Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner, Amanda E. Holland, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Travis L. DeVault, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Roost locations play a crucial role in vulture conflicts with humans. This study investigates the factors influencing roost-site selection and compares differences between nocturnal and diurnal roosting sites. The results show that vulture abundance in roosts is affected by urban cover and distance to water, and roosts with higher urban cover are more commonly used during the day. These findings highlight the generalism of vultures and their ability to adapt to novel structures for roosting.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Tomoki Sakiyama, Junko Morimoto, Osamu Watanabe, Nobuyuki Watanabe, Futoshi Nakamura
Summary: Species distribution models often overlook microrefugia, small areas where species can persist despite unfavorable regional conditions, due to a focus on broad-scale environmental variables. This study on the Japanese pika reveals the importance of considering local habitat conditions for conservation efforts, highlighting the potential for enhancing population persistence under climate change through the identification and protection of microrefugia.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Grainne R. O'Neill, Anthony J. Broccoli
Summary: The study shows that obliquity has a bigger impact on positive degree-days in Scandinavia and Baffin Island compared to precession. Additionally, snowfall in Scandinavia is dominated by obliquity while in Baffin Island it is dominated by precession.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Hakki Baltaci, Maria Cristina Lemos da Silva, Helber Barros Gomes
Summary: The study investigated Black Sea-effect snowfall events in Istanbul, Turkey, and found that northeasterly circulation types were important for these events. Factors such as warm sea surface temperature and cold temperature anomaly at low levels of the atmosphere were identified as key contributors to intense Black Sea-effect snowstorms from the northeast cases. Additionally, a positive relation between snow cover depths and land-sea temperature contrast was observed, indicating that intense daily snow accumulation occurs when this temperature difference increases in the region.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Julie Therese Pasquier, Jan Henneberger, Fabiola Ramelli, Annika Lauber, Robert Oscar David, Joerg Wieder, Tim Carlsen, Rosa Gierens, Marion Maturilli, Ulrike Lohmann
Summary: The Arctic is highly sensitive to climate change and is warming faster than other regions. Clouds play a significant role in influencing the amplified Arctic warming. Understanding the processes of ice crystal formation, particularly secondary ice production (SIP), which creates supplementary ice crystals from primary ice crystals, is crucial. This study measured the microphysical properties of Arctic mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) to gain insights into the atmospheric conditions favorable for SIP processes. It was found that SIP occurred in about 40% of the in-cloud measurements and played a significant role in Arctic MPCs. The study highlights the importance of SIP at temperatures below -8 °C, which is currently not considered in most numerical weather models.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Heido Trofimov, Piia Post, Edward Gryspeerdt, Velle Toll
Summary: Ship-track-like polluted cloud tracks provide a direct way to study aerosol-cloud interactions. We found that polluted cloud tracks tend to form in clean and thin clouds under stable and dry conditions, which are often associated with anticyclonic large-scale airflow.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Ornithology
Courtney J. Marneweck, Stephen N. Harris, Alex J. Jensen, Meghan P. Keating, Michael Muthersbaugh, Dana L. Nelson, Eduardo Rosales, Elizabeth A. Saldo, Keifer Titus, David S. Jachowski
Summary: With rapid global change, understanding and predicting changes in species distributions are crucial. In this study, the impact of human population density and climate on the presence of Turkey Vultures was investigated. The model predicted an expansion in Turkey Vulture distribution during the breeding season, indicating possible resident populations in areas where only seasonal, migratory Turkey Vultures currently exist. Mild temperature and low human density were important factors for presence during different seasons. The findings suggest that warmer winters and the presence of domestic carcasses facilitate Turkey Vulture range expansion.
WILSON JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jose Barrientos, Adolfo Cisterna
Summary: This paper investigates the integrability properties of Einstein's theory of gravity in accelerating Newman-Unti-Tamburino (NUT) spacetimes. The authors derive the known C-metric NUT spacetime and construct an accelerating NUT black hole with a conformally coupled scalar field. These solutions belong to the general class of type I spacetimes and can be embedded in external electromagnetic and rotating backgrounds.
Article
Optics
Somshubhro Bandyopadhyay, Saronath Halder, Ritabrata Sengupta
Summary: In this study, we investigate the problem of transforming pure bipartite states using deterministic LOCC. We derive necessary conditions for such a transformation and classify all possible input-output pairs accordingly. Moreover, we prove strict inclusions between LOCC, separable, and positive partial transpose operations in set transformation problems.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Hill, Amanda E. Holland, Lisa K. Brohl, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Travis L. DeVault, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Food availability resulting from human land-use changes may have contributed to the increase in populations of Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Analysis of pellets and literature review revealed that deer, roadkill, and garbage are major food sources for these species.
SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Economics
Yoshitsugu Kitazawa
Summary: This study proposes transformations for dynamic fixed effects logit models. Valid moment conditions are constructed for cases without explanatory variables or time dummies, and the first-order conditions of the conditional maximum likelihood estimator are obtained. Valid moment conditions are also derived for cases with strictly exogenous continuous explanatory variables and/or time dummies when the number of time periods is four or more. These moment conditions coincide with a subset of those obtained using the functional differencing approach proposed by Bonhomme (2012) and Honore and Weidner (2020).
