180 research outputs found
Quantifying status and trends from monitoring surveys: application to Pygmy Whitefish (Prosopium coulterii) in Lake Superior
No full textPopulation assessments of fish species often rely on data from surveys with different objectives such as measuring biodiversity or community dynamics. These surveys often contain spatial-temporal dependencies that can greatly influence conclusions drawn from analyses. Pygmy whitefish (PWF, Prosopium coulterii) populations in Lake Superior were recently assessed as Threatened by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Species in Canada which motivated a thorough analysis of available data to improve our understanding of its population status. The U.S. Geological Survey conducts annual bottom trawl surveys in Lake Superior that commonly captures PWF. We used these data (1989-2018) to model temporal trends in PWF biomass-density and make lake-wide population projections. We used a Bayesian approach, Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation (INLA), and compared the impact of including different random structures on model fit. Inclusion of spatial structure improved model fit and conclusions differed from models omitting random effects. PWF populations have experienced periodic fluctuations in biomass-density since 1989, though 2018 may represent the lowest density in the 30-year time series. Lake-wide biomass was estimated to be 71.5t.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Physicochemical Properties and Photodegradation and Separation Performance of Translucent Hollow Fiber Polyvinylidene Fluoride: Effect of Hydrophilic Surface Modifying Macromolecules Loading
No full textOil produced water (OPW) is a significant waste product of oil and gas industry, with varying composition depending on location and age. Although membrane separation is effective for treating OPW, its susceptibility to severe fouling and limited options for addressing fouling require urgent technological advancements. To address this challenge, present study successfully designed a novel membrane material that exhibits promising potential. Translucent hollow fiber polyvinylidene fluoride (T-PVDF) photocatalytic membrane was fabricated. Hollow nanofiber graphitic carbon nitride (HCN) was immobilized into the T-PVDF membrane via blending method. Hydrophilic surface modifying macromolecules (LSMM) at 0.25 wt. %, 0.50 wt. % and 0.75 wt. % loading helped producing non-delaminated T-PVDF photocatalytic membrane by adjusting the dispersion HCN in the membrane structure. The translucency of LSMM membranes were recorded more than 80° where the translucency decreases upon increase in loading of LSMM owing to the nature of LSMM which resulted in the degradation efficiency of the immobilized HCN to 90.0%. Owing to its non-delaminated morphology, the pure water flux (PWF), permeate flux (PF) and rejection with and without visible light irradiation is high. Among the LSMM membranes, T2-PVDF membrane showed the best performance with 770 L.m-2.h, 520 L.m-2.h and 97% for PWF, PF and rejection without visible light irradiation, respectively. Under visible light irradiation, the PWF, PF and rejection for the similar membrane has increased and recorded to be 890 L.m-2.h, 850 L.m-2.h and 99.0%, respectively. The findings concludes that translucency and membrane morphology are important factors in achieving effective membrane performance and photodegradation.First author (Komathi Kannathasan) would like to express gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia under HICoE grant, R.J090301.7851.4J433, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Malaysia under International Collaboration Fund, IF0120I1176, and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for the financial funding under Hi-Tech (F4) grant Q.J130000.4609.00Q14
Improvement of weak targets detectability in strong clutter using the polarization contrast enhancement
No full textGround clutter signal is a kind of unwanted echoes in target detection radar system, which are normally reflected by ground surface, ground-based objects, and obstacles. It can be collected and characterized in polar coordinates in terms of range and azimuth. By using polarimetric based algorithms, including them single channel detector, the span detector, the power maximization synthesis (PMS) detector, the identity likelihood-ratio-test (ILRT), the polarimetric whitening filter (PWF), and the optimal polarimetric detector (OPD), the target detection radar system can distinguish the characteristics and diversity of multiple targets.In this thesis, a polarimetric radar simulator to generate multi-channel polarimetric signals with specific statistical characteristics has been developed and validated in the simulation. In the measurement, a new noise-based equalization for all polarimetric radar channels has been proposed and tested, which