Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AEGLIDAE) FROM SOUTH BRAZILIAN STREAMS

This paper describes a population of Aegla longirostri from Ibicuf-Mirim River, Itaaira, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil, evaluating the size at onset of sexual maturity, relative growth, mean size, size-frequency distribution, sex ratio, ovigerous-rate, and recruitment. Samples were collected monthly from September 1996 to August 1997. Sex, carapace length (CL), cheliped length (ChL), abdomen width (AW), and front width (FW) were recorded for each crab. A total of 586 specimens were collected (277 males, 244 females, and 65 unsexed juveniles). The smallest specimen was 1.5 mm CL and the largest male was 23.8 mm CL. The relative growth analysis and the Mature software showed that the size at onset of sexual maturity was 13.7 mm CL in males and 10.7 mm CL in females. Females were smaller than males and were more abundant in adult classes, whereas males were more representative in juvenile classes. The sex ratio did not differ from 1:1 throughout the collecting period. Recruitment was observed throughout the entire sampling period, but it was higher in the winter months (from June to August). However, ovigerous females were present in spring and summer (from January to April). This population seemed to be at equilibrium during the study period. Recently, this area has been changed because of the construction of a reservoir, and a new study is required to evaluate the present condition of this population of A. longirostri.
A Comparative Review of Recent Architectures of Convolutional Neural Networks

: A Deep Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is an important part of deep learning that has delivered admirable successes in various competitions related to Image Processing and Computer Vision. Certain attractive application fields of CNN vary from Image and Video Recognition, Image Segmentation and Classification, Medical Image Analysis, Natural Language Processing, and Object detection. One of the greatest powerful abilities of deep CNN is the various feature extraction in an automatic way. Recently, developments in the research of CNNs and attractive deep CNN architectures have been described due to the inherence of the huge quantity of data and refinement in hardware automation. A handful of encouraging concepts such as the use of distinct activation and loss functions, regularization, parameters optimization, and architecture modernization, derive progress in deep CNNs. However, the remarkable advancement in the representational ability of the deep CNN is accomplished by architectural modernization. Thus, this review paper presents a brief survey of the advances that can occur in the architecture of CNNs from the very first architecture to the recent one. This paper, therefore, targets the inherent anatomy in the newly disclosed deep CNNs architectures and accordingly describes the strengths and gaps of various deep CNNs architectures.
BITIR at the NTCIR-17 Session Search Task

The BITIR team participated in the IR subtask of the NTCIR-17 Session Search(SS) Task. This paper reports our approach to solving the problem and discusses the official results. More specifically, for FOSS and POSS tasks, we submit two times by using the classical retrieval model BM25[5] and graph-based context-aware document ranking model HEXA[6]. Results show that our runs perform well on the test dataset with relevance label, but poorly on the official test dataset provided This may be due to the problem of noise and a small candidate set. For SSEE task, We use two traditional metrics: sDCG and sRBP. The result indicates that sRBP has a higher consistency with golden user satisfaction based on our settings.
THE BIEBRZA HYDROSOCIAL LANDSCAPE. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL DISCOURSES IN THE LARGEST POLISH NATIONAL PARK

The author analyses narratives about the environment in the largest national park in Poland. She attempts to present the socio-cultural aspect of water in Podlasie, based on the concept of the hydrosocial cycle as interpreted by Jamie Linton and Jessica Budds (2013), but extending it to the non-human world. In the Biebrza Valley there are many different environmental discourses, as well as conflicts related to the different approaches to the relationship between nature and humans. Two of them are dominant: the discourse of the employees and experts of the Biebrza National Park (“institutional”) and that of the dissatisfied inhabitants (“agricultural”). The author moves away from the relativistic understanding of knowledge, typical of ethnography.
SPECIAL ISSUE ON INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN PLANT FUNCTIONAL TRAITS Growing up aspen: ontogeny and trade-offs shape growth, defence and reproduction in a foundation species

