Det svenska kulturlandskapet har förändrats radikalt under de senaste 200 åren från ett varierat och heterogent landskap till ett mer monotont, homogeniserat landskap som följd av att olika former av mänskligt resursutnyttjande har effektiviserats. Detta har lett till en fragmentering av livsmiljöerna för flera av kulturlandskapets arter. Kraftledningsgator kan tänkas hysa naturtyper som påminner om vissa av de nu försvunna eller fragmenterade livsmiljöerna (t ex betad skogsmark och vissa typer av ängsmarker) och skulle kunna ha en viktig betydelse som reträttplats och/eller spridningskorridor för dessa arter. I en fallfällsinventering i Köpings och Strängnäs kommun i Mälardalen undersöktes förekomst och abundans av marklevande evertebrater i kraftledningsgator, skog och betesmark. Jämförelser i förekomst och abundans gjordes mellan dessa marktyper (d v s kraftledningsgator, skog och betesmark), samt mellan positioner inom kraftledningsgator (centrala och distala delar) och närliggande skogsmark. Jämförelserna innefattade dels analyser av artantal (eller snarare antal taxa) och flera olika biodiversitetsindex och dels analyser av likhet i artförekomst och individantal med "likhetsindex" (similarity index). Separata analyser gjordes inom olika taxonomiska grupper (t ex alla taxa, endast inom insekter, endast inom spindeldjur). Antalet replikat tillät statistisk testning av eventuella mönster i antal taxa och biodiversitetsindex. Inga signifikanta skillnader dokumenterades, varken mellan de olika marktyperna eller mellan positioner inom kraftledningsgator och närliggande skog. Vi tolkar dessa resultat som att kraftledningsgator med avseende på antal taxa respektive biodiversitet inte är (signifikant) sämre än skogs- eller betesmark. Det kan betonas att det inte heller fanns något konsekvent (icke-signifikant) mönster som pekade på att så skulle vara fallet. Antal taxa och biodiversitetsindex tar ingen hänsyn till vilka arter eller taxa som ingår i analyserna. En naturtyp som hyser en individ- och artrik fauna bestående av oönskade arter (introducerade arter, "skadedjur" etc.) registrerar t ex ett högre biodiversitetsindex än en naturtyp med fåtaligt förekommande rödlistade, skyddsvärda arter. Likhetsindex belyser bättre vilka arter som är inblandade. Visserligen tas inte heller här hänsyn till exakt vilka arter som ingår (eller deras eventuella önskvärdhet eller skyddsvärde), men ett högt index indikerar att samma arter förekommer i de jämförda naturtyperna. I denna studie indikerar ett högt likhetsindex dessutom att antalet individer av de inblandade arterna är likartat, eftersom ett index som tar hänsyn till abundans användes. Resultaten visade överlag höga likhetsindex, speciellt verkade kraftledningsgator och skogsmark hysa likartad evertebratfauna medan likheten mellan kraftledningsgator och betesmark var mindre uttalad. Sammanfattningsvis indikerar studien att kraftledningsgator inte verkar vara lågvärdiga livsmiljöer för de marklevande evertebrat-taxa som ingått i studien. Vi föreslår att kraftledningsgator med väl avvägda rutiner för röjning och skötsel skulle kunna spela en viktig roll i skapandet av artrika kantzoner eller marker som liknar ängs- eller betesmarker med svag hävd. / As a consequence of the intensification of various forms of human resource utilization rural Sweden has changed radically over the past 200 years from offering a varied and diverse landscape to a more monotonous, homogenised type of environment. This has led to fragmentation of habitats for many of the species occurring. Power line corridors might harbour habitats that resemble some of the now lost or fragmented habitats (e.g. grazed forest land and certain types of meadow), and could have important functions as refuge habitats and / or distribution corridors for these species. In a pitfall trap study in Köping and Strängnäs municipalities in Mälardalen, the occurrence and abundance of ground-living invertebrates were investigated in power line corridors, adjoining forest and pastures. Comparisons were made between these habitat types, and between positions within the power line corridor (central and distal parts) and the nearby forested area. The comparisons included analysis of number of species (or rather the number of taxa) and several biodiversity indexes, as well as analysis of the similarity of the occurrence of certain species and individual numbers by use of "similarity index". Separate tests were made in different taxonomic groups (e.g. all taxa, only within insects, only within spiders). The number of replicates allowed statistical testing of patterns in the number of taxa and biodiversity index. No significant differences were documented, neither between the different habitat types, nor between positions in the power line corridors and nearby forest. There was also no consistent (non-significant) pattern indicating that this would be the case. We suggest these results to indicate that power line corridors at least are not (significantly) poorer quality habitats than are forest or pasture land with regard to number of taxa and biodiversity. Number of taxa and biodiversity indices take no account of the species or