scholarly journals Influence of montane altitudinal ranges on species distribution models; evidence in Andean blow flies

PeerJ ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. e10370
Author(s):  
Mariano Altamiranda-Saavedra ◽  
Eduardo Amat ◽  
Luz Miryam Gómez-P
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Blow Flies ◽  
R Program ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Dispersal Capability ◽  
Modeling Prediction ◽  
Selection Of

Background Blow flies are a family of dipterans of medical, veterinary and sanitary importance. We aim to predict the current geographical distribution of six neotropical blowfly species with different altitudinal ranges of distribution (high, medium, and lowlands) and degree of synanthropy (eusynanthropic, hemisynanthropic and asynanthropic) based on their existing fundamental niche (EA) in Northwestern South America. Methods Geographical records were compiled based on data from museum specimens and literature. The accessible area hypothesis (M) was calculated based on three criteria: (1) Altitudinal range, (2) Synanthropy values deducted based on the Human Influence Index (HII) raster dataset, and (3). The mean dispersal capability of flies. The modeling was performed using the Maxent entropy modeling software. The selection of parameters was made with the R Program ENMeval package. Results The models were assessed using the area under the operator-partial receiver curve (ROCp). The high statistical performance was evidenced in every modeling prediction. The modeling allowed identifying possible taxonomic inaccuracies and the lack of exhaustive collection in the field, especially for lowlands species. Geographical distribution predicted by the modeling and empirical data was remarkably coherent in montane species. Discussion The data obtained evidence that montane elevational ranges affect the performance of the distribution models. These models will allow a more precise predicting of medium and high elevation blow flies than lowlands species. Montane species modeling will accurately predict the fly occurrence to use such biological information for medical, legal, veterinary, and conservation purposes.

Development and Implementation of Shape Comparison of 3D CAD Models

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sagar Chowdhury ◽  
Zahed Siddique
Keyword(s):  
Computer Hardware ◽  
Efficient Design ◽  
User Friendliness ◽  
Specialized Knowledge ◽  
3D Cad ◽  
Large Databases ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Cad Models ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Selection Of

With the advancements of 3D modeling software, the use of CAD in design has become a standard practice. In recent years development in computer hardware and improvements in user friendliness of the CAD software has allowed designers to quickly and easily modify the CAD models. This modification capability allows CAD to be an integral part of the design process. Due to the increase in global competition, companies have become increasingly interested in fast and efficient design processes. One way to achieve improved efficiency is through better collaboration among designers working in common or similar projects and disciplines. A large design problem often requires specialized knowledge from several fields. Collaboration among the designers from these fields will ensure efficient design. Interaction among the designers can prevent redesign of similar components/subsystems, which requires the ability to share their designs. With the increase of collaboration, designers can now get access to large databases of 3D CAD models. But the challenge lies in search capabilities to identify common models from a large database. These considerations suggest that in the near future a challenge in 3D CAD industry will be how to find models of similar components and products. This paper presents an approach and its implementation to measure the similarity among a number of CAD models. The approach is based on the extraction and organization of information from the CAD models, which is followed by the suitable selection of commonality index and calculation of the commonality among a set of CAD models. A set of Vacuum cleaners are modeled and then compared to demonstrate the application of the approach.

scholarly journals Are trade-offs between flexibility and efficiency in systematic conservation planning avoidable ?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrine Drira ◽  
Frida Ben Rais Lasram ◽  
Tarek Hattab ◽  
Yunne Jai Shin ◽  
Amel Ben Rejeb Jenhani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Conservation Planning ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Efficient Solutions ◽  
Reserve Selection ◽  
Systematic Conservation Planning ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Precise Control ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Selection Framework ◽  
Selection Of

AbstractSpecies distribution models (SDMs) have been proposed as a way to provide robust inference about species-specific sites suitabilities, and have been increasingly used in systematic conservation planning (SCP) applications. However, despite the fact that the use of SDMs in SCP may raise some potential issues, conservation studies have overlooked to assess the implications of SDMs uncertainties. The integration of these uncertainties in conservation solutions requires the development of a reserve-selection approach based on a suitable optimization algorithm. A large body of research has shown that exact optimization algorithms give very precise control over the gap to optimality of conservation solutions. However, their major shortcoming is that they generate a single binary and indivisible solution. Therefore, they provide no flexibility in the implementation of conservation solutions by stakeholders. On the other hand, heuristic decision-support systems provide large amounts of sub-optimal solutions, and therefore more flexibility. This flexibility arises from the availability of many alternative and sub-optimal conservation solutions. The two principles of efficiency and flexibility are implicitly linked in conservation applications, with the most mathematically efficient solutions being inflexible and the flexible solutions provided by heuristics suffering sub-optimality. In order to avoid the trade-offs between flexibility and efficiency in systematic conservation planning, we propose in this paper a new reserve-selection framework based on mathematical programming optimization combined with a post-selection of SDM outputs. This approach leads to a reserve-selection framework that might provide flexibility while simultaneously addressing efficiency and representativeness of conservation solutions and the adequacy of conservation targets. To exemplify the approach we a nalyzed an experimental design crossing pre- and post-selection of SDM outputs versus heuristics and exact mathematical optimizations. We used the Mediterranean Sea as a biogeographical template for our analyses, integrating the outputs of 8 SDM techniques for 438 fishes species.

