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The study of the flora of the city of Ryazan using the grid mapping method with the cell size of 1.4 km2 (latitude 0.01°, 1290 m; longitude 0.02°, 1110 m), allowed us to reveal the presence of Solidago canadensis in all of the 97 surveyed cells. The use of electronic resources (iNaturalist and Yandex Maps) resulted in its detection in another 16 cells; S. gigantea was found in 13 cells. The highest number of S. canadensis individuals and the largest area of their spread were observed in the city outskirts, which have rather recently become cultivated for growing the grain crops (approximately 10 years ago). S. canadensis often dominates on fallow lands included within the boundaries of the urban agglomeration. The major role in the Canadian goldenrod spread is played by multiple individually cultivated community gardens, as well as flower gardens and planted areas in private space. No appreciable dispersal of S. gigantea has been yet observed in Ryazan; the species forms small populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalaya is known for its unique and rich endemic plants. Diversity of endemic plants is considered for prioritizing areas including delineating the Biodiversity Hotspots and conservation implications. In view of limited authentic dataset on endemic plants, the study investigated the diversity and distribution patterns of endemic vascular plants of Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and recorded a total of 1076 endemic plant taxa including 1061 angiosperms, 03 gymnosperms and 12 pteridophytes belonging to 432 genera and 100 families. Richness of endemic plants was found maximum in the Arunachal Pradesh (294), followed by Meghalaya (213) and Sikkim (212). Maximum number of endemic taxa was found in family Orchidaceae (115) followed by Asteraceae (79) and Poaceae (63). More than 81% endemic are recorded in mid elevation (1001–1500 m) altitude range. Among the recorded taxa, 28 species of IUCN viz. Critically endangered (9), Endangered (13), and Vuln-erable (3) categories. Endemic taxa having narrow distribution range, high use-value and low population density were prioritized for conservation implications. Amentotaxus assamica, Gymnocladus assamicus, Ilex venulosa, Pittosporum eriocarpum are recorded highest threat categories due to timber harvesting, unsustainable harvesting of fruits, habitat destruction, large-scale lime quarrying etc. Total 1258 grid cells (15′ × 15′) representing IHR were analysed to identify the endemic rich areas in the region. Based on the set criterion, 20 endemic rich areas were identified and maximum congruence of endemics recorded in Eastern Himalaya. Of the total, 69% endemic rich areas were covered under the Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserve Networks, however, remaining 31% were unprotected. Further, the conservation related studies are available only for 7% (88) and 2% (29) are having the propagation protocols (tissue culture and seed germination). In view of importance of conservation of endemic plants, the study recommends location-specific population assessment, in-situ and ex-situ conservation approaches, climate and anthropogenic impacts, reproductive biology for identifying the bottleneck and improving germination are required, before vanishing the endemic plant assets in Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using biogeographic approaches, the mapping of protected species of terrestrial vertebrates in the Republic of Kazakhstan was analyzed and carried out to identify places of high faunal diversity and assess the effectiveness of their protection by a network of specially protected natural areas. An analysis was made of the spatial distribution of protected species of terrestrial vertebrates by taxonomic groups (mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, 109 species in total) and their totality, as well as by protection status; places of concentration of protected species of vertebrate animals were established as priority for the protection of territories in the Republic of Kazakhstan and an assessment was made of the effectiveness of locating the existing network of specially protected natural areas. The maps were made using the grid mapping method, which makes it possible to compare the results obtained with other arid macroregions. The role of a number of reserves, national parks, and large reserves in the protection of biological diversity is shown. Recommendations for the development of a network of specially protected natural areas in order to preserve areas of high biodiversity, as well as the tasks of further research in this direction have been formulated and substantiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is known for its rich biodiversity and lacking for comprehensive information on geographic distribution of threatened plants. Realizing the importance of location specific dataset, we have compiled the information on threatened plants in grid-based formats across the IHR. The state-of-the-art information on threatened plants of IHR includes 85 species (18 CR, 34 EN, 31 VU and 2 EW) representing 41 trees, 34 herbs, 3 shrubs, 3 mosses, 2 vines, and 2 bryophytes belonging