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A "photo" album you have not seen; fisheries and oil extraction in the Gulf of Mexic...
Magdalena Hernández Chávez
Dora Elia Ramos Muñoz

Magdalena Hernández Chávez

and 4 more

June 15, 2020
We all have an album with old photos, a collection of newer digital images and in the future surely we will have many others in more innovative formats. When comparing old photos with recent ones, we can observe how people, society and the environment change over time. Something similar happens with our experiences. We have old images of crucial moments in our history that we store in our album of memories, and we dream of how we want the future to be. From here on, let's imagine that taking a photo at a certain moment in time is similar to collecting information of society and environment for a baseline study.       Years ago, we began to be distant spectators of the relationship between two critical economic activities: fisheries and oil extraction. These two activities take place in the Gulf of Mexico, which includes the coasts of the state of Tabasco. The interaction between both activities is certainly not a voluntary one, but somewhat circumstantial. This fortuitous relationship between fisheries and oil extraction was originated due to the natural wealth specifically concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico. Through the interaction between these two activities, certain concerns have arisen as to how we can maintain the sustainability of oil extraction and fisheries. To observe the evolution and interaction of such economic activities, we interviewed fishers to obtain valuable historical information stored in their memories and experiences. All fishers recognize that one of the main protagonists implicated in oil extraction has always been the Mexican government, under the name of Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). However, law reforms in 2013 allowed private companies to open new areas of exploitation in the Gulf of Mexico \cite{espinoza-tenorio2019}. The recollected images or historical information gave us an insight as to how different actors modified fisheries and oil extraction. On the other hand, the most recent information collected were similar to "panoramic digital photos" showing all actors that coexist on the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. Historical and current information were like old and new "photos" taken with the highest possible resolution to observe in detail how both activities modify the landscape. From this information or "photos" we obtained, we could extract relevant data to improve the sustainability of both coastal activities. 
Meliponiculture  in the Petenes Biosphere Reserve, Campeche        
lpat

Lucio Pat

and 3 more

February 06, 2020
The Mayan peasant families that inhabit the Petenes Biosphere Reserve (RBLP), combine both activities for self-sufficiency (i.e. milpa, family gardens, hunting) and commercial activities (i.e. beekeeping, livestock, handicrafts) which develop throughout the year. These are part of a Pluriactivity strategy based on the use of resources \citep{alarcn2008}. The main objective of this peasant strategy is to guarantee family self-sufficiency through the production of food from the milpa and secondly, to produce surplus food for sale. In this context, the meliponiculture, or breeding of the native stingless bee (ko'olel kaab bee, Melipona beecheii) in the RBLP, is primarily an activity that complements the income of families for the purchase of goods that they do not produce. Although the ko'olel kaab honey is highly valued in the market, the bee's breeding is at risk of disappearing in the Yucatan Peninsula \citep{colli2005}. The decline of the meliponiculture by the Mayan peasants began with the introduction of the European bee (Apis mellifera), at the beginning of the last century. Initially,  this species was introduced into the Yucatan peninsula by entrepreneurs for the commercial production of honey, and later adopted by the Mayan peasants. The substitution of the ko'olel kaab bee for the European one was due to the higher honey yield per hive of the latter species, even though each type of honey has different physical, chemical, microbiological, and organoleptic characteristics. Other factors associated with the decline of meliponiculture are: deforestation and forest fragmentation, the expansion of agriculture and livestock, the arrival of the African bee, the abandonment of the field due to lack of employment and income alternatives, and finally, the poor handling and reproduction of bees \citep{gonzlez2001}. 
More than numbers. The continuous changes on bird diversity: the case of the Yucatan...
gescalon
Alexis Herminio Plasencia Vázquez

Griselda Escalona Segura

and 3 more

October 20, 2019
Preserving biodiversity is difficult for many reasons. Biodiversity is complex and changing, and also includes all hierarchical levels ranging from genes to ecosystems. Furthermore, it is complicated to include all the ecological and evolutionary processes in which biodiversity participates, making it unmanageable to conserve it all. However, we need to know the basic aspects of biodiversity such as: where it is, and what it is doing in those spaces. Simultaneously, the work of conservation biologists is to identify which of the "apocalypse riders", or man-made factors, are affecting biodiversity at different points in time and space, and suggest actions to counteract or diminish their effects. The riders of the apocalypse are the loss of habitats, fragmentation, illegal hunting/trafficking, pollution, climate change, and dispersion of alien invasive species. 
Diversity of Plants in Wetlands: The Usumacinta River Watershed, Mexico
sochoa

Susana Ochoa-Gaona

and 7 more

February 06, 2020
Various plant communities developed along the Usumacinta River, adjacent streams and lagoons which are all considered part of the wetlands region. The wetlands are characterized for the presence of water, which plays a fundamental role in the development of the soil, and the ecological and structural functions of the system. The vegetation on the borders of the river and streams are known as riverine plant communities, whereas vegetation floating in the bodies of water is known as hydrophytic vegetation  \citep{j2006}. Three types of plant species in the wetlands could be distinguished: a) Strictly aquatic: plants that complete their life cycle either totally submerged, partially emerging, or floating on the surface; b) Subaquatic: plants that complete most of their life cycle on the border of the water, in water-saturated soils and can tolerate temporary dry seasons with minor humidity; and c) Drought tolerant: plants which complete most of their life cycle in dry areas, but support being partially submerged during rainy periods. The last category includes trees, bushes, climbers, and some palms \citep{2015}.The aquatic and border vegetation are physically and biologically connected and are of ecological importance, providing  complex habitats and resources for a high variety of other aquatic organisms  \citep{j2006}. The knowledge of the aquatic and subaquatic vegetation in Mexico is fragmentary. In particular for the Usumacinta River (the most important river of Mexico) where watershed has been only partially studied. In this study, we revised and created the knowledge available on the plant communities,  the riparian and aquatic plant species along the Usumacinta River watershed, and supplemented this knowledge with data collected in the study area. The data of floristic inventory of the Usumacinta river watershed was integrated with data provided by the National System of Information on Biodiversity of the National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of the Biodiversity (SNIB-CONABIO), literature, herbaria samples of UAC, ENCB, UJAT, Ecosur-SCLC and MEXU, and field data.We registered 212 families and 3,501 species; the families with most species were those of legumes (342), followed by orchids (295), the composite family (214), and grasses (195) \citep{delgado2018}. Such numbers of plant species is a good indication of the great diversity and floristic richness of aquatic and border plants in the Usumacinta River watershed. We registered 36 families and 148 aquatic and subaquatic plant species, numbers which confirm the importance of the Usumacinta watershed for these species groups.The borders of the Usumacinta River are threatened by human activity. The villages’ are planting ornamental and fruit trees, both native as introduced species. However, it is still possible to find original plant communities either in the lagoons, or along the Usumacinta river; for example, shrublands of muco (Dalbergia brownei or D. glabra) \citep{santiago2005}. The most common tree species registered are typical of riverine forest communities, such as: Bucida buceras (pucté), Inga vera (jinicuil), Haematoxylum campechianum (tinto), Pithecellobium lanceolatum (tucuy) and Salix  humboldtiana (sauce), all of which are still present in border-forested fragments along the Usumacinta, San Pedro and Palisade rivers \citep{e1963} \cite{santiago2005}. The border vegetation near the coast is dominated by mangroves, such as Rhizophora mangle (red mangle), associated with Laguncularia racemosa (white mangle), Avicennia germinans (mangle prieto) and Conocarpus erectus (botoncillo) \cite{j2006}.We registered five species which had value and/or use: Annona glabra (anona) which is edible, Crescentia cujete (jícaro) which is ornamental, Guatteria anomala (palo de zope) which is used as food of turtles and parakeets, Sagittaria lancifolia (tule), and Vallisneria americana (sargazo) which is also known to be in the diet of turtles. This work highlights the importance of the riverine and aquatic vegetation for human communities, besides the service of food, nesting sites, refuge and rest for the regional fauna.This diversity of plants is integrated in plant communities which stabilizes the silt, oxygenates the water, provides refuge and material for nest sites, are habitats for different species of fauna, and provides  multiple ecosystem services which depend partly on the population that lives in the region \citep{a2010}. The villagers depend on the hydrological functions because fishing is an important source of economic income, and a local food source. Many of people that live in the watershed recognize the importance of the plants as a source of food for the aquatic fauna. As such, the management and conservation of the wetlands is of great importance.Diversidad de Plantas en Humedales de la Cuenca del río Usumacinta, México
Coming to Earth. Superintelligence and the fermi paradox
David Arblaster

