Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
QUANTIFYING WHITE-TAILED DEER DENSITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS

OF THESIS QUANTIFYING WHITE-TAILED DEER DENSITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) commonly consume row crops, with yield losses often attributed to their browsing. Deer density and field morphology may predict yield losses within local areas. We sought to 1) determine the effects of deer browsing on corn and soybean yields and investigate if deer density or field morphology correlated to yield loss in western Kentucky, and 2) compare pellet-based distance sampling to game camera surveys to determine if a distance sampling technique could accurately estimate deer density during the growing season. Overall, deer reduced corn and soybean yields on one-half of surveyed properties. Deer density did not influence yield losses in either crop; however, field morphology correlated with soybean yield losses. Pellet-based distance sampling provided statistically similar estimates as our game camera survey technique; however, at the individual farm level distance sampling estimates proved unreliable. Inaccurate model parameter (i.e., defecation rates) and inability to detect pellet groups in dense vegetation complicated the reliability of distance sampling models. Overall, yield losses from deer occur in western Kentucky and may be a localized event. Finally, game camera surveys should be used over pellet-based distance sampling during the growing season until detection issues and inaccurate model parameters are solved.
First cavity-nesting records for three patagonian forest birds

Se hallaron nidos de Zorzal Patagonico (Turdus falcklandii), Comesebo Patagonico (Phrygilus patagonicus) y Fiofio Silbon (Elaenia albiceps) en cavidades arboreas del bosque andino patagonico. La nidificacion de estas aves en cavidades no habia sido citada previamente. Se caracterizaron los nidos y el sustrato donde estaban asentados: las tres especies construyeron nidos de tipo taza con material vegetal, similares a los que fabrican habitualmente, que emplaza- ron dentro de cavidades naturales de lengas (Nothofagus pumilio). Las cavidades utilizadas fueron, en general, de gran tamano, situadas en arboles de gran porte y con pudricion del tronco evidente en todos los casos. Se discuten posibles razones de la ausencia de registros previos de nidificacion en cavidades para estas especies, a la luz de los patrones de nidificacion tipicos de los generos y las familias a los que pertenecen.
The Writing-Pal: Natural Language Algorithms to Support Intelligent Tutoring on Writing Strategies

The Writing-Pal (W-Pal) is an intelligent tutoring system (ITS) that provides writing strategy instruction to high school students and entering college students. One unique quality of W-Pal is that it provides feedback to students’ natural language input. Thus, much of our focus during the W-Pal project has DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60960-741-8.ch017
REGIONAL DISPARITIES OF HEALTH CENTER UTILIZATION IN RURAL INDONESIA

One indicator to see the quality of health system performance was to look at the disparity in the utilization of healthcare facilities. The research objective was to analyze the disparity between regions in the utilization of health centers in rural areas in Indonesia. The results of the 2013 Basic Health Survey (Riskesdas) were used as analysis material. The 2013 Riskesdas was designed a cross-sectional survey. Respondents obtained 388,598 using the multi-stage cluster random sampling method. Binary Logistic Regression Test was used to analyze data. Data is obtained through a structured questionnaire. The results showed that there were statistically significant disparities between regions. All regions showed better utilization than the Papua region as a reference. The best utilization was in the Sumatra region, which was 3.781 times more utilizing health centers than the Papua region (OR = 3.781; 95% CI = 3.580-3.993). The utilization of health centres that approached the Papua region was the Nusa Tenggara region (OR = 1.582; 95% CI = 1.490-1.679) and the Maluku region (OR = 2.175; 95% 1.999–2.366). All three regions are all in the Eastern part of Indonesia. The research concluded there was a disparity in health center utilization between regions in rural Indonesia. Regions in the western part of Indonesia tend to have better health center utilization in rural areas. Research results could be used as a reference for making policies that focus on equality of services to reduce existing disparities.
A Hierarchical Urban Forest Index Using Street-Level Imagery and Deep Learning

