Two-Dimensional Nesting System Based on Hybrid Genetic Algorithm

According to the cutting stock problem of 2-dimensional shapes, a nesting system （NS） based on hybrid genetic algorithm （HGA） is established. The system optimizes the sequence and angles of polygons with hybrid Genetic Algorithm to accomplish the superior solution. It nests the irregular shape directly without covering irregular shapes with a rectangle. It also improves the decoding strategy of 2-dimensional shapes nesting based on the classical bottom-left strategy, makes the new strategy be universal to convex polygons, concave polygons and line-circular composted polygons.

Modelling the nesting-habitat of threatened vulture species in the caucasus:An ecosystem approach to formalising environmental factors in species distribution models

Abiotic factors play an important role in species localisation,but biotic and anthropogenic predictors must also be considered in distribution modelling for models to be biologically meaningful.In this study,we formalised the biotic predictors of nesting sites for four threatened Caucasian vultures by including species distribution models(wild ungulates,nesting tree species)as biotic layers in the vulture Maxent models.Maxent was applied in the R dismo package and the best set of the model parameters were defined in the R ENMeval package.Performance metrics were continuous Boyce index,Akaike's information criterion,the area under receiver operating curve and true skill statistics.We also calculated and evaluated the null models.Kernel density estimation method was applied to assess the overlap of vulture ecological niches in the environmental space.The accessibility of anthropogenic food resources was estimated using the Path Distance measure that considers elevation gradient.The availability of pine forests(Scots Pine)and wild ungulates(Alpine Chamois and Caucasian Goat)contributed the most(29.6%and 34.3%)to Cinereous Vulture(Aegypius monachus)nesting site model.Wild ungulate distribution also contributed significantly(about 46%)to the Bearded Vulture(Gypaetus barbatus)model.This scavenger nests in the highlands of the Caucasus at a minimum distance of 5–10 km from anthropogenic facilities.In contrast,livestock as a food source was most important in colony distribution of Griffon Vulture(Gyps fulvus).The contribution of distances to settlements and agricultural facilities to the model was 45%.The optimal distance from Egyptian Vulture(Neophron percnopterus)nesting sites to settlements was only 3–10 km,to livestock facilities no more than 15 km with the factor contribution of about 57%.Excluding the wild ungulate availability,the ecological niches of studied vultures overlapped significantly.Despite similar foraging and nesting requirements,Caucasian vultures are not pronounced nesting and trophic competitors due to the abundance of nesting sites,anthropogenic food sources and successful niche sharing.

An innovative classification system for ranking the biological effects of marine aromatic hydrocarbons based on fish embryotoxicity

Petroleum hydrocarbon pollution is a global concern,particularly in coastal environments.Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs) are regarded as the most toxic components of petroleum hydrocarbons.In this study,the biomonitoring and ranking effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs on the marine fish model Oryzias melastigma embryos were determined in the Jiulong River Estuary(JRE) and its adjacent waters in China.The results showed that the levels of petroleum hydrocarbons from almost all sites met the primary standard for marine seawater quality,and the concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs in the surface seawater were lower compared with those in other coastal areas worldwide.A new fish expert system based on the embryotoxicity of O.melastigma(OME-FES) was developed and applied in the field to evaluate the biological effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.The selected physiological index and molecular indicators in OME-FES were appropriate biomarkers for indicating the harmful effects of petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.The outcome of OME-FES revealed that the biological effect levels of the sampling sites ranged from level Ⅰ(no stress) to level Ⅲ(medium stress),which is further corroborated by the findings of nested analysis of variance(ANOVA) models.Our results suggest that the OME-FES is an effective tool for evaluating and ranking the biological effects of marine petroleum hydrocarbons and PAHs.This method may also be applied to evaluate other marine pollutants based on its framework.