David Arblaster

February 11, 2020
                                                                                                                        2001: A Space Odyssey. Image: MGM  AbstractExpanding upon Webb’s solutions 19, 20, and 49 in his book on the Fermi paradox, which states that extra-terrestrials ‘stay at home and surf the net’  & ‘they hit the singularity’ \cite{1}, we will outline why this solution is not only the most likely, but also inevitable for most technological civilisations.The coming AI revolution, and the seemingly evitable mergence of humans with technology, offer a possible solution as to why we have yet to observe evidence of megastructures populating the universe.It can be argued that such an artificial superintelligence would not need to explore the real universe, nor would it need to build megastructures such as Dyson spheres. This is because they could (and would) simulate a multiverse of possibilities at home, using the least amount of energy possible.However, this explanation alone does not account for the ‘monocultural fallacy’ \cite{Wright_2014}. This means diversity of species and cultures that may exist, one civilisation could have chosen other paths to achieve space travel and avoid this outcome. This objection can be addressed by stating mergence with technology may indeed not apply to all civilisations, but rather be just a high probability outcome of most technological civilisations, which in turn lowers the value of “L” in the Drake equation. This renders the detection of extra-terrestrial civilisations much more difficult and unlikely.Civilisations that do not partake in a technological singularity may face extreme difficulties. These difficulties would include engineering complexity without the use of vast computing power (which would stifle their ability to build megastructures), and overcoming the challenges of being limited by biological intelligence.IntroductionWebb outlines some possible solutions to the Fermi paradox in solutions 19, 20, and 49, which argue that extra-terrestrial civilisations have yet to be detected because they ‘stay at home and surf the net’ and ‘they hit the singularity’ \cite{1}. We will be expanding upon these arguments and address why these explanations may significantly limit “L” of the Drake equation, which is the length of time it takes for such civilizations to release detectable signals into space.We will be addressing the Fermi paradox from a perspective of the most basic rational necessity, rather than from a standpoint of cultural motivation.Many have argued that the Fermi paradox is based on a false premise. A premise that as a civilisation becomes more advanced, it expands and consumes more energy. This may seem true for Humans, as any photos taken of earth from space at the night side would reveal a glowing hive of activity. Does this general assumption always apply? What if a civilisation has transcended into an artificial superintelligence?In the context of the fermi paradox, I argue like that almost all advanced biological civilisations inevitably experience a technological singularity where they merge, transition, or are replaced by artificial intelligence.As soon as any biological lifeform develops even the simplest form of technology combined with a scientific method, the road towards singularity is inevitable if not filtered (Drake equation).It is hard to speculate on the ‘motives’ of a superintelligence post singularity, and endless possible scenarios could be imagined; hence, the term ‘singularity’. Therefore, we will only seek to determine some likely fundamental truths of a post singularity civilisation. One of these truths is that such an intelligence would have the capability of simulating the entire universe many times over, which would probably eliminate any need to explore the ‘real’ universe with any type of expansionist ‘von Newman probes’.Moreover, a post singularity intelligence would also have no need or ‘desire’ to build megastructures such as Dyson spheres, because it would have configured itself to be super-efficient and small.The result would be a multiverse simulating, cold, super-efficient superintelligence that would almost be impossible to detect in the cosmos using conventional means.In this article, I will avoid inferring humanlike motivations to post singularity civilisations and focus on what we can know. We will be looking at an aspect of Moore’s law, whereby not only processing power is improved, but also energy efficiency. We will look at the new field of quantum computing, determine what such computers can achieve, and question the very nature and limits of technology itself.Some may claim this argument is part of the ‘monocultural fallacy’. However, we will be discussing why this principle need not be applicable to every species in significantly affecting the length of time it takes for civilizations to release detectable signals into space.We will be asking why a technological singularity would be almost inevitable, and even if a biological civilisation could evade this general principle through expansionist ambitions, building megastructures would be difficult (if not impossible) without vast amounts of computing power.We are approaching a time where the answer to the Fermi paradox can be answered not just by outward observation, but also by observing our inevitable mergence with machines and the transformation of our civilisation.
Lecture 18 - Quantization of the Electromagnetic field
Fred Jendrzejewski
Selim Jochim

Fred Jendrzejewski

and 2 more

January 06, 2019
We are looking into the quantization of the electromagnetic field. How to find the conjugate momenta and how we can identify the photon as a quantized particle.
Traffic Analysis and Collision Pattern ( Vision Zero) 
Alia Kasem
Lina Kasem

Alia Kasem

and 1 more

June 07, 2021
This analysis will primarily focus on the number of collisions before and after NYC adopting  Vision Zero. In this analysis, the statistical model of K-S testing will be used to compare the two periods;  before and after the adoption of Vision Zero. The study will include a time series of the effectiveness of Vision Zero using the data; based on the cumulative number of accidents. The cumulative number and daily pattern of the collisions will measure probabilities of effectiveness.
Book Review: Inner Animalities: Theology and the End of the Human
Saortua Marbun