to 56 genera under 41 families. Orchidaceae was the dominant family with 12 threatened species followed by Dipterocarpaceae (7 species), Fabaceae and Zingiberaceae (6 species each). As compared to Western Himalaya the Eastern Himalayan states harbor more richness of threatened plants. Arunachal Pradesh is the richest with 34 species followed by Meghalaya (33) and Assam (28). The paper provides locations specific information on threatened plants which can be targeted for implementing conservation planning, actions and appropriate approach can further be applied for their conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Active suspension rover is gaining more and more attention. Among them, the wheel-legged rover has outstanding performance. In order to fully utilize the rover's capabilities and improve the autonomy in planetary exploration, this paper addresses a plane-based grid (PBG) mapping method for its motion planning in unstructured terrain environments. First, the kinematics of the TAWL rover and each leg's dynamic are presented to analyze the physical characteristics. Second, the PBG map is constructed based on the rover's capabilities. It can be directly used during motion planning. This mapping framework utilizes a sensor model to predict whether the grid is occupied or free. Then, a plane cluster algorithm is proposed to classify grid cells, which incorporates two machine learning algorithms. Thus, the flat areas are clustered from the unstructured terrains. With the PBG map and the motion planning framework, the wheel-legged rover can simplify the motion planning process and better utilize the driving efficiency and the legs' adaptability. Third, the proposed mapping algorithm is tested on a depth camera. Robotic experiments are carried out, demonstrating our framework which allows the rover to safely combine the wheeled motion with legged motion in autonomous navigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In densely populated, highly industrialised regions such as Flanders (northern Belgium), species are under significant environmental pressures arising from air pollution, land use changes, and climate change, which affect distribution patterns and species abundance. We compared bryophyte distribution data for 1980–1999 and 2000–2019. Species traits data were analysed to detect general trends in changes in occupancy for different species of moss and liverwort. Species occupancy increased for epiphytic species of both mosses and liverworts. Liverwort species growing on dead, decorticated wood declined, whereas the number of mosses growing on this substrate increased. Liverworts decreased in all terrestrial habitats except artificial stones and other rocky substrates. Occupancy increased for mosses growing on peat substrates and on hard natural rocks. Changes in occupancy among groups of taxa classified according to Ellenberg values showed that liverworts of wet or moist habitats declined compared with those of dry habitats. Liverworts of warmer regions increased; however, for those characteristic of cold climates, there was no significant change. Improvements in air quality, particularly due to reduced SO2 and NOx emissions, has allowed epiphytic bryophyte species numbers to recover. Among terrestrial species, there has been a decline in the number of liverwort species especially, and particularly those adapted to wet, cold conditions. This is probably due to longer and more frequent drought periods during summer, coupled with rising ambient temperatures. Larger, more robust wetlands and forests could be created to mitigate against this decline, these habitats being very fragmented in Flanders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ryazan Oblast, situated in the central part of European Russia, has a long tradition of biodiversity research. Large distributional, ecological and phenological data on various taxonomic groups are available from this territory, mainly in the form of paper publications items, undigitised museum collections and archival sources. The purpose of this dataset is to deliver floristic materials, collected by the authors in the Meshchera Lowlands in the form of GBIF-mediated electronic data, to a wider audience. The dataset covers wild tracheophytes (native species, naturalised aliens and casuals) of the Meshchersky National Park. In 2020, it was used for the production of grid maps in "Flora of the Meschchersky National Park: checklist and atlas".The dataset contains 14,476 grid records of 817 taxa (806 species and hybrids, ten species aggregates and one genus). Most of the records (82.4%) were made in the field by A.V. Shcherbakov, M.V. Kazakova, N.V. Lyubeznova and A.D. Pastushenko in 2017 and 2018. The dataset includes only one occurrence per species per grid square. Georeferences are based on the WGS84 grid scheme with 55 squares measuring ca. 25 km2 (2.5' lat. × 5' long.). Each occurrence is linked to the corresponding grid square centroid; therefore, actual coordinates, habitat details and voucher information are unavailable. As of September 2021, the dataset on the flora of the Meshchersky National Park represents the second largest dataset on the biodiversity of Ryazan Oblast, Russia, published in GBIF.

