Reweighted nuclear norm regularization: A SPARSEVA approach

The aim of this paper is to develop a method to estimate high order FIR and ARX models using least squares with re-weighted nuclear norm regularization. Typically, the choice of the tuning parameter in the reweighting scheme is computationally expensive, hence we propose the use of the SPARSEVA (SPARSe Estimation based on a VAlidation criterion) framework to overcome this problem. Furthermore, we suggest the use of the prediction error criterion (PEC) to select the tuning parameter in the SPARSEVA algorithm. Numerical examples demonstrate the veracity of this method which has close ties with the traditional technique of cross validation, but using much less computations.Comment: This paper is accepted and will be published in The Proceedings of the 17th IFAC Symposium on System Identification (SYSID 2015), Beijing, China, 201

Experience Improves the Reliability of Subjective Measurements of Temperament in Beef Cattle

Reliability of experienced and inexperienced observers when assessing the behavior of cattle when restrained in a squeeze chute (chute score), and when exiting the chute (exit score), was compared. Overall, experienced observers had higher reliability than inexperienced observers. Increasing the number of individuals scoring an animal decreased the degree of agreement. However, within an acceptable tolerance for difference in scores, such disagreement may be beneficial; it allows for subtlety in interpretations of temperament, which when averaged, may better reflect docility. Reliabilities were higher for exit score than chute score. This may reflect the complexity of the trait being evaluated, with fewer behaviors observed when cattle exit as compared to when restrained in a chute. Producers may profitably use chute and exit score to quantify docility in cattle. However, it may be worthwhile to gain experience in using the scoring system before implementing it for selection decisions

Experience Improves the Reliability of Subjective Measurements of Temperament in Beef Cattle

Reliability of experienced and inexperienced observers when assessing the behavior of cattle when restrained in a squeeze chute (chute score), and when exiting the chute (exit score), was compared. Overall, experienced observers had higher reliability than inexperienced observers. Increasing the number of individuals scoring an animal decreased the degree of agreement. However, within an acceptable tolerance for difference in scores, such disagreement may be beneficial; it allows for subtlety in interpretations of temperament, which when averaged, may better reflect docility. Reliabilities were higher for exit score than chute score. This may reflect the complexity of the trait being evaluated, with fewer behaviors observed when cattle exit as compared to when restrained in a chute. Producers may profitably use chute and exit score to quantify docility in cattle. However, it may be worthwhile to gain experience in using the scoring system before implementing it for selection decisions

Repeated Calm Handling Can Lead to More Docile Cattle

Changes in temperament in heifers when handled either frequently or infrequently were evaluated subjectively based on their behavior when restrained in (chute score) and exiting from (exit score) a squeeze chute. Chute scores decreased over time–a favorable direction–with more dramatic declines in heifers handled more frequently. Heifers with higher chute scores on the first day of handling had the largest reduction in score. Exit scores changed less over time. Chute score therefore may be more indicative of acclimation to a novel environment than exit score. Both scores appear to offer a fast, easy and inexpensive way to quantify docility in cattle. Heifers became calmer with repeated gentle handling. Producers therefore may benefit from allowing cattle a few days to acclimate to new working facilities before assessing docility

The Gabor wave front set of compactly supported distributions

We show that the Gabor wave front set of a compactly supported distribution equals zero times the projection on the second variable of the classical wave front set

Insect taxonomy can be difficult : a noctuid moth (Agaristinae: Aletopus imperialis) and a geometrid moth (Sterrhinae: Cartaletis dargei) combined into a cryptic species complex in eastern Africa (Lepidoptera)

The systematic position of a large and strikingly coloured reddish-black moth, Cartaletis dargei Herbulot, 2003 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) from Tanzania, has remained questionable since its description. Here we present molecular and morphological evidence showing that Cartaletis dargei only superficially resembles true Cartaletis Warren, 1894 (the relative name currently considered a junior synonym of Aletis Hubner, 1820), which are unpalatable diurnal moths superficially resembling butterflies, and that it is misplaced in the family Geometridae. We transfer it to Noctuidae: Agaristinae, and combine it with the genus Aletopus Jordan, 1926, from Tanzania, as Aletopus dargei (Herbulot, 2003) (new combination). We revise the genus Aletopus to contain three species, but find that it is a cryptic species complex that needs to be revised with more extensive taxon sampling. Our results demonstrate the difficulties in interpreting and classifying biological diversity. We discuss the problems in species delimitation and the potential drivers of evolution in eastern Africa that led to phenotypic similarity in unrelated lepidopteran lineages.Peer reviewe

Chromosomal Evolution In The South American Nymphalidae.

We give the chromosome numbers of about 80 species or subspecies of Biblidinae as well as of numbers of neotropical Libytheinae (one species), Cyrestinae (4) Apaturinae (7), Nymphalinae (about 40), Limenitidinae (16) and Heliconiinae (11). Libytheana has about n=32, the Biblidinae, Apaturinae and Nymphalinae have in general n=31, the Limenitidinae have n=30, the few Argynnini n=31 and the few species of Acraeni studied have also mostly n=31. The results agree with earlier data from the Afrotropical species of these taxa. We supplement these data with our earlier observations on Heliconiini, Danainae and the Neotropical Satyroid taxa. The lepidopteran modal n=29-31 represents clearly the ancestral condition among the Nymphalidae, from which taxa with various chromosome numbers have differentiated. The overall results show that Neotropical taxa have a tendency to evolve karyotype instability, which is in stark contrast to the otherwise stable chromosome numbers that characterize both Lepidoptera and Trichoptera.144137-4