Raw Value Research Articles

Analysis and Elimination Method of the Non-Fixed Column Noise for Quantum Image Sensor

In order to eliminate the non-fixed column noise of quantum image sensor (QIS), a gray value compensation method based on guide filter is proposed in this paper. According to the analysis of generation principle, the noise is introduced by the inconsistency of 1-bit ADC transition points and the readout noise of pixels. First, the raw image is acquired by the sensor model. Then the high-frequency non-fixed column noise components are separated from the image details. At the same time, the mean value of the noise components is calculated to obtain the noise vector of the non-fixed column. Finally, the non-fixed column noise vector is subtracted from the raw gray value of the corresponding column for correction. After the column noise is eliminated, the performance evaluation shows that the SDCMV of 128 grayscale decreases from 2.6978LSB to 0.9016LSB, and the SSIM increases from 0.8028 to 0.8641. It is proved that the proposed method can effectively eliminate the non-fixed column noise of QIS, while maintaining image details.

Gait characteristics of post-stroke hemiparetic patients with different walking speeds.

Hemiparesis resulting from stroke presents characteristic spatiotemporal gait patterns. This study aimed to clarify the spatiotemporal gait characteristics of hemiparetic patients by comparing them with height-, speed-, and age-matched controls while walking at various speeds. The data on spatiotemporal gait parameters of stroke patients and that of matched controls were extracted from a hospital gait analysis database. In total, 130 pairs of data were selected for analysis. Patients and controls were compared for spatiotemporal gait parameters and the raw value (RSI) and absolute value (ASI) of symmetry index and coefficient of variation (CV) of these parameters. Stroke patients presented with prolonged nonparetic stance (patients vs. controls: 1.01 ± 0.41 vs. 0.83 ± 0.25) and paretic swing time (0.45 ± 0.12 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), shortened nonparetic swing phase (0.35 ± 0.07 vs. 0.39 ± 0.07), and prolonged paretic and nonparetic double stance phases [0.27 ± 0.13 (paretic)/0.27 ± 0.17 (nonparetic) vs. 0.22 ± 0.10]. These changes are especially seen in low-gait speed groups (<3.4 km/h). High RSIs of stance and swing times were also observed (–9.62 ± 10.32 vs. –0.79 ± 2.93, 24.24 ± 25.75 vs. 1.76 ± 6.43, respectively). High ASIs and CVs were more generally observed, including the groups with gait speed of ≥3.5 km/h. ASI increase of the swing phase (25.79 ± 22.69 vs. 4.83 ± 4.88) and CV of the step length [7.7 ± 4.9 (paretic)/7.6 ± 5.0 (nonparetic) vs. 5.3 ± 3.0] were observed in all gait speed groups. Our data suggest that abnormalities in the spatiotemporal parameters of hemiparetic gait should be interpreted in relation to gait speed. ASIs and CVs could be highly sensitive indices for detecting gait abnormalities.

English

This study was conducted to assess raw milk bacterial loads and micro-organisms associated with milk handling practices and raw milk chain in the North-western region of Rwanda. A multistage sampling method was used to collect sixty-seven raw milk samples that were analyzed for milk quality at four stages of the raw milk chain: dairy farmers, milk hawkers, milk collection centres (MCC) and milk kiosks. Total bacterial counts (TBC) at different stages of the chain were determined and microorganisms were isolated. A questionnaire was distributed to gather information on factors and milk handling practices that influence milk quality at farm level. The study revealed a TBC mean values of 1.2 &times; 106 CFU/ml (dairy farmers), 2.6 &times; 107 CFU/ml (milk hawkers), 1.5 &times; 106 CFU/ml (MCC) and 6.9 &times; 106 CFU/ml (kiosks/restaurants). The prevalent micro-organisms were: Escherichia coli (E. coli), 26.9%; Salmonella spp., 16.4%; Streptococcus spp., 16.4%; coagulase- negative staphylococci (CNS), 14.9%. Bacterial load was highly associated with containers used for milk transport, cleaning time of milk containers and source of water used to clean containers. It is, therefore, highly recommended that all concerned parties in the raw milk value chain improve their milk handling and storage practices. &nbsp; Key words: Bacterial contamination, milk handling, milk quality, north-western Rwanda, raw milk. &nbsp

