Towards Goosepunk: A Contemporary Poetic Treatment of Francis Godwin's 'The Man in the Moone'

This article proposes a retro-futurist mode of science fiction based on seventeenth-century technology and culture. After a brief account of retro-futurist subgenres, named for the technology they are based on with the suffix -punk, I introduce my own poetic reworking of Francis Godwin's 1638 novel The Man in the Moone, one of a group of texts inspired by early modern New Astronomy. The novel's hero flies to the moon in a craft of his own invention drawn by a flock of migrating birds (swans in the original). Godwin's narrative is enjoyable for modern readers for its combination of vivid imagination, accurate speculation and, with hindsight, intriguing counter-factuality. My treatment aims to emphasise these aspects, eliminating other parts of the text such as the picaresque adventures that open the novel. Treated in this way, the story offers similar pleasures to more established modes such as steampunk. Godwin and his contemporaries were heavily dependent on animals for their power: to reflect this, the article proposes the term 'goosepunk' for its early modern retro-futurist subgenre.

Stopover behavior of Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceus) during fall migration on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula

Background For migrating birds, stopover requires spending time and energy that otherwise could be allocated to flying. Thus, birds optimally refuel their subsequent migratory flight by reducing stopover duration or foraging activity in food-rich environments. In coastal habitats, birds may forego refueling and take short stopovers irrespective of local food availability. Given the paucity of studies exploring how migrants adjust stopover behavior in response to temporal variation in food availability, especially in the Neotropics, we fixed radio tags to 51 Red-eyed Vireos (Vireo olivaceous) over two years at two sites on the coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula. Methods We applied VHF radio tags during the fall of 2016 and 2017, and tracked birds using automatic and manual receiving units. We estimated stopover duration and activity levels (one site only) for between six and fifteen birds, depending on site and year. We measured fruit availability weekly along the net lanes where we captured birds. We used a generalized linear model to estimate the relationships between stopover duration/activity level and fruit density, bird body mass and year. We interpreted relationships for the model with the lowest AICc value. Results We found that approximately half of the birds departed on the same day they were captured. For the birds that stayed longer, we could not discern whether they did so because they were light, or fruit density was high. On the other hand, lighter birds were more active than heavier birds but only in one of the two years. Conclusions Given our results, it is unlikely that Red-eyed Vireos refuel along the Yucatan coast. However, they still likely need to recuperate from crossing the Gulf of Mexico, which may necessitate foraging more often if in poor body condition. If the birds then move inland then stopover should be thought of as a large-scale phenomenon, where habitats with different functions may be spread out over a broad landscape.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) parasitizing migrating and local breeding birds in Finland

Ticks are globally renowned vectors for numerous zoonoses, and birds have been identified as important hosts for several species of hard ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) and tick-borne pathogens. Many European bird species overwinter in Africa and Western Asia, consequently migrating back to breeding grounds in Europe in the spring. During these spring migrations, birds may transport exotic tick species (and associated pathogens) to areas outside their typical distribution ranges. In Finland, very few studies have been conducted regarding ticks parasitizing migrating or local birds, and existing data are outdated, likely not reflecting the current situation. Consequently, in 2018, we asked volunteer bird ringers to collect ticks from migrating and local birds, to update current knowledge on ticks found parasitizing birds in Finland. In total 430 ticks were collected from 193 birds belonging to 32 species, caught for ringing between 2018 and 2020. Furthermore, four Ixodes uriae were collected from two roosting islets of sea birds in 2016 and 2020. Ticks collected on birds consisted of: Ixodes ricinus (n = 421), Ixodes arboricola (4), Ixodes lividus (2) and Hyalomma marginatum (3). Ixodes ricinus loads (nymphs and larvae) were highest on thrushes (Passeriformes: Turdidae) and European robins (Erithacus rubecula). The only clearly imported exotic tick species was H. marginatum. This study forms the second report of both I. uriae and I. arboricola from Finland, and possibly the northernmost observation of I. arboricola from Europe. The importation of exotic tick species by migrating birds seems a rare occurrence, as over 97% of all ticks collected from birds arriving in Finland during their spring migrations were I. ricinus, a species native to and abundant in Finland.

