Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Optimal control of multiple quadrotors for transporting a cable suspended payload

In this thesis, the main aim is to improve the flight control performance for a cable suspended payload with single and two quadrotors based on optimised control techniques. The study utilised optimal controllers, such as the Linear Quadratic Regulator LQR, the Iterative based LQR (ILQR), the Model Predictive Control MPC and the dynamic game controller to solve tracking control problems in terms of stabilisation, accuracy, constraints and collision avoidance. The LQR control was applied to the system as the first control method and compared with the classical Proportional-Derivative controller PD. It was used to achieve the load path tracking performance for single and two quadrotors with a cable slung load. The second controller was ILQR, which was developed based on the LQR control method to deal with the model nonlinearity. The MPC technique was also applied to the linearised nonlinear model LMPC of two quadrotors with a payload suspended by cables and compared with a nonlinear MPC (NMPC). Both MPC controllers LMPC and NMPC considered the constraints imposed on the system states and control inputs. The dynamic game control method was developed based on an incentive strategy for a leader-follower framework with the consideration of different optimal cost functions. It was applied to the linearised nonlinear model. Selecting these control techniques led to a number of achievements. Firstly, they improved the system performance in terms of achieving the system stability and reducing the steady-state errors. Secondly, the system parameter uncertainties were taken into consideration by utilising the ILQR controller. Thirdly, the MPC controllers guaranteed the handling of constraints and external disturbances in linear and nonlinear systems. Finally, avoiding collision between the leader and follower robots was achieved by applying the dynamic game controller. The controllers were tested in MATLAB simulation and verified for various desired predefined trajectories. In real experiments, these controllers were used as high-level controllers, which produce the optimised trajectory points. Then a low-level controller (PD controller) was used to follow the optimised trajectory points.
Literature Study on Peer To Peer Botnets

Botnets are collection of devices that have been infected with bot programs which allow an attacker to control them. Botnets changing their protocol structures to improve the conﬁdentiality of their communication and to increase the diﬃculty level of detection. In This paper we present a Literature survey of P2P botnets. Further we investigated various P2P botnet detection approaches. Finally we discuss key research challenges useful for the research initiative.
Reflections on the Three Schools of Thought on Strategic Spatial Planning

Based on their approaches to stakeholder involvement, policy integration, and project promotion, this article identifies three schools of thought on strategic spatial planning: the performance school, the school of innovative action, and the school of transformative strategy formulation. In addition to providing a guide for a more informed design and analysis of spatial strategy practices, some conceptual flaws and empirical gaps are suggested for future studies to focus on.
Assessing the Non-Random Sampling Effects of Subject Attrition in Longitudinal Research

The potential effects of attrition in longitudinal research are addressed and a procedure for assessing its effects is recommended. We recommend that researchers assess the effects of subject attrition on their data by assessing: (1) the presence of non-random sampling using multiple logistic regression, (2) mean differences on the study’s variables between those who responded and did not respond to the subsequent data collection, (3) the restriction or enhancement of variances, and (4) changes in relationships among variables due to attrition. We demonstrate the procedure using data collected from a random sample of employed adults in the US regarding job satisfaction, job characteristics, demographics, and mood. In our data, subject attrition led to non-random sampling, affected the means and variances of some of the variables, but did not affect the relationships among the variables. The effects of subject attrition may be sample specific, but the procedure recommended for assessing its effects may be used in other data sets and substantive areas.
Colombian Vanilla and its microbiota, I

Vanilla is a genus of tropical orchids with some fragrant species few of which have growing economic importance as the source of the original vanilla flavour: Vanilla planifolia. This crop is reproduced asexually and its genetic variability is quite low, which means that it is highly vulnerable to pathogens. Among them, Fusarium is important around the world. Here I report for the first time the presence of various Fusarium taxa (F. oxysporum f. sp. loti, F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, F. solani, and Fusarium sp.), as foliar endosymbionts in Colombian Vanilla. Species sampled were: Vanilla planifolia, V. odorata, and a wild species not yet identified. Additionally, Colletotrichum boninense, an anthracnose-producing fungus, was also found as an endophyte in Vanilla leaves. The Colombian government is promoting alternative crops to coffee, and Vanilla is a promising candidate. It is important to study the diversity and interactions between Vanilla and Fusarium, in order to both understand the pathogenesis and contribute to control of a potential threat to Vanilla cultivations. La vainilla es una orquidea aromatica nativa de America que pertenece al genero Va nilla y se constituye en la unica especie de las orquideas con un producto comestible (V. planifolia). Este cultivo se reproduce asexualmente y posee una angosta base genetica, razon por la cual es vulnerable a los patogenos. Entre estos se destacan los virus y varias especies del genero Fusarium. En este manuscrito se reporta por primera vez la presencia de Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. loti, F. oxysporum f. sp. melonis, F. solani y una cepa de Fusarium no identificada, como endofitos foliares en Vanilla planifolia, V. odorata y una vainilla silvestre no identificada. Adicionalmente, una cepa de Colletotrichum boninense, un hongo productor de antracnosis, fue aislada tambien. El gobierno de Colombia esta promoviendo los cultivos diferentes al cafe y la vainilla se presenta como una interesante alternativa, razon por la cual es importante conocer los posibles patogenos que tendra que enfrentar esta planta cuando su cultivo sea mas extensivo.
NEW COMBINATIONS IN THE FRESHWATER FRAGILARIACEAE AND ACHNANTHIDIACEAE

