Sathurukondan situated within the urban area of Batticaloa and adjacent to Batticaloa lagoon. This area lies in the migrant route disperse from the entry points from Eastern and Andaman route. This area is locally not...Sathurukondan situated within the urban area of Batticaloa and adjacent to Batticaloa lagoon. This area lies in the migrant route disperse from the entry points from Eastern and Andaman route. This area is locally notable for their bird diversity as well as being a major habitat in Batticaloa. Blooming of urbanization causing drastic reduction of the mangrove forest is the main threat to these birds diversity due to their habitat loss. Considering that, the objective of this study was to determine the taxonomic composition and abundance of water and wading bird in this area. Point transact method was used to count the birds, and the counting was taken monthly. A total of 8,893 records of 65 species representing 36 families were recorded from July 2015 to July 2016. Simpson＇s diversity index and Shannon index in this area are about 0.95 and 3.34, respectively, showing the high diversity of this area. Migrant birds, such as common sandpiper （Actitis hypoleucos L.）, marsh sandpiper （Tringa stagnatilis B.）, common greenshank （Tringa nebularia G.） and other important species, such as lesser adjutant （Leptoptilos javanicus H.）, spot-bill pelican （Pelecanus philippensis G.） and near threatened jungle owlet （Glaucidium radiatum T.） were noted. This area contributes notably to the local avian biodiversity and has the ecotourism potential. It conceals the need of the conservation of this area.展开更多
Fang Chuxiong’s works combine the meticulousness of fine brushwork with the elegance of freehand brushstrokes,making him a distinct figure in the contemporary Chinese art circle.Fang Chuxiong is a representative figu...Fang Chuxiong’s works combine the meticulousness of fine brushwork with the elegance of freehand brushstrokes,making him a distinct figure in the contemporary Chinese art circle.Fang Chuxiong is a representative figure in the field of contemporary Chinese flower-and-bird painting.His artwork masterfully integrates the elements of nature,the charm of living creatures,the subtleties of brushwork,and the vitality of color,exhibiting refined taste and a vibrant style.展开更多
Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises stru...Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises structural weight under stress and frequency constraints.Two new algorithms,the Red Kite Optimization Algorithm(ROA)and Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm(SBOA),are utilized on five benchmark trusses with 10,18,37,72,and 200-bar trusses.Both algorithms are evaluated against benchmarks in the literature.The results indicate that SBOA always reaches a lighter optimal.Designs with reducing structural weight ranging from 0.02%to 0.15%compared to ROA,and up to 6%–8%as compared to conventional algorithms.In addition,SBOA can achieve 15%–20%faster convergence speed and 10%–18%reduction in computational time with a smaller standard deviation over independent runs,which demonstrates its robustness and reliability.It is indicated that the adaptive exploration mechanism of SBOA,especially its Levy flight–based search strategy,can obviously improve optimization performance for low-and high-dimensional trusses.The research has implications in the context of promoting bio-inspired optimization techniques by demonstrating the viability of SBOA,a reliable model for large-scale structural design that provides significant enhancements in performance and convergence behavior.展开更多
Lin Shuran and her husband Fang Chuxiang are exceptional artists who are often mentioned together when talking about contemporary Lingnan art.Compared to her husband’s fame in the field of flower-andbird painting,Lin...Lin Shuran and her husband Fang Chuxiang are exceptional artists who are often mentioned together when talking about contemporary Lingnan art.Compared to her husband’s fame in the field of flower-andbird painting,Lin shows unique artistic sensitivity as a female inheritor of the Lingnan School and quietly preserves the cultural lineage of Lingnan painting.展开更多
基于BEV(bird’s eye view)多传感器融合的自动驾驶感知算法近年来取得重大进展,持续促进自动驾驶的发展。在多传感器融合感知算法研究中,多视角图像向BEV视角的转换和多模态特征融合一直是BEV感知算法的重点和难点。笔者提出MSEPE-CRN(...基于BEV(bird’s eye view)多传感器融合的自动驾驶感知算法近年来取得重大进展,持续促进自动驾驶的发展。在多传感器融合感知算法研究中,多视角图像向BEV视角的转换和多模态特征融合一直是BEV感知算法的重点和难点。笔者提出MSEPE-CRN(multi-scale feature fusion and edge and point enhancement-camera radar net),一种用于3D目标检测的相机与毫米波雷达融合感知算法,利用边缘特征和点云提高深度预测的精度,实现多视角图像向BEV特征的精确转换。同时,引入多尺度可变形大核注意力机制进行模态融合,解决因不同传感器特征差异过大导致的错位。在nuScenes开源数据集上的实验结果表明,与基准网络相比,mAP提升2.17%、NDS提升1.93%、mATE提升2.58%、mAOE提升8.08%、mAVE提升2.13%,该算法可有效提高车辆对路面上运动障碍物的感知能力,具有实用价值。展开更多
The Himalayan monal(Lophophorus impejanus),Nepal’s national bird,is a protected species facing significant conservation challenges.Understanding the distribution and habitat preferences of the Himalayan monal(HM)is c...The Himalayan monal(Lophophorus impejanus),Nepal’s national bird,is a protected species facing significant conservation challenges.Understanding the distribution and habitat preferences of the Himalayan monal(HM)is crucial for its conservation.This study was conducted in the Langtang National Park(LNP),Nepal using the route census method during both winter(November/December 2022)and summer(June 2023)seasons to examine the seasonal variation in HM’s elevational distribution and habitat preference.Further,we assessed their conservation threats by conducting a semi-structured questionnaire survey with the local residents.During the winter period,the HMs preferred grassland habitats,while in the summer,their preference shifted to shrubland and barren area.HM abundance was negatively associated with the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the shortest distance from the survey trails in the winter.The HMs actively avoided areas with high anthropogenic pressure.In the summer,they showed a wider elevational range up to 4400 m above sea level(a.s.l.),with a higher sighting frequency between 3600 and 3900 m a.s.l.The questionnaire survey of the local residents revealed that anthropogenic pressure such as poaching and free-ranging livestock grazing are the major threats to the species in the study area.This study provides valuable insight into the complex habitat preferences and critical threats faced by the HMs in LNP and underscores the urgent need for targeted conservation action.展开更多