Improvement of technology of curd products with succade from pumpkin

The purpose of the work was to improve the technology of multicomponent milk and protein products – curd products with functional and technological components – pumpkin succades, the use of which will allow to increase the biological value and stability of quality indicators of production. Succades are confectionery made from whole or sliced fruits, cooked with sugar, dried or sugar-coated or glazed. Production of succades from local cheap carotene containing raw materials, such as pumpkin, allows to expand the range of vegetable succades of domestic production. The experimental part of the work was performed at the Department of Milk and Dairy Technology of Stepan Gzhytskyi National University of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnologies Lviv. The research included the development of technology of succade of pumpkin and lemon balm, the choice of ways to make them at the optimum stages of the technological process, the improvement of curd mass technology, the development of their formulations, the study of the quality of the finished product. Raw materials used in the work comply with the State Standard of Ukraine and the requirements of other regulations in Ukraine. The study of a complex of indicators of the chemical composition of pumpkin succades indicates their high nutritional value. On the basis of literature and experimental studies, three variants of formulations of curd masses of high biological value have been developed. Pumpkin succades technology has been developed that has excellent organoleptic characteristics due to the preservation of color, taste of native raw materials and high nutritional value. Technology has been improved and technological parameters of curd production are described. In order to implement the developed technology in the shops for the production of new dairy products at the dairy enterprises it is not necessary to carry out the modernization or reconstruction of production. Experimental studies have determined the optimal dose of pumpkin succades, which is 50–100 kg. The basic physicochemical indices of curd products that meet the requirements of regulatory and technical documentation are investigated.

Development of an Assistance System for the Intuitive Assessment of Laboratory Findings in Oncology

Abstract Due to the broad spectrum of individual functionalities, current hospital information systems in most cases do not offer quick information access or proper assistance in information assessment. This results in extensive use of raw value representations and the need to process and evaluate those cognitively through the physician. This can result in an error-prone and ineffective process, especially in complex and chronic treatment scenarios. With an example scenario of laboratory value assessment in head and neck oncology, we have evaluated the requirements for extensive support of case interpretation through the conduction of a Delphi study including five medical experts with different levels of expertise. Based on the results, we propose a solution with integrated HL7 FHIR compliant clinical decision-support functionality through a set of integrated rules from relevant clinical practice guidelines. Furthermore, we introduce the implementation of a dedicated application that allows for the definition of custom laboratory value evaluation rules to enable automated and patientindividual value interpretation.

ANALISA SIFAT MEKANIK DAN STRUKTUR MIKRO HASIL PENGELASAN GESEK PIPA STAINLESS STEEL AISI 304L

Friction welding is a metal connection that occurs due to heat caused by pressure/friction force due to rotation of metal one to other metal axis. In addition, spindle shaft with this process can minimize the shift axis of the welded material. The purpose of this research is to know the effect of variation of rotation speed and wrought time on mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural and hardness) and microstructure of AISI 304L Stainless Steel pipe of friction welding. The experiment was carried out by stages of friction welding process on Pindad type lathes by varying the rotation (550 rpm, 1020 rpm and 1800 rpm) and wrought time (25 seconds, 35 seconds, 45 seconds) using stopwatch. The axial force is obtained through a power screw mechanism on the tail-stock with a forging pressure of (Pu = 28.02 MPa). Welding temperature is 1050˚C. The friction welding results are then formed into specimens for mechanical testing of tensile test specimens and standard ISO 82-1974 (E) test, DP8 size and hardness test using the Rockwell method. The test result showed that the tensile strength of the friction welding result with the highest σ max value in 1800 rpm/45 second specimen was 446,22 N/mm2 decreased when compared with raw material that is 788,62 N/mm2. the bending strength of the friction welding result with the highest σ max value in the 1800 rpm / 45 second specimen is 1470 N / mm2 decreased when compared with the raw material ie 1950 N/mm2. The highest hardness value is located in the part of the welded joint of specimen with variation of 1800 rpm / 45 second rotation of 77,5 HRA decrease from hard raw material value is 81,0 HRA. Rotation variations affect the mechanical properties of the material, the higher the engine rotation the value of its strength increases. Similarly, if the wrought time longer then the value of strength will also increase. Observations on microstructure with the variation of rotation speed and time of wrought there is a noticeable change is in the weld metal there are many austenite so that the strength and hardness value almost closer to Raw material hardness value. As for the HAZ area that there are many ferrit so that the strength and hardness value close to hardness value Raw material.

