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1
Rota, Jadranka, Tobias Malm, Nicolas Chazot, Carlos Peña, and Niklas Wahlberg. "A simple method for data partitioning based on relative evolutionary rates." PeerJ 6 (August 28, 2018): e5498. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5498.
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Background Multiple studies have demonstrated that partitioning of molecular datasets is important in model-based phylogenetic analyses. Commonly, partitioning is done a priori based on some known properties of sequence evolution, e.g. differences in rate of evolution among codon positions of a protein-coding gene. Here we propose a new method for data partitioning based on relative evolutionary rates of the sites in the alignment of the dataset being analysed. The rates are inferred using the previously published Tree Independent Generation of Evolutionary Rates (TIGER), and the partitioning is conducted using our novel python script RatePartitions. We conducted simulations to assess the performance of our new method, and we applied it to eight published multi-locus phylogenetic datasets, representing different taxonomic ranks within the insect order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and one phylogenomic dataset, which included ultra-conserved elements as well as introns. Methods We used TIGER-rates to generate relative evolutionary rates for all sites in the alignments. Then, using RatePartitions, we partitioned the data into partitions based on their relative evolutionary rate. RatePartitions applies a simple formula that ensures a distribution of sites into partitions following the distribution of rates of the characters from the full dataset. This ensures that the invariable sites are placed in a partition with slowly evolving sites, avoiding the pitfalls of previously used methods, such as k-means. Different partitioning strategies were evaluated using BIC scores as calculated by PartitionFinder. Results Simulations did not highlight any misbehaviour of our partitioning approach, even under difficult parameter conditions or missing data. In all eight phylogenetic datasets, partitioning using TIGER-rates and RatePartitions was significantly better as measured by the BIC scores than other partitioning strategies, such as the commonly used partitioning by gene and codon position. We compared the resulting topologies and node support for these eight datasets as well as for the phylogenomic dataset. Discussion We developed a new method of partitioning phylogenetic datasets without using any prior knowledge (e.g. DNA sequence evolution). This method is entirely based on the properties of the data being analysed and can be applied to DNA sequences (protein-coding, introns, ultra-conserved elements), protein sequences, as well as morphological characters. A likely explanation for why our method performs better than other tested partitioning strategies is that it accounts for the heterogeneity in the data to a much greater extent than when data are simply subdivided based on prior knowledge.
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Tahmoresnezhad, Jafar, and Sattar Hashemi. "An Efficient yet Effective Random Partitioning and Feature Weighting Approach for Transfer Learning." International Journal of Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence 30, no. 02 (February 2016): 1651003. http://dx.doi.org/10.1142/s0218001416510034.
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One of the serious challenges in machine learning and pattern recognition is to transfer knowledge from related but different domains to a new unlabeled domain. Feature selection with maximum mean discrepancy (f-MMD) is a novel and effective approach to transfer knowledge from source domain (training set) into target domain (test set) where training and test sets are drawn from different distributions. However, f-MMD has serious challenges in facing datasets with large number of samples and features. Moreover, f-MMD ignores the feature-label relation in finding the reduced representation of dataset. In this paper, we exploit jointly transfer learning and class discrimination to cope with domain shift problem on which the distribution difference is considerably large. We therefore put forward a novel transfer learning and class discrimination approach, referred to as RandOm k-samplesets feature Weighting Approach (ROWA). Specifically, ROWA reduces the distribution difference across domains in an unsupervised manner where no label is available in the test set. Moreover, ROWA exploits feature-label relation to separate various classes alongside the domain transfer, and augments the relation of selected features and source domain labels. In this work, we employ disjoint/overlapping small-sized samplesets to iteratively converge to final solution. Employment of local sets along with a novel optimization problem constructs a robust and effective reduced representation for adaptation across domains. Extensive experiments on real and synthetic datasets verify that ROWA can significantly outperform state-of-the-art transfer learning approaches.
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Irles, Claudine, Joel Arias-Martinez, José Guzmán-Bárcenas, and Alicia Ortega. "Plasma membrane subdomain partitioning of Lck in primary human T lymphocytes." Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 88, no. 4 (April 2010): 487–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/y09-125.
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Uncovering the plasma membrane distribution of tyrosine kinase Lck is crucial to understanding T lymphocyte triggering. Several studies of Lck species partitioning have given contradictory results. We decided to re-address this point by using phospho-specific antibodies to characterize active and inactive Lck partitioning in raft and non-raft membranes from primary human peripheral blood T lymphocytes. We show that most inactive Lck was localized in rafts and was associated with nearly all CD4 coreceptors and its negative regulator Csk in resting cells, while T cell receptor (TCR) engagement promoted a sustained dephosphorylation of inactive Lck. In contrast, active Lck had a more discrete distribution interacting with only a small number of CD4 coreceptors, and the kinase showed a rapid and short phosphorylation after TCR triggering. The differences in distribution and kinetics may be related to T lymphocyte signalling threshold modulation by Lck species and suggest how TCR triggering is first initiated. This study furthers our knowledge of the TCR activation model in primary human T lymphocytes.
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Shaikh, M. Bilal, M. Abdul Rehman, and Attaullah Sahito. "Optimizing Distributed Machine Learning for Large Scale EEG Data Set." Sukkur IBA Journal of Computing and Mathematical Sciences 1, no. 1 (June 30, 2017): 114. http://dx.doi.org/10.30537/sjcms.v1i1.14.
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Distributed Machine Learning (DML) has gained its importance more than ever in this era of Big Data. There are a lot of challenges to scale machine learning techniques on distributed platforms. When it comes to scalability, improving the processor technology for high level computation of data is at its limit, however increasing machine nodes and distributing data along with computation looks as a viable solution. Different frameworks and platforms are available to solve DML problems. These platforms provide automated random data distribution of datasets which miss the power of user defined intelligent data partitioning based on domain knowledge. We have conducted an empirical study which uses an EEG Data Set collected through P300 Speller component of an ERP (Event Related Potential) which is widely used in BCI problems; it helps in translating the intention of subject w h i l e performing any cognitive task. EEG data contains noise due to waves generated by other activities in the brain which contaminates true P300Speller. Use of Machine Learning techniques could help in detecting errors made by P300 Speller. We are solving this classification problem by partitioning data into different chunks and preparing distributed models using Elastic CV Classifier. To present a case of optimizing distributed machine learning, we propose an intelligent user defined data partitioning approach that could impact on the accuracy of distributed machine learners on average. Our results show better average AUC as compared to average AUC obtained after applying random data partitioning which gives no control to user over data partitioning. It improves the average accuracy of distributed learner due to the domain specific intelligent partitioning by the user. Our customized approach achieves 0.66 AUC on individual sessions and 0.75 AUC on mixed sessions, whereas random / uncontrolled data distribution records 0.63 AUC.
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Schapendonk, Ad H. C. M., Oijen, Sander C. Pot, Riki Van den Boogaard, and Jeremy Harbinson. "Nitrogen Shortage in a Tomato Crop; Scaling up from Effects on Electron-Transport Rate to Plant Productivity." Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C 54, no. 9-10 (October 1, 1999): 840–48. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/znc-1999-9-1034.
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Optimization of nitrogen supply in a tomato plant is stepwise assessed, from chloroplast characteristics to whole crop performance. Experiments are reported in which important key processes are quantified in relation to the nitrogen content of leaves. Interactions of N effects with leaf aging and canopy light distribution are analyzed. A simulation model that integrates this knowledge is constructed. The results of three nitrogen partitioning scenarios for Rubisco suggest that optimization of the distribution of Rubisco between leaf layers is less important for plant productivity than within-leaf optimization of the photosynthetic apparatus
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Sirbiladze, Gia, Bidzina Matsaberidze, Bezhan Ghvaberidze, Bidzina Midodashvili, and David Mikadze. "Fuzzy TOPSIS based selection index in the planning of emergency service facilities locations and goods transportation." Journal of Intelligent & Fuzzy Systems 41, no. 1 (August 11, 2021): 1949–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/jifs-210636.
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The attributes influencing the decision-making process in planning transportation of goods from selected facilities locations in disaster zones are considered. Experts evaluate each candidate for humanitarian aid distribution centers (HADCs) (service centers) against each uncertainty factor in q-rung orthopair fuzzy sets (q-ROFS). For representation of experts’ knowledge in the input data for planning emergency service facilities locations a q-rung orthopair fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) approach is developed. Based on the offered fuzzy TOPSIS aggregation a new innovative objective function is introduced which maximizes a candidate HADC’s selection index and reduces HADCs opening risks in disaster zones. The HADCs location and goods transportation problem is reduced to the bi-criteria problem of partitioning the set of customers by the set of service centers: 1) Minimization of opened HADCs and goods transportation total costs; 2) Maximization of HADCs selection index. Partitioning type transportation constraints are also constructed. Our approach for solving the constructed bi-criteria partitioning problem consists of two phases. In the first phase, based on the covering’s matrix, we generate a new matrix with columns allowing to find all possible partitioning of the demand points with the opened HADCs. In the second phase, using the generated matrix and our exact algorithm we find the partitioning –allocations of the HADCs to the centers corresponded to the Pareto-optimal solutions. The constructed model is illustrated with a numerical example.
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Hu, Jingcheng, Zhongming Chen, Xuan Qin, and Ping Dong. "Reversible and irreversible gas–particle partitioning of dicarbonyl compounds observed in the real atmosphere." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22, no. 10 (May 31, 2022): 6971–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6971-2022.