Chemostratigraphy based on various proxies has been well developed in recent decades for stratigraphic correlation by higher resolution, gap‐less sampling, and environmental records. At present, various types of samples are measured quantitatively in higher accuracy and wider application than traditional biostratigraphy. Even the benthonic index fossils are widely replaced by pelagic data for biostratigraphic correlation, fossil gaps also could cause data break in a section. However, chemostratigraphy remains challenge as its data from sediments is to resolve mixtureof local depositional environment and global correlatable signal. How to separate these two parts and extract the local imprints free from the mixture is the subject of this study. An isochronlines is a newly introduced auxiliary line for the globally correlatable signal extraction from the mixture signals. An isochronline is a virtual synchronous line on plane of an equal depositional environment, and can evaluate the global signal unlike the chemostratigraphic data that provides environmental records. Based on the data obtained from lateral stratigraphic investigation along a bed strike, or from grid mapping on a wide‐open outcrop of a bedding plane, or on a surface of a lithological unit, the facies‐independent chemostratigraphic proxies could be extracted. A set of methods was designed including lateral profiling and grid mapping on the outcrop to extract the facies‐independent geochemical signal for global correlation based on isochronlines identification, and an exception of the Walther's law of facies was revealed. Meanwhile, the author presents examples to avoid misleading of the global chemostratigraphic correlation based on isochronline analysis. This method included measurement of two‐wing lateral‐vertical strata, determination of non‐lithological lens from geochemical abnormities of diagenesis, and microhabitat. An example from Laibin Auxiliary boundary Stratotype Section and Point of Lopingian‐Guadalupian of Permian was measured by grid mapping, that revealed the isochronlines, extracted facies‐independent geochemical proxies for global correlation, and hidden geochemical lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep‐time chemostratigraphy provides important data for stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Geochemical analysis for the same proxy from the same outcrop section, however, often results in different data among various researchers. The dispute was ascribed to inappropriate screening of samples weathering, pre‐treatment, and analytical methods. An outstanding example is that a great variation of 1–3‰ in δ13CVPDB values from the same horizons at Auxiliary Global Stratotype of Section and Point for the Guadalupian–Lopingian (G‐L) boundary in Tieqiao, Laibin, South China was obtained by various research groups. The Walther's Law of Facies suggests that such differences in analytical results may be due to the diachronism of samples measured in high‐resolution stratigraphy. Although lithology and broad sedimentary facies are the same in a lithostratigraphic unit, heterogeneous distribution of bioclastics, δ13Corg, provenances, trace elements, and age‐controlling geochemical signals might have printed on sediments within the same bed. Here, we verified the variations by grid mapping and sampling, a new method for high‐resolution chemostratigraphy, and this practice is applied to the auxiliary GSSP at the Tieqiao section. A total of nine parallel columnar sections from the upper Guadalupian to lowest Lopingian were measured and sampled. In addition, four lateral profiles along four beds were also sampled, and two of them are close to the lower part of the section (upper Guadalupian) and near the G‐L boundary, respectively. These analytical results are plotted along the coordinate of X–Y axis and form the grid mapping on the outcrop. Contour maps of various proxies (i.e., CaO%, total Fe%, and δ13Ccarb) based on the grid mapping were constructed on the outcrop, instead of single excursions of various geochemical proxies throughout the upper Guadalupian to lowest Lopingian. The results show different negative excursions of δ13Ccarb coinciding with biotic extinction near the G‐L boundary and answered the differences of proxy reported in previous studies. Grid mapping of various