Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuhong Huang, Xuanhong Zhong, Zhuyu Feng, Shujing Lin, Hongkuan Yuan, Hong Chen
Summary: The thermoelectric properties of two-dimensional NaCuX (X = S, Se) are studied using first-principles based Boltzmann transport theory. The NaCuX monolayers exhibit high Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity, resulting in a high power factor. The lattice thermal conductivity is significantly reduced due to anharmonic phonon behavior. The predicted figure of merit increases with temperature, indicating that NaCuS and NaCuSe monolayers are promising thermoelectric materials at high temperatures.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Nica Huber, Christian Ginzler, Robert Pazur, Patrice Descombes, Andri Baltensweiler, Klaus Ecker, Eliane Meier, Bronwyn Price
Summary: This study used a phytosociological alliance model to simulate the spatial distribution of 20 permanent grassland habitats in Switzerland at a resolution of 10x10 m. The distribution maps were generated using ensemble models and a weighting approach based on expert knowledge. The results showed that most individual maps had good predictive performance and the most and second most likely habitat types were ecologically related. The study demonstrates the potential of using earth observation data at fine resolution for mapping habitats and supporting conservation efforts.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sarah P. Maxwell, Chris Brooks, Pyung Kim, Dohyeong Kim, Connie L. McNeely, Kevin Thomas
Summary: The extent and reporting of tick-borne diseases (TBDs) in the US are largely unknown. Geographic location may affect diagnostic and treatment options. By employing a mixture of data analysis methods and a One Health approach, this study establishes a link between deer population density and TBDs in humans and canines. The findings suggest the need for multi-modal data analysis to estimate disease risk and inform public health policy and practice.
Article
Ecology
Maider Iglesias-Carrasco, Joseph A. Tobias, David A. Duchene
Summary: Studies have shown that species with traits promoting urban colonization have historically undergone faster diversification compared to urban-avoidant species, indicating that urbanization favors clades with a historical tendency towards rapid speciation or reduced extinction. Additionally, a portion of urban-avoidant passerines have been found to be recent and undergoing fast diversification.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Matthew R. Eizenga, Luke D. Flewwelling, Tanisha Warrier, Graham R. Scott
Summary: The impacts of warming temperatures associated with climate change on performance traits in mammals are poorly understood. This study examined the thermal performance curve of endurance running capacity at high temperatures in deer mice. The results showed that endurance capacity was maintained across a range of ambient temperatures but was reduced above 35 degrees C, and the reductions were associated with body temperature above 40 degrees C. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms by which warming temperatures affect deer mice and offer a general approach for studying thermal performance in small mammals.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Siyu Liu, Pengyue Gao, Andreas Hermann, Guochun Yang, Jian Lv, Yanming Ma, Ho-Kwang Mao, Yanchao Wang
Summary: A hitherto unknown sulfur-oxygen compound, S3O4, is found to be stable under high-pressure conditions. This compound is speculated to be produced via redox reactions involving subducted sulfur-bearing minerals and iron, and decomposes into sulfur dioxide and sulfur at shallow depths. These findings may provide a resolution to the excess sulfur degassing paradox during volcanic eruptions and offer a viable mechanism for sulfur exchange between Earth's surface and the lower mantle.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Vladimir P. Filonenko, Rustem Kh. Bagramov, Igor P. Zibrov, Nikolay M. Chtchelkachev, Sergey G. Lyapin, Pavel V. Enkovich, Vadim V. Brazhkin
Summary: This study synthesized heavily boron-doped graphite using a high-pressure technique and investigated the substitution of carbon by boron in the graphene layer. The transformation of heavily boron-doped graphite into a diamond lattice was observed at a pressure of approximately 7.5 GPa, and five-pointed star-shaped boron-doped diamond crystals were discovered. The growth mechanism of these crystals involves cyclic twinning and is likely influenced by the presence of a fluid phase and the presence of boron in the diamond lattice.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Michael. J. Lain, Emma Kendrick
Summary: Commercial lithium ion cells were disassembled for electrode evaluation, showing three limiting processes during high rate pulse power tests, and specific charge and discharge parameters were identified for different power levels.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Timothy Gburek, Brian Siana, Anahita Alavi, Najmeh Emami, Johan Richard, William R. Freeman, Daniel P. Stark, Christopher Snapp-Kolas
Summary: We present a composite spectrum of 16 typical gravitationally lensed star-forming dwarf galaxies at 1.7 ≤ z ≤ 2.6. These galaxies have a median stellar mass of log(M-*/M-circle star)(med) =8.29(-0.43)(+0.51) and a median star formation rate of SFRH alpha med =2.25-(+2.15)(1.26) M-circle dot yr(-1). Our results show no metallicity evolution in relation to stellar mass and star formation rate at z similar to 2.
