Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Viability and management of the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in the Endau Rompin landscape, Peninsular Malaysia

The need for conservation scientists to produce research of greater relevance to practitioners is now increasingly recognized. This study provides an example of scientists working alongside practitioners and policy makers to address a question of immediate relevance to elephant conservation in Malaysia and using the results to inform wildlife management policy and practice including the National Elephant Conservation Action Plan for Peninsular Malaysia. Since ensuring effective conservation of elephants in the Endau Rompin Landscape (ERL) in Peninsular Malaysia is difficult without data on population parameters we (1) conducted a survey to assess the size of the elephant population, (2) used that information to assess the viability of the population under different management scenarios including translocation of elephants out of the ERL (a technique long used in Malaysia to mitigate human–elephant conflict (HEC)), and (3) assessed a number of options for managing the elephant population and HEC in the future. Our dung-count based survey in the ERL produced an estimate of 135 (95% CI [80–225]) elephants in the 2,500 km2 area. The population is thus of national significance, containing possibly the second largest elephant population in Peninsular Malaysia, and with effective management elephant numbers could probably double. We used the data from our survey plus other sources to conduct a population viability analysis to assess relative extinction risk under different management scenarios. Our results demonstrate that the population cannot sustain even very low levels of removal for translocation or anything other than occasional poaching. We describe, therefore, an alternative approach, informed by this analysis, which focuses on in situ management and non-translocation-based methods for preventing or mitigating HEC. The recommended approach includes an increase in law enforcement to protect the elephants and their habitat, maintenance of habitat connectivity between the ERL and other elephant habitat, and a new focus on adaptive management.
A Simplistic Mechanism for Query Cost Optimization

The cost of a database query can be optimized so that a more efficient query can be generated. However not many tools are available which work independently to optimize the cost of a query. This article is based on a tool that we developed to serve the purpose. It uses an Oracle Database and Linear Programming Problem concepts to evaluate the optimum cost of the query and compares it with the original cost of the query that the user gives. The optimum cost can also be used to devise a new query which serves the same purpose as the original one and with reduced cost.
Document-Level Automatic Machine Translation Evaluation Based on Weighted Lexical Cohesion

Based on LC method, weighted LC(WLC) method is proposed, which assigns weights for words by PageRank algorithm running on word graph of documents. Furthermore, a new method named PWLC is also proposed, which biases PageRank algorithm to words with specific POS tags. The experiment results show that WLC and PWLC have higher Spearman correlation than LC at document-level evaluation. Combined with others metrics, such as BLEU and TER, the proposed metrics both show better performance of evaluation at document level.
Color gamut mapping in digital photofinishing

In order to get satisfactory image reproduction, color gamut mapping among different image output devices is the key element Since image is output to the LCD in digital photofinising, the color gamut mapping between CRT and LCD is needed In this article the algorithm is discussed, through which color gamut mapping is accomplished, and thereby solve the gamut mismatch problem which will affect the color reproduction
AN AUTHENTICATION SCHEME FOR INSTANT MESSAGING SYSTEM

This paper presents an instant messaging system designed as LAN supported application with a suggested method to authenticate users. Our system provides simple, fast and secure authentication method. The suggested authenticated method combines two mechanisms: fixed password and digital signature to overcome the problems faced the use of these methods when used alone. The designed instant messaging system has some traditional features like those given by any instant messaging system. It uses TCP/IP protocol to communicate between hosts. All connections between server and clients are based on client/server networking model, while connections between clients is based on peer-to-peer networking model. The proposed system has been evaluated according to two aspects: user’s login security and overall system performance, the evaluation shows quite encouraging results.
A Secure Authentication Access Control Scheme Based on Digital Signature

Based on Harn抯 digital signature scheme and zero-knowledge proof, an authentication access control scheme for information protection system is presented in this paper. The scheme is safer than previously proposed one. In the scheme, two-way authentication may be done between a user and the system without exposing their secret information, and their sharing secret is used for authenticating the requesting user not to illegitimatimately access the protected file. The scheme can perform the access operation in dynamic environments, such as change access privileges and insert /delete users or files without implicating any user抯 secret key.
Overtopped wave loads on walls (WALOWA) - numerical and physical modelling of large-scale experiments in the delta flume

