4–6-nuclear aromatic hydrocarbons at the State monitoring network in 143 cities of the Russian Federation in the winter season 2019‒2020 are presented. Comparative analysis of the situation with air pollution with PAHs in cities at the territories of Federal districts of Russia is performed. The analysis showed that the levels of 4–6-nuclear PAHs in the atmospheric air of cities in the European part of Russia are significantly lower than in the Asian part of the country in winter. The average concentrations of 4–6-nuclear PAHs in the air of some cities of the Siberian Federal District were more than an order of magnitude higher than in the cities of the European part. High (5‒10 MAC) and very high (> 10 MAC) air pollution with benzo(a)pyrene in winter is observed only in the cities of the Siberian (63% of the surveyed cities) and Far East Federal Districts (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk). A method is proposed for comparing the similarity of PAH profiles in environmental matrices using the similarity coefficient (Ks). It was noted that the PAH profiles in the atmospheric air of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts differ appreciably from the respective profiles in the Federal districts of the European part of Russia. The pyrogenic nature of medium- and high-molecular PAHs in the atmospheric air in cities of all Federal Districts was revealed. Higher pyrogenicity indices were obtained for the cities of the Siberian and Far Eastern Federal Districts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal developmental anomalies (SDA) are a subject of constant interest across scientific disciplines, but still mostly as isolates and curiosities. The aim of this study was to find out to what extent the occurrence of SDA reflects documented biological relationships. The skeletal remains of 34 individuals with known genealogical data were available, members of one family over four generations (19th to 20th centuries, Bohemia, Czech Republic), including some inbred individuals. The occurrence of 89 SDA was assessed on the basis of scopic morphological evaluation and X‐ray and CT examinations. The degree of similarity between individuals was calculated using a "similarity coefficient" (SC). A linear model was used to test the relationship between positive values of the SC and the relatedness of biologically related individuals. Simultaneously, based on population frequencies of the evaluated anomalies, those that could be considered familial were recorded. A statistically significant relationship between morphological similarity and the biological distance between individuals was found. The greatest similarity was found among close relatives such as parents and children, siblings, or grandparents and grandchildren. The effect of increased consanguinity on the occurrence of anomalies was not confirmed, however. Seventeen SDA shared by closely related individuals were found in the sample, supporting the documented family relationships among them. Eleven of these were selected as possibly familial, but only five were statistically significant: an elongated styloid process, a cervical block vertebrae (arch, facet joints), hamate hamulus aplasia, anteater nose sign, and incomplete fusion of the S1 spinous process. There were also 28 cases of individual occurrences of 17 different SDA, without connection to the documented relationships between individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]