We develop a method based on computer vision and a hierarchical multilevel model to derive an Urban Street Tree Vegetation Index which aims to quantify the amount of vegetation visible from the point of view of a pedestrian. Our approach unfolds in two steps. First, areas of vegetation are detected within street-level imagery using a state-of-the-art deep neural network model. Second, information is combined from several images to derive an aggregated indicator at the area level using a hierarchical multilevel model. The comparative performance of our proposed approach is demonstrated against a widely used image segmentation technique based on a pre-labelled dataset. The approach is deployed to a real-world scenario for the city of Cardiff, Wales, using Google Street View imagery. Based on more than 200,000 street-level images, an urban tree street-level indicator is derived to measure the spatial distribution of tree cover, accounting for the presence of obstructing objects present in images at the Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) level, corresponding to the most commonly used administrative areas for policy-making in the United Kingdom. The results show a high degree of correspondence between our tree street-level score and aerial tree cover estimates. They also evidence more accurate estimates at a pedestrian perspective from our tree score by more appropriately capturing tree cover in areas with large burial, woodland, formal open and informal open spaces where shallow trees are abundant, in high density residential areas with backyard trees, and along street networks with high density of high trees. The proposed approach is scalable and automatable. It can be applied to cities across the world and provides robust estimates of urban trees to advance our understanding of the link between mental health, well-being, green space and air pollution.
A Study on Future Projections of Precipitation Characteristics around Japan in Early Summer Combining GPM DPR Observation and CMIP5 Large-Scale Environments

This study estimates future changes in the early summer precipitation characteristics around Japan using changes in the large-scale environment, by combining Global Precipitation Measurement precipitation radar observations and phase 5 of the Coupled Models Intercomparison Project climate model large-scale projections. Analyzing satellite-based data, we first relate precipitation in three types of rain events (small, organized, and midlatitude), which are identified via their characteristics, to the large-scale environment. Two environmental fields are chosen to determine the large-scale conditions of the precipitation: the sea surface temperature and the midlevel large-scale vertical velocity. The former is related to the lower-tropospheric thermal instability, while the latter affects precipitation via moistening/drying of the midtroposphere. Consequently, favorable conditions differ between the three types in terms of these two environmental fields. Using these precipitation–environment relationships, we then reconstruct the precipitation distributions for each type with reference to the two environmental indices in climate models for the present and future climates. Future changes in the reconstructed precipitation are found to vary widely between the three types in association with the large-scale environment. In more than 90% of models, the region affected by organized-type precipitation will expand northward, leading to a substantial increase in this type of precipitation near Japan along the Sea of Japan, and in northern and eastern Japan on the Pacific side, where its present amount is relatively small. This result suggests an elevated risk of heavy rainfall in those regions because the maximum precipitation intensity is more intense in organized-type precipitation than in the other two types.
Occupational Gender Segregation in Post-Apartheid South Africa

This study shows that occupations in South Africa are segregated and stratified by gender. While some women (mostly Black and “Coloured”) overwhelmingly fill low-paying jobs, others (mostly White and Indian/Asian, but also Coloured) tend to fill higher-paying professional positions. This paper finds evidence of a long-term reduction in gender segregation and stratification, with women and men entering occupations previously dominated by the other gender, although this trend is sensitive to several data considerations. Most recent evidence, however, points to stagnation in this process. Distinct worker characteristics by gender – including education, location, or age – cannot explain the existing segregation or women's overrepresentation in low-paying jobs, compared with men's representation. They do partially explain the overrepresentation of women in some higher-paying positions and the declining stratification of the labor market by gender. Education is the primary driver for upward mobility for women and gender equality in the South African labor market. Note: This study follows the current South African government’s usage of the racial category “Coloured,” with the caveat that the term is not in acceptable use outside South Africa. HIGHLIGHTS Gendered occupations and pay gaps in South Africa have not been adequately studied. Black women suffer double labor segregation in South Africa, by gender and by race. Post-apartheid progress in reducing labor segregation has been faster by gender than by race. Improved education offers women a route to better-paid professional occupations Although women now access better jobs, managerial positions remain disproportionately male.
Recent Increases in Water Column Denitrification in the Seasonally Suboxic Bottom Waters of the Santa Barbara Basin