(1) Ghent University, Belgium, E-mail: Maximilian.Streicher@UGent.be (2) Flanders Hydraulics Research, Belgium, E-mail: tomohiro.suzuki@mow.vlaanderen. be (3) Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Spain, E-mail: corrado.altomare@upc.edu (4) Politecnico di Bari, Italy, E-mail: alessandra.saponieri@poliba.it (5) Università degli Studi dell’Aquila, Italy, E-mail: da-vide.pasquali@univaq.it (6) Università della Calabria, Italy, E-mail: giuseppe.tripepi@unical.it (7) Università degli Studi di Firenze, Italy, E-mail: lorenzo.cappietti@unifi.it (8) Deltares, The Netherlands, E-mail: Mark.KleinBreteler@deltares.nl
Design & Implementation of LLC Resonant Converter

Recent advances in modern power semiconductor device technology have led to high utilization of PWM power converters in a wide number of applications such as high Voltage DC power supply, HVDC power transmission, induction heating, electronic lamp ballast etc. In PWM converter the power switches are switched at high frequency to reduce size of transformer and overall size, weight and cost. An attractive alternative for it is to replace the power switch by a “Resonant Switch” in which switching is done at zero voltage/zero current and this can be achieved by forcing voltage and current to pass through zero crossing by creating LC resonant circuit called resonant pulse converter. So switching losses are decreased and efficiency is improved which are mainly depending on the choice of switching frequency for the converter. The aim is to design a Resonant Converter capable of operating at high frequencies to achieve high power density and better performance for medium/high power DC power supply. To make the DC power supply smaller, a high frequency switching resonant converter should be adopted. As at lower switching frequencies and without use of resonant converter the switching losses (turn on and turn off losses) are significant part of power losses, which reduce the efficiency and increase the size of the converter.The proposed Resonant Converter is developed for high frequency and input DC is stepped down by resonant action. The switching losses are minimized and efficiency is improved as compared to conventional methods. It employs a control scheme to regulate its output voltage. The control scheme has been chosen by comparing different control methods. Finally the simulation of whole system has been done by PSIM software.
Connecting the World from the Sky

Connecting the world is one of the fundamental challenges of our time. When people have access to the internet, they can not only connect with their friends, family and communities, but they can also gain access to the tools and information to help find jobs, start businesses, access healthcare, education and financial services, and have a greater say in their societies. They get to participate in the knowledge economy.
Wavefront Sensing By Phase Retrieval

Phase retrieval implies extraction of a wavefront θ(f) at one spatial plane based on the intensity p(x) in a conjugate plane. For example, θ(f) might be the phase distortion at the entrance pupil of an imaging system when a distant point source is imaged through a turbulent atmosphere; p(x) is the real, non-negative point spread function measured in the image plane. In this paper we describe the mathematics of the technique and show computer simulations.
Implementing street addressing system in an evolving urban center. A case study of the Kumasi metropolitan area in Ghana

The need for a functional addressing system is increasingly becoming critical for the management of the rapid growing cities in developing countries, especially those in SubSaharan Africa, where most cities lack a comprehensive and standardized addressing system. This can be attributed in part to rapid urbanization and increased globalization which has resulted in greater integration of people, cities, companies and regions. Moreover, the advancement in geo-spatial technologies and location-based applications also underscore the need for a standardized addressing system. The lack of efficient and standardized addressing system in such cities hinders urban planning as it impedes the delivery of urban services as well as revenue generation by local government authorities. Against this backdrop, this study explores how to develop and implement an effective street addressing system in an evolving urban center of Kumasi Metropolitan Area in Ghana. Specifically, through interviews of officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly and Metropolitan Town and Country Planning Department as well as service providers, the study examined current approaches used in the implementation of the city’s street addressing system. In addition, we conducted a survey of user experiences in the metro area to assess the usefulness of the addressing system for residents in navigating the city. Finally, we developed a prototype GIS-based street address system that goes beyond the existing system of only street names and property numbers and includes a database of land uses, property owners and utilities such as hydrants that can be used for effective management of the urban area, including the management of public service delivery, revenue generation etc. Based on the analysis, we recommend that implementing a standardized addressing system for an evolving urban center should involve the integration of
Multimodal Neural Machine Translation System

