2,639 research outputs found
Functional assessment of urban forested wetlands.
Full text linkWetlands perform various functions of vital socio-ecological significance. To avoid further loss of functions, functional assessment techniques for management purposes are important to develop for different wetland classes. Our aim was to assess the biotic functions of urban-forested wetlands, and to evaluate specific functional assessment models in an urban setting. The models were adopted from the low gradient riverine wetlands hydrogeomorphic (HGM) functional assessment guidebook of Western Kentucky of the US Army Corps of Engineers. Three bottomland hardwood wetlands were chosen for assessment and models evaluation in East Baton Rouge Parish (EBRP), Louisiana. Fourteen out of 17 variables for nutrient cycling, maintenance of native plant community and provision of habitat for wildlife functions were applicable to the selected wetlands. Three surrogate variables were developed to fill identified gaps in the existing models and provide more accurate assessment of urban forested wetlands. Litter layer depth was found to be a more reliable assessment variable for quantifying Ohorizon biomass production than the presence/absence of an O-horizon. Dominant wetlands plant species list was adjusted to accurately reflect the flora of the urban forested wetlands of EBRP. An additional variable for characterization of forest strata as a factor of wildlife habitat provision was developed, and added to the model. Overbank flood frequency variable was not applicable to the fragmented urban wetlands and was removed from the models. The amended assessment models accurately captured existing wetland conditions and the effects of site alterations due to urbanization. These alterations caused significant differences (p <0.05) in wildlife habitat provision, maintenance of characteristic plants community and nutrient cycling functions among the three sites. Further work on the application of these models in similar urban forested settings in the southeastern US is recommended
Role of Extension Services in Enhancing Efficiency of Market Oriented Dairy Farmers: An Evidence from Punjab, Pakistan
No full textAgricultural extension programmes are the main source of disseminating technical information to farmers which enhance their skills and in turn farm productivity. Livestock sector in the main sub sector of agriculture in Pakistan that contributes nearly 60% to agricultural value addition. In this study, we investigated the effects of extension services on market oriented dairy farms’ technical efficiency in Pakistan. The data was collected from 345 dairy farmers of Punjab through field survey. By employing the stochastic frontier approach, it was found that on an average 85% dairy farms are technically efficient, indicating that output can be increased by 15% by enhancing the efficiency of the dairy farms. The study reveals that extension services enhance the technical efficiency of dairy farmers by imparting better management and disease control skills. Extended extension services are recommended, alongside quality training programmes and the provision of improved crossbred cattle and buffalos to ensure good quality breeds
sj-pdf-2-pie-10.1177_09544089221076592 - Supplemental material for Thermal investigation of peristaltic pumping of modified hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3−TiO2−Cu)/H2O) through a complex wavy convergent channel with electro-magneto-hydrodynamic phenomenon
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-2-pie-10.1177_09544089221076592 for Thermal investigation of peristaltic pumping of modified hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3−TiO2−Cu)/H2O) through a complex wavy convergent channel with electro-magneto-hydrodynamic phenomenon by Khurram Javid, Muhammad Bilal, Nasir Ali and Sami Ullah Khan in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering</p
sj-docx-1-pie-10.1177_09544089221076592 - Supplemental material for Thermal investigation of peristaltic pumping of modified hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3−TiO2−Cu)/H2O) through a complex wavy convergent channel with electro-magneto-hydrodynamic phenomenon
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-1-pie-10.1177_09544089221076592 for Thermal investigation of peristaltic pumping of modified hybrid nanofluid (Al2O3−TiO2−Cu)/H2O) through a complex wavy convergent channel with electro-magneto-hydrodynamic phenomenon by Khurram Javid, Muhammad Bilal, Nasir Ali and Sami Ullah Khan in Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part E: Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering</p
Inorganic carbon losses by soil acidification jeopardize global efforts on carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation
No full textSoil plays a significant role in controlling the global carbon (C) cycle. Studies on climate change mitigation have focused entirely on soil organic carbon (SOC) to increase C sequestration and decrease carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In contrast, the contribution of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) to CO2 emissions is usually neglected because SIC is generally considered to be very stable. However, the significant worldwide increase in soil acidification, mainly because of higher N fertilization and atmospheric deposition, causes a considerable decrease in SIC stocks, leading to very high unaccounted CO2 efflux. Additionally, large areas of acidic soils worldwide are regularly subjected to high SIC applications in the form of lime to remediate acidity, which is another direct source of CO2 emission. Consequently, global