A computational model of the anterior intraparietal area

The monkey anterior intraparietal area (AIP) encodes visual information about three-dimensional object shape that is used to shape the hand for grasping. In robotics a similar role has been played by modules that fit point cloud data to the superquadric family of shapes and its various extensions. We developed a model of shape tuning in AIP based on cosine tuning to superquadric parameters. However, the model did not fit the data well, and we also found that it was difficult to accurately reproduce these parameters using neural networks with the appropriate inputs (modelled on the caudal intraparietal area, CIP). The latter difficulty was related to the fact that there are large discontinuities in the superquadric parameters between very similar shapes. To address these limitations we adopted an alternative shape parameterization based on an Isomap nonlinear dimension reduction. The Isomap was built using gradients and curvatures of object surface depth. This alternative parameterization was low-dimensional (like superquadrics), but data-driven (similar to an alternative clustering approach that is also sometimes used in robotics) and lacked large discontinuities. Isomaps with 16 or more dimensions reproduced the AIP data fairly well. Moreover, we found that the Isomap parameters could be approximated from CIP-like input much more accurately than the superquadric parameters. We conclude that Isomaps, or perhaps alternative dimension reductions of CIP signals, provide a promising model of AIP tuning. We have now started to integrate our model with a robot hand, to explore the efficacy of Isomap shape reductions in grasp planning. Future work will consider dynamics of spike responses and integration with related visual and motor area models.

El convenio europeo del paisaje. Una propuesta metodológica para su implementación en el ámbito urbano

En la actualidad, existe la necesidad de vincular la práctica urbana y arquitectónica al pensamiento ecológico. Eso sucede porque el paisaje es el ámbito disciplinario que registra una mayor identidad contemporánea del lugar y el medio a través del cual asociar las estructuras urbanas a los procesos ecológicos. La amplitud conceptual del término paisaje, le otorga la capacidad para teorizar y proyectar sitios, territorios, ecosistemas, redes organizacionales complejas, infraestructuras, amplias superficies urbanas, y ser visto a la vez como una herramienta de negociación entre conflictos territoriales, diferentes escalas, cruces de fronteras administrativas y enfoques sectoriales. En esta tesis se presenta una propuesta metodológica para la implementación del Convenio Europeo del Paisaje (Consejo de Europa, 2000) en contextos urbanos y periurbanos. Para ello, la tesis aborda, desde una perspectiva aplicada a la planificación territorial, las relaciones espaciales de los diferentes elementos del sistema territorial que componen el mosaico paisajístico de una ciudad de rango medio, Segovia, y su entorno inmediato. El enfoque aplicado de la tesis se materializa a partir de una serie de propuestas de diseño, planificación, ordenación, gestión y protección del paisaje enfocadas a resolver problemas concretos detectados en la zona de estudio seleccionada. Para definir dichas propuestas,, la tesis adopta las bases teóricas o conceptuales de la Arquitectura del Paisaje, una disciplina de diseño aplicada, basada en significados sociales, ecológicos, económicos, culturales e históricos y en los valores visuales