MultiCalib4DEB: A toolbox exploiting multimodal optimisation in Dynamic Energy Budget parameters calibration

Calibration is a crucial step for the validation of computational models and a challenging task to accomplish. Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) theory has experienced an exponential rise in the number of published papers, which in large part has been made possible by the DEBtool toolbox. Multimodal evolutionary optimisation could provide DEBtool with new capabilities, particularly relevant on the provisioning of equally optimal and diverse solutions. In this paper we present MultiCalib4DEB, a MATLAB toolbox directly integrated into the existing DEBtool toolbox, which uses multimodal evolutionary optimisation algorithms to find multiple global and local optimal and diverse calibration solutions for DEB models. MultiCalib4DEB adds powerful calibration mechanisms, statistical analysis, and visualisation methods to the DEBtool toolbox and provides a wide range of outputs, different calibration alternatives, and specific tools to strengthen the DEBtool calibration module and to aid DEBtool users to evaluate the performance of the calibration results.

Standard methods for inexpensive pollen loads authentication by means of computer vision and machine learning

We present a complete methodology for authenticating local bee pollen against fraudulent samples using image processing and machine learning techniques. The proposed standard methods do not need expensive equipment such as advanced microscopes and can be used for a preliminary fast rejection of unknown pollen types. The system is able to rapidly reject the non-local pollen samples with inexpensive hardware and without the need to send the product to the laboratory. Methods are based on the color properties of bee pollen loads images and the use of one-class classifiers which are appropriate to reject unknown pollen samples when there is limited data about them. The validation of the method is carried out by authenticating Spanish bee pollen types. Experimentation shows that the proposed methods can obtain an overall authentication accuracy of 94%. We finally illustrate the user interaction with the software in some practical cases by showing the developed application prototype.