Denitrification in the anoxic sediments of the Santa Barbara Basin has been well documented in the historic and modern record, but the regulation of and frequency with which denitrification occurs in the overlying water column are less understood. Since 2004, the magnitude and speciation of redox active nitrogen species in bottom waters have changed markedly. Most notable are periods of decreased nitrate and increased nitrite concentrations. Here we examine these changes in nitrogen cycling as recorded by the stable isotopes of dissolved nitrate from 2010–2016. When compared to previous studies, our data identify an increase in water column denitrification in the bottom waters of the basin. Observations from inside the basin as well as data from the wider California Current Ecosystem implicate a long‐term trend of decreasing oxygen concentrations as the driver for these observed changes, with ramifications for local benthic communities and regional nitrogen loss.
Capture, ingestion, and egestion of microplastics by suspension-feeding bivalves: a 40-year history

In aquatic environments, suspension-feeding bivalve molluscs are exposed to a manifold of natural and anthropogenically derived particles, including micro- and nanoplastics. Plastic particles interact with feeding and digestive organs and can produce negative effects. As a result of these effects and the potential transfer of microplastics to higher trophic levels, including humans, there has been renewed interest in the ingestion of plastic particles by different species of bivalves. Many recent studies, however, have ignored the ability of bivalves to select among particles both pre- and post-ingestively. Neglecting to consider the factors that mediate particle capture, ingestion, and egestion can lead to erroneous data and conclusions. This paper outlines the current state of knowledge of particle processing by bivalves, and demonstrates how it relates to studies utilizing plastic particles. In particular, the effects of particle size, shape, and surface properties on capture, preferential ingestion, post-ingestive sorting, and egestion are summarized. The implications of particle selection for the use of bivalves as bioindicators of microplastic pollution in the environment are discussed. Only through a full understanding of the types of plastic particles ingested and egested by bivalves can internal exposure, toxic effects, and trophic transfer of microplastics be assessed adequately.
Variability and Trends in Dust Storm Frequency on Decadal Timescales: Climatic Drivers and Human Impacts

Dust storms present numerous hazards to human society and are particularly significant to people living in the Dust Belt which stretches from the Sahara across the Middle East to northeast Asia. This paper presents a review of dust storm variability and trends in frequency on decadal timescales from three Dust Belt settlements with long-term (>50 years) meteorological records: Nouakchott, Mauritania; Zabol, Iran, and Minqin, China. The inhabitants of each of these settlements have experienced a decline in dust storms in recent decades, since the late 1980s at Nouakchott, since 2004 at Zabol, and since the late 1970s at Minqin. The roles of climatic variables and human activities are assessed in each case, as drivers of periods of high dust storm frequency and subsequent declines in dust emissions. Both climatic and human variables have been important but overall the balance of research conclusions indicates natural processes (precipitation totals, wind strength) have had greater impact than human action, in the latter case both in the form of mismanagement (abandoned farmland, water management schemes) and attempts to reduce wind erosion (afforestation projects). Understanding the drivers of change in dust storm dynamics at the local scale is increasingly important for efforts to mitigate dust storm hazards as climate change projections suggest that the global dryland area is likely to expand in the twenty-first century, along with an associated increase in the risk of drought and dust emissions.
Explanatory visualization of multidimensional projections