taxa included in the analysis. Thus the same weight is assigned to an unwanted species (e.g. an invasive pest species or parasite) as to a red-listed, highly valued species. Similarity index takes more heed to the species involved. Although similarity indices do not consider the exact identity of involved species (or their possible value or desirability), a high index value indicates that the same species occur in the compared habitats. In this study, where an index that takes into account the abundance of species was used, a high similarity index value also indicates that the numbers of individuals are similar. Overall, the results showed high similarity between habitat types. This would suggest that, to a large extent, power lines, forest and pasture land had the same composition of taxa, and that the taxa had similar abundances. Power lines and forest seemed to exhibit particularly high similarities, whereas the similarity between power lines and pasture land was less pronounced. Thus, this study indicates, in contrast to several previous suggestions, that power line corridors do not seem to be low quality habitats. We also suggest that power line corridors with well designed management routines could play an important role creating edges and habitats resembling meadow or low intensity grazed pasture land.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T19:25:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Everton.pdf: 4714140 bytes, checksum: 519aa9b0b92961245b0d80158227dea4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-10 / This paper aimed to present methods to be applied in the area of spatial statistics on soybean yield and agrometeorological factors in Western Paraná state. The data used, related to crop years from 2000/2001 to 2007/2008, are the following variables: soybean yield (t ha-1) and agrometeorological factors, such as rainfall (mm), average temperature (oC) and solar global radiation average (W m-2). In the first phase,it was used indices of spatial autocorrelation (Moran Global and Local) and presented multiple spatial regression models, with performance evaluations. The estimation of parameters occurred when using the Maximum Likelihood method and the performance evaluation of the models was based on the coefficient of determination (R2), the maximum value of the function of the logarithm of the maximum value of the likelihood function logarithm and the Bayesian information criterion of Schwarz. In a second step, cluster analysis was performed using spatial statistical multivariate associations, seeking to identify the same set of variables, but with a larger number of crop years. Finally, the data from one crop year were utilized in an approach based on fuzzy clustering, through the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm and the similarity measure by defining an index for this purpose. The first phase of the study showed the correlation between spatial autocorrelation and soybean yield and agrometeorological elements, through the analysis of spatial area, using techniques such as index Global Moran's I and Local univariate and bivariate and significance tests. It was possible to demonstrate, through the performance indicators used, that the SAR and CAR models offered better results than the classical multiple regression model. In the second phase, it was possible to present the formation of groups of cities using the similarities of the variables under analysis. Cluster analysis is a useful tool for better management of production activities in agriculture, since, with the grouping, it was possible to establish similarities parameters that provide better management of production processes that bring quantitative and qualitatively better, results sought by the farmer. In the final step, through the use of Fuzzy C-Means algorithm, it was possible to form groups of cities of similar soybean yield using the method of decision by the Higher Degree of Relevance (MDMGP) and Method of Decision Threshold by β (β CDM). Subsequently, identification of the adequate number of clusters was obtained using modified partition entropy. To measure the degree of similarity of each cluster, a Cluster Similarity Index (ISCl) was designed and used, which considers the degree of relevance of each city within the group to which it belongs. Within the perspective of this study, the method used was adequate, allowing to identify clusters of cities with degrees of similarities in the order of 60 to 78% / Este trabalho apresenta métodos para serem aplicados na estatística espacial de área na produtividade da soja e fatores agrometeorológicos na região oeste do estado do Paraná. Os dados utilizados estão relacionados aos anos-safra de 2000/2001 a 2007/2008, sendo as variáveis: produtividade da soja (t ha-1) e agrometeorológicas, tais como precipitação pluvial (mm), temperatura média (oC) e radiação solar global média (W m-2). Em uma primeira fase foram utilizados índices de autocorrelação espacial (Moran Global e Local) e apresentados modelos de regressão espacial múltipla, com avaliações de desempenho. A estimativa dos parâmetros dos modelos ajustados se deu pelo uso do método de Máxima