A multidisciplinary approach to the spatial dimension in ecosystem-based fisheries management

This study considers how to reconcile different spatial scales to find the best common denominator to be used as an ecosystem-based management unit. For this, two fishery production zones differing ecologically, economically, legally and institutionally were investigated. The first case study is located within French territorial waters, in a MPA created in 2007- the Parc Naturel Marin d'Iroise (PNMI). The second case study, the Bay of Biscay, covers both territorial waters and the French exclusive economic zone. The paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach. Relevant questions concern how marine space is shared between exploited species and fishing fleets, especially the spatial mobility strategies they employ. An assessment of the institutional system established for the PNMI contributes to the discussion of changes in coastal space use. It is obvious that the area in need of protection, defined on the basis of essential fish habitats, does not solely concern the fisheries located within the coastal zone. Experiments conducted by scientists and professionals in the Bay of Biscay provide other key points for the discussion in terms of what institutional frameworks to promote.

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Simulating lightning into the RAMS model: implementation and preliminary results

Natural Hazards and Earth System Science ◽

10.5194/nhess-14-2933-2014 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (11) ◽

pp. 2933-2950 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

S. Federico ◽

E. Avolio ◽

M. Petracca ◽

G. Panegrossi ◽

P. Sanò ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Central Italy ◽

Atmospheric Modeling ◽

Lightning Activity ◽

Spatial Error ◽

Lazio Region ◽

Positioning Errors ◽

First Case

Abstract. This paper shows the results of a tailored version of a previously published methodology, designed to simulate lightning activity, implemented into the Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (RAMS). The method gives the flash density at the resolution of the RAMS grid scale allowing for a detailed analysis of the evolution of simulated lightning activity. The system is applied in detail to two case studies occurred over the Lazio Region, in Central Italy. Simulations are compared with the lightning activity detected by the LINET network. The cases refer to two thunderstorms of different intensity which occurred, respectively, on 20 October 2011 and on 15 October 2012. The number of flashes simulated (observed) over Lazio is 19435 (16231) for the first case and 7012 (4820) for the second case, and the model correctly reproduces the larger number of flashes that characterized the 20 October 2011 event compared to the 15 October 2012 event. There are, however, errors in timing and positioning of the convection, whose magnitude depends on the case study, which mirrors in timing and positioning errors of the lightning distribution. For the 20 October 2011 case study, spatial errors are of the order of a few tens of kilometres and the timing of the event is correctly simulated. For the 15 October 2012 case study, the spatial error in the positioning of the convection is of the order of 100 km and the event has a longer duration in the simulation than in the reality. To assess objectively the performance of the methodology, standard scores are presented for four additional case studies. Scores show the ability of the methodology to simulate the daily lightning activity for different spatial scales and for two different minimum thresholds of flash number density. The performance decreases at finer spatial scales and for higher thresholds. The comparison of simulated and observed lighting activity is an immediate and powerful tool to assess the model ability to reproduce the intensity and the evolution of the convection. This shows the importance of using computationally efficient lightning schemes, such as the one described in this paper, in forecast models.

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Maximising the value of irrigation through improved use of soil resources and sensor technology

Journal of New Zealand Grasslands ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2019.81.376 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 223-230

Author(s):

John J. Drewry ◽

Carolyn B. Hedley ◽

Jagath Ekanayake

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Irrigation Management ◽

Smart Phone ◽

Sensor Technology ◽

Management Zones ◽

Practical Applications ◽

First Case ◽

Soil Moisture Monitoring

This paper presents a case-study approach focussing on variability of soils, soil physical properties, and how the use of proximal sensor surveys and soil moisture monitoring can be used to improve irrigation management at fine spatial scales (<10 m). Proximal sensor survey data have been used to map soil variability and statistically derive management zones, which are then correlated with S-map siblings using soil moisture release curves. At the first case study site, soil moisture monitoring of these management zones showed the poorly drained soil had wetter conditions than the other zones, which is likely to have been a factor contributing to reduced barley yield. Less irrigation could therefore have been applied to the poorly drained soil, with a saving in cost and yield penalty. In the second case study, we provide an overview of research focussing on practical applications of near real-time soil moisture monitoring and visualisation through smart phone apps, enabling new irrigation software and hardware to be matched to specific farm circumstances, so soils and crops can be managed to reduce water and nutrient losses.