Wetland degradation is an escalating global challenge with profound impacts on animal diversity,particularly during successional processes.Birds,as highly mobile and environmentally sensitive organisms,serve as effect...Wetland degradation is an escalating global challenge with profound impacts on animal diversity,particularly during successional processes.Birds,as highly mobile and environmentally sensitive organisms,serve as effective indicators of ecological change.While previous studies have primarily focused on local community structures and species diversity during a specific season,there is a need to extend the research timeframe and explore broader spatial variations.Additionally,expanding from simple species diversity indices to more multidimensional diversity indices would provide a more comprehensive understanding of wetland health and resilience.To address these gaps,we investigated the effects of wetland degradation on bird diversity across taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional dimensions in the Zoige Wetland,a plateau meadow wetland biodiversity hotspot.Surveys were conducted during both breeding(summer)and overwintering(winter)seasons across 20 transects in 5 sampling areas,representing 4 degradation levels(pristine,low,medium,and high).Our study recorded a total of 106 bird species from 32 families and 14 orders,revealing distinct seasonal patterns in bird community composition and diversity.Biodiversity indices were significantly higher in pristine and low-degraded wetlands,particularly benefiting waterfowl(Anseriformes,Ciconiiformes)and wading birds(Charadriiformes)in winter,when these areas provided superior food resources and habitat conditions.In contrast,medium and highly degraded wetlands supported increased numbers of terrestrial birds(Passeriformes)and raptors(Accipitriformes,Falconiformes).Seasonal differences in taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional diversity indices highlighted the contrasting ecological roles of wetlands during breeding and overwintering periods.Furthermore,indicator species analysis revealed key species associated with specific degradation levels and seasons,providing valuable insights into wetland health.This study underscores the importance of spatiotemporal dynamics in understanding avian responses to wetland degradation.By linking seasonal patterns of bird diversity to habitat conditions,our findings contribute to conservation efforts and provide a framework for assessing wetland degradation and its ecological impacts.展开更多
Bird vocalizations are pivotal for ecological monitoring,providing insights into biodiversity and ecosystem health.Traditional recognition methods often neglect phase information,resulting in incomplete feature repres...Bird vocalizations are pivotal for ecological monitoring,providing insights into biodiversity and ecosystem health.Traditional recognition methods often neglect phase information,resulting in incomplete feature representation.In this paper,we introduce a novel approach to bird vocalization recognition(BVR)that integrates both amplitude and phase information,leading to enhanced species identification.We propose MHARes Net,a deep learning(DL)model that employs residual blocks and a multi-head attention mechanism to capture salient features from logarithmic power(POW),Instantaneous Frequency(IF),and Group Delay(GD)extracted from bird vocalizations.Experiments on three bird vocalization datasets demonstrate our method's superior performance,achieving accuracy rates of 94%,98.9%,and 87.1%respectively.These results indicate that our approach provides a more effective representation of bird vocalizations,outperforming existing methods.This integration of phase information in BVR is innovative and significantly advances the field of automatic bird monitoring technology,offering valuable tools for ecological research and conservation efforts.展开更多
Passive acoustic monitoring(PAM)technology is increasingly becoming one of the mainstream methods for bird monitoring.However,detecting bird audio within complex natural acoustic environments using PAM devices remains...Passive acoustic monitoring(PAM)technology is increasingly becoming one of the mainstream methods for bird monitoring.However,detecting bird audio within complex natural acoustic environments using PAM devices remains a significant challenge.To enhance the accuracy(ACC)of bird audio detection(BAD)and reduce both false negatives and false positives,this study proposes a BAD method based on a Dual-Feature Enhancement Fusion Model(DFEFM).This method incorporates per-channel energy normalization(PCEN)to suppress noise in the input audio and utilizes mel-frequency cepstral coefficients(MFCC)and frequency correlation matrices(FCM)as input features.It achieves deep feature-level fusion of MFCC and FCM on the channel dimension through two independent multi-layer convolutional network branches,and further integrates Spatial and Channel Synergistic Attention(SCSA)and Multi-Head Attention(MHA)modules to enhance the fusion effect of the aforementioned two deep features.Experimental results on the DCASE2018 BAD dataset show that our proposed method achieved an ACC of 91.4%and an AUC value of 0.963,with false negative and false positive rates of 11.36%and 7.40%,respectively,surpassing existing methods.The method also demonstrated detection ACC above 92%and AUC values above 0.987 on datasets from three sites of different natural scenes in Beijing.Testing on the NVIDIA Jetson Nano indicated that the method achieved an ACC of 89.48%when processing an average of 10 s of audio,with a response time of only 0.557 s,showing excellent processing efficiency.This study provides an effective method for filtering non-bird vocalization audio in bird vocalization monitoring devices,which helps to save edge storage and information transmission costs,and has significant application value for wild bird monitoring and ecological research.展开更多