Human Modeling & Simulation: A Primer for Practitioners

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (38) ◽  
pp. 825-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott A. Ziolek ◽  
Pieter C. Kruithof
Keyword(s):  
Modeling And Simulation ◽  
Word Processor ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Digital Human Modeling ◽  
Modeling Simulation ◽  
Human Modeling ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Digital Human ◽  
Selection Of ◽  
Human Modeling And Simulation

More and more, digital human modeling and simulation is being used in conjunction with CAD systems to address ergonomic issues early within the development and manufacturing process. However, purchasing a human modeling software package does not guarantee a user-centered design anymore than purchasing a word processor makes someone an author. This paper addresses some of the practical issues that confront human modeling and simulation users, including the collection of geometry, posturing the manikin, and selection of an analysis. For the purposes of discussion, human simulation will be divided into three broad areas: the environment, manikin selection, and analysis.

scholarly journals Extinction debts and colonization credits of non-forest plants in the European Alps

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine B. Rumpf ◽  
Karl Hülber ◽  
Johannes Wessely ◽  
Wolfgang Willner ◽  
Dietmar Moser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
European Alps ◽  
Extinction Debt ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Realized Niche ◽  
Dispersal Capability ◽  
Local Extinctions ◽  
Forest Plants ◽  
Mountain Plant

Abstract Mountain plant species shift their elevational ranges in response to climate change. However, to what degree these shifts lag behind current climate change, and to what extent delayed extinctions and colonizations contribute to these shifts, are under debate. Here, we calculate extinction debt and colonization credit of 135 species from the European Alps by comparing species distribution models with 1576 re-surveyed plots. We find extinction debt in 60% and colonization credit in 38% of the species, and at least one of the two in 93%. This suggests that the realized niche of very few of the 135 species fully tracks climate change. As expected, extinction debts occur below and colonization credits occur above the optimum elevation of species. Colonization credits are more frequent in warmth-demanding species from lower elevations with lower dispersal capability, and extinction debts are more frequent in cold-adapted species from the highest elevations. Local extinctions hence appear to be already pending for those species which have the least opportunity to escape climate warming.

Translating Terms of the Functional Basis Into Biologically Meaningful Keywords

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunmin Cheong ◽  
L. H. Shu ◽  
Robert B. Stone ◽  
Daniel A. McAdams
Keyword(s):  
Natural Language ◽  
Engineering Design ◽  
Semantic Relations ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Functional Basis ◽  
Design Students ◽  
Design Projects ◽  
Systematic Identification ◽  
Excellent Source ◽  
Selection Of

Biology has long been recognized as an excellent source of analogies and stimuli for engineering design. Previous work focused on the systematic identification of relevant biological analogies by searching for instances of functional keywords in biological information in natural language format. This past work revealed that engineering keywords couldn’t always be used to identify the most relevant biological analogies, as the vocabularies between biology and engineering are sufficiently distinct. Therefore, a method of identifying biologically meaningful keywords that correspond to engineering keywords was developed. Here, we apply and refine this method by generating biologically meaningful keywords for the terms of the Functional Basis, which is widely accepted as a standardized representation of the functionality of engineering products. We present insights gained on the selection of biologically meaningful keywords for the function sets based on semantic relations. We then observe the use of our keywords by providing 4th year undergraduate design students with the biologically meaningful keywords that are related to the desired functions of their design projects.

scholarly journals Approach to The Selection of Significant Features in Solving Biomedical Problems of Binary Classification of Microarray Data

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
I.Y. Boyko ◽  
D.S. Anisimov ◽  
L.L. Smolyakova ◽  
M.A. Ryazanov
Keyword(s):  
Feature Selection ◽  
Microarray Data ◽  
Binary Classification ◽  
Biological Information ◽  
Features Selection ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Early Diagnosis Of Cancer ◽  
Latent Structures ◽  
Classification Quality ◽  
Selection Of

In modern biomedical research aimed at finding methods for early diagnosis of cancer, microarrays containing certain biological information about patients are used. Based on these data, patients are assigned to one of two classes, corresponding to the presence and absence of some diagnosis. When solving this problem, one of the steps that have a decisive influence on the quality of classification is the significant features selection. This paper proposes a criterion for the selection of significant features, based on the ledge-coefficient of correlation. The ledge-coefficient was previously used to estimate the degree of interrelation of numerical and binary features. For two sets of microarray data, comparative examples of their binary classification are presented using three feature selection algorithms, three dimensionality reduction methods, six classification models. The use of the ledge-criterion for feature selection made it possible to obtain a classification quality comparable to the results of using common methods of feature selection, such as t-test and U-test. For the data set of the peptide microarrays considered in the paper, the effectiveness of applying the projection method to latent structures had previously been identified. The use of this method in combination with the significant features’ selection using the ledge-criterion made it possible to obtain a higher classification quality measure.

