A flexible framework for synthesizing human activity patterns with application to sequential categorical data

The ability to synthesize realistic data in a parametrizable way is valuable for a number of reasons, including privacy, missing data imputation, and evaluating the performance of statistical and computational methods. When the underlying data generating process is complex, data synthesis requires approaches that balance realism and simplicity. In this paper, we address the problem of synthesizing sequential categorical data of the type that is increasingly available from mobile applications and sensors that record participant status continuously over the course of multiple days and weeks. We propose the paired Markov Chain (paired-MC) method, a flexible framework that produces sequences that closely mimic real data while providing a straightforward mechanism for modifying characteristics of the synthesized sequences. We demonstrate the paired-MC method on two datasets, one reflecting daily human activity patterns collected via a smartphone application, and one encoding the intensities of physical activity measured by wearable accelerometers. In both settings, sequences synthesized by paired-MC better capture key characteristics of the real data than alternative approaches

Ab Initio Investigation of the Adsorption and Dissociation of O₂ on Cu-Skin Cu₃Au(111) Surface

Surface adsorption and dissociation processes can have a decisive impact on the catalytic properties of metal alloys. We have used density functional theory to investigate the adsorption and dissociation of O2 on Cu-skin Cu3Au(111) surface. The calculated results show that the b-f(h)-b adsorption configuration is the most energetically favorable on the Cu-skin Cu3Au(111) surface. For O2 dissociation, there are two thermodynamically favorable dissociation paths. One path is from b-f-b to two O atoms in hcp sites, and the other path is from b-h-b to two O atoms in fcc sites. Moreover, the stability of O2 adsorption is higher and the dissociation energy barrier of the adsorbed O2 is lower as compared to those on the Cu(111) surface. This theoretical work provides valuable guidance for the practical application of Cu-Au alloys as highly efficient CO oxidation catalysts

Ab Initio Investigation of the Adsorption and Dissociation of O2 on Cu-Skin Cu3Au(111) Surface

Surface adsorption and dissociation processes can have a decisive impact on the catalytic properties of metal alloys. We have used density functional theory to investigate the adsorption and dissociation of O2 on Cu-skin Cu3Au(111) surface. The calculated results show that the b-f(h)-b adsorption configuration is the most energetically favorable on the Cu-skin Cu3Au(111) surface. For O2 dissociation, there are two thermodynamically favorable dissociation paths. One path is from b-f-b to two O atoms in hcp sites, and the other path is from b-h-b to two O atoms in fcc sites. Moreover, the stability of O2 adsorption is higher and the dissociation energy barrier of the adsorbed O2 is lower as compared to those on the Cu(111) surface. This theoretical work provides valuable guidance for the practical application of Cu-Au alloys as highly efficient CO oxidation catalysts

Cafeteria‐style feeding trials provide new insights into the diet and nutritional strategies of the black snub‐nosed monkey(Rhinopithecus strykeri):Implications for conservation

Anthropogenic changes and fragmentation of natural habitats often exert a negative effect on resource availability and distribution, and the nutritional ecology and feeding behavior of nonhuman primates. The goals of this study are to examine food choice and to identify the nutritional profile of foods consumed by the Critically Endangered black snub‐nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus strykeri). To accomplish our study goals, we presented cafeteria‐style feeding trials of fresh food items collected in the home range of wild black snub‐nosed monkeys to the only two captive R. strykeri, and compared the nutritional profiles of the leafy foods (buds, young, and mature leaves, 100 items from 70 plant species) selected with those avoided (54 items from 48 plant species). Overall, the results indicate that captive R. strykeri selected foods that were higher in moisture (Mo; 77.7%), crude protein (CP; 21.2%), total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC; 34.9%), and phosphorus (P; 0.37%) while tending to avoid foods with a neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content of greater than 46.8%. Leaves collected in autumn and selected by the monkeys were characterized by a slightly higher amount of metabolizable energy (ME) than those rejected (1,350kJ/100g vs. 1,268kJ/100g). In contrast, the protein content of foods collected and consumed during the spring was greater (22.9%) than in autumn (16.4%). Random Forests modeling, an ensemble learning method, indicated that the proportion of Mo, NDF, ME, CP, P, and TNC were among the most important factors in predicting which items were consumed by the captive R. strykeri during spring and autumn. On the basis of the nutritional profile of foods consumed across the two seasons, we identified 18 nutrient‐rich native plant species that we recommend for use in ex‐ and in‐situ conservation management and reforestation programs to provide long‐term access to a nutritionally adequate diet.National Nature Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 31860164, 31860168, 31670397; Australian National University (ANU) Fieldwork Funding for Higher Degree Research (HDR) Students, Grant/Award Number: R61250FW; ANU Vice-Chancellor's HDR Travel Grant, Grant/Award Number: 4885859; Zoological Society for the Conservation of Species and Populations, Grant/Award Number: Rhinopithecus.MMR.201