Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Identifying predators and fates of grassland passerine nests using miniature video cameras

Nest fates, canses of nest failure, and idenfities of nest predators are difficult to determine for crassland passerines. We developed a miniature video-cainera system for use in grasslands and deployed it at (a) needs of 10 passerine species in North Dakota during 1996-97. Abandonment rates were higher at nests 1 day after camera deplov ment (23%) than 1 day or night (22-116 hr) at 6 nests 5 of which were depredaled by ground squirrels or tuice. For nests without cameras, estimated predation rates were lower for fround nests than aboveground nests (P = 0.055), but did not differ between open and covered nests P -74. Open and covered nests differed, however, when prodation risk (estimated by initial-predation rate was examined separately for day and night using camera-monitored nests; the frequency of initial predations that recurred during the day was higher for open uests than covered nests (P = 0.015). Thus, vulnerability of some test types may depend on the relative importance of nocturnal and dinrual predators. Predation risk increased with testhing age from 0 to S days (P = 0.07). Up to 15% of fates assigued to camera-monitored nests were strong when based solely on evidence that would have been available from periodic nest visits. There was ne evidence of disturbance at nearly half the depredated nests, including all 5 depredated by large mannuals. Oterlap to types of sign left by different predator species, and variability of sign within species, suggests that evidence at nests is unreliable for identifying predators of grassland passerines.
Brain Tumor Detection by using Fcm Algorithm

capable of changing a picture into digital type and it perform operations on image. In image process, input is a picture (may be a video frame or a photograph in any format) and therefore the output is also a picture or the characteristics of the input image. Image process system sometimes considers a picture as a 2 dimensional signal, whereas process. It’s one in all the rising technologies, with its branches of application widespread into many domains of business. Image process may be a core analysis in space engineering and it additionally acts as a thrust space in alternative disciplines of applied science. Researchers would like to do perform research in image processing; because it offers real time applications and therefore the results derived from image processing techniques are created. In this paper we have discussed about the greedy snake segmentation, snake contour detection and fcm optimization techniques for segmenting the tumor image, the accuracy level is increased up to 90% compared with the existing algorithm.
Data Integrity and Delay Differentiated Services in Wireless Sensor Networks Using Dynamic Routing

: With the enormous advancement in the field of embedded computer and sensor technology, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) have made remarkable impact in today’s world. These WSNs consist of several thousands of sensor nodes deployed randomly, are capable of sensing, actuating, and communicating the collected information. Since wireless sensor networks are constrained by cost, scalability, topology change and power consumption, new technologies are being considered to overcome these and many other issues. Applications running on the same Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) platform usually have different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. Two basic requirements are low delay and high data integrity. However, in most situations, these two requirements cannot be satisfied simultaneously. In this paper, based on the concept of potential in physics, we propose IDDR, a multi-path dynamic routing algorithm, to resolve this conflict. By constructing a virtual hybrid potential field, IDDR separates packets of applications with different QoS requirements according to the weight assigned to each packet, and routes them towards the sink through different paths to improve the data fidelity for integrity-sensitive applications as well as reduce the end-to-end delay for delay-sensitive ones. Using the Lyapunov drift technique, we prove that IDDR is stable. Simulation results demonstrate that IDDR provides data integrity and delay differentiated services.
OPTIC DISK LOCATING OF THE RETINAL FUNDUS IMAGES USING SIMPLE STATISTIC PARAMETERS

In this paper, we propose a texture-based method for automatically locating the optic disk on the retinal fundus images. Totally 46 fundus images were used for the experiment, in which 23 images were randomly chosen and used for training and the others for testing the performance of the proposed method. In the training step, 3 blocks containing the 1% brightest pixels were collected from each image, which accounted for 69 blocks, and used as the training set. The weighted function was defined by linearly combining three regression lines obtained by fitting three pairs of statistic parametric relations, which were then used to precisely detect the optic disk regions from the retinal fundus images. The proposed method shows that it can effectively eliminate incorrect optic disk detection caused by extending bright areas around the optic disk and significantly improves the performance compared to previous studies.
Fast repetition rate and pulse amplitude modulation chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements for assessment of photosynthetic electron transport in marine phytoplankton

Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) and fast repetition rate (FRR) fluorescence are currently used to estimate photosynthetic quantum yields and photosynthetic rates in aquatic systems. Here we compare simultaneous measurements of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II obtained from the two techniques and independent estimates of the rate of light absorption by photosystem II. We measured the light-dependencies of the photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (Fq′/Fm′) in five phytoplankters using FRR and Xe-PAM approaches. The FRR and PAM estimates were related in a non-linear fashion. At low irradiances, Fq′/Fm′ measured using PAM fluorescence exceeded Fq′/Fm′ measured using FRR fluorescence by about 20%. At high irradiances, measurements of Fq′/Fm′ from the two approaches converged. The differences in Fq′/Fm′ reflect the distinct techniques by which FRR and PAM protocols excite PSII and are amplified when estimating electron transfer rates as a result of the irradiance term. We also found that measurements of the effective light absorption cross-section for photosystem II obtained by FRR fluorescence compared well with estimates obtained from measured light absorption and photosynthetic unit size. Finally, we compared the photon efficiency of gross oxygen evolution from measurements of gross oxygen evolution and light absorption (ΦPO2 18) with FRR measurements of Fq′/Fm′. We found that measurements of Fq′/Fm′ were highly linearly correlated, but were lower by a factor of ∼1.5, than ΦPO2 18.
Using Crowdsourced Volunteered Geographic Information for Analyzing Bicycle Road Networks

Under the umbrella of Green and Smart Cities, much is done nowadays to provide cyclists with safe and sustainable road infrastructure. Since cyclists frequently share the same space with pedestrians and motorized vehicles, and since traffic loads continue to increase, understating the current state of the network is required on regular basis to allow future planning and modeling. Not all relevant information can be gathered with the exiting authoritative infrastructures or through surveys. A closer investigation of the road infrastructure and road use at larger scale is required to study the usage, the interactions between traffic participants and to help cyclists navigate safely in the urban environment. The use of Volunteered Geographic Information has proven its potential in road network analysis, mainly in respect to cars, thus motivation exists to show its capacity for the task of bicycle road network planning and modeling. This paper aims at exploiting available VGI data sources in the form of crowdsourced base maps (OpenStreetMap) and GPS trajectories collected by cyclists (GPSies). Spatio-temporal analysis of different bicycle travel factors was implemented for the cities of Amsterdam and Osnabrück using VGI only. This paper will present this analysis, focusing on the data mining potential and possibilities of using such data sources for extracting interesting information that otherwise could not have been accomplished.
The Effect of Land-Use on the Species Composition and Rangeland Condition in the Molopo District of the North West Province, South Africa

In this paper the effect of commercial and communal land-uses on the species composition and rangeland condition, expressed in grazing value, in the Molopo district of the North West Province, South Africa was investigated. Herbaceous species composition data was gathered in benchmarks sites as well as grazed sites outside the benchmarks in both land-use systems. Rangeland condition scores, based on the grazing value of the herbaceous species, were calculated. Results showed that land-use had a definite influence on the herbaceous species composition as well as the rangeland condition. However, it was also shown that broad management extrapolations between the land-use systems would be unscientific as new vegetation states, with unique compositions and dynamics, developed in the communal land-use system.
THESIS ELUCIDATING MOTHER TO OFFSPRING TRANSMISSION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE USING A TRANSGENIC MOUSE MODEL Submitted by Kassandra Willingham

ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . iv DEDICATION . vi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION . 1 CHAPTER TWO: MATERNAL TRANSMISSION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE IN A MOUSE MODEL RESULTS IN ASYMPTOMATIC CARRIERS . 20 CHAPTER THREE: PLACENTAL STRUCTURE PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE EFFICACY AND OUTCOME OF MATERNAL TRANSMISSION OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE . 42 CHAPTER FOUR: MILK COLLECTION METHODS FOR MICE AND REEVES MUNTJAC DEER . 72 CONCLUSION . 86 FUTURE DIRECTIONS . 88
RECOVERY OF WASTE ENGINE OIL BY SOLVENT EXTRACTION METHOD: EFFECTS OF WASTE ENGINE OIL TO SOLVENTS AND MIXED SOLVENTS RATIOS

This work focuses on recovery of waste engine oil (WEO) by solvent extraction method. Six various type of solvents (alcohol group: methanol, ethanol, n-butanol; hydrocarbon group: hexane and toluene; ketone group: acetone) were selected to study effects of extraction for both of single and mixed solvent systems. Ratios of WEO to solvent and mixed solvent were used to be 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 for every extractions. To perform mixed solvent systems, butanol was added with each selected solvent at various ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4) prior to extraction process. For the single solvent extraction, methanol shows the largest extraction yield at 99.8% (1:1 of WEO to solvent ratio). Results show that solvent with high hydrogen bonding tends to separate sludge form base oil better than those having hydrocarbon and acetone group. For mixed solvent system, extraction of WEO using butanol:toluene (1:3 of WEO to mixed solvent ratio) demonstrates the best efficient extraction at 97.5% yield. Some physical properties of extracted oil were also evaluated in accordance to ASTM standards. Extraction oil characteristics were investigated by their physical properties and were reported as follow: 0.855-0.910 g/cm for density, 15-83 centistoke for viscosity, -11 to –25 °C for pour point and 50-70 °C for flash point. Results indicated that all of the extracted oil samples have their physical properties close to diesel fuel.
Effect of solvents on phenolic compounds extraction and antioxidant activity of Prunus spinosa L. fruits

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa L.) is a deciduous scrub or small tree, widespread in Europe, western Asia and Northwest Africa. Fruits are known for their astringent properties. It is also used in treatment of different health conditions such as cough, diarrhea, constipation, and inflammation. Fruit possess antiseptic properties and have relaxing effects on stomach inflammation (Lust, 1980; List and Horhammer, 1971; Tardio, Pardo de Santayana, Morales, 2006). In addition to its medicinal use, fruits are also used in the food industry for the production of jams, wine, tea or juices (Veličković, Stojanović, Kostić et al., 2014). In recent years wild fruits were intensively investigated due to their antioxidant properties and increasing demand for finding new natural antioxidants for food industry and pharmaceutical production (Carocho and Ferreira, 2013; Egea, Sancez-Bel, Romojaro, et al., 2010). Blackthorn has been recognized by several research groups as a new source of antioxidants. It has been reported that fruits are rich source of phenols, including phenolic acids, anthocyanins and flavanols (Guimarães, Barros, Dueñas, et al., 2013; Barros, Carvalho, Morais, et al., 2010; Jabłońska-Ryś, Zalewska-Korona, Kalbarczyk, 2009) It was pointed out that these compounds play a significant role in the antioxidant capacity of the plant extracts (Ruiz-Rodriguez, de Ancos, Sancez-Moreno, et al., 2014; Ganhão, Estévez, Kylli et al., 2010; Egea et al., 2010). The aim of this study was quantitative determination of phenolic compounds in fruit extracts. Antioxidant activity of the extracts was tested by DPPH, ABTS and FRAP method using Trolox as a standard. Extracts obtained with different solvent systems (water, 50% methanol, 50% ethanol, 80% methanol, 80% ethanol) were investigated. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on Bulletin of the Chemists and Technologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Progressive Parameter Space Visualization for Task-Driven SAX Configuration