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Abstract. Glyoxal and methylglyoxal are vital carbonyl compounds in the atmosphere and play substantial roles in radical cycling and ozone formation. The partitioning process of glyoxal and methylglyoxal between the gas and particle phases via reversible and irreversible pathways could efficiently contribute to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation. However, the relative importance of two partitioning pathways still remains elusive, especially in the real atmosphere. In this study, we launched five field observations in different seasons and simultaneously measured glyoxal and methylglyoxal in the gas and particle phases. The field-measured gas–particle partitioning coefficients were 5–7 magnitudes higher than the theoretical ones, indicating the significant roles of reversible and irreversible pathways in the partitioning process. The particulate concentration of dicarbonyls and product distribution via the two pathways were further investigated using a box model coupled with the corresponding kinetic mechanisms. We recommended the irreversible reactive uptake coefficient γ for glyoxal and methylglyoxal in different seasons in the real atmosphere, and the average value of 8.0×10-3 for glyoxal and 2.0×10-3 for methylglyoxal best represented the loss of gaseous dicarbonyls by irreversible gas–particle partitioning processes. Compared to the reversible pathways, the irreversible pathways played a dominant role, with a proportion of more than 90 % in the gas–particle partitioning process in the real atmosphere, and the proportion was significantly influenced by relative humidity and inorganic components in aerosols. However, the reversible pathways were also substantial, especially in winter, with a proportion of more than 10 %. The partitioning processes of dicarbonyls in reversible and irreversible pathways jointly contributed to more than 25 % of SOA formation in the real atmosphere. To our knowledge, this study is the first to systemically examine both reversible and irreversible pathways in the ambient atmosphere, strives to narrow the gap between model simulations and field-measured gas–particle partitioning coefficients, and reveals the importance of gas–particle processes for dicarbonyls in SOA formation.
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Grard, Aline, and Jean-François Deliège. "Characterizing Trace Metal Contamination and Partitioning in the Rivers and Sediments of Western Europe Watersheds." Hydrology 10, no. 2 (February 16, 2023): 51. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/hydrology10020051.
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Adsorption and desorption processes occurring on suspended and bed sediments were studied in two datasets from western Europe watersheds (Meuse and Mosel). Copper and zinc dissolved and total concentrations, total suspended sediment concentrations, mass concentrations, and grain sizes were analyzed. Four classes of mineral particle size were determined. Grain size distribution had to be considered in order to assess the trace metal particulate phase in the water column. The partitioning coefficients of trace metals between the dissolved and particulate phases were calculated. The objective of this study was to improve the description of the processes involved in the transportation and fate of trace metals in river aquatic ecosystems. Useful data for future modelling, management and contamination assessment of river sediments were provided. As it is confirmed by a literature review, the copper and zinc partitioning coefficients calculated in this study are reliable. The knowledge related to copper and zinc (e.g., partitioning coefficients) will allow us to begin investigations into environmental modelling. This modelling will allow us to consider new sorption processes and better describe trace metal and sediment fates as well as pressure–impact relationships.
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Zhu, Zichen, Xiao Hu, and Manos Athanassoulis. "NOCAP: Near-Optimal Correlation-Aware Partitioning Joins." Proceedings of the ACM on Management of Data 1, no. 4 (December 8, 2023): 1–27. http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/3626739.
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Storage-based joins are still commonly used today because the memory budget does not always scale with the data size. One of the many join algorithms developed that has been widely deployed and proven to be efficient is the Hybrid Hash Join (HHJ), which is designed to exploit any available memory to maximize the data that is joined directly in memory. However, HHJ cannot fully exploit detailed knowledge of the join attribute correlation distribution. In this paper, we show that given a correlation skew in the join attributes, HHJ partitions data in a suboptimal way. To do that, we derive the optimal partitioning using a new cost-based analysis of partitioning-based joins that is tailored for primary key - foreign key (PK-FK) joins, one of the most common join types. This optimal partitioning strategy has a high memory cost, thus, we further derive an approximate algorithm that has tunable memory cost and leads to near-optimal results. Our algorithm, termed NOCAP (Near-Optimal Correlation-Aware Partitioning) join, outperforms the state of the art for skewed correlations by up to 30%, and the textbook Grace Hash Join by up to 4×. Further, for a limited memory budget, NOCAP outperforms HHJ by up to 10%, even for uniform correlation. Overall, NOCAP dominates state-of-the-art algorithms and mimics the best algorithm for a memory budget varying from below √||relation|| to more than ||relation||.
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Calliari, Danilo, Guillermo Cervetto, Rafael Castiglioni, and Laura Rodríguez. "Salinity preferences and habitat partitioning between dominant mysids at the Río de la Plata estuary (Uruguay)." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 87, no. 2 (April 2007): 501–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315407055038.
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Mysids are common and abundant organisms in estuaries and coastal waters, where they have a central role in the functioning of food webs. The Río de la Plata (RdlP) is a major estuary that affects biogeographic patterns of marine coastal organisms in the south-west Atlantic, but studies of the plankton in the RdlP are scarce. Knowledge of the mysid fauna in particular is very limited with a single species (likely alien, Neomysis americana), traditionally known to inhabit this 38,000 km2 estuary, and a second one, Mysidopsis tortonesei, only recently reported. The purpose of this paper is to contribute with the knowledge of the mysid fauna of this ecosystem by exploring the spatial distribution and in situ salinity preferences of N. americana and M. tortonesei in the mixohaline region of the RdlP during austral autumn, 2001. Both species showed clear and contrasting haline affinities that resulted in an almost perfect spatial segregation within the study area. Neomysis americana occurred preferentially in oligo- and meso-haline conditions (range <1 to 33.37, but most abundant at salinities <28), while M. tortonesei occurred at salinities >28. Temperature range was quite narrow and it was unlikely that it affected mysid distribution in the estuary. Temporal variability in observed patterns, as well as the role of biological interactions in shaping spatial distribution of N. americana and M. tortonesei within the estuary are subjects that deserve further attention in future studies.
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Evans, D. O., B. A. Henderson, N. J. Bax, T. R. Marshall, R. T. Oglesby, and W. J. Christie. "Concepts and Methods of Community Ecology Applied to Freshwater Fisheries Management." Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 44, S2 (December 19, 1987): s448—s470. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f87-347.
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In this paper we review selected theory, hypotheses, and methods of community ecology with reference to fisheries management. Community ecology is concerned with theoretical and empirical studies of the behavior of species assemblages over space and time. Ideas that have evolved from these types of studies concerning hierarchical organization, resource partitioning, food webs, structural integration, stability, complexity, and production and their relevance to fisheries management are discussed. One main conclusion confirmed by the ASPY Symposium is that the productivity of fish communities is determined by energy inputs, nutrients, edaphic factors, and habitat variables but that the distribution of the production by species is strongly influenced by interactions between species. A related conclusion is that species interactions are size dependent because of morphological, physiological, and behavioral constraints on predator–prey relationships, resulting in a hierarchical organization. Further, density-dependent interactions (predation, competition) within and between species influence growth rates, size distributions, and age-specific mortality and reproductive rates, and vice versa. Anthropogenic factors such as fishing, nutrient enrichment, introduction of exotic species, and chemical contaminants tend to act differentially at the level of species, but due to interdependencies between species their effects are propagated at the community level by disrupting its size- and niche-structured organization. Fish communities can be managed as relatively discrete functional units, but dependency on whole system dynamics ultimately necessitates an ecosystem perspective. Development of a more quantitative theory of fish community dynamics will require improved descriptions of species interactions (food web structure, ontogenetic histories, resource partitioning, and body size dependency), better characterization of complexity, stability, and successional change in fish communities, additional knowledge of energy transfer through aquatic ecosystems, and improved methods of estimating biomass distributions in fish communities. Comparative studies over space and time and experimental and adaptive management are appropriate ways for fishery scientists and managers to acquire this knowledge.
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McDonald, H. Gregory. "Yukon to the Yucatan: Habitat partitioning in North American Late Pleistocene ground sloths (Xenarthra, Pilosa)." Journal of Palaeosciences 70, no. (1-2) (September 10, 2021): 237–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.54991/jop.2021.17.
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The late Pleistocene mammalian fauna of North America included seven genera of ground sloth, representing four families. This cohort of megaherbivores had an extensive geographic range in North America from the Yukon in Canada to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and inhabited a variety of biomes. Within this latitudinal range there are taxa with a distribution limited to temperate latitudes while others have a distribution restricted to tropical latitudes. Some taxa are better documented than others and more is known about their palaeoecology and habitat preferences, while our knowledge of the palaeoecology of taxa more recently discovered remains limited. In order to better understand what aspects of their palaeoecology allowed their dispersal from South America, long–term success in North America and ultimately the underlying causes for their extinction at the end of the Pleistocene more information is needed. A summary overview of the differences in the palaeoecology of the late Pleistocene sloths in North America and their preferred habitats is presented based on different data sources.
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Jiang, Wei, Kadda Yahiaoui, and Frank R. Hall. "Finite Element Predictions of Temperature Distributions in a Multipass Welded Piping Branch Junction." Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology 127, no. 1 (February 1, 2005): 7–12. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.1845450.
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This contribution deals with the complex temperature profiles that are generated by the welding process in the intersection region of thick walled, cylinder-cylinder junctions. These affect material microstructure, mechanical properties and residual stresses. Knowledge of the thermal history and temperature distributions are thus critical in developing control schemes for acceptable residual stress distributions to improve in-service component behavior. A comprehensive study of three-dimensional temperature distributions in a stainless steel tee branch junction during a multipass welding process is presented. A newly developed partitioning technique has been used to mesh the complex intersection areas of the welded junction. Various phenomena associated with welding, such as temperature dependent material properties, heat loss by convection and latent heat have been taken into consideration. The temperature distribution at various times after deposition of certain passes and the thermal cycles at various locations are reported. The results obtained in this study will be used for on-going and future analysis of residual stress distributions. The meshing technique and modeling method can also be applied to other curved, multipass welds in complex structures.
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Hiller, E., Ľ. Jurkovič, and M. Bartaľ. "Effect of temperature on the distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and sediment." Soil and Water Research 3, No. 4 (December 15, 2008): 231–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.17221/28/2008-swr.
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The knowledge of sorption-desorption processes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in natural solids is essential to predict the fate, transport, and environmental risks of these pollutants. In this study, the effect was investigated of temperature on the sorption-desorption of three PAHs (naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) in two natural solids with different organic carbon contents. In all cases, the sorption isotherms obtained could be well described by the linear sorption model. The analysis based on the measured isotherms and the corresponding equilibrium partition coefficients (Kp) revealed that (1) the sorption of PAHs increased with organic carbon content of the solid and PAH hydrophobicity in the order: sediment < soil and naphthalene < phenanthrene < pyrene, respectively, and (2) the extent of PAH sorption decreased with increasing temperature from 4°C to 27°C on average by 27.3, 17.0, and 27.4% for naphthalene, phenanthrene, and pyrene, respectively. The enthalpies of sorption (δHs) calculated by van’t Hoff equation were negative, relatively small, and in the range of weak forces such as van der Waals forces (0–9 kJ/mol), consistent with hydrophobic interactions and partitioning of the PAHs into soil/sediment organic matter. The desorption of naphthalene and phenanthrene showed significant hysteresis, i.e. great fraction of PAHs was resistant to desorption and somewhat increased with temperature.
