scholarly journals HOW MANY HIPPOS (HOMHIP): ALGORITHM FOR AUTOMATIC COUNTS OF ANIMALS WITH INFRA-RED THERMAL IMAGERY FROM UAV

Author(s):  
S. Lhoest ◽  
J. Linchant ◽  
S. Quevauvillers ◽  
C. Vermeulen ◽  
P. Lejeune

The common hippopotamus (<i>Hippopotamus amphibius</i> L.) is part of the animal species endangered because of multiple human pressures. Monitoring of species for conservation is then essential, and the development of census protocols has to be chased. UAV technology is considering as one of the new perspectives for wildlife survey. Indeed, this technique has many advantages but its main drawback is the generation of a huge amount of data to handle. This study aims at developing an algorithm for automatic count of hippos, by exploiting thermal infrared aerial images acquired from UAV. This attempt is the first known for automatic detection of this species. Images taken at several flight heights can be used as inputs of the algorithm, ranging from 38 to 155 meters above ground level. A Graphical User Interface has been created in order to facilitate the use of the application. Three categories of animals have been defined following their position in water. The mean error of automatic counts compared with manual delineations is +2.3% and shows that the estimation is unbiased. Those results show great perspectives for the use of the algorithm in populations monitoring after some technical improvements and the elaboration of statistically robust inventories protocols.

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme Shannon ◽  
Phoebe Sadler ◽  
Joanna Smith ◽  
Eleanor Roylance-Casson ◽  
Line S. Cordes

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is a common morphological trait in ungulates, with polygyny considered the leading driver of larger male body mass and weapon size. However, not all polygynous species exhibit SSD, while molecular evidence has revealed a more complex relationship between paternity and mating system than originally predicted. SSD is, therefore, likely to be shaped by a range of social, ecological and physiological factors. We present the first definitive analysis of SSD in the common hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius ) using a unique morphological dataset collected from 2994 aged individuals. The results confirm that hippos exhibit SSD, but the mean body mass differed by only 5% between the sexes, which is rather limited compared with many other polygynous ungulates. However, jaw and canine mass are significantly greater in males than females (44% and 81% heavier, respectively), highlighting the considerable selection pressure for acquiring larger weapons. A predominantly aquatic lifestyle coupled with the physiological limitations of their foregut fermenting morphology likely restricts body size differences between the sexes. Indeed, hippos appear to be a rare example among ungulates whereby sexual selection favours increased weapon size over body mass, underlining the important role that species-specific ecology and physiology have in shaping SSD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 141-145
Author(s):  
Krishna Chandra Devkota ◽  
S Hamal ◽  
PP Panta

Pleural effusion is present when there is >15ml of fluid is accumulated in the pleural space. It can be divided into two types; exudative and transudative pleural effusion. Tuberculosis and parapneumonic effusion are the common cause of exudative pleural effusion whereas heart failure accounts for most of the cases of transudative pleural effusion. This study was a hospital based cross sectional study performed at Nepal Medical College during the period of January 2016-December 2016. A total of 50 patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were enrolled. Pleural effusion was confirmed by clinical examination and radiology. After confirmation of pleural effusion, pleural fluid was aspirated and was analysed for protein, LDH, cholesterol. The Heffner criteria was compared with Light criteria to classify exudative or transudative pleural effusion. Among 50 patients, 30 were male and 20 were female. The mean age of patient was 45.4±21.85 years. The sensitivity and specificity of using Light criteria to detect the two type of pleural effusion was 100% and 90.9%, whereas using Heffner criteria was 94.87%, 100% respectively(P<0.01). There are variety of causes for development of pleural effusion and no one criteria is definite to differentiate between exudative or transudative effusion. In this study Light criteria was more sensitive whereas Heffner criteria was more specific to classify exudative pleural effusion. Hence a combination of criteria might be useful in case where there is difficulty to identify the cause of pleural effusion.