Het verkrijgen van inzicht in grote gegevensverzalelingen (tegenwoording bekend als ‘big data’) kan gedaan worden door ze visueel af te beelden en deze visualisaties vervolgens interactief exploreren. Toch kunnen beide het aantal datapunten of metingen, en ook het aantal dimensies die elke meting beschrijven, zeer groot zijn – zoals een table met veel rijen en kolommen. Het visualiseren van dergelijke zogenaamde hoog-dimensionale datasets is zeer uitdagend. Een manier om dit te doen is door het maken van een laag (twee of drie) dimensionale afbeelding, waarin men dan zoekt naar interessante datapatronen in plaats van deze te zoeken in de oorspronkelijke hoog-dimensionale data. Technieken die dit scenario ondersteunen, de zogenaamde projecties, hebben verschillende voordelen – ze zijn visueel schaalbaar, ze werken robuust met ruizige data, en ze zijn snel. Toch is het gebruik van projecties ernstig beperkt door het feit dat ze moeilijk te interpreteren zijn. We benaderen dit problem door verschillende technieken te ontwikkelen die de interpretative vergemakkelijken, zoals het weergeven van projectiefouten en het uitleggen van projecties door middel van de oorpronkelijke hoge dimensies. Onze technieken zijn makkelijk te leren, snel te rekenen, en makkelijk toe te voegen aan elke dataexploratiescenario dat gebruik maakt van elke projectie. We demonstreren onze oplossingen met verschillende toepassingen en data van metingen, wetenschappelijke simulaties, software-engineering, en netwerken.
Optimasi Kapasitas Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Hybrid (PLTH) di Pulau Bunaken Menggunakan Software HOMER

Telah dilakukan penelitian tentang sistem pembangkit listrik tenaga hybrid menggunakan Software HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model For Electric Renewables). Tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk optimasi pembangkit listrik tenaga hybriddi Pulau Bunaken yang efisien dengan metode simulasi menggunakan software HOMER. Hasil penelitian menghasilkan rancangan sistem PLTH yang optimal adalah skenario 2 dengan kontribusi Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Surya (PLTS) sebesar 1.374. 514 kWh pertahun (61%),Pembangkit Listrik Tenaga Diesel (PLTD) sebesar 879.024 kWh pertahun (39%) dan kelebihan energi listrik pada skenario2 sebesar 1.018. 247 kWh pertahun (45,2 %). Nilai Net Present Cost (NPC) terendah sebesar US$ 3.981. 811. Nilai Cost Of Energy (COE) terendah sebesar 0,334 $/kWh. Sistem ini dapat mengurangi emisi gas buang sebesar 805.750 kg/tahun jika dibayarkan untuk penalti emisi gas buang sebesar US$ 178.965 per tahunResearch about hybrid power plant using HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model For Electric Renewables) software has been done. The purpose of this research is to optimaze an efficiency hybrid power plant at Bunaken Island with simulation method using HOMER software. The simulation showed that an optimal design for hybrid power plant system isat the second scenario.The solar power plant contribute to 1.374. 514 kWh per year (61%), the diesel power plant contribute to 879.094 kWh per year (39%) and electricity exceed in scenario 2 is 1.018. 247 kWh per year (45,2%). The lowest NPC value is US$ 3.981. 811. The lowest COE value is 0,334 $/kWh.The system can reduce the exhaust gas emission is about 805.750 kg/year.It was equal pay for exhaust gas emission penalty the amount is US$178.965 per year
Finite Element Analysis to Characterize the Lateral Behaviour of a Capped Pile Group

Finite element simulation for analysis of a capped pile group was conducted to investigate the interaction among piles, soil and pile cap, especially the effects resulted from concrete damaging. The simulation was to develop a calibrated model using the test data and to apply that model for conditions not present during the test. In addition to consider pile/soil and cap/pile interaction in the numerical simulation, interaction between steel reinforcement and concrete was also modelled in the analysis. Each steel reinforcement installed in the tested piles and the pile cap was modelled as an individual element at its installed position in the numerical analysis. The simulation results showed that the leading and the middle row piles in the group carried the highest and the lowest fraction of pile head loads when concrete around the pile cap/soil contact area remained its integrity. Increasing loading level, the pile head load carried by the middle row increased due to constraint of the pile cap affected by the concrete damage at the pile cap/soil contact zone.
Modeling Photoprotection at Global Scale: The Relative Role of Nonphotosynthetic Pigments, Physiological State, and Species Composition