Nesting and Berth Allocation by an Expert System Using Heuristic Search

Nesting is a common problem in industries such as shipbuilding, auto-maker, clothing, shoe-making, and furniture, in which various parts are cut off from a stock or stocks while minimizing the wastes or maximizing the utilization of the stock. Berth allocation at seaside is also considered one form of two dimensional nesting problems, in which a ship is assigned a location for service during a certain time slot. This paper presents an expert system using a heuristic search method for nesting problems. The parts and stocks are represented by pixels with which utility function is used to evaluate current state in search tree. The system is developed in CLIPS, an expert system shell and applied to various example problems with different constraints and to a berth allocation example to illustrate its applicability under different conditions.

Anthropogenic nesting materials and reproductive performance of Chinese Bulbuls(Pycnonotus sinensis)along the urbanization gradient in Hangzhou,China

Urbanization induced by human activities presents both challenges and adaptive opportunities for wildlife.One notable impact of urban sprawl is the vast amount of waste it produces,which has discernible effects on wildlife.Interestingly,an emerging trend has been observed that birds are incorporating anthropogenic materials into their nests.However,the relationship between anthropogenic nesting materials(ANMs)and the reproductive performance of urban birds is unclear.In this study,we investigated the relationship between the incorporation of ANMs into nests and the reproductive performance of Chinese Bulbuls(Pycnonotus sinensis)by monitoring and collecting data on 136 breeding nests in Hangzhou,China.We gathered data on seven reproductive traits of Chinese Bulbuls,including laying date,incubation period,nestling period,clutch size,egg volume,hatching success rate,and fledging success rate.We then calculated the urbanization synthetic index as a measure of the level of urbanization and examined its relationship with the proportion and weight of ANMs.Through examination of nest components,we observed significant increase in the proportion and weight of ANMs with the urbanization synthetic index.Notably,we found a higher hatching success rate of Chinese Bulbuls with an increasing proportion of ANMs.However,the inclusion of ANMs in nests was not correlated with other reproductive traits of Chinese Bulbuls.Overall,the use of ANMs by Chinese Bulbuls is consistent with the adaptive hypothesis and the availability hypothesis.Further studies should use controlled experiments to investigate the impact of ANMs on avian reproductive success.

Implementation of a Nesting Repair Technology for Transportation Pipeline Repair

Filling methods in the mining industry can maximize the recovery of mineral resources and protect the underground and surface environments.In recent years,such methods have been widely used in metal mines where pipeline transportation typically plays a decisive role in the safety and stability of the entirefilling system.Because thefilling slurry contains a large percentage of solid coarse particles,the involved pipeline is typically eroded and often damaged during such a process.A possible solution is the so-called nesting repair technology.In the present study,nesting a 127 mm outer diameter pipeline in 151 mm inner diameter borehole is considered to meet the repair objective.First,by using the rheological theory,the pipeline transmission resistance and self-flow conveying range are calculated under different working conditions.It is shown that the pipeline transmission resistance is larger when the inner diameter of casing is 80 mm,and the limitflow rate of vertical pipeline self-flow is 120 m^(3)/h;moreover,when the pipeline diameter is 100 mm and theflow rate is 140 m^(3)/h,the self-flow conveying can be satisfied in most of the underground−455 m stage.Accordingly,a plan is presented for the nesting repair strategy,based on the installation of a drill bit under the casing and lowering the casing into the borehole as if it were a drill pipe.Finally,the outcomes of such a strategy are verified.Thefillingflow rate range using the new pipelines is found to be in the range from 188.60 to 224.39 m^(3)/h,and its averagefillingflow rate reaches 209.83 m^(3)/h when conveying 2319.6 m long-distance quarry.

Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern(Sternula albifrons) prefer shells for nesting:A field experiment

Shorebird populations are declining worldwide,mainly due to human disturbances and loss of coastal wetlands.However,supratidal habitats as saltpans could play a role in buffering human impact.Saltpans have shown to be important as feeding or breeding sites of some shorebird species.A potential conservation strategy to increase shorebird populations in saltpans is to manipulate the cues that birds use to select optimal breeding habitat.Here it is hypothesized that shorebirds are attracted to bivalve shells due to the advantages they offer.Following this hypothesis,we supplemented a restored saltpan in 2019 and 2021 with bivalve shells,expecting an increase in the number of breeding birds’ nests.More than 75% of Kentish Plover(Charadrius alexandrinus) and Little Tern(Sternula albifrons) nests were found in patches with shells in both years.The best model for both species indicates that the presence of shells is the factor that most correlates with the location of nests.The probability of choosing one place over another to settle their nest increases in areas with an abundance of shells,double in the case of the Kentish Plover and triple in the case of the Little Tern.The result of this study may constitute a valuable tool for attracting birds to restored saltpans and could contribute to the success of expensive restoration projects where time is usually a constraint.

一种基于NeSTiNg的TSN强实时流量调度和自动配置方法

流量调度是时间敏感网络(Time Sensitive Networking, TSN)技术的核心.在大型工业嵌入式系统应用中,TSN流量调度的设计和仿真阶段需要对链路、流、门控等调度信息进行复杂且苛刻的配置.现有的基于仿真框架的配置方法多采用手动配置,这阻碍了这些框架对大型TSN网络的适用性.基于TSN强实时流量传输机制和NeSTiNg(Network Simulator for Time-Sensitive Networking)框架,提出一种适用于大型网络的强实时流量调度和自动配置方法.首先,该方法区别于传统的手动配置输入方式,实现了对流偏移、门状态和路由表等信息的自动配置;其次,该方法提取了流的端到端时延,验证了大型网络中TSN传输的强实时性;最后,通过计算拓扑变化后选择新路径的运算时间,评估了该方法对动态拓扑的适用性.结果表明:该方法保证了大型网络中大量流传输的强实时性,且当拓扑改变时,相比于静态路由有更低的运算时间.

Algorithm for 2D irregular-shaped nesting problem based on the NFP algorithm and lowest-gravity-center principle

The nesting problem involves arranging pieces on a plate to maximize use of material. A new scheme for 2D ir- regular-shaped nesting problem is proposed. The new scheme is based on the NFP (No Fit Polygon) algorithm and a new placement principle for pieces. The novel placement principle is to place a piece to the position with lowest gravity center based on NFP. In addition, genetic algorithm (GA) is adopted to find an efficient nesting sequence. The proposed scheme can deal with pieces with arbitrary rotation and containing region with holes, and achieves competitive results in experiment on benchmark datasets.

眼针对脑缺血再灌注损伤大鼠Nesting、GAP43蛋白表达影响

目的：通过观察眼针治疗对脑缺血再灌注损伤大鼠大脑皮层巢蛋白（Nesting）、生长相关蛋白43（Growth associated protein 43,GAP43）蛋白表达的影响,探讨眼针治疗对脑缺血后神经再生作用。方法：SD大鼠随机分为空白组、假手术组、模型组（3 h、24 h、72 h）、眼针组（3 h、24 h、72 h）,每组6只。采用改良线栓法制备大脑中动脉缺血2 h再灌注损伤模型,眼针组给予眼针治疗方法,每12 h 1次,每次20 min。各组大鼠在治疗点结束后,对大鼠神经功能缺损进行评分,用Westblot法检测缺血侧大脑皮层Nesting、GAP43蛋白含量。结果：（1）眼针组24 h、72 h神经功能评分低于同时间点的模型组（P〈0.05）。（2）脑缺血后模型组Nesting蛋白表达升高并随着缺血时间延长持续升高,与空白组比较,P〈0.05;眼针组Nesting蛋白表达趋势与模型组相似,与模型组同时间点比较,眼针组Nesting蛋白表达升高更明显（P〈0.05）。（3）脑缺血后模型组GAP43蛋白表达升高并随着缺血时间延长持续升高,与空白组比差异明显（P〈0.05）;眼针组GAP43蛋白表达趋势与模型组相似,与模型组同时间点比较,眼针组GAP43蛋白表达升高更明显（P〈0.05）。结论：眼针治疗可以促进脑缺血后Nesting、GAP43蛋白的表达,从而具有促进脑缺血后神经发生的作用。