Modified Migrating Birds Optimization Algorithm: Multi-Depot Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem

The multi-depot capacitated vehicle routing problem (MDCVRP) is a variation of the vehicle routing problem (VRP) modeled from distribution problems in the industrial world. This problem is a complex optimization problem in the field of operations research in applied mathematics. The MDCVRP is very interesting to discuss and find the best solution method. In this study, the authors apply the modified migrating birds' optimization (MMBO) algorithm, which is a hybrid of the migrating birds' optimization (MMBO) and iterated local search (ILS) algorithms. The purpose of this study is to analyze the results of applying the algorithm in solving MDCVRP. We used 20 MDCVRP data in simulation, grouped into four sizes (25, 50, 75, and 100 points). Based on the results of this research, it is known that the MMBO algorithm can produce the following solutions. First, on the data of 25 points, the experiment reaches the optimal value with small convergent iterations. Second, the best results on the data of 50 points have reached optimal value, but some other results have not been optimal. And, third, for data of 75 and 100 points, there is no optimal solution obtained by the MMBO algorithm. These results conclude that the MMBO algorithm effectively solves the MDCVRP problem with small data, but the bigger data, the more ineffective.Keywords: MDCVRP; VRP; optimization; operation research; applied Mathematics; MMBO. AbstrakMulti-depot capacitated vehicle routing problem (MDCVRP) adalah salah satu variasi dari vehicle routing problem (VRP) yang dimodelkan dari permasalahan distribusi di dunia industri. Permasalahan ini merupakan permasalahan optimasi kompleks dalam bidang riset operasi ilmu matematika terapan. MDCVRP sangat menarik untuk dibahas dan dicari metode penyelesaian terbaik. Dalam penelitian ini, penulis menerapkan algoritma modified migrating birds optimization (MMBO) yang merupakan hybrid algoritma migrating birds optimization (MBO) dan iterated local search (ILS). Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menganalisis hasil penerapan algoritma dalam menyelesaikan MDCVRP. Untuk simulasi, penulis menggunakan 20 data MDCVRP yang dikelompokkan menjadi empat ukuran (25, 50, 75, dan 100 titik). Berdasarkan hasil penelitian yang telah dilakukan, diketahui bahwa algoritma MMBO mampu menghasilkan solusi sebagai berikut. Pertama, Pada data 25 titik, percobaan mencapai nilai optimal dengan iterasi konvergen yang kecil. Kedua, Hasil terbaik pada data 50 titik telah mencapai nilai optimal namun sebagain hasil lainnya belum optimal. Dan ketiga, untuk data 75 dan 100 titik, tidak terdapat solusi optimal yang dihasilkan algoritma MMBO. Dari hasil tersebut dapat disimpulkan bahwa algoritma MMBO efektif untuk menyelesaikan MDCVRP data kecil, namun semakin besar datanya menjadi kurang efektif.Kata kunci: MDCVRP; VRP; optimasi; riset operasi; matematika terapan; MMBO.

Hyperheuristic Based Migrating Birds Optimization Algorithm for a Fairness Oriented Shift Scheduling Problem

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it introduces a new hybrid computational intelligence algorithm to the optimization community. This novel hybrid algorithm has hyperheuristic (HH) neighborhood search movements embedded into a recently introduced migrating birds optimization (MBO) algorithm. Therefore, it is called HHMBO. Second, it gives the necessary mathematical model for a shift scheduling problem of a manufacturing company defined by including the fairness perspective, which is typically ignored especially in manufacturing industry. Therefore, we call this complex optimization problem fairness oriented integrated shift scheduling problem (FOSSP). HHMBO is applied on FOSSP and is compared with the well-known simulated annealing, hyperheuristics, and classical MBO algorithms through extended computational experiments on several synthetic datasets. Experiments demonstrate that the new hybrid computational intelligence algorithm is promising especially for large sized instances of the specific problem defined here. HHMBO has a high exploration capability and is a promising technique for all optimization problems. To justify this assertion, we applied HHMBO to the well-known quadratic assignment problem (QAP) instances from the QAPLIB. HHMBO was up to 14.6% better than MBO on converging to the best known solutions for QAP benchmark instances with different densities. We believe that the novel hybrid method and the fairness oriented model presented in this study will give new insights to the decision-makers in the industry as well as to the researchers from several disciplines.