y estéticos. El resultado es la propuesta de una herramienta, el Plan de Paisaje de Segovia, cuyo objetivo es el de ofrecer una estrategia para el desarrollo a escala local basado en los procesos ecológicos y las estructuras del paisaje. La identificación y caracterización del paisaje, la definición de objetivos de calidad paisajística de protección, conservación, restauración y creación de nuevos paisajes, así como la propuesta de una estrategia de infraestructura verde para el municipio que promueva la conexión ecológica a escala regional, pretenden enriquecer y mejorar el proceso de planificación urbana y logran una ordenación territorial más integrada, más armónica y equilibrada. Los beneficios de incorporar un enfoque basado en el carácter del paisaje para asesorar en la toma de decisiones sobre el crecimiento urbano y los futuros desarrollos están cada vez mas demostrados y reconocidos. En el contexto europeo, los Planes de Paisaje están siendo incorporados como una nueva herramienta para hacer más efectivo el cumplimiento de los objetivos de desarrollo sostenible. ABSTRACT Nowadays, there is a need to link urban and architectural practice to ecological thinking, being landscape the disciplinary field which has the highest contemporary identity of the place, as well as the capacity to associate urban structures with ecological processes. The conceptual scope of the term landscape offers the ability to theorize and project sites, territories, ecosystems, complex organizational networks, infrastructures, large urban areas, and be seen as a tool to negotiate between territorial conflicts, different scales, administrative boundaries and sectoral approaches. A methodology for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention (Council of Europe, 2000) in urban and peri-urban contexts is presented in this thesis. To do this, the thesis examines, from an applied perspective to spatial planning, the spatial relationships of the different elements of the territorial system that make up the landscape mosaic of Segovia, a middle size city, and its immediate surroundings. The applied approach results in a series of proposals for design, planning, development, management and protection of the landscape focused on solving specific problems identified in the study area selected. To define these proposals, the thesis adopts the theoretical and conceptual foundations of Landscape Architecture, an applied design discipline, based on social, ecological, economic, cultural and historical meanings and visual and aesthetic values. The result is the proposal of a tool, the Landscape Plan of Segovia, whose aim is to provide a strategy for development at the local level, based on ecological processes and landscape structures. The identification and characterization of the landscape, the definition of landscape quality objectives for protection, conservation, restoration and creation of new landscapes as well as a proposed green infrastructure strategy for the town to promote ecological connectivity regionally, intend to enrich and improve the urban planning process and ensure a more integrated, harmonious and balanced territorial development. The benefits of incorporating an approach based on the character of the landscape to assist in the decision making processes on urban growth and future developments are increasingly recognized and proven. In the European context, Landscape Plans are being incorporated as a new tool for a more effective compliance with the objectives of sustainable development.

