Occupancy and abundance of large macaws in the Beni savannahs, Bolivia

AbstractMonitoring of wild populations is central to species conservation and can pose a number of challenges. To identify trends in populations of parrots, monitoring programmes that explicitly take detectability into account are needed. We assessed an occupancy model that explicitly accounted for detectability as a tool for monitoring the large macaws of Bolivia's Beni savannahs: the blue-throated Ara glaucogularis, blue-and-yellow Ara ararauna and red-and-green macaws Ara chloropterus. We also evaluated the joint presence of the three macaw species and estimated their abundance in occupied areas. We modelled occupancy and detection for the three macaw species by combining several site and visit covariates and we described their conditional occupancy. Macaws occupied two thirds of the surveyed area and at least two species occurred together in one third of this area. Probability of detection was 0.48–0.86. For each macaw species, occupancy was affected by the abundance of the other two species, the richness of cavity-nesting species, and the distance to the nearest village. We identified key priority areas for the conservation of these macaws. The flexibility of occupancy methods provides an efficient tool for monitoring macaw occupancy at the landscape level, facilitating prediction of the range of macaw species at a large number of sites, with relatively little effort. This technique could be used in other regions in which the monitoring of threatened parrot populations requires innovative approaches.

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Identification of medicinal plant Schisandra chinensis using a potential DNA barcode ITS2

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae ◽

10.5586/asbp.2013.032 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 82 (4) ◽

pp. 283-288 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Xian-kuan Li ◽

Bing Wang ◽

Rong-chun Han ◽

Yan-chao Zheng ◽

Hai-bo Yin Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dna Barcode ◽

Population Level ◽

Species Level ◽

Its2 Region ◽

Schisandra Chinensis ◽

Success Rates ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Efficient Tool ◽

Different Populations ◽

Cultivated Populations

To test whether the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region is an effective marker for using in authenticating of the Schisandra chinensis at the species and population levels, separately. And the results showed that the wild populations had higher percentage of individuals that had substitution of C→A at site 86-bp than the cultivated populations. At sites 10-bp, 37-bp, 42-bp and 235-bp, these bases of the Schisandra sphenanthera samples differed from that of S. chinensis. Two species showed higher levels of inter-specific divergence than intra-specific divergence within ITS2 sequences. However, 24 populations did not demonstrate much difference as inter-specific and intra-specific divergences were concerned. Both S. chinensis and S. sphenanthera showed monophyly at species level, yet the samples of different populations shown polyphyly at population level. ITS2 performed well when using BLAST1 method. ITS2 obtained 100% identification success rates at the species level for S. chinensis, with no ambiguous identification at the genus level for ITS2 alone. The ITS2 region could be used to identify S. chinensis and S. sphenanthera in the “Chinese Pharmacopoeia”. And it could also correctly distinguish 100% of species and 100% of genera from the 193 sequences of S. chinensis. Hence, the ITS2 is a powerful and efficient tool for species identification of S. chinensis.

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Federal Aviation Administration’s Probability of Detection Testing Results for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)

10.1115/qnde2021-75122 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Paul Swindell ◽

Danielle Stephens

Keyword(s):

Structural Health Monitoring ◽

Health Monitoring ◽

Federal Aviation Administration ◽

Steering Committee ◽

Probability Of Detection ◽

The Other ◽

Atlantic City ◽

Commercial Aviation ◽

Structural Health ◽

Set Up

Abstract The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been participating with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Aerospace Industry Steering Committee (AISC) to develop a methodology for calculating the Probability of Detection (POD) for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) for damage detection on commercial aviation. Two POD methodologies were developed: one by Dr. William Meeker, Iowa State University, and the other by Dennis Roach, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). With Dr. Seth Kessler, Metis Design Corp, a test program of 24 samples of aluminum strips to be fatigued on MTS machines was developed. The samples were designed to meet the ASTM E647. Twelve samples had two SHM modalities on the front and back from Metis (PZT and carbon nanotubes), and the other twelve had SHM sensors from Structural Monitoring Systems (SMS) (comparative vacuum monitoring – CVM) and Acellent Technologies (PZT). The tests were performed at the FAA William J Hughes Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ. The samples were cycled every 1500 cycles and then stopped for SHM data collection. Once the crack exceeded 0.125 inches and provided for a minimum of 15 inspections, a new sample was tested until all 12 samples were completed. The data was provided to each company to be set up in the format needed to run through the POD methodologies. Then the data was provided to Dr. Meeker and Dr. Roach for analysis. This paper will provide the results of those tests.

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A two-species occupancy model accommodating simultaneous spatial and interspecific dependence

Ecology ◽

10.1890/15-1193.1 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 97 (1) ◽

pp. 48-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Christopher T. Rota ◽

Christopher K. Wikle ◽

Roland W. Kays ◽

Tavis D. Forrester ◽

William J. McShea ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupancy Model ◽

Species Occupancy

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Does taxonomic diversity in indicator groups influence their effectiveness in identifying priority areas for species conservation?

