Bilingual Publishing Co. (BPC): E-Journals
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Evaluating Behavioural Modelling Predictions in the Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) Enables Greater Insight on Habitat Use from Location only Argos Data
No full textThe relationship between habitat and behaviour provides important information for species management. For large, free roaming, marine animals satellite tags provide high resolution information on movement, but such datasets are restricted due to cost. Extracting additional biologically important information from these data would increase utilisation and value. Several modelling approaches have been developed to identify behavioural states in tracking data. The objective of this study was to evaluate a behavioural state prediction model for blue shark (Prionace glauca) ARGOS surface location-only data. The novel nature of the six SPLASH satellite tags used enabled behavioural events to be identified in blue shark dive data and accurately mapped spatio-temporally along respective surface location-only tracks. Behavioural states modelled along the six surface location-only tracks were then tested against observed behavioural events to evaluate the model's accuracy. Results showed that the Behavioural Change Point Analysis (BCPA) model augmented with K means clustering analysis performed well for predicting foraging behaviour (correct 86% of the time). Prediction accuracy was lower for searching (52%) and travelling (63%) behaviour, likely related to the numerical dominance of foraging events in dive data. The model's validation for predicting foraging behaviour justified its application to nine additional surface location-only (SPOT tag) tracks, substantially increasing the utilisation of expensive and rare data. Results enabled the critical behavioural state of foraging, to be mapped throughout the entire home range of blue sharks, allowing drivers of critical habitat to be investigated. This validation strengthens the use of such modelling to interpret historic and future datasets, for blue sharks but also other species, contributing to conservational management
Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Physiology and Saponin Synthesis of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis at Different Nitrogen Levels
No full textArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important members of the plant microbiome and affect the uptake and transfer of mineral elements by forming a symbiotic relationship with plant roots. Nitrogen (N), as an important mineral element, can directly affect plant growth and development at different N levels. It has been confirmed that inoculation with AMF can improve the efficiency of N utilization by plants. However, there are still fewer reports on the dynamic relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal and plant secondary metabolites at different nitrogen levels. In this experiment, the physiological indexes and genes related to saponin synthesis were determined by applying different concentration gradients of nitrogen to the medicinal plant P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis infested by AMF as the test material. It was found that nitrogen addition increased the biomass, chlorophyll content, and nutrient content of above- and below-ground plant parts and increased the content of saponin content of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis to some extent, but AMF inoculation increased the saponin content of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis more significantly. AMF inoculation also promoted the expression of genes related to the saponin synthesis pathway, including 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A synthase (HMGS), squalene epoxidase 1 (SE1), and cycloartenol synthase (CAS), which is in according with the accumulation of saponin in plants. It also may increase the saponin content of AMF plants by altering the expression of P450s and UGTs related to saponin synthesis
Laboratory Life: Twenty Years of Experimental Research with Locals and New Comers in Remote Rural Areas
No full textThrough the Latour concept of philosophy of science of laboratory life, the life course of a (geo) ethnographer researcher is analyzed, in order to establish the emotional or more personal dimensions that do not usually appear in research papers, but that have notable relevance in qualitative research. The text is structured in three large parts: A conceptual vision of the new experimental geography; the experimental geo-ethnography in old social, new social and place scenarios; and finally, the most personal and emotional dimension of the research. The first part establishes the geo-ethnographic experimental context and the assumptions in fieldwork, in addition to the geo-ethnographic reconciliation process. In the second part, the main qualitative research problems related to mobility, resistance and dynamics in place are established. Finally, in the third part the research perceptions, the personal experiences, and the emotional dimension of the research in remote rural areas are established. The laboratory life of a researcher, allows one to establish scalar conclusions and rigor in qualitative research
Best Practices in Construction 4.0 – Catalysts of digital innovations (Part II)
No full textThe study examines corporate strategies from different angles, defines potential fields of application and works out existing empirical values and trends in the digitization process of the building sector. It highlights the unintended consequences of technological development and offers concrete practical approaches for responsible use. Using the qualitative research method, the study concludes that digital methods, such as BIM and Digital Twins, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can add value, significantly reduce resources and increase sustainability. The study is part of a larger primary research on Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR) in Construction 4.0; it identifies, analyzes and systematically evaluates the pillars of a sustainable digital transformation, especially in the Construction Industry. The holistic, interdisciplinary view of this study aims to provide orientation for small to medium-sized companies (SMEs) developing their individual digital strategy. An outline of the necessary prerequisites but also design options, as they result from the evaluation of expert interviews and literature research, supports companies in the design of Construction 4.0 that is in-line with the needs of people, society and the environment and shaping more economically efficient building life cycles. Part II on Best Practices in Construction 4.0 follows up on the published Part I. It highlights that digital transformation has also reached the traditionally small-scale AEC industry (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) and catalyzes the variety of innovations
Survival Analysis Using Cox Proportional Hazards Regression for Pile Bridge Piles Under Wet Service Conditions