Optimization of grain quality parameters for winter rye breeding

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the phenotypic variability of grain quality indicators and to identify the set of the most informative indicators for the selection of different use varieties of winter rye. The research was carried out in Tatar Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture – Subdivision of the “Kazan Scientific Center of Russian Academy of Sciences” in 2001–2015 on 15 varieties of winter rye. Twenty parameters defining quality of grain and raw value were estimated: technological indicators (thousand grain mass, full-scale weight and grain uniformity), parameters preharvest sprouting (falling number, rate of amylogram, temperature of peak of starch gelatinization), kinematic water extract viscosity (WEV) of grain meal, baking properties (organoleptic assessment of trial baking bread). The greatest influence of genotype was found on WEV (34.8 %) and protein content (27.8 %). These features should be primarily the subject of phenotypic evaluation in the breeding process. Phenotypic variability of criteria of carbohydrate-amylase complex, α-amylases activity and technological parameters was determined predominantly (68.6…82.5 %) by environmental factors. There was no significant relationship between falling number and protein content. The falling number correlated with the rate of amylogram and the temperature of gelatinization. Positive conjugation of the average power of WEV with the rate of amylogram and falling number was found. On the basis of a prolonged phenotypic evaluation using principal component analysis we have optimized the analyzed indicators of quality properties of winter rye grain. For breeding evaluation of winter rye it is proposed to use four integral indi cators having the greatest weight load: protein content, falling number, water extract viscosity and thousand grain mass. This complex of features will provide objectivity and completeness of the evaluation of the breeding material. It was shown that the kinematic viscosity of the water extract should become an important selection index, both for determining the baking qualities of rye, and for revealing the fodder grain advantages.

3384 Serum Metabolites from the Trimethylamine Pathway Associate with Left Ventricular Diastolic Function: The Bogalusa Heart Study

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: This population-based study aims to assess the individual and collective relationship between TMA-associated metabolites and echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular diastolic function. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The study cohort consisted of 1,039 adult participants of the Bogalusa Heart Study (35.13% black, 57.94% female, aged 33.60 to 57.47 years). Left ventricular diastolic function was assessed via two dimensional and tissue Doppler echocardiography. Echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function included peak early (E, cm/s) and late transmitral flow velocities (A, cm/s), septal mitral annular velocity (e’, cm/s), left ventricular isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT, ms), and peak early diastolic transmitral flow velocity deceleration time (DT, ms). Metabolomic analysis of fasting serum samples was conducted via ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy. Six metabolites in the TMA pathway, carnitine, choline, TMAO, betaine, ergothioneine, dimethylglycine, and two composite variables, the betaine/choline ratio as well as the weighted sum of the six TMA-associated metabolites (TMA score), were selected a priori and tested for association with echocardiographic parameters of diastolic function. Raw metabolite values were divided by their respective standard deviation to create an exposure variable for each individual metabolite. The betaine/choline ratio was calculated utilizing the raw value of each metabolite. The z-score method was used to transform the six metabolites to the same scale and these values were used to calculate the TMA score. Multivariable-adjusted linear regression models were employed to assess the relationship of TMA-associated metabolites with echocardiographic measures of diastolic function. Covariates adjusted for included sex, age, race, education, alcohol drinking, cigarette smoking, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, glomerular filtrate rate, body mass index, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, hemoglobin A1c, serum triglycerides, as well as blood pressure-, lipid-, and glucose-lowering medications. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: After stringent Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, four TMA-associated metabolites as well the TMA score were significantly associated with diastolic function. TMAO was inversely associated with IVRT (ß = −0.002 (0.00); p-value = 2.00E-03). Betaine (ß = 0.40 (0.08); p-value = 2.10E-07), carnitine (ß = 0.30 (0.07); p-value = 7.80E-05), dimethylglycine (ß = 0.27 (0.07); p-value = 3.00E-04), and the TMA score (ß = 0.10 (0.02); p-value = 3.40E-05), were positively associated with the septal E/e’ ratio. No significant associations were observed between metabolites or metabolite composite scores from the TMA pathway and the E/A ratio or DT. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: This is the first population-based study to assess the role of TMA-associated metabolites in left ventricular diastolic function. Betaine, carnitine, dimethylglycine, and a metabolite score combining serum metabolites from the TMA pathway were positively associated with the septal E/e’ ratio, suggesting that a higher concentration of TMA-associated metabolites correlates with impaired diastolic function. These results suggest that both individual and grouped metabolites from the TMA pathway may serve as early biomarkers for pre-clinical diastolic dysfunction, an important causal factor for HFpEF. Future longitudinal, multi-omic studies incorporating microbiome, metabolomic and dietary analyses are needed to characterize the risk of ventricular diastolic function and HFpEF in the setting of exposure to TMA-associated metabolites.