Light matters:Nest illumination alters egg rejection behavior in a cavity-nesting bird

Egg discrimination by cavity-nesting birds that build nests under dim light conditions was presumed to depend on nest luminance,although this hypothesis has rarely been tested.Tests of egg discrimination ability by cavity-nesting tits under dim light conditions may reveal the selection pressure from brood parasitism that they encounter under natural interactions.We manipulated the intensity of luminance of nests of the Green-backed Tit(Parus monticolus),a potential cuckoo host that possesses a strong discrimination ability of non-mimetic foreign eggs.We performed experiments to test their egg discrimination ability under different light conditions.Our results showed that Green-backed Tits discriminate against non-mimetic foreign eggs under normal light conditions in nest boxes,and this ability persisted at nest luminance as low as 4.78±1.31 lux that is several times lower than normal luminance(38.11±24.02 lux).However,egg discrimination by Green-backed Tits disappeared when nest luminance was reduced to a minimum of 0.35±0.15 lux.The latter value represents total darkness for humans.The present study shows that nest luminance plays a key role in egg discrimination by Green-backed Tits that build nests under dim light conditions.This study provides strong experimental evidence for nest illumination altering egg rejection behavior in cavity-nesting birds.

Does nest sanitation elicit egg rejection in an open-cup nesting cuckoo host rejecter?

Background: Nest sanitation behavior is one of the most important means to ensure high reproductive efficiency. In avian brood parasitism, nest sanitation behavior may be a pre-adaptation of host birds that allows them to identify the parasitic eggs, so that egg discrimination behavior may have evolved from nest sanitation behavior. However, whether nest sanitation behavior could improve egg rejection in cuckoo hosts was inconclusive.Methods: In this study, we investigated the relationship between nest sanitation and egg discrimination behavior in a potential cuckoo host, the Brown-breasted Bulbul(Pycnonotus xanthorrhous) with two experimental groups. In the first group, we added a blue, non-mimetic egg to the nest of the host, while in the second group we added a blue, non-mimetic egg and a peanut half-shell.Results: The results showed that in the first group, the probability of rejecting the non-mimetic eggs was 53.8%(n = 26 nests). In comparison, all of the Brown-breasted Bulbuls in the second group were able to rapidly remove the peanut shells from the nest, but only 52.6%(n = 19 nests) rejected the non-mimetic eggs. The rejection rates of the non-mimetic eggs in both experimental groups were not significantly different.Conclusions: Our study indicated that nest sanitation behavior of Brown-breasted Bulbuls did not influence their egg recognition and that egg discrimination ability of Brown-breasted Bulbuls was not directly related to nest sanitation behavior.

Multiple Emitters Localization by UAV with Nested Linear Array:System Scheme and 2D-DOA Estimation Algorithm

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle(UAV)equipped with uniform linear array has been applied to multiple emitters localization.Meanwhile,nested linear array enables to enhance localization resolution and achieve under-determined Direction of Arrival(DOA)estimation.In this paper,we propose a new system structure for emitters localization that combines the UAV with nested linear array,which is capable of significantly increasing the positioning accuracy of interested targets.Specifically,a localization scheme is designed to obtain the paired two-dimensional DOA(2D-DOA,i.e.azimuth and elevation angles)estimates of emitters by nested linear array with UAV.Furthermore,we propose an improved DOA estimation algorithm for emitters localization that utilizes Discrete Fourier Transform(DFT)method to obtain coarse DOA estimates,subsequently,achieve the fine DOA estimates by sparse representation.The proposed algorithm has lower computational complexity because the coarse DOA estimates enable to shrink the range of over-complete dictionary of sparse representation.In addition,compared to traditional uniform linear array,improved 2D-DOA estimation performance of emitters can be obtained with a nested linear array.Extensive simulation results testify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

