scholarly journals PREDICTIVE MODELING OF Mimosa tenuiflora (WILLD) POIRET: HOW CAN CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECT ITS POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION RANGE?

FLORESTA ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1315
Author(s):  
Kyvia Pontes Teixeira das Chagas ◽  
Fernanda Moura Fonseca Lucas ◽  
Fábio De Almeida Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Climatic Factors ◽  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
The Future ◽  
Pessimistic Scenario ◽  
Precipitation Variable ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Mimosa Tenuiflora

Studies that characterize the effects of climatic factors on the geographic distribution of arboreal individuals are of fundamental importance, especially for widely exploited species of wood potential, such as Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd) Poiret (jurema-preta). In this sense, the objective of this work was to predict the climatically adequate areas for the occurrence of Mimosa tenuiflora, present (1960-1990) and future (2070). We used the Maxent algorithm to relate the occurrence records of the species to the climatic variables. For the year 2070, we test two scenarios and three general atmospheric circulation models, HadGEM2-ES, GISS-E2-R and MIROC-ESM. Modeling for the present presented an AUC index (area under the curve) of 0.94 (± 0.02), indicating a good fit of the model used. For the future scenario, the AUC value ranged from 0.88 to 0.89 and 0.87 to 0.88 for the optimistic and pessimistic scenarios, respectively. The highest percentage of contribution was to the annual precipitation variable. The areas of adequacy occupied the states of Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte in higher intensity and almost all of them. When compared to the present, the geographic territory with high suitability for the future presented a reduction from 28.7% to 53.7% in the optimistic scenario and 30.9% to 59.4% in the pessimistic scenario. The information obtained can be used as a subsidy for the establishment of commercial plantations, the definition of management and conservation strategies, and the creation of an in situ conservation bank for Mimosa tenuiflora species.

A Look at the Future of Public Gardens

2020 ◽  
pp. 156-160
Author(s):  
Donald A. Rakow ◽  
Meghan Z. Gough ◽  
Sharon A. Lee
Keyword(s):  
In Situ Conservation ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Solar Panels ◽  
Public Gardens ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Garden ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Or Gene

The final chapter provides a detailed analysis of strategies for successful partnerships and how they can be evaluated. It talks about the American Public Gardens Association's vision to make public gardens an indispensable part of communities. The APGA defines public gardens as institutions that maintain “collections of plants for the purposes of public education and enjoyment, in addition to research, conservation, and higher learning.” Gardens can best lead the way by establishing and demonstrating effective biodiversity conservation strategies in the midst of rapidly changing natural landscapes. One strategy is to preserve locally, regionally, or globally endangered species in their native habitats, which is known as in situ conservation. A second strategy is for public gardens to establish ex situ seed banks or gene banks at their sites that will preserve the genetic identities of species threatened or extirpated in the wild. Public gardens also need to be paragons of sustainable behavior, whether through LEED-certified buildings, SITES-approved landscapes, the use of solar panels and windmills, reduction or elimination of pesticides, or the use of electric vehicles. The public garden of the future will need to partner with architects, urban planners, and progressive corporations to produce a new generation of green buildings and urban gardens, so that cities will become centers of clean air and renewable energy and provide all their residents with easy access to nature.

Challenges of Fear Conditioning Research in the Age of RDoC

2017 ◽  
Vol 225 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina B. Lonsdorf ◽  
Jan Richter
Keyword(s):  
Fear Conditioning ◽  
Clinical Diagnosis ◽  
Research Domain Criteria ◽  
Major Focus ◽  
The Future ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
Research Domain

Abstract. As the criticism of the definition of the phenotype (i.e., clinical diagnosis) represents the major focus of the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative, it is somewhat surprising that discussions have not yet focused more on specific conceptual and procedural considerations of the suggested RDoC constructs, sub-constructs, and associated paradigms. We argue that we need more precise thinking as well as a conceptual and methodological discussion of RDoC domains and constructs, their interrelationships as well as their experimental operationalization and nomenclature. The present work is intended to start such a debate using fear conditioning as an example. Thereby, we aim to provide thought-provoking impulses on the role of fear conditioning in the age of RDoC as well as conceptual and methodological considerations and suggestions to guide RDoC-based fear conditioning research in the future.