Verossimilhança e a avaliação do desempenho dos modelos foi realizada com base no coeficiente de determinação (R2), no máximo valor do logaritmo da função do máximo valor do logaritmo da função verossimilhança e no critério de informação bayesiano de Schwarz. Em uma segunda etapa foram realizadas análises de agrupamento espacial por meio da estatística multivariada, buscando identificar associações no mesmo conjunto de variáveis, porém com um número maior de anos-safra. Finalmente, os dados de um ano-safra foram aplicados em uma abordagem baseada em agrupamento difuso, por meio do algoritmo Fuzzy c-Means, tendo a similaridade medida pela definição de um índice com este objetivo. O estudo da primeira fase permitiu verificar a correlação e a autocorrelação espacial entre a produtividade da soja e os elementos agrometeorológicos, por meio da análise espacial de área, usando técnicas como o índice I de Moran Global e Local uni e bivariado e os testes de significância. Foi possível demonstrar que, por meio dos indicadores de desempenho utilizados, os modelos SAR e CAR ofereceram melhores resultados em relação ao modelo de regressão múltipla clássica. Na segunda fase, foi possível apresentar a formação de grupos de municípios utilizando as similaridades das variáveis em análise. A análise de agrupamento foi um instrumento útil para uma melhor gestão das atividades de produção da agricultura, em função de que, com o agrupamento, foi possível se estabelecer similaridades que proporcionem parâmetros para uma melhor gestão dos processos de produção que traga, quantitativa e qualitativamente, resultados almejados pelo agricultor. Na etapa final, por meio do algoritmo Fuzzy c-Means, foi possível a formação de grupos de municípios similares à produtividade de soja, utilizando o Método de Decisão pelo Maior Grau de Pertinência (MDMGP) e o Método de Decisão pelo Limiar β (MDL β). Posteriormente, a identificação do número adequado de agrupamentos foi obtida utilizando a Entropia de Partição Modificada. Para mensurar o nível de similaridade de cada agrupamento, foi criado e utilizado um Índice de Similaridade de Clusters (ISCl), que considera o grau de pertinência de cada município dentro do agrupamento a que pertence. Dentro das perspectivas deste estudo, o método empregado se mostrou adequado, permitindo identificar agrupamentos de municípios com graus de similaridades da ordem de 60 a 78%

Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-12T14:48:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Everton.pdf: 4714140 bytes, checksum: 519aa9b0b92961245b0d80158227dea4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-12-10 / This paper aimed to present methods to be applied in the area of spatial statistics on soybean yield and agrometeorological factors in Western Paraná state. The data used, related to crop years from 2000/2001 to 2007/2008, are the following variables: soybean yield (t ha-1) and agrometeorological factors, such as rainfall (mm), average temperature (oC) and solar global radiation average (W m-2). In the first phase,it was used indices of spatial autocorrelation (Moran Global and Local) and presented multiple spatial regression models, with performance evaluations. The estimation of parameters occurred when using the Maximum Likelihood method and the performance evaluation of the models was based on the coefficient of determination (R2), the maximum value of the function of the logarithm of the maximum value of the likelihood function logarithm and the Bayesian information criterion of Schwarz. In a second step, cluster analysis was performed using spatial statistical multivariate associations, seeking to identify the same set of variables, but with a larger number of crop years. Finally, the data from one crop year were utilized in an approach based on fuzzy clustering, through the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm and the similarity measure by defining an index for this purpose. The first phase of the study showed the correlation between spatial autocorrelation and soybean yield and agrometeorological elements, through the analysis of spatial area, using techniques such as index Global Moran's I and Local univariate and bivariate and significance tests. It was possible to demonstrate, through the performance indicators used, that the SAR and CAR models offered better results than the classical multiple regression model. In the second phase, it was possible to present the formation of groups of cities using the similarities of the variables under analysis. Cluster analysis is a useful tool for better management of production activities in agriculture, since, with the grouping, it was possible to establish similarities parameters that provide better management of production processes that bring quantitative and qualitatively better, results sought by the farmer. In the final step, through the use of Fuzzy C-Means algorithm, it was possible to form groups of cities of similar soybean yield using the method of decision by the Higher Degree of Relevance (MDMGP) and Method of Decision Threshold by β (β CDM). Subsequently, identification of the adequate number of clusters was obtained