Author(s):  
Neil Rhodes

This chapter examines how the development of English poetry in the second half of the sixteenth century is characterized by the search for an appropriate style. In this context, ‘reformed versifying’ may be understood as a reconciliation of high and low in which the common is reconfigured as a stylistic ideal of the mean. That development can be traced in debates about prosody where an alternative sense of ‘reformed versifying’ as adapting classical metres to English verse is rejected in favour of native form. At the same time Sidney recuperates poetry by reforming it as an agent of virtue. Reformation and Renaissance finally come together in Spenser, who realizes Erasmus’ aim of harmonizing the values of classical literature with Christian doctrine, and reconciles the foreign and the ‘homewrought’. The Faerie Queene of 1590 represents the triumph of the mean in both style and, through its celebration of marriage, in substance.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 62
Author(s):  
Robert Cichowicz ◽  
Maciej Dobrzański

Spatial analysis of the distribution of particulate matter PM10, PM2.5, PM1.0, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas pollution was performed in the area around a university library building. The reasons for the subject matter were reports related to the perceptible odor characteristic of hydrogen sulfide and a general poor assessment of air quality by employees and students. Due to the area of analysis, it was decided to perform measurements at two heights, 10 m and 20 m above ground level, using measuring equipment attached to a DJI Matrice 600 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The aim of the measurements was air quality assessment and investigate the convergence of the theory of air flow around the building with the spatial distribution of air pollutants. Considerable differences of up to 63% were observed in the concentrations of pollutants measured around the building, especially between opposite sides, depending on the direction of the wind. To explain these differences, the theory of aerodynamics was applied to visualize the probable airflow in the direction of the wind. A strong convergence was observed between the aerodynamic model and the spatial distribution of pollutants. This was evidenced by the high concentrations of dust in the areas of strong turbulence at the edges of the building and on the leeward side. The accumulation of pollutants was also clearly noticeable in these locations. A high concentration of H2S was recorded around the library building on the side of the car park. On the other hand, the air turbulence around the building dispersed the gas pollution, causing the concentration of H2S to drop on the leeward side. It was confirmed that in some analyzed areas the permissible concentration of H2S was exceeded.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 205
Author(s):  
Shailes Bhattrai ◽  
Uma Karki ◽  
Sanjok Poudel

Despite the huge potential of using woodlands for small ruminant grazing in the southeast US, unmanaged understory shrubs grown beyond animals’ access minimize the utilization of such vegetation. This study aimed to determine the effect of vegetation height and diurnal period on the behavior and distribution patterns of goats and sheep in woodlands around summer. The study was conducted in six woodland plots (0.4 ha each) comprising southern pines and non-pine (non-target) plant species. Non-pine plants in each study plot were assigned to four treatments: cut to 0 m, 0.9 m, or 1.5 m from the ground level or left uncut (control). Cut plant stubs were allowed to regrow to full canopy before stocking animals. Eight Kiko wethers and five Katahdin rams were rotationally stocked in separate plots, and their diurnal (dawn–dusk) behaviors and distribution patterns were monitored when they were in each plot (three plots per animal species) around the summer of 2018. Animal behavior data were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM) procedure with multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in SAS, while animal distribution pattern and weather data were analyzed in SAS using a GLM procedure and the distribution evenness index (DEI) using the Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum test in R. Level of significance was set at 5%. Both animal species visited the control area the least. Wethers browsed predominantly in areas where non-pine plants were cut to 0.9 m from the ground level, and rams grazed mostly in areas where non-pine plants were cut to the ground level, mostly during the post-midday period. Browsing was the dominant feeding behavior of wethers (39% browsing vs. 4% grazing), while rams’ feeding behavior was dominated with grazing (24% grazing vs. 12% browsing). Lying was a predominant diurnal behavior in both wethers (46%) and rams (35%), mostly during the midday period. Wethers had a higher value for DEI than rams during the morning and post-midday periods. This study established that (1) the utilization of woodland understory foliage by small ruminants can be increased by lowering plant height, and (2) both vegetation characteristics and diurnal period are important factors for influencing small ruminants’ behavior while stocked in woodlands around summer.


2010 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 329-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alisson Fernando Chiorato ◽  
Sérgio Augusto Morais Carbonell ◽  
Roland Vencovsky ◽  
Nelson da Silva Fonseca Júnior ◽  
José Baldin Pinheiro

The goal of the present work was to evaluate the genetic gain obtained in grain yield for the common bean genotypes from 1989 until 2007, at the Instituto Agronômico de Campinas, in the state of São Paulo. Genetic gain has been separated into two research periods; the first, from 1989 to 1996, and the second, from 1997 to 2007. In the first period, a genetic gain of 1.07 % per year was obtained, whereas for the second period, the gain was zero. However, the mean yield of the evaluated lines was approximately 1000 kg ha-1 superior to the figures obtained in the first period. The main cause for the absence of genetic gain in the second period is that the focus of the breeding program was changed to grain quality. The individualized analysis of the genotypes with carioca grains in the second period indicated the lack of genetic gain during the investigated period.


