The catscape: spatial manifestation of a pet cat population with outdoor access

The domestic cat (Felis catus) is the most popular companion animal and the most abundant carnivore globally. It is also a pet with an immense ecological footprint, because even non-feral and food-subsidized cats are prolific predators. Whereas knowledge about the spatial behavior of individual domestic cats is growing, we still know little about how a local population of free-ranging pet cats occupies the landscape. Using a citizen science approach, we GPS-tagged 92 pet cats with outdoor access living in a residential area in southern Norway. The resulting position data allowed us to construct both individual home range kernels and a population-level utilization distribution. Our results reveal a dense predatory blanket that outdoor cats drape over and beyond the urban landscape. It is this population-level intensity surface - the catscape - that potential prey have to navigate. There were almost no gaps in the catscape within our residential study area and therefore few terrestrial refuges from potential cat predation. However, cats spent on average 79% of their outdoor time within 50 meters to their owner's home, which suggests that the primary impact is local and most acute for wildlife in the vicinity to homes with cats. We discuss the catscape as a conceptual and quantitative tool for better understanding and mitigating the environmental impact of domestic cats.

Characterizing Mobility Patterns of Forest Goers in Southern Lao PDR using GPS Loggers.

Background In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), forest-going populations are considered high-risk populations for malaria and are increasingly targeted by national control programs’ elimination efforts. A better understanding of forest-going populations’ mobility patterns and risk associated with specific types of forest-going trips is necessary for countries in the GMS to achieve their objective of eliminating malaria by 2030. Methods Between March and November 2018, as part of a focal test and treat intervention (FTAT), we recruited 2,904 forest-goers in southern Lao PDR. A subset of forest-goers carried an “i-Got-U” GPS logger for roughly two months, configured to collect GPS coordinates every 15 to 30 minutes. The utilization distribution (UD) surface around each GPS trajectory was used to extract trips to the forest and forest-fringes. Trips with shared mobility characteristics in terms of duration, timing and forest penetration were identified by a hierarchical clustering algorithm. Then, clusters of trips with increased exposure to dominant malaria vectors in the region were further classified as high-risk. Finally, we used gradient boosting trees to assess which of the forest-goers’ socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics best predicted their likelihood to engage in such high-risk trips. Results A total of 122 forest-goers accepted carrying a GPS logger resulting in the collection of 803 trips to the forest or forest-fringes. Six clusters of trips emerged, helping to classify 385 (48%) trips with increased exposure to malaria vectors based on high forest penetration and whether the trip happened overnight. Age, outdoor sleeping structures and number of children were the best predictors of forest-goers’ probability of engaging in high-risk trips. The probability of engaging in high-risk trips was high (~33%) in all strata of the forest-going population. Conclusion This study characterized the heterogeneity within the mobility patterns of forest-goers and attempted to further segment their role in malaria transmission in southern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). National control programs across the region can leverage these results to tailor their interventions and messaging to high-risk populations and accelerate malaria elimination.

Food resources affect territoriality of invasive wild pig sounders with implications for control

Interest in control methods for invasive wild pigs (Sus scrofa) has increased due to their range expansion, population growth, and an improved understanding of their destructive ecological and economic effects. Recent technological advances in traps for control of pig populations facilitate capture of entire social groups (sounders), but the efficacy of “whole-sounder” trapping strategies is heavily dependent on the degree of territoriality among sounders, a topic little research has explored. We assessed territoriality in wild pig sounders on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA, and examined whether availability of food resources provided by a municipal-waste landfill affected among-sounder territoriality. We estimated utilization distribution overlap and dynamic interactions among 18 neighboring sounders around a landfill. We found that although neighboring sounders overlapped in space, intensity of use in shared areas was uniformly low, indicating territorial behavior. Neighbors tended to share slightly more space when closer to the landfill waste cells, indicating availability of a super-abundant resource somewhat weakens the degree of territoriality among sounders. Nevertheless, we conclude that sounders behaved in a generally territorial manner, and we discuss implications for whole-sounder trapping programs, particularly near concentrated resources such as landfills and crop fields.

Characterizing Mobility Patterns of Forest Goers in Southern Lao PDR using GPS Loggers.