Groping in the Fog: Soaring Migrants Exhibit Wider Scatter in Flight Directions and Respond Differently to Wind Under Low Visibility Conditions

Atmospheric conditions are known to affect flight propensity, behaviour during flight, and migration route in birds. Yet, the effects of fog have only rarely been studied although they could disrupt orientation and hamper flight. Fog could limit the visibility of migrating birds such that they might not be able to detect landmarks that guide them during their journey. Soaring migrants modulate their flight speed and direction in relation to the wind vector to optimise the cost of transport. Consequently, landmark-based orientation, as well as adjustments of flight speed and direction in relation to wind conditions, could be jeopardised when flying in fog. Using a radar system operated in a migration bottleneck (Strait of Messina, Italy), we studied the behaviour of soaring birds under variable wind and fog conditions over two consecutive springs (2016 and 2017), discovering that migrating birds exhibited a wider scatter of flight directions and responded differently to wind under fog conditions. Birds flying through fog deviated more from the mean migration direction and increased their speed with increasing crosswinds. In addition, airspeed and groundspeed increased in the direction of the crosswind, causing the individuals to drift laterally. Our findings represent the first quantitative empirical evidence of flight behaviour changes when birds migrate through fog and explain why low visibility conditions could risk their migration journey.

Deterring non-target birds from toxic bait sites for wild pigs

Toxic baiting of wild pigs (Sus scrofa) is a potential new tool for population control and damage reduction in the US. Field trials testing a prototype toxic bait (HOGGONE 2 containing 5% sodium nitrite [SN]), though, revealed that wild pigs spilled small particles of toxic bait outside of bait stations which subsequently created hazards for non-target species that consumed those particles, primarily passerine birds. To deter non-target birds from consuming particles of spilled bait, we tested four deterrents at mock bait sites (i.e., baited with bird seed) in north-central Colorado, USA during April–May 2020. We found a programable, inflatable deterrent device (scare dancer) reduced bird visitation by an average of 96%. Then, we evaluated the deterrent devices at SN-toxic bait sites in north-central Texas, USA during July 2020, where the devices were activated the morning following deployment of SN-toxic bait. Overall, we found 139 dead wild pigs at 10 bait sites following one night of toxic baiting, which represented an average of 91% reduction in wild pigs visiting bait sites. We found that deterrent devices were 100% effective at deterring birds from toxic bait sites. We found two dead non-target mice at bait sites without deterrent devices. We noted that deploying toxic bait in mid-summer rather than late-winter/early-spring reduced hazards to migrating birds because they were not present in our study area during July. We recommend using deterrent devices (i.e., novel, programmable, battery operated, continuous and erratic movement, and snapping sounds) to reduce hazards to non-target birds at SN-toxic bait sites. We further recommend deploying SN-toxic bait during seasons when migrating birds are not as abundant until further research demonstrates minimal risks to migrating birds.