Saortua Marbun

December 10, 2018
Saortua MarbunSekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Triatma Mulya Bali IndonesiaEmail: saortuam@gmail.com | http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1521-7694.Book Review: Inner Animalities: Theology and the End of the Human, by Eric Daryl Meyer. New York, Fordham University Press, 2018., i-x, 241 pp., $115.00 (Hardcover), ISBN 9780823280155.Eric Daryl Meyer’s book, “Inner Animalities: Theology and the End of the Human” raises an ambiguous question of human animality. He aims to both reveal the flaws of anthropological exceptionalism and show that it does not have to be an integral part of Christian theology. Moreover, in his book, Meyer intends to expand the boundaries of his discussion of human animality to a broader context, namely to reflect upon people’s inability to withstand ecological degradation. In other words, Meyer is interested not only in Christian theology but also in such important issue as ecology. In this regard, he uses human animality to design a new understanding of ecological theology.Meyer’s theological explorations emerge from the idea, which is deeply grounded in Western culture, precisely the concept of human uniqueness. People believe in their specialness, which results in such a distinctive feature of Christian ideology as “a categorical distinction between human beings and all other animals(1)” and plays a vital role in the understanding of the concept of sin, among others. Meyer points out that although even the great philosopher Aristotle defined a human being as a political animal, throughout history, representatives of the Western civilization tried to distance themselves from animals as far as possible, making humans and other living beings opposing creatures. One of the consequences of such perception is not only the emergence of Christian theological anthropology, but also people’s failure to cope with modern ecological disasters, including but not limited to climate change, environmental pollution, and extinction of numerous species. Thus, there is an urgent need of reevaluation of human animality, which might give rise to a better understanding of people’s place in the world and the improvement of their relationship with God and nature alike.With such global objectives in mind, Meyer divides his book into two parts. The first part of “Inner Animalities” is a critical analysis of “Animality and Ascent” by Gregory of Nazianzus and “Reading Animality and Desire” by Gregory of Nyssa, as well as the discussion of the issue of human animality in modern theological anthropology. Meyer shows how human animality makes the theology of Gregory of Nazianzus conflicting. On the one hand, Gregory of Nazianzus fiercely disavows human animality. On the other hand, human salvation appears to be impossible without it. Meyer discusses the main elements of Gregory’s theology, namely mind, flesh, logos through the lens of humanity-animality opposition and proceeds to a discussion of his sermons, “Oration 39” and “Oration 28.”In “Homilies on the Song of Songs,” Gregory of Nyssa struggles with the same challenge. He wishes to deny human animality, yet its exclusion from a proper spiritual understanding of the text seems to deprive it of essential meaning. Therefore, in his interpretation of “The Song of Songs,” Gregory of Nyssa allows, “the desires proper to animality become indispensable to human perfection in an unacknowledged way. (55)” From this point, Meyer can move to contemporary visions of human animality.The second part of the book reconsiders the issue of human animality in the context of three essential notions, the image of God in Chapter 4, sin and redemption in Chapter 5, and eschatological transformation in Chapter 6. In conclusion, Meyer emphasizes that discussion of humanity and animality goes far beyond theological disputes. In particular, this discourse applies to a wide range of important issues, from relations between human thoughts, bodies, desires, social ties, and subjects to the boundaries of class, gender, sexuality, race, citizenship, and ethnicity(173). He invites further researches of this topic, whereas he believes in its significance and relevance.Eric Daryl Meyer’s, “Inner Animalities: Theology and the End of the Human” is interesting literary writing, mostly since it takes seeming purely theological question and turns it on its head. In other words, what begins as a critical reading of fourth-century authors, who are likely to be noteworthy for people who are keen on religious literature only, ends as a meaningful discussion of the future of the humankind in the context of a rapidly deteriorating ecology. Meyer points out to a cause-effect relationship between people’s confidence in their superiority and uniqueness and anthropogenic ecological degradation. It may be difficult to embrace and accept, especially taking into account a long-term tradition of opposing human beings and other living beings, yet it gives the readers a lot to think about and to question.From this perspective, “Inner Animalities” is written for a wide audience and it can be recommended for both theological scholars and people interested in different kinds of literature that nurture reasoning. The book might cause disagreement and even resentment with the readers who firmly believe in the idea of human exceptionalism, yet even in this case, fervent advocates of traditional theological anthropology of Christianity will find something informative and new in it. As for the rest, “Inner Animalities” definitely suggests fresh ideas and unusual approaches to common Christian visions.
Ideologies Behind the Halal Tourism Sector
Saortua Marbun