Background: In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), engaging in forest activities is a major risk factor for malaria. As countries focus their malaria control and elimination efforts on forest-going populations, a better understanding of their mobility patterns and risk associated with specific types of forest-going trips is essential. Methods: Between May and November 2018, we conducted a focal test and treat intervention (FTAT) in Champasak Province, southern Lao PDR, and recruited 2,904 forest-goers in our study. A subset of forest-goers were offered to carry a “i-Got-U” GPS logger for roughly two months, configured to collect GPS coordinates every 15 to 30 minutes. The utilization distribution (UD) surface around each GPS trajectory was used to extract trips to the forest and forest-fringes. Trips with shared mobility characteristics in terms of duration, timing and forest penetration were identified by a hierarchical clustering algorithm and clusters of trips with increased exposure to dominant malaria vectors in the region were further classified as high-risk. Finally, we used gradient boosting trees to assess which of the forest-goers’ socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics best predicted their likelihood to engage in such high-risk trips. Results: A total of 122 forest-goers accepted carrying a GPS logger resulting in the collection of 803 trips to the forest or forest-fringes. Six clusters of trips emerged, helping to classify 385 (48%) trips with increased exposure to malaria vectors based on high forest penetration and whether the trip happened overnight. Age, outdoor sleeping structures and number of children were the best predictors of forest-goers’ probability of engaging in high-risk trips. The probability of engaging in high-risk trips was high (~33%) in all strata of the forest-going population.Conclusion: This study characterized the heterogeneity within the mobility patterns of forest-goers and attempted to further segment their role in malaria transmission in southern Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR). These results are key for national control programs across the region to tailor their interventions and messaging to high-risk populations and meet their 2030 malaria elimination goals.

Shifting of the Migration Route of White-Naped Crane (Antigone vipio) Due to Wetland Loss in China

In the last 15 years, the west population of white-naped crane (Antigone vipio) decreased dramatically despite the enhanced conservation actions in both breeding and wintering areas. Recent studies highlighted the importance of protecting the integrity of movement connectivity for migratory birds. Widespread and rapid landcover changes may exceed the adaptive capacity of migrants, leading to the collapse of migratory networks. In this study, using satellite tracking data, we modeled and characterized the migration routes of the white-naped crane at three spatial levels (core area, migratory corridor, and migratory path) based on the utilization distribution for two eras (1990s and 2010s) spanning 20 years. Our analysis demonstrated that the white-naped crane shifted its migratory route, which is supported by other lines of evidences. The widespread loss of wetlands, especially within the stopover sites, might have caused this behavioral adaptation. Moreover, our analysis indicated that the long-term sustainability of the new route is untested and likely to be questionable. Therefore, directing conservation effects to the new route might be insufficient for the long-term wellbeing of this threatened crane and large-scale wetland restorations in Bohai Bay, a critical stopover site in the East Asian-Australasian flyway, are of the utmost importance to the conservation of this species.

Conflicts of interest (COI) among the UpToDate oncology management authors.

e13573 Background: UpToDate is an evidence based clinical resource designed to provide current clinical information. It is a widely used clinical practice tool providing evidenced based recommendations for diagnosis, management, and therapy. The extent of COI among the UpToDate authors has not been well studied. Our study evaluated the extent of COI of UpToDate authors involved in medical management recommendations for the 10 most common cancers in United States. Methods: We examined the latest November 2020 version of the UpToDate clinical management recommendations for 10 most common cancers. Using disclosure lists, we catalogued COIs for participants in each work group. The categories included: Category I- Grant/Research/Clinical Trial Support; Category II- Consultant/Scientific Advisory Boards/Expert witness; Category III- Speakers Bureau; Category IV- Equity Ownership/Stock Options/Patent holder/Employment/Other Financial Interest; and Category V- Spouse/Domestic Partner/Dependent Potential Conflict. We cataloged the companies/institutions involved in each disclosure. An “episode” describes 1 instance of participation of an individual in 1 company in 1 category for each cancer section. Results: There was a total of 207 authors including section and deputy editors of oncology management section. All authors completed their COI disclosures (100%). 128 (62%) of a total of 207 individuals reported COIs. A total of 1343 episodes were disclosed. We found that each author had an average of 10.49 episodes overall. Authors involved in Category I, II, III, IV & V were 6.3%, 13.5%, 3.2%, 4.7% and 1.6% respectively. 29.36% authors were involved both in Category I and II. A total of 672 company affiliations were associated with COI disclosure. AstraZeneca (6.10%), Merck (4.31%) and Novartis (2.68%) were the companies most frequently reported. The guideline with the maximum episodes (223) was prostate cancer. Conclusions: COIs are prevalent among authors of UpToDate clinical management recommendations. More than ½ of the participants disclosed at least 1 COI, but there appears to be a substantial number of experienced experts without COIs. Further research studies are necessary to determine the impact of these COIs on clinical practice patterns and resource utilization. Distribution of COI and total episodes.[Table: see text]