The rapid advent in artificial intelligence and big data has revolutionized the dynamic requirement in the demands of the computing resource for executing specific tasks in the cloud environment.The process of achievi...The rapid advent in artificial intelligence and big data has revolutionized the dynamic requirement in the demands of the computing resource for executing specific tasks in the cloud environment.The process of achieving autonomic resource management is identified to be a herculean task due to its huge distributed and heterogeneous environment.Moreover,the cloud network needs to provide autonomic resource management and deliver potential services to the clients by complying with the requirements of Quality-of-Service(QoS)without impacting the Service Level Agreements(SLAs).However,the existing autonomic cloud resource managing frameworks are not capable in handling the resources of the cloud with its dynamic requirements.In this paper,Coot Bird Behavior Model-based Workload Aware Autonomic Resource Management Scheme(CBBM-WARMS)is proposed for handling the dynamic requirements of cloud resources through the estimation of workload that need to be policed by the cloud environment.This CBBM-WARMS initially adopted the algorithm of adaptive density peak clustering for workloads clustering of the cloud.Then,it utilized the fuzzy logic during the process of workload scheduling for achieving the determining the availability of cloud resources.It further used CBBM for potential Virtual Machine(VM)deployment that attributes towards the provision of optimal resources.It is proposed with the capability of achieving optimal QoS with minimized time,energy consumption,SLA cost and SLA violation.The experimental validation of the proposed CBBMWARMS confirms minimized SLA cost of 19.21%and reduced SLA violation rate of 18.74%,better than the compared autonomic cloud resource managing frameworks.展开更多
Dear Editor,The highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses(HPAIVs)are important epizootic and zoonotic pathogens that cause significant economic losses to the poultry industry and pose a serious risk to veterinary and ...Dear Editor,The highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses(HPAIVs)are important epizootic and zoonotic pathogens that cause significant economic losses to the poultry industry and pose a serious risk to veterinary and public health.Wild birds have been recognized as the primary reservoirs for influenza A virus,and some species show little sign of clinical disease or even can be asymptomatic during long distance carriers of the virus(Lycett et al.,2019).Since it was first discovered in 1959,the H5Nx HPAIVs have spread globally and cause outbreaks in wild birds,poultry and sporadic human and other mammalian infections(Lycett et al.,2019).Due to the reassortant events of diverse strains facilitated by migratory waterfowl,the clade 2.3.4.4 of H5Nx viruses acquiring neuraminidase(NA)gene from other low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses(LPAIVs)emerged in 2014 and gradually became the dominant sub-clade(Lee et al.,2017).展开更多
Birds of paradise are bright and colorful birds found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea,eastern Indonesia and northern Australia.There are 45 known species,and a new study has found that 37 of them can glow using...Birds of paradise are bright and colorful birds found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea,eastern Indonesia and northern Australia.There are 45 known species,and a new study has found that 37 of them can glow using biofluorescence(生物荧光).This is when a living thing absorbs light and gives it off again in a different color.展开更多
EXCERPTS FROM MAJOR CHINESE MAGAZINES RETURN OF THE SAND MARTINS Oriental Outlook 29 May In late April,a sandy cliff along the Yongding River in southern Beijing became an unexpected attraction.Speckled with more than...EXCERPTS FROM MAJOR CHINESE MAGAZINES RETURN OF THE SAND MARTINS Oriental Outlook 29 May In late April,a sandy cliff along the Yongding River in southern Beijing became an unexpected attraction.Speckled with more than 100 nests built by sand martins,migratory birds that return to the city each summer,the site has become one of the largest breeding grounds for the species in the Chinese capital.Just a year ago,this fragile micro-habitat was nearly lost to a river management project.Fortunately,a group of bird-watchers spotted the threat in time and alerted city officials.展开更多
Indonesia is an archipelago located in a tropical climate zone that is home to 17%of the world's creatures,buthuman disturbances still threaten the existence of bird species in Indonesia.This encourages bird conse...Indonesia is an archipelago located in a tropical climate zone that is home to 17%of the world's creatures,buthuman disturbances still threaten the existence of bird species in Indonesia.This encourages bird conservation effortsboth through conservation areas and community forests.This study aims to determine the diversity and interaction ofbirds with the vegetation stratum in the community forest of Gunungkelir Hamlet,Jatimulyo Village,Kulon ProgoRegency,Yogyakarta.This research was conducted from February to March 2024,using a combination of line transect,point count,and rapid assessment methods for bird observation.Data were analyzed using diversity index(H'),evenness(E),and relative abundance.Vegetation stratum data used in vegetation analysis through nested plot sampling to obtainthe Important Value Index(IVI).The results showed that there were 21 species from 13 bird families;the diversity valueobtained on the three lanes was 2.62 on lane 1,1.84 on lane 2,and 1.79 on lane 3.The Albizia chinensis species hadthe highest IVI value at the seedling and sapling levels,with(67%)and(76.4%),respectively;then cloves obtained thehighest IVI value at the pole and tree levels with(84.5%)and(81.3%).The majority of birds,comprising as many as15 species,were found in stratum C,followed by stratum D,which had as many as 8 species,stratum E with 3 species,stratum B with 2 species,and no birds were found in stratum A.The most common form of vegetation utilizationfound was resting.Birds utilized the stratum layer to rest,play,and find food.Understanding bird ecology also meansunderstanding human safety in wisely managing forest ecosystems.展开更多
Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitat...Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitats by combining niche modeling with ecological trait analysis. We conducted standardized point surveys to examine the habitat preferences of 32 bird species in Inner Mongolia, China, and quantified their habitat niche parameters using the Outlying Mean Index (OMI). Our results reveal distinct habitat preferences among species, with some thriving in intact environments while others are better adapted to fragmented areas. Grassland species showed high specialization along the fragmentation gradient, while others exhibited adaptability to varying levels of fragmentation. Using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM), we identified three key traits influencing habitat occupancy: hand-wing index, body mass, and range size. Specifically, species with medium hand-wing indices, moderate body mass, and larger range sizes were more likely to occupy heavily fragmented habitats. These findings provide empirical evidence on how habitat fragmentation affects bird species in steppe ecosystems. The study highlights the importance of functional traits in understanding avian responses to habitat fragmentation and offers a foundation for developing effective conservation strategies to preserve biodiversity in fragmented landscapes.展开更多