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Kerkweg, A., P. Jöckel, A. Pozzer, H. Tost, R. Sander, M. Schulz, P. Stier, E. Vignati, J. Wilson, and J. Lelieveld. "Consistent simulation of bromine chemistry from the marine boundary layer to the stratosphere, Part I: model description, sea salt aerosols and pH." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions 8, no. 2 (April 14, 2008): 7217–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acpd-8-7217-2008.
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Abstract. This is the first article of a series presenting a detailed analysis of bromine chemistry simulated with the atmospheric chemistry general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy. Release from sea salt is an important bromine source, hence the model explicitly calculates aerosol chemistry and phase partitioning for coarse mode aerosol particles. Many processes including chemical reaction rates are influenced by the particle size distribution, and aerosol associated water strongly affects the aerosol pH. Knowledge of the aerosol pH is important as it determines the aerosol chemistry, e.g., the efficiency of sulphur oxidation and bromine release. Here, we focus on the simulated sea salt aerosol size distribution and the coarse mode aerosol pH. A comparison with available field data shows that the simulated aerosol distributions agree reasonably well within the range of measurements. In spite of the small number of aerosol pH measurements and the uncertainty in its experimental determination, the simulated aerosol pH compares well with the observations. The aerosol pH ranges from alkaline aerosol in areas of strong production down to pH values of 1 over regions of medium sea salt production and high levels of gas phase acids, mostly polluted regions over the oceans in the northern hemisphere.
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Kerkweg, A., P. Jöckel, A. Pozzer, H. Tost, R. Sander, M. Schulz, P. Stier, E. Vignati, J. Wilson, and J. Lelieveld. "Consistent simulation of bromine chemistry from the marine boundary layer to the stratosphere – Part 1: Model description, sea salt aerosols and pH." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 8, no. 19 (October 15, 2008): 5899–917. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-8-5899-2008.
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Abstract. This is the first article of a series presenting a detailed analysis of bromine chemistry simulated with the atmospheric chemistry general circulation model ECHAM5/MESSy. Release from sea salt is an important bromine source, hence the model explicitly calculates aerosol chemistry and phase partitioning for coarse mode aerosol particles. Many processes including chemical reaction rates are influenced by the particle size distribution, and aerosol associated water strongly affects the aerosol pH. Knowledge of the aerosol pH is important as it determines the aerosol chemistry, e.g., the efficiency of sulphur oxidation and bromine release. Here, we focus on the simulated sea salt aerosol size distribution and the coarse mode aerosol pH. A comparison with available field data shows that the simulated aerosol distributions agree reasonably well within the range of measurements. In spite of the small number of aerosol pH measurements and the uncertainty in its experimental determination, the simulated aerosol pH compares well with the observations. The aerosol pH ranges from alkaline aerosol in areas of strong production down to pH-values of 1 over regions of medium sea salt production and high levels of gas phase acids, mostly polluted regions over the oceans in the Northern Hemisphere.
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Sineglazov, Victor, Olena Chumachenko, and Eduard Heilyk. "Semi-controlled Learning in Information Processing Problems." Electronics and Control Systems 4, no. 70 (January 4, 2022): 37–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.18372/1990-5548.70.16754.
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The article substantiates the need for further research of known methods and the development of new methods of machine learning – semi-supervized learning. It is shown that knowledge of the probability distribution density of the initial data obtained using unlabeled data should carry information useful for deriving the conditional probability distribution density of labels and input data. If this is not the case, semi-supervised learning will not provide any improvement over supervised learning. It may even happen that the use of unlabeled data reduces the accuracy of the prediction. For semi-supervised learning to work, certain assumptions must hold, namely: the semi-supervised smoothness assumption, the clustering assumption (low-density partitioning), and the manifold assumption. A new hybrid semi-supervised learning algorithm using the label propagation method has been developed. An example of using the proposed algorithm is given.
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Liu, Richen, Liming Shen, Xueyi Chen, Genlin Ji, Bin Zhao, Chao Tan, and Mingjun Su. "Sketch-Based Slice Interpretative Visualization for Stratigraphic Data." Journal of Imaging Science and Technology 63, no. 6 (November 1, 2019): 60505–1. http://dx.doi.org/10.2352/j.imagingsci.technol.2019.63.6.060505.
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Abstract In this article, the authors propose a stratigraphic slice interpretative visualization system, namely slice analyzer. It enables the domain experts, i.e., geologists and oil/gas exploration experts, to interactively interpret the slices with domain knowledge, which helps them get a better understanding of stratigraphic structures and the distribution of the geological materials, e.g., underground flow path (UFP), river delta, floodplain, slump fan, etc. In addition to some domain-specific slice edit manipulations, a sketch-based sub-region partitioning approach is further presented to help users divide the slice into individual sub-regions with homologous characteristics according to their domain knowledge. Consequently, the geological materials they are interested in can be extracted automatically and visualized by the proposed geological symbol definition algorithm. Feedback from domain experts suggests that the proposed system is capable of interpreting the stratigraphic slice, compared with their currently used tools.
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Langston, W. J., G. R. Burt, B. S. Chesman, and C. H. Vane. "Partitioning, bioavailability and effects of oestrogens and xeno-oestrogens in the aquatic environment." Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 85, no. 1 (February 2005): 1–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0025315405010787h.
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This review provides insights into the distribution and impact of oestrogens and xeno-oestrogens in the aquatic environment and highlights some significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Key areas of uncertainty in the assessment of risk include the role of estuarine sediments in mediating the fate and bioavailability of environmental (xeno)oestrogens (notably their transfer to benthic organisms and estuarine food chains), together with evidence for endocrine disruption in invertebrate populations.Emphasis is placed on using published information to interpret the behaviour and effects of a small number of ‘model compounds’ thought to contribute to oestrogenic effects in nature; namely, the natural steroid 17β-oestradiol (E2) and the synthetic hormone 17α-ethinyloestradiol (EE2), together with the alkylphenols octyl- and nonyl-phenol (OP, NP) as oestrogen mimics. Individual sections of the review are devoted to sources and concentrations of (xeno)oestrogens in waterways, sediment partitioning and persistence, bioaccumulation rates and routes, assays and biomarkers of oestrogenicity, and, finally, a synopsis of reproductive and ecological effects in aquatic species.
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Wagner, Heiko, Torsten Jakob, Andrea Fanesi, and Christian Wilhelm. "Towards an understanding of the molecular regulation of carbon allocation in diatoms: the interaction of energy and carbon allocation." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 372, no. 1728 (July 17, 2017): 20160410. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2016.0410.
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In microalgae, the photosynthesis-driven CO 2 assimilation delivers cell building blocks that are used in different biosynthetic pathways. Little is known about how the cell regulates the subsequent carbon allocation to, for example, cell growth or for storage. However, knowledge about these regulatory mechanisms is of high biotechnological and ecological importance. In diatoms, the situation becomes even more complex because, as a consequence of their secondary endosymbiotic origin, the compartmentation of the pathways for the primary metabolic routes is different from green algae. Therefore, the mechanisms to manipulate the carbon allocation pattern cannot be adopted from the green lineage. This review describes the general pathways of cellular energy distribution from light absorption towards the final allocation of carbon into macromolecules and summarizes the current knowledge of diatom-specific allocation patterns. We further describe the (limited) knowledge of regulatory mechanisms of carbon partitioning between lipids, carbohydrates and proteins in diatoms. We present solutions to overcome the problems that hinder the identification of regulatory elements of carbon metabolism. This article is part of the themed issue ‘The peculiar carbon metabolism in diatoms’.
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Molinié, Dylan, Kurosh Madani, Véronique Amarger, and Abdennasser Chebira. "Identifying the Regions of a Space with the Self-Parameterized Recursively Assessed Decomposition Algorithm (SPRADA)." Machine Learning and Knowledge Extraction 5, no. 3 (August 4, 2023): 979–1009. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/make5030051.
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This paper introduces a non-parametric methodology based on classical unsupervised clustering techniques to automatically identify the main regions of a space, without requiring the objective number of clusters, so as to identify the major regular states of unknown industrial systems. Indeed, useful knowledge on real industrial processes entails the identification of their regular states, and their historically encountered anomalies. Since both should form compact and salient groups of data, unsupervised clustering generally performs this task fairly accurately; however, this often requires the number of clusters upstream, knowledge which is rarely available. As such, the proposed algorithm operates a first partitioning of the space, then it estimates the integrity of the clusters, and splits them again and again until every cluster obtains an acceptable integrity; finally, a step of merging based on the clusters’ empirical distributions is performed to refine the partitioning. Applied to real industrial data obtained in the scope of a European project, this methodology proved able to automatically identify the main regular states of the system. Results show the robustness of the proposed approach in the fully-automatic and non-parametric identification of the main regions of a space, knowledge which is useful to industrial anomaly detection and behavioral modeling.
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Moura, Aloysio Souza de, Felipe Santana Machado, Ravi Fernandes Mariano, Cléber Rodrigo de Souza, Urica Carolina Lemos Mengez, and Marco Aurélio Leite Fontes. "Mesoscale bird distribution pattern in montane phytophysiognomies along an ecotone between two hotspots." Acta Scientiarum. Biological Sciences 43 (December 8, 2021): e56931. http://dx.doi.org/10.4025/actascibiolsci.v43i1.56931.