using modified partition entropy. To measure the degree of similarity of each cluster, a Cluster Similarity Index (ISCl) was designed and used, which considers the degree of relevance of each city within the group to which it belongs. Within the perspective of this study, the method used was adequate, allowing to identify clusters of cities with degrees of similarities in the order of 60 to 78% / Este trabalho apresenta métodos para serem aplicados na estatística espacial de área na produtividade da soja e fatores agrometeorológicos na região oeste do estado do Paraná. Os dados utilizados estão relacionados aos anos-safra de 2000/2001 a 2007/2008, sendo as variáveis: produtividade da soja (t ha-1) e agrometeorológicas, tais como precipitação pluvial (mm), temperatura média (oC) e radiação solar global média (W m-2). Em uma primeira fase foram utilizados índices de autocorrelação espacial (Moran Global e Local) e apresentados modelos de regressão espacial múltipla, com avaliações de desempenho. A estimativa dos parâmetros dos modelos ajustados se deu pelo uso do método de Máxima Verossimilhança e a avaliação do desempenho dos modelos foi realizada com base no coeficiente de determinação (R2), no máximo valor do logaritmo da função do máximo valor do logaritmo da função verossimilhança e no critério de informação bayesiano de Schwarz. Em uma segunda etapa foram realizadas análises de agrupamento espacial por meio da estatística multivariada, buscando identificar associações no mesmo conjunto de variáveis, porém com um número maior de anos-safra. Finalmente, os dados de um ano-safra foram aplicados em uma abordagem baseada em agrupamento difuso, por meio do algoritmo Fuzzy c-Means, tendo a similaridade medida pela definição de um índice com este objetivo. O estudo da primeira fase permitiu verificar a correlação e a autocorrelação espacial entre a produtividade da soja e os elementos agrometeorológicos, por meio da análise espacial de área, usando técnicas como o índice I de Moran Global e Local uni e bivariado e os testes de significância. Foi possível demonstrar que, por meio dos indicadores de desempenho utilizados, os modelos SAR e CAR ofereceram melhores resultados em relação ao modelo de regressão múltipla clássica. Na segunda fase, foi possível apresentar a formação de grupos de municípios utilizando as similaridades das variáveis em análise. A análise de agrupamento foi um instrumento útil para uma melhor gestão das atividades de produção da agricultura, em função de que, com o agrupamento, foi possível se estabelecer similaridades que proporcionem parâmetros para uma melhor gestão dos processos de produção que traga, quantitativa e qualitativamente, resultados almejados pelo agricultor. Na etapa final, por meio do algoritmo Fuzzy c-Means, foi possível a formação de grupos de municípios similares à produtividade de soja, utilizando o Método de Decisão pelo Maior Grau de Pertinência (MDMGP) e o Método de Decisão pelo Limiar β (MDL β). Posteriormente, a identificação do número adequado de agrupamentos foi obtida utilizando a Entropia de Partição Modificada. Para mensurar o nível de similaridade de cada agrupamento, foi criado e utilizado um Índice de Similaridade de Clusters (ISCl), que considera o grau de pertinência de cada município dentro do agrupamento a que pertence. Dentro das perspectivas deste estudo, o método empregado se mostrou adequado, permitindo identificar agrupamentos de municípios com graus de similaridades da ordem de 60 a 78%

Generative Artificial Intelligence is a field of artificial intelligence where systems can learn underlying patterns in previously seen content and generate new content. This thesis explores a generative artificial intelligence technique used for image-toimage translations called Cycle-consistent Adversarial network (CycleGAN), which can translate images from one domain into another. The CycleGAN is a stateof-the-art technique for doing unsupervised image-to-image translations. It uses the concept of cycle-consistency to learn a mapping between image distributions, where the Mean Absolute Error function is used to compare images and thereby learn an underlying mapping between the two image distributions. In this work, we propose to use the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) as an alternative to the Mean Absolute Error function. The SSIM is a metric inspired by human perception, which measures the difference in two images by comparing the difference in, contrast, luminance, and structure. We examine if using the SSIM as the cycle-consistency loss in the CycleGAN will improve the image quality of generated images as measured by the Inception Score and Fréchet Inception Distance. The inception Score and Fréchet Inception Distance are both metrics that have been proposed as methods for evaluating the quality of images generated by generative adversarial networks (GAN). We conduct a controlled experiment to collect the quantitative metrics. Our results suggest that using the SSIM in the CycleGAN as the cycle-consistency loss will, in most cases, improve the image quality of generated images as measured Inception Score and Fréchet Inception Distance.