improves the reliability and accuracy of the polarimetric information. After noised-based calibration and model-based decomposition of the polarization covariance matrix, with regenerated measurement slow-time data, a variety of targets in heavy clutter with signal power comparable to the target are detected by polarimetric algorithms in the environment of strong clutters. Starting from numerical simulation and comparison of different detector algorithms, this work has validated the feasibility and accuracy of each detector in realistic scenario. The measurement result agrees with the simulation result that with the use of radar polarimetric information as a priori knowledge, target detection can be improvedby polarimetric detectors.Electrical Engineering | Signals and System
Análise e classificação das segmentações de músicas
No full textThe structural analysis of music contains two subproblems: boundary detection and structural
grouping, which are analyzed in this work in detail. The result of the first subproblem directly
affects the second one. To automate these activities, the Music Structure Analysis Framework
(MSAF) was used with two algorithms, Convex Non-Negative Matrix Factorization and 2D
Fourier Magnitude Coefficients, which execute these two activities with the k-means
clustering technique. In this work, beyond the analysis of MSAF's performance, the music
application Moises was used. In this work, a small, but rich in details, dataset was built, which
relied on the assessment of a professional musician and the author, a student of theoretical and
practical music specializing in electric guitar. To analyze the obtained results, the main
metrics were Pairwise Frame Clustering (PWF) and F-measure. A comparative analysis was
made between the results of the boundary detections and the suggested labels (structural
grouping) of the resulting segmentations of the MSAF framework and the Moises app, which
diverge from the golden pattern. The mean of the result of PWF in 5 songs of the dataset for
Moises was 42,29%, with MSAF, algorithm 2DFMC, 50,08%. Lastly, for the CNMF
algorithm in MSAF, PWF reached 44,18%. It was concluded that the divergences of the
notations adopted influenced directly in the final result achieved by the applications,
regardless of being the framework or the Moises app, which reinforces the complexity of the
activity to handle its subjectivity, besides evidencing the disagreement between the evaluating
musicians of the datasets.A análise estrutural de músicas possui dois subproblemas: detecção de limites temporais e o
agrupamento estrutural, analisados aqui, detalhadamente. O resultado do primeiro
subproblema influencia diretamente no resultado do segundo. Para automatizar estas
atividades, foi utilizado, neste trabalho, o framework MSAF (do inglês, Music Structure
Analysis Framework), com dois algoritmos, Convex Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (do
português, Fatoração de Matriz Convexa Não-Negativa) e 2D Fourier Magnitude Coefficients
(do português, Coeficientes de Magnitude de Fourier 2D), que utilizam a técnica de
agrupamento k-means. Neste trabalho, além da performance do MSAF ter sido analisada, foi
avaliado o aplicativo de música Moises. Foi construído, para tanto, um conjunto de dados de 5
músicas, padrão-ouro, rico em detalhes nas anotações das segmentações de músicas, que
contaram com a avaliação de um músico profissional e da autora, estudante de teoria e prática
musical com foco em guitarra elétrica. Para analisar os resultados obtidos, foram avaliadas
principalmente as métricas PWF (do inglês, Pairwise Frame Clustering), além da medida-F.
Foi feita uma análise comparativa entre os resultados dos limites temporais e dos rótulos
sugeridos (agrupamento estrutural) das segmentações resultantes do framework MSAF e do
aplicativo de música Moises, que divergem do padrão-ouro. A média do resultado do PWF
nas 5 músicas do conjunto de dados para o Moises foi de 42,29%, com o MSAF, algoritmo
2DFMC, 50,08%. Por fim, para o algoritmo CNMF do MSAF, o PWF alcançou 44,18%.
Concluiu-se que as divergências de notações utilizadas nas anotações influenciam diretamente
no resultado final alcançado pelas aplicações, o que reforça a complexidade da atividade para
lidar com a subjetividade ao realizá-la, além de evidenciar que há discordância entre os
músicos avaliadores dos conjuntos de dados
"Home" A keynote debate at the Prague Writers Festival, which took place on 3rd October 2014
No full textA keynote debate during the second gala evening at the Prague Writers's Festival, which took place in the Upper House of the Czech Parliament on Friday 3rd October 2014. The participants were the Moroccan authors Mahi Binebine and Fatéma Chahid, the Czech author Tomáš Zmeškal and the former Chairperson of the UN General Assembly and former Czech Foreign Secretary Jan Kavan. The moderator was Jan Čulík.
