Handwritten Stenography Recognition and the LION Dataset

Purpose: In this paper, we establish a baseline for handwritten stenography recognition, using the novel LION dataset, and investigate the impact of including selected aspects of stenographic theory into the recognition process. We make the LION dataset publicly available with the aim of encouraging future research in handwritten stenography recognition. Methods: A state-of-the-art text recognition model is trained to establish a baseline. Stenographic domain knowledge is integrated by applying four different encoding methods that transform the target sequence into representations, which approximate selected aspects of the writing system. Results are further improved by integrating a pre-training scheme, based on synthetic data. Results: The baseline model achieves an average test character error rate (CER) of 29.81% and a word error rate (WER) of 55.14%. Test error rates are reduced significantly by combining stenography-specific target sequence encodings with pre-training and fine-tuning, yielding CERs in the range of 24.5% - 26% and WERs of 44.8% - 48.2%. Conclusion: The obtained results demonstrate the challenging nature of stenography recognition. Integrating stenography-specific knowledge, in conjunction with pre-training and fine-tuning on synthetic data, yields considerable improvements. Together with our precursor study on the subject, this is the first work to apply modern handwritten text recognition to stenography. The dataset and our code are publicly available via Zenodo

Business Capability Models : current landscape and next steps for the EUNIS community

Publisher Copyright: © 2022, EasyChair. All rights reserved.This paper takes a policy perspective on the development and governance of Business Capability Models in Higher Education. In particular, we look at the next steps in international collaboration around the Higher Education Reference Model (HERM) launched in 2021. The motivation is to highlight the European challenges and contributions to this concept. To do so, the paper draws on insights from the EUNIS EA SIG community. The paper also argues that ongoing work in the domain of interoperability underscores the importance of a common framework such as HERM. At the same time, EUNIS can build upon those experiences when collaborating on the development of HERM. The main recommendation of the paper is that EUNIS in general and the EA SIG, in particular, should actively engage in the future development of HERM. More specifically, we see a need to focus on the implications of translating the model into the broader European context.Peer reviewe

Environmental variables affecting small‐scale distributions of five rotifer species in Lancaster Lake, Michigan

The small‐scale distributions of the rotifers Polyarthra vulgaris, Synchaeta stylata, Conochilus unicornis, Hexarthra mira , and Asplanchna priodonta were investigated in Lancaster Lake, Cheboygan County, Michigan, July 21, 1974. Measurements were taken for 13 depths (at 1‐m intervals) and at 4 times of the day (1:00 AM, 7:00 AM, 1:00 PM, and 7:00 PM). In addition, the abundances of 6 crustacean, 2 planktonic dipteran, and 10 algal species, as well as temperature, light, oxygen, chlorophyll a , alkalinity, pH and free carbon dioxide were measured. Whereas abiotic factors appeared to control large scale occupation of the lake, and excluded most species from the deeper portions of the hypolimnion, small‐scale distributional variation of the rotifers depended upon biotic interactions, particularly with the crustacean zooplankton.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90242/1/3510620404_ftp.pd

Small effective population sizes in two planktonic freshwater copepod species (Eudiaptomus) with apparently large census sizes

In small planktonic organisms, large census sizes (Nc) suggest large effective population sizes (Ne), but reliable estimates are rare. Here, we present Ne/Nc ratios for two freshwater copepod species (Eudiaptomus sp.) using temporal samples of multilocus microsatellite genotypes and a pseudo-likelihood approach. Ne/Nc ratios were very small in both Eudiaptomus species (10−7–10−8). Although we hypothesized that the species producing resting eggs (E. graciloides) had a larger Ne than the other (E. gracilis), estimates were not statistically different (E. graciloides: Ne = 672.7, CI: 276–1949; E. gracilis: Ne = 1027.4, CI: 449–2495), suggesting that the propagule bank of E. graciloides had no detectable influence on Ne

Daphniaperformance on diets containing different combinations of high-quality algae, heterotrophic bacteria, and allochthonous particulate organic matter

Filter-feeding zooplankton in lakes feed on a mixture of phytoplankton, bacteria, and terrestrial particles and the proportions and nutritional value of these components can be highly variable. However, the extent to which food quality interacts with food quantity in affecting overall zooplankton performance is not yet fully resolved. Here we performed laboratory feeding experiments to test how the performance of the unselective filter feederDaphnia galeatawas affected if various quantities of high-quality food (the phytoplanktonRhodomonas) were diluted with low-quality food such as heterotrophic bacteria (Pseudomonas) or terrestrial detritus particles (t-POM) from the riparian zone of a boreal forest stream. We hypothesised: that increased proportions of bacteria and t-POM in the diet will lead to decreased survival, somatic growth; and reproduction ofDaphniadespite the presence of phytoplankton; that these effects are more pronounced for t-POM than for heterotrophic bacteria; and that this response is stronger when phytoplankton availability is low. Increasing the concentrations ofPseudomonasaffectedDaphniasurvival, growth, and reproduction negatively whenRhodomonaswas available at intermediate (0.37 mgC/L) and high (0.55 mgC/L) quantities. WhenRhodomonasquantity was low (0.22 mgC/L), the addition ofPseudomonasgenerally resulted in betterDaphniaperformance except at very high concentrations of the bacterium relative toRhodomonas. In contrast, the addition of t-POM was detrimental for overallDaphniaperformance at allRhodomonasconcentrations. Daphniaperformance was best described by a model including the interaction between food quality and quantity, with stronger negative effects onDaphniawhen high-quality food was supplemented with t-POM than withPseudomonas. The results indicate that the ability of zooplankton to use low-quality food is affected by the concurrent availability of high-quality food. Furthermore, food sources that can be used but do not fulfil dietary requirements of grazers (e.g. bacteria), may still provide nutritional benefits as long as other complementary food components are available in sufficient quantities to compensate for biochemical deficiencies. Therefore, we conclude that heterotrophic bacteria, but not peat layer t-POM, can be an important component of zooplankton diets in boreal lakes, especially if the concentration of phytoplankton is low