Visuospatial complexity refers to the level of detail or intricacy present within a scene, takinginto account both spatial and visual properties of the dynamic scene or the place (e.g.moving images, everyday driving, video games and other immersive media). There havebeen several studies on measuring visual complexity from various viewpoints, e.g. marketing,psychology, computer vision and cognitive science. This research project aims atanalysing and evaluating different models and tools that have been developed to measurelow-level features of visuospatial complexity such as Structural Similarity Index measurement,Feature Congestion measurement of clutter and Subband Entropy measurement ofclutter. We use two datasets, one focusing on (reflectional) symmetry in static images,and another that consists of real-world driving videos. The results of the evaluation showdifferent correlations between the implemented models such that the nature of the sceneplays a significant role.

<p>Nearly one-third of the world&rsquo / s tortoises live in South Africa, but little is known about their habitat requirements and feeding ecology. Chersina angulata, the angulate tortoise, is endemic to&nbsp / southern Africa, with a wide distribution along the western and southern coasts. Because this tortoise occupies a number of different habitat types, it has always been considered a generalist&nbsp / herbivore, although little is known about its&nbsp / diet and other needs. This study evaluates the habitat characteristics and feeding ecology of C. angulata at two study sites in the southwestern&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / Cape, the West Coast National Park (WCNP) and Dassen Island (DI). The WCNP is a large conserved area in the Fynbos biome, along the southwestern coast of South Africa, whereas DI is a&nbsp / small offshore island with low floral and faunal diversity, just south of the WCNP. The efficacy of three methods used to study the feeding ecology of herbivores, focal observations, macroscopic faecal analysis and histological analysis of scats, was evaluated. Plant cover, species diversity, and the variety of growth forms were substantially larger at the WCNP than on DI.&nbsp / In the WCNP, shrubs and grasses were the dominant growth forms but the vegetation also included herbs, succulents, restios, sedges and parasitic plants. A few perennial species such as&nbsp / the grass Ehrharta villosa, shrubs such as Helichrysum niveum, Nylandtia spinosa and Rhus spp., and succulents such as Carpobrotus edulis and Ruschia spp., provided most of the plant&nbsp / cover. DI had a depauperate flora, consisting of succulents and herbs, and ephemeral plants contributed more than perennials did to plant cover throughout the year. The succulents Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Tetragonia fruticosa provided most of the cover on DI. Angulate tortoises are herbivores and 72 diet plants in 32 plant families were identified to the&nbsp / species or genus level. Several diet species, however, could not be identified. In&nbsp / addition to angiosperms, the tortoises&rsquo / diet included mosses, mushrooms, insects,snails and animal faeces.&nbsp / The most important growth forms in the diet were herbs and grasses. The diet of the WCNP tortoises was more diverse than the diet of DI tortoises, but the number of principal food items in&nbsp / the diet did not differ between the two sites. Over an annual cycle, WCNP tortoises had four principal food plants while DI tortoises had five principal food plants. At both sites, principal food&nbsp / &nbsp / plants changed with the season and few plants remained principal food items in more than one season. Cynodon dactylon was a principal food item in three of the four seasons in the WCNP, whereas Trachyandra divaricata was a principal food plant each season on DI. Most principal food plants were grass or herb species but the sedge Ficinia nigrescens, and a succulent that&nbsp / could be identified only to the family level (Aizoaceae), featured strongly in the spring diets of DI and WCNP tortoises, respectively.&nbsp / The three study methods did not provide the same type or quality of information about the feeding ecology of angulate tortoises. The small size and wary nature of angulate tortoises compromised focal studies because it was often not possible to see&nbsp / what the tortoises ate. This method, however, provided the interesting observation that rabbit&nbsp / faecal pellets contributed nearly 30% to summer and autumn diets on DI when food was scarce.