efforts to mitigate climate change through SOC sequestration need a revisit as SIC-borne C losses are significant both in terms of C stocks and soil fertility loss, upon which future SOC sequestration will be reduced. Compared to SOC, wherein C stocks can be increased through management, SIC losses are irreversible and cause significant decline in soil health, ecosystem services, and functions. The present review is the first to summarize the current information about acidification-induced intensified SIC losses and their mechanisms. It included: (i) natural and anthropogenic sources and causes of soil acidification, (ii) losses of SIC as HCO3− leaching and CO2 efflux from calcareous soils (7.5 Tg C yr−1) and liming (273 Tg C yr−1) during acidity neutralization, (iii) the relationship between climate change and SIC stocks, (iv) consequences of SIC depletion in soil-plant-water systems, and (v) strategies to remediate and control soil acidification. We concluded that acidification-induced SIC-borne CO2 losses are a major C loss pathway and could jeopardize global efforts to mitigate climate change through SOC sequestration
A Non-Integer High-Order Sliding Mode Control of Induction Motor with Machine Learning-Based Speed Observer
Full text linkThe induction motor (IM) drives are prone to various uncertainties, disturbances, and non-linear dynamics. A high-performance control system is essential in the outer loop to guarantee the accurate convergence of speed and torque to the required value. Super-twisting sliding mode control (ST-SMC) and fractional-order calculus have been widely used to enhance the sliding mode control (SMC) performance for IM drives. This paper combines the ST-SMC and fractional-order calculus attributes to propose a novel super-twisting fractional-order sliding mode control (ST-FOSMC) for the outer loop speed control of the model predictive torque control (MPTC)-based IM drive system. The MPTC of the IM drive requires some additional sensors for speed control. This paper also presents a novel machine learning-based Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) framework to estimate the speed of IM. The GPR model is trained using the voltage and current dataset obtained from the simulation of a three-phase MPTC based IM drive system. The performance of the GPR-based ST-FOSMC MPTC drive system is evaluated using various test cases, namely (a) electric fault incorporation, (b) parameter perturbation, and (c) load torque variations in Matlab/Simulink environment. The stability of ST-FOSMC is validated using a fractional-order Lyapunov function. The proposed control and estimation strategy provides effective and improved performance with minimal error compared to the conventional proportional integral (PI) and SMC strategies
Supplemental Material, sj-docx-1-ptd-10.1177_08968608231167237 - Population pharmacokinetics of meropenem in patients undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis
No full textSupplemental Material, sj-docx-1-ptd-10.1177_08968608231167237 for Population pharmacokinetics of meropenem in patients undergoing automated peritoneal dialysis by Sami Ullah, Martin Ursli, Uwe Fuhr, Martin Wiesholzer, Manuel Kussmann, Wolfgang Poeppl, Markus Zeitlinger and Max Taubert in Peritoneal Dialysis International</p
English Loanwords Adaptation and Substitution Process in Lasi
Full text linkEnglish Loanwords Adaptation and Substitution Process in Lasi
Asad Ullah Aliani 1
Zahid Ali2
Sami Ullah Khan3
1MS scholar, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan
2Associate Professor, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan
3Assistant Professor, Faculty of Languages and Literature, Lasbela University of Agriculture, Water and Marine Sciences, Uthal, Balochistan
Abstract
Loanwords often go under the adaptation process with native words. In the loanwords adaptation phonology has a vital role. The loanword phonology highlights more features in a particular language. The phonological pattern of loanword phonology is novel. It is the reflection of native phonology. The English loanwords are adapted in the Lasi. This paper addresses the questions: Which sounds are substituted in Lasi? and How substitutions with English loanwords occur in Lasi? The data are collected through observation and interviews. Optimality Theory is used for data analysis and presentation. It is the most used framework in current era. Optimality Theory is used by Ito and Mester (1995, 1999), Davidson and Noyer (1996) Broselow (2004) and other constraint-based approaches by Paradis and LaCharité (1997), LaCharité and Paradis (2005) as well as Crawford (2007). Towards the end, it has been seen that an English loanword and its Lasi counterpart have different structure, they are adopted and used by Lasi speakers in different ways, in their own style. Lasi natives prefer one feature changing rule for the ease of pronunciation. In English, loanwords adaptation terminal devoicing, continuant feature, retroflexion and palatalization are common. Lasi natives prefer unmarked constraints in adaptation. These words are pronounced according to Lasi phonological pattern. It can be claimed on the base of the inputs and outputs that Lasi adapts English loanwords according to it is own pattern. The substitution processes take place while changing one feature. Substitutions have been occurred from marked to unmarked. The preference of distinct feature is given to the unmarked features. So, the process of lenition occurs in Lasi English loanwords. It is common that languages always prefer unmarked as compared to markedness. So, the same rule has been followed by Lasi
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