Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What Do Ecological Paradigms Offer to Conservation

Ecological theory provides applications to biodiversity management—but often falls short of expectations. One possibility is that heuristic theories of a young science are too immature. Logistic growth predicts a carrying capacity, but fisheries managed with the Lotka-Volterra paradigm continue to collapse. A second issue is that general predictions may not be useful. The theory of island biogeography predicts species richness but does not predict community composition. A third possibility is that the theory itself may not have much to do with nature, or that empirical parameterization is too difficult to know. The metapopulation paradigm is relevant to conservation, but metapopulations might not be common in nature. For instance, empirical parameterization within the metapopulation paradigm is usually infeasible. A challenge is to determine why ecology fails to match needs of managers sometimes but helps at other. Managers may expect too much of paradigmatic blueprints, while ecologists believe them too much. Those who implement biodiversity conservation plans need simple, pragmatic guidelines based on science. Is this possible? What is possible? An eclectic review of theory and practice demonstrate the power and weaknesses of the ideas that guide conservation and attempt to identify reasons for prevailing disappointment.
Kilometric index as biological indicator for monitoring forest roe deer populations

was tested. Kilometric index was defined by the ratio "number of observed animals/number of kilometers" of standardized transect. Three indexes were constructed: one for each transect, one for a transect set and one for all transects performed during a year. Actual population size was estimated each year by capture - mark - recapture. A modification of Petersen - Lincoln Index allowing long-term use was applied as the reference method. The relationship between annual kilometric index and population size estimation was assessed by calibrating index using linear and logistic regression. Moreover, we looked for different population levels using analyses of variance applied on the different indexes. Although high correlation was obtained between annual kilometric index and reference method, calibration equation led to unreliable population schedule. This demonstrated differential sensitivity of kilometric index according to population levels. Three population levels were discriminated by analyses of variance: a low population level during the four first years, a transition level corresponding to the fifth year and a high population level during the five last years. Indexes defined on a transect set (called "photo") appeared as the more informative. Such a study showed that to look for differential population levels from abundance indexes (bioindicator conception) is more pertinent than to establish conversion equations (calibration conception) in order to monitor forest roe deer population.
Comparison of the Proximal Phalanx Parameters in Warmblood and Coldblood Horses with the Use of Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography

Abstract The aim of the study was to compare densitometric and geometric parameters of the proximal phalanges in forelimbs of Warmblood and Coldblood horses, at 15%, 50%, and 85% of the bone proximal length. Peripheral quantitative computed tomography was used to analyse the structure of phalanges. The following parameters were determined: bone mineral content, volumetric bone mineral density, total bone area, trabecular area, cortical area, cortical thickness, periosteal circumference, endocortical circumference, and strength strain index. The most significant differences between pastern bones in thoracic limbs of the horses were visible in the proximal and distal metaphyseal parts, for instance. at 15% and 85% of the bone length, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that at 15% of the bone length, total bone area, trabecular area, periosteal circumference, and endocortical circumference were significantly higher in Warmblood horses. At the mid-shaft, volumetric bone mineral density and endocortical circumference were significantly higher in Coldblood horses. At 85% of the bone length, volumetric bone mineral density, total bone area, trabecular area, periosteal circumference, and endocortical circumference were significantly higher in Coldblood horses.
Cell decompositions of Teichm\"uller spaces of surfaces with boundary

A family of coordinates $\psi_h$ for the Teichm\"uller space of a compact surface with boundary was introduced in \cite{l2}. In the work \cite{m1}, Mondello showed that the coordinate $\psi_0$ can be used to produce a natural cell decomposition of the Teichm\"uller space invariant under the action of the mapping class group. In this paper, we show that the similar result also works for all other coordinate $\psi_h$ for any $h \geq 0$.
Exceptional emissions of NH 3 and HCOOH in the 2010 Russian wildfires

Abstract. In July 2010, several hundred forest and peat fires broke out across central Russia during its hottest summer on record. Here, we analyze these wildfires using observations of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). Carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH 3 ) and formic acid (HCOOH) total columns are presented for the year 2010. Maximum total columns were found to be one order (for CO and HCOOH) and two orders (for NH 3 ) of magnitude larger than typical background values. The temporal evolution of NH 3 and HCOOH enhancement ratios relative to CO are presented. Evidence of secondary formation of HCOOH is found, with enhancement ratios exceeding reported emission ratios in fresh plumes. We estimate the total emitted masses for the period July–August 2010 over the center of western Russia; they are 19–33 Tg (CO), 0.7–2.6 Tg (NH 3 ) and 0.9–3.9 Tg (HCOOH). For NH 3 and HCOOH, these quantities are comparable to what is emitted in the course of a whole year by all extratropical forest fires.
Assessing the regional impact based on destination image