proxies shows general trends of the proxies on the outcrop; however, there are invisible beddings across lenses in dozens meters size of geochemical abnormal. Analytical data of the same proxy from the same horizons at different columnar sections may present different excursions if sampling on the abnormal lenses or not. This is why the data are different among various studies when different columnar sections were sampled. Various lenses of geochemical abnormal which may be linked tectonic controlled diagenesis, and microhabitat et al., and resulted in the bias from different columnar sections were sampled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Ryazan Oblast, situated in the central part of European Russia, has a long tradition of biodiversity research. Large distributional, ecological and phenological data on various taxonomic groups are available from this territory, mainly in the form of paper publications items, undigitised museum collections and archival sources. The purpose of this dataset is to deliver floristic materials, collected by the authors in the Meshchera Lowlands in the form of GBIF-mediated electronic data, to a wider audience. The dataset covers wild tracheophytes (native species, naturalised aliens and casuals) of the Meshchersky National Park. In 2020, it was used for the production of grid maps in "Flora of the Meschchersky National Park: checklist and atlas". New information The dataset contains 14,476 grid records of 817 taxa (806 species and hybrids, ten species aggregates and one genus). Most of the records (82.4%) were made in the field by A.V. Shcherbakov, M.V. Kazakova, N.V. Lyubeznova and A.D. Pastushenko in 2017 and 2018. The dataset includes only one occurrence per species per grid square. Georeferences are based on the WGS84 grid scheme with 55 squares measuring ca. 25 km (2.5' lat. × 5' long.). Each occurrence is linked to the corresponding grid square centroid; therefore, actual coordinates, habitat details and voucher information are unavailable. As of September 2021, the dataset on the flora of the Meshchersky National Park represents the second largest dataset on the biodiversity of Ryazan Oblast, Russia, published in GBIF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of large-scale grid mapping of relict plant species (Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C.A. Mey., A. baicalensis Turcz., Corydalis bracteata (Steph.) Pers., Eranthis sibirica DC., Primula pallasii Lehm., and Waldsteinia ternata (Steph.) Fritsch) within the nemoral refugium on the northern slope of the Khamar-Daban Ridge (the Republic of Buryatia) are given. Mapping was carried out in the lower part of the Bolshoi Mamai River basin in a model area (25 km2). The research results have confirmed the general pattern for South Siberian nemoral relics, namely, their confinement to valleys and banks of rivers and streams. At the same time, the studied species differ in their habitat preferences, including their ability to spread beyond river valleys, the range of preferred altitudes, and their resistance to disturbance of vegetation. Cluster analysis and assessment of species relationships using the nonparametric Kendall concordance coefficient have confirmed concordant spatial distribution patterns of the model species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nature conservation efforts often focus on rare species. Common and moderately common species, however, receive much less attention. Our analysis of occupancy change of flora using a grid survey in 1980 and a habitat mapping survey in 2000 in Northeast Germany revealed significant losses for most of the 355 modeled plant species. Highest losses were recorded for moderately common species. Plant species occurring in 20–40% of grid cells declined on average by 50% in 20 years, although there were some methodological uncertainties. We found no correlation between occupancy decline and Red List category, but habitat loss seems to be a main driver. We suggest to rethink conservation indicators by including previously common species in monitoring. Our approach to estimating trends, using the association of species to habitat types and occupancy–area relationships, can be applied to other regions with heterogeneous resurvey data, but it cannot replace urgently needed monitoring schemes.