Modelización de servicios ecosistémicos en una cuenca hidrológica del área mediterránea = Modeling ecosystem services in a mediterranean area river basin

La modelización es un proceso por el que se obtienen modelos de los procesos del ´mundo real´ mediante la utilización de simplificaciones. Sin embargo, las estimaciones obtenidas con el modelo llevan implícitas incertidumbre que se debe evaluar. Mediante un análisis de sensibilidad se puede mejorar la confianza en los resultados, sin embargo, este paso a veces no se realiza debido básicamente al trabajo que lleva consigo este tipo de análisis. Además, al crear un modelo, hay que mantener un equilibrio entre la obtención de resultados lo más exactos posible mediante un modelo lo más sencillo posible. Por ello, una vez creado un modelo, es imprescindible comprobar si es necesario o no incluir más procesos que en un principio no se habían incluido. Los servicios ecosistémicos son los procesos mediante los cuales los ecosistemas mantienen y satisfacen el bienestar humano. La importancia que los servicios ecosistémicos y sus beneficios asociados tienen, junto con la necesidad de realizar una buena gestión de los mismos, han estimulado la aparición de modelos y herramientas para cuantificarlos. InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradoffs) es una de estas herramientas específicas para calcular servicios eco-sistémicos, desarrollada por Natural Capital Project (Universidad de Stanford, EEUU). Como resultado del creciente interés en calcular los servicios eco-sistémicos, se prevé un incremento en la aplicación del InVEST. La investigación desarrollada en esta Tesis pretende ayudar en esas otras importantes fases necesarias después de la creación de un modelo, abarcando los dos siguientes trabajos. El primero es la aplicación de un análisis de sensibilidad al modelo en una cuenca concreta mediante la metodología más adecuada. El segundo es relativo a los procesos dentro de la corriente fluvial que actualmente no se incluyen en el modelo mediante la creación y aplicación de una metodología que estudiara el papel que juegan estos procesos en el modelo InVEST de retención de nutrientes en el área de estudio. Los resultados de esta Tesis contribuirán a comprender la incertidumbre involucrada en el proceso de modelado. También pondrá de manifiesto la necesidad de comprobar el comportamiento de un modelo antes de utilizarlo y en el momento de interpretar los resultados obtenidos. El trabajo en esta Tesis contribuirá a mejorar la plataforma InVEST, que es una herramienta importante en el ámbito de los servicios de los ecosistemas. Dicho trabajo beneficiará a los futuros usuarios de la herramienta, ya sean investigadores (en investigaciones futuras), o técnicos (en futuros trabajos de toma de decisiones o gestión ecosistemas). ABSTRACT Modeling is the process to idealize real-world situations through simplifications in order to obtain a model. However, model estimations lead to uncertainties that have to be evaluated formally. The role of the sensitivity analysis (SA) is to assign model output uncertainty based on the inputs and can increase confidence in model, however, it is often omitted in modelling, usually as a result of the growing effort it involves. In addition, the balance between accuracy and simplicity is not easy to assess. For this reason, when a model is developed, it is necessary to test it in order to understand its behavior and to include, if necessary, more complexity to get a better response. Ecosystem services are the conditions and processes through which natural ecosystems, and their constituent species, sustain and fulfill human life. The relevance of ecosystem services and the need to better manage them and their associated benefits have stimulated the emergence of models and tools to measure them. InVEST, Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradoffs, is one of these ecosystem services-specific tools developed by the Natural Capital Project (Stanford University, USA). As a result of the growing interest in measuring ecosystem services, the use of InVEST is anticipated to grow exponentially in the coming years. However, apart from model development, making a model involves other crucial stages such as its evaluation and application in order to validate estimations. The work developed in this thesis tries to help in this relevant and imperative phase of the modeling process, and does so in two different ways. The first one is to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model, which consists in choosing and applying a methodology in an area and analyzing the results obtained. The second is related to the in-stream processes that are not modeled in the current model, and consists in creating and applying a methodology for testing the streams role in the InVEST nutrient retention model in a case study, analyzing the results obtained. The results of this Thesis will contribute to the understanding of the uncertainties involved in the modeling process. It will also illustrate the need to check the behavior of every model developed before putting them in production and illustrate the importance of understanding their behavior in terms of correctly interpreting the results obtained in light of uncertainty. The work in this thesis will contribute to improve the InVEST platform, which is an important tool in the field of ecosystem services. Such work will benefit future users, whether they are researchers (in their future research), or technicians (in their future work in ecosystem conservation or management decisions).

Identification of protein oligomerization states by analysis of interface conservation

The discrimination of true oligomeric protein–protein contacts from nonspecific crystal contacts remains problematic. Criteria that have been used previously base the assignment of oligomeric state on consideration of the area of the interface and/or the results of scoring functions based on statistical potentials. Both techniques have a high success rate but fail in more than 10% of cases. More importantly, the oligomeric states of several proteins are incorrectly assigned by both methods. Here we test the hypothesis that true oligomeric contacts should be identifiable on the basis of an increased degree of conservation of the residues involved in the interface. By quantifying the degree of conservation of the interface and comparing it with that of the remainder of the protein surface, we develop a new criterion that provides a highly effective complement to existing methods.