Saortua Marbun

December 07, 2018
Ideologies Behind the Halal Tourism SectorSaortua Marbun Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi Triatma Mulya  AbstractA quick scan of the available literature on the subject of halal tourism reveals that many scholars and laypersons alike misconceive this concept. Whereas some suggest that halal tourism occurs whenever a Muslim individual travels somewhere, others retort that only pilgrimages by Muslim travelers regarded as halal tourism. More careful research of the literature shows that the truth is somewhere in between, as none of the above definitions is correct. Overall, it is this lack of clarity that has prompted an additional inquiry into the essence of halal tourism. This essay is a modest academic endeavor to ascertain what halal tourism is and what ideologies lie at its foundation. To answer these questions, the author employs the literature review research methodology, scrutinizing number sources. Ultimately, this essay has established that halal tourism not confined to religious pilgrimages alone. Indeed, halal tourism occurs whenever a Muslim individual travels for religion, business or leisure and uses only those services and facilities that conform to the teachings of Islam.Keywords: tourism, travel, halal tourism, Islamic tourism, Islamic teachings, Sharia. IntroductionJust half a century ago, travel was an undeniable synonym for adventure and exploration. In the popular imagination, any widely traveled individual associated with an aura of mysteriousness. Today, by contrast, travel and tourism have become more common and mundane, as ever more significant numbers of people flock to both domestic and foreign destinations for business and recreation or to simply quench their wanderlust. The travel industry has evolved correspondingly, learning to cater to the specific needs of different categories of tourists and travelers. Some of the most common and clearly defined subcategories of tourism that have developed in recent decades include green tourism, religious tourism, sports tourism, shopping tourism, wellness tourism, package tours and – pardon the obscenity – even sex tourism. Halal tourism, for its part, is yet another burgeoning subcategory of tourism. Despite its growing dimensions, the concept of halal tourism is often misunderstood and misrepresented in popular media.Given the problem, this essay seeks to understand the concept of halal tourism better. By extension, the piece attempts to ascertain the ideologies behind this subcategory of tourism. In other words, the essay examines the relationships between halal tourism on the one hand and religion, management, economics and politics on the other. By these findings, the article seeks to make an informed assessment if the halal tourism sector is capable of withstanding competition from conventional tourism. The overarching argument is, therefore, straightforward: Halal tourism is designed to enable pious Muslim tourists to pray towards Mecca, use gender-segregated facilities and otherwise abide by the Quranic teachings on vacation without raising eyebrows or causing other discomforts. Although evidence suggests that some Muslims are embracing a capitalist consumer culture, it is reasonable to opine that halal tourism will assume even greater dimensions in the future. MethodologyConsidering the constraints of this paper, no primary data were collected to conduct a more robust and comprehensive research project. This limitation, however, does not vitiate the significance of the present essay. Nor does it significantly diminish the contribution of the present article to the relevant academic scholarship on the subject of halal tourism. The most significant value of this article is that it scrutinizes pertinent academic literature to collect evidence. More specifically, it distills and synthesizes common threads from the reviewed scholarship. Many sources were a review for this article. Although several of the used sources are somewhat outdated, they nonetheless provide valuable insights into the topic. The majority of the sources are, however, more up-to-date. Likewise, while some articles from mass media made their way into this essay, the emphasis was on credible sources like articles from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, books published by authoritative publishing houses, articles from reliable newspapers and official reports. To locate these sources, the author of this essay scanned online databases with such keywords as “halal tourism,” “halal destination,” “Muslim friendly tourism,” etc. ResultsSimply put, halal tourism refers to a tourist sector that caters to the needs and requirements of Muslim travelers. To get a more elaborate idea of what halal tourism is, however, it is essential to cite and deconstruct more detailed definitions adduced by competent organizations and individual commentators. Specialists at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, for example, contend that halal tourism occurs when Muslim travelers visit predominantly Muslim destinations, with religious motivations representing the main reason why they choose these specific destinations (“Strategic roadmap for the development of Islamic tourism in OIC member countries” 2017). It is crucial to acknowledge that halal tourism is a broader concept and it can occur even in those countries where Islam is not the dominant faith. In the same vein, halal tourism can happen in situations when spiritual fulfillment or pilgrimage is not the main reasons why Muslim travelers come to a particular destination. Henderson (2009) concurs with this judgment, further adding that Muslim tourists who travel abroad for recreation rather than the religion but conform to Islamic teachings at the same time are mainly participating in halal tourism. El-Gohary, Edwards, and Eid (2017), too, believe that it is counterproductive and counter intuitive to limit halal tourism only to pilgrimages dogmatically. Other researchers, including Al-Hamarneh (2008), go even further, surmising that any trip taken by a Muslim tourist is part of halal tourism by default. This approach is, however, ineffective, for it blurs the real boundaries of halal tourism. With the same luck, any trip taken by a Christian could be branding as Christian tourism. But this branding would be meaningless, failing to add any novelty to the field of tourism studies.It should be noted, in an important aside, that the well-established kosher tourism is not solely about demographics. It is more about accommodating the needs of a particular demographic group. As seen from the definitions of Henderson and El-Gohary, Edwards and Eid, halal tourism is even more concrete and specific concept. Overall, what this passage serves to show is that halal tourism requires adherence to Islamic rules of propriety by Muslim travelers for their trips to be duly considered as representing halal tourism.The discussion above already alludes to the idea that halal tourism is integral to religion. Despite the commonly regarded belief to the contrary, moreover, that religion is the mainstay of halal tourism, its lynchpin, its cornerstone. Nathalie Bourgeois (2016) addresses what some commentators – those in the west, mainly – see as the incongruence between tourism and Islam:To many non-Muslim Westerners, the expression “Islamic tourism” might seem an oxymoron, an improbable association between a strict religion and the western idea of carefree idleness in exotic locations. The Prophet himself preached Muslims to go and discover the world: “Travel through the land and observe how He began creation,” says the Quran (p. 1).For Muslim travelers, therefore, halal tourism implies the necessity to organize their trips under the beliefs and practices of Islam. For travel companies, hotels and other service providers, halal tourism suggests the need to offer only such facilities that propagate Islamic teachings. Although no codified standards of halal tourism exist, the consulted authors explain that service providers involved in this industry tend to provide separate swimming pools for males and females, serve halal food and do not serve alcohol, announce prayer timings, have Qurans readily available, and even broadcast religious content as part of entertainment (Shirazi, 2016; Raj & Griffin, 2017). Hashim, Shariff, Mahamood, and Bhari (2018) weigh in to suggest that even charter flights booked for Muslim travelers frequently geared toward Muslim standards. In doing so, these