Microalgae are capable of acclimating to dynamic light environments, as they have developed mechanisms to optimize light harvesting and photosynthetic electron transport. When absorption of light exceeds photosynthetic capacity, various physiological protective mechanisms prevent damage of the photosynthetic apparatus. Xanthophyll pigments provide one of the most important photoprotective mechanisms to dissipate the excess light energy and prevent photoinhibition. In this study, we coupled a mechanistic model for phytoplankton photoinhibition with the global biogeochemical model Regulated Ecosystem Model version 2. The assumption that photoinhibition is small in phytoplankton communities acclimated to ambient light allowed us to predict the photoprotective needs of phytoplankton. When comparing the predicted photoprotective needs to observations of pigment content determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography, our results showed that photoprotective response seems to be mediated in most parts of the ocean by a variable ratio of xanthophyll pigments to chlorophyll. The variability in the ratio appeared to be mainly driven by changes in phytoplankton community composition. Exceptions appeared at high latitudes where other energy dissipating mechanisms seem to play a role in photoprotection and both taxonomic changes and physiological acclimation determine community pigment signature. Understanding the variability of community pigment signature is crucial for modeling the coupling of light absorption to carbon fixation in the ocean. Insights about how much of this variability is attributable to changes in community composition may allow us to improve the match between remotely sensed optical data and the underlying phytoplankton community.
Revisiting extreme precipitation amounts over southern South America and implications for the Patagonian Icefields

Abstract. Patagonia is thought to be one of the wettest regions on Earth, although available regional precipitation estimates vary considerably. This uncertainty complicates understanding and quantifying the observed environmental changes, such as glacier recession, biodiversity decline in fjord ecosystems and enhanced net primary production. The Patagonian Icefields, for example, are one of the largest contributors to sea-level rise outside the polar regions, and robust hydroclimatic projections are needed to understand and quantify current and future mass changes. The reported projections of precipitation from numerical modelling studies tend to overestimate those from in situ determinations, and the plausibility of these numbers has never been carefully scrutinized, despite the significance of this topic to our understanding of observed environmental changes. Here I use simple physical arguments and a linear model to test the plausibility of the current precipitation estimates and its impact on the Patagonian Icefields. The results show that environmental conditions required to sustain a mean precipitation amount exceeding 6.09±0.64 m yr−1 are untenable according to the regional moisture flux. The revised precipitation values imply a significant reduction in the surface mass balance of the Patagonian Icefields compared to previously reported values. This yields a new perspective on the response of Patagonia's glaciers to climate change and their sea-level contribution and might also help reduce uncertainties in the change of other precipitation-driven environmental phenomena.
Long-term climate, vegetation and fire regime change in a managed municipal water supply area, British Columbia, Canada

Post-glacial climate, vegetation and fire history were reconstructed from a sediment record from Begbie Lake, British Columbia, Canada, located in a municipal water supply area servicing > 350,000 people. Watershed managers have identified wildfire as a threat to water supply and seek to understand how vegetation and fire have varied through time with climate. In the cold late-glacial, open Pinus woodlands, periodically disturbed by fire, transitioned to mixed conifer forests subject to high-severity fire. The early Holocene is of interest to watershed managers because climate was warmer and drier than present. During this interval, low streamflow, abundant fire-adapted taxa, elevated background charcoal and regional increases in biomass burning indicate that fire seasons were longer and that fire was an important disturbance mechanism. Climate moistened in the mid Holocene, facilitating canopy closure and decreased fire disturbance. However, surface fires prevailed in Quercus ecosystems, which were expanding locally. Charcoal increased between 6180–2500 cal yr BP as climate further cooled and moistened, likely reflecting human activity and/or increased climate variability. Modern conditions arose within the last few millennia, impacted most recently by European settlement. In combination with paleoclimate modelling, modern management practices and forecast simulations, the Begbie Lake record informs about ecosystem changes within the watershed, yielding insights for management.