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Assessing the representativeness of protected areas is necessary to optimize their national and regional networks, as well as to improve the protection of rare and endemic species. In the Republic of Bashkortostan, an analysis of the distribution of rare vascular plant species in need of protection has been carried out on the basis of synthesizing all sources of high-precision georeferenced data, i.e., databases of herbarium specimens and geobotanical relevés. The result of these works was the creation of a graphic database: the Rare and Endangered Species of Vascular Plants of the Republic of Bashkortostan GIS map. This GIS map includes three main vector layers: a point layer containing information about 4932 rare species localities, a Protected Areas Boundaries layer, and a grid layer with cells 6' in latitude by 10' in longitude (10.8 × 10.2 km). Based on these layers and standard procedures of the QGIS 3.4 program, an algorithm has been developed to analyze the patterns of distribution of rare species throughout the region, as well as to identify areas with a high diversity of these species and their covering by the existing network of protected areas. Using the example of two grid map cells with a high diversity of rare species, approaches to identifying and delineating further sites of protected areas have been considered using space images and a digital elevation model. To estimate the protection level of the unique combinations of rare species, the distribution of all sets of these species within the existing protected areas is assessed. This makes it possible to justify the creation of two new protected areas. This approach does not exclude, but significantly reduces the volume of field investigations and can significantly reduce the time and financial costs of creating new protected areas to optimize the protection of rare and endangered plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thladiantha dubia Bunge is an East Asian species, a perennial herbaceous climbing vine, which naturally grows in the Russian Far East, in Northeast China, and on the Korean Peninsula. It is a secondary species in Central Europe, North America, South America (Ecuador), and Japan. Th. dubia is not an invasive plant for the majority of European countries. Th. dubia is bred in the European part of Russia as an ornamental plant, and it is found in a variety of disturbed habitats. In some regions of Russia, it has an invasive status. The distribution of Th. dubia in Bryansk Region was studied using grid mapping. The species was observed in 69 out of 223 examined squares (30.94%). Th. dubia occurs in disturbed habitats, wastelands, and homes. We have discovered and studied communities dominated by Th. dubia. The species forms monodominant resistant communities in anthropogenic habitats. On the basis of the analysis of geobotanical descriptions of the communities, we established the association Thladianthetum dubiae ass. nov. The formation of a monodominant community is possible owing to vegetative propagation and decrease in the illumination of the soil cover. Th. dubia secretes growth inhibitors, colins. Presumably, an invasion vector of Th. dubia is anthropochoria. Th. dubia is a potentially invasive species for Bryansk Region. The biomass of the plant is characterized by a good absorption capacity of some heavy metals, and it can be used as a soil remediator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the impact of threats, identification, prioritization and predicting conservation pockets are vital for the conservation and management of threatened species. This study investigated the diversity and distribution through inventorization and analysis of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorized threatened plants and their prioritization for conservation. A total of 456 threatened taxa belonging to 233 genera coming under 87 families were recorded as threatened under various threat categories of IUCN. Among lited taxa, 64 species were falls under higher risk of extinction categories of IUCN viz. Critically endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable with 13, 28 and 23 species respectively. Maximum number of threatened plants was found (84 species) in family Fabaceae followed by Cyperaceae (65 species) and Poaceae (36 species). Richness of threatened plants was found maximum in the Sikkim (203) followed by Himachal Pradesh (190) and Jammu & Kashmir (189). Major causes of depletion of threatened taxa were anthropogenic activities such as habitat loss, overgrazing, deforestation, over-exploitation and unsustainable harvesting of medicinal plants. Therefore, conservation of all the inventorized 64 threatened plants is needful at its earliest. Thus the strategies for the conservation of threatened species must be directed towards those species facing highest risk of extinction, biologically distinct and ecologically valuable for the ecosystem as well having socio-economic significance. Considering this, prioritization of the threatened species was done following existing methodologies. Among the threatened taxa, Angelica glauca, Coptis teeta, Lilium polyphyllum, Nardostachys jatamansi, Aconitum heterophyllum and Gentiana kurroo etc. are ranked at apex, thus needs higher priority for conservation. The study further indicate that six species such as Angelica glauca, Coptis teeta, Gymnocladus assamicus, Illicium griffithii, Piper pedicellatum and Saussurea costus are endemic, having