Animal Conservation ◽

10.1111/j.1469-1795.2008.00211.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 546-554 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

J. Bladt ◽

F. W. Larsen ◽

C. Rahbek

Keyword(s):

Species Conservation ◽

Taxonomic Diversity ◽

Priority Areas

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Essential Bacterial Functions Encoded by Gene Pairs

Journal of Bacteriology ◽

10.1128/jb.01381-06 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 189 (2) ◽

pp. 591-602 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Helena B. Thomaides ◽

Ella J. Davison ◽

Lisa Burston ◽

Hazel Johnson ◽

David R. Brown ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bacillus Subtilis ◽

Gene Duplication ◽

Minimal Medium ◽

Single Gene ◽

Species Conservation ◽

The Other ◽

Bacterial Genomes ◽

Putative Protein ◽

Gene Pairs ◽

New Genes

ABSTRACT To address the need for new antibacterials, a number of bacterial genomes have been systematically disrupted to identify essential genes. Such programs have focused on the disruption of single genes and may have missed functions encoded by gene pairs or multiple genes. In this work, we hypothesized that we could predict the identity of pairs of proteins within one organism that have the same function. We identified 135 putative protein pairs in Bacillus subtilis and attempted to disrupt the genes forming these, singly and then in pairs. The single gene disruptions revealed new genes that could not be disrupted individually and other genes required for growth in minimal medium or for sporulation. The pairwise disruptions revealed seven pairs of proteins that are likely to have the same function, as the presence of one protein can compensate for the absence of the other. Six of these pairs are essential for bacterial viability and in four cases show a pattern of species conservation appropriate for potential antibacterial development. This work highlights the importance of combinatorial studies in understanding gene duplication and identifying functional redundancy.

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Nursery substrates and provenances influence rooting performance of juvenile, single-node vine cuttings of Gnetum africanum Welw. (Gnetaceae)

Afrika Focus ◽

10.21825/af.v27i3.4907 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Roseline Gusua Caspa ◽

Apollinaire Biloso ◽

Claude Akalakou ◽

Joseph Mafolo ◽

Alain Tsobeng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Logistic Regression ◽

Low Cost ◽

Fine Sand ◽

Shoot Development ◽

The Other ◽

Wild Populations ◽

Leaf Production ◽

Single Node ◽

Planting Material ◽

Centre Region

Gnetum africanum Welw. (Gnetaceae) is a forest vine that is highly valued for its leaves which are a source of food and income. Because wild populations are threatened by over-harvesting, there is an increasing need to cultivate the plant, which in turn entails a need for developing good quality planting material. This study investigates the effects of four provenances, four substrates and their interactions on rooting and shoot development of vine cuttings of G. africanum using the non-mist propagation system developed by ICRAF. Single-node, half-leafed vine cuttings were used and data on rooting and leaf production were collected monthly from the second to the fifth months. Rooting percentages were subjected to analysis of variance using logistic regression procedures in Genstat version 12. Provenance (P<0.001), substrate (P<0.001) and interaction between provenance and substrate (P<0.001) showed highly significant effects on rooting. Excel was used to determine rooting percentages, with the highest observed in fine sand on cuttings from Lekie- Assi (81%) and Boumnyebel (79%) which are high G. africanum exploitation areas in the Centre Region of Cameroon. Boumnyebel showed a signficantly higher shoot development than the other provenances. Fine sand and sharp sand can be recommended for rapid, low-cost production of G. africanum planting material. Key words: domestication, rooting substrate, non-mist propagator, vine cuttings

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Utilizing environmental DNA for wide-range distributions of reproductive area of an invasive terrestrial toad in Ishikari river basin in Japan

Biological Invasions ◽

10.1007/s10530-021-02709-y ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hiroki Mizumoto ◽

Osamu Kishida ◽

Kotaro Takai ◽

Naru Matsuura ◽

Hitoshi Araki

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

River Basin ◽

Water Samples ◽

Environmental Dna ◽

Watershed Scale ◽

Efficient Tool ◽

Occupancy Model ◽

Wide Range ◽

Powerful Means ◽

In The Wild

AbstractUnderstanding the distribution of invasive species and their reproductive area is crucial for their managements after invasion. While catch and observation surveys are still embraced, environmental DNA (eDNA) has been increasingly utilized as an efficient tool for identifying these species in the wild. In this study, we developed a Bufo-specific eDNA assay for detecting an invasive, toxic, and terrestrial toad species Bufo japonicus formosus in Hokkaido, Japan, and applied it to their reproductive area at watershed scale. The eDNA assay was field-validated in ponds where B. japonicus were observed, as well as in rivers downstream of the reproductive ponds. Thus, the assay provided us an opportunity to screen watersheds that include their reproductive area by collecting downstream water samples. Applying it to the Ishikari river basin, the largest river basin in Hokkaido (c.a., 14,330 km2), we detected toad eDNA at 32 out of 73 sampling sites. They are composed of eleven sites with species observation records nearby (all the sites with observation records within a 500 m radius) and 21 sites without such records. And those eDNA detections were from twelve out of 31 river systems in the entire river basin. A Bayesian, multiscale occupancy model supported high eDNA detectability among those sites. These results suggest that the eDNA assay can efficiently estimate the presence of reproductive area of the terrestrial toad even from a distant downstream of the watershed, and that it provides a powerful means of detecting new reproductive area and monitoring further spread of invasive species.