The rapid expansion of urbanization has led to widespread exposure of wild birds to intensive light at night(LAN).While previous studies have established LAN-induced cognitive impairment in birds,the underlying neurob...The rapid expansion of urbanization has led to widespread exposure of wild birds to intensive light at night(LAN).While previous studies have established LAN-induced cognitive impairment in birds,the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood.We hypothesized that LAN exposure impaired cognitive function of birds potentially through neurodegeneration,metabolic dysregulation and neuroinflammatory responses in the telencephalon.Using Zebra Finches(Taeniopygia guttata)as an avian model,under 16L:8D photoperiods,we compared associative learning and memory abilities and neurobiological parameters between experimental groups exposed to dim light at night(LAN)versus nocturnal darkness(CTR).Compared to the CTR birds,the LAN-exposed birds exhibited significantly lower learning and memory performances,reduced neuron density and simplified dendritic morphology in the telencephalons.The key energy metabolic substrates(cholic acid,CTP,D-mannose-6-phosphate)and neuroprotective agents(trehalose,menaquinone,L-gulono-1,4-lactone)in the telencephalons of LAN-exposed birds showed depletion,while oxidative stress markers(methionine sulfoxide)and inflammatory mediators(cis-gondoic acid)exhibited elevation.The neurotransmitter dopamine and histamine metabolic pathway were disrupted in the LAN-exposed birds.The microglias were activated with pro-inflammatory IL-1βand IL-6 levels increasing and anti-inflammatory IL-10 decreasing in the telencephalons of the LAN-exposed birds.These findings indicate a potential mechanistic pathway whereby dim light exposure at night can induce neuroinflammation through oxidative stress-mediated microglial activation,energy metabolism and neurotransmitter homeostasis disruption,ultimately leading to neurodegeneration in the telencephalons of birds.展开更多
The factors affecting the behavior of non-specialized nectar-feeding passerines have received little attention in the literature on plant-pollinator interactions. Puya chilensis (Bromeliaceae) has sterile branch apice...The factors affecting the behavior of non-specialized nectar-feeding passerines have received little attention in the literature on plant-pollinator interactions. Puya chilensis (Bromeliaceae) has sterile branch apices that project outward from the inflorescence. In this study, we evaluate the functional role of sterile apices as support systems for bird foraging behavior. We recorded bird visitation and flower probing in the presence and absence of sterile branches during the spring seasons of 2021 and 2024. The results revealed that experimental plants with excised branches received fewer bird visits and flower probings than control plants, indicating that sterile branches play an important role in the nectar-feeding behavior of passerine birds in P. chilensis.展开更多
The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic ...The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic diversity,with relatively less research on functional and phylogenetic diversity.In this study,we examined the phylogenetic and functional diversity and underlying influencing factors of bird communities in 37 urban parks in Nanjing,China.We conducted a systematic survey of bird communities in Nanjing urban parks and selected six park characteristics that are generally considered to affect bird diversity.Model selection based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion(AICc)and model averaging showed that park area,habitat diversity and building index(a proxy for the degree of urbanization)were significant factors affecting avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in Nanjing urban parks.Specifically,habitat diversity and park area were positively correlated with bird diversity,while the building index was negatively correlated with bird diversity.Moreover,the phylogenetic and functional structures of urban bird communities exhibited a clustered pattern,indicating that environmental filtering might play a role in shaping community composition.In addition,building index had certain impact on the construction of bird phylogenetic communities in urban parks.Our results suggest that expanding park areas,increasing habitat diversity and reducing building indexes may be effective measures to increase the avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in our system.展开更多
Roads are a leading cause of habitat fragmentation and may reduce bird populations by increasing nest predation rates.However,few studies have investigated the effects of traffic volume on the reproductive success of ...Roads are a leading cause of habitat fragmentation and may reduce bird populations by increasing nest predation rates.However,few studies have investigated the effects of traffic volume on the reproductive success of roadside birds in the neotropics.Our goal was to evaluate the effects of spatial,temporal,and vehicle flow variations on the survival of artificial open-cup nests.The study was carried out in a nature reserve on the side of a highway during the breeding season(from October to March)in two restinga(sand-coastal plain)phytophysiognomies in southeastern Brazil:non-floodable(open)and floodable(closed).One hundred thirty nests were distributed along transects ranging from 3 m to 300 m from the highway in each vegetation type(totaling 260 nests).The nests were checked every three days for their status(depredated or intact)over 12 days,and new nests were subsequently placed near sampling points of depredated or successful nests.We estimated survival using logistic exposure generalized linear and additive mixed models.At the end of the 180 days of the experiment,33%of 6202 nests were successful.Nest survival was higher in open restinga than in closed restinga.In both habitats,nest survival was lowest mid-season and highest at the beginning and end.Survival rates peaked near the highway,declined up to 50 m away,then showed a slight increase.Finally,survival increased at moderate-to-high traffic volumes(∼22,000 vehicles/day),particularly in open restinga.We suggest that spatial,temporal,and habitat-specific highway impacts(e.g.,noise,vibration,visual stimuli)can lead to variations in the activity of nest predators,generating fluctuations in nest survival associated with predator behavior.展开更多