As time series datasets are growing in size, data reduction approaches like PAA and SAX are used to keep them storable and analyzable. Yet, ﬁnding the right trade-off between data reduction and remaining utility of the data is a challenging problem. So far, it is either done in a user-driven way and ofﬂoaded to the analyst, or it is determined in a purely data-driven, automated way. None of these approaches take the analytic task to be performed on the reduced data into account. Hence, we propose a task-driven parametrization of PAA and SAX through a parameter space visualization that shows the difference of progressively running a given analytic computation on the original and on the reduced data for a representative set of data samples. We illustrate our approach in the context of climate analysis on weather data and exoplanet detection on light curve data.
14-Hastang 2.indd

Hastang, Sirajuddin, S. N. , & Mandasini, R. (2019). Level business competitiveness of beef cattle fattening in smallholder farms. Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25(5), 944–948 This study aimed to determine the level of competitiveness of cattle fattening in the farms of the people. The study was conducted in the Bone regency, South Sulawesi province, Indonesia. We used questioners’ survey to 51 people who run fattening beef cattle businesses from September until December 2015. The data were analyzed using policy analysis matrix. The results showed that the business has a competitive advantage private cost ratio = 0.97, a comparative advantage domestic resource cost ratio = 0.96 and the private profi t in EUR rates = 11.15 and social profi t in EUR rates = 13.34. The conclusion of this research was the cattle fattening in Bone regency had low competitiveness.
Cortical Re-organization After Traumatic Brain Injury Elicited Using Functional Electrical Stimulation Therapy: A Case Report

Functional electrical stimulation therapy (FEST) can improve motor function after neurological injuries. However, little is known about cortical changes after FEST and weather it can improve motor function after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Our study examined cortical changes and motor improvements in one male participant with chronic TBI suffering from mild motor impairment affecting the right upper-limb during 3-months of FEST and during 3-months follow-up. In total, 36 sessions of FEST were applied to enable upper-limb grasping and reaching movements. Short-term assessments carried out using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) showed reduced cortical silent period (CSP), indicating cortical and/or subcortical inhibition after each intervention. At the same time, no changes in motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were observed. Long-term assessments showed increased MEP corticospinal excitability after 12-weeks of FEST, which seemed to remain during both follow-ups, while no changes in CSP were observed. Similarly, long-term assessments using TMS mapping showed larger hand MEP area in the primary motor cortex (M1) after 12-weeks of FEST as well as during both follow-ups. Corroborating TMS results, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data showed M1 activations increased during hand grip and finger pinch tasks after 12-weeks of FEST, while gradual reduction of activity compared to after the intervention was seen during follow-ups. Widespread changes were seen not only in the M1, but also sensory, parietal rostroventral, supplementary motor, and premotor areas in both contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres, especially during the finger pinch task. Drawing test performance showed improvements after the intervention and during follow-ups. Our findings suggest that task-specific and repetitive FEST can effectively increase cortical activations by integrating voluntary motor commands and sensorimotor network through functional electrical stimulation (FES). Overall, our results demonstrated cortical re-organization in an individual with chronic TBI after FEST.
A Statistical Model for Quantifying the Needed Duration of Social Distancing for the COVID-19 Pandemic

Understanding the effectiveness of strategies such as social distancing is a central question in attempts to control the COVID-19 pandemic. A key unknown in social distancing strategies is the duration of time for which such strategies are needed. Answering this question requires an accurate model of the transmission trajectory. A challenge in fitting such a model is the limited COVID-19 case data available from a given location. To overcome this challenge, we propose fitting a model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission jointly across multiple locations. We apply the model to COVID-19 case data from Spain, UK, Germany, France, Denmark, and New York to estimate the time needed for social distancing to end to be around October 2020. Our method is not specific to COVID-19, and it can also be applied to future pandemics.
Statistical methods for estimating cure fraction of COVID-19 patients in India

The human race is under the COVID-19 pandemic menace since beginning of the year 2020. Even though the disease is easily transmissible, a massive fraction of the affected people are recovering. Most of the recovered patients will not experience death due to COVID-19, even if they observed for a long period. They can be treated as long term survivors (cured population) in the context of lifetime data analysis. In this article, we present some statistical methods to estimate the cure fraction of the COVID-19 patients in India. Proportional hazards mixture cure model is used to estimate the cure fraction and the effect of covariates gender and age on lifetime. The data available on website https://api.cvoid19india. org is used in this study. We can see that, the cure fraction of the COVID-19 patients in India is more than 90%, which is indeed an optimistic information.
Banding C et biométrie appliqués à l'analyse du caryotype de carotte (Daucus carota L.)

