scholarly journals Insect Monitoring Radar: Maximizing Performance and Utility

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 596 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Alistair Drake ◽  
Shane Hatty ◽  
Colin Symons ◽  
Haikou Wang
Keyword(s):  
Digital Technology ◽  
Insect Flight ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Signal Acquisition ◽  
Control Performance ◽  
Height Range ◽  
Data Archiving ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Insect Monitoring

Autonomously-operating radars employing the ‘ZLC configuration’ have been providing long-term datasets of insect flight activity to heights of about 1 km since the late 1990s. A unit of this type operating in Australia has recently received a major upgrade. The aim of the project was to maximize the utility of the radar to entomologists and aeroecologists by providing larger and more continuous datasets and extending observations to 2.5 km. The upgrade was achieved primarily by incorporating modern digital technology, which has enabled much improved data-acquisition, control performance, and data-archiving capacity; by implementing a more comprehensive observing protocol; and by replacing fixed electronic signal-acquisition gates with specially developed software that identifies insect echoes and applies a narrow moving gate that follows them. The upgraded version provides an approximately five-fold increase in hourly sample sizes, a doubling of the duration of observations (from 12 to 24 h per day) and a doubling of the height range over which observations are made. The design considerations (incentives and constraints) that informed the various subsystem implementations are identified, and the necessary compromises are discussed. Observations of the development of a layer echo during a migration by two different insect types are presented as a demonstration of the upgraded unit’s capabilities.

scholarly journals No Observed Adverse Effects on Health Were Detected in Adult Beagle Dogs When Fed a High-Calcium Diet for 40 Weeks

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1799
Author(s):  
Jujhar Atwal ◽  
Jonathan Stockman ◽  
Matthew Gilham ◽  
David Allaway ◽  
Helen Renfrew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Filtration Rate ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Diet Group ◽  
Test Diet ◽  
Beagle Dogs ◽  
Adverse Health Effects ◽  
Mineral Balance ◽  
High Calcium ◽  
High Calcium Diet

The implications of long-term high calcium (Ca) intake are well documented in growing dogs and in adult dogs of large breed size, however, the consequences on other breeds and breed sizes are yet to be determined. Eighteen neutered adult beagles, nine males and nine females aged 1.4–4.4 years, were randomized to control or test diets providing in g∙4184 kJ−1 (1000 kcal−1): 1.44 and 7.19 total Ca balanced with 1.05 and 4.25 total phosphorus, respectively, for 40 weeks. Health parameters, ultrasound scans, radiographs, glomerular filtration rate, and mineral balance were measured at eight-week intervals. All dogs remained healthy with no measured evidence of orthopedic, urinary, or renal disease. The test diet resulted in a 5.2 fold increase in fecal Ca excretion. Apparent Ca digestibility (%) and Ca balance (g/d) did not significantly (p > 0.05) change from baseline in the test diet group, although dogs displayed a positive Ca balance (maximum at week 8, 1.11 g/d with 95% CI (0.41, 1.80)) before a neutral Ca balance was restored at week 32. Despite an initial positive Ca balance, we can conclude that no measurable adverse health effects were observed as a result of the test diet fed in this study in beagles over a period of 40 weeks.

Association of Dementia-Related Psychosis With Long-term Care Use and Death

Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 96 (12) ◽  
pp. e1620-e1631
Author(s):  
James B. Wetmore ◽  
Yi Peng ◽  
Heng Yan ◽  
Suying Li ◽  
Muna Irfan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Long Term Care ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Proportional Hazard ◽  
Comorbid Conditions ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Risk Of Death ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazard ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Cox Proportional Hazard Regression

ObjectiveTo determine the association of dementia-related psychosis (DRP) with death and use of long-term care (LTC); we hypothesized that DRP would be associated with increased risk of death and use of LTC in patients with dementia.MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed. Medicare claims from 2008 to 2016 were used to define cohorts of patients with dementia and DRP. Outcomes were LTC, defined as nursing home stays of >100 consecutive days, and death. Patients with DRP were directly matched to patients with dementia without psychosis by age, sex, race, number of comorbid conditions, and dementia index year. Association of DRP with outcomes was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model.ResultsWe identified 256,408 patients with dementia. Within 2 years after the dementia index date, 13.9% of patients developed DRP and 31.9% had died. Corresponding estimates at 5 years were 25.5% and 64.0%. Mean age differed little between those who developed DRP (83.8 ± 7.9 years) and those who did not (83.1 ± 8.7 years). Patients with DRP were slightly more likely to be female (71.0% vs 68.3%) and white (85.7% vs 82.0%). Within 2 years of developing DRP, 16.1% entered LTC and 52.0% died; corresponding percentages for patients without DRP were 8.4% and 30.0%, respectively. In the matched cohort, DRP was associated with greater risk of LTC (hazard ratio [HR] 2.36, 2.29–2.44) and death (HR 2.06, 2.02–2.10).ConclusionsDRP was associated with a more than doubling in the risk of death and a nearly 2.5-fold increase in risk of the need for LTC.

