Do You Hear What I Hear? Human Perception of Coyote Group Size

Recordings of 1 – 4 coyotes (Canis latrans) that were howling and yip-yapping were played to 427 participants who were asked to estimate the number of coyotes they perceived to hear. Participants were separated by gender (M or F), age group ( 35), resident location (urban, suburban, or rural), and occupation type (rancher/farmer or non-rancher/farmer). Differences between participants concerning gender, age group, resident location, and occupation type were not observed; however, treatment differences were observed. Participants were able to discern differences in the number of coyotes howling with the addition of each coyote; however, participants consistently overestimated the number of coyotes they heard by nearly 2-fold. Thus, it seems the general public has the perception that coyotes are more abundant than they actually are

Performance evaluation of a DC-AC inverter controlled with ZAD-FPIC

Introduction− Power converters are used in mi-crogrids to transfer power to the load with a regulated voltage. However, the DC-AC converters present distor-tions in the waveform that can be improved with the help of real-time controllers.Objective−Evaluate the response in alternating cur-rent of the buck converter controlled with the ZAD-FPIC technique.Methodology−Based on the differential equations that describe the buck power converter, the ZAD and FPIC controllers are designed. Afterwards, simulations of the complete controlled system are made using Simulink of MATLAB. Then, the system is implemented experi-mentally and the controller is executed in real-time with the help of a DS1104 from dSPACE. In the end, several tests are carried out to check the effectiveness of the controller.Results− The results show that the controller allows good stability against different variations in the system and in the load.Conclusions−The ZAD-FPIC technique controls the variable and tracks changes in the waveform, magni-tude, and frequency of the reference signal. The control-ler presents good stability to different tests, tracking the reference signal after each event.Introducción− Los convertidores de potencia son utili-zados en las micro redes para transferir la potencia a la carga con una tensión regulada. Sin embargo, los conver-tidores DC-AC presentan distorsiones en la forma de onda que pueden ser mejoradas con la ayuda de controladores en tiempo real.Objetivo− Evaluar la respuesta en corriente alterna del convertidor buck controlado con la técnica ZAD-FPIC.Metodología− Se parte de las ecuaciones diferenciales que describen el convertidor de potencia buck, luego se diseñan los controladores ZAD y FPIC, se hacen simu-laciones del sistema completo controlado en Simulink de Matlab, se implementa el sistema de forma experimental y el controlador se ejecuta en tiempo real con la ayuda de una DS1104 de la empresa dSPACE, al final se realizan varias pruebas para comprobar la efectividad del controlador.Resultados− Los resultados muestran que el controlador permite que una buena estabilidad contra diversas varia-ciones en el sistema y en la carga.Conclusiones− La técnica ZAD-FPIC controla la varia-ble y realiza seguimiento ante cambios en la forma de onda, magnitud y frecuencia de la señal de referencia. El controlador presenta buena estabilidad ante diferentes pruebas, siguiendo la señal de referencia después de cada event

Cost–Benefit Analysis of Coyote Removal as a Management Option in Texas Cattle Ranching

The monetary value of livestock losses attributed to coyote (Canis latrans) predation in North America has increased during the past 20 years. In Texas, USA alone in 2011, these loses were estimated at $6.9 million. To mitigate coyote-related livestock losses, several lethal and nonlethal control methods have been developed. However, there remains a need for better information to guide management decisions regarding cost-effective predator control strategies for livestock production systems. We acquired data, which was used in the model, from published literature from 1960 to present day, subject matter experts, and anecdotal information on coyote ecology. We developed a systems dynamics simulation model to evaluate the economic impact of coyote control on an average-sized cattle (Bos spp.) operation (1,000 ha) for a conceptual 10-year period in Texas. We conducted a sensitivity analyses to validate the model and identify the most sensitive parameters. We tested 88 scenarios using common coyote management methods (i.e., aerial gunning, M-44 devices, snares, livestock guard animals (LGAs), calling and shooting, and foothold traps), combinations of multiple management methods, and number of applications per year (once per year, twice per year, continuous). Several management methods were cost effective at reducing calf predation when applied sparingly and under assumptions of skillful and dedicated application of coyote control methods. The most cost-effective method of coyote control to reduce calf depredation was the combined use of snares and LGAs. When applied 1 month prior to the primary calving month, the snare/LGA combination showed an 81% decrease in overall costs of calf loss and predator management during the 10-year period, respectively. Cost effectiveness of methods deteriorated as the number of applications per year increased. While these are useful results, the intangible values of coyotes through grazing benefits (i.e., fewer prey species such as lagomorphs on the landscape to compete for forage with cattle) and ecological benefits (i.e., mitigation of meso-predator release) were not included in the model. However, these benefits should be considered by ranchers before implementing lethal coyote management

