Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Transactive Energy Market for Energy Management in Microgrids: The Monash Microgrid Case Study

Transactive energy is a novel approach for energy management and trading, which can be used in microgrids to facilitate the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) in existing networks. The key feature in transactive energy is using market-based solutions for energy management. Hence, an appropriate transactive energy market (TEM) framework should be designed to enable and incentivize DER owners to participate in different markets. The efficient implementation of TEM for microgrid energy management encompasses the application of a variety of design principles. In this rapidly developing area, this paper presents a complete proposal of the TEM as a framework for the design, implementation, and deployment of transactive energy solutions for energy management in microgrids. In particular, we outline the requirements to design an effective market mechanism for the TEM. The applicability of this perspective is demonstrated through the introduction of the Monash Microgrid as a real-world implementation of a TEM solution, where a complete hardware and software foundation is presented as a platform to deploy a market-based solution for microgrid energy management. This is further illustrated through an example scenario, where the application of TEM is discussed to demonstrate the impact of considered design choices on achieving desired objectives.
Sexual Dichromatism in the European Magpie Pica pica. Not as Black and White as Expected

Reflectance spectrometry, in the avian visible range, is currently a standard methodological approach for plumage colour assessment in birds. However, the method generally employed, whereby only one observation and illumination angle is used, can fail to reveal important colour characteristics. This study shows how the sexual dichromatism of the European Magpie Pica pica can be overlooked by the use of single angle spectrometry, rather than multiple angle spectrometry, and stresses the need to adopt more refined methods for plumage colour assessment. The results of this study may not only have implications in avian colour classification but also in many related fields of biology.
Observed and CMIP5‐Simulated Radiative Flux Variability Over West Africa

We explore the ability of general circulation models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5) to recreate observed seasonal variability in top‐of‐the‐atmosphere and surface radiation fluxes over West Africa. This tests CMIP5 models' ability to describe the radiative energy partitioning, which is fundamental to our understanding of the current climate and its future changes. We use 15 years of the monthly Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Energy Balanced and Filled (EBAF) product, alongside other satellite, reanalysis, and surface station products. We find that the CMIP5 multimodel mean is generally within the reference product range, with annual mean CMIP5 multimodel mean—EBAF of −0.5 W m−2 for top‐of‐the‐atmosphere reflected shortwave radiation, and 4.6 W m−2 in outgoing longwave radiation over West Africa. However, the range in annual mean of the model seasonal cycles is large (37.2 and 34.0 W m−2 for reflected shortwave radiation and outgoing longwave radiation, respectively). We use seasonal and regional contrasts in all‐sky fluxes to infer that the representation of the West African monsoon in numerical models affects radiative energy partitioning. Using clear‐sky surface fluxes, we find that the models tend to have more downwelling shortwave and less downwelling longwave radiation than EBAF, consistent with past research. We find models that are drier and have lower aerosol loading tend to show the largest differences. We find evidence that aerosol variability has a larger effect in modulating downwelling shortwave radiation than water vapor in EBAF, while the opposite effect is seen in the majority of CMIP5 models.
Landforms Influence Patterns of Hurricane Damage: Evidence From Jamaican Montane Forests

Patterns of damage caused to trees 3 cm dbh in Jamaican montane rain forests by Hurricane Gilbert were described in a series of permanent plots over a study area of 2.5 kiM2, sampling 0.3 ha. Damage was assessed in the plots 1923 mo after the hurricane. Low overall levels of damage occurred compared with studies of hurricane damage elsewhere; stem mortality = 8.1 ? 1.4 percent; uprooted stems = 5.8 ? 1.3 percent; broken stems = 8.5 ? 1.2 percent. The highest levels of damage were found on southern slopes and the ridge crest of the Blue Mountains, as the range protected forests on the northern slopes from the full force of the hurricane, which struck from the southeast. However, mortality and uprooting did not conform to a pattern that could be linked to topography. I conclude that while hurricanes are fairly frequent events in Jamaica (return period ca 15 yr), their effective return periods to particular areas of forest are likely to be longer because of local differences in exposure.
A Method of Optimized Deployment of Charging Stations for Drone Delivery