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Risto K. Heikkinen, Linda Kartano, Niko Leikola, Juha Aalto, Kaisu Aapala, Saija Kuusela, Raimo Virkkala
Summary: The Habitats Directive of the European Union aims to support the conservation of rare, threatened or endemic species, but climate change and adverse land use may pose challenges to maintaining a favourable conservation status for these species.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Stephanie Pulsford, Louisa Roberts, Mark Elford
Summary: Invasive species like vertebrate herbivores pose threats to native ecosystems through their impact on vegetation, competition, and ecosystem engineering, as well as the spread of disease. In Australia's mountainous regions, Sambar Deer are increasingly threatening fragile and endangered ecosystems, alongside climate change. Current methods of controlling these impacts are limited to lethal control programs involving shooting or fencing. This study compared two shooting methods for controlling Sambar Deer in a mountainous area and found that thermally assisted aerial culling was more effective than ground shooting.
ECOLOGICAL MANAGEMENT & RESTORATION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Mitsuko Hiruma, Hayato Takada, Akane Washida, Shinsuke Koike
Summary: This study finds that the diets of native sika deer and Japanese serows overlap when shared food resources are limited, suggesting potential food resource competition in alpine desert areas.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Zhiwei Liu, Chuantao Zheng, Tianyu Zhang, Yu Zhang, Yiding Wang, Frank K. Tittel
Summary: A near-infrared methane sensor system for carbon isotopic abundance analysis was developed based on LAS technology, with wavelet denoising used for signal pre-treatment. Linear regression and neural network prediction algorithms were employed for molecule fraction retrieval, showing enhanced sensitivity and potential for multi-parameter analysis using a single LAS-based sensor system.
Article
Forestry
Baptiste Brault, Jean-Pierre Tremblay, Nelson Thiffault, Alejandro A. Royo, Steeve D. Cote
Summary: Browsing can be an environmental stress to forest ecosystems, and tree planting may not be sufficient for forest restoration when browsing pressure is ongoing. Factors such as browsing intensity and density of neighboring tree species can affect balsam fir growth.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Alister B. Cunje, Andrew J. Dombard, Eldar Z. Noe Dobrea
Summary: The study focuses on the shallow craters ranging from 200 m to 1 km in diameter in the cold, northern high-latitudes around the Phoenix landing site. These craters could provide insights into the subsurface ice content of the region. The researchers used finite element modeling to determine if these craters are indicative of topographic relaxation due to substantial ice in the subsurface. The findings suggest that there may be a higher abundance of ice in the region than currently estimated.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Matthew Wood, Simon Chamaille-Jammes, Almuth Hammerbacher, Adrian M. Shrader
Summary: The study found that elephants can locate water sources olfactorily, but were unable to find distilled water sources in the experiments. They were able to detect three VOCs associated with water, indicating that they may rely on unique odor profiles or other VOCs to identify water sources.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Lois Morel, Vincent Jung, Simon Chollet, Frederic Ysnel, Lou Barbe
Summary: The study proposes a new method to estimate dark diversity based on the co-occurrence of functional features. By comparing the taxonomic and functional dark diversity of recent woodlands and ancient forests, it shows clear differences in composition. Functional dark diversity provides novel perspectives for ecological diagnostic and restoration.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Justin P. Suraci, Justine A. Smith, Simon Chamaille-Jammes, Kaitlyn M. Gaynor, Menna Jones, Barney Luttbeg, Euan G. Ritchie, Michael J. Sheriff, Andrew Sih
Summary: Predation risk, influenced by animal behavior and environmental conditions, is crucial in theoretical and applied ecology. Research often overlooks ecological complexities and relies on proxies for actual risk, such as predator-prey spatial overlap. Emerging technologies and statistical methods are aiding in a more detailed understanding of predator-prey interactions, leading to improved targeting and effectiveness of conservation interventions.
