20 research outputs found
Supplementary material 3 from: Rais M, Ahmed J, Naveed A, Batool A, Shahzad A, Bibi R, Sajjad A (2021) Field surveys along habitat gradients revealed differences in herpetofauna assemblage in Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad, Pakistan. Biodiversity Data Journal 9: e61541. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.9.e61541
No full textSpecies lis
Nacre inspired tailoring of mechanically strong hydrophobic coatings through Layer-by-Layer assembly
No full textAn integrated architecture for semantic search
No full textmeaningful manner such that software agents can search, reason with and manipulate this
data based on an understanding of its semantics. Accessing structured data from Linked
Open Datasets currently requires the use of formal query languages (such as SPARQL) which
poses significant difficulties for the end users.
One way to solve this problem is to provide a Natural Language Interface (NLI) to query
semantic data. The author undertook a comprehensive literature survey of existing semantic
search tools and performed a critical analysis to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Although some of the existing tools support natural language, they are limited in their
techniques for query processing, result ranking, result readability and ease of integration
with other search tools. Based upon this analysis, this research proposes a new architecture
framework called SIRF (Semantic Information Retrieval Framework) for semantic search to
address these shortcomings.
This thesis provides a complete overview of the proposed framework, including: the
research challenges it addresses; its architecture; the techniques to map user queries to
SPARQL queries and to rank domains based on ontology concepts; and the evaluation of the
proposed system through a prototype. Evaluation of the prototype demonstrated the validity
of the approach. However the quality of resulting queries (and consequently retrieved
answers) depended upon the accuracy of the NLP parsers invoked by the prototype. Syntactically
well structured NL queries were correctly parsed, yielding better formed SPARQL
queries. Less structured NL queries performed poorly. As the framework is not tied to any
particular parser, result quality can be improved by utilising better parsers as they become
available.
The author believes that this work can be employed by a variety of end-user applications
that wish to utilise structured data
An integrated architecture for semantic search
No full textmeaningful manner such that software agents can search, reason with and manipulate this
data based on an understanding of its semantics. Accessing structured data from Linked
Open Datasets currently requires the use of formal query languages (such as SPARQL) which
poses significant difficulties for the end users.
One way to solve this problem is to provide a Natural Language Interface (NLI) to query
semantic data. The author undertook a comprehensive literature survey of existing semantic
search tools and performed a critical analysis to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Although some of the existing tools support natural language, they are limited in their
techniques for query processing, result ranking, result readability and ease of integration
with other search tools. Based upon this analysis, this research proposes a new architecture
framework called SIRF (Semantic Information Retrieval Framework) for semantic search to
address these shortcomings.
This thesis provides a complete overview of the proposed framework, including: the
research challenges it addresses; its architecture; the techniques to map user queries to
SPARQL queries and to rank domains based on ontology concepts; and the evaluation of the
proposed system through a prototype. Evaluation of the prototype demonstrated the validity
of the approach. However the quality of resulting queries (and consequently retrieved
answers) depended upon the accuracy of the NLP parsers invoked by the prototype. Syntactically
well structured NL queries were correctly parsed, yielding better formed SPARQL
queries. Less structured NL queries performed poorly. As the framework is not tied to any
particular parser, result quality can be improved by utilising better parsers as they become
available.
The author believes that this work can be employed by a variety of end-user applications
that wish to utilise structured data
New survey data on abundance and movements for two poorly known Asian Spiny Frogs
No full textWe present new natural history data on abundance and movements (daily and seasonal) during the pre-breeding (March-June) and breeding-post-breeding season (July-September) of two poorly studied frog species of the Himalayas, Nanorana vicina and Allopaa hazarensis. We estimated 185 Murree Hills Frogs and 90 Hazara Frogs within the study area (0.79 ha). The daily and seasonal movement data showed that the two species moved either between neighboring ponds or remained in an array of smaller ponds (within an area of 120 m2) along the stream bank. About 75% of movements were < 29.5 m in N. vicina and < 50.87 m in A. hazarensis during pre-breeding season while < 41.5 m in N. vicina and < 81 m in A. hazarensis during breeding-post-breeding season. We suggest inclusion of amphibian habitat requirements and ensuring stream connectivity in urban planning and development projects in the area to prevent the local extinction of the endemic species. In the future, more robust and long-term studies, encompassing more streams situated within a wider area, would help clarify dispersal, colonization, metapopulation structure, and dynamics of these endemic frogs of the forested montane streams in the Himalayan Foothills
Optical Methods for Brain Tumor Detection: A Systematic Review