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Brazil has a high diversity of birds and presents the largest number of threatened bird species in the neotropical region. Even so, there are gaps in the bird knowledge, especially in ecotonal montane regions. Given this panorama, this study aimed to analyse the bird community distribution (richness, composition, and beta diversity between phytophysiognomies) of an ecotonal montane landscape of southeastern Brazil, with the purpose of detecting substitution patterns of bird species on a meso-scale. Using bird data performed during the years 1998 to 2015 in 46 sampling points, we found high bird richness in montane phytophysiognomies along an ecotone between Cerrado and Atlantic Forest hotspots. The composition present species of both domains, with high turnover component. We highlight the field environments and candeais are considered homogeneous and threathened, which would directly affect birds. The present study contributes to future conservation strategies, as it demonstrates ecotonal regions as transition zones and reinforces the need to consider as particular ecological units. These ecotonal regions are key locations for understanding ecological patterns in response to environmental changes or phytophysiognomies. Knowing how partitioning of the composition occurs within an environmental mosaic is essential to understand the limits and distributions of the species and conserve them.
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Benmouiza, Khalil. "NONLINEAR CLUSTERED ADAPTIVE-NETWORK-BASED FUZZY INFERENCE SYSTEM MODEL FOR HOURLY SOLAR IRRADIATION ESTIMATION." REVUE ROUMAINE DES SCIENCES TECHNIQUES — SÉRIE ÉLECTROTECHNIQUE ET ÉNERGÉTIQUE 68, no. 1 (April 1, 2023): 7–11. http://dx.doi.org/10.59277/rrst-ee.2023.68.1.1.
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Solar energy occupies an important place among the various sources of renewable energy. A precise knowledge of the distribution of solar irradiation in a specified location is needed before any solar irradiation system installation. This paper introduces a nonlinear clustering, adaptive-network-based fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model to estimate the hourly solar irradiation data using meteorological inputs and clustering algorithms: grid partitioning, subtractive clustering, and fuzzy c-means. Comparing these clustering algorithms is investigated to classify the inputs into clusters, which helps the solar irradiation estimation model build better. This method's advantage is understanding and simplifying the nonlinearity presented in the input’s datasets. Moreover, the FCM algorithm gives the best results from comparing the testing data; the RMSE is 43.2274 W/m2, and MSE equals 2001.34 W/m2 with an R2 equal to 0.9893.
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Barnes, Curt, Colin Strine, Bartosz Nadolski, Jacques Hill III, Pongthep Suwanwaree, Taksin Artchawakom, and Surachit Waengsothorn. "Bayesian insights into Green Pit Viper Trimeresurus (Cryptelytrops) macrops sexual dimorphism with respect to influence of gravidity and habitat disturbance." Herpetological Journal 33, no. 4 (October 1, 2023): 88–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.33256/33.4.8896.
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Sexual dimorphism is expressed in many taxa as a form of resource partitioning and as a response to unique challenges faced by male and female organisms. We investigated this phenomenon for an arboreal green pit viper species, Trimeresurus macrops, previously suggested to display obvious sexual dimorphism. We evaluated seven external characters and scaled mass index (SMI) of 73 vipers (N = 32 males, N = 41 females) obtained during night surveys and opportunistic searches in north-east Thailand from January 2015–January 2017. We utilised Bayesian inference to investigate the influence of sex, gravidity, and rural habitat disturbance on sexual dimorphism of T. macrops, and we provide 95 % highest density intervals (HDI) for the difference in means (posterior distribution). We also present ecologically relevant probabilities of observing dimorphism for each external character and SMI by sex, gravidity (gravid or not), and habitat type (rural or forest). Females were larger than males in both forested and rural habitat, females in rural habitat were larger than forest females, and all males displayed a conspicuous white eye-stripe. When gravid females were excluded from analyses, probability of observing dimorphism drastically decreased. Knowledge of niche partitioning and the specific challenges encountered by males and females, gravid and non-gravid females, and individuals persisting in rural habitats will prove valuable for conservation and snakebite mitigation of T. macrops. Keywords: Difference of body size, south-east Asia, Bayesian inference, arboreal viper ความแตกต่างระหว่างเพศ (sexual dimorphism) ถูกปรากฎในอนุกรมวิธานสัตว์ว่าเป็นรูปแบบหนึ่งของการแบ่งปันทรัพยากร (resource partitioning) และการท้าทายจำเพาะจากสิ่งมีชีวิตเพศผู้และเพศเมีย เราศึกษาปรากฏการณ์นี้ในกลุ่มงูเขียวหางไห้ที่มีถิ่นอาศัยอยู่บนต้นไม้ ชนิดพันธุ์ งูเขียวหางไหม้ตาโต Trimeresurus macrops ซึ่งได้รับการเสนอในการศึกษาก่อนหน้าว่ามีการแสดงออกของความแตกต่างระหว่างเพศอย่างชัดเจน นักวิจัยทำการประเมินลักษณะภายนอกทั้ง 7 ลักษณะและScaled mass index (SMI) ของงูเขียวหางไหม้จำนวน 73 ตัว (ตัวผู้ 32 ตัว, ตัวเมีย 41 ตัว) จากการสำรวจตอนกลางคืนและการสำรวจตามโอกาสในพื้นที่ภาคตะวันออกเฉียงเหนือของประเทศไทยตั้งแต่เดือนมกราคม พ.ศ. 2558 - มกราคม พ.ศ. 2560 เราใช้การอนุมานแบบเบย์เพื่อตรวจสอบอิทธิพลของเพศ การตั้งครรภ์ และการรบกวนถิ่นอาศัยในพื้นที่เกษตรกรรมต่อความแตกต่างระหว่างเพศของงูเขียวหางไหม้ตาโต T. macrops และเราให้ช่วง HDI อยู่ที่ 95% สำหรับความแตกต่างของค่าเฉลี่ย (การแจกแจงหลัง) นอกจากนี้ เรานำเสนอความน่าจะเป็นที่เกี่ยวข้องกับระบบนิเวศในการสังเกตความแตกต่างของลักษณะภายนอกและ SMI ตามเพศ การตั้งครรภ์ (มีหรือไม่มี) และประเภทที่อยู่อาศัย (พื้นที่เกษตรกรรมหรือป่า) การศึกษาพบว่า งูเขียวหางไหม้ตัวเมียมีขนาดใหญ่กว่าตัวผู้ทั้งที่อาศัยในป่าและพื้นที่เกษตรกรรม โดยงูเขียวหางไหม้ตัวเมียในที่อยู่อาศัยพื้นที่เกษตรกรรมจะมีขนาดใหญ่กว่าที่พบในป่า และตัวผู้ทุกตัวมีแถบตาสีขาวที่สังเกตเห็นชัดเจน ทั้งนี้เมื่องูเขียวหางไหม้เพศเมียที่ตั้งครรภ์ถูกแยกออกจากการวิเคราะห์ ค่าความน่าจะเป็นในการสังเกตความแตกต่างระหว่างเพศถูกลดทอนลงเป็นอย่างมาก โดยความรู้เกี่ยวกับการแบ่งกลุ่มเฉพาะและความท้าทายจำเพาะที่พบโดยงูเขียวหางไหม้เพศผู้และเพศเมีย งูเพศเมียที่มีการตั้งครรภ์ และตัวอย่างอื่น ๆ ที่อาศัยอยู่ในเกษตรกรรมจะพิสูจน์ได้ว่ามีคุณค่าสำหรับการอนุรักษ์และการลดปัญหาการถูกงูกัดของงูเขียวหางไหม้ตาโต T. macrops สืบไป
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Smith, Bruce R., Christophe M. Herbinger, and Heather R. Merry. "Accurate Partition of Individuals Into Full-Sib Families From Genetic Data Without Parental Information." Genetics 158, no. 3 (July 1, 2001): 1329–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/genetics/158.3.1329.
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Abstract Two Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms are proposed that allow the partitioning of individuals into full-sib groups using single-locus genetic marker data when no parental information is available. These algorithms present a method of moving through the sibship configuration space and locating the configuration that maximizes an overall score on the basis of pairwise likelihood ratios of being full-sib or unrelated or maximizes the full joint likelihood of the proposed family structure. Using these methods, up to 757 out of 759 Atlantic salmon were correctly classified into 12 full-sib families of unequal size using four microsatellite markers. Large-scale simulations were performed to assess the sensitivity of the procedures to the number of loci and number of alleles per locus, the allelic distribution type, the distribution of families, and the independent knowledge of population allelic frequencies. The number of loci and the number of alleles per locus had the most impact on accuracy. Very good accuracy can be obtained with as few as four loci when they have at least eight alleles. Accuracy decreases when using allelic frequencies estimated in small target samples with skewed family distributions with the pairwise likelihood approach. We present an iterative approach that partly corrects that problem. The full likelihood approach is less sensitive to the precision of allelic frequencies estimates but did not perform as well with the large data set or when little information was available (e.g., four loci with four alleles).
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Deinkuro, Nimisingha Sanchez, Charles William Knapp, Morufu Olalekan Raimi, and Nanlok Henry Nimlang. "Environmental Fate of Toxic Volatile Organics from Oil Spills in the Niger Delta Region, Nigeria." International Journal of Environment, Engineering and Education 3, no. 3 (December 9, 2021): 89–101. http://dx.doi.org/10.55151/ijeedu.v3i3.64.
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Over the years, the environmental degradation of ecological resources from crude oil pollution and its human health impacts is receiving more global attention. The utilization of environmental models capable of predicting the fate, transport, and toxicity of chemicals in spilt crude oil can provide essential knowledge required to deal with the complexity associated with the fate of volatile petroleum chemicals in the environment. This paper explores the environmental fate of toxic volatile organics from an oil spill in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. Results from the literature implicated sabotage and operational failures from pipelines as primary causes of crude oil spillages. The generation of a fugacity model using EPI Suite™ revealed that Koc values greatly influence the behavior of BTN. Benzene, Toluene, and Naphthalene (BTN) were partitioned into three compartments based on organic-carbon partitioning coefficient (Koc). The organic-carbon partitioning coefficient (Koc) was computed as a function of soil-water distribution coefficient (Kd) and percentage organic matter (%OM). Koc was used to determining the possible risk posed on delicate ecological resources. Aquatic toxicology estimation using Ecological Structural Activity Relationship revealed that all chemicals were not toxic even at over-estimated Koc values. This research established the usefulness of screening level environmental modeling tools in assessing ecological risk and hence helpful in developing site-specific models for monitoring chemicals in the environment, which can assist governments, policymakers, and industries in designing appropriate regional disaster management plans.