Effect of the Cement Raw Meal Rate Value on SNCR deNOx Efficiency with NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; as Reducing Agent

Many complex factors can affect the process of SNCR in cement calciner, and the cement raw meal rate value is a relatively important one. In the present study the influence of the cement raw meal rate value on the SNCR denitration efficiency was investigated in a tubular reactor with a space velocity of 27000 ml/h in the temperature range of 700-1100 °C, and the oxygen concentration was 5% and both the inlet concentration of NO and NH3 was designed as 1000ppm. The results showed that the denitrification rate of SNCR decreased with the increase of the lime saturation factor (KH) of cement raw meal and increased with the increase of aluminum rate (IM) of cement raw meal at 700~900 °Crecommended that the cement raw meal with low KH, medium silica acid rate (SM) and high IM should be used. In the temperature range of 900~1100 °C the denitrification efficiency of SNCR increased with the KH and decreased with the increase of IM. Based on the experimenyal results it is suggested that the cement raw meal with high KH, high SM and low IM should be adopted.

No Effect of Cue Format on Automation Dependence in an Aided Signal Detection Task

To investigate whether manipulating the format of an automated decision aid's cues can improve participants' information integration strategies in a signal detection task. Automation-aided decision making is often suboptimal, falling well short of statistically ideal levels. The choice of format in which the cues from the aid are displayed may help users to better understand and integrate the aid's judgments with their own. Participants performed a signal detection task that asked them to classify random dot images as either blue or orange dominant. They made their judgments either unaided or with assistance from a 93% reliable automated decision aid. The aid provided a binary judgment, along with an estimate of signal strength in the form of either a raw value, a likelihood ratio, or a confidence rating (Experiments 1 and 2) or a binary judgment along with either a verbal or verbal-visuospatial expression of confidence (Experiment 3). Aided sensitivity was benchmarked to the predictions of various statistical models of collaborative decision making. Aided performance was suboptimal, matching the predictions of some of the least efficient models. Most importantly, performance was similar across cue formats. Results indicate that changes to the format in which cues from a signal detection aid are rendered are unlikely to dramatically improve the efficiency of automation-aided decision making.