Population-Level Compensation Impedes Biological Control of an Invasive Forb and Indirect Release of a Native Grass

The intentional introduction of specialist insect herbivores for biological control of exotic weeds provides ideal but understudied systems for evaluating important ecological concepts related to top-down control, plant compensatory responses, indirect effects, and the influence of environmental context on these processes. Centaurea stoebe (spotted knapweed) is a notorious rangeland weed that exhibited regional declines in the early 2000s, attributed to drought by some and to successful biocontrol by others. We initiated an experiment to quantify the effects of the biocontrol agent, Cyphocleonus achates, on Ce. stoebe and its interaction with a dominant native grass competitor, Pseudoroegneria spicata, under contrasting precipitation conditions. Plots containing monocultures of each plant species or equal mixtures of the two received factorial combinations of Cy. achates herbivory (exclusion or addition) and precipitation (May–June drought or “normal,” defined by the 50-year average) for three years. Cy. achates herbivory reduced survival of adult Ce. stoebe plants by 9% overall, but this effect was stronger under normal precipitation compared to drought conditions, and stronger in mixed-species plots compared to monocultures. Herbivory had no effect on Ce. stoebe per capita seed production or on recruitment of seedlings or juveniles. In normal-precipitation plots of mixed composition, greater adult mortality due to Cy. achates herbivory resulted in increased recruitment of new adult Ce. stoebe. Due to this compensatory response to adult mortality, final Ce. stoebe densities did not differ between herbivory treatments regardless of context. Experimental drought reduced adult Ce. stoebe survival in mixed-species plots but did not impede recruitment of new adults or reduce final Ce. stoebe densities, perhaps due to the limited duration of the treatment. Ce. stoebe strongly depressed P. spicata reproduction and recruitment, but these impacts were not substantively alleviated by herbivory on Ce. stoebe. Population-level compensation by dominant plants may be an important factor inhibiting top-down effects in herbivore-driven and predator-driven cascades

Cryptosporidium, Enterocytozoon, and Cyclospora Infections in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Diarrhea in Tanzania.

Cryptosporidiosis, microsporidiosis, and cyclosporiasis were studied in four groups of Tanzanian inpatients: adults with AIDS-associated diarrhea, children with chronic diarrhea (of whom 23 of 59 were positive [+] for human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]), children with acute diarrhea (of whom 15 of 55 were HIV+), and HIV control children without diarrhea. Cryptosporidium was identified in specimens from 6/86 adults, 5/59 children with chronic diarrhea (3/5, HIV+), 7/55 children with acute diarrhea (0/7, HIV+), and 0/20 control children. Among children with acute diarrhea, 7/7 with cryptosporidiosis were malnourished, compared with 10/48 without cryptosporidiosis (P < .01). Enterocytozoon was identified in specimens from 3/86 adults, 2/59 children with chronic diarrhea (1 HIV+), 0/55 children with acute diarrhea, and 4/20 control children. All four controls were underweight (P < .01). Cyclospora was identified in specimens from one adult and one child with acute diarrhea (HIV-). Thus, Cryptosporidium was the most frequent and Cyclospora the least frequent pathogen identified. Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon were associated with malnutrition. Asymptomatic fecal shedding of Enterocytozoon in otherwise healthy, HIV children has not been described previously

Orientation of Pterin-6-Carboxylic Acid on Gold Capped Silicon Nanopillars Platforms: Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Studies

The orientation of pterin-6-carboxylic acid on gold nanopillars was investigated by surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory methods. The experimentally vibrations from pterin-6-COOH free and attached to the Au surface display vibration features indicating chemical interaction of the pterin with the metal surface. The spectral feature evidenced that the pterin would adsorb on gold surface with a "lying down" configuration through the high intensity vibration of NH scissoring and rocking OH modes. The orientation study of pterins on gold nanopillars presented herein is believed to lead to new applications in biosensing field for detecting pterins of physiological importance

Letting a Neural Network Decide Which Machine Translation System to Use for Black-Box Fuzzy-Match Repair

While systems using the Neural Network-based Machine Translation (NMT) paradigm achieve the highest scores on recent shared tasks, phrase-based (PBMT) systems, rule-based (RBMT) systems and other systems may get better results for individual examples. Therefore, combined systems should achieve the best results for MT, particularly if the system combination method can take advantage of the strengths of each paradigm. In this paper, we describe a system that predicts whether a NMT, PBMT or RBMT will get the best Spanish translation result for a particular English sentence in DGT-TM 20161. Then we use fuzzy-match repair (FMR) as a mechanism to show that the combined system outperforms individual systems in a black-box machine translation setting.John E. Ortega is supported by the Universitat d’Alacant and the Spanish government through the EFFORTUNE (TIN2015-69632-R) project. Kyunghyun Cho was partly supported by Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (Next Generation Deep Learning: from pattern recognition to AI) and Samsung Electronics (Improving Deep Learning using Latent Structure)