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Tuya, Fernando. "Structure and Biodiversity of Rhodolith Seabeds: A Special Issue." Diversity 12, no. 8 (August 1, 2020): 300. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d12080300.
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Rhodolith seabeds function as ‘ecosystems engineers’, which globally provide a range of ‘ecosystem services’. However, knowledge on the structure, composition and distribution of rhodolith seabeds is still lacking. This Special Issue comprises six articles, addressing specific questions of rhodolith seabeds, and covering a wide range of topics. Two papers provide new large-scale information on the presence, structure and distribution of rhodolith beds at two southern hemisphere areas, in particular continental shelfs off South Africa and Brazil. Another two studies contributed to the discovery on new algal species from rhodolith beds, including Sporolithon franciscanum, a new rhodolith-forming species from Brazil, and the small benthic alga Schizocladia ischiensis. In terms of associated fauna, the taxonomic composition and patterns of abundance of decapod crustaceans are described in another article, including the description of a depth-partitioning in the abundance of juveniles and adults of the crab Nanocassiope melanodactylus. Rhodoliths are often present in fossilized deposits, so we can track changes in their presence with climate fluctuations. High temperatures during the Eocene and widespread oligotrophic conditions are finally connected with low abundances of rhodolith beds at mid and high latitudes, despite a larger presence at equatorial regions.
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Tanna, Rakshit S., James T. Nguyen, Deena L. Hadi, Preston K. Manwill, Laura Flores-Bocanegra, Matthew E. Layton, John R. White, et al. "Clinical Pharmacokinetic Assessment of Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa), a Botanical Product with Opioid-like Effects, in Healthy Adult Participants." Pharmaceutics 14, no. 3 (March 11, 2022): 620. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14030620.
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Increasing use of the botanical kratom to self-manage opioid withdrawal and pain has led to increased kratom-linked overdose deaths. Despite these serious safety concerns, rigorous fundamental pharmacokinetic knowledge of kratom in humans remains lacking. We assessed the pharmacokinetics of a single low dose (2 g) of a well-characterized kratom product administered orally to six healthy participants. Median concentration-time profiles for the kratom alkaloids examined were best described by a two-compartment model with central elimination. Pronounced pharmacokinetic differences between alkaloids with the 3S configuration (mitragynine, speciogynine, paynantheine) and alkaloids with the 3R configuration (mitraciliatine, speciociliatine, isopaynantheine) were attributed to differences in apparent intercompartmental distribution clearance, volumes of distribution, and clearance. Based on noncompartmental analysis of individual concentration-time profiles, the 3S alkaloids exhibited a shorter median time to maximum concentration (1–2 vs. 2.5–4.5 h), lower area under the plasma concentration-time curve (430–490 vs. 794–5120 nM × h), longer terminal half-life (24–45 vs. ~12–18 h), and higher apparent volume of distribution during the terminal phase (960–12,700 vs. ~46–130 L) compared to the 3R alkaloids. Follow-up mechanistic in vitro studies suggested differential hepatic/intestinal metabolism, plasma protein binding, blood-to-plasma partitioning, and/or distribution coefficients may explain the pharmacokinetic differences between the two alkaloid types. This first comprehensive pharmacokinetic characterization of kratom alkaloids in humans provides the foundation for further research to establish safety and effectiveness of this emerging botanical product.
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Ospina-Pérez, Erika M., Fredy A. Rivera-Páez, and Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves. "Exploring the relationship between bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) and ectoparasitic flies (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) of the Orinoquia Region in South America." ZooKeys 1179 (September 8, 2023): 1–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1179.103479.
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Bat flies (Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) have been used to study co-evolutionary patterns between ectoparasites and bats. In the world, Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are represented by approximately 276 and 237 species, respectively. In regions such as the Orinoquia located in the north of South America (Colombia and Venezuela), the richness of bats is high (more than 100 documented species), but studies on Nycteribiidae and Streblidae are scarce and discontinuous. To contribute to the knowledge of ectoparasitic flies in the Orinoquia, records of flies and their interactions with bats were reviewed, including new records and associations using interaction networks. We documented 124 species of Streblidae and only 12 of Nycteribiidae for the Orinoquia in approximately 102 bat species reported in Colombia and Venezuela. New records for six species of bat flies in Colombia were found (Mastoptera guimaraesi, Noctiliostrebla maai, Paradyschiria parvuloides, Trichobius jubatus, Trichobius parasiticus, and Basilia ferrisi) associated with six species of bats (Cynomops planirostris, Desmodus rotundus, Myotis handleyi, Molossus rufus, Noctilio albiventris, and Phyllostomus hastatus). The bat-ectoparasite interaction networks in the Orinoquia revealed a pattern of antagonistic relationships, with high specialization, modularity, and low connectivity and nesting. The identified networks are between bat fly species belonging to different ecomorphological groups with unique host species. This supports the idea of ecological niche partitioning among ectoparasitic bat flies and hosts. Our study expanded the knowledge of the distribution of some fly species and the associations with bat hosts in Colombia, by presenting morphological descriptions and new observations, which are key to understanding the ecology, diversity, and distribution of these species.
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Robinson, Kevin P., Duncan A. I. MacDougall, Connor C. G. Bamford, William J. Brown, Ciaran J. Dolan, Rebecca Hall, Gary N. Haskins, et al. "Ecological habitat partitioning and feeding specialisations of coastal minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) using a recently designated MPA in northeast Scotland." PLOS ONE 18, no. 7 (July 19, 2023): e0246617. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246617.
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In the design of protected areas for cetaceans, spatial maps rarely take account of the life-history and behaviour of protected species relevant to their spatial ambit, which may be important for their management. In this study, we examined the distribution and feeding behaviours of adult versus juvenile minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) from long-term studies in the Moray Firth in northeast Scotland, where a Marine Protected Area (MPA) has recently been designated. Data were collected during dedicated boat surveys between 2001 and 2022 inclusive, from which 784 encounters with 964 whales of confirmed age-class (471 juveniles and 493 adults) were recorded from 56,263 km of survey effort, resulting in 238 focal follows. Adults and juveniles were occasionally seen together, but their distributions were not statistically correlated, and GIS revealed spatial separation / habitat partitioning by age-class―with juveniles preferring shallower, inshore waters with sandy-gravel sediments, and adults preferring deeper, offshore waters with greater bathymetric slope. GAMs suggested that the partitioning between age-classes was predominantly based on the differing proximity of animals to the shore, with juveniles showing a preference for the gentlest seabed slopes, and both adults and juveniles showing a similar preference for sandy gravel sediment types. However, the GAMs only used sightings data with available survey effort (2008 to 2022) and excluded depth due to collinearity issues. Whilst adult minkes employed a range of “active” prey-entrapment specialisations, showing inter-individual variation and seasonal plasticity in their targeted prey, juveniles almost exclusively used “passive” (low energy) feeding methods targeting low-density patches of inshore prey. These findings corroborate the need to incorporate demographic and behavioural data into spatial models when identifying priority areas for protected cetacean species. Not all areas within an MPA have equal value for a population and a better knowledge of the spatial preferences of these whales within the designated Scottish MPAs, appointed for their protection, is considered vital for their conservation.
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Poznańska-Kakareko, Małgorzata, Milena Lis, Tomasz Kakareko, Mateusz Augustyniak, Piotr Kłosiński, and Jarosław Kobak. "Near-shore distribution of alien Ponto-Caspian amphipods in a European dam reservoir in relation to substratum type and occurrence of macroinvertebrate taxa." Knowledge & Management of Aquatic Ecosystems, no. 422 (2021): 5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/kmae/2021005.
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Knowledge of habitat requirements and interspecific interactions of invasive species helps predict their impact and spread. We determined the relationships within the invasive freshwater Ponto-Caspian amphipod assemblage, and their associations with macroinvertebrates in the near-shore zone of a central European lowland dam reservoir. We sampled five habitat types: bare sand at the water line, bare sand (0.2 m depth), bare sand (0.5 m depth), macrophyte-overgrown sand (1 m depth), stones (0.3 m depth) on four dates (October 2015–October 2016). Pontogammarus robustoides occurred in all habitats, Dikerogammarus villosus and Echinogammarus ischnus were limited to the stony bottom. Amphipod densities were positively associated with one another except Dikerogammarus juveniles, negatively correlated with adults. The occurrence of D. villosus, juvenile Dikerogammarus and E. ischnus was positively related to the presence of the shelter-forming bivalve Dreissena polymorpha. Pontogammarus robustoides was positively associated with sphaeriid clams and gastropods (shelters), as well as oligochaetes and chironomids (potential prey items). Dikerogammarus villosus and E. ischnus were positively related to chironomids and oligochaetes, respectively. Coexistence of various alien amphipods in the studied area, indicated by prevailing positive relationships in their assemblage, may be enabled by the abundance of shelters and rich food sources allowing habitat partitioning.
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Rodrigues, C. F., A. Hilário, and M. R. Cunha. "Chemosymbiotic species from the Gulf of Cadiz (NE Atlantic): distribution, life styles and nutritional patterns." Biogeosciences 10, no. 4 (April 17, 2013): 2569–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2569-2013.
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Abstract. Previous work in the mud volcanoes from the Gulf of Cadiz (South Iberian Margin) revealed a high number of chemosymbiotic species, namely bivalves and siboglinid polychaetes. In this study we give an overview of the distribution and life styles of these species in the Gulf of Cadiz, determine the role of autotrophic symbionts in the nutrition of selected species using stable isotope analyses (δ13C, δ15N and δ34S) and investigate the intra-specific variation of isotope signatures within and between study sites. During our studies, we identified twenty siboglinidae and nine bivalve chemosymbiotic species living in fifteen mud volcanoes. Solemyid bivalves and tubeworms of the genus Siboglinum are widespread in the study area, whereas other species were found in a single mud volcano (e.g. "Bathymodiolus" mauritanicus) or restricted to deeper mud volcanoes (e.g. Polybrachia sp., Lamelisabella denticulata). Species distribution suggests that different species may adjust their position within the sediment according to their particular needs, and to the intensity and variability of the chemical substrata supply. Tissue stable isotope signatures for selected species are in accordance with values found in other studies, with thiotrophy as the dominant nutritional pathway, and with methanotrophy and mixotrophy emerging as secondary strategies. The heterogeneity in terms of nutrient sources (expressed in the high variance of nitrogen and sulphur values) and the ability to exploit different resources by the different species may explain the high diversity of chemosymbiotic species found in the Gulf of Cadiz. This study increases the knowledge on distributional patterns and resource partitioning of chemosymbiotic species and highlights how trophic fuelling varies on spatial scales with direct implications to seep assemblages and potentially to the biodiversity of continental margin.
