DNA from scats combined with capture–recapture modeling: a promising tool for estimating the density of red foxes—a pilot study in a boreal forest in southeast Norway

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-154
Author(s):  
Per Wegge ◽  
Beate Banken Bakke ◽  
Morten Odden ◽  
Jørund Rolstad
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Capture Recapture

Pilot Study of an Electronic Laboratory Notebook for Research and Development

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wesley Odom ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Materials Science ◽  
Laboratory Notebook ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Multidisciplinary Working ◽  
Proper Training ◽  
Multiple Devices ◽  
Primary Standards

The laboratory notebook is the fundamental record for research and development. The emergence of cloud-based digital tools to replace or augment the laboratory notebook has shown promise for groups that are multidisciplinary, working asynchronously, or in multiple locations. This paper details a recent pilot study conducted by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) comparing an electronic lab notebook (ELN) with traditional paper lab notebooks (PLN), including members of SNL’s Primary Standards Laboratory (PSL). Partly motivated by a related pilot study conducted at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the focus of the present study was on the integrability of an ELN within the unique constraints of a national lab, including security protocols that limit cloud capabilities and limited WIFI. The study used Microsoft OneNote and commercially available mobile computing hardware. The pilot included 18 participants from the PSL, biosciences, and materials science/engineering labs. In addition to OneNote, participants were provided one of two options for a computer to be used as their note taking device (including a stylus). Usability and gap analyses, as well as interviews with pilot participants were conducted by members from Sandia’s human factors group. Findings from this study indicate that ELNs may be particularly useful for teams where sharing of procedures and results is important. Participants believed that use of the ELN increased organization of their work and facilitated reporting much more than paper lab notebooks (PLNs). Other benefits included searchability and capability for access on multiple devices. Many of the identified drawbacks were specific to the unique constraints of working at a national lab, but some constraints are more general (e.g. use of ELNs in wet labs where hazardous materials may be of concern). Overall, it was found with proper training, collaboration on best practices, and technical support, that ELNs appear to be a promising tool for modernizing recording practices in research. Some examples from PSL will be highlighted, including R&D for qualifying measurement systems, calibration processes, and procedures.

Can the boreal forest be used for rehabilitation and recovery from stress-related exhaustion? A pilot study

2011 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabet Sonntag-Öström ◽  
Maria Nordin ◽  
Lisbeth Slunga Järvholm ◽  
Ylva Lundell ◽  
Rigmor Brännström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Boreal Forest

Addressing challenges in non invasive capture-recapture based estimates of small populations: a pilot study on the Apennine brown bear

2010 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2299-2310 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Gervasi ◽  
P. Ciucci ◽  
F. Davoli ◽  
J. Boulanger ◽  
L. Boitani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Brown Bear ◽  
Small Populations ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Capture Recapture ◽  
Apennine Brown Bear

scholarly journals Home-Based Monitoring of Eating in Adolescents: A Pilot Study

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 4354
Author(s):  
Ghassan Idris ◽  
Claire Smith ◽  
Barbara Galland ◽  
Rachael Taylor ◽  
Christopher John Robertson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Clinical Settings ◽  
Mean Power ◽  
Recording Time ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Wearable Camera ◽  
Home Based

Objectives: To investigate eating episodes in a group of adolescents in their home-setting using wearable electromyography (EMG) and camera, and to evaluate the agreement between the two devices. Approach: Fifteen adolescents (15.5 ± 1.3 years) had a smartphone-assisted wearable-EMG device attached to the jaw to assess chewing features over one evening. EMG outcomes included chewing pace, time, episode count, and mean power. An automated wearable-camera worn on the chest facing outwards recorded four images/minute. The agreement between the camera and the EMG device in detecting eating episodes was evaluated by calculating specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy. Main results: The features of eating episodes identified by EMG throughout the entire recording time were (mean (SD)); chewing pace 1.64 (0.20) Hz, time 10.5 (10.4) minutes, episodes count 56.8 (39.0), and power 32.1% (4.3). The EMG device identified 5.1 (1.8) eating episodes lasting 27:51 (16:14) minutes whereas the cameras indicated 2.4 (2.1) episodes totaling 14:49 (11:18) minutes, showing that the EMG-identified chewing episodes were not all detected by the camera. However, overall accuracy of eating episodes identified ranged from 0.8 to 0.92. Significance: The combination of wearable EMG and camera is a promising tool to investigate eating behaviors in research and clinical-settings.

Winter habitat use by ptarmigan, snowshoe hares, red foxes, and river otters in the boreal forest – tundra transition zone of western Quebec

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 755-764 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario St-Georges ◽  
Simon Nadeau ◽  
Daniel Lambert ◽  
Robert Décarie
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Transition Zone ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Riparian Habitat ◽  
Red Foxes ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Forest Tundra ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Snowshoe Hares