Drones have become a new means for parcel delivery in recent years. As the flight distances of currently available commercial drones are usually limited due to the battery capacity constraint, this article considers the placement of charging stations to charge or replace the battery, and thus enlarge the coverage of customers. The problem of deploying a number of charging stations to cover the customers in a demand area is investigated. A computationally efficient deployment approach is proposed. It first deploys charging stations in a triangle pattern, which fully covers the demand area. Accounting the locations of customers in the area, we then use an adjustment procedure to recursively remove some charging stations that cover no or fewer customers and reposition the remaining charging stations. Computer simulations are conducted, and comparisons with an existing relevant method are demonstrated to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Sustainable Policy for Water Pricing in Kuwait

This research investigates consumer willingness to pay (WTP) for water in Kuwait as a foundation for policy decisions on reducing water subsidies. Heavy subsidies have encouraged unsustainable very high consumption, but efforts to cut subsidies can generate strong political opposition. A survey (n = 443) indicates that WTP is greater at lower prices, but resistance is not purely about price. The presence of a continued partial water subsidy for basic household use slightly increases WTP, probably mainly from perceptions of fairness. Information about Kuwait’s water scarcity also has a small impact. All of these effect sizes are small, so we discuss these issues using a nudge framework from behavioral economics. A number of policies can foster small shifts in WTP; collectively they may have larger impact and make subsidy reduction relatively painless.
The effect of N-stearoylethanolamine on the lipid composition of the rat testes and testosterone level during the early stages of streptozotocin-іnduced diabetes

diabetes is a metabolic disorder with multiorgan complications, including reproductive system dysfunction where lipid imbalance of germ cells play an important role. N-stearoylethanolamine (NSe) shows a modulatory effect on the lipid composition under different pathologies. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the NSE effect on the testes lipid composition and testosterone level in plasma of diabetic rats. diabetes was induced in Sprague-dawley rats by a single streptozotocin injection (50 mg/kg). animals with glucose levels of 8-12 mmol/l were further selected. NSe was administrated to rats (50 mg/kg) for 10 days at 1.5 months after the streptozotocin injection. The rat testes were used for lipid analysis, namely, phospholipid level, fatty acid methyl esters and plasma testosterone estimation. NSe administration to diabetic rats triggered normalization of total and individual phospholipid content, as well as composition of free and phospholipids fatty acids in the rat testes. In addition, the testosterone content showed a slight increase under the action of NSe. Our results showed that the early stages of diabetes caused destructive changes in rat testes that may induce a decrease in future testicular function. NSe administration to diabetic rats normalized the lipid content of rat testes and was correlated with an increased testosterone level. NSe induced the restoration of testes structure and function during the early stages of streptozotocin-іnduced diabetes in rats.
Characteristics of Occupation-based Education within Entry-level Occupational Therapy Programs: Professional Leaders' Perspectives

Occupational therapy is a profession concerned with promoting health and well-being through occupation, and accordingly occupation should permeate all aspects of the profession. Entry-level education is the primary means by which new members of the profession become educated about occupation and its place in occupational therapy practice. Therefore, it is essential that education reflects the core concept of the profession. To date there have been individual opinions about occupation-based education but no studies have documented the characteristics that demonstrate this approach from the perspective of professional leaders. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to explore professional leaders’ views on, and strategies for, occupation-based entry-level education. Participants were selected through a combination of purposive and network sampling to ensure variation and depth. Six in-depth, semi-structured interviews of approximately 60 minutes duration each, were conducted with leaders from Australia, Canada, and the United States of America via telephone or internet conferencing. These interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Three themes emerged: embodied knowledge and understanding of occupation and its link to health and well-being; deliberate educators who value occupation; and rhetoric versus reality of professional practice. This research demonstrates the critical role individual academics play in the development of students’ understanding of, and passion for, occupation and how it is enacted in practice. Educators must continue to develop their knowledge and skills of occupation as well as effective ways to teach this core concept.
Interest Rate Volatility and Macroeconomic Dynamics: Heterogeneity Matters