Sensitivity of Evapotranspiration Components in Remote Sensing-Based Models

Accurately estimating evapotranspiration (ET) at large spatial scales is essential to our understanding of land-atmosphere coupling and the surface balance of water and energy. Comparisons between remote sensing-based ET models are difficult due to diversity in model formulation, parametrization and data requirements. The constituent components of ET have been shown to deviate substantially among models as well as between models and field estimates. This study analyses the sensitivity of three global ET remote sensing models in an attempt to isolate the error associated with forcing uncertainty and reveal the underlying variables driving the model components. We examine the transpiration, soil evaporation, interception and total ET estimates of the Penman-Monteith model from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (PM-MOD), the Priestley-Taylor Jet Propulsion Laboratory model (PT-JPL) and the Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) at 42 sites where ET components have been measured using field techniques. We analyse the sensitivity of the models based on the uncertainty of the input variables and as a function of the raw value of the variables themselves. We find that, at 10% added uncertainty levels, the total ET estimates from PT-JPL, PM-MOD and GLEAM are most sensitive to Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) (%RMSD = 100.0), relative humidity (%RMSD = 122.3) and net radiation (%RMSD = 7.49), respectively. Consistently, systemic bias introduced by forcing uncertainty in the component estimates is mitigated when components are aggregated to a total ET estimate. These results suggest that slight changes to forcing may result in outsized variation in ET partitioning and relatively smaller changes to the total ET estimates. Our results help to explain why model estimates of total ET perform relatively well despite large inter-model divergence in the individual ET component estimates.

Pilot-scale iron electrocoagulation treatment for natural organic matter removal

ABSTRACTThe efficacy of electrocoagulation at a pilot-scale as an alternative drinking water treatment technology to conventional coagulation is explored. A novel reactor was integrated into a pilot plant at the surface water supply of a small, remote community. Using iron anodes, the effect of metal loading (ML), current density and inter-electrode gap on the reduction of natural organic matter (NOM) was studied. Dissolved organics were characterized by large fractions of low molecular weight (<750 Da) hydrophilic carbon structures with lower charge density. A greater reduction in UV254 was yielded compared to dissolved organic carbon, indicating better removal of larger molecular weight fractions of NOM. As ML dosages increased from 27.8 to 60.8 mg/L, specific ultraviolet absorbance decreased from 1.92 ± 0.14 to 1.60 ± 0.10 L/m•mg respectively, from an initial raw water value of 2.21 L/m•mg. No clear trend was observed for the effect of current density and inter-electrode gap for NOM, however ML was the primary variable dictating the process’ effectiveness. Energy requirements were observed to vary greatly and were highly dependent on ML, current density and inter-electrode gap; variables that all effect the operating potential and resistance. In general, conditions that yielded the greatest reduction of NOM, a 1 mm gap and 4-cell configuration, had energy requirements between 0.480 and 0.602 kWh/m3 of water treated.

Aspen Simulation of Two-Stage Pyrolysis/Gasification of Carbon Based Solid Waste

Thermo-catalytic cracking processes such as pyrolysis and gasification have great potential to convert carbon based solid waste to useful chemicals and energy. Although much attention has been devoted to gasification in recent years, there are still a number of challenges to full commercialisation of solid waste gasification. This work deals with two stage pyrolysis/gasification systems with great potential to produce tar free, high hydrogen content syngas from different types of heterogeneous solid waste. Advanced Aspen Plus simulation was employed in the modelling and optimization of a two-stage pyrolysis/gasification of lignocellulosic waste biomass (LWB) and refuse-derived fuel (RDF). Data required for process simulation, such as raw material elemental composition, heating value and particle size distribution, were determined by experimental measurements. Raw materials used in the process (RDF and LWB) were characterised by thermogravimetric (TGA) analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), elemental analysis and bomb calorimetry. The simulator process conditions were set based on experimental observations in laboratory scale pyrolysis and gasification experiments. Simulation of different scenarios and optimization of process parameters are presented. Based on the simulation results, under optimal conditions from each kg of RDF, 2.1 kg of gas with the heating value of 6.94 MJ/Nm3, and from each kg of LWB, 1.78 kg of gas with the heating value of 7.27 MJ/Nm3 can be obtained.