service providers are driven by either the desire to attract more Muslim travelers or by their religious consciousness. One or the other way, it is understood that religious ideologies are ubiquitous in the halal tourism sector.Halal tourism has political implications too. It could say in the very least that halal tourism promotes Islamic solidarity (Reiter, 2008; Kozak & Kozak, 2015). This subcategory of tourism could also potentially have an impact on Islamic nationalism (US Congress, 2009). Pinpointing the exact political effects of halal tourism goes beyond the purposes of this essay. It is instead more important to focus on the economic ideologies undergirding the halal tourism sector. It is imperative to make a reservation in this context that halal tourism is not merely about religion, politics, and thinking. Like any other business enterprise, it is also about income. On the face of things, it seems illogical from the standpoint of economics and fiscal integrity that travel service providers would deliberately limit their services to Muslim individuals, thereby eliminating a vast swath of non-Muslim tourists. Frequently, however, it is just a matter of perspective. If travel service providers reason that Muslim tourists are a more profitable market for them, the consulted authors agree, these service providers can make a volte-face in favor of this market at the expense of the less lucrative non-Muslim market (Demir & Toprak, 2004; Adas, 2006; Eddahar, 2016). Drawing on the example of Turkey, Elaziz and Kurt (2017) explain that the recent rise in Islamic capital experienced by this country has contributed to the burgeoning of the Islamic consumer market. Hence, the conclusion arises that the forces of capitalism are unavoidable in the tourism sector, be it conventional tourism or halal tourism. In essence, businesses involved in the halal tourism sector provide Muslim friendly services to their clients with the goal of deriving financial benefits. As far as Muslim tourists themselves are concerned, a study by Elaziz and Kurt (2017) has found that they have a proclivity to provide excuses for their going on vacation. Elaziz and Kurt (2017) elaborate on these findings to suggest that even some religious devotees have espoused capitalist consumer culture or, in other words, a vacation of tourism culture. Overall, what these tidbits imply is that halal tourism is not necessarily a purely religious phenomenon based on religious ideology. Regarding, there seem to be adequate grounds to assert that the halal travel sector holds a great promise for the future. This special-interest-tourism market is in its infancy at this juncture of history. Mattison’s (2018) article for Euronews shows that this sector is quickly catching up with the broader industry. As a more resilient middle class is emerging in many predominantly Islamic nations, ever more pious Muslims now have the wherewithal to travel (Scott, 2010; Bikramjit, 2014). Mattison (2018) reckons that halal tourism will account for some 14% of global travel expenditure by 2022. El-Gohary, Edwards, and Eid (2017) also agree with the overall idea that halal tourism faces sanguine prospects, further adding: “The growth trajectory of Muslim tourism is expected to continue as Muslim increasingly come from fast-growing economies that include BRICS countries such as China and India” (p. 107). The rise in halal tourism is due to multiple factors. First of all, halal tourism is developing under the stewardship of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. More specifically, the organization initiates and coordinates regional efforts in policy and regulation development, marketing and promotion, destination and industry growth, capacity building and so on (Agarwal, Busby & Huang, 2017). Besides, individual states and individual companies within states make their efforts to foster halal tourism. The government of Indonesia introduced 12 Muslim friendly destinations in 2013 (Firdausi, Marantika, Firdaus & Sajidah, 2017). All this augurs well for the halal tourism sector. ConclusionRecognizing the diversity of needs and seeking to uphold this diversity by providing specific services to Muslim people, representatives of the travel sector in many parts of the world are now increasingly offering travel services that are in strict conformity with Islamic teachings. This essay has confirmed the tentative hypothesis that the halal travel industry has both religious and economic underpinnings. Businesses involved in this sector aspire both to please its Muslim clients, so that these clients would feel comfortable during their vacations, and to derive large financial dividends from the promising and rapidly growing market. Besides, it is also crucial to note in conclusion that the rapid growth of halal tourism has implications for hotels, restaurants, airlines and other businesses involved in this sector. People in charge of these businesses need to be careful to take full advantage of the recent tendencies in the travel industry, thereby facilitating continuous development of halal tourism, but avoid the potential pitfalls at the same time. Accomplishing this in practice might, however, be challenging, for allegiance to halal tourism at the expense of other subcategories of tourism has the potential to create conflicts of interest. After all, the standards of halal tourism and conventional tourism are often incompatible. It remains to see how such incompatibilities will resolve in the future. ReferencesAdas, A. (2006). The making of entrepreneurial Islam and the Islamic spirit of capitalism.Journal for Cultural Research, 10(2), 113-125.Agarwal, S., Busby, G., & Huang, R. (2017). Special interest tourism: Concepts, contextsand cases. Dublin, Ireland: CABI.Al-Hamarneh, A. (2008). Islamic tourism: A long-term strategy of tourist industries in theArab world after 9/11. Center of Research on the Arab World. Retrieved fromhttps://www.researchgate.net/deref/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ceraw.uni-mainz.de%2FBikramjit, R. (2014). Islamic perspectives on marketing and consumer behavior: Planning,implementation, and control. New York, NY: IGI Global.Bourgeois, N. (2016, September 14). Islamic tourism: Much more than the pilgrimage toMecca. In Focus. Retrieved from https://infocus.wief.org/islamic-tourism-much-pilgrimage-mecca/Demir, O., & Toprak, M. (2004). Anatolian tigers or Islamic capital: Prospects andchallenges. Middle Eastern Studies, 40(6), 166-188.Eddahar, N. (2016). Muslim friendly tourism branding in the global market. Organization ofIslamic Cooperation. Retrieved from https://www.oic-oci.org/docdown/?docID=1827&refID=1071Elaziz, M., & Kurt, A. (2017). Religiosity, consumerism and halal tourism: A study ofseaside tourism organizations in Turkey. Tourism, 65(1), 115-128.El-Gohary, H., Edwards, D., & Eid, R. (2017). Global perspectives on religious tourism andpilgrimage. New York, NY: IGI Global.Firdausi, I., Marantika, S., Firdaus, Z., & Sajidah, R. (2017). Lombok: Halal tourism as a newIndonesia tourism strategy. 4th Conference on Humanities, Social Sciences andEducation. Retrieved from http://heaig.org/images/proceedings_pdf/H0317447.pdfHashim, N., Shariff, N., Mahamood, S., & Bhari, A. (2018). Proceedings of the 3rdInternational Halal Conference. Berlin, Germany: Springer.Henderson, J. (2009). Islamic tourism reviewed. Tourism Recreation Research, 32(2), 207-212.Kozak, M., & Kozak, N. (2015). Destination marketing: An international perspective.London, UK: Routledge.Mattison, T. (2018, 9 September). How are young Muslims boosting the halal tourismindustry? Euronews. Retrieved from https://www.euronews.com/2018/09/07/how-are-young-muslims-boosting-the-halal-tourism-industryRaj, R., & Griffin, K. (2017). Conflicts, religion and culture in tourism. Dublin, Ireland:CABI.Reiter, Y. (2008). Jerusalem and its role in Islamic solidarity. Berlin, Germany: Springer.Scott, N. (2010). Tourism in the Muslim world. London, UK: Emerald.Shirazi, F. (2016). Brand Islam: The marketing and commodification of piety. Austin, TX:University of Texas Press. Strategic roadmap for development of Islamic tourism in OIC member countries. (2017).Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Retrieved from https://www.oicoci.org/docdown/?docID=1777&refID=1071 US Congress. (2009). Exploring the nature of Uighur nationalism. Washington, DC: USCongress.
The Potential Relationship between Foodborne Illness and Restaurant Inspection Result...
Shenghao Lavender Zhang