I am writing a book chapter on the taxonomy and ecology of araphid and monoraphid freshwater diatoms in North America. Some species names in recently described genera belonging to these groups are invalidly published (Fourtanier & Kociolek 1999). Other necessary transfers have not been made. This note is not an exhaustive revision of taxonomy, but rather an effort to ensure that consistent nomenclature is employed in the book chapter. Thanks to Elisabeth Fourtanier, Paul Hamilton, and Mark Edlund for their constructive comments.
Estimating The Probability of Informed Trading: A Bayesian Approach

Abstract The Probability of Informed Trading (PIN) is a widely used indicator of information asymmetry risk in the trading of securities. Its estimation using maximum likelihood algorithms has been shown to be problematic, resulting in biased or unavailable estimates, especially in the case of liquid and frequently traded assets. We provide an alternative approach to estimating PIN by means of a Bayesian method that addresses some of the shortcomings in the existing estimation strategies. The method leads to a natural quantification of the uncertainty of PIN estimates, which may prove helpful in their use and interpretation. We also provide an easy to use toolbox for estimating PIN.
Influence of temperature on growth, toxicity and carbohydrate production of a Japanese Ostreopsis ovata strain, a toxic-bloom-forming dinoflagellate

Ostreopsis ovata is a benthic dinoflagellate that produces palytoxin and its analogues. Since the end of the 1990s, toxic blooms of O. ovata have been recorded in many tropical and temperate marine waters. These blooms often kill benthic invertebrates and cause health problems for humans. We hypothesize that increases in seawater temperature might induce these blooms. A strain of O. ovata isolated from the southern coast of Japan was selected for study. O. ovata cells were exposed to 7 different temperatures from 24 to 30 degrees C for 30 d, and growth rates were noted. The specific growth rate was found to be highest at 25 degrees C, next highest at 24 degrees C and lower at 26, 28, 27, 30 and 29 degrees C, in that order. The hypothesis that increased seawater temperature causes increases in growth rate was thus not supported. The cell toxicity and car bohydrate production of O. ovata were highest at the temperature range that is optimal for cell growth. Increasesing sea surface temperature, as a result of global warming, is therefore not likely to have a substantial effect on the bloom formation and toxicity of this Japanese strain of O. ovata. (Less)
Dust-drought interactions over the last 15,000 years: A network of lake sediment records from the San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Millions of people in the arid Southwest United States rely on snow-fed Colorado River water. Dust deposition on snow accelerates snowmelt, posing a challenge for water managers who also need to grapple with increased likelihood of drought due to climate change. Dust production is thought to increase during drought, but the impact of drought on dust deposition is unclear. To answer this question, total dust mass accumulation rate (DMAR) reconstructions were developed from sediment cores from three lakes in the San Juan Mountains, Colorado, spanning the last ~15,000 years. Monte-Carlo end-member analysis of particle size and elemental composition, which incorporates measurement and model uncertainties, was combined with age uncertainty to estimate DMAR for each lake. We also synthesize the records providing the first Holocene DMAR reconstruction for the region. The records show little relation between periods of frequent and severe drought (e.g. during medieval megadroughts) and periods of higher DMAR, although there is considerable uncertainty at short timescales. We find instead that sediment availability, modulated by natural or human-mediated geomorphic processes that generate sediment, and transport mechanisms are the key drivers. DMAR was highest during the Late Glacial-Interglacial Transition (LGIT, 15–11 kyr BP) and in the last 250 years, periods when sediment availability was enhanced. DMAR increased by 60% (16–85% 75% highest density region range) compared with the late-Holocene baseline starting in the 1770s and peaking in the 1840s, associated with the intensification of human activities. Human-induced dustiness also represents the highest interval of dust deposition in the last 11,000 years. Our results demonstrate that although the Colorado Plateau is naturally prone to dustiness, drought is a secondary driver of dust accumulation in the mountains. This suggests that land-use management decisions aimed at reducing land disturbance can mitigate future dust accumulation, despite projected increases in regional aridity.
A REVIEW OF UNIDIRECTIONAL LINK IN MULTIHOP MANETs