HABITAT SUITABILITY INDEX MODELS: GREY HERON NESTING IN ZHALONG NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE

Grey heron (Ardea cimerca) is one kind of the great birds which are often seen in the northeast marsh area of P.R.China, and there are many grey herons to reproduce in Zhalong Nature Reserve from March to August annually. In this paper, through the inveingation of the grey herons nesting habitat and according to the water depth, vegetation type, cover density and plan heigh of the nesting place, the grey heron’s nesting habitat suitability index medes are established. The main model is s=(s1xs2xs3xs4)1/4,where s1 is the water depth suitability index, s2 is the vegetation type suitability index, s3 is the cover density index, sa is the plant height suitability index. These models provide a kind of reliable method for evaluating the habitat quality of the grey heron’s nesting.

Nesting patterns of raptors;White backed vulture (<i>Gyps africanus</i>) and African fish eagle (<i>Haliaeetus vocifer</i>), in Lochinvar National Park on the kafue flats, Zambia

This study assessed the nesting patterns of raptors, Gyps africanus and Haliaeetus vocifer in Lochinvar National Park. The main objective of the study was to determine whether tree species, height, girth size, and habitat influenced raptor’s nest placement within Lochinvar National Park. Two species were selected as indicator species for the raptors. Habitat types and tree species were identified and measurements of tree species with nests measured. It was found that the minimum height of nest placement was 10 meters above ground and Acacia woodland was found to be the most preferred habitat for nest placement. Raptors avoided human disturbance by placing their nests at least 100 meters away from human disturbance and from the National park boundary inwards or abandoning if human encroachment comes close to the nest. More research is required to assess nesting materials used, and to determine whether raptors can swap nets or return to the abandoned nests when human disturbance ceases.

Developing and validating a nestling photographic aging guide for cavity-nesting birds: an example with the European Bee-eater(Merops apiaster)

Background: Accurate estimation of nestlings’ age is essential in avian demography studies as well as in population ecology and conservation. For example, it can be useful for synchronizing nest visits with events of particular interest, such as the age at which young can be safely ringed, or in choosing the best period to attain the most accurate calculation of laying or hatching dates.Methods: We constructed a photographic guide for aging European Bee-eaters(Merops apiaster) nestlings to 3-day age classes and evaluated the aging method by performing a validation exercise with several observers with no previous experience in aging bee-eater nestlings.Results: The aging guide for bee-eater nestlings allowed estimating age to within 3 days with an average accuracy of 0.85. We found the optimal period for aging nestlings was between days 13-18(with accuracy between 0.94 and 0.99), during which the status of feather development was more easily distinguishable from the preceding and subsequent age classes. During the first 3 days after hatching, nestlings could also be aged with high accuracy(0.93). The small size of the nestling in relation to the eggs and the nestling’s inability to raise its head during these first days allowed for good discrimination from the subsequent age class. Between days 25 and 28, nestlings were correctly aged in only half of assignments(0.55 sensitivity) and nestlings belonging to class 7(days 7-9) were the least correctly identified(0.38 sensitivity). However, by visiting the nests at 12 days intervals it is possible to achieve the highest accuracy in age estimation with the smallest disturbance and logistic investment.Conclusions: This study highlighted how indirect methods and a simple protocol can be established and employed to quickly estimate nestling age in cases where handling nestlings is challenging or impossible, while minimizing disturbance in and around the nest.