Shenghao Lavender Zhang

September 12, 2020
In New York City, cultural diversity has promoted the growing number of restaurants. However, food sanitation has always been a concern for public health. The project focuses on discovering whether violation results from restaurants inspections would have any strong correlations with food poisoning. Restaurants inspection results from DOHMH as well 311 complains are used and analyzed through random forest ensemble learning method. The results indicates that violations found in food sourcing and restaurant facility design have stronger correlation than other factors with regards to foodborne illness incidents. 
Tracing the untraceable: AI network inference for the dark web and crypto privacy coi...
Dr. Percy Venegas

Dr. Percy Venegas

December 04, 2018
IntroductionOn prepared testimony to the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services, the Secret Service stated that "Digital currencies have the potential to support more efficient and transparent global commerce and to enhance U.S. economic competitiveness. However, because digital currencies continue to be used to facilitate illicit activity, law enforcement must adapt our investigative tools and techniques \cite{services}". Despite the forensics angle on most investigative tools, applied science can also provide support in the form of early warning systems. Here we describe the algorithmic components for a suite of tools that detect patterns on user behavior, that can inform the authorities where to perform a network intervention. The end product has the form of an education project: a source of information with those tools and datasets. We seek to evolve AIs that can learn what is important to humans. The optimization objective is to minimize error while keeping complexity manageable: we do not seek to eliminate the error (that will model noise as signal, and introduce overfitting). For practical purposes, there is a level of error we can live with, and there are also limits to human cognition (e.g. how many variables we can think of at the same time, and how many variable relationships). Ultimately, we want AIs that can gain situational awareness in the way humans do. Network inference \cite{Tieri_2019} is the discipline concerned with the dynamic modeling of biologicals networks and has been approached with the use of machine learning \cite{Spirtes_1993}  and non-linear modeling techniques (Oates 2012). Using the biological metaphor as inspiration, we use a genetic programming approach. We focus on "inferential sensors" in the points of interest to preserve the integrity of the financial system, the applications include prevention of investment fraud, computer hacking/ransomware scams, identity theft. Inoculation The key idea is that it is easier to cure people in the early stages of infection -influence human behavior, and, prevent machines to learn bad habits. Those users who conduct dark web-related activity in the regular web are still "newbies" (otherwise they would be in the dark web already), and therefore they are more susceptive to an intervention to modify their behavior. Data types The following use cases are based on blockchain and web panel datasets only. At this stage, we use global data and daily time granularity, although detail for specific countries, major US metro areas, and intraday sampling is possible. Those data points can be augmented with government intelligence (e.g. geodata), and/or dark web clickstream datasets, when available. Use cases In the following cases, we symbolically regress TOR browser downloads and cryptocurrencies price action on several real-world time series to find relationships regarding aspects such as deterioration of trust in the traditional financial system \cite{Venegas_2018}, the rise of some types of cyber crimes, among others. The modeling method is genetic programming. As a follow-up step, we investigate causation using several signal processing and AI techniques. 
Mapping the Vulnerability to Flooding of Community-Development Corporations (CDCs) Af...
Veronica Olivotto
Eddy Almonte

Veronica Olivotto

and 1 more

November 17, 2020
New York City’s affordable housing stock is vulnerable to coastal flooding under current and projected climate scenarios. Flood vulnerability in this study, was intended as a factor of the exposure of affordable housing units to current and future floodplains as well as topographical elevation. Variables of socio-economic vulnerability included median household income by census tract, expiring affordability of rent-subsidized housing, and East Harlem’s most recent rezoning . The affordable housing in question is owned by two community-development corporations (CDCs) of the Northern Manhattan Collaborative (NMC), Hope and Ascendant based in East Harlem. Using GIS software and publicly available data from NYC Open Data and Mapluto, large scale mapping was conducted at the Borough-Block-Lot (BBL) scale to understand the exposure to coastal flooding of 101 properties owned by Hope and Ascendant, as well as a Hotspot Analysis of all the remaining units included in the NMC (48 more properties). Results show that Hope properties may flood more than Ascendants', under both current and future floodplain projections. A contributing factor is topographical elevation, where Hope Properties are at lower median elevation (13.2 feet) than Ascendants' (29 feet) and also lower than the median elevation of both Central (22 feet) and East Harlem (15 feet). Results from the hotspot analysis shows that 20 of Hope Properties fall within Hot clusters of socioeconomic vulnerability, as well as 5 of Ascendant Properties. Overall the NMC Properties show a higher socioeconomic vulnerability than all the properties in East Harlem. This result is important considering that New York City’s stock of affordable housing hosts some of the most vulnerable populations in the city, with less ability to move elsewhere before or after a flooding event.
Compton Effect
Forrest Bullard

Forrest Bullard

December 12, 2020
IntroductionIn this experiment we will explore the particle nature of light. In particular we will see that scattered photons have less energy than unscattered photons in accordance with the same equations that can be used in classical elastic collisions. In general we will show that this collision conserves both energy and momentum.MathTo derive the equation necessary to model Compton scattering we will need to use both conservation of energy and momentum.  Conservation of momentum shows us that the initial momentum of the incoming photon  \(\vec{p_1}\) is equal to the final momentum of the photon  \(\vec{p_2}\) plus the momentum of the electron  \(\vec{p_e}\) .
Multi-strain disease dynamics on metapopulation networks
Matthew Michalska-Smith

Matthew Michalska-Smith

and 4 more

October 28, 2022
A much-updated version of this work is now available published open-access at Scientific Reports: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-12774-5Many pathogens have clusters of variation in their genotypes that we refer to as strain structure. Importantly, when considering related pathogen strains, host immunity to one strain is often neither independent from nor equivalent to immunity to other strains. This partial cross-reactive immunity can thus allow repeated infection with (different strains of) the same pathogen and shapes disease dynamics across a population, in turn influencing the effectiveness of intervention strategies. To better understand the dynamics governing multi-strain pathogens in complex landscapes, we combine two frameworks well-studied in their own right: multi-strain disease dynamics and metapopulation network structure. We simulate the dynamics of a multi-strain disease on a network of populations connected by migration and characterize the joint effects of disease model parametrization and network structure on these dynamics. We find that the movement of (partially) immune individuals tends to have a larger impact than the movement of infectious individuals, dampening infection dynamics in populations further along a chain. When disease parameters differ between populations, we find that dynamics can propagate from one population to another, alternatively stabilizing or destabilizing destinations populations based on the dynamics of origin populations. In addition to providing novel insights into the role of host movement on disease dynamics, this work provides a framework for future predictive modelling of multi-strain diseases across generalized population structures.
Will crypto prices recover?   
Dr. Percy Venegas

Dr. Percy Venegas

November 25, 2018
Market observers tend to use price action as a reference point to assess the likelihood of future movements.  So inevitably, the current regime will be compared to the exuberant period of December of 2017, when bitcoin prices peaked at around 20.000 in USD terms. And much is being said about market manipulation using the facilities of cryptocurrency in exchanges-- what is less evident, is the actual behavior of investors before a price movement occurs. What we learned after studying daily user activity at thousand of the services that crypto investors used, and the sources of information they were exposed to, during 2017 and 2018 is that there is a boundary after which prices become unpredictable.  And, wittingly or unwittingly, the operators of some of these services had the power to manipulate markets without even be present at the exchanges-- just by hacking attention.       We begin by looking at user behavior at a mining pool with several million users, one of the largest players. Miners are key stakeholders in the crypto ecosystem (with an above average degree of sophistication among market participants), each click they make is a tell.     
Tools in ioChem-BD for Studying Chemical Reactivity: Nickel-Catalysed Borylation of C...
Ana Mateo
Moisés Álvarez

Ana Mateo

and 2 more

August 28, 2019
This manuscript reports a DFT based study on the reaction mechanism of the borylation reaction of aryl fluoride assisted by a nickel catalyst and a base, and the kinetic modelling  of such process. The presence of the base modifies the classical cross-coupling reaction mechanism, by activating the diboron and promoting a boryl transfer reaction. Off-cycle reactions, such as some bis-phosphine/mono-phosphine equilibria showed large effects on the overall kinetics. Data publicly available within the ioChem-BD databases is integrated straightforwardly into the manuscript. We also show how the ioChem-BD Reaction Energy Profile Reports tool can be used for daily work and for accelerating catalyst discovery studies. 
Review: "CoRR — The Cloud of Reproducible Records"
Fernando Chirigati