Article
Ecology
Lucie Thel, Simon Chamaille-Jammes, Christophe Bonenfant
Summary: This study classified 52 previously published metrics for characterizing the phenology of births in large herbivores based on biological characteristics. The metrics were then evaluated using simulation data, and important criteria were used to score each metric. The study found that a high correlation exists among the many metrics, suggesting that such diversity is unnecessary. The study also showed that simpler metrics are often better and that circular statistics and tests for statistical distributions are effective tools for describing phenology characteristics. This research is important for facilitating comparative studies of phenology and has implications for understanding the impact of climate change on various life-history events.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Oksana Grente, Thibault Saubusse, Olivier Gimenez, Eric Marboutin, Christophe Duchamp
Summary: This study focused on the hotspots of wolf depredation on sheep in France and found that the omission of livestock availability in previous analyses led to flawed inference about the depredation pattern and resulted in the identification of numerous unidentified hotspots. The methodology used in this study provides reliable information for managers to understand the depredation pattern and allocate resources.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Anne Pandraud, Adrian M. Shrader, Arnold Tshipa, Nobesuthu Ngwenya, Simon Chamaille-Jammes
Summary: Migratory animals often use environmental cues to time their migrations, but the reliability of rainfall as a migratory cue in tropical systems is questionable. This study using GPS data from African elephant herds found that the elephants relied more on distant rainfall events along their future migration route than on local events when initiating their wet season migration. However, even with the ability to use distant cues, migration success is not guaranteed, as some elephants returned to their dry season range after traveling a significant distance.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
S. Adamantopoulou, A. A. Karamanlidis, P. Dendrinos, O. Gimenez
Summary: This study developed a methodological approach to monitor the presence of the endangered Mediterranean monk seal using 20 years of citizen science data. The results show a significant range recovery of the species in Greece over the last two decades.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
V Lauret, H. Labach, D. Turek, S. Laran, O. Gimenez
Summary: Large-scale ecological projects require integration of multiple data sources. Spatial integrated models can quantify population dynamics. This study used bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean as a case study, combining boat surveys and aerial line transect data to estimate abundance and density. Output from the integrated spatial model provided important information for assessing the ecological status of bottlenose dolphins in the French Mediterranean Sea.
ANIMAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Johan Pansu, Matthew C. Hutchinson, T. Michael Anderson, Mariska te Beest, Colleen M. Begg, Keith S. Begg, Aurelie Bonin, Lackson Chama, Simon Chamaill E-Jammes, Eric Coissac, Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt, Margaret Y. Demmel, Jason E. Donaldson, Jennifer A. Guyton, Christina B. Hansen, Christopher I. Imakando, Azwad Iqbal, Davis F. Kalima, Graham I. H. Kerley, Samson Kurukura, Marietjie Landman, Ryan A. Long, Isaack Norbert Munuo, Ciara M. Nutter, Catherine L. Parr, Arjun B. Potter, Stanford Siachoono, Pierre Taberlet, Eusebio Waiti, Tyler R. Kartzinel, Robert M. Pringle
Summary: This study used DNA metabarcoding to analyze the diets of large herbivores in southeastern Africa. The results showed that different herbivore species almost always have differences in their food plants, and these differences are influenced by species interactions and rainfall.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Jonathan Miquel, Laurent Latorre, Simon Chamaille-Jammes
Summary: Biologging, the development and deployment of animal-borne loggers, has revolutionized ecology. However, power consumption and battery size are still significant limitations. This study presents strategies for achieving ultra-low power in biologging and provides a detailed example of a lightweight audio-inertial logger designed with low-power MEMS sensors.
Article
Marine & Freshwater Biology
Celine Tardy, Denis Ody, Olivier Gimenez, Serge Planes
Summary: The Mediterranean fin whale population is separate from the Atlantic population. A study used capture-recapture methods and identified 546 fin whales in the north-western Mediterranean between 2008 and 2019. The genetic approach provided the most accurate abundance estimates and showed relative stability over time. This information should be considered for future conservation actions.
MARINE ECOLOGY-AN EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Matthew J. Silk, Olivier Gimenez
Summary: Social networks and population dynamics are connected; interaction is driven by population density and demographic structure, and social relationships can impact survival and reproductive success. However, challenges in integrating demographic and network analysis models have limited research in this area. We introduce the R package genNetDem that can simulate integrated network-demographic datasets, allowing for methodological research and testing of network effects on survival.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Jonathan Miquel, Laurent Latorre, Simon Chamaille-Jammes
Summary: Biologging refers to the use of animal-borne recording devices to study wildlife behavior, and the processing of the large amounts of audio data collected from these devices is a challenge. This paper explores different approaches, including traditional compression, deep-learning classification at the edge, and embedded pre-processing, to reduce the stored data in terms of dimension while maintaining classification accuracy. The results show that ADPCM encoding can save energy compared to uncompressed audio, and performing inline data-preparation can significantly reduce stored data with acceptable classification accuracy.
JOURNAL OF LOW POWER ELECTRONICS AND APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jaume Forcada, Joseph I. Hoffman, Olivier Gimenez, Iain J. Staniland, Pete Bucktrout, Andrew G. Wood
Summary: This study focuses on the recovery trajectory of the Antarctic fur seal and highlights the reasons and factors influencing its population growth, discussing the impacts of environmental change and anthropogenic pressures on this species.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Valentin Lauret, Helene Labach, Lea David, Matthieu Authier, Olivier Gimenez
Summary: This study used an integrated multispecies occupancy model to investigate the spatial co-occurrence between bottlenose dolphins and fishing trawlers in the Mediterranean Sea. The integrated model produced more precise estimates compared to single-dataset models. This research is important for understanding interactions between human activities and marine mammals at large spatial scales.