restricted distribution, however highly traded in the IHR. Thus, it is proposed that these species must be taken under special apprehension for conservation planning. Besides this for the conservation of higher risk of extinction species, grid mapping of targeted species was done for identifying specific distribution areas for effective conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature conservation efforts often focus on rare species. Common and moderately common species, however, receive much less attention. Our analysis of occupancy change of flora using a grid survey in 1980 and a habitat mapping survey in 2000 in Northeast Germany revealed significant losses for most of the 355 modeled plant species. Highest losses were recorded for moderately common species. Plant species occurring in 20–40% of grid cells declined on average by 50% in 20 years, although there were some methodological uncertainties. We found no correlation between occupancy decline and Red List category, but habitat loss seems to be a main driver. We suggest to rethink conservation indicators by including previously common species in monitoring. Our approach to estimating trends, using the association of species to habitat types and occupancy–area relationships, can be applied to other regions with heterogeneous resurvey data, but it cannot replace urgently needed monitoring schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately estimating the current state of local traffic scenes is one of the key problems in the development of software components for automated vehicles. In addition to details on free space and drivability, static and dynamic traffic participants and information on the semantics may also be included in the desired representation. Multi-layer grid maps allow the inclusion of all of this information in a common representation. However, most existing grid mapping approaches only process range sensor measurements such as Lidar and Radar and solely model occupancy without semantic states. In order to add sensor redundancy and diversity, it is desired to add vision-based sensor setups in a common grid map representation. In this work, we present a semantic evidential grid mapping pipeline, including estimates for eight semantic classes, that is designed for straightforward fusion with range sensor data. Unlike other publications, our representation explicitly models uncertainties in the evidential model. We present results of our grid mapping pipeline based on a monocular vision setup and a stereo vision setup. Our mapping results are accurate and dense mapping due to the incorporation of a disparity- or depth-based ground surface estimation in the inverse perspective mapping. We conclude this paper by providing a detailed quantitative evaluation based on real traffic scenarios in the KITTI odometry benchmark dataset and demonstrating the advantages compared to other semantic grid mapping approaches.

Copyright of Journal of Geophysical Research. Planets is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A project of mapping ice‐related landforms was undertaken to understand the role of subsurface ice in the northern plains. This work is the first continuous regional mapping from CTX (ConTeXt Camera, 6 m/pixel; Malin et al.,) imagery in Arcadia Planitia along a strip 300 km across stretching from 30°N to 80°N centered on the 170°W line of longitude. The distribution and morphotypes of these landforms were used to understand the permafrost cryolithology. The mantled and textured signatures occur almost ubiquitously between 35°N and 78°N and have a positive spatial correlation with inferred ice stability based on thermal modeling, neutron spectroscopy, and radar data. The degradational features into the LDM (latitude‐dependent mantle) include pits, scallops, and 100‐m polygons and provide supporting evidence for subsurface ice and volatile loss between 35 and 70°N in Arcadia with the mantle between 70 and 78°N appearing much more intact. Pitted terrain appears to be much more pervasive in Arcadia than in Acidalia and Utopia suggesting that the Arcadia study area had more widespread near‐surface subsurface ice and thus was more susceptible to pitting or that the ice was less well buried by sediments. Correlations with ice stability models suggest that lack of pits north of 65–70°N could indicate a relatively young age (~1 Ma); however, this could also be explained through regional variations in degradation rates. The deposition of the LDM is consistent with an air fall hypothesis; however, there appears to be substantial evidence for fluvial processes in southern Arcadia with older, underlying processes being equally dominant with the LDM and degradation thereof in shaping the landscape. Plain Language Summary: We mapped ice‐related landforms In Arcadia on the northern plains of Mars. This was the first continuous map at this scale. The maps of these ice related landforms were used to understand the role of ice has in shaping the Martian landscape. We found evidence that suggest that ground ice occurs almost everywhere between 35°N and 78°N. We also found landforms associated with loss of ground ice to be widespread suggesting that Arcadia used to have even more ground ice in the recent past. The pattern of landforms we see suggests that the ground ice is sourced from the air, either as snowfall or direct condensation onto or into the near surface. Key Points: We mapped the latitude‐dependent mantle (LDM) almost ubiquitously from 35°N to 78°N; this correlates