Mobile ad hoc networks [MANETs] are a set of mobile nodes that are communicating with one another via wireless links without having any existing infrastructure. MANETs pose many challenges in terms of routing, due to their mobile nature of nodes, fixed transmission power and constantly changing topologies. A node in a MANET may not directly reach every other node, it is possible that the packet from source to destination may need to follow a multiple wireless links. As a result, the links might affect, and a unidirectional link can incur in MANETs.The capacity of network can be reduced due to the ignorance of unidirectional links and it can also lead towards network portioning. The concerns of such types are very much relevant to MANETs, where the transmission power and bandwidth are limited, and the links are not necessarily always bidirectional. In this paper, many protocols are reviewed for the problem of unidirectional/asymmetric links in MANETs.
Functional and Structural Parallels in Crustacean and Drosophila Neuromuscular Systems

Comparison of morphological and physiological phenotypes of representative crustacean motor neurons, and selected motor neurons of Drosophila larval abdominal muscles, shows several features in common. Crustacean motor nerve terminals, and those of Drosophila , possess numerous small synapses with well-defined active zones. In crustaceans, neurons that are more tonically active have markedly varicose terminals; synapses and mitochondria are selectively localized in the varicosities. Phasic motor axons have filiform terminals, sometimes with small varicosities; mitochondrial content is less than for tonic axons, and synapses are distributed along the terminals. Tonic axons generate small excitatory potentials which facilitate strongly at higher frequencies, and which are resistant to depression. Thephasic neurons generate large excitatory potentials which exhibit relatively little frequency facilitation, and depress rapidly. In Drosophila , counterparts of crustacean phasic and tonic motor neurons have been found, but the differentiation is less pronounced. It isinferred that cellular factors regulating the number of participating synapses and the probability of quantal release are similar in crustaceans and Drosophila , and that advantage can be taken of this in future to develop experiments addressing the regulation of synaptic plasticity.
Distinguishing between cryptic species Myotis ikonnikovi and M. brandtii gracilis in Hokkaido, Japan: evaluation of a novel diagnostic morphological feature using molecular methods

ABSTRACT Previously, braincase shape has been the most useful character for species diagnosis of the Myotis mystacinus group members in Hokkaido, Japan. However, this character is difficult to apply in live individuals. Recently, the different patterns of venation in the tail membrane were described for species diagnosis of M. ikonnikovi and M. mystacinus (actually M. brandtii gracilis in Japan). We evaluated this new method in these two cryptic species in Hokkaido, Japan, based on molecular analysis. Our results revealed complete congruence between haplotypes of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene and the patterns of tail membrane venation in these two species. Thus, tail membrane venation pattern should be regarded as an unambiguous diagnostic character to distinguish M. ikonnikovi and M. b. gracilis under field conditions in Hokkaido. Further, since our field sampling was extensive, we suggested that only two species in the M. mystacinus group, M. ikonnikovi and M. b. gracilis occur in Hokkaido, and concluded that the occurrence of other cryptic species in the group in Hokkaido is unlikely.
Secure way of Sending Information in Corrupted Areas Using BPR in WSN

: Wireless Sensor network involves difficulties in transmission of data among different node which may lead itself to face certain challenges like inaccurate data, misleading packet translation and disrupt in communication which is related to real time application having issues in Quality of service. Although the existing methods which are used to solve this issues are limited by certain criteria which involves the high risk of penetrating into the routing loops and interpreting the unwanted transmission the prior node that hits any ball in any of the way and which is not affected is chosen as the next hop thus its solved by using twin rolling ball techniques the of notification of affected nodes that can be carried out by fuzzy data clustering which involves the fragmentation of particular data in the stream which is then carried out by using proposed bypass techniques. In this technique the two balls that rotate consequently in two direction which in turn helps to solve all the parameters of Quality of service thereby increasing overall performance.
GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN THE LAND WINKLE POMATIAS ELEGANS (MÜLLER) (CAENOGASTROPODA: POMATIASIDAE)