No full textThis paper studies the deterioration of bridge substructures utilizing the Long-Term Bridge Performance (LTBP) Program InfoBridgeTM and develops a survival model using Cox proportional hazards regression. The survival analysis is based on the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) dataset. The study calculates the survival rate of reinforced and prestressed concrete piles on bridges under marine conditions over a 29-year span (from 1992 to 2020). The state of Maryland is the primary focus of this study, with data from three neighboring regions, the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Delaware to expand the sample size. The data obtained from the National Bridge Inventory are condensed and filtered to acquire the most relevant information for model development. The Cox proportional hazards regression is applied to the condensed NBI data with six parameters: Age, ADT, ADTT, number of spans, span length, and structural length. Two survival models are generated for the bridge substructures: Reinforced and prestressed concrete piles in Maryland and reinforced and prestressed concrete piles in wet service conditions in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Results from the Cox proportional hazards regression are used to construct Markov chains to demonstrate the sequence of the deterioration of bridge substructures. The Markov chains can be used as a tool to assist in the prediction and decision-making for repair, rehabilitation, and replacement of bridge piles. Based on the numerical model, the Pile Assessment Matrix Program (PAM) is developed to facilitate the assessment and maintenance of current bridge structures. The program integrates the NBI database with the inspection and research reports from various states’ department of transportation, to serve as a tool for condition state simulation based on maintenance or rehabilitation strategies
Similarity Intelligence: Similarity Based Reasoning, Computing, and Analytics
No full textSimilarity has been playing an important role in computer science, artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. However, similarity intelligence has been ignored in these disciplines. Similarity intelligence is a process of discovering intelligence through similarity. This article will explore similarity intelligence, similarity-based reasoning, similarity computing and analytics. More specifically, this article looks at the similarity as an intelligence and its impact on a few areas in the real world. It explores similarity intelligence accompanying experience-based intelligence, knowledge-based intelligence, and data-based intelligence to play an important role in computer science, AI, and data science. This article explores similarity-based reasoning (SBR) and proposes three similarity-based inference rules. It then examines similarity computing and analytics, and a multiagent SBR system. The main contributions of this article are: 1) Similarity intelligence is discovered from experience-based intelligence consisting of data-based intelligence and knowledge-based intelligence. 2) Similarity-based reasoning, computing and analytics can be used to create similarity intelligence. The proposed approach will facilitate research and development of similarity intelligence, similarity computing and analytics, machine learning and case-based reasoning
Distribution and Status of the Pallas's Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus (Pallas, 1773) in the Reservoirs of the Palearctic: Review
No full textThe Pallas's Gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus is a piscivorous gull, some local populations of which are rare and vulnerable. The review presents data on the status and distribution of the Pallas's Gull in the reservoirs of the Palearctic—water bodies in which the water level is controlled by humans. The aim of the study was to assess the current state of the species in the reservoirs of the Palearctic. The review was based on 1080 publications found in the search engines Yandex, Google, Google Scholar, eLybrary. During the last 35 years, the Pallas's Gull has been found in 63 reservoirs of the Palearctic. Breeding has been established in 11 reservoirs, breeding has not been established in 43 reservoirs, and birds were present in 9 reservoirs, but the status was not specified. Two-thirds of the reservoirs where the gull was recorded or bred were located in the European part and only 1/3 in Asia. It is assumed that up to 5000 adults (0.45%-4.0% of the global population of the species) breed annually in the reservoirs of the Palearctic, and the reservoirs are not the main habitats for maintaining and reproducing the population of the species. The majority of the breeding population reproduces in natural water bodies, and the reservoirs of the Palearctic are important for the maintenance of non-breeding individuals. Detection of presumed breeding and new breeding colonies in reservoirs north of the historical range of the species has been established on the Russian Plain, in the Urals and Trans-Urals. The reservoirs of Russia play a leading role in providing breeding sites for the species in water bodies of this type. An analysis of the data allows us to state the important and increased role of reservoirs in the modern distribution and expansion of the range of the Pallas's Gull in the Palearcti
Pursuing the Distilled Good Practices to Improve the Quality of Environmental Impact Assessment Reports and Hence Enhance the EIA Effectiveness and Help Address the Concerns of Project Proponents: An Indian Context
No full textDespite a wealth of literature on the different facets of the EIA, and copious theoretical knowledge and practical experience, the general agreement is eluding definitions of EIA effectiveness, quality, and good practices. There are apprehensions about EIA meeting its basic objectives while project proponents continue to treat EIA as an impediment to development. Governments tend to adopt a “practical” approach, sacrificing pillars of EIA and overlooking the prime objective of environmental protection. Based on an extensive literature study and the author’s long EIA-related experience, some key workable practices for the EIA process are elaborated. Meticulous scoping using different sets of lenses, spotlighting significant impacts to determine the breadth and depth of EIA reports for focussed EIAs, robust EIA review and decision-making, commitment from the regulators for environmental protection, and use of strategic planning, strategic environmental assessment, and tiering practices are expected to address scholars’ apprehensions and project proponents’ concerns
On the Role of Security in the System of Personal Values: Are Conservatives Prioritizing Security?
No full textSecurity is a value contained in most theories of personal values. Yet, while the relations among the most basic values are clear and reliable, the role of security in the system of values remains ambiguous. People striving for security are often also striving for tradition and conformity but sometimes they are focusing more on other values (such as health values, for example). Based on eight representative surveys (N = 24,000) in several German cities between 1998 and 2022, the author shows that when measuring security without suggesting a particular meaning of this notion, security takes a relatively central position within the system of values and their components (shown by multidimensional scaling, MDS). People striving for security also emphasize the importance of law and order, working hard, and having a good family life as guiding principles in their lives. Conformity is not that important for them, and having an exciting life is even negatively correlated. Age has little impact on the MDS structure of values and their components, even though people exhibit substantial changes in the relative weights they assign to many values as they get older