&nbsp / Rabbit faeces may not only provide a source of nutrients but may also supplement the microflora, required to digest cellulose, in the tortoises&rsquo / guts. Macroscopic evaluation of the tortoises&rsquo / &nbsp / scats appeared to be an ineffective method to identify diet plants, and the bulk of the scat mass could not be identified. This indicates&nbsp / that angulate tortoises either selected food low in fibrous&nbsp / content or that the digestive system of the tortoises dealt efficiently with tough plant material. The macroscopic method was the only method that highlighted the large contribution of&nbsp / fruits / seeds to the diet of angulate tortoises. Since the tortoises digested many seeds only partially, or not at all, C. angulata is potentially an important agent of seed dispersal in the southwestern Cape. The macroscopic study showed that on DI, sand made up 28% of the scat mass in spring, whereas sand never made a substantial contribution to the scat composition of WCNP tortoises. Lithophagy may be an important strategy in a depauperate habitat, such as DI, because the abrasive action of sand may help with the digestion of tough plants, or the sand may&nbsp / provide the tortoises with important minerals that are deficient in their food plants.The histological analysis of scats provided the most comprehensive diet list for C. angulata. Selection indices&nbsp / based on data from the histological analysis indicated that angulate tortoises were highly selective in their food choice. Most of the principal food items were selected out of proportion to their&nbsp / availability and the tortoises avoided the most abundant plants in their habitats. Several factors, such as palatability, accessibility and profitability, may have influenced their food choice. The proportional similarity indices for WCNP and DI tortoises, respectively, were 0.31 and 0.16, confirming that C. angulata is a food specialist and not a food generalist as was previously thought. This factor should be considered in the management of this species and in future conservation planning of its habitat.&nbsp / &nbsp / </p>

<p>Nearly one-third of the world&rsquo / s tortoises live in South Africa, but little is known about their habitat requirements and feeding ecology. Chersina angulata, the angulate tortoise, is endemic to&nbsp / southern Africa, with a wide distribution along the western and southern coasts. Because this tortoise occupies a number of different habitat types, it has always been considered a generalist&nbsp / herbivore, although little is known about its&nbsp / diet and other needs. This study evaluates the habitat characteristics and feeding ecology of C. angulata at two study sites in the southwestern&nbsp / &nbsp / &nbsp / Cape, the West Coast National Park (WCNP) and Dassen Island (DI). The WCNP is a large conserved area in the Fynbos biome, along the southwestern coast of South Africa, whereas DI is a&nbsp / small offshore island with low floral and faunal diversity, just south of the WCNP. The efficacy of three methods used to study the feeding ecology of herbivores, focal observations, macroscopic faecal analysis and histological analysis of scats, was evaluated. Plant cover, species diversity, and the variety of growth forms were substantially larger at the WCNP than on DI.&nbsp / In the WCNP, shrubs and grasses were the dominant growth forms but the vegetation also included herbs, succulents, restios, sedges and parasitic plants. A few perennial species such as&nbsp / the grass Ehrharta villosa, shrubs such as Helichrysum niveum, Nylandtia spinosa and Rhus spp., and succulents such as Carpobrotus edulis and Ruschia spp., provided most of the plant&nbsp / cover. DI had a depauperate flora, consisting of succulents and herbs, and ephemeral plants contributed more than perennials did to plant cover throughout the year. The succulents Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Tetragonia fruticosa provided most of the cover on DI. Angulate tortoises are herbivores and 72 diet plants in 32 plant families were identified to the&nbsp / species or genus level. Several diet species, however, could not be identified. In&nbsp / addition to angiosperms, the tortoises&rsquo / diet included mosses, mushrooms, insects,snails and animal faeces.&nbsp / The most important growth forms in the diet were herbs and grasses. The diet of the WCNP tortoises was more diverse than the diet of DI tortoises, but the number of principal food items in&nbsp / the diet did not differ between the two sites. Over an annual cycle, WCNP tortoises had four principal food plants while DI tortoises had five principal food plants. At both sites, principal food&nbsp / &nbsp / plants changed with the season and few plants remained principal food items in more than one season. Cynodon dactylon was a principal food item in three of the four seasons in the WCNP, whereas Trachyandra divaricata was a principal food plant each season on DI. Most principal food plants were grass or herb species but the sedge Ficinia nigrescens, and a succulent that&nbsp / could be identified only to the family level (Aizoaceae), featured strongly in the spring diets of DI and WCNP tortoises, respectively.&nbsp / The three study methods did not provide the same type or quality of information about the feeding ecology of angulate tortoises. The small size and wary nature of angulate tortoises compromised focal studies because it was often not possible to see&nbsp / what the tortoises ate. This method, however, provided the interesting observation that rabbit&nbsp / faecal pellets contributed nearly 30% to summer and autumn diets on DI when food was scarce.