Fragmentação florestal e prioridades para a conservação da biodiversidade

Um modelo dedicado ao planejamento da conservação e restauração de habitats deve incluir informações estratégicas para assegurar a eficácia e de fácil obtenção, para assegurar a agilidade necessária. Planos e estratégias para conservação usualmente são complexos e demandam informações detalhadas, difíceis de se obter, como inventários biológicos e certos tipos de mapeamento, o que traz limitações em termos de disponibilidade, qualidade e custo das informações. Assim, procurou-se testar a eficiência de métodos simples para a seleção, em escala local, de áreas prioritárias para conservação de habitats fortemente fragmentados e reduzidos, uma situação comum no sul do Brasil, usando dados de imagens LANDSAT e planos de informações disponíveis em mapeamentos comuns, e trabalho de campo. Inicialmente analisou-se a estrutura da paisagem e o padrão de fragmentação em parte da região norte do estado do Paraná, e testar se tamanho e forma são adequados para selecionar os fragmentos florestais mais importantes para a conservação, ou seja, as que contribuem para manter maior quantidade e melhor qualidade de habitats, bem como tenham maior impacto (positivo) na conectividade e em outras variáveis da paisagem. Os resultados mostram que a floresta madura cobre cerca de 3% da paisagem, e a cobertura florestal total atinge perto de 8%, consistindo principalmente de pequenos fragmentos (82% tem entre 1 e 10 ha). Fragmentos grandes (>100 ha) são apenas 1,4% dos remanescentes, mas somam 34% da área de floresta. Apesar de estarem sujeitos a efeitos de borda em toda ou quase toda a sua área, fragmentos pequenos mostraram ter um papel importante na conectividade da paisagem. Numa área maior, foi feita uma pré-seleção de áreas com potencial para estabelecimento de redes de conservação. A pré-seleção procurou responder às seguintes perguntas: 1-Quais são os sítios com maior potencial para a conservação da biodiversidade? 2-Quais são os sítios sob maior risco para objetivos de conservação? e 3-Quais sítios têm melhores oportunidades para o estabelecimento de zonas de conservação de uso múltiplo? Foi identificado um conjunto de 11 fragmentos pertencendo a 5 sub-regiões, sofrendo variados graus de pressão antrópica. Adicionalmente, usando medidas simples de estrutura da paisagem, relacionadas com tamanho, forma e conectividade dos fragmentos, procurou-se identificar tipos estruturais de fragmentos, como uma forma alternativa para auxiliar o estabelecimento de prioridades para conservação a partir do seu papel, efetivo ou potencial, na paisagem. Foram identificados 5 tipos de fragmentos, pequenos (ilhotas isoladas, trampolins), médios (núcleos auxiliares e corredores) e grandes (núcleos principais), que podem ser usados para subsidiar estratégias de conservação. Utilizando informações sobre a estrutura da paisagem, hidrografia e legislação ambiental, propõe-se aqui uma estratégia de conservação para o complexo das bacias dos ribeirões Apertados-Três Bocas (CATB), ordenando atividades de restauração e conservação de fragmentos florestais, criação e expansão de unidades de conservação, além da proposição de formas de uso do solo compatíveis com o entorno de unidades de conservação.

The Rio Salado Riparian Habitat Restoration Area: Managing the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher

The following document identifies the impact to the current management plan of the Rio Salado Riparian Habitat Restoration Area in the event the endangered Southwestern Willow Flycatcher is found nesting at the project site. Rio Salado is managed by the City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department, and consists of a low-flow channel with native vegetation and wildlife along the Salt River. This paper analyzes the regulatory responsibilities of project site management and discusses the necessary adjustments to the management plan. Despite the current absence of the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher from Rio Salado, management should enter into a Safe Harbor Agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to legally protect themselves from the regulations stipulated in the Endangered Species Act.

Balancing Wetland Management with the Military: Using Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) to protect wetlands on U.S. Air Force Installations

U.S. Air Force installations by virtue of their isolation and often remote locations provide protection to critical habitats that would otherwise be susceptible to development and other stressors. While Air Force activities may not always compliment environmental protection, a balance between environmental protection and Air Force requirements must be achieved to minimize conflict. Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) are a possible solution in the quest to balance conservation with mission requirements. Beale Air Force Base, California is the first military installation to pursue implementation of a SAMP. This project found that SAMP implementation could be a tool to successfully balance conservation efforts with military requirements on other Air Force installations; however, further education on the SAMP process would be required.

USLE and WEPP Soil Erosion Models: Their Applicability and Use in Generating Cover Values to Stabilize Soil in the Los Alamos, New Mexico Area

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that involves the detachment, transport, and deposition of soil particles. Disturbances such as thinning and wildfire can reduce cover greatly and increase erosion rates. Forest managers may use erosion prediction tools, such as the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) to estimate erosion rates and develop techniques to manage erosion. However, it is important to understand the differences and the applications of each model. Erosion rates were generated by each model and the model most applicable to the study site, Los Alamos, New Mexico was determined. It was also used to find the amount of cover needed to stabilize soil. The USLE is a simpler model and less complicated than a computer model like WEPP, and thus easier to manipulate to estimate cover values. Predicted cover values were compared to field cover values. Cover is necessary to establish effective erosion control guidelines.