We examine the relation between real interest rate volatility and aggregate fluctuations for a diverse sample of countries. Compiling a new dataset including emerging and advanced countries, the substantial variation in our data yields novel results: (a) stochastic volatility outperforms Markov&#8208;switching in representing interest rates, (b) some advanced economies can be more volatile than emerging markets, and (c) creditors take on more debt following volatility shocks. We show how an equilibrium business cycle model with uncertainty shocks can generate these facts. Sample heterogeneity produces significant parameter differences, playing an important role in distinguishing the effects of volatility shocks.
Soybean in different forms of processing in the feeding of crossbred cows on brachiaria grass pastures

The objective was to evaluate intake and digestibility of nutrients, as well as milk production and composition of the milk from F1 Holstein × Gyr cows kept on pasture, supplemented with sugarcane and concentrate (28% CP). Five cows with 150±14 lactation days and average milk production of 7.1±2.1 kg/day were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The treatments were: soybean meal-based concentrate; soy bean-based concentrate; ground soybean-based concentrate; roasted soybean-based concentrate; and ground, roasted soybean-based concentrate. Dry matter (DM), organic matter, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients intakes were not affected by the diet, but ether extract intake was higher for the animals fed soy bean-based diets than those fed soybean meal. The digestibility of DM, NDF and CP did not differ. The corrected milk yield differed between treatments; animals on the treatment with soy bean-based concentrate had the lowest production in relation to the others, which did not differ from each other. There was no difference between treatments for milk composition. Thus, soybean meal can be replaced by ground soy beans or roasted soy beans (ground or whole) in diets for low-yield cows reared on Brachiaria decumbens pastures with no harm to milkproduction or composition. Therefore, the use of these alternative raw materials is recommended whenever their inclusion represents lower feeding costs.
Framework for Automated Earthquake Event Detection Based on Denoising by Adaptive Filter

Automated detection of the P-wave arrival for real-time earthquake-early-warning-system employing conventional short-time-average/long-time-average (STA/LTA) algorithm is prone to suffer from erroneous detection due to high background noise. This paper introduces an enhanced variable step-size least mean square (EVSSLMS) algorithm for considerably improving the P-wave detection. The proposed event detection scheme employs the EVSSLMS algorithm for de-noising the seismic data followed by conventional STA/LTA algorithm to detect arrival of the P-wave. The EVSSLMS algorithm outperforms the existing trigonometric least mean square (TLMS), variable step-size LMS (VSSLMS), least mean logarithmic square (LMLS) and variable <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-LMLS algorithms in terms of convergence speed and steady-state error and achieves a significant enhancement in detection accuracy by 42%, 33%, 25% and 23% at low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as compared to the existing TLMS, VSSLMS, LMLS, and variable-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula> LMLS algorithms, respectively. Moreover, a high-speed and low-complexity very-large-scale-integrated (VLSI) architecture has been implemented on both field-programmable-gate array (FPGA) and application-specific-integrated circuit (ASIC) platforms for real-time applications. Comparison of architectural performance of the proposed scheme with that of architecture designed to realize variable-<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\alpha $ </tex-math></inline-formula> LMLS algorithm exhibits 36% less slice-delay-product whereas, its ASIC implementation exhibits 7.27% less area-delay-product, 9.31% less energy-per-sample with 5.2% more maximum achievable frequency.
Seasonal movements and dive patterns of juvenile Baikal seals, Phoca sibirica