Fernando Chirigati

November 19, 2018
This is a review of manuscript CiSESI-2018-02-0016 submitted to Computing in Science & Engineering: "CoRR — The Cloud of Reproducible Records" (Congo, Traoré, Hill and Wheeler, 2018).OverviewThe paper presents CoRR (Cloud of Reproducible Records), a Web platform for storing and managing records from different tools that create snapshots of computational environments for reproducibility purposes. The authors refer to these tools as CVC (Computation Version Control) tools. In a nutshell, these tools capture the state of the environment in which computational environments are run (e.g.: OS and hardware information, library dependencies, system variables, etc.), in addition to the code and the data. Examples of CVC tools include Sumatra, ReproZip, and CDE. The authors argue that CVC tools are facing major issues in adoption, and that one of the main reasons is related to the lack of a Web interface for sharing and managing CVC records (similar to what GitHub or BitBucket do for SVC tools). CoRR was designed to fill this gap and to facilitate the integration among these tools by providing a common management platform.A common platform for these tools is indeed interesting and useful for reproducibility. However, the contributions of the manuscript are still not clear. More details are provided in the next section, but here is a summary of the main issues: The differences between CoRR and existing data repositories need to be made more clear. The name CVC is misleading.The way that the metadata is stored in the platform is not clear.Diffs in the platform are manual rather than automatic, and there is no discussion on the challenges related to these diffs.Related work about provenance, workflows, and repositories are missing.My recommendation is "Author Should Prepare A Major Revision For A Second Review".Detailed ReviewI should note that I tried to get access to the platform, but I wasn't able to (no confirmation email was sent as of yet). I also tried to use the search feature in the main Website, but it keeps loading after pressing the return key and no results are returned.1. The differences between CoRR and existing data repositories need to be made more clear.CoRR is a repository of computation records. But what makes it different from other data repositories? This is still not clear to me.It seems that one of the main benefits of CoRR is the ability of exposing the metadata that the CVC tools capture, and allowing these to be queryable. For instance, in a regular data repository, if I want to search for projects that used scikit-learn, I would only be able to find such information if it were present in the description of the artifacts. On the other hand, in CoRR, one could make this information automatically available for querying, since tools like Sumatra or ReproZip capture such dependencies.Are these metadata indeed queryable in CoRR? If yes, this is a major benefit and should be made more explicit in the paper. In general, the paper would benefit from a section where authors explicitly discuss the main differences between CoRR and existing data repositories when it comes to CVC tools, i.e., why would someone choose to use CoRR and not any of the existing repositories?2. The name CVC is misleading.CVC stands for Computation Version Control, but neither ReproZip nor CDE do version control: they do create a snapshot of the computation, but they do not have a mechanism for version control. The authors seem to be referring to tools that capture provenance related to the computational environment, but not necessarily that provide version control, so the nomenclature should be changed.3. The way that the metadata is stored in the platform is not clear.The section "Adaptive and Open Database Model" was not clear enough to me. How are different metadata (from different tools) stored in a single data store? The authors do present the MongoDB's models, but there are no details on how different metadata are integrated into a single model. And why not use some representation like PROV (https://www.w3.org/TR/prov-primer/) for integrating the models?4. Diffs in the platform are manual rather than automatic, and there is no discussion on the challenges related to these diffs.At the end of the paper, the authors discuss the concept of diff as a way to tell whether a computation X is a replicate, a repeat, or a reproduction of a computation Y. This is a really cool feature, but it looks like users in CoRR need to define such diffs manually, which is certainly not scalable when dealing with hundreds of computations. Automatically figuring out if two computations are similar in terms of reproducibility is challenging, in particular if they were captured by different tools. But this is certainly a very useful feature for a repository such as CoRR. I was expecting at least a more detailed discussion about this.5. Related work about provenance, workflows, and repositories are missing.Capturing provenance from computations is certainly not a novel topic, and some references are missing. Authors should acknowledge scientific workflow management systems (e.g.: Taverna \citep{Missier_2010}, Kepler \citep{Ludascher:2006:SWM:1148437.1148454}, and VisTrails \citep{vo2011}), since they are known for capturing provenance from experiments \citep{Davidson_2008} \citep{Freire_2008}. In terms of representing provenance information, the authors should take a look at PROV (https://www.w3.org/TR/prov-primer/). There are also other tools that capture provenance from computational environments: although some might not be widely adopted, it is worth mentioning them. These are: PTU \citep{pham}, CARE \citep{Janin_2014}, Arnold \citep{186206}, and noWorkflow \citep{Murta_2015}.I  also recommend taking a look at the related work section of these papers to see if there are additional relevant references as well.Finally, since CoRR is a repository, it is important to acknowledge existing collaborative data repositories, e.g.: Dataverse, figshare, OSF, etc. Again, as I mentioned before, it is important to provide a detailed comparison against these repositories.Additional CommentsThe authors mention in the Introduction that the lack of a platform for storing and managing computation records is probably one of the main reasons for the slow adoption of CVC tools. However, there is no evidence for that. Is there any reference or further study that the authors can provide to back this up? The motivation is not clear.There are other tools (including noWorkflow) supported by CoRR (Figure 3). Why aren't these tools mentioned in the paper?Using forked repositories from the existing tools might not be ideal. It might be hard to keep updating these repositories as the original ones keep changing. For instance, a user might need the latest features of Sumatra, but the CoRR-related Sumatra repository might be a few commits behind. Are there any thoughts on that? Why not just have a standalone CoRR software that reads project information from Sumatra / ReproZip / CDE and uploads data to the platform?Disclaimer
Lecture 11 - Laser fundamentals
Fred Jendrzejewski

Fred Jendrzejewski

November 20, 2018
We will study some basic properties of the laser.
Lecture 10 - Propagation of light in dielectric media
Fred Jendrzejewski

Fred Jendrzejewski

November 14, 2018
In this lecture we will study the propagation of light through a dielectric medium like atomic gases. We will see that it is characterized by the susceptibility and discuss the case of two-level atoms. This sets the stage for the laser.
Live-streamed preprint Journal Club on "EMT network-based feature selection improves...
Daniela Saderi, Ph.D.
Dariusz Murakowski

Daniela Saderi, Ph.D.

and 1 more

December 21, 2018
This is a review of the bioRxiv preprint "EMT network-based feature selection improves prognosis prediction in lung adenocarcinoma" by Borong Shao, Maria Bjaanæs, Åslaug Helland, Christof Schütte, Tim Conrad, doi:10.1101/410472. This review was compiled from a discussion during the live-streamed Bioinformatics preprint journal club as part of an Open Access Week effort organized by the PREreview team and PLOS. Event details can be found here, and the collaborative Etherpad showing all the journal club notes can be found here.In addition to those named as authors above, the participants who wished to be acknowledged for their contributions to this review are as follows: Samantha Hindle, Paul Goetsch, and Bradly Alicea.
Risk scoring for non-bank financial institutions
Dr. Percy Venegas