The region of Northern Hungary is historically rich in tangible and intangible heritage destinations such as fortresses, castles, and cultural routes. Former castles of the aristocracy, converted to four- and five-star hotels, are among the favourite tourist destinations in the region. Destination stakeholders of these attractions have a prime interest in designing and delivering a complex and memorable tourism experience that will attract more visitors and return visits. The responsibility of regional and local destination management lies in finding an appropriate mix of attractions and corresponding experiences, attracting visitors/guests and creating repeat patterns of return. The research, involving a sample of 360 castle hotel guests, and using Partial Least Squares structural equation path modelling, reveals significant correlation between historical interest, motivation, and perceived image, predicting guests’ perception of the entire region. Visitation patterns, together with geographical embeddedness, can be further explored to increase destination competitiveness.
Enhanced Switched Second Order SM Control for Active Braking in Two-Wheeled Vehicles

Abstract In two-wheeled vehicles, the presence of a single axis, the high sensitivity to load variations and the strong coupling between front and rear wheel dynamics make the problem of designing effective active braking controllers a much more challenging task than it is for cars. To address this issue, this paper proposes to employ an enhanced switched second order sliding mode controller, based on the idea of adapting the controller parameters to the current region of the state space in which the system is operating. In contrast to previous proposals, in this work the adaptation requires the knowledge of the sliding variable only. Simulation results are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Affirmative Action and Ethnic Identity in Black and Indigenous Brazilian Children

Two studies of children aged between five and ten years old investigate the impact of affirmative action programmes on the ethnic identity of black and indigenous children in Brazil. The participants in the first study were children supported by affirmative action programmes: black Quilombola (n= 33) and indigenous (n= 32). Study two was carried out on black children (n= 77) not supported by affirmative action programmes. In the first study the children used nine different categories of skin colour to define themselves. The majority of the indigenous children defined themselves as “morena”, while black Quilombolas defined themselves as “preto” (dark). In the second study the children used six different colours, and dark colours were rarely used. Although the children in both studies liked belonging to their group, most, particularly the Quilombola children, would like to be whiter.
ADAPTIVE REFINEMENT OF UNSTRUCTURED FINITE ELEMENT MESHES FOR COMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

It is well known that sudden changes in the solution produced by shock waves and contact discontinuities often appear in compressible flow problems. These features of the flow field require very small size finite elements to achieve an accurate solution. However, homogeneous refinement of the whole mesh quickly becomes prohibitive for three dimensional meshes due to computational cost issues. In these situations, the use of adaptive mesh refinement strategies shows advantageous. An h-adaptive unstructured mesh refinement strategy to solve both steady and unsteady compressible flow problems by the finite element method is used in this work. The adaption algorithm is briefly introduced. The main features of the adapted meshes are the presence of hanging nodes and the controlled geometrical quality of its elements. Refinement constraints are enforced to guarantee a smooth size distribution amongst neighbour elements and a posteriori error indicators based on the gradient of the flow variables are used to track discontinuities through the flow field. The algorithm is implemented in the C++ programming language together with the STL and Boost libraries. The mesh adaption code is coupled to an SUPGFEM flow solver which is run in parallel on a cluster of workstations. The spherical blast wave problem known as the Taylor-Sedov problem is solved with this code and the flow field is compared to that provided by the theory.
A Global Perspective of Food Market Integration: A Review

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the state of the art research on food market integration, classifies it and provides a comprehensive bibliography for researchers with interest in market integration. A thorough review of literature published between 1990 and 2014 on food market integration generated 65 articles for in-depth analysis. Findings show that the majority of research has concentrated relatively more on identifying the degree of linkages among the markets but not on its implications. The paper also identifies the following factors as very important in increasing/ decreasing the degree of market integration: physical infrastructure, market institutions, information, competition, market power, trade, social capital, public/ government intervention and export restrictions/ban. The paper further identifies several areas for future research.
Survey and Comparison between Plagiarism Detection Tools

With the spread of using Internet in teaching and learning, and in literature reviews, plagiarism has spread widely, where researchers take readymade researches and claim them to themselves. The action of "copy and paste" has become extensive in all fields, and the scientific research domain is no less than other spheres. This has prompted many international organizations to produce detection tools to spot plagiarism in scientific articles and research reports. Many computer programs exist to identify plagiarism in scientific papers and essays in order to establish scientific honesty and to upgrade the level of university researches. Some of these programs are free, while some are commercially available. This paper presents comparison between the most famous plagiarism detection programs. The comparison helps individuals as well as organizations to select the plagiarism detection program that is most relevant for their objectives.
High Level Vision with the Deformable Pyramid

