Search results for "AO"
showing 10 items of 3887 documents
Fishery-dependent and -independent data lead to consistent estimations of essential habitats
2016
AbstractSpecies mapping is an essential tool for conservation programmes as it provides clear pictures of the distribution of marine resources. However, in fishery ecology, the amount of objective scientific information is limited and data may not always be directly comparable. Information about the distribution of marine species can be derived from two main sources: fishery-independent data (scientific surveys at sea) and fishery-dependent data (collection and sampling by observers in commercial vessels). The aim of this paper is to compare whether these two different sources produce similar, complementary, or different results. We compare them in the specific context of identifying the Es…
Modelling sensitive elasmobranchs habitat
2013
Basic information on the distribution and habitat preferences of ecologically important species is essential for their management and protection. In the Mediterranean Sea there is increasing concern over elasmobranch species because their biological (ecological) characteristics make them highly vulnerable to fishing pressure. Their removal could affect the structure and function of marine ecosystems, inducing changes in trophic interactions at the community level due to the selective elimination of predators or prey species, competitors and species replacement. In this study Bayesian hierarchical spatial models are used to map the sensitive habitats of the three most caught elasmobranch spe…
GeneSys-Beet: A model of the effects of cropping systems on gene flow between sugar beet and weed beet
2008
A weedy form of the genus Beta, i.e. Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris (hence ''weed beet'') frequently found in sugar beet is impossible to eliminate with herbicides because of its genetic proximity to the crop. It is presumed to be the progeny of accidental hybrids between sugar beet (ssp. vulgaris) and wild beet (ssp. maritima), or of sugar beet varieties sensitive to vernalization and sown early in years with late cold spells. In this context, genetically modified (GM) sugar beet varieties tolerant to non-selective herbicides would be interesting to manage weed beet. However, because of the proximity of the weed to the crop, it is highly probable that the herbicide-tolerance transgene would b…
Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 December 2009-31 January 2010
2010
4 pages; International audience; This article documents the addition of 220 microsatellite marker loci to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Allanblackia floribunda, Amblyraja radiata, Bactrocera cucurbitae, Brachycaudus helichrysi, Calopogonium mucunoides, Dissodactylus primitivus, Elodea canadensis, Ephydatia fluviatilis, Galapaganus howdenae howdenae, Hoplostethus atlanticus, Ischnura elegans, Larimichthys polyactis, Opheodrys vernalis, Pelteobagrus fulvidraco, Phragmidium violaceum, Pistacia vera, and Thunnus thynnus. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Allanblackia gabonensis, Allanblackia stanerana, Neoceratitis …
Automatic Profiling of Open-Ended Survey Data on Medical Workplace Teaching
2019
On-the-job medical training is known to be challenging due to the fast-paced environment and strong vocational profile. It relies on on-site supervisors, mainly doctors and nurses with long practical experience, who coach and teach their less experienced colleagues, such as residents and healthcare students. These supervisors receive pedagogical training to ensure that their guidance and teaching skills are constantly improved. The aim of such training is to develop participants’ patient, collegiate and student guidance skills in a multiprofessional environment, and to expand their understanding of guidance as part of their work as supervisors of healthcare professionals. In this paper, we …
Convergence of direct recursive algorithm for identification of Preisach hysteresis model with stochastic input
2015
We consider a recursive iterative algorithm for identification of parameters of the Preisach model, one of the most commonly used models of hysteretic input-output relationships. The classical identification algorithm due to Mayergoyz defines explicitly a series of test inputs that allow one to find parameters of the Preisach model with any desired precision provided that (a) such input time series can be implemented and applied; and, (b) the corresponding output data can be accurately measured and recorded. Recursive iterative identification schemes suitable for a number of engineering applications have been recently proposed as an alternative to the classical algorithm. These recursive sc…
Surrogate models for the compressive strength mapping of cement mortar materials
2021
Despite the extensive use of mortar materials in constructions over the last decades, there is not yet a robust quantitative method available in the literature, which can reliably predict their strength based on the mix components. This limitation is attributed to the highly nonlinear relation between the mortar’s compressive strength and the mixed components. In this paper, the application of artificial intelligence techniques for predicting the compressive strength of mortars is investigated. Specifically, Levenberg–Marquardt, biogeography-based optimization, and invasive weed optimization algorithms are used for this purpose (based on experimental data available in the literature). The c…
Unexplored alternative use of calcareous sludge from the paper-pulp industry in green geopolymer construction materials
2020
Abstract Calcareous sludge is an alkaline waste produced by the paper pulp industry that is commonly disposed of in land-fill. However, recent studies and the European regulations discourage such practice. This work investigates an alternative and innovative way to recycle and reuse this waste, as filler, in the production of green geopolymeric mortars intended for applications in construction. This is the first time that this calcareous sludge is used to produce novel waste-based materials, in both construction and geopolymer technology. The novel alkali-activated mortar also uses biomass fly ash – another slightly investigated waste stream – to substitute the metakaolin (70 wt% substituti…
Metakaolin geopolymer characterization and application for ammonium removal from model solutions and landfill leachate
2016
Abstract Geopolymers are aluminosilicate compounds that are amorphous analogues of zeolites, and thus possess similar cation-exchange properties. Geopolymers have been successfully applied to remove toxic metals and organic dyes from aqueous solutions. In this study, geopolymer was synthesized from metakaolin and applied to remove ammonium (NH 4 + ) from model solutions and landfill leachate. Geopolymerization increased the ammonium removal capacity, surface area and average pore width and changed the chemical structure of metakaolin. The maximum NH 4 + removal capacity of the geopolymer was 21.07 mg g − 1 which was 46% higher than the capacity of the reference clinoptilolite–heulandite zeo…
Characterization of the porous structure of Chilean volcanic soils by nitrogen adsorption and mercury porosimetry
2004
Pore volume, specific surface area (SSA), and total intragranular porosity (TIP) of Chilean soils derived from volcanic materials were studied. Soil samples involving the 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth of virgin and cultivated Collipulli (Ultisol) and Diguillin (Andisol) soils at two particle size fractions (<1 mm and <2 µm) were considered. From mercury porosimetry and N2 adsorption, mainly mesopores (pore diameter, dpore, about 10 nm) were determined for <1 mm Collipulli samples. Diguillin <1 mm soil shows macroporosity with dpore from 70 nm to 7000 nm. The clay fraction of Collipulli has macropores (dpore from 2000 nm to 40000 nm) and mesopores (dpore from 3 nm to 23 nm), while for Diguillin cl…