Some size relationships in phytoflagellate motility

Data from the literature are used to assess some hypothesised adaptive advantages of the flagellate life form among phytoplankton. Possible advantages include increased nutrient uptake by movement through a homogeneous medium as opposed to exploitation of spatial hetrogeneity of the environment. Maximal migrational amplitudes and maximal swimming velocities of phytoflagellates were compared to body size. Both were found to increase with size. Relative amplitudes and relative velocities, however, were found to decrease with size. Hydrophysical considerations show that additional gain of nutrients by swimming through a homogeneous medium is only minimal for small flagellates at their attainable swimming velocities. It is suggested that exploitation of environmental heterogeneity in nutrient distribution may be one of the most important advantages for flagellates over coccoid algae

Coexisting Cyclic Parthenogens Comprise a Holocene Species Flock in Eubosmina

Background: Mixed breeding systems with extended clonal phases and weak sexual recruitment are widespread in nature but often thought to impede the formation of discrete evolutionary clusters. Thus, cyclic parthenogens, such as cladocerans and rotifers, could be predisposed to ‘‘species problems’ ’ and a lack of discrete species. However, species flocks have been proposed for one cladoceran group, Eubosmina, where putative species are sympatric, and there is a detailed paleolimnological record indicating a Holocene age. These factors make the Eubosmina system suitable for testing the hypotheses that extended clonal phases and weak sexual recruitment inhibit speciation. Although common garden experiments have revealed a genetic component to the morphotypic variation, the evolutionary significance of the morphotypes remains controversial. Methodology/Principal Findings: In the present study, we tested the hypothesis of a single polymorphic species (i.e., mixing occurs but selection maintains genes for morphology) in four northern European lakes where the morphotypes coexist. Our evidence is based on nuclear DNA sequence, mitochondrial DNA sequence, and morphometric analysis of coexisting morphotypes. We found significant genetic differentiation, genealogical exclusivity, and morphometric differentiation for coexisting morphotypes. Conclusions: We conclude that the studied morphotypes represent a group of young species undergoing speciation wit

Hybridization and restricted gene flow between native and introduced stocks of Alpine whitefish (Coregonus sp.) across multiple environments

Translocations of Baltic whitefish (Coregonus sp.) into Austrian Alpine lakes have created ‘artificial hybrid zones’, threatening the genetic integrity of native lineages. We evaluate the genetic structure of Coregonus in Austrian lakes and characterize hybridization and introgression between native and introduced lineages. Fifteen populations (N= 747) were assessed for allelic variation at eight microsatellite loci and a reduced set (N= 253) for variation across two mtDNA genes (cyt b and NADH-3). Bayesian approaches were used to estimate individual admixture proportions (q-values) and classify genotypes as native, introduced or hybrids. q-value distributions varied among populations highlighting differential hybridization and introgression histories. Many lakes revealed a clear distinction between native and introduced genotypes despite hybridization, whereas some locations revealed hybrid swarms. Genetic structure among lakes was congruent with morphological divergence and novelty raising speculation of multiple taxa, including a population south of the Alps, outside the putative native range of Coregonus. Although statistically congruent with inferences based on nuclear markers, mitochondrial haplotype data was not diagnostic with respect to native and non-native lineages, supporting that the Alpine region was colonized post-glacially by an admixture of mtDNA lineages, which coalesce >1 Ma. Mechanisms promoting or eroding lineage isolation are discussed, as well as a high potential to conserve native Alpine lineages despite the extensive historical use of introduced Baltic stocks

Hybridization and restricted gene flow between native and introduced stocks of Alpine whitefish (Coregonus sp.) across multiple environments

Translocations of Baltic whitefish (Coregonus sp.) into Austrian Alpine lakes have created ‘artificial hybrid zones’, threatening the genetic integrity of native lineages. We evaluate the genetic structure of Coregonus in Austrian lakes and characterize hybridization and introgression between native and introduced lineages. Fifteen populations (N= 747) were assessed for allelic variation at eight microsatellite loci and a reduced set (N= 253) for variation across two mtDNA genes (cyt b and NADH-3). Bayesian approaches were used to estimate individual admixture proportions (q-values) and classify genotypes as native, introduced or hybrids. q-value distributions varied among populations highlighting differential hybridization and introgression histories. Many lakes revealed a clear distinction between native and introduced genotypes despite hybridization, whereas some locations revealed hybrid swarms. Genetic structure among lakes was congruent with morphological divergence and novelty raising speculation of multiple taxa, including a population south of the Alps, outside the putative native range of Coregonus. Although statistically congruent with inferences based on nuclear markers, mitochondrial haplotype data was not diagnostic with respect to native and non-native lineages, supporting that the Alpine region was colonized post-glacially by an admixture of mtDNA lineages, which coalesce >1 Ma. Mechanisms promoting or eroding lineage isolation are discussed, as well as a high potential to conserve native Alpine lineages despite the extensive historical use of introduced Baltic stocks