scholarly journals SDMtoolbox 2.0: the next generation Python-based GIS toolkit for landscape genetic, biogeographic and species distribution model analyses

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e4095 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason L. Brown ◽  
Joseph R. Bennett ◽  
Connor M. French
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Model ◽  
Species Distribution Modeling ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Distribution Modeling ◽  
Modeling Software ◽  
Cost Paths

SDMtoolbox 2.0 is a software package for spatial studies of ecology, evolution, and genetics. The release of SDMtoolbox 2.0 allows researchers to use the most current ArcGIS software and MaxEnt software, and reduces the amount of time that would be spent developing common solutions. The central aim of this software is to automate complicated and repetitive spatial analyses in an intuitive graphical user interface. One core tenant facilitates careful parameterization of species distribution models (SDMs) to maximize each model’s discriminatory ability and minimize overfitting. This includes carefully processing of occurrence data, environmental data, and model parameterization. This program directly interfaces with MaxEnt, one of the most powerful and widely used species distribution modeling software programs, although SDMtoolbox 2.0 is not limited to species distribution modeling or restricted to modeling in MaxEnt. Many of the SDM pre- and post-processing tools have ‘universal’ analogs for use with any modeling software. The current version contains a total of 79 scripts that harness the power of ArcGIS for macroecology, landscape genetics, and evolutionary studies. For example, these tools allow for biodiversity quantification (such as species richness or corrected weighted endemism), generation of least-cost paths and corridors among shared haplotypes, assessment of the significance of spatial randomizations, and enforcement of dispersal limitations of SDMs projected into future climates—to only name a few functions contained in SDMtoolbox 2.0. Lastly, dozens of generalized tools exists for batch processing and conversion of GIS data types or formats, which are broadly useful to any ArcMap user.

scholarly journals Coevolution of Coronavirus and Paramyxovirus with Their Bat Hosts in the Same Geographical Areas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Liang ◽  
Chunchao Zhu ◽  
Libiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationship ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Cytochrome B ◽  
Nucleotide Sequences ◽  
Rdrp Gene ◽  
Rna Dependent Rna Polymerase ◽  
R Program ◽  
Close Phylogenetic Relationship

Abstract Background: Bat-borne viruses are relatively host specific. In this study, we investigated the coevolution of coronavirus and paramyxovirus with their bat hosts. Published nucleotide sequences of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of 60 coronaviruses isolated from 37 bat species, the RNA polymerase large (L) gene of 36 paramyxoviruses isolated from 29 bat species, and the cytochrome B (cytB) gene of 35 bat species were analyzed for coevolution signals. Each coevolution signal detected was tested and verified by the ParaFit and PACo functions in the R program. Results: Significant coevolution signals were detected in coronaviruses and paramyxoviruses and their bat hosts, and closely related bat hosts were found to carry closely related viruses. Conclusions: Our results suggest that similar geographical distribution and close phylogenetic relationship are requisites for inter-species transmission of viruses.

Formation of the rehabilitation therapy in patients with chronic pulmonary diseases by means of composite homeopathic remedies

10.12737/6533 ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Author(s):  
Черногорцев ◽  
A. Chernogortsev
Keyword(s):  
Biological Information ◽  
Pulmonary Diseases ◽  
Medical Test ◽  
Rehabilitation Therapy ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Electrophysiological Measurements ◽  
Chronic Pulmonary Diseases ◽  
Homeopathic Remedies ◽  
Conductance Measuring ◽  
Selection Of

According to the survey of 214 patients aged between 28 to 75 years (the average age 49 years) with chronic broncho-pulmonary diseases the author identified the informative of the use of medical test of the electro-acupunctural method by Reinhold Voll (EAV) when forming the rehabilitation therapy by using composite homeopathic remedies. The method presented in this study shows the dynamics of the electro-dermal skin conductance measuring at acupoints when choosing a composite homeopathic remedy. When testing homeopathic remedies and in case of compliance of the particular drug with physiological processes or biological information of the patient´s body the resonant response on a EAV device scale is being fixed as a positive medical test. At the same time the pathological changes in electrophysiological measurements such as the «maximum deflection» (MD) and the «range of return arrow» (RRA) return to relative range of physiological norm. In the study we introduce the research on objectification of the selection of homeopathic remedies and optimization of the recommended amount of complex homeopathic remedies in the patients with respiratory system diseases. The diagnostic results of the electro-acupunctural method by Reinhold Voll obtained in this study allow to forming tactics of the therapy using composite homeopathic remedies in the rehabilitation treatment of patients with chronic lung disease.

scholarly journals Species distribution models and empirical test: Comparing predictions with well-understood geographical distribution ofBothrops alternatusin Argentina

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (21) ◽  
pp. 10497-10509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan A. Sarquis ◽  
Maximiliano A. Cristaldi ◽  
Vanesa Arzamendia ◽  
Gisela Bellini ◽  
Alejandro R. Giraudo
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Empirical Test ◽  
Distribution Models
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