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Butler, Rebecca A., Mona Papeş, James T. Vogt, Dave J. Paulsen, Christopher Crowe, and Rebecca T. Trout Fryxell. "Human risk to tick encounters in the southeastern United States estimated with spatial distribution modeling." PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 18, no. 2 (February 14, 2024): e0011919. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0011919.
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Expanding geographic distribution and increased populations of ticks has resulted in an upsurge of human-tick encounters in the United States (US), leading to an increase in tickborne disease reporting. Limited knowledge of the broadscale spatial range of tick species is heightened by a rapidly changing environment. Therefore, we partnered with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and used passive tick surveillance to better understand spatiotemporal variables associated with foresters encountering three tick species (Amblyomma americanum L., Dermacentor variabilis Say, and Ixodes scapularis L.) in the southeastern US. Eight years (2014–2021) of tick encounter data were used to fit environmental niche and generalized linear models to predict where and when ticks are likely to be encountered. Our results indicate temporal and environmental partitioning of the three species. Ixodes scapularis were more likely to be encountered in the autumn and winter seasons and associated with soil organic matter, vegetation indices, evapotranspiration, temperature, and gross primary productivity. By contrast, A. americanum and D. variabilis were more likely to be encountered in spring and summer seasons and associated with elevation, landcover, temperature, dead belowground biomass, vapor pressure, and precipitation. Regions in the southeast least suitable for encountering ticks included the Blue Ridge, Mississippi Alluvial Plain, and the Southern Florida Coastal Plain, whereas suitable regions included the Interior Plateau, Central Appalachians, Ozark Highlands, Boston Mountains, and the Ouachita Mountains. Spatial and temporal patterns of different tick species can inform outdoorsmen and the public on tick avoidance measures, reduce tick populations by managing suitable tick habitats, and monitoring areas with unsuitable tick habitat for potential missed encounters.
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Andrade, David Campos, Sirlei Antunes Morais, Letícia Silva Marteis, Renata Antonaci Gama, Renato Cesar de Melo Freire, Belgrano Santiago Rekowski, Helene Mariko Ueno, and Roseli La Corte. "Diversity of Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in the Caatinga Biome, Brazil, from the Widespread to the Endemic." Insects 11, no. 8 (July 24, 2020): 468. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects11080468.
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Mosquito fauna in the northeast semiarid region of Brazil, Caatinga biome, are poorly known. Studies on the diversity are scarce and the few surveys available focus on local fauna. In order to understand the ecological pattern of mosquito’s distribution, information available from studies from 2008 to 2015 were gathered. A partitioning framework of the beta diversity, the turnover (βJTU) and nestedness (βJNE) components were used to determine dissimilarity among communities. Eighty-two morphospecies were recorded and 47 of the species were not shared between the areas. The most representative genera were Aedes, Anopheles, Psorophora, Haemagogus, Coquillettidia, and Mansonia, which all include species of medical interest. The communities had high rates of variation, and the mechanism of turnover accounted for the observed diversity pattern. Despite differences in collection methods, the observed dissimilarity may be related to the broad environmental heterogeneity of the biome, the intrinsic relationships of the species with their habitats, and the environmental degradation caused by different types of anthropogenic interference. Considering the mosquito species richness and endemicity, the hypothesis that the Caatinga harbor poor biodiversity is rejected. The spatial variation observed is of particular importance and should be taken into account for the knowledge of Caatinga biodiversity.
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Sánchez-Cabanes, Alicia, Maja Nimak-Wood, Nicola Harris, and Renaud De Stephanis. "Habitat preferences among three top predators inhabiting a degraded ecosystem, the Black Sea." Scientia Marina 81, no. 2 (June 14, 2017): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/scimar.04493.07a.
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This study investigated whether there is evidence of widespread niche partitioning based on environmental factors in the Black Sea and tested the hypothesis that physiographic factors may be employed as predictors. It addresses poorly researched areas with good habitat potential for the only three cetacean subspecies living in this area: the Black Sea short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis spp. ponticus), the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus spp. ponticus) and the Black Sea harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena spp. relicta). Generalized additive models (GAMs) were used to analyse data collected from multiple sources. In total, 745 sightings of the three species between 1998 and 2010 throughout the Black Sea were included. The analysis found depth and sea surface temperature to be the most important variables for separating the occurrence of the three species. Common dolphins occurred mainly in deep waters and in areas where the sea surface temperature was low, bottlenose dolphins were distributed primarily in shallower and warmer waters than common dolphins, and harbour porpoises were distributed in shallower waters with lower sea surface temperature than bottlenose dolphins. This study suggests strong niche segregation among the three cetacean species. The study is also the first contribution to the basic information of cetacean species distribution and habitat preferences in the Black Sea as a whole. Knowledge of the distribution of the three dolphin species in the study area is essential to establish conservation measures for these populations.
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Chiron, François, Susan Shirley, and Salit Kark. "Human-related processes drive the richness of exotic birds in Europe." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276, no. 1654 (September 9, 2008): 47–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0994.
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Both human-related and natural factors can affect the establishment and distribution of exotic species. Understanding the relative role of the different factors has important scientific and applied implications. Here, we examined the relative effect of human-related and natural factors in determining the richness of exotic bird species established across Europe. Using hierarchical partitioning, which controls for covariation among factors, we show that the most important factor is the human-related community-level propagule pressure (the number of exotic species introduced), which is often not included in invasion studies due to the lack of information for this early stage in the invasion process. Another, though less important, factor was the human footprint (an index that includes human population size, land use and infrastructure). Biotic and abiotic factors of the environment were of minor importance in shaping the number of established birds when tested at a European extent using 50×50 km 2 grid squares. We provide, to our knowledge, the first map of the distribution of exotic bird richness in Europe. The richest hotspot of established exotic birds is located in southeastern England, followed by areas in Belgium and The Netherlands. Community-level propagule pressure remains the major factor shaping the distribution of exotic birds also when tested for the UK separately. Thus, studies examining the patterns of establishment should aim at collecting the crucial and hard-to-find information on community-level propagule pressure or develop reliable surrogates for estimating this factor. Allowing future introductions of exotic birds into Europe should be reconsidered carefully, as the number of introduced species is basically the main factor that determines the number established.
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Wang, Ziyu, Kai Liu, Jingjing Cao, Liheng Peng, and Xin Wen. "Annual Change Analysis of Mangrove Forests in China during 1986–2021 Based on Google Earth Engine." Forests 13, no. 9 (September 14, 2022): 1489. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f13091489.
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Mangroves are a key type of protected coastal wetland, with a range of benefits such as protection from wave damage, sand fixation, water purification and ecological tourism. As the academic knowledge of mangroves has gradually increased, the use of remote sensing to monitor their dynamic changes in China has become a hot topic of discussion and has received attention in academic circles. Remote sensing has also provided necessary auxiliary decision-making suggestions and data support for the scientific and rational conservation, restoration and management of mangrove resources. In this paper, we used Landsat satellite series data combined with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and adaptive threshold partitioning (OTSU method) to monitor mangrove dynamics in coastal China from 1986 to 2021 based on Google Earth Engine (GEE), with three main results. (1) Based on the massive data and efficient computational capability of the GEE platform, we achieved large-scale interannual mangrove distribution extraction. The overall classification accuracy for 2019 exceeded 0.93, and the mangrove distribution extraction effect was good. (2) The total mangrove area and the mean patch size in China showed overall increasing trends, and Guangdong and Guangxi were the top two provinces in China in terms of the largest mangrove area. (3) Except for Dongzhaigang National Nature Reserve, the mangrove areas in other national mangrove reserves mainly showed increasing trends, confirming the effectiveness of the reserves. Data on the spatial structure and area trends of mangroves in China can provide scientific references for mangrove conservation and development, and serve in the further restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
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Esnarriaga, Dayana N., Marco Mariotti, Roberto Cardelli, and Iduna Arduini. "The Importance of Root Interactions in Field Bean/Triticale Intercrops." Plants 9, no. 11 (November 2, 2020): 1474. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants9111474.
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To highlight the contribution of belowground interactions to biomass and N and P yields, field bean and triticale were grown in a P-poor soil as sole crops and as replacement intercrops at two N levels. The shoots were always in contact, while the roots of adjacent rows were free to interact or were completely separated. This allowed simultaneous testing the intraspecific and interspecific competition between rows, which to our knowledge has not been studied before. Root biomass, distribution in soil, morphometry, and functional traits were determined, together with the nodule number and biomass. The Land Equivalent Ratio for shoot biomass and N and P yield were higher than 1 when roots were in contact, and markedly lower when they were separated. This demonstrates the positive contribution of root interactions, which in field bean, consisted of increased root elongation without changes in biomass and nutrient status; in triticale, of increased N and P uptake efficiency and reduced biomass partitioning to roots. The soil-plant processes underlying intercrop advantage led to complementarity in N sources with low N inputs and facilitated N and P uptake with high N inputs, which demonstrates that intercropping could be profitable in both low and high input agriculture.
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Bylak, Aneta. "The effects of brown trout (Salmo trutta morpha fario) on habitat selection by larval Fire Salamanders (Salamandra salamandra): a predator-avoidance strategy." Canadian Journal of Zoology 96, no. 3 (March 2018): 213–19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0064.