The Baikal seal (Phoca sibirica) is confined to Lake Baikal in southern Siberia. The breeding distribution of seals in winter, when the lake is frozen over, is fairly well known, whereas their movements and foraging behaviors have been relatively unstudied. With satellite-linked radio transmitters, we documented the movements and dive patterns of four juvenile Baikal seals from autumn through spring. The seals moved extensively in the lake, each covering minimal distances of 400–1,600 km between September and early May. They spent little time hauled out from September through May and, apparently, dived continuously. Dives were mostly to depths of lo-50 m, though a few exceeded 300 m. Most lasted between 2 and 6 mm, within theoretical aerobic dive limits, although a few exceeded 40 min. The exceptionally long dives occurred while the seals were in areas of extensive ice cover, suggesting that they were, perhaps, under ice-pilotage in search of breathing holes rather than foraging dives. Otherwise, the dive performances of these Baikal seals were, relative to body mass, similar to those of other well-studied phocids. Movements and dive patterns of seals appeared to be primarily associated with seasonal and die1 movements of their primary prey, golomyanka and sculpins, and secondarily correlated with patterns of ice formation and thaw.
A new species of Brotia from Yunnan, China (Caenogastropoda, Pachychilidae)

A new species of pachychilid freshwater gastropods, Brotia yunnanensis n. sp. , is described from the Mengnong River in the Lancang (= Mekong) River drainage of Yunnan, Southern China. This species is characterised by the unique combination of a comparatively small, conical shell with a sculpture consisting of densely arranged but weakly developed axial ribs that support two spiral rows of weak nodules, and a round, multispiral operculum. Brotia yunnanensis n. sp. is the first confirmed report of this genus from China. It is anticipated that further species are to be found in this region, which currently remain unknown. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Prey infected with nucleopolyhedrovirus is preferred by the predatory stink bug Eocanthecona furcellata without altering its field fitness

Preference tests using the hemipteran predator Eocanthecona furcellata Wolff showed that nymphs and adults showed a constant preference towards virus-infected Spodoptera litura larvae. Adults feeding on healthy larvae throughout their life handled and consumed their prey quickly as compared to those feeding on infected prey, the differences being significant. Developmental time, survival rate, pre-mating period, sex-ratio and incubation period of E. furcellata that were reared on experimental plants infested with healthy larvae of S. litura as lifetime prey for all stages (control), healthy larvae during nymphal stage and infected larvae for adult stage, infected larvae for nymphal and healthy larvae for adult stage and infected larvae as lifetime meal for all stages of E. furcellata did not vary significantly. However, a significant reduction in body weight, fecundity, longevity and percent egg hatchability was observed when E. furcellata were fed on infected larvae as lifetime meal. The results revealed that the virus-infected larvae, relative to healthy larvae, had significant effect on prey preference of predators, but feeding on virus-infected prey had no adverse effect on its field fitness except on lifetime meal, which may not hold true under field conditions.
Pig target detection method based on SSD convolution network

The behavioral changes of pigs can not only reflect their own health and welfare status, but also have important significance in improving the breeding environment. Rapid and accurate detection of pigs’ targets is the basis of behavioral change analysis.In view of this situation, a target detection algorithm based on deep learning is proposed, and its model structure and working principle are expounded. Then, through the test of pig image data set, the results show that this method can accurately detect pig targets under complex background.
Plankton of the central Great Barrier Reef: abundance, production and trophodynamic roles