• Background and Aims Intraspecific variation in foundation species of forest ecosystems can shape community and ecosystem properties, particularly when that variation has a genetic basis. Traits mediating interactions with other species are predicted by simple allocation models to follow ontogenetic patterns that are rarely studied in trees. The aim of this research was to identify the roles of genotype, ontogeny and genotypic trade-offs shaping growth, defence and reproduction in aspen. • Methods We established a common garden replicating > 500 aspen genets in Wisconsin, USA. Trees were measured through the juvenile period into the onset of reproduction, for growth, defence chemistry (phenolic glycosides and condensed tannins), nitrogen, extrafloral nectaries, leaf morphology (specific leaf area), flower production and foliar herbivory and disease. We also assayed the TOZ19 sex marker and heterozygosity at ten microsatellite loci. • Key Results We found high levels of genotypic variation for all traits, and high heritabilities for both the traits and their ontogenetic trajectories. Ontogeny strongly shaped intraspecific variation, and trade-offs among growth, defence and reproduction supported some predictions while contradicting others. Both direct resistance (chemical defence) and indirect defence (extrafloral nectaries) declined during the juvenile stage, prior to the onset of reproduction. Reproduction was higher in trees that were larger, male and had higher individual heterozygosity. Growth was diminished by genotypic allocation to both direct and indirect defence as well as to reproduction, but we found no evidence of trade-offs between defence and reproduction. • Conclusions Key traits affecting the ecological communities of aspen have high levels of genotypic variation and heritability, strong patterns of ontogeny and clear trade-offs among growth, defence and reproduction. The architecture of aspen’s community genetics – its ontogeny, trade-offs and especially its great variability – is shaped by both its broad range and the diverse community of associates, and in turn further fosters that diversity.
SPECIAL ISSUE ON INTRASPECIFIC VARIATION IN PLANT FUNCTIONAL TRAITS Leaf anatomy is not correlated to CAM function in a C3+CAM hybrid species, Yucca gloriosa

• Background and Aims Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is often considered to be a complex trait, requiring orchestration of leaf anatomy and physiology for optimal performance. However, the observation of trait correlations is based largely on comparisons between C3 and strong CAM species, resulting in a lack of understanding as to how such traits evolve and the level of intraspecific variability for CAM and associated traits. • Methods To understand intraspecific variation for traits underlying CAM and how these traits might assemble over evolutionary time, we conducted detailed time course physiological screens and measured aspects of leaf anatomy in 24 genotypes of a C3+CAM hybrid species, Yucca gloriosa (Asparagaceae). Comparisons were made to Y. gloriosa’s progenitor species, Y. filamentosa (C3) and Y. aloifolia (CAM). • Key Results Based on gas exchange and measurement of leaf acids, Y. gloriosa appears to use both C3 and CAM, and varies across genotypes in the degree to which CAM can be upregulated under drought stress. While correlations between leaf anatomy and physiology exist when testing across all three Yucca species, such correlations break down at the species level in Y. gloriosa. • Conclusions The variation in CAM upregulation in Y. gloriosa is a result of its relatively recent hybrid origin. The lack of trait correlations between anatomy and physiology within Y. gloriosa indicate that the evolution of CAM, at least initially, can proceed through a wide combination of anatomical traits, and more favourable combinations are eventually selected for in strong CAM plants.
Orchestration of POIs Ubiquitous Contexts: a Review of Recommendation Systems Based on Matrix Factorisation Model

— Currently, to take full advantage of the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Smart tourism must use Context-Aware Recommendation Systems (CARS) to orchestrate the evolving contexts of users with smartphones in order to improve their travel experiences. This type of orchestration allows points of interest (POIs) recommendations to be personalised according to the ubiquitous context of tourists during their visits. Recommending the next POIs to visit can be based on collaborative filtering techniques founded on memory or models such as matrix factorisation (MF). This paper explains the contribution of approaches that integrate contexts into models, such as MF, compared to collaborative filtering approaches without context. Consequently, this survey shows that collaborative filtering techniques using MF considerably alleviate the problems associated with the cold start of CARS and that the three types of orchestration of tourist contexts (pre-filtering, post-filtering or context modelling) improve their satisfaction.
Nuclear Fuel Cycle: A Chemistry Conference

The Net Zero transition and increasing living standards around the world are placing exponentially increasing demands on scarce natural materials essential for decarbonisation and modern, high-technology applications [1]. As nuclear power has been identified as a key, low-carbon energy source in grid decarbonisation by many nations, expanded use of the technology will inevitably push up demand for the finite natural uranium and thorium reserves [2]. Combined with the high construction costs and long build times for reactors and their supporting infrastructure, a substantial rethink of the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) to a more holistic, and sustainable approach is needed, incorporating comprehensive resource utilisation and advanced waste management [3]. The bulk of the 7-11 kilotons of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) produced annually is not reprocessed primarily due to limited capacity brought about by high costs, proliferation concerns, and negative image – most SNF is viewed as a waste rather than a resource [3]. Despite this, reprocessing and responsible management of SNF as a resource will be the key to the long-term sustainability of the NFC. SNF is not just rich in U and Pu for further energy generation, many fission products (FPs) are valuable resources in their own right, either as the elements or isotopes [1,3]. For example, SNF contains the resources such as the platinum group metals (PGMs) Ru, Rh, and Pd, and rare earth elements (REEs) Y, and La to Dy at concentrations (kg/t SNF ) far higher than in most natural ores (g/T ore ) [4]. Thus, SNF represents an untapped resource of these
Improved Orthogonal T-Snake Model for Complex Water Boundary Extraction