Milk raw materials from retrovirus infected cows: questions of safety and quality of produced products

The questions of quality control and safety of milk raw materials has always been relevant for the dairy industry. One of the most common cattle infection is bovine leukemia (causative agent - BLV), which often occurs in conjunction with a closely related infection -bovine immunodeficiency (causative agent - BIV). These retroviruses are considered to be species-specific, so the key issue for the dairy industry is the nutritional and raw value of milk of infected cows (without clinical signs). Milk of infected with leukemia cows has changed physical and chemical properties and microbiological parameters, but it is allowed to be processed after a single pasteurization. Thus, there is a possibility of getting of the infected with retroviruses cow's milk into the bulk milk, which can affect the quality of the processed products. Characteristics of BlV-positive cow's milk have not yet been studied. The aim of the research was the study of influence of BLV- and BLV- BIV-infected cows' milk impurities (10, 30 и 50%) on organoleptic, physicochemical and microbiological parameters of produced kefir drink. It is revealed that with increasing the mass fraction of infected with retroviruses cows' milk, acidity of composite samples increased of 1-3 °T and total viable bacteria's count rose by 1-3 orders of magnitude, while the total protein in milk decreased by 0.05-0.95% contrasted with an increasing of milk fat content by 0.3-0.9%. However, these characteristics were within normal limits. In samples containing 50% of milk infected with retroviruses cows, coliforms were detected in 0.1 ml, and the rate of total viable bacteria's count exceeded the permissible limits. Therefore, microbiological characteristics are determination markers of dairy raw materials with the high content of milk of the infected with retroviruses cows. The kefir drink was produced from pasteurized samples. It was found that the acidity of the product was lower by 1-10 °T, while the processing time increased by 4-50%, correlating with the mass fraction of infected with retroviruses cows' milk, compared to control. When the mass fraction of infected with retroviruses cows' milk was 30 and 50%, the processed product had a heterogeneous consistency with flake clots. At the same time, the lactic-acid-producing bacterium count in kefir drink decreased by 2-3 orders, and mold and coliforms were found in it. Thus, the presence more than 10% of milk from infected with retroviruses cows in raw materials leads to a decrease in its technological properties, and dose 30 and 50% leads to non-compliance of the processed product with hygienic standards.

Muscles activation during forward lunge

The purpose of this study was to investigate the muscle activation of the quadriceps and the hamstrings muscle during forward lunge. The study was performed using wireless electromyography (EMG) sensor placed on the interest muscles. The parameter used was the root mean square value during forward lunges activity. The results demonstrated that the rectus femoris muscle was more dominant than the biceps femoris muscle during the initial movement when the knee was in flexion direction and the feet was in dorsiflexion. A linear relationship was initiated between the raw data and RMS value of the EMG signal of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris. The motions elicit eccentric activations of the hamstring muscle groups during lunge activity.

Raw Material Sustainability And The Performance Of Beverage Companies In Nigeria: A Study Of Intafact Beverages Onitsha

This study examined the Effect of Raw Material Resource Sustainability on the Viability of Organizations. The study adopted survey research approach in its design and covered a population of 236 members of staff while its sample size was 182 members of staff. The data used in this study were generated from both primary and secondary sources. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to calculate the reliability index which yielded a 94% output. The statistical tools used for data analysis were simple percentage (%) and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) using the 20.0 version of statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The study analyzed empirical data generated from a well structured valid and consistent questionnaire and posited that the viability of manufacturing organizations especially those in the beverage industry is significantly influenced by raw material resource sustainability. Moreover, the strength of the effect of raw material resource sustainability appears to be felt more on financial viability and less on management model viability. It was recommended among others that Organizations that must be viable must consciously develop sustainable raw material resources that will facilitate through backward integration cost and time efficiency in their raw material resource value chain, which is a significant impetus for the financial viability of organizations and that integrating the value chain of the organization can enhance the sustainability of raw material resource of manufacturing firms.