The publisher regrets that the Appendix A.Supplementary data was not updated as per author and editor’s request.The publisher would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
文摘Sathurukondan situated within the urban area of Batticaloa and adjacent to Batticaloa lagoon. This area lies in the migrant route disperse from the entry points from Eastern and Andaman route. This area is locally notable for their bird diversity as well as being a major habitat in Batticaloa. Blooming of urbanization causing drastic reduction of the mangrove forest is the main threat to these birds diversity due to their habitat loss. Considering that, the objective of this study was to determine the taxonomic composition and abundance of water and wading bird in this area. Point transact method was used to count the birds, and the counting was taken monthly. A total of 8,893 records of 65 species representing 36 families were recorded from July 2015 to July 2016. Simpson＇s diversity index and Shannon index in this area are about 0.95 and 3.34, respectively, showing the high diversity of this area. Migrant birds, such as common sandpiper （Actitis hypoleucos L.）, marsh sandpiper （Tringa stagnatilis B.）, common greenshank （Tringa nebularia G.） and other important species, such as lesser adjutant （Leptoptilos javanicus H.）, spot-bill pelican （Pelecanus philippensis G.） and near threatened jungle owlet （Glaucidium radiatum T.） were noted. This area contributes notably to the local avian biodiversity and has the ecotourism potential. It conceals the need of the conservation of this area.
文摘Fang Chuxiong’s works combine the meticulousness of fine brushwork with the elegance of freehand brushstrokes,making him a distinct figure in the contemporary Chinese art circle.Fang Chuxiong is a representative figure in the field of contemporary Chinese flower-and-bird painting.His artwork masterfully integrates the elements of nature,the charm of living creatures,the subtleties of brushwork,and the vitality of color,exhibiting refined taste and a vibrant style.
文摘Optimization is the key to obtaining efficient utilization of resources in structural design.Due to the complex nature of truss systems,this study presents a method based on metaheuristic modelling that minimises structural weight under stress and frequency constraints.Two new algorithms,the Red Kite Optimization Algorithm(ROA)and Secretary Bird Optimization Algorithm(SBOA),are utilized on five benchmark trusses with 10,18,37,72,and 200-bar trusses.Both algorithms are evaluated against benchmarks in the literature.The results indicate that SBOA always reaches a lighter optimal.Designs with reducing structural weight ranging from 0.02%to 0.15%compared to ROA,and up to 6%–8%as compared to conventional algorithms.In addition,SBOA can achieve 15%–20%faster convergence speed and 10%–18%reduction in computational time with a smaller standard deviation over independent runs,which demonstrates its robustness and reliability.It is indicated that the adaptive exploration mechanism of SBOA,especially its Levy flight–based search strategy,can obviously improve optimization performance for low-and high-dimensional trusses.The research has implications in the context of promoting bio-inspired optimization techniques by demonstrating the viability of SBOA,a reliable model for large-scale structural design that provides significant enhancements in performance and convergence behavior.
文摘Lin Shuran and her husband Fang Chuxiang are exceptional artists who are often mentioned together when talking about contemporary Lingnan art.Compared to her husband’s fame in the field of flower-andbird painting,Lin shows unique artistic sensitivity as a female inheritor of the Lingnan School and quietly preserves the cultural lineage of Lingnan painting.
文摘基于BEV(bird’s eye view)多传感器融合的自动驾驶感知算法近年来取得重大进展,持续促进自动驾驶的发展。在多传感器融合感知算法研究中,多视角图像向BEV视角的转换和多模态特征融合一直是BEV感知算法的重点和难点。笔者提出MSEPE-CRN(multi-scale feature fusion and edge and point enhancement-camera radar net),一种用于3D目标检测的相机与毫米波雷达融合感知算法,利用边缘特征和点云提高深度预测的精度,实现多视角图像向BEV特征的精确转换。同时,引入多尺度可变形大核注意力机制进行模态融合,解决因不同传感器特征差异过大导致的错位。在nuScenes开源数据集上的实验结果表明,与基准网络相比,mAP提升2.17%、NDS提升1.93%、mATE提升2.58%、mAOE提升8.08%、mAVE提升2.13%,该算法可有效提高车辆对路面上运动障碍物的感知能力,具有实用价值。
基金an MSc thesis research grant from the Zoological Society of London(ZSL)Nepal.RCK’s effort was supported in part by the Office of Research Infrastructure Programs(ORIP)of the National Institutes of Health through grant number P51OD010425 to the Washington National Primate Research Center,USA。
文摘The Himalayan monal(Lophophorus impejanus),Nepal’s national bird,is a protected species facing significant conservation challenges.Understanding the distribution and habitat preferences of the Himalayan monal(HM)is crucial for its conservation.This study was conducted in the Langtang National Park(LNP),Nepal using the route census method during both winter(November/December 2022)and summer(June 2023)seasons to examine the seasonal variation in HM’s elevational distribution and habitat preference.Further,we assessed their conservation threats by conducting a semi-structured questionnaire survey with the local residents.During the winter period,the HMs preferred grassland habitats,while in the summer,their preference shifted to shrubland and barren area.HM abundance was negatively associated with the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index(NDVI)and the shortest distance from the survey trails in the winter.The HMs actively avoided areas with high anthropogenic pressure.In the summer,they showed a wider elevational range up to 4400 m above sea level(a.s.l.),with a higher sighting frequency between 3600 and 3900 m a.s.l.The questionnaire survey of the local residents revealed that anthropogenic pressure such as poaching and free-ranging livestock grazing are the major threats to the species in the study area.This study provides valuable insight into the complex habitat preferences and critical threats faced by the HMs in LNP and underscores the urgent need for targeted conservation action.