A new multiresolution deformable model, based on a pyramid of graphs, is used for pattern recognition. The pyramid allows to describe complex shapes using a set of simple primitives composed of nodes, links and triangles. The pyramid is built out of a reference volume containing previous knowledge of the objects. A fitting algorithm is used to deform the model in a constrained manner. The topological and the main geometrical properties of the model are preserved and at the same time, the model adapts itself to the input data. This new method provides fast, robust and accurate model extraction in 3D magnetic resonance images. The efficiency of the deformable pyramid is illustrated on individual torso and dynamic heart model extraction.
A Systematic Review of Software Security Issues Associated With Agile Software Development

Main aim of this research is to review various software security issues associated with agile software development. Software security issues which are considered are types of design and code changes, lack of documentation, schedule delay and change of requirements through prior literature review. All software security issues associated with agile software development cannot be solved completely but can safeguard and avoid to certain extent. It can be stated that documentation issue can be rectified through giving more attention by highly experienced professional. It can be suggested that scheduled delay and change of requirements can be rectified through proper planning and implementation of the project. Flaws in the design can be rectified by proper communication and discussion among the members in the team. This research adopts only second handed data or secondary data. In future this work can be expanded by collected primary source of data through quantitative approach among various investigators.
Mixing water treatment residual with excavation waste soil in brick and artificial aggregate making

A large quantity of water treatment residual is generated each year from fresh water treatment plants in Taiwan. Landfill disposal of the nonhazardous sludge is impractical because of the high cost of transportation and an increasing scarcity of landfill sites in Taiwan. The water treatment residual was characterized; the ceramic bodies were prepared and sintered to formulate into building bricks and artificial aggregates. The sintering temperature requirement by the water treatment residual was higher than normally practiced in brick works due to the higher Al2 O3 and lower Si O2 content. The excavation waste soil, practically clay, was blended with water treatment residual to improve the brick quality. Under the commonly practiced brick-making condition, up to 15% of water treatment residual could be added to produce first grade brick specified by the National Science Council (NSC). Test results of specific gravity, water absorption, and compressive strength of the artificial aggregates confirmed its ap.
The XMM-SERVS survey: new XMM-Newton point-source catalogue for the XMM-LSS field

We present an X-ray point-source catalogue from the XMM-Large Scale Structure (XMMLSS) survey region, one of the XMM-Spitzer Extragalactic Representative Volume Survey (XMM-SERVS) fields. We target the XMM-LSS region with 1.3 Ms of new XMM-Newton AO-15 observations, transforming the archival X-ray coverage in this region into a 5.3 deg2 contiguous field with uniform X-ray coverage totaling 2.7 Ms of flare-filtered exposure, with a 46 ks median PN exposure time. We provide an X-ray catalogue of 5242 sources detected in the soft (0.5-2 keV), hard (2-10 keV), and/or full (0.5-10 keV) bands with a 1 per cent expected spurious fraction determined from simulations. A total of 2381 new X-ray sources are detected compared to previous source catalogues in the same area. Our survey has flux limits of 1.7 × 10-15, 1.3 × 10-14, and 6.5 × 10-15 erg cm-2 s-1 over 90 per cent of its area in the soft, hard, and full bands, respectively, which is comparable to those of the XMM-COSMOS survey. We identify multiwavelength counterpart candidates for 99.9 per cent of the X-ray sources, of which 93 per cent are considered as reliable based on their matching likelihood ratios. The reliabilities of these high-likelihood-ratio counterparts are further confirmed to be ≈97 per cent reliable based on deep Chandra coverage over ≈5 per cent of the XMM-LSS region. Results of multiwavelength identifications are also included in the source catalogue, along with basic optical-to-infrared photometry and spectroscopic redshifts from publicly available surveys. We compute photometric redshifts for X-ray sources in 4.5 deg2 of our field where forced-aperture multiband photometry is available; > 70 per cent of the X-ray sources in this subfield have either spectroscopic or high-quality photometric redshifts. (Less)
Modelling the Structural Change of Transition Countries