The debate was televised, it is available here, it is the second video, from minute 60:
http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/kultura/287880-sledujte-na-webu-ct24-cteni-a-diskuse-z-festivalu-spisovatelu
Errata, nursing homes. Budget percentiles for baseline and redesigned commercial type buildings: cities with try weather tapes; based on resource utilization factors (RUF); based on price weighting factors (PWF)
No full textVascular dysfunction in horses with endocrinopathic laminitis
No full text\ua9 2016 Morgan et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Endocrinopathic laminitis (EL) is a vascular condition of the equine hoof resulting in severe lameness with both welfare and economic implications. EL occurs in association with equine metabolic syndrome and equine Cushing\u27s disease. Vascular dysfunction, most commonly due to endothelial dysfunction, is associated with cardiovascular risk in people with metabolic syndrome and Cushing\u27s syndrome. We tested the hypothesis that horses with EL have vascular, specifically endothelial, dysfunction. Healthy horses (n = 6) and horses with EL (n = 6) destined for euthanasia were recruited. We studied vessels from the hooves (laminar artery, laminar vein) and the facial skin (facial skin arteries) by small vessel wire myography. The response to vasoconstrictors phenylephrine (10-9-10-5M) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT; 10-9-10-5M) and the vasodilator acetylcholine (10-9-10-5M) was determined. In comparison with healthy controls, acetylcholine-induced relaxation was dramatically reduced in all intact vessels from horses with EL (% relaxation of healthy laminar arteries 323.5 \ub1 94.1% v EL 90.8 \ub1 4.4%, P = 0.01, laminar veins 129.4 \ub1 14.8% v EL 71.2 \ub1 4.1%, P = 0.005 and facial skin arteries 182.0 \ub1 40.7% v EL 91.4 \ub1 4.5%, P = 0.01). In addition, contractile responses to phenylephrine and 5HT were increased in intact laminar veins from horses with EL compared with healthy horses; these differences were endothelium-independent. Sensitivity to phenylephrine was reduced in intact laminar arteries (P = 0.006) and veins (P = 0.009) from horses with EL. Horses with EL exhibit significant vascular dysfunction in laminar vessels and in facial skin arteries. The systemic nature of the abnormalities suggest this dysfunction is associated with the underlying endocrinopathy and not local changes to the hoof
Controle automático para injeção otimizada de gás em poços de petróleo equipados para funcionamento com gás lift contínuo
No full textThe continuous gas lift method is the main artificial lifting method used in the oil industry for submarine wells, due to its robustness and the large range of flow rate that the
well might operate. Nowadays, there is a huge amount of wells producing under this mechanism. This method of elevation has a slow dynamics due to the transients and a
correlation between the injected gas rate and the of produced oil rate. Electronics controllers have been used to adjust many parameters of the oil wells and also to improve the efficiency of the gas lift injection system. This paper presents a intelligent control system applied to continuous gas injection in wells, based in production s rules, that has the target of keeping the wells producing during the maximum period of time, in its best operational condition, and doing automatically all necessary adjustments when occurs some disturbance in the system. The author also describes the application of the intelligent control system as a tool to
control the flow pressure in the botton of the well (Pwf). In this case, the control system actuates in the surface control valveO método de elevação por gás lift contínuo é o principal método de elevação artificial utilizado, principalmente, para produção em poços submarinos devido a sua robustez e a larga faixa de vazão que o poço pode produzir. Há um grande percentual de poços produzindo sob este mecanismo no Brasil. Este tipo de método de elevação apresenta algumas características próprias, sendo uma delas sua dinâmica lenta devido aos transientes e outra é a existência de uma correlação entre a vazão de gás injetado e a vazão de óleo produzido. Controladores eletrônicos têm sido utilizados para realizar ajustes em alguns parâmetros do poço e melhorar
a eficiência de injeção de gás lift. Este trabalho apresenta um sistema inteligente de controle automático da injeção de