Colin James Pennycuick. 11 June 1933—9 December 2019

Colin Pennycuick was almost single-handedly responsible for the successful, and continuing, merger of the engineering and mathematical sciences of aerodynamics and flight mechanics with ornithology, ecology and bird flight behaviour. He developed a mathematical/ aerodynamical/ecological model of bird flight that could explain and predict bird body and wing shapes and sizes, and hence flight behaviour over a broad range of length- and time-scales, for real birds. He sought to bring rigorous quantitative methods to the people, and insisted that no matter how complex and sophisticated a theoretical model may be, unless it showed some improvement and advance in its practical utility, then it was of questionable value. He similarly insisted that model predictions be testable, and that results be openly and quantifiably given. His approach was marked by two distinct characteristics: first he pioneered the use of small aircraft and powered and unpowered gliders to follow soaring and migrating birds in their natural environment, exploiting his top-level pilot skills; second, he invented, designed and built novel instrumentation for making hitherto unheard-of laboratory and field measurements. The most well-known were his tilting wind tunnels, in which birds and bats could be trained to perform steady gliding flight. His intellectually and geographically-broad range of interests and contacts led to his being a giant influence in theoretical and practical bird flight mechanics and behaviour, one that is likely to stay with us for many decades.

Winds aloft over three water bodies influence spring stopover distributions of migrating birds along the Gulf of Mexico coast

Migrating birds contend with dynamic wind conditions that ultimately influence most aspects of their migration, from broad-scale movements to individual decisions about where to rest and refuel. We used weather surveillance radar data to measure spring stopover distributions of northward migrating birds along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast and found a strong influence of winds over nonadjacent water bodies, the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, along with the contiguous Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, we quantified the relative influence of meridional (north–south) and zonal (west–east) wind components over the 3 water bodies on weekly spring stopover densities along western, central, and eastern regions of the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Winds over the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean were just as, or more, influential than winds over the Gulf of Mexico, with the highest stopover densities in the central and eastern regions of the coast following the fastest winds from the east over the Caribbean Sea. In contrast, stopover density along the western region of the coast was most influenced by winds over the Gulf of Mexico, with the highest densities following winds from the south. Our results elucidate the important role of wind conditions over multiple water bodies on region-wide stopover distributions and complement tracking data showing Nearctic–Neotropical birds flying nonstop from South America to the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. Smaller-bodied birds may be particularly sensitive to prevailing wind conditions during nonstop flights over water, with probable orientation and energetic consequences that shape subsequent terrestrial stopover distributions. In the future, the changing climate is likely to alter wind conditions associated with migration, so birds that employ nonstop over-water flight strategies may face growing challenges.

Characterization of Campylobacter spp. Strains Isolated From Wild Birds in Turkey

Turkey is an important stopover site for many migrating birds between Europe, Asia and Africa. Campylobacter spp. are frequently found in wildlife, in particular waterfowl, and distinct strains are disseminated within this reservoir. In this study, 183 wild birds of hunting areas in Turkey were collected and thermophilic Campylobacter spp. from cloacal swabs were isolated at a prevalence of 5.2% from song thrushes (6/116) and 93% from Eurasian coots (41/44). After PCR species differentiation and flaA restriction profiles determination, C. jejuni and C. coli strains were further investigated by whole genome sequencing. PCR target amplification of the ceuE gene, commonly used for C. coli species-identification was inefficient and even hampered in one isolate. A close look on the ceuE sequence revealed that various mismatches in the ceuE oligo annealing sites caused less efficient diagnostic detection. All C. coli isolates belonged to the environmental clade II and clade III, for which thirty-six novel MLST types were identified. Further single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis showed a high genomic divergence between the C. coli isolates. High variability was also implicated for putative plasmid-located genes detected in 51% of the C. coli isolates. Distinct gene variants in clades II and III C. coli were identified by a k-mer analysis. After substracting k-mers in common with C. coli clade I database, 11 and 35 distinct genes were identified in clades II and III isolates, mainly involved in surface structures and modifications as well as signal transduction, suggesting niche adaptation of C. coli strains in wild birds. All strains were susceptible against (fluoro-)quinolones, erythromycin, tetracycline, gentamicin and only one isolate was resistant against streptomycin, suggesting that the sensitive phenotype was due to absence of selective pressure and niche separation in wild birds in Turkey. We conclude that Campylobacter spp. isolates from wildlife and environmental sources are still scarce in the databases and that there is a need for more studies on thermophilic Campylobacter spp. from different places all over the world in order to complement our understanding on dissemination and adaptation to distinct niches of this global food-borne pathogen.