The abundance, composition and metabolic activity of plankton were assessed in the Tribulation zone of the central Great Barrier Reef (16°–17°S). Wet phytoplankton biomass ranged in shallow reef waters from 30 to 70 mg m−3, and from 60 to 270 mg m−3 in the deep lagoon and in the estuarine areas which are dominated by pico- and nano-algae. Wet bacterioplankton biomass varied from 70 to 290 mg m−3. Wet meroplankton biomass was less than 10 mg m−3. Wet daytime mesozooplankton biomass ranged from 100 to 300 mg m−3 in the deep lagoon. In the estuarine area, it reached 400 to 1300 mg m−3and in the shallow inner lagoon of the Low Isles ring reef it varied from 10 to 30 mg m−3. Zooplankton density increased at night and was 3 to 5 fold greater in the deep lagoon, for about 2 orders of magnitude greater over the reef shallows and up to 3 orders of magnitude greater in mangrove habitats, due to the emergence of demersal components from the benthos. The biomass of zooplankton hidden in the benthic substrates during the day reached 10 to 40 g m−2. Pelagic primary production in the deep lagoon varied between 0.2 and 0.5 g C m−2 d−1. A calculation of the energy balance suggests that the basic energy source for heterotrophic plankton production in the deep lagoon is the organic matter exported from surrounding reef benthic communities and from mangroves. The trophic status of coral reef pelagic ecosystem might range from mesotrophic to eutrophic.
Identification of Cross‐Pollinated and Self‐Pollinated Progeny in Alfalfa through RAPD Nulliplex Loci Analysis

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most important forage crop in the world, but with current breeding practices improvements in yield potential have been limited during the last 40 yr. The development of hybrid alfalfa cultivars would likely improve forage yield potential, but an efficient method to estimate outcrossing rates would be needed to confirm percentage hybrid seed. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the applicability of a RAPD nulliplex analysis to estimate outcrossing/selfing rates in autotetraploid alfalfa. Marker selection is based on polymorphism between a seed parent and its bulk open-pollination progeny. Polymorphic markers identify the seed parent as nulliplex (aaaa) for those particular loci, which allows the individual open-pollinated progeny from that seed parent to be classified as F 1 or S 1 progeny based on the presence/absence of these markers. Two alfalfa genotypes served as seed parents in crossing studies which differed in pollination control and number of pollen parents. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) nulliplex analysis was conducted on these two seed parents and their progeny. Controlled crossing and selfing provided independent control over S 1 s and F 1 s. Five polymorphic markers were identified for both seed parents and these markers were sufficient to identify S 1 and F 1 progeny. The percentage S 1 seed was 7, 27, and 100% for crossing with emasculation, crossing without emasculation and self-pollination, respectively. In conclusion, RAPD nulliplex loci analysis can provide accurate identification of F 1 and S 1 progeny and an estimation of outcrossing rates in autotetraploid alfalfa.
An approach to the assessment of change in the numbers of Canada Geese Branta canadensis and Greylag Geese Anser anser in southern Britain

Capsule Population change in geese was assessed using an approach that requires a relatively small sampling effort. Aims During the 1999 breeding season a survey was carried out to determine if the numbers of introduced Canada and re-established Greylag Geese in southern Britain had changed since 1988–91 and whether any change had occurred in areas with previously high or low Canada Goose densities. Methods A randomized stratified sample of 246 tetrads from the 24 156 tetrads covered between 1988–91 in this area, as part of the New Atlas of Breeding Birds, were resurveyed. Eight habitat categories were used in the stratification and were based on 1-km-square summary data obtained from the CEH Land Cover Map of Great Britain (water cover and urbanization) and LANDCLASS stratification (upland/lowland). The five habitat categories with the highest densities of Canada Geese and the greatest variance in numbers were sampled. Results Between 1989 and 1999, the number of Canada Geese on land with over 5% water cover and on lowland with some water cover increased by on average 156%, an average rate of increase of 9.9% per annum. Southern Britain probably now holds a minimum of 82 000 Canada Geese. Between 1989 and 1999, the number of Greylag Geese on land with over 5% water cover and on lowland with some water cover increased by on average 214%, an average rate of increase of 12% per annum. Southern Britain probably now holds a minimum of 30 000 Greylag Geese. Conclusion Maximum densities of Canada Geese may have been reached in high-density habitats but their numbers are still increasing very rapidly. Greylag Geese are increasing even more rapidly.