JOURNAL OF ECONOMETRICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tianxin Kang, Dongmei Yang, Fenqi Du, Peng Hu, Feng Teng, Haibo Fan
Summary: Gallium Oxide (Ga2O3) shows great potential in photocatalysis due to its strong redox capability. However, its application is limited by working in the deep ultraviolet region and having a high recombination rate. By using reducing agents, the concentration of oxygen vacancy, and thus the band gap of Ga2O3, can be controlled, resulting in improved photocatalytic degradation efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Weiying Xie, Xiaojie Li, Huo Xu, Feng Chen, Ka-Wing Cheng, Hongbin Liu, Bin Liu
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of nitrogen sources, temperature, initial pH, and C/N ratios on the protein production of Euglena gracilis under heterotrophic cultivation. Ammonium sulfate was found to be the optimal nitrogen source, and manipulation of the low C/N ratio further improved the protein content. Amino acid analysis revealed that Euglena gracilis cultured by ammonium sulfate had a high nutritional value.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jacopo Fumagalli, Sebastien Renaux-Petel, John W. Ronayne, Lukas T. Witkowski
Summary: We propose a new mechanism for producing primordial black holes during a period of multi-field inflation. This mechanism requires an enhancement of primordial fluctuations at short scales compared to those at CMB scales. We show that this amplification naturally occurs when the inflationary trajectory deviates strongly from a geodesic in field space, and can subsequently produce enough primordial black holes to account for all or a fraction of dark matter. Our mechanism is applicable to inflation models in a multi-dimensional field space, as occurs in high-energy theories. We analytically and numerically study how the duration and strength of the trajectory deviation affect the primordial fluctuation power spectrum and the abundance of primordial black holes. Our mechanism offers valuable insights into the dynamics of inflation through observable features in the primordial black hole spectrum and the stochastic background of gravitational waves.
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Abraham de Jesus Romero Fernandez, Ma del Carmen Angeles Gonzalez-Chavez, Braulio Edgar Herrera Cabrera, Jesus Eulises Corona Sanchez, Rogelio Carrillo Gonzalez
Summary: This study compared the soil features of different coffee production systems and found that coffee grown under shade trees has better soil properties and nutrition, resulting in higher yields.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. DeVault, Jerrold L. Belant
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. G. Gantchoff, J. E. Hill, K. F. Kellner, N. L. Fowler, T. R. Petroelje, L. Conlee, D. E. Beyer, J. L. Belant
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2020)
Review
Ecology
Jacob E. Hill, Travis L. De Vault, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Roads have both negative impacts and attractants for mammals due to altered vegetation and resource provision. Mammals use roads for communication, foraging, movement, refuge, and thermoregulation, with foraging, movement, and refuge being the most common reasons. The use of roads by mammals is extensive and diverse, potentially influencing mammalian ecology and increasing the risk of collisions with vehicles.
Article
Zoology
Shannon P. Finnegan, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Jacob E. Hill, Leandro Silveira, Natalia M. Torres, Anah T. Jacomo, Antonio Uzal
Summary: The study found strong temporal segregation within a carnivore guild, especially during the dry season. Jaguars and pumas showed significant overlap in activity patterns, while mesocarnivores displayed avoidance behavior towards pumas. Temporal segregation is a mechanism for coexistence within the carnivore guild, with increased competition between species during the dry season.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Hill, Amanda E. Holland, Lisa K. Brohl, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Travis L. DeVault, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Food availability resulting from human land-use changes may have contributed to the increase in populations of Turkey Vultures and Black Vultures. Analysis of pellets and literature review revealed that deer, roadkill, and garbage are major food sources for these species.
SOUTHEASTERN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob Hill, Travis DeVault, Jerrold Belant
Summary: This study examined the influence of human influence factors on cause-specific mammal mortality using the Human Influence Index (HII) and a database of North American mammal mortality. The results showed that human population density was the most important factor, positively related to anthropogenic mortality but negatively related to vehicle collision and predation mortality. The findings suggest that reducing the negative impacts of human population density can enhance conservation efforts for North American mammals.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jacob E. Hill, Hailey M. Boone, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Todd M. Kautz, Kenneth F. Kellner, Elizabeth K. Orning, Jamshid Parchizadeh, Tyler R. Petroelje, Nathaniel H. Wehr, Shannon P. Finnegan, Nicholas L. Fowler, Ashley L. Lutto, Sarah L. Schooler, Merijn Bosch, Alejandra Zubiria Perez, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Understanding human-caused mortality is crucial for the conservation of large carnivore populations. A study on North American gray wolves found that human activities accounted for 61% of deaths, with illegal harvest, legal harvest, and management removal being the main contributors. Areas with open hunting seasons had lower levels of human-caused mortality, and the proportion of natural habitat was negatively correlated with anthropogenic and illegal harvest mortality.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biology
Nathan J. Robinson, Marta Mateo Sanfelix, Gabriela S. Blanco, Chelsea Clyde-Brockway, Jacob E. Hill, Frank Paladino, Jesus Tomas, Pilar Santidrian Tomillo
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between the duration of the internesting interval and water temperatures in different sea turtle species. The results show that hawksbill turtles have longer internesting intervals compared to green or loggerhead turtles, and olive ridley and leatherback turtles exhibit thermal independence of internesting intervals.