with predicted ground ice stabilityDegradational features into the LDM (pits, scallops, and polygons) suggest ground ice and volatile loss between 35 and 70°N in ArcadiaThe LDM has air fall origin; however, air fall, fluvial, and underlying processes are equally dominant in shaping the northern plains of Mars [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Map Representation of the Real World is an essential step in robotics for using the mathematical methods in an abstract way. In addition to grid-based and topological studies on this area, this paper uses both approaches representing the environment with independent graph trees for all axes. We are proposing a methodology that allows us to substitute point clouds on grids in an efficient way and can be easily adapted to multi-system approaches even in real time with low-level computational systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diagnosis of long-term electrocardiogram (ECG) calls for automatic and accurate methods of ECG signal quality estimation, not only to lighten the burden of the doctors but also to avoid misdiagnoses. In this paper, a novel waveform-based method of phase-space reconstruction for signal quality estimation on a single lead ECG was proposed by projecting the amplitude of the ECG and its first order difference into grid cells. The waveform of a single lead ECG was divided into non-overlapping episodes (T = 10, 20, 30 s), and the number of grids in both the width and the height of each map are in the range [20, 100] (N = N = 20, 30, 40, ... 90, 100). The blank pane ratio (BPR) and the entropy were calculated from the distribution of ECG sampling points which were projected into the grid cells. Signal Quality Indices (SQI) bSQI and eSQI were calculated according to the BPR and the entropy, respectively. The MIT-BIH Noise Stress Test Database was used to test the performance of bSQI and eSQI on ECG signal quality estimation. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) during the noisy segments of the ECG records in the database is 24, 18, 12, 6, 0 and − 6 dB, respectively. For the SQI quantitative analysis, the records were divided into three groups: good quality group (24, 18 dB), moderate group (12, 6 dB) and bad quality group (0, − 6 dB). The classification among good quality group, moderate quality group and bad quality group were made by linear support-vector machine with the combination of the BPR, the entropy, the bSQI and the eSQI. The classification accuracy was 82.4% and the Cohen's Kappa coefficient was 0.74 on a scale of N = 40 and T = 20 s. In conclusion, the novel grid mapping offers an intuitive and simple approach to achieving signal quality estimation on a single lead ECG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensemble learning is one of the main topics of focus in machine learning research. This paper proposes a novel multi-thread grid-based multi-chunk multi-level ensemble (GMCE) for data stream classification. In order to improve the learning efficiency, GMCE maps different raw data to multiple grids, represents the feature of the grid by the grid first-order geometric center, and then classifies data based on the grid. Because this grid mapping method compresses the data size significantly, GMCE can increase both the classification accuracy and the computation efficiency. This method has been tested using public KDDCUP99 intrusion detection competition data and five popular P2P applications data. The results show that the GMCE is better than the original multi-chunk multi-level ensemble (MCE) in terms of classification accuracy and operation efficiency. For KDDCUP99 data, GMCE has shown more than 98% classification accuracy and 10 times speedup. And for P2P traffic data, GMCE has improved the classification accuracy by 3-4% and achieved greater than four times speedup. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are three challenges in finding robot location and environment map which are accuracy, robustness and computational cost. Some simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) methods work perfectly with ideal environment without uncertainties, noise and disturbances; however, in the real world, the performance considerably decreases. Designing a practical method of finding the robot position during motion, particularly when it is fully autonomous, should not be time consuming. This point has been forgotten in many SLAM approaches. Finding a comprehensive algorithm for solving all the problems is very complex. In this paper, with a new geometrical viewpoint, the objective is to solve them simultaneously as much as possible. However, with the proposed technique, sub-optimal solutions of different targets will be found. This method, named ICE matching (Intersection, Corner and End of Wall features), is capable of being combined with different mapping algorithms to solve the SLAM problem. Defining new informative features and novel matching and hierarchical optimisation mechanisms, congregated in this method, create a robust practical technique in terms of accuracy and convergence rate. To evaluate the accuracy, qualities of different popular SLAM algorithms are compared with the present approach in some similar data sets. In addition, evaluating ICE matching on a real robot with manual and autonomous driving shows its considerably high performance and robustness against noises and shortage of data in online applications, in comparison with other approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]