scholarly journals The ontogeny of the endocrine pancreas in the fetal/newborn baboon

2012 ◽  
Vol 214 (3) ◽  
pp. 289-299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy R Quinn ◽  
Cynthia L Blanco ◽  
Carla Perego ◽  
Giovanna Finzi ◽  
Stefano La Rosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endocrine Cells ◽  
Endocrine Pancreas ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Pancreatic Tissue ◽  
Developmental Differences ◽  
Confocal Imaging ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Pancreas Islet ◽  
Pancreas Weight

Erratic regulation of glucose metabolism including hyperglycemia is a common condition in premature infants and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine histological and ultrastructural differences in the endocrine pancreas in fetal (throughout gestation) and neonatal baboons. Twelve fetal baboons were delivered at 125 days (d) gestational age (GA), 140d GA, or 175d GA. Eight animals were delivered at term (185d GA); half were fed for 5 days. Seventy-three nondiabetic adult baboons were used for comparison. Pancreatic tissue was studied using light microscopy, confocal imaging, and electron microscopy. The fetal and neonatal endocrine pancreas islet architecture became more organized as GA advanced. The percent areas of α-β-δ-cell type were similar within each fetal and newborn GA (NS) but were higher than the adults (P<0.05) regardless of GA. The ratio of β cells within the islet (whole and core) increased with gestation (P<0.01). Neonatal baboons, which survived for 5 days (feeding), had a 2.5-fold increase in pancreas weight compared with their counterparts killed at birth (P=0.01). Endocrine cells were also found in exocrine ductal and acinar cells in 125, 140 and 175d GA fetuses. Subpopulation of tissue that coexpressed trypsin and glucagon/insulin shows the presence of cells with mixed endo–exocrine lineage in fetuses. In summary, the fetal endocrine pancreas has no prevalence of a α-β-δ-cell type with larger endocrine cell percent areas than adults. Cells with mixed endocrine/exocrine phenotype occur during fetal development. Developmental differences may play a role in glucose homeostasis during the neonatal period and may have long-term implications.

scholarly journals SwissCollNet – A National Initiative for Natural History Collections in Switzerland

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Holger Frick ◽  
Pia Stieger ◽  
Christoph Scheidegger
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Data Archiving ◽  
Data Infrastructure ◽  
Botanical Gardens ◽  
Natural History Collections ◽  
Common Strategy ◽  
National Initiative ◽  
Educational Potential ◽  
Term Data

More than 60 million specimens are housed in geological and biological collections in numerous museums and botanical gardens located all over Switzerland. They are of national and international origin. Taken together they form an entity with a high scientific value and international recognition for their contribution to scientific research. Due to the federalistic organisation of Switzerland, natural history collections are located and curated in numerous institutions. So far, no common strategy for digitisation, documentation and long-term data archiving has been developed. This shortcoming has been widely identified by concerned parties. Under the lead of the Swiss Academy of Sciences, several organisations have assembled information about Swiss natural history collections. They identified measures to be taken to promote the scientific and educational potential of natural history collections in Switzerland (Beer et al. 2019). With a national initiative, the Swiss Natural History Collections Network (SwissCollNet) aims to unite Swiss natural history collections under a common vision and with a common strategy. The goal is to promote the collections themselves and to harness the scientific and educational potential of these collections for research and training. SwissCollNet consists of representatives of research, teaching, museums and botanical gardens, the data centers for information on the national fauna and flora, the Swiss Systematics Society and the Swiss node of GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. The initiative aims to foster research on natural history collections. It will provide a single decentralised data infrastructure framework for Swiss research related to natural history. It will help to harmonise nationwide collection data management, digitisation and long-term data archiving. It will facilitate identification of specimens and revision of taxonomic groups. New research techniques, fast-evolving computer technologies and internet connectivity, create new opportunities for deciphering and using the wealth of information housed in Swiss and international collections. The development of an agreed strategy and research priorities on a national scale will allow fluent, fluid and permanent collaboration across all Swiss natural history collections by promoting interoperability and unified access to collections as well as creating opportunities for scientific collaboration and innovation. This national approach will create an internationally compatible research data infrastructure, while respecting and integrating regional and decentralized conditions and requirements. Thus, it will maximize the impact for science, policy and society.