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Using Instant Feedback System And Micro Exams To Enhance Active Learning

American Journal of Engineering Education (AJEE) ◽

10.19030/ajee.v3i2.7442 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 115-122 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

N. Sabag ◽

S. Kosolapov

Keyword(s):

Active Learning ◽

Feedback System ◽

The Other ◽

Preliminary Survey ◽

Efficient Tool ◽

Active Involvement ◽

Academic Achievements ◽

Analog Electronics ◽

To Come

This paper presents the outcomes of the preliminary survey in which the method of IFS was used to integrate motivating questions into the lecture presentations in order to increase the students' involvement. Instant Feedback System (IFS) enables the educators to improve their own teaching by getting instant and real-time feedback about how clear the lesson for the students is; it also advances the students' participation and active involvement that improves the understanding of the learned materials. Our long term objectives are to conduct a series of studies to explore both technological and didactic aspects of integrating the IFS system into engineering education. As a first step in our long journey, we designed a new academic course of analog electronics with motivating questions embedded. A ten minute micro exam was conducted every three weeks, during the lesson. The students expressed opinions like:" my recommendation is to keep teaching this way. I believe in active learning during the lectures, it motivates me to come and participate in the lectures." And: "It drives the students to participate in all the lectures of the course. The motivating questions and the micro exams are an efficient tool to bring the students into the lectures." Half of the students chose to participate in one micro exam at least while the other half did not; the academic achievements of the motivated group showed a 26 points advantage in comparison to the other group. The lecturer's conclusions and his perceptions are described in this paper as well.

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Transsaccadic integration operates independently in different feature dimensions

10.1101/2021.06.03.446892 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Garry Kong ◽

David Aagten-Murphy ◽

Jessica MV McMaster ◽

Paul M Bays

Keyword(s):

Visual System ◽

Peripheral Vision ◽

Probability Of Detection ◽

Visual Input ◽

The Other ◽

Feature Change ◽

Observer Model ◽

Transsaccadic Integration ◽

Gaze Fixations

Our knowledge about objects in our environment reflects an integration of current visual input with information from preceding gaze fixations. Such a mechanism may reduce uncertainty, but requires the visual system to determine which information obtained in different fixations should be combined or kept separate. To investigate the basis of this decision, we conducted three experiments. Participants viewed a stimulus in their peripheral vision, then made a saccade that shifted the object into the opposite hemifield. During the saccade, the object underwent changes of varying magnitude in two feature dimensions (Experiment 1: color and location, Experiments 2 and 3: color and orientation). Participants reported whether they detected any change and estimated one of the post-saccadic features. Integration of pre-saccadic with post-saccadic input was observed as a bias in estimates towards the pre-saccadic feature value. In all experiments, pre-saccadic bias weakened as the magnitude of the transsaccadic change in the estimated feature increased. Changes in the other feature, despite having a similar probability of detection, had no effect on integration. Results were quantitatively captured by an observer model where the decision whether to integrate information from sequential fixations is made independently for each feature and coupled to awareness of a feature change.

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Chicago’s Urban Cemeteries as Habitat for Cavity-Nesting Birds

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11123258 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3258 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Alexis D. Smith ◽

Emily Minor

Keyword(s):

Tree Species ◽

Local Level ◽

Bird Species ◽

Canopy Cover ◽

Bird Species Richness ◽

Individual Bird ◽

Tree Cavities ◽

Cavity Nesting ◽

Naturally Occurring ◽

Landscape Level

Although not explicitly managed for conservation, urban cemeteries may provide a reserve of dead and dying trees for cavity-nesting birds. However, the ability of urban cemeteries to support these birds on current landscapes is largely unknown. We surveyed cavity-nesting birds and their habitat in 18 cemeteries in Chicago, Illinois (USA). At each location, we examined vegetation, availability of gravestones and monuments for perches, and landscape-level environmental conditions. We tested the importance of these variables for presence of individual bird species, and for overall richness of native cavity-nesting birds. We also assessed the availability and characteristics of tree cavities and their distribution among different tree species. We found that most cemeteries contained at least one dead or dying tree. Across all sampled areas, we detected 207 naturally-occurring and 77 excavated tree cavities. Tree species generally supported cavities in proportion to their abundance. We observed 12 native and two non-native cavity-nesting bird species in the cemeteries. Cavity-nesting bird species richness was best explained by landscape-level variables such as canopy cover and distance to water, but local-level variables (e.g., number of graves in a 50 m radius) influenced habitat selection for some species. Based on our results, we make suggestions for how both existing cemeteries and new “green” cemeteries can support biodiversity conservation.

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