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Predatory fish can have a major impact on aquatic amphibian assemblages. Knowledge regarding the influence of habitat heterogeneity on predator–prey dynamics is extensive, but not much is published on how the habitat structure influences the co-occurrence of brown trout (Salmo trutta Linnaeus, 1758 morpha fario) and Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra (Linnaeus, 1758)). I examined the microhabitat distribution of larval salamanders relative to the presence of brown trout and stream morphology, hypothesizing that larval salamanders will increase their habitat use in the presence of trout to avoid predation. Fish and salamanders were sampled with an electroshocker in 62 instream habitat patches. In the stream zone populated by brown trout, larval salamanders avoided high-quality habitats such as pools, whereas they strongly preferred them in the fishless zone (their densities were ∼10 times lower in pools than in riffles). Brown trout mainly occupied deeper pools. The co-occurrence of larval Fire Salamanders with trout suggests the presence of an effective predator-avoidance strategy. The predator-avoidance response and habitat-use pattern decreased interspecific overlap, leading to the use of different instream spaces. Heterogeneous habitats enable habitat partitioning between larval salamanders and brown trout, which means that the natural characteristics of streams promote coexistence between fish and amphibians.
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GUILLER, ANNIE, ALAIN BELLIDO, ALAIN COUTELLE, and LUC MADEC. "Spatial genetic pattern in the land mollusc Helix aspersa inferred from a ‘centre-based clustering’ procedure." Genetical Research 88, no. 1 (August 2006): 27–44. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0016672306008305.
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The present work provides the first broad-scale screening of allozymes in the land snail Helix aspersa. By using overall information available on the distribution of genetic variation between 102 populations previously investigated, we expect to strengthen our knowledge on the spread of the invasive aspersa subspecies in the Western Mediterranean. We propose a new approach based on a centre-based clustering procedure to cluster populations into groups following rules of geographical proximity and genetic similarity. Assuming a stepping-stone model of diffusion, we apply a partitioning algorithm which clusters only populations that are geographically contiguous. The algorithm used, which is actually part of leading methods developed for analysing large microarray datasets, is that of the k-means. Its goal is to minimize the within-group variance. The spatial constraint is provided by a list of connections between localities deduced from a Delaunay network. After testing each optimal group for the presence of spatial arrangement in the genetic data, the inferred genetic structure was compared with partitions obtained from other methods published for defining homogeneous groups (i.e. the Monmonier and SAMOVA algorithms). Competing biogeographical scenarios inferred from the k-means procedure were then compared and discussed to shed more light on colonization routes taken by the species.
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Dalton, Lori A., and Mohammadmahdi R. Yousefi. "Data Requirements for Model-Based Cancer Prognosis Prediction." Cancer Informatics 14s5 (January 2015): CIN.S30801. http://dx.doi.org/10.4137/cin.s30801.
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Cancer prognosis prediction is typically carried out without integrating scientific knowledge available on genomic pathways, the effect of drugs on cell dynamics, or modeling mutations in the population. Recent work addresses some of these problems by formulating an uncertainty class of Boolean regulatory models for abnormal gene regulation, assigning prognosis scores to each network based on intervention outcomes, and partitioning networks in the uncertainty class into prognosis classes based on these scores. For a new patient, the probability distribution of the prognosis class was evaluated using optimal Bayesian classification, given patient data. It was assumed that (1) disease is the result of several mutations of a known healthy network and that these mutations and their probability distribution in the population are known and (2) only a single snapshot of the patient's gene activity profile is observed. It was shown that, even in ideal settings where cancer in the population and the effect of a drug are fully modeled, a single static measurement is typically not sufficient. Here, we study what measurements are sufficient to predict prognosis. In particular, we relax assumption (1) by addressing how population data may be used to estimate network probabilities, and extend assumption (2) to include static and time-series measurements of both population and patient data. Furthermore, we extend the prediction of prognosis classes to optimal Bayesian regression of prognosis metrics. Even when time-series data is preferable to infer a stochastic dynamical network, we show that static data can be superior for prognosis prediction when constrained to small samples. Furthermore, although population data is helpful, performance is not sensitive to inaccuracies in the estimated network probabilities.
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Attard, Marie R. G., Laura A. B. Wilson, Trevor H. Worthy, Paul Scofield, Peter Johnston, William C. H. Parr, and Stephen Wroe. "Moa diet fits the bill: virtual reconstruction incorporating mummified remains and prediction of biomechanical performance in avian giants." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1822 (January 13, 2016): 20152043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.2043.
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The moa (Dinornithiformes) are large to gigantic extinct terrestrial birds of New Zealand. Knowledge about niche partitioning, feeding mode and preference among moa species is limited, hampering palaeoecological reconstruction and evaluation of the impacts of their extinction on remnant native biota, or the viability of exotic species as proposed ecological ‘surrogates'. Here we apply three-dimensional finite-element analysis to compare the biomechanical performance of skulls from five of the six moa genera, and two extant ratites, to predict the range of moa feeding behaviours relative to each other and to living relatives. Mechanical performance during biting was compared using simulations of the birds clipping twigs based on muscle reconstruction of mummified moa remains. Other simulated food acquisition strategies included lateral shaking, pullback and dorsoventral movement of the skull. We found evidence for limited overlap in biomechanical performance between the extant emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae ) and extinct upland moa ( Megalapteryx didinus ) based on similarities in mandibular stress distribution in two loading cases, but overall our findings suggest that moa species exploited their habitats in different ways, relative to both each other and extant ratites. The broad range of feeding strategies used by moa, as inferred from interspecific differences in biomechanical performance of the skull, provides insight into mechanisms that facilitated high diversities of these avian herbivores in prehistoric New Zealand.
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Shearman, G. C., G. S. Attard, A. N. Hunt, S. Jackowski, M. Baciu, S. C. Sebai, X. Mulet, et al. "Using membrane stress to our advantage." Biochemical Society Transactions 35, no. 3 (May 22, 2007): 498–501. http://dx.doi.org/10.1042/bst0350498.
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The nature of the bilayer motif coupled with the ability of lipids and proteins to diffuse freely through this structure is crucial to the viability of cells and their ability to compartmentalize domains contained therein. It seems surprising to find then that biological as well as model membranes exist in a dynamic state of mechanical stress. The stresses within such membranes are surprisingly large, typically reaching up to 50 atm (1 atm=101.325 kPa) at the core of the membrane and vary as a function of depth. The uneven distribution of lateral pressures within monolayer leaflets causes them to bend away from or towards the water interface. This can result in the formation of complex, self-assembled mesophases, many of which occur in vivo. Our knowledge of the principles underlying membrane mechanics has reached the point where we are now able to manipulate them and create nano-structures with reasonable predictability. In addition, they can be used both to explain and control the partitioning of amphipathic proteins on to membranes. The dependence of the dynamics of membrane-bound proteins and the chemical reactivity of amphipathic drug molecules on membrane stresses suggests that Nature itself takes advantage of this. Understanding and manipulating these internal forces will be a key element in creating self-assembled, biocompatible, nanoscale cell-like systems.
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Wen, Hang, Pamela L. Sullivan, Gwendolyn L. Macpherson, Sharon A. Billings, and Li Li. "Deepening roots can enhance carbonate weathering by amplifying CO<sub>2</sub>-rich recharge." Biogeosciences 18, no. 1 (January 5, 2021): 55–75. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-55-2021.
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Abstract. Carbonate weathering is essential in regulating atmospheric CO2 and carbon cycle at the century timescale. Plant roots accelerate weathering by elevating soil CO2 via respiration. It however remains poorly understood how and how much rooting characteristics (e.g., depth and density distribution) modify flow paths and weathering. We address this knowledge gap using field data from and reactive transport numerical experiments at the Konza Prairie Biological Station (Konza), Kansas (USA), a site where woody encroachment into grasslands is surmised to deepen roots. Results indicate that deepening roots can enhance weathering in two ways. First, deepening roots can control thermodynamic limits of carbonate dissolution by regulating how much CO2 transports vertical downward to the deeper carbonate-rich zone. The base-case data and model from Konza reveal that concentrations of Ca and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) are regulated by soil pCO2 driven by the seasonal soil respiration. This relationship can be encapsulated in equations derived in this work describing the dependence of Ca and DIC on temperature and soil CO2. The relationship can explain spring water Ca and DIC concentrations from multiple carbonate-dominated catchments. Second, numerical experiments show that roots control weathering rates by regulating recharge (or vertical water fluxes) into the deeper carbonate zone and export reaction products at dissolution equilibrium. The numerical experiments explored the potential effects of partitioning 40 % of infiltrated water to depth in woodlands compared to 5 % in grasslands. Soil CO2 data suggest relatively similar soil CO2 distribution over depth, which in woodlands and grasslands leads only to 1 % to ∼ 12 % difference in weathering rates if flow partitioning was kept the same between the two land covers. In contrast, deepening roots can enhance weathering by ∼ 17 % to 200 % as infiltration rates increased from 3.7 × 10−2 to 3.7 m/a. Weathering rates in these cases however are more than an order of magnitude higher than a case without roots at all, underscoring the essential role of roots in general. Numerical experiments also indicate that weathering fronts in woodlands propagated > 2 times deeper compared to grasslands after 300 years at an infiltration rate of 0.37 m/a. These differences in weathering fronts are ultimately caused by the differences in the contact times of CO2-charged water with carbonate in the deep subsurface. Within the limitation of modeling exercises, these data and numerical experiments prompt the hypothesis that (1) deepening roots in woodlands can enhance carbonate weathering by promoting recharge and CO2–carbonate contact in the deep subsurface and (2) the hydrological impacts of rooting characteristics can be more influential than those of soil CO2 distribution in modulating weathering rates. We call for colocated characterizations of roots, subsurface structure, and soil CO2 levels, as well as their linkage to water and water chemistry. These measurements will be essential to illuminate feedback mechanisms of land cover changes, chemical weathering, global carbon cycle, and climate.
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Milanesi, Pietro, Felice Puopolo, and Florian Zellweger. "Landscape Features, Human Disturbance or Prey Availability? What Shapes the Distribution of Large Carnivores in Europe?" Land 11, no. 10 (October 15, 2022): 1807. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/land11101807.