Trees as Tools in Environmental Improvement; An Analysis of the Contribution of Vegetation to Energy and Water Conservation in the Front Range of Colorado

The Denver metropolitan area is facing rapid population growth that increases the stress on already limited resources. Research and advanced computer modeling show that trees, especially those in urban areas, have significant environmental benefits. These benefits include air quality improvements, energy savings, greenhouse gas reduction, and possible water conservation. This Capstone Project applies statistical methods to analyze a small data set of residential homes and their energy and water consumption, as a function of their individual landscape. Results indicate that tree shade can influence water conservation, and that irrigation methods can be an influential factor as well. The Capstone is a preliminary analysis for future study to be performed by the Institute for Environmental Solutions in 2007.

Explaining the saproxylic beetle diversity of a protected Mediterranean area

Saproxylic beetle diversity is high at the Cabañeros National Park (central Spain), where woodland habitats exhibit remarkable heterogeneity. Our aim was to explain the diversity of saproxylic beetles, focusing on species turnover among mature woodland types. We surveyed five woodland types that represented the heterogeneity of the park’s woodland habitats. Beetles were collected using window traps over a period of 20 months. The Jaccard Similarity Index was used as indirect value of beta diversity among woodlands and to test the relation between species turnover and geographical distance. We also identified the contribution of species turnover to landscape diversity by using a partitioning model. Moreover, the presence of mixed woodlands (more than one tree species) allowed us to attempt to valorise the effect of tree species (coupled with their historical management) on species turnover among woodlands. Finally, we looked for different saproxylic beetle preferences for habitat and tree species using an indicator value method. We found that saproxylic beetle species composition varied significantly among the studied woodlands. The variation in species turnover was independent from the distance among woodlands, which suggested that beetle dispersal abilities could not explain this high turnover. Tree species within woodlands were a key factor that increased diversity turnover in woodlands and, consequently, the diversity of the park. Moreover, we found saproxylic beetle species that had different habitat and tree species preferences. We conclude that woodland heterogeneity (highly affected by woodland composition) seems to be the driving force for saproxylic beetle diversity in this protected area.

Computer Networks Virtualization with GNS3: Evaluating a solution to optimize resources and achieve a distance learning

Designing educational resources allow students to modify their learning process. In particular, on-line and downloadable educational resources have been successfully used in engineering education the last years [1]. Usually, these resources are free and accessible from web. In addition, they are designed and developed by lecturers and used by their students. But, they are rarely developed by students in order to be used by other students. In this work-in-progress, lecturers and students are working together to implement educational resources, which can be used by students to improve the learning process of computer networks subject in engineering studies. In particular, network topologies to model LAN (Local Area Network) and MAN (Metropolitan Area Network) are virtualized in order to simulate the behavior of the links and nodes when they are interconnected with different physical and logical design.

Retrofit of heat exchanger networks with pressure recovery of process streams at sub-ambient conditions

This paper presents a new mathematical programming model for the retrofit of heat exchanger networks (HENs), wherein the pressure recovery of process streams is conducted to enhance heat integration. Particularly applied to cryogenic processes, HENs retrofit with combined heat and work integration is mainly aimed at reducing the use of expensive cold services. The proposed multi-stage superstructure allows the increment of the existing heat transfer area, as well as the use of new equipment for both heat exchange and pressure manipulation. The pressure recovery of streams is carried out simultaneously with the HEN design, such that the process conditions (streams pressure and temperature) are variables of optimization. The mathematical model is formulated using generalized disjunctive programming (GDP) and is optimized via mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP), through the minimization of the retrofit total annualized cost, considering the turbine and compressor coupling with a helper motor. Three case studies are performed to assess the accuracy of the developed approach, including a real industrial example related to liquefied natural gas (LNG) production. The results show that the pressure recovery of streams is efficient for energy savings and, consequently, for decreasing the HEN retrofit total cost especially in sub-ambient processes.