No full textBackground: In brain tumor surgery, maximal tumor resection is typically desired. This is complicated by infiltrative tumor cells which cannot be visually distinguished from healthy brain tissue. Optical methods are an emerging field that can potentially revolutionize brain tumor surgery through intraoperative differentiation between healthy and tumor tissues. Methods: This study aimed to systematically explore and summarize the existing literature on the use of Raman Spectroscopy (RS), Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) for brain tumor detection. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for studies evaluating the accuracy of these systems for brain tumor detection. Outcome measures included accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results: In total, 44 studies were included, covering a range of tumor types and technologies. Accuracy metrics in the studies ranged between 54 and 100% for RS, 69 and 99% for HSI, 82 and 99% for OCT, and 42 and 100% for DRS. Conclusions: This review provides insightful evidence on the use of optical methods in distinguishing tumor from healthy brain tissue.Medical Instruments & Bio-Inspired Technolog
Field surveys along habitat gradients revealed differences in herpetofauna assemblage in Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad, Pakistan
No full textThis study was conducted to see whether herpetofaunal assemblage differed amongst hiking trails, undisturbed forest and urban areas within the Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad Capital Territory, Pakistan. Circular plot area-constrained searches (45 plots in each habitat, each plot with an area of 25 m2) were used from March 2018 to July 2019. We recorded seven amphibian species, nine lizard species and six snake species. The species richness of amphibians and lizards was the same in the studied strata, while the detection and encounter rate of snakes was lower in the undisturbed forest and urban areas. The encounter rate of amphibians differed significantly between urban areas and hiking trails/undisturbed forest. The encounter rate and population density of lizards differed significantly between undisturbed forest and urban areas. The most frequently encountered amphibian species along the hiking trail and urban areas was Duttaphrynus stomaticus, with Hoplobatrachus tigerinus in undisturbed forest. The most common and frequently encountered lizard species along the hiking trail and urban areas was Hemidactylus brookii, while the Ophisops jerdonii was the most frequently seen in undisturbed forest. The most common and frequently encountered snake species along the hiking trail and undisturbed forest was the Indotyphlops braminus, while Ptyas mucosa was the most common in urban areas. The subsequent bio-assessment, based on herpetofauna, of the Park revealed good to excellent biotic integrity The Park faces threats including livestock grazing, alien invasive vegetation and human disturbance due to settlements, restaurants and tourism-related activities. While several of these threats have been mitigated since the establishment of the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, the Park still requires improved management, especially regarding regulating tourism
Effect of soybean meal (SBM) on growth and hematological parameters of rohu (Labeo rohita) and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
No full textThis study investigates the efficacy of soybean meal (SBM) as a potential protein source in aquafeed, focusing on its effects on the growth and hematological parameters of rohu (Labeo rohita) and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella). The research was conducted at the Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. With global demand for fishmeal exceeding supply, alternative protein sources, such as SBM, are increasingly crucial for sustainable aquaculture. The study, spanning 7 weeks, involved assigning rohu and grass carp into control (fish meal) and experimental soybean meal (SBM) groups. Growth parameters, including weight, length, specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and survival rate, were monitored, alongside hematological analyses. The fish were fed on an experimental diet at a feeding level of 2% of body weight. The results indicated comparable growth performance between SBM-fed and fishmeal-fed groups, with SBM potentially enhancing survival rates. Body weight gain and SGR increased significantly compared to the control group fed with FM in rohu. However, for grass carp, there was no significant difference in weight gain and SGR values when fed SBM compared to FM. For rohu, the hematological studies showed significantly higher red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, and leucocytes. For grass carp RBCs, hemoglobin, and hematocrit values showed a declining tendency with experimental feed; besides that, there was a prominent rise in white blood cell (WBC) count and lymphocytes. These results suggested that SBM could be incorporated at varying percentages in carp feed, considering enhanced growth performance and hematological status as a cost-effective alternative protein source strategy to overcome the cost of fish meal protein in the aquaculture industry
Nanostructured Lead Sulphide Depositions by AACVD Technique Using Bis(Isobutyldithiophosphinato)Lead(II) Complex as Single Source Precursor and Its Impedance Study
No full textThis communication reports the synthesis of bis(diisobutyldithiophosphinato)lead(II) complex and its subsequent application as a single source precursor for the nanostructured deposition of lead sulphide semiconductors and its impedance to explore its scope in the field of electronics. Synthesized complex was characterized by microelemental analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. This complex was decomposed using the aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition technique at different temperatures to grow PbS nanostructures on glass substrates. These nanostructures were analyzed by XRD, SEM, TEM and EDX methods. Impedance spectroscopic measurements were performed for PbS in the frequency range of 40 to 6 MHz at room temperature. In a complex impedance plane plot, two relaxation processes were exhibited due to grains and grain boundaries contribution. A high value of dielectric constant was observed at low frequencies, which was explained on the basis of Koops phenomenological model and Maxwell–Wagner type polarization. Frequency-dependent AC conductivity results were compliant with Jonscher power law, while capacitance–voltage loop had a butterfly shape. These impedance spectroscopic results have corroborated the ferroelectric nature of the resultant PbS nanodeposition