UV-assisted direct write of polymer-bonded magnets

This work presents a novel fabrication technique called “UV-assisted Direct Write (UADW)”, which combines extrusion-based direct write (DW) and in situ layer-by-layer UV curing to fabricate polymer-bonded permanent magnets of arbitrary shapes at room temperature. The process requires minimal post heat treatment and therefore preserves the magnetic properties of the raw powder in the printed product. Experimentation achieved a maximum solid loading of printable ink of 60% by volume, or 91% by weight. Samples with 60 vol.% nominal particle concentration exhibited remanence of 3.80 kG (52% of raw powder value) and intrinsic coercivity of 9.50 kOe. Magnetized samples showed no reduction in intrinsic coercivity, which proves good curing of the final product and good bonding between particles and binder. Compared to other 3D-printed magnets reported in the literature, UADW magnets possess the highest intrinsic coercivity with one of the highest magnetic remanence values.

Terrain gradient effect of ecosystem service value in middle reach of Yangtze River, China

Using land use data in the year 1995, 2005 and 2014, this study estimated the ecosystem service value (ESV) in each county located in the middle reach of Yangtze River and analyzed its spatiotemporal variation features and terrain gradient effects based on "the equivalent value per unit area of ecosystem services in China". The results showed that ESV in the middle reach of Yangtze River was generally higher in mountainous area but lower in plain region, with an obvious terrain gradient effect. Specifically, the relationship of the relief degree of land surface (RDLS) and the ESV showed significant logarithm function at county scale with a high curve fitting degree of 0.53. The ESV increased from 400.35×104 yuan·km-2 to 554.57×104 yuan·km-2 with the increasing RDLS (grade 1-5) in 2014. During 1995-2004, the ecosystem service value variation changed from decreasing to stable with the increases of the RDLS. With a perspective of ecosystem service values, the value of food production and waste treatment service value decreased with the increase of the RDLS, while the others increased in general, such as the production of raw materials and gas regulation service value, because of the influences of dynamic land use structure in varied topography and distinct dominant ecosystem services from different land types.

Variations of Ecosystem Service Value in Response to Land-Use Change in the Kashgar Region, Northwest China

Increasing anthropogenic activities have significantly altered ecosystems in arid oasis regions. Estimating the impact on a wide range of ecosystem services is important for decision making and the sustainable development of these regions. This study analyzed time-series Landsat data to determine the influences of oasis land-use changes on the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region in Northwest China. The following results were found. The total value of the ecosystem services in the Kashgar region were approximately $10,845.3, $11,218.6, $10,291.7, and $10,127.3 million in 1986, 1996, 2005, and 2015, respectively. The water supply, waste treatment, biodiversity protection, and recreation and cultural services were the four ecosystem services with the highest service value, contributing 77.05% of the total ecosystem services. The combined contribution rate of food production and raw material value was only about 4.02%, relatively small. The sensitivity analysis indicated that the estimated total ecosystem service value (ESV) for this study area was relatively inelastic with respect to the value coefficients. The findings of this study will be crucial for maintaining the stability and sustainable development of the oasis region, where socio-economic development and the integrity of the natural ecosystem complement each other. Furthermore, the results provide a scientific basis for decision makers in land use management, and provide a reference for researchers in the Northwest China.

A compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation method for correlation filter-based visual tracking

The core part of the popular tracking-by-detection trackers is the discriminative classifier, which distinguishes the tracked target from the surrounding environment. Correlation filter-based visual tracking methods have the advantage of computing efficiency over the traditional methods by exploiting the properties of circulant matrix in learning process, and the significant progress in efficiency has been achieved by making use of the fast Fourier transform at detection and learning stages. But most existing correlation filter-based approaches are mainly restricted to translation estimation, which are susceptible to drifting in long-term tracking. In this article, a compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation method is presented, which uses multiple features, including histogram of orientation gradients, color-naming, and raw pixel value to further improve the stability and accuracy of translation estimation. And for the scale estimation, another correlation filter is trained, which uses the compressed histogram of orientation gradients and raw pixel value to construct a multiscale pyramid of the target, and the optimal scale is obtained by exhaustively searching. The translation and scale estimation are unified with an iterative searching strategy. Extensively experimental results on the benchmark data set of scale variation show that the performance of the proposed compressed multiple feature and adaptive scale estimation algorithm is competitive against state-of-the-art methods with scale estimation capabilities in terms of robustness and accuracy.