Energy Evaluation of Pumping Systems in a Clean Water Plant: A Study Case

This paper presents a methodology based on the ISO-50001 standard to assess the energy impact of replacing standard efficiency motors with high-efficiency motors driven by variable speed drives in an industrial pumping system. The methodology includes the inspection and installation of the new technology, measurements, and data processing, as well as the analysis of the results. In addition, an energy efficiency indicator, an energy baseline, and a Pareto diagram are used, while the harmonics generated by new technologies are evaluated. The contribution of the methodology is that it allows for a comprehensive energy diagnosis using easily measurable data like electricity consumption and water flow, replacing the measurement of the motor\u27s mechanical power in industrial conditions, which is a current challenge. The methodology applied in the case study showed that the technological changes made saved 36% of energy, and that the variable speed drives increased current harmonics by 10%

Perspectives of native community in la guajira facing sustainable development and energy supply

Access to electricity as a public service is important issue to promote the economic development of isolated communities. However, this service is not available in many remote communities. Providing electricity service must be accompanied with some identification and characterization plans according to the energy needs, including the service quality and energy efficiency. The direct perception of the native communities is fundamental to define the requirements of new electrification projects. This paper summarizes the perceptions of native communities in La Guajira, Colombia about providing electricity service, and possible actions for improving energy resources available in the area. To achieve these results, a survey that identifies the people's opinion was applied with the following factors: the percentage of households with electricity, the perception of service quality, the proper use of electricity, and its main use. The results show that a high percentage of the native population does not have access to electricity, but they recognize and identify that this service would promote their economic development. However, people's perception about service quality is not good, and most of the population has concern regarding the use of electricity, saving actions and payment mechanisms. Through this research, a new perception of the sustainable energy is determined, relevant to achieve the best application of the electricity use in the region, towards the promotion of the sustainable development. These results show that there is a need to ensure energy supplied to non-interconnected or isolated areas, which represents a great challenge for the Government in providing more resources to the population, and to promote compliance with the proclaimed in the current laws and energy policy.El acceso a la electricidad como servicio público resulta relevante para promover el desarrollo económico de comunidades aisladas. Sin embargo, este servicio no está disponible en muchas comunidades remotas. La prestación de este servicio debe ir acompañado de algunos planes de identificación y caracterización de las necesidades energéticas, incluyendo la calidad de la energía y eficiencia energética. La percepción directa de las comunidades indígenas es fundamental para definir los requerimientos de los proyectos de electrificación. Este artículo resume la percepción de las comunidades indígenas en La Guajira, Colombia frente a la prestación del servicio de energía eléctrica y posibles acciones de mejoramiento con recursos energéticos disponibles en la zona. Para lograr estos resultados, se realizó una encuesta que permite identificar la opinión que tienen las personas, identificando los siguientes factores: el porcentaje de hogares con servicio de electricidad, la percepción de la calidad del servicio, el uso apropiado de la electricidad y su principal uso. Los resultados evidencian que un alto porcentaje de la población indígena no cuenta con el acceso al servicio de electricidad, pero reconocen e identifican que este servicio promovería su desarrollo económico. Sin embargo, su percepción de la calidad del servicio no es buena y la mayoría de la población tiene preocupación respecto al uso de electricidad, las medidas de ahorro y mecanismos de pago. A través de esta investigación, se determinó una nueva percepción de la energía sostenible necesaria para lograr la mejor aplicación del uso de energía eléctrica en la región orientada hacia el fomento del desarrollo sostenible. Estos resultados muestran que existe una necesidad para garantizar el abastecimiento energético a las zonas no interconectadas o aisladas, lo cual representa un gran reto para el gobierno en brindar los recursos a su población y propender por el cumplimiento de lo proclamado en las leyes y la política energética vigente

Meeting the Needs of Low-Resource Languages: The Value of Automatic Alignments via Pretrained Models

Large multilingual models have inspired a new class of word alignment methods, which work well for the model's pretraining languages. However, the languages most in need of automatic alignment are low-resource and, thus, not typically included in the pretraining data. In this work, we ask: How do modern aligners perform on unseen languages, and are they better than traditional methods? We contribute gold-standard alignments for Bribri--Spanish, Guarani--Spanish, Quechua--Spanish, and Shipibo-Konibo--Spanish. With these, we evaluate state-of-the-art aligners with and without model adaptation to the target language. Finally, we also evaluate the resulting alignments extrinsically through two downstream tasks: named entity recognition and part-of-speech tagging. We find that although transformer-based methods generally outperform traditional models, the two classes of approach remain competitive with each other.Comment: EACL 202