Applying a fish expert system for ranking the biological effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons on the rockfish Sebastiscus marmoratus in the Maowei Sea,China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)pollution,particularly in coastal environments,is a global concern.In this study,the biomonitoring and ranking effects of PAHs in the rockfish Sebastiscus marmoratus were determined in the Maowei Sea,China.The results showed that the concentrations of the 16 priority PAHs detected in the surface seawater were moderate compared with those in other coastal areas worldwide,and the possible sources were rapid industrialization and urbanization combined with atmospheric deposition and runoff.Nested analysis of variance(ANOVA)suggested significant differences in the hepatic ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase(EROD)activities and phenanthrene-derived metabolites in bile between the port area and the oyster farming area.The fish expert system(FES)was applied to evaluate the biological effects of PAHs on fish.The FES data demonstrated that the biological effect levels of Site S1(level III,medium stress)were higher than those of the other sampling sites(level II,low stress).

On the Gravitational Two-Body System and an Infinite Set of Laplace-Runge-Lenz Vectors

The current approach of a system of two bodies that interact through a gravitational force goes beyond the familiar expositions [1-3] and derives some interesting features and laws that are overlooked. A new expression for the angular momentum of a system in terms of the angular momenta of its parts is deduced. It is shown that the characteristics of the relative motion depend on the system’s total mass, whereas the characteristics of the individual motions depend on the masses of the two bodies. The reduced energy and angular momentum densities are constants of motion that do not depend on the distribution of the total mass between the two bodies;whereas the energy may vary in absolute value from an infinitesimal to a maximum value which occurs when the two bodies are of equal masses. In correspondence with infinite possible ways to describe the absolute rotational positioning of a two body system, an infinite set of Laplace-Runge-Lenz vectors (LRL) are constructed, all fixing a unique orientation of the orbit relative to the fixed stars. The common expression of LRV vector is an approximation of the actual one. The conditions for nested and intersecting individual orbits of the two bodies are specified. As far as we know, and apart from the law of periods, the laws of equivalent orbits concerning their associated periods, areal velocities, angular velocities, velocities, energies, as well as, the law of total angular momentum, were never considered before.

Green Turtle, <i>Chelonia mydas</i>, Nesting and Temperature Profile of the Nesting Beach at Huyong Island, the Similan Islands in Andaman Sea

Global change in temperature is regarded as a serious natural disaster that may cause extinction of organisms. Green turtle, Chelonia mydas, is not only an endangered species but also a species with temperature dependent sex determination that could be affected by the global warming. In this study, nesting and temperature profile of C. mydas nesting beach at HuyongIsland, the most important nesting site of C. mydas in Andaman Sea of Thailand, were studied in order to monitor a potential effect of regional climate change on the green turtle nesting activity and habitat. Nesting activities were surveyed during May-August 2011 and temperature profiles of the nesting beach were monitored for 58 days during the normal incubation period of this species. The total of 25 nests with clutch size of 105 ± 25 eggs was found during this study period suggesting normal nesting activity of the green turtle. Temperature profile of the nesting beach showed similar trend among nests with no clear influence of the vegetation cover. Mean nest temperature at the middle-third period, corresponding to the temperature-sensitive period of C. mydas, ranged from 28.3°C to 28.9°C, suggesting a slightly male-biased sex ratio of the offspring. Overall, temperature profile of the nesting beach showed little or no indication of adverse effects of regional increase in temperature on nesting activity and egg incubation of the green turtle at this period.

A BOUNDARY NESTING SCHEME OF LIMITED AREA MODEL NESTED WITH GLOBAL MODEL FOR FORECASTING TROPICAL CYCLONE OVER SOUTH CHINA SEA

Today, the nested model is used widely. The effect and role of each nested variate is analyzed in this paper. It is found that the forecast could benefit by nesting part of the variates and the effect of each of the variates may be different. Therefore, only the effectual variates are chosen for the nesting. According to this finding, a scheme is suggested and applied to the limited area mode (TL10) nested with global spectral mode (T63) for forecasting tropical cyclones over the South China Sea. A few numerical prediction tests show that this scheme is reasonable and efficient.