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Towards coherent GES assessments at sub-regional level: signs of fisheries expansion processes in the Bay of Biscay using an OSPAR food web indicator, the mean trophic level

ICES Journal of Marine Science ◽

10.1093/icesjms/fsz023 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 76 (6) ◽

pp. 1543-1553 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nina-Larissa Arroyo ◽

Georges Safi ◽

Pauline Vouriot ◽

Lucía López-López ◽

Nathalie Niquil ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trophic Level ◽

Spatial Scales ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Regional Level ◽

Bay Of Biscay ◽

Ecosystem Studies ◽

The Mean ◽

Mean Trophic Level ◽

Over Exploitation

Abstract Using the Bay of Biscay (BoB) as a case study, we conducted a transnational assessment of the mean trophic level (MTL, Ospar FW4) indicator at sub-regional level, over the last three decades. Our results confirm the apparent recovery of BoB’s bentho-demersal system, as shown by trends in the MTL indicator based on survey data. However, they also point at a concomitant “fishing through” process where the apparent stability revealed by the MTL indicator based on landed catch data may be masking the expansion of demersal fisheries to deeper waters, and an over-exploitation of resources (particularly abundant pelagic species). Moreover, they show how the combined examination of independent surveys and fishery landings allows the identification of ecological trends in ecosystem studies. In addition, our results confirm that analysing MTL at various threshold levels helps discerning the causality of trends in this indicator, especially if analyses for pelagic and demersal species are run independently. Further studies, at smaller (i.e. local) spatial scales, need to be conducted to ascertain our results and suggest appropriate management strategies aimed at regulating fisheries expansions in the area.

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Teaching Computing in a Multidisciplinary Way in Social Studies Classes in School â€“ A Case Study

International Journal of Computer Science Education in Schools ◽

10.21585/ijcses.v1i2.9 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 3 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Christiane Gresse Von Wangenheim ◽

Nathalia Cruz Alves ◽

Pedro Eurico Rodrigues ◽

Jean Carlo Hauck

Keyword(s):

Instructional Design ◽

Social Studies ◽

21St Century ◽

Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

Design Approach ◽

Instructional Unit ◽

Computing Education ◽

Interest And Motivation

In order to be well-educated citizens in the 21st century, children need to learn computing in school. However, implementing computing education in schools faces several practical problems, such as lack of computing teachers and time in an already overloaded curriculum. A solution can be a multidisciplinary approach, integrating computing education within other subjects in the curriculum. The present study proposes an instructional unit for computing education in social studies classes, with students learning basic computing concepts by programming history related games using Scratch. The instructional unit is developed following an instructional design approach and is applied and evaluated through a case study in four classes (5th and 7th grade) with a total of 105 students at a school in (omitted for submission). Results provide a first indication that the instructional unit enables the learning of basic computing concepts (specifically programming) in an efficient, effective and entertaining way increasing also the interest and motivation of students to learn computing.

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Scales and Units

10.1093/oso/9780190657543.003.0011 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Kathryn M. de Luna

Keyword(s):

Language Change ◽

Historical Linguistics ◽

Bantu Languages ◽

The North ◽

First Case ◽

Linguistic Evidence ◽

River Region ◽

History Of ◽

Alternative Approaches

This chapter uses two case studies to explore how historians study language movement and change through comparative historical linguistics. The first case study stands as a short chapter in the larger history of the expansion of Bantu languages across eastern, central, and southern Africa. It focuses on the expansion of proto-Kafue, ca. 950–1250, from a linguistic homeland in the middle Kafue River region to lands beyond the Lukanga swamps to the north and the Zambezi River to the south. This expansion was made possible by a dramatic reconfiguration of ties of kinship. The second case study explores linguistic evidence for ridicule along the Lozi-Botatwe frontier in the mid- to late 19th century. Significantly, the units and scales of language movement and change in precolonial periods rendered visible through comparative historical linguistics bring to our attention alternative approaches to language change and movement in contemporary Africa.