Population genetics and shell morphology have been studied in 11 populations of the poorly colonizing land caenogastropod Pomatias elegans. The total area of suitable habitats in northwest Europe is shrinking and many isolated populations are becoming vulnerable to extinction. In this study we tested whether the concept of management units (i.e. groups of population with significantly different allele frequencies due to demographic independence) is applicable to the conservation of P. elegans. Fst values indicated strong genetic differentiation and thus little genetic exchange between populations. Allozyme differentiation could be explained with an isolation by distance model, whereas morphological differentiation could not. A morphological difference exists between sexes but not sufficient to discriminate males and females. A Mantel test showed no significant relationship between morphological distance (size corrected or not) and genetic distance. Since allele frequencies differed even among populations in areas where P. elegans is not threathened, we conclude that in the case of P. elegans, defining management units with allozymes may not be an appropriate way to select the most suitable populations for conservation.
Re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of sand boas of the genus Eryx (Daudin, 1803) (Serpentes: Boidae) in north-eastern Iran using sequences of the mitochondrial genome

The sand boas of the genus Eryx (Daudin, 1803) comprise four species in northe-astern Iran: E. tataricus (Lichtenstein, 1823), E. miliaris (Pallas, 1773), E. elegans (Gray, 1849), and E. jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758). Based on a morphological study of the Eryx species in the area, a high similarity between E. tataricus and E. miliaris on the one side, and E. jaculus and E. elegans on the other side has been well documented, so that they are hardly distinguishable from each other. We analysed sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 29 individuals of morphotypes of this species complex in north-eastern Iran to clarify the phylogenetic relationships. Based on the branch pattern of the phylogenetic trees, the amounts of genetic distances within and between major clades and considering the morphological data, we concluded that the traditional grouping of species within the genus Eryx in north-eastern Iran should be fundamentally revised. We believe that E. elegans is conspecific with E. jaculus, and E. tataricus is conspecific with E. miliaris. Considering the principle of priority, the north-eastern populations of Eryx in Iran should be classified into only two distinct species: E. jaculus and E. miliaris.
Two types of scalar additives in Russian and other languages

This paper deals with the use of Russian particles ešče (additive more, still) and daže (even) with comparative constructions and the norm-related effect the two produce. We show that norm-relatedness is produced via different mechanisms in the case of two particles. More specifically, norm-relatedness is a derived effect in the case of ešče and an inherent presupposition in the case with daže. Our findings shed light on the larger question of the varieties of scalarity and additivity in the meaning of the two particles and their equivalents in other languages.
Dark diversity in dry calcareous grasslands is determined by dispersal ability and stress-tolerance

Temperate calcareous grasslands are characterized by high levels of species richness at small spatial scales. Nevertheless, many species from a habitat-specific regional species pool may be absent from local communities and represent the dark diversity' of these sites. Here we investigate dry calcareous grasslands in northern Europe to determine what proportion of the habitat-specific species pool is realized at small scales (i.e. how the community completeness varies) and which mechanisms may be contributing to the relative sizes of the observed and dark diversity. We test whether the absence of particular species in potentially suitable grassland sites is a consequence of dispersal limitation and/or a low ability to tolerate stress (e.g. drought and grazing). We analysed a total of 1223 vegetation plots (1 x 1 m) from dry calcareous grasslands in Sweden, Estonia and western Russia. The species co-occurrence approach was used to estimate the dark diversity for each plot. We calculated the maximum dispersal distance for each of the 291 species in our dataset by using simple plant traits (dispersal syndrome, growth form and seed characteristics). Large seed size was used as proxy for small seed number; tall plant height and low S-strategy type scores were used to characterise low stress-tolerance. Levels of small-scale community completeness were relatively low (more species were absent than present) and varied between the grasslands in different geographic areas. Species in the dark diversity were generally characterized by shorter dispersal distances and greater seed weight (fewer seeds) than species in the observed diversity. Species within the dark diversity were generally taller and had a lower tolerance of stressful conditions. We conclude that, even if temperate grasslands have high levels of small-scale plant diversity, the majority of potentially suitable species in the regional species pool may be absent as a result of dispersal limitation and low stress-tolerance. (Less)
Genetic diversity of small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis revealed by AFLP markers.

The population genetic structure of small yellow croaker Larimichthys polyactis in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea was analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). A total of 304 loci were detected by four primer combinations among 53 individuals collected from four locations representing three stocks of small yellow croaker, 231 of which were polymorphic (75.99%). The proportion of polymorphic loci and Nei’s genetic distances for four populations ranged from 58.11% to 69.43% and from 0.1076 to 0.1331. AMOVA analysis and pairwise FST revealed significant genetic differentiation among four samples, supporting separate stocks in this species and endemic branch tribes in South Yellow Sea stock. The UPGMA tree also revealed the significant geographic structure in this species. Pattern of isolation by distance was observed in this species, indicating that significant genetic differentiation among localities of small yellow croaker was mainly due to the geographic distance. Besides geographic distance, the migratory behavior might be another factor, which influences the genetic structure of this species.