We investigated species–habitat relationships of the midsized fauna inhabiting the transition zone between the boreal forest and forest tundra of subarctic Quebec. Data were collected during a winter aerial track survey of 46 randomly selected 25-km2 plots. The presence of species tracks and habitat variables were recorded for each 1-km section of riparian edge habitat within a plot. Sections of non-riparian habitat were also surveyed. Logistic regression was used to construct habitat models for ptarmigan (Lagopus spp.), snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and river otters (Lutra canadensis). Species' habitat type selection was studied by comparing use and availability. Kendall's correlation coefficients were computed to analyze interrelations between variables. Significant logistic regressions were obtained for each species. The index of rank correlation between the observed responses and predicted probabilities for all pairs of observations ranged from 0.67 for ptarmigan to 0.84 for river otters. Species abundance was negatively associated with latitude except for that of snowshoe hare, which showed a stronger negative link with open habitat. For all species, distribution was not proportional to the frequency of occurrence of habitat types. Non-riparian habitat was either avoided or not significantly preferred by all species. Herbivorous species and river otter selected edge habitats along watercourses. Our study suggests that differences presented by the forest tundra and boreal forest are of importance for wildlife.

scholarly journals User Experiences with a Virtual Alcohol Prevention Simulation for Danish Adolescents

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 6945
Author(s):  
Julie Dalgaard Guldager ◽  
Satayesh Lavasani Kjær ◽  
Patricia Lyk ◽  
Timo Dietrich ◽  
Sharyn Rundle-Thiele ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Alcohol Prevention ◽  
Focus Group Interviews ◽  
School Students ◽  
User Experiences ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Group Interviews

This pilot study explores 31 Danish adolescent user experiences for the newly developed virtual party simulation app—Virtual Reality (VR) FestLab. The main objective of this study was to investigate usability for VR FestLab, which aims to improve alcohol resistance skills for Danish adolescents. A secondary objective was to understand gameplay experiences. The study is a mixed method study that draws on questionnaire data (n = 31) and focus group interviews (n = 10) of boarding school students participating in the pilot study. Descriptive statistics were used to examine quantitative data, and qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Quantitative findings indicated that gameplay experiences of the VR simulation were positive, and all User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) items were answered positively. The focus group interviews showed that adolescents found the simulation to be realistic. Feedback indicated that the group pressure experienced in the simulation was regarded to be less than in real life. Adolescents had varying approaches to playing the VR simulation, they thought the quality of the simulation was good, and only a few users experienced technical difficulties. These initial study findings indicate that VR FestLab is a promising tool for the prevention of alcohol use among adolescents.

The Early Experiences of a National System for the Identification and Assessment of Emerging Health Care Technologies in Sweden

1998 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 687-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Carlsson ◽  
Henric Hultin ◽  
Johanna Törnwall
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Technology Assessment ◽  
Emerging Technologies ◽  
Early Assessment ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Systematic Identification ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis article presents the experiences from a pilot study and the establishment of a permanent system called SBU Alert. The question of establishing a system for the identification and assessment of emerging technologies in health care in Sweden has been on the agenda since the late 1980s. The demand came primarily from policy makers. The pilot study showed that the awareness of the project in the target group (politicians, leading managers, hospital directors, and senior medical advisors) was high. Almost all of those who replied to an assessment questionnaire were in favor of a continuation of the work. In 1997, the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU) was selected to establish a permanent organization. This work has resulted in the identification of a number of methodological problems and tentative solutions concerning all components in the SBU Alert system. We have found that a system for systematic identification and early assessment of emerging technologies is a new and promising tool in the health technology assessment arsenal. Still, experiences are limited. Methodology and the impact of early judgments on decision making need further evaluation.

Short-term rehabilitation of patients with posttraumatic otolith disorders by auditory feedback training: A pilot study

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 137-144
Author(s):  
Arne Ernst ◽  
Fabian Singbartl ◽  
Dietmar Basta ◽  
Rainer O. Seidl ◽  
Ingo Todt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Auditory Feedback ◽  
Vestibular Rehabilitation ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Feedback Training ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Trunk Sway ◽  
One Year

In a prospective, non-randomized pilot study, two groups of patients with dizziness for more than one year due to posttraumatic otolith disorders had been investigated. They were treated by a one-day vestibular rehabilitation training with/without auditory feedback. It could be shown that auditory feedback training for a limited period of time can reduce significantly trunk sway compared to those patients who did vestibular exercises alone without auditory feedback. This audiofeedback-based therapy seems to be a promising tool in the vestibular rehabilitation and in treating patients with otolith disorders in particular. Long-term effects cannot yet be assessed with the present data of our series.

Seasonal diets of red foxes in a boreal forest with a dense population of moose: the importance of winter scavenging

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-398 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Needham ◽  
Morten Odden ◽  
Silje K. Lundstadsveen ◽  
Per Wegge
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Dense Population ◽  
Red Foxes

Practical applications of scanning tunneling microscopy

1989 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
pp. 18-19
Author(s):  
D. R. Denley
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Quantitative Information ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Scanning Tunneling ◽  
Ambient Atmosphere ◽  
Tunneling Microscopy ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Promising Tool

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has recently been introduced as a promising tool for analyzing surface atomic structure. We have used STM for its extremely high resolution (especially the direction normal to surfaces) and its ability for imaging in ambient atmosphere. We have examined surfaces of metals, semiconductors, and molecules deposited on these materials to achieve atomic resolution in favorable cases.When the high resolution capability is coupled with digital data acquisition, it is simple to get quantitative information on surface texture. This is illustrated for the measurement of surface roughness of evaporated gold films as a function of deposition temperature and annealing time in Figure 1. These results show a clear trend for which the roughness, as well as the experimental deviance of the roughness is found to be minimal for evaporation at 300°C. It is also possible to contrast different measures of roughness.

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