gás, baseando-se em regras de produção, que busca manter os poços equipados para gás lift contínuo produzindo o maior tempo possível, nas condições ótimas de operação e que faz os ajustes automáticos necessários quando ocorre alguma perturbação no sistema. Mostra-se que é possível, utilizando o sistema inteligente apresentado, exercer o controle da pressão de fluxo no fundo do poço (Pwf) através da manipulação da abertura da válvula de controle de
superfíci
Modification of commercial cellulose membranes
No full textTyön tavoitteena on selvittää, saadaanko fysikaalisella käsittelyllä tai selluloosapinnoitteella vaikutettua selluloosamembraanin katkaisukokoon. Kirjallisuusosassa on katsaus kokeellisen osion tärkeimpiin kohtiin; membraanitekniikkaan ja ultrasuodatukseen. Membraanitekniikassa käsiteltiin pääpiirteitä ja membraanin rakenteita. Ultrasuodatuksessa määritettiin tärkeimmät materiaalit sekä moduulit. Kokeellisessa osiossa membraaneja käsiteltiin uunissa 1—5 tunnin ajan ja membraanin päälle saostettiin selluloosapinnoite. Vesivuo mittaukset suoritettiin paineen funktiona Amicon- suodatuskennolla. Membraanien retentiota tutkittiin polyetyleeniglykoliliuosten avulla, jotka analysoitiin orgaanisen hiilen (TOC) analysaattorilla. Lämpökäsittelyllä, sekä selluloosapinnoitteella saatiin pienennettyä puhdasvesivuota. Selluloosapinnoitteella saatiin parhaimmat tulokset vesivuomittauksista. Malliaineretentioissa ei saatu merkittäviä muutoksia selluloosapinnoitteella tai lämpökäsittelyllä.The aim of this thesis is to determine if physical treatment or additional cellulose coating affects the cut-off of cellulose membrane. The literature section provides an overview for membrane technology and ultrafiltration. The membrane technology section discusses membrane technology and membranes’ structures. In the experimental section, the author explains how membranes were manipulated in the oven for one to five hours which precipitates a cellulose coating over the membrane. The pure water flux (PWF) was measured by Amicon stirred cell. The retentate of membranes was researched with polyethylene glycol solutions. The solutions were analyzed using an organic carbon (TOC) analyzer. The heat treatment and the cellulose coating affected the pure water flux; however, the cellulose coating produced the best results. The model retention measurements did not produce significant results either way.
Safer topical treatment for inflammation using 5α-tetrahydrocorticosterone in mouse models
No full text\ua9 2017 The Author(s) Use of topical glucocorticoid for inflammatory skin conditions is limited by systemic and local side-effects. This investigation addressed the hypothesis that topical 5α-tetrahydrocorticosterone (5αTHB, a corticosterone metabolite) inhibits dermal inflammation without affecting processes responsible for skin thinning and impaired wound healing. The topical anti-inflammatory properties of 5αTHB were compared with those of corticosterone in C57Bl/6 male mice with irritant dermatitis induced by croton oil, whereas its effects on angiogenesis, inflammation, and collagen deposition were investigated by subcutaneous sponge implantation. 5αTHB decreased dermal swelling and total cell infiltration associated with dermatitis similarly to corticosterone after 24 h, although at a five fold higher dose, but in contrast did not have any effects after 6 h. Pre-treatment with the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU486 attenuated the effect of corticosterone on swelling at 24 h, but not that of 5αTHB. After 24 h 5αTHB reduced myeloperoxidase activity (representative of neutrophil infiltration) to a greater extent than corticosterone. At equipotent anti-inflammatory doses 5αTHB suppressed angiogenesis to a limited extent, unlike corticosterone which substantially decreased angiogenesis compared to vehicle. Furthermore, 5αTHB reduced only endothelial cell recruitment in sponges whereas corticosterone also inhibited smooth muscle cell recruitment and decreased transcripts of angiogenic and inflammatory genes. Strikingly, corticosterone, but not 5αTHB, reduced collagen deposition. However, both 5αTHB and corticosterone attenuated macrophage infiltration into sponges. In conclusion, 5αTHB displays the profile of a safer topical anti-inflammatory compound. With limited effects on angiogenesis and extracellular matrix, it is less likely to impair wound healing or cause skin thinning
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