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Applications of random graphs

10.1093/oso/9780198709893.003.0011 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

A.C.C. Coolen ◽

A. Annibale ◽

E.S. Roberts

Keyword(s):

Social Networks ◽

Random Graphs ◽

Interaction Network ◽

Power Grids ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Topological Features ◽

First Case ◽

The Stability ◽

Protein Protein Interaction Network

This chapter reviews graph generation techniques in the context of applications. The first case study is power grids, where proposed strategies to prevent blackouts have been tested on tailored random graphs. The second case study is in social networks. Applications of random graphs to social networks are extremely wide ranging – the particular aspect looked at here is modelling the spread of disease on a social network – and how a particular construction based on projecting from a bipartite graph successfully captures some of the clustering observed in real social networks. The third case study is on null models of food webs, discussing the specific constraints relevant to this application, and the topological features which may contribute to the stability of an ecosystem. The final case study is taken from molecular biology, discussing the importance of unbiased graph sampling when considering if motifs are over-represented in a protein–protein interaction network.

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Investigating the potential of redundant manipulators in narrow channels

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part C Journal of Mechanical Engineering Science ◽

10.1177/0954406220964512 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 095440622096451

Author(s):

Ashish Singla ◽

Jyotindra Narayan ◽

Himanshu Arora

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Fuzzy Inference ◽

Redundant Manipulators ◽

Redundancy Resolution ◽

Inference System ◽

Narrow Channels ◽

First Case ◽

Task Priority ◽

Patient Side

In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the potential of redundant manipulators, while tracking trajectories in narrow channels. The behavior of redundant manipulators is important in many challenging applications like under-water welding in narrow tanks, checking the blockage in sewerage pipes, performing a laparoscopy operation etc. To demonstrate this snake-like behavior, redundancy resolution scheme is utilized using two different approaches. The first approach is based on the concept of task priority, where a given task is split and prioritize into several subtasks like singularity avoidance, obstacle avoidance, torque minimization, and position preference over orientation etc. The second approach is based on Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), where the training is provided through given datasets and the results are back-propagated using augmentation of neural networks with fuzzy logics. Three case studies are considered in this work to demonstrate the redundancy resolution of serial manipulators. The first case study of 3-link manipulator is attempted with both the approaches, where the objective is to track the desired trajectory while avoiding multiple obstacles. The second case study of 7-link manipulator, tracking trajectory in a narrow channel, is investigated using the concept of task priority. The realistic application of minimum-invasive surgery (MIS) based trajectory tracking is considered as the third case study, which is attempted using ANFIS approach. The 5-link spatial redundant manipulator, also known as a patient-side manipulator being developed at CSIR-CSIO, Chandigarh is used to track the desired surgical cuts. Through the three case studies, it is well demonstrated that both the approaches are giving satisfactory results.

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Sensitivity analysis for interpretation of machine learning based segmentation models in cardiac MRI

BMC Medical Imaging ◽

10.1186/s12880-021-00551-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Markus J. Ankenbrand ◽

Liliia Shainberg ◽

Michael Hock ◽

David Lohr ◽

Laura M. Schreiber

Keyword(s):

Neural Networks ◽

Sensitivity Analysis ◽

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance ◽

Magnetic Resonance ◽

Cardiac Mri ◽

Magnetic Resonance Images ◽

Model Interpretation ◽

First Case ◽

Segmentation Models

Abstract Background Image segmentation is a common task in medical imaging e.g., for volumetry analysis in cardiac MRI. Artificial neural networks are used to automate this task with performance similar to manual operators. However, this performance is only achieved in the narrow tasks networks are trained on. Performance drops dramatically when data characteristics differ from the training set properties. Moreover, neural networks are commonly considered black boxes, because it is hard to understand how they make decisions and why they fail. Therefore, it is also hard to predict whether they will generalize and work well with new data. Here we present a generic method for segmentation model interpretation. Sensitivity analysis is an approach where model input is modified in a controlled manner and the effect of these modifications on the model output is evaluated. This method yields insights into the sensitivity of the model to these alterations and therefore to the importance of certain features on segmentation performance. Results We present an open-source Python library (misas), that facilitates the use of sensitivity analysis with arbitrary data and models. We show that this method is a suitable approach to answer practical questions regarding use and functionality of segmentation models. We demonstrate this in two case studies on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. The first case study explores the suitability of a published network for use on a public dataset the network has not been trained on. The second case study demonstrates how sensitivity analysis can be used to evaluate the robustness of a newly trained model. Conclusions Sensitivity analysis is a useful tool for deep learning developers as well as users such as clinicians. It extends their toolbox, enabling and improving interpretability of segmentation models. Enhancing our understanding of neural networks through sensitivity analysis also assists in decision making. Although demonstrated only on cardiac magnetic resonance images this approach and software are much more broadly applicable.

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