基金supported by the Southwest Minzu University Research Startup Funds (No.16011221038,RQD2022021)Double World-Class Project (No.CX2023010)。
文摘Wetland degradation is an escalating global challenge with profound impacts on animal diversity,particularly during successional processes.Birds,as highly mobile and environmentally sensitive organisms,serve as effective indicators of ecological change.While previous studies have primarily focused on local community structures and species diversity during a specific season,there is a need to extend the research timeframe and explore broader spatial variations.Additionally,expanding from simple species diversity indices to more multidimensional diversity indices would provide a more comprehensive understanding of wetland health and resilience.To address these gaps,we investigated the effects of wetland degradation on bird diversity across taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional dimensions in the Zoige Wetland,a plateau meadow wetland biodiversity hotspot.Surveys were conducted during both breeding(summer)and overwintering(winter)seasons across 20 transects in 5 sampling areas,representing 4 degradation levels(pristine,low,medium,and high).Our study recorded a total of 106 bird species from 32 families and 14 orders,revealing distinct seasonal patterns in bird community composition and diversity.Biodiversity indices were significantly higher in pristine and low-degraded wetlands,particularly benefiting waterfowl(Anseriformes,Ciconiiformes)and wading birds(Charadriiformes)in winter,when these areas provided superior food resources and habitat conditions.In contrast,medium and highly degraded wetlands supported increased numbers of terrestrial birds(Passeriformes)and raptors(Accipitriformes,Falconiformes).Seasonal differences in taxonomic,phylogenetic,and functional diversity indices highlighted the contrasting ecological roles of wetlands during breeding and overwintering periods.Furthermore,indicator species analysis revealed key species associated with specific degradation levels and seasons,providing valuable insights into wetland health.This study underscores the importance of spatiotemporal dynamics in understanding avian responses to wetland degradation.By linking seasonal patterns of bird diversity to habitat conditions,our findings contribute to conservation efforts and provide a framework for assessing wetland degradation and its ecological impacts.
基金supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (5252014)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (62303063)。
文摘Bird vocalizations are pivotal for ecological monitoring,providing insights into biodiversity and ecosystem health.Traditional recognition methods often neglect phase information,resulting in incomplete feature representation.In this paper,we introduce a novel approach to bird vocalization recognition(BVR)that integrates both amplitude and phase information,leading to enhanced species identification.We propose MHARes Net,a deep learning(DL)model that employs residual blocks and a multi-head attention mechanism to capture salient features from logarithmic power(POW),Instantaneous Frequency(IF),and Group Delay(GD)extracted from bird vocalizations.Experiments on three bird vocalization datasets demonstrate our method's superior performance,achieving accuracy rates of 94%,98.9%,and 87.1%respectively.These results indicate that our approach provides a more effective representation of bird vocalizations,outperforming existing methods.This integration of phase information in BVR is innovative and significantly advances the field of automatic bird monitoring technology,offering valuable tools for ecological research and conservation efforts.
基金supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(5252014)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(62303063)。
文摘Passive acoustic monitoring(PAM)technology is increasingly becoming one of the mainstream methods for bird monitoring.However,detecting bird audio within complex natural acoustic environments using PAM devices remains a significant challenge.To enhance the accuracy(ACC)of bird audio detection(BAD)and reduce both false negatives and false positives,this study proposes a BAD method based on a Dual-Feature Enhancement Fusion Model(DFEFM).This method incorporates per-channel energy normalization(PCEN)to suppress noise in the input audio and utilizes mel-frequency cepstral coefficients(MFCC)and frequency correlation matrices(FCM)as input features.It achieves deep feature-level fusion of MFCC and FCM on the channel dimension through two independent multi-layer convolutional network branches,and further integrates Spatial and Channel Synergistic Attention(SCSA)and Multi-Head Attention(MHA)modules to enhance the fusion effect of the aforementioned two deep features.Experimental results on the DCASE2018 BAD dataset show that our proposed method achieved an ACC of 91.4%and an AUC value of 0.963,with false negative and false positive rates of 11.36%and 7.40%,respectively,surpassing existing methods.The method also demonstrated detection ACC above 92%and AUC values above 0.987 on datasets from three sites of different natural scenes in Beijing.Testing on the NVIDIA Jetson Nano indicated that the method achieved an ACC of 89.48%when processing an average of 10 s of audio,with a response time of only 0.557 s,showing excellent processing efficiency.This study provides an effective method for filtering non-bird vocalization audio in bird vocalization monitoring devices,which helps to save edge storage and information transmission costs,and has significant application value for wild bird monitoring and ecological research.