Pocket E-Li: Listening Assessment Made Easy

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 4
Author(s):  
Norazean Sulaiman ◽  
Nurul Nadiah Dewi Faizul Ganapathy ◽  
Wan Faizatul Azirah Ismayatim
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Application ◽  
Listening Comprehension ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Positive Response ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Listening Skills ◽  
Current Technology ◽  
The Future ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
Almost All

Listening skills should be given more attention as listening takes precedence over anything else when it comes to acquiring a language (Putriani, Sukirlan & Supriyadi, 2013). Even with the booming of various technology to facilitate teaching and learning of listening skills in class, the assessment conducted to identify students’ level of understanding of certain topic is still not up-to-date and not parallel with the advancement of technology. The current studies show that the use of mobile apps for listening purpose is proven to be effective in reducing students’ anxiety (Rahimi & Soleymani, 2015), sustaining students’ motivation (Read & Kukulska-Hulme, 2015), and improving students’ linguistic competencies (Ramos & Valderruten, 2017). This study is aimed to test the effectiveness of mobile application in assessing students’ listening skills. Diploma students from various faculties in UiTM Shah Alam were randomly chosen to answer listening comprehension questions via the prototype developed, named Pocket E-Li. The results demonstrate that the majority of the students provided positive response towards the implementation of mobile application for listening assessment. Almost all respondents agreed that listening assessment should be conducted via mobile application in the future. It can be concluded that listening assessment via mobile application is beneficial to students since it meets the students’ demands and needs which is equivalent with the use of current technology.

Neuroethics

2017 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Function ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Wearable Technologies ◽  
Definition Of Death ◽  
Populations At Risk ◽  
The Future ◽  
Aging Adults ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Brain ◽  
New Criteria

We have new answers to how the brain works and tools which can now monitor and manipulate brain function. Rapid advances in neuroscience raise critical questions with which society must grapple. What new balances must be struck between diagnosis and prediction, and invasive and noninvasive interventions? Are new criteria needed for the clinical definition of death in cases where individuals are eligible for organ donation? How will new mobile and wearable technologies affect the future of growing children and aging adults? To what extent is society responsible for protecting populations at risk from environmental neurotoxins? As data from emerging technologies converge and are made available on public databases, what frameworks and policies will maximize benefits while ensuring privacy of health information? And how can people and communities with different values and perspectives be maximally engaged in these important questions? Neuroethics: Anticipating the Future is written by scholars from diverse disciplines—neurology and neuroscience, ethics and law, public health, sociology, and philosophy. With its forward-looking insights and considerations for the future, the book examines the most pressing current ethical issues.

scholarly journals Patients’ Perceived Satisfaction Through Telephone-Assisted Tele-Consultation During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Period: Observational Single-Centre Study at a Tertiary-Referral Colorectal Surgery Department

2021 ◽  
pp. 155335062110080
Author(s):  
Lara Blanco Terés ◽  
Carlos Cerdán Santacruz ◽  
Javier García Septiem ◽  
Rocío Maqueda González ◽  
José María Lopesino González ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Average Score ◽  
Job Status ◽  
Perceived Satisfaction ◽  
The Future ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Single Centre Study ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Surgery Department

Introduction: The pandemic produced by SARS-CoV-2 has obliged us to set up the tele-assistance to offer a continuity of care. This implies an innovation, being the degree of satisfaction of patients unknown. Methods: A telephonic survey was conducted with the validated in the Spanish tool Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (Telehealth Usability Questionnaire; rating from 1-7) of all candidate patients assisted consecutively in the Coloproctology Unit. We included demographic variables, education level, job status, diagnosis and consultation type. A descriptive study was done. The relationship between the willingness of consultation model in the future (telemedicine vs traditional) and the categorical variables was analysed through the chi-squared test. Results: A total of 115 patients were included. The average age was 59.9 years, being 60% women. The average score in each of the survey items was higher than 6 in all the questions but 1. 26.1% of the surveyed patients confessed being advocated to tele-assistance in the future. The only factors related to greater willingness to tele-assistance were male gender (37% vs 18.8%; P = .03) and a higher academic preparation level in favour of higher technical studies (35.9%) and university studies (32.4%) opposite to the rest ( P = .043). The rest of variables studied, job status, labour regimen, diagnostic group and consultation type did not show any relationship. Conclusions: A vast majority of patients answered favourably to almost all the items of the survey. However, only 26.1% of them would choose a model of tele-assistance without restrictions.

scholarly journals Multi-scale characterizations of colon polyps via computed tomographic colonography

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weiguo Cao ◽  
Marc J. Pomeroy ◽  
Yongfeng Gao ◽  
Matthew A. Barish ◽  
Almas F. Abbasi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Texture Features ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Colon Polyps ◽  
Texture Descriptor ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Computed Tomographic ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Occurrence Matrix