Dr. Percy Venegas

November 25, 2018
We propose a method to assess the risk of dealing with non-banking financial institutions that utilizes data mining, machine learning, and, historical proxies of KYC (Know Your Customer) screenings. The risk scores are suitable to evaluate both traditional money services businesses and Fintech companies (including cryptocurrency payments and blockchain infrastructure operators). The main users are banks and businesses worldwide that need to assess counter-party risk under uncertainty, as non-banks are often less regulated than other financial institutions.
Fascinating things to do for tropical tree forest recovery 
Yuri Jorge Peña-Ramirez
Lauren Nelson

Yuri Jorge Peña-Ramirez

and 2 more

February 05, 2020
Forest recovery in degraded landscapes is key to mitigating climate change. Reforestation efforts have been successful in temperate environments, partly due to the limited number of tree species found in those ecosystems (i.e.contrast is, Therefore, up to five species). In contrast, tropical forest reforestation is to date, practically impossible due to the huge biological diversity they harbour. The Maya forest in Campeche, Mexico is estimated to contain 300 to 600 tree species. Hence, each species has a low density within a highly diverse matrix.  Biological diversity of trees is maintained by a very complex network of interactions that scientists are starting to understand. One such interaction is related to how trees choose their partners. Yes, they do that. DNA progeny tests indicate that tropical trees are very promiscuous. In a single season, a Tabebuia rosea understand.  (maculís in Mayan) tree can mate with hundreds of other individuals. Due to the low density in population, pollen (and pollinators) must find a way to connect with other individuals diluted among many other species. Moreover, some individuals are more liked by the community. How do we determine this? DNA from certain individuals is more frequently found in seeds from several trees in a region. Knowing this, what would happen if this particularly "attractive" individual was eliminated? We have to consider these "attractive" individuals as a priority for conservation. However, the "attractive" trees do not necessarily fit the timber industry's parameters. Commercial foresters look for tall, straight trees to produce first-class table cuts. Classic silviculture procedures are totally anthropocentric, ignoring trees mating preferences. As a consequence, tree breeding is complicated as trees may not mate with man-selected individuals, lowering seed production. When a commercially selected plantation is established near a natural forest, the "attractive" individual in the landscape may be overwhelmed by the huge amounts of pollen produced by plantations, contributing to loss of genetic diversity. Fortunately, for the maculís in Campeche, Mexico, foresters seed source was as diverse as the natural populations. DNA from "attractive" individuals was found in the same frequency both in plantations and in natural populations \citep{m2016}. An educated propagation protocol for methods that avoid the risk of loosing "attractive" individuals (or their genes), must be based on the development of an Ideotype. This is an ideal imaginary tree which meets timber industry quality parameters, agronomic traits, and considers the species mating system. A tree that meets industrial, agronomic and biological expectations would, for instance be: straight, tall, fast-growing, pest-resistant, drought-tolerant (to face climate change), "attractive" for other trees, and so on. With knowledge of this desired ideotype, we can look into natural populations which are closer to the ideotype. Employing ideotype-based selection enables us to identify several elite maculis trees in the Maya forest \cite{Sol_s_Guill_n_2017}.  Seed or vegetative collection of materials must be performed to capture genetic diversity, representing at least 90% of the natural genetic diversity of close natural populations. Once the germplasm (i.e. a collection of seeds or parts of the trees) has been sampled, it could be propagated vegetatively. Once plants, we are able to use them for buds and cuttings. In the lab, this ability can be turbo-powered by techniques of tissue culture called micropropagation and somatic embryogenesis. Both tools use plant growth regulators which are added to a nutrient-rich medium, acting as artificial soil. These conditions are optimal and can change the inner programming of tree tissues, switching them to a highly proliferative path, resulting in multiple sprouts from a single piece of tissue. In our group, we focused on another tropical tree: Cedrela odorata (or cigar box Spanish red cedar), another native tree from Mesoamérica. Starting from twigs or seeds from adult trees that had been previously selected with the help of the ideotype, a process for the clonal propagation for this species was established \cite{Pe_a_Ram_rez_2010} \cite{Pe_a_Ram_rez_2010a}. With this tool, thousands or millions of trees can be produced, propagating not only trees but genetic diversity and clones that are able to fit industry quality parameters.  A surprising advantage of using tissue culture, is the ability to induce a rejuvenation process in the tissues. Remember Dolly the sheep? Dolly was a cloned sheep borns old, who carried markers in her DNA (i.e. epigenetic markers) that instruct the body to adopt the age of the donor sheep. Epigenetic markers in the DNA of trees also limit adult tree propagation. Frequently, it is hard to establish twigs that have come from mature trees as individual plants or derived trees, did not develop as a young tree; they remain "vintage". Epigenetic markers are naturally reset from adult to young at the moment of fecundation (i.e.this grown, proliferated tree native to Meso américa : cedar). with born "old", carrying instructed Often "adult" "young" Reserve the plants.  when pollination occurs for trees), but it is also feasible to reset the program employing plant tissue culture combined with grafting mature tissues over young ones. Subsequent rounds of grafting eliminate epigenetic markers linked to adult behaviour such as flowering, or lateral instead of vertical growth. By taking advantage of this technology, we were able to colones and propagate mature elite trees from the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve, in the Maya forest, inducing juvenile traits on derived plantlets. We are currently focused on refining our protocols for scaled-up production of plants. When a planter ventures into silviculture, plant material is paramount as trees are a long-term investment. It is beneficial to have superior quality material derived (i.e. cloned) from strictly selected donor trees with juvenile traits, for fast growth and genetic diversity. This will contribute not only to the economic return, but increasing the resilience of plantations to adverse environmental conditions as a consequence of climate change. Successful plantations will satisfy the market demand, reducing the pressure on natural forests.
Citibike Analysis: Comparing ridership during and after the month of January
vaidehi thete

vaidehi thete

November 10, 2018
AbstractThe aim of the project was to analyse how ridership changes from the month of January to February. Many people take up biking as a mode of exercise to fulfil their New Year resolutions of staying healthy. If there is a trend which proves our hypothesis, then Citibike can incentivize the riders to continue using bikes and help them stick to their resolutions.Hypothesis Description:
Citibike and Gender Trip Duration
Alia Kasem
Lina Kasem

Alia Kasem

and 1 more

February 16, 2022
This analysis will be focusing on Citibike ridership in terms of total trip duration based on male and female usage per miles and minutes. The study data period for this project from January 2016 to December 2016. The data explore the trip duration for citibike. The Null Hypothesis, the female duration is higher or equal to the male trip. The analysis relied on uses the T-testing as a statistical method to test the two means of samples.
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