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Knowledge concerning the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors associated with the long-term settlement of large carnivores in human-dominated landscapes is important for effective species conservation. However, identifying the major drivers of large carnivore occurrences at a continental scale is challenging as several factors can act in concert to affect large carnivore distributions. Thus, we investigated the relationship between the permanent and sporadic occurrences of large carnivores (brown bear, Eurasian lynx, grey wolf and wolverine) and three groups of predictor variables (i.e., landscape attributes, human disturbance and prey availability) on the continental scale in Europe. Specifically, we used generalized linear models (GLMs) and variation partitioning to estimate the independent and cumulative effects of the three predictor groups on large carnivore occurrences. The explained variance for permanent vs. sporadic occurrence was highest for the wolverine (42.8% and 29.7%), followed by the brown bear (20.5% and 16.4%), Eurasian lynx (15.2% and 11.6%) and grey wolf (15.8% and 6.1%). Landscape attributes, such as forest cover, shrub-land cover, altitude and slope, were positively related to the occurrence of grey wolf, brown bear and Eurasian lynx, whereas human disturbance (human population density, distance to roads and to human settlements) was negatively related to wolverine occurrence. For all species, shared effects between landscape attributes and human disturbance accounted for a considerable portion of the explained variation in both permanent and sporadic occurrence, and landscape attributes were generally more important for explaining permanent than sporadic occurrence, except for the wolverine. Prey availability was marginally associated with the permanent occurrence of the grey wolf but we found no statistical effect of prey availability on the occurrence of the other large carnivores. In conclusion, the sporadic occurrence of large carnivores in Europe is more stochastic and less predictable than their permanent occurrence. Landscape attributes and their joint effects with human disturbance are the most important factors related to the recolonization dynamics of large carnivores, although wolverine distributions appear strongly limited by human disturbance itself. Domestic prey availability seems to play a subordinate role in driving the recent distribution dynamics of large carnivores at the continental scale. Thus, our results are relevant also in light of the ongoing recolonization of large carnivores which, in many rural areas, caused concerns among the locals, especially in relation to conflicts with human activities. For these reasons, we stress the need to continue and improve large carnivore monitoring across Europe.
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Asyaev, Grigorii, Alexander Sokolov, and Alexey Ruchay. "Intelligent Algorithms for Event Processing and Decision Making on Information Protection Strategies against Cyberattacks." Mathematics 11, no. 18 (September 16, 2023): 3939. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/math11183939.
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This paper considers the main approaches to building algorithms for the decision support systems of information protection strategies against cyberattacks in the networks of automated process control systems (the so-called recommender systems). The advantages and disadvantages of each of the considered algorithms are revealed, and their applicability to the processing of the information security events of the UNSW-NB 15 dataset is analyzed. The dataset used contains raw network packets collected using the IXIA PerfectStorm software in the CyberRange laboratory of the Australian Cyber Security Centre (Canberra) in order to create a hybrid of the simulation of the real actions and the synthetic behavior of the network traffic generated during attacks. The possibility of applying four semantic proximity algorithms to partition process the data into clusters based on attack type in a distribution control system (DCS) is analyzed. The percentage of homogeneous records belonging to a particular type of attack is used as the metric that determines the optimal method of cluster partitioning. This metric was chosen under the assumption that cyberattacks located “closer” to each other in the multidimensional space have similar defense strategies. A hypothesis is formulated about the possibility of transferring knowledge about attacks from the vector feature space into a semantic form using semantic proximity methods. The percentage of homogeneous entries was maximal when the cosine proximity measure was used, which confirmed the hypothesis about the possibility of applying the corresponding algorithm in the recommender system.
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Shigurov, Victor. "Calculation of Stages of Finite Verbs Modulation in the Russian Language." Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Serija 2. Jazykoznanije, no. 2 (May 2020): 20–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu2.2020.2.2.
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The problem of stepwise transposition of verbs into the category of parenthetical-modal units is considered in the paper. The research relevance is stipulated by insufficient knowledge of stepwise mechanisms of words and word forms transposition into other parts of speech and categories. The main purpose of the research is to calculate the stages and the limit of modulation for different groups of verbal units. General scientific, general linguistic and special methods (comparison, generalization; descriptive method, opposition, distribution and transformation analysis; linguistic experiment) were used as tools. The study of verb modulation stages has enables revealing the dynamics of corresponding fragments of the language system; use in the process of linguistic evolution of different ways of enhancing part of speech models, primarily due to their own, internal resources – "splitting" words and formation of new language units on the basis of a complex or individual word forms by means of interjectivation, partitioning, conjunctionalization, modulation, etc. It is established that the verbs belonging to different lexical groups are exposed to unequal modulation degree; finite verbs go through two to five stages of transposition until they are included into the category of parenthetical-modal units. The facts of a purely functional modulation of word forms occurring within the source verb lexemes, as well as their functional-and-semantic transposition into modal utterance components associated with the formation of lexical-and-grammatical homonyms are revealed. The results of the work can be used to create a transpositional grammar of the Russian language.
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Islam, M. J., A. W. Reza, A. S. M. Z. Kausar, and H. Ramiah. "New Ray Tracing Method to Investigate the Various Effects on Wave Propagation in Medical Scenario: An Application of Wireless Body Area Network." Scientific World Journal 2014 (2014): 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/306270.
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The advent of technology with the increasing use of wireless network has led to the development of Wireless Body Area Network (WBAN) to continuously monitor the change of physiological data in a cost efficient manner. As numerous researches on wave propagation characterization have been done in intrabody communication, this study has given emphasis on the wave propagation characterization between the control units (CUs) and wireless access point (AP) in a hospital scenario. Ray tracing is a tool to predict the rays to characterize the wave propagation. It takes huge simulation time, especially when multiple transmitters are involved to transmit physiological data in a realistic hospital environment. Therefore, this study has developed an accelerated ray tracing method based on the nearest neighbor cell and prior knowledge of intersection techniques. Beside this, Red-Black tree is used to store and provide a faster retrieval mechanism of objects in the hospital environment. To prove the superiority, detailed complexity analysis and calculations of reflection and transmission coefficients are also presented in this paper. The results show that the proposed method is about 1.51, 2.1, and 2.9 times faster than the Object Distribution Technique (ODT), Space Volumetric Partitioning (SVP), and Angular Z-Buffer (AZB) methods, respectively. To show the various effects on received power in 60 GHz frequency, few comparisons are made and it is found that on average −9.44 dBm, −8.23 dBm, and −9.27 dBm received power attenuations should be considered when human, AP, and CU move in a given hospital scenario.
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Yao, Liangjin, Bo Jiang, Jiejie Jiao, and Chuping Wu. "Environmental Filtering and Dispersal Limitations Driving the Beta Diversity Patterns at Different Scales of Secondary Evergreen Broadleaved Forests in the Suburbs of Hangzhou." Plants 12, no. 17 (August 25, 2023): 3057. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants12173057.
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Subtropical suburban secondary evergreen broadleaved forests are essential in regulating the ecological environment’s quality and promoting urban sustainable development. In the suburbs of Hangzhou City, well-preserved secondary evergreen broadleaved forest communities were selected to establish a 6 ha forest dynamic monitoring plot. Community surveys and environmental factor measurements were conducted in this area. This study investigated the beta diversity patterns at different scales by considering the environmental and spatial factors to explore the driving beta diversity. Using a similar paired-site beta diversity decomposition method, the study aimed to investigate the differences in species composition and the mechanisms of multiple species coexistence within the secondary evergreen broadleaved forest communities. The results showed that the beta diversity of the suburban secondary evergreen broadleaved forest communities decreased with the increasing spatial scale. Both the dispersal limitation and the environmental filtering were found to drive the formation of beta diversity patterns in these subtropical suburban forests. At relatively smaller scales (<100 m), species turnover was found to determine the beta diversity patterns of the suburban secondary evergreen broadleaved forests. Dispersal limitation had a dominant influence at more minor scales, while the effect of environmental filtering gradually increased with scale, and the impact of the dispersal limitation decreased. The partitioning of the beta diversity in subtropical secondary evergreen broadleaved forests in China provides critical scientific insights into the spatial distribution patterns and changes in biodiversity. It offers valuable knowledge for the conservation and understanding of biodiversity maintenance in the region.
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STRATHE, A. B., H. JØRGENSEN, E. KEBREAB, and A. DANFÆR. "Bayesian simultaneous equation models for the analysis of energy intake and partitioning in growing pigs." Journal of Agricultural Science 150, no. 6 (April 4, 2012): 764–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0021859612000275.
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SUMMARYThe objective of the current study was to develop Bayesian simultaneous equation models for modelling energy intake and partitioning in growing pigs. A key feature of the Bayesian approach is that parameters are assigned prior distributions, which may reflect the current state of nature. In the models, rates of metabolizable energy (ME) intake, protein deposition (PD) and lipid deposition (LD) were treated as dependent variables accounting for residuals being correlated. Two complementary equation systems were used to model ME intake (MEI), PD and LD. Informative priors were developed, reflecting current knowledge about metabolic scaling and partial efficiencies of PD and LD rates, whereas flat non-informative priors were used for the reminder of the parameters. The experimental data analysed originate from a balance and respiration trial with 17 cross-bred pigs of three genders (barrows, boars and gilts) selected on the basis of similar birth weight. The pigs were fed four diets based on barley, wheat and soybean meal supplemented with crystalline amino acids to meet or exceed Danish nutrient requirement standards. Nutrient balances and gas exchanges were measured at c. 25, 75, 120 and 150 kg body weight (BW) using metabolic cages and open circuit respiration chambers. A total of 56 measurements were performed. The sensitivity analysis showed that only the maintenance component was sensitive to the prior specification, and hence the maintenance estimate of 0·91 MJ ME/kg0·60 per day (0·95 credible interval (CrI): 0·78–1·09) should be interpreted with caution. It was shown that boars’ ability to deposit protein was superior to that of barrows and gilts, as these had an estimated maximum PD (PDmax) of 250 g/day (0·95 CrI: 237–263), whereas the barrows and gilts had a PDmax of 210 g/day (0·95 CrI: 198–220). Furthermore, boars reached PDmax at 109 kg BW (0·95 CrI: 93·6–130), whereas barrows and gilts maximized PD at 81·7 kg BW (0·95 CrI: 75·6–89·5). At 25 kg BW, the boars partitioned on average 5–6% more of the ME above maintenance into PD than barrows and gilts, and this was progressively increased to 10–11% more than barrows and gilts at 150 kg BW. The Bayesian modelling framework can be used to further refine the analysis of data from metabolic studies in growing pigs.