JOURNAL OF THERMAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah L. Schooler, Shannon P. Finnegan, Nicholas L. Fowler, Kenneth F. Kellner, Ashley L. Lutto, Jamshid Parchizadeh, Merijn van den Bosch, Alejandra Zubiria Perez, Lusato M. Masinde, Stanslaus B. Mwampeta, Hailey M. Boone, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Jacob E. Hill, Todd M. Kautz, Nathaniel H. Wehr, Robert Fyumagwa, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Protected areas that limit human activities can improve the quality of wildlife habitat. Increasing protection strength and establishing buffer protected areas can enhance the effectiveness of protected areas. African lions adjust their habitat use based on protection strength and seasonal pressures, avoiding areas with high livestock density during the wet season and high human density during the dry season.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Wesley C. Dixon, Jacob E. Hill, Richard B. Chipman, Amy J. Davis, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Olin E. Rhodes Jr, Guha Dharmarajan
Summary: The United States Department of Agriculture's National Rabies Management Program has used oral rabies vaccination to control the spread of raccoon rabies west of the Appalachian Mountains since 1997. They deployed vaccine-laden baits primarily targeting raccoons, and the competition for baits between raccoons and non-target species was examined in South Carolina. The study found that raccoons consumed a significant proportion of the baits, but vertebrate competition had a minimal impact on raccoon uptake, highlighting the need to consider the effects of invertebrates on bait consumption.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. E. Hill, Kelsey L. L. Turner, Joshua B. B. Smith, Matthew T. T. Hamilton, Travis L. L. DeVault, William C. C. Pitt, James C. C. Beasley, Olin E. E. Rhodes Jr
Summary: The deployment of mouse carcasses laced with acetaminophen has been effective in controlling invasive brown tree snakes on Guam, while anticoagulant rodenticides are used to control invasive rats. However, there is limited research on how scavengers on Guam could be exposed to toxicants by consuming carcasses from these control strategies, and the effect of invasive species on the scavenger community is not well understood. Our study found that the consumption of carcasses by scavengers was influenced by season, habitat, and carcass type, with the two main scavenger species being invasive. Baiting programs should consider the potential exposure of land crabs, native species that scavenge on a wide range of carcasses. Overall, invasive species play a significant role in scavenging small vertebrate carrion on Guam, impacting trophic dynamics beyond predation.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
James L. Helton, Jacob E. Hill, David A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. Dixon, Richard B. Chipman, Amy T. Gilbert, James C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. Rhodes Jr
Summary: The National Rabies Management Program in the eastern United States uses oral rabies vaccine (ORV) baits to control rabies virus transmission in raccoon populations. This study investigated the competition for baits between raccoons and Virginia opossums in southeastern regions. The results showed that raccoons had a higher probability of bait uptake compared to opossums across different land cover types. The consumption of baits was not affected by cover type or the abundance of raccoons or opossums. Male raccoons were more likely to consume baits than females, and the probability of consumption increased with each additional day trapped. The study suggests that further research on baiting season, bait density, and resource selection is needed to maximize ORV bait uptake by target species in southeastern landscapes.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jacob E. Hill, Kenneth F. Kellner, Amanda E. Holland, Bryan M. Kluever, Morgan B. Pfeiffer, Travis L. DeVault, Jerrold L. Belant
Summary: Roost locations play a crucial role in vulture conflicts with humans. This study investigates the factors influencing roost-site selection and compares differences between nocturnal and diurnal roosting sites. The results show that vulture abundance in roosts is affected by urban cover and distance to water, and roosts with higher urban cover are more commonly used during the day. These findings highlight the generalism of vultures and their ability to adapt to novel structures for roosting.
Article
Ecology
Jacob E. E. Hill, James L. L. Helton, David A. A. Bernasconi, Wesley C. C. Dixon, Matt T. T. Hamilton, Richard B. B. Chipman, Amy T. T. Gilbert, James C. C. Beasley, Guha Dharmarajan, Olin E. E. Rhodes Jr
Summary: Raccoons are the primary reservoir for rabies virus in eastern North America and their densities can affect the effectiveness of oral rabies vaccination (ORV). This study estimated the densities of raccoons in different landscapes in the southeastern United States and found that densities were highest in bottomland hardwood forests. The densities of males were generally higher than females, except in upland pine forests. The low densities observed in this study suggest that the financial cost of ORV baiting can be reduced in these rural landscapes.
JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
(2023)