With the development of society and globalization, communication among people coming from different cultural background is more and more common where the language becomes the major obstacle that hamper the exchange of information. People need an automatic translator that can help them with communication. As the development internet where multimedia text is becoming the mainstream, a multimodal translator is more desired than before. Deep learning has been proven to be successful in solving hard problems in Computer Vision and Speech Recognition. Inspired by these progress, I try to use deep learning techniques to complete the task of multimodal translation. In the task, an image caption in the target language (German) needs to be generated based on the raw image and one or more image description in the source language (English). In this report, I proposed a set of methods to complete the task by integrating a Neural Machine Translator, a Neural Image Caption Generator and an Evaluation Module. The integration of these methods not only completed the task, but also made improvements. The Neural Machine Translator will translate captions directly with an Encoder –Decoder architecture with soft attention mechanism, where a bidirectional Recurrent Neural Network will encode the source sentence and an attention based Recurrent Neural Network will decode it into the target sentence. The Neural Image Caption Generator will generate the caption based on the based on the image with a Long Short-Term Memory based sentence generator which takes the features extracted from a Convolutional Neural Network. The Support Vector Machine-based Evaluation module will choose the best sentence from the sentences generated by two subsystems. The evaluation module will assess the quality of sentences considering correctness and fluency at the same time.
How natural remanent magnetization of basaltic units can dominate the reduced to pole magnetic value: A case study from the Faroe Islands

Early attempts to utilize magnetic data to understand the volcanic and subvolcanic succession on the Faroese Continental Shelf have shown that conventional interpretation and modelling of magnetic data from this area leads to ambiguous results. Interpretation of the aeromagnetic data on the Faroese Continental Shelf shows that some previously identified basement highs coincide with reduced‐to‐pole magnetic highs, whereas others coincide with negative or mixed magnetic features. Similarly, igneous centres are characterized by different polarity magnetic anomalies. Palaeomagnetic analysis of the onshore volcanic succession has demonstrated that the thermoremanent magnetization of the basaltic lavas is stronger than the induced magnetism, and both reversely and normally magnetized units are present. We have tested this with 2½D profile modelling using the palaeomagnetic information to correlate high‐amplitude magnetic anomalies with basalt successions containing changes in magnetic polarity. This approach has enabled us to map the termination of the differently magnetized units offshore and thereby extend the mapping of the Faroe Island Basalt Group on the Faroese Platform and into adjacent areas.
Big data in railway operations: using artificial neural networks to predict train delay propagation

Advances in big data, data collection and machine learning have made it possible to apply new machine learning concepts to a wide array of problems. The aim of this thesis is to explore the possibility of predicting secondary delays in a railway network using a recurrent neural network. This can eventually be used to perform risk analysis and alternative evaluation combined with stochastic delay modelling. Empirical data from Irish Rail is used to test this method and verify the results. First a RailML data model is constructed containing infrastructure, timetable and rolling stock information based on multiple data sources from Irish Rail. Significant features are identified and extracted from this data model for around 60.000 different delay combinations. Then a sequential approach is used incorporating a recurrent neural network to predict the total knock-on delay. This sequential approach allows for input data in variable lengths, avoiding information loss due to generalization of features. The model is trained with mini-batch gradient descent using the RMSprop algorithm on a large portion of the 60.000 training examples, and validated using the remainder of the example delay combinations. A coefficient of determination of R2 = 0; 7029 is achieved, which is comparable to similar machine learning methods presented in literature. The resulting accuracy is in the same order of magnitude as similar research using support vector machines. While results are less accurate then the results that can be achieved with micro-simulation tools, a series of improvements of the proposed method are presented which might be able to elevate the results of this method to a higher level.
New Particle Formation in the Atmosphere: From Molecular Clusters to Global Climate

New particle formation (NPF) represents the first step in the complex processes leading to formation of cloud condensation nuclei. Newly formed nanoparticles affect human health, air quality, weather, and climate. This review provides a brief history, synthesizes recent significant progresses, and outlines the challenges and future directions for research relevant to NPF. New developments include the emergence of state‐of‐the‐art instruments that measure prenucleation clusters and newly nucleated nanoparticles down to about 1 nm; systematic laboratory studies of multicomponent nucleation systems, including collaborative experiments conducted in the Cosmics Leaving Outdoor Droplets chamber at CERN; observations of NPF in different types of forests, extremely polluted urban locations, coastal sites, polar regions, and high‐elevation sites; and improved nucleation theories and parameterizations to account for NPF in atmospheric models. The challenges include the lack of understanding of the fundamental chemical mechanisms responsible for aerosol nucleation and growth under diverse environments, the effects of SO2 and NOx on NPF, and the contribution of anthropogenic organic compounds to NPF. It is also critical to develop instruments that can detect chemical composition of particles from 3 to 20 nm and improve parameterizations to represent NPF over a wide range of atmospheric conditions of chemical precursor, temperature, and humidity.
An automatic method for precise 3D registration of high resolution satellite images and Airborne LiDAR Data