The rapid changes in the transition economies must be evaluated in a comparative context. This paper provides a comprehensive comparative analysis using a large panel data set of market economies as a reference point. We wish to establish the extent and speed with which the structures of the transition economies are converging towards other country groups ranked according to income levels. This exercise provides an alternate measure of transition "success" which is grounded in quantitative rather than subjective indicators. It also shows future sectoral growth patterns under the assumption that remaining structural distortions will continue to be removed.
Spatial separation of foraging habitats among New Zealand fur seals

We studied the foraging behaviour of lactating female, adult male and juvenile New Zealand (NZ) fur seals to compare and contrast their foraging strategies and assess the degree of spa- tial separation of their foraging habitats. Adult male fur seals are longer and heavier than lactating females, which are longer and heavier than juveniles. Trip duration was positively correlated with the distance travelled by all age/sex groups. Juveniles conducted longer trips and travelled further from the colony than males. Both juveniles and males conducted longer trips and travelled further than females, which made brief trips because they were provisioning pups. There were no seasonal differ- ences in the behaviour of males, but females and juveniles foraged closer to the colony in summer when they were moulting and females had younger pups. Behavioural differences were recorded between lactating female, male and juvenile seals in the directional bearing from the colony, the dis- tance travelled, the minimum size of the area that was potentially visited and the horizontal swim speed. Intra-specific foraging competition among these age/sex groups was minimal because lactat- ing females typically used continental shelf waters and males utilised deeper waters over the shelf break, adjacent to female foraging grounds. Furthermore, juveniles used pelagic waters, up to 1000 km south of the habitats used by adults. Differences in the habitats used by females, males and juveniles were also apparent in the seafloor gradient, the SST and the surface chl a concentration, with females using regions with the highest chl a concentrations. Results from this study suggest that smaller seals cannot efficiently utilise prey in the same habitats as larger seals because smaller seals do not have the capacity to spend enough time underwater at the greater depths.
Microservices Architecture for Tenant-oriented Cloud-based Control Software Services: POC and Proposals

Microservices architecture, where application is composed of a set of independently deployable services is a popular modern approach for building enterprise-level applications, meanwhile most of the cloud solutions for control software (including IoT) are designed in so called monolithic way. LXC-based (docker) microservices allow developers to seamlessly migrate current software solutions from VMs to containers. Nowadays, such container-based applications are used primarily for simple semi-automated deployments, when containers are deployed only at the launch time of the whole system and modified when needed. In this paper we analyze application of docker-microservices as functional blocks for control software, propose on-demand tenant-oriented microservices approach (where entire independent topologies of microservices are being deployed on per-tenant basis) for building clouds of control software, review requirements for management system of such cloud and investigate contemporary container-management systems. Constructed test cluster highlighted some disadvantages of Kubernetes regarding multi-tenant container administration. Advanced Container Management System (AMS) is designed as one more level of orchestration on top of Kubernetes. Conducted demo showed practical value and flexibility of the introduced tenant-oriented microservices method. Described design will be helpful for cloud providers of control software who want to organize elastic on-demand service provisioning.
Tutorial: Spectral bandwidth extension — Invention versus harmonic extrapolation

ABSTRACTVarious postprocessing methods can be applied to seismic data to extend the spectral bandwidth and potentially increase the seismic resolution. Frequency invention techniques, including phase acceleration and loop reconvolution, produce spectrally broadened seismic sections but arbitrarily create high frequencies without a physical basis. Tests in extending the bandwidth of low-frequency synthetics using these methods indicate that the invented frequencies do not tie high-frequency synthetics generated from the same reflectivity series. Furthermore, synthetic wedge models indicate that the invented high-frequency seismic traces do not improve thin-layer resolution. Frequency invention outputs may serve as useful attributes, but they should not be used for quantitative work and do not improve actual resolution. On the other hand, under appropriate circumstances, layer frequency responses can be extrapolated to frequencies outside the band of the original data using spectral periodicities determined.
Social Exclusion of the Deaf in Corporate Television Advertising in Ghana: A Pilot Study

Communication barrier is one of the problems for deaf persons with regard to social integration. This paper was conducted to determine the degree to which the deaf community understands corporate television adverts in Ghana and whether inclusion of sign language would improve and enhance their understanding. Using a pretest-posttest design, with a purposively selected sample of 30 deaf students (N=30) and utilised the theory of active viewing, the researchers found that the inclusion of sign language improves understanding of advertisement. Participants were more likely to identify the product being advertised, the corporate body running the advertisement, understand message communicated, and the use of the product advertised when sign language interpreters were embedded in them. The findings provide insight into some exclusion issues in television advertising communication that disadvantages deaf people in society. Embedding sign language interpreters in television advertisement broadens the scope of message clarity and understanding of deaf people.