We studied the influence of variance in reward volume on choice behaviour of honeybees, Apis mellifera carnica, by training bees to collect sucrose solution from four newly developed artificial feeders. The feeders were electromechanical devices, each controlled by a microprocessor, which monitored the experiments, controlled reward delivery and stored the data. The parameters that varied betwe...

We consider the problem of designing traditional (e.g. vibratory bowl) feeders for singulating and orienting industrial parts. Our ultimate goal is to prototype new designs using analyticallyand geometrically-based methods. We have developed a tool for designing industrial parts feeders based on dynamic simulation. Our tool allows us to automatically perform multiple feeder design experiments, ...

Cat feeders serve as an important source of available food for free-roaming cats (FRCs) and can play a central role in providing data on FRC distribution, welfare, and health. Data on cat feeder personalities as well as a better understanding of their feeding practices offer relevance for decision making concerning FRC population control strategies. The current study surveyed 222 FRC feeders wh...

Although sugar-water feeders are commonly used by enthusiasts to attract hummingbirds, little is known about how they affect hummingbird behavior and flower use. We studied the highland hummingbird assemblage of Cerro de La Muerte, Costa Rica, both at a site with permanent feeders (La Georgina Restaurant) and further from it. We examined how feeder use and monopolization affected seasonal chang...

The estimation of losses of distribution feeders plays a crucial guiding role for the planning, design, and operation of a distribution system. This paper proposes a novel estimation method of statistical line loss of distribution feeders using the feeder cluster technique and modified eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) algorithm that is based on the characteristic data of feeders that are col...

Chemically fixed mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), instead of live feeder cells, were applied to the maintenance of mouse induced pluripotent stem (miPS) cells. Formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde were used for chemical fixation. The chemically fixed MEF feeders maintained the pluripotency of miPS cells, as well as their undifferentiated state. Furthermore, the chemically fixed MEF feeders were r...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The pathogenesis of aneurysms associated with cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) feeder vessels is poorly understood. We sought to determine the hemodynamic characteristics of AVM feeder vessels with and without aneurysms. METHODS Patients with AVMs associated with feeder aneurysms who had flow, vessel diameter, and wall shear stress measured before treatment usi...

Results: The study showed wide variation across different farm sizes with respect to total economic cost and net return per 100 lb (45.4 kg) of live hog produced. The total economic cost was negatively correlated (r = -.318, P = .016) and net return was positively correlated (r = .336, P = .011) with farm size. The average net return for large herds (> 75 sows) was higher (P =.003) than for sma...

The ?1 presence of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle can negatively impact a state’s economy and cattle industry. In Michigan, USA, wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a reservoir for reinfecting cattle herds. Although direct TB transmission between deer and cattle is rare, infected deer may contaminate cattle feed. To mitigate this risk, we designed and evaluated a deer-resist...

With increasing penetration levels of solar PV, the need for inverter technology to provide grid support has become more and more critical. Since 2009, EPRI and industry partners have been working to establish a common set of functions that can provide such capability. The development of a common set of functions is complete, however, very little work to date has addressed the impact these comm...