文摘The rapid advent in artificial intelligence and big data has revolutionized the dynamic requirement in the demands of the computing resource for executing specific tasks in the cloud environment.The process of achieving autonomic resource management is identified to be a herculean task due to its huge distributed and heterogeneous environment.Moreover,the cloud network needs to provide autonomic resource management and deliver potential services to the clients by complying with the requirements of Quality-of-Service(QoS)without impacting the Service Level Agreements(SLAs).However,the existing autonomic cloud resource managing frameworks are not capable in handling the resources of the cloud with its dynamic requirements.In this paper,Coot Bird Behavior Model-based Workload Aware Autonomic Resource Management Scheme(CBBM-WARMS)is proposed for handling the dynamic requirements of cloud resources through the estimation of workload that need to be policed by the cloud environment.This CBBM-WARMS initially adopted the algorithm of adaptive density peak clustering for workloads clustering of the cloud.Then,it utilized the fuzzy logic during the process of workload scheduling for achieving the determining the availability of cloud resources.It further used CBBM for potential Virtual Machine(VM)deployment that attributes towards the provision of optimal resources.It is proposed with the capability of achieving optimal QoS with minimized time,energy consumption,SLA cost and SLA violation.The experimental validation of the proposed CBBMWARMS confirms minimized SLA cost of 19.21%and reduced SLA violation rate of 18.74%,better than the compared autonomic cloud resource managing frameworks.
基金supported by Zhejiang Province Science and Technology Cooperation Project of“Three Rural and Nine Parties”(grant number 2023SNJF059).
文摘Dear Editor,The highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses(HPAIVs)are important epizootic and zoonotic pathogens that cause significant economic losses to the poultry industry and pose a serious risk to veterinary and public health.Wild birds have been recognized as the primary reservoirs for influenza A virus,and some species show little sign of clinical disease or even can be asymptomatic during long distance carriers of the virus(Lycett et al.,2019).Since it was first discovered in 1959,the H5Nx HPAIVs have spread globally and cause outbreaks in wild birds,poultry and sporadic human and other mammalian infections(Lycett et al.,2019).Due to the reassortant events of diverse strains facilitated by migratory waterfowl,the clade 2.3.4.4 of H5Nx viruses acquiring neuraminidase(NA)gene from other low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses(LPAIVs)emerged in 2014 and gradually became the dominant sub-clade(Lee et al.,2017).
文摘Birds of paradise are bright and colorful birds found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea,eastern Indonesia and northern Australia.There are 45 known species,and a new study has found that 37 of them can glow using biofluorescence(生物荧光).This is when a living thing absorbs light and gives it off again in a different color.
文摘EXCERPTS FROM MAJOR CHINESE MAGAZINES RETURN OF THE SAND MARTINS Oriental Outlook 29 May In late April,a sandy cliff along the Yongding River in southern Beijing became an unexpected attraction.Speckled with more than 100 nests built by sand martins,migratory birds that return to the city each summer,the site has become one of the largest breeding grounds for the species in the Chinese capital.Just a year ago,this fragile micro-habitat was nearly lost to a river management project.Fortunately,a group of bird-watchers spotted the threat in time and alerted city officials.
文摘Indonesia is an archipelago located in a tropical climate zone that is home to 17%of the world's creatures,buthuman disturbances still threaten the existence of bird species in Indonesia.This encourages bird conservation effortsboth through conservation areas and community forests.This study aims to determine the diversity and interaction ofbirds with the vegetation stratum in the community forest of Gunungkelir Hamlet,Jatimulyo Village,Kulon ProgoRegency,Yogyakarta.This research was conducted from February to March 2024,using a combination of line transect,point count,and rapid assessment methods for bird observation.Data were analyzed using diversity index(H'),evenness(E),and relative abundance.Vegetation stratum data used in vegetation analysis through nested plot sampling to obtainthe Important Value Index(IVI).The results showed that there were 21 species from 13 bird families;the diversity valueobtained on the three lanes was 2.62 on lane 1,1.84 on lane 2,and 1.79 on lane 3.The Albizia chinensis species hadthe highest IVI value at the seedling and sapling levels,with(67%)and(76.4%),respectively;then cloves obtained thehighest IVI value at the pole and tree levels with(84.5%)and(81.3%).The majority of birds,comprising as many as15 species,were found in stratum C,followed by stratum D,which had as many as 8 species,stratum E with 3 species,stratum B with 2 species,and no birds were found in stratum A.The most common form of vegetation utilizationfound was resting.Birds utilized the stratum layer to rest,play,and find food.Understanding bird ecology also meansunderstanding human safety in wisely managing forest ecosystems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32201304)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2412022QD026).
文摘Habitat fragmentation poses a significant threat to bird communities, especially those in open and semi-open ecosystems such as steppes. This study investigates how steppe birds adapt to and utilize fragmented habitats by combining niche modeling with ecological trait analysis. We conducted standardized point surveys to examine the habitat preferences of 32 bird species in Inner Mongolia, China, and quantified their habitat niche parameters using the Outlying Mean Index (OMI). Our results reveal distinct habitat preferences among species, with some thriving in intact environments while others are better adapted to fragmented areas. Grassland species showed high specialization along the fragmentation gradient, while others exhibited adaptability to varying levels of fragmentation. Using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM), we identified three key traits influencing habitat occupancy: hand-wing index, body mass, and range size. Specifically, species with medium hand-wing indices, moderate body mass, and larger range sizes were more likely to occupy heavily fragmented habitats. These findings provide empirical evidence on how habitat fragmentation affects bird species in steppe ecosystems. The study highlights the importance of functional traits in understanding avian responses to habitat fragmentation and offers a foundation for developing effective conservation strategies to preserve biodiversity in fragmented landscapes.