A topology adaptive snake(T-Snake)model based on orthogonal grids is introduced and improved in this paper,and a proper energy function is designed.A detection and handling mechanism for topological conflict that caused by island shaped hollow is proposed in the model,and therefore accurate extraction for complex boundary of river containing river islands is achieved.For the disadvantage of the need to manually construct the initial contour in the orthogonal T-Snake model,using the minimum fractal dimension to obtain one area of the water and automatically generate an initial contour.The experiment shows that the algorithm of this paper can accurately extract the boundary of the complex water which contains deeply concave regions or river islands,and it has higher accuracy and less time cost than classic Snake model and GVF Snake model.
Physical activity and cognitive function in individuals over 60 years of age: a systematic review

Background It is unclear whether physical activity in later life is beneficial for maintenance of cognitive function. We performed a systematic review examining the effects of exercise on cognitive function in older individuals, and present possible mechanisms whereby physical activity may improve cognition. Methods Sources consisted of PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, and the University of Washington, School of Medicine Library Database, with a search conducted on August 15, 2012 for publications limited to the English language starting January 1, 2000. Randomized controlled trials including at least 30 participants and lasting at least 6 months, and all observational studies including a minimum of 100 participants for one year, were evaluated. All subjects included were at least 60 years of age. Results Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-six studies reported a positive correlation between physical activity and maintenance or enhancement of cognitive function. Five studies reported a dose-response relationship between physical activity and cognition. One study showed a nonsignificant correlation. Conclusion The preponderance of evidence suggests that physical activity is beneficial for cognitive function in the elderly. However, the majority of the evidence is of medium quality with a moderate risk of bias. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to clarify the association between exercise and cognitive function and to determine which types of exercise have the greatest benefit on specific cognitive domains. Despite these caveats, the current evidence suggests that physical activity may help to improve cognitive function and, consequently, delay the progression of cognitive impairment in the elderly.
BI - Directional Operation of BLDC Motor for Electric Drives

: Brushless DC (BLDC) Motors have found various applications in industrial and domestic uses. BLDC motor accomplishes electronic commutation, which enables Bi - directional operation of BLDC motor, which appears in drives like Electric Vehicle, lifts and trolley cars which improves efficiency and increases the running period of drives. The speed control in both directions requires a Bi - directional DC - DC converter in between source and the inverter. Many configurations of Bi - directional converters are available in the literature with different characteristics and applications. In this work, a Bi - directional converter is chosen which have more full conversion ratios, reduced voltage stress and with a low component count. MATLAB modelling and simulation studies validate the proposed strategy. The Bi - directional operation and regeneration of the BLDC motor are possible by controlling the current through Bi - directional converter.
Hedonic Valuation Of Flood

This study investigates the amenity value of flood dividing flood into two aspects. One aspect is the physical amount of rainfall consisting of annual rainfall and rainfall intensity that are expected to increase due to climate change. The other aspect is infrastructure for flood protection: Percentage of impermeable surface ratio and sewer dredging ratio. Infrastructure for flood protection assists cities especially those which are rapidly urbanized to reduce flood risks and to develop adaptation capacity for climate change such as increased rainfall. With increasing concerns for climate change, there are studies with an economic point of view that investigate the marginal willingness to pay for climate variables from. In this study, we hand collect 2,500 real estate transactions in Seoul for the year 2014 to assess the amenity value of flood using the hedonic property value technique. Our findings indicate that rainfall and infrastructure for flood protection significantly affect housing prices. Some policy implications are provided
Specific diversity of the benthic macrofauna within the western coast of Tunis bay and the Djerba island coast (southwestern Mediterranean)