Community transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis is associated with activity space overlap in Lima, Peru

Background Transmission of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDRTB) requires spatial proximity between infectious cases and susceptible persons. We assess activity space overlap among MDRTB cases and community controls to identify potential areas of transmission. Methods We enrolled 35 MDRTB cases and 64 TB-free community controls in Lima, Peru. Cases were whole genome sequenced and strain clustering was used as a proxy for transmission. GPS data were gathered from participants over seven days. Kernel density estimation methods were used to construct activity spaces from GPS locations and the utilization distribution overlap index (UDOI) was used to quantify activity space overlap. Results Activity spaces of controls (median = 35.6 km2, IQR = 25.1–54) were larger than cases (median = 21.3 km2, IQR = 17.9–48.6) (P = 0.02). Activity space overlap was greatest among genetically clustered cases (mean UDOI = 0.63, sd = 0.67) and lowest between cases and controls (mean UDOI = 0.13, sd = 0.28). UDOI was positively associated with genetic similarity of MDRTB strains between case pairs (P < 0.001). The odds of two cases being genetically clustered increased by 22% per 0.10 increase in UDOI (OR = 1.22, CI = 1.09–1.36, P < 0.001). Conclusions Activity space overlap is associated with MDRTB clustering. MDRTB transmission may be occurring in small, overlapping activity spaces in community settings. GPS studies may be useful in identifying new areas of MDRTB transmission.

Solving the Sample Size Problem for Resource Selection Analysis

Sample size sufficiency is a critical consideration for conducting Resource-Selection Analyses (RSAs) from GPS-based animal telemetry. Cited thresholds for sufficiency include a number of captured animals M ≥ 30 and as many relocations per animal N as possible. These thresholds render many RSA-based studies misleading if large sample sizes were truly insufficient, or unpublishable if small sample sizes were sufficient but failed to meet reviewer expectations.We provide the first comprehensive solution for RSA sample size by deriving closed-form mathematical expressions for the number of animals M and the number of relocations per animal N required for model outputs to a given degree of precision. The sample sizes needed depend on just 2 biologically meaningful quantities: habitat selection strength and a novel measure of landscape complexity, which we define rigorously. The mathematical expressions are calculable for any environmental dataset at any spatial scale and are applicable to any study involving resource selection (including sessile organisms). We validate our analytical solutions using globally relevant empirical data including 5,678,623 GPS locations from 511 animals from 10 species (omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores living in boreal, temperate, and tropical forests, montane woodlands, swamps, and arctic tundra).Our analytic expressions show that the required M and N must decline with increasing selection strength and increasing landscape complexity, and this decline is insensitive to the definition of availability used in the analysis. Our results contradict conventional wisdom by demonstrating that the most biologically relevant effects on the utilization distribution (i.e. those landscape conditions with the greatest absolute magnitude of resource selection) can often be estimated with far fewer data than is commonly assumed.We identify several critical steps in implementing these equations, including (i) a priori selection of expected model coefficients, and (ii) sampling intensity for background (absence/pseudo-absence) data within a given definition of availability. We show that random sampling of background data violates the underlying mathematics of RSA, leading to incorrect values for necessary M and N and potentially incorrect RSA model outputs. We argue that these equations should be a mandatory component for all future RSA studies.

Black kites of different age and sex show similar avoidance responses to wind turbines during migration

Populations of soaring birds are often impacted by wind-power generation. Sex and age bias in turbine collisions can exacerbate these impacts through demographic changes that can lead to population decline or collapse. While several studies have reported sex and age differences in the number of soaring birds killed by turbines, it remains unclear if they result from different abundances or group-specific turbine avoidance behaviours, the latter having severer consequences. We investigated sex and age effects on turbine avoidance behaviour of black kites ( Milvus migrans ) during migration near the Strait of Gibraltar. We tracked the movements of 135 individuals with GPS data loggers in an area with high density of turbines and then modelled the effect of proximity of turbines on bird utilization distribution (UD). Both sexes and age classes showed similar patterns of displacement, with reduced UD values in the proximity of turbines and a clear peak at 700–850 m away, probably marking the distance at which most birds turn direction to avoid approaching the turbines further. The consistency of these patterns indicates that displacement range can be used as an accurate proxy for collision risk and habitat loss, and should be incorporated in environmental impact assessment studies.