L'application aux chromosomes de carotte d'une methode de banding par la baryte (banding dit «C») fait apparaitre une bande par chromosome et colore egalement le satellite. Ces bandes sont bien localisees, sensiblement isomorphes et sujettes a des variations, par extension ou par effacement, qui concernent preferentiellement certains types de chromosomes. Les 8 paires non porteuses d'un satellite (2n=18) se repartissent en 4 paires a bande subterminale et 4 paires a bande submediane, regulierement alternees. Les rapports de longueur des chromosomes dans chacune des categories exprimant une variation continue, une methode est proposee pour reduire l'indetermination au maximum dans le cas particulier de ce materiel
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND LIGHT FOR NATURAL ASSEMBLAGES OF COASTAL MARINE PHYTOPLANKTON 1

In a series of 188 experiments on the, light‐saturation curve for natural assemblages of phytoplankton at 3 stations in Nova Scotia coastal waters, it was found that both the initial slope (α) of the curve and the assimilation number (PmB) varied about 5‐fold throughout the year. No differences could be detected between stations, but both α and PmB decreased with depth. The mean value of α for all the experiments was 0.21 mg C[mg Chl a]−1· h−1· W−1· m2 with a range from 0.03 to 0.63. An explanation is offered for the nonconstancy of a in terms of the effect of cell‐size and shape on self‐shading. An estimate is made from first principles of the physiological maximum‐attainable value of α. This estimate corresponds, within the limits of experimental error, to the highest values of α observed in the study. It is deduced that on the average the phytoplankton were photosynthesizing at only 44% maximum capacity. The mean value of PmB for all experiments was 4.9 mg C[mg Chl a]−1· h−1, with a range from 0.73 to 24.8. In the matrix of partial correlation coefficients, α and PmB were positively correlated with each other; α was correlated with mean solar radiation averaged over the 3 days prior to the experiment, but uncorrelated with temperature; PmB was correlated strongly with temperature but uncorrelated with recent solar radiation. The results show that PmB could be estimated from α and temperature using an empirical multiple regression equation, independent of depth. It is suggested that α and PmB are both correlated with some other factor not measured in the study, perhaps the mean cell‐size of the populations, or the nutrient status of the cells. The predictability of primary production is discussed in the light of this evidence.
Analysis of plankton in the southern Great Barrier Reef: abundance and roles in throphodynamics

Wet biomass of principal plankton components and whole plankton standing stock were assessed in waters of the Heron Island ring reef and surrounding deep lagoon. Biomass of phytoplankton ranged between 30 to 120 mg m−3, without its pronounced depletion over the reef shallows. Picocyanobacteria and prochlorophyte algae contributed over 70% of this biomass. Biomass of bacterioplankton varied between 75 to 340 mg m−3, with its maximum over the reef flat. Biomass of planktonic protozoa's ciliates and zooflagellates ranged between 20 to 110 mg m−3. The daytime biomass of zooplankton varied between 490 to 1590 mg m−3 in the deep lagoon in the zone of intense tidal currents. Over the reef shallows, it was 10–20 mg m−3. At night, it rose there up to 800 to 4000 mg m−3 as the result of emerging demersal zooplankton from the benthic substrates. The time scale of nocturnal emerging by different taxa was also documented. Biomass of whole demersal zooplankton communities hiding by the daytime in bottom substrates at the reef flat was found to be over 100 g m−2. Problems of nutrition planktivore reef fauna related to the plankton production and abundance are discussed.