In this study, 21 stations were sampled, 11 in the Djerba island coast and 10 in the western coast of Tunis bay. Then, samples were sifted on a square mesh of 1 mm a side, and the animals collected were identified and counted. Lacking an efficient single index suitable for application in all situations, several traditional nonparametric indices of biodiversity were selected, calculated and discussed. Results show that the community composition is totally different in the two studied sites, and, within each site, several species are common, but Bull. Inst. Natn. Scien. Tech. Mer de Salammbô, Vol. 40, 2013 52 they exchange the leader ranks from one station to another. For biodiversity measurement and since results show varying values depending on indices at several stations, an arithmetic mean index was calculated at each station on the basis of the most similar indices. It shows that, overall, the biodiversity is significantly higher in Tunis bay coast than in Djerba coast. These results are more reliable considering the real environmental / anthropogenic constraints imposed on both sites. Indeed, Djerba coast is subject, these last decades, to strong industrial, urban and fishing activities, causing significant regression of benthic habitats, which can led to a reduction of the biodiversity.
Correlated Structures in a Balanced Motion Interacting with an Internal Wave

Characterizing the loss of coherence of an internal tide propagating through mesoscale turbulence has been a major challenge in oceanography, particularly due to its implications for the interpretation of satellite data. In this paper, we intend to study the correlations between a balanced motion and the incoherent part of a wave in an idealised configuration. We introduce a new modal decomposition technique, named broad-band proper orthogonal decomposition (BBPOD), which consists in performing a proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) on complex demodulated variables. After connecting BBPOD to the standard SPOD, we show that BBPOD, coupled with the extended POD technique enables us to associate the principal components of the incoherent field to the slow flow structures responsible of this loss of coherence through triadic interactions with the incident wave.
A new Asian lazy toad of the genus Scutiger Theobald, 1868 (Anura, Megophryidae) from southern Tibet, China

﻿Abstract In this study, a new species named Scutigerluozhaensissp. nov. is described from Luozha, southern Tibet, China. Genetic analysis based on two mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA and COI and the nuclear gene RAG1 revealed that the new species belongs to an independent phylogenetic clade close to S.gongshanensis and S.nyingchiensis and shares no RAG1 haplotype with other species. Morphological comparisons based on examined specimens and literatures indicated that it can be diagnosed from congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) body moderate, male body length 47.0–67.2 mm (n = 13), female body length 49.8–66.2 mm (n = 8); (2) maxillary teeth and budding absent; (3) numerous tiny dense nuptial spines present on dorsal surface of fingers I, II and inner surface of finger III of males in breeding condition with similar size; (4) spine patches on belly of males in breeding condition absent; (5) spines on inner surface of forearm and upper arm of males in breeding condition absent; (6) small patches of black spines present near armpit of males in breeding condition absent; (7) adult males without vocal sac; (8) some large warts and tubercles on dorsum gathered into short skin ridges with several spines present on top; (9) space between upper eyelids wider than upper eyelids; (10) spots or irregular cross bands on limbs absent; (11) webbing between toes rudimentary; (12) coloration of dorsal body olive brown to bronze.
Grid-based Mapping and Analysis of a GoogLeNet CNN using MapGL Editor

—The Grid of Processing Cells (GPC) has been proposed as a scalable many-core architecture, modeled using SystemC TLM-2.0 methodology. This work introduces a graphical CAD software called Map Grid-based Layouts (MapGL) to facilitate the design process of GPC-based applications, automatically generate their SystemC models, and perform analyses on memory usage and speed. Using MapGL, we map a GoogLeNet Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to a suitable GPC and improve it with a new modular Memory Access Resources and Interfaces (MARI) library for better communication between processing cells and lower resource usage.
Fuel Economy Optimization for Different Drive Cycles in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The important control parameters for the hybrid electric vehicle are the lower and upper limit of state of charge (SOC). This SOC of the vehicle directly affects the economy and the emission rates. In this work, the parallel HEV is modelled by using ADVISOR (Advanced Vehicle Simulator). Different SOC limits are taken for testing the emission performance and fuel economy for the same designed driving cycles. With the simulation results we will be able to specify best upper and lower limits of SOC such that vehicle will achieve optimum fuel economy and emission performance. For control and energy management, the most important factor which needs to be taken into concern is the 'State of Charge (SOC)‘ value for the battery. Practically 20 % to 80% is the range which is usually set for the state of charge constraint The simulation is performed by taking repetitive velocity profiles (drive cycles) of two different curves i.e., UDDS (Urban Dynamometer Driving Schedule) and ECE. The SOC and emission curves are observed for these different drive cycles and the results having emission rates for HC, CO and NOx (in g/miles) are tabulated. This study's results shed light on why and how SOC caps affect HEVs' gas mileage and pollution ratings. The vehicle's total efficiency and environmental effect can be improved by identifying the ideal SOC range for various driving cycles. These findings can be used to inform the evolution of control and energy management systems for HEVs, leading to a more environmentally friendly and efficient transportation network in the future.