scholarly journals Dataset Preservation for the Long Term: Results of the DareLux Project

2008 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugène Dürr ◽  
Kees Van der Meer ◽  
Wim Luxemburg ◽  
Ronald Dekker
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Information Retrieval ◽  
Digital Rights Management ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Data Archiving ◽  
Digital Rights ◽  
Rights Management ◽  
Search And Retrieval

The purpose of the DareLux (Data Archiving River Environment Luxembourg) Project was the preservation of unique and irreplaceable datasets, for which we chose hydrology data that will be required to be used in future climatic models. The results are: an operational archive built with XML containers, the OAI-PMH protocol and an architecture based upon web services. Major conclusions are: quality control on ingest is important; digital rights management demands attention; and cost aspects of ingest and retrieval cannot be underestimated. We propose a new paradigm for information retrieval of this type of dataset. We recommend research into visualisation tools for the search and retrieval of this type of dataset.

scholarly journals Virtual Reality In Paraplegia: A Test Bed Applicationn

2001 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-156
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Riva
Keyword(s):  
Spinal Cord ◽  
Spinal Cord Injury ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Design Issues ◽  
Test Bed ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Cord Injury ◽  
Preliminary Study

The paper presents an overview of the ergonomic/design issues of a VR-enhanced orthopaedic appliance to be used in rehabilitation of patients with Spinal Cord Injury. First, some design considerations are described and an outline of aims which the tool should pursue are given. Finally, the design issues are described focusing both on the development of a test-bed rehabilitation device and on the description of a preliminary study detailing the use of the device with a long-term SCI patient. The basis for this approach is that physical therapy and motivation are crucial for maintaining flexibility and muscle strength and for reorganizing the nervous system after SCIs.

scholarly journals Impact of earthquake-triggered landslides on catchment sediment yield

2015 ◽  
Vol 367 ◽  
pp. 291-296
Author(s):  
M. Vanmaercke ◽  
F. Obreja ◽  
J. Poesen
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Seismic Activity ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Sediment Export

Abstract. This study explores the role of seismic activity in explaining spatial and temporal variation in sediment export from the Siret basin in Romania. Based on long-term (>30 years) sediment export measurements for 38 subcatchments, we found that spatial variation in sediment yield (SY) is strongly correlated to the degree of seismic activity and catchment lithology. Combined, these factors explain 80% of the variation in SY. To investigate the role of earthquake-triggered landslides in explaining these correlations, we studied the temporal variability in sediment concentrations before and after the 7.4 Mw earthquake of 1977 for ten subcatchments. Despite the fact that this earthquake triggered many landslides, only one subcatchment showed a clear (3-fold) increase in sediment concentration per unit discharge after the earthquake. This shows that, although prolonged seismic activity strongly controls average SY, individual earthquakes do not necessarily affect sediment export at short timescales.

scholarly journals Atlantic salmon require long-chain n-3 fatty acids for optimal growth throughout the seawater period

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grethe Rosenlund ◽  
Bente E. Torstensen ◽  
Ingunn Stubhaug ◽  
Nafiha Usman ◽  
Nini H. Sissener
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Fatty Acid ◽  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Optimal Growth ◽  
Dietary Fatty Acids ◽  
Nutritional Requirement ◽  
Retention Efficiency ◽  
Long Chain

AbstractThe nutritional requirement for n-3 long-chain PUFA in fast-growing Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) during grow out in the sea is not well documented. Diets were formulated with levels of EPA (20 : 5n-3) and DHA (22 : 6n-3) ranging from 1·3 to 7·4 % of fatty acids (4–24 g/kg feed). Two long-term trials were conducted through the seawater phase, the first at 6 and 12°C, and the second at 12°C. In the first trial, growth at both temperatures was significantly lower in fish fed 1·4 % EPA+DHA of total fatty acids compared with the 5·2 % EPA+DHA group. In the second trial, growth was significantly lower in fish fed 1·3 and 2·7 % compared with 4·4 and 7·4 % EPA + DHA. Fatty acid composition in the fish reflected diet composition, but only after a 7-fold increase in body weight did the fatty acid profile of the fish stabilise according to dietary fatty acids (shown for EPA and DHA). The retention efficiency of DHA increased with decreasing dietary levels, and was 120–190 and 120–200 % in trials 1 and 2, respectively. The retention efficiency of EPA was lower (60–200 %), and values >100 % were only achieved at the lowest dietary levels in both trials. Temperature did not affect fatty acid retention efficiency. These results suggest that Atlantic salmon have a specific requirement for EPA + DHA >2·7 % of fatty acids for optimal long-term growth in seawater, and that short-term growth trials with less weight increase would not show these effects.

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