AbstractTexture features have played an essential role in the field of medical imaging for computer-aided diagnosis. The gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)-based texture descriptor has emerged to become one of the most successful feature sets for these applications. This study aims to increase the potential of these features by introducing multi-scale analysis into the construction of GLCM texture descriptor. In this study, we first introduce a new parameter - stride, to explore the definition of GLCM. Then we propose three multi-scaling GLCM models according to its three parameters, (1) learning model by multiple displacements, (2) learning model by multiple strides (LMS), and (3) learning model by multiple angles. These models increase the texture information by introducing more texture patterns and mitigate direction sparsity and dense sampling problems presented in the traditional Haralick model. To further analyze the three parameters, we test the three models by performing classification on a dataset of 63 large polyp masses obtained from computed tomography colonoscopy consisting of 32 adenocarcinomas and 31 benign adenomas. Finally, the proposed methods are compared to several typical GLCM-texture descriptors and one deep learning model. LMS obtains the highest performance and enhances the prediction power to 0.9450 with standard deviation 0.0285 by area under the curve of receiver operating characteristics score which is a significant improvement.

scholarly journals Frege’s puzzle and the ex ante Pareto principle

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Mahtani
Keyword(s):  
Policy Choice ◽  
Choice Situation ◽  
Pareto Principle ◽  
Social Situations ◽  
Central Importance ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Rational Behaviour ◽  
Fixed Population

Abstract The ex ante Pareto principle has an intuitive pull, and it has been a principle of central importance since Harsanyi’s defence of utilitarianism (to be found in e.g. Harsanyi, Rational behaviour and bargaining equilibrium in games and social situations. CUP, Cambridge, 1977). The principle has been used to criticize and refine a range of positions in welfare economics, including egalitarianism and prioritarianism. But this principle faces a serious problem. I have argued elsewhere (Mahtani, J Philos 114(6):303-323 2017) that the concept of ex ante Pareto superiority is not well defined, because its application in a choice situation concerning a fixed population can depend on how the members of that population are designated. I show in this paper that in almost all cases of policy choice, there will be numerous sets of rival designators for the same fixed population. I explore two ways that we might complete the definition of ex ante Pareto superiority. I call these the ‘supervaluationist’ reading and the ‘subvaluationist’ reading. I reject the subvaluationist reading as uncharitable, and argue that the supervaluationist reading is the most promising interpretation of the ex ante Pareto principle. I end by exploring some of the implications of this principle for prioritarianism and egalitarianism.

A Comparative Study on the Noise between Floors of Apartment and Multiplex Housing

2015 ◽  
Vol 752-753 ◽  
pp. 1232-1235
Author(s):  
Ji Hun Kim ◽  
Yoon Seok Shin
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Comparative Study ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Apartment Building ◽  
Noise And Vibration ◽  
Korean Government ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Future ◽  
House Type ◽  
Almost All

Since recently almost all housing built in Korean have shared walls and floor, diverse problems are unavoidable including noise between floor arising from noise and vibration. Many efforts have been made by the Korean government, but the number of complaints related with the noise between floors has been gradually increasing. Therefore, through the field measurements by house type, the current state of noise was understood. To do this, the noise between floors was measured in an apartment household and a multiplex house to perform a comparative analysis. As the result, the differences in the noise between the two house types were clarified. The findings of this research are expected to contribute to reduction of the noise between floors in an apartment building in the future.

scholarly journals Solar barycentric dynamics from a new solar-planetary ephemeris

2018 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. A153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo G. Cionco ◽  
Dmitry A. Pavlov
Keyword(s):  
High Precision ◽  
Orbital Motion ◽  
Giant Planets ◽  
Reference Plane ◽  
The Sun ◽  
The Future ◽  
Dynamical Parameters ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Invariable Plane ◽  
Planetary Theories

Aims. The barycentric dynamics of the Sun has increasingly been attracting the attention of researchers from several fields, due to the idea that interactions between the Sun’s orbital motion and solar internal functioning could be possible. Existing high-precision ephemerides that have been used for that purpose do not include the effects of trans-Neptunian bodies, which cause a significant offset in the definition of the solar system’s barycentre. In addition, the majority of the dynamical parameters of the solar barycentric orbit are not routinely calculated according to these ephemerides or are not publicly available. Methods. We developed a special version of the IAA RAS lunar–solar–planetary ephemerides, EPM2017H, to cover the whole Holocene and 1 kyr into the future. We studied the basic and derived (e.g., orbital torque) barycentric dynamical quantities of the Sun for that time span. A harmonic analysis (which involves an application of VSOP2013 and TOP2013 planetary theories) was performed on these parameters to obtain a physics-based interpretation of the main periodicities present in the solar barycentric movement. Results. We present a high-precision solar barycentric orbit and derived dynamical parameters (using the solar system’s invariable plane as the reference plane), widely accessible for the whole Holocene and 1 kyr in the future. Several particularities and barycentric phenomena are presented and explained on dynamical bases. A comparison with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory DE431 ephemeris, whose main differences arise from the modelling of trans-Neptunian bodies, shows significant discrepancies in several parameters (i.e., not only limited to angular elements) related to the solar barycentric dynamics. In addition, we identify the main periodicities of the Sun’s barycentric movement and the main giant planets perturbations related to them.

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