This study presents a short-term prediction approach for honey production using ensemble regression technique. The data were recorded as a part of Habeetat project in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2016 season. This season has been entitled as one of the worst seasons for beekeepers in our country, which makes the problem of honey production prediction even more challenging. Random Tree regression algorithm was used for such purpose showing that the mean absolute error in predicting total honey production was less than 1.16 kg in all three hives monitored between November 2016 and April 2017. These findings are very significant for beekeepers since they can be notified in advance to visit individual hives and collect the honey. Besides, they can monitor trends in honey production throughout the season and perhaps change the position of hives in the current season and for the next upcoming season.

Noninvasive load monitoring have been investigated by researchers for decades due to its cost-effective benefits. Upon introduction of smart meters, obtaining data about power consumption of households became easier. Numerous different techniques have been applied on the power consumption data to gain useful information out of it. This study applies machine learning techniques (Bayes network, random forest and rotational forest) to determine the operation state of households, where households are assumed to be either in ON or OFF state. Tracebase power consumption signature repository was used to train and test proposed machine learning models. Tracebase dataset was preprocessed to generate 4 different datasets. Test results have shown that these machine learning algorithms are able to estimate operation state with high accuracy and Bayes network shows outstanding performance among them with overall accuracy of 95%. Proposed method is extremely cost-effective for load monitoring and could replace some of the physical sensors in the smart houses.

Congestion control algorithms are crucial in achieving high utilization while preventing overloading the network. Over the years, many different congestion control algorithms have been developed, each trying to improve over others in specific situations. However, their interactions and co-existence has, to date, not been thoroughly evaluated, which is the focus of this paper. Through head-to-head comparisons of loss-based, delay-based and hybrid types of congestion control algorithms, we reveal that fairness in resources claimed is often not achieved, especially when flows sharing a link have different round-trip times or belong to different groups.

An indoor terrarium population of Amblyomma geoemydae was established subsequent to the import of a single yellow‐marginated box turtle Cuora flavomarginata. This indoor tick population revealed an unexpected resistance against de‐ticking trials, with persistence between 2010 and 2015, when the ticks were successfully eliminated. Ticks were collected from the bodies and shells of turtles, as well as from terraria soil. Species diagnosis of ticks was carried out according to distinguishable morphological characters and supported by molecular analysis using DNA‐barcoding. Introduced exotic ticks are potential vectors of pathogens and can have an impact on wildlife, domestic animals and the human population. This case emphasizes the need for sharp surveillance and control measures on imported reptiles.

Objectives Space flight diets include a 55/30/15 (carbohydrate/fat/protein) ratio. Yet recent long-term missions require astronauts to exercise several hours daily for up to seven days a week. We hypothesize a high protein diet (45/25/30) is more conducive to longer missions and their high volumes of exercise. Methods With a within-subjects design, participants (8 men, 8 women) adhered to each diet for 14 days. Isocaloric diets were prescribed based on subject's resting metabolic rate, activity level and body composition. Compliance was monitored daily. Per subject, diet sequence was randomized to limit order effects. Immediately after each diet concluded subjects worked out on a gravity-independent device (Impulse Training Systems; Newnan, GA) while tethered to a metabolic cart. Workouts entailed four (unilateral knee extension, unilateral hip extension, unilateral standing row, bilateral arm pulldown) exercises, comprised of three 60-second sets separated by 60-second rests and done against 4.4 kg. Work volumes were measured from our device, as were pre-exercise respiratory quotients (RQ), and energy costs based on net O2 uptakes. Blood lactate concentrations ([BLa-]) were measured before and five minutes after workouts. Exercise and respiratory data were compared with 2(gender) × 2(diet) ANOVAs, with repeated measures for diet. [BLa-] were assessed with a 2(gender) × 2(time) × 2(diet) ANOVA, with repeated measures for time and diet. Results Significant [BLa-] differences occurred for time (post > pre) and for RQ by diet (55/30/15 > 45/25/30). Trends for work differences occurred by gender (men > women) and diet (45/25/30 > 55/30/15). Conclusions Our preliminary results concur with those that show greater RQ values from diets higher in carbohydrates. With continued data collection it is of interest to note if inter-work differences reach statistical significance, with higher values produced by the high protein diet. If so, such a diet may be more efficacious as a countermeasure to the muscle atrophy, strength loss and performance decrements for in-flight operational tasks seen with longer missions. Funding Sources Kentucky Space Grant Consortium.

Chen, L, Davison, SW, Selimovic, EA, Mueller, RE, Beatty, SR, Carter, KA, Parmar, PJ, Symons, TB, Pantalos, GM, and Caruso, JF. Load-power relationships for high-speed knee extension exercise. J Strength Cond Res 33(6): 1480-1487, 2019-Seventy subjects did 4 knee extensor workouts with their left legs to assess load-power relationships produced on a high-speed trainer (HST; Newnan, GA, USA). Each workout is composed of 4 sets done on the HST at a different load (1, 4.4, 6.7, 9 kg). A Latin Squares Design determined load sequence per workout. Average power (AP) and peak power (PP) and those same values normalized to body mass (BM) and fat-free mass (AP/BM, PP/BM, AP/FFM, PP/FFM) were each analyzed with 2 (gender) × 4 (load) analysis of variances, with repeated measures for load. We assessed relationships between normalized loads and AP and PP values with correlation coefficients. Average power results revealed a significant interaction, with men > women at 9 kg. Peak power/body mass also yielded an interaction, with women > men at 6.7 and 9 kg. Average power/fat-free mass and PP/FFM each produced interactions, with women > men at 4.4, 6.7, and 9 kg. Correlation coefficients showed significant (r = 0.80-0.82) relationships between normalized loads and AP and PP values. In conclusion, the very low inertial resistance to initiate each repetition on this novel device may in part explain our PP/BM, AP/FFM, PP/FFM results, in which higher values were achieved by women. Our practical applications imply that the low inertial resistance for HST repetitions negates male size and strength advantages typically seen when power is measured.

In this article we shortly present new string pattern matching algorithm. The algorithm uses novel technique for skipping unnecessary comparisons in pattern searching phase. The pattern searching is applied in almost all branches of science such as bioinformatics, information security, text mining, etc. In the context of continuous increase of data, efficient algorithms are necessary to ensure that one can find a pattern in a sequence in a fast and accurate manner. Pattern searching solves the problem of finding a pattern exhibiting certain properties within a given sequence of symbols. Concept of the new algorithm presented in this article is based on a character index in a pattern, aiming at, but not limited to patterns in DNA sequences.

Methylating substances alter DNA by forming N3‐methylthymidine (N3mT), a mutagenic base modification. To develop a sensitive analytical method for the detection of N3mT in DNA based on capillary electrophoresis with laser‐induced fluorescence detection (CE‐LIF), we synthesized the N3mT‐3’‐phosphate as a chemical standard. The limit of detection was 1.9 amol of N3mT, which corresponds to one molecule of N3mT per 1000 normal nucleotides or 0.1%. With this method, we demonstrated that the carcinogenic nitrosamine N’‐nitrosonornicotine (NNN) induced N3mT in the human lung cancer cell line A549. Treatment with NNN also caused an elevated degree of 5‐hydroxymethylcytidine (5hmdC) in DNA, while the methylation degree (i.e. 5‐methylcytidine; 5mdC) stayed constant. According to our data, NNN could, via yet unknown mechanisms, play a role in the formation of N3mT as well as 5hmdC. In this study we have developed a new sensitive analytical method using CE‐LIF for the simultaneous detection of the three DNA modifications, 5mdC, 5hmdC and N3mT.