&nbsp / Rabbit faeces may not only provide a source of nutrients but may also supplement the microflora, required to digest cellulose, in the tortoises&rsquo / guts. Macroscopic evaluation of the tortoises&rsquo / &nbsp / scats appeared to be an ineffective method to identify diet plants, and the bulk of the scat mass could not be identified. This indicates&nbsp / that angulate tortoises either selected food low in fibrous&nbsp / content or that the digestive system of the tortoises dealt efficiently with tough plant material. The macroscopic method was the only method that highlighted the large contribution of&nbsp / fruits / seeds to the diet of angulate tortoises. Since the tortoises digested many seeds only partially, or not at all, C. angulata is potentially an important agent of seed dispersal in the southwestern Cape. The macroscopic study showed that on DI, sand made up 28% of the scat mass in spring, whereas sand never made a substantial contribution to the scat composition of WCNP tortoises. Lithophagy may be an important strategy in a depauperate habitat, such as DI, because the abrasive action of sand may help with the digestion of tough plants, or the sand may&nbsp / provide the tortoises with important minerals that are deficient in their food plants.The histological analysis of scats provided the most comprehensive diet list for C. angulata. Selection indices&nbsp / based on data from the histological analysis indicated that angulate tortoises were highly selective in their food choice. Most of the principal food items were selected out of proportion to their&nbsp / availability and the tortoises avoided the most abundant plants in their habitats. Several factors, such as palatability, accessibility and profitability, may have influenced their food choice. The proportional similarity indices for WCNP and DI tortoises, respectively, were 0.31 and 0.16, confirming that C. angulata is a food specialist and not a food generalist as was previously thought. This factor should be considered in the management of this species and in future conservation planning of its habitat.&nbsp / &nbsp / </p>

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / Nearly one-third of the world’s tortoises live in South Africa, but little is known about their habitat requirements and feeding ecology. Chersina angulata, the angulate tortoise, is endemic to southern Africa, with a wide distribution along the western and southern coasts. Because this tortoise occupies a number of different habitat types, it has always been considered a generalist herbivore, although little is known about its diet and other needs. This study evaluates the habitat characteristics and feeding ecology of C. angulata at two study sites in the southwestern Cape, the West Coast National Park (WCNP) and Dassen Island (DI). The WCNP is a large conserved area in the Fynbos biome, along the southwestern coast of South Africa, whereas DI is a small offshore island with low floral and faunal diversity, just south of the WCNP. The efficacy of three methods used to study the feeding ecology of herbivores, focal observations, macroscopic faecal analysis and histological analysis of scats, was evaluated. Plant cover, species diversity, and the variety of growth forms were substantially larger at the WCNP than on DI. In the WCNP, shrubs and grasses were the dominant growth forms but the vegetation also included herbs, succulents, restios, sedges and parasitic plants. A few perennial species such as the grass Ehrharta villosa, shrubs such as Helichrysum niveum, Nylandtia spinosa and Rhus spp., and succulents such as Carpobrotus edulis and Ruschia spp., provided most of the plant cover. DI had a depauperate flora, consisting of succulents and herbs, and ephemeral plants contributed more than perennials did to plant cover throughout the year. The succulents Mesembryanthemum crystallinum and Tetragonia fruticosa provided most of the cover on DI. Angulate tortoises are herbivores and 72 diet plants in 32 plant families were identified to the species or genus level. Several diet species, however, could not be identified. In addition to angiosperms, the tortoises’ diet included mosses, mushrooms, insects,snails and animal faeces. The most important growth forms in the diet were herbs and grasses. The diet of the WCNP tortoises was more diverse than the diet of DI tortoises, but the number of principal food items in the diet did not differ between the two sites. Over an annual cycle, WCNP tortoises had four principal food plants while DI tortoises had five principal food plants. At both sites, principal food plants changed with the season and few plants remained principal food items in more than one season. Cynodon dactylon was a principal food item in three of the four seasons in the WCNP, whereas Trachyandra divaricata was a principal food plant each season on DI. Most principal food plants were grass or herb species but the sedge Ficinia nigrescens, and a succulent that could be identified only to the family level (Aizoaceae), featured strongly in the spring diets of DI and WCNP tortoises, respectively. The three study methods did not provide the same type or quality of information about the feeding ecology of angulate tortoises. The small size and wary nature of angulate tortoises compromised focal studies because it was often not possible to see what the tortoises ate. This method, however, provided the