基金supported by grants from Key laboratory of Ecology and Environment in Minority Area,National Ethnic Affairs Commission(KLEEMA202207)。
文摘The rapid expansion of urbanization has led to widespread exposure of wild birds to intensive light at night(LAN).While previous studies have established LAN-induced cognitive impairment in birds,the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain poorly understood.We hypothesized that LAN exposure impaired cognitive function of birds potentially through neurodegeneration,metabolic dysregulation and neuroinflammatory responses in the telencephalon.Using Zebra Finches(Taeniopygia guttata)as an avian model,under 16L:8D photoperiods,we compared associative learning and memory abilities and neurobiological parameters between experimental groups exposed to dim light at night(LAN)versus nocturnal darkness(CTR).Compared to the CTR birds,the LAN-exposed birds exhibited significantly lower learning and memory performances,reduced neuron density and simplified dendritic morphology in the telencephalons.The key energy metabolic substrates(cholic acid,CTP,D-mannose-6-phosphate)and neuroprotective agents(trehalose,menaquinone,L-gulono-1,4-lactone)in the telencephalons of LAN-exposed birds showed depletion,while oxidative stress markers(methionine sulfoxide)and inflammatory mediators(cis-gondoic acid)exhibited elevation.The neurotransmitter dopamine and histamine metabolic pathway were disrupted in the LAN-exposed birds.The microglias were activated with pro-inflammatory IL-1βand IL-6 levels increasing and anti-inflammatory IL-10 decreasing in the telencephalons of the LAN-exposed birds.These findings indicate a potential mechanistic pathway whereby dim light exposure at night can induce neuroinflammation through oxidative stress-mediated microglial activation,energy metabolism and neurotransmitter homeostasis disruption,ultimately leading to neurodegeneration in the telencephalons of birds.
基金supported by grants FONDECYT 1180850 and 1231757 to RM.
文摘The factors affecting the behavior of non-specialized nectar-feeding passerines have received little attention in the literature on plant-pollinator interactions. Puya chilensis (Bromeliaceae) has sterile branch apices that project outward from the inflorescence. In this study, we evaluate the functional role of sterile apices as support systems for bird foraging behavior. We recorded bird visitation and flower probing in the presence and absence of sterile branches during the spring seasons of 2021 and 2024. The results revealed that experimental plants with excised branches received fewer bird visits and flower probings than control plants, indicating that sterile branches play an important role in the nectar-feeding behavior of passerine birds in P. chilensis.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32271734)。
文摘The acceleration of global urbanization has caused habitat loss,fragmentation,and decrease of habitat quality,often leading to a decline in biodiversity.However,most previous urbanization studies focused on taxonomic diversity,with relatively less research on functional and phylogenetic diversity.In this study,we examined the phylogenetic and functional diversity and underlying influencing factors of bird communities in 37 urban parks in Nanjing,China.We conducted a systematic survey of bird communities in Nanjing urban parks and selected six park characteristics that are generally considered to affect bird diversity.Model selection based on corrected Akaike Information Criterion(AICc)and model averaging showed that park area,habitat diversity and building index(a proxy for the degree of urbanization)were significant factors affecting avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in Nanjing urban parks.Specifically,habitat diversity and park area were positively correlated with bird diversity,while the building index was negatively correlated with bird diversity.Moreover,the phylogenetic and functional structures of urban bird communities exhibited a clustered pattern,indicating that environmental filtering might play a role in shaping community composition.In addition,building index had certain impact on the construction of bird phylogenetic communities in urban parks.Our results suggest that expanding park areas,increasing habitat diversity and reducing building indexes may be effective measures to increase the avian phylogenetic and functional diversity in our system.
基金supports were provided by the Concessionária Rodovia do Sol/SA(RodoSol)the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico(CNPq,grant:45.6446/2014/1)+2 种基金the São Paulo Research Foundation(FAPESP,Process Number#2024/13237-3)PD received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior(CAPES,grant:88887.469218/2019-00)CD is grateful to CNPq(Bolsa de Produtividade em Pesquisa,grant:308997/2023-9).
文摘Roads are a leading cause of habitat fragmentation and may reduce bird populations by increasing nest predation rates.However,few studies have investigated the effects of traffic volume on the reproductive success of roadside birds in the neotropics.Our goal was to evaluate the effects of spatial,temporal,and vehicle flow variations on the survival of artificial open-cup nests.The study was carried out in a nature reserve on the side of a highway during the breeding season(from October to March)in two restinga(sand-coastal plain)phytophysiognomies in southeastern Brazil:non-floodable(open)and floodable(closed).One hundred thirty nests were distributed along transects ranging from 3 m to 300 m from the highway in each vegetation type(totaling 260 nests).The nests were checked every three days for their status(depredated or intact)over 12 days,and new nests were subsequently placed near sampling points of depredated or successful nests.We estimated survival using logistic exposure generalized linear and additive mixed models.At the end of the 180 days of the experiment,33%of 6202 nests were successful.Nest survival was higher in open restinga than in closed restinga.In both habitats,nest survival was lowest mid-season and highest at the beginning and end.Survival rates peaked near the highway,declined up to 50 m away,then showed a slight increase.Finally,survival increased at moderate-to-high traffic volumes(∼22,000 vehicles/day),particularly in open restinga.We suggest that spatial,temporal,and habitat-specific highway impacts(e.g.,noise,vibration,visual stimuli)can lead to variations in the activity of nest predators,generating fluctuations in nest survival associated with predator behavior.
文摘The publisher regrets that the Appendix A.Supplementary data was not updated as per author and editor’s request.The publisher would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