ABSTRACT Precise 3D registration of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and High-Resolution Satellite Image (HRSI) is the prerequisite in the many remote sensing applications. An automatic registration process involves two main steps including the detection of corresponding entities and the estimation of a relating mathematical model. Typical matching techniques, which are generally developed to match consistent data sources, are prone to fail in case of matching between heterogeneous data sources (e.g. LiDAR and optical images). This paper proposes a three-step method to give in hand an accurate and automatic 3D registration technique between LiDAR data and the HRSI. The first step introduces a new product called Optical Consistent LiDAR Product (OCLP) which is meant to be consistent with HRSI from the radiometric point of view. The OCLP is generated using raster maps of the LiDAR heights and intensities along with information of the sun position at the acquisition time of HRSI. This new product proved to be very promising as a matching entity with HRSI. In the second step, a 3D model is estimated robustly through the matched points identified by the well-known Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) technique between the OCLP and the HRSI. The last step of the proposed method aims to strengthen this 3D model which is accomplished via iterative closest edge points matching technique. To do so, the coarse 3D model is iteratively improved based on the matching results obtained on the image edges. The proposed method was implemented on 20 different datasets containing various urban textures. The results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed method since in some cases it could achieve to sub-pixel accuracies which are the utmost expectation for a registration technique.
Can Churches Change a Neighborhood? A Census Tract, Multilevel Analysis of Churches and Neighborhood Change

This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact pdxscholar@pdx.edu. Recommended Citation Kresta, David E. , "Can Churches Change a Neighborhood? A Census Tract, Multilevel Analysis of Churches and Neighborhood Change" (2019). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4986.
Modeling Ocean Eddies on Antarctica's Cold Water Continental Shelves and Their Effects on Ice Shelf Basal Melting

Changes in the rate of ocean-driven basal melting of Antarctica's ice shelves can alter the rate at which the grounded ice sheet loses mass and contributes to sea level change. Melt rates depend on the inflow of ocean heat, which occurs through steady circulation and eddy fluxes. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of eddy fluxes for ice shelves affected by relatively warm intrusions of Circumpolar Deep Water. However, ice shelves on cold water continental shelves primarily melt from dense shelf water near the grounding line and from light surface water at the ice shelf front. Eddy effects on basal melt of these ice shelves have not been studied. We investigate where and when a regional ocean model of the Ross Sea resolves eddies and determine the effect of eddy processes on basal melt. The size of the eddies formed depends on water column stratification and latitude. We use simulations at horizontal grid resolutions of 5 and 1.5 km and, in the 1.5-km model, vary the degree of topography smoothing. The higher-resolution models generate about 2–2.5 times as many eddies as the low-resolution model. In all simulations, eddies cross the ice shelf front in both directions. However, there is no significant change in basal melt between lowand high-resolution simulations. We conclude that higher-resolution models (<1 km) are required to better represent eddies in the Ross Sea but hypothesize that basal melt of the Ross Ice Shelf is relatively insensitive to our ability to fully resolve the eddy field.
DIVERSITY OF INSECT FAUNA IN SUGARCANE FIELD AT MANAGASERI VILLAGE, VIRUDHUNAGAR DISTRICT

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) is an important cash crop of the world, occupying 13.5 million hectare of area in India. Sugarcane is highly important cash crop and sugar production in the country mostly depends on this crop. Insects comprise more than half of earth’s diversity of spices. Insects are found in different types of environment and they occupy little more than two thirds of the known species of insect and pests. As many species are strictly seasons and prefer only particularly set of habitats they are good indicates of habitat quality. Hence, the present study has been carried out the diversity of insects in sugarcane field at Managaseri village, Virudhunagar District during July 2015 to September 2015. During the study period Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and Hymenoptera insects were identified and the results are discussed.