interesting observation that rabbit faecal pellets contributed nearly 30% to summer and autumn diets on DI when food was scarce. Rabbit faeces may not only provide a source of nutrients but may also supplement the microflora, required to digest cellulose, in the tortoises’ guts. Macroscopic evaluation of the tortoises’ scats appeared to be an ineffective method to identify diet plants, and the bulk of the scat mass could not be identified. This indicates that angulate tortoises either selected food low in fibrous content or that the digestive system of the tortoises dealt efficiently with tough plant material. The macroscopic method was the only method that highlighted the large contribution of fruits / seeds to the diet of angulate tortoises. Since the tortoises digested many seeds only partially, or not at all, C. angulata is potentially an important agent of seed dispersal in the southwestern Cape. The macroscopic study showed that on DI, sand made up 28% of the scat mass in spring, whereas sand never made a substantial contribution to the scat composition of WCNP tortoises. Lithophagy may be an important strategy in a depauperate habitat, such as DI, because the abrasive action of sand may help with the digestion of tough plants, or the sand may provide the tortoises with important minerals that are deficient in their food plants.The histological analysis of scats provided the most comprehensive diet list for C. angulata. Selection indices based on data from the histological analysis indicated that angulate tortoises were highly selective in their food choice. Most of the principal food items were selected out of proportion to their availability and the tortoises avoided the most abundant plants in their habitats. Several factors, such as palatability, accessibility and profitability, may have influenced their food choice. The proportional similarity indices for WCNP and DI tortoises, respectively, were 0.31 and 0.16, confirming that C. angulata is a food specialist and not a food generalist as was previously thought. This factor should be considered in the management of this species and in future conservation planning of its habitat. / South Africa

The telecommunications technology has been developed tremendously as there has been an ever-increasing demand for more speed and reliability. The enormous increase in the number of smart phones and other data consuming devices, combined with the development of enhanced multimedia applications has resulted in a dramatic increase in the volume of mobile data traffic. In order to accommodate the growing needs, it is required to utilise the spectrum efficiently. The design of radio access technology plays an important role in the aspect of system performance. These radio access technologies are typically characterised by the multiple-access techniques used. Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access (NOMA) is a multiple access scheme proposed for 5G and it utilises the power domain which was not sufficiently utilised in the previous systems.        This thesis work is mainly focused on the performance analysis of the NOMA technique in mobile media (images). This analysis is achieved by transmitting a high definition image at various power levels to two users who are located at two different distances from the base station. The images are transmitted through suitable noise channels. An analysis is done on how NOMA copes with the users having poor channel conditions. The performance is analysed by comparing the output images at both the receivers based on the structural similarity index and bit error rate parameters.

Abiotic stress is a major constraint for crop productivity worldwide. To better understand the common biological mechanisms of abiotic stress responses in plants, we performed meta-analysis of 652 samples of RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from 43 published abiotic stress experiments in Arabidopsis thaliana. These samples were categorized into eight different abiotic stresses including drought, heat, cold, salt, light and wounding. We developed a multi-step computational pipeline, which performs data downloading, preprocessing, read mapping, read counting and differential expression analyses for RNA-Seq data. We found that 5729 and 5062 genes are induced or repressed by only one type of abiotic stresses. There are only 18 and 12 genes that are induced or repressed by all stresses. The commonly induced genes are related to gene expression regulation by stress hormone abscisic acid. The commonly repressed genes are related to reduced growth and chloroplast activities. We compared stress responsive genes between any two types of stresses and found that heat and cold regulate similar set of genes. We also found that high light affects different set of genes than blue light and red light. Interestingly, ABA regulated genes are different from those regulated by other stresses. Finally, we found that membrane related genes are repressed by ABA, heat, cold and wounding but are up regulated by blue light and red light. The results from this work will be used to further characterize the gene regulatory networks underlying stress responsive genes in plants. / Master of Science