2009 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 1627-1642 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Baas ◽  
F. C. Bosveld ◽  
H. Klein Baltink ◽  
A. A. M. Holtslag

Abstract A climatology of nocturnal low-level jets (LLJs) is presented for the topographically flat measurement site at Cabauw, the Netherlands. LLJ characteristics are derived from a 7-yr half-hourly database of wind speed profiles, obtained from the 200-m mast and a wind profiler. Many LLJs at Cabauw originate from an inertial oscillation, which develops after sunset in a layer decoupled from the surface by stable stratification. The data are classified to different types of stable boundary layers by using the geostrophic wind speed and the isothermal net radiative cooling as classification parameters. For each of these classes, LLJ characteristics like frequency of occurrence, height above ground level, and the turning of the wind vector across the boundary layer are determined. It is found that LLJs occur in about 20% of the nights, are typically situated at 140–260 m above ground level, and have a speed of 6–10 m s−1. Development of a substantial LLJ is most likely to occur for moderate geostrophic forcing and a high radiative cooling. A comparison with the 40-yr ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-40) is added to illustrate how the results can be used to evaluate the performance of atmospheric models.


Author(s):  
Kelly Cline ◽  
Holly Zullo ◽  
David A Huckaby

Abstract Common student errors and misconceptions can be addressed through the method of classroom voting, in which the instructor presents a multiple-choice question to the class, and after a few minutes for consideration and small-group discussion, each student votes on the correct answer, using a clicker or a phone. If a large number of students have voted for one particular incorrect answer, the instructor can recognize and address the issue. In order to identify multiple-choice questions that are especially effective at provoking common errors and misconceptions, we recorded the percentages of students voting for each option on each question used in 25 sections of integral calculus, taught by 7 instructors, at 4 institutions, over the course of 12 years, on a collection of 172 questions. We restricted our analysis to the 115 questions which were voted on by at least 5 different classes. We present the six questions that caused the largest percentages of students to vote for a particular incorrect answer, discuss how we used these questions in the classroom, and examine the common features of these questions. Further, we look for correlations between question characteristics and the mean percentage of students voting for common errors on these questions, and we find that questions based on general cases have higher percentages of students voting for common errors.


2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S290) ◽  
pp. 327-328
Author(s):  
D. H. Wang ◽  
L. Chen

AbstractWith kilohertz quasi-periodic oscillation (kHz QPO) sources in neutron star low mass X-ray binaries (NS-LMXBs) published up to now, we analyze the centroid frequency (ν) distribution of twin kHz QPOs. We find that Atoll and Z sources show the similar distributions of ν1 and ν2, which indicate that twin kHz QPOs may be the common property of NS-LXMBs and have the similar physical origins. The mean values of ν1 and ν2 in Atoll sources are higher than those in Z sources, and we consider that this may because the QPO signals are sheltered by the thicken accretion disk or corona in Z sources. The maximums of ν2 in both Atoll and Z sources are the same order as the Keplerian orbital frequency of the NS surface, so kHz QPOs could occur near the NS surface.


In this paper the author investigates the periodical variations of the winds, rain and temperature, corresponding to the conditions of the moon’s declination, in a manner similar to that he has already followed in the case of the barometrical variations, on a period of years extending from 1815 to 1832 inclusive. In each case he gives tables of the average quantities for each week, at the middle of which the moon is in the equator, or else has either attained its maximum north or south declination. He thus finds that a north-east wind is most promoted by the constant solar influence which causes it, when the moon is about the equator, going from north to south; that a south-east wind, in like manner, prevails most when the moon is proceeding to acquire a southern declination ; that winds from the south and west blow more when the moon is in her mean degrees of declination, going either way, than with a full north or south declination ; and that a north-west wind, the common summer and fair weather wind of the climate, affects, in like manner, the mean declination, in either direction, in preference to the north or south, and most when the moon is coming north. He finds the average annual depth of rain, falling in the neighbourhood of London, is 25’17 inches.


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