Amphibian Hotspots and Conservation Priorities in Eastern Cuba Identified by Species Distribution Modeling

The high rate of amphibian endemism and the severe habitat modification in the Caribbean islands make them an ideal place to test if the current protected areas network might protect this group. In this study, we model distribution and map species richness of the 40 amphibian species from eastern Cuba with the objectives of identify hotspots, detect gaps in species representation in protected areas, and select additional areas to fill these gaps. We used two modeling methods, Maxent and Habitat Suitability Models, to reach a consensus distribution map for each species, then calculate species richness by combining specific models and finally performed gap analyses for species and hotspots. Our results showed that the models were robust enough to predict species distributions and that most of the amphibian hotspots were represented in reserves, but 50 percent of the species were incompletely covered and Eleutherodactylus rivularis was totally uncovered by the protected areas. We identified 1441 additional km2 (9.9% of the study area) that could be added to the current protected areas, allowing the representation of every species and all hotspots. Our results are relevant for the conservation planning in other Caribbean islands, since studies like this could contribute to fill the gaps in the existing protected areas and to design a future network. Both cases would benefit from modeling amphibian species distribution using available data, even if they are incomplete, rather than relying only in the protection of known or suspected hotspots.

The Conservation of our Built Heritage, in Particular Statues in Aberdeen, Evaluated Through a Social and Historical Context and Their Impact, Through the Use of 3D Scanning

Cultural heritage sites all over the world are at risk due to aggressive urban expansion, development, wars and general obsolescence. Not all objects are recorded in detail although they may have social and historical significance. For example more emphasis is placed on the recording of castles and palaces than on crofters’ cottages or tenement blocks, although their history can be just as rich. This paper will investigate the historic fabric of Aberdeen through the use of digital scanning, supported by a range of media including old photographs and paintings. Dissemination of social heritage through visualisations will be explored and how this can aid the understanding of space within the city or specific area. Focus will be given to the major statues/monuments within the context of the city centre, exploring their importance in their environment. In addition studying why many have been re-located away from their original site, the reasons why, and how we have perhaps lost some of the social and historical importance of why that monument was first located there. It will be argued that Digital Media could be utilised for much more than re-creation and re-presentation of physical entities. Digital scanning, in association with visualisation tools, is used to capture the essence of both the cultural heritage and the society that created or used the sites in association with visualisation tools and in some way re-enacting the original importance placed upon the monument in its original location, through adoption of BIM Heritage.

Local community perception towards bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Caves in South central Mindanao, Philippines: Threats and Implication for conservation

In the tropics, bats are an essential component of many native ecosystems, through providing various ecological services including pollination and insect pest control, in addition to seed dispersal. Many Philippine bat species roost in caves and underground habitats. However, many caves are disturbed by people, to exploit resources for food, recreation, and mineral and guano extraction. The misunderstanding of the importance of bats to the ecosystem is also considered a threat to many cave roosting species. Understanding the conflicts between humans and ecosystems which provide essential services is important to maintain ecosystem service provision. A total of 100 local respondents from the village of Pisan, Kabacan North Cotabato in south central Mindanao were interviewed through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Respondents were asked about their views, levels of knowledge, use, interaction, and awareness towards both the caves and bats in their locality. Our survey found that most of the respondents are aware of the presence of bats from the caves in their locality. Unfortunately, a large proportion of the respondents noted that bats are hunted in caves for bush meat and trade, and most people perceived bats as pest to fruit crops such as durian. These factors are among the main factors of the execution of many bat colonies in caves of south central Mindanao. In general, cave bats are under appreciated species in caves. The unregulated tourism, hunting for bush meat and trade, and guano extraction are among the alarming threats occurring for both caves and bats in the locality and possibly to other localities in the country. Furthermore, the establishment of strong and effective model conservation education programs and the strengthening the participation of local government, academic, and community are essential steps to preserve the current state of cave bats in the area.