Research NEXUS : Volume 11 - 2024

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Applied Artificial Intelligence

The European Research Group on Artificial Intelligence, EURGAI, is responsible for theoretical and applied research in Artificial Intelligence and organized the 1st ISCAAI’ 2024 – International Scientific Conference on Applied Artificial Intelligence in Szeged, Hungary on May 11, 2024. The issue articles were presented on ISCAAI’ 2024 conference, authors come from 5 countries: Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Montenegro and Ukraine. The research results in this journal include eleven articles

Disturbance can slow down litter decomposition, depending on severity of disturbance and season: an example from Mount Kilimanjaro

Deforestation and land-use change affect ecosystem processes such as carbon cycling. Here, we present results from a litter decomposition experiment in six natural and six disturbed vegetation types along an elevation gradient of 3600 m on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We exposed litter bags with a standard material for up to 12 weeks each in two seasons. In the cold wet season we sampled the full elevation gradient and in the warm wet season we repeated the sampling in the lower part of the elevation gradient. Though we found significantly negative effects of disturbance in forest ecosystems, this was only due to differences between natural and burned Podocarpus forests. Disturbance characterized by a more open vegetation structure in many of the studied vegetation types had no general effect when we studied the full elevation gradient; this also included non-forest vegetation types. Land-use intensity had a significant negative effect on decomposition rates but only in the warm wet season, not in the cold wet season. Temperature and humidity were the most important drivers of decomposition overall and for all subsets of vegetation types and seasons. Our study shows that negative effects of disturbance or land-use intensity on decomposition depended on the severity of disturbance and on the season. Nevertheless, climate was generally the most relevant driver of decomposition. Therefore, vegetation types with moderate levels of disturbance can retain high functionality in regards to carbon cycling over short periods of time. More and longer decomposition studies are necessary to better predict consequences of land-use change for carbon cycling in the Afrotropics.</p

Commencement [Program], May 10-11, 2024

The program of the commencement ceremonies, including a list of institutional leadership, a list of the departments by college, awards given at the ceremonies, and a list of undergraduate and graduate degree candidates. This commencement program is not an official graduate list. Contents: Board of Regents ... 2Institutional Leadership ... 2The Academic Procession ... 3Academic Honorary Organizations ... 4University Ambassador Organizations ... 5University Honors Program ... 6Legacy Graduates ... 6Military Science ... 7Merchant Scholarship ... 7Outstanding Student Leader ... 7Commencement Student Speakers ... 7Purple and Old Gold Awards ... 8Lux Service Award ... 97 p.m. Program ... 11College of Humanities, Arts and Sciences ... 1310 a.m. Program . 26College of Social and Behavioral Sciences . 27Division of Continuing Education and Special Programs ... 392 p.m. Program ... 41College of Education ... 43David W. Wilson College of Business ... 53UNI Alma Mater ... 62https://scholarworks.uni.edu/commencement_programs/1318/thumbnail.jp

Iowa Fishing Report, January 11, 2024

E-newsletter providing information about Iowa natural resources activities across the state. Produced by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Bedload transport fluctuations, flow conditions, and disequilibrium ratio at the Swiss Erlenbach stream: results from 27 years of high-resolution temporal measurements

Based on measurements with the Swiss plate geophone system with a 1 min temporal resolution, bedload transport fluctuations were analysed as a function of the flow and transport conditions in the Swiss Erlenbach stream. The study confirms a finding from an earlier event-based analysis of the same bedload transport data, which showed that the disequilibrium ratio of measured to calculated transport rate (disequilibrium condition) influences the sediment transport behaviour. To analyse the transport conditions, the following elements were examined to characterise bedload transport fluctuations: (i) the autocorrelation coefficient of bedload transport rates as a function of lag time (memory effect), (ii) the critical discharge at the start and end of a transport event, (iii) the variability in the bedload transport rates, and (iv) a hysteresis index as a measure of the strength of bedload transport during the rising and falling limb of the hydrograph. This study underlines that above-average disequilibrium conditions, which are associated with a larger sediment availability on the streambed, generally have a stronger effect on subsequent transport conditions than below-average disequilibrium conditions, which are associated with comparatively less sediment availability on the streambed. The findings highlight the important roles of the sediment availability on the streambed, the disequilibrium ratio, and the hydraulic forcing in view of a better understanding of the bedload transport fluctuations in a steep mountain stream.</p

Boletín Diario Oceanográfico vol. 11 N° 11, 2024

El Boletín Diario Oceanográfico (BDO) presenta la evolución de variables esenciales del océano como la temperatura y salinidad del agua de mar a una frecuencia diaria. Esta información permite conocer las variaciones de estos parámetros en el mar peruano en un contexto local, regional y de macroescala. Para este fin se emplea información de productos satelitales disponibles así como mediciones de la temperatura del mar en los muelles costeros que administra el Instituto del Mar del Perú (IMARPE) en las localidades de Tumbes, Paita, San José, Chicama, Huanchaco, Chimbote, Huacho, Callao, Pisco, Matarani e Ilo

No, Not Even Water : A DEI Approach to Embracing Ramadan\u27s Richness

As Ramadan commences tomorrow, March 11, 2024, it presents a unique opportunity for both observant Muslims and those from other faiths or practices to come together in a period marked by reflection, renewal, and community. This sacred month offers a window into the discipline and devotion of fasting from dawn until dusk, underscoring values of empathy, gratitude, and solidarity with those less fortunate. For non-Muslims, it\u27s an opportunity to learn about and respect these practices, perhaps by participating in communal Iftars, engaging in dialogue, or simply offering support and understanding to those observing the fast. By embracing the spirit of Ramadan, we can all contribute to an atmosphere of inclusivity and mutual respect, fostering stronger bonds within our diverse communities. Let us welcome this month with open hearts and minds, ready to discover and share in the rich tapestry of experiences it brings

“None of them could say they ever had seen them, but only had it from others”: encounters with animals in Eighteenth-century natural histories of Greenland

The pages of early modern natural histories expose the plasticity of the natural world, and the variegated nature of the encounter between human and animal in this period. Descriptions of the flora and fauna reflect this kind of negotiated encounter between the world that is seen, that which is heard about, and that which is constructed from the language of the sacred text of scripture. The natural histories of Greenland that form the basis of this analysis exemplify the complexity of human-animal encounters in this period, and the intersections that existed between natural and unnatural, written authority and personal testimony, and culture, belief, and ethnography in natural histories. They invite a more nuanced understanding of the ways in which animals and people interact in the making of culture, and demonstrate the contribution made by such texts to the study of animal encounters, cultures, and concepts. This article explores the intersection between natural history and the work of Christian mission in the eighteenth century, and the connections between personal encounter, ethnography, history, and oral and written tradition. The analysis demonstrates that European natural histories continued to be anthropocentric in content and tone, the product of what was believed, as much as what was seen